November 2017 | Fifty Plus Richmond

Published by The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

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NOVEMBER 2017 • FREE

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

Kudos to our writers As you know, Fifty Plus has been a publication and magazines specifically for the 50+ market. of the Beacon Newspapers since December. In NAMPA’s annual competition attracts hunaddition to Fifty Plus, we publish dreds of submissions every year monthlies for people 50 and over and is judged by internationally in the Greater Washington D.C. respected faculty at the Univerarea (the Greater Washington sity of Missouri School of JourBeacon), Greater Baltimore area nalism. This year, the Beacon (the Baltimore Beacon) and received more than 20 NAMPA Howard County, Md. (the awards, four of them for Fifty Howard County Beacon).

Plus.

Each year, we enter a selection Two of our cover stories earof our writers’ original stories in lier this year, March’s “Declutmajor journalism competitions. ter your home — Organize We do this for two reasons: One, your life,” and April’s “Reachas a way to be sure we are keep- FROM THE ing new heights,” about rock ing up the quality of our writing PUBLISHER climbing opportunities in the compared with other publica- By Stuart P. Rosenthal Richmond Area, won first place tions throughout the country. awards in their categories.

Two, because we’re pretty confident about Both were written for us by contributing the first reason, (that is, we believe our writ- writer Lisa Crutchfield.

Our June cover by Martha Steger, “Recreers are among the best anywhere), and want to give them the opportunity to earn recog- ating our life stories,” won a second place award.

Thanks to such excellent writing, and our nition they will treasure from well-respected, other efforts to boost both the quality and objective judges.

I’m happy and proud to report that every quantity of articles in Fifty Plus, we also won one of our regular writers and freelancers — the first place award for “Most Imincluding those associated with Fifty Plus — proved” publication. We are very honored came away with one or more honors in this to have achieved this, and want to assure you we intend to continue working to improve year’s competitions.

One journalism competition is held by the Fifty Plus and its content over the coming North American Mature Publishers Associa- months and years.

By the way, we also entered stories from tion (NAMPA), the association for newspapers

a publication of

The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

Editorial Mission: Fifty Plus is dedicated to providing readers with accurate information, professional guidance, and useful resources. Our publication is intended to both reflect and enhance fifty-plus lifestyles, and to encourage reader dialogue and input.

Fifty Plus is published monthly and distributed free of charge. The advertising deadline is the 20th of each month for the upcoming issue. The entire contents of Fifty Plus are © 2017, The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by writers and columnists do not necessarily represent those of Fifty Plus or its staff.

Publisher/Editor: ........................Stuart Rosenthal Vice President of Operations:........Gordon Hasenei Sales Director: ..................................Alan Spiegel Managing Editor: ..........................Barbara Ruben Assistant Editor: ..........................Rebekah Alcalde Art Director: ....................................Kyle Gregor y Operations Manager:............................Roger King Advertising Representative: ................Wendy Bond

Fifty Plus Richmond • PO Box 2227 • Silver Spring, MD 20915 PH: 804-673-5203 • info@fiftyplusrichmond.com © Copyright 2017 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

our three Beacons in the National Mature Media Awards competition, where we won numerous other awards. We were unable to enter Fifty Plus in that competition as only stories published in 2016 were eligible, and that was before we became the publisher of Fifty Plus. We will certainly enter Fifty Plus in that contest next year!

Of course, whatever awards we do or do not win, what matters most to us is that you, our readers, are pleased with the practical information, news and entertainment you find each month in Fifty Plus.

Please let us know what you think — even (actually, especially) if you think we are missing the boat in any particular area.

Also feel free to share ideas for future stories and to recommend your fellow citizens for profiles. Your opinions, suggestions and letters to the editor are always welcome, whether you contact us by mail, phone, fax, email or online.

As we enter the holiday season, and the month graced with Thanksgiving in particular, I want to conclude by expressing my thanks to, and admiration for, the members

of our staff who work so diligently to produce the Beacon and Fifty Plus every month.

I’d like to thank those who work on Fifty Plus by name for their efforts and devoted contributions: Managing Editor Barbara Ruben, Assistant Editor Rebekah Alcalde, Contributing Writers Lisa Crutchfield and Martha Steger, Vice President of Operations Gordon Hasenei, Director of Sales Alan Spiegel, Art Director Kyle Gregory, Assistant Operations Manager (and webmaster) Roger King, Advertising Representatives Wendy Bond and Hubie Stockhausen, Social Media Assistant Steve Andrzejczyk, and last but certainly not least, my wife and Associate Publisher, Judy Rosenthal.

Neither Fifty Plus nor the Beacon would exist without all of their efforts, nor without you who read our publications each month. I offer my sincere appreciation to each of you.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in Fifty Plus as well as on political and social issues of the day.

Mail your Letter to the Editor to Fifty Plus, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to info@fiftyplusrichmond.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: I’ve just got to come to your defense. I was amazed (well almost) by the letter from the “irate” reader you wrote about in your From the Publisher column, “Let me explain, again,” in the October issue.

I don’t know what they were thinking to not realize that this was an advertisement, and that other than reviewing ads for truly inappropriate or vulgar content, your firm welcomes and publishes ads from as many advertisers as possible.

If the reader does not like the ad in question, don’t boycott Fifty Plus, just don’t patronize that particular advertiser. Publications make money from some combination of subscriptions, newsstand sales or advertising revenue. Of course, you provide your publication at no charge so advertising must foot the entire bill.

I’m sure the medical group that is running the ad in question is getting good results from the placement or they wouldn’t have run it in consecutive issues. I’m also sure the full page four-color back cover ad is the most expensive page you offer, and you’re glad to have the doctor as an advertiser.

Since your group saved Fifty Plus by pur-

chasing what was left of it, I would hope readers would be thankful that you’re investing what I’m sure is a good bit of money in upgrading the columns and features while trying to grow your advertiser base.

I enjoy your magazine and would be saddened if it went away. Looking at the October issue, I found a large amount of editorial content vs. advertising space, and many of the articles and features appealed to me.

One last thing for “Irate” to consider: on TV or the radio, if an annoying ad comes on (think one of those three-minute pharmaceutical ads that have 2½ minutes of disclaimers, or those radio ads with a phone number repeated eight times in a row), then you have to either mute your sound and endure the wait, or actually sit through the barrage. On the other hand, if you don’t like a print ad, you simply turn the page.

Keep up the good work!

Vic Hines Henrico Dear Editor: What happened to the calendar of events?

There was a calendar that showed everything See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 16

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

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Feature Story

Preserving the priceless and the prosaic

Working her way up Treadway is originally from Bergen County, N.J. She came to Virginia to get her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in history from the University of Virginia.

Treadway began work at the library in 1978 doing historical editing, and assumed she’d stay two or three years. Nearly 30 years later, in 2007, she became Virginia’s ninth Librarian.

The library, located at 800 E. Broad St. in Richmond, has a massive collection: 119 million manuscript items, and over 1.9 million books, serials, bound periodicals, microfilm reels, and state and federal documents.

Nearly 225,000 people visit the library each year, including historians, individuals tracing family history, journalists seeking information for stories, and government officials needing statistics.

The General Assembly created the Library of Virginia in 1823 to house state government papers dating back to the state’s beginning, when Patrick Henry was Virginia’s first governor.

The library preserves the records of all governors and the executive branch. When a state legislator leaves office, Treadway invites them to donate their papers.

She also oversaw a move to make the library more visible as a resource and institution.

“As I discovered the depth and richness of the collections, I got hooked finding ways to make them more accessible to the public,” she said. Formerly located in the Patrick Henry Building at 11th Street and Capitol Square, “We were hidden away,” she said.

Now the 316,500-square-foot library building stands prominently on one of Richmond’s main arteries, a few blocks from Capitol Square.

It’s been equipped with modern digital technology, enabling many of its records to be accessible to the public online. In addition, much of the library’s vast holdings are indexed in detail online, from naturalization records starting in 1657, to historical Virginia African American church records.

Treadway is most proud of helping transform a state agency that was under the radar and known only to serious researchers into an institution that reaches out and invites the general public to engage with the library’s resources, programs and exhibits.

Library staffers help teachers conduct indepth studies and develop teaching materials.

The library has publicly-available computers in the reading room, and publishes a quarterly magazine, Broadside, which covers library news and new projects, like the digitizing of yearbooks. The magazine is available free online at www.lva.virginia.gov/news/broadside.

In addition, the library lends books all over the United States through local libraries, and sponsors exhibits, workshops and talks for the public.

Making women visible Treadway has also taken an activist role in promoting recognition of women in history. She

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA

By Glenda C. Booth Though there are many librarians in Virginia, there is only one Librarian of Virginia, and that would be Dr. Sandra G. Treadway, who is also State Archivist at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

As the state’s Librarian and Archivist, she is the official guardian of some of Virginia’s most important and historic documents: the “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,” handwritten by Thomas Jefferson in 1785; Virginia’s original copy of the U.S. Bill of Rights, which the U.S. Congress sent to the state in 1789; all of Virginia’s constitutions; and some of the oldest court records in the United States.

At the same time, Treadway preserves decidedly more prosaic records that offer insight into the day-to-day life of Virginians, ranging from legal documents of centuries past to present-day high school yearbooks.

Did you know that between the 1770s and 1865, Virginians had to file a petition and win the state legislature’s approval to get a divorce, charter a business, or obtain certain public services?

For example, in 1817, Catherine Snyder asked the Virginia General Assembly to make her marriage to James Blake null and void because of his “long absence,” and to make her marriage to William Snyder legal and valid.

Meades Anderson sought the legislators’ blessing in 1752 to create a tobacco inspection establishment. And in 1810, Abington Bowles requested permission from Richmond to bring a slave named Jim from North Carolina into Virginia.

From the sublime to the nitty gritty, Treadway is enamored of all these documents because each constitutes a piece of Virginia history: whether of the earth-shaking kind or of the daily grind kind.

“These were the voices of ordinary Virginians of the past,” Treadway said in an interview. “Official governmental documents offer one window into the past, but just as important are the stories of these everyday Virginians and their struggles.”

“History does not have to be earthshaking,” she stressed.

Library of Virginia patrons can scroll through thousands of reels of microfilm and other digitized documents to do genealogy research or uncover information from Virginia newspapers and other historical documents.

specializes in Virginia history and the history of women in America, especially in the South.

Her interest in women’s history was sparked in the early 1970s when she concluded that traditional historians had largely overlooked women or relegated them to history’s shadows.

In those days, women’s studies was a new field with few scholars. To document women’s lives and contributions, researchers had to do a lot of sleuthing for information.

Even now, it sometimes takes persistence to uncover stories, she said. “There’s a gold mine here of women’s history,” she explained, “if you dig.”

In addition to having taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech, Treadway has written numerous articles, edited books, and given many talks about women’s history.

Many of the women who are subjects of her studies never made headlines or the history books — that is, until now. With Cynthia A. Kierner, Treadway is the editor of the twovolume Virginia Women, Their Lives and Times. Women described in the book include: Edy Turner, the Nottoway Indians’ “female chief;” Elizabeth Van Lew, “Southern Lady, Union Spy;” and Sadie Heath Cabaniss, mother of professional nursing in Virginia.

Another of her editing projects is titled Negotiating Boundaries of Southern Womanhood, Dealing with the Powers that Be, with essays on topics like Civil War pensions of African American women in Virginia, slave-holding widows, and white, working-class women in Confederate Richmond.

Her articles and talks have provocative titles like, “When Men Were Men and Women Were Invisible;” “Pioneers to Powerbrokers: Women Officeholders in Virginia;” and “Virginia Women Redefine Themselves After the War.”

Yearbooks, diaries and menus As a historian, Treadway understands how some records may seem insignificant in their own time, but can be unique sources of information, valuable to researchers and others in the future.

So she preserves a treasure trove of papers of private citizens and organizations, as well as items like high school yearbooks, soldiers’ diaries and plantation owners’ ledgers.

Also important is the library’s collection of Virginia newspapers from the 18th century to the present. They represent “the first draft of history,” in Treadway’s words.

The Visual Studies Collection also includes personal scrapbooks. “Each scrapbook is a complicated personal chronicle of experiences and memories,” wrote Dale Neighbors in Broadside, the library’s magazine. “Lives emerge gradually across pages, though often incompletely, as the significance of each item becomes harder to decipher over time and distanced from the book’s creator.”

Treadway agreed. “At the time, many family documents may seem to have little historical value, such as family letters that discuss ordinary, daily activities. Think into the future. Imagine what we would have lost if no See TREADWAY, page 5

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

KICKING THE HABIT It’s never too late to try to quit smoking.

Health improves immediately

Fitness &

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CHEW ON THIS Gum disease can lead to multiple problems, from heart disease to diabetes HEALTHIER MEATBALLS Try this recipe for a lighter meatball made from lean ground beef and mushrooms HARMONY AT HOME Advice on how to help your spouse lose weight or stop snoring

Probe helps surgeons get all the cancer

By Lauran Neergaard Patients emerging from cancer surgery want to know, “Did you get it all?� Now scientists are developing a pen-like probe to help surgeons better tell when it’s safe to stop cutting or if stray tumor cells still lurk.

The device is highly experimental, but laboratory tests show it uses molecular fingerprints to distinguish between cancerous cells and healthy ones far faster than today’s technology, Texas researchers reported. “That’s really anyone’s worst nightmare, to go through surgery and know there’s a chance� some cancer remains, said assistant chemistry professor Livia Eberlin of the University of Texas at Austin, who is leading the

work. “By providing real-time molecular information, we could really improve accuracy.�

Testing starts this winter Her team aims to begin testing the device during surgeries, starting with breast cancer, early next year.

When surgeons think they’ve removed all of a tumor, they often also remove a thin layer of surrounding tissue, called the margin, to be sure no cancer cells linger at the edge and increase the risk of relapse.

The problem: That check takes time, for pathologists to process the tissue and examine it under the microscope. For certain especially tricky tumors, surgeons sometimes

pause for a half-hour to more than an hour, the patient still under anesthesia, to await the results. For breast cancer and certain other types, often the answer doesn’t arrive until a few days after surgery, raising the possibility of repeat operations.

In contrast, “our device is able to give an immediate read-out in under a minute,� said UT research engineer Noah Giese.

How it works Cells produce unique sets of small molecules that perform various functions — and thus also act as fingerprints. Researchers place the pen-like device directly onto tissue, press a foot pedal to switch it on, and a tiny

amount of water emerges to gently pull molecules from the cells in that spot.

A tube carries the droplet to a machine called a mass spectrometer that identifies molecules by calculating their mass. Software then immediately analyzes whether the resulting fingerprint matches cancer or healthy tissue.

In lab tests of samples that had been taken from 253 patients with lung, ovary, thyroid or breast tumors, the so-called “MasSpec Pen� was more than 96 percent accurate in diagnosing cancer, researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. They See CANCER PROBE, page 6

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

Health Shorts Screening for cancer via a blood test?

Scientists have the first major evidence that blood tests called liquid biopsies hold promise for screening people for cancer.

Hong Kong doctors tried it for a type of head and neck cancer, and boosted early detection and one measure of survival.

The tests detect DNA that tumors shed into the blood. Some are used now to monitor cancer patients, and many companies are trying to develop versions of these for screening, as possible alternatives to mammograms, colonoscopies and other such tests. The new study shows this approach can work, at least for this one form of

Treadway From page 3 one had saved letters to and from family members during the Civil War,” she noted.

The library even maintains a collection of menus — from historic “bills of fare” to today’s takeout brochures — chronicling the state’s changing food ways.

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cancer and in a country where it’s common.

“This work is very exciting on the larger scale” because it gives a blueprint for how to make tests for other tumor types such as lung or breast, said Dr. Dennis Lo of Chinese University of Hong Kong. “We are brick by brick putting that technology into place.”

He led the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Lo is best known for discovering that fetal DNA can be found in a mom’s blood, which launched a new era of non-invasive testing for pregnant women.

The study involved nasopharyngeal cancer, which forms at the top of the throat behind the nose. It’s a good test case for DNA screening because it’s an aggressive cancer where early detection matters a lot, and screening could be tried in a population where the cancer is most common — middle-aged Chinese men.

Also, the Epstein-Barr virus is involved in most cases, so tests could hunt for viral DNA that tumors shed into the blood in large quantities, rather than rare bits of cancer cells

themselves.

About 20,000 men were screened, and viral DNA was found in 1,112, or 5.5 percent. Of those, 309 also had the DNA on confirmatory tests a month later. After endoscope and MRI exams, 34 turned out to have cancer.

More cases were found at the earliest stage — 71 percent versus only 20 percent of a comparison group of men who had been treated for nasopharyngeal cancer over the previous five years. That’s important because early cases often are cured with radiation alone, but more advanced ones need chemotherapy and treatment is less successful.

U.S. regulators have approved the first continuous blood sugar monitor for diabetics

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 6

With everything Treadway oversees, when asked about leisure activities, she replied, “Hobbies are something I hope to develop one day when I retire. My schedule doesn’t allow for them now, and when I’m not working, relaxing with family and friends or a good book is where you’ll find me.”

She and her husband, Jon Kukla, a historian and writer, live in Henrico. They have

one daughter and two grandchildren.

There’s a small poster on Treadway’s office bookshelf: “Well-behaved women rarely make history,” a quotation from Harvard University historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

Without any apparent bad behavior, Treadway has brought visibility to many who were never famous, never sought public accolades or lived grand lives, people who never made

history in the traditional sense, even as she makes history herself.

To learn more about the library, its collection and its programs, see www.lva.virginia.gov. The library accepts some books, family papers and business records. To offer yours, or for more information, contact Audrey McElhinney at (804) 692-0166 or Audrey.mcelhinney@lva.virginia.gov.

Blood sugar monitor without finger pricks

that doesn’t need backup finger prick tests.

Current models require users to test a drop of blood twice daily to calibrate, or adjust, the monitor.

The pain of finger sticks and the cost of testing supplies discourage many people from keeping close tabs on their blood sugar, which is needed to manage insulin use and adjust what they eat.

Abbott’s new FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, uses a small sensor attached to the upper arm. Patients wave a reader device over it to see the current blood sugar level and changes over the past eight hours.

Most of the 30 million Americans with diabetes use standard glucose meters, which require multiple finger pricks each day and only show current sugar level. More-accurate continuous glucose monitoring devices are

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Fitness & Health | www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

Health shorts From page 5 used by about 345,000 Americans.

But most don’t do the finger pricks to calibrate them and may get inaccurate readings, said Dr. Timothy Bailey, who helped test FreeStyle Libre.

“We’re able to lower blood sugar safely” with this technology, said Bailey, director of the Advanced Metabolic Care and Research Institute in California. He receives consulting fees from various diabetes device makers.

Too-high blood sugar levels can damage organs and lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness and amputations. Very low blood sugar can cause seizures, confusion and loss of consciousness.

Abbott’s device was approved for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and should be available in pharmacies within months.

NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

The company, based near Chicago, did not disclose the price of the reader or the sensors.

Abbott’s system can’t be used with an insulin pump, a device worn against the skin that allows users to inject insulin as needed, but the company is planning improvements to eventually enable that.

Rival Medtronic this spring launched a device in which the insulin pump automatically responds to blood sugar changes recorded by the sensor and either withholds or injects insulin as needed.

Few properly dispose of excess pain pills

pain had subsided, although a few said they stopped over concerns about addiction risks.

Fewer than one-third had gotten rid of their leftover pills or had plans to; an even smaller number — fewer than 10 percent — had considered or followed proper ways to dispose of the narcotics.

The study was published in JAMA Surgery.

Authorities say opioid painkillers should be stored in their original packaging and kept locked inside a cabinet out of children’s reach. Some drugstores, including CVS and Walgreens, collect unused medications. People can also take leftovers to hospital pharmacies or police stations.

The Drug Enforcement Administration lists disposal locations by zip code online at http://bit.ly/drug_disposal.

— AP

Cancer probe

Ahuja said. While she stressed that the handheld pen needs lots more research to prove if it really works, she said it might be easier to use than some other candidates under development.

If it pans out, doctors would have to place the pen on multiple spots to check an entire wound. Researchers noted it doesn’t appear to harm tissue, meaning pathologists still could double-check with standard techniques when human testing begins.

— AP

Surgery patients often end up with leftover opioid painkillers and store the remaining pills

M ARK YO UR CALE NDAR

Ongoing

improperly at home, a study suggests.

The research raises concerns about overprescribing addictive medicine that could end in the wrong hands.

Uncertainty among doctors about how much medicine patients really need after common operations contributes to the problem. Many patients also don’t know how to safely get rid of unused medications, said lead researcher Dr. Mark Bicket, a Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist.

Bicket and colleagues reviewed six studies involving 810 patients. Surgeries included operations on the skin, lungs, shoulder and hands, cesarean sections and dental work.

At least two-thirds of patients reported having leftover opioids afterward; often more than half the prescribed pills were unused.

Most stopped taking the drugs because their

From page 4

SENIOR YOGA

Chesterfield County offers a beginners yoga class for seniors on Mondays, through Dec. 4 from 3 to 3:45 p.m. There will be no class on Nov. 20. Increase your flexibility and reduce stress while using a chair for both sitting and standing postures. The class meets at Huguenot Road Baptist Church, 10525 West Huguenot Rd., North Chesterfield. The cost is $25. For more information or to register, visit www.chesterfield.gov/activelifestyles.

also successfully used the pen during a handful of operations on mice.

“It’s intriguing technology,” said Dr. Nita Ahuja, chief of surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the work.

Surgeons need new tools to catch residual cancer in the operating room, and developing molecular techniques to try is a hot new field,

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PACE is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Federal Government.

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

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It’s never too late to try to quit smoking Q: I have been a heavy smoker for cancers are cut in half, and stroke risk falls to most of my life. Is there any benefit for that of a non-smoker. me to quit smoking now, There are also other benefits since it’s been so long? besides your health. For examA: Tobacco is still the single ple, food will taste better, the largest cause of preventable dissense of smell returns to norease and death in the United mal, and the money that was States. used on cigarettes can be spent Smoking is especially dangeron other things. ous in older adults, since they are already at an increased risk How to quit for cardiovascular disease and Some people can just decide respiratory problems. Additionone day that they are going to ally, cigarette smoke can cause DR. RX quit, and they never pick up a problems by interacting with By Rebecca Patterson cigarette again. This is known some medications that older as quitting “cold turkey.” adults are commonly prescribed.

However, since the nicotine in cigarettes No matter how long you’ve been smoking, can cause an addiction, it may take some time there are many benefits to smoking cessation for others to quit. that can be seen both in the short-term and There are many things you can do to assist long-term: with the quitting process. For example, self—Within 24 hours of the last cigarette, tapering (slowly decreasing the amount of blood pressure and heart rate are lower, car- cigarettes smoked in a day) can be easier bon monoxide levels in the blood drop to nor- than quitting cold turkey. mal, and the chance of having a heart attack Avoiding situations that give you the urge decreases. to smoke, and reducing stress levels in gen—Within one year, coughing and short- eral, can be effective. There are also several ness of breath decreases, and the excess risk medications, such as nicotine replacement of coronary heart disease is cut in half. therapies, that can ease this process. [For —Within five years, the risks of certain more information, see “Nicotine replacements

can help you quit,” Fifty Plus, July 2017, p. 8.]

But no matter how you go about quitting, the most important thing you can do is to make a plan to quit. This will help you identify challenges you may face and come up with ways to overcome them. Having a plan has also been proven to increase your chances of quitting for good.

Your primary care doctor or pharmacist can assist you with making an individualized plan.

Other resources that are available and free to the public are websites like www.smokefree.gov or telephone quitlines like 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The Great American Smokeout Sponsored by the American Cancer Soci-

ety, the Great American Smokeout is an annual event held the third Thursday in November that is used to encourage smokers to quit.

This year the date is Nov. 16. For more information, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800227-2345.

If you think you are ready to take the next step, you can use this day to make a plan, quit smoking, and start a healthier life!

Rebecca Patterson is a fourth-year Pharm.D. student at the VCU School of Pharmacy. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at James Madison University. Her main interest is pediatric pharmacy, and she hopes to pursue a career working with pediatric patients in a clinical setting.

M A R K YO U R C ALE NDAR

Nov. 16

HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKSHOP

Chesterfield County presents “Stay Strong, Stay Safe! A TRIAD Community Workshop” on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 7500 Hull Street Rd., North Chesterfield.

Participants will attend seminars to promote health and safety awareness. Topics include fire and fall safety, and a demonstration of chair exercise routines. Exhibitors will provide information about county services from Chesterfield Fire/EMS, Chesterfield Police, Chesterfield Sherriff’s Office, Office of the Attorney General, Better Business Bureau, and the Office of the Senior Advocate. For more information or to register, contact the Chesterfield Office of the Senior Advocate at (804) 768-7878.

Wellness Workshop

Living Well with Parkinson’s Disease Guest speaker

Mark S. Baron, M.D.

Professor of Neurology at Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Virginia Commonwealth University Deputy Director at Southeast PADDREC, Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center

Roundtable Discussions with Healthcare Professionals, Movement Session featuring Rock Steady Boxing

Tuesday, December 12th 10:00AM to 2:00PM (Registration begins at 9:30AM) Parkside at Beth Sholom Sara Belle November Auditorium 1550 John Rolfe Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238

Who Should Attend?

People with Parkinson’s Disease, including young onset, caregivers, and health professionals.

For more information visit us at bslcc.org, or call (804) 750-2183.

Register online at bethsholomwellnessworkshop2.eventbrite.com

This workshop is FREE and sponsored by Beth Sholom Lifecare Community’s Push for Parkinson’s Program which is supported by an Impact Grant from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.

www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com | Fitness & Health

FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

9

Tooth and gum care affects overall health

By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: I recently had my usual teeth cleaning. My gums are a bit inflamed with gingivitis. The dentist said if it gets worse, it could affect my overall health. What can happen and why?

A: Gum disease begins when sticky, bacterialaden plaque builds up around the teeth. Gingivitis is the mild form of gum disease. But left untreated, this condition can turn into periodontal disease, which can lead to swollen, red or tender gums that bleed easily.

Periodontal disease has long been known as the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. But the damage isn’t confined to the mouth. Gum disease has also been associated with threats to our health.

Like our intestines, our mouths house complex ecosystems of bacteria, known as the oral microbiome. And as in the gut, different types of bacteria compete for space.

When all the species are in balance, the gums are protected from disease-causing bacteria. Disturbing this balance provides an opening for pathogens to invade, causing periodontal disease, which further disrupts the bacterial balance.

Pathogenic bacteria initiate periodontal disease. But the real damage to the gums is caused by the inflammatory response to the bacteria.

That is, the disease-causing bacteria trigger a response from the body’s immune system. The white blood cells summoned to eradicate them produce substances that not only destroy bacteria, but also damage gum tissue.

Periodontal disease creates a state of low grade inflammation throughout the body.

When inflammation persists, it’s associated with a higher risk of multiple medical problems, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia and some cancers.

It’s not clear that periodontal disease actually causes these health problems, or rather if people with chronic health issues have more difficulty taking care of their teeth and gums.

Take these steps to help prevent gum disease and heal gingivitis before it progresses to periodontal disease: Brush your teeth at least twice a day, and floss before bedtime. Don’t smoke.

Eat foods that help suppress inflammation — vegetables and vegetable oils, fruits, legumes, nuts and fatty fish. Get regular dental check-ups and cleanings (at least every 6 to 12 months).

Your dentist may recommend that you have them more frequently.

Q: I have been quite fatigued over the past two weeks. I don’t have any other symptoms. How long should I wait before seeing a doctor?

A: That’s a great question, but one that

does not have a scientific answer.

We all go through periods when our energy level is down. It might last a few days, but most often we bounce back after slowing down a bit and getting a good night’s sleep.

Even a week or two of feeling more tired than usual is not uncommon.

Fatigue is a relative term, meaning each of us evaluate our current energy level based upon how we feel most of the time. For example, people who are very energetic and go nonstop from early morning to late at night might say they have fatigue if they felt like most of us do every day.

Despite that variation, most people do have a sense when their level of fatigue feels like something more than just being tired. If that’s the case, even if it lasted only seven to 10 days, it’s time to call your doctor’s office.

Signs that your fatigue might be related to an underlying illness or infection include low grade fever, night sweats, shortness of breath, or loss of appetite.

Other triggers for calling your doctor might be waking up exhausted despite a good night’s sleep, not feeling motivated to begin the day, or struggling to do activities that are usually easy for you.

When I see patients with a primary complaint of fatigue who have no other symptoms

and a normal physical exam, I usually don’t find a specific cause. And they usually get better on their own.

I may order some simple blood tests to rule out problems such as anemia, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), liver inflammation (hepatitis), or abnormal electrolytes (blood chemistries). I also consider whether the fatigue is related to medication, depression, anxiety or sleep apnea.

If none of these queries provide a diagnosis, I am not surprised when a patient asks me, “Then why I am so tired?” Honestly, I won’t have an immediate answer. I speculate whether it could be a low grade viral infection, but have no proof.

Although it’s not very satisfying to my patients or me, I tell them that in the great majority of these situations, the fatigue resolves on its own. The important message I leave with them is to continue to call me if their energy level is not picking up.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

For additional consumer health information, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2017 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

Hearty, healthy spaghetti and meatballs

By Melissa D’Arabian Spaghetti and meatballs was the classic dish I ate at Grandma’s house growing up.

She had her all-day recipe that filled her creaky house with heady aromas that built anticipation as meatballs simmered in sauce on the stove.

The fact that she was 100 percent first-generation German — she emigrated at the age of 6 — never stopped me from making her S recipe the benchmark by which every other meatball would be judged.

Tweaking her recipe to lighten it up a bit, and make it weekday-friendly by shortening the cook time, was a task I didn’t take lightly.

And truth to be told: There is a special place in this rush-to-eat food world for the leisurely simmer of small orbs of meat in thick, tangy tomato sauce covered in a fine slick of co-min-

gled pork and beef fat that has gently floated to the top.

But life is busy, and we need to get a healthy dinner on the table and move on. I get it. The meatball recipe below is for those nights.

First to change: The fatty mix of pork and beef became simply lean (93 percent) beef.

Feel free to mix in turkey, but our family preferred the beef.

The next tweak: I added a half pound of mushrooms for every pound of beef to stretch the meat out and add in nutrients. I pulsed the mushrooms in a food processor, and then cooked them with another healthy meat stretcher — onions. (Here, you could add other veggies too: shredded zucchini, carrot and chopped spinach work great.)

I added the mushroom and onion mixture

M ARK YO UR CAL EN DAR

Ongoing

ALZHEIMER’S AWARENESS MONTH

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month, and the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging people to lend a hand to caregivers. Educate yourself about Alzheimer’s disease — its symptoms, its progression and the common challenges facing caregivers. The more you know, the easier it will be to find ways to help. For more information on resources and information, visit www.alz.org. D

right in with the ground beef, and they added flavor, moisture and bulk, with nary an added calorie (nor a suspicious eye from any of my four kids).

I used one egg white (no yolk), and used oats pulsed into a coarse flour instead of breadcrumbs. Simmer these meatballs directly in a pot of a high-quality jarred marinara sauce (check for no added sugar), and in 20 minutes, they will be succulent, tender, and juicy.

Almost like Grandma’s.

Lightened Italian Meatballs Servings: 6 Start to finish: 40 minutes 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups) 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped, about 3/4 cup 1 teaspoon olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 pound 93 percent lean ground beef 2 tablespoons grated parmesan 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1/3 cup oats, pulsed or blended into a coarse powder

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1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 cups jarred marinara sauce, with no sugar added Place the sliced mushrooms in a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times, until the mushrooms are the texture of coarse couscous. Do not overprocess or it will become pasty.

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, onion and mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until onion and mushrooms are softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 12 minutes.

Add the garlic, Italian herb blend, salt and pepper, give it a quick stir, and then remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the egg white and the cooled mushroom mixture. Add the ground beef and mix together, using hands if necessary. Add the parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, fresh basil and ground oats and mix together, just until blended.

Use a small ice cream scoop to portion out uniform meatballs, and roll them gently together in your hands. (You will have approximately 26 meatballs 1.5 inch in diameter.)

Pour the marinara sauce into a heavy sauce pan or small Dutch oven. Gently place the meatballs in the sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer gently for 20 minutes, removing the cover about halfway through the cook time. Serve.

Chef’s Note: This recipe yields tender, juicy meatballs, but for caramelized, crustier meatballs, bake on a foil-lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes at 375 F, and then toss in sauce.)

Nutrition information per serving: 233 calories; 80 calories from fat; 9 g. fat (3 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 49 mg. cholesterol; 724 mg. sodium; 17 g. carbohydrate; 4 g. fiber; 8 g. sugar; 22 g. protein.

For more recipes from Melissa D’Arabian, go to www.melissadarabian.net.

— AP

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Nov. 16

KINSHIP SUPPORT GROUP

The Kinship Connection Support Group is for grandparents raising their grandchildren, and other kin raising a child, on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at the Community Development Building, 9800 Government Center Pkwy., Chesterfield. For more information, call (804) 768-7878 or email SeniorAdvocate@chesterfield.gov.

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

11

Spouse improvement programs backfire Dear Solutions: away from her, however she looks. Tell her For a while, both my wife and myself your concern is that she stay healthy so you were overweight and incan keep on walking with her. dulging ourselves. Now I Dear Solutions: started to do something about My live-in companion it, playing tennis and working snores terribly. It wakes me out. up, and I can’t get back to But my wife won’t budge sleep after that. As a result, to do any exercise. I love I’m tired all day, and I even her, and I think it’s bad for fell asleep at the table yesher health. I even tried to terday. make her a little jealous by So last night I asked him to telling her about the very atmove into another room. He tractive women who play SOLUTIONS got very angry and stormed

By Helen Oxenberg, doubles with me. out saying maybe he should I try to get her to take up MSW, ACSW move into another house. How tennis, but she only answers, can I resolve this?

“Leave me alone. I’m happy I learned — Lois how to walk.” How do I motivate her?

Dear Lois: — Len The roar of the snore is heard in the land!

Dear Len: There seems to be more and more attention Start where she’s at. She learned how to being paid to the problem, which may be walk, so walk with her. That’s a good form of helpful to you. exercise, and if you show her you enjoy her First, though, next time you wake up, think company and want to go on brisk walks with about why he reacted with such anger at your her, she won’t have to react to your attempts request. Is he feeling rejected in other areas to make her jealous. Those attempts may be of your relationship? Pay attention to what’s having exactly the opposite effect. happening between you.

And stop nagging her. Reassure her that As for the snoring, suggest that he see his you love her, and you never want to walk doctor, since there are different methods of

controlling this today. Meanwhile, Lois, go in that other room and take a nap.

Dear Solutions: My woman friend wants us to get married. Right now, we live in two separate apartments, and I spend every weekend at her place, and sometimes weekdays also.

I want to marr y her, but right now I want to move in with her first before getting married. This living in two places is getting to the point where I don’t know where some of my things are anymore.

The other morning it was raining and my umbrella was at her house.

Don’t you think it makes sense for us

to live in one place? How can I convince her?

— John Dear John: Easily. Just bring a ring, a minister/ rabbi/judge and marriage license to her house, and then I’m sure you will have convinced her to let you move in. At least you’ll know where your umbrella is! © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

M A R K YO U R CAL EN DA R

Nov. 11

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION

Chesterfield County has invited representatives of veteran organizations throughout the region to lay wreaths along the Veterans Memorial wall in front of the 1917 Historic Courthouse on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. Commander Heather H. Quilenderino, USN, Operations Officer, Fleet Weather Center, will be the guest speaker. Music will be performed by the Thomas Dale High School band and the L.C. Bird High School chorus. After the ceremony, see the Chesterfield County Museum exhibit, “Ringing in the Centennial of Chesterfield’s 1917 Courthouse.” The courthouse is located at 1917 Courthouse Green, 10011 Iron Bridge Rd. For more information, call (804) 796-7156 or email chsvexecutivemanager@gmail.com.

804-355-3013 1620 N. Hamilton Street Richmond, VA 23230

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

Money Law &

Divorce after 50 can be costly and complex. See story on page 15.

Strategies to stop being the family ATM

By Liz Weston If you want someone to stop asking you for money, the worst thing you can do is say no and then give in after persistent pleading.

Such “intermittent reinforcement” — granting a reward after an unpredictable number of requests — makes it more likely the person will ask for another handout than if you just said yes at the start, said Brad Klontz, a certified financial planner and psychologist in Lihue, Hawaii, who researches financial psychology. It’s the same dynamic that lures people to slot machines and lotteries.

Klontz doesn’t actually advise giving in.

But he said understanding the psychology on both sides of what he calls “financial enabling” can help people change their behavior.

Financial enabling means giving money in ways that keep the recipients from taking responsibility and solving their own problems.

It may include providing financial support to an able-bodied person who refuses to work, bailing a chronic debtor out of another financial jam or serving as a de facto emergency fund for someone who refuses to save.

The best way to stop enabling is to first recognize when you’re doing it and then cre-

ate a plan for saying no.

They’re your kids — and adults Financial enabling can occur between friends and romantic partners but seems most common between parents and their adult children, financial planners say. It can be especially problematic for retirees who may run short of money because of their generosity.

“The biggest risk facing retirees these days is being a financial rescuer to their adult children,” said Tom Balcom, a certified financial planner in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla. Several of Balcom’s clients took sizable withdrawals from their portfolios in the past year to support adult children. Balcom explained to his clients that if they kept up their financial aid, their retirement could be impoverished.

“We had to be very clear that at this rate, you’ll be running out of money in X years,” Balcom said. The clients seemed to take the warnings seriously, and Balcom said he’s reasonably confident they won’t endanger their financial futures.

Enablers often don’t see that their generosity fuels dependency and takes away motivation for the recipients to support themselves, said psychologist Megan Ford in Athens,

Georgia, who is president of the Financial Therapy Association.

Instead, enablers get caught up in the details of the latest crisis, often believing this handout will be the last one the recipient needs to get on his or her feet. The person being enabled may share that conviction, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Before you say yes Telling enablers to just say no doesn’t work, since few are willing to stop the behavior cold turkey, therapists and planners say.

Instead, enablers should ask themselves the following questions: • Will this money actually help? It’s one thing to aid someone who’s been financially responsible but has fallen on hard times. It’s another to give money to people who chronically overspend or under-earn.

The latter won’t have any motivation to change their behavior if others constantly ride to their financial rescue.

“If this is a pattern that they’re running out of money every six months, that speaks to a larger issue that won’t be addressed by continuing to throw money at them,” Ford said.

• Is there a better way to help? En-

ablers may be concerned about losing the relationship with the enabled, but there usually are other ways to be supportive, Ford said.

Instead of handing over cash, the rescuer could offer to pay essential expenses such as rent or medical bills if they can afford to do so. Any financial help should come with a firm deadline of when the assistance will end, such as six months, Klontz said. Offering to find or pay for financial planning, therapy or coaching is another way to help without enabling.

• How can you make this decision stick?

Once they’re refused or cut off, the enabled may throw “adult temper tantrums” that can include guilt trips, vows to move across the country with the grandchildren, verbal abuse, or even threats of physical violence, Klontz said. Enablers who worry about their safety should contact an attorney or law enforcement for help, Ford said.

Others may look to a financial planner or therapist for support. “You can appeal to the higher authority,” Klontz said. “You can say, ‘Sorry, I want to help, but my financial planner said it just isn’t possible.’”

Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner, and author of Your Credit Score. Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com.

— Nerdwallet via AP

Don’t procrastinate rebalancing portfolio

By Eleanor Laise Rebalancing a portfolio is like going to the gym. You know you should, but it’s so easy to put the task off until tomorrow, or next week, or next year. That’s especially true when stocks, now in the ninth year of a bull market, seem to march ever higher. Shifting money from winning stocks to low-yielding bonds may sound tougher than tackling that treadmill.

Older investors may have particular trouble rebalancing — that is, routinely tweaking their portfolios to keep stock, bond and cash allocations close to their long-term targets — a recent study suggests. Researchers at Morningstar, the American College and Texas Tech University analyzed 401(k) plan participants’ re-

sponses to a risk-tolerance questionnaire.

Compared with younger investors, 51- to 65-year-olds gave responses that were heavily influenced by recent stock-market performance. After a stock surge, they were more willing to take risks, and after a stock slump, they were less willing — which could lead investors to sell low and buy high. Clearly, “this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing if you’re rebalancing a portfolio,” said Michael Finke, chief academic officer at the American College and co-author of the study.

If you don’t rebalance, your stock allocation may grow far beyond your comfort zone, setting you up for unpleasant surprises in a market downturn. Rebalancing also has its

drawbacks, including transaction costs and potential tax consequences. But with a disciplined rebalancing strategy, you can minimize costs while taming portfolio risks.

Why are older investors more likely than their younger peers to have a bigger risk appetite after stocks have climbed? They may simply be paying more attention to the market, Finke said. When you’re entering retirement, he said, “you have to rely on that nest egg, and can get particularly emotionally involved with your portfolio.”

Create a routine You can rein in that emotion by sticking with a set strategy. You could rebalance by the

calendar — say, every quarter or every year.

Or you could pick a threshold, rebalancing only when an allocation drifts more than 5 or 10 percentage points away from your target.

In terms of maximizing returns, it doesn’t much matter which strategy you choose — they all produce roughly the same returns, when adjusted for the level of risk in the portfolio, according to research by Vanguard. But to strike a balance between controlling risks and minimizing costs, Vanguard found it makes sense to monitor your portfolio annually or semiannually and rebalance when an allocation has drifted more than 5 percentage See REBALANCING, page 14

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

13

Try before you buy from online retailers

By Joseph Pisani Amazon is set to launch a service that lets customers order clothes, try them on at home, and pay only for what they keep. It sounds novel, but Amazon is actually late to the party. Several online startups have offered try-before-you-buy options for items including jewelry, clothing, glasses and more.

It makes shoppers less nervous about buying online, the companies say, and also gives people a chance to touch and try on a necklace or shirt before splurging. The retailers also know that getting you to try something at home means you’re more likely to keep it.

Some offer home try-ons for free, others charge a fee or hold a small amount on a credit card until the items are returned. All offer free shipping both ways. But if you forget to send the items back on time, or damage them, you’ll likely have to pay the full price.

Here’s how some of the services work:

Clothing Trunk Club, which is owned by department store operator Nordstrom, sends a box of stylist-approved clothing whenever you want for $25 a box. You have five days to try on the clothes and send back what you don’t want.

You’ll be charged for any items you don’t return, and the $25 fee will be deducted from the

cost of what you buy. Stitch Fix offers a similar service for $20 a box.

The Black Tux, an online tuxedo and suit rental service, will send over an outfit to try on for free for 48 hours.

test run. “Why not bring the showroom to the consumer’s home?” she said.

Lumoid recently signed a deal with Best Buy, and shoppers at BestBuy.com will soon be able to rent out some of Best Buy’s cameras and fitness trackers.

Glasses At Warby Parker, you can pick out five frames to try for five days for free. The company does ask for your credit card information during the test run and will charge for frames that are lost or damaged. If you decide to buy one, you send the test frames back and the company will send new ones.

Electronics Lumoid lends used cameras, drones and other electronics for a fee to help customers decide which one to buy. The rental fees vary: A three-day test of a Canon camera with a lens costs $57. Lumoid also lets users rent three smartwatches for $53, or three highend headphones for $30 and up.

If you decide to buy something, a part of the rental fee is deducted from the purchase price. And customers can opt to buy a used item or new one from Lumoid.

Founder and CEO Aarthi Ramamurthy said people are overwhelmed with the number of gadgets available, and Lumoid offers a

Jewelry Rocksbox sends members who pay $21 a month three pieces of jewelry at a time, including earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

You can wear them and keep them as long as you want. If you decide to buy anything, keep it at home and send the rest back. A $21 credit is taken off the price.

For those who plan to get hitched, Four Mine gives you three days to try on three engagement rings at home. The test rings are made with metal instead of gold or platinum, and use a fake diamond to help it look like the real deal. The company places a $1 credit card hold for each ring until they are returned, and

charges $50 each for ones that aren’t sent back.

Almost any site Still in its testing mode, Try.com says it has developed technology that lets shoppers try before they buy at many online retailers.

Users pay $8.25 a month to add a button to their Chrome Internet browser and a Try.com option shows up on any site. Click the link, and Try.com pays for the items. Members have seven days to try clothing, shoes or accessories and send back any items they don’t want. If you keep anything, Try.com will charge you for it.

Try.com, along with a mobile app, officially launches sometime in November, but it has been in a testing phase earlier in the fall, when the monthly fee was just $2.99. Cofounder and CEO Ankush Sehgal said members try about $500 worth of items at a time, and about 70 percent of customers buy at least one item.

— AP

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

The bucket approach to a retirement plan Planning for retirement is not easy. Many Three kinds of risk readers write me with their concerns, and Smith discusses three major types of risk one of the most common is that in retirement planning — marthey won’t have sufficient assets ket risk, interest rate risk, and to provide the income they need “sequence of returns” risk — for a retirement that may last 30 and how to counteract them. years or more.

He also shows how you can Another common question is structure your assets for a sehow to structure an asset base that cure income flow. will be stable enough to withstand The book will be helpful to market fluctuations. you whether you develop a reFinancial planner Jason Smith tirement plan by yourself, or addresses these concerns in a useuse the services of an experiful new book, The Bucket Plan: Pro- THE SAVINGS enced financial planner. tecting and Growing Your Assets for GAME Particularly helpful is Smith’s a Worry-Free Retirement (Greenleaf By Elliot Raphaelson use of a real-life planning examBook Group). One of Smith’s menple: a couple who successfully tors, IRA expert Ed Slott, who will be familiar to structured their assets in order to provide semany readers of this column, wrote the foreword. cure and reliable income for early years as The Bucket Plan does a good job of making well as growth for retirement years. The exsophisticated financial planning techniques ample is thorough and excellent, gaming out simple to understand and easy to execute. The such contingencies as the death of the husbook will be particularly helpful to individuals band, the major income producer, before rewho have not yet developed a comprehensive, tirement age. written financial plan.

A good financial plan can be effective even in Smith recommends planning around vari- bad times. In this example, it was critical that ous phases of your life, and shows how to the husband was covered with sufficient life instructure your investments for each phase so surance to ensure that his wife would have sufthat you will not jeopardize your long-term ficient assets for her retirement. objectives.

Smith argues that the biggest mistake most

people make is skipping over the preservation phase of the money cycle and going directly from accumulation to distribution.

He believes that many pre-retirees can get into trouble in the first phase of retirement by continuing to invest all their money as if they were a long way from retirement, forgetting that major market corrections happen.

The danger is that an ill-timed market correction could have a devastating impact on their retirement plans. (That is the aforementioned “sequence of returns” risk.) Smith emphasizes the importance of preserving a portion of assets conservatively during the first phase of retirement.

Creating your buckets The author believes that you can counteract the three major retirement risks by using three “buckets” as the foundation of the planning process.

The “now bucket” is your conservative one with safe and liquid investments for emergencies and short-term planned expenses, and enough income for up to the next 12 months

Rebalancing From page 12 points from your target.

To further trim costs, rebalance with portfolio cash flows. Whenever you receive dividends or interest, take required minimum distributions, or make new contributions to your accounts, direct incoming cash toward your underweighted asset classes while pulling withdrawals from overweighted ones.

That way, you reduce the need to sell securities, which reins in trading costs and taxes.

Look at tax impacts If you do need to make rebalancing trades, try to concentrate them in your tax-advantaged accounts, where you won’t trigger capital-gains taxes, said Colleen Jaconetti, senior investment analyst with Vanguard. And if you have to sell holdings in a taxable account,

if you are retiring or close to retiring.

The second bucket is the “soon bucket,” designed to achieve conservative growth while avoiding market risk and interest rate risk. Another objective is to provide income and withdrawals for the first phase of retirement, taking into consideration required minimum distributions (RMDs.) Another objective is an inflation hedge.

The third bucket has three objectives: 1) growth and income for the next phase of retirement for the rest of your life; 2) minimizing taxes; and 3) long-term care/disability funds to pay for healthcare expenses for the rest of your life.

Peace of mind in retirement is a matter of both mitigating risk and taking advantage of growth opportunities. I believe The Bucket Plan can help you work toward that peace of mind, no matter what shape your finances are in or how close to retirement you are.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2017 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. focus on those that will generate the least gains.

If your taxable trades are likely to generate a big tax bill, consider rebalancing just to your comfort-zone threshold rather than your long-term target. For example, you could trim a 59 percent stock weighting back to 55 percent if your long-term target is 50 percent.

That way, you stay within your comfort zone and avoid incurring excessive costs, Jaconetti said.

For those who could use a helping hand, plenty of advisers and investment vehicles will do the rebalancing work for you. Targetdate mutual funds, for example, automatically rebalance and become more conservative over time. To be rid of the rebalancing chore, however, you’d have to keep your entire portfolio in such vehicles. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

M A R K YO U R C ALE NDAR

Nov. 30

DINNER AND AUCTION

Women’s Health Virginia presents “Take Thyme for Women’s Health,” a dinner and silent auction on Thursday, Nov. 30. The reception and silent auction begins at 6:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 7:15 p.m. At the four-course dinner, each course is prepared by a top area chef, and is paired with beverages from Virginia wineries and a cidery. There will also be a silent auction featuring art, household goods, clothing and accessories, entertainment, leisure activities and other treasures from local and regional donors. Proceeds benefit Women’s Health Virginia programs to improve women and girls’ health and wellbeing through education, research and collaboration. Tickets start at $100, with special tickets for Friends at $150 and Patrons at $250. The program will take place at Keswick Hall & Golf Club, located at 701 Club Dr. in Charlottesville. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/WomensHealthVirginia or call (434) 220-4500.

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

15

Calculating the true cost of divorce at 50+

By Scott Hanson You’re sitting across the kitchen table from your spouse, when she informs you that she wants to separate. After decades of marriage, you’re facing divorce.

While becoming unwillingly single can be difficult at any stage of life, splitting up after the age of 50 can be doubly devastating, because you have a limited amount of time to financially recover before retirement.

According to Pew research, you’re hardly alone. That’s because while the American divorce rate has actually declined for every other age demographic, the divorce rate among U.S. adults 50 and older has roughly doubled since the 1990s.

America is facing what’s being called the “gray divorce epidemic.” Many studies have been done about its cause, some concluding that once the children leave the nest, couples discover they’ve lost their shared purpose and don’t have much in common anymore.

But no matter what the underlying cause, divorce is expensive, and once it becomes inevitable, you have little choice but to reactively take steps to protect yourself financially.

Major money Right from the first phone call, depending on their ZIP code, a divorce attorney might

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Nov. 25

FRIENDSHIP AND FEAST

Chesterfield County presents “Friendship, Trade & Feast” at Henricus Historical Park on Saturday, Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join the English and Virginia Indian historical interpreters at Henricus for the autumn harvest feasts and fun common to all people in 17th-century Virginia. Visitors will have a chance to be immersed in the cooking, games and songs that were common to the homes in 1611-1622 Virginia. This event will further interpret the history of the first “Thanksgiving” in English America. The park is located at 251 Henricus Park Rd. in Chester.

Admission costs $8 for adults; $6 for children ages 6 to 12. Henricus patrons are free. For more information, call (804) 748-1611 or visit www.henricus.org.

charge you anywhere from $250 to $650 an hour. In brass tacks, the average cost of an amicable divorce falls somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000.

But being that divorces are typically emotionally charged, clean breaks are rare. Typically, the longer you’ve been together, the more assets you’ve acquired, and the more expensive the process.

I’ve seen couples spend $200,000 in legal fees in a tug of war over a $1.5 million estate.

That’s partly because older people, while usually not involved in long, drawn-out child custody battles, have less time to rebuild financially, which means divorce can literally be a fight for your future standard of living.

It’s difficult to recover from divorce when you’re older because, after 50, you’re more likely to have maxed out your earning potential, your assets may be mostly fixed, and your employment opportunities tend to become more limited.

And while it’s true that older divorcers generally have more assets than younger people, they often don’t have as much money as they think they do.

Case in point: I worked with a 67-year-old client who had over $1.5 million in a traditional IRA, and whose husband had filed for divorce. He was insisting that he was entitled

to half that amount, or $750,000. He wanted a cashier’s check.

He’d forgotten that the money in traditional IRAs — and also 401(k)s — is taxed when it’s withdrawn (the actual percentage depends on things like the amount of your other income, along with the amount of the distribution). Plus, if you’re under age 59½, an extra 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty may apply.

Of course, there are divorce decree exceptions, which allow the IRA or 401(k) participant to forgo the 10 percent penalty (if the money is rolled over into the spouse’s IRA). But the money is not liquid, and once it’s withdrawn, combined federal and state tax rates as high as 52 percent (depending on your state’s income tax rate) could be due.

And what about brokerage accounts? If you need to liquidate investments in your brokerage account(s) to settle a divorce decree, you’ll get hit with long-term capital gains tax (as high as 20 percent, but it varies).

How much you end up paying depends on the factors listed above (such as the tax rate of the state you live in), but I’ve seen jaws literally drop open in disbelief over the actual post-tax value of once-bragged-about brokerage accounts.

A house divided But retirement and brokerage accounts can seem relatively straightforward when compared to the division of other assets.

Probably the key asset that gray divorcers must divide is the value of the home.

What makes the home asset substantially more complex is that, often, one of the partners wants to stay put. This means they may have to give up their rights to other assets in return for a house that could experience a substantial decline in value in a relatively short period of time.

Emotional attachments to assets can be tricky. I worked with the family of a well-employed, recently divorced woman who bypassed her claim to all other marital assets in exchange for keeping the house, which, when appraised, had almost $1.6 million in equity.

Even though she agreed to give up the balance of her 401(k), she was still only in her 50s, and with seemingly many more years left to work.

At the time of the divorce, it appeared she’d made out reasonably well. Unfortunately, in rapid succession she was forced to retire due to a health emergency that coincided with the onset of the 2008 real estate collapse. Eventually, with all her eggs in that one basket, she lost See COST OF DIVORCE, page 16

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Law & Money | www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

Cost of divorce From page 15 her only real asset to the bank via repossession.

But, conversely, throwing up your hands and agreeing to sell a house is not cheap, either.

First, there are the repairs, upgrades and inspections, which often lead to still more repairs.

Next, the cost of selling the home is going to be at least 6 to 7 percent of its value.

Then, afterward, whether you go on to buy or rent, the next financial shock to the system of a gray divorcer is the current cost of housing, which is almost certainly higher than when you purchased the home. This means your budget is going to be strained, and your settlement (or alimony, in certain cases) is going to quickly lose purchasing power.

Yet all of the above are just the basics.

Other common financial sticking points for older divorcing couples include: the division of debt, the difficulties of splitting hedge funds or private equity holdings, premarital assets that have risen in value, comingled inheritances that are now marital property, pensions, collectibles, Social Security, and the fact that the person paying alimony might be forced to carry life insurance with a death benefit for the duration of his or her obligation to their former spouse.

Letters to editor From page 2 going on around the area or classes, etc., and it was all in one page, not scattered throughout.

Fifty Plus was not delivered until Oct. 11 at the Kroger on Jefferson Davis Hwy. in Chester.

Lola Perkins Via email The editor responds: We’re sorry you miss the calendar that used to appear in the center of our paper. At present, we plan to continue distributing calendar items

Making it less costly So, divorce is especially costly for people over 50. Is there a solution?

First, if you have no choice in the matter, and you absolutely must divorce, save time and money by knowing the precise value (and amounts) of every asset before meeting with attorneys. Meet with your Certified Financial Planner professional and your accountant, together with your spouse (if possible).

Another way to save substantial sums of money, if the split is amicable and the value of the assets are clear, is to steer negotiations and the division of assets and debts toward an experienced divorce mediator. There is no law that states you must hire a divorce attorney.

As illustrated above, hiring attorneys could result in 15 percent, or even more, of your assets unnecessarily going to legal fees. Just remember, you were married to your spouse for a long time, and if you extend the olive branch, and are fair, even if the marriage can’t be saved, consider it a business transaction.

That 15 percent savings may make a huge difference to your standard of living down the line.

Scott Hanson, CFP, is financial advisor and co-founder, Hanson McClain Advisors. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

throughout the paper, generally in the section where the type of event seems most appropriate.

It’s among several style changes we instituted when we took over publication of Fifty Plus.

As for the timing of delivery, we now print Fifty Plus at the end of the first week of each month. That means deliveries take place during the second week of the month.

We do take this timing into account when we prepare calendar notices, so we don’t advertise events taking place in the first week of the month the issue appears.

Thank you for reading Fifty Plus and for keeping us informed of any problems you encounter with our distribution.

M A R K YO U R C ALE NDAR

Dec. 5

JINGLE BELL BAZAAR

The annual Jingle Bell Bazaar will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Richmond Country Club, benefiting Goochland Free Clinic & Family Services. There will be a fashion show, shopping and luncheon during the day, and hors d’oeuvres and cash bar from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The club is located at 12950 Patterson Ave. in Henrico. Admission is free. RSVP for lunch is required and costs $25. For more information, contact Cheryl Kosakowski at (804) 556-0476 or ckosakowski@GoochlandCares.org.

Dec. 11

SENIOR LEGAL HELP

There will be a Lawyers Helping Seniors Clinic on Monday, Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They will prepare legal documents (will, advanced medical directive, power of attorney) at no cost for eligible Chesterfield seniors. This program is for individuals who do not have these legal documents prepared. Appointments are limited, and preregistration is required. The location is provided at the time appointment is set. For more information or to register, call (804) 768-7878.

www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

Travel

17

Leisure &

There’s lots to see and do on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. See story on page 18.

Revisiting Virginia’s first Thanksgivings manager for the two sites.

“While enslaved people cooked differently for themselves than they did if they were cooking for ‘the white folks,’ we still see the distinct influence of African/African American foods on what was ending up on American tables in general, such as black-eyed peas, hot peppers, and batter-dipped chicken.

“This is a fun aspect for visitors who are coming to both museums, as it shows what changed between the years at Jamestown [1607-1614] and Yorktown [1775-1783],” Templin said.

In addition to the Native American and African American influences, French influence on Anglo-American cuisine was “an on-again, off-again sort of relationship,” she added.

French cooks had been very popular among the elite in England for decades, and Lord Botetourt (Royal Governor of Virginia, 1768-1770) had a French-trained chef in his household.

Copying French dishes became popular at least among the rich, though “by mid-century, French influence seemed to become a bit less fashionable among the common people,” Templin said. “After the victory at Yorktown, the French were heralded as heroes, and…attempts at French cooking had a resurgence, at least here in Virginia.”

While recipes (called “receipts” in 17thand 18th century Virginia) will be distributed

PHOTO COURTESY OF Y-ARM

By Martha Steger Thanksgiving is a unique American celebration — and a uniquely Virginia event, as well.

In addition to the national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of this month, annual “Colonial Foods & Feasts” events on Thanksgiving weekend at two state-owned museums — Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown — engage visitors in Virginia’s 17th and 18th century food traditions.

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America, established in 1607. Yorktown is the site where George Washington defeated Charles Cornwallis during the most decisive battle of the Revolutionary War. Today, both offer an authentic glimpse into life in Colonial America.

Events at each site, beginning on Thanksgiving Day, illustrate that what we now call “fusion cuisine” existed in the earliest days of America’s cultural melting pot, when Virginia was an entrepreneurial colony of England.

“The English not only cooked traditional European-style dishes common in the cookbooks coming over from London, but also foods, such as pumpkin pie, that showed the influence of Tidewater’s Powhatan Indians [who grew pumpkins and squashes] as well as the influence of African Americans,” said Lara Templin, assistant interpretive program

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT

At the recreated Powhatan Indian village at the Jamestown Settlement, visitors can see venison, turkey and other game roasting over an open fire, along with programs about hunting methods and other illustrations of Virginia life in the early 1600s.

A boy watches as a costumed interpreter at the Yorktown American Revolution Museum makes and bakes pies as it was done in the 18th century. Cooking demonstrations will be held at the museum on Thanksgiving and the following day.

to visitors at the events, the commonwealth’s health laws don’t permit tasting foods prepared at events.

“We don’t meet any kind of health regulation anywhere,” Templin explained. “Sometimes we’re chasing our free-range chickens out of the kitchen, so there’s no feeding what’s being prepared to guests on-site.”

While food preparation in the museums’ interpretive areas is for demonstration purposes only, the Jamestown Settlement Café will offer a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on a first-come, first-served bases, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23.

What’s cooking at Jamestown Historical interpreters within the re-created 1610-14 Jamestown fort will be baking bread on all three days — and throughout the event will demonstrate open-hearth cooking of pudding, pies and pottage, based on historical recipes of the late 16th and early 17th century.

On Thanksgiving and the following day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., they will process an entire pig into hams and bacon, followed by salting for preservation.

We’ve all heard politicians draw analogies between politics and the messy process of

sausage making: This is a good event to observe that food process firsthand, though visitors can’t get hands-on with raw meat.

At 4 p.m. each day, museum visitors can also experience European military tactics and drills near the fort.

In the re-created Powhatan Indian village, which this author visited many times over the years, our children and then our grandchildren enjoyed seeing venison, turkey and other game roasting over an open fire, while stews of corn, beans and squash cooked in clay pots.

A 10 a.m. daily program shows Powhatan hunting techniques, while throughout the day visitors learn how the Indians made stone and bone tools used to get and prepare their food.

A daily 2 p.m. program demonstrates the importance of corn to the Powhatans and the variety of dishes in which it was used, including corncakes and corn dumplings.

At 3 p.m., at the ships’ pier, children as well as adults can learn first-hand how the settlers got their provisions by helping haul cargo from a replica of one of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607.

See JAMESTOWN, page 19

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Leisure & Travel | www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

Caribbean sugar, sand and sightseeing Columbus dubbed the other, even smaller island Nuestro Senora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows). That’s because its single peak was, and often still is, hidden in a white blanket of mist and clouds that can resemble a layer of fallen flakes.

English and French settlers who followed Columbus to the islands in the early 1600s found conditions there perfect for growing sugar cane, and they established a lucrative sugar trade which was to last for two centuries, and account for an influx of slaves from Africa.

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

By Victor Block “Stay to the left. Stay to the left.”

Those words became my often-repeated mantra when driving during a recent visit to an intriguing pair of sister Caribbean islands.

Because St. Kitts and Nevis share a common British heritage, steering a vehicle on the left side of the road is one vestige of the mother country’s lingering influence.

Fortunately, St. Kitts and Nevis, two miles apart, were spared the major damage that recent hurricanes inflicted upon other Caribbean islands.

Despite strong ties to their motherland, the islands also retain hints of other countries and cultures. Both were settled, first by the peaceful Arawak Indians, and later by the more ferocious Caribs. Add their comingling with traces of African and indigenous cultures, and you achieve a rich mosaic that touches many aspects of life.

Christopher Columbus sighted these dots of land during his second voyage to the New World, in 1493. He named the larger of the two Sant Jago (Saint James), after the Patron Saint of Spain. Careless explorers who followed Columbus to the area confused it with a nearby island that Columbus had named San Cristobal (Saint Christopher), and that name — shortened to St. Kitts — stuck.

A mix of cultures England eventually wound up in control of St. Kitts, which achieved its independence as recently as 1983, and still remains a member of the British Commonwealth, in federation with Nevis.

In addition to left-lane driving, cricket is the most popular sport, and some restaurant menus meld Caribbean and African fare with touches of England.

Given how compact St. Kitts is — only about the area of Washington, D.C. — a relatively short sightseeing drive can provide visitors with a close-up and personal introduction to the island’s spectacular scenery, some of the most unspoiled in the Caribbean.

Its mountains are blanketed by lush rain

Thousands of vervet monkeys populate St. Kitt’s mountain forests, and some venture into more populated areas in search of a human handout. They are descendants of monkeys first brought to the island 300 years ago.

forests, and those hardy enough to climb to the volcanic crater of Mount Liamuiga are rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views.

An exploration also can include a sampling of the tiny villages that are dotted around the island, and other places of interest which relate

chapters in the story of St. Kitts’ past.

The town of Bloody Point is where, in 1629, French and British soldiers joined forces to repel an attack by the Carib indigeSee CARIBBEAN, page 20

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

Jamestown From page 17 Throughout the day, visitors can explore typical sailors’ fare — salted fish, biscuit and dried foods — and try making the most common food, a ship biscuit.

A program at noon on celestial navigation will explore how 17th-century sailors steered by the stars.

Yorktown’s Museum A visit to the re-created Continental Army encampment at the American Revolution Museum illustrates how soldiers turned meager rations of dried beans, salted meat and hard bread into nourishing soups and stews. Daily artillery drills at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. show visitors how soldiers earned their rations.

Plundering and theft sometimes occurred when rations were scarce, and a special program at 2 p.m. will illustrate the punishing consequences.

At the re-created Revolution-period farm, visitors can witness the bounty of field and garden transformed into stews, pies and breads. Living-history interpreters will prepare a variety of dishes daily in the farm kitchen using 18th-century open-hearth cooking methods and recipes.

On Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., they will process a pig into hams and bacon, with salting for preservation and, at 1 p.m., demonstrate methods of preserving food for the winter ahead.

Bread will be made and be baking in the early afternoon throughout the events at both Jamestown and Yorktown sites.

After so many talks and demonstrations about food, it’s appropriate that at 4 p.m., visitors can learn about 18th-century herbal remedies for indigestion.

One of the things for which travelers to Virginia’s Historic Triangle can be annually

thankful is the historic legacy of Thanksgiving, which has survived the centuries.

Tickets and packages Admission to the Jamestown Settlement is $17 for adults; $8 for ages 6-12. Tickets to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown cost $12 for adults; $7 for ages 6-12. Children under 6 enter free at both.

A combination ticket good for both Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown costs $23 for adults; $12 for ages 6-12.

If purchased online, the combo ticket includes coupon vouchers for Williamsburg Premium Outlets and the Historic Yorktown Rewards Card. Additional multi-attraction holiday ticket and package options are available.

In addition to these options, check out America’s Historic Triangle Ticket sold by Colonial Williamsburg and the JamestownYorktown Foundation. This combination ticket includes Historic Jamestowne — the original site of the 1607 colony — and the Yorktown Battlefield, as well as Colonial Williamsburg attractions, with discounts on some programs.

The five-site ticket, valid for seven consecutive days, is $91 for adults, $42.50 for ages 6-15, and free for children under 6.

Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is located on Route 1020 in Yorktown. They are separated by a 25-minute drive along the Colonial Parkway, a National Scenic Byway.

Both Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, year-round.

Wheelchairs and motorized scooters can be reserved at both sites.

For more information, call (888) 593-4682 toll free, (757) 253-4838, or visit www.historyisfun.org.

Thanksgiving: Virginia had it first in 1619 In November 1962, President John F. Kennedy, a Massachusetts native, delivered a proclamation for Thanksgiving citing only the Pilgrims’ celebration at Plymouth on Massachusetts Bay in 1621.

Afterward, a Virginia historian called the White House’s attention to the reading of a 1619 thanksgiving proclamation by settlers at Berkeley Plantation on the shores of Virginia’s James River — more than a year before the arrival of the pilgrims at Plymouth.

Once the White House got its history

lesson from the Virginia historian and the president’s special assistant, Arthur Schlesinger, it immediately issued an apology, in which Schlesinger attributed the error to an “unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”

The following year, Kennedy got it right, including more than pilgrims in his holiday proclamation. He said, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of Thanksgiving.”

—Martha Steger

19

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Leisure & Travel | www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

New amplified phone lets you hear AND see the conversation.

PHOTO BY SEAN PAVONE

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NOVEMBER 2017 — FIFTYPLUS

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Mountains rise along the skyline of Basseterre, the colorful capital city of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Christopher Columbus first sighted the island in 1493, and English and French settlers followed in the early 1600s.

Caribbean From page 18

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nous people, who had occupied the island since the early 14th century.

The village of Old Road, which is perched between the mouths of two rivers, once was a center of Indian habitation, and later the place where English settlers established their first capital in the Caribbean.

Sandy Point was located close to the English settlements’ border with the French during the early days of joint occupation of the island. It’s characterized by the colorful architecture of typical West Indian-style cottages.

Quaintly named Fig Tree marked the northern boundary between the areas claimed by the two countries, and the first battle between their forces was fought there.

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Not surprisingly, the brooding remains of once proud sugar plantations are high on the must-see list of many visitors. While the island originally produced tobacco, that crop couldn’t compete with the quantity and quality of the leaf being grown in the Virginia colony.

As tobacco production petered out, the romance of St. Kitts with sugar began around 1640. At that time, its use to sweeten food was increasing around the world, along with the added benefits of producing molasses and rum.

The rich volcanic soil and perfect climate prompted the proliferation of plantations, and they quickly sprouted like the cane they cultivated. The island came to be blanketed by some 200 plantations that grew cane, which was processed at nearly 80 factories.

But that heyday could not, and did not, last forever. Over time, overplanting gradually impoverished the soil, competition increased, and external economic conditions brought an end to the era of

sugar. While some cane still is grown and processed there today, tourism and light manufacturing now are the basis of the economy.

Visitors may relive the heady days of sugar wealth by exploring the remains of the oncethriving plantations. Ruins of cone-shaped stone windmill towers, rusted steam-driven cane crushers, and huge copper bowls in which the juice was boiled lie half-hidden in the vegetation as reminders of the once flourishing sugar economy.

The Wingfield Estate was established in 1625 by an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson.

Sugar and rum were produced there until 1924, and the aquaduct that turned the water wheel and steam engine are among the reminders of that time.

Not far away stands Romney Manor, named for a 17th century British earl, where cane was crushed over the years by animal, wind and water power. Sharing the site is a lovely tropical garden and Caribelle Batik, a manufacturer and retail store where visitors may watch workers use the traditional wax and dye process to produce a variety of items.

A pleasant way to recall the sugar plantation life is aboard the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, which offers a 30-mile, three-hour tour along the northeastern coastline.

In the past, the train that chugged along the narrow-gauge rails delivered cane from plantations to a sugar factory in the capital city of Basseterre. Now passengers riding in doubledecker cars enjoy views of the sea, pass through tiny villages, skirt lush rain forest terrain, and spot long-abandoned windmills and chimneys of former estates.

Despite its name, which means “lowland” in French, Basseterre still displays strong ties with England. A number of examples of GeorSee CARIBBEAN, page 21

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

From page 20 gian and Victorian architecture, interspersed here and there with brightly painted buildings in typical West Indian styles, have survived hurricanes, fires and earthquakes. The main square, called the Circus, is a small, palmshaded replica of Piccadilly Circus in London.

Monkeying around A welcome and somewhat surprising attraction on the island is a population of green vervet monkeys, which were introduced by French plantation owners some 300 years ago as pets for their families. These endearing creatures, named for their golden-green fur, prefer to hang out at high elevations, peering inquisitively at any intruders through the dense foliage.

Some bolder monkeys venture down to more populated low-lying areas, especially where there are sources of food and people who will toss them an edible handout. While there’s no way to know how many of these simians share the island with their human cousins, some residents claim that there are more monkeys than people.

Given efforts by European nations to colonize and control the Caribbean islands, and the sugar wealth of St. Kitts, forts were built to provide defense against attacks. The western coastline was guarded by no less than nine forts, along with the magnificent Brim-

stone Hill Fortress.

Construction of that massive bastion was begun by the French in 1690 and completed intermittingly over a 100-year period by the British, using slave labor. The complex, perched atop an 800-foot-high rise, sprawls over 38 acres, and the meticulously restored structures include officers’ quarters, barracks and a hospital.

Given the combined French and British presence in the island’s past, references to both countries and cultures abound in town names and histories.

Belle Tete (“beautiful head”) is among place names reminiscent of the French era. Dieppe Bay is believed to have been the first French town, while Challengers Village was the first “free” town, where ex-slaves were permitted to purchase small parcels of land.

that greet visitors to St. Kitts.

Not to be overlooked is the added choice of lovely palm tree-lined beaches — a “must” for many visitors to a Caribbean Island. The most inviting stretches of sand are concentrated along the narrow southeastern peninsula of St. Kitts. Elsewhere, beaches are more likely to consist of gray or black volcanic sand.

The beach that lines Frigate Bay is powderwhite, and the water is ideal for swimming and windsurfing. The beaches of Banana bay and Cockleshell Bay attract those seeking a secluded setting. Friar’s Bay is popular with locals, in part because of a collection of small bars.

Add to the allure of inviting beaches a scenic setting, intriguing history, and various ways to relive it and you have a checklist of why people head for St. Kitts.

If you go Museums and beaches The story of the island’s villages, along with its history, culture and other aspects of life past and present, is told at the National Museum. It occupies an imposing Georgian-style structure that was completed in 1894 and has since housed almost every government department at one time or another.

The National Museum and a handful of other small but interesting collections, the island’s intriguing multi-cultural history, and the added allure of casino gambling are among the something-for-everyone array of attractions

The St. Kitts Marriott Resort offers all of the amenities one expects at a mega-hotel, and then

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some. Overlooking a four-mile stretch of beach, the sprawling complex includes a casino, golf course and tennis courts, spa, three swimming pools and seven restaurants. Rates begin at $142 a night for two people in a room, and there are all-inclusive options. For more information and reservations, call 1-888-236-2427 or see www.marriott.com/ hotels/travel/skbrb-st-kit.

The Ocean Terrace Inn overlooks the sea from a terraced hillside that leads down to the water’s edge. It has a lagoon-style swimming pool, two restaurants and fitness center, and offers free shuttle bus service to one of the island’s finest beaches. Rates begin at $175. For more information, call 1-800-524-0512 or visit https://oceanterraceinn.com.

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For more information about visiting St. Kitts, visit www.stkittstourism.kn.

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Style Arts &

Houseplants can brighten winter days.

Learn how to grow them on page 24.

Terracotta Warriors to march into VMFA as for its more recent recovery and restoration.

The next-best thing to being in Xi’an in person is taking in the experience at the “Terracotta Army” exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which opens Nov. 18 and remains through March 11, 2018. On display will be more than 130 items, including 10 terracotta figures, from the collections of 14 art museums and archaeological institutes across Shaanxi Province. Forty of the works have never been shown before in the United States.

A dramatic finding The objects tell the story of how the Qin state developed into an empire under Ying Zheng (259-210 BCE), who unified China and

11/17FP

declared himself Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of Qin (cheen).

Almost as dramatic is the story of the discovery, excavation, preservation and restoration of the estimated 8,000 life-size sculptures of warriors, chariots and horses.

In 1974, local farmers found pottery shards and bronze arrows while digging a well, where further excavation led to the astonShown is one of the life-size pieces in “The Terracotta ishing discovery of the TerArmy” exhibit that will be on display at the Virginia Muracotta Army in three pits seum of Fine Arts starting November 18. The clay one mile east of the burial sculpture depicts a bronze chariot with horses from the site of the First Emperor. Qin dynasty, and is more than 2200 years old. The exThe army is part of a much hibit, which includes 40 works that have never been larger imperial necropolis shown before in the U.S., continues at the museum that itself became buried through March 11, 2018. over the centuries. To date, only a fraction of the figtocratic, commoner and nomadic tombs. ures have been excavated.

Dating from the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 It’s an understatement to call the Terra- BCE) through the Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), cotta Army one of the most important archae- these objects reflect the complex history, myths ological discoveries of the 20th century. And and burial customs of ancient China, and exthe exhibition is, for the 80-year-old VMFA, a plore the First Emperor’s profound influence significant statement. on Chinese history, art, and culture.

According to VMFA Director Alex Nyerges, it is “the first exhibition organized by A fruitful partnership VMFA that is devoted to the art and archaeRichmonders will remember the 2014-15 ology of ancient China. From the featured ob- VMFA exhibition, Forbidden City: Imperial jects, our audience will learn about the First Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing. In Emperor’s political and cultural innovation addition to its being the exclusive U.S. venue and legacy, as well as gain a better under- for Forbidden City, the VMFA had its own colstanding about ancient Chinese cultural his- lection of Faberge eggs and objects displayed tory as part of world civilization.” at the Palace Museum in Beijing in 2016, which Presented in three sections, the Terracotta marked the first time that a U.S. museum exArmy exhibit explores the rise of the First hibited its works in the Palace Museum.

Emperor, the history of the Qin state, and the “In many ways, the [new] exhibition was emperor’s quest for immortality. The exhibi- born out of VMFA’s ongoing cultural extion will feature arms and armor, horse and change with China,” said Li Jian, VMFA’s E. chariot fittings, ritual bronze vessels, works Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of in gold and silver, jade ornaments, precious East Asian Art. “In terms of research, I first jewelry, ceramics, and architectural compo- identified the themes of the exhibition and nents that were excavated from Emperor Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum, as well as from arisSee WARRIORS, page 23 © EMPEROR QIN SHIHUANG’S MAUSOLEUM SITE MUSEUM

By Martha Steger Few personal experiences compare to traveling through the dusty northwest region of China to Xi’an (shee-ahn), the nation’s third most-populous city, and seeing the preserved ruins and restorations of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s famed Terracotta Army. The burial site holds thousands of life-size clay soldiers, and hundreds of horses and chariots, ostensibly to protect the Emperor — China’s first — in the afterlife.

When I visited the site a year ago, travelers closest to the excavated areas spoke in whispers, partly not to disturb the many other visitors present but also, I sensed, out of respect for the two-millennia-old art in the pits as well

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FIFTYPLUS — NOVEMBER 2017

Warriors From page 22 then selected artwork around the thematic sections, including the First Emperor’s unification of China and his significant reforms.

“The second section looks back to the birth of Qin as a state and how it grew from a small state into a powerful empire over the course of 500 years.

“The last section explores the Emperor’s afterlife — his quest for immortality [through the] terracotta warriors and figures excavated from the Emperor’s mausoleum.”

Jian said her research largely depended on original excavation reports and essays written

by Chinese archaeologists and scholars. Jian has been collaborating with the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Curator of Asian Art, Hou-mei Sung, for more than 18 months. The two of them, and Chinese scholar and archaeologist Zhang Weixing — with contributions from VMFA curatorial assistant William Neer — wrote the exhibition’s catalogue (whose bibliographic citations are in Chinese and English).

The two museums are jointly publishing the catalogue, which is being distributed by Yale University Press. The exhibition travels to the Cincinnati Art Museum after it closes in Richmond next March.

Installation of any exhibition is always a very busy, exciting time for VMFA teams, as the final elements of a show rapidly come together.

Jian said of Trang Nguyen, the exhibit’s designer, “She has designed an immersive exhibition that truly honors the integrity of the objects on display. The museum will host four colleagues from our partner institutions in China, who will assist with the installation in various capacities.

“The legacy of the First Emperor is enormous, including administration, law, language, art, architecture, interstate roadways, and the Great Wall,” Jian said. “Our exhibition is organized to bring our audience a better understanding of Qin history, and of ancient Chinese art and archaeology.”

The museum will offer two audio tours, one for adults and another for families, along with a printed gallery guide for general audiences. The audio guides will be available free online; but both tours can be loaded onto a rental device to use with an audio wand at the exhibition for $5.

More information about the exhibit, as well as a variety of public programs accompanying it, can be found online at http://vmfa.museum.

The exhibition is free for VMFA members; $20 for adults ($16 for those 65+).

Visitors can reser ve tickets online at http://bit.ly/TerracottaArmyTickets, or by phone at (804) 340-1405. The VMFA is located at 200 North Boulevard, Richmond. It is open seven days a week: Saturday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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a NASA Astronaut KATHRYN“KAY” HIRE will discuss the “Latest Research and Technologies Preparing Humans for a Journey to Mars.” a DR. JOEL LEVINE–Research Professor, College of William and Mary will speak on “Becoming a Two Planet Species: Why Mars?

Why Humans?” a PAT TROUTMAN–Lead Human Space Architect at NASA Langley will discuss “A Blueprint for Human Habitation for Mars.”

Space Exploration Activities provided by: MathScience Innovation Center (home of NASA’s Challenger Learning Center in Virginia) a NASA Langley Research Center NASA Wallops Flight Facility a Virginia Space Grant Consortium

Details and registration at ideastations.org/mars presented by

The PBS series BEYOND A YEAR IN SPACE begins November 15 at 9:00 pm on WCVE PBS

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Plants can bring spring indoors in winter

By Lela Martin During three seasons, the spotlight is on plants that grow outdoors. November, however, is a great month to focus on plants that are ideal for indoor containers.

Growing environment Before purchasing houseplants, you should determine the growing conditions in your home: light, temperature and humidity.

Light is the most important condition to assess. Consider the specific environment where you want to grow your indoor plants.

The sunroom in my own home, for example, has seven windows and a patio door; therefore, you’d expect it to be a full-sun location. However, my “sunroom” faces north on a wooded lot; plants that need direct sunlight are not happy there. Fortunately for me, many foliage plants are native to rain forests, where light levels are low.

Room temperature is the second-most important factor influencing plant growth in inSnake terior spaces. People feel comfortable in the range of 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit; typically, plants from tropical or sub-

tropical areas grow well from 65 to 86 degrees.

Most tropical plants prefer high relative humidity; the relative humidity in a greenhouse is usually 50 percent or higher. To increase the humidity in your home from the typical 10 to 20 percent, you can use a room humidifier, or place plants together in a shallow container filled with water and lava rocks or gravel, which will increase the moisture in the air.

composed of organic components such as peat moss. Plants including African violets, orchids, cacti and succulents are more sensitive to specific proportions of medium components.

Choose commercial mixes specially designed for these plants or prepare your own.

Selecting plants Container and growing medium Select a container appropriate for the plant as well as the right type of potting mix. Two methods for potting indoor plants include (1) planting directly in the container with a tray underneath and (2) placing a potted plant in another, more decorative container. The pot holding the plant should have a drainage hole. You can line the pot bottom with a coffee filter to prevent soil from clogging the drainage hole.

Select a container that meets the needs of the particular plant. For example, shallow-rooted succulents plant grow well in a low dish.

Use a good indoor potting mix, rather than garden soil. Potting mediums are generally

If you are making a dish garden or terrarium with a variety of plants, select plants that have the same requireSucculent ments of light and water. Read plant tags at the garden center or do a little research before buying. Purchase healthy plants that are free of pests.

A group of plants called succulents (from the Latin word succulentus for juice or sap) store water in their leaves, which means they thrive on benign neglect. Succulents come from many botanical families. Typically, they need a few hours of direct sunlight or high indirect light. They enjoy low humidity levels and cannot tolerate overwatering. There is an endless variety of succulents.

Echeveria is a type of popular low-growing compact succulent that comes in an array of colors and fascinating rosette-shaped foliage.

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They are especially striking when grouped.

Aloe grows in both large and small varieties. You can use it to make topical aloe vera gel for skin care.

Agave includes several visually appealing spiny varieties. Agave is used in recipes, although you probably won’t be harvesting your houseplant.

Stonecrop (aka sedum) makes a great indoor plant.

As with echeveria, there are dish garden many varieties of sedum.

Burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum) is perfect for a hanging basket.

Jade plant boasts thick, glossy leaves tinged with red. It grows in high indirect light or medium light in average temperature and humidity. Native to South Africa, it prefers regular potting mix, and watering when the surface is dry.

Snake plant (aka mother-in-law’s tongue) is extremely tough. Its leathery upright sword-shaped leaves grow from rhizomes that form a center rosette. Snake plant can grow in low light.

See HOUSEPLANTS, page 25

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below its surface. If the soil is still moist, no further water is needed.

From page 24 Cottony-looking mealyPlant care bugs are the major pest probProtect your newly purlem for houseplants. To chased plants while you get remove a light infestation of them to the car, especially if mealybugs or aphids, wipe temperatures drop below 50 the plant with a cotton swab degrees. Acclimatize plants dipped in rubbing alcohol. by keeping them in bright Spider mites, which thrive areas for at least three to four in hot, dry conditions, are the weeks and then moving them second most common pest to their final location. problem on houseplants. Add The most common causes 2 teaspoons of insecticidal Aloe of stress in inside plants are (or dish) soap per gallon of low light and overwatering. Not all plants are water, and wipe foliage and stems with the similar in their water requirements. Plant soapy water and a soft cloth. type and size, container volume, soil moisLela Martin is a Master Gardener with the ture, and light intensity are factors. Feel the Chesterfield County office of the Virginia Cosoil by pushing your finger an inch or so operative Extension.

Houseplants

M A R K YO U R CAL EN DA R

Nov.

NATURE EXHIBIT

Richmond Public Library presents “Nature as Mentor: A visual education through observation,” including oil paintings and etchings of the natural world by Palmyra artist Tom Tartaglino, open through Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The exhibit will take place in the Gellman Room at the library, located at 101 E. Franklin St. in Richmond. For more information, contact Lynn Vandenesse at (804) 646-7223.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 26

dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/426/426-100/426100_pdf.pdf Bodie Pennisi, “Growing Indoor Plants with Success,” Georgia Cooperative Extension, Bulletin 1318: http://extension. uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number =B1318

S C R A O R B

A P P R A I S A L

A C H E S

S U N N I

A R K S

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

Resources Carla Davis, “Sustainability: No green thumb? No problem. 10 Easy Indoor Plants,” North Carolina State University, February 20, 2016: https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/ blog/changeyourstate/easy-indoor-plants/ Alex Niemiera, “Indoor Plant Culture,” Virginia Cooperative Extension, Publication 426-100: https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/

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P F E A A T R Y F S A R B E Y B E A R Y H D U O M E R Y S E U E M D S

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

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1. First one across Eden 5. Home Alone construction 9. Deadly 14. Ready, at the apple picking orchard 15. Rant follow-up 16. Visitor to Wonderland 17. Spared from the donation bin 18. Creator of Janinge and Norraryd chairs 19. Eagle’s claw 20. Imaginary meadow 23. Last name of all three Giant outfielders on Sept 15, 1963 24. Search and Rescue (abbrev.)

25. Periodontist’s deg.

26. ___-fi convention 28. Operator of 7 NYC bridges 30. Easy as ay, ___, cee 32. Pre-owned cap 38. Like birth control pills 39. Bygone airline with slogan “You’re going to like us” 40. ___ effort (“at least you tried”) 42. Thrilling inclines 47. Middle East strip (stripped of a letter) 48. Batman and Robin, for example 49. Keyboard pal of Ctrl and Del 50. It may be kicked or kissed 53. Stay too long on the cautious side 55. Gooey sandwich 57. Carol, Nadine, and Maybellene 63. Vietnamese city that celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2010 64. Some accept stock options in ___ of salary 65. He first met Skywalker on Tatooine 66. Muppet voiced by Jim Henson 67. Grocery checkout unit 68. Useful info in the cell phone waiting lot 69. Proficiency 70. Senators Cruz and Kennedy 71. Change the decor

1. Bible museum structures 2. Eating plan 3. Mortgage requirement, generally 4. Recycling category 5. Respectful presentation 6. Roulette bet collector 7. State with conviction 8. Those with wide hips, but narrow shoulders and waist 9. Claim of some yogurt makers 10. Jai ___ 11. Like mosaic floors 12. ___ day in Hell 13. Acts like a bank or library 21. ___-to-tomb healthcare 22. Dear, but disorganized, letters to ABBY 26. B’way warning sign 27. No-no on Atkins or Paleo 29. Johnson of “Laugh-In” 31. “... ___ saw Elba” 33. Counteract a leak 34. POTUS after JEC 35. 36 inches 36. In most systems, it is the same as D-sharp 37. E-ZPass charge 41. Queue up to U 43. One of four “Major Prophets” of the Old Testament 44. Sharp insult 45. Tasty treats 46. Garden tools 50. Tylenol targets 51. Jump the ___ 52. At least 80% of Muslims 54. Started up the furnace again 56. One left holding the Wonder Ball 58. Slinky, basically 59. Homophone for write 60. Homophone for read 61. Maker of “Press’n Sealing Wrap” 62. Mediocre Mississippi town

Answers on page 25.

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