August 2016 | Howard County Beacon

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Crime novel set in Columbia

Fond high school memories Lippman — several of whose 25 books (15 featuring private investigator Tess Monaghan) have become New York Times best-sellers — has “very fond and affectionate memories” of her 1974-1977 high school years at Wilde Lake High.

The novel, in fact, opens at a celebration for the high school’s 1980 graduates. The

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By Robert Friedman “[Jim] Rouse was a good man…Yet Columbia, Maryland, the egalitarian experiment that he probably considered his greatest legacy, began in deceit.”

That’s what Luisa “Lu” Brant, the newly elected state’s attorney for Howard County, has to say about how Rouse stealthily acquired the land for his “new town” utopia, parcel by parcel, to keep the purchasing price low.

Thus begins best-selling author Laura Lippman’s latest crime novel, Wilde Lake, named after the “village” of her real-life high school years. Lippman graduated from Wilde Lake High School, then she and her family moved to Baltimore, where she still lives and sets most of her novels.

Here are a few more Columbia facts found in the novel that the reader may not be aware of, as noted by Lippman: When Rouse began purchasing the land for his utopian idea, “There were paranoid, Cold War-fed rumors [purporting to explain the purchases] — Russian spies hoping to get close to the NSA, a West German VW plant.

“Then, in June 1967, Columbia was born as a ‘town,’ comprising four villages....Many of the early buildings in the town center were designed by [world-renowned architect] Frank Gehry, but the houses themselves were generic split-levels.

“Founder Rouse wanted to challenge a lot of ingrained biases in our culture; taste was not among them. He gave people the ticky tacky houses they wanted.”

Lippman noted in an afterword to Wilde Lake that she picked up much of the above info from New City Upon a Hill: A Brief History of Columbia by David Stebenne and Joseph Rocco Mitchell, as well as from the Facebook page named “You Knew You Grew Up in Columbia, MD When…”

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There’s more to Chattanooga than the choo choo; plus, best places to view next summer’s solar eclipse page 27

ARTS & STYLE Laura Lippman’s new book Wilde Lake takes place in the Columbia village where she grew up and attended Wilde Lake High School in the 1970s. Lippman, who now lives in Baltimore, is a New York Times bestselling author who has penned 24 other crime novels.

opening events haunt the rest of the novel as it moves between past and present in alternating chapters.

The 57-year-old author, who was a journalist for some 20 years (12 with the Baltimore Sun), before she became a full-time novelist in 2001, took questions from the Beacon and gave answers via e-mail.

A sense of place, she said, is paramount to her writing.

“I’m pretty sure everything in my life shaped me as a writer. In the case of Columbia, it was probably Wilde Lake High School itself. I was given a lot of freedom to write [there],” she said.

Lippman has returned to Columbia “quite a bit” over the years — her son-in law lived near Clarksville. So how have

things changed in the last 40 or so years?

“I’m not sure it’s for me to say how anything has changed. Clearly it’s bigger, more developed,” she said.

How does she feel about life in a “planned” city, as opposed to the wonderfully haphazard mess of such historic cities as Baltimore?

“I think the old Talmudic saying sums it up pretty well,” said Lippman. “Man plans, God laughs.”

Back to Wilde Lake, the book. Washington Post book critic Patrick Anderson called it one of Lippman’s best novels, adding that it “feels like one of her most personal.” He noted that, “You rarely find See LIPPMAN, page 32

Local musical groups Rearview Mirror and Ain’t Misbehavin’ keep nostalgic tunes swinging page 31 TECHNOLOGY k Robots on the job k Helpful links and apps

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A matter of taste Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when often associated with toxic foods, so peofirst we practice to perceive. ple who possess a keener awareness of poYes, I know. That last word, tential poisons tend also to be if I was truly quoting Sir Walter more keenly attuned to other Scott, should be “deceive.” possible dangers in life.

That was my topic last month Other studies associate dif— how the practice of lying is ferent personality traits with so central to socializing among people who enjoy bitter flavors humans. more than most. These folks But this month, I’m talking are the most likely to admit about perception, which evithey enjoy manipulating, and dently (or should I say, appareven tormenting, other people ently?) weaves no less tanin pursuing their goals. gled a web.

On a more positive note, FROM THE I recently read about several PUBLISHER one might say such people studies of flavor perception that By Stuart P. Rosenthal are also more apt to explore found an interrelationship beopportunities and take risks, tween our personalities and our taste buds. which contributes to human survival in anThey are small studies, certainly not defini- other way. tive. But they seem to be onto something.

Here’s another astounding result from For example, researchers have found that recent perception studies: what we’ve repeople (and rats, for that matter) who are cently tasted appears to affect how (and particularly sensitive to bitter tasting foods how strongly) we react to ordinary events. tend also to be jumpier, less social, and more In 2011, a study found that volunteers prone to anxiety that those who are not. who took a swallow of an extremely bitter There appears to be a genetic element drink judged others more harshly for varito this sensitivity, reflected in the number ous actions than did people who had simof fungiform papillae (what our taste buds ply drunk water. for bitterness sit on) on our tongues.

Similarly, more recent experiments The genetic link helps provide an expla- found that volunteers expressed a more nation for the relationship: bitter tastes are aggressive response to nuisances when

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of Howard County, Md. and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Md., Greater Washington DC, and Greater Palm Springs, Calif.

Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ......................Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips, Paul Whipple • Editorial Assistant ........................Rebekah Sewell

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they had tasted grapefruit juice rather than water prior to being asked.

And just as our taste may affect our feelings, the flip may be true. An experiment last year found that men whose sports team had just won a game judged a lemon sorbet to be sweeter in taste than the men whose team lost.

And yes, researchers have an explanation here, too: our taste buds for sweetness also possess receptors for the primary stress hormones we produce. So when stress hormones flood a person’s body, his taste buds for sweetness tend to be dulled.

In contrast, when the “feel good” hormone serotonin is released, we become more sensitive to sweet taste “and can detect it at concentrations that are even 27 percent lower than before the serotonin release,” according to an article in the Washington Post earlier this year.

These observations raise a number of interesting questions, about both our abilities to perceive and our abilities to feel.

We know there are elements of subjectivity when we perceive objects or situations with our senses. But we generally assume our perception of reality should be consistent over time, and not change with

our moods.

Similarly with our feelings: We tend to assume that the way we feel about others reflects our “true” inner reality — not something as superficial as what we had for dinner or whether our ball team won or lost.

But it appears that situations that “leave a bad taste in our mouths” might well affect not only our perception of foods, but our attitudes toward others and their behavior.

Can a person change his personality by changing his diet? Is it true that “we are what we eat” — in a psychological as well as physical sense?

It might be worth experimenting on ourselves a bit. If we’re in a “sour mood,” maybe it’s a good time for a piece of candy.

If we want to enjoy an evening with our sweetheart, we probably shouldn’t choose grapefruit for a first course.

On the other hand, at least in my home, a good piece of dark chocolate — bitter though it may be — always brings a smile to my wife’s face. I’ll try not to think about that too much...

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

Dear Editor: Writing and blogging, schizoaffective disorder, and telling the truth (nothing but the truth): You had me in the first two pages of the July issue of the Beacon, Mr. Rosenthal. (“Nothing but the truth?”, From the Publisher) I am an individual who loves to write, who lives with schizoaffective disorder, and like many other people, who wrestles with truths.

Your editorial is meaty and thought-provoking. I wondered if this was a sub rosa commentary on our presidential election and politically-inflamed world, especially in these few months before the November elections.

For me, being honest and telling the truth start with my connecting with that “still, quiet voice.” I think that lying for me leaves me bereft, as if I have committed a crime.

And yet, I do lie, I do omit, I do not always say the (complete) truth.

I remember once learning that there can be a big gap between Reality and Truth. But, for me, what is most important to identify and hold to are “My Truths.”

I have lived with mental illness for much longer than fifty years. At the beginning of my journey of healing, I was so alienated from my Self, I wanted only to Not Be. So, I have made it essential to find my truths and live my truths.

Leslie Robin Kassal Via email

Dear Editor: I found the review of Walking Well Again in the July issue of particular interest because of my experience. I had suffered from nerve damage for which a physician prescribed a strong opioid.

I saw Dr. Goldman for a different problem, and while there we discussed my situation. He suggested, after an extensive interview, that I might try an orthotic. He fitted me with one, and now I no longer need the opioid.

David L. Fisher Via email Dear Editor: In the June issue I read the letters from readers commenting on your editorial “Political musings” in the April issue. While The Federalist Papers are useful in developing an understanding of original intent, Madison’s transcript of the debates at the Federal Convention is even more so.

The Federalist Papers were designed to sell the new system. The debates were aimed at figuring out what the new system’s structure should be, which is not the same, since many options were debated.

You will see when reading the debates that the founders did not want gridlock to characterize the operations of the new system. They placed great emphasis on the need for compromise in order for the new See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 33

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Technology &

Innovations Surprising places you can find robots

By John Miley and Matthew Housiaux Robots working in factories, on the battlefield, in hostage situations and in many other places are commonplace today.

But it may surprise you to learn about the rapid development of humanoid robots and other intelligent machines that will soon pop up in places you might not expect — from the hair salon and corner bar, to the dairy farms that produce your milk.

Check out these nine robotic assistants (most fresh on the market, some still in development) designed to make our lives easier and make businesses more efficient in a number of surprising ways.

On uneven terrain Two-legged machines that look like humans aren’t new, but most versions are slow, clunky and quick to fall over. The upgraded ATLAS robot, built by Alphabetowned Boston Dynamics, blows the others out of the water. It’s smaller, sturdier and more nimble than any humanoid robot thrown into real-world settings.

The 5’9”, 180-pound robot is packed with sensors to maintain balance and avoid obstacles. It can walk over uneven terrain in a snow-covered forest, and takes a hard push without tipping over. The robot can also pick up packages and place them on shelves, open doors, and even get up after a fall.

While ATLAS isn’t ready to replace hu-

mans just yet, it does show promise for tackling all sorts of human tasks, from stocking shelves to cleaning houses. Sure, huge challenges remain, including designing dexterous robotic hands and improving autonomous decision-making. Early uses will include emergency tasks, such as search and rescue missions in dangerous territory.

Note: Amazon’s Kiva robots already move objects around in huge warehouses, and Fetch Robotics designs small robots that can work alongside workers and help stock shelves.

In your hair Panasonic is developing a robot that can rinse, shampoo and blow-dry your locks

while massaging your scalp with its 24 automated “fingers.” It’s not designed to handle razors or scissors, so barbers and hairstylists can rest easy about their job prospects...for now.

With its aging population and shrinking workforce, Japan will probably be the quickest to embrace this new technology, with the U.S. following along slowly.

On the farm Got milk? These robots do. Robo-machines weighing more than 2,000 pounds are equipped to corral cows. A stainless steel arm equipped with cameras and See SURPRISING ROBOTS, page 5

FINALLY – Straight Talk About Sciatica Are you suffering from back pain or sciatica? Then it’s likely your biggest problem is pain. But there’s another major problem: bad information.

To end sciatica misery you must have the right information. Pay close attention because I’m going to destroy sciatica myths and give you the facts.

MYTH: Sciatica will just “go away” with some rest.

FACT: If you are dealing with back pain, buttock pain or leg pain, then you must seek help from a sciatica specialist immediately. Left untreated, sciatica can lead to permanent nerve damage - and lifelong pain.

MYTH: Pain is the only problem associated with sciatica.

FACT: In severe cases, sciatica can lead to the inability to control your bowels or bladder.

MYTH: You must take pain medications to deal with sciatica.

FACT: Drugs like muscle relaxants, pain killers, narcotics, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications have serious potential side-effects and do not cure the root cause of sciatica.

MYTH: “I must have done something wrong to get sciatica.”

FACT: Physical work or simply sitting at a desk for long periods can lead to sciatica.

Accidents and trauma can also be the culprits. Pregnancy can cause sciatica.

Sciatica can affect anyone - including superfit celebrities like Tiger Woods, and Sylvester Stallone.

MYTH: Stop exercising and get several weeks of bed rest to overcome sciatica.

FACT: Staying active can help to relieve sciatic pain and prevent the pain from getting worse. Staying inactive in bed could be the worst advice - based on a recent study in the Netherlands.

MYTH: Sciatica requires surgery.

FACT: NO! There’s been a huge breakthrough in the treatment of sciatica and lower back pain. It’s a new procedure called Non-Surgical Re-Constructive Spinal Care.

The excellent results from this treatment have been published in major medical journals.

Success rates are up to 90%.

MYTH: “There’s nothing anyone can really do. I’m just stuck with this for the rest of my life.”

FACT: With the correct treatment from a healthcare professional who specialize in sciatica, you can find relief from the core cause - and the symptoms.

MYTH: Getting sciatica properly diagnosed is expensive.

FACT: Not true. Dr. Steve Silverston of World Class Chiropractic in Ellicott City, MD is currently offering an initial consultation and comprehensive examination for Just $43, this includes all tests and x-rays if necessary.

Dr. Steve Silverston – In Ellicott City, MD has helped over the past 24 years thousands of patients find relief from agonizing back pain and sciatica. He uses Non-Surgical Re-Constructive Spinal Care.

This procedure does not require a hospital stay, drugs or anything invasive. The focus is on finding - and correcting - the original cause of the back pain and sciatica.

According to Dr. Silverston, “We use a combination of gentle, non-invasive, proven techniques, for precisely diagnosing and correcting the cause of your low back pain and sciatica. This means superior long-term results for most people.”

Almost Immediate Relief from Pain!

Because the treatment is non-surgical, safe, and easy, most patients report an almost immediate relief from their back pain.

Patient Brad H. from Eldersburg, MD wrote, “For several years I saw numerous

doctors including chiropractors in an attempt to resolve unrelenting low back pain and sciatica from a serious motor vehicle injury. Nobody could help me resolve it and my work and life were suffering. Dr. Silverston was able to quickly identify my problem and within one week of beginning care, for the first time in years, I’m virtually pain free!

Now, many years later, I am still better.”

Take the Next Step - END the Suffering... Initial Consultation and Comprehensive Examination for Just $43.

This includes all tests and x-rays if necessary.

The first step is a thorough sciatic examination with Dr. Silverston. Call 410-461-3435 to schedule your appointment.

Mention this article (CODE: 43TB816) and Dr. Steve Silverston will happily reduce his usual consultation fee to just $43!

Only 50 reader consultations are available at this exclusively discounted rate.

Call them now and get a full and thorough examination to pinpoint the cause of your problem for just $43. The normal cost of such an exam is $345 so you will save $302!

Call them now on 410-461-3435 and cut out or tear off this valuable article and take it to your appointment. You’ll be on your way to safe, lasting relief!

You can even call on the weekend and leave a message on their answering machine to secure your spot and they promise to return all calls. During the week staff can be very busy helping patients so if they don’t pick up straight away, do leave a message.

Call 410-461-3435 NOW. If it’s the weekend or they’re away from the phone the staff at World Class Chiropractic promise they will get back to you. So call now on 410-461-3435 and quote this special discount code: 43TB816.

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Quiet Mornings

❏ Fall Prevention Study (see article on page 14) ❏ Investigational Medication Study (see ad on page 15) ❏ Memory Loss Drug Study (see ad on page 14)

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Aging with Grace Weekend Retreat

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July 22 - July 25, Cost: $300 per person (includes lodging & meals)

Brooke Grove (see ad on page 36) Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace (see ad on page 33) Charlestown/Erickson Living (see ad on page 13) Country Gardens Assisted Living (see ad on page 7) Fairhaven/Integrace (see ad on page 33) Gaitherings at Quarry Place (see ad on page 12) Heartlands of Ellicott City (see ad on page 26) Homecrest House (see ad on page 10) Ivy Manor Normady (see ad on page 15) Olney Assisted Living (see ad on page 10) Park View at Colonial Landing (see ad on page 30) Park View at Columbia (see ad on page 30) Park View at Ellicott City (see ad on page 30) Park View at Emerson (see ad on page 30) Shriner Court/Quantum (see ad on page 25) Somerford Place (see ad on page 26) Vantage House (see ad on page 16)

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Spirituality: Finding the Balance

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Housing Communities

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Reflect, Regroup, Recharge.

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Before med students go to work on humans, they can practice on robot stand-ins who won’t complain so much about botched procedures — at least not yet.

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In med school

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Developed by Toshiba, this android — with lifelike skin and hair along with humanlike gestures — created quite a stir when “she” began working at a Japanese department store earlier this year, smiling at customers and greeting them with a pre-

99 billion hamburgers served? Soon, some of those will be made by robots. Momentum Machines has designed a new robot that flips patties, slice and dices veggies, and assembles everything on a toasted bun, producing a complete burger every 10 seconds, or 360 per hour. Momentum Machines hoped to have five machines installed in burger joints by this year and 1,500 by 2017.

They have not reached their goal yet, but the push for a higher minimum wage in the fast-food industry may spur quicker adoption.

Need someone to talk to when the rest

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At the mall

At the grill

By your side

of the fam is too engaged with their smartphones? Jibo may be the friend you need.

It can engage in conversation, with replies based on your mood.

It’s also capable of telling stories, complete with graphics and sound effects, and taking photos of special events with its seeand-track camera, which can automatically sense when someone is posing for a picture.

It’ll also help to keep you organized with timely reminders of appointments. Jibo’s developers hope that it will function as a sort of humanoid tablet, keeping track of your information at the same time that it keeps you company.

Jibo costs $749 but is temporarily sold out.

All contents © 2016 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Whether you take your martinis shaken or stirred, this robot bartender will serve up a satisfying drink. Robo-bartenders made their big debut during the maiden voyage of Royal Caribbean’s state-of-the-art cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, last year.

Programmed to mimic the graceful moves of Italian dancers, the robot’s two automated arms can handle 176 bottles of spirits (all of which are mounted to the ceiling, with special valves for precision dispensing) and serve up to 120 drinks per hour. Patrons order drinks from an app on their phones and wait for the robo-bartender to work its magic.

One might even make an appearance at the next party you attend. Makr Shakr is rolling out a mobile version that can be delivered to any location upon request.

There is a downside, though: Robo-bartenders don’t empathize with your problems quite as well as their human counterparts.

Step aside, Jeeves and Hobson. SaviOne, an autonomous robot for the hospitality industry, is already at the service of guests in a few of Silicon Valley’s ritzier hotels.

How does it work? Hotel staffers simply load SaviOne with items requested by guests. Then, guided by Wi-Fi, the robot can go up and down elevators and glide through hallways to make deliveries.

Forget your toothbrush? SaviOne will be there with a new one, posthaste, and send you a text message when it’s at your door. (A cousin performs similar tasks in hospitals.)

At the moment, SaviOne is not cost-effective enough to displace many hotel workers, but manufacturer Savioke hopes hotels that are short-staffed will make the investment.

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But does it know your name?

At your hotel room door

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lasers accurately locates teats to automate the milking process.

It pumps out about 800 gallons of milk per day, while also performing chemical analysis on the milk to keep tabs on each cow’s health.

The robo-milkers are so cow-friendly that animals nuzzle up to them voluntarily. Dairy farmers can monitor the machines remotely via a smartphone app, and can even get texts for each cow’s insemination date, especially useful when dealing with big dairy herds.

The latest evolution of medical mannequins, these humanlike robots (cousins of crash test dummies?) can mimic human patients by sweating, bleeding, convulsing and more with the help of internal batteries, pneumatic power and wireless sensors.

They’re so lifelike that their pupils dilate in response to light. The robots can even recognize and respond to injected drugs.

Robots are programmed to test doctors-intraining, and a teacher can remotely take control of the robot’s voice to make situations more real.

A fully equipped SimMan 3G from Norway-based manufacturer Laerdal runs about $70,000.

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From page 4

recorded message.

Though she can sing, too, she doesn’t answer questions. Robots like this will become more common in Japan as its population ages, and more and more jobs go unfilled by humans.

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Surprising robots

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Beacon Links & Apps

By Barbara Ruben

Links Health help With a tag line of “Live well. Learn how,” the federal government’s Healthfinder.gov website helps you find information and tools to stay healthy.

Healthfinder.gov has resources on a wide range of health topics selected from approximately 1,400 government and non-profit organizations. From a tab for “Health topics from A to Z” to articles about health news updated daily, the site includes comprehensive information about dozens of conditions.

There’s a section for older adults, including a quiz to test your knowledge about staying healthy as you get older. http://healthfinder.gov

The scenic route The best route isn’t always the quickest one — something mapping apps don’t understand. Try the website My Scenic Drives

to see more than highway exit signs and toll plazas.

Enter the city or ZIP code to see what’s nearby, or just search by state for gems such as California’s Big Sur coast and Kansas’ Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway. www.myscenicdrives.com

For bibliophiles Want to keep track of the books you’ve read or the ones on your overstuffed book shelves? LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily.

You can access your catalog from anywhere, and LibraryThing also connects people who have the same books and comes up with suggestions for what to read next.

Users can catalog movies and music as well, and lend and track their books. Twohundred items can be entered into LibraryThing free of charge. For unlimited entries, the cost is $10 a year or $25 for a lifetime membership. www.librarything.com

Apps Get the lowest price Pricerazzi helps consumers search for

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

better prices on purchases they have already made. That’s useful because many stores offer to match competitor prices if their customers find a cheaper price.

With Pricerazzi, users scan their receipts into an app. The software then searches to see if there are better prices and sends the user all the forms and directions on how to get a better deal. Pricerazzi takes a 15 percent cut of the price savings.

Pricerazzi, free to download for Ios and Android.

Facebook photos in words Facebook is training its computers to become seeing-eye guides for blind and visually impaired people as they scroll through the pictures posted on the world’s largest online social network.

The new feature on Facebook’s iPhone and iPad apps interprets what’s in a picture using a form of artificial intelligence that recognizes faces and objects. VoiceOver, a screen reader built into the software powering the iPhone and iPad, must be turned on for Facebook’s photo descriptions to be read aloud.

Until now, people relying on screen readers on Facebook would only hear that a person had shared a photo without any elaboration.

The photo descriptions initially are confined to a vocabulary of 100 words. For in-

stance, the automated voice may only tell a user that a photo features three people smiling outdoors without adding that the trio also has drinks in their hands. Or it may say the photo is of pizza without adding that there’s pepperoni and olives on top of it.

The vocabulary of Facebook’s photorecognition program includes “car,” “sky,” “dessert,” “baby,” “shoes,” and, of course, “selfie.”

Facebook also plans to turn on the technology for its Android app and make it available through Web browsers visiting its site.

Where history was made As you travel, History Here, produced by the History Channel, will alert you about nearby places where interesting events happened.

It can be serious, such as the Rodney King trial in Simi Valley, Calif., which led to rioting in Los Angeles after the acquittal of four white police officers charged with beating a black motorist. For something lighter, how about the New York apartment where baseball legend Mickey Mantle lived?

The free app sends location-based notifications to iPhones and Apple Watch.

There’s an app for Android, but you must open it to see what’s nearby.

— Additional information from the Associated Press

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Health Fitness &

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NITRATE FACTS Fear of nitrates in processed meats may be overblown. Veggies have more ALZHEIMER’S HALLMARKS Brain scans are for the first time finding markers of cognitive decline LESS STRESS Coping with stress gets more difficult as we age. Some tips for staying calm

Ways to protect against mosquito bites If you’re trying to avoid mosquito bites, there are four simple ways to do it: Cover up, use insect repellent, stay indoors, and eliminate places where the bug can breed.

A mosquito’s first choice for biting is bare, unprotected skin. So be sure to wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants when you go outside.

You can go one step further and treat your clothing with permethrin, a synthetic insect repellent, or purchase clothes already treated with the chemical. Permethrin spray is available from many retailers that cater to camping or outdoor sports enthusiasts.

Clothing treated with permethrin remains protective after a number of launderings, but be sure to check the product information to learn how long the protection will last.

If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully. Do not apply permethrin products directly to your skin; the product is made to treat clothing.

Choosing and using insect repellent When used as directed, insect repellent is the best way to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Even children and preg-

nant women should protect themselves with insect repellent, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said.

When you’re choosing insect repellent to apply to your skin, look for the active ingredients DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) or picaridin (KBR 3023). DEET and picaridin provide the best protection against biting mosquitoes, but DEET is the most common ingredient found in repellents.

Dermatologist Dr. Melissa Piliang recommends DEET. “Higher concentrations of DEET give you longer-lasting protection if you’re staying out several hours,” she said.

Products with DEET typically offer different formulas that contain 5 percent to 100 percent of the chemical, giving you about 90 minutes to 10 hours of protection. Be sure to follow the directions on the package.

Mosquitoes are most active from dusk till dawn, so Piliang stresses that it’s most important to apply repellent every time you go out during those hours.

In many parts of the country, mosquitoes also bite during the day, so apply it whenever you go outdoors for an extended period. If you sweat or get wet, you may need to re-apply.

Apply insect repellent only to exposed skin, and concentrate on your ankles, feet, neck, ears, arms and legs, Piliang said. Do

not spray repellent on the skin that’s covSee MOSQUITOES, page 8

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Health Shorts Group walkers are healthier If you’re looking for a way to increase your physical activity, you might want to consider joining a walking group.

In a survey published early this year in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, investigators looked at data from studies involving close to 2,000 participants in group walking activities.

They found that walking in a group effectively increased physical activity for participants. They also found that people who walked in a group were more likely to stick with the activity over the long term. In ad-

dition, group walking lowered blood pressure, body fat, body mass index and total cholesterol.

Any type of walking done regularly is likely to achieve similar results, but group walking appears to lower these factors by a greater degree. Group walking also reduces the odds of depression and enhances physical functioning.

All of these benefits occurred despite the fact that most of the walking groups’ activity levels fell short of moderate activity guidelines.

To find a walking group, you might check with your doctor or local recreational or community center. Many walking groups can be found online.

Try searching for the term “walking group” paired with your city or ZIP code.

Or visit www.walkers.meetup.com. If you don’t have a computer, your local librarian

Caring places. Healing spaces.

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

may be able to help.

— Mayo Clinic Health Letter

Making radiation more effective against tumors Researchers at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a key immune response that causes radiation treatment (radiotherapy) against skin cancer tumors to fail. In the journal Nature Immunology, they offer a novel solution to promote successful radiotherapy for the millions of cancer patients who are treated with it.

The team found that when radiotherapy damages skin that harbors tumors, special skin immune cells called Langerhans cells,

Mosquitoes From page 7

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ered by clothing.

Heavy application isn’t necessary. And don’t spray or pump repellent directly onto your face — spray your hands, then spread the repellent carefully on your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth.

If you also are using sunscreen, apply the sunscreen before applying insect repellent. Wash off the insect repellent once you’re inside for the day, Piliang added.

Easy way to avoid mosquitoes: Stay inside with the air conditioning on, or in a place with window and door insect screens that can keep mosquitoes outside.

If you’re staying in a place without screens or air conditioning, or if you’re sleeping outdoors, sleep under a mosquito bed net. Mosquito bed nets are a good idea for travelers, the CDC said.

which are normally dormant, are activated. These Langerhans cells can uniquely repair the damage in their own DNA caused by radiotherapy.

Then Langerhans cells travel to nearby lymph nodes to communicate with other immune cells, and help program a population of “regulatory” T cells. These cells then travel back to the damaged tumor, and shield it from attack by the immune system.

Investigators mimicked the effect of immunotherapy drugs that blocked the ability of Langerhans cells to repair their own DNA after radiotherapy, causing them to die, and thus preventing the immune response that protects skin tumors.

“Our study suggests that this combination approach — combining radiotherapy with drugs that rev up a healthy immune reSee HEALTH SHORTS, page 10

Keep mosquitoes away Want to hinder mosquitoes from breeding in your backyard? Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so drain any standing water on your property, the CDC advises.

Also, any kind of container can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Empty bird baths, garbage cans, buckets, flowerpots, play equipment and anything else that collects water.

Mosquitoes like garbage cans, too.

Spray your garbage cans regularly with insecticide and keep the lids on.

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2016 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health shorts From page 8 sponse — will help make radiation therapy much more effective,” said the study’s lead author, immunologist Jeremy Price, Ph.D. While this study was conducted using mouse models of melanoma and focused on the skin where these Langerhans cells are located, the researchers believe the same process happens in organs throughout the body.

— WhatDoctorsKnow

Knee MRIs can predict arthritis ahead People who are at higher risk to develop knee osteoarthritis (OA) from being over-

weight or having injured their knee in the past may have normal X-rays, but worsening lesions or damage appearing on their MRIs predicts a significantly higher risk of soon developing knee osteoarthritis or painful symptoms, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

Depending on the type of lesion, their risk of developing knee OA within three years as diagnosed by X-ray is three to 20 times greater.

“These worsening lesions are an early warning sign and an opportunity to intervene before a person develops the debilitating disease,” said lead investigator Dr. Leena Sharma. “If we employ aggressive prevention strategies in persons with these lesions before they develop knee osteoarthritis, we may be able to delay disease development or alter its course.”

Sharma is a professor of medicine at

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Prevention strategies include paying attention to weight and carefully reviewing physical activity to avoid potentially damaging activity and injury, said Sharma.

This is the first study to examine and determine the impact of knee lesions in persons at higher risk for knee OA with normal X-rays. Previously, it wasn’t known whether the lesions predicted the new development of OA or future symptoms such as frequent knee pain.

Many scientists had thought these lesions were insignificant and simply the result of aging, though in the last few years, the lesions have sparked more suspicion.

The study was published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Among Americans 55 years and older, 40 percent have frequent knee pain or knee osteoarthritis. In older adults, knee OA is responsible for as much chronic disability as cardiovascular disease. Current treatments may help symptoms, but do not delay progression of the disease.

— WhatDoctorsKnow

Bypass boosts survival in heart failure patients Heart failure patients with clogged arteries have a better chance of surviving 10 years if they get bypass surgery plus medicine rather than just drugs alone, according to an international study.

Earlier results from the same research raised questions about the benefits of bypass versus medicine alone, but researchers say the long-term evidence

clearly favors the surgery.

The lead author of the study, Duke University cardiologist Dr. Eric Velazquez, said the results “are so definitive and so robust” that they would likely lead to stronger recommendations favoring bypass surgery for these patients.

Nearly 6 million Americans and 23 million people worldwide have heart failure, and many of them also have artery disease similar to those studied. In recent years, bypass surgery has increasingly been recommended for such patients, along with medicines to ease heart failure symptoms.

Concerns were raised when results after nearly five years of research showed about equal number of deaths in bypass patients and in those who got only medicine, despite fewer heart-related deaths in the bypass group. Those findings were published in 2011.

The 10-year results were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago.

The study involved 1,200 heart failure patients in 22 countries, including the United States. Most were men around age 60 when the study began. All were taking heart medicines, and about half were assigned to also get bypass surgery.

More than half the patients in each group lived beyond the study’s first phase.

The 10-year results are a look back at all patients studied.

A total of 359 bypass patients died from any cause, or about 59 percent, compared with 398 medicine-only patients who died, or 66 percent.

Deaths from heart disease-related causes totaled 247 in the bypass group, or 41 percent, versus 297 medicine-only patients, or 49 percent.

— AP

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Statins benefit even lower-risk patients

By Lindsey Tanner The first major research of its kind shows that cholesterol-lowering statins can prevent heart attacks and strokes in a globally diverse group of older people who don’t have heart disease.

The results bolster recommendations in recent guidelines on who should consider taking the drugs.

The aim was to prevent heart problems using a statin alone, blood pressure drugs, or a combination of the two. The three approaches are commonly used in high-risk patients or those with evidence of heart disease.

The patients in the study did not have heart disease and faced lower risks of developing it, and the statin approach worked best.

World-wide study The research involved nearly 13,000

men and women from 21 countries on six continents. Most previous studies on heart disease prevention have been in white, North American patients with higher risks because of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels or other conditions.

But with heart disease a leading global killer, causing 18 million deaths each year, there is a trend toward recommending preventive drug treatment to more borderline patients.

The benefits of this strategy were “seen in people from every part of the world,” said study co-author Dr. Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “This is globally applicable.”

The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago.

Study sites included Canada, Europe, China, South America and South Africa.

About 20 percent of patients were white.

Patients were at moderate risk because of age — men were 55 and older and women were at least age 60 — and because they had another heart disease risk factor, including obesity, family history or smoking. On average, their cholesterol levels were nearly normal, and blood pressure was slightly lower than the cutoff for high blood pressure, which is 140 over 90.

They were randomly assigned to receive one of the treatments in low doses or dummy pills for almost six years. The drug treatments all reduced cholesterol and blood pressure levels but other results varied.

Large risk reduction Statin-only patients were about 25 per-

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cent less likely to have fatal or nonfatal heart-related problems than those given dummy pills. Those in the combined drug group fared slightly better, and the researchers credit the statin for the benefit.

Blood pressure drugs alone worked no better than dummy pills at preventing these events, except in the fraction of patients who had high blood pressure. The drug doses used may have been too low to provide much benefit to low-risk patients, although longer follow-up may be needed, according to a journal editorial published with the research.

Heart problems and deaths were relatively rare in the three study groups. In the combined drug group, less than 4 percent of patients had those outcomes, versus 5 percent of those on dummy pills. Nearly similar results were seen in the statin-only group. Those outcomes occurred in about 4 percent of patients on only blood pressure drugs and in those on dummy pills.

Patients on statins had slightly more muscle pain or weakness — known statin side effects — than those on dummy pills.

Statin patients also had slightly more cataract surgeries, but the researchers said it isn’t known if the drug played a role.

Dr. Clyde Yancy, cardiology chief at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said the results add important evidence favoring drug treatment for lower-risk patients, but emphasized that lifestyle approaches including diet and activity should be included. He wasn’t involved in the research.

The study used 10 milligrams daily of rosuvastatin, sold as a generic or under the brand name Crestor. The editorial authors said other statins would likely have similar results.

Crestor’s maker, AstraZeneca, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research paid for the study. Yusuf reported receiving grants from both, and several co-researchers reported grants and personal fees from the company and other drugmakers.

The blood pressure drugs were candesartan, sold as a generic and by AstraZeneca as Atacand; and hydrochlorothiazide, a generic diuretic.

— AP

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Putting added nitrates into perspective

By Densie Webb, R.D. Nitrates in processed meats such as bacon, ham, deli meats, sausages and beef jerky have been scrutinized and vilified since the 1970s.

Nitrates (in the form of sodium nitrate) are added to most processed meats to “cure” or preserve them, giving them their characteristic color and taste, while preventing contamination, particularly with the sometimes deadly Botulinum and Listeria bacteria.

Yet the Environmental Working Group includes nitrates on its “Dirty Dozen” list of dangerous food additives. And the World Health Organization reports that consumption of processed meats, a source of nitrates, is strongly linked to cancer.

Thus, the concern over nitrates has led to more meats labeled “no nitrates added.”

Should you go nitrate-free?

Nitrate facts Before reaching for that “no nitrate” product, here are a few things you should know first: • You can’t completely avoid nitrates, since 80 percent of the nitrates in our diet

come from vegetables — such as celery, greens, beets, parsley, leeks, cabbage, fennel and drinking water. Only about 6 percent come from cured meats.

• Vegetarian diets, which have been shown to be healthy, contain about four times more nitrates than a conventional diet.

• Nitrates themselves are not the problem; there is cause for concern only when they are converted by the body to nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have been identified as cancer-causing compounds.

• Meats, such as organic lunch meats, labeled “no nitrates added” are not actually nitrate-free. Instead of adding sodium nitrate, celery powder (naturally rich in nitrates) is typically used. However, even naturally occurring nitrates can be converted in the body to nitrosamines.

• Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, help reduce the conversion of nitrates to nitrosamines.

Some processed meats have vitamin C added (labeled “ascorbic acid”).

• While some previous studies have linked nitrates to certain forms of cancer, several recent studies, including one pub-

lished in January 2016 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have found that dietary nitrates may be beneficial by helping to lower blood pressure and prevent damage to arteries.

The bottom line Without nitrates, bacon and ham would be an unappetizing gray color and lack that unique “cured” flavor. Choosing processed meat labeled “no added nitrates” doesn’t mean you’re avoiding nitrates; it simply

means nitrate-rich celery powder has been substituted for sodium nitrate.

Keep in mind that most processed meats are high in saturated fat and sodium, which everyone should limit, whether or not you choose no-nitrates-added meat.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2016 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Studies Page

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Studying fall prevention among veterans

By Carol Sorgen Falls and their consequences are a serious medical concern for older adults. Complications following falls are the leading cause of deaths due to injury among them, and are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospitalization for trauma.

Even if an individual who falls does not sustain an injury, impaired balance among older adults often results in an overall lessening of physical activity and less ability to function satisfactorily both independently and in social situations.

Older veterans may be at even greater risk for falls due to their high rate of co-existing medical conditions. The VA Medical Center has made research into fall prevention a high priority, but effective programs only reduce falls by 30 percent.

Now the center, located at 10 N. Greene St., is conducting a study to determine whether a combination of interventions will help reduce falls better among older veterans.

This research may lead to new and effective interventions that could reduce fall risk, injury-related hospitalization and death. It is hoped that it can also be implemented at other VA Centers, as well as throughout the community.

What exercise is best?

Tai chi is currently considered to be one of the most effective fall prevention exercise interventions, and is endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, there are few studies comparing tai chi with other methods

to help prevent falls.

While tai chi may generally improve balance, decrease fall risk, and improve lower body strength, it may not improve gait and mobility, and does little to improve the negotiation of obstacles — which is one of the largest contributors to a fall.

The majority of falls occur during walking, with slips and trips being the most common causes. Investigators believe that targeted interventions that focus on improving stepping and walking ability may be more effective at improving balance and reducing falls.

The VA Medical Center study will compare tai chi to a multimodal balance intervention (MMBI) program that will focus on standing balance, walking, stepping, strength training and recovery from a slip.

Six months of classes

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Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Those in one group will attend an hour-long class three times a week that will consist of balance work, a supervised obstacle course, and lower extremity and core strengthening.

Over the six months of class, the exercises will gradually increase in difficulty to challenge balance. A skilled instructor will lead each class, and one to two assistants will be present to assist with fall risk prevention.

Participants in the second group will attend an hour-long supervised tai chi class three times a week. All tai chi classes will be taught in a group setting by an experienced instructor.

The emphasis during the class will be on standing movements, body alignment, weight shift and changes of direction.

Movements will be adapted as the class progresses to increase the difficulty of weight shift and change in direction over time so that participants’ balance is continually challenged throughout the six months. Chairs or hand rails will be available for the participants to use as needed for balance recovery.

Who is eligible for the study?

The investigators plan to enroll 56 veterans over the age of 65 who live in the community. They will be randomly divided between the two types of classes. Participants must have had a fall in the last year and be at high risk for another fall.

The investigators will follow all participants for six months after completion of the exercise program to examine differences in fall rates between the groups.

For more information, or to see if you qualify for the study, call Dr. Leslie Katzel at (410) 605-7248 or email Leslie.Katzel@va.gov, or call Jeffrey Beans at (410) 605-7000, ext.

4168, or email jeffrey.beans@va.gov.

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Scans find marker of Alzheimer’s decline

By Lauran Neergaard Scientists are peeking inside living brains to watch for the first time as a toxic duo of plaques and tangles interact to drive Alzheimer’s disease — and those tangles may predict early symptoms, a finding with implications for better treatments.

It’s not clear exactly what causes Alzheimer’s. Its best-known hallmark is the sticky amyloid that builds into plaques coating patients’ brains, but people can harbor a lot of that gunk before losing memories.

Now new PET scans show that those plaques’ co-conspirator — the tangle-causing protein tau — is a better marker of patients’ cognitive decline and the beginning of symptoms than amyloid alone. That’s especially true when tau spreads to a particular brain region important for memory, researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“It’s a location, location, location kind of business,” said Dr. Beau Ances of Washington University in St. Louis, who led the work. The plaque “starts setting up the situation, and tau is almost the executioner.”

May aid drug development The new study is very small, and more research is required to confirm the findings. But it highlights the importance of developing drugs that could target both

amyloid and tau buildup, something researchers hope one day could help healthy but at-risk people stave off the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

About 5 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s, a number expected to more than double by 2050 as the population ages. Today’s medications only temporarily ease symptoms, and finding new ones is complicated by the fact that Alzheimer’s quietly ravages the brain a decade or two before symptoms appear.

Doctors have long known that many older adults harbor amyloid plaques that increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s but don’t guarantee they’ll get it. The latest theory: Amyloid sparks a smoldering risk while tau pushes patients over the edge.

PET scans reveal tau Only recently have scientists developed a way to perform PET scans to see tau deposits like they can see amyloid buildup, so that they can test that theory.

Ances’ team analyzed both amyloid and tau PET scans from 10 patients with mild Alzheimer’s and 36 apparently healthy older adults. They compared patterns of amyloid and tau deposits with a battery of standard memory tests.

Sure enough, the Alzheimer’s patients had a lot of amyloid in their brains, as did

some healthy people who scored fine on the memory testing. Some cognitively normal people also had bits of tau deposits.

But tau tangles that clustered in the temporal lobe, a region linked to memory, most closely matched cognitive impairment on those memory tests, the researchers reported.

The findings suggest that while amyloid is an early sign of Alzheimer’s risk, and people can tolerate some tau tangles, the toxic tau spreading to the wrong spot is the “in-

teraction to tip the person over,” Ances said.

He plans to study larger groups of people to better understand that decline into full-blown Alzheimer’s.

A number of drugs that target amyloid build-up have failed in recent years. Many researchers think the treatment wasn’t started early enough, before patients showed symptoms.

A handful of anti-tau drugs also are being developed.

— AP

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50+

THE

NEWS and EVENTS from the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

Connection

Department of Community Resources and Services

Volume 6, No. 8 • August 2016

FDA Improves Nutrition Label to Benefit Consumers M ore than 20 years ago, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act was signed into law and required all packaged foods regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bear nutrition labeling. This act initiated the beginning of the food ingredient panel, serving sizes, and terms such as “low fat” and “light” being standardized.

Today, many people read nutrition facts labels each time they go grocery shopping. People across the country are much more conscious of what foods they buy, what’s included in the ingredients, and how it could potentially affect their diet and overall health.

On May 20, 2016, the FDA announced a new look to the existing Nutrition Facts label for packaged goods. The new design includes scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases and makes it easier for consumers to make better informed food choices. The type size for calories, servings per container and the serving size declaration are larger to bring attention to this

A Message from

Starr P. Sowers Administrator, Office on Aging and Independence

The Office on Aging and Independence promotes the full inclusion of persons with disabilities, addresses the needs of an increasingly diverse cultural community, and supports the desires of our citizens to remain independent as they grow older. As we implement the priorities set forth in Howard County’s 20 year Creating an Age-Friendly Community plan, we look forward to working with the community to make Howard County truly age-friendly.

We encourage all residents who want to stay in the community to contact us as you “age in place.” As part of the Department of Community Resources and Services, our office maintains a No Wrong Door approach to make it easier for older adults, caregivers, adults with disabilities and their families to find the services they need. Contacting Maryland Access Point is a great place to start and our new number — 410-313-1234 — is easier than ever to remember.

This summer, I hope you will spend time with family and friends doing things that bring joy to your lives, embracing time-honored traditions like family vacations, barbecues, and visiting the Howard County Fair. Now in its 71st year, the down home fun of the Fair returns August 6-13 to the Fairgrounds in West Friendship. Join the Office on Aging and Independence for “Senior Day at the Fair” on Tuesday, August 9; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the 4-H Activities Building. Fairgoers 62 and older will enjoy free admission, and are invited to take part in a day of fun-filled activities including bingo with prizes. We hope to see you there!

For details, visit www.howardcountyfair.org or call 410-313-6410.

information. In addition, the calories and serving size information are now bolded.

Serving sizes are required to be based on amounts of foods and beverages that people are actually eating and not what they should be eating — a big difference from the previous requirements established in 1993. For package sizes that are typically between one and two servings, nutrition information will be considered as one serving since people typically consume those packages in one sitting.

Manufacturers are required to implement the new label by July 26, 2018. These revisions reflect the FDA’s commitment to ensure the safety, efficacy and security of the nation’s food supply and address public health concerns. For more information on additional changes, visit www.fda.gov/food or call FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Information Center at 1-888-723-3366.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 2/3 cup (55g) Servings Per Container About 8

Nutrition Facts 8 servings per container Serving size 2/3 cup (55g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 230

Calories from Fat 72 % Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g Saturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 160mg

Total Carbohydrate 37g Dietary Fiber 4g Sugars 1g Protein 3g Vitamin A Vitamin C Calcium Iron

Amount per serving

230

Calories

12 % 5%

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g

0% 7% 12 % 16 %

Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 160mg Dietary Fiber 4g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Calories: 2,000 2,500 Total Fat Less than 65g 80g Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

5%

Trans Fat 0g

Total Carbohydrate 37g

10% 8% 20% 45%

10%

0% 7% 13% 14%

Total Sugars 12g Includes 10g Added Sugars Protein 3g

20%

Vitamin D 2mcg

10%

Calcium 260mg

20%

Iron 8mg

45%

Potassium 235mg

6%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition services at counseling

are offered by a licensed

dietitian

Howard to support older adults in efforts County

50+ Centers

their

to health

make

their

diet.

improve their and informed decisions about

This service is available at no charge to persons 60 years and

older and their spouses, regardless of their age. Contributions are encouraged and help support the viability of the program. Those under 60 may receive nutrition counseling on a space available basis at the full cost of the service: $65/hour or $33/half hour. To schedule an individual counseling session, contact the Howard County 50+Center nearest you.

18

The 50+ Connection

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

SENIOR DAY AT THE FAIR Protecting Yourself from Howard County Fair 2016 FREE ADMISSION for ADULTS 62+ Tuesday, August 9 • 10 am - 3 pm Visit the 4-H Activities Building for: • INFORMATION Don’t Miss These • EXHIBITS Program Highlights!

• ENTERTAINMENT 10:00 AM-Doors/Exhibits Open • RAFFLES AND 11:00 AM-1:00 PM – Doug Phebus DOOR PRIZES with Oldies, Country Music and Karaoke 12:45-1:00 PM – Exercise Break 1:15-3:00 PM – Bingo MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN RAFFLES AND PRIZES

Vehicle “Yo-Yo” Sales

Most people think that once they’ve negotiated a price on a new or used vehicle, agreed on finance terms and signed the sales contract, their car buying experience is over.

Unfortunately, some dealerships have been known to ask consumers to return to the dealership weeks after the sale, claiming that there was an “error in the paperwork.” Once there, consumers are told that the lender refused to accept the contract’s finance terms and are then pressured into agreeing to larger down-payments or higher interest rates.

Consumers with less-than-excellent credit scores have been especially vulnerable to this practice, which is often referred to as a “yo-yo sale” or a “spot delivery.” A new Maryland law, however, can help you avoid being trapped into credit terms you don’t like or can’t afford.

To download the fact sheet “Protect Yourself from Motor Vehicle Yo-Yo Sales,” visit www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer. This document summarizes the law, provides tips to minimize your risk and lets you know what to do if you need help.

For more information or assistance with this or other consumer problems, or to request this fact sheet in an alternate format, contact the Howard County Office of Consumer Protection at 410-313-6420 or email consumer@howardcountymd.gov.

Caregiver Support Group www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

Find support and share the adult caregiver experience. Group !"#$""!%&'( )*""*"'"%+$,%&"'(& ')*"%$)#*"-'*.%,%&(+'"$//%)0-' "%#!(+'&*01%)2!&3-'(& '1(4"'0%'5& ',.*'(1(4'6)%.'#()*3!7!&38

Meets 3rd Wednesday of the Month August 15 | September 19 | October 17 | November 21 | December 19 Quality of Life Services for Older Adults, their Families, Caregivers, and Adults with Disabilities

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Maryland Access Point

6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045 9':(++'!6'(';%+! (4':%&<!#0"'1!0='>**,&3'?(0*"'9

SAME GREAT SERVICES SAME GREAT SERVICES WITH A NEW NUMBER NEW LOCAL LOCAL PHONE NUMBER

Contact Karen Hull 410-313-7466 (VOICE/RELAY) • khull@howardcountymd.gov

East Columbia 50+ Center

410-313-1234 / VOICE RELAY

Howard County

YOUR LINK TO HEALTH & SUPPORT SERVICES

TOLL FREE

844.627.5465 (844-MAP-LINK)

Contact Us TODAY! EMAIL

map@howardcountymd.gov WEBSITES

www.howardcountymd.gov/aging www.marylandaccesspoint.info

• • • • • • • •

Caregiver Support Long Term Supports Planning Medicare Counseling Guardianship/Ombudsman Home Modification/Repair 50+ Centers Social Day Programs Wellness Programs and more!

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

This publication is available in alternate formats upon request.

To join our subscriber list, email kahenry@howardcountymd.gov 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCommunity Kim Higdon Henry, Editor kahenry@howardcountymd.gov

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

The 50+ Connection

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

TECHNOLOGY

Say you saw it in the Beacon

INFORMATION

19

ENTERTAINMENT

MONDAY OCTOBER 31 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia 21044 $

1 ADMISSION $ 5 CAPITOL STEPS* 2 SHOWS: NOON AND 2:00 All Admission and Show Proceeds Benefit the Vivian Reid Community Fund for Older Adults * suggested donation

COURTESY SHUTTLE from The Mall in Columbia

Only

accessible parking on-site at Wilde Lake HS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• 10:00 a.m. feature presentation: AARP’s Tracking Wellness with Technology featuring Digital Strategy Advisor, Michael Lee

• • • • •

170 Exhibitors NEW! Job Fair Flu Vaccines NEW! Tech-Savvy Seminars Health Screenings

410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

Medicare Public Education Sessions

CAMP ISN’T JUST FOR KIDS ANYMORE!

IO Workshop – Mélong Ling IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Medicare 101– What You Can Expect

Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

Tuesday, August 9 • 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

PRESENT

Join us to learn how Medicare Parts A (hospital), B (medical) and D (prescription drug) work, what the benefits are, and when you should make decisions related to your coverage.

Camp East Columbia 50+

FREE Information Presented by SHIP

Medicare 102 – Why Medicare Isn’t Enough Tuesday, August 16 • 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Learn about Medicare Part C/Health Plans and Medicare Supplement Policies (Medigap Plans); how to cover the gaps (out of pocket expenses); how plans are priced; the best time to enroll; and how to protect yourself from Medicare fraud.

Ellicott City 50+ Center 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City 21042

Register at 410-313-7389 (VOICE/RELAY)

Wednesdays, September 14 – 28 Noon – 2:00 pm

East Columbia 50+ Center 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045 3 Weeks of Creative Adventure $48/person Week #1: Crazy Kitchen Concoctions Week #2: The Science of Art Week #3: The Science of Magic REGISTER BY PHONE OR EMAIL

410-313-7680 (VOICE/RELAY)

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS. Contact us for help. www.howardcountymd.gov/SHIP If you need accommodations to attend, call 410-313-1234 one week in advance.

eastcolumbia50@howardcountymd.gov

20

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The 50+ Connection

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Howard County 50+ Centers

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS Go to www.howardcountymd.gov/50pluscenters for a complete list of events, programs and services.

Bain 50+ Center

Elkridge 50+ Center

Tuesdays, August 2-30 • 10 a.m. to noon — WRITE YOUR MEMOIR: WRITE TO BE HEARD

Friday, August 12 & 26 • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — LEGAL AIDE

Many of us have stories stacked up in the libraries of our minds just waiting to be spoken aloud and transcribed to paper. Join others who love to write in this free workshop. Register: 410-313-7213.

Tuesdays, August 9-30 • 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. — AUGUST MONTH OF MUSIC SERIES August 9 – A Country Music Celebration with Chuck Fischer; August 16 – A Celebration of Gospel with The Bain 50+ Gospel Choir; August 23 – Ms. Lee and Her Men featuring Frank & Trish Curreri; and August 30 – Motown: A Journey Through Hittsville with The Winstons FREE; sign-up in the lobby; a special lunch will be provided; sign up in the lunch room.

Thursday, August 25 • 11 a.m. to noon — FACEBOOK 101 Learn how to set up a free social media page to connect with old friends, classmates, co-workers and family members. Space is limited. FREE. Register: 410-313-7213.

East Columbia 50+ Center Tuesday, August 2 • 6 to 7 p.m. — CONFLICTS 101 Build skills that can turn conflicts into opportunities in this informational workshop. Mocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served. FREE. For more information: 410-313-7680.

Wednesdays, August 3-24 • 1 p.m.— MUSIC AND MOVEMENT Join us to sing, play instruments, and enjoy simple choreography to familiar classical music. $23 for 4 weeks. Register: 410-313-7680.

Friday, August 19 • 11 a.m. — CHIROPRACTIC FOR YOUR PETS Learn about the possibilities and ask a few questions for yourself! Meet Amber Langmeier, D.C., and explore your options. FREE. Register: 410-313-7680.

Ellicott City 50+ Center Wednesdays, August 3-24 • 1 p.m. — HISTORY WITH GARY KAVANAGH This four-week lecture series by guest lecturer Gary Kavanagh, a retired Federal employee, focuses on the issues and events from the presidential election of Kennedy/Nixon in 1960 through the Clinton administration that shaped today’s political environment. Details: 410-313-1400.

Thursday, August 4 • Noon to 3 p.m. — LEADERSHIP “U” Leadership “U” of Howard County is a community service program that gives teens with leadership potential the opportunity to develop future goals. Sign up one week in advance to have lunch with the students.

Register: 410-313-1400.

Tuesday, August 16 • 1 p.m. — BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY: WAR ON THE HOME FRONT When World War II began, Baltimore’s citizens and the industries that employed them were transformed. Find out which industries led this growth, where the employees came from, and the impact these efforts had on our region. Held in the 50+ Fitness Center. Register: 410-313-1400.

Attorney Barb Coleman will be available to answer basic legal questions. This is a great opportunity to get FREE legal assistance.

Register: 410-313-5192.

Friday, August 19 • 11 a.m. to noon — LET’S DISH: CHICKEN ALFREDO Enjoy this fun cooking class and learn how to make this delicious, easy dish. Come hungry, lunch will be the finished product.

Donations accepted; register: 410-313-5192.

Friday, August 25 • 10:30 a.m. to noon — POLICE SAFETY TIPS Howard County Police Officer André Lingham will provide an update on local crime matters and offer tips on how to stay safe. 410-313-5192.

Glenwood 50+ Center Friday, August 5 • Noon — ALL AMERICAN LUNCHEON Wear your red, white and blue to celebrate the start of the 2016 Olympics and enjoy lunch, a performance by vocalist Sterling Dorn, and a corn hole tournament with prizes. $8; register at 410-313-5440.

Friday, August 12 • 1 p.m. — NEW RELEASE MOVIES Come enjoy the movie “Eddie the Eagle” complete with popcorn and lemonade. $1 donation; register: 410-313-5440.

Friday, August 19 • Noon — AVIATION DAY Aviation Day at Glenwood features a guest speaker from the Aviation Museum in College Park and a catered lunch by Mission BBQ Restaurant. $10. Register: 410-313-5440.

North Laurel 50+ Center Monday, August 15 • 1 to 2 p.m. — TALKIN’ BROADWAY: MORE MUSICAL MILESTONES Follow the evolution of Broadway’s rich history through discussion and live song presentations. Call 410-313-0380 to reserve a seat.

Friday, August 19 • 10 a.m. to noon — LEMONADE SOCIAL Take a break from the heat to enjoy this summertime favorite and share inspirational stories with fellow members. FREE; donations welcome.

Wednesday, August 24 • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — BURGERS & BINGO Enjoy a great game of Bingo, ice cold refreshments and build-your-own burger complete with all the fixings. Cost: lunch donation plus a nominal fee for Bingo. Call 410-313-0380 by August 17 to reserve lunch.

Share the

of Your 4-legged Friend

2016 PET EVALUATIONS AT 7:00 PM ON: Aug 4 • Sept 1 • Oct 6 • Nov 10 • Dec 1 Bain 50+ Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044

Ingrid Gleysteen PROGRAM COORDINATOR 410-313-7461 (voice/relay) igleysteen@howardcountymd.gov

PHONE EMAIL

To request accommodations to participate, contact the 50+ Center hosting the event one week in advance.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

21

JUMP STARTING START-UPS Small companies going public can now sell shares directly to consumers, but investing in start-ups carries substantial risk BEST BOND FUNDS Because interest rates are so low, investing in most kinds of bonds isn’t too rewarding. Which ones offer the best returns?

Cheapskate mutual fund investors do better

By Stan Choe Stay cheap.

Research keeps piling up to show that one of the best predictors for the success of a mutual fund is if it has low fees. Whether the fund specializes in stocks, bonds or other investments, having low costs tends to lead to higher future returns.

The latest piece of support comes from Russ Kinnel, director of manager research at Morningstar. He recently looked at returns for several categories of funds through 2015 — from foreign-stock to municipal-bond offerings.

He ranked funds in each category into five groups, based on their expenses. For each type of fund, he found that the lowestcost group had a higher rate of success than the second-cheapest, which had a higher rate of success than the thirdcheapest, and so on.

To see how much your mutual fund charges in fees, check its expense ratio.

The number shows what percentage of its assets goes each year to pay for manager salaries and other costs.

Many stock funds have an expense ratio of 1 percent, but most of the dollars invested are in funds that charge significantly less than that.

Kinnel recently talked about the importance of keeping that number as low as possible. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: So, when I’m considering a mutual fund, the very first thing I should look at is its expense ratio, right?

A: I’m always careful to point out that it’s not all you need, but it’s a great place to start. It’s such a strong predictor of future success. Our data show that it works in all kinds of funds and in all kinds of markets.

And the longer you hold an investment, the more important it becomes. The compounding effect of getting into lower costs is huge.

In a single year, that 0.30 percentage point difference between the expenses of Fund A and Fund B is obviously not going to be a huge deal for your returns. But the way compounding works and the way that investing is a very long-term game, it adds

up tremendously.

Q: What about people who are comfortable being in a higher-cost fund because it’s done well for them the last few years?

A: I could say they overcame the fee in the past, so who cares? But the reason you should care is that fees are far more persistent than outperformance. Performance, especially in the short term, is a combination of luck and skill and fees and other things.

We’ve tested it, and you can take the top performers and pit them against cheapest funds, and in the next five years, the cheapest funds will crush the top performers from the previous year.

We’ve gone so far as to say that if you put cheap funds with bad performance versus great funds with high costs, the cheap bad performers will win.

Q: It feels strange for something with a lower price tag to be better than the “premium-priced” one.

A: Often, we’re inclined to think that if you pay more for something, you get something better. If I pay more for a car,

computer or bottle of wine, I’m generally going to get something better. Not always, but generally.

There are a couple catches with that.

One is that when you’re looking at a fund’s expense ratio, you’re not looking at the dollars that the manager is paid. You’re looking at the percent (of the fund’s assets). Because of economies of scale, it’s often the case that the manager of the lower-cost fund is actually getting paid much more, because they’re running an $8 billion fund for 0.70 percent versus a $500 million fund charging 1.0 percent. The manager of the bigger fund is getting paid more.

So it’s kind of comparable to a Ford or Toyota versus if someone made a car for you by hand. It would cost 10 times more, but would probably be worse.

Also, fees are very persistent. All around, having low fees improves your margin for error. You don’t know what the market’s going to give you. If you know the next 10 years will be the greatest bull See CHEAPSKATE, page 22

Is it time to rebalance your portfolio?

By Sarah Skidmore Sell Like many things in life, investing is all about balance.

As the market moves and other forces take shape, different investments will grow at different rates. Over time, this may leave investors with a higher percentage of money in one type of investment than originally intended, such as more stocks than bonds.

Rebalancing, as it is known, is the act of reviewing and shifting investments to make sure they continue to reflect your goals. That could mean restoring them back to your original asset allocation, or updating them to reflect your changing needs.

It’s an important and often overlooked part of investing that we discussed with John Sweeney, executive vice president of retirement and investing strategies at Fidelity. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: There are different theories on rebalancing. What are your thoughts

on how to approach it?

A: Our philosophy on asset allocation is important to understand first, and that will feed into why rebalancing is important. We try to work with our investors to make sure their asset allocation lines up with their goals, which include time horizon and their risk tolerance.

A 25-year-old is not going to retire for 40 years, so their risk tolerance should be fairly aggressive and therefore heavily oriented toward equities. Because they have time to withstand volatility, we suggest 90 percent (stocks). A 65-year-old, by contrast, should have more like 55 percent in stocks.

What ends up happening when you have a period like we have over the past 10 years, even with the market downturn, the stock market is up about 170 percent from its lows. So you are likely to end up with a portfolio that is significantly more heavily allocated to stocks than to bonds.

Unless you’ve been rebalancing or are in some portfolio or service where that

happens automatically, then you are probably more heavily weighted to stocks than you would like to be.

Q: How often should people be rebalancing?

A: One way to do it is time-based. We would suggest at least once a year. Certainly we have some customers that do it once a quarter. You could do it every month if you want.

The way our portfolio managers would do it in a managed account or a mutual fund is on a risk-adjusted basis. What I mean by that is you let the portfolio drift within a band. (Once you hit a certain threshold,) you are going to take some of that equity risk off the table so the portfolio doesn’t get whipsawed too drastically should stocks fall.

Q: What is the most common mistake you see?

A: People don’t do it. We ask people when they come in: “Okay, when was the last time you rebalanced your portfolio?” and they give you a blank stare.

You end up with people who have an allocation that is the same as when they started working, which may have been 40 or 20 some years ago. That is a risky scenario. The other scenario is a young person who doesn’t make any election at all and they are 100 percent in cash. And that money isn’t really earning anything for them because it’s just sitting there.

Q: Where is the line between responsibly rebalancing and tinkering with things too much?

A: We have what I like to characterize as three different ways of driving: you can have an automatic transmission. I liken that to a target date fund, where you put asset allocation in the hands of the portfolio manager. You can have a manual transmission, where you rebalance on your own. And you have a car service: a managed account where you don’t have to worry about the rebalancing or the fund selecting. People may migrate among those over time as their skills and lifestyle change.

— AP

22

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Not afraid of risk? Invest in a start-up

By Joseph Pisani Last year, Randy Murphy went to DietBet.com and bet $25 that he could drop 4 percent of his weight in four weeks. After shedding about 20 pounds, he won back $50.

Now he’s making an even bigger bet: Murphy invested $1,000 in the company that owns DietBet, New York-based WayBetter Inc. Making the purchase — which was the first time he’s bought a company’s stock — was easy. Murphy clicked a link in an email from WayBetter that invited DietBet users to invest. After a few clicks, he had ordered up 1,000 shares for $1 each.

“I’m not a wealthy guy, but I felt like the risks were worth it,” said Murphy, a program manager and a volunteer medical first responder. “It has the potential to pay off.”

Usually only rich people and venture capitalists invest in start-ups. But now more regular folks are getting the chance.

That’s because of two major changes to

a federal law that have made it easier for small businesses to sell shares and raise cash from the public.

In June 2015, rules known as Regulation A were updated in an effort to get more companies to raise money from the public.

And this May, brand new crowdfunding rules went into effect allowing even smaller companies to raise up to $1 million a year from average Joes and Janes.

Many are hitting up their customers.

Shoppers who go to BeautyKind.us to buy moisturizer or perfume will see a banner on the top of the site: “BeautyKind is going public! Click here to learn how you can be a BeautyKind shareholder!”

Fans of Virtuix, a developer of virtual reality gear for video games, will see a link on the top of its website: “Interested in investing in Virtuix?”

N1ce, which sells frozen mojitos, daiquiris and other cocktails in easy-tocarry tubes, told its 13,000 Instagram followers that it was crowdfunding: “Take your chance to own a part of N1ce and

Cheapskate

bly more likely that the next 10 years will have subpar returns, and you’re forking over an even bigger chunk of your return.

Q: Is a takeaway from this that we should just invest in index funds?

From page 21 market ever, then great, you could probably buy a higher-cost fund. But it’s proba-

claim a front row seat to our journey as we go global.”

Big risks Investing in start-ups is risky. Most fail.

And many don’t have a proven business model. Some desperately need the money to hire employees, make a product or open a store.

Experts say there are a few ways investors can make money from their investment, such as if the company is bought or if it goes public. But none of that is guaranteed to happen, and if it does, it could take years before it happens, experts say.

“The bottom line is that Main Street investors should not invest beyond what they are comfortable losing,” said Mike Pieciak, who is the deputy commissioner for Vermont’s securities regulator and serves on a committee that advises the Securities and Exchange Commission about small companies.

To protect inexperienced investors, the SEC publishes financial details and other in-

They’re often the cheapest funds.

A: That can be a takeaway. But not all index funds are cheap. If you look at ETFs, there’s a lot of high-cost garbage out there.

There are crazy ETFs for crazy niches.

formation about the companies on the SEC website. More importantly, it also limits how much they can invest, depending on which rules the companies use to raise money.

For example, if your annual income or net worth is below $100,000, you can invest a maximum of $2,000 or 5 percent of your income or net worth, whichever is less, in start-ups.

While the crowdfunding rules are brand new, Regulation A has been around for years. But small companies rarely used Regulation A because the maximum $5 million they could raise in a year didn’t justify the costs of winning regulatory approval, said Gary Emmanuel, a securities attorney in New York. In 2011, for example, only one company received approval to sell shares under Regulation A, according to a 2012 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The 2012 law known as the Jobs Act increased the amount companies could raise See START-UP, page 23

I’d turn it the other way and say: Stay with a low-cost provider, such as Vanguard, American Funds, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, iShares.

— AP

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

23

Best bond funds given low interest rates

By Steven Goldberg Seven years after the end of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the U.S. economy continues to lead the developed world. Gross domestic product in the U.S. has been rising only about 2 percent annually (compared with a more normal 3 percent), but the economies of most other major nations are at, or just above, stall speed.

Will we ever get back to normal global growth? Probably, given time. But a return to the good old days is still a ways in the future.

Meantime, efforts by central bankers to light a fire under the global economy have pushed down bond yields to ridiculously low levels. Until growth picks up, those yields should stay artificially low. Citing concerns over sluggish employment growth, the Federal Reserve once again opted to leave rates unchanged at its June meeting.

Little gain, future pain Because interest rates are so low, investing in most kinds of bonds is risky. If yields

Start-up From page 22 to as much as $50 million in a 12-month period. Since the law took effect last June, more than 80 companies have applied to the SEC to sell shares, and more than 30 of them have been approved.

And as soon as new crowdfunding rules went into effect last month, more than 25 companies signed up.

Getting in on the ground floor Murphy read about the risks before he

Frank, Frank

increase (and there’s a lot more room for rates to rise than there is for them to decline), bond prices will fall, so fixed-income investors must be vigilant.

Take the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond. As of June 14, it yielded a puny 1.61 percent. If consumer prices rise at the historical annual rate of 3 percent, a 10-year Treasury is a guaranteed loser even if the bond’s price remains unchanged. Heck, even at 2 percent inflation, you’ll be in the hole with a 10-year Treasury because the bond’s interest will be less than the rise in consumer prices.

The best argument for owning U.S. Treasuries is that they pay more today than government bonds issued by many other developed countries. Many overseas bonds sport negative yields — a phenomenon I can’t begin to understand. In effect, you buy a government bond knowing that you will get back less when the IOU matures than what you put in. Makes me want to buy stock in a company that makes safedeposit boxes.

The advent of negative yields has prompted investors to lock up their cash in

invested in WayBetter. His $1,000 investment is small enough that it won’t hurt him much financially, he said. Murphy believes in the company and already knows that DietBet helps people lose weight.

He also liked that WayBetter is expanding its betting model to other products, such as StepBet, which motivates people to walk more. WayBetter, which declined to comment for this story, wants to raise as much as $20 million through Regulation A. “I love the idea of getting in on the ground floor,” said Murphy.

— AP

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super-long-term bonds that pay meager yields. Spain — get this — recently issued 50-year bonds with a 3.45 percent coupon.

France also issued 50-year bonds. Belgium and Ireland each sold 100 million euros of 100-year bonds in private deals.

I predict that one day we will look back on long-term bonds with tiny or negative yields, such as the 10-year Treasury, in much the same way we now view the insanely high price-earnings ratios of tech stocks in the late 1990s.

When yields inevitably do head north, those holding bonds will suffer huge losses. Just a one-percentage-point rise in the yield on the 10-year Treasury would cause its price to fall by 9 percent. A two-percentage-point increase would trigger a 17 percent plunge. Depending upon their current yields, a one-percentage point rise in 50-year and 100-year bonds would bring a price collapse of 25 to 45 percent.

See BEST BOND FUNDS, page 25

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

Best bond funds From page 23

The case for owning bonds So, why own bonds at all? Because stashing all your money in stocks can be too risky. Bonds provide ballast for your portfolio, and investment-grade bonds often rise, or at least generate positive total returns, during periods of falling stock prices.

Bonds issued by shaky companies (aptly called junk bonds) currently offer the most attractive yields: 7 percent, on average. But high-yield bonds come with substantial risk that the issuer might not be able to pay you back, and often perform poorly when stocks are tanking.

With all that in mind, here are my favorite bond mutual funds and exchangetraded-fund picks for the current market, listed from the most conservative to the riskiest. Note that I’m not including past returns for any of the funds because they would tell you little about how the funds will likely do in the future.

You’ll never grow rich owning Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (symbol VCSH), but you won’t go broke, either. I especially love two numbers about this fund: its annual expense ratio of just 0.10 percent and its average duration of 2.8 years (duration is a measure of interest-rate sensitivity; a duration of 2.8 years suggests that the fund’s price would drop by 2.8 percent if interest rates rose by

one-percentage-point). The exchange-traded fund invests in short-term, high-quality corporate and government bonds. It yields just 1.9 percent, but the modest payout is a fair trade-off for the low risk.

For money held in taxable accounts, I favor Vanguard Limited-Term Tax Exempt (VMLTX), which charges 0.20 percent a year and yields a paltry 0.9 percent (equivalent to a taxable 1.6 percent for an investor in the top, 43.4 percent bracket).

But the average duration is only 2.5 years.

If you can meet the $50,000 minimum, you can qualify for the fund’s Admiral share class (VMLUX), which charges just 0.12 percent and yields 1.0 percent (a taxable-equivalent yield of 1.8 percent for a top-bracket investor).

If you find it beneficial to invest in a single-state muni fund, which delivers interest that is free of federal and state income taxes, make sure it has a relatively modest duration.

Jeffrey Gundlach, co-manager of DoubleLine Total Return Bond N (DLTNX), has been a good prognosticator of the future course of interest rates. Over the past six months, he has trimmed his fund’s average duration from 3.5 years to 2.9 years, suggesting that he thinks rates will rise a bit.

Total Return, which sports a relatively generous 3.2 percent yield, holds a mix of government mortgages and much riskier privately backed mortgages. About 20 percent of its assets earn junk ratings.

As the name suggests, Metropolitan

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP CURB FINANCIAL ELDER ABUSE

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

West Unconstrained Bond (MWCRX) has a lot of flexibility. Among other things, the managers can sell bonds short (that is, bet on their prices to fall and yields to rise). At last report, the fund’s average duration was just 1.4 years. Some 85 percent of the fund’s assets are in corporate bonds, non-government-backed mortgages and other securitized debt.

All told, about one-fourth of the fund’s assets was in junk-rated securities. The fund yields 2.5 percent. Its four managers have a long and superior track record running Metropolitan West Total Return (MWTRX), a more-traditional, middle-of-

25

the-road bond fund that is a member of the Kiplinger 25.

Loomis Sayles Bond (LSBRX) fishes in treacherous waters. The fund, which yields 3.9 percent, has about 30 percent of its assets in bonds with junk ratings and another 10 percent in unrated bonds, as well as 8 percent in common stocks. It also invests a sizable chunk in foreign bonds.

Says comanager Elaine Stokes: “There’s so little yield in the world that we don’t think it pays to be in bonds with high credit ratings.”

Steve Goldberg is an investment adviser in the Washington, D.C. area.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

27

Leisure &

Where to visit for the best view of the total solar eclipse due next summer.

See story on page 29.

Chattanooga — beyond the choo choo sipping freshly-roasted, whiskey-barrelaged coffee, or from a leisurely river cruise on the Southern Belle serenaded by the “Tennessee Waltz” to a high-octane bluegrass festival.

You can eat fried green tomatoes and sweet tea glazed chicken at one meal, and upscale cuisine like wild boar ragù at the next. You can study a rare, 1947 “bubblehead” tow truck in one museum and move to a Wilhem de Kooning painting in another.

A city transformed

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHATTANOOGA CVB

In 1969, television newscaster Walter Cronkite dubbed the then-smokestack town of Chattanooga “America’s dirtiest city.” The Tennessee River was an industrial sewer of lead and heavy metals.

Cronkite’s label sparked a renaissance, symbolized by the popular, riverfront aquarium that is the largest in the Southeast, and the free electric shuttle chugging through a bustling downtown.

Chattanooga’s slogan is now “A Great City

by Nature.” The city of about 175,000 sits on the Tennessee River’s banks in a geologic bowl surrounded by mountains. Outside magazine twice named it the “best town ever.”

Lookout Mountain at 2,388 feet looms nearby. The area has over 10,000 caves — the greatest concentration of caves in the U.S. The river is home to over 300 species of fish that support bald eagles and ospreys.

Tennessee is the “epicenter of aquatic diversity,” said aquatic biologist Bernie Kuhajda. “The critters are what make Chattanooga really special.” It’s even known as the “salamander capital of the world,” harboring 11 percent of the world’s salamanders.

Ruby Falls, located inside Lookout Mountain, is — at 145 feet — the world’s highest underground waterfall open to the public.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHATTANOOGA CVB

By Glenda C. Booth During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln asserted, “If we can take and hold Chattanooga and East Tennessee, I think the Rebellion must dwindle and die.”

He saw the region as crucial to a Union victory because of the fertile fields that fed soldiers, the Tennessee River that moved them, and four radiating railroad lines that transported supplies.

People today are still “taking” the Chattanooga area — taking in many offerings indoors and out. There’s history, art, music, good food, nature and more.

The town was made famous by the hit song, “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” when Glenn Miller’s swing band recording became the nation’s number one song on December 7, 1941. (It remained atop the charts for nine weeks.)

Chattanooga is the birthplace of blues queen Bessie Smith. And baseball great Willie Mays played with the Chattanooga ChooChoos at age 16.

The city, which sits at Tennessee’s border with Georgia, is a place where you can go from eating grits and black-eyed peas to

The Tennessee Aquarium attracts more than 700,000 visitors each year. It houses not just thousands of fish, but penguins, owls, frogs and butterflies as well.

Under the sea The 190,000-square-foot Tennessee Aquarium is downtown’s centerpiece, topped by six triangular glass points that dominate the skyline. In its Imax theater, the 66-by-89-foot screen and 3D viewing make fish seemingly nip at your nose.

The River Journey exhibit traces a raindrop falling in the Appalachian Mountains as it makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the Ocean Journey building, marine invertebrates squiggle, and gentoo and macaroni penguins dive and dart through the water.

Other intriguing critters from around the world include leucistic alligators (white with a “toupé” of dark spots), hyacinth macaws, six-foot-wide Australian whiptail stingrays, and spindly pipefish that coil their tails around underwater grasses.

The award-winning Bluff View Art District weaves together art galleries, outdoor sculpture, gourmet cuisine, B&Bs and nature into a cohesive whole.

The Hunter Museum showcases American art from 1730 to the present, including artists like Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole and Edward Moran. There’s also 20th century art, including works by Andrew Wyeth, N.C. Wyeth, Edward Hopper, and abstract expressionist Wilhem de Kooning.

The International Towing and Recovery

Museum honors people of the vehicle towing industry with tow trucks dating to 1916. It traces the industry’s history, starting with the first wrecker ever fabricated

by Ernest Holmes, a local mechanic, who bolted a bed onto a Cadillac chassis and cab. The museum boasts the world’s largest collection of toy tow trucks.

Feisty women Chattanooga has spawned some intriguing women.

For “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith, music was her ticket out of poverty.

Born in a shack around 1894, she started out singing on street corners for nickels and dimes, and later, “drank, swore and brawled with the toughest of them,” recalls a poster in the Bessie Smith Cultural Center dedicated to her.

“The blues is a feeling,” one exhibit notes, and Bessie lived it. She sang about pain, sorrow, joy, despair and comfort.

Exhibits also explore the contributions of local African-Americans. Early 20th century posters remind visitors of unfortunate stereotypes. Aunt Jemima’s pancakes: “Sho hits the spot!” touts one.

Then there’s “Antique Annie,” Anna Safley Houston, who amassed one of the See CHATTANOOGA, page 28

28

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Chattanooga From page 27 finest collections of antique glass, porcelain and pottery in the world, now filling the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts in Chattanooga. Called a “genius,” an “enterprising business woman,” and an “eccentric,” Houston built a ramshackle, tarpaper barn herself to store her “pretties.”

She had nine or 10 husbands, perhaps setting the world record at that time, and suffered deprivation rather than relinquish her collection. The museum has 10,000 glass pieces, including pitchers, cruets, vases, baskets, bottles and beer mugs.

The Trail of Tears Several sites in the region memorialize the Trail of Tears — the 1838 forced removal of native peoples ordered by President Andrew Jackson. In all, about 4,000 Cherokees died.

The Passage waterscape in Chattanooga

leads down to Ross’s Landing, where over 3,000 Cherokees were sent downriver by boat.

“This is our national story, an emotional story that has to be told,” said Melissa Woody, Cleveland (Tenn.) Chamber of Commerce vice president.

Red Clay State Historic Area ranger Jamie Russell, a Cherokee, stresses, “We were a distinct nation that once controlled 40,000 square miles.” Today’s park was the site of the tribe’s council, or capital.

Blue Hole Spring and an eternal flame invoke reflection on one of America’s darkest chapters. The flame burns because the involuntary evacuees took embers with them and believed that as long as the embers burned, the Cherokees would survive.

The Hiwassee Heritage Center in Charleston presents both the native peoples’ and the U.S. military’s perspectives (The U.S. Government called the 23 internment camps “emigration depots.”) A monument at the Cherokee Removal Me-

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

morial Park at Blythe’s Ferry, where the evictees crossed the river, lists the names of those removed, including Bullfrog, Big Hoe and Young Duck.

The Chicamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park tells the story of the Confederates’ 1863 victory at Chickamauga and their loss a few months later when Union forces won control of Chattanooga in a Civil War battle known as the “Death Knell of the Confederacy.” Authorized by Congress in 1890, this was the nation’s first national military park.

Beyond Chattanooga The greater Chattanooga area offers hiking, hang gliding, fishing, canoeing and scenic cruises. Lookout Mountain is a popular spot from which you can see seven states on a clear day.

Amateur spelunkers can walk almost a mile inside the mountain to see the 145foot Ruby Falls. It is the world’s highest underground waterfall open to the public.

Into trains? Year-round excursions on working steam-powered trains start at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

“They are faster than horses,” quipped Tim Andrews, president.

A former mayor called Chattanooga “Nowheresville,” complaining that you could smell it and taste it before you arrive.

Today, Chattanooga is a happening town, with food, fun and features for all tastes.

Chattanooga eats Speaking of which, for a southern mix of food and fellowship, try the Soul Food Express, where locals gossip under spinning fans and snarf up fried chicken, catfish, fried corn, pinto beans, and macaroni and cheese.

At another long-established soul food spot, Memo’s, the motto is, “It’s all about the dollar and not the color,” in reference to its history of serving customers of any race.

The 212 Market’s fried green tomatoes, grits, and black-eyed pea-and-kale salad stand out. Sugar’s Ribs specializes in finger-licking barbecue and sides like okra, corn on the cob, and scrumptious banana pudding.

At festivals, you might get Tennessee stump dogs — hotdogs cooked on charcoal inside a hollow stump. Don’t forget moonpies, a local snack. And very sweet tea is served with everything.

To learn more about attractions and lodging, visit www.chattanoogafun.com.

The Beaux-Arts Chattanooga ChooChoo Hotel, in the 1909 restored train station, offers antique Pullman rail car rooms.

Rooms start at $155 a night. See http://choochoo.com or call (423) 2665000 for more information.

American Airlines has the most (and least expensive) flights to Chattanooga, starting at about $325 roundtrip from Dulles and BWI. Delta Airlines offers flights from about $340 from Reagan National Airport.

BEACON BITS

July 23+

AMERICAN INDIAN POW-WOW

A two-day pow-wow will open with a parade of Indian nations at noon on Saturday, July 23 and conclude on at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 24 at the Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd., West Friendship. The event offers the opportunity to interact with American Indian dancers, singers, drummers, artists and crafts persons selling turquoise jewelry, moccasins, rugs, paintings and dream catchers.

Native American food, including buffalo stew, Indian corn soup, fried bread and tacos will be available throughout the event. Admission is $7 for ages 3 to 12; $10 for ages 13 and over. Popup tents and overnight camping are welcomed. For more information, email powwow@vance.net or call (252) 532-0821.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

29

Reserve now for next year’s solar eclipse Where to watch Communities from coast to coast are already arguing for bragging rights as the best place to watch: • Madras, Oregon, claims its highdesert setting 100 miles southeast of Portland gives the best odds for clear weather.

The city plans an Oregon SolarFest, with camping, music and beer gardens.

• North Platte, 275 miles west of Omaha by Interstate 80, bills itself as a safe and accessible viewing place in the Nebraska Sandhills region.

• The sun, moon and Mississippi River will meet 80 miles south of St. Louis in Perry County, Missouri, local promoters say.

• Nashville will be the biggest city under total eclipse, but Hopkinsville, Ky., an hour north, boasts it will have the greatest degree of eclipse anywhere, meaning it will remain “total” for longer.

• South Carolina offers the closest eclipse-watching for 100 million people on the East Coast, right before the moon’s shadow crosses into the Atlantic Ocean, assuming summer rain clouds don’t block the view.

How eclipses occur Solar eclipses, which happen when the moon passes directly between the Earth and sun, are not rare. But they seldom happen in such easily accessible places.

A roughly 65-mile-wide zone, called the path of totality, will offer the best viewing as the moon’s shadow races over the Earth’s surface at more than 2,000 mph.

Stars and planets come out, and the sun’s corona glows in a perfect circle around the dark side of the moon as the effect of a sunset appears in all directions.

Depending on the location, the eclipse will be total for less than 30 seconds to as

PHOTO BY IGOR ZH.

By Mead Gruver Where’s the best place to watch next year’s total eclipse? If you’re thinking the grand open spaces of Wyoming, you have plenty of company.

Hotel rooms across the Cowboy State are going, going, gone, well over a year before the arrival of the first total solar eclipse to be seen from the mainland U.S. in almost four decades.

A national astronomy convention has reserved Casper’s largest hotel. International guides plan eclipse-oriented tours of the Yellowstone region. Jackson Hole is bracing for big crowds, and Native American tribes are promoting their heritage as the perfect backdrop for the rare natural event.

Tourism boosters are giddy. They’ve done little to market Wyoming as an eclipse destination, with millions already visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone each year, and yet even campsites are being claimed more than a year before eclipse day, which will be Aug. 21, 2017.

“What’s hot on everybody’s mind is, what’s the attendance number?” going to be, said Brook Kreder with the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

She projects 20,000 visitors, one-third of Casper’s population. With an influx like that, many more locals might join in the profits. “We have had some people inquire about putting their personal bedrooms up on Airbnb,” she said.

Some are calling this the Great American Eclipse, because the moon’s shadow will cross Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina before heading out over the Atlantic.

On August 21, 2017, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible from coast to coast in a narrow swath of the U.S. Hotel rooms in the path of the eclipse are selling out fast.

long as 2 minutes, 41 seconds.

“It gets darker and darker and darker.

And what’s weird is, the temperature drops and then wildlife becomes mysteriously quiet,” explained amateur astronomer Lowell Lyon. “All of a sudden — boom! — it suddenly gets dark.”

Astrocon2017, next year’s annual con-

vention of more than 240 U.S. amateur astronomy groups in the Astronomical League, will bring dozens of experts to Casper over the four days leading up to the eclipse. Lyon, who sells insurance in Salt Lake City by day, is organizing the event.

See SOLAR ECLIPSE, page 30

30

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Solar eclipse From page 29 Even without astronomical phenomena to attract them, tour groups in Jackson Hole often reserve blocks of hotel rooms a couple years ahead of the winter and summer peak seasons.

People hoping to watch the eclipse from the foot of the Teton Range began booking rooms even further in advance, said Clarene Law, who owns four Jackson hotels.

“Some of these photographic groups got in here before my staff realized it was the eclipse,” Law said. She said she doesn’t plan to raise rates — by much — for the few rooms she has left.

One company that provides eclipseviewing tours worldwide plans several multi-day, multi-state packages that will take hundreds of travelers to Tennessee, northwest Wyoming and Oregon to watch the eclipse. Past customers of the Prescott, Arizona-based TravelQuest In-

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ternational — who have traveled as far as Bali, the Faroe Islands and Ethiopia — have signed up for next year’s trips, President Aram Kaprielian said.

“This time, they’re traveling with their children and with their children’s children. So we’re getting these inter-generational groups that are joining us,” he said.

Watching in Wyoming One eclipse-watching advantage in Wyoming: A two-lane highway, U.S. 26, crosses the state entirely within the path of total eclipse. In case of clouds, eclipse watchers seeking clear skies will be able to drive more than 400 miles without leaving the prime viewing zone. All while keeping their eyes on the road, of course.

The route also crosses the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming, where the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes plan eclipse-oriented dances and eclipse-day tours to the sites of ancient petroglyphs, said Casey Adams, a spokeswoman for the Wind River Visitors Council.

“It can be a more personal experience.

It’s not going to be crowded. You can go find your own special little corner of Fremont County and take it in with just your close friends and family by your side,” Adams said.

Or, you might join the lively, festival atmosphere in Lander, a funky outdoors town at the foot of the Wind River Range, she said.

A lonesome Wyoming mountaintop would offer a spectacular view, but Lyon, the convention organizer, wants to be with his other dedicated stargazers.

“Just to hear the reaction of the crowds and the wild cheers that will go up,” Lyon said. “It’s kind of an adrenaline rush when you’re in a mass of people all sharing that experience.”

— AP

BEACON BITS

Aug. 3+

FREE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING

Howard County General Hospital offers free blood pressure checks from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 3 and Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia.

For more information, call the center at (410) 313-7213 or visit www.hcgh.org.

Aug. 5

ANIMAL OLYMPICS

A family-oriented afternoon featuring alligators and other athletes of the animal world in races and other Olympic-style competitions is planned for Friday, Aug. 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Glenwood Branch Library, 2350 St. Rte. 97, Cooksville.

Presented by EcoAdventures, tickets are required and may be ordered by calling the library at (410) 313-5579 or (410) 313-5577.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

31

Arts &

Laura Lippman’s Wilde Lake was published this spring. See continuation of our cover story on page 32.

Musical groups keep nostalgic tunes alive economic times for larger musical outfits.

“Unfortunately, a lot of places no longer can afford a large band, so we decided to form the duo,” she said. Rearview Mirror, she added, is booked through 2017. The twosome mostly plays senior facilities in Howard County, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Memorable music “No matter where we play, people tell us how our music brings back so many memories — of their proms, their romances, their weddings,” said Hirsch, 61, whom the CBS Baltimore website has cited as one of Baltimore’s top female musicians.

Rearview Mirror lists more than 300 songs on its website that it is ready, willing and able to perform. Also offered are some samples of the duo’s versatility, including — believe it or not — a moving and grooving rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” on which guitarist Bullion gets in some very swinging guitar licks.

Bullion, 62, who has been performing on guitar since he was 10 years old, was asked where that jazzy sound came from.

He suggested that musical genres have a way of flowing into one another.

His guitar favorites, he said, range from Eric Clapton (rock), to B.B. King (blues), Chet Atkins (country) and Charlie Byrd (jazz).

Rearview Mirror, which just wound up a local gig July 16 at the Howard County Historic Society in Ellicott City, will be performing next on Aug. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Holiday Park Senior Center Dance Club in Wheaton.

They will appear Aug. 8, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at the Rosedale Senior Center in Baltimore.

On Aug. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., the duo will perform

in the Kimco Summer Concert Series at the River Hill Village Center in Columbia.

See MUSICAL GROUPS, page 33

PHOTO COURTESY OF REARVIEW MIRROR

By Robert Friedman The big band (and small combo) sounds from the not-all-that-distant past are being swung around town these days by the 20member Ain’t Misbehavin’ Big Band and the Rearview Mirror duo.

Name that tune from the ‘30s to the ‘80s, and these groups will most likely have it on their charts.

Rearview Mirror’s two-person group — Columbia residents Iris Hirsch, vocals, and Glenn Bullion, guitar and vocals — musically reflect many of the sounds of the ‘50s to ‘70s (and occasionally ‘80s), from doo-wop to Motown, from the theme song from the Mickey Mouse club to Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock.”

And the duo offers some special effects that bring a multitude of instruments into play.

“Unlike most duos, we have a full band sound thanks to modern technology. We bring other instruments’ sounds — horns, strings, piano, drums — electronically over a laptop,” Hirsch said.

Hirsch noted that she and Bullion, who have been members of the Retro Rockets, another local band, decided to go it alone together in 2014 to get through some hard

Iris Hirsch and Glenn Bullion form the singing duo Rearview Mirror. The pair focus on hits from the 1950s to ‘70s, and sing at a variety of locations in Howard County, as well as other nearby locales.

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32

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Lippman From page 1 characterizations as sensitive as these in genre fiction or indeed, in any fiction.”

Lippman was asked how she feels about being seen as a “genre” writer, which usually means not being recognized as writing “serious” fiction.

“Genre,” Lippman said, “is really more of a market niche than a defined way of writing a book. There definitely are no formulas. There aren’t even requirements beyond the inclusion of a crime.”

More than murder Here’s the plot of Wilde Lake: Lu Brant, the newly elected state’s attorney — a position that her father had famously held — sees a way to quickly build her reputation by trying a homeless man accused of murdering a woman in her home.

“It’s not the kind of case that makes national headlines,” said the book jacket, “but peaceful Howard County doesn’t see many homicides.”

While the murder case forms the basis for the developing story, other closely and sensitively examined concerns, like childhood and family, give real depth to the

novel. And certain truths held self-evident, like the overriding importance of truth itself, are given a subtle take by protagonistattorney-politician Lu Brant.

“I think we hold the truth in too high esteem,” said Brant. “The truth is inert. It has no intrinsic power. Lies have all the power. Would you lie to save your child’s life? I would, in a heartbeat…

“The truth is not a finite commodity that can be contained within identifiable borders. The truth is messy, riotous, overrunning everything. You can never know the whole truth of anything.

“And if you could, you would wish you didn’t,” Brant says.

The attorney’s thoughts on veracity, which come in the middle of the book, have a sadly ironic twist for her in the gripping conclusion of what is a serious novel, whether genre or not.

Early love of detective novels Lippman is named in the July-August issue of The Atlantic as one of the outstanding female writers of crime fiction, a field that the writer Terrance Rafferty said has been taken over by female writers.

“The most psychologically acute and exciting crime fiction these days is being

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

written by women, who know all the new (and old) places to look for the darkest mysteries,” he wrote, adding: “Fortunately, the best of the women now writing in the genre have more on their minds than bamboozling credulous readers…In Laura Lippman’s non-serial novels, like What the Dead Know and the new Wilde Lake, she likes to shuttle between the present and the past; mysteries are solved; elegantly, but the dominant mood is elegiac.”

So how did this serious writer of crime fiction get her training in the “genre”?

It wasn’t so much the P.I. Big Boys, like Phillip Marlowe (Raymond Chandler) or Sam Spade (Dashiell Hammett) or Lew Archer (Ross Macdonald), that spurred on Lippman’s Tess Monaghan.

In the beginning (as a pre-adolescent), Lippman read Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Encyclopedia Brown — a couple of girls and one boy detective.

Then she did read “the big three,” she said, “but they had less influence on me than James A. Cain,” the master of such nail-biters as Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Mildred Pierce, all of which happened to be made into film noir classics in the 1940s.

Lippman listed Mildred Pierce, as one of her all-time favorite crime novels, along with When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson, Baby, Would I Lie? by Donald Westlake, and Freeze My Margarita by Lauren Milne Henderson.

Joining forces for a play What she is now working on may come as a surprise. Lippman said she remembers being moved by the plays of Eugene O’Neill and William Inge while in high school.

So now Lippman is co-writing a play, a musical drama, together with her husband, writer and producer David Simon (who created the hugely praised HBO TV series “The Wire,” about Baltimore’s drug underworld), and crime novelist George Pelecanos, who writes novels of Washington, D.C.’s mean streets, but who also wrote for “The Wire.”

“The songs will be taken from the vast catalog of songs written by the Pogues,” a Celtic punk band, Lippman said.

Asked what the play was about and how the project was going, Lippman would only say, “I think it’s going well because none of the collaborators want to kill each other yet.”

So what are the main differences between male and female crime fiction writers?

Lippman told the Beacon, “This is one of those cases where one must answer a question with a question. What are the differences between males and females in life?”

Laura Lippman will be engaging in a discussion with fellow author Linda Fairstein, former chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. on July 28. The bookstore is located at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. For more information, call (202) 364-1919.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

Musical groups From page 31 Read more about the duo at http:// rearviewmirrorduo.com.

Big Band sounds Meanwhile, on the orchestra revival front, the Ain’t Misbehavin’ Big Band will be performing arrangements from the ‘30s, ‘40s and beyond by the likes of the Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Woody Herman orchestras.

The 20-member ensemble, led by trombonist Lee Hoffman, has been playing mostly the senior circuit around Maryland

Letters to editor From page 2 system to work properly. [I have published an annotated “translation” of Madison’s transcript to make the language easier to understand. It is available on Amazon.com for $3 as a Kindle ebook.]

The founders made many compromises during the Convention, and they made it clear that future legislatures would need to do the same in order for the system to

since 2000.

Hoffman, 75, who took over the band just four months ago, is an avid aficionado of the Dorsey trombone sound.

“He always had a beautiful, warm tone on his horn,” noted Hoffman, who said he prefers ballads, but the band certainly can swing out such standards as the Woody Herman Herd’s “Woodchoppers Ball.”

While most of the band members are from the Middle River area, there are three Ellicott City hometowners in the orchestra: saxophonist George Stelmach, 75, trombonist Dennis Failing, 55, and trumpet player Gary Rudacille, 70.

The band brings its big sound to the work. They would have little use for today’s legislators who are unwilling to bend on any important issue.

They were quite frank in making it clear that the ball would be in the hands of future legislators, and it would be up to them to either make the system work or wreck it — and that wrecking it would be a real possibility. As Franklin said at the signing, “We’ve given you a federal government — if you can keep it.”

Richard Kreutzberg, via email

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

J U D A S T A C O T A R T

A L I C E O C A N O B O E

I N T H E D U M P S P L A N

L A Z Y E R E I

B E S T

S K O A A L S I S N T A O P E O A N R T H

A N D D I R T Y I N A W E

W O B O R D O N T E A H A S U E T S W H O N E H A N A S A T T T C H S H E

A T H E E L S

Tickets for the performance are $10. For more, see www.aintmisbehavinbigband.com.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

ARTS COUNCIL SEEKING EXHIBIT ENTRIES The Howard County Arts Council is putting out a call for entries

from artists in any medium for Art Maryland 2016, a biennial exhibit that will open in October. Application deadline is Sept. 2. Applications may be picked up in person at the Arts Council office, 8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City, or downloaded from the website: www.hocoarts.org. For more information, visit the website or call (410) 313-2787.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

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

2

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By Stephen Sherr

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Scrabble answers on p. 33.

30 37

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1. Monopoly monotony 5. Witnessed 8. Brick made from mud 13. Arm bone 14. Cabinet handle 16. Auto maker with California home 17. Airhead 18. Fish market feature 19. Further along the recovery process 20. In need of analgesics 21. How to solve the six longest Down clues 23. Use one of the five senses 24. “The Greatest” (1942-2016) 25. Beginning of “time” 26. ___ Moines, Iowa 28. One of two Indy champs named Bobby 30. It could mean opportunities or operations 33. Sightseers 36. Discussion system that predated the World Wide Web by 10 years 38. Good place to buy Road Runner traps 39. Russian rejections 41. Oliver Twist’s request 42. Per ___ (average per person) 44. Detective story 46. End of can and Cant 47. Start the speech with “I believe...”

49. Cruise ship dir. from Miami to Nassau 50. Long, long, long, long time 51. Breakfast meat option 53. Librarian’s admonishment 56. Executives 61. Sicken with sweetness 62. More qualified 63. Light bulb measure 64. Crescent-shaped figure 65. Cook pumpkin seeds 66. __ A Sketch 67. Clickable image 68. Last year in a decade 69. Cow or scow

70

70. Ingredient in Chicken Andouille Gumbo

Down 1. Paradigm of betrayal 2. Waitress at Mel’s Diner for nine seasons 3. Sad 4. Like a couch potato 5. Its tin cover does not actually state “smokeless tobacco” 6. Fiercely competitive 7. Type of fireplace 8. Appearing shabby 9. End start 10. Scandinavian capital 11. Used a breathalyzer 12. Deserve 15. Soup base 22. Joint project of the Natl. Endowment for the Arts and the United Service Org. 24. “ ___ was saying” 27. “I kissed thee ___ killed thee” (Othello to Desdemona) 29. “How to Make ___ Rag Doll” (threader’s-guide instructions) 30. Star-crossed 31. Prefix with scope or meter 32. “Never mind; leave it alone” 33. Chipotle choice 34. Anthem start at a Blue Jays game 35. Connect without tools 37. Flightless birds 40. “Drink up” 43. Grounded 45. Blue-stater (most likely) 48. Mesmerized 52. ___ World Turns 54. Ten Commandments word 55. A bad-guy in The Lion King 56. Crumpet traymate 57. Trumpet playmate 58. Architect’s doodles 59. Consumer Reports adjective 60. D.C. baseball team 61. Advertising award named for a Greek goddess

Answers on page 33.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

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

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

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

For Sale “SATORI,” A SILK SCREEN PAINTING by Wes Yamaka (1979 10/37) contains Japanese calligraphy and a poem by Linda Silberstein. 23 x 26 inches, matted and framed, $299. A find for Zen enthusiasts or Columbia residents who knew Wes Yamaka. Can email photo. Call Jack at 301-305-2340.

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

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

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

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates. 10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379HAUL (4285).

Financial Services ACCOUNTING, TAXES AND BOOKKEEPING, eldercare. CPA 38 years, reasonable rates.

Call 410-653-3363.

For Rent/Real estate NEEDED: A COUPLE, RETIRED OR NOT, to rent a spacious, lovely 2-bedroom basement apartment or mother-in-law suite w/ private bath. Located in upscale neighborhood with lots of amenities! Has big kitchen, complete, with new appliance, including W/D. Large backyard and private walkout. No pets or smoking. Rent: $600/month per room including utilities. If interested, please call 301-310-9481 or leave a message.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question.

Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wanted WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER JEWELRY. Costume too. Gold and silver coins, paper money, military, crocks, old bottles and jars, etc.

Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, tea sets, single pieces of silver, large pieces of silver plate. Attic, basement, garage. You have something to SELL, we like to BUY. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

BUYING ANTIQUES, ESTATES. 20-year Beacon advertiser. Cash paid for jewelry, gold, silver, old coins, pens, art, old toys, dolls, trains, watches, old comics, sports memorabilia, military guns, knives, swords, all collections. Tom, 240-476-3441.

Wanted

Wanted

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-2798834. Thank you.

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Homewatch Caregivers . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Options for Senior America . . . . . . . . .25

SentinelCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 World Class Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . .4

Housing

Real Estate The Bob Lucido Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Going Home Cremations . . . . . . . . . . .33 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. . . . . . . . . .23

Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace . . . . .33 Charlestown/Erickson Living . . . . . . .13 Country Gardens Assisted Living . . . . .7 Fairhaven/Integrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Gatherings at Quarry Place/Beazer Homes . . . . . . .12 Heartlands of Ellicott City . . . . . . . . .26 Homecrest House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Ivy Manor Normandy . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Olney Assisted Living . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Park View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Shriner Court/Quantum . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Somerford Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Vantage House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Hearing Services

Legal Services

Miracle-Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Designer Audiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC . . . . . . . .23 Law Office of Karen Ellsworth . . . . . .22

Home Health Care

Medical/Health

A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Hands That Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Columbia Advanced Dental Studio . . . .6 Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Clinical Research Studies Investigational Medication Study . . . .15 Memory Loss Drug Study . . . . . . . . . .14

Events Beacon 50+Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 COGS Fundraiser Event . . . . . . . . . . .28

Financial Services PENFED Financial Services . . . . . . . .22 Moriarity Financial Services . . . . . . . .23

Funeral Services

35

Retail/Services Columbia’s Village Centers . . . . . . . . .32 HoCo Haulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Homelife Remodeling . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 WOW! Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Senior Services Senior Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . .17-20

Skilled Nursing & Rehab

CommuniCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Subscription Services

The Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Theatre/Entertainment Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Tour & Travel

Eyre Tour & Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Festive Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Nexus Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

August 2016

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Re em nt Village il is sp i ll ein pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being. ve Rehabilitation R r All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke oo Grove Retirement Village campus.

Please register with Toni gi Ton ni Davis Davis at at 301-388-7209 30 01-388-7 7209 or tdavis@bgf.org. dav g.

Alzheimer’s Alzheim A e m e r ’ s support suppor p r t group g August 17, 3:3 30-4:30 4 August 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Sponsored Sponssored by the Alzheimer’s Association, Spo this confidential fi al group g pro this provides an opportunity op ppor portunity for individuals andd families fa to and to find fi support, ort gain understanding und an share caregiving tips. FREE. FR

S Support for the he Caregiver Careg g i ve v er Seminar: Semina em “Winning g Life’s Toughest T ou oughest s t Bat tles” tles August 23, 2-3 p.m.

Explore the characteristics l ch rist of those ho whoo survive v traumatizing t ng situations and focus on on ways ay to o reshape resha ha suffering Discover s ng in order to flourish. flo Dis r techniques techniq ech ques that t will w allow you to care for yourself as you experience expe per erien the stress of Register o caregiving. FREE. FR Reggistter by August Aug Auguust 21.

Independent living assisted living rehabilitation long-term care memory support 18100 Slade School Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 • 301-260-2320 • www.bgf.org