October 2020 | Baltimore Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

FREE

I N

F O C U S

VOL.17, NO.10

F O R

P E O P L E

O V E R

5 0 OCTOBER 2020

More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

Meals on Wheels still delivers

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

B-1

Communities addressing racial justice By Margaret Foster Last June, after four Minneapolis police officers were charged in the murder of an unarmed black man named George Floyd, many Americans became upset by police brutality, particularly against minorities. Some marched in rallies, and others displayed signs on their lawns or windows. At Broadmead, a Life Plan Community in Cockeysville, residents began talking about racial justice. First, the mostly white community’s poetry club decided to read the work of African American poets, such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes — something they had never done before. Then Broadmead’s writing club began penning reflections about their deep-seated views of race. In addition, its book club chose How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi for their next meeting. All of these actions bubbled up from the community, said Jennifer Jimenez Maraña, Broadmead’s director of diversity and inclusion. “The beauty of it is that the initiatives of the residents have been the most powerful,” she said. “We didn’t want divisiveness on race to divide our community.” Since Floyd’s death on May 25, Broadmead has held a daily moment of silence, sometimes accompanied by a prompt for reflection such as, “When did you first become aware of race?” Every week, Maraña hosts a virtual discussion group on Zoom so residents can talk about racial issues. “After one of these conversations, one of the residents said, ‘Wow, this is hard work,’” Maraña said. “It is — because they’re un-learning things…Their eyes are open.” Some residents’ discussions are punctuated by “a-ha moments,” she said, or instances when people say, “Wow, I never realized” how race affects our society. “That reflection, that learning never ends,” Maraña said. “No matter what age we are.”

Trainings for staff At Habitat America, an apartment management firm, staff members are learning more about diversity. This fall some of the apartment management firm’s 428 employees will take training classes such as “Navigate Your Way to

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROADMEAD

The famous program known as Meals

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

This year, Dr. Jennifer Jimenez Maraña, Broadmead’s director of diversity and inclusion (right) and June Gee, a resident of Broadmead (left), have had conversations about race and privilege with other residents in the life plan community in Hunt Valley.

Diversity,” according to Maryellen DeLuca, vice president of corporate marketing. “Habitat is offering diversity training throughout the month of September,” DeLuca said, noting that she will also be taking one of the courses. The properties in Habitat America’s portfolio include senior living and multifamily communities, both luxury and affordable. The company manages properties in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, which is 60% black, as well as in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The diversity classes are taught by the Institute of Real Estate Management and the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers. Those housing organizations say they are “committed” to diversity and inclusion initiatives. These initiatives contrast with many housing practices in the 20th century.

From 1938 until the late 1960s, the Federal Housing Administration actually mandated that developers’ property deeds include “restrictive covenants” preventing nonwhite people from buying or renting houses in certain neighborhoods. The FHA noted that these restrictions include “prohibition of the occupancy of properties except by the race for which they are intended.” It was common practice from Levittown, New York, to Oakland, California for property deeds to include a clause prohibiting owners from selling to non-white people. In addition, the Federal Housing Authority declined to back loans for people in black neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining. Although these policies have been deemed unconstitutional and have been eliminated, their ef fects have shaped some neighborhoods even until today.

Living together, getting along In Hampden, a predominantly white Baltimore neighborhood, two high-rise apartment buildings stand as a symbol of hope. There, black, white, Hispanic and Asian residents live together in relative peace, said Arthur Ruby, property manager of St. Mary’s Roland View Towers. “We’re a very mixed population, with people from literally all over the world,” Ruby said. “When we have people that don’t get along, it’s not for racial reasons.” St. Mary’s Roland View Towers has 360 apartments for people age 55 and up. Hampden attracted notoriety in 1988, when a black family’s house was vandalized repeatedly after they bought a home in the 99% white neighborhood. So far at St. Mary’s Roland View Towers, racial injustice is “something in the news, it’s not something that’s here,” Ruby said. “That’s just the way it is here.”

SEE SPECIAL INSERT Housing & Homecare Options following page 12 BORROWED BLUE PHOTOGRAPHY

World War II roots

PHOTO BY MEALS ON WHEELS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND, INC.

By Robert Friedman For the past seven years, Julia Murray has received several home-cooked meals delivered straight to her doorstep each week. Murray, 79, a retired nurse who suffers from arthritis and asthma, said that getting her food delivered at home by Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland “keeps me out of assisted living or a nursing home.” The pandemic has made the organization change its deliveries from two meals a day — one hot, one frozen — to a once-aweek drop-off of 14 frozen meals. Despite the change, the program “still ‘forces’ me to eat a balanced diet,” Murray said. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the food has not diminished in quality and quantity one bit. I don’t know how they do it; it’s a miracle.” The pandemic brought “rapid and significant changes” to the program last spring, according to the organization’s executive director, Stephanie Archer-Smith. Requests for services from Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland tripled from 25,000 a week to 75,000. Delivered meals are provided to those who cannot shop and cook for themselves, regardless of age (though the vast majority are older adults). Recipients are asked to pay a modest fee based on a sliding scale. “Every day we were getting more and more calls from people saying, ‘Can you help us?’” With senior centers closed and shelter-in-place orders, she said, “seniors were more vulnerable.” Archer-Smith never considered failure. “For me, it wasn’t about if we could still do it, but how we could do it.” Her staff geared up for greater production, churning out boxed frozen meals instead of the usual hot and cold offerings. Because packing meals became more labor-intensive, many newly recruited volunteers worked shifts from before sunrise to after sunset. In addition to now weekly deliveries of meals outside the clients’ doors, the organization also calls clients a couple of times a week to make sure everything is relatively copacetic.

I N S I D E …

ARTS & STYLE Stephanie Archer-Smith, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, packs food in the group’s Baltimore warehouse. Her volunteers and staff are working overtime during the pandemic to meet the needs of an increasing number of Marylanders who cannot shop or cook for themselves.

on Wheels got its start in the United Kingdom during the early 1940s. Nazi Germany’s “Blitz” bombing of English cities destroyed many people’s homes and therefore the ability to cook their own food. In response, a group called the Women’s Volunteer Service for Civil Defense provided food for them. The first U.S. home-delivered meal program began in Philadelphia, in January 1954. Margaret Toy, a social worker in Philadelphia’s Lighthouse Community Center, pioneered a program to provide food that met the dietary needs of homebound seniors and other “shut-ins” in the area.

The spread of COVID-19 resulted in Vince Bittinger being laid off from his administration job in finance at Johns Hopkins Hospital. “I couldn’t just sit around at home with nothing to do,” said Bittinger, 58, a resident of Dundalk. So, since late April, while “looking like mad for another job,” he has also volunteered for Meals on Wheels. He goes two or three days a week to the “kitchen” in Baltimore, picking up food prepared there, packing it into his Chevy Captiva SUV, and making eight or nine deliveries a day to the program’s mostly aging residents of the area.

Volunteers step up; more needed Today’s volunteers are no less heroic.

See MEALS ON WHEELS, page 21

Former Pratt librarian’s dream comes true with publication of her children’s book about a windy rescue at Rehoboth page 20 FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k A blood test to detect Alzheimer’s k Tips for online dating LAW & MONEY 13 k Beware of Beirut & other scams LEISURE & TRAVEL k Bucket list adventures

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

The choice is ours Generally, whatever the situation, we might make about what degree of medical like knowing we have choices in life. Being care we would want in an emergency or boxed in, having no alternalife-threatening situation if we tive, being forced into a deciaren’t in a position to commusion doesn’t feel good. We nicate our opinions at the want to be in control. time. Or about who we would That applies to nearly every want to handle our finances if aspect of life — what to eat, we temporarily couldn’t or what to wear, what to spend were no longer able to. our time on — at every stage of The good news is, there are life, from the terrible twos, into many ways we can let our famadolescence, and throughout ilies, doctors and lawyers adulthood. know what our choices would But what about deciding FROM THE be in these situations. That’s how we want to be treated in PUBLISHER what advance directives and a situation where we have be- By Stuart P. Rosenthal powers of attorney are for. come seriously ill or injured Did I see you flinch? Are and can’t express ourselves? For some rea- you folding up the Beacon and leaving it on son, many of us recoil from exercising our the chair? choices there. So many of us either glaze over or clam I’m not talking about the choice to end up whenever someone asks us about makone’s life early. That’s for a different col- ing these kinds of choices. umn, perhaps. I don’t think it’s because we don’t have a Now I simply mean the choices we preference. On the contrary, I think it’s be-

Beacon The

I N

F O C U S

F O R

P E O P L E

O V E R

5 0

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

cause the potential situations are so troubling, and the choices to be made are so significant and fraught, that we are afraid to even face the possibility they might someday occur and that others would need our guidance. Let me make a suggestion: Take a look at the website fivewishes.org and its Five Wishes document. Five Wishes is an advance directive in simple language that you can customize to answer questions like: Who do I want to make care decisions for me when I can’t? What kind of medical treatment do I want? What do I want my loved ones to know? The document lets you name the person you would like to represent you and lays out numerous actions you might want your agent to take on your behalf. You can cross out whatever you don’t want that person to do and add in whatever requests you don’t see there. Five Wishes is free and legally effective in most states (without any attorney fees). You can fill it out, have your signature witnessed by two others, then print and share it with family members and professionals. Presto, a valid advance directive. It even describes how to revoke it and issue a new one at any time, should your choices change. Perhaps many of those who refrain from expressing their choices are telling themselves, “Well, if I can’t make my own decisions at that time, what difference would it

make if someone else decided for me?” Keep in mind it’s possible that you may very well wake up and find the decisions others made have changed your life in ways you now don’t like. Above all, an advance directive or power of attorney can smooth a difficult path for your loved ones. These aren’t easy things to think about, I grant you. But look around: We are all more attuned to the possibility of sudden illness since COVID-19 showed up. In many ways, the pandemic stole some of our choices. Early lockdowns and emergency orders took a number of options off the table for all of us. Even now, we find many choices we might normally make are constrained by our safety concerns or those of others. Though this loss of choice may feel constricting, many of us have seen some silver linings in the forced retreat to home and family. In addition to staying safe, we are often bonding with loved ones, developing skills with the latest technology, and learning to communicate in new ways. Maybe another silver lining is that the coronavirus may lead more of us to exercise our powers of choice in the areas where we still can. One of those is to choose to “get our affairs in order.”

Letters to the editor

serve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington, DC and Richmond, Va. (Fifty Plus). Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed col-

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.

umns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Vice President of Operations – Gordon Hasenei Vice President, Sales & Marketing – Alan Spiegel Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Director of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representative – Steve Levin Assistant Editor – Catherine Brown

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions:

The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 23 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

Dear Editor: I’m a classical pianist and Professor Emeritus of Music at Goucher College. My Baltimore and Carnegie Hall concerts were cancelled due to the pandemic. It’s been nice, actually, not stressing over a performance. I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in ages. I’ve been invited to play a virtual recital in November for a church with a violinist colleague. Chamber music, I figured, would be far less pressure than a solo concert. But we decided to play Cesar Franck’s 30 minute, 4-movement sonata for violin and piano, which has possibly the most technically difficult piano part in the entire violin-piano literature. Why have I decided to play that, of all pieces, at age 68, with my tired eyes, creaking joints, and strong desire to avoid unnecessary pressures? Something is calling me back to the Franck. I recall playing it twice in my

younger years, but I also remember my fear — of missing notes, of losing control, of not being perfect — and how that fear obstructed my engagement with the music itself. Astonishingly, I am finding that I’m better equipped to play Franck than ever. The technical difficulties don’t scare me like they used to. In fact, I’m now deeply engaged with the heart and soul of this magnificent work on a level I was incapable of when I was younger. How did this happen? I think it has to do with having lived my life just exactly as I did, and surviving. It’s that simple, and that complex. So, my advice to your readers is: Believe in the foundations you’ve built. Tap the beauty inside you. Trust in your own acquired wisdom. Rejoice in it and share it, so that we may rejoice together. Lisa Weiss Baltimore, MD

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Say you saw it in the Beacon

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

2020 PRESENTED BY

Ken Dychtwald, PhD, a national expert on aging and author of the new book, What Retirees Want

Coming Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, through Jan. 31, 2021 Due to COVID-19, this year’s Beacon 50+Expo will be online rather than in-person YOU WILL ENJOY:

• A variety of EXPERT SPEAKERS on health and ﬁnancial topics • A number of ENGAGING CLASSES and fun ENTERTAINERS • An even larger number of INFORMATIVE EXHIBITORS than usual PLUS: You’ll be able to “visit” all speakers, classes, entertainers and exhibitors AT ANY TIME during the three months the Expo will be open Look for more details in upcoming issues of the Beacon Register at bit.ly/beacon50expo to get updates sent to you GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS RS

Attn. Businesses: Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring?

Contact Debbie at (410) 887-2012.

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

Health Fitness &

SILENT KILLER Get tested regularly for kidney disease, which can hide undetected for years COMPUTER CUPID Tips for creating the best online dating profile and meeting strangers safely RICE WITH SALSA George W. Bush’s White House chef shares his recipe for Mexican rice STUDY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS National Institute on Aging studies a ketone drink for cognitive benefits

New blood test may diagnose Alzheimer’s By Marilynn Marchione An experimental blood test was highly accurate at distinguishing people with Alzheimer’s disease from those without it in several studies, boosting hopes that there soon may be a simple way to help diagnose this most common form of dementia. Developing such a test has been a longsought goal, and scientists warn that the new approach still needs more validation and is not yet ready for wide use. But July’s results suggest they’re on the right track. The testing identified people with Alzheimer’s vs. no dementia or other types of it with accuracy ranging from 89% to 98%. “That’s pretty good. We’ve never seen that” much precision in previous efforts, said Maria Carrillo, the Alzheimer’s Association’s chief science officer. Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, agreed. “The data look very encouraging,” he said. The new testing “appears to be even more sensitive and more reliable” than earlier methods, but it needs to be tried in larger, more diverse populations, he said. The institute had no role in these stud-

ies but financed earlier basic research toward blood test development. Results were discussed at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that took place online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some results also were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. More than 5 million people in the United States and many more worldwide have Alzheimer’s. Current drugs only temporarily ease symptoms and do not slow mental decline. The disease is usually diagnosed through tests of memory and thinking skills, but those methods are very imprecise and usually involve a referral to a neurologist. More reliable methods such as spinal fluid tests and brain scans are invasive or expensive, so a simple blood test that could be done in a family doctor’s office would be a big advance.

Test measures tau protein Last year, scientists reported encouraging results from experimental blood tests that measure abnormal versions of amyloid, one of two proteins that build up and damage Alzheimer’s patients’ brains.

The new work focuses on the other protein — tau — and finds that one form of it, called p-tau217, is a more reliable indicator. Several companies and universities have developed experimental p-tau217 tests. Dr. Oskar Hansson of Lund University in Sweden led a study of Eli Lilly’s test on more than 1,400 people already enrolled in dementia studies in Sweden, Arizona and Colombia. They included people with no impairment, mild impairment, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. The p-tau217 test outperformed a host of other measures for indicating which patients had Alzheimer’s as verified by brain scans. It also was comparable to the brain scans and some spinal tests in accuracy. The Arizona portion of the study included 81 people who had donated their brains upon death, so researchers were able to show that blood testing while they were alive closely matched evidence of disease later. The Colombia part of the study included people with a rare gene that virtually destines them to develop Alzheimer’s at a young age, typically in their 40s. In those with the gene, p-tau217 blood levels started to rise “around 20 years before symptoms,” Hansson said.

Multiple studies underway Two other research groups independently reported evidence for p-tau217 testing at the conference. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, found it helped distinguish people with Alzheimer’s from those with another neurological disease — frontotemporal lobar degeneration — with 96% accuracy in a study of 617 people. Dr. Suzanne Schindler of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, also found p-tau217 better than some other indicators for revealing which patients had plaques in the brain — the hallmark of Alzheimer’s. “When patients come to me with changes in their memory and thinking, one of the major questions is, what’s the cause? Is it Alzheimer’s disease or is it something else?” she said. If tau testing bears out, “it would help us diagnose people earlier and more accurately.” Schindler has already launched a larger study in a diverse population in St. Louis. Researchers have done the same in Sweden. If benefits are confirmed, Masliah, Carrillo and others say they hope a commercial test would be ready for wide use in about two years. —AP

Tips to get better sleep in the hospital By Melissa Bartick, M.D. If you or any of your loved ones has ever been hospitalized, one of the complaints you may have heard most is how hard it is to sleep in the hospital. There are lots of things about hospital routines that can make things difficult for patients to sleep, besides noise and illness. While some hospitals have taken steps to ensure that patients are not interrupted unnecessarily at night, this is not universal. Some reasons you might be woken at night might be unavoidable. You might be on a particular medication, such as certain antibiotics, that must be given in the middle of the night, depending on when the first dose was given. Blood tests for levels of some antibiotics must be timed to their dosing, resulting in blood draws in the middle of the night, too. If you are admitted to check for a heart attack, you might also be ordered for timed blood tests that might involve hav-

ing your blood drawn in the middle of the night. Vital signs, such as pulse and blood pressure, are required to be taken every four hours for some conditions, which would also awaken you. One study shows the top thing keeping patients awake is pain, followed by vital signs and tests, noise and medications. Studies have also shown that hospital routines can disrupt patient sleep, and having a designated quiet time, where nonessential tasks are minimized and lights and noise are lowered, may help. Here is a partial list of things that keep patients awake, and what you might be able to do about them: 1. Pain. Pain is easier to control before it gets bad. Don’t hesitate to ask for pain medicine at bedtime, even if your pain is not yet severe. 2. Vital checks. You are woken up to have your blood pressure taken. Vital signs are usually taken every eight hours. Often

these are done between 11 p.m. and midnight, after the night shift starts, but that’s frequently just after you have fallen sleep. Alternatively, the night shift could be taking your vital signs at 6 a.m., when you would be awoken for other hospital routines anyway. If you are given the opportunity to give feedback during or after your stay, it would be important to mention this — hospital administrators look closely at patient feedback. 3. The IV pump that keeps beeping. This is usually because the flow of IV fluid is blocked (occluded), most often due to its insertion in the crook of your elbow. Thus, every time you bend your arm, the pump alarm will start beeping. If this is the case, ask to have the IV put in a different place, like your hand. 4. You are woken to be given medications. Sometimes a medication or breathing treatment might be ordered “every four hours” or “every six hours,”

which means the nurse or respiratory therapist is required to wake you to give it to you even if you are asleep. You can ask if the order can be changed to four times a day instead of every six hours, or “every four hours while awake.” 5. Noise. Lots of things can be noisy in the hospital at night — staff voices, cleaning machines, your roommate if you have one. You can always ask to have your door closed, and you can ask someone to bring you ear plugs. 6. You are up all night urinating. If this is not the case when you are at home, it might be because you were ordered for a diuretic to be given late in the day, after 6 p.m. or so, or you are ordered for IV fluids at a rate that is higher than you actually require. Your nurse can ask the doctor to change these orders. 7. Blood transfusions at night. If you See BETTER SLEEP, page 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; OCTOBER 2020

Ways to limit eating from stress, boredom

â&#x2DC;&#x2026; FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026; FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026; FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

â&#x2DC;&#x2026; I N F O R M AT I O N â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

Address__________________________________________________________________________

Phone (day)_____________________________(evening)_____________________________ E-mail_____________________________________________________________________________

Check the boxes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 or fax to (410) 248-9102.

You may return this form together with the housing information form on page B-5.

I N F O R M AT I O N

F R E E

City_________________________________________State__________Zip____________________

F R E E

I N F O R M AT I O N

Name_____________________________________________________________________________

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

F R E E

(see article on page 10 and ad on page 11) â?? Stroke Rehabilitation Study (see ad on page 11) â?? Worried About Memory Study (see ad on page 10)

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

I N F O R M AT I O N

â?? Ketone Drink Study

B10/20

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026; FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026; FREE INFORMATION â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

&KRRVH.HVZLFN RUJ RU HPDLO XV DW $GPLVVLRQV#&KRRVH.HVZLFN RUJ RU FDOO XV DW

Clinical Research Studies

I N F O R M AT I O N

7R /HDUQ 0RUH 9LVLW 8V DW

(see ad on page B-2) â?? Park View Laurel (see ad on page 19) â?? Park View Towson (see ad on page 19) â?? Park View Fullerton (see ad on page 19) â?? Park View Rosedale (see ad on page 19) â?? Renaissance Gardens (see ad on page B-7) â?? St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roland View Towers (see ad on page B-6) â?? Village at Providence Point, The (see ad on page 12) â?? Virginia Towers Apts. (see ad on page B-3) â?? Warren Place Senior Apartments (see ad on page 15) â?? Weinberg Senior Living (see ad on page B-8)

F R E E

.HVZLFNÂˇV QXUVLQJ KRPH UHVLGHQWV UHFHLYH WKH FRPPLWPHQW DQG DWWHQWLRQ WKH\ QHHG WKURXJK KRXU FRPSUHKHQVLYH QXUVLQJ FDUH $OO RI .HVZLFNÂˇV QXUVLQJ KRPH URRPV DUH SULYDWH DQG .HVZLFNÂˇV 7HDP 0HPEHUV ZRUN ZLWK HDFK UHVLGHQW WR GHVLJQ D FDUH SODQ WKDW UHÓżHFWV KLV RU KHU QHHGV FDUH JRDOV VNLOOV DQG LQWHUHVWV

â?? Blair House at Stoneleigh (see ad on page 14) â?? Catholic Charities (see ad on page B-6) â?? Charlestown (see ads on pages B-3, B-7) â?? Christ Church Harbor Apts. (see ad on page B-3) â?? Oak Crest (see ads on pages B-3, B-7) â?? Pickersgill Retirement Community

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

KESWICKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NURSING HOME

Housing Communities

I N F O R M AT I O N

F R E E

Physical activity is a great stress-buster and

For free materials on housing communities and health studies, just complete and clip this coupon and mail or fax it to the Beacon.

F R E E

3. Opt for exercise.

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Write a to-do list filled with both productive and fun things,â&#x20AC;? McIntyre said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pick two things to accomplish, then reassess if you need to eat. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bored, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in a more productive or motivated mindset to move on to something else that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve eating.â&#x20AC;?

Fill your plate with fiber, protein and healthy fats at each meal. This combo keeps hunger and satiety hormones working properly and keeps you full for several hours. Sleep seven to eight hours each night to avoid cravings the next day. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com. ÂŠ 2020 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

â&#x153;&#x192;

2. Make an activity list.

Put tempting foods behind closed cabinets or up high where you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as likely to see them. Store healthy foods in seethrough containers. It may sound silly, but research finds that keeping healthier food in plain sight and less-healthy treats out of sight can help you choose healthier options more frequently.

5. Eat balanced meals and get enough sleep.

I N F O R M AT I O N

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Focus on deep breathing for two to three minutes, or step outside for fresh air, allowing the outdoor light to hit your face,â&#x20AC;? Jamie Lee McIntyre, R.D.N., suggested. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your stress wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappear, but this can help create a buffer between the urge coming on and the act of eating, and buy you time in deciding the best way to react.â&#x20AC;?

4. Set up your environment for success.

I N F O R M AT I O N

1. Take a deep breath.

can assist with regulating hormones, too. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bored and not physically hungry, work out first and then eat if you still feel the urge.

F R E E

Bell, R.D., said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Either way, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfectly normal and okay to occasionally eat due to stress or boredom or any other emotion. Beating yourself up about it only adds to the stressful emotions.â&#x20AC;? According to Bell, you just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want eating to become your only way of coping with emotions. She recommends opting for coping strategies that are health-promoting. Here are a few expert tips to try:

F R E E

By Lainey Younkin Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a bad day, so you grab a tub of ice cream, move to the couch and dig right in. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel physically hungry, but eating ice cream is comforting. This is referred to as emotional eating or stress eating. These terms are often used interchangeably, and both refer to turning to food to cope with emotions. This type of eating contrasts with wandering into the kitchen and grabbing some snacks because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bored. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boredom eating. Why do people turn to food when stressed or bored? Biology and environment both play a role. Stress causes your body to release the hormone cortisol, which increases appetite and can lead to weight gain. Stress also increases ghrelin, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hunger hormone,â&#x20AC;? which stimulates appetite too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meanwhile, insufficient sleep is also linked to a reduction in satiety hormones and an increase in hunger hormones,â&#x20AC;? explained registered dietitian Didi de Zwarte. The best strategy is to stop and ask yourself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why am I eating right now?â&#x20AC;? Then decide the best course of action based on that answer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only you can tell the difference between when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stress eating or eating out of boredom. Take a moment to tune into your body to find out which it is,â&#x20AC;? Bri

Fitness & Health | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Silent kidney disease can creep up on you By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Do kidney problems run in families? My mother died from kidney failure 10 years ago at age 74 but didn’t know she had a kidney problem until it was too late. Just Turned 60 Dear 60, Anyone who has a family history of kidney disease, or who has high blood pressure or diabetes, is at increased risk and needs to have their kidneys tested. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 37 million U.S adults have chronic kidney disease (when the kidneys can’t properly do their job of cleaning toxins and wastes from the blood), and millions more are at risk of developing it.

Yet most people don’t realize it. That’s because kidney disease develops very slowly over many years before any symptoms arise. But left untreated, the disease can eventually require people to spend hours hooked up to a dialysis machine or get a kidney transplant. Even mild kidney problems can double a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as cause anemia and bone disease.

Risk factors The reason kidney disease has become so widespread today is because of the rise of obesity, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which strain the kidneys. Another factor is the increasing number of people who take multiple medications, which can also overtax the organs. People over age 60 are especially vulnerable, both because

they tend to take more drugs and because kidney function normally declines somewhat with age.

Get tested Because kidney disease has no early symptoms, the only way to catch it before it advances is to have a simple blood and urine test by your doctor. So, anyone that has diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, a family history of kidney disease, or is age 60 or older needs to get tested.

Better sleep From page 4 need a blood transfusion, it is best not to do it during sleeping hours, because it requires the nurse to monitor your vital signs frequently and would keep you awake for hours. If you need a transfusion, ask if it can possibly wait until daytime. Frequent nighttime disruptions can often cause patients to want to nap during the day, and these can also throw off their sleep schedules. Patients might already be weak and tired from their underlying illness. If you’re hospitalized, it’s important to keep your normal sleep schedule and circadian rhythm. During the day, keep the window shades open for natural light and keep

Also, since African, Hispanic, Asian and Indian Americans along with Pacific Islanders are at increased risk, they should also be tested. If you’re diagnosed with kidney disease, you need to know that there’s no cure, but there are steps you can take to help contain the damage, including: Control your blood pressure: If you have high blood pressure, get it under 130/80. If you need medication to do it, See KIDNEY DISEASE, page 8

the room dark during sleeping hours. An eye mask might be helpful if exposure to light at night is unavoidable. A favorite blanket, pillow, photos and music can help you relax and be more comfortable. My colleagues and I at Somerville Hospital (since closed to inpatients) found that when we instituted a program to decrease disruptions during the night, such as purposely avoiding all the things described above, patients used as-needed sedatives about half as often in the hospital. Most hospitals can do better to make nighttime routines friendlier for patients, but institutional change can be challenging. Knowing what to ask for is useful and will help move healthcare forward. © 2020 by Harvard University

4 great reasons to consider a Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan

Your recovery after a hospital stay should begin with a knowledgeable, interdisciplinary team that understands your health care goals. Working with state-of-the-art equipment, we have the expertise and experience to treat patients recovering from a variety of conditions, including:

Manage appointments, order prescriptions, and view test results online at kp.org.

Neurological Cardiac Orthopedic Cancer Pulmonary Complex Medical

If you need help with any of these conditions, you may beneﬁt from an inpatient skilled nursing and rehabilitation stay.

For more information, call 1 2

Enjoy extra Get care on beneﬁts like your terms through email, transportation to appointments,2 video visits,1 our 24/7 wellness phone advice coaches, and line, or more. in person.

Learn more from your Kaiser Permanente Medicare Specialist: Call Pauline Gibbs at 1-410-387-1878 or visit mykpagent.org/paulineg.

Four Baltimore locations: • ManorCare – Roland Park • ManorCare – Rossville • ManorCare – Ruxton • ManorCare – Towson

888.255.7054

Join our community of care with workshops for physical, mental, and ﬁnancial wellness.

Kaiser Permanente is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Kaiser Permanente depends on contract renewal. You must reside in the Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan service area in which you enroll. When appropriate and available. 24 one-way rides per contract year. For nonemergency transportation only. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. 2101 E. Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852 2020AR0835 MAS 6/22/20-9/30/20 H2172_20_54_M

BALTIMORE BEACON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; OCTOBER 2020

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Help them stay where they want to be. To age with dignity and well-being, elderly patients and their caregivers rely on comprehensive geriatric care through MedStar Health. Whether receiving care in a specialized outpatient setting or in the comfort of home, we help patients age their way.

Call 443-775-3814 or visit MedStarHealth.org/SeniorCare to learn more.

Fitness & Health | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Mexican rice made with homemade salsa By Matthew Wendel These recipes are reprinted with permission from Recipes from the President’s Ranch: Food People Like to Eat, by Matthew Wendel, White House chef to President George W. Bush and family, recently published by the White House Historical Association (WHHA).

Mexican rice with a twist My twist on Mexican rice is very simple. For a base, I use my Prairie Chapel Ranch roasted ancho chili salsa (see below), which contains all the flavors I want in the rice dish. Ingredients: Serves 6 ½ cup long grain uncooked white rice ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil

G COMIN

3 cups chicken broth ½ cup carrots, diced (fresh or frozen) ½ cup Prairie Chapel Ranch salsa (see below) ½ cup peas (fresh or frozen) Preparation: 1. Rinse and drain rice in a fine mesh strainer. 2. Place a large cast-iron skillet or heavy bottomed saucepan over medium–high heat. Add oil and let it heat up for 2 to 3 minutes. 3. Add rice and stir. 4. Reduce to medium heat, stirring frequently, until rice is lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. 5. Stir in broth, fresh carrots and salsa. If using frozen carrots, add them at step 7.

EMBE V O N S HI

6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, until water is completely absorbed. 7. Add peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. 8. Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Prairie Chapel Ranch Roasted Ancho Chili Salsa The Bushes loved chips and salsa. I developed this easy salsa recipe as a go-to dish for the family. Because of its rich, earthy flavor, this salsa is perfect on grilled chicken or fish, or as a base for soup. Ingredients: Makes 4 cups 2–3 dried ancho peppers Water 1 small white onion, roughly chopped 4–5 medium tomatoes, quartered 2–3 garlic cloves 1 small bunch (slightly less than ½ cup) of cilantro 1–2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped Salt

Preparation: 1. In a hot skillet, dry-roast the ancho peppers for about 2 minutes on each side. The peppers should start to puff up and release their flavor. 2. Place the peppers in a medium bowl and cover with hot water until the peppers are soft, probably about 5 minutes. 3. Once the peppers are soft, remove the stems and seeds. 4. Place peppers and all the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend together until mixed well. Salt to taste. The salsa will be a beautiful deep red. For added flavor, dry roast or char the onion, tomatoes, garlic, onion and jalapeños before adding to the food processor. For a great variation, make a dip by combining 2 cups of cooked black beans and ½ cup salsa to food processor. Blend until well mixed. Go to whitehousehistory.org to listen to WHHA’s podcast “Recipes from the President’s Ranch” and learn more about the stories behind the recipes. To order a copy of the cookbook ($45), visit http://bit.ly/whitehousechef.

ATTN: & ORS SPONS ORS T EXHIBI

2020

at, for h t e c nnoun on 50+Expo a o t d ac se e plea e annual Be mbining: r a e W e, th t, co n m i e t v t e s l custom e r u o y the fir be a virtua h ebsit ea wit w r A o t t i k b i will n h li

Ex • ge and a p g s r n i e e land Speak websit s r t e r s u e s o a p l n x yo • E rcise demos/c Januar h g u o r e ve th • Ex main li e r l l i W Plus itor Booklet r Exhib an 8,000 o l o C , Th sy A Glos ailed to Moretendees

At -M Direct evious Expo AD OLOR arge! Pr C E G A h P FULL- at no extra c a h t i W tor exhibi y r e v e for

To Exhibit/Sponsor or for more information contact Alan at Alan@thebeaconnewspapers.com or call 443-285-9336

Kidney disease From page 6 ACE inhibitors and ARBs are good choices because of their proven ability to protect the kidneys. Control your diabetes: If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible. Change your diet: This usually means reducing the amount of protein and phosphorus you consume and cutting back on sodium and possibly potassium. Your doctor can help you determine an appropriate eating plan, or you may want to talk to a dietitian. Watch your meds: Dozens of commonly used drugs can damage the kidneys, especially when taken in high doses over long periods — most notably NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Herbal supplements can also be very dangerous. Talk to your doctor about all the prescription, over the counter and herbal

products you take to identify potential problems and find alternatives. Exercise and lose weight: If you’re overweight and inactive, start an aerobic fitness routine (walk, swim, cycle, etc.) that gets your heart pumping. This will help lower blood pressure, control diabetes and help you lose excess weight, all of which will help your kidneys. Quit smoking: If you smoke, quit. Heart disease becomes a much greater risk to the kidneys if you smoke. Smoking also doubles the rate of progression to end-stage renal failure. Limit alcohol intake: Drinking too much alcohol can worsen kidney disease too, so talk to your doctor to see if it’s safe for you to drink, and if so, limit yourself to no more than one drink per day. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior.

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Online dating: a guide for people over 50 By Sandra Lindberg When I was younger and in a different era, it was easy meeting single men, striking up a conversation and dating. Well, sorry to say, older single people today have a tough time meeting the right partner, someone who shares similar likes and dislikes and really wants a meaningful, long-term relationship where both feel mutual chemistry. Having been married twice, my hope was to find someone with whom I can spend quality time and enjoy a movie or dinner. Meet someone who makes me laugh and with whom I can talk about life over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Someone to enjoy activities with me, travel together and share some romance. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Yet many of my friends have given up looking for a partner in life.

Figure out what you want Keep in mind, many of us mature seniors have been single for a long time and have become accustomed to the solo

lifestyle. This admittedly has some nice bonuses, such as making our own decisions to come and go as we please. It’s important to know what we want and don’t want in a relationship — regardless of what our kids or friends think is best for us. Also, for mature singles, the traditional relationship is a thing of the past. Now that we are older, with grown children, and we’ve probably been married once or twice, or widowed — we have different needs. Many of us still have some of the same needs we had in our 20s. I can surely speak for myself. There may be snow on the mountain, but there’s still fire in the furnace, as they say! There’s a big difference in the activity level of the older population today compared to our parents’ era. Today’s silver population is more active and has the means and time to join the gym, travel and live in 55+ communities, where there is always a lot going on. There are cruises for singles over 50. Every type of card game, exercise and entertainment imaginable is offered at club-

Congressman

JOHN SARBANES Maryland's Third District

Thank you, Marylanders, for casting your ballot in this critical election.

Key Deadlines: October 13: Voter registration deadline October 26: Early voting begins November 3: General Election Day If you plan to vote by mail, be sure to remember there's a difference between the application for a ballot (which was automatically sent to all registered voters) and the ballot itself, which you must request! Paid for by Friends of John Sarbanes

houses and community rooms. Free Silver Sneakers — a Medicare benefit — makes it easier than ever to stay fit. We are living longer and having fun doing it.

Some tips for online dating At the same time, a social change has taken place. Sure, it’s possible to meet someone at the gym or on a cruise. But online dating has become the way to meet someone while sitting at home in our recliners with no makeup and frizzed-out hair. I have been on and off many dating sites for so many years that I’ve lost count: Match, Plenty of Fish (POF), Date A Golfer, eHarmony, Tinder, Our Time and a couple others that I can’t recall.

If you’d like to try one of these dating websites, here are a few tips when creating your profile: —Your picture must be current, as in taken in the last six months. Have at least one recent full-length picture of yourself. Make sure your feature picture is of you alone and shows your best facial expressions. Use some humorous captions. —Write a strong bio. On most dating sites, you answer preset questions and then write a brief biography. After your main picture, your bio is the second most important piece of information about you. This is where you have the opportunity to highlight and promote yourself. Write as if See ONLINE DATING, page 11

Fitness & Health | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

Health Studies

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Can a ketone drink help you think better? By Margaret Foster Maybe you’ve heard of the “keto diet” — a high-fat, low-carb fad. Or you’ve wondered about those expensive ketone drinks that athletes rave about. Or maybe you’ve never heard of ketones — chemicals your liver makes when you can’t get energy from glucose. This fall, the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging is enrolling people in a study to see if a citrus-flavored ketone supplement can give people a mental boost. “We will have the opportunity to see if, after drinking this supplement, people get sharper memory and improved cognitive performance” said Dimitrios Kapogiannis, M.D., the study’s principal investigator. It’s the perfect study for “someone who’s interested to see what ketones can do for their brain.”

Volunteers 55 and up needed The study is open to people age 55 and older who have a condition they might not know about: metabolic syndrome. If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol, you may have metabolic syndrome. About a third of Americans do. The condition isn’t life-threatening, but it can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It may also increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. “We want to test this supplement in a population that has a somewhat higher risk for Alzheimer’s…because of insulin resistance,” Kapogiannis said. When a person has Alzheimer’s, the brain can’t use glucose for energy, but it is able to use ketones. That’s how this drink may help. “We’re trying to prove several things:

BEACON BITS

Weds.

CONNECT AND PLAY GAMES

Let’s Connect LLC hosts a free Zoom get-together for participants to connect and drink tea, play Bingo, do crafts and have fun. These sessions take place every Wednesday from 4 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, email team@letsconnect.life or visit http://bit.ly/VirtualGameTime.

First, that drinking this drink increases the ketones in your brain, not just in your blood, which we already know it does. “If we see the increase of ketones in the brain, does this make your cognitive performance faster and more accurate?” Kapogiannis asked. “Also, does it move biomarkers in the blood related to Alzheimer’s in the right direction?”

Four visits, drink at home Once enrolled in the trial, participants will make four in-person visits to the National Institute on Aging’s clinic in Harbor Point, south of Federal Hill. Free parking is available, and compensation is provided. Two visits will be relatively short checkins. The other two half-day visits will include cognitive tests, blood work and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). “The cognitive tests are designed to push you to the limit without getting you too frustrated,” Kapogiannis said. “I think [the cognitive tests] are fun.” Most of the fun of the blind, controlled study will take place at home. One group of participants will receive a citrus-flavored ketone drink (“an interesting taste,”

Kapogiannis said), and the other will receive a placebo beverage. They’ll be required to drink it three times a day for 28 days, logging each dose. The National Institute on Aging will provide a free 28-day supply of the drink, which is the most potent on the market in raising ketone levels, Kapogiannis said. The beverages, which sell for $99 for a one-day supply, are considered safe and are widely available at vitamin stores and on Amazon. At the end of the study, researchers will compare the MRIs and results of other tests to see if brain ketones increased and cognitive performance improved after drinking the ketone supplement. The study may pave the way for more research on Alzheimer’s disease, Kapogiannis said. “If we see an effect in 28 days, obviously that will motivate future studies to enroll people for longer periods of time and also people with memory problems. It’s a stepping stone for future research on this compound.” For more information, or to volunteer, call (410) 350-3941 or email niastudiesrecruitment@mail.nih.gov.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Online dating

PHOTO COURTESY SANDRA LINDBERG

you are angry about some of the people you have dated in the past, refrain from From page 9 making your profile into what you don’t it were a sales letter for your dream job. want rather than what you do want. You Or dream partner, in this case. Your writ- must be upbeat and cheerful in your word ing gives a peek into who you are, what choices. List activities you currently enjoy. —Be truthful. Honesty is the best poliyou have to offer, and what you are lookcy. That includes your age and your aning for. —Be positive and optimistic. Even if swers to the profile questions. If you smoke, say you smoke. If you drink, say you drink. If you want an honest and trustworthy partner, you must first be one yourself. Dishonesty will show its ugly head sooner or later. —Keep comments about politics and religion out of your profile. —Proceed safely. Being safe is more than locking your car doors at night. It means being aware. Remember, people aren’t always who they pretend to be online and may take advantage of someone who appears to be vulnerable. If you’re feeling uncomfortable about a situation, trust your gut and take measures to remove yourself from those situations or don’t get into them in the first place. After several years meeting Author Sandra Lindberg has tried many dating webpeople through dating websites. She offers her advice in a new book.

sites, I’m still looking for the perfect companion. Yet I’ve learned so much more about myself from the online dating mistakes I’ve made along the way. I’m still an optimistic person. I believe there is someone out there who wants the same things I do and will still appreciate a

partner who has all of my qualities…even one over 50 (or 70!). This excerpt is printed with permission from Sandra Lindberg’s book 51 Shades of Online Dating: A Guide for People Over 50, available for $15 on Amazon. For more information, visit sandralindberg-writer.com.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

DONATE HEALTH EQUIPMENT

Do you have an unused wheelchair, scooter, walker or even a hospital bed that’s gathering dust in your house? Maryland’s Department of Aging is collecting and redistributing medical equipment to adults and children in need. To donate, call (240) 230-8000 or email dme.mdoa@maryland.gov.

Ongoing

BALLET CLASSES AT HOME Join the Washington Ballet for virtual classes that you can take from the comfort of your home. The ballet offers on-demand classes for $8. To learn more, visit washingtonballet.org/online-classes.

Fitness & Health | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

IMAGINE WHAT INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING

FIRST FEELS LIKE. ·

pri Now ori tak ty i dep ng osi t

ANNAPOLIS, MD

When it comes to retirement, the difference between being second or first could be the difference between taking what you can get or living where you really want, like The Village at Providence Point—A National Lutheran Community. This is a brand-new, maintenance free, 60+, full continuum of care, senior living community coming to beautiful Annapolis, Md. Be one of the first to join our Priority Club, which allows you to get in on the ground floor, or top floor if you prefer, and have a hand in shaping things just the way you’ll want them. Call today to find out how you can stand in the winner’s circle of senior living.

[

DREAM. EXPLORE. DISCOVER. Call 410-609-6608 or visit www.thevillageatprovidencepoint.org today!

The Village at Providence Point is sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, not-for-profit ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving people of all beliefs. The Village at Providence Point is subject to the final approval of the Maryland Department of Aging.

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

B-1

Communities addressing racial justice

Trainings for staff At Habitat America, an apartment management firm, staff members are learning more about diversity. This fall, some of the apartment management firm’s 428 employees will take training classes such as “Navigate Your Way to

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROADMEAD

By Margaret Foster Last June, after four Minneapolis police officers were charged in the murder of an unarmed black man named George Floyd, many Americans became upset by police brutality, particularly against minorities. Some marched in rallies, and others displayed signs on their lawns or windows. At Broadmead, a Life Plan Community in Cockeysville, residents began talking about racial justice. First, the mostly white community’s poetry club decided to read the work of African American poets, such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes — something they had never done before. Then Broadmead’s writing club began penning reflections about their deep-seated views of race. In addition, its book club chose How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi for their next meeting. All of these actions bubbled up from the community, said Jennifer Jimenez Maraña, Broadmead’s director of diversity and inclusion. “The beauty of it is that the initiatives of the residents have been the most powerful,” she said. “We didn’t want divisiveness on race to divide our community.” Since Floyd’s death on May 25, Broadmead has held a daily moment of silence, sometimes accompanied by a prompt for reflection such as, “When did you first become aware of race?” Every week, Maraña hosts a virtual discussion group on Zoom so residents can talk about racial issues. “After one of these conversations, one of the residents said, ‘Wow, this is hard work,’” Maraña said. “It is — because they’re un-learning things…Their eyes are open.” Some residents’ discussions are punctuated by “a-ha moments,” she said, or instances when people say, “Wow, I never realized” how race affects our society. “That reflection, that learning, never ends,” Maraña said. “No matter what age we are.”

B-2

Housing Options | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Who is renovating during the pandemic? By Ivey Noojin During the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, some Americans are counting every penny to ensure a roof over their heads, while other homeowners are using this time to renovate their homes. “For some, this recession, like any, is also a good time to get good deals on many desirable consumption goods and services if [they] have the money and ability to do so,” said Marcus Casey, a fellow at the Brookings Institution. As a result, some local renovating companies have not seen a decrease in clien-

tele during the pandemic. Many high-earning workers haven’t lost their jobs due to the pandemic and thus are able to fund renovation projects, according to Casey. Design company Cosgrove and Sons, for example, has maintained its high-earning clientele, mostly in the Greater Washington area. In March, at the beginning of the pandemic, the firm postponed a few jobs, but it has since bounced back. “I’m surprised [the house renovation market] is as buoyant as it is,” said Lisa Cosgrove, principal designer and managing partner. “This is disposable income

BEACON BITS

Tuesdays

VIRTUAL WRITING HOUR Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free virtual writing hour.

Create, connect and be inspired by the galleries and enjoy a conversation and/or reading. This event takes place on Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. To register, visit http://bit.ly/WritingHour.

Tuesdays

STRENGTH TRAINING Improve your bone health by incorporating strength training into

your routine. The virtual class on Zoom takes place every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. To register, visit https://bit.ly/StrengthTrainDC.

HERE WHEN YOU NEED US MOST To apply for meals, volunteer, or make a gift, visit mealsonwheelsmd.org or call (410) 558-0827

people are spending on their homes.”

“We’re at a good steady pace, but we aren’t slammed,” Solomon said.

Working from home Many workers have been fortunate to be able to work from the safety of their home during the pandemic, unlike those with essential jobs that can’t be done remotely and are often lower-paying, Casey noted. So, many with disposable income are spending the whole day in their house, noticing the aspects they want to change. “They’re seeing the same old stained bathroom sinks and crummy kitchen cabinet,” Cosgrove said. “It makes them want to make their home more beautiful.” Troy Slifer has been making homes beautiful for more than 30 years. He’s the owner of the 30-year-old T&L Construction Services in Reisterstown. Slifer said his business has stayed consistent during the pandemic. “We’ve seen steady business,” said Slifer, who operates two companies. “I haven’t seen an uptick.” Of course, his team is taking precautions against the virus. “I wear a mask at the client’s request. If our workers are outside, we don’t wear one.” In the same way, Cregger Construction Inc., based in New Windsor, Maryland, has had to make adjustments due to the virus. Its clients in Carroll, Baltimore and Frederick counties occasionally have to put their projects on the back burner because of safety precautions. “Everything is kind of crazy at the moment,” said Natalie Solomon, Cregger’s office manager. “Obviously with all the COVID going on, we don’t have the same procedures and protocols as we usually do…so there are some jobs we can’t do.” No matter what project Cregger’s team tackles, workers wear gloves and masks and stay six feet apart, she said. The company isn’t lacking for business.

Some are being cautious While the pandemic has made some contractors busier than ever, other companies weren’t as lucky, especially last spring. One, Case Architects and Remodelers, based in Bethesda, Maryland, experienced a decrease in business in March. “We’ve definitely slowed down,” said Samantha Klickna, director of project management. “We didn’t lose projects, but we saw a lot of projects be put on hold.” In response, Case emphasizes the safety measures its workers and staff have implemented, including virtual meetings, face masks and protective booties, air filters and daily sanitation. “It’s a lot of extra work, but our focus is to keep everyone safe,” Klickna said. “Our clients have been very appreciative.” Partly because of these measures, many Case Design clients who originally wanted to wait decided to restart their projects in May. “I think a lot of people have been sitting around in their homes, and they got tired of waiting and wanted to improve the space they spend time in,” Klickna said. In fact, Klickna agrees with Casey’s analysis of recession consumers: When the economy rebounds, renovation costs will likely rise. “With the climate of everything going on, the price increases are headed our way,” she said. “Now’s a really good time to get this done.” Of course, no one knows when the economy will bounce back or when social-distancing guidelines won’t be necessary. The one consensus: “We’re probably going to be in this situation for longer than we thought,” Klickna said. Margaret Foster contributed to this story.

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

A place of beauty

We are here, right now. For 60 years we have provided nutritious meals for so many in our community in good times and in challenging ones.

Living in this com ommunity you or your loved one will enjoy a warm mw welcome and daily activities to ensure a heaaltlthhhyy bal alan ance ce of bo body dy, mind and spirit.

A place of caring

Each asssisted living resident enjoys three ee chef-preppared meals per day, housekeeping annndd laundry se s rvices, medication administrationn, helpp wi with daily tasks k and nd more!

Call 888-877-9883 today for more information or to schedule your personal tour. For updates on our exciting renovations text EZ ZPG PGL L to 474747. 6155 Chestnut Avenue • Towson 61 on, MD 21204 • www.Pickker ersg sgillRetirement.org

BEAC

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

B-3

Tricky balancing caregiving and working By Mary Kane For the past three years, Paula Gomes said that she has sometimes felt she is working two full-time jobs: her human resources position at Emory University in Atlanta, and her role as a caregiver to her mother and mother-in-law. “There’s just a lot to learn” when you become a caregiver, said Gomes, 60, executive director of Emory’s Faculty Staff Assistance Program. “You’re stepping in all of a sudden to do so much. My husband and I feel overwhelmed sometimes.” So, Gomes turned to her employer for help. Emory offers a caregiver support program through its Work-Life Resource Center, which includes an on-site consultant to help employees find elder-care resources and support, even from a distance. Mary Ellen Eady, Emory’s work-life specialist, referred Gomes to a resource for rehabilitation options in Virginia for her mother-in-law and offered advice on creating an informal care support network in her mother-in-law’s community. The services provided by the university “made an incredible difference to me,” Gomes said. Balancing caregiving responsibilities with working is challenging. One in three U.S. workers voluntarily left a job because of caregiving responsibilities, a recent Harvard Business School study found.

And one-third of them were caring for a sick elderly relative. Yet fewer than 10% of employers surveyed offered subsidized elder-care services, according to the study.

Unpaid or paid leave help While juggling work with caregiving is only beginning to be addressed in the workplace, you may have options for help. If you need to step back from work, you may be able to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, while keeping your job and health insurance. Four states — California, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island — offer paid family leave. Other states have expanded benefits or eligibility for family leave. In April, the Maryland State Senate failed to pass the Time to Care Act, which would have established a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program to make paid leave available to Maryland workers for up to 12 weeks. The National Conference of State Legislatures keeps track of state policies at ncsl.org. While elder-care assistance is not yet a common company benefit, some employers are stepping up to the plate. At audit and consulting firm Deloitte, about 5,000 employees have taken advantage of up to 16 weeks of paid family leave under a program established by the firm in 2016, a De-

You can feel safe and conﬁdent at Charlestown and Oak Crest. In good times and uncertain times, there’s no safer, smarter place to be than at an Erickson Living®managed community like Charlestown in Catonsville or Oak Crest in Parkville. Enjoy independent senior living, plus a safety net of additional support should you ever need it. •

Feel safe and secure in a community of friends, neighbors, and caring staff.

•

Our full-time providers are available for telehealth appointments and even house calls.

•

You can rely on the expertise and ﬁnancial strength of Erickson Living, a national leader in senior living.

14289160

Learn more. Call 1-800-590-4091 for your FREE brochure.

loitte spokesperson said. Mortgage giant Fannie Mae was an early adopter of caregiving benefits, becoming one of the first companies to offer an onsite elder-care consultant in 1999. The consultant has a typical caseload of about 50 clients per month with about 200 contacts, such as emails and calls, to help employees with elder-care needs, said Michelle Stone, Fannie’s work-life benefits manager. Fannie also reimburses employees up to $65 per day a maximum of 30 times per year for emergency adult care

when a home health aide isn’t available. Check with your employer to see what benefits may be available to you. A company’s employee assistance program might include some elder-care support services. Also, reach out to your supervisor as early as possible to explain your caregiving situation. Propose a part-time or consultancy position to continue earning money and to create an on-ramp for your return. © The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

B-4

Housing Options | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BALTIMORE BEACON

Retired? Good luck getting a mortgage By Kiplinger Consumer News Service Just before James Heath (name changed for privacy) retired, he began the search for the home where he hoped to spend his senior years. Heath, 70, certainly had the means to make the transition. He spent the last 30some years living in his existing home, a 5,200-square-foot property situated on two acres outside Denver. Throughout his career as a physician, Heath had also accumulated a sizable nest egg and had a high credit score. In September 2019, when his real estate agent showed him a 3,000-square-foot, one-level home for $1.1 million, Heath was ready to move. But what he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ready for was the challenge of securing a 20-year mortgage of $225,000 at a good interest rate. It was a process that would drag out much longer than he anticipated â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in spite of his stellar financial circumstances. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew that once I retired, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have little income,â&#x20AC;? Heath said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for so little money, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to sell another home. The bank knows jolly well that my money is secure.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I figured, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an issue here.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But I was wrong.â&#x20AC;? Heathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenge of securing a mortgage in retirement is, unfortunately, not uncommon among individuals in their 60s, 70s and 80s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; no matter how much their financial portfolio and assets are worth.

The Equal Opportunity Credit Act technically prohibits lenders from discriminating against borrowers due to their age. However, obtaining a mortgage when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re older is often fraught with unexpected pains â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including mountains of documentation, questions about income and repayment, and potential secondguessing on the part of the underwriter. While securing a mortgage is never easy, regardless of your age, Heathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tale serves as an important lesson if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to buy a home in retirement.

A HELOC for a backup Heath believed he had such a great relationship with the financial advisers at his bank that he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run into many hurdles in securing his mortgage. In late September 2019, when he contacted his loan officer to talk about securing his mortgage to close on the home by Nov. 1, the representative told him that wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a problem. However, because he already had a home equity line of credit (HELOC) for $500,000, the bank kept urging him to use that instead to ensure he could close on time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got the HELOC because I wanted to make sure I had a cushion in case I needed money quickly,â&#x20AC;? he recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the catch with my HELOC is that the interest rateâ&#x20AC;Śis about twice the interest rate of the mortgage,â&#x20AC;? he said.

You Belong at Home... We Can Help You Stay There! Community for Life, a partnership between Keswick Community Health and the Maryland Department of Aging, is a unique service that provides an exclusive package of all-inclusive concierge .0++*-/ . -1$ . /* 0'/. Ń&#x2026;Đżâ&#x20AC;Ť*! Ű&#x201D;â&#x20AC;Ź- ) Č&#x201A;*- ' ))0 ' ! Ńľ

( -.#$+ ) â&#x20AC;ŤŢ&#x201D;â&#x20AC;Ź/. â&#x20AC;˘ Handyman & Home Maintenance Service â&#x20AC;˘ Health and Wellness Concierge â&#x20AC;˘ Transportation Support â&#x20AC;˘ Groceries and Medication Access

â&#x20AC;˘ Wise & Well Center for Healthy Living Membership â&#x20AC;˘ Home Assessment â&#x20AC;˘ Personal Balance/Falls Risk Screening â&#x20AC;˘ Peace of Mind

Questions? Call us at 410.593.3292

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The woman I normally work with at the bank repeatedly said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, you can always fall back on the HELOC.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to fall back on the HELOC. I want the mortgage.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But she kept pushing back.â&#x20AC;? That was only the beginning. After filing the initial mortgage paperwork with the bank, Heath was soon inundated with requests for information. The bank not only wanted to know the status of his checking and savings accounts, investment funds and Social Security withdrawals, but also the reason for every single transfer over $1,000. If he took money from a family trust, the bank required that he provide a note and backup documentation to validate the transaction as legitimate. It was a far cry from the experience heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d had 30 years earlier, when he obtained a mortgage for his existing residence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to start tracking all of my money â&#x20AC;&#x201D; how I got it, what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing with it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; because the bank wanted to see everything,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wanted all documents for any deposits, including a personal loan from a relative. And they wanted it quickly.â&#x20AC;?

Problems at closing In spite of all of the paperwork, Heath was told several weeks after applying that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t qualify for a mortgage with his bank. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;But I have this large portfolio of retirement funds and personal invest-

ments â&#x20AC;&#x201D; what do you mean it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Heath said. Eventually, he obtained an â&#x20AC;&#x153;exclusionâ&#x20AC;? from the bank, which essentially stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t meet the criteria, but our institution understands you have the resources to pay off your loan,â&#x20AC;? Heath said. Fifteen minutes prior to closing, Heath received a text message from the bank to say the mortgage was approved, but it would take another day to pay out. So, Heath had no choice but to leverage his HELOC â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the backup line of credit heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never intended to actually use â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to buy the house. Then, as the owner of two homes, Heath was forced back to the drawing board to reapply for a brand-new mortgage! â&#x20AC;&#x153;[That] took a whole month out of my life â&#x20AC;&#x201D; constantly finding paperwork, producing documents, driving back and forth, so it was extremely frustrating when I had to do it again,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I finally got a fixed mortgage secured on January 27.â&#x20AC;?

Lessons learned Heath said that while thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little he could have done differently, he wished heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d realized that getting a mortgage with little earned income would be difficult. His advice to others: See GETTING MORTGAGE, page B-7

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

B-5

When the insurer denies your valid claim in them, and my carpet was like a squishy sponge. The water caused electrical issues with my printer and computers. I was out of business!” Julie immediately filed a claim with her insurance company. “That’s where the story should have ended,” Veroff said. “Her carrier was clearly on the hook for the loss.” But the company refused to pay the claim on the basis of policy exclusions for earth movement. As you will see, this was an act of “bad faith,” a breach of the insurance policy by the adjuster.

earth below the foundations began to sink, causing significant damage to the homes. “Claims were filed with homeowners’ insurance companies and were denied. To make matters worse, many homebuilders were out of business, leaving the owners with a huge financial loss. “But on more than one occasion, the reason the compacted soil gave way was because, just like with Julie, water from a leaking water main weakened the soil, leading to its failure. Many of these insurance policies, like Julie’s, excluded earth

movement — but not if caused or contributed to by a burst pipe. “So, a homeowner or the lawyer eventually hired must ask, ‘Which was the most important cause of the property damage?’ That is the question you need to have in mind if a claim is ever denied because just one of the causes of the damage is excluded,” Veroff emphasized. “Don’t just accept a ‘no’ as the end of the story.”

See CLAIM DENIED, page B-7

Ask us about 2 hours of free service*

Earth-movement exclusions Many homeowners and business insurance policies have language that addresses earth movement, limiting or excluding it from coverage. Included in these exclusions would be things like sinkholes, landslides and, of course, earthquakes. There are special policies you can buy for just such disasters. But even if your property is not in an area known for these issues, you could be affected by earth movement in other, less dramatic, ways. Veroff cites a costly and common example of how this exclusion can result in great disappointment and loss. “Before the Great Recession, across the country many homes were purchased in tracts that were built on compacted soil,” he said. “On occasion, due to poor compaction, after a year or two the

The Care You Need with the Warmth You Want • Companionship • Nutrition Adherence • Transportation • Medication Reminders • Light Housekeeping Ask about Skilled Care! • and much more

443-342-4100 www.heavenlyhomecare.us *new clients only

Strictly following all COVID-19 safety precautions

By Kiplinger Consumer News Service You’d think if you had an all-risk insurance policy, your home or business would be covered for just about anything, right? Wrong. There are always exclusions and gray areas, and in these cases, how you deal with a claims adjuster “can be the difference between receiving compensation or a denial letter,” said San Francisco-based attorney Daniel J. Veroff. Veroff specializes in insurance bad faith law, holding insurance companies accountable for unreasonably delaying, denying and underpaying valid claims. Sometimes this occurs where a loss is caused by a number of events coming together at the worst possible time. In these situations, a dishonest — or poorly trained — claims adjuster could view it as a way out. Let’s say you lock up your office Friday evening and return Monday morning to a nightmare, as “Julie,” one of our readers, experienced. “My graphic arts studio is in a centuryold home, on a block where the houses have been converted to offices,” she wrote. “Over a weekend, my neighbor’s underground irrigation pipe burst, and since my office is slightly downhill from his, thousands of gallons of water flowed in my direction, weakening my foundation. “So, when I opened up Monday morning, my floors and walls had huge cracks

FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this coupon to the Beacon.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES: ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Charlestown . . . . . . . . . . .B3 & B7 Christ Church Harbor Apts . . . . .B3 Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . . .B3 & B7 Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Renaissance Gardens . . . . . . . .B7 St. Mary’s Roland View . . . . . . .B6

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Virginia Towers Apts. . . . . . . . . .B3 Weinberg Gardens . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Weinberg House . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Weinberg Manhattan Park . . . . .B8 Weinberg Manor East/West . . . .B8 Weinberg Manor South . . . . . . .B8 Weinberg Park Assisted Living . . B8 Weinberg Place . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Weinberg Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . .B8

❑ Weinberg Village Community . . .B8 ❑ Weinberg Woods . . . . . . . . . . . .B8

HOME CARE: ❑ Heavenly Home Care . . . . . . . . .B5

AGING IN PLACE SERVICES: ❑ Keswick Community for Life . . . .B4 ❑ Meals on Wheels . . . . . . . . . . .B2

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227. You may return the free info form on page 5 together with this coupon. Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________ BB1020

Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ___________________________________________

B-6

Housing Options | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Adjust your home to prevent falls Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control Falls are not a normal part of aging — they can be prevented. Common fall risks include: having fallen before, balance problems or problems walking, muscle weakness, arthritis, depression, memory problems, hazards in the home, taking many medications and vision problems. Older adults, caregivers and healthcare

providers can work together to reduce the risk of falling and prevent devastating injuries. Here are simple things you can do to keep yourself from falling and to stay independent longer:

Talk to your healthcare providers • Tell your doctor if you have fallen, if

DID YOU KNOW? Every day in the United States 5,000 adults age 65 and above are hospitalized due to fall-related injuries. CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

you feel unsteady when standing or walking, or if you’re afraid you might fall. • Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines to see if any might increase your risk of falling. • Ask your doctor about health conditions (like depression or osteoporosis) that can increase your risk for falling. • Ask your doctor to check your eyes at least once a year and update lenses as needed.

DID YOU KNOW? Renters are allowed to modify their home under the Fair Housing Amendments Act. handrails and lights installed on all staircases.

Stay active Make your home safer • Get rid of trip hazards. • Keep floors clutter-free. • Add grab bars in the bathroom. Have

• Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance (like Tai Chi). For more information and tips, visit cdc.gov/steadi.

Some practical downsizing, moving tips By Amanda Scudder Moving is stressful, especially when it involves downsizing from a home you’ve lived in for years. Yet many of us plan to do just that. According to the Demand Institute, four out of 10 Boomers plan to move, and 42% of these expect to move into a smaller home. If the decision to downsize is keeping

you up at night, you are in good company. With the right planning and support, your move can be a dream come true.

Ask for help Downsizing takes a great deal of physical, mental and emotional energy. Those who do it well delegate. Identify friends, family and qualified professionals to help you.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

Senior Apartments Age 55 or Better LIVE WELL FOR LESS Roland View Towers • One- and Two-Bedroom as well as Efficiencies • Rents from $685 to $1,070 Utilities Included! • 24/7 on-site Maintenance and Reception Desk • Beauty/Barber Shop on premises • Bus Trips and Social Events and many more amenities! • Only 2 blocks from Hampden’s ‘The Avenue’

Answers for the Aging 667-600-2100 or toll-free 1-888-50ASKUS (Md. only) Telephone-based information and referral service for older adults and caregivers.

Spectacular View

$300

Rent Credit

When you present this coupon upon application.

To schedule a personal tour call

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

www.rolandviewtowers.com

Senior move managers can be essential members of your team. With their specialized training and extensive knowledge of resources, they can help you plan, declutter, pack, manage the logistics of your move, troubleshoot, make recommendations, unpack and organize your new space, all of which will ensure that you rest easy in your new home. One of the biggest barriers to downsizing is the question of what to do with all the stuff. Over the years, acquisitions accumulate, and the older we get, the less energy we have to deal with them. While it’s hard to confront decades — or even generations — of possessions, downsizing is a great opportunity to curate a lifetime of collections. A neutral third-party can be invaluable in this process, serving as a sounding board, documenting household inventory, supervising distribution of items to family, and coordinating the sale or donation of

Make new friends

Catholic Charities SMO E Senior Communities FREK E 667-600-2280 24 supportive apartment communities throughout the Baltimore area that are home to more than 1,800 older adults. St. Ann Adult Day Services 667-600-2680 Activities, socialization and medical supervision so older adults can continue to live at home.

things you no longer need.

Sort it out Deciding what to keep and what to get rid of is easier if you start by sorting your belongings into categories, then evaluate the items using the following criteria: Function — Does the item meet a recurring need and does it do its intended job well? Form — Is it more attractive, suitable or flattering than another that does the same job? Feeling — Does it make you happy or is it being kept out of guilt or obligation? Fit — Does it fit you, your new space and your new lifestyle? A floor plan of your new home will be tremendously helpful when making decisions about furniture. Choose furnishings that can serve double or triple-duty, like end See DOWNSIZING, page B-7

IMMEDIA Caritas House TE OPENING Assisted Living S 667-600-2660 Care and assistance for adults 62 and older who require help in performing daily activities and can no longer live independently

St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 667-600-2600 Comprehensive array of individualized rehabilitation and nursing services, including short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, long-term and memory care.

www.cc-md.org/seniors Inspired by the Gospel mandates to love, serve and teach, Catholic Charities provides care and services to improve the lives of Marylanders in need. Catholic Charities welcomes people regardless of faith and is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider.

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Getting mortgage From page B-4 • Plan early. If you know you want to buy a house and need a mortgage, try to apply for one while you’re still working. Banks underwrite mortgages based on income, and when you are retired, you often have assets, not income. Get started early, if possible, and downsize before you retire to qualify for a traditional mortgage. • Be ready to track. Know that your lender may want you to account for any transaction that’s more than $1,000. • Prepare your documents. If you secured a mortgage 20 or 30 years ago, you might not realize that you’ll need to be much more computer savvy. The lender

Claim denied From page B-5

What was the true cause? Homeowners or business insurance pays covered claims — usually meaning anything that is not excluded. But first, owners must be aware of what caused the damage. Causation — cause and effect — plays a central role in determining whether a claim is approved or denied. Lawyers use the term proximate cause, which tries to resolve coverage issues involving causation scenarios, and ask, “What was the efficient proximate cause, that real thing that set in motion a chain of events leading to the damage or loss?” “The efficient proximate cause must be the predominant cause of the resulting harm,” Veroff said, “and it might not be the last in the series of events that resulted in damage and loss.” Here’s what Veroff said a property

Downsizing From page B-6 tables with drawers and storage ottomans. While making decisions takes some effort, it will save you time and money later. It is far less expensive to pack and move only what you love, use, feel good about and have room for.

Have a plan There are a lot of moving parts in any moving plan. Work back from your anticipated move date to establish timelines with moving partners such as realtors, movers, cleaning services, residential communities and others. Be sure you understand the scope of services they will provide so that you can compare across providers. And always ask for references. The lowest bid is not always the best deal.

Move-in day On move-in day, there is a lot going on — loading, unloading, placement of furniture, household goods to unpack, beds to make, essentials to stock. To prevent important items like wallets, glasses, medicines and paperwork from

may ask you to upload documents, for instance. “For me, that was challenging, so I ended up just driving back and forth with the documents,” Heath said. • Ask for help. Try to communicate frequently with your loan officer if you need anything, such as help navigating a financial institution’s portal. “I have a great relationship with my loan officer, but the experience of learning to upload and use the portal was chaos,” Heath said. • Consider a HELOC during your later working life. “It’s a very useful thing to have, and it costs about $50 a year,” Heath said. “And it could save you in a bind.” © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

owner should do if a claims adjuster tells them a cause isn’t covered: 1. Ask for a letter explaining the company’s position denying the claim and identifying all significant facts and policy provisions. That letter gives you the basis for a possible suit against the company for failure to pay the claim without a valid basis, but it also may help to avoid litigation. 2. Write the company and state your reasons why the most important cause of the damage (the efficient proximate cause) was X, which is covered, and not Y, which they are saying is excluded. “I have seen such letters cause insurance companies to take a second look at the claim and actually pay it, aware that their insured is no dummy and has done their homework,” Veroff said. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

getting lost in the shuffle, gather them up into a brightly colored bag or bin and put them in the front seat of your car. Unpacking and organizing your belongings will take a substantial amount of time. Most movers only unload and place furniture and boxes in designated rooms. You will need to have a plan to get the boxes unpacked, the packing materials removed and everything put away. Prioritize essential areas: bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. You may also want to recruit help with provisioning your new household with supplies and groceries so that your first night will be as comfortable as possible.

Welcome home! Decluttering before the move and setting up organized systems right from the start will make your new, smaller spaces work as efficiently as possible and will get you up and running quickly and with a lot less stress. Amanda Scudder, MSW, is a Certified Professional Organizer and Senior Move Manager at Abundance Organizing in central Virginia. To contact her, call (804) 212-2160 or email info@abundanceorganizing.com.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Housing Options

B-7

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oak Crest 1-800-333-5693 8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234 www.OakCrestCommunity.com If you’re looking for modern conveniences in a warm, welcoming environment, it’s time to visit Oak Crest, Baltimore County’s most popular continuing care retirement community. Recent renovations include a new all-season pool and fitness center, an exciting new restaurant, and an updated salon and day spa. Residents of this private, 87-acre community enjoy all the luxuries of maintenance-free apartment living, plus the security of stable monthly expenses, a 90% Refundable Entrance Fee*, and quality on-site care for every stage of living. It’s the ideal choice for your vibrant retirement lifestyle. Call 1-800-333-5693 for your free brochure. *Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the entrance fee refund

ASSISTED LIVING INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Renaissance Gardens 410-685-7763 4311 Pimlico Road Baltimore, MD 21215 Experience the very best in affordable senior housing at Renaissance Gardens in Northwest Baltimore. We offer one-bedroom apartments for seniors age 62+. Our community provides a wide range of wellness and recreational opportunities encouraging older adults to remain active and independent. At Renaissance Gardens, enjoy: • A game of pool, or cards, with neighbors • Shuttle service for grocery shopping & special trips • Service Coordinator to help with benefit programs • An “Eating Together” program • Smoke-free Environment All utilities are included, and income limits apply. Call us to schedule a virtual tour or visit www.chaicommunities.org for more information.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Charlestown 1-800-222-9651 715 Maiden Choice Lane Catonsville, MD 21228 CharlestownCommunity.com A sprawling 110-acre campus, hundreds of resident-run clubs, and three clubhouses featuring dozens of top-notch amenities. For over 35 years, Charlestown retirement community has been delighting Baltimore area seniors with all the comforts of maintenance-free senior living. This enviable lifestyle comes with the security of a 90% Refundable Entrance Fee* and a predictable Monthly Service Package that covers utilities, telephone, cable, Internet, scheduled transportation, and much more. Residents have their pick of stylish apartment homes, plus convenient on-site medical care, including advanced care options should health needs ever change. Call 1-800-222-9651 for your free brochure. *Carefully read the Residence and Care Agreement for the conditions that must be satisfied before the Provider is required to pay the entrance fee refund.

B-8

Housing Options

PULL OUT AND KEEP THIS SPECIAL SECTION

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Affordable Housing with Exceptional Amenities

CHAI’s Weinberg Senior Living Communities provide quality, ±ü üŅųÚ±ÆĬå ±Ş±ųƋĵåĹƋŸ üŅų ƅƗť ŸåĹĜŅųŸ ±ĹÚ ƼŅƚĹčåų ųåŸĜÚåĹƋŸ ƵĜƋĘ ÚĜŸ±ÆĜĬĜƋĜåŸţÃ Our community amenities include:

• Common Area Dining Room • Library, TV/Media Room • Relaxing Sitting Areas • Beautiful Landscaping • Onsite Laundry Facilities

• Social Activities • Eating Together Program • Smoke-Free Building • Service Coordinator • Onsite Management

• ȶȏ -SYV *QIVKIRG] 2EMRXIRERGI • Controlled Access Entry • Easy Access to Public Transportation • Shuttle Van for Group Trips

åĜĹÆåųč åĹĜŅų XĜƴĜĹč ÏŅĵĵƚĹĜƋĜåŸ ±ųå ŅƵĹåÚ ÆƼ ŅĵŞųåĘåĹŸĜƴå BŅƚŸĜĹč eŸŸĜŸƋ±ĹÏåØ FĹÏţ Š BeFšØ ± ĬŅÏ±Ĭ ĹŅĹě ŞųŅĀƋ Ņųč±ĹĜǄ±ƋĜŅĹţ BeFűŸ ĵĜŸŸĜŅĹ ĜŸ ƋŅ ŸƋųåĹčƋĘåĹ ƋĘå ü±ÆųĜÏ Ņü ĹåĜčĘÆŅųĘŅŅÚŸ ÏŅĹĹåÏƋåÚ ƋŅ IåƵĜŸĘ ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ ƋĘųŅƚčĘ ĘŅƚŸĜĹč ±ĹÚ ÏŅĵĵƚĹĜƋƼ ÚåƴåĬŅŞĵåĹƋØ ŸŅ ųåŸĜÚåĹƋŸ Ņü ±ĬĬ ±čåŸ Ï±Ĺ ƋĘųĜƴåţ Weinberg Village Community ƑĊƑǉ eŸŸŅÏĜ±ƋåÚ ±Ƽ kƵĜĹčŸ aĜĬĬŸØ a% ƖŎŎŎƀ ĊŏǉěƑăƅěĊƅƆǉ

Weinberg House ŏƆ kĬÚ ŅƚųƋ Ņ±Ú {ĜĩåŸƴĜĬĬåØ a% ƖŎƖǈí ĊŏǉěƆǉƗěƗĊǉă

Weinberg Manor West* ƑƆŏă 8ŅųÚŸ X±Ĺå ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěƑăîěŀƑŀƑ

Weinberg Place* Ɨăǉǉ åŸƋ åĬƴåÚåųå ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěăĊƗěĊŏŏŏ

Weinberg Gardens ŏăǉǉ åÚüŅųÚ eƴåţ {ĜĩåŸƴĜĬĬåØ a% ƗŏƗǉî ĊŏǉěƆǉƗěíƗǉǉ

Weinberg Manhattan Park* ăƁŏă {±ųĩ BåĜčĘƋŸ eƴåţ ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěĊƆƆěîǉîǉ

Weinberg Manor South ƑƆŏƁ 8ŅųÚŸ X±Ĺå ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěƁîƑěƁƑƑƑ

Weinberg Terrace ŏĊăǉ åÚüŅųÚ eƴåţ {ĜĩåŸƴĜĬĬåØ a% ƗŏƗǉî ĊŏǉěƆǉƗěƑŀăǉ

Weinberg Woods ƑƗŏŏ Ĭ±ųĩŸ X±Ĺå ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěƑŏîěƆƆƗă

Weinberg Manor East ƑƆǉŏ 8ŅųÚŸ X±Ĺå ±ĬƋĜĵŅųåØ a% ƗŏƗŏă ĊŏǉěƑăîěăăîŏ

FĹÏŅĵå XĜĵĜƋŸ a±Ƽ eŞŞĬƼ

ÃkĹĬƼ ÏåųƋ±ĜĹ ÏŅĵĵƚĹĜƋĜåŸ ±ÏÏåŞƋ ƼŅƚĹčåų ųåŸĜÚåĹƋŸ ƵĜƋĘ ÚĜŸ±ÆĜĬĜƋĜåŸţ

www.chaicommunities.org Visit our website or call to schedule a Virtual Tour

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Money Law &

GIVE WISELY After a tragedy, Americans often open their wallets. Do your research to avoid falling for charity scams from Beirut and beyond CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE Having good credit can save you money on insurance premiums and utility bills. The best way to raise your credit score is to pay bills on time

Candidates on Social Security, Medicare By Kiplinger Consumer News Service Unless Congress acts, Social Security will deplete its $2.9 trillion reserve fund by 2035, which means the program would be able to pay only about 79% of promised benefits. Medicare’s finances are even more precarious. Noting that seniors are a large voting constituency, both President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have resolved to protect Medicare and Social Security. Here is a brief overview of their proposals.

Social Security Biden proposes shoring up the program by increasing payroll taxes on high-income taxpayers. He would keep the current cap on payroll taxes, which is indexed to wage growth (in 2020, workers pay payroll taxes on earnings up to $137,700), but would also apply the 12.4% tax on wages exceeding $400,000. But Biden wants to expand benefits, which could put more pressure on the program’s finances. He wants to increase survivor benefits for low-income beneficiaries

and gradually increase benefits for seniors starting at age 78. Seniors who are 82 would receive a 5% increase over their basic retirement payout. Biden has also proposed changing the way the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is calculated. He wants to use an index that places greater weight on items that account for a larger percentage of seniors’ budgets, such as housing and healthcare. Trump hasn’t issued specific proposals to shore up Social Security, and critics say his proposed payroll tax cut to bolster the economy would further hurt the program. In the past, he has opposed proposals from fiscally conservative Republicans to curb spending on the programs. But as the budget deficit has grown to more than $1.8 trillion, he has indicated that changes to Social Security and Medicare could be on the table during a second term.

Medicare Biden supports lowering the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 60. He has also called for repealing legislation that

bars Medicare from negotiating drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers, which he said would lower drug prices. In addition, pharmaceuticals would be required to limit price increases for most prescription drugs to the rate of inflation in order to be eligible for coverage by Medicare. Biden also wants to allow U.S. citizens to purchase prescription drugs from other countries — where they’re often cheaper — as long as the Department of Health and Human Services has determined they’re safe. If reelected, Trump is likely to continue to promote Medicare Advantage plans, which are offered by private companies. The plans often offer lower premiums than traditional Medicare and cover dental, vision and other services. However, they usually have a more limited network of providers than traditional Medicare, which can be a problem when beneficiaries develop serious illnesses, critics say. In an executive order issued last October, Trump directed the Department of

Health and Human Services to take steps to ensure that traditional Medicare isn’t “advantaged or promoted” over Medicare Advantage. Trump has supported proposed legislation that would limit increases in the cost of Medicare prescription drug plans to the rate of inflation and limit seniors’ out-ofpocket drug costs to $3,100 a year. He also wants to allow U.S. citizens to buy prescription drugs from outside the country. In December, his administration issued a proposed rule that would allow states and other entities to import prescription drugs from Canada, provided certain conditions are met. Trump’s 2021 budget proposes about $500 billion in net spending cuts to Medicare. Most of those would come from reducing payments to healthcare providers, not to beneficiaries. Sandra Block, Lisa Gerstner, Nellie S. Huang and Anne Smith contributed to this story. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Be sure to ‘opt out’ of paperless notices On July 27, a new anti-consumer Labor Under the new regulation, individuals Department regulation went into effect. will receive one initial notice on paper inThe new rule gives retirement forming them they have a plans the right to quit mailing right to opt out of the noticeworkers and retirees imporand-access delivery system tant disclosures on paper and and keep getting their docusimply send a notice by text or ments by mail. email, telling them that key After that, all future notices pension information is availwill arrive by email or text, inable on a website. Then it is up cluding information about their to workers and retirees to right to choose to receive paper hunt that information down. documents. Those who want The Pension Rights Center, their notices on paper will have which works to protect con- THE SAVINGS to explicitly ask for it. sumer rights, is strongly rec- GAME ommending that workers and By Elliot Raphaelson Info disappears after a year retirees opt out of this disclosure system, which goes by the moniker “noEqually important under the new regutice-and-access,” and insist that they continue lation, this information will generally only to receive paper copies of key retirement doc- be retained on the plan’s website for one uments, not just get a text or email indicating year. Accordingly, if you don’t request the that the information is available on a website. paper documentation and save it, you Otherwise, people may not get important in- could lose access to this valuable informaformation they need to plan for retirement tion, which you may need to protect your retirement plan rights decades from now. and prove their entitlement to benefits.

If you prefer everything to be electronic, then make sure you track down, print out and save all of the important documents about your plan rules and your benefits. “We are astonished that, in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis and economic collapse, the Labor Department would issue a regulation that will leave so many workers, retirees and their spouses in the dark about their retirement plans and benefits,” stated Karen Friedman, executive vice president of the Pension Rights Center. “At a time when people need information to protect themselves more than ever, this rule is a cruel game of hide-and-seek where workers have to run around and search for the information they will need to protect their future.” The Pension Rights Center is participating in a call to action to encourage workers and retirees to “ask for paper” to protect themselves and their beneficiaries by insisting on a paper trail. Their website, pensionrights.org, contains three fact sheets people will find helpful: a

guide for consumers; a detailed summary of the new regulation; and a list of the “top 10 worst things” about the new regulation. The Pension Rights Center is also taking steps to educate members of Congress about the pitfalls of the new regulation, and is coordinating its activities with consumer and retiree organizations, unions and business groups. Until this new regulation, the Labor Department followed a common sense rule: plans sent out information on paper, through the mail, unless people regularly worked with computers or asked to go “paperless.” Although retirement plans are still allowed to use this option, it is unlikely that most plans will continue this policy. That is why it is essential that workers and retirees insist on receiving this information in paper form on an ongoing basis.

If you have problems If you encounter difficulties when you See NEW REGULATION, page 14

Law & Money | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Beirut explosion: avoid charity scams By Kiplinger Consumer News Service After any disaster, many Americans open their hearts and wallets. During the pandemic alone, giving reached $10.2 billion by early May, with $6 billion of that coming from the U.S., according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. But scammers often prey on this generosity. For instance, if you’re planning to donate in the wake of the recent explosion that rocked the port of Beirut or pandemic-related charities, it’s important to do your due diligence. Fake charities and victims tend to pop up overnight, waiting to take advantage of

folks’ generosity. Here’s how you can protect yourself:

Vet the charity Check reviews on watchdog websites, such as Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance. You can also check out GuideStar, which presents a snapshot, including balance-sheet data, program descriptions and links to financial documents. On GuideStar, charities are asked to answer five questions to assess their potential impact and five questions about board oversight and performance.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FREE FINANCIAL RECOVERY HELP Operation Hope offers free virtual financial recovery coaching. To

Ongoing

FOCUS GROUP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications is looking for volunteers for a focus group to access telecommunication technolo-

gies. It’s seeking people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, with diffi-

But it helps to keep some perspective on the reviewers, too. Don’t rely solely on one review, and don’t immediately dismiss an organization with low ratings or one that isn’t profiled without doing more research on your own in the news, on the charity’s own website or through other review sites. BBB also has a scam tracker system. Type in “charity” in the keyword search bar, and you’ll see an index of the most recently reported scams sorted by Zip code. You may also report a scam on the site.

there is evidence of misuse, the cause itself could be fake. So, always cross check the information across various platforms.

Donating later and taxes If you’re unsure of how you want to deploy your funds right at this moment, you can set up a donor-advised fund (DAF) with money-management firms such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity. With a DAF, you make one large contribution to the fund (cash or assets) and can disperse the funds at a later time. Remember to keep receipts of your donations to charities, as they are tax deductible. When charities confirm your gift, they should indicate how much of it is tax deductible. (Note that donations to GoFundMe campaigns, when collected for a private individual or company, are not deductible.) And last but not least, don’t feel pressured to give if someone is badgering you. Do not give cash, gift cards or do a wire transfer. It’s best to pay by credit card or check. © Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Social media and crowdfunding If you’re seeing more relief requests via social media, be wary of handing over your cash. Check to see if the charity or cause listed has a working website. Do not click on links sent to your email or in social media messages and comments. If there’s a name listed, search the name, and then go directly to the website. Be particularly wary of new organizations or ad hoc fundraisers run through websites such as GoFundMe. While GoFundMe guarantees that funds will go to the beneficiary, not the campaign organizer, and will refund up to $1,000 to donors if

culty speaking, with limited mobility and with cognitive difficulties. If interested, contact Kevin Steffy at (410) 246-4418 or kevin.steffy@maryland.gov.

New regulation From page 13 request the paper option, you can submit a complaint to the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor at 1-866-444-3272, or send an email to webmaster.ebsa@dol.gov. If you continue to have problems, contact the U.S. Administration for Community Living’s Pension and Information Counseling Projects. Finally, ask your congressional representatives to overturn the notice-and-ac-

Frank, Frank

cess rule and reinstate the prior Labor Department regulations with recurring automatic paper reporting unless a “paperless” option is requested by workers or retirees. Bottom line: When you receive a notice from your retirement plan, don’t ignore it. Insist on receiving paper statements and documents on a continuing basis, and keep those records in a safe place. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2020 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

& Scherr, LLC

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Elder Law, Estate & Special Needs Planning

Medical Assistance Planning and Eligibility Advance Medical Directives / Living Wills Trusts / Estate Planning and Administration / Wills Powers of Attorney / Guardianship Disability Planning / Special Needs Trusts

410.337.8900 | www.frankelderlaw.com | 1.888.338.0400 Towson | Columbia | Easton

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

Having good credit can save you money By Bev O’Shea Even if you don’t plan to borrow a dime, a good credit record is valuable. Think of it like a household fire extinguisher: It’s smart to have a good one even though you have no plans to use it. And your credit can influence your life in ways beyond borrowing. Here’s why good credit is so valuable:

Flexibility in a crisis, more options If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us nothing else, it’s that we cannot count on things going as planned. Flexibility is key. A good credit score can help you borrow at a reasonable cost. That in turn could help you buy groceries and other necessities even as your emergency fund is dwindling. In addition, if you use investments to help pay living expenses, as many retirees do, access to credit may help tide you over when the markets are down. Good credit can also be useful in leasing a place to live because landlords sometimes check credit to evaluate tenant appli-

cations. Similarly, some employers check credit reports during the hiring process (although some jurisdictions restrict using credit reports in this way).

Lowers other costs Good credit also can lower some bills. Nationally, a good driver with poor credit would pay an average of $2,506 annually for car insurance. With good credit, the same coverage would cost $1,427. Only California, Hawaii and Massachusetts prohibit credit data from being used in setting car insurance rates. Credit-based insurance scores are also used to set homeowners insurance premiums in most states, except for California, Maryland and Massachusetts. Poor credit can increase the cost “10 to 15%, typically,” said Robert Hunter, director of insurance at the Consumer Federation of America. That works out to between $50 and $100 a year for most people, he noted. Renters insurance may also be higher for those with poor credit.

BEACON BITS

Weds.

RESUME WRITING WORKSHOP

Get tips on creating or updating your resume every Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. with a free webinar. Sign up for a session at https://bit.ly/VirtualResumeWriting.

Oct. 1-4

CHESAPEAKE FILM FESTIVAL

This year, the Chesapeake Film Festival will take place virtually, with 46 independent films on the schedule from 9 a.m. on Thurs., Oct. 1 to midnight, Sun., Oct. 4. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ChesFilmFest.

Ongoing

FREE RIDES FROM AETNA AND LYFT Aetna and Lyft have partnered to offer rides for people in Baltimore who need to access essential jobs and services. For more information, visit lyft.com/lyftup/access.

Utility companies often use information from credit reports to set security deposits. Georgia Power, for example, uses credit scores to decide whether customers must pay a deposit, which can be up to two times the average monthly bill for the residence. If you do borrow money, a higher credit score can earn you a lower interest rate, and thus lower payments. And a cash-back credit card (typically available only to those with good credit) can give you money back without you paying a nickel of interest if you pay the full balance each month.

How to maintain good credit You don’t have to go into debt to maintain good credit. The two biggest factors in your credit score, accounting for about two-thirds of it, are on-time payments and the amount of your available credit you use. That means simply paying all your bills on time goes a long way toward protecting your credit. On the other hand, paying 30 days or more past the due date can devastate your score. If you do use credit cards, paying the balance in full is the best way to manage those bills. Zeroing out the balance doesn’t hurt your credit score, saves you from paying interest, and ensures you’re not using

too much of your credit limit. If you can’t pay in full, try to stay below 30% of your limit. Other strategies that may help: —Keep credit cards open unless you have a compelling reason to close them. Even unused credit cards help your score by raising your overall credit limit. The average age of your credit accounts also has a small effect on your credit score. —Ask a friend or relative with excellent credit to add you as an authorized user. That adds their credit history on the card to your credit profile. You don’t have to use or possess the credit card for this to help your score. —If you are uncomfortable with a credit card, consider using it like a debit card by paying the balance as soon as a charge posts. The account adds to your credit history, but you prevent worries about balances piling up. Credit scores could drop during the pandemic as people rely more heavily on their credit and increase their balances. Your score can rebound fairly quickly once you pay balances down, as long as you continue to pay at least the minimum on time. If you need help paying creditors, contact them, preferably before you miss a payment. —AP/NerdWallet

Law & Money | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

OCTOBER 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BALTIMORE BEACON

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Travel

Leisure &

When you’re visiting friends or relatives, especially now, skip houseguest stress — rent a home nearby instead. See story on page 19.

Put these adventures on your bucket list and flush toilets. The lodges are beautifully sited — one on the edge of a broad lawn in a valley between two ridges; the other overlooking the river with a great outdoor deck. There is nothing like a hot shower and a comfortable bed after a day of paddling through churning rapids and getting slapped in the face by monstrous waves.

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

By Don Mankin When we get back on the road after COVID-19 subsides, we’ll be “lookin’ for adventure,” as the rock band Steppenwolf put it. In anticipation of this hopefully not-toodistant day, I’ve put together a list of my favorite adventure trips for active older adults. So, if you need something to look forward to in the months or years ahead, here are a few destinations to consider:

Whitewater rafting in Oregon

Adventure cruise in Panama and Costa Rica

Rogue River Rafting, 3 to 4 days from $895, ROW Adventures, rowadventures.com, 1-800451-6034 The Rogue River is one of the most famous whitewater rivers in the world, one of the first rivers in the U.S. to be run commercially, and one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The Rogue has something for everyone: Class III and IV whitewater for adrenaline junkies; scenery similar to a Winslow Homer watercolor for artists; and eagles, ospreys and kingfishers for birders. Not to mention history ranging from thousandyear-old Native American artifacts to early 20th-century pioneer houses. What makes this trip different from most other rafting trips is that instead of camping in tents on the shore, guests stay in comfortable lodges with hot showers

Pure Panama & Costa Rica Cruise, 12 days from $7,645, UnCruise Adventures, uncruise.com, 1-888-862-8881 How could such a small country, only about 30 miles wide at its narrowest point, offer such a variety of experiences? There’s kayaking and snorkeling among tropical islands in two oceans, walking in the jungle to visit indigenous people, and, of course, one of the most spectacular engineering achievements in the world. It is this intersection of natural history and man-made wonders that makes Panama so special. More than three million years ago, the Isthmus of Panama emerged from the sea, separating the Atlantic from the Pacific Oceans and eventually serving as a land bridge between North and South America, making Panama one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. The ship is small, only 34 cabins for 66 PHOTO COURTESY OF DON MANKIN

The author and his wife visit with a giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands, known for protected and unique species of animals.

Ethiopia’s diverse topography includes landscapes resembling those of the American West. The country’s majestic scenery, stone medieval castles, churches carved into rock formations and delicious food make a thrilling trip for travelers of all ages.

guests, but offers a wide range of amenities, including an air-conditioned lounge with a 270-degree view. Most important for older travelers is the launching platform at the rear of the ship, which lowers and raises to make it easy to get in and out of the skiffs and kayaks. As an added bonus, they have added several days in Costa Rico to the trip I took in 2017.

The 32 passengers are accommodated in spacious, recently renovated suites, and encounter wildlife far from the crowds, guided by naturalist guides with years of local experience. I will be hosting a Galapagos tour on the Evolution in summer 2021. For details, call the number listed above and tell them you are interested in that cruise.

Galapagos Islands expedition

Ethiopian exploration

M/V Evolution Galapagos Cruise (luxury small boat cruise and wildlife tour), 8 days from $6,700, Quasar Expeditions, quasarex.com/galapagos, 1-888-502-9503 The Galapagos are arguably the most biologically diverse marine habitat on Earth. Charles Darwin did most of his groundbreaking work on natural selection and the theory of evolution there in 1835. Today, the 13 major islands and dozens of smaller islets and rocks that make up the Galapagos are filled with extraordinary populations of unique species that have been protected from human impact. On this trip you can experience the Galapagos in comfort and privacy aboard a yacht that retraces Darwin’s footsteps. The style of the Evolution is roaring 20s, but the amenities and service are decidedly modern.

Paths of Ethiopia, 18 days from $7,480, Anastasia’s Africa, anastasiasafrica.com, 1888-303-2085 As the ancient crossroads between Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Ethiopia absorbed customs, practices and ceremonies from all different peoples. It’s one thing to read history; another to experience it. While the practices, dress and decorations reflect the religious roots of the West, the familiar is often counterbalanced by the strange in this evocative, mysterious land. On this trip you will explore the stunning, rock-hewn, subterranean churches of Lalibela, encounter animistic tribes in the Great Rift Valley, and visit Axum, Ethiopia’s holy city and legendary resting See ADVENTURES, page 18

Leisure & Travel | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

Adventures From page 17 place of the Ark of the Covenant. Trips can be timed to include Ethiopian festivals such as Christmas, the annual Epiphany celebration of Timkat in January, or Meskal in September with its roaring bonfires, priests with ornate crosses, and thousands of worshippers in robes.

Trans-Siberian Railroad journey Moscow to Beijing via private train, 16 days from $6,140, Lernidee Trains & Cruises, trains-and-cruises.com It’s easy to see why Lernidee Trains & Cruises calls this railroad trip “one of the last great travel adventures in the world.” Take a famous train from the capital of Russia, the world’s largest country, through Siberia, Mongolia and the Gobi Desert to the capital of China, the world’s most populous country. Along the way, our group toured the

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Kremlin, skirted the edge of Lake Baikal, stopped in Ulan Bator, and visited Beijing’s Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. We even paused in the middle of the Gobi Desert for an early morning concert while camels grazed in the background. The train is a comfortable way to explore this region. But more than that, it pulled together all of the stops along the way into a seamless, integrated whole that felt more like a movie than a sequence of photos. One of my favorite experiences on the trip was the vodka tasting, which opened my eyes further to the wonders of the region — until the vodka and the swaying train lulled me to sleep. In a way, it was the perfect ending to an adventure movie.

Peaceful Laos Serenity, Spirituality, Scenery and Culture in Northern Thailand and Laos, 12 days from $5,850, Explorer-X, explorerx.com, (206) 212-0227 Laos — Luang Prabang, in particular —

is one of my favorite destinations. Beautiful, serene and seductive, Laos has some of the most sacred Buddhist temples in the world. Most important of all, it is not yet overrun by tourists. There are no beach resorts, discos or loud parties; just lush jungles, graceful mountains, varied architecture, ethnically diverse hill tribes and some of the best food in Southeast Asia, a region renowned for its cuisine. A visit to Laos is all about peace, reflection and immersion in a world very different from our own. I recently designed my ideal trip to the region and will be leading a tour next year. The trip will begin in Chiang Mai, the historical and cultural capital of Thailand. From there we will head to the notorious Golden Triangle where we will begin a leisurely two-day cruise down the most scenic section of the mighty Mekong to Luang Prabang. After several days in Luang Prabang, exploring tree-shaded pathways and back

When it’s important, we plan for it ahead of time. Planning your life celebration now will give you and your family valuable peace of mind. Our guaranteed, pre-paid funeral plans protect everyone from hard ﬁnancial and emotional decisions at a time of loss. Speak with us today and we’ll help you take care of every detail, including aﬀordable payment plans.

streets leading to graceful, peaceful temples, we head to the capital city of Vientiane, stopping in Vang Vieng along the way for a balloon ride and to admire dramatic karst formations. The emphasis throughout will be on authentic community-based tourism, with visits to local families and enterprises, and cooking classes, music and dance performances by members of the community.

Whale-watching in Antarctica Antarctica Whale Safari, 14 days from $9,995, Wilderness Travel, wildernesstravel.com, 1-888-895-5417 I’ve been to Antarctica three times, and I’d go a fourth, if I could. Antarctica is just that great a “bucket list” destination. But this trip is different: It has whales. Lots and lots of whales. The month of March, when this trip runs, is prime time for whale-watching in Antarctica. And there is no greater thrill than spotting a whale up close from a Zodiac inflatable boat or kayak. These huge creatures arch their backs and slide into the icy waters, flipping their tails in the air, rivulets of water dripping from the edges, before disappearing below the surface. Antarctica has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world: mountains, glaciers and sculpted chunks of floating ice, some as large as city blocks. It’s a wonderland of shapes and texture, painted with the most intense blues and whites you have ever seen. And, of course, there are the usual attractions — penguins, seals and birds. If Antarctica isn’t on your bucket list, why not? Note: Don Mankin was hosted by the travel companies mentioned in this story. Most of these tour companies offer discounts to the readers of the Beacon. Call or email the operators for specifics. Read more at adventuretransformations.com.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 15

BALTIMORE’S GOLDEN AGE OF MOVIES

Maryland Center for History and Culture Curator explores the experience of movie-going in Baltimore from the days of Electric Park through today. This free, virtual pro-

FREE planning guide:

DignityMemorial.com

gram will take place Thurs., Oct. 15 from 4 to 5 p.m. Register at http://bit.ly/BaltMovies.

SCHIMUNEK FUNERAL HOMES BEL AIR

NOTTINGHAM

410-638-5360

410-256-3600

Oct. 10+

VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS If you have lost a

loved one, two free virtual workshops could help. The two sessions of “Your Journey through Grief” will be held on Sat., Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. To register, Licensed funeral establishments in the State of Maryland.

email havenofnova@verizon.net.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Visiting friends and relatives comfortably VFR, the travel industry shorthand for to help with problems or issue refunds — “Visiting Friends and Relatives,” will be the or even accept credit cards. first big segment of the travel The big platforms employ marketplace to recover from some protections against fraud, the shutdown, according to and they accept credit cards for many of the country’s top travsome rentals. They also offer el and airline mavens. by far the widest selection of Business travel, which rental options, especially at the tanked during the shutdown, budget end of the price specwill continue to be replaced trum. by virtual meetings and will Two giants dominate the return to physical travel only platform space: slowly — and maybe never to • HomeAway (homeaway. TRAVEL TIPS previous levels. com) and its affiliated acquisiLeisure and vacation travel By Ed Perkins tions offer more than a million will also recover, but it will concentrate on shorter trips. Meanwhile, the emotional need to remain close to friends and relatives does not diminish, and it will push growth in travel — especially in family travel. If you choose to visit your loved ones, I suggest that you arrange a visit that maximizes comfort and minimizes stress. Yes, you could just invade your friends’ or relatives’ houses and pile everyone on sofas and cots. But there’s a better way: Let your hosts remain serenely in their homes, while you book a nearby vacation rental for you and your family. Better yet: Rent a house or condo that’s big enough to accommodate the entire group comfortably — preferably in a nearby vacation destination. Even if you’re just traveling on your own, family travel is a lot easier, and safer, if you have room to spread out in a rental.

Finding a good rental If you’re doing a VFR trip this fall, finding the right vacation rental is easy, through either of the two basic approaches: —A vacation rental website links you to a wide range of available properties. Platforms operate like bulletin boards: Property owners list their properties and provide detailed information, photos and prices on the website. When you decide to rent, you screen the offerings. If you see something you like, the platform links you to the property owner to complete the deal. The platform is not a party to the transaction; it acts as a pass-through. That’s why it’s a bit riskier: Your deal is with a property owner, who might not be willing

BEACON BITS

Oct. 1

BLACK WOMEN AND VOTING RIGHTS

Learn about how African American women led the movement for voting rights in a virtual program presented by a Johns Hopkins history professor. The Maryland Center for History and Culture’s free virtual lecture will be held Thurs. Oct. 1 from 4 to 5 p.m. Register at http://bit.ly/AAWomen&Voting.

listings around the world. It’s about to revert to the name of an older, acquired platform, VRBO (vacation rental by owner, at vrbo.com). • FlipKey (flipkey.com) lists more than 800,000 rentals worldwide.

Beyond those, dozens of other platforms offer similar services, usually in a more localized region. I have some 20 in my “bookmarks” list, which I’ve posted on my personal website (see edontravel.com). —A vacation rental agency actually represents the properties it handles. Your deal is with the agency, not the property owner, and the agency is responsible for solving problems and handling financial arrangements. Typically, agency staff have personally visited each property they list, so your chances of encountering a major disappointment are minimal. Rentals through agencies are generally a bit less risky than rentals through platforms, but they’re also usually more expensive. That’s because the agency takes a cut of the rental fee, which exceeds the fees owners pay for a platform listing.

Also, agencies tend to focus on larger, more upscale properties; if you’re looking for a budget rental, agencies aren’t likely to provide many options. No single outfit dominates the agency market segment the way HomeAway and FlipKey dominate the platforms. I have almost 60 agencies in my bookmarks, also posted on my website, most of which focus on a single region: the Caribbean, Hawaii and Europe — especially London, Paris, Provence and Tuscany. For even more ideas, check Tripping.com, a vacation rental search system. Whichever path you choose, you’ll find lots of attractive options. Give yourself and your family a break by finding the one that fits you best. Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net or visit his website, rail-guru.com. © Tribune Content Agency, LLC

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER 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 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

HOWARD COUNTY

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 • 55 & Better Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665 Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375 Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673

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 of interest to you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour.

www.enterprisecommunity.org PET-FRIENDLY

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

Style Arts &

Meals on Wheels has upped its game during the pandemic. Our cover story continues on opposite page.

Former librarian makes dream come true doing daily chores, Tager recalled. Tager was inspired not only by her childhood love of books and time as a librarian, but also by her childhood education degree from Towson University and years raising two (now adult) sons with her husband of 45 years, David Tager, a retired Baltimore accountant.

Search for an illustrator When the story was completed, Tager needed pictures for her picture book. After doing some research, she became affiliated with the Baltimore Academy of Illustration, where she met the school’s owner, Scott Fukua. He connected her with one of his prized students, Bethany Hiller of Pikesville. “Bethany is exceptionally talented,” Tager said. In their collaboration as writer and illustrator, the duo set out to create the 30-page picture book, whose target audience is not limited to children, Tager said. “People often make the mistake of thinking that picture books are created solely to focus on children. Not so,” she said. “Actually, it’s also a product for parents to read to their children — and for chil-

dren to utilize, ponder and fantasize about. Children love to be read to.” As a mother, Tager read to her sons, and now, as a grandmother, she reads to her grandsons. Her oldest grandchild is 21 years old, and her youngest is two. “[Books are] a love that should be shared and passed on,” she emphasized. Tager has passed on that appreciation to one of her sons, Michael Tager, 39, who expanded his love of literary works into an occupation. A freelance writer and editor, he works as managing editor of a publishing company, Mason Jar Press, based in Baltimore.

COURTESY OF SUSAN TAGER

By Timothy Cox As the first-time author of a children’s picture book, Susan Belschner Tager, 73, has found a new happiness. Seeing her book in print, the former children’s librarian said, “has been an absolute thrill. It’s what I envisioned so many years ago.” Before Tager’s children were born, she worked as a children’s librarian at Enoch Pratt Library. “Like many librarians, I always had a dream to write a book. So this is my 50-year dream come true.” Tager’s book, Carried Away, took nearly four years to bring to fruition. She was inspired by a friend’s story about her son and toddler granddaughter, who were flying a kite at Rehoboth Beach one windy summer day. “The toddler grabs ahold of the kite string, and the wind catapults the youngster into the sky,” Tager said, “forcing her father to quickly run and save the day. I thought it was such a sweet love story that I always envisioned myself writing the story for children.” Tager grew up in a working-class section of north Baltimore in a home where books were adored. Her sisters would read and sing songs to one another while

Self-publishing was fulfilling Susan Tager admits the process of producing her first Susan Tager’s new children’s book was inspired by book was somewhat challeng- the story of a friend’s granddaughter. On a windy ing. day at Rehoboth Beach, a kite swept the little girl “[Now is] a rather difficult off her feet, but her father rescued her. Tager said, time to release a new book. The “I’ve heard from quite a few people their children bookstores and even the li- love the book or sleep with the book, and some now want a kite.” braries have been closed, for the most part. So that makes it very She has sold about 200 copies of the difficult,” she said. book so far, mostly via Facebook. More imSo, rather than seeking a traditional literary agent and publisher, Tager decided See LIBRARIAN, page 21 to use her own money to self-publish.

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

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

Meals on Wheels From page 1 “The people I make the deliveries to are really grateful. It’s wonderful to get their thanks,” Bittinger said. “I’ll keep doing the deliveries until I get another [paying] job,” he said. This fall, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland is serving up to 3,500 people each day — double the number of pre-pandemic clients. “We surpassed 1.9 million meals produced, packed, and delivered in the last fiscal year,” Archer-Smith said. That includes special meals, from kosher (mostly in the Baltimore metropolitan area) to Korean (mostly in Howard County). The program’s Baltimore headquarters currently has 105 paid employees, ArcherSmith said. About 1,200 of the usual 2,000 volunteers discontinued after the onset of the pandemic. But new volunteers like Bittinger, most over 50 years old, are slowly showing up. “We still need volunteers” to hit the 2,000 mark again, she said. The volunteer jobs include, among other tasks, delivering meals weekly from approximately 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Dundalk, Randallstown or Silver Spring; becoming a “substitute” delivery driver; grocery shopping for clients throughout central Maryland (flexible hours); packing meals at the organization’s headquarters

Librarian From page 20 portant than book sales, Tager said, is hearing people’s reactions to the story. “I’ve received so much positive feedback from librarians and, more importantly, children,” she said. “I’ve heard from quite a few people with children and grandchildren, and they just

at 515 S. Haven St. in Baltimore; or making telephone “wellness” calls to check in on the program’s clients.

Saved from federal cuts In 2017, the Trump administration threatened a full cut-off of the $3 billion federal Community Development Block Grant, which in part helps fund more than 5,000 community-based Meals on Wheels programs nationwide. Mick Mulvaney, President Trump’s budget director at the time, said Meals on Wheels was one of many block grant-supported programs “just not showing any results.” In response, Meals on Wheels said its members had served some 219 million meals “to more than 2.4 million seniors from 60 to 100+ years old” in 2016 alone. A Washington Post story on the proposed ending of the federal aid reported that studies had found the home-delivered meals “significantly improved diet quality, increased nutrient intakes and reduced food insecurity among the participants.” In addition, one study found that those receiving daily meals from the program experienced fewer falls and hospitalizations. The program, which created or maintained 330,000 jobs between 2005 and 2013, “helped seniors stay at home and out of costly nursing facilities,” which was “keeping the lid on healthcare costs,” the love the book. Some of the children sleep with the book, while others are inspired about owning a kite,” Tager said. The moral of the story of Carried Away is a rhyme people of all ages can remember: “Either keep your feet in the sand, or never let go of daddy’s hand.” Carried Away costs $15. For more information about the book, email sbtager46@gmail.com or call (410) 532-5242.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

Post article said. In the end, “community pushback” saved federal funding for the program, Archer-Smith said. But she added that while costs have tripled, the “flat funding, which is at the same level it was six years ago,” now makes up only 40% of the Central Maryland program’s $12 million yearly budget. The rest of the operating budget comes from “public support through fundraising,” with a small amount contributed by recipients. About 10% of meal recipients “are too poor to pay anything” for the meals, while the rest make a nominal donation based on income, Archer-Smith said. The program needs additional donations to purchase food from Sysco food

distributors and local food merchants. (Direct donations of food are not accepted “for safety considerations,” Archer-Smith said.) On a personal note, Baltimore resident Archer-Smith, 58, who became executive director eight years ago, acknowledged that her work today seems more important than ever. “I’m learning more every day about the link between isolation, nutrition and aging. The more we know through research in those areas, the greater will be the impact on the cost and ways to foster healthy aging.” Her ultimate goal, Archer-Smith noted, is “to make a difference; make it a little better for those in need.”

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 22 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

S H A H

C A F E

A N O A

A S S S H O H A W K N A T L A S

B O I S E

L E N I N

M O O D S

P I T F A L U L K E E A A S S T E A T

O L E D S O T H E R E

T H I R T I E T H S E T O N

W A N T S

O R T H

S I L E N E T R S B O I I G H N E B A R S T A T U A R R E

E L L H I E S A L A H B A E E S R T M I U L G L

G U I L T

A T O L L

D E N S E

M U L E

E L A L S S P

I N T O

N E R O

G R A M

• Art • Computers • History and Politics • Humanities and Culture • Learn Lectures • Wellness and Fitness

From Art to Zumba

We have a class Zoom for that! ǡ Ƥ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǩ ccbcmd.edu/noncredit-schedule 443-840-4700

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Subscribe for half-price. See below

Crossword Puzzle

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

By Stephen Sherr

45 48

24 28

Across 1. Rapscallion 6. Ark reservation counts 10. “Goodness gracious!” 14. Vietnamese capital 15. Spy Mata ___ 16. Renaissance Fair instrument 17. Underway 18. Like IHOP and IBM 19. Yellow Brick Road animal 20. Go on the lam 23. Flavors a pretzel 24. Maker of Perrier and Nescafe 25. Derriere 28. Fashion accessory worn at Kahului Airport 29. Part (or all) of 4 Greek letter names 30. Accepts responsibility 36. Bird of prey 37. French pronoun 38. Dance seen in opening credits of Hawaii Five-O 40. Performs soccer juggling tricks 45. Video games rated for “Adults Only” 46. Jessica Timberlake ___ Biel 47. If you have it, you don’t need a clue for this answer 48. “It’s ___ from the past” 52. Shows some skin 54. Gets ready for the race (with 59 Across) 59. See 54 Across 60. Two of Caesar’s last three words 61. Clementine’s dad, of gold rush song 62. European supergroup formed in 1981 63. Sound at the start of most MGM movies 64. Far beyond the norm 65. Used Western Union 66. Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment (abbrev.) 67. 2012 Rolling Stones song, Doom and ___ Down 1. Iranian emperor 2. Coffee shop

BB1020

Scrabble answers on p. 21.

3. Small buffalo 4. Dispositions 5. Hidden hazard 6. Milestone birthdays 7. Has a hankering 8. Start of a tooth-straightening doc. 9. There’s one in every tomb 10. Island that first welcomed Annie Moore in 1892, followed by 12 million more immigrants 11. “Repentant tears wash out the stain of ___” (St. Augustine) 12. Ring-shaped islet 13. Crowded 21. Organic light-emitting diode (type of TV) 22. Recuperate 25. Campfire souvenir 26. Shake Shack, to investors 27. Scattered, as seeds 29. Modern contract approval 31. Tiny name for Tiny Tim’s instrument 32. Return on Investment (to a CPA) 33. “I figured out who the killer is!” 34. Offspring of a horse and donkey 35. Letters formed with thumb and index fingers 39. Snake, named from the Greek word “aspis” 41. Direction from Eden to Nod 42. “Take that!” 43. Zeus’ better half 44. Cheers prop 48. Mapmaker’s publication 49. Largest city in Idaho 50. His statue in Kiev was toppled in 2013 51. ___ at the table 52. Second-tier actor 53. Photo snapped to promote a movie 55. Prep school attended by 20 British Prime Ministers 56. He’s Just Not That ___ You 57. Roman emperor whose name has the lowest Scrabble score 58. About 4% of an ounce

Answers on page 21.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BALTIMORE BEACON — OCTOBER 2020

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.

Caregivers THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Jamhuri Healthcare Services recognizes the importance of keeping seniors or adults with special needs, in their homes, rather than sending them to a skilled nursing facility. Our personal in-home care program is designed to implement non-medical tasks to meet the clients’ physical needs. Our home care aides provide a multitude of services for our clients, ranging from meal preparation & house cleaning to personal assistance & running errands. We are diligent in our staff & client pairings. We won’t put just anyone in your home or the home of your loved ones. Transportation services available 24/7. Call us toll-free at 1-800-547-2851. Or visit us on the web: www.jamhuricares.com. send us a text at 443-929-9769.

For Sale PUT ON YOUR TV EARS and hear TV with unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original were originally $129.95 - NOW WITH THIS SPECIAL OFFER are only $59.95 with code MCB59! Call 1-833-934-0843.

For Rent/Sale: Real Estate NEED A CAR, TRUCK OR SUV? Over 1,000 vehicles! 2 recent Pay Stubs & 1 Bill required. Gross income must be at least $1,800 mo. Jason - 202.704.8213 Temple Hills, MD 20748.

Health 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. DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258. LIFE ALERT. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. FREE First Aid Kit (with subscription.) CALL 240-847-6732 FREE Brochure. MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1240-650-9189

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

Home/Handyman Services I WILL MOVE YOUR POSSESSIONS or haul them away. I clean out yards, basements, garages, houses, apartments, attics, etc. No job too small. Brush work. I can pick up furniture from stores so you don’t have to pay hefty delivery fees. Friendly, reliable service with many references. Honest and hard working! Call Tim at 443-690-6525 OR 410889-3795. Same day service most days! Like me on Facebook! @Tshaulingmoving. Check out my website WWW.TSHAULINGANDMOVING.COM THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087. ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1844-359-6933. STAY IN YOUR HOME LONGER with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-877-240-2061 or visit www.walkintubquote.com/beacon

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

Personals

Wanted

GAY WHITE FEMALE, 56, seeking a gay white female or gay Latina, for friendship and possibly more. Interests: flowers, cats, museums and the zoo. Lives in Parkville/Towson region. 443-519-6750

SEEKING FULL/SEALED BOTTLES of Vintage Bourbon & Rye (Pre-1990). Examples include, but are not limited to: Old Grand Dad, Pikesville Rye, Wild Turkey, Old Fitzgerald, I.W. Harper, Old Forester and more! Inquiries are welcome. Call Alex 443-223-7669

VERY PRETTY SINGLE WHITE LADY age 63 would like to meet single white gentleman age 63 or older. Call Patty 443-845-7802

TV/Cable DIRECTV - Switch and Save! $39.99/month. Select All-Included Package. 155 Channels. 1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand. FREE Genie HD DVR Upgrade. Premium movie channels, FREE for 3 mos! Call 1-888-572-4953. DISH NETWORK. $59.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1-844-560-5837.

MONEY, TIME TO SELL! CALL GREG, 1717-658-7954. We buy sterling silver flatware, jewelry, gold, silver, coins, watches, paper money, antiques, toys, bottles, comic books, records, pottery, art glass, vintage military and old sporting items (baseball, football and boxing) just about anything old. Make the right choice! You have something to sell give me a call. Greg 1-717-658-7954 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

BEACON BITS

Oct. 3+

POE FESTIVAL

Poe Baltimore will host the third annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards online on Oct. 3 and 4. The two-day online event will feature Edgar Allan Poe-themed performances, vendors, readings, music and art workshops. The free festival will be live-streamed via poefestinternational.org, Facebook @PoeBaltimore and YouTube.

Ongoing

THE VIRTUAL WALTERS MUSEUM

The Walters Art Museum has many digital resources available on its website, including videos of talks by curators, and coloring pages of works from their collection. To access these resources, visit https://thewalters.org/experience/virtual.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies Ketone Drink Study . . . . . . . . . .11 Stroke Rehabilitation Study . . . .11 Worried About Memory Study .10

Events

Kaiser Permanente . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Keswick Wise & Well . . . . . . .B-4 MedStar Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . . . . . .8

Home Health Care

Renaissance Gardens . . . . . . . .B-7 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers B-6 Village at Providence Point, The .12 Virginia Towers Apts. . . . . . . . . .B-3 Warren Place Senior Apartments .15 Weinberg Senior Living . . . . . . . .B-8

Beacon Virtual 50+Expo . . . . .3, 8

Heavenly Home Care . . . . . . .B-5 Options for Senior America . . . .20

Legal Services

Funeral Services

Housing

Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm 14

Cremation Society of Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . .15 Schimunek/Dignity . . . . . . . . . .18

Health Advanced Center for Plastic Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Blair House at Stoneleigh . . . . .14 Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . .B-6 Charlestown/Erickson . . .B-3, B-7 Christ Church Harbor Apts. . . .B-3 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . . .19 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . .B-3, B-7 Pickersgill Retirement Community . . . .B-2

Shopping Perfect Sleep Chair . . . . . . . . . .28 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . .20

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Keswick’s Nursing Home . . . . . .5 Manor Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Subscriptions Beacon Subscription . . . . . . . . .22

Technology TheBeaconNewspapers.com . . .16

Volunteers/Careers/ Education Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 CCBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Meals on Wheels . . . . . . . . . . .B-2

Voting Congressman John Sarbanes . . . .9

OCTOBER 2020 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 22

Make your home more comfortable than ever

“To you, it’s the perfect lift chair. To me, it’s the best sleep chair I’ve ever had.” — J. Fitzgerald, VA

NOW also available in Genuine Italian Leather (and new Chestnut color)

Three Chairs in One Sleep/Recline/Lift

ACCREDITED BUSINESS A+

Pictured: Leather chair chestnut color. Chestnut color also available in Duralux fabric

You can’t always lie down in bed and sleep. Heartburn, cardiac problems, hip or back aches – and dozens of other ailments and worries. Those are the nights you’d give anything for a comfortable chair to sleep in: one that reclines to exactly the right degree, raises your feet and legs just where you want them, supports your head and shoulders properly, and operates at the touch of a button. Our Perfect Sleep Chair® does all that and more. More than a chair or recliner, it’s designed to provide total comfort. Choose your preferred heat and massage settings, for hours of soothing relaxation. Reading or watching TV? Our chair’s recline technology allows you to pause the chair in an infinite number of settings. And best of all, it features a powerful lift mechanism that tilts the entire chair forward, making it easy to stand. You’ll love the other benefits, too. It helps with correct spinal alignment

and promotes back pressure relief, to prevent back and muscle pain. The overstuffed, oversized biscuit style back and unique seat design will cradle you in comfort. Generously filled, wide armrests provide enhanced arm support when sitting or reclining. It even has a battery backup in case of a power outage. White glove delivery included in shipping charge. Professionals will deliver the chair to the exact spot in your home where you want it, unpack it, inspect it, test it, position it, and even carry the packaging away! You get your choice of Genuine Italian leather, stain and water repellent custom-manufactured Duralux with the classic leather look or plush microfiber in a variety of colors to fit any decor. New Chestnut color only available in Genuine Italian Leather and long lasting Duralux. Call now!

The Perfect Sleep Chair®

1-888-834-8023 REMOTE-CONTROLLED EASILY SHIFTS FROM FLAT TO A STAND-ASSIST POSITION

Please mention code 113628 when ordering. Chestnut

Genuine Leather Chestnut

Burgundy

Tan

Chocolate

Blue

Long Lasting DuraLux Burgundy Cashmere Chocolate

Indigo

DuraLux II Microﬁber

46547

Footrest may vary by model