August 2019 | Howard County Beacon

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Women take to the air in races

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY AIR RACE CLASSIC

By Glenda C. Booth Their teams have names like “Flying Flashes,” “Estrogen Express,” “Dakota FlyGirls,” “Liberty Belles” and “White Lightning.”

For a week in June, 109 women pilots grouped into 49 teams flew 2,538 miles across nine states and one Canadian province in a variety of planes.

The women, who range in age from 21 to 90 years old, are members of an exclusive club. Only 7% of airplane pilots are female.

And these women are not just experienced pilots who love to soar above Mother Earth. They race airplanes for fun.

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Channeling Amelia Earhart The 43rd Air Race Classic was the ninth race for Debi Dreyfuss, a Potomac grandmother of six. With 30 years of flying experience, Dreyfuss is now a flight instructor, having retired from 20 years in advertising. She owns three airplanes and flies around 250 hours a year.

“It’s kind of addictive,” Dreyfuss said. “I enjoy being with women who like to compete, and it’s a way to get to know your airplane intimately.”

Dreyfuss and Morgan Mitchell of Alexandria, Virginia, dubbed Team DC3(-1), flew a Cessna Skylane 182T and placed 13th place in June. (They came in fourth last year.)

Dreyfuss recalled her naiveté in her first race. “We did not know what the heck we were doing,” she said. They placed 23rd that time, though they came in first in the last leg. But awards matter less than the thrill.

“We went 209 knots. Our normal speed is 140 knots. It encouraged me to do it again. It’s a rush — 200 feet off the ground, going full throttle at the flybys, zooming past the timing judge.”

Carol Christian of Baltimore and co-pilot Jane Toskes of Bel Air, Maryland, raced in a Cirrus SR22 and called themselves the Cirriusly Amazing team. In June, they clocked in at 29th place.

“We had a great time and learned a lot,” Toskes said after the race. “Weather, as always, is a major factor that affects all racers.

Next time, we may wait for better winds.”

The Air Race Classic started in 1929 as the Women’s Air Derby, in which 20 women, including Amelia Earhart, raced from Santa

ARTS & STYLE

Carol Christian of Baltimore, left, and Jane Toskes of Bel Air smile after touching down in Canada at the conclusion of the 2019 Air Race Classic. The annual event sends women pilots, ranging in age from 21 to 90, zigzagging 2,500 miles from Tennessee to Ontario over four days.

Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio.

Racing continued through the 1930s, was interrupted by World War II, and then resumed in 1947 as the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, nicknamed “the Powder Puff Derby.” The last derby took place in 1977, and the Air Race Classic continued the tradition of women’s racing.

The race route The race route changes every year. The one prescribed for the 2019 race stretched from the race’s start in Jackson, Tennessee, to its terminus in Welland, Ontario. It consisted of nine legs of 280 to 320 statute miles each, and racers were given

four days to complete the trip.

Race organizers designate certain airports on the route for “flybys” where officials record the aircrafts’ times. At these checkpoints, pilots can either land or continue on. As Mitchell explained, “Pilots must hit every checkpoint. How you get there is up to you.”

Rules require racers to fly only in daylight with three miles of visibility and a 1,000-foot ceiling. Planes must be fixed wing and non-turbocharged, non-supercharged piston-powered airplanes with between 100 and 600 horsepower.

See AIR RACE, page 9

Join one of Maryland’s 99 garden clubs to make good friends and do good; plus, a former minister-therapist’s musical sculpture goes public in ArtSites 2019. page 26

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Social insecurity Every year, when the Medicare and SoYou may well express surprise at this. cial Security Trustees issue their annual re- After all, aren’t the payroll deductions that port on the status of those come out of our paychecks programs, there’s a flurry of meant to cover those expensinterest in one fact: At what es and then some? point in the future will the That used to be the case. programs no longer be able to But as Americans are living meet their obligations in full? longer, and having fewer chilThe 2019 report estimated dren, the payroll deductions that Social Security would be of our shrinking workforce unable to cover full benefits as are no longer sufficient to pay of 2035, 16 years from now. even current Social Security Medicare’s day of reckoning is and Medicare benefits, much much sooner, 2026, or seven FROM THE less sock some away for the years from now. rapidly growing costs that PUBLISHER Neither program becomes By Stuart P. Rosenthal will face these programs as completely broke then. Social the baby boomers continue to Security, for example, would still be able to retire. (10,000 Americans reach the age of pay about 79% of benefits. That’s cold com- 65 every day, and that will continue to be fort to those who will be depending on the case every day for the next 10 years.) those benefits for a significant chunk of And let’s be honest: we never really their retirement income. “saved” any of the funds raised by excess But there’s another fact buried in the payroll deductions over the last couple of Trustees’ report that is of more interest to decades anyway. There is not really any me. How many current taxpayer dollars mechanism for the U.S. government to do are spent on meeting current Social Secu- that. rity and Medicare obligations over and Instead, literally trillions of dollars over above the annual withholding amounts those years were spent as they came in, paid by workers? paying for programs at the time or reduc-

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington, DC and Richmond, Va. (Fifty Plus).

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

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ing the federal deficit.

To represent the future obligation of the government to make good on that money for the benefit of Social Security and Medicare, the government issued itself IOUs in the form of special interest-earning U.S. Treasury Bills that are held in a misleadingly named “trust fund.”

But when Social Security and Medicare need the money from that fund — as they do now to pay for benefits not covered by current payroll deductions — the funds represented by the bonds (as well as the interest owed on them) must come either out of the current year’s federal budget or be borrowed elsewhere, raising the federal deficit.

What it all amounts to is a generationshifting transfer, with earlier governments gaining hundreds of millions of dollars each year, while we are saddled with paying it all back, plus interest.

So how much are we taxpayers contributing each year to make up for the shortfall? In 2018, it was $411 billion, and this year it is estimated to be $431 billion.

Yes, that’s $431,000,000,000.

Are the Trustees concerned about this?

You bet. Have they been concerned for a while? Indeed.

So, who is rousing the public to be incensed enough to force Congress and the administration to take steps that will put Social Security and Medicare on a sounder footing (and not do so on the backs of ordinary taxpayers)?

No one. In part, that’s because the two positions on the Board of Trustees for “public representatives” — one Democrat and one Republican — have been vacant for four years now.

The remaining trustees are all members of the administration: the secretaries of Labor, Treasury, Health & Human Services and the commissioner of Social Security.

Many readers of the Beacon may remember that the keynote speaker at our 50+Expo back in 2011 was one of the public trustees at the time, an economist named Charles Blahous. He gave us an earful about how the current problems came to be, and described many options that congress and the White House could exercise to gradually put Social Security and Medicare into better financial shape with less impact on current budgets.

But years have gone by with no apparent will to take any action.

Will the next year or two be any different? Highly unlikely. On the contrary, it seems like every candidate campaigning for president today is committed to “preserving” Social Security and Medicare as they now stand, or to vastly increasing benefits (and potentially, their financial problems) by offering them to more people.

Just so you know: in many cases it’s your taxes they are spending and committing to expand. The candidates’ suggestions may or may not be good policy, but either way, they should be upfront about where the money is coming from.

I recommend you raise this point when you have an opportunity to meet or speak with campaign officials. Only when more of us at the grassroots level express concern and exasperation with what’s happening with Social Security and Medicare will anyone start to pay attention.

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 email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: At an auction in June, I tried to buy a semi-automatic pistol. I was informed I am not allowed to purchase the pistol without permission of the state. At 70, I am less a citizen than I was at 15, when I purchased a .22 revolver for $5 and later a 12-gauge shotgun. I served in Vietnam for 15 months.

You can take your salutes and your “thank you for your service” and shove them. Where are the freedoms I fought for? What greater slap in the face can a vet face than have the very freedoms we fought for taken away?

Ken (last name withheld by request) Baltimore, Md. Dear Editor: For seniors, older adults and others

who are beyond contact sports, what’s the point of a ramp to an exclusionary facility like basketball courts, soccer fields or tennis courts? That strikes me as accessibility without inclusion.

When was the last time you saw a man like me, in my mid-80s, standing around waiting to play in a pickup game at a neighborhood park?

Where are the ball-playing sports that are drop-in, walk-on or always available to participate with my grandchildren in the neighborhood park?

The remedy: sports like bowling, golf and now bankshot. Why in senior centers, recreation centers and neighborhood parks are there so few of these non-competitive sports?

Reeve Robert Brenner Bethesda, Md.

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 9

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Health Fitness &

IS IT DEMENTIA? Delirium is a common side effect of drugs, but it can have other causes SAY WHAT? Hearing well can improve overall quality of life in some surprising ways HOPE FOR CANCER PATIENTS FDA to open up access to experimental drugs for aggressive cancers THE LOST KITCHEN Cooking helped a daughter cope with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Medical scribes let doctors focus on you

By Adam Landman, M.D. You have a medical appointment, perhaps with a new doctor. The physician enters the examination room, introduces herself, and then introduces the medical scribe, who moves to the corner of the room in front of the computer. As the doctor starts asking you questions, the scribe begins typing.

Scribes are becoming increasingly common in doctor’s offices. But what do they do, what type of training do they have, and why are they gaining in popularity?

Scribes are assistants to physicians and other healthcare providers. Their primary role is entering electronic documentation (notes) into the computer, including patient history, physician examination find-

ings, test results and other information pertinent to your care.

Scribes may also check for test results and assist with assigning diagnoses and billing. The physician is then responsible for carefully reviewing the scribe’s notes, correcting any misinformation or omissions and signing the notes.

Who works as a scribe?

Scribes are often college students or recent college graduates seeking additional exposure to the healthcare field before applying to medical school or other graduate training programs; however, scribing can also be a full-time career. They receive training on how to document as well as on

medical coding and billing rules.

In general, scribes do not have healthcare provider training or certification. Unless your scribe is also a nurse, medical assistant or other certified medical professional, they should not be providing medical advice or delivering care to you.

Scribes are members of the healthcare delivery team and are therefore accountable to all applicable institutional policies and are expected to act professionally. For example, scribes are held to the same standards to protect patient privacy as other healthcare professionals.

Scribes should be introduced to the patient when they enter the room. If you are uncomfortable with a scribe being present

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during your visit, you should request to be seen by the healthcare provider privately.

Why are scribes so common now?

The practice of medicine requires a large number of administrative tasks, including thorough documentation of all patient visits.

As the majority of U.S. hospitals and physician offices have now transitioned to electronic documentation, physicians are spending an increasing amount of time on the computer instead of with the patient.

Adding a scribe to the team enables physicians to spend more time directly talking with patients, while the scribe docSee MEDICAL SCRIBES, page 6

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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 9

Progress on blood tests to detect cancer as helping people live longer — the ultimate measure of a screening test’s worth. —AP

More studies underway

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“I have little doubt that in the next several years we’re going to have what is probably a true early detection test,” Lichtenfeld said.

But the technology still needs to improve and to be tried in large groups of people without known cancers where the detection rate may not be as good, he added. Grail and Thrive already have larger studies underway.

Grail’s test has not been compared to mammography, colonoscopy or other screening tools, and is not intended to replace them, the company said.

On the other hand, many deadly cancers that the Grail test detected have no screening tests now, he noted.

F R EE

Many companies are trying to develop early detection “liquid biopsy” tests that capture bits of DNA that cancer cells shed into blood.

Last month, Johns Hopkins University scientists launched a company called Thrive Earlier Detection Corp. to develop its CancerSEEK test, which yielded results similar to Grail’s more than a year ago.

Grail is closely watched because of the extraordinary investment it’s attracted — more than $1 billion from Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and other celebrities.

The new results included 2,300 people, 60% with cancer and 40% not known to have it. The test detected 55% of known cancers and gave false alarms for 1%. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, interim chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, called the low rate of false alarms “remarkable.”

The detection rate was better — 76% — for a dozen cancers that collectively ac-

The biggest question, Lichtenfeld said, is “will it make a difference in outcomes” such

F R EE

Non-invasive diagnostic tools

count for nearly two thirds of cancer deaths in the U.S., including lung, pancreatic, esophageal and ovarian.

The test found only about a third of cancers at the very earliest stage but as many as 84% that had started to spread but not widely.

It also suggested where the cancer may be in 94% of cases and was right about that 90% of the time.

That’s the most encouraging part because you don’t want to tell people they may have cancer and then need to do a lot of other tests to figure out where, said Dr. Richard Schilsky, chief medical officer of the oncology society.

“They still have a long way to go” to prove the test’s worth as a screening tool, but these results are encouraging, he said.

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By Marilynn Marchione A California company said its experimental blood test was able to detect many types of cancer at an early stage and gave very few false alarms in a study that included people with and without the disease.

Grail Inc. gave results in a news release in May and reported them at a recent American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. They have not yet been published in a journal or reviewed by other scientists.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Delirium and dementia differ but overlap Dear Mayo Clinic: My mother is 78, and over the past two weeks, she has become really confused off and on. Before this, she seemed fine, other than having some problems with short-term memory loss.

Could this be delirium? How is delirium different from the beginnings of dementia?

A: It is possible that your mother has delirium, which is a common condition that occurs when people become ill. It also

can be a side effect of some medications.

Unlike dementia, which develops gradually over a long period of time, the start of delirium usually is rapid. Symptoms of delirium require prompt medical evaluation to determine the underlying cause and start treatment.

Symptoms of delirium Signs and symptoms of delirium usually begin over the course of a few hours or a few days.

Delirium is a serious disturbance in mental abilities. Its hallmarks include changes in attention, such as becoming extremely confused or withdrawn, and having that condition shift throughout the day.

For example, some people affected by delirium will be fine in the morning and then become confused at night.

Other symptoms of delirium may include restlessness, agitation, hallucinations, anxiety and unpredictable mood changes, as well as sleep problems, sluggishness and abnormal drowsiness.

Delirium often is triggered by an acute illness, such as an infection or a condition that affects the body’s metabolism, like low sodium or low calcium.

Delirium also can be caused by heart or lung problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a pulmonary embolism or a heart attack.

Many medications can cause delirium when they are first introduced. Those most frequently associated with delirium include some types of medication prescribed for pain, sleep problems, mood disorders, allergies, asthma, Parkinson’s disease and spasms or convulsions.

How it differs from dementia It sometimes can be hard to tell the difference between delirium and dementia, but there are several distinguishing factors. The most obvious is the onset of these disorders, with delirium developing quickly and dementia developing slowly.

In addition, dementia often begins with memory loss that involves daily activities, such as forgetting appointments or bills, or difficulty with planning.

Unlike those affected by delirium, people with early-stage dementia typically don’t have

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Medical scribes From page 4 uments the visit.

Scribes are being used in all care settings, including the primary care office, specialist offices, urgent care, emergency departments and inpatient hospitals.

A recent study in the primary care setting found reductions in the amount of time spent with electronic documentation and improvements in physician productivity and work satisfaction associated with the use of medical scribes.

In-person and virtual scribes

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Today, scribes typically accompany the physician and patient in the room. In-person scribes are also being supplemented by virtual scribes who aren’t physically present in the room with the patient.

For example, physicians may use a recording device to capture their interview and examination of the patient. The electronic recording can then be sent to scribes who are offsite, and then transcribed and entered into the computer.

Newer video teleconferencing software and “smart” glasses are also being used to

problems with their ability to maintain attention, and they generally remain alert and engaged with what’s going on around them.

Finally, symptoms of dementia don’t fluctuate as much as those of delirium. People who have dementia may have times of the day when symptoms seem somewhat better or worse. But, overall, their memory and thinking skills stay fairly constant throughout the day.

It is possible to have both dementia and delirium. Delirium frequently occurs in people with dementia. But having episodes of delirium does not always mean a person has dementia.

In a situation like your mother’s, where a family member or friend notices symptoms of delirium, it’s important that the affected individual receive a medical evaluation.

Delirium usually can be diagnosed based on a person’s medical history and symptoms, along with tests to assess mental status and identify underlying health problems.

Input from a family member or friend during the evaluation often helps the healthcare provider arrive at an accurate diagnosis.

If a new health concern is uncovered during the medical assessment, treatment for that condition often relieves delirium symptoms.

When delirium is caused by medications, adjusting the dose or switching to an alternative medication may be all that’s needed to eliminate delirium.

Paul Takahashi, M.D., Community Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinic Q&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. allow the scribe to view and transcribe the visit into the computer from an offsite location. The latter technology has the benefit of allowing the scribe to work in real time, asking clarifying questions to the providers and entering the notes faster.

Importantly, with both these scenarios, physicians are still responsible for the content of the notes and must review and sign off on the notes.

The U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which oversees federal health insurance programs, is currently working to reduce documentation requirements for billing, which may help decrease physician workload. In addition, advances in technology may one day completely automate documentation of patient visits.

In the meantime, scribes provide the ability for physicians to focus more on the patient relationship and interaction and less on computer data entry.

Adam Landman, M.D., M.S., M.I.S., M.H.S., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publishing. © 2019 President and Fellows of Harvard College. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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Hearing is essential to health, well-being

By Charlotte S. Yeh, M.D. For many years, it was clear that my father was becoming hard of hearing. Normally gregarious and the life of the party, he became increasingly withdrawn because he couldn’t hear well enough to partake in conversations around the table.

He began to walk with a shuffling gait.

He was declining in front of my eyes. And yet, when we communicated by email, his intellectual curiosity and warm storytelling skills were intact.

After considerable prodding, I convinced him to get a pair of custom hearing aids. The transformation was amazing. At a family reunion a month later, there was my father sitting at the breakfast table, regaling everybody with stories of his mischievous childhood.

He was, once again, the center of attention. Gone was the shuffling walk, replaced by a strong, confident stride. From the withdrawn, quiet man who would sit by himself emerged my funny, animated father who told stories, laughed and joked around. He could hear his children and grandchildren. The dad I remembered as a child came back to us.

This story, and so many just like it, is about changing the public conversation on hearing to show how people who experience hearing loss can move from fear and

denial to aging gracefully, with resilience, joy and health.

Health benefits are many We should be talking about what I saw: the profound impact that hearing well can have on the living. We should be talking about what is gained by hearing well — social interaction, family connection, and workplace productivity — not about what is lost.

Hearing loss is not a stand-alone disability. It is linked to everything we do, every single day.

Surprisingly, many wait seven to 10 years before even acknowledging they are having trouble hearing and getting a hearing aid.

Why? For some of us it’s denial or fear of looking old; for others the hearing loss is so gradual we might not be aware of the insidious progression of it. In fact, more Americans report getting a colonoscopy than a hearing test!

Yet, failing to get hearing tested and corrected early may actually contribute to aging faster. Hearing loss is associated with earlier onset of dementia, earlier mortality, and six times the rate of falls compared to those with normal hearing.

Contributing to these negative health consequences is the isolation that comes with the loss of interactive communication

with others due to inability to hear clearly.

This results in loneliness, which is known to have a negative health impact equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Moreover, when the input is diminished, the brain loses the ability to distinguish sounds, which means having to “relearn” to hear when she or he finally gets a hearing aid.

Larger impact than illness Instead of hearing loss, think about what you gain when you hear, allowing you to live life to the fullest. Life is about keeping the critical ability to stay connected to family and friends.

A recent study found that for Americans 65 and older, hearing loss had a greater impact on life than cardiac disease, stroke, osteoporosis, sciatica, cancer and many other common conditions.

My dad’s transformation was an “aha” moment for me — as a daughter and a doctor. I’ve since learned that hearing loss, which can be alleviated fairly easily, is a largely hidden problem, even as it affects many. One in three people 60-plus and twothirds of people 70-plus have hearing loss.

More than 60% of AARP members indicated that hearing loss made it hard to follow conversations in noisy settings, while 44% noted the impact hearing difficulties can have on relationships with friends and family.

Roughly two-thirds said they would get a hearing test if hearing loss hurt their relationships with family, and 59% said they would be tested if it became a burden on the family.

Think about my dad’s story. What’s more powerful and positive — talking about what hearing loss sounds like, or talking about how better hearing helps people regain that edge and enjoy life?

Your own hearing loss story may still be down the road. But remember that early screening, early testing and early intervention mean you won’t lose your all-important relationships with friends and family.

And you’ll never miss the birds chirping outside your window.

Charlotte S. Yeh, M.D., chief medical officer, AARP Services, Inc., is a guest contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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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 9

Air race From page 1 Toskes said after the race. “Weather, as always, is a major factor that affects all racers. Next time, we may wait for better winds.”

The Air Race Classic started in 1929 as the Women’s Air Derby, in which 20 women, including Amelia Earhart, raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio.

Racing continued through the 1930s, was interrupted by World War II, and then resumed in 1947 as the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, nicknamed “the Powder Puff Derby.” The last derby took place in 1977, and the Air Race Classic continued the tradition of women’s racing.

The race route The race route changes every year. The prescribed route for the 2019 race stretched from the race’s start in Jackson, Tennessee, to its terminus in Welland, Ontario. It consisted of nine legs of 280 to 320 statute miles each, and racers were given four days to complete the trip.

Race organizers designate certain airports on the route for “flybys” where officials record the aircrafts’ times. At these checkpoints, pilots can either land or continue on. As Mitchell explained, “Pilots must hit every checkpoint. How you get there is up to you.”

Rules require racers to fly only in daylight with three miles of visibility and a 1,000-foot ceiling. Planes must be fixed wing and non-turbocharged, non-supercharged piston-powered airplanes with between 100 and 600 horsepower.

Each airplane must have at least two pilots with 100 or more hours of experience as the pilot-in-command. One of them must have at least 500 hours of experience.

The trip requires meticulous strategic planning and analysis of factors like wind,

rain, visibility, terrain and airplane performance. Pilots must decide, for example, how many legs to fly each day and at what elevation.

As the race’s website states, “It’s the epicenter of women’s air racing, the ultimate test of piloting skill and aviation decisionmaking for female pilots of all ages and from all walks of life.”

And yet, the racers aren’t truly competing against each other. Officials assign a handicap speed specific to each individual airplane so that planes can compete on an equal footing.

This means that each team races against its own handicap. The winning team is the one that beats its handicap speed by the most.

There are cash prizes: first place wins $6,000; second, $4,000; third, $3,000; and a smaller prize goes to each leg’s winner.

Other prizes included the fastest by aircraft brand, and the SOS Claude Glasson “Turtle” Award for the lowest-scoring team with no penalties.

Team DC3(-1) won four race segment prizes and what Dreyfuss dubbed “a small wad of cash.”

she was a passenger in an airplane doing reconnaissance over an erupting Hawaii volcano, the plane experienced partial engine failure during takeoff.

“I knew I should not scream. I was frustrated. I knew if I could talk on the radio, I could help. Instead, I had to sit quietly,” she said. “That experience convinced me I should be a pilot.”

Christian’s teammate Toskes, a grandmother of two and great-grandmother of two, has 40 years of flying experience. “I grew up wanting to be an astronaut, but with poor eyesight, it was never going to happen,” she said.

Christian, who has been flying since 1985, is an astronomer for one of the contractors that helps operate the Hubble Space Telescope for the National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA). In her free time, she’s a flight instructor and master airplane mechanic.

“It is even less common to be a woman mechanic than pilot,” she said.

Growing up, Christian wanted to be astronaut. “It’s all about up, going into space, astronomy, going up in the air and getting away from the nonsense in one’s regular job,” she said.

Christian realized in her college years that she wanted to fly planes. Once, when

Over the last 20 years, Toskes and her husband Joe have run a company that provides private jet services and manages other people’s jets. Her customers typically own airplanes but do not know how to fly or maintain them. So, for example, they flew an airplane owner to the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament.

For Toskes, flying is both a job and pure fun. “Every time you go up, there’s always something to learn, something to do a bit smarter and better. There are always challenges.”

For more information about the Air Race Classic, visit airraceclassic.org.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

FDA to boost experimental drug access

By Marilynn Marchione Sally Atwater’s doctor spent two months on calls, messages and paperwork to get her an experimental drug he thinks can fight the lung cancer that has spread to her brain and spine.

Nancy Goodman begged eight companies to let her young son try experimental medicines for a brain tumor that ultimately killed him, and “only three of the companies even gave me a reason why they declined,” she said.

Thousands of gravely ill cancer patients each year seek “compassionate use” access to treatments that are not yet on the market but have shown some promise in early testing and aren’t available to them

through a study.

Now the government wants to make this easier and give more heft to the requests. In June at a cancer conference in Chicago, the Food and Drug Administration announced a project to have the agency become the middleman.

Instead of making doctors plead their case first to companies and then to the FDA if the company agrees to provide the drug, the FDA will become the initial step and will assign a staffer to quickly do the paperwork. That way, when a company gets a request, it knows the FDA already considers it appropriate.

The project only involves drugs for cancer, not other diseases.

“We are here to help. We are not here to make a drug company give a specific drug to a patient. We don’t have that authority,” said Dr. Richard Pazdur, the FDA official leading the effort. But the agency gets little information now on how many requests are turned down and why.

Easier access for all The current system also is cumbersome and sometimes unfair, he said. Patients in rural or inner-city areas, or at community hospitals that lack staff to work on special requests, may be disadvantaged. Social media campaigns can add to the inequity.

“We do not want to have the situation where somebody who screams loudest gets the drug” and other worthy candidates don’t, Pazdur said.

The project has nothing to do with the federal Right to Try law passed last year, which many have called “right to ask” because it only allows patients to request a drug from a company under certain circumstances and does not mandate that it be provided.

But the new FDA project is “absolutely going to change things” and push more companies to say yes, Goodman said. She founded an advocacy group, Kids v Cancer, after her son Jacob Froman died in 2009 at age 10.

The FDA has not been the problem, she said. It keeps a website with links to companies’ policies and contact information for patients, and has quickly approved the vast majority of these requests whenever a company has granted access.

A burden on doctors That’s what happened when Dr. Chul Kim, a lung specialist at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,

made his first attempt to get compassionate use for a patient, in this case to help Atwater, whose cancer was spreading despite usual treatments.

“I felt there was an urgent need to switch therapy,” and early results suggested the experimental drug could get into the brain, which many therapies can’t do, and fight the cancer there, Kim said.

He started the process in early February and ultimately got Atwater the drug in late March.

“I have other patients and I needed to carve out time for this,” and was fortunate to have staff that had been working with the company on a study who could help, Kim said. Once the company agreed, it took the FDA only a day to do the same.

“It requires quite a bit of work,” usually at least 24 hours over several weeks, said Dr. Ajai Chari at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Institute in New York, where dozens of patients have gotten compassionate use access over the last decade. “A lot of people have to drop what they’re doing to get all that done.”

Chari just did it for Michael Walsh, a 58year-old musician from New York City, who has had myeloma since 2011.

“He’s exhausted all approved FDA therapies,” including 13 types of chemotherapy, Chari said. Within a few weeks of starting on the experimental drug, however, Walsh had a dramatic reduction in his cancer.

Atwater, the 68-year-old Washington woman treated at Georgetown, is hoping for the same from her experimental drug.

She said she asked her sister who had breast cancer how she might be able to tell if the treatment was working.

“She said, ‘You’re still here, aren’t you?’”

Atwater said. “I think it’s worth the risk. At least I hope it is.”

—AP

BEACON BITS

July 23

HOW TO HELP When someone is severely injured, it takes time for medical per-

sonnel to arrive. What can you do during this wait? You can stop the bleed! Learn how to help keep an injured person alive before they can receive professional medical care at a presentation by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue at the Elkridge Branch Library on Tuesday, July 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. The library is located at 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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 9

11

How cooking helped me cope with Mom

By Miriam Green The following is excerpted from the new book, The Lost Kitchen, by Miriam Green.

In it, the author shares family recipes and discusses her mother’s Alzheimer’s and how it affected her family.

Those early months were difficult. I didn’t want to believe the diagnosis. If I was being honest with myself, though, I knew with certainty that Mom had Alzheimer’s.

I was not prepared for the disarray that Alzheimer’s brought into our lives. I didn’t realize the extent to which every emotion I displayed would be amplified in Mom’s behavior.

I couldn’t grasp fully that Mom had entered an alternate reality where her unchecked and discordant emotions often burst out indiscriminately. I had to keep reminding myself that Mom was blameless, that it was the disease affecting her.

It took a slow while, but eventually I found ways that helped us minimize the confusion. It had to start with my own behavior.

It meant acknowledging Mom’s reality, listening patiently to her often incoherent statements, bringing her into conversations instead of talking over her head, assuaging her anger, tamping down my own anger, finding ways to make her laugh, being in the moment and loving her unconditionally.

The effect was like shining a bright light in a dark place and finding that the room was filled with hidden blessings.

Through it all, as a way to cope, I have stationed myself in my kitchen and focused on cooking. I have become a more adventurous cook, incorporating family recipes that I learned from Mom into our daily cuisine and borrowing from the culture around me.

Mom, my greatest teacher, has taught me how to love and laugh in a world that is often confusing and painful. She has unknowingly encouraged me to give of myself and to express as best I can the advice

I’ve learned about Alzheimer’s. I hope that it can help others who are caring for loved ones no longer in their prime but still loved, still wanted and still needed.

Whatever you do, however you approach this illness, be it your spouse or parent who is affected, give them as much love as you can even when they’ve forgotten who you are. Do it for them. Do it for yourself. One meal at a time.

Kitchen Sink Soup When the kids ask me what’s in the soup, I reply like Mom taught me: “Everything but the kitchen sink.” I make variations of this soup all the time, depending on what I have in the house.

The basics are a can of crushed tomatoes, a plentiful amount of vegetables and a cup of lentils. I’ve been known to add cabbage, spinach, broccoli, even peas.

Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 carrots, diced 3 stalks celery, diced (with leaves) 1 cup pumpkin, chopped ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil 2-3 bay leaves 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 cup green lentils ½ cup barley or brown rice (optional) 6 to 8 cups water Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions become translucent.

Add vegetables and spices. Cook an additional five minutes. Add the lentils and barley (if using). Add water. Bring soup to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for at least an hour.

BEACON BITS

July 20

YOGA BY THE LAKE

Spend a Saturday morning at a relaxing yoga session in front of Columbia Lake. Beginners welcome; teachers will be on hand to guide you during the session. This free yoga class will be held on Saturday, July 20 from 9 to 10 a.m. Call (410) 715-3020 for more information.

Aug. 5

SMART PHONE CLASS

Smart phones have found a home in the pockets of many Americans, but do we truly use our phones to their true potential?

Understand the lesser known aspects of your smart phone and be able to enjoy all of the technologies your phone can provide. This free class will take place on Monday, August 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Elkridge 50+ Center, located at 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. Call (410) 313-5192 for more information.

Ongoing

LOCAL ART

The Ellicott City Paint It! exhibition displays the paintings created by artists during the Paint it! event in Historic Ellicott City this year. Support the work of local community artists by viewing their paintings at the Howard County Arts Council, located at 8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City.

The exhibit is open on Mondays to Fridays until August 9. For specific dates and times, visit http://bit.ly/PaintItEC.

Saigon Chicken Mom had given me this recipe many years ago written out in her own hand.

When I read the recipe, it reminds me of her fragility.

Ingredients: 2 chickens, cut into 8 pieces 1½ tsp curry powder 1½ tsp granulated garlic or 2 cloves fresh ½ cup honey 1 30 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice 1 cup flour for dredging

Directions: Coat each chicken piece in a thin layer of flour by dredging it in a small bowl of flour. Place in baking pan.

In separate bowl, mix pineapple and other ingredients, including juice from the pineapple. Pour over chicken and bake covered at 350 degrees F for one hour. Uncover and bake another fifteen minutes until browned.

Copies of The Lost Kitchen are available on Amazon for $13.49 paperback; $3.99 Kindle.

12

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — 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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon

A Publication from the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

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Volume 9, No. 8 • August 2019

Signature Event Brings Strength and Power to Aging

A

nnouncing a new take on the former 50+EXPO: MASTER AGING: ENGAGE, EDUCATE AND INSPIRE debuts as a conference-style event with seminars, exhibitors and entertainment. This new format replaces the 50+EXPO and will take place on Saturday, October 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the campus of Howard Community College (HCC), 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia 21044. Admission is still only $1 (benefitting the Vivian Reid Community Fund for Older Adults) and the event offers free, on-site parking.

Coordinated by the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence (OAI), MASTER AGING will feature interactive exhibits, seminars and workshops which highlight lifelong learning and leisure, technology and exercise; and showcase the wide range of older adult programming at Howard County 50+ Centers.

“Redesigning our signature event for older adults falls in line with the emerging trend to reframe the aging narrative and view getting older from a strength-based perspective versus one of weakness and frailty,” explains Jenna Crawley, OAI administrator. “Our 50+ Centers provide so many engaging programs and activities, which are often under-utilized by younger older adults in the 50 to 65 age group because of the stigma attached to senior centers in general. We want to change the misconceptions.”

While programming for MASTER AGING is being designed to appeal to older adults of all ages, there is a special emphasis to include topics relevant to those who are newly-retired or approaching retirement.

This early engagement aims to encourage lifelong connections to OAI’s resources and services within the community. “Our goal is for MASTER AGING participants to be inspired and move forward with purpose, using OAI’s resources to find meaning in their next chapter,” says Crawley. “We want to showcase that aging is something to look forward to!”

All event activities — including 62 vendor and sponsor booths — will be located in three buildings within easy walking distance of each other on HCC's campus: Duncan Hall, the Health Sciences Building and the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center. The Smith Theatre will host

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 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCommunity

Kim Higdon Henry, Editor • Email: kahenry@howardcountymd.gov Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Office on Aging and Independence or by the publisher.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 10 AM TO 3 PM a keynote speaker (to be announced) at 11:00 a.m. and a performance by the Capitol Steps — a returning perennial favorite — at 2:00 p.m. The Capitol Steps show will be a ticketed event ($5 per person). Additionally, a book discussion and signing (author to be announced) will take place in the Health Sciences Building lecture hall.

Breakfast and lunch options will be available from a variety of vendors, including on-site food trucks. For updated event information, visit www.Facebook.com/HoCoCommunity or contact the Office on Aging and Independence at aging@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-6410 (voice/relay). For vendor/exhibitor information, contact Lisa Coster at 410-442-3734 (voice/relay) or lcoster@howardcountymd.gov.

Be a FRIEND of Master Aging!

Sign Up TODAY to Receive Your FRIEND OF MASTER AGING Gift Package!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

One ADMISSION ticket to the MASTER AGING event One RESERVED seat for the Keynote Speaker (11 AM) One RESERVED seat for the “Capitol Steps” (2 PM) A CHANCE to win $50 toward any 50+ Center Program A “Friends” RECOGNITION ribbon to wear all day!

Only $25/person • As part of this special event group, your contribution will benefit the Vivian Reid Community Fund for Older Adults! Contact us today!

Thank you for your support!

To process your credit card payment, or for additional details, contact Jeanne White-Davis at 410-313-5824 (voice/relay) or jwhitedavis@howardcountymd.gov.

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The 50+ Connection

A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Howard County 50+ Center AUGUST HIGHTLIGHTS Summer Fun in Howard County!

Senior Day at the Fair Tuesday, August 6 • 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship

Summer Support Programs

All adults age 62+ receive free admission to the fair. Visit the Office on Aging and Independence in the 4-H Activities Building for healthy aging program information, exercise demos, bingo, prizes, and entertainment. FREE.

Summer Cooking Classes for Kids Wednesdays, August 7, 14 and 21 • Noon to 2:00 p.m.

East Columbia 50+ Center Kids ages 8 to 17 will learn how to make Unicorn French Toast, Acai Bowls and Veggie Pasta in FREE cooking classes hosted by Healthy Little Cooks. Limited to 20 participants; pre-registration is encouraged. Parent or guardian must sign a waiver and can remain on-site to watch kids cook, if desired. To register, email Alex@HealthyLittleCooks.com.

Wii Bowling Tournament

formerly Living Well with Diabetes Six Saturdays, August 10 through September 14 9:30 a.m. to noon

Elkridge 50+ Center A community-based workshop to help adults manage Type 2 diabetes or for those who are pre-diabetic. FREE. Register online at hcgh.org/events or contact Nicole Becerra at 410-313-3506 for more information.

PRACTICE ROUND — Friday, August 9 • 10:30 a.m.

TOURNAMENT — Friday, August 16 • 10:30 a.m.

Ellicott City 50+ Center Test your virtual bowling skills! Sign up to compete in our summer Wii bowling tournament. Medals awarded to the top three finishers! FREE; enrollment is limited, so sign up today at 410-313-1400.

Summer Luau Party Thursday, August 22 • Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Elkridge 50+ Center Come in from the heat, play games, enjoy delicious ice cream and dance to your favorite tunes. Best Hawaiian outfit will win a prize! $3/person; register at 410-313-5192.

Baltimore County Senior Swing Band Thursday, August 15 • 12:30 p.m.

Ellicott City 50+ Center Step back in time, relax and get ready for an afternoon of music featuring the sounds of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller, plus more! This is the band’s debut at Ellicott City. FREE. Come show your support.

Wednesday, August 14 • 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Ellicott City 50+ Center Learn how nutrition impacts older adults’ risk of falling; how to recognize malnutrition; and develop an action plan to improve eating habits. $5 workshop fee; register at 410-313-6073.

A Moment to Honor Thursday, August 29 10:30 a.m.

Ellicott City 50+ Center Grief Awareness Day is a day to honor those who have touched our lives, but are no longer with us, including pets. This brief program is followed by quiet reflection, live music and a commemorative activity. FREE; light refreshments. RSVP to Elaine Widom at 410-313-7353 by August 26.

Virtual Dementia Tour® Tuesday, September 17 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

East Columbia 50+ Center Tuesdays, September 10 – October 15 • 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Ellicott City 50+ Center

Do you know what living with dementia is really like? This hands-on experience simulates dementia, with practical tools and education for those who care for someone with the disease. FREE. To register or for more information, contact Emily Leclercq at 410-313-5917 (voice/relay) or map@howardcountymd.gov.

Wednesdays, September 25 – October 30 • 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Office on Aging and Independence If you are a caregiver or know someone who is, join us for this six-week series to improve the lives of caregivers (and their care recipients) through outreach, conversation, training and resources. $30 fee includes all materials. For more information or to register, contact Kathy Wehr at 410-313-5955 (voice/relay) or kwehr@howardcountymd.gov.

Stay connected to the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services. Like and share us today!

www.facebook.com/HoCoCommunity For details on programs and activities at ALL 50+ Centers: www.howardcountymd.gov/50pluscenters

PULL OUT & KEEP

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon

15

What’s going on in HoCo? Adult Astronomy & Nature Events Call 410-313-0400 for info or to register. More programs listed at www.howardcountymd.gov/RNC/programs.

Space Matters Join us in our planetarium for presentations and films!

Historic & Heritage Events for Adults

55 yrs + 2:30-3:45pm $9 RP4804.501 Sep 12 Types of Stars RP4804.502 Oct 10 The Hidden Sky RP4804.503 Nov 14 How Far to the Stars?

RP4804.504 Dec 12 Bethlehem’s Star

Info: Emily Mosher, 410-313-0419, emosher@howardcountymd.gov.

A Brush with History Paint a masterpiece of historic scenes of Old Ellicott City.

Stroll and Paint Enjoy a guided stroll and paint the landscape “en plein air” (outdoors). Register by 8/31.

RP4843.501

55 yrs +

Sep 14 9am-1pm

The Art of Lace Making

$42

Ladies’ Day/Night Out on the Trails!

Meet at the Robinson Nature Center to caravan to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) for a scenic guided hike.

RP4883.504 55 yrs + Day Hike Oct 16 2-4pm RP4883.501 18 yrs + Night Hike Oct 12 6:30-8:30pm

$10 $10

Upcycle a pallet into meaningful art with the owner of Urban Pallet. Paint Day, register by 11/7; Paint Night, register by 11/17.

2-4pm $49 6:30-8:30pm $49

Ladies’ Holiday Stress Relief Under the Stars Discover constellations and enjoy guided meditation & yoga under the planetarium stars.

RP4883.506 55 yrs + Day Program RP4883.503 18 yrs + Night Program

Dec 14 2-4pm Dec 14 7-9pm

$20 $20

!

E EI O N F RM I S S

AD

SHOWCASE

The Chesapeake Region Lace Makers Guild returns to share their knowledge of the intricate art of lace making.

All ages

B&O EC Station Museum

OCTOBER 2, 2019 • 9AMNOON M E A D O W B R O O K AT H L E T I C C O M P L E X

Free

Patapsco Valley Innovators Learn about the movers and shakers of our area.

Introduction to Blacksmithing 16 yrs + Living Farm Heritage Museum Classes: 2 RP9989.501 Sep 21-22 9am-3pm $160

Intermediate Blacksmithing 16 yrs + Living Farm Heritage Museum Classes: 2 RP9989.502 Oct 5-6 9am-3pm $160

Behind the Scenes Tour Go behind the museum ropes on a special, after-hours tour of the oldest railroad station in America!

16 yrs + B&O EC Station Museum RP9983.501 Oct 5 6-7:30pm $8

Ghostly Guides at Patapsco Female Institute 16 yrs + Patapsco Female Institute 8-11pm $25 RP9978.511 Oct 4 RP9978.512 Oct 11 RP9978.513

Oct 18

Colorful Characters & Little Known Facts of Ellicott City

Participate in art class demonstrations!

Learn some new moves with our dance classes!

21 yrs + B&O EC Station Museum RP9981.502 Oct 17 7-9pm $12

Come dressed to move and get motivated in a fitness class!

Try something new with Encore Adventures.

Ghostly Guides at the B&O

Giveaways and light refreshments.

Sep 14 10am-3pm

RP9981.501 21 yrs + B&O EC Station Museum Sep 19 7-9pm $12

Ladies’ Urban Pallet Paint Day/Night RP4883.505 55 yrs + Paint Day Nov 13 RP4883.502 18 yrs + Paint Night Nov 22

21 yrs + B&O EC Station Museum 6:30-10pm $35 RP9975.501 Sep 5 Theme: Log Cabin and Courthouse RP9975.502 Oct 3 Theme: Zombie Snowmen of Ellicott City

RP9978.501 16 yrs + B&O EC Station Museum Oct 26 8-11pm $25

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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RECREATION & PARKS

!"#$%&'(&()%"'*"+,,-./%('0!%/&1#$& 23#(%&+2&,%+(2&44&-%+$(&#,/5 www.howardcountymd.gov/encore

Encore Adventures Try a variety of outdoor skills! Equipment provided.

Info: Dawn Thomas, 410-313-1754 or www.howardcountymd.gov/adventure.

Intro to Rock Climbing (Indoor) RP9171.501 Roger Carter Comm Ctr

Sep 5 9:30-11am $30

Kayak Paddling Basics RP9171.502 Centennial Pk-South

Sep 19 9:30-11:30am $30

Introduction to Target Archery RP9171.503 Centennial Pk-South

Oct 3

NEW! Encaustic for Beginners: Sculpting with Wax Paint Encaustic paint consists of pigment, resin, and beeswax. It brings painting and sculpture together. All levels of welcome!

Classes: 6 Instructor: Kara LaRose Materials included RP3529.501 Elkridge 50+ Ctr Oct 10 6-8pm $95

NEW! Fused Glass for All Beginners and seasoned glass artists, arrange colorful pieces of glass and melt them to create jewelry, wall décor or more!

Classes: 6 Instructor Tara Holl $75 materials fee RP3523.501 Gary J Arthur Comm Ctr Oct 23 7-9pm $89

9:30-11:30am $35

Cooking

Photography

Info: Ruth Coleman, 410-313-7311 Info: Tracy Adkins, 410-313-7279, tadkins@howardcountymd.gov. or rucoleman@howardcountymd.gov.

NEW! What’s Cooking at the Manor: Preparing Tea Time Delicacies Join Lynn Cotton in preparing tea sandwiches and savories.

RP3532.501 Belmont Oct 16 10am-1pm $35

Digital Photography 101 10% off two or more people Classes: 6 RP3521.501 Belmont Sep 24 9:30-11:30am $95

Digital Photography 102

Crafts, Fine Arts & Photography

Roger Carter Comm Ctr Classes: 6 RP3533.501 Sep 26 9:30-11:30am $95

Info: Curtis Gore, 410-313-7281, cgore@howardcountymd.gov.

NEW! Photography Tours

Basic Zentangle Workshop with Arlene Mindus, CZT

Capture exotic plants and animals by visiting the U.S. Botanic Gardens and National Zoo. Transportation is by coach bus.

Instructor: Adam Fried Bus picks up: Bain 50 + Ctr Classes: 1 RP3544.501 U.S. Botanic Gardens Sep 25 9am-3pm $75 RP3544.502 National Zoo Oct 16 9am-3pm $75

Learn this creative and relaxing art method. These repetitive patterns (tangles) and deliberate pen strokes assist with hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and problem-solving.

Classes: 5 RP0308.501 Elkridge 50+ Ctr Sep 3 10am-noon $40

Fused Glass Workshop with Tara Holl Learn to fuse glass and make jewelry, an ornament or a small item.

Gary J Arthur Comm Ctr Classes: 1 $30 materials fee RP3531.501 Sep 21 9am-noon $30

NEW! Pastel Painting Workshop Great prep for Pastel Painting for Beginners class!

Classes: 1 Instructor: Tara Holl provides materials RP3549.501 Elkridge 50+ Ctr Sep 24 6-8pm $45

Stained Glass Workshops with Maureen Stone Make a stained glass hanging using the copper foil technique.

RP3536.501 N Laurel Comm Ctr Sep 28 11am-3pm $89 RP3536.502 N Laurel Comm Ctr Oct 27 11am-3pm $89

Shooting with a Smartphone 10% off two or more people Classes: 4 RP3522.501 Belmont Oct 8 1-2:30pm $55

Dance Info: Ruth Coleman, 410-313-7311 or rucoleman@howardcountymd.gov.

Beginner Ballet for Active Adults Kinetics Dance Theatre Classes: 10 or 11 RP3509.501 Sep 16 2:30-3:30pm $115 RP3509.502 Sep 19 10:15-11:15am $105 HoCoParks APP

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon

RECREATION & PARKS Dance on Broadway - or Feel Like You Can! Learn musical theater choreography appropriate for all levels.

Kinetics Dance Theatre Classes: 10 RP3527.501 Sep 17 9:30-10:30am $105 RP3527.502 Sep 20 9:30-10:30am $105

ACTIVE ADULTS’ FITNESS (55 yrs +)

NEW! Hip Hop Kinetics Dance Theatre Classes: 10 RP3552.501 Sep 19 11:30am-12:30pm $105

Learn to Swing Dance 10% off two or more people Classes: 6 RP3528.501 N Laurel Comm Ctr Sep 26 7-8:30pm $89 RP3528.502 N Laurel Comm Ctr Nov 7 7-8:30pm $89

Senior Tap Classics Kinetics Dance Theatre Classes: 11 RP3504.501 Sep 18 10:15-11:15am $115

Social Square Dancing All levels welcome. Instruction provided for those who are new.

Partners not required, we can pair you up when you arrive!

10% off two or more people Classes: 6 RP3510.501 N Laurel Comm Ctr Sep 24 7:30-9pm $89

NEW! Speaker Series For a full listing of our Fall Speaker Series, please visit www.howardcountymd.gov/encore.

Managing Your Money as You Prepare For and Begin Retirement Discuss finding and managing income after retirement.

Roger Carter Comm Ctr Instructor: Jim Gutman Classes: 1 RP3506.503 Planning for Retirement Sep 12 6-8pm $20 RP3506.504 Living in Retirement Sep 26 6-8pm $20

War and Art

We have classes this fall specifically designed for active adults!

View info in our activity guide or online!

• Balance, Strength & Fitness with Lori Nowicki, ACE, AFPA • Beginner Mat Pilates • Exercise with Ease • Fitness for Life

• Gentle Yoga/Yoga 1 • NEW! Night at the Barre • NEW! Yoga in the Garden • NEW! YOGACISE for Active Adult

Info: Curtis Gore, 410-313-7281, cgore@howardcountymd.gov.

Adult Sports Leagues

Examine how artists chose to represent their experiences, rebel against governments, and create controversial art. Look at the impact of war upon artists and their works.

World War I Instructor: Kara LaRose Classes: 1 RP3506.502 Roger Carter Comm Ctr Sep 19 1-3pm $20

Welcome to Encore Adulthood! Now What?

Adults are living longer and healthier lives. Dr. Elizabeth Mahler provides an overview of encore adulthood (50-75 years). Discuss the future, opportunities, and reflect on the past and present.

Instructor: Elizabeth Mahler Classes: 1 RP3506.506 Roger Carter Comm Ctr Oct 3 1-3pm $20

Opera Enjoy an intro to Opera: lovers, villains, thieves, and heroes.

Listen and watch some great moments along with some lesserknown ones. Funny stories, touching music and special guests!

Everyone Can Be an Opera Buff and Why You Should Want To Instructor: Norman Shankle Classes: 1 RP3506.501 Roger Carter Comm Ctr Oct 17 1-3pm $20 RP3506.510 Elkridge 50+ Ctr Dec 3 6-8pm $20

Meet the Artist: Kinetics Dance Theatre Professional Dance Company Preview Kinetics Dance Theatre’s annual fall performance! Enjoy contemporary and innovative choreography. Hear personal stories from the dancers. Q&A after this Meet the Artist session.

RP3506.511 Howard County Arts Council Oct 29 1-3pm $20

• BASKETBALL • BASEBALL/SOFTBALL • CRICKET

• FOOTBALL • KICKBALL • LACROSSE

• PICKLEBALL • SOCCER • VOLLEYBALL

REGISTER TODAY! WWW.HOWARDCOUNT YMD.GOV/SPORTS

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

RECREATION & PARKS Glenstone Museum Glenstone assembles post-World War II artwork of the highest quality that trace historical shifts in the way we experience and understand art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

RP4502.501

All ages

Oct 11

9am-3pm

$49

NEW! Photography Tour - National Zoo RP3544.502

55 yrs +

Oct 16

9am-3pm

$75

Magnificent Maryland: Edgar Allan Poe RP4517.501

All ages

Oct 17

11am-5pm $49

Smithsonian Castle and Freer Sackler Gallery Take a docent-led tour highlighting the history and architecture of the Smithsonian Castle. Then walk to the Freer Sackler Gallery to view masterpieces from China, Japan, Korea, and Asia.

RP4503.501

All ages

Oct 19

9am-5pm $55

• View all trips at www.howardcountymd.gov/tripsandtours.

• Tracy Adkins, 410-313-7279, tadkins@howardcountymd.gov • Pick-up locations: Bain 50+ Ctr. and Long Gate Park & Ride

MGM Grand Casino at National Harbor

Library of Congress & Supreme Court

RP4504.501

Take a self-guided tour of the public areas of the court. Walk next door to visit the research library that serves Congress.

All ages 10% off two or more people!

RP4513.501 Sep 6 9am-5pm $55

All ages

Sep 13

21 yrs +

Oct 25

11am-5pm $49

Save The Date Yuletide at Winterthur Museum Estate (DE)

Magnificent Maryland: Fort McHenry Tour− The Star Spangled Banner’s 205th Anniversary RP4514.501

This Las Vegas-style facility is just south of D.C. Try your luck at the ultimate casino & gaming experience! Visit the spa and shop.

RP4508.501

Nov 23

8:30am-7pm $105

A Beautiful Holiday at Longwood Gardens (PA) RP4509.501

9am-3pm $65

All ages

All ages

Dec 6

8am-5pm $99

The Basilica of the National Shrine Visit the largest Roman Catholic church in the U.S.A. RP4515.501

All ages

Sep 19

9am-4pm

$60

NEW! Photography Tour - U.S. Botanic Gardens RP3544.501

55 yrs +

Sep 25 9am-3pm

$75

Cape May Seaside Holiday Three days, two nights in the Victorian grandeur of Cape May, one of the most popular seaside resorts in America. Ride through gas-lit streets twinkling with sparkling lights and decorations. Shop in the heart of the Historic District. Enjoy a sensational musical and savor a tastetempting dinner at Elaine’s Victorian Dinner Theatre.

GETAWAY

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History All ages 10% off two or more people!

RP4520.501 Sep 30 9am-4pm $59

All ages Dec 11-13 8am-6pm W-F RP4510.510 Double occupancy $475 RP4510.511 Single occupancy $539

National Museum of African American History & Culture

White House Holiday Tour

RP4505.501

RP4511.501

All ages

Date & Time TBD

$49

16 yrs +

Oct 4

8am-6pm

Leslie Odom Jr. (the original Aaron Burr in Hamilton) will be singing! Warm your musical holiday spirit with fresh takes on comforting classics in this singalong tradition with the NSO!

$89

The Kennedy Center: Cats RP4501.501

All ages

Oct 6

$95

The Kennedy Center: Holiday Pops

Philadelphia Museum of Art RP4500.501

All ages TBD

11:30am-6:30pm

$145

RP4512.501

All ages

Dec 14 Time TBD

$139

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

19

MAKE YOUR MONEY LAST Among the ways you can stretch your retirement savings: work longer, maximize Social Security and invest wisely SAVVY SIDE HUSTLES For extra cash and fun, teach cooking, be a tour guide or walk dogs HOME SWEET HOME Is your homeowner’s insurance policy enough? Get an annual audit

Hospitals ordered to reveal costs up front

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June that calls for upfront disclosure by hospitals of actual prices for common tests and procedures to help keep costs down.

The idea is to give patients practical information that they can use to save money.

For example, if a hospital charges your insurer $3,500 for a type of echocardiogram and the same test costs $550 in a doctor’s office, you might go for the lower-price procedure to save on copays.

But insurers said the idea could backfire, prompting hospitals that now give deeper discounts to try to raise their own negotiated prices to match what high earners are getting. Hospitals were also skeptical of the move.

In addition, Trump’s order requires that patients be told ahead of time what their out-of-pocket costs, like deductibles and copays, will be for many procedures.

Specifics are months away Little will change immediately. The executive order calls for a rule-making

process by federal agencies, which typically takes months or even years.

The details of what information will have to be disclosed and how it will be made available to patients must be worked out as part of writing the regulations.

That will involve a complex give-andtake with hospitals, insurers and others affected. Consumers will have to wait to see whether the results live up to the administration’s promises.

“For too long it’s been virtually impossible for Americans to know the real price and quality of healthcare services and the services they receive,” Trump said at the White House. “As a result, patients face significant obstacles shopping for the best care at the best price, driving up healthcare costs for everyone.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters earlier that the order “will put patients in control by increasing choice and competition.”

Lack of information on healthcare prices is a widespread problem. It’s confusing for patients, and experts say it’s also one of the major factors that push up U.S. costs.

The same test or procedure, in the same city, can cost widely different amounts depending on who is performing it and who is paying the bill. Hospital list prices, which are available, don’t reflect what they are paid by insurers and government programs.

Industry predicts higher prices The health insurance industry said disclosing negotiated prices will only encourage hospitals that are now providing deeper discounts to try to raise their rates to match the top-tier facilities.

“Publicly disclosing competitively negotiated proprietary rates will reduce competition and push prices higher — not lower — for consumers, patients and taxpayers,” Matt Eyles, head of the industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement.

The Federation of American Hospitals, representing for-profit facilities, warned that if the Trump administration regulations take the “wrong course,” they may “undercut the way insurers pay for hospital services, resulting in higher spending.”

While the prices Medicare pays are pub-

licly available, private insurers’ negotiated rates generally are not. Industry officials say such contractual information is tantamount to trade secrets and should remain private.

Azar pushed back against that argument, saying insurers do ultimately disclose their payment rates when they send individual patients an “explanation of benefits.” That’s the technical term for the form that patients get after they’ve had a procedure or seen the doctor.

“Every time any one of us goes to a doctor or a hospital, within a couple of weeks in our mailbox arrives an explanation of benefits. [It] contains the list price...the negotiated rate...and what your out-of-pocket is,” Azar said. “This is not some great state secret out there.”

He added that patients should have that information ahead of time to help them make decisions, not only after the fact when the bill comes.

Trump’s executive order also calls for: — expanded uses for health savings accounts, a tax-advantaged way to pay healthSee HOSPITAL COSTS, page 20

Share your passwords with your spouse

By Janet Bodnar About a year ago, my friend Susie’s husband of 46 years died unexpectedly. John, a dedicated techie, left Susie with wonderful memories, an estate to settle and a technology nightmare: an Apple computer, four iPads, four iPhones, a stack of hard drives — and no passwords.

That left her unable to get access to critical information (think tax records) and accounts in his name that were on autopay, including Amazon Prime and the cell phone bill.

To help her crack the codes, Susie hired someone from her IT department at work.

They were never able to get into the computer, but thanks to a combination of logic and “wild guesses,” they managed to open the iPads and iPhones. The entire process took almost a year, “and it all occurred during a time when, as a grieving widow, you are most vulnerable,” Susie said.

Getting access to key financial and estate information has always been a critical issue for women, who are statistically more likely than men to be widowed or have a spouse

who suffers from a serious illness.

“The problem has gotten more pronounced as we’ve gone more digital,” said Jody King, director of financial planning at Fiduciary Trust Co. in Boston.

“With digital records and passwords, there’s no paperwork to help you find accounts no one knew existed,” she said.

A further complication is that women of all ages often delegate key financial and estate responsibilities to their spouse.

“Younger women may have a better awareness of the family’s financial situation than older generations, but they still may not choose to be involved,” King said.

Make a checklist To address that problem, Marilee Fitzgerald and Robyn Wagman co-founded Estate of Mine Organizers, a system for helping women organize both personal and financial records.

Their system includes checklists of musthave documents — a will, powers of attorney for financial and health affairs, bank and

investment accounts — but it also covers facets of life other than financial. Where is the warranty for your new stove? The titles to your cars? The name of the furnace repair person? (Susie had to scramble to find a plumber on New Year’s Eve when her ice maker broke, gushing water onto the floor.)

Fitzgerald and Wagman have found that a number of issues tend to trip people up — for example, beneficiary designations on life insurance policies or retirement accounts. “People don’t understand that beneficiaries take precedence over anything you have in your will,” Wagman said, “and they often forget to update them.”

She and Fitzgerald suggest other ways to avoid unpleasant surprises: Be sure your joint bank account really is in both your names. Have a credit card in your own name, and get a copy of each spouse’s credit reports. Keep a copy of your will outside the safe deposit box.

If getting organized sounds overwhelming, start small. When Fitzgerald and Wagman wanted to get their own affairs in order,

Fitzgerald began by compiling a list of emergency contacts, and Wagman started by opening the mail and looking at bills and insurance paperwork. Then, Fitzgerald said, “practice being on your own by taking over the finances for a couple of weeks to minimize surprises.”

And what about keeping tabs on those devilish passwords? The women I interviewed for this column use digital password managers (Kiplinger’s often recommends LastPass) — but as backup, they also keep a written record and store it in a place that’s secure yet accessible to family members.

They consider the risk that written passwords might be stolen less serious than making sure everyone can find them in an emergency — and avoiding a situation like Susie’s.

Even in this digital age, paper still rules.

Said King, “Any documentation you have is always the best thing.” © 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

How to make your retirement money last

By Liz Weston Many people worry about running out of money in retirement.

That’s understandable, since we don’t know how long we’ll live, what our future costs might be, and what kind of returns we can expect on our savings.

There are several ways, however, to boost the odds that your money will last as long as you need it.

Among them:

Reduce ‘must have’ expenses Lowering your fixed expenses — shelter, food, transportation, insurance, utilities and minimum loan payments — can help you withdraw less from your savings, which in turn can help your money last longer.

One powerful way to reduce expenses is to downsize to a smaller home if you can reduce or eliminate your mortgage payment and shrink other costs such as property taxes, utilities and insurance.

Getting rid of a car could save you near-

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ly $9,000 a year, which is the average cost of car ownership according to AAA. Eliminating debt before you retire is often a good way to reduce expenses, but consult a fee-only financial planner before withdrawing retirement funds to pay off a mortgage. Such withdrawals can trigger a big tax bill and leave you without enough cash for the future.

Keep earning A study for the National Bureau of Economic Research found that delaying the start of retirement from age 62 to 66 could raise someone’s annual, sustainable standard of living by 33%. Even if you can’t continue working full time, income from a part-time job or side business could help you withdraw less from your savings.

Maximize Social Security Most people will live past the “break-even point,” where the larger checks they get from delaying the start of their Social Security benefit will total more than the smaller checks they bypass in the meantime.

More importantly, though, bigger Social Security checks serve as a kind of longevity insurance. The longer you live, the greater the chances you’ll run through your savings and depend on Social Security for most, if not all, of your income.

It’s particularly important for the higher earner in a couple to delay as long as possible to maximize the survivor benefit that one of them will get after the first spouse dies.

for life in exchange for a single lump-sum payment upfront.

Withdraw carefully Big withdrawals or bad markets at the start of your retirement can dramatically increase the risk you’ll run out of money.

Financial planners typically recommend that people take no more than 4% of their nest egg in the first year of retirement, increasing the withdrawal by the inflation rate in subsequent years.

That means a retiree with $200,000 in retirement savings could withdraw $8,000 the first year. If inflation is 3%, the retiree would add $240 (3% of $8,000) and withdraw $8,240 the second year, and so on.

People who retire early or who want to be more conservative might start at 3% rather than 4%, or skip inflation adjustments in years when markets are bad.

Get good tax advice Your tax situation can become more complicated in retirement, especially if you were a good saver.

You could be thrown into a higher tax bracket by required minimum distributions from retirement funds that typically must start at age 70½. The higher income also can cause more of your Social Security to be taxable and raise your Medicare premiums.

Sometimes it can make sense to start distributions earlier or to do Roth conversions to reduce future taxes. The math involved can get intense, so consult an experienced tax pro.

Consider annuities Many retirement experts say it’s a good idea to have enough guaranteed income to cover your basic, must-have expenses. If those expenses exceed what you expect to get from Social Security and traditional pensions, consider buying additional guaranteed income by purchasing an immediate annuity.

Unlike other types of annuities that can be complicated and expensive, an immediate annuity can provide a stream of income

Protect your health

Hospital costs

various healthcare quality rating systems for hospitals, nursing homes and Medicare Advantage plans.

— more access by researchers to healthcare information, such as claims for services covered by government programs like Medicare. The data would be stripped of details that could identify individual patients.

—AP

From page 19 care bills that has long been favored by Republicans. Coupled with a lower-premium, high-deductible insurance plan, the accounts can be used to pay out-of-pocket costs for routine medical exams and procedures.

— a plan to improve the government’s

Many chronic health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis and heart disease are associated with higher medical costs in retirement, according to a study by Vanguard and Mercer Health and Benefits.

Regular screenings, proper medical care and a healthy lifestyle may help you reduce some of those costs.

—AP

BEACON BITS

July 18

UNDERSTAND CREDIT REPORTS What is in your credit report? What is your credit score, and why

does it matter? Roy Yenoli of MakingChange answers these questions and more, as he teaches you how to understand your credit and use it to your benefit. This event takes place on Thursday, July 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the East Columbia Branch Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. To register, call (410) 313-7700.

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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 9

21

Consider a side hustle to earn extra cash

By Kathy Kristof Can you make a decent living in the gig economy? The odds are against you if you rely on the best-known job platforms, such as Uber and DoorDash, which offer miserable net pay to drivers.

A dozen other well-known sites — including HomeAdvisor, Mechanical Turk and TaskRabbit — treat workers equally poorly.

Their specific sins vary from site to site, ranging from charging workers for worthless “leads,” paying pennies per hour and penalizing workers for turning down bad jobs.

But dozens of sites you may have never heard of offer great moneymaking opportunities. Some promise fun experiences, too. The website SideHusl.com has more information on each one, including the expected pay, a rating and a detailed review.

Rent your house. Consider Giggster, a site that allows you to rent your house by the hour for movie and photography shoots. I personally tested the platform to see if it worked as well as it appeared.

Result: I earned $1,455 in one day renting out my house to an advertising firm that was charged with trying to discourage kids from smoking. The 12-hour shoot was fascinating to watch, and I got to eat catered food with the “talent.”

Giggster has a limited geographic reach, operating primarily in Los Angeles,

New York and San Francisco, but there are a half dozen other sites that do the same thing. PeerSpace, for instance, operates in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Be a tour guide. You can make $50 to $100 per hour conducting tours in your own city. You determine the itinerary, schedule, maximum (and minimum) tour capacity and price.

ToursbyLocals, Viator and Vayable will advertise your offerings on their sites, charging a commission on each booking.

Best of all, you can design your tours around your own passions — movie locations, historic sites or restaurants. And you’ll spend the day with people who are interested enough in those passions to pay you to lead them around.

Host a dinner party or cooking class.

A website called Eatwith allows home cooks to host dinner parties with paying guests. Eatwith operates worldwide, so you might host local couples looking for an unusual night out or adventuresome tourists looking to sample authentic local cuisine.

You choose when you cook, what you offer and how much you charge. The site takes a commission for arranging bookings and collecting payment.

However, you need to have a food handler’s license to sign up. And you must be willing to undergo regular inspections of

your kitchen.

Cozymeal offers a similar service but also allows home chefs to offer cooking classes. You’ll pay a 20% to 30% commission on each booking.

Be a teacher. Thinkific and Teachable allow you to put a class online and charge whatever you see fit. You could teach people how to build things, speed-read or manage a website.

Both sites have easy-to-use platforms that coach you through setting up your class. They also give users the choice of paying a monthly fee or a commission on sales, which allows you to start for free.

Fix hair and makeup. People with a background in cosmetology can sign up for a fun side hustle that involves going to clients’ homes to fix hair, nails and makeup for special events, such as weddings and television appearances.

A site called beGlammed will set up appointments and collect payment for you (for a hefty 40% commission). Hourly rates range from $30 to $90 per hour.

Walk and watch dogs. Animal lovers can make decent money by signing up to take care of dogs. Typically, dog walkers at Wag! get $12 per half-hour walk and a bit more if there are two animals.

If you sign up with Rover, you can watch dogs overnight and set your own rates,

paying the site a 20% commission for booking and collecting payment for you.

Consult. A site called WAHVE (for Work-At-Home Vintage Experts) looks for people in their 50s and 60s in the accounting, insurance and human resources fields.

If you’re at a point in life when you’d rather work flexible hours and telecommute, the site will find jobs with smaller companies that are willing to work around your schedule.

Other sites offer similar opportunities in a wide array of fields — from law to marketing. FreeeUp, for instance, is an online marketplace for web developers, designers and content creators. Pay ranges from $10 to $75 per hour, depending on your skill level.

Fairygodboss specializes in finding professional jobs for women, rating employers on flexibility and maternity-leave policies.

If the site you’re considering isn’t rated on SideHusl.com, scroll to the bottom of the site’s landing page and look for its terms and conditions. This is a legal document that spells out your contract with the site.

Site terms may be long and full of legalese, but they should be required reading. © 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

July 22

HEALTHY FOOD CLASS

Eating healthy is something we’ve all been told to do, but nutritious food can be expensive. Nutritionist Melanie Berdyck from Giant Food will be teaching how to get healthy meals on a budget at the Elkridge 50+ Center on Monday, July 22 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The center is located at 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. Admission is free. Call (410) 313-5192 for more information.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Most Americans have too little insurance

By Gary Ran In October, I took my family on a trip to Europe. While waiting for our return flight from Paris to Detroit, I received a frantic call from our housekeeper.

“I just walked into your house,” she said, “and there’s a river running through it.”

The pipe providing water to our refrigerator broke. Located in the ceiling above our kitchen, it had run unabated for the entire weekend, pooling down through the ceilings, the walls and underneath our wood floors.

Our house is a 20-year-old, large modified ranch, and most of the main level was a total loss. We lost floors, cabinets, appliances, carpeting and furniture to the tune of $350,000.

Imagine if I had the wrong insurance and this disaster was wrongly or not covered.

One year ago, that would have been the case.

In 2016 — after reading a piece about being wrongly insured — I did an extensive review of my insurance coverages with my colleague and our insurance specialist, Ari Fischman.

In doing so I discovered that, generally speaking, I was overpaying to be wrongly insured. I had too low of a deductible (which bumped up my premiums unnecessarily), had poor overall coverage if something major happened, and was with the wrong carrier.

The insurance change I ended up making did mean an increase in the cost of my coverage. However, I had been with my old insurance company, basically under the same policies, for almost two decades, ever since I bought my home. Thankfully, I made the switch when I did, or else I

would have been in bad shape.

The surprising thing about my inadequate coverage is that I was among the nearly two-thirds of homeowner insurance payers lacking in quality coverage.

Blanket coverage — which is bundled coverage for a variety of valuables under one policy — may be adequate to cover most people’s needs, but it does not include the levels of coverage that best suit those with more complex risk associated with wealth accumulated over decades of earning.

Get an insurance audit For anyone who accumulates wealth over a lifetime, their insurance needs change. What is adequate coverage in your 20s, with a starter home, young kids and an inexpensive car, will be different than the coverage you need in your 50s,

We Turn Addresses

into homes

MOST COMMUNITIE S ARE 62 AND B ET T ER

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

The Greens at Hammonds Lane: 410-636-1141 Park View at Furnace Branch: 410-761-4150 Park View at Severna Park: 410-544-3411

Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673 Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886 Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363 Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185 Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

BALTIMORE CITY Ednor Apartments I: 410-243-0180 Ednor Apartments II: 410-243-4301 The Greens at Irvington Mews: 410-644-4487 Park Heights Place: 410-578-3445 Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440 Park View at Coldspring: 410-542-4400

EASTERN SHORE Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070

HARFORD COUNTY Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064 Park View at Box Hill: 410-515-6115

BALTIMORE COUNTY Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344 Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660 Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888 The Greens at English Consul: 410-789-3000 The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100 The Greens at Logan Field: 410-288-2000 The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988 Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464 Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665 Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375

HOWARD COUNTY Park View at Colonial Landing: 410-796-4399 Park View at Columbia: 410-381-1118 Park View at Ellicott City: 410-203-9501 Park View at Ellicott City: II 410-203-2096 Park View at Emerson: 301-483-3322 Park View at Snowden River: 410-290-0384

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785 • 55 & Better Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526 Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour. www.rhomecommunities.com MOST COMMUNITIES ARE PET-FRIENDLY

with an expensive home, wine collection and expensive cars.

Insurance audits are important to make sure you have the coverage that meets your current, and ever-changing, needs.

So, how do you choose the right insurance agent? First, take a realistic look at your circumstances and what you have accumulated over the years. Does your current insurance agent have the reputation, expertise and capabilities to effectively provide the insurance that meets your net worth? Or do they provide general coverage without taking a look at your specific coverage needs?

Finding the right coverage that suits your lifestyle is crucial and is worth shopping around for. Most of the time, the agent does not need more than the information on your current policy and some of your time to conduct a brief interview. The insurance agent should ask about your various assets to ensure that you have accurate coverage and go over the policies so you know what’s included.

Understand your coverage According to a J.D. Power and Associates study, more than half of homeowners do not have a clear understanding of their insurance coverage. Make sure you do.

It’s common to scoff at insurance; it often goes unused and doesn’t seem like something you need. But that’s the thing with insurance — you don’t need insurance until you actually need it. And at that point, you really need to be properly covered.

Don’t wait 20 years to review your insurance policies like I did. It’s recommended to have someone conduct an insurance audit every few years to ensure your policies align with your assets, living situation and lifestyle.

This way you are properly covered and spending wisely for coverage in all the most logical places, such as limits and deductibles.

This article was written by and presents the views of Gary Ran, investment adviser and chairman of Telemus Financial Life Management, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA. © 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

July 23

COMPUTER TIPS

Keep up with the latest computer technology. Learn about keyboard and track pad skills, Internet browsing, file management and search engines at the Central Branch Library on Tuesday, July 23 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The library is located at 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. To register for the free class, call (410) 313-7800.

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

23

Leisure &

Summer nights can be magical for all generations in Myrtle Beach, S.C. See page 24.

Roadtrips worth taking with grandkids

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort So, where can you go? Perhaps the easiest vacation is at a resort where everything is in one place. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in western Pennsylvania offers just that, with a variety of accommodations, activities and places to eat.

Located about three hours from D.C., the resort has several hotels on site at different price points and styles, ranging from casual (The Lodge) to opulent (Chateau Lafayette) to sophisticated luxury (Falling Rock, the only Forbes Five

Star, AAA Five Diamond property in Pennsylvania).

Townhouses and luxury vacation homes are also available for families who want to be under one roof.

Luckily, entrepreneur Joe Hardy built this resort as the ultimate playground for all ages, so you don’t have to over-think how to satisfy those hard-to-please teenagers and even 20-somethings.

Outdoorsy daredevils should test their courage at the Adventure Center, with two 3,000-foot-long zip lines that reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour; a 50-foot free fall; the 40-foot-high canopy tour; and an off-road adventure in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).

All family members can enjoy the nearby 18-hole miniature golf course. Or visit the Wildlife Academy, swim indoors or out, or just relax around the adult pool that features a Jacuzzi, a fire pit and a bar area.

Need a little time without the kids? For children ages 4 to 15 there is Kidz Klub, and a program called Little Tykes for ages 6 weeks to 3 years. Both offer full and half-day sessions, as well as “night out” sessions until 10 p.m. All require advance reservations.

Professional babysitters are also available.

Sans the kiddos, play on one of the two championship golf courses (Mystic Rock hosted a PGA tournament). Take a tour of the multi-million-dollar art collection. Schedule a massage or pedicure at the spa. And I highly recommend going off property to Fallingwater, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s

PHOTO BY NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT

By Alice Shapin If you’re like many grandparents who can’t get enough of their adorable grandchildren, nothing could be better than an overnight trip with them.

But vacations can also be tricky and even stressful, especially when traveling with a wide range of ages. There can be meltdowns, fights and temper tantrums. (And the grandchildren can have them, too!)

When friends ask me about intergenerational travel, I have a few suggestions: First, make sure everyone knows up front who’s paying for what. Second, plan but be flexible. Third, choose a destination with age-appropriate activities for everyone in your group.

Finally, spend some time apart; nothing can ruin a vacation more than being together 24-7. And most importantly, grandparents, don’t try parenting. Your turn is over, so just enjoy.

People of all generations can find interesting things to do indoors and out at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, located about two hours from Washington, D.C.

PHOTO BY HERSHEYPARK

There’s more to Hershey, Pennsylvania, than chocolate and roller coasters. Kids and grandparents can make their own candy bars, take a trolley tour, or relax in the Hotel Hershey’s butterfly garden.

true masterpieces, only 20 miles away.

With an eclectic collection of places to eat, it’s easy to find the right one for your family no matter how large a group.

Don’t worry about the kids getting up and being rowdy. You can enjoy a casual meal minus the dirty stares at some of the more casual venues.

Or leave the kids in the club and savor Aqueous, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired restaurant with modern cuisine and a nod to the sea, or the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond rated Restaurant Lautrec.

Hersheypark Who doesn’t love chocolate, especially now that dark chocolate has (finally!) been deemed good for us? Indulge and immerse yourself in “The Sweetest Place on Earth” — Hershey, Pennsylvania, where you can smell chocolate in the air. It’s about a 2 ½hour drive from the D.C. area.

If you really want to make the trip easy, book either the Hotel Hershey (old world charm with modern amenities at splurge prices) or Hershey Lodge (casual, family friendly with Water Works, an indoor pool complex).

Staying “on property” means you’ll get VIP benefits, including: the best price on Hersheypark tickets; free shuttle bus

service to the park; one-hour early access to the park; free admission to Hershey Gardens; and access to the Hershey Golf Collection, including the private courses at the Hershey Country Club.

Both hotels provide a long list of recreational facilities, have events during the summer and help plan family activities.

Hersheypark — which has more than 70 rides, a full water park and a zoo with more than 200 animals — is a perfect spot for the little tykes, teens and way beyond. Be it something mild or hair-raisingly wild, you’ll find it here.

If grandparents are thrill seekers, they might join the kids on one of 13 roller coasters. If they are more like me and want something tamer, ride the 100-year-old carousel with the littler ones.

Chocolate lovers of all ages will enjoy Hershey’s Chocolate World, a free ride located just outside the amusement park.

Think of it as a Disney ride that tells you how chocolate is made — with a free Hershey kiss at the end of the ride.

To learn more about Milton Hershey, America’s most prolific chocolate maker, visit the Hershey Story Museum downtown. For the grandparents, old Hershey See ROAD TRIP, page 24

24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Road trip From page 23 tins and other Hershey packaging will bring back fond childhood memories.

For an extra fee of about $12, visit the Chocolate Lab to create and decorate your own personalized candy bar. Or take the Hershey Trolley Works ($13 to $16), where you can choose a family-friendly tour of the town or a separate history tour that’s best suited to parents and grandparents.

Need a break from chocolate? Visit the gardens, great for the older folks or kids

that need to burn off all that chocolate energy. And don’t miss The Butterfly Conservatory in the garden.

Both hotels offer kids’ clubs and nighttime activities. Parents and grandparents can take advantage of this time to play golf or have a treatment at the spa. Keeping with the chocolate theme, enjoy such treatments as the Whipped Cocoa Bath and Chocolate Fondue Wrap.

Perfect for any family history buffs or architecture lovers, take a tour of Pennsylvania’s State Capitol in close-by Harrisburg. Add a visit to Broad Street Market, founded in 1860.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Myrtle Beach, S.C. Myrtle Beach is a true hybrid vacation destination. It runs the gamut from long stretches of sandy beaches, to championship golf, to rides for all ages, to shows and boardwalk delights such as fries and funnel cake. It’s about an eight-hour drive down I-95 from this area.

North Myrtle Beach area is less congested and frenetic than the original Myrtle Beach. Its permanent show venues, such as The Alabama Theatre and The Carolina Opry, have great shows. At the Opry we saw a variety of musical acts from country to pop to Broadway tunes, a comedian and a high-energy finalist dance troupe from “America’s Got Talent.”

Another great option there is “Broadway at the Beach,” an amusement park area with rides for young kids and daredevils. They include a zip line, Beach Rider Jet Boat, wave pool, The Simpsons 4D film, helicopter rides and a Grand Prix raceway.

Most attractions require tickets that range from $10 to $25 each. Be sure to visit at night, when all the neon and LED lights make the place magical.

If you really want “classic beach crazy,” go down to Myrtle Beach and stroll along their boardwalk for the super-charged energy you would expect.

Myrtle Beach has no shortage of miniature golf. And I’m not talking about your average mini-golf. I’m talking extravaganzas, mountains, waterfalls and volcanoes.

The names say it all: Mayday Miniature Golf, Hawaiian Rumble and Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure Golf.

If mini-golf makes some family members yearn for the real thing, you’re in luck. The Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach areas are known as The Golf Capital of the World for a reason: they have more than 100 courses. You’ll have no trouble getting a tee-time.

If you want something entirely different from anything else at Myrtle Beach, visit Brookgreen Gardens. Located south of Myrtle Beach, this 9,127-acre floral jewel is a combination of beautiful gardens and spectacular sculptures.

Myrtle Beach’s accommodation choices are wide-ranging. We stayed at the North Beach Plantation in a two-bedroom, two-bath terrace apartment with a kitchen and, thankfully, a washer/dryer. There are even fivebedroom units. Our 19th-floor apartment overlooked the ocean, a view I never tire of.

Besides the beach, our resort had several pools, including an adult-only one for some quiet time. And the area has an endless array of restaurants that serve everything from tater tots to tapas.

When you’re on vacation, don’t forget to bring your digital camera or snap pictures on your phone. That way you and your grandchildren can create a slideshow or photo book together (at Shutterfly.com or other sites) to remember the trip.

If you go Rooms at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort range from $459 at Chateau Lafayette to $419 for a night at Falling Rock. The Lodge’s rooms are $439 per night. To make a reservation at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, visit Nemacolin.com or call 1-877-724-5165.

In Hershey, you’ll pay about $460/night at the historic Hotel Hershey and $379 for the Hershey Lodge. To book a room at the Hotel Hershey, visit hotelhershey.com or call 1-844-330-1711; contact the Hershey Lodge via hersheylodge.com or 1-844-5333311.

Myrtle Beach hotels can range from $130 to $350 per night in the summer season. For more information about Myrtle Beach sites and hotels go to visitmyrtlebeach.com or call 1-800-356-3016.

BEACON BITS

July 18

TRIVIA NIGHT

Are you knowledgeable in a variety of topics and interested in having some friendly competition? Come to Trivia Night at the Miller Branch Library on Thursday, July 18 from 7 to 8 p.m. Whether you’re a serious trivia buff or just looking to have some fun, Trivia Night is the perfect weeknight entertainment. Register by calling (410) 313-1950. The Miller Branch Library is located at 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City.

July 22

REDUCE FOOD WASTE

Did you know Americans waste nearly 40% of our food supply, which is equivalent to about $162 billion? Learn how you can start repurposing your food waste to reduce the nation’s food waste, one home at a time. This event will take place on Monday, July 22 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Elkridge Branch Library, located at 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. Call (410) 313-5077 for more information.

July 20

FLAG HISTORY

Historian and collector Lori Simcik retells the history behind the “United We Stand” campaign of July 1942, when magazine publishers and the U.S. Treasury worked to place the American flag on the cover of hundreds of magazines. Some WWII-era magazine covers will be on display. This event will take place at the Miller Branch Library, located at Frederick Rd., Ellicott City on Saturday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, call (410) 313-1950.

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

25

Which are the best hotel chains today?

The best U.S. multi-brand hotel chains Get what you pay for are Hilton and Marriott, tied at a score of In many ways, the most interesting results 80 out of 100 in the latest deal with individual brands, American Customer Satisfacrather than chains. ACSI pubtion Index (ACSI). Hyatt at 79 lished separate scores for 31 inand InterContinental at 78 foldividual brands, as grouped low closely, and Best Western into six price categories: luxuscores above the industry avry, upper upscale, upscale, erage at 77. upper midscale, midscale and Chains scoring below avereconomy. age run from Choice at 74, La In general, satisfaction Quinta at 74, Wyndham at 70, scores tend to follow price down to Motel 6 at 64. levels, with luxury J.W. MarTRAVEL TIPS Aggregate scores for each By Ed Perkins riott on top at 84 and economy chain are based on weighted Motel 6 on the bottom at 63. averages of customer satisfaction with 10 Individual winners include few surprises: individual quality elements.

Luxury: J.W. Marriott, at 84, is the only Half of the elements refer to essential brand included in this category. experience features of any hotel stay: staff Upper Upscale: Embassy Suites, numcourtesy and helpfulness, room quality, in- ber 2 overall at 83, tops this group, which inroom features, in-room entertainment and cludes Marriott Hotels (81), Hilton Hotels in-room Internet. The other five deal with and Resorts (79), Hyatt Regency (79), Sherathe reservation process, loyalty program, ton (77) and Westin (76). Relatively low restaurant and such. scores for stablemates Sheraton and Westin Overall, ratings for those essential expe- may come as a bit of surprise to veteran travrience factors are generally good, with the elers. possible exception of in-room internet, Upscale: Top-of-group Hilton Garden which scores well below the other factors. Inn, at 82, outscores every upper upscale This is in sharp contrast with airline scores, brand except Embassy Suites. Other scores where the actual essence of the product — in this group include Crowne Plaza (81), the seat — scores well below all other ele- Courtyard by Marriott (81), Best Western ments of the customer experience.

Premier (81), AC Hotels (79), Residence

Inn (79), DoubleTree (78), Hyatt Place (77) and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts (78).

Upper Midscale: Fairfield Inn and Suites, at 83, outscores all but two brands in the upper upscale and upscale groups.

Clearly, Fairfield is doing something right — a lot of things, actually.

Other scores in this diverse group include Holiday Inn Express (80), Hampton Inn (79), Hilton Hotels and Resorts (79), Best Western Plus (77), Comfort Inn and Suites (76), Holiday Inn (75) and Quality Inn and Suites (73).

Midscale: The top midscale brand is Best Western, which ties its upper midscale Plus partner at 77. The second-best scorer in this group is La Quinta, now part of Wyndham and top scorer among all Wyndham brands at 74. The rest of the group includes Wyndham stablemates Baymont (72) and Ramada (71).

Economy: The four economy brands are the lowest scorers in the compilation: Days Inn (68), Econo Lodge (67), Super 8 (65) and Motel 6 (63).

To me, the big take-away is that travelers favor real value — the steak, not the sizzle — at all price levels.

I’ve been impressed by both the facilities and service I’ve encountered at J.W. Marriott. Embassy Suites offers great space, with door-separated living and sleeping areas and outstanding free breakfast and happy hour.

Hilton Garden Inn offers great rooms and an attractive breakfast proposition.

I’ve never stayed at a Fairfield, but reports are favorable. And Best Western has been busy upgrading its core properties. As for the economy segment, this report shows “you get what you pay for.”

The seven megabrand chains cover a big chunk of the U.S. hotel marketplace and also rate pretty well against the unaffiliated remaining field.

“All others” shows a score of 73, outdoing only Wyndham and Motel 6. But that unaffiliated marketplace includes a wide range of players — from small boutique chains and independent properties, to mom-and-pop motels on highways bypassed by the Interstate.

Always check TripAdvisor reviews when you stray from the big chains.

Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net and check out rail-guru.com. © 2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Style Arts &

Nearly 100 garden clubs help beautify Maryland. See story on page 27.

Sculptor found art after many careers gage the community and enhance public spaces” as well as “increase access to the arts.”

Steinkoenig also feels that paintings, sculptures and other works of art shouldn’t have to be shown exclusively in art galleries and museums. Public art should, and hopefully will, “bring beauty into everyday life,” he said.

The county has joined a growing number of communities across the U.S. to prioritize public art. Local government officials around the country have found that public art can lead to increased levels of community engagement, and can foster community revitalization, social connections and even improved health outcomes.

PHOTO BY PAUL STEINKOENIG

By Robert Friedman Paul Steinkoenig has pursued many interests and careers in his 59 years. The Hyattsville resident has been a Methodist minister, a psychotherapist, a state department intern, and a United Nations volunteer in Afghanistan.

But he feels he has now, finally, found his true calling: art. And the Howard County Arts Council seems to agree.

In August, an eight-foot sculpture by Steinkoenig titled Sanctuary II — Faith, Hope and Love will be installed in front of the Gary J. Arthur Community Center on Route 97 in Cooksville.

Steinkoenig is one of only two local artists chosen to show their works through Howard County’s program, ARTsites2019. The program is placing a total of 13 sculptures in county government buildings, community centers, a hospital, a college campus and even a shopping mall.

Maryland artist Jeff Chyatte is the other area artist whose work was chosen. The other 11 sculptors live and work outside of Maryland.

The Howard County Arts Council said its annual outdoor art project is meant to “en-

His tuneful sculpture Steinkoenig’s abstract work appeals to multiple senses. It consists of three steel cylinders that resemble oxygen tanks with wooden clappers inside.

The artist noted that his upbringing in a musical family — “I played seven instruments by the time I was 12” — inspired him to work on “tuning” the wind-sourcing sound to produce “soft wooden tones” in-

Maryland artist Paul Steinkoenig salvaged industrial gas cylinders to make musical bells for his sculpture “Sanctuary II: Faith, Hope, and Love.” The work will be installed in Cooksville as part of Howard County’s annual ArtSites program, which places art in public spaces.

stead of clanging bells.

He added that he gave up his budding musical career because he wasn’t overjoyed by performing. He went on to other disciplines, only truly finding himself as a sculptor six years ago.

Besides the art, he also works as an independent contractor doing home remodeling. Those more mundane tasks, the artist said, “pay the bills.”

Now, however, “I’m happiest when I do my art,” he said. “It gets me excited; it

gives me purpose. Doing sculpture is a true blessing.”

A varied career One could say that Steinkoenig has a background in blessing, having practiced as a Methodist minister after earning a Master of Divinity: Philosophy, Theology and Social Ethics from Boston University in 1987.

See FINDING ART, page 28

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 9

27

Garden clubs aim for sustainable beauty

By Diane Carliner Everyone talks about climate change, but who is doing anything about it?

How about the 3,600 or so gardeners who are members of Maryland’s 99 Federated Garden Clubs (FGC)?

The clubs, which began back in 1926, are part of the National Garden Clubs, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that is the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world.

There are a dozen clubs in Baltimore County and City, and one chapter in Howard County, which is especially active.

For example, the local chapter helped replant gardens washed away in Ellicott City’s 2016 flood.

People can choose any local club they wish; members are not required to join the club closest to their neighborhood.

Environmentalism starts at home At the club meetings, members swap stories and give advice. “A big topic is conservation of the environment because we are all concerned about climate change,” said Jackie Handley, past officer and parliamentarian of FGC. The club’s environmental courses, which follow the national organization’s curriculum, teach members how to eliminate polluting chemicals, manage storm water runoff, get rid of non-native species and restore original habitats.

Anna O’Kelly learned about the garden clubs when she relocated from New Jersey 30 years ago. She moved into a house with an existing garden in Anne Arundel County and wanted to keep it looking beautiful.

“I knew nothing about gardening,” said O’Kelly, who is now first vice president of FGC. “The first step was to learn how to take care of the shrubs, trees and perennials the previous owners had planted.

“By adding natives such as black-eyed Susans, bee balm — hummingbirds love it — and spiderwort to attract butterflies, the garden has evolved,” she said.

O’Kelly learned everything she knows about gardening from fellow members and the classes offered by FGC. Courses range from gardening, landscape design and en-

vironmental conservation, to a program called flower show school, which trains people to be judges at flower shows.

Each club offers four two-day courses in those areas of interest, at a cost of about $100 each. All classes are open to nonmembers, and people who complete four courses can earn certification as a consultant, which enables them to serve on one of the club’s active councils.

The group’s Landscape Design School educates students in landscape design and community landscape planning. After students complete four courses and pass an exam, they become design consultants who help to establish educational programs, scholarships and awards for promoting better landscape design.

Chances to volunteer, take trips Members of the clubs range from rank amateur to master gardener. Everyone is welcome, Handley said. “We are a very diversified group from all walks of life.”

Volunteer oppor tunities spring up throughout the year. Following the tradition of the parent National Garden Clubs, club members place Blue Star memorial markers alongside highways to honor service people who fought in World War II. Other markers are placed in Rawlings Conservatory.

In 2017, the Howard County Garden Club recovered and replaced the marker displaced in the Ellicott City flooding.

In addition to a trip abroad this year to tour gardens in England, clubs plan trips around Maryland or Delaware to intriguing, off-the-beaten-path destinations, such as Queen Anne’s County Home and Garden Pilgrimage, Secret Gardens of Oxford and Sang Run Park near Deep Creek Lake.

See GARDEN CLUBS, page 28

COLUMBIA CENTER FOR

THEATRICAL ARTS

Making a Difference for over 45 years!

Putting knowledge to good use “We have a wonderful education program with professional speakers,” Handley said. She belongs to two garden clubs herself and says she “looks forward to the camaraderie of meetings.”

For instance, in June, Handley’s fellow club members toured each other’s home gardens. Discussions at meetings range from planting advice to pest control.

Club members then bring that knowledge into the real world, to places like Cylburn Arboretum on Greenspring Avenue.

The current state president of FGC is overseeing a storm water runoff management program at Cylburn. The group also works with Cylburn to offer programs open to the public throughout the year, including a daffodil show in April.

Maryland roadsides are no longer cluttered with billboards, thanks in part to the FGC’s efforts. The group has also helped the Chesapeake Bay Foundation select plant species that contribute to a healthy aquatic environment and protect watershed areas.

In addition, the organization seeks to beautify historic properties. For example, it has contributed grants for gardening projects at the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Historic Hampton near Towson, and the Rawlings Conservatory, the famous glass greenhouse in Druid Hill Park.

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Finding art From page 26 After two years, however, he had a change of heart. “I realized that my ‘talent’ was more in psychiatry.”

A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

He then worked as a psychotherapist with gang members in New Mexico prisons for 14 years, and led therapy groups to help rehabilitate victims of domestic violence and drug abuse.

While later studying for a Master of In-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

OLD TOWN MARKET Come shop at the Old Town Market while listening to live music!

From locally grown fruits and vegetables to soaps and art, there’s

something for everyone to buy. Donations from the market are made to the Howard County Food Bank. The market is located at 9321 Main St., Ellicott City and is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit ellicottcityoldtownmarket.com.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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B O R N

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A P O S T M A L U R E S T H E G Y A E S I X P Z E O C D S

F I T R I E L E I T U T N Y C O I I D L E S A

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ternational Policy and Practice at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs (which he earned in 2004), Steinkoenig worked as an intern in the U.S. State Department’s communications office.

“I fielded phone calls from reporters around the globe who were asking questions about official Department of State policy positions,” he said.

Then in 2005, he spent a year in Afghanistan as a volunteer for the United Nations. With the aid of a translator, he worked “to teach the local population what it means to have a democratic election.”

The effort was in conjunction with parliamentary elections being held in a region in the far northeastern corner of the country. That was, he recalled, “a dangerous place where, at that time, even the U.S. military would not set up a compound due

to constant threat from the Taliban.”

Steinkoenig’s time in Afghanistan was “scary,” but also “incredible,” he said. The U.N. volunteers were “breaking into a new frontier for the possibility of a new democracy, where each person counts, each vote counts, each new idea holds a new vision for peoples’ lives.”

He noted that 14 years later, he is still in contact with some of the Afghans he met there.

After all of these career adventures, Steinkoenig believes he has now found his true self. “I feel like I have been an artist at heart all my life and never gave myself permission to pursue it in a lot of depth,” he said.

“My art really makes me feel alive. I’ve rearranged quite a few things and left a few jobs I was working on and made that happen.”

For more information about the artist and his works, go to PaulSteinkoenig.com.

Garden clubs

service or supports the mission of a nonprofit.

To join a club, whether near you or not, call the administrator at Cylburn Arboretum at (410) 396-4842. Dues, which vary from $30 to $100 annually, fund a variety of programs that include professional speakers and hands-on projects.

Existing garden clubs meeting specific qualifications can join the organization via an online form available at Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland’s website, fgcofmd.org.

From page 27 The clubs also recognize and reward Maryland’s superior gardeners. A program overseen by the group’s Gardening Consultants Council offers a cash award for the best container garden (defined as a collection of two or more pots that enhance a public space or support the mission of a nonprofit organization). An award is also given for an edible garden that provides a public

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Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted in a mobility device that’s truly unique. They created a battery that provides powerful energy at a fraction of the weight of most batteries. The Zinger features two steering levers, one on either side of the seat.

The user pushes both levers down to go forward, pulls them both up to brake, and pushes one while pulling the other to turn to either side. This enables great mobility, the ability to turn on a dime and to pull right up to tables or desks. The controls are right on the steering lever so it’s simple to operate and its exclusive footrest swings out of the way when you

stand up or sit down. With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, the Zinger is sturdy and durable yet convenient and comfortable! What’s more, it easily folds up for storage in a car seat or trunk– you can even gate-check it at the airport like a stroller. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life. It folds in seconds without tools and is safe and reliable. It holds up to 275 pounds, and it goes up to 6 mph and operates for up to 8 hours on a single charge.

Why spend another day letting mobility issues hamper your independence and quality of life?

Zinger Chair® Call now and receive a utility basket absolutely FREE with your order.

1-888-632-0958 Please mention code 111024 when ordering.

Zinger is not intended for individuals fully restricted to a seated position. It is not a medical device nor a wheelchair. It is not covered by Medicare or Medicaid. © 2019 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

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Just think of the places you can go: • Shopping • Air Travel • Bus Tours • Restaurants– ride right up to the table! • Around town or just around your house

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 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Second Frame 1

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1. Assign the chessmen to their initial squares 6. The first band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (alphabetically) 10. QB’s targets 13. Magna ___ 14. Any 1 of the Fortune 500 15. Get a grade below 60 16. Go on ___ 17. Huey, Dewey, and Louie, for example 18. “Ignorance of the law ___ excuse” 19. Rare (but illuminating) event 22. 23andMe input 23. Over there 24. Wedding cake section 25. Do some summer yard work 26. Teen hangout 28. Word heard many times on Disney’s “Small World” ride 31. Prepare a rope for rock climbing 36. Like Luke Skywalker’s home planet 37. Thanksgiving time at Plymouth Rock, MA 38. “___-Team” 39. Propensity to obscenity 44. Curviest letter 45. All up in someone’s business 46. First word before “last words?”

47. Evaluation of a new driver’s skills 49. Top left key on many computers 50. “___ only as directed” 53. Second frame score after throwing the three balls featured in this puzzle 58. Late-night kitchen visit 59. Move like The Blob 60. Moron 61. Mausoleum contents 62. It’s main training facility is in Colorado Springs, CO 63. Sierra ___ 64. UFO crew 65. Carbon and Carew 66. Having fewer bats in one’s belfry

Down 1. Hurt with hot soup 2. Avoid restaurants 3. GREAT mix-up 4. Where the golden spike was hammered in 1869 5. ___ the first part 6. Join the cast of 7. Gravestone heading 8. Naval jail 9. One of a biblical dozen 10. Question revealing one is having second thoughts 11. I, Tonya filming location 12. Gin flavoring 15. Notre Dame cathedral tragedy of 4/15/2019 20. “___ have seen everything” 21. Mosaic piece 25. Safety org. founded in 1980 26. Overly sentimental 27. Johnson of “Laugh-In” 29. You, in some bibles 30. Constellation corner 31. Like animals in a park 32. Flower painted by van Gogh in a mental asylum 33. Brainiacs 34. Understands the joke 35. ___-bitty 40. Research univ.

41. “___ father’s Oldsmobile” 42. Perform a “water tank escape” trick (or observe one) 43. Disables a Slinky 48. Reaches the coda 49. Big wigs 50. Blue side in the Civil War 51. One was skipped a record 88 times in 2013 52. Fragrant compound 53. About half the answers on many quizzes 54. Witch’s feature, usually 55. A quite mediocre adjective 56. Polo shirt maker 57. Brainchild

Answers on page 28.

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 9

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 5 PLOTS AVAILABLE all together or will separate at Meadowridge Memorial Park. Westland area Block 38 Lot 97 easy access from Meadowridge Rd. Call Pat Contino. 410-3752521 or coninc@verizon.net ... will negotiate.

For Rent/Sale: Real Estate BEAUTIFUL BRAND NEW TOWNHOME FOR RENT. Location is the Brand New Trotters Knoll Development in Ellicott City. 3 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 Baths, Garage. Looking for primarily a mature 50+ individual or working professional who would like to stay in a beautiful house with an awesome setting. Starting August or September. $3,000/Month. HOA fee is paid for you. Call Mike at 443-472-0041 for more info.

Financial HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR because your 401k or IRA is under $200k? Receive retirement planning and investment management from a Certified Financial Planner focused on low fees and helping others. For appointment call 240-847-7081.

GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-844-230-2952.

For Sale EDIFIER R128T New Powered Bookshelf Speakers. -2.0 active near field monitors -Studio Monitor speakers. wooden enclosure, 42 watts RMS $75.00 plus shipping.

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HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington and Richmond editions).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number. • Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher's discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

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

Health

Personal Services

Wanted

DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844366-1003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

FREE DRAWING CLASSES: Volunteers in pilot program propose free at-home drawing classes for seniors over 75 in groups of 1 to 3 participants. Materials provided. Contact our coordinator for details: lex_ever@protonmail.com

SELL ME YOUR CAR, Truck or SUV for CASH today instead of a maybe tax deduction tomorrow. I come to you. NO FUSS NO MUSS. 410-916-0776 I also buy Motorcycles, Scooters & Bikes. If it’s got wheels, I am a CASH BUYER. Call Today. Let’s Roll

Personals

ESTATE LIQUIDATION/ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES: One call solves it all when you hire us to handle your estate liquidation, down-sizing and/or home cleanout. We sell your treasures, take care of charitable donations and provide junk removal. We also purchase partial estate contents/collections. Always buying antiques, jewelry, fine art, vintage toys, collectibles, advertising, sports memorabilia, military items, rare books, Mid Century Modern furniture, vinyl records collections and more.

Based in Silver Spring, we serve Montgomery County, Howard County, Baltimore County, Washington D.C., NOVA and beyond. No home, barn or warehouse is too packed for us! Friendly, conscientious staff. Call Chris on cell (202) 731-9447. www.OrionsAttic.com.

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

Computer Services THE COMPUTER DOCTORS “We Make House Calls!” Voted Best Computer Repair of Baltimore. On-site Computer Service for homes and businesses. We specialize in helping seniors with their technology needs. Internet, email and WiFi troubleshooting. Virus removal. Clean up and tune-up. PC and Apple support. Our friendly, knowledgeable technicians speak in easy to understand language. Serving Baltimore, Howard, Harford, Anne Arundel and Carroll Counties.

Stay connected and call us today! 410-840-3434

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Home/Handyman Services POWER CHAIR MOBILITY SCOOTERS AND LIFT CHAIR REPAIRS AND SETUPS. AUTHORIZED TECHNICIAN FOR PRIDE MOBILITY, AMY SYSTEMS AND RASCAL SCOOTERS. WWW.PALEXANDER.MOBI 301980-4265.

Legal Services SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) Free evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1866-970-0779. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington, D.C. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

Miscellaneous ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99. Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com.

Personal Services HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE. Yrs. Of Experience. Call 410-796-1808

ENCHANTING LADY, 50s - young looking, voluptuous woman seeks to meet/date an attractive gentleman, SWM, 50s or 60s, with husky build, 200+ lbs, who is sincere, compassionate, dependable, affectionate. Enjoys the great outdoors, movies, dancing, dining out. Seeks friendship, possible relationship. 240-316-6152. Please leave a nice voice message for reply.

TV/Cable DIRECTV. CALL AND SWITCH NOW — Get NFL Sunday Ticket for FREE! Every Game.

Every Sunday. CHOICE- All-Included Package.

Over 185 Channels. $60/month (for 12 Months.)

CALL 1- 888-572-4953.

DISH Network. 190+ CHANNELS. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 months) Add High Speed Internet - $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & SAVE 25%! 1844-560-5837.

SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-888-366-7573.

Wanted COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars & countries. Also Lionel Trains, & slots/coin operated machines.

Will pay top prices. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783

CASH FOR ESTATES; moving, etc. I buy a wide range of items. Buy out/clean up. TheAtticLLC.com Gary Roman 301-520-0755.

SEEKING FULL AND SEALED BOTTLES of Vintage Bourbon and Rye (Pre-1990). Do you have bottles collecting dust around your house?

I am particularly interested in bottles with red or green tax strips. Inquiries are welcome. Call or text Alex 443-223-7669.

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.

Thanks for reading!

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Charlestown/Erickson Living . . . . . . . . . . .6 Graceful Living Senior Care Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Heartlands Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Park View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Residences at Vantage Point . . . . . . . . . . . .9 R Home Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Shriner Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Somerford Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

COGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Howard County 50+ Connection . . . . .13-14 Howard County Recreation & Parks . .15-18 Howard County Recycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Legal Services

Technology

Home Health Care

Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC . . . . . . . . . . .21

Beacon Website and Silver Pages . . . . . . . .8

A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 At Home Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Graceful Living Senior Care Advisors . . . .5 HomeCentris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Monica Elderly Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Options for Senior America . . . . . . . . . . .26

Medical/Health

Events Beacon 50+Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Funeral Services Going Home Cremations . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Housing Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 & 32

Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Nourishing Life Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Retail/Services Columbia’s Village Centers . . . . . . . . . . . .20 TV Voice Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Zinger Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Senior/Government Services

Subscriptions Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Theatre/Entertainment Carol Burnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Columbia Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Tour & Travel Eyre Tour & Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

THIS SUMMER ...

Start a New Journey Whether it’s strolling winding paths or socializing in sunny courtyards, residents of Assisted Living at Brooke Grove experience a warm, vibrant lifestyle and delight in our charming setting of open meadows and airy trees.

OUR AMENITIES Private rooms filled with sunshine from over-sized windows and skylights 24-hour on-site clinical support from licensed and caring nurses Secure courtyards and walking paths Ornamental koi pond Manicured flower and sensory gardens Playground for visiting kids

MEMORY SUPPORT PROGRAM For residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia, we offer a special assisted living option with: Specially trained memory support staff An interactive lifestyle that maximizes choice and independence ®

Tailored LIFE enrichment programming that connects each resident to his or her past Group activities that allow residents to enjoy the outdoors and a thriving social life

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811

www.bgf.org