February 2012 Baltimore Beacon Edition by The Beacon Newspapers

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A life filled with shooting stars

FEBRUARY 2012

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY CONNIE GEORGE

By Connie George Bill Kobrin spent several hours snapping pictures of Marilyn Monroe in her underwear one steamy summer night, but had no idea it was going to make him famous. The photographer responsible for Monroe’s most iconic image — standing atop a breezy subway tunnel vent with her skirt billowing up above her panties — recently reflected on a 60-year career that began with pictures of babies and weddings and culminated in decades spent capturing hundreds of famous show business faces. The journey took him to Harlem and Korea before landing him in Hollywood, and through work for the Associated Press, Look magazine, 20th Century Fox, CBS and ABC. It also taught him to think quickly on his feet and, as importantly, the vital skills necessary to cultivate working relationships with those in the entertainment business, where such associations are frequently unpredictable. “To be a successful celebrity photojournalist you have to be part psychiatrist, part psychologist, part philosopher, and above all you have to be charming and likeable,” Kobrin said. “Now that’s easy for some celebrities and photographers, but it is not easy for some.” It’s also a tall order on a daily basis, he acknowledged, but getting off on the right foot with his big-name subjects was critical when his livelihood was based on photographing men and women protective of their images who did not like being caught unaware by a photo shoot. “You’ve got 30 seconds to make an impression,” he explained. “So when you had an assignment that was the case of ‘Surprise, surprise, I’m here,’ then you’ve got a problem. But sometimes when you hit it off right and both parties get along and kind of dig each other, then it’s alright.” Kobrin, who has since retired to the Palm Springs area, excelled at getting the needed cooperation, as can be seen from his favorite photos, which have been compiled in a book, Bill Kobrin’s Stars and Celebrities. From candid studio images to formal headshots, the book features the most popular television, motion picture and music stars of their era, from Cary

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

A watery wonderland in the Everglades; plus, whether the euro’s fall is a boon or a worry for travelers page 23

ARTS & STYLE Celebrity photojournalist Bill Kobrin is shown with his well-used Nikon and recently published book, Bill Kobrin’s Stars and Celebrities, featuring photos of the famous he shot over six decades. The book is open to an image taken the same night as his best-known photo — of Marilyn Monroe standing over a breezy New York subway grate.

Grant to Grace Kelly, from Eartha Kitt to George Michael. “This is no boast,” Kobrin said, “but I would imagine — being involved with AP, Look, CBS and ABC — that every major star or celebrity that ever existed between 1941 and 1990 I have photographed in one way or another.”

The road to Hollywood The Brooklyn-born Kobrin took up photography in his teens, scoring a few small-scale freelance jobs before landing a position in the darkroom at New York’s Associated Press office in 1942 when he was 20.

Though he hadn’t been hired as a lensman, he was asked one night to cover a massive race riot in Harlem because the staff photographers had other assignments. At the time, Kobrin said, “Harlem was a tinderbox and kind of scary,” but he was game to prove his worth to AP. So he headed out to the neighborhood by subway at 3:30 a.m., snapped shots of riot victims at a local hospital, and then ventured out into the streets at daybreak to capture images of looting and fires. The riot lasted two or three days, he recalled, and made national headlines. His See SHOOTING STARS, page 21

Murder and madness in Arsenic and Old Lace; plus a local journalist’s book about life in Baltimore during World War II page 27

FITNESS & HEALTH k A pill that lessens wrinkles k The best brain games

LAW & MONEY k Stocks to own in 2012 k Be a better bond buyer

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Big Bro, Big Sis

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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A California Beacon I am pleased to announce the “birth” of a You might ask why we are doing this. new Beacon this month. Not exactly a sibling The quick answer is that we were apof our Washington, Baltimore proached by an experienced and Howard County editions. California publisher who had More of a cousin perhaps. retired and was looking for an I am referring to the new encore career and entrepreCoachella Valley Beacon — neurial venture. He had reserving residents 50 and over cently learned of our publicain Palm Springs, Palm Desert tions and expressed an interand other cities in Califorest in starting up his own vernia’s Coachella Valley, situatsion of the Beacon in the ed about 100 miles east of Palm Springs area. FROM THE Los Angeles. A more involved answer This new Beacon is actual- PUBLISHER would explain that, while we ly independently owned and By Stuart P. Rosenthal have never entered into such operated. But if imitation is an arrangement before, we the sincerest form of flattery, we are high- have thought about it many times in the past. ly flattered, for the paper looks and reads In fact, a number of people have approached very much like the Beacon you are holding us over the years seeking to start up Beacons in your hand. in areas of the country where the need for That’s because we have been retained to such a publication exists. design the new publication and provide a As it turned out, none of those people good part of its content. We also host its ever followed through. But Michael Brachonline edition on our website, at www.the- man, the publisher of the Coachella Valley BeaconNewspapers.com. Beacon, has made the vision into a reality.

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

In the process, he and the talented local writers and ad sales staff he has assembled have impressed us tremendously. His first edition, put together in only two months, is filled with interesting Beacon Bits and local stories, plus a selection of health, money and travel stories supplied from our editions. Of course, advertising content is also essential to free publications like ours — because readers appreciate seeing a variety of products and services targeted to their needs, and the publication needs advertiser support to remain free. On this score, too, the Coachella Valley Beacon is off to a fine start. Furthermore, we so liked his premier issue cover story — an interview with the 90-year-old photographer who, among many other famous photos, shot the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe standing over a New York subway grate, skirt flying — that we have returned the “imitation” favor and are printing it as our cover story this month in Baltimore, Howard County and Greater Washington. We hope you enjoy this cover story, though it is not about a local personality, and see it as our way of introducing you to the new audience of Beacon readers living on the West Coast. If you know of any other potential publishers who might have what it takes to establish and successfully run a Beacon elsewhere in the country, please let them know about us. We are certainly open to working with them to spread the light of the Beacon to other communities. On a related note, I was struck to realize that the January day we completed the first issue of the Coachella Valley Beacon was exactly one year to the day from when I had received a fateful telephone call from the Howard County Office on Aging last January.

That was when I learned that Generations, a monthly paper for people over 50 that had been published for 10 years in Howard County, was discontinuing operations after its February edition. The Howard County aging office had long printed its newsletter inside Generations, and was concerned both about losing its media outlet and about Howard County residents over 50 losing an information source tailored specifically to them. Being familiar with our papers in Baltimore and Washington, they asked if we would consider publishing a new edition in Howard County. After giving the matter considerable thought, we decided to do so, and we are very glad that we did. It has grown each month in distribution and readership, as well as advertising. In short, 2011 was a very special year for us, planting the seeds for an expansion of our operations from two to four editions. Naturally, this has made for some additional late nights and hard work by our dedicated staff, and I want to thank them all, in particular Kyle Gregory, our graphic designer; Barbara Ruben, our managing editor; and Roger King, our operations assistant and webmaster, who have been especially involved in the new editions. We are proud of all our publications, and grateful to all our readers — whichever coast you reside on. We would not be here, and would not have a mission, without you. Thank you for reading, for patronizing our advertisers, and for telling your friends about the Beacons.

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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.

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Dear Editor: When I spotted the article by David Pitt regarding money mistakes retirees make (January 2012), I began to read with interest. Unfortunately, Mr. Pitt addressed all of his comments and examples to “couples.” Among the over-50 demographic, more than half are widowed, divorced or never married. Many others are functionally alone while caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s or other disability. Your authors should address the real world and not limit their comments to a slice of the population that grows smaller each year. Sadly, the move from married status to widowed can happen to any of

us in an instant. Adele Terrell Owings Mills Dear Editor: I am a fan of your paper. Your January issue has an article on Linda Lavin. I went to the College of William and Mary with her. I never could get a speaking part in a play there, but did work on several crews on plays at the college and on a Colonial play at Lake Matoka Amphitheatre near the college several summers, where she held the lead I still remember her on the TV show “Mel’s Diner.” Al Levenson Edgemere

BALTIMORE BEACON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; FEBRUARY 2012

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Health Fitness &

BIG-HEARTED HEALTH Pythons’ outsize hearts may hold clues for human heart health GOOD NEWS ON SNACKING Snacks can promote good heath when you choose the right foods WHEN GRANNY IS THE NANNY Setting expectations and establishing routines help when care is shared A BOOST FOR YOUR MEMORY B vitamins may improve memory by reducing homocysteine levels

Study suggests pill reduces deep wrinkles By Andy Coghlan Beauty may be no more than skin-deep, but many of us think that leaves plenty of room for improvement. So a new dietary treatment that promises to shrink wrinkles from inside the skin is news. The makers of the three-a-day capsules say they use blends of natural food extracts to activate genes that improve skin tone — and early results suggest they may be on the right track. If the results stand up to scrutiny, the capsules will be the first anti-wrinkle treatment to show evidence of combating wrinkling from the deeper layers of skin. But they will not be the first to win scientific backing — some skin creams have been shown in peer-reviewed journals to help reduce wrinkles, according to an article in the British Journal of Dermatology. Independent researchers said that the preliminary results are intriguing and commended the team developing the capsules for conducting a double-blind trial — testing them against a placebo with neither researchers nor recipients knowing until afterwards who had received what. They say they will be skeptical, however, until a peer-reviewed journal has published the results in full, and acknowledge

that attempts to erase the signs of aging don’t sit well with everyone. The “gene food” treatment is the work of John Casey’s team at the laboratories of Unilever in Sharnbrook, UK. The multinational food, cosmetics and household products company commissioned four separate research groups to test the capsules, and 480 women in the UK, France and Germany who’ve passed menopause took part in the trials.

Proof of wrinkle reduction Results show that in 14 weeks, “crow’s feet” wrinkles by the corner of the eye became on average 10 percent shallower in recipients of the capsules, shrinking by 30 percent in the best responders. The wrinkles of women who received a placebo did not change significantly in depth. In one of the two French studies, researchers also took 4-millimeter-deep biopsies from 110 women before and after treatment to study the production of collagen — a protein that’s a key structural component of skin. Antibodies that stain tissue red where new collagen is produced revealed that after treatment a fifth of recipients had significantly more fresh collagen in the deep-

est skin layer — the dermis — than those who had received a placebo. More sensitive tests will be needed to ascertain any differences in the remaining biopsies, said Casey. Partial results were presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Casey said that the full data will now be sent to journals for peer review. So how do these capsules work? As women age and estrogen production drops off toward menopause, enzymes called proteases become more active, reducing the sponginess of skin by clearing away collagen faster than it can be replaced. An estrogen receptor that aids the generation of collagen also becomes less active. The two effects combine to make skin less pliable and more wrinkly. Casey’s team used skin cultures and gene activity tests to ascertain the effect of certain natural food extracts on “master” genes, which orchestrate the behavior of lots of other genes — in this case, those involved in collagen synthesis. The blend that activated these genes most strongly included vitamins C and E plus isoflavones from soya, lycopene from tomatoes, and omega-3 polyunsaturated acids from fish oil.

Preliminary results from Unilever suggest that activating the master genes raises the activity of several other genes that make proteins vital for good skin tone, such as elastin, decorin and several anti-inflammatory molecules.

Already available in spas Unilever launched the product in October at 44 spas it co-owns in the United Kingdom, Spain and Canada. It doesn’t need approval to sell the capsules from these countries’ regulatory authorities because the extracts they contain are already in use and the company does not claim that the capsules benefit health. Although long-term tests have not been carried out, Gail Jenkins, another member of the team, recommends taking three capsules per day for at least three months. At this dose, she said, adverse side effects are unlikely. If a person stopped taking the capsules, the normal aging process would probably restore deeper wrinkles. When New Scientist magazine sent the preliminary data to independent dermatologists, they gave a guarded welcome. “The data are somewhat sparse, but See ANTI-WRINKLE PILL, page 5

Computer games can help you stay sharp By Jim Miller Can you recommend some good brain-fitness computer games that are designed to help seniors keep their minds sharp? I love to play solitaire on my computer, but I’m interested in expanding to some other games that can benefit my mind and memor y. — Forgetful Frank Dear Frank: There are actually a handful of great brain-training websites and computer software products on the market today that are backed by research and proven to help boomers and seniors improve their memory, slow age-related mental decline, and even build a stronger brain. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that these games will prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Here are the best options to consider:

Web-based workouts If you’re interested in exercising your brain but don’t want to spend a lot of money, brain-training websites are a good place to start. While there are many sites that offer games that claim to sharpen the mind, the most valid and highly rated one is Lumosity.com, which currently boasts around 15 million users. Developed by neuroscience researchers from Stanford University and UC San Francisco, Lumosity offers more than 35 games and exercises aimed at increasing alertness, sharpening memory skills, improving concentration and speeding up thinking. The games are fun and engaging, and in each game, as your skill improves, the tasks become progressively more difficult, to keep you challenged. The costs: $14.95 a month or about $80 for a one-year subscription. Lumosity even offers mobile apps for smart phone users

so you can train wherever you are. Another good site to check out (but not of the quality of Lumosity) is Cognifit.com. This site starts with a brain fitness assessment that lets you know where your stronger areas are and where you could use some extra training. Cognifit offers around 20 games that are free to play, or you can pay $4.95 for each of their two advanced games for memory and concentration training.

Home computer products In addition to the websites, there are also a number of computer software braintraining products that you can purchase and use on your home computer. Some of the best are made by Posit Science (positscience.com, 866-599-6463), which sells three types of brain-training software including “Brain Fitness,” which speeds up and sharpens the auditory system of the brain for faster thinking, sharp-

er focus and better memory; “InSight” which targets visual processing to improve how your brain takes in, reacts to, and remembers what you see; and “DriveSharp” which strengthens the cognitive skills essential for safe driving. All software is available in PC and Mac versions. The only downside is the price. You can buy the Brain Fitness and InSight software together for $690, or individually for $395 each. The DriveSharp software costs $89. Another excellent option is Dakim BrainFitness Software (dakim.com, 1-800856-5502), which costs $249 and is designed specifically for adults over 60, as well as for seniors with memory loss. And for non-computer users, Diakim offers a touch-screen console for $2,349 that’s preloaded with BrainFitness software. Just See COMPUTER GAMES, page 7

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How well can you control your thoughts? Mind-control training could improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain, helps alleviate problems with movement experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease. “If putting in an electrode works, we thought training brains to self-regulate

Anti-wrinkle pill From page 4

The movie Fantastic Voyage had a miniaturized submarine sent into a VIP’s bloodstream to destroy a life-threatening clot. A new probe is hot on the fictional microsub’s tail fins: it can pass through arteries to spot the most dangerous clots and deposits. Existing probes are essentially cameras

gracefully. Someone should develop a pill to stop people worrying about their appearance,” she said. “That would make people a lot happier.”

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

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As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, I have always focused on conservative treatment of foot and leg pain. I find that most people with foot or leg symptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, cramping or difficulty walking) , even those who have had other treatments, including surgery of the foot (or back), can be helped, usually in 1or 2 visits.

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How fortunate I feel to have found a doctor who could not only diagnose an underlying problem that many specialists missed, but who has been able to find a painless and rapid method of relieving the worst symptoms.

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 6

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I am a patient who had severe foot pain for 2 years, with no relief in sight....by the end of the 4 days I was 85% pain free in both feet. I thank God for Dr. Goldman and his passion for research in healing people with foot and leg pain.

that can travel inside arteries. Doctors must spot deposits and judge whether they’re likely to come loose and block an artery. The new probe, developed by Guillermo Tearney at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, also detects molecules that mark out the most harmful clots and fatty plaques. To test the probe, Tearney’s team first fed rabbits a diet that generated arterial deposits. They then injected them with a fluorescent chemical that tags the dangersign molecules. The probe carries a detector for the fluorescent light, which revealed bright areas on artery walls where the tags had found their targets.

F R EE

they do appear to have done a pretty comprehensive study,” said Christopher Griffiths, professor of dermatology at the University of Manchester, UK, and co-author of a 2009 study confirming that an anti-aging cream produced by Boots, a British pharmacy chain, had anti-wrinkle effects. Griffiths said he would be “unconvinced” until he had seen all the data, but was intrigued by the apparent repair of deep rather than superficial wrinkles.

“I know of no other study that has shown this before,” he said. A likely explanation, said Casey, is that creams penetrate only the top layer of skin — the epidermis. The contents of the capsules, by contrast, reach the dermis, stimulating the production of collagen in deeper layers. Nichola Rumsay, of the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England in Bristol, said that antiwrinkle capsules are more psychologically benign than facial surgery, but they still reinforce the message that wrinkles are bad. “We should be accepting wrinkles

Blood vessel camera probes for clots

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Train your mind to fight Parkinson’s

deprived of input could be reshaping neural networks,” said Linden. — New Scientist

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Health Shorts

might work as well,” said David Linden at Cardiff University, UK. To find out, Linden’s team asked 10 people with Parkinson’s to think about moving while having their brains scanned by a functional MRI machine (to show brain activity) for 45 minutes. Five were given real-time neurofeedback showing how well they activated a brain region that controls movement. Each participant was then told to practice such thoughts at home. Two months later, movement problems including rigidity and tremor had improved by 37 percent in the group that received feedback compared with no change in the rest, the Journal of Neuroscience reported. “Sending signals to brain areas normally

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Health shorts

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

movie, lasers to zap suspicious lesions could be added. — New Scientist

From page 5 The team was able to detect a protein that causes clots to form, and an enzyme found in the most dangerous plaques, according to the study reported in Nature Medicine. In principle, any molecule could be detected, said Tearney. And just as in the

A pill that fights fear Imagine a pill that dramatically speeds the recovery time of patients suffering

BEACON BITS

Jan. 31+

FEET FIRST The Baltimore County Department of Aging and We Treat Feet pres-

ent “Taking Care of Your Feet,” with screenings and informational sessions throughout the year. The first one will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 12:45 p.m. at the Catonsville Senior Center, 501 N. Rolling Rd. The topic will be “aching heels.” Additional topics at upcoming sessions will include gait scan/screening, sports/athletic injuries, and wound care. For information, contact (410) 887-2594 or see www.baltimorecountymd.gov/agencies/aging/healtheducation.

If you’re over 50 or have osteoporosis, it’s important that you don’t ignore your back pain. It may signal a spinal fracture. See your doctor right away if you think you may have one.

from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias. Sounds magical, but it might not be far off. Researchers at Emory University have developed a drug that could accelerate relief from emotional trauma. The drug contains a compound that mimics brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a naturally occurring protein that speeds learning, memory and fear processes. After a traumatizing experience, rats injected with the compound quickly returned to normal, unlike untreated rats, who took much longer to heal, an American Journal of Psychiatry study found. For humans, this could translate to quicker results from therapy for fear-related conditions. Instead of just alleviating symptoms, this treatment — which may be available in a decade — would spark the same brain activities that occur naturally in trauma recovery. Timing would be key to a therapy en-

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Spice in curry may protect brain cells, enhance memory Curry is the collective term for a huge variety of stews popular in India. There’s no one invariable ingredient, but the spice most common to curry is turmeric — a bright yellow powder ground from the dried root of a ginger-type plant native to Southeast Asia. The most distinctive component of turmeric is the powerful polyphenol antioxidant curcumin. It’s thought to explain why India has an unusually low rate of Alzheimer’s disease. Used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, curcumin has antibacterial and antiinflammatory effects and is now the subject of research for its ability to fight cancer, limit stroke damage in neurons, and generally safeguard the brain. Many labs are turning out synthetic variants of curcumin to enhance its biological availability. Recently scientists at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., created a synthetic derivative that actually reverses the effects of ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury at the behavioral as well as molecular level in animals. Researchers report that it maintains cell-signaling pathways required for nerve cell survival, and reverses movement and memory deficits following brain injury by conserving neural connections. In normal animals, it actually enhances memory. — Psychology Today

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hancer developed from the compound, researcher Kerry Ressler said. The drug would intensify sufferers’ emotional memory at the time of psychotherapy. Taking it right before a session would ensure that the therapist could help the patient process and alleviate her fears. — Psychology Today

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VITAMIN D AND CANCER

What is vitamin D, its functions and possible benefits? Learn about the research on vitamin D and its connection to cancer on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at St. Joseph Medical Center, 7501 Osler Dr. in Towson. The guest speaker will be Deborah Kispert, oncology dietitian at St. Clare’s Health System, in Denville, N.J. The workshop will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. There is no cost, but registration will be taken at 1-800-278-7837.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Pythons’ hearts may hold clues for health By Lauran Neergaard You don’t think of pythons as big-hearted toward their fellow creatures. They’re better known for the bulge in their bodies after swallowing one of those critters whole. But the snakes’ hearts balloon in size as they’re digesting. And now scientists are studying them for clues about human heart health. The expanded python heart appears remarkably similar to the larger-than-normal hearts of Olympic-caliber athletes. Colorado researchers report they’ve figured out how the snakes make it happen. “It’s this amazing biology,” said Leslie Leinwand, a molecular biologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, whose team reports the findings in the journal Science. “They’re not swelling up. They’re building [heart] muscle.”

leave it flabby and unable to pump well. But months and years of vigorous exercise give some well-conditioned athletes larger, muscular hearts — similar to how python hearts change during digestion. So Leinwand’s team — led by a graduate student who initially was frightened of snakes — ordered a box of pythons and began testing what happens to their hearts. The first surprise: A digesting python’s blood gets so full of fat it looks milky. A type of fat called triglycerides increased 50-fold within a day. In people, high triglyceride levels are very dangerous. But the python heart was burning those fats so rapidly for fuel that they didn’t have time to clog anything up, Leinwand said. The second surprise: A key enzyme that protects the heart from damage increased in python blood right after it ate, while a heart-damaging compound was repressed.

Then the team found that a specific combination of three fatty acids in the blood helped promote the healthy heart growth. If they injected fasting pythons with that mixture, those snakes’ hearts grew the same way that a fed python’s does.

Possible human applications But did it only work for snakes? Lead researcher Cecilia Riquelme dropped some plasma from a fed python into a lab dish containing the heart cells of rats — and they grew bigger, too. Sure enough, injecting living mice made their hearts grow in an apparently healthy way as well. Now the question is whether that kind of growth could be spurred in a mammal with heart disease, something Leinwand’s team is starting to test in mice with human-like heart trouble. They also want to know how the python

heart quickly shrinks back to its original size when digestion’s done. The experiments are “very, very cool indeed,” said James Hicks, a biologist at the University of California, Irvine, who has long studied pythons’ extreme metabolism and wants to see more such comparisons. If the same underlying heart signals work in animals as divergent as snakes and mice, “this may reveal a common universal mechanism that can be used for improving cardiac function in all vertebrates, including humans,” Hicks wrote in an email. “Only further studies and time will tell, but this paper is very exciting.” The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and a Boulder biotechnology company that Leinwand co-founded, Hiberna Corp., that aims to develop drugs based on extreme animal biology. — AP

Implications for humans Reptile biologists have long studied the weird digestion of these snakes, especially the huge Burmese pythons that can go nearly a year between meals with no apparent ill effects. When they swallow that next rat or bird — or in some cases deer — something extraordinary happens. Their metabolism ratchets up more than 40-fold, and their organs immediately start growing in size to get the digesting done. The heart alone grows a startling 40 percent or more within three days. Leinwand, who studies human heart disease, stumbled across that description and saw implications for people. An enlarged human heart usually is caused by chronic high blood pressure or other ailments that

Computer games From page 4 plug it in, and you’re ready to go.

No computer needed If you don’t want to rely on a computer for playing brain-boosting games, consider electronic games like Brain Age, Brain Age 2 (see www.brainage.com), and Big Brain Academy (www.bigbrainacademy.com). Made by Nintendo, these games cost around $20 each, but to play them you’ll need to purchase a hand-held Nintendo DS Lite game unit which runs around $100. You can buy these products online at www.amazon.com or at retail chains like Walmart, Target and BestBuy. There are also dozens of mind-challenging books and puzzles you can purchase that can help too, such as Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises by Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin, and The Big Book of Mind Bending Puzzles by Terry Stickels. Check your local book store, or visit Amazon to find them. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.SavvySenior.org.

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Eating between meals can be a good idea Q: I’m confused by conflicting ad- six times a day, impact on weight varies. vice about whether snacking helps or Controlled studies do not support the hurts weight control and idea that more frequent eating health. What do you sugwill boost metabolism so you gest? burn more calories, as is often A: Snacks can promote claimed. But some people find good health when you choose that snacks help them control foods that fill nutritional gaps. their appetite better and avoid For example, if you have trouovereating at the next meal. ble including enough fruit, diFor example, a snack can preetary fiber and calcium-rich vent or resolve cravings that foods (such as dairy products can stem from low blood and soymilk) in your meals, sugar, especially among obese snacks offer a great chance to NUTRITION people. WISE do so. If you snack when you are However, for many people, By Karen Collins, hungry and choose foods and “snack food” means food low MS, RD, CDM portions that keep total caloin nutrients and concentrated ries appropriate for your in calories. For weight control the key needs, it may help weight control. point seems to be how snacking affects Depending on how active you are, total calorie consumption. whether you’re trying to change or mainIf you’re not hungry between meals, tain weight, and whether you snack once there’s no reason to eat more than three or three times a day, for typical adults a times a day. Research does show though, healthy snack may be 100 to 250 calories. that eating less than three times a day That’s a target easily exceeded by typiseems to make appetite control for weight cal snacks and sugary or other high calomanagement more difficult. rie drinks. Instead, if you snack, choose And eating more than six times a day lower calorie, nutrient-rich foods such as makes it difficult to keep calories low enough whole fruit, a small handful of nuts, or a to support a healthy weight except for ath- half sandwich that can fill and fuel you for letes with extremely high calorie needs. several hours. However, within the range of eating three to Q: Can cooking with more herbs

and spices really add a significant amount of antioxidants to food? A: Yes. Research has shown for some time that herbs and spices are concentrated sources of natural compounds that are strong antioxidants. Now a small preliminary study shows that blood antioxidant levels increased after people ate a meal with large amounts of added herbs and spices. This study used a mixture of rosemary, oregano, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, garlic, paprika and turmeric. These herbs and spices are among those with the most research documenting the content of their protective compounds. The amount of herbs and spices added up

to more than six teaspoons per person, which is substantially more than most of us typically use in cooking, but it did not reduce enjoyment of the meal’s flavor. And as an additional benefit, blood triglycerides and insulin increased less following the meal with herbs and spices than following the same meal without these flavorings. Other research shows that cooking meat with even a small amount of rosemary or turmeric can reduce formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that are linked to colon cancer. And cooking with a spice blend can reduce formation in meat See SNACKING, page 10

ADVERTORIAL

Baltimore Eye Doctor Helps Legally Blind to See Again Diplomat in Low Vision Care trains Dr. Tom Azman to help those with age-related macular degeneration with reading and driving. By Elena Lombardi Freelance Writer

Donald Paquette, 72, a former assessor from Anaheim, California, thought that his driving days were over. “I could not read the street signs soon enough and I couldn’t pass the vision test at the DMV office.” Gonzalo Garcia, 74, Albuquerque, New Mexico, wanted to be able to read and write more easily. He wanted to see the nails and screws when he tried to use them in home repairs. He wanted see his grandchildren singing in the church choir. But he thought those days were over when he was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration. California Optometrist, Dr. Richard J. Shuldiner and Baltimore optometrist Dr. Tom Azman are using miniaturized binoculars or telescopes to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration or other eye conditions. “Some of my patients consider us

Hank Frese wearing Bioptic Telescope Driving Glasses

the last stop for people who have vision loss.” said Dr. Azman, a low vision optometrist who has just completed training with Dr. Shuldiner in California. “Amazing!” says Donald. “I can read the street signs twice as far as I did before and even see the television better!” Macular degeneration is the most common eye disease among the senior population. As many as 25% of those over 65 have some degree of degeneration. The macula is one small part of the entire retina, but it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp images. When it degenerates, macular degeneration leaves a blind spot right in

the center of vision, which makes it impossible to recognize faces, read a book, or pass the drivers vision test. The experts do not know what causes macular degeneration. But major factors include UV light from the sun, smoking, aging, and improper nutrition. Vitamins can help. The results of two studies, AREDS and LAST demonstrated a lowered risk of progression by about 25% when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamins. Dr. Azman advises patients on the best nutritional supplements during the low vision evaluation. Nine out of ten people who have macular degeneration have the dry type. There is no medical treatment except for vitamins. The wet type involves the leakage of fluid or blood from the blood vessels behind the macula. Injections of Leucentis or Avastin are very effective in preventing the vessels from leaking. “Our job is to figure out anything and everything possible to keep a person functioning,” says Dr. Azman. “Whether it’s driving, reading, watching television, seeing faces, playing bridge… we work with whatever is on the persons “wish list.” Even if it’s driving.

Maryland and California are two of many states that allow the use of telescopic glasses for safer driving. Hank Frese, 69, a former High School Principal from La Palma, California saw Dr. Shuldiner last August. “I could not read the street signs soon enough when driving, and I could not read my morning paper.” Bioptic Telescopic glasses were prescribed to read signs and see traffic lights farther away. As Hank puts it, “These telescope glasses not only allow me to read signs from a farther distance, but makes driving much easier. I’ve also used them to watch television so I don’t have to sit so close. Definitely worth the $2450 cost. I don’t know why I waited two years to do this; I should have come sooner” “Telescopic glasses start at around $1500”, says Dr. Azman, “and low vision prismatic reading glasses start at $500. A small price to pay for better vision and increased independence.” If you or someone you care about is struggling with vision loss, call Dr. Tom Azman for a free telephone interview. You can reach Dr. Azman by dialing (410) 561-8050.

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Health Studies Page

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study seeks women raising a grandchild Across the United States, 4.9 million children under the age of 18 live in households headed by their grandparents, and the number is growing. Reports from the most recent Maryland census indicate that more than 45,000 grandparents in this state bear primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren.

Mental health providers and community agencies that offer programs and support to parents are under serving grandparents in this role, according to Dr. Frederick H. Strieder at University of Maryland, Baltimore. So Strieder and researchers from Kent State University, University of North Texas, and California State University are

Want to Prevent Falls in the Elderly? Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study at the University of Maryland &Veterans Aﬀairs of Baltimore to better understand balance and the prevention of falls in aging individuals. You will receive:

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working together on a $2.5 million, fouryear study of a program designed to offer support, education and skills to grandmothers. The research is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research. Grandmothers from diverse racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds will be recruited to test for cultural differences in response to this program. The researchers hope that their study will help social service agencies determine the best way to meet the needs of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. According to the research team, the study is important because there is growing evidence that these grandchildren are at risk for psychological difficulties due to neglect and abuse by birth parents, challenges to parenting faced by custodial grandparents, and limited access to needed services. The study will examine the effect that the absence of the grandchild’s birth parents has on the mental health of both the grandmothers and the grandchildren for whom they provide full-time care.

Taking part in the study More than 500 grandmothers who are

Knee arthritis pain?

Snacking From page 9 of a compound believed to damage blood vessel walls and DNA. Antioxidant content of some fresh herbs may decrease when they are dried, but analysis shows that dried herbs generally remain excellent source of antioxidant

raising one or more grandchildren between the ages of 4 and 12 are being recruited. They are not required to have formal custody agreements. The grandmothers will be randomly assigned to one of three psychosocial and educational programs. All groups will be small (eight to 10 adults) and will be assisted by both a social worker or mental health provider and a peer grandmother. Groups will meet once a week for about two hours over a 10-week period. Researchers will measure the impact of the groups by conducting interviews with each grandmother and one grandchild before the interventions begin, shortly after they end, and then at six, 12, 18 and 24 months afterward. The study organizers provide childcare and light meals during the group meetings and pay $35 for each of the six sets of interviews. Over the course of two years, each participant should expect to receive $210 in compensation. For more information about the project, or to volunteer to participate, call 1-855462-8766 (toll-free) or email copemaryland@ssw.umaryland.edu.

compounds. The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.–Fri. Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

Please tell our advertisers, “I saw you in the Beacon!” Volunteers are needed for a research study conducted at Johns Hopkins Bayview

Diabetes Research Study

To study sleep in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. To participate, you must be 50 years or older. Both good and poor sleepers are needed. Parking, and tests are provided at no cost. Compensation is provided.

Exercise Research Study Healthy men & women 50-80 years old are needed to participate in an exercise research study at the University of Maryland/Baltimore VA Medical Center. Participation involves medical evaluations, blood draws, fitness tests, and 2 weeks of exercise sessions. Compensation for your time is provided. Call 410-605-7179. Mention code: EPC-X.

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50-80 year old men & women with type 2 diabetes are needed to participate in an exercise research study at the University of Maryland/Baltimore VA Medical Center. Call 410-605-7179. Mention code: EPC-DM.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Making it work when granny is the nanny By Ellen Gibson Rosa Feddersen and her husband bought their dream retirement home on a lake in Oklahoma City five years ago. He, a pilot for U.S. Airways, was nearing the end of his career, and the area had everything the couple wanted. But when they learned their first grandchild was on the way in 2009, their agenda changed. After pleas from their daughter, they moved back to Pennsylvania to help with the baby. Their daughter and son-in-law are both surgeons, and Feddersen sometimes watches her granddaughter, Nora, 70 hours a week. While it’s a lot of work, she said the arrangement seems to be working for everyone. One reason: When it comes to taking care of baby, parents and grandparents try to stay out of each other’s way. “When I’m watching her, they pretty much understand that what I say goes,” Feddersen said. “But when they’re home, I totally back off.” That kind of mutual trust is essential to a successful childcare arrangement with grandparents, said Lawrence Balter, a child psychologist and parenting expert who is also a professor emeritus at New York University. Sharing childrearing duties is almost never simple. “Both generations are going to have their ideal way of doing things,” he said. “You have to be able to navigate and find a happy medium.”

More cared for by grandparents More and more families are finding themselves in these murky waters. According to the most recent Census data, 30 percent of pre-school children with employed mothers are cared for by a grandparent, while 21 percent attend a daycare center. And the economic woes of the past few years have led parents to seek more help from relatives, said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C. In addition to being a money-saving option — the average cost of center-based daycare is approaching $12,000 a year —

letting grandparents take care of the kids has other benefits, Butts said. Children learn about their family history and are cared for by adults who love them, while parents can have more flexible schedules. As for the grandparents, a 2007 study by Linda Waite, a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, found that grandmothers who babysit 200 to 500 hours per year exercise more and get depressed less often. But these arrangements can also be tricky because there isn’t the same clearly defined code of conduct that would apply with a professional daycare provider.

Tips for sharing care Balter shares these tips for ensuring that the entire family remains healthy and happy. Set clear expectations. Determine how many hours each week the grandparent will care for the child, during what times, and at whose house. Then do your best to stick to the plan. Also, if there’s compensation involved, decide on the amount in advance. Is the grandparent expected to do any chores during the day? Make sure everyone agrees. Establish routines. Work together to create a rough schedule for the children’s day, including naptimes and meals. This is a good opportunity for mom or dad to fold in more detailed requests — for instance, if there are certain foods they do or do not want the child to eat. Don’t be critical. Remember, you’re on the same team. Instead of a parent saying, “My daughter doesn’t go to bed because you’re getting her overexcited after dinner,” try phrasing it without accusation: “Let’s run through the schedule and see what we can do so she’ll be calmer at night.” This advice applies to grandparents, too. If you notice the parents doing something ineffective, instead of correcting them, try offering gentle suggestions, such as, “When you were a kid, we did it this way and it seemed to work.” Don’t obsess over consistency. While it’s important for an individual caregiver to be consistent, it’s fine if mom and grandma don’t have exactly the same rules. Kids learn that different things are ex-

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pected of them in different contexts. (Even with mom and dad, they’ve already figured out what they can get away with when each parent is in charge.) Learning how to behave in diverse environments will help them when they start school. Relinquish some control. This goes for both parents and grandparents. As a grandparent, it’s natural to feel defensive when your own offspring second-guess your childrearing skills. Just remember that scientific research is always evolving and today’s parents have access to knowledge you might not have had.

That said, for many parents, it’s tempting to micromanage, but don’t expect grandparents to report everything that happens during the day. Trust that as long as kids are loved and kept safe, they will be OK. Schedule regular check-ins. Plan to sit down once every few months to discuss how things are going. In the chaos of dropoff and pick-up, there won’t be much time to compare notes or share concerns. During these check-in sessions, be honest about what’s working for you and make See GRANNY NANNY, page 13

Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren Are you a grandmother raising a grandchild age 4-12? Would you like to take part in a support and learning group? We are sponsoring grandparent programs and research to measure their impact. We provide compensation for interviews plus on-site babysitting and a meal during group sessions that last about 2 hrs and meet once a week for 10 weeks. For more information, call 855-462-8766. Dr. Frederick Strieder • Family Connections 1701 Madison Avenue • Baltimore, MD 21217

Breast Cancer Study Breast cancer survivors between the ages of 45-80 years needed to participate in a diet and exercise research study. Work with doctors, dieticians and exercise physiologists to change your diet and physical activity to help improve your fitness. Includes cardiac, diabetes, and blood pressure risk evaluation. No diet drugs. If you are interested, please call U. of MD-BVAMC 410-605-7179 mention code: breast cancer

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FEBRUARY 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BALTIMORE BEACON

For better memory, get these B vitamins Dear Pharmacist: I understand you believe B vitamins can improve memory. Can you explain? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; C.K. Dear C.K.: Most people know that ginkgo, vinpocetine, Eleuthero and Acetyl L-carnitine support memory function, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually consider the B vitamins brain food like I do. The best Bs to support memory are vitamin B6, B9 (folate), B2 (riboflavin) and B12. The reason these serve your memory is because they reduce homocysteine, an amino acid that your body creates as it breaks down protein. Too much homocysteine, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll constantly forget things. I

believe that reducing homocysteine with B vitamins is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to preserve memory. Studies back me. As far back as 2002, physicians had the data to prove that homocysteine levels correlate with dementia and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risk. The higher the homocysteine, the more damage to your brain. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. A few years later, the 2005 Framingham Offspring Study printed in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that high homocysteine levels impacted memory. The study participants were, on average, 61 years old. What wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been the

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outcome for those folks had someone told medications that deplete B vitamins. them to improve B vitamin status when Your medicine steals your probiotics as they were in their mid-40s? well, and you need those to What about you? A simple manufacture certain B vitablood test can determine your mins in your GI tract. So, any homocysteine level. High levels drug that steals probiotics (or also happen to be associated B2, B6, B12 or folate) can with heart attack, stroke, blood raise your homocysteine level clots and atherosclerosis. and therefore contribute to If you have high homocysmemory loss. teine, I recommend suppleThere are hundreds of menting with vitamin B6 (pyridrugs, including antacids, aciddoxine), B12 (methylcobalblocking (reflux) medications, amin), B2 (riboflavin) and B9 DEAR menopausal hormones, birth (folate). These are the only PHARMACIST control pills, antibiotics, blood Cohen Suzy By things that reduce homocyspressure drugs and steroids teine well. You can also simplithat alter B vitamin levels. fy everything by taking a B complex vitaTalk with your doctor about a blood test min. to determine your homocysteine level, and Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more perspective: According to then ask if you can take a B vitamin, because the Framingham study, homocysteine lev- there are a handful of meds that interact. els higher than 10 micromoles per liter inYou can also eat your Bs in green and creased the risk of dementia by 75 per- leafy vegetables. B complex supplements cent! Levels higher than 14 double your are sold nationwide. risk for Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. This information is opinion only. It is not Just FYI, the Rotterdam study found intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conthat men or women with the highest ho- dition. Consult with your doctor before using mocysteine levels almost doubled their any new drug or supplement. risk of fracture. Ouch! Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist Medicine raises homocysteine indirect- and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist ly, too. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read my Drug Mugger and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To book, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d know there are hundreds of contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

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When money complicates family matters Dear Solutions: Approach him on the basis of protecting My cousin inherited a large sum of his assets for himself by making pre-nupmoney, and it’s very aggratial agreements and using a vating to the rest of the good lawyer when necessary. family because of what he Offer him love and underdoes with it. standing instead of criticism, He’s about to get married and then he may listen to all for the fourth time. Each of you. marriage has ended in diDear Solutions: vorce and a very big settleMy cousin who makes a ment for the wife. We’re a lot more money than I do close family, and everyone is spent a lot of time helping disgusted with him. me to learn how to use my SOLUTIONS Also, he’s in his 60s, and computer. We went out to By Helen Oxenberg, the women he marries keep dinner recently, and I wantMSW, ACSW getting younger. He has no ed to pay for him, but he children, and we would like wouldn’t let me. to convince him to help some of our He says he doesn’t have to be repaid children instead of giving his money for doing a favor. My wife says I should away the way he’s been doing. stop pushing to buy something for him What do you think is the best way to and just thank him and let it go. approach him on this? I’m uncomfortable with this. Any sug— Alice gestions? Dear Alice: — Charles He’s a philanthropist. He’s just giving to Dear Charles: his favorite charity — ex-wives! The man is You took his favor and now you want to looking for love, and evidently feels unable take away his generosity and make it an to get it without the promise of a big reward. even exchange. That’s how it feels to him. Don’t approach him on the basis of givHowever, if you want to make yourself feel ing to your favorite charity — your chil- better don’t take him to a restaurant where dren. He can do what he wants with his there’s an obvious exchange of money. Invite money. The best the family can do is be him to your home for a nice dinner, prefersincerely loving to him so he’ll trust you. ably with a couple of other family members

Granny Nanny From page 11 any necessary adjustments. For Feddersen, when the hours spent babysitting got to be too much, the family decided to send the toddler to a daycare center a couple of days a week. Now grandma has some free time to sleep in

so he won’t see it as payback. If you or your wife don’t cook, bring in some simple food. The feeling you want to project is that you enjoy his company, favors or no favors. Dear Solutions: My daughter has just broken off a long relationship with her boyfriend. I think she’s right to do this because no matter how much she cares for him as a friend, she just never has had the kind of feelings she wants for someone she would marry. Now the boyfriend, who’s devastated, has called me and wants to meet with me. I know he thinks I can talk her into staying with him.

How should I handle this? I don’t want to turn him down coldly. — Her Mom Dear Her Mom: “Her Mom” really says it all. As her mom you’re not going to go against her wishes. So ask your daughter first how she would feel about your meeting with him just to be nice and understanding of his hurt. If she says OK, agree to have lunch with him. But make it clear that you can’t and won’t interfere with her decisions. © Helen Oxenberg, 2012. Send questions to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. Email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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and get her nails done, and granddaughter is learning valuable socialization skills. Feddersen has declared that her nanny stint will be up when her daughter’s fellowship ends. But she said she wouldn’t trade the time she’s spent with Nora. “We took a three-year detour to help out, but I really think it’s given her a good start in life,” she said. — AP

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Money Law &

More retirees are reinventing themselves as entrepreneurs. Turn to page 17 to read about Randal Charlton and other older adults who are launching start-ups.

Stocks and mutual funds to own now By Kathy Kristof With debt woes slamming Europe, firms that sell mainly in the U.S. and in emerging nations look especially attractive. Here are a selection of stocks and funds considered to be smart picks for 2012 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Chevron (symbol CVX, $97). A spike in oil prices last summer helped the company report blockbuster third-quarter earnings. At today’s lower oil prices, analysts believe Chevron’s earnings will drop about 7 percent in 2012. But even at that level, the stock sells at bargain-basement prices and pays an annual dividend of $3.24 per share that’s easily supported by the cash it generates (the stock yields 3.5 percent). Microsoft (MSFT, $25). Value-oriented stock pickers are now pouring money into this company, drawn by its great cashgenerating ability and the prospects for Windows 8 — the upcoming version of Microsoft’s personal-computer operating system, which will contain features aimed at smartphone and tablet users. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s gaming and business-services units are vibrant. The shares sell for 9 times estimated year-ahead profits and yield 3.3 percent. Dover Corp. (DOV, $53). Knowles

Electronics, a unit of this little-known conglomerate based in Downers Grove, Ill., makes the tiny microphones used in cellphones and tablets from Apple, Nokia and Sony Ericsson. But that’s not all. Refrigerated display cases in grocery and convenience stores are made by Hill Phoenix, another of Dover’s 33 subsidiaries. Better yet, the company is increasingly integrating related businesses, cutting costs and cross-marketing, which should boost profit margins. The stock sells for 11 times estimated 2012 profits and yields 2.5 percent. Schnitzer Steel Industries (SCHN, $43). The company has been able to grow rapidly by selling recycled scrap to businesses in developing nations, such as China, Malaysia and Thailand. Meanwhile, the company has been investing in technology to cut costs and improve efficiency. With analysts forecasting annualized earnings growth of 15 percent over the next five years, and the stock selling at just 10 times estimated year-ahead profits, Schnitzer looks like a steal. Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT, $77). Lockheed is the lead contractor on a multiyear contract for F-35 fighter jets that could be worth some $382 billion, and the Department of Defense said it’s now will-

ing to let the company compete for India’s $11 billion fighter-jet contract, too. The company, based in Bethesda, Md., also has a lucrative satellite business that can help sustain growth when defense spending slows. Its stock sells for just 10 times estimated 2012 earnings and yields a robust 5.3 percent. Express Scripts (ESRX). This company, a pharmacy-benefit manager, is positioned for gangbuster growth thanks to an aging population and increasing drug sales. Earnings for the company, which also owns 60,000 pharmacies, have increased 28.4 percent annualized for the past five years and are projected to grow 17.3 percent a year for the next five years.

Mutual fund choices These three funds are tops in their categories. Dividend payers: Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX). No matter how the market moves, manager Don Kilbride sticks to his investing approach. He hunts down undervalued companies with growing dividends, producing what he calls a high-quality portfolio that currently delivers a 2 percent yield. This year, that quality helped keep the fund even through early October, despite the lashing that affected

Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. Low-minimum funds: Amana Trust Income (AMANX). If you’re looking to tap into the stock market with a low-minimum, top-quality fund, this is it. This largecompany stock fund requires a minimum investment of $250, or just $100 if it’s in a retirement account. Each additional investment can be as low as $25. That hasn’t hurt its performance: It gained 4.2 percent annualized over five years, which beat the S&P 500 by an average of five percentage points per year. One-stop funds: Vanguard Wellington (VWELX). A fund that offers both growth and relative safety with stocks and bonds in a single portfolio can be a tonic in a tumbling market. Over the past 10 years, the venerable Wellington fund gained an annualized 6.0 percent, outpacing 96 percent of its balanced-fund peers. But more important, the fund shed just 11.9 percent from late April to early October, while the broader market dropped 13.5 percent. Wellington has a 2.9 percent yield. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. For more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2011 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

A primer on risks and rewards of bonds By Mark Jewell Baby boomers fully embraced the stock market by riding its ups and downs throughout their peak income years. But now that the oldest boomers are turning 65, their focus has turned toward ensuring a steady income from their investments. And they’re likely to find the answer is to put money in bonds rather than stocks, as recent market volatility shows. Consider that bonds have made stock returns look puny in recent years. Broadly diversified bond mutual funds have provided investors an average annualized return of nearly 5.6 percent over the past five years. That’s better than all of the domestic stock fund categories that Morningstar tracks. With retirement just around the corner for such a sizeable population, it’s understandable that investors have deposited a net

$670 billion into bond mutual funds since January 2009, while consistently pulling their money out of stock funds. Fidelity Investments said its clients alone have added $100 billion in new cash to bond investments over the past three years. But do the stock-savvy boomers and others who have flocked to fixed-income investments really understand bond investing, and the potential risks and rewards?

A steep learning curve Many fund companies believe there’s a pressing need for investors to bone up on their bond basics. As a result, for example, Fidelity upgraded its online resources for bond investors in September, and Nuveen Investments made a similar move in November. It’s a recognition that bonds are more complex than stocks, with more moving

parts that influence investment returns — yield, price, and interest rates, for starters. Interest rates are perhaps the most critical risk for bond investors now. Short-term rates are near zero, and have nowhere to go but up. When they eventually rise, if the economic recovery really gets going, expect to see lower bond returns and possibly losses. The economy is growing so slowly that interest rates aren’t likely to spike in the short run. Still, any increase would be unwelcome for bond investors. “It’s a phenomenon that bond fund investors haven’t faced in a very long time,” said analyst Loren Fox of the fund industry consultancy Strategic Insight. “Some will be surprised and disappointed when it happens.” Indeed, investors have become accustomed to declining rates for the better part of 30 years.

Bond basics Below are key points investors should know about bonds, and a snapshot of the potential risks that investors face: Definition: At the most basic level, bond investors are lending their cash — to a company in the case of corporate bonds, or to government in the case of U.S. Treasurys or municipal bonds. In contrast, stock investors hold an ownership stake in a company, however small. Bonds are considered safer than stocks because there’s typically a low risk that the borrower won’t repay the loan when it’s due, or default by failing to make scheduled interest payments. In contrast, the market’s view of a company’s profit prospects will vary widely over time, See BOND PRIMER, page 16

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Social Security and Medicare Qs and As The Social Security Administration answers some common questions about Social Security and Medicare benefits. Question: I know that Social Security’s full retirement age is gradually rising to 67. But does this mean the “early” retirement age will also be going up by two years, from age 62 to 64? Answer: No. While it is true that under current law the full retirement age is gradually rising from 65 to 67, the “early” retirement age remains at 62. Keep in mind, however, that taking early retirement reduces your benefit amount. For more information about Social Security benefits, visit the website at www.socialsecurity.gov/r&m1.htm. Q: I am receiving Social Security retirement benefits, and I recently went back to work. Do I have to pay Social Security (FICA) taxes on my income? A: Yes. By law, your employer must withhold FICA taxes from your paycheck. Although you are retired, you do receive credit for those new earnings. Each year Social Security automatically credits the new earnings and, if your new earnings are higher than in any earlier year used to calculate your current benefit, your monthly benefit could increase. Q: How are my retirement benefits calculated? A: Your Social Security benefits are based on earnings averaged over your lifetime. Your actual earnings are first adjusted or “indexed” to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then we calculate your average monthly indexed earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most. We apply a formula to these earnings and arrive at your basic benefit. This is the amount you would receive at your full retirement age.

You may be able to estimate your benefit by using our Retirement Estimator which offers estimates based on your Social Security earnings. You can find the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. Q: I prefer reading by audio book. Does Social Security have audio publications? A: Yes, we do. You can find them at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Some of the publications available include What You Can Do Online, How Social Security Can Help You When A Family Member Dies, Apply Online For Social Security Benefits, and Your Social Security Card And Number. You can listen now at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Q: Next month I’ll turn 65 and, because of my financial situation, I thought I’d be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But my neighbor told me I’d probably be turned down because I have a friend who said he might help support me. Is this true? A: Whether you can get SSI depends on your income and resources. If you have low income and few resources, you may be able to get SSI. If you are receiving support from your friend or from anyone else, however, that income will be considered when making a decision on your SSI eligibility and amount. Support includes any food or shelter that is given to you or is received by you because someone else pays for it. So if your friend helps support you, it could have an effect on whether you get SSI or on the amount you receive. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and select “SSI.” Q: My dad, who is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), will be

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coming to live with me. Does he have to report the move to Social Security? A: Yes. An SSI beneficiary must report any change in living arrangements within 10 days after the month in which the change occurs. If the change is not reported, your dad could receive an incorrect payment or he may not receive all the money that is due. Also, your dad needs to report his new address to Social Security so that he can receive mail from us. Even if benefits are paid by direct deposit, we need to be able to get in touch with him. He can report the change by telephone, mail or in person at any Social Security office. Keep in mind that failing to report a change to Social Security could result in

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incorrect payments that may have to be paid back, or in a penalty deducted from SSI benefits. Just call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can get more information in the booklet Understanding SSI, at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi. Q: If I retire and start getting Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, will my Medicare coverage begin then, too? A: No. Medicare benefits based on retirement do not begin until a person is age 65. If you retire at age 62, you may be able to continue to have medical insurance coverage through your employer or purchase it from an insurance company until you reach age 65 and become eligible for Medicare. For

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Bond primer From page 14 which makes stock prices volatile. Yield: Bonds pay fixed returns. The

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

yield is the amount an investor receives for holding a bond until the date when it matures — or principal is repaid — expressed as a percentage. Interest is paid regularly to investors through coupon payments. The

BEACON BITS

Feb. 7

MONEY WORKSHOP FOR COUPLES Attend this workshop with your partner and uncover your personal

money style and identify financial goals. Presented by the Baltimore CASH Campaign, this informational session will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m., in the Poe Room of the Enoch Pratt Central Library, 400 Cathedral St. Call (410) 2342803 or email meghann@baltimorecashcampaign.org to register.

Jan 31

VA BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT PLANNING Join attorney Michael C. Hodes and financial advisor Timothy M. Herb for a free workshop discussing VA benefits and retirement in-

come planning on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9:30 a.m. To register, call Erin Covell at (410) 938-8800 or contact ecovell@hpklegal.com.

coupon is the annual rate of interest divided by the purchase price — meaning a bond selling for $1,000 with a 5 percent coupon rate offers a 5 percent current yield. Price: Unless a bond is held to maturity, the return investors receive is also a function of price changes. For example, that bond that yielded 5 percent at a price of $1,000 would yield 10 percent at a price of just $500. As a bond’s price falls, its yield rises, and vice versa. Prices change because investors continually process new information about the risks they face from factors such as interest rates, inflation and credit risks (the potential for a default). If investors can buy newly issued bonds paying higher interest than previously issued bonds, the value of the older bonds declines. On the flip side, an older bond will rise in price if yields for newly issued bonds are lower. Individual bonds vs. funds: Investing in individual bonds offers some certainty, if the investor holds them until maturity. In-

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vestors receive pre-determined interest payments along with repayment of principal, provided the company or government issuing the bond makes good on its obligations. But it’s not easy for an individual investor to research whether a bond is attractively priced relative to its credit risks and other potential pitfalls. Investing in a bond mutual fund, rather than an individual bond, means an investor faces less risk from the possibility of a default. Bond funds typically hold diversified portfolios of hundreds of bonds. So if just a single bond defaults, the impact on the overall portfolio is likely to be modest. However, a fund’s returns will vary because the fund manager must continually reinvest as bonds mature. And because bond prices fluctuate, it’s possible for mutual funds to lose money. That can happen when the fund generates less interest income than going market rates for newly issued bonds. Furthermore, investing in a bond fund means paying fees for professional expertise. What’s more, there’s no certainty that expertise will generate returns superior to those investors could get on their own, or by investing in a low-cost bond index fund. Risks: Bond investors now face substantial long-term risk from rising interest rates. When the Federal Reserve raises rates, returns for different types of bonds will be affected differently depending on factors such as their maturity dates. For example, one reason that 30-year Treasurys offer a higher return than Tbills maturing in a few months is that there’s a greater chance that rates will rise over the long haul, hurting returns. Longer-duration bonds pay investors more to offset that risk. Inflation is also low, and the eventual likelihood of rising prices poses risks for bond investors, similar to interest rate risks. However, certain types of bonds offer protection. The best known are Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS — a type of Treasury bond whose payout is adjusted every six months for inflation. — AP

Social Security From page 15 more information about who can get Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov. Q: Do I automatically get Medicare benefits if I’m eligible for disability benefits? A: After you have received disability benefits for 24 months, we will automatically enroll you in Medicare. We start counting the 24 months from the month you were entitled to receive disability, not the month when you received your first benefit payment. Sometimes you can get State Medicaid in the meantime. There are exceptions to this rule. People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and chronic renal disease may be able to get Medicare earlier.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Retirees looking to become entrepreneurs One of the Steve Jobs stories circulating accounting for 23 percent of new entreprein the wake of the legendary Apple neurs in 2010, up from 14.5 percent in 1996. founder’s death is the line he And a new study reveals that used to convince PepsiCo’s 25 million Americans age 44 to John Sculley to join Apple 70 hope to start businesses or Computer: “Do you want to nonprofit ventures in the next sell sugar water for the rest of five to 10 years. More than 12 your life, or come with me and million of the aspiring entreprechange the world?” neurs (48 percent) want to be Jobs embodied the spirit of “encore entrepreneurs” — a creative entrepreneurship — phrase coined by Civic Venand the Apple story began tures, the think tank focused on when he was in his early 20s, RETIRE SMART midlife career reinvention and in a Silicon Valley garage. By Mark Miller founder of the Encore Careers That’s the image that comes to campaign. mind when most of us think of business start-ups — a kid in blue jeans who wants Role models to emulate Civic Ventures throws a big spotlight on to change the world. But a growing share of start-ups are com- the trend every year with the Purpose Prize ing from older entrepreneurs these days — — a sort of Oscars for social entrepreneurs. and many of them want to change world, Now in its sixth year, the award recognizes older career trailblazers who’ve demonstrattoo. Entrepreneurs age 55 to 64 represent a ris- ed creative and effective work tackling soing share of start-up activity, according to the cial problems. Each prize winner receives Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, $100,000, which most often is reinvested in

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

ONLINE SELF-HELP GUIDE

The Baltimore County Self-Help Guide, a resource for women, families and service providers, is available online. It lists services in areas including health, education, employment, as well as crisis hotline phone numbers. The guide can be found at www.baltimorecountyonline.info/agencies/women/resources. Call (410) 8873448 for more information.

Ongoing

their enterprises. This year’s award winners include a San Francisco-area screenwriter who adopted two daughters from China in her 50s, then found a way to partner with the Chinese government in efforts to transform the care of 800,000 orphans there; an Oregon

woman who produces and distributes lowcost, safe, fuel-efficient cook stoves in Latin America; and a Santa Fe, New Mexico architect working to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in buildings. See ENTREPRENEURS, page 19

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Feb. 2+

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson offers a free monthly support group for caregivers the first Thursday of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. To register, call (410) 337-1109. The medical center is located at 7501 Osler Dr.

Feb. 6

CHOLESTEROL AND GLUCOSE SCREENING

Get free cholesterol and glucose screenings at Essex Senior Center from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday. Feb. 6. For most accurate results, you should fast six to eight hours prior to the test. Water and necessary medication is permitted. The center is located at 600 Dorsey Ave. Sign up at the front desk or call (410) 887-0267.

Feb. 14

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

Celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Arbutus Senior Center, 855 A Sulphur Spring Rd. Enjoy a special lunch and entertainment by “Nancy Sings!” Suggested donation for lunch is $2.50. There will be door prizes, party favors, 50/50 raffle and raffle for a pound box of Rheb’s Chocolates. Bring a picture of your sweetheart. RSVP by Feb. 8 to (410) 887-1410.

VALUABLE INFO AND RESOURCES HOTLINE

Maryland Access Point (MAP) offers expertly trained staff utilizing a comprehensive and up-to-database to provide information about services and resources for seniors and persons with disabilities in Baltimore County and beyond. Call the information hotline at (410) 887-2594.

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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. Find a store near you at www.cvs.com

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Entrepreneurs From page 17 Another Purpose Prize winner this year is a 71-year-old entrepreneur who took on the daunting challenge of trying to restore the economy of Detroit by building a successful business incubator for entrepreneurs called TechTown. Randal Charlton has had a long, colorful career — ranging from tending dairy cows for a Saudi sheik to starting a jazz club in Florida — with plenty of ups and downs. As a lifelong entrepreneur, he has bought and sold 14 different companies. Charlton built TechTown by raising $24 million from foundations and government, and gathering together an impressive array of resources for training and start-up funding. He recruited a small army of start-ups that have created a total of more than 1,800 local jobs — and not only in high-tech industries. “There’s an absence of everything from grocery stories to dry cleaners and taxi services in the city,” Charlton said. “We need to provide services to a broad range of entrepreneurs.” TechTown has been home to 250 companies, and more than 2,200 entrepreneurs have graduated from its training programs. Charlton recently transitioned to a new role heading up a program focused specifically on helping Detroit adults over age 50 transition to new careers, entrepreneurship

and volunteer service. The idea for BOOM! The New Economy began to germinate after Charlton noticed the outsized number of older adults attending TechTown conferences and entrepreneur training.

Seven tips for newbies When I asked Charlton for his top tips to would-be 50-plus entrepreneurs, he walked me through a seven-point plan of advice based on his own numerous and colorful life experiences: • Get fit and keep fit. Running a business requires physical and mental fitness. • Focus on skill sets. Think about finding work tied to your actual strengths, rather than your former title. • Plan an exit as you enter. If you are partnering with others, think about how you can set up your business so that you have a “pre-nup” that allows you after a few years to pass the business along, and therefore get some value out of it. • Mitigate risk. Stabilizing your personal expenses is one way to do this. Charlton said he was “ruthless when setting up my own business at age 60. I had no credit card debt, rented a small apartment, and then built a small house later on, when I could afford it. I still drive a 10year-old car. I made sure that, if the business went south, I wouldn’t be left with a lot of personal debt.” • Leverage everything and anyone who offers help. “Universities, economic

development agencies, states and cities have an incredible number of services that they want to offer to small businesses to help create jobs,” he said. “The challenge is identifying them.” • Network, network, network. “Forget resumes. If you send out enough resumes you will need anti-depressants

quickly. Most jobs are obtained by knowing people who know people.” • Get in the game. “Don’t stand on the outside waiting for a plum job to come along. Volunteer or work as an intern.” Mark Miller is the author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 18+

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

Gather at Robert E. Lee Park on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18, for a bird count extravaganza. Help park rangers count birds and more for a national database. No experience needed. Enjoy up-close bird encounters with captive birds, crafts for the children, and sip hot beverages around the fire. This free drop-in program runs between 8 a.m. and noon. Participants can come for 30 minutes or stay for the duration. Robert E. Lee Park is located at 1000 Lakeside Dr. For more information, call (410) 887-4156 or e-mail: releeparkrp@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Jan. 20+

BRING YOUR APPETITE

Winter Restaurant Week has returned, so bring your appetite to any of the participating restaurants for a two-course lunch or three-course dinner for the low prices of $20.12 or $30.12, respectively. Visit www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com for details.

Jan. 19+

DREAM ABOUT SETTING SAIL

It may be frigid now, but a visit to the Baltimore Boat Show from Jan. 19 to 22 will have you dreaming of sunny skies and sea breezes. Boating experts from around the world will be on hand at the Baltimore Convention Center to share the latest on boating activities, product exhibitions and buying advice. The Convention Center is located at 1 W. Pratt St. Call (410) 649-7000 or visit www.baltimoreboatshow.com for details and ticket information.

Learn how to make

STOP YIELDING TO WINTER!

Every time you use the phone. If any disability makes it difficult for you to use the telephone, you may qualify for FREE assistive telephone equipment through the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications program.

Many seniors have to deal with brutal winters every year. Fortunately, bad weather barely makes a dent in day-to-day life for those who live at Charlestown or Oak Crest.

Even though you may be able to carry on a conversation with someone in person, you may have difficulty communicating by standard telephone. The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) program, a service of Maryland Relay, provides assistive telecommunications equipment — free of charge — to people who qualify. Training on how to use the equipment is available.

Since there’s easy access to on-site health care services right on campus, you have peace of mind knowing you’ll never miss another appointment again. The climate-controlled walkways allow you to access all parts of the community without ever having to set foot outside during bad weather. From now on, why not put yourself in the driver’s seat when the snowy season rolls around?

Don’t Let Winter Slow Down Your Retirement

To learn more about the free equipment, including hands-free phones, amplified phones, voice activated phones and more, simply call Maryland Relay Customer Service at 1-800-552-7724. You may also visit our website, www.mdrelay.org. Click on Free Equipment for more information on how to apply

Call 1-800-418-9045 for your free brochure.

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Careers Volunteers &

Does your organization use senior volunteers or do you employ a number of seniors? If you do and you’d like to be considered for a story in our Volunteers & Careers section, please send an email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Big Brothers and Sisters help kids thrive the local Big Sisters-Little Sisters group. Today, the official name of the organization is Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Maryland Mentoring Partnership, a result of bringing together the two largest, most experienced mentoring organizations in Maryland: Big Brothers Big Sisters, with its history of providing direct service mentoring support, and the Maryland Mentoring Partnership, a provider of training and technical assistance. The organization is headquartered in Baltimore and serves more than 2,500 children in the region.

PHOTO COURTESY BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

By Carol Sorgen Debra Matthews had a very personal reason for becoming a Big Sister three years ago. When Matthews’ own niece was 13, she was “unbelievably shy,” and also going through a difficult family situation. Matthews took in her niece, but thought the youngster needed some extra encouragement. So she arranged for the young girl to have a Big Sister through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Her niece is now an outgoing, independent, self-sufficient adult — in short, everything Matthews hoped she would be. “I volunteer as a Big Sister because they did so well with my niece,” said the 50year-old Northeast Baltimore resident, who works as an assistant payroll manager for Legg Mason. The history of Big Brothers Big Sisters dates to 1904 when Ernest Coulter, a New York City court clerk, established Big Brothers to match caring adults with young people who were getting into trouble. In Maryland, the movement began with the Jewish Big Brothers League in 1919. In 1952, the Big Brothers of Baltimore agency was formed, merging in 1974 with

Working one-on-one Matthews volunteered as a Big Sister through her workplace, though individuals can volunteer on their own as well. She initially thought she would be paired with a young girl, but there were more boys needing a mentor than there were male volunteers, so with the approval of the boy’s mother, Matthews became a Big Sister to a boy who was then 11 years old. Every Monday she spends her lunch hour with the boy at his school, where they share lunch, play games, review homework

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Through the Big Brother Big Sister program, Debra Matthews mentors a young teen named Jawayne, sharing lunch with him at school once a week, where they play games and review homework.

and make plans for future activities. Once Matthews receives permission from both Big Brothers Big Sisters and the boy’s mother, she and her “little” have a list of activities they want to do together outside of school, from paintball games to bowling, movies and bike riding. Many of the children needing mentors, including the boy Matthews has been paired with, come from single-parent and/or low-income homes, and may need that extra bit of attention to make a difference in how they turn out. Matthews’ “little,” for example, was said

to have difficulty managing anger, and his single mother, coping with her other children as well, thought he needed another adult influence in his life. Matthews hopes her calm demeanor has had a positive effect on the boy. “He’s a lot of fun to be around,” she said. Matthews, the mother of a 19-year-old daughter herself, enjoys spending time with a young teenager. And she likes the feeling of helping someone who needs help. “I think he gets a kick out of it, too,” she said. See BIG BROTHERS, page 21

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

Shooting stars From page 1 descriptive images went out over the wire to appear in newspapers all over the country. Kobrin enjoyed several years with AP, but in 1950, when he was dispatched to Korea to cover the war, he said he reached a critical career impasse. “I was there for about a year and said, ‘That’s it — war is not for me.’” Leaving the assignment meant having to leave AP, yet by this time, he said, “I knew I didn’t want to be a newspaper man all my life, but I knew I wanted to be a photographer.” Returning to New York, he landed a position with Look magazine, a photo-heavy direct competitor of Life that, he explained, differentiated itself with in-depth show business coverage. “That was my first introduction to celebrity photography,” he said. It also allowed him to make contacts in the entertainment field that would build throughout the next decades. He drew on those contacts when he relocated to Los Angeles in 1958. He now describes the period as ideal for celebrity

photojournalism due to the popularity of such magazines as Modern Screen and Photoplay, and Hollywood’s dependence on the publications for promoting the film and TV industries. Between a heavy load of freelance and staff assignments, “I was in the entertainment business at that point,” he said. “I was still in the news business, but a very specialized type of news.” Due to his growing reputation, CBS snagged Kobrin in 1965 to be its director of photography. Then ABC hired him away in 1975 for 10 more years in the same role. He also continued building his roster of independent clients.

The Marilyn Monroe shoot But it was a single assignment many years before — in 1954 — that has come to be considered Kobrin’s best known career moment. Ironically, for him “it was very frustrating. There was nothing interesting about it,” he says now. As the official East Coast photographer and publicist for 20th Century Fox, he was assigned to a street scene in New York where stills of Marilyn Monroe and co-star Tom Ewell were to be shot to promote a new movie, The Seven Year Itch.

Big Brothers

lence, life as a teenager today, and more.

From page 20

Males especially needed

She was especially gratified recently when the youngster was having trouble with his math homework, and because of her own math skills, she was able to help him figure it out. When he went to school and had his teacher approve the homework, they both felt a sense of accomplishment. Volunteers for Big Brothers and Big Sisters have to pass a background check before they are accepted and trained. The organization offers ongoing training for mentors to teach them about issues such as gang vio-

For Matthews, being a Big Sister has been a way to help another young child as someone else had helped her niece. She encourages others to get involved too, especially African American males. “A lot of the kids needing mentors are African American boys and they need a strong male presence,” she said. According to Paula Bragg, director of marketing and communications, there are thousands of youth still in need of mentors. “Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Mary-

The logistics for the shoot were endlessly complex, Kobrin said, and made all the more uncomfortable by the muggy heat of the mid-September night. Staging for the scene began at 11 p.m., with Monroe standing atop a subway tunnel air shaft and Kobrin and the rest of the crew waiting for a train to pass below and elevate the skirt on the actress’s dress for an “accidental” glimpse at her underwear. Two hours passed without enough underground traffic or resulting breeze for the desired effect, and a crowd of curious spectators began to gather, eventually numbering more than a thousand. Meanwhile, Kobrin added, film director Billy Wilder was growing agitated with the setbacks. Finally a resourceful grip on the set rigged a blower beneath the subway grate, powered by a remote control, and the shoot resumed. But Monroe “was not a one-take actress,” Kobrin said. In fact, the scene required 35 separate takes “between her and her acting and the dress blowing to Billy Wilder’s satisfaction and getting the light right.” Kobrin admitted that he was growing weary from being up all night for an overly complicated assignment that also required land Mentoring Partnership are uniquely positioned to provide these children with the mentoring relationships and comprehensive support they need to succeed,”

shooting from numerous angles, including up and down on ladders. Adding to the overall tension, Monroe’s husband at the time, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, was present and growing increasingly angry with the glorification of his wife’s sexuality and the enthusiastic gathering of onlookers. “Marilyn was ecstatic at the crowd’s reaction,” Kobrin said. But “DiMaggio was furious.” Before the shoot was over, the couple engaged in an enormous public argument that lead to divorce papers being filed the next day. By the time the shoot was finally over at 5 a.m., “On the part of everybody, tempers were short,” Kobrin said. “When they heard ‘wrap,’ everybody ran like hell.” For his part in the overnight spectacle, Kobrin received $75 in staff pay, but that was not unusual. Regardless of how many significant celebrity images Kobrin has taken over the years, he receives no royalties from any, he said, because in every case, “I was a paid employee.”

Knowing the well-known Along with his up-close-and-personal See SHOOTING STARS, page 22

said Bragg. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life. To donate or volunteer, visit or call (410) 243-4000.

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Shooting stars

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

DELIVER MEALS TO THE HOMEBOUND

Volunteer visitors and drivers are needed to deliver meals on wheels to homebound residents in Northwest Baltimore. The pickup site is 2434 Belvedere Ave. and meals are delivered between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To volunteer for one or more available time slots, call Liz Galea at (443) 573-0940 or email galea@mowcm.org.

Ongoing

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

SINAI SEEKS VOLUNTEERS Sinai Hospital is looking for volunteers for the gift shop and throughout the hospital. Flexible times are available. For more information, call (410) 601-5023.

HELP OUT AT A HOSPICE

Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care is seeking patient care volunteers at Northwest Hospital and office volunteers to serve Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford Counties. Contact 1-888-523-6000 or jjordan@seasons.org for more information.

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From page 21 camera work came the opportunity for Kobrin to get a glimpse into the personalities and characters of his popular subjects. Now, at the age of 90, he has also lived long enough to process the deaths of many of the celebrities with whom he was acquainted. On each loss, he shared, “You kind of reminisce a little and have kind of a tug of the heart.” Some of his noted subjects left specific impressions on him. James Dean, Kobrin explained, did not like having his picture taken, so a sort of “cat and mouse” game was necessary to get shots of him. “I think Sophia Loren is the sexiest woman alive — elegant, stylish,” he said. Catherine Deneuve is “beautiful” and Cary Grant was “the handsomest.” Frank Sinatra was difficult to work with, however — “I didn’t get along with him; didn’t like him,” Kobrin admitted. Of Monroe, Kobrin said that upon hearing of her death his first thought was, “I didn’t know it would happen, and I didn’t know when, but all the components were there” for her to die young.” He added that she couldn’t work under pressure and “the remedy that she chose for that period…for her relaxation, of pills and champagne, played a very prominent part of her life.” At a book-signing and birthday party for Kobrin last November, he was visited by Christian Larson, who had been a photography assistant for MGM in the late 1940s. Larson had applied body make-up to Monroe for some of her nude shots, and was often dispatched to pick her up from her Fairfax apartment and drive her to the studio. Larson came to meet Kobrin, noting “there’s not many of us left” from those days, and they spoke at length, sharing tales of the industry and impressions of Monroe, whom they agreed was terribly insecure. Larson recounted that Monroe

would memorize passages from classic literature, feeling that would help her better fit in to intellectual society, and she would practice reciting them to him in the car. The primary focus of Kobrin’s life these days is promoting his book, which was developed in memory of his late wife Ginger, who passed away in 2003. During the last 10 years of her life, Kobrin said, his wife “kept saying ‘do a book, do a book,’ and like every dutiful husband, I said, ‘I will, I will,’ and never did and then she died.” He decided that the best way to honor her was to have the book published, and found that it has also kept his life active and social through setting up book-signing appointments and meeting people such as Larson at the various events.

High endurance, low-tech Reflecting on what he is proudest of about his career, Kobrin noted not the glamour or prestige of his work, nor his famous Monroe shot, nor any of his other images. Instead, he picked the “endurance and patience” that allowed him to make it through several decades of work that he described as exhausting and unpredictable. The constant travel, lugging of equipment, work-related conversation and cajoling, being on-call all the time — “It’s not only the physicality of the job, it’s the inside of you,” he explained. “There’s no way to predict or plan. Every day is different.” But in addition, he said, “The one thing I’m happiest about is that during my career, we didn’t have, one, cell phones; two, computers; three, Internet.” Back then, he said, “Even if you’re in Poughkeepsie, they’re going to have to find you, and we never missed a deadline.” For more information or to obtain a copy of Bill Kobrin’s Stars and Celebrities, contact the photographer at (760) 772-0097. The clothbound books are $45 each.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP FRAIL ELDERLY ONCE A WEEK Through the Baltimore County Home Team, volunteers provide serv-

ices to eligible older persons who have limited social supports and need assistance to remain in their own homes. Some of the services volunteers offer include: friendly visiting once a week; telephone visiting via regular phone calls; running errands; escort trips for medical appointments; shopping; and limited handyman service. Volunteers, who are asked to make a six-month commitment of approximately one hour a week, are matched with people in their neighborhoods. Visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov and click on “volunteer opportunities.”

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Ongoing

HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT Join one of Baltimore County’s local watershed associations and make a difference in your local streams. Baltimore County EPS en-

courages citizens to get involved in volunteer opportunities that make improvements to our streams, forests and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Local watershed associations continually conduct restoration activities and can always use your help. Find a listing of local watershed associations at www.baltimorecountymd.gov under “volunteer opportunities.”

BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

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Travel

Leisure &

How the euro’s fall could affect your European vacation. See story on page 25.

The Everglades: One watery wonderland

Who’s watching whom? On a recent visit to Everglades National

Park, as I walked just a few inches above water level along the Anhinga Trail boardwalk, I stopped to study a hunched-over greenback heron. I suddenly realized that I was also being watched. In the grayish-brown muck five feet away, a dark leathery crown barely poked out, and two large, half-emerged shiny orbs just above the waterline were eyeing me. The “keeper of the Everglades,” a Florida alligator, was lurking, camouflaged in the shallows. Once endangered, “today they are too numerous to count,” Christiana Admiral, a National Park Service interpreter told me later. The typical male is seven feet long. To casual observers, alligators seem lethargic, but they can move fast both in water and on land. In the visitor center’s “Gators in Motion” video, I had learned that during courtship males bellow, nuzzle females, and then both submerge to mate. Recalling that we had also been cautioned that “they eat anything,” I didn’t linger. Ambling on, I spotted a big brown bird with wings splayed apart, seemingly frozen in time. It was an anhinga, and except for an occasional blink of the eye, it was sitting perfectly still on a branch drying its wings. Known as “snakebirds,” anhingas swim underwater, spear fish and perch to dry out, an iconic pose in these wetlands. Moving further, I spotted a thin white “tube” reaching upward amid the millions of sawgrass blades. It was a great egret

By Glenda C. Booth A sheet of water once flowed from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes near Orlando to Lake Okeechobee and then across the southern tip of Florida through ponds, sloughs, wetlands, hummocks and forests. Once covering almost 3 million acres, the Everglades was perceived by many during Florida’s early boom years as a worthless swamp interfering with agriculture and other development. So, human engineering was brought to bear, “improving” south Florida with canals, dams and elaborate drainage systems that severely interrupted and diverted the historic flow of water. In large part thanks to Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a journalist and tireless conservation advocate during the 1900s, the Everglades are now viewed as a national natural treasure. In 2000, Congress approved a 30-year plan to restore some of the original Everglades. Today, the ecosystem encompasses 1.3 million acres of sawgrass prairie stretching across South Florida. The largest subtropical ecosystem in the U.S., it now boasts 350 species of birds, 300 of fish, 40 of mammals, 50 of reptiles, 17 of amphibians and 1,000 of plants. This is also the only place where alligators and crocodiles co-exist.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

A great egret strides through a swamp filled with cypress trees in Florida’s Everglades National Park. Preservation efforts have helped turn the 1.3 million acre ecosystem into a nature-loving tourist’s dream.

Visitors skim across the Everglades’ “river of grass” in an airboat in search of crocodiles, herons, egrets and other species of the abundant wildlife found in the national park.

awaiting its prey. Around the bend, a great blue heron crouched silently, transfixed on the water. These bluish-gray, 46-inch wading birds patiently stand motionless for a long time waiting for a snack to zip by. The Everglades, North America’s unique “river of grass,” is deceptive. At first glance, all seems quiet, at rest. But it’s not. It is a mesmerizing liquid land where you should slowly imbibe the serenity and study subtle movements and gentle nuances, from the microscopic to the menacing. Tony Iallonardo, a resident of Arlington, Va., described his October visit like this: “I was told not to expect grand vistas like the Tetons or Yosemite. The Everglades require you to move slowly and look closely. Then the beauty opens itself up to you. “What’s most special is the abundance of wildlife. It’s all around you all the time — under your feet, above your head and everywhere in between. “Alligators, diamondback rattlers, other snakes, lizards, a bear cub and hundreds of egrets and herons. We had many moments when we were all alone with the wildlife and our beautiful surroundings.”

Multiple entrances and paths There are three entrances to Everglades National Park: the Ernest F. Coe

Visitor Center near Homestead on the southeast, Shark Valley at the northeast corner, and Everglades City at the northwest corner. Driving to the Coe entrance, 35 miles south of Miami, and from there along the 37-mile road to Flamingo, Fla., is an excellent one or two-day introduction to all that is the Everglades. Off this road are several easy trails where you can get close-up looks at wood storks, ibises and turtles. Unusual plants, like mangroves and moonvines that bloom at night, also abound. On the Gumbo Limbo Trail, I explored a typical hardwood hummock, lush with subtropical plants, including orchids and bromeliads, and secretive animals, such as the Florida tree snail and the Key Largo wood rat. (The gumbo limbo tree is known as the tourist tree because its bark peels like the sunburned skin of a tourist.) The Pa-hay-okee Overlook’s one-quarter mile boardwalk took me to an observation tower for a panoramic view. On the West Lake Trail, a half-mile loop, I watched birds flit around in a forest of salt-tolerant mangrove trees perched on their abovewater roots arched like a birdcage. On my drive to Flamingo, I sampled most See EVERGLADES, page 24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Everglades From page 23 of the park’s ecosystems — freshwater sloughs, marl prairies, cypress and mangrove forests and marine estuaries. During low tide, the mud flats host throngs of birds, including pelicans, cormorants, herons, roseate spoonbills, egrets, mangrove cuckoos and black skimmers. At the road’s end, I had hoped for sightings of a saltwater crocodile or manatee, both of which rangers say are common, but they were not visible on the drizzly day of my visit. Crocodile numbers have rebounded to around 1,500, according to park authorities. Flamingo has boat, kayak and canoe

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

rentals, snacks, an informative visitor center and free ranger-guided programs. Taking another approach, from the Shark Valley entrance off the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41), 25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike, there’s a two-hour, openair tram tour led by naturalists to a 50-foot observation tower. Or you can rent a bike to explore the 15-mile trail or walk several trails from the visitor center. Alternatively, at the Everglades City entrance, 78 miles west of Miami, the National Park Service rents kayaks, canoes and camping equipment. Many visitors go there for canoe or boat trips in the maze of mangroves and waterways through the Ten Thousand Islands. Some say Everglades City, a fishing

BEACON BITS

Feb. 16

TRY YOUR LUCK AT THE CASINO The Woodlawn Senior Center is hosting a trip to Midway Casino in

Harrington, Del., on Monday, Feb. 6. Cost of the trip is $35. For reservations, call (410) 887-6887.

Feb. 25

A BIT O’ IRELAND IN FREDERICK Enjoy the show “Step Dance” by the Teelin Irish Dance Company after having lunch on your own at Brewers Alley Restaurant, on

this day trip sponsored by the Essex Senior Center. Cost is $46. For reservations, call (410) 687-5113.

Do you provide a product or service of interest to people over 50? (And today, what business doesn’t?)

Before you go, look at the National Park Service’s website www.nps.gov/ever and talk to staff (call (305) 242-7700), especially if you plan to paddle or camp. Thoroughly research your options ahead of time so you can take into consideration weather, tides, mosquitoes (very pesky in summer), water levels and other factors. Even a one-day visit walking the trails is well worth it. Besides the park, there are touristy, kitschy amusements nearby like alligator and snake shows and airboat rides. Be forewarned: Airboats with their jet engines are very noisy and scare wildlife away, but it is a common way to get out on the water. Everglades Wilderness Charters offers guided fishing and camping trips (www.evergladeswildernesscharters.com). En route to the Coe entrance, don’t miss Robert Is Here Fruit Stand, a cornucopia of tropical fruits, jams, milkshakes and Key lime pies. For 38 years, visitors have stopped for the Key lime milkshakes. There is no lodging in the park itself. A new lodge will open in Flamingo in 2013. There are several campgrounds. Study the Everglades website for services and rules. Homestead, 15 minutes from the Coe Visitor Center, has many motels listed with the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce at www.chamberinaction.com. For a taste of old Florida, try the Grove Inn Country Guesthouse in Redlands, five minutes north of Homestead. I felt like I was on the set of The Night of the Iguana, lis-

When to visit When is the best time to go? There is no easy answer. June to October brings heat, storms, mosquitoes galore and fewer visitors than other times. You may see colorful lubber grasshoppers, female alligators building nests, and loggerhead turtles laying eggs. Birds like white-crowned pigeons, blackwhiskered vireos and gray kingbirds migrate from the tropics to nest in the summer. Wet areas are flooded and the cypress trees green up. The young hatch by September. Fall brings bird migration, including thousands of barn swallows, bobolinks, warblers and peregrine falcons. Alligator hatchlings scramble about. December to April, the dry season, is the most popular, but it is often crowded. “It’s almost like going through the zoo,” Hayley Crowell, a National Park Service ranger, told me. The crocs are easier to see, there are more ranger-led walks, and there are fewer mosquitoes. As some of the Everglades’ watery environs evaporate, wading birds gather around alligator holes where fish congregate. Wood storks nest and their young fledge in February or March. Flying to Miami is the fastest way to access the Everglades. American Airlines has flights in mid-February from Baltimore-Washington International Airport for around $263 roundtrip. Once there, you’ll need to rent a car at the airport. Glenda C. Booth is a travel writer based in Alexandria, Va.

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town, is reminiscent of “old Florida” — pre-Disney World, strip malls and condos. In the U.S., if you say Florida, many Americans think “Miami Vice,” Disney World or the Daytona 500. A Dutch visitor told me, “In the Netherlands, if you say ‘Florida,’ people think ‘Everglades.’” You will, too, after your immersion into this watery wonderland.

5 0 JANUARY 2012

I N S I D E …

LEISURE & TR AVEL

A watery wonderland in the Everglades; plus, whether the euro’s fall is a boon or a worry for travelers page 23

“To be a successful celebrity photojournalist you have to be part psychiatrist, part psychologist, part philosopher, and above all you have to be charming and likeable,” Kobrin said. “Now that’s easy for some celebrities and photographers, but it is not easy for some.” It’s also a tall order on a daily basis, he acknowledged, but getting off on the right foot with his big-name subjects was criti- Celebrity photojournalist Bill cal when his livelihood was based on pho- Nikon and recently published Kobrin is shown at home in Indio with his well-used book, Bill Kobrin’s Stars tographing men and women and Celebrities, featuring protective of tos of the famous he shot over six decades. photheir images who did The book is open to an image taken the not like being same night as his best-known photo — of Marilyn Monroe standing New York subway grate. caught unaware by a photo over a breezy shoot. “You’ve got 30 seconds to make an im- tion picture and music stars pression,” he explained. of their era, “So when you had from Though he hadn’t been Cary Grant to Grace hired as a lensan assignment that was Kelly, from man, he the case of ‘Sur- Eartha was asked one night to Kitt to George Michael. prise, surprise, I’m here,’ cover a then you’ve got a massive race riot in Harlem “This is no boast,” Kobrin problem. But sometimes because the said, “but I staff photographers when you hit it would had other assignments. imagine — being involved off right and both parties with AP, get along and Look, At the time, Kobrin said, CBS and ABC — that “Harlem was a kind of dig each other, then every major tinderbox it’s alright.” and kind of scary,” but star or celebrity that ever Kobrin, who has since he was existed between game retired to the 1941 to prove his worth to AP. and 1990 I have photographed Palm Springs area, excelled in one ed out to the neighborhood So he headat getting the way or another.” needed cooperation, as by subway at can be seen from 3:30 a.m., snapped shots of riot victims at a his favorite photos, which have been com- The local hospital, and then road to Hollywood ventured out into piled in a book, Bill Kobrin’s the streets at daybreak Stars and The Brooklyn-born Kobrin to capture images Celebrities, produced by took up pho- of looting Desert Springs tography and fires. in his teens, scoring a few Publishing in La Quinta. smallFrom candid stu- scale The riot lasted two or three freelance jobs before landing dio images to formal headshots, days, he rea posi- called, and made the book tion in the national headlines. His darkroom at New York’s features the most popular Associtelevision, mo- ated Press office in 1942 when he was 20. See SHOOTING STARS , page 21

Also –

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Murder and madness in Arsenic and Old Lace; plus a local journalist’s book about life in Baltimore during World War II page 27 FITNESS & HEALTH k A pill that lessens wrinkles k The best brain games

LAW & MONEY k Stocks to own in 2012 k Be a better bond buyer VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Big Bro, Big Sis

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The euro: neither a windfall nor a worry Today’s media are full of reports on the somewhat less efficient European systems. “crisis” in the euro currency. The euro is the Overall, I haven’t been big on European common currency among 17 shopping for several decades, European countries — includand I’m not changing because ing all the big ones other than the euro has dropped a bit. the UK — and what happens to If you’re looking for a bigit influences almost all U.S. visiger drop, think Switzerland, tors to any of those countries. where the franc, at $1.08 US, The upside for visitors is is down a healthy 24 percent that European travel costs for from last summer’s high. U.S. and Canadian visitors are That reduces Switzerland somewhat less than in recent from unaffordable to just exmonths. Current exchange orbitant. TRAVEL TIPS rates are around $1.30 US; the At around $1.56 US, on the By Ed Perkins other hand, the British pound U.S. dollar rate is down from an all-time high around $1.60 in the sum- is down only 6 percent. As with the euro, mer of 2008, and down about 10 percent those drops are good news for visitors, but hardly a reason to rush to the airport. from $1.45 last summer. If I could predict future currency values accurately, I would have long since retired as a Vacation property bargains According to the sources I follow, the billionaire trader, but futures traders expect one European purchase on which you can the rates to remain about flat through 2012. find a bargain is vacation property. I’ve Modest savings for U.S. visitors seen several reports of huge drops in propCertainly, in the short term your dollars erty values. If you’ve ever wanted a cottage will go further than the past summer, but in some idyllic European countryside or an don’t get carried away celebrating. You’re apartment in the middle of a sophisticated most likely to notice the change in hotel city, now might be a good time to look. and restaurant prices and the costs of local But that price drop doesn’t have much to transportation, although even there, price do with recent changes in currency exchange hikes may well erase at least some of the rates: Instead, Europe, like the U.S., has sufmodest advantage. fered a big drop in housing prices generally, Shopping? Don’t expect to find Europe a and that is likely to last quite a while. shoppers’ paradise in 2012. Other than some The worry for American visitors, if any, is handicrafts, one-of, and special sales items, the possibility that the European countries European retail prices tend to be higher than will be unable to reach the deals necessary those in the U.S. for identical merchandise. to “save” the euro. I’ve seen very little about That’s because (1) most European coun- what might happen if the deals fail, other tries slap a value-added tax (VAT) on most than that economies and securities markets purchases that the U.S. does not — a tax on both sides of the Atlantic (as well as the that’s much higher than typical U.S. taxes — Pacific) are likely to face “chaos.” and (2) the U.S. retail system generally adds Learned journals are full of such terms as less markup over factory costs than the “collapse,” “destruction,” and even “civil

BEACON BITS

Feb. 27

SPAGHETTI DINNER IN ARBUTUS Join the Arbutus Senior Center for a spaghetti dinner on Monday,

Feb. 27, at 4:30 p.m. at the center, 855 A Sulphur Spring Rd. Admission is $7. RSVP by Feb. 21.

Feb. 9+

DO YOU WRITE SCIENCE FICTION? The Baltimore Science Fiction Society holds meetings the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 3310 E.

Baltimore St. to critique writers’ work. The group also holds gaming meetings, social groups and book discussions. For more information, see www.bsfs.org or email BSFSEvents@BSFS.Org.

Feb. 12+

war,” with precious few details. As for any U.S. visitors who might get caught in a “crisis,” I’m pretty sure you could get out reasonably intact — physically and economically — but your plans could easily be derailed. For now, all I can suggest is that you keep your eye on the economic news and be ready with some sort of Plan B for your vacation if the worst happens.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 5+

and the Philadelphia Flower Show from March 5 to 7. The cost of $289 (double occupancy) includes motor coach transportation, two nights lodging at the Tropicana Casino Hotel, one dinner buffet and two breakfast buffets at the casino, $15 free slot play and more. Call (410) 484-5285 for information and reservations.

Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. The event will be held at the Hampton National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Lane, Towson. For more information call, (410) 823-1309 ext. 251.

TOUR BALTIMORE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

Mar. 24

Growing rapidly after the Civil War, Baltimore’s historic central business district is full of wonderful buildings and architecture. It

also shows the scars of a devastating fire in 1904, the influences of urban renewal projects from the 1950s through the 1980s, and the individual efforts of many Baltimoreans. This two-hour walking tour on Saturday, March 24 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. is sponsored by Roland Park Country School’s Kaleidoscope program. Cost is $15. For more information, call (410) 323-5500, ext. 3091, or visit www.rpcs.org.

❄

❅ ❄ Near your friends,

your family and your memories❉

❅

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The Weather Outside is Frightful. But Inside it’s So Delightful!

Join in a free discussion on the codes that quilts contained for

Howard University professor Dr. Raymond Dobard, co-author of the book Hidden in

CASINO AND FLOWER SHOW TRIP Join the Pikesville Senior Center on this trip to Atlantic City, N.J.,

SECRET CODES ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM the underground railroad on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. with

Despite long-term worries, 2012 could be a good year to visit Europe. But the main reason to go remains the same as it has always been — great places to see and exciting things to do; stuff to buy, not so much. Look for the experience, not the exchange rates. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © Tribune Media Services

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For a personal tour, Please Call Sherille Otto at 443-204-9928

A Peregrine Health Management Company 1700 Woodholme Avenue • Pikesville • 410-580-1400 www.woodholmegardens.com

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

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Arts &

Gil Sandler’s latest book explores life in Baltimore during WWII. See story on page 28.

Black comedy spreads infectious humor

Insanity in the family Mortimer’s relatives include two spinster aunts who merrily murder lonely old men by poisoning them with their own concoction of homemade elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine and “just a pinch” of cyanide. There’s also a brother who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal in the cellar of the Brewster

home (which then serve as graves for the aunts’ victims). And another brother, a murderer as well, has received plastic surgery to conceal his identity so he now looks like horror-film actor Boris Karloff (an “in” joke, as the part was originally played by Karloff). The surgery was performed by an alcoholic accomplice, Dr. Einstein — a character based on real-life gangland surgeon Joseph Moran. The surgeon isn’t the only character based on reality. The plot line revolving around murderous old ladies may also have been inspired by actual events that occurred in Windsor, Conn., where a woman named Amy Archer-Gilligan took in boarders and allegedly poisoned them for their pensions. Kesselring taught at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, and lived in a boarding house called the Goerz House; it is said that many of the features of its living room are reflected in the set of the Brewster sisters’ living room, where the action of the play is set. (The Goerz House is now the home of the college president.) Kesselring originally wrote the play as a drama, but it is believed that producers Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse convinced Kesselring that it would be much more successful as a comedy. Audiences throughout the years have obviously agreed.

Expressive cast In the very intimate Vagabond Theatre, which is in the process of spiffing up its lobby with a makeover, the laughter of the

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

NATIONAL PINBALL MUSEUM OPENS The National Pinball Museum (featured in The Beacon’s December

issue) is now welcoming visitors to its new Baltimore location at 608 Water St. The museum, which opened Jan. 14, houses a one-of-a kind collection of pinball machines, as well as a gift shop and a gallery where visitors can play up to 40 machines. The $13 admission gives visitors full access to all of the museum’s exhibits and unlimited play in the gallery. Hours are Fridays, noon to 8 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.nationalpinballmuseum.org.

PHOTO BY KEN STANEK

By Carol Sorgen You’re probably familiar with the popular film, Arsenic and Old Lace, starring Cary Grant. But if you’ve never seen the play that inspired the movie, hightail it down to the Vagabond Players on weekends through Feb. 5 for this thoroughly entertaining comic romp. This classic theatrical staple, written by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, has been an audience favorite since it first opened on Broadway in 1941. In 1943, the play moved to the Hudson Theater where it ran for 1,444 performances, before closing in 2004. Of the 12 plays written by Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace was the most successful, and, according to the opening night review in the New York Times, was “so funny that none of us will ever forget it.” The play is a black comedy centering on Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, NY, as he wrestles with whether to go through with his recent promise to marry Elaine, the woman he loves.

In the Vagabond Players’ production of Arsenic and Old Lace, Sean Mullin, center, plays the role of Mortimer (Cary Grant’s role in the 1944 movie version). His spinster aunts, played by Joan Crooks (left) and Carol Conley Evans, murder lonely men by poisoning them with arsenic-laced homemade wine.

audience was contagious, and even the performers could be seen chuckling as well.

True, if you have the movie in your mind’s eye, you may miss having Cary See ARSENIC, page 28

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

New book depicts Baltimore’s home front By Carol Sorgen In 2006, Gil Sandler found himself in the library of the Baltimore Sun, doing research for his weekly editorial page column, “Baltimore Glimpses.” Coming across the issue dated June 20, 1944, Sandler read of the battle of Saipan, known as Operation Forager, designed to take control of the Mariana Islands. Sandler himself had been engaged in

that operation, serving aboard the USS Leonis. He and his fellow soldiers helped land as many as 20,000 troops in less than three weeks. Before the operation ended, more than 3,000 Americans had died in battle. Flash forward to the recent publication of Sandler’s engaging book, Home Front Baltimore: An Album of Stories from World War II. In its preface, he writes how he felt that day in the library: “Reading through the Baltimore Sun… it struck me that during those same weeks the Orioles were moving into and out of first place in the International League that it was a heady time in the town. “I could picture the standing-room-only crowds, and

Gilbert Sandler, a longtime Baltimore news reporter, extensively researched his new book about what life was like in Baltimore during WWII, when he was serving in the Pacific.

the cheering and the fans munching peanuts and popcorn and sipping soft drinks….I thought about the contrasts — over here, over there,” Sandler said.

Two worlds Though Sandler has had a long career as a journalist, public relations executive, author and radio host, he is most comfortable describing himself as a storyteller. So he asserts in the preface, “This book is not a history.” What it is, is the result of countless hours of research in newspaper archives and interviews with those who lived in Baltimore during the days when Sandler was serving in the United States Navy as a navigator in the South and Central Pacific. For his efforts, Sandler was awarded two battle stars, for the battles of Saipan and Pelleliu. In Home Front Baltimore, Gilbert tries to make sense of these two worlds — the one in which he served, and the one he called his hometown, thousands of miles apart. His objective is to give readers a perhaps previously unexamined look at what Baltimore was really like during the war — from the privileged, who considered the war little more than an inconvenience, to the families of black soldiers who, despite

Arsenic From page 27

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Grant in the role of Mortimer (originally intended for Bob Hope), but then again, who doesn’t?! Once you’ve cleared that image from your mind, settle in to enjoy the deft work by the cast: Sean Mullin as Mortimer, whose expressive facial and physical looks and gestures say as much as his dialogue; Carol Evans and Joan Crooks as the charmingly batty Aunts Abby and Martha; Torberg Tonnessen as Teddy (Brewster/Roosevelt depending on your — and his — level of insanity!); Roy Hammond as the just-creepyenough Jonathan Brewster (the Karloff character); and Eric C. Stein, as surgeon Einstein. The three-act play, which runs two-andthree-quarter hours, with two 10-minute intermissions, takes place entirely in the living room of the Brewster family home in Brooklyn in 1941. From one misunderstanding to another, the play does justice

the brave service of their loved ones, faced prejudice at home. Sandler interweaves newspaper reports with personal interviews, combining them with seldom-seen photographs from the archives of the Baltimore Sun, the NewsAmerican, and the Afro-American.

A Baltimore boy As a documenter and raconteur of Baltimore’s history, Sandler is well-suited to the task at hand. Born and raised here, he attended public schools (P.S. #59, Garrison Junior High, Baltimore City College, Class of 1941) and then served in the Navy. After his return to the States, he completed his college education at the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 1949). But once he returned to Baltimore, he was here for good, settling in for a lifetime of listening to and relating the stories of his fellow Baltimoreans. He wrote features for The Sun, The Evening Sun and The Sunday Sun (remember when there were three editions of The Sun?). In the 1970s he began writing his weekly “Baltimore Glimpses” column, which continued for 31 years. Along with his freelance newspaper See NEW BOOK, page 29

to the term “comedy of errors,” as murders, and murderers, are discovered, hidden, and ultimately sorted out. And other than some politically incorrect and dated terms (“chink,” for Chinese, for example), you won’t mind this trip back in time one little bit. Indeed, even if you’re familiar with Arsenic and Old Lace, be it the play or the movie, this production is, as they say, well worth the price of admission (which, by the way, runs just $10 to $16). The Vagabond Players Theatre was formed in Baltimore in 1916 and is currently celebrating 96 years of continuous operation — the longest of any other little theater in the U.S. The Theatre is located at 806 S. Broadway in Fells Point. The shows run Friday to Sunday through Feb. 5. Show times are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available online at www.vagabondplayers.org or by calling (410) 563-9135.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD H T T P A S E A G E A R R S W A G E A S A C S P S I C E A A S H O M A N Y A D O F A B I I M B L A S Y E

From page 30.

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

B U R I O L E T

C O P O U T

F E D R E O N G R O E W

T O R E

I D E A

H A R T I L E R P I T Y B R O T I O N U N O S A C T S M R S C O A T R O W S E R E A R S P G A S Y E P S

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BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

New book

ing and nostalgic look at that time in our city, our country, and the world’s history. It’s akin to looking through a family album (even if it isn’t your family, you may well recognize the names and faces of many of those pictured or interviewed) or having a fireside chat with a favorite uncle. Sandler himself calls the book a “history by contrasts — over here with over there, and within and among the home fronts in Baltimore during World War II. “I like to think that this technique of telling the story provides a deeper understanding of it and a closer-to-home and hearth history of a very special, transformative, and long-ago time and place,” he wrote. In a review of an earlier work, one writer referred to Sandler as “our great rememberer.” Home Front Baltimore only further enhances that reputation. Home Front Baltimore, which costs $29.95, is available at local bookstores and from online retailers.

From page 28 work, Sandler owned a public relations firm. He sold it in 1988, then took a position as communications officer with the Abell Foundation, a role he still holds. When not serving in that capacity, Sandler does what he does best: tells stories. In addition to Home Front, he has written four other books: The Neighborhood: The Story of Baltimore’s Little Italy; Baltimore Glimpses Revisited; Small Town Baltimore: An Album of Memories; and Jewish Baltimore: A Family Album. He also hosts the popular “Baltimore Stories” series on WYPR, the local National Public Radio Affiliate. Whether you served in World War II and left loved ones at home, or lived in Baltimore during the war years with your loved ones far away, or even are too young to have had any connection to the war and how it affected the people who lived here, you will still find Sandler’s book a fascinat-

BEACON BITS

Feb. 12

HABLA USTED ESPANOL?

Sharpen your Spanish and/or English skills while having lively conversations about art and artists in Intercambio: Artful Language Exchange, a new free series of bilingual gallery experiences at the Walters Art Museum. Each session is conversational, and beginners as well as fluent speakers are invited to participate. The next meeting will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the museum’s Centre Street lobby. For more information, call (410) 547-9000, ext. 323 or visit www.thewalters.org.

Jan. 31+

WISHFUL DRINKING WITH CARRIE FISHER

AKA “Princess Leia” of “Star Wars” fame, Carrie Fisher comes to Baltimore to talk about her life as the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, the stepdaughter of Elizabeth Taylor, her bipolar disorder and more in her one-woman play, Wishful Drinking, at the Hippodrome Theatre, Jan. 31 through Feb. 12. Tickets are $28 to $58. For more information, call (410) 547-SEAT or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

ORDER YODUAYR!

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

TICKETS TO

ART OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS Steven Scott brings “The Great Outdoors” to his gallery in Fells

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Point. In this latest exhibit, Scott features painting, prints and photographs from artists Katja Oxman and Annie Leibovitz, among others. The exhibit runs through March 31 at 808 S. Ann St. Call (410) 902-9300 or visit www.stevenscottgallery.com for more information.

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410-547-SEAT For tickets visit the Modell/Lyric Box Office (M-F 10a-4p) GROUPS SAVE Call 410.900.1156

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FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Gear Shift by Stephen Sherr 1

20 25

43 45

33 38

44 49

54 56

55 59

57 60

3. Makes weepy 4. About 3 light-years 1. Web address starter 5. Had a little lamb 5. Nightly path of the moon 6. Stool pigeon 8. Keep track of 7. See 17 Down 13. Subject to international law 8. Skirt responsibility 14. Cola introduced in 1963 9. Groovy 15. Water-heater 10. Excuse 16. Transmission parts 11. Nostalgic fashion 18. Snobbish 12. Take to the changing room 19. It’s up to U 15. Erected 20. Peter, Paul and Mary, for example 22. “Don’t tase me ___” (2007 catch-phrase) 17. ___-13 (W.W.II setting on 7-Down) 21. Wade foe 23. Collectively defy authority 23. Partner of “I saw” in a famous palin28. Happy ___ drome 29. Caesar’s words of betrayal 24. Grp. quoted during Michael Vick’s trial 30. Belonging to Brazil’s largest city 25. Less than medium (abbrev.) 26. Austen heroine 31. -geddon started 27. “You can tune a piano, but you can’t 33. Turndowns ___ fish” 36. Some stone weapons and tools 32. Provide with weapons 42. Mt. St. Helens output 34. Berth at a MD beach town 43. Technique 35. Fast food freebie 44. Miss with a ring 37. Edison proposed “hello”; 45. Evict from office Bell proposed ___ 49. British soldier 38. Ripped up 51. Highway driver’s bane 39. First step toward a patent 55. Excitement 40. Govt. rule 56. Substitution word 41. Planes that now travel at Mach Zero 57. The far side of a mountain 46. German mark 58. Teenage heartthrob, circa 1960 47. River ending at the English Channel 60. Basset’s assets 48. Uno + due 65. What a Smurf might say 50. Like an abandoned house at midnight 66. Con foe 51. Crime syndicate 67. Four of Woods’ majors 52. ___ apple 68. To date 53. Dapper 69. Make a flag 54. 7-Eleven 20-ouncers 70. Slangy approvals 59. Infant’s end 61. A miner matter Down 62. Partner to “here” or “then” 1. No beauty queen 63. Some accused beat it 2. Follower of Mao 64. Tire leak sound

Across

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Scrabble answers on p. 28.

Answers on page 28.

Jumbles: RE-ARM TRILL PLOWED BAFFLE Answer: He left the restaurant when the hostess said he had a -- "WAIT" PROBLEM

BALTIMORE BEACON — FEBRUARY 2012

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the bottom of 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 FREE HD FOR LIFE! DISH Network! Packages start at $19.99/mo for 12 months call PMG DISH now for all options and details 877-482-6732

Home/Handyman Services ARTISTIC SLIPCOVER & UPHOLSTERY COMPANY Your fabric or mine. Since 1966. Steve Gulin, 410-655-6696. Cell: 410-207-7229. SNOW REMOVAL, WALKS-DRIVEWAYS, Tree and Shrub trimming and removal, Stump grinding, yard cleaning. Senior discount, BBB accredited, www.ColemansTreeService.com. LTE#161. Reliable, Call John 410-686-7779.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational. Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200. E-BAY AND CRAIGSLIST LISTING SERVICE AND CLEARING. We also clean-out homes that are cluttered, vacant, from estates, and for people who are downsizing. We also clean-out sheds, barns, basements, attics, garages, and out buildings. Call Dave 443-514-8583.

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Wanted FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rungs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan 301-279-8834. Thank you. STAMPS! U.S. only. Small collector buying singles, sets or collections. Fair price paid. Southwest Stamp Club meets Friday, February 17th, 2012, 1PM, Arbutus. 410-247-4169. VINYL RECORDS WANTED from the 20s through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections preferred. Please call John, 301-596-6201. CASH BUYER SEEKING WATCH MAKER’S TOOLS & PARTS, wrist & pocket watches (any condition), costume jewelry and antiques, coins. 410-655-0412. BUYING NUMISMATIC COINS and most gold or silver items including coins, sterling, jewelry, etc. Will come to you with best cash offer. Call Paul: 410-756-1906. WE BUY MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS, Musical Instruments, recreational Items, Motorcycles and Minibikes, Collections, Memorabilia, Vintage Items, Elecronics, Toys, Cars, Jewelry, Tools, and More. Call Dave 443-514-8585. TOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Running or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800454-6951. $$OLD GUITARS WANTED$$ Gibson, Fender, Martin, Gretsch. 1920’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar paid. Toll Free: 1-866-433-8277. CASH FOR CARS, Any Make or Model! Free Towing. Sell it TODAY. Instant offer: 1-800864-5784. YEARBOOKS “Up to $15 paid for high school yearbooks1900-1988. yearbookusa@yahoo.com or 972-768-1338.” WANTS TO PURCHASE MINERALS and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201. WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS Any kind/brand. Unexpired up to $22.00. Shipping Paid Hablamos espanol 1-800-267-9895 www.selldiabeticstrips.com.

Word of the month Our Lively Language & Curious Customs

Valentine’s Day, February 14 Valentine’s Day appears to derive from two events: the death of St. Valentine, a Roman Christian who was martyred, and an older Roman tradition of match making. Valentine was killed for refusing to give up Christianity and for performing marriages in defiance of the emperor, Claudius the Cruel. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine." He died on February 14, 269 A.D., during the three-day pagan festival of Lupercalia, which featured the custom of love lotteries. Young men would draw the name of a young woman from a jar, and the two became partners for the duration of the festival. Some of these pairings led to marriages. When Pope Gelasius I abolished Lupercalia, he appointed St. Valentine the patron saint of lovers and established St. Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. Prepared for The Beacon Newspapers by Wizard Communications©. All rights reserved. Want to have a word/phrase or ritual/custom researched? Contact jpozga@verizon.net.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

CENTERSTAGE FEATURES GLEAM Based on the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale

Hurston, Centerstage’s latest production, Gleam, follows 16-year-old Janie on the journey she embarks upon to avoid an arranged marriage. The show runs through Feb. 5 at 700 N. Calvert St. Tickets range from $15 to $55. Call (410) 986-4000 or visit www.centerstage.org for information and reservations.

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

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

Jan. 23

MEET THE ARTIST New York artist Logan Hicks’ stencil works explore the dynamics of the urban environment. He will be talking about his art at noon

on Monday, Jan. 23 as part of Maryland Institute of Art’s Monday speaker series at Brown Center: Falvey Hall, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave. For more information, visit www.fyi.mica.edu or call (410) 225-2300.

Jan. 27

CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR The Pikesville Senior Center will host a Lunar New Year dance on Friday, Jan. 27 from 12:45 to 2:45 p.m. with tunes by Don

Ingram. Register at the center, 1301 Reisterstown Rd. For more information, call (410) 887-1245.

Feb, 7

THE LIFE OF HARRIET TUBMAN Celebrate Black History Month by learning how Harriet Tubman made such an important impact during the time of slavery. The

event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 11:15 to noon at the Cockeysville Senior Center, 10535 York Rd. For more information, call (410) 887-7694.

FEBRUARY 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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