February 2017 | FiftyPlus Richmond

Published by The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

www.fiftyplusrichmond.com

FEB. 2017 • FREE

Saying goodbye and hello You may have read in this space, in our ference of the North American Mature December/January issue, the farewell col- Publishers Association, which I attended umn of Mark Fetter — the as publisher of the Beacon founder of Fifty Plus and its Newspapers of Greater Washpublisher for over 20 years. ington and Baltimore. Mark Since then, you may have and I spoke occasionally over heard that Mark passed away the years since, sharing ideas on New Year’s Day at the age as fellow publishers of 50+ of 65. Mark was not only a publications. talented entrepreneur, but It was just over two also a visionary and a warm months ago that I learned human being. I recommend from Mark that he had been to you the obituaries that fighting leukemia. With docappeared in the Richmond tors giving him only weeks to FROM THE Times-Dispatch and on legalive, he wanted to secure the PUBLISHER cy.com. continuation of Fifty Plus for

By Stuart P. Rosenthal But I would like to add a the benefit of its thousands few words of my own. I met of readers.

Mark over a decade ago at a national conI was honored that he contacted me. Af-

Volume 20, No. 2, FEB. 2017

Publisher/Editor: Stuart Rosenthal stuart@fiftyplusrichmond.com Vice President of Operations: Gordon Hasenei gordon@fiftyplusrichmond.com Sales Director: Alan Spiegel alan@fiftyplusrichmond.com Contributing Editor: Lisa Crutchfield Lisa@fiftyplusrichmond.com Art Director: Jennifer Sutton jennifer@fiftyplusrichmond.com

Editorial Mission: Fifty Plus is dedicated to providing readers with accurate information, professional guidance, and useful resources. Our publication is intended to both reflect and enhance fifty-plus lifestyles, and to encourage reader dialogue and input.

Fifty Plus is published monthly and distributed free of charge. The advertising deadline is the 10th of each month for the upcoming issue. The entire contents of Fifty Plus are © 2017, The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by writers and columnists do not necessarily represent those of Fifty Plus or its staff.

ter meeting with him, I agreed to purchase certain assets of his company in order to be able to begin publishing Fifty Plus with a minimum of disruption.

Our first issue came out six weeks ago, and we intend to resume monthly editions from now on. We are also in the process of expanding our distribution network and press run to better reach the active and growing 50+ population of the Richmond area.

Our staff and I so appreciate the positive response we have received from Fifty Plus readers, advertisers and potential advertisers.

A number of you very helpfully completed the survey we published last month, and we even received some lovely letters to the editor. I also look forward to conducting our first focus group this month with readers who volunteered to meet with us and share ideas.

We have over 25 years’ experience publishing the Beacon throughout the midAtlantic area, and are eager to get to know Richmond in the coming months and years.

We are committed to the continuation and, indeed, rejuvenation of Fifty Plus. I invite you to email, write or call us with your suggestions and comments.

Please keep reading Fifty Plus, and encourage your friends to give it a look as well.

Many thanks,

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in Fifty Plus, as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to Fifty Plus, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to lisa@fiftyplusrichmond.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor:

I am writing this for my sweet mom because she is not able to.

She was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s combined. Our time together is precious, as we face many challenges in the days, weeks, months to come.

My mom’s favorite thing to do is watch crime shows. Lt. Joe Kenda is her favorite. My dad is a retired police officer, and my mom a retired nurse.

I share this with you because the excitement of your cover story about Kenda’s show got my mom’s attention. She read the article and then discovered the possibility of winning dinner with him and his wife.

My mom tried filling out the survey, but her hands shake too much now. I found it and decided to help her, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that she wins!

Anita Spaulding Henrico Dear Editor:

How to reach us Fifty Plus P.O. Box 2227 Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 PH: 804-586-2677 info@fiftyplusrichmond.com

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I must admit, the only reason Fifty Plus caught my eye in Kroger was because Lt. Joe Kenda’s photo was on the cover. But after reading it for the first time, I was very impressed with your content. It was informative yet not too heavy.

I love Lt. Kenda. He is not an actor. He is genuine and comes across as an “all business” man when working, yet gentle and very caring. A lot of credit goes to Mrs. Kenda and children. I’m sure it was not always predictable living with an on-call husband/father.

Thanks for the article on Lt. Kenda. I will henceforth be picking up your publication.

Joy N. Ferguson Richmond WWW.FIFTYPLUSRICHMOND.COM

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1. Which of the following seminars/programs would you consider attending if offered by a Beacon advertiser? ❏ Health ❏ Financial ❏ Legal ❏ Housing ❏ Other (please describe) __________ ______________________________ 2a. Do you expect to consider hiring a home healthcare aide in the next 12 months? ❏ Yes ❏ No

2b. If you're currently using a home healthcare service, would you consider changing providers? ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏ Not Applicable 3. Are you considering purchasing a hearing aid in the next 12 months? ❏ Yes ❏ No

#

4a. Are you considering a move in the next two years? ❏ Yes ❏ No 4b. If yes, to where? (check all that apply) ❏ A 55+ housing/retirement community ❏ An assisted living community or group home ❏ A smaller house/townhouse/condo Rental apartment

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5. Please tell us your approximate age: ❏ under 50 ❏ 50-64 ❏ 65-75 ❏ over 6. Are you: ❏ Male

❏ Female

7. Are you: ❏ Retired ❏ Working part-time ❏ Working full-time ❏ Looking for work NOTE: We understand the following information is very personal. We assure you we will never associate these answers with your individual identity or share individual data with any advertisers or others. We aggregate all this data so we can tell potential advertisers who our readers are as a group.

We appreciate your answering all these questions, but if you choose not to, your survey will still be entered into the random drawing. Thank you.

8. What is your highest level of education? ❏ High school graduate ❏ Some college ❏ College graduate ❏ Post graduate degree 9. What was your approximate household income in 2016? ❏ Under $25,000 ❏ $25,000-$49,999 ❏ $50,000-$99,999 ❏ $100,000 and up

10. What is your approximate net worth (including home and cars)? ❏ Under $100,000 ❏ $100,000-$249,999 ❏ $250,000-$499,999 ❏ $500,000 and up So we may notify you if you win the random drawing, please provide your name, address, email and/or phone number: Name:_____________________________ Address:___________________________ City:______________________________ State___________ Zip_______________ Email address:______________________ Telephone:_________________________ Would you be willing to participate in a local focus group of Fifty Plus readers to help us improve our publication? ❏ Yes ❏ No If yes, be sure to provide contact information above.

Complete this page and mail to: Fifty Plus Survey P.O. Box 2227 Silver Spring, MD 20915, or you may complete this survey online at: bit.ly/FiftyPlusSurvey2 Thank you!

FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017 u 3

Cover

Story

Will Virginia’s lawmakers...

Help you save for retirement?

Protect you from scams?

Take away your car keys?

By Lisa Crutchfield The Virginia General Assembly (GA) is poised to vote yea or nay this month on many proposals that could affect older Virginians.

Legislators have introduced bills designed to help residents fund a comfortable retirement, avoid financial exploitation and fraud, improve access to care advocates, and increase competition in the healthcare sector.

and legislative affairs at the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), counsels citizens not to wait for legislators to address issues important to them.

“Be active,” she said. “Unfortunately, we become cynical and think we can’t make a difference. But many bills every year are

The number of older adults in Virginia is on track to more than double between 2000 and 2030, reaching an estimated 1.8 million by 2030. [put forward] because of legislators responding to constituents and their input...

What you have to say does make a difference.”

We describe below some of the main issues being addressed right now in the state legislature.

See the resources listed at the end of this story to learn more about these and other issues, and how to contact your legislator.

Then call. Write. Visit. And make sure your voice is heard.

Will you be able to afford to retire?

Catherine Harrison is director of policy and legislative affairs at the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.

One bill has been introduced to make it more difficult for drivers with impaired vision to renew their drivers’ licenses.

Many bills will die in committee or be shelved until 2018. In part, that’s due to Virginia’s more than $1 billion budget shortfall, and the fact that this year’s GA lasts only 45 days.

But the short window of legislative opportunity doesn’t mean Virginians can’t express their opinions year-round.

Catherine Harrison, director of policy

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retirement plans.

Under the proposed legislation, the state would create and promote a marketplace for financial plans similar to 401(k) plans for workers who don’t have an employer-sponsored plan. Workers would have the option of saving for retirement through payroll deductions, without their

Ensuring workers have the ability to fund their retirement is a key priority for AARP Virginia this year, said the organization’s associate state director for advocacy, David DeBiasi. He noted that many people realize too late that they aren’t in a position to be financially secure after they retire.

“A lot of people will have only Social Security, never meant to be your sole source of [retirement] income. That’s hard for those who worked hard and played by the rules. It’s also a hardship for the state; those folks will need more access to public services [funded by taxpayers].”

Most businesses in the Commonwealth are small businesses, explained DeBiasi, that can’t afford to offer their employees

employers being obligated to match contributions.

Given the chance, DeBiasi thinks workers, as well as employers, would jump at the opportunity to sign up.

Unfortunately, Virginians won’t get a chance to find out this year, as SB1076 has already been killed, and the House sponsor chose not to introduce similar legislation.

“I had hoped that we could begin this year,” said Sen. Frank Ruff (R-Clarksville,) who introduced the bill. “At least we began the process of folks thinking about the need to encourage people to be active savers.” Ruff said he will continue to work to craft legislation to create the program.

ages healthcare providers from providing additional needed services.

While most hospitals oppose deregulation (citing their role in protecting against redundancy and helping offset the costs of charity care), a coalition of physicians, small businesses, insurers and free-market advocates say COPN rules limit competition and choice for Virginians.

Several bills introduced this year would revise the COPN rules, including HB2337, introduced by Del. John O’Bannon (R-Richmond), a physician himself. That bill would sunset certain existing regulations, and implement a permit process in highly populated regions.

One result of doing that, says O’Bannon, is that Virginians would have more of a choice about where they receive care. “What’s important for senior citizens is this will significantly help lower the cost of testing and improve the access.”

The bill has the support of many area physicians. Among them are Dr. Suzanne Everhart, an Ashland-based ophthalmologist. “As an eye doctor with senior citizen

More options for healthcare?

The nation is already starting to see how the Trump Administration and Congress will revise or dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Closer to home, Virginia legislators are considering reforming the state’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) rules. Those require the state health commissioner to review and approve requests for new hospital beds, as well as new or expanded ambulatory centers, psychiatric facilities, and many other medical services in the state.

Many legislators favor major changes to the regulations, saying the process discour-

David DeBiasi is AARP Virginia’s associate state director for advocacy.

See Cover Story, page 5

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Cover Story

another proposed bill would increase protections for doctors who do so.

patients on a fixed budget, I see first-hand the importance of allowing folks to have multiple healthcare provider options to choose from,” Everhart said.

“Virginia’s COPN law significantly hinders competition and innovation in our healthcare system, leading to higher costs and fewer choices for patients,” she added.

Protecting you from fraud

From page 4

Dr. Suzanne Everhart is an ophthalmologist in Ashland.

But can you keep your driver’s license?

In addition, Everhart and colleagues at the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons have worked with legislators to introduce legislation this year to change the statutory “visual field requirement”

Experts estimate that nearly one in five people age 65 and older will become a victim of financial fraud — often defrauded by those closest to them. Nationwide, such fraud costs older Americans $3 billion annually.

As the population ages, DARS’ Harrison said the need to address the issue is growing. “It’s complicated,” she said, noting that victims of financial exploitation often don’t wish to press charges or accept help — either because they are embarrassed to admit their mistake, or don’t want to see a relative go to prison.

Last year’s House Bill 676 called for a study of adult financial exploitation to identify needs for legislation in 2017 and beyond.

This year, Del. Chris Peace (R-Mechanicsville) introduced HB1945, intended to better define financial exploitation and identify staff at financial institutions who may be able to spot early signs of it.

Being able to quantify the crime and those responsible for identifying it will help, according to Peace, who says, “I equate it to domestic violence.

“I’m a lawyer, too, and do a lot of work with guardianship, conservatorship, and I have seen firsthand how older people can be taken advantage of and be exploited for financial purposes.”

Just two decades from now, almost one in every five Virginians will be 65 or older, with the over-85 age group being the fastest-growing segment of the population. for obtaining or renewing a driver’s license from the present 100 degrees of horizontal vision to a wider 120 degrees.

A measure like that could mean that a number of older Virginians would no longer be permitted to drive, or would have limitations added to their license — such as only driving during daylight hours — if they failed the test.

The change was spurred, in part, by a fellow Richmond ophthalmologist whose daughter was killed by a middle-aged driver whose vision was impaired due to diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Many physicians support this legislation, as they recognize that an aging population in the state could be more prone to accidents.

And, to ensure that they wouldn’t face repercussions from reporting patients they suspect may need evaluation by the DMV,

the levels targeted by the General Assembly years ago.

The target called for a ratio of one ombudsman for every 2,000 patients, where the ratio currently ranges from 3,500 to 5,000 patients per ombudsman. AARP, DARS, the Virginia Poverty Law Center and other organizations tasked with protecting older Virginians are hoping for a budget allocation this year to fully fund

the program.

Del. Peace also introduced HB1946 this year to clarify the ombudsman’s role, allow more access to records, and prohibit retaliation against its office. “It’s about making sure there’s high-quality care,” Peace said.

How can you empower yourself?

Find your representative and how to contact them, either by phone, email or in person. Go to http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov and click on the interactive map.

Explore resources for aging: https://www.vadars.org Learn about the role of the state ombudsman: Office of the State LongTerm Care Ombudsman, www.elderrightsva.org Learn how to be a safer driver: Virginia GrandDriver program, http://granddriver.net offers tips and resources for aging drivers.

Track House and Senate bills: http://virginiageneralassembly.gov is the state’s official site for all things legislative, including budget information.

Track bills, learn more and comment: www.RichmondSunlight.com, an easier-to-navigate site that allows you to cross-reference topics, bills and legislators, contact your elected representative, and leave comments for other viewers.

Are You A Veteran? ★

Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center is a Long Term Care & Short Term Rehab Facility that opened in January 2008. This facility was built specifically for our Virginia Veterans. Located conveniently on the campus of the McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, this state-of-the-art facility is owned and operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and is a recent recipient of a 5 Star Rating from The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

While the budget won’t allow it this year, Peace said that finding more funding for Adult Protective Services would be essential in future GA sessions.

Appointing more advocates DARS’ Harrison said she hopes the General Assembly will address inadequacies in the state’s Long-term Care Ombudsman Program. Ombudsmen assist Virginians in nursing homes and assisted living facilities (as well as some who receive services in their own homes) who have complaints about their care.

“Many are too frail to speak up for themselves to resolve care problems or [enforce] patient rights,” AARP’s DeBiasi said. Furthermore, “That program has never been fully funded.” As a result, staffing levels are currently much lower than

WWW.FIFTYPLUSRICHMOND.COM

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Fitness &

Health

Three pain drugs equally safe for arthritis

PHOTO CREDIT: © MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES

By Marilynn Marchione A new study gives some reassurance to arthritis sufferers who want pain relief but are worried about side effects. It finds that Celebrex — a drug similar to other Cox2 inhibitors withdrawn 12 years ago for safety reasons — is no riskier for the heart than some other prescription pain pills that are much tougher on the stomach.

“We do not want patients to suffer with pain, and we need to know what is safe to give them,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic’s heart chief, who led the study. Fear that Celebrex would be worse than alternatives proved unfounded, and “on almost every endpoint it actually comes out the best.”

Some other doctors were less confident, partly because follow-up information was missing on one-fourth of the participants, and many others stopped taking their assigned drug. Still, several independent experts said the main results are believable.

“I find this reassuring,” said Dr. Brian Strom, a drug safety expert and chancellor at Rutgers University in Newark. No new side effects emerged and Celebrex “seemed safer that way.”

Results were discussed at an American Heart Association conference and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here are some things to know about the study and options for soothing throbbing joints.

Why the concern?

Many of the 52 million Americans with

arthritis need long-term pain medicines, and higher doses than over-the-counter ones.

But some can cause serious stomach trouble.

The drugs Vioxx and Bextra became blockbusters because they avoided this problem, but heart concerns emerged and the drugs were withdrawn from the market.

Some research suggested that Celebrex, the lone drug left among Cox-2 inhibitors, might pose risks at high doses. So the government required its maker, Pfizer, to do this new study to prove it was safe enough to keep on the market.

Study results The study tested daily use of Celebrex versus prescription-strength ibuprofen or naproxen in 24,000 arthritis patients with heart disease or a risk factor for it such as diabetes.

The results only apply to these drugs and amounts — not to occasional use of lower, over-the-counter doses (ibuprofen is sold as Motrin, Advil and other brands; naproxen is sold as Naprosyn and Aleve), or to other painkillers such as Tylenol.

The findings are not relevant to “somebody who takes an occasional ibuprofen or naproxen for a headache,” Nissen said.

All of these drugs are available as generics, but Celebrex is not sold over the counter.

After more than two years in the study, about 2 percent of participants had suffered a heart attack, stroke, heart-related death or other heart problem, regardless of what drug they were taking. This was a

surprise: Earlier studies suggested naproxen would be safest.

Serious stomach problems were more common with ibuprofen and naproxen.

Kidney problems were more common with ibuprofen.

The study was not designed to compare the drugs for pain relief, but naproxen showed a small advantage on one measure of that over Celebrex.

Still some unknowns The study doesn’t tell us whether any of these drugs is safer than no drug — there was no placebo group. All we can say is that if they raise heart risks, they do so equally.

No information was available on how many participants also were taking aspirin, which can interfere with ibuprofen and naproxen.

Two-thirds of participants stopped taking their assigned drug — a dropout rate typical of pain studies but still a problem for interpreting results. Discontinuation rates were similar for all three drugs, though.

Still, researchers did what they could to account for these flaws, and the results are believable, said Dr. Bruce Psaty, a drug safety expert at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Big caveats

just had risk factors.

Also, people on ibuprofen or naproxen had more room to escalate their doses than those on Celebrex did because that drug’s label limits it to what is considered safe now.

“It’s a low risk group getting a low dose” of Celebrex, said Dr. Elliott Antman, a past president of the Heart Association and a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “I remain worried about the patient with known heart disease,” and do not feel comfortable about any of these pain drugs for them, he said.

Dr. Carl “Chip” Lavie of Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, said the results confirm what he has been telling patients: Celebrex seems safer than many alternatives, and can be combined more safely with blood thinners and other medicines many people need.

Any vindication of Celebrex may be coming too late to benefit Pfizer. In 2013, the drug had U.S. sales of $2.2 billion, but that fell to around $185 million in 2015, the first full year there was a generic version, which sold $636 million that year, according to QuintilesIMS, a health research company.

In 2015, about 8.3 million prescriptions were filled for Celebrex or its generic version in the U.S., versus 43 million for ibuprofen and nearly 20 million for naproxen. — AP

The study was aimed at people at high heart risk. Yet only 20 percent of participants already had heart disease; the rest

Ways to improve your cholesterol levels

By Joyce Hendley If one-third of Americans have unhealthy cholesterol levels, why did the U.S. recently change its advice to limit the cholesterol we eat daily?

Well, for most of us, dietary cholesterol has almost no effect on the cholesterol that ends up in our arteries. But keeping your blood cholesterol numbers down is still key to preventing heart disease.

Two types of cholesterol are found in the blood, LDL and HDL — and LDL is

6 u FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017

traditionally targeted as the bad stuff that you want to lower.

But it’s now known that not all LDL particles are equally dangerous. Small, dense LDL seems to be able to sneak through artery walls more easily and oxidize more readily into a damaging form, compared to the larger, lighter particles.

Fortunately, eating the right foods can help keep this cholesterol out of your arteries. Here’s what you should know.

Cut saturated fats and refined carbs.

Saturated fats do make LDL cholesterol in the blood, and many experts still urge limiting these fats — especially from meat — to less than 10 percent of your daily calories.

But new research suggests that cutting carbs may be more important for heart health.

“Highly processed carbohydrates — particularly sugary and refined carbs like white bread and cookies — are the main dietary influence on small dense LDL par-

ticles,” said Ron Krauss, M.D., director of atherosclerosis research at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute.

When people replace saturated fats with sugary, refined carbs, “good” HDL drops, while LDL and triglycerides rise — as does heart disease risk.

The USDA says to keep added sugars to 10 percent of daily calories, but Krauss would go further and recommends limiting refined carbs as well.

See Cholesterol, page 9

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Probiotics may help prevent osteoporosis Probiotic supplements protected female mice from the loss of bone density that occurs after having their ovaries removed, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia State University have shown. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

In mice, ovary removal induces the hormonal changes that occur with menopause in women. The findings suggest that probiotic bacteria may have potential as an inexpensive treatment for post-menopausal osteoporosis.

What probiotics do The immune system is known to be involved in post-menopausal osteoporosis, but the mechanism was previously unclear.

Emory and Georgia State researchers found that in mice, the loss of estrogen increases gut permeability, which allows bacterial products to activate immune cells in the intestine. In turn, immune cells release signals that break down bone.

The researchers found that probiotics both tighten up the permeability of the gut and dampen inflammatory signals that

drive the immune cells.

“Our findings highlight the role that intestinal microbes play in modulating gut permeability and inflammation in the context of sex steroid depletion,” said senior author Dr. Roberto Pacifici, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. “We think there are direct implications for the treatment of osteoporosis that should be tested clinically.”

Researchers led by Pacifici treated female mice twice a week with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), a type of bacteria found in some yogurts, or with a commercially available mix of eight strains of bacteria known as VSL#3.

A month after ovary removal, mice that were not treated with probiotic bacteria had lost half of their bone density. But the bone density in probiotic-treated mice stayed the same, the researchers observed.

And in mice that did not have their ovaries removed, probiotic treatment actually led to an increase in bone density.

Good vs. bad bacteria The type of bacteria was important.

Treating mice with a laboratory strain of E. coli bacteria lacking probiotic properties did not help, and a mutant LGG bacteria with a defect in sticking to intestinal cells provided a weakened protective effect.

The scientists also tested the role of gut bacteria in bone loss by studying mice that were raised under germ-free conditions.

In this situation, surgical ovary removal is not feasible, so the research team used the drug leuprolide, which reduces hormone production by the ovaries. Germ-free mice treated with leuprolide do not have a reduction in bone density.

“What this means is that the presence of some intestinal bacteria is required for sex steroid depletion-induced bone loss,” said co-author Rheinallt Jones, Ph.D., assistant

professor of pediatrics.

Jones said the team’s current investigations are focused on assessing the diversity of the gut microbiome following sex steroid depletion.

“One possibility is that sex steroid deficiency leads to decreased microbiota diversity that exacerbates bone loss, and that probiotics preserve greater diversity,” he said.

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and health care agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2016 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Dear Mayo Clinic: What would cause someone to become lactose-intolerant later in life? I’m in my 40s and have never had an issue with dairy, but, now, I can’t seem to have it without problems. Do I need to see a doctor to be tested for allergies, or should I just avoid dairy?

Answer: Lactose intolerance isn’t a true allergy, and it can develop at any age. In some people, lactose intolerance may be triggered by another medical condition, such as Crohn’s disease. In others, it develops without a specific underlying cause.

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Lactose intolerance can develop at any age

Sometimes, lactose intolerance develops when the small intestine’s production of lactase decreases after an illness, injury or surgery involving the small intestine. This is called secondary lactose intolerance.

Among the diseases associated with this kind of lactose intolerance are celiac disease, bacterial overgrowth and Crohn’s disease.

Treatment of the underlying disorder may restore lactase levels and improve symptoms.

More common than secondary lactose intolerance is primary lactose intolerance.

People who develop primary lactose intolerance start life making normal levels of lactase — a necessity for infants, who get all their nutrition from milk.

As children replace milk with other foods, lactase production normally decreases. It stays high enough, though, to digest the amount of dairy in a typical adult diet.

In primary lactose intolerance, lactase production declines below normal at some

point for reasons that are unclear. The low amount of lactase then makes milk products difficult to digest and leads to lactose intolerance symptoms.

Testing for intolerance Your doctor can confirm a diagnosis of lactose intolerance with a clinical test. One that’s often used is a lactose tolerance test.

It assesses your body’s reaction to a dose of lactose.

After you consume a drink containing lactose, a sample of your blood is taken to measure glucose levels. If your glucose level does not rise, it means your body isn’t properly digesting and absorbing the lactose.

Alternatively, another test called the hydrogen breath test may be used. This test also requires you to consume a drink that contains high levels of lactose. Your doctor next measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath.

Normally, very little hydrogen is detectable. However, if your body doesn’t digest the lactose, the fermentation reaction in your colon releases hydrogen and other gases. Your intestines absorb those gases, and you exhale them. Larger-than-normal amounts of hydrogen measured during this test are a sign that your body isn’t fully digesting and absorbing lactose.

If you have lactose intolerance, there isn’t a way to cure it. The most effective way for people with lactose intolerance to get relief from symptoms is to lower the amount of dairy products they eat.

You may be able to use dairy products that have reduced levels of lactose or are lactose-free. Some people who have lactose intolerance benefit from taking lactase enzyme supplements, as well.

If test results do not point to lactose intolerance, your doctor may recommend additional tests to check for another condition that could be causing your symptoms, such as a milk allergy, intestinal disorders or other problems within your digestive tract.

— Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail questions to MayoClinicQ&A@ mayo.edu. For more information, visit www. mayoclinic.org. © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency,

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A safe, simple method to avoid spreading germs Q: Are hand sanitizers or antibacterial soaps better than ordinary soap for washing hands?

A: Handwashing is one of the most important steps to prevent the spread of germs and avoid getting sick. And when it comes to handwashing, soap and water are best.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that handwashing can reduce respiratory illnesses (such as colds) in the general population by 16 to 21 percent. It can also reduce the number of Dr. RX people who get sick with By Erica Talbert diarrhea by 31 percent.

Wash your hands before, during and

after food preparation, before eating, and after handling pet food, treats or litter.

One should also wash hands after using the bathroom, changing a child’s diaper or helping them in the bathroom, blowing your nose or sneezing, treating a wound, handling garbage, or caring for someone who is sick. Also be sure to wash your hands any time they are visibly dirty or greasy.

Five simple handwashing steps recommended by the CDC can protect you and your family from getting sick: wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry.

When lathering, be sure to include the backs of your hands, between fingers and under

Cholesterol

of beta glucan daily. That’s the amount in 1 1/2 cups cooked oatmeal or 1 1/4 cups cooked pearl barley.

Nibble some nuts. Eating between 1 and 3 ounces of nuts — including walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios

From page 6 Yes, you can eat eggs. Dietary cholesterol is officially a nonissue for most healthy folks, so eggs’ cholesterol content — around 185 mg. apiece — shouldn’t pose a problem. (Same goes for shrimp.)

That said, people with diabetes might want to keep to an egg a day. Research has shown that eating eggs raises the risk for heart disease in diabetics, so American Diabetes Association guidelines still recommend keeping daily cholesterol intake under 300 mg.

For better cholesterol levels, exercise.

Regular exercise helps boost levels of heart-healthy HDL cholesterol that serves to clean up your arteries.

While any exercise is good, moderate cardio — like jogging — raises HDL levels. And more-intense aerobic exercise, like spinning, tends to up the ante further by lowering LDL and triglycerides.

Eat an avocado. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which boost “good” HDL cholesterol while lowering triglycerides and LDL. Also, avocado’s fiber and phytosterols may give its cholesterol-lowering power a boost.

When overweight people ate an avocado daily, their LDL levels dropped significantly more than in those who didn’t eat an avocado.

Sow your oats (and barley). These grains are rich in beta glucan, a soluble fiber and a great way to slash small, dense LDL. Benefits kick in when you get at least 3 grams

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your nails. You should scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. (Hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice if you need a mental timer.) Then allow hands to air-dry or dry them with a clean towel.

Why not use antibacterial soaps?

While the use of antibacterial soaps would appear to be the best method to remove bacteria, no study has established their superiority over standard hand soap.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced a ruling that manufacturers can no longer market antiseptic hand soaps with one or more of 19 specific ingredients, the most common being triclosan and triclocarbon.

The FDA announced this ruling in September both because of insufficient evidence proving that soap and water are less — each day can help nudge small dense LDLs down. When people with high cholesterol added about 24 walnut halves a day to their usual diets for six weeks, their small dense LDLs dropped 12.7 points.

EatingWell is a magazine and website

effective than antiseptic soaps, and some concern that long-term exposure to the banned ingredients could adversely affect human health.

Furthermore, according to the CDD, “laboratory studies have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Some data shows this resistance may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of medical treatments, such as antibiotics.”

The ruling does not apply to alcoholbased hand sanitizers or antiseptic soaps used in health care settings.

When to use hand sanitizers

When soap and water are not available, hand sanitizers are the next best option.

While they can quickly reduce the number of germs, they might not remove harmful chemicals, and are less effective when See Soap, page 10 devoted to healthy eating as a way of life.

Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2016 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health studies need volunteers like you

By Lisa Crutchfield Beginning next month, Fifty Plus will highlight each month a clinical research study that’s looking for volunteers.

Sometime in life, you’ve no doubt reaped the benefits of new drugs, surgical procedures or medical devices. Those benefits couldn’t happen without clinical trials.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Clinical trials can also look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses.

People participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Healthy volunteers say they participate to help others and to con-

Soap

From page 9 hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

When using hand sanitizers, choose those with 60 percent or more alcohol.

These can be poisonous when swallowed, however, so be cautious when using hand

tribute to moving science forward.

Participants who have an illness or disease being studied also participate to help others, but also to possibly receive the newest treatment, and to have some additional care and attention from the clinical trial staff.

Unfortunately, clinical trial recruitment remains one of the biggest obstacles faced by researchers today, according to folks at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR). The inability of researchers to recruit enough viable participants — particularly older adults — can result in failed clinical trials that do not produce measurable results.

How can you find a study to volunteer

for? The NIH’s website — ClinicalTrials. gov — lists a multitude of studies taking place across the country (you can use filters to find Virginia trials).

Closer to home, VCU recently introduced StudyFinder, which it says is a simpler, more user-friendly platform for potential research participants to find and enroll in local clinical trials.

“StudyFinder will increase potential research participants’ access to important clinical trials at VCU,” said F. Gerard Moeller, M.D., director of the CCTR. “Participating in research at VCU is a powerful way of contributing to the future of healthcare,” said Tim Aro, manager of clinical research informatics at the VCU Enterprise Informatics. “Potential volunteers can search for clinical trials and com-

municate with study teams quickly and easily with just a few clicks of the mouse.”

Currently, a few trials are looking for healthy volunteers. More are seeking to study those with specific medical conditions.

“StudyFinder proactively lets people determine if a trial is right for them by listing the requirements each study has about who can participate,” said Robert Moulden, clinical trials management system manager for CCTR’s Enterprise Informatics.

To learn more about participating in a clinical trial, visit https://studyfinder.cctr. vcu.edu/ or https://clinicaltrials.gov/. And check with Fifty Plus next month to learn about a local trial that’s looking for volunteers.

sanitizers around small children.

Although handwashing might seem like a simple and routine task, done correctly, it can help protect you and your family from getting sick and spreading germs to others.

Erica Talbert is a fourth-year Pharm.D. student at the VCU School of Pharmacy.

She earned her bachelor of science degree in human nutrition, foods and exercise from Virginia Tech, and practiced as a registered dietitian prior to pharmacy school.

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First impressions are important in dating

By Carrie Daichman A first date means a first impression.

And a first impression is really about marketing yourself.

But here’s the thing — you aren’t just marketing yourself for a successful date or one romantic evening. You might be marketing yourself as a lifetime partner. You never know where a first date might lead, and every story that ends with “happily ever after” had to start somewhere.

A recent study helped demonstrate the importance of first impressions, using a popular romantic libation — red wine — as an example.

In that study, researchers found that people’s enjoyment of wine was directly tied to what they perceived the price of that wine to be. So when they were given expensive wine and told the price, they enjoyed it, and the researchers who were monitoring the MRIs watched their brains light up in a buzzing bliss.

But even when they were given cheap wine, if they were told it was expensive, they enjoyed it just as much as if they were

really drinking the good stuff! On the other hand, if they were given expensive wine but were told it was cheap, they did not enjoy it.

As you can tell, the average person isn’t a sommelier, but here’s my real point. Marketing yourself — which requires believing in yourself and what you have to offer someone — can make all the difference in how your partner perceives you. If you present yourself as a fine wine (which you are!), your partner is much more likely to take notice.

Here are three simple ways to do that on your next romantic outing:

Dress to impress This is not a surprise. While looks are only part of the equation, they are without a doubt part of the first impression you make. Before you chat or exchange any pleasantries, you and a new date will see each other, so make that moment count.

Put a conscious effort not just into what you are wearing, but the vibe you are creating. You want to present body language

that is friendly and inviting, and maybe just a little elusive.

Talk yourself up

It’s easy to undersell yourself, especially if you are shy or just naturally humble. But you should talk up your best qualities.

You can gauge your partner as to how much you should moderate your pitch, but sell, sell, sell. Talk about your passions, your successes at work, and highlight all of your other positive traits. Of course, be an active listener, too.

Be genuine And remember, it’s important to be yourself. I’m not encouraging you to sell something that you don’t have. This isn’t at all about creating a false perception.

Instead, it’s about presenting the real,

Eat nuts for a healthy weight For years, nuts — dense in calories and fat — were considered off limits for people looking to shed a few pounds.

However, in the last two decades research has uncovered numerous health benefits of tree nuts — such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and cashews — for heart health and brain protection.

Now those benefits even extend to achieving a healthy weight, as research shows that consuming nuts can actually help people lose pounds and keep them off.

Results from research suggest that adults who consume nuts regularly may have a lower body weight compared to those who don’t regularly eat nuts. A 2014 Loma Linda University study found that high consumers of tree nuts had the lowest prevalence of obesity compared to those with low nut consumption.

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the body weight of nut-enriched diets to similar control diets without nuts, and found that intake of nuts did not increase

body weight, waist circumference or body mass index. Other research links nut consumption with less weight gain over long periods of time.

Nuts are calorie-dense, but are comprised of nutrient-rich components — including good fats, vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber — which make them high in satiety value, resulting in reduced overall calorie consumption. Studies also have suggested that nuts can boost metabolism.

In addition, nuts have fewer calories than previously thought. Research on pistachios and almonds shows that the calories absorbed by the body are lower than once thought, because the complex matrix of whole nuts makes their fat content resistant to absorption. This means your body is not taking in the full amount of calories contained in the nuts you eat.

Keep in mind that overindulging in nuts can still cause you to pack on pounds.

So, practice portion control by keeping consumption to approximately a handful or an ounce (160 to 180 calories) daily.

— Environmental Nutrition

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“best” you. So don’t be afraid or hold back; it’s okay to be vulnerable. If you have confidence in who you are, chances are that confidence will come across as an attractive quality.

You are a fine wine! Now you need to let your potential partners know just how fine you are. Remember that first impressions can lead to lasting impressions and a lifetime of love. So put forth the best you, and see where things lead.

Want help finding a compatible partner for your future? Call It Takes 2 at (804) 967-9911 for your free consultation.

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End ‘blah’ chicken with five-spice powder

By Melissa D’Arabian Eating healthy on a budget and tight schedule means the boneless skinless chicken breast makes frequent appearances on our dinner table. It’s a smart choice as a lean protein — one cup of cubed chicken breast has a whopping 43 grams of protein yet only 5 grams of fat (fewer than 2 of those are saturated).

But the chicken breast story goes beyond protein gram counts. White meat chicken provides a sizeable chunk of our daily requirements for several vitamins and minerals, most notably B6, niacin, phosphorous and selenium, and smaller quantities of a slew of others.

Impressive stats from the cut of meat that goes on mega-sale about every four weeks, and freezes so well that you can stock up when it does.

The problem with this wallet-friendly nutrient wonder is that it is so mild and low-fat (read: low-flavor) that it can become “blah” and uninspired on the weekly menu. The lower fat also puts this protein at high risk for drying out.

The following recipe solves both those problems while also staying weeknightspeedy. Five-Spice Chicken in Orange Broth is a skillet chicken that starts on the stovetop with a quick sear, and then finishes in the oven, bathed in an aromatic orange

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juice broth, simmering to juicy perfection.

If you don’t have five-spice blend on hand, I suggest it as a worthy purchase. Its warm spicy flavors (think ginger, anise and cinnamon) add a perfect depth to a ton of dishes, both savory and sweet. However, feel free to experiment with similar spices or blends (such a pumpkin pie spice).

Another recommended purchase: an instant-read thermometer, which will improve your meat-cookery overall, so you can stop cooking the chicken as soon as it reaches 160 degrees.

A final tip: most chicken breasts are larger than one serving. Consider serving the meat already sliced on a platter, and you’ll find that two or three breasts will easily feed a family of four.

Five-spice chicken breast in orange broth Start to finish: 40 minutes Servings: 4 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, about 3 breasts 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper

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1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice (spice blend available at regular grocery stores) 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3-4 carrots, trimmed and halved both crossways and lengthwise 4 garlic cloves, smashed 1/4 cup white wine 3/4 cup orange juice (fresh or carton) 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus extra if needed chopped cilantro for garnish (or parsley, if preferred) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, trim visible fat, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over both sides of the chicken breasts and lightly press the flour into the meat.

In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high flame. Brown the chicken breasts until golden, about three to five minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate (it will not be fully cooked).

Add the onion to the same pan with a pinch of salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Once the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes, add the five-spice, cumin, carrots and garlic, and cook until very fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Increase temperature to high and deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any crusty bits on the bottom of the pan as it bubbles for a minute. Add the orange juice and 1 cup of broth and stir.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan, including any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add extra broth (or just water) so that liquid level is about 1/4 the way up the chicken breasts. Spoon some of the sauce on top of each breast.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and then place in the oven to continue cooking until the chicken breasts reach 160 degrees F, about 15 to 20 more minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest a few minutes before slicing. Serve with the carrots and the fragrant broth spooned on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Nutrition information per serving: 271 calories; 61 calories from fat; 7 g. fat (1 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 86 mg. cholesterol; 262 mg. sodium; 19 g. carbohydrate; 3 g. fiber; 9 g. sugar; 29 g. protein Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook “Supermarket Healthy.” — AP

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Make the most of an annual wellness visit

By Nellie S. Huang If you’re completely healthy, a “wellness” visit to your physician once a year won’t improve on perfection.

But feeling healthy and staying healthy are two different things, said David Meyers, chief medical officer for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

That’s where a regular wellness visit, if not a head-to-toe annual physical, comes in.

Nowadays, these appointments are preventive and goal-oriented. You and your doctor will make key decisions to keep you healthy — such as whether you should take a cholesterol-lowering drug or whether you need a colonoscopy.

The focus is on ongoing care, and the actual exam “is the least important thing that happens,” said Jack Der-Sarkissian, a family physician in Hollywood, Calif.

Create health goals

Your doctor will still read your vital signs, scan for skin cancer and perform other tests you’d expect. But it’s the resulting game plan that counts most.

Der-Sarkissian equates a preventive visit with a meeting with your investment adviser. You should leave your doctor’s office with a goal of where you want to be, healthwise, in 10 years — and an action plan to achieve it.

The good news is that in many cases, the cost of such preventive care is no longer a barrier. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, you won’t owe a co-pay for many preventive health screens and tests.

You may have to pay for the office visit, but many private plans offer full coverage for one annual physical. A caveat: If a patient comes in for his physical with, say, chest pain, then the appointment may no longer be considered a wellness visit and may not be fully covered.

Of course, some people already see a doctor regularly to monitor a chronic condition. In that case, a special wellness visit isn’t necessary, said Meyers.

And after you’ve established a relationship with your doctor, a face-to-face visit may not be required, either. What’s important is periodically checking in to make sure you’re getting the care you need, he

said.

Appointment game plan To get the most from your doctor’s visit, follow these steps: Before you visit, “do your prep work,” said Elson Haas, a family doctor in San Rafael, Calif. Know your family’s medical history as well as your own.

Bring in the actual bottles — not just a list — of any medicines, supplements and vitamins you take regularly. That helps the doctor know the exact dosage you’re taking, said Haas.

Finally, prepare three questions you’d like to ask your doctor. About 90 percent of all patients coming in for a wellness visit have a health problem they want to discuss, said Der-Sarkissian. “No one comes in with a clean slate.”

Raise your health concerns at the start of your appointment. You only have 20 to 30 minutes per visit, so get to the point.

Many patients err by bringing up a worry too late, when there’s little time left to discuss it.

As the doctor answers, take notes. Patients remember only a fraction of things discussed, said Nitin Damle, president of the American College of Physicians and an internist in Wakefield, R.I. Repeat aloud any instructions your doctor gives you to make sure you understand them.

Don’t be afraid to ask more questions.

The more you ask, the more satisfied you’ll be with your visit, said Meyers.

If your doctor recommends follow-up tests, treatments or a change in medications, ask about other options, and the benefits and side effects of each one.

The key to a successful wellness visit is the follow-through. Only about 50 percent of patients comply with their doctor’s advice, said Haas, whether it’s to get a colonoscopy or have another blood test.

That defeats the purpose of the check-in.

“The steps you take [now] to stay healthy can set you up for a healthier old age,” said Meyers.

All contents © 2016 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Around Around Town Town

Feb. 21+ MUSIC MAN AUDITIONS

The Broken Leg Theater is holding open auditions for its spring musical, The Music Man, directed by John Cichocki. No appointment needed. Cast is ages 8 and up. Please come prepared with a song to sing for 45 seconds.

Actors will do cold readings from the script.

Auditions will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at N. Courthouse Library, 325 Courthouse Rd., Richmond; Thursday, Feb. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Thomas Dale 9th Grade Campus, 3900 W Hundred Rd., Chester; and Saturday, Feb. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Clover Hill Library, 6701 Deer Run Dr., Midlothian. There will be a mandatory meeting and read-through on Monday, Feb. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show performances will be on May 12, 13, and 14. For more information, email john@brokenlegtheater.org.

Ongoing VENDOR SIGNUP ASHLAND FAIRE

It is time to sign-up as a vendor for the 35th Ashland Strawberry Faire, which takes place on Saturday, June 3. Vendors selling arts, crafts, plants, antiques and food may apply, as well as local businesses from Ashland and Hanover. The Faire is a free community- and family-oriented event held on the streets of Randolph-Macon College in historic Ashland. Its proceeds provide scholarships and grants to local non-profit groups.

Feb. 11-12 VALENTINE’S CABARET

The Richmond Women’s Chorus and the Richmond Men’s Chorus present Love Is in the Air: A Valentine’s Cabaret on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. at the Richmond Triangle Players Theatre, located at 1300 Altamont Ave. in Richmond. Advance general admission costs $15 plus a convenience fee per person. The door price is $20. For more information, visit www.monumentcitymusic.org or email info@monumentcitymusic.org.

Feb. 11 FARM TOUR

Visit local herb farm Lavender Fields on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. This walking farm tour lasts 45 to 60 minutes and includes our farm history, a stop by the bee hives and seeing our greenhouses that produce over 300,000 USDA Certified Organic herb and vegetable plants each year. Each adult enjoys a free ice cream upon completion. This is an outside walking tour so dress accordingly. Admission costs $6.

Children 3 and under free. Advance registration is not required. The farm is located at 11300

14 u FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017

Winfrey Rd., Glen Allen. For more information, visit http://lavenderfieldsfarm.com/index.php.

Feb. 11 PLANNING AND DESIGNING A CUTTING GARDEN

With many people concerned about the carbon footprint of commercially produced flowers or simply trying to save money, there is growing interest in cutting gardens. Garden Horticulturist Laurie McMinn discusses how to plan and design a cutting garden that is attractive, colorful, fragrant, and useful! This class will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Members are $20, and non-members are $33. Register online at www. lewisginter.org.

Feb. 13 HAPPY HOUR HISTORY LESSON Learn how Virginians integrated music into their daily lives in a free history happy hour called “From Yankee Doodle to Dixie: The Importance of Music in early Virginia” on Monday, Feb. 13 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Capital Ale House, 623 E Main St, Richmond. From formal dances to casual gatherings, discover how Civil War soldiers used music to brighten up their days during one of America’s darkest times. Josh LeHuray of the American Civil War Museum will speak.

The lesson is free, but drinks are usual cost. For more information, contact Sean Kane at (804) 649-1861, ext.123 or skane@acwm.org.

Feb. 16 MEDICAL BILLING SEMINAR

Don’t understand medical billing codes or charges? Join Shannon Freeman, Coordinator with the Virginia Rules Program with the Office of the Attorney General for “How to Understand Your Medical Bill,” as she explains the billing process on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Southminster Presbyterian Church, located at 7500 Hull Street Rd. in North Chesterfield.

For more information, visit www.chesterfield. gov/seniorevents, call (804) 768-7878 or email SeniorAdvocate@chesterfield.gov.

Ongoing KINSHIP CONNECTION

Kinship/Grandparent Connection is a free program of the Senior Advocate’s office that offers two monthly support groups and resources for grandparents and other kin who are raising a child. The group offer non-judgmental support and confidentiality and meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and offers free childcare. The second group meets on the 3rd Monday of each month from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Both groups meet in the Chesterfield

February 2017 Calendar Community Development Building at 9800 Government Center Pkwy. in Chesterfield. For more information, visit www.chesterfield.gov/ kinship or email SeniorAdvocate@chesterfield. gov.

Feb. 16 TRANSPLANT SURVIVOR BOOK TALK Shepherd’s Center presents Weldon Bradshaw, transplant survivor and author of My Dance with Grace. Her talk “Gifts: Thoughts of a Transplant Survivor” will take place at First Presbyterian Church, located at 4602 Cary Street Rd. in Richmond on Thursday, Feb.16 from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sandwich. Coffee and desserts will be provided.

Copies of Weldon’s book will also be available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.tscor. org.

Feb. 18 TINSMITHING

The Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia (CHSV) and the Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation present a special program, “Tapping into Tinsmithing,” on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Historic Magnolia Grange Museum House, 10020 Iron Bridge Rd. in Chesterfield. The cost is $10 per person. Preregistration is required. For more information, contact LeeAnne Ball at (804) 748-1498 or visit www.chesterfieldhistory.com.

Feb. 18 PLANTS FOR LATE WINTER INTEREST

Garden horticulturist Dean Dietrich discusses reliable, interesting plants that provide ongoing interest as the seasons change. He includes tips for selecting, placing, planting, and caring for her selections as well as the dark side—what problems are common to them. Tour the Garden with Dean to see mature examples in place. This class will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Members are $20, and nonmembers are $33. Register online at www.lewisginter.org.

Feb. 23 HISTORY

POSTWAR AMERICAN

The University of Richmond presents a free seminar, “The Rise of Conservatism in Postwar America,” on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The

talk will be presented by Bruce J. Schulman, William E. Huntington Professor and Chair of the History Department at Boston University and will take place in the Keller Hall Reception Room on the campus, located at 28 Westhampton Way, and is open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Charles and Elizabeth Ryland Fund, established by the Ryland family to fund an annual lecture on Virginia or American history.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ RichmondLecture or contact Debbie Govoruhk at dgovoruh@richmond.edu.

Feb. 23 CIVIL RIGHTS ART

The University of Richmond presents a free seminar, “Art in a Time of Urgency: Paintings by Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis,” on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. The talk is presented

by Dr. Robert G. O’Meally in the Goowald Auditorium on campus, located at located at 28 Westhampton Way. The talk explores paintings

by Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis and how the artists responded to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. For more information, visit http:// bit.ly/RichmondArtLecture.

Ongoing SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY AND AGING

The Chesterfield Council on Aging presents a talk on social connectivity and positive aging on Thursday, Jan. 23 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Dr. Jay White, Gerontologist and Certified Dementia Practitioner will present the challenges of isolation as we age, and the benefits of remaining connected to resources for aging well in mind, body and spirit.

The Chesterfield Council on Aging meets on every 4th Thursday of each month. Its goal is to educate and advocate on issues relating to older adults and individuals with disabilities. The group will meet in the Mast Auditorium at Lucy Corr Village, located at 6800 Lucy Corr Blvd. in Chesterfield. For more information, visit http:// chesterfield.gov/seniorevents, call (804) 7687878 or email SeniorAdvocate@chesterfield. gov.

Feb. 21+ BASIC FLORAL DESIGN, PART 1: FEBRUARY SESSION Learn how to create the basic shapes and styles of floral designs—the building blocks for true creativity. This course will introduce you to techniques and styles commonly used by professionals. Learn preparation techniques, how to

See our new puzzles on page 27.

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Fifty Plus Calendar create basic shapes, and how to prepare flowers for long-lasting arrangements. A section on cut flower care and handling is included, along with a text. All materials provided; students need to bring sharp floral snips. Instructor: Mimi Cassick.

These classes will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond and begin on Tuesday, Feb. 21 through Tuesday, Mar. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Members are $257, and non-members are $322 for all classes. Register online at www. lewisginter.org.

American Democracy” on Friday, Feb. 24 at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Robert G. O’Meally will connect the current state of American politics and how the 2016 election relates to the arc of literary and artistic moral aesthetics over the past several decades. The talk will take place in Adams Auditorium in Boatwright Memorial Library on campus at 28 Westhampton Way. For more information, visit as.richmond.edu for more information.

Despite the fact that atrial fibrillation, or A-Fib, is the most common heart rhythm disorder, it remains complicated to treat. VCU Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in the country to use hybrid ablation — a procedure that combines a surgical procedure and catheter ablation to treat a-fib. Join Drs. Kenneth Ellenbogen and Vigneshwar Kasirajan, from VCU Health Pauley Heart Center, who will talk about hybrid ablation and its benefits on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. “A-fib and the New Treatment of Arrhythmias” will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, located at 1800 Lakeside Ave. in Richmond. For more information, call (804) 828-2357.

Virginia presents a discussion on civil war monuments. In recent years, there has been a wave of anger against Confederate symbols, including monuments. Enter the discussion to find out more about how monuments are made and the controversies that surround them on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. “Lightning Rods for Controversy: Civil War Monuments Past, Present, & Future” will take place on at the Library of Virginia, located at 800 E. Broad St. in Richmond. The cost is $60 for adults and $20 for students. For more information contact John Coski at jcoski@acwm.org or (804) 649-1861, ext.131.

February 2017 Lawson and Jose Exaire, from VCU Health Pauley Heart Center, to learn about occlusion of coronary arteries, what symptoms to look for and what surgical and non-surgical treatment options are available on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. “Heart Valve Disease: How It Presents and What To Do About It” will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, located at 1800 Lakeside Ave. in Richmond. For more information, call (804) 828-2357.

on Saturday, March 18 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The day begins at Guardian Christian Academy, 6851 Courthouse Rd., Chesterfield, with a free kids 1-mile fun run (for those 10 and under; registration required) at 8:30 a.m., followed by the $20 5k at 9 a.m. After March 1, prices increase to $25.

There will be finisher medal for all participants and door prizes following the awards ceremony.

For more information or if you’d like to help sponsor this race, visit www.GCATrailBlazer5k. com, call (804) 301-6686 or email nancyandkenk@comcast.net.

Feb. 25 CIVIL WAR MONUMENTS UPCOMING SYMPOSIUM Feb. 21 A-FIB AND ARRHYTHMIA The John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History March 3 SYMPHONY TICKETS March 18-19 MILITARY THROUGH TREATMENT at the University of Virginia and the Library of The Petersburg Symphony Orchestra will play at THE AGES

Feb. 26+ BACKYARD BEEKEEPING Feb. 22+ BEGINNING BOTANY FOR FOR BEGINNERS GARDENERS Learn the basics of beekeeping by learning the Learn about the ‘secret life of plants’. This class introduces you to the way plants make food, grow, and reproduce. Includes a copy of the class text, Brian Capon’s Botany for Gardeners.

Follow up later in the year with “Intermediate Botany.” Instructor: Jill Spear, Department of Biology, University of Richmond and Department of Biology, University of Mary Washington.

These classes will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond and begin on Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Wednesday, Mar. 22 from 9 to 12 p.m. Members are $157, and non-members are $205 for all classes. Register online at www. lewisginter.org.

Feb. 22+ JACOBEAN EMBROIDERY BASICS Students learn and practice basic Crewel stitches to transform fine lamb’s wool into simple designs that are typical of the Jacobean era. Your completed work may result in a cover for a garden journal, a trinket box, a satchel or a simple book mark. Fabric and threads are included. A list of additional supplies is sent after registration. These classes will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond and begin on Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Wednesday, Mar. 1 from 9:00 to 12:00 p.m. Members are $135, and non-members are $187 for all classes. Register online at www.lewisginter.org.

Feb. 24 AMERICAN DEMOCRACY TALK The University of Richmond School of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office presents “The Promise of

common tasks that define the rhythm of the beekeeper’s year. Assistance in ordering equipment and bees, a workshop to assemble your hive with expert beekeeper help and hands-on instruction are all included. These classes will take place at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, in Richmond and begin on Sunday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, Apr. 9 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Members are $220, and non-members are $272 for all classes.

Register online at www.lewisginter.org.

Feb. 28+ 2017 VIRGINIA SENIOR GAMES The 2017 Virginia Senior Games will take place from Wednesday through Thursday, May 10 to 13 in Henrico. Register by Tuesday, Feb. 28 to save $10 of the usual $16 registration fee for Va. residents. Final registration deadline is Saturday, April 15. This year, team captains should submit one team registration for each team. In addition, all players and non-playing coaches must submit an individual registration each to be included on team roster. Miniature Golf and Shuffleboard are back, but there will be no Track and Field Hammer Throw this year. For complete information, visit www.vrps.com/EducationEvents/ VSGVirginiaSeniorGames.aspx.

Feb. 28 HEART DISEASE TALK

Valves are flaps that open and close to allow blood to flow between the different chambers of the heart and out to the body. Sometimes, the valves can become narrowed or leaky, which results in pressure or volume overload and eventually causes symptoms. Join Drs. Barbara

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The Beacon Theatre, located at 401 N Main St., Hopewell on Friday March 3. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free and will be distributed by the city. For more information, visit www.petersburgsymphony.org/home.html.

March 4 MYSTERYPALOOZA

Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia will celebrate the organization’s 30th anniversary with Mysterypalooza, a day of mystery that showcases local mystery/thriller writers on Saturday, March 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. The event takes place at Tuckahoe Library, 1901 Starling Dr. in Henrico and features an “Our Pathways to Publishing” panel discussion with Mary Burton, LynDee Walker, Mollie Cox Bryan, Mary Behre, Tracey Livesay. A meet-and-greet and book signing with twelve local mystery/thriller writers will follow.

For more information, visit www.sistersincrimecentralvirginia.com.

March 4 COIN SHOW

The Central Virginia Coin and Currency Show will take place on Saturday, March 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show features dealers buying, selling and trading U.S., Foreign and Ancient coins and current at John Tyler Community College, located at 13101 Jefferson Davis Hwy. in Chester. There will also be free parking, admission, and appraisals and raffle prizes all day. For more information, contact Bill Scott at (804) 350-1140.

March 18 TRAILBLAZER RUN AND WALK

Visit the Jamestown Settlement on Saturday and Sunday, March 18 to 19. Re-enactors and modern-day units will show how uniforms, weapons and military tactics evolved through the centuries. The weekend features artillery firings, a Saturday children’s parade and a Sunday military pass-in-review. This year’s event highlights the centennial of America’s entry into World War I. Admission costs $17 adults and $8 for ages 6-12.

Children under 6 are free. Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 South in Williamsburg.

For information, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or (757) 253-4838, or visit www.historyisfun.org.

March 23+ AMERICA REVOLUTION MUSEUM

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will celebrate its grand opening from Thursday, March 23 through Tuesday, April 4. The celebration features an introductory film, timeline, immersive exhibition galleries and living-history experiences that show the epic scale of the Revolution and the richness and complexity of the country’s Revolutionary heritage. Over the course of the 13-day celebration, each day will highlight one of America’s 13 original states as they ratified the Constitution, with a dedication ceremony on April 1. Admission costs $12 for adults and $7 for ages 6 to 12. Children under 6 are free. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The Museum at Yorktown is located on Route 1020 in Yorktown. For information, visit www.historyisfun.org or call (888) 593-4682 tollfree or (757) 253-4838.

The GCATrailBlazer 5k Run/Walk will take place

CALENDAR ENTRIES Entries are subject to change; call to confirm dates and times.

Entries for the March calendar are due February 23; send items to: calendar@fiftyplusrichmond.com.

FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017 u 15

Law & Money

Securities hotline protects you from fraud It’s no secret that many people reach retirement with a nest egg inadequate to last the rest of their expected life. Many will be looking for investments with aboveaverage rates of return.

But higher returns requires assuming higher risk. This can make retirees especially vulnerable to fraud.

Studies have shown that people start losing mental capacity after age 70. After 85, it can be much worse.

Accordingly, it may be dangerous for older investors to initiate new types of investments, and they may be especially susceptible to promises of high returns from questionable financial salespersons.

For all of these reasons, investors should take advantage of the support of independent parties to help them make intelligent investment decisions.

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority — the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the U.S. — can help. Its activities touch every aspect of the securities business, and it administers the largest dispute resolution forum for investors and firms.

Impartial portfolio review FINRA operates the Securities Helpline for Seniors at 1-844-574-3577. The

helpline informs investors how to review and binary options. FINRA reports extheir investment portfolio and account amples of these frauds on its website as statements, and it addresses concerns “investor alerts.” about the handling of a Here are two examples: brokerage account.

If you receive a call from the The group’s website IRS, it is fraudulent — the (www. finra.org) provides IRS will never contact you by several investor tools and phone. Neither will they ask resources, such as Broyou to wire transfer funds. kerCheck — a research FINRA points out tool that provides investhat binary options (a type tors valuable information of option, but considered by about brokerage firms some regulators to be a form and individual brokers, of gambling) are high risk. such as recent work hisOften the product offered is tory, qualifications, state The Savings Game fraudulent. licenses, regulatory ac- By Elliot Raphaelson When you initiate a tions, and violations and complaint to FINRA on its complaints. helpline, it can result in an Since the helpline was initiated in 2015, investigation. If FINRA discovers frauduFINRA has received more than 7,000 lent activity that is not under its jurisdicquestions and complaints from people in tion, it will report that information to the all age groups. These calls have resulted in appropriate regulator or Adult Protective more than $2.6 million in voluntary reim- Services (APS) organization. bursements from firms to callers.

FINRA has made 110 referrals to 16 Callers were concerned about products APS agencies and to additional state agenassociated with variable annuities, mutual cies; 483 other issues have been referred to funds, real estate investment trusts (RE- state, federal and foreign regulators.

ITs) and energy-sector investments.

Thanks to these calls, FINRA has been Better investment informaable to identify frauds associated with tax- tion es, bogus lottery wins, fake check scams, Many of the callers to the helpline are

looking for additional information about products they are being solicited to buy.

FINRA provides additional sources to callers so they can do better research before committing to buy.

Other agencies can also provide important information about possible fraud in financial and other products, for example: AARP, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Investor Education, NASAA’s Serving our Seniors, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Unfortunately, most scams are reported after they have already ensnared many victims. If you are uncertain about the value of a product being offered to you — or the reliability of the organization or individual selling it to you — take advantage of the resources of FINRA and other independent agencies before you buy.

If you have family members who you suspect may lose, or are losing, mental capacity, do what you can to make sure that they do not make any new financial transactions without input from you or an independent organization such as FINRA. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail. com. © 2016 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Can’t qualify for insurance? Try an annuity

By Eleanor Laise The vast majority of older adults don’t have long-term care insurance. For all but the wealthiest, deteriorating health or an imminent need for care can raise real concerns about running out of money.

One solution: a medically underwritten single-premium immediate annuity (SPIA). Like traditional immediate annuities, these contracts offer a lifetime of monthly payments in exchange for a single up-front investment.

But unlike plain-vanilla immediate annuities, which base payouts on your age and gender, a medically underwritten annuity throws your health into the mix: the sicker you are, the higher your monthly

16 u FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017

income.

That feature can make these annuities critical tools for seniors with serious health conditions.

“When you’re sick, you can’t qualify for long-term care insurance,” said Stan Haithcock, an annuity agent. If you are in that boat and need care, he said, a medically underwritten SPIA may be “the only hope you have of enhancing a payout to cover those expenses.”

No claims to file Unlike long-term care insurance, medically underwritten SPIAs don’t require any claims filing or ongoing assessment of your eligibility for benefits. And you can

use the money for any purpose — whether it’s paying for care or covering other living expenses.

But the annuities do have their drawbacks: You’re typically locking up a big chunk of money, and if you die shortly after buying the product, you may receive far less in benefits than you paid in premium.

Although medically underwritten SPIAs are niche products today, offered by just a handful of insurers, industry experts expect the market to grow as baby boomers age. One sign of fresh interest in the products: The insurance giant Genworth recently launched its first medically underwritten SPIA.

Assessing eligibility To qualify for the higher payouts offered by medically underwritten SPIAs, you’ll need to prove that your life expectancy is shorter than standard actuarial tables suggest.

Some insurers, such as Genworth, require an in-person assessment by a nurse.

Others may simply ask you to complete a detailed health questionnaire and provide medical records.

At Mutual of Omaha, for example, applicants are asked to list all medications, and disclose any cigarette use, cancer, heart attacks, lung disease, diabetes, strokes and See Try an annuity, page 19

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Websites and apps help with budgeting

By Lisa Gerstner We admit it: Budgeting is drudgery, a pain, the pits among personal finance tasks.

But at the start of a new year, when people are brimming with resolutions to get organized, accelerate saving and all that, it’s a good time to talk about the B word.

Maybe you already track income and expenses. But if not, it’s a good idea to put yourself through the budgeting paces periodically. Developing a blueprint for how you intend to spend and save money is an important step to reach your goals, both in the short term and in the distant future.

Plus, budgeting doesn’t have to be painful if you take advantage of websites and mobile apps that help you get organized.

No matter how you prefer to budget, you can probably find one to match your style and perhaps automate the task.

Some sites cater to detail-oriented types who want to know “how much they spent on Coke versus Pepsi over the past six months,” said Steve Shaw, vice president of strategic marketing for the digital banking group at Fiserv, a financial-technology company. Others take a broader approach, providing simple expense and income

tracking.

Here we describe options that fit a variety of users. Some require you to share user names and passwords for your bank, credit card and other online accounts for quick, automatic updates of where your finances stand.

A few let you enter transaction data manually — a plus if you’d rather not share your log-in credentials with a third party.

But all of them use security measures, such as encryption and password protection, to safeguard your information.

These websites and apps are free except where otherwise noted.

Mint

Website: www.mint.com Best if: You want to budget the easy way Introduced a decade ago, Mint continues to be a go-to application because it offers attractive, easy-to-use tools for tracking financial accounts and creating budgets.

Mint can link to your checking, savings, credit card, loan and investment accounts to let you see how your finances stack up, including a snapshot of your net worth.

You can see estimates of your home’s value from Zillow, and your car’s value from Kelley Blue Book. You can also set spending

limits in various categories (such as shopping and entertainment), view how much you’ve spent in each area throughout the month, and receive alerts if you go over budget. Plus, you can monitor your progress toward savings goals, such as building a fund for emergencies or a vacation.

Mint will slice and dice your finances into graphs over periods you select, displaying how your net worth has changed over the past year, for example, or in which categories you’ve spent the most during the past month.

You can also sign up to get a free credit score from Equifax, and alerts of significant changes to your credit report. Mint recommends credit cards, brokerage accounts and other financial products, but keep in mind that many of the suggestions are from “partner companies,” so you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.

Mvelopes

Website: www.mvelopes.com Best if: You budget the old-fashioned way With the classic budget-by-envelope method, you label envelopes by expense category and stash cash in each. Once an envelope is empty, you’re done spending in that category until the next refill.

Mvelopes updates that system for the digital era, allowing you to link your bank and credit card accounts.

As income and expenses flow through your Mvelopes in-box, you assign transactions to customizable on-screen envelopes and set up rules to have recurring transactions directed automatically. If you like, you can attach photos of receipts to your transactions, as well as create a savings envelope.

You can earmark cash to an envelope up to a year in advance, applying the same monthly limit to the ones that hold regular expenses, and individually marking the rest.

If you find that one envelope is too low on funds to cover expenses, or if you have extra money left at the end of the month in anoth-

FROM PAGE 27 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

er, you can transfer money among envelopes.

You’ll have to stick with somewhat broad budgeting categories if you use the free version of Mvelopes, which comes with 25 envelopes and lets you link four accounts.

For $95 a year, you get unlimited envelopes and can connect as many accounts as you wish, plus you get access to debtmanagement tools and other features.

Personal Capital

Please look over your proof clos Website: www.personalcapital.com Exact colors will vary as monitors a Best if: You’re an investor who wants the To make corrections, please print th big picture Personal Capital’s strong suit is moniPLEASE NOTE: If you approve this toring your whole financial picture.

Any Link changes requiring more than tw bank, credit card, loan and investment ac- from the original copy sub alteration counts to Personal Capital (or enter data manually) to see a dashboard with charts and graphs that show your net worth, cash flow, portfolio balance and allocation, and best- and worst-performing stocks.

You can drill down into each section for more analysis. The displays in each section are colorful, detailed and easy to navigate.

And it’s broadening its budgeting capabilities. It will soon allow users of its web application (not just Apple users of the mobile app) to set a spending limit and track how they’re faring against it.

Personal Capital’s tools for tracking investments are especially robust. Along with digging into your portfolio to view it from different angles, you can use the Investment Checkup tool to get a suggested In y target portfolio allocation based on your goals, and the Retirement Fee Analyzer to wit see an estimate of how much of your earncrem ings in retirement accounts may be lost to con fees over time. © 2016 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by TCA, LLC

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By Tina Orem Last summer, Cindy Hockenberry decided she’d had it with threatening phone calls claiming she was behind on her taxes.

“One day — I’m not kidding you — I got called three times,” she said.

Sometimes the calls were automated.

But once, when she got a call from a live person, Hockenberry — who happens to be the director of education and research at the National Association of Tax Professionals — decided to play along.

The caller told her she owed over $5,000 in back taxes. “He was pretty convincing,” Hockenberry recalled. “”He was saying the right things...using the right tax lingo.”

“Then I said to him, ‘Do you realize that it’s not lawful to impersonate an IRS employee?’...He came back and said, ‘Well, do you realize it’s unlawful not to pay your taxes?’ I said, ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do — which is why I know for a fact I have paid all my taxes.’”

There was a pause, she said. Then the caller cursed at her and hung up.

An escalating problem Hockenberry’s story is just one example of how brazen tax scammers can be. In roughly the last three years, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the body that oversees the IRS, has received more than 1.8 million reports of calls from people impersonating IRS employees, and almost 10,000 victims have lost a total of nearly $50 million.

Tax-related email phishing and malware incidents shot up 400 percent in the 2016 tax season, according to the IRS. Recent schemes include calls threatening arrest for an overdue, fictitious “federal student tax,” emails with fake tax bills attached, and IRS impersonators demanding payment via gift cards or prepaid cards.

Joe Seifert, a CPA in Portland, Ore., said even tax preparers receive emails from scammers, asking for the usernames and

passwords that let them access special IRS online tools.

Criminals pose as state tax officials to make a buck, too. For example, the Kansas Department of Revenue has received complaints about calls from employee impersonators, according to a department spokesperson. Scammers are also issuing letters and emails under the state’s name.

If scammers approach you

As tax season approaches, people will likely see more scams, the Federal Trade Commission warned. There’s little to prevent a criminal from picking up the phone or sending a bogus email, but there are four things you can do when these fishy communications arrive: 1. Know how the IRS initiates contact. “The IRS should never, ever be contacting you by email, ever. They should never, ever be contacting you by phone.

They should only be contacting you via letter,” Seifert said.

2. Report creepy messages. You can forward shady tax-related emails to phishing@irs.gov and report suspicious phone calls to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Collecting these reports recently helped the Department of Justice indict dozens of people in an alleged international call-center fraud scheme.

3. Verify issues with the IRS or your state tax authority. Question out-of-theblue communications about alleged tax balances. If you owe back taxes, or think you might, call your tax professional, the IRS, or the state tax department directly, Seifert said. A new online tool at IRS.gov also lets you look up unpaid taxes, penalties and interest.

4. Never pay over the phone. Even if you owe money, the IRS never asks for credit, debit, prepaid card or bank information via phone, email, text or social media.

If someone does, “Just hang up on them,” Seifert said.

— NerdWallet via AP.

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When your kid is a financial train wreck

By Liz Weston Financial planners and credit counselors see plenty of examples: The grown son who lost a job, moved home and stopped looking for work. The daughter who constantly mismanaged her checking account — and turned to payday lenders when parents stopped covering her overdrafts.

The father working into his 70s to support spendthrift children in their 40s and 50s.

Kristi Sullivan, a certified financial planner in Denver, once worked with an older couple whose offspring constantly turned to them for help.

“The clients couldn’t understand why their grandchildren had all the latest iPads and phones, but when a car or home repair came up, their adult children always had to ask them for money,” Sullivan said.

Giving adult children money is the norm in the U.S. Six out of 10 parents with adult children said they had given those children financial help in the previous 12 months, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey.

Damaging results

good. Eight out of 10 parents who help adult children — with money, child care, housework or home repairs — said doing so is rewarding, Pew found.

But the toll can be steep, advisers say. Supporting able-bodied children, or repeatedly bailing them out of debt, creates dependency when parents should help them become self-sufficient.

The unwise spending also can: • Delay or derail the parents’ retirement.

• Fuel sibling resentment and family discord.

• Enable dangerous behavior, including addiction or untreated mental illness.

The advice to “just say no” doesn’t get far with parents stuck in these patterns, advisers say. Many parents don’t understand the harm they’re doing, and the children certainly have no incentive to change, said Bruce McClary, a former credit counselor and spokesman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling in Washington, D.C. Change is possible, though, when parents set limits and communicate those limits to their kids.

Parents usually give because it feels

Try an annuity From page 16

other conditions, said D.J. Kohlhaase, an actuary at the firm. The underwriting process may take 30 days or more.

The payoff: People in poor health can get significantly more income than they would receive from a traditional SPIA. Consider a 75-year-old widower with heart disease, diabetes and dementia, who needs help with some daily activities such as bathing. He needs $30,000 in annual income to help cover his care expenses.

If he opts for a traditional SPIA that pays income for his life only, with no inflation protection, he’d have to spend roughly $336,000 to get that much income. But Genworth’s medically underwritten SPIA, the Income Assurance Immediate Need Annuity, would give him $30,000 in annual income for just over a $150,000 payment.

Generally speaking, “if someone is in poor health, they can get a quarter to a third more from this annuity than from a traditional non-underwritten SPIA,” said

What planners advise Figure out what you can afford, Delia Fernandez, a certified financial planner, uses retirement planning software to show what happens if clients continue spending on their kids at their current level. Often, the results are eye-opening.

“They’ll say, ‘Why is the chart turning red?’” Fernandez said. “They thought they’d be retiring at 62, but now they’re looking at 66 or later.”

If parents can’t agree on a figure, a third party — such as a planner, accountant or even a therapist — may be able to help.

Set expectations. Many parents who support adult kids have never talked about money with those children, planners say.

Parents should be clear about when they will and won’t help.

If the children aren’t trying to be selfsufficient, any help should have an expiration date. If the offspring needs basic budgeting help, credit counselors can offer advice, classes or debt-management plans.

Plan for ‘emergencies.’ Those who are financially irresponsible often limp from crisis to crisis, so parents who set boundaries should expect to get pleas for emer-

gency help. If possible, avoid knee-jerk responses, planners say.

Parents who decide to step in should set and communicate limits, Fernandez said.

For example, they can offer to pay one or two months’ rent to stave off an eviction, but tell the offspring to find affordable shelter after that.

Target your help. Very wealthy parents may hand over annual checks as a way to reduce their estates and avoid future estate taxes.

But giving cash to irresponsible adult children is a bad idea. Instead, parents should direct the money toward something specific, such as paying the mechanic for a car repair or taking over certain bills, planners say.

Consider your other kids. Money shouldn’t equal love, but it often does in the siblings’ minds when financial help is doled out unequally, said Laura ScharrBykowsky, a certified financial planner.

— NerdWallet via AP

Debapriya Mitra, senior vice president for product and business strategy at Genworth.

While medically underwritten annuities aren’t for people in good health, they’re also not appropriate for the sickest seniors.

If you have a very short life expectancy, it doesn’t make sense to pay the big up-front premium for this product.

Insurers offer optional features, such as inflation protection and enhanced death benefits. But these bells and whistles can take a big bite out of your monthly income.

For example, a 75-year-old man with heart and lung disease investing $100,000 in Genworth’s annuity would reduce his monthly income by 12 percent by opting for a death benefit that would guarantee him at least three years’ worth of income.

(The Genworth annuity comes with a built-in early death benefit if you die within six months of buying the product.) © 2016, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tell them you saw it in Fifty Plus!

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FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017 u 19

The

Sky

alm

Leisure & Travel

Good times in Louisiana Cajun country COURTESY OF LAFAYETTE CONVENTION & VISITORS COMMISSION

Acadian Village in Lafayette, La., depicts life in 19th century southwest Louisiana, showcasing historic homes alongside winding bayous, as well as a blacksmith shop and general store. Most of the buildings are authentic and were relocated to the village from nearby towns.

20 u FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017

king Louis XIV), and they adapted over time to the region’s watery landscape.

This is also Creole country — home to people descended from settlers of French or Spanish origin. Some have African or Native American ancestry, too. Acadiana is truly an ethnic potpourri known for its unique culture and history.

Bayous and zydeco The region is a mushy, marshy maze of sluggish channels called bayous that connect sprawling floodplain forests, cypresstupelo swamps, backwater lakes and wetlands.

These hot and humid wilderness “saunas” exude mystery and enticement, qualities that inspire a savory cuisine, like famous slow-cooking gumbos, shrimp étoufeé and crawfish stew. Many Cajun dishes merge multiple ingredients that gurgle and simmer like a smarmy swamp on a hot day.

And there’s something about these wetlands that brings out the musical talents of the people, both professionals and amateurs. Remember the song that goes “Shrimp boats are acomin’. There’s dancing tonight”? Or that Hank Williams line, “Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filé gumbo”?

It doesn’t take much to get most locals onto the dance floor twirling to fast-paced,

Happy Lafayette Lafayette is the unofficial “capital” of Acadiana, and the center of Cajun lore, the region’s rich mix of French, Spanish, African and Caribbean traditions.

“If you want to know Cajun culture, this is the place to come,” said Dianne Monteleone, a retired history teacher and volunteer at the visitor’s center. The Wall Street Journal’s Marketwatch.com labeled Lafayette “the Happiest City in America.”

The Acadian Cultural Center tells the Cajuns’ story through exhibits, ranger programs, films, wetland walks and boat tours. It recounts how, after decades of suppressing their heritage (speaking French in school was stigmatized as a sign of ignorance), Cajuns restored pride in their culture.

This National Park Service site shows a film, The Cajun Way: Echoes of Acadia, documenting the Cajuns’ exile. It includes clips from a 1929 silent film, Evangeline — the story related in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 poem about an Acadian

girl searching for her lost love, Gabriel, during the deportation.

Vermilionville, a 23-acre living history folk life park, honors Acadian, Native American and Creole 18th and 19th century cultures. In 19 Acadian-style structures, including traditional homes, artisans spin cotton, carve wooden decoys, make cornhusk dolls and weave palmetto leaves.

Front and center is the dance hall, where jam sessions heat up every Saturday and dancers of all skill levels take to the floor in lively jigs, waltzes and two-steps.

In the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, a Dutch-Romanesque edifice, visitors seeking spiritual comfort are reminded of nature’s wrath in these parts by a flyer, the “Prayer for Safety in Hurricane Season.” It reads in part: “The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy...yearning for a stormless eternity.”

Union soldiers once camped on the church’s grounds, under the now-500year-old, 126-foot-high St. John oak, and among the churchyard’s aboveground tombs dating back to 1820.

Small towns and swamps Straying from America’s happiest city may be tough, but many gems await the See Good Times, page 22 © PHILIP GOULD/LAFAYETTE TRAVEL

By Glenda C. Booth Let the good times roll, they say. In French, “Laissez les bons temps rouler.”

And roll they do in southern Louisiana’s Cajun Country.

Locals love to sing, dance, cook, eat and party hard in year-round festivals that celebrate cracklin’s, catfish, crawfish, shrimp, boudin, gumbo, okra, frogs, ducks, alligators, zydeco, petroleum and sugarcane, for starters.

And that’s all in addition to the big February blowout — Mardi Gras — with its orgy of beads, masks, parades, king cakes and extravagant balls.

New Orleans’ revelry is renowned, but Mardi Gras also explodes in Cajun Country towns like Lafayette, Eunice, Jeanerette and New Iberia.

Cajun Country is a part of southern Louisiana consisting of 22 parishes (or counties) in the 150-mile Atchafalaya Basin — the nation’s largest river wetland.

Also called Acadiana, the region is named for L’Acadie, the Nova Scotia homeland of French-speaking settlers who were kicked out by the British when they refused to pledge allegiance to Britain and forsake Catholicism in the 1700s. The refugees were attracted to Louisiana’s French heritage (Louisiana is named for France’s

zydeco tunes like “Lache Pas Pa La Pate” (Don’t Let Go of the Potato) or “Les Haricot Sont Pas Salés” (The Snap Beans Aren’t Salty). Zydeco bands, featuring guitars, accordions and apron washboards called frottoirs, are as common as coffee pots.

Each year, the town of Mamou, La., like many in the Cajun country of Louisiana, holds a colorful and raucous Mardi Gras celebration on the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.

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A bucket list trip to exotic Bora Bora

A real splurge That doesn’t mean normal couples can’t go too — if they can afford it, that is. Our trip for a week, including flights and our hotel stay (with breakfast), cost just under $10,000.

My husband and I spent a week lounging on the deck of our bungalow at Le Meridien Bora Bora. We woke early to catch brilliant orange and pink sunrises. We got

up-close-and-personal with sea creatures, from moray eels and trumpetfish, to sea turtles, sharks and stingrays.

We discovered that the saying heard in pearl shops, “You don’t choose the pearl, the pearl chooses you” is surprisingly true.

Most of all, we tried to relax and take it all in.

Bora Bora, located about 160 miles northwest of Tahiti, was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Mount Otemanu, a remnant of the volcano, rises nearly 2,400 feet on the island and serves as the backdrop of many photos.

About 9,000 people live in Bora Bora.

The temperature is a relatively consistent 80 degrees.

The island is set in a lagoon and surrounded by a string of motus, or small islets, where luxury resorts are located.

The colors are stunning. A friend said my photo looked like a watercolor painting.

We flew to Los Angeles, where many U.S. flights to Tahiti converge. From Los Angeles, it’s about an eight-hour overnight flight to Papeete, Tahiti. It’s less than an hour by plane from there to Bora Bora.

Then it’s a short boat ride to the main city,

PHOTO © MARTIN VALIGURSKY

By Jennifer McDermott Somehow, I convinced my husband that the fifth wedding anniversary is the Tahitian anniversary. (The traditional gift, actually, is wood.)

For years, I had dreamed of going to Bora Bora in French Polynesia. The lagoon’s glimmering turquoise, jade and cobalt blue waters, the overwater bungalows, the seclusion — for me, it was the ultimate bucket list destination.

Some of the world’s most famous celebrities vacation in Bora Bora. Jennifer Aniston honeymooned there. Pictures of Justin Bieber swimming naked in Bora Bora circulated far and wide online. Usain Bolt celebrated his Olympic victories there last September.

Snorkelers swim past a vacation bungalow built over the translucent turquoise water of the South Pacific off the island of Bora Bora. Many of the small lodgings feature a glass floor through which

Vaitape, or to one of the luxury resorts.

We didn’t need vaccinations or a visa.

Our overwater bungalow faced outward to the lagoon, which we requested when booking. Others are turned in, toward the resort. It featured a glass floor for fish watching, and a spiral staircase for climb-

ing directly into the lagoon.

We splurged on massages early in the week, before our pale skin turned a reddish hue. And we fed baby sea turtles at the Turtle Center established at Le Meridien.

See Bora Bora, page 22

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Good Times From page 20

curious in nearby small towns, eateries, historic churches, oyster bars, antique shops and dance halls.

St. Martinville spotlights Evangeline with a statue in the graveyard next to the Mother Church of the Acadians, St. Martin de Tours. At the Acadian Memorial, a bronze wall of names honors 3,000 Acadians who fled to Louisiana, and an eternal flame symbolizes human resilience. Next door, the African American Museum traces the diaspora from West Africa.

Alligators are part of life here, central to the local culture. Confederate soldiers wore alligator shoes, and today, farmed alligators end up on dinner plates.

Chances are you’ll see some on a boat tour in the Atchafalaya Basin’s 860,000 acres of swamps, bayous and backwater lakes. You’ll also likely see slithering snakes, great white egrets taking flight and basking turtles.

Passionate cooking, eating Whether it’s sauce piquant, gumbo, jambalaya, turtle soup, oyster pie, shrimp remoulade, catfish Orleans, oysters Rockefeller, crawfish étoufée or grilled gator

tail, people in southern Louisiana live to eat, they say.

In her Cajun cookbook, titled Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux?, Marcelle Bienvenu, the “Queen of Cajun Cooking,” says that cooking is a passion, and preparing and serving it are “an intimate form of communication.”

The cuisine, like the people, is a rich mélange: tomatoes from the Creoles; the spicy herb filé from Native Americans; okra from Africans; rice from the Chinese; the roux from the French. Gourmands might say that Cajun cooking combines multiple ingredients in a single dish that Cajuns created originally to feed large families. Creole dishes, with French and Spanish origins, often feature sauces.

Today, these distinctions are blurred.

Louisiana chefs maintain that Cajun and Creole dishes start with the “holy trinity”: sautéed celery, bell pepper and onion.

And good food is a good reason to party. For example, Scott, Louisiana, the “Boudin Capital of the World,” just west of Lafayette, stages the annual Boudin Festival.

Boudin? “Boudin is a unique Cajun specialty, a familiar recipe that has been passed down from one generation to the

next,” explains the festival’s website. “It’s basically a combination of rice, a special blend of seasonings, and traditionally pork, but you may also find Boudin made with shrimp, crawfish or even some alligator, and rolled up in sausage casing.” This popping-eating-dancing fest made the top 20 events compiled by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2016.

Speaking of zingy cuisine, tabasco sauce was invented on Avery Island, 28 miles south of Lafayette. The 70,000-squarefoot Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory, run by the founder’s great-grandson, spews out 700,000 bottles of the signature sauce daily — a tangy elixir that “excites the appetite, promotes digestion, and is pronounced by connoisseurs to be the finest condiment in the world.” It’s made from capsicum peppers using the founder’s patented 1868 recipe.

Visitors can watch a conveyor belt of bottles jiggle along being filled and capped before heading off to 160 countries. The tasting bar tempts with flavors like garlic, chipotle and habanero. The tabasco name?

A Native American word, it means “land of the hot and humid.”

Friendly small towns, azaleas blooming year-round, crawfish boils, praline-flavored bacon, shrimp freshly plucked from the water, mysterious swamps, live oaks draped in dangly Spanish moss, zydeco spilling out of dance halls — it’s all in Cajun country, where the natural, cultural, culinary and musical combine into a really good time. Let the good times roll!

Bora Bora

a center where locals sell their crafts, a small marketplace to stock up on sunscreen, juice and inexpensive French wine, and a cafe. The mountainside is home to cannons left behind by U.S. forces during World War II. The main thing we did, though, was shop for Tahitian pearls. We were leaving one of the stores when I caught a glimpse of a pair of green pearl earrings. I walked away but no other pearl could compare, so we returned at the end of the day to buy the pearl that chose me.

There’s a must-visit spot along the coastline, about 3 miles from the city center: Bloody Mary’s, a funky restaurant known for its seafood and celebrity visits.

I enjoyed the restaurant’s signature plate of teriyaki wahoo, and the house drink — a Bloody Mary of course — while my husband loved trying meka, a broadbill swordfish found in the South Pacific. By the entrance, there’s a long list of famous people who have dined there.

At the hotel, we ended the week as we began. We lounged on the deck, telling each other how unbelievable it was that we got to see such beauty in person and check Bora Bora off our bucket list.

Flights to Papeete in French Polynesia start at $1,911 from Richmond International Airport, and take 17 to 24 hours, depending on layovers. — AP

From page 21 We took the hotel’s boat to The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort to dine at the exclusive Lagoon restaurant by acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and to check out the lavish bungalows with private swimming pools over the lagoon.

Aquatic adventures We tried paddle boarding. Then we tried snorkeling to find the sunglasses we lost while paddle boarding. Adventurous couples buzzed around the island on jet skis.

Feeling adventurous ourselves, we signed up for a snorkeling trip to swim with stingrays and sharks. There are so many stingrays there, you feel their slick, rubbery bodies hitting your legs. One is an older, docile stingray the guides call “grandma.” Our guide from Teiva Tours lifted grandma and kissed it — on the mouth!

But when the guides started “chumming” the waters with fish parts to draw blacktip sharks, we climbed back into the boat. The sharks were much more interested in the fish than in us, but we weren’t taking any chances of a misdirected chomp. In deeper waters, we snorkeled at the surface as 9-foot lemon sharks glided along the bottom.

We also spent a day in Vaitape. There’s

22 u FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017

IF YOU GO Visit www.lafayettetravel.com for a trip planner, lodging, events, food and swamp tours and more.

Lafayette is 153 miles west of New Orleans, a 2.5- to 3-hour drive. In late February, roundtrip flights from Richmond International Airport start at $496 on American Airlines.

Spring and fall are the best times to visit weather-wise, with average daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s. In February and March, the average temperatures are from the mid-40s to 70s.

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Sunshine Tours 2017 Tour Schedule

Date Tour Per Person Price Feb 12-20 Florida / The Grand Tour / Key West .............................. 1,550 Feb 13-16 Valentine’s Day / Pigeon Forge, TN................................... 525 Feb 19-21 Sands Casino & Resort / Bethlehem, PA .......................... 275 Feb 24-27 ** Daytona 300 XFINITY / Daytona 500 Sprint Cup .......... 800 Feb 25-Mar 3 Mardi Gras / Mobile, AL ..................................................... 895 Mar 3-5 Winter Wildlife Cruise / Virginia Beach .............................. 295 Mar 5-8 Atlantic City, NJ / Resorts Casino & Hotel ......................... 350 Mar 11 “Cinderella” / Altria Theater / Richmond, VA ...................... 135 Mar 11 & 18 Highland Maple Festival ...................................................... 55 Mar 11-20 Texas, “A Whole Other Country” ..................................... 1,425 Mar 17-19 Philadelphia Flower Show ................................................. 445 Mar 23-29 ** Baseball Spring Training / Florida .................................. 895 Apr 7-9 ** Washington, D.C. / Cherry Blossom Festival................. 495 Apr 8 “Motown” / Chrysler Theater / Norfolk, VA ......................... 165 Apr 9-11 Sands Casino & Resort / Bethlehem, PA .......................... 275 Apr 10-14 Charleston & Savannah / Southern Springtime .............. 1,025 Apr 21-22 “Jonah” / Lancaster, PA...................................................... 325 Apr 22-30 Louisiana Cajun Country ................................................ 1,170 Apr 22-May 10 The Great Southwest & California / Motorcoach ............ 2,795 Apr 29 “Beautiful” / Carole King Story / Altria Theater .................. 160 May 1-4 The Golden Isles of Georgia.............................................. 795 May 8-29 San Francisco, CA & The Pacific Northwest .................. 2,870 May 9-12 ** Hudson River Valley/West Point/Culinary Institute ........ 650 May 9-12 Tulip Festival / Holland, MI ................................................ 665 May 13 Tangier Island ...................................................................... 95 May 19-21 New York City / Springtime ................................................ 995 May 20-28 Branson, MO / America’s Music Show Capital ............... 1,325 May 22-24 Sands Casino & Resort / Bethlehem, PA .......................... 275 May 26-30 Nashville, TN / “Music City USA” ....................................... 675 Jun 2-13 Seattle Northwest – Fly / Land ....................................... 2,695 Jun 3-10 Niagara Falls / Montreal & Quebec ................................ 1,250 Jun 4-10 ** Florida’s Northeastern Shore / Amelia Island ................ 875 Jun 6-11 Kentucky Bluegrass ........................................................... 975 Jun 10-13 Baseball / Boston Red Sox / Fenway Park........................ 750 Jun 14-18 Hall of Fame / Sports & Music ........................................... 750 Jun 14-23 Nova Scotia & The Atlantic Provinces ............................ 1,525 Jun 16-18 Mystery Tour – SSSHH! It’s a Secret................................. 425 Jun 16-Jul 1 Alaska & Canada – Fly / Land – Northbound ................. 4,625 Jun 17-24 Michigan & The Grand Hotel .......................................... 1,550 Jun 18-21 Atlantic City, NJ / Resorts Casino & Hotel ......................... 350 Jun 21-24 Creation Museum / Ark Encounter / Kentucky................... 575 Jun 22-24 “Jonah” / Lancaster, PA...................................................... 495 Jun 24-Jul 2 Branson, MO / America’s Music Show Capital ............... 1,325 Jun 28-30 *** Biltmore Estate / Flatrock Playhouse ........................... 425 Jun 30-Jul 9 Hawaii / Honolulu / Waikiki ............................................. 3,295 Jul 3-6 Baseball / Yankee Stadium / Fourth of July....................... 750 Jul 3-18 Alaska & Canada – Fly/Land – Southbound .................. 4,625 Jul 8-24 Canyonlands / Our Most Scenic Tour ............................. 2,995 Jul 8-Aug 6 Alaska & Canada’s Yukon by Motorcoach...................... 5,175 Jul 15-22 New England Summertime / Martha’s Vineyard ............. 1,450 Jul 22-Aug 7 Newfoundland / Labrador / Nova Scotia ......................... 2,650 Jul 23-26 Sands Casino & Resort / New York City............................ 465 Jul 23-Aug 2 North & South Dakota – Fly/Land ................................... 2,595 Jul 27-31 Nashville, TN / “Music City USA” ....................................... 675 Aug 1-5 Amish Acres Festival / Napanee, IN .................................. 595

Date Aug 2-5 Aug 4-7 Aug 6-27 Aug 12 Aug 12 Aug 12-18 Aug 14-25 Aug 15-19 Aug 19-26 Aug 21-26 Aug 24-26 Aug 26 Sep 1-4 Sep 2-8 Sep 3-5 Sep 5-8 Sep 8-10 Sep 9-17 Sep 15-16 Sep 16-17 Sep 16-23 Sep 17-23 Sep 22-25 Sep 22-23 Sep 25-Oct 1 Sep 29-Oct 1 Sep 30-Oct 11 Oct 1-4 Oct 3-18 Oct 5 Oct 5-11 Oct 6-24 Oct 7 Oct 12-14 Oct 14-18 Oct 19-23 Oct 21-29 Oct 21-22 Oct 23-26 Nov 3-5 Nov 13-20 Nov 15-20 Nov 16-19 Nov 22-25 Nov 26-29 Nov 29-Dec 3 Nov 30-Dec 4 Dec 1-3 Dec 1-4 Dec 2-10 Dec 6-10 Dec 7-8 Dec 7-11 Dec 8-10 Dec 8-10 Dec 26-31

Tour Per Person Price Creation Museum / Ark Encounter / Kentucky................... 575 “The Crooked Road”/Virginia’s Music Trail ........................ 595 San Francisco, CA & The Pacific Northwest .................. 2,870 Tangier Island ...................................................................... 95 “The King & I” / Kennedy Center / Washington ................. 175 Elvis / Tupelo & Memphis .................................................. 895 The Great Lakes ............................................................. 1,950 Wisconsin / Racine & Milwaukee....................................... 775 Niagara Falls / Montreal & Quebec ................................ 1,250 Two Stadiums / St. Louis & Kansas City ........................... 925 Patriot Tour / Annapolis & Washington .............................. 325 D-Day Memorial / Smith Mountain Lake / Lunch ............... 100 Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre / Pigeon Forge ................ 750 New England / Vermont & New Hampshire.................... 1,345 Sands Casino & Resort / Bethlehem, PA .......................... 275 Mystery Tour – “We Are Still Not Telling!” .......................... 625 Ohio Amish Country ........................................................... 475 Branson, MO / America’s Music Show Capital ............... 1,325 Tygart Flyer / American Mountain Theater ........................ 325 ** Baseball / Atlanta Braves / 2 Games ............................. 260 Niagara Falls / Montreal & Quebec ................................ 1,250 Agawa Canyon Canadian Train / Sault Ste Marie .......... 1,150 New York’s Long Island & The Hamptons ......................... 675 “Jonah” / Lancaster, PA...................................................... 325 New England in the Fall.................................................. 1,125 Neptune Festival / Virginia Beach, VA ............................... 495 Nova Scotia & New England .......................................... 1,850 Atlantic City, NJ / Resorts Casino & Hotel ......................... 350 Hawaiian Islands / Four Island Tour ............................... 4,595 Cass Railroad / National Observatory / Cass, WV .............. 90 New England in the Fall.................................................. 1,125 The Great Southwest & California / Motorcoach ............ 2,795 *** Graves Mountain Harvest Festival ................................. 75 “Jonah” / Lancaster, PA...................................................... 495 * Niagara Falls / Toronto .................................................... 775 Nashville, TN / “Music City USA” ....................................... 675 Branson, MO / America’s Music Show Capital ............... 1,325 New River Amtrak Fall Excursion ...................................... 425 Dover Downs - DE / Foxwood Casino - CT....................... 495 Sunshine Tours Family Reunion ........................................ 525 Olde English Christmas / Omaha, NE ............................... 950 Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile of Lights” / Kentucky ............. 875 Biltmore House / Smoky Mountain Christmas ................... 725 New York / Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ................ 1,295 Sands Casino & Resort / New York City............................ 465 Charleston & Savannah / Christmastime........................... 925 Nashville, TN / Country Christmas / Opryland Hotel ...... 1,195 New York / Radio City Christmas Spectacular ............... 1,095 Christmas / Jamestown & Williamsburg ............................ 695 Branson, MO / Ozark Christmas..................................... 1,325 Christmas at the Galt House / Louisville, KY..................... 725 “Miracle of Christmas” / Lancaster, PA .............................. 325 Nashville, TN / Country Christmas / Opryland Hotel ...... 1,195 Myrtle Beach / Christmas................................................... 475 New York / Radio City Christmas Spectacular ............... 1,095 Florida / Christmas at Disneyworld ................................. 1,175

Prices shown are for Double (2 to a Room) Occupancy. Quad (4 to a Room) and Triple (3 to a Room) Occupancy is Available at a Slightly Lower Per Person Price. Single (1 to a Room) is also available at a Slightly Higher Per Person Price.

All Tours Include Roundtrip Transportation by Modern, Air-Conditioned, DVD and Restroom Equipped Deluxe Motorcoach, Hotel Accommodations and Admission to the Listed Attractions. Baggage Handling is provided at each night’s lodging as indicated in the catalog.

Cancellation Insurance is NOT REQUIRED on any Sunshine tour, as we will REFUND ALL PAYMENTS (FLY TRIPS 45-DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE) FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER if you find it necessary to cancel your reservation AT ANY TIME before the tour leaves.

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FOR A FREE CATALOG OF TOURS, PLEASE CALL TOLL FREE:

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FIFTYPLUS u FEB. 2017 u 23

Arts &

Style

Thriller delights at Swift Creek Mill Theatre

By Lisa Crutchfield Deathtrap, Ira Levin’s 1978 play, is one of the most successful thrillers of all time.

After nearly four decades, Swift Creek Mill Theatre’s current production shows it’s still got the ability to make audiences jump.

The play enjoyed a four-year Broadway run with 1,800 performances, a film starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, and countless productions in community theaters.

Combining suspense with a bit of comedy, the show fortunately manages to avoid feeling dated.

Deathtrap centers around has-been playwright Sydney Bruhl (Richard Travis), suffering from writer’s block and in dire need of another hit after a series of flops.

Sydney is desperate enough to consider murder when young writer Clifford Anderson (Caleb Wade) sends him a play (titled “Deathtrap”) to critique.

Sydney recognizes it’s a sure hit, and summons Clifford to his home to discuss it. After Sydney has ensured that no other copies exist, he’s ready to launch his plan to eliminate Clifford and then steal his work.

Sydney’s wife, Myra (Brooke Ewell) is horrified, and tries to influence her husband to collaborate with Clifford instead, reminding him that famous psychic Helga Ten Dorp (Jennifer Frank) — who has a reputation for solving murders — has moved in nearby.

Much of the early part of Deathtrap is setting up the scenario, and has a few slow

moments. But once the action and plot twists kick in, the pace picks up. By the end of the first act, there’s already been a murder, and the scheming is just beginning.

Director Tom Width does a great job of managing a talented cast, especially Wade as Clifford, who transforms from bright-eyed and earnest to delightfully sinister.

Travis is perfect as Sydney, the frustrated writer and diabolical plotter, and Frank (whose accent is somewhat overdone) lightens the mood with her flamboyant predictions. Jeff Clevenger rounds out the cast as Sydney’s lawyer.

Set in the late 1970s in Connecticut,

Deathtrap includes period props, such as manual typewriters and carbon copies.

Director Width also served as scenic designer, creating a stellar set that includes an array of weapons — pistols, crossbows, daggers and more from Sydney’s plays — See Thriller Delights, page 26

Still smokin’ after all these years

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solo career, and his prolific songwriting. In fact, many consider him to be one of the greatest songwriters of our time.

Writing songs is so personal for the artist that he often has a hard time picking a favorite. “Selecting a favorite song is like asking me to choose one of my kids as a favorite. I love all of them equally,” he joked.

In 1987, Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his impact on music, and since then has been given many other accolades — ranging from placement in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, to numerous nominations and Grammys wins, to honorary doctorates in music from both Howard University and Berklee College of Music.

“I live a richly rewarded life,” he said.

“A life I could have never imagined as a child.”

Early life and career Robinson had humble beginnings. He was born and grew up in a poor neighborhood in Detroit, Mich. At age 10, his mother passed away, so his sister Geraldine looked after him and raised him alongside her 10 children. Their family was very close.

Even as a child, he always had a love for

music, listening to Nolan Strong & the Diablos and Billy Ward and his Dominos. Their dynamic inspired him to form a doo-wop group with his friends Ronald White and Pete Moore called the Five Chimes.

Two years later, Bobby Rogers joined the Five Chimes, and they began experimenting with rhythm and blues as their musical focus. They also changed their name to the Matadors. Another group member, Emerson “Sonny” Rogers, joined the army, and his sister Geraldine became his replacement.

In 1957, the Miracles met songwriter and budding impresario Berry Gordy.

Robinson presented him with a notebook filled with some songs he wrote in high school. Impressed with the group’s talent and Robinson’s songwriting ambition, Gordy agreed to help them. It was the beginning of a successful collaboration.

It’s only fitting that the first single the Miracles released was called “Got a Job” — a musical response to the Silhouettes’ hit single “Get a Job.” Robinson dropped out of school when the group released its first record. He also fell in love with and married Claudette Rogers (Bobby’s cousin) in 1959.

PHOTO BY SHAWN MILLER (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS)

By Rebekah Alcalde When William “Smokey” Robinson, Jr. was a young boy, his godfather Claude nicknamed him “Smokey Joe” since they both loved cowboy films. In his early teens, he shortened it to “Smokey.” Though his dreams of the Wild West had faded, he still loved the nickname.

Now 76, the singer, songwriter and producer was recently in Washington, D.C. to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Music. According to the Library of Congress, the prize “celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding.”

Getting this award is “one of the proudest achievements of my life,” he told Fifty Plus. “I grew up in a very musical home where the Gershwins’ music was played all the time. To think that, as a songwriter, I could be mentioned in the same breath as them is an amazing honor for me.”

Over the years, Robinson has enjoyed an extensive and varied career in music and management. The public still remembers him for his contributions to Motown, his time as front man for the rhythm-andblues group the Miracles, his subsequent

Smokey Robinson performs at DAR Constitution Hall during the ceremony where he was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in November. Robinson was celebrated for over 50 years of writing, singing and producing music, from his early work with the Miracles to his numerous solo albums.

The Miracles did not achieve instant stardom. “Got a Job” came in at 93 on the Billboard Top 100 — enough to make a debut, but not enough to break through See Smokey Robinson, page 25

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From page 24

onto the music scene.

Gordy hadn’t earned much from his distribution of the group’s single, so Robinson convinced him to form his own label. He opened Tamla Records, which soon merged with Motown — the legendary and iconic record company we know today. The Miracles became one of Motown’s first signed groups.

The group’s success began to pick up, but after a dismal reception at the Apollo Theater in 1959, Robinson knew something was missing. He recruited guitarist Marv Tarplin, who had been on tour with the teenage Supremes (then the Primettes).

Tarplin turned out to be the missing element, and the group’s classic lineup was born.

Songwriting success A year after adding Tarplin, the Miracles finally exploded onto the music scene with the hit single “Shop Around.” The song’s catchy lyrics and pop sound appealed to mainstream audiences, and became the Miracles’ and Motown’s first million-seller record. It remained at number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart for eight consecutive weeks.

Fun fact: Robinson told The Beacon that “Shop Around” “took about 30 minutes” to compose.

When it comes to songwriting technique, Robinson explained, “I don’t have a process. I know some songwriters need to retreat to the mountains or something like that to write songs, but songwriting for me is an everyday process.

“I could hear a phrase or see something, and be inspired to write a song. [Although] some songs take longer to write than others,” he added.

Between 1960 and 1970, Robinson sang, wrote and produced 26 top-40 hits with the Miracles — including top-10 features like “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “Mickey’s Monkey.”

He also did a lot of work behind the scenes for Motown and its other artists.

His “everyday” style of songwriting led to hits for other artists as well, such as his classics “My Guy” for Mary Wells, and “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Ain’t That Peculiar” for Marvin Gaye.

Robinson also wrote and produced the megahit song “My Girl” for the Temptations. The lyrics were inspired by his thenwife Claudette. In choosing David Ruffin, a background singer for the Temptations,

for the lead on this song, Robinson also launched Ruffin to the forefront of that group.

In 1962, Robinson became vice president of Motown Records, a job that came with increasingly heavy responsibilities. By 1968, when his first son Berry was born, he was ready to retire from touring. He only stayed with the Miracles a few more years after the success of his hit “Tears of a Clown,” and officially left the group in 1972. The Miracles remained together and kept touring.

For a time, Robinson focused on his executive position at Motown, but soon realized he missed music and recording, so he returned to the studio as a solo artist. His solo material departed from the upbeat stylings of his time with the Miracles, and it brought out a more mellow, thoughtful sound.

By the 1980s, Robinson was rounding his third decade in the music business and was still well-regarded by critics. He even won his first Grammy for the single “Just to See Her.” But coping with pressure and fame wasn’t always easy for the star. In the mid‘80s, he was crippled by an addition to cocaine, which he revealed in his 1989 autobiography Smokey: Inside My Life.

He credits an intervention by his pastor with helping him overcome his drug use.

Robinson also had several extramarital affairs during his marriage to Claudette, which led to their separation and subsequent divorce in 1986.

In the ‘90s, Robinson’s contract with Motown Record expired, and he moved to SBK Records for the album Double Good Everything (1991). Motown had been sold to MCA, and Robinson had already given up his executive position to focus on music.

Since then, he’s released Intimate (1999) — which represented a temporary resigning to Motown, a gospel album Food for the Soul (2003), and standard albums Timeless Love (2006), Time Flies When You’re Having Fun (2009), and Now and Then (2010).

His most recent album, Smokey & Friends (2014), is a compilation of duets featuring Elton John, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. It has become his second most successful album.

Adventurous spirit

Nowadays, Robinson lets his heart take him wherever it wants. Every day, he practices Transcendental Meditation (TM) — a mantra-based meditation — and lives an See Smokey Robinson, page 26

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Smokey Robinson

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From page 24

that become vital parts of the plot.

Note that the production includes some adult language, gunshots and strobe lights.

Even if you’re already familiar with the plot twists of Deathtrap, it’s still fun to second-guess when and how they will occur — and to see how unsuspecting audiences react.

Smokey Robinson From page 25

active lifestyle.

He and his wife Frances enjoy being outdoors, and are self-proclaimed “sun worshipers.” The couple met through mutual friends, and will soon celebrate their 15th anniversary.

In addition to being his wife, Frances is his business partner in Robinson’s newest venture — Skinphonic, a skincare brand for people with pigmented skin. They founded the line after having trouble finding anything on the market aimed specifically at pigmented skin. Robinson’s outdoorsy life had unfortunately taken a toll on his skin.

Deathtrap runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. through Feb. 25. There are also matinees on select days.

Swift Creek Mill Theatre 17401 Jefferson Davis Hwy, South Chesterfield (804) 748-5203 www.SwiftCreekMill.com Theater only: $38. Buffet and theater: $55. $20 rush tickets are available for some performances.

back due to “public demand,” he said.

In the meantime, he still continues to be celebrated for his lifetime of achievement and contributions to music. His career helped popularize soul music, and his continued performances never seem to falter in quality.

Yet despite all his awards and accomplishments, Robinson still makes time for

Where would you like to pick up your copy of Fifty Plus each month?

“We knew that there are biological differences in pigmented skin,” he explained.

“We also knew that the skincare industry was largely ignoring this. This is why we set out to specifically formulate solutions to the unique biology of pigmented skin.”

The brand currently has two lines, aptly-named Get Ready (‘Cause Here I Come), for men’s skin, and My Girl.

Both lines focus on hydration and protection against sun damage. You can find out more at www.skinphonic.com or call 1-866-280-3714.

In 2017, Robinson also plans on reviving his “Soul in the Bowl” food products.

The popular Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice product hit shelves in 2005, and will be

Please send us ideas for free distribution locations by emailing gordon@fiftyplusrichmond.com.

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the little things. The surprising thing he thinks no one knows? “I make ice cream sodas at night,” he revealed.

The awards ceremony for the Gershwin Prize will air on PBS on Feb. 10. In addition to a variety of performers paying musical tribute to Robinson, Berry Gordy also makes a special appearance.

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PUZZLE PAGE

Crossword Puzzle Imperfection 1

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Answer: He remembered her birthday, but chose to forget this -- WHICH ONE Jumbles: NOISY CHAMP WHINNY LOCALE WWW.FIFTYPLUSRICHMOND.COM

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Across 1. Envelope letters, smeared by lipstick 5. Create software 9. Study past midnight 13. Authorize a credit card 14. Follow orders 15. Jeans flaw (or improvement, to some) 16. Eke out a narrow victory 18. Passing notice 19. ___ and outs 20. Polygon’s edge 21. Track which spirals through vinyl 23. Vegetarian’s no-no 25. Fade over time 27. Performs vocal exercises 29. Daily Planet byline 30. Rental car company named for a Texas landmark 32. Streisand, in the tabloids 34. Early potato chip baron Herman 37. Be imperfect (like this puzzle) 41. Reached the quarter pole first 42. “There oughta be ___” 43. Responds to stunning news 44. Corporate image 46. Talk shop at a party 47. Do well on The Price is Right 52. Like most of the Pacific Northwest in May 1980 55. The hardest substance in a human body 56. Gelatin substitute 58. Grassland 59. Prepare a patient for a root canal 60. Gets all tuckered out 63. Native Canadian 64. Word of approval, stated 25 times in the Gospel of John 65. FDR had the most, at 3 66. Organize one’s sheep 67. Bird’s ___ soup 68. Enlivens

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Down 1. Flu strain since 2009 2. Earns all the poker chips 3. (Police band) radio call letters 4. Southernmost part of Florida 5. Vacation rental 6. Double-reed instruments 7. ___ Moines, Iowa 8. Personal light bender 9. Pick a side 10. Citizen of Westworld 11. Still breathing 12. It’s a little longer than a yard 13. Use the deep end 17. Is under the weather 22. Get away from the zombies 24. Antacid sold since 1930 26. River’s bend 28. Jersey “sure” 30. Piercing tool 31. Party icebreaker: Two Truths and a ___ 32. South of 33. Pie ___ mode 34. Stay up too late 35. Roadie’s responsibility 36. Word on the top-left of a Ouija board 38. He started (but did not complete) the first trip around the globe 39. Megalomaniac’s specialty 40. She played Darlene on Roseanne 44. Gave birth (according to ewe) 45. ___ hit wonder 46. Most clip in the back 47. Working girl 48. Become accustomed to 49. Informant 50. Dozens of cans of beer 51. Human phone operator 53. Untidy piles 54. Thanksgiving sidedish 57. Respond to an Evite 61. Cockney residence 62. Golf gadget that looks more like the letter l

Answers on page 17.

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