November 2017 | DC Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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VOL.29, NO.11

An activist inside government

Having a conversation Newland incorporates that advocacy mindset in directing her staff. She tells them: “District residents drive our programs and services....We’re not telling them what they need. We work to meet the needs they express.” In an attempt to better understand those needs, Newland and her staff have conducted town halls at the DCOA’s Senior Wellness Centers, health-oriented activity centers serving older residents of Wards 1 and 4-8. Since all the programming there is for seniors, it’s Newland’s view that the users should dictate the focus and choose the priorities. At the same time, she admits that “it was kind of scary at first, having to go out and talk to people” and ask for their comments and criticisms. As might be expected, a few outspoken in-

PHOTO BY SELMA DILLARD, D.C. OFFICE ON AGING

By Stuart Rosenthal Before Laura Newland became executive director of the D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) two years ago, the Georgetown University law graduate had worked in public interest law and nonprofit advocacy, representing victims of domestic violence, consumer fraud and other issues. A project she spearheaded at AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly led to the creation of a new D.C. Ombudsman in 2014, and to legislation reforming the District’s policy regarding foreclosure on homes of residents owing taxes. After years of advocacy in several nonprofit settings, what led Newland to switch sides, as it were, and become director of a D.C. government agency? “In the advocacy community where I worked for years, when you’re on that side, you tend to think of [government] as ‘us vs. them.’ You think, ‘If you guys wanted to do the right thing, you’d be doing it already.’” But Newland had a mentor who helped her see that many government employees are really invested in making things better. “My experience has been that the government is filled with people who are advocates,” Newland discovered. In fact, she’s recruited some of her former coworkers to the D.C. government by inviting them to “come advocate for people and make the change happen within government.”

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Caribbean sugar, sand — and Alexander Hamilton — in St. Kitts and Nevis; plus, scenic winter train travel, finding good deals for solo travelers, and a Virginia bike trail that’s downhill all the way page 45

ARTS & STYLE

Laura Newland, executive director of the D.C. Office on Aging, poses with pickleball players at a Senior Games event. An attorney with a background in nonprofit advocacy, Newland directs an agency with responsibilities not only for residents 50+ but also for those with disabilities over the age of 18.

dividuals tend to dominate the conversation at town halls, so she also conducted a variety of smaller community listening sessions and “walk-throughs” where individuals could come up and talk with her one-on-one. She describes the feedback they got as “eye-opening,” but declines to specify where it will all lead. She calls it “just the beginning of the conversation.”

Making some changes At the same time, concrete changes are being made to address some of the more common complaints. For example, LGBTQ seniors let the agency know it needed to do better. Rather than smarting from the criticism, Newland said her staff looked at it as a challenge. They instituted sensitivity training for

staff, and brought LGBTQ entertainment into all their centers. Also, they held workshops where people could have an open conversation about sexuality in a safe environment. Another topic about which Newland heard many complaints was the food served at lunch. At one center, she brought the meal provider in for a town hall just about the menus. They took votes on a variety of issues: what menus to keep and which to ditch, how to make the cooked vegetables better (change the seasoning!), and whether to allow seconds for those desiring. Even more significant, the DCOA decided to rebid their catering contract for the See DCOA, page 28

D.C. poet publishes two collections at 79; plus, live shows at movie theaters, George Clooney on late fatherhood and Suburbicon, and Bob Levey, a defiant check writer page 53 TECHNOLOGY 4 k Sites let you try before you buy FITNESS & HEALTH 8 k Medicare open season arrives k The promise of immunotherapy SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

LAW & MONEY 32 k Stop being the family ATM k High cost of divorce after 50 ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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Kudos to our writers Each year, we enter a selection of our year’s competition. writers’ original stories in the journalism Four cover stories from our flagship competitions of the National Greater Washington Beacon Mature Media Awards and the were honored, all of them writNorth American Mature Pubten by our Managing Editor, lishers Association (NAMPA). Barbara Ruben. Three won We do this for two reasons: Silver Awards: her stories One, as a way to be sure we are about Homicide Hunter Lt. keeping up the quality of our Joe Kenda (“Cop’s third cawriting compared with other reer: TV star”), local DJ Cerpublications throughout the phe Colwell (“Cerphing with country. rock’s royalty”) and the D.C., Two, because we’re pretty Maryland and N.Va. Senior confident about the first reason, FROM THE Olympics, (“Area athletes go (that is, we believe our writers PUBLISHER for the gold”). By Stuart P. Rosenthal are among the best anywhere), Barbara’s cover story about and want to give them the opan intergenerational housing portunity to earn recognition they will treas- project for seniors and unwed mothers in ure from well-respected, objective judges. Washington, D.C., “At Genesis, a new beginI’m happy and proud to report that ning,” won a Merit award. every one of our regular writers and freeThree family-related cover stories in the lancers came away with one or more hon- Baltimore Beacon by Contributing Editor ors in this year’s competitions. Carol Sorgen won Gold, Bronze and The declared goal of the Mature Media Merit awards. They were about the effect Awards is “to recognize the nation’s ‘best of retirement on friendships and marand brightest’ materials and programs pro- riages, how sibling relationships change duced every year for older adults.” The pres- with age, and volunteers who brighten the tigious competition attracts entries from na- days of ill children. tional organizations and publications, includAnd our Howard County writer, Robert ing AARP and the Arthritis Foundation. Friedman, won a Gold and a Merit for his We are especially proud that our lead cover stories about older Uber drivers and writers won honors for nine stories in this the Ellicott City flood.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Readership exceeds 400,000. Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ......Rodney Harris, Dan Kelly, Barbara Koscielski, ........................................................Hubie Stockhausen • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 63 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions. © Copyright 2017 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

Another annual journalism competition is held by the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA), the association for newspapers and magazines specifically for the 50+ market. NAMPA’s annual journalism competition attracts hundreds of submissions every year and is judged by internationally respected faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. This year, we received more than 20 NAMPA awards, thirteen of them for stories from our flagship Greater Washington edition. Those awards included not only “Best of Show” and first place for General Excellence in its category (publications over 100,000 circulation), but also multiple honors in the following categories: Feature Writing, Topical issues and How-to Features (Barbara Ruben), Review Column (arts reviewer Michael Toscano and Assistant Editor Re-

bekah Alcalde), Senior Issues (columnists Bob Levey and Alexis Bentz), Profiles (Barbara Ruben and Rebekah Alcalde), and Travel Column (freelancers Victor Block and Glenda Booth). In addition, our quarterly “Housing & Homecare Options” magazine won first place in Special Sections. Carol Sorgen won two first place awards and two second place awards for her feature stories in our Baltimore edition. And Robert Friedman won second and third place awards for two of his cover stories, in the Howard County Beacon. Plus, our Howard County edition itself won second place in the General Excellence category — a distinct honor. All in all, our writers did us proud. Of course, whatever awards we do or do not win, what matters most to us is that See FROM THE PUBLISHER, page 61

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: The publisher’s article introducing the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts describes a wonderful, welcome and most relevant way to promote experiential tribute to artistic endeavors. I would like to recommend that the area of fine arts drawing (including graphic arts) be included as a category. A love of simple pencil, pen and ink, and various techniques remains a favorite means of rendering subjects. Secondly, while the column encourages new skills and creative experiences, it is hoped this also will include many of us who are seeking a renewal and even renaissance of pursuing these areas within our lives now. Barbara Kloc Silver Spring, Md. The editor responds: We’re glad you’re so enthusiastic about the Celebration of the Arts. We will be defining the “painting” category to also include drawing (see page 52). We invite you to submit works when the competition opens next year. Dear Editor: I started my first drawing class the Monday after I retired (age 72). I wanted to paint, but folks at the Torpedo Factory wisely advised me to take at least one drawing and design course. Painting came soon after, and I have now been painting for about a year and a half. I am neither the second coming of Rembrandt nor god-awful. But it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the activity enormously and spend hours at it. Equally important, I have learned to appreciate artists and galleries far more than I otherwise would. The point is that I think your Celebration of the Arts initiative is wonderful, particularly for those who experience an

abrupt change in their lives. William Dennis Alexandria, Va. Dear Editor: Thank you for your recent article concerning possible art opportunities and competitions, and in general promoting art in our communities. I am member of two local art groups that are always seeking new participants and trying to find new ideas to stimulate the arts. I am very interested in learning more about your venture and shall encourage members of both groups to read your article. This is exciting to have a very popular local news publication encouraging folks to try the arts and to support local artists. In a very competitive world of 2D and 3D art, every opportunity is valued. Ruth Sentelle Gaithersburg, Md. Dear Editor: Loved, loved, loved the Expo in Silver Spring in September. It was a huge amount of work for all of you. Your efforts were appreciated. Thanks for the CVS gift card. It was a great surprise! Only the second time in my life I’ve ever won anything. Lahna Farver Takoma Park, Md. Dear Editor: We thank you for raising an increasingly important issue in your October “Ask the Pharmacist” column: “Alzheimer’s may often be misdiagnosed.” We would like to make a few clarifications, however: 1. “Doctors don’t even think twice about prescribing Alzheimer’s medications.” We very carefully review the risks and benefits of See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 23

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Technology &

Innovations 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.

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 smart-

watches for $53, or three high-end 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 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.

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. Co-founder 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

How to reuse, recycle or sell old phones By Barbara Ortutay It’s natural to get the phone-upgrade itch when the likes of Apple, Samsung and others keep coming out with newer models. And sometimes your old phone is just kaput. But what do you do with a serviceable but outdated gadget? Rather than relegate an old phone to a desk drawer, consider reusing, recycling or reselling it. Of course, there’s also the option to donate. Here’s a guide for figuring out what you might do with last year’s model (or even older ones).

talk to their loved ones back home. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence works in a similar manner. About 60 percent of the phones it collects are refurbished and resold. The money goes toward supporting the coalition. The remaining 40 percent of the phones are recycled, according to the group’s website. It pays for shipping if you are mailing three or more phones. The group also accepts other electronics such as laptops, video game systems and digital cameras.

Sell, sell, sell Donate to charity Several charities accept old phones as a donation. But these groups probably won’t physically give your old phones to people in need. Instead, they’ll often sell your phone to recyclers and keep the money. For example, a nonprofit group called Cell Phones for Soldiers will take your “gently used” phone and sell it to a recycling company. It will then use the proceeds to buy international calling cards for soldiers so they can

Once new models come out, older ones will flood onto eBay and other resale sites, so it might make sense to wait a little before adding yours to the list. How much money you can make off your old phone depends on the brand and how much wear and tear it’s seen. The resale site Gazelle, for example, is offering $140 for a Verizon-ready Samsung Galaxy S7 in “good” condition. What does “good” mean? The phone has no cracks on

the screen or body, powers on and makes calls, and is free of major scratches or scuffs. A “flawless” phone that looks like it’s never been used will land you $15 more. A 128GB iPhone 7 in good condition, meanwhile, will get you $305, at least for an AT&T version. For a Sprint-ready phone, it’s $275. EBay is a bit more complicated. If you’re already a seller in good standing and meet certain standards, you may qualify for a “price guarantee” promotion that will get you $515.26 for the above AT&T 128GB iPhone. Otherwise, eBay says you can get $280 through the company’s “quick sale” program. The video game retailer GameStop also accepts old phones for trade-in, offering either store credit or cash.

Reuse, repurpose Even without cellular service, you old phone will be able to get on Wi-Fi, so you can use it to stream music, post on Facebook, or do pretty much anything else you want provided you are in Wi-Fi range. Keep

it for yourself, give it to a broke friend, or load it up with kid-friendly apps and games and hand it down to your grandchildren. Or just keep it as a backup in case something horrible happens to your main phone. An old phone can tide you over until you can manage repairs or get a replacement.

What upgrade? Of course, there’s no rule saying you must upgrade your phone each year, as much as manufacturers would like you to. Is your phone still in fairly good condition? Could you, perhaps, get that cracked screen fixed, delete some videos and apps to free up memory, and clean out accumulated pocket lint in the charging or headphone port? You can try a toothpick or use canned air, but be careful using something made of metal like a paper clip — you could damage your phone. Then you’d really have an excuse to upgrade. — AP

Virginia ❏ Ashby Ponds (See ads on pages 21 & 60) ❏ Chesterbrook Residences (See ad on page 25) ❏ Crossings at Spring Hill, The (See ad on page 46) ❏ Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 20) ❏ Greenspring (See ads on pages 21 & 60) ❏ Gum Springs Glen (See ad on page 14) ❏ Falcons Landing (See ad on page 11) ❏ Herndon Harbor House (See ad on page 14) ❏ Lockwood House (See ad on page 14) ❏ Morris Glen (See ad on page 14) ❏ Overture Fair Ridge (See ad on page 10) ❏ Paul Spring Retirement Community (See ad on page 24) ❏ Tall Oaks Assisted Living (See ad on page 27) ❏ Waltonwood (See ad on page 27) ❏ Wingler House (See ad on page 14) ❏ Alzheimer’s Nilotinib Study (See ad and article on page 22) ❏ Mild Cognitive Impairment (MIND) Study (See ad on page 23)

Address_______________________________________________________________ City______________________________________State______Zip________________ Phone (day)__________________________(evening)_________________________ E-mail_________________________________________________________________ WB11/17

Please mail this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 or fax to (301) 949-8966

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Health Studies

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I N F O R M A T I O N F R E E ★ I N F O R M A T I O N F R E E ★ I N F O R M A T I O N F R E E

❏ Aspenwood Senior Living (See ad on page 25) ❏ Atrium Assisted Living (See ad on page 21) ❏ Bayleigh Chase (See ad on page 14) ❏ Brooke Grove (See ad on page 19) ❏ Buckingham’s Choice (See ad on page 14) ❏ Charles E. Smith Life Communities (See ads on pages 6, 41, 48) ❏ Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 29) ❏ Covenant Village (See ad on page 14) ❏ Emerson House (See ad on page 14) ❏ Fairhaven (See ad on page 14) ❏ Gardens of Traville (See ad on page 46) ❏ Homecrest House (See ad on page 38) ❏ Olney Assisted Living (See ad on page 16) ❏ Park View Bladensburg (See ad on page 40) ❏ Park View Columbia (See ad on page 40) ❏ Park View Emerson (See ad on page 40) ❏ Park View Laurel (See ad on page 40) ❏ Riderwood (See ads on pages 21 & 60) ❏ Ring House (See ad on page 48) ❏ Springvale Terrace (See ad on page 18) ❏ Sunrise Senior Living (See ad on page 13) ❏ The Village at Rockville (See ads on pages 17 & 26) ❏ Victory Crossing (See ad on page 34) ❏ Victory Terrace (See ad on page 42)

★

Maryland

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See LINKS & APPS, page 6

❏ Friendship Terrace (see ad on page 18) ❏ The Residences at Thomas Circle (see ads on pages 17)

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The app store is full of apps to help you lose weight, which usually begins by eating healthier and increasing your activity and exercise levels. Lose It! is a user-friendly app to help you with the nutritional side of weight loss. The app allows you to track your food intake against your daily calorie “budget,”

District of Columbia

★

A few years ago, the New York Times gathered together iconic recipes from each state and Washington, D.C. The entire collection is still available online, including recipes for a pumpkin tart served at the White House, a sauerkraut and apples dish popular in Baltimore, and corn pudding from Edna Lewis, an African-American chef and cookbook author in Virginia. There’s even an entry for Puerto Rico, for mofongo stuffing. Mofongo is a tradi-

Keep those holiday pounds at bay

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Thanksgiving recipes across the USA

Apps

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Traveling overseas soon? The U.S. Department of State’s website has a checklist to help you get ready for international trips. Links provide additional considerations for older travelers, those with disabilities and women. Before the trip, travelers can download a wallet-size card (in pdf format) printed with State Dept. emergency numbers and a space to write in the contact and address for the nearest embassy or consulate. That information can be found by clicking on a handy link at the site. travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/checklist.html

Housing Communities

★

FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

Though a recent national survey suggests adult children enjoy having their grandparents on Facebook, it also found that many secretly wish to “unfriend” their grandparents, and more than half of those surveyed want to sit down and show them how to use it appropriately. There are many social media “no-nos” you can learn from this short video — from posting embarrassing personal details and family gossip, to ranting about politics, friending their friends, and posting criticism about their photos, social life and more. The survey of 500 grandchildren ages 18 to 30 was conducted by homecare agency Visiting Angels. http://bit.ly/FacebookNoNos

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Facebook no-nos for grandparents

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

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By Barbara Ruben and Rebekah Alcalde

★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

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tional Caribbean dish, a fusion of plantains, pork rinds, garlic and peppers. http://bit.ly/StateThanksgivingRecipes

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Beacon Links & Apps

Travel checklist

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Links & Apps From page 5 and its database includes over 7 million foods, including popular restaurants. It also has a barcode scanner that enables you to upload nutritional information directly from the food labels on packages. Lose It! is free from iTunes and Google Play stores.

Discover your ideal bedtime Have trouble sleeping? There’s an app for that. Sleep Genius was designed by experts in neuroscience, sleep, sound and music, based on research to help NASA astronauts get to sleep. The app is meant to train your body into

natural sleep rhythms, and has neurosensory algorithms to help prepare your brain for sleep and guide you through each sleep cycle. It even wakes you with a gentle alarm so you wake up from deeper and longer sleep feeling refreshed. Sleep Genius is $4.99 in both iTunes and Google Play stores.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

tings app on your phone. You will then be able to find out where your device is located through the app. If it’s nearby, you can make it play a sound to help you find it in person. It will even mark its location when the device has a critically low battery, so you know the last place it was in case it loses power. If you find out it’s stolen or lost farther away, you can activate “lost mode,” which

Find your lost iPhone, iPad and more You take your mobile devices everywhere, which means you can lose them anywhere. Losing your expensive iPhone can be infuriating, so iTunes offers an easy solution so you can be prepared: the Find My iPhone app. First, create an iCloud account in the Set-

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remotely locks your device with a passcode you set, displaying your phone number on the screen in case a good Samaritan wants to return it to you. “Lost Mode” will also suspend Apple Pay, the ability to make payments electronically, preventing thieves from using your credit card. Find My iPhone is free in the iTunes store.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 19

TECH HELP FROM TEENS

Attend a free tech café, where you can get one-on-one tutoring by tech-savvy teens. Need help with Facebook, uploading and downloading pictures, Facetime, texting and more? Bring your own charged mobile device (smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.) to Young Israel Shomrai Emunah, 1132 Arcola Ave., Silver Spring, Md., on Sunday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, contact Miriam Friedman at mfriedman2@yahoo.com or (917) 282-9617.

Ongoing

FREE COMPUTER HELP

Marilyn J. Praisner Library offers free one-on-one computer help on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. Bring your questions. Registration not required. The library is located at 14910 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville, Md. For more information, call (240) 773-9460.

Nov.

COMPUTER BASICS

Petworth Library presents several free “Computer Basics” classes for beginners on Mondays, Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Learn from certified trainers. Classes are walk-in and fill on a first-come, first-served basis. Petworth Library is located at 4200 Kansas Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Desire Grogan at desire.grogan@dc.gov or (202) 727-1471.

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REMEMBER THIS Lecture series on dementia and memory care Alzheimer’s Disease: What does age have to do with it? Marie A. Bernard, MD Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 Landow H ouse Theater | 1799 E. Jefferson Street | Rockville, MD Marie A. Bernard, MD is Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health. She served as the endowed professor and founding chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and Associate Chief of Staff for Geriatrics and Extended Care at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Marie A. Bernard, MD Bernard has held numerous national leadership roles including chair of the Clinical Medicine Section of the Gerontological Society of America, board member of the American Geriatrics Society, president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and president of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs.

A light supper is available at 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:00 p.m. This expert series on memory care is sponsored by the Hurwitz Lecture Fund at Charles E. Smith Life Communities. This program offers one CEU for social workers.

Join us for this FREE event. FOR INF ORMATION AND TO REGISTER, contact Jill Berkman at 301.816.5052, e-mail berkman@ceslc.org, or online at www.smithlifecommunities.org

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Age-Friendly Montgomery “I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.” County Executive Ike Leggett

Consumer Problems Got You Down? We’ll Stand Up For You! The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) provides consumer advice and enforces consumer protection laws that prohibit unfair and deceptive business practices. Please visit the website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OCP, and then click on Consumer Advice A to Z for information about: • Automobile purchases or repairs • Credit cards and debt collection • Financial literacy and scams • Home ownership & home improvement • Sales & marketing Feel free to call OCP (240-777-3636) or e-mail consumerprotection@montgomerycountymd.gov. To receive alerts, you can subscribe to Consumer Protection at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/govdelivery.

Internet Safety Tips In the wake of the Equifax data breach and the “KRACK” vulnerability that impacts all Wi-Fi enabled computers and devices, online safety is especially important. There are many ways to make sure you are proactively protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Deter: • Do not give out your personal and financial information until you have verified who is on the other end of your computer or telephone.

• Never click on links in unsolicited emails. • Use anti-spyware and anti-virus software; and make sure it’s updated regularly. Detect: • Get a free credit report once a year from www. annualcreditreport.com and correct wrong data. • Be alert and take action if you receive bills for accounts you do not have, unexplained credit denials, or statements for unauthorized charges. • Companies offer (for a fee) credit monitoring services which alert you about suspicious activity. Some will even provide insurance and help you correct your credit report. Please research the service before purchasing. Defend: • If you suspect identity theft: • Place a “Fraud Alert” or “Freeze” on your credit reports; but know a freeze can hinder your own ability to get new credit. • File a police report; call 240-279-8000. • Report the theft to the fraud department of each company where an unauthorized account was opened. • If someone is using your identity to rack up charges or you’re being contacted by a debt collector, quickly

call the OCP for help (240-777-3636.)

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVING Useful coping advice from an author who writes about caring for his wife FAINT OF HEART Fainting can indicate heart rate, low blood pressure and other problems CHEW ON THIS Gum disease can lead to multiple problems, from heart disease to diabetes GETTING IT ALL A new device could help surgeons instantly know if they’ve gotten all the cancer

Perhaps a not-so-vegetative state after all By Malcolm Ritter French researchers say they restored some signs of consciousness in a brain-injured man who hadn’t shown any awareness in 15 years. During months of experimental treatment, his gaze could follow a moving object, and he turned his head toward people speaking to him. He could also turn his head when asked to do so, and his eyes widened when a researcher suddenly came very close to his face, the researchers reported. The treatment involved implanting a device in the man’s chest to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, which extends into the brain. The technique is sometimes used for depression or to reduce the number of seizures in epilepsy. The vagus nerve, which also reaches

down into the abdomen, plays many roles including slowing the heartbeat and controlling muscles of the small intestine. [For more about the vagus nerve, see “Fainting is frightening but seldom serious,” on page 13.]

Other signs of awareness During the treatment, the man also shed tears and smiled while listening to a favorite song by French singer Jean-Jacques Goldman. The tears might have been the result of the nerve stimulation, said Angela Sirigu of the Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science in Lyon, France, which is affiliated with the National Center for Scientific Research. Because of brain damage, the man could not speak, she said. Sirigu is among the authors of a recent

report on this treatment in the journal Current Biology. The 35-year-old man, who was injured in a traffic accident, had spent 15 years in a so-called vegetative state, in which the eyes are sometimes open, but the patient shows no signs of awareness. His behavioral improvements appeared about a month after the device was switched on and persisted for the remaining five months of stimulation, Sirigu said. Brain scans also showed better functioning.

Changing view of brain injury The result “totally makes sense to me,” said Dr. Nicholas Schiff, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City who did not participate in the research.

While it’s the first success in a patient who’d spent 15 years in a vegetative state, it fits with other results that show even patients with long-standing, severe brain injury can be helped by treatment, he said. The challenge now is translating that science into better medical care, he said. Most experimental treatments for the vegetative state have failed to show improvement, said Dr. James Bernat, emeritus professor of neurology and medicine at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Like any report about a single patient, he said, the new one is “provocative but not definitive,” and further study is needed to see what kinds of patient it can help. Sirigu said she’s planning a large study involving several medical centers. — AP

Medicare open enrollment through Dec. 7 By Rachel L. Sheedy Medicare opens the doors for beneficiaries to shop for Part D and Advantage plans each fall, and now is the time to peruse your options to see if you can find a better deal than your current Medicare coverage. The window opened Oct. 15 and closes Dec. 7. During open enrollment, beneficiaries can choose to switch Part D prescription drug plans; switch Advantage plans, which offer health coverage through private insurers; or switch from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage. New coverage starts Jan. 1, 2018. Even if you’re happy with your current plan, it can pay to shop around. “Your plan may have been best for 2017, but maybe not for 2018,” said Christina Reeg, director of the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, based in Columbus, Ohio. Part D and Advantage plans can change their coverage rules from one year to the next, or a change in the prescription drugs you take could make another plan a better deal. A plan better suited to your needs next year could potentially save you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

What might change You should have received your current plan’s Annual Notice of Change by mail around the end of September. That will indicate any 2018 changes to the cost and cover-

age of your current plan. Pay particular attention to changes to drug formularies, drug tiers and co-pays that affect drugs you take. For instance, “a drug in a lower tier with a $5 co-pay might be shifted to a different tier with a $10 co-pay or $20 co-pay,” said Brandy Bauer, communications manager for the National Council on Aging’s Center for Benefits Access. “Those costs can add up over time.” Use the information about your current plan’s changes to help you compare plans. You can then use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to start shopping. Type in your ZIP code, the drugs you take and the dosages. The online tool will calculate your total costs (premiums plus out-ofpocket costs for your drugs) for each plan in your area. Keep in mind that choosing a Medicare plan is an individual decision, said Reeg. Married couples don’t have to sign up for the same plan. Two spouses with very different health situations may find traditional Medicare is appropriate for one spouse while the other is better off with a Medicare Advantage plan. If you need help, contact your state health insurance assistance program, or SHIP. “SHIP helps people navigate the complexities of Medicare,” said Ginny Paulson, director of the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center. For the SHIP office in Washington,

D.C., call (202) 994-6272; Montgomery County, (301) 255-4250; Prince George’s County, (301) 265-8471; Arlington County, (703) 228-1700; Fairfax County, (703) 3245851; Alexandria, (703) 746-5999. SHIP’s services are free, and you can get customized help over the phone or make an appointment for in-person assistance. This government-funded program ensures that beneficiaries get objective help in understanding Medicare rules and assistance in navigating Medicare’s online tools. “Open enrollment is by far the busiest time of year,” said Reeg. “We have 2.2 million beneficiaries [in Ohio] and we encourage all of them to review health and drug plans for 2018.” SHIPs can’t tell you what plan to choose, but they can help you understand your options. Have information about your drugs, pharmacies and doctors handy so SHIP experts can better help you sort through your plan choices.

Weighing Part D options When weighing your options, Reeg said the three C’s are critical: costs, coverage and convenience. These three can intertwine. You may prefer to pick up your prescriptions at your local pharmacy, for instance, but getting prescriptions by mail could be cheaper. “You may have to try a generic first before

you can go to a brand-name drug,” said Bauer. “If you know you need a brand-name drug, look at plans that don’t have those hoops.” But if you can take generics instead of brand-name drugs, it’s one way to cut costs. Use an online drug costs calculator to compare prices. Consider out-of-pocket drug costs as well as monthly premiums. “It’s always a trade-off — low premiums versus greater out-of-pocket costs,” said Alan Mittermaier, president of HealthMetrix Research, in Columbus, Ohio. The nitty-gritty of shopping for Part D “comes down to co-pays, particularly for retail pharmacy networks,” he said. “Ninety-day mail order co-pays are pretty close between plans.” Some good news on the cost front: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expects the average basic premium for a Part D prescription-drug plan will decline to an estimated $33.50 per month in 2018, down $1.20 from the average 2017 monthly premium of $34.70. And the standard Part D deductible is increasing by only $5, to $405, for 2018. The limits for falling into the dreaded “doughnut hole” coverage gap also increase for 2018, by $50 both before and after hitting the gap. After the deductible, See OPEN ENROLLMENT, page 10

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Music can be good medicine for patients Jan Stouffer, who works as a board certified music therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, uses music to help control patients’ pain and anxiety, to ease their adjustment to the hospital setting, and to promote physical rehabilitation. “Health is a dance back and forth between physical and emotional needs, so the two need to be addressed simultaneously for healing,” Stouffer said. In the hospital setting, that means clinical, evidence-based use of music at bedside with patients to affect their healing and wellness. Rather than simply going room to room singing or playing music, music therapists work upon referral from a doctor or nurse, and use a patient’s treatment plan and priorities. During an evaluation, Stouffer and her colleagues consider several factors. They include the patient’s physiological state, their cultural background and music preferences, whether the music should be presented in a sedative or stimulative style, and whether it should be passively enjoyed or actively created.

Help for pain and anxiety Breathing and guided imagery techniques used with calming music can help

patients struggling with pain and anxiety feel more comfortable. “We can help focus their attention away from that,” Stouffer said. “It gives them an avenue for self-expression to share what they are thinking or feeling, and work on developing coping strategies.” For instance, a teen fighting cancer may connect with the lyrics of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” while someone else may use the sounds of an instrument to release feelings such as anger or frustration. Playing a wind instrument such as a recorder, kazoo, harmonica or slide whistle can help patients who need lung exercises.

type of engagement that doesn’t have to do with diagnosis or treatment.” The program matches the music to the environment, whether it’s welcoming patients in a lobby or calming them between procedures. The impact of the program has been significant. “We count how many people stop and listen or smile when they walk by, and it can be upwards of 300 people per performance,” de Boer said. Multiply that by

the 20 or so performances that take place across campus each month, and it reaches thousands. A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com.) © 2017 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Music throughout the hospital But the music goes beyond the bedside. For the past five years, the Center Stage Arts in Health program has created an environment of music all over the Penn State campus. It hires regional musicians to play in common areas such as lobbies and waiting rooms. Claire de Boer, director of Center Stage, said the goal is to humanize the environment and soften edges of moments that could otherwise be more stressful. “It brings joy and creates community because patients and caregivers can share the experience of sitting and listening to live music together,” de Boer said. “It’s a

Have you, or a member of your family, served in the military? The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, says thank you and welcome home to the men and women who’ve worn the uniform.

MDVA Programs

Service and Benefits Program 800-446-4926, ext. 6450

This Veterans Day, make a commitment to yourself and schedule a VA benefits checkup with one of our veterans benefits specialists. Visit us online at veterans.maryland.gov Follow us on Facebook at @MDVeterans

Charlotte Hall Veterans Home 301-884-8171 Cemetery and Memorial Program 410-923-6981 Maryland Veterans Trust Fund 800-446-4926, ext. 6460

Outreach and Advocacy Program 410-260-3842

To those currently serving in our US Armed Forces and to our veteran community, thank you for your service.

Veterans Day 2017

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BEACON BITS

Nov. 9

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Chesterbrook Residences presents a caregiver support group meeting to discuss “Legal Tools for Caregivers of the Elderly” on Thursday, Nov. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with elder law attorney Valerie Geiger. Find out how to make difficult healthcare decisions for your loved ones. The group is open to all Northern Virginia residents. The talk will take place at Chesterbrook, located at 2030 Westmoreland St. in Falls Church, Va. RSVPs are appreciated. For more information or to register, contact Rita Evrony at (703) 896-7910 or revrony@jssa.org.

Nov. 22

TALK ON FALLS

Arlington AARP Chapter #284 will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 1:15 p.m. in the first-floor Arlington Central Library auditorium. The topic of this free program will be “Falls,” presented by Gwendolyn Beck of the Virginia Hospital Center and the Commission on Aging. The library is located at 1015 N Quincy St. in Arlington, Va. For more information, contact Jim Morris at (703) 819-5631.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Open enrollment From page 8 you pay co-payments or co-insurance until drug costs reach $3,750 (including your share and the insurer’s share). In the gap, you pick up drug costs. After out-of-pocket costs reach $5,000, you pay only 5 percent of your drug costs. Under the current health law, the coverage gap continues to shrink in 2018. “There will be less out-of-pocket burden next year,” said Mittermaier. In 2018, the discount on brand-name drugs while in the gap will be 65 percent, up from 60 percent in 2017, and the discount on generics will be 56 percent, up from 49 percent this year. If you hit the doughnut hole this year, take a close look at how your drugs are covered, said Bauer. A different plan might help you avoid it next year.

Understand Medicare Advantage People shopping for Medicare Advantage plans need to pay attention not only to drug costs and coverage but also to provider networks. Unlike traditional Medicare, Advantage plans have limited provider networks — and some networks are narrower than others. If you have certain doctors you like to see, check if their services will be covered — and what your costs would be if they aren’t in a particular plan’s network. Also, some Advantage plans offer coverage that traditional Medicare doesn’t, such as for vision and dental care or hearing aids. Compare those extras. Mittermaier’s firm compares costs for Advantage plans. Check out the review of 2018 plans at Medicarenewswatch.com. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 18

CIVIL WAR FORTS HIKE

Arlington County presents a free hike along a series of defensive forts built around Washington during the Civil War. Vestiges of earthworks and foundations can still be seen in the area. Join National Park Service Ranger Kevin Paddy for the two-mile hike from Fort Ethan Allen in Arlington to Fort Marcy in McLean on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. Wear sturdy shoes since the hike follows an unpaved trail, hills and stream crossings. The group leaves from Madison Community Center, located at 3829 N. Stafford St. in Arlington, Va. The registration deadline is Thursday, Nov. 16. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-4403.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Coping advice for Alzheimer’s caregivers By Mary Kane Martin Schreiber is a former Wisconsin governor, lieutenant governor and state senator. But he took on a different role as caregiver for his wife, Elaine, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 13 years ago. He wrote about his struggles in My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver (Book Publishers Network, $17). The book’s net proceeds promote Alzheimer’s caregiver support programs. In this lightly edited conversation, we talked with Schreiber, age 78, about the overlooked needs of caregivers. You point out that it’s often more challenging for men to take on the role

of caregiver than for women. Why do you think that’s the case? Men have terrible egos. And they think they can handle everything without any help. And so, as the caregiving progresses, and there’s more need for outside support, the man refuses to ask for it, creating further types of anxiety. You’re assuming roles that you never had before. Elaine would take care of the bills, all of the home care, and so forth. Now you are the one doing it. All of a sudden, simple matters become complex. Noting the health problems you suffered before you reached out for caregiving help, you urge other caregivers not to hesitate to seek support. What kind of toll did your wife’s disease

The care you need to get you back to your life.

take on you? My world became Elaine and taking care of her, and nothing else really seemed to matter. I cut out exercise and cut out being with other people. I gained 30 pounds. I couldn’t breathe decently when I would go for a short walk. I didn’t want to seem like a wimp because I couldn’t handle the emotional strain. But the fact is, [that strain is] there. Friends pull you aside and say, “Wow, you look terrible.” My wife is in assisted living now, and I see it in the faces of the other men there, the drawn-out look, the haggard look. Can you explain the concept of your “two Elaines” and how it helped you to move forward? I had to understand that there are two Elaines, and that I had to let go of my first Elaine. The woman who once was, is no more. I can never expect of this new woman any of the things I once did together with the first Elaine. But I wish I’d understood the benefits of letting go sooner. If we’re at Christmastime, with the four children and their spouses and grandchildren, and Elaine asks who those people are, I don’t have to worry about the pain of dealing with this because I already dealt with that when I let go of the first Elaine. There’s now this new person whose life I want to enter. Elaine likes music, so we listen whenever we can. When I’m walking with Elaine, I sing, “I want to marry you,” and she says, “That would make me so happy.”

As a caregiver, look for those areas of common interest. Elaine may not be aware I might be her husband. But she knows I’m a friend, and I’m someone special to her. You used strategies such as therapeutic fibbing, which avoids directly challenging a partner’s inaccurate memories. What other approaches worked for you? Redirection is a critically important tool. She’s got five coats on. She says she’s cold. There is no way intellectually I can have her understand that five coats in summertime is going to be too much. So I agree she’s cold, and I get her another coat. Then we begin to talk about what might be happening with one of the children, or what she might want to do that day, and we’re not talking about the coat anymore. If you understand you can’t argue with the disease, life is so much easier. How do exhausted caregivers find the moments of joy you mention in your book? You look for them. We were driving along the other day and listening to songs from the fifties. Elaine asks, “Do you love me? How long will you keep me?” I said, “Elaine, I will love you and take care of you and be with you for a billion years.” She looked at me and said, “I don’t think I could take you for that long a period of time,” and we both laughed. Sometimes, the spark comes out again. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Fainting is frightening but seldom serious By Julie Corliss One minute you’re feeling a bit woozy; the next thing you know, you’re flat on your back wondering what happened. No matter what you call it — swooning, passing out or fainting — the experience is surprisingly common. About a third of people say they’ve fainted at least once. Although often harmless, fainting can cause injuries, and sometimes signals a problem with the heart or circulatory system. “Witnessing a faint can be scary because it can look like the person has died,” said Harvard professor Dr. Lewis A. Lipsitz, director of the Division of Gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston. If it’s really a faint, the person will regain consciousness quickly; if not, call 911. Here’s the lowdown on the most common reasons people pass out.

The “common faint” These faints are caused by excessive stimulation of the vagus nerve, the part of the nervous system that regulates blood pressure and heart rate. In response to some trigger, the blood vessels in your legs relax and the heart rate slows, making it difficult for blood to return to the heart. Blood

pressure drops, and down you go. Sometimes, the trigger for vasovagal syncope, the official term for this kind of fainting, is a strong emotion — such as a response to bad news, the sight of blood, or a feeling of panic or claustrophobia. This type of faint can also occur when you have a bad coughing spell or strain to have a bowel movement, or even if you’ve been standing for a long time. Vasovagal syncope tends to be more common in people under 35. With age, the nervous system doesn’t react as quickly, so these types of faints occur less frequently.

Low blood pressure when standing The classic example of orthostatic hypotension is a 70-something person who’s been ill (and therefore not eating or drinking normally) who faints right after getting out of bed in the morning. Older people are more prone to abnormalities in blood pressure regulation because of age, medications or disease, Lipsitz said. With age, blood vessels tend to stiffen, and the body’s system for monitoring blood pressure becomes less sensitive. Older people are more likely to take drugs that can worsen orthostatic hypotension, such as beta blockers (which reduce the heart rate) and alpha blockers (which can reduce blood pressure; they’re

used in men to treat an enlarged prostate). Older adults are more prone to dehydration, as the sense of thirst diminishes over the years. Also, diseases such as diabetes, cancer and Parkinson’s (all of which are more common with age) may cause orthostatic hypotension.

Abnormal heart rate If your heart rate is very fast, your blood pressure may fall and fainting may follow. A number of different heart conditions — from problems with the heart’s electrical system to defective valves — can trigger palpitations, a feeling that your heart is fluttering, racing, or missing a beat. Conversely, a very slow heart rate can also cause you to faint. This condition is

usually caused by electrical abnormalities in the heart, or heart damage from a heart attack or other disease. Thyroid problems and certain medications can also lead to an abnormally slow or fast heart rate.

Finding the underlying cause If a young, healthy person faints after an obvious vasovagal trigger, there’s not always a need to see a doctor. But if you faint for the first time after age 40, see a doctor to explore all the potential causes. He or she should check your blood pressure (both sitting and standing, if orthostatic hypotension is suspected), and do an electrocardiogram (ECG) — a test that checks See FAINTING, page 14

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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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 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.

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failure — fainting may foretell a more serious problem and may require more extensive testing, Lipsitz said. Julie Corliss is executive editor of Harvard Heart Letter. © 2017. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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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.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

The most meaningful words to describe Holy Cross Germantown Hospital are:

Your Very Own.

Sharon Breathes Ea s y A g a i n After Her nia Trea t m e n t What Sharon Stecklein wants people suffering from complex hernias to know is that there is a solution. Surgically treated for colon cancer in 2014, Sharon developed an incisional hernia the following year that was small at first but grew rapidly. “For the next two years I suffered from discomfort and recurring pain plus shortness of breath as the hernia grew larger,” said Sharon. “It was very unpleasant and often interfered with the quality of my life, but I was told by my physician that it would be difficult to treat due to its size and location and that the surgery might not be successful. I accepted my doctor’s prognosis at face value. I had no reason to doubt him, and I just assumed it was something I would have to live with for the rest of my life.” That all changed the day she received Holy Cross Health’s community magazine in her mailbox and spotted a Help for Hernias informational event at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital with Alexander Sailon, MD, plastic surgeon, and George Conrad, MD, general surgeon. “I showed it to my husband,” recalls Sharon, “and of course we attended. When I heard Dr. Sailon say that almost any hernia could be surgically repaired, usually successfully, I was so excited. I called for an appointment the next day.” A hernia is a gap or tear in the lining of the abdominal wall that can result from heavy lifting, chronic cough, obesity, pregnancy and other causes. “Hernias cause pain or discomfort that

optimal outcome. For Sharon’s surgery, Dr. Sailon collaborated with Dr. Conrad. “Dr. Conrad and I used the most advanced resorbable mesh to repair Sharon’s hernia,” said Dr. Sailon. “It provides support and allows robust scar tissue to form while slowly dissolving over a 12-to-24 month period.” When working with Dr. Sailon, Dr. Conrad begins the surgery and identifies the edges of the hernia. “I make sure we avoid any injury to the bowel or intestines,” explains Dr. Conrad. “Dr. Sailon then separates the layers of the abdominal wall so they can be closed back together over the mesh.” I just want everyone suffering from a complex hernia to know that there is a solution and not to give up,” says Sharon Stecklein. can reduce the quality of life,” said Dr. Sailon. “It’s not uncommon to hear from our patients that they have been told their hernia is too large to repair. Holy Cross Germantown Hospital’s hernia program is staffed with surgeons with the training and experience to treat hernias ranging from the simple to the most complex, even after prior surgeries have failed.” The hernia program is staffed with a team of multidisciplinary clinical and support professionals who collaborate to serve each patient’s unique needs. For complex hernias such as Sharon’s, a general surgeon and a plastic surgeon will work together to ensure an

Sharon’s surgery at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital was a success, and according to Dr. Sailon, she faces less than a 10 percent chance of recurrence over the course of her lifetime. Sharon, who worked for 43 years as a nurse, says finally finding a solution to her hernia helped move her life ahead: “I’m just so grateful I can breathe easily again without that discomfort and occasional pain I had endured. My doctors demonstrated such caring and skill during each step of this procedure; I cannot say enough good things about them.”

Join us for a “Help for Hernias” event on December 7 (see details below). To find a physician on our hernia team, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org/herniateam.

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S AT H O LY C R O S S G E R M A N T O W N H O S P I TA L These events are FREE and held at 19801 Observation Dr., Germantown, MD 20876. To register, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org. November 9, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

November 15, 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.

December 7, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

IMPROVING LUNG HEALTH

STROKE SUPPORT GROUP

HELP FOR HERNIAS

Thoracic surgeon Bryan Steinberg, MD, discusses the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lung conditions.

Join our monthly support group to connect with other stroke survivors, caregivers and professionals. Gain resources to navigate daily living, learn from the experiences of others, access coping insights from experts, and share hope and encouragement.

Get the facts on hernia pain, types of hernias, symptoms, treatments and surgical options. Panelists include general surgeons Christopher Boyd, MD; George Conrad, MD; and Stephen McKenna, MD; and plastic surgeon Alexander Sailon, MD.

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health shorts From page 14 continuous blood sugar monitor for diabetics 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 di-

abetes use standard glucose meters, which require multiple finger pricks each day and only show current sugar level. More-accurate continuous glucose monitoring devices are 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

Embracing the

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t Olney Assisted Living, our goal is to continually enhance the quality of life for each resident.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

available in pharmacies within months. 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 Surgery patients often end up with leftover opioid painkillers and store the remaining pills 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 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

BEACON BITS

Nov. 18

HOLIDAY GRIEF WORKSHOP

Haven of Northern Virginia will sponsor a free workshop, “Coping with the holiday season after the death of a loved one,” on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Registration is required. For more information including location, contact Haven at (703) 941-7000 and havenofnova@verizon.net.

Nov. 16

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna is holding a caregivers support group for caregivers to adult family members with dementia on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The group meets at UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Oakton, Va. For more information, contact Jack Tarr at (703) 821-6838 or jtarr5@verizon.net.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Who should benefit from immune therapy? By Marilynn Marchione Dennis Lyon was a genetic train wreck. Cancer was ravaging his liver, lungs, bones and brain, and tests showed so many tumor mutations that drugs targeting one or two wouldn’t do much good. It seemed like very bad news, yet his doctors were encouraged. The reason: People with the most messed-up genes often are the ones who do best on treatments that enlist the immune system. “These are the patients we used to be very depressed about,” thinking they couldn’t be helped, said Dr. Razelle Kurzrock at the University of California, San Diego. “Now when we see those types of patients, we’re really excited,” because there are so many ways for the immune system to recognize the cancer cells as abnormal. Immunotherapy is the hottest thing in cancer care. Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors can vanquish some advanced cancers by removing a chemical cloak that hides them from the immune system. Former President Jimmy Carter got one at age 91 for skin cancer that spread to his brain, and now is in remission. But they’re expensive, have side effects, and work for only about one-quarter of patients — as few as 5 percent with colon cancer, and as many as half with the skin cancer melanoma. Sometimes the benefits are brief. Worst of all: For a small number of unlucky folks, treatment can backfire. Their cancer grows exponentially after getting a checkpoint drug. “We’re going to have to figure out not only who to treat with immunotherapy, but who not to treat,” Kurzrock said. Gene tests are starting to help sort that out. But for patients, the big question is,

“Will it work for me?”

Predicting who benefits The first step is testing for a protein called PD-L1 that’s often involved in forming that chemical cloak. Some checkpoint drugs target this or a related protein, so people with a lot of it should respond to treatment. That was the hope when Diane Tippett of Leonardtown, Md., showed up last October at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center with a salivary gland cancer that had spread to her liver and lungs. “Five years ago, I probably would have thrown up my hands and given her standard chemo,” said the center’s director, Dr. Louis Weiner. Instead, he ordered tests that showed Tippett had a PD-L1 mutation, meaning her cancer made a lot of it. He started the 49-year-old woman on a checkpoint drug, Opdivo, and told her to come back in a few months. “Quite honestly, I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again,” he said. Now, Tippett’s lung tumors are gone. Her liver tumor shrank 50 percent and is stable. She got married in July and says she feels great. “I don’t feel any different than you do. I’m not tired, I’ve got all my hair,” Tippett said. “I want more people to know about it and to ask their doctors about it,” she said of immunotherapy and the testing that led her to it. That protein isn’t a very reliable predictor, though. Some people with a lot of it don’t benefit from the drugs, and the opposite also is true. There are other checkpoints besides that one, too.

The more mutations, the better Researchers increasingly are focusing

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on something else Tippett had: a high number of flawed genes. It’s a sign that tumors have been evolving over time and are hard to treat with drugs that target a single gene. It sometimes accompanies two other DNA problems that some checkpoint drugs already are approved to treat. Lyon, the San Diego man, had nearly two dozen different mutations after his skin cancer spread widely. In October 2015, he started on Opdivo and was in nearcomplete remission within two months.

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Recent tests showed no active cancer in his spine and lungs, and doctors think small spots in his brain and liver may be scar tissue, though they can’t know for sure. A test for tumor DNA in his blood found none. “It would appear my cancer is all dead,” he said, and called it “nothing short of miraculous” that gene tests led to successful treatment after years of trial and error. “I’m so grateful. No one’s lucky that gets See IMMUNE THERAPY, page 18

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Immune therapy From page 17 cancer, but I may be in an era where thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way through this tunnel.â&#x20AC;? Three-quarters of patients who are helped by checkpoint drugs have long-lasting benefits, as Lyon did, said Dr. Steven Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Day, an immunotherapy expert at Providence Saint Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you respond, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a home run in terms of long-term survival,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Day said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we still have to be better at predicting who those patients are.â&#x20AC;?

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

A dark side Others have not been so fortunate. In November, French researchers reported that 12 of 131 patients, or 9 percent, got much worse after checkpoint drugs, which seemed to speed their tumor growth. Kurzrock checked with colleagues and quickly found more cases â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a 73-year-old man with bladder cancer, a 65-year-old woman with endometrial cancer, and a 44year-old breast cancer patient whose tumors â&#x20AC;&#x153;just explodedâ&#x20AC;? in size within two months of immunotherapy. In a report on 155 patients, she tied several gene mutations to this risk. Kurzrock has

consulted for some gene-medicine makers, and co-founded a company using a software program to determine best treatments for patients, depending on their tumor genes. The unfortunate cases are a reality check, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not paying close enough attention to those peopleâ&#x20AC;? and need to know whether they fared badly because of their treatment or for other reasons, he said. Should we be doing â&#x20AC;&#x153;immunogramsâ&#x20AC;?? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the question Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, posed to a gene medicine conference he organized in March at the suburban San Diego research center. Should there be baseline tests to map what patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; natural defenses look like? For example, how many immune system soldiers (called T cells) do they have in the area of the tumor? Max Krummel is working on a roadmap

to do that. The University of California, San Francisco, scientist heads a project with $10 million from three companies that make checkpoint drugs. He is analyzing hundreds of tumor samples to see what immune system features spell success or failure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not looking at how the immune system changes,â&#x20AC;? but for what starting point works best with the drugs, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing is that the kinds of cells you have in a tumor predict whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to respond.â&#x20AC;? Krummel, who was involved in work that led to Yervoy, the first checkpoint drug, has started a company to try to tune up one part of the immune system he thinks is key to maintaining a healthy balance. Cancer exists because the immune system isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working as it should, he said. So successful immunotherapy may require â&#x20AC;&#x153;treating the immune system, not treating the tumor.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

BEACON BITS

Nov. 14

AGING SUCCESSFULLY

Seabury Care Management presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Successful Agingâ&#x20AC;? with Christine Bitzer, LICSW on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Learn how nutrition, exercise and community involvement can help you as you age. There will also be community resources and blood pressure screenings. This program will take place at St. Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal/Anglican Church, located at 12621 Old Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, Md. For more information, visit www.seaburyresources.org or call (202) 364-0020.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

November 2017

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being. All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus, unless otherwise noted. Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

living well seminar: “Medicare 2018: What You Need to Know to Get the Best Benefits”

Healthy Living Class: Mindful Meditation

Parkinson’s Support Group

November 13 through December 18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 2-3:15 P.M.

MONDAYS • 10-10:30 A.M. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 1-2:15 P.M. Find the answers to questions such as: “What do Medicare A and B cover? How does Medicare Part D work? Do I need Part C? What state and federal programs am I eligible for? Medicare doesn’t pay for everything, so what else do I need?” FREE. Preceded by complimentary lunch at 12:30 p.m. Register by November 6.

Experience guided, mindful meditation in a quiet space. Sessions promote greater focus, reduce anxiety, increase compassion and improve well-being. Six-week Session Fee: $20 Register by November 10 support for the caregiver seminar: “Caring for the Caregiver” TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 • 2-3 P.M. Join in a discussion on the importance of selfcare, pinpoint strategies to reduce the burden of caregiving and review steps to take when caring for your loved one at home is no longer an option. FREE. Register by November 12.

Alzheimer’s Support Group WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 3:30-4:30 P.M. PFNCA Exercise for Parkinson’s Classes MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 3:30-4:30 P.M. Improve posture, balance and circulation while also increasing strength, muscle control and mobility. FREE with a $20 annual Parkinson Foundation registration fee.

18100 Slade School Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

301-260-2320 · www.bgf.org

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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, bacteria-laden 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

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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 slow-

ing 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 See TEETH AND GUMS, page 21

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Dental coverage offers limited protection By Tom Murphy Don’t forget about your teeth when you start considering 2018 health insurance. We are now generally in the annual signup window for many types of health insurance. Many employers offer a chance to sign up for dental coverage during their open enrollment period for benefits. Dental protection also can be purchased with private Medicare Advantage coverage or through the Affordable Care Act’s public marketplaces. There’s a big market for it. About 74 million Americans have no dental coverage, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. That’s around 23 percent of the population, or more than double the percentage that lacks health insurance. Here are some things to consider when shopping for dental plans. Why do so many people lack dental coverage?

The main reason is limits on government health programs. Medicare provides health coverage for people who turn 65, but the federal program offers no dental option unless you buy it through privately-run Medicare Advantage plans. Likewise, dental coverage is spotty for adults in Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor. Shoppers also cannot use tax credits to help pay for most adult dental coverage sold on the ACA’s marketplaces or exchanges. On the other hand, patients can use taxadvantaged health savings or flexible spending accounts to cover dental bills. What should I expect from my coverage? You won’t have to pay for preventive care like teeth cleanings. Your insurer also will grab the bill for the occasional X-ray. Coverage tends to shrink from there. Basic work like cavity fillings might come

Teeth and gums

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.

From page 20 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

with co-insurance, which requires you to pay a certain percentage of the bill. That coinsurance may be as high as 50 percent for major work like crowns or dentures. Many plans also pay only $1,500 or less annually for care per person. After that, the customer has to pick up the rest of the cost. Coverage for a kid’s braces also may be limited to a maximum lifetime payment of $1,000 per person, depending on the plan. Why are there limits? Dental coverage is designed to encour-

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age people to get regular care that keeps tooth decay and other costly problems from developing. “The idea is you pay more out of pocket if you let things go south,” said Evelyn Ireland, executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans. If the insurer covered more, then premiums would rise, and that might dissuade people from getting regular dental checkSee DENTAL COVERAGE, page 22

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Health Studies Page

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Cancer drug studied to treat Alzheimer’s By Barbara Ruben In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug nilotinib to treat leukemia. But it may do more than just put this blood cancer into remission. Nilotinib, whose brand name is Tasigna, is now under study as a treatment for both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as well. Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. is currently recruiting patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s to take part in a study to see how well the drug works to reduce symptoms. Currently-available treatments for Alzheimer’s have only modest benefits, and do not stop the underlying disease. Physical signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain include clumps or plaques of a

protein called beta amyloid, and tangles of another protein called tau. These plaques and tangles in the brain cause memory loss and language impairment by disrupting the normal functions of brain cells (neurons) and their connections (synapses). Animal studies show that nilotinib lowers the levels of these proteins, and reverses inflammation in the brain, at doses lower than those used to treat leukemia. The goal is that nilotinib will also clear these toxic proteins from human brains as well. In the study, half the patients will be randomly selected to take a 150 mg. nilotinib capsule once a day for six months, and then move up to two 150 mg. pills. This dose is much lower than that for leukemia

patients, who usually take the 300 mg. dosage twice a day. The other group of patients will take a placebo, a pill with no active ingredients. Neither the doctors nor the patients will know which pill they are taking until the end of the study, which lasts one year. During the study, patients will visit Georgetown University Medical Center 16 times. Various tests will be performed at the visits, including brain MRI scans, spinal taps, cognitive testing and electrocardiograms. Amyloid PET scans will also be performed to visualize amyloid plaque deposits in the brain.

Some safety concerns

abnormal heartbeat associated with QT prolongation on electrocardiograms (ECG). The FDA has also issued a black box warning on nilotinib because of the potential for life-threatening heart attacks. Monitoring is done by frequent examinations. In addition, the drug may occasionally cause other serious side effects, including stroke, gastrointestinal and brain bleeding, liver problems and pancreatitis. More common and less serious side effects include low blood count, nausea, vomiting, swelling of hands or feet, and joint pain. Most side effects seen to date in cancer patients treated with nilotinib have been mild to moderate. They generally disap-

During the study, researchers will carefully monitor participants for any signs of an

Dental coverage From page 21 ups, Ireland said. The dental plans association estimates that more than 90 percent of patients do not hit their plan’s annual maximum. However, research suggests that some people start avoiding care before they reach their plan’s limits due to the costs they face even with coverage, said Marko Vujicic, chief economist for the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute. Should I bother buying coverage? The answer can depend on whether you expect to need more than basic care, and if your dentist offers a discount program. Consider how your projected expenses compare with the monthly premium you’d

See ALZHEIMER’S STUDY, page 23

pay for coverage, and whether you have the resources to handle an unexpected bill of $1,000 or more. Monthly premiums can top $50 for a family plan, which is much less than a typical health premium. Your employer likely will pay some of that for any plan purchased through work. Insurers also can help their customers by negotiating discounts with dentists that still apply even if a patient has to cover the whole bill for a procedure, Ireland said. Those discounts might reduce the cost of a crown from around $1,200 to $960, but you have to have coverage in order to get them. Ireland said these insurer-negotiated discounts are generally bigger than what a dentist may offer a cash-paying customer. — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Letters to editor From page 2 FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer’s disease with our patients and caregivers/family members. 2. With regard to making an accurate diagnosis: “What can be measured? Quinolinic acid (from the substrate L-tryptophan).” Measuring quinolinic acid (in blood, presumably) has no value in diagnosing dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of over-diagnosis, Alzheimer’s disease is often underdiagnosed. In fact, many individuals with frank dementia are never diagnosed or offered treatment. We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of memory loss and dementia in older individuals. We perform a thorough history and examination, order appropriate diagnostic testing (including brain imaging), and offer FDA-approved treatments. Alzheimer’s disease is not and should not be a “guessing game.” Since current treatments have only modest benefits, we are conducting studies to discover more effective strategies, including preventive strategies for cognitively-normal older individuals at-risk. We are also testing the diagnostic value of amyloid PET scans of the brain. About

Alzheimer’s study From page 22 pear after a few days to a few weeks of treatment, or can be managed with other medicines or treatments.

Who can participate To take part in the study, patients must be 50 or older, be fluent in English, have a diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (but not other causes of dementia), and have a caregiver or study partner who can accompany them to all study visits. They cannot have had a stroke or have long QT syndrome. In the last two years, they cannot have suffered from epilepsy, a major psychiatric disorder, alcohol or substance abuse, or a head injury with loss of consciousness. They also cannot have had cancer in the last five years or a history of HIV. Participants will receive $50 for each study visit, as well as meals and parking validation if necessary. To learn more, contact Dr. Ashot Shekoyan at (202) 687-7591 or ars232@georgetown.edu, or Nurse Practitioner Tracy Edwards at (202) 687-7597 or tjb36@georgetown.edu.

Write a letter to the editor. See page 2.

25 percent of individuals with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease may have a low amyloid burden — thus, undetectable by PET neuroimaging. This is a research topic under investigation, but does not equate to “misdiagnosed.” No single diagnostic test is 100 percent accurate, which is why a more holistic view to diagnosis is essential, and eventual brain donation for a gold-standard diagnosis remains critical to advancing the field. For more information on the clinical services and research opportunities offered by the Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program, see www.memory.georgetown.edu. R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD Brigid Reynolds, NP Kathleen Johnson, NP Melanie Chadwick, NP Margaret Bassett, NP Tracy Edwards, NP Georgetown University Washington, D.C.

Suzy Cohen, author of the column, responds: It’s too bad for patients that so many other settings do not act as cautiously as Georgetown University before drugging up someone with a mood or memory problem. Many are

quick to poison them with anxiolytics, addictive sleepers and mind-bending psychotropic drugs that shrink the brain rapidly and lead to falls and fractures. These effects have clearly been shown upon “brain donation.”

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Nov. 11

FALL FESTIVAL The Village at Rockville is holding a fall festival on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a Christmas room, jew-

elry, baked goods, a “Grandma’s Attic,” stamps, books, a gift shop that is 50 percent off, a silent auction and more. Lunch will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and costs $10 ($5 for lighter fare). The Village at Rockville is located at 9701 Viers Dr. in Rockville, Md. For more information, call (301) 354-8460.

Nov. 12

NEW TO YOU SALE Find bargains on new and nearly new books, clothing, toys and household goods at the “New to You” sale on Sunday, Nov. 12

from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Har Shalom Religious School, 11510 Falls Rd., Potomac, Md. For more information, contact esherr2@gmail.com.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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 moleSee CANCER PROBE, page 26

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Nov. 8+

VOLUNTEER LAWYERS NEEDED The Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) is looking

for volunteer attorneys licensed to practice in Maryland or another U.S. jurisdic-

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tion to provide free civil legal aid to people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Volunteers screen cases, interview potential clients about their legal needs at their local clinics, and can provide full representation to clients on any number of civil matters, with the goal of helping them obtain and maintain housing and employment. To get started, an attorney either takes the online training (offered through the Pro Bono Resource Center) or attends HPRP’s in-person training. HPRP has two upcoming in-person trainings: Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 8 and 10. For more information, call (410) 685-6589, ext. 14, or email hprpprobono@hprplaw.org.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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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 firstgeneration German — she emigrated at the age of 6 — never stopped me from making her 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-mingled 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 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.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1/3 cup oats, pulsed or blended into a coarse powder 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 over-process 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 evaporat-

ed, 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 See HEALTHY SPAGHETTI, page 26

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

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Cancer probe

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Nov. 17+

DRIVING REFRESHER

The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna is sponsoring a two-day classroom refresher driving course for drivers 50 and older, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 20. The course takes place in the small hall on the ground floor at the Oakton United Methodist Church, 2951 Chain Bridge Rd., Oakton, Va. The cost is $15 for AARP members; $20 for non-members. Checks can be made payable to AARP and can be brought on the first day of class. For more information or to register, call (703) 281-0538.

Dec. 4

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

RENOIR TALK

Arlington Parks and Recreation presents “Renoir and Friends,” a presentation on Renoir’s painting “The Luncheon of the Boating Party” with art historian Joan Hart on Monday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S.18th St. in Arlington, Va. The painting is currently on view at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and is considered his greatest work. Admission costs $6. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-5722.

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From page 24 cules 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 Translation-

Healthy spaghetti From page 25 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,

al Medicine. They 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, Ahuja said. While she stressed that the hand-held 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

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

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Spouse improvement programs backfire Dear Solutions: And stop nagging her. Reassure her that For a while, both my wife and my- you love her, and you never want to walk self were overweight and away from her, however she indulging ourselves. Now I looks. Tell her your concern started to do something is that she stay healthy so you about it, playing tennis and can keep on walking with her. working out. Dear Solutions: But my wife won’t budge My live-in companion to do any exercise. I love her, snores terribly. It wakes me and I think it’s bad for her up, and I can’t get back to health. I even tried to make sleep after that. As a result, her a little jealous by telling I’m tired all day, and I even her about the very attractive fell asleep at the table yeswomen who play doubles SOLUTIONS terday. By Helen Oxenberg, with me. So last night I asked I try to get her to take up MSW, ACSW him to move into another tennis, but she only answers, room. He got very angry “Leave me alone. I’m happy I learned and stormed out saying maybe he how to walk.” How do I motivate her? should move into another house. How — Len can I resolve this? Dear Len: — Lois Start where she’s at. She learned how to Dear Lois: walk, so walk with her. That’s a good form The roar of the snore is heard in the of exercise, and if you show her you enjoy land! There seems to be more and more ather company and want to go on brisk walks tention being paid to the problem, which with her, she won’t have to react to your at- may be helpful to you. tempts to make her jealous. Those attempts First, though, next time you wake up, may be having exactly the opposite effect. think about why he reacted with such anger

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Ongoing

at your request. Is he feeling rejected in other areas of your relationship? Pay attention to what’s happening between you. As for the snoring, suggest that he see his 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 marry 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.

We’re opening the end of November!

WINTER CLOTHES COLLECTIONS

The Original Pancake House is collecting new and gently used coats, hoodies, gloves and hats for children and adults to distribute during their Annual Christmas Day Breakfast for the Less Fortunate Members of Our Community. They are also collecting new toys for the more than 250 children who attend. Items are being accepted through Thursday, Dec. 21 at the Original Pancake House locations at 7395 Lee Hwy. in Falls Church, Va.; 12224 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Md., and 7700 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda, Md. To make a make a tax deductible donation, make checks payable to MoverMoms, also known as Kind Works. The tax ID number is 26-2394925. For more information, visit www.ophrestaurants.com/14th-Annual-Holiday-Event.

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DCOA From page 1 centers. They invited representatives from all eight wards to participate on a tasting panel and score a number of potential vendors. (The winner has not yet been announced. Stay tuned.)

Haves and have-nots Meals are actually an important element of the DCOA mission. Nutrition is one of its three core services. Thousands of meals are home-delivered every week, there are 50 weekday community lunch sites throughout the District, and for very low-income residents, a free box of groceries is provided each month. While the daily lunches are open to all without charge (though donations are accepted and invested back in the program),

some other DCOA programs do have income restrictions, Newland noted. What she calls “the Mayor’s signature program for seniors” is one of them. The Safe at Home program provides up to $10,000 per residence to modify the homes of older adults (and those age 18 to 59 with disabilities) to reduce risk of falls and improve accessibility. For example, people who qualify can get entrance ramps built, grab bars and shower seats installed in bathrooms, bathtub cuts, stair lifts, handrails and more. “In terms of scale, financial commitment, and number served, this is unlike any program in the U.S.,” Newland said. She’s particularly proud that DCOA just won an innovation award from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging for the program. Some services are limited to, or priori-

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

tized to, low-income individuals or those residing in certain wards considered underserved, such as 7 and 8. These include some supplemental food programs, some transportation options, and some services intended for those with Alzheimer’s. Sometimes the limitations are imposed under the terms of federal programs such as Medicaid, or federal or local grants underwriting the programs. When Newland has to tell a resident they don’t qualify for a program, she tries to explain the budget situation and asks for their understanding. “If you have the resources, we’re going to ask you to use those resources...This is about community, About taking care of each other. I think people understand when there are programs they’re not eligible for.” But there are many programs open to all, she reiterates: gyms, exercise classes, computer rooms, and the like. Even Adult Day Care centers charge no fee (though they encourage donations).

What seniors think The interview for this story took place on a weekday morning at the DCOA office, located on the top floor of the Hayes Senior Wellness Center at 500 K St., NE. Downstairs are, among other things, the well-equipped gym, an exercise room and a computer room. D.C. residents filled several of those rooms that morning. In the gym, Martha Byers said she tries to come three days a week to work out and attend her favorite exercise class. “I was overjoyed to find out about this building and the services offered here,” Byers said. “I had been sick, and exercise really helps me, so I’m really happy this is here.” She bikes from her home to the center. In the computer room, Maxine Davis said she’s been coming to the center for two years. She said if she didn’t have this place, which is about a mile from her home, “I’d be home sleeping, doing nothing. “This is a place where I can exercise, eat, use the computer, socialize, take classes on nutrition, sign language, cooking. These are all things I participate in,” Davis said. She also likes the Club Memory, “where you can learn some tricks to employ when you notice weakness in that area. It has helped me.” Any complaints? Davis doesn’t like the fact that the soda machine is in the computer room. Why? She points to the sign that says “No eating or drinking in the computer room.” “To me, that’s a contradiction,” she said. “I asked that they move the machine. Instead, they made a larger sign!”

Facing criticism Some D.C. residents have harsher words about D.C. Government services, or what they perceive as the lack thereof. A group of seniors in wards 2 and 3 feel their neighborhoods are overlooked when it comes to providing services. Their chief beef is not solely with DCOA, but also with the Department of Recreation — in particular, with the lack of

a wellness center, senior lounge, computer room or sufficient senior programming in their neighborhoods, and particularly at the Chevy Chase Community Center. Jay Thal, a community activist who recently testified before the D.C. Council on the issue, feels it’s the general wealth of the community “west of Rock Creek Park” that leads the government to spend few resources there. “Just because of where we live, we’re assumed to be rich. But many of us are living off Social Security and meager savings, and we also need the services seniors elsewhere in the city are getting,” Thal said. So how does Newland, the former activist, feel when she finds herself on a less familiar side of the “us vs. them” attitude? “I come from a litigation background. I’m a very vocal person, a strong advocate and always have been. I think it’s great when people talk about their experiences, use public forums, attend our town halls,” Newland said. “I tell them ‘I want to make sure we’re addressing your concerns. There might be some very specific things we can do to make you feel more valued.’ Ultimately, that’s my job.”

Seeking Ambassadors Then there are the members of the community who come to DCOA not asking for anything, but offering their services. They want to give back to the community. And Newland is ready with a program for them, too. The Ambassador program trains volunteers both about the many services and programs the department offers, and how to relate to seniors in the community. Then they go out and spread the word deep into communities. Ambassadors “help connect us to those we wouldn’t otherwise reach,” Newland said. “Our job at DCOA is to build and support a framework for community. But we are not the community.” “It’s a matter of trust, in part. Neighbors know their neighbors. We need community involvement to start a relationship and reach others.” Ambassadors also learn about emergency preparedness and help make sure people are looking out for their neighbors, and know what to do in an emergency. Newland said she often hears, “I didn’t know you guys offered this! How do I sign up?” There is room here for improvement, she admits, and Ambassadors are only part of the solution. What she likes to tell seniors is, “call us so we can have a conversation.” There may be programs they are eligible for, and programs they aren’t. There may be programs offered by other D.C. agencies that DCOA can refer them to. She tells her staff not to focus on what they expect to hear, but to “be open to the surprise. You may find a big unexpected need. We have to be willing to see, accept and meet that need” if we can, Newland said. “If we think we know what we’re going to see, we might be blind to what’s really happening.”

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

How diet can impact migraine headaches Eliminating that morning cup of joe, consuming processed foods high in nitrites or monosodium glutamate (MSG), and enjoying too much alcohol are potential headache triggers for individuals battling migraines, said Vincent Martin, M.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. There are two different approaches to preventing headaches with diet. The first approach would be an elimination diet that avoids foods and beverages known to trigger headaches. The second approach would be follow a comprehensive diet whose very composition may prevent headaches, explained Martin, co-director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and an expert in the area of migraine. His conclusions and others for migraineurs come after performing an exhaustive literature review of more than 180 research studies on the subject of migraine and diet. Martin’s two-part review, “Diet and Headache” is available online in the scholarly publication Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. It is co-authored by Brinder Vij, M.D., associate professor in the UC Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Caffeine and MSG “One of the most important triggers for headache is the withdrawal of caffeine,” said Martin, who also sees patients at UC Health. “Let’s say you regularly pound down three or four cups of coffee every morning, and you decide to skip your morning routine one day. You will likely have a full-fledged caffeine withdrawal headache that day.” That said, too much coffee may also present a risk. No more than 400 milligrams daily — one cup typically has 125 milligrams — is probably the maximum for migraine patients, said Martin. “Large amounts of caffeine can bring on anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as headaches,” he explained.

Another trigger for migraine is MSG, which is a flavor enhancer used in a variety of processed foods, including frozen or canned foods, soups, international foods, snack foods, salad dressing, seasoning salts, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and heavily in Chinese cooking, said Martin, also a UC Health physician. “You eliminate it by eating fewer processed foods,” Martin said. “You eat more natural things such as fresh vegetables, fresh fruits and fresh meats. MSG is most provocative when consumed in liquids such as soups.” Nitrites are preservatives found in processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, ham and lunch meat, to preserve color and flavor. Martin said a diary study found that 5 percent of individuals with migraine were statistically more likely to have an attack on days when they consume nitrites. Use of nitrites in foods has declined with stronger government regulation, though checking labels remains a good idea, he said. Alcohol is one of the most commonly reported dietary trigger factors for migraine. Studies suggest vodka and red wines, especially those with the highest histamine content, are problematic, said Martin. There is a lot of interest in gluten-free diets, but they are only helpful in lessening headaches if the individuals suffer from celiac disease, which can be established by a positive blood test or intestinal biopsy, he added.

Diets to prevent headaches There have been three comprehensive diets whose very composition may prevent headaches. These include low fat and low carbohydrate diets, as well as those that increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids and decrease the amount of omega-6 fatty acids, according to Martin. Vij, who is also associate director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, said low fat diets restrict the amount of fat in the diet to less than 20 percent of your daily energy requirements. “The beauty of these diets is that they

not only reduce headaches, but may produce weight loss and prevent heart disease,” said Vij ,a UC Health physician. Low carbohydrate diets such as ketogenic diets can reduce headache frequency, but it’s not something to consider without strict physician supervision. The diet limits carbohydrates more than the wellknown Atkins diet, Vij said. One of the most promising diets for those with more frequent attacks of migraine is one that boosts your omega-3 fats while lessening your omega-6 levels. That means tossing out polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, canola and soy) in favor of flaxseed oil, said Martin. Foods to consume would include

flaxseed, salmon, halibut, cod and scallops, while those to avoid would be peanuts and cashews. “Persons with headache and migraine have more dietary options than ever. Ultimately a healthy headache diet excludes processed foods, minimizes caffeine, and includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meats,” Martin said. He adds, “After all, you are what you eat.” A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2017 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging This month is Alzheimer’s Disease It’s a privilege to share her words of Awareness and Caregivers Month. I’m inspiration with all of you, as we are excited to share a guest submission from fortunate to receive them so often from our very own Aurora Delespin-Jones, pro- her as we work tirelessly to be an gram manager for the D.C. Office on agency of people serving people, from Aging (DCOA). Aurora has dedicated the heart. To all caregivers, thank you for what her career to serving District residents, and was the 2016 winner of the Morris & you do, day in and day out. Thank you for Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Award spreading kindness as you improve the for Distinguished D.C. Government Em- quality of life for those you care for. Know ployees. She brings creativity, compassion that you are not alone in your journey and leadership to her role here at DCOA, and DCOA is here to support you. We are and I’m grateful to have her lead a team honored to celebrate you, not just during that works passionately with all our com- the month of November, but every day of munity partners to deliver programs that the year! matter to our seniors, people with disabilAging is living! ities, and caregivers. Laura Newland

GUEST COLUMN By Aurora Delespin-Jones Program Manager for the D.C. Office on Aging Wow, how time flies! On Oct. 18, 2017, I celebrated what would have been my mother’s 102nd birthday. It seems like an eternity, yet only yesterday since I heard her voice calling my name; felt her warmth as she held me tightly during night turnings; saw her infectious smile affirming daily her unconditional love for me; and more importantly, what I interpreted as her gratefulness for the care she received in her home from her immediate and church families, paid caregivers and friends. In retrospect, my heart aches without her, but the prospect of the impact this article may have in helping someone move forward with hope through the caring process for a loved one with dementia or a debilitating illness is overshadowing my pain. My mom’s challenge with renal failure, high blood pressure, and heart attacks were minor in the scheme of

things compared to our challenge with her dementia. You see, I could give her a pill and monitor her diet and exercise to control the former; however, there was no band-aid large enough to cover the expansive open wound of dementia. Nor was there a topical potion to dry up the continuous and uncharacteristically oozing of behaviors mom displayed. The purse that rested on the nightstand behind the lamp by her bedside each day would later be lost frequently and found in the oddest places. Or what we referred to as her “Three Faces of Eve” — frustration, emotional outbursts or gratefulness — would show up almost simultaneously at meal, bath or bedtimes, on days she was not willing to comply with anything and confused by everything! Oh, how I love her even the more as I share, and the tears I am shedding are of joy because I seized each op-

Thank You to Commission on Aging Chairs

Commission on Aging Chairperson Romaine Thomas and Vice Chairperson Ron Swanda completed their terms last month. We appreciate their dedication and advocacy on behalf of older District residents and their caregivers. The D.C. Office on Aging salutes Chairperson Romaine Thomas and Vice Chairperson Ron Swanda for 12 combined years of service, advocating on behalf of District seniors, and leading the 15-member Commission on Aging, as they completed their terms last month. During their tenure, Chairperson Thomas and Vice Chairperson Swanda served as the voice in the community, testifying at hearings on issues most important to older Washingtonians, promoting policy, and supporting the Office on Aging in the community. Under their leadership, the Commission on Aging brought together public officials, business leaders, faith leaders, stakeholders and members of the community for meaningful discussions on aging issues at their monthly meetings and annual retreat. Their hard work and dedication helped lead Washington D.C. toward becoming the best city in the world to age! Commissioners on Aging are appointed by the Mayor with advice from the Council of the District of Columbia, and serve as advisors about aging issues and concerns. Many thanks to Chairperson Romaine Thomas and Vice Chairperson Ron Swanda for their leadership and commitment to older residents and their caregivers in the District of Columbia! portunity to care. And I optimized every resource at my disposal, with a limited budget to ensure my mom had the best in the comfort of her home. Balancing the responsibility of two homes, a career, a robust ministry and family on a high-wire was draining then, and now satisfying, because I found a way to get it all done! And I’ve used the lessons learned to coordinate my own care-web (a coordinated sys-

tem of supports, services and resources, scripted for caregivers) to follow when I need care. So, this is my prospect of helping other care providers for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Caring is critical for people with dementia, and more critically important for the unpaid care provider. You must find time outside the daily rouSee GUEST COLUMN, page 31

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Spotlight on Aging

Mayor’s Annual Senior Holiday Celebration Wednesday, December 13, 2017 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.) Tickets available at your local senior site or by calling

202-535-1395. D.C. Armory • 2001 East Capitol St. SE • Washington, D.C. 20032

Guest column From page 30

tine for respite. You must find balance by establishing boundaries for your own wellbeing during the journey. It is a researched fact that many caregivers, especially women, suffer from poor health and die prematurely due to lack of self-care. Statistically speaking, if you are one of the 43.5 million estimated unpaid caregivers in America, count yourself important enough to get regular check-ups, take long soothing baths, block out time for a monthly movie with popcorn and the works! Take advantage of every available discount or free service you can to meet the needs of you and the care recipient. Share with others as often as you can to pour out toxic feelings of guilt, loneliness, frustration and social deprivation. And replenish yourself with tools to cope and new methodologies to try as shared by others. Make a list of your own care providers, med-

ications, physicians and care preferences to ease the burden and ensure your wishes are met if you become ill. Engage in laughter, be silly at times, and watch a lot of comedies for a cure. Take up a hobby, try to be a social butterfly, and dance when you can. This will help strengthen you in living well. And, when the winds of frustration blow hard and the despair of the inevitable becomes a reality, you will be better prepared to stand firm on the high-wire! In recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, I salute and honor all care providers. I acknowledge your labor of love and dedicated spirit — and ask that you care for yourselves more deeply. Please know that we at the D.C. Office on Aging are in it with you. You are not alone! I am appreciative of this opportunity for retrospection, and the prospectus of encouraging you again as you move forward in the care process. Until then, love yourself as you love others. Still in one peace! Aurora

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5626 www.dcoa.dc.gov

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Get Involved November events Monday, Nov. 6 noon to 1 p.m. Community presentation on D.C. Office on Aging’s Resources and Services by Alice Thompson, Community Outreach Specialist, Team Lead Gethsemane Baptist Church 5119 4th St. NW – Ward 4

Tuesday, Nov. 7 10:45 to 11 a.m. U.S. Vets Community Presentations & Resource Fair/Workshop 152 Wayne Place SE Contact: Linda Clark-Holland, 202-573-2790

Tuesday, Nov. 7 noon to 1 p.m. D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon Topic: Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s http://dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiver-chat

Wednesday, Nov. 8 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Homes for Hope, Inc. Lincoln Heights 2nd Annual Senior Day 25 53rd St. NE – Basement Level Contact: Elder Ronald Williams, 202- 733-3492

Tuesday, Nov. 14 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services 2017 Health Benefits and Wellness Fair 111 Massachusetts Ave. NW Contact: Linda J. Greene, 202-233-2586

Thursday, Nov. 16 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Train to Become a DCOA Ambassador 500 K St. NE Contact: Darlene Nowlin, 202-727-8364 darlene.nowlin@dc.gov

Thursday, Nov. 16 6 to 7:30 p.m. NARFE seminar on the Federal Health Insurance Open Season IONA, 4125 Albemarle St. NW Contact: 202-518-2519 ansul2032@verizon.net

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

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Friday, Nov. 17 noon to 2 p.m. Community Resource Fair Mt. Zion United Methodist Church 1334 29th St. NW – Ward 2 Contact: Alice Walker, ajw11921@gmail.com

Saturday, Nov. 18 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MidCity Career Fair in Collaboration with DOES Israel Baptist Church 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE – Ward 5

Monday, Nov. 20 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Gateway Neighborhood Association Community Presentation on D.C. Office on Aging’s Resources and Services by Alice Thompson, Community Outreach Specialist, Team Lead Victory Christian Baptist Church 3100 Adams St. NE – Ward 5 Contact: janet_drew@grassley.senate.gov

Nov. 21 Noon to 1 p.m. D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon Topic: Caring for the caregiver. http://dcoa.dc.gov/page/caregiver-chat

Wednesday, Nov. 22 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Safeway Feast of Sharing Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW – Ward 2 Contact: Caroline Kuo 202-715-7984

Wednesday, Nov. 29 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. D.C. Office on Aging in Collaboration with the Kennedy Recreation Center 1401 7th St. NW – Ward 6 Contact: Julio Perez 202-671-4792

Thursday, Nov. 30 Registration 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Conference Starts at 8 a.m. Caregiving Outside of the Box 2017 Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet 800 Florida Avenue, NE – Ward 5 CEUs are available Contact: Susan Sheppard 202-882-1160

Join the Commission on Aging Are you interested in serving your community as an aging advocate? Apply to represent your ward as a commissioner for the District of Columbia Commission on Aging. The Commission on Aging is a citizen’s advisory group to the Mayor, Council of the District of Columbia, Office on Aging, and the general public on the needs and concerns of older Washingtonians. The Commissioners serve

as advocates on behalf of the District’s 107,000+ seniors, and accomplish their responsibilities through outreach to individuals and institutions, as well as to groups and governments. The Commission’s 15 members are appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council of the District of Columbia. Eight of the appointees must be 60 years of age or older. To apply to become a member, contact the Mayor’s Office of Talents and Appointments at elizabeth.keeton@dc.gov.

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Money Law &

STORM SCAMS In the wake of the hurricanes, watch out for fake charities and flooded cars SPLIT ENDS Divorce after 50 can be costly and complex, with more assets to divide PUT EXPERIENCE TO WORK How to battle subtle and more overt age bias when job hunting SECOND-HAND IS ROSEY Buying everything from clothing to cars used can save money and the environment

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

create 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? Enablers 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

Funds of all types rose again last quarter By Stan Choe Utopia is still in effect for fund investors. Funds of all types again powered higher in the third quarter, as stocks and bonds around the world rose in unison. Not only did investors get strong returns from their funds, they also got them with remarkably few headaches along the way. Consider the largest mutual fund by assets, Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index fund, which sits at the heart of many 401(k) and other accounts. It returned 4 percent for the quarter. It’s the eighth straight quarter where the fund has made money, and the 19th in the last 21. The usual trade-off that investors accept for the chance to make big money in stocks is the possibility of big drops along the way. But only twice during the quarter did investors have to stomach a day where the fund lost more than 1 percent. Compare that with two years ago, when in-

vestors had to deal with a dozen such days in the third quarter.

Steady rise for almost all Such steadiness made it an even easier decision for investors to hold on to their mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, which proved to be another good bet this past quarter. Roughly 95 percent of mutual funds tracked by Morningstar had positive returns for the three months through the end of September. Even categories of funds that struggled earlier in the year, such as energy stock funds, did well from July through September. Just don’t assume utopia will continue. After their phenomenal run in recent years, stock and bond funds will likely offer more modest returns in the future, analysts say. Stock prices are higher than usual, relative to corporate profits, which

makes them look more expensive. Bond funds, meanwhile, face the challenge of an expected rise in interest rates, which would cause their prices to fall. Of course, many analysts were saying the same thing at the start of this year and even a year before that, only to see funds continue to do well.

Recent trends Here’s a look at some of the trends that shaped the third quarter for fund investors: Bond funds were resilient. Heading into this year, many investors were bracing for losses from their bond funds, even though they’re supposed to be the safe parts of their portfolios. The fear sprang from expectations that interest rates would keep jumping. Rates began leaping after last November’s election on speculation that faster economic

growth and inflation were on the way, and the 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 2.60 percent from 1.85 percent in a little more than a month. Rising rates mean newly issued bonds pay more in interest, and that in turn makes the older, lower-yielding bonds in funds’ portfolios less attractive and undercuts their prices. But reality has been the opposite of expectations this year, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury hit its low point for the year during the third quarter, at a shade above 2 percent. The drop in yields pushed up the price of bonds in funds’ portfolios, and most bond funds offered positive returns last quarter. The largest bond fund by assets, Vanguard’s Total Bond Market Index fund, returned 0.6 percent for the quarter. That’s See FUNDS, page 34

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The bucket approach to a retirement plan Planning for retirement is not easy. to individuals who have not yet developed a Many readers write me with their con- comprehensive, written financial plan. cerns, and one of the most Smith recommends plancommon is that they won’t ning around various phases of have sufficient assets to proyour life, and shows how to vide the income they need for structure your investments a retirement that may last 30 for each phase so that you will years or more. not jeopardize your long-term Another common question is objectives. how to structure an asset base that will be stable enough to Three kinds of risk withstand market fluctuations. Smith discusses three Financial planner Jason major types of risk in retireSmith addresses these con- THE SAVINGS ment planning — market risk, cerns in a useful new book, GAME interest rate risk, and “seThe Bucket Plan: Protecting By Elliot Raphaelson quence of returns” risk — and how to counteract them. He and Growing Your Assets for a Worry-Free Retirement (Greenleaf Book also shows how you can structure your asGroup). One of Smith’s mentors, IRA ex- sets for a secure income flow. The book will be helpful to you whether pert Ed Slott, who will be familiar to many readers of this column, wrote the foreword. you develop a retirement plan by yourself, The Bucket Plan does a good job of mak- or use the services of an experienced fiing sophisticated financial planning tech- nancial planner. Particularly helpful is Smith’s use of a niques simple to understand and easy to execute. The book will be particularly helpful real-life planning example: a couple who

successfully structured their assets in order to provide secure and reliable income for early years as well as growth for retirement years. The example is thorough and excellent, gaming out such contingencies as the death of the husband, the major income producer, before retirement age. A good financial plan can be effective even in bad times. In this example, it was critical that the husband was covered with sufficient life insurance to ensure that his wife would have sufficient assets for her retirement. 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

Funds

ed earnings reports from companies during the quarter helped to lift all kinds of stock funds. Funds that focused on the smallest stocks were notably strong, after lagging other stock funds earlier in the year. The DFA USA Small Cap fund is one of the largest that focuses on smaller stocks, for example. It returned a little less than 1 percent in each of the first two quarters of the year, but it jumped to a 5.1 percent return in the third quarter. President Donald Trump recently unveiled his hopes for cutting tax rates on U.S. businesses, and smaller companies may get an even bigger benefit than their larger rivals. Foreign funds led the way. Finally, economies around the world seem to be heading in the same upward direction. From Latin America to Europe to Asia, economic indicators are improving, and their stock markets are too. Many of these markets have also been lagging behind their U.S. counterpart for years, which means an-

From page 32 more modest than in prior quarters, but it’s much better than the 3.2 percent loss it recorded in last year’s fourth quarter.

Funds that invested in riskier bonds did even better during the quarter. Stock funds were strong again, and smaller-stock funds closed the gap. Businesses are making bigger profits again, and a parade of better-than-expect-

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 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 reSee BUCKET APPROACH, page 35

alysts see them as more affordable. Latin American funds had some of the quarter’s most eye-popping gains. Brazilian stocks jumped on expectations for better corporate earnings and a more stable political environment. Fidelity’s Latin American funds surged to a 17.2 percent return in the quarter. That’s a better performance than it’s had in six of the last seven full years. Chinese stocks were also strong last quarter, which helped funds that focus broadly on emerging markets add to their year-to-date gains. These funds were hit hard last year by fears that Trump’s White House win would lead to less global trade. Emerging markets have also often struggled in the past when the Federal Reserve was raising interest rates. But the dollar’s value has weakened this year, which helps emerging markets. Oppenheimer’s Developing Markets fund, the largest actively managed fund focused on emerging markets, returned 7.5 percent for the quarter. — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Don’t get scammed in hurricane aftermath By Kimberly Lankford Q: After a month filled with hurricanes earlier this fall, I’ve been particularly worried about the victims of Hurricane Maria because a lot of the Caribbean’s infrastructure was destroyed and the islands can be hard to access. What can I do to help them? A: You can help by donating to charitable groups trying to meet victims’ immediate needs — fuel, food and fresh water — or charities that focus on the longer-term rebuilding of the Caribbean islands, including Dominica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Begin your search for a place to donate by checking with charity watchdogs. CharityNavigator.org and the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org have lists of charities that meet their standards and focus on Hurricane Maria relief. Two organizations on both lists are Project HOPE, which sent a medical team to Puerto Rico to provide emergency care after Hurricane Maria, and Americares, which sent shipments of medicine and medical supplies to Puerto Rico and Dominica. Hurricane Irma hit Florida and the Caribbean. The devastation that followed

shortly thereafter from Hurricane Maria centered on the Caribbean, including the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as other island nations, such as Dominica, which was hit particularly hard by the storm. For more information about international giving organizations involved in Caribbean relief efforts, see USAID’s list. One organization on the list is the Global Giving Foundation, which started a Puerto Rico and Caribbean Hurricane Relief fund to work with local nonprofits to provide food, water, medicine and other emergency supplies and longer-term recovery assistance. For more information, see Global Giving’s Hurricane Maria Fast Facts. Also on the list is UNICEF USA’s hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico, where they’re sending emergency relief kits and immediate aid primarily for children. Local organizations are also helping. The First Lady of Puerto Rico and private companies created United for Puerto Rico to aid in the territory’s recovery. The government of Dominica set up the Dominica Hurricane Maria Relief Fund. The United Way also has an Irma/Maria recovery fund to support United Ways in the South-

Bucket approach

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.

From page 34 quired 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.

east U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and partners in other damaged areas in the Caribbean. The focus is primarily on longer-term rebuilding needs. You can also contribute directly to the United Way Hurricanes Irma and Maria Relief fund in Puerto Rico and to the United Way of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Hurricane Irma & Maria Relief Fund. Community foundations in hurricanestricken areas are also collecting donations and distributing them to local charities that provide hands-on assistance. For example, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands will help local groups with Hurricane Irma and Maria relief and recovery. Also see the Council on Foundations’ Hurricanes Irma and Maria resources to guide you in your charitable giving and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s 2017 Hurricanes in the Caribbean resource page.

Even though donations surge soon after a hurricane, people often forget to help with the long rebuilding process, which can take years. Some organizations are dedicated to both stages of assistance. Habitat for Humanity, for example, has disaster responders on the ground now to help with immediate needs, but you can also sign up for the Hurricane Recovery Volunteer Registry to learn about volunteer opportunities when the rebuilding finally begins. Q: I’ve heard that after a major flood consumers need to be careful not to buy cars with undisclosed flood damage. Are there any resources or advice on how to find out whether a used vehicle has storm damage? A: Some great resources are available to help you avoid buying a flood-damaged car. And this is going to be a big issue as See HURRICANES, page 37

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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 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

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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, drawnout 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-yearold 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-braggedabout 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 wellemployed, 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 See COST OF DIVORCE, page 39

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Hurricanes From page 35 cars that were flooded in Hurricanes Harvey and Irma start making it onto the market. Within about a week of Hurricane Harvey, car owners submitted 170,000 storm-related insurance claims, said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Many of those cars will eventually be declared a total loss by the insurers, and some of them will end up being sold to unsuspecting consumers. In fact, more than 325,000 cars flooded from Hurricane Katrina, superstorm Sandy and other major storms are still on the road, said Christopher Basso, a spokesman for CarFax Inc., a site that provides history reports on used vehicles. When cars are damaged by floods, the body can rust prematurely, wiring can be-

come brittle, and the electrical and mechanical systems can break down. If there’s enough damage, the insurance company will declare it a total loss and pay the claim for the value of the car. Cars that are declared to be a total loss are usually retitled with the department of motor vehicles, and the new title will disclose that the vehicle has been flood-damaged. In many cases, those cars are sold to companies that will dismantle them and resell usable parts. But sometimes people try to sell these cars without revealing the flood damage, which could create big risks for the buyers. Find out whether a car has serious storm damage by searching the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s VINCheck database, which was developed after Hurricane Katrina. The database shows whether the VIN for the car was declared a

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total loss or salvage. (It also shows if it’s an unrecovered stolen vehicle, which can be a separate problem.) CarFax’s free Flood Check reports whether a car has a flood or salvage title from the state DMV, was declared a total loss by the insurance company, or was reported as flooded by repair shops. These resources are very helpful, but not foolproof. Flooded vehicles won’t show up in the databases if they weren’t insured or had only liability coverage, not comprehensive. Also, sometimes crooks take the autos to another state, switch the VINs and retitle the cars, so the damage won’t show

up in a search. If you’re buying a used car — especially one that shows up in a few months and seems unusually cheap — it’s a good idea to have a mechanic inspect the vehicle for some of the telltale signs of flood damage. These include, according to CarFax, rust inside the car and around the doors; upholstery or carpeting that is new, loose or doesn’t match; mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats; and brittle wires around the dashboard. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 15

AARP MEETING

The Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter is celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a luncheon business meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at noon. The speakers will be Arena Stage Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, and Bob Craycraft, executive director of the Waterfront Village. Current AARP members, new prospective members, and visitors are welcome. The program takes place at River Park Mutual Homes’ South Common Room, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. Lunch costs $5. For more information, contact Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or (202) 554-0901.

Nov. 12

FINAL LIFE CHOICES

Maureen Albrethsen will speak on ”Making Life’s Final Choices” on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Va. Albrethsen is a licensed funeral director and board member of the Memorial Society of Northern Virginia, sponsor of the meeting. She and other board members will present results of surveys the Society has conducted of funeral homes and cemeteries in Northern Virginia. They will also discuss decisions about medical treatments when death is near; disposition of one’s body (burial, cremation, or donation to science), and planning for a “life celebration.” The church is located at 4444 Arlington Blvd. in Arlington, Va. For more information, call (703) 271-9240 or email info@memorialsocietyva.org.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to battle age bias when job hunting By Mary Kane Older workers who are job hunting, perhaps to switch careers or pursue “bridge” jobs before full retirement, have a wealth of experience to draw on. But how can you ensure that the positive attributes of a long career, such as building knowledge and honing skills, don’t morph into the negative headwinds of age discrimination? Happily, there are steps you can take, from tightening your résumé to prepping for interviews, to battle age bias head on. Dealing with potential age discrimination on the job hunt is a challenge, and a recent U.S. Supreme Court action may make it more difficult for some older workers to prove they were rejected because of

their age when they applied for jobs. The Court in June let stand a lower court ruling that found the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, a 50-year-old federal law designed to protect older workers from bias, doesn’t extend to job applicants in all circumstances. The ruling could make it tougher for older workers who seek to stay in the workforce. Nearly two-thirds of workers ages 55 to 64 say their age is a barrier to getting a job, a 2017 AARP survey found. Hiring practices that can affect older workers include age-related questions on job applications, and position openings or advertisements that set a maximum on years of experience, said AARP Foundation Senior Attorney Laurie McCann.

Turn age to your advantage Workers on the job are better situated to bring age discrimination complaints than someone looking for work. You can document incidents such as younger colleagues being promoted or chosen for training instead of you, and you may be able to pursue grievances internally. But job seekers may face more subtle age discrimination that can make it a struggle to get a job. Protect yourself starting with your résumé. McCann said. Include only the most recent and relevant jobs; leave dates off wherever possible. And be a lifelong learner, she said. Show that you are willing to undertake training and learn new skills. When you get a job interview, take steps to counteract stereotypes. Don’t go overboard by dying your hair jet black, said Martin Yate, author of the Knock ‘Em Dead job search guides, who runs a career coaching and résumé writing service at KnockEmDead.com. And if you’re applying for a job where business-casual is the workplace uniform, don’t arrive in a three-piece suit. Be aware of what Yate calls “silent age discrimination.” You might not be asked directly whether you are overqualified or uncomfortable working with younger employees. But raise the topic of age yourself, if you sense it might be an issue, he advises.

For example, describe your advantages, such as bringing maturity to the job and a willingness to put in extra hours when needed. Cite examples of how you have brought a team together when things got tough. Explain that you’ll be a supportive business partner and will use your skills to help the company turn profits. Use the pronoun “we” to show your collegiality. “You’re going in there to get a job offer,” said Yate. “Focus on the needs of the job.”

Apply where you’re valued If you’ve been at a large corporation, consider seeking out smaller, growing companies where your experience will be especially attractive, Yate said. And look for jobs at age-friendly employers. Use SeniorJobBank.org, or check the Retirement Living Information Center for senior employment websites. AARP lists about 460 companies that have pledged that they value older employees and will treat them fairly. Finally, be persistent. Keep sending out résumés even if you fear age is hindering your job hunting. “You just want to get in the door,” McCann said. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Retirement work can affect Social Security By Kimberly Lankford Q: I retired two years ago and started taking Social Security benefits at age 62. I’m 64 now, and I’ve just been offered a part-time job at my local library. How much can I earn before it lowers my Social Security benefits? Also, is there an age when my earnings stop affecting my benefits? A: Your earnings from a job can only affect your Social Security benefits until you reach full retirement age, which is age 66 for people born from 1943 through 1954. Because you won’t reach your full retirement age this year, you can earn up to $16,920 in 2017 with no impact to your benefits (the cutoff generally increases by a few hundred dollars each year). If you earn more than that, the Social Security Administration will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over the limit. The cutoff is higher in the year you reach full retirement age. People who turn 66 in 2017, for example, can earn up to $44,880 until the month they reach full retirement age without affecting their Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration will withhold $1 in benefits for every $3 in earnings above that level. Any money you make in the month you reach your full re-

tirement age doesn’t count toward the income test. And after reaching full retirement age, your paycheck won’t affect your Social Security benefits at all. Only wages from a job or self-employment count in this calculation. Income from investments, pension benefits, and money withdrawn from an IRA or 401(k) are excluded. You can use the Social Security Administration’s Retirement Earnings Test Calculator to calculate how earnings will affect your benefits. By the way, the money withheld isn’t lost forever. Instead, your benefits will be recalculated at your full retirement age and increased to make up for the months when your benefits were withheld. In fact, your additional work could help increase your benefits, if it ends up being one of your highest 35 years of earnings. As long as you’re working, the Social Security Administration will check your record to see if the extra wages could increase your monthly benefit. For more information about the rules and examples, see SocialSecurity.gov’s “How Work Affects Your Benefits.” © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Cost of divorce

Making it less costly

From page 36 collapse. Eventually, with all her eggs in that one basket, she lost 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.

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.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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’ responses to a risk-tolerance questionnaire. Compared with younger investors, 51to 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 re-

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search 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 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 taxadvantaged 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, 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. Target-date 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.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 27

GARDEN CLUB MEETING

Ayr Hill Garden Club is holding a meeting on Monday, Nov. 27 upstairs at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, Va. Guests are welcome. Complimentary refreshments will be provided at 12:45, followed by the 1 p.m. program. Guest speaker Margaretta Danshaw will speak about “Table Top Arrangements with Twigs,” and will present several arrangements. Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of every month, except December and May. For more information, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AYRHILLGARDENCLUB.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

How to avoid these three financial scams By Joseph Pisani Beware of the stranger on the phone — it could be a scammer. Fraudsters are increasingly picking up the phone and using old-school tricks to steal your money by pretending to be a government worker or a family member in trouble. Impostor scams overtook identity theft last year for the first time, becoming the second-most reported fraud behind debtcollection scams, in which fake debt collectors say a loan payment is due, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Overall, there were nearly 1.3 million fraud-related complaints reported last year, up about 2 percent from 2015. Most people said they were scammed after a phone call. That’s because fraudsters need to build some kind of relationship with the victim in order to convince them to hand over money, said Katherine Hutt, a spokeswoman at the Better Business Bureau. Victims paid out a total of $744 million to fraudsters last year, with the average one losing more than $1,100, according to the FTC. The best way to protect yourself? Get familiar with the tricks thieves use. Fraudsters keep recycling well-known scenarios, but change small details. “There’s always going to be a new twist to an old scam,” said Hutt. “As long as you recognize that tactic, you are less likely to

get caught up in the scam.” Here are a few common ones to look out for:

#1 Loved one in trouble How it works: Victims get a call from an impostor pretending to be a family member in trouble who needs cash immediately. Impostors can be convincing: Grandparents in Michigan wire-transferred more than $30,000 to thieves pretending to be a grandson who needed money to be bailed out of a Canadian jail, according to the attorney general in that state. Protect yourself: Be suspicious of any calls from supposedly distressed relatives who don’t give their names. After hanging up, try calling the family member with the phone numbers you have to see if they actually need help.

#2 Your computer is broken How it works: Scammers call saying they are from tech support and that your computer is broken or has a virus. They may pretend to be from a big company such as Microsoft, and may ask you to open files on your computer, help them take control of your computer, or ask for your credit card information to charge you for phony services or software. Besides a phone call, the FTC said some

fraudsters will use a pop-up message on your computer that says a virus has been detected, and giving a phone number to call. Protect yourself: Ignore any calls or popups saying you have a virus. Big companies have no way of knowing if there is a problem with your computer, and will not contact you. If you do fall for the scam, the FTC says you should scan your computer with security software and change all your passwords.

#3 You owe the government How it works: Fraudsters pretending to be from the IRS or another government agency call saying you owe money. They pressure you to wire money or send them a prepaid debit card that you load up with

cash. They may threaten to have you arrested or sued if you don’t pay the debt. The FTC said scammers often change the agency they pretend to be calling from, such as the immigration office. Sometimes they won’t ask for money, and just try to get your Social Security Number or other personal information through the phone. Protect yourself: No government agency will ask you to wire money or send a prepaid debit card to pay back a debt, so hang up if you’re asked to do that. If you’re still unsure if the call is from a scammer, the FTC recommends looking up the government agency’s number online and calling the agency yourself to see if there is an issue. — AP

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Nov. 21

INTERFAITH THANKGIVING

The Greater Olney Interfaith Ministerium presents the 8th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Sandy Spring Friends School Dramatic Arts Center, 16923 Norwood Rd., Sandy Spring, Md. This year’s theme is “Thank a Farmer.” The service will have representatives from Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, with scripture readings, prayers and music. In addition, there will be a speaker from local farmers. Donations of non-perishable food and cash will be accepted for OLNEY HELP. For more information, contact Rev. Dr. Sue Shorb-Sterling of Salem United Methodist Church at (410) 474-7281 or shorster@yahoo.com.

Fulfilling Jewish values by providing innovative and compassionate services to older adults and their families. Conveniently located on a 38-acre campus in Rockville, services include: • Skilled nursing care and Post-Acute care at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington • Independent living at Revitz House and Ring House • Assisted living at Landow House and memory care assisted living at Cohen-Rosen House • Geriatric medical care at Hirsh Health Center • Temporary shelter and advocacy for victims of elder abuse at the ElderSAFE™ Center

Call us at 301.770.8448 to visit our campus. www.smithlifecommunities.org

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Several good reasons to buy used goods By Liz Weston Bedbugs. Weird smells. The possibility of imminent breakdowns. People have all sorts of excuses for not buying used stuff. Those who deliberately buy used items, though, say such fears are not just overblown — they’re also expensive. Katy Wolk-Stanley, a labor and delivery nurse, has a short list of things she’ll buy new, including personal care items (toothbrushes, makeup, feminine hygiene products) and certain clothing (socks, underwear, bras). Otherwise, she looks for secondhand options, something she’s done for more than 10 years since she first heard of the Compact, a group of people who pledge to avoid buying new. The idea is to reduce waste, clutter, and the negative effects of consumerism. The original pledge was for one year, but Wolk-

Stanley and other members of the group kept going. “You save money. You make a decision that you feel good about. There’s no reason to stop,’’ said Wolk-Stanley, who blogs as the Non-Consumer Advocate.

Save money, help the planet Wolk-Stanley and others use thrift stores, Craigslist, garage sales, and local Buy Nothing or Freecycle groups that connect people who have stuff to give away with those who want it. “I’m not buying used things that are worn out. I’m buying used things that look brand new,’’ Wolk-Stanley said. She’s using the saved money to help put two sons through college without loans. People who often buy used value the idea of keeping stuff out of landfills and re-

BEACON BITS

Nov. 15

HELP CHILDREN WITH READING

AARP Foundation is holding an information session for Experience Corps, a literacy tutoring program, on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at AARP headquarters, 611 E St. NW, Room B4, Washington, D.C. Volunteers must be at least 50, possess a high school diploma or GED and be able to pass a background check and a basic literacy screening. They should also be able to complete 25 hours of training, and commit to serve 5-15 hours per week. For more information, contact Denise Fraction at dcexperiencecorps@aarp.org.

ducing their environmental impact as much as they do saving money. Angela Barton, a writer and editor in Los Angeles, likes cutting her carbon footprint as well as traveling more using the money she saves. Julia Park Tracey, an author and journalist in Forestville, California, refurbished her home using materials that otherwise might have been discarded. She bought new energy-efficient appliances, but gathered most supplies from The Freecycle Network, Craigslist and the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity ReStores, which sell donated paint, flooring, appliances, furniture and building materials. “I just think we should use what we have instead of creating the demand for new things,’’ Tracey said.

Expensive new purchases The decision to buy new can be costly. Take cars, for example. The average transaction price for a new vehicle exceeds $34,000, and it will lose as much as 22 percent of its value as its driven off the dealership lot, according to car research site Edmunds.com. If you make 10 vehicle purchases in a lifetime, you can save more than $100,000 simply by buying cars that are two or three years old. And you might stack up more savings by avoiding long loan periods and high interest rates that people take on to buy cars they can’t really afford. Household goods prices often are inflated as well. Furniture, appliances and electronics tend to have big markups, and there’s an $8 billion rent-to-own industry devoted to making them even more expensive. The weekly or monthly payments often add up to twice or more what the item would cost if purchased outright. Diana VanDusen of Lakewood, Washington, initially believed her poor credit meant

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she had little choice but to sign up for a rentto-own store’s weekly payments to buy furniture and appliances for her home. She thought “used’’ meant shoddy goods, but discovered the high cost of rent-to-own didn’t guarantee high quality. “I paid off the front-loading washer-dryer that’s in my house now. Within a month it broke down,’’ said VanDusen, who cleans apartments. “I could have owned 10 washers and dryers for what they charged me for one.’’

Getting started Some things are better if purchased new. Safety experts recommend avoiding used bicycle helmets and car seats, for example, in case they were damaged in previous accidents. People leery of buying used appliances and furniture can consider refurbished versions, floor models or the “scratch and dent’’ section of home improvement stores, where imperfect merchandise can be bought at steep discounts. Some people who buy most things used avoid mattresses and upholstered furniture for fear of bedbugs. Wolk-Stanley hasn’t found any yet. The blogger washes clothes and linens before using them. Anything upholstered gets thoroughly inspected before it enters her home. Hunting down good used items can take more time than snapping up something new, but Wolk-Stanley believes she ultimately saves time as well as money. “I’m looking for a higher-quality item that would not necessarily have been in my budget originally,’’ Wolk-Stanley said. “That item will last longer and not need to be replaced, and therefore, I’m buying things once.’’ — NerdWallet via AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Tips for getting closer to your grandchild People often assume that the relation- patience and listening skills, while at the ship between a grandparent and a grand- same time bringing about lots of laughter and carefree fun. child is simply a family relationship made relevant only by holiday dinners and birthLet them learn from you day parties. But it can be so Conversely, grandparents much more than that. The can be their grandchildren’s truth is that grandparentgreatest teachers. grandchildren relationships When history textbooks can be educational, meaningand history channel docuful and just plain fun! mentaries are perceived as Although wisdom is gener“boring,” sometimes a tale ally associated with the older shared by a grandparent can generations, teens and chil- GENERATIONS bring twice the intrigue. Kids TOGETHER dren can harbor plenty of can learn a great deal about By Alexis Bentz knowledge of their own. They the past by talking to someone close to them who has lived can be a means of connecting their grandparents with daily life and cur- through the time in question and has perrent events, and can provide unique in- sonal stories from that time. This doesn’t have to be within a historisight on modern day issues. cal context. Sharing family stories is a ter-

rific way for grandchildren to get to know their grandparents better. Grandparents can also pass down skills to their grandchildren that may not be as common today, such as sewing, woodworking or baking. Most of all, they can pass down life wisdom. I cannot tell you how many times I have called my grandparents when I needed some advice, and they almost always know just what to say. Grandparents can provide a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or much needed humor so that their grandchild can get back up on their feet again. As grandkids get older, there are still many ways to connect with them. Collegeaged adolescents can be taught much about financial responsibility, relationships and the “real world” from their grandparents. It is important for grandchildren to remember that grandparents were their age

once, too. By listening to the wisdom their grandparents have gained, they can make better decisions and get closer to their grandparents all at the same time. Grandparents and children can also volunteer together, or bond over their favorite movies and novels no matter what age they are. Some things never get old. From swapping personal stories, to debating current events, to playing both old and new games, the potential experiences to be shared with a grandchild are endless. If you have grandchildren, don’t lose sight of the incredible opportunity you have to not only become closer with a family member, but to learn things you would have otherwise never imagined, and see things in a new light. Alexis Bentz is a tenth grade student at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md.

Learn from your grandchild Grandchildren can also introduce their grandparents to innovative technology. When my grandmother was looking for a way to present information for a project, I introduced her to PowerPoint software (she is now an expert). Through such intergenerational education, grandparents can find it easier to adapt to the times and remain relevant to their grandchildren and to the modern world. I recently had a great discussion about this with my grandparents one morning. Over scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, my grandfather told me about his grandmother, whose beliefs and values changed greatly from the time she was young to when she grew old. Because she was so willing to look at things through his eyes, and accept that the world is a constantly changing place, he always felt close to her, despite their disparity in age. He learned from her that, as you get older, while you should never completely let go of what you believe in, it is important to be open to changing norms and societal standards. One way he does that is to listen to and learn from me, his grandchild, just like his grandmother did before him. Even engaging in childish humor and the tendency to tell long, rambling stories can be a form of informal intergenerational learning. It can lead to the development of

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

Leisure &

Founding Father Alexander Hamilton was born in this building on the Caribbean island of Nevis. See story on page 47.

Caribbean sugar, sand and sightseeing 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. 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

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 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.

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.

PHOTO BY SEAN PAVONE

The town of Bloody Point is where, in 1629, French and British soldiers joined forces to repel an attack by the Carib indigenous 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.

A plethora of plantations

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.

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 once-thriving 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, See ST. KITTS, page 46

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St. Kitts From page 45 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 double-decker 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 Georgian 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, palm-shaded 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

BEACON BITS

Nov. 15

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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 Brimstone 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.

Seabury Care Management presents a caregiver support group on the third Wednesday of every month from 2 to 3 p.m. This month’s group will

Museums and beaches

meet on Nov. 15 at Sunrise on Connecticut, 5111 Connecticut Ave. NW,

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 Georgianstyle 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 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

Washington, D.C. For more information or to RSVP, email cminfo@seaburyresources.org or call (202) 364-0020.

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 powder-white, 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. [See accompanying story, “Alexander Hamilton’s Caribbean birthplace,” for some of the very different attractions of its sister isle, Nevis.]

If you go The St. Kitts Marriott Resort offers all of the amenities one expects at a mega-hotel, and then 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 1-800-5240512 or visit https://oceanterraceinn.com. American Airlines offers the lowest roundtrip fare to St. Kitts’ Basseterre Airport in early December. Flights start at $715 from BWI. For more information about visiting St. Kitts, visit www.stkittstourism.kn.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

Alexander Hamilton’s Caribbean birthplace By Fyllis Hockman A few years ago, the fact that a Caribbean island was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton in 1757 would have elicited very little excitement. But now, since the smashing success of the Broadway musical Hamilton, Nevis Island is suddenly a must-see destination. The very first line of the musical leads you here: “How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean...grow up to be a hero and a scholar?” That no-longerforgotten spot would be Nevis. But before Hamilton brought history and fame to the island, that position was held by old sugar mill plantations. Sugar cane was king from the 17th to 19th centuries, and what remains of several of the plantations now houses all those Hamilton-seeking throngs.

with the stone remnants of the sugar mill factory it once was. It also claims to be the only sugar mill in the world that houses a restaurant inside. See www.montpeliernevis.com. Rates start at $250 in November, but rise to $455 in December. But even more history and magical edible moments await at yet another sugar mill plantation inn. The Great House of the Hermitage Plantation, dating to 1640, is said to be the oldest wooden house in the Caribbean. And each cottage, once lying in disrepair, has been lovingly restored, promoting an authentic lifestyle not found in other more modern settings. The Plantation’s Wednesday night Pig Roast features a very big head-to-tail pig on a very large spit. See https://hermitagenevis. com. Rooms start at $150, but rise to $325+ in the winter.

Plantations turned inns The Nisbet Plantation, the largest of the lot, has its own claim to history. Here, Captain Horatio Nelson, a British naval hero, met Frances Nisbet, the daughter of the plantation owner, whom he married. Nisbet, despite its sugar mill connection, is the most modern of the inns, with 36 rooms, each named after a local village, spread out over 30 acres. Its plethora of palm trees also sets it apart, and it has the benefit of being the only plantation inn on the water. See https://nisbetplantation.com. Rates start at $273 through Dec. 20, and then jump to more than $440 through the winter. Montpelier, the site of the Nelson-Nisbet nuptials, remains the lodging of choice when British aristocracy visit the island, from the days of the late Princess Diana to her son Prince Harry. The beautifully landscaped, manicured property, with a profusion of colorful plants everywhere, mixes handsomely

Hamilton’s home Hamilton didn’t stay at any of these inns, but his own family’s plantation is still on the island, and at the time, it was the country’s largest. Much to the government’s chagrin, however, it hasn’t been restored. You can visit it, of course, but to really connect with the renowned American, a visit to the Museum of Nevis History is required. The museum occupies the building where Hamilton was born. It dates from 1680. There, the history and culture of Nevis are enticingly displayed. Of course, the piece de resistance is the Alexander Hamilton section, which chronicles his remarkable life, contemporaries, influences, accomplishments and impact on the history of the United States. Because he was brought up in the islands, he brought a very different perspective to

American politics than his Founding Father cronies. His early life influenced his views on racial equality, economic diversity and financial stability — ideas that were considered very progressive in early American politics. Hamilton had more of an impact on American history and politics than most Americans realized (at least until the arrival of the Broadway play). If you have seen the show, you will fall in love with Hamilton all over again. If you’ve only seen the museum, you will want to buy

tickets to the show — which unfortunately, you probably can’t afford — a fact which I doubt Hamilton would have been pleased by. What would please him is everything else his early island home has to offer. Nevis and St. Kitts are two miles apart and are connected by five ferries. During peak hours, there is ferry service about every hour. The price is $8 one way for the 45minute trip. For more information, see www.nevisisland.com.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

World class scenic winter train travel If you want to enjoy spectacular snows- Moritz and Zermatt all year, with the excapes without the hassle of winter driving, ception of a break from Oct. 23 to Dec. 10. take a train. Winter trains with panorama Except in unusual circumcars operate once daily in stances, railroads keep their each direction. tracks open through snowfall If you prefer, you can take heavy enough to shut down less than the full trip, but don’t the highways. And many of miss the section between Chur them travel on routes with betand St. Moritz over the UNter sightseeing than you can ESCO World Heritage Albula find anywhere else. route. A full eight hours in the If you want really great snow spectacular Alps — what more scenery, you can’t beat Switzerdo I need to say? land. Although my recent (spon- TRAVEL TIPS The Bernina Express takes sored) train trips there were in By Ed Perkins you from Alpine Chur or St. snow-free late summer, I’ve also done them in winter, and you just can’t beat the Swiss panorama trains for scenery any time of the year.

The Swiss Alps times three The Glacier Express is the number one Swiss panorama train. It runs between St.

Moritz over the Bernina pass and down a spectacular line to comparatively sunny Tirano, Italy. Winter or summer, it’s one of the world’s great scenic rail journeys. Trains operate all year, although sometimes you have to change at Ponteressina, near St. Moritz. The schedule favors southbound trips for best daylight viewing.

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The Gotthard Panorama Express takes you over the former mainline that has been bypassed by the new 35-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel. The new tunnel cuts the travel time substantially, but 35 miles in a tunnel under the Alps isn’t a big sightseeing event. Instead, take the panoramic train over the steep grades, curves, and spiral tunnels along deep river valleys and gorges. The Panorama Express trip runs between Lucerne and Lugano, combining a boat trip on Lake Lucerne with the train. All three Swiss trains are covered by Swiss Travel Pass. But if one is enough, you can buy individual tickets. All three require reservations, with an extra fee. Buy either way online at sbb.ch/en or raileurope.com.

North American excursions If you can’t make it to Switzerland, you can find some good winter rail sightseeing closer to home. North America’s top winter rail trip is on the Canadian, between Toronto and Vancouver, which operates twice weekly in each direction during the winter. A friend takes this four-night trip every year or two, in the middle of winter, for the great scenery, especially in the Rockies between Vancouver and Edmonton. Find a deal on a cabin for one or two during one of VIA Rail Canada’s weekly

“discount Tuesday” promotions. Amtrak’s two top winter scenery trains operate through the western mountains: The California Zephyr, between Chicago and Emeryville (for San Francisco), provides daytime sightseeing over the Rockies and Sierras on successive daytime segments. Daylight sightseeing through the Rockies is better westbound. If you just want the mountains, start or end your trip in Denver rather than Chicago. The Empire Builder passes next to Glacier National Park in Montana on its trip through the Rockies, and it also passes through the Cascade Range in Washington. The best daytime Glacier Park sightseeing times are on the eastbound trip; in winter, you don’t get much daylight through the Cascades in either direction. Other Amtrak trains with the potential for winter snow include the Pennsylvanian, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia; the westbound schedule isn’t good for daylight in the Appalachians. The Lake Shore Limited through the Berkshires, between Boston and Albany, might work, although the schedules limit daylight viewing in the mountains in both directions until early spring. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

How to find good deals for solo travelers Dear Savvy Senior: Travel (IntrepidTravel.com) — which hanCan you recommend some good travel dles more than 100,000 travelers each year, companies that offer good sending them to more than deals for single travelers? 100 countries — and G AdvenI’ve taken a couple tours tures (Gadventures.com) — since I retired a few years which has more than 700 tours ago, but the single-supplearound the globe, and offers a ment fee really cuts into my variety of travel styles. Both of budget. these companies can pair you —Solo Sally with a roommate, and some Dear Sally: tours offer your own room opSolo traveling is a growing tion for an additional fee. trend among baby boomers and And for higher-end luxury retirees. Nearly 1-in-4 who trav- SAVVY SENIOR travel, check out Abercrombie el today, go it alone according to By Jim Miller & Kent (AbercrombieKent. a recent Visa Global Intentions com), which offers a 50 percent Study. single supplement discount on their select But one of the biggest drawbacks among small group solo travel trips and cruises, and solo travelers is the single supplemental fee Tauck (Tauck.com), which doesn’t charge a — which is an extra fee charged to single single supplement on their European river travelers who stay in a double occupancy cruises. room alone. To help you avoid this extra charge, 50-Plus travel more and more travel companies and If you’re interested in trips designed for cruise lines are making adjustments to ac- adults 50 and older, consider ElderTreks commodate the growing solo-traveler mar- (ElderTreks.com), Road Scholar (Roadket. Here are several to checkinto: Scholar.org) and Overseas Adventure Travel (OATtravel.com). Singles travel sites ElderTreks specializes in exotic advenThere are a variety of travel companies tures worldwide, will match single travelthat specialize in vacations for solo travelers, ers with roommates on most of its trips, including Singles Travel International (Sin- and doesn’t charge if a match can’t be glesTravelIntl.com) and Singles Travel Get- arranged. aways (SinglesTravelGetaways.com). Both Road Scholar specializes in worldwide companies offer tours, cruises and adven- learning adventures, and has designated tures in the U.S. and overseas, and will match trips that offer the same price for solo travyou with a roommate to avoid the single sup- elers as for those traveling in pairs. plement, or won’t charge you if a match can’t Overseas Adventure Travel — which opbe arranged. erates in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Cuba, Australia and General tour operators New Zealand — offers limited solo space Some big operators in this category that options (without a premium) on all its land have lots of solo travelers include Intrepid tours, and either free or low-cost single sup-

plements on its small-ship adventures.

Cruise lines If cruising is your thing, there are a number of cruise lines that have some ships with single-occupancy cabins, including Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL.com), Royal Caribbean (RoyalCaribbean.com), and Vantage Deluxe World Travel’s river ships (VantageTravel.com). Or, consider booking a cruise at the site SinglesCruise.com, which uses a variety of different cruise lines for their single customers. They provide roommate matching.

Solo women For solo women travelers, there are a host of tour companies and clubs, like Gut-

syWomenTravel.com, Women-Traveling. com, SerenDipityTraveler.com, TheWomensTravelGroup.com and Womens-TravelClub.com that will either match you up with a roommate, or reduce their single supplement fee.

Finding travel partners If you’d rather find a suitable travel partner before you book your next trip, there are a number of free websites that can help you here, too. See Travbuddy.com, TravelFriend.us, a nd TravelersMeeting.com. Or, to find a cruise buddy, try CruiseMates.com, which has a message board where users can post See SOLO TRAVEL, page 50

NEWSEUM, Jan 9 ....................................................................................................................$63

Visit the world’s leading organization dedicated to free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment. Includes transportation & ticket entry into the museum. BAHAMAS CRUISE FROM BALTIMORE, Jan 11 – 20 .......................................... From $379pp plus taxes, based on dble occupancy 9 nights on RCCL’s Grandeur of the Seas, including all meals & entertainment. SAVANNAH, GA FOR ST. PATRICKS DAY, Mar 15 – 18 ....................................................$1025pp based on dble occupancy Highlights to include City tour, scenic boat ride, Bleacher seating & brunch at parade, post parade dinner & MUCH MORE!

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Bike downhill on Virginia’s Creeper Trail

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ By Karen $ $ of trestles $ $ and $ bridges $ $ back $ dlers in trailers to grandparents. But call$ Testa $ $ $ $ $ over dozens It was an invitation even teenagers who into town. ing out a simple, “On your left!’’ got most had hoped to be watching college football At least a half-dozen outfitters in the of the slower riders to ease to the side and or playing video games couldn’t resist: a area rent bikes (including some with allow others to pass. mountain bike ride — all downhill. “comfort seats’’ for a slight upcharge), and Still, there was no hurry. Speed would Visitors to the Virginia Creeper Trail provide shuttles to Whitetop Station. The be contrary to the spirit of the Creeper. will find a remarkably family-friendly ride, shuttle trip up the twisting and turning $ $ $ $ $ $ $ adaptable to any skill level, and with mountain roadway — where speed limits A long$ history $ $ $ $ $ scenery to hold anyone’s attention. With reduce at several places to 20 mph — The Creeper began as a Native Ameri-$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ its broad paths and wide curves, the takes a bit more than an hour from Abing- can footpath. Later, it was used by Creeper encourages riders to take it at any don and about 40 minutes from Damascus. colonists and settlers including Daniel $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ comfortable pace, with plenty of opportu- It’s well worth the $25 fee per rider. Boone, according to a history provided by nities for breaks along the way. Note to procrastinators: Book ahead the U.S. $ Forest $ $ Service. $ $ $ $ $ $ The trail runs about 34 miles from during busy times, like fall foliage season By the early 1900s, it was a rail line, Whitetop Station in $ shops $ $sell out $ on$ weekends. $ $ $ where steam engines moved coal, lumber, $ $ Whitetop, $ Va., (about $ a $ when rental mile shy of the North Carolina border) Once $ $ at Whitetop $ $ Station, $ riders $ claim $ passengers and other supplies from Abinginto Abingdon, Va. But its most popular their bikes and head out. On a recent Octo- don to North Carolina. segment is the first 17 miles from White- ber weekend, with low humidity, moderate The nickname, the Virginia Creeper, is top to Damascus, on a stone dust and grav- temperatures $ $ and $ $ near peak $ $foliage, the said to come from the super slow speed at el trail that allows bikers to reap the bene- trail was heavily traveled and sometimes which the early steam locomotives navigatfits of gravity on a gorgeous, woodsy path crowded with bikers ranging from tod- ed the many twists and turns and chugged

New device stops a cold before it starts

up the mountain pass. But the rail line struggled, and after decades of failing to turn a profit, the railroad company petitioned to abandon the line. The Creeper saw its last train run in the 1970s, and the U.S. Forest Service secured much of the land and started removing the track. The most popular segment — the 17 miles from Whitetop Station to Damascus — requires only moderate pedaling given the gentle downhill slope. Signs along the route indicate when hikers or bikers are coming into the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area or moving onto private property. There are plenty of spots to stop along the way, including restrooms. Green Cove Station Visitor Center is the See CREEPER TRAIL, page 51

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Solo travel From page 49 roommate requests. For even more information on solo travel, check out SoloTravelerWorld.com, which offers solo travel tips, destinations and stories, and also publishes a monthly list of solo travel deals. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

BEACON BITS

Nov. +

CELTIC CONCERTS The Old Brogue Irish

Pub of Great Falls, Va. and Barnaby Productions, Inc. kicks off the 15th season of family-friendly, Fall Traditional Celtic Concerts, a fiveweek series of music from the British Isles, Brittany (France), the Celtic areas of Northern Spain, and the Americas, staged in the Snuggery (dining room). Featuring nationally recognized Celtic musicians, the concerts are performed in a listening room by the fireside. The pub is located at 760-C Walker Road, Great Falls, Va. The concerts will take place on Sundays, Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26, and Dec. 3. There are two sittings for each concert; at 5 and 7 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.oldbrogue.com and cost $18 for general admission; $12 for children. For more information, visit www.oldbrogue.com or call (703) 759-3309.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Creeper Trail From page 50 first significant stop, just 3 miles from Whitetop Station. One of the most picturesque areas along the path is the High Trestle, a little more than 7 miles from the top. The elevated structure stretches 550 feet and is 100 feet tall. Taylor’s Valley is about 11 miles from the top and a perfect spot for a break, especially if the volunteers from the local church are set up on the green. Recently,

tance from a cold beer or margarita. Damascus has come to be known as “Trail Town USA,” as at least a half-dozen biking and hiking trails intersect there, most notably the Appalachian Trail. The community’s economy is built upon hikers, bikers and anglers, and its downtown is dotted with bike shops and sporting goods and outdoors shops. The popular downhill portion of the Creeper is only half of the trail. It continues another 17 miles through a more set-

about a half-dozen church members were offering hot dogs with homemade slaw and chili, cookies, fruit salad, pumpkin roll, chips and cold drinks — all for a freewill donation.

Trail Town USA The final approach to Damascus becomes obvious for several reasons. The trail levels a bit and pedaling requires more effort, cars can be seen along the adjacent highway, and signs along the path remind travelers they are only a short dis-

tled area that will require a bit more exertion for the biker or hiker but is still family friendly. The path undulates from Damascus to the trailhead in Abingdon, where there is a visitor center and an original steam locomotive on display. And for a real challenge, the ambitious can always turn around, and take the path back up. See http://bit.ly/VirginiaTrail for more information. — AP

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE

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Bikers can glide downhill for 17 miles following the Virginia Creeper Trail, a former steam engine train route in southern Virginia. Several outfits rent out bikes, and shuttle riders up a winding mountain road to begin the trip.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

Arts &

George Clooney discusses his “angry farce” Suburbicon and the delights of older fatherhood. See story on page 56.

Poet publishes two collections at age 79 Brushing my hair in the moonlight I smooth memories plaiting them into a crown to wear in my dreams weaving their dark, rough skeins into silk. Only last summer, Meehan had self-published her first book of poetry, The Color of Truth. “My husband and I decided before the contest had ever occurred that, if I was ever going to [publish my poems], I had better do it now because I wasn’t getting any younger!” Poetry has been a life-long passion for Meehan. She grew up on Long Island’s North Shore, where her mother used to read poems to her, starting when she was six years old. She began writing her own poetry at about the same age. “I have been writing poems for as long as I can remember,” Meehan recalled. “I used to sit at my window as a little girl and look out into the woods and watch the crows. I think one of my earliest poems might have been about the crows.”

An idealist in public service She later graduated from Wellesley Col-

lege and went to graduate school at Boston University in political science. Meehan lived in Massachusetts for a while, but after the assassination of President Kennedy, she felt that it was up to her and other like-minded young people to carry out his ideals. She passed the tests necessary to join the federal government as a management intern at the State Department and moved to D.C. Meehan has lived in the Washington area since July 6, 1964, a date she remembers well. It was her first day of training for her new position as a management intern, and she found herself sitting next to a man named Robert who was talking incessantly, so much so that her trainer gave her an assignment to keep him from monopolizing the class. Meehan took her mission very seriously, marrying him in 1967 — and they’ve been talking ever since. Meanwhile, in her political career, Meehan was busy leading a plethora of committees. She was elected to serve on the Police Community Relations board, established by President Nixon, as well as becoming director of Constituent Services for Ward Two

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT BETTMAN

By Alexis Bentz Editor’s note: This article is the first in a series about local artists and poets, as we launch the Beacon’s yearlong Celebration of the Arts, which encourages older adults to take up a new visual art or poetry, or rediscover a past interest. In the spring, readers will be invited to enter their works in a contest, and the winners will be exhibited at several venues. Last spring, Susan Meehan screwed up her courage and read one of her poems at an open mic competition sponsored by the D.C. Poet Project. She won. A month later, Meehan, 79, and finalists from other readings competed at the next reading, and she won that one as well. Along with her cash winnings of $500, she also landed a book deal: Her poetry collection, Talking to the Night, was published on August 15. “It was very exciting, and nothing I had ever expected to have happen,” she said. The slim book ruminates on memories, old friends and aging, among other topics. For example, here’s the compact poem “Dreams:”

Susan Meehan recently published her first books of poetry. Although she began writing poetry as a child, she put it aside to pursue a career in government, and has returned to writing in retirement.

under Committee President Marion Barry. Barry, who was later elected mayor, additionally selected her to become the first citywide patient advocate for persons in See POET, page 54

‘Great Performances in the Neighborhood’ Rockville Musical Theatre presents

Washington Balalaika Society presents

WHITE CHRISTMAS

GYPSY SPIRIT

8 performances | Oct. 27-Nov. 12

Saturday, Nov. 18

Heart of Maryland presents

Hope Garden Ballet Theatre presents

LET FREEDOM RING!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Saturday, Nov. 11

2 performances | Saturday, Nov. 25

Theatre F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tickets online: www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre Box Office: 240-314-8690

AT RO C K VI L L E C I VI C C E NTE R PA R K

Rockville Civic Center Park • 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Coming to a screen near you: live shows By Barbara Ruben If you want to see the American premiere of the opera The Exterminating Angel at the Metropolitan Opera on Nov. 18, you could travel to New York and shell out $90 or more for orchestra seats. Or opera fans can stay right in the DVM and see it for just a bit more than the price of a movie ticket. The opera will be broadcast live on a big screen in a movie theater near you — simulcast in high definition from a matinee at the Met in Manhattan. “The Met: Live in HD” series, which transmits Met performances to more than 2,000 movie theaters in 71 countries around the world, began its 12th season this fall. “The big screen with the sound is spec-

tacular, state-of-the-art digital,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Entertainment, the company that distributes classic movies as well as the Met simulcasts and about 130 other performances — from the Bolshoi Ballet to London’s National Theatre — to movie houses worldwide. Nutt claims he delivers a better experience than the actual concert venue. “The people in the [movie] theater get to see a difference experience than in the house. During intermission, cameras go backstage, and we conduct interviews and provide insight into things people in the house don’t experience,” he said.

Poet

Still, even during her time working for Mayor Barry, Meehan’s passion for poetry managed to shine through. “[Barry] was forced to listen to me from time to time,” she said with a grin. “He responded by asking me to write and deliver a poem for [one of his] elections as mayor, and I read that poem to more people than I think I ever have before or after.” After her retirement, Meehan was inspired to return all of her energy to poetry. For Meehan, winning the DC Poet Project

From page 53 drug or alcohol treatment. For 12 years, Meehan was a member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee. She spent a day in jail as a result of a zoning battle (which she won), when she was the first Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. She was also twice elected to be a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Many matinees The live Met performance is a monthly

Saturday matinee at 12:55 p.m. It repeats usually on the following Wednesday in an “encore” rather than a live performance. Initially, that second showing was only in the evening, but a matinee has been added recently. “We’ve seen matinee ticket sales increase dramatically,” Nutt said, noting that opera draws an older demographic that is available on a weekday afternoon. He said Fathom Events is trying to bring in more young people and hopes to show events to school groups, as well. “We identified way, way back that 85 to 90 percent of [movie theater] business was on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said Nutt, who used to work for Regal Cinemas. “We identified the need to fill seats in theaters Mondays through Thursdays.”

Most of Fathom’s operas and other events can be seen at 13 movie theaters throughout the Washington area. (For a list, visit www.fathomevents.com and enter your Zip code.) Initially, it was much harder to bring live events to the screen, “because we were stringing cable, and needing satellite dishes and trucks just to get a signal down to the theater,” he said. The advent of the digital age has made the process much easier, so now there are more live performances. On the other hand, that fact also has led to more competition for movie theaters — including eversharper, ever-larger TVs at home and the

was a thrill. Her secret recipe for penning a poem? She doesn’t have one. “Poems just spring to my mind based on whatever is happening,” she said. “Sometimes I wake up with a poem in my head. Mine are not very formatted, formal poems….Most of them just come out as if I were talking to my pillow.” She explains this fact in the opening of “A Poet’s Life,” the first poem in her new book.

A poet’s life is never what it seems So let me tell you how it really goes — It crawls when hollow nights bring empty dreams And spins when sudden rhyme brings vertigoes The Color of Truth is available in print and ebook form on Amazon. For more information about Talking to the Night, visit dayeight.org.

See LIVE SHOWS, page 55

BEACON BITS

Dec. 3

PIANO CONCERT The Washington Piano Society’s winter concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. at the Montgomery College Cultural

Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Free parking is available in the back of the concert hall. There will be solo and ensemble music by Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. The concert is free, and no advance tickets are required. A reception follows the concert. For more information, call (301) 793-1863 or visit www.dcpianosociety.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Live shows From page 54 advent of streaming services like Netflix. So Nutt likes to distinguish his offerings from the others. “We want it to be more than just buying your ticket and walking into a theater,” he said. “There’s an interactive [social] element. There’s a giveaway at the theater, something special that causes you to get up off your couch on a Thursday night.” The live performance of Exterminating

Angel will take place on Nov. 18 at 12:55 p.m., followed by encore presentations on Nov. 29 at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel will be in theaters on Dec. 9. This, however, does not have a live performance. The January opera, Tosca, will be shown on Jan. 27 and 31. Ticket prices vary by theater, but range from $13 for movies, to $19 for the Bolshoi Ballet, to $27.50 for the Met. Some shows offer senior discounts.

Ballet, movies and plays

PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHOM EVENTS

Bolshoi Ballet performances are also shown monthly, on Sundays at 12:55 p.m. Some are live, while others are encore performances. A 2016 performance of The Taming of the Shrew will be shown on Nov. 19, and a 2014 performance of The Nutcracker will be on Dec. 17. A Jan. 21 performance of Romeo and Juliet will be shown live. Classic movies are also back on the big screen, including Casablanca on its 75th anniversary Nov. 12 and 15, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on Dec. 10 and 13. Live theater is also available in movie theaters, from Broadway’s Irving Berlin’s

Holiday Inn on Nov. 16, to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from the National Theatre in London on Feb. 22. Fathom Events also presents concerts, sometimes live, by performers often of the boomer generation, such as Carole King and the Grateful Dead. In age of texts and tweets, theaters are still seen as a gathering place, Nutt said. “Theaters are a place of community where people want to come,” he said. “They don’t want to be on their phones all the time watching content. It’s a communal experience.” For a full schedule of events, go to www.fathomevents.com.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 19

QUARTET IN CONCERT

Seth Kibel and his Quartet will perform a toe-tapping concert featuring Klezmer and Yiddish music and selections from the Great American Songbook, on Sunday, Nov. 19 at the JCC of Greater Washington. There will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7 p.m. A dessert reception will take place at intermission. Tickets are $36 and include all food and drink. The JCC is located at 6125 Montrose Rd. in Rockville, Md. For more information, contact Debbie Sokobin at (301) 348-3760 or dsokobin@benderjccgw.org.

Nov.+

Irving Berlin’s musical Holiday Inn, now on Broadway, will be broadcast live on Nov. 16 on movie screens around the country, including nine in the Washington area. Performances by the Metropolitan Opera and the Bolshoi Ballet, some simulcast live, screen monthly at movie theaters as well.

ART SHOW

Artist Gladys Lipton will be exhibiting her artwork in a show at the Marilyn Praisner Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, Md., through Friday, Dec. 1. Lipton, who started creating art in her 90s, utilizes the unique medium of magic marker, and her work is both colorful and abstract. For more information, call (240) 773-9460.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Clooney on new movie, late fatherhood By Jake Coyle Most things have changed in George Clooney’s life since he and wife Amal welcomed twins in July. But as he unveils his latest directorial effort, Suburbicon, some rituals remain eerily familiar. “I just have to clean the barf off of my tux,” said Clooney. “It used to be my barf, but now it’s the twins’ barf. So it all works out.” It’s a new chapter for Clooney, but one with some old moves. Suburbicon, which Paramount Pictures released late last month, marries two twin passions of his: farce (Burn After Reading, O Brother Where Art Thou) and socially conscious filmmaking (Good Night and Good Luck, Ides of March).

Race and anger in film But despite the comic trailers, Suburbicon leans a little more to the latter. Clooney believes the film, which peers into the dark racial tensions of 1950s suburbia, is deeply relevant to Donald Trump’s America. It bristles, he hopes, with the spirit of Howard Beale, the truth-telling Network

newsman who yelled, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” “I last week screened it for my good friend Norman Lear,” Clooney said in a recent interview with the Associated Press. “When it was over, he looked over and said, ‘This is the angriest film I’ve ever seen.’ “It’s a pretty angry film. There’s a lot of anger out there. I think that’s reflected in the film. The main idea of the film was to pick some fights, and I always like picking fights.” That makes Suburbicon potentially one of the more combustible films of the fall movie season. It boasts a starry cast (Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac) and comes from an unproduced, decades-old script by Joel and Ethan Coen about rampant suburban paranoia and fear-mongering after a home invasion. For Clooney and his writing-producing partner Grant Heslov, the Coens’ characters were perfect for plans of their own to dramatize 1950s Levittown, Pa., and specifically the enclave’s response in 1957 to a black family moving in. It’s a tale, they believe, that mirrors today’s political landscape. “I found it interesting to talk about build-

ing walls and scapegoating minorities,” said Clooney. “I think that’s always an interesting topic, but particularly when I was hearing these conversations on the campaign trail. “I thought: It’s always good to look back and remember that nothing really is new, and every time we’re shocked, we forget that we’ve had this behavior time and time and time again.” Clooney and Amal recently announced a $1 million grant, through their Clooney Foundation, to the Southern Poverty Law Center to combat hate groups. The donation was a reaction to the white supremacist march in Charlottesville. Clooney, a longtime liberal activist, doesn’t mince his words when it comes to President Donald Trump. “It becomes increasingly clear how in over his head and incapable this man is of being president of the United States,” Clooney said. “The good news is that our other institutions — meaning press, finally, and judges and senators — have proven that the country works. There is a check and balance.”

Embracing fatherhood

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

But if Clooney sounds unusually pugnacious for a newfound father, he grants his life has changed drastically in the last few months.

“Suddenly, you’re responsible for other people, which is terrifying,” he chuckled before heaping credit on his wife. “She’s like an Olympic athlete,” he said. “She’s doing so beautifully.” “Right now my job is changing diapers and walking them around a little bit,” said Clooney, speaking from his home in Lake Como, Italy. “I really didn’t think at 56 that I would be the parent of twins. Don’t make plans. You always have to just enjoy the ride.” Suburbicon is Clooney’s sixth film as director, and his first since 2014’s The Monuments Men. Filmmaking remains his focus, at least professionally speaking. “I’m in an interesting place in my life. I’m acting almost never — for a lot of reasons, mostly because I don’t have any great interest in it and haven’t read anything [good enough],” he said. “If somebody showed up with The Verdict, I’d jump, but it’s not all that often you get Michael Clayton kind of scripts. And if you’re not going to get those, there’s no real point at this point in my career.” “They still let me do what I want to do,” Clooney added. “As long as that’s the case, then I’m going to keep doing it. For me, you’ve got to keep pushing the envelope until they take everything away — which they eventually do with everybody.” — AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Cookbooks to expand your holiday menu You may remember the Pillsbury jingle, bakers, Home Cooking 101 contains â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing says lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; like somethinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from tried-and-true recipes as well as imaginathe oven.â&#x20AC;? When you open tive concoctions all with easyyour front door, the aroma of to-follow instructions. home cooking envelopes your This cookbook, published guests in a warm, welcoming last year, is where to find the embrace. perfect turkey recipe for In time for Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving. Instructions inthese cookbooks make great clude information about cookresources for preparing your ing times, how to thaw your holiday meals. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re frozen turkey, and preparation feeding family and friends, or advice that should put every bringing a homemade offering nervous novice at ease. THE to your host and hostess, these BIBILOPHILE The popular author, columcookbooks are perfect refer- By Dinah Rokach nist, and TV chef Sara Moulences for preparing delicious ton, host of PBSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weekdishes. night Meals and former on-air food editor A wonderful resource for cooks and of ABCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Morning America, is the tal-

ented author. She imparts with precision the techniques sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amassed from years of experience. Each recipe thoughtfully includes both prep time from start to finish, hands-on time, as well as number of servings. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chapter on vegetarian and vegan dishes and, in back, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find both a recipe index and a subject index. The accompanying color photographs illustrate proper methods and show the finished recipes. The text is clear and concise. The page layouts make it easy to refer back to the recipes for timely pointers and pertinent reminders. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn how to shop for ingredients, stock your kitchen with the best equipment, prepare ahead of time, and use

shortcuts that really work. The cookbook is also a trove of new recipes for the accomplished cook. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn tips for improving recipes by enhancing their flavors. Included are favorite recipes of fourteen guest chefs. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be amazed at the variety of tastes and flavors you can master and introduce to your family and guests. This cookbook may very well become your favorite. Sara Moultonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Cooking 101: How to Make Everything Taste Better, 368 pages, Oxmoor House hardcover, 2016. For the more health conscious, and for See COOKBOOKS, page 59

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Defiantly hanging onto a fading tradition By Bob Levey said. Off he went in search of a manager, The other day, I bought something at a who said yes to my check, but only if I also store. The clerk rang me up. It showed a driver’s license and was time to pay. a major credit card. If I were a true-blue 21st cenI went through the whole baltury creature, I would have let — filling out the date, the yanked out a credit card, or payee, the amount in numerals, maybe some whizbang app that the amount in script, showing would allow the store to deduct the license and the Masterthe funds directly from my Card. Then I signed with a phone. flourish. Not this boy. I asked if I It was a small gallop down could pay by check. Memory Lane — and a defiHOW I SEE IT The clerk (young enough to By Bob Levey ant habit that I will never, ever be my grandchild) looked at give up. me as if I were a recent arrival from Mars. Once upon a time, before credit cards “I don’t think we accept checks,” he were everywhere, before people routinely

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used them to cover a cup of coffee, checks were the cool way to pay. You didn’t have to lug cash around with you. You didn’t have to open a charge account. You simply handled your debt right then and there, with a piece of paper that had your name and address in the upper left hand corner. I well remember opening my first checking account. I was a freshman in college — 17 years old and bursting to prove what an adult I was (even though I wasn’t). I went to a bank near campus. I filled out all the forms. The desk officer gave me a starter pad of five checks, and a ledger where I could keep track of what I had spent. My original balance was $25. Zip-a-dee doo-dah! I thought I had entered the grown-up world with a bang. I wrote checks for the movies. I wrote checks to repair my rattletrap used car. I wrote checks at a dumpy downtown restaurant. I bought my books for the spring semester with a check. And no one suspected me of being a flimflammer. Yes, those were much more innocent times, before fraudsters had figured out how to hang rubber checks on all sorts of businesses. Still, I really liked the feeling of having instant, unquestioned membership in the world of consuming. Those original checks were plain gray.

In the years since, I have ordered checks with the American flag on them, checks with lilacs on them, even checks with famous rock singers on them. Marriage — and a joint checking account — cured me of such questionable taste. My wife and I now have checks that are the palest, dullest blue. They’d be right at home in a doctor’s boring waiting room, or an offend-no-one airport departure lounge. But I don’t care. I not only write checks because I’m used to doing it. I think they’re safer. Yes, I know that my real name and my real address are right there in black and white. But every time I read a newspaper story about some gas station attendant skimming all the credit cards that people have used to pay for gas, I start nodding my head. If you don’t want to be part of credit card fraud, don’t be part of credit cards, right? No, I don’t pay by check at gas stations. I use cash. But the principle is the same. Credit cards make you — and the system — much more vulnerable to theft. Checks almost never do. Of course, the banking system isn’t what it used to be. Back when I opened my first checking account, the branch managSee BOB LEVEY, page 61

Cookbooks From page 57 those watching their weight, salads are an excellent alternative to traditional high calorie holiday offerings. They are also easy to prepare. Salads need not be boring, bland or banal. Thanks to cooking school instructors and authors Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi of Around the World in 120 Salads, you’ll find myriad selections of savory, scintillating and cosmopolitan salads from which to choose. This veritable encyclopedia of salads is well-written, detailed and comprehensive. It includes information on dips, dressings and presentation techniques in addition to preparation instructions. The recipes will take you around the world to savor the specialties of faraway places such as Mexico, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Vietnam and India. The color photographs bring the recipes to life. Learn how to incorporate sweet and savory flavors, crunchy textures, and a variety of spices to make your salads unique and extraordinary. Each recipe is keyed to show whether it’s compatible with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free diets.

The salads included in the cookbook are raw and cooked, cold and warm, simple and elaborate. Recipes incorporate fish, chicken and meat as well as fruit, tofu, berries and beans. They run the gamut from classic to exotic. Learn how to choose ingredients. Read advice on selecting the kind of salad to serve by taking into account the season, mealtime and occasion. Serving healthy food to your family and guests shows them how much you care for their wellbeing. Including vegetarian dishes on your holiday table is the hallmark of a thoughtful host and gracious hostess. Around the World in 120 Salads: Fresh Healthy Delicious by Katie Caldesi and Giancarlo Caldesi, photography by Helen Cathcart, 208 pages, Kyle Books softcover, 2017. Baking desserts can be daunting. So much can go awry, even with the best of intentions and ingredients. The food has to appeal to the eye as well as the palate. Simple, easy-to-follow instruction and tips on techniques make Desserts La Belle a go-to cookbook this holiday season. You don’t need elaborate recipes to create mouth-watering classic desserts. The confections included in this cookbook stretch to the limit the dessert cate-

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

gory. In addition to cakes and pies, cookies and custards, cobblers and puddings, you’ll find recipes for muffins and quick breads. The desserts in the book are plain and fancy. Alas, there is no information on calories per serving. In addition to the wide ranging recipes and vivid color photographs, the cookbook includes chatty in-

sights by Patti LaBelle about her personal life. Fans will enjoy reading the text that accompanies the recipes. The Godmother of Soul creates a heartfelt connection without ever uttering a note. Desserts La Belle: Soulful Sweets to Sing About by Patti LaBelle and Laura Randolph Lancaster, 272 pages, Grand Central Life & Style hardcover, 2017.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 60 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

A R K S

D I E T

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

S H A R K

M T R E I T A W B L O U M T P B E L U E B G Z A E R C K B O I I E L L

R A K E

A V E R

A R R T W E R R E L I T

R I T E

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

A L A I

T I L E D

A C O L D

L E N D S

E R E T E F O R I L L S A L T L T O N G S S O L O E T A S R E D O

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: MADLY MOUND CASINO PUPPE Answer: To honor WWII's heroes, Friedrich St. Florian came up with an idea that was – MONUMENTAL

WB11/17

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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

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Jumble answers on p. 59.

Scrabble answers on p. 59.

Across

Down

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 59.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Bob Levey From page 58 er told me that every check I wrote would be examined by a vigilant human, who would immediately detect any errors or any crimes. I nodded gravely. Some 20 years later, the industry had gone completely automatic. So I decided to run an experiment. I owed a friend $50. I paid him by check. On the payee line, I wrote “Mickey Mouse.” We agreed that I would write him another check if that one didn’t go through. It sailed through without a peep. So much for human vigilance. I realize that cash is king. I realize that credit cards have excellent fraud detection algorithms built into them, and an upper limit on how much I’d have to pay if I’m ever victimized. I realize that checks are slow, clumsy and oh-so-yesterday. But whenever I glance at that bunched up language that says “Pay To The Order Of,” I get the same nice warm feeling that I get when I use my old ball point pen, or I open an actual book. For this boy, checks are still cool. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

From the publisher From page 2 you, our readers, are pleased with the practical information, news and entertainment you find each month in the Beacon. 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, all the writers (and editors) mentioned above, as well as the other members of our staff who work so diligently to produce multiple editions of the Beacon every month. I’d like to thank them by name for their efforts and devoted contributions: Vice President of Operations Gordon Hasenei, Director of Sales Alan Spiegel, Art Director Kyle Gregory, Assistant Operations Manager (and webmaster) Roger King, Advertising Representatives Doug Hallock, Rodney Harris, Dan Kelly, Steve Levin and Hubie Stockhausen, (and welcome aboard to our new rep, Barbara Koscielski!), Social Media Assistant Steve Andrzejczyk, and last but certainly not least, my wife and Associate Publisher, Judy Rosenthal. The Beacon would not exist without all of their efforts, nor without you who read our publications each month. I offer my sincere appreciation to each of you.

Celebration of the Arts update Last month, I announced our year-long

Celebration of the Arts initiative, and I am pleased to report that we are hearing very positive things from our readers, area arts organizations, local retirement communities and others. In this month’s Arts & Style section, you will find the first of new monthly arts profiles about readers whose lives have changed as they’ve explored and developed their talents. We already have a number of other people lined up for future stories, but please do continue to send us names of people you know whose lives would make for inspiring reading. And we have added a new category to our Classified Ad section: Arts classes! Please share this information with any company, organization or professional artist you know. They can promote their classes to our readers at a very reasonable rate this way. We hope to grow this category into a mustread part of the Beacon in the coming year!

WB 11/17

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Art Classes; Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 63. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Art Classes LEARN SOMETHING NEW! Clay Café Chantilly offers classes for aspiring artists! Acrylic Painting, Ceramics, Glass Fusing, Pottery Wheel and more! Warm, relaxing environment. 703-817-1051. Ask for LisaMarie.

Caregivers “A” HOME HEALTH CARE – Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599. ELDERLY CARE — Female care provider, English speaking with car. I cook, clean and take to appointments. I’m experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health problems. Excellent references, 301-275-7283. CNA WILL PROVIDE QUALITY CARE, background check and references. Available for live-in position. 301-814-0220. LICENSED CAREGIVER/NURSE seeks position immediately — 25 years experience. Available for 6-8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Call Ms. Stamford. Cell, 240-351-7295. “CARE YOU CAN TRUST AND AFFORD.” Loving, experienced caregiver for companionship, medication reminders, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, Dr. appointments. Full/part-time, flat rate for day or live-in care. One week free. Call 301-490-1146. A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones. Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-908-9134. CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes. MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com. I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references. Lots of experience. 301-502-2258.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

Events MOUNT EPHRAIM BAPTIST CHURCH Scholarship Ministry presents a Holiday Gift Show Extravaganza and Bake Sale on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors welcome. Tables cost $50. Contact 301-808-1584. www.mountephraim.org. 610 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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MY NAME IS RENEE ANN CRYER. I am single, cuddly with long, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5’7 ft. tall. I’m very attractive. I’m a nurse and have been for 11 years. I am very much about other people’s feelings. I am very loving, enjoy gardening, cinema, cozy nights in with a bottle of wine, swimming, watching some sports and good movies. I seek a serious marriage-minded, mature guy. Someone good looking, honest, and trustworthy. I am in need of tender loving and care. Write me a letter now with your contact details to PO Box 34926, 3751 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034-9998. Let’s arrange to meet for a cup of coffee. Call/text me on 1-305-515-5201.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-3 622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

CONDO LIVING AT ITS FINEST! The best value in Ballston! 2BR, 2BA 24-hour front desk, garage, spacious floorplan. Endless views of DC from your balcony, convenient to everything — this has it all! 3800 Fairfax Dr. #1214, Arlington, VA. Tour online, http://spws.homevisit.com/ hvid/201245. Travis Levi, Fairfax Realty, Inc. 10770 Columbia Pike, Ste. 250, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Office: 301-439-9500. Cell: 240-888-9867. LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, a nd a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors. MAGNOLIA HOUSE — New and accepting residents! Assisted Living/Memory Care: 301512-1685. 1:4 staff to resident ratio. Single-level facility, private and semi-private accommodations. Silver Spring, MD 20904. LEISURE WORLD® — $425,000. 2 BR + Den, 2FB, “Q” in Overlook. Wood Floors, Golf Course view, Granite and Stainless TS Kitchen, Separate Dining Room, Custom closets. 1520 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $215,000. 2BR 2FB “H” with Garage in Greens. New paint and carpet, Updated baths, Golf Course view. 1210 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $310,000. 3 BR 2 FB “L” with Garage and Storage Room in Greens, Golf Course view, new paint and carpet. 1640 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert. Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $184,000. 2BR 2FB “F” with Garage in Greens. Enclosed balcony plus outdoor patio space, close to the elevator. 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $279,000. 3 BR 2 FB “M” with Garage in Fairways. Table space kitchen, Separate Dining Room, close to the elevator, Rough-in for HB. 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $269,000. 2BR 2FB “FF” in Overlook. Open Kitchen, Separate Dining Room, Golf Course view, close to the elevator, new paint, Enclosed Balcony. 1320 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale FRENCH HOME DOWNSIZING, Persian rug, furniture, china, small appliances, decorator items, Thanksgiving + Christmas decorations from Europe. Rare books. Cash Only. 703591-6321, VA. FORT LINCOLN, GARDEN OF REFLECTIONS. Double vault for two burials. $7,000, 301-931-8216. 2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed. Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

Home/Handyman Services JUNK REMOVAL: SAVE 20%! Donations, recycling, junk junked, plus get money back when we sell your stuff! 1-800-Junk-Refund. 240-246-5405. GARDEN ANGLE LANDSCAPING SERVICE: Lawn and yard cleanups etc. Hauling anything. For all your household needs, please give Robert a call at 240-477-2158 or 301-987-1277. Free estimate.

Personals CUTE, ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, FIFTIES — ISO single white male, fifties plus, attractive, robust, warm-hearted, romantic. Enjoy dates, companionship, devoted relationship. If interested, call 240-418-4124, leave message.

Personal Services TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 9389694. PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER: Everything from photos to paperwork to pesky clutter. Downsizing, setting up a new home, and time management! Liz, 228-332-0961. FINE CLEANING AND ORGANIZING of apartment, house or office. 20 years experience with solid references. Free estimate. For Thanksgiving! For Christmas! Candida, 301367-6566.

Wanted TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694. MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy jewelry, coins, silver, antiques, watches, gold, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954. CASH FOR ESTATES: jewelry to furniture, rugs, tribal/cultural items, large range of items considered. Buy-out/cleanup. Call Gary, 301520-0755. www.atticllc.com. CASH FOR JEWELRY: gold, silver, costume, diamonds, watches, scrap gold, coins. Call Gary, 301-520-0755. www.atticllc.com. HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, JEWELRY, ESTATES. I have been advertising in the Beacon for 20 years. Montgomery County resident – will travel to D.C., MD, VA. Buying following items: Furniture, art, jewelry, gold, sterling silver, old coins, vintage pocket and wrist watches, old tools, books, camera, military items – guns, rifles, knives, pocket knives, swords etc. Also buying: old toys, dolls, trains, comic books, photographs, autographs, musical instruments, guitars, violins, etc. Also old sports memorabilia and equipment – baseball, golf, football, fishing etc. Please call Tom at 240-476-3441. CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs, DVDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301-646-5403. Will make house calls. FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories fro m Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062. LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-785-1129. WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 2792158. BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201. CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (reg. 883). GOLD, SILVER, ANTIQUES — Private collector buying what you have for over 40 years! Wanted: Jewelry, Flatware, Holloware, Antiques, Men’s Magazines (pre-1971), Playboys (1953-1959), Comic Books, Coins, Stamps and other old stuff. Call or Text Alex Now. 571-4265363. COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783. BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301219-6201. WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697. WANTED: 3 STOOGES, 1959, Bubble Gum Cards + any cards from 1950s. Call John at 301423-1256. BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 11

VETERANS DAY CONCERT

Washington National Cathedral presents a free concert to honor the service and leadership of our nation’s veterans and military families on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. The Cathedral Choir and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Chamber Orchestra will perform. The cathedral is located at 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/CathedralVeteransConcert.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BEACON BITS

Nov. 13

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES

WOMEN WRITERS GROUP

Prince George’s County Memorial Library will sponsor a writers group for women aspiring writers on Monday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. Members will read from their ongoing work, do group exercises and share writing tips. The library is located at 15773 Livingston Rd. in Accokeek, Md. For more information, call (301) 292-2880.

Nov. 19

JAZZ CONCERT

Jazz at Meade presents a concert with the Ronny Smith Quartet on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. Tickets costs $20 at the door. Street parking and an intermission buffet are free. This concert will take place at Meade Memorial Episcopal Church, 322 N. Alfred St., Old Town Alexandria, Va. For More information, email jazzatmeade@meadechurch.org.

Dec. 2

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

HOLIDAY CONCERT

The National Philharmonic Singers will perform in a holiday concert on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 107 S. Washington St., Rockville, Md. The concert is free, but donations in support of the Community Ministries of Rockville are appreciated. For more information or directions, contact Victoria Gau at victora@nationalphilharmonic.org.

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

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies Alzheimer’s Nilotinib Study.....22 MIND Study.............................23

Computer/ Technology Help TechMedic4u..............................5

Dental Services Friedman, Stephen, DDS .........20 Oh, Judy, DDS ...........................6

Financial Services Children’s National Hospital....35 Mortgage Network Solutions ...35 PENFED Credit Union ............42 United Way...............................37 VA Benefits Check-up ...............9

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation...........58

Government Services DC Office on Aging ...........30-31 DC Public Service Comm........28 MC311 .....................................57 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services ............7, 22

Home Health Care/Companion Services Ameristar Healthcare Services 16 A Second Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . .12

Holy Cross Homecare & Hospice Services . . . . . . .26 Me 1st Respite Services . . . . . .9 Options for Senior America .....54

Housing Ashby Ponds.......................21, 60 Aspenwood Senior Living ........................25 Atrium Assisted Living ............21 Bayleigh Chase ........................14 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. ..................................19 Buckingham’s Choice ..............14 Charles E. Smith Life Communities .......6, 41, 48 Chesterbrook Residences.............................25 Churchill Senior Living ...........29 Crossings at Spring Hill, The ...46 Culpepper Garden ....................20 Fairhaven ..................................14 Falcons Landing .......................11 Friendship Terrace....................18 Gardens of Traville, The...........46 Greenspring........................21, 60 Homecrest House .....................38 Olney Assisted Living..............16 Overture Fair Ridge..................10 Park View .................................40 Paul Spring Retirement Community ...........................24 Quantum Property Mgmt............14 Residences at Thomas Circle, The ..................17 Riderwood..........................21, 60 Ring House...............................48

Springvale Terrace....................18 Sunrise Senior Living ..............13 Tall Oaks ..................................27 Victory Crossing ......................34 Victory Terrace.........................42 Village at Rockville, The .........26 Waltonwood .............................27

Legal Services Law Firm of Evan Farr.............37 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ...34

Medical/Health Holy Cross Germantown Hospital ............15 Medical Eye Center..................24 Silver Spring Medical Center...10

Miscellaneous

Retail/Pawn/Auction CIRCA .....................................36 CopperZap................................50 Dan Kugler Design Center.33, 64 Easy Climber Elevator ...............3 Healthy Back Store ..................13 Quingo Scooter ........................44 Quinn’s Auction Galleries ........29

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Manor Care Health Services ....12 Village at Rockville, The ...17, 26

Subscriptions Beacon Newspaper...................61 Washington Jewish Week.........56

Theatre/ Entertainment

AARP DC ................................43 Beacon Celebration of the Arts..............................52 Beacon Resource Guide ..........56 Career Gateway ........................38 Carol Schwartz.........................37 Oasis Senior Advisors ..............18 Senior Zone..............................58

Arena Stage..............................55 F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre .......53 New Dominion Chorale ...........53 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ..............59 US Air Force Band ...................55 US Navy Band .........................54

Real Estate

Tour & Travel

Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart.....................39, 57 Long & Foster/ Inderjeet Jumani....................17 Topsail Beach Waterfront.........35 Weichert/Sue Heyman..............20

Eyre Travel ...............................49 Nexus Holidays ........................51 Seven Lands & Sea Travel .......47 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club ....49 Travel West Virginia.................47 Tripper Bus ..............................51 US Navy Memorial ..................47 Vamoose...................................49

Restaurants Original Pancake House...........51

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