December 2017 | Baltimore Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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Finding art in Antarctica’s ice

DECEMBER 2017

I N S I D E …

PHOTO COURTESY OF HELEN GLAZER

By Zita Petrahai Not everyone’s idea of a summer vacation includes hiking through Antarctica’s frigid expanses for seven weeks, but Helen Glazer was dogged in pursuing the opportunity. She applied five times over a 10-year period for the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, until she finally got her chance in 2015. Glazer, who is 62 and lives in Owings Mills, is the first Baltimorean to win this national grant competition. Only two to five people a year are chosen. Now, she has a solo exhibition at Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery, “Helen Glazer: Walking in Antarctica,” where visitors can take the journey with her. The exhibit includes both photographs as well as sculptures based on her 3D scans of the Antarctic landscape.

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

Caribbean sand, sugar and sightseeing in St. Kitts; plus, good deals for solo travelers, and scenic winter train travel page 22

Early interest in sculpture Glazer, who studied painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, said it was her fascination with natural shapes and forms that ultimately led her to the icy caves of Antarctica. “I was making sculptures based on natural formations [around 15 years ago], and then a few years later, I started to think: Why do these forms look the way they do? What makes them take on these shapes?” Without much training in the field, Glazer relied on books to teach herself about the science behind cloud and mountain formations. When she saw photos of Antarctica, she was surprised to find similar shapes made out of ice. “Unlike a cloud formation, which is fleeting and disappears within a few minutes or when the wind changes, these [shapes] are on the ground. You can walk around them.” Around the same time, Glazer first heard about the National Science Foundation’s special grant for artists to visit Antarctica. “The adventure aspect of going to a wilderness environment unlike anywhere else on earth appealed to me,” she said in describing her motivation. Over the years, she submitted four different applications, only to be rejected each time. Then, in 2008, Glazer met another obstacle: Applications were officially

Local artist Helen Glazer won a grant from the National Science Foundation that allowed her to spend seven weeks trekking through the wonders of Antarctica. There she photographed and made 3D scans of glaciers and other ice and rock formations, as well as penguins. Upon her return, she used those images to create a sculpture and photo exhibit now on display at Goucher College.

suspended for five years. Determined to explore her passions for natural formations, the artist took a radical step — she packed her bags and headed to Greenland. After that trip, Glazer had the idea to explore the world of 3D printing. She decided, “in addition to photographing the ice formations and the landscape, or rocks, I could actually make a sculpture and bring something of a 3D experience to people.” When she proposed this in her next grant application to the National Science Foundation, she was approved. Glazer found herself spending seven weeks exploring and photographing ice caves, wind-eroded boulders called ventifacts, and the famous Blood Falls — the edge of a glacier colored striking shades of red

and orange by mineral deposits. The exhibition takes as its theme a series of “walks” through the Antarctic landscape: over frozen lakes, around massive glaciers and icebergs frozen into the sea ice, into a magnificent frozen ice cave, up gravel-covered windswept mountains, and through a lively colony of Adelie penguins.

Like a student again Glazer worked out of remote scientific field camps, and had access to protected areas that can be entered only with special permits or in the company of a skilled mountaineer. As a result, she encountered an even richer variety of forms than she had expected. See ANTARCTICA, page 28

ARTS & STYLE

The Walters unveils some of the varied arts of Asia; plus, a sampling of ways to celebrate the holidays in Baltimore page 26

TECHNOLOGY 4 k Sites let you try before you buy FITNESS & HEALTH 7 k Medicare open season arrives k Caregiver shares good advice LAW & MONEY 17 k Rebalance portfolio regularly k High cost of divorce after 50 ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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How the world works When I was six years old, my father took opportunity to host her for a meal. our family to New York City (where he had It was from her that my brother and I a business trip) for a vacation. first learned about the “castAmong many other firsts ing couch.” She bitterly comfor me on that eye-opening plained about how difficult it trip were my first visit to a was for female actresses to World’s Fair and my first muland parts on Broadway or in sical on Broadway: Oliver! TV or films without sleeping I was instantly taken with with the producers, which the idea of the theatre. I alshe refused to do. ready played piano and liked Here my father’s claims, to sing, and there I saw a and even worse behavior, were child about my age starring in substantiated. And she pora Broadway show! I came out FROM THE trayed that devil’s bargain as of the theatre singing some of PUBLISHER being rampant in the industry. Oliver’s numbers. Was this By Stuart P. Rosenthal Another example of my edusomething I could aspire to? cation in “the way the world My father very quickly filled me in on the worked” came from my mother when I was downsides of such a career. Not only the eco- older. She had a dear friend who was a newsnomic insecurity, but also the difficulties of paper reporter for our hometown paper. This maintaining a marriage, of raising children, friend had spent several years as the paper’s of withstanding temptations, and the like. Washington correspondent during the (Yes, I know I was only a child, but my father Kennedy administration. always took me seriously and replied in She had told my mother at the time about kind.) the extramarital liaisons President Kennedy Performing on stage and screen certain- was having in the White House, and how the ly appeared to offer a glamorous lifestyle. entire press corps was aware of it. But the reality was definitely something When my mom asked her why this inforelse, as reporting on television and in the mation was not publicized, her friend basicalnewspapers made clear. ly said, “It isn’t relevant. Why tarnish his presSome years after that trip, a young ac- idency when it has no effect on his work?” tress from New York came to my home As a kid, I was both appalled and fascitown to play the role of Anita in West Side nated by these revelations. Is this really Story at a local theatre. My family had the how the world worked? Did all adults (and

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

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less sheltered teens) know about all this? The answer seemed to be yes. Well then, why do we allow it to continue, I asked? The answer, such as it was, seemed to be that the rich and/or powerful get away with this, and the rest of us are expected to accept that. Just do what you can to steer clear of it, my dad advised. These vignettes have been popping into my head recently, as we read almost daily of the end of at least part of this era. Hollywood producers, politicians, journalists and others who have long taken advantage of their positions, believing they lived under a different set of rules, are finally being called to account. For years, it appeared there would be no repercussions for their past (and in too many cases, continuing) “indiscretions.” They were able to use their power to prevent victims from coming forward, or from being believed. They may have bought

their silence with cash settlements and gag orders, or cowed them into silence with threats and lawsuits. But today, it looks like the jig is up. Perhaps due to a changing social attitude, we have decided to stop the cover-ups and accept the reality of what has long been rumored. Clearly, the Internet and social media have played a major role in enabling the victims to band together and amplify their voice into one that can no longer be ignored. I had never understood why we tolerated the unconscionable way “the world worked” for all those years. I’m not so optimistic as to say it doesn’t work that way anymore. But I think we can say we’re moving in the right direction. And it’s about time.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: The American Way is an array of ideals that is appreciated by people who live their lives in freedom. Throughout the American story, however, our way of life has been highly tested. On battlefields throughout the world, and here at home, American men and women have given their lives for the American way. The defense of our nation continues. It must. As firefighters and police join arms with our military to perform the selfless and dangerous work of keeping us secure, we honor them. Say thanks to these heroes in our midst whenever possible. Catherine “Cass” Hughes — nonagenarian, patriot, former bowling champ, and my enduring mother — has thanked this year scores of heroes. With a close friend who, through her charitable efforts, sends greeting cards to veterans, firefighters and police, Cass has written personal notes to more than 2,000 heroes of all stripes. This year on 9/11, Cass, who celebrated her 95th birthday in August, appeared in person to greet dozens of first responders at Mission BBQ in Perry Hall. She plans to visit the restaurant again during patriotic events. Mission BBQ’s dining room is filled with tributes, gifts from those who served the nation. My father, who survived the horrors of World War II as an Army medic, is honored there. A picture of him in dress uniform hangs from a corner wall. For my mother, it’s business as usual. She’s continues to write warmhearted notes to the heroes. Christmas cards will soon be on the way. Mail call! Mail call! Cards from home! Thanks, Catherine Hughes. Joseph R. Hughes Abingdon

Dear Editor: As the President and CEO of Hospice of the Chesapeake, I want to share some thoughts with the community about living. As a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization, we help people decide how they are going to live. That is what we do every day. November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, a time of heightened awareness of how important it is to plan for the care we would want if we were facing a serious or life-limiting illness. Too often, people wait to enroll in hospice care because they see it as giving up on living. That is the opposite of what we do. We focus on caring for life — the life of the patient, and the family and friends who are as much a part of the care as they are a part of their loved one’s life. Hospice is not a place people go to live out their final days. Hospice is a service that focuses on helping people live comfortably wherever they call home. People with any kind of life-limiting illness can be enrolled, and it is usually covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private plans. Our team provides expert medical and supportive care to keep patients comfortable and able to enjoy time with loved ones. They answer questions, provide information on what to expect, support families with the duties of caregiving, and provide emotional and spiritual support for the entire family. Palliative care services can bring similar support earlier in the course of an illness. Lear n more at www.hospicechesapeake.org or call us at (410) 987-2003. Ben Marcantonio President and CEO Hospice of the Chesapeake

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Say you saw it in the Beacon

| 410-358-6856 | myerberg.org

WHAT’S NEW AT THE EDWARD A. MYERBERG CENTER

3101 Fallstaﬀ Road, Baltimore Pop in for high tech at the Myerberg! The new Tech Knowledge Hub is open! Visit myerberg.org to see our program guide. Call to register for classes today 443-963-1449. NEW! That Golden Time - Vacationing in the Catskills Borscht Belt: A Mechayeh!

Oil Painting with Mary Phelps

Tuesdays, Beginning November 28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

$295 Members / $345 Nonmembers (18 Sessions)

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Students of all skill levels are invited to create their own oil paintings while working at their own pace. Everyone will receive personalized instruction in drawing, color, composition, materials and technique.

What began as a response to anti-Semitism blossomed into hotels and boarding houses of every kind. These resorts soon became the training ground for so many of our favorite stars. Instructor: Harry Karp

Tuesdays, January 2 – May 1, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Field trip - National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

New! Thurgood Marshall - His Life and Times

Tuesday, April 10, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays, Beginning January 2, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

$50 Members / $70 Nonmembers

$55 Members / $75 Nonmembers (4 classes)

Enjoy beautiful art and a drive-by view of the Cherry Blossoms. Bus leaves from Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. Significant walking required. Register with Toba: 443-963-1449

Get acquainted with this civil rights giant and the tempest he braved to ascend to the Supreme Court. Instructor: Harry Karp

First Thursdays: Women @ the Myerberg Monthly, 1:30 p.m.

GIVE THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING  GOOD HEALTH

$10 per lecture / $25 for 3 lectures December 7 - Anti-Semitism in the Supreme Court, Barbara Blumberg January 4 - Cuisine Tasting, Nathan Finney February 1 - Witches & Sorcerers in the Talmud, Rabbi Ariel Greenberg Platt

New Members: Pay just $20/month for a 1-year Fitness Center membership. (1-Year payment must be paid in full) Current Members: Purchase a 6-month or 1-year Fitness Center membership at 30% oﬀ to gift* to someone special AND receive 1 free 30-minute training session. *Gift can only be purchased for members who have not had a ﬁtness membership within the last 12 months.

Bagel Boys Men’s Club Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. Enjoy schmoozing, noshing and listening to guest speakers, weekly. December 5 - Opioids and Seniors, Steven Seidel December 12 - Three Hundred Years of Shipbuilding, Baltimore Museum of Industry December 19 - Jews in World I & II, Steven Maged January 2 - Issues in Health, Gilchrist January 9 - Nutrition, Brian Cornblatt, MD.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Technology &

Innovations Try before you buy from online retailers By Joseph Pisani Amazon is set to launch a service that lets customers order clothes, try them on at home, and pay only for what they keep. It sounds novel, but Amazon is actually late to the party. Several online startups

have offered try-before-you-buy options for items including jewelry, clothing, glasses and more. It makes shoppers less nervous about buying online, the companies say, and also gives people a chance to touch and try on a

necklace or shirt before splurging. The retailers also know that getting you to try something at home means you’re more likely to keep it. Some offer home try-ons for free, others charge a fee or hold a small amount on a

credit card until the items are returned. All offer free shipping both ways. But if you forget to send the items back on time, or damage them, you’ll likely have to pay the full price. Here’s how some of the services work:

Clothing

saveWHEN ENERGY AND MONEY WINTER ARRIVES. Winter is on the way, so your home will be using more energy to keep you comfortable—and your energy bill may show it. What can you do to reduce your costs? Prepare your home now before winter arrives. Using the energy tips below could pay off in the coming months.

MAINTAIN YOUR HEATING SYSTEM Home heating is the single highest energy user. Make sure your heating system is running efficiently by scheduling a service check.

REDUCE HOT WATER USAGE Water heating accounts for about 18% of home energy consumption. Reduce hot water usage by installing faucet aerators and efficient flow showerheads, and adjusting your hot water heater to 120° or the low setting.

USE MyAccount ONLINE TOOLS Your BGE online account provides the tools you need to track your energy usage in near-real time. Compare energy usage trends, measure results of energy-saving practices, and set alerts to let you know when energy usage is trending high.

Find more tips at BGE.COM/Save

Trunk Club, which is owned by department store operator Nordstrom, sends a box of stylist-approved clothing whenever you want for $25 a box. You have five days to try on the clothes and send back what you don’t want. You’ll be charged for any items you don’t return, and the $25 fee will be deducted from the cost of what you buy. Stitch Fix offers a similar service for $20 a box. The Black Tux, an online tuxedo and suit rental service, will send over an outfit to try on for free for 48 hours.

Glasses At Warby Parker, you can pick out five frames to try for five days for free. The company does ask for your credit card information during the test run, and will See TRY BEFORE BUY, page 6

❏ Charlestown (see ad on page 11) ❏ Christ Church Harbor Apts. (see ad on page 25) ❏ Fairhaven/Integrace (see ad on page 24) ❏ Linden Park Apts. (see ad on page 25) ❏ Oak Crest (see ad on page 11) ❏ Park Heights Place (see ad on page 29) ❏ Park View Laurel (see ad on page 12) ❏ Park View Towson (see ad on page 12) ❏ Park View Fullerton (see ad on page 12) ❏ Park View Rosedale (see ad on page 12) ❏ St. Mary’s Roland View Towers (see ad on page 27)

❏ Virginia Towers (see ad on page 19) ❏ Woodholme Gardens (see ad on page 15)

Health Study Volunteers ❏ African-American PTSD Study (see article on page 15)

❏ Chemotherapy Study (see ad on page 15) ❏ Memory Study (see ad on page 15)

Name_____________________________________________________________________________

City_________________________________________State__________Zip____________________ Phone (day)_____________________________(evening)_____________________________ E-mail_____________________________________________________________________________

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915

BB12/17

or fax to (410) 248-9102.

I N F O R M A T I O N

Address__________________________________________________________________________

F R E E

❏ Slow Walking & Exercise Study (see ad on page 15)

✃

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

(see ad on page 24)

★

❏ Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace

I N F O R M A T I O N

❏ Bayleigh Chase/Integrace (see ad on page 24)

F R E E

See LINKS & APPS, page 6

❏ Atrium Village (see ad on page 16)

★

The app store is full of apps to help you lose weight, which usually begins by eating healthier and increasing your activity and exercise levels. Lose It! is a user-friendly app to help you with the nutritional side of weight loss. The app allows you to track your food intake against your daily calorie “budget,” and its database includes over 7 million foods, including popular restaurants. It also has a barcode scanner that en-

❏ Alta at Regency Crest (see ad on page 8)

I N F O R M A T I O N

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

Keep those holiday pounds at bay

Housing Communities

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Thanksgiving recipes across the USA

Apps

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

★

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

F R E E

Travel checklist

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

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

★

FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

Links

Facebook no-nos for grandparents

★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

I N F O R M A T I O N

By Barbara Ruben and Rebekah Alcalde

pork rinds, garlic and peppers. http://bit.ly/StateThanksgivingRecipes

F R E E

Beacon Links & Apps

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Try before buy From page 4 charge for frames that are lost or damaged. If you decide to buy one, you send the test frames back and the company will send new ones.

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

Links & Apps From page 5 ables you to upload nutritional information directly from the food labels on packages. Lose It! is free from iTunes and Google Play stores.

Find your lost iPhone, iPad and more You take your mobile devices everywhere, which means you can lose them anywhere. Losing your expensive iPhone can be infuriat-

the rental fee is deducted from the purchase price. And customers can opt to buy a used item or new one from Lumoid. Founder and CEO Aarthi Ramamurthy said people are overwhelmed with the number of gadgets available, and Lumoid offers a test run. “Why not bring the showroom to the consumer’s home?” she said. Lumoid recently signed a deal with Best Buy, and shoppers at BestBuy.com will soon be able to rent out some of Best Buy’s cameras and fitness trackers.

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

You can wear them and keep them as long as you want. If you decide to buy anything, keep it at home and send the rest back. A $21 credit is taken off the price. For those who plan to get hitched, Four Mine gives you three days to try on three engagement rings at home. The test rings are made with metal instead of gold or platinum, and use a fake diamond to help it look like the real deal. The company places a $1 credit card hold for each ring until they are returned, and charges $50 each for ones that aren’t sent back.

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

Almost any site

ing, so iTunes offers an easy solution so you can be prepared: the Find My iPhone app. First, create an iCloud account in the Settings app on your phone. You will then be able to find out where your device is located through the app. If it’s nearby, you can make it play a sound to help you find it in person. It will even mark its location when the device has a critically low battery, so you know the last place it was in case it loses power. If you find out it’s stolen or lost farther away, you can activate “lost mode,” which remotely locks your device with a passcode you set, displaying your phone number on the screen in case a good Samaritan wants to return it to you. “Lost Mode” will also suspend

Apple Pay, the ability to make payments electronically, preventing thieves from using your credit card. Find My iPhone is free in the iTunes store.

Still in its testing mode, Try.com says it has developed technology that lets shop-

Discover your ideal bedtime Have trouble sleeping? There’s an app for that. Sleep Genius was designed by ex-

pers try before they buy at many online retailers. Users pay $8.25 a month to add a button to their Chrome Internet browser and a Try.com option shows up on any site. Click the link, and Try.com pays for the items. Members have seven days to try clothing, shoes or accessories and send back any items they don’t want. If you keep anything, Try.com will charge you for it. Try.com, along with a mobile app, officially launches sometime in November, but it has been in a testing phase earlier in the fall, when the monthly fee was just $2.99. Co-founder and CEO Ankush Sehgal said members try about $500 worth of items at a time, and about 70 percent of customers buy at least one item. — AP

perts in neuroscience, sleep, sound and music, based on research to help NASA astronauts get to sleep. The app is meant to train your body into natural sleep rhythms, and has neurosensory algorithms to help prepare your brain for sleep and guide you through each sleep cycle. It even wakes you with a gentle alarm so you wake up from deeper and longer sleep feeling refreshed. Sleep Genius is $4.99 in both iTunes and Google Play stores.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 2

ALL ABOUT EMAIL FOR WORK

The North Point Branch Library will hold a training session about how to use email in the workplace on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. There will be one hour of training followed by an hour of applied practice. The library is located at 1716 Merritt Blvd., Dundalk. For more information, call (410) 887-7255.

Nov. 30

BUY YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS IN LANCASTER

Edgemere Senior Center is organizing a daytrip to Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Enjoy holiday shopping at the craft show, followed by dinner at Cracker Barrel, all for $65. For more information, call (410) 687-5113.

TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER is what community is all about. WE’RE PROUD TO SERVE our community with personal, compassionate care. As your Dignity Memorial® professionals, we’re dedicated to helping families create a unique and meaningful memorial that truly celebrates the life it represents.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Health Fitness &

NOT VEGETATIVE AFTER ALL Researchers bring about signs of awareness in man after 15 years in a coma COPING AS A CAREGIVER Useful advice from an author who writes about caring for his wife GETTING IT ALL A new device could help surgeons instantly know if they’ve gotten all the cancer FAINT OF HEART Frequent fainting can indicate abnormal heart rate or low blood pressure

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

What might change You should have received your current plan’s Annual Notice of Change by mail around the end of September. That will indicate any 2018 changes to the cost and coverage of your current plan. Pay particular attention to changes to drug formularies, drug tiers and co-pays that affect drugs you take. For instance, “a drug in a lower tier with

a $5 co-pay might be shifted to a different tier with a $10 co-pay or $20 co-pay,” said Brandy Bauer, communications manager for the National Council on Aging’s Center for Benefits Access. “Those costs can add up over time.” Use the information about your current plan’s changes to help you compare plans. You can then use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to start shopping. Type in your ZIP code, the drugs you take and the dosages. The online tool will calculate your total costs (premiums plus out-ofpocket costs for your drugs) for each plan in your area. Keep in mind that choosing a Medicare plan is an individual decision, said Reeg. Married couples don’t have to sign up for the same plan. Two spouses with very different health situations may find traditional Medicare is appropriate for one spouse while the other is better off with a Medicare Advantage plan. If you need help, contact your state health insurance assistance program, or SHIP. “SHIP helps people navigate the complexities of Medicare,” said Ginny Paulson, director of the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center. For the SHIP office in Baltimore County, call (410) 887-2059; Baltimore City, (410) 396-2273; Anne Arundel County (410) 222-4464. SHIP’s services are free, and you can get customized help over the phone or make an appointment for in-person assistance. This government-funded program ensures that

beneficiaries get objective help in understanding Medicare rules and assistance in navigating Medicare’s online tools. “Open enrollment is by far the busiest time of year,” said Reeg. “We have 2.2 million beneficiaries [in Ohio], and we encourage all of them to review health and drug plans for 2018.” SHIPs can’t tell you what plan to choose, but they can help you understand your options. Have information about your drugs, pharmacies and doctors handy so SHIP experts can better help you sort through your plan choices.

Weighing Part D options When weighing your options, Reeg said the three C’s are critical: costs, coverage and convenience. These three can intertwine. You may prefer to pick up your prescriptions at your local pharmacy, for instance, but getting prescriptions by mail could be cheaper. “You may have to try a generic first before you can go to a brand-name drug,” said Bauer. “If you know you need a brand-name drug, look at plans that don’t have those hoops.” But if you can take generics instead of

brand-name drugs, it’s one way to cut costs. Use an online drug costs calculator to compare prices. Consider out-of-pocket drug costs as well as monthly premiums. “It’s always a trade-off — low premiums versus greater out-of-pocket costs,” said Alan Mittermaier, president of HealthMetrix Research, in Columbus, Ohio. The nitty-gritty of shopping for Part D “comes down to co-pays, particularly for retail pharmacy networks,” he said. “Ninety-day mail order co-pays are pretty close between plans.” Some good news on the cost front: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expects the average basic premium for a Part D prescription-drug plan will decline to an estimated $33.50 per month in 2018, down $1.20 from the average 2017 monthly premium of $34.70. And the standard Part D deductible is increasing by only $5, to $405, for 2018. The limits for falling into the dreaded “doughnut hole” coverage gap also increase for 2018, by $50 both before and after hitting the gap. After the deductible, See MEDICARE, page 9

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health Shorts Screening for cancer via a blood test? Scientists have the first major evidence that blood tests called liquid biopsies hold promise for screening people for cancer. Hong Kong doctors tried it for a type of head and neck cancer, and boosted early

detection and one measure of survival. The tests detect DNA that tumors shed into the blood. Some are used now to monitor cancer patients, and many companies are trying to develop versions of these for screening, as possible alternatives to mammograms, colonoscopies and other such tests. The new study shows this approach can work, at least for this one form of cancer and in a country where it’s common. “This work is very exciting on the larger scale” because it gives a blueprint for how to make tests for other tumor types such as lung or breast, said Dr. Dennis Lo of Chinese

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

University of Hong Kong. “We are brick by brick putting that technology into place.” He led the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Lo is best known for discovering that fetal DNA can be found in a mom’s blood, which launched a new era of non-invasive testing for pregnant women. The study involved nasopharyngeal cancer, which forms at the top of the throat behind the nose. It’s a good test case for DNA screening because it’s an aggressive cancer where early detection matters a lot, and screening could be tried in a population where the cancer is most common — middle-aged Chinese men. Also, the Epstein-Barr virus is involved in most cases, so tests could hunt for viral DNA that tumors shed into the blood in large quantities, rather than rare bits of cancer cells themselves. About 20,000 men were screened, and viral DNA was found in 1,112, or 5.5 percent. Of those, 309 also had the DNA on confirmatory tests a month later. After endoscope and

MRI exams, 34 turned out to have cancer. More cases were found at the earliest stage — 71 percent versus only 20 percent of a comparison group of men who had been treated for nasopharyngeal cancer over the previous five years. That’s important because early cases often are cured with radiation alone, but more advanced ones need chemotherapy and treatment is less successful.

Blood sugar monitor without finger pricks U.S. regulators have approved the first continuous blood sugar monitor for diabetics that doesn’t need backup finger prick tests. Current models require users to test a drop of blood twice daily to calibrate, or adjust, the monitor. The pain of finger sticks and the cost of testing supplies discourage many people See HEALTH SHORTS, page 11

BEACON BITS

Dec. 20

SEATED YOGA FOR BREAST CANCER

Northwest Hospital will hold a free, seated, serenity yoga class for breast cancer survivors on Wednesday, Dec. 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The class includes breath work, seated yoga poses, meditation and aromatherapy. A breast cancer support meeting will immediately follow the yoga class. The class takes place in the Pike Room in the Education Center of the hospital, 5401 Old Court Rd., Randallstown. To register, call (410) 601-9355.

Dec. 21+

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP

This monthly group led by a team of certified diabetes experts offers a chance for patients facing the challenges of managing diabetes to share and learn from each other’s successes and failures. The next meeting takes place on Thursday, Dec. 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Weinberg Park Heights JCC, 5700 Park Heights Ave. For more information, contact Georgette Gaston at (410) 601-5639.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

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

Medicare From page 7 you pay co-payments or co-insurance until drug costs reach $3,750 (including your share and the insurer’s share). In the gap, you pick up drug costs. After out-of-pocket costs reach $5,000, you pay only 5 percent of your drug costs. Under the current health law, the coverage gap continues to shrink in 2018. “There will be less out-of-pocket burden next year,” said Mittermaier. In 2018, the discount on brand-name drugs while in the gap will be 65 percent, up from 60 percent in 2017, and the discount on generics will be 56 percent, up from 49 percent this year. If you hit the doughnut hole this year, take a close look at how your drugs are covered, said Bauer. A different plan might help you avoid it next year.

including slowing the heartbeat and controlling muscles of the small intestine. [For more about the vagus nerve, see “Fainting is frightening but seldom serious,” on page 14.]

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

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

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

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

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

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Health shorts From page 8 from keeping close tabs on their blood sugar, which is needed to manage insulin use and adjust what they eat. Abbott’s new FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, uses a small sensor attached to the upper arm. Patients wave a reader device over it to see the current blood sugar level and changes over the past eight hours. Most of the 30 million Americans with diabetes use standard glucose meters, which require multiple finger pricks each day and only show current sugar level. More-accurate continuous glucose monitoring devices are used by about 345,000 Americans. But most don’t do the finger pricks to calibrate them and may get inaccurate readings, said Dr. Timothy Bailey, who helped test FreeStyle Libre. “We’re able to lower blood sugar safely”

with this technology, said Bailey, director of the Advanced Metabolic Care and Research Institute in California. He receives consulting fees from various diabetes device makers. Too-high blood sugar levels can damage organs and lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness and amputations. Very low blood sugar can cause seizures, confusion and loss of consciousness. Abbott’s device was approved for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and should be available in pharmacies within months. The company, based near Chicago, did not disclose the price of the reader or the sensors. Abbott’s system can’t be used with an insulin pump, a device worn against the skin that allows users to inject insulin as needed, but the company is planning improvements to eventually enable that. Rival Medtronic this spring launched a device in which the insulin pump automatically responds to blood sugar changes recorded by the sensor and either withholds or injects insulin as needed.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28

IS IT SAFE IN THE FRIDGE?

Find out if your refrigerator is cold enough, and about cross-contamination and bacteria growing on refrigerated food at a free event on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 11 a.m. at the Cockeysville Senior Center, 10535 York Rd. For more information, call (410) 887-7694.

Nov. 27

AROMATHERAPY RELIEF FOR COLDS

Learn more about the ways essential oils, such as black spruce, eucalyptus and cypress, can relieve symptoms of the common cold. This free event will be held at the Bykota Senior Center, at 611 Central Ave. in Towson, on Monday, Nov. 27, at 12:45 p.m. For more information, call the center at (410) 887-3094.

Dec. 9

Few properly dispose of excess pain pills Surgery patients often end up with leftover opioid painkillers and store the remaining pills improperly at home, a study suggests. The research raises concerns about overprescribing addictive medicine that could end in the wrong hands. Uncertainty among doctors about how much medicine patients really need after common operations contributes to the problem. Many patients also don’t know how to safely get rid of unused medications, said lead researcher Dr. Mark Bicket, a Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist. Bicket and colleagues reviewed six studies involving 810 patients. Surgeries included operations on the skin, lungs, shoulder and hands, cesarean sections and dental work.

At least two-thirds of patients reported having leftover opioids afterward; often more than half the prescribed pills were unused. Most stopped taking the drugs because their pain had subsided, although a few said they stopped over concerns about addiction risks. Fewer than one-third had gotten rid of their leftover pills or had plans to; an even smaller number — fewer than 10 percent — had considered or followed proper ways to dispose of the narcotics. The study was published in JAMA Surgery. Authorities say opioid painkillers should be stored in their original packaging and kept locked inside a cabinet out of children’s reach. Some drugstores, including CVS and Walgreens, collect unused medications. People can also take leftovers to hospital pharmacies or police stations. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists disposal locations by zip code online at http://bit.ly/drug_disposal. — AP

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

LIKE TO ANSWER PHONES?

TALMAR (Therapeutic Alternatives of Maryland) is looking for volunteers to help answer phones on Tuesdays and Fridays from approximately 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at TALMAR Inc., located at 1994 Cromwell Bridge Rd. in Parkville. TALMAR offers an innovative therapeutic, vocational, and educational program designed for individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions that impact their health and well-being. For more information, visit www.talmar.org or call (410) 825-2020.

ACUPUNCTURE DEMYSTIFIED

Learn what to expect from your first visit to an acupuncturist, and how their diagnosis can differ from that of your primary care doctor. The seminar takes place on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Arbutus Branch Library, 855 Sulphur Spring Rd, Arbutus. To learn more, call (410) 887-1451.

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Coping advice for Alzheimer’s caregivers By Mary Kane Martin Schreiber is a former Wisconsin governor, lieutenant governor and state senator. But he took on a different role as caregiver for his wife, Elaine, after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 13 years ago. He wrote about his struggles in My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving

as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver (Book Publishers Network, $17). The book’s net proceeds promote Alzheimer’s caregiver support programs. In this lightly edited conversation, we talked with Schreiber, age 78, about the overlooked needs of caregivers. You point out that it’s often more

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FABERGÉ EGGS AND RUSSIAN ART

Now through June 2018, the Walters Art Museum is hosting an exhibit featuring 70 works, including two famed Fabergé eggs, an array of gold and silver vessels, intricate enamels, luxurious jewelry, carved stones and artistry of Russian crafts. Entry to the museum, located at 600 N. Charles St., is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org or call (410) 547-9000.

challenging for men to take on the role of caregiver than for women. Why do you think that’s the case? Men have terrible egos. And they think they can handle everything without any help. And so, as the caregiving progresses, and there’s more need for outside support, the man refuses to ask for it, creating further types of anxiety. You’re assuming roles that you never had before. Elaine would take care of the bills, all of the home care, and so forth. Now you are the one doing it. All of a sudden, simple matters become complex. Noting the health problems you suffered before you reached out for caregiving help, you urge other caregivers not to hesitate to seek support. What kind of toll did your wife’s disease take on you? My world became Elaine and taking care of her, and nothing else really seemed

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to matter. I cut out exercise and cut out being with other people. I gained 30 pounds. I couldn’t breathe decently when I would go for a short walk. I didn’t want to seem like a wimp because I couldn’t handle the emotional strain. But the fact is, [that strain is] there. Friends pull you aside and say, “Wow, you look terrible.” My wife is in assisted living now, and I see it in the faces of the other men there, the drawn-out look, the haggard look. Can you explain the concept of your “two Elaines” and how it helped you to move forward? I had to understand that there are two Elaines, and that I had to let go of my first Elaine. The woman who once was, is no more. I can never expect of this new woman any of the things I once did together with the first Elaine. But I wish I’d understood the benefits of letting go sooner. If we’re at Christmastime, with the four children and their spouses and grandchildren, and Elaine asks who those people are, I don’t have to worry about the pain of dealing with this because I already dealt with that when I let go of the first Elaine. There’s now this new person whose life I want to enter. Elaine likes music, so we listen whenever we can. When I’m walking with Elaine, I sing, “I want to marry you,” and she says, “That would make me so happy.” As a caregiver, look for those areas of common interest. Elaine may not be aware I might be her husband. But she knows I’m a friend, and I’m someone special to her. You used strategies such as therapeutic fibbing, which avoids directly challenging a partner’s inaccurate memories. What other approaches worked for you? Redirection is a critically important tool. She’s got five coats on. She says she’s cold. There is no way intellectually I can have her understand that five coats in summertime is going to be too much. So I agree she’s cold, and I get her another coat. Then we begin to talk about what might be happening with one of the children, or what she might want to do that day, and we’re not talking about the coat anymore. If you understand you can’t argue with the disease, life is so much easier. How do exhausted caregivers find the moments of joy you mention in your book? You look for them. We were driving along the other day and listening to songs from the fifties. Elaine asks, “Do you love me? How long will you keep me?” I said, “Elaine, I will love you and take care of you and be with you for a billion years.” She looked at me and said, “I don’t think I could take you for that long a period of time,” and we both laughed. Sometimes, the spark comes out again. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Probe helps surgeons get all the cancer By Lauran Neergaard Patients emerging from cancer surgery want to know, “Did you get it all?” Now scientists are developing a pen-like probe to help surgeons better tell when it’s safe to stop cutting or if stray tumor cells still lurk. The device is highly experimental, but laboratory tests show it uses molecular fingerprints to distinguish between cancerous cells and healthy ones far faster than today’s technology, Texas researchers reported. “That’s really anyone’s worst nightmare, to go through surgery and know there’s a chance” some cancer remains, said assistant chemistry professor Livia Eberlin of the University of Texas at Austin, who is leading the work. “By providing real-time molecular information, we could really improve accuracy.”

When surgeons think they’ve removed all of a tumor, they often also remove a thin layer of surrounding tissue, called the margin, to be sure no cancer cells linger at the edge and increase the risk of relapse. The problem: That check takes time, for pathologists to process the tissue and examine it under the microscope. For certain especially tricky tumors, surgeons sometimes pause for a half-hour to more than an hour, the patient still under anesthesia, to await the results. For breast cancer and certain other types, often the answer doesn’t arrive until a few days after surgery, raising the possibility of repeat operations. In contrast, “our device is able to give an immediate read-out in under a minute,” said UT research engineer Noah Giese.

sue, press a foot pedal to switch it on, and a tiny amount of water emerges to gently pull molecules from the cells in that spot. A tube carries the droplet to a machine called a mass spectrometer that identifies molecules by calculating their mass. Software then immediately analyzes whether the resulting fingerprint matches cancer or healthy tissue. In lab tests of samples that had been taken from 253 patients with lung, ovary, thyroid or breast tumors, the so-called “MasSpec Pen” was more than 96 percent accurate in diagnosing cancer, researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. They also successfully used the pen during a handful of operations on mice. “It’s intriguing technology,” said Dr.

Nita Ahuja, chief of surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the work. Surgeons need new tools to catch residual cancer in the operating room, and developing molecular techniques to try is a hot new field, Ahuja said. While she stressed that the hand-held pen needs lots more research to prove if it really works, she said it might be easier to use than some other candidates under development. If it pans out, doctors would have to place the pen on multiple spots to check an entire wound. Researchers noted it doesn’t appear to harm tissue, meaning pathologists still could double-check with standard techniques when human testing begins. — AP

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

Cells produce unique sets of small molecules that perform various functions — and thus also act as fingerprints. Researchers place the pen-like device directly onto tis-

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

Here’s $ $ the lowdown $ $ on $ the$ most$ com-$ mon reasons people pass out.

The “common faint” These faints are caused by excessive stimulation of the vagus nerve, the part of the nervous system that regulates blood pressure and heart rate. In response to some trigger, the blood vessels in your legs relax and the heart rate slows, making it difficult for blood to return to the heart. Blood pressure drops, and down you go. Sometimes, the trigger for vasovagal syncope, the official term for this kind of fainting, is $a strong $ emotion $ $ —$ such $ as$ a re-$ sponse or a$ $ news, $ the sight $ of blood, $ $ $ to bad feeling of panic or claustrophobia. This type of faint can also occur when you have $ a $bad$ coughing $ $ spell $ or strain to have a bowel movement, or even if you’ve been standing for a long time.

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ Vasovagal syncope tends to be more common in people under 35. With age, the nervous system doesn’t react as quickly, so these types of faints occur less frequently.

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

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last holidays,” she said. “The kids had New research shows you can stop a reports he has never had a cold since. He asked relatives and friends to try it. colds going round and round, but not me.” cold in its tracks if you take one simple Some users say it also helps with si!"#$%&!'$($)"%$*"+&,"$%'")$-./$01 !$2""3$ They said it worked for them, too, every time. So he patented CopperZap™ and nuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day a cold coming on. sinus headache. When her CopperZap Colds start when cold viruses get in put it on the market. Soon hundreds of people had tried it arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you don’t stop them early, they spread in your and given feedback. Nearly 100 percent said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” airways and cause misery. One man had suffered But scientists have found seasonal sinus problems a quick way to kill a virus. for years. It was so bad it Touch it with copper. Researchers at labs and univerruined family vacations sities worldwide all agree, and even dinners out with copper is “antimicrobial.” It friends. His wife Judy kills microbes, such as vibought CopperZaps for ruses and bacteria, just by both of them. He was so touch. skeptical he said, “Oh Judy, That’s why ancient you are such a whack job!” Greeks and Egyptians used But he tried it and the copcopper to purify water and per cleared up his sinuses heal wounds. That’s why right away. Judy and their Hippocrates, “The father of daughter both said, “It has modern medicine,” used changed our lives.” New research: Copper stops colds if used early. copper to heal skin ulcers, Some users say copper !.# $)&7'!!&A"$ !/20)" ;$!..;$&2$!'"-$/ "$ and why Civil War doctors used it to pre- said the copper stops their colds if used +")!$&)2",!&.)$.2$4(!!3"0"3*$%./)* 5$6'"-$ %&!'&)$ 8$ './1 $ (2!"1$ !'"$ 01 !$ &7)5$ 9+")$ it just before bed. One man said, “Best didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, up to 2 days, if they still get the cold it is sleep I’ve had in years.” Some users have recently tried it on milder than usual and they feel better. but now we do. Users wrote things like, “It stopped cold sores and report complete success in Researchers say microbe cells have a tiny internal electric charge. The high my cold right away,” and “Is it supposed preventing ugly outbreaks. One family reports it has worked to eliminate warts, conductance of copper short-circuits this to work that fast?” “What a wonderful thing,” wrote Phy- as well. charge and pops holes in its membrane. 6'"$'()*3"$& $ ,/3#!/1"*$!.$0!$!'"$'()*$ This immediately stops the microbe from sician’s Assistant Julie. “Now I have this little magic wand, no more colds for me!” ()*$ 0)"3-$ !"@!/1"*$ !.$ &A#1.+"$ ,.)!(,!5$ reproducing and destroys it in seconds. Pat McAllister, age 70, received one 6" ! $ '.%$&!$B&33 $7"1A $.)$0)7"1 $ .$-./$ Tests by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show germs die fast for Christmas and called it “one of the don’t spread illness to your family. C.##"1$A(-$"+")$ !.#$</$&2$/ "*$"(13-$ on copper. In response, some hospitals best presents ever. This little jewel really and for several days. In a lab test, scienswitched to copper touch surfaces. This works.” People often use CopperZap for pre- !& ! $#3(,"*$DE$A&33&.)$3&+"$</$+&1/ " $.)$($ cut the spread of MRSA and other illnessvention, before cold signs appear. Karen CopperZap. No viruses were found alive es by over half, and saved lives. 6'"$ !1.)7$ ,&")!&0,$ "+&*"),"$ 7(+"$ :(/,&;$ %'.$ <&" $ .2!")$ 2.1$ '"1$ =.4;$ / "*$ soon after. The EPA says the natural color change inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When !.$7"!$,.3* $(2!"1$,1.%*"*$<&7'! 5$6'./7'$ he felt a cold coming on he fashioned a skeptical, she tried it several times a day of copper does not reduce its ability to kill smooth copper probe and rubbed it gently on travel days for 2 months. “Sixteen germs. CopperZap is made in the U.S. of pure <&7'! $()*$).!$($ )&2<">?$ '"$"@,3(&A"*5 in his nose for 60 seconds. Businesswoman Rosaleen says when copper. It has a 90-day full money back “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold went away completely.” It worked again people are sick around her she uses Cop- guarantee and is $49.95 at CopperZap.com every time he felt a cold coming on. He perZap morning and night. “It saved me or toll-free 1-888-411-6114. (paid advertisement)

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

Abnormal heart rate If your heart rate is very fast, your blood pressure may fall and fainting may follow. A number of different heart conditions — from problems with the heart’s electrical system to defective valves — can trigger palpitations, a feeling that your heart is fluttering, racing, or missing a beat. Conversely, a very slow heart rate can also cause you to faint. This condition is usually caused by electrical abnormalities in the heart, or heart damage from a heart attack or other disease. Thyroid problems and certain medications can also lead to an abnormally slow or fast heart rate.

Finding the underlying cause If a young, healthy person faints after an obvious vasovagal trigger, there’s not always a need to see a doctor. But if you faint for the first time after age 40, see a doctor to explore all the potential causes. He or she should check your blood pressure (both sitting and standing, if orthostatic hypotension is suspected), and do an electrocardiogram (ECG) — a test that checks for electrical problems with the heart. If you have any type of heart disease — including a previous heart attack, a rhythm disorder such as atrial fibrillation, a narrow or leaking heart valve, or heart failure — fainting may foretell a more serious problem and may require more extensive testing, Lipsitz said. Julie Corliss is executive editor of Harvard Heart Letter. © 2017. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 30

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS

Find out how Medicare Advantage plans work and could save you money on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 12:30 p.m., at the Woodlawn Senior Center, 2120 Gwynn Oak Ave. The event is free. For more information, call (410) 887-6887.

Dec. 12

TOUR AND DINNER IN PHILADELPHIA

Enjoy a daytrip to Philadelphia, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, with the Bykota Senior Center. Departing at 2 p.m. and returning at 10 p.m., participants will tour Longwood Gardens’ Christmas in Kennett Square and enjoy dinner at the Terrace Café for $95. For more information, call (410) 887-7694.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; DECEMBER 2017

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study seeks African Americans with PTSD By Carol Sorgen From wars to domestic abuse to severe accidents, those who experience traumatic or shocking events can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of this condition usually begin early, within three months of the traumatic incident. But they can begin years afterward. Those with PTSD might experience flashbacks and bad dreams. They are easily startled, have difficulty sleeping, and some have angry outbursts. Nearly 60 percent of people with PTSD also suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD), which includes compulsive alcohol use and loss of control over alcohol intake. The anticonvulsant medication pregabalin (brand name Lyrica) has shown preliminary success in reducing drinking in those with AUD.

The University of Maryland Medical Center is conducting a 14-week study to determine the impact of pregabalin in reducing heavy drinking and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study will also look at the safety and tolerability of pregabalin in participants.

Who can participate Co-investigators Dr. Bankole Johnson and Dr. Melanie Bennett are looking for individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 65, are of African-American descent, have experienced trauma at some point, and are in good physical health. Those in the study should be heavy drinkers, with women consuming at least 21 alcoholic drinks per week, and men 28. They must want to stop drinking, but cannot have taken part in an alcohol treatment program within the last 30 days.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28

WRITERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ROUNDTABLE

Join a panel of authors at the Baltimore County Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 28, to discuss how their writing has been impacted by their personal experiences. The event is free and will take place at the Cockeysville Branch, 9833 Greenside Dr., at 6:30 p.m. For more information, email cockeysv@bcpl.net or call (410) 887-7750.

Dec. 9

FOOTWORKS DANCE PERFORMANCE

The award-winning Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble will travel to Baltimore to perform a family-friendly show filled with story, dance, and electrifying live music. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, located at 800 S. Rolling Rd. in Catonsville. Tickets cost $10. For more information, call (443) 840-2787.

Participants cannot have any psychiatric disorders besides PTSD and AUD. Participants will have a screening visit to see if they are eligible. Those who are eligible will be asked to complete weekly study visits for an additional 12 weeks. Participants will be compensated for time and travel. Participants will be assigned to one of four groups, two of which will receive the

medication, and two of which will receive a placebo. All groups will receive counseling interventions. While study participants will be randomly assigned to get the drug or a placebo, they will be placed in the group that matches certain genetic characteristics. For more information or to volunteer, email Cindy Smith at csmith@som.umaryland.edu or call (667) 214-2111.

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Spouse improvement programs backfire Dear Solutions: how to walk.” How do I motivate her? For a while, both my wife and my— Len self were overweight and Dear Len: indulging ourselves. Now I Start where she’s at. She started to do something learned how to walk, so walk about it, playing tennis and with her. That’s a good form of working out. exercise, and if you show her But my wife won’t budge you enjoy her company and to do any exercise. I love her, want to go on brisk walks with and I think it’s bad for her her, she won’t have to react to health. I even tried to make your attempts to make her her a little jealous by telling jealous. Those attempts may her about the very attractive be having exactly the opposite women who play doubles SOLUTIONS effect. By Helen Oxenberg, with me. And stop nagging her. ReasI try to get her to take up MSW, ACSW sure her that you love her, and tennis, but she only answers, you never want to walk away “Leave me alone. I’m happy I learned from her, however she looks. Tell her your

concern is that she stay healthy so you can keep on walking with her. Dear Solutions: My live-in companion snores terribly. It wakes me up, and I can’t get back to sleep after that. As a result, I’m tired all day, and I even fell asleep at the table yesterday. So last night I asked him to move into another room. He got very angry and stormed out saying maybe he should move into another house. How can I resolve this? — Lois Dear Lois: The roar of the snore is heard in the land! There seems to be more and more attention being paid to the problem, which may be helpful to you. First, though, next time you wake up, think about why he reacted with such anger at your request. Is he feeling rejected in other areas of your relationship? Pay attention to what’s happening between you. As for the snoring, suggest that he see his doctor, since there are different methods of controlling this today. Meanwhile, Lois, go in that other room and take a nap.

Dear Solutions: My woman friend wants us to get married. Right now, we live in two separate apartments, and I spend every weekend at her place, and sometimes weekdays also. I want to marry her, but right now I want to move in with her first before getting married. This living in two places is getting to the point where I don’t know where some of my things are anymore. The other morning it was raining, and my umbrella was at her house. Don’t you think it makes sense for us to live in one place? How can I convince her? — John Dear John: Easily. Just bring a ring, a minister/ rabbi/judge and marriage license to her house, and then I’m sure you will have convinced her to let you move in. At least you’ll know where your umbrella is! © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 6+

HABITAT RESTORATION DAYS

Volunteers are needed to help remove invasive weeds and plant new plants at the Cromwell Valley Park, located at 2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd. in Parkville. Volunteers are needed from 2 until 4 p.m. on Wednesdays (Dec. 6 and 20, Jan. 10 and 17, and Feb. 7 and 28) and Saturdays (Dec. 16, Jan. 13 and 27, and Feb. 10 and 24). To join in, RSVP to Laurie TaylorMitchell at Ltmitchell4@comcast.net.

Ongoing

LESS VIOLENCE TOWARD WOMEN

FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture is an art activist collective that creates art actions to generate media attention and get people talking. The studio is looking for volunteers to work in the studio at varying times. Hours include Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 1 p.m. at 120 W. North Ave. For more information, contact Shanti Flagg at (207) 671-0016.

Dec. 4+

USHER FOR A CHRISTMAS CAROL

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is looking for outgoing and friendly volunteers to usher before A Christmas Carol performances running between Monday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7 South Calvert St. Shows are usually on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. For more information, email volunteer@chesapeaeksshakespeare.com.

Ongoing

OFFICE HELP FOR NON-PROFITS

The RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Project) is looking for volunteers to provide office support for Carroll County nonprofit organizations that serve seniors and residents with disabilities. Locations and times are flexible. For more information, call Barbara Norman at (410) 386-4646.

Dec. 9

TOOLS OF BONE

Learn how to make mankind’s earliest technology, bone tools, on Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Willow Grove Primitive Tech Laboratory, in the Cromwell Valley Park, at 2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd. in Parkville. The event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. and costs $2 for members and $4 for non-members. Registration is required. To learn more, call (410) 887-2593.

Dec. 10

BESTSELLING AUTHOR JENNIFER CHIAVERINI

Join New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer Chiaverini for a public reading of her new book, Enchantress of Numbers. The free event will take place at A Likely Story Bookstore, 7566 Main St. in Sykesville, on Sunday, Dec. 10, from 4 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (410) 795-1718.

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money

SECOND-HAND IS ROSEY Buying everything from clothing to cars used can save money and the environment

Law &

SPLIT ENDS Divorce after 50 can be costly and complex, with more assets to divide PUT EXPERIENCE TO WORK How to battle subtle and more overt age bias when job hunting

Don’t procrastinate rebalancing portfolio By Eleanor Laise Rebalancing a portfolio is like going to the gym. You know you should, but it’s so easy to put the task off until tomorrow, or next week, or next year. That’s especially true when stocks, now in the ninth year of a bull market, seem to march ever higher. Shifting money from winning stocks to low-yielding bonds may sound tougher than tackling that treadmill. Older investors may have particular trouble rebalancing — that is, routinely tweaking their portfolios to keep stock, bond and cash allocations close to their long-term targets — a recent study suggests. Researchers at Morningstar, the American College and Texas Tech University analyzed 401(k) plan participants’ responses to a risk-tolerance questionnaire. Compared with younger investors, 51to 65-year-olds gave responses that were heavily influenced by recent stock-market performance. After a stock surge, they were more willing to take risks, and after a stock slump, they were less willing — which could lead investors to sell low and buy high. Clearly, “this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing if you’re rebalancing a portfolio,” said Michael Finke, chief academic officer at the American College and co-author of the study. If you don’t rebalance, your stock allocation may grow far beyond your comfort zone, setting you up for unpleasant surprises in a market downturn. Rebalancing also has its drawbacks, including transaction costs and potential tax consequences. But with a disciplined rebalancing strategy, you can minimize costs while taming portfolio risks. Why are older investors more likely than their younger peers to have a bigger risk appetite after stocks have climbed? They may simply be paying more attention to the market, Finke said. When you’re entering retirement, he said, “you have to rely on that nest egg, and can get particularly emotionally involved with your portfolio.”

Create a routine You can rein in that emotion by sticking

with a set strategy. You could rebalance by the calendar — say, every quarter or every year. Or you could pick a threshold, rebalancing only when an allocation drifts more than 5 or 10 percentage points away from your target. In terms of maximizing returns, it doesn’t much matter which strategy you choose — they all produce roughly the same returns, when adjusted for the level of risk in the portfolio, according to research by Vanguard. But to strike a balance between controlling risks and minimizing costs, Vanguard found it makes sense to monitor your portfolio annually or semiannually and rebalance when an allocation has drifted more than 5 percentage points from your target. To further trim costs, rebalance with portfolio cash flows. Whenever you receive dividends or interest, take required minimum distributions, or make new contributions to your accounts, direct incoming cash toward your underweighted asset classes while pulling withdrawals from overweighted ones. That way, you reduce the need to sell securities, which reins in trading costs and taxes.

servative over time. To be rid of the rebalancing chore, however, you’d have to keep your entire portfolio in such vehicles.

Now May Be the Best Time to Sell Your Jewelry

Look at tax impacts If you do need to make rebalancing trades, try to concentrate them in your taxadvantaged accounts, where you won’t trigger capital-gains taxes, said Colleen Jaconetti, senior investment analyst with Vanguard. And if you have to sell holdings in a taxable account, focus on those that will generate the least gains. If your taxable trades are likely to generate a big tax bill, consider rebalancing just to your comfort-zone threshold rather than your long-term target. For example, you could trim a 59 percent stock weighting back to 55 percent if your long-term target is 50 percent. That way, you stay within your comfort zone and avoid incurring excessive costs, Jaconetti said. For those who could use a helping hand, plenty of advisers and investment vehicles will do the rebalancing work for you. Target-date mutual funds, for example, automatically rebalance and become more con-

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

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

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

BEACON BITS

Nov. 26

ALL ABOUT PROBATE Guest speaker Malissa Ruffner will give a presentation about the probate process and the distribution of assets as part of the

Baltimore County Genealogical Society’s guest speaker series. The free talk will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26, at the Parkville Senior Center library, 8601 Harford Rd. For more information, email the society at info@baltimoregenealogysociety.org.

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

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

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

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

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Calculating the true cost of divorce at 50+ By Scott Hanson You’re sitting across the kitchen table from your spouse, when she informs you that she wants to separate. After decades of marriage, you’re facing divorce. While becoming unwillingly single can be difficult at any stage of life, splitting up after the age of 50 can be doubly devastating, because you have a limited amount of time to financially recover before retirement. According to Pew research, you’re hardly alone. That’s because while the American divorce rate has actually declined for every other age demographic, the divorce rate among U.S. adults 50 and older has roughly doubled since the 1990s. America is facing what’s being called the “gray divorce epidemic.” Many studies have been done about its cause, some concluding that once the children leave the nest, couples discover they’ve lost their shared purpose and don’t have much in common anymore. But no matter what the underlying cause, divorce is expensive, and once it becomes inevitable, you have little choice but to reactively take steps to protect yourself financially.

Major money Right from the first phone call, depending on their ZIP code, a divorce attorney might charge you anywhere from $250 to $650 an hour. In brass tacks, the average cost of an amicable divorce falls somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000. But being that divorces are typically emotionally charged, clean breaks are rare. Typically, the longer you’ve been together, the more assets you’ve acquired, and the more expensive the process. I’ve seen couples spend $200,000 in legal fees in a tug of war over a $1.5 million estate. That’s partly because older people, while usually not involved in long, drawn-

out child custody battles, have less time to rebuild financially, which means divorce can literally be a fight for your future standard of living. It’s difficult to recover from divorce when you’re older because, after 50, you’re more likely to have maxed out your earning potential, your assets may be mostly fixed, and your employment opportunities tend to become more limited. And while it’s true that older divorcers generally have more assets than younger people, they often don’t have as much money as they think they do. Case in point: I worked with a 67-yearold client who had over $1.5 million in a traditional IRA, and whose husband had filed for divorce. He was insisting that he was entitled to half that amount, or $750,000. He wanted a cashier’s check. He’d forgotten that the money in traditional IRAs — and also 401(k)s — is taxed when it’s withdrawn (the actual percentage depends on things like the amount of your other income, along with the amount of the distribution). Plus, if you’re under age 59½, an extra 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty may apply. Of course, there are divorce decree exceptions, which allow the IRA or 401(k) participant to forgo the 10 percent penalty (if the money is rolled over into the spouse’s IRA). But the money is not liquid, and once it’s withdrawn, combined federal and state tax rates as high as 52 percent (depending on your state’s income tax rate) could be due. And what about brokerage accounts? If you need to liquidate investments in your brokerage account(s) to settle a divorce decree, you’ll get hit with long-term capital gains tax (as high as 20 percent, but it varies). How much you end up paying depends

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

A house divided But retirement and brokerage accounts can seem relatively straightforward when compared to the division of other assets. Probably the key asset that gray divorcers must divide is the value of the home. What makes the home asset substantially more complex is that, often, one of the partners wants to stay put. This means they may have to give up their rights to other assets in return for a house that could experience a substantial decline in value in a relatively short period of time. Emotional attachments to assets can be tricky. I worked with the family of a wellemployed, recently divorced woman who bypassed her claim to all other marital as-

sets in exchange for keeping the house, which, when appraised, had almost $1.6 million in equity. Even though she agreed to give up the balance of her 401(k), she was still only in her 50s, and with seemingly many more years left to work. At the time of the divorce, it appeared she’d made out reasonably well. Unfortunately, in rapid succession she was forced to retire due to a health emergency that coincided with the onset of the 2008 real estate collapse. Eventually, with all her eggs in that one basket, she lost her only real asset to the bank via repossession. But, conversely, throwing up your hands and agreeing to sell a house is not cheap, either. First, there are the repairs, upgrades and inspections, which often lead to still more repairs. Next, the cost of selling the home is going to be at least 6 to 7 percent of its value. See COST OF DIVORCE, page 21

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

How to battle age bias when job hunting By Mary Kane Older workers who are job hunting, perhaps to switch careers or pursue “bridge” jobs before full retirement, have a wealth of experience to draw on. But how can you ensure that the positive attributes of a long career, such as building knowledge and honing skills, don’t morph into the negative headwinds of age discrimination? Happily, there are steps you can take, from tightening your résumé to prepping for interviews, to battle age bias head on. Dealing with potential age discrimination on the job hunt is a challenge, and a recent U.S. Supreme Court action may make it more difficult for some older workers to prove they were rejected because of their age when they applied for jobs. The Court in June let stand a lower court ruling that found the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, a 50-year-old federal law designed to protect older workers from bias, doesn’t extend to job applicants in all circumstances. The ruling could make it tougher for older workers who seek to stay in the workforce. Nearly two-thirds of workers ages 55 to 64 say their age is a barrier to getting a job, a 2017 AARP survey found. Hiring practices that can affect older workers include age-related questions on job applications, and position openings or advertisements that set a maximum on years of experience, said AARP Foundation Senior Attorney Laurie McCann.

Turn age to your advantage Workers on the job are better situated to

Cost of divorce From page 19 Then, afterward, whether you go on to buy or rent, the next financial shock to the system of a gray divorcer is the current cost of housing, which is almost certainly higher than when you purchased the home. This means your budget is going to be strained, and your settlement (or alimony, in certain cases) is going to quickly lose purchasing power. Yet all of the above are just the basics. Other common financial sticking points for older divorcing couples include: the division of debt, the difficulties of splitting hedge funds or private equity holdings, premarital assets that have risen in value, comingled inheritances that are now marital property, pensions, collectibles, Social Security, and the fact that the person paying alimony might be forced to carry life insurance with a death benefit for the duration of his or her obligation to their former spouse.

Making it less costly So, divorce is especially costly for people over 50. Is there a solution? First, if you have no choice in the mat-

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

ter, and you absolutely must divorce, save time and money by knowing the precise value (and amounts) of every asset before meeting with attorneys. Meet with your Certified Financial Planner professional and your accountant, together with your spouse (if possible). Another way to save substantial sums of money, if the split is amicable and the value of the assets are clear, is to steer negotiations and the division of assets and debts toward an experienced divorce mediator. There is no law that states you must hire a divorce attorney. As illustrated above, hiring attorneys could result in 15 percent, or even more, of your assets unnecessarily going to legal fees. Just remember, you were married to your spouse for a long time, and if you extend the olive branch, and are fair, even if the marriage can’t be saved, consider it a business transaction. That 15 percent savings may make a huge difference to your standard of living down the line. Scott Hanson, CFP, is financial advisor and co-founder, Hanson McClain Advisors. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

the company turn profits. Use the pronoun “we” to show your collegiality. “You’re going in there to get a job offer,” said Yate. “Focus on the needs of the job.”

Apply where you’re valued If you’ve been at a large corporation, consider seeking out smaller, growing companies where your experience will be especially attractive, Yate said. And look for jobs at age-friendly employers. Use SeniorJobBank.org, or check the

Retirement Living Information Center for senior employment websites. AARP lists about 460 companies that have pledged that they value older employees and will treat them fairly. Finally, be persistent. Keep sending out résumés even if you fear age is hindering your job hunting. “You just want to get in the door,” McCann said. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Travel Leisure &

Find the best trains to ride in America and Europe for snowy, scenic vistas. See story on page 25.

Caribbean sugar, sand and sightseeing white blanket of mist and clouds that can resemble a layer of fallen flakes. English and French settlers who followed Columbus to the islands in the early 1600s found conditions there perfect for growing sugar cane, and they established a lucrative sugar trade which was to last for two centuries, and account for an influx of slaves from Africa.

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

By Victor Block “Stay to the left. Stay to the left.” Those words became my often-repeated mantra when driving during a recent visit to an intriguing pair of sister Caribbean islands. Because St. Kitts and Nevis share a common British heritage, steering a vehicle on the left side of the road is one vestige of the mother country’s lingering influence. Fortunately, St. Kitts and Nevis, two miles apart, were spared the major damage that recent hurricanes inflicted upon other Caribbean islands. Despite strong ties to their motherland, the islands also retain hints of other countries and cultures. Both were settled, first by the peaceful Arawak Indians, and later by the more ferocious Caribs. Add their comingling with traces of African and indigenous cultures, and you achieve a rich mosaic that touches many aspects of life. Christopher Columbus sighted these dots of land during his second voyage to the New World, in 1493. He named the larger of the two Sant Jago (Saint James), after the Patron Saint of Spain. Careless explorers who followed Columbus to the area confused it with a nearby island that Columbus had named San Cristobal (Saint Christopher), and that name — shortened to St. Kitts — stuck. Columbus dubbed the other, even smaller island Nuestro Senora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows). That’s because its single peak was, and often still is, hidden in a

A mix of cultures England eventually wound up in control of St. Kitts, which achieved its independence as recently as 1983, and still remains a member of the British Commonwealth, in federation with Nevis. In addition to left-lane driving, cricket is the most popular sport, and some restaurant menus meld Caribbean and African fare with touches of England. Given how compact St. Kitts is — only about the area of Washington, D.C. — a relatively short sightseeing drive can provide visitors with a close-up and personal introduction to the island’s spectacular scenery, some of the most unspoiled in the Caribbean. Its mountains are blanketed by lush rain forests, and those hardy enough to climb to the volcanic crater of Mount Liamuiga are rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views. An exploration also can include a sampling of the tiny villages that are dotted around the island, and other places of interest which relate chapters in the story of St. Kitts’ past.

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

PHOTO BY SEAN PAVONE

The town of Bloody Point is where, in 1629, French and British soldiers joined forces to repel an attack by the Carib indigenous people, who had occupied the island since the early 14th century. The village of Old Road, which is perched between the mouths of two rivers, once was a center of Indian habitation, and later the place where English settlers established their first capital in the Caribbean. Sandy Point was located close to the English settlements’ border with the French during the early days of joint occupation of the island. It’s characterized by the colorful architecture of typical West Indian-style cottages. Quaintly named Fig Tree marked the northern boundary between the areas claimed by the two countries, and the first battle between their forces was fought there.

A plethora of plantations

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

Not surprisingly, the brooding remains of once proud sugar plantations are high on the must-see list of many visitors. While the island originally produced tobacco, that crop couldn’t compete with the quantity and quality of the leaf being grown in the Virginia colony. As tobacco production petered out, the romance of St. Kitts with sugar began around 1640. At that time, its use to sweeten food was increasing around the world, along with

the added benefits of producing molasses and rum. The rich volcanic soil and perfect climate prompted the proliferation of plantations, and they quickly sprouted like the cane they cultivated. The island came to be blanketed by some 200 plantations that grew cane, which was processed at nearly 80 factories. But that heyday could not, and did not, last forever. Over time, overplanting gradually impoverished the soil, competition increased, and external economic conditions brought an end to the era of sugar. While some cane still is grown and processed there today, tourism and light manufacturing now are the basis of the economy. Visitors may relive the heady days of sugar wealth by exploring the remains of the once-thriving plantations. Ruins of cone-shaped stone windmill towers, rusted steam-driven cane crushers, and huge copper bowls in which the juice was boiled lie half-hidden in the vegetation as reminders of the once flourishing sugar economy. The Wingfield Estate was established in 1625 by an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson. Sugar and rum were produced there until 1924, and the aquaduct that turned the water wheel and steam engine are among the reminders of that time. Not far away stands Romney Manor, See ST. KITTS, page 23

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

St. Kitts From page 22 named for a 17th century British earl, where cane was crushed over the years by animal, wind and water power. Sharing the site is a lovely tropical garden and Caribelle Batik, a manufacturer and retail store where visitors may watch workers use the traditional wax and dye process to produce a variety of items. A pleasant way to recall the sugar plantation life is aboard the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, which offers a 30-mile, three-hour tour along the northeastern coastline. In the past, the train that chugged along the narrow-gauge rails delivered cane from plantations to a sugar factory in the capital city of Basseterre. Now passengers riding in double-decker cars enjoy views of the sea, pass through tiny villages, skirt lush rain forest terrain, and spot long-abandoned windmills and chimneys of former estates. Despite its name, which means “lowland” in French, Basseterre still displays strong ties with England. A number of examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture, interspersed here and there with brightly painted buildings in typical West Indian styles, have survived hurricanes, fires and earthquakes. The main square, called the Circus, is a small, palm-shaded replica of Piccadilly Circus in London.

Monkeying around A welcome and somewhat surprising attraction on the island is a population of green vervet monkeys, which were introduced by French plantation owners some 300 years ago as pets for their families. These endearing creatures, named for their golden-green fur, prefer to hang out at high elevations, peering inquisitively at any intruders through the dense foliage. Some bolder monkeys venture down to more populated low-lying areas, especially where there are sources of food and people who will toss them an edible handout. While there’s no way to know how many of these simians share the island with their human cousins, some residents claim that there are more monkeys than people. Given efforts by European nations to colonize and control the Caribbean is-

lands, and the sugar wealth of St. Kitts, forts were built to provide defense against attacks. The western coastline was guarded by no less than nine forts, along with the magnificent Brimstone Hill Fortress. Construction of that massive bastion was begun by the French in 1690 and completed intermittingly over a 100-year period by the British, using slave labor. The complex, perched atop an 800-foot-high rise, sprawls over 38 acres, and the meticulously restored structures include officers’ quarters, barracks and a hospital. Given the combined French and British presence in the island’s past, references to both countries and cultures abound in town names and histories. Belle Tete (“beautiful head”) is among place names reminiscent of the French era. Dieppe Bay is believed to have been the first French town, while Challengers Village was the first “free” town, where ex-slaves were permitted to purchase small parcels of land.

Museums and beaches The story of the island’s villages, along with its history, culture and other aspects of life past and present, is told at the National Museum. It occupies an imposing Georgianstyle structure that was completed in 1894 and has since housed almost every government department at one time or another. The National Museum and a handful of other small but interesting collections, the island’s intriguing multi-cultural history, and the added allure of casino gambling are among the something-for-everyone array of attractions that greet visitors to St. Kitts. Not to be overlooked is the added choice of lovely palm tree-lined beaches — a “must” for many visitors to a Caribbean Island. The most inviting stretches of sand are concentrated along the narrow southeastern peninsula of St. Kitts. Elsewhere, beaches are more likely to consist of gray or black volcanic sand. The beach that lines Frigate Bay is powder-white, and the water is ideal for swimming and windsurfing. The beaches of Banana bay and Cockleshell Bay attract those seeking a secluded setting. Friar’s Bay is popular with locals, in part because of a collection of small bars.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 30

VISIT PENNSYLVANIA’S CAPITAL

Join the Essex Senior Center for a trip to Harrisburg, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 30. The trip costs $70 and includes entry to the Harrisburg Craft Show, Country Buffet, and Hershey Sweet Lights. For more information, call the center at (410) 687-5113.

Dec. 3+

VISIT COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

Departing at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, the Bykota Senior Center will take participants to Williamsburg, Va., for two days for $269. Sights include Colonial Williamsburg and the Grand Illumination Celebration. For more information, call (410) 887-1691.

Dec. 3

CONCERT AND DINNER IN D.C.

Senior Box Office is organizing a trip to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Dec. 3. The trip includes a holiday concert by the U.S. Army Band and lunch at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. The cost is $70. For more information, call (410) 882-3797.

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

If you go The St. Kitts Marriott Resort offers all of the amenities one expects at a mega-hotel, and then some. Overlooking a four-mile stretch of beach, the sprawling complex includes a casino, golf course and tennis courts, spa, three swimming pools and seven restaurants. Rates begin at $142 a night for two people in a room, and there are all-inclusive options. For more information and reser-

vations, call 1-888-236-2427 or see www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/skbrb-st-kit. The Ocean Terrace Inn overlooks the sea from a terraced hillside that leads down to the water’s edge. It has a lagoon-style swimming pool, two restaurants and fitness center, and offers free shuttle bus service to one of the island’s finest beaches. Rates begin at $175. For more information, call 1-800-5240512 or visit https://oceanterraceinn.com. American Airlines offers the lowest roundtrip fare to St. Kitts’ Basseterre Airport in early December. Flights start at $715 from BWI. For more information about visiting St.

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to find good deals for solo travelers Dear Savvy Senior: glesTravelIntl.com) and Singles Travel GetCan you recommend some good travel aways (SinglesTravelGetaways.com). Both companies that offer good companies offer tours, cruises deals for single travelers? and adventures in the U.S. and I’ve taken a couple tours overseas, and will match you since I retired a few years with a roommate to avoid the ago, but the single-supplesingle supplement, or won’t ment fee really cuts into my charge you if a match can’t be budget. arranged. —Solo Sally Dear Sally: General tour operators Solo traveling is a growing Some big operators in this trend among baby boomers and category that have lots of solo retirees. Nearly 1-in-4 who trav- SAVVY SENIOR travelers include Intrepid el today, go it alone according to By Jim Miller Travel (IntrepidTravel.com) a recent Visa Global Intentions — which handles more than Study. 100,000 travelers each year, sending them But one of the biggest drawbacks among to more than 100 countries — and G Advensolo travelers is the single supplemental fee tures (Gadventures.com) — which has — which is an extra fee charged to single more than 700 tours around the globe, and travelers who stay in a double occupancy offers a variety of travel styles. Both of room alone. these companies can pair you with a roomTo help you avoid this extra charge, mate, and some tours offer your own room more and more travel companies and option for an additional fee. cruise lines are making adjustments to acAnd for higher-end luxury travel, check commodate the growing solo-traveler mar- out Abercrombie & Kent (Abercromket. Here are several to checkinto: bieKent. com), which offers a 50 percent single supplement discount on their select small Singles travel sites group solo travel trips and cruises, and There are a variety of travel companies Tauck (Tauck.com), which doesn’t charge a that specialize in vacations for solo travelers, single supplement on their European river including Singles Travel International (Sin- cruises.

50-Plus travel

different cruise lines for their single customers. They provide roommate matching.

If you’re interested in trips designed for adults 50 and older, consider ElderTreks (ElderTreks.com), Road Scholar (RoadScholar.org) and Overseas Adventure Travel (OATtravel.com). ElderTreks specializes in exotic adventures worldwide, will match single travelers with roommates on most of its trips, and doesn’t charge if a match can’t be arranged. Road Scholar specializes in worldwide learning adventures, and has designated trips that offer the same price for solo travelers as for those traveling in pairs. Overseas Adventure Travel — which operates in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Cuba, Australia and New Zealand — offers limited solo space options (without a premium) on all its land tours, and either free or low-cost single supplements on its small-ship adventures.

Solo women For solo women travelers, there are a host of tour companies and clubs, like GutsyWomenTravel.com, Women-Traveling. com, SerenDipityTraveler.com, TheWomensTravelGroup.com and Womens-TravelClub.com that will either match you up with a roommate, or reduce their single supplement fee.

Finding travel partners If you’d rather find a suitable travel partner before you book your next trip, there are a number of free websites that can help you here, too. See Travbuddy.com, TravelFriend.us, a nd TravelersMeeting.com. Or, to find a cruise buddy, try CruiseMates.com, which has a message board where users can post roommate requests. For even more information on solo travel, check out SoloTravelerWorld.com, which offers solo travel tips, destinations and stories, and also publishes a monthly list of solo travel deals. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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

BEACON BITS

Dec. 12

EASE HOLIDAY STRESS

The challenges of juggling schedules, managing everyday life and dealing with the holiday season may cause unwanted stress that could lead to conflict within the home. This free workshop presented by facilitators from the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County shows you ways to cope. The workshop takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Essex Branch library, 1110 Eastern Blvd., Essex. For more information, call (410) 887-0295.

art ist. I’M NOT A SENIOR. I’M AN

At Integrace, we know that your age does not define you. So we’ve created a family of life plan communities where you can connect with your passions and discover new paths every day. Live the life that’s most meaningful to you. Visit Integrace.org to discover all the possibilities that await you.

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A Not-for-profit Community

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

World class scenic winter train travel If you want to enjoy spectacular snows- you over the former mainline that has capes without the hassle of winter driving, been bypassed by the new 35-mile Gottake a train. thard Base Tunnel. The new Except in unusual circumtunnel cuts the travel time stances, railroads keep their substantially, but 35 miles in a tracks open through snowfall tunnel under the Alps isn’t a heavy enough to shut down big sightseeing event. the highways. And many of Instead, take the panoramthem travel on routes with betic train over the steep grades, ter sightseeing than you can curves, and spiral tunnels find anywhere else. along deep river valleys and If you want really great snow gorges. The Panorama Exscenery, you can’t beat Switzerpress trip runs between land. Although my recent (spon- TRAVEL TIPS Lucerne and Lugano, combinsored) train trips there were in By Ed Perkins ing a boat trip on Lake snow-free late summer, I’ve also done them in winter, and you just can’t beat the Swiss panorama trains for scenery any time of the year.

The Swiss Alps times three The Glacier Express is the number one Swiss panorama train. It runs between St. Moritz and Zermatt all year, with the exception of a break from Oct. 23 to Dec. 10. Winter trains with panorama cars operate once daily in each direction. If you prefer, you can take less than the full trip, but don’t miss the section between Chur and St. Moritz over the UNESCO World Heritage Albula route. A full eight hours in the spectacular Alps — what more do I need to say? The Bernina Express takes you from Alpine Chur or St. Moritz over the Bernina pass and down a spectacular line to comparatively sunny Tirano, Italy. Winter or summer, it’s one of the world’s great scenic rail journeys. Trains operate all year, although sometimes you have to change at Ponteressina, near St. Moritz. The schedule favors southbound trips for best daylight viewing. The Gotthard Panorama Express takes

Lucerne with the train. All three Swiss trains are covered by Swiss Travel Pass. But if one is enough, you can buy individual tickets. All three require reservations, with an extra fee. Buy either way online at sbb.ch/en or raileurope.com.

North American excursions If you can’t make it to Switzerland, you can find some good winter rail sightseeing closer to home. North America’s top winter rail trip is on the Canadian, between Toronto and Vancouver, which operates twice weekly in each direction during the winter. A friend takes this four-night trip every year or two, in the middle of winter, for the great scenery, especially in the Rockies between Vancouver and Edmonton. Find a deal on a cabin for one or two during one of VIA Rail Canada’s weekly “discount Tuesday” promotions. Amtrak’s two top winter scenery trains operate through the western mountains: The California Zephyr, between Chicago and Emeryville (for San Francisco), provides daytime sightseeing over the Rockies and Sierras on successive daytime segments. Daylight sightseeing through the

Rockies is better westbound. If you just want the mountains, start or end your trip in Denver rather than Chicago. The Empire Builder passes next to Glacier National Park in Montana on its trip through the Rockies, and it also passes through the Cascade Range in Washington. The best daytime Glacier Park sightseeing times are on the eastbound trip; in winter, you don’t get much daylight through the Cascades in either direction. Other Amtrak trains with the potential for

winter snow include the Pennsylvanian, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia; the westbound schedule isn’t good for daylight in the Appalachians. The Lake Shore Limited through the Berkshires, between Boston and Albany, might work, although the schedules limit daylight viewing in the mountains in both directions until early spring. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Style Arts &

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar is one of many places to celebrate and shop for the season. See story on facing page.

The Walters celebrates varied arts of Asia curatorial affairs and curator of Islamic and South & Southeast Asian Art, the newly installed galleries have been designed to create thought-provoking intimate spaces that inspire pleasure and curiosity. “The galleries evoke the emotionally charged contexts for these works of art, with elegant design and lively videos that link present-day practices to art of the past,” said Landau.

Japanese ceramics One such space is the light-filled gallery featuring contemporary Japanese ceramic vases with innovative shapes, colors and glazes. This installation is one of a series celebrating the promised gift to the Walters Art Museum of contemporary Japanese ceramics from Betsy and Robert Feinberg. The museum has a long tradition of collecting contemporary Japanese ceramics that started with a purchase by founder Henry Walters in 1915. A tranquil display of East and Southeast Asian art features works linked to Buddhism and its devotional practices from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Myanmar

and Cambodia. The entrance to this collection is graced by an image of the compassionate bodhisattva Guanyin from late 14th to early 15th century China. A monumental Buddha from 18th to 19th century Myanmar rests in a meditative position in the center of the next room, flanked by sculptures of devotees. Most of these sculptures and paintings have come to the Walters as a gift from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Southeast Asian Art Collection, and 11 are on view for the first time, following extensive conservation treatment by the Walters Art Museum.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM

By Carol Sorgen Stillness, serenity and an air of quiet contemplation are the sentiments evoked by the Walters Art Museum’s long-awaited installation, “Arts of Asia.” The visually stunning display of more than 150 works spanning 2,000 years explores the artistic traditions from diverse cultures and regions across India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. The installation includes 30 objects that have never before been on view. “Asian art has always been a cornerstone of the Walters Art Museum,” said the museum’s Executive Director Julia MarciariAlexander, noting that the new installation marks the beginning of the revitalization of Hackerman House at One West Mount Vernon Place, which will reopen in June 2018. “When it closed in 2014 for building improvements, it gave us an opportunity to take a fresh look at the Asian art collections,” said Marciari-Alexander. “I am thrilled to unveil a re-envisioning of ‘Arts of Asia’ that offers more engaging ways to experience our amazing collections.” According to Amy Landau, director for

Buddhist and Hindu works Also part of this new installation is a collection of Thai sculptures of the Buddha, part of a gift to the This Chinese Bodhisattva Guanyin, the goddess Walters from Alexander Brown of compassion, was made in the late 14th to Griswold, a native Baltimorean 15th century, and is part of the Walters’ new Arts who was stationed in Thailand of Asia exhibit. The installation features many reduring World War II. The Walters ligious works of Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic origins. is home to the largest collection of Thai sculpture outside of Thaionce recognized in The New York Times as land. In the John and Berthe Ford Gallery are having one of the world’s most important works of art from India, Nepal and Tibet. private holdings of Himalayan (Nepal and The Fords acquired and donated most of Tibet) and Indian art. the objects on view. Longtime Baltimoreans See ASIAN ART, page 29 and donors to the Walters, the Fords were

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliances Everything and anything is sold on

Radio Flea Market Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

‘Tis the season to celebrate in Baltimore By Carol Sorgen It’s that time of year again. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or simply the fact that a new year is on the horizon, this is when Baltimore sparkles!

Time to shop Holidays mean gifts, so why not skip the mall and look for some unique items at these local venues? Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar Underneath the Jones Falls Expressway at Holliday and Saratoga Streets, Sundays 7 a.m. to noon. The Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar features local crafters, artists and artisans selling handmade items like jewelry, wine racks, clothing and accessories, soaps and candles. You’ll also find an abundance of trees, wreaths, greenery, and seasonal food to give as gifts or use for holiday cooking. The market is open every Sunday through Dec. 17. There will be a special holiday art expo on Dec. 3. For more information, visit http://promotionandarts.org/events-festivals/baltimore-farmers-market-bazaar or call (410) 752-8632. Holiday Bazaar & Tea at the Cloisters The Cloisters, 10440 Falls Rd., Lutherville Friday, Dec. 8, 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Holiday Bazaar & Tea features local Maryland artisans selling handmade items inside the historic Cloisters Castle. The bazaar is free to attend, but tickets for the tea are $30. For reservations, call the Cloisters at (410) 821-7448 or visit www.cloisterscastle.com/upcoming-events. Studio Artists’ Holiday Sale at School 33 Art Center School 33, 1427 Light St. Saturday, Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Select your gifts from a variety of painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography and more from School 33’s studio residents and visiting ar tists. Works will be available for purchase at prices ranging from $10 to $200. For more information, visit www.school33.org.

cacies such as Brautwurst, pretzels, Lebkuchen (gingerbread), mulled wine or a good German beer. There will also be daily performances of local choirs, bands and performers, and special themed weekend events. For more information, visit www.baltimore-Christmas.com. Miracle on 34th Street Hampden Nov. 25 to early January One block in Hampden bursts with light each holiday season as residents illuminate their row homes and mount quirky ornaments — from a giant snow globe to a Christmas tree made of hubcaps. For more information, visit www.christmasstreet.com. Little Italy Christmas Tree Lighting

Charm City traditions 2017 Christmas Village Nov. 23 to Dec. 24 Enjoy an authentic German Christmas market from Thanksgiving through Dec. 24, when Christmas Village in Baltimore returns to the Inner Harbor to transform West Shore Park into a European wonderland. A heated festival tent and beautiful outdoor wooden booths will host 45 vendors and their arts and crafts from all over the world. When you’re finished shopping, stop by the Bavarian Beergarden for German deli-

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Little Italy Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Decorate Little Italy’s enormous Christmas tree, sing carols with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and enjoy complimentary refreshments, Italian cookies and roasted chestnuts. Visit www.littleitalymd.org for more information. The Holly Jolly Trolley Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore 550 Light Street Beginning Dec. 1, 8:30 p.m. The two-hour tour on an old-fashioned trolley, conducted by an expert guide, will begin at Royal Sonesta Harbor Court in downtown Baltimore and will proceed through the deco-

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Antarctica From page 1 “Living on the base was a little like being a college student again — communal living in a dorm room with a roommate (a volcano scientist), beat-up furniture, and eating in a cafeteria,” Glazer said. Since she went in Antarctica’s summer, temperatures were bearable, ranging from the mid-teens to the mid-30s. “It was also 24-hour daylight, the advantage of which is that, even when camping, you never needed a flashlight! On the other hand, I had to sleep with an eyeshade — otherwise I’d find myself waking up in the middle of the night.” Visitors to the exhibition who have smartphones will be able to access an audio tour narrated by Glazer, drawn from a blog in which she recorded her experiences. Glazer returned from Antarctica with an extensive cache of photographic material of striking ice and geological forms on a wide range of scales — from towering glaciers to small, intricate designs in the lake ice.

Creating miniature glaciers The exhibition includes not only photographic prints, but also painted sculptures generated from photographs of ice and

Holiday events From page 27 rated neighborhoods of Harbor East, Fells Point and Canton. Next, the Trolley will head north to Hampden to see and enjoy the block-long 34th Street Annual Christmas Festival of Lights. On the way back to the Inner Harbor, guests will ride past the George Washington Monument in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood where it has been decorated for the season. Tickets are $15.95 to $29.95. For reservations, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/hollyjolly-trolley-lights-tour-tickets38819915412. Baltimore Parade of Lighted Boats Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point Dec. 2, 6 p.m. Baltimore’s nautical spirit is all aglow for the annual Parade of Lighted Boats. More than 50 boats and pleasure crafts, bedecked and sparkling in their holiday finery, make their way from the Inner Harbor to Fell’s Point. Visit www.fellspointmainstreet.org for more details. 45th Annual Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade Hampden Dec. 3, 1 p.m. The attendance along the 2.5 mile route reached 25,000 people last year in this parade with about 160 marching units. The parade features floats, local TV and radio personalities, over 100 Harley Davidson motorcycles, a steam calliope, great bands, Mummers of Philadelphia, Miss Yuletide

rock formations taken via 3D scanning technologies. The scans enabled her to produce sculptures using 3D printers and CNC routers, devices that use digital files and computercontrolled routers to carve materials. Glazer’s sculptures are the first such works produced of the Antarctic landscape. “Photographs are just one point of view. But when you have a 3D object, even if it’s a much smaller version of a large thing, you can walk around it, and look at it, and get some feeling for what it’s like,” Glazer said. She ended up creating four sculptures in total, including a rock formation that is almost 2.5 feet in diameter and one of a glacier that is 4.5 feet long. For Glazer, the exhibit is more than just a collection of her art. It is also part of a broader conservation effort. “The power of striking images and eyewitness accounts to raise awareness and motivate people to preserve wilderness has long been understood. I am applying my artistic skills and new technologies to that end,” she said, citing such environmental stewards as John Muir, Ansel Adams and Jacques Cousteau. “Antarctica is a place where vitally important research is being conducted about the role of polar ice in regulating the and, of course, Santa. Visit www.mayorschristmasparade.com for more information. Kwanzaa Celebration Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Library, 400 Cathedral St. Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m. Charles Dugger presents the principles of Kwanzaa. Visit www.prattlibrary.org or call (410) 396-5430. 46th Annual Monument Lighting Mount Vernon Place 699 Washington Place Dec. 7, 5 to 8 p.m. Illuminating the historic Washington Monument is a Baltimore tradition that includes caroling, food and good cheer. Fireworks cap the festive evening that marks the official start of the holiday season. Visit www.promotionandarts.org for more information. A Very Sephardic Hanukkah Jewish Museum of Maryland 15 Lloyd St. Dec. 10, 10 a.m. Part of Baltimore’s Downtown Dollar Day, enjoy Chanukah activities at the museum for just $1 admission. The day features kids activities and a storyteller who will share Sephardic Hanukkah stories. For more information, visit www.jewishmuseummd.org or call (410) 732-6400. Six13 Chanukah Concert Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School 3300 Old Court Rd. Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m.

Write a letter to the editor. See page 2.

DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Glazer has also created artwork much closer to home, as well. Her colorful murals depicting animals and star constellations cover walls at Baltimore’s Garrett Heights Elementary School and the side of a Baltimore row house. She was the artist in residence of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study in 2014 and 2015, a project that focused on urban environment. Her work has been shown nationally, and she was the exhibits director of the Rosenberg Gallery for 12 years, before leaving in 1998 to concentrate on her own artwork. Glazer credits part of her success to Open Works Baltimore, a small nonprofit that makes 3D printing “accessible and affordable to individual artists like myself.” When asked which part of the trip she enjoyed the most, Glazer said it was impossible to decide. “There were just so many moments

that, made me say; ‘I can’t believe what I’m looking at!’ Really, just to experience something so different. And the scale of some of these things — these enormous expanses or these enormous walls of ice! It was always a surprise wherever I was.” The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed through Dec. 18, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rosenberg Gallery in the Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College. The gallery is located at 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd. in Towson. Visit www.goucher.edu/rosenberg or call (410) 337-6477 for more information. (Note: Goucher’s campus will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 22-26.) To see some of Glazer’s work online, visit her website: http://helenglazer.com. The Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts is a year-long initiative to encourage readers to take up a new art or craft, or to revisit an earlier artistic passion. People are encouraged to find a class, mentor, website or other opportunity to explore any aspect of art that appeals to them — painting, drawing, sculpture, jewelry making, photography, poetry, etc. In the spring, we will announce a regional arts competition for amateurs over 50, with professional judging, cash prizes and gallery tours for the winners.

Celebrate the first night of Chanukah with Beth Tfiloh’s a cappella group, joined by Six13, whose seven award-winning albums are played on mainstream music stations around the world. Tickets are $10 for the concert. A traditional Chanukah meal will be served at 5:15 p.m., the cost for which is also $10. For ticket information, visit www.bethtfiloh.com or call (410) 486-1900. Cookies & Carols Harbor East, S. President St. Dec. 13, 6 to 9 p.m. Join the residents and retailers of Harbor East on a delicious cookie quest. Participating neighborhood shops will each feature a unique bite-sized holiday confection. $5 reserves your spot on the “tour,” and includes one cookie at each shop, a signature Cookies & Carols ornament, and free parking for the evening. All of the proceeds will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore. Enjoy complimentary photos with Santa Claus, carolers and a festive cocktail bar. Limited on-site tickets are available. For more information, visit www.itsawaterfrontlife.org. Chanukah Car Parade Cheder Chabad Dec. 14, 6 p.m. On the third night of Chanukah, the parade will leave Cheder Chabad, 5713 Park Heights Ave., and end by Clover and Manhattan Avenues near Cheder Chabad for menorah lighting. For more information, call (410) 585-1498. Walk-In Tour: The Christmas Story in Art The Walters Art Museum 600 N. Charles St. Dec. 16, 1 to 2 p.m. In the spirit of the season, enjoy a tour

examining religious art that celebrates the story of Christmas, featuring Renaissance and Baroque paintings depicting the birth of Christ. To learn more, visit www.thewalters.org or call (410) 547-9000. Holiday Karaoke Mount Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. Dec. 20, 7 to 11 p.m. Celebrate the holiday love with karaoke, an ugly holiday sweater contest, and an annual Nog It Off event with a friendly competition for the best eggnog in the marketplace. For more information, visit www.mtvernonmarketplace.com. http://reservations.baltimore.org/attraction/single/2193/1545. 50th Anniversary of Kwanzaa Celebration Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture 830 E. Pratt St. Dec. 30, noon Bring out the family to celebrate the holiday’s 50th anniversary and the Kwanzaa principle Nia (“Purpose”). Enjoy storytelling, African dancing and drumming by Sankofa Dance Theater. Sallah Jenkins leads holiday craft-making. Travel with teaching artist Culture Queen through Culture Kingdom Kids’ Kwanzaaland to explore the seven Kwanzaa principles at workshop stations. This event is $5. On a date still to be determined, Kwanzaa founder and Marylander, Dr. Maulana Karenga, will give a talk to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the holiday. Tickets are $15 for museum members; $20 for the general public. Children up to age 6 are free. For more information, call (443) 2631800 or visit www.lewismuseum.org.

world’s climate,” Glazer added. The NSF program’s director, Valentine Kass, observed that “artists and writers have a unique way of reaching the public, and Antarctica is obviously a place that most people never get to.”

A local artist, too

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

Asian art From page 26 The new display includes South Asian Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religious works; Himalayan bronzes, scroll paintings (tangkas) and ritual objects; and Indian Islamic court arts. Nearly all of these works of art were made for places of worship — from Indian stone temples honoring Hindu gods, to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries where revered teachers gave lessons in secret techniques of meditation. One of the highlights of this display is the Tibetan scroll painting “Green Tara,” which depicts the enlightened Buddha and goddess Tara sitting on a lotus in her mountain paradise. This work is among the earliest surviv-

ing examples of Tibetan scroll painting. New to the Walters’ collection of art from India, Nepal and Tibet are works of Islamic art from South Asia, selected to illustrate the religious diversity of historic India through the integration of art from South Asian Muslim courts. An especially noteworthy addition is a 15th-century Qur’an, with exquisite calligraphy in blue, red and gold ink, acquired by museum founder Henry Walters. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles St., north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Museum hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For general museum information, call (410) 547-9000 or visit https://thewalters.org. Admission to the museum is free.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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A C H E S

S U N N I

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

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Nov. 19+

MEXICAN MODERNIST PRINTS

The Baltimore Museum of Art will host an exhibition of 30 prints and drawings from the 1930s and 1940s by various artists that explore the cultural and intellectual exchange between Mexico and the U.S. following the Mexican Revolution. “Crossing Borders” will be on view Sunday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, March 11. The museum is located at 10 Art Museum Dr. Entry is free. For more information, visit www.artbma.org or call (443) 573-1700.

Ongoing

FREE SATURDAYS AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM

Now through Saturday, Dec. 30, the Jewish Museum of Maryland will have free admission each Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. The museum is located at 15 Lloyd St. For more information, visit www.jewishmuseummd.org or call (410) 732-6400.

Stop by today for a tour!

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

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DECEMBER 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

Stephen Sherr

24 28

49 55

48 53

47 51

39 42

25 30

BB1217

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

Across

Down

1. First one across Eden 5. Home Alone construction 9. Deadly 14. Ready, at the apple picking orchard 15. Rant follow-up 16. Visitor to Wonderland 17. Spared from the donation bin 18. Creator of Janinge and Norraryd chairs 19. Eagle’s claw 20. Imaginary meadow 23. Last name of all three Giant outfielders on Sept 15, 1963 24. Search and Rescue (abbrev.) 25. Periodontist’s deg. 26. ___-fi convention 28. Operator of 7 NYC bridges 30. Easy as ay, ___, cee 32. Pre-owned cap 38. Like birth control pills 39. Bygone airline with slogan “You’re going to like us” 40. ___ effort (“at least you tried”) 42. Thrilling inclines 47. Middle East strip (stripped of a letter) 48. Batman and Robin, for example 49. Keyboard pal of Ctrl and Del 50. It may be kicked or kissed 53. Stay too long on the cautious side 55. Gooey sandwich 57. Carol, Nadine, and Maybellene 63. Vietnamese city that celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2010 64. Some accept stock options in ___ of salary 65. He first met Skywalker on Tatooine 66. Muppet voiced by Jim Henson 67. Grocery checkout unit 68. Useful info in the cell phone waiting lot 69. Proficiency 70. Senators Cruz and Kennedy 71. Change the decor

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

Answers on page 29.

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2017

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 right. 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.

For Rent: Real Estate I AM HERE FOR YOU. “RITA BUG.” My mother called me that nickname. I took care of her the last two years before her passing. Now I’m here for others. If you can take care of yourself, showering and dressing, and in pretty good health, I have a great idea. We can live together. I would buy us a house. You do not have to live sharing a room. I would take you and maybe two ladies/guys and buy a wonderful home. We would travel together, USA and the world. Dinner out twice a week, bathroom dancing, entertainment in NYC and DC, art classes, daytrips, Vegas nights, shopping for others. We could start business together. I have tons of ideas. For those who are not seniors, I would offer the same beautiful homes, peace and quiet. Give me a call, and let’s make something happen. Let’s talk. Rita Davis, 443-379-9064. P.S. Move in two to three weeks. WE BUY HOUSES!!! Sell your unwanted Real Estate. Are you tired of tenants and toilets but like the cash flow? Give us a call at 443-4150790 or visit us at www.ikebuyshouses.com.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale VINTAGE COMIC BOOKS, MINT & lightly used in plastic covers, Vintage Magazines – 1920s, 30s, 40s. Email for lists/questions. wolbkcoll@elitemail.org. THREE BEAUTIFUL ADJACENT LOTS, Prime Garden in Glen Haven. Retail value, $16,500. Will take $5,000/obo. Call 443-3748854 or 410-636-8854. 2 CEMETERY LOTS, SIDE-BY-SIDE, Meadow Ridge. Paid $2,500 for one or $4,000 for both. 443-250-6697. 2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed. Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

Health REFLEXOLOGY AND REIKI in the comfort of your place of residence! Alternative therapy may assist with health and relaxation. Contact Shelby at 410-412-0230, or www.solesorcery.com.

Home/Handyman Services BORN AGAIN REFINISHING c/o Vernon E. Madairy Sr. Because your antique and fine furniture is an investment. Photographs at www.bornagainrefinishing.com. Furniture refinishing & repairs. All pieces hand stripped. Restorations. Missing pieces hand-carved. Veneer repair and replaced. Upholstery. Kitchen cabinets refinished. Hand-woven natural cane. Cane webbing. Natural rush. Fiber rush. Wood splint. Residential and commercial. Since 1973 (43 years). 410-323-0467. T’S HAULING & MOVING — I will move your possessions or haul them away. Don’t pay hefty delivery fees. Call Tim, 410-889-3795 or 443-6906525. Senior and military discounts. www.tshaulingandmoving.com. Like us on Facebook. SANFORD & SON JUNK REMOVAL. Trash + Junk removal, house & estate cleanouts, garage + basement cleanouts. Demolition – Shed, deck fence + pool removal. Licensed + insured. Free estimates over the phone. Call 7 days a week, 7 am to 7 pm. 410-746-5090.

Personals VERY ATTRACTIVE SWF, AGE 61, wants to meet SWM, age 61-66. Call Patty, 443-845-7802. SEEKING ONE OR TWO WOMEN INTERESTED IN BUYING and sharing vacation home on Eastern Shore. I have found a charming small town with low-cost home. Mid-shore area, close to water for kayaking and wooded areas to explore. Joyce, 410-358-0977.

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

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

Wanted

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

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

Wanted MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy jewelry, coins, silver, antiques, watches, gold, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-9100783.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY — wrist and pocket watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, coins, quilts, old toys, postcards, trains, guns, pocket and hunting knives, linens, fishing equipment and tackle boxes, fountain pens, Christmas garden items, crocks and jugs, lamps and lanterns, pottery, military items, sports memorabilia, advertising signs, paintings and contents of attics, basements and garages. Professional, no pressure individual with over forty years of experience. Lloyd D. Baker. 410-409-4965.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

ANTIQUE POLAN KATZ & CO UMBRELLAS. Looking for colorful, patterned Polan Katz & Co. umbrellas in excellent condition. Respond to raindropspk1@gmail.com.

COLLECTOR BUYING PRESIDENTIAL campaign memorabilia, vintage, buttons, ribbons, posters, tokens, flyers, anything. Locals also. jnovanmeter@yahoo.com. John, 410-448-9403.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies Chemotherapy Study .......................15 Memory Study .................................15 Slow Walking & Exercise Study......15

Dental Services Denture Doctor ..................................8 Diamond Dental.................................7

Events Celebration of the Arts.....................32 Myerberg Center ................................3

Financial Services First Maryland Disability Trust .......21 Hawkins, d.a. Insurance Services ....19 PENFED Credit Union ....................18

Funeral Services Dignity/Schimunek............................6

Home Health Care MedStar Total Elder Care ..................9

Options for Senior America.............25

Housing Alta at Regency Crest ........................8 Atrium Village .................................16 Bayleigh Chase/Integrace ................24 Buckingham’s Choice/ Integrace .......................................24 Charlestown/Erickson .....................11 Christ Church Harbor Apts. .............25 Fairhaven/Integrace..........................24 Linden Park Apts. ............................25 Oak Crest/Erickson..........................11 Park Heights Place...........................29 Park View Apartments .....................12 St. Marys Roland View Towers........27 Virginia Towers ................................19 Woodholme Gardens........................15

Legal Services Angels of Elder Care Planning ........19 Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm ....18

Medical/Health

Subscriptions

Center for Vein Restoration .............13 Clarity & Comfort Hearing ...............7 FIT!....................................................9 Medstar Total Eldercare.....................9 Rosenblatt Foot Care .......................16 Skin Cancer EB .................................9

Beacon Subscription ........................30

Shopping CopperZap .......................................14 CIRCA .............................................17 Custom Window Dressings by Sheila.........................4 Perfect Sleep Chair ..........................10 Radio Flea Market ...........................26 Wilkens Beltway Plaza ....................21 WOW! Computer .............................20

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Keswick .............................................8 Manor Care Health Services............13

Technology TechMedic4U.....................................6

Theatres/ Entertainment Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre .........................................26 Lyric Theatre....................................27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre......................29

Travel Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel ..................23 Nexus Holidays................................23 Superior Tours....................................5

Utilities BGE ...................................................4

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