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Recounting a TV journalist’s life

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Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Pagnotti launched his TV career in North Carolina (see letter above), then worked his way up at stations in Ohio, Connecticut and New York before settling in Baltimore in 1985 at WMAR-TV. In 2012, he switched over to Fox45, where he became a co-anchor on the weekend Morning News, then the station’s meteorologist. Pagnotti recalled an incident when he was a hard-news reporter for News 4 New York, working out of the iconic 30

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What can you do with boxes in the attic? Preserve, share good memories while downsizing By Margaret Foster If you’ve ever tried to clear out your attic, basement or garage, you’ve likely unearthed treasures you’ll never be able to part with. Your wedding album, for one thing. Or yellowing scrapbooks, loose photographs, VHS tapes and slide carousels. What exactly should you do with these items that represent precious memories of a life well lived? How can you pass them on to children or grandchildren in a way that conveys their importance? First and most importantly, move your important memorabilia to protect it. “Attics, basements and garages are horrible places to store these things. If you have to integrate it into your living space, where it’s climate controlled, how do you do that?” asked Ronda Barrett, a former documentary maker based in Maryland. Barrett, who founded a company in 2006 called Honor Your Story, interviews everyday people, records them and creates films about their lives. “There’s nothing like capturing the glint in someone’s eye and hearing their voice and having that record,” Barrett said. In addition to filming mini-documentaries, Barrett also creates online archives for families. In effect, she helps clients organize and digitize family home videos and photos so they can store them on a website that’s accessible to all family members, no matter where they live. “It’s a place where everyone can add information about the photo and memories about it,” Barrett said.

Scanning services may help If you have an overpacked attic, you can hire someone to help you cull through and organize your mementos. Those experts are called photo managers. Their professional organization offers an online directory of certified members at thephotomanagers.com. You can skip that step and just take your photos to a local photo shop such as National Photo in Pikesville, which can professionally scan photographs in large batches. The shop scans everything and stores the digital files on a USB drive. Then you can simply download everything to your photo library at home. Then the shop returns the originals. Many mail-in scanning services, such as

Digmypics.com, make the process just as simple. You drop your photos in the mail, and they’re scanned and put on a DVD or a website in less than a week, all for about 30 cents per slide or 12 cents per photo. Then the originals are mailed back to you (you usually pay for shipping). Never throw out the originals, Barrett said. Even though your memories are more protected when they’re in digital format, hard drives and USB ports can be damaged and may need updating in the future. “It’s not like a vault,” Barrett said of the digital records. “It’s more like a garden you have to tend to.”

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45 years on the air

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By Robert Friedman Dear Mrs. Pagnotti, Thank you for the recent letter informing me about your son Tony who is on TV in Asheville, North Carolina. I am sure, as you stated, he is a talented, hard-working and handsome reporter. However, there are no appropriate job opportunities for him at CBS at this time. I wish him the best of luck. Regards, Walter Cronkite, September 1976 In spite of the answer the late mother of Tony Pagnotti got from the dean of all anchormen, the 22-year-old did not give up his television career. He went on to build it, mostly in Baltimore, for 45 years until his retirement last year at age 68. Television viewers in Baltimore and beyond will immediately recognize Pagnotti from his more than 30 years on the local airwaves via WMAR and Fox 45. Pagnotti covered the news, sat at the anchorman’s desk, and gave the weather reports, which included, to the delight of viewers, the day’s “hum-a-didity.” Though no longer on the air, Pagnotti has not fully ceased spreading the news as he knows it. A resident of Columbia, he now teaches at the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville. His course is called “the fundamentals of communication” — the same class he taught for a decade at the University of Maryland in College Park. Last year, Pagnotti published a book, My Scripted and Unscripted Life: A Memoir of a TV Newsman. In a recent interview with the Beacon, Pagnotti discussed his life on the air and at his writer’s desk, in and around Baltimore and other far-flung locales.

DIY if you have time Of course, people can save money by buying a scanner and doing it themselves. Basic slide or photo scanners cost less than $100. “It’s a simple process, but it’s very timeintensive,” Barrett said. Or consider a free local resource: The Baltimore County Public Library’s Reisterstown branch has a Preservation Station. Anyone with a library card can digitize audio tapes, videos, photos, floppy discs and 35 mm film negatives. Bring your own USB drive on which to save all the files, and call ahead to make an appointment at the Preservation Station (see number below).

Use your smartphone For an even faster method, capture your old photos by simply snapping a picture of them on your smartphone and storing the resulting digital images using a free cloud storage app. You can even use the edit feature on your phone to tweak the color or brightness. Same goes for that crumbling artwork from your child’s elementary school days or your old college degrees. If you can’t part with it, take a picture of it instead, then feel free to throw away (or recycle) the original. Handwritten notes or letters can also be preserved by taking a photo of them with a smartphone or digital camera. When it comes to handwritten letters, if you’d like to transcribe them, a good trick is to read the letter aloud using a smartphone app such as Otter, which transcribes audio. If any of your historic letters are related to wartime, consider donating them to the Center for American War Letters.

Preserve old photographs, slides and home movies by digitizing them. Choose an expert archivist or mail-in service — or do it yourself with your smartphone or the library’s scanning equipment.

Make your own book Whether you’ve paid a service to digitize your photos or scanned them yourself, consider creating a photo book. That’s a great way to incorporate these tuckedaway images into your daily life. Websites such as Shutterfly or Snapfish make it relatively easy to upload your digital photos and arrange them in an attractive hard- or soft-bound book at a reasonable price. (Sign up on their websites for notices of regular sales.) You’ll want to set aside several hours to make a book, as the process can be quite time-consuming for first-timers or perfectionists. “The nice thing about the coffee table book is that you can open it and read a few pages, and then come back to it when you’re having your morning coffee,” Barrett said. “The videos are wonderful, but [watching them] feels more like an event.”

Unique keepsakes For a unique tribute to a relative, tell their story or publish their photographs in newspaper format. Mitchell Weitzman, a Baltimore resident who launched a company called Legacy Times, writes custom articles about his client’s lives. Then he prints out the page on posterboard that resembles a real newspaper.

Weitzman meets with people in person or over the phone to ask questions so he can distill their lives into a front-page article. “What is the pivotal moment that you want to capture?” he asks them. “It could be somebody who invented something, or maybe they worked as a volunteer at a church or synagogue and got an award. That would be the headline, and that’s what I build the story around,” said Weitzman, who as a child liked to create mock newspapers. The final product, a 13-by-19-inch front page, includes real newspaper headlines from the same time period. Many other services exist to help you combine written or recorded memories and photos into a family biography or other keepsake, sometimes with the help of professional writers.

First steps Sound daunting? Try to find a few minutes to transfer your photographs from a shoebox, which contains acid, to leather binders or photo boxes, widely available at craft stores like Michaels or Joann Fabrics. “At the very least, get those photos out of those damaging conditions and into your living space,” Barrett advised. See BOX IN THE ATTIC, page B-4

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Beloved Baltimore news anchor and meteorologist Tony Pagnotti has been busy during his retirement writing a memoir about his decades on the airwaves. He’s most proud of those stories that “bring hope and a ray of sunshine into the doom and gloom of most everyday news,” he said.

Rockefeller Center. In what he called “an only-in-New York moment,” Pagnotti described what happened one day when he covered a train outage in a Manhattan subway station. As he started giving his live report amidst a crowd of stranded passengers, Pagnotti felt a hand reach into his back pants pocket for his wallet. As he recalled in his memoir, “With one big swoop of my elbow, I swung around and grabbed my wallet.” The would-be pickpocket scurried away up the subway stairs while Pagnotti finished his report to the TV viewers at home.

ered lots of “hard news,” like fires, murders and assorted mayhem, as well as lots of protests, politics and weather. But his favorite reporting was, and always will be, on what is known as human interest stories. “I’ve gotten the most satisfaction from ‘everyday people’ stories,” he said. “The world news has to be told. But a story about a little boy battling muscular dystrophy, or any feel-good story that brings hope and a ray of sunshine into the doom and gloom of most everyday news — that’s what was the most important story of the day for me.” Pagnotti started writing what became a

‘Everyday people’ stories The TV veteran noted that he has cov-

See TV JOURNALIST, page B-4

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A(nother) wake-up call Each spring, the Trustees of Social Secu- in worse shape. Its hospital and inpatient rity and Medicare publish an annual report doctor coverage is secure only through on the state of those programs. 2028. For the sixth consecuNews organizations duly antive year, the Trustees have swer what they seem to think is issued a warning to Congress the main question the public that “excess general revenue” asks: How long will the pro(that is, more tax dollars than grams remain “solvent?” That Congress wanted to allocate) is, when will there be a real risk will be required to maintain that either Medicare or Social that portion of Medicare. Security run out of sufficient Both of those statements funds to cover current costs? should be ringing alarm bells This question is pertinent and generating action in Connot only to older adults who FROM THE gress. Unless steps are taken are currently collecting So- PUBLISHER to address these, taxpayers cial Security or relying on By Stuart P. Rosenthal are going to have to pay Medicare for their health inmore, and Social Security and surance, but also to the rest of the taxpay- Medicare beneficiaries are going to get ing public on whose shoulders additional less. costs ultimately rest. I want to add another concern. I think we This year’s report was deemed to offer should also be asking about the status of “good news.” Social Security, overall, is be- Medicare Part B — the part of Medicare lieved to have sufficient funds to pay all that covers outpatient doctor visits, prevenscheduled benefits through 2035 (“one tive care and mental health services. year later than reported last year!”), after By design, the payroll taxes all Ameriwhich it could pay only 80% of benefits cans pay for Medicare, plus the premiums going forward. paid by the 64 million of us covered by Medicare Part A/hospital insurance is Medicare, only cover about half that pro-

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gram’s cost. General revenues — that is, our tax dollars — cover the balance. I suppose it’s “good news” that Part B is not in danger of insolvency, but that’s only because we can always raise taxes to cover the shortfall. FYI, last year, the contribution of tax dollars to Medicare Part B was approximately $428 billion, and the Trustees predict that, “due to the rapid growth of [Medicare Part B’s] cost” each year, it will place “steadily increasing demands on both taxpayers and beneficiaries.” Left unaddressed, these growing costs could soon start to undermine other federal spending priorities, not to mention our personal finances. Turning back to Social Security, it’s important to understand that this program also now relies on taxpayer-funded contributions. Social Security was designed to be a pay-as-you-go program, where contributions from the paychecks of all American workers (matched by their employers) would cover payouts to current retirees. From here comes the belief that we all have “earned” our Social Security. The reality, however, is somewhat different. First, back in the early years of Social Security, there were about 42 workers paying into the system for every retiree. Today there are only 2.7. Furthermore, Americans are generally living longer, while the birth rate has dropped. For all these reasons, the program stopped being pay-as-you-go back in 2016, and the amount of general revenues required to maintain it grows every year. In 2021, the Trustees report that taxpayers contributed $126 billion to Social Security, about 11% of total costs. That is also expected to rise over time. So where does all this leave us? For years now, the Trustees’ report, and related reports from organizations concerned about older adults and federal deficits, have urged Congress to take steps to put

Social Security and Medicare on more solid financial footing. This year’s “message to the public,” released with the Trustees’ report, concludes (as it generally has for a number of years now) with this: “Lawmakers have many policy options that would reduce or eliminate the longterm financing shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare. Taking action sooner rather than later will allow consideration of a broader range of solutions and provide more time to phase in changes so that the public has adequate time to prepare.” The problem isn’t that we don’t have any solutions. The problem is that our congressional representatives aren’t willing to take the steps to implement them. This is endemic to Congress, where any action would inevitably step on the toes of some constituents, costing the representatives votes here and now, while the shortfalls in benefits will only cause pain down the road — presumably during the tenure of a future congressperson. Another problem is that the slots for two “public Trustees” — who are appointed by the president and intended to represent the people, rather than the government — have not been filled since 2015. The absence of these trustees, who often serve as watchdogs for the public, dampens the pressure on both Congress and the president to do something. My advice: talk to your elected representatives (and preferred candidates) and let them know you want to see action on Social Security and Medicare, and that you won’t vote them out of office if they take responsible steps to fix these important programs. The power is in your hands. Don’t forget to vote!

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Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I have read many editorials addressing the Aduhelm dilemma, but yours (“Alzheimer’s drug saga,” From the Publisher, May) was by far the best, condensing information and common sense into a very understandable article. Your article is the first time that I have heard that CMS is considering rolling back the “Aduhelm premium increase.” It is troubling that a single drug, even if it works, can hold a multitrillion dollar operation hostage.

Thank goodness CMS brought some reason to the table and severely limited coverage for a drug that probably really doesn’t work even in a limited fashion. My family has dealt with Alzheimer’s, and I understand the enthusiasm for anything that will help even a little bit (as with many new cancer therapies). I just don’t believe this is one of them. I will continue to look for your publication. Jeffery Schul, MD Via email

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

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PAINFUL DIET What you eat can affect your body’s inflammation and chronic pain LICENSE LAPSE When to stop driving and how to convince older relatives to stop MEMORY AND BALANCE Johns Hopkins may be able to help you keep your balance SILENT DISEASE Early kidney disease has no symptoms, but simple tests can diagnose

Want to get genetic testing? First ask why By Robert H. Shmerling, MD When it comes to health and disease — and, of course, many other aspects of life — one thing is certain: genes matter. A single gene mutation can cause conditions such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. More often, multiple genes are involved in disease development, and they act in concert with nongenetic factors, such as diet or exercise, to affect disease risk. Several companies offer you the opportunity to look at your genes. But how might that help you from a health standpoint? And how do such tests differ from the genetic testing a doctor may recommend? Consider the example of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a condition in which multiple variants of several different genes lead to markedly high cholesterol. This greatly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems. FH affects about one in 300 adults, which means it isn’t rare. Among adults who have the most common genetic variants that cause it, heart attack or sudden cardiac death may occur in middle age. Children who have a double dose of a gene

variant linked to this condition may die of cardiovascular disease before age 20. Treatments to reduce the risk of complications, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, are available if a child or adult is known to have a mutation linked to FH.

Genetic testing is on the rise In recent years, there’s been a dramatic increase in genetic testing. It was nearly unheard of only a few decades ago. Now, you or someone you know has likely had genetic testing within the last year or two. And while healthcare providers can now order far more genetic tests for their patients than in the past, you don’t need a doctor’s order to request this. Testing companies like 23andMe, Ancestry.com and others are ready and willing to check your genes for variants associated with certain health conditions, as well as your family ancestry. In fact, spending on direct-toconsumer genetic testing is predicted to reach $2.5 billion within the next few years.

Sometimes, tests are lifesaving Is testing useful? For some people, the

answer is clearly yes. When performed accurately, genetic tests can uncover a disease or a tendency to develop certain conditions, and it can lead to close relatives getting tested as well. Preventive measures or treatment can be lifesaving. Here are four examples (though there are many more): Hemochromatosis. This is a genetic condition in which too much iron is absorbed from the diet. The extra iron can harm important organs like the heart and liver. Once a person is diagnosed, phlebotomy (blood removal, similar to what happens during blood donation) and avoiding iron supplements can prevent serious complications such as diabetes and liver failure. Prenatal testing. For people planning pregnancy or who are already pregnant, genetic testing is available to check for many conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome. Cancer. A number of genes are known to increase the risk of certain cancers. Testing may be especially important for people with a family history of these cancers. Per-

haps the most well-known are BRCA mutations, which increase the risk of breast, ovarian and several other types of cancer. People who don’t know their family’s medical history. A person who is adopted and has no information about family medical problems may learn from a test they are at increased risk of a preventable disease, such as heart disease or colon cancer. In these cases, knowing you might develop a condition or are a carrier can help direct medical care, and may inform life decisions or encourage you or other family members to consider genetic counseling.

Tests can be misleading In other cases, testing is problematic. Results of genetic testing may provide information you already know, may be unhelpful, or may even be misleading. For example, testing could reveal that you have a genetic mutation that rarely causes any health problems. Learning that you have this mutation may not help you — though it might alarm you. See GENETIC TESTING, page 4

What hearing aids can and cannot do By Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan The following is excerpted with permission from the book Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss. Putting a price on hearing is impossible, but the purchase of hearing aids often forces us to do exactly that. If you thought deciding to get a hearing aid was the hardest part of the whole process, it probably was! But now you need to focus on which one to get. Before deciding where to spend your resources, you need to understand what hearing aids can and cannot do. Hearing aids are modern miracle devices, but they are not a silver bullet.

Moderate your expectations People often expect hearing aids to “cure” their hearing problems, to correct hearing loss in the way that wearing glasses corrects vision. With these expectations, many people get a rude shock. Success with hearing aid technology depends on many factors, including the de-

gree and type of hearing loss, the presence of other hearing-related issues such as tinnitus, and the use of additional technical and non-technical communication strategies. Just as influential are personality, lifestyle and attitude. Hearing aids cannot replicate the body’s natural, perfect hearing ability. Because of this, they cannot: • deliver sounds as sharply as heard by the natural ear • read your mind — they amplify all sounds rather than just those you want to hear • distinguish among numerous simultaneous speakers • block out all unwanted background noise Hearing aids can: • improve speech comprehension, especially in a quiet environment • reduce (but not eliminate) listening effort and fatigue • improve personal speech clarity and volume (because you hear yourself better)

• assist with sound localization • mask or reduce the effects of tinnitus • connect to other devices to enhance communication • combine with non-technical strategies, such as lipreading, to improve speech comprehension Hearing aids vary in size, shape, color and how they fit in the ear. Decades of research and technological developments have gone into creating sleek and sophisticated devices that provide an increasingly improved sound experience. (Two must-have features in hearing aids are telecoils and streaming capability via Bluetooth, for instance.) This ongoing and innovative research is part of what makes the devices so expensive.

Do your research Choosing a hearing aid is like any serious, major purchase — what’s right for me might not be right for you. Although you will discuss the decision with an ex-

pert — your hearing care professional — doing some outside research is a good idea as well. Visit hearing aid review websites that show the full feature comparisons of different models and their accessories, and see what users are saying about the pros and cons of different devices. Reach out to your hearing loss peers or visit online social media groups to learn what features are most critical to other users. (Ignore the Negative Nelly types and focus on relevant feedback.) Then think about your lifestyle and the situations where enhanced hearing is most important to you. The intersection of these two is your sweet spot. Discuss your findings with your hearing professional — and together you can pick a winner! Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, by Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan, is available in bookstores and on Amazon. For more information, visit livingwithhearingloss.com/hearandbeyond.

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TAI CHI FOR BALANCE

Learn Tai Chi moves to improve your balance in a Zoom class hosted by Baltimore County on Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. There is a suggested $15 donation at the time of registration. For more information and to register, email theopalcenter@baltimorecountymd.gov or call (410) 887-3654.

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On the second Tuesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m., JCS Baltimore hosts a free virtual support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. For more information, visit jcsbalt.org/suicideloss/call or email Donna Kane at dkane@jcsbaltimore.org or (410) 843-7394.

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When tests are not reliable A study on testing for a genetic cholesterol disorder had some surprising results. This 2021 study published in JAMA Cardiology demonstrates how direct-toconsumer testing may be misleading. The researchers looked at genetic testing for familial hypercholesteremia. They compared the results from a comprehensive panel of genetic testing ordered by doctors (which included more than 2,000 gene variants) with results from the more limited genetic testing (24 variants) pro-

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Or, learning you’re at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease late in life may be more upsetting than useful, as there are currently no reliably effective preventive treatments. Genetic testing may have more than one kind of cost. A genetic test ordered by your doctor for a specific medical reason may be covered by your health insurance, but it’s unlikely that an over-the-counter test will be. And, as one company states on its website, “knowing about genetic risks could affect your ability to get some kinds of insurance.”

vided by 23andMe. Among more than 4,500 people tested for a medical reason, such as evaluating an unexpectedly high cholesterol level, the more limited testing would have missed important genetic variants for: —nearly 70% of study participants —nearly 94% of Black and 85% of Hispanic individuals —about a third of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals This suggests that a large number of people would be falsely reassured by the results of their genetic tests for FH if they relied on the type of screening offered by a popular over-the-counter product. And results may be particularly unreliable among persons of color. In many cases, it’s best to review your decision to have genetic testing with your doctor before having it done. You may choose to see a genetic counselor about the ramifications of testing before you jump in, and let your doctor do the testing, rather than ordering it yourself. Or, you may decide the best plan is no testing at all. Dr. Shmerling is a senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing. © 2022 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Low inflammation diet fights chronic pain

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In your diet, there are many foods to include and several to limit or avoid. Eat more: Whole grains; beans; nuts; seeds; soy; berries; cherries; yellow, orange, and red vegetables; Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions and garlic; salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines

F R E E

A review of studies on diet and chronic pain published in The Journal of Clinical Medicine found that sticking to a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, is linked to lower levels of markers of inflammation found in the blood. The Mediterranean diet is a plant-based diet, rich in whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes and fruits. These foods are all rich in nutrients that the immune system needs to function at its peak. The diet also includes olive oil and fatty fish, like salmon and sardines (rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a fat that has been found to ease inflammation). Eating a plant-based diet is not a quick fix or a cure-all for pain, but it could help and it certainly won’t hurt. In fact, sticking to a plant-based diet can offer even greater health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer. In other words, a diet to reduce your

What to eat, avoid

and mackerel; plain yogurt; spices, including cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, cayenne pepper; tea; dark chocolate. Eat less: Fruit juice; sugar-sweetened sodas; sweets, such as cakes, cookies, pastries, muffins, donuts, brownies, pies and puddings; processed meat, such as ham, bacon, sausage and lunch meat; fried foods. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition. © 2022 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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While research shows a connection between diet and pain, exactly how it works isn’t completely understood yet. However, it’s believed that a poor diet that’s high in saturated fats, sugar and highly processed foods that are low in nutrients can negatively affect your immune system, contributing to chronic inflammation which, in turn, can trigger pain. Some studies have even found that the immune system can react to an unhealthy diet in the same way it responds to an infection — with inflammation.

Diet prescription for pain

risk of experiencing pain due to inflammation can reduce your risk of several diseases and improve your overall health.

I N F O R M AT I O N

The diet/pain connection

Chemicals, such as cytokines, neuropeptides, growth factors and neurotransmitters, are produced by the body in response to your diet, and affect whether you experience pain, where you experience pain, and to what degree.

F R E E

By Densie Webb The idiom “you are what you eat” is well accepted when it comes to increasing or decreasing your risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer. But it may come as a surprise that research increasingly suggests that what you put on your plate can either increase or decrease pain that stems from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, bursitis and migraines, and can even potentially impact chronic lower back pain. That’s because pain, whether it’s acute or chronic, results from inflammation, and what you eat and drink can either stimulate or quell inflammation. In fact, research strongly suggests that your diet can contribute to inflammation throughout your body.

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JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

When a loved one ought to stop driving Dear Savvy Senior, behind the wheel when the time is right. What is the best way to deal with older drivers who probaTake a ride together bly shouldn’t be driving To get a clear picture of anymore? My dad, who’s your dad’s driving abilities, a 86, is bound and detergood first step, if you haven’t mined to keep driving as already done so, is to take a long as he’s alive. ride with him and watch for —Backseat Daughter problem areas. Dear Backseat, For example: Does he have For many families, talking difficulty seeing, backing up or to a parent about giving up changing lanes? Does he react the car keys can be very diffislowly, get confused easily or SAVVY SENIOR make poor driving decisions? cult and sensitive. While there’s no one way to By Jim Miller Does he drive at inappropriate handle this issue, here are a speeds, tailgate or drift befew suggestions that can help you evaluate tween lanes? your dad’s driving and ease him out from Also, has your dad had any fender ben-

ders or tickets lately, or have you noticed any dents or scrapes on his vehicle? These, too, are red flags. If you need some help and your dad is willing, consider hiring a driver rehabilitation specialist who’s trained to evaluate older drivers and provide safety suggestions. This type of assessment typically costs between $200 and $400. To locate a professional in your area, visit AOTA.org/olderdriver or ADED.net.

Take a class, have a talk After your assessment, if you think it’s still safe for your dad to drive, see if he would be willing to take an older driver refresher course. These courses will show him how aging affects driving skills, and offer tips and adjustments to help keep him safe. If your dad takes a class, he may also earn a discount on his auto insurance. To locate a class, contact your local AAA (AAA.com) or AARP (AARPdriversafety.org, 1-888-2277669). Most courses cost around $20 to $30 and can be taken online. If, however, your assessment shows that your dad really does need to stop driving, you need to have a talk with him. But don’t get carried away. If you begin with a dramatic outburst like, “Dad, you’re going to kill someone!” you’re likely to trigger resistance. Start by simply express-

ing your concern for his safety. The Hartford Financial Services Group and MIT AgeLab offer resources to assist you with talking to your dad and evaluating his driving. Visit TheHartford.com/ lifetime for the “We Need to Talk” guidebook.

If he refuses If your dad refuses to quit, you have several options. One possible solution is to suggest a visit to his doctor, who can give him a medical evaluation and, if warranted, “prescribe” that he stop driving. Older people will often listen to their doctor before they will listen to their own family. If he still refuses, contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles to see if they can help. Or call in an attorney to discuss with your dad the potential financial and legal consequences of a crash or injury. If all else fails take away his keys. Once your dad stops driving, he’s going to need other ways to get around, so help him create a list of names and phone numbers of family, friends and local transportation services that he can call on. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

Affordable Living for 62+ in the Heart of Towson Special Offer!

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If you’re 62 or over, call and apply.

410-324-7656 for more information

It is our policy to admit residents without regard to race, color, religion, sex handicap or national origin and any other federal, state or local fair housing protections. Note: Housing for Older Persons is exempt from the prohibitions against age or familial status.

Makes a great gift! | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

Couscous makes a quick, creamy ‘risotto’ By Christopher Kimball Classic risotto is made with starchy, medium-grain Italian rice, such as Arborio or carnaroli. It is toasted then cooked, sometimes slowly, over low heat as broth is ladled into the pan in stages. While the liquid absorbs, the cook stirs, stirs and keeps stirring. This “risotto,” from our book Cookish (which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor), uses pearl couscous (which actually is a pasta) and higher heat to produce “grains” with a rich, creamy consistency. Much as with rice, stirring releases starch from the couscous that thickens into a creamy sauce, and the “risotto” finishes in the time it takes to cook pasta. The wheaty flavor of pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous or ptitim) is a perfect match for grassy, subtly sweet asparagus and the salty, nutty flavor

of Parmesan cheese. We reserve the asparagus stalk and tip pieces separately; they’re added at different times because they cook at slightly different rates. Don’t use especially thick or particularly slender asparagus for this recipe; pencil-sized spears will be perfectly tender when the couscous is done.

Pearl couscous ‘risotto’ with asparagus Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 4 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces 1 medium yellow onion, chopped Kosher salt and ground black pepper 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 cup pearl couscous ¹/³ cup dry white wine 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces; reserve

BEACON BITS

July 39

TELL YOUR PANDEMIC STORIES

the stalks and tips separately 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve ½ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more to serve Directions: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Stir in the asparagus stalks and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then stir in the asparagus tips. Continue to cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the asparagus is tender, about another 2 minutes. Off heat, add the Parmesan, parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir until the butter melts. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan and parsley. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street includes a magazine, cooking school, TV and radio shows and bold, fresh recipes. Check Amazon or bookstores for the book Milk Street: Cookish: Throw It Together: Big Flavors. Simple Techniques. 200 Ways to Reinvent Dinner. —AP

Do your feet and hands tingle, prickle or feel numb?

In this workshop offered at the Hamilton Branch library on Sat., July 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., use journaling and writing exercises to capture your experiences of living through COVID-19. To register and learn more, visit bit.ly/PandemicWriting22.

CELEBRATING

Culin nar y A Arts M Month h

Try the innovative breakthrough at APEX Neuropathy and Pain Centers Find out if you are a candidate for our Regenerative Cell Therapy! • Do you have numbness, prickling or tingling in your hands and feet? • Lack of coordination and or falling? • Poor quality and overall lack of sleep? The treatment that is provided at APEX Neuropathy & Pain Centers has three main goals: 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate & repair damaged nerves 3) Decrease chronic pain The blood vessels will grow back around the nerves much like a plant’s roots grow when watered.

Join Keswick Wise W & Well as a local a chef shares delicious recip pes fo or summer sallads with us!

Date: Friday, July 22, 2 2022 • Time: 1::00 pm – 2:00 pm Live o or Virtual tual

Call the Wise & Well Center at 410.662.4363 to reg gister

Our Pain Management Specialist

The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person.

Kenneth A. Carle, M.D.

Dr. Carle has been in practice in Greater Baltimore since 1990 and has over 30 years of experience in helping patients relieve pain and/or reduce the suffering of chronic pain.

Schedule Your Appointment Today & Live Pain Free!

This can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation.

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JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS Studying connection between aging, falls

BALANCE AND MEMORY! J O H N S H O PK I N S U N I VE R S I TY

We are studying why falls and balance disorders occur in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia and how falls impact their lives.

Two-year observational study

Individuals 60+ may be able to join our research study. We take the burden of travel away from you by traveling to your home (if desired). We provide compensation up to $100 for our participants.

Approved October 25, 2021

For more information call 410-614-9825 Or email vhorta1@jhmi.edu

By Margaret Foster When it comes to dementia and falls, which comes first? Do people with dementia fall more often, or does falling down indicate dementia? Researchers at Johns Hopkins hope to find out. They’re conducting two studies this summer that will look at how dementia affects balance. “The same parts of your brain that control memory play a significant role in how you maintain your balance,” said Dr. Yuri Agrawal, principal investigator of the studies and professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Hopkins’ School of Medicine. Agrawal’s lab conducts research on the vestibular system (the inner ear’s balance system), according to its website, “and how the function of the vestibular system changes with aging. Particular focus is given to study how age-related changes in vestibular function influence mobility disability and fall risk in older individuals.”

DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: YURI AGRAWAL, MD APPLICATION NO.: NA_00087648

Trouble with balance? Falls? Afraid of falling? Three research studies investigating how and why people fall are currently enrolling test subjects. We seek: • Individuals 60-86 years old who have suffered an ischemic stroke and are able to walk • Individuals 60-86 years old who are free from neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease who have fallen two or more times in the past year Young healthy individuals 20-40 years old who have not fallen • For your participation you will receive • A health evaluation and fall risk assessment • Up to $100 in compensation • Free parking Please call 410-605-7179 and mention “BALRCH” These studies are being conducted in conjunction with the Veterans Health Administration VA Maryland Healthy Care System and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The first study is an obser vational study, meaning that the subjects don’t have to do anything such as swallow pills or keep a journal. Instead, Agrawal’s researchers will make in-home visits and keep in touch over the phone with participants for a period of two years. Participants must be 60 or older. Agrawal has seen his staff interact successfully with many older adults, she said. “It’s engaging,” she said. “We have a lot of young study staff. They’re a great group.”

Eight weeks of balance therapy The second trial underway this summer

is one that lasts eight weeks. Two thirds of Alzheimer’s patients fall every year, Agrawal said — that’s twice as many falls as experienced by healthy older adults. “Falls are difficult to prevent. We want to try a new app to see if we can reduce the risk,” Agrawal said. In this eight-week trial, researchers will determine “whether or not a specific kind of balance therapy can improve balance and prevent falls,” she said. In this day and age, that therapy is via computer, of course — or in this case, a tablet. Agrawal’s staff will give each participant a tablet and access to wi-fi. Anyone 60 and over with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s, is eligible to participate as long as they have someone to help them use the tablet, answer the phone, and fill out surveys. Through the tablet, Agrawal’s team has developed some exercises called vestibular therapy, a type of physical therapy. “We’ve made it so that it’s fully remote, because it’s hard for some people to get transportation,” she said. Only one in-person visit to the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus or the participant’s home is required. Agrawal’s hope is that the virtual therapy exercises can help prevent falls. “It’s an important public health issue,” she said of falls in older adults. “Right now, we’re watching and waiting. This is a more proactive approach.” Compensation is available for participants in both studies. For more information about the two-year observational study, call (410) 614-9825. To volunteer to participate in the two-month vestibular therapy trial, call (410) 502-2145.

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Makes a great gift! | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

08Nov2021_Talaat_16778_MOD1674_ Amendment Approved

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A SHINGRIX AND INFLUENZA VACCINE STUDY This research study aims to compare the safety of administering Shingrix (shingles vaccine)at the same time as FLUAD® or Fluzone® High-Dose influenza vaccines in older people

Who is eligible?

Time commitment

If you are 65 years or older, have not yet received a Shingrix (shingles) vaccine and have not received this year’s flu shot, you may be eligible for the study

This study occurs over 3.5 months with 4 clinic visits and 5 phone calls

Benefits to participating If you enroll you will receive the Shingrix and Influenze vaccines free of charge as well as earn up to $325

The PI for this study is Dr. Kawsar Talaat. All clinic visits will take place at the Center for Immunization Research site at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus, located at 301 Mason Lord Drive, Suite 4300, Baltimore, MD 21224

If you are interested in participating, please email JHSPH.projectSAVE@jhu.edu or call 410-955-7283

Fitness & Health | Subscribe online! See how on p. 18

JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Simple tests can ID silent kidney disease By Family Features When people are unexpectedly diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), their lives can be turned upside down. CKD, which is the gradual loss of kidney function, strikes Americans at a faster rate than any other non-contagious disease. When diagnosed early, kidney disease can often be treated so that it does not worsen into kidney failure (which can be fatal). However, with no symptoms in the early stages, CKD often goes undiagnosed

until the late stages. To survive with kidney failure, people must either receive a kidney transplant or start dialysis care, which involves a machine filtering their blood on a regular basis. The wait for a transplant can be three to five years or more, and 13 Americans die every day waiting to get off the kidney transplant waitlist.

No early symptoms Most people with kidney disease do not

Cognition And Metabolism in Prediabetes (CAMPS) Study ` Are you 50 years or older? ` Are you relatively healthy, without a diabetes diagnosis? If so, you may be eligible for a new research study in which you learn about your daily blood sugar fluctuations and cognitive abilities. Receive $100 for participating.

For information call 410-605-7179. Mention “CAMPS”

know they have it because they do not have any symptoms until their kidneys are badly damaged. The only way to know how well your kidneys are working is to get simple blood and urine tests, which a doctor can order at your annual physical. Testing is especially important if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. When caught and treated early, it is often possible to slow or stop the progression of kidney disease and avoid serious complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death.

Some at higher risk People of all races and ethnicities are equally likely to develop kidney disease; however, people of color are more likely to reach kidney failure. Black Americans make up just 13% of the U.S. population, but they account for 35% of Americans with kidney failure. Hispanic/Latino people are 1.5 times more likely to progress to kidney failure than non-Hispanic white people. Native Americans are twice as likely to

go into kidney failure as white Americans. Asian Americans are 1.3 times more likely to go into kidney failure. The higher risk for kidney failure in these communities is in part due to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as to a lack of access to timely preventative care. People in regions where there is a scarcity of healthcare resources can experience higher instances of kidney failure. An estimated 22% of people with kidney failure live in rural areas. People with later stage kidney disease who live more than 100 miles away from a dialysis center are more likely to die than people who live closer. As a patient, you have the right to understand everything about your health. Talk with your doctor about risk factors, testing options, prevention strategies and available treatment options. If you feel your concerns are not being heard, you have the right to get a second opinion. To learn more about kidney disease or improving health equity in kidney care, visit KidneyFund.org.

Send a letter to the editor. See page 2.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

Makes a great gift!

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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What can you do with boxes in the attic? Preserve, share good memories while downsizing

PHOTO © STEVE ALLEN | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Margaret Foster If you’ve ever tried to clear out your attic, basement or garage, you’ve likely unearthed treasures you’ll never be able to part with. Your wedding album, for one thing. Or yellowing scrapbooks, loose photographs, VHS tapes and slide carousels. What exactly should you do with these items that represent precious memories of a life well lived? How can you pass them on to children or grandchildren in a way that conveys their importance? First and most importantly, move your important memorabilia to protect it. “Attics, basements and garages are horrible places to store these things. If you have to integrate it into your living space, where it’s climate controlled, how do you do that?” asked Ronda Barrett, a former documentary maker based in Maryland. Barrett, who founded a company in 2006 called Honor Your Story, interviews everyday people, records them and creates films about their lives. “There’s nothing like capturing the glint in someone’s eye and hearing their voice and having that record,” Barrett said. In addition to filming mini-documentaries, Barrett also creates online archives for families. In effect, she helps clients organize and digitize family home videos and photos so they can store them on a website that’s accessible to all family members, no matter where they live. “It’s a place where everyone can add information about the photo and memories about it,” Barrett said.

Preserve old photographs, slides and home movies by digitizing them. Choose an expert archivist or mail-in service — or do it yourself with your smartphone or the library’s scanning equipment.

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JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Survey: How we feel about aging in place By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar The older you are, the less you fret about aging in your own home or community. That’s a key insight from a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which found that U.S. adults ages 65 or older feel much better prepared to “age in place” than those 50 to 64, who are mostly still in the final stretches of their working years. The poll also documented greater insecurity around aging in place for older Black and Latino Americans, the likely result of a deep-rooted wealth gap that markedly favors white people. Aging in one’s own home, or with family or a close friend, is a widely held aspiration, with 88% of adults 50 and older saying it’s their goal in an earlier AP-NORC poll. The outlook among those 65 or older is upbeat, with nearly 8 in 10 saying they’re extremely or very prepared to stay in their current home as long as possible. But doubts creep in for those ages 50 to 64. Among that group, the majority who rate themselves as extremely or very prepared

shrinks to about 6 in 10, according to the poll.

Concern over finances This relatively younger group is especially likely to say their financial situation is the main reason they don’t feel very prepared to age in place. Also, they’re also more likely to feel anxious about being able to stay in their communities, get care from medical providers, and receive backup from family members or close friends, the poll found. Part of it may be due to fear of the unknown among people who’ve relied on a paycheck all their lives. “When you’ve never done it before, and you are only going to do it once, you’re sort of flying by the seat of your pants,” said Leigh Gerstenberger, in his late 60s and retired from a career in financial services. “I spent a lot of time talking to people ahead of me in the journey,” he said. Also, people approaching their 60s may question if Social Security and Medicare will truly be there for them. Stacy Wiggins, an addiction medicine

nurse, figures she’ll probably work at least another 10 years, into her late 60s — and maybe part-time after that. Older friends are already collecting Social Security. “In my group, you wonder if it’s going to be available,” Wiggins said of government programs that support older people. “Maybe it’s not. You will find people who are less apt to have a traditional pension. Those are things that leave you with a lot of trepidation toward the future.” Some people now in their 50s and early 60s may still be dealing with the overhang of the 2007-09 recession, when unemployment peaked at 10% and foreclosures soared, said Sarah Szanton, dean of the Johns Hopkins University nursing school. For an aging society, the U.S. does relatively little to prepare older adults to navigate the transition to retirement, she observed. “As Americans, we’ve always idolized youth, and we’re notoriously underprepared for thinking about aging,” Szanton said. “It often comes as a surprise to people.”

Affordable housing an issue In the national poll, people 50 and older reported that their communities do an uneven job of meeting basic needs. While access to healthcare, healthy food and highspeed internet were generally rated highly, only 36% said their community does a good job providing affordable housing. Just 44% were satisfied with access to transportation and to services that support older people in their homes. Kym Harrelson-Pattishall is hoping that as more people retire to her coastal North Carolina community, healthcare facilities and other services will follow. As it stands now, a major medical issue can involve a car trip of up to an hour to the hospital. A real estate agent in her early 50s, Pattishall shares the goal of aging at home, but her confidence level is not very high. “I think it would just eat away what savings

LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

I have,” she said. It’s all about adjusting, said another smalltown resident, about 20 years older than Pattishall. Shirley Hayden lives in Texas, near the Louisiana border and on the track of hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico. She says she has no investments and only modest savings, but she rates herself as very prepared to continue aging in place. “You have to learn to live within your means,” Hayden said. “I don’t charge things I can’t afford to pay for. My biggest thing I have to work around as far as expenses is insurance.” Not so easy to work around is the well-documented racial wealth gap that constrains older Black people in particular. A Federal Reserve report notes that on average Black and Latino households own 15% to 20% as much net wealth as white households. In the poll, 67% of Black Americans and 59% of Latino Americans ages 50 and older said they felt extremely or very prepared to stay in their homes as long as possible, compared with the 73% share of white Americans saying they feel confident. Wiggins, the nurse quoted above, is Black and says it’s a pattern she’s familiar with. “Part of it is generational wealth,” she said. “I have friends who are white, whose dad died and left them settled. I have friends who are Black whose parents died, and they left enough to bury them, but nothing substantial.” AP Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson and Polling Reporter Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report. The AP-NORC poll of 1,762 adults age 50 and older was conducted between February 24 - March 1 with funding from The SCAN Foundation. It used a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based Foresight 50+ Panel of adults age 50 or older, which is designed to represent the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. —AP

LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

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Charlestown 1-800-222-9651

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

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Experience Vibrant Living at Oak Crest A warm, welcoming environment. Modern apartment homes with contemporary finishes. Resort-style amenities. Clubs and activities for engaged living. All of this and more awaits you at Oak Crest, a beautiful 87-acre senior community nestled in Baltimore County. You’ll enjoy maintenance-free living with a predictable Monthly Service Package that includes virtually all services. Our 90% Refundable Entrance Fee* provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones. And should you ever need them, advanced care options are available right on campus. We’d love to send you a free brochure and answer your questions. Please call 1-800-333-5693 today.

The Best of Everything is at Charlestown Experience the finest in maintenance-free senior living at our beautiful 110-acre campus. You’ll enjoy resort-style amenities, clubs and activities, delicious dining, and services that promote your health and well-being, including on-site medical care for every stage of your life. Our stylish apartment homes feature modern finishes and floorplans to suit every need. Our predictable Monthly Service Package takes the guesswork out of managing your expenses, because almost everything is included. And our 90% Refundable Entrance Fee* means your legacy is protected. Call 1-800-222-9651 to request your free brochure or to arrange an in-person or virtual tour.

*Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the entrance fee refund

*Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the Entrance Fee Refund.

Makes a great gift! | Housing Options

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

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When your kids make your home theirs By Ted Anthony Should the hanging from Thailand stay on the living-room wall where it has lived since I was born? Should we lay out the family room as it was when I was 8, when I was 17 or in a completely new configuration? Should we leave my mother’s spice rack on the north wall of the kitchen? What about the spices? When you live in a house passed down over generations, deep-time design opportunities lurk around every corner. There are so many ways to blend past and present. And the weight of history can rise up and knock you down at the most unexpected moments. In 2007, we moved into the midcentury modern house that my parents built in 1965 — and that I came home to as a dayold infant in the spring of 1968. It was a split level, and it showed. Upstairs, my mother’s Scandinavian-design sensibilities ruled, with clean lines and blond wood everywhere. Downstairs, my father’s purview, was cluttered with books and framed stamps and record albums and musical instruments. When my parents left, they moved to a retirement community with some clothes, some furniture, some files, a television and little else. Behind they left 42 years of life’s possessions — things accumulated locally, things gathered during extensive international

travels, things we were overjoyed they saved, things everyone agreed should have been thrown out. It was up to us to add their distinctiveness to our own. But how?

Best of both worlds My wife, the one with the finely honed sensibilities, recognized in her kindness that what for her was an act of design was, for me, an encroachment upon good memories. It probably didn’t help that, when she did something like move a stack of bowls from one cabinet to another, she might encounter me in the doorway shouting, “YOU’RE DESTROYING MY CHILDHOOD!” I was joking. Sort of. Eventually, some decorating patterns emerged. Some were deliberate, others either inadvertent or executed quietly to avoid discord. — Existing furniture items were replaced with new ones more congruent with our sense of design, but they stayed in the same places. This occasionally lent locations like the living room the sense of an Ikea design showroom, where the layout was exactly the same as decades ago except that, say, the Kibik had suddenly been replaced by the Vallentuna. — My wife’s increasing proclivity for building industrial-style furniture using stained lumber, metal piping and flanges created an

increasingly unified look for the house. But more often than not, many of the items displayed on these spanking-new-but-vintagelooking shelves were carefully curated from my parents’ collection. Best of both worlds. — Certain things were sacrosanct. That hanging mentioned above stayed right where it had been since Lyndon Johnson was president. But the blank wall around it sprouted with our maritally acquired stuff: cabinets from China, a soda-pop crate from 1940s eastern Pennsylvania, a Thai spirit house from our years in Bangkok. The items of a previous generation became centerpieces for the design musings of the next. Similarly, a Chinese throw rug purchased by my parents in 1980 became the perfect accessory for a circular coffee table we got in Thailand — one made by fusing wood to the steel wheel of a massive Thai truck.

Necessary compromises I have a patient wife; this much should be said. Someone with as many great ideas as she has about how a house should look is a patient partner indeed when confronted with these emotionally freighted details. But what we have now, 15 years into living here, is something of a design detente. She (as she has been from the beginning) is accommodating to the sometimesannoying fingers of the past when they

reach into present-day discussions about, say, what color paint to use in the kitchen or what kind of light fixture is best for the upstairs hallway. I, in turn, have learned to be open to new things. The result: a home that summons the past without getting lost in it, and the promise that, if something new and innovative is possible, it doesn’t get shot down just because history says so. My parents are long gone now; our home stands as, among other things, a tribute to them and what they gave us. But I close with an anecdote from the years immediately after 2007, when they moved out and we moved in. In that time, as our decidedly less minimalist aesthetic started to prevail, my parents would come over for dinner often. We always worried that my mother would blanch at the clutter and the usurping of her clean lines. Instead, she’d sit by our newly installed “Family History Wall” — a busy concoction that came from our aesthetic, not hers — and invariably express her delight. “It’s not the same as when we lived here,” she’d say, “but I love it just as much.” She’d add: “This will always feel like our home, but I love that it’s your house now.” In trying to blend the sensibilities of multiple generations and the emotions that come with them, that’s about the best outcome I can imagine. —AP

Age in Place with Confidence Would you like the ability to age in your own home, on your own terms, for your lifetime? Join us at one of our FREE educational seminars:

Friday, July 29th 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. At the Sheraton Baltimore North 903 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson, MD

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TV journalist From page 1 publishable manuscript 10 years ago as a required thesis for a Master’s Degree in Communications, which he earned at the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore. “I returned to school at age 55,” he said, noting that he wanted a master’s degree so that he could continue to follow his other career of teaching the up-and-coming generation how to communicate in an increasingly confusing world. His master’s thesis evolved into a very human personal history that covers the ups, downs and other movements in the life of a TV journalist.

Chasing ratings Pagnotti’s memoir doesn’t read as one

JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

written by a cockeyed optimist, especially when he describes contract renewal time at various TV stations. Did Ted Koppel and David Brinkley in the past, or Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper now, have to go through the oftenugly contract negotiations and other wrangling with management that Pagnotti describes in his book? “Television is filled with business people looking out for the ‘product,’” he said. “Everything depends on ratings. You can be on the top of the world one day; then, if your ratings go down, you go in the other direction.” Pagnotti recognized that “feel good” stories were not a high priority for the top brass at stations. “I didn’t enjoy doing fires, murders and the like,” Pagnotti said. “But I knew it

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Today’s ‘smorgasbord of news’ While he might have run into disputes with station managers, viewers were in Pagnotti’s camp all the way, according to Jamie Costello, one of WMAR-TV’s leading newsmen. In a foreword to Pagnotti’s book, Costello calls Pagnotti “one of the best TV personalities Baltimore has ever seen,” adding, “This man could make you laugh, cry, sing and dance…in the same story.” Now that Pagnotti is retired from the TV

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July 19

came with the reportorial territory. “I found the one way to avoid those hardnews assignments was to come up with enterprising feature stories. But it wasn’t an easy sell. When you’re up against the gatekeeper mentality, if it bleeds, it leads.”

UNDERSTANDING CREDIT

In this free workshop offered by Enoch Pratt Free Library and Invest York Road, learn how to obtain credit reports, examine credit scores and build credit. This event takes place Tues., July 19 at noon at the Govans branch, 5714 Bellona Ave. Call (410) 396-6098 or visit bit.ly/CreditWorkshopGovans to learn more.

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance…

From page B-1 And use a pencil to jot down a date or name on the edge of each photo, she said. “I can’t stress how important it is to capture what you know about an image — identifying who, what, where and when if possible. “We all know the thrill of seeing a photo of an ancestor and searching for family resemblances,” Barrett said. “But to see a photo of your great grandfather from 1922 in front of the store where he worked as a stock boy and eventually purchased and

newsroom, from where and from whom does he get his news? Well, he admitted, “comparatively fewer people are watching the traditional network newscast now. There are so many ways to get the news, so many sources.” “Now,” Pagnotti said, “you have to be strategic to be well-informed. You can’t just watch Fox or CNN or MSNBC. There’s still newspapers, there’s on-line streaming, there’s radio. “Nowadays, to stay informed, you need a smorgasbord of news.” Pagnotti’s memoir is available on Amazon. He will read from the book and sign copies at the Catonsville Senior Center on July 12 at 1 p.m., Seven Oaks Senior Center in Perry Hall on August 12 at 10:30 a.m., and East Columbia 50+ Center in Columbia on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m

ran the business himself tells us something else about the legacy from which you descend. “Those details shape the stories of what we know is possible, what our roots have shown us we can overcome and what we can achieve.” To get started, contact: Center for American War Letters: (714) 532-7716, warletters@chapman.edu Honor Your Story: (301) 395-5989 Legacy Times: (410) 343-9302 National Photo: (410) 486-2006 Preservation Station at Reisterstown branch library: (410) 887-1165

24 locations for older adults in Maryland, including the Jenkins Senior Living Community Conveniently located near I-95 in southwest Baltimore, the 25-acre Jenkins Campus offers skilled nursing, assisted living, adult day services and supportive, affordable apartment living with beauty and greenery out each window — and a spectacular view of the Baltimore skyline.

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227. You may return this coupon together with the response coupon on page 5 of this issue. Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ E-mail______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________ Phone ______________________________________________________

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Services help you downsize and relocate Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any businesses or services that specialize in helping people downsize and relocate? I need to find some help moving my mother from her four-bedroom home — where she’s lived for nearly 50 years — to an apartment near me. —Overwhelmed Daughter

worth of stuff and a lifetime of memories. Fortunately, there’s a specialized service available today that can help make your mom’s move a lot easier for her, and for you.

Senior move managers

To help your mom get packed up and moved into her new home, you should consider hiring a “senior move manSAVVY SENIOR ager.” These are trained orDear Overwhelmed, ganizers (not moving compaBy Jim Miller The process of downsizing nies) who assist older people and moving to a new home is a big job for with the challenges of relocating. They can anyone, but it can be especially over- minimize the stress of this major transition whelming for those who are moving from by doing most of the work for you. a long-time residence filled with decades’ A senior move manager can help your

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mother pare down her belongings, decide what to take and what to dispose of, recommend charities for donations, and help sell her unwanted items. They can even create a customized floor plan of her new home so your mom can visualize where her belongings will fit. Senior move managers can also get estimates from moving companies, oversee the movers, arrange the move date, supervise the packing and unpacking, help set up her new home, have the old house cleaned, and just about anything you need related to her move. If you want to do some of the work yourself, you can pick and choose only the services you want. For example, you may only want a move manager’s help with downsizing and selling excess furniture and unwanted belongings, but plan on doing the actual packing and moving yourself. The cost of working with a senior move manager will vary depending on where you live, the services you want and size of the move. Generally, you can expect to pay somewhere between $60 and $125 per hour or more, not including the cost of movers.

How to find one To locate a senior move manager in your area, visit the National Association of

You Belong At Home. We can help you stay there. v Handyman & Home Maintenance Service v Health and Wellness Concierge v Transportation Support v Groceries and Medication Access v Wise & Well Center for Healthy Living Membership v Home Assessment v Personal Balance/Falls Risk Screening Screening v Peace of Mind

Senior Move Managers website at NASMM.org or call 1-877-606-2766. The NASMM is a trade association with an accreditation program that requires its members to abide by a strict code of ethics that ensures integrity. They currently have around 1,000 members. You can also search Caring Transitions (CaringTransitions.com), which is the largest senior relocation and transition services franchise in the U.S. They currently have nearly 200 franchises throughout the country. But before you hire one, be sure you ask for references from previous clients and check them. Check with the Better Business Bureau too. Also, find out how many moves they have actually managed and get a written list of services and fees. And make sure they’re insured and bonded. Another option is to hire a certified professional organizer who specializes in downsizing and relocating. To find one, check the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, which has a searchable database on its website at NAPO.net. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior.

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B-7

Many types of workers provide home care Courtesy of the ALS Association “Home care” is a simple phrase that encompasses a wide range of health and social services. Here’s a review of the various types of workers who could be on your home support team:

not support the delivery of healthcare. There are no federally-mandated training requirements for personal care aides, although some states or employers may require personal care aides to complete a training program.

Assistive care providers

Home health aides

Assistive care is non-medical supportive care. The services provided by assistive care personnel can range from helping with personal care (e.g., bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting and moving) to light housekeeping, grocery shopping and preparing meals. Some assistive care providers are also able to provide limited assistance with medications. Assistive care providers may have different titles, including personal care aide (PCA), home health aide (HHA), and certified nurse assistant (CNA). Although the job responsibilities may be similar, there are differences among the three in terms of training requirements and the tasks they are legally permitted to do.

Home health aides assist clients with personal care tasks (such as bathing and dressing), light housekeeping tasks (such as laundry and vacuuming), and tasks related to preparing and serving meals (such as grocery shopping and cooking). They may also provide some basic healthcare-related services — such as measuring vital signs, administering medications, or assisting with medical equipment — under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional. Although formal training is not required to become a home health aide, home health aides who work for a Medicare-certified home health agency must be certified. To achieve certification, a home health aide candidate must complete a minimum of 75 hours of formal training and pass the state’s certification examination. Home health aides who do not work for Medicare-certified home health agencies may only be required to complete an employer’s on-the job training program.

Personal care aides Personal care aides provide personal care in addition to other services, such as cleaning, running errands, preparing meals, and arranging for transportation. Unlike home health aides and certified nurse assistants, personal care aides do

Certified nursing assistants Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) assist with the delivery of nursing care by performing basic nursing tasks under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN). Examples of basic nursing tasks include helping with personal hygiene and grooming, assisting with toileting, helping clients to move from place to place, helping clients to eat, changing bed linens, measuring vital signs, and assisting with rangeof-motion exercises and other therapies. Some certified nurse assistants receive additional training that allows them to assist with medications or other more advanced nursing procedures. Certified nursing assistants who work in the home setting may also perform light housekeeping duties related to maintaining a clean environment or ensuring proper nutrition (e.g., laundry, meal preparation).

Ongoing

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Skilled care providers, such as nurses and therapists, often are part of the home healthcare team. In addition to providing direct care, skilled care providers may be involved in overseeing the care you receive and managing other care providers. Generally speaking, the tasks that skilled care providers perform are those that require specialized knowledge and advanced training to do safely. In our next Housing & Home Care section, we will describe the different types of agencies where you can hire home care providers. Excerpted with permission from the ALS Association.

CAREER HELP FOR VETERANS On Thursdays through Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a special-

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B-8

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The Invention of the Year The world’s lightest and most portable mobility device Once in a lifetime, a product comes along that truly moves people. Introducing the future of battery-powered personal transportation . . . The Zinger. Throughout the ages, there have been many important advances in mobility. Canes, walkers, rollators, and scooters were created to help people with mobility issues get around and retain their independence. Lately, however, there haven’t been any new improvements to these existing products or developments in this field. Until now. Recently, an innovative design engineer who’s developed one of the world’s most popular products created a completely new breakthrough . . . a personal electric vehicle. It’s called the Zinger, and there is nothing out there quite like it. “What my wife especially loves is it gives her back feelings of safety and independence which has given a real boost to her conﬁdence and happiness! Thank You!” –Kent C., California The first thing you’ll notice about the Zinger is its unique look. It doesn’t look like a scooter. Its sleek, lightweight yet durable frame is made with aircraft grade aluminum. It weighs only 47.2 lbs but can handle a passenger that’s up to 275 lbs! It features one-touch

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folding and unfolding – when folded it can be The Zinger folds to a mere 10 inches. wheeled around like a suitcase and fits easily into a backseat or trunk. Then, there are the steering levers. They enable the Zinger to move forward, backward, turn on a dime and even pull right up to a table or desk. With its compact yet powerful motor it can go up to 6 miles an hour and its rechargeable battery can go up to 8 miles on a single charge. With its low center of gravity and inflatable tires it can handle rugged terrain and is virtually tip-proof. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life. Why take our word for it? Call now, and find out how you can try out a Zinger of your very own.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

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What’s behind the rise in gas prices? See story on page 13.

What are the safest places to invest now? Many who have invested in various forms tional new investments in bond funds/ETFs of bond funds have been disappointed to see with long maturities at this time. that, despite receiving regular Investments in short-term interest payments, the value of bond alternatives will have their investment has decreased lower risk, but also lower yields. significantly in 2022. I have received quite a bit of Certificates of deposit Many readers have asked mail from readers asking whether this is a good time to whether they should bail out of be reinvesting proceeds from bond funds and instead make maturing CDs and funds from new investments in moneysavings accounts with low market funds, CDs or I bonds. yields into new CDs. Here are some consideraTHE SAVINGS As the Fed increases intertions you should take into ac- GAME est rates, banks and credit count: By Elliot Raphaelson unions will likely offer higher rates on CDs. I expect interest rates on Bond funds The Federal Reserve has indicated that CDs to increase gradually, so it would be for the rest of the year it will raise interest prudent to invest in shorter-term CDs rates several times in order to curb inflation. now. As interest rates increase, you can inAs a result, if you have investments in vest in longer-term CDs. One of the advantages of investing in bond mutual funds or exchange-traded funds with long maturities, it’s likely in the short CDs as opposed to bond funds now is that, run that the net asset value (NAV) of your inas you redeem your CD at maturity, your vestments will decrease and that, even with principal is safe. In contrast, there is no regular interest reinvested, the total value of guarantee that new investments in bond funds, even in Treasury instruments, will your holdings may decrease in value. For that reason, I don’t recommend addi- not decrease in value in the short term.

Money market funds If your main objective is to stay liquid while protecting your capital, you can invest in money market instruments. However, with inflation likely to stay at high levels in the short run, the returns you receive will not keep pace with inflation.

I bonds (inflation-protected bonds) As I have written in many recent columns, investing in Series I bonds has a significant advantage now, as well as one disadvantage that I don’t think is significant. The major advantage is the high rate of return with no capital risk. For the six months starting May 2022, I bonds will be paying 9.62% in interest. After October, there will be a new rate, based on the updated consumer price index. Although the next new six-month rate may be lower than 9.62%, you can be sure that the rate of return will be higher than the return from CDs or money-market instruments. Individuals can purchase up to $10,000 each calendar year and they must be bought through the U.S. Treasury at TreasuryDirect.gov. Married couples can invest $20,000 per year. In addition, you can invest an addi-

tional $5,000 per year using a tax refund. The main disadvantage of investing in I bonds is liquidity. Once you purchase an I bond, you can’t sell it for 12 months; if you do sell it in less than five years, you lose three months of interest. You cannot lose money on your investment in I bonds. When you compare investing in I bonds to investing in CDs, savings accounts and money-market instruments, I bonds stand out as a superior choice for conservative investors (as long as you can accommodate the one-year holding period).

Treasury bills and notes For short-term investments, you can purchase Treasury bills directly from TreasuryDirect.gov without a brokerage account. You can invest in bills that mature in six or 12 months. The recent rate for sixmonth bills was almost 1.5%, and the 12month rate was 2.07%. Another option is the two-year Treasury note yielding 2.71% as of the time of publication. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2022 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Down market suggests Roth conversion By Andrew Rosen While a down market may not be a fun time for investors, there are some bright spots and opportunities to be had. Stock market drops like we’ve seen recently might make a Roth IRA conversion more appealing as a strategy for investors. Should you consider converting a traditional IRA to a Roth during a down market? There are a few things to consider. When you have a traditional IRA, those are pre-tax dollars that you’re investing.

While the money grows tax-free in the IRA, when you later go to take a withdrawal, every dollar you pull will be taxed at your current rate for income (not capital gains). With a Roth IRA, you invest alreadytaxed dollars, which not only grow tax-free in the Roth, but are tax-free (along with any gains) whenever you withdraw them, as long as you are at least 59½ and follow a few other rules. So, there is a lot of value to a Roth. However, when you convert a traditional IRA to

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a Roth, you need to turn those pre-tax IRA dollars (and any gain to date) into post-tax Roth dollars at the time. That means when you trigger a Roth conversion, you’ll be responsible for paying that year the tax due on any pre-tax contributions or earnings within the traditional IRA.

Conversions in a down market When the market has dropped, it’s likely your IRA value has dropped along with it. Since the value of your IRA has gone down, you’ll be paying less taxes on the current value than you would have a few months ago when the market (and your IRA’s value) were higher. That suggests you can probably convert a larger portion of your IRA in a down market than you could in years when the market is up. It’s important to work with both a financial adviser and your tax professional to determine not only the amount of tax you’ll owe during the year that you perform the Roth conversion, but also how long it would potentially take you to break even.

Pros of a Roth conversion Converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth has many potential benefits for investors. As noted above, because a Roth IRA allows for dollars to grow tax-free, all the growth is also tax-free. There are also no RMDs, or required minimum distributions, on a Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA or 401(k), you have a set minimum you must withdraw each year once you hit the age of 72, but Roth

IRAs do not have this requirement. Tax rates are still relatively low, historically, which means now is as good of a time as any for a Roth conversion, from a tax perspective. Another benefit of having a Roth IRA is that it gives you a different “bucket” of income to pull from in an effort to keep your taxes as low as possible during retirement. Roth IRAs also benefit your spouse and heirs at inheritance time, as the tax-free benefits pass along to them in various ways, depending on the time limit and amount, and their relationship with you, the deceased.

A few cautions Roth IRA conversions have other costs. There’s the five-year rule, where you must wait five years after a conversion before making a withdrawal or else you could incur a 10% penalty. Keep in mind that this fiveyear rule only applies to those who are younger than 59½. Triggering a Roth conversion will also increase your adjusted gross income (AGI) that year, which could increase your tax rate that year and possibly affect other issues, such as raising the cost of Medicare premiums (which go up for those with higher AGIs). The best way to determine if a Roth conversion is the right move for you during the down market is to work with a financial adviser and a tax professional so you can get feedback on your specific financial situation. © 2022 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What is making the price of gas so high? By Jim Patterson As gasoline prices keep climbing, many frustrated drivers might be asking, “Who controls gas prices?” The short answer is: No one person, company or government can really be said to set gas prices. But it is possible to break down some of the major factors that go into determining the cost of a gallon of gas. Let’s take a look.

briefly turned negative because global oil demand fell so fast that oil storage facilities filled up with unwanted oil. Since then, global oil demand has come roaring back, but global oil output has been slower to recover from the cuts that OPEC and many energy companies implemented. Unfortunately, there’s little sign of oil prices dropping much, which makes it hard to say when gas prices will go down.

Crude oil The Department of Energy has a handy chart that breaks down the major expenses involved in turning crude oil in the ground into the refined gas you can put in your car. The biggest, accounting for a bit more than half the price you pay, is the price of crude oil — the raw material from which gas is refined. Unfortunately, the price of that raw material has been on a tear for over a year now, bringing gas prices higher with it. West Texas Intermediate crude now trades for about $110 per barrel. A year ago, it was only $65 per barrel. In 2020, during the depths of the recession caused by COVID-19, WTI prices

Taxes The next biggest factor determining gas prices, according to the Department of Energy, is gas taxes — specifically, the state, local and federal taxes levied on fuel. No one loves paying taxes, but they can’t be blamed for the recent run-up in gas prices. The 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal tax on gas hasn’t been increased in about three decades. Some states, including Maryland, actually cut or suspended their own gas taxes briefly in an attempt to give motorists some relief. Sadly, those reductions haven’t done anything to keep the average price of gas from hitting new records.

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means bigger profit margins for those that remain in operation, now that demand is strong. If you want to share in some of those profits as an investor instead of just funding them as a driver, consider Valero, Phillips 66 or PBF Energy stocks. Maybe they will provide some comfort during your next expensive fill-up. [Ed. Note: Or invest in solar or wind energy.] © 2022 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Other factors The remaining factors controlling gas prices are a mix of related costs: refining crude into gasoline and other fuels, transporting it to stations by pipeline and truck, and marketing it. This bucket of costs includes refiners’ profits on turning barrels of oil into barrels of gasoline, and these days, those profits are soaring. Some refineries closed due to the slump in fuel demand during the pandemic, which

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Apps address end-of-life planning issues By Liz Weston Before the pandemic, entrepreneurs Liz Eddy and Alyssa Ruderman had trouble getting venture capitalists to invest in their endof-life planning app, called Lantern. Potential business partners were skeptical as well. “We would hear, ‘Oh, this is really a niche issue,’ which I think is pretty hilarious,” Eddy said. “Death is quite literally the only thing on the planet that affects every single person.” The past two years have highlighted the importance of such preparation, even for younger people. Abigail Henson, a 31-yearold college professor in Phoenix, said she started using Lantern about 18 months ago to plan her funeral, tell her executor where to find her passwords, and explain what she wanted to be done with her social media accounts. “I’m a planner, and I have control issues,

so the idea of being able to have a say in what happens following my passing was appealing,” Henson said. Planning for death and navigating life after a loss can be difficult, complex and sometimes expensive. However, several apps — including Lantern, Cake, Empathy and Everplans, among others — promise to help.

How the apps work Death-planning apps typically have free tools for consumers, and most have additional premium services available for a fee. For example, Empathy’s free offerings include checklists, articles and collaboration tools for family members. Those who pay a subscription fee of $8.99 a month or $64.99 per year can access a document vault and automated tools to close accounts. Subscribers also get around-the-clock access to “care special-

ists” who can answer questions and help users search for specialized advisers, such as attorneys or tax pros. Everplans, a document-storage site and app, offers a free trial followed by an annual $75 subscription fee. Lantern’s free offerings include basic preplanning tools, an after-loss checklist, document storage and collaboration tools. A one-time $149 fee provides access to more resources and the ability to create additional plans. Cake’s free features include end-of-life planning, online memorials, a post-loss checklist and document storage. A $96 annual subscription buys unlimited storage, a legal online will, and one-on-one consultations with the app’s support team, said Suelin Chen, Cake’s co-founder. Some apps partner with employers, insurers, banks and other companies that

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provide the app’s features to employees or customers as a benefit. The apps also may earn referral fees for connecting users with service providers. Lantern has a “Funeralocity” tool to search for funeral homes, for instance, and Cake partners with Eterneva, which turns cremated remains into diamonds.

Plan at your own pace Henson chose Lantern because she wanted to complete preplanning tasks at her own pace and share them online with trusted people. That felt more manageable than tackling estate planning all at once and storing the documents in a filing cabinet, which is what her mother has done, Henson said. “It can be really overwhelming to think about it in one sitting. But the idea that, every once in a while, you can pop in and add more is helpful,” Henson said. People shouldn’t rely on apps to do all their estate planning, said certified financial planner and physician Carolyn McClanahan of Jacksonville, Florida. Wills and trusts, for example, are tricky to draft and best done by experienced attorneys, she said. But McClanahan likes apps that help with tasks such as funeral instructions, advanced care directives, pet care plans and obituary drafts. “Anything that can get people to start thinking about planning for end of life is good,” McClanahan said.

Thinking about your legacy Planning for your death can be a tremendous gift to the people you leave behind, sparing them confusion and stress. But dealing with death’s aftermath can still be a heavy load, made even more complicated by grief. Families often spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on post-death tasks, said Ron Gura, Empathy’s co-founder and CEO. Those chores can include arranging the funeral, probating the estate, closing accounts, canceling services and dealing with various government agencies, including Social Security and the IRS. Apps allow people to answer a few questions and get personalized advice. “We can show you only the things that you need to do right now, and also tell you what can wait,” Gura said. The apps focus on practicalities, such as completing tasks and uploading important documents. But many also encourage users to think about their legacies. Everplans, for example, has a worksheet to help people create an ethical will — a document that communicates their values, life lessons and most important experiences. Everplans also has templates and guidance for writing letters and creating videos with a legacy message. Cake’s Chen said people often ask her if running a death-planning app is depressing. Quite the opposite, she said. “It really gets at the core of what makes life meaningful,” she said. “I am reminded every single day to make the most of the time that I have.” —AP/NerdWallet

BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

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Hawaii’s green island soothes the mind mile south. The path is delineated by a low wall of volcanic black rock leading all the way to the ocean. Walking this trail at dawn, listening to the morning songs of the birds, passing open meadows and patches of forest with tiny yellow birds (saffron finches) flitting about, and watching a slow, sweet sun rising, was my favorite morning treat. At the end of the path, you can get a latte at a coffee shop or check out the Whalers General Store. Across the street, walking through the Kiahuna Plantation Resort with its orchid garden and fish pond, you’ll find Poipu Beach. Thankfully, local laws guarantee free beach access to all. If you are up for it, you can connect with a surfing instructor there who will take you out past the reef and teach you to surf Hawaiian-style. In February, the weather was perfect, with highs in the 70s. The ocean was still chilly for me, but my family found Poipu Beach great for swimming and snorkeling. They saw eels, multicolored fish and a whale far off in the distance, its plume marking its route. A monk seal clambered up the beach and made itself comfortable next to us. Later in the day, we drove to old Koloa town, where we bought groceries at the Safeway grocery store. Shipping goods to Hawaii inflates the cost; I was in sticker

PHOTO BY HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY

By Diane York There is a saying that Hawaii is not a state of mind but a state of grace. I found that to be true during five perfect days in Kauai (Kawai’-ee, rhymes with Hawaii) last winter. People often tell you about their favorite vacation spot, describing it as heavenly. But none of the typical descriptors fulfill their promise as does Hawaii. It’s not just sun, beaches and surf. The native Hawaiians are mellow, the pace is slower than the mainland, and the air is magical. Of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is called the “green island.” And green it is — lush, abundant, fertile with flowers, plants and trees in abundance. On our first day there, we arrived weary, jet-lagged and a bit cranky. But the easy smiles and patience of the airport staff, and the soft breezes blowing through the airport, softened all that. We drove to the Pilli Mai Condo complex next to the expansive Kiahuna golf course. One of the first things I noticed was the abundance of roosters, hens and chicks that roam wild everywhere. The story is that Hurricane Iniki in 1992 blasted winds of up to 225 mph across the island, freeing chickens who happily multiplied in the wild. My favorite part of this resort on Poipu Beach was the proximity of a hiking path that stretches for about a mile north and a

Spending an evening on a Kauai beach, or watching a sunrise over the water, make for a bucket-list vacation that doesn’t require a passport. Also known as Hawaii’s “garden island,” Kauai’s picture-perfect gardens, slow pace and mellow residents can make visitors never want to leave.

shock when I realized I had bought five bags of groceries for $400! We ate pizza and drank mango martinis that night at the Volcano Pizza restaurant across from Poipu Beach.

Cave adventure

PHOTO BY HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY

Tropical rainforests cover much of the lush Hawaiian island of Kauai. Not surprisingly, its vistas have served as the backdrop for dozens of Hollywood films, from South Pacific to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Twenty miles east of Poipu Beach is the spectacular Makauwahi Cave Preserve. This mammoth, two-story cave on the ocean exceeded all expectations. One of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was filmed here. When Captain Jack Sparrow leaped from a high cliff, it was from the top of the Makauwahi Cave. An off-road vehicle is your best bet for driving there, as the rocks can tear up the bottom of a low-riding sedan. On your way, you will pass the CJM Country Stables, where you can rent horses to ride along the beach. A bit of an uphill hike through woods brings you to a stone wall with a small, triangular opening at the base. Taking a leap (crouch?) of faith, you must crawl on your hands and knees into the cave. After about 15 feet, you can stand and find yourself inside a huge open area with tall palms reaching to the sky, surrounded by three-story cliffs. There is a feeling of having found the Lost World — and that at any moment, a pterodactyl might fly overhead and sweep you off your feet.

The cave is considered to be the largest fossil area on the island, with 10,000 years of animals, plants, seeds and leaves preserved in its layers of sand, soil and sediment. There is also a preserve here where you can get eye to eye with several giant land tortoises. After that challenging hike, we visited Uncle’s Best Shaved Ice in the shops at Kukuiula shopping center on Poipu Road and ate mounds of pina colada shaved ice with a huge scoop of creamy, cold, vanilla ice cream on top.

Historic ‘Wild West’ village On day three, after a late brunch and dip in the pool, we drove the winding, scenic road up to the old town of Hanapepe. Hanapepe is called the “smallest big town in Kauai” and is known for its art galleries, bookstore and swinging bridge. The charming town resembles a movie set for a Western, with wood frame houses dating back to the 1880s. The Hanapepe River passes through town, crossed by a 185-foot-long rickety footbridge. It’s only three feet wide and sways wildly, providing plenty of thrills. The view is gorgeous, though, with fish jumping in the river and the sun streaking the cliffs with gold. If you make it across, peruse the Bridge Art Galler y on the See HAWAII, page 17

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JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Stay off the beaten path for summer deals By Sam Kemmis Many Americans are looking to travel this summer. Most hope to find a good deal. Unfortunately, that’s not how the law of supply and demand usually works. Air travel has nearly returned to prepandemic levels. Hotels are filling up, and vacation rentals are booming. “Demand across the board for summer 2022 travel is up 20% to 25% relative to 2019,” said Jamie Lane, vice president of research at AirDNA, a vacation rental data platform that tracks trends on Airbnb and Vrbo. Volatile oil prices could also impact summer travel costs. The price of U.S. Gulf Coast kerosene-type jet fuel hit $4.47 per gallon in our area in May, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With so many factors pushing travel prices upward, where are the deals? And what destinations should budget-conscious travelers avoid altogether?

Zig while others zag The rise of inflation has reminded consumers of a simple economic truth: When everybody wants something and there isn’t enough of it, prices go up. This is true

for real estate, microchips and airfare. So, when planning a trip for this summer, it’s helpful to know where demand remains high. “Destination resort areas are up 40% over 2019,” said Lane, of vacation rental occupancy rates. Mexico has been a particularly hot destination for U.S. travelers, due to proximity and easygoing testing requirements. Indeed, the number of travelers to Mexico in March 2022 was up nearly 20% compared with 2019 levels. Deals for summer travel in Mexico could still exist, but they’ll be harder to find than in less popular destinations. The same goes for rural U.S. destinations, especially those close to national parks. “The strongest demand is in small-town rural areas,” Lane said. “Demand has doubled over 2019.” Instead, Lane suggests targeting destinations that rely heavily on foreign visitors and have been slower to recover tourists. “Places like Croatia, Italy and Greece have been very slow to recover and are down anywhere from 40% to 60% in demand. They haven’t seen the price increas-

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es that we’ve seen in the U.S.” Flight bookings to Europe dropped after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to data from Hopper, a travel booking app, suggesting that travel to the continent could remain sluggish through the summer. That means deals could (and should) follow. “A last-minute booking in Croatia? You’re going to find a great deal,” Lane said.

particular destination, prices could actually go up in the few weeks before a trip rather than down. Worse, availability could dry up altogether, leaving few cars or vacation rentals available. Second, last-minute airfare is usually costlier. This is not an ironclad rule — lastminute deals can pop up, but they’re more common a month or more out.

Stay flexible Book (some things) late The pandemic has reshaped how many travelers make plans. Instead of cementing dates months in advance, many began booking trips mere weeks away. And despite much conventional travel wisdom, this approach is actually a good way to secure deals. “Generally, if you book far in advance, you’re going to pay more,” said Lane, pointing to how the Airbnb pricing algorithm will drop prices at the last minute to fill remaining availability. “As you get closer to the stay date, if it’s not booked, you’re going to get a discount.” The same is true of hotels, which are often cheaper to book within a few weeks or days of your stay rather than a few months. Similarly, deals on rental cars are generally easier to find at the last minute. This advice comes with two big caveats. First, if demand does outstrip supply at a

The only thing we don’t know about what will happen this summer is everything. Another variant could emerge. Borders could close. International conflicts could escalate. Who knows? As a traveler, that’s why flexibility is a must for finding deals. Rather than making a firm plan to visit a particular destination, follow the deals. See what airfare and accommodation deals are available on target dates, and build a trip around them. Flexibility has always been important for budget travel. Now it’s necessary. Make sure to only book travel that can be easily changed or canceled. A great deal on airfare with a low-cost airline such as Spirit Airlines could carry high change and cancellation fees. The same goes for basic economy fares, which usually can’t be changed or canceled at all. —AP/NerdWallet

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Hawaii From page 15 other side. The town bookstore, called Talk Story, is a delightful escape with an eclectic collection of art, gardening, nonfiction and fiction, and mystery books. It even has the robots from the 1990s TV show “Mystery Science Theatre 3000.” Talk Story has a unique collection of Hawaiian cultural items, too, including books written in the Hawaiian language. It’s the kind of bookstore you could spend a week in. Art galleries abound, with paintings and photography of Hawaii and beyond. A cluster of restaurants just down the road serves pork ribs, salads and rice bowls.

Garden tours Think Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs, and you can picture Allerton and McBryde Gardens in Koloa. The two gardens together comprise about 380 acres of flowers, fruit orchards, forest, jungle, water features including waterfalls, streams, a gazebo and pool, ancient palms, enormous Moreton Bay Fig Trees, and monstrous tropical plants that look like they might eat you.

Jurassic Park was, in fact, partly filmed here. National Geographic Traveler calls this place one of its “50 Places of a Lifetime.” A three-hour adventure of riding (a bus) and walking is well worth the $60 fee. Back in Koloa we stopped at the Koloa Jodo Mission to view its traditional Japanese temple, whose lovely garden is known for its collection of lotus and water lilies. We had dinner at the Bangkok Happy Bowl and listened to a Hawaiian soft rock band while sharing four dishes: Bangkok coconut curry noodles, a Poipu Bowl, a cashew dish and fried rice.

Ziplining and Lydgate Beach Three people in our family wanted some action, so on day five, we went ziplining in Koloa. I watched in awe as they flew away over ravines and streams. They found it “absolutely exhilarating.” Ziplining is safe even for children. Wanting a different beach experience that afternoon, we drove 34 miles south to Lydgate Beach. Fallen trees are carried here from an inland river, creating “the Driftwood Beach,” where you can find fantastic creations of ocean-sculpted wood. Two huge enclosed ponds protect you

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be a perfect life. Others in my party remarked they felt 10 years younger after a week here. My visit was far too short. But when I need to, I can return to the state of grace that is Hawaii, if only through my memories. Aloha, heavenly island.

If you go Round-trip flights from BWI to Kauai start at $860 on American Airlines. Kauai resorts range from Marriott and Sheraton Grand Hyatt to lesser-known and less expensive hotels. Poipu Beach is sunny year-round, while the Princeville area on the north side is a lush, occasionally rainy area. For more information, visit gohawaii.com.

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from the big waves, are full of colorful fish, and are perfect for safe swimming. We finished the day at the Roy Yamaguchi Eating House back in Koloa. Sizzling tataki ribeye and locally grown tomato and mozzarella salad. Yum. There is much, much more to do on Hawaii’s green island. Perhaps the best way to see the mountains, hidden valleys and waterfalls is by helicopter. Most tours are based at the airport in Lihue. In addition, boat tours provide views of inaccessible cliffs and oceanfront caves. There are snorkel and scuba tours to enjoy the vast diverse creatures hidden in the ocean. In Hawaii, it’s possible to be outdoors from sunrise to sunset with ideal weather most days of the year, which to me would

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JULY 2022

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

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

Miscellaneous

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258.

I WILL BUY YOUR UNWANTED REAL ESTATE for CASH! AS IS! No repairs, inspections and no Realtors Fees or Closing Fees! No need to clean the house out, take what you want and leave the rest! You can have your MONEY in 14 DAYS! CALL NEAL for your cash offer now! 410-419-1289.

Home/Handyman Services Personal Services THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-866944-0699. GENERAL HOME IMPROVENTS & REPAIRS: All your home needs to be repaired. Free Estimates. 30 years experience & bonded. Call Mike 443-604-3931. MHIC# 43637 THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087. AXS TILE, COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL Install hard tile, bricks, stone works, new installation, repair. Install handicap, showers, new bathrooms, kitchen backsplash, countertops, drywall, plaster, handyman services. Please call 410-977-3610 or 410-285-5452. email: axstile@yahoo.com MHIC # 115085. DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1866-365-5170.

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

HOUSE MAID WANTED PART TIME for 79 year old male 410-242-2249 T’S HAULING & MOVING I will move your possessions or haul them away. I clean out yards, basements, garages, houses, apartments, attics, etc. Friendly, reliable, honest, and hardworking guys with a lot of references. Call Tim @ 443-690-6525 or 410-889-3795 Check us out on Facebook @T’shaulingandmoving

TV/Cable DISH NETWORK. $64.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1-844-560-5837. DIRECTV for $79.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Watch your favorite live sports, news & entertainment anywhere. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included! Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-888-572-4953.

Wanted BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990 JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, R&B, DISCO, SOUL, REGGAE, & GOSPEL, ANY VINYL FORMAT 33 1/3 RPM Albums, small 45 RPM’s & some 78 RPM, Also CD’s, Prefer LARGER COLLECTIONS AT LEAST 100 items, PLEASE CALL JOHN 301-596-6201 CASH FOR ESTATES: I buy a wide range of items. jewelry, silver, art, rugs, cultural items, collections, etc. Buy out/clean up. Gary: 301-520-0755. Website: theatticllc.com. I have my own trucks, my own crew & insurance.

Advertiser Index Career Opportunities Beacon Inside Salesperson . . . . . .12

Clinical Research Studies Balance and Memory Study . . . . . .8 BALRCH Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 CAMPS Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Dash4d Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 HIPS Fall Prevention Study . . . . . .8 Ketone Drink Study . . . . . . . . . . .10 Shingles & Flu Vaccine Study . . . .9

Financial Services John Richardson Insurance . . . . .13

Funeral Services Cremation Society of Maryland . .11

MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . . .11

Health Apex Neuropathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 Greenspring Podiatry . . . . . . . . . . .4 Keswick Wise & Well . . . . . .7, B-6

Home Health Care/ Companion Services Absolute Care Services LLC . . .B-6 Options for Senior America . . . . .12 Tender Care Nursing . . . . . . . . . . .5 Wesley at Home, The . . . . . . . . .B-3

Housing Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 Charlestown/Erickson . . . .B-2, B-7

Christ Church Harbor Apts . . . .B-2 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . . . .14 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . . .B-2, B-7 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . . .14 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Warren Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Retail Perfect Sleep Chair . . . . . . . . . . .16 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . . .12 SoLite Scooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Zinger Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-8

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation ProMedica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Subscriptions Beacon Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . .18

Technology Computer Doctors . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Theater/Entertainment JHU Piano at Peabody . . . . . . . . .17 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .17

Travel Eyre Tour & Travel . . . . . . . .B-5, 17 Superior Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

JULY 2022 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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ALL-NEW mobility technology

Introducing the world’s lightest mobility scooter with anti-tip technology The So Lite Scooter is easy to transport and almost impossible to tip over. TM

Like millions of older Americans, I struggle with mobility. For years, I watched my quality of life slip away, as I was forced to stay home while friends and family took part in activities I’d once enjoyed. I thought I’d made some progress when I got a mobility scooter, but then I realized how hard it was to transport. Taking it apart and putting it back together was like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Once I had it disassembled, I had to try to put all of the pieces in the trunk of a car, go to wherever I was going, and repeat the process in reverse. Travel scooters were easier to transport, but they were uncomfortable and scary to drive, I always felt like I was ready to tip over. Then I found the So LiteTM Scooter. Now there’s nothing that can hold me back. Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted in a scooter that’s designed with seniors in mind. They created Electronic Stability Control (ESC) that makes it virtually impossible to tip over. If you try to turn too quickly, the scooter automatically slows down to prevent it from tipping over. The battery provides powerful energy at a fraction of the weight of most batteries. With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, the So LiteTM Scooter is the most portable scooter ever—but it can hold up to 265 pounds—yet weighs only 40.8 pounds without the battery! What’s more, it easily folds up for storage in a car seat, trunk or even on an airplane.

Why a So Lite Scooter is better: TM

• Latest “No-Tip” Technology • Lightweight yet durable

• Folds and locks in seconds • Easier to operate

It folds in seconds without tools and is safe and reliable. Best of all, it’s designed with your safety in mind, from the newest technology and superior craftsmanship. Why spend another day letting your lack of mobility ruin your quality of life? Call now and find out how you can get a So LiteTM Scooter of your very own.

The So Lite Scooter TM

Call now Toll-Free

85671

Exclusive Electronic Stability Control helps prevent tipping