July 2017 | Baltimore Beacon

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Doing good helps body and soul

JULY 2017

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By Carol Sorgen Ever experienced a “helper’s high?”

The term was coined by psychologist Allan Luks, who discovered that the act of helping others releases endorphins (feelgood chemicals in our brain) the same way that vigorous exercise or meditation does.

Also, as with exercise and medication, Luks concluded that this biochemical reaction from volunteering results in stress relief, which can benefit the immune system and support overall better health.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that Barry Glass, 80, says his volunteering is “really, a selfish thing I do. It makes me feel good.”

Glass, who lives at Weinberg Woods, volunteers at the Weinberg Senior Center.

Among other things, he greets visitors, makes coffee, and schmoozes with those who come to take part in the center’s activities.

He says his volunteer projects not only put a smile on his face, but keep him energized and less likely to think of the back and neck problems he suffers from.

At Charlestown Retirement Community, one-third of the residents volunteer with dozens of different organizations, including homeless shelters, libraries, elementary schools and churches.

John Lorenz, 75, began volunteering at Charlestown just months after he and his wife, Charlene, moved there from Upperco two years ago.

“I’ve always been a volunteer in some capacity,” said Lorenz. After graduating from Calvert Hall, a private Catholic high school for boys in Baltimore, Lorenz later returned to the school to volunteer as a Christian Brother, teaching religion and science in exchange for room and board.

“Those were some of the best years of my life,” said Lorenz, who is also a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic-based fraternal service organization.

Among other activities at Charlestown, Lorenz has enjoyed assisting at the community’s in-house television station, Little Theater, Treasure Sale, Joyful Sounds chorale, and serving on a team of residents who remove invasive plants from around the 110-acre community.

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SEE SPECIAL INSERT Housing & Homecare Options following page 12

L E I S U R E & T R AV E L Karen Singer, right, founded VolunTeams, which allows people to sign up to volunteer for a particular project without a long-term commitment. In April, she and Jen Grossman, then chair of the Jewish Volunteer Connection, joined 50 other volunteers to clean up Middle Branch Park.

Evidence of health effects

According to the Office of Research and Policy Development of the Corporation for National and Community Service, “Those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”

More specifically, a 2013 study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that older adults who volunteer for at least 200 hours a year decrease their risk of hypertension or high blood pressure by 40 percent.

Linda Fried, a professor of public health at Columbia University Medical Center, stresses that, as Americans’ longevity increases, staying both physically and socially active is more important than ever.

“Volunteering helps achieve both goals.

The social networks of people tend to decline as they age; family and friends move away or die. Volunteering can replace these ties and their well-being and happiness benefits,” said Fried in an article that appeared in U.S. News and World Report.

“The other thing that is really important to people, particularly as they get older, is that they feel they’ve made a difference being on the planet,” said Fried. “That’s a deeply personal sense of meaning, particularly as people take stock of their lives.”

For Edel Blumberg, volunteering with the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) as a Recovery Coach — as well as starting his own nonprofit, the Semi-Colon See VOLUNTEERS, page 4

Sublime wine and scenery in central Virginia; plus, last call for Amtrak’s long-distance train trips? page 16 TECHNOLOGY k Add safety tech to your car

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FITNESS & HEALTH k Women and heart health k Reducing pesticide risk

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LAW & MONEY 13 k Seniors amass student loan debt k Consider target-date funds ARTS & STYLE 19 k What’s on stage this summer?

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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When you can’t budge it The Trump administration issued a pre- older adults with appeals of insurance denials liminary “skinny” budget proposal a few and with cases of healthcare fraud or abuse.

SHIP costs the federal govmonths ago, followed more ernment about $50 million anrecently by its official 2018 nually to train and manage the budget request to Congress. volunteer counselors. In a Of the many draconian cuts $3,650,000,000,000 ($3.65 trilthe budget would impose, I lion) budget, $50 million repwant to talk about two that resents less than .0014% of the would particularly affect older total. It is, as some say, not Americans were they to go into even a rounding error. effect.

But with this relatively negliThese aren’t by any means gible amount of money, the the largest cuts, or even the program leverages the intelcuts that would harm the great- FROM THE lectual abilities and devotion of est number of people. But they PUBLISHER By Stuart P. Rosenthal more than 15,000 older adult are significant all the same, and volunteers, enabling them to worth some discussion.

In the budget of the Administration for assist more than 6 million Medicare beneficiCommunity Living (a division of the De- aries each year.

Does it not seem to be shortsighted in partment of Health and Human Services formerly known as the Administration on the extreme to zero out a program that Aging, before it was merged with the Of- does so much good for so little cost?

I have a similar beef about another worthfice on Disability), only one program is zeroed out: the State Health Insurance As- while program, this one slated to be zeroed out in the Department of Labor budget. sistance Program, commonly called SHIP. This program operates throughout the Called the Senior Community Service Emcountry. Using trained volunteers — who ployment Program (SCSEP), it’s the federal are, themselves, older adults — it provides government’s only job training and placeMedicare beneficiaries with individualized ment program aimed at older Americans.

The program places unemployed, lowassistance concerning the intricacies of Medicare, prescription drug coverage, medi- income older adults in part-time, on-thejob training positions in nonprofit, governgap policies and long-term care insurance.

The free, confidential service also assists ment and faith-based organizations, where

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• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Contributing Editor ..........................Carol Sorgen • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin, .................................................................... Paul Whipple • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 23 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions. © Copyright 2017 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

they earn a minimum wage salary paid for

by SCSEP. The workers gain a variety of valuable skills, and are expected to find unsubsidized employment after a limited time in the program.

Last year, about 70,000 older adults participated, training at more than 21,000 organizations, where they provided nearly 36 million hours of support. Nearly half of each year’s participants find gainful employment soon after their SCSEP stint.

This program is more costly than SHIP: Its annual budget has been around $400 million a year (averaging about $5,700 per person).

But that amount enables tens of thousands of low-income adults, who presumably qualify for other aid, to “get off the dole,” earn a livelihood for the foreseeable future, and probably spend every dime of what they earn, boosting their local economy.

There are many other worthwhile programs similarly targeted for complete or partial elimination in the president’s budget request. Many dwarf these two programs.

But I focus on these two because they seem to be such good examples of targeted, effective programs that leverage relatively small expenditures into significant benefits.

The administration’s budget request is really just that: It tells Congress what the president wants to see happen. But Congress holds the power of the purse, and it will decide on the final budget. I don’t think any observers expect all of the Trump cuts to be approved.

Still, if you would like to see programs like these retained, now is the time to speak to your congressional representatives. Truly, every constituent’s comment is important. Few people ever take the time to call, write or email their representatives, so the few that do tend to have an outsize impact. I urge you to take action.

Before I close, however, I ask you to join me in a thought experiment. Imagine that our efforts fall on deaf ears, and these two programs are zeroed out of the final budget.

What happens next year? Do the 15,000 experienced SHIP counselors just find something else to do with their time? Do the 21,000 nonprofits that received 36 million hours of help from competent older adults just downsize their programs or

dump more work on their already overworked employees?

Can we not imagine that the ingenuity and drive of all these people could be harnessed to continue providing such worthwhile services without the relatively modest contributions of our federal government?

I’d like to think a few of those highlytrained SHIP volunteers could find a way to manage the program, keeping their fellow volunteer counselors on the job.

Or perhaps the excellent local SHIP managers who have hitherto been paid through the federal grant could do some of their own fundraising, and task other SHIP workers with helping to raise the rest of the money necessary to keep their local programs running.

And maybe the nonprofits who need the help could find a way to continue offering on-the-job training to low-income adults.

And maybe the adults who need that training — and have a 50/50 chance of finding paid employment after completing it — could find a way to get to those offices for a few months even without the minimum wage they would have been paid under SCSEP. Don’t get me wrong. I think these programs should continue to be federally funded. They accomplish a great deal with a small investment.

And most of the larger programs that face huge cuts — like the $700 million cut from the National Institute on Aging’s research budget, or the $3.3 billion cut from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — could not continue to do what they do without federal assistance.

But I would like to think that the programs that leverage small dollar investments into huge benefits through the efforts of older workers and volunteers could continue to operate, thanks to the ingenuity and abilities of those very people.

In the meantime, write your representatives! These and many other worthwhile programs targeted for extinction are depending on it.

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: It was almost as fascinating to me, as I’m sure it was to you, to read your thoughts about civil public discourse (and the sad lack of it) from 2007 (“A look back, and forward,” June, From the Publisher).

Flashing forward 10 years later, I assert that the situation has and will continue to worsen, thanks to social media. When people feel free to insult those who disagree via keyboard vitriol, and those people in-

clude the POTUS, the concept of civil discourse becomes very retro.

Your thoughtful essay drove this point home.

Jill Joseph Catonsville Dear Editor: I have just read Mr. Rosenthal’s editorial about civility in communication, and his See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 11

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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Technology &

Innovations Add latest safety technology to your car

By Dee-Ann Durbin Old cars can learn new tricks.

For a few hundred dollars, drivers can add new safety technology — like forward collision warning systems or backup cameras — to older cars.

Cars are lasting longer than ever, thanks to improving quality. The average U.S. vehicle is now 11.6 years old, according to the consulting firm IHS Markit. But that means millions of car owners are missing out on technology that could potentially save their lives.

Forward collision warning systems, for example, can reduce the risk of a crash by 27 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Is it worth the money?

Consumers have to do the math to decide whether it’s better to add aftermarket systems to an older car or save up for a new one. Balance the cost of new safety — which can be hefty — with the increased maintenance older cars usually need.

If you don’t want an extra camera cluttering up your dashboard, you may want to save up for a new car with built-in systems.

To get blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning and lane departure warning on a new, 2017 Altima SL, you have to spend $28,570 for the car and add

$3,000 in options.

For a fraction of that amount — $500 — you could add an aftermarket forward collision system, backup camera and blind spot detection monitors to an older car.

Or you could consider a late-model used car. A 2015 Nissan Altima SL with blind spot monitoring, a rearview camera and lane departure warning can be found for less than $20,000, for example.

Buyers may want to wait on a new car because the cost of safety tech is coming down.

Toyota is now offering a $300 package on some vehicles that includes forward collision warning and lane departure warning.

Starting with the 2018 model year, all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be required to have backup cameras. And most new cars will have standard automatic emergency braking by 2022.

Safety features to consider

Shawn Sinclair, an automotive engineer with Consumer Reports magazine, says forward collision warning is the most important feature to consider if you’re thinking about adding tech to your car. Even though it won’t stop the car from hitting an obstacle — automatic braking isn’t available as an aftermarket option — it will warn drivers so they can slow down or maneuver away.

Blind spot detection and rear cameras are two others she considers critical. “But at the same time, you have to say, ‘Hey, I have this 10-year-old car. Maybe it’s time to turn it in,’” she said.

The quality of aftermarket systems varies considerably. Read reviews or ask a trusted mechanic for recommendations.

Here are some: Forward collision warning/lane departure warning: Sinclair suggests a system from Mobileye, a tech company that also supplies most major automakers. Mobileye’s cameras and software can recognize other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and even speed limit signs. The system alerts drivers when they leave a lane and when a collision is up to 2.7 seconds away. Sinclair says it costs around $1,000 to buy the system and have it installed by a Mobileye technician.

There are many less expensive and easyto-install dashboard cameras that double as collision warning systems. Garmin’s Dash Cam 35 monitors up to 130 feet in front of the vehicle; if the driver is going 30 mph or faster, it will issue audio and visual alerts of impending collisions. The Dash Cam 35 costs $130 on Amazon.com.

Blind spot detection: Blind spot systems use sensors to monitor the sides of the vehicle, and flash an icon to the driver if

something is in the way. Sinclair recommends Goshers Blind Spot Detection System, which costs $239. It monitors within 10 feet of the vehicle. Sinclair recommends having a professional install the system; it took her mechanic four hours to do it.

Backup camera: According to government statistics, roughly 250 people are killed each year in backover accidents, many of them children.

China’s Yada brand makes a weatherproof camera with night vision that attaches to the rear of the car. When the car is in reverse, it sends images wirelessly to a 4.3inch monitor.

Pep Boys sells the system for $129. If you don’t want a monitor in your car, Auto Vox has one that displays the image in your rear-view mirror. It’s $139 on Amazon.com.

Emergency assistance: Hum, developed by Verizon, works like General Motors’ OnStar system. It will automatically call emergency services if the car has been in an accident. It sends alerts to drivers’ phones if there’s a mechanical problem and lets drivers press a button if they need roadside assistance.

Hum works in cars built in 1996 or later. It costs $10 per month; a two-year subscription is required. There are also one-time set-up and activation fees totaling $50.

— AP

New, happier returns for online purchases

By Anne D’Innocenzio As online shopping surges, so do the returns — and the hassles for shoppers trying to get rid of items that aren’t right. A few startups dedicated to online returns, as well as changes at some big stores, may make it easier.

With the contest for shoppers’ loyalty intense, retailers need to keep them happy — and returns can be a key part of that. Online purchases get returned at about twice the rate of in-person selections, internet consultant Sucharita Mulpuru-Kodali said. And fewer than half sell again for full price, according to research company Gartner Inc. Some stores have long allowed people to return merchandise they bought online to a brick-and-mortar store. Flash site Gilt Group lets shoppers take returns to Saks Off Fifth stores, since they have the same owner.

Some of the new options allow shoppers

to drop their items off at dedicated mall kiosks, or even have things picked up at their doorstep.

“Retailers have to be competitive, whether it’s free shipping or free returns,” said Tobin Moore, CEO of Optoro, which helps retailers find the best re-sale price when a product is returned.

Here are some of the new ways returns are getting less painful: Bypassing the lines at stores: Target is redesigning its stores to have a separate entrance for shoppers in a hurry, which will take them straight into a service area where they can make returns — including for items bought online. The company plans to implement the redesign at about a third of its stores over the next three years.

Nordstrom has introduced a “Drop & Shop” service in Manhattan for online returns from its discount division Nord-

strom Rack and its Hautelook flash sale site. The company says it’s been encouraged by the shorter waits and positive feedback from shoppers. It’s testing the service elsewhere at its Rack stores and working toward expanding it this summer, spokeswoman Kendall Ault said.

Extended deadlines: Plenty of stores are lengthening the timeframe for returns.

Target extended the deadline for a full refund to one year on items from its more than 30 exclusive brands. The previous limit was 90 days. Online shoe retailer Zappos has long offered a 365-day return policy, but as part of its loyalty program, it now has no time limit for top-tier customers.

Label-less returns: Companies are getting more accommodating to shoppers who don’t have printers at home and find it harder to produce return labels. UPS, which has more than 100,000 U.S. drop-off locations,

said it tested a program last year that allowed people to present a barcode on their phones at UPS. It’s now expanding that feature.

“We want to make it simple. We want to make it more convenient,” said Jim Brill, a UPS marketing manager.

Return it at the mall: Logistics company Happy Returns is building a network of return bars at malls in a partnership with several online-only retailers. Shoppers can make returns in person and get a full refund right there.

“Our research shows that people don’t want to pay for the cost” of the postage, said David Sobie, CEO of Happy Returns.

The company is working with mall operators Macerich, Westfield and Simon at seven malls in five cities. Those include Tysons Corner Center in Arlington, Va., and the See HAPPIER RETURNS, page 4

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Volunteers From page 1

Club (www.semicolonclub.org) — is very much what his life is about.

The 61-year-old Reisterstown resident is a repeated survivor of colon cancer, who said that volunteering gives other cancer patients and survivors hope, as well as providing volunteers a sense of worthiness.

A one-time athlete, Blumberg’s physical activities have been curtailed because of the effects of his cancer treatments, but volunteering is a way for him to inspire others while giving himself both a mental and phys-

ical outlet so he’s not “just sitting around.”

If you’re new to volunteering, start out slowly, advised Andrea Ziel, executive director of Women on Call (www.womenoncall.org). The organization matches volunteers who have specialized skills with nonprofit organizations with specific needs.

“If there’s a cause that interests you, dip your toe in the water by volunteering on one occasion,” Ziel suggested. “Then, you can always find ways to get more involved.”

Start your own group

Lutherville resident Karen Singer, 52, is

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance… …at a great value.

A place of independence Pickersgill assisted living residents are rarely in their rooms! Instead, they’re out and about— participating in a community activity or event or dining with friends.

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A place of caring Each assisted living resident enjoys three chef-prepared meals per day, housekeeping and laundry services, medication administration, help with daily tasks and more—always by request, and all included in a reasonable monthly fee. Each resident also has access to all of the Pickersgill amenities.

Our assisted living residences include a private, full bath, and residents are encouraged to decorate their homes as they wish. This is a lifestyle dedicated to independence and assured by a caring, professional staff.

Call 888-877-9883 today for more information or to schedule your personal tour.

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

a lawyer by training, but volunteerism is a major part of her life. For many years, Singer’s volunteer activities included serving on boards and fundraising. But when she turned 50, she realized that a missing piece of her volunteerism was doing hands-on projects.

Through Jewish Volunteer Connection, Singer initiated VolunTeams. VolunTeams are made up of individuals who work together at nonsectarian nonprofits on projects as needed. About 350 people currently participate.

“If you’re too busy to make a long-term commitment to volunteering, but still want to contribute the time you do have and volunteer with others, VolunTeams can be an ideal solution,” said Singer. “It provides each volunteer with flexibility to decide how often they serve.”

VolunTeams have worked with such community organizations as Moveable Feast, Bookworms Reading Program, and Kids Safe Zone. To volunteer, call (410) 843-7490, visit www.jvcbaltimore.org, or join the Facebook page of Jewish Volunteer Connection.

Sari Gross, who is 56 and lives in Fells Point, calls herself a “professional volunteer.”

Twenty-two years ago, Gross started “Flames of Giving” (www.flamesorgiving.com) in response to her children’s desire to help other children in need.

“We contacted several social service agencies and asked for a list of [children] who would like holiday gifts,” said Gross.

Gift tags were created that looked like flames...representing the lights on a Christmas tree and the flames of a Chanukah menorah. Flames of Giving volunteers provide almost 2,000 gifts each holiday season.

“Volunteering is as much about the volunteer as it is about the recipient,” said Gross. “It gives us a sense of abundance and optimism, and our own problems get a lot smaller.”

Opportunities, even from home

Start exploring volunteer opportunities that mesh with your personal interests.

If you love kids, for example, consider becoming a Foster Grandparent to mentor children with special needs, or a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), to make sure that a neglected or underserved child doesn’t get lost in the legal system.

Happier returns From page 3

Westfield Center Mall in San Francisco. The retailers include custom shoe company Shoes of Prey, fashion brands Eloquii and Everlane, and marketplace seller Tradesy.

Have items picked up: High-level members of the Zappos loyalty program can get free UPS pickups for their returns.

The startup Deliv offers same-day delivery and returns for retailers such as Macy’s, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma and op-

You can help fellow older adults by becoming a Senior Companion. These are volunteers 55 and older who offer help and friendship to adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks, such as shopping or paying bills, while at the same time giving families and professional caregivers a much-needed break.

For those who are passionate about the arts, consider becoming a docent at a local museum. And organizations like Baltimore’s Senior Box Office have numerous opportunities related to the theatre — from marketing and publicity, to ushering (which comes with complimentary tickets).

And don’t think that volunteering needs to be done on a face-to-face basis to make a difference. With today’s technology, you can volunteer right from your home computer or mobile device.

Many organizations welcome volunteers working from home to take on such projects as creating web pages, writing newsletter articles, testing online tools, translating text from one language to another, moderating or facilitating online discussion groups, and posting to social media.

While you do need Internet access, not all virtual volunteering opportunities are technology-related. Virtual volunteers can also provide legal, business, medical, financial or other expertise/advice; tutor or mentor students; monitor the news; or manage other online volunteers, to name just a few possibilities.

There is no one database that lists all volunteering opportunities, but these can get you started: VolunteerMatch, which connects volunteers with organizations by interest and geographic location; Idealist (www.idealist.org), a searchable database that connects professionals and volunteers with organizations; Create the Good (www.createthegood.org), an AARP project to encourage baby boomers and seniors to share their skills, knowledge and experience in their community; Innovations for Learning (www.innovationsforlearning.org), an online volunteer tutoring program to teach low-income first-graders to read; and iCouldBe (www.icouldbe.org), which seeks online mentors for at-risk middle and high school students.

Additional reporting by Danielle Rexrode. erates in about 18 geographic markets. Retailers set the return fees. Macy’s and its upscale sister Bloomingdale’s, for example, charge $6.95 for returns.

Deliv will collect an item from someone’s home and bring it either to UPS or the retailer where it was bought, whichever is most efficient.

“Where is shopping going?” said CEO Daphne Carmeli. “We believe that fundamentally the epicenter of shopping is moving toward the home.”

— AP

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Captioned Telephone–Displays every word your caller says, as you listen.

❏ Exercise Research Study (see ad on page 11) ❏ Fall Prevention Study (see ad on page 11) ❏ Former Smoker Study (see ad on page 11) ❏ Knee Arthritis Device Study (see article on page 11)

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Multiple Calling Options–For anyone who has difficulty using a standard telephone.

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❏ Alta at Regency Crest (see ad on page 9) ❏ Atrium Village (see ads on pages B5 & B9) ❏ Bayleigh Chase (see ad on page 18) ❏ Buckingham’s Choice (see ad on page 18) ❏ Carroll Lutheran Village (see ad on page B3) ❏ Catholic Charities Senior Services (see ad on page B3) ❏ Charlestown (see ads on pages B5 & B11) ❏ Christ Church Harbor Apts. (see ad on page 10) ❏ Cove Point Apts. (see ads on pages B4 & B6) ❏ Evergreen (see ad on page B6) ❏ Fairhaven (see ad on page 18) ❏ Greens, The (see ads on pages B4 & B6) ❏ Linden Park Apts. (see ads on pages B8 & 18) ❏ Lutheran Village at Millers Grant (see ad on page B3) ❏ Oak Crest (see ads on pages B4 & B11) ❏ Paradise Senior Living (see ad on page B2) ❏ Park Heights Place (see ad on page B8) ❏ Park View Laurel (see ad on page B10) ❏ Park View Towson (see ad on page B10) ❏ Park View Fullerton (see ad on page B10) ❏ Park View Rosedale (see ad on page B10) ❏ Pickersgill (see ad on page 4) ❏ Shangri-La Assisted Living (see ad on page B4) ❏ St. Marys Roland View Towers (see ad on page 21) ❏ Timber Ridge Apartments (see ad on page B2) ❏ Virginia Towers (see ad on page 21) ❏ Weinberg Park Assisted Living (see ads on pages B5 & B12) ❏ Weinberg Senior Living (see ad on page B12) ❏ Woodholme Gardens (see ad on page B11)

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EMNet (Emergency Medicine Network) found that as ERs close and move, and as new facilities open, sources that list ERs invariably become outdated. A simple Internet search often returns unreliable results — with searches revealing closed ERs, part-time clinics, or even veterinary hospitals.

To fill this gap, EMNet created the National Emergency Department Inventory.

EMNet’s findER app locates the nearest hospital to you, no matter where you are, and then gives you directions. Users can

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Hearing aid company Audicus launched an online hearing test last month. The 10minute test — done on a website using your headphones and speakers — can help give a general sense of how a user’s hearing is doing.

The test consists of tones at various frequencies. Users hit any key on the key-

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The Maryland Historical Trust is charged with maintaining the state’s inventory of historic places, and providing public access to that information. Until now, access to this data was limited — requiring in-person visits to the Maryland Historical Trust’s library, or online searches of specific property addresses or inventory numbers.

With the launch of the interactive mapbased Medusa tool, the public can now find historic property information quickly and easily. Medusa allows digital access to this information in a variety of ways with links to database information, forms and photographs. http://mht.mar yland.gov/secure/ medusa/

Have trouble reading menus in dark restaurants or even just the print on pill bottles? The iMagnifier (iphone) and Mag-

nifying Glass Flashlight (Android) apps can brighten things up. The free versions of both apps include a flashlight and can magnify two or three times the actual size, while the $1.99 version of the apps lets users magnify four or eight times larger. iMagnifier (iphone) and Magnifying Glass Flashlight (Android), free and $1.99

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Easy access to history

Thirteen years ago, 60-something journalist Ronni Bennett and her colleagues were laid off from their jobs at a website. While her younger co-workers found new jobs fairly easily, she got only two interviews in a year.

So she started her blog, As Time Goes By, focused on age discrimination, aging, nostalgia and a lot more. And as time has gone by, her following has grown into the thousands for her and co-blogger Peter Tibbles’ insightful posts on everything from siblings who sing sublime harmony together, to sex, to “elder bashing” on “Saturday Night Live.” The prolific Bennett updates the site nearly daily. http://www.timegoesby.net

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board when they hear a sound. Those whose tests indicate hearing loss should follow up with an audiologist for a more thorough exam. www.audicus.com/online-hearingtest/

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health Fitness &

SAFER PRODUCE Minimize pesticides in your fruits and veggies by cleaning and peeling them SHADE YOURSELF Many drugs, from statins to blood pressure meds, make skin more likely to burn LUNG CANCER ADVANCES Blood tests can track genetic changes in cancer tumors to tailor treatment QUELLING KNEE PAIN Arthritis sufferers are being sought to test a new device that may reduce pain

Coping with increasing food intolerance

By Matthew Solan Who hasn’t eaten something that did not agree with them? But when your stomach issues become more frequent and severe, you might have a bigger digestion problem called food intolerance.

Food intolerances occur more often as you age, since your digestion naturally becomes slower and your body produces fewer enzymes needed to break down food.

“This allows more time for bacteria to ferment in the GI tract and lead to digestive distress,” said Evagelia Georgakilas, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Over time, you also may become more sensitive to particular foods, chemicals or additives. Some examples include sulfites found in wine, dried fruits and canned goods, or foods flavored with monosodium glutamate (MSG).

However, the most common food sensitivities are related to lactose and gluten.

With lactose intolerance, your body can’t

break down the sugar in dairy products (known as lactose) because your gut contains reduced levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

People with gluten sensitivity have trouble digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. (This is different from having celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder where consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine.)

for every meal, including individual foods and portions. Then list any symptoms that occur afterwards and rate their level of intensity on a scale of one to 10, with one being no reaction to 10 being the most severe.

Maintain your diary for two weeks to a month, and then review. “You should be able to find a connection between foods and common symptoms,” said Georgakilas.

Start a food diary

Once you pinpoint one, or several, potential problem foods, eliminate them from your diet. After a few days, add only one food back into your diet and monitor your reaction. “If your symptoms return, you’ve found the offending food,” said Georgakilas.

Eliminating the problem food from your diet is the easiest move, but here are some other strategies to consider: • Reduce serving sizes. Sometimes you can still enjoy your favorite foods by reducing the amount, said Georgakilas.

• Make adjustments. Your food intolerance may be a cumulative effect. For in-

Common symptoms of food intolerance include nausea, diarrhea, cramps and stomach pain, but also may involve other issues like vomiting, heartburn, headaches, and irritability or nervousness.

Food intolerance is often tricky to pinpoint because you may be able to eat small amounts of a problem food without having any reaction. Instead, symptoms may only appear after you eat a large portion of the food, or eat it frequently.

The best way to identify problem foods is with a food diary. Write down what you eat

To ease the discomfort

stance, pizza might cause you problems, but it may be the result of certain ingredients, or combinations. “You may be able to tolerate the cheese and tomatoes on their own, but together they create the perfect storm,” said Georgakilas.

Try to eliminate specific ingredients one at a time, and then experiment with eliminating certain combinations until you find the right balance.

Also, if the problem food is a source of vital nutrients, make sure you find an adequate replacement. “Cutting out gluten foods like wheat can rob your diet of fiber and B vitamins,” said Georgakilas.

• Switch to gluten-free bread, or increase your intake of gluten-free grains like quinoa, sorghum, teff, millet and buckwheat.

• For lactose intolerance, drink almond or coconut milk to ensure you get enough calcium and protein. © 2017. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Women face as many heart risks as men do

By Densie Webb, R.D. In the U.S., 1 in 4 women will die from heart disease — almost half a million deaths each year. Yet the perception that heart disease is primarily a man’s disease persists.

An American Heart Association survey found that fewer than half of American women are aware that heart disease is their leading killer. The reality is quite different — coronary heart disease (CHD) is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in this country.

CHD occurs when plaque (made up primarily of fat, cholesterol and calcium) builds up on the inner walls of coronary arteries, preventing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This buildup of plaque is called atherosclerosis, and it can trigger a heart attack.

While this basic process of CHD is the same for men and women, the disease, its symptoms and its outcomes differ between the sexes in other ways.

Female facts

Women with diabetes have twice the

risk of CHD compared with men, and heart attacks among women with diabetes are more deadly.

Women tend to develop CHD about 10 years later (after menopause) than men, perhaps contributing to the misbelief that women are less likely to develop the disease.

Even if a woman has no symptoms, she may still be at risk. About two-thirds of women who die suddenly of CHD have had no previous symptoms.

When women do have symptoms, they tend to differ from those of men. The Hollywood image of a man clutching his chest is less likely to happen to women. They are more likely to have pain in the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen or back than in the chest.

Women may also experience lightheadedness, an upset stomach, and sweating when having a heart attack. It’s important not to ignore these signs, as heart attacks are generally more severe in women than in men.

The American Heart Association has specific recommendations for the prevention of heart disease in women, including:

• Stop smoking and avoid environmental tobacco smoke.

• Accumulate at least 150 min/week of moderate exercise, 75 min/week of vigorous exercise, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.

• Consume omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the form of fish (at least twice a week) or in capsule form (e.g., EPA 1800 mg./day).

• Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables; choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods; limit intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, alcohol, sodium and sugar; and avoid trans fatty acids.

A heart protective lifestyle

A Harvard study, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, looked at young and middle-aged women and followed them for 20 years until the oldest was 64 years of age. The researchers found that diet, exercise, healthy weight and moderate alcohol consumption were about equally important for

reducing risk for heart disease.

“Interestingly, moderate alcohol intake became more beneficial in older women, but the other factors continued to be equally important,” said Eric Rimm, Sc.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition director, Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, who was an author of the study.

On the other hand, excessive alcohol intake increases risk. But he added that, aside from not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight may be most important, since it requires that you eat a healthy diet and exercise.

Rimm said, “Keeping a healthy weight is important because it represents better adherence to many healthy lifestyle factors, and it is associated with other important metabolic parameters, such as lower blood sugar and lower blood pressure.”

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-8295384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2017 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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Minimally invasive treatment for foot pain Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it true that pain on the bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis) can sometimes be treated with ultrasound? How does that work?

Answer: Yes. The treatment you are referring to is called percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy, which uses ultrasound technology to treat plantar fasciitis and other soft tissue problems. The treatment is showing promising results in patients who have not gotten relief from standard therapies for persistent plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem that involves the thick band of tissue (plantar fascia) connecting the heel bone to the toes.

The purpose of the plantar fascia is to support the arch of the foot and act as a shock absorber when you walk, run, jump or otherwise use your feet.

What causes it?

If the strain on the plantar fascia becomes too great, small tears can develop in the tissue. Those tears can lead to inflammation and pain. In some cases, these micro-tears fail to heal properly, leading to degenerative changes, scarring and abnormal blood vessel growth within the tissue.

Plantar fasciitis has many possible causes, including certain types of exercise that put a lot of stress on the feet, such as jogging. Excess weight also can contribute to plantar fasciitis.

In addition, thin-soled or loose shoes, highheeled shoes, and shoes without enough arch support or flexible padding to absorb

shock can lead to plantar fasciitis.

Age is also a factor. As you age, tendons and fascia lose some flexibility and are less able to absorb impact.

To treat plantar fasciitis effectively, the extra stress on the plantar fascia must be relieved so the tears can heal. For most people, these small tears can be treated successfully with physical therapy and special equipment that gives the foot extra support. A cortisone or other injection also may be considered.

But for some, this isn’t enough, and finding a solution to the chronic pain and loss of function due to plantar fasciitis can be frustrating. Open surgery to remove the damaged tissue is an option, but recovery often is prolonged, and recurring pain is common.

How ultrasound works

Fortunately, a minimally invasive treatment is available for patients with plantar fasciitis who otherwise have not found relief.

Percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy uses the Tenex Health TX tissue removal (debridement) system, which Mayo Clinic doctors helped develop.

The procedure, which can be done in a doctor’s office, can also be used on elbows, shoulders or other places where tendinopathy (irritation in the tendons) may develop.

Here’s how it works. Before the procedure, imaging tests — such as ultrasound or MRI — are done to determine the location and extent of the degenerated tissue.

Once the specially trained physician has a clear picture of what’s going on, he or she numbs the skin over the area and

makes a small incision — just large enough to insert a needle-like probe.

The physician then inserts the probe into the opening, guided by ultrasound imaging. The probe’s oscillating tip produces ultrasonic energy, which breaks down the damaged tissue directly ahead of it. At the same time, a built-in inflow-outflow fluid system simultaneously irrigates and sucks up the broken down, or emulsified, tissue.

Once all of the degenerated tissue is cleared away, the probe is removed, and the incision is closed with adhesive skin tape and a pressure bandage. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes, and complications are few.

After the procedure, patients must rest the area for several days, and may need crutches

or a walking boot to relieve pressure on the foot. But they usually can get back to their regular routine within a week to 10 days.

It might take several months before returning to the activity that prompted the plantar fasciitis, however. Improvement continues as the tissue heals. Some people may benefit from additional physical therapy.

The procedure may not be appropriate for patients who have a complete tear in the fascia. But those with plantar fasciitis that hasn’t responded to initial treatment should talk to their doctor about all of their treatment options, including ultrasonic fasciotomy. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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How to minimize pesticides in your food You try to eat plenty of fresh produce, but worry about your risk of ingesting pesticides. Most nonorganic crops — and even some organically grown crops — come in contact with pesticides, and may contain traces of pesticidal residue on the surface of, or even inside, the fruit or vegetable.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors domestic and imported foods to ensure that pesticide residues are below certain levels. However, you can take

extra steps to minimize pesticide exposure further by:

Clean your produce

Rinsing produce with running water for 15 to 30 seconds, while gently rotating the produce, removes most surface pesticide residue. Scrubbing with a brush also may aid in the removal of pesticides and other substances.

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Peel your produce

It makes sense to peel an outer layer from foods such as lettuce or onions. For foods such as apples and potatoes, peeling removes pesticide residues, but also the nutrients in the peel. If you’re going to peel something, rinse before peeling, so your knife doesn’t transfer surface residue to the peeled produce.

Buy organically grown produce

Not every piece of produce labeled organic is 100 percent pesticide-free, and not everything that’s conventionally grown has pesticides. Still, for the most part, consuming organic produce significantly reduces your exposure to pesticide residues, compared to consuming conventionally farmed produce.

— Adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter

The ‘dirty dozen’ and the ‘clean 15’ According to the Environmental Working Group, which produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce, there are 12 fruits and vegetables that tend to be prone to contamination due to the way they are grown. The group estimates that people can reduce their exposure to pesticides by 80 percent if they buy these items organically grown: Apples Bell Peppers Blueberries Celery Cucumbers Grapes Lettuce Nectarines Peaches Potatoes Spinach Strawberries

As noted above, you can also clean and then peel many of these to minimize pesticide residue.

The group’s “clean 15” list refers to fruits and vegetables whose thick skin or husk (often removed before eating) reduces exposure to pesticides used in growing them: Asparagus Avocados Cabbage Cantaloupe Cauliflower Eggplant Grapefruit Honeydew Kiwi Mangoes Onions Papayas Pineapple Sweet corn Sweet peas (frozen)

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

9

Beware of the sun if you take these drugs Psychoactive medications: AmitriptyDid you know that your medication can damage skin? Most of you don’t even think line, imipramine, and other tri-cyclic antidepressants. Also sertraline about that as a side effect.

(Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), Photosensitivity is a fairly mirtazapine (Remeron) and alcommon skin reaction that is prazolam (Xanax). The blocksparked by taking medicines buster Aripiprazole (Abilify) is that interact with ultraviolet another psyche med that has (UV) radiation from the sun been associated with skin or from tanning beds. eruptions and sensitivity.

It happened to me once, and Accutane and Retin A: luckily the red burning rash These are used to improve and tingling affected only my skin, so it’s ironic that it can hands. It took only two hours of DEAR produce a photosensitivity resun exposure on a shady trail PHARMACIST action, but they’re biggies. while hiking in California. Still,

By Suzy Cohen Allergy meds and antihisit rendered me out of writing tamines: Cetirizine, diphencommission for a few days.

The big problem is that photosensitivity hydramine, loratadine and other blockreactions are highly unpredictable. Noth- busters.

Blood pressure medications: Enalapril ing may happen the first three times you go swimming, but then the next time it’s and amlodipine can sometimes cause “Subadreadful. The reaction can differ with each cute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus” exposure, and with the specific medication (SCLE), a painful skin eruption. Other ofyou take. Also, perfumes containing “6- fenders in this category include Vaseretic, methylcoumarin” or “musk ambrette” may Lotensin HCT, Dyazide and Hyzaar. Betablockers, diuretics and vasodilators also recause skin allergies, so it’s not just drugs.

For example, a classic reaction is a severe quire extra sun caution.

Diabetic drugs: Glipizide, glyburide, sunburn, but also possible are brown splotches in your skin, redness, pain and ten- tolbutamide, glimepiride and others. Metderness, an actual bumpy rash, hives or formin does not usually cause any problem.

Birth control pills or menopausal other inflammation. Photosensitivity reactions are very individual. Some may be re- drugs: (Any of them. There are hunversible in a few days, while others may dreds.) Patches, pills, all of them can produce a ‘photo’ reaction. cause permanent skin damage.

Statin cholesterol drugs: All of them So, just because you do not have a problem with medication now, doesn’t guarantee — atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, smooth sailing every time you take it. There pravastatin, simvastatin — have the ability.

Diuretics: Many of them are skin senare hundreds of offenders, and the list below does not mean you’ll have a reaction sitizers, however the popular HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide), can cause a dangerous at all. It just means the possibility exists.

Antibiotics: Sulfamethoxazole, tetracy- SCLE reaction. Any drug containing cline, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, and the HCTZ is a potential offender.

Anti-inflammator y (NSAID) drugs: UTI drug nitrofurantoin.

Ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen and celecoxib.

My list is not complete, so ask your pharmacist about your particular medications. Please use natural sunscreens and sunblocks, and wear wide-brimmed hats as well as clothing that covers you up well.

Aloe vera creams are soothing, as is the gel right from the plant.

If you experience a reaction, try putting lavender essential oil (20 drops) and peppermint oil (2 drops) in some cold water,

then make a cold compress out of that. It will cool on contact. Compresses with comfrey root, baking soda water or lavender oil are the fastest way to take the sting out.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Blood test for better lung cancer treatment

By Marilynn Marchione Researchers have taken an important step toward better lung cancer treatment by using blood tests to track genetic changes in tumors as they progress from their very earliest stages.

With experimental tests that detect bits of DNA that tumors shed into the blood, researchers were able to detect some recurrences of cancer up to a year before imaging scans could do so, giving patients a chance to try new therapy sooner.

It’s the latest development for tests called liquid biopsies, which analyze cancer using blood rather than tissue samples. Some doctors use these tests now to guide care for patients with advanced cancers, mostly in research settings.

The new work is the first time tests like this have been used to monitor the evolution of lung tumors at an early stage, when there’s a much better chance of cure.

Only about one-third of lung cancer cases in the United States are found at an

early stage, and even fewer in other parts of the world. But more may be found in the future as a result of screening longtime smokers at high risk of the disease, something that started a few years ago in the U.S.

More tailored treatment

Early-stage cases are usually treated with surgery. Many patients get chemotherapy after that, but it helps relatively few of them.

“We have to treat 20 patients to cure one. That’s a lot of side effects to cure one patient,” said Dr. Charles Swanton of the Francis Crick Institute in London.

The new studies he led suggest that liquid biopsies might help show who would, or would not, benefit from chemotherapy, and give an early warning if it’s not working so that something else can be tried.

Cancer Research UK, a charity based in England, paid for the work, and results

were published online by Nature and the New England Journal of Medicine.

To be clear: This kind of care is not available yet — the tests used in these studies are experimental and were customized in a lab to analyze the genes in each patient’s cancer. But the technology is advancing rapidly.

The company that generated the tests for the study in Nature — California-based Natera Inc. — plans to offer the tests for research by universities and drug companies later this year, and hopes to have a version for routine use in cancer care next year.

“This is coming, and it’s coming fast,” said Dr. David Gandara, a lung specialist at the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the studies but consults for two companies developing liquid biopsies.

A test that could spare many people unnecSee LUNG CANCER TEST, page 12

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June 28

STAND UP STRAIGHT

Physical Therapist Cindi Schrum will discuss the importance of good posture at the Cockeysville Senior Center, 10535 York Rd., on Wednesday, June 28 at 1 p.m. Call the center at (410) 887-7694 for more information.

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July 15

LEARN ABOUT YOGA AND MEDITATION

The Baltimore Museum of Art invites you to discover what it means to be truly at home in your body with Kripalu yoga teacher Amy Genevieve Kozak on Saturday, July 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. The free workshop will include breathing techniques and guided meditation. Participants can expect to leave with a personal self-care mission statement to implement at home. The museum is located at 10 Art Museum Dr. For more information, contact Emily Chambers at (443) 573-1817.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

Health Studies Page

11

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Help test a device to quell knee arthritis pain

By Helene King If you have pain, stiffness and swelling in your joints and are unable to move the way you used to, you could have osteoarthritis (OA). Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, and osteoarthritis means the cartilage, the cushion between the joints, is breaking down and could deteriorate entirely.

Because OA is a degenerative disease, it could get worse over time. Osteoarthritis usually affects weight bearing joints including the knees, hips, neck, thumbs and spine.

A variety of things may cause osteoarthritis, including normal wear and tear as we get older, injuries, being overweight (which puts additional pressure on the knees), heredity, repetitive motions (from factory workers to athletes) and other health conditions.

More than 30 million adults in the United States are affected by OA, making it the most common type of arthritis.

Protecting cartilage

The Center for Joint Preservation and

Letters to editor From page 2

previous experience back in 2007. I assume he realizes that generally we will emulate our managers/leaders, etc. in our group behaviors.

I should not have to say anything about the President’s crudeness, both now and during the campaign, welcoming and encouraging an insulting bluntness among his loyal constituents.

And I can honestly say that I have tried to sit down and have a calm non-critical discussion with a couple of his followers who are Evangelical Christians, just to discuss points of view. And they refuse to have any conversation on any topic regarding the President’s agenda. So went that friendship.

And social media has allowed for the worst behavior in some people to become

Replacement at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, is participating in a study to see if a new device can help with OA inflammation in the knee. The hospital is working with the device’s manufacturer, Orthofix International N.V., to test pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology.

Researchers want to assess the effectiveness and safety of this non-surgical device. They will study if the device could potentially reduce the breakdown of cartilage and stimulate new cartilage formation to provide relief from symptoms and to improve an individual’s overall quality of life.

“Millions of people live with the pain of osteoarthritis, which may force them to limit their activities. We are interested to see if a PEMF device worn externally over the knee may potentially modify the disease and ease symptoms, offering people a noninvasive treatment option,” said Dr. Ronald Delanois, the primary investigator and division director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement at Sinai Hospital. popular. Where is the intellectual, inspiring voice we need so desperately at this time? Or would it be wise to now buy my first gun — in a civil way of course?

Al Muehlberger Rosedale The publisher responds: Your letter was sent prior to the shooting that recently took place at the Republican congressional baseball team practice. I believe you referenced a gun simply to make a point about the difficulty of communication nowadays.

But I would hope that, in light of our having experienced an actual shooting over political disagreements, we would all avoid making such statements in the future, even in jest or to make a point.

We must continue to utilize only honest conversation and nonviolent protest if we are to create the society we want.

Joining the study

Two out of every three of the patients receiving the device will get one that is active, while one of the three will be in a placebo group that will wear the device, but it will be inactive.

Participants will receive a device that is worn externally around the knee for a total of three hours a day, seven days a week for one year. The device does not have to be worn for three continuous hours daily, but the patient would be have to rest their affected knee at 45 degrees, 90 degrees or 180 degrees and must remain stationary during treatment.

Patients should not feel any sensation wearing the device, and it is quiet.

Study participants must be at least 40 years old, have been diagnosed with os-

teoarthritis of the knee and have been experiencing mild to moderate pain.

Follow-up appointments will be scheduled at three, six and 12 months. Participants can continue their normal activities of daily living throughout the trial which includes traveling.

There are no fees for participants who are accepted into the study. In addition, in certain instances, individuals in the trial could be compensated to cover their time and travel expenses.

Other hospitals participating in the study are Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

For more information or to see if you qualify, contact (410) 601-8609 or email melthoma@lifebridgehealth.org.

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Lung cancer test From page 10

essary treatment “would be huge,” he said.

Predicting relapse

In the studies, researchers analyzed tu-

mors from about 100 people with nonsmall cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease. Even in these earlystage cases, they found big variations in the number of gene flaws, and were able to trace how the tumors’ genes changed over time.

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

People with many gene or chromosome problems were four to five times more likely to have their cancer return, or to die from their disease, within roughly two years.

They also looked at 14 patients whose cancers recurred after surgery, and compared them to 10 others whose did not.

Blood tests after surgery accurately identified more than 90 percent of them that were destined to relapse, up to a year before imaging tests showed that had occurred.

The results suggest that using liquid biopsy tests to help select and adjust treat-

ments is “now feasible,” at least from a scientific standpoint, the study authors wrote.

A big issue is cost, though. Liquid biopsies sold now in the U.S. cost nearly $6,000.

Tests that more narrowly track a patient’s particular tumor gene changes, like the one in these studies, may cost less. They may save money in the long run, by preventing futile treatment, but this has yet to be shown.

See a video about how a liquid biopsy works at bit.ly/liquid_biopsy_video.

More about lung cancer treatment can be found at http://bit.ly/lung_cancer_treatment.

— AP

Blood test estimates lung cancer risk A company in Rockville, Md., recently developed a blood test to identify lung cancer risk.

Genesys BioLabs’ test examines a panel of six biomarkers in the blood that are associated with lung cancer. While the test doesn’t diagnose lung cancer, it identifies the risk level for having the disease. Users receive a score that ranges from low risk to high risk.

While CT scans can help identify those who may have lung cancer, the test is expensive and exposes patients to radiation. If the patient first has the blood test and is found to have a low risk of lung cancer, a CT scan may not be necessary.

Conversely, those with at high risk are then directed to have a CT scan.

The test is called PAULA’s test, which stands for Protein Assay Using

Lung cancer Analytes, and is named after the wife of a local physician who died of lung cancer at age 55 only a few months after diagnosis.

The test is designed for smokers or former smokers who have at least a 20year history of smoking a pack or more a day. Those who get the test should be age 50 or over, without lung cancer symptoms, and not currently receiving annual CT scans.

The test is not covered by insurance or Medicare and costs $149. The blood test is done in a patient’s doctor’s office and sent to Genesys’s Rockville lab for analysis.

For more information, see www.BloodTestForLungCancer.com or call (240) 453-6342.

— Barbara Ruben

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Baseball fans live on former stadium site

By Timothy Cox When James Batty sits on the deck at his apartment in northeast Baltimore, he sometimes reflects on the times when an empty baseball field across the street once housed a massive edifice known as Memorial Stadium.

“I actually worked there two different times — first from 1957 to ‘59. Then, I came back in the mid-1960s,” he said.

Now 76, Batty first worked as a vendor while in high school, selling popcorn, peanuts and hot dogs. “Minors couldn’t

sell beer,” he recalled, “so I was too young the first time.”

Batty recalls the times when the stadium consistently attracted sold-out crowds and fielded the city’s world-championship caliber athletic teams.

His highlight experience as a vendor was having worked the 1958 MLB All-Star Game. “I really remember the 1958 AllStar Game, he said. “That one had Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle.”

Having grown-up on the west side of Baltimore, on Vine Street, Batty said he

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never imagined he’d someday live on the same property where Memorial Stadium was stood.

The stadium was built in 1950 and razed in 2001. The structure was originally built as a tribute to World War I and World War II veterans, hence the name “Memorial.”

After the stadium was torn down, the property was revamped as a mixed-use property zone, featuring apartments for older adults, a new YMCA, and an athletic field for youth soccer, lacrosse and baseball leagues.

Variety of housing services

As an eight-year resident of the Ednor Apartments at Stadium Place, Batty said he’s very grateful to live at the complex, not far from the old Eastern High School, which has been renovated into a Johns Hopkins medical facility.

The Ednor Apartments features four independent living buildings for those 62 and older. Ednor and an additional community for seniors, Venable II, offer subsidized apartments and are managed by Habitat America.

A separate, market-rate apartment community on the site, also for those 62-plus, is Heritage Run, a Presbyterian Senior Living community.

Also on the site is Green House Residences, a Catholic Charities-run nursing facility that offers a home-like environment for physical rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and long-term care.

Residents of the apartments can take advantage of an affordable membership to Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Family Y Center, which offers a state-of-the-art fitness center, four-lane indoor pool, group exercise classes and more.

The athletic field is sponsored by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and uses the original diamond setup, as did Memorial Stadium.

The original home-plate was originally relocated to Camden Yards when the new stadium opened in 1989, according to Bill Stetka, Orioles alumni director. That plate is no longer at the new field. “Those rubber plates don’t last forever,” he added.

Stetka said he’s very impressed with the renovation of the old stadium property. “They did a really good job in developing the area which once housed the old stadium,” said Stetka, formerly the Orioles’ public relations director before assuming his current role nearly 10 years ago.

For the record, Stetka said Memorial Stadium was never in disrepair. Rather, the ball club needed a venue that could compete with the then-modern stadiums of the 1970s, such as Riverfront (Cincinnati), Three Rivers (Pittsburgh) and Busch (St. Louis).

Orioles and Colts memories

Batty once studied to be a cabinet maker at George Washington Carver High School, where he graduated in 1959. He retired from the City of Baltimore, having worked in the city’s waste water treatment department. “Somebody’s got to do that job, and I did it,” he smiled.

One of Batty’s many neighbors at the Ednor apartments, is Tom Gilk, 66. The retired chemical operator said he, too, is a longtime baseball fan, and recalls World Series trips for the Orioles.

“They won in ‘66, ‘70 and ‘83, but lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in ‘71 and ‘79. They were singing ‘We Are Fam-a-lee.’ We lost, but those were all good games — very competitive,” Gilk said.

Batty still faithfully wears his Orioles hat each spring and said he’ll always remain a “Birds” fan. “They’ve had some tough times, but overall, they’ve got a great organization. ”But,” he added, “I’ll still always remember Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, John “Boog” Powell, Eddie Murrray and Cal Ripken — they were the all-time greats,” he said.

Batty also worked the vendor role for the Baltimore Colts before the team left for Indianapolis in 1984. Proudly, he recalls seeing the the likes of Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and John Mackey wearing their iconic blue and white jerseys. He added that he preferred the warm-weather baseball seasons over the cold-weather NFL schedule.

Gilk said he’s quite satisfied with his living conditions since moving to Ednor Place three years ago.

“I was living in west Baltimore. There were times when I was worried about my safety, and I always had people asking me for money. Since moving here, I tell you, it’s like heaven,” he said.

Batty, along with several residents overhearing Gilk’s comments, nodded in affirmation.

“It’s always very quiet around here, and they keep the place very clean. Never any trash, and the grass is always well-kept,” said Batty, a single man, who appreciates regular visits from his nieces who check on him often.

For more information about income requirements or monthly rental fees at the Ednor or Venable II apartments, call Habitat America at (443) 716-2550 or see http://habitatamerica.com. Heritage Run can be reached at (410) 235-1706 or at www.presbyterianseniorliving.org/heritage-run-at-stadium-place. For more on the Green House Residences, see www.catholiccharitiesmd.org/greenhouse or call (410) 554-9890.

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Creating an intergenerational household

By Eleanor Laise Barbara Williams’s home is a lively one.

Much of the year, there are four generations under one roof. Williams, age 65, shares her five-bedroom home with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and three young grandsons — and her 91-year-old mother visits for several months at a stretch.

While the multigenerational living arrangement may be messy at times, “we had so many reasons to do it,” said Williams, a retired editor of scientific journals.

It not only saves money, she said, but lets her watch her grandkids grow up, allows her to split household chores with her daughter, and reduces the stress of long-distance caregiving for her mother.

“Even though there’s more work to do,” she said, “doing it together makes everything easier.”

Williams and her family are among the growing number of Americans forming multigenerational households — those that include two or more adult generations, or grandparents and grandchildren.

Although many people initially turned to multigenerational living to save money during the Great Recession, the arrangements have become even more popular as baby boomers and their parents age.

A record 60.6 million people, or 19 percent of the U.S. population, lived in such households in 2014, up from 51.5 million in 2009, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis.

Multigenerational living, of course, is nothing new. In 1950, 21 percent of the population lived in multigenerational households, according to Pew Research.

But that figure plummeted to a low of 12 percent in 1980.

In the past 50 years or so, Americans

“adopted this crazy idea of a nuclear family,” Graham said. But the interdependence of the extended family, he argues, is “the natural way people have always lived.”

Benefits and challenges

“You put more people under one roof, and that’s going to save a lot of money really quickly,” said John Graham, professor emeritus at the University of California Irvine’s business school and co-author of Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living (M. Evans, $17).

But the biggest advantage, he said, “is the interpersonal and social benefit of having family members close by and helping one another out.”

The arrangements can relieve the isolation often suffered by seniors living alone, offer the reassurance of having caregivers close at hand, give grandparents an opportunity to pass down family traditions to their grandchildren, and give parents a helping hand in caring for young children.

Meanwhile, “you’re modeling what the next generation will do with their grandchildren and how they’ll treat you — the parents — when you’re older,” said Susan Newman, a social psychologist and author of Under One Roof Again (Lyons Press, $17), a book about multigenerational living.

But even the happiest of multigenerational homes face challenges. Every family member needs to maintain his or her privacy and respect boundaries. Housework and expenses need to be divided in a way that feels fair to everyone. Ownership of the house itself must be structured in a way that doesn’t sabotage a senior’s estate plan.

And any home renovations or new homebuilding projects must comply with local zoning laws — which often restrict

the very features most desired by multigenerational families, such as multiple entrances or separate kitchens.

Desirable features

Private space for each family member, multiple entrances, separate kitchens, and plenty of bathrooms to go around: These are high on the list of home features desired by multigenerational households.

Shubber Ali, age 48, bought a six-bedroom house in Novato, Cal., four years ago, anticipating that his 80-year-old mother would soon come to live with him fulltime.

He and his wife and two children have rooms at one end of the house, while the rooms set aside for his mother at the other end of the house include a bedroom, bath-

room, walk-in closet and sitting area. “It feels like it’s almost its own little condo, but it’s still a part of the house,” Ali said.

Perhaps you already have a home ideally suited for multigenerational living. If not, you’ll need to weigh the costs and benefits of renovating your house, building a “granny flat” in the back yard, buying an existing home, or designing and building a multigenerational dream house.

If you’re adding an in-law suite or making other renovations for an aging parent, consider wider doors and hallways that allow space for wheelchairs and other features designed for aging in place.

Go to the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home ModificaSee GENERATIONS, page B-4

Live Well.

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Schedule your tour of either of these wonderful communities today.

300 St. Luke Circle Westminster, Maryland 21158 (toll-free) 877-848-0095 www.CLVillage.org

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITIES

Senior Apartments in Dundalk Cove Point Apartments The Greens at Logan Field

JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Generations From page B-3

tion website at www.homemods.org for tips on making your home more accessible for people with limited mobility, vision or hearing.

Builders taking notice Cove Point (7801 Peninsula Expressway, 410-288-2344) and The Greens at Logan Field (3455 Dundalk Ave., 410-288-2000) offer senior housing in Dundalk, Md. for residents ages 62 plus, with access to I-695 & the Key Bridge. Play golf at the Stansbury Golf & Sports Park, enjoy a new book at the Dundalk Community College Library, or grab a pizza at Squire’s in Dundalk, which are nearby.

Convenient locations, pet-friendly, microwaves, and wall-to-wall carpet.

Enjoy community-based activities, including seasonal celebrations, arts & crafts, fitness & other classes.

Call for more information!

Equal Housing Opportunity Communities.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oak Crest 410-877-6624 8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234 www.ericksonliving.com What makes Oak Crest different? Year after year, Oak Crest continues to be Baltimore County’s first choice for retirement living. Bigger is better. The 87-acre campus is home to a wealth of activities and amenities, including five restaurants. Yet, it retains the warmth of a small town. A charming Location.

Residents are surrounded by walking paths, mature trees, and a residential neighborhood. The value of experience. For 20 years, Oak Crest has provided financial security with their Refundable Entrance Deposit.* Learn More. Call 410-877-6624 for your brochure, or to schedule a visit. *Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the Entrance Deposit Refund.

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, we combine comfortable living with compassionate, yet affordable care. From our interiors to our smiling residents and exceptional staff, there is an aura of warmth and caring that sets us apart. We offer three levels of assisted living care. In addition, we are happy to provide: 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 activities; weekly religious services offered; housekeeping & laundry services; regular wellness visits by a licensed nurse; emergency call system with secured environment; hospice services; and respite, short-stay care.

If you decide to buy a house, you’ll find a growing number of developers offering homes specifically designed for multigenerational households.

Homebuilder Lennar, for example, introduced its Next Gen house design in 2011. The homes contain a separate suite with at least one bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, a door to the main house (lockable from both sides), and in most cases, a separate exterior door.

The homes, available in more than 300 communities in 14 states, range in price from about $280,000 to more than $800,000, said Kim Ashbaugh, director of Next Gen brand management at Lennar.

Whether you’re renovating or building a new home from scratch, be prepared for zoning headaches. But as multigenerational living becomes more popular, some states and cities are relaxing laws restrict-

ing granny flats.

A new California law, for example, streamlines parking restrictions and other regulations to make it easier for homeowners in the state to build granny flats.

You can find accessory-dwelling rules for many cities across the U.S., along with tips on building your own accessory dwelling, at www.accessorydwellings.org.

Time needed to adjust

Once you’ve unpacked the moving boxes, give the arrangement time to work out. “It will not be ideal immediately,” Newman said. “Adjust and lower your expectations.”

Schedule family dinners at a restaurant every couple of weeks for the first six months, Graham said. There, you can discuss what’s working and what’s not — say, the TV volume, Granddad’s smoking habit, taking out the trash. Holding the conversation in a public place “keeps tempers from flying off the handle,” he said.

Be wary of resuming old parent-child roles, such as nagging your adult daughter to comb her hair or relying on Mom to do the cooking and cleaning. When her oldSee GENERATIONS, pageB-5

Set ground rules before the move Before Mom moves in with you (or vice versa) hold at least one family meeting to discuss each person’s expectations, set ground rules, and hash out financial issues.

Will this living arrangement be permanent or temporary? If it’s temporary — perhaps an adult child is living with you while he saves money for his own house — make your expectations clear, said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a nonprofit group that promotes intergenerational collaboration.

The adult child might think that saving 10 percent of his salary is adequate, Butts said, but the parent might think he should save 80 percent.

Be realistic about whether you can all survive peacefully under one roof.

“Don’t expect somebody to change just because they’re moving in with you,” Butts said. “If someone is a slob or a neat freak, they’re going to stay that way.”

If you’re unsure about whether you can all get along, run a short-term experiment. You might go on a long vacation together and see how that works, Graham suggested.

Ground rules should help everyone maintain privacy and autonomy. Will you eat dinner together every night or just a couple of nights a week? Will you always take vacations together? Can Grandma have a boyfriend over without raising eyebrows?

If there are young children in the

house, who will take the lead parenting roles? And do those people have consistent approaches to child-rearing?

Divide the housework, lawn maintenance and other chores. One democratic way to do this: Make a list of all the chores, pass it around, and ask everyone to put his initials next to what he wants to do.

If there will be seniors in the house who need care, discuss who will do the caregiving.

If there are adult siblings not living in the house, involve them in the discussion, too. Most of the caregiving burden may naturally fall on the adult child who’s living with the parent, but siblings living nearby could take the parent to doctor appointments, or invite him or her along on vacations.

Divvy up the household bills, perhaps using a budgeting tool, such as Mint.com, to help track expenses and divide them fairly.

“Allow your parents, when they’re moving in, to contribute in some way if they can, because they then feel they are part of the family and have some ownership of the living arrangement,” Newman said.

If there are family members who can’t contribute financially, discuss other ways they can pitch in. An adult child who is out of a job, for example, might take care of all the yardwork.

— Kiplinger’s Retirement Report

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

Housing Notes

By Rebekah Alcalde

Independent living in historic district Springwell Senior Living recently broke ground on its new community on a 15-acre campus near the Mount Washington historic district in Baltimore.

The new Springwell will be a full-service independent living community with a variety of housing options. Units range in size, and include a one-bedroom/one-bath with 600 square feet; a one-bedroom/1.5 bath with 740 square feet; a two-bedroom/twobath with 1,000 square feet; and a two-bedroom/two-bath corner unit with 1,130 square feet.

The new units are about 33 percent larger than those in other Springwell properties, and many of them also offer balconies or patios.

Monthly fees cover a meal program, activities, scheduled transportation, housekeeping, utilities, wellness checks and more. Community features include a library, courtyard, pub, living room, dining room and a multipurpose classroom.

Preleasing begins this July, with a planned opening in July 2018.

To learn more, see https://springwell seniorliving.com or call (410) 664-4006.

Tips for successful home-sharing The Maryland Insurance Administration is encouraging home-sharers — individuals who loan or rent out their home to others, such as through Airbnb — to be cautious, and to obtain the correct property and casualty insurance coverage to protect themselves and their home.

“We are seeing more and more homesharing activity, in which homeowners rent out rooms or their entire residence to third parties,” said Commissioner Al Redmer. “As the sharing economy continues to grow here and across the nation, it’s important to have proper coverage limits, es-

Generations From page B-4

est son moved back home, Nancy Meyer, age 69, of St. Louis, Mo., said she told him, “I’m tired of doing your laundry. You may do your own.”

They made a deal that he had to keep the shared living spaces clean — and he kept up his end of the bargain, she said.

This year, her son moved into his own house after living at home for about 10 years. Now, she said, “I kind of miss him.”

Also, maintain your friendships and social activities. If your elderly parents are living with you, it’s easy to feel guilty about heading out to book club or bridge club, Newman said. “Don’t give up your social life.”

pecially in a home-share situation.”

One of the most important aspects of renting your home is getting the correct insurance. Regularly renting out rooms for a profit may be considered a home-based business, and not having the right coverage can make you liable for out-of-pocket costs of damages caused by the tenant.

For private renters, consult with an insurance agent. Some home-sharing companies offer host protection guarantees to cover disputes between owners and renters.

A new type of coverage, called “homeshare business multi-peril insurance,” is specifically designed to provide protection for homeowners using home-sharing apps such as Airbnb or Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), which are both intended to facilitate short-term but regular stays.

It’s offered by a non-admitted insurer who is not under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Insurance Commissioner.

Home-share business multi-peril policies will protect a homeowner in the event of property damage or theft, as well as providing coverage for some forms of liability that may arise from the home-sharing transaction.

It’s also important to ask for proof of a tenant’s homeowners, renters or personal liability insurance. If a guest damages rented property, hosts can report a claim on the guest’s policy.

When using a home-sharing site, always check the terms of use and read the fine print, since user agreements often change. For more insurance tips about the sharing economy, visit http://bit.ly/SharingEconomyInfo.

Community expanding Roland Park Place, a nonprofit life plan community — a new term for a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) — recently announced a $30-million redevelopment plan to more fully serve its residents and the city of Baltimore.

“Baby boomers will be our next generation of residents,” said RPP Board Chair See HOUSING NOTES, page B-6

Although there may be plenty of adjustments required along the way, many families find that their commitment to multigenerational living only increases over time.

“It’s not all perfect,” said Williams, the grandmother who shares her home with her children and grandchildren. Dirty dishes on the kitchen counter sometimes trigger family tension. “When you have three little boys, you’re sometimes going to have a mess,” she said.

But “family affection overcomes that kind of stuff. And we’re committed to staying together at this point. We know we’re going to make it work.” © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Atrium Village 410-928-4636 4730 Atrium Court Owings Mills, MD 21117 www.seniorlifestyle.com/property/ atrium-village Seniors live their golden years to the fullest at Atrium Village, where they enjoy every day with the support of our caring staff. Whether they live in an Independent Living, Assisted Living or Memory Care neighborhood, Atrium Village has a little something for everyone.

We have virtually limitless options that nurture the mind, body, and spirit: Our award-winning program Brain Health University is always popular for those residents who like to stretch their minds and socialize with friends, as are the plethora of life enrichment programs available. Staying active and happy is the key to living a full life. We invite you to unretire and start living at Atrium Village, a Senior Lifestyle community.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Charlestown 410-988-4070 715 Maiden Choice Lane Catonsville, MD 21228 www.ericksonliving.com What makes Charlestown different? Year after year, Charlestown continues to be Baltimore County’s first choice for retirement living.

Bigger is better The 110-acre campus is home to a wealth of activities and amenities, including six restaurants. Yet, it retains the warmth of a small town.

A charming location Residents are surrounded by nature trails, mature trees, and stunning views of the historic Our Lady of the Angels Chapel.

The value of experience For 31 years, Charlestown has provided financial security with their Refundable Entrance Deposit.

Learn more. Call 410-988-4070 for your brochure, or schedule a visit.

ASSISTED LIVING LIVING COMMUNITY ASSISTED

Weinberg Park Assisted Living 410-664-0100 5833 Park Heights Avenue Baltimore, MD 21215 Weinberg Park is a vibrant Assisted Living community where you can live with confidence and independence. Whether you need help getting dressed, managing medications or friendly conversation, we are there for you with a gentle helping hand.

We offer private or semi-private suites, certified nursing assistance, medication management, a 24-hour emergency response system, laundry & housekeeping services, delicious & nourishing kosher meals and individualized service plans. Our doors are open to everyone, regardless of income level, and we strive to keep our fees at a competitive market rate. Call today to schedule a tour! We look forward to showing you the comfort and care we offer to all our treasured residents!

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BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP LEAD A MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOK CLUB

Living Classrooms Foundation is looking for volunteers to help lead discussions with small groups of students at community centers throughout Baltimore this summer. Starting June 29, “book clubs” will meet each Thursday from 9 until 10 a.m. to discuss the same book in each center. For more information, call Rebekah Meyer at (410) 685-0295, ext. 431.

JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Housing notes From page B-5

Campbell Killefer. “They are more active, more social and have no desire to leave the city and its many cultural and entertainment options.

“This expansion allows so many more Baltimoreans the chance to stay closer to the things that matter most, including their families.”

The multi-phase plan begins with the renovation of the original building’s common space, and the creation of an arts education center, which spans 4,140 square feet.

Phase one will take approximately 23 months to complete, and will involve building system upgrades, including a state-ofthe-art geothermal heating and cooling system, 26 new private rooms dedicated to memory support care, and a 16-unit rehabilitation wing. There will also be renovations to 15 assisted living apartments and 28 private, long-term care rooms.

Common areas will also undergo a

makeover, with enhancements to the coffee bar, restaurant, café, pub and private dining room; a restructuring of the main lobby; an expansion of the fitness center; and updates to the library. There will also be a 32-seat theatre for seminars, films and lectures.

The second phase is expected to begin in 2019 with the construction of sixty new apartments — ranging in size from 822 square feet to 1,772 square feet — and a three-story, 156-space parking garage.

Overall, there will be an additional 78,635 square feet.

Other changes include a 2,500-squarefoot courtyard terrace garden, new landscaping, and the creation of a spa, a salon, and a penthouse club room for private resident parties and community events.

For more information, visit www.roland parkplace.org or call (410) 243-5700.

BEACON BITS

July 1

FREE BSO CONCERT

Bringing together musicians from across the nation, the BSO Academy offers a unique opportunity for them to perform alongside the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. BSO Associate Conductor Nicholas Hersh will lead the participants as they perform movements from Mahler’s “Titan” and “Resurrection” symphonies. The free performance will take place at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. For more information, visit www.bsomusic.org or call (410) 783-8000.

June 27

ONE-ON-ONE COMPUTER HELP

July 13

FREE SPEAKER SERIES

June 27

FREE VISION SCREENING

Technical problems?

Bring your laptop or tablet to get free one-on-one assistance from Alvin Miller at the Bykota Senior Center, 611 Central Avenue, on Tuesday, June 27, from 10 a.m. For more info, visit www.bykota.org or call (410) 887-3094.

Learn more about how it is in America’s vital interest to achieve a healthier world from renowned scientist Dr. Lois K. Cohen. The Senior Box Office Speaker’s Program is free and open to the public, and will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Loch Raven Center, 1801 Glen Keith Boulevard. For more information, visit www.seniorboxoffice.org or call (410) 887-5399.

Victory Villa Senior Center, located at 403 Compass Rd., is providing free vision screenings on Tuesday, June 27, from 1 to 2 p.m. To book an appointment, contact Ann Marie Riehl at (410) 887-0235.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Home care aides help wherever needed

By Barbara Ruben After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013, Pat Libhart underwent chemotherapy, which left her with neuropathy in her feet. The condition, which can be both painful and lead to numbness, caused Libhart to need a wheelchair.

To help her get to treatments, cook, dress and with other activities, Libhart contacted Family & Nursing Care, which provides home care aides to help patients continue to live at home if they have health challenges or if aging has limited their

ability to engage in everyday activities.

Such aides typically come to patients’ residences to work, whether they live in a single-family home or in an independent living or assisted living community. But they can just as easily serve as companions and personal aides at hospitals.

The Beacon talked to a number of home care recipients and their children about how home care impacts their lives.

Couldn’t do it alone

Caesar Layton’s mom fell twice in the

last year, while he and his wife had been her primary caregivers. The responsibility was taking its toll on them. “We had gotten to a point where we couldn’t do it by ourselves” anymore, he said.

That’s when he turned for help to the home care company Options for Senior America. They sent out trained caregivers to take care of Layton’s mother.

“The person that we settled on is really sweet. She is caring. She obviously has experience working with elderly people. My mom seems to really enjoy her, so that’s super-important…

“Without this, there is no way she would be able to live independently, and we would have to put her in an institutional setting, which in our minds would not be healthy for her,” Layton added.

Rhonda Robinson also uses Options for Senior America for long-term care of her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

“With my mom, we need someone to interact with her, which the person does.

When my mother was recently hospitalized, since she can’t really communicate so well, we had her Options person come stay with her at the hospital.

“The lady who was in the bed next to my mom called me over and said how well the person did with my mom. She said they laughed and they talked, so she’s really good with my mom. We’re really happy with them,” Robinson said.

“They keep her safe and allow her to stay home. Without Options, we would have had to put her in a nursing home.”

Rebecca Clark used Options to care for two of her sisters. She liked the ease of tailoring help to their needs, including bathing and cooking.

“When you need some additional help, you can pick up the phone and have somebody you can call. I know whenever I call,

if they’re not at their desk, they’ll call me back and are always willing to talk to me about the additional needs that I have,” she said.

Her advice on selecting a home care aide? “You have to just be really careful of who you select; that they have people you can trust, that are compassionate.”

Options has Maryland offices in Baltimore, Gaithersburg and Annapolis, as well as offices in Virginia. Earlier this year, the company received the SeniorAdvisor.com 2017 Best of Home Care award, which is given to fewer than 1 percent of providers nationwide.

Companionship and more

Family & Nursing Care, which provides the caregivers who come to Libhart’s home each day, primarily works in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland.

“One of the most important things [aides] offer is companionship,” said Libhart, 86, a former dean at Georgetown University. “I have not ever met any more spiritual or lovely or intelligent women.”

The caregivers take her on outings to nearby gardens, shopping, and even to the beach at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

“They kind of become a member of your family. And I love it because, although I have a sister in Pittsburgh and a nephew here, it’s nice that I really don’t need to be dependent on them.”

Libhart noted that her long-term care insurance covers home care, and said, “I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Ruth Smith (not her real name) also used Family & Nursing’s home care workers after leaving the hospital due to a series See HOME CARE RULES, page B-9

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B-9

Features that help sell your home faster

By Andrea Browne Taylor Homeowners are sometimes hesitant to upgrade when it’s time to sell. After all, you won’t be living there much longer, and home remodeling efforts only increase home values by 64 percent of the average project’s costs, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2016 Cost vs. Value report.

But think again, sellers. The cost of inaction can be far greater than the small loss you’ll incur on any home-improvement projects.

“It can mean the difference between getting multiple bids at once and driving up the selling price, or getting no offers,” said Brian Lewis, a real estate broker with Halstead Property, a New York City-based realty firm.

And as your house lingers on the market, you’ll likely pay ongoing mortgage, maintenance and staging costs.

To make the most of your remodeling budget, focus on features that most home buyers really want to see. Here are home features sought by at least 80 percent of buyers these days.

Laundry room Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 92 percent Cost to install: $1,000 to $10,000 depending on scope of project More than anything else, homeowners want a room other than the guest bedroom to stack all the clean laundry in until it finally gets put away. A separate laundry room topped the National Association of Home Builders’ list of most-wanted home features for buyers of all ages — from millennials to seniors.

If you don’t have an existing laundry room and want to add one, the basement is

usually the easiest (and cheapest) place to put it, according to Paul Sullivan, founder and president of the Sullivan Company, a remodeling and custom-building firm.

The utility lines are already there, and in many cases the basement is unfinished, so you won’t have to demolish anything first.

Adding a laundry room in the basement can cost as little as $1,000, he said.

Homeowners who prefer a laundry room or laundry closet (which fits just a washer and dryer) closer to the bedroom level can expect to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 for installation, Sullivan said.

Exterior lighting Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 90 percent Cost to install: $63 to $135 per fixture Illuminating a well-manicured lawn with exterior lighting can help grab potential

buyers’ attention before they even set foot in the front door. In fact, exterior lighting is the most-wanted outdoor feature, according to the NAHB. Options include spotlights, walkway lights and pendant lights.

Aesthetics aside, exterior lighting also serves as an added safety feature for your home, said Daniel Hurst, a certified remodeler and lead carpenter for Hurst DesignBuild-Remodel. Motion-sensor lights, for example, turn on automatically whenever there is movement outside your house.

Energy efficiencies (appliances and windows) Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 90 percent (appliances), 87 percent (windows) Cost to install: varies (appliances), See SELL FASTER, page B-11

Home care rules From page B-8

of illnesses, the worst of which was a stomach infection last October.

“They were excellent when I came home from the hospital. Very professional and efficient. I couldn’t stand or walk around anymore and needed 24/7 care.

“Honestly, it’s annoying having someone around full-time, but I had to have it.

They did the best they could to make me comfortable. I really recommend them as a full-time care option,” said Smith, who turns 90 this month.

After several more infections and hospital visits, the doctors decided Smith needed to enter rehab to build her strength back up. With rehab, she gained a lot of mobility and strength back, and decided to move to an independent living community.

She still uses Family & Nursing part-time for help with showering, cooking, cleaning and laundry. In the past, they assisted her with medication management as well.

Smith’s only criticism before switching to a regular caregiver: “I wish the parttime caregivers anticipated my needs more. Between shifts, they don’t seem to talk to each other or pass notes about where to find things, or what I like or need. I think they could work on that.”

Some people don’t need home care for long. Diane Simmons (not her real name) used a Family & Nursing home care aide for a week to help transition her father from rehab to home.

“Even though my dad is resistant to a lot of things, he knew it was great being able to get out of an institutional setting while recovering,” she said.

Learn more about Options for Senior America at www.optionscorp.com or 1800-267-8466.

Contact Family & Nursing Care at www.familynursingcare.com or (301) 5888200.

Talia Denicoff and Rebekah Alcalde contributed to this story.

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Using your home’s equity for emergencies

By Rachel L. Sheedy With more baby boomers moving into retirement every day, the wealth locked up in their homes seems ripe for the picking.

And a relatively new way to put that wealth to work — the standby reverse mortgage strategy — is garnering increasing attention.

Some researchers say the strategy can increase the longevity of a retiree’s portfolio by opening the door to an income source to tap in an emergency.

The standby strategy puts to use some of the reverse mortgage’s quirky features to provide a flexible pot of money to help manage cash flow.

First, the retiree takes a reverse mortgage as a line of credit. Any unused balance grows at the same rate being charged on the line of credit.

If a borrower receives a $100,000 line of credit at a 5 percent interest rate but does-

n’t tap the funds, that line of credit would grow to $105,000 after a year, and then about $110,000 the next year, and so on.

“The idea is to set up the line of credit early and let it start to grow,” said Wade Pfau, a professor of retirement income at the American College of Financial Services and author of Reverse Mortgages: How to Use Reverse Mortgages to Secure Your Retirement (Retirement Researcher Media, $20).

Nontaxable cash

This effectively allows you to create a ready source of cash if you need it. The money isn’t taxable, so you can cover a major expense with no ill effect on your tax bill.

That might protect some of your Social Security benefits from being taxed, or prevent you from going over the income threshold that triggers Medicare premium

surcharges.

If you tap the line in an emergency, you can pay the loan back without penalty when you are able to restore your borrowing power.

The reverse mortgage can play a role in the bucket approach to retirement portfolios — the strategy that calls for keeping a couple of years’ worth of income needs in cash, with two or more buckets holding more volatile investments. The idea is that you routinely sell assets from the other buckets when it’s time to replenish the cash.

But what if the market has taken a beating just when you need to sell? Tapping your reverse mortgage to refill the cash bucket could give your stocks time to recover. When stocks are back up, you could pay the line of credit off, to use for another rainy day.

Experts applaud the way a standby re-

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verse mortgage strategy can provide retirees the flexibility to handle emergency costs. “The concept is to use it judiciously,” said Peter Bell, president of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.

No pay back required

You could use the line to pay off lumpy expenditures, such as a car repair bill or a large medical bill.

“It’s a little bit like a home equity line of credit (HELOC), which is good for cash flow management,” said Steven Sass, a research economist for Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research. “But you don’t have to pay it back. You do have to pay back a HELOC.” That gives you flexibility if you run into a cash crunch and can’t pay back the amount you borrowed right away.

You must be age 62 or older to get a reverse mortgage, and the amount you can borrow is based on several factors, including your home’s value, your age and current interest rates. The younger you are, the lower the percentage of the home’s value you can borrow, but the more years your line of credit could grow if left untapped.

The line can remain untapped for as long as the borrower likes. “It’s possible for the line of credit to exceed the value of the home,” Pfau said.

Federally-backed Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (usually called reverse mortgages) are “nonrecourse” loans — borrowers never owe more than the home is worth. No payments are due while the borrower is living in the house. The loan comes due in full when the borrower moves out for 12 months or more, sells the house or dies.

Rates ripe for borrowing

Low interest rates are generally a negative for retirees seeking income. But “the reverse mortgage is the only retirement strategy where you’re better off when interest rates are low,” said Pfau. The lower the rate, the more of your home’s value you can borrow.

Perhaps counterintuitively, impending rate hikes actually boost the attractiveness of the standby reverse mortgage strategy because lines of credit carry variable interest rates that will climb as interest rates rise.

And, the higher rate will also apply to your unused balance to boost your borrowing power. The ability for the credit line to grow is a key advantage of the strategy. Interest rates for a reverse mortgage recently ranged from 3.38 percent to 3.53 percent.

The costs of taking a reverse mortgage have come down in recent years, which helped the standby strategy gain traction with retirement experts.

When shopping, ask about the origination fee, which the government limits to a maximum of $6,000. You may find loans See HOME EQUITY, page B-11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

Sell faster From page B-9

$270 - $800 each (windows) Would-be buyers looking to limit utility bills will likely be drawn to properties with energy efficiencies, such as Energy Starqualified windows and appliances.

“Buyers are most impressed with smart, energy-efficient choices that in no way limit their comfort, but in every way save them money in the long run,” Lewis said.

Energy-efficient windows can trim heating and cooling costs by 12 percent, while individual appliances, such as an Energy Star-certified washing machine ($500 to $1,500 at Home Depot), can each save homeowners $40 a year or more on their utility bills.

An Energy Star-certified dishwasher (ranging in price from $342 to $1,900 at Lowe’s) uses soil sensors to assess how dirty your dishes are to minimize water use.

Home equity From page B-10

with zero to little origination fees, but the interest rate will be higher in that case.

That’s a trade-off: You’ll get less proceeds up-front with a higher interest rate, but the unused line of credit will grow at a faster

Patio

Garage storage space

Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 84 percent Cost to install: $961 per 120 square feet for a concrete patio It’s important for homeowners not to neglect the backyard area when prepping for resale, said Mike McGrew, treasurer of the National Association of Realtors and CEO of McGrew Real Estate. In today’s housing market, outdoor living spaces are quickly becoming one of the most coveted home features.

“When most buyers see a house with a really nice backyard, they start to envision themselves sitting outdoors with friends having drinks,” McGrew adds. Outdoor areas offer more living space without the cost of a large-scale home addition.

Thanks to the popularity of renovation TV shows, such as DIY Network’s “Yard Crashers,” HGTV’s “Flip or Flop,” and PBS’s “This Old House,” buyers now envision everything from a traditional ground-level patio, to an elevated deck, to a backyard kitchen area.

Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 81 percent Cost to install: $2,025 to $2,363 for a 380-square-foot space Buyers with growing families need lots of storage space. “A seller should ensure that such bonus space is easily accessible and wonderfully organized,” Lewis said.

Additional storage units located in the garage help keep clutter out of the main living areas of the home.

Unlike an attic or a backyard shed, the garage is accessible — generally, just a few steps away from the rest of the house — making it easier to transport items such as tools, patio chairs or boxes to and from other parts of the house.

The installation cost includes adding cabinetry, a peg wallboard for tools, and improved lighting and electrical circuits.

rate. Other typical loan closing costs generally run about $2,000 to $3,000.

You will owe the annual insurance premium of 1.25 percent, as well as an upfront premium of 0.5 percent. (If you have to access more than 60 percent of your proceeds to pay off an existing mortgage, that up-front premium jumps to 2.5 per-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Percentage of buyers who want this

feature: 80 percent Cost to install: $1,000 - $10,000 Eat-in kitchens are a must-have for many buyers, especially families with children. Removing a wall to create space for a small table and chairs in your kitchen is relatively inexpensive, but that price can quickly escalate if there’s additional repair work that needs to be done, said Neil Parsons, owner of Design Build Pros, a project design firm.

First, determine whether the wall is loadbearing. Non-load-bearing walls are used merely to separate rooms, while load-bearing walls help hold up the weight of the house.

Improperly removing the latter could cause rooms on upper levels of the home to cave in. Getting rid of a non-load-bearing wall can cost as little as $1,000; removing a load-bearing wall can run as much as $10,000. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

cent.) But the annual premium is based on how much you actually borrow from the credit line, not the full line of credit.

Of course, any loan means you’re putting your collateral at risk. You must maintain the home and keep up with property insurance and property taxes. Fail on those fronts, and you risk a loan default, which could lead to foreclosure.

If you use up all the proceeds from the

reverse mortgage, you won’t be able to tap the home for cash again unless you’re able to pay off the line of credit.

This strategy “needs to be part of an overall responsible plan,” Pfau said. “If the person will spend anything they have, it could be a problem.” © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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LEGAL ASSISTANCE

The Maryland Department of Aging offers free or low-cost legal aid to eligible residents who are 60 or older or their caregivers. Local agencies on aging partner with area attorneys and law centers to provide the services. Legal matters covered include abuse, housing, healthcare, Social Security benefits, guardianship, living wills, and much more.Spanish-speaking clients are welcome. For more information, contact Lydia Williams at (410) 767-1100 or lydial.williams@maryland.gov, or contact the Baltimore City Agency on Aging at (410) 396-2273, or the Baltimore County Agency on Aging at (410) 887-2594.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

13

INVESTMENT TARGET Target-date retirement mutual funds are a popular, tailored way to save. But because of diversification, they aren’t top performers STUDENT DEBT STILL? You can imperil your retirement by cosigning college loans for adult children or grandchildren

Are you sabotaging your investments?

By Arielle O’Shea The stock market has raced to record highs this year, but your portfolio may not show it.

In some ways, that’s to be expected: A balanced portfolio won’t post the same returns as the Dow Jones industrial average or the Standard & Poor’s 500, nor should it. You would have to be 100 percent invested in stocks to mirror the market’s performance, and that kind of aggressive allocation may not be appropriate for your risk tolerance or time horizon.

But generally speaking, if the market is having a good year, your portfolio should be, too. If it’s not, you may want to point a finger toward yourself.

“The greatest risk is not the volatility of the market, but the volatility of your own behavior,” said Daniel Crosby, a behavioral finance expert and founder of the investment management firm Nocturne Capital.

Crosby said psychologists have identified behaviors that can hurt the way we invest. Here are three that are most likely to drag down your returns, along with strategies to counteract them.

1. Overconfidence

The vast majority of long-term investors shouldn’t trade frequently. Those who do, open themselves up not just to more risk but also to increased transaction fees and tax consequences, both of which can drag down returns.

“One of the reasons investors trade more than they should is that they think they know more than they do,” said Terrance Odean, a professor of finance at the University of California, Berkeley, who researches investor behavior. “They think they have more ability than they have, they end up trading more than they should, and that hurts their returns.”

If you tend to keep an enthusiastic finger on the buy or sell button, stay away from individual stocks and their volatility, which can tempt you to make frequent trades. Instead, invest through index funds, which passively track a segment of the market.

These funds are low-cost and well-diversified, and they frequently edge out even professional investors, like those at the helm of actively managed mutual funds.

According to Morningstar’s most recent

Active/Passive Barometer, which measures the performance of actively managed funds against their passive counterparts, the average dollar in passive funds typically outperforms the average dollar in actively managed funds.

2. Fear of loss

“We hate loss more than twice as much as we like comparably sized gains. Win $50 at a casino, and it’s kind of ‘meh,’ but lose $50 out of your wallet, and it ruins your night,” Crosby said.

Because of that, we may hold on to poor investments longer than we should to put off recognizing a loss, or flee to cash at any sign of a downturn.

When the market is trending down, it’s reasonable to expect your portfolio to do the same — and it’s wise to stick it out. On the other hand, it’s worth regularly evaluating and potentially letting go of market outliers that are suffering sustained losses or investments that no longer fit your long-term plan.

To temper a fear of loss, set a long-term strategy and then try dollar-cost averaging, which involves dribbling a set amount of money into your investments at regular in-

Frank, Frank

tervals. If you contribute to a 401(k) or make scheduled transfers into an individual retirement account, you already do this.

Because with averaging you’re always investing the same dollar amount, you’re buying more shares when prices are low and fewer when prices are high. The former can take some of the pain out of a falling market, since you’re getting what feels like a discount on subsequent purchases.

Investing according to a predetermined plan like this also takes emotion out of the game. “If you’re excited, it’s a bad idea,” Crosby said. “Good investing is painfully boring.”

3. Not reevaluating

If you read only political websites that align with your views, or block Facebook friends with opposing politics, you already know what this means: It’s the tendency to discount information that discredits your established beliefs.

As investors, we do this in part because we put money — sometimes a lot of money — behind the decision we’ve made. We don’t want to hear it’s a bad one.

See SABOTAGE, page 14

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Why target-date funds are so popular

By Alex Veiga When it comes to building their retirement nest egg, investors are increasingly betting on the set-it-and-forget-it approach of target-date funds.

Such funds, which are designed to minimize risk over time by gradually shifting from stocks to bonds as an investor’s retirement date nears, hit a record $880 billion in assets last year, according to Morningstar Research Services.

Target-date funds are the default option

for many employee retirement plans, which has helped drive their growth.

The plans appeal to people who want to avoid the worry or responsibility of a handson approach to investing, another growing trend. Roughly two of every three dollars that went into target-date plans last year went to those that focused on investing in index funds, which cost less because there’s no portfolio manager picking the investments.

We asked Jeff Holt, associate director at Morningstar Research Services, to weigh

in on how target-date funds are faring, and what investors should consider when weighing whether to put money into these types of funds.

Q: What sets these funds apart from one another, or from simply investing directly in another type of hands-off investment, like an index fund or ETF? A: The distinguishing feature of targetdate funds is the glide path, which reflects how they shift different asset classes over time. And that’s based upon the age of the investor. While [all target-date funds] share that common thread of having a glide path and becoming more conservatively positioned, shifting from stocks to bonds over time, the manner in which they do it varies significantly.

On the equity side, there’s U.S. versus international stocks, or large-cap versus small-cap stocks. Even on the bond side, [differences include] the use of high-yield bonds or Treasury inflation-protected securities. All of these are active decisions that a target-date (fund) provider is making in delivering a strategy for investors.

Q: How have target-date funds performed, on average?

A: Benchmarking is complicated with target-date funds because everyone has a different asset mix.

They don’t guarantee that an investor will have enough savings at retirement.

What they’re designed to do is provide diversification across U.S. stocks, international stocks and bonds, and to do so in a thoughtful manner.

Because of the diversification, targetdate funds will never be the top performer.

They should also not be the poorest performer. More or less they should give a balanced mix in terms of performance.

Q: You say it’s too soon to determine if target-date funds will prove effective over the long haul. What’s the concern here?

A: Target-date funds are meant to be a multi-decade investment. They’ve been around since the early 90s, but it was the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that really boosted interest in target-date funds.

So a lot of these strategies don’t have a long track record. It’s still not proven for certain that these strategies will deliver the returns that investors expect.

We’ve seen some promising signs.

More often than not, investors tend to follow performance. They’re buying high and selling low.

Just the construct of having a target-date fund — and just continuing to contribute to a fund that will change over time — has helped investors.

— AP

Sabotage

and dive into research from varied sources.

And if you can’t or don’t want to do that?

Then you can turn back to an index fund, work with a financial adviser, or hold your accounts at an automated financial adviser — often called a robo-adviser — which is an online service that manages investments for you.

— Nerdwallet, via AP

From page 13

But that money will benefit from balanced research, both into future investments and the ones you already hold.

When you rebalance your portfolio or reevaluate your strategy, look at each investment as if you’re buying it for the first time,

BEACON BITS

June 22

AVOID IDENTITY THEFT Learn how to protect your personal and financial information from thieves determined to ruin your good name. Light refreshments

will be provided. The event takes place at the Arbutus Senior Center, 855A Sulphur Spring Rd., Arbutus on Thursday, June 22 at 1 p.m. Sign up at the front desk of the senior center or call (410) 887-1410.

Ongoing

LAWYER IN THE LIBRARY Maryland Legal Aid is offering free legal advice in libraries throughout the state each Tuesday, now through July 11.

Attendees will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteers also speak Spanish. To find out when the project is coming to your neighborhood, visit www.mdlab.org.

July 8

ANTIQUE CAR SHOW Wheels will spin and chrome will shine at the annual Antique Car Show on Saturday, July 8, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The free show

will take place at the front parking lot of the Fire Museum of Maryland, 1301 York Rd. in Lutherville. Those who wish to explore the museum can purchase a regular admission ticket for $12. For more information, visit www.firemuseummd.org or call (410) 321-7500

15

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

Student loan debt hobbling more older adults

By Anya Kamenetz Older Americans are shouldering far more of the nation’s debt than in years past.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released numbers recently showing that the share of all household debt held by people aged 60 and older has almost doubled: from 12.6 percent in 2003, to 22.5 percent in 2016. That’s nearly $3 trillion!

Mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and even student loan balances have all grown significantly for older Americans — and only older Americans. Borrowers under 60 reduced their mortgages and credit card balances relative to the peak during the 2008 financial crisis.

It’s one thing to run up a big student loan balance when you are in your 20s going through graduate school and anticipating big salary increases. Or even in your 30s and 40s, putting a down payment on a house, with room to grow and time to pay it off as it appreciates.

For people facing retirement, however, this growing debt is a far more serious proposition.

Loans taken for children

Take student loans as an example. We usually think of these as a young person’s problem. But seniors are holding $67 billion in student loans, and the number of seniors holding such loans has quadrupled since 2005. That makes older folks the fastest-growing segment of the student

loan borrower population, according to a January report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Some of these loans are decades old.

These include loans older people took out for their own education and did not pay off.

But the majority are loans taken out or cosigned for children and grandchildren, both federal PLUS loans and private student loans.

The bad news is that, as people get older, their student loans are more likely to go into default, triggering ballooning penalties and fees. The CFPB found that default rates among borrowers 65 and older were almost 40 percent — more than twice the rate of younger borrowers.

A defaulted student loan can ruin your credit, meaning larger interest rates on other resources, like credit cards. And worst of all, if you have a federal student loan in default, the government can seize part of your Social Security and disability payments to pay it.

dreams. But honestly, it would be better to help them along with cash, if you have some to spare, than to enter into an obligation for a decade or more. The tax-free gift limit in 2017 1s $14,000.

If you are over 60 and have student loans, get into an affordable payment plan to lower your monthly obligations. Under these plans, the monthly payment is based on your income — which works in your favor if you are retired and living on a limited or fixed income.

One caveat: Affordable payment plans can balloon the balance when the monthly payment is set below the level that would cover interest. But honestly, for people later in life this is less of a concern than

losing access to Social Security benefits.

These plans include pay-as-you-earn, income-contingent repayment, and incomebased repayment, and you might even pursue public service loan forgiveness. There are several different plans, and the options can be confusing. Check https://studentaid. ed.gov for more information.

If you are in default on student loans, there is a process called rehabilitation to get out of default. Again, contact Federal Student Aid, an office of the Education Department, at the web address above.

Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2017 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

What can be done?

If you are over 60 and don’t have any student loans, the obvious answer is don’t take them out. Especially not for someone else — not if you can’t afford to pay them back right away. And if you could, why would you be borrowing? They are a massive liability.

Certainly, it can be difficult to tell a child or grandchild that you can’t afford to help them achieve their educational goals and

Share your opinion.

Send a letter to the editor.

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Travel Leisure &

Long-distance Amtrak trains face cuts under Trump’s proposed budget. Learn about scenic routes to take, while you still can, on page 18.

Sublime wine, scenery in central Virginia sniff “fragrant” cowpiles warming in the sun the next.

“Nelson County is becoming the ‘Napa Valley of the East,’” says Connie Brennan, a Board of Supervisors’ member.

Apples, fresh and fermented

Nelson County’s Fruit Loop Trail (www.blueridgefruitloop.net) is a series of farms and orchards selling pre-picked and pick-your-own apples and other fruit.

The county has long been an applegrowing region, said John Bruguiere with Dickie Brothers Orchard. “The higher elevations above 900 feet provide a good altitude. The higher the elevation, the cooler the night temperatures during the growing season, which helps develop [apples’] red color,” he explained.

Apple trees do well on slopes where water drains away. “Since there was little else to do with hilly land, apples are a good fit,” he added. And, he jokes, “Most of our cows have two legs shorter than the others from walking on hillsides.”

The Brew Ridge Trail (www.brewridgetrail.com) showcases the craft beers, ales and lagers of five breweries. The county has three distilleries, like Silverback which offers enticing spirits like Strange Monkey gin.

Ten wineries host tours and tasting rooms for trying wines like chardonnay, merlot, pinot gris and more. Veritas Vineyards and Winery, which boasts a wine portfolio reflecting 15 years of hard work, features tours of the crush pad, wine cellar and barrel room, and talks on wine-making basics.

Cideries are increasingly popular. Nelson has two: Bold Rock and Blue Toad.

Bold Rock, next to the South Fork of the Rockfish The Wintergreen Resort’s 9,000 acres of protected land includes miles of hiking trails. Visitors can indulge in a massage or other spa treatment afterward at the resort, which includes a variety of lodging, from hotel rooms to vacation houses.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VERITAS VINEYARD & WINERY

By Glenda C. Booth The masseuse’s golf balls gently rolling across my back in the dimly-lit spa put me into a Zen-like trance.

So did the thick clumps of interrupted ferns carpeting the forest floor as I hiked, while the haunting, flute-like call of the wood thrush wafted through the trees.

And a little while later, in a cider taproom, the sparkling hard cider gave me a slight buzz.

This is Nelson County, Va., population 15,000 — a place for reverie, revelry and recreation. With mountains on the west and the James River on the south, it’s a small-town, bucolic county in the Blue Ridge foothills, about 185 miles southwest of Baltimore.

Wintergreen Resort, an all-season playground, offers spa services, golf, tennis, dining, nature walks, performing arts, winter skiing and more.

Down below, in Rockfish Valley, wineries, cideries, breweries and distilleries have sprung up like spring wildflowers in recent years. They dot the rural landscape between the county’s seven orchards and fields of contented black Angus cows. Sunsets paint the mountains a bluish-purple every evening.

A one-stoplight county, Nelson is a mix of hip yuppie and down home country. You can sip chardonnay at a winery one minute, and

The view from the Veritas Vineyard and Winery looks beyond the vineyard to the misty Blue Ridge Mountains that form the backdrop to central Virginia’s rural Nelson County. Wine, beer, spirits and apple cider are widely crafted in the county.

River, bottles five days a week and presses 80,000 pounds of apples weekly. On cidery tours Tuesday to Saturday, visitors can learn the fine details of making hard cider.

Here, the citrusy Indian Pressed Apple is a favorite. Former U.S. President and Virginia ciderist Thomas Jefferson hailed the beverage as “nearer to silky Champagne than any other.” Cidermakers like Charlotte Shelton of Albemarle Ciderworks promote their product’s drinkability and low alcohol content (five to seven percent).

Hurricanes and history

Hurricane Camille devastated Nelson County in 1969 when this Category 5 monster of a storm unexpectedly hurtled through the county’s heart, dumped over 27 inches of rain in five hours, and left a trail of devastation and death behind.

The whole story — tragedies and heroics — is relayed in detail at Oakland, the Nelson County Museum of History, such as painful recountings of youngsters snagged in trees as family members are washed away.

The museum is in a red brick, Greek Revival house built in the early 1800s. By 1838, it became an “ordinary” — a combination inn and tavern on the Stage Road, now route 29, where the Washington City to Lynchburg stage coach ran past three times a week.

Visitors today see the tavern room with

exposed beams and a “cage bar” replica — a tavern-keepers’ container for locking up the spirits overnight. Other exhibits explore the county’s public school history, and electricity’s arrival in the 1930s. Oral histories describe life in the country without electricity.

Learn more at www.historicnelson.org.

The county seat, Lovingston, founded in 1808, is an historic district. The star “attraction,” if you’re not in legal trouble, is the historic courthouse which opened in 1810, a stuccoed brick building in the English town-hall style.

The little town of Schuyler gets its fame as the hometown of Earl Hamner, the creator of “The Waltons” — a 1970s television series about a family living in the rural Blue Ridge mountains during the Depression.

The Walton Museum is a replica of the studio set of the Waltons’ television home, including John-Boy’s bedroom, the living room and the kitchen. Ike’s General Store set is a souvenir shop for Walton memorabilia. In March, most of the surviving actors who played the characters on the show came to the museum for a reunion, attended by hundreds of fans.

The great outdoors

If sipping cider or Chablis in the sunSee VIRGINIA, page 17

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

Virginia From page 16

shine isn’t quite enough nature, there’s plenty more. Twenty-five miles of the Appalachian Trail slice through the county.

The Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail follows the banks of the Piney and Tye Rivers, along a former short-line, timberhauling railway. Also along the Blue Ridge Parkway is Crabtree Falls, one of the highest, vertical-drop cascading waterfalls east of the Mississippi River with five major cascades that plummet 1,200 feet. One overlook is near the upper parking lot. The adventurous can hike the 2½-mile Crabtree Falls Trail to four other overlooks.

Naked Mountain harbors some rare plants, like shooting stars, on globally-rare landscapes known as barrens and woodlands. Crawford Knob is home to a rare type of swamp, called a mountain-piedmont basic seepage swamp, where orchids, lilies, ferns, grasses and sedges thrive.

The Quarry Gardens in Schuyler have various native plant communities around a former soapstone quarry. Visitor center exhibits explain local ecosystems and the soapstone industry.

Lavish Wintergreen

“Sumptuous luxury” is how Wintergreen’s publicists describe the four-season, 11,000-acre resort, most of which sits atop Wintergreen Mountain.

The spa promises to “restore balance to your body, soul and spirit.” Choices include aromatherapy massage, Blue Ridge Swedish massage, mountain stone massage, Blue Ridge mud wrap, lavender body glow, destress eye treatment and a gentleman’s facial. And there are seasonal indulgences like a berries and cream facial (summer), a pumpkin chai pampering (fall) and a fig manicure and pedicure (winter).

The resort also has golf clinics, meditative yoga, swimming, archery, miniature golf, children’ activities and winter tubing and skiing, thanks to “automated snowmaking.”

Accommodations include individual rooms, studios, homes, and condominiums with up to nine-bedrooms. The Mountain Inn has lodge-type rooms. Four restaurants offer “Southern-inspired cui-

sine,” Mediterranean dishes, burgers, pub fare and gourmet pizzas.

Sumptuous and upscale are certainly respectable choices at Wintergreen, but visitors on top of a mountain surrounded by 9,000 protected acres and many trails might want to also get outdoors. Resort officials take pride in their environmental stewardship, and partner with the Nature Foundation at Wintergreen, dedicated to conserving the natural and cultural resources of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Outdoor trekkers might see flying squirrels, wood rats, bears, coyotes, bobcats, deer, turkeys and many birds. The Trillium House, headquarters of the Foundation, offers hikes, lectures and other nature-oriented programs.

Wandering, wining, dining and picking locally-grown, golden delicious apples can yield some golden delicious days in Virginia’s Nelson County.

If you go

Getting there: Nelson County is a fourhour drive from Baltimore, taking I-66 west and then Rt. 29 south. The closest Amtrak station and airport are in Charlottesville.

The Nelson County Visitor Center has lists of transportation services, like limos, to Nelson, some of which offer one-day wine and brewery tours.

Information on Lovingston is available at www.virginia.org/cities/Lovingston.

Lodging: Wintergreen’s wide array of options is available in a range of prices.

Basic hotels rooms range from $134 to $244 a night, while condos start at $149 for a one-bedroom to $439 for a five-bedroom.

See www.wintergreenresort.com or call (434) 325-2200.

Besides Wintergreen, there is one motel in Nelson County, the Village Inn in Lovingston, http://villageinnlovingston. webs.com, (434) 263-5068. The Nelson County tourism site has a list of B&Bs, cabins and campsites. See www.nelsoncounty-va.gov/departments/tourism or call (434) 263-7015.

There are many events in the region throughout the year, and frequent live music at breweries and cideries. Check http:// www.nelsoncounty-va.gov/events/category/ events-calendar/.

17

18

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

The last call for long-distance train trips?

By Ed Perkins Trump’s budget proposes to cut all funding for Amtrak long-distance trains.

The administration isn’t happy with Amtrak’s ongoing losses, and long-distance trains face an uncertain future.

So if you’re interested in a long rail trip, you don’t have to worry for this year, but the future will be much cloudier.

Most scenic trips

For most people, the main reason to ride a

long-haul Amtrak train is to enjoy the scenery in comfort. And rail buffs around the country generally agree on Amtrak’s top four scenic long-haul trips with good daytime viewing (which I list east to west): • The Adirondack between New York and Montreal, with great all-day Hudson River and Lake Champlain viewing in both directions.

• California Zephyr between Chicago and Emeryville (near San Francisco), with top daytime segments westbound through

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the Rockies from Denver to Salt Lake City, and in both directions between Emeryville and Reno over Donner Pass.

• The Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle/ Portland, with daytime segments in both directions passing close to Glacier National Park, and through the Columbia River Gorge eastbound from Portland to Spokane.

• The Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Seattle, with daytime segments from Emeryville or San Jose to Los Angeles along the coastal route of the famed Daylight.

Except for the one-day Adirondack, if you’re doing a land cruise with one or two nights onboard, you’ll want a private compartment. Although they’re expensive, they’re selling out fast for the peak summer season.

Long term, however, you might be inclined to worry. Long-distance trains are money losers, costing taxpayers somewhere in the vicinity of $200 per passenger in coach, up to double that in sleepers.

Furthermore, today’s long-distance trains serve no essential transportation role. Air travel and buses are both faster and more efficient: air for long hauls, buses for short trips.

Those luxury trains are really “land cruises” for people who like trains, and even the most vocal supporters have a tough time justifying their heavy subsidies. Still, Amtrak’s current long-haul route system exists because of politics, not economics. And funding based on politics isn’t going away any time soon.

Consider Canada

If you’re really interested in an extended train trip — but not quite ready for the trans-Siberian express — your best bet remains the Canadian, on VIA Rail Canada, between Toronto and Vancouver.

You go through some terrific mountain scenery during the four-night trip, along with some fascinating semi-wilderness north of Lake Superior. With four nights on a train, you’ll want at least a sleeper and, more likely, a compartment.

Sleeper/compartment fares include all meals — prepared fresh in a real dining car, not a microwaved “snack.” As with Amtrak, the Canadian’s popular single and double compartments are already sold out on many summer trips, so consider waiting for fall. Buy tickets at virarail.ca on any “discount Tuesday” for the best prices; kids and riders 60 or over get discounts.

In the longer term, many economists conclude that the future of passenger railroading lies in frequent, high (or at least “higher”) speed trains on routes of up to 400 miles to and from hub cities that suffer both highway and air traffic overloads. That’s why the Northeast Corridor will survive.

That’s also where the Midwestern folks are placing their chips with incremental speed and frequency improvements on the corridors radiating from Chicago, and what California is trying to do with its high-speed project.

But Amtrak still faces long-term problems. Even if it can keep its long-haul trains, Amtrak is perennially short of sufficient funding for maintenance and buying new equipment. And given the sorry revenue picture, the highly touted “public private partnership” funding system is likely to be ineffective.

More than ever, if you want to experience modern train service, head for Europe, China or Japan.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

19

Arts &

When Bessie Grossman married in 1911, brides didn’t wear white if they had been married before. See more about weddings on page 20.

A peek at what’s on stage this summer admission. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available at $15 per person.

For more information or to buy your ticket, email boxoffice@bctheatre.com or call (301) 809-3078.

Bowie Community Theatre

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory

The Bowie Community Theatre is bringing folks an eccentric comedy all the way from Los Angeles. Nana’s Naughty Knickers is written by L.A.-based Katherine DiSavino and directed by Jennifer L. Franklin.

The comedy explores the relationship between Bridget and her grandmother, Nana, who become roommates in New York City one summer.

Bridget quickly realizes that Nana is not a typical “sit-at-home grandmother.” Based in her NYC apartment, Nana has created an illegal boutique that sells hand-made naughty underwear to seniors throughout the Big Apple.

Will Bridget be able to handle her grandmother’s secret life? Will her Nana get arrested — or worse! — evicted?

The show is scheduled to run from July 14 through July 30. Tickets are $17 for patrons 62 and older and students; $22 for general

The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory (BSF) presents its 2017 Shakespeare in the Meadow series with two plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labour’s Lost.

The former is directed by BSF’s Artistic Director, Tom Delise, and will be performed July 7 to 30. The two-hour play focuses on the experiences of young lovers, magical creatures, and a charming group of artisan performers.

Love’s Labour’s Lost is directed by BSF Assistant Artistic Director Chris Cotterman, and is a tale of two friends attempting to dedicate themselves to a life of study while avoiding the company of women for three years.

Their pledge becomes increasingly difficult when beautiful women start to arrive the minute the friends make their oath.

Testing the men’s high-minded resolve, the women flip gender roles while trying to seduce the studious characters. The

N OW O N STAGE

AUGUST 31 - NOVEMBER 12

410-730-8311

TobysDinnerTheatre.com Due to the nature of theatrical bookings, !!"#$%&#" '("( )*#" +*"#,-.*/)")%"/$ '0*1""2""3%-45#"67''*+"3$* )+*8"9%!,:-7 8";6

PHOTO COURTESY OF COCKPIT IN COURT

By Zita Petrahai Area theaters are showcasing a variety of plays this summer — from a play about an unconventional grandmother, to two of the Bard’s most celebrated works.

The Cockpit in Court Summer Theater at the Community College of Baltimore County kicked off its summer season with Arsenic and Old Lace, which plays through June 25. Look for Sister Act next, starting July 21.

play will be on stage July 28 to Aug. 20.

Both plays are performed for most of their run outdoors, in the meadow at Johns Hopkins Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles St. The last three days of each play are indoors at the Great Hall Theater at St. Mary’s Community Center, 3900 Roland

Ave. Tickets are $15 for those 65 and older; $20 general admission.

For more information, call (410) 6629455 or visit www.BaltimoreShakespeareFactory.org.

See SUMMER THEATRE, page 21

20

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Wedding stories from Jewish Maryland

By Rochelle Eisenberg The year was 1964. Elsbeth Levy was set to marry Bert Bothe in an outdoor wedding in the backyard of a friend’s rowhouse. She had changed into her wedding gown, her guests were waiting, and as she was about to be escorted to the ceremony through the house and out the backdoor, she discovered she couldn’t get into the house — the door was locked.

What’s a bride to do? In an oral history she later recorded, Levy said she used

some quick thinking, circled around the house, then climbed over a patio wall in her beautiful wedding gown. Crisis averted; wedding a success!

Levi’s story is one of many told in the new exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM) titled “Just Married!

Wedding Stories from Jewish Maryland.”

The exhibit opens Sunday, June 18.

Featuring numerous artifacts — including dresses, tuxedos, invitations, albums, ketubahs (Jewish wedding contracts),

photos and more — “Just Married!” explores how Jewish Marylanders, past and present, express their identities as American Jews and Jewish Americans through the wedding experience.

“Not only are weddings social events, but they are opportunities to create a meaningful expression of who we are. ‘Just Married!’ explores how we incorporate heritage, culture, family and community into the big day,” said Tracie Guy-Decker, associate director at JMM and project manager for this exhibit.

From etiquette to accoutrements

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

Radio Flea Market Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

‘Just Married!’ is divided into five zones that explore the wedding experience.

These sections look at a variety of topics — including how families are included in (or assert control over) weddings, and how we re-interpret traditions to fit our needs.

As visitors travel through these five exhibits, they will encounter stories, interactive activities, textiles and photos from 1830 to the present day.

For example, in the portion of the exhibit entitled “The Right Way,” etiquette and advice books, wedding rings, chuppahs (wedding canopies) and dresses tell the story of how wedding ceremony “musts” depend on where you are, who you ask, and the time period in which you live.

The customs and rituals that seem obvious and unchanged to one person might be old-fashioned, puzzling or completely unknown to another.

While the multitude of opinions can present a challenge to those determined to do things the “right way,” they also give individuals and communities the room to make the ceremony their own. In this section, interfaith and same-sex marriages are also explored.

The “Business of Weddings” section showcases the savvy business people in the cities,

suburbs and small rural towns of Maryland who help make weddings possible.

For example, “We have letters sent by Baltimore’s preeminent department stores, Hutzler’s and Hoschschild Kohn’s, to a bride, Kathleen Smith, whose engagement was announced in the newspaper,” said collections manager Joanna Church, who curated the exhibit.

“Both rival stores were vying for Smith’s business. Unfortunately, neither succeeded. She ended up choosing what The Baltimore Sun called a ‘period gown.’”

Special gowns and more

Other treasures on display include: • Wedding gowns — such as a gold wedding dress from the 1940s worn by a divorcee, because norms dictated that divorced women couldn’t wear white.

• Ketubahs from the 1830s to today, exploring the ways this traditional wedding contract has transformed in both aesthetics and content. Among those shown is a “wedding blessing” handmade by a bride’s father in the Ukraine for his daughter in Baltimore.

• A gown for an infant at his bris (ritual circumcision), fashioned from the child’s mother’s wedding gown, and other artifacts that bear the literal thread of generational connection.

• Etiquette books, Jewish and secular, that not only list wedding ceremony “musts,” but provide a glimpse into our cultural identity throughout the past century.

The exhibit concludes with “Through the Generations,” which displays memories. Said Rose Pines, who married Moses J. Cohen at the Alcazar Blue room in Baltimore in 1937, “A cousin of mine was a great preserver. When we were married, See MARRIAGE EXHIBIT, page 21

Summer theatre From page 19

Arena Players

The Arena Players of Baltimore will put on their last show of the season in late June. Back by popular demand, the play Luther tells the life of Luther Vandross, under Randolph Smith’s directing.

The music and pathos of the play will not only bring back memories; it is sure to have you singing along as well. The play will be onstage for just two weekends: June 23 to 25 and June 30 through July 2.

Tickets are $20 for those 65 and older and students with ID; $25 for general admission. They can be purchased by calling (410) 728-6500 or emailing arenaplayersinc@gmail.com.

Cockpit in Court

Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre at CCBC Essex is in its 45th season. Sister Act runs from July 21 to Aug. 6 at the theater’s main stage. The comedy focuses on a flamboyant woman hiding in a convent, helping her fellow sisters find their voices, while rediscovering her own in the process.

At the school’s Cabaret Theater, CCBC Essex is also putting on Vanya and Sonia

Marriage exhibit From page 20

she saved the glass that was broken, the rice that was thrown, a corsage that was thrown. I have a whole book of all this kind of memorabilia…. All the telegrams I got, the caterer’s bill, everything.”

In conjunction with “Just Married!,” JMM has created an online exhibition, “Marrying Maryland,” that aims to collect a photo and an invitation from every Maryland wedding that has some connection to the Jewish community. To participate, visit http://jewishmuseummd.org/exhibits/m

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

and Masha and Spike. This winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play examines three siblings: middle-aged Vanya and Sonia, who share their home in Buck County, Pa., and Masha, a world-renowned movie-star.

When Masha brings home her new boy toy, Spike, tensions flair up, eventually leading to threats of selling the old family home.

Sharing the stage are sassy maid Cassandra, who can also predict the future, and lovely aspiring actress Nina, whose prettiness worries the imperious Masha.

Performances are July 22 through August 6. The address is 7201 Rossville Blvd., Rosedale.

For Sister Act, tickets are $22 general admission; $20 for those 60 and older; $14 for children 12 and younger. For Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, tickets are $17 for general admission; $15 for those 60 and older.

For more information and tickets, call (443) 840-2787 or see http://bit.ly/cockpit_in_court.

tice and the media machine.

The play is set in 1920s Chicago, and is based on the real-life murders and trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who inspired the character Roxie Hart. A wannabe vaudevillian star, Roxie murders her lover and is arrested, even after convincing her husband, Amos, to lie for her.

From Aug. 18 through Sept. 3, ArtsCentric will bring a tale from another city: Memphis. Set in the 1950s, Memphis tells the fictional story of DJ Huey Calhoun, a

local boy with a passion for R&B, and Felicia Farrell, an up-and-coming black singer he meets one fateful night.

Despite objections from their loved ones, the two embark on a dangerous affair, with their love challenged by both personal ambition and the pressures of an outside world unable to accept their love.

General admission for either show is $26.

The theater is located at 1201 N. Charles St. For more information, visit www.ArtsCen tric.net or call (410) 205-5130.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ArtsCentric

ArtsCentric also joins the line-up of theaters bringing musicals to Baltimore.

From July 21 to Aug. 6, Chicago will dazzle audiences with a satirical look at fame, jusarrying-maryland/ The exhibit continues through Sept. 17.

The JMM is featuring a series of public programs in conjunction with the exhibit, including lectures, panel discussions, children’s activities and a Stoop Storytelling program on Jewish weddings.

For a list of all events, and to learn more about the exhibit, see jewishmuseummd.org or call (410) 732-6400.

The museum is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults ($8 for those 65 and older), $6 for students age 13 and older, and $4 for children ages 4 to 12.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

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A S I A

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A D A M S

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

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: VOCAL LEAVE SCHOOL JOSTLE Answer: What the reckless driver gave the barber -A CLOSE SHAVE

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• Only 2 blocks from Hampden’s ‘The Avenue’ Spectacular View

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When you present this coupon upon application.

To schedule a personal tour call

410-889-8255 St Mary’s Roland View Towers 3838/3939 Roland Ave • Baltimore, MD 21211

www.rolandviewtowers.com *All residents must meet specific income guidelines.

Make new friends

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JULY 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Crossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Mighty Pens 1

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By ByStephen StephenSherr Sherr

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Jumble answers on p. 21.

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7 15

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1.A ___ breaker (candy) 4. Boat-moving boat 7. Go Fish goal 12. Its academy is in CO 14. Be wide open 15. State where you can go from Boise to Menan 16. Pepper grinder 17. CEO, CFO, or CIO 18. Clingy wrap 19. With “The”, the start of a quote about the value of testimony 22. Health club costs 23. Birdbrains 24. Subj. of 1st part of 1st Amendment 26. Very small dog 28. Very small amount of money 29. Nelson Mandela’s party 32. Greek counterpart to Roman Cupid 34. Enemy 36. One with fewer electoral votes 38. Part 2 of quote, some label as a Chinese proverb 42. Winner of five 2017 Grammy awards 43. Organization for aviation regulation 44. Makes a misteak 45. Ump’s shout (with 51 Across) 46. Milk maker 49. Economist’s calc.

51. See 45 Across 52. Green military hat 54. Hockey score 56. Conclusion of quote 62. The business end of a pencil 63. Start of -dox or -dise 64. Chills and fever 65. Figure perched on one shoulder 66. Nation which borders both the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea 67. “Buy the rumor; ___ the news” 68. Unkempt 69. Psychic’s power 70. One of 435 in Congress

1. Enter the pool 2. Largest continent 3. Introverted party guest 4. Prepare for takeoff 5. Put the bottom on the top 6. Insurance spokes-lizards 7. Home of the Montana Grizzlies 8. ___ apple 9. Chief ingredient in poi 10. Burn at the surface 11. Fine-tune 13. Try to get away from zombies 14. Dismounts 20. Enter an alarm’s wake-up time 21. Words the bride and groom say 24. Resolve a loan 25. Wear away slowly 27. “___ can’t handle the truth!”

29. One with detailed maps to the stars 30. Collared jacket 31. Toothpaste originally called “Fluoristan” in 1954 33. French for “salt” (reverse of French for “the”) 35. Santa’s assistant 37. ___ of these days...

39. Not long ago 40. Document the price of merchandise 41. Word forming game 47. Assn.

48. Tearjerker 50. Teller of The Tell-Tale Heart 52. Steak-house leftovers 53. Russian rulers 55. Med. chart notations meaning “against medical advice” 56. Unwanted e-mail 57. Answering machine sound 58. Fixes a sporting event 59. Venus fly ___ 60. ___ of thumb 61. Website with slogan “We know just the place”

Answers on page 21.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2017

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.

For Rent/Real Estate ROOMS MONTPELIER/LAUREL: Female, non-smoker, no pets, upstairs, drug free and quiet. Kitchen (own refrigerator), laundry, patio.

Full-time employed, own auto. 1-301-676-3996.

ROOM FOR RENT — Rosedale area near Golden Ring Mall. Comfortable furnished room.

No smoking. Near bus line. $125 to $130. 410252-7448.

ROOMS FOR RENT — Seniors welcome, males preferred, non-smoker. Upstairs, no pets, no smoking, shared kitchen and bathroom. Located at 21215, 21229 zip codes. $525 per month, $300 security deposit. 202-320-2421.

RENT TO OWN — 10% down plus $1,250 per month, regardless of credit. Four bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms on 2800 block of Ridgewood Ave, 21215. Asking $45,000. 202-320-2421.

OCEAN CITY, MD. Oceanfront Quay. Two bedroom, two bath, full kitchen, large living room and dining rooms with beautiful view, W/D, Xfinity. Call 410-668-4116.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Rent/Real Estate I AM HERE FOR YOU. “RITA BUG.” My mother called me that nickname. I took care of her the last two years before her passing. Now I’m here for others. If you can take care of yourself, showering and dressing, and in pretty good health, I have a great idea. We can live together.

I would buy us a house. You do not have to live sharing a room. I would take you and maybe two ladies/guys and buy a wonderful home. We would travel together, USA and the world. Dinner out twice a week, ballroom dancing, entertainment in NYC and DC, art classes, daytrips, Vegas nights, shopping for others. We could start business together. I have tons of ideas. For those who are not seniors, I would offer the same beautiful homes, peace and quiet. Give me a call, and let’s make something happen. Let’s talk. Rita Davis, 443-379-9064. P.S. Move in two to three weeks.

For Sale LARGE COFFEE TABLE, light brown wood grain, and two end tables $100. 410-636-0389.

MEADOWRIDGE MEMORIAL PARK. Two side-by-side lots. Retail $10,000. Price negotiable.

Garden of Faith section. Call 410-262-4703.

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.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED 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 SANFORD & SON JUNK REMOVAL. 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.

LAWN AND GARDEN — Lawn service, weed trimming, edging, flowerbed maintenance, perennial planting, annual planting shrubbery, hedge trimming, rose bush pruning, mulching flowerbeds, spring and fall cleanup. Quality work. 443-6563-9546.

JUNK HAULING — Residential/Commercial Junk Removal, Attic/Garage Cleanouts, Light Demolition. $50 off. “Call Today, we’ll haul away.” HoCoHaulers.com 410-292-6700.

TIP TOP JUNK REMOVAL. Very reasonable rates. Big or small. Any items, everything. Insured. Call William, 443-469-9379.

Personals VERY ATTRACTIVE SWF, age 60, looks to meet SWM age 60-65. Call Patty, 443-845-7802.

Wanted

Wanted

MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy jewelry, coins, silver, antiques, watches, gold, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff.

Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954.

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.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY — wrist and pocket watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, coins, quilts, old toys, postcards, trains, guns, pocket and hunting knives, linens, fishing equipment and tackle boxes, fountain pens, Christmas garden items, crocks and jugs, lamps and lanterns, pottery, military items, sports memorabilia, advertising signs, paintings and contents of attics, basements and garages. Professional, no pressure individual with over forty years of experience. Lloyd D. Baker. 410-409-4965.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

Thanks for reading!

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Options for Senior America . . . .20

Exercise Research Study . . . . . .11 Falls Prevention Study . . . . . . . .11 Former Smoker Study . . . . . . . .11

Housing

Dental Services Denture Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Healthy Smiles Dental . . . . . . . . .8 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Events Beacon 50+ Expo . . . . . . . . . . .24

Financial Services First Maryland Disability Trust .14 JS Richardson Insurance . . . . . .15 Organizer, The . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 PENFED Credit Union . . . . . . .15

Hearing Services Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Home Health Care Genesis Select Care . . . . . . . . .B-8

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Alta at Regency Crest . . . . . . . . .9 Atrium Village . . . . . . . . .B-5, B-9 Bayleigh Chase/Integrace . . . . .18 Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace .18 Carroll Lutheran Village . . . . .B-3 Catholic Charities Senior Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-3 Charlestown/Erickson .B-5, B-11 Christ Church Harbor Apts. . . . .10 Cove Point Apts. . . . . . . .B-4, B-6 Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 Fairhaven/Integrace . . . . . . . . . .18 Greens, The . . . . . . . . . . .B-4, B-6 Linden Park Apts. . . . . . . .B-8, 18 Lutheran Village at Millers Grant . . . . . . . . . . . .B-3 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . .B-4, B-11 Paradise Senior Living . . . . . .B-2 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . .B-8 Park View Apartments . . . . . .B-10 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Shangri-La Assisted Living . . .B-4

St. Marys Roland View Towers .21 Timber Ridge Apartments . . . .B-2 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Weinberg Park Assisted Living . . . . . .B-5, B-12 Weinberg Senior Living . . . . .B-12 Woodholme Gardens . . . . . . .B-11

Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . .20

Legal Services

Technology

Angels of Elder Care Planning . .15 Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Law Office of Karen Ellsworth .14 Southard & Greenbaum, LLC . .13

TechMedic4U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Medical/Health

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation CommuniCare Health . . . . . . . . .8 Keswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Manor Care Health Services . . .12

Theatres/ Entertainment Rockin Good Times . . . . . . . . . .19 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . .19

Travel

Blood Test for Lung Cancer . . .12 Carle Center for Pain Management, The . . . . .10 Foot Centers of Maryland . . . . . .7 Rosenblatt Foot Care . . . . . . . . .12 Skin Cancer EB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Arizona & Las Vegas Trip . . . . .17 Eyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Nexus Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Shopping

Chai/The Associated . . . . . . . . .18

Circa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Volunteers

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