December 2024 | DC Beacon

Life after working in Congress

By Glenda C. Booth

The U.S. Congress is a high-stress, pressure-cooker environment. For staffers, working there means multiple deadlines a day, a demanding public, an unpredictable schedule and, frequently, long days.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate can seem like a roiling cauldron of egos, with super-ambitious people eager to make headlines and nab television interviews. In addition, some elected officials are tightly wound, inexperienced managers.

Yet working in Congress can be a problem-solving exercise, an education in public policy, or a stepping stone to the more lucrative private sector. In fact, many former congressional staffers now look back with appreciation for the insight and skills they acquired on Capitol Hill.

An inspiring place to work

Rob Hartwell, a resident of Prince William County, Virginia, spent 13 valuable years as a staffer on Capitol Hill. While some may be cynical about government, Hartwell is not.

“When I look at the U.S. Capitol all lit up, it never fails to inspire me, and I think, ‘I was part of that. I helped people and served my country.’ It gives me a sense that I have contributed to this country.”

In the House of Representatives, Hartwell helped write tax legislation that affects almost every economic sector. One bill provided tax advantages to families that put land into permanent conservation trusts, and another stimulated the development of a safe, eco-friendly method of sterilizing medical instruments.

Hartwell said his job experience taught him “to understand complex issues and boil [them] down into concise marketing pitches,” he said. After all, briefing a legis-

LEISURE & TRAVEL

A cruise from Tokyo around Japan and South Korea; plus, Yellowstone National Park’s unique wonders page 26

lator or staffer is essentially a marketing pitch, he said.

Hartwell advises congressional jobseekers to commit to at least 10 years on the job so they can learn complex processes like budget and appropriations. He believes that most members of Congress “care about the country and want to get something done for their constituents.” Does he miss working on Capitol Hill?

“I’m still up there doing it, lobbying,” he said.

After Congress, Hartwell turned to lobbying for chain drugstores and nursing homes. The congressional-staff-to-lobbyist route is quite common in Washington and attractive because the pay is usually higher.

In his Virginia community, Hartwell also volunteers to protect the Occoquan

ARTS & STYLE

An old Sondheim musical gets a facelift; plus, two new books for the holidays, and Bob Levey channels Yogi Berra page 31

k Ease the winter blues

Virginia lobbyist Rob Hartwell spent 13 formative years working on Capitol Hill. He and other former congressional staffers who still live in the DMV say those early careers helped shape their lives. “Congress is the best learning experience I ever had,” Hartwell said.

A time for thanks

I want to thank the 2,000-plus readers, their guests and others who attended the 50+Expo events we recently offered in both Maryland and Virginia.

This is the 25 th year we have presented these Expos to our readers and the larger community, so they were especially meaningful and joyous for me and the rest of us at the Beacon.

this year to share information, resource materials and gobs of chocolate and useful giveaways.

We put many months of effort into organizing our Expos, which included the many health screenings, important vaccinations, speakers and nearly 150 government agencies, nonprofits and area businesses who came

BEACON BITS

Jan. 8

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

Every year, more people appear willing to venture out to these large, often crowded events. We all know there is the potential for another pandemic down the road, but for the moment, it certainly feels freeing to be able to see each other’s faces, hear what others are saying, and enjoy the boisterous experience of being part of “the public.”

I was especially happy to see so many familiar faces and to have the opportunity to speak with you, catch up on your lives, and

FREE CPR CLASS IN McLEAN

Hands-only CPR is a simplified form of CPR that focuses on chest compression only and increases the likelihood of victims surviving a heart attack. McLean Volunteer Fire Department leads a free hands-only CPR class on Wed., Jan. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center Community Hall, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA. Register at bit.ly/HandsOnlyCPRClass. For more information, call (703) 389-3224.

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

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

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

Publisher/Editor –Stuart P. Rosenthal

President/Associate Publisher –Judith K. Rosenthal

Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei

Managing Editor – Margaret Foster

Art Director – Kyle Gregory

Vice President of Operations – Roger King

Advertising Representatives –Dan Kelly, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel

Assistant Editor –Ana Preger Hart

hear your views on the issues of the day.

Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that one of the best parts was hearing all the glowing compliments people shared with me about the Beacon, our writers, our sales staff and the events themselves. I was floating out the door at the end of both Expos.

Our exhibitors were equally happy to have the opportunity to meet so many active older adults who were sincerely interested in the housing communities, health providers, financial and legal advisors, recreation and travel opportunities, and community resources that participated.

I want to thank our hard-working staff for putting together these fantastic events.

I also want to thank our gold sponsors

AARP Virginia and Giant Pharmacy who, together with our many other sponsors, made the free events possible.

I also want to thank Giant for providing a variety of vaccines and health screenings, and the Prevention of Blindness Society for offering glaucoma tests.

If you were unable to hear my interview of writer Laura Stassi, we will be posting a video of it soon on our website at thebeaconnewspapers.com/50expos.

We are already making plans for next fall’s Expos and intend for them to be even bigger and better than this year’s. I hope

to once again see those of you who came this year, and many more of you who could not be there.

As we enter the holiday season and the year draws to a close, I want to express my thanks to, and admiration for, everyone on the Beacon staff. Their diligent work keeps our printed publications and website brimming with useful content (and relevant advertising) month after month.

I’d like to thank them here by name: Executive Vice President Gordon Hasenei ; Vice President of Operations Roger King ; Art Director Kyle Gregory (celebrating his 25th year at the Beacon this month!); Managing Editor Margaret Foster ; Assistant Editor Ana Preger Hart ; Advertising Representatives Dan Kelly , Steve Levin , M.K. Phillips and Alan Spiegel ; and, of course, my wife, the Beacon’s President, Judy Rosenthal

The Beacon would not exist without all of their efforts — nor without you, who read our publications each month. I offer my sincere appreciation to each of you, too!

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season and new year.

Letters to the editor

Readers are encouraged to share their opinions 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 email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor:

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com

Submissions:

My husband and I both enjoy reading the Beacon every month. The articles are helpful, well thought out, unbiased (mostly), and pertinent to current events. We especially appreciated the article in Leisure & Travel about Richmond and its many wonderful museums and eateries.

Our only concern is that the majority of the articles pertain to Maryland, while we live in Alexandria, Virginia. We pick up the Beacon at the Hollin Hall Senior Center.

We live near Fort Hunt and can see Fort Washington from across the river. Is there any chance you could provide more coverage about happenings on this side of the DMV?

Thank you for your publication.

Nancy and Robert Seward Alexandria, VA

Dear Editor:

I have long appreciated the Beacon’s efforts to provide reliable information regarding health and finance. Often I find articles advising how to recognize and protect oneself from scams.

So I was appalled to see a full-page “advertorial” in the November issue that preys upon your readers’ gullibility and anxieties regarding infectious diseases.

The ad promoted the sale of a copper wand, CopperZap. This product has no proven benefit, and your readers deserve

protection from deceptive advertising.

The ad mixes some mainstream science with sloppy logic and skates around actually claiming any effectiveness for its product, apparently in order to avoid sanctions by the FDA.

The ad refers to endorsements by the NIH and EPA, but they promote the use of copper surfaces in hospitals, not devices to treat individual patients. There are no clinical trials showing benefits to humans.

The ad states that “pure copper kills... germs. CopperZaps are pure copper” and leaves the reader to make the unproven leap that swabbing one’s nose with a copper stick will prevent or cure disease. A lit match will also kill microbes, but I wouldn’t put one up my nose. Let the buyer beware.

The advertiser, Doug Cornell, Ph.D., has no training in medicine or microbiology, according to his LinkedIn profile. Scientific references on his website only pertain to copper’s ability to decontaminate surfaces.

Claims include: “Save money. Save time. Cut stress. Sleep better. Probably live longer, too.” Seriously, your readers deserve better.

Robert Kurlantzick, MD, retired Diplomate, American Boards of Internal and Emergency Medicine

Fitness & Health

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

If you feel your doctors dismiss you, ask specific questions and bring a friend

WEIGHT A MINUTE

There’s no ideal body weight; instead, pay attention to your measurements

HOLIDAY CHEER PLEASE

This season can be lonely, so let people know if you need company or help BRAIN FOOD

Berries, greens, beans, nuts and fish lower the risk (and rate) of cognitive decline

Ways to fight against winter depression

By Carla K. Johnson

As winter arrives and daylight hours grow shorter, people prone to seasonal depression can feel it in their bodies and brains.

“It’s a feeling of panic, fear, anxiety and dread all in one,” said Germaine Pataki, 63, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

She’s among the millions of people estimated to have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Her coping strategies include yoga, walking and an antidepressant medication. She’s also part of a Facebook group for people with SAD. “I try to focus on helping others through it,” Pataki said. “This gives me purpose.”

People with SAD typically have episodes of depression that begin in the fall and ease in the spring or summer. A milder form, subsyndromal SAD, is recognized by medical experts, and there’s also a summer variety of seasonal depression, though less is known about it.

What causes SAD?

Scientists are learning how specialized cells in our eyes turn the blue wavelength of the light spectrum into neural signals

that affect mood and alertness.

Sunlight is loaded with blue light, so when cells absorb it, our brains’ alertness centers are activated, and we feel more awake and possibly even happier.

Researcher Kathryn Roecklein at the University of Pittsburgh tested people with and without SAD to see how their eyes reacted to blue light. People with SAD were less sensitive to blue light than others, especially during winter months.

“In the winter, when the light levels drop, that, combined with a lower sensitivity, might be too low for healthy functioning, leading to depression,” Roecklein said.

Miriam Cherry, 50, of Larchmont, New York, said she spent the summer planning how she would deal with her winter depression. “It’s like clockwork,” Cherry said. “The sunlight is low. The day ends at 4:45, and suddenly my mood is horrible.”

Light therapy helps many

Many people with SAD respond to light therapy, said Dr. Paul Desan of Yale University’s Winter Depression Research Clinic.

“The first thing to try is light,” Desan said.

“When we get patients on exposure to bright light for half an hour or so every morning, the majority of patients get dramatically better. We don’t even need medications.”

The therapy involves devices that emit light about 20 times brighter than regular indoor light. Research supports using a light that’s about 10,000 lux, a measure of brightness.

You need to use it for 30 minutes every morning, according to the research. Desan said this can help not only people with SAD but also those with less severe winter blahs.

Special lights run from $70 to $400. However, some products marketed for SAD are too dim to do much good, Desan said.

The Yale School of Medicine has tested products and offers a list of recommendations at bit.ly/Yaletest.

And the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics has a consumer guide to selecting a light available at bit.ly/lightboxshop.

If your doctor diagnosed you with SAD, check with your insurance company to see if the cost of a light might be covered, Desan suggested.

Medication and talk therapy

Antidepressant medications are a firstline treatment for SAD, along with light therapy. Doctors also recommend keeping a regular sleep schedule and walking outside, even on cloudy days.

One type of talk therapy — cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT — has been shown in studies to have more durable effects, University of Vermont researcher Kelly Rohan said.

Working with a therapist can help people take small steps toward having fun again, Rohan said. Try planning undemanding but enjoyable activities to break out of hibernation mode, which “could be as simple as meeting a friend for coffee,” Rohan said.

Cherry in New York is devoting a corner of her garden to the earliest blooming flowers: snowdrops, winter aconite and hellebores, which bloom as early as February.

“That’s going to be a sign to me that this isn’t going to last forever,” Cherry said. “It will get better, and spring is on its way.” AP

How to get virtual mental health therapy

By Heidi Godman

Before the pandemic, talking to a therapist or psychiatrist on a video call was novel. Now it’s fairly common.

One recent analysis, for example, found that video appointments within the massive Veterans Affairs Health Care System jumped from about 2% of all mental healthcare encounters in January 2019 to 35% of these encounters in August 2023.

If you haven’t yet used virtual mental health counseling, what do you need to know? Stephanie Collier, M.D., MPH, a psychiatrist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, shares her expertise and insights.

Some advantages

Virtual visits are convenient for many people, including those who might have trouble getting to an office or who live in areas where it’s not easy to find mental healthcare providers.

“You can chat with your mental healthcare clinician in the setting of your choice,

which might make you feel more comfortable,” Collier said. “You don’t have to worry about getting to and from an appointment. And you can be confident that your outcome will be similar to receiving in-person treatment.”

For example, in a 2022 study of about 1,500 people, participants being treated for anxiety or depression reported the same level of symptom improvement on standardized scales, whether they received virtual or in-person treatment.

How do virtual visits work?

A virtual visit with a mental healthcare clinician works in much the same way as a virtual visit with your doctor.

You make an appointment to speak with an expert, typically a licensed therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist. They may be in a private practice or work with your insurance plan or a hospital system. Or they might be affiliated with an online mental healthcare platform.

Often, you can read about their profes-

sional background, expertise and other information to help you decide if they are a good fit for your needs.

Shortly before your appointment, you’ll log on to a specified website and then find yourself in a virtual waiting room. When it’s time for your session, the expert will appear on the screen and conduct a 30- to 50-minute session, depending on what you’ve agreed on, just as they would during an office visit.

Does insurance cover it?

Not necessarily. Make sure your sessions will be covered.

Medicare and Medicaid cover virtual mental healthcare visits, but not all private insurers cover the service. Even if you think you’re covered, double-check in advance.

How

does one prepare?

Getting ready for a virtual visit involves prepping for both a mental health appointment and a video meeting.

• Go over the instructions . The healthcare office should provide instructions for accessing the platform where the virtual visit will take place. If you don’t have instructions, contact the clinician’s office or the online service to get them.

• Look for compliance. The platform your clinician specifies for your session should clearly state if it’s HIPAA-compliant, ensuring the privacy and security of your information.

If you don’t see any evidence of HIPAA compliance, ask your clinician about it or consider choosing another mental health provider.

• Do an equipment inventory You’ll need a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer or laptop to take part in a virtual mental healthcare visit.

The device needs a camera, a microphone and an internet connection. You’ll also need a quiet space and decent lighting

Mental health

From page 4

(so the expert will be able to see you).

• Do a practice run . Well before your appointment, log on to the platform your clinician has specified.

Check to see if you need to upgrade your software in order to use the platform. You don’t want any surprises just before appointment time. Try out the volume and your camera angle.

How to improve virtual visits

When you have an in-person visit, it may be easier to see body language and express yourself. Here are some tips to ensure that you’re seen and heard virtually:

• Set a reminder to charge your equipment. The device you use should be fully charged or plugged into an electrical outlet for the appointment.

• Gather some supplies. You might want to have a drink of water, a box of tissues, and a pad and pen handy for taking notes.

• Make a list of questions or topics on your mind. “Think of a few topics you want to discuss in advance so you can get through them during your session,” Collier said.

“If you keep a journal or sleep log, and the information will be important, have it with you at appointment time.”

• Be willing to share your thoughts

and emotions. You won’t have to carry the whole conversation yourself. Your therapist will ask you questions and offer prompts to guide the session and help you open up about your feelings and experiences.

For instance, they might ask, “How has your mood been since our last session?” or “What are some challenges you faced this week?”

• If you like, ask a friend to join you. If you’ll feel more comfortable with a friend in the room to support you or help you with the technology, arrange it in advance. During your appointment, tell the expert that someone else is there with you.

You can change therapists

If you feel your appointment was productive, consider scheduling another one. Again, make sure your insurance will cover it.

But what if you didn’t “click” with the expert? “It’s an important consideration since your relationship with your therapist is the best predictor of how you’ll do in therapy,” Collier said.

“Give it a few sessions. If you still don’t think your therapist is a good fit, it’s okay to change clinicians. Many telehealth platforms allow you to do that pretty easily.”

Heidi Godman is executive editor of Harvard Health Letter.

© 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

MAIL OR EMAIL FOR FREE INFORMATION

For free materials about area housing communities, just complete and clip this coupon and mail, or take a picture and email it to the Beacon

Housing Communities

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 or take a picture and email to housing@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Ways to get your doctors to listen to you

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

How can I get my doctors to listen better? I just turned 78, and over the past few years I feel more and more dismissed by my doctors. I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Any suggestions?

—Dissatisfied Patient

Dear Dissatisfied,

Communication difficulties between patients and their doctors are nothing new. Many older patients feel like their doctors are dismissing their concerns, which can be frustrating and lead to missed diagnoses and delayed care.

If you believe your doctor isn’t listening to you, here are some tips offered by the

National Institute on Aging that may help. Prepare for your appointment: Before your exam, make a written prioritized list of any questions and concerns you want to discuss with your doctor. Print out any research you’ve gathered and bring it to your appointment so you won’t forget anything.

If you’re in for a diagnostic visit, you should prepare a detailed description of your symptoms, when they began and what makes them worse.

Be honest and upfront: Even if the topic seems sensitive or embarrassing, it’s important to be honest and upfront with your doctor. You may feel uncomfortable talking about memory loss or bowel issues, but these are all important to your health. It’s better to be thorough and share de-

tailed information than to be quiet or shy about what you’re thinking or feeling. Remember, your doctor is used to talking about all kinds of personal matters.

Ask specific questions: If you and your doctor aren’t communicating well, ask specific questions that require a response.

For example: What might have caused the problem I’m dealing with? What’s the specific name of my diagnosis? Is the problem serious? Will it heal completely or require ongoing management? What future symptoms might suggest I need emergency care or a follow-up visit? When and how will I receive test results?

If you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to ask: Can you explain that in simpler terms? Or: Can you give me more details about that?

you about X.”

After your appointment, if you’re uncertain about any instructions or have other questions, call or email your healthcare provider. Don’t wait until your next visit to make sure you understand everything.

For more tips, the National Institute on Aging offers a free booklet called “Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older Adults” that can help you prepare for an appointment and become a better and more informed patient. To order a free copy or read it online, visit bit.ly/NIHdoctortalk.

Consider moving on: If you’re not making any progress with your doctor and the problem persists, it’s probably time to start looking for a new provider.

Take someone with you: Bring along a family member or friend to your appointment to give you support. Your companion can help you ask questions or raise concerns that you hadn’t considered, and listen to (and remember) what the doctor is telling you.

Be persistent: If your doctor isn’t addressing your questions, repeat them or rephrase them.

If you still don’t get anywhere, follow up with one of these statements: “I’m worried that we aren’t communicating well. Here’s why I feel that way.” Or: “I need to talk with

Depending how unsatisfied you are with your care, you could also notify your doctor’s medical group and your insurance company, or leave feedback on the doctor’s online profile.

If you’re dealing with a serious issue — like a doctor who prescribes the wrong medication or fails to provide test results in a timely manner — it might be appropriate to file a complaint with the state medical board.

Send your senior 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.

Answers about body fat, varicose veins

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I had a body-fat measurement done by a company trying to sell me a handheld device. It showed my body fat percentage is 18%.

I am a man in my mid-60s. Is that a good number? Aren’t there other ways to estimate body fat without spending money?

A: There is no ideal percent of body fat, just as there is no ideal body weight. According to the World Health Organization, men

ages 40 to 59 should aim for 11% to 21% body fat, while for men ages 60 to 79, the range is 13% to 24%. For women, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests 25% to 31%.

However, the “right” weight and fat percent for an individual depend upon multiple factors, such as the following:

General health. A very low percentage of body fat and low body weight in someone who does not exercise regularly can indicate a medical problem.

Distribution of body fat. Even if your

weight is close to the normal range, a large waist size may mean you have an unhealthy amount of belly fat (visceral fat). Higher amounts of belly fat increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Metabolism. How an individual’s body handles excess calories significantly affects whether those calories are deposited in fat or turned into energy for physical activity and body heat.

Amount, type and intensity of physical activity. You not only burn calories during exercise, but also continue to burn calories afterward as muscles replenish their energy stores. Also, doing regular strength training can add a bit of muscle weight that is healthy.

Better measures to use

Rather than spending money on a device to measure fat percentage, you can use one or both of these measurements:

Waist size. There is no consensus on normal for this measurement either. Generally, men should have a waist size of no more than 40 inches and women no more than 35 inches.

ratio offer a window into whether you are carrying too much dangerous visceral fat.

Q: What are the current treatment options for varicose veins?

A: Treatment for varicose veins has advanced steadily. And it’s poised to take another step forward.

Varicose veins stem from problems with the “superficial” veins in the legs — that is, those near the surface, located about half an inch below the skin.

Like all leg veins, superficial veins have one-way valves that open as blood is pumped up toward the heart, and close to keep blood from flowing back down into the legs.

Over the years, the valves in a vein can become worn and stop closing properly. This can cause superficial veins to swell, and puts pressure on branches of the veins, which become engorged and twisted.

To get rid of varicose veins, you must first shut down the malfunctioning superficial vein. That redirects blood flow through other (healthy) veins.

LENARD

GORDON

SCOTT B. BECKER, M.D.

YIYUN ZHOU, M.D.

But those are not necessarily healthy waist sizes. For adults of average height, I like to use a goal ratio of waist size to height: waist size should be less than onehalf of your height.

Ratio of waist size to hip size. This is another way to evaluate waist size. Use a measuring tape to find your waist size just above your belly button. Then measure the size of your hips around the widest part of your buttocks. Divide the waist size by the hip size.

A good waist-to-hip ratio for men is no more than 0.95 and no more than 0.85 for women.

Both numerical waist size and waist-to-hip

For years, the only treatment was a surgical procedure (called vein stripping and ligation) that required patients to go to sleep under an anesthetic so the surgeon could make an incision, tie off the problem veins, and pull them out. That caused significant bruising, discomfort and swelling.

Starting in the 1990s, doctors began using a much less invasive procedure called thermal ablation. It involves closing the affected vein (without removing it) by threading a small catheter through the vein and using heat to make the vein collapse.

Newer techniques that often make small varicose veins disappear include:

• chemical ablation, in which the doctor injects a foam solution that causes the

Staying connected during the holidays

By Trimmel Gomes, Virginia News Connection

For many, the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration — but it can often bring loneliness and isolation for older adults.

Steve Morrison, a volunteer with AARP Virginia, described the holidays as the worst time for isolation — a challenge he knows well after years of caregiving for his wife. He highlighted mobility as a significant issue for older adults with limited ability to walk, access transportation and manage health challenges.

Varicose veins

From page 8

vein’s interior walls to scar and close

• adhesive closure, in which the doctor uses a catheter to deliver a natural glue that pulls vein walls together

• mechanochemical ablation (MOCA), in which the doctor uses a catheter with a rotating wire to damage the vein, along with a vein-scarring medication.

If the varicose veins are large (and likely connected to other veins), doctors now have tools to remove them with a tiny incision, or inject a medication that causes the varicose veins to scar and close.

The best treatment for varicose veins depends on your needs. They all require

Drawing from his own experiences, Morrison has been addressing isolation through community-building efforts, a mission he began well before the Covid-19 pandemic intensified the problem.

“You have to get out there some way, either online, by phone, or in conversation with neighbors, and let people know that you’re in isolation and you just need someone to talk to,” Morrison said. “At least in my neighborhood, that has worked for me and for others. The neighbors have really stepped up.”

Morrison launched a monthly luncheon

you to take it easy after treatment, and you’ll need to wear a compression stocking for a little while.

Another technology is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), which the FDA has not yet approved. HIFU converts sound waves into a focused beam of heat that seals the vein.

The treatment is done from the outside of the leg, almost like “zapping” the varicose veins away.

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

© 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

in McLean, Virginia, to help people connect over a meal.

The initiative has been a success, with up to 50 attendees per event, though he now caps it at 40 people.

He recommended resources like the National Institute on Aging (bit.ly/NIHholiday), and AARP’s Connect2Affect program (connect2affect.org), which offer tools to assess isolation, find volunteer opportunities, and access local support.

While Morrison’s program is one of the few remaining events in his area since Covid, he said he hopes to inspire others to create similar opportunities.

He said he was deeply moved by how his neighbors rallied to provide meals when surgeries left his wife homebound.

“You just gotta be proactive. Even though you may be limited to transportation or your mobility. You just got to let people know that they have neighbors close by that are more than willing to help,” Morisson said. “That would be the first place that I would start. But these other websites, if you have technology options, all have really good suggestions.”

According to AARP, there is a 26% increased risk of early death due to feeling lonely.

Some other tips to combat isolation include adopting a pet, signing up for classes at your local library, restarting an old hobby, or scheduling set times to interact with family and friends — in person, by email, social media (in moderation), phone call or text.

Certain foods may protect brain function

By Vicki Contie Dementia

— a loss of thinking, remembering and reasoning skills that affect everyday life — is a growing concern. It’s often preceded years in advance by memory and thinking problems, including cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Interventions that prevent or delay these problems might help to reduce the risk of dementia.

Some studies have linked healthy eating patterns to improved cognitive function. Examples include the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, and the DASH eating plan, designed to treat or prevent hypertension. Key features of both plans are merged in

a diet labeled MIND, which aims to protect brain health. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

The diet features green leafy vegetables and other vegetables, prefers berries over other fruit, and endorses whole grains, beans, nuts and at least one weekly serving of fish. It limits red meat, sweets, cheese, fast food and fried foods.

Studying the MIND diet

A research team led by Dr. Russell P. Sawyer of the University of Cincinnati studied whether the MIND diet is linked to cognitive health. They also looked for potential differences between races and

genders. (Many earlier studies of diet and cognitive health have underrepresented Black participants.)

The researchers drew on data from a large ongoing NIH-supported study called REGARDS (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke). REGARDS is designed to assess why Black Americans and others have increased rates of stroke and related conditions that affect brain health.

Of the 30,000 REGARDS participants, about 14,000 had sufficient data on their cognitive status and eating patterns to be included in the new analysis.

Their average age was about 64 at the start of the study. About 57% were female, 70% were white and 30% were Black. They were followed for about 10 years.

Participants with greatest adherence to the MIND diet had a 4% reduced risk of cognitive impairment compared to those with lowest adherence.

The team also found that closer following of the MIND diet was associated with an 8% lower risk of cognitive decline in female participants but no difference in males.

And greater adherence to the diet was a better predictor of less cognitive decline in Black than in white participants.

The researchers noted that their findings generally align with earlier studies that examined associations between cognitive health and MIND and similar diets.

But additional studies are needed to better understand the role that healthy eating may play in cognitive health.

The research team created a score for each participant based on how closely their self-reported eating patterns adhered to MIND diet recommendations. Cognitive health was measured at the beginning and end of the study. Results were reported in Neurology this past September.

Results reinforce earlier studies

Overall, the researchers found that, after adjusting for demographic and other factors, closer adherence to the MIND diet was linked to lower cognitive impairment and slower rates of cognitive decline.

“With the number of people with dementia increasing with the aging population, it’s critical to find changes that we can make to delay or slow down the development of cognitive problems,” Sawyer said. “These findings warrant further study, especially to examine these varying impacts among men and women and Black and white people.”

This study was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institute on Aging (NIA). This story originally appeared in the National Institutes of Health’s NIH Research Matters.

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Understanding knee replacement surgery

By Mayo Clinic staff

Knee replacement surgery replaces parts of injured or worn-out knee joints. This also is known as knee arthroplasty. During the surgery, damaged bone and cartilage are replaced with parts made of metal and plastic.

Knee replacement surgery can help ease pain and make the knee work better. To decide whether a knee replacement is right for you, a surgeon checks your knee’s range of motion, stability and strength. X-rays help show the extent of damage.

The right artificial joints and surgical techniques needed depend on many factors including age, weight, activity level, knee size and shape, and overall health.

Why it’s done

The most common reason for knee replacement surgery is to ease pain caused by arthritis. People who need knee replacement surgery often have problems walking, climbing stairs and getting up out of chairs. If only one part of the knee is damaged, surgeons often can replace just that part. This is called a partial knee replacement. If the entire joint needs to be replaced, the ends of the thighbone and shinbone are reshaped, and the entire joint is resurfaced. This is called a total knee replacement. The thighbone and shinbone are hard tubes that contain a soft center. The ends of the artificial parts are inserted into the softer central part of the bones.

Ligaments are bands of tissue that help

hold joints together. If the knee’s ligaments aren’t strong enough to hold the joint together by themselves, the surgeon may choose implants that can be connected so they can’t come apart.

Risks

Knee replacement surgery, like any surgery, carries risks. They include: Blood clots. Surgeons often recommend blood-thinning medicines to prevent this risk. The most common location for blood clots is in the leg. But they can travel to the lungs and become deadly.

Nerve damage. Nerves in the area where the implant is placed can be injured. Nerve damage can cause numbness, weakness and pain.

Infection. Infection can occur at the incision site or in the deeper tissue. Surgery is sometimes needed to treat an infection. The implants used for knee replacements are durable, but they may loosen or become worn over time. If this happens, another surgery may be needed to replace the loose or worn parts.

Knee

How to prepare for surgery

Food and medicines

Your healthcare team might advise you to stop taking certain medicines and dietary supplements before your surgery. You’ll likely be instructed not to eat anything after midnight the day of your surgery.

Prep in advance

For several weeks after the procedure, you might need to use crutches or a walker, so arrange for them before your surgery.

Make sure you have a ride home from the hospital, and that you will have help with everyday tasks, such as cooking, bathing and doing laundry, at least for awhile.

To make your home safer and easier to navigate during recovery, consider doing the following:

•Create a living space on one floor, since climbing stairs can be difficult.

•Install safety bars or a secure handrail

in your shower or bath.

•Secure stairway handrails.

•Get a stable chair with a firm seat cushion and back, and a footstool to elevate your leg.

•Arrange for a toilet seat riser with arms if you have a low toilet.

•Get a stable bench or chair for your shower.

•Remove loose rugs and cords.

The procedure itself

Knee replacement surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours. To perform the procedure, surgeons remove diseased and damaged bone and cartilage, leaving healthy bone intact. Then they implant the replacement parts into the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap.

Afterwards

After surgery, you’ll rest in a recovery area for a short time. How long you stay in the hospital after surgery depends on your individual needs. Many people can go home the same day.

The risk of blood clots increases after

knee replacement surgery. To prevent this complication, you may need to:

Move early. You’ll be encouraged to sit up and walk with crutches or a walker soon after surgery.

Apply pressure. Both during and after surgery, you might wear elastic compression stockings or inflatable air sleeves on your lower legs. The air sleeves squeeze and release your legs. That helps keep blood from pooling in the leg veins, reducing the chance that clots will form.

Take blood thinners. Your surgeon might prescribe an injected or oral blood thinner after surgery. Depending on how soon you walk, how active you are and your overall risk of blood clots, you might need blood thinners for several weeks after surgery.

You’ll also likely be asked to do frequent breathing exercises and gradually increase

your activity level. A physical therapist can show you how to exercise your new knee. After you leave the hospital, you’ll likely continue physical therapy at home or at a center.

Results

For most people, knee replacement provides pain relief, improved mobility and a better quality of life. Most knee replacements can be expected to last at least 15 to 20 years.

After recovery, you can engage in various low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming, golfing or biking.

But you should avoid higher impact activities, such as jogging and sports that involve contact or jumping. Talk to your healthcare team about ways to stay active after knee replacement.

© 2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

Ask an At-Home Care Expert

Alex Petukhov, Owner Best Senior Care

Q: We live out of town and visit our mother every year during the holidays. Although we speak with her often throughout the year, we are beginning to wonder if she could use some help to stay safe and happy at home. How do we know when it’s time to get help, and what should we do?

A: This is a concern we hear often, especially during the holiday season when families reunite and notice changes in their loved ones. It’s common for seniors to underplay their challenges, but some signs are hard to ignore: skipped meals or an increase in processed snacks, missed medications, changes in personal hygiene, and a lack of meaningful social interaction.

At Best Senior Care, we specialize in providing compassionate, professional caregivers who don’t just assist with daily activities like cooking, bathing, and medication reminders. Our caregivers build connections, creating a sense of purpose and engagement for your loved one. Whether it’s companionship, help around the house, or simply peace of mind for families like yours, we’re here to help. Let us ensure your loved one can stay safely and joyfully in their home—no need for a costly assisted living facility.

The Holidays: A Time to Connect & Observe

The holidays are a cherished time to gather with loved ones, reconnect and celebrate. Beyond the festive meals and joyful moments, these gatherings also offer an opportunity to check in on family members, particularly those you don’t see regularly.

Observing changes in their physical, mental or emotional well-being can help identify areas where they may need support.

What to look for

When spending time together, take note of any signs that might suggest a need for assistance. Is your loved one moving more slowly or having difficulty managing everyday tasks? Do they seem more forgetful or withdrawn than usual? Changes in behavior or

appearance can be subtle indicators of underlying health or emotional challenges.

Of course, not all older adults will be transparent about day-to-day challenges and problems with their health. It’s essential to check for signs of health problems in your loved one when you can.

Some signs will be evident in your loved one, such as trouble getting up from their seat. Other times, indications can be found in their living conditions — such as hoarding, forgetting to bathe, or lacking housekeeping.

Once you’ve observed, consider gently starting a conversation about their needs. Approach these topics with sensitivity and genuine concern,

making it clear that your goal is to ensure their well-being. Possible discussion points might include:

Health: Do they have the medical support they need? Would additional in-home care or regular check-ups help? Can they afford their medications and are they taking them regularly?

Finances: It might be time to address topics like wills, healthcare and financial powers of attorney, and estate planning. Though potentially uncomfortable, these conversations can provide peace of mind for everyone.

Housing: Is their current living situation safe and comfortable? If challenges have arisen, exploring alternatives like assisted living or aging-in-place modifications to their home might be necessary.

The Montgomery County Commission on Aging has prepared a detailed and helpful guide, Planning for Life Transitions as We Age. It includes fact sheets on how to start the conversation, addressing healthcare, housing, legal and financial matters. Each also lists numerous resources.

The guide also contains an extremely useful worksheet to help you organize and collect important information. To read, print or download a copy of the guide, visit: bit.ly/ MoCoLifeTransitions.

Holiday gatherings create a safe and supportive space to address these important matters, surrounded by the warmth of family. By checking in during this special time, you can proactively help your loved ones prepare for the future, ensuring they feel cared for and supported in the year ahead. After all, the best gift we can give is our attention and care.

Nutmeg adds more than holiday pizzazz

I recently made a Bourbon Pumpkin Pie and decided to grate some whole nutmeg right into it. Wow, what a difference!

Freshly grated nutmeg brings a richer, deeper flavor than the powdered spice I usually use. It’s like comparing a string quartet to a kazoo.

Nutmeg is well known as a holiday superstar. But did you know this humble spice has some pretty quirky effects on the brain?

Dosage matters

Nutmeg can cause a bit of a natural high. It has compounds that can make you feel, well, a little “off” if you use too much.

By Suzy Cohen

Ever notice that one relative who gets mysteriously weird after dessert on Thanksgiving? You thought it was the carbohydrate load, but it could be the nutmeg in that pumpkin pie!

Nutmeg contains myristicin — a psychoactive compound that, in larger amounts, has been known to trigger a trippy experience.

That ingredient also shows up in other familiar spices, including parsley, cinnamon, anise, clove and fennel, but only in tiny trace amounts. Nutmeg is the true heavyweight of the bunch.

A little goes a long way. Recipes usually call for about half a teaspoon, which is considered a small pinch in the grand scheme of your pie.

But some people, and especially teens who did that TikTok challenge, were downing teaspoonfuls, and at those amounts, nutmeg becomes dangerous.

Ingesting too much nutmeg activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering a fight-or-flight response. A “nutmeg trip” can come with a cocktail of nasty symptoms: dry mouth, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, hallucinations and even heart arrhythmias.

For anyone with heart issues, too much nutmeg can be dangerous. And the sneaky part? The negative effects don’t kick in right away. People may feel fine at first, and then boom!

Many health benefits, too

Used correctly, nutmeg is a culinary and health powerhouse, adding a warm, earthy depth to dishes while also offering a range of health benefits.

It’s a fantastic anti-inflammatory, a natu-

ral remedy for pain and digestive issues, and even has sleep-promoting properties. It’s also been linked to better memory, reduced blood pressure and even anti-cancer properties.

A 2023 study published in Current Molecular Pharmacology found that myristicin could block a critical cancer pathway, showing that it might have real potential as a new, natural approach to stomach cancer treatment.

Nutmeg is a delightful, healthful spice

when used properly. I highly recommend it, especially if you grate the fresh seed. It can elevate your cooking in many ways. Just keep an eye on those measurements, and while you’re at it, maybe keep an eye on your grandkids’ social media trends. Nutmeg deserves a spot in your spice cabinet, but like many natural things, it deserves respect.

For the pie recipe, visit suzycohen.com.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe

Primary Care

At Home

Providing primary care medical services in the

and

Ikon Health offers:

• Care coordination with specialists.

• Access to services such as x-ray and blood work, at home.

• Close communication with patients and their loved ones.

• Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and most major supplemental insurance plans.

Snacking can be part of a healthy diet

By Mayo Clinic staff

Do you find yourself sometimes reaching for snacks instead of sitting down for a more formal meal? That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When snacking is done correctly, it can give you a boost of energy between meals,

help meet nutrient needs for the day, and help keep hunger at bay to prevent overeating at the next meal.

And managing your hunger can help you maintain a healthy weight and reach weight-loss goals.

Here are some tips to help keep your

Learn how to preserve your family heirlooms for future generations. Museum professionals will offer tips for protecting photographs, books, quilts, textiles and more. To attend, visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, on Friday, Dec. 20, from 1 to 2 p.m. Reserve your free tickets at bit.ly/FamilyTreasuresToolkit. For more information, email NMAAHCpubpgms@si.edu or call 1-844-750-3012.

FREE WRITING WORKSHOP FOR VETS

In this virtual creative writing workshop for active duty military, veterans and their families, you’ll read a short piece of writing, discuss what makes it work, then write your own story. The free workshop is led by writer and U.S. Army veteran Kevin Basl. Join on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. No experience required. Register at bit.ly/VeteransWrite.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT INFORMATION

Ongoing

Montgomery County presents “50+ in Montgomery County,” a monthly County Cable Montgomery program on topics relevant to residents 50 and over. In this month’s episode, host Katie Smith talks with Ruth Kershner, program manager for the county’s National Family Caregiver Support Program. To watch this and previous episodes, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/CCM/fifty-plus.html.

snacking under control and healthy: Plan your snacks. What do you like to eat? Make a list of various nutrient-rich foods that would work as a snack. Focus on incorporating whole foods, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Whole fruit or vegetables, air-popped popcorn, fat-free or low-fat yogurt, and nut mixes are all great options. Stay away from packaged items high in calories, fat and sodium, such as chips, candy or cookies.

Portion your snacks properly . Package snack items into convenient serving-sized portions. Consider purchasing single-serve containers or preparing small servings of snacks in advance.

Having those at hand will help lessen the temptation to go for less-healthy options, such as snacks from a vending machine.

Also remember: Eating out of a large package of snack foods often leads to mindless eating and results in eating more than intended.

Make healthy snacks easily accessible. Place fruits and vegetables in easily accessible locations, such as the front of your fridge or counter, to prevent you from reaching for unhealthy foods when you’re hungry.

Throw a bag of dried fruit or other snacks in your purse, pocket or backpack to take with you out of the house. This will help you avoid buying unhealthy snacks.

Pay attention to protein, and combine snacks to make a more satisfying meal. To ensure you are being fulfilled, combine carbohydrates, protein and fat for long-lasting, satisfying snacks. Aim for snacks to be less than 200 calories.

Good sources of protein include hardboiled eggs, pouches of seasoned tuna,

cheese sticks, cottage cheese, yogurt with no added sugar, or soups made with lots of vegetables and legumes.

A healthy go-to snack could be apple slices or baby carrots dipped in small amounts of peanut butter or almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon.

While stocking up on healthy food choices, take time to also purge unhealthier options from your home. Remove foods that you know will tempt you.

Eat when you are hungry — not bored. In general, a person will be hungry three to four hours after a meal. But having snacks around can lead to overeating.

When you feel hunger setting in, be sure to ask yourself, “Am I physically hungry, or am I ‘mind hungry’ — bored, stressed or frustrated?” before grabbing a snack.

If you find you are, in fact, experiencing physical hunger, it’s time to grab a filling, satisfying snack.

If you realize you were reaching for a snack because of mind hunger, feed the urge by doing another activity, such as going for a walk, talking with a friend on the phone, playing a game or meditating. Be aware of your weight. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, track your intake of snacks.

There are several apps you can use to track your eating and exercise routines. Women need 10 calories per pound per day to maintain their weight, and men need 11 calories per pound per day.

Keep track of what and how much you eat, and build in enough exercise so you can control weight gain.

© 2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Creamy pesto-flavored broccoli and pasta

By Steve Dunn

We wanted to make a creamy, complex broccoli pasta that contains an ample amount of the vegetable.

We started off by blanching the broccoli stems and florets, a convenient technique since cooking pasta also requires a pot of boiling water. Then we blended the stems and some of the florets with a pesto-inspired roster of ingredients to make a light, fresh vegetable sauce.

Adding Greek yogurt to the sauce gave the sauce creamy body without muting the delicate pesto and broccoli flavors. Combining the sauce, reserved florets and pasta off the heat ensured that the sauce warmed through gently without curdling.

A sprinkle of Pecorino Romano and a smattering of toasted panko bread crumbs made a dynamic finishing touch.

Creamy Broccoli Pasta with Crispy Panko

Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1/8 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking broccoli and pasta

BEACON BITS

Dec. 19

1/8 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon pepper, divided

1½ pounds broccoli, florets cut into 1inch pieces, stalks cut into ½-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 pound penne, rigatoni or other short tubular pasta

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice

2 anchovy fillets (optional)

Directions:

1.Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. While water is coming to boil, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Transfer panko to plate to cool.

cook until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Using spider skimmer, transfer two-thirds of the florets to a bowl. Transfer remaining florets to the blender with the stalks and garlic. Return water to boil, add pasta, and cook, stirring often, until al dente.

4.While pasta cooks, add basil, yogurt, Pecorino, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice, anchovies, if using, and remaining ½ cup oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to blender and process until mixture resembles pesto, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar. With blender running, slowly add ½ cup water and process until sauce is smooth and thick but fluid, about 20 seconds, adding additional water as needed.

5.Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then

2.Add broccoli stalks, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until stalks are tender, about 6 minutes. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer stalks and garlic to blender; set aside.

ATTN: VIRGINIA VETERANS

drain pasta and return it to the pot. Off heat, add sauce and reserved florets and stir gently to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately, passing panko and extra Pecorino separately.

For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA.

© 2024 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

3.Return water to boil. Add florets and

Find out what programs are available to U.S. veterans in Virginia. During this free event, counselors from the Virginia Department of Veterans Services will discuss federal, state and local programs, entitlements and referral services available to Virginia veterans. Register for a free advising appointment at bit.ly/VeteranProgramming. Appointments will be held on Thu., Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the National Museum of the United States Army, 1775 Liberty Dr., Fort Belvoir, VA. For more information, email customerservice@armyhistory.org or call 1-800-506-2672.

Dear DC Seniors,

Mayor’s Senior Holiday Celebration DIRECTORS MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

Happy Holidays! As 2024 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible year we have shared, and spread some holiday warmth to the amazing seniors living boldly here in the District. Last month, I had a chance to see so many of you at Safeway’s Feast of Sharing and it was truly a joy. We laughed, talked and danced together, creating cherished memories of our community’s strength and vibrancy. Events like these embody the spirit of togetherness that defines our mission at the Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL).

As the holiday season progresses, I encourage you to check on your neighbors and friends. This time of year can feel isolating for some, and a simple phone call or visit can brighten someone’s day. Let’s continue to lift each other up and spread warmth and connection across our communities. Another way to stay connected during the holidays and beyond is through our DACL app. The app features easy access to vital services like Adult Protective Services and 311, and updates on the latest DACL events around the city. Be sure to download it and stay engaged with everything we offer.

In the spirit of connection and celebration, I am thrilled to invite you to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 26th Annual Senior Holiday Celebration! Open to DC residents aged 60 and older, this event promises a day full of holiday cheer, entertainment, delicious food and opportunities to connect with other DC Government agencies and resources. Join us at the DC Armory (2001 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003) on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (doors open at 9:00 AM). We invite you to RSVP at your earliest convenience to ensure you do not miss out on this fantastic holiday festivity. To RSVP, register at www.tinyurl.com/holidaycelebration26 or call our office at 202-724-5626 for assistance.

As we say farewell to 2024, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for making 2024 such a remarkable year. Your engagement, feedback and support fuel our mission and inspire us to serve you better every day. Whether attending our events or connecting with us in your communities, you, the seniors of the District, are truly the heart of our city.

I often tell my team and DC seniors: “Without you, there is no us.” As we head into 2025, I invite you to continue sharing your thoughts, ideas and needs with us. Together, we will ensure that you continue to Live Boldly in the years ahead.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year!

In

Service, Charon P.W. Hines

Join Mayor Bowser and the Department of Aging and Community Living for the Mayor’s 26th Annual Senior Holiday Celebration! This year’s festivities will be held at the DC Armory (2001 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003) on December 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Doors will open at 9:00 AM. The Holiday Celebration is open to DC residents aged 60 and older. This joyous event promises holiday cheer, entertainment, food and community connection. ASL interpretation will be provided. Don’t miss out on this wonderful gathering to celebrate the holiday season with us! To RSVP, please visit: www.tinyurl.com/ holidaycelebration26.

Money Law &

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR AID?

Federal SSI and state assistance programs offer monthly cash to needy people over 65 or with disabilities; a questionnaire can show if you qualify

RETIREMENT TAX STRATEGIES

The type of account you withdraw savings from determines their tax treatment; each year of retirement deserves its own plan

CHEATERS BEWARE

The IRS is using artificial intelligence to recoup $4 billion from tax cheats

Medicare 2025 premiums and surcharges

Dear Savvy Senior,

I know there will be a small 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits next year, but what about Medicare? What will the Medicare Part B monthly premiums be in 2025, and when do the surcharges kick in for higher income beneficiaries?

—Medicare Beneficiary

Dear Beneficiary,

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced their cost adjustments for 2025 and the increases for premiums and out-of-pocket costs for most beneficiaries will be moderate. But if you’re a high earner, you’ll pay significantly more. Here’s what you can expect to pay in 2025.

Part B premium

While Medicare Part A, which pays for hospital care, is premium-free for most beneficiaries, Part B, which covers doctor visits and outpatient services does have a monthly premium.

Starting in January, the standard monthly

Part B premium will be $185, up from $174.70 in 2024. That $10.30 bump represents a 5.9 percent increase, which is more than double the most recent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, which was only 2.5 percent.

But if you’re a high earning beneficiary, which makes up about 8 percent of all Medicare recipients, you’ll have to pay more.

Medicare surcharges for high earners, known as the “income-related monthly adjustment amount” (or IRMAA), are based on your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) from two years earlier, which means that your 2025 Part B premiums are determined by your 2023 AGI, which is on line 11 of the IRS tax form 1040, plus any taxexempt interest you earned.

Here’s how it breaks down. If your modified 2023 income was between $106,000 and $133,000 (between $212,000 and $266,000 for married couples filing jointly), your 2025 Part B monthly premium will be $259.

Monthly Part B premiums for singles with an income between $133,000 and

$167,000 ($266,000 and $334,000 for joint filers) will rise to $370.

Individuals earning above $167,000 up to $200,000 ($334,000 to $400,000 for joint filers) will see their monthly Part B premium increase to $480.90.

Those with incomes above $200,000 up to $500,000 ($400,000 to $750,000 for joint filers), will pay $591.90 per month in 2025. And single filers with income of $500,000 or more ($750,000 or more for joint filers) will pay $628.90 per month.

Part D premium

If you have a stand-alone Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan, the average premium in 2025 will be $46.50 per month for most beneficiaries, down from $53.95 in 2024.

But again, for high earners with annual incomes above $106,000 ($212,000 for joint filers) you’ll pay a monthly surcharge of $13.70 to $85.80 (based on your income level) on top of your regular Part D premiums.

How to contest income

Beneficiaries that fall into any of the high-income categories and have experienced certain life-changing events that

have reduced their income since 2023, such as retirement, divorce or the death of a spouse, can contest the surcharge.

For information on how to do this, see “Medicare Premiums: Rules for Higher-Income Beneficiaries” at SSA.gov/benefits/medicare/medicare-premiums.html.

Other Medicare cost increases

In addition to the Part B and Part D premium increases, there are other cost increases you should be aware of.

For example, the annual deductible for Medicare Part B will be $257 in 2025, which is $17 more than the 2024 deductible of $240. And the deductible for Medicare Part A, which covers hospital services, will increase to $1,676 in 2025. That’s $44 more than the 2024 deductible of $1,632. There are no surcharges on Medicare deductibles for high earners.

For more information on all the Medicare costs for 2025, visit Medicare.gov/ basics/costs or call 1-800-633-4227.

Send your senior 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.

New rules boost worker savings in 2025

By Sandra Block

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act

2.0, enacted in late 2022, contained a long list of provisions that are scheduled to roll out over several years. Here’s a look at how the legislation could affect the retirement savings of those working in 2025.

Larger catch-up contributions for those in their early 60s

Starting in 2025, participants in 401(k) or other employer-provided retirement plans who are age 60 through 63 can take advantage of a provision allowing them to make a catch-up contribution of up to $10,000 or up to 150% of the regular catchup contribution amount for those 50 and older — whichever is greater. (The IRS hadn’t announced standard 2025 contribution limits at press time.)

For the current year, workers 50 and older can make up to $7,500 in catch-up

contributions, in addition to the $23,000 limit for those younger than 50, for a total of $30,500.

Those who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2025 can take advantage of the special, larger, catch-up contribution.

You can direct your contributions to a traditional or a Roth 401(k) plan. While contributions to a Roth 401(k) are made with after-tax dollars, withdrawals are tax-free as long as you’re 59½ or older and have owned the account for at least five years.

You can contribute to a Roth 401(k) regardless of your income level. And as of 2024, you’ll no longer be required to take minimum distributions from your Roth 401(k) plan when you turn 73.

Starting in 2026, workers age 50 and older who earned $145,000 or more in the previous year will be required to funnel catch-up contributions to a Roth 401(k) plan. This provision of the SECURE 2.0 Act was originally scheduled to take effect

in 2024, but the IRS postponed implementation until 2026 after plan providers and employers — particularly those who don’t yet offer a Roth 401(k) — said they needed more time to prepare.

Automatic enrollment

A study by the Vanguard Group, one of the largest 401(k) providers, found that 90% of workers who are automatically enrolled in their employer’s retirement plan remain in the plan.

Starting in 2025, businesses adopting new 401(k) or 403(b) plans will be required to automatically enroll new employees at a contribution rate of between 3% and 10% of compensation. They’ll also be required to increase the contribution rate by 1% each year, to a maximum of at least 10% but no more than 15% of compensation.

Employees who don’t want to participate will have to opt out of the plan. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees or

start-ups that have been in business for less than three years will be excluded from this requirement.

Tracking down lost 401(k) plans

The Secure 2.0 Act directed the U.S. Department of Labor to create a search tool for individuals who want to track down a former employer’s plan. Starting in 2025, employers will be required to share information about orphaned plans with the Department of Labor, which should make it easier for workers to find lost plans.

In the interim, if you’ve lost track of an old 401(k) plan, search your files for account statements from the plan. These should provide some key data to help your search, such as your account number and the contact information for the plan administrator.

It’s also possible that your employer turned over your 401(k) balance to your

SAVVY SENIOR

By Jim Miller

SSI provides funds to needy older adults

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior,

What can you tell me about the SSI program, and what are the eligibility requirements for seniors? I’m trying to help my elderly aunt who is very low-income.

—Searching Niece

Dear Searching,

The SSI program that you’re enquiring about, which stands for Supplemental Security Income, is a program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides monthly cash benefits, based on financial need, to people over 65 or who have disabilities.

Currently, around 7.5 million people are receiving SSI benefits, but many more are now eligible because the SSA recently expanded access benefits by tweaking some of the rules. Here’s what you should know.

Eligibility requirements

To qualify for SSI your aunt must be either age 65 or older, blind or disabled, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident. She must also have very limited income and assets.

Her income as an individual must generally be under $1,971 per month ($2,915 for couples). Countable income includes wages or any other kind of money your aunt earned from working, plus financial

assistance she gets from other sources, including unemployment, Social Security retirement, free shelter or gifts from friends.

And her assets must also be less than $2,000 ($3,000 for couples). This includes cash, bank accounts, other personal property, and anything else that could potentially be converted to cash. However, her home, household goods and one vehicle do not count towards these assets, nor do life insurance policies and burial funds valued under $1,500.

In 2025, the maximum SSI payment will be $967 a month for an individual or $1,450 a month for a couple. But the amount may be lower based on her income, living situation and some other factors.

To help you determine if your aunt is eligible for SSI, help her take the Social Security Administration’s benefits screening test at SSAbest.benefits.gov. This online questionnaire takes approximately five minutes to complete and screens for a variety of benefits, not just SSI.

You should also know that most states, including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, supplement the federal SSI payment with payments of their own. In some of the states that pay a supplement, your aunt may qualify for the state payment even if she doesn’t meet the federal SSI eligibility criteria.

How to apply

If you think that your aunt is eligible for SSI, she (or you) can begin the application process and complete a large part of it online at SSA.gov/apply/ssi. If she’s disabled, she can apply for both SSI and Social Security Disability at SSA.gov/disability.

If she can’t apply online, call 1-800-7721213 and set up an appointment with her local Social Security office.

To help make the application process go quickly and smoothly, your aunt will need her Social Security number; birth certificate or other proof of age; information about the home where she lives, such as her mortgage or lease and the landlord’s name; payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records and

other information about her income and the things she owns; her proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and if she is applying for SSI because she is disabled or blind, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have information related to her condition.

For more information visit SSA.gov/ssi or see Social Security’s online SSI publication at SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-11000.pdf.

Depending on your aunt’s income, there are other financial assistance programs that may be able to help her, such as Medicare Savings Programs, prescription drug assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. To locate these programs, and learn how to apply for them, go to BenefitsCheckUp.org.

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Tax strategies to help your savings last

By Scott M. Dougan

The intricacies of tax planning are a critical component of your overall retirement strategy. Minimizing taxes in retirement isn’t just about reducing today’s tax bill — it’s about ensuring that your hard-earned money lasts longer and that you can draw from your assets efficiently.

By applying a logical, data-driven approach, you can create a retirement tax strategy that maximizes your income and minimizes unnecessary tax burdens.

The tax landscape changes as you transition from earning a salary to drawing income from different sources, such as Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts and investments. Without a solid plan, taxes can eat away at your retirement income, leaving less for your lifestyle and goals.

Here are the key elements of tax planning as you approach retirement:

Managing tax brackets. As your income sources shift, it’s critical to understand how to stay within favorable tax brackets. Drawing too much from tax-deferred accounts, such as a 401(k) or traditional IRA, can push you into a higher tax bracket, leading to a larger tax bill. Strategic withdrawals can help you optimize your tax liability.

New rules

From page 20

state’s unclaimed property fund. Your state’s treasury department should offer an online service that lets you search for your money.

You can also check the National Reg-

Timing of withdrawals. Deciding when to tap into different accounts is a central component of tax minimization. For example, delaying withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts until later years could make sense if you expect your income to decrease in retirement, moving you into a lower tax bracket.

State taxes. State income tax laws vary widely. If you plan to move in retirement, consider the tax implications of your new location. Some states have no income tax, while others may tax retirement income at higher rates. Accounting for state taxes in your retirement plan could save thousands over time.

Tax minimization strategies

Several strategies can help minimize taxes in retirement. These techniques ensure that you’re not only reducing your tax burden today but also extending the longevity of your savings for years to come.

1.Roth conversions

One of the most effective tax-minimization strategies is converting a portion of your tax-deferred accounts, such as a traditional IRA or 401(k), into a Roth IRA.

Unlike traditional retirement accounts, withdrawals from Roth IRAs in retirement

See TAX STRATEGIES , page 24

istry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits or missingmoney.com, a database endorsed by state treasurers.

This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. © 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Tax strategies

From page 23

are tax-free. The key is to strategically convert these funds during low-income years — such as right after retirement but before required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin at age 73.

Why it works: Roth conversions allow you to pay taxes upfront while in a lower tax bracket. The funds then grow tax-free and can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement.

Strategic timing: The years between retirement and age 73 (when RMDs kick in) often present a golden “tax window” where your income may be lower, making it an ideal time to convert funds without pushing yourself into a higher tax bracket.

2. Harvesting capital gains

As you approach retirement, managing investments in taxable accounts becomes crucial for tax minimization. One technique is tax-loss harvesting, which involves selling investments that have lost value to off-

set gains from other investments.

Additionally, strategically selling appreciated assets during years when your taxable income is lower can help minimize the capital gains taxes you pay.

Long-term gains: For individuals in lower tax brackets, long-term capital gains may be taxed at 0%. This is especially beneficial during retirement, when your income is likely lower than in your peak earning years.

Capital losses : If you have investments that have declined in value, selling them to realize a loss can offset gains elsewhere in your portfolio. This reduces your overall tax liability.

3. Tax diversification

It’s important to have different types of accounts — tax-deferred (e.g., traditional 401(k) and IRA), taxable (e.g., brokerage) and tax-free (e.g., Roth IRA) — to draw from in retirement.

By having a mix of accounts, you can strategically choose which to withdraw from each year based on your income needs and

the tax implications of each type of account.

Tax-deferred accounts: Traditional IRAs and 401(k)s provide a tax deduction when contributing, but withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in retirement. These accounts are great for reducing taxable income while working, but without a strategy, you could face higher taxes when withdrawing from them in retirement.

Taxable accounts: These are brokerage accounts that offer flexibility. Only the capital gains are taxed, and you can manage when to realize gains. This flexibility allows you to control your taxable income in a given year.

Roth accounts: Roth IRAs and 401(k)s are powerful tools because they offer taxfree withdrawals in retirement. Contributing to Roth accounts during your working years (especially if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in the future) can provide significant tax savings down the line.

4. Required minimum distributions (RMDs)

At age 73, the IRS mandates that you

start withdrawing a certain amount from your tax-deferred accounts, known as RMDs. These withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income.

Failing to plan for RMDs can lead to a sudden spike in taxable income, pushing you into higher tax brackets.

Mitigate RMDs: To avoid being hit with a large tax bill, you can start taking strategic withdrawals before age 73, and you could perform Roth conversions [Ed. Note: These involve taxation at the time of conversion, but provide tax-free treatment of withdrawals, including gains, down the road. Roth accounts are not subject to RMDs]. Both strategies would reduce the balance in your tax-deferred accounts before RMDs hit.

Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) : If charitable giving is part of your retirement plan, consider using RMDs to make charitable donations. QCDs allow you to donate up to $100,000 per year directly from your IRA to a qualified charity, satisfying your RMD requirement while avoiding taxes on the distribution.

5. Health savings accounts (HSAs) For those who have access to a health savings account (HSA) through a high-deductible health plan, this tool can play a key role in retirement planning. HSAs offer a triple tax advantage: Contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are also tax-free.

After age 65, HSA funds can be used for any purpose, though non-health care withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income (similar to an IRA).

The key to successful tax planning is understanding the variables and optimizing outcomes. By taking advantage of strategies like Roth conversions, tax diversification and tax-efficient withdrawal sequences, you can minimize your tax burden and make your savings last longer. Discuss these options with your tax planning advisor.

Dan Dunkin contributed to this article. This columnist received assistance from a public relations firm in preparing this piece for submission to Kiplinger.com. Kiplinger was not compensated in any way.

© 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILDREN NEED YOU

Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) need volunteers to advocate for children involved in open abuse and neglect cases in the Fairfax County court system. There is currently a list of 47 children waiting for a volunteer. For more information, contact Alexis Shield, manager of volunteer recruitment, at ashield@casafairfax.org or (703) 273-3526.

AI catches tax cheats and saves billions

By Kate Schubel

The U.S. Treasury Department is harnessing AI to combat taxpayer fraud, successfully recovering $4 billion in fraudulent and improper payments. This success is primarily due to advanced machine learning (ML) techniques that analyze data to identify tax non-compliance.

In a recent release, the Treasury noted plans to equip other federal agencies with AI tools, data and expertise to combat improper payments and fraud.

“Helping ensure that agencies pay the right person, in the right amount, at the right time is central to our efforts,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said.

As reported by Kiplinger, the IRS has also used AI during tax season for high-earner audits and automated chatbot services.

While these advancements could improve efficiency and recover more tax dollars, they may also lead to increased audit risk for some taxpayers. Here’s more of what you need to know.

Preventing and detecting fraud

One way the Treasury has cracked down on financial crime is through ML, which uses algorithms and statistical models to find patterns in datasets. In the last year alone, the Department says ML has

prevented $1 billion in check fraud.

This is big news since online payment fraud may exceed $362 billion by 2028. Treasury reports it “disburses approximately 1.4 billion payments valued at over $6.9 trillion to more than 100 million people annually.”

Presumably, all applicants for those payments meet proper requirements. But with fraud losses on the rise, AI could help save billions in future improper payments.

Other applications of computerized intelligence have helped mitigate Treasury fraud in the following ways:

•$2.5 billion was saved through the identification of high-risk transactions

•$500 million saved via expansion of “risk-based screening”

•$180 million saved by the implementation of more efficient payment processing

Closing the tax gap

The tax gap represents the difference between tax paid and tax owed. Closing that gap means shifting the tax burden back to those who don’t pay their taxes.

A recent IRS estimate of the tax gap is $696 billion and, according to the tax agency, is expected to drop by $90 billion through enforcement efforts.

The IRS is now using AI to audit individuals and supply taxpayer services. Additional efforts to help close the tax gap include:

•Providing automated customer service (chatbots) to answer questions faster

•Hauling back $1.3 billion from high-income earners through audits

•Recovering $13.2 billion in unreported gambling winnings

The estimated tax liability increased slightly compared to a few years ago. But that increase was likely due to economic growth rather than a reduction in compliance.

Plus, the federal government is exploring other uses for computerized intelligence.

For example, AI is helping the Social Security Administration (SSA) make faster determinations for disability benefits by identifying qualifying medical evidence. While the SSA hasn’t yet provided estimates for taxpayer dollars saved, the agency has stated it will uphold legal, privacy and ethical considerations as part of its AI compliance plan going forward. © 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Leisure & Travel Leisure &

Japan and South Korea by cruise ship

By Ann Cochran

Some overseas trips are not like others. Although I’ve vacationed in Europe and places as diverse as Tunisia and Colombia, I never felt so “other” as I did in Japan. And as I discovered, that was not a bad thing.

My husband, Chuck, and I chose to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in Japan. We wanted to go somewhere neither of us had ever been, and we were both curious about Japanese design and culture.

After debating the benefits of a cruise versus a land tour versus exploring Japan on our own with local guides, we were amazed by how much we could see during a 10-day cruise to Japan and South Korea.

The Regent Seven Seas Explorer accommodates about 750 guests with a crew of 550. Our large suite had a spacious walk-in closet, so we didn’t feel cramped.

The ship’s three specialty restaurants — French, Asian and a steakhouse — were all very good, as was the beautiful main dining room. The pool deck served delicious lunches, and we usually took advantage of room service for breakfast.

Clean, stylish Japanese culture

Our cruise began and ended in Tokyo. We enjoyed the food and the cozy scene at one of

the city’s many yakitori (grilled chicken) restaurants.

The small place we chose had only a few tables, a couple of booths and a counter that seated 10. Two people cooked on a long charcoal grill: the chef and a sous chef, who sprinkled spices with a flourish, one arm arched high above his head.

No one spoke English, but the chef made a special effort for us, presenting each set of skewers and laughingly pointing to her neck or thigh to let us know what we were about to eat.

In every city and town, we admired and appreciated the Japanese people and culture. Words that come to mind are polite, quiet, considerate, neat and stylish — or at least well-groomed.

On the subway, despite the jostling crowds, signs remind passengers not to bother others. Common etiquette includes lining up in rows before getting on trains, cell phones on silent mode, speaking quietly if talking is necessary, backpacks in front, no food or drinks.

Here’s a funny story about the integrity of Japanese culture: At the Tokyo Hilton, where we stayed after our cruise, the room had wonderful cotton robes called yukata, which are somewhat similar to a kimono but much more casual.

After enjoying wearing the one in our room, I shopped around Tokyo but didn’t find anything I liked as much, so I asked a concierge if I could buy one from the hotel. Unfortunately, they had run out two days ago.

Me: Well, could I buy the one in my room?

Concierge: Mmm, no, because that one is used.

Me: I know. I’m using it.

Concierge: (looking concerned)

Me : Well, let’s say a guest took one home. Wouldn’t the hotel just charge their credit card?

Concierge: (looking puzzled) That has never happened.

Me: (mind blown, speechless)

Concierge: Let me call housekeeping and see what I can do.

After she spoke to the head of the department, she said yes, you can buy a robe, but not the “used” one. Housekeeping will put a freshly washed, ironed and folded one in your room.

Me: (still puzzled but grateful) Arigato!

Magical Kyoto

Chuck and I navigated the subway in Tokyo, the electric tram in Nagasaki, and the train from the port of Kobe to Kyoto.

We made the impulsive decision to take the train because the ship’s excursion included a two-hour bus ride each way. Instead, we took a 30-minute train ride and buzzed all around Kyoto on our own.

Our priority in Kyoto was to visit the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, with thousands of vermilion gates featured in thousands of photos. But no photo could do it justice.

Walking the wooded mountain trails to the summit took about three hours. On the way, we passed through and marveled at the ancient red-orange archways, large and small, called torii

The shrine’s entrance and the lower pathways were crowded, and probably always are, but in a pleasant way. We saw all manner of people, all in good moods — and quite a few women in kimono — taking pictures. Being at this Shinto shrine was an experience like no other: magical, reverent and enchanting.

Across town from the shrine, we jumped out of our taxi and followed a long trail through a garden that led to the Golden Pavilion. Originally built in 1397 for a sh –ogun, the palace was reconstructed after a fire in 1955.

Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine attracts a cheerful crowd. On the hike to the Shinto shrine, built in 1400, visitors pass through hundreds of red-orange gates, which mark the transition from the everyday world to the sacred place.

Yellowstone teems with elk and other wildlife. See story on page 29.

This domed building was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded in 1945. Today, the preserved ruin is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

PHOTO BY ERIC JOHNSTON

From page 26

Seeing a temple whose second and third floors are covered in gold leaf, while an utterly radical idea and feat, was not much different from looking at it in photos, probably because you can’t get close. Visitors are routed around its large pond that serves as a mirror, doubling the golden effect.

Peace and beauty

Aside from Kyoto, our most interesting experiences were in Hiroshima and Busan, South Korea.

While we had zero expectations of South Korea, we found that Busan is a beautiful city with intriguing skyscrapers

BEACON BITS

Dec. 18

and a crescent-shaped beach.

Our animated guide took us to a gorgeous park, lunch at a restaurant hosting two weddings, then to a stunning shrine built into coastal cliffs. When we were given free time to shop, almost every woman made a beeline for cosmetic stores to buy the famed Korean skin care products.

Hiroshima was a surprise, too. Despite the heaviness that you would expect, and seeing the one familiar domed building that survived the first atomic bomb, the overriding emotion was the longing for peace.

We watched the introductory film in the Peace Memorial Museum and then wandered through the expansive and mean-

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ingful Peace Memorial Park with our guide, a retired teacher.

Japan has many glorious public gardens. We were able to see seven private ones in a historic samurai neighborhood preserved to look as it did 200 years ago in a small town called Chiran.

Chiran’s nearly half-mile main street is lined on both sides with stone walls, topped by tall hedges. Strange to say, but it felt like we were on a movie set for a British mystery film.

We learned that Japanese gardens borrow from the greater landscape. If there is a mountain in the distance, for instance, that is included in the design.

These gardens are known for their peaceful, meditative quality, achieved by balance but not symmetry. Except for some red fall foliage, there wasn’t much color, but they didn’t need it.

We went to Chiran to visit a museum dedicated to kamikaze pilots, who were

not the zealots of our imaginings. They were forced to fly these missions. It was heartbreaking to read the letters they wrote to family, mainly their mothers, on the eve of their assignments.

Around the museum and town are more than 1,000 stone lantern statues, one for each life lost this way. Our guide was emotional when she told us that she appreciated our choice to come here instead of other options we had that day.

As in Hiroshima, this museum was also built within a park dedicated to achieving world peace. That seems an unlikely prospect, but we can surely hope.

If you go

Round-trip flights from the D.C. area to Tokyo start at $909. We chose Regent, but Viking, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America and Royal Caribbean also offer cruises in Japan and South Korea starting at around $1,400 for nine nights.

WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL

Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival will dazzle you with more than 450 brilliantly lit displays and trees at Seneca Creek State Park. The 3.5-mile drive is open daily from 6 to 9 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday) at 11950 Clopper Rd., Gaithersburg, MD, through Dec. 31 (closed on Dec. 25). Tickets are sold per vehicle and cost $15 Monday through Thursday; $25 Friday through Sunday. Reserve yours at bit.ly/GaithersburgWinterLights. For more information, email winterlights@gaithersburgmd.gov.

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Yellowstone’s natural wonders & wildlife

By Sandi Barrett

Stunning panoramic vistas and copious wildlife are the showstopping hallmarks of Yellowstone National Park. The world’s first National Park, established in 1872, Yellowstone is home to the iconic Old Faithful geyser and so much more.

My husband, Chris, and I recently embarked on a two-week National Parks bus adventure with Globus tours. We wanted to see it all while avoiding hours of research, planning and driving.

While on a busy tour of five parks, we were treated to two days of exploring Yellowstone’s uniquely beautiful landscape.

Grand Loop’s hot springs

Navigating the park by car (or bus) is fairly simple. The 2.2-million-acre park, located mostly in northwest Wyoming and overlapping into Montana and Idaho, has five entrances. Hop on the 140-mile Grand Loop and be prepared to be amazed.

Along the Upper Loop are several mustsee stops. Mammoth Hot Springs is at the top of the list. Meander the boardwalk that traverses across steaming hot springs that trickle over white, stair-like hydrothermal features called travertine terraces.

Tower Fall is a spectacular overlook stop. The waterfall, one of more than 300 here, plunges 132 feet, ultimately flowing into the Yellowstone River.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone showcases the park’s namesake yellowish rocks, which rise on each side of the canyon. The moniker came from the Minnetaree tribe’s name for the Yellowstone River: Mi tse a-da-zi, or “Yellow Rock River.”

Along the Lower Loop are more natural wonders that will leave your head spinning. West Thumb Geyser Basin has a

half-mile loop walk along the shore of Yellowstone Lake, where you can witness an amazing variety of geothermal features.

The path passes by the Thumb Paint Pots, a collection of bubbling clay mud pools. But the jewel-tone turquoise blue of the Abyss Pool, a 53-foot-deep pool with temperatures reaching over 180 degrees, is the highlight of West Thumb.

The grand dame of Yellowstone, Old Faithful, spouts off approximately every 90 minutes. The geyser’s 180-foot plume was one of the highlights of our Yellowstone visit. Chris was thrilled to watch the dramatic eruption no less than five times during our stay.

Follow the Geyser Loop path alongside Old Faithful to explore the Upper Geyser Basin, site of the most beautiful hot spring of them all, Morning Glory Pool. The array of bright colors encircling this natural wonder will stay in your memory forever.

The grand kahuna of all hot springs is located at Midway Geyser Basin, a collection of geothermal pools that Rudyard Kipling aptly named Hell’s Half Acre.

Wander up the boardwalk to reach the largest hot spring in North America, Grand Prismatic Spring. It is a popular spot, and the boardwalk can be crowded, but it is worth the effort to gaze at the massive turquoise pool ringed with rainbow colors.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring is in the Mud Volcano area, home to some of the most acidic hydrothermal features in the park. The sulfur odor is strong here; however, it shouldn’t deter you from a quick stop at this funky little hot spring, a vertical cave that puffs smoke.

Encounters with wildlife

Perhaps even more impressive than Yel-

Peace of Mind is Priceless

lowstone’s hot springs are the jaw-dropping numbers of wild animals throughout the park. Driving along the Grand Loop, you will most likely see herds of bison, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, moose and pronghorn pronghorn.

Lamar Valley is the perfect place to spot

wildlife. You are almost guaranteed to see bison and pronghorn, and if you’re lucky, you may glimpse a bear or wolf prowling the meadows.

You may spot predators (although they

PHOTO

like to blend into the surroundings) like black bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolverines, lynx, coyotes and wolves. The Yellowstone mammal count totals more than 60 species, including approximately 1,000 grizzlies. Birdwatchers note: There are 300 species here.

We encountered a herd of elk in the parking lot at Mammoth Hot Springs. They kept the park rangers very busy stopping traffic as the animals crossed and re-crossed the streets and parking lot.

Protecting both park visitors and the animals takes skill and patience, as the twolegged guests can be more unpredictable than the four-legged residents.

That said, our encounter was particularly dicey, as it was mating season and a second male decided to crash the party. The two boys put on quite a show.

We had another close encounter with

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Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

the locals on the boardwalk circling the Upper Geyser Basin. A lone bison, happily munching grass, stood less than 50 feet from the elevated walkway.

Tentative steps to bypass him (they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds) turned into quick footfalls as we got closer. Thankfully, visitors were able to pass by without incident. (A word of caution, though: Many people have been seriously injured because they strayed too close to the wild animals.)

If you go

A vehicle is required to explore Yellowstone; there are no shuttle buses. Several excellent tour companies offer itineraries allowing you to explore these natural wonders without having to drive or navigate.

Making reservations at any of the nine Yellowstone National Park’s lodges takes a bit of pre-planning if you desire a specific lodge at the height of the season. The reservation booking window opens on the fifth of each month, accepting reservations for the following year.

The beautiful Old Faithful Inn, at the foot of Old Faithful, is one of the most popular lodges. You can watch the dramatic geyser spout from the lodge’s open-air deck while sipping your morning coffee. Guard your nibbles, though; a quick-witted raven will snatch your breakfast in a wink.

If you plan to hike, carrying bear spray is necessary. You can rent the potentially lifesaving spray at the Canyon Visitor Education Center or the Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center for a nominal fee.

Another busy spot is the massive Canyon Lodge complex of rooms and cabins. Yellowstone also has 12 campgrounds, and all but one (Mammoth is first-come, first-served) require reservations.

Casual eateries dot the park, including cafeteria-style spots, cafés and quick bites. Several upscale restaurants, like the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room, serve delicious local favorites such as bison tenderloin and chocolate lava cake.

You’ll need at least two days to see the highlights of Yellowstone National Park. To hike and explore the park’s beautiful scenery at a leisurely pace, plan for a longer stay — and start planning several months in advance.

For more information about where to eat, stay and play, visit nps.gov/yell/index.htm.

Jan. 3

Winter is a great time to spot birds. Learn about resident birds that stay in the Mid-Atlantic year-round during this free bird walk on Fri., Jan 3 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 N. Military Rd., Arlington, VA. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from the nature center. Register at bit.ly/WinterBirdingHike. For more information, contact Itzamar Duran at (703) 228-3403.

Morning Glory Pool, located near Old Faithful, got its name in the 1880s from the trumpet-shaped flower that it resembles.

PHOTO BY SANDI BARRETT

WINTER BIRDING HIKE

BEACON BITS

Arts & Style

Two new books return to familiar territory. See reviews on page 32.

Signature Theatre’s lovely Sondheim riot

By Mark Dreisonstok

After the passing of Stephen Sondheim in 2021, there have been many revivals of his works. Now Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, is introducing to new audiences one of the Broadway composer and lyricist’s most ebullient works, the riotous A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

To quote one of the show’s many melodic tunes, the Signature production is “lovely, absolutely lovely.”

Based on farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, the musical is adroitly directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner.

The wonderful melodies commence from the first moment with the overture’s medley of the show’s score, with the live orchestra, conducted superbly by Jon Kalbfleisch.

The sets evoke an idealized ancient Roman street with three houses adorned with statues, columns and tragedy and comedy masks, which remind us of the prologue’s insistence that it will be “tragedy tomorrow, but comedy tonight.”

A quest for freedom

In the farce’s frantic plot, Pseudolus is a slave to a young Roman, Hero, who loves the beautiful Philia from afar. As Pseudolus desires nothing more than his freedom from servitude, he concocts a plan.

If he helps his master win over Philia, he’ll be rewarded with that most precious gift: his own freedom. Unfortunately, Philia has been promised to Miles Gloriosus, a powerful and

boastful soldier of the Roman army.

Many may remember Zero Mostel as the clever Pseudolus who starred in the 1962 Tony Award-winning Broadway play, its cast album and the 1966 film version.

The Signature production goes in a very different direction, with actress Erin Weaver assuming the male lead. With energy, panache and gusto, Weaver cajoles and connives in pursuit of her goal of freedom. She has a powerful voice, as witnessed in her duet “Free” with Zachary Keller, who assays a fine Hero.

Weaver adds plenty of humor, too. During one frantic exit and reentrance from the stage, she makes an anachronistic reference about going right around the corner to the local CVS in the Signature Theatre neighborhood.

Standout performances

Kuhoo Verma is similarly excellent portraying the naive Philia, often with a faraway look. Verma lends her operatic voice to the aforementioned song “Lovely” and has a fine moment with Pseudolus and Hero in the delightful trio “Pretty as a Picture.”

A particularly funny duet is Keller’s Hero singing with Senex, his father, played exceptionally well by Christopher Bloch. They sing “Impossible,” each believing it is unfathomable that the other has captured the attention of the beautiful Philia.

Other excellent members of the out-

standing cast include a hilarious Mike Millan as Hysterium (often in cahoots with Pseudolus in her antics); a domineering Tracy Lynn Olivera as Domina; a com-

manding Cameron Loyal as Miles Gloriosus; and Lawrence Redmond and Sherri L.

See SONDHEIM , page 32

The lively, talented cast of A Funny Thing Happenedon the Way to the Forum brings new energy to the 1960s Stephen Sondheim musical, playing at the Signature Theatre in Arlington through January 12.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MUELLER

Two book sequels round out the year

By Rob Merrill and Andrew DeMillo

Tell Me Everything , by Elizabeth Strout, Random House, 2024

Full disclosure: Other the 2014 HBO show “Olive Kitteridge,” based on the novel of that name by Elizabeth Strout, Tell Me Everything was this reviewer’s first trip to the fictional Crosby, Maine. It’s unlikely to be my last.

Tell Me Everything reads like the stories that Lucy Barton shares with Olive throughout the book. Simple. Relatable. Elegant, even.

There is a loose narrative, but mostly it’s just characters Strout fans will have already met, interacting with one another and living their lives. More importantly, sharing their lives.

“Tell me everything” is actually uttered

Friday Morning Music Club

more than once as neighbors converse, swapping information about what’s happening in their town.

At the center of the story is Lucy Barton, the famous writer who has moved to Crosby with her ex-husband, William.

Her frequent walks with Bob Burgess, the town lawyer, are beautiful set pieces that tie the novel’s plot together. Bob is nearing retirement but is pulled into an unfolding murder investigation involving a lonely son accused of killing his own mother.

The crime is resolved over the course of the novel, but it’s hardly the main attraction. Lucy and Bob’s relationship is the more interesting plot line.

Bob is married to Margaret, the town’s Unitarian minister, and while Bob is not un-

ENJOY OUR FREE CONCERTS

FMMC Chamber Series

WASHINGTON, DC

Friday, December 20 at Noon

Live! at 10th & G (First UCC DC)

Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m. – Dumbarton House

Friday, January 17 at Noon – Live! at 10th & G (First UCC DC)

MARYLAND

Friday, December 13 at Noon – Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase

Wednesday, December 18 at 7 p.m.

Student recital at Friendship Heights Village Center

Thursday, February 13, at 3 p.m. – Ingleside at King Farm

Thursday, February 20 at 1 p.m. – The Mansion at Strathmore

Friday, February 21 at Noon – Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Fridays December 6 & 13 at Noon

St. George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington

Friday, January 24 at Noon – Sherwood Community Center (Old Town Hall temporary home), Fairfax

Fridays February 7 & 14 at Noon

St. George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington

MAJOR CONCERTS

Avanti Orchestra, Friday, December 13, 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW

Arioso Chorale, Thursday, February 6 and Saturday, February 8 at 8:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill

ATTN: Musicians! Interested in performing in our concerts? Virtual auditions accepted any time for voice, piano and instruments, or schedule an in-person audition on March 22, 2025.

happy in his marriage, Lucy awakens another part of him. After one of their walks, Strout writes: “Bob felt again that just to be in the company of Lucy gave him a respite from everything.”

Bob, we’re told by an omniscient plural narrator that Strout employs occasionally — “is not a reflective fellow” — and so he moves through life without dwelling too much on his inner thoughts or acting on his desires.

Lucy, however, is a storyteller by trade and avocation, and in one of her chats with Olive she introduces the concept of “sin eating,” which she describes as a trait some people have that allows them to unburden others of their sins.

and everyone who has a problem seems to come to you,” Lucy tells Bob, before adding, “don’t think about it.”

It is, according to Lucy, why Bob is a successful lawyer. “I see you around town

Sondheim

From page 31

Edelen as Senex’s neighbors, Lycus and Erronius.

After many disguises, antics and chases, a happy ending awaits audiences.

One caveat

This production is excellent entertainment, but be aware: This production plays up, rather than tones down, the bawdy comedy at the heart of the play. Grandparents may find it inappropriate for children.

On the other hand, despite its racy humor and silliness, the play has, oddly enough, a welcome educational aspect that applies more to a current audience than the original 1964 theatergoers.

American education has moved away from the classical curriculum once common in mid-20th-century America, in which our parents and grandparents studied classical mythology and the Latin language.

Through this musical, younger audience members might be exposed to an-

But Strout’s gift is making readers stop and think about lives — from the exciting to the mundane — and that’s what makes this book so appealing.

Other than the resolution of the murder case, not much happens in Tell Me Everything , and yet there’s a sense that so much is always happening. It’s best to give Lucy the last word in another one of her conversations with Olive, after Olive finishes telling her a story about one of her late husband’s aunts: “People and the lives they lead. That’s the point.” —Rob Merrill, AP

See BOOK REVIEWS , page 34

cient theater for the first time, since the Sondheim play is based on four of Plautus’ classical comedies: Curculio, Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria

Additionally, there are references to the classical Greek tragedy Medea, onstage visual allusions to the mythological flying horse Pegasus, and even actors pantomiming Roman numerals.

More information about and tickets for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which runs through January 12 at Signature’s MAX Theatre, are available at sigtheatre.org (not signaturetheatre.org, which is a theatre in New York City). The box office can be reached at (703) 820-9771 from noon to 8 p.m. daily.

Reserved ticket prices range from $40 to $131. A 25% discount is offered to veterans, military retirees, educators and front-line workers, from nurses to grocery store employees.

Family Pack tickets ($50 per person) are available for a maximum of two adults (parents/grandparents) attending with one to three children ages 6 to 17.

WIN EVEN NTER NTS

A Holiday Pops! with Special Gue

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Dec. 6 & 7 | Concert Hall

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Dec. 19–22 | Concert

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Congress

From page 1

Bay National Wildlife Refuge from infringing development, and to enhance the Potomac River’s water quality.

He is vice president of his community association, and served on the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, an appointed position.

Wearing many hats comes easily now. In Congress, Hartwell said, “I learned how to handle a multitude of issues at the same time.”

Making an impact

Marylander Ruth Katz also fondly recalls her years working on Capitol Hill two decades ago.

“I loved every minute of it,” Katz said. “I never considered the long hours burdensome or a negative. You can work on something that has an impact on millions of people and be a part of making that happen.”

Katz worked on healthcare legislation as public health counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired at the time by former California Congressman Henry Waxman.

Two high points for her in the House of Representatives were helping craft and pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010 — the bill proposed by then-President Barack Obama that expanded access to health insurance and provided some consumer protections.

Katz also is proud of her work to authorize the National Institutes of Health to conduct fetal tissue transplantation research and to require women to be included in NIH clinical trials.

“I never had a greater reward in my life,” she said of both measures.

Bringing opposing views together and achieving consensus is a skill Katz uses in her work today.

Now a vice president at the nonpartisan Aspen Institute and executive director of its Health, Medicine and Society program, she convenes experts, decision-makers and the public to examine health challenges and find consensual solutions.

‘Intellectually stimulating’

Scott Cameron, a Fairfax County resident, is proud of his accomplishments during the three and a half years he worked for Nevada Senator Chic Hecht.

Specializing in natural resources, energy and water policy, Cameron helped create Nevada’s first national park, Great Basin National Park.

He also had to quickly master nuclear waste policy in opposing a proposed spent nuclear fuel repository at Yucca Mountain.

Cameron appreciated the wealth of information available to Congressional staff.

“Hearings are like graduate-level seminars from outside experts — very intellectually stimulating,” he said.

His work for the Senator prepared him

to testify before congressional committees, which he describes as “most challenging,” but a valuable experience.

“Having the undivided attention of five to 10 elected members of Congress taught me not to be afraid,” he said. His advice: “If you do not know the answer to the questions, do not try to fake it.”

Cameron enjoyed building coalitions, pairing elected officials who typically did not collaborate. “The Senate has built-in incentives to get along,” he said.

His efforts working “across the aisle” and brokering agreements have carried over into his current work in Northern Virginia. He was elected to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District in 2015 and is currently chairman of that district.

He’s also second vice president of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and is an appointee and vice chairman of the State Water Control Board. In addition, he does part-time consulting, helping companies win government contracts.

Today, Cameron’s son is following his father’s path, working for a California congressman.

Putting out fires

From 1993 to 2000,Fairfax County resident Mike McGill was California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s chief of staff, a job he describes as “putting out fires, running interference and managing and parenting the staff.”

It involved coordinating the wide-ranging activities of a Senate office — from answering constituent letters, to placating grumpy corporate executives, to developing media strategies.

Book reviews

From page 32

Revenge of the Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company, 2024

It’s been nearly 25 years since Malcolm Gladwell published The Tipping Point, and it’s still easy to catch it being read on airplanes, displayed prominently on executives’ bookshelves, or hear its jargon slipped into conversations. It’s no surprise that a sequel was the next logical step.

In Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering , Gladwell is rehashing and rebuilding on the concepts that he first wrote about in 2000. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t really necessary either.

“I came from California with a romantic view that the Senate was functional, collegial,” McGill said. Over time, his view mellowed.

He grew tired of what he calls “grandstanding” by some senators. But he’s grateful he learned how Congress really works and still chuckles about several Senate skirmishes.

McGill said his Senate work taught him intellectual discipline; how to organize his thoughts. Staff often have just a few minutes to brief their elected official, so presentations have to be well organized and to the point.

After his Senate stint, McGill joined the General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings Service as a public affairs officer.

At GSA, he learned “the other side,” that is, how executive branch agencies work. He represented the federal government on the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews the designs of federal and some local projects in this area.

After retiring in 2015, he chaired his community’s design review committee, which was, in effect, an extension of his government service.

McGill says he misses some of the “glamour,” like the White House Christmas receptions and meeting corporate heads and famous people.

“Congress is an exciting place to work,” he said, “especially for a young person.”

That’s what draws many people to Washington: the eagerness to make a difference. While nothing gets done quickly in Congress, and partisan sniping is not new and may be on the rise, congressional work can still change lives for the better, according to those who’ve done it.

tempt to do a forensic investigation of social epidemics.”

The book’s style is familiar to anyone who has followed Gladwell’s work over the years: an engaging but whiplash-inducing tour of examples ranging from bank robberies in Los Angeles to the opioid epidemic. And it makes sense that a book looking at social epidemics would also look at the Covid-19 pandemic.

A key part of Gladwell’s thesis in Revenge looks at what he calls the overstory — small-area variations that distinguish one area or community from another and affect the people who live there. It’s what may explain differences in Medicare fraud rates among communities, or vaccination rates among types of schools.

Gladwell is revisiting the concept of “social epidemics” and how little things could make a big difference. In his latest book, he’s just as concerned about the underside of the tipping point, or what he calls an “at-

Revenge is entertaining, but it’s essentially fan service for readers who enjoyed The Tipping Point. The sequel provides more of the same: nuggets of history and jargon that they soak up on airplanes and toss around during conference table conversations. —Andrew DeMillo, AP

Why Yogi Berra was right about funerals

A woman we knew only slightly died one recent afternoon. The funeral was scheduled for five days later. The date and time landed hard on a previously scheduled, important meeting.

Should we bail on the meeting? Would anyone miss us if we didn’t attend the funeral?

Could we skip the funeral since she wasn’t a blood relative or a close friend? Or was this funeral — any funeral — a must-do?

was he? As all my college professors used to say, let’s consider.

By Bob Levey

I was scratching my chin and mulling what to do when my mind (always churning like a Cuisinart) landed on the answer. It arrived via my boyhood baseball hero, Yogi Berra.

He was the star catcher for the New York Yankees in the 1940s and 1950s. Dumpy, frumpy and lumpy, Yogi nevertheless resides today in the Hall of Fame. As we used to say in my ancestral home in the Bronx, Yogi was a heckuva ballplayer.

But he was also a heckuva sage, especially when it came to funerals.

Yogi is a legend for laugh-inducing, spityour-coffee-back-into-the-mug one liners. Among his many sayings that have endured for decades, this one still lights up the sky:

“Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” How great is that?

Of course, Yogi-isms have endured because they portray Yogi as a dumbo. But

At any funeral, the key person will not know who’s there and who isn’t. So, you are not risking the rupture of a friendship if you don’t show up. The friendship is already ruptured in the most important way.

But at any funeral, the joint is jumping with relatives, old friends, business associates and neighbors. So even if the dearly departed doesn’t know if you’re there, many others do.

Then there’s the question of the guest book. It’s the first thing you encounter at any funeral.

If there is such a thing, the book is the official attendance record of a funeral. So, if you don’t want to tempt evil spirits, you will attend the funeral and you will sign.

Then there’s the upside-down-ness of any funeral. The entire purpose of the event is to take notice of a death. But life is for the living.

So, when one attends a funeral, one actually enjoys it much of the time, because it’s a chance to mix and mingle with — if you’re lucky — interesting folk.

Finally, there are the eulogies. Even if you aren’t asked to offer one, others will amble to the microphone. And if you’re not careful, you might learn something.

Yes, the principal actor is dead. But what a stamp collection he once had! And what a ghost story he used to tell his al-

CHRISTMAS MUSIC CONCERT & LUNCH

Join the Shepherd’s Center of Annadale Springfield (SCAS) for lunch and to hear Christmas music performed live by the Annandale High School Chorus with guitarist Art Hildebrand. This event takes place on Thu., Dec. 12 from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Annandale United Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike, Annadale, VA. The cost of lunch is $15 per person. To register, email shepherdscas@vacoxmail.com or call the SCAS office at (703) 941-1419.

CELTIC MUSIC HOLIDAY CONCERT

Institute of Musical Traditions presents its annual Celtic Holiday Show, with Robin Bullock on acoustic guitar, Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer and Elke Baker on fiddle, performing carols and hymns spanning more than 600 years. The concert takes place on Mon., Dec. 16 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Rd., Rockville, MD. Tickets are $20 in advance (with a $2 box office fee) or $25 at the door. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit bit.ly/CelticHoliday or call (301) 960-3655.

SINGER-SONGWRITERS PERFORM

Visit the New Deal Café on Sun., Dec. 22 for a concert by local singer-songwriters Eli Lev, Drew Gibston, Michael Potts and Kim Eaton, talking about and singing their songs. Come to 113 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD, at 6 p.m. to enjoy an evening of heartfelt songs. To hear more of Lev’s music, visit eli-lev.com/music. The performance is free, but food and drink are available for purchase, and a minimum tip of $10 is suggested to support the musicians. For more information, visit newdealcafe.com or call (301) 474-5642.

JEWISH COMICS EXHIBIT

“JewCE: The Jewish Comic Experience”is an exhibit that examines the Jewish origins of the development of iconic comic book superheroes from the 1930s through the 1960s. Presented at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, 575 3rd St. NW, Washington, DC, through Sun., Mar. 23, 2025. Tickets are $10, free for members and those 12 and under. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit capitaljewishmuseum.org or call (202) 789-0900.

ways-aghast younger sister! And what a brilliant financing coup he pulled off to keep his business afloat — no one ever knew a thing about it.

So, if I may amend the sainted Mr. Berra just a tad, you don’t just go to someone’s funeral so they’ll come to yours. You go to someone’s funeral for the same reason you attend any social event.

You are showing respect. You are showing optimism. You are showing a lively spirit.

And you are doing what the deceased would want you to do — not mope, not moan, but have a piece of layer cake and offer up a toast.

That’s how to ward off the evil eye. And that’s how to reinterpret a different Yogiism that’s even more famous than the one

about funerals.

Quoth Yogi, once upon a time: It ain’t over till it’s over.

Even at a heartwarming funeral, a life may be over. But the stories, the grace and the glow of that person’s life ain’t even close to being over.

Yes, we went to the funeral of the woman we knew only slightly. The eulogies convulsed the room in laughter. Even the grieving spouse was seen smiling. If it’s possible, that funeral was fun.

Yogi, my guy, you’ve been right about funerals for a very long time. You’re right still.

I know one person who will be attending my funeral. I just attended hers.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

Scrabble answers on p. 39.

Jumble answers on p. 39.

Crossword Puzzle

Know Your PlaceBy Stephen Sherr

Across

1. Letters on invitation letters

5. Penalized, monetarily

10. “I gave you the best ___”

14. Home of the Pro Football and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame

15. Bring together both parties

16. Urgent request

17. Mental (with 19 Across)

19. See 17 Across

20. “I joined the Navy to see the ___”

21. Two-thirds of the largest state

22. Excessively extravagant trip

24. Have second thoughts

26. Key keyboard key

27. Controlled

33. Enforcers

36. FedEx foe

37. Lake with shores at 14 Across

38. Single-stranded genetic molecule

39. Blonde shade with cool undertones

40. ___ of the above

41. Hamlet has five

43. Da work of da Vinci

44. Setting for Cast Away or Lost

46. Secretly

50. Flower wreath

51. Poppy plant product

54. Expense of home ownership

57. ___ to the death

58. OIL mixture

60. Narrator of three Twain books

61. Too complicated

64. Ear-relevant word

65. Hot room at the gym

66. Small meal

67. Eat to your heart’s content

68. City near Dusseldorf

69. Can I have a five for five ___?

Down

1. Steals from Lowe or Reiner

2. Like many Victoria’s Secret outfits

3. Curriculum ___ (resume)

4. Any of Hogan’s heroes

5. Gassed up

6. Present from birth

7. Targets of RID Super Max Lice Treatment Kit

8. Biblical verb ending

9. Record spinners

10. “___ door; I want to get out!”

11. Criticism

12. A ___ pittance

13. Direction of Lindbergh’s 1927 flight

18. Accrues interest

23. Extreme start to -imate or -erior

25. Billy the Kid’s was a Winchester Model 1873

28. Out of practice

29. A BMW 2-series tops out at 155 of them

30. Eurasian mountains

31. About 1.6 kilometers

32. Boxing champ’s prize

33. Use a claw machine

34. First word of The Raven

35. Solemn promise

39. Slot machine activator

42. Meditation mandate

43. Fat-storing tissue

44. In a cold manner

45. Caribbean music

47. Hailey Bieber, ___ Baldwin

48. Title spy in three Ludlum novels

49. Missing link, perhaps

52. Create a connection

53. Fill with joy

54. Flying saucers, briefly

55. Hummus holder

56. Make a baby-blanket

57. ___ ex machina

59. Praiseful poems

62. Anatomical duct

63. Game of Thrones network

Classifieds

cont. from p. 38.

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I PERSONALLY COLLECT AND WANT TO BUY old Christmas and Halloween decorations, Herend and Royal Copenhagen porcelain, costume and fine jewelry and other pretty things. also buy out estates, full or partial. Or, can send items to auction for you. Please call Susan, (301) 785-1129. Maryland license #2753.

DOG FOSTERS NEEDED: Partnership for Animal Welfare has adoptable dogs in need of short- and long-term home stays. Pet necessities and health care provided. Vacation? PAW has you covered. Visit: www.paw-rescue.org, or email: volunteer@paw-rescue.org

ALWAYS BUYING OLD COSTUME

JEWELRY, sterling silver flatware holloware, school rings, unwanted jewelry, gemstones broken jewelry, old comic books (pre-1990), old toys/games and other old items. Text or Call Alex at 571-426-5363 DMV area.

Letters to the editor

From page 2

Dear Editor:

I doubt you’ll publish this letter, but I have to send it.

On page 25 of the November Washington Beacon, you ran a story in the Money section about romance scams. Then in the same issue, you published a full-page ad for a product that claims to prevent colds, flu, Covid and in a headline says “no more common sickness.” This miracle product? A molded piece of copper.

After the ad goes on about how it prevents illness, citing what “customers” use it for (I guess that’s how they wiggle out of legal trouble), then the disclaimer appears. Not evaluated by FDA. “Not claiming to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.”

Seriously? Is it any wonder seniors fall for romance scams when right in this supposedly trustworthy source of information is a full-page scam ad?

The message is you’ll take anyone’s money. Just like the romance scammers. Shame on you.

Chris Raymond Falls Church, VA [Ed. responds to two prior letters: We appre-

ONE BIG HAPPY

By Rick Detorie

ciate both letter writers and understand their views.

The appearance of advertising in the Beacon does not, and never has, constituted our endorsement, as we say in our masthead on page 2. We do regret that the ad in question did not have a border around it, which would more clearly indicate it was an advertisement and not an article from the Beacon . We hope no readers were misled by that.

Also, we believe that a product that costs $69.99 and has a money-back guarantee (issued by a BBB-accredited company with an A+ rating and no customer complaints) could hardly be compared to romance scams that prey on people’s emotions and have cost some people their life savings.]

FREE CHORAL CONCERTS

Encore Chorales, choruses composed of local amateur singers over 55, are presenting public concerts during December in Annapolis, Takoma Park, Silver Spring and Frederick, Maryland; Alexandria, Reston, Ashburn and Burke, Virginia; and Washington, DC. For dates and locations, and to reserve your free tickets, visit encorecreativity.org/events/category/performances or call (301) 261-5747.

POP ART EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION

In this solo exhibit, local artist Art Hondros will show a series of his colorful paintings depicting classic cars, pop culture icons and landscapes. An opening reception, featuring a live DJ and light refreshments, takes place on Sat., Dec. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the BeachKraft Studio and Gallery, 18200 Georgia Ave., Olney, MD. The exhibit runs through Fri., Jan. 31, 2025, with visiting hours Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, visit thebeachkraft.com or call (240) 608-2124.

CIVIL WAR HISTORY WALKING

TOUR

Learn about the history of one of the last Union forts built to protect Washington during the Civil War. The tour will explore the fort’s role in the conflict and the lives of the soldiers stationed there. It takes place at Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th St., Arlington, VA, on Sat., Jan. 11 from 11 a.m. to noon. This event is free, but registration is required at bit.ly/FortCFSmithTour. For more information, email gulfbranch@arlingtonvs.us or call (703) 228-3403.

CLASSIFIEDS

The Beacon prints classified advertising under the follow ing headings: Business Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Obituaries; Personals; Person al Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For sub mission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 39.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

The Beacon does not know ingly accept ob scene, of fensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. How ev er, we do not in vestigate any advertisers or their prod ucts 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 prohib iting discrim ination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business & Employment Opportunities

3 POSITIONS AVAILABLE No Experience; Training Provided; Great For Seniors and All Others; WFH; PT/FT; No Selling; $2,125/wk/ptnl; EOE; Real Estate; No RE-License Req; Start Immediately; Paid Daily; Call: 1-703-398-1586.

GUIDE SERVICE OF WASHINGTON IS HIRING City Tour Guides. No experience necessary. days per week training Jan/Feb. Fee required. Must be ok with lots of walking. Bilingual also needed. For more information, call 202-628-2842 M-F 10am-4pm

Caregivers

A HOME HEALTHCARE- Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599.

A CARE AGENCY - Been in business for more than 10 years. Experienced nurses, CNAs, GNAs. Any hours you need. Flat rate for live-in. Duties include cooking, housekeeping, bathing, errands, etc. Tel: 667-231-8235

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE CAREGIVER? Check out this Agency with high ratings for its cultural sensitivity, excellent customer service responsive and attentive to the needs of clients. Call us 24/7 at 301-364-6699 for information.

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Hair Stylist. Women and Men’s Services All Hair Types. Cuts, Styles, Roller Sets, Color, Perms, Men’s Cuts Facial Grooming, Manicures more. Call 301-338-8251

COUGAR CARE HEALTH AND HOME

SERVICES We are a long-term health and home care agency serving the mature male and female adults in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and beyond. We provide CNA’S, Nurses, Caregivers, Companions, Personal Assistants, Housekeepers, Personal Trainers, Drivers or any other live in or live out employee. For more information and to place an order call #240-432-8560.

A COMPASSIONATE HOME CARE COMPANION ANGEL - Providing loving, reliable, trustworthy, devoted care for your loved one. HOSPICE trained, 20+ years’ experience. Call SADIE (240) 522-9591. Please leave voice message for reply.

SENIOR HELPING HAND, Compassionate caregiver to provide medical daily assistance for senior call Pam at Phone 301-891-0001.

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call David G. at: 301-3282112 301-642-4526.

COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS, CELL

PHONE Help For Seniors. We offer patient and thorough help for seniors with all matter of technology. We come to your home. We service MD, VA and DC. Call Senior Tech Pro at 301337-0028. Available 24/7 Ask for Philip.

FREE SENIOR DRIVER SAFETY SEMINAR. Learn tips to stay safe, maintain confidence, and plan for a driving retirement. Discover how a driving evaluation can help. Contact us to bring this to your community! 703-843-6876.

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Time share Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

UP TO $15,000.00 OF GUARANTEED LIFE INSURANCE! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company 866-212-1092 or visit www.Life55plus.info/beacon

TAX PREPARATION. Licensed CPA 35+ years, reasonable rates; will travel within 20 miles. Located in Gaithersburg near Rte 270/370. DIANE CHRISTEN CPA; dianechristen@aol.com; 240-355-1135 cell.

NEW WINDOWS FROM WINDOW NATION. Special money saving offer zero down, zero payments, zero interest for TWO years AND buy windows and get FREE! Offer is valid for select models. Labor not included. Other restrictions apply. Call Window Nation today! 855-909-2278.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK, Two beautiful sites, Block F, Cemetery Price: $26,000. Both sites offered 50% off; $13,000 obo. Contact: 301-537-6086. Site visit can be arranged. PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-301-960-3174 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK- choice burial sites in desirable Lilac Garden. Regular $9495 each, sale all for $12,000 OBO. 804-400-6318.

JUDEAN MEMORIAL GARDENS CEMETERY, Olney MD. choice plots, Section 7, Row 42, Sites and 5. Private sale by owner. Discounted $6,000 for pair. Please Contact Cindy, 301-500-8600.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT - “GET THE BOOK” - Contact us at McConkeyTeam@Aol.Com or 202-255-1900 and we will provide you with a customized binder containing a) the latest price information on similar neighboring properties, b) what we would do specifically to get you the best price in the shortest amount of time, and c) all the necessary legal forms to get started to rent and/or manage your property. “NO cost, NO obligation” Sell DC Real Estate.

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1240-650-9189.

HAND ARTHRITIS? Gripz, LLC is a small, local company of two seniors who experience hand osteoarthritis and seek solutions. We believe that people can maintain their independence and creativity without hand discomfort. To facilitate this, we have developed a series of adaptive devices for small handheld tools for eating, writing, painting, crocheting, guitar playing, and more. Our devices are multi-use and durable, and designed to fit a range of tool sizes. Visit gripz.biz!

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance PublishingTrusted by Authors Since 1920. Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-833-992-0110 or visit dorranceinfo.com/beacon

CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-833-742-1303.

DRIVING SKILLS EVALUATION for Aging Drivers. We offer specialized driving evaluations to support older drivers facing age-related changes. Assessments include cognitive, physical, vision tests, a CarFit check, and an in-car evaluation. Gain insights into strengths, areas for improvement, and safe driving strategies. Contact us at 703-843-6876.

STROKE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer screenings for just $149. Call 1-844-485-7035.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL HEATING & COOLING. As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-691-0273.

JACUZZI BATH REMODEL can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waiving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. (Offer ends 12/29/24.) Call 1-833-994-0538.

NORTH VA ELECTRICAL SERVICES. We Install: Ceiling Fans, Recessed Lights, Chandeliers, Power outlets Other related work. We are Licensed Insured. Feel free to call or text to: (703) 898 0797.

SLOWING DOWN AFTER 42 YEARS of contracting. Small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial work. Will work all over DC area. $45.00 from arrival on job. Andy 703-906-5429.

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. Plus 10% Senior Military Discounts. Call 1-855-977-6078.

STORAGE SHEDS BUILT ON SITE. Licensed and insured. No permits required. Starting at $3,000. www.Townandcountrysheds.com. Call Noah 571-214-0511.

MOVING OR LIQUIDATING AN ESTATE?

Let Downsizing Specialists, LLC show you how our easy process helps you decide what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard. Services include estate liquidation, downsizing, estate sales, house and storage unit clean-outs, and junk removal. We buy estates, vehicles, real estate. Free estimates. Local. Family Owned. Licensed. Insured. Downsizing doesn’t erase history, it shapes the legacy left behind. Call/Text Philip 301-2193600 DownsizingSpecialists.com

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS in as little as day. Limited Time Offer $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath Shower. Many options available. Quality materials professional installation. Senior Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-866-365-5170.

HANDYMAN ELECTRICAL SERVICES NEEDED. For installation of ROMH air conditioning units and outside control unit. Equipment already on site. Contact via text to 301-980-8492.

GIL PAINTING CO. INC Interior and exterior painting. Residential and commercial. Drywall and plaster repair. Power wash. Call 301370-9940 or email gilpaiting@comcast.net

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-866-478-2363.

FIT, VIBRANT AND RESOURCEFUL SENIOR in her 60’s seeking affordable room near public transportation in non-smoking home. Seeking a barter for partial rent arrangement. Would prefer the Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Dupont Circle area of DC. If interested please call (845) 246-4321 and leave a message.

ENCHANTING LADY, AGE 58 - Seeking attractive SWM Gentleman, Age 55+ for long term relationship. Call Charlotte (240) 506-1345. Please leave voice message for reply, serious inquiries only please.

DIRECTV - All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-572-4953.

GET DISH SATELLITE TV + INTERNET! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-844-560-5837

CASH FOR ESTATES; Estates, Moving, Downsizing, Etc. buy Gold, Silver, Art, Quality Glass, Historical Items, Cultural Items, and a wide range of other categories. Collections, Accumulations. Website: TheAtticLLC.com, Gary Roman, 301-520-0755.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (Reg. 883).

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158, leave message phone number (please speak slowly).

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403

BUYING QUALITY ANTIQUES and midcentury items, including furniture, art, statues, lamps, old signs, military items, gold, silver, costume jewelry, collectibles, toys, tools, anything unusual, etc. Please call Chris at (301) 2621299. MD licensed.

PAYING TOP CASH FOR ANTIQUES and collectibles. Housecalls made with prompt, courteous service seven days a week and 25 years of experience! Buying toys, trains, militaria, glassware, advertising merchandise, paper items and much more! Contact Mason or Megan at: 443306-8816.

Home/Handyman Services

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE

Answer: When they subdivided the

sites, the

Auto Dealers

Funeral Services

Home Health/ Adult Day Care

Residences at Forest Glen

Residences at North Hill

Sommerset

Willow Manor at Cabin Branch

Willow Manor at Colesville

Woodleigh Chase/ Erickson

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington edition).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: •$25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

•Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

Law Offices of Paul Riekhof

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Medical/ Health Services

Chesapeake Hearing . . . . .5

Ikon Health .

.15 Judy Oh, DDS

Real Estate

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