November 2018 | DC Beacon

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VOL.30, NO.11

Is medical marijuana for you?

Increasingly legal To date, 29 states have legalized marijuana for medical use, and nine (including the Dis-

PHOTO BY STUART ROSENTHAL

By Barbara Ruben and Robert Friedman Two years ago, Scott Deiter ruptured several discs in his neck. Four neck surgeries later, “between the residual pain from the surgeries and daily migraines, I really couldn’t function because of the pain,” he said.

Deiter felt opioid pain medication impaired him too much to work, so he turned to cannabis “in desperation.”

“It worked the first time I used it,” he said. “It handles my pain for several days and sometimes for a whole week. I was completely surprised it works so well.”

Deiter, 66, is such a convert to medical cannabis that he now works for the medical marijuana dispensary Herbiculture in Burtonsville, Md. “There are a significant number of clients at Herbiculture who are over 50,” he noted. “They don’t want to be medicated and be walking zombies. They are ready to try this as an alternative.”

Rise Dispensaries, with local shops in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Md., said 25 to 30 percent of their customers are over 50.

“We see many patients who are turning to medical cannabis as a safe alternative to opiates,” said Rebecca Brown, Maryland market co-president.

“Maryland has one of the highest rates of opioid-related deaths in the country. By providing an alternative, medical cannabis is literally saving lives, and I think our patients understand and appreciate that.”

But cannabis can also help those who do not need strong pain relief. Sophia (who did not want her last name to be used), age 57, turned to cannabis to address anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia.

“I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping at night,” she said. “I didn’t want to keep taking sleeping pills because when I wake in the morning, I am very groggy, and it takes a long time for me to fully wake up,” she said.

“Now that I have been using [cannabis], I am able to relax and get the much-needed sleep I need. I now wake up refreshed and ready to start my day,” Sophia said.

She added that cannabis helped her deal with the recent death of her brother as well.

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I N S I D E …

L E I S U R E & T R AV E L

The Golden Isles of Georgia and Florida; plus, resorts on the Black Sea in the “other” Georgia, and an update on deceptive hotel fees page 41

ARTS & STYLE Blake Wilkins, assistant manager at RISE Silver Spring, a new medical marijuana dispensary, shows a visitor some cannabis-based products, including cartridges for vaping and tinctures. Dozens of such dispensaries have opened recently around Maryland since the state's Medical Cannabis Commission started issuing licenses at the end of last year. In Washington, D.C., cannabis is legal for both medicinal and recreational use in small quantities. Virginia is just beginning to authorize a few dispensaries for cannabis-derived products for medicinal use.

trict of Columbia) have legalized small quantities for recreational use. Last month, Canada legalized marijuana across the country.

The Maryland legislature voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2012, but five years passed before it became available at state-licensed facilities. Since Dec. 1, 2017, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) has licensed 67 dispensaries around the state, 21 of which are in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

The District of Columbia has five medical cannabis dispensaries and about 6,000 patients registered to purchase it.

In September, Virginia regulators gave initial approval to five companies across the state planning to open the state’s first dispensaries for limited production of certain derivatives from marijuana. Dalitso

LLC intends to open a facility in Manassas as early as next year.

Is it safe and effective?

The rapid growth of the medical marijuana industry reflects the widespread acceptance by the public of marijuana as a medical treatment in recent years. A large survey recently found that 81 percent of Americans believe cannabis offers medicinal benefits.

However, in reporting on the survey, the Annals of Internal Medicine, a publication of the American College of Physicians, noted that “Americans’ view of marijuana use is more favorable than existing evidence supports.” The risks and benefits of use have not been widely studied.

See MEDICAL MARIJUANA, page 14

Political machinations in Shakespeare’s King John; plus, cookbooks that help when company’s coming, Carole King’s Beautiful career on stage, and Bob Levey on family role reversals page 46 TECHNOLOGY k Help for staying organized

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FITNESS & HEALTH 8 k How to keep osteoporosis at bay k Healthy snacks for all occasions SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 32 k Should you retire with your spouse? k What to keep in an emergency bag ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Congrats all around First, I want to congratulate the winners downtown Washington, D.C. The gallery of our Celebration of the Arts amateur art is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., and admission competition. You may have is free. The gallery is about a seen the special insert we ran two-minute walk from the 9th in our September issue, de& G St. exit from the Gallery scribing the contest and givPlace Metro Station (Red, Yeling brief bios of our first, seclow and Green Lines). ond and third place winners in each of the four categories.

Last month, at our annual A pat on the back 50+Expos, we held awards I also want to congratulate ceremonies for all the winour own writing staff and our ners, including honorable wonderful freelancers for mentions, and I had the op- FROM THE their award-winning work. portunity to meet many of the PUBLISHER Each year, we enter a selecBy Stuart P. Rosenthal artists. What a wonderful, dition of our writers’ original stories in two national journalverse group of multi-talented ism competitions. We do so both to be sure individuals!

I also want to take this opportunity to we are keeping up the quality of our writthank Beth Zeidman, our Celebration of ing compared with other publications the Arts Coordinator, who devoted much throughout the country, and to give our of her time over the past year to this in- writers the opportunity to earn recognicredibly successful project, and our spon- tion they will treasure from well-respected, sors: AARP, Sommerset Retirement objective judges.

I’m happy and proud to report that Community, Vantage House, Brooke every one of our regular writers and freeGrove Retirement Village and Pepco.

I invite all readers to visit an exhibit of lancers came away with one or more honthe winning works from Wednesday, Nov. ors in this year’s competitions.

28 to Wednesday, Dec. 19 at the Pepco EdiThe declared goal of the National Mason Place Gallery, 702 8th St. N.W., in ture Media Awards is “to recognize the na-

Beacon The

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Richmond, Va. Readership exceeds 400,000.

Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Vice President, Sales & Marketing ....Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Director of Operations ........................Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, .................................. Dan Kelly, Barbara Koscielski, ........................................................Hubie Stockhausen • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 55 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

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tion’s ‘best and brightest’ materials and programs produced every year for older adults.” The prestigious competition attracts entries from national organizations and publications, including AARP, the Mayo Clinic and the Arthritis Foundation.

We are especially proud that all 12 of our entries won honors in this year’s competition.

Our flagship Greater Washington Beacon was honored with six awards: a Gold for “It’s never too late to get healthy,” our March cover by our Managing Editor, Barbara Ruben; a Silver for “Helping immigrants feel at home,” also by Barbara; a Silver for “Still smokin’ after all these years,” a profile of Smokey Robinson by our Assistant Editor, Rebekah Alcalde, a Bronze for “Startups focus on better aging,” also by Rebekah, and a Bronze for yours truly for “‘Camp’ pumps up music lovers.” My monthly “From the Publisher” column won a Merit award.

Also, our October 2017 Greater Washington edition won a Merit award for “overall excellence.”

Our long-time Contributing Editor, Carol Sorgen, who has been writing for the Baltimore Beacon since we began it more than a dozen years ago, won two Silver Awards this year, for her February and April cover stories: “Many upsides to downsizing,” and “Getting up to speed on tech.”

A cover story on “Opposing views on

immigration” from the Howard County Beacon won a Silver Award for Robert Friedman, a regular contributor to that publication who also has some features in this month’s Washington edition.

We were also pleased that our relatively new Richmond area publication, Fifty Plus, earned both a Silver and a Bronze award for two of our writers from that area.

Another annual journalism competition is held by the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA), the association for newspapers and magazines specifically for the 50+ market. NAMPA’s annual journalism competition attracts hundreds of submissions every year and is judged by internationally respected faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

This year, our publications received 17 NAMPA awards. Our Greater Washington edition, entered in the category for publications with more than 100,000 circulation, earned 10 of those.

Those awards went to Barbara Ruben (first place in the topical issue category for her March cover story “Raising awareness of dementia,”), Rebekah Alcalde (first place feature award for her cover story “Startups focus on better aging”), our travel writer Victor Block (whose frequent columns took both first and second place See FROM THE PUBLISHER, page 51

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

Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: The October From the Publisher’s column, “Lack of trust – Part II,” gives an excellent description of our Social Security crisis and possible remedies, including (1) raise the payroll tax (now 6.2 percent), (2) reduce COLA adjustments, (3) raise the age for full benefits (soon to be 67 for those born in and after 1960), and (4) raise the earnings cap (now $128,400).

However, I disagree with the conclusion that all of these should be used so that the sacrifice is shared equally among the affected groups.

Those earning more than $128,400 (in some cases millions more) can easily afford to pay the 6 percent tax on additional earnings. Since this increase would in itself eliminate about 90 percent of the shortfall, I think it should be implemented immediately — or at least quickly — before raising the tax on those earning less or reducing benefits to the elderly, who are less able to afford it.

Rodney Brooks Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: As a senior (77 next week) I enjoyed (as usual) Bob Levey’s column in the October Beacon, “Too old to make trouble, or so you think.” I couldn’t help thinking he might have mentioned that the TSA estab-

lished the age 75 ceiling for removing shoes because seniors would have trouble retying them after removal!

Keep up the good work (and words) for us seniors.

Elery Caskey Rockville, Md. Dear Editor: As a 67-year-old senior who happens to be a lesbian (and a psychotherapist in the DMV LGBTQ community for over four decades), I would really hope that the Beacon would include more members of my community in your photographs (please note your current cover of your senior directory of resources), as well as in your advertising and articles.

For example, my wife is the owner and principal broker of Zeiger Realty Inc. and is hesitant to advertise in your paper and/or directory given your current lack of inclusion of the LGBT community. And, interestingly, she specializes in senior downsizing, clutter and hoarding situations. I think that from a business perspective alone, you’re overlooking a very important and often invisible market.

These are just suggestions, not criticisms. Thanks for listening.

Dr. Robyn Zeiger Silver Spring, Md.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

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Technology &

Innovations Best apps for busy people, self-employed

By Marguerita M. Cheng Whether working, retired, or somewhere in between (working independently as part of the “gig economy”), many of us have so many different tasks to perform on a daily basis that it can get overwhelming.

Fortunately, with a smartphone and some helpful mobile apps, you can stay organized and focused. These are my 15 favorites, some of which are particularly good for entrepreneurs:

Staying organized When you’re juggling a lot of balls, nothing is more important than staying ahead of things. These apps help you do just that.

Evernote Evernote is probably the most popular note-taking app of all. It allows you to collect and organize all your thoughts and ideas in different formats and keep everything in one place. You can attach images, scan documents, and share your notes with others who have the same app.

their information on your mobile device, access and edit contact information across devices, and exchange e-cards.

By the way, CamCard is able to recognize 17 different languages, including Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.

Todoist CamCard With the CamCard business card reader, you can manage all your business cards with ease. It’s the perfect app for business development professionals who meet new people every day.

Among other things, you can use CamCard to scan business cards and store

As the name suggests, Todoist is an application for creating and managing to-do lists. The best thing: It’s free (although you can make in-app purchases).

Of course, you can sync all your lists across your digital devices, including your PC, and the devices of others. What’s more, you can benefit from task prioritization, set-

ting alerts and integrations with third-party apps like Dropbox (see more below).

Popular alternative: Wunderlist

Work Log If you are a gigpreneur and like to get paid based on an hourly rate, consider Work Log, a “quick, easy and free way to keep track of your shifts and calculate the number of hours worked and wages paid over your pay period.”

Widgets allow you to enter hours manually and view reports of how many hours you’ve worked by week, month or pay period.

See BEST APPS, page 6

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Address_______________________________________________________________ City______________________________________State______Zip________________ Phone (day)__________________________(evening)_________________________ E-mail_________________________________________________________________ WB11/18

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See SHOPPING, page 7

District of Columbia

F R E E

Contrary to what you may think, the price you see on the sticker isn’t always the price you have to pay, according to Emily Hunter, an associate professor of management at Baylor University.

“I find that people in general don’t consider negotiating an option when they’re at a store,” Hunter said. “They think about it as an option at a garage sale, but not at a big-box retailer.”

One possible tactic: Shoppers can use a defect as leverage for a discount. (Think fruit that is bruised, or a shirt that has a small tear or stain.)

Additionally, if there’s any question of how much an item costs — such as if it’s not clearly marked on the shelf — try requesting the lower of the potential prices.

Even if there’s nothing wrong with a

F R E E

2. Negotiate

Housing Communities

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If you’re willing to supply a retailer with some of your personal information — such as your name, address or birth date — you could get deals in return.

“Consumers can visit the retailers’ website to sign up for coupons, or even download an app to receive alerts on discounts,” Maura L. Scott, an associate professor of marketing at Florida State University, said in an email.

“Online deals can be a great way to save money, provided consumers understand that they are providing something of value when they share their data with a company,” Scott said. Companies can use this information to track consumers’ shopping behaviors, for example.

Many retailers offer a one-time discount just for joining a mailing list or rewards program, or for agreeing to receive text alerts. (Though note that you might have to wait a bit to receive your coupon before you can get a discount.)

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

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Two recent examples we spotted: coupons for 12 percent or 15 percent off at online seller Overstock.com for signing up with an email address, and 15 percent off one online order at makeup company Estee Lauder for joining its loyalty program.

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Get a sale price even when there’s no sale

By Courtney Jesperson If you don’t see a sale sign, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a deal. Here are four ways you could save money the next time you shop online or in person.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

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Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Best apps

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Atmosphere

From page 4

Google Calendar With the Google Calendar, you see all your appointments and meetings in one place. You can switch between different calendar views (month, week and day) and import events from Gmail, as well as set tasks for specific events on your calendar.

The application is compatible with all other calendar apps on your smartphone.

Popular alternative: DigiCal

You can use Atmosphere to clear your mind, calm your thoughts and relieve stress.

The app features a variety of relaxing sounds that can be found in different natural environments, such as waves and seagulls at the beach, or rivers and woodpeckers in the forest. The beats and tones featured are designed to stimulate your mind.

Atmosphere also lets you create mixes of your favorite sounds, which you can save for later use in situations like “busy mornings” or “during lunch breaks.” Above that, there is an import function to add your own audios.

ty. If you’re in business, you should also consider Dropbox Business, as it offers more storage space and additional sharing features.

Popular alternative: Google Drive

Invoicing If you’re self-employed or run any sort of business, you have to create invoices. The more automated the process is, the less time you must spend on this secondary activity, which keeps you from working on the really important stuff. Here are some apps to streamline the invoicing process.

Staying Focused If you want to be a successful entrepreneur (or even a successful retiree), the following three apps can help you:

Audible Why Audible, the audiobook app? Because it offers thousands of audiobooks and podcasts that are a great source for inspiration and personal growth, like learning new things and acquiring new skills.

My favorite podcast? The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.

Motivation 365 Motivation 365 is motivation for a whole year. The app provides a collection of inspiring wallpapers, quotes and stories.

Every time you open the app, which can be downloaded for free, you will be greeted with new, engaging content.

Storing data

Wave

Images, invoices, contracts and all other files that are essential to self-employment or operating a business must be saved somewhere.

Storing them on your local hard drive doesn’t allow you to access them from wherever you want, especially when you are on the go. This is why it’s good to utilize a cloudstoring service.

Wave is one of the more popular invoicing apps for the creation and distribution of professionally designed, customized invoices, as well as estimates and receipts.

The cloud service organizes bookkeeping by helping you record your income and expenses, scan receipts, receive payment notifications, send payment reminders, accept payments, etc.

During the initial setup, you can link your bank account(s). Accounting reports help you prepare for filing taxes (check out the Guest Collaborator to send all your tax information to your accountant.)

Popular alternative: Free Invoice Generator

Dropbox Dropbox is one of the world’s leading file storage and sharing systems. You can use it to create, edit, view and send all types of documents, no matter where you are or what time it is. Additional features are the document scanner and offline accessibility.

An option to comment on files facilitates team collaboration and improves productivi-

REVIVED. READY. BACK HEALTHY

HOLIDAY SALEIDE

FreshBooks FreshBooks targets small-business owners who need help with their invoicing and accounting to save time and money.

You can use the app to record payments, scan receipts, accept credit card payments, and track and bill the hours you’ve worked. You can do all this while you’re in your office or on the go.

More features: • Simple and easy-to-use interface • Easily integrates with PayPal, WooCommerce and other third-party platforms

Gigs and freelance jobs If gigs and freelance work are your bread and butter, in order to find them, you have to be available around the clock.

This can be easily achieved by downloading the app of your favorite freelancer platform onto your smartphone.

Freelancer Freelancer is one of the oldest and most popular freelance marketplaces around. It connects skilled talents with those who need to get a job done.

If you are a web designer, a translator, a data analyst or a programmer, this is the ideal platform. You can work from anywhere in the world and connect with a global base of employers.

The app allows you to find and bid on projects while you’re on the move and communicate with clients via instant messaging.

In order to not limit yourself by one platform, consider exploring Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Guru and others.

On a related note: Freelancer, Upwork and all other freelancer marketplace apps are also of great use for entrepreneurs who are looking to hire new talent. With Freelancer in particular, you can post projects and receive bids for free.

Traveling In our day and age, traveling around the globe is often part of the everyday life of successful entrepreneurs and active retirees.

TripIt Flights, hotels, car reservations: Thanks to TripIt, you can now collect all your travel plans and documents in a single itinerary. All the info will be available on and offline once you’ve forwarded it to plans@tripit.com, so you won’t find yourself missing booking confirmation numbers and other details.

See BEST APPS, page 7

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Shopping From page 5 product, you can still ask for a lower price, Hunter said. Particularly on big-ticket items, retailers may want to work with you to win your business.

To get the best outcome, be sure to clearly state what you want — such as 30 percent off — instead of starting with “what’s the best price you can give me?”

3. Just ask If you saw a coupon for an item but for-

Best apps From page 6 The TripIt pro version shines with additional features, such as: • sending real-time flight alerts, • sending check-in reminders, • providing maps for airports and terminals, Popular alternative: TripCase

Communicating In today’s world, communication is key, whether it’s for business or to keep up with family far and wide. The following apps will facilitate communication and help you stay connected.

Skype Skype is a classic. It feels like it has

got to bring it with you to the store, all is not lost: You can try asking for one at the register.

“They literally have them right next to the terminal,” Hunter said. “It’s just a matter of whether they’re willing to let you use it. This is where being kind and polite really helps.”

If you’re shopping online, try messaging or calling the retailer’s customer service department to see if there are any coupon codes available that you could apply to your order. Or search on Google or another search engine for “coupons” plus the

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

name of the store or website.

Don’t forget to ask about other deductions, too. Stores sometimes offer senior, military, student or other specialty discounts.

4. Earn cash back Sign up with cash-back websites and apps such as Ebates and BeFrugal to earn money back on your qualifying purchases through the site. You won’t pay less for an item at the time of purchase, but you can potentially get money back after the fact — almost like a refund.

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If you have memberships at multiple cash-back sites, check out Cashback Monitor. It’s a site that aggregates cash-back rates from multiple cash-back websites.

There you can quickly see which site is offering the best discount at the store where you’re shopping.

If you’d like to help a worthy charity or alma mater rather than get a cash rebate yourself, ask your favorite causes if they have deals with Amazon or other major shopping sites to contribute a percentage of your purchases to the charity.

— Nerdwallet via AP

been around forever, and there is no reason why it could vanish in the next years.

It allows you to video and message chat with everyone in your private and professional network. And yes, it’s still 100 percent free.

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Because all information on this app is browsable, it’s easy to locate old communication records and bounce ideas around. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Fitness &

THE FLU AND YOU Last season, flu killed 80,000. It’s not too late to get vaccinated for this season LIVING ORGAN DONATION Donations from living patients are rare, but advocates want to change that IN A NUT SHELL Walnuts may be the healthiest nuts, and can lower cholesterol levels SOMETHING FISHY? For most people, fish oil supplements don’t offer many benefits

More women may benefit from bone drugs

By Marilynn Marchione A bone-strengthening drug given by IV every 18 months greatly lowered the risk of fracture in certain older women, a large study found. The results suggest these medicines might help more people than those who get them now, and can be used less often, too.

Broken bones are a scourge of aging. A hip fracture can start a long decline that lands someone in a nursing home. The risk is most common in women after menopause.

But who should use drugs called bisphosphonates is debatable. They’re recommended for people with severely brittle bones, called osteoporosis, but their value has been less clear for millions of others with moderate bone loss.

Yet “that’s the group in whom 80 percent of fractures occur,” and the new results suggest they also may benefit from treatment, said Dr. Ian Reid of the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He led the study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Estrogen drop weakens bones Estrogen keeps bones strong; they

weaken after menopause when levels of that hormone drop. It often gets worse after 65, and women of that age are advised to have a bone mineral density scan — a low-dose X-ray to estimate bone strength.

If osteoporosis is found, treatment usually is Fosamax, Boniva or generic bisphosphonates, which help prevent bone from being lost faster than the body is able to renew it.

Some people don’t stick with the pills or endure digestive side effects, so the medicines also can be given by IV, usually once a year.

However, concern about some rare side effects have limited their use, along with a lack of evidence that they might help before bone loss becomes severe.

The study involved 2,000 women, average age 71, with moderate bone loss. One quarter had previously had a fracture.

They were assigned to get an IV every 18 months of either a Novartis drug (sold as Reclast in the United States and Aclasta elsewhere) or a placebo solution.

After six years, 122 women in the drug group had broken a bone versus 190 of those on placebo — a 37 percent lowered

risk. The drug also cut in half the risk of a vertebral fracture, when bone compression causes part of the spine to collapse.

For every 15 women like this treated for six years, one fracture was prevented — a ratio that some experts said makes treatment worth considering.

Two rare problems are tied to bisphosphonates: deterioration of the jawbone and unusual leg fractures. No cases of either occurred, but the study wasn’t big enough to rule out this risk.

Possible other benefits Other results stood out: Fewer women in the drug group were found to have cancer — 84 versus 121 in the placebo group.

However, the study was not designed to test for this, so other factors such as a family history of cancer may have influenced those numbers.

Deaths and heart attacks also were fewer in the drug group, but the difference was so small it could have occurred by chance alone.

Still, doctors said these were encouraging signs also seen in some earlier research.

“It now raises the question, should we

be doing additional studies” to look for cancer and heart benefits from these drugs, asked Dr. Michael Econs, an Indiana University professor who is president of the bone society.

Novartis supplied the drug but had no role in the study. A New Zealand government health agency sponsored it. Study leader Reid consults for the company and other drug makers.

An IV infusion of generic Reclast costs $200 to $500, depending on insurance and other factors, several doctors said. Other bisphosphonates may give similar benefits “but we can’t be certain of that,” Reid said.

The benefits also can’t be assumed to extend to women under 65 or to men, added Dr. Clifford J. Rosen of Maine Medical Center Research Institute, an editor at the medical journal.

Gauging a patient’s risk and need for treatment should focus on age and previous broken bones, not just the bone mineral density score, Rosen said.

But “if you’re at high risk and you’re going to be treated, this is the kind of therapy you probably should get,” he said.

— AP

Medicare open season; upgraded website

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar With Medicare sign-up season in full swing, Medicare has modernized its website to make it more useful for beneficiaries already accustomed to searching online for insurers, hospitals and doctors.

But some consumer advocates said the changes reflect a subtle bias toward private plans on the part of the Trump administration.

Medicare Administrator Seema Verma said new features include a five-point questionnaire to help eligible adults decide between original, government-run Medicare and private plans offered under Medicare Advantage, an online calculator to help estimate out-of-pocket costs, a webchat option and a simplified login. All are part of a continuing project to upgrade Medicare’s online presence.

The annual open enrollment for Medicare Advantage and Medicare pre-

scription plans started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. That’s a time to shop for new plans or switch coverage. Beneficiaries sign up initially when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.

Biased toward Medicare Advantage?

“We always felt it’s important that every American we serve have a good customer experience,” Verma said. But some consumer groups said the new online features seem to portray Medicare Advantage plans more favorably than original Medicare.

More than 21 million beneficiaries — about 36 percent — are already in private Medicare Advantage plans, a growing share of the program. In exchange for limits on choice of doctors and hospitals, the private plans can offer lower out-of-pocket costs and added benefits, such as vision and dental care.

This year, some plans will start provid-

ing limited assistance to help keep frail seniors safe in their own homes instead of nursing homes.

Attorney David Lipschutz of the nonpartisan Center for Medicare Advocacy said that based on an initial review of the new online features, “it does appear that Medicare Advantage continues to be painted in a light most favorable.” The center is a nonprofit legal organization that acts as a watchdog over the program and represents individual beneficiaries with consumer complaints.

Original Medicare plus medigap Lipschutz pointed to the new five-point online questionnaire as potentially problematic. He said it overlooks some of the limitations of Medicare Advantage as well as reasons why seniors might prefer original Medicare.

Original Medicare has gaps in coverage, but many beneficiaries buy supplemental

“medigap” polices to cover those, along with a private “Part D” prescription plan.

For people in poor health, original Medicare preserves the broadest choice of hospitals and doctors. Coupled with a medigap policy and a prescription plan, it can result in lower out-of-pocket costs for some people dealing with serious health conditions.

Those variables can go beyond the capacity of a quick online questionnaire.

Medicare Administrator Verma said the government is not trying to put its thumb on the scale. “We are not steering any Medicare beneficiary anywhere,” she said.

Medicare has had a long tug-of-war over whether the program should be run entirely by the government or administered by private insurers. Republicans tend to favor privatization, while Democrats prefer government administration.

— AP

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

County Executive Ike Leggett

Consumer Problems Got You Down?

We’ll Stand Up For You! The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) provides consumer advice and enforces consumer protection laws that prohibit unfair and deceptive business practices. Most counties don’t have a Consumer Protection Office; Montgomery County does. Please visit the website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OCP for information about: • Automobile purchases or repairs • Credit cards and debt collection • Scams • Home improvement • Cybersecurity and internet safety • Registering for alerts • Filing a complaint Feel free to call OCP (240-777-3636) or e-mail consumerprotection@montgomerycountymd.gov.

According to a recent study, nearly half of all cellphone calls in 2019 will be robocalls. These calls either attempt to sell you products or services, or outright try to steal your money or personal information through fear and lies.

PHONE SCAM SAFETY TIPS Avoid: • If the call is coming from an unfamiliar number, do not answer it. Your voicemail or answering machine is a great way to screen calls.

• If the number looks familiar, like it might be the government, know that scammers can “spoof ” the extensions, e.g., 240-777-xxxx, to make it seem as if the County is calling.

Detect: • If you pick up a call and there is dead air for a second, it is an autodialer calling you. Just hang up!

• Scammers want to scare you into acting without thinking. If the caller is threatening you with arrest, harm to loved ones, or other dire consequences, Just hang up!

• Criminals want access to your bank accounts, credit cards, or personal information. If someone calls you for your personal information or demands money via wire or gift cards, Just hang up!

• If you are worried that the call may be legitimate, call the number on the back of your card, or in your bills.

Scammers give you their own number so that you call them back.

Defend: • Make sure your landline and cell numbers are registered with the Do Not Call Registry.

• Telemarketers often wait for you to say "“no"” three times.

You can say “I know you are waiting for three no’s, so no, no, no. And, put me on your do not call list.”

• Research call blocking technology to flag scam calls on the caller ID or block the calls.

Contact Us Today

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

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

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

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Don’t miss out on the flu vaccine this year

By Mike Stobbe An estimated 80,000 Americans died of flu and its complications last winter — the disease’s highest death toll in at least four decades.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, revealed the total in a recent interview with the Associated Press.

Flu experts knew it was a very bad season, but at least one found the size of the estimate surprising.

“That’s huge,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.

The tally was nearly twice as much as what health officials previously considered a bad year, he said.

In recent years, flu-related deaths have ranged from about 12,000 to 56,000, according to the CDC.

Why last year was so bad Last fall and winter, the U.S. went through one of the most severe flu seasons

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in recent memory. It was driven by a kind of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths, particularly among young children and the elderly.

The season peaked in early February, and it was mostly over by the end of March.

Making a bad year worse, the flu vaccine didn’t work very well. Experts nevertheless say vaccination is still worth it because it makes illnesses less severe and saves lives.

CDC officials do not have exact counts of how many people die from flu each year.

Flu is so common that not all flu cases are reported, and flu is not always listed on death certificates. So the CDC uses statistical models, which are periodically revised, to make estimates.

Fatal complications from the flu can include pneumonia, stroke and heart attack.

CDC officials called the 80,000 figure preliminary, and it may be slightly revised.

But they said it is not expected to go down.

It eclipses the estimates for every flu season going back to the winter of 19761977. Estimates for many earlier seasons were not readily available.

Last winter was not the worst flu season on record, however. The 1918 flu pandemic, which lasted nearly two years, killed more than 500,000 Americans, historians estimate.

It’s not easy to compare flu seasons through history, partly because the nation’s population is changing. There are more Americans — and more elderly Americans — today than in decades past, noted Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a CDC flu expert.

A milder strain this year And how bad is this season going to be?

So far, the flu that’s been detected is a milder strain, and early signs are that the vaccine is shaping up to be a good match, Jernigan said.

The makeup of the vaccine has been changed this year to try to better protect against expected strains.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re seeing more encouraging signs than we were early last year,” Jernigan said.

Flu vaccines are available at most doctor’s offices, drug stores and grocery stores with pharmacies.

— AP

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Never ignore pain after hip replacement Dear Mayo Clinic: Six years ago, at age 67, I had my right hip replaced. I’d been feeling fine until about eight weeks ago, when it started to hurt toward the front of my hip when I lifted my right leg.

The pain is quite significant — to the point where it hurts every time I get in my car or attempt to put on socks. What could be causing this to happen?

Answer: There are a number of possible reasons for the discomfort you’re experiencing.

It might be a problem with the artificial joint, or you may have an infection. The pain also could be related to a condition called hip flexor tendinitis.

To find out the underlying cause, make an appointment to see your surgeon to have your situation evaluated soon.

Infections and loose implants Hip replacement surgery involves removing the hip joint and replacing it with an artificial joint that typically consists of metal, ceramic and hard plastic. The implants used in hip replacements are made to resist corrosion and wear. For most peo-

ple who undergo the surgery, hip replacement successfully relieves hip pain and restores hip function.

When, as in your situation, people have pain after the surgery, there’s often an underlying problem that can be diagnosed and effectively resolved if it’s treated promptly.

It’s possible that you’ve developed an infection around the artificial joint. Many infections can be treated effectively with antibiotics. But a major infection near your artificial hip joint may require surgery to remove and replace the joint.

Another potential cause of your pain could be a loose implant. This can happen over time in some cases, but it’s not as common now as it used to be. Today’s technology makes a loose implant less likely than in the past, because many implants used now are designed to grow into the bone.

If your implant has come loose, though, it’s important to have that identified and fixed as soon as possible. As an implant loosens, it tends to rub against the bone.

And that can cause bone loss, making the joint more difficult to repair.

The pain could also be a result of hip

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flexor tendinitis, also known as psoas tendinitis. Tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon. Tendons are the thick, fibrous cords that attach muscle to bone.

In this case, the tendon that’s affected is the psoas — a tendon located in the hip joint that helps the joint move.

Therapy can help tendinitis Psoas tendinitis often causes pain in the hip, groin and thigh. The pain of psoas tendinitis typically worsens when you lift your leg, or when you walk up steps or get up out of a chair. Patients consistently state that it hurts the most when getting in and out of a vehicle.

Physical therapy may help relieve tendinitis. An injection of corticosteroid medication around the tendon also can be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. If those treatments are not successful, surgery may be needed.

It’s important that you have your condi-

tion assessed as soon as possible to uncover the underlying cause of your hip pain. If you delay in seeking care, additional damage could occur within the hip joint, making treatment more difficult.

If possible, make an appointment for an evaluation with the surgeon who originally performed your hip replacement. If that isn’t an option, ask your healthcare provider to refer you to another surgeon, preferably one who has experience working with hip replacements. — Rafael J. Sierra, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. Š 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Choose the right mental health provider

By Dr. Adam P. Stern When faced with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or other symptoms of the mind and brain, it can be difficult to know where to find the best care.

In part, the challenge of finding the right professional for you stems from the highly variable manner in which mental health concerns can emerge.

One person’s depression, for example, may be very different than someone else’s, and the same can be said for anxiety, posttraumatic stress, obsessionality, attentional issues, substance use disorders and even psychosis.

There are also lots of different kinds of mental health providers out there doing all kinds of distinct clinical work. It can be intimidating to even know where to start searching for help. But often, telling your primary care doctor about your symptoms, and if necessary asking for a referral to a specialist, is a good place to begin.

If your doctor determines that specialized care is needed, you may be referred to a psychiatrist who can do a global assessment of your clinical needs.

It may be the case that you will benefit most from an integrated treatment approach that features both psychotherapy and medications, or you may be referred primarily to one treatment or another.

Here’s some additional information about the different kinds of mental health providers and the treatments they offer to help diagnose and treat psychiatric issues.

Psychiatrists Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have graduated from medical school and completed at least four years of additional specialized training, through residency and often fellowship, in the medical treatment of mental disorders.

Because of their advanced medical training, psychiatrists are able to prescribe medicine, and also have at least basic training in most evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches.

Some choose to see patients for medication management only, while others focus on therapy, and still others integrate both approaches into the same clinical sessions.

Also, psychiatrists are generally the only mental health providers who can perform electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, or other neuromodulatory treatments that use devices to noninvasively stimulate the brain in severe or medication-resistant cases.

Some psychiatrists still practice traditional psychoanalysis involving multiple sessions “on the couch” each week. But this kind of approach has become less available and less common in recent years, in part because insurances generally do not cover it, and because in order to practice it providers must complete additional psychoanalytic training for several years after residency.

Often, psychiatric nurse practitioners or other appropriately trained “physician extenders” can take on the traditional role of a psychiatrist, though it is important that they have access to adequate supervision, particularly for complex cases.

Therapists and counselors Many other types of professionals can provide the variety of psychotherapeutic approaches used in the treatment of mental health disorders.

Therapists who have obtained Ph.D. or Psy.D. degrees with a focus in clinical psychology, for example, have perhaps the most extensive training in providing talk therapy, including psychodynamic or “insight-oriented” therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and others.

Clinical social workers and mental health counselors may also have excellent training in particular therapeutic areas that can be very helpful to patients.

Therapists and counselors may even offer some therapies, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, that psychiatrists generally have less experience with.

See MENTAL HEALTH, page 13

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Lifting barriers to living organ donation

By Lauran Neergaard Surgeons turned down Terra Goudge for the liver transplant that was her only shot at surviving a rare cancer. Her tumor was too advanced, they said — even though Goudge had a friend ready to donate, no matter those odds. “I have a living donor. I’m not taking away from anyone. I’m trying to save my own life,� she pleaded. Finally, the Los Angeles woman found a hospital on the other side of the country that let the pair try.

People lucky enough to receive a kidney or part of a liver from a living donor not only cut years off their wait for a transplant, but those organs also tend to survive longer.

Yet living donors make up a fraction of transplants, and their numbers have plateaued amid barriers that can block otherwise willing people from giving. Among them: varying hospital policies on who qualifies, and the surprising financial costs that some donors bear.

Now researchers are exploring ways to lift those barriers and ease the nation’s organ shortage. “We just want people to be given the chance to at least entertain this as a possibility,� said Dr. Abhinav Humar, transplant chief at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where Goudge ultimately received part of friend Amy Aleck’s liver.

Thousands of people die each year waiting for an organ transplant. Nearly 14,000 are on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Mental health From page 12 In each of these areas, it is important to remember that there is a spectrum of quality, and so it is essential for people with mental health concerns to find well-trained

About 95,000 people are on the kidney waiting list.

Also troubling, black and Hispanic patients are less likely than whites to receive a kidney from a living donor, and a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this year found the disparity is growing.

Penn is one of half a dozen transplant centers testing whether reimbursing a donor’s lost income could shorten the wait for a kidney. “The community’s in a real bind about how we can help them,� Porrett said. “It’s a fine line that it doesn’t get misconstrued that we’re paying people for their organs.�

Economic obstacles

Changing a mindset

One hurdle is economic. The transplant recipient’s insurance pays the donor’s medical bills. But donors are out of work for weeks recuperating.

The U.S. Labor Department recently made clear that a donor’s job can be protected under the Family Medical Leave Act. But that’s unpaid leave — and donors lose income if their employer doesn’t allow some form of paid time off. They also may have other expenses such as travel and hotel bills for visits to a far-away transplant center.

One study found more than a third of living kidney donors reported lost wages in the first year following donation. The median amount was $2,712 — particularly difficult if asking economically disadvantaged friends or family for an organ. “It’s a strange thing to tell you that donors have to pay for the privilege of donating their kidneys. I think most of us would agree that’s just fundamentally wrong,� said Dr. Paige Porrett, a surgeon with the University of Pennsylvania.

Another challenge: Living donation too often is considered as a last resort rather

and credentialed providers that seem to be a good fit with them individually.

Adam P. Stern, M.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. Š 2018. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

than a first choice, said Pittsburgh’s Humar — especially for liver transplants.

His hospital is trying to change that, and last year performed more adult liver transplants from living donors than deceased ones, a milestone.

The liver is unique, able to regenerate a few months after donors give a piece. But it is a larger and riskier operation than donating a kidney.

See ORGAN DONATION, page 15

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Medical marijuana From page 1 To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has authority to determine the safety and effectiveness of drugs sold in the U.S., has approved only a handful of marijuana derivatives (or synthetic cannabis), all as treatments for particular conditions. These include seizures in certain forms of epilepsy, anorexia in AIDS patients, and nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

One of the reasons for so few approved uses may well be the fact that, since 1970, federal law has classified marijuana as a “Schedule 1” illegal drug — the same category reserved for heroin, LSD and other drugs “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

This makes it difficult for researchers to obtain the product legally, limiting their abil-

ity to conduct studies and find other uses.

Nonetheless, nearly half of U.S. cancer doctors who responded to a survey said they’ve recommended medical marijuana to their patients, even while most of them admit they haven’t seen enough medical evidence to support it.

Their recommendations appear to be driven by the desire to help ease patients’ nausea and pain, while limiting the use of opioids.

Some doctors, for example, prescribe a low dose of opioid pain medication together with medical marijuana, which may be both more effective and safer for some patients than the regular dose of opioids alone. (Recent studies go both ways on the question.)

Overcoming concerns Many patients have concerns about trying medical marijuana, said Mahja Sulemanjee, director of marketing and community out-

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

reach for Grassroots Cannabis, which operates several dispensaries around the country, including Herbology in Gaithersburg, Md. “About half of our clients have not had a lot of experience with cannabis. They may have used it in college here and there, or never used it. It takes a lot of education and quite a bit of handholding,” she said.

New clients typically meet with a patient counselor for up to an hour to understand their options. “Our staff will analyze what they’re looking to get relief from, asking what’s your preferred method of ingestion?”

The reluctance of many to smoking cannabis may be due to their feelings about inhaling the toxic byproducts of tobacco, many of which are also produced in smoking marijuana.

But the active ingredient in cannabis lies in oils on the surface of the plant’s leaves, so some choose to inhale the cannabis in oil form through a vaporizer (popularly known as vaping). These devices heat marijuana flowers or extracts short of burning, and atomize the result for inhalation.

Using either inhaled option, smoking or vaping, the onset of effect is usually within 15 minutes, but it lasts only a few hours. A tincture under the tongue takes 20 minutes or more to take effect, but it offers four to six hours of relief.

Oils and creams rubbed on the skin take one to two hours to get into the blood stream, and their effect can last up to eight hours.

Considerations for older adults Area dispensaries clearly see older adults as a population that can benefit from their products.

Sulemanjee says that most of Grassroots’ patients are over 45. “Many women in their 40s or older are gravitating to natural health,” she said.

“With an older population, it’s an interesting phenomenon. They may have used it recreationally in the ‘60s and are here now using it as medication.”

A recent U.S. News and World Report cited the research findings of Margaret Haney, a professor of neurobiology in psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who pointed out the pros and cons of cannabis for older adults.

Haney is quoted there as saying that “there is some suggestion that cannabinoids can be useful for a type of pain that isn’t well-treated by other drugs — neuropathic pain.” This type of pain, which is caused by nerve damage, is associated with diabetes, HIV infection or medications, and cancer chemotherapy.

Haney also is quoted as saying “it’s certainly reasonable to try [cannabis] for [poor] appetite....Just be cautious.”

On the other hand, among the cautions older adults should be particularly aware of are the following: — Do not drive when under the influSee MEDICAL MARIJUANA, page 15

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Medical marijuana From page 14 ence of marijuana. “It doubles the risk of accidents,” Haney said.

— Haney also noted that while some use marijuana for anxiety relief, “many others find it enhances anxiety tremendously.”

— The National Institute on Drug Abuse warns that smoking marijuana raises heart rate for up to three hours, which could increase the chance of heart attack.

It also warns of possible breathing problems, impaired memory and delusions, hallucinations and even psychosis, when the drug is taken in high doses.

— Fall risk is a serious concern for older adults. In connection with this, the U.S. News article quoted Laura Borgelt, a professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, as saying, “We know that marijuana can create cognitive impairment and slow cognitive processes. It has also shown some [short-term] memory impairment.”

— Perhaps most importantly, marijuana may interact dangerously with a number of types of prescription drugs commonly taken by older adults. These include sleep

Organ donation From page 13 And that sparks an ethical debate: Many people with failing livers aren’t allowed onto the national waiting list for organs from deceased donors. That’s because the scarce supply is rationed, given only to those with the best survival chances.

But what if patients who don’t qualify find a living donor? Should the donor be allowed to undergo a risky surgery if the recipient’s predicted survival isn’t quite as good?

While Goudge’s condition isn’t as aggressive as typical liver cancer, it was more advanced than transplant waiting list rules allow. And the first surgeons she

medications, blood thinners, blood pressure medications and diabetes drugs.

“Edible marijuana products pose the most risk for interactions with prescriptions medications,” Borgelt said.

What does it cost?

The buying process For those who want to give medical marijuana a try, purchasing it is a little more complicated than just walking into a dispensary.

A patient in Maryland must first register with the MMCC and get an ID number.

Then the patient visits a physician registered with the MMCC for an evaluation and recommendation. (Some dispensaries have a physician on the premises.)

The patient then brings the doctor’s recommendation and their ID number to a dispensary, where the patient’s case is discussed, and recommendations about particular products are made.

Among the medical conditions that qualify for treatment at Maryland dispensaries are anorexia, wasting syndrome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, persistent muscle spasms, glaucoma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In Washington, D.C., patients need to consulted said living donation wasn’t an option either. Then she stumbled onto Pitt’s program.

Humar said living donation could allow transplants for many patients who otherwise would never get one — either because too many people are ahead of them on the waiting list or because they weren’t listed.

After extensive evaluation of both patient and would-be donor, Humar decided Goudge had a good enough shot at prolonged survival to justify the risk to her friend. In April, his team replaced Goudge’s liver with a healthy piece of Aleck’s. Both recovered well.

“She is truly a walking miracle for me,” Goudge said.

— AP

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At this time, neither Medicare nor private insurance cover medical marijuana, so customers must pay privately for the products.

Most dispensaries list the price of the various forms of cannabis they sell on their website. The cost of cannabis to smoke typically ranges from $35 to $60 per 1/8 ounce, while oil cartridges that are vaporized cost $40 to $80. Tinctures and chewable tablets range from $20 to $80.

In all these cases, the number of doses one gets from these types of purchases will depend on the condition being treated and each person’s reaction to the various products. Those transitioning off opioids will get fewer days’ use from a given amount than those with less severe needs.

Herbiculture offers a 15 percent discount to patients age 60 and older, as well as veterans. Those who are both seniors and veter-

15

ans receive a 20 percent discount.

At Rise, patients and caregivers 55 and up are eligible for 10 percent off. In addition, with a loyalty “points” program, customers can earn coupons from $25 off to $100 off, reflecting up to another 10 percent discount.

Herbology’s products are in a similar price range. While it doesn’t offer senior discounts, it does offer a customer loyalty rewards program offering $1 off for every $20 spent.

For Herbology patient John (who did not want his last name to be used), the cost is worth it. After some hesitation, he tried medical marijuana in July to help cope with several mental and physical illnesses. He said he is sleeping better, his pain is manageable, and his PTSD symptoms have diminished.

“The biggest personal hurdle to overcome was the stigma surrounding marijuana and telling my family…who were surprisingly very accepting and eager to learn more,” he said.

“After spending time doing research, asking questions, and meeting with professionals, it has easily been the best decision of my life,” he said.

16

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

17

Walnuts may be the healthiest nut of all

By Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. Q: I am trying to eat more nuts as part of my effort to eat healthier. Is one kind of nut healthier than others?

A: Many studies have found that people with higher nut consumption have improved cardiovascular risk factors and lower rates of cardiovascular disease. For example, several trials have linked nut consumption with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

And nuts are an important part of the Mediterranean style diet, which has been found to be heart-healthy as well.

A new study suggests that walnuts may be a particularly good choice. And this isn’t the first time researchers have come to this conclusion.

A previous analysis by the same researchers (including 365 study participants in 13 trials) found that diets enriched with walnuts led to lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when compared with other diets. Since then, more studies with

far more study participants and longer follow-up have been published.

This latest analysis combined data from 26 previous trials that included more than 1,000 people; compared with those on a regular diet, those consuming a walnut-enriched diet had: — lower total cholesterol (by about 7 mg/dL, representing a 3 percent greater reduction), — lower LDL cholesterol (by about 5.5 mg/dL, a 4 percent greater reduction), — lower triglycerides (by about 5.7 mg/dL, a 5.5 percent greater reduction), and — lower apolipoprotein B (a protein linked to cardiovascular disease) by nearly 4 mg/dL. While these improvements in blood lipids were rather small, larger improvements (for example, a 12 mg/dL drop in total cholesterol) were noted when the comparison diet was a typical U.S. or Western diet (that is, a diet high in red meats,

BEACON BITS

Nov. 10

HOLIDAY COPING WORKSHOP

Haven of Northern Virginia is offering a free workshop called “Coping with the Holidays” on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 4606 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale, Va. Registration is requested. For more information or to register, call (703) 941-7000 or email havenofnova@verizon.net.

high-fat dairy foods, and artificially sweetened foods).

A diet rich in high-fat foods such as nuts always raises the concern about the potential for weight gain, but fortunately those on the high-walnut diet did not gain weight.

While this new research is intriguing, it also raises the question of whether walnuts are unique in some way. In fact, it may be the types of oils in walnuts that make them special when it comes to cardiovascular health.

Walnuts contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are healthier than saturated fats. In addition, walnuts have alphalinolenic and linoleic acids, which may have anti-inflammatory effects that keep blood vessels healthy, in addition to having favorable effects on blood lipids.

All nuts are not created equal. Many nuts (such as my favorites, almonds and cashews) are rich in monounsaturated fats, along with polyunsaturated fats.

These are healthier types of fats than saturated and trans fats, but the specific combination of fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in walnuts may be particularly good for cardiovascular health.

Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Chief of Rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. For additional consumer health information, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Montgomery County residents who cannot leave home to visit the library due to disability or frailty may qualify for home delivery of library materials. The Books@Home service can !"#$$!"%&'##()# *+&,$-&*#./!&'01+&)/%2&%2!& stories they love, right in their own living rooms!

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Early kidney disease is rarely noticeable Dear Mayo Clinic: Are there typically early symptoms of chronic kidney disease? I was diagnosed with it last month but don’t have any symptoms.

What causes this disease? Can it be genetic?

Answer: In its early stages, chronic kidney disease rarely causes noticeable symptoms. Although genetics may play a role in its development, chronic kidney disease is most commonly the result of either diabetes or high blood pressure.

Fortunately, when diagnosed early, there are often steps that can minimize the damage and slow the progress of chronic kidney disease.

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs

— each about the size of a fist. They are located in the back of your abdomen on either side of your spine. Your kidneys’ main job is filtering waste and excess fluid from blood to make urine.

Kidneys also perform other tasks, such as adjusting the balance of minerals and acids in the blood, and regulating blood pressure.

Kidney disease happens when the kidneys have been damaged and no longer work the way they should. As in your situation, it’s common for kidney disease not to cause any obvious symptoms when it first develops.

Vague symptoms As the disease worsens, symptoms may appear. But they are often vague and can include fatigue; shortness of breath; poor ap-

petite; nausea; and swollen ankles, legs or hands.

Persistently foamy urine is a telltale sign of chronic kidney disease that may be due to damage of the filtering apparatus in your kidneys. As your kidneys filter blood, they take out waste products, while keeping substances your body needs, such as proteins.

When your kidneys are damaged, they may not be able to retain proteins properly, and high levels of protein pass into your urine. The extra protein causes urine to become foamy.

This typically happens in kidney disease states, such as glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the tiny filters in your kidneys), vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels in the body), or advanced diabetic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease does have a tendency to run in families, so some people are genetically more likely to develop the disease. Genetic disorders such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease also can lead to serious kidney problems.

Chronic kidney disease is more common in certain groups, including AfricanAmericans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and AsianAmericans.

Medical causes A more significant risk factor for chronic kidney disease than genetics alone, however, is having a medical condition that could harm your kidneys.

The two most common are high blood pressure and diabetes. If left untreated, over time, these diseases can weaken the tiny blood vessels within the kidneys that filter waste from the blood, making them unable to work properly.

Other conditions that can lead to chron-

ic kidney disease include polycystic kidney disease, recurrent kidney infections, obstruction of the urinary tract, and disorders that cause inflammation within the kidneys, such as glomerulonephritis and interstitial nephritis.

Some medications can affect kidney function, too. Finally, chronic kidney disease becomes more common as people age.

If a medical condition that affects the kidneys goes untreated, chronic kidney disease generally will worsen over time. Once kidneys have been damaged, it may not be possible to restore the function that’s been lost.

But if an underlying medical condition is identified and successfully treated, that often will help slow the progression of kidney disease.

With some conditions, such as glomerulonephritis, kidney disease can be cured with treatment. This is particularly true when kidney disease is identified in its early stages.

Medication and lifestyle changes — such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and eating less animal protein and salt — also may be necessary to keep kidney disease in check.

A nephrologist (a healthcare provider who specializes in kidney care) can work with you to identify specific steps you can take to help control your chronic kidney disease.

— LaTonya Hickson, M.D., Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@ mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

19

Most of us don’t need fish oil supplements

By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: I am not a big fish eater. Should I be taking a fish oil supplement?

A: People who regularly eat fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines, have lower rates of heart attack and stroke. The health benefits of fatty fishes likely relates to their high content of two of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, EPA and DHA. The reason for the lower risk of cardiovascular disease is attributed to two important biologic properties of EPA and DHA. These unique fats ease inflammation and help prevent blood clots, two key underlying causes of heart attacks and strokes.

But does taking the oil out of fish and putting it in a capsule provide the same positive health effects? As with many treatments in medicine, it depends.

Fish oil supplements are an effective treatment to lower blood triglyceride levels. If this is your main goal, it’s best to ask your doctor whether you should take a

prescription product rather than one you buy over-the-counter.

For people with a history of heart attack or heart failure, taking a fish oil supplement may slightly lower the risk of having another heart attack or needing hospitalization.

That’s it. For everyone else, the science does not support the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements to improve health.

Even for people prone to cardiovascular disease — including those with diabetes, atrial fibrillation or history of stroke — there is no evidence that taking fish oil supplements offers any benefit.

Since you are not a fish eater, you can get another type of healthy omega-3s, known as ALA, from plant foods. Our bodies can convert a small amount of ALA to EPA. Rich sources of ALA include flaxseed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and soybean or canola oil. Green vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, spinach and kale also contain ALA.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health infor-

mation, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ongoing

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PODCAST

Fairfax 50+ is a podcast series featuring discussions on issues, services and activities of interest to residents 50 and over. Host Jim Person recently talked with Lori Naveda, a behavioral health specialist with the Fairfax/Falls Church Community Services Board, about a new program called Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults. For more information and to listen to the free podcast, visit http://bit.ly/MentalFirstAid.

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FREE COMPUTER USE

Arlington Public Libraries offers free computers and internet for public use with an Arlington library card. All reservations must be made in person at the library, and you can have one session or reservation at a time per day. Time slots are for 15, 30 or 60 minutes at a time. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/PublicComputers.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Snacks tailor made to help you feel better

By Greg Luna Not all snack attacks are created equal.

Some happen because you’re tired, or can’t sleep, or you have to wait too long until your next meal.

No matter which kind you’re having, there’s an appropriate snack for that. #1: Your head is throbbing, and your stomach is growling.

If you’re having a tension headache and you’re also hungry, try some magnesium.

“Magnesium helps relax blood vessels, which can help relieve tension and pain,” said Keri Glassman, R.D., author of The Snack Factor Diet.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of this mineral, so you can eat one cooked, or try making your own baked sweet potato

chips. Cut a sweet potato into thin slices, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 250 F for two hours, flipping once.

No time for that? Try a bowl of magnesium-rich bran flakes with inflammationcalming blueberries, which are high in potassium. #2: You’ll be eating a late dinner, but you’re hungry now.

If you want to tide yourself over without getting overly full, try crunching on celery sticks dipped in hummus, or roasted red peppers with mozzarella and basil.

“Water-dense foods will fill you up and curb your appetite, and protein will keep that feeling going until dinner,” Glassman said. A few endive leaves topped with tuna

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salad will do the trick, too. #3: You tossed and turned all night, and have a meeting that will run into lunch.

After a healthy breakfast of whole-grain carbs and protein, make sure you have a midmorning snack. Coffee’s the obvious perk-up, and we give you permission to grab a second or third mug (research shows that coffee hydrates you almost as well as water).

Just pair it with food that has fiber and healthy fats, Glassman said. “This will give you a steady flow of energy and help you stay satisfied until you can break for lunch,” she said.

A smart snack is five or six whole-grain crackers (with at least 3 grams fiber per serving) topped with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter. More options: whole-wheat toast topped with a sliced avocado, or a small handful of nuts. #4: It’s 3 p.m. and your eyelids are heavy, but a nap isn’t in the cards.

“Vitamin C-rich foods will give you the quick energy boost you need until it’s quitting time,” said Dana James, a nutritional therapist and owner of Food Coach NYC. Have a cup of sliced papaya with a squeeze of lime juice for an extra dose of C. Other C-rich options include strawber-

ries, or a snack mix of chopped dried apricots and coconut flakes. #5: You can’t sleep because your mind is racing.

“Magnesium is a natural relaxant that encourages a deeper level of sleep,” said James. Drink a glass of warmed almond milk (almonds give it the magnesium) with a few dashes of cinnamon. Or try half a banana drizzled with honey. #6: You’re giving a big presentation in half an hour and feel drained.

You need B vitamins, which will help keep your memory sharp, and zinc to enhance mental clarity.

Enjoy a small spinach side salad with pumpkin seeds, which, like most nuts and seeds, are loaded with zinc. It’s nice and light, so you won’t get sluggish.

You can also snack on B-rich pear slices dipped in tahini (a sesame paste you can find in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store), or sesame crackers with guacamole.

— Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at www.bhg.com. © 2018 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Dec. 1

BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights, an annual free

Christmas event where dozens of brightly lit boats cruise the Potomac River at

14400 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906

the historic waterfront, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. at Alexandria Waterfront, 1A Prince St. There will also be festivities out on the dock

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

21

Eating disorders can eat away at all of us Have you ever glanced into a mirror, People may contract these disorders as given yourself a once-over, and thought, “I a result of a combination of factors, which hate the way my body looks?” can include: societal stanImagine feeling this way dards and the emphasis of the every day of your life. media on having the “perfect Whether it’s anorexia, bubody;” feelings of low self-eslimia or binge-eating, an eatteem or loneliness, depresing disorder can have a prosion or anxiety; and desire for found and dangerous impact a coping mechanism or someon one’s health. In fact, an esthing that can provide one timated 10 million men and 20 with a feeling of control. million women in the United Regardless of the reason, States experience a “clinically eating disorders are excepGENERATIONS significant” eating disorder in tionally harmful. Anorexia and TOGETHER their lives, according to the bulimia can cause an extreme

By Alexis Bentz National Eating Disorders Asloss of weight, kidney probsociation (NEDA). lems, bone loss, and heart failThe most common forms of eating dis- ure. Binge-eating can lead to obesity, diaorders, as mentioned above, include: betes, heart disease, and some variations — anorexia nervosa, a disorder in of cancer. which one has a fear of gaining weight and In teens, some red flags potentially ina distorted perception of one’s appearance, dicative of eating disorders include skip— bulimia nervosa, a disorder in which ping meals, making excuses to avoid eatpeople consume a sizable meal only to ing, an obsession over dieting and exerpurge it from their system in unhealthy cise, persistent complaining about being ways, and overweight, abusing laxatives and other — binge-eating disorder, where affected drugs after eating, eating massive individuals have a compulsion to eat un- amounts of food in one sitting, or frequentusually large quantities of food. ing the restroom immediately after meals.

However, although these conditions are commonly associated with youth, their reach actually extends much farther than those between 15 and 30. While often unfo-

cused on, older adults are just as susceptible to contracting an eating disorder as See EATING DISORDERS, page 23

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BEACON BITS

Dec. 1+

ITALIAN MARKET

Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center presents Bella Italia Market, a marketplace of quality Italian products and services, on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Bella Italia Market features specialty foods, espresso, gelato, ceramics, arts, sculpture, beauty products, designer fashions, leather goods, cashmere, books, tour services, Vespas, and silent auction, and will help raise funds for the Center’s programs. There will also be a designer fashion show on Saturday at 4 p.m. The center is located at 595 3rd St. NW, Washington, D.C. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.casaitalianacenter.org/bella-italia-market or email bellaitaliamarket@yahoo.com.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Introducing the future of personal transportation.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Eating disorders From page 21 teens and young adults, and, in some ways, these conditions can become even more life-threatening for those of the older generation.

The primary issue is that many of the characteristic symptoms of eating disorders (e.g., changes in behavior such as using the bathroom after eating a meal, sensitivity to cold, loss of hair, gastrointestinal, heart, or dental problems, desire to eat alone rather than with friends, etc.) are akin to those commonly linked to the aging process.

Older adults may have a hindered ability to maintain an adequate diet due to functional problems, and may require medication that causes nausea, allowing these tell-tale signs to slip by undetected.

Professor Cynthia Bulik, the founding director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, expanded on this notion in an article for Medical News Today: “We have seen cases of laxative abuse in

assisted care facilities, where they often hand laxatives out like candy, but the patients clearly had eating disorders and were using laxatives to purge. We have seen cases of anorexia motivated by beliefs that caloric restriction will extend life.”

In fact, adopting an eating disorder can lead to the exact opposite effect. With less resilient body systems due to age, a lack of proper nutrition can abrade these systems at an alarming rate.

If you or a loved one are being influenced by an eating disorder, it is imperative to seek treatment immediately. Secure a medical checkup and talk to a doctor about how best to address the situation.

Treatment commonly consists of therapy and medication if accompanying symptoms such as depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder are present.

Readers who have followed my earlier advice to find teenage friends to talk with might want to discuss with them the effects of eating disorders on the body, mind and soul.

Together you can discuss the importance of possessing a healthy body image,

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

and consider the somewhat misleading messages media often send regarding body type acceptability.

Talk together about healthy eating habits, and perhaps even compose a “healthy meals plan” to brainstorm nutritious and delicious meal options.

Nov. 16

FREE COMPUTER CLASSES Kensington Park Library presents a free computer class on Friday, Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A volunteer tutor is available to

assist with printing, scanning, copying and other computer needs. The library is located at 4201 Knowles Ave., Kensington, Md. For more information or to register, call (240) 773-9515.

Ongoing

Finally, remember that you are beautiful, regardless of your body type and regardless of your age. Never feel pressured to transform yourself into something you are not.

Alexis Bentz is an 11th grade student at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md.

Waltonwood Welcomes You Home for the Holidays

BEACON BITS

CHARITY SHOP VOLUNTEERS The Prevention of Blindness Society is looking for volunteers to work at their Resale Shop through Monday, Dec. 31. Volunteers

sort donations, price items for sale, and provide customer service. The shop is located at 900 King St., Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit http://www.youreyes.org/resaleshops/look-again-alexandria.

Waltonwood Ashburn is the premier active adult community in Loudoun County.

Ask about our end-of-year specials.

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Health Studies Page

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study seeks those regularly using opioids

By Barbara Ruben According to the Centers for Disease

Control, between 21 and 29 percent of patients who are prescribed opioids for

chronic pain misuse them, and 8 to 12 percent become addicted. Even worse, each day more than 115 people in the U.S. die after overdosing on opioids.

Faced with these daunting statistics, the National Institutes of Health is trying to better understand just how opioids affect brain function and why they are so addictive. They are looking at the chemical messenger dopamine, which carries signals between brain cells, and may affect addiction.

Heavy use of opioids like heroin, OxyContin and Vicodin, may decrease the amount of dopamine available to the brain.

Researchers want to study if decreased dopamine decreases self-control and increases impulsiveness.

Volunteers sought The study is recruiting people age 18 to 65 who use opiates daily or almost daily.

Half the study participants will receive a drug called methylphenidate (brand name Ritalin), which works in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by increasing levels of dopamine in the brain.

The other half will receive a placebo.

The study will take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., and includes up to four study visits.

Participants will first be screened with a physical exam and give blood and urine samples. They will answer questions about their medical, psychiatric, and alcohol and drug use history.

To measure brain activity, participants will have two to three positron emission tomography (PET) scans, in which they will lie on a bed that slides in and out of the donut-shaped scanner.

They will also will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, where they will lie on a table that slides into a cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They may do tasks on a computer screen while inside the scanner.

Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. Both will get the scans, but one will take methylphenidate an hour before the scan, while the other group will get a placebo with no active ingredient.

During the study, participants will have their breath and urine tested each day.

They will also take tests of memory, attention and thinking, and wear an activity monitor for one week.

Can continue opioid use Those in the study can be either receiving treatment or not undergoing treatment for their opiate use. However, they cannot have a serious medical condition, such as HIV, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, including uncontrolled high blood pressure.

They also cannot have a psychiatric condition, such as schizophrenia, that requires medication or hospitalization.

To ensure participants can undergo scans, they cannot have a variety of implants, including pacemakers, brain stimulators and dental implants. They also must weigh less than 400 pounds.

Participants will be compensated for time and travel.

For more information or to volunteer, call the NIH Clinical Center Office of Patient Recruitment at 800-411-1222 and refer to study number 17-AA-0114, or visit https://go.usa.gov/xnvcz.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

25

Studies aim to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

By Marilyn Marchione It may be too late to stop Alzheimer’s in people who already have some mental decline. But what if a treatment could target the very earliest brain changes while memory and thinking skills are still intact, in hope of preventing the disease?

Two big studies are going all out to try.

Clinics throughout the United States and some other countries are signing up participants — the only studies of this type enrolling healthy older people.

“The excitement in the Alzheimer’s field right now is prevention,” said Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, which is leading the work.

Science so far has failed to find a drug that can alter the progression of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia; 146 attempts have failed over the last decade, a recent industry report found. Even drugs that help remove the sticky plaques that clog the brains of people with the disease have not yet proved able to stave off mental decline.

It may be that they were tried too late, like lowering cholesterol after someone has suffered a heart attack whose damage can’t be undone, Reiman said.

“What we have been learning, painfully, is that if we really want to come up with therapies that will modify the disease, we need to start very, very, very early,” said Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the National Institute on Aging.

His agency is funding the prevention studies with the Alzheimer’s Association, several foundations, and Novartis and Amgen, makers of two experimental drugs being tested.

Impeding plaque The goal is to try to block the earliest

steps of plaque formation in healthy people who show no symptoms of dementia but are at higher risk for it because of age and a gene that makes it more likely.

To participate, people must first join GeneMatch, a confidential registry of folks interested in volunteering for various Alzheimer’s studies who are ages 55 to 75 and have not been diagnosed with any mental decline.

They are checked for the APOE4 gene, which doesn’t destine someone to develop Alzheimer’s but raises that risk. About one in four people have one copy of the gene and about 2 percent have two copies, one from each parent.

More than 70,000 people have signed up since the registry began three years ago, said Jessica Langbaum, one of the Banner study leaders.

“Most of them have been touched by the disease personally,” either by having a family member or close friend with it, she said.

Langbaum’s 67-year-old mother, Ivy Segal, gave a DNA sample through a cheek swab and joined the registry in August. Her father was a patient at Banner and died of Alzheimer’s in 2011 at age 87.

Watching him go from a mild-mannered man whose smile could light up a room to what he was like when he died was devastating, she said.

Must have APOE4 gene Just being in GeneMatch doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find out if you have the gene — folks with and without it may be contacted about various studies.

But to be in one of the two prevention studies, people must agree to learn their APOE4 status and have at least one copy of the gene.

Participants get periodic brain scans and

memory and thinking tests every six months. They are given experimental drugs or placebo versions of them for several years.

One study is enrolling people with two

copies of the gene. They are given either See ALZHEIMER’S, page 27

BEACON BITS

Nov. 13+

SHARING THOUGHTS ON HOME SHARINIG

Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services wants to know what you think about a program that would thoughtfully match homeowners and renters, and offer background checks. Four sessions will be held: Tuesday, Nov. 13, 1 to 2:30 p.m., White Oak Community Center, 1700 April Ln., White Oak, Md.; Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2 to 3:30 p.m., N. Potomac Community Center, 13850 Travilah Rd., Rockville, Md.; Thursday, Nov. 15, noon to 1:30 p.m., Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Service Center, Room B, 4805 Edgemoor Ln.; and Friday, Nov. 16, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Olney Library, 3500 Olney Laytonsville Rd, Olney. RSVP to events@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Two warm, filling soups good for cold days Soup season is back. These two soups, lentil and minestrone, are satisfying — and vegetarian.

Small red lentils are one of our favorite legumes. They do not hold their shape when cooked, but break down into a creamy, thick puree, perfect for a hearty, satisfying soup.

Lentils are popular in quick-cooking soups because of their short cooking time and the fact that they don’t require soaking before cooking. To speed things up even further, we precooked the lentils in the microwave while we assembled the soup base.

The mild flavor of the lentils did require some embellishment, which we achieved

thanks to curry powder and fresh ginger.

Sautéing the curry powder with garlic and the ginger before adding the lentils and the broth was key, as it intensified and deepened their flavors.

Chopped fresh tomato enlivened the soup and added some complexity. Don’t substitute brown lentils for the red lentils here; brown lentils have a very different texture.

Curried red lentil soup Servings: 4 Start to finish: 45 minutes 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed 4 cups vegetable broth 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped fine 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (optional) 1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional) Microwave lentils and 2 cups broth in bowl until lentils are nearly tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in microwaved lentil mixture, tomato, and remaining 2 cups broth and simmer until lentils are very tender and flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may sprinkle individual portions with cilantro and dollop with yogurt before serving.

Nutrition information per serving: 289 calories; 68 calories from fat; 8 g. fat (4 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 17 mg. cholesterol; 305 mg. sodium; 39 g. carbohydrate; 10 g. fiber; 7 g. sugar; 18 g. protein.

Slow cooker minestrone

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Creating anything garden-fresh in a slow cooker is a tall order, but we were willing to try to beat the odds and develop a recipe for a bright, lively tasting minestrone that married a flavorful tomato broth with fresh vegetables, beans and pasta.

The base of our soup would be our broth, and after microwaving the aromatics we added broth and canned tomato sauce along with carrots and dried beans

— both of which could sustain a long stay in a slow cooker.

Sliced zucchini and chopped chard were simply added during the last 20 minutes of cooking, and the precooked pasta was stirred in at the end. Serve with crusty bread to dip into the broth.

Garden minestrone Servings: 6 to 8 Start to finish: 8 to 10 hours on high Slow cooker size: 4 to 7 quarts 1 onion, chopped fine 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup dried great Northern or cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, tubettini, or elbow macaroni Salt and pepper 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick 8 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil Grated Parmesan cheese Microwave onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir in broth, tomato sauce, beans and carrots. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on high.

See SOUPS, page 27

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Alzheimer’s From page 25 shots every few months of a drug intended to help the immune system clear plaque from the brain, or daily pills of a drug intended to prevent the first steps of plaque formation — or placebo versions of these experimental treatments.

The other study is in people who either have two copies of APOE4 or one copy of the gene plus evidence on brain scans of plaque starting to build. They will get one of two doses of the drug to prevent plaque formation or placebo pills.

Larry Rebenack, 71, of the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona, joined GeneMatch in August.

Soups From page 26 Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, then toss with remaining 1 teaspoon oil in bowl; set aside.

Stir zucchini and chard into soup, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in pasta and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil

“I have a lot of friends and acquaintances I’ve seen deteriorate,” including one who started blowing through stop signs on a route to a golf course they had safely traveled for years, and another who forgot not only where he had parked his car but even what kind of car it was, Rebenack said. “It’s a disease that takes a little part of you away each day.”

Rebenack has decided to learn whether he has the gene if researchers give him the chance to find out.

“It’s like any other piece of information.

It helps you plan your life. And you owe it to all your loved ones, too.”

For details about GeneMatch, visit www.endalznow.org/genematch.

and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve, passing Parmesan and extra oil separately.

Nutrition information per serving: 224 calories; 46 calories from fat; 5 g. fat (1 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 1 mg. cholesterol; 601 mg. sodium; 34 g. carbohydrate; 6 g. fiber; 5 g. sugar; 11 g. protein.

For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews from America’s Test Kitchen, visit www.americastestkitchen.com.

— AP

27

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Ongoing

NOMINATE A TREE

Since 1987, Arlington has identified and registered its most notable trees, as well as the residents who care for them.

Nominate a tree you think is notable due to its size, age, history, uniqueness or neighborhood significance by Wednesday, Nov. 15. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/NominateATreeArlington.

Dec. 2

HEALTHY AGING TALK

The American Muslim Senior Society presents a healthy aging, community services and supports dialogue called “Planning for the Inevitable” on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area, 2701 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring, Md. Share your concerns about the needed services for older adults and their families, and learn about Montgomery County’s health resources. Refreshments are provided, and admission is free to the public. For more information, call (301) 879-0930.

Contact Iman Faizul Khan at faizulrkhan@aol.com to register.

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28

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to avoid unwanted X-rated lunches Dear Solutions: Dear Anne: I’ve become ver y friendly with a Tell her you’re too young to go to an Xwoman who moved into rated lunch! town recently. She’s diExplain that you feel as vorced. Not too long ago though you’re in bed with her she met a man, and she’s and her boyfriend, and you’re been going out with him a really not interested in a mélot and having a lot of sexunage a trois. You prefer to al experiences. choose your own bed partShe asks me to have ners, and right now that’s you lunch with her very often, alone. and constantly discusses After that, go on to other her sexual activity with her subjects reassuring her that boyfriend in detail. We’re SOLUTIONS you enjoy her company and both seniors, and I’m em- By Helen Oxenberg, would like to keep meeting MSW, ACSW barrassed by all this. with her. But let her know I’m not married and not that if she doesn’t clean up interested, although I like her when her act, she’ll have to leave town and take she’s not talking that way. How can I it on the road. get her to stop and still be friendly?

Dear Solutions: — Anne I don’t know how to get out of this

dilemma. I’m a senior and widowed now, and I’d like to have dinner with friends rather than eat alone.

Some of those friends are women I’m not interested in romantically but would enjoy having dinner with once in a while. If I ask them to have dinner with me, am I expected to pay? If not, how do I get this idea across to them?

— Phil Dear Phil: I’m afraid you’ll have to use the “C” word. I know it has been banned in many places and is often replaced with “magical thinking,” but it’s time to bring it back and use it.

The word is “communication”! Shocking, but not actually vulgar, it has often been used to straighten out and clarify misunderstandings.

Say, honestly, “I really consider you a

Spend your winter in luxury

friend, and would like to have dinner with you once in a while. Can we do this as equals and each pay for ourselves? I would enjoy your company.”

At least then it’s not a multiple choice dilemma — just a “yes” or “no” will do.

Dear Solutions: At this age, I shouldn’t be as upset as I feel about this problem, but I am, and I need help to deal with it.

I’m not married anymore, but I’ve been living with a widower in a committed relationship for many years.

We live in a community where there are many widowed women — many more than single men. One of these women, a widow, has been “coming on” to my guy.

She has been doing this for years, and it’s very obvious.

Of course, it’s very flattering to a man, and although he has assured me over and over that he doesn’t want me to leave him and he’s where he wants to be and is not going anywhere, I guess it’s too tempting for him not to react in some way. It’s very seductive.

This has caused some very disturbing arguments, which I’m sure that woman would be glad to hear. Because we are in a tightknit community and are often in social settings together, I have said nothing to her. But I’m tired of feeling that women think they can step on another woman, and she will not say anything.

What to say to her, if anything?

— Enough!

Dear Enough!

Actually, “Enough!” is the right answer.

However, to the widow just say, “I’m sorry you don’t have a man in your life right now, but the man I live with is not up for grabs, so CUT IT OUT!” Then smile and move on. © Helen Oxenberg, 2018. 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.

!"#$%#"&'#()'*+,-'.#+!/"'0#"1#,#+!2'#-+,//!-,+#34/!-#-10-')"#1)#

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'051%#,#6)',"#$17+#18#/14*#7&!+'#7,"-&!06#"&'#/017#8,++9

Ongoing

''#14)#:1-"1)/#1)#/-&':4+'#%14)#*&%/!-,+#"&'),*%#,**1!0"3'0"/# 7!"&14"#+',2!06#%14)#)'/!:'0-'#10#-,3*4/9

GENEALOGY HELP The Jane C. Sween

Research Library, 42 Middle Ln., Rockville, Md., offers genealogy help sessions on the first Friday of each

RING HOUSE | LANDOW HOUSE

;'"#4/#",<'#-,)'#18#%14#"&!/#7!0"')9 Schedule your tour today!

Call us at 301-816-5050 or visit www.smithlifecommunities.org

month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Montgomery County Historical Society Librarian Sarah Hedlund and trained volunteers will help answer your genealogical questions. There is a $5 library research fee (MCHS members are free). Call ahead to determine the topic or for more information at (301) 340-2974.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

29

Cayenne can stop bleeding in seconds — Promised myself I would slow down You read all kinds of things on Dr. Google, eh? I know I do while I’m re- in the kitchen — Swore like a trucker searching what I’m going to Nothing worked this time, write for you. and the bleeding was getting I read some interesting artipretty ugly. But then I rememcles last year which I made a bered the cayenne pepper stomental note of. One was about ries I had read on Google. cayenne pepper and how it I found a bottle of cayenne could stop bleeding. I stored liquid extract in my supplement this fascinating detail in the cabinet. I drew up a dropperful back of my mind, should I ever of the liquid, closed my eyes cut myself again in the kitchen (which tends to happen more and squeezed it onto my bleeding finger, waiting for the burn. frequently than I care to admit). DEAR PHARMACIST Nothing happened. I tried again.

It came to pass one night

By Suzy Cohen when I was in a hurry again. I It was an epic fail.

Then I thought of using the cut myself on an onion. The month before it was from cutting bread with actual spice, and rummaged around my a serrated knife that slipped. As a medical spice cabinet to find a jar of powdered professional, you’d think I’d wear gloves or cayenne pepper.

Mind you, I’m doing this all left-handed slow down! because my husband Sam was too freaked I did my usual things: out and more in favor of driving me to an ur— Held my arm above my head gent care center. But I’m a little doctor-pho— Put an ice cube on it bic, so instead, I dumped a generous amount — Took a Tylenol to dull the pain of cayenne pepper onto a paper towel.

— Squeezed my finger Here’s where I found my bravery, be— Wrapped it in a cold, wet towel — Ran around the house yelling, “I’m cause as this is happening, I’m noodling this thought, “Who in their right mind bleeding!”

— Prayed would literally pour cayenne pepper onto a — Whined to my husband that I was in a painful, oozing cut?” hurry again But after 30 minutes of fussing with it,

feeling like I have nothing to lose at this point, I went ahead and did the unthinkable. I dipped it!

It stung, no lie. So for the first 15 seconds, I continued ONLY with the last 2 bullets above. But by second 30, the bleeding had almost completely stopped! I couldn’t believe it.

Cayenne pepper has been studied for its medicinal actions on prostate and breast cancer, multiple myeloma, migraines, psoriasis, neuropathy and more. I’ll share

more details if you sign up for my free newsletter at www.SuzyCohen.com.

Note: Peppers are a nightshade, so if you’re allergic to those, please avoid.

In the meantime, start sprinkling cayenne pepper onto your eggs and avocado toast.

But keep it in a safe place in case you need it for a minor finger cut.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 11

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

Get Involved

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness and Caregivers Month!

Last year at this time, our very own Aurora Delespin-Jones wrote a guest column on her personal experiences as a family caregiver. We received such great feedback from readers that I asked her to follow-up this year with the next chapter of her story. Thank you to those who

felt compelled to share your stories with us.

I’m incredibly grateful to Aurora for her work in reaching out to our city’s caregivers. The passion she conveys shows up in the work she does each and every day here at DCOA. To our caregivers, thank you for all that you do to keep our families and communities together.

GUEST COLUMNIST Aurora Delespin-Jones Deputy Director, D.C. Office on Aging

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I last wrote to readers in recognition and celebration of National Caregivers Month. I’m happy for the opportunity, and so grateful that many of you let me know that my article helped you.

And with this opportunity to engage you again, I would like to share with you my experience of “Release!” in hopes that you approach the holiday season with a commitment to letting go and living well. For those who have lost, and those who keep on giving, I celebrate you!

When I set out on the journey to care for me after caring for Mom, I discovered why airplanes, automobiles and engines of all types, shapes and sizes suddenly stop, give out, and crash when the needle points to “E” — you can go no further.

When the wind ceases, you can sail no longer — only drift until the next breeze blows. When there is no fire from the piston, the motor won’t turn over because the fuel tank is emptied.

You stop still, motionless, numb…

Crash! Left alone in the wilderness of an unfamiliar, hazed, desolate and airless space in time, you realize the pain

in your reality — Mom is gone. She’ll never return.

She’s gone. Leaving me with a list of things to do and nothing more.

Gone. With no instructions, game plan, or road map to guide me through this terrible abyss. Gone. Never to be able to comfort her, speak to her, give her loving embraces with a soothing confidence in my ability to take care of her. Gone. With no warmth in consolation or words of wisdom; no sternness of motivation; no admonition leading me to resolve conquering all my fears, doubts, self-destructive thoughts, motives and behaviors that would keep me from achieving my dreams. Gone.

I crashed on Monday, Dec. 6, 2015.

My mom passed Friday, Nov. 27 — the day after Thanksgiving. All that was left was her bed and oxygen tank still in the same place as it was eight months before, when Mom entered hospice. It had been more than a week since making my first call to the nurse about having these items removed. I told the nurse the bed was beginning to bother me emotionally and mentally.

See GUEST COLUMN, page 31

November 2018

Wednesday, Nov. 7 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 15 10 a.m. – noon

DCOA sponsored Community Health, Wellness & Resource Fair 500 K St. NE – Ward 6 Contact: Sherrell Briscoe, 202-727-0357

Train to become a DCOA Ambassador Register at sadia.ferguson@dc.gov or 202-727-0374

Thursday, Nov. 8 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

DCOA will provide information on all available resources and services Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H St. NE – Ward 6

DCOA in collaboration with Parks & Recreation Community Health, Wellness & Resource Fair 1401 7th St. NW – Ward 6 Contact; Adrian Sibert, 202-671-4794

Friday, Nov. 9 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 15 5:30– 7:30 p.m.

Pepco Energy Assistance Summit 2nd Floor Conference Center 701 Ninth St. NW Contact: Rachelle Nigro, 202-872-2793

Full Collaborative Meeting DCOA will provide an informational table The Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative Bald Eagle Recreation Center 185 Joliet St. SW – Ward 8 Contact: Eric Mullins, 202-889-1425

Wednesday, Nov. 14 Arrive before 9 a.m.

Mobile Market Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs & Capital Area Food Bank 4801 16th St. NW – Ward 4 Contact: Ingrid Gutierrez, 202-671-2823

Thursday, Nov. 15 11 a.m. – 2: 30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 21 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Safeway Feast of Sharing Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW – Ward 2

Empowering D.C. Caregivers via DCOA’s Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) Join DCOA’s Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to care for your family member with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

The SCP is a series of six classes for caregivers in D.C. who provide care for older adults, age 60 and over, and adults with disabilities, age 18 and older, living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The program is delivered in two-hour sessions, over a

six-week period.

When: Tuesdays, Nov. 13 to Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon Or Thursdays, Nov. 15 to Dec. 20, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Where: D.C. Office on Aging, Conference Room 114, 500 K St.NE, Washington, DC 20002 For more information/RSVP: Contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442 or linda.irizarry@dc.gov.

Upcoming Savvy Caregiver Program Sessions Topics

Tuesdays 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Introduction to Savvy Caregiver Nov. 13 Strategies for Self-Care Nov. 20 Contented Involvement Nov. 27 Stages of Dementia Dec. 4 Caregiving Skills Dec. 11 Strengthening Family Resources Dec. 18

Thursdays 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Dec. 20

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Spotlight on Aging

Say you saw it in the Beacon

31

District Scores Big at Ms. Senior America Pageant

Ms. Senior D.C. Phyllis Jordan was selected to compete in the Top 10 of the Ms. Senior America Pageant. She is only the third queen from the District to compete in the finals. The first was Sandra Bears, Ms. Senior D.C. 2005; the second was Mary McCoy, Ms. Senior D.C. 2012. Ellen Odellas Van Edwards, Ms. Senior D.C. 2003, was awarded a third Prize Konze Award at the pageant for her work with children as a member of Kapitol Klowns.

Excitement was high among the District contingent in the audience as the District of Columbia was called first during the Top 10 Announcement at the Ms. Senior America Finals, at the Superstar Theatre at Resorts Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. Ms. Senior D.C. Phyllis Jordan had won the opportunity to compete among the top 10 of 39 contestants who were all age 60 and older. The finalists also included Illinois, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, New York, Utah, Virginia, New Jersey and Arizona.

Ms. Senior D.C. shared during her philosophy of life and evening gown segment of the competition that “communication is key.” Her rose gold metallic gown with flowing fishtail swished as she elegantly glided across the stage.

The talent segment intro asks the question of the audience, have you ever wanted to be evil? Jordan then sang Eartha Kitt’s “I Wanna Be Evil” with her playful impersonation of the singer.

Colorado representative Gayle Novak

Ms. Senior D.C. Phyllis Jordan, performing Eartha Kitt’s “I Wanna Be Evil,” during the Ms. Senior America Pageant in Atlantic City, NJ, Oct. 14-19.

was crowned Ms. Senior America. Her talent during the pageant was a perform-

ance from Mama Mia, “Money, Money, Money.” Runner-ups included New Jersey, Utah, Tennessee, and Alicia Diamond Windsong from Virginia, respectively.

The District also was represented as the MC Steppers danced during the First Preliminary and Finals to a medley of Chaka Khan tunes, and The MC Steppers, a crowd favorite, performs durconcluded their finals per- ing the Ms. Senior America Pageant Finals to songs by Chaka Khan and Bruno Mars. formance with “Uptown Also in the showcase this year was Funk” by Bruno Mars to a standing ovation and cheers from the audience. Billie LaVerne Smith, Ms. Senior D.C. Toni Jackson, Ms. Senior D.C. 2014 2016, who played a Duke Ellington faand Wendy Bridges, Ms. Senior D.C. vorite on the piano, “Don’t Get Around 2015 joined the dance group for their Much Anymore.”

Smith and Toni Jackson sang with third stint on the Ms. Senior America the National Queen’s Choir, which perPageant stage.

A special congratulations goes to San- formed during the showcase, pageant dra Bears, Ms. Senior D.C. 2005 who was preliminaries and the pageant final.

Great job, District of Columbia! Way awarded an Honorary Senior America Banner. A Top 10 Finalist in 2005, this to represent us on a national level. Now year Bears served as emcee for the Sen- America knows D.C. residents age 60 ior America Showcase on Tuesday night. and older are “Aging with Style!”

Guest column From page 30

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

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

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

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

And I needed the obstacles to my healing removed. I needed a release from that state of petrified paralysis so I could be put back together again — brand new, bigger, better, stronger, wiser, more knowledgeable, more sensitive, and kinder to myself.

I needed a release to be able to share a God-given gift to help others who care long, hard, sacrificially and genuinely for those they love, and help them to better understand their future journey through the lenses of my precious hours caring for Mom. So I wrote my pain on the pages of a journal, and began to frame a journey to healing by recording my past.

1. During this season, write your feelings. Capture your frustrations and express your efforts to yourself. Go back and read the raw recordings periodically.

2. Focus then on your progress — no matter how small — and bullet them as steps or tips for someone else’s benefit.

3. Create a resource list for supplies, supports or other needed resources you found.

4. Share with other caregivers who may need relief.

5. Embrace their feedback, especially their praises of you!

Do this often, and before you know it, you will tune in to yourself and begin to map a plan to let go, and to celebrate the strength, capacity and power within you to sustain in the journey — or to release and live well!

32

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Money Law &

PLANNING FOR YOUR PET Yes, even your pets need an estate plan; what to include PREEXISTING CONDITIONS They aren’t a concern for most insurance, but count when changing medigap plans TEST-DRIVE A SALESPERSON Choose a car salesperson who responds quickly and is a good listener DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS Giving appreciated stocks to these funds will save money on your taxes

When couples shouldn’t retire together

By Liz Weston Women who retire when their husbands do may be giving up more wealth than they realize.

Married women overall are still in their peak earning years in their 50s and early 60s, while married men’s earnings are on the decline, said economist Nicole Maestas, an associate professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School and the author of a recent study about couples’ income and retirement patterns.

As a result, married women typically sacrifice more Social Security wealth than married men when they retire early, said Maestas, who analyzed the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Survey of more than 20,000 people 50 and older.

Social Security benefits are based on a person’s 35 highest-earning years, so each additional year an older married woman works could replace an earlier year when her income was lower or she took time out of the workforce — for instance, to raise children. Because older married men are

typically past their peak earning years, the same is not true for them, Maestas found.

But women do typically retire at the same time as their husbands, Maestas said. Since women in heterosexual couples typically marry men two or three years older, that means married women leave the workforce at younger ages.

Women have more to lose Earlier retirements also mean less time to save for retirements that can stretch decades. That should give women pause, said Jean Setzfand, senior vice president of programs for AARP. “We live longer. We spend more years in retirement. There are more years we have to consider financing,” Setzfand said.

Women’s longer life expectancies mean they’re likely to outlive their husbands, and they’re at greater risk of outliving their savings. Women are 80 percent more likely than men to live in poverty after age 65, according to the National Institute on Retirement Security.

Social Security checks, if they’re big enough, can be a powerful antidote to latein-life poverty. Social Security benefits can’t be outlived, reduced by stock market downturns, or stolen by fraudsters, Maestas noted.

Delay Social Security People don’t have to claim Social Security when they retire, although many do. In 2017, 39 percent of women and 35 percent of men filed at the earliest age, which is 62, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. That locks them into checks that are significantly smaller than if they’d waited a few more years.

Benefits rise by about 7 percent each year between age 62 and full retirement age, which is currently 66. After that, checks increase by 8 percent each year until benefits max out at age 70. A $1,000 monthly benefit at 62 could be over $1,300 at 66 and over $1,700 at 70, even if someone stops working.

No other investment can offer that kind

of guaranteed return, which is why planners often encourage their clients to tap other retirement funds if that allows them to delay claiming Social Security.

It’s not just about money Financial considerations are just one part of the decision, financial planners say.

Couples also have to consider the emotional and psychological issues of retiring together or apart.

“The beginning of retirement is an exciting time, and many couples enjoy starting that journey together,” said Stephanie Mushna, a certified financial planner in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

People approaching retirement age are often keenly aware that their time on earth, and their good health, won’t last forever.

That can make it harder to stick it out at work, especially if it’s at a job they don’t like.

But working even a year or two longer can have a dramatic impact on the viability of a couple’s financial plan, and the amount See RETIRING TOGETHER, page 33

With solid economy, why is market falling?

By Paul Wiseman The nerve-wracking anxiety that’s gripped the U.S. stock market might seem oddly unmoored from economic reality: Economic growth is strong, unemployment ultra-low and consumers exceptionally confident.

Indeed, in late October, the government reported that the U.S. economy grew at a healthy 3.5 percent annual pace from July through September. In the previous quarter, annual growth was an even stronger 4.2 percent. The two periods marked the strongest consecutive quarters of growth in four years.

Unemployment, at 3.7 percent, has reached its lowest point since 1969. And Americans’ optimism over the economy, as measured by the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, is running at an 18-year high.

Yet many investors are increasingly seized by fear, and their primary worry is that corporate profits — which drive stock market gains — are poised to weaken.

Shadows on the horizon An array of threats to company earnings

have emerged in recent months: Interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve; a Trump administration-led trade war; an economic slowdown in China, which could depress global growth.

Caterpillar, Ford and other U.S. corporate giants have been warning investors that the higher Trump tariffs will mean higher costs and lower profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average shed more than 2,240 points — or more than 8 percent — from Oct. 3 to Oct. 26.

The Fed has raised its key short-term rate — a benchmark for loans throughout the economy — three times this year. And it’s expected to do so again in December and at least twice in 2019.

Rising rates make borrowing costlier for consumers and companies. And they tend to hurt stocks by leading many investors to shift money out of stocks and into bonds to capture rising yields.

Higher U.S. rates also draw foreign money to the United States, thereby strengthening the value of the dollar. Indeed, the U.S. dollar has risen more than 6

percent since mid-April against a basket of other major currencies.

A stronger dollar makes American exports costlier overseas. It also makes it harder for foreign companies that have borrowed in U.S. dollars to repay their debts.

Effects of the trade war On top of all that, President Donald Trump has started a high-risk trade war by imposing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and on about $250 billion in Chinese products. Trump has invoked national security in justifying his attacks on what he calls other nations’ unfair trading practices.

Trump’s import taxes have triggered retaliatory tariffs from China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico and other U.S. trading partners. A result is that trade hostilities have escalated to levels not seen since the 1930s.

The president has threatened to go further and tax an additional $267 billion in Chinese goods. If he does impose those further tariffs, it would mean his administration will have imposed import taxes on

just about everything China ships to the United States.

All of that has contributed to growing fear that the U.S. economy, as sturdy as it may appear now, could weaken in the months ahead.

“The trade war could go off the rails,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

In October, the International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook for the global economy and for emerging-market countries in particular. In doing so, the IMF pointed to rising rates and global trade frictions.

Recently China, the world’s secondbiggest economy, reported that economic growth in the July to September period decelerated to its slowest pace since early 2009.

For stock investors, “some of the pessimism is anchored in dimming growth forecasts and rising interest rates,” said Eric Lascelles, chief economist at RBC Global Asset Management. Traditionally, See FALLING MARKET, page 34

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

33

How to prepare your emergency go-bag

By Melissa Kossler Dutton Heather Kretzer, a health consultant for the Florida Department of Health in Panama City, lives near the water. However, the most recent call for an evacuation in her area wasn’t because of a hurricane but rather because of an active shooter.

The incident, which did not result in any bystanders being injured but did lead to the temporary evacuation of an apartment complex, drove home to Kretzer the need for all families to have a survival bag they can grab in an emergency.

“You can be asked to evacuate your home for a number of emergencies — often with little warning and limited time to gather your possessions,” she said.

No area in the country is immune from

disaster and unexpected evacuation, said Jim Judge, emergency management director for Volusia County, Florida, and a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. Threats range from weather concerns and wildfires, to hazardous material spills and police matters.

Having a pre-packed bag or bin ready will help reduce the stress of a stressful situation, said Stuart Warshaw, whose company, VLESdesigns, sells stocked emergency bags. He and other safety experts also recommend having a plan about how to evacuate and where to go.

“You need a cool head when there’s little time and potentially critical decisions to make,” he said.

His bag includes wheels so it can be

Retiring together

flexibility, she said. Health concerns and caregiving for family members also can push women out of the workforce earlier than they expect.

Maestas understands that not every married woman wants or will be able to keep working. But she hopes her research will at least prompt couples to discuss their options.

“It often does make sense to at least delay claiming Social Security,” Maestas said. “But there’s not really one right answer for everyone.”

— NerdWallet via AP

From page 32 they can spend in retirement, planners say.

Other options are stepping down to a lower-stress job or one with more flexibility.

Instead of traveling full time with a retired spouse, wives may be able to schedule some extended vacations, Setzfand suggested.

That assumes, of course, that women can find such jobs. Many of the women who will be most dependent on Social Security may be locked into jobs with little

rolled through urban areas or airports, and it also has straps and a waist belt so it can be worn as a backpack.

Some families prefer an old suitcase or plastic tub stored under a bed or in a closet, Judge said. A duffle bag also works well, Kretzer said.

The contents of your kit should help you survive up to three days, she said. Be sure to think about every member of the family, including pets.

“It’s like going camping — all the things See EMERGENCY BAG, page 35

BEACON BITS

Nov. 16

MEDICARE 101 Learn the facts about health insurance for older adults at a

Medicare 101 session on Friday, Nov. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. The free program takes place at Sherwood Regional Library, 2501 Sherwood Hall Ln., Alexandria, Va. Registration is required. For more information, call (703) 324-5851, TTY 711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults.

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Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Falling market From page 32 “those have not been friendly to stocks.”

Heading for a recession?

Tumbling stocks often signal a reces-

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

sion warning — the concern that growth will not only slow but stall.

Not so this time. Most economists sound confident that there’s life yet in the U.S. economic expansion that began in 2009.

“We’d guess this cycle can last at least a little bit longer,” said Lascelles, who foresees

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the U.S. economy growing 3 percent for 2018 and a still-decent 2.5 percent in 2019.

Likewise, Zandi at Moody’s Analytics downplays Wall Street’s October sell-off as “a garden-variety correction.”

The Dow, up a sharp 11 percent from late June to early October, might have been due for a pullback. “It’s not signaling a recession dead-ahead,” Zandi said.

The economy is drawing fuel from $1.5 trillion worth of tax cuts Trump signed into law late last year. Still, the deficit-financed jolt won’t last forever. Zandi reckons that “it starts running out this time next year, and it’s gone by early 2020.”

By then, the loss of government stimulus, combined with higher borrowing rates and a

slowdown in household and corporate spending, would raise the risk of a recession.

Mindful of the threat posed by higher rates, Trump has repeatedly criticized the stewardship of his hand-picked Fed chairman, Jerome Powell, calling the central bank’s rate hikes “my biggest threat.”

But Zandi, echoing other economists, said the Fed’s gradual rate increases are a “textbook” response to a strong economy, which over time can raise inflation to dangerous levels.

“They’re doing exactly what they need to do,” Zandi said of the central bank. “The president is just looking for a scapegoat, setting the Fed up to be the fall guy when the economy does start to struggle.” —AP

BEACON BITS

Nov. 14

AARP BUSINESS LUNCH The Southwest Waterfront AARP Chapter 4751 will hold its month-

ly luncheon business meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at noon in the South Common Room at River Park, 1311 Delaware Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. with guest speaker Dr. Regina Harrison, Professor Emerita in Latin American Literatures and Comparative Literatures at the University of Maryland. Dr. Harrison will present on “Ruins and Rare Species: The Ecology of Tourism in Peru, (Machu Picchu) Tropical Forest Villages, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.” Current AARP members, new prospective members and visitors are welcome. Lunch costs $5. For more information, contact Betty Jean Tolbert Jones at bettyjeantolbertjones@yahoo.com or (202) 554-0901.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Emergency bag From page 33 you need to take with you,” Judge said.

What to pack Kretzer, Judge and Warshaw offered the following suggestions on what to include in an emergency bag: Food and water Remember that supplies should last the entire family three days. That includes 1 gallon of water per person per day. Include nonperishable food that requires no water or cooking. Don’t forget plates, silverware and a manual can opener. Protein bars make a good emergency food, Kretzer said.

Tip: Warshaw recommends water purification tablets in case the water supply becomes tainted.

Personal needs This includes eyeglasses, contact solution, hygiene supplies, and prescription and over-the-counter medicines that are taken regularly. If you have a young child, include diapers, baby food and formula.

Tip: If you are unable to pack prescription medications, tape a note to the bag reminding you to grab them, or prepare a checklist of last-minute additions that’s

kept with the bag.

Clothing Three days’ worth for every member of your family.

Tip: Include sturdy shoes and hats.

Safety supplies A go-bag should include a first aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, matches in a waterproof container and a whistle. It also may be helpful to have strong tape, plastic sheeting and a few tools.

Tip: Remove the batteries from the flashlight and other items to avoid corrosion.

Communications tools The power may be out, so a battery-operated or hand-crank radio is essential, Judge said. Two-way radios also will be useful. Pack phone cords and chargers to use once power is restored.

Tip: Consider identifying an out-of-town relative as a contact point for everyone in the family, to relay important messages and updates.

Paperwork/cash Either include copies of birth certificates, IDs, insurance policies and prescriptions in the kit, or save encrypted copies/photos of them on a secure online storage spot.

A map with evacuation routes highlight-

ed also will be helpful. Make sure you have cash — preferably smaller bills — in the kit, in case the power is out and you can’t use credit cards and ATMs. Tip: Print out a list of important phone numbers in case you can’t access the contact list in your phone.

Creature comforts Consider taking blankets and pillows to make your stay at a shelter or other evacuation location more comfortable. Add a deck of cards, books, some games or other things that could amuse children in a shelter or hotel room.

Pet plans If you will be evacuating with a pet, iden-

35

tify in advance what shelters allow them, advises Pet Sitters International. Pack a copy of veterinary and vaccination records, pet food, water bowl and leash.

Tip: Be sure you have the right size carrier to transport your pet to a shelter.

For more information: http://www.redcross.org/flash/brr/En glish-html/kit-contents.asp https://www.ready.gov/kids/build-a-kit http://www.redcross.org/gethelp/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies https://vlesdesigns.com/pages/all— products — AP

BEACON BITS

Nov. 14+

BECOME A VOLUNTEER TAX-AIDE The RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program, offering free tax preparation assistance for low-to-moderate income tax payers (with special at-

tention to those 60+), is in need of tax counselors, greeters/facilitators and schedulers. Learn more about these volunteer positions by attending an information session on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. in the White Oak Library, 11701 New Hampshire Ave., White Oak, Md., or Friday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. in the Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Ave, Gaithersburg. No registration needed. To learn more, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/taxaide or call (240) 777-2610.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FAIR HOUSING Has a housing provider treated you unfairly because you have

grandchildren in your household? Some landlords in Washington, D.C. have been accused of treating families with children differently, charging higher fees or deposits for families with children, or only allowing families with children to rent bottom-floor apartments. If you live in D.C. and think your family has been treated unfairly by a housing provider, contact Housing Counseling Services, Inc. (HCS) at (202) 667-7337 to find out more about what you can do to protect your family’s rights to fair housing.

Nov. 15

FEDERAL HEALTH INSURANCE TALK The Chevy Chase (D.C.) and Georgetown chapters of NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees) will hold a free semi-

nar on the Federal Health Insurance Program open season on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at IONA Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. The guest speaker will be Walt Francis, a health economist and expert on federal health insurance and long-term care programs. For more information, contact Ann Sulkovsky at (202) 518-2519 or ansul2032@verizon.net.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Your pet also needs to have an estate plan

By Tracy Craig Pet obsession is nothing new, but modern life has taken our love affair with animals to another level. Some people post more photos and videos of their animals online than of their children, and people are spending more money than ever on pet indulgences.

But while “fur babies” have worked their way into a place in the hearts, homes and wallets of their owners, the law sees these relationships quite differently. From a legal perspective, pets are typically considered tangible personal property, no different than your car or your furniture.

In some ways this is beginning to change: Pet custody is being considered in many divorce cases. But little has changed in terms of what happens to pets when their “parents” pass away — unless proper plans have been made.

Just as parents know to name guardians for their children, they should do the same for their pets. Here are two steps to ensure that your pets are covered in an appropriate estate plan.

Step one: Choose your caretaker Start by determining who will care for your pet if something happens to you. This could be a spouse, a child, another relative or a friend. Discuss your wishes with your chosen caretaker. Make certain they agree to assume responsibility for your pet.

If no one in your life fits the bill, consider a local or national charitable or humane organization. Some organizations will care for your pet after you pass. It helps if you give a donation to defray the cost of that care.

Check their policies to learn how they place pets and how long they will house them before making a permanent placement.

Step two: Put it in writing

Once you’ve decided who will take care of your pet, put your post-mortem wishes in writing. There are three basic ways to do this: in a will, a memorandum, or what’s called a Pet Trust. Each has its pros and cons, depending on your specific circumstances.

A will: Your will disposes of all of your property (whether tangible, such as pets, or intangible, such as bank accounts) in your sole name when you die (meaning there is no joint owner or named beneficiary).

Leaving your pet to someone in your will can be as simple as including a statement such as: “I leave my pet dog, Tucker, to my sister Jane Smith.” This statement is legally binding and establishes that Jane will inherit Tucker.

But what if Jane doesn’t want Tucker?

Or, what if, after a month, Jane decides it’s not working out with Tucker?

New device stops a cold before it starts New research shows you can stop a cold in its tracks if you take one simple !"#$%&!'$($)"%$*"+&,"$%'")$-./$01 !$2""3$ a cold coming on.

Colds start when cold viruses get in your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you don’t stop them early, they spread in your airways and cause misery.

But scientists have found a quick way to kill a virus. Touch it with copper. Researchers at labs and universities agree, copper is “antimicrobial.” It kills microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. That’s why Hippocrates, the “father of modern medicine”, used copper to heal skin ulcers, and why Civil War doctors used it to prevent infection of bat!3"0"3*$%./)* 4$5'"-$*&*)6!$7).%$(8./!$ viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

Scientists say the high conductance of copper disrupts the electrical balance in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in seconds.

Tests by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show copper surfaces kill germs that are left on them. That way the next person to touch that surface does not spread the germ. As a result of this new knowledge, some hospitals switched to copper for various touch surfaces, like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives.

5'"$ !1.)9$ ,&")!&0,$ "+&*"),"$ 9(+"$ inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When he felt a cold coming on he fashioned a smooth copper probe and rubbed it gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

“It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold went away completely.” It worked again every time he felt a cold coming on and he hasn’t had a cold since.

He asked relatives and friends to try it.

They said it worked for them so he patented CopperZap™ and put it on the market.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it and given feedback. Nearly 100 percent said the copper stops their colds if used within 3 hours (2!"1$!'"$01 !$ &9)4$:+")$ up to 2 days, if they still get the cold it is milder than usual and they feel better.

Users wrote things New research: Copper stops colds if used early. like, “It stopped my cold right away,” and “Is it supposed to work ($%'(,7$I.8DE$$J/!$'"$0)(33-$!1&"*$&!$()*K$ to his surprise, the copper cleared up his that fast?”

Pat McAllister, age 70, received one sinuses right away. Judy and their daughfor Christmas and called it “one of the ter both said, “It has changed our lives!”

Some users say copper stops nighttime best presents ever. This little jewel real!/L)" K$ !..K$ &2$ !'"-$ / "$ &!$ I/ !$ 8"2.1"$ ly works.” Now thousands of users have bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had simply stopped getting colds. ;.##"1$<(-$"+")$ !.#$=/$!'(!$ !(1! $&)$ in years.”

People have used it on cold sores the nose if used right away and for several days. In a lab test, scientists placed 25 and say it can completely prevent ugly <&33&.)$ 3&+"$ =/$ +&1/ " $ .)$ ($ ;.##"1>(#4$ outbreaks. You can also rub it gently on wounds, cuts, or lesions to combat infecNo viruses were found alive soon after.

People often use CopperZap preven- tions.

5'"$ '()*3"$ & $ ,/1+"*$ ()*$ 0)"3-$ !"F!&+"3-4$?1"@/")!$=&"1$A(1")$B(/,&$/ "*$!.$ 9"!$ ,.3* $ (2!"1$ ,1.%*"*$ =&9'! 4$ 5'./9'$ tured to improve contact. It kills germs skeptical, she tried it several times a day #&,7"*$/#$.)$0)9"1 $()*$'()* $!.$#1.!",!$ on travel days for 2 months. “Sixteen you and your family.

Copper even kills deadly germs that =&9'! $()*$).!$($ )&C"DE$ '"$"F,3(&<"*4 Businesswoman Rosaleen says when have become resistant to antibiotics. If people are sick around her she uses Cop- you are near sick people, a moment of perZap morning and night. “It saved me handling it may keep serious infection last holidays,” she said. “The kids had away from you and your loved ones. It colds going round and round, but not me.” may even save a life.

The EPA says copper still works even Some say it also helps with sinuses.

Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus when tarnished. It kills hundreds of difheadache. When her CopperZap arrived, ferent disease germs so it can prevent seshe tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. rious or even fatal illness.

CopperZap is made in the U.S. of pure “My head cleared, no more headache, no copper. It has a 90-day full money back more congestion.”

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Go to www.CopperZap.com or call out with friends. His wife Judy bought CopperZaps for both of them. He was so toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever. skeptical he said, “Oh Judy, you are such (paid advertisement)

Jane will become Tucker’s owner, and can do whatever she likes with him. If you’ve left a sum of money to help cover costs, there’s nothing stopping Jane from taking the money and dropping Tucker off at a shelter.

Nonetheless, leaving a bequest in a will, with or without money, can work if you know the person well and trust them to follow your wishes.

Binding letter/memorandum: Some states allow individuals to create a binding letter (or memorandum) leaving their tangible property to specific individuals when they pass, if the document is signed by the pet owner.

A letter or memorandum may be a good option if, for instance, you are going to have surgery or are going on a trip and want to get something in writing quickly so that your pet is protected in case something unexpected happens.

From a legal perspective, this memorandum will be considered separate and apart from any will that disposes of tangible personal property.

Whether or not such a memorandum is valid varies from state to state, so it’s best to consult an attorney in your state to determine if this is a viable option for you.

Pet trust: A pet trust is a more elaborate legal document that attempts to address all the above issues by setting aside a sum of money for your pet’s care. Pet Trusts identify your pet by name, designate a caretaker, appoint a trustee to manage any set-aside money, and dictate the type of care your pet will receive after you’re gone.

The Trustee of the Trust will be in charge of the money and will have the legal responsibility to ensure that the caretaker uses the money as ordered by the Trust — including food, veterinary care, routine medications and supplements, and any other recurring costs over your pet’s life. The pet will live with the caretaker who will see to their daily needs.

There may be remaining funds in the trust after the pet passes; therefore, a remainder beneficiary must be named. HowSee PET PLAN, page 37

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

AMERICAN LEGION VOLUNTEERS

American Legion Post 176 is looking for skilled volunteers to serve on its facilities committee. The goal of this group of three or four people is to assist the general manager with identifying, prioritizing and assisting in getting estimates to complete work as needed on Post 176. This group would present recommendations for voting. For more information, contact Dennis Madtes at Commander@post176.org.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Preexisiting condition can affect medigap

By Kimberly Lankford Is it true that an insurance company can factor in preexisting conditions when deciding whether to offer you a medigap policy or when setting the premiums?

Answer: That’s correct. Many people don’t realize that even though preexisting conditions can’t affect your ability to get other types of health insurance, the rules are different for medigap.

You can pick any medigap plan available in your area within six months after you initially sign up for Medicare Part B. But after that, medigap insurers in almost all states can reject you or charge more based on your health. This can make it difficult if you’d like to switch to another insurer with better medigap rates, or if you had a Medicare Advantage plan for more than a year and want to switch to traditional Medicare and a medigap policy instead.

There are a few exceptions. Four states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New York — have special rules that let residents switch medigap plans regardless of preexisting conditions.

You may also buy a medigap policy without concern about preexisting conditions if you move out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s service area or change your mind within 12 months of signing up for Medicare Advantage at age 65. For more information see “When Can I Buy Medigap?” on Medicare.gov.

Also, your insurer may let you switch to a less-comprehensive policy regardless of your health (such as switching from a Plan F to a high-deductible Plan F, for example). See the Medicare Rights Center’s list

of what each type of medigap policy covers (www.medicarerights.org).

And if you’re healthy, you may still be able to qualify for a new medigap policy, especially if you’re in your mid to late 60s.

You don’t need to wait until any specific time of year to apply for a new medigap policy because there is no annual open-enrollment period.

For more information about your state’s rules, see your state insurance department website. You can find links at www.naic.org/ map. Most have consumer guides that list medigap prices and provide information for seniors searching for a plan.

Your local senior health insurance counseling program can also help. Here are numbers for the Washington area:

Pet plan

clearly documenting your cost assumptions is a good idea. Generally speaking, an attorney can help you set up a pet trust.

The most important thing is that you choose a plan and implement it. An estate planning professional can help with the specific details. You’ll rest easy knowing that your four-legged family member will be in good hands. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 36 ever, naming an individual as a remainder beneficiary (especially one who is not an animal lover) might cause challenges to trusts under certain state laws that allow interested parties to reduce the amount of funds held for the pet’s care if a court deems the trust to be overfunded.

A pet trust is only supposed to cover the expenses of caring for your animal, so

Montgomery County Senior Health Insurance Program, SHIP: (301) 255-4211

Northern Virginia Virginia Insurance and Counseling Program, VICAP, Alexandria: (703) 746-5999, option 1; Arlington County: (703) 2281700; Fairfax County: (703) 324-5851

Prince George’s County State Health Insurance Program, SHIP: (301) 265-8450

Washington, D.C. Health Insurance Counseling Project: (202) 994-6272 All contents © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BE A SNOW BUDDY Volunteer Alexandria-Snow Buddies Program is looking for volun-

teers to provide snow removal to low-income Alexandria residents who are physically unable to shovel, can’t afford to pay for this help, and/or do not have neighbors, family or friends to assist them. This program is vital to seniors who may need to leave the house to get to a hospital or doctor’s appointments for life-saving treatments such as dialysis. Depending on the severity of the storm, snow must be removed from sidewalks 24-72 hours after snow stops falling. For more information or to register, visit www.VolunteerAlexandria.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to test-drive your car salesperson

By Philip Reed If you work with a good car salesperson, the shopping process can actually be fun, and you’ll be more confident you’re getting a good deal.

Unfortunately, most people think they have to stick with whichever salesperson latches onto them first, even if they begin to feel pressured, intimidated or misled.

But car buyers can and should test-drive, or vet, their salesperson — and be willing to switch if needed.

‘Qualify’ your salesperson “I can’t imagine buying a car from someone I didn’t think would take care of me,” said Matt Jones, a former car salesman who’s now a senior consumer advice editor at car site Edmunds.com. Furthermore, Jones said, a good salesperson can alert you to special offers and “push the needle” when it comes to getting a better price.

“Most people don’t realize they have control over which salesman they work with,” said Oren Weintraub, who negotiates and buys cars for his clients as president of Authority Auto in Tarzana, California.

He recommends that shoppers “qualify” salespeople — a popular sales term — similar to the way they qualify you when they

ask probing questions about your job and your budget.

What to look for Here’s what these car-buying experts recommend you look for in a salesperson — and the red flags to watch out for.

Car buyers should look for those who: — are highly recommended. Since receptionists at dealerships see everything that goes on, Jones said you can call them and “ask ‘who is the best, most knowledgeable car salesman?’” Other ways to find the right fit are to check Yelp reviews or visit the “About Us” page on the dealership’s site.

— respond quickly. Calling before you go into the dealership gives you a chance to establish a rapport with your salesperson, according to Jones. Or, you can text a question and see how quickly they reply — ideally, within the hour. Then, if you want to move forward, schedule a test drive and ask them to pull the car out and have it ready, Weintraub suggested.

— are expert listeners. Your car salesperson should understand your needs and wants, and meet them. It may sound obvious, but many salespeople try to sell you a more expensive car or whatever they happen to have on the lot. As a test, ask them a question and carefully listen to the re-

sponse. If they directly answer your question, you’re on the right track.

— have excellent product knowledge. If you ask how much horsepower a car delivers, and the salesperson says, “I think it’s…,” beware, said Weintraub.

However, it’s acceptable to hear, “I’m not sure — but I’ll get you the answer right away.”

Red flags to watch out for On the other hand, car shoppers should avoid salespeople who: — use cheesy sales lines. “Are you folks here to buy a car today?” Classic lines like this, designed to trap you into making a specific response, should put you on guard immediately, Weintraub said. A better approach is a polite greeting and introduction, along with: “So, how can I help you?”

— create false urgency. Once you’re physically on the lot, salespeople try to turn you into a “today buyer” using every trick in the book. A favorite is, “We had three people look at this car earlier today.

It won’t be here if you leave now.”

— try to check your credit before a test drive. Some salespeople say they’re required to run a credit report before you test-drive a car. This isn’t true. And it should be cause to avoid this salesperson

and, perhaps, the dealership.

“Never let them run your credit until you’re ready to buy a specific car,” Weintraub advised. However, asking to see your driver’s license before a test drive is a legitimate request.

— don’t pay attention. If your salesperson is taking calls, texting or joking with buddies on the lot, watch out. As Jones pointed out: “When you’re about to spend 35 grand, the salesman in front of you should be totally dialed in with you and your needs.”

Switching to a new salesperson If your salesperson shows one of these red flags, or you simply don’t feel a rapport, it’s time to ask for the sales manager.

“It’s never a bad idea to get upper management involved,” Weintraub said. “You with your guy and ask for a more knowledgeable salesman.”

Jones added, “This happens all the time, and they’re ready to deal with it rather than have you walk.”

Ultimately, you should have a basic level of trust and confidence in your salesperson since a considerable amount of money is at stake, Weintraub said. But, of course, you still need to stay alert. As the old saying goes, trust but verify.

— Nerdwallet via AP

The Village at Rockville presents

2018 Dementia Education Series

This event is part of a series of six events focused on caring for individuals with dementia.

November 6, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Promises in Caregiving: Why You Shouldn’t Make Them and How to Undo Them - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

Space is limited.

RSVP to

The Village at Rockville

sflowerswilliams@thevillageatrockville.org

A National Lutheran Community

Learn more and view more events in this dementia series at www.thevillageatrockville.org/events

9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850

301-424-9560

Light refreshments will be served.

The Village at Rockville is sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, !"#$!%#&%!'"()* *+"%,(!$("-.(/01 2.3*413(56"-.%1 (7-6%4-(* (8).%*419(+.%0* 2(&.!&3.(!$(133(:.3*.$+;(

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

39

Why give stock to a donor-advised fund?

By Kimberly Lankford What are the benefits of giving appreciated stock to a donor-advised fund if I don’t plan to itemize my deductions this year?

Answer: Giving appreciated stock to a donor-advised fund — or directly to a charity — gives you a tax benefit even if you don’t itemize. By doing so, you avoid having to pay taxes on the capital gains that have accumulated through the years.

If you choose to sell the stock and write a check to the charity instead, you’ll have to pay capital gains taxes. (If the stock has lost money, however, it’s usually better to sell it first and then write a check to the fund or charity, so you can benefit from the capital loss.)

Also, giving appreciated securities to a donor-advised fund rather than directly to a charity will make it easier to spread your contributions to more charities over a longer time period. You can make your contribution now, then have an unlimited amount of time to decide which charities to support.

How it works You technically “recommend” that the donor-advised fund makes the grants to the charities, but grant recommendations are generally approved as long as the char-

ity is an eligible 501(c)(3) organization (the IRS designation for a tax-exempt charitable organization). You can usually make grants to charities that are as little as $50 or as large as your account balance.

The money remains in investing pools (there are usually several portfolios of mutual funds to choose from) until you give it to charity. Some families keep the money in the account for the long term and use the donor-advised fund to teach their children and grandchildren about charitable giving.

Fewer people are expected to itemize since the new tax law nearly doubled the standard deduction. But a donor-advised fund can also help you make a few years’ worth of contributions in a single year, so you can cross the threshold that makes filing an itemized return worthwhile.

You’ll be able to deduct the contribution in the year you give the stock or other money to the donor-advised fund, even if you don’t grant the money to the charities for several years.

The size of the deduction will be the value of the stock on the day you make the contribution, as long as you’ve held the stock for longer than a year.

Check with a brokerage Be aware that some small charities aren’t set up to accept appreciated securities, but

donor-advised funds help in that case, too.

Donor-advised funds are offered by many brokerage firms and community foundations. If you already have an account at the brokerage firm, it may be very easy to give stock or mutual funds.

Schwab customers, for example, can go online and click a few buttons to move the money from their brokerage account to their donor-advised fund.

Many donor-advised funds also accept other kinds of appreciated assets that

some charities may not be set up to accept.

Schwab and Fidelity, for example, accept privately held stock, real estate, and other complex investments on a case-by-case basis.

Schwab and Fidelity require a minimum contribution of $5,000 to open a donor-advised fund. Vanguard requires $25,000 to get started. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

41

Leisure &

Tblisi, the capital city of the country of Georgia, offers a mix of architecture, from Medieval to modern. See story on page 43.

The Golden Isles of Georgia and Florida

Jekyll Island Jekyll Island features 10 miles of beaches and 28 miles of trails. To preserve the barrier island ecosystem, the agreement under which the state bought the island in 1947 for $675,000 stipulated that only 35 percent could be developed, and that holds today.

Today’s historic district consists of the erstwhile 240-acre compound of the aforementioned Yankee millionaires. On a 90-

minute tram tour, visitors learn that the original Jekyll Island Club had 53 members, 120 buildings and 16 houses. During the winter, the elite northerners indulged in the “simple life,” while during “club season” they were waited on by more than 200 employees, from cooks to caddies.

Besides the big-name visitors, the club’s other claim to fame is that on Jan. 25, 1915, the first transcontinental phone call originated at the Jekyll Island Club. The building is now a 157-room hotel.

Some of the surviving two- and threestory “cottages” are open to the public, like the 8,000-square-foot Moss Cottage built in 1896. Most had wraparound porches and a game room, great room, sun room, parlor, and third floor quarters for servants, butlers, governesses and nannies.

Tidelands Nature Center, nestled next to a marsh, offers a fitting introduction to outdoor low country with tidal creek kayak tours and nature walks. Exhibits detail wetland wildlife like fish, snails, crabs, coastal birds and other beach critters.

Between December and March, North Atlantic right whales probe the ocean waters, and from May to July, loggerhead turtles, weighing 170 to 315 pounds, come ashore to nest. The center’s Snake Room has black, gray and red rat snakes, corn snakes and a yellow-bellied slider turtle.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDENISLES.COM

By Glenda Booth Vast saltwater marshes fringe southeast Georgia’s and northern Florida’s barrier islands, acres of luscious wetlands of thick golden reeds and grasses swaying in the gentle breeze as far as the eye can see.

The Spanish dubbed them Islas de Oro (the Golden Isles) in the 1700s, even though they failed to find the hoped-for gold.

But eventually the gold came to them, when northern millionaires with names like Astor, Morgan, Rockefeller, Pulitzer and Vanderbilt capitalized on the beauty of these islands and created an exclusive winter retreat at the Jekyll Island Club in 1886.

Today, Georgia’s barrier islands and Florida’s Amelia Island are a relaxed world of lowkey small towns, subtropical beauty, salty air, tranquility, history, marshes and mosses.

They also boast many golf courses, plenty of sunbathing spots, friendly villages and a dose of southern charm.

PHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH

Spanish moss is ubiquitous in the Golden Isles, draping live oak trees and even nearby camellia bushes in the crinkly strands. Natives discourage naive amateurs from collecting it because bundles can be full of pesky chiggers. Early settlers used it in mattresses, hence the origin of the advice, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

The Italian Renaissance style Crane Cottage (built in 1917) is the largest of the once privately-owned cottages on the grounds of the Jekyll Island Club Resort, situated just off the Georgia coast. The resort dates back to 1886, and was frequented by such wealthy families as the Rockefellers, Pulitzers and Vanderbilts. Today, the cottages host overnight visitors, weddings and parties.

St. Simon’s Island Though the most developed of the Georgia islands, St. Simon’s Island has a natural feel, too. Scattered around are 20 mysterious, evocative “tree spirits” — carvings in century-old trees, many moss draped, each carving unique. Contemplative faces seem to gaze at unsuspecting visitors.

Their creator, Keith Jennings, said he works with each tree’s soul: “The trees do it all. I don’t have that much to do with it.

The wood speaks to you.”

This Manhattan-sized island is slowpaced too, with winding roads, beaches, marshes, inlets and rivers, and a salty ocean aroma always pushing in.

The Coastal Georgia Lighthouse and Museum explores the life of African Africans forcibly brought to the area, people who introduced West African basketmaking and fish net weaving.

Former slaves established communities and toiled on plantation rice fields — the “golden grain” that brought their masters wealth before cotton was king. The barrier islands are part of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a designation recognizing the enslaved Africans who created a unique culture along the coast.

The quaint Christ Episcopal Church, designed like an overturned ship, is made of never-stained Georgia heart pine and

has no nails in the walls because of its tongue-in-groove construction.

The Spanish invaded the British colony of Georgia in 1742, and Fort Frederica’s visitor center tells the story of how locals repulsed these unwelcomed aggressors in the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

Cumberland Island Cumberland Island is a Georgia barrier island still “in the raw.” It is 36,000 acres of pristine maritime forests, beaches, dunes, marshes and moss. The largest barrier island wilderness on the East Coast, Cumberland is a national park of quiet trails and dunes secured by sea oats that thrive in sun and salty air.

A ferry from St. Mary’s takes adventurers for day trips to Cumberland Island twice a day to see turkeys, armadillos, gopher tortoises, lizards, anoles, alligators, saw palmettos, live oaks and cordgrass marshes. Lucky visitors might see a stealthy bobcat in the dense vegetation.

In these marshes, freshwater meets salt water and nurtures tiny creatures like fiddler and ghost crabs, periwinkle snails and various mollusks. Wild horses graze on spartina grasses near the shoreline.

The Carnegies once owned 90 percent See GOLDEN ISLES, page 42

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Golden isles From page 41 of the island, but it became a national park in 1972. There is only one place to stay — the pricey, Georgian-style mansion, the Greyfield Inn — which has 17 rooms with four-poster beds and clawfoot bathtubs.

John F., Jr., and Carolyn Kennedy had their wedding reception in the Greyfield.

Amelia Island Just south of the Georgia-Florida line, Amelia Island is the southernmost in the chain. The island doesn’t have the laid-back, close-to-nature feel of Georgia’s islands, but rather offers a taste of old Florida.

The visitor center in the 1878 railroad station has materials for a self-guided

walking tour through downtown — 50 blocks of historic gems. The Museum of History recounts that long before English settlement in the New World, there was a lot going on in Florida.

The pre-Columbian Timacuans were here 4,000 years ago. Eight flags were flown over the area, including the British, Spanish and French. The 1800s saw rampant piracy and slave smuggling because of an embargo on slave sales.

The Golden Age brought steamships full of northern vacationers who visited “for the vapors.” The museum is in the old Nassau County jail, which was racially segregated and held drunks, rum runners and moonshiners from 1878 to 1938.

The historic Tabby House is made of a distinctive local concrete containing

Upcoming events in the Golden Isles Amelia Island Museum of History Holiday Home Tour, Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, ameliamuseum.org/holidayhometour/ Amelia Island Dickens on Centre Festival, Dec. 7 to 9, www.ameliaisland.com/landing-pages/Dickens-onCentre-Christmas-Festival Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, January to March, www.ameli-

achambermusic.org Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee, January, stew competition, Brunswick, Jan. 26, 2019, www.goldenisles.com/events/annual-events/brunswick-rockin-stewbilee Jekyll Island Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife, Feb. 7 to 10, 2019, http:// www.whiskeywineandwildlife.com/

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

crushed shells. The Palace Saloon is Florida’s oldest operating saloon and may have sold ice cream during Prohibition.

The Florida House, dating to 1857, is the oldest operating hotel in Florida. Here, Ulysses S. Grant campaigned for president in 1866, and Cuban patriot Jose Marti lived in 1893.

The Maritime Museum is devoted to sunken treasures recovered from the sea.

The owners have hauled up objects from Spanish and Dutch galleon ships wrecked along the Florida coast prior to 1750. Guides tout their 20 years of finds, including jewelry, tools, nails, belt plates, brass spikes, pipes and eyeglasses. The most prized item is a jeweler’s furnace used by Spain’s Royal Jeweler to check for purity of gold.

These islands are made for leisurely meandering and slow-paced savoring. A local guide noted that Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in 1512 wrote back home, “There’s

nothing in Florida. Only bugs, snakes and alligators.” Seems like he missed the mystery of the marshes and mosses.

If you go Jacksonville, Fla., is the most convenient airport. Jekyll Island is 73 miles, and Amelia Island is 34 miles, from Jacksonville. The lowest roundtrip airfare from the Washington area in mid-November is $262 on United Airlines from Dulles.

Rooms at the Florida House Inn on Amelia Island start at $150 per night. For more information, see www.floridahouseinn.com or call (904) 491-3322.

The following websites provide additional lodging, dining and tour options. www.Goldenisles.com www.Jekyllisland.com www.stsimonsguide.com www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org www.ameliaisland.com

BEACON BITS

Nov. 10

FALL FESTIVAL The Village at Rockville will hold its fall festival on Saturday, Nov.

10 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Auxiliary at the Village at Rockville, 9701 Veirs Dr., Rockville, Md. The event features Christmas decor, jewelry, baked goods,” grandma’s attic,” stamps, books, gift shop, silent auction and more.

There will be lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., which costs $10, or $5 for lighter fare. All proceeds benefit the residents. A choral and chimes concert will follow.

For more information, call (301) 424-9560.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

43

Another Georgia: resort on the Black Sea

By Kevin Begos Want to learn about the origins of winemaking? You’ll have to go about 2,000 miles east of Bordeaux, France, to the Republic of Georgia, in the Caucasus Mountains.

After being part of the Soviet Union for decades, Georgia declared independence in 1991, and the country has embraced tourism and development.

This beautiful and affordable country has many attractions for both budget and sophisticated travelers. There are 1,000year-old churches, wild mountains offering winter and summer splendor, and coastal resorts on the Black Sea. While visiting Georgia to research a book about the origins of wine, I kept having to choose between wine experiences and other tempting options.

Georgian architecture, food, wine and music is a multi-ethnic mix of East and West.

Romans, Persians, Mongols, Arabs and Russians all fought to control the country over the last 2,000-plus years. Now the people are

overwhelmingly Christian, yet street food and Georgian chants have a Middle Eastern or even Asian tinge.

8,000 years of winemaking For wine lovers, a trip to Georgia is like going back to a vineyard Garden of Eden.

Archaeological sites show that Georgians began making wine at least 5,000 years before the French.

Patrick McGovern, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, has examined 8,000-year-old Georgian pottery that is decorated with “grape clusters and jubilant stick-figures, with arms raised high, under grape arbors.” Burial mounds contain ornate gold and silver goblets with depictions of ancient drinking ceremonies.

The classic Georgian chant “Shen Khar Venakhi” (“Thou Art a Vineyard”) was reputedly written by King Demetrius I in the 12th century. It is still popular at weddings.

You can experience and taste some of the wine history throughout the Georgian counPHOTO COURTESY JOYFULL

Georgia’s capital city, Tblisi, offers numerous dining and wine tasting options. Georgians have been making wine for 8,000 years, about 5,000 years longer than the French.

tryside. Small wineries and many, many families still ferment grapes in oval clay containers called qvevri, which may have inspired the later amphora of Greece and Rome.

Georgia has hundreds of native wine grape varieties, including kisi, mtsvane, rkatsiteli and saperavi. Try the unfiltered and natural golden (or orange) wine style for a sense of how wine was first made thousands of years ago.

A “Game of Thrones” episode could be filmed in the eastern Kakheti region, which has numerous vineyards. The Alaverdi monastery and winery, which dates to the year 1011, features a 170-foot tower and high stone walls, with beautiful icons inside the church.

Father Gerasim, bearded and dressed in

a traditional long black cassock, said the Alaverdi monks are carrying on a tradition passed down through generations. “I remember when I was about 3 or 4 years old, my grandfather and father took me to the wine cellar every time they went,” Gerasim recalled. “Wine ties, and tied, the human being to his community, to his land.”

For outdoor pursuits, the Caucasus Mountains rise to more than 15,000 feet, with glacial lakes and semi-tropical valleys hidden throughout.

It is untamed land, but also a botanical and human crossroads for Central Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East that is home to Anatolian leopards, bears, wolves, See GEORGIA, page 45

A DAY IN VIRGINIA WINE COUNTRY, Nov 14......................................................................... $162 Includes 3 course luncheon at Magnolia at the Mill, wine tasting at two Loudoun County wineries & transportation.

HARRIET TUBMAN & HISTORIES AROUND THE BAY, Apr 23 – 25 ............................ $759pp Wind through rural landscape of Maryland’s Eastern shore as we explore the life of Price based on double occupancy Harriet Tubman & the journey to freedom. Includes: Motorcoach, 6 meals, 2 nights hotel, sightseeing and taxes & meal gratuities.

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45

Deceptive hotel fees, pricing continue Why should the airlines have all the fun? OTAs have open access to those rates.

Apparently, the hotel business gazed at the Still, booking direct is often your best bet. airlines’ use of various fees These days, several of the and deceptions and decided biggest hotel chains have startto get into the act. ed limiting free Wi-Fi to guests As a result, the next time you who book direct and belong to book a hotel, you face some sethe chain’s loyalty program. rious barriers to getting accurate and complete cost informaMandatory fees tion before you buy — and These fees are the worst: maybe not even then.

Hotels omit them in the prices Big hotel chains have been they post initially, but you telling you that booking can’t avoid them. You have to TRAVEL TIPS through their own websites alpay before you check out of

By Ed Perkins ways gives you the lowest rate. the hotel.

That’s true sometimes, but not always. IndeThese are, of course, the notorious “rependent online travel agencies (OTA) such sort” fees that have become all too comas Booking.com and Hotels.com can some- mon at vacation destinations. And they’re times undercut the best deal you find pure deception.

A hotel in Vegas wants to get, say, $80 a through a hotel’s system directly.

OTAs undercut published rates by sell- night for a room. Instead of giving that rate ing rooms at wholesale rates that are sup- to the search engines, however, the hoteposed to be reserved for air/hotel pack- lier posts a room rate at $50. It makes up ages. The hotels don’t like that, and they’re the $30 difference by calling it a “resort trying to stop it, but so far the battle is a fee,” which you have to pay. draw. Offering wholesale package-tour Typically, the hotelier lists services the rates is an established practice in the hotel, fee supposedly covers, including Wi-Fi, adpackage tour, and airline businesses, and mission to a fitness center, a business cen-

ter and such. But that’s blather: If you have to pay the fee, it should be included in the first posted price.

Recently, this insidious practice has spread to big-city hotels, where terms such as “facility fee” replace “resort” when that would appear ludicrous. Mandatory valet parking is another way to squeeze more money out of you.

Don’t be surprised when hotels channel airlines, by calling services that used to be included in the rate “optional” and adding a fee for them.

The most popular target so far is “housekeeping” services. But you’re starting to see separate fees for room selection, open-air self-parking, early check-in and other preferences.

This class of fees is newer than the resort fees, and unlike the resort fee, you can actually stay at the hotel without paying them — if you don’t mind having your bed unmade and no fresh towels, waiting around in a lobby for the official 3 p.m. check-in time to roll around, or parking on the street outside the hotel property.

I’ve seen several surveys recently that list free in-room Wi-Fi as the most important single feature of a hotel accommodation. Most budget chains recognize this, and they typically oblige. The upscale chains, however, seem to be using free WiFi as a way to get you to book direct.

The Federal Trade Commission is supposed to police deceptive advertising everywhere but in airfares. Although mandatory hotel fees obviously flunk the FTC test (that they be “per se” deceptive), the agency continues to avoid taking action. Currently, the best hope for consumers is in action by individual state attorney general offices.

The take-away: You have to assume that any hotel rate you see posted on any initial search display (1) is less than the best price you can find on a hotel website, but (2) may not include free Wi-Fi and whatever else you need. You have to work harder to get at the real price and avoid a bad decision, but working harder is better than being gouged.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Georgia

trip from Tbilisi.

Finally, you can go for a swim or spa visit at numerous Black Sea resorts.

More information on Georgia and wine history can be found at www.kevinbegos.com.

— AP

From page 43 lynx and golden eagles.

In the capital city Back in Tbilisi, the capital, you’ll find a mix of quaint old world neighborhoods and trendy new riverfront areas. The Georgian State Museum has a fine range of cultural and historical exhibits.

Small bakeries make chewy, crisp, khachapuri bread, shaped like a small alien spacecraft. Try it with the traditional

melted cheese and egg in the center.

There are also Georgian flatbreads — like pitas — stuffed with savory mixes of chopped meat and spices, and a wide variety of dumplings.

There are upscale restaurants, too. PurPur combines local dishes with classic Frenchstyle cooking in a 19th century atmosphere.

Try the pkhali appetizer, which is a sort of pate made from ground walnuts and different vegetables, such as beets or spinach.

For a darker experience you can also visit the Joseph Stalin Museum in Gori, his birthplace. Tour groups offer it as a day

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

Carole King’s early career and collaboration is being relived on stage.

See story on page 49.

Shakespeare’s King John: politics as usual? recants on some of his deeds ring with one side of a human truth.

Award-winning actress Holly Twyford, who plays the mother of Arthur, the young boy denied a possibly rightful crown, wisely holds in the hysteria while deeply emoting the deepening anger and grief of a betrayed mother.

And veteran director Aaron Posner brightly edits the action and brings out the salient humanity, when it exists, in the various characters.

PHOTO BY TERESA WOOD

By Robert Friedman In Shakespeare’s King John at the Folger Theater, it’s not so much the play, as the players that are the thing.

The Bard’s early, seldom-seen historical play is a mostly wild, part-wily work that includes two or three wars, deadly threats, murders, betrayals, under-the-table deals, corruption, deception, a poisoning, a beheading, a possible suicide, an excommunication and assorted other happenings.

Apparently it’s politics as usual in the 13th century.

In order to help the audience discern who’s doing what to whom and why, the Folger troupe helpfully adds a prologue to the action. Convoluted things then get underway.

First, the good stuff. King John, as portrayed wonderfully by Brian Dykstra, is a kind of a buffoon with a bit of conscience as he wheels and deals to keep England (but mostly himself and those closest to him) prosperous and great.

The way he keeps tripping himself up, both politically and physically (stumbling on the platform whenever he goes to sit on his throne), and how he re-questions and

Political machinations Here, more or less, is the plot: The King of France sends an envoy to King John to let him know that he is not the rightful heir to the crown, which France says should be worn by young Arthur, John’s older dead brother’s son. Give up the crown to Arthur or else, the King of France’s envoy says.

King John refuses, then quickly becomes involved in a dispute between two half-brothers, Robert and Phillip, over their inheritance. Same mother, different fathers. Phillip the Bastard’s old man happened to be the late, former King Richard (the Lionheart).

Philip, King of France, played by Howard W. Overshown, left, and John, King of England, played by Brian Dykstra, join hands in a scene from Shakespeare’s King John.

The political play, performed in contemporary dress, will be on stage at Folger Theatre through Dec. 2.

Queen Mother Eleanor convinces Phillip, whom she recognizes as the spitting image of son Richard (she is also mother to King John), to give up his claim for a knighthood from King John. Phillip the Bastard is then

knighted as Sir Richard.

That’s the first few minutes. What follows is war between France and England See KING JOHN, page 48

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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Cookbooks help when companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the season to return to the warmth sure and steady guide to preparing the deliof hearth and home. Expand your culinary cious foods of a myriad of cultures.

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336 pages, Little, Brown and THE BIBLIOPHILE How to Cook Everything Company, 8.8 x 1.1 x 11

By Dinah Rokach inches, hardcover, 2017 Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food, Boston cooking school founder and TV cooking show host Completely Revised Tenth AnniverChristopher Kimball has compiled sophis- sary Edition, by Mark Bittman, photogticated meals that can be easily prepared raphy by Burcu Avsar and Zach DeSart, illustrations by Alan Witschonke, 832 by the home cook.

The 125 recipes in the book are divided pages, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 8 x by category. Prep time and cooking time, 1.7 x 9 inches, hardcover, second edition as well as number of servings, are listed at 2017 Renowned food writer Mark Bittman has the top of each recipe. Opposite, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find a full-page color photograph of the com- composed a veritable bible of vegetarian recipes in this revised edition of his classic pleted dish.

An introductory chapter provides savvy cookbook. Novice cooks will find much to advice on ingredients â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all of which are appreciate. In addition to the streamlined, available online if you cannot procure them accessible recipes, hand-drawn illustrations locally. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to expand your culi- accompany the step-by-step instructions. nary repertoire, this book will serve as a The basics of cutting, measuring and

being able to replicate pastry shop confections â&#x20AC;&#x201D; guided by professional chefs in an easy-to-follow cookbook â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is exhilarating.

The 110 recipes in Sweet are accompanied by full-page color photographs, precise instructions, tips on techniques, and advice on selecting ingredients. The maximum storage time in the freezer for preparatory stages and the number of days leftovers will stay fresh is usefully provided.

There is neither information on calories nor an index of recipes. However, the table of contents groups the recipes by category. Be sure to read the notes and glossary at the back before embarking on your baking adventure. Gluten-free and nut-free recipes are labelled.

Best-selling London-based cookbook author, restaurant owner and chef Yotam Ottolenghi and pastry chef Helen Goh are generous in their advice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[B]ake and rebake the same recipe until you can read it like an old friend.â&#x20AC;? Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mastered them, the desserts are bound to impress your guests.

On The Chocolate Trail: A Delicious Adventure Connecting Jews, Religions, History, Travel, Rituals, and Recipes to the Magic of Cacao, 2nd Edition, by Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz, 340 pages, Jewish Lights hard-

cooking, as well as information on food safety and reheating foods, are thoughtfully included, as are tips on selecting, buying and storing produce.

Each recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian includes the number of servings, prep time and some include variations and optional ingredients. There are no calorie counts, however.

Recipes are keyed to indicate if they are vegan, if there is an alternate vegan version of the same recipe, if the dish can be made either completely or partially in advance, and if it can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Full-page color photographs accompany many of the recipes. Bittman even pares down the more than one-thousand dishes in the book to an appendix that highlights one hundred essential recipes and 76 great appetizers.

How to Cook Vegetarian will become a treasured keepsake. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a vegetarian or vegan, are cooking for someone with those food preferences, or just want to learn how to prepare healthy food, this no-frills guide by a knowledgeable expert is a must.

Sweet: Desserts from Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh with Tara Wigley, 368 pages, Ten Speed Press hardcover, 2017 For the confident baker, the thought of

See COOKBOOKS, page 48

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King John From page 46 over ownership of the English-ruled town of Angiers, a war won by neither side.

Meanwhile, back at the palaces, a marriage is arranged between Louis, the French Dauphin (heir apparent), and Blanche, the niece of John.

Both sitting kings see this as a good deal.

It gives John a stronger claim to the throne as both families unite, while King Phillip gets for Louis a dowry of English land for France.

Politics as usual, probably any century.

Then: an attempt to get rid of Arthur, the kid who many think should be England’s king. But the would-be assassin pulls back at the last minute (the kid dies anyway as he either attempts to escape or decides to commit suicide by jumping from high up in his castle prison).

There’s also the excommunication of King John for disobeying the pope on an archbishop appointment, the Vatican goading King Phillip of France to get rid of John, and another war.

King John is poisoned to death by a disgruntled monk (we’re told, not shown), while English noblemen keep switching sides during the latest French-English combat.

According to my Spark Notes: “Unlike Shakespeare’s earlier history plays, King John does not portray a providential movement of history, where everything happens for a reason on a predestined path to a moral conclusion...the characters are thwarted by historical accident and adversity, making King John more a pragmatic representation of political events than a story shaped according to aesthetic ends.”

Still and all, the historical drama is not without its moving moments. There are

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

signs of what Shakespeare does best, reminding us of our deepest humanity, when the assigned executioner of the young Arthur realizes that if young, innocent life fervently wants to go on, it must go on.

To put it in un-Shakespearean language: The hell with the money and favors that I’ll be getting. This is a good kid; let him live.

Able actors, modern dress The Folger Theater audience will get the acting goods from just about all the cast, especially the following: — Kate Goehring, who, as the Queen mother, manages to keep son John on a halfway steady monarch track; — Megan Graves, a female playing a male role, whose portrayal of young Arthur is convincingly morose when denied the crown and convincingly touching when he pleads for his life; — Elan Zafir, as Hubert, the would-be Arthur killer; — Akeem Davis, as the oratorical Dauphin, and — Kate Eastwood Norris, as the Bas-

Cookbooks From page 47

Theatre and Events 240-314-8660 • www.rockvillemd.gov/Glenview • Glenview@rockvillemd.gov ♥♥ All are welcome.

603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, Maryland

cover and paperback, 2017 You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this book about chocolate by Rabbi Deborah Prinz. On the Chocolate Trail is part travelogue, with a cup of history and a dash of detective sleuthing added to the 25 recipes.

Learn about the process of chocolate production. Then read about chocolate’s ties to many cultures and continents — Jews of the diaspora and the State of Israel, Jesuit missionaries, Quaker dissenters in Great Britain, native populations of Central and South America and their conquerors, to name a few. Our own George Washington enjoyed a cup of chocolate with his morning

tard, with the best of oft-sarcastic lines.

Director Posner concentrates on character, which seems all to the good. Possible stagey battle scenes are replaced by flashlit faces of the combatants commenting on the action, blinking lights and some booming sounds.

Call me very old fashioned, but I prefer period costume to the modern dress worn by the Shakespeareans in this play.

Still, there is enough political shrewdness, wheeling, cynical dealing and selfsatire of rulers on display to make this, while perhaps not the best Shakespeare experience, a pretty good one.

We are once more reminded that the political and the personal intertwine, that power placed in human hands comes and goes, and — of course — what fools we mortals be.

King John continues through Dec. 2 at the Folger Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. Tickets are $25 to $80, with a discount of $10 off any full-price ticket for those 65 and older. For more information and to purchase tickets, see www.folger.edu/folgertheatre or call (202) 544-7077. breakfast at home in Mount Vernon.

A historic or contemporary recipe is at the beginning of each chapter; you’ll find more after the last chapter. Learn how to concoct chocolate cookies, cakes, candies, puddings, salads, soup, sauce, spread, dressing, drinks, pastries and truffles.

Calorie counts are not included, so there is no discouraging aspect to mar a chocolate lover’s delight. Issues of fair trade and the movement to end exploitive child labor practices in the harvesting of cacao are raised and examined.

The book includes a recipe index and glossary. You’ll also find a comprehensive compilation of chocolate-makers — their websites, assortments, quality ratings, and the author’s comments on their ethical and environmental practices.

U.S. NAVY BAND CLARINET DAY Clarinet Day Saturday, Nov. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clinics and recitals featuring Sean Osborn For more information email: navybandclarinetday.fct@navy.mil

Evening Concert Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

Kenmore Middle School 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd. Arlington, Va.

Free and open to the public, no tickets required

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

49

Carole King’s Beautiful career on stage With a smile in your face And show the world all the love in your heart Then people gonna treat you better You’re gonna find, yes you will That you’re beautiful as you feel

Penning early songs The song’s refrain sets the stage for the musical, in which Brooklyn girl Carol Klein fights her way into the record business while just in her teens in the late 1950s.

Along the way to stardom, she tweaks her name, marries fellow lyricist and song collaborator Gerry Goffin, and moves to Los Angeles a decade later after the breakup of their marriage.

Beautiful focuses on this early, fecund songwriting period, where King — sometimes collaborating with Goffin and another songwriting team, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann — wrote songs that went to the top of the charts for such groups as the Shirelles and the Drifters.

Becoming Carole King In the touring production, Sarah Bockel

BEACON BITS

Dec. 7

HOLIDAY CONCERT The National Philharmonic presents a holiday pops concert, a new

PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

By Barbara Ruben For three weeks in a row earlier this fall, the farewell tours of three rock and folk icons — Paul Simon, Elton John and Joan Baez — came through Washington.

For those hoping seminal ‘60s and ‘70s songwriter Carole King would schedule a tour as well, the next best thing will be onstage for five weeks, starting Nov. 27 at the National Theater in downtown Washington.

Beautiful — the Carole King Musical recreates King’s early life and career. This is the touring version of the Broadway show, where the actress who played King won a 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. It also won a 2015 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

The show overflows with chart-topping King songs like “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”

The musical takes its name from her 1971 song “Beautiful,” which like many others in the show were first recorded on her album Tapestry, one of the best-selling albums of all time.

You’ve got to get up every morning

Sarah Bockel plays Carole King in the musical Beautiful, which traces the singer/songwriter’s rise to fame, marriage to songwriting partner Gerry Goffin, and their subsequent breakup. The show includes such hits as “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” and the title song. The show opens on Nov. 27 at the National Theater.

channels King, in the title role, where she dons several voluminous wavy wigs to achieve King’s curly locks.

Now 30, having grown up in an age where Lady Gaga, Adelle and Lil Wayne reign, how familiar was Bockel with King?

“I had Tapestry on vinyl; I’m a big ’70s singer songwriter fan,” she said in an inter-

view with the Beacon. She also admitted, “I was definitely more of a Joni Mitchel fan. I was just a big weirdo. I had Pink Floyd albums and was a huge Janis Joplin fan.”

Bockel’s familiarity with the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s paid off when she became See BEAUTIFUL, page 51

family holiday tradition, on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln., N, Bethesda. Philharmonic Associate Conductor Victoria Gau will conduct Helen Hayes Award-winning actress/soprano Iyona Black and members of the National Philharmonic Chorale. Tickets start at $18 (a portion of every ticket purchase will support military families of the USOMetro). For more information or to buy tickets, visit nationalphilharmonic.org or call the box office at (301) 581-5100.

Spirit of the

Season 2018

SATURDAY, DEC. 8 AT 3 P.M. AND 8 P.M. SUNDAY, DEC. 9 AT 3 P.M. for FREE tickets, visit:

www.usafband.eventbrite.com D.A.R. Constitution Hall 1776 D St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

www.usafband.af.mil

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

When your kids think they’re your parents It was a highly ordinary phone call with my 30-something daughter — her plans for the weekend, her struggles with her dog, her need for a new dishwasher.

Then she asked what was new with me.

The call suddenly got very bumpy.

I told my daughter that I had just returned the night before from a business

meeting in Pennsylvania. It ended at about 10:30 p.m. Since I’m not made of money, I decided to drive home then and there rather than spring for a hotel.

The drive took about two and a half hours. I made it safely, despite torrential rain, gusty wind, trucks and fatigue.

There was a discernible pause on my

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 52 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

M A G M A

A D E A L

T I C K L E D P I N K

H O S K O E A M K E A S T F E S T Y O P E I N L E E D E O E N B O G A F S P E A K H A S T E E N T E R

F I T I N B R E A K F A S T

I R I S K A S E M E P E E

G A S T R O P O D

E N D O N

E N S A L A D A

G O D N A O U T T H E S D

L O P E O V E L C A R F K P A L A V I R O B L I T Y A S E A S H I R E L O U D I N D I K E E T E R R S

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: RANCH FOYER HAPPEN SOCIAL Answer: The trumpeter couldn't find a replacement trumpet in Paris because they only sold -- FRENCH HORNS

daughter’s end of the phone. Then she same thing that would happen if I got sick said: “Daddy, I don’t want you driving by or had an accident at 11 a.m. on a sunny day. I’d call for help. You yourself at night anymore.” know that cell phone that you I told my daughter — and I and your mother made me will repeat to you, gentle readbuy? My ace in the hole.” er — that I am hardly on There was another disdeath’s door. cernible pause on the other end I am in my mid-70s. My eyeof the line. sight and my reflexes are as “Daddy,” my daughter said. good as ever. Don’t believe me?

“I don’t want to take the keys Squadrons of doctors have said away from you. But we might so.

This is not Bob insisting on have to consider that.”

Thus was my family plunged a membership in Fantasyland. HOW I SEE IT into a drama that has consumed This is Bob who not only By Bob Levey knows how to drive, but has — and fractured — many othknown how for a very long time. Neither ers.

Here, on the one hand, is Dear Old Dad, rain, nor wind, nor anything else will stay Bob from the swift completion of his re- for decades the rock and the chauffeur of the family. He is a proud old soul — too turn home.

Nor does Bob speed. Nor does Bob proud, probably. But not irrational.

He has always said that he will know jump from lane to lane. Nor does Bob forget or refuse to use his directional signals. when it’s time to stop driving at night. No His last accident was in 1980, and that was one will have to tell him.

“It’s like being an aging baseball player,” a piffle-ish fender bender. he has told his family. “No one knows betBut my daughter wasn’t buying.

“Daddy,” she said, “you are too old to be ter than he when it’s time to hang up his out there by yourself in the rain in the mid- spikes.”

On the other hand, here are spouses, dle of the night. What would happen if you got sick or had an accident?” children, grandchildren, friends, neighI reached for Reasonable.

See BOB LEVEY, page 53 “What would happen,” I said, “is the

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

From the publisher From page 2 in the travel category), our book reviewer Dinah Rokach (first place for her “Bibliophile” column), our columnist Bob Levey (first place for personal essay), our student columnist Alexis Bentz (first place for her series on intergenerational issues), and myself, for my From the Publisher column. We also won first place for “overall excellence” and Best of Show in our category (publications with circulation over 100,000).

Our Baltimore edition brought Carol Sorgen a first place in the how-to category.

Robert Friedman won three awards for his work in our Howard County edition: a first place in feature writing, a second place in topical issue, and a third place in the how-to category.

And Richmond’s Fifty Plus won a first and third place in the profile category, and second place for best cover photo. Glenda Booth, who also writes frequent travel stories for us, wrote the first place winning cover story, “Restoring Richmond’s Black American History.”

In addition, our website for all our publications, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com, which we completely overhauled last fall, won first place for best website.

Of course, whatever awards we 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 our writers, freelancers 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; Vice President of Sales & Marketing Alan Spiegel; Art Director Kyle Gregor y; Assistant Operations Manager (and webmaster) Roger King; Advertising Representatives Doug Hallock, Dan Kelly, Barbara Koscielski, 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.

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BEACON BITS

Ongoing

WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT

“In The Still of Art: Watercolors by NW Neighbors Village Artists,” available for viewing through Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019 at the Lois & Richard England Gallery at Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. Participating artists include Nancy Arbuthnot, Barbara Heffernan, Soye Kim, Sura Kim, Erica Ling, Andrea Selvaggio, Shirley Thompson & Ting Yang, with participation by Thea Mink. For more information, visit nwnv.org.

Nov. 2+

FANTASY ART EXHIBIT

“Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Humor,” an invitational art exhibit exploring multiple genres, is open Friday, Nov. 2 through Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg, Md. Viewing hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to meet the artists and learn more about their creative process during a free artists reception on Thursday, Nov. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Shellie Williams at (301) 258-6394 or shellie.williams@gaithersburgmd.gov, or Andi Rosati at (301) 258-6350 or andi.rosati@gaithersburgmd.gov.

We Turn Addresses

into homes

MOST COMMUNITIE S ARE 62 AND BETTER

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

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

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

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

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

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

BALTIMORE COUNTY

Beautiful From page 49 the understudy for the Carole King role on Broadway. As such, she went on stage 40 to 50 times.

Bockel’s favorite song? “It’s Too Late,” which King wrote after the breakup of her marriage. “It was a favorite before Beautiful. It’s a sad breakup song I really love,” she said.

Audience members “will recognize at least half the songs in the show,” Bockel promised. “And you’ll get a better picture of what made her such a powerhouse songwriter.”

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical will be on stage at the National Theater from Nov. 27 to Dec. 30. Tickets are $54 to $114.

National Theater is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. To buy tickets or for more information, see http://thenationaldc.org or call 800514-3849.

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

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

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

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

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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

2

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Jumble answers on p. 50.

8

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Scrabble answers on p. 50.

7

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Across

Down

1. SAT section 5. A Brief drawing in a botany textbook 8. Wed with less dread 13. See ya’ manana 15. Nestegg holder 16. Long story 17. Tropical lizard 18. “__ the season to be jolly” 19. The only item in a snowman’s wardrobe 20. Confuse medium well with medium rare 23. Opposite of none 24. Boy doll 25. Letter sequence in PATTERNLESS and STUBBORNLY 26. Buddy 29. Direction afternoon shadows grow 31. _-chrome (it gives us nice bright colors) 32. Prefix for bird words 33. Govt. agents 35. Undergrad foot doc degree, perhaps 36. Good name for a pickpocket 37. A propensity toward letter transposition 41. Floral necklace 42. “It’s not what you want; it’s what ___” 43. Away from port 44. Several eras, in geologic time 45. Dutch cheese 46. The G in OMG, sometimes 48. “Narrow” in Breton (and an acronym of 24 Across) 49. ___ choy 50. Data source for ancestry.com 51. Anger 54. Mix metaphors in a speech 57. Request to a quiet dog 60. Suitable way to abbrev. your room nbr.

61. One of two official languages of India 62. Excessive urgency 63. Use a telescope 64. Shooting game 65. Put your name in the hat 66. Guy who talks at all the conferences these days 67. Gets this puzzle’s puns wrong

1. Hot rocks 2. Let’s Make ___ 3. Joyful 4. Deceptively manipulate stats 5. Conform 6. State flower of Tennessee 7. Snail or slug 8. Grenada greens 9. Key mate 10. Egg cells 11. Part of both MPH and MPG 12. Santa’s subordinate 14. Prepares dishes for cleaning 21. The first thing Harry and Sally did together 22. ___ a high note 26. Congregant 27. “A man without ___ is a man without protection” (Lyndon Johnson) 28. Nation across the Mediterranean from Greece 30. “And so on”, even more briefly 31. Countdowner Casey 33. VA Army base, named for a Confederate leader 34. Keep an ___ (watch closely) 35. Fairfield Inn freebie 38. Chef who requires two dozen blackbirds 39. ___ an era 40. Dal __ Vegas Night (Lone Star casino party) 46. Wildebeest 47. Testimony prerequisites 50. Heaped affection on 52. More like South Park than Northern Exposure 53. Improves a draft 54. Entrypoint to heaven 55. Olympic weapon 56. Approve of, on Facebook 57. First word of three Beatles titles 58. Half-goat Greed god 59. End of both “the biggest” and “the best”

Answers on page 50.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Bob Levey From page 50

Say you saw it in the Beacon

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

bors, co-workers — all of whom care and all of whom possess eyes.

Fine, great, old boy, have all the aging baseball metaphors you like, they say. But truth is truth. On a rainy Interstate highway at midnight, a 70-something guy is bucking the odds.

So I reached for Emotional.

Haven’t I been a safety freak all your life, I asked my daughter? Haven’t I kept our cars in tip-top condition? Haven’t I bent down to inspect all four tires before setting off even on a trip to the grocery?

How can you say that I’m suddenly a risk?

“Because you are. To yourself and others,” my daughter said.

So we compromised. I promised never to drive at night again if the weather is bad, or I am exhausted, or both. She promised not to hector me about it.

We ended the conversation as we always do — with I-love-yous and hopeyour-dog-behaves. But then she landed the final punch.

“Daddy,” she said. “I’m going to tell Mom about our conversation. Just so she knows about it.”

The kid isn’t a lawyer. But she maneuvered me into a corner like the best Perry Mason.

If the two women in my life can force me to buy a cell phone, they might be about to force me off the road at night, even when the weather is calm.

I may twist and scream and complain (and I will!). But to stand against the force of these ladies, and against the ravages of time, would be to buck not one set of odds, but two.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

WB1118

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 55.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers “A” HOME HEALTH CARE — Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT, COMPANION, capable, versatile, mature woman looking for work to run errands, shopping, doctors appt and general assistance. Trustworthy and personable.

Two+ hours. Low rates. Call 240-274-5506.

LOVING AND CARING CAREGIVER seeking weekends in Leisure World. Experienced, drive, and light housekeeping as well. CPR and great listener. Call JP at 301-598-3627.

I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references.

Lots of experience. 301-502-2258.

A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones.

Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134.

CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE — reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com.

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

COMPUTER LESSONS — Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use, Windows 10. Setup and train on all consumer electronics — Smartphone, Smart TV, tablet, digital cameras, GPS. Troubleshooting & setup new computers. Gentle & patient teacher. Since 1996. Call David, 301980-5840. COMPUTERTUTOR. OVER 15 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE TUTORING adults on all types of technology. I can help you with PCs or Macs as well as iPhones/iPads, Kindles, TiVo/DVR and all other devices. Call Brett Geranen at (202) 486-6189 or email ComputerTutorDC@gmail.com.

Financial DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3-Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-844-855-7670.

GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society.

Call 1-844-230-2952.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Health

Personal Services

APARTMENT FOR RENT — OLNEY — ROCKVILLE. ½ mile from Leisure World on ground floor. 2 rooms and full equipped eat-in kitchen. Private entrance, bathroom, W/D and patio. No smoking. No pets! $1,000 per month, all utilities and cable included. $550 deposit. 1 car off-street parking. Call Slava at 301-7749656. Leave message.

DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844-3661003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

NEED HOUSE CLEANING? Professional service at Affordable price! Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or one time. Call for a free estimate at 240-644-4289.

LEISURE WORLD — VILLA CORTESE RENTAL. Type A. 1BR/1.5BA. Separate dining area. Lots of storage. Walk-in closet. Sunroom.

Washer/dryer. $1,500/mo. Available end of November. 301-437-1455.

BASEMENT ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. Available immediately. $995 per month, including utilities. Laundry available. Working senior, female preferred. 301-233-4722.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP to a retirement community, try our newly announced Real Estate Partnership: Sue Heyman, Rick Winkler, and Sudha Baxter. Rely on our combined strengths: Top Weichert Producers, plus backgrounds in Teaching, Tax, and Business.

We are located at the Leisure World Plaza Weichert Office and have personal knowledge of the Community from the investor and resident perspective. We will take you on a tour of the Community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities & offer how best to coordinate your move. We will set up an automated search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. We also offer exceptional service selling your current home. Call for your free Community booklet. You can see our current listings in this issue. Office 301-6810550, Sue 301-580-5556, Rick 301-404-3105, Sudha 202-368-8536.

LEISURE WORLD® — $78,500. 1 BR 1 FB “Burgess” model coop. Ground-level patio, separate dining room, move-in condition. 800 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors. 301-9283463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $249,900. 2 BR + Den, 2 FB “K” with garage in the “Greens.” Table space kitchen, separate dining room, step-in shower, enclosed balcony. 1520 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $154,900. 2 BR 2FB Warfield model, table space kitchen, separate dining room, separate laundry, utilities included in monthly condo fee. 1116 sq ft. Stan Mofffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $259,000. 2 BR 2 FB “C” with garage in “Overlook.” Open table space kitchen, step-in shower in master bath, enclosed balcony. 1090 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $84,000. 1 BR 1 FB Raleigh Coop, separate dining room, enclosed balcony, central air. 990 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale 250 ISSUES OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, April 1971-December 1980. You pick up from Arlington Shirlington area location. $350.

202-505-0050.

MINK JACKET, LONG, BLACK DIAMOND, female skin, very light from designer Scasi (Rome, Italy). Size large. Gorgeous, only 2 years old. Paid $4,800, sell $1,800. In Virginia. 703591-6321.

6 BURIAL SITES FOR SALE in Fairfax Memorial Park, Fairfax, VA. Call Betty Olson at 703-978-4613 for information.

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.

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

STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions!

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IS STAYING WARM ALWAYS A CHALLENGE? Would you like to be in control of your own personal heat source? Thermal Hoop by Bodywarmer is guaranteed to warm you up in minutes. Thermal Hoop is highly recommended and used by medical professionals — especially ones in cold offices. The product has a one-year warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee!

For more information, visit Thermalhoop.com or call 443-604-9410. Prices start as low as $39.95.

Legal Services WERE YOU AN INDUSTRIAL OR CONSTRUCTION TRADESMAN and recently diagnosed with lung cancer? You and your family may be entitled to a significant cash reward.

Call 1-888-351-0312 for your risk free consultation.

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

Miscellaneous ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99.

Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com.

SENIOR CITIZEN SEEKING senior guitar teacher. 301-879-9515.

Personals A PRETTY WF, 52, YOUTHFUL, voluptuous lady, non-smoker, down to earth, seeks SWM, 45-65, attractive, built gentleman non-smoker for old fashioned fun, friendship, cherished relationship. Share romance, dates, movies, country slow dancing, cozy campfires, outdoor events, etc. Inquire, 301-442-7442. Win my heart with your voice message.

ATTRACTIVE BLACK FEMALE, 72 PLUS wants a single man 65 plus, trustworthy, physically active for friend, companionship, travel and driving. Watching sports helps. Message at 301-847-0423.

CUTE, ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, FIFTIES — Looking for single white male, fifties/early sixties, attractive, robust, medium/large build, reliable, warm-hearted, romantic. Enjoy dates, companionship, devoted relationship. If interested, call 240-418-4124, leave voice message/ph#.

Personal Services TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 9389694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home-based business.

NEW LEVEL AUTO SERVICE. EUROPEAN, DOMESTIC, Asian cars. 716 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. Complete auto repair, electrical problems, computer diagnostic. ASE certified technicians with more than 15 years of experience will prepare your car for the winter at a reasonable cost for service. Call us today (301762-1200). Ask for Christian. We have senior discounts and a free shuttle to Metro station. www.newlevelautoservice.com.

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE. LOOKING to clean houses. Good references and experience.

Please call Vio, 301-706-6317.

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

Every Sunday. CHOICE- All-Included Package.

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

CALL 1- 888-572-4953.

DISH Network. 190+ CHANNELS. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 months) Add High Speed Internet - $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & SAVE 25%! 1-844560-5837.

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

Wanted 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, comic books and records, 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.

TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private homebased business.

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958.

GOLD, SILVER, ART, FOUNTAIN PENS, OLD TOYS, dolls, comic books, vintage men’s wrist watches, pocket watches, old violins, guitar, golf, baseball, sports equipment, memorabilia. Military firearms, knives. Tom, 240-4763441.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested.

No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 2792158.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Wanted

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Wanted

LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-7851129.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Gold, silver, costume. Buying whole estates. Gary Roman, 301-520-0755. Theatticllc.com.

BUYING OLD STERO/AUDIO COMPONENTS from 1930s-1980, speakers, receivers, amplifiers, turntables, etc., working or not, also interpreted in parts. 540-9991486.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-5966201.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301-654-8678 (reg. 883).

COLLECTOR SEEKING: ANTIQUES, mid-century furniture, paintings, gold, silver items, quality jewelry, sewing, military, etc.

One piece or estate. Cash paid and quick removal. Chris, 301-262-1299.

WE PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUE FURNITURE, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc.

Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

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.

SEEKING FULL/SEALED BOTTLES of Vintage Bourbon and Rye. Do you have full/sealed vintage bottles of bourbon or rye collecting dust in your cabinet. Do any of your bottles have an old red or green tax strip?

Call Alex, 443-223-7669.

ESTATE LIQUIDATION & COLLECTIBLES: One call solves it all when you hire us to handle your estate liquidation, downsizing and/or home cleanout. We sell your treasures, take care of charitable donations and provide junk removal. We also purchase partial estate contents/collections. Always buying antiques, jewelry, fine art, vintage toys, collectibles, advertising, sports memorabilia, military items, rare books, Mid-Century Modern furniture and more. Based in Silver Spring, we serve Montgomery County, Howard County, Baltimore County, Washington, D.C., NOVA and beyond.

No home, barn or warehouse is too packed for us! Friendly, conscientious staff. Call Chris on cell, 202-731-9447. www.OrionsAttic.com.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

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

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

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

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

KNITTING WORKSHOPS

Gala Artisan Jewelry & Gifts offers beginners knitting mini-workshops by appointment with Sheila Burns on Saturdays from 8:45 to 10 a.m. The store is located at 10417 Armory Ave., Kensington, Md. For more information or to register, email sb.burns1@verizon.net or call (301) 933-2912.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 11

VETERANS DAY CONCERT

The National Cathedral honors and celebrates those who have served our country with a program featuring the Washington National Cathedral Choir and the United States Marine Corps Orchestra on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. Seats for the concert are all taken, but there will be a live web stream of the event. For more information or to register for the web stream, visit https://cathedral.org/initiative/veterans.

Nov. 2+

GALLERY EXHIBITS

Touchstone Gallery presents several art exhibits featuring “The Healing Power of Art,” “North, South, East, West” contemporary realism by Gale Wallar, and “Fresh Take” by Amy Sabrin — now available to the public through Sunday, Dec. 2 at Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, call (202) 347-2787.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies

Government Services

GESTALT Study ...........................24 Hearing Research Study................24 Hope for Alzheimer’s Study..........25 Opiate Study .................................25 Speech Comprehension Study ......25

DC Spotlight on Aging ............30-31 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services .................9, 20 Montgomery County Public Libraries..........................17

Computer/ Technology Help

Home Health Care/ Companion Services

TechMedic4u...................................5 Ur Geeks .........................................7

Dental Services

Ameristar Healthcare Services . .23 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Fairfax Home Health Care . . . . . .11 Options for Senior America ..........49

Friedman, Stephen, DDS ..............26 Oh, Judy, DDS ..............................19

Housing

Employment

1221 Van .......................................21 Alfredhouse...................................11 Ashby Ponds ...................................4 Aspenwood Sr. Living...................20 Beverly Assisted Living ................15 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. ....................56 Charter House .................................7 Chesterbrook Residences .................................19 Chevy Chase House ......................21 Churchill Senior Living ................21 Crossings, The...............................17 Culpepper Garden .........................12 Falcons Landing .............................3 Friendship Terrace.........................29 Gardens of Traville, The................18 Greenspring.....................................4 Homecrest House............................6 Homewood ....................................29

Career Gateway.............................34 Salesperson Wanted ......................34

Events Celebration of the Arts Exhibit ..........................53 GROWS ........................................23 Washington Innovation in Longevity Summit .....................39

Financial/Insurance Services Aetna/Inova ...................................19 Children’s National Hospital.........35 United Healthcare .........................14

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation................34

55

Landing of Silver Spring, The ......................13 Landow House ..............................28 Olney Assisted Living...................10 Potomac Place ...............................29 Quantum Property Mgmt .................12 R Homes Communities ....................51 Riderwood.......................................4 Ring House ...................................28 Sanctuary, The...............................13 Springvale Terrace ........................26 The Village at Rockville ................................14 Waltonwood Ashburn....................23

Real Estate Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart..........................37, 42 Weichert/Sue Heyman ..................27

Retail/Pawn/Auction CIRCA ......................................... 33 Healthy Back Store .........................6 Perfect Sleep Chair .......................16 Quinn’s Auction Galleries .............10 WOW! Computer ..........................44 Zinger Chair..................................22

Legal Services

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Farr Law Firm ...............................33 Law Offices of Lee Holdmann............................35 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ........35

Manor Care Health Services.........18 Village at Rockville, The ..............38

Medical/Health

Beacon Newspaper........................53 Washington Jewish Week..............50

Copper Zap ...................................36 Herbiculture ..................................14 Herbology .....................................15 Lesner Hearing..............................11 Medical Eye Center ......................39 Nexus Montgomery ......................10 Rise ..............................................15 Silver Spring Medical Center .......26 Virginia Relay .................................7

Miscellaneous Beacon Silver Pages......................40 Senior Zone...................................48 TheBeaconNewspapers.com.........40

Subscriptions Theatre/ Entertainment Arena Stage...................................46 City of Rockville...........................48 F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre ............46 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ...................47 US Air Force Band........................49 US Navy Band ..............................48

Tour & Travel Eyre Travel ....................................45 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club .........43 Transeair Travel.............................43 Travel West Virginia......................43 Tripper Bus ...................................45

56

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

november 2018

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.

Healthy eal living ng class: ss ay y balance” ” “everyday

H Healthy living class: “mindful meditation” in

Parkinson’s Support Group

ecem 12 November 5 through December

November er 7 through December 122

MONDAYS NDA & W WEDNESDAYS 110-10:30 A.M. M

WE AY • 11 3 A.M. WEDNESDAYS 11-11:30

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 2-3:15 P.M.

Six-week Ses Session Fee: $30

Six-week eek Session Fee: $20

During this class, simple yet effective techniques are used to improve balance and agility and reduce your risk of falls. No props are used, so exercises may easily be performed at home.

ifi studies ud show h that Recent scientific mindful meditation changes the brain in astonishing ways—promoting greater focus, reduced anxiety, increased compassion and improved well-being.

Experience guided, mindful meditation in a quiet space.

Reservations are requested by November 2. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. on November 5, and the class fee is due at that time.

Reservations are requested by November 4. Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. on November 7, and the class fee is due at that time.

Parkinson’s Communications Club TUESDAYS • 12:30-1:30 P.M. This weekly wellness and prevention program for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners focuses on the maintenance of communication skills, with an emphasis on strengthening breath support and improving the ability to project and speak loudly enough to be heard in social settings.

FREE with a $30 annual Parkinson Foundation registration fee.

caregiver connection: “A Caregiver Retreat” CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT Experience an hour of relaxation, far away from the stresses of caregiving! You’re invited to the spa and salon in Brooke Grove’s new rehab center, where you’ll be treated to hand and seated massages, a manicure/pedicure and other opportunities for pampering while also enjoying aromatherapy and refreshments.

FREE. RSVP by November 4.

living well seminar: “Medicare 2019: What You Need to Know to Get the Best Benefits” WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 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?”

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

301-260-2320 · www.bgf.org

Preceded by complimentary lunch at 12:30 p.m.

FREE. Register by November 5.

Independent living

assisted living

rehabilitation

long-term care

memory support