July 2015 | Baltimore Beacon

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Growing older without children

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

By Carol Sorgen Whether they’re childless by choice or by chance, America’s 15 million baby boomers who have no children are reflecting on their past, their present and, warily, a future that might not include anyone to care for them.

“Yeah, I do worry about who will take care of us,” said Marc M. who, like several people interviewed for this article, preferred that his full name not be used. The 54-year-old Department of Defense employee and his wife married later in life — he was 42 and she was 40 — and decided that when it came to having children, whatever would be, would be.

“My wife wanted to have kids,” said Marc, “but we didn’t make it a goal, and it just didn’t happen.”

Marc said he does wonder what it would have been like to have had the experience of being a parent, but acknowledged that “it must not have been all that important to me.”

He never felt any pressure, either from friends and family or society in general to have kids. “I think men get less pressure than women,” he said. “Plus,” he added with a laugh, “I have sisters with kids. They took care of making my parents grandparents.”

Apart from concerns about future caregiving needs, Marc appears relatively sanguine about not having children, citing benefits such as financial advantages, privacy, and the ability to schedule their life as he and his wife see fit. “There’s much less worry in general,” he said.

Like most boomers without children, Marc dispels the notion that just because he doesn’t have children does not mean he doesn’t like kids. On the contrary, he says, “I’ve made it a priority to have relationships with my nieces and nephews.”

In her new anthology, Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids, essayist/novelist/columnist Meghan Daum notes that she too, while coming to the decision to be “voluntarily childless,” mentored foster children. And Anna Holmes, founder of the feminist blog Jezebel, writes in the book, “[My choice] has nothing to do with a distaste for kids, who, along with animals, I like and identify with more than I do with most adults.”

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Mike Gimbel, a drug abuse educator and counselor, is childless both by choice and circumstance. Like others who have not had children, he has concerns about growing older without offspring who might eventually provide care for him. But he has also seen many dysfunctional families in his line of work, and knows that having children may not be best for everyone.

Many reasons for the decision Daum found that the men and women who contributed to the book are childless for a number of reasons — from having difficult childhoods of their own, to political convictions about overpopulation, reproductive rights, and the like, to not feeling they have the ability to provide the undivided attention that parenting seems to require these days.

For 62-year-old Nancy Rehmeyer Gerace, becoming pregnant “just never happened.” She and her husband — from whom she is now divorced — “just got on with our lives.” And while her job as an occupational therapy assistant with the Baltimore County Public Schools, and her role as her 96-year-old mother’s caregiver keep

her occupied, she does find herself missing the experience of passing along family stories, traditions and knowledge.

“I don’t have anyone to offer that kind of continuity to,” she said. “I would have loved to have given a child a solid background and to share our family past.”

Still, Gerace isn’t wallowing in self-pity.

“Once my childbearing years were over, I wasn’t as torn about it,” she said. “And right now I’m glad I don’t have to look at colleges!”

As for who will care for her in the future, Gerace is concerned but not anxious. “I don’t know what will happen later in life.

Maybe I can be part of someone else’s family.”

See WITHOUT CHILDREN, page 10

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A cool respite in New Hampshire’s White Mountains; plus, how credit card use overseas has changed page 19 FITNESS & HEALTH 3 k Blood test to diagnose depression k Why listeria is so lethal LAW & MONEY k ETFs vs. mutual funds k Five infomercial tricks

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Do we save too much?

Just a few years ago, before the Great not saving for a rainy day, we were borrowRecession hit, economists were reporting ing against or spending what little rainy a “negative savings rate” day fund we already had, beamong Americans. That lieving it would never be meant many of us were needed. spending even more than we So when the recession had earned each year. the gall to rain on our parade How could that be? At the — causing stock prices to fall time, hard as it may be to reby half, slashing value from member now, the rising stock houses so that millions of market and booming housing homeowners were “underwaprices gave many Americans ter” on their mortgages, such a sense of wealth and opthrowing millions out of work timism about the future that FROM THE and keeping young people they felt comfortable spend- PUBLISHER from finding employment — ing everything they earned By Stuart P. Rosenthal there was little to cushion the and borrowing to spend yet blow. more. (Sort of like the federal governThe Great Recession officially ended ment.) five years ago, believe it or not. But we are The result was that, not only were we still clawing our way out of it. Most of us

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are doing better, some are doing great, but many are still just hanging on, waiting for their turn.

So what’s happening with our national savings rate today? Well, it’s actually pretty strong. About 5.5 percent.

That’s good, right? No? Well, I guess some economists are never satisfied. The latest word is that our failure as consumers to spend our rising incomes more generously is responsible for the tepid nature of the recovery.

We’re described as “sitting on our money,” having the gall to exhibit “newfound prudence,” and exhibiting a “deep psychological trauma” that keeps us from spending our hard-earned dollars as freely as we used to. Even millennials have become cautious spenders, having been shaped by high student debt, a dearth of jobs and low pay.

The result of all this, it appears, is a slow economic recovery, fewer new jobs and — oh, the pain — rising savings.

Excuse me, but I find it difficult to be upset that American consumers have learned an important lesson from the recession (and from the banking crisis, the housing crisis, the national debt crisis, etc.).

In fact, I’m rather in shock and awe that Americans of all ages have developed at least some of the self-restraint and appreciation for savings that once characterized the Greatest Generation — those who lived through the

Great Depression and were never quite able to shake the feeling that the best of times could come crashing down in a day.

Those of us who lived through 9/11 also have a taste of how quickly things can change for the worse.

Holding onto savings doesn’t mean we have lost faith. It doesn’t mean we don’t think we can trust in the future.

On the contrary, I think it shows exactly the opposite: It takes faith in the future to hold back some of today’s largesse to invest in that future.

We know we are strong, that we can bounce back from adversity. But we also know it’s wise to keep some resources in reserve. It’s how a sensible family acts. It’s how a sensible country acts.

So if you’ve been saving a bit more lately, I say pat yourself on the back. It might lead to a somewhat slower national recovery overall, and that is sort of a shame.

But in the long run — especially given how much longer most of us will live than any generation before us — its seems to me to be a smart move and a sound philosophy.

If you disagree, or even if you don’t, please write and share your thoughts. Opinions don’t need to be saved for a rainy day!

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

Dear Editor: Stuart Rosenthal’s sad story about a friend who committed suicide was important (“From the Publisher,” May issue).

How often we dismiss depression and sadness in others and move on. The horrendous example of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz [who crashed a Germanwings jet in March] should have been an object lesson, but sadly it has not been. Think of the lives that might have been saved if people paid attention. Sure Homeland Security spends millions advertising “If you see something, say something,” but the message is not sinking in.

If people would read books like Bowling Alone and The Lonely American they’d recognize we live in a culture with little or no “consecutiveness.” Why have so many clubs and civic organizations disappeared?

Why has church attendance gone into free fall? And why has “friend” been turned into the verb “friending?”

I’ve suffered from loneliness, yet always blamed myself, until doing extensive research into the mindset. Today we live with a plague of busy-ness. Our days are

over-scheduled and overwhelmed by stress. Something is missing, yet the culture continues urging us to do more, buy more stuff, and add more unnecessary junk to our lives.

I was active in my high school’s alumnae efforts, only to quit in disgust. Unlike years ago, the only coin of the realm today is a fat annual donation. When I read the recent annual newsletter, I was appalled by the dearth of alumnae news. Even though I mailed a review of my past year, it was ignored. No doubt others shared my sting.

Baltimore has experienced dreadful riots recently. Our city is wounded and denigrated internationally. Even though I understand the outrage over Freddie Gray’s death, destroying property was selfish and wrong.

But this is symptomatic of today’s empty lifestyle. When communities refuse to listen, bad things erupt. It’s time our leaders start paying attention and listen to the voices trapped in this emptiness of 21st century America!

Rosalind Ellis Heid Baltimore

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

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TUMOR-FIGHTING OXYGEN Breathing in extra oxygen might help immune cells attack cancer

Health Fitness &

DO YOU NEED AN ADVOCATE? Patient advocates review medical bills and negotiate lower costs CANNED GOOD Canned fruits and veggies can be at least as nutritious as fresh ones REDUCE CANCER RISK A healthy lifestyle can play a big role in preventing many kinds of cancer

New blood test may diagnose depression

By Marla Paul The first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults has been developed by scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. — a breakthrough approach that provides the first objective, scientific diagnosis for depression. The test identifies depression by measuring the levels of nine RNA blood markers. RNA molecules are the messengers that interpret the DNA genetic code and carry out its instructions.

The blood test also predicts who will benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy based on some of the markers. This could provide the opportunity for more effective, individualized therapy for people with depression.

In addition, the test showed the biological effects of cognitive behavioral therapy — the first measurable, blood-based evidence of that therapy’s success. The levels of markers changed in patients who had the therapy for 18 weeks and were no longer depressed.

“This clearly indicates that you can have a blood-based laboratory test for depression, providing a scientific diagnosis in the same way someone is diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol,” said Eva Redei, who developed the test and is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“This test brings mental health diagnosis into the 21st century and offers the first personalized medicine approach to people suffering from depression,” she said.

Redei is co-lead author of the study, published in Translational Psychiatry. Redei previously developed a blood test that diagnosed depression in adolescents. Most of the markers she identified in the adult depression panel are different from those in depressed adolescents.

Long search for simple lab test The search for a biological diagnostic test for major depression has been ongoing for decades. The current method of diagnosing depression is subjective and based on non-specific symptoms such as poor mood, fatigue and change in appetite — all of which can apply to a large number of mental or physical problems.

A diagnosis also relies on the patient’s ability to report his symptoms and the physician’s ability to interpret them. But depressed patients frequently underreport

or inadequately describe their symptoms.

“Mental health has been where medicine was 100 years ago, when physicians diagnosed illnesses or disorders based on symptoms,” said co-lead author David Mohr, Ph.D., a professor of Preventive Medicine and director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Feinberg. “This study brings us much closer to having laboratory tests that can be used in diagnosis and treatment selection.”

The new blood test will allow physicians for the first time to use lab tests to determine what treatments will be most useful for individual patients.

“Currently, we know drug therapy is effective, but not for everybody, and psychotherapy is effective, but not for everybody,” Mohr said. “We know combined therapies are more effective than either alone, but maybe by combining therapies we’re using a scattershot approach. Having a blood test would allow us to better target treatment to individuals.”

Major depressive disorder affects 6.7 percent of the U.S. adult population in a year, a number that is rising. There is a two-to 40- month delay in diagnosis, and the longer the delay, the more difficult it is to treat depression.

An estimated 12.5 percent of patients in primary care have major depression, but only about half of those cases are diagnosed. A biologically based test has the potential to provide a more timely and accurate diagnosis.

How the study worked The study included 32 patients, ages 21 to 79, who’d been independently diagnosed as depressed in a clinical interview, and 32 nondepressed controls in the same age range.

Some of the patients had been on long-term antidepressants but were still depressed.

The patients, from Northwestern general internal medicine clinics, also were participating in a previously reported study comparing the effectiveness of face-to-face and telephone-administered cognitive behavioral therapy.

At baseline before the therapy, scientists found nine RNA blood markers with levels significantly different in the depressed patients from those of controls. These markers were able to diagnose depression.

After 18 weeks of therapy (face-to-face and telephone), the changed levels of cer-

tain markers could differentiate patients who had responded positively and were no longer depressed (based on a clinical interview and patients’ self-reported symptoms) from patients who remained depressed.

This is the first biological indicator of the success of cognitive behavioral therapy, the study authors said.

In addition, the blood test predicts who will benefit from the cognitive behavioral therapy based on a distinct pattern or fingerprint of the levels of the nine marker levels at baseline in patients who recover from depression as a result of the therapy.

The blood levels of these markers did not show this pattern in the patients who did

not improve with the therapy.

“This distinction could be used in the future to predict who would respond to the therapy,” Redei said.

Clues to recurrence The blood concentration of three of the nine RNA markers remained different in depressed patients and non-depressed controls, even if the depressed patients achieved remission from depression after the therapy. This appears to indicate a vulnerability to depression.

“These three markers move us towards See BLOOD TEST, page 4

Maryland centenarians honored in Baltimore Seventy-three Maryland centenarians attended a luncheon given in their honor in May. When the annual event celebrating Marylanders age 100 and over began 23 years ago, there were 860 centenarians in Maryland. Today, there are more than 1,800. The oldest attending this year’s celebration, at Martin’s West in Baltimore, was 111.

Some of the centenarians in attendance performed, including Joseph D. Noe, 100, who sang the national anthem. Another attendee, who is an only child, had eight children, and her family has expanded to more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren

and great-great-grandchildren. A Silver Spring man, 103, who drove himself to the event last year decided to catch a ride for this year’s celebration.

The centenarians attributed their longevity to a number of factors, including good genes, “serving God with peace and love,” living on a farm, “good, clean living,” and eating fresh fruits and vegetables — as well as “having a Manhattan every day” and “not having any children or wife.”

The event was sponsored by the Mar yland Depar tment of Aging, AARP, the Beacon, and other local businesses.

Idell Green, who lives in Taneytown, celebrated her 103rd birthday at the luncheon.

Bessie M. Dawkins, 99, of Baltimore, sings a gospel song. She is accompanied by (left to right) Lee Michael of Heaven 600, Odessa Doaty, and master of ceremonies and event organizer Dr. Odessa D. Dorkins.

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Food-borne listeria illnesses can be deadly

By Mary Clare Jalonick Large food recalls have forced consumers to throw away hummus and ice cream that may be contaminated with the same potentially deadly bacteria — listeria.

In April, tainted Blue Bell ice cream products were linked to eight listeria illnesses in Kansas and Texas. Three of those who contracted the illness died. Blue Bell has recalled more than two dozen of its products.

Sabra Dipping Co. recently announced a recall of 30,000 cases of its Classic Hummus due to possible listeria contamination, though no illnesses have been linked to that recall.

Here’s a look at the listeria bacteria, and answers to questions that consumers may have: What is listeria?

Listeria is a hardy bacteria found in soil and water that can be carried by animals.

It is often found in processed meats because it can contaminate a processing facility and stay there for a long period of time, and it can grow in the cold temperature of a refrigerator.

It is also commonly found in unpasteurized cheeses and unpasteurized milk, and it is sometimes found in other foods as well. For example, listeria in cantaloupes was linked to 30 deaths in a 2011 outbreak.

What are the symptoms?

When a person contracts the disease, it can cause fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms and even death.

Am I at risk?

Listeria generally affects older adults, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. It can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborn babies. Healthy, younger adults and most

children can usually consume listeria with no ill effects or mild illness.

What was recalled?

Blue Bell ice cream recalled several products made on production lines in Texas and Oklahoma after the ice cream was linked to eight illnesses, including three deaths, in Texas and Kansas.

The nationwide Sabra hummus recall came after a product sample collected by Michigan agriculture officials tested positive for listeria; there are no known illnesses related to that recall. A Sabra spokeswoman said the hummus was manufactured at its plant in Richmond, Va. How did this happen?

State and federal inspectors are still investigating the ice cream outbreak and have not released a cause. In past outbreaks, contamination has often been the result of dirty equipment or unsanitary

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conditions in a plant.

I think I may have one of these products in my home. What do I do?

The government’s motto is “when in doubt, throw it out.” If you throw something away that you think might be tainted, place it in a closed plastic bag in a sealed trash can to prevent animals or other people from eating it. The ice cream can have a shelf life of up to two years.

How can I protect against listeria?

In the case of the ice cream and hummus recalls, there is nothing you can do to prevent it — just throw away the food if you learn it has been recalled.

Surfaces that come into contact with food should always been cleaned with hot, soapy water.

With fruit, scrubbing is never a bad idea, but it may not rid produce of all contaminants. In the case of the cantaloupe, the listeria likely hid on the fruit’s thick, rough skin. Health officials think people may have been sickened when people cut into their cantaloupes, bringing listeria on the outside of the fruit to the inside.

The government says the listeria bacteria can be killed by heating food to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until it is steaming hot just before serving it.

Why is listeria so deadly?

Listeria is less well-known than other pathogens, like salmonella and E. coli, which cause many more illnesses in tainted food every year. But one in five people who get sick from listeria can die. The people who get sick from listeria are often already weaker and more vulnerable to disease.

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the ultimate goal of identifying predisposition to depression, even in the absence of a current depressive episode,” said Redei, also the David Lawrence Stein Research Professor of Psychiatric Diseases Affecting Children and Adolescents.

“Being aware of people who are more susceptible to recurring depression allows us to monitor them more closely,” Mohr noted.

“They can consider a maintenance dose of antidepressants or continued psychotherapy to diminish the severity of a future episode or prolong the intervals between episodes.”

Next, Redei plans to test the results in a larger population. She also wants to see if the test can differentiate between major depression and bipolar depression.

Marla Paul works at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

From WhatDoctorsKnow, a magazine devoted to information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.whatdoctorsknow.com. © 2015 Whatdoctorsknow.com Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Tumors shrank more in the high-oxygen group, especially when the researchers combined the oxygen with injections of extra tumor-fighting T cells, what’s called immunotherapy.

Extra oxygen had no effect in mice genetically engineered to lack those immune cells.

Immunotherapy is a hot field in cancer re-

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Here’s what happens: Tumors can grow so rapidly that they outpace their blood supply, creating a low-oxygen environment.

The lack of oxygen in turn spurs cancer cells to produce a molecule called adenosine, which essentially puts nearby tumor fighters called T cells and natural killer cells to sleep, explained pharmacologist Edwin Jackson of the University of Pittsburgh, who co-authored the study.

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Lots of research is under way to develop drugs that could block the adenosine effect. But Sitkovsky’s team wondered if just getting more oxygen to an oxygen-starved tumor could strip away that defense.

So they put mice with different kinds of lung tumors inside chambers that mimic what’s called supplemental oxygen therapy. Air is about 21 percent oxygen, but hospitals can give patients concentrations of 40 percent to 60 percent oxygen through face masks to treat various disorders.

The extra oxygen changed the tumor’s environment so that immune cells could get inside and do their jobs, the researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

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By Lauran Neergaard A provocative study in mice suggests something as simple as breathing in extra oxygen might give immune cells a boost in attacking cancer.

The immune system often can spot and destroy abnormal cells before they grow into cancer. But when tumors manage to take root, they put up defenses to block new immune attacks. The study takes aim at one of those shields.

With the extra oxygen, “you remove the brake pedal” that cancer can put on tumorfighting immune cells, said Michail Sitkovsky, director of the New England Inflammation and Tissue Protection Institute at Northeastern University, who led the work.

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Patient advocates help trim medical costs

By Matthew Perrone In today’s healthcare system, consumers are increasingly on their own when complex — and often costly — medical problems arise: A medical emergency leaves you with tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid hospital bills. Your health insurance company rejects coverage for an important medical test.

An unexpected diagnosis requires you to find three new medical specialists.

Primary care doctors once helped patients manage such situations, but many physicians now have 15 minutes or less for each appointment.

It’s in this high-pressure environment that a new industry of patient advocates — sometimes called patient navigators — has emerged, offering to help guide patients through knotty health situations.

Driven by an increasing number of baby boomers dealing with chronic medical

problems, the field has mainly taken shape in the last five to 10 years, according to Professor Theresa Cronan of San Diego State University.

“People with chronic conditions use the healthcare system more. But the healthcare system has become so complex that it’s really hard for people to navigate,” said Cronan, who has studied the health advocacy industry.

Here are some questions and answers about these businesses and the services they offer: What do patient advocates do?

Patient advocates are hired to help solve healthcare problems or help patients get the best care possible. Advocates can work for companies with hundreds of employees or operate as stand-alone consultants for a handful of clients.

Some of the most common tasks health

advocates work on include: • Negotiating discounts and payment plans for large medical bills; • Managing and filing insurance paperwork, especially appeals where companies deny coverage for expensive procedures or equipment; • Helping patients find and schedule appointments with medical experts who specialize in rare or hard-to-treat diseases.

How can these businesses potentially save me money?

Many patient advocates highlight their ability to help reduce medical bills or cut through insurance red tape.

Health advocates can review patient records to spot billing errors that drive up costs. They can also coordinate care between a number of physicians, usually for patients with complex conditions, avoiding repeat billings and insurance payments.

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In other cases, advocates will help patients find the best price for an expensive test or procedures. Prices for common tests, such as medical scans, can vary by hundreds or thousands of dollars, even among hospitals that are only a few miles apart, as demonstrated by payment records released by the government’s Medicare program.

With many patients in high-deductible insurance plans that require them to pay substantial out of pocket costs before coverage kicks in, the difference between a $300 MRI scan or a $1,300 MRI scan can be significant.

How much do these services cost?

Patient advocates typically aren’t covered by insurance, so customers should expect to pay out of pocket.

Many charge an hourly rate, ranging from $50 to $250 depending on the nature of the work, their location and background. Advocates charging the highest fees usually have a medical degree.

Other services may use alternative fee structures. For instance, the medical bill saver service offered by Health Advocate of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., negotiates uncovered medical or dental bills of $400 or more at no upfront cost to the customer.

Instead, the company takes a 25 percent cut of the recouped savings.

So if the company negotiated a $10,000 medical bill down to $5,000 the company would earn a $1,250 fee. Health Advocate sells access to its bill saver service and other offerings through an annual membership fee of $25.95. About 10,000 companies also offer Health Advocate’s services as a benefit to their employees.

What qualifications do patient advocates need to have?

Currently there are no professional credentials required to be a patient advocate, so be careful about choosing a service.

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search, as scientists try to figure out how to spur the body’s own ability to fight tumors.

The study is exciting, said immunologist Susanna Greer of the American Cancer Society, who wasn’t involved with the research and cautioned that it must be tested in people.

“If this works, there is the potential that what they’re doing could very easily synergize with other cancer immunotherapies that we know work,” she said.

“The beauty is that oxygen per se is so well-tolerated,” added Dr. Holger Eltzschig, an anesthesiologist at the University of Colorado in Denver, who studies low-oxygen effects and also wasn’t involved in this study.

He said the data was compelling enough to start testing the approach by adding supplemental oxygen to certain cancer therapies.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

7

Canned foods at least as nutritious as fresh

By Kathleen Zelman, R.D Canned foods — fruits, vegetables and beans — are the ultimate convenience foods — nutritious, available year-round, and economical. Yet surveys show they’re misunderstood and not considered healthful choices.

Historically, canning was developed to preserve summer’s bounty and extend food availability all year long to prevent seasonal starvation. The canning process locks in nutrients when food is at its ultimate freshness.

As a result, canned foods contain the same important nutrients as — and sometimes even more than — fresh foods, and they can help you fit more fruits, vegetables and seafood into your diet, at a lower cost.

Despite these facts, many consumers desire fresh over canned foods, although it

doesn’t always make nutritional — or seasonal — sense.

“Fresh produce can lose lots of nutrients, especially during the winter when it travels hundreds or thousands of miles to get to your grocer, where it then sits on the shelf until you buy it,” said Elizabeth Ward, R.D., the author of My Plate for Moms.

“Fresh local produce is impossible to come by in many parts of the country during winter, so relying on canned foods is a practical solution to have nutritious products year-round,” she said.

Some fresh vegetables, such as spinach and green beans, lose up to 75 percent of their vitamin C within seven days of harvest. Yet canned fruits and vegetables are packed at peak ripeness to deliver the

BEACON BITS

June. 26

BRAIN FITNESS

Join Robin Zahor, RN. for tips, facts, skills and games to enhance your brain at the Bykota Senior Center, 611 Central Ave., Towson.

The event takes place in the center’s café at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26. Call (410) 887-3094 for more information.

Ongoing

CLINICAL TRIALS OPEN

Parexel Clinical Research at Harbor Hospital, 3001 S. Hanover St., is looking for healthy seniors for clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and high cholesterol. For more information, visit www.parexel.com/baltimore or call (877) 617-8839.

Treating Difficulty Standing or Walking, attributed to Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Neuropathy, Poor Circulation or Poor Balance I am a patient who had severe foot pain for 2 years, with no relief in sight....by the end of the 4 days I was 85% pain free in both feet. I thank God for Dr. Goldman and his passion for research in healing people with foot and leg pain.

How fortunate I feel to have found a doctor who could not only diagnose an underlying problem that many specialists missed, but who has been able to find a painless and rapid method of relieving the worst symptoms.

– Alvin, Baltimore

– Susan, Baltimore

As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, I have always focused on non-surgical treatment of foot and leg pain. I find that most people with foot or leg symptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, cramping or difficulty walking) , even those who have had other treatments, including surgery of the foot (or back), can be helped, usually in 1 or 2 visits.

— Dr. Stuart Goldman

Stuart Goldman, DPM

Fellow American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

4000 Old Court Road, Suite 301, Pikesville

Author, multiple articles on Foot & Leg Symptoms

410-235-2345

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same consistent taste year round.

Further, canned foods are environmentally friendly because the metal used in containers is the most recycled material in the U.S.

Low-cost nutrition A 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences showed that canned fruits and vegetables provide important essential nutrients, like vitamin C, often at a lower cost per nutrient than fresh, frozen or dried forms.

And a study that analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that including canned fruits and vegetables in children’s diets improved overall diet quality.

“Children who ate canned fruits and

vegetables ate 22 percent more vegetables, 14 percent more fruit, and had better diet quality and increased nutrient intake,” said study co-author Marjorie Freedman.

Some nutrients are even higher in canned foods. Lycopene, the antioxidant in tomatoes, increases in bioavailability when heated, making it more potent in canned tomatoes than in fresh tomatoes. Canned pumpkin has less water than fresh, thereby increasing the concentration of vitamin A. Concerned about salt or sugar? While canned foods can be high in sodium, the leading sources of sodium in the American diet are not canned foods (nor is canned fruit among the top sources of added See CANNED FOODS, page 8

8

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Canned foods From page 7 sugar), according to USDA data.

You can avoid extra sodium and sugar in

JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

canned foods by choosing those labeled “no-salt” and “no-sugar added.” Rinsing also can help reduce salt and sugar significantly.

Canned foods are the perfect addition to your favorite casseroles, soups, and salads.

BEACON BITS

June 26

VISION SCREENING

The Maryland Society for Sight will be available to provide free vision screenings at the Pikesville Senior Center on Friday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. The center is located at 1301 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville. Appointments are required. Sign up at the front reception desk. Call (410) 887-1245 to learn more.

Not only do they help provide out-of-season fruits and vegetable for pennies on the dollar, but using canned foods saves preparation time by skipping the cleaning, chopping and cooking.

Ward believes using canned vegetables — especially vegetables that take time to prepare, such as artichokes — can simplify cooking.

Nothing lasts forever, even canned foods in your pantry; most are good for about one year. Check the “best by” date.

A possible concern Bisphenol A (BPA) is a structural component used to coat the interior of food cans, to prevent contamination and safeguard the food from microbes. While

Advocates From page 6 Several universities offer specialized courses and degrees in patient advocacy, including Sarah Lawrence College, the University of Miami and the University of Wisconsin. Such programs often combine training in medicine, health policy, economics and law. Other health advocates have backgrounds in nursing, social work, medicine and the insurance industry.

Before hiring a health advocate be sure to ask for references and information on training and experience. Customers should also receive a written contract specifying

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there have been many concerns regarding the safety of BPA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently states that BPA is safe at current levels used in food containers and packaging; however, there is an ongoing safety review of scientific evidence.

In the meantime, the FDA is conducting in-depth studies to clarify uncertainties about BPA. If you’re concerned, you can choose aseptic pouches and glass jars, which do not contain BPA. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2015 Belvoir Media Group Distributed

By Tribune Content Agency, LLC. the services to be delivered and the fees.

How can I find a patient advocate?

Academic programs like University of Wisconsin’s Center for Patient Partnerships can provide contact information for graduates in the field. There are also several professional groups that offer online search tools for finding patient advocates, including: • National Association of Healthcare Advocacy, which requires members to sign a code of ethics: www.nahac.com • Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, which requires participants to have professional liability insurance: www.advoconnection.com/

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

9

Keep fresh, free water with you all day

By Gretel H. Schueller Recently, Concord, Mass., became the first U.S. town to ban the sale of singleserving plastic water bottles. There are plenty of reasons why more than 28 universities and other communities have enacted similar bans.

By switching to a tap-filled reusable bottle, you’ll drink water just as pure, help reduce the global glut of plastic bottles, and save money: Americans spent $10.6 billion on bottled water in 2009 — paying up to 1,000 times the cost of tap water, according to Food and Water Watch.

A test of more than 1,000 bottles of water commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council concluded that bottled water is not cleaner or safer than regular tap water.

In fact, federal regulation of tap water is more stringent than that of bottled water.

The review also noted that at least 25 percent of bottled water is just tap water. Still worried about drinking from the tap? Install a faucet filter.

Important to stay hydrated According to the Institute of Medicine, women should get about 91 ounces of water each day and men about 125 ounces.

Most of your total water intake should come from beverages, but we do get about 20 percent from food.

“Hydration stations” are beginning to appear in public spaces. These modern-day water fountains are designed for refillable water bottles. The “TapIt” phone app offers a network of eateries across the country where you can fill up on water for free.

Tired of plain water? Use a squirt of fresh lemon or lime juice to naturally freshen your water. Or try the Aqua Zinger, a stainless-steel water bottle with a built-in grinder cup that lets you infuse water with produce and herbs. Our favorite combo: watermelon and basil.

washer-safe, but can dent if dropped. Aluminum bottles look like stainless steel but have a big difference: Aluminum reacts with acidic liquids, so they’re lined with an enamel or epoxy layer that can wear down.

Not dishwasher-safe, some linings contain as much BPA as their plastic predecessors, according to a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine study. You can get a good gauge of whether the lining will leach BPA by looking at the color: a golden orange coating will; a white coating will

not. (The new linings by Sigg do not.)

Plastic bottles are typically inexpensive.

And since 2010, most are BPA-free. (Keep in mind, the “BPA-free” label is not regulated.) They are not safe for hot liquids or microwaves, and health concerns with other leachable toxins in plastics still exist. (Independent studies indicate “Tritan” plastic bottles by Nalgene don’t leach detectable BPA.) © 2015 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Clean your bottle carefully Water bottles provide an ideal home for mold and bacteria, which thrive in moist environments. Cracks and scratches in the plastic give bacteria places to grow. So clean them carefully.

Some bottles are dishwasher-safe. Use a bottlebrush to scrub hard-to-reach spots.

Fizzy cleaning tablets, such as Bottle Bright by Clean Ethics, can naturally clean those recesses. Air-dry both the cap and bottle completely to prevent bacterial growth.

Glass water bottles are the easiest to clean and most recyclable. Though glass is also the most fragile, most versions come with a protective silicone sleeve.

Stainless steel is lightweight and dish-

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Without children From page 1

Plan for caregiving Nevertheless, it’s important for baby boomers to give some thought now to who will care for them in their later years, said Judah Ronch, Ph.D., dean of the Erickson School at UMBC. Ronch observed that the greatest amount of care given to elders is provided by family members. And with government cuts in aging and health services, boomers could be in trouble if they don’t have somewhere else to turn, he added, especially as many of them are not inheriting the wealth they had counted on.

“Wealthy boomers will be able to pay for care,” Ronch said. “But those with financial needs could be in trouble. Boomers aren’t recognizing what they’re heading for.”

Still, he added, having kids doesn’t necessarily mean you have built-in caregivers,

as many of those kids don’t live near enough to their parents to provide consistent care. This is where friends and peer networks will come into play, Ronch said.

It may not be all gloom and doom for those without children. In a study of people over the age of 75 who had trouble walking across a room or getting in and out of bed, University of Southern California researchers found that those who were childless weren’t receiving less care than those who were parents. Similarly, the childless individuals did not score lower on measures of psychological well-being.

In fact, in the national sample of 1,456 respondents taken from 1998 to 2004, almost 90 percent overall said they were happy and enjoying life. And among those who weren’t parents, that percentage was even higher.

Making peace with regrets That may be of some comfort, but not having children, especially when it was not by

JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

choice, can still be painful even in later years.

Ellie L. — who also prefers not to use her full name — always thought she’d have children. But she never married, and decided she didn’t have the support network she would need to function as a single parent.

Ellie admits that not having children has been very painful for her, especially since “babies are important” in her family. “I feel that I stand alone,” she said.

She also gets upset when people assume that she willingly made the choice not to have a child — common assumptions that are reflected in the title of Daum’s book, Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed.

Like Marc M., Ellie has established close relationships with her sibling’s children, and now with her niece’s sons. “As babies have come along, I babysit, whether for family or friends,” she said.

“And as a librarian I get to see a lot of little kids...I’m an absolute sucker for little kids.”

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The MedStar Orthopaedics specialists who see patients at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and in the community include: • Michael A. Jacobs, MD • Steven A. Kulik, MD • Mesfin A. Lemma, MD • Darioush Nasseri, MD • Derek F. Papp, MD • Robert M. Peroutka, MD • Steve A. Petersen, MD • Carmen P. Pichard-Encina, MD

Besides, there are plus sides to not having children, Ellie admitted. She would not be as financially comfortable as she is today, and she acknowledged that kids don’t always bring their parents joy. In the end though, she thinks having children would have been well worth the risk.

Mike Gimbel, a drug abuse educator and counselor, came to his childless status by both choice and circumstance. The 63year-old Timonium resident is open about the fact that as a high school student he was addicted to heroin. While attending a drug abuse program-turned-cult in California, he and the other men in the program were brainwashed into getting vasectomies.

“At the age of 25, I had a vasectomy without ever thinking of the ramifications,” said Gimbel.

After escaping the cult and returning to Baltimore, Gimbel married, and he and his wife discussed his having the vasectomy reversed. “But we put it off and eventually we got divorced,” he said. His second wife already had children, and raising stepchildren was a difficult enough proposition without adding new ones to the mix.

“Working with kids for the last 35 years has certainly softened the blow,” said Gimbel, who grew up in a “traditional” family with three brothers, all of whom have kids and grandkids now. He has been very close to his nieces and nephews throughout their lives.

Through his work, Gimbel has also seen the downside of dysfunctional family relationships, and is grateful that he didn’t have to put any children of his own through the pain of divorcing parents.

Should he marry again, Gimbel said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of having a child, But for now, “I don’t think about it as much anymore,” he said.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT SERVICES

The Baltimore City and Baltimore County Department of Health, Adult Evaluation and Review Services provides in-home screening, assessment and case management service to individuals experiencing multiple health and social problems. For more information, call (410) 887-2754 in Baltimore County or (410) 396-6006 in Baltimore City.

MedStar Orthopaedics combines the skill and expertise of more than 80 physicians at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, The Curtis National Hand Center, and more than 20 community locations, giving you convenient access to the area’s top orthopaedic, spine and sports medicine care. Our physicians treat the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Nationals, Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Baltimore Blast, US Lacrosse, and the majority of collegiate, high school and recreational teams in the region.

Ongoing

HEALTH DEPT. VOLUNTEERS Baltimore City’s

Health Department, Division of Aging and Care Services, Maryland Access Point, is looking for volunteers. For more information, call (410) 3964932 or (410) 396-2273.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

11

Vitamins that boost mood; drugs to avoid What makes one person depressed and known as “norepinephrine,” is involved in another happy? your “fight or flight” response. Dopamine is Certain conditions are commonly associ- part of your inborn reward system, which alated with depression, includlows you to feel passion and ing hypothyroidism, Crohn’s pleasure. disease or colitis, migraines, These three neurotransmitdiabetes, chronic infections ters are made in the body and cancer. Lifestyles such as every second, and they dedrinking alcohol and smoking pend on adequate levels of B are also correlated. vitamins, which you can get But perhaps the biggest from eating right and keeping source of all is what I call “drug your gut healthy. Here are the mugging.” In my book Drug Bs to know: Muggers, I describe how cerThiamine or B1 — A thiDEAR tain prescription and OTC PHARMACIST amine deficiency contributes to drugs “mug” you of vital nutri- By Suzy Cohen a decrease in serotonin, which ents that you need to produce can lead to depression and anxi“happy” brain chemicals called ety, as well as weight gain. Drug neurotransmitters. muggers of thiamine include antivirals, horToday I’ll teach you what popular drugs mone replacement, raw oysters, antacids lead to depression just by the mere fact they and antibiotics. mug you of essential vitamins. No amount of Niacin or B3 — Tryptophan is metaboZoloft can replenish the stolen nutrients. lized in your brain into 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) and goes on to form serotonin and Mood chemicals in your brain dopamine. You need niacin for this biochemiThere are three primary neurotransmit- cal reaction to occur. Acid blockers, antacids, ters in your brain, serotonin, noradrena- cholestyramine and loop diuretics are drug line and dopamine. muggers of niacin.

Serotonin is involved in emotion and Pantothenic acid — This B vitamin mood control. Did you know that 95 percent makes for healthy adrenal glands; it’s often of your serotonin is in your gastrointestinal low in people with hypoglycemia. (Blood tract, not your brain? Noradrenaline, also sugar abnormalities cause mood swings.)

32% OF MARYLAND NURSING HOMES ARE RATED “BELOW AVERAGE” BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Do you have a family member in a nursing home or are you considering a nursing home? If so, you should attend one of our FREE seminars.

We can help you answer important questions like: • What do I look for in a nursing home?

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• Why does abuse and neglect happen in nursing homes?

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You need this B vitamin to make noradrenaline as well as your memory molecule acetylcholine. Deficiencies in vitamin B-5 are tied to decreased alertness, fatigue, memory problems and depression.

Acid blockers, cholestyramine and antibiotics are drug muggers.

Pyridoxine or B6 — Pyridoxine is found primarily in beans, legumes, meat, eggs, fish and bread. But you can’t eat enough to make adequate levels of serotonin and dopamine.

By improving the production and function of serotonin and dopamine, you can reduce the severity of certain types of seizures, neuropathic pain and Parkinson’s disease. Drug muggers are corticosteroids, oral contraceptives (estrogens),

loop diuretics and antibiotics.

Folate or B9 — Up to 70 percent of depressed people have a genetic “personality” such that they have what’s called an “MTHFR” polymorphism or what we call a SNP (pronounced “snip”). This situation compromises your body’s ability to turn folate from your foods into L-methylfolate, which you need to make neurotransmitters, especially your passion hormone dopamine. Drug muggers of folate include metformin, fluoxetine and warfarin.

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. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

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Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health Studies Page

JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Breast cancer study looks at gene mutation Army of Women — an initiative that partners volunteers with researchers to enable research into the causes of breast cancer — needs women throughout the United States who have HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer to take part in a study of the experimental drug neratinib.

HER2 stands for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a gene that can play a role in the development of breast cancer.

Neratinib works by attaching itself to the HER2 receptor. It was initially developed for and studied in women with HER2positive metastatic breast cancer. However, laboratory and early studies suggest it may also be effective in the small group of women whose tumors have a specific type of HER2 mutation but test HER2-negative on current tumor tests.

The purpose of this study is to see whether neratinib is effective in treating HER2-negative metastatic tumors that have this specific HER2 mutation.

Genetic testing first The first part of the study is a preliminary screening. During this part of the study, your tumor tissue will be tested to see if it has the HER2 mutation the researchers are looking for. If your tumor has the mutation, you will be given more information about the main research study, which is investigating the effectiveness of neratinib.

If you sign up for this study — “A Phase II Study of Neratnib in Metastatic HER2 Non-amplified but HER2 Mutant Breast Cancer” — a research coordinator will send a consent form to you, and:

• ask you to obtain medical records from your doctor’s office, • send the records to the research team at no cost to you, and • evaluate your overall health based on medical records provided by your doctor’s office.

Based on this information, the research coordinator will determine if you are eligible to have your tumor tissue (either from a new biopsy or previous biopsies) tested for HER2.

It will take three to four weeks for you and your research study doctor to learn whether your tumor has the specific HER2 mutation the researchers are studying. If it does, your research study doctor will give you more information about the research study so that you can decide if you want to enroll.

If your tumor does not have this HER2 mutation, you will not be eligible for the main research study. However, information about your medical history and tumor characteristics, as well as any samples collected up to this point, might still be analyzed as part of this study.

The study is being conducted by Dr. Cynthia Ma at Washington University in St.

Louis. If your tumor is found to have the HER2 mutation the researchers are studying and you are eligible and interested in receiving neratinib through the trial, you will be referred for treatment to the cancer center nearest you that is participating in the study.

Who can participate You can join the study if you match all of these main categories: • You are a women with confirmed stage IV breast cancer that is HER2-negative.

• You do not have a history of heart problems.

• You do not require oxygen.

• You do not have abnormal liver or kidney function.

• You are able to participate in activities without significant restriction.

These are only the preliminary eligibility criteria. The research team will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is a right fit for you.

To find out more, call (310) 828-0060 or email studies@armyofwomen.org. For more information on Army of Women, visit www.armyofwomen.org.

BEACON BITS

June 23

ONLINE BANKING TIPS Learn more about how to use online banking, including balancing

a checkbook and paying bills from your computer, at the Edgemere Senior Center, 6600 North Point Rd., Sparrows Point. The workshop takes place on Tuesday, June 23 at 11:15 a.m. Call (410) 887-7530 for more information.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

13

Cancer risk is largely due to our choices Q: Can lifestyle really make much Through healthy food and drink choicdifference in cancer risk? Doesn’t can- es, combined with physical activity and a cer really come down mosthealthy weight, you provide ly to heredity and luck? protective influences both at A: A healthy lifestyle can’t the stage of initial cell damage prevent all cancer, but it makes (which starts the cancer a big difference. Healthy eatprocess) and throughout ing habits combined with regustages that follow, reducing lar physical activity and a potential of any damaged cells healthy weight can prevent to multiply and ever develop about 1 in 3 of the most cominto a clinical cancer. mon U.S. cancers.

Q: Is broccoli more nutriBy adding avoidance of totious raw than when cooked? bacco and sun damage, today’s NUTRITION A: Actually, raw broccoli is research says we could cut the WISE not necessaril more healthful number of cancers occurring By Karen Collins, than cooked. Broccoli is part of in the United States every year MS, RD, CDM the cruciferous vegetable faminearly in half. ly and a great food to include in Only about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers your diet either raw or lightly cooked. are thought to be caused by an inherited Cruciferous vegetables provide many “cancer gene.” If you have a close relative nutrients, but their unique contribution is a (mother, father, sister or brother) who has group of compounds called glucosinolates. had cancer, or if you carry a cancer gene, When we chew or chop these vegetables, it’s important to get periodic screenings on glucosinolates are exposed to an enzyme a schedule recommended by your health- stored elsewhere in the plant that converts care provider. these inactive compounds to isothioEven with a strong family history of a cyanate compounds, which studies suggest particular cancer, eating habits and may reduce cancer risk. lifestyle choices can influence whether canThe latest research shows that you can cer actually develops. Some people may in- get high amounts of these protective comherit genes that make them especially sen- pounds if you blanch the vegetables first. sitive to the effects of lifestyle choices.

Blanching is a quick dip in boiling water, followed immediately by cooling.

How to improve your “luck” You can also preserve both nutrients and As for luck, it’s true that whenever cells the enzyme needed to form protective isothdivide and reproduce, there’s potential for iocyanates if you steam broccoli for three or mutations (damaged DNA) that can possi- four minutes (just until crisp-tender) or mibly lead to cancer. crowave for less than one minute.

However, the body has mechanisms to reBoiling broccoli or other cruciferous vegpair DNA and cause abnormal cells to self- etables is not the optimal method, unless destruct. Nutrients and phytochemicals (nat- you’ll be consuming the cooking liquid (as in ural compounds in vegetables, fruits, whole soup). Boiling leaches out the vegetables’ grains and other plant foods) provide impor- water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and tant support for those processes. Moreover, folate, as well as many of the glucosinolate genes can be activated and deactivated (like compounds, which are water-soluble, too. switching on or off their ability to send sigServing broccoli raw is an excellent opnals), and the way we live influences that. tion, since it retains these nutrients and By limiting unhealthy foods and avoiding the enzyme that forms isothiocyanate tobacco smoke, excess alcohol, too much compounds. Before serving on a relish sun, or exposure to high levels of certain tray or salad, quickly blanching and coolchemicals, you help reduce chances of ing allows you to get even a bit more of damage to genes. these compounds.

When you want cooked broccoli, steaming or very brief microwaving are excellent choices.

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14

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to protect a bro from a gold digger Dear Solutions: I’m worried about my brother beAfter 45 years of marriage, my brother cause he really believes lies she’s told is a very recent widower and him. He says the rumors are retiree. Because he’s perjust from people who are sonable and fairly affluent, jealous of her good looks and he’s been called a “good charming personality. catch” among the senior set.

Should I do anything to try He was recently introto stop him from making a duced to a woman I know a bad mistake? People say little about, and he’s really whatever they do is their busifallen for her. This woman ness, and not mine. I think has been married to wealthy my brother is my business men and divorced three because I love him. I don’t times. I was told that she SOLUTIONS know what her business is. initiated the divorces and By Helen Oxenberg, — Harriet got more and more money MSW, ACSW Dear Harriet: and jewelry each time from Apparently, her business is each marriage. mergers and acquisitions. Your fear is that

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her next merger may lead to the acquisition of your brother’s life savings.

Since he’s so smitten with her, telling him negative things about her will only make him defensive and angry at you. He will find it insulting that you don’t trust his judgment.

Tell him you’re glad he feels good about someone and about his future. You’re concerned, though, that he hasn’t allowed himself to mourn his terrible loss, and for the sake of his future, you believe he must deal with that loss or the undone grief work may come back to haunt him.

It is unnatural not to mourn the loss of a spouse of 45 years. His almost immediate involvement with someone else is a way of avoiding the painful feelings that deep grief arouses.

Remind him that all the professional literature about loss agrees that mourning must be experienced and dealt with before new emotional commitments can become healthy relationships. Suggest that he join a bereavement group to help him.

You don’t have to belittle her to defend him.

Dear Solutions: Grandchildren of my friends and neighbors are coming more and more often to my door to ask me to buy things like candy, small household items or novelties to raise money for various organizations.

In the past, I’ve mostly bought, but now I’m having to pinch pennies, and I’m finding it hard to even buy things for my own family.

I don’t want to lose friendships over this or hurt anyone’s feelings, especially children’s. How can I avoid buying useless things and not lose friends over it?

— Embarrassed Dear Embarrassed: Cookies and trinkets may be for sale, but real friendships are not.

You should not feel pressured — by yourself mostly — into buying things you can’t use and can’t afford. You should just say to the child, “Oh, you look terrific and it’s great to see you, but I’m sorry I really can’t use that now.”

As for feeling bad for the child, you may actually be doing something good, as he or she must learn some disappointment in life — especially if his/her ambition is to be a good salesperson. Even the best ones can’t count on making every sale.

And the friends? If they deserve the title, they will live up to it and still be there for you. © Helen Oxenberg, 2015. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Share your home like the Golden Girls did

By Carol Sorgen Eight years ago, Bonnie Moore found herself divorced with a newly remodeled five-bedroom home in Bowie, Md. “I had all the bills and half the income,” she said.

Moore didn’t want to lose her home, so she decided to take in roommates. But unlike many landlords who don’t have a particular tenant in mind, Moore had a plan. “I wanted women the same age I was,” the now 70-yearold retired management consultant recalled.

Moore rented out four bedrooms. For a while it was trial and error. “I had a lot to

learn about being a landlord,” she said.

After several years, however, she had it down pat — so much so that she and her roommates decided there must be other women in the same circumstances who would rather live with other women than live on their own.

The result of that discussion was the Golden Girls Network, launched in June 2014.

A national roommate database Moore explained that the Golden Girls Network is a group of single mature

NOW IS THE TIME!

Find the perfect floor plan—and get it while you can!

women (and men, despite the name) who love the idea of shared living and who are looking for an economical lifestyle by forming communities together.

The organization operates a nationwide electronic database that provides an opportunity for older singles to connect with compatible housemates.

Currently there are about 700 people listed in the database, spread among 45 states. About 100 of the listings are in the Baltimore/Washington area. A six-month membership costs $39.

Demographic trends indicate that conditions are ripe for continued growth of shared living, particularly among women.

According to statistics compiled by AARP, one out of three baby boomers will face old age without a spouse.

In addition, women live about five years longer than men, on average. Also, adult children often live far away. And since 1990, the overall divorce rate for the 50plus demographic has doubled.

The Golden Girls Network promotes shared housing among seniors in three distinct manners: 1) a group that shares and manages equally, either through shared ownership or equally sharing a lease, 2) a landlord/tenant arrangement, where one person owns the home and others are roommates, and 3) a homeowner and a home companion, where one person

Tackling tricky issues Moore has recently published a new edition of her book, How to Start a Golden Girls Home — a primer that offers guidance in many areas. For example, she describes how to make your home attractive to roommates, questions to ask in an interview, how to handle pets, boyfriends, and other tricky situations, as well as other tips for those sharing homes.

The book draws on Moore’s real-world See GOLDEN GIRLS, page B-3

On the cover: Bonnie Moore relaxes in the solarium at her home in Bowie, Md., which she shares with several housemates. She founded the national Golden Girls network and website to help others who would like to rent out rooms in their homes or are looking for affordable housing. See story above.

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provides some household assistance and companionship for an older adult.

Golden Girls Network does not do the matching for prospective housemates, but simply provides an opportunity to find other like-minded individuals who are also searching for an affordable, friendly place to live through senior home sharing.

There is no charge for this event but seating is limited. Reservations are necessary by Tuesday, July 7 by contacting Jeri Farmer at 410-983-3496.

Call 1-888-536-9582 for a FREE brochure and schedule your visit today.

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B-3

Moving between levels of care at CCRCs

By Erin G. Roth Senior housing options that include a range of care services — from independent apartments to assisted living to nursing care, commonly referred to as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) — provide seniors and their family members with a sense of security and peace of mind.

Because everything is offered under the same institutional umbrella, there’s no need for another often stressful search for housing and services should additional care be needed.

Golden Girls From page B-2 experience, both in her own shared home and as founder of the Golden Girls Network. The book also includes sample applications, leases and other practical resources for homeowners and potential roommates.

Choosing the right roommate(s) is paramount, according to Moore. “You need to look at certain criteria and define the type of person you’re looking for — smoker or nonsmoker, early riser or night owl, tidy or more casual about housekeeping, etc.

“Determine what your deal-breakers are,” she said. “If something’s important to you, say so. Ask enough questions and pay

Interviews of residents in several Maryland CCRCs from our research at the Center for Aging Studies at UMBC illustrate both the promise and the challenges of such communities from two married couple’s perspectives.

One couple’s story The Griers, married for over 60 years, are like many people who prefer to stay in their homes for as long as possible. But after a serious car accident and a severe winter, their only daughter —whose own quadriplegic

attention to their responses.”

Once you have roommates lined up, make your home welcome for them. Paint the bedrooms, clean the carpet, clear some shelves in the kitchen, etc.

Having a house agreement is also helpful, said Moore, since despite everyone’s best intentions and expectations, sometimes a roommate will not work out.

“That’s where a house agreement comes in particularly handy,” said Moore.

If, for example, someone is not following house rules — is too noisy perhaps, or helping him or herself to someone else’s food — that can be grounds for eviction.

But with good planning, said Moore, those instances will not be the norm.

Moore’s book, How to Start a Golden

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daughter needed constant care — said she couldn’t continue to help them out as long as they lived in a rural area far away from her.

So the Griers reluctantly moved to an independent living apartment at a large religiously-affiliated CCRC ten minutes away from their daughter.

“We lived there on our own,” Mrs. Grier said. “We used to go out daily. And I took care of my husband and me for three years over there; done the cooking and everything.”

Over time, Mrs. Grier recognized she and her husband needed more assistance,

so they moved to the community’s assisted living section.

The move was a relief both to the Griers and to their daughter, who told us, “My father did not want to move. In fact, we had a hard time getting him here. And now he loves it, you know. And I look at him and I say, there is no way they could have stayed up in the woods and been cared for.”

Mr. Grier said, “Whenever you need anything, the staff is always there.” “They’re

Girls Home, is available on Amazon.com for $14.99 (paperback) or $10.99 in Kindle e-reader format.

For more information about the organization or shared living, visit www.goldengirlsnetwork.com.

See CCRCs, page B-5

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

What factors make a community ‘livable’?

By Glenda C. Booth Do you consider your community “livable”? If not, what would make it so? Or where would you move to find one?

AARP has developed a new web-based tool called a “livability index” to help people of all ages define what they mean by livability and to measure the level of it at various states, cities and neighborhoods.

The index can also help policymakers and advocates identify ways to make communities more livable and senior-friendly.

Livability, to many, is in the eye of the beholder. For some people, it’s easy access to shopping. For others, it’s sidewalks and one-level, affordable housing and multigenerational neighbors. Many people factor in weather and proximity to family.

AARP chose seven categories of livability after surveying 4,500 Americans over age 50, and developed an index that even the statistically-reluctant can easily use.

The seven categories are: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunities. The index also considers various factors within each category.

Taking a holistic approach, AARP’s basic definition of livability “considers whether everyone can continue to take part in the vibrant communities they know and love as they age.”

Baltimore ranks in top 10 The index separates cities by size.

Among “large cities” (more than 500,000 residents), Baltimore comes in as number 10 on the livability scale. San Francisco, Boston and Seattle top the list.

Baltimore’s overall livability score is 56, with housing rated at 81; transportation, 76; neighborhood, 62; engagement, 54; environment, 45; health, 41; and opportunity, 34.

A factor boosting the city’s high housing rating is Baltimore’s homeownership incentive program, which offers grants and loans for purchasing homes.

Because of the high score in transportation, Baltimore ranks seventh In AARP’s list of the easiest cities to get around — those offering a variety of transit options.

Here is a sampling of overall scores for some Baltimore neighborhoods, on a zeroto-100 scale: Little Italy, 58; East Baltimore, Roland Park, Ellwood Park, Rosemont and Reisterstown, 54; Idlewood, 51 and Howard Park, 49.

Hank Greenberg, AARP Maryland state director, said he is not surprised by Baltimore’s livability scores. “Charm City gets high marks for affordable housing, some great neighborhoods, and public transportation,” he said. “I know a neighbor who recently chose to sell her vehicle because she said she was able to rely on the

free Circulator bus.

“Baltimore also has two world-class medical centers — Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland — anchoring the east and west sides of town. Of course, there are neighborhoods that need more attention than others,” he added.

In a non-scientific view from the “ground,” long-time Baltimore resident Ben Kowarski weighs in: “Baltimore provides fairly good support with mobility vans and activities for seniors, but public transportation is spotty.”

And he adds, “For healthy, mobile seniors, the area is full of reasonably-priced performing arts and easily-accessed, free, lovely outdoors.”

Check out where you live At bit.ly/livabilityindex, you can enter your zip code, address, state, city or community to get an overall livability score.

You can then click on each of the seven categories and drill down further to factors See LIVABLE, page B-6

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

LONG-TERM CARE VOLUNTEERS

Baltimore County’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is looking for volunteers. Ombudsman volunteers visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities to advocate for the needs of residents and to promote their rights and quality of life. For more information, call (410) 8874200.

Ongoing

PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE Income-eligible Mary-

land residents enrolled in certain Medicare prescription drug plans may receive assistance with monthly premiums and the doughnut hole coverage gap through the Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP). For more information, visit www.marylandspdap.com or call (800) 551-5995.

Ongoing

ELECTRICITY COST HELP The Electric Universal

Services Program (EUSP) offers assistance with electricity costs for income-eligible persons. For more information, call (410) 853-3385 for Baltimore County or (410) 396-5555 for Baltimore city.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

CCRCs wonderful,” agreed Mrs. Grier.

“You know what the saddest thing is? She thinks her husband left her. That’s all she keeps saying, ‘Why did he leave me?’ It just breaks your heart.”

Another couple’s story

Safety and care above all

Still, there are challenges to living in a place where progressive levels of care are provided. When a resident’s health changes, this can require a move. And although it may be a move within the same building or complex, it can be quite significant to those who find themselves at that point.

After living with his wife in a spacious independent apartment for 10 years, Jack Martin (not his real name) was approached by the administrators with an ultimatum: He could either hire a full-time aide to assist his wife, or she would have to move to a higher level of care within the community. Edith Martin had been cognitively declining for a while.

The Martins regularly played cards with friends in the independent living area of their CCRC. When the friends initially noticed Mrs. Martin’s forgetfulness, they were patient and understanding. But over time, her memory changes interfered with their enjoyment of the game. Eventually, they complained to administrators.

Mr. Martin said he felt he was managing okay caring for his wife. “[The neighboring residents] said they had to help her get around, and they found her confused if she walked out of the apartment and was downstairs,” he recalled. “And that she smelled like she had urine on her. I don’t know how they could smell that because I made sure she was changed.”

When he finally agreed to have his wife moved, Martin said, “She doesn’t like [having to move]. Upsets her to talk about it.” Mr. Martin became teary eyed as he explained, “I can’t take care of her any longer. She’ll get more attention there.”

From the administration’s perspective, Mr. Martin’s grief could be weighed against the relief and freedom they anticipated he would experience. They tried to minimize the impact of Mrs. Martin’s relocation by reassuring him that they were in fact still under the same roof.

The administrator said, “I know you want to take care of your wife, but look at you. You can’t do anything; you have to be able to do what you need to do. Let us take care of her. Still visit with her.”

Although Mr. Martin understood the need for more help, he said that this move took his wife far enough away that he felt as if she had died. “We were sharing life together, which we can’t do now,” he said.“Edith was my stand-by, and now she is gone.”

Mrs. Martin apparently had difficulty understanding what had happened. One of the administrators told our researchers:

Resident safety is a priority in communities that have agreed to provide care. The requirement to move from one part of the setting to another is part of a senior housing design that is more convenient, cost-effective and efficient than bringing extra care to individuals.

Many CCRCs will allow for the resident to pay for a certain level of extra help to be brought in. But this can become costly and has its limits. It was not an option Mr. Martin felt he could afford. And although the community would have welcomed him to join her in the assisted living wing, he said he did not seriously consider this option.

He described himself as too proud.

For those who seek social interaction, a CCRC offers opportunities unmatched by living alone.

Still, our research with residents of multilevel senior housing indicates that the move from one level of care to another can be challenging for couples and individuals even though it’s within the same setting.

8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234 www.ericksonliving.com

Plan ahead; ask some questions

3004 North Ridge Road Ellicott City, MD 21043

From page B-3

Recognizing the possible challenges, proactively seeking information, and planning ahead are important steps when moving to a CCRC. Here are some questions potential residents and their family members should be asking before choosing a community with multiple levels of care: • What are the triggers for a move to the next level? How is that handled?

• What sorts of exceptions have been made to allow someone to stay in their room or apartment?

• How are couples accommodated in terms of moving between levels? What are some specific examples of how couples there have navigated these transitions?

• How much socializing is there between the different levels of care?

• If someone is required to move because of cognitive decline, how much specialized training do the people working in that area receive?

For more information about current work in the culture change movement, see www.pioneernetwork.net.

Erin G. Roth is a senior ethnographer at the Center for Aging Studies within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UMBC. The research this article is based upon is funded by the National Institute on Aging, J. Kevin Eckert and Leslie Morgan, Principal Investigators. For additional information, contact Roth at eroth@umbc.edu

BEACON BITS

July 10

EAT HEALTHY Arbutus Senior Center presents a talk about healthy eating on Friday, July 10 at 12:45 p.m. Find out about eating healthy while

away from home and which restaurants offer senior discounts. The center is located at 855 A Sulphur Spring in Arbutus. For more information, call (410) 887-1410.

B-5

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oak Crest 410-877-6624

One-bedroom apartment homes available NOW! The perfect space for retirement at Oak Crest.

Due to overwhelming demand for maintenance-free retirement, Oak Crest is 99% sold out! Luckily, we have a few units available for immediate reservation. OUR BEST VALUE! The Brighton — our best-selling one-bedroom apartment home — is available in extremely limited quantities. Reserving a Brighton means you’ll also enjoy access to hundreds of on-campus amenities and services exclusive to Oak Crest. Don’t delay! With this unprecedented demand, NOW may be your last chance to reserve a Brighton. Only TWO Brightons left! Call 410-877-6624 TODAY to schedule your tour.

ASSISTED LIVING

Heartlands at Ellicott City 410-461-9494 Situated on 48 beautifully landscaped acres, Heartlands Senior Living Village at Ellicott City is a full-service, resort-style senior living community offering spacious and elegantly furnished independent living with multiple apartment options, including cottage/duplex living and assisted living apartments with kitchenettes, as well as outpatient rehabilitation services and respite/short stays – all in one location.

Our many exceptional services and amenities include restaurant-style dining, a wide range of social and recreational activities, indoor pool, fitness center, well-stocked library, 24-hour staff, full-service beauty salon/barber shop, game room, wireless Internet, comfortable sitting areas, weekly outings, laundry, and housekeeping. Heartlands has been providing service to families in the area for over 27 years.

Call us for a complimentary lunch and personal tour.

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Shangri-La Senior Living of Catonsville 410-744-8433 6348 Frederick Road Catonsville, MD 21228 www.ShangrilaSeniorLiving.com At Shangri-La Senior Living of Catonsville (previously Paradise Assisted Living), we combine comfortable living with compassionate, yet affordable care. From our comfortable interiors to our smiling residents and exceptional staff, there is an aura of warmth and caring that set us apart. Shangri-La of Catonsville offers three levels of assisted living care to our residents. In addition, we are happy to provide: spacious, private, and semi-private rooms; delicious meals and snacks with special diet requests available; daily assistance with bathing, dressing, and management of medications; daily offerings of social, educational and recreational activities; weekly religious services offered; housekeeping and laundry services; regular wellness visits by a licensed nurse; emergency call system with secured environment; hospice services; and respite, short-stay care.

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Livable From page B-4 within a category.

For example, if you enter your community and click on the category “health,” you can learn the percent of people who smoke, who are obese, who have access to exercise opportunities, as well as the availability of healthcare professionals, the preventable hospitalization rate per 1,000 patients, and percent of patients who give area hospitals high ratings.

You can also compare these measures to the median U.S. numbers. For example, if you look at East Baltimore and click on “health,” you learn that 33.4 percent of people are obese compared to 28 percent nationally.

The AARP website describes the scoring method like this: “The Livability Index

score rates the overall livability of the selected neighborhood, city, county, or state on a scale from 0 to 100. The total livability score is based on the average of all seven category scores, which also range from 0 to 100.

“We score communities by comparing them to one another, so the average community gets a score of 50, while above-average communities score higher and below-average communities score lower.”

The index rates cities, counties and states based on the average scores of neighborhoods within them. Most communities score above average in at least one category of livability. No community scores 100.

The site also has a customization tool, allowing users to weight personal priorities in each category. For example, you can give a category like transportation or

JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

health a higher weight and other categories a lower weight.

An instrument for improvement The AARP index is not just a tool for evaluating your current or future home area. It’s also a tool for making communities more livable.

“Eight out of 10 people want to remain in their own community,” said Jana Lynott, AARP’s Senior Policy Advisor on Livable Communities. “We wanted to put out a tool that could really prompt community conversations around livability so that individuals and local leaders can get together, focus energies, and prepare for the aging population.” Every community can improve, says AARP’s website.

AARP further defines a livable community as “one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate housing and transportation options, and has supportive community features and services. Once in place, those resources enhance personal independence, allow residents to age in place, and foster residents’ engagement in the community’s civic, economic and social life.”

The index does not include weather because, AARP officials contend, people’s weather preferences vary considerably and weather cannot be changed.

A list of the most livable places for people over age 50 can be found in the May 2015 AARP Bulletin at http://www.aarp.org/ home-family/your-home/best-places-to-live/.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FRANCISCAN CENTER SERVICES The Franciscan Center provides hot meals, clothing, toiletries, job

readiness assistance, emergency pantry, assistance with utility turnoff, evictions, prescriptions, glasses and dental services. Free services are available for the financially eligible. For more information, call (410) 467-5340, ext. 101.

Ongoing

PRO BONO SERVICES The Pro Bono Project of the Bar Association of Baltimore City provides free support for clients 60 and older living in Baltimore City.

For more information, call (410) 539-5936.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Who qualifies for LTC Medicaid coverage?

By Kimberly Lankford Medicaid is the largest payer of longterm care services for the elderly. Eligibility rules vary from state to state, but you generally must have less than $2,000 in “countable” assets — including savings, retirement accounts, investments and most cash-value life insurance balances.

You can generally keep your car, primary residence, and money in certain kinds of trusts. If you’re married and your spouse lives at home, he or she can usually keep up to $119,220 in countable assets in 2015 (see www.medicaid.gov for your state’s rules).

Your countable income to qualify for Medicaid must generally be less than $2,163 per month. That includes Social Security benefits and pension, dividend and interest income. Your spouse living at home may keep all of his or her income and may be able to keep some of yours — up to a total of $2,931 per month, depending on the state.

After you qualify financially, Medicaid may send a social worker or nurse to certify that you’re medically eligible, which generally means that you need help with activities of daily living.

Medicaid has traditionally covered care in nursing homes but not in assisted-living facilities. But many states now have voucher plans that let you use Medicaid money for assisted living or home care. These programs have limited funds, however,

and long waiting lists in many states.

Some nursing homes don’t accept Medicaid, and those that do may have a limited number of Medicaid beds. Some facilities that don’t accept Medicaid up front will let you stay after you run out of money and have to turn to Medicaid.

Before choosing a facility that doesn’t take Medicaid, calculate how long your money will last. If your top choice takes private-pay patients only, it may still be an option if you can pay the bills there for a few years, then move to a Medicaid facility before your money runs out.

Working with an elder-law attorney who knows your state’s laws can save thousands of dollars (find one at www.naela.org or www.nelf.org). If you’re helping aging parents, meet with the attorney as soon as they need help, even if they still have plenty of savings, says Bernard Krooks, an elder-law attorney in New York, because you’ll have more options if you plan in advance.

And make sure you get power of attorney for your parents while they can still make decisions so you can pay their bills if they can’t.

Kimberly Lankford is a contributing editor to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

B-9

How to get financial help to age in place

By Carol Sorgen and Dahna Chandler The vast majority of older adults say they prefer to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

Those who need assistance with the ordinary activities of daily life, or even longterm custodial care, may bring in help, if they have the means. And some choose to move to assisted living or continuing care communities where their needs will be taken care of — again, if they can afford it.

But for those with low income and minimal assets, bringing in daily home care or moving to assisted living are generally out of the question if their needs are great.

Typically, their sole option is to apply for Medicaid, which is the primary government program that pays for long-term custodial care for those with few resources.

[See “Who qualifies for LTC Medicaid coverage?” on page B8.]

Traditionally, Medicaid — which is a joint federal/state program — has required recipients to move to a skilled nursing facility (nursing home) in order to qualify for funds. But in recent years, there has been a nationwide effort to help keep people in their homes and communities, and to move nursing home residents back into their homes or the homes of their families, if possible.

This is growing in popularity not only (or even primarily) because it’s what people want. It’s grown because it’s generally less expensive — in fact, about half the cost — to help people bring in home care and other needed services than to cover their costs at nursing homes.

This effort is sometimes called “rebalancing,” suggesting that Medicaid’s longtime bias towards institutional (nursing home) care is being balanced out by companion efforts to support people in their homes and communities.

Two programs in Maryland In Maryland, two programs are helping rebalance Medicaid spending: the Community First Choice Program and Money Follows the Person (MFP). These programs involve a partnership between the state and the federal government.

Community First Choice (CFC) — a new program run by the Maryland Medicaid Agency (housed in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) — allows seniors to choose the service providers they want to assist them with activities of daily living — including bathing, toileting, mobility (including transferring from place to place), eating and dressing. The funding for those services is delivered directly to the providers.

“The Community First Choice program is a major achievement for Maryland and its efforts to ‘rebalance’ Medicaid longterm care from institutional settings like nursing homes toward community-based settings,” said Stephanie Hull, Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging. “The program expands access to community supports and services for eligible individuals.”

Those who qualify may also receive assistance with household services related to medical needs, escort services to a medical appointment, and personal hygiene and grooming.

Participants of CFC are also eligible for other Medicaid-covered services — such as physician and hospital care, pharmacy, home health, laboratory services, mental health services, disposable medical supplies, and durable medical equipment.

Money follows you home The other option — for people already in nursing homes who desire to move into the homes of family or elsewhere in the community — is called Money Follows the Person.

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Though money is not given directly to the participants, it allows the person who is receiving Medicaid in a nursing home to move back to their home or the community and receive needed supports available through Community First Choice.

Two requirements must be met by all applicants for Money Follows the Person: they must be living in a nursing home at the time of application and for at least the past 90 days, and must be Medicaid recipients.

If you live in Maryland and need support with activities of daily living and accessing

community services and support, you can apply for the CFC program. You must undergo a medical assessment, as well as a review of your income and assets to determine your financial eligibility for community Medicaid.

Medicaid coverage information is available at https://mmcp.dhmh.maryland.gov). To apply, call (410) 767-1739.

For MFP, individuals living in nursing homes may contact their discharge planner, the facility’s social worker, and/or the local Area Agency on Aging for information regarding their eligibility for the program.

B-10

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Many ways to make your bathroom safer

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior: What tips do you recommend for making a bathroom safer and more functional for older adults? My 79-year-old mother slipped and fell getting out of the shower last month, and I’d like to modify her bathroom a bit with some safety features that can help protect her.

— Searching Daughter Dear Searching: Because more accidents and injuries happen in the bathroom than any other

room in the house, this is a very important room to modify for aging in place. Depending on your mom’s needs, here are some tips for each part of the bathroom that can make it safer and easier to use.

Flooring: To avoid slipping, a simple fix is to get non-skid bath rugs for the floors.

Or if you want to put in a new floor, get slipresistant tiles, rubber or vinyl flooring, or install wall-to-wall carpeting.

Lighting: Good lighting is also very important, so install the highest wattage bulbs allowed for your mom’s bathroom fixtures,

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and get a plug-in nightlight that automatically turns on when the room gets dark.

Bathtub/shower: To make bathing safer, purchase a rubber suction-grip mat, or put down adhesive nonskid tape on the tub/shower floor. And have a carpenter properly install grab bars in and around the tub/shower for support. (They must be anchored to be sure they support a person’s weight.)

If your mom uses a shower curtain, install a screw or bolt-mounted curtain rod, rather than a tension-mounted rod, so that if she loses her balance and grabs the shower curtain, the rod won’t spring loose.

If your mom has mobility issues or balance problems, get her a shower or bathtub seat so she can bathe from a seated position. In addition, you may also want to get a handheld, adjustable-height showerhead installed that will make washing easier while sitting down.

Another, pricier option is to install a walk-in-bathtub or a prefabricated curbless shower. Walk-in tubs have a door in front that provides a much lower threshold to step over than a standard tub. They also typically have a built-in seat, handrails and a slip resistant bottom. Some have therapeutic spa features with whirlpool water jets and/or bubble massage air jets.

Curbless showers have no threshold to step over, and typically come with a built-in seat, grab bars, slip resistant floors and an adjustable handheld showerhead. Prefabricated curbless showers and walk-in-tubs typically cost anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000 installed.

Toilet: Most toilets are about 14 to 16

inches high which can be an issue for many people with arthritis, back, hip or knee problems. To raise the toilet height, which can make sitting down and getting back up a little easier, you can purchase a raised toilet seat that clamps to the toilet bowl, and/or purchase toilet safety rails that sit on each side of the seat for support.

Or, you can install an ADA compliant toilet that ranges between 17 and 19 inches high.

Faucets: If your mom has twist handles on the sink, bathtub or shower faucets, replace them with lever handle faucets.

They’re easier to operate, especially for those with arthritis or limited hand strength. Also note that it only takes 130degree water to scald someone, so turn her hot water heater down to 120 degrees.

Entrance: If your mom needs a wider bathroom entrance to accommodate a walker or wheelchair, install some “swing clear” offset hinges on the door which will widen the doorway an additional two inches.

Emergency assistance: As a safety precaution, purchase a waterproof phone for the bathroom or get a medical alert device (SOS emergency call button) that your mom could wear in case she falls and needs to call for help.

You can find all of the products suggested in this column at various medical supply stores, pharmacies, big-box stores, home improvement stores, hardware and plumbing supply stores as well as online.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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B-11

Ready to buy? How to visit an open house

By Alex Viega More homes are hitting the market, and that means would-be buyers can expect to see a pickup in open houses, when real estate agents allow prospective buyers to tour a home, usually within days after it’s been listed for sale.

Open houses offer more than just the opportunity to get a closer look at a property, so being prepared is key.

“Look at open houses as a fact-finding mission,” said Mia Simon, an agent with the real estate brokerage Redfin in Palo Alto, California.

Here are five tips to get the most out of your open house visit: 1. Do your homework Unless you’ve stumbled upon an open house while on a drive, take time to research the home you’re going to visit online.

Before you set foot in the house, rule out any potential deal-breakers. Do you have concerns about public transportation that serves the area? Is the garage too small for your needs? Is the neighborhood not walkable enough for you? Home listings on websites like Zillow.com, Realtor.com and Trulia.com offer lots of details on homes and neighborhood information that can help you determine whether it’s worth it to go to an open house.

2. Bring proper tools Be sure to carry a tape measure, notebook and a camera. You’ll need these, especially if you plan on hitting several open houses in one weekend, because you will likely want to follow up with the sales agent later on specific questions.

The tape measure will come in handy, to gauge space for beds and other big furniture pieces.

3. Stop, look and listen Rather than settling for a quick walkthrough, consider spending some time at the house, really getting a feel for what it would be like to live there. Staying 20 to 30 minutes or longer makes it more likely you’ll spot something that you might otherwise miss, like a recurring noise.

Don’t think twice about opening closet doors, peering underneath a corner section of carpet, inside cabinets or behind paint-

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ings, which sometimes may be covering up damage or flaws in the house. You’ll also want to check bathroom surfaces for mold.

“It’s OK to open closets, because you need to see if your clothes are going to fit,” said JoAnne Poole, associate broker at Berkshire Hathaway Homesale Realty in Baltimore. “If the refrigerator is going to come with the property, you need to open it and make sure it meets your expectations.”

Also walk around the house and then around the block. Check out the condition of nearby homes. Are they in disrepair or has the landscaping run amok?

If you’re in the market for a condominium, make sure you view any common areas, such as a pool or club house, as well as extra storage. And don’t forget the parking area. Is it tandem parking?

4. Engage in chit chat Open houses tend to draw neighbors and maybe even the seller.

Chatting up the other people in the open house to determine if they live in the neighborhood can pay off, as you could glean more information about what the neighborhood is like and whether anyone else on the block may be looking to sell.

Should you encounter the seller at the open house, introduce yourself. That could help down the road, should you put a bid on the house, said Redfin’s Simon.

One way is to look around the house for books, framed photos and other personal items that could provide insight into the sellers and perhaps a way to bond over a mutual interest or hobby.

“You’re looking for shared experiences, so if you see a lot of Cal Berkeley gear and you went to Stanford, maybe you don’t want to submit a cover letter with you in a Stanford hat,” said Simon. “Something that little can put you over the edge in a competitive situation.”

5. Crash the brokers’ tour Often, an agent hired to sell a home will offer buyers’ agents an opportunity to visit the property ahead of the initial open house.

This so-called brokers’ tour typically happens midweek, during business hours. But if you can make it, it’s a good way to get a look at the home ahead of other prospective buyers, giving you extra time to consider making an offer before the broader open house.

A newly listed home will have an open house within days of hitting the market, especially in markets where there’s a lot of competition for few properties. But in areas where there may be more homes available than buyers, an agent could list the home but hold off on the open house for a few weeks.

In such cases, there’s no need to wait for the official open house. Instead, have your agent reach out to the listing agent and set up a private viewing of the home.

B-12

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PERFORMANCE. PEOPLE. PRIDE.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

Say you saw it in the Beacon

15

INVESTING WISDOM The chief investment strategist at BlackRock suggests Americans invest more outside the U.S., especially in Asia

Money Law &

HEDGING YOUR BETS Currency-hedged funds help blunt the effect of the constantly changing value of the dollar overseas INFOMERCIAL TRICKS Products in infomercials may look enticing, but be sure you understand shipping fees and payment plans before you buy

Are ETFs or mutual funds better? Depends The last five years have been very good more annually for actively managed funds is for diversified common-stock portfolios a mistake. But I point out that, in the long with mutual funds and exrun, it is very difficult for manchange-traded funds (ETFs). agers to outperform low-cost The annual costs for both mutual funds such as Vantypes of fund have never been guard’s Total Stock Market lower. This has certainly Index Fund Admiral Shares made it easier for investors to (VTSAX) or its Total Stock Marhave excellent results. ket ETF (ARCA:VTI). Both I can’t forecast the future, have expense ratios of 0.05 perbut I believe it is prudent cent (if you meet minimum in(even for retirees) to maintain vestment requirements), so a significant percentage of you’re starting out almost 1 perTHE SAVINGS one’s portfolio in common GAME cent ahead of managed funds. stocks, rebalancing regularly. By Elliot Raphaelson I suggest that investors (I like to rebalance annually.) compare the past performMost investors will be better off with the ance of their managed accounts to the majority of their stock investments in long-term performance of index mutual index funds, mutual funds or ETFs. funds or ETFs under consideration. The websites of all the major mutual funds Why index funds tend to win have historical data you can access easily.

Readers who have managed accounts For example, the performance of Vanwith annual fees of 1 percent or more often guard’s VTSAX follows: ask me if it would be better to buy low-cost Last year: 12.3 percent index mutual funds or ETFs from one of Last three years: 16.39 percent the leading mutual fund companies or Last five years: 14.76 percent from a discount broker.

Last ten years: 8.55 percent I never tell readers that paying 1 percent or The advent of ETFs has made it easier

for investors to invest in diversified portfolios at low annual fees. For example, the average ETF expense ratio of Vanguard’s 67 ETFs is 0.13 percent. The industry’s average is 0.55 percent.

If you are interested in a specific index ETF, such as the S&P 500 index, it is easy for you to make a selection. If all other fees are the same, select the ETF with the lowest annual expense ratio.

What’s better for you depends Although expense ratios are very important, there are other fees you to consider when you are selecting either a mutual fund or an ETF. For example, if you are purchasing an ETF, are you incurring a brokerage fee for each transaction? Is there a bid-ask spread for each transaction?

If you are purchasing a mutual fund, is there a sales commission, or “load,” either front end or back end? Many good no-load mutual funds are available.

Under some circumstances, a mutual fund will be better for you than an ETF with the same annual expense ratio. For example, if you are investing each month, reinvesting all

Frank, Frank

dividends and capital gains, using dollar-cost averaging can be more advantageous. If your alternative is an ETF, that would incur commission costs each month, as well as a spread between the bid and ask price, which means a mutual fund would be more cost-effective.

On the other hand, if you plan on using techniques such as stop losses, investing on margin, limit orders, or investing a smaller amount than you could with a mutual fund, then an ETF could be more advantageous.

Many investors avoid making their own selections and pay a manager an annual fee equal to 1 or 2 percent of assets invested.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to outperform low-cost index funds or ETFs on a longterm basis. I hope your advisor has been outperforming the well-known indexes. I suggest you make the comparison yourself.

Fortunately, the growth of the ETF industry has led to lower overall costs for investors, and this has put pressure on mutual funds to maintain lower fund costs as well. It has made it easier for investors to have a wide selection of alternatives for index funds and other funds at lower costs. © 2015 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Investment guru offers his take on stocks

By Anne Kates Smith Russ Koesterich is Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, an investment firm with $4.8 trillion under management. Here are excerpts from Kiplinger’s recent interview with him.

Kiplinger: How much life is left in this bull market?

Koesterich: We’re definitely in the late innings. Stocks can go higher, particularly overseas, but that is likely to happen with a lot more volatility. I think the bull market

will celebrate its seventh anniversary next March, and the next bear market can be pushed out to later in 2016 or 2017.

But the risk will go up as the Federal Reserve Board continues to normalize monetary policy and investors lose this pillar of easy money propping up financial assets.

Q: When do you expect the Fed to raise rates, and what will the impact be on stocks?

A: The Fed will start to nudge rates higher in the fall. That won’t be the end of the world;

the Fed will move at a slow and measured pace, and it’s starting from a very low rate.

But at the margin, a rate hike will change the environment, and that will be felt in greater volatility than we’ve seen in recent years. The odds of a correction — a pullback of at least 10 percent — go up the closer we get to liftoff.

Q: Are stocks overpriced?

A: Valuations are stretched — not obscenely stretched, but a bit above average.

With low inflation and low interest rates, you’d expect valuations to be high. U.S. stocks are also expensive compared with those in markets outside the U.S. Whether you call stocks fully valued or just think prices are stretched, you’ve got to have more modest expectations for annual returns over the next five years — probably in the low- to mid-single-digit percentages, including dividends.

Q: Should investors take some money off the table?

A: In this environment, it’s perfectly reasonable to have more cash on hand. I’m reluctant to recommend that people do that, though, because they already have a lot of cash on hand. The problem is that this has become a semi-permanent position for many people who never came back after the 200709 bear market. Holding a lot of cash yielding zero is a hard way to save for retirement.

Q: Where do you see opportunity for investors?

A: We came into the year talking about international diversification; most Americans simply have too much invested in the U.S. Prices in Japan are reasonable, and stock gains there have been driven by earnings growth, not by investors paying more for those earnings, as has been occurring here and in Europe. We still see opportunities in Europe, but investors should look for a fund that hedges out all or most of the currency risk. [See related story on page 17.]

People got frightened away from emerging markets. But Asian markets in particular are reasonably priced, and there have been promising structural reforms in China, India and Mexico.

It scares people even more to think about places like Bangladesh, Vietnam and sub-Sa-

haran Africa, but these parts of the world will grow quickly over the next 10 years. People shouldn’t abandon emerging markets as an asset class; exercise caution, not abstinence.

Q: What still looks good in the U.S.?

A: Look for companies that will benefit from a stronger economic environment.

We like technology companies, where we’re seeing some strong growth.

Pockets of tech — small-company biotech stocks or social media companies — are very frothy. But a lot of what I call old tech — hardware, semiconductor and software makers — is reasonably valued, given how profitable many of these companies are.

Lastly, we like some of the large, global investment banks. There’s a noticeable dichotomy between these companies and traditional lenders, who are struggling; it’s hard to make money when rates are this low.

On the flip side, we’ve seen a surge in mergers and acquisitions and currency trading; companies that have those operations have benefitted.

Q: What advice do you have for fixedincome investors?

A: Investors looking for yield should cast a wide net. Income-dependent investors face a difficult choice: Accept less income or take more risk. You don’t want to take more risk now by buying long maturity Treasury bonds, so you have to go further afield, with dividend-paying stocks — although in the U.S. they’re expensive, so I’d suggest a global or international dividend fund.

Tax-exempt municipal bonds are attractive relative to taxable alternatives. Aggressive investors can consider a bit of high-yield bonds. More-esoteric bond substitutes include preferred stocks and master limited partnerships.

Q: Do recent wage hikes portend a dangerous rise in inflation?

A: It may be a bit higher, but honestly, a little bit of inflation is not a bad thing. It’s a sign of a stronger economy, and it allows companies to raise prices. If inflation goes to 2 percent and stays there, that’s the sweet spot for the market.

All contents copyright 2015 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

17

Worldwide funds that hedge currency risk

By Stan Choe Here’s a trick question: Are Spanish stocks up or down this year?

For someone sitting in a Barcelona cafe, the answer is obviously up. Spanish stocks have climbed 10.9 percent in euros. But for someone counting in U.S. dollars, each of those euros is worth less than at the start of the year, so the same MSCI Spain index is down 1.7 percent in dollar terms.

Such is the conundrum for U.S. investors looking at markets around the world. The dollar’s value has climbed against the Argentine peso, the New Zealand dollar and almost everything in between. It hit its highest level against the euro last month in more than a dozen years. That has eroded returns for U.S. investors with foreign stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

A growing number of funds have been trying to blunt this effect. They’re called currency-hedged funds, and they’re suddenly some of the industry’s most popular investments. Proponents say they allow investors to focus on just the stocks they want to buy — Japanese, European or otherwise — and largely ignore currency movements, which can be unpredictable. That’s particularly attractive now as investors make their stock portfolios less U.S.-heavy and take advantage of cheaper stock valuations in other parts of the world.

Two popular funds Consider the WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity fund. It’s an ETF that invests in more than 100 European stocks, but it also invests in futures contracts to limit the effect of shifting currency values.

It has returned 21 percent this year, more than double the 8 percent return of the average European stock mutual fund.

Investors plugged $5 billion into the fund in April. Only one other fund attracted more, according to Morningstar.

Another currency-hedged fund, the Deutsche X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF, which invests in more than 900 stocks from 21 developed economies, also ranked among the most popular funds last month. It raked in $2.6 billion, and its assets have grown to more than $11 billion since its birth less than four years ago.

Before jumping on this trend, investors should keep in mind that currency-hedged funds won’t always be on top and aren’t for everyone.

What to consider When hedged funds shine: The appeal of currency-hedged funds is obvious when looking at returns over the last year.

Consider two offerings from iShares that are nearly identical except for one thing.

Both track the MSCI Japan index, but one hedges to reduce the effect of the dollar’s movements against the yen.

The hedged ETF has returned 41.1 percent over the last year, versus 21.1 percent for the unhedged one. The difference is due to the fact that the yen has dropped against the dollar, due in part to the diverging paths the U.S. and Japanese economies have taken.

The U.S. economy has strengthened enough that the Federal Reserve has ended its bond-buying stimulus program.

Most economists expect the Fed to raise short-term interest rates later this year.

The Bank of Japan, meanwhile, is pushing stimulus to try to invigorate its economy. The European Central Bank has taken a similar position, which has sent the euro down against the dollar.

Many expect the dollar to continue to rise, which would favor currency-hedged funds.

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Investors should bear in mind that the dollar tends to move in cycles that can last years.

The dollar’s big move higher against the euro

began only last summer. Against the yen, it See HEDGED FUNDS, page 18

18

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Don’t fall for these five infomercial tricks

By Joseph Pisani Infomercials that sell shampoos, zit creams and the latest weight loss gadgets can be hard to turn away from. But before you pick up that phone, you should know that the “low, low prices” and “easy monthly payments” advertised are not always what you’ll pay.

“There are many problems with infomercials,” said Edgar Dworsky, the editor of consumer resource guide ConsumerWorld.org. “Not all of them are misleading, but many are.”

Leaving aside whether the miracle products really work as well as advertised (some do, but always check out online reviews at Amazon.com or elsewhere), you have to be careful and aware that the $19.95 price touted often will wind up being a lot more.

One popular tactic: adding high processing and handling fees.

The company behind the Snuggie, Perfect Bacon Bowl and other “As Seen on TV” products agreed to pay $8 million in March to settle charges that it deceived customers.

The Federal Trade Commission said costumers were led to believe they would be getting two $19.95 products for less than $10 each, but actually paid $35.85 when a processing and handling fee was added. Allstar Marketing Group said it always believed it followed the law and said that it has made changes to make costs easier to understand.

Still, bad players are out there. Here’s what to look out for: 1. Stealth subscriptions Get real close to the TV and read the fine print: Some marketers will automatically put customers on a subscription plan. That means customers will be charged periodically to ship products. This is especially com-

mon from those hawking face creams, hair conditioners and other beauty products.

In the infomercial, a warning is often written in tiny print under the price, said Dworsky, who also edits MousePrint.org, which exposes the fine print in advertising.

2. Easy payments — that add up Break out the calculator: Expensive gadgets are sometimes broken up into “easy payments” that makes the product seem cheaper. They might say, for example, that you’ll pay $39.95 in four easy payments, adding up to $160.

3. Buy one get one (not) free Freebies can be far from free. A “free second item” can sometimes come with high processing fees. Before making a purchase, customers should call and ask the company what the total charges will be, including shipping, handling and fees, said Dworsky.

4. Upsell! Upsell! Upsell!

If you buy a product online or through the phone, you may be pushed to buy extra products you don’t need. If you fall for it, you’ll also likely pay extra processing, handling and shipping costs, pushing your bill even higher.

5. “Trial” period — for a price!

Be aware that free trials aren’t forever (and sometimes trials aren’t even free).

Ask what the cost will be if you decide to keep the product.

“The price shown is often just the price of trying the product,” said Dworsky. “If you want to keep it, a much higher price is charged.”

You should also be very clear on what you have to do if you decide to return the product. Who pays for return shipping, by when does it have to be returned, and how difficult will it be?

— AP

Hedged funds

in currencies can overwhelm the relatively small, steady returns of those funds.

In the end, many investors agree that forecasting where currencies are heading is difficult.

Consider a seemingly innocuous Thursday earlier this year. The Swiss National Bank shocked markets on Jan. 15, when it abandoned its minimum exchange rate of 1.20 Swiss francs to the euro. The Swiss franc spiked by about a third against the dollar

within minutes, driving home how volatile and unpredictable currency trading can be.

If the dollar starts to weaken against the euro and other currencies, as it did from 2001 until 2008, investors would do better to hold unhedged funds. Now that the euro has already dropped more than 20 percent against the dollar over the last year, how much more can it fall?

“If you want to be hedged, these funds are perfectly fine,” said Patricia Oey, a sen-

ior analyst at Morningstar. “But if you wanted the big exciting gains, that easy money has passed.”

Over the really long term, say 20 years, it may not matter much anyway. Conventional wisdom says that changes in currency values eventually wash out. That means the more important question for long-term investors is likely whether a fund is well-run and low-cost, rather than whether it hedges.

— AP

started at the end of 2012.

Why some stick with unhedged funds: Holding unhedged funds can improve diversification for a portfolio, said Fran Kinniry, a principal in Vanguard’s investment strategy group.

But he suggests going unhedged only with stock funds. With bonds, the big swings

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

19

Leisure &

Travelers to Europe need to use credit cards embedded with a chip that enhances security. See story on page 21.

A cool respite in N.H.’s White Mountains

PHOTO COURTESY OF OMNI MOUNT WASHINGTON HOTEL

when these 1,500-pound animals are upset, their back hairs stand up straight.

There are bears, too. A flyer announces, “You’re in bear country. If you find yourself close to a bear, talk to it in a calm voice and slowly back away.”

Welcome to “the whites” — the White Mountains. Since the 1800s, people have swarmed to this mountain landscape to escape the summer heat. In the cold months, winter sports enthusiasts descend. The wild terrain, rippling streams and clean air rejuvenate.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote of these, saying, “The good of going into the mountains is that life is reconsidered.” Poet Robert Frost had his “mountain interval” in the tiny town of Franconia, N.H. from 1915 to 1920. He roamed the woods and, sitting on his farmhouse porch, became a “fugitive from the world.” He went to these mountains “to fix myself,” he wrote.

Whether it’s fishing for horn pout, enjoying a cool sprinkle under a waterfall, chugging up a mountain on a cogwheel train, or sipping Chardonnay on the longest veranda in New England, it’s all here in the Granite State — “friendly, laid back and peaceful,” as the clerk at Fosters Crossroads General Store in the tiny village of Carroll puts it.

The sprawling 113-year-old Omni Mount Washington Hotel is the only hotel in the U.S. with its own ZIP code. It has a 906-foot veranda, and the hotel’s Great Hall has 23-foot-high ceilings.

Towns, trails and more In poking around New Hampshire in the coming months, visitors are likely to happen upon some political hoopla. New Hampshire is front and center these days as U.S. Presidential candidates pop into towns to woo voters, as the state is the second to hold a primary next year (Feb. 9).

The village of Dixville Notch is famous because people vote at the stroke of midnight on Election Day. The maple museum at Rocks Estate features the history and crafting of maple syrup in a working sugarhouse, as well as a virtual tour of the sugaring process. Not virtual is a syrup tasting com-

© JON BILOUS

By Glenda Booth When my ears started popping, I realized I was gently ascending, easing up into New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Rounding a curve, my eyes started popping too, as gigantic granite cliffs and rocky bulges suddenly protruded from the mountainside.

A region of dramatic peaks and passes, the White Mountains cover one quarter of the Granite State and are home to the east coast’s highest point — Mount Washington (6,288 feet). The area is known as the “Swiss Alps of the Americas.”

At almost 800,000 acres, White Mountains National Forest is a vast expanse of rugged terrain, clear streams, forests, ravines, over 100 waterfalls and “notches” — New Hampshire-speak for mountain passes. Cascades (translation: waterfalls) tumble down over bulging boulders. An old Yankee proverb: “The crop that grows best here is rocks.”

It’s also moose country. It seems like there’s a sign every five miles or so warning that unlucky drivers can experience a moose meander. Game officials warn that

One of New Hampshire’s 54 covered bridges, the Albany Covered Bridge, spans a quiet creek in the White Mountain National Forest.

plemented by the traditional sour pickle.

Franconia is best known for its “notch,” but tucked away one mile off the interstate is “The Frost Place” — Robert Frost’s homestead and now a center for poetry and the arts on the National Register of Historic Places. You can see a video about his life and explore the home, a small museum, and a nature trail with Frost’s poems posted on plaques along the way.

The town of Jackson has an iconic, red covered bridge, right out of a storybook.

For materialistic adventures, North Conway booms with tax-free shopping at hundreds of outlets. More relaxing is the Conway Scenic Railroad, offering several excursions powered by a 1921 steam engine.

At the Littleton Diner, a target of candidates, locals’ conversations about moose sightings, moose-car crashes and back porch black bear visits might be more interesting than candidates’ pitches.

In the spot on the map called Carroll on Route 3, Fosters Crossroads General Store hawks a little bit of anything and everything, from Skittles to skillets, plus moose hats, plates and bowls and moose ear candy. The front porch is often loaded with firewood and geraniums. It’s a good place to get a fishing license.

The Appalachian Trail, which snakes along on the mountains’ spine, is popular in summer and fall for both day and longer

hikes. Do your research on the strenuousness of the trails, assemble appropriate gear and supplies, and choose your hike. Staff at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Information Center at Crawford Notch, in a former train depot built in 1891 and restored in 1985, give information and tips.

Geologically speaking, the White Mountains represent 400 million years of change, explains a film in Franconia Notch State Park’s Flume Gorge Visitor Center.

Here you can learn about glacial erratics and potholes, pesky black flies of May and June, and summer’s delicate pink lady slippers, the state’s wildflower.

And for another lesson in New Hampshire-speak, explore the flume, a narrow gorge with flowing water. A gravel path takes you to 90-foot granite walls, tumbling waterfalls, fern-covered ground, a covered bridge and more.

Chugging up and down Mountains are there to be conquered, of course, and today’s version of a “conquest” is a climb via cog railroad or vehicle.

Built in 1866 and dubbed “Railway to the Moon” by its skeptics, the Mount Washington Cog Railroad (www.thecog.com) is powered by 600 horsepower engines that push the coach up at three miles an hour See NEW HAMPSHIRE, page 20

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Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

New Hampshire From page 19 and pull it down at six. At the steepest grade, the front seats are 40 feet higher than the back seats.

In the hour-long trip, riders can see ravines, wildflowers, evidence of snow avalanches, cairns and a few gutsy hikers. The crooked Krummolz dwarf balsam and black spruce are shaped by the mountain’s harsh wind and ice. Lucky riders might see ravens, bobcats, weasels, foxes or the varying hare.

P.T. Barnum called the 360-degree views from the top, “The second greatest show

on earth!” Visitors go from short-sleeve, balmy weather at the foot to the chilly, windy summit at 6,288 feet, shrouded in clouds 70 percent of the time.

Here it can snow any day of the year.

The mountaintop gets 175 to 250 inches of snow a year, and the weather changes quickly. The highest wind speed recorded here was 231 mph on April 12, 1934.

Best sellers at the summit’s restaurant are clam chowder and chili. While thawing out inside, visitors can tour the Extreme Weather Museum or try the snowcat simulator. Visit www.mountwashington.org.

You’ve seen the bumper stickers: “This car

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliances Everything and anything is sold on

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

climbed Mount Washington.” Some do take the white-knuckle drive, weather permitting (www.MtWashingtonAutoRoad.com). The Mount Washington Stage Line, a van, is another option (http://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/guided-tours).

A grand hotel Once, up to 50 trains a day took vacationers to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods, a “queen” in the Golden Era of Grand Hotels, from the late 1800s to the 1920s.

Wealthy tourists descended for the summer — with their entourage of servants, nannies and tutors — to hobnob, take high tea, and spruce up in formal dinner attire.

The hotel sits in a “bowl” at 1,000 feet, encircled by high mountains. From a distance, it rises like a white castle topped with cherry red roofs.

It is famous as the site of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, where 700 delegates from 44 nations set the gold standard, which tied world currency to the U.S. dollar. They also created the International Monetar y Fund and the World Bank, efforts to help Japan and Europe rebuild. The hotel was secure then because people could get there easily only by train.

On the National Register of Historic Places, its founder spared no expense when it opened in 1902. Then, each room had electricity and running water, services unheard of at the time.

The hotel has a grand lobby, Tiffany glass, hand plaster and lamp chords covered in silky fabric. Rooms recall a bygone era with tall ceilings and windows you can open. Corner rooms have gas fireplaces.

The resort also has 65 town homes, the Bretton Arms Inn (with 34 rooms geared to couples), and the Lodge, a more modest motel of 50 reasonably-priced rooms, with access to all the amenities.

What’s to do here? The ski lift is free in summer (until Columbus Day) up to the Latitude 44 Restaurant with terrific views.

There’s 27 holes of golf, red clay tennis courts, three swimming pools, archery, horseback rides, hiking, ATV rides up a mountain, indoor climbing walls, fly fishing catch-and-release on the Anamoosic river, casting clinics, horse and carriage rides, a spa and, in summer, nightly entertainment.

Rooms start at $179 a night. For more information, see www.omnihotels.com/hotels/bretton-woods-mount-washington or call (603) 278-1000.

If you go The White Mountains are popular in summer because temperatures are usually in the low 80s. Mount Washington’s cog railroad is huffing and puffing daily, and ski lifts offer top-of-the-mountain views.

On the other hand, the mountains turn crimson and gold starting mid-September and traffic dies down.

Winter is snowy but popular for winter sports, from skiing to dog sled rides. Many resorts make their own snow as well.

The nearest airport is in Manchester, a two-hour drive. Southwest Airlines has several flights that start at $94 each way from BWI. Boston is 2.5 hours away. The Concord bus runs from Boston’s Logan Airport and South Station to several New Hampshire towns (www.concordcoachlines.com).

In addition to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, North Conway has many chain motels.

Or find a B&B at http://www.nhbba.com.

For visitor information: • White Mountains Visitors Bureau, www.visitwhitemountains.com White Mountain National Forest, www.fs.usda.gov/whitemountain • Jackson, N.H. Chamber of Commerce, www.jacksonnh.com

21

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

Some advice if using credit cards abroad

By Ed Perkins If you’re heading outside of the United States this summer, get your plastic ready.

And if you haven’t been out of the country recently, you’ll find some changes — some to your benefit, some not so good.

The longstanding basic “rule” remains valid: Put your big charges on a credit card, and use an ATM (debit) card for the local cash you need. Even with the fees, you lose less on foreign exchange using plastic than by exchanging currency.

What’s changed is that most of the developed world outside the U.S. has already switched to “EMV” cards that use an embedded chip to contain account information, while issuers in the U.S. have stuck with the magnetic stripe until recently.

Chip-card issuers outside the U.S. have also adopted a system that requires users to enter a PIN (personal identification number) rather than sign their name when using the card. Almost everybody considers the chip-and-PIN system to be more secure than the old stripe-and-signature system.

Most U.S. credit card issuers plan to switch to chip-enabled or “EMV” cards by October of this year. Rather than wait for your bank to issue a new card, you can request an updated chip card.

Most U.S. card issuers have opted for a hybrid chip-and-signature system rather

than chip-and-PIN, which, the experts say, is less secure than PIN cards. As a result, you may encounter compatibility problems even with a chip card.

Apparently, the most serious problems occur when your only payment option is an unattended vending system. For the most part, your older signature credit card, stripe or chip, and magnetic-stripe ATM card will be accepted anywhere you interact with a salesperson.

And in my recent overseas trips, I found most automated vending systems accepted my chip and stripe signature credit cards, and most bank ATMs accepted stripe debit cards.

Only a few U.S. cards are chip-and-PIN. Among them, says CreditCardForum.com, are some credit cards from Barclays, Wells Fargo and Synchrony, along with a few debit cards.

PayPal can be useful when you run into credit card problems as well as for sending money. PayPal does, however, add a foreign exchange surcharge of about 2.5 percent.

You’ve probably noticed that more and more credit cards feature either no foreign transaction fee or a fee of only 1 percent to cover conversion costs by the MasterCard and Visa networks. If you don’t already have such a card, check with the various card comparison websites for a card that

best meets your needs.

Most large airports I’ve visited in Europe lately have replaced ATMs operated by legitimate banks, such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank, or PNB, with ATMs operated by foreign exchange companies. They prominently feature signs claiming “no withdrawal fee,” but instead they hit you with a really bad exchange rate — as bad as you get at the nearby exchange counter.

Before you plan to use an airport ATM, check with your system’s online ATM lo-

cator to find ATMs operated by legitimate commercial banks, even if they’re outside the main terminal.

You’re better off with a debit card from one of the banks that absorb some or all foreign ATM transaction fees, including Ally Bank, USAA, several investment firm checking accounts, several online banks, and many small banks and credit unions.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2015 Tribune Content Services

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Style Arts &

Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman is one of the most anticipated books of the summer.

Play pictures ‘Peanuts’ characters as teens as teenagers (their names carefully altered to avoid copyright infringement).

Dark, modern humor Sean Dynan portrays “CB” (wink, wink) who first appears sitting on the stage floor writing to his pen pal about the passing of his dog (a beagle, of course) who, in a rabid fit, killed his oft-companion, a little yellow bird. It’s clear from this opening moment that this play will not be all nostalgia- and Dolly Madison-cakes-fueled whimsy.

Not to say there isn’t humor. A conversation CB has with his sister (who is never named, other than “CB’s sister”) explores her quest for identity — from holy-rollerBaptist to black-lipsticked-Goth. “Will you just choose an identity and stick with it?!”

CB asks. The joke comes full circle by play’s end as Parker Bailey Steven (CB’s sibling) asks her brother the same question when he struggles with his sexual identity.

In another comic twist, we are introduced to CB’s friend, Matt (Dennis Binseel), whose lunchtime diatribe about the public health hazards of eating with one’s mouth open are particularly amusing when

PHOTO BY CHRIS ALDRIDGE, CMALDRIDGEPHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT

By Dan Collins Unless you’ve been living under the pile of rocks Charlie Brown accumulates every Halloween, you’re probably familiar with (and a fan of) Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip. Not just because it was funny, but because it was the first cartoon to explore adult themes — human relationships, unrequited love, friendship and ennui — featuring children who could spout Biblical scripture and embrace concepts like psychiatric therapy.

“Peanuts,” which debuted in 1950, became a world-wide phenomenon and continues to run in syndication today. With iconic characters that folks from Trenton to Timbuktu can immediately recognize and identify with, “Peanuts” provides fertile ground for award-winning writer Burt V. Royal’s play, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.

The play, now running at Spotlighters Theatre through June 28, examines serious issues many young people face today — such as “bullying, drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity,” as the theater’s detailed program explains. And it does so reimagining Schulz’s Peanuts’ characters

Melanie Glickman portrays Marcy and April Airriona Jones plays Tricia in Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. The quasi-comedy (with serious themes) reimagines Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” gang as angst-ridden teens. The play continues through June 28 at the Spotlighter’s Theatre in Baltimore.

we learn that Matt as a child once “trailed a cloud of dirt” wherever he went. But as Beethoven (Reed DeLisle), Royal’s take on the piano-playing Schroeder, comes to brutally learn, do not call him “Pig Pen.”

Exploring bullying It is this brutality, the cruelty of bullying to be precise, that is a major theme in this play.

See NOT REALLY ‘PEANUTS,’ page 25

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23

Recommended reads for summer beaches

By Carol Sorgen Not sure what books to toss in your beach bag (or download onto your e-reader) this summer? Here’s a look at what some of the region’s booksellers have on their own must-read list.

“I read at least six books each month from different genres,” said Lynn Emmet, store manager at Barnes & Noble in Pikesville. “During the summer I tend to select books from my favorite authors.”

Emmet’s summer reading list this year includes: The Liar by Nora Roberts.

Shelby Foxworth loses her husband. Then she loses her sense of security. The man she loved turned out to be an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. He wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Vianne and Isabelle, two French sisters in occupied France, depict what women did to survive without their men during World War II, and what they did to save the lives of so many in danger.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King. The second of a trilogy about Morris, who murders an iconic novelist, then empties his safe of cash and a trove of notebooks containing at least one more novel. Morris is arrested for another crime and sent to prison for 35 years, but not before he stashed the money and the notebooks. Decades later, a young boy finds the treasure and becomes enmeshed in the old crime.

Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille. Former FBI agent John Corey thought his new job “babysitting” Russian diplomats at the UN would be a restful walk in the park.

But he hadn’t anticipated that a resurgent Russia was doing its best to nurture a new Cold War, and only he could stop it from exploding across the globe in the very worst way.

Awaiting Harper Lee’s sequel According to Emmet, the single most anticipated book this summer is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. “To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books, so naturally I am excited to read the sequel (on sale July 14).”

Emmet also recently read and recommends the popular The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Wright Brothers

by David McCullough, and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, “which inspired me to organize my home and office!”

To relax from all that cleaning, Emmet took a go at some of the new adult coloring books. “They’re a great opportunity to get my mind off work and have some fun,” she said.

Nancy Russell, book buyer and book de-

partment manager at Greetings & Readings in Hunt Valley, also plans to “armchair-travel” back to Maycomb, Alabama, when Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman is released.

“In the meantime,” she said, “I’ll read closer to home with A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler’s novel of four generations of one Baltimore family’s home and business.”

Greetings & Readings coowner Fran Baum is currently reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. The Pulitzer Prizewinning author won the 2015 Indies Choice Book of the Year Award for Fiction for the work.

Steven Baum, another of Greeting &

Readings’ owners, is in the midst of book three of The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. “I just started it and don’t want to stop reading,” he said.

Edge of Eternity, the series’ finale, covers one of the most tumultuous eras of all:

the 1960s through the 1980s, encompassing civil rights, assassinations, Vietnam, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution — See SUMMER READS, page 24

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Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Summer reads From page 23 and rock and roll. “The first two novels in the series, Fall of the Giants and Winter of the World, were excellent historical fiction,” said Baum.

This summer, Shirley Fergenson, who manages the fiction section of the Ivy Bookshop in Lake Falls Village, is recommending: Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whitmore, the story of a scholarship girl who spends the summer at her heiress roommate’s Vermont estate with unforeseen

Ask the Expert– Choosing a Funeral Home or Cemetery John Evans, General Manager Schimunek Funeral Homes

Q: How do I find a funeral or cemetery

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consequences. “This is a compelling examination of ‘be careful what you wish for,’” said Fergenson.

I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum is about a cheating husband who tries to win his wife back, set in the art scene of Paris and London.

“This book is both humorous and thoughtful,” said Fergenson.

Delicious by Ruth Reichl is a frothy mix of recipes, romance and intrigue, including a secret James Beard pen pal.

And in Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar, Vanessa Bell keeps a diary about her wild and beloved sister and their outrageous

:!$& 8/:9-& /$& 70!,& #-& +/-,& #+1/),!$,; %!,0*)#$%& 7#,0& 8)#*$2-& !$2& 8!+#(4& ,/ :*(*<)!,*&,0*&-1*:#!(&(#8*&/8&4/9)&(/3*2&/$*5& 6,.-& !(-/& <*$*':#!(& ,/& :0//-*& !& 89$*)!(& 0/+*& /)& :*+*,*)4& #$& !23!$:*& 8/)& 1*!:*& /8&+#$2&!$2&,/&0*(1&*!-*&*+/,#/$!(&!$2& '$!$:#!(&-,)*--&8/)&4/9)&(/3*2&/$*-5 If you have more questions, visit your local funeral provider. They are a good source of information for funeral, cremation and cemetery options.

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JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

friends known as the Bloomsbury Group.

Mysteries and histories “Summer reading, beach reading, or hammock reading, however you read this summer, just do it!” said Kathy Harig, proprietor of Mystery Loves Company Booksellers, formerly located in Baltimore and now in Oxford (stop on your way to the beach!) and, of course, on the web.

Here are some recommendations from Harig’s recent reading: Deadly Desires at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison is the second in a series about a mother and daughter who live on an estate in England dominated by a huge manor house (think Downton Abbey).

“Very funny and well-done plots,” said Harig.

New England caterer and clergyman’s wife Faith Fairchild is also an amateur sleuth. In The Body in the Birches by Katherine Hall Page, Faith’s Fourth of July holiday is interrupted by murder.

“Maryland author Gayle Trent has a fabulous historical series that features the widow of an undertaker who takes over the business,” said Harig. In the first installment, Lady of the Ashes, Violet Harper is asked by Queen Victoria to fill in for a sick undertaker and manage the funeral of the Queen’s husband, Prince Albert. “The details about Victorian mourning ritual,

costume and jewelry are worth reading the book for just on their own!” The latest in the series is called Mourning Bells.

The Children Return is the newest in the French series about Bruno Chief of Police written by Martin Walker. In his small Perigord village of St. Denis, Bruno has to deal with a returning Muslim who may be a terrorist.

“Think of Bruno as the Inspector Brunetti of France,” said Harig, referring to author Donna Leon’s beloved Venetian police inspector.

Another Maryland author, Sujata Massey, continues her award-winning series featuring Japanese-American Rei Shimura with Kizuna Coast. A monstrous earthquake and tsunami attacks the Japanese coast and Rei’s mentor, Yashuri Ishida, sends an urgent cry to Rei for help.

Finally, Thin Air is the latest entry in British writer Anne Cleeves’ Shetland Islands series, featuring Detective Jimmy Perez. Crime-solving is always a bit of a challenge on these isolated islands, and relies more on the skill of the detective than modern technology. A woman from the south disappears after a marriage ceremony, and Jimmy and Willow Reaves have to separate the truth from the mists and the myths that still haunt the islands. This series has been televised as “Shetland” for the BBC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

OBSERVE ART CONSERVATORS

July 17+

ARTSCAPE FESTIVAL

The Walters Art Museum presents a limited opportunity to observe a conservator while they examine, analyze and treat the collections from now through Tuesday, Oct. 20. Conservators are experienced professionals who receive extensive training in fine arts, art history and chemistry. Their work enhances the viewers’ understanding of art and the people who created it, and select the best materials and environments for preservation, ensuring that the artwork survives for future generations. The Walters is located at 600 N. Charles St. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org or call (410) 547-9000. Ask about times at the front desk.

Artscape, the nation’s largest free arts festival, attracts more than 350,000 attendees and over 150 fine artists, fashion designers, crafts people and performing artists. It will take place from Friday to Sunday, July 17 to 19 in the neighborhoods of Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill, and Station North Arts and Entertainment District neighborhoods. For more information, contact (410) 752-8632 or Artscape@promotionandarts.org.

Classifieds cont. from p. 27 Wanted OLD AND NEW, WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, Tea Sets, Single Pieces of Silver, Large pieces of Silver Plate. Attic, Basement or Garage. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. You have something to SELL, we are looking to BUY. CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY – pocket and wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, train sets and accessories, old toys, old glassware & coins. 410-655-0412.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, rifles, shot guns, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Large quantities are okay.

Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

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

Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834.

Thank you.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

Not really ‘Peanuts’

their dialogue difficult to follow.

From page 22

Adolescent angst

We learn that, ironically enough, CB himself participated in Beethoven’s bullying. Actor Sean Dynan is exemplary as he runs the gamut of emotions from guilt to defensive anger to regret to love, as he and DeLisle’s Beethoven come to a mutual understanding and a sharing that is definitely beyond anything Mr. Schulz likely ever imagined.

Adam Michael Abruzzo plays Van, who seems to have more in common with a drugloving Shaggy from “Scooby-Do” than Linus Van Pelt. Van’s childhood blanket has literally gone up in weedy smoke. While Schulz’s Linus was perhaps the most cerebral of all the characters, Van is mostly hedonistic, in search of a good laugh, a good buzz, and other pleasures only CB’s sister can provide.

Beyond Van’s comic relief, Autumn Rocha offers some humorous irony in her portrayal as Van’s sister, also never named, though her “Psychiatric Help, 5 cents please” sign is a clear give-away. Serving jail time for having too much fun with fire, Van’s sister harbors a long-time crush on CB and offers him a scarf she knit for him.

Perhaps he stole away her heart while she was pulling away that football.

Rocha’s part is brief but highly entertaining, as she exclaims, “You forgot your scarf, you blockhead!” while CB departs the stage.

April Airriona Jones and Melanie Glickman round out the cast as Marcy and Tricia (perhaps short for Patricia, as in Patty of the peppermint variety?) who have trouble accepting the budding gay romance between CB and Beethoven. Their intolerance, brought to full boil by Matt, is another key theme in Royal’s play.

Both Jones and Glickman clearly have fun in their alcohol-fueled roles, though their uproarious laughter sometimes made

Not that it matters, as what is key to Royal’s play is not so much the characters in and of themselves, but the issues they symbolize (CB’s sister’s ongoing metamorphosis from “butterfly to platypus,” representative of the changes endemic to young adult life), and the challenges they face (the adolescent need for acceptance being so painfully powerful it may move some to suicide).

Fortunately, Dog Sees God does not become “gimmicky,” though it is clearly a didactic play — one where the lesson is more important than characters or plot. Director Fuzz Roark embraces this through having a cast conversation with the audience after every performance (typically a feature of only one performance of each Spotlighters’ production).

As the program details, “The theatre has requested local professionals in bullying, homophobia, substance abuse provide materi-

als and resources for these discussions.” The program itself includes eight pages of information about these issues, including “suicide warning tips,” suicide facts and statistics, crisis hotline phone numbers, and more.

But Dog Sees God never feels like a lecture or a 1980s “after school special” where the message is woefully heavyhanded. The passionate, energetic cast delivers an engaging, powerful performance that makes the 90-minute play time fly by.

Kudos to director Fuzz Roark and stage manager Ben Kinder for their clever use of a minimalist stage to create a myriad of

scenes, ranging from a cafeteria to a prison visitation room to the iconic brick wall Charlie Brown and his pals so often visited to contemplate life’s vagaries.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead continues throughout the month of June at Spotlighters Theatre, 817 Saint Paul St. in downtown Baltimore. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for those 60+, and $16 for students and military. To learn more or to buy tickets, visit www.spotlighters.org or call (410) 752-1225.

BEACON BITS

June 24

SPCA ADOPTION DAY

Join the South County Senior Center in Edgewater on Wednesday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the 5th annual SPCA Adoption Day. Enjoy raffles, face painting, live entertainment, lunch for sale, door prizes, bake sale and a doggie fashion contest. Dogs and cats will be available for adoption. Donations are welcome. The center is located at 27 Stepneys Ln. in Edgewater. For information, call (410) 222-1927.

WE GO TO GREAT HEIGHTS TO DELIVER

reliable POWER.

FROM PAGE 26 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE Smart energy. It’s safe, reliable electricity for everyone. That’s why it’s so important to minimize the risk of accidents and outages caused by branches falling on overhead power lines, especially due to wind, ice or stormy weather. Here’s what we’re doing: ■

With 10,500 miles of overhead power lines, BGE invests more than $30 million every year to carefully cut back limbs or remove trees to prevent outages.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD S P A S

C O R A

O W E N

S P A R

H E L O

A B B C

A B O D E

B O T O X

C U T I E

F E N D S

F R A C T A B L A K A E R I L D O T S

S H E A S P S A E B E N D A M P E R T O A N G E

H O S T S E A R S C E N T

A P P L E

G E N E T I A C T O L M O L O L D E S

A R E W A A S A H N T L S A Y E O R V A E S R E

■

Customers typically experience up to 40 percent fewer tree-related power interruptions where branches have been recently cut back.

V I L L A

I T A L Y

D E N S E

I R O N

N O N E

E D G E

A C T S

D U E T

O A R S

■

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BGE foresters and certified arborists work with our licensed tree experts to reduce the impact on trees where possible.

Safeguarding overhead lines. Now that’s smart energy. To learn more about the importance of tree and vegetation management, enhancing the reliability of your power,

together

and guidelines on planting trees in the vicinity of power lines, visit BGE.COM/TreeCare.

ENERGY WORKS SMARTER

ENERGY WORKS SMARTER together RELIABLE ENERGY . SMART ENERGY.

26

JULY 2015 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

PUZZLE PAGE

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

by Stephen Sherr 1

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Across 1. Show disdain 6. The state dance of South Carolina 10. Enthusiastic 14. Superhero quality 15. Bill Clinton’s home town 16. Baptism, basically 17. Ice show locale 18. Staple of basic cable 19. Exuberance 20. Temporary architecture 23. Brand with motto “The Racer’s Edge” 24. ___ good example 25. Reply to a captain 26. ___ Na Na 29. Dead doornail divider 31. “Science ___ way of thinking more than a body of knowledge” (Carl Sagan) 33. Front half at a California coast 40. Actress Jessica 41. Be a judge on Iron Chef 42. Walked the golf course 43. Johnny B Goode, for example 48. Bob Gibson’s 1.12 in 1968 is the best in the past 100 years 49. Big bird, extinct about 600 years 50. Kim West, ___ Kardashian 51. 2, on a digital phone 54. Little demons 57. Ingredient in soap 59. Backpacker magazine’s “Best city to raise an outdoor kid” 65. Cartoon dog or busdriver 66. Pigeon-___ 67. Completely empty spaces 68. Just ___ (Nike slogan) 69. Elizabeth I’s mother 70. Elizabeth Arden ingredient 71. Elizabeth Taylor collected them 72. Understands the joke 73. Musical pauses

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Down 1. Not just Jacuzzis 2. Mrs. Dithers in “Blondie” 3. John Irving’s A Prayer for ___ Meany 4. Wards (off) 5. Never-ending pattern 6. “A jolly good fellow”, sometimes 7. Talk radio employees 8. Newton’s inspiration, maybe 9. ___ discrimination (subject of the Affordable Care Act) 10. Carpet layer’s calculation 11. Fancy home in 12 Down 12. It surrounds Vatican City 13. Able to sink in water 21. Niche in a church 22. Deodorize a dog 26. Practice pugilism 27. Chopper 28. House of Cards was originally ___ show” 30. Like Goldilocks, near the end 32. Uninvited picnic guests 34. Prepare shoofly pie 35. Musical talent 36. The H or O in H2O 37. By mass, the most common element on Earth 38. Win count of the 2008 Detroit Lions 39. The end of the (flat) earth 44. Dry as dust 45. Conventioneer’s accessory 46. Relax on a La-Z-Boy 47. Brief visit to Atlanta, perhaps 51. Buckingham Palace, for the queen 52. Wrinkle reducer 53. Adorable infant 55. Lying facedown 56. Old Spice quality 58. Clear the blackboard 60. Quantity of love 61. Praiseful poems 62. Tries to appear innocent 63. Simon and Garfunkel creation 64. Canoe contraptions

Answers on page 25.

Jumbles: BLOOD BROIL TARGET TURKEY Answer: What the museum tour leader did when the fire alarm rang -- GOT THE "LED" OUT

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2015

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

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.

Financial Services TAXES, ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING, eldercare. CPA 38 years, reasonable rates. Call 410-653-3363.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER LOOKING FOR in-law suite or efficiency in exchange for a reduction in rent. References furnished.

College educated. 410-900-2027.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate WANTED – FLORIDA KEYS RENTAL for the month of February 2016. Contact Harvey & Norma, nig0011@comcast.net, 410-828-8292.

INDEPENDENT LIVING STARTING AT $440/MONTH. Baltimore City. One block from Druid Hill Park. Unfurnished rooms in newly renovated home. Seeking 50 and over singles.

410-929-9975.

CARE FROM CARING HOME ASSISTED LIVING. Room available for you or your loved ones. Looking for a place just like home? Call us today, 443-563-2695 or 443-844-1444. Affordable rates available.

For Sale LOUDON PARK CEMETERY – Poplar Lot 164 – Site 1. $2,400 or best offer. 410-592-3438.

PARKWOOD CEMETERY – TAYLOR AVENUE – Poplar Lot 831 – Site 2. Also includes one burial vault and one opening and closing of grave site – value $2,795. Sell for $1,400 or best offer, 410-529-1191.

2 CEMETERY LOTS – HOLLY HILL. Bird River Rd. $1,000 for both. No vaults. Please call if interested, 410-402-4011.

12-FOOT SCAFFOLD – Brand new, used twice. Call Tom, 410-444-9363.

2 GRAVE PLOTS, GARDENS OF FAITH, Garden of First Miracle site. Asking $3,000.

Call Arlene, 410-663-0860.

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

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

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

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

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

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise.

Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

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

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

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Home/Handyman Services

Personals

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements.

Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates. 10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285).

BLACK MALE, 52, SINGLE, NICE LOOKING – Looking for single black/white female, 30-50 who’s nice, honest, caring, loving, down to earth, passionate, warm-hearted, nice personality, loves to cuddle for friendship/more. Write: P.O. Box 33471, Baltimore, MD 21218.

HAULING & JUNK – LOW UPFRONT PRICING. Free Estimates, Senior Discounts.

365 days. Licensed and Insured demolition. Estate & Eviction Services, Recycling, Organizing.

ATTIC SWEEPERS HAULING, 443-838-2353.

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

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational.

Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

Wanted

Health

Personals

MOBILE EYE EXAMS – Comprehensive and/or low vision eye exams provided to Baltimore seniors with limited mobility. Visit www.HomeEyeOD.com or call 443-802-9920 for more information.

WE BUY JEWELRY, SILVER, GOLD, AND COSTUME. Coins, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

WHITE MALE, 62, NON-SMOKER, living in AA County seeks lady friend any age for movies, daytrips and massages. Call Alan, 304240-5355.

Classifieds cont. on p. 24

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Elderly Falls Study . . . . . . . . .13 Gastrointestinal Study . . . . . . .12 HYPNOS Diabetic Sleep Study . . . . . .12 Maximizing Independence Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Financial Services

Bennett Senior Services . . . . .16 Debt Counsel for Seniors and the Disabled . . .17 Golden Real Estate . . . . . . . . .16 GSF Mortgage . . . . . . . .B-3, B-8 JSR Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Funeral Services

Schimunck Funeral Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 24

Hearing Services

Hearing & Speech Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Hear For You . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Taylor Learning Center . . . . . . .7

27

Home Health Care

Options for Senior America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Senior Companion Program . .17 Seniors Helping Seniors . . . . . .9

Housing

Briarwood Estates . . . . . . . . . .23 Brookfield Homes . . . . . . . . . .23 Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . .B-3 Charlestown . . . . . . . . .B-2, B-8 Christ Church Harbor Apts . .B-2 Gatherings at Quarry Place . . . .6 The Greens (multiple locations) . . . . . .B-4 Heartlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-5 Heritage Run . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-2 Homewood at Willow Ponds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Keller Williams/ Tyrone Maxwell . . . . . . . . .B-6 New Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . .B-10 Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . .B-2, B-5 Park Heights Place . . . . . . .B-10 Park View Apartments . . . . .B-11 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-3

Shangri-La Assisted Living . . . . . . . . . . .B-5 & B-6 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . .B-10 Weinberg Senior Living (multiple locations) . .B-8, B-12 Westminster House Apts . . . .B-9

Smart Pain Management . . . . . .9

Housing Referral Service

CommuniCare Health . . . . . . .13 Holly Hill Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 Manor Care Health Services . .14

Senior Placement Service/Care Patrol . . . . . . . .15

Legal Services

Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . .15 Nursing Home Justice . . . . . . .11

Medical/Health

Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . .12 Dr. Stuart Goldman, DPM . . . .8 Genesis SelectCare . . . . . . . .B-9 Guardian Community Health B-8 Maryland Laser Skin & Vein . .8 MedStar Harbor Hospital . . . . .4 MedStar Orthopedics . . . . . . .10 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . .5 Progressive Rehab Services . . .8

Pharmacies

Walgreen’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Remodeling

Blake & Sons Contracting . .B-9

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Theatres/ Entertainment

Hollywood Casino . . . . . . . . .28 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . .20 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . .22

Tour & Travel

Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel . . . . .21

Utilities

BGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Volunteers

Senior Companion Program . .17

28

JULY 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BALTIMORE BEACON

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