January 2011 Baltimore Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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Making those hairy decisions

JANUARY 2011

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MEYERS

By Carol Sorgen Does your hair make you want to dye? Or wig out? Sure, there are worse things in life. But as we age — whether it’s thinning hair, graying hair or lost hair — those bad hair days just seem to multiply. The FDA says two out of five women color their hair. While there do not appear to be national statistics on men who touch up or dye their hair, a walk down any drugstore’s hair color aisle suggests it is a common phenomenon. At the same time, as the baby boomer generation has aged and gone gray, there has been a backlash in some quarters against such efforts to turn back the clock. More and more women are deciding not to color their hair, many celebrities among them (think actress Helen Mirren, singer Emmylou Harris and model Carmen Dell’Orefice). And there’s even a trend among some young fashionable women, exemplified by Lady Gaga, to color their hair gray on purpose. Author Anne Kreamer helped inspire this approach in 2007 with her book Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else that Really Matters. She and Diana Lewis Jewell, who wrote Going Gray, Looking Great, have led thousands to take pride in their silver locks. Or at least to come to terms with it. “I’m going gray!” Nancy Jackson exclaimed. “OK, well, I am gray,” she admitted. While gray hair may not be what Jackson wants to see when she looks in the mirror, she has decided it’s going to have to do. The 52-year-old Perry Hall resident said her decision to let her gray hair stay that way has provoked a lot of comments from her friends. To all those who want to know, “Hey, what’s up with the gray hair?” Jackson explains that she chose to go this route for several reasons: “One, the idea of constantly putting chemicals on my head is scary at best,” she said. “Two, dyeing it won’t make me any younger, although I will grant you that I might look younger. “But I’m opposed to a society that has so many standards of what women are supposed to look like, that is, young, thin, etc. And finally, I just don’t have the time.

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Exotic experiences of Himalayan proportions in Nepal; plus, history behind the scenes at Monticello page 25

ARTS & STYLE Elaine Berman gave up dyeing her hair about eight years ago and now, like a growing number of boomers, has embraced her gray locks.

These days I can barely keep up with getting it cut.”

Going natural Anne Berman has also joined the ranks of women who refuse to dye their gray hair. But in her case it was a decision made after years of coloring it. Berman, who is 63 and lives in Owings Mills, first started adding red highlights to her hair as a teenager. “I envied my older sister, who was a natural redhead, and thought coloring my own mousy brown hair would make it look better,” Berman recalled. The highlights eventually led to all-out

dyeing, and when Berman noticed her first few strands of gray in her late 40s, she figured all the more reason to keep on coloring. Berman eventually decided enough was enough. Among other things, she was getting tired of the expense. “I could do something else with that money,” she said of her professional dye jobs. It took about a year and a half for Berman’s now salt-and-pepper hair to grow out. “That was not a lovely stage,” she admits. But eight years down the road, Berman doesn’t give her hair color a moment’s thought. See HAIR, page 20

Iconic Andy Warhol works at the BMA; plus, Elaine Stritch returns to Broadway at age 85 page 30

LAW & MONEY k The best stock funds for 2011 k Should you refinance now?

FITNESS & HEALTH 10 k How personality affects health k Latest Alzheimer’s research VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Lawyers offer “just” advice

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Time to advocate This is a first for me. In all the years While it may well be true that minuscule we’ve been publishing the Beacon, I don’t savings (on the order of $250,000 perhaps) recall ever asking readers to may result from this step, it is take a specific step in support not only some redundant of a particular cause. staff positions that will be But today I am. lost. There is a significant, if In part, it’s because I beintangible, benefit to having a lieve this is a very important point person with authority cause. But it’s also in part beand a cabinet position reprecause I want to see for myself senting your needs in the if grassroots advocacy efforts governor’s office. can work. More than one million The issue concerns the fu- FROM THE Marylanders are today over ture of the Maryland Depart- PUBLISHER 60. And this age group is the ment of Aging. This depart- By Stuart P. Rosenthal state’s fastest-growing one. ment has been a separate By 2030, nearly 20 percent of cabinet-level agency of Maryland state Maryland’s population will be over 65 government since Gov. Parris Glendening (note: only 17.6 percent of Florida’s popuestablished it in 1999. lation is over 65 today). That move raised the profile of aging isIt is my belief that most politicians of all sues in the state, creating the position of stripes tend to be in denial about the rapid Secretary of Aging and making her a aging of our population because they know member of the governor’s cabinet. if they pay attention to our society’s future Today, severe budget constraints are needs, they will necessarily have to be leading the governor to make cuts wherev- more careful with spending in the present. er possible in the state budget. It is ruWe have such huge deficit problems on mored that among those cuts will be the the local, state and federal levels in part beend of the Department of Aging, with its cause politicians’ desire to stay in power varied programs moved into other depart- leads them to spend surpluses in good ments, such as health or human resources. times and borrow money in bad times.

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Talk about systemic problems! That’s why it’s so important to have a human being at the table who can remind his or her fellow cabinet officials that we are a rapidly aging society. We need to keep our state leaders from becoming Kings and Queens of Denial. I have had the privilege of serving as chair of the Maryland Commission on Aging for the past three years. I have seen several occasions when I believed an organized effort by aging advocates would have had a salutary effect on policy — but that effort failed to occur and the wrong decision was made as a result. I don’t want that to happen this time. So we are devoting the next page of the Beacon to a letter-writing campaign. We need your help. Please take a moment to cut out and sign the letter on the facing page, and

mail it to the governor. Of course, if you prefer, you may write your own letter or e-mail him, or call his office to express your thoughts. Our goal is to have 500 Marylanders contact the governor’s office on this issue by January 7. Please help us meet this goal! We ask that after you take whatever step you choose that you call or e-mail us to let us know. You may remain anonymous. We simply want to keep a tally of how many readers have responded. Call us at (410) 248-9101 or e-mail info@theBeaconNewspapers.com. Thank you for your support. I will let you know of the results in our next issue.

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: I’d love to share my story [about self publishing] with your readers. [See “Do-ityourself publishing arrives,” August 2010]. In 2003, my wife, Helen, and I retired. For many years, I had toyed with writing a novel. I would write for several weeks at a time and then put my book away. In the fall of 2007, my health started to decline rapidly. I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of cancer. We were told that the typical patient would survive approximately 30 months after this diagnosis. However, an ongoing clinical trial taking place at Johns Hopkins Hospital involving high dose chemo treatments had the possibility of extending my lifespan “if it didn’t kill me.” During the high dose chemo, when the treatment made me the most ill, I became determined to finish and publish my novel. I started writing again. Helen served as my editor and the story was completed. I found a self publishing site within Amazon.com. My brother and a dear friend provided technical support needed to create a website, www.hiddenclawsthenovel.com and post the book on Amazon. Hidden Claws is a novel that creates a world where there are cats who talk and people who respond to their words. It combines speculative fiction with political satire and fantasy.

Through Amazon.com and book signings, I have actually sold almost 100 copies to date. I am thrilled with the idea that my work is being shared, and I have regained my health. The medical outlook is good for now, and I have started writing a sequel. In the meantime, Helen was diagnosed and treated for melanoma. We are fighting that cancer with the same positive attitude toward our experiences and the prayers and support of our family and friends. We are looking forward to the life ahead of us. Gerald Kleiman Reisterstown Dear Editor: Thanks very much for publishing the announcement about the Kinship Caregiver Support program in Anne Arundel County in the December issue of the Beacon. We appreciate the support in getting out the news about this helpful resource for individuals who are caregiving in these circumstances. Also, thanks for the Rotary Club of Glen Burnie story. I’m a member of the Annapolis Rotary Club, and our water/sanitary project was in Quito, Ecuador. We appreciate your raising awareness of what Rotary is trying to accomplish internationally. Mary P. Felter Public Information Officer Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities Annapolis

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Please Join our Letter-Writing Campaign We need 500 Beacon readers to sign and mail the letter below to the Governor of Maryland. ✃ As described in the publisher’s column on the facing page, the Maryland Department of Aging is threatened with removal from the governor’s cabinet and loss of its independent status. Dozens of programs of great importance to Maryland’s older adults are at risk of losing staﬀ support and funding It is critical that as many of us as possible write the governor and urge him to maintain the Department of Aging on his cabinet and to focus more — not less — attention on aging issues.

Here’s how you can help: • cut out the letter below • add your signature and address at the bottom • mail it as soon as possible to the governor’s office You may mail the letter below as is, or copy it onto stationery. You may also make additional copies so friends and family may also sign and send it. If you prefer, you are welcome to send your own personal letter to the governor, to phone his office at (410) 974-3901 or 1-800-8118336, or to e-mail him through his website at: http://www.gov.state.md.us/mail. Whatever you choose to do, please let the Beacon know (anonymously is fine) that you have responded so we can keep a tally. Call us at (410) 248-9101 or e-mail: info@theBeaconNewspapers.com.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The Honorable Martin O’Malley, Governor State House 100 State Circle Annapolis, MD 21401 Dear Governor: Thank you for your support for Maryland’s older adults. Your budgets to date have protected the Maryland Department of Aging from heavy cuts, though its funds have certainly been trimmed repeatedly. I know you are under intense pressure now to reduce executive branch expenditures wherever possible, but I urge you NOT to look for cost savings in downgrading the Department of Aging from its cabinet-level status. While some very modest savings in staff costs might result, such a step would more likely end up costing the state money for at least two reasons: First, many of the programs championed and managed by the department, including those that reduce institutionalization of frail elderly and help keep older Marylanders in their own homes, reduce Maryland’s Medicaid obligations and hold down healthcare costs. Those programs also boost the growth of new local businesses that pay taxes and provide thousands of jobs. Second, the department has been extremely successful in recent years at obtaining federal grants that support existing state programs. If you cut staff and move all aging programs into a department that has a different or narrower focus, such as health or human resources, these programs will be much less likely to be successful, and it is doubtful Maryland will continue to win those competitive federal grants. The number of Marylanders over 60 (already more than one million strong) is poised to double in the next 30 years. They will then constitute more than 25 percent of the state’s population. Now is not the time to diminish the attention devoted to aging issues. On the contrary, if we do not pay more attention to the challenges presenting by our rapidly aging population, we will pay dearly in the coming years for our poor decisions. Please retain the status of the Maryland Department of Aging in your cabinet, give appropriate funding to its programs, and rededicate yourself to addressing the issues our aging population presents. Sincerely,

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Money

IS IT TIME TO REFINANCE? Historically low mortgage rates mean savings for many homeowners, but not everyone should refinance ALL THAT GLITTERS Watch out for unscrupulous dealers who may take advantage of you when buying or selling gold OVERLOADED Front-end fees on funds will lower your returns for as long as you own them

The five best stock funds to hold in 2011 4After the wretched stock market re- Large cap funds turns of the past decade, you can hardly Primecap Odyssey Growth (1-800-729fault older investors — espe2307) is my favorite U.S. cially those whose investment stock fund. It’s a relatively horizon is not measured in new fund, but it employs the decades — for shunning same methods and is run by stocks and seeking shelter in the same managers who have bond funds and bank certifipiloted Vanguard Primecap cates of deposits. with superb results since But with CD yields at micro1984. scopic levels, and inflation and Vanguard Primecap has reinterest rates highly likely to turned an annualized 12.4 perrise in the near future, keeping cent over the past 20 years SAVVY SAVER your nest egg ahead of inflathrough mid-November. That’s By Steven T. Goldberg tion calls for investing a sizable an average of 3.5 percentage chunk in stocks or stock funds. points better per year than The good news is that some of the very Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. The cheapest stocks today also happen to be fund ranks in the top 1 percent among largethe biggest and strongest companies — company-growth funds over the past ten and those least likely to lose you money should 20 years. the economy weaken. Unfortunately, Vanguard Primecap is So here are five stock funds I think now closed to most new investors, but make up a smart stock portfolio for 2011, Primecap Odyssey Growth is open. The along with suggestions for what portion of fund has about 25 percent of assets in techyour portfolio to invest in each. nology stocks and 40 percent in health-

care. These are sectors that continue to grow rapidly even during an anemic economic recovery. Annual expenses are just 0.71 percent. Like Primecap, Fidelity Contrafund (1800-544-6666) invests in large company growth stocks. Manager Will Danoff has steered Contrafund since 1990. Over the past 20 years, the fund returned an annualized 12.8 percent, even topping Vanguard Primecap by a small margin. In general, Fidelity isn’t my favorite fund firm. The atmosphere is cutthroat — managers either perform or they’re fired. But a few managers, including Danoff, have thrived in this ruthless environment. FPA Crescent (800-982-4372) is an entirely different kind of fund. Manager Steven Romick is a dyed-in-the-wool value investor who worries constantly about what might go wrong with the global economy or his fund’s investments. Consequently, he rarely invests more than 50 percent of the fund in stocks. The rest goes into bonds and cash. Romick

hunts everywhere for value. Lately, he has found himself in unfamiliar territory — loading up on large company growth stocks. Romick’s innate conservatism has paid off. Over the past 10 years, the fund returned an annualized 12 percent — compared with less than 1 percent annualized for the S&P 500. This fund is so good that for some seniors it could make a one-fund portfolio. The only negative: Romick tends to lag in bull markets.

How to allocate For a simple portfolio, I’d recommend putting 25 percent of your stock money in each of the above three funds. Then invest another 15 percent in Oakmark International (1-800-625-6275). Manager David Herro is a canny veteran, who still loves traveling the world hunting for stock investments. He has piloted the fund since its inception in 1992. See BEST STOCK FUNDS, page 5

Not a big talker? Cell phone plans for you Dear Savvy Senior: What are the absolute cheapest cell phone plans available today? I’ve had a cell phone for nearly four years that I rarely use, but I like having it for emergency purposes. — Infrequent Caller Dear Infrequent: For those who don’t use their cell phones very often but still want one for emergencies or occasional calls, there are a number of low-cost plans available depending on your specific needs. The best way infrequent cell phone users can save money is with a prepaid cell phone — also known as pay-as-you-go phones. With a prepaid phone there’s no contract, no fixed monthly bills, no credit checks and no hidden costs that come with traditional cell phone plans. With this type of service, you buy a special prepaid phone (they can cost anywhere from $10 to $100), then pre-purchase a certain amount of minutes (for talk or text) that must be used within a specified period of time.

While there are many prepaid phones on the market today, the cheapest deal for occasional users belongs to T-Mobile (www.tmobile.com, 1-800-866-2453), which has a 30-minute plan for $10. Minutes are available for 90 days before expiring. That averages out to $3.33 per month. If, however, you need more talk time, check out its Gold Rewards annual plan, where $100 gets you 1,000 minutes that are good for a full year. With all T-Mobile pay-as-you-go plans, if you replenish your account before your minutes expire, your unused minutes will roll over. TracFone (tracfone.com, 800-867-7183) also offers some nice value plans that start at $10 for 50 minutes per month.

User-friendly phones If you don’t mind spending a little more, Consumer Cellular and Jitterbug are two other popular options because they offer inexpensive low-use plans and seniorfriendly phones. Consumer Cellular (www.consumercel-

lular.com, 1-888-345-5509) sells two “Doro” simplified cell phones that cost either $25 or $30. And it offers a “casual” calling plan for $10 per month plus 25 cents per minute, and no long-term contract. It even gives a 5 percent monthly service discount to AARP members. Jitterbug (www.jitterbug.com, 1-888-6776612, code: 41014), which makes the most senior-friendly cell phone on the market, sells its Jitterbug J phone for $99, with calling plans that start at $15 per month for 50 minutes, and no contract. Both Jitterbug and Consumer Cellular, however, do charge a one-time activation fee of $35.

Free cell phones If you’re living on a limited income, you may be able to get a free cell phone and free airtime each month through a program called SafeLink Wireless, which was created by TracFone. It is currently available in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and 27 other states. To qualify, you’ll need to show that you’re

receiving certain types of government benefits, such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, SSI, or have a household income at or below 135 percent of the poverty line — that’s $14,621 for an individual and $19,670 for a family of two. To learn more or apply, call 1-800-7233546 or visit www.safelink.com. If you don’t qualify, another option to check into is the 911 Cell Phone Bank. This is a program that provides free, emergencyonly cell phones to seniors and victims of abuse. To see if there’s an emergency cell phone program near you, contact your local law enforcement agency or see www.911cellphonebank.org/agencies.asp. Savvy Tip: If you’re in a long-term cellular contract and want to escape without paying the hefty early termination penalty, see www.cellswapper.com or www.celltradeusa.com. These companies match cellular customers who want to get out of their contracts with people who are willing to take them over. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.

Best stock funds From page 4 Over the past 15 years, Oakmark International has returned an annualized 10.7 percent. That’s 5.5 percentage points per year better than the MSCI EAFE foreign stock index, and puts Oakmark International into the top 1 percent among foreign funds. Herro’s record has been just as good in recent years relative to his peers. However, Herro and his team don’t own many emerging markets stocks. That’s why I think you should invest the final 10 percent of your stock money in T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Stock (800-6385660). Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price has long boasted first-class foreign funds, and Emerging Markets Stock is a gem.

Over the past 15 years, the fund has returned an annualized 10.9 percent, beating the MSCI Emerging Markets Stock index by an average of 1.5 percentage points annually. I’m a strong believer in the emerging markets story. These countries will likely continue growing rapidly for many years to come. What about the rest of your investment portfolio, beyond stocks? Almost all older adults, I think, should have at least 40 percent of their money in bonds. Most will do better with 50 or 60 percent in bonds. I wrote about bond funds in my column last month. For those who missed it, T. Rowe Price offers fine Maryland and Virginia municipal bond funds, which yield about 4 percent annually free of federal and state income taxes. These are great

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SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING

Bring your questions to an individual one-hour appointment at the Catonsville Public Library with an adviser from the Small Business Resource Center. The adviser can assist with business plan development, marketing, loan preparation and monthly business enterprise assistance. Registration is required. The next session will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Appointment times are 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon or 1 p.m. The Catonsville library is located at 1100 Frederick Rd. To register, call (410) 887-0951.

Ongoing

Steven T. Goldberg is a freelance writer and investment advisor in Silver Spring, Md. He welcomes reader questions. E-mail steve@tginvesting.com or write: Steven Goldberg, 9005 Woodland Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20910. You may also call him at (301) 650-6567.

PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

The Lansdowne-Baltimore Highlands Senior Center sponsors “How To Read A Credit Report And Avoid Identity Theft” on Wednesday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to noon. Rosemary Hill, regional director of education for Money Management International will teach this free class at the center, which is located at 424 Third Ave. For more information, call (410) 887-1443.

Jan. 18

for investments in taxable accounts. For investments in tax-deferred accounts, I’d divide your bond money evenly among the following bond funds: DoubleLine Total Return (877-354-6311), Pimco Unconstrained (800-426-0107), Pimco Diversified Income and Fidelity New Markets Income.

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Jan. 26

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Is it time to refinance your mortgage? By David Pitt The last time mortgage interest rates were as low as they are now you could buy a gallon of gas for 19 cents, and you could buy a loaf of bread for 16 cents. So what’s turned the home loan clock back to 1951? The federal government’s at-

tempt to fight a stubborn economy that seems stuck in first gear. One of the benefits of the Federal Reserve’s continuing low interest strategy is cheap loans. Borrowers can finance their home purchase for an average 4.4 percent on a 30-year fixed-rate home loan, said government-con-

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trolled mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, in its weekly survey of mortgage rates on Dec. 2. That means a homeowner with a $200,000 mortgage with an interest rate of 6.07 percent could save more than $200 a month on principal and interest payments by refinancing at current rates. The savings have jolted many homeowners into action. “People are starting to think, ‘I don’t want to miss something that may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’“ said Cass Chappell, a financial planner. The 30-year fixed rate loan has been under 5 percent for more than six months, Freddie Mac said. The last time rates were that low was April 1951.

Decision factors How’s a homeowner to decide whether to refinance? For those with an adjustable rate mort-

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:Xcc +('$)+-$.+00 fi <dX`c J\e`fiC`mè^7j_\ck\iîg%Zfd kf èhlì\ XYflk \c`^`Y`c`kp i\hlì\d\ekj Xe[ kf XiiXe^\ X gi`mXk\ kfli% Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.com The Shelter Group is committed to Equal Housing Opportunities for people of all races, religions, ethnic groups, and disabilities and all other groups protected by federal, state, or local law.

gage, now is a good time to lock in interest at a permanently low rate. Also, it makes sense for homeowners with good credit scores who plan on staying in their home for several more years to refinance. Online calculators can help you estimate the time it will take to recover your financing costs, giving you an idea whether refinancing makes sense for you based on how long you plan to stay in your home. As you think about refinancing, here are five points to consider: Shop around. Compare the terms offered by different lenders. One good website to check is Bankrate.com. You’ll find the latest mortgage rates for your area, along with several calculators that may help you decide. Talk with your current lender and make it clear you’re shopping around. In order to keep your business, your bank may cut or eliminate some refinancing costs, including application fees and charges for a title search or inspection. Avoid flashy ads or unfamiliar lenders that may draw you in with introductory interest rates and may have hidden fees. Ask friends and family members who have recently refinanced for recommendations. Lock in a rate. To make sure you get the current interest rate, ask about a mortgage rate lock-in and get it in writing. This is a guarantee by the bank that you’ll get the current low rate while your loan is being processed. Locked in rates typically are for specified periods of 30 or 60 days. Locking in a rate is a little bit of a gamble because rates could go up or down during the several weeks it takes to process your loan. However, with current historically low rates, it’s unlikely they’d drop much further, but they could edge up. Before you sign any commitment, make sure you understand all the costs and details of the loan and that you’ve done your comparisons and know it’s the best deal. Don’t cash out. If it’s not absolutely necessary, resist the temptation to cash out some of the equity you’ve accumulated. Your home is a long-term investment and not an ATM, said Chappell. If you borrow only the amount in the refinancing that you currently owe on your home, qualifying for a loan will be much simpler. Do your homework. Before meeting with a banker, make sure you can document your income and be sure your house is worth more than you need to borrow. It’s a good idea to get a copy of your credit reports in advance to avoid any surprises. Consider shorter terms. One strategy to consider is comparing the payments of a 30-year mortgage with those of a 15-year. Taking the shorter-term loan will cost more per month but will build equity faster and cost you thousands of dollars less in interest. An alternative is to go ahead and refinance at 30 years but continue to pay the same mortgage payment you do now — or at least pay more per month than the new lower paySee REFINANCE, page 7

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What to know when buying or selling gold By Kathy Kristof Howard Wolfe watched gold prices soar for several years before he finally decided to jump. Last year, the Mississippi retiree answered an advertisement for a company selling gold bullion. He wired $20,000 when the metal was retailing for $1,100 per ounce. As of late November, gold was selling for more than $1,300/ounce. But Wolfe isn’t celebrating. The gold he bought was never delivered, and he can’t get the company to answer his calls. “I liked the company because they seemed kind of low-key,” Wolfe said. “They’re still low-key. Really low-key. I’m trying to find the rock they’re hiding under.” As the price of gold surpassed one record after another over the last two years, all too many investors discovered the dark underbelly of gold sales. Scams proliferated as unsophisticated buyers poured into the market to take advantage of rising prices. The phones at Wolfe’s gold dealer, Supe-

rior Gold Group in Santa Monica, Calif., have been disconnected. The company has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau, largely as the result of 44 unanswered complaints. A precious metals trade group said it received complaints from individuals who invested more than $170,000 in bullion that Superior never delivered. The chance of getting the investors’ money back? Negligible.

Refinance

• Federal Reserve, refinancing guidance and calculator: http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/refinancings • National Bureau of Economic Research, optimal refinancing calculator: http://zwicke.nber.org/refinance/index.py — AP

From page 6 ment requires. This pays off your mortgage faster, again saving money in the long run. For more information, check out these online resources:

Caution for sellers, too Gold buyers are not the only ones who should beware. Those seeking to sell their gold are also at risk. Jerry Jordan, managing editor of the Examiner, a weekly newspaper in Beaumont, Texas, spent the last eight months conducting sting operations on traveling gold buyers. These itinerant pitchmen and pitchwomen, who set up shop in local hotel ballrooms, advertise that they’ll pay “top dollar” for jewelry and coins. Jordan noticed that the traveling pur-

chasers often targeted areas hit hardest by the sour economy. It was where consumers were likely to be the most desperate. He borrowed a pocketful of rare coins when one of these road shows passed through town and went to see what he’d be offered. Jordan was told that a coin worth $13,000 would fetch $250. Another worth $10,000 got a bid of $60 — not exactly the “top dollar” that was promised. Jordan has since attended traveling gold-buying shows in four states and written a series of award-winning exposes. The short version: “They routinely offer pennies on the dollar,” he said. “They have an internal motto: If the customer is not educated, do

not educate them.” Mike Fuljenz, president of Universal Coin and Bullion in Beaumont, says most dealers are honest. But shady dealers can take in millions overnight. It’s a classic case of buyer beware. “Just because you see an advertisement on your favorite network doesn’t mean that the company has been vetted,” Fuljenz said. “It doesn’t mean that the company is legitimate or that they’ll give you a good deal. You have to do your homework.”

Buying tips What must you know before you buy gold?

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Don’t be fooled by stock brokers, CD ads Q: My broker, who’s trying to sell $10,000 would have been invested. me a load fund, says I Now, let’s say the fund goes shouldn’t be concerned up by 7 percent a year for the because the fund is a longnext five years. term investment and the With the load fund, $9,425 impact of the load will be would have grown to $13,219.05. less and less over time. With a no-load fund, $10,000 True? would have grown to $14,025.52. A: False, and demonstraBecause of the load, you end bly so. with $806.47 less, or 5.75 perSay you invest $10,000 in a cent less than without the load. fund charging a maximum Use any investment return 5.75 percent front-end load, THE SAVINGS and time period you want and GAME typical for many load stock do the math. Assuming future By Humberto Cruz funds. That means $575 pays returns are the same, if you pay for commissions and $9,425 is a load of “x” percent upfront, actually invested. With a no-load fund that you will always have the same “x” percent charges no commissions to buy or sell, less than if you had not paid the load.

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Dec. 30

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

Ring in 2011 with friends at the New Year’s celebration at the Cockeysville Senior Center. A cash bar, hors d’oeuvres and the sounds of the “Goodtimers” will add to the festivities. The senior center is located at 10535 York Rd. The fee is $10, and the event is open to the community. For more information, call (410) 887-7694.

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Don’t be fooled From page 8 common assertion is wrong. Q: I see advertisements in the newspaper for certificates of deposit insured by the Federal Deposit Insured Corporation at rates more than double what local banks are paying. What’s your opinion of these offers? A: I am leery. The companies promoting these CDs — invariably for extremely short terms, such as just three months — are not the issuing banks but insurance agencies. They use their own money as a “bonus” to add to your CD principal, which makes up the difference between the yield they advertise and what the banks actually pay. To them, that’s just the cost of doing business to entice you to come to their office so they can sell you an annuity or other insurance product. The FDIC has warned consumers about these pitches, and I would stay clear. Q: I’m budgeting for retirement as you suggested and included my husband’s 401(k) balance and my tax-deferred annuity as savings, not as future income. Is this correct? I’m not sure how to estimate taxes on the 401(k) and tax-deferred annuity. A: The balances in 401(k) plans and deferred annuities are part of your savings, as you are not making withdrawals yet. Once you do, the amounts you take out should be listed simply as withdrawals from savings. The exception would be if you use the money to buy an immediate annuity that

Gold From page 7 • Spot price. The best way to buy gold is to buy common coins, such as the American Gold Eagle, which sell for 3 to 5 percent over the spot price of gold. A recent spot price was $1,334, so consumers should not have paid more than about $1,400 an ounce at that point. • Better Business Bureau rating. Wolfe would have saved himself a world of hurt had he checked out his dealer’s BBB rating before he invested. You can find a rating on a company, if it’s available, by going to the organization’s national site at http://www.bbb.org. Click on “Check out a business or charity.” • Dealer affiliations. Is the dealer a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild or the American Numismatic Association? If so, the dealer must abide by a code of ethics and can be kicked out of the group if it fails to resolve consumer disputes. • History. How long has your gold dealer been in business? Many of the fly-bynight operators launched their businesses in the last couple of years as interest in buying gold soared. You could have problems with any company, but dealers with long histories are at least likely to have a trail of complaints if they operate unethically. © 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

pays you an income for life. In that case, the payments you receive should be listed as income. How much you will pay in income taxes when you take the money out will depend on many factors. Among them are: how much you withdraw when, whether you have other taxable income, and the tax rates in effect at the time. For deferred annuities funded with after-tax money, straight withdrawals are taxed one way and lifetime annuity payments another way. Cleary, the overall tax bite of these future withdrawals is very difficult to predict. To play it safe, I would assume it will be at least the same amount of tax you would pay now, if not more. Send questions or comments to Humberto Cruz at AskHumberto@aol.com or c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo, NY 14207. Personal replies are not possible. © 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Health Fitness &

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How your personality affects your health By Angela Haupt Could your personality kill you — or might it make you live longer? Could it give you heart disease, or protect you from illness? Could it push you toward or away from doctor appointments? Personality traits play a distinct role in determining how healthy we are, psychologists say. “Everything is related to everything else. How stressed or angry you are, and how you interact with the world, is contingent in large part on your personality style,” said Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. “And that is going to have an enormous impact on your health.” Here’s a look at common personality types and traits and how each can help or hurt your health (sometimes both):

Hostile One of the aspects of the impatient, hardcharging Type A personality that’s known to increase heart disease risk is hostility. Hostile people eat and smoke more and exercise less than other personality types, said Redford Williams, head of behavioral medicine at Duke University Medical Center and author of Anger Kills. They’re likelier to be overweight in middle age and have higher cholesterol and blood pressure. Williams’s past research suggests hostile people are also more likely to develop

irregular heart rhythms, and to die before reaching their 50s. Most of these problems can be traced back to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as increased inflammation in the walls of the coronary arteries, which leads to a greater risk of heart attack. No personality is set in stone, however, and Type A’s can be taught how to take the edge off their hostility. Hostile heart patients who attend workshops that teach coping skills, for instance, have a lower incidence of depression and healthier blood pressure than Type A’s who don’t go. The key, Williams said, is learning how to communicate more clearly and how to control anger and other negative emotions. Meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can damp hostility with a layer of calm. He suggests Type As ask themselves four questions when they get angry: Is this issue truly important? Is what I’m feeling appropriate to the facts? Can I modify the situation in a positive way? Is taking such action worth it?

Impulsive Because Type A personalities are defined by competitiveness, a drive to succeed, and a sense of urgency, they’re prone to take risks and act without thinking, neither of which is likely to improve health. Non-Type A’s can be impulsive, too.

Such people are often not as wellgrounded as others, said Robin Belamaric, a clinical psychologist in Bethesda, Md. “They’ll look at an opportunity that comes along and say, ‘Hmm, that sounds like fun,’ whereas another, more thoughtful person, will say, ‘I’m going to pass, because I’m not sure it’s the best idea.’”

Relaxed If you’re a Type B, you roll with the punches. You’re relaxed, take life a day a time, and handle stress without cracking. That translates to a higher quality of life and lower likelihood of heart disease — less anxiety strengthens the immune system. The more we chill, the better off we are, said Miller: “You don’t want to get locked into a stressful, tense state of mind.” Over the long term, he adds, relaxing and managing stress effectively will lengthen your life, help your heart and gastrointestinal system, and just make you feel better overall.

Extrovert People who are outgoing, involved in their communities, and have strong social connections reap health benefits. An analysis of 148 studies published in the online journal PLoS medicine in July found that on average, adults enrolled in a study who had many close friendships were 50 percent likelier to survive until their study ended

than were those with few friendships. And a 2009 study published in Perspectives in Psychological Science suggests that social support leads to improved coping skills, healthy behavior, and adherence to medical regimens. Bonding with others also reduces stress and improves the immune system — so making friends and getting involved becomes, in effect, a well-being tonic. What drives at least some of the health benefits goes beyond biology, Miller said. “It may have to do with the fact that when you’re around people, you think, ‘Oh, Martha has gone for her mammogram — that reminds me, I should, too.’”

Eager to please People-pleasers — Type C’s — are conforming, passive, and want to accommodate. That can be a good thing when it comes to patient compliance: They’re more likely to take the right medicines in the right doses at the right times, for instance — once they see a doctor, that is. Making and following through on appointments can be challenging for Type C’s, who tend to accept their fate as inevitable and fall readily into hopelessness and helplessness. That means others must push them to take care of themselves. “They may be less likely to maintain their health on their own,” Belamaric said. “If they See PERSONALITY, page 13

Some Alzheimer’s research advances By Marilynn Marchionne Scientists reported advances in detecting and predicting Alzheimer’s disease at a recent conference in Honolulu, plus offered more proof that getting enough exercise and vitamin D may lower your risk. There are better brain scans to spot Alzheimer’s disease; more known genes that affect risk; blood and spinal fluid tests that may help tell who will develop the mind-robbing illness and when. But what is needed most — a treatment that does more than just ease symptoms — is not at hand. “We don’t have anything that slows or stops the course,” said William Thies, the Alzheimer’s Association scientific director.

“We’re really in a silent window right now” with new drugs, he said. Several promising ones flopped in latestage tests — most recently, Pfizer Inc.’s Dimebon. Results on several others won’t be ready until next year. Still, there is some progress against Alzheimer’s, a dementia that afflicts more than 26 million people worldwide. Here are some highlights of the research: • Prevention. Moderate to heavy exercisers had half the risk of developing dementia compared with less active people, researchers from the long-running Framingham Heart Study reported recently. Earlier studies also found exercise helps. “That seems to be as good as anything”

for preventing dementia, said Dr. Richard Mayeux, a Columbia University neurologist and conference leader. Another big government-funded study found that vitamin D deficiency can raise the risk of mental impairment up to fourfold. This doesn’t mean taking supplements is a good idea, doctors warn. A large study is testing whether that is safe and helps prevent a variety of diseases. • Novel treatments. Tests of an insulin nose spray to improve cognition gave encouraging results, but “it’s still a pilot trial” and larger studies are needed to see if this works and is safe, said Laurie Ryan. She oversees Alzheimer’s study grants for the National Institute on Aging, which funded the work.

It’s based on the theory that Alzheimer’s and diabetes are related. Diabetics seem to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and Alzheimer’s patients tend to have insulin resistance, Ryan said. Giving insulin as a nose spray sends it straight to the brain without affecting blood-sugar levels, she explained. “If it works, it would certainly be an easy thing to administer. It’s not like taking a shot each day,” and likely would be cheap, she said. • Improved detection. Many types of imaging can document dementia, which usually is diagnosed through cognition tests. For several years, scientists have used See ALZHEIMER’S, page 11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Holiday tips for caregivers Communicating with dementia sufferers can sometimes be a challenge. The brain is a complicated machine with different parts having different functions and different ways they receive, process, and output information. When a person experiences cognitive decline, regardless of whatever disease caused it, the process will not be uniform and certain parts of the brain will be more affected than others. Because of this, you may be able to improve communication by working with alternative inputs and outputs. For example, Mrs. Apple had not been

Alzheimer’s From page 10 one such method — a radioactive dye and PET scans — to see the sticky brain plaque that is a key feature of Alzheimer’s. But the dye is tough to use, and at least four companies are developing better ones. Until there are better treatments, there will be little demand for tests that show you have or are destined to get the disease, several experts said. There’s little testing now for the first gene strongly tied to Alzheimer’s risk, ApoE-4.

L I F E B R I D G E H E A LT H

speaking for almost six months and was usually not responsive to verbal requests, which are a function of one section of the brain. During the holiday season her daughter and granddaughter were at her house decorating for the season. They began to sing a carol together and were completely shocked and delighted when Mrs. Apple joined right in and began to sing along. They were three happy people that day. They had discovered a way to communicate using a part of the brain where music had better function than the area where her speech resided. We all learned the al-

“It’s kind of like finding high cholesterol” but not having drugs that can lower it, said Dr. Mark Sager, director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Scientists also don’t know if the plaque is a cause, an effect, or just a sign of Alzheimer’s. Two experimental drugs seemed to clear plaque but did not lead to clinical improvement. “We’ve still got a long way to go,” Sager said. For more information, see the website of the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org. — AP

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phabet by having it turned into a song. You may still sing it to yourself that way. Mr. Baker no longer recognized his daughter when she came to visit. She would tell him who she was but he didn’t make the connection with the verbal input. One day she tried a different approach and brought him a page with three photos of herself. One was of her as a young child, one was as a teenager, and one was taken recently. Each one had her name written under it. When she handed it to him, he looked at each picture, and then looked at her with a big smile and said, “It is great to

see you.“ He was able to understand who she was with these visual cues that reached into his long-term memory. Try using written notes as answers to constantly repeated questions, or to improve compliance with your requests like “Let’s go to bed.” or “It’s time to come and eat.“ Someone may be able to understand and respond to visual cues better than to verbal statements. Experiment, use your imagination, and try singing a carol this season. What can you lose? — Reprinted from LifeLedger Caregiving Tips, a product of www.elderissues.com.

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omeone with a normal gait–the medical term for walking–walks smoothly at a normal pace without thinking about it. Someone with an abnormal gait may have trouble taking the first step; have bent posture; have spasticity; or walk with a shuffle, shortened steps or slow pace. You may have to think about each step rather than it coming automatically, or may be thrown off balance by turning or changing direction. These are signs that control of gait by the brain, spine or peripheral nervous system may be impaired. As we age, we may think it’s normal for walking to become more difficult. However, we should continue to walk normally as we age. Physicians at The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute of LifeBridge Health (BSI), a one-ofits-kind consortium of specialists from Sinai and Northwest hospitals, have a message for those with gait difficulty: Our goal is to find and treat the causes of gait impairment and help you regain functional mobility and prevent falls.

Our interdisciplinary team of experts includes neurologists, rehabilitation physicians/physiatrists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Patients who come to the BSI for gait abnormalities are screened by a neurologist or physiatrist. We have expertise in neurological disorders like cerebral palsy, Parkinson disease, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, spinal stenosis, peripheral neuropathy and normal pressure hydrocephalus. After a comprehensive medical history and examination of the patient, our doctors determine the need for additional diagnostic tests, like MRI or CT of the brain or spine, electromyography, nerve conduction study, or X-rays of the spine. Once a diagnosis is made, an individualized treatment plan is recommended. For example, patients with cervical or lumbar spinal stenosis are treated by one of our neurosurgeons or orthopedic spine surgeons. Those suspected of having a disorder like Parkinsonism are seen by a movement disorder specialist, and those with neuropathy

or peripheral nerve problems are seen by one of our neuromuscular neurologists or physiatrists. Some patients may be treated by a physical therapist for strengthening and retraining of walking and balancing. If you already know the cause of your gait abnormality, you may wish to be re-evaluated or to receive ongoing management by our team. For example, tightness in muscles due to spasticity can be reduced, and walking improved, by comprehensive treatments offered in the spasticity program. If you have arthritis in the hip or knee, a physician may have told you that this is not the cause of your difficulty walking. We can evaluate and help. Difficulty with gait, balance or mobility isn’t normal and could signify an underlying problem. If you or a family member has such symptoms, call The Center for Gait and Mobility at The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute at 410-601WELL(9355).

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Get health benefits you can count on, before it’s too late. Enroll in a Bravo Health Medicare Advantage plan today.

December 3 9:30 am | Arbutus Library 855 Sulphur Spring Rd., Arbutus

December 6 9:30 am | Cockeysville Library 9833 Greenside Dr., Cockeysville

December 6 1:00 pm December 17 11:00 am Perry Hall Library 9685 Honeygo Blvd., Perry Hall

Bravo Health is one of the fastest growing Medicare Advantage companies in the nation. For more than a decade, we’ve been offering our

December 8, 29

services to people who want to live life well, and now, those same great plans are available in your area. Medicare Advantage plans are our main focus, and that’s what allows us to do it well. We may be able to help you save and get the benefits you need—and we’ll be here if you have questions.

10:00 am | Paper Moon Diner 227 West 29th St., Baltimore

December 9 2:00 pm | Bob Evans 6336 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville

December 13

A few of Bravo Health’s benefits: + + +

0 premium plans

0 primary care provider visits

Part D Prescription Drug Coverage

ATTENTION:

+ + +

0 annual vision exams

9:30 am | Loch Raven Library 1046 Taylor Ave., Towson

0 preventive dental

December 14

0 SilverSneakers® gym membership

Call a Sales Representative at

Medicare annual enrollment ends December 31st.

1-888-332-2827 (TTY 711),

There is no option to enroll after this date*. Don’t wait. Let us help you now.

seven days a week, 8 am to 8 pm, or visit www.mybravohealth.com.

2:00 pm | Bob Evans 4110 Wholesale Club Dr., Baltimore

December 15

2:00 pm | IHOP 1557 Merritt Blvd., Dundalk

December 16 2:00 pm | Bob Evans 6336 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville

December 20 11:30 am | Rosedale Library 6105 Kenwood Ave., Baltimore

December 22 *Unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or within your Initial Enrollment Period. A sales person will be present with information and applications. During the seminar, the Bravo Health Medicare Advantage plans (HMO, PPO, SNP) available in your service area will be discussed. For accommodations of persons with special needs at sales meetings call Bravo Health Member Services at 1-800-291-0396 (TTY 711), seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm. Bravo Health plans are offered by subsidiaries of Bravo Health, Inc. A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. The benefit information provided herein is a brief summary, not a comprehensive description of benefits. For more information contact the plan. Benefits, formulary, premiums, and copayments may change on January 1, 2012. H2108_11_0028 File and Use 10312010

1:00 pm | White Marsh Library 8133 Sandpiper Circle, Nottingham

December 23 10:00 am | Pikesville Public Library 1301 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville

December 27 11:00 am | North Point Library 1716 Merritt Blvd., Dundalk

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Personality From page 10 develop a problem, they may just complain about it, hoping somebody says, ‘I have a good doctor, I’ll make you an appointment.’” Some Type C’s may be so mired that they don’t seek medical attention — even when it’s clearly necessary — and slough off preventive behaviors, like watching what they eat. “If they get a serious diagnosis, they may be passive, throw their hands up, and say, ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do about it, anyway. If it’s my time, it’s my time,’” Belamaric said.

on negative emotions and are afraid to express themselves in social situations. Compared to more optimistic sorts, a Type D may face three times the risk for future heart problems, according to a recent study in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Type D’s also face a higher likelihood of compulsive overeating and substance abuse. “If you’re a person who is prone to depression or anxiety, or if you’re overly self-critical, there’s more of a chance of turning to gratifying behavior to feel better,” Miller said.

Optimistic vs. pessimistic Stressed and distressed Type D’s — D is for distressed — dwell

Optimism “heavily influences physical and mental health,” concluded a study

BEACON BITS

Jan. 6+

Achilles Tendon Problems • Ankle Pains • Sprains • Bunions Diabetic Foot Care • Flatfoot (Pediatrics) • Fractures • Heel Pain Ingrown Toenails • Neuroma • Ulcer and Wound Care

FREE Owings Mills – 410-363-4343 Randallstown – 410-363-4343 Dundalk – 410-282-6666 Towson – 410-830-2130 Eldersburg – 410-363-4343

Computer Analysis of the Foot (A $200 Value)

LOSE THOSE HOLIDAY POUNDS!!

EASE INTO YOGA

Improve your strength and flexibility in Introduction to Yoga classes held every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Living Well, 2443 N. Charles St. Pay what you can. For more information, call (410) 764-7322.

Ongoing

That’s the name Howard Friedman, a professor of psychology at the University of California-Riverside, attaches to people who are curious, secure, constructive, responsive, and conscientious. These traits translate to enthusiasm for life, emotional balance, and strong social relationships. “Positive emotions buffer hormonal responses to stress,” said Friedman, who studies the relationship between personality and longevity. Self-healers, he said, “have healthier behavior patterns: more physical activity, a better diet, and less smoking and substance abuse.” © 2010 U.S. News and World Report

WWW.WETREATFEET.COM

TAI CHI FOR SENIORS

De-stress at weekly tai chi classes offered every Monday at 12:45 p.m. at the Senior Network of North Baltimore, 5828 York Rd. For more information, call (410) 323-7131.

Ongoing

The “self-healing personality”

NEW MEALS ON WHEELS WEBSITE

Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland now has a website, www.mealsonwheelsmd.org. The site provides information about Meals on Wheels and resources available for homebound individuals. For more information, call (410) 558-0932.

Ongoing

examples. They believe they won’t develop lung cancer. Why give up smoking to prevent a nonexistent risk?

ZUMBA CLASS

Take a Zumba Gold class, which fuses Latin rhythms with easy-tofollow dance steps, at the Essex Senior Center, 600 Dorsey Ave. The one-hour class meets each Thursday at 9 a.m. for 10 weeks, starting Jan. 6. Cost: $20. Sign up at the center’s front desk or call (410) 887-0267.

Ongoing

published in May in the journal Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health after researchers followed more than 500 males for 15 years. The rate of heart-related deaths was 50 percent lower among optimists than among pessimists. “Optimists have a higher quality of life, and they may be more resilient in the way they deal with stress,” Miller said. “So if a problem comes along, they’re able to handle it better, and they become less symptomatic.” In contrast, glass-half-empty types harbor little hope for the future and tend more toward depression and anxiety disorders. But there’s a catch for those at the extreme end of the optimism spectrum: They think of themselves as impervious to risks. Extreme optimists who smoke are the best

GET FIT TO MUSIC AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

CALL UPCOMFOR CLASS ING 410-52 DATES

9-3020

Work out to popular line dances, hip-hop, Caribbean and African rhythms on Mondays at 12 p.m. at the Waverly branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 E. 33rd St. No cost. Call (410) 396-6053 for more information.

Maryland’s Finest Private Duty In-Home Care

• Experienced, licensed, • Help with Personal Hygiene screened and insured aides • Medication reminders • Accompany to appointments • Light Housekeeping Mention the Beacon for these special oﬀers.

No Cost Comprehensive Initial Assessment Performed by our registered nurse A $200 value

Recharge your mind and heal your body with Senior Fit group fitness classes. Workout routines help you develop strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, joint stability, and cardiovascular endurance. Classes will be held at Anytime Fitness at the Honeygo Village Shopping Center in Perry Hall. Advance reservations not required. Each session will focus on different skills to keep the routines exciting and your body improving, while having fun in a positive, energizing way.

One Free Shift When you contract for a minimum of one week of services

410-466-7711

visit us online at www.RMGHealth.com

Senior Fit Program

410-529-3020

www.anytimefitness.com 5002 Honeygo Center Drive • Perry Hall, MD 21128

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Health Studies Page

JANUARY 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Wanted: Volunteers with heart disease Sinai Hospital, a member of LifeBridge Health of Baltimore, is currently enrolling patients in a new clinical research study to test the effect of smoking on anti-clotting (blood thinning) drug therapies given to those with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Both smokers and non-smokers are needed as volunteers. Dr. Paul Gurbel, director of the Sinai Center for Thrombosis Research, is conducting the study. CAD is a narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. This condition can be caused

by a build-up of cholesterol and deposits of fatty material (plaque) on the artery walls. CAD may lead to less blood flow to the heart and may cause chest pain, abnormal heart beat, heart attack, and other heart and blood vessel diseases. Narrow blood vessels make it difficult for blood to flow to the heart and increase the risk of blood clots that may stop blood flow.

Smokers and non-smokers sought Gurbel is seeking volunteers (smokers and non-smokers) who have stable CAD

Studies on Aging: Johns Hopkins University Are you 70 years or older? Investigators from the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus are looking for individuals aged 70 or older to participate in a research study that is looking at the aging process. Tests would include measurements of strength, walking speed and questions about your physical activities. We may also request a blood draw and urine sample. You will be paid $10 for participating depending on the study and we can conduct the study in your home. No travel required. If you choose to travel to Bayview, a parking pass will be given to you.

For more information, please call our study coordinators at Bayview:

410-550-9016 or 410-550-2113 We look forward to hearing from you!

'OOD (EALTH !T .EIGHBOR#ARE WE TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR HEALTHCARE 7E WORK WITH YOUR PHYSICIANS TO PROVIDE AN UNSURPASSED CONTINUUM OF CARE

%XPERIENCE THE .EIGHBOR#ARE $IFFERENCE s &2%% 02%3#2)04)/. $%,)6%29 s !LL PRESCRIPTION AND -EDICARE $ PLANS ACCEPTED s 2ElLLS AVAILABLE HOURS A DAY BY PHONE OR ON LINE s #ONVENIENT 'REATER "ALTIMORE !REA ,OCATIONS

9/52 &)234 .%7 OR 42!.3&%22%$ 02%3#2)04)/.

&OR A LOCATION NEAR YOU CALL #!2%

,IMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER .O CASH VALUE

Compensation provided Eligible volunteers will receive all studyrelated physical exams and laboratory blood tests. In addition, they will be compensated up to $600 for their time and travel for participating in the study. Study volunteers will be randomly assigned to a study medication, and neither volunteers nor their doctors will know which drug each volunteer is taking until after the study is completed. If you are interested in participating in the study, call the Sinai Center for Thrombosis Research at (410) 601-4795.

Dec. 22

BUON NATALE!

Donna Crivello of the eponymous restaurants, Donnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, grew up with a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner of salted cod and eel. Learn how to prepare your own Italian seafood Christmas Eve feast on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Participants will watch the demonstration while drinking wine, sampling the creations, and getting some expert culinary advice about shopping for Mediterranean ingredients, choosing fresh seafood and cooking without recipes. Tickets are $45 per person. For reservations, e-mail donnasalad@aol.com or visit www.donnas.com/classes.htm.

FIND A NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

AARPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Create the Good program is about helping others, whether you have five minutes or five hours. Call 1-888-OUR-AARP or visit www.aarp.org/makeadifference/volunteer/create_the_good.

Ongoing

AARP MARYLAND OFFICE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Make a difference in the state of Maryland through a variety of volunteer opportunities with AARP. Call (410) 895-7604 or visit www.aarp.org to learn more.

Ongoing

HELP AN OLDER ADULT

Home Team serves homebound older adults of Baltimore County with supportive services such as grocery shopping, friendly visiting, phone calls, escorting and more. Call (410) 887-4141 for more information about how you can help.

Do You Have Osteoarthritis Of The Knee? The University of Maryland is conducting an investigational research study to determine if an herbal supplement is useful for persons with osteoarthritis of the knee. You may be eligible if you: Have been diagnosed with OA of the knee. Are at least 40 years old. And are in good general health. Participants will be seen at Kernan Hospital located just off I-70 and Security Boulevard. Parking is free.

&OR )NTERNAL 5SE /NLY 3TORE .O

There may be up to five clinic visits during a seven- to 10-week period.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

7E 6ALUE 9OUR

OFF

and are currently taking a daily dose of aspirin. Volunteers must be between 18 and 74 years of age and cannot have had any stent placement within the last 12 months. To be eligible for this study as a smoker, you must smoke at least 10 cigarettes a day. Smoking a cigar or a pipe does not count. A blood test will be done to determine if you have a high enough nicotine level to take part in the study. Eligible volunteers for the study will go through two treatment phases. A treatment phase consists of 10 days in which each volunteer takes one study medication and a placebo (inactive substance) of the other study medication. In between the two phases will be a 14-day break without any drug.

$ATE 2EDEEMED

WWW NEIGHBORCARE COM

Call 1-877-861-6037 now to see if you are eligible. You will be compensated for your time.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

New heart valve without invasive surgery By Lauran Neergaard Thousands of older Americans who need new heart valves but are too frail to survive the surgery might soon get a chance at an easier option — a way to thread in an artificial aortic valve without cracking open their chests. The aortic valve is the heart’s main doorway, and a major new U.S. study found that snaking a new one in through an artery significantly improved the chances that patients with no other treatment options would survive at least a year. Not yet known is whether easier-to-implant valves might work for the less sick who’d like to try the new technology rather than undergo the open-heart surgery required for standard valve replacements that can last 20 years. That question still is being studied, but two competing types of these “transcatheter aortic valves” already are sold in Europe/ And manufacturer Edwards Lifesciences Corp. hopes to win U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell its version for inoperable patients in about a year. “This opens the door to a new treatment,” said lead researcher Dr. Martin Leon of Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He reported the results in the New England Journal of Medicine. Edwards paid for the study at 21 hospitals, and many of the researchers have received fees from that company or competing heart device makers. The valves are not a cure-all, they come with a risk of stroke, and no one knows how long they’ll last. Still, specialists say they are a step to transforming care for a problem on the rise as the population grays.

50,000 surgeries a year Some 300,000 Americans already have a seriously diseased aortic valve, a gate that essentially rusts with age until it can’t open properly, forcing the heart to work ever harder to squeeze blood through. More than 50,000 people a year undergo open-heart surgery to replace that valve,

and thousands more are turned away, deemed too old or ill to survive the arduous operation. The less invasive option will “possibly be a game-changer,” said Dr. Robert Bonow of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School in Medicine in Chicago, who monitors the valves’ development for the American Heart Association and has consulted for Edwards. “In the future, this may be the way many patients get their valves replaced.” Patients marvel at how quickly they can bounce back. “It’s like they jacked me up and put a new motor in,” said Herbert Rose, 81, of New York City. He couldn’t climb a few stairs without pain and shortness of breath before his April implant, but said now he swims 11 to 14 laps in the local pool every other day. Traditionally, surgeons saw a person’s breastbone in half, stop the heart, cut out the old, hardened valve and sew in a new one. Even the best patients spend a week in the hospital and require a few months to recuperate, but people can live well with these valves for decades. Transcatheter valves, made by Edwards and competitor Medtronic, are threaded through a leg artery up to the heart. The old valve doesn’t need to be removed. Instead, it’s propped open and the new valve is wedged into that doorway.

More survive in better shape In the new study, 358 patients deemed inoperable were randomly assigned to receive either the Edwards transcatheter valve or essentially comfort care. In the first month, 5 percent of the valve recipients died, compared with 2.8 percent of the control group, showing the risk of any procedure in these sickest-of-the-sick. But a year later, half of the patients who didn’t get a new valve had died of various causes, compared with just 30 percent of the valve recipients. Columbia’s Leon said doctors saved a life for every five patients treated — and most patients with the new valve felt better and moved better, enjoying more quality of life.

Seeking Men and Women The University of Maryland & Veterans Aﬀairs of Baltimore are conducting a research study to better understand FALLS in aging individuals. With your participation you will receive:

• Health evaluation • CT scans of waist, hip, and leg • Balance and strength testing

410-605-7179 Mention code: FALLS You must be at least 65 years old and in good health. You will be compensated for your time.

That’s a meaningful survival difference, said Dr. Andrew Wang of Duke University, who called the results exciting. Duke is among the centers soon to begin testing Medtronic’s valve. While the results are promising, there is a worry: 5 percent of valve recipients suffered strokes, compared with 1 percent of the control group. “We don’t want to have people stop having heart failure and be debilitated by having strokes,” said Dr. James McClurken of Temple University in Philadelphia. Doctors had seen similar stroke rates in Europe and are working on smaller valves and better techniques to lower that risk. Study patients will be tracked for five

years, but how long these wedged-in valves will last is a huge question if they are ever to be used by lower-risk patients, cautioned Dr. John Conte of Johns Hopkins University, a spokesman for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He said potential patients should be evaluated by both an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon to decide if the new method or the old is their best option. Standard heart valve replacement costs upward of $50,000, most from surgical and hospitalization fees. Transcatheter valves are anticipated to cost $20,000 to $30,000 but to bring lower hospital bills. — AP

Supervised Exercise Program for Older Adults at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Healthy, non-smoking men & women 50-75 years old needed to participate in an exercise research study at the University of Maryland / Baltimore VA Medical Center. Work with Doctors and Exercise Physiologists to safely get fit. Participation involves tests to measure your fitness and function. You will receive free medical and fitness evaluations, 6 months of supervised exercise sessions, free parking, and compensation for your time

Call 410-605-7179 Mention code: STX

Do You Have Knee Arthritis and Difficulty Sleeping? Volunteers NEEDED for a Clinical Trial on New Non-drug treatment for problem sleeping Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are looking for volunteers to participate in a research study examining new ways of treating insomnia, in people with osteoarthritis in their knee. ➢ To participate in this study, you must be: • At least 50 years of age OR 35 years of age and older with prior diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis • Have frequent knee pain • Interested in sleeping better ➢ This study involves: • Sleep studies conducted in your home • Sensory testing and knee exam at Johns Hopkins • Meeting with sleep specialist to discuss ways to improve sleep • Additional optional medical tests • All examinations, parking, & tests are provided at no cost. ➢ Compensation up to $870.00

Approved 8/16/10

Michael T. Smith, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Protocol: NA_00011802 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

For information, please call (410) 550-7906

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

You’ll start feeling better the minute you see how much you save on generic prescriptions. If you or your family are taking prescription medications, you may want to try generics. Generics are safe and eﬀective, FDA approved, and work the same way that name brands do, but cost up to 80% less. Speak to your CVS Pharmacist to learn more.

Donndra Kee-Pearce, CVS Pharmacist

07658RXM08

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Fiber fights cancer, cholesterol and more Q: Is there something special in dry cer, women who consumed dry beans and beans that lowers cancer risk, or is lentils at least twice a week had nearly 25 the goal really just to eat percent lower risk of breast more fiber? cancer over an eight-year peA: Dry beans — such as riod than those eating them kidney, black, pinto and navy less than once a month. beans — and dry peas and An animal study suggested lentils are more than just that bean consumption could sources of dietary fiber. act through several different Yes, beans are concentrated pathways to increase self-dein fiber, and foods high in fiber struction of breast cancer do probably lower cancer risk, cells and decrease tumor forat least in the colon. But dry mation. beans, peas and lentils also NUTRITION Q: I’ve noticed chicory provide resistant starch, which WISE root fiber listed in several is converted in our gut to com- By Karen Collins, foods I thought were high in pounds that seem to offer di- MS, RD, CDM fiber from basic whole grains rect cancer protection to colon or fruit. Does this form of cells. fiber have the same health Dry beans are also top sources of lig- benefits or is it a trick? nans, a variety of antioxidant phytochemiA: Chicory root is the most common cals, and folate, important to produce and source of a substance called inulin, and it is maintain healthy DNA. now added to a wide variety of bars, cereals Growing research suggests that regular and bread, and even foods which naturally consumption of dry beans may help pro- provide no fiber, such as yogurt, ice cream, tect against breast, colon and prostate can- cottage cheese, juice and chocolate bars. cers, and potentially others. It is listed on labels as contributing to total In one large study, for example, al- fiber intake because, like all fiber, inulin though total consumption of a group of an- passes undigested to our colon. tioxidant compounds called flavonols was Different types of fiber vary widely in not linked with lowered risk of breast can- their effects. Foods providing inulin from

chicory root or Jerusalem artichokes may not reduce LDL cholesterol like fiber from oatmeal and barley, but research does support a variety of likely health benefits. Inulin is what is called a prebiotic, meaning that it feeds growth of health-promoting bacteria in our gut. It may also suppress growth of unhealthy bacteria and production of substances within the gut that have been linked to development of colon cancer. Emerging research suggests it may also help decrease insulin resistance and lower blood triglycerides, possibly by slowing the speed at which the stomach is emptied. First caution: as with many things, when some is good, more is not always better. We

50ars nce Ye erie p Ex

don’t yet know if there are health risks with too much inulin, but too much from supplements can lead to uncomfortable gas and bloating. Second caution: lower risk of cancer and heart disease in studies with high-fiber diets is not necessarily due to the fiber alone, so foods with chicory root fiber or other sources of inulin should not be considered replacements for whole foods that provide fiber along with a wide range of nutrients and phytochemicals. Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

We have the latest in digital programmable hearing aids with open fit (and no feedback)

Your Cost is $995 almost $600 LESS than found elsewhere

Donald Abrams – Hearing Aid Center – 410-653-5549 1100 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville • Inside Optical Center

Dr. Stuart M. Goldman, Podiatrist

Fellow, American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Marquis Who’s Who in America, In Medicine and Healthcare Author, Multiple articles (1997-2008) in Podiatry, Diabetes, and Family Practice Journals on Evaluation & Treatment of Foot & Leg Symptoms, including Neuropathic Symptoms.

On Medical/ Surgical staff at: Northwest GBMC Sinai

Focus on Non-Surgical Treatment of the Foot & Leg in Children and Adults Diabetic Foot Management including ADA “Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Exam” “Where there’s pain- there’s a reason!” – Dr. Goldman A podiatrist for 3 decades, with years of experience as hospital chair, surgical instructor, and author, Dr. Goldman often has success with patients who have persistent symptoms, despite other care, and invites all those with foot and leg pain to come in for evaluation and treatment.

HelpForYourFeet

(410) 235-2345

Two Convenient OfAice Locations: 4419 Falls Road, Suite A, Baltimore & 4000 Old Court Road, Suite 301, Pikesville

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

y ice b Pr ced du 8 Re $4

o t N trac on C

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Finally, a cell phone that’s… a phone!

“Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and get a cell phone. My kids have been bugging me, my book group made fun of me, and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones are so small I can’t see the numbers, much less push the right one. They all have cameras, computers and a “global-positioning” something or other that’s supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren’t much help. They couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were complicated, confusing, and expensive… and the contract lasted for two years! I’d almost given up when a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the convenience and safety of being able to stay in touch… with a phone I can actually use.”

Questions about Jitterbug?

Monthly Minutes

8886776612

Monthly Rate Operator Assistance 911 Access Long Distance Calls Voice Dial Nationwide Coverage Trial Period

100

$14.99 24/7 FREE No add’l charge FREE Yes 30 days

$19.99 24/7 FREE No add’l charge FREE Yes 30 days

Other plans available. Ask your Jitterbug expert for details.

FREE Gift

Order now and receive a free Car Charger. A $24 value!

Try our pre-recordedToll-Free Hotline1-877-769-2916

Aﬀordable plans that I can understand – and no contract to sign! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I’m never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won’t find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign – so I’m not locked in for years at a time or subject to termination fees. The U.S. – based customer service is second to none, and the phone gets service virtually anywhere in the country. Call now and get a FREE GIFT. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it. Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. The phone comes preprogrammed with your favorite numbers, and if you aren’t as happy with it as I am you can return it for a refund of the purchase price. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts are ready to answer your questions.

Enjoy A Bath Again… Safely The Designed for Seniors® Safe Step® Walk-In tub is luxurious, feature-packed and affordable

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IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: All rate plans require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35.00. Coverage and service is not available everywhere.There are no additional fees to call Jitterbug’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any calls connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees are subject to change. Savings are based on marketing materials from nationally available cellular companies as of June, 2010 (not including family share plans). The full price of the Jitterbug Phone will be refunded if it is returned within 30 days of purchase, in like-new condition, and with less than 30 minutes of usage.A Jitterbug Phone purchased from a retail location is subject to the return policy of that retail location.The Jitterbug phone is created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Jitterbug is a registered trademark of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its related entities. Created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved.

By John Fleming

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or millions of aging Americans, the simple pleasure of a comfortable, luxurious bath has become a thing of the past. Fear of falling is the number one reason that people leave the home they love and move to a relative’s home or some kind of assisted living facility. The number one place in the home where falls are likely to occur is the bathroom. Now, there is a better solution for this widespread problem… the revolutionary Walk-In Tub from Safe Step.

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height that’s only 4 inches high— so you can get in and out easily. Simply open the easy-to-turn door latch, walk in and close the door. It’s that safe and easy. Our design engineers have thought of everything. From the 17-inch high seat (no struggling to get up or down), to both water and air-jet therapy, to built-in heating. It will give you the freedom and independence to bathe in safety, comfort and convenience. Why not rediscover the soothing, luxurious pleasure of a comfortable bath… in the home you love? The Safe Step Tub is the best value on the market. Call now.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Herbs that protect from, and treat, a cold Dear Pharmacist: Marshmallow soothes mucous memWhat can I do to protect myself branes and can put a stop to a dry, hacking from catching a cold this cough. season? For sore throats, make tea — N.W. from slippery elm. Dear N.W.: Now, as much as I believe Job one is to strengthen in your own ability to take your immune system, which care of yourself when you get protects you from pathogens a cold, I also think there which, by the way, are everycomes a time when you need where. There are “bugs” on to see your doctor. your skin and all over your See your doctor if you exbody, but they don’t infect you perience sharp pains in your unless your immune system DEAR chest, shortness of breath, PHARMACIST runs down. coughing up blood or yelKeep a light, healthy diet By Suzy Cohen low/brown mucus, persistent that is tilted in the direction of healthy foods, and free of refined sugar. Drink herbal tea. You can buy commercially prepared teas at any health food store or online. Be careful though: Some are just black tea flavored with herbs. You want the real deal, pure 100 percent herbal tea. Instead of buying ready made tea, why not make your own? I study the herbs that I like, and then go to the health food store to buy them in bulk. You can combine herbs in intelligent ways to customize your tea based on symptoms or health benefits. Such herbal teas nourish your body and warm your soul. For example, if you want vitamin C for its amazing antioxidant power, buy some rose hips. If you want to strengthen your immune system, get elderberry and astragalus and combine those together. Just boil some water and steep about 1 teaspoon each per cup. It’s okay to add a little bit of raw honey or unrefined agave nectar. If you get a bad cough, why not use marshmallow extract? That is, the herb marshmallow, not the gooey confection!

chills or night sweats, or persistent cough along with a fever. Use common sense and see your physician, because you may need an antibiotic or a breathing inhaler. I’m a big advocate for self treatment, but sometimes, enough is enough! Dear Pharmacist: How can I save money at the pharmacy? It gets real expensive, especially at this time of year. —T.A. Dear T.A.: My pharmacy customers used to joke and say it was the high cost of living! Here are my tips about how to save some money at the pharmacy: 1. Buy generic prescriptions. You could save up to $400 a month, depending on the drug. Generics are supposed to be manufactured to the same exact standards as brand name drugs, but they don’t rack up the same expensive research, development and advertising costs. 2. Ask your doctor for samples. It’s a free way to try your medication and see if it works before you make a large non-re-

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fundable investment at the pharmacy. Physicians are busy and often forget to offer samples, but if you ask, and they have one, you’ll get it. Don’t be shy. 3. Take an older medication. Older drugs have generic equivalents available for them. Just ask your physician to write a prescription for a medication that has been out for at least 10 years. Newer drugs are not necessarily any better, and besides, their track record of safety isn’t established like the old drugs. 4. Buy a pill splitter and cut pills in half. First ask your doctor if he can pre-

scribe your medication in double the strength you need. For example, if you normally take 10 mg., ask your doctor to write your prescription for 20 mg. The pharmacist does not split pills; you do this yourself at home. But keep in mind, it requires good eyesight. The beauty is that you get double the bang for your buck. Caution folks: Controlled or extended release medications should never be split. 5. Shop for price. I hardly ever sugSee DEAR PHARMACIST, page 20

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Hair From page 1 Her decision has so impressed others that one of her husband’s cousins decided to follow suit, and her own daughters have said that when they start graying, they’re going to let it be. From a hairstylist’s standpoint, there

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

are other reasons that you may want to think twice about dyeing your hair. Sherri Miller, owner of Versacchi Studios in Owings Mills, notes that once you’ve gone gray, “the grow-out [after a coloring] is obvious so quickly that you may have to come in as often as once a month.” Also, “a gray ‘grow-out’ makes hair look even thinner because of the contrast with

If you’re over 50 or have osteoporosis, it’s important that you don’t ignore your back pain. It may signal a spinal fracture. See your doctor right away if you think you may have one.

the new color,” she explained. If you do want to color your hair, she said, it’s better to go with a lighter shade, or just add highlights to minimize the contrast.

Hope for hair loss But what if it’s not so much the color of your hair that’s the problem, but the lack of it? Alopecia (the medical term for hair loss) can be even more troubling and common. The problem confronts 50 percent of men and 30 percent of women over the age of 50, according to Dr. James E. Vogel, an Owings Mills plastic surgeon who is a national leader in the field of hair restoration surgery. In many cases, hair loss is due to hormonal imbalances, Vogel said. In men, this type of hair loss can be controlled by the medication Propecia (finasteride). Vogel himself takes the once-a-day pill and credits his full head of hair to the drug.

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For more information on balloon kyphoplasty call 800-652-2221 or visit www.kyphon.com Medtronic maintains a list of physicians who have been trained to use, and are believed to be both active and proficient users of, Medtronic’s products and who are willing to accept patient referrals. Physician participation on this list is voluntary and free. All referrals are identified based upon geographic criteria only. Medtronic does not guarantee the accuracy of the listings or the capabilities of the physicians listed. The physicians referenced may be paid consultants of, and research cited may have been funded partially or in whole by, Medtronic. Although the complication rate with KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty has been demonstrated to be low, as with most surgical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure, including serious complications. This procedure is not for everyone. A prescription is required. Please consult your physician for a full discussion of risks and whether this procedure is right for you. © 2008 Medtronic Spine LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Unfortunately, when alopecia is an inherited condition, even Propecia won’t prevent hair loss, Vogel said. In those instances, you’re reduced to either a hairpiece or surgical hair transplantation. Another drug, minoxidil (sold as Rogaine) helps some men (and women) retain their existing hair and in some cases grow part of it back. But it doesn’t fight baldness or receding hairlines, and works best in those under 40, according to the National Institutes of Health. Also, the drug must be continued indefinitely. When it’s stopped, any new hair will fall out. With a transplant, a cosmetic surgeon moves healthy hair follicles from the back of the scalp or side of the head to areas in the front or middle portion of the scalp where hair has disappeared. Hair from the side or back of the head will grow anywhere it is transplanted, according to Vogel, and will not fall out like the hair it is replacing. Hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure done under local anesthesia plus an oral sedative. Possible side effects include temporary swelling of the forehead and tightness in the area from which grafts were taken. But the benefits, according to Vogel, are having your own naturally growing hair, undetectable results and more self-confidence. Transplantation costs vary according to the extent and number of procedures needed, but are on a par with other cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction, Vogel said. Insurance doesn’t cover hair trans-

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gest leaving your regular pharmacy, because they have your entire drug profile on the computer so you are safer when it comes to potential interactions. That said, some chains offer a 30-day supply for $4 and a 90-day supply for $10 for maintenance medications, and this saves money. 6. Use a loyalty card. They scan your card when you check out and reward you with cash back every month or quarter. You may also get something like a dollar back for every prescription you buy and discounts for cosmetics, groceries, OTC meds and household items. It’s a free card at the pharmacy; just ask. 7. Buy OTC products when possible. Sometimes you get a prescription for a medication, but its “sister” drug is available over-the-counter for a fraction of the price! Ask the pharmacist if your new, pricey prescription has a relative that is sold OTC. You can do this entirely on your own, but I always prefer that you get your doctor’s blessing for the switch. 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. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Hair From page 20 plantation unless the hair loss is caused by injury or illness. Roger Bobbitt recently traveled from Virginia to Baltimore to have Dr. Vogel correct hair plug surgery Bobbitt had undergone at the tender age of 30, almost 20 years ago. Techniques then weren’t what they are now, and Bobbitt was never happy with the artificial look the earlier surgery had given him. As he continued to lose hair through the years, the plugs became even more visible. Following a three-part corrective repair and new transplantation procedure recently performed by Vogel, Bobbitt said his hair has a softer, more natural look. “Now I look good,” Bobbitt said.

Solutions for women While hair transplants are frequently thought of as a technique for men, almost a third of Vogel’s hair restoration patients are women. For women, hair loss can be especially devastating, said Vogel. “Men can put a

positive spin on it, but for women, hair loss is even more psychologically damaging,” he said. “No woman wants to be faced with hair loss,” agreed Matt Leavitt, DO, author of Women and Hair Loss. “Loss of hair is a huge self-esteem issue for women.” Women’s hair can become thin or fall out for many reasons, including illness, stress, childbirth or heredity. Women’s Rogaine — a less potent form of that for men and available without a prescription — can stimulate hair growth, said Leavitt. Rita Douglas found herself among the 30 percent of women who suffer from hair loss. “I had an actual bald spot in the front of my scalp,” said the 67-year-old Sparks resident. After meeting Versacchi’s Miller, a hair loss specialist, Douglas found a solution that worked for her — an enhancer, which is a cap of hair that adds volume and height to thinning hair as well as covering bald spots. The cap is glued to the scalp and replaced every month. “You can wear it all the time and treat it just as you would your own hair,” said Douglas. She also chose to lighten her hair

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from its original dark-turning-gray color to highlighted blonde. “It’s made such a tremendous difference in my life,” said Douglas, who recalled that at her own 60th surprise birthday party her friends almost didn’t recognize her.

“I have a better outlook on life. Men smile at me now. Without hair, I was never noticed at all,” she said. At a monthly charge of $365 — which includes not only the hairpiece but scalp treatments — “it’s not cheap,” Douglas admits. “But it’s worth every penny!”

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JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Careers Volunteers &

Does your organization use senior volunteers or do you employ a number of seniors? If you do and you’d like to be considered for a story in our Volunteers & Careers section, please send an e-mail to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Attorneys, law students offer ‘just’ advice

Advice is nearly free JustAdvice holds legal clinics throughout the year. There, those in need of advice can sit down with a lawyer to discuss their

legal questions and get brief advice for the nominal fee of $10. Clients come in with questions in any number of legal areas, according to Rhoad, including domestic issues, housing disputes, criminal actions, employment problems, elder care questions and more. If additional legal counsel is needed, the lawyers can refer the customers to private attorneys who have agreed to represent them at below-market rates. “This is a wonderful program, not only for the customers, but also for the students,” Rhoad said. The law students who run the program are the customers’ initial contact. The soon-to-be attorneys also get valuable experience working with real clients with real problems, preparing summary reports to bring to the consulting attorney, and sitting in on the consultations. For Rhoad, part of the joy of volunteering with JustAdvice is the opportunity it provides him to work with and train the students. “Throughout my career, I got great pleasure from being a mentor to young attorneys,” he said.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JUST ADVICE

By Carol Sorgen Stanley Rhoad has made good use of his legal skills since graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1966. Over a period of 41 years, his legal career took him from a federal court clerkship, to several leading Baltimore law firms, to solo practice. Rhoad retired from practice three years ago. Now 70, he keeps active in the legal profession by volunteering in a program called JustAdvice, sponsored by his alma mater. The JustAdvice Project was created, and is run, by UM law school students. It began in the summer of 2009, offering legal assistance to working poor and middle-class adults who cannot afford to hire private attorneys but who earn too much to qualify for free Legal Aid services. The program has already served nearly 500 customers, according to Professor Leigh M. Maddox, who oversees it.

Law students and attorneys donate their time to Just Advice, a University of Maryland program that provides low-cost legal advice to low-and middle-income Baltimore-area residents.

Staffed by volunteer attorneys Rhoad, one of six volunteer attorneys with the project, enjoys the public service aspect of the program. “Customers come in with normal ordinary legal problems that confront folks all the time, and they just don’t know how to deal with them,” said Rhoad. “We try to answer their questions as well as encourage them to engage an experienced lawyer to help them.” Volunteer attorneys such as Rhoad have been a “godsend,” said Maddox. “They have been invaluable in helping to give effective counsel to clients, as well as in helping prepare students for their legal careers,” she said. “With the efforts of the law students and the volunteer attorneys, the JustAdvice Project is meeting the unmet legal needs

of Baltimore residents,” Maddox said. So far, the project has served customers at a number of different locations in Baltimore, including the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay Coalition, Cherry Hill Senior Manor, Cherry Hill Town Center, Dee’s Place, Hollywood Diner, University of Maryland School of Law, and Washington Village Neighborhood Planning Council. In the coming months, clinics will be offered at the following locations: • Jan. 18 and 25 from noon to 3 p.m. at University of Maryland School of Law, 500 W. Baltimore St., Suite 360 • Jan. 20, Feb. 3 and Feb. 17 from 2 to 5 p.m. at University of Maryland Medical See LAW ADVICE, page 23

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

KEEP A CHILD WARM The Fund for Social Welfare, a nonprofit organization serving the

clients of Baltimore County Department of Social Services, is once again providing winter coats to financially disadvantaged children in Baltimore County. As little as

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$20 will see that a child can keep warm with a coat during the coming months. Make checks payable to Fund for Social Welfare and send to: Fund for Social Welfare, c/o Baltimore County Department of Social Services, Drumcastle Center, 6401 York Rd., Suite 1029, Baltimore, MD 21212. In the memo field, write “coats.” For more information, call (410) 853-3024.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Tips for working from home as a couple By Susan Zevon More and more couples are finding themselves working from home, thanks to the rise of telecommuting and the downsizing of many full-time jobs. So how to cope with 24/7 togetherness? Clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky, who has given relationship advice as an author (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Healthy Relationship) and as host of a syndicated radio call-in show, says there are practical and psychological issues to be resolved when couples live and work together. Space, for example. “It is important to find a space that is your own,” agreed Bruce Weinstein, who writes food books with his partner, Mark Scarbrough. For years, they lived in a 600-square-foot apartment in New York City, where the foyer served as Scarbrough’s office and the kitchen was Weinstein’s domain. Looking for more space, they moved to Litchfield, Conn., four years ago. But while having one’s own domain is important, Scarbrough said, “You need to keep in mind that it is still part of the home that belongs to you both.” Working together from home is less stressful when couples find work they enjoy doing together, Kuriansky said. But in that case, it’s important to divide responsibilities clearly.

Weinstein and Scarbrough found they took different roles according to talent and inclination: Weinstein is the chef and Scarbrough is the writer; Weinstein oversees accounts receivable, Scarbrough accounts payable.

Sharing a bedroom Anna Kotler decided she wanted to work from her home in Roslyn, N.Y., as a marketing consultant when her second child was born. But several years later, when her husband, Rob Kotler, sold the family’s car dealership to work from home as an inventory consultant to car dealers, it was a big adjustment. “We were both working in the bedroom, Anna on one side of the bed and me on the other,” Rob said. “And with the onset of the recession we were both finding less and less consultant work.” Capitalizing on the green movement, the Kotlers started a company called Waste-less that produces reusable totes. They now have moved to a bigger house, where they both work in a spacious room that also houses the company’s inventory. Rob Kotler said he handles the accounting, and Anna does design and marketing. Other guidelines from Kuriansky for couples working from home: • Discuss the practical and emotional issues that come up from working in such

close quarters. Those can include resentment, fear, humiliation, money worries and childcare. Set aside a couple of hours a week at a set time for such discussions, or consult with a professional or outside party. • Spend some time apart. Go to the gym, to the market or for a walk. • Find a place outside the home where you can work when necessary. Many libraries, schools and cafes offer wireless Internet service. Fine arts photographer Victoria Blewer was working full-time from home in Lincoln, Vt., when her husband, Chris Bohjalian, decided to leave his advertising job to write novels full-time. Blewer said her mother warned her “that it was a terrible idea. He will constantly be underfoot and you will have to make him lunch.” It hasn’t turned out that way. With the luxury of a spacious house, Blewer and Bohjalian each have their own rooms for work and — although they enjoy having lunch together and comparing their morning’s

Law advice From page 22 Center, Patient Resource Center Assembly Room S1D03, 22 S. Greene St. • Jan. 20, Feb. 3 and Feb. 17 from 2 to

work — they make their own sandwiches. “One of the great advantages of us both working at home was that we are really able to be full-time parents to our daughter,” Bohjalian said.

Beyond 9 to 5 Many couples who work from home, however, say that ending the workday can be difficult. Some say they set a time for turning off computers and office phones, and closing the office door, if there is one. But many agree with Scarbrough, who said, “We live in a weird modern world where work and life are not clearly divisible.” The Kotlers often go back to work after they put their children to bed at 8:30 p.m. While workdays frequently seem long, Anna Kotler said she is more efficient since she started working from home. “I get more done in six hours here than in a full day in an office. I am more efficient because I have to be,” she said. — AP 5 p.m. at Center for Urban Families, 2201 N. Monroe St. For more information on volunteering with JustAdvice or to take advantage of the services it offers, call (410) 929-4809 or e-mail justadvice@law.maryland.edu.

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JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

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Travel

Leisure &

Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, and other historic sites are attracting new visitors with behind-the-scenes stories. See more on page 26.

Nepal offers visitors unique experiences

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

much a part of everyday life as eating and breathing. While about 90 percent of the people are Hindu, and most of the rest are Buddhist, over 2000 years the line dividing those faiths has virtually disappeared. Many believers hold the other religion’s shrines as sacred, and worship the gods of both. Around-the-clock prayer, reverence and ritual exceed expressions of faith I have encountered anywhere else. Spiritual beliefs and religious commitment provide solace for people who are among the poorest in the world, with a per capita annual income below $500. As one man observed, “America has financial riches. In Nepal, people have spiritual wealth.” The natural place to begin a visit is Kathmandu, the political, financial and cultural capital where about 10 percent of the approximately 29 million Nepalese live. It doesn’t take long to experience many of the contrasts that abound throughout the country, as well as sensory overload. The sing-song cry of street vendors selling vegetables, spices and multicolored fabric is echoed by the occasional mooing of a sacred cow wandering serenely along the streets. Animals vie with cars and motorcycles whose constantly honking horns add to the din, A spiritual nation Nepal is also a nation where religion is as along with Pedi cabs and pedestrians weaving through the traffic. The oldest neighborhood is a maze of cobblestone back streets lined by tiny shops and small shrines, some erected and maintained by individual families. They are miniscule imitations of elaborately carved and gaily painted ancient temples, pagodas and monuments said to be the largest collection of religious architecture in the world. The biggest concentration of shrines is in Durbar Square, a Magic KingdomReligion plays a large role in daily life in Nepal, where Hindus like jumble of more and Buddhists live together peacefully. Durbar Square in than 50 temples and Kathmandu has more than 50 Hindu and Buddhist temples and shrines. other structures

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

By Victor Block The setting resembled a stunning picture postcard come to life. Soaring, snow-capped mountains provided a backdrop for greenclad terraces carved out of steep hillsides. In fields below, men and women wearing a rainbow of colorful clothing bent low to pick golden shoots and tie them into huge bundles, which they carried to a rickety wooden wagon pulled by a pair of water buffalo. Scenes like this, and others equally stunning, combine to make Nepal a destination that surpasses its already intriguing image as a place of unsurpassed natural beauty and fascinating lifestyles. The small country, about the size and shape of Tennessee and tucked between India and Tibet, is home to eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, including fabled Everest and the magnificent Annapurna range. Touches of western technology and culture stand in stark contrast to life in remote rural areas, which in many ways is reminiscent of medieval times. Women wearing multihued saris walk hand-in-hand with children dressed in jeans and T-shirts sporting “I love New York” and other incongruous messages.

The towering Himalayas, blanketed in snow year-round, provide a stunning backdrop near Nepal’s border with Tibet.

built over centuries in a variety of styles. They’re adorned by statues of humans, animals, gods and goddesses fashioned from stone, gold, silver and other materials. This other-worldly setting, both sacred and to me somewhat Disneyesque, is echoed not far away. Patan and Bhaktapur, two ancient sister cities to Kathmandu, each has its own Durbar Square, which rivals that of its nearby relative in splendor if not size.

Trekking through varied terrain Venturing outside the three vibrant communities that share the Kathmandu valley introduces you to a very different, if no less intriguing, world. Remote villages that dot the countryside resemble living museums little changed from centuries past. Their narrow streets are crowded with people going about their daily chores much as generations of their forebears did. Most eke out a living growing rice, wheat, maize and other staples of the diet. Depending upon where you are, the scenery also offers a constantly changing tableau. In the north, near the border with Tibet, the rugged Himalayan mountains loom overhead. Their jagged peaks, blanketed year-round by deep snow and ice fields, glint in the sun. Further south is the mid-mountain region, where peaks that elsewhere would

rate as giants are relegated to second-class status by the towering Himalayas. Southern Nepal comprises the Terai, a subtropical belt of low-lying plains, wetlands and fields, where much of the nation’s grains and vegetables are grown. Travel throughout the country also provides introductions to people who are as ethnically diverse as the terrain. Counts of the number of cultural groups that comprise the native population range from 35 major categories to more than 100 smaller subsets that speak over 90 languages and dialects. Many ethnic groupings are concentrated in specific locales and are identifiable by their dress and customs. My two-day trek led through tiny villages inhabited by some of those minorities. The hike did not come close in terms of time or challenge to the two most popular routes — around the Annapurna massif, or the longer journey to the Mount Everest base camp perched at 17,700 feet. Even so, walking at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet, following long stretches of stone paths clinging to steep hillsides, was challenge enough. Two fellow trekkers elected to ride ponies that carefully picked their way along the rock-strewn route. It didn’t help that winds blowing up to 40 See NEPAL, page 27

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Behind-the-scenes stories from history June in Monticello’s cellar depicts a place where slaves who worked as cooks, housemaids and others worked together and crossed paths with Jefferson family members, visitors’ servants and others. Called “Crossroads,” the exhibit includes life-sized figures of Jefferson’s enslaved butler Burwell Colbert, Jefferson’s daughter Martha, teenage house servant Israel Gillette and others next to artifacts found during archaeological research — such as thimbles, clothing irons and shoe buckles.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTICELLO

By Zinie Chen Sampson Thomas Jefferson’s clothes and linens didn’t get pressed on their own, and the meals for his lavish parties didn’t cook themselves. Jefferson’s Monticello estate, in Charlottesville, Va., is expanding efforts to depict the lives and activities of the people who worked behind the scenes, allowing visitors to see that Jefferson had a lot of support for his achievements. Other sites have been undertaking similar updates — and in doing so, they’re providing a more complete depiction of history. Curators at the third president’s mountaintop home have been using Jefferson’s detailed journals, archaeological finds and other research to expand Monticello’s stories beyond the great man and his achievements. They are also speaking to a wider audience that includes a growing number of black visitors and other minorities, said Leni Sorensen, African American research historian at Monticello. “Visitors want to see how Jefferson was allowed to live the way he lived — who was behind that work,” Sorensen said. “They’ll see that competent, skilled enslaved people did the work and helped make it happen.” A new permanent exhibit that opened in

Beyond praising famous men Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, said that historic sites and museums are now reflecting a more multicultural approach, turning away from the “great man theory” that spotlighted only the achievements of Jefferson and other historic figures. “The true story is the telling of millions of individual stories of all Americans,” Bell said. “It’s truly about diverse cultural and ethnic groups that came together to create our country, and many of them were reviled or subjugated.” Updating history could also help attendance. The nation’s demographics are changing, but core museum visitors are still largely white, Bell said. To draw more diverse visitors, muse-

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s former home in Charlottesville, Va., has a new basement exhibit that depicts how slaves kept the household running and interacted with Jefferson family members. It is part of a new, multicultural trend at historic sites and museums to illuminate the lives of those who lived behind the scenes of great historical figures.

ums are offering stories that resonate with visitors of many backgrounds, including people from ethnic or religious minorities, he said. The Hermitage, the Tennessee plantation home of President Andrew Jackson,

has updated its introduction film and opened a gallery exhibit that includes the Indian Removal Act that Jackson pushed for and signed into law in 1830. See HISTORIC SITES, page 29

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Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze Wash your hands often Avoid close contact with sick people Stay home if you are sick Need more information about the flu? Go to www.flu.gov or www.cdc.gov/flu

Need a flu clinic near you? Go to www.google.org/flushot This material was prepared by Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily represent CMS policy. 9SOW-MD-PREV-111110-433

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From page 25 miles per hour swept down the valley, tearing hats off heads and sunglasses from faces. Some gusts were so strong that narrow glacier-melt waterfalls plummeting down mountainsides were actually blown back up toward the peaks where they originated.

An elephant ride in the jungle In contrast to ice-clad mountain tops, the grasslands and forests of the fertile Terai area are home to an abundance of wildlife. Elephants, tigers, leopard, rhinoceros and wild boar are among residents of the region that roam jungle-like stretches, while monkeys chatter in the trees overhead. Crocodiles and alligators lie hidden in stream waters. The habitat also attracts nearly 600 lowland species of birds, especially near rivers and ponds. A dozen national parks and reserves have been set aside in Nepal to provide protected areas for endangered and other animals. Chitwan National Park in the Terai lowlands, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best known. As if the opportunity to view a Noah’s Ark of wildlife in its natural habitat weren’t enough, an unusual mode of transportation through the jungle renders animal sightings almost a bonus. Elephants line up like so many taxicabs, standing patiently as four passengers clamber up a ladder and take their place on a wooden platform strapped to each beast’s broad back. Then, guided by their handler, the massive pachyderms amble into the dense jungle, nimbly stepping over fallen logs and gently traversing muddy bogs. In that setting, the unlikely ringing of a cell phone sounded almost surreal. Notified of a rhino sighting nearby, our driver guided us to the spot, but by the time we arrived, the elusive creature had slipped — or, rather, crashed — back into the forest cover. Birds and the occasional crocodile were sighted during a gentle 45-minute river ride in a long canoe fashioned from the trunk of a kapok tree. We also spotted trails left by rhinos that came to the river to drink, elephant footprints along the shoreline, and a woman draped in a multicolor sari doing her laundry. More exciting to our guide were sightings of the yellow-headed whitetail, redvented bulbul and other birds whose names I found as exotic as their appearance. Disappointment over our failure to encounter a rhino, preferably from a distance as far as I was concerned, was more than outweighed by the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds that overwhelmed my senses during every waking hour in Nepal. The magnificence of Mother Nature at her very best vies for attention with women wearing a rainbow of graceful multi-hued garments. People toiling in fields from dawn to dusk display a serenity emanating from their strong sense of spirituality. Tiny shrines built by families as testament to their strong belief stand in the shadow of immense, or-

nately decorated temples and monuments that attract throngs of worshippers. Those pictures and others will linger long in my memory. So will the grace and gentle humor with which the people, despite facing many hardships, deal with life. Asking at a tiny airport how late the plane for which I was waiting, already an hour overdue, might take off, I was told, “Whenever it does, it will be on time.” Stopping during my trek to inquire about the distance to the next town, a fellow hiker who has visited Nepal many times told me that she once had asked an elderly peasant the same question. In response, he good naturedly replied, “If you don’t stop talking and start walking, you’ll never get there.” After visiting this fascinating destination, my advice is that if it’s at all possible, do what it takes to get there yourself.

—such as a small furniture factory, meal catering, goat raising and an ambulance service — that provide financial support to each enterprise. For more information, log onto www.mythsandmountains.com or call 1-

Jan. 12

PLAY THE SLOTS IN DELAWARE Enjoy a day playing the slots at Delaware Park Casino on

Wednesday, Jan. 12. This trip is sponsored by the Ateaze Senior Center. A $25 bonus is included. For more information, call (410) 285-0481.

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When to go, and with whom Good times to visit Nepal are October and November, the beginning of the dry season, and February through May, when that period is ending. It can be chilly during December and January at higher altitudes, and the monsoon season is June through September. A number of special events will take place during 2011, which has been designated as Nepal Tourism Year. They will include festivals, cultural programs and reopening of recently restored temples. Given its remote location, challenging terrain and often basic tourism infrastructure outside the larger cities, Nepal is a destination that lends itself to group travel. A set itinerary, organized transportation and luggage handling are among many conveniences that ease the way. Myths and Mountains, the tour company with which I went, demonstrated a degree of flexibility that also enhanced the experience. Just one example of that was arranging for box lunches to eat on the bus when a delayed flight could have caused us to miss inviting sightseeing opportunities. Another plus is that the company focuses its trips on providing deep insight into the culture and customs of countries it visits, and exposure to secluded villages and activities that many visitors miss. Myths and Mountains offers a choice of tours to countries throughout Asia and South America. The price for its trips to Nepal begin at $2,295 for groups as small as two people. An added bonus is that traveling with Myths and Mountains supports its READ Global charitable arm, which has helped to open 50 libraries throughout Nepal, plus others in India and Bhutan. In additional to regular library functions, these establishments serve as community resource centers offering a long list of activities ranging from pre-natal care, day care and early childhood education to adult literacy programs, women’s empowerment and micro-financing. The centers are planned and built with major involvement by volunteers in each community, who also operate businesses

800-670-6984. For tourism information, go to http://welcomenepal.com, the site of the Nepal Tourism Board. Victor Block is a Washington, D.C.-based travel writer.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Historic sites From page 26 The measure led to the forced westward migration of thousands of Native Americans from five Southeast tribes to make way for white settlers and slavery. Some visitors have thought the presentation portrays Jackson as evil, or that Indian removal shouldn’t be discussed because it’s a black mark on the seventh president’s legacy. But Marsha Mullin, the Hermitage’s vice president for museum services, said it’s important to present a fuller look at Jacksonian America. “It’s an era people don’t know much about, between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War,” Mullin said. “We need to paint the picture in between so they know why the Civil War came along.”

Richmond Civil War sites In Richmond, the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar was among the first to tell the story of the war from Union, Confederate, and African-American perspectives. Opened in 2006 at the site of the Tredegar gun foundry, the center allows visitors to see the war’s legacy, and to examine similar contemporary issues — including opposition to immigration and the increase in states’-rights rhetoric, said center president Christy Coleman. The National Park Service also is in the process of enhancing Civil War battlefield sites, said David Ruth, superintendent of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. One project has been to create new exhibits at Chimborazo, site of the Confederacy’s largest wartime hospital. Highlighted at this museum at the National Battle-

field Park is the role of Southern women and slaves who tended to wounded soldiers, marking the introduction of women to the then male-dominated nursing profession. History and military buffs, of course, will still be able to immerse themselves in the battles and wartime strategy, Ruth said. But the war’s bigger picture becomes clearer when it includes more depictions of real people’s lives during that time. “My sense is that by including a more complete context, we’re going to be more relevant to a larger audience,” he said. “With a larger audience coming to our site, there’s no question there’s an economic impact in local areas by having more reasons for people to come.” Monticello: Charlottesville, Va.; www. monticello.org. Estate of Thomas Jefferson. Open daily December to February, 9

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May 15

Jan. 13

OFF TO BROADWAY

Join Superior Tours Travel on this trip to Broadway to see Follies, on Sunday, May 15. Cost is $131 per person and includes roundtrip transportation and orchestra seat. For more information, call (410) 484-1717 or e-mail bubpop@aol.com.

May 4+

VISIT PHILADELPHIA’S CONSTITUTION CENTER

Sign up now for Kaleidoscope’s day trip to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The trip follows an on-campus program at the Roland Park Country School on Wednesday, May 4, that focuses on the powerful opening words of the Constitution: “We the people.” Fee for both the on-campus program and day trip is $96. To register, call the Kaleidoscope office at Roland Park Country School, (410) 323-5500, ext. 3091 or visit www.rpcs.org.

Summer

SOUTH AFRICA VENTURE

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) will host a trip to South Africa this summer. Cost is $4,834 per person double occupancy, $5,079 single room. For more details, call Ingrid Bortner at (443) 840-1933 or visit www.ccbcmd.edu/internationaltravel.

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a.m. to 4 p.m. New “Crossroads” cellar exhibit is included in basic house and grounds tour: adults, $17, November to February ($22 the rest of the year); ages 6 to 11, $8 year-round (free for 5 and under). American Civil War Center: Richmond, Va., www.tredegar.org/americancivil-war-center.aspx. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults, $8; children $2 (free for 6 and under). Richmond National Battlefield Park: Richmond, Va., www.nps.gov/rich. Visitor centers at Tredegar Iron Works and Chimborazo open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; park battlefields open daily sunrise to sunset. The Hermitage: Nashville, Tenn., www.thehermitage.com. Home of Andrew Jackson. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adults, $17 (seniors, $14); ages 13-18, $11; ages 6-12, $7 (free for 5 and under). — AP

AFRICAN ART MUSEUM TALK Lisa Robinson, co-anchor of WBAL-TV 11 “News Weekend Today,”

moderates a conversation with Dr. Johnetta Cole, executive director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, at the Reginald Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St., on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Cole was also the first African American woman to serve as president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. The cost is $5. For more information, call (443) 263-1816.

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Style Arts &

Warhol’s Pop art images of soup cans evoke his early work as a commercial artist.

Andy Warhol: another 15 minutes of fame al design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and moved to New York after graduating. He had steady work as a commercial artist — as an illustrator for such magazines as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and The New Yorker, in addition to creating advertising and window displays for stores such as Bonwit Teller. He had his first individual show in 1952 and his first group show — at the Museum of Modern Art — in 1956. In the 1960s, Warhol began appropriating images from popular culture, creating paintings that are distinctly recognizable for their uniquely modernist approach to familiar objects and personalities, including the Campbell’s

Soup cans. During this time, he also made several films that are now underground classics, such as Chelsea Girls and Empire. In 1968, Warhol was nearly killed when he was shot by the founder (and sole member) of SCUM (Society for Cutting Up Men). In the 1970s, Warhol returned to painting, and his works were exhibited extensively in museums and galleries around the world. He died in 1987 following routine gall bladder surgery.

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“Andy Warhol: The Last Decade” is the first American Works from Andy Warhol’s last decade, such as this museum exhibition that fo- self portrait, are part of the traveling exhibition now on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art. cuses on Warhol’s late works. It was organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and then traveled to ing and stark white walls showcase Warhol’s the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth clean lines and use of vivid colors, seen in and the Brooklyn Museum. The BMA is such works as “Eggs,” his various self-portraits, and at least one of his versions of “The the last stop for the exhibition. This attractive exhibition is both wellstaged and well-mounted. The bright lightSee WARHOL, page 32 PHOTO BY MITRO HOOD

EVENT

PHOTO BY MITRO HOOD

By Carol Sorgen There’s still time to catch the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), and it’s well worth the visit. On view through Jan. 9, the exhibition features more than 50 works the legendary Pop artist painted during the last decade of his life. Warhol died in 1987. Having once declared that “painting is old-fashioned,” Warhol returned to the medium in the late 1970s. By then, he was already famous worldwide for his experimental films, in addition to his iconic silkscreened Pop art images of soup cans and celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe. Warhol, born Andrew Warhola in 1928, was a lifelong artist. He majored in pictori-

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Two versions of Andy Warhol’s “Eggs” and 48 other paintings are part of “Andy Warhol: The Last Decade,” the first American exhibit to focus on the artist’s later works.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Elaine Stritch returns to Broadway at 85

Wit and candor Spend an hour with Stritch and you’ll get a lot of stories like that — funny, self-effacing and revealing. The woman seems to have an iron core: brassy and exacting and salty, but also accommodating and full of wit. “I like anything I don’t know about,” she said at one point. “And I don’t like most of the things I do.” At another point, she offers this: “The most horrible line in the

English language for me is, ‘God, you haven’t changed a bit.’ It’s the worst thing you can say to anybody.” Stephen R. Buntrock, her co-star in A Little Night Music, has long admired the actress and has learned to stay on his toes when he’s in the same room. “You have to bring your A-game when you’re around her. If she senses any kind of weakness, she will dive in. And in her wonderful, strong-personality way, draw it out of you,” he said. Stritch has become a sort of shorthand for acting longevity since she made her Broadway debut in Loco in 1946. Since then, she’s performed in both musicals and dramas, from Edward Albee to Noel Coward to Stephen Sondheim. She’s also been in films such as Monsterin-Law and Out to Sea, and on TV as the Emmy-winning mother of Alec Baldwin in “30 Rock.” Her one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty won her a Tony in 2002, and her cabaret shows at the Carlyle Hotel are legendary. Each generation finds her relevant and hip. She was recently parodied on an episode of “The Simpsons” in which Lisa Simpson attends a fancy performing arts camp. One class was on making wallets with Elaine Stritch and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Stritch got a kick out of it. “That’s worth being in the business for 150 years,” she said with a laugh.

A lot of night music Stritch lately has been getting standing ovations for her turn as Madame Armfeldt in a revival of Sondheim’s musical, A Little Night Music. She and Bernadette Peters replaced Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones, respectively, over the summer and have agreed to stay on until Jan. 9. Stritch plays a wheelchair-bound aristocrat who offers dry and hysterical pronouncements in her half-dozen scenes, and mourns the loss of standards in her big song “Liaisons,” in which she looks back on her profitable sexual conquests of dukes and barons. “Where is skill?” she asks.

“Where’s passion in the art, where’s craft?” Stritch is at an age — and with such goodwill built up — that simply appearing on stage will earn her bursts of applause. But she still tries to earn it every time with a hearttugging take on Madame Armfeldt. “It’s a very hard part for me. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know why. Some parts just don’t blow me away. This one did. There’s a lot of new kind of emotions,” she said. “You don’t

AP PHOTO/BONEAU/BRYAN-BROWN, INC.

By Mark Kennedy Elaine Stritch wants to tell an embarrassing story. And when Elaine Stritch wants to tell a story, you listen. “I have no secrets,” the 85-year-old Broadway legend said by way of introduction. She is sitting at a makeup table getting her eyes done a few hours before a performance of A Little Night Music at New York City’s Walter Kerr Theatre. A few days ago, Stritch begins, she was at her Midtown hairdressers for a threehour appointment before a show when she realized she’d forgotten her teeth. Stritch, who calls herself “a brittle diabetic,” has two sets of dentures, one for the stage and one for regular life. She didn’t have the ones for the theater. Stritch had no time to waste: She called over to the Carlyle Hotel, where she lives these days, to ask an assistant to find the stage teeth — they’d be in a little white container in the bathroom. She wanted them brought down to the front desk. Then she tried to call her hired limo driver, who was idling outside the salon. But she didn’t have his number, and there was no time to find the car service’s number. So Stritch, in a bit of a panic by now, went out to find him. “I run downstairs. I’ve got on the robe from the hairdressers,” she said. And she leans into the window of the limo and bellows: “You’ve got to drive up to the Carlyle and pick up my teeth!” “Suddenly, I’m standing in the middle of 57th Street. And there’s about 20 people laughing,” recalls Stritch with a sly smile. “Publicity stunt? No way! You don’t do publicity stunts like that. Not even I could do that unless it was really happening.”

See STRITCH, page 32

Elaine Stritch stars as Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music on Broadway through Jan. 9, 2011. The veteran actress made her Broadway debut in 1946 and won a Tony for her one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty in 2002.

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Warhol From page 30 Last Supper.” In contrast to the brightly colored paintings, but no less attractive, are crisp black and white works. These include another version of “Eggs” and “Repent and Sin No More,” which mixes graffiti and street imagery. Also included in the exhibition are works from the “yarn” paintings that have been called a nod to the “drip” works of abstract artist Jackson Pollack, as well as large-scale “Rorschach” paintings and a

Stritch From page 31 want to go into that because an actor talking about how they do their stuff is more boring than anything I can ever think of.” She calls the song “Liaisons” interesting, intelligent and unusual. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. “It can creep into meaning you’re-getting-close-to-leaving-thebuilding time at my age. There’s no sense not paying attention to it because it’s absolutely true. “You know where I’m at in age?” she then asks. “I don’t need anything. That’s a little scary — when you know that the last two bras you bought are it. You won’t need any more. I’m not going to live long for any

JANUARY 2011 — BALTIMORE BEACON

group of Pop-influenced “Black & White Ads.” Warhol was also seemingly obsessed with his own image, examples of which abound — from a youthful outlined figure that he then repeated on wallpaper, to the more familiar fright-wig representations done in the year before he died.

Interactive lounge At the end of the exhibition is an interactive lounge that provides a look at Warhol’s relationship to pop culture and politics in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Here, you can relax on retro furniture,

big, new discovery at Victoria’s Secret.” Stritch has one issue she’d love to leave as her legacy: reducing the standard eightshows-a-week contract that performers sign. “I wish I could leave the building with that having been accomplished — seven shows a week. Eight shows gets to be too much,” she said. When producers of A Little Night Music asked her and the cast to do nine performances a week, Stritch had a fit. She gleefully displays a letter she wrote demanding a change: “Try to understand our physical, emotional, physiological desperation,” it read. Producers soon backed down. Stritch is already planning her future when this musical ends. She’s considering doing an evening of just Elton John songs: “You don’t

watch an episode of a TV program produced by Warhol, and page through copies of Interview magazine, which Warhol cofounded. Take some time to spot the celebrities in an enormous photomontage of Warhol’s friends, and listen to the popular music of that generation. “Andy Warhol: The Last Decade” is a special ticketed event with a complimentary audio tour. General admission to the BMA and its collection is free. Tickets for the Warhol exhibition are $15 for adults, $12 for those 65+, $5 for students and children ages 6 to 18, and free for those 5 and

under and BMA members. Tickets may be purchased at the box office in the visitor lobby, online at www.artbma.org, or by phone at 1-800919-6272. The BMA is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It will close at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Also closed on Jan 1. The museum is located on Art Museum Drive at N. Charles and 31st Streets. For more information, call (443) 573-1700 or visit www.artbma.org.

know what I can do with those songs,” she said. “It might be fun and unusual.”

For more information, see www.Night— AP MusicOnBroadway.com.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 7+

VAGABOND PLAYERS DANCE INTO 2011 The Vagabond Players begin 2011 with the Baltimore premier of

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, a comedy featuring music and dance. The play is about an aging but still formidable widow of a Southern Baptist minister who hires an acerbic dance instructor to give her private dance lessons. The show runs from Jan. 7 to Feb. 6. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at 806 S. Broad St. Tickets for seniors are $13. General admission is $15. For reservations, call (410) 563-9135.

Ongoing

TRAIN GARDEN TRADITION Celebrate the holidays with a visit to the Highlandtown Model Train Garden, built by volunteers and housed in the Conkling

Street Firehouse at 520 S. Conkling St. Open to the public on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings until Jan. 1. Admission is free. For more information, call (410) 342-3234.

Ongoing

CONTEMPORARY ART LOVERS TAKE NOTE If you’re a fan of the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Contemporary Art Wing, hurry down by Jan. 16 for a last visit before renovations

begin on the wing, which houses 16 galleries dedicated to an impressive collec-

Do you provide a product or service of interest to people over 50? (And today, what business doesn’t?)

tion of 20th and 21st century art with holdings of abstract expressionism, minimalism, conceptual art and the late works of Andy Warhol. The museum is located at 10 Art Museum Dr. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Check www.artbma.org before you visit.

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Does your hair make you want to dye? Or wig out? Sure, there are worse things in life. But as we age — whether it’s thinning hair, graying hair or lost hair — those bad hair days just seem to multiply. The FDA says two out of five women color their hair. While there do not appear to be national statistics on men who touch up or dye their hair, a walk down any drugstore’s hair color aisle suggests it is a common phenomenon. At the same time, as the baby boomer generation has aged and gone gray, there has been a backlash in some quarters against such efforts to turn back the clock. More and more women are deciding not to color their hair, many celebrities among them (think actress Helen Mirren, singer Emmylou Harris and model Carmen Dell’Orefice). And there’s even a trend among some young fashionable women, exemplified by Lady Gaga, to color their hair gray on purpose. Author Anne Kreamer helped inspire this approach in 2007 with her book Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else that Really Matters. She and Diana Lewis Jewell, who wrote Going Gray, Looking Great, have led thousands to take pride in their silver locks. Or at least to come to terms with it. “I’m going gray!” Nancy Jackson exclaimed. “OK, well, I am gray,” she admitted. While gray hair may not be what Jack- Elaine Berman gave up dyeing her hair about eight years son wants to see when she ago and now, like a looks in the mir- number of boomers, has embraced her gray growing locks. ror, she has decided it’s going to have to do. The 52-year-old Perry Hall resident said These days I can barely keep up with her decision to let her get- dyeing, and when gray hair stay that ting Berman noticed her first it cut.” way has provoked a lot of comments from few strands of gray in her late 40s, she figher friends. To all those who want to know, Going ured all the more reason to keep on coloring. natural “Hey, what’s up with the gray hair?” JackBerman eventually decided Anne Berman has also enough was son explains that she joined the ranks enough. chose to go this of women Among other things, she who refuse to dye their route for several reasons: was getgray ting tired of the expense. hair. But in her case it was “I could do some“One, the idea of constantly a decision made thing putting after years of coloring else with that money,” she said of chemicals on my head it. is scary at best,” her professional dye jobs. Berman, who is 63 and she said. “Two, dyeing lives in Owings it won’t make me Mills, It took about a year first started adding red and a half for any younger, although I highlights to Berman’s will grant you that her now salt-and-pepper hair hair as a teenager. “I envied I might look younger. to grow my older out. “That was not a lovely stage,” she sister, who was a natural “But I’m opposed to a society adredhead, and mits. But that has so thought coloring eight years down the many standards of what my own mousy brown road, women are sup- hair Berman doesn’t give her would make it look better,” hair color a moposed to look like, that is, Berman ment’s thought. young, thin, etc. recalled. And finally, I just don’t have the time. The highlights eventually led to all-out See HAIR, page 20

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LEISURE & TR AVEL

Exotic experiences of Himalayan proportions in Nepal; plus, history behind the scenes at Monticello

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ARTS & STYLE

Iconic Andy Warhol works at the BMA; plus, Elaine Stritch returns to Broadway at age 85 page 30

LAW & MONEY k The best stock funds for 2011 k Should you refinance now?

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

Caregiving for spouse is a man’s job, too Man Number One is 90 years old. He Listen to Man Number One: “I could have smiles easily, laughs even more easily. I’ve left it all up to a private duty nurse. But we always considered him a carefree soul. had been married for more than 60 years Until a couple of weeks ago. when she started to go downHe casually dropped the fact hill. She didn’t always recogthat his wife had died of denize me any more, but I knew mentia a few months earlier — her habits and her rhythms.” after he had cared for her every Listen to Man Number Two: day for her final three years. “Sure, I’d rather be on the golf Man Number Two is about course. But this is what I signed 85. We worked together ages up for. You know, the business ago. I hadn’t seen him in at about in-sickness-and-in-health? least 20 years. There’s no law that says the He was always a “man’s HOW I SEE IT guy is always going to die first.” man” — full of football chatter, By Bob Levey And how have the women in claps on the back, war reministheir lives reacted? cences. But there he was, in a hospital cafeMan Number One: “The best day of teria, slowly spooning apple sauce into the those three years was the day I carefully mouth of a woman I recognized as his wife. smoothed her hair out of her eyes. She She was in a wheelchair and a hospital said, ‘You know, my husband used to do gown, tethered to at least four intravenous that all the time.’ All I could do was smile. drips. She looked emaciated and discolored. But when I thought about it, what she was It wasn’t hard to diagnose a serious illness — saying was that she wanted someone with probably cancer — from across the room. her who made her comfortable. Guess When I ran into Man Number Two later in who that was?” the hospital lobby, I shook his hand with two Man Number Two: “She tells me every of my own and congratulated him on provid- day that she loves me. I don’t need her to ing such obviously loving care for his wife. thank me. I just need to hear those three “It’s what I do,” he said. little words.” Indeed, it’s what a lot of Men of a CerGranted, these two situations have not tain Age do. tested the two men as deeply as they We live in an age of clichés — and one of might have. the oldest is that only women do the careWoman Number One was in a nursing taking, because it somehow isn’t mascu- home when Man One took care of her, so line for men to do it. he had help overnight and help right down But my nose says this is changing — for the hall whenever he needed it. many reasons, all of them good. Woman Number Two is in a hospital For one thing, men are living long enough room every minute of every day. Man Two to take on the caretaker role. For another, doesn’t have to worry about taking her to they are better at it than their fumble-fin- the bathroom, changing the sheets, any of gered fathers and grandfathers would have the basic details that can rub away dedicabeen. For another, they recognize that know- tion and patience. ing the patient is critical to providing good But both men said that every morning, care for her — and who knows The Old Lady they knew exactly where they needed and as well as The Old Man who has been by her wanted to be as soon as the alarm buzzed. side for half a century or more? “I was there when the kids were born. I But the biggest and best reason is that was there when her parents died. How these men want to do it. could I not have been there for her final

years?” asked Man One. “When I was in the Marines, I learned to be a man of my word,” said Man Two. “A man of his word knows what to do, when to do it and how to do it.” It isn’t always as pure as it is in these two families. Sometimes friends and other relatives shoulder into the act — without being invited. Sometimes adult children want roles — and immediately prove that they can’t play them. Often insurance (or the lack of it) will determine who steps into which roles, and for how long. But when couples have been married forever, they not only finish each other’s sentences. They want to be on deck for the

littlest details. “I knew how she liked her napkin folded,” Man One told me. “A nurse might have been able to remember that. But maybe not. It made both of us feel good when I did it, just so.” “We’ve been talking about the past in a way that only she and I could have,” said Man Two. “We’ve been as close as two people can be. How does that stop just because she’s sick?” Here’s another cliché that needs to disappear: The one that says love fades with time. I know four people who trump that one to pieces. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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Puzzle Page

See Puzzles Plus at www.theBeaconNewspapers.com for additional crossword puzzles.

Down Time 1

by Stephen Sherr

JUMBLE ANSWERS

50 56

51 57

61 66

67 70

Across

Answers on p. 33.

43 47

9 15

24 28

Jumbles: ABHOR FILMY VALUED NOTIFY Answer: Being laid back at the office can lead to this - LAID OFF

1. Distributor of distributors 5. Like some Fr. nouns 9. Last section of the SAT 13. Actor Sharif 14. Sight-related 16. “What ___ God wrought?” 17. Baja Fresh option 18. Gas bill factor 19. “That makes sense” 20. Inventor of the alkaline storage battery 22. Indoor sliding temptation 24. Accomplishments 26. QB protectors 27. Before, forward or backward 28. Symbol used in Greek tic-tac-toe 30. Be held back 32. Western German region 34. Florida city, familiarly 36. Common pasta ending 37. Going rate for thoughts 40. Beowulf, for example 41. Like Coke Zero 43. Wedding dress material 44. Invigorated 46. Tom Hanks’ character on “Bosom Buddies” 47. Old phone feature 48. ___-Brite (glowing toy) 49. Pet treats 51. Grammy category 52. Rejuvenation location 54. NJ village 56. Ordeal 58. Doctor Octopus’ weapon 61. Offer card-playing tips 64. Rotate the furniture 65. Endpoints, separated by 24 67. Part of A.D. 68. Claim 69. A piece of TNT 70. Home of Rep. Davy Crockett

71. Existed 72. Martial arts school 73. To be, in old Rome

Down 1. Memorandum 2. Tyler Perry film, Diary of ___ Black Woman 3. Census designation 4. Got up 5. (Mostly) green cylinder 6. Reverse of 52 Across 7. Wild guess 8. Groucho Marx trademark 9. That alternative 10. First purchaser of the Boeing 757 11. Change directions 12. Over ___ 15. Setting in The Catcher in the Rye 21. Galoot 23. “Nothin’; what ___ with you?” 25. ___-Soviet relations 28. Burt Reynolds’ Bandit, for example 29. Wish for 31. Enjoys an ice cream cone 33. ___ over (performing again tomorrow) 35. When Romeo first saw Juliet 38. March Madness org. 39. Kennel cry 42. Cause of a grammar cop’s citation 45. Blues singer James 50. Top letters on some watches 52. Big Gulp go-with 53. Major irritant 55. School uniform style 57. Lessen 59. Injured a muscle 60. Prefix meaning “within” 62. Belonging to a former Country Music CATV station 63. Time ___ (and the key to this puzzle’s “Down Time” theme) 66. 1981 NBA MVP

Answers on page 33.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JANUARY 2011

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the bottom of this page. 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.

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For Rent/Sale Real Estate FOR RENT COCOA BEACH FLORIDA Ocean Front Condo – Furnished, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, heated pool, no pets. $1,300 per month. 4 months minimum. Dan 410-529-4817.

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YOU CAN OWN A HOME! Rent to Own Homes. Various Styles/Floor Plans. Damaged Credit – OK! $350 Special. You work You OWN! 1-888-955-3340; www.RealAgentsHomes.com.

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ANTIQUE AND QUALITY OLDER FURNITURE and accessories wanted. One piece or entire estate, including Potthast, Biggs, Kittinger, and significant modern furniture and art, Tiffany lamps, toys, dolls, paintings, silver, oriental rugs, prints, pottery, china and glassware. Music boxes, clocks, country store items, paper memorabilia, historical and military items, old fishing equipment, antique firearms and all other items of value. I am a Washington native with over 35 years of experience in this business. I am well educated, courteous and have more experience and pay higher prices than virtually any other dealer in the area. I make prompt decisions, have unlimited funds, pay immediately and remove items expeditiously. No messy consignments or phony promises. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, (301) 2798834. Thank you.

BARGAIN BUILDING SALE (Closeout) 24 x 30 Regular $6,902 Now $4,930. 39 x 57 Regular $16,573 Now $11,838. Other limited (Closeout) deals available. Call to reserve: 410-630-4418. www.sunwardsteel.com Source # 1A9. **ALL Satellite Systems are not the same. Monthly programming starts under $20 per month and FREE HD and DVR systems for new callers. CALL NOW 1-800-799-4935. AS SEEN ON TV! FREE COVERED Auto Repairs For Vehicles W/Less than 130,000 Miles Roadside Assistance Included! Protection as low as $2/day! Free Quote 888-364-1669. DIRECTV FREEBIES! FREE Standard Installation! FREE Showtime + STARZ for 3 mo. Free HD/DVR Upgrade! Packages Start $29.99/Mo. Ends 2/9/11 New cust. only, qual pkgs. DirectStar TV 1-800-279-5698. GIGANTIC GYM MIRRORS 48”x100” (11 available) @ $115/each. 72”x100” (9 available) @ $165/each. 60”x84” beveled (3 available) @ $135/each. 72x50 Beveled, $125/each. Installation available. Will deliver free. 1-800-473-0619. MEMORY FOAM THERAPEUTIC NASA VISCO MATTRESSES WHOLESALE! T-$299 F-$349 Q-$399 K-$499 ADJUSTABLES - $799 FREE DELIVERY 25 YEAR WARRANTY 90 NIGHT TRIAL 1-800-ATSLEEP 1-800-2875337 WWW.MATTRESSDR.COM. THE LOTTERY SWINDLER Scratch Card Remover Complete Removal Every Time! Features a Comfortable Grip & Convenient Storage Clip. $3.79. Great Gift! Order NOW! 414-7500451; www.swindler1.com.

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BEACON BITS

Jan .15+

SWAN LAKE COMES TO LIFE AT THE HIPPODROME

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings the beloved ballet to life Saturday, Jan. 15 and Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Hippodrome Theatre. This company of dancers has showcased the art of Russian ballet to countries throughout the world. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Prices range from $72 to $154. To purchase, visit www.hippodrome-baltimore.com or call 1-877-686-5366.

Ongoing

WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS

Well-known Baltimore artist Joan Erbe’s works will be on display at the Fleckenstein Gallery through Feb. 27 in a show called “Characters and Curiosities.” The gallery is located at 3316 Keswick Rd. and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5. For more information, see www.fleckensteingallery.com or call (410) 366-3669.

Jan. 5

MAKE A NEW BEST FRIEND

Attend a pet adoption event at Cockeysville Senior Center on Wednesday, Jan. 5 from 11 a.m. to noon. The Humane Society will be bringing cats and small dogs that need a home. The center is located at 10535 York Rd., Cockeysville. For more information, call (410) 887-7694.

DONATE YOUR CAR…To the Cancer Fund of America. Help Those Suffering With Cancer Today. Free Towing and Tax Deductible. 1-800835-9372 www.cfoa.org. GET YOUR DEGREE ONLINE *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 800510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com.

Personals MALE, WHITE, SENIOR CITIZEN, Tall, proportionate, entertainer. Seeks small petite female, looks or age not important. P.O. Box 21306, Baltimore, MD 21282.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational. Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200. SENIOR CITIZEN WILLING TO clean yards, remove leaves, haul debris, pick up furniture, appliances, etc. Call William for prompt services, 443-226-7321. Reasonable Rates.

Vacation Opportunities SUNNY WINTER SPECIALS At Florida’s Best Beach-New Smyrna Beach Stay a week or longer Plan a beach wedding or family reunion. www.NSBFLA.com or 1-800-541-9621.

STAMPS! U.S. only collector interested in singles, sets and collections. Don’t let your stamps discolor and spoil in the attic. Best price paid, 410-247-4169. DRUMMER AND BASS player to join eclectic duo. Located in the Arbutus area 410-247-4169. 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 rungs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver to gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan 301-2798834. Thank you. **OLD GUITARS WANTED!** Fender, Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Prairie State, Euphonon, Larson, D’Angelico, Stromberg, Rickenbacker, and Mosrite. Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1930’s thru 1970’s TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-401-0440. SELL YOUR DIABETES TEST STRIPS. We buy Any Kind/Any brand Unexpired. Pay up to $16.00 per box. Shipping Paid. Call 1-800-2679895 or www.SellDiabeticstrips.com.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 21

COLD AND FLU PREVENTION

Physicians from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center will discuss ways to stay healthy this winter in a program at the Ateaze Senior Center, 7401 Holabird Ave. The free presentation will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 21. For more information, call (410) 887-7233.

Jan. 5

SENIOR HOUSING OPTIONS

Carol Clemmens, with the housing program at the Anne Arundel County’s Dept. of Aging, will discuss the different types of housing available in the county for seniors. The program will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Arnold Senior Activity Center, 44 Church Rd., Arnold. To register for the free workshop, go to www.aacounty.org/aging and scroll to the caregiving section, or call (410) 222-4464, Ext. 3094.

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