April 2011 Howard County Beacon Edition

The Howard County

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Premiere issue of new Howard County edition

When grown kids move back in

Blame it on the economy The Applebys certainly aren’t alone in finding their nest not so empty after their children grew up. According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, 13 percent of parents with grown children reported that one of their adult sons or daughters had moved back home during the year.

In large part, this trend has been fueled by difficult economic times. While the recession has touched Americans of all ages, it has hit young adults particularly hard.

A job loss — or the inability to find a job in the first place — makes it difficult to

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

By Carol Sorgen Columbia residents Wendy and Michael Appleby’s two children moved back home after college, joining other “boomerang” kids of their generation who have fled the “real world” and are once again living with Mom and Dad. Their son Jared, now 26, stayed for six months before fleeing the confines of home.

“He hated it here,” Wendy recalled.

By contrast, she said that having their daughter Lauren home for the past four years has been “copacetic.” Lauren agreed.

“It’s pretty easy here.”

“I wanted to save my money for the future,” said Lauren, 25, co-owner of Serendipity, a clothing and gift boutique in Highland, Md. That future is coming up next year, when Lauren and her fiancé will be married (and, it is assumed, moving out on their own).

Wendy, 53, an interior designer and dental hygienist, and Michael, 56, a member of the Secret Service, said they always assumed Lauren would come back home.

Still, despite their obvious good rapport with each other, there have been times when issues had to be dealt with. “If something annoys me, I just make a snide remark,” Wendy chuckled. “Lauren always gets it and changes whatever it is that’s irritating me.”

Similarly, Wendy admitted that though it was difficult for her, she realized she had to start backing off: “If [Lauren] were living on her own, I wouldn’t know everything she’s doing, so I shouldn’t necessarily know it just because she’s here. On some levels, ignorance is bliss!”

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Mystery trips that surprise and delight (most) travelers; plus, watch out for cruise lines attempting to nickel and dime passengers page 24

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Wendy and Michael Appleby welcomed their grown daughter Lauren back home four years ago. Like many among the growing number of such “boomerang kids,” Lauren moved in with her parents to save money. When adult children return home, open communication about expectations on both sides can avoid strain.

pay rent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in October 2009, 15.6 percent of those 20 to 24 years old were unemployed compared with 8.7 percent of those over 25.

Kids come home for other reasons, too.

They may be in debt from college loans, they may be getting over a divorce, or they may just realize they can’t afford the comfy lifestyle they had been used to at home.

But parents bear some part of the responsibility for this phenomenon, too.

“Boomerang kids are home not just because of the recession, but also because in the past generation there has been a shift in child-rearing,” said psychiatrist Scott

Haltzman, author of The Secrets of Happy Families: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetime of Connection and Contentment.

“We have treated our kids like friends, allies and colleagues,” he said. “We’ve blurred the lines that once clearly defined the parent-child relationship.

“We’re much more indulgent than our parents were,” Haltzman continued, “and we’ve made home a really comfortable place for our kids. They have little desire to leave. They experience some independence at college and then they’re ready to come home.”

See BOOMERANG KIDS, page 14

Cirque du Soleil traces human evolution in a new show under the big top; plus, Dave Brubeck keeps the beat going at age 90 page 27

FITNESS & HEALTH k New blood test for cancer k How to save at the pharmacy SENIOR CONNECTIONS k Howard County newsletter

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LAW & MONEY 18 k Is it too late to buy stocks? k Pros and cons of muni bonds PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

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The new kids in town Thank you for picking up the premiere new Howard County edition to help fill the issue of the new Howard County Beacon. void left by the recent discontinuation of We hope you find our mix of Generations. topical articles covering You will be able to pick up health and fitness, law and the Beacon free of charge at money, travel, arts, and local most of the locations where news and events to be interGenerations was found, as well esting and worth reading. as at many additional distribuMy wife and I founded the tion sites, including CVS and Beacon 21 years ago and Rite Aid drug stores. To learn have been publishing it of other free pick-up sites, call monthly since then in the us at (410) 248-9101.

Greater Washington area. We FROM THE If there are other shops, began publishing a monthly PUBLISHER gyms, professional buildings, Greater Baltimore edition By Stuart P. Rosenthal doctor’s offices, churches or about eight years ago. synagogues where you would We thank the Howard County Office on like to be able to pick up the Beacon, please Aging for encouraging us to create this call or e-mail us (see box below) and provide

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, Md. 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

the names and addresses, as well as a contact person if possible. We will do our best to add them to our route for your convenience.

Of course, if you would like copies delivered to your own office, condo, community or club, let us know that as well.

If you were a subscriber to Generations, we invite you to subscribe to the Beacon. A form can be found on the inside back cover, on the Classifieds page.

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The advertisers you will see throughout the Beacon enable us to print and distribute 15,000 free copies throughout Howard County each month. If you call or visit any of them, please let them know you saw their ad in the Beacon and that you appreciate their support.

We try to provide a mix of informative articles from a variety of sources every month, but are always open to suggestions for additional story ideas — particularly cover stories. Please contact our managing editor Barbara Ruben at Barbara@TheBeaconNewspapers.com with your recommendations, including interesting people, groups, places or events to write about.

We also publicize local programs, fairs,

meetings and volunteer opportunities in the form of “Beacon Bits” every month. Be sure to send us information six to eight weeks ahead of time if you have something you would like us to include as a Bit. And don’t be shy about expressing your opinions. We love to get letters to the editor — whether they are full or praise or criticism — and will print as many as space permits (subject to editing for space and/or civility, of course!).

In addition to calling or writing us, you may also submit letters or any other information via e-mail or through our website.

We invite you to visit our website, www.theBeaconNewspapers.com where you will find not only selected articles from our three editions, but also daily crossword puzzles, word and number games, interesting links, more events, daily comics and reader forums on a variety of topics.

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Again, we thank you for reading this issue and hope you will look for the Beacon every month. Our entire staff looks forward to hearing from you and to meeting you around the county.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned.

Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. MD residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

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KATRINA’S LEGACY

Former CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch will discuss her book Rising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered on Tuesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. at the East Columbia Branch Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. In the book, Koch takes a personal look at the devastation Hurricane Katrina wreaked on Bay St. Louis, Miss. and the town’s subsequent path to recovery. For more information, call (410) 313-7700.

Mar. 29+

• Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei

• Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King

IS YOUR CAR FIT TO DRIVE?

Offered in conjunction with Howard County Police, CarFit helps mature drivers improve their safety behind the wheel by ensuring their cars are properly adjusted for them. The event will take place on Friday, April 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. A free CarFit evaluation takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

To schedule an appointment, call Holly Burnham at (410) 313-6089.

Mar. 29

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal

• Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel

Apr. 29

2010 Outstanding Publication Award

• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN?

Share your “living history” with 8th grade history students from Glenelg Country School through an initial interview about your life experiences; then return to hear the students’ essays on your history. This Office on Aging intergenerational program will take place on Tuesdays, March 29 and April 5 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Glenelg Country School, 12793 Folly Quarter Rd., Ellicott City. This free event includes breakfast and a catered lunch. For reservations or more information, contact Trisha Olsen (410) 313-4831 or e-mail tolsen@howardcountymd.gov.

• Advertising Representatives ............Ron Manno, ............................................Doug Hallock, Steve Levin

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • E-mail: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions:

The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or e-mail all submissions.

© Copyright 2011 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

Apr. 30

HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS

Do you know active volunteers age 60 or older who have made outstanding contributions to improve the lives of others? You can nominate them for the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. Nomination forms are available by calling Parker Koons at (410) 828-5852. The deadline for submissions is April 30.

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Health Fitness &

MORE POTASSIUM FOR YOU Most of us get barely half of what we need each day to stay healthy EYEING THE TRUTH Wearing glasses won’t make your eyesight worse (it just seems that way) TECHNOLOGY EASES TASKS Special cell phones, keyboards and online services simplify daily life MEDICAL MARIJUANA HERE? The General Assembly considers bill that would legalize pot for patients

Blood test for cancer is becoming reality

By Marilynn Marchione A blood test so sensitive that it can spot a single cancer cell lurking among a billion healthy ones is moving one step closer to being available at your doctor’s office.

Boston scientists who invented the test, and healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, announced in January that they are joining forces to bring it to market. Four big cancer centers also will start studies using the experimental test this year.

Stray cancer cells in the blood mean that a tumor has spread or is likely to, many doctors believe. A test that can capture such cells has the potential to transform care for many types of cancer, especially breast, prostate, colon and lung.

Initially, doctors want to use the test to try to predict what treatments would be best for each patient’s tumor and find out quickly if they are working.

“This is like a liquid biopsy” that avoids painful tissue sampling and may give a better way to monitor patients than periodic imaging scans, said Dr. Daniel Haber, chief of Massachusetts General Hospital’s cancer center and one of the test’s inventors.

Ultimately, the test may offer a way to

screen for cancer besides the mammograms, colonoscopies and other less-thanideal methods used now.

“There’s a lot of potential here, and that’s why there’s a lot of excitement,” said Dr. Mark Kris, lung cancer chief at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He had no role in developing the test, but Sloan-Kettering is one of the sites that will study it this year.

Would aid treatment decisions Many people have their cancers diagnosed through needle biopsies. These often do not provide enough of a sample to determine what genes or pathways control a tumor’s growth. Or the sample may no longer be available by the time the patient gets sent to a specialist to decide what treatment to prescribe.

Doctors typically give a drug or radiation treatment and then do a CT scan two months later to look for tumor shrinkage. Some patients only live long enough to try one or two treatments, so a test that can gauge success sooner, by looking at cancer cells in the blood, could give patients more options.

“If you could find out quickly, ‘this drug

is working, stay on it,’ or ‘this drug is not working, try something else,’ that would be huge,” Haber said.

The only test on the market now to find tumor cells in blood — CellSearch, made

by J&J’s Veridex unit — just gives a cell count. It doesn’t capture whole cells that doctors can analyze to choose treatments.

Interest in trying to collect these cells soared in 2007, after Haber and his colleagues published a study of Mass General’s test. It is far more powerful than CellSearch and traps cells intact.

It requires only a couple of teaspoons of blood and can be done repeatedly to monitor treatment or determine why a drug has stopped working and what to try next.

“That’s what got the scientific community’s interest,” Kris said. Doctors can give a drug one day and sample blood the next day to see if the circulating tumor cells are gone, he explained.

Finding one in a billion The test uses a microchip that resembles a lab slide covered in 78,000 tiny posts, like bristles on a hairbrush. The posts are coated with antibodies that bind to tumor cells.

When blood is forced across the chip, cells ping off the posts like balls in a pinball machine. The cancer cells stick, and stains make them glow so researchers can count and capture them for study.

The test can find one cancer cell in a billion or more healthy cells, said Mehmet Toner, a Harvard University bioengineer who helped design it. Researchers know this because they spiked blood samples with cancer cells and then searched for them with the chip.

Studies of the chip have been published in the journals Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine and Science Translational Medicine. It is the most promising of several dozen that companies and universities are rushing to develop to capture circulating tumor cells, said Bob McCormack, technology chief for Veridex.

The companies will start a research center at Mass General and will have rights to license the test from the hospital, which holds the patents.

In a separate effort, Mass General, Sloan-Kettering, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and See CANCER TEST, page 6

Five ways to save money at the pharmacy

By Dr. Kenny Lin With our nation still mired in a deep recession, many of us are having a tough time paying for prescription drugs — especially those for chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

In fact, a Consumer Reports survey last year found that 28 percent of Americans have taken drastic steps to cut costs, like not filling their prescriptions, skipping dosages, and cutting pills in half without getting their doctor’s approval.

There are, however, far safer approaches for saving money on prescription medications. Try these strategies: 1. Don’t assume new drugs are superior. Prescription drugs aren’t like software and cell phones. Newer versions aren’t necessarily better and may occasionally be inferior to older and less expensive pills.

While prescription Clarinex for seasonal allergies is more expensive than over-thecounter Claritin, studies suggest it’s no

more effective. And prescription Nexium can be a pricey way to treat acid reflux when most heartburn sufferers can get substantial relief from cheaper, generic omeprazole.

I also remember how excited doctors were about Vioxx for arthritis pain; we quickly switched patients away from ibuprofen, since Vioxx was thought to be easier on the stomach, but later regretted it when Vioxx was withdrawn from the market after being linked to heart attacks and strokes.

2. Avoid your doctor’s sample closet. Most family practices have a “sample closet” stocked with freebies of brandname prescription drugs for common conditions from high blood pressure and diabetes to asthma and allergies. When I was in training, I often gave financiallystrapped patients who were starting a new medication a month’s supply of samples instead of a prescription.

Although it seemed like a money-saving

idea at the time, it wasn’t long before the samples ran out and my patients were left with the choice of paying for an expensive medication or switching to a less expensive drug they hadn’t tried before.

A 2006 study in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that practices that distributed free drug samples ultimately cost their patients an average of $7 more per prescription each month than practices that did not give out samples.

3. Go generic when possible. When your doctor suggests that you need a new medication, ask if it’s possible to prescribe a less costly or generic alternative that might be equally effective for your particular condition. Many pharmacies and discount chains offer a month’s supply of generic medications for $4 or a 90-day supply for $10.

If you’re taking more than one medication for a condition, like high blood pressure, you might be able to cut costs by getting a generic pill that combines the two

medications.

4. Ask about drug discount plans. If you don’t have insurance coverage for prescription drugs, some pharmaceutical companies, as well as local and state government agencies, offer sizeable discounts on frequently prescribed medications for people who meet certain financial requirements. If you’re not eligible for Medicare, ask about the Together Rx Access program offered by drug companies. (See www.TogetherRxAccess.com.)

5. Buy in bulk. If you’ve been taking a medication for three months or more, consider buying several months’ supply in bulk via mail order. The website www.

PharmacyChecker.com provides a useful tool for comparing drug prices among reputable online pharmacies.

Patients should check with their doctors before going this route, just in case their doctor is planning to make alterations in dosing or frequency. © 2011 U.S. News and World Report

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Prearranging your funeral or cremation service is a decision only you can make, but it is a decision that affects the people you love.

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Do glasses make your eyesight worse?

By Dr. Stephen Taylor Q. I’m starting to have trouble reading. But I’ve heard that wearing glasses to help me read will make my eyesight worse. Is that true?

A. This is a common question. Many people believe that glasses can make eyesight worse, but that’s more myth than reality.

Many of us start to have trouble reading in our mid-40s. The condition is called presbyopia (pronounced prez-bee-OH-peeah), and it is the natural loss of the focusing ability of the lens of the eye.

The lens is about the size of a shirt button. Because it can change shape, we are able to see objects that are close or far away.

The closer the object, the more the lens has to “flex” to bring the object into focus.

With age, though, the lens slowly grows larger and thicker. As it grows, the many tiny ligaments that connect the lens to the ciliary, or “focusing,” muscle in the eye become slack.

Come see us at the Southern Maryland Senior Housing Expo

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When that happens, those ligaments (called zonules) cannot exert enough force on the lens to bend it into the position necessary to see things clearly up close. The lens also hardens and becomes less flexible, compounding the problem.

Exercising the ciliary muscles so they could pull harder on the lens would seem logical, but these muscles don’t get appreciably weaker with age. Even if eye exercises could strengthen the ciliary muscles, they wouldn’t have much effect.

so when they take them off, their vision seems to have gotten worse.

They blame the reading glasses, when they’re really just experiencing the contrast between corrected and uncorrected vision.

People do learn to cope with bad eyesight. The brain learns how to interpret blurry images and make educated guesses.

If glasses make it easier for you to see well, your brain may get out of practice doing the tricks it learned to do to cope with poor eyesight. But that’s not the same thing as glasses making your eyesight worse.

Why blame glasses?

There are two reasons people wrongly blame glasses for worsening presbyopic vision.

First, the underlying condition worsens during the period when they start wearing reading glasses, so they associate the glasses with declining vision.

Second, they get used to seeing near objects well when wearing reading glasses,

serving those who

served and their eligible non-vet spouses

Situation differs in children Whether glasses worsen presbyopia is a settled issue. They don’t. But it’s not as clearcut when it comes to childhood myopia, or nearsightedness (a term that causes confusion: it means your sight is good for near things and bad for things in the distance).

The National Eye Institute has reported that the prevalence of myopia has increased by 66 percent since 1980, and this increase has prompted many studies aimed at understanding the cause of myopia.

Myopia causes distant objects to be blurry because the eye grows too long, so the focal point of the lens ends up in front of the retina instead of directly on it. The condition usually develops in childhood and gradually worsens until eye growth slows down in early adulthood.

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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston will start using the test this year. They are one of the “dream teams” sharing a $15 million grant from the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, run by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Already, scientists have been surprised to find that more cancer patients harbor these stray cells than has been believed. In one study, the test was used on men thought to have cancer confined to the prostate, “but we found these cells in twothirds of patients,” Toner said.

This might mean that cancer cells enter the blood soon after a tumor starts, or that more cancers have already spread but are unseen by doctors.

Or it could mean something else entirely, because researchers have much to learn about these cells, said Dr. Minetta Liu, a breast cancer specialist at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

She led a session on them at last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and has been a paid speaker for Veridex.

She hopes the cells will someday aid cancer screening.

“The dream is, a woman comes in for her mammogram and gets a tube of blood

Myopia is largely genetic, but the progression of the condition may be influenced by environmental factors, such as the stress of focusing on near objects when reading. For some children, this stress on the focusing system may cause their eyes to grow, and hence their myopia increases at a much faster rate.

Bifocals may be able to reduce that stress. A study published in Archives of Ophthalmology in January 2010 showed that children wearing them had a 58 percent slower rate of progression of myopia, compared with children who wore traditional glasses with regular lenses that corrected for nearsightedness.

That study confirmed findings from an earlier one that showed a similar but more modest benefit from wearing bifocals. Meanwhile, some other studies have suggested that specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses may also slow myopic progression.

There isn’t enough evidence yet to recommend that children with myopia wear bifocals or special contact lenses. Myopia is a very complex condition, and as the results of more well-designed studies get reported, we may be able to figure out a way to alter the course of this increasingly common form of visual impairment. © 2011 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

drawn,” so doctors can look for cancer cells in her blood as well as tumors on the imaging exam, she said.

That’s still far off, but Mass General’s test already is letting doctors monitor patients without painful biopsies. Like Greg Vrettos, who suffered a collapsed lung from a biopsy in 2004, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

“It had spread to both lungs and they couldn’t operate,” said Vrettos, 63, a nonsmoker and retired electrical engineer from Durham, N.H. Tests from the biopsy showed that he was a good candidate for the drug Iressa, which he has taken ever since. He goes to Boston every three months for CT scans and the blood test.

“They could look at the number of cancer cells and see that it dropped over time.

It corresponded with what the scans were showing,” Vrettos said of doctors looking at his blood tests.

The test also showed when he had a setback last January and needed to have his treatment adjusted. “I think it’s going to be revolutionary,” he said of the test.

For more information on the test from Mass General, see http://tinyurl.com/ 2e7tbuz. Information on it from the National Cancer Institute is available at http:// tinyurl.com/28tbow5 and http:// tinyurl.com/ 2557mw6.

— AP

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Implanted device lowers blood pressure

Consumers who get their DNA tested for health risks take the results in stride, says the first major study of how people react to commercial genetic testing.

But getting that assessment for a bunch of diseases didn’t inspire customers to eat better or exercise more, the researchers found.

Companies have offered “direct-to-consumer” genetic testing for several years, taking saliva samples from customers, analyzing the DNA, and delivering a risk report for a series of diseases.

Critics say the results can be inaccurate, that DNA currently tells too little about an individual’s disease risk to be useful, and

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Exercise, diet changes and three or four pills aren’t enough to bring blood pressure under control for some people with hypertension. But a pacemaker-like device called the Rheos system, made by Minneapolisbased CVRx, could someday offer extra help for fighting resistant hypertension.

The device works with the body’s baroreceptors. These are sensors that continually monitor blood pressure from their posts on each carotid artery in the neck.

When blood pressure rises, the baroreceptors send messages to the brain. It responds by sending signals that lower blood pressure. The opposite happens when the baroreceptors and brain detect low blood pressure.

The Rheos device is implanted under the skin near the collarbone. Thin wires stretch from it to the baroreceptors, and the device sends pulses of electricity to them, stimulating the baroreceptors to send extra “high pressure” signals to the brain. The brain responds by telling the heart to slow down and blood vessels to relax, which lowers blood pressure.

In a European clinical trial, use of the device for one year lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading) an average of 30 points and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) by 20 points, and slowed the participants’ heart rate by 8 beats per minute on average.

Preliminary results from a larger U.S. trial showed similar substantial reductions in blood pressure, with 56 percent of participants meeting their blood pressure goals.

Data from the U.S. trial could determine whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the Rheos system for resistant hypertension in the U.S. — U.S. News and World Report

that the information might make people unduly anxious.

The new study surveyed the reactions of about 2,000 customers about five months after they got the test results. It didn’t assess the accuracy of the commercial test used.

The DNA test covered 22 conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, glaucoma, obesity and lung, breast and prostate cancers.

Participants showed no sign of significant anxiety from the results, which senior author Dr. Eric Topol found “very reassuring.” The paper was published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers also asked the participants about getting follow-up medical tests for conditions highlighted by their DNA re-

F R E E

Most of us could use more special K in our diets. Not the cereal, the mineral — potassium — which the periodic table of elements lists as “K.” The average American gets barely half of the potassium needed each day to keep blood pressure in check and maintain healthy blood vessels, nerves, muscles and bones.

Dutch researchers estimate that increasing the average intake to the recommended target of 4,700 milligrams (mg.) a day would lower the risk of dying from stroke by as much as 15 percent and from heart disease by as much as 11 percent.

Those reductions are in line with what we could get from cutting back on sodium.

Doing both at once could really make a difference.

You don’t need pills to get more potassium. Eating more vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy foods can do the trick.

Potassium content in common foods: • Potato with skin, baked (1 medium): Potassium 1,081 mg.

• Halibut, baked (4 ounces): Potassium 654 mg.

• Plain yogurt, skim milk (1 cup): Potassium 579 mg.

• Raisins (½ cup): Potassium 543 mg.

• Banana (medium): Potassium 451 mg.

• Cantaloupe (¼ medium): Potassium 427 mg.

• Spinach, cooked (½ cup): Potassium 419 mg.

• Tomato sauce (½ cup): Potassium 405 mg.

• Milk, low-fat, 1 percent (1 cup): Potassium 366 mg.

• Lentils, cooked (½ cup): Potassium 365 mg.

• Kidney beans, cooked (½ cup): Potassium 356 mg.

• Prune juice (4 ounces): Potassium 353 mg.

• Raisin Bran cereal (1 cup): Potassium 346 mg.

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You probably need more potassium

• Orange (1 medium): Potassium 261 mg.

• Winter squash, cooked (½ cup): Potassium 247 mg.

— U.S. News and World Report

I N F O R M AT I O N

Health Shorts

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You’re on top of your medications.

But we make a good back up.

You know it’s important to stay on your medications exactly as prescribed.

However, if you miss a dose, want a lower-cost alternative, or experience any side effects, we can answer any questions. Speak to your local CVS Pharmacist to learn more.

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New technologies ease everyday tasks

By Barbara Ruben From easier-to-use keyboards and cell phones to innovative ways to read and listen to books, technology is making it easier to communicate and use the computer.

Here are a few new products and services: The MoreKeyboard has larger keys with large print designed to benefit those who are physically challenged, visually impaired or larger-framed. The easy-to-see, raised lettering enables those with vision problems to type more accurately.

MoreKeyboard keys are 25 percent larger than regular keys. Yet, the keyboard is 18 by 7 inches and takes up about the same amount of desk space as a regular keyboard.

Also important, the keyboard is designed to keep one’s wrists in a neutral position — important to avoid pain and reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.

To assist with this, the keyboard has front and back legs with three different height adjustments.

The keyboard sells for $69.95. For more information, see www.morekeyboard.com.

Read to distant grandkids One of the joys of grandparenting is reading books with grandchildren, but that’s difficult when you live far apart.

A new service called Readeo allows families to read together in real time over the Internet. Readeo combines video chat with

Health shorts From page 7 ports. Overall, there was no statistically meaningful indication that the DNA results had made participants get medical tests. But Topol said there was a hint of such an effect, most clearly for glaucoma

children’s books to create BookChat, intended for picture-book age children and their families.

Users need a computer with broadband (high-speed) Internet access and a webcam (a small camera device that sits on your desk or computer monitor).

You don’t need to download software to use the site. Readeo integrates video chat (similar to services such as Skype) with digital children’s books so that those on both ends of the conversation can see each other as well as the book on their screens simultaneously.

Readeo has partnered with major publishers of children’s books to provide numerous titles online.

“I created Readeo to give my son more meaningful interaction with my parents when we can’t be together,” said Readeo’s founder Coby Neuenschwander. “We [also] use video chat, and while it’s much better than using the phone, it doesn’t create a shared interaction or the bonding that reading does.”

Members pay $9.95 a month, or $99.95 a year, for an unlimited subscription. A 14day free trial is available. For more information, go to www.readeo.com or e-mail info@readeo.com.

Audio book subscriptions For those who love listening to books or have vision problems that keep them from

and prostate cancer.

Only about half the participants said they’d seek medical testing in the future because of their DNA results. But the results indicated that being found at risk for some illnesses, including colon and breast cancer, encouraged people to say they wanted to get tested for them someday.

— AP

reading easily, another service offers a monthly subscription to audio books.

Simply Audiobooks bills itself as the Netflix of audiobooks. Members get unlimited rental access to a library of more than 14,000 books on CD in 33 categories — with no due dates, shipping costs or late fees.

“Libraries carry [audio books], but the selection is thin,” said Lee Chesworth, CEO of Simply Audiobooks. ”Audio books can cover more than 15 CDs, which makes them expensive to purchase.

“In contrast, Simply Audiobooks has multiple copies of each book in stock so the wait to grab the new thriller you’ve been dying to enjoy is short,” he said.

Categories included in the Simply Audiobooks selection span popular genres from biographies to mysteries, romance to horror and science fiction to religion.

Books can also be downloaded from Simply Audiobooks’ website.

CD memberships are available for a monthly fee of $26.98 or annual pricing at $21 a month. Books can be downloaded from the website starting at $14.95 a month for one book. To sign up for a free 15-day trial, visit www.simplyaudiobooks.com.

Easier-to-use cell phones Phone manufacturers are also working to make cell phones easier to use. The compa-

ny Clarity makes amplified cell and landline phones for those with hearing loss.

Its ClarityLife C900 mobile phone, for example, works on several cellular networks, including AT&T and T-Mobile. The phone includes 20 decibel amplification, a one-touch emergency help button, four large buttons for easy navigation, a large backlit display, and oversized text for easier reading.

The phone costs $99.95. Clarity offers a free service in which a company representative can remotely modify the phone, setting up volume and speed dial settings for customers. For more information, see http://clarityproducts.com or call 1-800426-3738.

Pantech’s Breeze II phone also has large buttons to make dialing easier. It includes three-easy-to-program buttons for one-touch calling to the three people called the most, as well as large text on the screen.

Phone users can also speak commands, from finding a contact to making the call.

The 3G phone is equipped for texting, emailing or browsing the Web. Service is available through AT&T. The phone costs $229 without a contract, but is as low as $29.99 with a two-year contract and rebate. For more information, visit www.pantechusa.com/phones/breeze_ii or call 1-800-962-8622.

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Apr. 12

WOMEN’S HEALTH DISCUSSION

Want to learn more about women’s health? Join Mary Ellen Rose, Ph.D., for a discussion, followed by a meeting of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Howard County branch. This event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12 at the Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. The public is invited. Contact aauwhocomembers@gmail.com with any questions.

Ongoing

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON VOLUNTEERING

The Maryland Society for Sight needs volunteers to help with its eye screening and other vision programs. Volunteers may choose the amount of time and type of help they would like to give. For more information, call Audrey Novak at (410) 243-2020.

Apr. 8

GOVERNOR’S LEADERSHIP IN AGING AWARDS

The Maryland Department of Aging is seeking nominations for the 2011 Governor’s Leadership in Aging Awards. The awards ceremony is held each year in May to recognize individuals, groups and organizations for outstanding contributions to the field of aging and quality of life for seniors. Nominations can be made in any of four categories: Trailblazer, Visual or Performing Arts, Health and Vitality, and Photography. For detailed category descriptions and a nomination form, visit www.mdoa.state.md.us. For more information, call (410) 767-1064 or 1-800243-3425. The nomination deadline is April 8.

From left: Debby Lazas Miller, Au.D., Cheryl Krissoff, M.S., CCC-A, Ron Kaplan, Au.D., and Catherine DiSanti, Au.D. (Au.D. = Doctor of Audiology)

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Will Maryland legalize medical marijuana?

By Carol Sorgen After battling chronic leukemia for a decade, Lutherville resident Deborah Miran had exhausted all her options, from approved drugs to clinical trials. Her remaining hope to keep the condition in check was a bone marrow transplant.

Fortunately, Miran’s sister was an ideal match, and in 2006, Miran, now 56, underwent the arduous process to receive the life-giving bone marrow.

Following the transplant, the immunosupressant drugs she had to take left her nauseated, with no appetite, no sense of taste, and no energy, even as her body was working mightily to rebuild new cells. As a result, she was losing about two pounds a week for more than two months.

“My doctors wanted me to eat more but I just couldn’t,” Miran said. Then her oncologist commented that marijuana might spark her appetite. Though illegal and unavailable through her doctor, Miran felt

she had no choice.

To this day, Miran doesn’t know how her husband found the marijuana she needed — “he made a few calls” — but she does know that it was the “single most helpful thing” in relieving her nausea and increasing her appetite to halt her weight loss.

“It did the trick,” said Miran, pointing out that she used the marijuana solely for medical reasons, and once her weight had stabilized in about two months she no longer had any use for it.

Miran views using marijuana for medical purposes as akin to taking a Tylenol for a headache. She said it’s a short-acting drug and clears the system quickly.

She would take a few “hits” before dinner, feel hungry about 20 minutes later and have something to eat, and then the effects were gone. “When the need is no longer there, the drug is no longer there,” she said.

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Legislature considers legalization Miran’s personal experience has made her passionate about the bill now before the state legislature that would make Maryland the nation’s 16th state allowing physicianapproved use of medical marijuana.

The chief sponsor of HB291 is physician and Delegate Dan Morhaim (R-Baltimore County). The billed is cross-filed in the Senate as SB308 by Republican Jamie Raskin and Democrat David Brinkley, both cancer survivors.

The Maryland Senate passed similar legislation last year by an overwhelming margin of 35-12, but it was held up when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Vallario assigned the bill to a workgroup rather than giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down.

In the current legislative session, Delegate Morhaim, who is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, has filed a new medical marijuana bill that would allow patients whose doctors recommend marijuana to purchase it from regulated dispensing centers and protect them from arrest.

Maryland’s current law provides medical marijuana patients with a limited affirmative defense in court, but no protection from arrest. Patients can still be given a $100 fine that results in a criminal conviction.

Dan Riffle, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), argues this is highly inadequate. “This means that, in addition to an unjust fine and misdemeanor conviction, patients have no legal way to obtain doctor-recommended medicine.”

Even if the new law passes, the possession and cultivation of marijuana, and sending or receiving it through the mail, would remain federal offenses, including in states that have legalized it.

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Among the organizations that sent representatives to Annapolis to testify in support of the legislation is United Seniors of Maryland, an umbrella group representing many senior advocacy groups and older adult organizations throughout the state.

In a survey last year, the group’s members overwhelmingly supported legalization of the use of marijuana by medical patients. For Don Sillars, 81, United Seniors’ vice president of legislation, the bill “makes sense.”

Similarly, a new poll shows broad support for the bill. The poll was sponsored by MPP and conducted by Public Policy Polling, which surveyed 1,076 Maryland registered voters.

The survey informed voters of the bill pending in the legislature that would allow patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer, debilitating pain and other serious conditions to use marijuana with their doctors’ approval.

When asked if they supported the bill, 72 percent said yes, with just 21 percent

opposed and 7 percent undecided. Details of the poll showed strong support for medical marijuana across all age, partisan and geographic lines.

Older voters were very supportive of the proposal: among 50- to 64-year-olds 77 percent approved; among those 65 and older 69 percent approved. Democrats were more likely to support the bill, but Republican support was still very strong at more than two to one. And voters favored the legislation throughout the state, with even 62 percent of those in conservative, western Maryland in support.

Morhaim said he was pleased but not surprised by the results of the poll.

“There’s a strong consensus among medical and scientific professionals that marijuana can relieve the suffering of those with certain serious illnesses, and there’s nothing controversial about relieving suffering. That’s what this bill is about,” he said.

“I’ve never had personal experience with the issue,” said Sillars, “but I have long believed that we have a way of dealing with marijuana in this country that makes no sense.”

While few senior and medical organizations are as vocally supportive as United Seniors of Maryland, most are not on record as opposed to the legislation.

Local Maryland hospitals will not comment on the issue, while organizations such as AARP, the American Medical Association, and MedChi (the Maryland State Medical Society), all report that they have no official position but support research looking into the use of medical marijuana.

Celebrity backing, too Lending some star power to the legislative fight in support of the Maryland bill is popular former talk show host Montel Williams, who appeared at a January press conference with the sponsoring delegates in Annapolis.

“I grew up in Maryland, graduated from the Naval Academy, and my family still lives in Baltimore today,” Williams said at the press conference. (His father was Baltimore’s first African-American fire chief.)

“So I’m excited about the prospect of helping my home state put in place a policy that’s more compassionate toward our most vulnerable residents,” he added.

Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago and has sought treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Following his diagnosis, he created the Montel Williams MS Foundation, which is committed to raising awareness of the disease and providing inspiration to those who live with MS. Williams has served as an advocate for the compassionate use of medical marijuana in a variety of states that have approved new laws. To date, 15 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical See MARIJUANA, page 11

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From page 10 marijuana.

For Morhaim, the use of marijuana in medical treatment is “just another tool in the toolbox, to be used safely and responsibly like any other therapy.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for patients to have access to the medicines that work best for them, especially for those suffering from serious ailments like cancer and multiple sclerosis,” Morhaim said. “Marijuana may provide the greatest possible relief, one that can help when other therapies are not effective.”

Opposition in high places But Maryland‘s health secretary, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, said recently he opposes the current version of the bill because his department lacks the resources to oversee the system to dispense it, and the medical use of the drug remains controversial.

However, he also told a panel of lawmakers the department would be willing to help them study the issue this year to look for a “more feasible option.’’

Opposition from Sharfstein is significant, because the proposed legislation makes the health department responsible for overseeing growers, licensing sellers and doing other administrative jobs. Sharfstein, the former No. 2 official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, became secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in January.

“The use of the marijuana plant itself for medical purposes is controversial,” Sharfstein said. “This is not just because marijuana is a controlled substance. It is also because marijuana, unlike approved pharmaceuticals, has not been characterized, studied and determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be safe and effective.’”

Morhaim said he’s ready to work with the department to address the secretary’s concerns, and he said he hoped to address some of the issues during the current legislative session, which ends April 11.

For patients like Deborah Miran, Montel Williams, Delegate Dan Morhaim, and Senators Jamie Raskin and David Brink-

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HEALTH FAIR Montgomery General

ley, the time has come to pass the bill.

“I would much rather have paid a co-pay through my insurance company to have gotten the marijuana legally and known it was safe and free from impurities,” said Miran, who added that she had no problems with the marijuana she did obtain.

Miran counts herself fortunate that she was able to find the marijuana that proved key to helping her get back her strength.

“It was a miracle for me.”

Now she hopes others will have that same opportunity.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

Marijuana

To combat side effects of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia some years ago, Deborah Miran turned to marijuana, which helped increase her appetite and relieve her nausea. The Maryland legislature is now considering a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana for those with a doctor’s prescription.

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Try black rice for variety and antioxidants Q: Is black rice now considered an- a plus for overall health, too. the glycemic index of food? weight loss. For both blood sugar level reother one of the super foods?

A: A food’s glycemic index (GI) refers duction and weight loss, glycemic index is Frozen spinach can be a great option to A: Black rice, a variety of keep on hand for many of these to its effect on blood sugars shortly after it more likely to be significant when it is rice used in Asia for cendishes, but with all these op- is eaten. combined with exercise as well as other turies, is a whole grain and a Higher GI foods are digested relatively methods (like portion control) to keep tions, there’s no need to turn to healthy food choice. It can prepared dishes like spinach quickly and usually contain either less calories at an appropriate level. add a nice change to meals; soufflé. It contains almost half a fiber or less fat, both of which slow down So at this point, if you have type 2 diahowever, as with any one how quickly the body absorbs carbohyday’s recommended limit for betes, it may help to pay attention to your food, it won’t replace eating a sodium and 30 to 50 percent of drates. These foods tend to raise blood foods’ glycemic index in addition to followwide variety of vegetables, the recommended limit for sat- sugars more, which can then lead to a ing the basic components of healthy eating. fruits and other whole grains. greater increase in insulin levels. urated fat in a one-cup portion.

The good news is that by choosing Its dark color — which do show that eating mainly Studies Frozen spinach is a great foods that are recommended for a healthturns to purple when cooked basic to keep on hand, but foods with a low GI can reduce blood ful diet — high-fiber vegetables, whole — comes from natural plant NUTRITION choose the plain version that sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. grains and beans — and limiting consumpcompounds called antho- WISE leaves you flexibility to use it in But according to the American Diabetes tion of sweets and refined grains, you may cyanins. These anthocyanins By Karen Collins, a variety of tasty and healthy Association, studies also show that the already be selecting mostly low GI foods.

RD, CDM MS, are also found in purple and dishes. You can find spinach total amount of carbohydrate in food, in The American Institute for Cancer Research blue colored vegetables and recipes from the American In- general, is a stronger predictor of blood offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800- 843-8114, fruits such as eggplant and blueberries. stitute for Cancer Research Test Kitchen at glucose response than the GI. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

They are one of several types of antioxi- www.aicr.org.

Study results are less clear when See NUTRITION WISE, page 15 dant compounds called phenolics that are Q: Should I be paying attention to glycemic index is applied to long-term found in black rice. These compounds together give black rice several times higher antioxidant activity than white rice.

Brown rice, also a whole grain and healthy choice, does not contain anthocyanins, but it contains other health-promoting phenolics. Research on black rice seems to focus on comparisons with white rice, so it’s hard to tell how much more benefit you’d get from black rice over brown rice.

You might see black rice recommended for its high fiber content, but while it contains much more than white rice, its fiber advantage over brown rice is slight. It may cost an extra 25 cents a serving compared to regular brown rice, though not much more than quick-cooking varieties of brown rice.

The biggest disadvantage is that though quick-cooking forms of brown rice have been developed, black rice still demands 45 CURRENTLY ENROLLING FOR A to 50 minutes of cooking like regular brown rice.

VACCINE CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDY Q: I know that spinach is loaded with vitamins, but how can I fix it so people will enjoy eating it? Is the spinach soufflé that comes frozen a healthy option?

A: There are loads of delicious ways to include spinach in your meals. Whether you You may be eligible if you: start with fresh or frozen spinach, you can ■ are a healthy adult 50 years of age or older add it to soups, casseroles, eggs and pasta.

■ have never had shingles or received a shingles vaccination Steam or sauté spinach with onions and peppers, and use it as a bed or stuffing for Compensation available for time and travel Investigator: chicken or seafood.

Dr. Marshall Freedman For a simple treat that complements many meals, simply sauté spinach in a little olive oil with some fresh garlic (the If you would like more information about this study, please more, the better for garlic lovers!). If you want, add to this basic formula some pine call 410.505.5594. We will answer any questions and set nuts, walnuts, mushrooms or either fresh or sun-dried tomatoes.

Spinach is a great source of the B vitaup your appointment. Thank you for min folate, which promotes healthy DNA. It’s also a powerhouse of antioxidants, proconsidering volunteering for a clinical viding both beta-carotene (which forms vitamin A in our bodies) and a pair of other research study. carotenoid compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin. These latter two are most wellknown for eye health benefits, but they are

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Boomerang kids From page 1

Wishing for an empty nest Moving back home can be “business as usual” for the kids, but it can be disruptive for the parents.

The Nelsons, who live in Baltimore City, have experienced that first hand. “I don’t think she realizes how good she has it here,” they said of their daughter.

The family prefers not to use their first names so as not to upset their daughter — whom, they are quick to say, they love beyond measure and are happy to have home

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

while she looks for a job (but still wish she’d show a bit more appreciation and responsibility).

“We all get along well,” said the Nelsons. But they admitted that “it would be nice to know what our daughter’s plans are when we get home in the evening.”

Unlike some empty nesters, Sharon and Craig Gendler were happy to send their two daughters out into the world and have their house — and their life — back to themselves.

“We liked it,” said Sharon, 54, a former retailer who is now a legal assistant for her husband’s law practice. “We didn’t feel

empty in the least.”

But today — like it or not — the Gendlers’ Reisterstown home is filled to the brim once again as their girls, ages 24 and 26, have moved back in.

“When the kids are back, you shift back from being a couple-focused household to a child-focused household,” said Haltzman. “You’re no longer in control of your schedule, what’s in your refrigerator, how much gas is in the car, and so on.”

“Food is definitely an issue,” added Sharon Gendler. “I make dinner, and I never know who’s going to be here.” Even ordering in can be difficult, albeit at times amusing. “It took us hours to decide on what kind of pizza the four of us wanted the other night,” Gendler laughed.

Making it work

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According to “Adult Children Moving Back Home: Don’t Let ‘Boomerang Kids’ Derail Your Goals,” a report published by insurance company New York Life, a return to the nest works best when parents: • Initiate a family discussion. Make sure you and your child are on the same page about why he/she/they are living at home. Is it to save money, attend school, take a break?

• Set expectations. What do you expect your child to contribute to the household, whether in terms of chores and/or household expenses? (The families in the report all agreed that their children aren’t

contributing financially — “They’re poor,” was the overall consensus. But they also agreed that they probably could have, and should have, been more clear about the kids’ responsibilities for chores like making dinner, cleaning up, etc.).

Talk about whether she or he can have dates over to spend the night; if they are spending the night out, should they call first? (“Yes,” said Sharon Gendler. “I don’t want to be lying in bed thinking they’re dead!”)

• Set a time limit. How long does your child expect to be at home? How long is it OK with you for him or her to be there?

• Charge rent. Easier said than done, especially in this economy, say both the parents and Dr. Haltzman. But kids should be paying for their own gas, entertainment, and meals out with friends.

• Keep your promises. If both parents and adult children stick to their agreements and treat each other respectfully and as adults — and don’t revert to traditional parent/child roles — many problems can be avoided.

Remember, though, that there don’t have to be hard and fast rules. “You can always re-evaluate,” said Haltzman.

While there can be frictions and challenges to having the nest filled once again, there are pleasures as well. Said Wendy Appleby, “I get to watch my daughter every day live her life as an adult the way I raised her to be.”

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

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Pay your own way or pay in another way Dear Solutions: because I got her the job. ing her well.

I’ve started to see a man whom I knew —Sally The trouble with second wives or huslong ago, before we were both bands is that they want the Dear Sally: widowed. I’d like him as a Butt in — carefully. Point out that as her past to be gone. Concentrate friend without any physical inon your present rather than friend you are concerned for her, her feeltimacy, but each time he his past, because although the ings and her job. Ask her to think through takes me to dinner or gets past has passed it can never what she really wants to come of this and tickets to something he tries be really gone. Its memory how realistic her wishes are. to kiss me goodnight afterTell her people are noticing and talking. lingers on. ward.

Tell her it’s his company and his wife, and Dear Solutions: I don’t want this, but I feel I helped my very good your friend is the one most likely to get guilty because he’s spending friend get a job in my compa- hurt. Add that you hope that doesn’t hapthis money on me. Do you ny. The boss is an attractive pen. Then butt out. think it’s wrong of me to let SOLUTIONS married man. My friend is an Dear Solutions: him spend money on me and By Helen Oxenberg, My sister is so superstitious that attractive divorced woman. then refuse his advances? Do MSW, ACSW she’s actually afraid to take money that There is a big flirtation you think I should end the going on, and it’s being no- was left to us by an uncle who died in a friendship? ticed and talked about by others in the terrible accident. She really needs it, — Amie office who also know his wife. Should and I’d like to see her get it before Dear Amie: I say something strong to my friend or other people in this family grab it.

In other words, if you don’t kiss him just butt out? I feel a little responsible How can I get her to stop concengoodnight do you have to kiss him goodbye? Not necessarily.

Right now you’re selling your kisses. You can get a better price for them if you hold out. The price is right when someone turns you on both physically and emotionally.

Friendship is based on honesty. Tell this man that you enjoy his company and want to remain friends — just friends. And then pay for yourself — your share of dinner, tickets and independence!

Dear Solutions: My husband and I are both married for the second time. Mine was a short first marriage, but his was for many years.

His former mother-in-law is having an 85th birthday party, and he wants to “just step in” to wish her well. I’m upset about this. I know his first wife and her whole family will be there.

I certainly wouldn’t go with him, and he hasn’t asked me to. Do you think I’m wrong to say he shouldn’t go, and that it’s his past, and he should just let go of it?

— Irene Dear Irene: Regency Crest is an extraordinarily carefree Yes. I think you’re part wrong and he’s community because of the convenient lifestyle part right, so you’re both part even. He probably had a warm relationship with his enjoyed by those who live here. We go the extra former mother-in-law, and he’s right to mile to provide our residents with distinctive want to acknowledge her birthday and amenities and service that cannot be found in wish her well.

It’s the way he wants to do it that’s ordinary active adult communities. wrong. The right way would be to send her some lovely flowers with a nice card wish-

trating on how he died? She says she only wants “happy money.”

— John Dear John: Tell her that “happy money” is money that helps you do things that make you happy! Tell her she would be honoring her uncle’s memory by honoring his wish to help her when he could.

You’re a good brother. Maybe you can take the money and buy her something you know she really needs.

If all else fails, you may add my name to the list of volunteers willing to relieve you of this burden. © Helen Oxenberg, 2011. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also e-mail the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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A Message from Sue Vaeth Howard County Office on Aging Administrator

Welcome to the new home of the Howard County Office on Aging’s “Senior Connection� — the Howard County edition of the Beacon! Our new streamlined format is designed to keep you informed about upcoming events and activities that we sponsor. Of course, the news and events contained in these two pages are just a glimpse of all we offer, so I encourage you to stop in your local senior center to pick up a full calendar of events for the coming month, or visit our website, www.howardcountyaging.org for more information.

Coming up in April, plan to join us for the ninth annual Gospel Extravaganza on Saturday, April 30 at 6 p.m. in the James Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. This annual event, sponsored by the Office on Aging and the Tau Pi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, is sure to uplift your spirits, with an impressive line-up of local gospel performances.

Proceeds benefit two worthy causes in our community — the Vivian L. Reid Community Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to older adults in Howard County, and the Tau Pi Foundation Fund, which offers college scholarships to deserving Howard County high school seniors. Tickets are $20 for adults, $8 for children 12 and under, and are available from the Office on Aging; call 410-313-6410 for more information. I hope to see you there!

As always, if you have questions about any Office on Aging events or programs, or need assistance for yourself or an aging friend or relative, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 410-313-5980. Our information specialists are available to assist you.

And don’t forget, you can visit MAP’s website, www.marylandaccesspoint.info, anytime to access information on resources throughout Howard County and Maryland.

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North Laurel Community Center Nears Completion

The Howard County Office on Aging will soon join Recreation and Parks, the Health Department and the Police in the new North Laurel Community Center, scheduled to open later this year. The 60,000-square-foot facility, pictured at right, from the air, is located at 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd. The adjacent 50-acre park will include ball fields, picnic shelters and walking trails.

The community center will also be home to a new 50+ center, following the relocation of the current Savage Senior Center, with Trish Olsen as director and Edith Bennett as assistant director. The center will offer expanded programming for older adults in a new fitness room, dance studio, arts studio and other activity areas.

The Owen Brown Senior Center Plus program will also relocate to North Laurel, with Director Felicia Stein, Assistant Director Nancy Riley, and Program Assistant Zelda Hughes. Pictured right, Office on Aging staff toured the nearly completed North Laurel Community Center in February.

Howard County Senior Centers

THE BAIN CENTER 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia / 410-313-7213 EAST COLUMBIA 50+ CENTER 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia / 410-313-7680 ELKRIDGE SENIOR CENTER 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge / 410-313-5192 ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1400 GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER 2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5440 LONGWOOD SENIOR CENTER 6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia / 410-313-7217 SAVAGE SENIOR CENTER 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel / 410-880-5915 ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER PLUS 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1425 GLENWOOD SENIOR CENTER PLUS 2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5442 OWEN BROWN SENIOR CENTER PLUS 7080 Cradlerock Way, Columbia / 410-313-7218

Maryland Access Point of Howard County (MAP) 410-313-5980 / 1-800-506-5806 / Maryland Relay 711

Email: map@howardcountymd.gov Website: www.marylandaccesspoint.info Maryland Access Point (MAP) is the information, referral and assistance arm of the Howard County Office on Aging. MAP provides information and assistance for adults age 50 and older, or age 18 and older with a disability, and their family members or caregivers, who are looking for services to help them remain in the community and lead full lives.

The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging, Department of Citizen Services. We welcome your comments and suggestions. To contact us, or to join our email subscriber list, email seniorconnection@howardcountymd.gov with ‘subscribe’ in the subject box.

Howard County Office on Aging

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 | www.howardcountyaging.org Sue Vaeth, Administrator Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging nor by the publisher.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

Coming Events

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The Senior Connection

Sat., March 26, 3 p.m. — A Celtic Afternoon, East Columbia 50+ Center Enjoy an afternoon of traditional Irish music with Dileab Phriseal, (Precious Heritage).

For more information, call 410-313-7680.

Wed., March 30, 1 to 3 p.m. — “Arm Yourself with Knowledge,” Longwood Senior Center, Columbia The Office of Consumer Affairs and the Howard County Police Department will present a unique program to raise awareness of, and help fight, crime targeted at older adults. For more information, call 410-313-7217.

Wed., March 30 and April 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. — AARP Tax Aide, Savage Senior Center, Laurel AARP Tax Aide offers free tax preparation to adults with low and moderate incomes. Call 410-313-7387 to schedule an appointment, or ask out about other Tax Aide assistance dates and locations in Howard County.

Thurs., March 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Listening Project, Ellicott City Senior Center The Columbia Foundation will interview seniors to find out what they feel are their greatest needs in the community. For information, call 410-730-7840.

Thurs., April 7 — Senior Trailblazers’ Trip to Harrington Slots, Delaware Cost of trip is $31, and includes a complimentary buffet and $15 bonus.

For more information and reservations, call Melba Riddle, 301-725-5576.

Thurs., April 7, 11 a.m. to noon — Spring Fever Fashion Show, The Bain Center Refresh your wardrobe at our Fashion Show & Shopping Event, as Taylor Marie’s presents their new spring collection. Free; call 410-313-7213 for reservations and more information.

Wed., April 13, 1 p.m. — Spring Tea, East Columbia 50+ Center Enjoy the pleasures of a relaxing tea.

Reservations and healthy appetites required.

Cost is $5. For reservations, call 410-313-7680.

Fri., April 15, 10 a.m. to noon — Life is a Highway, Ellicott City Senior Center An educational program specifically designed for mature drivers regarding Maryland’s new traffic laws. The two-hour course is taught by professionals from Mid-Atlantic AAA and the Howard County Police Department.

Call 410-313-1400 for details.

Wed., April 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Elkridge Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Elkridge Senior Center Bring your grandkids, help hide the eggs or just come by to see the Easter Bunny in person and get a prize. Free, but donations are welcome.

Add Colorful Foods, Not Salt, to Your Diet

By Rona Martiyan, MS, RD, LDN, Office on Aging Nutritionist The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines have been released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most of the guidelines are not a surprise. Eating more fruits and vegetables goes along with the National Nutrition Month theme celebrated in March: “Eat Right with Color.” Adding colorful foods, especially fruits and vegetables, adds nutrients, vitamins and minerals to our diets and is a win-win for all of us.

One of the new guidelines — choosing low-sodium products and using less salt and salty ingredients in food preparation — needs more explanation.

Supported by the American Heart Association’s advice to lower sodium intake to 1,500 mg. per day, the guideline further defines those groups that need to heed this call, specifically those with hypertensive disease, older adults and African-Americans. If you are reading this article, you may well fall into one of these groups. Heart disease is still the #1 cause of death in our country, and high blood pressure is a key risk factor.

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Here’s what’s true: • Americans still consume about 3,500-4,000 mg. of sodium per day • Americans don’t have total control over the sodium content of foods • Americans eat out, or order take-out food, more than occasionally • Food manufacturers and restaurants use salt as a key ingredient • More than 70 percent of our sodium intake is inherent in our food Here’s what we can do to lower our sodium intake: • Avoid canned vegetables and soups, frozen vegetables with sauces, and frozen entrees, unless they contain 300 mg. sodium or less per serving

• Eat less snack foods, especially those that come in bags or boxes • Cook at home more often so you have control over the ingredients • Use herbs to flavor foods rather than salt • When at restaurants, ask that no salt be used • Limit your sodium intake to ¼ teaspoon of salt per day per person.

The taste of salt is acquired. And although our bodies need sodium, we get plenty from the natural food itself without adding any in cooking or at the table. You can gradually reduce your sodium intake over time, and you will come to enjoy the true taste of food without masking it with salt.

A SPRING Wellness Seminar, Thursday, April 28 4 to 6 p.m., Free, Glenwood 50+ Center

Tackling the difficult discussions adult children need to have with their aging parents is the focus of this wellness seminar sponsored by the SPRING peer support program. This seminar will look at some of the topics commonly faced; discuss communication tools, emotional and relationship aspects; and identify invaluable resources. Light refreshments will be served. The seminar is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information, call Karen Hull, 410-3137466, or e-mail khull@howardcountymd.gov by Tuesday, April 26.

“Medicare 101 – The Basics” will be held on Wednesday, April 6, at 7 p.m. at

The Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044. This seminar reviews how Medicare works, what the benefits are, and how it relates to supplemental health insurance. It is sponsored by the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) of the Howard County Office on Aging. To register and to inquire about other seminars, call 410-313-7391. View the full schedule of upcoming Medicare education events at www.howardcountyaging.org.

“Living Well….Take Charge of Your Health”

Medical Pavilion at Howard County, 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100, Columbia, MD 21044 Thursdays, April 14, 21, 28, and May 5, 12, 19 from 9:30 a.m. to noon Learn techniques to cope with the frustration, fatigue, pain and isolation often associated with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Also, learn exercises to maintain and improve strength, flexibility and endurance, and how to communicate more effectively with family, friends and health professionals. The class and accompanying materials cost $28. If you are interested, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 410-313-5980.

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A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Money Law &

PASSING IT ON Revocable trusts and insured bank accounts can serve as simple estate planning tools that help you protect money for your heirs DIVIDENDS ARE BACK Larger companies are likely to boost dividends this year, experts say

Is it too late to return to the stock market?

By Mark Jewell Investors are finally inching back into the stock market. But are they too late?

While millions sought refuge in traditionally stable bonds over the past two years, they missed a more than 90 percent rally in stocks. Suddenly bonds don’t look so safe, and some of the $11 trillion that Americans have parked in mutual funds is shifting back to stocks.

After putting more than $570 billion into bonds over the past two years, mutual fund investors reversed course last fall, worried that the prospect of rising interest rates and the growing deficits of state and local governments were bringing bond prices down.

In the last two months of 2010, investors withdrew a net $23 billion from bond funds, according to industry consultant Strategic Insight.

At the same time, corporate bottom lines are improving. So investors are finally starting to take another look at stocks after being burned in the 2008 financial crisis and scared by the market’s “flash crash” single-day plunge in May. “Most investors have been in a capitalpreservation mentality, because they saw so much of their net worth destroyed in the bear market,” said Chris Jones, chief investment officer with J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Few have fully recovered since the stock market began sliding from its historic peak in October 2007. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is 17 percent shy of that level, despite recent gains.

The momentum has shifted, and now, with a couple of years of solid market performance, many risk-averse investors may be ready to get back in. But there are cautionary voices.

The economic recovery is still fragile in the eyes of Tom Roseen, an analyst with fund-tracker Lipper Inc. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a little bit of a pullback over the next couple months, as people re-evaluate their portfolios and take a look at how much the market has gained,” he said.

Bond losses boost stocks Until recently, investors got a decent return from their play-it-safe strategy. Diversified bond funds gained an average of 10.8 percent last year, beating their average annual gain of 6.2 percent over the past five years, according to Morningstar.

Still, nearly all types of bonds lost money in the fourth quarter of 2010, with government bonds taking the biggest hit.

This downturn helped fuel a shift into stocks — most notably abroad. Mutual funds buying overseas stocks took in a net $72 bil-

lion last year, while investors pulled a net $49 billion out of funds buying American stocks.

There are signs that U.S. stocks are becoming more attractive to mutual fund investors. For one week in December, domestic stock funds took in more money than investors pulled out. The last time that had happened was last April. And the pace of withdrawals is slowing.

Market optimism is also improving. For 19 consecutive weeks, surveys by the American Association of Individual Investors have shown a greater-than-average belief that stock prices will rise. The last time the surveys had such a long streak of bullish sentiment was in late 2004.

Yet the movement of money because of troubles with municipal bonds offers a reminder of how important it is for investors to remain even-keeled.

“You simply have got to put aside the emotion and believe in what you are taught — to buy low and sell high,” said Carol Clemens, a 64-year-old retiree from Edmond, Okla.

She scored big when she snapped up shares of Ford for around $2 when it appeared U.S. automakers might go under a couple of years ago. The stock now trades above $18, thanks to smart moves by Ford’s management and a strengthening economy.

Clemens’ portfolio is about two-thirds

stocks and one-third bonds, and she’s recently been trimming her stake in bonds.

Belief that the economic recovery is on track has recently driven up long-term interest rates from record lows. This has led investors to pull out of low-yielding Treasurys.

Rising rates also are making it costlier for state and local governments to borrow.

Fear of further rate increases also is causing prices for many previously issued bonds to drop. That’s because investors will be able to buy newly issued bonds paying higher interest.

Stock gains expected So as bond prices decline, investors like Clemens will be looking for income from stocks that pay solid dividends. And as other investors step back into stocks, they may be questioning whether they’re making the classic mistake of buying in at the market’s peak.

The S&P 500 is up 27 percent since Sept.

1, and at its highest point since August 2008. It finished 2010 with a return of 15 percent including dividends, more than twice the gain for a comparable bond index.

J.P. Morgan’s Jones expects further stock gains in 2011, with a breakout year for growth stocks of companies whose earnings rapidly appreciate — think AmaSee STOCK MARKET, page 19

Muni bonds offer income, but risks, too Worries about out-of-control state Who should buy? deficits, underfunded municipal pension To be sure, people getting into munis plans and rising interest rates today must be both intrepid have been kicking the teeth and careful. The market is exout of the municipal bond ceptionally volatile, buffeted market lately, with prices by credit concerns, interest plunging and yields soaring. rate worries and swings in And that’s got some contrarisupply. Still, for those in high ans saying that now may be the tax brackets, it’s hard to beat time to jump into the market. the returns.

“This is a great time to get Municipal bonds are best into munis for anyone looking suited to people in the highest for income in their portfolio,” federal and state tax brackets.

MONEY said Mark R. DeMitry, senior That’s because the interest MATTERS portfolio manager at the Opearned on the bonds is exempt

By Kathy Kristof penheimer Funds. “If you have from federal taxation, and, if a long-term horizon and can you’re buying bonds issued by withstand the ups and downs of the market, the state in which you live, they’re also exit seems like there’s a great opportunity.” empt from state tax. The higher your tax

bracket, the more valuable those exemptions can be.

A 5 percent return is worth 9 percent to somebody paying 35 percent of their income in federal tax and 9.45 percent to the state, but it’s worth only about 6.7 percent to someone in the 25 percent federal tax bracket who pays little or no state income tax.

So, should you consider buying municipal bonds? If so, what are the risks and how can you minimize them?

Default risk: For small issues and some types of so-called revenue bonds, the biggest risk is default.

While few experts expect general obligation bonds — those backed by the full credit of the state or municipality issuing them — to stop making payments to investors, bonds that were issued to finance

stadiums and commercial developments look shaky, said Marilyn Cohen, president of Envision Capital Management in Los Angeles. That’s because repayment is usually tied to the economic health of a project, and many of them are not doing as well as expected.

On the other hand, general obligation bonds, which usually finance utility projects, airports and the like, are generally on solid ground, she said.

“You have to know what you’re investing in,” Cohen said. “Look for bonds that finance necessities.”

Interest rate risk: Another significant concern for bondholders is whether interest rates are on their way up. If interest See MUNI BONDS, page 20

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

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How to avoid fees on checking accounts

By Candice Choi First they took away free checking. Now banks are charging more for ATM withdrawals, stop payments on checks and other services.

The encroaching fees on checking accounts come as the industry seeks ways to offset the impact of new regulations that limit key revenue sources.

Most notably, banks are bracing for a cap on the fees they can collect from merchants whenever customers swipe their debit cards. Some estimate that the Federal Reserve’s proposed restriction could slash this income by as much as 70 percent, or about $14 billion a year, once it goes into effect this summer.

Banks are also prohibited from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft programs, which have been an increasingly rich source of penalty-fee income.

To make up for the losses, banks are quietly raising or introducing new account fees.

But a sharp eye can help you avoid them.

Here are five ways to dodge fees on your checking account.

1. Pick the right account If you don’t pay close attention to notices from your bank, you may not realize if there’s been a change in the lineup of accounts and their features.

At Citi, for example, customers who maintained a minimum balance of $1,500 previously enjoyed free checking. Now customers who sign up for the most basic checking account have to make at least five transactions a month to get an $8 monthly fee waived.

Even if your bank hasn’t changed its menu of options, keep your eyes peeled.

The industry is still feeling out ways to ad-

just to the new regulations.

Bank of America, for example, is testing checking accounts with fees ranging from $6 to $25. The trial is limited to three states but is expected to go national sometime next year.

2. Watch out for service fees Don’t be surprised if you see new charges for services that were once free, or hikes in existing fees.

Take for example a check you deposit that ends up bouncing. In the past, it may have caused a headache, but at least it didn’t result in a penalty fee. But Bank of America recently started charging $12 for each deposited check that doesn’t clear.

Statements that include check images are no longer free either. They now cost $3.

Chase customers are looking at a spate of fee hikes, too. If a deposited check doesn’t clear, it will cost $12, up from $10. A stop payment will cost $34, up from $32.

Domestic wire transfers will cost $30, up from $25, and online wire transfers will be $25, up from $20.

Such fees don’t get a lot of attention because most customers don’t incur them regularly. But being aware can help inform your decisions and ensure you’re not caught off guard.

3. Don’t get robbed at the ATM A trip to the ATM could cost more if you’re not careful.

To start, it might be better to print your statement at home. Bank of America is now charging $3 if customers print an account summary at an ATM, up from $2.

Chase recently began charging customers $1 to print recent account transactions.

And the cost of using another bank’s ATM isn’t getting any cheaper. Not only

will your own bank ding you, but so will the ATM operator. The combined cost for getting cash was almost $4 on average, according to a Bankrate.com survey conducted last fall.

Banks have already raised fees since that study came out. In November, Citi raised the fee for using another bank’s ATM from $1.50 to $2 for customers with entry-level accounts. At Chase, customers who use an ATM while overseas will be charged $5 starting next month, up from $3.

4. Tune in and opt out One of the fastest ways to rack up fees is by overdrawing your account. Now at least you can prevent that costly mistake by turning off the ability to do so.

This wasn’t an option before July of last year, when it was industry standard to automatically enroll customers in overdraft programs — often with no way to opt out.

Now that customers must be given a choice, banks are touting lower penalty fees

to try and entice enrollment. But keep in mind that fees are still as high as $39 per violation. And if you don’t notice that you’ve overdrawn your account, you can quickly rack up hundreds of dollars in fees without realizing it. That’s even if you overdraw your account by just a few dollars at a time.

If you opt out, on the other hand, the worst you’ll suffer is some momentary embarrassment when your transaction is denied at the register.

5. Take the money and run If you’re still not satisfied with your checking account, start shopping for a new place to park your cash.

Even though banks are pulling back, free checking is still widely available; 65 percent of checking accounts last year were free, according to Bankrate.com.

When factoring in accounts that offer fee waivers, that number rose to 88 perSee CHECKING FEES, page 21

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Stock market From page 18 zon.com, whose stock price has tripled since March 2009. But Jones doesn’t think many investors are willing to get back into those richly priced stocks.

Many market pros are predicting another year of double-digit gains. They point to an abundance of positive economic indicators: factories cranking up production, hiring activity picking up, growing corporate investment in technology.

Consumers also are more confident, thanks in part to the recent extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and a new cut in the Social Security payroll tax.

If the market behaves like it has coming out of previous recessions, the S&P 500 could rise nearly 12 percent this year.

That’s the average gain the index made in the one year immediately following this point in the economic cycle, a year and a half after the end of a recession. The analysis by Birinyi Associates examined market gains coming out of seven prior recessions.

Another positive: Corporate earnings are rising. Around mid-year, Bob Doll, chief stock strategist at BlackRock, the world’s

biggest money management company. expects profits of S&P 500 companies will top the record high they reached in June 2007.

He notes that more companies have recently been boosting their earnings projections than scaling them back.

But bonds remain popular Yet many believe investor conservatism still runs deep, in part because of demographics. Baby boomers are beginning to retire in droves, and they’re drawn to the steady income and returns that bonds typically generate.

Indeed, not everyone is declaring that investors have given up on bonds. Strategic Insight expects demand for bond funds will rebound in the first half of this year.

A key reason is that bond yields still look pretty good compared with the current near-zero returns from cash investments such as money-market funds.

“The numbers suggest a slow rebound for investor confidence in stocks,” said Strategic Insight’s Avi Nachmany. “But they’ll continue to buy bonds for the same reasons they bought them before: There’s an insatiable interest in income, and people are still scared.”

— AP

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A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Accounts to protect money for your heirs Among the many reasons people put significant sums in FDIC-insured bank deposits is to keep that money safe for themselves and for their heirs.

This article describes different types of deposit accounts that can be used to pass funds on to heirs and explains how to make sure your money is fully insured should your bank fail.

Types of revocable trusts Some of the most popular deposits for estate-planning purposes are “revocable trust accounts.” These trusts are called “revocable” because, unlike other types of trust accounts, the depositor has the right to change the terms of the inheritance or cancel the trust agreement entirely.

You most likely know these accounts by

Muni bonds From page 18 rates rise, the value of existing bonds issued at relatively lower yields will fall. The best way to address that risk, Cohen said, is to keep durations relatively short.

She said she’s buying only those bonds that repay investors in 10 years or less.

Though shorter-duration bonds’ value will fall too if interest rates rise, they aren’t likely to fall as far.

other names. Here are the two main types: 1. Payable-on-death accounts Payable-on-death (POD) accounts, also referred to as “in-trust-for” accounts, are trust deposits that typically can be set up at a bank with a simple, written declaration in the bank’s records that upon the death of the depositor, the named beneficiaries will become the new owners of the money.

If properly titled, a traditional certificate of deposit (CD), savings account or even a checking account can be set up as a POD account. Because of their simplicity, the FDIC sometimes refers to PODs as “informal” revocable trust accounts.

“A payable-on-death account is usually established when the owner’s estate planning is simple — with the sole objective of leaving a specified amount of cash to a

beneficiary,” said Martin Becker, an FDIC senior deposit insurance specialist.

“If the owner wants to name multiple beneficiaries on a single POD account, each beneficiary typically receives an equal share or amount of the funds when the account owner dies.”

2. Living trust accounts These accounts are deposits tied to a legal document, typically called a living trust or a family trust, which is often drafted by an attorney. The FDIC describes these accounts as “formal” revocable trust deposits.

“Formal revocable trusts provide more detailed information about how the owner’s estate is to be distributed,” Becker explained. “For example, formal trust agreements can be used to describe special conditions that need to be met for a

beneficiary to receive funds, and in situations in which the allocations to beneficiaries are unequal or complex.”

For various reasons, living trusts may not be for everyone. Having a living trust prepared can be expensive, and sometimes the potential benefits may not outweigh the costs, especially depending on your state’s inheritance laws and your financial situation.

In contrast, “the simplicity of the payable-on-death account makes it the most common type of revocable trust account,” said FDIC supervisory counsel Joe DiNuzzo. “A POD account has no trust agreement — the only documentation is in the bank records on which the owner des-

Flight risk: When you invest in munis through mutual funds, you also need to be worried about whether other investors will get spooked and flee. If they do, your bond fund manager will have to sell bonds, locking in losses, to raise the cash to pay off those investors.

If you’re investing for long-term income, you might be better off buying individual bonds, Cohen said. That way the only emotional responses you need to worry about are your own.

Tax wild card: Because municipal bonds are sold based on their taxable equivalent yield, what happens to the U.S. tax system is incredibly important to muni investors. With record federal budget deficits, many investors are expecting some sort of change to the tax code. But there’s no consensus about what it might be.

One camp believes the government could raise taxes, which would make municipal bonds more valuable. The other thinks the government might follow the direction of

President Obama’s deficit reduction panel, which recently recommended cutting tax rates and doing away with most deductions, credits and exemptions, such as the income tax exemption for municipal bond interest.

That would savage muni values.

Barring psychic revelation, muni investors can only ask themselves the “Dirty Harry” question: “Do you feel lucky?”

Kathy M. Kristof welcomes your comments. E-mail kathykristof24@gmail.com © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

See ACCOUNTS, page 22

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Speaker: Ted Meyerson, President, United Seniors of Maryland For more information email COGS Administrator at info@cogsmd.org or visit our website at www.cogsmd.org COGS is an organization of senior care professionals working to improve the lives of seniors in our community. If you are a professional senior care provider and would like membership information, please email us at info@cogsmd.org.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

21

Why now’s a good time to seek dividends

By Mark Jewell Glance at 2010 returns and it’s easy to see why mutual fund investors might be tempted to chase the stock market’s hot spots.

Thinking small paid off big last year.

Funds specializing in stocks of smaller companies gained an average of 23 percent, compared with 13.6 percent for largecap funds, according to Lipper Inc. But avoiding those big stocks could mean missing out on one of this year’s best opportunities. There’s growing potential in dividends, and they’re more likely to be paid by larger companies. That’s because smaller companies generally reinvest profits in expanding their business.

A couple of reasons why dividend investing is likely to pay off this year: An extension of the Bush-era tax cuts means Uncle Sam will continue treating dividend income favorably.

And corporate America is sitting on hoards of cash. During an economic recovery, corporations will be more inclined to raise their dividend payouts.

“Traditional dividend investing is back in style as investors look for total return, stability and income,” said Howard Silverblatt, a Standard & Poor’s analyst. “2010 was a very good turnaround year.” Yet there’s still a lot of ground to make up before payouts reach their pre-recession levels.

Checking fees From page 19 cent. So it might take some homework and a closer examination of your spending habits, but you should be able to find plenty of free checking options.

If it’s service fees you’re worried about, banks sometimes waive certain fees for

How dividends work Dividends are the quarterly distributions that companies pay to shareholders. In turn, mutual funds holding dividend-paying stocks pass that money on to their investors.

Dividends are important because historically they make up more than 40 percent of the total return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, with the rest coming from rising stock prices.

Large-cap stocks — generally, those with market values of more than $3 billion, the cutoff for stocks in the S&P 500 — are the first place to look for dividends. About 75 percent of the stocks that make up the index pay dividends. Only 39 percent of smaller companies below the cutoff pay them.

Here are six factors to watch: 1. A two-year tax holiday: For much of 2010, it appeared likely that taxes would rise on dividend income. Since 2003, dividend taxes have topped out at 15 percent.

The extension of the Bush-era tax cuts means that historically low rate will remain for another two years.

Without the tax deal signed into law last year, dividend investors in the top income bracket would have faced a rate of nearly 40 percent. For top earners, the extension means a savings of nearly a quarter on every dollar of dividend income they generate in a taxable account. Investors will save nearly $75 billion over two years, Silverblatt estimated. customers who keep higher balances. So consolidating your deposits — CDs, checking and savings accounts — at a single bank is worth considering.

Another option is to check out smaller community banks or credit unions, which may offer more favorable terms and a more intimate level of service.

— AP

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2. Payouts expected to rise in 2011: The economic recovery is gaining strength, leaving companies more confident that they can afford to partially restore previous dividend levels. This comes after a tough two years when dividend investors took a huge hit as companies slashed and, in come cases, eliminated dividends to ride out the recession.

Announcements of dividend increases rose 45 percent in 2010 compared with 2009. Instances of companies reducing payouts fell 82 percent, according to S&P. Silverblatt expects these trends to accelerate in 2011 as companies spend more of their recently expanded cash coffers.

“Companies are going to move quickly to demonstrate that they are well into the

recovery mode, and dividend increases will be their early tool of choice to ensure that this happens,” he said.

3. Spring could be a bonanza: Companies are preparing to report 2010 financial results. With the uncertainty about dividend taxes settled for the next two years, expect a surge of announcements by companies planning to increase payouts in the spring.

That could inspire investor confidence and lift stock prices, said Joanna Bewick, co-manager of the Fidelity Strategic Dividend & Income Fund (FSDIX). Such announcements “send a long-term signal to investors, saying ‘We think we have a sustainable business model, and we can afford the See DIVIDENDS, page 22

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Accounts From page 20 ignates the beneficiaries.”

Also, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that some people and businesses have exaggerated or misrepresented the benefits of living trusts, often in advertisements or seminars, to sell trusts or other products to people who don’t need them.

Under FDIC rules, a depositor’s combined interests in all revocable trust accounts at the same bank are insured up to $250,000 for each unique beneficiary named. And a beneficiary can be a relative, friend, charity or nonprofit.

That means a revocable trust account is insured for up to $250,000 if there is one beneficiary, $500,000 if there are two, and so on up to $1.25 million for five different beneficiaries — regardless of how much money each beneficiary is to receive. And if two depositors own the account(s), the

insured amounts would be doubled, up to $2.5 million.

However, Becker noted, if there are six or more different beneficiaries that are to receive different shares from such an account, the deposit insurance rules change and become more complex. In those situations, he recommends calling toll-free 1877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342) to speak with an FDIC deposit insurance specialist.

Other accounts, other coverage Three other types of insured bank accounts can also help transfer funds to heirs: 1. Jointly owned accounts with no beneficiaries listed.

In the most common examples, these would be checking accounts, savings accounts or CDs that two or more people own. Typically, there is a “right of survivorship,” so if one of them dies, the survivor(s) will automatically become the sole owner(s) of the funds.

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Under the insurance rules, each person’s share in all joint accounts with no beneficiaries is protected up to $250,000, separately from other accounts at the same institution. So if a husband and wife have joint accounts at a bank and there are no beneficiaries named, that money is covered up to $500,000.

It’s also important to remember that the FDIC defines a joint account as being owned by two or more people with no named beneficiaries. Joint accounts are separately insured from accounts that are co-owned but do have beneficiaries, which are considered revocable trust accounts and are insured as described above.

What happens to the insurance coverage of a joint account if one of the owners dies? The FDIC will continue to insure the joint account for up to six more months as if the deceased co-owner were still alive.

The grace period is intended to give the survivor time, if necessary, to ensure that all of the funds are fully insured by re-

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structuring the accounts or moving some funds to another insured bank.

2. Irrevocable trust accounts These accounts are tied to trust agreements that the owner cannot cancel or change. Their insurance coverage usually totals no more than the basic FDIC insurance limit ($250,000) because of contingencies in the trust agreements. An example might be that children listed as beneficiaries cannot receive any money until they earn a college degree.

Note: You may also have insured revocable and irrevocable trust accounts at the same bank. The revocable trust accounts would be insured up to $250,000 for each eligible beneficiary, as described above, while irrevocable trusts with at least one named beneficiary would be separately insured up to $250,000.

3. Certain retirement accounts Other accounts, including Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Keogh accounts (for the self-employed) and “401(k)” accounts can have named beneficiaries. However, under the FDIC’s rules, a person’s deposits in these retirement accounts at the same bank are added together and insured up to a maximum of $250,000 per owner per bank.

These accounts — unlike POD and living trust accounts — do not qualify for extra coverage by adding the names of beneficiaries.

Adapted from the Fall 2010 edition of “FDIC Consumer News.”

Dividends From page 21 dividend increase over the long term.’”

4. Dividends will recover, but slowly: Although the dividend outlook is improving, it’s important to maintain perspective. Dividend cuts were so deep following the stock market meltdown that Silverblatt expects it will be 2013 before payouts return to 2008 levels. And that’s only if the economy cooperates.

5. Bank stocks will continue to lag: Stocks of large banks are traditionally big dividend payers. But the market meltdown changed that. Banks were hurt more than most stocks, because the recession was driven by subprime mortgage troubles and a credit-market freeze.

6. Dividend income could complement bond income: Fear over rising interest rates has cut into bond returns and reduced the prices investors are willing to pay for many types of bonds. Key reasons include improving expectations for the economy, and fear of long-term inflation.

Those factors make dividends potentially attractive to investors looking to trim bond holdings and find alternative income sources.

Historically, Bewick said dividend-paying stocks have fared better than bonds during rising inflation. It’s one reason her $815 million fund has recently increased its stake in dividend-paying stocks.

In a slow economic recovery, typically steady dividend-paying stocks, “could make up a greater proportion of investors’ overall returns than in the past,” she said. — AP

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

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

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A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Cruise lines are charging extra fees, ranging from fuel charges to mandatory tipping.

Something different: a mystery vacation

15 days of surprises In October, the Whites flew from Providence, R.I., to Washington, D.C., before continuing to Denver. Karin White threw in a red herring by telling him they were only overnighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, then leaving Colorado.

The next day, White assumed they were heading back to the airport until his wife “stopped the car, ran around [to his side of the car] and said, ‘I’m blindfolding you.’”

A few minutes later, at the YMCA of the Rockies, the blindfold was removed to reveal 23 family members who had come from North Carolina, Florida, California and Colorado to celebrate his 70th birthday.

After a four-day reunion, they traveled to Sedona, Ariz., where they went hot-air ballooning. They then helicoptered over the Grand Canyon, and stayed in the same room on the North Rim where they had stayed after their wedding a dozen years ago.

“I don’t think she told me the rest of the trip until we left the North Rim,” White said, explaining that he then participated by mapping out a leisurely drive to Arches

National Park in Utah.

They spent two days there before returning home from what White described as a practically perfect trip. The blindfold “was the only little bump,” he said. “That startled me.”

A traveling scavenger hunt Heather Cornwell, 34, was given a choice for a wedding present: cash or an all-expense-paid trip to Colorado. The Cornwells, who juggle family obligations, full-time jobs and university studies, liked the idea of having someone else make the plans.

“We wanted the trip to be fun and exciting,” said Chuck Wright, Heather’s father.

“We came up with the idea of a twist on a scavenger hunt.”

The first stop was a lodge in Riverside, Wyo., accompanied by Wright and his wife, Linda.

That night, Cornwell recalled Wright telling them: “Tomorrow you need to wear clothes that can get wet. Bring Ziplocs for your camera.” But she added: “We had no idea what we were going to be doing.”

After a day of fly-fishing, the Wrights returned home to Fort Collins, Colo., leaving the Cornwells to continue solo.

“We couldn’t sleep that night,” Cornwell said. We were very excited.”

The next morning, the proprietor handed them an envelope and a map of hiking trails. The instructions told them to drive to Steamboat Springs, Colo., shop for three days’ worth of food, and continue to a lakeside campground in Routt National Forest. (Wright had packed their truck with camping gear.)

The letter also told them to leave two days later, stopping by the Ranger Station in Yampa, where another set of instructions had been e-mailed. Those led them to a hotel in Glenwood Springs, Colo., for two nights, and then to the REI store in Denver by 5 p.m. on the third day, where the Wrights were waiting in the parking lot with tickets to a Rockies-Red Sox game.

Cornwell said the trip was better than their honeymoon to Scotland and Ireland because of the “excitement, adventure and love” that went into planning it.

“As an adult, your life is all about where you have to be next and what you have to do next,” she explained. “It was such an

AP PHOTO/HEATHER CORNWELL

By Karen Schwartz Blindfolded, 1,500 miles from home, 70year-old Paul White was being driven along a twisting mountain road to an unknown destination.

No, it wasn’t a kidnapping, or even a mystery novel. It was a mystery vacation.

From the moment White left his house in East Sandwich, Mass., until well into the 15-day vacation his wife spent two years planning, he didn’t know where he’d be going or what he’d be doing.

The same thing happened to Heather and Brian Cornwell, of Jacksonville, Fla., after her father arranged a 10-day “scavenger hunt” vacation as a wedding gift. Ditto for the hundreds of women who have traveled with Pink Bus Mystery Tours out of Fargo, N.D. But a mystery vacation isn’t for everyone.

While some laud it as an adventure free from the hassles of trip planning, others say it’s unnerving giving up so much control.

White is one of those who love it. His wife, Karin, organizes their mystery getaways, which have lasted from a day to two weeks. She has whisked him off to England, Mexico and several U.S. destinations.

She tells him in advance how long they’ll be gone, then does the rest, including packing.

Linda and Chuck Wright (couple on the right) planned a mystery trip to Colorado as a wedding present for their daughter Heather and her husband Brian Cornwell. Most people enjoy the spontaneity and freedom of going on such trips, but some find the surprise element unnerving.

amazing thing to relinquish control of your life for a minute.”

Some caveats But not everyone loves that feeling.

Lynnette Cashman said she felt “a little out of sync” during a 30th anniversary surprise planned by her husband, who normally leaves travel arrangements to her.

She knew something was up two months ago when she saw credit card charges for a four-day trip to St. John’s, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but that was all she was allowed to know.

“I felt more shut out than anticipatory,” she explained.

Although she appreciated her husband’s efforts, thought St. John’s was beautiful and the trip relaxing, she said she felt “annoyed at times” and “detached” at others.

“I’m not a go-with-the-flow person,” said Cashman, a retired accountant from West Chester, Pa. ”I like being in charge.”

Still, others are so intrigued by mystery tours, they sign up for them on their own.

Women pay $200 for a four-person room and an unknown adventure with Pink Bus Mystery Tours (www.thepinkbus.net) from Saturday morning until Sunday night.

“It’s sisters, or sisters and moms, or high school friends that have gotten together and they decide to go away for a weekend,”

explained co-owner Debbie Carriveau.

Activities have included boating, train rides, winery visits, belly dancing, cooking demonstrations, pottery factories, dairy farms and more.

Clients receive a post card with a suggested packing list, which will sometimes include a teaser, like “bring an apron,” she said.

The company has offered six to eight weekend trips annually for four years departing from the Fargo area. But they’re now attracting so many participants from elsewhere that this year a full tour originated in Milbank, S.D., 140 miles away.

And next year, Pink Bus will try something new: A flight to a destination revealed in advance — California’s Napa Valley. To preserve the mystery element, though, participants won’t be told the itinerary or activities.

White says that for him, mystery trips are the only way to travel. As a sculptor with employees, he said he would find it impossible to focus on planning a trip.

“I think it’s fantastic. It fits my personality,” he said. “Once I leave I’m fine, but it’s very difficult for me to get out the driveway.”

His wife’s subterfuge is so good that once, after driving for five hours, White thought they were lost somewhere in Maine — until they got out of the car and See MYSTERY VACATION, page 25

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel

25

Cruise lines may start to nickel and dime Overall, 2011 should be a good year for charges have been small compared with cruising. Other than an occasional and un- airline charges, but you can expect to see some. predictable weather or meAlso, historically, some chanical problem, a cruise lines tried to carve out a porshould remain an enjoyable tion of the true price and tack and reasonably priced vacait on later as “port charges.” tion option.

I’m not sure whether this will But if you haven’t cruised rere-emerge: Initially, the Floricently, you may see a few surda attorney general’s office prises. The biggest change in stepped in to protect concruise pricing I expect to see is sumers against this particular more “a la carte” pricing. deception, but attorneys genThe mass-market cruise eral change, and you might lines have seen the huge prof- TRAVEL TIPS see this scam again. its that airlines are reaping By Ed Perkins If you haven’t cruised in a from various fees and charges, while, you might be surprised to see that and I think they’d like some of the same.

You can blame the basic trend on the In- most mass-market lines now add a mandatoternet. Online comparison sites have made ry tipping charge to your bill, typically $10 to it easy for you to compare various cruise $12 per person per day. Many cruisers seem options side by side, and coming out on to like this idea — it simplifies what once the low end of a price search has become essential to many travel suppliers.

Most airlines have kept their base prices low by charging fees for features that were once “free” or included in the base price: meals, beverages, pillows and blankets, checked baggage (even carry-on baggage on one line), paper tickets, talking with a real person on the phone, advance seat assignment, priority boarding — you name it, some airline is charging for it.

I believe the mass-market cruise lines will sense the same pressures — and see the same opportunities. They already charge for dining in some premium shipboard venues, and a few charge for special entrees (notably steak and lobster) even in their regular dining rooms.

I expect to see that pattern continue. In a few years, mac and cheese may be the only “free” entree remaining on main dining room menus, with surcharges for almost everything else. You also already see extra charges for “special” desserts — and “special” can have elastic meanings. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some surcharges for “special” onboard entertainment features, too.

Fuel surcharges, mandatory tipping Fuel surcharges may stage a comeback, especially if the price of oil climbs above current levels. Historically, those sur-

Mystery vacation From page 24 into a boat for a trip across Chesuncook Lake to a bed-and-breakfast.

On another occasion, without telling him they were going to England, she tricked him into getting a passport by having his daughter tell him that she was getting one, and he should, too.

“I sometimes wake up and realize this isn’t fair. I’ve never taken her any place and she loves to travel,” White said. “But she also loves to plan.”

— AP

was a big mystery about whom, and how much, to tip.

Although the cruise lines set the tipping rates, they generally allow you to adjust your total payment up or down through the purser’s office. The mandatory tipping programs cover only cabin stewards and dining room staff. Most lines add a standard 15 percent to all bar bills.

Mandatory tipping is most prevalent among the mass-market lines serving North America. Cruises in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific are more likely to adhere to the older system.

According to my friends at Cruise Critic (www.cruisecritic.com), Disney and Royal Caribbean are the only two mass-market lines that still adhere to the old system: They “suggest” amounts, but leave it to you to hand each tipped staffer the traditional “white envelope” with cash at the

end of the cruise. But even these lines have some standard-tipping options.

Luxury ships unaffected I do not expect a la carte pricing to hit the up market lines as it will the less expensive operators. As far as I can tell, the high-end cruise lines will continue to bundle most onboard services, as well as tipping in the base daily rates. But of course, these rates are much higher than on the mass-market lines.

So, while I expect base cruise rates to remain steady, one way or another you’ll probably end up paying a bit more.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@ mind.net. Perkins’ new book for small business and independent professionals, “Business Travel When It’s Your Money,” is now available through www.mybusinesstravel.com or www.amazon.com.

26

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A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

When one retires and the other resents Ah, men. lot of Not Much in between.

Just when it seems as if we’ve made “I figure I’ve earned it all,” she said. progress — we do dishes, we Who could disagree? change diapers — here comes Her husband could. evidence that some guys are He is still working, even still living in caves, or should be. though he and his wife are Unfortunately, many such the same age (55). He has bemen are at or near retirement. come very jealous, possesAnd it’s retirement that expossive, cranky and overbearing. es their caveman-ness.

He doesn’t want her to go Say hello to a woman we’ll shopping, scoot up to Atlantic call Roxanne — which I did City, or do any amount of Not one recent afternoon.

Much in between. He wants HOW I SEE IT We exchanged the usual her to be at home and to stay

By Bob Levey what-do-you-do biographies. at home, to greet him as he She let me know that she had just retired comes in the door each evening. from the federal government after 36 years He hasn’t said he’d like her to be wearing of service. a see-through negligee and mixing him a She’s spending her time doing Pure double martini, but I figure those are next.

Pleasure — shopping till she drops, gamRoxanne asked my advice. She said she bling jaunts to Atlantic City, and a whole has asked all her female friends what to do,

and the consensus is “Tell him to get over it.”

But she’s not happy with that answer.

She thought that my male perspective might offer a different view.

It certainly does. Here’s what I told Roxanne, and would tell anyone else whose spouse suddenly acts super-selfish: The issue here isn’t retirement and it isn’t men-are-from-Mars-women-are-from-Venus.

The issue is timing and communication.

Didn’t Roxanne and Caveman know far in advance that she’d be retiring in late 2010? Didn’t they discuss whether he would do so at the same time? Didn’t they ask (or in her case, reveal) how she’d be spending her time once the office no longer beckoned?

The ugly truth, according to Roxanne, is that no such conversations ever took place.

“I just figured it would become ‘Me Time,’” she told me. “But I never checked

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what that would mean with him.”

Which makes the score Caveman zero, Roxanne minus one.

But Caveman never asked those questions, either.

Did he assume that Roxanne would sit at home all day and only go out when he could accompany her? Did he assume that Roxanne was his possession? Did he assume that he had a larger vote in the matter because he still brings home a paycheck?

Assuming is the enemy of all relationships, at all stages of life.

New score: Caveman minus one, Roxanne minus one.

So why didn’t Caveman retire at the same moment that Roxanne did?

“He said we couldn’t afford it yet,” she told me. “He said that because of all our credit card debts and our house being underwater, someone had to keep earning a full salary.”

All very reasonable and very typical (especially in this day and age).

But was their financial situation a revelation to either one of them?

No house goes underwater in five minutes. Big debts don’t accumulate overnight.

It’s often very easy to see financial trouble forming far away, like a cloud on the horizon. But if a couple doesn’t discuss it, the cloud rains all over them, and each blames the other.

New score: Caveman minus two, Roxanne minus two.

Could this couple discuss the situation now and reach some sort of jerrybuilt agreement?

“He refuses,” Roxanne said.

Which puts Caveman in the lead: minus three to minus two.

Caveman locked up the championship for good when I asked the bottom-line question: Does he truly believe that Roxanne shouldn’t have a life — even an afternoon — separate from him?

Obviously, he doesn’t.

Obviously, he regards his wife in some way as his adjunct; his possession.

Obviously, he wishes he could do Not Much himself. But he isn’t being honest about that. Instead of expressing that thought, he has transformed it into: If I can’t be happy, I don’t want you to be happy, either.

Obviously, Caveman deserves another minus in the ledger.

He captures the family crown, minus four to minus two.

Three cheers.

I sincerely hope Caveman won’t want to put the trophy on his rec room shelf. I sincerely hope he and Roxanne can find a way through this mess.

But someone will have to bend, and both of them will have to listen.

They came into this marriage with four ears between them. All four should be open and on high alert.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

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27

Arts &

Jazz musician Dave Brubeck enjoys a resurgence of attention. See story on page 28.

Cirque du Soleil plays under the big top

A circus without animals Totem is made up of 11 acts, with cast members performing with bars, rings, hoops, trapeze, roller skates and more. It’s like a circus, but without animals, said

Cirque spokesperson Amelie Hamel.

Totem is director Robert Lepage’s second Cirque du Soleil show. “Inspired by the foundation narratives of the first peoples, Totem explores the birth and evolution of the world, the relentless curiosity of human beings and their constant desire to excel,” he said.

“The word ‘totem’ suggests that human beings carry in their bodies the full potential of all living species, even the Thunderbird’s desire to fly to the top of the totem,” Lepage said.

While all Cirque shows are different from one another because they each have different creators, Totem is unique, according to Hamel, because this show is “very realistic and natural.”

“Unlike other shows, Totem is not set in a fantasy world,” she said, adding that while the production traces human evolution, it is not promoting any philosophy or belief system. Instead it incorporates myths, symbols, signs and dreams to tell the story of mankind.

Spectacular visual effects Another distinguishing characteristic, according to Hamel, is the production’s visual effects, which give audience members the distinct sensation of traveling to different worlds, be it in a volcano, under water and so on.

“The main objective is to simply experience the magic…to be amazed and entertained. That is what a Cirque show is all

COLUMBIA PRO CANTARE CHORUS Frances Motyca Dawson, Director Mary Ann McCormick, mezzo • Jared Denhard, stringed instruments THE LEXINGTON BRASS QUINTET present

AMERICA SINGS!

Featuring Ballads, Spirituals, Appalachian songs, Moravian Brass

May 7, 2011 at 8 pm

Free pre-concert Who will lead CPC in lecture at 7 pm “When the Saints Go Jim Rouse Theatre, Columbia Marching In?” Advance: Adults $23, Generously supported by: VOTE in our BATTLE Seniors & Students $20, FOR FRANCES’ BATON At the Door: $25 and $22, Media sponsor:

Group rates for 10 or more For Tickets & Information,call 301-854-0107 or 410-799-9321 Visit our website www.procantare.org

about,” she said.

Totem took a team of 12, led by director Lepage, about three years to create. The team worked together on not only the original concept, but details such as make-up, lighting and set design.

“It evolves, both creatively and logistically, from these brainstorming sessions,” said Hamel.

Cirque du Solei’s “raison d’etre,” she added, is the creation of shows, to be presented under big See CIRQUE, page 28

Cirque du Soleil’s

Totem, in Baltimore from April 7 to 24, tells the story of the evolution of humans using acrobatics and spectacular visual effects.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OSA IMAGES

By Carol Sorgen Cirque du Soleil will bring its unique blend of music, dance, acrobatics and visual effects to Baltimore when its new traveling show, Totem, sets up under the characteristic blue and yellow big top on April 7 at Westport Waterfront.

The waterfront is located about 2 miles south of the Inner Harbor, along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River, and is under development. The show runs through April 24.

Totem premiered in April 2010, in Montreal, home of Cirque du Soleil, and has since played in Quebec City, Amsterdam and London. It had its U.S. premiere in Charlotte earlier this month, and will move on to Pittsburgh after it closes here.

One of the company’s five big-top shows, Totem traces the journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage that evokes a giant turtle — the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations.

Inspired by many founding myths, Totem illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species.

Somewhere between science and legend, Totem explores the ties that bind humans to other species, our dreams and our potential.

28

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

At 90, Dave Brubeck continues to swing Bouncing back from illness His doctors were concerned that Brubeck might not be able to perform again when the jazz icon checked into the hospital after complaining of dizziness and fatigue.

His recovery after surgery hastened when his manager, Russell Gloyd, brought him an electric piano to play, and his doctor noticed an almost instant improvement.

“He said, ‘You know, what this does for you is maybe more than I can do for you. I think you’ll be able to play again just from hearing you,’” said Brubeck, who thanked hospital staff by playing the standard “Show Me the Way to Go Home” on a piano in the hospital foyer as he was being discharged.

In December, his quartet was voted the best small jazz group in DownBeat magazine’s annual Readers Poll — an honor the Brubeck Quartet first received in 1953 and would repeat frequently until the mid-1960s.

“My first reaction to them was, ‘this is the longest intermission I’ve ever taken,’” Brubeck joked. “It’s really a triple surprise to have this happen at this time in my life.”

Brubeck’s current quartet has developed the intuitive interaction that comes from years of playing together. Drummer Randy Jones has been in the band since 1979, alto saxophonist-flutist Bobby Militello since 1982, and bassist Michael Moore since 2001.

THE EDWARD A MYERBERG CENTER PRESENTS

AN EVENING

WITH

AWARD-WINNING ENTERTAINER

AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS, PAUL CHIASSON

By Charles J. Gans Dave Brubeck gingerly made his way to the bandstand through a packed Blue Note jazz club in New York, and a smile lit up his face after he sat down at the piano and began playing a Duke Ellington medley he dedicated to “my favorite jazz composer, pianist, musician and friend.”

Brubeck mixed standards and originals drawn from his nearly 70-year career in a 90-minute set that left time for only a shortened version of “Take Five,” the late alto saxophonist Paul Desmond’s catchy oddmetered tune that surprisingly put the Brubeck Quartet at the top of the pop charts nearly 50 years ago.

Brubeck, 90, could easily have excused himself from the recent sold-out Blue Note gig: It came just a month after he was discharged from Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut following heart surgery to install a pacemaker. But he felt a strong motivation to perform with his quartet.

“It’s the love of the music and the love of being with the group, because we have such a great time,” said Brubeck, speaking by telephone from his home in Wilton, Conn. “I could kind of not work so hard anymore, but that might be a bad thing. My personal doctor said, ‘You know, Dave, when you start playing, things start looking up, so I don’t advise you to stop. You need to play.’”

Jazz legend Dave Brubeck continues to perform and compose at age 90. Two CD anthologies of his work, with songs from more than 60 years of recordings, were recently released.

Three of his sons — Chris (bass and trombone), Darius (piano) and Dan (drums) — recently completed a “Brubecks Play Brubeck” British concert tour honoring their father’s work.

“I love very much to see my sons carrying on the tradition,” said Brubeck, who no longer performs outside North America.

In 2009, Brubeck’s Dec. 6 birthday fell on the day he was feted at the Kennedy Center Honors with a White House reception hosted by President Barack Obama followed by a gala concert that included a surprise performance by his four sons.

Documentary by Clint Eastwood

BEN

Then, in honor of his 90th birthday last December, Turner Classic Movies broadcast Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way, a new documentary directed by Bruce

HONORING HOWARD H. MOFFET

Monday, May 16, 2011 at 7pm

Cirque From page 27 tops, in theaters or arenas around the world. Nearly 200 creators have contributed to the 21 shows created since 1984.

Tickets for Totem range from $55 to $190 for adults. Senior discounts of about 9 percent are available for those

Ricker and narrated by Alec Baldwin. Its executive producer was Clint Eastwood.

“Dave is an authentic American hero who is grounded in creating beautiful music,” said Ricker. “His character is formed by his fingers at the piano and there’s no dishonesty when you hear the music.”

Eastwood, who also appears on camera interacting with such Brubeck admirers as Star Wars director George Lucas and Sting, enthusiastically backed the project.

“My early love of jazz coincided with Dave Brubeck appearing on the scene in the late 1940s and ‘50s,” Eastwood explained in a statement. “This gave me the opportunity to see Dave in person. And as jazz was developing as a great American art form, this provided an inspiration for See BRUBECK, page 29

65+ for non-peak performances (Sunday to Thursday, and Friday at 4 p.m.). Seniors will be required to provide verification of age through valid I.D. at the time of the show.

Tickets are available online at cirquedusoleil.com/Totem or by phone at 1-800450-1480. Tickets are also available at the box office at 2001 Kloman St., Baltimore, starting April 6.

BEACON BITS

June 21+

RAISE YOUR VOICE IN SONG Singers 55 and over are invited to spend five days at a “singing

camp” at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where they will rehearse daily with conductor Jeanne Kelly, founder of Encore Creativity. The program includes

ation . g e r g e l Con ights Av E h t Be ark He P 8101

rehearsals and performances of challenging classical and secular pieces. Also offered will be daily movement/yoga classes, vocal technique classes and sectionals. Singers will attend concerts and other events in the evenings. A public grand finale concert will be performed on June 25. For pricing information and more details, visit http://encorecreativity.org or contact Jeanne.Kelly@encorecreativity.org or (301) 261-5747.

For more Information: Call 410-358-6856 or visit www.myerbergseniorcenter.org

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

Brubeck From page 28 artistic achievement as I began pursuing an acting career.”

Ricker, who had access to Brubeck family photos and rare BBC performance footage, said the film shows that Brubeck has “this artistic ambition that really transcends jazz,” evidenced by his embrace of classical music and his later interest in composing sacred music.

Ricker says a central theme is Brubeck’s relationship with his wife and lyricist, Iola, whom he married in 1942 after proposing on their first date.

Brubeck said the final scene of the documentary moved him the most: It’s when he is seated at the piano at Eastwood’s ranch with Iola, who asks him to perform “All My Love,” a ballad he wrote for their 1999 wedding anniversary.

New CD anthologies The documentary is complemented by two double-CD anthologies, “The Definitive Dave Brubeck on Fantasy, Concord Jazz and Telarc” and “Dave Brubeck: Legacy of a Legend” (Sony Legacy) that together “give

a complete picture of Dave Brubeck” with recordings from 1942 through 2004, said Gloyd, who produced both compilations.

“Legacy” includes the two best-known tunes from his classic quartet with Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello: “Blue Rondo a la Turk” and “Take Five,” from the breakthrough 1959 album “Time Out” which experimented with exotic time signatures.

Brubeck recalled that Columbia executives blocked the album’s release for almost a year before the label’s president Goddard Lieberson intervened.

“They said we never put out music that people can’t dance to, and they can’t dance to these rhythms that you’re playing,” said Brubeck.

“And you broke another rule [they said] when you have all originals on one LP, and also you want a painting on the cover and we’ve never done that. ... I insisted that we go with something new, and to their surprise it became the biggest jazz recording they ever made.”

Brubeck based “Blue Rondo” on a 9/8 rhythm that he heard Turkish street musicians playing during a 1958 State Department-tour that also took him to Poland,

where he composed the Chopin-inspired “Thank You (Dziekuje)” as a tribute to the freedom-loving Polish people. That tour deepened his belief that jazz could absorb foreign influences like a sponge.

French composer “Darius Milhaud, my teacher, told me, `Dave, travel the world and keep your ears open,’” said Brubeck.

Brubeck continues to compose new works, including the symphonic “Ansel Adams: America,” a multi-media project inspired by the photographer’s nature images. It had its premiere last April in Stockton, Calif., near the cattle ranch where Brubeck grew up.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 30

Brubeck, who converted to Catholicism in 1980 after composing a Mass, envisions an afterlife where he could see again his parents, brothers and his colleagues — Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Art Tatum and all the great pianists.

“If there’s a heaven, let it be a good place for all of us to jam together and have a wonderful, wonderful musical experience,” Brubeck said. “We had so many great musicians that contributed so much, and they were all my friends, and that’s why I’d like to see them again.”

— AP

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Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks hosts the 5th Annual Maryland Senior Idol Competition and Benefit at the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park on Wednesday, March 30 at 1 p.m. Contestants age 60 and over from across the State of Maryland will be competing in this vocal competition. Proceeds will benefit the Maryland Food Bank. Tickets are $6. For more information or for tickets, call (410) 396-2920 or e-mail joann.cason@baltimorecity.gov.

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Mar. 28+

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Now in its 23rd year, the Baltimore Jewish Film Festival will be hosted by the Gordon Center for Performing Arts from March 28 to April 14. Eight films will be presented throughout the festival.

Tickets are $10 per film and may be purchased at the door. Films will be followed by presentations with notable guest speakers. For a complete listing of the films to be shown, visit www.baltimorejff.com. The Gordon Center is located at 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. in Owings Mills.

Apr. 15+

FINE FURNISHINGS AND CRAFTS

See what the talented furniture makers and craftspeople have for sale, order or commission at the Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows at the Baltimore Convention Center from April 15 to 17. Tickets are $10.

Hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday. For more information, visit www.finefurnishingsshows.com.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE N A C H O

B A K E A C I R A L I K L G E

P H I L

From page 30.

A L O O F

W A Y T O

O N P O P

S S E

T A L F L L L I A A N N I E L Y A O A R R L D D A E R B A R C S

I D I O T

N O T R E

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M U L A S A C E S S T O L E

G E L I D

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S E L E S A T P E E S I D S E E A N S S E D

E C L A I R M E L T T S P

A M I G O

R I S E N

A I S L E S E A T

I D L E K S S E L M A

All Maryland citizens 100 years of age and older, and persons who will be age 100 by December 31, 2011 to attend

The 19h Annual Maryland Centenarians Recognition Luncheon

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD S I T S

T A L E S

29

Thursday, May 12, 2011 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Martin’s West 6821 Dogwood Road Baltimore County, Maryland

For more information, contact Dr. Odessa Dorkins at 410-664-0911

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Puzzle Page

NEW! Daily Crosswords on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus

Figures of Speech 1

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28. Modern-day Persian 30. Stubborn one 33. Lend a hand 36. Fairly common, relatively speaking 40. Bigger than med.

41. Top pilots 42. Office furniture 43. Galley power 45. Post on eBay 46. Literary records (with 56 Across) 53. 2010 shipment from D.C. to Sichuan, China 54. Most new drivers 55. Poseidon’s realm 56. See 46 Across 58. Show partner 59. Two of Ripley’s words 60. Still kicking 61. ___ time next week 62. Cuts down 63. Yielded land 64. School grps.

1. Cheesy chip 2. Cat-like

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Answer: What the theater audience considered the laser show? “LIGHT” DRAMA Jumbles: CANAL SIXTY MARAUD HANGAR

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3. Get ready for a birthday party 4. Direction from Utica to NYC 5. ___ the Saddle (1944 John Wayne western) 6. Blockhead 7. Dame from Paris or Indiana 8. She was born on film three times 9. Briefly choose 10. Dessert cart option 11. Pal 12. Off the couch 13. Waits to go in the game 19. Toward Cancun, from Guadalajara 21. Thrash about 24. Daily Planet reporter 25. Mighty Joe Young and King Kong 28. Home from work 29. Fix (as an election) 30. Cheese partner 31. Employ 32. ___ Cruces, New Mexico 33. Traveler’s goal, perhaps 34. Type 35. Capital word in Iowa 37. Football unit 38. Conceptions 39. Suffer a snowman’s fate 43. Requests from a doctor, or to a waiter 44. Controversial apple spray 45. Intuited 46. ... ___ San Jose (pre-MapQuest song) 47. Hop ___ 48. Made off with a fur 49. Frigid 50. Superman portrayer 51. Alabama city 50 miles from Montgomery (by foot) 52. Accounts say-able 53. A good name for a stamp collector 57. Breathalyzer measure (abbrev.)

58. 1/768th of a gallon

Answers on page 29.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — A P R I L 2 0 1 1

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

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either.

Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

For Sale/Real Estate LEISURE WORLD® - $119,500. 2BR 1FB “Hampton” model with access to Broadwalk.

Wood floors, upgraded carpet, recent updates.

1200 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $89,000. 1BR 1FB “A” model in “Greens”. Close to the elevator, new paint and carpet, enclosed balcony. 850 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

For Sale/Real Estate

For Sale/Real Estate

For Rent Real Estate

LEISURE WORLD® - $99,000. 2BR 1FB 2HB “Berkeley” townhouse with new appliances, fresh paint and carpet, custom Florida sunroom. 1600 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $92,000. 1BR 1FB 1HB “B” model in “Fairways”. New paint and carpet.

Ready to move in. 930 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - RENTAL $1050. 1BR 1FB 1HB “B” in “Fairways”. Freshly painted, new carpet, table space kitchen with window. 930 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $89,900. 1BR 1FB “A” model in the “Fairways”. Fresh paint and carpet, updated kitchen, close to elevator. 850 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-9283463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $139,000. 2BR 2FB “GG” model in “Greens”. Fresh paint and carpet, Garage space included, enclosed balcony, golf course view. 1195 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $58,500. 2BR 1FB “Carlyle” model coop. Renovated, new appliances, new windows. 1035 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $155,900. 2BR 2FB “H” with Garage parking in “Greens”. New paint and carpet throughout, table space kitchen, enclosed sunroom with golf course view. 1210 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $89,900. 1BR 1FB “B” in “Greens”. Move-in condition with table space kitchen with window, new flooring, sunroom with view of trees. 1210 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $215,000. 2BR 2FB E” model in “Villa Cortese”. Table space kitchen, enclosed balcony with view of trees and park.

Extra storage. 1350 sq ft. Stan Moffson, 301328-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $99,000. 2BR 1FB 1HB “Elizabeth” model. Rare first floor location with custom patio enclosure, Extras and upgrades.

1308 Sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $219,000. 2BR + den, 2FB “R” model in “Fairways”. Ceramic tile enclosed balcony, table space kitchen, garage parking, new carpet. 1420 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors,301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $119,000. 2BR 2FB “Riviera” model. Loaded with extras and upgrades, covered carport parking. 1273 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-9283463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $109,000. 2BR 2FB “Warfield model on second floor. Remodeled kitchen, new appliances, recent HWH and AC. Enclosed porch. 1043 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 28

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROSTATE HEALTH

What can you do to have a healthier prostate? What are the symptoms you should not ignore? Learn about the newest treatment options and more from Howard County General Hospital’s Dr. Kevin Blumenthal. The free seminar will be held on Thursday, April 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100, Columbia. Call (410)740-7601 to register.

JOIN A BOOK CLUB

Howard County Libraries offer several book clubs. The black fiction club will meet Saturday, April 2 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and discuss Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. The box lunch club meets on Tuesday, April 12 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. and will discuss When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. Both clubs meet at the East Columbia Branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Call (410) 313-7701 for more information on these clubs. The Asian American literature club will meet on Monday, April 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Savage Branch, 9525 Durness Ln., Laurel to discuss Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. Call (410) 880-5980 for more information.

Apr.

FREE RIDES FOR VOLUNTEERS

In celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Neighbor Ride is offering Howard County volunteers age 60 and over free transportation to and from volunteer activities from April 1 through 30. Volunteers may contact Neighbor Ride at (410) 884-RIDE or through its website, www.neighborride.org. To find out more about Howard County volunteer opportunities, contact info@volunteerhoward.org or (410) 715-3172 or see www.volunteerhoward.org. Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-based nonprofit providing transportation for healthcare appointments, cultural and social outings and more.

Apr. 14+

LEARN ABOUT (AND GET) AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

Leslie Rogers, a clinical oncology social worker at Howard County General Hospital, and Claudia Mayer, of the Cancer Resource Center, will review what advance directives are, who needs them, and how to get them. You will have the opportunity to leave this class with a completed advance directive document. Choose from either Thursday, April 14 or Thursday, May 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. The class will be held at the Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100, Columbia.

Registration is required for this free event. Call (410) 740-5858.

Wanted STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

LOOKING FOR GOLD and silver coins. Father and son from Howard County will pay cash for your coins. Please call Mac 443-285-2774.

Thanks for Reading!

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, offer a personal service, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Commercial Party Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing commercial business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one commercial ad.

The Beacon, Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

a es ift! k a g M at e gr

Beacon The Howard County

I N

Apr. 2+

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