November 2017 | Howard County Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

The Howard County

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More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County

Climbers reach for new heights

Some basics Indoor climbing has been popular for decades, both as training for outdoor climbs and as a sport unto itself. In top-rope climbing, ropes are secured to the top of the climb by overhead anchors, with the climber attached to one end via a harness, and the belayer — who manages the ropes to protect the climber — on the other. The belayer controls slack in the rope safety system, and uses it to keep a climber from falling if they lose their footing or grip, and lower them when they are done climbing. Earth Treks Columbia Climbing Center has 44-foot high walls, 20,000 square feet of climbing surface, thousands of colorful foot-and hands-holds of numerous sizes

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK KOCHTE

By Jamie Lee Pricer For Holly Summers, indoor rock climbing started as a mother-daughter activity. “My daughter was climbing indoors regularly, and I wanted to be able to do it with her,” said Summers of Ellicott City. Though her daughter is now in grad school, Summers, 58, can be found regularly scrambling up the climbing walls at the Roger Carter Community Center. She probably had a leg up when she started climbing. “I also play ice hockey with the Gerihatricks and Women’s league in Laurel. That is an interesting group of older citizens who are very active,” said Summers, who works as a computer analyst at UMBC. Whether she knows it or not, Summers is at the forefront of a sport gaining in popularity. According to the Physical Activity Council, climbing is poised to be the next “it” fitness trend, with about 5 million Americans participating in the sport. And that number is growing by more than 110,000 a year. Indoor climbing has been popular for decades, both as training for outdoor climbs and as a sport itself. It will be introduced in official competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It’s a sport for everyone, according to Quentin Cornelius, a trainer and assistant manager at Earth Treks Columbia, which opened in 1997 and is one of the largest climbing centers in the country. “We have climbers of all levels in our classes, from ages 13 to 80,” he said.

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Repositioning cruises offer real bargains; plus, a visit to Thoreau’s Walden Pond, and new airline competition page 26

Although initially reluctant to try rock climbing, today Mark “Indy” Kochte enthusiastically scrambles up cliffs indoors and out. He even wrote a guidebook, Climb Maryland! A Guide to Climbing in Central Maryland. The sport’s physical, mental and technical challenges appeal to people in a range of ages, whether they climb outdoors or indoors at a climbing gym.

and shapes, and hundreds of routes and problems for climbers to encounter. Another choice is bouldering, or unroped, climbing on shorter walls (usually 14 to 17 feet high) that call for strength and balance skills. An indoor bouldering area has thick mats below and simulates climbs close to the ground. Earth Trek Columbia’s bouldering area is configured into more than 100 routes. If bouldering catches your fancy, Earth Treks is planning to open its first bouldering-only gym in Hampden in 2018, with 10,000 square feet of climbing terrain. The facility will also include a yoga studio, functional fitness and cardio zones, training areas and a pro shop.

proper training and following safety precautions, can provide numerous physical and emotional health perks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines rock climbing as vigorous-intensity physical activity that can reap health benefits if practiced 1.25 hours to 2.5 hours a week. That’s good news for Summers, who climbs three hours a week. It’s also an excellent calorie-burning exercise, which can help you achieve or maintain a healthy body weight. Harvard Health Publications reports that a 155-pound person burns about 818 calories hourly during a rock-climbing ascent and 596 calories per hour while rappelling down. Even if you climb at a leisurely pace,

Physical and mental challenges Indoor or outdoor rock climbing, with

See ROCK CLIMBING, page 13

ARTS & STYLE

For 40 years, the Columbia Orchestra has been entertaining (and feeding) music lovers page 31

TECHNOLOGY 4 k How to preserve your digital assets FITNESS & HEALTH k Your brain on diet soda k New flu and pneumonia shots

THE 50+ CONNECTION 17 k Newsletter from Howard County Office on Aging and Independence LAW & MONEY 21 k Has your ID been stolen? Probably k A recipe for higher dividends ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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Kudos to our writers Each year, we enter a selection of our We are especially proud that nine of our writers’ original stories in the journalism 10 entries won honors in this year’s comcompetitions of the National petition. Mature Media Awards and the In the category for original North American Mature Pubarticles, two Howard County lishers Association (NAMPA). Beacon cover stories written We do this for two reasons: for us by Robert Freidman One, as a way to be sure we won prizes: “A way to pick up are keeping up the quality of a few bucks,” about older our writing compared with adults driving for Uber and other publications throughLyft, won a Gold, and the out the country. story “A flood doesn’t drown Two, because we’re pretty most dreams,” about the Elliconfident about the first rea- FROM THE cott City flood, won a Merit. son, (that is, we believe our PUBLISHER Four cover stories from By Stuart P. Rosenthal writers are among the best our flagship Greater Washinganywhere), and want to give ton Beacon were honored — them the opportunity to earn recognition three with Silver Awards, plus one Merit they will treasure from well-respected, ob- — all by our Managing Editor Barbara jective judges. Ruben. And three Baltimore Beacon stoI’m happy and proud to report that ries by Contributing Editor Carol Sorgen every one of our regular writers and free- won Gold, Bronze and Merit awards. lancers came away with one or more honAnother annual journalism competition ors in this year’s competitions. is held by the North American Mature The declared goal of the Mature Media Publishers Association (NAMPA), the asAwards is “to recognize the nation’s ‘best sociation for newspapers and magazines and brightest’ materials and programs pro- specifically for the 50+ market. duced every year for older adults.” The NAMPA’s annual journalism competiprestigious competition attracts entries tion attracts hundreds of submissions from national organizations and publica- every year and is judged by internationally tions, including AARP and the Arthritis respected faculty at the University of MisFoundation. souri School of Journalism. This year, we

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

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

The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 35 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

received more than 20 NAMPA awards, three of them for stories from our Howard County edition. Robert Friedman won second and third place awards for two of his cover stories, and the Howard County Beacon itself won second place in the General Excellence category — a distinct honor. In describing the General Excellence award, the judges wrote, “The strength of the Howard County Beacon is its cover stories that focus on real people doing real things.” For this we owe thanks to Bob, his nose for a story, and his writing ability. Carol Sorgen won two first place awards and two second place awards for her feature stories in our Baltimore edition. And our Greater Washington edition not only won “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 Rebekah 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. 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 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. 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, 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.

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: With the decline of the Columbia Flyer, the Beacon has saved the day. In it there is so much current and pertinent information that my husband and I need — especially regarding Howard County services,

entertainment, healthcare and volunteer opportunities. Please keep up the good work. We thank you, and we need you! Donna MacIsaac Columbia

BEACON BITS

Nov. 10

JOIN THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

Women interested in serving on the Howard County Commission for Women should send a resume and brief letter explaining why they want to serve on the commission to the Howard County Government, Office of the County Executive, Attn: David Lee, 3430 Court House Dr., Ellicott City, 21043. Deadline is Friday, Nov. 10. For more information about the Commission for Women, call the Department of Community Resources and Services at (410) 313-6400 or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/CFW.

Nov. 4

LEARN EMAIL BASICS

Howard Community College is offering a one-day course in email basics on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gateway Campus, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia. Tuition is $135, including $80 in fees which are waived for persons age 60 and over. For further information and to register, visit www.howardcc.edu/ConEd or call (443) 518-1700.

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Technology &

Innovations How to leave your digital assets to heirs By Ken Moraif My mom, who passed away a few years ago, was a very careful and meticulous person who kept a notebook with all of her online account passwords. Mom was also a Morse code operator in the Royal Air

Force during WWII, so all of her passwords were in code. I was lucky: She told me about the book and her codes. If she hadn’t, finding and deciphering her notes would have taken a very long time, and could have held up im-

portant estate and financial planning tasks. Like my mom, most of us live part of our lives online today. We have email and social media accounts. We purchase digital books and music. We pay our bills and do our banking online.

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Many virtual items cannot be left to heirs through our wills because we don’t actually own them; we just have licenses to view/read/listen to them. Many online accounts, like email and social media sites, don’t belong to us either. The businesses that administer them control what happens when our contracts are terminated by death. So, how do we prepare to leave our digital legacies? #1. List all of your online accounts. These might include: • Email accounts • Financial accounts and utilities, including checking or savings accounts, retirement accounts, mortgages, life insurance, gas and electric, phone or cable bills and tax-preparation services • Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) • Music, photos or books stored online • Websites, blogs and licensed domain names • Seller’s accounts on eBay, Etsy or Amazon • Any online communities or listservs where you have been active #2. Make plans regarding what should happen to those accounts. Do you want someone special to have access to your iTunes library? To your photos? Do you want certain emails saved and printed, or would you rather have the accounts purged? Would you prefer your social media accounts be deleted or turned into “memorial” accounts when possible? Would you like someone to post a final status update after your death? #3. Choose a “digital executor.” Let that person know where you keep your passwords (and if they need to be decoded). Talk to your executor, but also leave detailed instructions on where and how to find passwords, user names, etc. You may be able to leave virtual items you actually own (e.g., photos you took, music you bought) to people in your will, so make sure your executor has all the information needed to access and download them. You may also want to consider “vaulting” your digital goods with a company that puts all of your digital information (including passwords) onto one online platform. A few of the See DIGITAL ASSETS, page 5

❏ Carroll Lutheran Village (see ad on page 12) ❏ Charlestown/Erickson Living (see ad on page 10) ❏ Fairhaven/Integrace (see ad on page 5) ❏ Heartlands at Ellicott City (see ad on page 15) ❏ Homecrest House (see ad on page 9) ❏ Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant (see ad on page 12) ❏ Olney Assisted Living (see ad on page 9) ❏ Park View at Colonial Landing (see ad on page 29) ❏ Park View at Columbia (see ad on page 29) ❏ Park View at Ellicott City (see ad on page 29) ❏ Park View at Emerson (see ad on page 29) ❏ Somerford Place (see ad on page 15) ❏ Vantage House(see ad on page 11) Name_________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________

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monthly links to the Beacon online and occasional notices of events and programs of interest. Email_________________________________________________________________

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

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

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From page 4

Whatever you decide, do make a decision. Your digital legacy is important. Make sure your heirs can “crack the codes” to access it. All contents © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

FREE INFORMATION

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Digital assets

ClipCall provides a way for homeowners to get quotes from contractors without picking up the phone.

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LiveStrong’s versatile workouts are

Find vetted contractors

See LINKS & APPS, page 6

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Get stronger

Apps

The Paprika app allows users to organize recipes, make meal plans, and create grocery lists. Using Paprika’s built-in browser, recipes can be saved from anywhere on the web, as well as from 200 recipe sites that the app links to. Users can also enter their own custom recipes and add personal notes to recipes, as well as scale recipe ingredients to their desired serving size, such as reducing a recipe that serves six to just two. The grocery list feature automatically

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Do pandas get bored munching bamboo all day? The website Bored Panda doesn’t answer that question, but it does offer a plethora of amusing, cute and informative (but never boring) photo collections — from dogs that look like their owners, to an artist who turns words into drawings, to a retired southern California couple whose hobby is dressing up like their favorite movie and cartoon characters. Be warned, it’s never enough to click on just one topic. After all, once you look at “Illustrator shows how Disney princesses would look if they lived in 2017,” it’s hard to resist moving on to the next content that pops up — “10+ hilarious pics of kids at weddings,” and then on to, of course, “10+ hilarious posts about procrastination you probably shouldn’t be reading right now.” www.boredpanda.com

What’s for dinner?

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Bored no more

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Links

Use your smartphone to record a short video showing and describing the home improvement project, and the app matches you with local professionals. You’ll receive quotes from participating contractors, and payment is held in escrow until the project is completed. ClipCall vets contractors to make sure they’re licensed, bonded and insured, but you should do your own homework, too. Ask for references, and check for complaints about the contractor with the Better Business Bureau and your state attorney general’s office. ClipCall, free in the iTunes and Google Play stores

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By Barbara Ruben and Kiplinger’s

shown in photo slideshows that break down the moves with very specific written instructions and not videos, which means you don’t have to worry about audio or the circle of death while you’re downloading content. Others include short demonstration videos that are brief enough they don’t bog down your phone or device, or use much data. There’s something for all levels here, including convenient quickies like their 30day ab challenge, and quick warm-ups to prevent back pain, with some videos under five minutes. Advanced folks can try the Navy Seal workout, train with Mr. Universe, or try the 41 hardest ab exercises routine. And if you’re not looking for an entirely new workout program but maybe just a few new moves to add to your routine, there’s plenty of inspiration, including 10 moves with free weights you can try at home, or 15 burpee variations (burpees are a cross between a squat, push-up and jump). www.livestrong.com/cat/sportsand-fitness

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Beacon Links & Apps

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Tech Shorts Sununu $ $ $ Bah and Barbara Ruben

$By

Protection from scams It is estimated that more than 5 percent of older adults become victims of a scam or fraud each year. After Howard Tischler found $8,000 in unnecessary fees and charges on his mother’s credit card, he researched the personal financial management systems $ looking$ for $ at the time, $ that were available something that could prevent this from happening to his mother again. “Nobody was addressing the particular issues that were happening to seniors,” Tischler said. “No one was looking at current financial activity as compared to an in-

dividual’s historical financial activity....So what needed to be done was a personalized approach” to do just that. $ $ $ up $with $Liz Loewy, $ $ $ $ So Tischler teamed former chief of the elder abuse unit in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, to create a monitoring service that would protect people like his mom. The result is called EverSafe — a fraudmonitoring platform that focuses on the financial health of seniors and their families. The company, based in Columbia, Md., uses artificial intelligence to detect scams, identity theft and other suspicious activity in a person’s financial accounts, and alerts both the account holder and their family members to the finding. $ $ $ $ an$ EverSafe $ a$ fraud$ is found, $ If indeed $ $ $ $ $ $ employee will help put together a person- $ alized action plan to resolve it. “We have experts who have been dealing with these $ $ years, who $ $ $ of 20-plus $ upwards issues for can help formulate a plan,” Tischler said. He added that a New York state study

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

found that only a small percentage of financial abuse situations are actually reported. $ $ $ $ $ $ Why?$ “One, is that people don’t realize that they are being exploited. Two, is they might be embarrassed by the fact that it happened, and they don’t want to let anybody know. Three, people are trying to protect their independence, and if they believe that they have been $ in-$ $ $ $ their $ $ then possibly $ exploited, dependence $ Tischler$ $ $ could be$ jeopardized,” $ said. $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ EverSafe, www.eversafe.com, can be accessed online $ in the$ $ $ $ available $or via$ apps $ iTunes store or from Google Play. Monthly $ $ $ the $ $ $ vary$ depending $ fees $ on subscription level of monitoring service. They range from $7.49 to $22.99 a month.

An atlas for people When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared to steal the 2009 Iran election from the presumed victor, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, citizens

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took to social media to voice their displeasure. As the Iranian government worked to mute the voices of protesters, Marylandbased entrepreneur Stephen Constantine was inspired to come up with a better way to follow the protest. His app, YouMap, essentially allows users to post not just what they are doing and feeling, but puts them on an interactive map, so users know where the action is. “The reason for it was because I saw the militia attacking people in the streets, and I saw these protestors trying to organize the response on Twitter. This made me realize that this is not suitable. “We have three-dimensional lives where things happen at specific locations. That’s when the idea of YouMap first seeded in my mind,” said Constantine, who also sits on the board of Eagle Coffee, one of the longest continually operating privately held corporations in the U.S., started by his great uncle in 1921. Constantine realized that YouMap could become more than a protest map app one night when he went to a bar in Essex, Md., that had been packed one week and deserted the next. He wanted to use his map to find where the action was. Should he drive to Baltimore or Towson for a livelier scene? YouMap told him where fellow users were checking in, marking their spot on the map with an emoji that expressed their mood. When you click on an emoji, the user’s status update appears. “At its core, YouMap is a human atlas,” Constantine said. “It’s not a millennial atlas, it’s not just a protestor atlas, it’s not just an atlas for nightlife. It’s a human atlas…where people can get information to improve their lives.” YouMap is available free from the iTunes store.

Links & Apps From page 5 consolidates ingredients for chosen recipes and categorizes them by aisle. Paprika, $4.99 in both the iTunes and Google Play stores

Seeing is believing The Ikea Store app lets users find stores, create a shopping list, and check stock availability. But the new Ikea Place app, released in September, allows customers with some of the latest iPhones to not only browse through its 2,000-item catalogue, but see how they would look in their own homes. It works like this: Hold up your phone, turn on the camera and place a piece of digital furniture in the part of the room you’re viewing. Do you wonder if you can squeeze in an eight-foot area rug? The app rolls it out across your room. Would a new arm chair look best by the window or in the corner? Try it both ways with the app. Ikea Place, free from the iTunes store, only for the new OS 11.0 or higher (including iPhone 6s and later versions)

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Health Fitness &

MEDICARE OPEN SEASON Review your Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans before Dec. 7 to ensure you have the best coverage for 2018 SHOTS IN THE ARM Older adults can choose between two flu vaccines designed just for them, and should also get two pneumonia vaccines IN-LAW ISSUES Questions and answers about how to get along with daughters-in-law and preserve family harmony

Are artificial sweeteners bad for the brain? By Dr. Robert H. Shmerling Sometimes it seems like people trying to choose a healthy diet and watch their weight can’t catch a break. Past studies have linked the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and obesity. So it’s easy to understand the appeal of diet soft drinks and other artificially sweetened beverages. If you drink two cans of Coke per day, switching to diet sodas could reduce your calorie intake by 8,400 calories each month. As long as you don’t add in new sources of calories, over time that could add up to some serious loss of excess weight.

Alarming findings But now, a study has raised the possibility that artificial sweeteners in diet beverages may increase the risk of dementia and stroke. Researchers analyzed health data from nearly 3,000 adults who had filled out diet surveys, and determined their incidence of stroke or dementia over 10 years. The findings were alarming. Compared with people who said they didn’t consume diet drinks, those who had at least one per day suffered three times more strokes, and were three times more likely to develop dementia. Consumption of regular (non-diet) soft drinks was not linked to a higher risk of these brain problems. And the results

were unchanged when accounting for other important factors such as gender, diet, smoking and physical activity.

Some major caveats Before you despair or give up your favorite diet beverage forever, keep in mind that a study of this sort has some major limitations that can lead to faulty conclusions. For example: • It’s impossible to account for every factor that could affect the results. For example, maybe people with diabetes or a family history of diabetes chose sugar-free soft drinks more often than people without diabetes would. So it could be their diabetes and family history, not the diet soft

drink consumption, which were responsible for their higher rates of stroke and dementia. • This type of study cannot establish cause and effect. Even if there is a higher rate of brain disease in people who drink more diet soft drinks, we can’t be sure that the diet soft drinks were the cause. • This study did not look at the overall health effects of diet soft drinks. It’s possible they are still a healthier choice than sugar-sweetened beverages. • This study was conducted when most artificially sweetened beverages contained saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sweet Twin), aceSee SWEETENERS, page 8

FINALLY – Straight Talk About Sciatica Are you suffering from back pain or sciatica? Then it’s likely your biggest problem is pain. But there’s another major problem: bad information. To end sciatica misery you must have the right information. Pay close attention because I’m going to destroy sciatica myths and give you the facts. MYTH: Sciatica will just “go away” with some rest. FACT: If you are dealing with back pain, buttock pain or leg pain, then you must seek help from a sciatica specialist immediately. Left untreated, sciatica can lead to permanent nerve damage - and lifelong pain. MYTH: Pain is the only problem associated with sciatica. FACT: In severe cases, sciatica can lead to the inability to control your bowels or bladder. MYTH: You must take pain medications to deal with sciatica. FACT: Drugs like muscle relaxants, pain killers, narcotics, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications have serious potential side-effects and do not cure the root cause of sciatica. MYTH: “I must have done something wrong to get sciatica.” FACT: Physical work or simply sitting at a desk for long periods can lead to sciatica. Accidents and trauma can also be the culprits. Pregnancy can cause sciatica. Sciatica can affect anyone - including superfit celebrities like Tiger Woods, and Sylvester Stallone. MYTH: Stop exercising and get several weeks of bed rest to overcome sciatica. FACT: Staying active can help to relieve sciatic pain and prevent the pain from getting worse. Staying inactive in bed could be the worst advice - based on a recent study in the Netherlands.

MYTH: Sciatica requires surgery. FACT: NO! There’s been a huge breakthrough in the treatment of sciatica and lower back pain. It’s a new procedure called Non-Surgical Re-Constructive Spinal Care. The excellent results from this treatment have been published in major medical journals. Success rates are up to 90%. MYTH: “There’s nothing anyone can really do. I’m just stuck with this for the rest of my life.” FACT: With the correct treatment from a healthcare professional who specialize in sciatica, you can find relief from the core cause - and the symptoms. MYTH: Getting sciatica properly diagnosed is expensive. FACT: Not true. Dr. Steve Silverston of World Class Chiropractic in Ellicott City, MD is currently offering an initial consultation and comprehensive examination for Just $49, this includes all tests and x-rays if necessary. Dr. Steve Silverston – In Ellicott City, MD has helped over the past 25 years thousands of patients find relief from agonizing back pain and sciatica. He uses Non-Surgical Re-Constructive Spinal Care. This procedure does not require a hospital stay, drugs or anything invasive. The focus is on finding - and correcting - the original cause of the back pain and sciatica. According to Dr. Silverston, “We use a combination of gentle, non-invasive, proven techniques, for precisely diagnosing and correcting the cause of your low back pain and sciatica. This means superior long-term results for most people.” Almost Immediate Relief from Pain! Because the treatment is non-surgical, safe, and easy, most patients report an almost immediate relief from their back pain. Patient Brad H. from Eldersburg, MD wrote, “For several years I saw numerous

doctors including chiropractors in an attempt to resolve unrelenting low back pain and sciatica from a serious motor vehicle injury. Nobody could help me resolve it and my work and life were suffering. Dr. Silverston was able to quickly identify my problem and within one week of beginning care, for the first time in years, I’m virtually pain free! Now, many years later, I am still better.” Take the Next Step - END the Suffering... Initial Consultation and Comprehensive Examination for Just $49. This includes all tests and x-rays if necessary. The first step is a thorough sciatic examination with Dr. Silverston. Call 410-461-3435 to schedule your appointment. Mention this article (CODE: 49TB1117) and Dr. Steve Silverston will happily reduce his usual consultation fee to just $49! Only 50 reader consultations are available at this exclusively discounted rate.

Call them now at 410-461-3435 (mention code: 49TB1117) and get a full and thorough examination to pinpoint the cause of your problem for just $49. The normal cost of such an exam is $345 so you will save $296! Call them now at 410-461-3435 and cut out or tear off this valuable article and take it to your appointment. You’ll be on your way to safe, lasting relief! You can even call on the weekend and leave a message on their answering machine to secure your spot and they promise to return all calls. During the week staff can be very busy helping patients so if they don’t pick up straight away, do leave a message. Call 410-461-3435 NOW. If it’s the weekend or they’re away from the phone the staff at World Class Chiropractic promise they will get back to you. So call now at 410-461-3435 and quote this special discount code: 49TB1117.

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Strategies to cope with the loss of a pet By David R. Topor More than a third of American households own at least one pet, and people often have close bonds with them. In one study, 13 of 16 people said they would give a hard-to-get lifesaving medicine to their pet over non-family people. The death or loss of a pet can be a traumatic experience and result in grief and bereavement. The loss is unique in a number of ways. While pets may die naturally, through accidents, or by trauma, pets can also die through euthanasia, which often means that the pet owner must decide exactly when his or her pet is put down. Pets can also be lost when they run away, with no opportunity for closure. Or pets may have to be given away, due to logistical or financial reasons. There is a lack of formal societal or religious processes for grieving and mourning the loss of a pet. For example, if a pet is cremated, the ashes are usually collected at the veterinarian’s office or even sent through the mail. And family and friends may not acknowledge the depth of grief brought on by the loss of a pet (“It’s just a dog”), the need for a period of bereavement, or the inability of a person to quickly replace the pet (“Just get another one”).

Tips to feel better If you are grieving the loss of a beloved pet, these strategies may help:

Sweeteners From page 7 sulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One), or aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). Newer sweeteners, such as sucralose (as in Splenda) were unlikely to have been included. • While the risk of stroke or dementia was higher among those consuming diet soft drinks, only about 3 percent of the studied population had strokes and about 5 percent developed dementia. So, while a higher risk was observed among diet beverage drinkers, the overall risk in those who did or did not drink diet beverages was relatively low. • This study only looked at artificially sweetened soft drinks. It didn’t look at use of artificial sweeteners in foods or beverages other than soft drinks.

• It is important to recognize the depth of feelings of the loss. Your pet may have been with you through the ups and downs in life and may have even helped you cope with other losses. Give yourself the necessary time and space to grieve. Individual, group and family psychotherapy may be helpful to process the loss and make meaning of the pet in your life. • Identify triggers for your grieving and identify ways you can cope. Triggers can include the pet food aisle in the grocery store, or driving by a special place you shared with your pet. • Try to find ways to meaningfully grieve. This can include creating a memory book, journaling, building a memorial, or donating money or time to a pet welfare cause. • Keep focused on your daily and weekly schedules of personal and professional responsibilities, and make sure to incorporate pleasant activities for yourself into your days. • Explore self-help groups at a local animal shelter or ASPCA. Almost all schools of veterinary medicine have telephone support hotlines. There are also a number of online community forums that allow people to receive support while they grieve and process their loss. David R. Topor, Ph.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © 2017, President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

More research needed To understand how concerned we should be and how artificial sweeteners might cause these health problem (or others), additional research will be needed. I have to admit, this study has made me rethink my own habits. Would it be better if I started adding sugar to my coffee rather than my current routine of adding sucralose? I’m not sure. And this study gives me no guidance. But if you drink a lot of diet soft drinks, this study should give you pause — maybe moderation is in order. Or maybe drinking plain water wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is faculty editor of Harvard Health Publications. © 2017, President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Nov. 14

WALK AND TALK AT THE LIBRARY

Walkers of all ages and abilities can meet at the Enchanted Garden of the Miller Branch Library for a 30-minute walk around the campus, weather permitting. Walking with a group keeps you motivated, improves your accountability, and allows you to meet new people with similar goals and interests. No registration is necessary. The library is located at 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City.

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Review your Medicare plans by December 7 By Barbara Albert Medicare’s open enrollment for drug and health plans is underway until Dec. 7, which means now is the time to review your choices for 2018. At a minimum, look at next year’s terms for your current plan, because what works for you now may not be the case as of Jan. 1. Each year, plans can change their premiums, copays/coinsurance and networks, as well as covered drugs and services. By not reviewing your options, you may be stuck with a plan that no longer meets your needs, or you may miss an opportunity to switch to a better plan. For Medicare stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans, the review is based on your list of medications and your pharmacy. For Medicare health plans, such as HMOs and PPOs, you will also need to consider the network of providers, costs, rules and additional services. Here’s a look at some of the major changes for next year for Howard County:

Prescription drug plans Relatively stable list of plans: For 2018, there are two new plans (Aetna Select and Express Scripts Saver) and one terminating plan, increasing the total number of plans from 20 to 21. Members of the terminating plan, First Health Premier Plus, are being automatically moved to First Health Value Plus. Just like everyone else, they should do a 2018 review to see if that plan is a good fit, or whether they would prefer a different option. Cost sharing and other considerations: As in previous years, most plans are adjusting their monthly premiums, ranging from a decrease of $5.30/month to an increase of $18.10/month. Since your costs include tiered copays/coinsurance

and possibly a deductible, it is important to look at total costs. The maximum deductible is going up by $5 (to $405) in 2018, but seven plans have a zero deductible, and three are under the maximum amount. Most plans exempt lowtier medications from the deductible if you use a preferred pharmacy or mail order. Remember to identity if there are any restrictions on your medications, and whether your pharmacy is in the plan’s network.

Medicare Advantage/health plans New and ongoing plans: In total, there are 21 Medicare Advantage and health plans for 2018, including three new HMO plans (Johns Hopkins and Kaiser Permanente) and one new PPO Special Needs Plan (for beneficiaries living in a nursing home) from UnitedHealthCare. Going into next year, the Kaiser Permanente plans remain the only ones with the highest (five star) rating from Medicare. Terminating plans: Cigna is terminating its Medicare Advantage plans for Howard County (although these plans are continuing in other areas). If you are currently a member of one of these plans, if you do not act by Dec. 31, you will begin 2018 with Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and no Medicare drug coverage. While you will have rights to select a Medicare health plan, Medicare drug plan, and/or a Medicare Supplement Policy (Medigap) into early 2018, the best time to select a new plan is before the end of December. Additional benefits and other considerations: Many of the plans are expanding benefits for services not covered by Original Medicare, such as hearing aids and/or dental care, which may be of interest to you.

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enrollment period. You can apply for a policy at any time of the year, but you may be subject to medical underwriting, so do not cancel your current Medigap until you are sure the new one is in place. If you decide to drop a Medigap policy to try a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO for the first time, you can reinstate your Medigap within one year if you are not happy with the Medicare Advantage plan. See MEDICARE PLANS, page 10

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New options for flu and pneumonia shots Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about the flu shots made for seniors? I got sick last winter after getting a standard flu shot, and am wandering if the flu vaccine for older adults would provide me better protection this year. — Almost 70 Dear Almost: Health officials are bracing for a potentially miserable fall and winter. The clues: The Southern Hemisphere, especially

Australia, was hit hard over the past few months with a flu strain that’s notorious for causing severe illness, especially in seniors. And in the U.S., small clusters of that socalled H3N2 flu already are popping up. H3N2 is “the bad actor,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “If you needed another reason to get vaccinated [this year], there it is. Best get that protection.”

Two flu shots for seniors There are actually two different flu shots that are designed specifically for people age 65 and older — the Fluzone High Dose and FLUAD. You only need to get one of them. These FDA-approved vaccines are designed to offer extra protection beyond what a standard flu shot provides, which is important for older adults who have weaker immune defenses and have a great risk of developing dangerous flu complications. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills, on average, about 24,000 — 80 percent of whom are seniors. You also need to be aware that these senior-specific flu shots cannot guarantee that you won’t get the flu this season, but they will lower your risk. And if you hap-

Medicare plans From page 9

Assistance programs There are programs available to help with the costs of Medicare for which you can apply at any time of the year. If you have gross income less than $36,180 a year as an individual or $48,720 for couples, you may qualify.

pen to get sick despite having gotten the vaccine, you probably won’t get as sick as you would have without it. Here’s more information on the two vaccines: Fluzone High-Dose: Approved for U.S. use in 2009, the Fluzone High-Dose (see www.fluzone.com) is a high-potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot, which generates a stronger immune response for better protection. This vaccine, according to a 2013 clinical trial, was 24 percent more effective than the regulardose shot at preventing flu in seniors. FLUAD: Available in the U.S. since last year, the FLUAD vaccine (see www. FLUAD.com) contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a See FLU SHOTS, page 12

While reviewing and comparing plans can seem daunting, the SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance) Program of Howard County can help. SHIP provides free, unbiased local help with Medicare. Call (410) 313-7392 to schedule an appointment. Barbara Albert is the SHIP program manager with the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Prescriptions: manage more and pay less By Jim Miller Q. I’m concerned that I may be taking too many medications. I currently take 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing me some problems. I also struggle to keep up with all the drug costs. Any suggestions? A. There’s no doubt that older Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 40 percent of people 65 and older take five or more medications. And the more drugs a person takes, the higher their risk for medication problems, and the more likely they are to take something they don’t need.

Do a “brown bag” review To help you get a better handle on the medications you are taking, gather up all your pill bottles — include all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements — put them in a bag and take them to your primary doctor or pharmacist for a thorough drug check-up. This “brown-bag review” will give you a chance to check for duplicate meds, excessive doses and dangerous interactions, and for you to ask questions. Medicare Part B covers a free yearly medication review with a doctor as part of your annual wellness visit, and many Medicare Part D plans cover medication reviews with a pharmacist, too.

You should also note that Oct. 21 is “National Check Your Meds Day.” A number of pharmacies — including Costco, CVS, Sam’s Club, Target, Walmart and many independents — have agreed to support the effort. Some may even have extra staff on hand to help you review your meds. Ask your local pharmacy whether it is participating. There will also be a brown bag program at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md., on Monday, Oct. 16 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. When you have your review, go over the basics for each medication or supplement, such as what it’s for, how long you should take it, what it costs, and any side effects and potential interactions. Ask if there are any meds you can stop taking, and find out if there are any nondrug options that might be safer, and also whether you can switch to a lower dose.

Flu shots From page 10

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stronger immune response. In a 2012 Canadian observational study, FLUAD was 63 percent more effective than a regular flu shot. The CDC, however, does not recommend one vaccine over the other, and to date, there have been no studies comparing the two vaccines. You should also know that both the Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD can cause more of the mild side effects that can occur with a standard-dose flu shot, such as pain or tenderness where you got the shot, muscle aches, headache or fatigue. And neither vaccine is recommended for seniors who are allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past. The cost of both vaccines is covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B, as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays.

Pneumonia vaccines Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to older adults, especially

To help avoid future medication problems, make sure your primary doctor is aware of all the medications, over-thecounter drugs and supplements you take. You should also keep an up-dated list of everything you take and share it with every doctor you see. Try to fill all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy — and inform your pharmacist of any over-the-counter, herbal or mail order prescriptions you take — so that there is complete oversight of your medications and possible interactions.

How to save $ To help cut your medication costs, there are a number of cost savings tips you can try. Start a habit of asking your doctor about prices whenever you get a new prescription. Bring along a copy of your Medicare See PRESCRIPTIONS, page 13

this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it. The CDC is now recommending that all adults 65 or older get two vaccinations — Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Both vaccines, which are administered just once at different times, work in different ways to provide maximum protection. If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine, you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13. Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they are taken at least one year apart. To locate a vaccination site that offers any of these shots, visit www.vaccines.gov and type in your ZIP code. Lauran Neergaard of the Associated Press contributed to this article. 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.

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Rock climbing From page 1 you’ll still have an intense workout. The cardio work involved can get your heart rate up to the same level as climbing stairs or jogging. Rock climbing is a full-body workout that can increase your strength and muscle definition if you participate regularly. If you climb efficiently and properly, your core, arms and legs will feel the burn. A Journal of Human Kinetics review reports that elite rock climbers often have low body mass indexes, low body fat percentages, and increased handgrip strengths. As well as physical tests, climbing also offers mental challenges. “I like the problem-solving aspects of the sport,” Summers said. “You use those skills every time you look for the next hold. You need to focus on holds and the placement of your body, planning each move.” Rock climbing on a regular basis may help improve your mood or decrease bouts of depression. A review in Annals of General Psychiatry found that rock climbing is among a variety of exercises that help improve the moods of people suffering from depression.

Prescriptions From page 12 Part D insurance formulary — its list of covered drugs. The list can tell your doctor how your treatment or any alternatives might be covered. Find out if there are any generic alternatives to the drugs you currently take. Switching to generics can save anywhere from 20 to 90 percent. Surprisingly, be aware that the cash price for some drugs may be cheaper than the co-pay you would incur using insurance, depending on your plan. Before you fill a prescription, ask the pharmacist what your prescription will cost both using your coverage and without coverage. You should also ask your doctors if any of the pills you take could be ordered in a higher dosage and cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one. And for any “maintenance” drugs (those you take long-term), ask for a three-month prescription, which is usually cheaper than buying month-to-month. Because drug prices can vary depending

Completing a climb can also simply make you feel good. There’s a sense of accomplishment from it that can build confidence. A study from Indiana University found that rock climbers who completely immerse themselves in the climb enter a mental state of euphoria where pain signals may be blocked. Plus, climbing can be surprisingly social for everyone. “I sometimes climb with graduate students who work in our lab at UMBC,” said Summers. “It’s is a social activity that is easy to do with different abilities and ages.”

If blue skies beckon Once comfortable with indoor climbing, some people move their rock climbing outside. If the sport takes you outdoors, Mark “Indy” Kochte of Marriotsville, and author of Climb Maryland: A Guide to Climbing in Central Maryland, can offer pointers. The outdoor climbing enthusiast says he was “dragged” into climbing when he was in college. At the time, “I had no interest or desire. The feet-off-the-ground thing was not for me,” he said. But he wound up taking a climbing course in college and “it just took off from there.” Now in his mid-50s, Kochte, who works

on where you fill your prescriptions, another way to save is by shopping around. The websites www.GoodRX.com and WeRx.org will help you compare drug prices at U.S. pharmacies. If your research turns up a lower price elsewhere, ask your pharmacist if they would match that price. Your drugstore also may offer a discount program. Find out if your insurance plan offers cheaper deals through preferred pharmacies or a mail-order service. But be aware that paying cash or using different drugstores for the best price also means that Medicare or your regular pharmacist won’t be able to monitor your medicines to make sure they don’t cause a bad reaction. And finally, if your income is highly limited, you may be able to get help through drug assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations. To find these types of programs, visit www.BenefitsCheckUp.org. Jim Miller is author of The Savvy Senior book. The Associated Press also contributed to this article.

as a mission specialist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, enjoys moving over rocks and seeing them from different perspectives. He finds that every place he hikes offers a different climbing experience. Maryland does not have a lot of big cliffs like you’ll find in more mountainous states, but there is still “good quality rock” nearby, he said. As examples, he lists Rocks State Park in Harford County, the Carderock Recreation Area overlooking the Maryland bank of the Potomac River in Montgomery County, the cliffs over the Potomac River at Great Falls Park in Virginia, and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Want to give it a try? Here’s a start suggested by Cornelius at Earth Treks Columbia: Come in between 9

a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday or Sunday and sign up for an open climb for $25. That includes three climbs assisted by an instructor who will handle the ropes. If that whets your appetite for more, take Earth Trek’s Intro to Climbing class ($39, equipment included) where you learn the safety systems of belaying, basic knot tying, and basic climbing movements. It’s designed to give you the skills needed to climb independently at the climbing center. Earth Treks Columbia Climbing Center is at 7125-C Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia. All climbers must complete a waiver and watch a bouldering orientation video. To learn more, see www.earthtreksclimbing.com and www.facebook.com/Earth. Treks.Columbia or call (410) 872-0060. Carol Sorgen and Lisa Crutchfield contributed to this article.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Getting along with your daughter-in-law Dear Solutions: The host and hostess of this day are My grandson is going to have his Bar your former daughter-in-law and her husMitzvah in two months. My band. You are a guest — a son, his father, died four special one of course — so years ago, and his mother has play the part. been remarried for three Dear Solutions: years. I have four sons. I went to I’ve been invited to the one son’s house for a holiservice and the luncheon folday meal and celebration. lowing it. I would like them to My daughter-in-law is not a say something about my son good cook, but she worked at the affair, but my former hard and it was OK. daughter-in-law says no, Three of my sons were SOLUTIONS that’s not part of the plan, esthere with their families. By Helen Oxenberg, pecially since her husband is They all get along well and MSW, ACSW paying for the affair. seem to agree with each I have nothing against other on all major issues him, and my grandson seems to like like politics, religion, child rearing him, but do you think they’re right? and such. I’ve been having a little argument with My other son and family, who live my former daughter-in-law over this. further away and whose opinions are Am I right? dif ferent from the other brothers, — Roz were not there. I would have loved to Dear Roz: see them all together, but several Wrong, wrong, wrong — your question, times my daughter-in-law said it was your arguing and your insistence. And just the right number, she enjoyed it three wrongs don’t make a right. this way, and it would be too crowded Be happy that you’re included, and let it with more people. go at that. When you have your grandson This annoyed me. I was very careful over to your home, or when you take him though. I told her how good everysomewhere and are alone with him, you thing was and how nice it was to be can talk to him about his father. there, but that I really missed having

everyone together. Well, she got very angry with me and was very cold and almost nasty to me after that. What did I do wrong? After all, I did praise her first! — Lil Dear Lil: You used the magic word: “but.” “But” is a magic wand. Wave it and it immediately erases everything that was said before. No matter how much you praised the work she did, what she finally heard, after the “but,” was criticism. You mention that she’s not a good cook, so she may or may not have believed your praise to begin with. She did make it clear, though, that she enjoyed this close-knit group and would not have liked it any larger. So out came your magic wand, erased your praise, and left her with only your criticism. How to fix it? Use the other magic word: “Great.” Call her. Ignore all the rest, and just tell her she did a great job: You know how much hard work it took to put everything together, and thank her for a great day! Dear Solutions: I was going out with a man who dis-

agreed with just about everything I believe in — mostly politics. Since we were both very politically opinionated, we kept arguing and finally broke up. Do you think people who disagree vehemently politically could ever make it work in a marriage? — Anna Dear Anna: They might, since politics makes strange bedfellows. However, you’d have to agree vehemently on other vitally important marital issues like: Is it too hot or too cold? Should the window be open or closed? Is this the right direction, or are we lost? Should the blanket be tucked under the mattress or pulled out? Should we vacation in Maine or in Spain? Short of that, I think the next time you want to meet someone, you should join the political club of your choice. At least you won’t cancel out each other’s vote! © 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.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 6+

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING

The Glenwood Branch Library will offer free blood pressure screening on Mondays, Nov. 6 and 20 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. No registration is required. The library is located at 2350 MD-97, Cooksville.

Nov. 16

GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT

Howard County General Hospital is offering free information on how to stop smoking on Thursday, Nov. 16 at its Wellness Center Medical Pavilion, 10710 Charter Dr., Columbia, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more about the event, visit www.hcgh.org or call (410) 740-7601.

Nov. 3

BEST APPS FOR FOOD AND COOKING

Learn how to bring your phone into the kitchen. From finding recipes to planning your next trip to the grocery store, learn about the best apps for food and cooking at a program at the Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. The class takes place on Friday, Nov. 3 from 11 a.m. to noon. To register, call (410) 313-1950.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

50+

THE

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

Connection

Department of Community Resources and Services

Volume 7, No. 11 • November 2017

Caring for Howard County’s Caregivers November is National Family Caregivers Month

aregiving may be the hardest job you will ever have. In Howard County alone, it is estimated there are nearly 5,000 informal unpaid caregivers of individuals age 65 and over. For many, providing care to an aging parent or spouse brings added responsibilities to their daily schedules — driving to doctor’s appointments, cooking meals, managing medications and daily care. To complicate matters, many family caregivers must juggle the responsibilities of multiple households, the needs of their own children and the demands of their careers. No matter what your caregiver profile looks like, the Howard County Caregiver Support Program (CSP) can help. Through outreach and education, CSP staff identify caregivers who need support and tools to help them better navigate their caregiving roles. We realize that individuals who are busy providing physical and emotional care for others often overlook their own well-being, so caring for the caregiver is an area of particular interest to us as well. Here are some ways we can help: Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a six-week class designed to help caregivers better manage personal stress, communication, emotions and decision-making. Year-round educational sessions provide insight into topics ranging from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to consumer protection and scams. Addressing future needs and care preferences is the focus of Maryland Access Point’s Prepare to Care series; other programs are led by area experts from NAMI, the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Associations. New to Howard County, the Virtual Dementia Tour® simulates what it is like to live with dementia (see ad at right). Participants say it deepens their understanding of the physical and mental challenges faced by those living with the disease. Practical Skills for Caregivers is a five-week series offered in partnership with Howard Community College and taught by educators from the School of Nursing. The class provides family caregivers with the information and skills they need to safely care for their loved ones at home. The Connections Social Day Program at Glenwood, Ellicott City and North Laurel is designed for adults who need more structure and supervision, but still want to stay active, have fun and remain connected to the community. Kindred Spirits, also a day program, provides opportunities for socialization, companionship, support, education, and a sense of purpose for those diagnosed with early stage memory loss. Never underestimate the power of support – the caregiver resources available through the Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) can help you address current challenges as well as prepare for future needs. Though you may not know

where your caregiving journey will take you, the Caregiver Support Program is here to guide you along the way. As former First Lady Rosalynn Carter so eloquently expressed,

“There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” For more information about caregiver support in Howard County, contact Kathy Wehr, Caregiver Support Program Manager, at kwehr@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-5955 (voice/relay).

Do YOU know what living with dementia is REALLY like? Take a walk in their shoes with the Virtual Dementia Tour® This workshop offers a hands-on experience that simulates dementia, and includes a debriefing and educational segment. It has been created to offer assistance and practical tools to help those who care for someone with dementia. The Virtual Dementia Tour® is a clinically proven, evidence-based program, but it is also a life-changing experience — a brief, yet powerful, journey — that will provide insight and empathy to help anyone understand the realities of life with dementia.

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE Schedule YOUR 15-Minute Personal Tour Today! WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 6:00 to 8:00 PM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Ellicott City 50+ Center 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City 21042 To register or for more information:

EMILY LECLERCQ map@howardcountymd.gov 410-313-5917 (VOICE/RELAY)

www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

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The 50+ Connection

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Tips to Prevent Medicare and Health Insurance Fraud Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment — November 1 through December 15 Medicare Open Enrollment — October 15 through December 7

By Rebecca Bowman, Administrator Howard County Office of Consumer Protection

Protect Yourself

Be Informed

• Medicare and health exchanges will not call you about benefits. • Never give personal information to a caller you don’t know. Don’t trust Caller ID. Scammers can make your Caller ID appear legitimate. • Beware of email that claims or appears to be from Medicare or the ACA health exchange. Verify the sender of any email that asks for personal information before responding. • Affordable Care Act and/or Obamacare cards do not exist.

• To learn more about ACA health insurance exchanges, visit www.healthcareaccessmaryland.org or call 410-500-4710. • To access Medicare information online visit www.medicare.gov. In Howard County, contact SHIP at 410-313-7392. • For consumer information or assistance, call the Howard County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) at 410-313-6420 or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer.

New Medicare Cards • New Medicare cards without social security numbers will be issued beginning April 2018 and ending in April 2019. New cards will have a unique number assigned to you. • Beware of anyone who contacts you about your new card. Scammers will try to take advantage of this switch by saying that you have to pay for your card, or ask to verify your number. • Medicare will never ask you to verify your number because they already have it. • You will NOT be charged a fee to get your new card. • If you get a suspicious call about your new card, report it to the Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-243-3425.

New Dates Announced for

LIVING WELL WITH HYPERTENSION Wednesday, November 8 • 5:30 to 8:00 PM Friday, December 1 • 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM Medical Pavilion at Howard County 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100, Columbia 21044 Only $5/person! To register, contact Jen Lee jlee@howardcountymd.gov • 410-313-5940 (VOICE/RELAY) WWW.howardcountymd.gov/livingwell

Medicare

OPEN ENROLLMENT October 15 through December 7, 2017 By appointment only. Call 410-313-7392. In addition to our regular schedule, take advantage of additional appointment availability.

Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044 Thursday, November 2 • 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, November 4 • 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday, November 30 • 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

East Columbia 50+ Center 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045 Tuesday, November 28 • 9:00 a.m. – noon

Ellicott City 50+ Center 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City 21042 Friday, November 17 • 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

North Laurel 50+ Center 2017

PROJECT

Holiday

9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel 20723 Wednesday, November 8 • 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 29 • 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

The Howard County Office on Aging and Independence is collecting personal care items (see list at www.howardcountymd.gov/aging) for lowincome seniors who reside in assisted living facilities and in the community.

Drop off your donations by December 11 at any Howard County 50+ Center or the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Debby Magin at 410-313-6063 (VOICE/RELAY) • dmagin@howardcountymd.gov

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS. Contact us for help. 410-313-7392 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/SHIP

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

The 50+ Connection

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Howard County Supports Veterans The Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families (OVMF) recognizes the growing needs of the more than 20,000 veterans who call Howard County home. Part of the Department of Community Resources and Services, the OVMF provides access to information, services and resources for veterans of all ages as well as their military families, dependents and survivors.

Some of the OVMF’s Key Initiatives • Annual Veterans Resource Fair • Partnerships with the VFW, American Legion, Marine Corps League, Fort Meade Leadership and others • Veterans Monument (Future) • Reserved Veteran Parking Sign Program • Flag Retirement Container, Alpha Ridge Landfill • Veterans Day Parade • Veterans Speakers’ Bureau • Monthly Resource e-Bulletin • Veteran Employment Support • Veteran Legislation Support The OVMF also partners with service providers to address more complex issues, including employment, education, mental health, wellness, recreation, housing and human services. In collaboration with the Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs (MDVA), a Veteran Benefit Specialist is available onsite

at the Howard County MultiService Center, located at 9900 Washington Boulevard, in Laurel. Call 410-313-0229 for office hours and more information. Howard County also supports the initiatives of the Commission for Veterans and Military Families which aims to strengthen the county’s capacity to care for veterans and their families. The Commission’s monthly meetings are open to all. For more information about the Commission and the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families, contact Lisa Terry at 410-313-0821 or lbterry@howardcountymd.gov.

Annual Holiday Luncheon !"#$%&$'!($)$'*&+,*$-%#./*!#$0"1/$/!-"2)3$4%&".5 6/!!&*$)#$*#1(*78$6/".9*#$:)(&)-)$!($;*<*1)(")#$!=+!#5 >*<"&1()+!#$?*)2-"#*8$?*.*4@*($A$$B$$CDAE=*(&!#5

Thursday, December 14 • 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Turf Valley Conference Center To register, contact Elaine Widom 410-313-7353 • ewidom@howardcountymd.gov

Low Vision Group & MSLBP F&/-*3$G"<<&H$'(!4$1/*$:)(3-)#2$I1)1*$J"@()(3$'!($1/*$G-"#2$)#2$ K/3&".)--3$L)#2".)==*2$M:IJGKN$0"--$&/)(*$-"@()(3$(*&!%(.*&H$ *,*#1&$)#2$!%1(*)./$).+,"+*&H$)#2$)#&0*($O%*&+!#&5 P!$./)(<*Q$>I;K$(*O%"(*2$@3$P!,*4@*($R5

DO YOU LIKE TO KNIT OR CROCHET? Operation Gratitude collects homemade scarves for military members. Please drop off your homemade scarves (in individual sealable plastic bags) no later than November 15.

Tuesday, November 14 • 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. Bain 50+ Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044 For more information, contact Elaine Widom 410-313-7353 • ewidom@howardcountymd.gov

Please pin a note to each scarf with the yarn fiber contents listed and feel free to include a personal note for a military member. Our soldiers are always deeply touched by the care and effort when they receive gifts, but especially handmade items sent from supportive fellow Americans at “home.” Scarves should be 5-6”wide x 36”long. Please, NO fringe! Scarves can be made from wool or acrylic yarn or non-flammable fleece.

Drop off at any Howard County 50+ Center or the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families The 50+ Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence. This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. To join our subscriber list, email kahenry@howardcountymd.gov For more information, contact Lisa B. Terry ★ PHONE 410-313-0821 (VOICE/RELAY) ★ EMAIL lbterry@howardcountymd.gov

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, MD 21046 www.howardcountymd.gov/veterans • www.facebook.com/HoCoMilitary

6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCommunity

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

The 50+ Connection

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Howard County 50+ Centers

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

Bain 50+ Center

Ellicott City 50+ Center

Thursday, November 9 • 9:30 a.m

Thursdays, November 2, 9, 16 and 30 • 1:30 p.m.

Veterans Day Waffle Bar

News! Is it Real or is it Fake?

To recognize all that our veterans have done for us, we honor and thank them with a Veterans Day Waffle Bar. Enjoy a hot waffle with all the toppings. FREE. RSVP by Friday, November 3 to 410-313-7213.

Kris Juffer, Ph.D. will discuss how to determine if news sources and information are credible. FREE. Register at 410-313-1400.

Thursday, November 30 • 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Brain Training

BETA’s Holiday Celebration: Flamenco! Maria Walewska Rodriguez presents a Spanish classic dance performance and discussion of traditional “palos” flamencos. Audience participation is encouraged! FREE. RSVP to 410-313-7213.

Tuesday, November 7 • 11:00 a.m. Speech Language Pathologist Julie Rowlett uses engaging games and strategies to improve brain health and strengthen memory, attention, reasoning, and organization skills. FREE. Register at 410-313-1400.

Glenwood 50+ Center

East Columbia 50+ Center

Wednesday, November 8 • 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, November 1 • 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Veterans Day Luncheon

Ask a Tax Expert Happy Hour Bring in your tax questions, then stay to sample mocktails and hors d’oeuvres! FREE. Register at 410-313-7680.

Join us for our annual luncheon to honor veterans, catered by Mission BBQ. Enjoy a short program, stories and displays. $10; FREE for veterans. Register at 410-313-5440.

Tuesday, November 7 • 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 14 • 1:00 p.m.

Technology Café

Gifts From the Kitchen

Need a little help with your electronic devices? Our tech geniuses from the Columbia Association Tech will help clear your confusion! FREE. Register at 410-313-7680.

This hands-on workshop features fun and unique ideas for food-related holiday gifts and creative packaging that friends and family will love! $10. Register at 410-313-5440.

Elkridge 50+ Center

North Laurel 50+ Center

Thursday, November 2, 10:30 a.m. to noon

Tuesday, November 14, 28 and December 5, 10:00 a.m. to noon

Equifax Security: Get the Facts

Journaling with Zentangle®

The Howard County Office of Consumer Protection joins us to share facts about the Equifax breach; learn what you can do to secure your personal information. FREE. Register at 410-313-5192.

Expand your tangling and enrich your life through art while creating a personalized journal to record your development. $35 plus $10 materials fee. Register by November 10 at 410-313-0380.

Thursday, November 9 • 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 29 • 11:00 a.m. to noon

Veterans Day Celebration

Shake, Move and Groove Dance Social

Celebrate Veterans Day with a homemade chicken and waffle lunch followed by a presentation to honor our veterans. FREE. Donations accepted. RSVP to 410-313-5192.

Enjoy a DJ mix of dance music from Ballroom to Latin to just good old moving and grooving. Join us to work off that Thanksgiving feast. $3. Register at 410-313-0380.

Holiday Craft Boutique Wednesday, November 29. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. $1 ADMISSION.

This annual holiday shopping event features more than 40 fabulous vendors of gifts galore... so it’s easy to find the perfect item for everyone on your list!

Ellicott City 50+ Center 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City 21042 For details or additional information, call 410-313-1400.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HoCoCommunity Stay connected to the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services. Like us today!

H O WA R D C O U N T Y 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

Money

REAPING DIVIDENDS In buying dividend stocks, look for strong dividend growth coupled with a low payout ratio for long-term success

PART-TIME JOBS Working part time can be personally and financially rewarding, but don’t ignore the often hidden tax costs

Find out if the Equifax hack stole your ID By Lisa Gerstner By now you’ve probably heard that Equifax — which as one of the three major U.S. credit agencies collect loads of sensitive data on consumers — suffered a massive breach, potentially affecting 143 million Americans. In the ongoing saga of rampant data breaches, it’s a stomach-churning twist, and it’s especially galling given that, as one component of its business, Equifax sells credit monitoring and other services to detect whether identity thieves have pilfered your information. Chances are high that the thieves got ahold of sensitive information on you or someone in your family: the breach touches almost half the entire U.S. population and nearly three-quarters of those who have a credit report on file, according to the National Consumer Law Center. According to Equifax, “(c)riminals exploited a website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files.” That’s putting it nicely. From mid-May through July, hackers had access to all the key information needed to steal identities: Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some

instances, driver’s license numbers. Plus, credit card numbers for about 209,000 consumers, and dispute documents containing personal information of about 182,000 people were compromised. Take these steps now to see whether you are affected, and to protect yourself in the aftermath. 1. Check with Equifax On your computer, go to www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/potential-impact/, click on “Check Potential Impact,” then enter your last name and the final six digits of your Social Security number. Equifax will supply a message noting whether it believes your personal information was compromised. Even if your information wasn’t compromised, you’ll have the option of signing up for a free year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services from Equifax’s TrustedID Premier. (Equifax has also set up a call center, at 866-447-7559, but going online is a better bet. When we tried calling the number, we got a brief busy signal, then the call disconnected.) A caveat: Equifax includes a disclaimer on its site that if you purchase or use its products, you must agree to resolve disputes through arbitration, waiving your

right to participate in a class-action lawsuit. You can, however, opt out of the arbitration provision by notifying Equifax in writing “within 30 days of the date that you first accept this agreement on the site (for products purchased from Equifax on the site.)” 2. Sign up for free protection Sign up for monitoring and protection. You’ll likely be notified that you must wait until a specified date within the next several days to enroll in TrustedID Premier. Starting on that day, and until November 21, you can visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com to sign up. The service includes: • access to your Equifax credit report, • monitoring for changes (such as newly opened credit card accounts or loans) on your credit reports from all three major credit agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), • the ability to freeze and unfreeze your Equifax credit report (for more, see the next section), • monitoring of your Social Security number on internet black-market sites, where crooks buy and sell stolen information, and

• insurance to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses if you become an ID theft victim. TrustedID Premier is a legit service, and in particular, monitoring of your reports from all three credit bureaus is valuable in helping spot identity theft. But if you’re wary of relying on Equifax for protection, you have other options. 3. Other ways to protect yourself Among free services, CreditKarma.com offers access to information from your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports, plus monitoring and alerts about changes in your TransUnion report. Check whether you can get free assistance from your bank, credit card issuer, insurance company, or employer, too. Discover, for example, recently began offering its cardholders free monitoring for new accounts on their Experian credit reports. Paid services from companies such as LifeLock and Identity Guard offer broader suites of identity-theft protection services, including monitoring of your reports from all three credit agencies. 4. Check your credit reports. If you haven’t obtained your free annual credit reports in the past 12 months, now See EQUIFAX, page 22

Fiduciary rule means better money advice By Ken Heise In a Harris Poll conducted in March on behalf of Personal Capital, a digital wealth management firm, 46 percent of respondents said they believed all financial professionals are legally required to always act in their clients’ best interest. Another 31 percent were unsure whether this was the case. Imagine those individuals’ surprise (and maybe yours), in the coming weeks and months as their financial professionals tell them that, uh, no, that wasn’t quite the case before — but it is now, and they can’t wait to be transparent about transactions, compensation, and conflicts of interest when discussing retirement plans. In other words, since the U.S. Dept. of Labor started implementing its new fiduciary rule this summer, you shouldn’t be getting sales pitches disguised as advice anymore. When it comes to managing your retirement accounts (those funded

with pre-tax money, such as your 401(k), SEP plans and IRAs), your financial professional will be ethically and legally bound to focus more on your success than his own.

Fiduciaries vs. salesmen This level of responsibility is nothing new — it dates back to an 1830 court ruling and the formulation of a “prudent person standard of care,” which requires someone acting as a fiduciary to do what a prudent person would do and to not take advantage of a client. Congress also has drawn distinctions between broker-dealers, who were regulated as salesmen under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (not under the fiduciary standard), and Investment Adviser representatives, who were regulated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. And yet, somehow these distinctions have become blurred over the years.

Most financial professionals have been working under the less rigorous “suitability” standard, which requires only that they recommend products that meet a client’s financial objectives. The products they offer don’t have to be the best or least expensive option. They may be licensed to sell stocks, bonds, mutual funds or insurance products, but not to give investment advice. And their clients might never have known it. It’s kind of shocking that we’ve gone so long without exposing the difference — or raising expectations. Instead, we’ve put the burden on the individual to figure it out. But the world of finance just keeps getting more complicated. With employer pensions going away, putting retirees largely in charge of their own future financial security, people need help. And they need to be able to trust that it’s good help.

Get the most out of new rule How can you use the changes required by the fiduciary rule to your advantage? • Get a second opinion from a licensed professional who is held to the fiduciary standard. A licensed fiduciary is an adviser who has passed and acquired a Series 65 or 66 designation. Most professionals will review your assets and meet with you at least once without obligation. Make the most of that opportunity. I often find that prospective clients are unaware of the amount of risk in their portfolios. They’re also unsure about the fees they’re paying to their financial professional and for the products they recommend. We can clear all of that up pretty quickly. • Ask questions. If your guy was a suitability salesman a few weeks ago and now he’s acting as fiduciary, ask him how that See FIDUCIARY RULE, page 22

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Equifax From page 21 is a good time to do it. At www.annualcreditreport.com, you can get a report from each of the three credit agencies. Review each one for accounts you don’t recognize, an incorrect address, or any other red flags. If you believe that you may be a victim of identity theft, you can take steps to resolve it.

Freeze credit files The strongest measure you can take to prevent identity theft is imposing a freeze

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

on your credit files (you must contact each bureau separately to do so). A freeze bars new creditors from accessing your credit report — and as a result, identity thieves will have a hard time opening new credit cards or loans in your name. If criminals haven’t yet used your personal information fraudulently, you’ll probably have to pay to place the freeze (fees vary by state, but often run about $5 to $10 per credit agency). If you later want to apply for a credit card or loan, you’ll have to lift the freeze during the shopping period then put it back on, which may incur additional fees.

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“But that bit of inconvenience doesn’t outweigh the amount of time you’d spend cleaning up an identity-theft issue,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. (As noted above, Equifax includes the ability to freeze your Equifax credit report for a year with TrustedID Premier.)

Fraud alerts As a less-cumbersome alternative, you can initiate a free 90-day fraud alert on your credit reports (when you place an alert with one credit agency, it will contact the other two companies). A fraud alert requires lenders to take extra

steps to verify your identity when someone applies for credit in your name, but it doesn’t provide a full block on your reports. And unless you are already a victim of identity theft, you’ll have to renew the fraud alert every 90 days to maintain the protection. Your personal information may sit for years before a thief uses it, so you’ll need to be on guard for far longer than three months. Identity-theft victims are eligible for a free extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years. You also get two free credit reports within 12 months from each credit agency. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

New Maryland law allows free credit freeze A new law that took effect in Maryland on Oct. 1 allows residents to place a freeze on their credit reports free of charge. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh says a credit freeze is one of the most effective methods of identity theft protection. It prevents anyone from seeing your credit report without your permission. If a creditor can’t see your report, they are less likely to open a new credit card,

Fiduciary rule From page 21 will affect his recommendations and, if he’s making changes to comply with the new ruling, why he didn’t have you in the best-interests scenario from the start? • Get educated. The new rule covers retirement advice only, so make sure you know when your financial professional is acting as a fiduciary and when he isn’t. Read the disclosures you receive and pay attention to any red flags. For non-IRA assets, anyone without a Series 65 or 66 des-

cellphone, utility or other account at the request of an identity thief. A credit freeze remains in effect until the consumer decides to remove it. The new law only waives fees for freezing a credit report, not fees for temporarily lifting the freeze (which you may want to do to apply for a credit card or loan). That can cost $5 per credit bureau, though creditors usually only need to review one bureau’s report. — AP

ignation does not have to abide or comply by fiduciary standards. • Be flexible. A professional truly held to the fiduciary standard will tailor a plan just for you and your individual needs. Unlike, for example, a broker — who may be limited to what his firm wants him to sell — a fiduciary will go over many different products and strategies, because he can. Be vigilant — it’s your money — but keep an open mind to the suggestions you hear. © The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A recipe for picking high dividend stocks By Eleanor Laise There are almost as many dividendstock-picking strategies as there are dividend stocks. You could go for the dividend “achievers,” which have boosted dividends for at least 10 consecutive years, or the “aristocrats,” which have raised dividends for at least 25 years. You could focus on stocks with the fastest dividend-growth rates, or simply those with today’s highest yields. But to cook up a portfolio full of healthy, sustainable and growing payouts, you need more ingredients. Recent research suggests that mixing a high dividend yield with strong dividend growth and a low “payout ratio” (the percentage of earnings paid out as dividends) is a winning recipe. Pankaj Patel, managing director at investment-research firm Cirrus Research, said a portfolio of stocks combining those three factors has beaten Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index by 6 percentage points annually over the long haul. Generous dividends are a lifeline for older adults drawing income from their portfolios — particularly when the 10-year Treasury yields 2.4 percent and the S&P 500 yields less than 2 percent. But dividend growth is slowing and payout ratios are climbing, presenting challenges for investors seeking healthy, sustainable payouts.

Look at dividend growth When selecting dividend payers, “the growth of the dividend is the most powerful part of the formula,” as a rising dividend often buoys the share price, said Charlie Farrell, chief executive officer at Northstar Investment Advisors, in Denver. Yet a stretch of sluggish earnings growth has made dividend growth more

elusive. In the first quarter of this year, U.S. stocks’ dividend net increases (dividend hikes minus cuts) amounted to $10.9 billion — a 39 percent decline from the first quarter of 2014, according to Standard & Poor’s. A low payout ratio provides some insurance against dividend cuts, which can weigh heavily on stock prices. Farrell generally looks for payout ratios of about 50 percent or less. But with yield-hungry investors agitating for dividends, the ratios have been rising. In the 12 months ending with the third quarter of 2016, for example, 44 companies in the S&P 500 had payout ratios over 100 percent — the second-highest count in 10 years, according to FactSet.

low 20 percent payout ratio leaves plenty of room for future growth. • Home Depot (HD). The home-improvement retailer is benefiting from a strong housing market, and it enjoys some insulation from e-commerce competition thanks to its employees’ specialized knowledge and bulky merchandise that can’t be shipped cheaply. The company has made quarterly payouts for 30 years, and in February announced a 29 percent dividend increase.

• VF Corp (VFC). This apparel maker owns brands such as North Face, Timberland and Lee jeans. Although reliance on department-store sales has hurt growth in recent years, the company is working to boost its direct-to-consumer sales through its own online and brick-and-mortar stores. The company last year raised its dividend 14 percent. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Some stock recommendations So which stocks still boast that powerful combination of generous dividend yield, strong dividend growth, and low payout ratio? In its research, Cirrus didn’t set any particular thresholds for these factors — the research firm simply looked for the best combination of the three. Here are some of the names that came out on top: • Cisco Systems (CSCO). In addition to making the switches and routers that connect computers and computer networks, Cisco makes products for fastergrowing segments, such as wireless, security and data centers. The company started paying a dividend in 2011 and has boosted it every year since. • Gilead Sciences (GILD). This biotech company is known largely for drugs that treat HIV and Hepatitis C, but it is building a strong pipeline in other areas, such as inflammatory diseases. The company initiated its dividend in 2015, and its

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Whether to work part-time in retirement By Brian Vnak Some people’s retirement dreams consist of having the time to do what they want, unencumbered by the demands of working. For others, staying in the workforce on a part-time basis, either out of necessity or by choice, is a core component of their retirement picture. Keeping a hand in the workforce is a growing trend, and for good reason: Part-time employment in retirement is a way to supplement cash flow, maintain employer benefits, and stay mentally and physically engaged.

Many financial benefits Part-time work is very healthy from a financial-planning standpoint. For instance, every year you work improves your earnings history, which can increase the amount of Social Security you receive. Further, part-time earnings may allow you to delay taking Social Security benefits, which increase by 8 percent every year past your full retirement age, up to the age of 70. Earnings from a part-time job may also mean you can delay spending down your retirement accounts, giving them more time to potentially grow. An extra three to five years — especially if it coincides with a rising market — can have a tremendously powerful impact on the sustainability of your portfolio. Finally, part-time work may offer access to employer benefits, such as health insurance and contributing to tax-efficient employer-sponsored plans like 401(k)s — not to mention getting the employer match, which is literally free money. As an added benefit, any funds inside your current employer’s plan will escape required minimum distributions at age 70½ and later, as long as you remain actively employed. Unfortunately, working part-time in re-

tirement can also complicate your finances. First, if you’re already taking Social Security, your benefits are taxable based on other income sources, such as wages, dividends, capital gains, retirement account distributions and, yes, 50 percent of your Social Security benefits (among other items). A part-time job means you’ll have more income, but this extra income may adversely affect your Social Security benefit. Your part-time income may also put you in a higher tax bracket — not just for income taxes, but for capital gains taxes, too. Many retirees capitalize on their lowerincome years by taking gains when they’re in the 0 percent capital gains tax bracket, so you may not be able to take advantage of savvy tax-planning moves like capital gains harvesting and Roth conversions. If your part-time income puts you at or above the 25 percent income tax bracket, you may find yourself subject to a 15 or 20 percent capital gains tax rate. In a worstcase scenario, the part-time earnings you make could be eclipsed by taxes you pay on capital gains. Part-time work can help you stay mentally sharp, socially engaged and physically fit. And there’s the benefit of putting a lifetime of skills to work, or finally turning your attention to a lifelong passion. Still, it’s a slippery slope. Part-time work can easily morph into full-time work, especially if you’re prone to workaholism. And for those who put their years of experience to work in consulting may find that running a business, even a tiny one-person proprietorship, more expensive and onerous than imagined.

The bottom line Whether it’s the financial cushion or be-

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cause you truly love working that’s driving your decision to work part-time, it’s in your best interest to understand how this decision will change your plan for the future. Ask yourself and/or your adviser the following questions to help you evaluate the pros/cons of working part-time in retirement: • How will working part-time in retirement enhance my ability to achieve my ideal retirement lifestyle? • What “ripple effects” might working

part-time in retirement bring to my financial plan? Would it put me in a higher tax bracket and/or disrupt any existing tax strategies? Finally: Remember that part-time work doesn’t just impact your financial bottom line. It also affects your mind, body, family and friends. Be thoughtful of how you spend your time. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Travel Leisure &

Thoreau’s Walden Pond is just a short trip from Boston. See story on page 28.

Repositioning cruises offer real bargains spend one day at sea, then hit six ports along the coast of Spain and Portugal before setting out across the Atlantic, which takes seven days. Boarding most cruises usually involves a flight to Florida or elsewhere for Washington area residents. For one-way repositioning cruises, there is the additional cost of an overseas leg — either to get to where the cruise leaves from, or to return home afterwards. Holland America was very helpful, as I imagine most cruise lines are, in finding us inexpensive flights. We paid less than $600 per person to fly from D.C. to Rome, and from Ft. Lauderdale to D.C.

PHOTO BY MAPICS

By Ann Cochran Each fall and spring, a quiet migration takes place as cruise lines move their ships from one geographical area to another. But these ships do not sail empty. They are full of passengers taking advantage of the best value in cruising. For the past few years, I’ve met people who have taken repositioning cruises and wondered what one would be like. They involve many days at sea — whether they are going from Europe to the Caribbean or Seattle to Sydney — so would there be more to do to keep passengers busy and happy? Or less, because the price was lower than a regular cruise? Would the menus be limited because of all the days far from land? My husband and I decided to try one out after he retired. We chose a late October into mid-November cruise last year from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale on a new Holland America ship, the Koningsdam, which was launched that spring. It is the largest ship in Holland America’s fleet. From Italy’s Civitavecchia Port, we’d

Excellent values

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLAND AMERICA

Including flights, the price was right. Our 15-day Passage to America cruise started at $1,179 per person for an interior cabin and $1,599 for an exterior balcony cabin like the one we had. Our cruise was similar to one Holland America is offering this fall on the same ship: the 14-day Jewels of the Baltic cruise starts at $2,509 for an interior cabin and $3,199 for a balcony cabin. Royal Caribbean is currently advertising a 14-night transatlantic repositioning cruise on Freedom of the Seas for $833 per person in an interior cabin and $1,434 in a balcony cabin. The ultra-luxury line Silversea has great deals as well, relatively speaking. Prices for their 16-day spring repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Dublin starts at $5,310 as opposed to $10,620 for an Australia/New Zealand voyage of the same length during the same month.

The design of the avant garde wine cellar on Holland America’s Koningsdam echoes the curved lines and art theme throughout the vessel, which holds more than 2,500 passengers. It is one of a number of ships that make transAtlantic repositioning crossings each fall and spring at steeply discounted rates for passengers.

Antonio Gaudi’s unique and ornate cathedral La Sagrada Familia soars over Barcelona, one of the ports of call on the Koningsdam’s repositioning cruise. Construction began in 1892 and is still underway.

A brand new ship The day we settled into the Koningsdam, all the surprises were good ones, as one would reasonably expect on a new ship. With music as their inspiration, designer Adam Tihany and architect Bjørn Storbraaten created an open, airy atmosphere with plenty of curved lines. Everywhere you looked, you engaged with interesting pieces of art, most of it contemporary. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors enhanced the spaciousness of our verandah cabin. Even for people like us who do not pack light, there were more than enough closets and storage spaces. The comfortable queen-sized bed was made up with crisp white linens, and there were perfectly placed bedside reading lights. The bathroom had a large shower. The TV was of-the-moment: flat screen, high-definition. Lots of channels and ondemand movies, as well as the entirety of “Downton Abbey,” provided relaxing interludes between meals and events. The music-themed ship lived up to its intention. The main World Stage, which had a three-quarter-way-around seating layout, was surrounded by walls upon which gorgeous video and photography were sometimes projected. At a cast chat, many performers praised the lighting, sound and design technology, calling it su-

perior to that of most Broadway theaters. If there’s a head on every pillow, the Koningsdam can accommodate 2,650 passengers. Cruise lines encourage loyalty with discounts and perks. At a reception, we learned that out of the approximately 2,400 passengers, only 200 (including ourselves) were first timers.

Plentiful activities onboard I needn’t have feared boredom. Besides the nightly main stage shows, there were many other options, including a classic piano bar. At B.B. King’s Blues Club, the band played current hits. A classical quintet, easily transitioning from Mozart to Sting, performed at the Lincoln Center Stage. This strategic partnership with Lincoln Center was a huge hit. With their piano, cello and three violins, these elegant musicians seemed to be the most beloved performers on a ship that was rich in talent. In addition to music and dance entertainment, a magician and two comedians were on the schedule. With freshly popped popcorn, we loved watching movies in lounge chairs around the pool. Popular films were interspersed with BBC Earth documentaries. See CRUISES, page 27

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Cruises From page 26 Before sunrise one morning, there was a stargazing opportunity with two presenters who were attending navigation school. During the day, lectures, a cooking competition and demonstrations, spa appointments, games and dance lessons given by the gorgeous shipboard dancers kept us busy. At the gym, you could stare out at the sea as you walked or jogged. The sight and smell of the sea, and its breezes, drew many passengers out to the promenade deck. I joined daily. I avoided the casino, but it was well-populated every evening. I planned spa appointments and all our meals in the specialty restaurants for days we were at sea. On all the other days, the two main dining options — a formal restaurant and a sophisticated version of an eatery — were both good to great. At mealtimes, we got to know other passengers and found people to hang out with on the ship, and to tour with on land. We found the specialty restaurants, except the Italian one, wor th the extra charges, which ranged from $15 to a la carte. Of the French bistro, Culinary Arts Center (tasting menu, demonstration kitchen), steakhouse and Asian, the Asian (Tamarind) stood out. But each had its winning dishes.

Spanish ports of call Every cruise line sells land tours, and Holland America is no exception, with classic highlights tours and many off-the-beaten-track options. They also do a great job of letting passengers know how to explore on one’s own. Lectures with beautiful slide shows gave a rundown of the best of each city, restaurant recommendations, and practical information about unusual scheduling and closings. Palma de Mallorca in Spain was our first stop. Like many other ports, this island has a lot of fine museums, churches and ruins. Its beach is a quick walk from the ship. It also has a large department store, El Corte Ingles, where I was delighted to find great variety and good prices for truly local items (after confirming by checking tags) to bring to loved ones back home. Barcelona was the most alluring stop, and it required the most planning since there’s so much to do. My husband and I chose to spend most of our time at La Sagrada Familia, the masterpiece cathedral (started in 1882 and still unfinished) designed by Antoni Gaudi. I expected it to be more surreal and less spiritual, but the experience was quite the opposite. I was very moved by the structure and the guide’s story of Gaudi’s devotion to the project. Afterward, we wandered Las Ramblas, the tree-lined pedestrian mall in heart of the city, and enjoyed a great meal. (Yes, this

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was the site of a horrific terrorist incident this August, less than a year after our visit.) Alicante is a popular beach town graced with palm trees and a beautiful waterfront promenade, Explanada de Espana, made of 6.5 million marble tiles. This small city has one of Spain’s most important modern art collections in its Asegurada Museum. Malaga, Picasso’s hometown on the Costa del Sol, honors him with an art museum and a house museum. There are many others here, including the Museo de Malaga, with fine arts and archaeology. From 2015, and scheduled to be there for five years, a pop-up outpost of the Paris Centre Pompidou arts complex was installed in a many-colored glass cube structure at the port. Special exhibits share the space with works from the Paris museum’s permanent collection. Home to a U.S. naval base, Cadiz is known for great golf and five miles of beach, long-rated as having the cleanest beach water in Europe. Since we’d be there on a Sunday, with few places open, we decided to take an official Holland America tour, at $80 per person for five hours. About 28 other passengers decided the same thing, and the consensus afterward was that it was worth it. Our intelli-

gent and well informed guide toured us around the old city and a charming hilltop village called Jerez de la Frontera. At the shipboard lecture about the last stop, Madeira, I was drawn in by the slides of a stunning hotel on a hill. When we arrived, we hired a taxi driver to take us around. That is common practice for cruise passengers. Sometimes we’d share a taxi with another couple. It costs far less than an organized tour, the drivers know the main attractions, and you get to talk to a local while doing exactly what you want to do. Before heading to the Belmond Reid’s Palace for lunch, we asked our driver, Bruno, to take us to a grocery store. He looked puzzled, but we convinced him that’s what we wanted, and the three of us walked the aisles, buying chocolates for the cabin stewards and some traditional honey cake to take home. You can learn a lot about another culture in a grocery store. And at a Belmond hotel, you can treat yourself to a fine Portuguese lunch. To research repositioning cruises, visit cruise lines’ individual websites, websites such as www.repositioningcruise.com, devoted entirely to this mode of travel, or sites such as www.Cruisecritic.com.

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Bucolic Walden Pond and Concord, Mass. By William J. Kole Henry David Thoreau went to the woods because, as he famously put it, “I wished to live deliberately.” Two centuries after the Walden author’s birth, people are still deliberately following in Thoreau’s footsteps to discover Walden Pond, the little lake he immortalized. Whether you’re visiting Boston or the Berkshires, the pond and the bucolic Massachusetts town of Concord are Thoreauly worth a side trip. Here’s why: A retreating glacier formed the pond 10,000 or so years ago, but it was Thoreau — born in Concord 200 years ago on July 12, 1817 — who really put Walden Pond on the map. He spent two years and two months in solitude and reflection on its shores, writing Walden (the book’s full title is Walden;

or, Life in the Woods), about grasping at the meaning of life by living simply and coexisting with the natural environment. Today, Walden Pond is a popular fishing hole stocked with trout and frequented by walkers, boaters, swimmers, sunbathers and birdwatchers in warm weather. In winter, there’s snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Wandering around Walden You can wander the shaded dirt path hugging the oblong pond. At 1.7 miles, it’s perfect for walkers and runners of all abilities, and its serenity provides a spectacular backdrop for foliage in autumn. A can’t-miss attraction on Walden Pond State Reservation is the reconstruction of the tiny wooden cabin where Thoreau lived and worked.

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Attorneys provide free legal assistance for income-eligible walk-in clients on matters such as divorce, separation, custody, child support, alimony and name change throughout the year. The next Family Law Assistance Programs are on Tuesdays, Nov. 14 and 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Civil Law Center provides attorneys monthly, with the next session on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. The legal assistance is available on a walk-in basis at the East Columbia Express Branch Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Contact Circuit Court Law Librarian Sandy Brewer at (410) 313-2135 with questions.

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There’s also a gleaming new solar-powered visitor center that opened last October, featuring interactive exhibits about the man considered a founder of the modern environmental movement. Officials say the pond and center draw about a half-million visitors from around the globe each year. Thoreau made a big splash at Walden Pond. Working at a simple green desk in the cabin he built himself, the former schoolteacher completed Walden in 1854. Now, 163 years later, it’s a classic known for lines such as, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” and, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” But Thoreau was many things — philosopher, naturalist, transcendentalist, abolitionist, early climate change advocate — and he wrote other acclaimed works, including “Civil Disobedience,” an 1849 essay in which he agitated against slavery and government overreach.

Concord and environs Nestled about 20 miles northwest of Boston, Concord is famous for Revolutionary War landmarks enshrined in Minute Man National Historical Park — a leafy

spot to picnic and learn more about the first battles that led to American independence from England. Thoreau isn’t the only renowned writer who created here. Ralph Waldo Emerson sketched out his celebrated essay “Nature” in town, and it’s the hometown of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. The Concord Museum houses some truly iconic Americana, including the lantern that hung in a church steeple during Paul Revere’s fateful 1775 ride warning that the British were coming.

If you go Learn more about Walden Pond at http://bit.ly/Walden_Pond or call (978) 3693254. Open daily year-round; hours vary by season. Fall hours are 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Walden Pond State Reservation is most easily accessible by car. Parking is $15 for out-of-state license plates, $8 for Massachusetts plates. From Boston, you can ride the MBTA commuter rail (Fitchburg line) to the Concord stop; then take a taxi or Uber to the pond. Admission to the reservation and visitor center is free. Dogs, fires and camping aren’t allowed. Only boats with electric motors are permitted on the pond. — AP

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Lots of new airlines, not much innovation Expect service to the U.S. next summer, Between now and next summer, you’ll see a lot of unfamiliar airplanes at U.S. air- with A340s or A350s. Your guess is as good as mine about fares or ports. At least for now, they’ll product, but I can confidently all be European or Asian, but predict it will offer a full load a few possible home-grown efof first-class malarkey. forts have sprouted. Air Asia X (booking.airaThe upside is a combinasia). Well-established in Asia, tion of more competition on this Malaysian line started flyexisting routes and more new ing from Kuala Lumpur to nonstop routes. The downside Honolulu by way of Osaka is no real innovation in the earlier this year, and it plans seating — the main cabins to fly to Los Angeles somewill be familiar cattle cars. time next year. It’s allowed to The expansion is fueled by TRAVEL TIPS carry traffic between the U.S. new airlines and enabled by By Ed Perkins and Osaka. new airplanes: Its A330s include a small premium sec• New 737max and A321neo narrowbody planes have sufficient range for non- tion with angled-flat seats, and an economy stops between eastern North America and cabin with ultra-tight nine-across economy western Europe, they’re small enough to seats. The premium product might look operate profitably on routes with insuffi- like a good deal, but consider economy cient traffic to support the jumbos, and they do so at very low costs. • New 787s and A350s operate much more economically than the larger jumbos and can fly very long-range routes. Here’s my roundup of the most interesting developments.

Daytime flight to London Nor wegian (Nor wegian.com). Already the major transatlantic upstart, Norwegian will continue to expand its relatively short 737max routes from the eastern U.S. — primarily New York/Stewart International, and Providence to Western Europe. One of its most interesting new flights, however, uses 787s. For folks who hate red-eye flights in cattle car economy, Norwegian now operates a nonstop that leaves New York/JFK at 11:20 in the morning and arrives London/Gatwick at 10:50 that evening. It offers conventional economy and better-than-average premium economy seats. As of late September, it was offering very low fares on this route, some as low as $110 each way in November. Level (flylevel.com). This new line, currently operated by Iberia, flies nonstops to its Barcelona base from Los Angeles and Oakland. It flies A330s with what appear to be conventional economy and premium economy seats. Primera (primeraair.com). This startup, with headquarters in Latvia, will start flying next April from Newark nonstop to Birmingham, Paris/DeGaulle, and London/Stansted with A321neos. The product mix includes what appear to be conventional economy and premium economy offerings. Joon. I’m not making this up: “Joon” is the name Air France has given to its new subsidiary. Presumably that’s based on the French word “jeune” meaning “young.” And you wouldn’t believe the PR-babble Air France put out about tailoring its new effort to millennials — nothing about fares or the seats, just drivel.

only if it’s really cheap and you’re really broke. Hong Kong Airlines (hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/homepage). Following its entry into Vancouver earlier this year, Hong Kong Airlines plans nonstops to Los Angeles starting later this year. Flights in A330s offer what appear to be fully competitive lie-flat business class seats and conventional eight-across economy.

Few new U.S. airlines So far, the U.S. startup outlook is grim. Three possible operations have emerged, but so far, none has anything firm: • US Global Airlines, a re-tooled version of Baltia, wants to emulate Norwegian and fly 737max or A321neos from Stewart to various points in Europe. • A group of promoters wants to revive

the “iconic” Midwest Express brand, but its apparent business plan — to re-grow the former Milwaukee hub — seems problematic. • David Neeleman, who started Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue, and Azul, reportedly registered “Azura Airways” as a U.S. corporation. Azul says there’s nothing to it, but Neeleman likes to start-up airlines and likes to name them something to do with “blue.” Currently, you can book flights on Primera, Level, Air Asia X, and Hong Kong, along with the more established Norwegian and WOW. Advance fares look good, so make sure to include them in your trip planning. 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.

lifestyle

Your NEW begins here

communLi are SMOKties EFREE

APARTMENT HOMES FOR THOSE 62 AND BETTER

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

EASTERN SHORE

Furnace Branch 410-761-4150 Severna Park 410-544-3411

Easton 410-770-3070

BALTIMORE CITY

Bel Air 410-893-0064 Box Hill 410-515-6115

Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440 Coldspring 410-542-4400

BALTIMORE COUNTY Catonsville 410-719-9464 Dundalk 410-288-5483 Fullerton 410-663-0665 Miramar Landing 410-391-8375 Randallstown 410-655-5673 Rosedale 410-866-1886 Taylor 410-663-0363 Towson 410-828-7185 Woodlawn 410-281-1120

HARFORD COUNTY

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

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Bladensburg 301-699-9785 55 AND BETTER! Laurel 301-490-1526 Laurel II 301-490-9730

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour. Professionally managed by R Home Communities • www.rhomecommunities.com

ALL PARK VIEW COMMUNITIES ARE

PET-FRIENDLY

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

Arts &

The Columbia Orchestra is said to be one of the busiest community orchestras in the world.

Columbia Orchestra going strong at 40 By Jamie Lee Pricer The Columbia Orchestra was born in 1977 with a handful of string musicians playing a smattering of performances. Today, it’s a full orchestra with 100 members with a robust schedule of sold-out performances. How has the orchestra grown and thrived in an age crowded with digital opportunities and pop music? Credit a breadth of programming, strong commu-

nity outreach, and devotion by the all-volunteer performers and their fans. “We are probably one of the busiest community orchestras in the world,” said Jason Love, the orchestra’s music director for 19 years. His background includes 13 years as artistic director and conductor of the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra, four years as the conductor of the Chesapeake Youth Repertory Orchestra in Annapolis, and leading the McDaniel OrchesPHOTO BY JAMES FERRY

Jason Love has conducted the all-volunteer Columbia Orchestra for nearly half of its 40 years. In addition to full-orchestra classical concerts, its members perform jazz, chamber, pops and family concerts.

tra Camp in Westminster.

Classical, jazz, pops and more Columbia Orchestra’s 40th season kicked off with an anniversary concert in early October, and will continue through mid-May with a jam-packed schedule that includes three jazz performances, three chamber concerts, three symphony performances, a family holiday concert, a pops concert and a young people’s concert. That’s not all. In addition to its regular schedule, the full orchestra presents concerts for third graders across Howard County, and groups of orchestra members

participate in preschool, elementary school, library and Head Start programs. Individual musicians also perform at recitals, retirement communities, hospitals and other nontraditional venues. “We are very community oriented,” said Executive Director Katherine Keefe. “We work with as many community groups as we can.” One example is a local dance group that performed with the orchestra at a family concert. Columbia’s partners also extend beyond Howard County lines, including a collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight See COLUMBIA ORCHESTRA, page 32

Upcoming performances Oct. 29, 3 p.m. Chamber concert with the Columbia Orchestra Piano Trio, free concert featuring Brahms, Ravel and Tian, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 8300 Old Columbia Rd., Fulton. Nov. 4, 7 p.m. CJB presents An Evening of Jazz, a free concert (freewill offering will be accepted) at Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church, 6410 Amherst Ave., Columbia. Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., free open rehearsal of “Symphonie Fantastique” at the Gathering Place, 6120 Daylong Lane, Clarksville. Enjoy wine and

cheese in a relaxed setting. This is a real working rehearsal, mistakes and all. You can mingle with orchestra musicians at their break at about 8:30 p.m. The entire rehearsal lasts until 10 p.m., but you can come and go as you like. Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” featuring William Feasley on guitar. The concert also includes John Adams’ “The Chairman Dances” and Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” Tickets are $28 ($24 for seniors). Jim Rouse Theatre, 5460 Trumpeter Rd., Columbia.

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Columbia Orchestra From page 31 Center and members of John Denver’s band. Love thinks a key to the orchestra’s standing with the community is programing. “Our concerts feature the same works you’d hear from a major metropolitan orchestra in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. We play the great masterworks. They’re great ‘museum pieces.’ But we balance those with new works by living composers and performances with multi-media presentations — the kind of music you rarely hear done by a community orchestra.” Original orchestra member and violinist Bruce Kuehne concurs. “We’ve had music directors who are not afraid to include innovative programming, including music of the 20th — and now

21st — century,” he said. “Classical music is not all about long-dead white men; it is a living art form that is relevant to today’s listeners.” Kuehne gives kudos to director Love, who “certainly understands that point and programs his concerts accordingly. While he may include a ‘crowd pleaser’ to attract the typical audience member, he will also perform a lesser-known and more recent, but no less ‘audience friendly,’ work on the same program.”

All that, plus cookies, too Love keeps his musicians happy by making the rehearsal process fun. “But he always makes it clear that the orchestra has the serious task of putting on a quality program.” Direct audience participation appeals to all ages, Keefe said. The orchestra rehearses at the Gathering Place in Clarksville. Four times a year, anyone can

BEACON BITS

Oct. 28

HAUNTED HOOTENANNY

Music, sideshow acts and a costume contest will be featured at a Haunted Hootenanny Halloween Party on Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Howard County Historical Society Museum & Library, 8328 Court Ave., Ellicott City. Starting at 7 p.m., the festivities will include performances by Eli August, Night Watch Paradox and Dr. Torcher in a section of the building that is rumored to be haunted. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For more information, call (410) 480-3250 or email info@hchsmd.org.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Orchestra highlights 1977: Strings-only Columbia Chamber Orchestra forms 1988: Membership expands to full orchestra 1999: Jason Love becomes music director 2000: First executive director hired 2002: Orchestra debuts at Kennedy Center 2005: Orchestra opens administrative office at Howard County Center for the Arts attend an open rehearsal there, enjoy wine and cheese while observing the rehearsal process, and mingle with the musicians during break. See box for information on the next open rehearsal on Nov. 13. Concerts of the full orchestra are held at the Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. It seats 750 people, about one-third of whom stay after performances for a meet-and-greet where they can enjoy snacks brought by orchestra members. That may seem beyond the call of duty for musicians, but “this is a dedicated group of musicians,” Keefe said. “They rehearse every Monday, August through May. They are all amateurs of all ages, and people are often surprised [to learn] they

2013: Orchestra wins third annual American Prize in Orchestral Programming 2015: Orchestra performs first commission, an Andrew Earle Simpson score to accompany silent film “One Week.” 2016: Columbia Jazz Band partners with orchestra 2017: Orchestra opens 40th season with world premiere of Simpson score to accompany Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 silent comedy The Immigrant. are not listening to a paid orchestra.” Elaine Newhall, principal flute and a member of the orchestra board of directors, reflects on that. “Early on, the board made it clear that we would remain a volunteer orchestra while continuing to grow quality [and] while remaining a friendly environment for the members,” she said. “Every concert is hard work, but it’s rewarding, musically satisfying, and we’ve done it with many of the original members still playing. We attract the best players, and provide our audience with quality entertainment for an affordable price. And we still bake cookies for the after-concert reception!” For a full schedule of performances and tickets, call (410) 455-8777 or see www.columbiaorchestra.org.

PLATINUM MEMBERS: The Beacon Newspapers • Vantage House Retirement Community GOLD MEMBER Howard County Oﬃce on Aging & Independence SILVER MEMBERS Brightview Rolling Hills • Brooke Grove Retirement Village • Ellicott City Health & Rehabilitation Center Home Call of Maryland • Kindred at Home (formerly Gentiva) • Oasis Senior Advisors Right At Home In-Home Care & Assistance• Senior Care Lifestyles, LLC The Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Integrity BRONZE MEMBERS ComForCare Home Care of Howard County • Let’s Move, LLC Somerford Place • Stress Free Solutions • Williams Asset Management PATRON MEMBERS Angels of Elder Care Planning, LLC • Alzheimer’s Association - Greater Maryland Chapter Assisting Hands Home Care • Country Gardens Assisted Living, Freedom Mobility • Genesis SelectCare Home Instead Senior Care • Home With You Senior Care • Integrace Copper Ridge • Integrace Fairhaven Life Matters • Luba Services, Inc • Neighbor Ride, Inc • Shangri-La Senior Living The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant • Visiting Angels • Winter Growth, Inc.

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Nov. 3+

Ongoing

ARTS COUNCIL OPENS TWO EXHIBITS

The Howard County Arts Council is unveiling Art Howard County 2017, featuring works by 36 county artists, and a two-person show Chroma on Friday, Nov. 3 through Dec. 15 at the Council’s headquarters, 8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City. Art Howard County 2017 showcases creations — drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry and fiber art selected from entries submitted by 36 Howard County artists and selected by guest juror Thomas Engleman. Chroma brings together Sabrina Carlson’s oil paintings depicting figurative imagery in abstracted landscapes and Robert Matthews’ unsettling portraits of “imaginary friends.” To learn more about the exhibits, visit www.hocoarts.org or phone (410) 313-ARTS (2787). A public reception for both exhibits will be held Friday, Nov. 10 starting at 6 p.m.

Nov. 10

CELEBRATING VETERANS

A free program of music and dramatic performances highlight the celebration of local veterans on Friday, Nov. 10 at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia. Festivities start at noon and include presentation of colors by Atholton High School JROTC, and remarks by County Executive Allan Kittleman, Columbia Association President Milton E. Matthews, and Howard County Veterans Foundation President Robert Gillette. To learn more about the event, visit www.columbiaassociation.org/calendar.

Nov. 19

WALK THROUGH THE LIGHTS

A holiday tradition for more than 20 years, the Symphony of Lights at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods opens Sunday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. with a one-mile walk called the Dazzle Dash through the lighted trees and holiday displays located at 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. The Symphony of Lights will be open with a variety of events scheduled through Jan. 1. Most other times, the lights are seen on a drive rather than walk. The Nov. 19 event is $25 per person, with proceeds benefiting Howard County General Hospital. For a complete listing of event dates, times and fees, call (410) 740-7666 or visit the website www.hcgh.org/symphonyoflights.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

NEW RENOVATION LOAN PROGRAM

A new program offering Howard County homeowners an opportunity to renovate their homes through lower interest rate loans has been announced by the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development. Under the Reinvest*Renovate*Restore program, homeowners can apply for a loan up to $40,000 and repay over a period of 25 years. In addition to remodeling their living space, recipients of a loan must agree to spend some of the money on exterior improvements to increase overall neighborhood appearance. To learn more about the program, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Housing-andCommunity-Development.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 34 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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R O O F E I G H T H S

L O O S E L E A F O H I O

A N A P E A S E T T R A R S O T R R E K E S E E N T S

N O R M

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M A O T A T H U C D F C I S T H E I N N O G R

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A E S O P S

B E M A S T E R O F

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: CEASE FOCUS FUMBLE BARREL Answer: What the garbage collectors had to do when their truck was full -- REFUSE REFUSE

T R E K

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Film School By 1

Sherr ByStephen Stephen Sherr 6

66. Like war god Ares

Across

Jumble answers on p. 33.

22 26

Scrabble answers on p. 33.

1. Location for detoxification A 6. Outdoorsy org. with an eagle, shield, and two guns in its logo 9. Outdoorsy org. with an eagle and shield, but no guns in its logo 12. Humble ___ (starter house, perhaps) 13. Cut of beef or lamb 14. Distribute justice (or just ice) 15. The V in CVS, originally 16. Jaws craft that inspired the catchphrase “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” 17. Latin lover’s word 18. First item on Dr. Franken-Veggie’s grocery list 21. Artsy town 70 miles north of Santa Fe 22. Devours 23. Make a choice 26. “Level of Effort” (written with less effort) 27. Flue symptom 28. Set back(wards) 29. Dr. Franken-Veggie’s next list entry 33. Partner 34. Our current one is the Cenozoic 35. Disable the security guard (in a heist film) 38. More items on the list 43. ___ Aviv 45. Bookkeeping notation meaning “paid in full” 46. Prefix with sects (and the cities) 47. Target of $172 million of 32 Down’s funding in 2017 48. Physical feature of Long John Silver 50. No ___ for the weary 52. Last thing Dr. F-V is searching for 58. Groan’s belly-aching buddy 59. Prayer pronoun 60. Merit a service charge 61. Ready, willing, and ___ 62. Provide a clue 63. Like war god Odin 64. Originally named 65. Clorox-owned brand of pot cleaners

Down 1. Give a five-star review 2. Internet co. originally named AuctionWeb 3. Golfer’s goal 4. “___ bunny makes a lovely Val-lint-ine” 5. Offspring of bison and cattle 6. Cheers shout 7. The end of three continents 8. Poetic rhyming unit, and an anagram of “PEASANT” 9. Rule over 10. Liberty island lady 11. ___ Fables 13. Paper, ready for easy binding 14. Actor Damon or Dillon 19. Place for solar panels 20. Island typed in block 6b of Barack Obama’s birth certificate 23. Physics unit with omega symbol 24. Green soup base 25. Young snitch 27. Where to hold an urban festival 30. Homophone for do and due 31. Drop an easy fly ball 32. Fed. health agency (seen in Atlanta, not D.C.) 36. https://crosswordcheats.com, for example 37. Another name for a wildebeest 39. Cartel founded in 1960 in Baghdad 40. Pizza portions, probably 41. Miner fortunes 42. Seeking carp, or compliments 43. Unanimously 44. Get dressed 49. TV’s Firing, Date, Front or Money 51. Male singing voice 53. The Buckeye State 54. Baseballers Griffey, Jr. and Sr. 55. 43,560 square feet 56. Tricky diversion 57. Journey with Kirk and Spock

Answers on page 33.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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Events LONGFELLOW GARDEN CLUB — Try growing with us... Where: Hawthorn Center, 6175 Sunny Spring, Columbia, MD. When: 12:303:30, second Thursday of each month (September-June). Contact Pat South, 410-964-9778.

For Sale 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.

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Home/Handyman Services I WILL MOVE YOUR POSSESSIONS or haul them away. Fast, friendly service. Call Tim, 410-889-3795 or 443-690-6525. Senior and military discounts. SANFORD & SON JUNK REMOVAL. Trash + Junk removal, house & estate cleanouts, garage + basement cleanouts. Demolition – Shed, deck fence + pool removal. Licensed + insured. Free estimates over the phone. Call 7 days a week, 7 am to 7 pm. 410-746-5090.

Personals 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, matured 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.

Personal Services

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 Wanted 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.

Thank you for reading the Beacon!

BEACON BITS MUSIC FOR YOUR SERVICE — Beautiful, uplifting, comforting flute music for end of life services and other special events. Professional. Experienced. Affordable. www.MusicForYourService.com. 410-788-6442.

Wanted 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.

Nov. 14

FABULOUS 50+ PLAYERS PRESENT SING-ALONG

The Fabulous 50+ Players will visit the Bain 50+ Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 10:30 a.m. to perform a musical revue and sing-along. The event is free, but an RSVP is requested by calling Kim at (410) 313-7213.

Nov. 29

FOREIGN FILM PLUS LUNCH

A catered lunch and viewing of the film The Salesman followed by a group discussion is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13 at the Bain 50+ Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. There is a $13 fee. Registration is required by calling Kim at (410) 313-7213.

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Financial Services First Maryland Disability Trust .25 PENFED Financial Services . . . .23

Funeral Services Going Home Cremations . . . . . .13 Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . .14 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. . . . . .22

Hearing Services Chesapeake Hearing Centers . . .10 Miracle-Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Live Better Hearing . . . . . . . . . . .4

Home Health Care A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . .13 Angels Who Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Options for Senior America . . . .14

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Retail/Services Budget Bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Columbia’s Village Centers . . . .25 CopperZap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Dan Kugler’s Design Center .16, 30

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Theatre/Entertainment Candlelight Concert Society . . . .32 Celebration of the Arts . . . . . . . . .3 Columbia ProCantare . . . . . . . . .31 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .33

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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

Independent living

assisted living

rehabilitation

long-term care

memory support