May 2018 | Fifty Plus Richmond by The Beacon Newspapers

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

From the Publisher I seldom cede my space in this column to another writer, but we recently received the article below from Bob Levey, a nationally recognized columnist, and I thought it was worth some special prominence. I hope you agree.

Please feel free to write to us with your thoughts on his provocative column.

A call to action by all drivers By Bob Levey My friend Ted is a solid citizen and a dutiful sort. He pays his taxes on time. He does the family grocery shopping cheerfully. When his 90-something parents need something, Ted arranges it, even though he and they live 1,500 miles apart. But sometimes your true nature pops out at moments when you don’t have time to think about it. So it went for Ted one recent evening. He was driving home, and the hour was late — about 1:30 a.m., as Ted remembers it. All of a sudden, he noticed a car halfway into a ditch to his right. The car was resting on its side.

a publication of

There had obviously just been an accident. Ted immediately braked and pulled over. He ran back to see if the driver was all right. He wasn’t. Obviously woozy, perhaps a victim of whiplash, well over the age of 80 by Ted’s best guess, the driver couldn’t answer Ted’s questions and couldn’t track much of anything. “Obviously, this was a critical situation,” Ted said. Ted called 911 from his cell phone. The operator dispatched the police and an ambulance right away. Meanwhile, the driver had gotten out of the car (it was halfway down an embankment)

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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 20th of each month for the upcoming issue. The entire contents of Fifty Plus are ©2018, 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.

Publisher/Editor: ........................Stuart Rosenthal Vice President, Operations: ..........Gordon Hasenei Vice President, Sales and Marketing: ..Alan Spiegel Managing Editor: ..........................Barbara Ruben Assistant Editor: ..........................Rebekah Alcalde Art Director: ....................................Kyle Gregor y Director of Operations: ........................Roger King

and was clucking over the damage and his misfortune. Ted stayed with the driver until the sirens and red lights were on the scene, even though it was rainy and blustery, and even though he was due at work in six hours. The good news is that the driver survived, and his car probably has, too. He evidently fell asleep at the wheel and drifted wide on the ramp. It can happen to any of us. But the bad news — confirmed by both the police and the ambulance crew — is that Good Samaritan Ted was a rare bird. Almost no one stops to help in situations like the one that Ted came upon, the officials told him. That goes double if the driver is obviously old. You mean that a Grandpa type standing woozily beside a road is more threatening to the average passerby than, say, a teenager or a young man bearing tattoos? I would never have thought so. But the police explained it to Ted this way: It’s a very litigious world. People are more afraid than ever of getting dragged into a legal mess. So they step on the gas and keep going. If they stop to help an elderly person who has just been in an accident, that person may blame them, or he might collapse and his family might sue, or he might try to drive away and do even worse harm to himself when the Good Samaritan might have snatched his keys. No, it isn’t fair. No, it isn’t sensible. But it proves that older people are often seen as neon-flashing risks rather than deserving, needy citizens. The police officer who responded to the scene of Ted’s accident told him that he had been at the scene of four other accidents already that night. He told Ted that, in every case, the driver who was involved in the accident was elderly and alone. According to the officer, one man of about 75 had just been rear-ended and had ended up in a ditch. He had a big gash on his fore-

head. You couldn’t miss it if you tried. But even though that man got out of his car and waved for help, blood and all, he got none. The officer said the man had stood beside his wrecked car for 15 minutes before any motorist stopped. At the scene of another incident, the officer told Ted, an elderly driver’s car had caught fire on the Beltway. The driver, at least 75, had managed to limp his car off onto the shoulder. Smoke was pouring from under the hood. It was still daylight at the time, so any passerby could see that the driver was both old and in major need of help. But he got none. No one even called 911 for about three minutes, the officer said. As a result, the elderly motorist had to stand there and watch as his car, which might have been saved, burned to a crisp. I realize that sainthood in today’s world is rare. I realize, too, that it’s always safer not to get involved in anything untoward or unusual. But how in the world can dozens of motorists stream past a man with blood on his forehead, or another whose car is smoking, and not lift a finger? If this is truly age discrimination — and the police officer says it was — there’s only one answer, by my lights. All of us have to resolve never to pass up an older motorist in need. Not ever. At the very least, we can spend 15 seconds of our precious time calling 911. The one thing we shouldn’t do is assume that someone else will help, or blame our failure to stop on silly excuses like being late for dinner. As the saying goes, we’re all in this together. No one knows that better than older people. By the way, when Ted told his 90-something parents this story, they said he was a good son. He sure is. I know one woozy, needy older motorist who seconds the motion. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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 e-mail to info@fiftyplusrichmond.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: In the New York Times, I read an article stating Medicare’s plans to stop reimbursing for opioid prescriptions starting next January: “Medicare Is Cracking Down on Opioids. Doctors Fear Pain Patients Will Suffer.” Although I am not a big fan of these medications, I realize that a certain percentage of senior citizens cannot function without them. I know an 83-year-old whose back is totally

beyond surgical repair and cannot take bloodthinning painkillers because she is on a blood thinning med, nor can she use a TENS stimulator because of a pacemaker. She visits a pain center every month, is prescribed painkillers, and must account for every pill. With this opioid painkiller, she can walk her dog, go to church, take care of her See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 25

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Feature Story On the James River, glimpsing bald eagles ginia Company landed at Cape Henry. Ostrander started his company in 2007, the year of Jamestown’s 400th anniversary. He offers bald eagle tours, fishing trips, and tours that explore Civil War history on the James. Personally, he enjoys watching the changing seasons on the river. “In May, a population of summer migratory bald eagles from the south arrives and is gone by September. In mid-November, a population we call ‘winter migratory eagles’ arrives from the north and stays into February,” he noted. He introduced a recent tour to 13-year-old female eagle, “Bandit,” named for the band around one of her legs. Ostrander explained she was banded by the American Eagle Foundation in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., before the organization released her into the wild as a three-month-old. She’s the only banded eagle on the James. Many of the other resident eagles have names such as James, Virginia, Trey and Varina. Sometimes Ostrander can ease the boat

PHOTO BY LYNDA RICHARDSON

See NATURE LOVERS, page 6

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PHOTO BY LYNDA RICHARDSON

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By Martha Steger and-white photography on their own time. Mike Ostrander pilots his six-person ponRichardson started “stringing” (freelanctoon boat down a five-mile stretch of the ing) for the Associated Press in the early James River, known as Jefferson’s Reach. 1980s, covering “everything from the legislaPassengers first see osprey, and soon after ture to sporting events, famous personalities Captain Mike points to eagle chicks’ heads to protests,” she said. “I used my weekend for peering over the edge of a nest. nature and wildlife photography.” “There are two great blue heron rookeries Ostrander, who moved to Richmond in at one spot near Jones Neck. One I can see, 1995 after what he called “a dead-end job” in and one not, as it’s on an island hidden by Norfolk, said he “fell in love with” the James trees,” said Ostrander, who owns Discover River. His day job was working for Richmond the James, a river tour company. Camera, but he became a volunteer fishing “In September, as I instructor for the Virease into the main ginia Department of channel, we may Game & Inland Fishcatch a glimpse of a eries (DGIF) in a prosix-foot sturgeon gram for instructing jumping out of the those who wanted to water. Sometimes reteach fishing. ally close to the boat.“ “I was becoming a “Like a torpedo,” his guide before I knew it,” wife Lynda Richardhe said. He taught fishson, a wildlife photograing classes for parents pher, interjected. Then and kids, and went both of them talk about wade fishing at Pony the comeback that sturPasture park on the geon — along with James every chance he bald eagles — have got. made in the area. “I enjoyed the Richardson, now bluegill fishing as well as art director for Virthe flathead catfishing, ginia Wildlife magaand got my start as a zine, has taken photos A bald eagle sighted on the James guide running flathead of animals around the River. catfish trips from a raft. world — from lions in “When I started Botswana, to blackfishing in the lower James, I began noticing bellied whistling ducks in El Salvador. bald eagles and other wildlife. Ann Skalski at DGIF used to say to me, ‘There’s more to fishA natural attraction ing than just catching fish.’ Richardson and Ostrander are passionate “She was right. It’s all about where you are about their respective careers but agree, as — the sunrise, the history, as well as the she states on her website — “Everyone starts wildlife.” out as a novice.” They might say the same thing about mar- Launching a business riage, as theirs is the second marriage for One day when he was thinking out loud both of them. That means they’re no longer that he should give up everything else to neophytes. start his own business, a friend challenged “We’re more patient, understanding [now],” him by asking, “So what’s standing in your Mike said recently. “We have a deeper appre- way?” ciation for what we have. We’re not worried “I decided to go for it,” Ostrander said. about what we don’t have.” “The name ‘James River Fishing School’ To the casual listener, they embody traits came to mind — and that was sort of a busi— such as occasionally finishing one an- ness plan in the name.” other’s sentences — that reflect the 15 years He eventually became “Captain Mike,” runthey’ve been married. Indeed, they have ning his raft, a small jon boat and his 24-foot much in common. pontoon boat Discovery Barge II. He named With degrees in art, his from Old Dominion the latter after the 30-foot shallop, Discovery University and hers from the University of Barge, which was in the Susan Constant’s hull Mary Washington, they each discovered black- when the three 1607 ships of the English Vir-

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

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NEW MEDICARE CARDS On the way: more secure cards without Social Security numbers TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? Most people don’t need vitamin supplements; too much of some can be harmful HEALTHFUL TEAS Teas can relieve nausea and help boost immunity and memory SALMON IN MINUTES This tasty crusted salmon recipe goes from prep to table in 30 minutes

Glow-in-the-dark dyes to identify cancers By Marilynn Marchione It was an ordinary surgery to remove a tumor — until doctors turned off the lights and the patient’s chest started to glow. A spot over his heart shined purplish pink. Another shimmered in a lung. They were hidden cancers revealed by fluorescent dye, an advance that soon may transform how hundreds of thousands of operations are done each year. Surgery has long been the best way to cure cancer. If the disease recurs, it’s usually because stray tumor cells were left behind or others lurked undetected. Yet there’s no good way for surgeons to tell what is cancer and what is not. They look and feel for defects, but good and bad tissue often seem the same. Now, dyes are being tested to make cancer cells light up so doctors can cut them out and give patients a better shot at survival. With dyes, “it’s almost like we have bionic vision,” said Dr. Sunil Singhal at the University of Pennsylvania. “We can be sure we’re not taking too much or too little.”

The dyes are experimental but advancing quickly. Two are in late-stage studies aimed at winning Food and Drug Administration approval. Johnson & Johnson just invested $40 million in one, and federal grants support some of the work. “We think this is so important. Patients’ lives will be improved by this,” said Paula Jacobs, an imaging expert at the National Cancer Institute. In five or so years, “there will be a palette of these,” she predicted.

Making cells glow Singhal was inspired a decade ago, while pondering a student who died when her lung cancer recurred soon after he thought he had removed it all. He was lying next to his baby, gazing at fluorescent decals above him. “I looked up and saw all these stars on the ceiling and I thought, how cool if we could make cells light up” so people wouldn’t die from unseen tumors, he said. A dye called ICG had long been used for various medical purposes. Singhal found that when big doses were given by IV a day before

surgery, it collected in cancer cells and glowed when exposed to near infrared light. He dubbed it TumorGlow, and has been testing it for lung, brain and other tumor types. He used it on Ryan Ciccozzi, a 45-year-old highway worker and father of four from Deptford, New Jersey, and found hidden cancer near Ciccozzi’s heart and in a lung. “The tumor was kind of growing into everything in there,” Ciccozzi said. “Without the dye, I don’t think they would have seen anything” besides the baseball-sized mass visible on CT scans ahead of time. Singhal also is testing a dye for On Target Laboratories, based in the Purdue research park in Indiana, that binds to a protein more common in cancer cells. A late-stage study is underway for ovarian cancer and a mid-stage one for lung cancer. In one study, the dye highlighted 56 of 59 lung cancers seen on scans before surgery, plus nine more that weren’t visible ahead of time. Each year, about 80,000 Americans have surgery for suspicious lung spots. If a dye can

show that cancer is confined to a small node, surgeons can remove a wedge instead of a whole lobe and preserve more breathing capacity, said On Target chief Marty Low. No price has been set, but dyes are cheap to make, and the cost should fit within rates hospitals negotiate with insurers for these operations, he said.

Promising for breast cancer Dyes may hold the most promise for breast cancer, said the American Cancer Society’s Dr. Len Lichtenfeld. Up to one third of women who have a lump removed need a second operation because margins weren’t clear — an edge of the removed tissue later was found to harbor cancer. “If we drop that down into single digits, the impact is huge,” said Kelly Londy, who heads Lumicell, a suburban Boston company testing a dye paired with a device to scan the lump cavity for stray cancer cells. A device called MarginProbe is sold now, See DYES FOR CANCERS, page 5

Obesity may rob the tongue of taste buds By Lauran Neergaard Packing on pounds seems to dull people’s sense of taste, and puzzled researchers turned to mice to figure out why: Obesity, they found, can rob the tongue of taste buds. If these recent findings pan out, “this could be a whole new kind of target in treating obesity,” said Cornell University food scientist Robin Dando, whose lab led the research. “People don’t really look at the taste bud, but it’s so fundamental.” Diet, exercise and genetics are among many factors that play a role in obesity. But taste preferences influence dietary choices, and some earlier studies have suggested that obese people often taste flavors with less intensity than lean people. The theory, still unproven, is that people might make up for weakened taste by turning

to higher-calorie foods or generally eating more.

Missing taste buds Dando’s team took a closer look at taste buds, those clusters of cells on the tongue that help perceive the five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. They turned to lab mice, feeding them a high-fat diet that caused rapid weight gain, and then counting the taste buds in a spot on the tongue that’s normally packed with them. The obese mice wound up with 25 percent fewer taste buds than lean mice that were fed a normal diet, the researchers reported in the journal PLOS Biology. Taste buds constantly regenerate as the 50 to 100 cells inside them mature, die off and are replaced by new ones. Taste bud cells have an average lifespan of about 10 days, and turnover of

the entire taste bud takes about four weeks, explained Dando, who directs the Cornell Sensory Evaluation Facility. Both sides of that cycle were affected in the obese mice, as regular cell death sped up and resupply dropped. Could fatty food be responsible? No, the researchers found that mice genetically resistant to obesity chowed down yet didn’t lose taste buds.

Inflammation may be culprit The remaining suspect: the chronic inflammation that obesity triggers throughout the body. Dando’s team examined a common inflammatory molecule called TNF-alpha. Mice bred to be genetically incapable of making that molecule got fat but also didn’t lose taste buds. But injecting that molecule directly into the

tongues of lean mice resulted in faster die-off of taste bud cells, the researchers reported. The study “does underscore the relationship between taste sensitivity and weight,” said Dr. John Morton, a Stanford University bariatric surgeon who wasn’t involved in the new work. “It’s another reason why it’s hard to lose weight.” Several years ago, Morton gave his own patients taste tests before and after stomachshrinking surgery, and found taste perception improved as the pounds dropped. Whatever the role of taste buds, Morton advises patients to eat mindfully — appreciating the sight and smell, and slowing down to chew 30 times before they swallow. “You get satisfaction from food in ways other than volume,” he said. — AP

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Dyes for cancers From page 4 but it uses different technology to examine the surface of tissue that’s been taken out, so it can’t pinpoint in the breast where residual disease lurks, said Dr. Barbara Smith, a breast surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is leading a late-stage study of Lumicell’s system in 400 breast cancer patients. In an earlier study of 60 women, it revealed all of the cancers, verified by tissue tests later. But it also gave false alarms in more than a quarter of cases — “there were some areas where normal tissue lit up a little bit,” Smith said.

Still, she said, “you would rather take a little extra tissue with the first surgery rather than missing something and have to go back.” Blaze Bioscience is testing Tumor Paint, patented by company co-founder Dr. Jim Olson of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s a combo product — a molecule that binds to cancer and a dye to make it glow. “You can see it down to a few dozen cells or a few hundred cells,” Olson said. “I’ve seen neurosurgeons come out of the operating room with a big smile on their face because they can see the cancer very clearly.” Early-stage studies have been done for

M ARK YO UR CALE NDAR

May 15+

skin, brain and breast cancers in adults, and brain tumors in children. Avelas Biosciences of San Diego has a similar approach — a dye attached to a molecule to carry it into tumor cells. The company is finishing early studies in breast cancer, and plans more for colon, head and neck, ovarian

SENIOR OLYMPICS PARTY The Virginia Senior Olympics for 2018 is hosting a ‘70s-theme party

on Friday, May 18 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Belmont Recreation Center, 1600 Hilliard Rd., Henrico. There will be health screenings, health and wellness vendors, giveaways, music, trivia, costume contests and light refreshments. Admission is free and open to all. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/VirginiaSeniorGames2018.

OPIOID OVERDOSE TRAINING

REVIVE! is a Chesterfield County program that provides free training and the medication naloxone (also known as NARCAN) to the community at no charge in an effort to prevent fatal opioid overdoses. During the 90minute trainings, participants will learn how to administer naloxone, and about resources available in the community. Training sessions will be held on Tuesday, May 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Bon Air Library, 9103 Rattlesnake Rd., and Tuesday, June 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at North Courthouse Road Library, 325 Courthouse Rd. The Chesterfield Health District will provide one box, containing two doses, of naloxone nasal spray to everyone who attends a REVIVE! training. A CPR face shield and a pair of gloves also will be provided. For more information or to register, contact Debbie Severt at (804) 717-6839 or visit www.chesterfield.gov/revive.

and other types. Cancer drugs have had a lot of attention, while ways to improve surgery have had far less, said company president Carmine Stengone. “This was just an overlooked area, despite the high medical need.” — AP

M A R K YO U R CAL EN DA R

May 18

May 17

PELVIC FLOOR TALK VCU Health presents “Pelvic Floor Disorders and Beyond Kegels” on Thursday, May 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Lewis Ginter Botanical

Garden in the Kelly Education Center, 1800 Lakeside Ave. One in three women experiences a pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime, including problems with bladder and bowel control or pelvic support. Join Dr. Lauren Siff, a VCU Health urogynecologist, as she talks about lifestyle changes, medications and surgical options that can help manage and treat pelvic health problems. Seminars are free and open to the public, but registration is recommended. For more information or to register, visit vcuhealth.org/events or call (804) 628-0041.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

Look for new, more secure Medicare cards By Kimberly Lankford Q: I remember reading that Medicare will start sending out new cards this year that don’t include Social Security numbers. How can I find out when I’ll receive my new card? Do I need to do anything to get it? A: In an effort to protect against identity theft, Medicare has been preparing to replace everyone’s Medicare cards with new ones that include a unique 11-digit Medicare identifier rather than your Social Security number. The new card won’t change your benefits, and you can use it as soon as you receive it.

The agency will send out the new cards to all Medicare beneficiaries between April 2018 and April 2019, with the time frame based on your state. The first wave of new cards will be mailed from April to June this year to people in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. You’ll get your new card automatically and don’t need to do anything, other than make sure that the Social Security Administration has your current mailing address. You can update your address through your online My Social Security account or by calling the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213

(TTY: 1-800-325-0778). Once you get your new Medicare card, take these steps to make it harder for someone to steal your information and identity: 1. Destroy your old Medicare card right away, and treat your Medicare number like you treat your Social Security or credit card numbers. If you have a separate card for a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescriptiondrug plan, you should keep that card. 2. Use your new card. Doctors, other healthcare providers, and plans approved by Medicare know that Medicare is replacing the old cards. They are ready to accept your

new card when you need care. 3. Beware of people who contact you about your new Medicare card and ask for your Medicare number, personal information, or ask you to pay a fee to receive your new card. There is no charge for the new card, and Medicare will not call asking for your Social Security or bank information in order to send you a new card. For more information about your new Medicare card, visit go.medicare.gov/newcard. You can also visit Medicare.gov for tips to prevent Medicare fraud. © 2018, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nature lovers

ings is increasing. He does a few Civil War tours each year, and those fill up months in advance. His bald eagle tours run March through December. He takes a break in January and February, as that’s the eagles’ nesting time. “He likes to give them some privacy to do their thing,” Richardson said with a wink. When asked which of his tours is her favorite, Richardson replied, “Every tour is different. Mike customizes it to the particular day, the people on the tour, and what’s happening on the river at any given time. He’s an eagle specialist without having a degree in it.”

Capturing wildlife on camera

environmental issues, nature and wildlife. Like Ostrander, Richardson has been an instructor and speaker as well. In part that’s because freelance photography has become an especially difficult livelihood in the past decade. “My long-time editors were retiring, and new editors came on, bringing their own stable of photographers,” she explained. “I took a job teaching commercial photography and digital arts at the Chesterfield Technical Center, which still allowed time for freelancing during the summers. It was fun, as I love

From page 3 near a tree on which “Bandit” is perched. A listener can tell that this captain — given the “River Hero Award” by the Friends of the James River Park in 2011 — never tires of life on the river. “Eagles’ wings look different every time,” he said, “depending on the cloud cover, the sun under the wings.” Sixteen years after starting Discover the James tours, his public tours are regularly booked, and the number of private-tour book-

Richardson herself is a wildlife specialist and photographer, without a degree in either. It took her four years of freelancing and building her portfolio to break into national magazines and organizations such as Smithsonian, National Wildlife and International Wildlife magazines, the Nature Conservancy and the National Geographic Society. She traveled to Africa, Central and South America, Cuba and throughout the United States on assignments, shooting everything from archaeology, news, sports and university life, to her specialty — endangered species,

See NATURE LOVERS, page 7

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Nature lovers From page 6

Animal adventures Her most unusual travel memories include the good and the bad. The former covers watching mosquito larvae hatch in her photo blind while she waited for black-bellied whistling ducks during a shoot in El Salvador. The latter, from experiencing excruciating itching as diatomic crab larvae burrowed into her legs while she was standing thigh-high in a Honduran mangrove swamp. “Every trip was an adventure,” she said. “Crawling so close to an African elephant that I could touch if I wanted to is memorable — but

son said. “I’m planning some underwater photography there.” It’s no surprise they met in person over a fishing line, after Ostrander had called her about judging a photography contest for him at Richmond Camera. In the course of the conversation, he asked if she’d like to go fishing that Friday afternoon. She’d fished for everything else, but never for catfish. He took several rods out to the middle of the James River in Pony Pasture and gave one a throw for her. When he handed her the line, he looked at his watch and told her to expect a bite in about 10 sec-

onds. “And I had a bite at exactly that moment!” Richardson exclaimed. Fifteen years later, they might not be sharing a fishing line, but they do enjoy sharing the images from photos they take on trips together. Art comes back into play. “Beautiful dawns on the river,” Ostrander said, musing over scenes like those pictured on his website. “The James River is my palette.” Learn more about Ostrander’s tours at www.discoverthejames.com or by calling (804) 938-2350. See some of Richardson’s work at www.lyndarichardson.com.

PHOTO BY LYNDA RICHARDSON

teaching, but my real love was working with, or for, magazines.” Then she became aware of an opening at DGIF for the position of art director of Virginia Wildlife, the agency’s award-winning monthly magazine. “I had done a lot of shooting for Virginia Wildlife and had helped the agency in other ways — running their photography contest and writing the photo-tips column, both of which I started. So it was a perfect fit.” Does she miss the exotic travels? “Yeah — big time! — but my body might not be up to carrying all of that heavy photographic stuff the way I did years ago,” she said. “I’ll have to travel on my vacation time.”

my guide said the animal thought we were warthogs and wouldn’t hurt us. I was personally insulted that it would think I was a warthog! “You have to learn to look for some things — like cobras, which will crawl through the moisture under your tent at night in search of toads,” she added. Cobra patrol was routine in her visit to Ruaha Park in southern Botswana. But she said her most unusual travel memory is from that same trip, walking (downwind so the animals couldn’t catch her scent) up to a pride of lions enjoying their fresh kill. “If you’ve never heard a lion roar in the wild….It vibrates your ribs.” The lions weren’t roaring at her — they didn’t know she was there — but at hyenas, which had come to share in the feast. Unfortunately, Richardson turned out to be too close to the lion — his face bloody from the kill — to get any good images, because the camera lens she had on was a 500mm Canon telephoto. “And the hyenas didn’t do me any favors by driving the lions away from the carcass. I walked slowly back to the vehicle while keeping an eye on the lion.” Ostrander jokes that his idea of exotic travel is “southwest Virginia.” They’ll be headed there to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this month. “The South Holston River in Tennessee, just over the Virginia line, is neat,” Richard-

Lynda Richardson shot this photo of lions at dusk in Kenya.

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Daily multivitamins not usually necessary Q: Should I take a daily multivitamin? Vitamin E: vegetable oil, almonds, A: This may come as a surprise, but for peanuts, spinach, sweet potato healthy adults, the use of a daily multivitamin is Vitamin B12: fish, chicken, eggs, milk, generally not recommended. Recheese, fortified cereal search has not been able to show Vitamin B6: fish, potatoes, that taking multivitamins in supturkey, bread plement form can prevent illness. Calcium: milk, yogur t, Vitamins are important, but cheese the best sources of them are the If you do choose to take daily foods we eat. The federal 2015vitamins, perhaps because you 2020 Dietary Guidelines for are unable to consume enough Americans states that “nutritional of the foods that contain the vineeds should be met primarily tamins you need, here are a few from foods.” things to keep in mind. Prevention of chronic dis- DR. R Today, multivitamin products X eases — such as high blood By Meghan Gill are often designed and marpressure, high cholesterol and keted for specific groups of peodiabetes — can begin with an ple — kids, women, men or emphasis on a healthy lifestyle that includes seniors, for example. exercise as well as a balanced diet containing This is important to consider when choosing fruits, vegetables and whole grains. a multivitamin, because the vitamins included Below is a list of important vitamins and will be targeted to the needs of the population some foods in which they can be found. on the label. For example, a multivitamin for women may include a higher amount of iron, Food sources of vitamins while a multivitamin for seniors will include Vitamin A: carrots, leafy vegetables, eggs higher amounts of lutein and lycopene. (yolks), chicken, fortified milk Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomatoes, broc- Some cautions coli, green pepper, potatoes The old saying, “too much of a good Vitamin D: salmon, tuna, cheese thing,” is as true as ever when taking vitamin

supplements. The U.S. government’s Food and Nutrition Board is tasked with defining the recommended daily allowances for vitamins and minerals. Stick to those limits, which can be found on the website of the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/dailyvalues.aspx). Taking more than the recommended amount of certain supplements could put you at risk for side effects. (However, it’s nearly impossible to overdose on vitamins from food.) Additionally, those who smoke should be cautious when taking multivitamins contain-

ing beta-carotene or vitamin A, due to a potential increased risk of lung cancer. Finally, multivitamins can affect how some medications work when taken together, such as calcium and certain antibiotics. Remember, you can always talk with your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you have questions regarding the use of multivitamins and whether they are right for you. Meghan Gill is a rising fourth-year Pharm.D. student at VCU School of Pharmacy. She studied biology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Her area of focus is pediatrics, and she hopes to pursue a career as a pediatric clinical pharmacist.

M A R K YO U R CAL EN DA R

July 31+

GRANDPARENT/GRANDCHILD CAMP

Mark your calendar for Chesterfield’s grandparent and grandchild summer camp from Tuesday, July 31 to Thursday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This unique summer camp will allow you to experience life in the 18th century while engaging in activities from archaeology, soldier life training, making clay bricks, participating in period chores, playing period games and more. Admission costs $100, and includes lunch, snacks and drinks for ages 6 to 12 and grandparent. The camp meets at Magnolia Grange Museum, 10020 Iron Bridge Rd. Registration can be accomplished through Paypal at www.chesterfieldhistory.com. For more information, call (804) 751-4946.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

A variety of teas — good for what ails you We’re doing something wrong because, as on for centuries. If you have a medical condition, please a nation, we spend twice what other compamake sure to consult your pharrable countries spend on healthmacist, health practitioner, local care, but we have the lowest life herbalist or acupuncturist on expectancy. Worse, we have the this subject. highest infant mortality rates. The teas I mention below are Our medical system is expensold as commercially prepared sive, slow, inefficient, and at teabags or you can easily make times miserably incompetent. them yourself. It’s not me saying this, I’m just passing along news from a reIf you want help with cent study published in the Jourcancer and immunity: nal of the American Medical Many good animal studies Association. prove that epigallocatechin galDEAR Today, I’d like to get back to PHARMACIST late (EGCG), a polyphenol nature. I’m going to share the By Suzy Cohen found in green tea, can slow best teas for various health condown the growth of many cancerns. Teas are gentle, but they contain pow- cers, including pancreatic cancer. Angiogenerful natural compounds that man has relied esis slows.

M ARK YO UR CALE NDAR

May 24

DINNER AND A MOVIE

The Virginia War Memorial presents “Dinner-and-a-Movie Night: Go Out, Give Back!” on Thursday, May 24. Start with dinner at Social 52, 2619 W Main St., from 5 to 7 p.m., when 10 percent of your bill will be donated to the Foundation. Following dinner, enjoy a free screening (donations accepted) of Saving Private Ryan at the historic Byrd Theatre, 2908 W Cary St. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/WarMemorialDinnerMovie.

If you have chronic infections or cancer, talk to your oncologist about taking this supplement because timing is important if you’re on chemo. If you want help remembering: Gotu kola is for your brain, baby! It boosts memory and helps with age-related cognitive decline. I have my own refreshing recipe for Mint Hibiscus Memory Tea with gotu kola. I show you how to make this tea in a video on my website. Watch at suzycohen.com/hibiscus-tea. If you want to sleep: Lavender tea is the best option. It works like prescribed tranquilizers, meaning it activates your natural sleep hormone called GABA. Rose petals can do the same thing! I crawled out of bed one night in my jammies to make Lavender Rose Sleep Tea. To learn how, watch at suzycohen.com/lavenderrose-tea. If you have diabetes or want to lower blood pressure: Rooibos tea is excellent at cleaning capillaries, and there are many of these tiny capillaries that feed your retina. I think the tea is great for both blood pressure and vision. Rooibos has no caffeine. It contains chrysoeriol, which helps reduce blood pres-

sure. You might also consider goldenseal or dandelion, two of Mother Nature’s best diuretics. If you want to relieve nausea: Ginger tea is easy to make, and it also does not have caffeine. It contains numerous biologically active compounds, including gingerols, which act like medicine in the body. Just grate fresh ginger into some water and simmer it for a few minutes. It’s also a potent anti-inflammatory for joint health. For allergies and sinus problems: The herb stinging nettles is a very common, natural way to deal with allergies. It’s a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory herb that helps with hay fever, according to some well-designed trials. You should ask your practitioner about this if you’re interested. It’s a natural diuretic by the way, so be careful if you take HCTZ or furosemide. This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

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F I F T Y P L U S â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 8

A tasty crusted salmon done in minutes By Melissa Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arabian I like to have a small repertoire of dishes that require hardly any prep, and that use ingredients I have on hand. The trick, of course, is to keep those ingredients on hand! Stock your pantry with frozen wild salmon filets and Dijon mustard and you will never be more than a few sheet-pan minutes away from a tasty crusted salmon. While the ingredients might change up a bit depending on your mood and your pantry, the basic strategy is the same: Stir a few flavorful ingredients into some Dijon mustard, spread it on quickly marinated salmon, and bake until done. Go from start to table in about 30 minutes. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipe for Mustard and Dill Crusted Salmon is but one example of this recipe blueprint. Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mastered it (which wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long), you can venture out on your own on a given night and create your own version. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll share a few best practices based on many years of mustard-crusting salmon: Add a little something sweet, like a touch of honey, pure maple syrup or agave. Also, include one or two aromatic ingredients, like minced shallot, garlic, spices or dried herbs. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind a little extra fat, a tiny bit of olive oil or even mayonnaise will keep the

dish juicy and tender, for just a few extra calories a person. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fret if you want to skip the oil and keep things super lean. Finally, you can add a little texture if you want by topping with breadcrumbs or crushed nuts, but this is totally optional.

Mustard and Dill Crusted Salmon Servings: 4 Start to finish: 30 minutes 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 fillets of salmon, about 5 ounces each Mustard Crust: 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped) Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the soy sauce and lemon juice in a shallow bowl, and dip both sides of each salmon fillet in the mixture. Let the marinade soak into the salmon for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the mustard crust in a medium bowl and set aside. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Gently pat any excess liquid off the salmon fillets. (They do not need to be completely dry; just not dripping.) Divide the mustard mixture among the fillets, and use your hands to coat the fish entirely in the mustard mixture. Place the fish on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake just until fish is cooked through (about 135 F internal temperature). This will take between 10 and 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. If the fish is frozen, add about 5 minutes. In general, the salmon will be ready a few minutes earlier than you think. Serve with vegetables and brown rice for a quick weeknight meal.

Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: This recipe can be prepared with frozen fish fillets. First, let them sit out for 15 minutes to thaw the outside just enough for the soy sauce and lemon mixture to soak in a little. Proceed with recipe, adding cook-time as needed. Nutrition information per serving: 247 calories; 97 calories from fat; 11 g. fat (2 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 79 mg. cholesterol; 635 mg. sodium; 6 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 2 g. sugar; 29 g. protein. Food Network star Melissa dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, Supermarket Healthy. Online: www.melissadarabian.net. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

M A R K YO U R CAL EN DA R

May 22

VOLUNTEER HALL OF FAME The Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame is holding a recognition event on

Tuesday, May 22 at 2 p.m. at Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center, 6610 Public Safety Way, Chesterfield. Join others as Chesterfield residents, ages 60+ are recognized for their outstanding volunteer service to the community. For more information, visit www.chesterfield.gov/seniorevents or contact the Senior Advocateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office at (804) 768-7878 or SeniorAdvocate@chesterfield.gov.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

Turn ‘my’ retirement into ‘our’ retirement people trot out pictures of their newborn grandchildren. But now there’s an added problem. What can you say when the potential grandparent excitedly shows you pictures of the unborn fetus? My neighbor came to me with these pictures pointing out, “Oh, don’t you see it? There’s his nose, and those are the eyes.” I hope that was a nose and eyes, but all I saw was a blob. What are you supposed to say? Or maybe I should ask, what are you not supposed to say? — L T. Dear L.T.: “Blob” is out! Nods while exclaiming “oh, wow” is in. But don’t say, “I can see he looks just like you.” Along with “oh, wow,” say, “Isn’t technology fabulous?!” It is. But let’s face it. Noses and things in a sonogram are in the eye of the beholder — and the beholder should behold them privately in the bosom of their nuclear family. If you thought nothing could be worse than “come see our vacation pictures,” you now know that that invitation can be topped by “come see our sonogram pictures!”

TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIFIED – BIGGER AND BETTER

Wow! A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors! Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in! There is finally a computer that’s designed for simplicity and ease of use. It’s the WOW Computer, and it was designed with you in mind. This computer is easy-to-use, worry-free and literally puts the world at your fingertips. From the moment you open the box, you’ll realize how different the WOW Computer is. The components are all connected; all you do is plug it into an outlet and your high-speed Internet connection. Then you’ll see the screen. This is a completely new touch screen system, without the cluttered look of the normal computer screen. The “buttons” on the screen are easy to see and easy to understand. All you do is touch one of them, from the Web, Email, Calendar to Games– you name it… and a new screen opens up. It’s so easy to use you won’t have to ask your children or grandchildren for help. Until now, the very people

who could benefit most from E-mail and the Internet are the ones that have had the hardest time accessing it. Now, thanks to the WOW Computer, countless older Americans are discovering the wonderful world of the Internet every day. Isn’t it time you took part? Call now, and you’ll find out why tens of thousands of satisfied seniors are now enjoying their WOW Computers, emailing their grandchildren, and experiencing everything the Internet has to offer.Call today!

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Dear Solutions: I don’t know how to accept or deal with a certain kind of hypocrisy, which makes me angry and nasty to the person I have to deal with. There is this man in a group I run. He is constantly voicing his religious beliefs and criticisms of others. But almost at the same time, he boasts about getting away with little robberies, and supporting politicians who keep doing the things he claims his religion is morally against. I don’t want to start fights with him, but how can I calm down and accept this religious hypocrisy? — A. Dear A.: How to accept this? Well, try thinking what he would be like if he didn’t claim any religion! Ignore him. Only a fool bothers fighting with a fool. Of course, if nothing else works — pray! © Helen Oxenberg, 2018. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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Dear Solutions: You looked forward to your retirement so Since I retired, my wife keeps mak- you could finally do nothing. She looked foring appointments for us to ward to your retirement so she go places and do things could finally do something — constantly. I told her that I with you. worked very hard, and now The only thing you’re sharI just want to stay home and ing now is a nightmare, and listen to my music, read, only compromise and underrelax and do nothing. standing can change that into a So now, she doesn’t say pleasant dream. anything during the day If you give up, you’ll gain. If but just goes out all day. she gains, she’ll give up. Give The problem is that as up a little of your time alone, soon as we get into bed at SOLUTIONS share some of her plans, and night she starts complain- By Helen Oxenberg, you’ll at least gain a night’s ing, nagging and compar- MSW, ACSW sleep and pr obably much ing with others. more. When she gains some I said I would move into of that time you’ll share with another room, and that just started an- her, she’ll give up the complaining and nagother argument. No matter what I say, ging. she doesn’t stop until I fall asleep. Recognize that she’s feeling completely left What should I do? out from your grand retirement plan. You’ve — Bill changed your activities drastically, but she’s Dear Bill: still expected to continue doing what she alDon’t get into bed until you’re asleep (kid- ways did while you were working. Changing ding). It does sound like the only way you two “my retirement” to “our retirement” may be can share the same bed at the same time is if just the sleeping pill you need. you’re both asleep! Moving into another Dear Solutions: room will just move the conflict to another It’s hard enough to know what to say time. besides, “Oh, how adorable” when

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Money

SOCIAL SECURITY ACUMEN The updated book, Social Security: The Inside Story, is a comprehensive guide to maximizing benefits, including those for widows and widowers TAX REFUND SCAM Scammers who claim to be from the IRS want you to think they merely want to deposit your refund into your bank account, but they have other plans for your money

Bitcoin and blockchain. Why all the hype? By Bradford M. Pine I can’t tell you the number of phone calls I’ve fielded about bitcoin in recent months. The shocking rise of cryptocurrencies last year triggered a wave of media attention on this new form of money as an investment. Even my kids have asked me about it, and are investing themselves. For early adopters of cryptocurrency, 2017 was a good year. Bitcoin started that year at about $1,000 per coin and hit nearly $20,000 per coin by mid-December. It then lost 30 percent within a few days, fell to a low of about $6,500 in February 2018, and trades at around $9,000 as of press time. High price volatility has characterized

other cryptocurrencies in recent months as well, including Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple. The market is changing so rapidly that this article is in danger of becoming outdated by the time you read this! So if you’re considering bitcoin or another cryptocurrency as a possible investment, I suggest you tread carefully. In this article, I’ll answer some common questions that I’m hearing about bitcoin, and I’ll offer a few insights into my perspective about cryptocurrency as both an innovation and an investment.

What is bitcoin? In my opinion, many of the people who are buying into the bitcoin rush know very little

about it, or about blockchain and cryptocurrencies in general. That means they haven’t thought through some of the risks and realities of this kind of investment. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which means that it’s a digital version of cash that relies on cryptography to protect and verify transactions — and to control the creation of more bitcoin. This system is built in something called blockchain, which is basically a new way of creating and maintaining a ledger of transactions. (I won’t get into the creation, or “mining,” of bitcoin here, but it’s part of the system.) Every time bitcoin is created or traded, it’s recorded on the blockchain, which is verified and shared across a network of participants in-

stead of by a single institution, like a bank. Blockchain is special because it’s transparent, while remaining difficult to modify. It also runs forever, meaning there’s a record of every single transaction ever made. For a simple comparison, think of an online message board: Everyone’s messages are automatically added and recorded where every other reader can see them. All the messages from the very beginning of the thread are logged and displayed for all to see. However, in a message board you can usually delete or edit your message later on — you can’t do that with blockchain. See BITCOIN, page 14

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Bitcoin From page 13

What’s it worth? A November 2017 CNBC headline asserted, “It’s Official: Bitcoin is Bigger Than Disney.” In other words, the total dollar value of all the bitcoin out there was greater (at that time) than the value of a large and recognizable company with assets that you can put a dollar value on. But an economic argument for what a “reasonable” price is hasn’t been so easy to come by. Bitcoin isn’t like a Disney: It doesn’t have assets you can sell, and it doesn’t have bonds that provide income, which you can buy. It also has limited use as a currency. Bitcoin doesn’t have a history as a reliable or broadly accepted store of value, like the dollar, and its “exchange rate,” or price, has rocketed up thanks to market demand — but not by the economic value of bitcoin itself. Add to this the reality that about 40% of all bitcoin is held by just 1,000 people. That makes bitcoin extremely sensitive to the whims of that very small group — and their actions aren’t regulated by securities authorities because bitcoin isn’t a security. Cryptocurrencies in general aren’t regulated, and it’s not clear they could be effectively regulated in the future. The government is not involved yet, and it may or may not get involved

M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

in the future — and it’s tough to know how it could affect prices and demand in the future. When you add all this together, it’s difficult to see how bitcoin could be worth the prices it is reaching today. Right now, it’s supply and demand that is driving the price, so there’s no true valuation — or even a valuation process — that you can rely on. That makes me nervous.

So why all the hype? Is bitcoin worth something? Probably. Blockchain is pretty widely considered a significant improvement on transaction recording, and the real-world potential for digital currency could certainly be there. The way I look at it is that blockchain is the arms dealer in the war between cryptocurrencies. No matter which one wins — or even if none of them does — in my opinion it looks like blockchain will be here to stay. I’ve been around long enough to know the lasting impact that a new technology can have on financial markets and the world as a whole. (Do you remember the first “personal computers”? I sure do.) But I’ve also been around long enough to know that when you hear words like “new world order” it doesn’t always end well. There are unforeseen risks and even known weaknesses in the system. Just in December, a South Korean bitcoin exchange called Nicehash went out of busi-

5_18FP

ness after hackers made off with an undisclosed amount of the currency, while earlier in the month $70 million was stolen from the Nicehash exchange. Exchanges can make promises about making investors whole, but this is an unregulated market — there are no guarantees. In other words, I think it’s important to understand that “new world order” doesn’t always mean “smooth sailing.” Back in 1999, people were laughing at Warren Buffett for not recognizing the world had changed in the dot-com era. Some of the companies founded in those days did end up changing the world (such as Amazon), but a lot of good people also lost their life savings in the hype (remember the doomed Pets.com and its sock puppet?).

What if I really want in? For those who are determined to be part of the bitcoin rush, I have three pieces of advice. First, do your homework. Understand the product and learn everything you can about how it’s being used, where the potential lies, and what could impact its price — for better or worse. Second, don’t invest money you’re not prepared to lose. My typical advice is to cap these types of investments at 5% of investable assets, but even that might be too much, depending on your specific financial

situation, personal financial needs and overall asset allocation. If you don’t know what you can lose without impacting your overall financial goals, check in with your adviser. Finally, prepare for any outcome. In my opinion, this is a “zero or hero” investment: It might work brilliantly, or it might amount to nothing. In these types of situations, where price is driven by demand and where there are few fundamentals to work from, you need to brace for volatility and the potential for heavy losses. Cryptocurrency may very well stick around and be a successful innovation, just like the tech sector was. The question is which cryptocurrencies will stand the test of time and go on to be successful — and at what price. This is notoriously hard to predict. For example, few could have foreseen that MySpace would be eclipsed by Facebook, or that Amazon would grow from online bookseller to retail juggernaut. In other words, I don’t know what’s going to happen in bitcoin, but what I see right now is a lot of uninformed investors piling in — and very few reasoned arguments for where bitcoin “should” be in terms of value. In my opinion this is a problematic situation to walk into. My reasoning is simple: I think that when we stop acting like informed investors — or See BITCOIN, page 15

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

An indispensable guide to Social Security There is no question that Social Security is- efits, family benefits, survivor benefits, dissues are important to the American public. It ability benefits and Medicare. There are references to availis not unusual for me to receive able calculators for estimating more than 100 responses from your benefits, hints on effective readers when I write a Social Sefiling, and a very important curity-related column. chapter on maximizing your Regular readers know that I benefits. frequently reference Andy Landis The chapter on maximizing as a source. He has just updated Social Security benefits is partichis book, Social Security: The Inularly useful. Landis discusses side Story (www.andylandis.biz), the advantages of postponing filwhich I consider an indispensaing for benefits up to age 70, ble resource on the topic. which increases your benefits by This book is up-to-date, com8 percent for every year you wait prehensive, well-organized and THE SAVINGS GAME past full retirement age (FRA). easy to understand. He provides Another advantage in doing so numerous helpful examples. In By Elliot Raphaelson is that widows/widowers might each chapter, he includes Social Security references so readers can read the as- be entitled to a larger benefit if you choose this option. Filing for widow/widower benefits at sociated regulations that were discussed. The book provides a useful overview of So- one point does not preclude filing for benefits cial Security and chapters on retirement ben- based on your work record at a later time.

Bitcoin From page 14 even informed traders — and start believing that something will be the winning lotto ticket, we’re likely to get in trouble.

Are people making a lot of money on bitcoin right now, at least on paper? It sure seems that way. But I’m concerned about all the people who could be left holding the bag when and if the bitcoin rush turns. Like Warren Buffett, in this case I’d rather

Spousal only benefits

You need expertise

The chapter also discusses “restricted application for spousal only” payments. This option allows you to file for your spousal benefit after you reach your FRA, and then to file for your benefits based on your work record up to age 70. Unfortunately, many Social Security representatives do not understand this option. When I have written about this option, I have been amazed at the number of readers who write complaining about the ignorance of many Social Security Administration representatives. Note that this option is available only to individuals who were born before January 2, 1954. And to qualify, your spouse would have to have already filed for his/her benefits. You must not have received a reduced retirement benefit or spousal payment before. It would make sense to use this option only if your payment at age 70 is higher than your spousal payment at FRA. If you meet these qualifications, it can be a valuable tool.

Many of the options and tools discussed in this book will help you make the right decisions. You cannot depend on advice from SSA representatives. Many financial planners are far from experts in Social Security as well. I recommend that it is in your best interests to become an expert in Social Security before it is time to apply for benefits. Making the right decision can provide you with hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional benefits. Many divorced individuals do not understand their Social Security options. If your previous marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you either have not remarried or remarried after age 60, you may have benefits you are not aware of. You can’t depend on the SSA to inform you, either. For example, many individuals

miss out on the upside than risk experiencing the downside. You can call it being a dinosaur if you want: I just call it being prudent. Written by Bradford Pine with Anna B. Wroblewska. Bradford M. Pine is a Wealth Adviser with Bradford Pine Wealth Group,

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

See SOCIAL SECURITY, page 16

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

E-mails from the IRS and other tax scams By Kimberly Lankford Question: I received an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS, asking for my bank account information to deposit my refund. I’m almost positive it’s a scam. How can I find out for sure, and how can I report it if it is fraudulent? Answer: It’s a scam — and one that’s common around tax season. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by phone or e-mail. Most people know to be suspicious of calls and e-mails claiming to be from the IRS and asking for your money or personal information. But the crooks are getting smarter and introducing a new level of tax-related schemes, which are especially prevalent this time of year as people file their tax returns

and await their refunds. And people are even more susceptible to scams this year because of confusion about the new tax law. In the most common tax scams, IRS impostors claim that you owe money and threaten lawsuits or arrest if you don’t pay immediately by credit card, or by wiring the money or sending a prepaid debit card or gift card. They have even started to spoof caller IDs to make it look like the call is from Washington, D.C., the U.S. Treasury, or your state or local department of revenue. Be aware, if you owe money, you’ll receive a notice from the IRS in the mail first. And the agency does not demand that you pay taxes without a chance to question or appeal the

amount it says you owe. As you discovered, at this time of year scam artists are also sending e-mails that look like official IRS correspondence asking for your bank account information to directly deposit your refund. Some e-mails include a link to a website that looks legitimate, but is just a way to gather your information and steal your money or identity. Con artists also send e-mails claiming to be from your tax software company or tax professional, asking for information related to your refund or confirming personal information. The e-mail may ask you to update your “IRS e-file information immediately” to prevent a delay of your refund. NOTE: The IRS will never send an e-

mail asking for your personal or financial information. You can report these phishing scams (scams aimed at tricking you into relinquishing personal ID information) at phishing@irs.gov. If you think there’s a chance that the correspondence may be legitimate, don’t click on any links or respond. Instead, look up the phone number of your tax preparer or tax software company separately and call them to check. For more information about scams targeting taxpayers — including a frequently updated list of common scams — see www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Social Security

after age 60, you are entitled to whichever is greater, your ex-spouse’s benefit or the benefit you are now receiving. Landis’ book covers this and other topics in great detail. If you have any relatives approaching retirement age, one of the best gifts you can provide is a copy of this book. It can make their retirement much more prosperous. Making the right Social Security choices is critical. Making the wrong choices is expensive and difficult to undo.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com.

From page 15 believe that because their ex-spouse remarried, it affects their benefits. This is false; it has no impact. If your ex predeceases you, it is possible that you are entitled to larger benefits than you previously were receiving. For example, assume your ex worked until age 70 and was receiving $2,000 per month in Social Security benefits, and he/she died. If you are single, or remarried

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Travel

Leisure &

Volunteer vacations, like this one with Global Volunteers, let you enjoy travel while sharing your skills to help others. See story on page 19.

South of the border: Raleigh/Chapel Hill prospective students) and alumni strolling streets lined with eateries, quaint shops and drinking spots.

Arts and spa in Raleigh When it comes to storefront boutiques, Raleigh needn’t take a seat behind Chapel Hill. The capital city’s Design District, encompassing several neighborhoods, brings downtown into focus with antique shops, art galleries, jewelers, fabric and other specialty stores, and cafes. Like Richmond, Raleigh is replete with suburban sprawl, but we were unaware of that as we stayed away from Interstate 440 and stuck with walking around streets, such as shopfilled Peace Street and Capital Boulevard. We were glad we stayed at the Marriott Downtown because a good business center was necessary for transacting personal business that we’d been unable to complete before our trip. Staff was readily available to help when we had fax or computer issues in the late p.m. or early a.m. The hotel’s to-go breakfasts were excellent and convenient when we were running late. The North Carolina Museum of Art, just

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAROLINA INN

By Martha Steger Despite — or perhaps because of — our rivalry with Tar Heels, Virginians love our neighboring state to the south. Unlike our own capital city, North Carolina’s Raleigh, 175 miles southwest of Richmond via I-95, or 155 miles on I-85, received little damage in the Civil War. My husband, Tom, and I — fans of Richmond’s architecture — enjoyed seeing the well-preserved Victorian homes in Raleigh neighborhoods such as Oakwood, and the city’s oldest residence (1785) at Mordecai Historic Park. The house and surrounding parkland was originally home to one of the earliest Jewish families settling in the United States. Chapel Hill — a 10-minute drive from Raleigh — usually steals the show from the much larger capital city, but both are wonderfully walkable cities. As lovers of college towns, Tom and I agreed we could be set down on a University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill brick walkway and swear we were on the campus of William and Mary or the lawn at the University of Virginia. As in Williamsburg and Charlottesville, we passed an abundance of college students (or

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART

In addition to its many collections inside, the North Carolina Museum of Art, located just outside of downtown Raleigh, is set in a 164-acre park. There, visitors can enjoy art installations by international artists, as well as colorful and contemporary gardens, miles of recreational trails, and a terraced pond.

The Carolina Inn was built in 1924, and is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It blends elements of antebellum Southern plantation homes with Georgian and neoclassical features.

outside of downtown, is an impressive cultural institution, with extensive collections of American, African, Egyptian, Greek and Roman art. Because it’s set on 164 woodland acres, forming NCMA Park, we spent time enjoying the commissioned outdoor works of Art in the Park, and the ways they’ve been placed to connect to the natural areas. We saw signs for the Reedy Creek Greenway system — a paved, multi-use pathway between the western part of the NCMA Park and Umstead State Park and Schenck Forest — but didn’t have time to enjoy the trail as we had scheduled dinner with friends at the Umstead Resort & Spa. Sandwiched between downtown Raleigh and the airport, the luxurious resort and spa — with extensive grounds and a dedicated art gallery — is a perfect neighbor for Umstead Park. The resort’s newest gallery artist is Raleigh native Amy Braun. Her exhibit, “A Walk Through the Woods,” showcases her talents as a fine-art photographer and batik artist whose work is inspired by patterns of light and shade in the state’s natural landscape.

While dinner was very good — the resort’s Herons restaurant is one of only 64 Forbes five-star dining rooms in the world — our best memory remains of the resort’s commitment to its art collection, which includes glass artist Dale Chihuly. Open free to the public, the featured works are minimalist, complementing the contemporary, clean design of the hotel. A brochure for a self-guided tour of the resort’s art is available at the concierge desk. Thirty minutes from Raleigh is a must-see for railroad buffs, especially those with children in tow: the North Carolina Railroad Museum & New Hope Valley Railway. Volunteers offer a one-hour, narrated ride behind a locomotive on an April to December schedule, and stage special events listed on the museum’s website, www.triangletrain.com. We had lunch nearby in quaint, historic Apex, where Salem Street Pub lured us in with the promise of local beer, soup and salads (though burgers are its specialty — and there’s a USB port at every bar stool). Outdoor tables See RALEIGH/CHAPEL HILL, page 18

Leisure & Travel | www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com

Raleigh/Chapel Hill From page 17 along downtown Apex’s streetscape provide a good spot to enjoy any lunch from the several restaurant choices.

On to Chapel Hill The Carolina Inn, dating to 1924, was the anchor for our visit to Chapel Hill — and again art was part of the reason we loved staying there, along with the fine cuisine and service. Aside from historical murals on lobby walls in the dining area, a long-lost painting of the inn by Richmond native and UNC alumnus Jeff MacNelly hangs in the lobby. An impressionist oil-on-canvas executed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist in the late 1960s, it was returned to the university in 2009 after having been purchased at a yard sale in High Point, N.C., in the early 1990s. The purchaser recognized the signature and contacted MacNelly, who sent a hand-written letter authenticating it. The inn acquired the 1992 letter on MacNelly’s personal “Shoe” stationary (his cartoon strip’s name) along with the painting, and the two hang together. Rates for the 185 guestrooms and suites start around $160 depending on month and day of week. Suites are more expensive. But book at least 30 days in advance to save 30% off the best available rate. The nearby Ackland Art Museum, 60

M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

years old this year, houses a permanent collection of more than 18,000 works of art, a premier collection of Asian art and works of art on paper, plus significant collections of European masterworks, twentieth-century and contemporary art. We learned years ago to ask before pencilsketching works in art museums (some museums don’t allow it in specific galleries). But Tom was welcomed to stay there and sketch for a couple of hours while I visited boutiques on historic Franklin Street and at University Place. Afterward, on West Franklin Street, we got a close-up look (and tasting) at the only certified organic distillery in the South: Top of the Hill Distillery, makers of the hand-crafted TOPO Vodka, Piedmont Gin and Carolina Whiskey. The distilling equipment, including the shiny copper-pot still and the 32-foot copper distillation column, are works of art in themselves. The wheat used comes from fewer than a hundred miles away. Tours run most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; reservations required. Also on Franklin Street (but East Franklin) is the restaurant Il Palio, where we enjoyed superb food during our second evening in the city. (Don’t miss the roasted chestnut soup and roasted Sicilian eggplant.) This area of North Carolina, Orange County, is home to more than 600 farms offering products and activities straight to the consumer or through five local farmers’ markets.

Chapel Hill is one of those, as are markets in the nearby towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough, two must-see towns (see below). The large number of farms is undoubtedly the reason that every restaurant we visited featured farm-to-table cuisine. The annual Piedmont Farm Tour, where 30 to 40 farms open to the public for a twoday period, is a major agritourism event. This year, it was held April 28 and 29. See www.visitchapelhill.org/agritourism to learn more. Two large attractions that got short-shrift from us are well worth seeing: the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center, where we enjoyed one of its many planetarium shows (http://moreheadplanetarium.org/visit/exhib its) and the North Carolina Botanical Garden, comprising more than 1,000 acres, including 10 of display gardens and a number of natural areas. It’s free and open Tuesday to Sunday. This Piedmont garden, with its Piedmont Nature Trails and Green Education Center, is especially relevant for central Virginians interested in all manner of plants and vegetation. For sports fans, there are always attractions, if not games, in Chapel Hill. Carolina Basketball Museum — which chronicles the history of UNC Basketball and includes nearly 500 artifacts, hundreds of photographs, and videos of various players, coaches, championships and historic moments — is newly renovated and includes interactive exhibits. It

is open Monday to Saturday and is free.

Carrboro and Hillsborough Carrboro is home to the historic Carr Mill Mall, a vibrant marketplace and site of the former textile mill listed in the National Register of Historic Places under its original name, the Alberta Complex. We added to our purchases at the specialty stores and outdoor and home décor shops, and enjoyed the coffee/tea bar as well as the local favorite, Elmo’s Diner. Weaver Street Market, with a large open front lawn, is a community gathering place and event site as well as a food co-op store. Hillsborough is a 264-year-old town on the National Register of Historic Places, featuring a 1.8-mile scenic Riverwalk, where we strolled along the Eno River. A short drive from Chapel Hill, Hillsborough’s Churton Street features art, jewelry, wine and chocolate shops. A historic museum, an antebellum school, and a Federalera plantation house will have to wait until our next visit — though we somehow found time for Mystery Brewing Company in West Hillsborough. To learn more, contact the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau at (919) 6452676 or see www.visitraleigh.com. The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau can be reached at (919) 245-4320 or www.visitchapelhill.org.

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Share your skills on volunteer vacations Dear Savvy Senior: culture more fully and connect with the local My husband and I are approaching re- people – much different than your run-of-thetirement and are interested mill sightseeing vacation. in learning more about volMost volunteer vacation unteer vacations. Can you groups accept singles, couples give us some information on and families, and you don’t need this travel option, and refer to speak a foreign language. us to some good organizaCosts usually range from around tions that offer these types of $1,000 to $3,000 per week, not intrips? cluding transportation to the — Love to Travel country your site is in. Dear Love: Fees typically cover pre-trip If you’re looking to do more orientation information, room on your next vacation than relax SAVVY SENIOR and board, on-site training, in the sun or go sightseeing, volground transportation once you By Jim Miller unteer vacations — also known get there, the services of a projas voluntourism — which comect leader, and a contribution to bine travel and volunteer work, are a great al- the local community that covers material and ternative and a growing trend among retirees. services related to the project. There are many organizations today that And, if the organization running your trip offer short-term volunteer vacation projects is a nonprofit, the cost of your trip, including in the U.S. and abroad, lasting anywhere airfare, is probably tax-deductible. from a few days to a few weeks. Common program themes include teach- Many options ing English, working with children and teens, While there are many organizations that building and repairing homes and schools, offer volunteer vacations, here are some and assisting with community or environ- good ones that attract a lot of retirees. mental projects. • Global Volunteers (GlobalVolunteers. In addition, volunteer vacations also give org): A pioneer in global travel, this group travelers the opportunity to experience the tackles hunger, poverty and educational

needs. It offers a variety of one, two and three-week service programs in 17 countries, including the U.S. • Ear thwatch Institute (Ear thwatch. org): With an emphasis in environmental conservation and research, they offer dozens of one and two-week expeditions in countries all over the world. • Cross-Cultural Solutions (CrossCulturalSolutions.org): Based in New Rochelle, NY, they focus on health, education, and economic volunteer opportunities in Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. • Biosphere Expeditions (Biosphere-expeditions.org): Offers wildlife conservation expeditions in 13 countries. • Habitat for Humanity (Habitat.org): Offers international house-building trips through its Global Village Program in more than 40 countries. • Sierra Club (Sierraclub.org): This venerable environmental group sponsors dozens of service trips in the U.S. each year, with more projects offered through local chapters. A new offering from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, called Impact Israel, offers participants 55 and over a chance to live and volunteer in Haifa, Israel from Oct. 14 to Nov. 4. Participants will use their skills

to support local nonprofits — from ones working to foster understanding between Arabs and Jews, to a rape crisis center. The deadline to apply is May 15. For more information, see www.shalomdc.org/ boomersisrael or call (301) 230-7258.

How to choose With so many different volunteer vacations to choose from, selecting one can be difficult. To help you decide, you need to think specifically about what you want. For example: Where you want to go and for how long? What types of work are you interested in doing? What kind of living situation and accommodations do you want? Do you want to volunteer alone or with a group? Do you want a rural or urban placement? Also consider your age and health. Are you up to the task, or do you have any special needs that will need to be met? Once you figure out what you want and spot a few volunteer vacations that interest you, ask the organization to send you information that describes the accommodations, the fees and what they cover including their refund policy, the work schedule and work details, and anything else you have questions about. Also, get a list of previous volunteers and call them.

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Most of the official meetings at Camp David take place in Laurel Lodge, which was built in 1972 during the Nixon administration.

Stories of presidential retreat Camp David In 278 pages, Giorgione weaves palace intrigue, personal reflections from former commanding officers at the camp, and histories of the retreat and Thurmont — including a tidbit about how the town was nearly named Blue Mountain City. The book is billed as “the first-ever insider account” of the camp. Giorgione served as the camp’s commanding officer under both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.

Employee memories The book draws from a journal Giorgione kept during his two-year tenure, and similar written accounts from commanding officers

who came before him. “Bringing 15 other commanding officers’ and their families’ stories into the book as well was very important to me,” he said. He completed the book in two months with the help of writer Catherine Whitney, inspired in part by a 2016 reunion of former commanding officers. “That iced it for me right there, when I heard many other COs and their families talking about their rich experience at Camp David,” Giorgione said. “All the great stories.” “Cedar kids,” as Giorgione calls the children of commanding officers, lead lives that are at once extremely privileged (with presidential playdates a possibility), and sometimes

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By Danielle E. Gaines From re-smoothing rumpled snow to dressing walkways with perfectly imperfect fallen leaves, much goes into creating a soothing — and orderly and secure — rustic mountain retreat for U.S. presidents. “Everything looks so natural, but it’s kind of perfect,” retired Rear Admiral Michael Giorgione, a former Camp David commanding officer, said in a recent interview. Released to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Camp David deep in the woods above Thurmont, Md., Giorgione’s book, Inside Camp David: The Private World of the Presidential Retreat, offers details that could surprise even the most avid historians.

F I F T Y P L U S â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 8

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

How much do you know about pollinators? By Lela Martin Does your morning include a cup of coffee, a mug of hot cocoa, or a glass of orange juice? You have pollinator insects to thank. From almonds to zucchini, most fruit and vegetable crops, nuts and seeds rely on pollinators. In fact, pollinators are critical to the production of one-third of our food and beverages. Additionally, fiber crops (such as cotton) and hay to feed livestock require insect pollination. Although most plant pollinators are tiny, they certainly aren’t trivial. Here are some facts to add to your pollinator trivia collection. 1. About 75 percent of all flowering plant species need the help of insects or animals to move their heavy pollen grains from plant to plant (or within a flower) for fertilization. 2. There are over 100,000 species of insect pollinators. Most people know that bees are pollinators, but wasps, butterflies, moths, ants, beetles, flies, midges, mosquitoes and even some slugs do their part as well. 3. Specific pollinators look for flowers that

have adapted to that one specific pollinator or a small group of pollinators by their structure, color, scent/odor, and nectar guides. This is called pollination syndrome. 4. Bees are guided by both sight and scent. Both honeybees and native wild bees are attracted to flowers with bright lively colors (especially blues and yellows). They can’t see the color red, so rarely visit red blossoms. 5. A butterfly has taste receptors on its feet. A butterfly uses its proboscis (a strawlike tongue) to drink nectar from tubular flowers. 6. A hummingbird has only a few taste buds and salivary glands in its mouth. Hummingbirds drink the nectar of flowers, which gives them a good source of glucose energy. They catch insects periodically for a protein boost. 7. Worker honeybees are female; while unknowingly pollinating plants, they are collecting pollen and nectar to feed the colony. They clean the hive, make the honey, take care of the offspring, and groom/feed the queen. Worker bees have a lifespan of about one

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month in summer. 8. A honeybee will visit 50 to 100 flowers during one collection trip, travelling up to three miles. 9. Bumblebees and many native bees perform buzz pollination, in which the bee grabs onto a flower’s anthers (part of the stamen) and vibrates its flight muscles, releasing a burst of pollen from pores in the anther. This is how tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, and blueberries are pollinated, for example. 10. Pollen comes in many vibrant colors including red, purple, white and brown, in addition to yellow. The pollen of white sweet clover is auburn, for example. 11. Pollinators are in trouble. More than 50 native bees are in documented decline, with nine in peril. The rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis), native to Virginia, was placed on the endangered species list last spring. 12. An iconic North American pollinator — the monarch butterfly — is in severe decline, down from a billion monarchs 20 years ago to 35 million today. Exotic parasites, disease, pesticide use and misuse, and decreasing habitat may all be playing a role in pollinator decline.

How we can help Like all living creatures, pollinators require food, water and shelter. Those of us with

yards, decks or balconies can help out. You can improve their food supply by growing native plants. Include plant diversity: those with varied bloom times as well as a variety of annuals, perennials and herbs. Select plants that serve as larval hosts — having a place for a butterfly to lay her eggs and where the caterpillars can feed. For example, milkweed (Asclepias) is the only larval host of the monarch butterfly. Pollinators also need a source of fresh water. A shallow bowl with a sloping side is ideal. Provide shelter for pollinators by including plants of varying heights, dead snags, and bare earth as part of your landscape. To recognize their significance, June 18 to 24 has been designated National Pollinator Week. To introduce your grandchildren to pollinators, take them to the Bumblebee Jamboree at the Maymont Children’s Farm on Saturday, June 16, from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. This event is hosted by the Chesterfield County Master Gardeners. Learn more at bit.ly/2018BBJ or at Facebook/bumblebeejamboree. Lela Martin is a Master Gardener with the Chesterfield County office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension. She is also the co-chair of the 2018 Bumblebee Jamboree.

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Camp David From page 20 movie nights, float in the pool outside the presidential lodge, Aspen, and embrace the wind whipping their hair on Golf Cart One. It is also where presidents and other world leaders reflect on the most pressing issues of the day. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the camp twice during World War II. “There they would talk for hours, seated on rudimentary canvas chairs, clouds of cigar smoke rising above them,” Giorgione writes. On one trip, the world leaders drove to the Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont. “Churchill announced that he wanted to see what a jukebox looked like,” Giorgione writes. “...He handed the stunned owner some coins for the jukebox and bought a beer. The people of Thurmont still talk about it.” When Roosevelt first took office, he preferred to spend time in his Hyde Park home and aboard the presidential yacht, USS Potomac. But the yacht was deemed too risky a retreat for the president during World War II.

How it all started On April 22, 1942, after a two-hour-plus drive from the White House, Roosevelt visited the former Works Progress Administration Camp #3, declaring it “my Shangri-La,” and establishing the now infamous presidential retreat. It was President Harry Truman — who preferred getaways on the USS Williamsburg — who made the decision to keep Camp David as a federal property. “I have decided, because of the historical events and international interest now associated with the Catoctin Recreational Area, that this property should be retained by the Federal Government and made a part of the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior,” he wrote to Maryland Gov. Herbert R. O’Connor. Truman also added steam heat to the presidential lodge, allowing the retreat to be used year-round. Fourteen presidents have made use of the retreat, from FDR through President Donald Trump. Since President Dwight D. Eisenhower, presidents have been able to travel to the retreat via a 30-minute helicopter ride from the White House. “More than one president initially intended to shut the place down as a cost-cutting measure, but in every instance the camp seduced the chief executive or someone on his staff,” Giorgione wrote. Eisenhower thought it was an unnecessary expense at first, and Attorney General Herbert Brownell went to the camp to complete a Justice Department inspection. Brownell was so taken with the camp that he wrote Eisenhower a “Petition for Executive Clemency” for the camp. “Petitioner states that she was convicted

without a hearing in the White House...and was sentenced to embarrassment, ignominy, and possible transfer or obliteration.” The camp was kept open.

Changing the name It’s well-known that Camp David was renamed by Eisenhower to honor his father and grandson. Its original name was Naval Support Facility Thurmont. The book recounts how the name change was spontaneous. The camp’s staff found out the day before Eisenhower was planning a visit, and the old wooden entrance sign was quickly installed. “I’m glad they did not touch the paint to find whether it was dry,” Naval Aide William Rigdon wrote. Giorgione’s book also offers an inside view on how commanding officers handled it when things went wrong — when wildlife, like a deer or snake, found their way inside a cabin, or a fireplace flared up when just the right doors were once opened at exactly the right time, or the time an over-heated swimming pool created an unnoticed sheen of melted asphalt on the surface, only making itself apparent on President John F. Kennedy’s face after a dip. President George H.W. Bush was known to employ humor in his notes about camp concerns. “Mike — the toilet in the presidential bathroom is not responding to presidential commands,” he once wrote to Commander Mike Berry. Giorgione gives a glimpse of little-known histories of the facilities at Camp David. The extrawide door cut into the wall outside Roosevelt’s bedroom, for instance, that was constructed like a drawbridge to help the president escape in his wheelchair in case of a fire. And the camp’s basketball court, named Leatherwood, was refurbished by President George W. Bush at the end of his administration especially for President Obama, according to the book.

Cabin stories President Nixon had probably the most hands-on facility changes at Camp David, Giorgione said. He added the hourglass pool at Aspen, and built Laurel — an entertainment cabin frequently depicted in the media that’s also so much more. President Ronald Reagan recorded the weekly presidential address in the cabin. During the 2001 peace summit, President Bill Clinton waited inside Laurel as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat tussled to see who could invite the other to enter first. President Barack Obama hosted a G8 summit at the cabin in 2012. Most recently, Trump held a Cabinet meeting in Laurel. Security measures — in the superficial detail that can be divulged in a book for the genSee CAMP DAVID, page 25

Sunday, May 20, 2018 1:00-5 pm Huguenot Park & Community Idea Stations 10901 Robious Rd, North Chesterfield, VA 23235 Free admission but registration is required Rain or Shine Join the fun with the Community Idea Stations, Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation and 50+ local organizations who specialize in outdoor activities for families. Enjoy hands-on fun, tours of the studios and meet Curious George and Nature Cat! Parking available at Johnston Willis Hospital, OrthoVirginia and Midlothian Athletic Club. To register and learn more about the event go to: ideastations.org/explore-outdoors

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

Camp David From page 23 eral public — of commanding officers are also discussed. Suffice it to say, intruders would be quickly noticed. There are no lights from nearby homes, no noise from passing cars, not even the drone of a plane passing overhead. “As times change and technology changes, the camp figures out — with the staff and with the White House Military Office — how to adapt and still protect the privacy, the security and the charm of the retreat. “It’s not meant to be a five-star resort, of course,” Giorgione said in an interview. “I’ve got to believe it’s the most exclusive retreat, however, in the world.” A former naval aide recounted spending the night before the president’s arrival in his bedroom “listening for any disturbing noises that we might be able to control. Squirrels were the chief offenders.” For all that stays the same at Camp David, the retreat is thick with history. Giorgione describes it best: “The long and the short of presidential use of Camp David is that each president has added his own signature to the camp, regardless of the frequency of the visits. In this way, the history of Camp David does not stay in the past but is fully present today. When you’re there, you can almost see Roosevelt smoking on the porch with

Letters to editor From page 2 needs — and she has never felt euphoria from them. The decision to stop Medicare reimbursement has, according to the Times article, been made by Dr. Demetrios Kouzoukas, Principal Administrative Director for

Churchill. You can imagine George H.W. Bush in the wallyball court slamming the balls across the net. You can picture Eisenhower at his rustic grill with the steaks sizzling, Caroline Kennedy riding her pony Macaroni, and the Clintons talking as they walked down a tree-lined path. Blink and you can hear Reagan’s warm voice coming over the radio as he gave his Saturday address to the nation. Like an archaeological imprint, it’s all still there in the dirt, in the air.” — AP, via The Frederick (Md.) News-Post

FROM PAGE 26 ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD I S N P O L A A W A K R A V E D O N O R O B I W R E N M Y C A M H N E W O P E T R J K L M S E N S

T R E N T O N R E D W I N E

M E N L U S A T T H A O W R A L D R U M

O V E N S E L M A R A Z E

B E T A T A G C R P A N S A B E S M I T

A N T I G U A

R E S C U E D O A G P O X S E T R L O E X

U B A P A L A R S A S L E E P

S T E E C R S S A

D U D E

U P S S E S S

Medicare, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, Md. 21244. I am hoping that your publication will give senior citizens the heads-up so that any person who truly needs these medications, and their advocates, will convince Medicare to come out with a more flexible plan. Dorian Borsella Via e-mail

M ARK YO UR CALE NDAR

Ongoing

FRIENDSHIP CAFES

Richmond Senior Connections offers Friendship Cafes, free neighborhood gathering places for those 60 and older who live in the city of Richmond or the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan. Cafes provide a hot meal at lunchtime, activities like exercise classes and lectures, field trips and resources. Cafes are open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information and a complete list of locations, call (804) 343-3000.

June 2+

LEMONADE STAND

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer, invites volunteers of all ages across the country to take a “stand” against childhood cancer when Alex’s Lemonade Days returns from Saturday, June 2 to Sunday, June 10. Volunteers are invited to host lemonade stands on any day (or days) during the first full week of June to continue Alex’s mission and bring renewed attention to the fight against childhood cancer. For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Days and to sign up to host a lemonade stand, visit AlexsLemonadeDays.org.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

CLASSIFIED ADS

Crossword Puzzle

FiftyPlus is now accepting classified ads in the following categories: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; Financial; For Sale; Health; Home/Handyman Services; Legal Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Real Estate for Sale/Rent; TV/Cable; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted.

See If This One Flies 1

Ad text and prepayment due by 20th of preceding month. Private party ads are $10 for 25 words; 25 cents for each additional word. Business ads are $25 for 25 words; 50 cents for each additional word. Questions? Call (804) 673-5203.

Miscellaneous

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MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062.

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Legal Services

Send your ad text with check or money order, payable to The Beacon, to: FiftyPlus Classifieds; The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

Computer Services

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Across 1. ___ It Romantic? 5. Group of kangaroos (or criminals) 8. Day 12 port island on Celebrity Eclipse’s itinerary 13. Extremely Northern or Southern 14. She did not have to deal with in-laws 15. High elevation nation 16. Like most, at 2:00 PM 17. Badminton blockade 18. Bulgarian totalitarians 19. One with very ruffled feathers 22. Alcoholic’s shakes 23. Waters off the Spanish Islands 26. Lennon was her third husband 29. Horse feed 32. Airbnb user 33. Dating Spring chickens in one’s Fall months 36. Loud bird with silent start 37. Swiss peak 38. Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (acronym) 40. Those who instruct me exactly how I should build the nest 45. “She is my queen and I ___ king” 46. “Immediately!” 47. Brief free media message 48. One just promoted to top prosecutor 49. Shipping container 51. Wearing a tiny tux with winged collars 58. Microbiologist’s dish 61. 2016 returnee to Southern California 62. Bridge support 63. Consonant run, between two vowels 64. Israeli weapon 65. Ore jackpots 66. Fashion ___ 67. Held a committee hearing 68. Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux (to Jennifer Aniston)

Down 1. Across the Mississippi from Illinois

2. Eastern European 3. In one’s birthday suit 4. State capital on Eastern Time 5. List of flavors at Ben and Jerry’s 6. Microwave ___ 7. VHS rival format 8. Day 5 port island on Celebrity Eclipse’s itinerary 9. Retrieved labrador 10. The Englishman Who Went ___ Hill But Came Down a Mountain 11. Tavern 12. Former senators D’Amato and Franken 13. 72, on most golf courses 20. Entrance exam discussed in Legally Blonde 21. PENTAGRAMS’ center 24. Like most, at 2:00 AM 25. Aims an Acura 26. Options: N, S, E, ___ 27. Owner of the Bates Motel 28. Emperor’s demand 30. Lose one’s icy demeanor 31. 2014 film which starred David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. 34. Warm-up exercises that look like a caterpillar’s movements 35. Some H&R Block employees 39. “The South” in the Civil War 41. Good pairing for prime rib 42. Like a Supreme Court argument 43. Catches red-handed 44. One of the first Christians 50. Technology company, listed as a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary 52. Ringo Starr’s instrument 53. Opposite of raise 54. Distribute light or sound 55. A ranch for guys 56. Activates The Force 57. Latter letter letters 58. Skimpy (worded) nightwear 59. Barely get, with “out” 60. The Learning Network, on a cable listing

Answers on page 25.

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F I F T Y P L U S — M AY 2 0 1 8

C I TY

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — F I F T Y P L U S

GOT BELLY FAT? It’s not you, it’s your

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