November 2014 | Baltimore Beacon

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Retiring south of the border

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I N N OVAT I O N S

Tech tools that ease travel; plus, online investment advisors, and protecting yourself with better passwords page 4

Paul and Gloria Yeatman retired to Costa Rica in 2009, where they enjoy the low cost of living and mild temperatures. The number of older Americans moving to other countries has more than doubled since 2002.

Not a bit homesick Do they miss life in Baltimore? Let’s put it this way: Other than returning earlier this year to sell their home, they haven’t been back here since they moved about five years ago.

The Yeatmans admit that they are relatively unencumbered, having neither children nor grandchildren. They do each have a sister and numerous friends, though.

But one of Costa Rica’s attractions is that it’s only a 2-1/2 hour flight from Miami and another couple of hours to fly from Miami to Baltimore. They can get home quickly if they need to, and they’re not too far away for visitors to come to them.

So enamored are they of their lifestyle there, they have recently applied for permanent residency — which does not entail

NOVEMBER 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL AND GLORIA YEATMAN

By Carol Sorgen With a 10-year age difference between them, Paul and Gloria Yeatman decided that retirement should be on their radar earlier rather than later.

“We’ve been together for 13 years, and early in our relationship we talked about retiring early,” said Paul, 68. But they realized his post-retirement income alone wouldn’t cover all of their expenses, and Gloria would have to wait a decade longer than Paul to qualify for Social Security.

So they turned their sights from their Northeastern Baltimore County home in Nottingham to more far-flung options.

Their top priority was saving money on heating and air conditioning, which right away would knock $300 to $400 off their monthly expenses.

Paul had been fascinated with Latin America since he was a teenager and attended college in Mexico, and Gloria fell in love with that country on their honeymoon.

They strongly considered relocating to Mexico, but concerns about crime and drug culture made them apprehensive.

Looking for an alternative, Gloria recalled how taken she had been with Costa Rica when she attended a conference there in 1996. So after two years of research — and four visits to make sure they were making the right choice — the Yeatmans rented out their house, packed 10 suitcases, two laptops and one cat, and moved to Costa Rica.

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forfeiting their American citizenship.

Furthermore, Paul offers “Retire for Less in Costa Rica” tours to other prospective expats. And Gloria is a contributor to InternationalLiving.com which, first in print and later additionally online, has been helping people move abroad for more than 30 years.

The Yeatmans said, “We consistently live on less than $2,000 a month here.” In addition to spending far less to live than they would back in Baltimore, they love the climate — 60 to 80 degrees, with no need for heat or air conditioning — learning a new culture, and the easy pace of life.

They also appreciate the fact that Costa Rica has been a stable democracy since 1821, and there is no anti-American sentiment. (On the other hand, Paul wishes

some of his fellow American expats would be less “ethnocentric.” “We’re visitors in their country!” he noted.)

Which is not to say there aren’t things they miss. “I miss theater,” said Paul. “And I miss Trader Joe’s!” added Gloria. And they both miss their weekly dinners at their favorite Chinese restaurant in Lutherville.

Some people might think the Yeatmans are living in paradise, but they are quick to dispel that notion. “You have to build your life here just as you would anywhere else, even in Baltimore,” Paul said.

“The beginning is the hardest part, but if you have a sense of humor, are flexible and can go with the flow, you’ll live a pretty See RETIRING ABROAD, page 21

L E I S U R E & T R AV E L

Cancun offers resort life and fascinating Mayan ruins; plus, Civil War sites for recreation and contemplation page 23

FITNESS & HEALTH k You may need more protein k What’s new with flu shots?

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LAW & MONEY k Time to ditch stocks? k Mutual funds falter

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ARTS & STYLE k New Hippodrome classes k An unsung Baltimore hero

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PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

A season for thanks I grew up in Texas, where the seasons ries, Beacon Bits and other local features — were not all that distinct. Sure, the days reached her 10th anniversary with the Beagot shorter in the fall, and con. During those years, as she many trees lost their leaves. has covered a wide range of But I find autumn much fascinating topics, she has inmore tangible here. There’s a troduced many Baltimoreans change in the air and in the to the Beacon, and along the way you feel when you walk way, garnered a number of outside. writing awards (more about It’s almost as if the change those next month). in seasons represented a Even more recently, our change in seasonings: there’s managing editor, Barbara a different flavor to life, and a Ruben, and our graphic dedifferent style, as we move FROM THE signer, Kyle Gregory, both through the calendar here in PUBLISHER reached their 15-year anniverthe mid-Atlantic.

By Stuart P. Rosenthal saries with us.

Many of us associate fall Barbara has truly shaped with Thanksgiving, of course. And I like to the Beacon’s editorial content throughout take this opportunity each year to thank that time, writing most of our cover stories the Beacon staff for their hard work and in Greater Washington and managing the dedicated service to our publications — work of freelance writers and other conand to our readers — all year long. tributors.

This fall also offers me a unique opporMeanwhile, Kyle has created the style tunity to single out seven members of our of our paper and designed many of our adstaff who have reached, or are about to vertisers’ ads, not to mention our collateral reach, significant anniversaries with the materials, Resource Guide, Expo logos Beacon. and flyers, and more.

A few months ago, our contributing editor Where would we be today without them? in Baltimore, Carol Sorgen — who writes Or would the Beacon even be here today most of our Baltimore cover stories, arts sto- without them? They have contributed so

Beacon The

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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, Md., Greater Washington DC and Greater Palm Springs, Calif.

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

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Contributing Editor ..........................Carol Sorgen • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin, ........................................................................Jill Joseph • Editorial Assistant ........................Rebekah Sewell

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

The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 35 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

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much to what our paper has become.

Alan Spiegel, our director of sales, and Steve Levin, one of our Baltimore advertising representatives, will reach their fiveyear anniversaries early next year. Both of them have been instrumental in the growth of the Beacon in recent years, including the introduction of the Howard County Beacon.

Speaking of which, also next year we look forward to marking the 10-year anniversary of Doug Hallock, our number one advertising representative. Doug services more of our advertisers than any other member of the staff, and has done so with distinction throughout the past decade.

Without his efforts, and those of our other ad reps, Cheryl Watts, Dan Kelly and Jill Joseph, there would certainly be no Beacon, as it is our advertisers who enable us to stay in business as a free publication.

Next year will also mark the 10-year anniversary of Roger King, our assistant operations manager. Roger, who started out as an ad rep, showed us his diverse talents as a web master and graphic designer, and now assists both our vice president of operations, Gordon Hasenei (on his way towar d 15 years), and Kyle in all these areas.

It’s difficult to count how many important

tasks are handled by our editorial assistant Rebekah Sewell, the most recent addition to our staff, and a very welcome one.

We are also grateful for the many contributions of our talented freelance writers, including Robert Friedman and Anne Ball in Howard County, travel writers Victor Block and Glenda Booth, and theater reviewer Michael Toscano.

And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my wife and associate publisher, Judy Rosenthal. You might say we have reached a significant anniversary as well, as this month marks the end of our 25th year of publishing the Beacon together.

In conclusion, I must thank all of you, our readers. You give meaning to all of us on the staff by reading the Beacon and attending our annual Expos.

We hope we are providing you with the information you want and need, and invite you to communicate with us — by phone, fax, mail, email, through our website, and even through Twitter: @StuartPRosenthal). We love to hear from you and value your opinions.

Have a wonderful fall and a Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Dear Editor: A few months ago, I ran into your publisher, Stuart Rosenthal, at the hospital where he was visiting his mother. I was visiting a long-time friend.

I reminded Mr. Rosenthal that I knew him when he was an attorney working at an office building where my son and I operated a card and gift shop.

I offered Mr. Rosenthal my condolences on the passing of his father, and now offer him my condolences on the recent passing of his mother.

His meaningful eulogies on his departed parents brought back memories on my father’s passing away, on August 19, 1944.

I was a member of the 42d Infantry Rainbow division during World War II, stationed in a permanent artillery complex known as Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.

What I will never forget is that I was able to attend my father’s funeral through the help of my commanding officer, Officer Charles L. Brown. I received a Red Cross telegram informing me: “YOUR FATHER ARTHUR ROSEN SERIOUSLY ILL COME HOME AT ONCE.” I obtained a necessary furlough and proceeded to a nearby railroad station, for a

train that could take me to my family home.

While waiting for the train, I phoned to let the family know that I was on the way home and scheduled to arrive in two or three days.

A close relative who answered the phone exclaimed, “Your father died today and the funeral is tomorrow! Please come home [by then].” I checked possibilities of catching a plane, and was informed that I needed a priority for a plane flight. I also became aware that I did not have enough money for the trip.

I had heard that the Red Cross sometimes helped soldiers when cash is needed. I rushed to that office, and learned that they do not supply cash for plane flights.

I rushed back to my Army group. When I mentioned my problem to Mr. Brown (warrant officers were addressed that way), he asked, “How much do you need?”

I am happy to say that through Mr. Brown’s assistance, after catching three different planes, I was able to arrive home on time for the funeral.

I recently recited prayers for my dad on the anniversary of his departure, at which time I also remembered Warrant Officer Charles L. Brown, a great human being.

Larry Rosen Via email

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Technology &

Innovations Tech tools that make travel easier, simpler

By Anick Jesdanun Your swimsuit and your sunscreen are in the luggage, and your boarding passes are all printed out.

But did you remember your gadgets and chargers? Did you download enough entertainment? Do you know where you’re going?

In my travels, I’ve come across a number of products and services worth bringing along:

Keeping your gadgets charged You’ll need not only the charging cord, but also the unit for plugging into the wall outlet. Bring a power strip, too, if you’re sharing a room.

Otherwise, you’ll be fighting for the few outlets that aren’t hidden behind furniture or dangerously near a sink.

If you’re going abroad, bring adapters and make sure your chargers will work with the voltage there.

Also consider ways to keep your gadgets charged during the day. If you’re driving, bring a USB charger that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter. There are also portable chargers you can plug gadgets

into. Some phone cases also serve as spare batteries.

One product that stands out is Mophie’s Space Pack for the iPhone 5 and 5s. It not only doubles battery life, but also gives you additional storage for photos and videos. A 16-gigabyte version retails for $150, while a 32-gigabyte one costs $180 and a 64-gigabyte version is $250.

With it, I get about two full days of general phone use. It’s clunky to use, though. The iPhone uses its own power first, and you recharge the iPhone battery by switching on the Space Pack’s battery. If you forget to switch it off, the pack’s battery will continue to drain, even after the iPhone is fully recharged.

The pack itself also takes a while to recharge — typically about four hours in my tests.

You need Mophie’s free Space app to copy photos and other content to the Space Pack’s storage. You then delete those files from the iPhone. It’s like having an external hard drive and having to man-

age what goes into it. Once I move photos to the pack, I’m not able to view them through the phone’s Photos and iPhoto apps.

Because of these constraints, and the fact that the case is bulky and heavy, I’m better off with a regular, unpowered case when I’m near chargers. The Space Pack is good for trips and other times I know I’d be draining the battery or filling up the phone’s storage faster than usual.

Keeping organized I’ve been a loyal user of TripIt since I reviewed it in 2007. Back then, it was strictly a website for organizing your travel plans.

Now, there are apps for various mobile devices. The apps remind you where to go next and offer easy links to your phone’s mapping apps for directions.

TripIt automatically creates a day-byday itinerary based on all the flight, hotel and other confirmation emails that you forward to it. TripIt automatically pulls out flight numbers and seating information from the email, while adding useful information such as gate numbers. For hotels, TripIt pulls out addresses and check-in times. You can add notes such as the hours for a national park you’re visiting.

TripIt proved helpful recently when I went with two friends to Yosemite National Park in California. I forwarded everyone’s

flight confirmations to keep track of who was arriving when. I added details on hikes we were planning and the dress code for a fancy dinner. I then shared a link with everyone.

TripIt also kept track of buses, subways and ferries I needed in Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.

The basic service is free. I haven’t found a need to pay $49 a year for TripIt Pro, which offers information on alternate seats or flights and ways to track frequent flier programs. TripIt Pro also offers alerts when gates and departure times change, but I get those free anyway as TripIt tries to show the benefits of upgrading.

Beyond TripIt, you might want to download apps for your airline. In many cases, you can check in and get a boarding pass on the phone — no printing needed.

Keeping entertained You might want to download some books, magazines and video ahead of time for when See TECH TOOLS, page 6

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PERFORMANCE. PEOPLE. PRIDE.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

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How online investment adviser sites work

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 BB11/14 or fax to (410) 248-9102.

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on the first $10,000.

Cons: The service doesn’t provide advice on investments you currently own, whether they are individual stocks or funds in your 401(k) plan.

Nellie S. Huang is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. Š 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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www.betterment.com Minimum: $10 Annual fee on a $50,000 balance: $125 (0.25 percent) How it works: Low-cost ETFs (with annual fees between 0.12 percent and 0.16 percent) fill the portfolios that Betterment has created to suit every goal and time horizon. Underlying funds include Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (symbol VTI) and the small-company-oriented iShares Russell 2000 Value (IWN). Your money is held in an account at Betterment Securities, the firm’s brokerage division.

Pros: Advisory fees fall for balances above $100,000.

Cons: Betterment does not accept securities, so you may have to sell current holdings to provide the cash to open an account. If you want to hold on to a specific security, hold it in another brokerage account. No 401(k) plan advice.

www.wealthfront.com Minimum: $5,000 Annual fee on a $50,000 balance: $100 (0.25 percent on assets over $10,000) How it works: Answer 10 simple questions, and the website kicks out two portfolios for you: one for your taxable account and another for a tax-deferred retirement account. Using ETFs, the portfolios hold a mix of assets that can include municipal bonds, foreign and emerging-markets stocks, U.S. stocks, and even a basket of commodities.

Pros: No commissions on trades. No fee

I N F O R M AT I O N

www.assetbuilder.com Minimum: $50,000 Annual fee on a $50,000 balance: $225 (0.45 percent) How it works: AssetBuilder invests your money in a mix of U.S. and foreign stocks, real estate stocks and bonds. The firm’s eight model portfolios each hold 11 to 14 funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors (available only through DFA-approved advisers).

Pros: AssetBuilder suggests other portfolios you can invest in on your own. Plus,

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you can talk to an adviser on the phone, if necessary. Fees, as a percentage of assets, drop as portfolio balances rise. AssetBuilder also offers 401(k) plan advice upon request.

Cons: The initial-balance requirement is high.

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By Nellie S. Huang Getting good investment advice doesn’t require millions in the bank anymore.

These days, an army of online advisers will offer low-cost solutions to the age-old question: How do I invest my money?

The three firms below not only provide advice, but they actually pick investments for you. The diversified portfolios they recommend hold only low-cost exchangetraded or mutual funds.

Although many of these firms don’t have a long-term record, they list a lot of information on their websites. On most, you can view the recommended portfolios and see which funds they hold, along with recent performance.

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Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Ways to create better, stronger passwords

By Anick Jesdanun With more frequent news that hacker rings are amassing millions of username and password combinations from major retail outlets, it’s a good time to review ways to protect yourself online.

If there’s reason to believe your information might have been compromised, change your passwords immediately.

One of the best things you can do is to make sure your new passwords are strong.

Here are seven ways to fortify them:

Long, convoluted combinations • Make your password long. The recommended minimum is eight characters, but 14 is better and 25 is even better than that, though some services have limits.

• Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols, such as the exclamation mark. Some serv-

ices won’t let you do all of that, but try to vary it as much as you can. “PaSsWoRd!43” is far better than “password43.”

• Avoid words that are in dictionaries, even if you add numbers and symbols. There are programs that can crack passwords by going through databases of known words.

One trick is to add numbers in the middle of a word — as in “pas123swor456d” instead of “password123456.” (In general, you should avoid easy-to-guess words or numbers, such as “password,” or consecutive keys on the keyboard, such as “1234” or “qwerty.”)

Another trick is to think of a sentence and use just the first letter of each word as your password. Thus, “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” become “tqbfjotld.”

• Substitute characters. For instance, use the number zero instead of the letter O, or replace the S with a dollar sign.

• Avoid easy-to-guess words, even if

they aren’t in the dictionary, such as your name, company name or hometown. Avoid pets and relatives’ names, too.

Likewise, avoid things that can be looked up, such as your birthday or ZIP code. But you might use those numbers as part of a complex password. Try reversing your ZIP code or phone number and insert that into a string of letters.

When you can repeat passwords • Never reuse passwords on other accounts — with two exceptions. Over the years, I’ve managed to create hundreds of accounts. Many are for one-time use, such as when a newspaper website requires me to register to read the full story.

It’s OK to use simple passwords and repeat them in those types of situations, as long as the password isn’t unlocking features that involve credit cards or posting

More physicians. More locations.

More access than ever.

Get back to an active life without going out of your way.

on a message board. That will let you focus on keeping passwords to the more essential accounts strong.

The other exception is to log in using a centralized sign-on service such as Facebook Connect. Hulu, for instance, gives you the option of using your Facebook username and password instead of creating a separate one for the video site. This technically isn’t reusing your password, but a matter of Hulu borrowing the log-in system Facebook already has in place.

The account information isn’t stored with Hulu. Facebook merely tells Hulu’s computers that it’s you. Of course, if you do this, it’s even more important to keep your Facebook password secure.

• Some services, such as Gmail, even give you the option of using two passwords when you use a particular computer or device for the first time. If you have that feature turned on, the service will send a text message with a six-digit code to your phone when you try to use Gmail from an unrecognized device. You’ll need to enter that for access, and then the code expires.

It’s optional, and it’s a pain — but it could save you from grief later on. Hackers won’t be able to access the account without possessing your phone. Turn it on by going to the account’s security settings.

NOTE: At the Beacon’s 50+Expo on Sunday, October 26 at Ballston Mall, learn simple ways to protect your identity online and strengthen passwords.

There will also be a seminar on video chat services.

— AP

Tech tools From page 4

Six of the Baltimore area’s most respected orthopaedists are now part of MedStar Orthopaedics: Steven Kulik, MD; Mesfin A. Lemma, MD; Darioush Nasseri, MD; Robert M. Peroutka, MD; Steve A. Petersen, MD; and Carmen Pichard-Encina, MD. Along with Michael Jacobs, MD, and Derek Papp, MD, these MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital specialists add their expertise to that of more than 70 others, providing the highest level of care through a network of four hospitals and more than 20 locations. They all work together to help you get back to your active life.

MedStarOrtho.org/More •877- 34-ORTHO MedStar Orthopaedics combines the expertise of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and The Curtis National Hand Center.

you don’t have a good Internet connection.

If you’ll be driving, consider an FM radio transmitter. These gadgets transmit whatever’s playing on your digital music player over an open frequency on the FM dial.

I bought Griffin’s iTrip from a Best Buy in Minnesota in 2009 for about $50. It has become essential for all my road trips. I simply plug the iTrip cord into my iPod’s headphone jack. I then tune the car radio to an open FM frequency that iTrip finds for me. Podcasts, audiobooks and regular music come over the car speakers.

There are separate models for Apple devices depending on the type of charging port it has. For other devices, use the iTrip Auto Universal Plus, which uses the standard headphone jack. If you’re getting Space Pack, you’ll want this universal version, too, as the case covers up the iPhone’s regular port. This model also has a USB port to charge gadgets while driving.

These transmitters don’t work well in urban areas, where there aren’t many free frequencies. Also, sound quality isn’t as good as what you normally get over the radio. But it beats silence. Beware that other motorists within 30 feet might also be able to tune in to what you’re listening to.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Beacon Links

By Barbara Ruben

Scam, rumor or legit?

Does the new iPhone 6 really bend if placed in your pocket? Does the Social Security Administration request banking information and passwords by email? Is that offer of a free iTunes gift card legit? Does caffeine-infused underwear help you lose weight? The answer all these questions is no, according to the website Snopes.com. The site debunks a plethora of rumors and urban legends — and lets you know when something that sounds unlikely is really true. www.snopes.com

On this day in history Ever wonder what happened through the years on your birthday? On Any Day in History, I discovered that on my birthday Copernicus made his first observation of Saturn and William Shakespeare was baptized. Just plug in any month and day to find out who was born or died on the date and the headlines going back a millennium. www.scopesys.com/anyday

Complementary medicine answers Dr. Andrew Weil is one of the nation’s best known practitioners of alternative medicine. Each day he answers a question from one of his site’s readers. Learn about everything from whether glucosamine supplements are worthwhile for arthritis to whether poor sleep leads to memory loss. Readers can also submit their own questions through the site. www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/ask_dr_weil

The Writer’s Almanac Get your daily fix of all things literary, brought to you by Garrison Keillor and Na-

BEACON BYTES

Nov. 13

JOB SEEKERS CLINIC

Use library computers to work on your job search, including resumes and online applications.

Randallstown Library staff is available to assist. Registration required.

Register online starting Nov. 1 at http://md.evanced.info/bcpl/lib/eve ntcalendar.asp or call (410) 8870770. The library is located at 8604 Liberty Rd, Randallstown.

tional Public Radio. Keillor’s five-minute show, “The Writer’s Almanac,” can be heard on WYPR weekdays at 11:55 p.m.

But if that’s past your bedtime, the petite broadcast is available online in text and audio formats. Each day features an often seasonally appropriate poem, such as the compact, elegiac “Late September” by Connie Wanek, snippets on the life writers whose birthday is the day of the broadcast, and famous events that happened on that date. For example, on Oct. 2, 1950, the comic strip “Peanuts” made its debut http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org

concerns. Click on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, for example, and get links for benefits and assistance, as well as health safety resources. A link also con-

This federal government website offers one-stop shopping for resources on a range of older adult issues, from caregiving to consumer protection to end-of-life

INTERNET 101

The Randallstown Branch of the Baltimore Public Library will host a class called Introduction to the Internet on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 9 to 10 a.m. Register online starting Nov. 1 at http://md.evanced.info/bcpl/lib/eventcalendar.asp or call (410) 887-0770. The library is located at 8604 Liberty Rd,, Randallstown.

Oct. 25

The government at your fingertips

nects you with state and local government agencies and elected officials. http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors. shtml

BEACON BYTES

Nov. 8

7

FREE LEGAL AID DAY

The Bar Association of Baltimore City is hosting Pro Bono Day on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pro Bono Day is a free legal clinic that gives attendees a chance to discuss their civil legal problems one-on-one with volunteer attorneys in areas including divorce, wills, bankruptcy, government benefits, consumer issues and more. No registration is required. Attendees are asked to bring all relevant documents with them. The Pro Bono Day will be held at Maryland Legal Aid, 500 E. Lexington St. For more information, see www.mdlab.org/news-events/pro-bono-day-october-25th-2014 .

8

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Health Fitness &

REVIEW YOUR DRUG PLAN Big changes are coming to Medicare Part D plans; look over choices now NEW VACCINE OPTIONS Older adults have several flu and pneumonia vaccines to choose from LESS STRESS, FEWER MIGRAINES? Migraine sufferers are sought for a stress reduction study at Hopkins BACTERIA BONANZA Your home is covered in a unique beneficial bacteria fingerprint

We need to eat more protein as we age

By Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D. Say the word “protein,” and it conjures up everything from Paleo and Atkins diets for weight loss, to soy protein for heart health, and whey protein for muscle building.

At the other end of the protein spectrum are claims that too much can harm your kidneys, or that the key to good health is to avoid animal protein and focus on eating only plant protein.

The science behind how much and what type of protein your body needs is complex. But the tide seems to be shifting as more and more researchers suggest one simple fact: For most of us, protein needs are greater than called for by current dietary recommendations.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) say adults of all ages should have a protein intake of 0.8 grams/kilogram body weight/day. To calculate protein needs, multiply .8 by your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2; that’s 55 g./day for a 150-pound person. Note: This is based on the amount of protein required to avoid a deficiency.

However, researchers now believe diets that provide more protein than the RDA may improve health by helping to prevent

obesity, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, according to a study from 2009 in Nutrition and Metabolism.

Protein needs rise with age While the current RDA for protein stays the same regardless of age, researchers now believe the amount of protein intake becomes even more important as we age.

Calorie intake often decreases with age, but protein requirements do not.

“When we’re young, hormones help us use dietary protein very efficiently for growth. Adults need more dietary protein to maintain healthy muscles and bones,” said protein researcher Donald Layman, professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois-Urbana.

A recent report on the protein needs of older people concluded that to maintain physical function, healthy older people need more dietary protein than younger people — in the range of 1.0 g./kg. to 1.2 g./kg./day.

That translates into 68-81 g. of protein/day for a 150-pound person (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013.)

Older people who are acutely or chroni-

cally ill need even more — 1.2 g./kg.-1.5 g./kg./day (81 to 102 g. of protein/per day for that same 150-pound person).

If you’re trying to manage your weight or simply eating less than you used to, getting enough protein is even more important for your overall good health.

The bottom line? Protein needs are based on weight, not calorie intake, so even if calorie intake drops, protein intake should stay the same or increase as you age.

Necessary for strong bones Protein is necessary for energy balance, blood sugar regulation and bone health.

While there has been a widely held belief that high-protein diets were bad for bones, causing calcium to leach out and leading to osteoporosis, research now suggests that calcium and protein intake interact to actually improve bone health.

As part of the Framingham Offspring Study, researchers found that greater protein intake may benefit bone health in older women, especially those with lower calcium intakes, according to research published in Public Health Nutrition last year.

Protein makes up about 50 percent of the volume of bone and one-third of its mass.

Researchers also are discovering that the way in which dietary protein is distributed throughout the day is important. To maximize the muscle-building and help prevent bone loss, daily calcium intake should be adequate (1,000 to 1,200 milligrams/day) and protein should be provided with each meal.

Ways to get more protein Researchers suggest about 25-40 g. of high-quality protein (proteins that provides all the essential amino acids) at breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Current Opinions in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Care, 2009.) Small meals that contain less than 15 g. of protein provide no benefit to muscle health, Layman said.

“Ideal protein intake doesn’t mean extra large serving sizes,” he said, “but 25 to 40 grams of protein at each meal. A balanced diet should provide proteins from a mixture of foods that may include milk, meats, eggs or beans.”

Here are a few examples of high-quality proteins to include in your diet. One or more of these should be present at each meal: Beans (7 g./½ cup) High-protein breakfast cereals (up to 13 g./1 cup) Eggs (7 g./1 large) Skim milk (8 g./cup) Lean beef and pork (21-24 g./3 ounces) Nuts — peanuts, pistachios and almonds are highest (6-7 g./1 ounce) Veggie burgers (11-15 g. each) 100 percent whey protein powder added to smoothies and shakes (up to 24 g./1 ounce) Greek yogurt (12 g./5 ounces) Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2014 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

9

A tick bite can cause allergy to red meat

By Marilynn Marchione A bug can turn you into a vegetarian, or at least make you swear off red meat. Doctors across the U.S. are seeing a surge of sudden meat allergies in people bitten by a certain kind of tick.

This bizarre problem was discovered only a few years ago, but is growing as the ticks spread from the Southwest and the East to more parts of the United States. In some cases, eating a burger or a steak has landed people in the hospital with severe allergic reactions.

Few patients seem aware of the risk, and even doctors are slow to recognize it. As one allergist who has seen 200 cases on New York’s Long Island said, “Why would someone think they’re allergic to meat when they’ve been eating it their whole life?”

The culprit is the Lone Star tick, named for Texas, a state famous for meaty barbecues.

The tick is now found throughout the South and the eastern half of the United States. The University of Maryland Extension Service considers it common in this area.

Researchers think some other types of ticks also might cause meat allergies; cases

have been reported in Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Japan and Korea.

Triggers the immune system Here’s how it happens: The bugs harbor a sugar that humans don’t have, called alpha-gal. The sugar is also is found in red meat — beef, pork, venison, rabbit — and even some dairy products.

It’s usually fine when people encounter it through food that gets digested. But a tick bite triggers an immune system response, and in that high-alert state, the body perceives the sugar the tick transmitted to the victim’s bloodstream and skin as a foreign substance, and makes antibodies to it. That sets the stage for an allergic reaction the next time the person eats red meat and encounters the sugar.

It happened last summer to Louise Danzig, a 63-year-old retired nurse. Hours after eating a burger, “I woke up with very swollen hands that were on fire with itching,” she said.

As she headed downstairs, “I could feel my lips and tongue were getting swollen,” and by the time she made a phone call for

help, “I was losing my ability to speak and my airway was closing.”

She had had recent tick bites, and a blood test confirmed the meat allergy. “I’ll never have another hamburger, I’m sure,” Danzig said. “I definitely do not want to have that happen to me again.”

Seventy-one-year-old Georgette Simmons went to a steakhouse on June 1 for a friend’s birthday and had a steak.

“About 4:30 in the morning, I woke up and my body was on fire. I was itching all over, and I broke out in hives. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before,” she said.

A few weeks later, for a brother’s birthday, she ordered another steak. Hours later she woke “almost hysterical” with a constricted

throat in addition to hives and a burning sensation. She, too, recalled tick bites.

Dr. Robert Valet at Vanderbilt University said Simmons was one of two patients he diagnosed with the meat allergy that day.

He warned her it could be worse next time.

At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, “I see two to three new cases every week,” said Dr. Scott Commins, who with a colleague, Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, published the first paper tying the tick to the illness in 2011.

One of the first cases they saw was a bow hunter who had eaten meat all his life but landed in the emergency department See MEAT ALLERGY, page 10

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Big changes in Medicare Part D drug plans

By Bill Salganik Take time now to review Medicare prescription drug plans for 2015. Some insurers are leaving the market. Others are transferring their members to different plans. And most of the rest are making some changes to drug lists and/or costs.

Open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is the period when you can shop and, if needed, pick a new Medicare prescription drug plan. Your new enrollment will be effective Jan. 1, 2015.

You should already have gotten an information packet from your current plan that will highlight changes in it for next year.

Be sure to look at it carefully.

Even if you do not see any issues, it may help to compare plans to see if a different plan for 2015 could save you money or give you better coverage.

As insurance companies complete mergers, acquisitions and other business changes, this is having an impact on the plans available in Maryland. If your Medicare prescription

plan is one of the plans terminating at the end of this year (see the list below), you must take action to make sure your new coverage works for you next year — perhaps even to be sure you’ll have coverage at all.

When insurance plans exit the market, some leave their members with no coverage. If you’re one of those people, you need to enroll in a new plan, or you will be uninsured for prescriptions as of Jan. 1.

Other plans automatically transfer their members, but the new plan won’t necessarily cover the same drugs. And it will have different premiums, co-pays and deductibles than your old plan. If you’re switched, you need to check if your new plan meets your needs.

Even if your plan is continuing for 2015, it’s a good idea to check your coverage.

Plans that don’t merge or fold still change their premiums (some are going up as

Meat allergy From page 9 several times with allergic reactions after eating meat. More cases kept turning up in people who were outdoors a lot.

“It seemed something geographical. We thought at first it might be a squirrel parasite,” Commins said. “It took us a while to sort of put everything together” and finger the tick, he said.

Unlike other allergies Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergy specialist on eastern Long Island, an area with many ticks, has seen nearly 200 cases over the last three years. At least 30 involved children, and the youngest was 4 or 5. She is keeping a database to study the illness with other researchers.

“It is bizarre,” she said. “It goes against al-

much as 50 percent), their lists of covered drugs, their copays and their deductibles.

Major changes Here’s a list of some prescription plan changes of note for 2015: Dropping out altogether (members will have no coverage unless they take action): Health Markets Value Rx, First State Complete, First State Plus, Unicare Medicare Rx Rewards Standard Dropping out, but moving members to a different plan: Cigna HealthSpring RxReg 5, First Health Part D Essentials, Blue Rx Enhanced, Blue Rx Standard, SmartD Rx Plus, AARP Medicare Rx Enhanced.

New plans in 2015: Symphonix Rite Aid Premier Rx, United American Essential See MEDICARE PART D, page 12

most anything I’ve ever learned as an allergist,” because the symptoms can occur as long as eight hours after eating meat, rather than immediately, and the culprit is a sugar — a type of carbohydrate — whereas most food allergies are caused by proteins, she said.

Allergic reactions can be treated with antihistamines to ease itching, and more severe ones with epinephrine. Some people with the allergy now carry epinephrine injectors in case they are stricken again.

Doctors don’t know if the allergy is permanent. Some patients show signs of declining antibodies over time, although those with severe reactions are understandably reluctant to risk eating meat again. Even poultry products such as turkey sausage sometimes contain meat byproducts and can trigger the allergy.

For tips on how to avoid and remove ticks, see http://tinyurl.com/md7y78g.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

11

Vaccination options available this flu season Dear Savvy Senior, Quadrivalent flu shot: This vaccine, I understand that there are several which was introduced last year, protects types of flu vaccines being against four types of influenza offered to seniors this flu — the same three strains as the season. What can you tell standard flu shot, plus an addime about them? tional B-strain virus.

Cautious Senior High-dose flu shot: DeDear Cautious: signed specifically for seniors, Depending on your health, age 65 and older, this vaccine, age and personal preference, called the Fluzone High-Dose, there’s a buffet of flu shots has four times the amount of available to seniors this flu seaantigen as a regular flu shot son, along with two vaccinadoes, which creates a stronger SAVVY SENIOR tions for pneumonia that you immune response for better

By Jim Miller should consider getting too. protection. But be aware that Just as they do every year, the Centers the high-dose option may also be for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more likely to cause side effects, including recommends a seasonal flu shot to almost headache, muscle aches and fever. everyone, but it’s especially important for Intradermal flu shot: If you don’t like seniors who are at higher risk of develop- needles, the intradermal shot is a nice option ing serious flu-related complications. The because it uses a tiny 1/16-inch long microflu puts more than 200,000 people in the needle to inject the vaccine just under the hospital each year and kills around 24,000 skin, rather than deeper in the muscle like – 90 percent of whom are seniors. standard flu shots. This trivalent vaccine is Here’s the rundown of the different op- recommended only to those ages 18 to 64. tions: To locate a vaccination site that offers Standard (trivalent) flu shot: This tried- these flu shots, visit vaccines.gov and type and-true shot that’s been around for more in your zip code. You’ll also be happy to than 30 years protects against three strains of know that if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, influenza. This year’s version protects against Part B will cover 100 percent of the costs of the two common A strains (H1N1 and any flu shot, as long as your doctor, health H3N2), and one influenza B virus. clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge

you more than Medicare pays.

Private health insurers are also required to cover standard flu shots, however, you’ll need to check with your provider to see if they cover the other vaccination options.

The other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to seniors, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. An estimated 900,000 people in the U.S. get pneumococcal pneumonia each year, and it kills around 5,000.

This year, the CDC is recommending that all seniors 65 or older get two separate vaccines, which is a change of decades-old advice. The vaccines are Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Previously, only Pneumovax 23 was recommended for seniors.

Both vaccines, which are administered

just once, work in different ways to provide maximum protection.

If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23 you should get Prevnar 13 at least one year later.

Medicare currently covers only one pneumococcal vaccine per older adult. If you’re paying out of pocket, you can expect to pay around $50 to $85 for Pneumovax 23, and around $120 to $150 for the Prevnar 13.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

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Health Shorts FDA approves stay-asleep pill Merck & Co. Inc. has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a new type of sleeping pill designed to help people with insomnia stay asleep.

The tablet, Belsomra, works by tem-

Medicare Part D From page 10 Premium increase of more than $10 per month: Cigna HealthSpring Rx

porarily blocking chemicals known as orexins that control the sleep cycle and can keep people awake at night. The FDA said it approved Belsomra based on three company studies involving 500 patients that showed people taking it fell asleep faster and spent less time awake compared with people taking a dummy pill.

Because it was tested against a dummy pill, rather than other sleeping medications, it’s unclear whether the new drug is safer or more effective than older drugs.

The FDA approved the drug in four dif-

ferent doses for various degrees of insomnia. The agency noted that patients who took the highest dose, 20 milligrams, experienced drowsiness and difficulty driving the next morning.

Doctors should warn patients taking the highest dose against next-day driving or activities that require full concentration, the FDA said. It added that side effects such as next-day drowsiness can be reduced by using the lowest effective dose.

Drowsiness is a side effect listed on the labels of all anti-insomnia drugs. In the last

year, the FDA lowered the recommended dosage on Ambien, Lunesta and related drugs based on studies showing a link to driving problems and impaired memory and coordination.

The FDA is requiring that patients who get the new drug receive a medication guide detailing the drug’s potential safety issues, including sleep-walking, sleep-driving and other semi-awake activities.

Secure-Max, WellCare Classic Premium decrease of more than $10 per month: Cigna HealthSpring Rx Secure-Xtra, Transamerica Medicare Rx Choice, Transamerica Medicare Rx Clas-

sic, SilverScript Plus Added deductible (the amount you must spend out of pocket before coverage starts): Express Scripts Medicare Choice ($50), First Health Part D Value Plus ($250), WellCare Classic ($320) Reduced deductible: SilverScript Choice (-$310), United American Enhanced (-$40) This fall, open enrollment also applies to Medicare Advantage/Health Plans such as HMOs. If you’re in one of these plans, you should also check to see if the plan will still meet your needs in 2015 — there are a number of changes in your choices for these plans as well.

the costs of Medicare prescription drug plans: Extra Help, and the Maryland Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program.

You can apply for these programs at any time of the year, but now is a good time to see if you might be eligible.

You can review your options yourself at www.medicare.gov, or you can call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for help at (410) 396-2273 in Baltimore City and (410) 887-2059 in Baltimore County. You can schedule a one-on-one counseling session – with some evening and weekend appointments available during open enrollment.

If you are receiving a stipend to pay for your Medicare plans as a retirement benefit from your employer, please make sure you follow the procedure your employer has set up.

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

After our rehab team worked with Mary, she was up on her own two feet, managing all of her own needs and, in no time, was discharged and back to her regular routine.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Health shorts From page 12

Another gene tied to breast cancer risk It’s long been known that faulty BRCA genes greatly raise the risk for breast cancer. Now scientists say a more recently identified, less common, gene can do the same.

Mutations in the gene can make breast cancer up to nine times more likely to develop, an international team of researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are thought to be due to bad BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Beyond those, many other genes are thought to play a role, but how much each one raises risk has not been known, said Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel, a genetics expert at City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif.

The new study on the gene — called PALB2 — shows “this one is serious,” and probably is the most dangerous in terms of breast cancer after the BRCA genes, said Weitzel, one of leaders of the study.

It involved 362 members of 154 families with PALB2 mutations — the largest study of its kind. The faulty gene seems to give a woman a 14 percent chance of breast cancer by age 50, a 35 percent by age 70, and an even greater risk if she has two or more close relatives with the disease.

That’s nearly as high as the risk from a faulty BRCA2 gene, said Dr. Michele Evans of the National Institute on Aging and Dr. Dan Longo of the medical journal staff, writing in a commentary in the journal.

The PALB2 gene works with BRCA2 as a tumor suppressor, so when it is mutated, cancer can flourish. How common the mutations are isn’t well known, but it’s “probably more than we thought, because people just weren’t testing for it,” Weitzel said. He

found three cases among his own breast cancer patients in the last month alone.

Among breast cancer patients, BRCA mutations are carried by 5 percent of whites and 12 percent of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jews. PALB2 mutations have been seen in up to 4 percent of families with a history of breast cancer.

Men with a faulty PALB2 gene also have a risk for breast cancer that is eight times greater than men in the general population.

Testing for PALB2 often is included in more comprehensive genetic testing, and the new study should give people with the mutation better information on their risk, Weitzel said.

For more information on the gene, see http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/PALB2.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

were actually present. Therefore, patients who test positive for the mutations should undergo a colonoscopy to confirm the results.

The new test’s approval has the potential to reshuffle current medical practice, though FDA officials stressed that DNAbased stool screening has not been en-

13

dorsed by federal medical advisers, who set screening guidelines.

A spokeswoman for Exact Sciences, which is based in Madison, Wisconsin, said the new test would cost $599 per patient. That compares to about $25 for a traditional stool blood test.

— AP

First DNA test for colon cancer The FDA has approved the first screening test for colon cancer that uses patients’ DNA to help spot potentially deadly tumors and growths.

The Cologuard test from Exact Sciences detects irregular mutations in stool samples that can be an early warning sign of cancer.

Doctors have long used stool tests to look for hidden blood that can be a warning sign of tumors and precancerous polyps. But company studies of Cologuard showed that it was more accurate at detecting cancerous tumors and worrisome polyps than traditional stool blood tests.

Cologuard detected 92 percent of colon cancers and 42 percent of advanced polyps in a study of 10,000 patients, while traditional blood screening only detected 74 percent of cancers and 24 percent of advanced polyps.

The new test was not superior on all counts though. Cologuard was less accurate than older blood tests at correctly ruling out cancer, reporting more growths when none

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Health Studies Page

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Relieving migraines with stress reduction

By Carol Sorgen About 12 percent of Americans suffer from debilitating migraines. Migraines are recurring headaches that are characterized by moderate to severe pain, usually described as throbbing or pulsing, and often located on one side of the head.

They are frequently accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting.

Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. Some people can tell when a migraine is imminent because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines (called aura) or temporarily lose their vision.

Among the causes of migraines are anxiety, stress, lack of food or sleep, exposure to light, and hormonal changes (in women).

Doctors once believed that migraines

were linked to the opening and narrowing of blood vessels in the head. New schools of thought, however, promote the notion that they are caused by genes that control the activity of some brain cells.

Medicines can help prevent migraine attacks or help relieve symptoms of attacks when they happen. Many people also find relief in complementary treatments, such as stress-relieving techniques, herbal medicine and acupuncture.

Two methods being studied Two methods of stress reduction are being studied by Johns Hopkins University, together with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIH and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

In the study, researchers will randomly assign 112 migraine sufferers to one of two stress-relief treatment groups. One group is called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and the other is the Stress Management for Headache group.

Researchers will assess headache frequency and impact, as well as brain activity, through both observation and MRIs to determine change in gray matter volume and brain function. They will do the assessments during the first visit, prior to intervention, and at three, six and 12 months thereafter.

Mindfulness is the intention to pay attention in a non-judgmental way to each and every moment of our life, according to the Center for Mindfulness, located in Shrewsbury, Mass., which was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. The principles of mindfulness involve purposeful action, focused attention, being grounded in the current experience, and retaining a sense of curiosity.

Since 1979, more than 20,000 people have completed the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the center. Participants learn such techniques as mindfulness meditation practices, gentle stretching and yoga, in addition to participating in group discussions that enhance their level of awareness in their day-to-day life.

In this study, intervention will involve a standardized mindfulness-based stress reduction group that will follow the guidelines originally conceived and developed

by Kabat-Zinn. Over a period of four months, there will be eight weekly sessions and a half-day retreat, followed by four bi-weekly sessions.

Over the same four-month period, the Stress Management for Headache group will learn about stress and general stress management skills, headache symptoms and their management, sleep hygiene and healthy eating. This group will also meet for eight weekly sessions followed by four bi-weekly sessions.

Who can volunteer?

To participate in the study you must be between the ages of 18 and 65, have between four and 14 headaches during a 28day timeframe, have a history of migraines lasting at least one year, and not currently be using narcotic pain medication.

The study is being conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Luma Samawi at (410) 550-9056 or lsamawi1@jhu.edu, or Andrew Furman at (410) 706-4049 or afurman@umaryland.edu.

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Oct. 29+

HEALTHY LIVING LECTURES

This fall, Johns Hopkins Healthy Living and the Johns Hopkins University Press are co-sponsoring a free series of Healthy Living lectures at the Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Rd. The talk on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., will feature Dr, Jeremy A. Greene discussing “Generic Drugs: What You Should Know About Their Surprising History and Use.” On Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., Dr. Francis Mondimore will discuss “Emotional Health: Understanding and Managing Anxiety, Depression, and More.” On Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m., Dr. John R. Burton and Dr. Dan Morhaim will discuss staying “Healthy (and Wise) at Every Age: Managing Your Health Care and Planning for the Future.” For more information, call (410) 377-2966

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

15

Your home is covered in bacteria — yours

By Lauran Neergaard Sorry, clean freaks. No matter how well you scrub your home, it’s covered in bacteria from your own body. And if you pack up and move, new research shows, you’ll rapidly transfer your unique microbial fingerprint to the doorknobs, countertops and floors in your new house, too.

In fact, researchers who studied seven families in Illinois, Washington and California could easily match up who lived where using their microscopic roommates — almost like CSI for germs.

The study is part of an effort to understand how the trillions of mostly beneficial bacteria that live in and on our bodies — what’s called the human microbiome — interact with bugs in the environment to affect our health.

“We have so little information about where the microbes come from that shape our microbiome, whether it’s for health or disease,” said microbiologist Jack Gilbert of the Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.

Where do people spend most of their time? “It’s the indoor environment. The best place to look at that was the home,” said Gilbert, who led the Home Microbiome Project and included his own family.

Our bodies need bacteria Right at birth, babies start picking up

microbes — on the skin, in the nose and in the gut — which eventually make up living communities that will share their bodies throughout life.

Many of these bugs play critical roles in digestion, the immune system and other health-inducing factors. Others may make it easier to gain weight, or influence disease. What shapes the balance of good bugs and bad is a huge scientific question.

Hospital studies make clear that someone who already is sick can catch a new infection from pathogenic bacteria left behind by a previous patient.

In contrast, the new study examines healthy people, and it marks an important step: Beginning to show what’s normal in a regular home, said Dr. Lisa Helbling Chadwick of the National Institutes of Health.

That’s a key question before scientists can explore how to possibly create healthier homes.

“You have to think about the microbiome of your home as part of your home’s immune system,” said Chadwick, of NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who wasn’t involved with Gilbert’s project. “Instead of relying on killing bugs to stop the spread of infection, maybe we need to cultivate better bugs.”

For the study, Gilbert recruited seven households that included 15 adults, three children, three dogs and a cat. For six weeks,

participants collected samples of the microscopic bugs living on and around them by swabbing the hands, feet, noses and paws of everyone in the household, plus doorknobs, light switches, floors and countertops.

Back in the laboratory, Gilbert’s team identified the bugs by their DNA, and they reported in the journal Science that people substantially affect the microbial communities in their homes.

Different homes harbored markedly different bacterial populations, but they closely matched the microbiomes of their residents.

Quick colonization The big surprise: How quickly the bugs settled in. Like Pigpen’s trailing cloud of

dust in the Peanuts comic strip, when three families moved — one of them from a hotel room to a house — it took about a day for the microbes in their new homes to closely resemble those in the old ones.

“The speed at which that colonization happens was quite remarkable,” Gilbert said.

Sure, there are some leftover bacteria from previous occupants, he said. But many bacteria die or go dormant after a while on a hard, air-conditioned surface.

At the same time, the oil in your skin readily transfers your own bacteria to surfaces.

That’s not counting all those tiny flakes of dead skin that people constantly shed, miSee BACTERIA, page 17

16

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HOPEWELL CANCER SUPPORT PROGRAMS

HopeWell offers a wide range of approaches to healing your body, mind and soul if you are suffering from cancer. Offered at no charge, all of HopeWell’s programs are open to people with cancer at any stage of the disease: newly-diagnosed, in treatment, post-treatment, and living with cancer as a chronic condition. Survivors are welcome at any time. Family members, friends and loved ones are also welcome to attend. See more at www.hopewellcancersupport.org or call (410) 337-0937. HopeWell is located at 10628 Falls Rd. in Lutherville.

Nov. 4+

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT CLASSES

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center offers a free monthly series on weight management led by social worker Kelly Hoenshell. The next program will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m. and will focus on “Commitment/Compliance.” Explore motivation and behavior changes that create the environment for success. To register, call (410) 337-1479. The medical center is located at 7601 Osler Drive, Towson.

Everything sounds better with the right hearing aid

Fist bumps less germy than handshakes When it comes to preventing the spread of germs, maybe President Obama is on to something with his fondness for fist bumps.

The familiar knocking of knuckles spreads only one-twentieth the amount of bacteria that a handshake does, researchers report. That’s better than a high-five, which still passes along less than half the amount as a handshake.

So fist bumps seem to be the wisest greeting, especially during cold and flu season, said researcher David Whitworth of Aberystwyth University in Wales.

The importance of hand hygiene is nothing new in medicine. But the researchers realized that while a lot of research focused on hands getting germy from touching doorknobs and other surfaces, only a few studies had looked at handshakes.

“And there are alternatives to handshakes. You see them on telly all the time — the fist bump and high-five and all that,” Whitworth said.

He and a student, Sara Mela, shook

hands, fist-bumped and high-fived each other dozens of times for the research.

One wore a glove covered in bacteria, while the other had a clean sterilized glove. After each greeting, they measured how much bacteria had been transferred.

Their results were published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

What makes the fist bump more sanitary? Mostly, it’s the smaller amount of surface area in contact between the two hands, an analysis suggests. The researchers did practice runs with paint to measure how much surface area each form of greeting involved.

“It’s a novel study,” though the results are not surprising, said Mary Lou Manning, president-elect of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Her organization publishes the journal.

She said she hasn’t seen much fistbumping or high-fiving in hospitals.

Handshakes are more common. But they must be followed by good handwashing, she added.

— AP

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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.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Bacteria From page 15 crobe-filled dust that probably just blankets the bugs that were there first, Gilbert noted.

“It changed my perspective on hotel rooms,” he added with a laugh.

In another home, someone went on a three-day trip, and that person’s contribu-

tion to the usual household microbe mix dropped noticeably.

And dogs moved the bacteria from surface to surface even more rapidly.

As for potentially dangerous bacteria, in one house, the scientists tracked a germ called Enterobacter from one person’s hands to the kitchen counter and then to another person’s hands. No one got sick,

BEACON BITS

Nov.

ly come from.

And Gilbert pointed to the study’s other implication: Maybe people should make sure they’re regularly getting outside to expose themselves, and their immune systems, to a wider variety of bugs.

— AP

Gentle Foot Care in Your Home Diabetic foot exams Corns/calluses Wound/infection care Toenail fungus

COPING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

Having the courage to move on after a loss can be one of the most difficult challenges for any person to face. This can be especially difficult around the holidays. Baltimore City Health Department Office of Aging & CARE Service’s program S.T.E.P.S (Stepping Toward Emotional & Physical Success) will offer a workshop on “Coping Through the Holidays” throughout November at Baltimore City Senior Centers. For a schedule of dates, times and locations, call (410) 396-2273 or visit www.baltimorecity.gov or www.baltimorehealth.org.

Oct. 23

possibly because the residents were healthy and hadn’t recently used antibiotics [so their good bacteria remained to help resist the intruders], Gilbert said.

It will take more research to figure out where the different bugs that people and their pets bring into their homes original-

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Free HIV testing will be available on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Baltimore City Greenmount Senior Center, 425 E. Federal St. For more information, call (410) 396-CARE or (410) 396-3552.

Nov. 18

17

ALL ABOUT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Vitamins, dietary supplements, magnets and yoga are examples of alternative and complimentary health therapies. Learn more about these and other options with a focus on safety and science at the Catonsville Senior Center on Tuesday Nov. 18 at 12:45 p.m. The center is located at 501 N. Rolling Rd., Catonsville. For more information, call (410) 887-0900.

Stay young at heart.

Join Dr. Tomas Ayala, MedStar Health cardiologist, to learn about common heart issues as you age and what to do to live a longer, more heart-healthy life.

The Heart Over 50: Common Conditions, New Treatments Tuesday, Oct. 28 • 10:30 a.m. to noon Enoch Pratt Library (1251 Light St.) Tomas Ayala, MD

Your Heart-Health Risks: Management, Myths and Misconceptions Thursday, Nov. 6 • 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Merritt Athletic Club (921 E. Fort Ave.) Healthy Choices for Your Heart: Knowing and Lowering Cardiac Risk Saturday, Nov. 8 • 10:30 a.m. to noon MedStar Health at Federal Hill (1420 Key Hwy.) Call 877-74-HEART (877-744-3278) to register.

MedStarHeart.org/HeartTalk

18

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Money Law &

As stocks slip, is it time to sell? See story below.

Ditch rising stocks or stick with them?

By Bernard Condon Is it time to cash out of stocks?

The market has nearly tripled in a little over five years, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed above 2,000 for the first time in late August. With each record, the temptation grows to take your winnings and flee.

Plenty of experts think stocks are about to drop. But many others offer compelling arguments for the rally to continue for years.

The bulls point to a strengthening U.S. economy. They also like that companies have plenty of money to keep buying back their own stock.

The bears argue that stocks already reflect years of future profit gains. They also note that many economies around the world are stumbling, and that U.S. interest rates could rise soon.

Remember, though, that even the best investors find it nearly impossible to time the market to catch the lows and highs.

Here are the bull and bear cases in detail:

Reasons to be bullish A stronger economy: Four of the past five bull markets have ended with investors selling in a recession, or bailing out because they anticipated one. The odds of a downturn anytime soon? Not very high, at least based on the latest economic reports and forecasts.

The U.S. economy is expected to grow 1.5 percent this year, then 3.4 percent in 2015, according to recent Congressional Budget

Office estimates. One reason is companies are hiring at the fastest pace in eight years.

“This recovery will last several more years,” said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management.

Analysts expect earnings from companies in the S&P 500 to rise 8 percent this year, then 12 percent in 2015, according to S&P Capital IQ. Low interest rates: Interest rates are low, and that’s been great for stocks. They help lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses. They also hold down interest payments on bonds, making stocks look more attractive by comparison.

Many investors expect the Federal Reserve to start raising short-term rates in the middle of next year. If the Fed keeps the hikes small, the stock market might shrug it off. That’s what happened in the last round of Fed hikes, in 2004, when the S&P 500 gained 9 percent.

Torsten Slok, chief international economist at Deutsche Bank Securities, notes that the short-term rates that helped drag stocks down at the end of the last seven bull markets were all higher than 4 percent. With the Fed holding those rates near zero, it could take many hikes for borrowing costs to rise enough to cause damage.

Buyback boom: One of the biggest forces in the stock rally so far is companies buying back their own shares. Companies in the S&P 500 have spent $1.9 trillion on buybacks since the bull market began in March 2009, according to Howard Silverblatt, a sen-

ior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

By creating more demand for stocks, buybacks have kept prices rising even as other big investors sell. Mutual funds, investment brokers, foreigners and pension funds have been net sellers of stocks over most of the last five years, according to the Fed. Companies have pulled back sharply from their near-record buying in the first quarter, but their buybacks are still pushing up prices. And companies in the S&P 500 still have more than $1.1 trillion in cash, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Reasons to be bearish Stocks aren’t cheap: It’s fine to forecast big profit gains well into the future, but what if prices fully reflect expected gains?

That’s what many bears think. They cite the price-earnings ratio, or the price of a stock divided by its earnings per share. If a share costs $100 and the company is expected to earn $5 per share in the coming year, the P/E ratio is 20.

The S&P 500 now trades at 15 times what companies are expected to earn over the next 12 months, according to FactSet. That is slightly above the 10-year average of 14.1.

The problem is, P/Es are often not reliable gauges of stock value. They are based on just one year’s earnings, which can rise and fall along with the economy.

Many experts believe a better P/E is a “cyclically adjusted” ratio, which averages earnings over 10 years. It is currently 26.

That’s far below the peak of 44 it reached in the late 1990s, but it’s still very high. Since the end of World War II, the average is 18.3.

Those expected rate hikes: The Fed may be able to raise rates slowly without damaging the economy and stock markets. But its record isn’t entirely reassuring.

Three of the past five bull markets ended after the Fed increased rates.

If the central bank finds itself scrambling to contain inflation and has to raise rates sharply, stocks could fall 20 percent.

Inflation doesn’t appear to be a problem right now. But that could change fast if the economy heats up.

Struggling economies abroad: U.S. companies rely more than ever on foreign economies remaining healthy. Unfortunately, many of those economies are stumbling.

The 18 countries that share the euro didn’t grow at all last quarter. China is slowing rapidly, and Japan shrank 7 percent compared with a year earlier.

Most economists expect the U.S. to shrug off the troubles abroad. But not everyone.

David Levy, an economist, predicted the last U.S. recession with uncanny precision.

He said another one is coming next year.

The cause: Downturns elsewhere, not domestic trouble.

Even if he’s wrong, slowing economies overseas will still matter, since companies in the S&P 500 generate nearly half their sales abroad.

— AP

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

19

Mutual funds faltered in the third quarter

By Stan Choe Take a breath.

After delivering solid and consistent returns through the first half of this year, most types of mutual funds faltered in the third quarter.

It wasn’t a disaster — most of the declines were modest, and the largest categories of stock and bond funds were virtually flat. But it was a letdown for anyone who got accustomed to steady and widespread quarterly gains.

Of the 105 mutual fund categories that Morningstar tracks, 76 fell from July through September. Compare that with the prior quarter, when only six categories declined, and those were mostly niche funds that few investors own.

Here’s a look at the trends that moved the markets:

Small- and large-cap funds Small-cap stock funds had some of the biggest drops.

The third quarter marked a return to earth for funds that specialize in stocks of smaller companies. Funds investing in a mix of small-cap growth and value stocks fell an average of 6.8 percent.

Last year, those same funds were stars, returning an average 37.4 percent. At the time, investors were snapping up smaller companies on expectations that their earnings would grow faster than those of big companies.

But their popularity caused problems.

Stock prices of smaller companies rose more quickly than their earnings, enough for investors to worry that small-cap stocks had become too expensive.

The Standard & Poor’s 600 index of small-cap stocks began the third quarter trading at 22 times its earnings per share,

for example. That was well above its average price-earnings ratio of 17 over the last decade. By the end of the third quarter, the index’s P/E ratio was down to 20.

Large-cap stock funds treaded water.

Large-cap blend funds hold more assets than any other fund category. They own a mix of the biggest companies, such as Apple, Exxon Mobil and Google, and were virtually unchanged over the quarter. They ticked lower by an average of 0.1 percent, a big step down from the 6.4 percent return that they delivered in the first half of the year.

Many large-cap blend funds benchmark themselves against the S&P 500, which wobbled up and down through the quarter.

Good news for them: The index set a record high on Sept. 18. Bad news: A late-September stumble surrendered most of the gains.

The index returned 1.1 percent during the quarter, including dividends — its weakest return since the last quarter of 2012. That’s when economists were warning that hikes in income tax rates and cuts in government spending would send the economy off a “fiscal cliff’’ unless Congress made changes.

Most bond funds had a muted quarter.

The mutual funds that form the core of most investors’ bond portfolios, intermediate-term bond funds, were essentially flat last quarter. They lost an average 0.1 percent. It’s a letdown from the first half of the year, when intermediate-term bond funds returned 4.1 percent.

All of the other 31 categories of bond funds tracked by Morningstar also registered gains in the year’s first six months, benefiting from an unexpected drop in interest rates. When rates are falling, it caus-

es the price of existing bonds to go up as their yields suddenly look more attractive.

Recent strengthening in the job market means economists expect the Federal Reserve to begin hiking its key short-term interest rate target sometime next year.

The central bank is also on track to halt its bond-buying stimulus program towards the end of October. That’s raised expectations for interest rates to begin rising, at least slowly, which would act as a drag on bond returns.

Some specialized stock funds remained healthy.

Indian stock funds were stars last quarter, as they’ve been since the election of a new prime minister, Narendra Modi, in May. Investors expect Modi to push through reforms to tame India’s high inflation and thicket of bureaucracy, and the country’s stock market has soared in response.

Indian stock funds returned 5.5 percent See MUTUAL FUNDS, page 21

20

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Retiring From page 1 incredible life. This experience has been beyond our wildest dreams. We pinch ourselves every day.”

Growing number of expats The Yeatmans certainly aren’t alone in choosing to retire abroad. According to International Living, the Social Security Administration sent 613,650 benefit checks outside the United States in June — an increase from 242,128 in 2002. And that number may well be on the low side, considering that many people may have their Social Security checks sent to U.S. banks or, as in the case of Gloria Yeatman, don’t collect benefits yet.

Dan Prescher, senior editor at InternationalLiving.com, and his wife Suzan Haskins, left their Nebraska home shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Since that time, they have lived in seven locations in four countries — Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua and Ecuador.

As Prescher likes to say, “We haven’t shoveled snow since 2001.” The couple recently co-authored The International Liv-

Mutual funds From page 19 last quarter. They’re up 35.1 percent this year, helping them to make up their sharp losses in two of the last three years.

Indian stock funds are bit players in the mutual-fund world, controlling a total of $7 billion in total assets. That’s less than 2 percent of the $438 billion in diversified emerging-market stock funds, which spread their investments across India and other countries, including China and Brazil.

Healthcare stock funds were also winners, returning an average 4.6 percent. It

•

ing Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget: How to Live Well on $25,000 a Year.

Currently living in Cotacachi, Ecuador, the couple acknowledges that moving abroad is not for everyone. “You have to have a tolerance for leaving behind the comforts of home,” said Prescher. But the tradeoff can mean more money in your pocket, better weather, and a sense of adventure.

“By now, moving is in our blood,” he said, noting that Latin America is a popular choice for retiring Americans because the culture is not completely foreign, and it is easy to travel to and from the States.

In fact, Prescher, who is 60, and Haskins, 59, return to the U.S. four or five times a year for holidays, family birthdays, and the like.

If you’re considering a move abroad, healthcare should be a major concern, since Medicare basically does not apply beyond U.S. borders, except in very limited situations. But Prescher said that in major metropolitan areas around the world, the healthcare is equal to or better — and less expensive — than what you would find in the U.S. [See sidebar for more information on health coverage abroad.]

Take a test drive The biggest obstacle many expats encounter, according to Prescher, is that they erroneously think that other countries are “U.S. Lite.” But different countries have different values and different ways of doing things, he said.

To see if you can fit in with the culture of the country you’re interested in, Prescher and Haskins suggest spending three to six months there before actually moving. “There is a difference between taking a vacation and living someplace else,” Haskins said.

Research is paramount, Prescher advised. Visit online bulletin boards and chat

rooms to talk to people who have made the move. “Profile” yourself — in other words, make an honest list of what you can and cannot live without. Make a short list of countries that might interest you. Then do even more research!

After all that, “if you still have the bug, then do it,” said Prescher. “And if your decision is not to do it, that’s just as valuable.”

Several years ago, native Baltimorean Tyler Webb, 69, and his wife, Jackie, 67, moved to Las Vegas from Edgewater, Md. Then the bug bit, and they began explorSee RETIRING, page 22

continues a years-long trend, as healthcare stocks have shaken off worries that the Affordable Care Act would hurt their earnings.

Healthcare stock funds have returned an annualized 20.7 percent over the last five years. No fund category has returned more.

Gold-related funds were the quarter’s biggest losers.

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All 10 mutual funds with the worst returns focus on gold stocks. Low inflation and expectations for rising interest rates usually mean investors sell gold, and its price fell in early October to its lowest level since Jan. 2.

— AP

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Retiring abroad From page 21 ing options for retiring abroad.

Though they had no previous ties to Mexico, the couple looked into it and decided “Sounds like fun!” Since the beginning of September, they have been living in Jalisco. They are renting a house, have bought a car, and are learning Spanish. In

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

the meantime, an iPhone translation app has come in handy.

The Webbs say they had no hesitation about moving to Mexico, though their family and friends thought they were “crazy.”

So far, nothing has indicated to them that they have made a mistake.

“The Mexican people are delightful, we have the comforts of home, such as highspeed Internet and cable television, and

there is excellent healthcare with several major hospitals in nearby Guadalajara. “My dentist is even a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry,” Tyler noted.

Getting health coverage abroad The Yeatmans use the national health service in Costa Rica “with great success,” at a cost of about $55 a month.

The Webbs, in Mexico, have purchased group health insurance through Best Doctors, a Massachusetts-based organization founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians. The plan costs the Webbs $92 a month for catastrophic coverage. Local doctors visits, which the Webbs pay up front, cost about $20.

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The Webbs say that they are not ruling out the possibility of returning to the States someday. But for the foreseeable future, “We’re off to explore!”

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Other insurers, such as Cigna, Aetna, Allianz International, and BUPA International, also offer insurance policies for expats. (You might want to retain your Medicare coverage as well, for return visits, emergencies, or in the event the move doesn’t work out.)

Whether or not you have any ongoing health concerns before you move abroad, knowing the healthcare options in your host country is important.

Healthcare systems range from government-funded, mandatory universal healthcare, to voluntary or private health insurance or fee-for-service care.

Most modern, industrialized countries offer a mix of options, while in underdeveloped countries, both government funding and private insurers may be scarce, and residents must rely solely on fee-for-service care.

In countries where there is universal healthcare, such as the United Kingdom and France, patients are served by both public and private hospitals. Public hospitals provide healthcare free to everyone, but you must often wait for appointments and elective surgeries.

Residents who purchase private, supplemental health insurance in addition to their universal healthcare coverage can choose whether to go to a private hospital or receive government-provided treatment.

In undeveloped countries, the distinction between public and private hospitals is much greater, according to Dr. Robert Quigley, of International SOS Assistance. In public hospitals, there may be no doctor available at all, and there may be unsafe health and hygiene practices because there are no standards on a par with developed countries.

When it comes to emergency treatment, U.S. law ensures that no person here can be turned away from a hospital emergency room, whether he has insurance or not. Most other Western countries have similar policies (though they may ask you for payment).

That’s not the case in many regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, Quigley said, where you will have to pay cash up front to be treated, no matter how serious your illness or injury.

— Carol Sorgen

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

23

Leisure &

Civil War buff Keith White leads hikes through nearby Civil War sites. See story on page 25.

Cancun mixes resort life, Mayan culture

Home base built for tourists Today, visitors to the modern city of Cancun, and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula, have opportunities to combine the attractions of a major resort destination with explorations of remnants of the Mayan culture, ranging from tiny struc-

tures to vast magnificent cities.

The isolated site inhabited by iguanas could be hidden deep in the jungles of Mexico. Instead, the ruins of El Ray are only a short walk from modern civilization in Cancun, with its sparkling white sand beaches and high-rise hotels.

The city stretches along 14 miles of beaches that overlook the crystal clear, multi-hued water of the Caribbean Sea. Most visitors stay in the hotel zone (zona hotelera), a narrow strip of land nestled between the sea and a wide inland lagoon.

Towering hotels line the waterfront, familiar chain restaurants vie for customers with locally owned eateries, and upscale shops offer the latest fashions in clothes and expensive accessories.

This glitzy setting resulted from the selection of the location by the Mexican government decades ago, along with other sites in the country, to be developed as tourism destinations. At the time, this was an area of mangrove forests, deserted beaches and scattered fishing villages.

The coastline that stretches south of Cancun is known as the Riviera Maya, and it is dotted with inviting beachfront resorts like pearls on a necklace. As with its European counterpart, visitors to the Mexican version may combine relaxing sun-andsand vacations with a full menu of recreational activities.

Golfers have a choice of courses that were designed by such legends as Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, among others. Water-related sports include fishing,

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT CANCUN

By Victor Block The narrow path leads through low jungle growth, beneath long vines hanging from tree branches that would prompt Tarzan to howl with delight. Iguanas lazing in the sunlight that filters through the trees resemble prehistoric monsters frozen in stillness.

The shadowy setting suddenly gives way to a clearing. Along its edge stands the remains of a small pyramid-shaped temple surrounded by stone platforms and round columns which, centuries ago, supported a roof.

Here at some time during the 13th to 15th centuries BCE, worshipers built ceremonial memorials to their gods. They were members of the Mayan people, who inhabited much of what is now Mexico and several surrounding countries.

The rich civilization that they built beginning about 2000 BCE lasted until the arrival of Spanish explorers and settlers in the 16th century CE. The Mayan people left behind a legacy of advanced achievements — including a fully developed written language, magnificent architecture, vibrant art, and sophisticated systems of mathematics and astronomy.

The Mexican city of Cancun features 14 miles of beaches sandwiched between the turquoise Caribbean and a wide inland lagoon. In addition to the usual tourist attractions of an ocean beach, visitors can take a 45-minute boat ride to four-mile-long Isla Mujeres to see the remains of a small Mayan temple. More dramatic Mayan ruins can be found south of Cancun, along the Riviera Maya.

snorkeling and diving, wind surfing, jet skiing and parasailing.

For those who prefer to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground, opportunities for bicycling, horseback riding and allterrain vehicle touring are available.

Mayan archeological treasures

PHOTO BY LEN KAUFMAN

Chichen Itza includes a 98-foot tall pyramid that towers over a Mayan compound that was settled more than 1,200 years ago. About a 2½ hour drive from Cancun, it is one of the best-restored Mayan settlements.

Along with the glitz and glitter of contemporary Cancun, connection with the world of the Mayans remains strong. Resorts have names like Mayan Palace and Ocean Maya Royale.

The architecture of some hotels echoes the pyramid shape of Mayan structures and other design features. Some health and beauty spas offer treatments derived from Mayan formulas.

These random examples only hint at the nearby archeological treasures that await exploration. In addition to touches of that civilization that are found in Cancun itself, more than 30 ancient sites are within driving distance, making the city a major gateway to the Mayan world.

The Mayan Museum in the hotel zone is the perfect place to begin an immersion in that ancient culture. While its exhibits showcase great architectural achievements, I found equally interesting artifacts from the people’s daily lives.

Cooking implements, incense burners, jewelry and other displays provide evidence of the good life, Mayan style. Sculptures and structural fragments brought

from a number of sites serve as reminders that the once-great culture stretched across Mexico and beyond.

The perfect segue after leaving the museum is to follow the path that winds through a compact jungle-like setting adjacent to the building to the San Miguelito archeological site. Small in size but not in interest, this was the site of a Mayan settlement more than 800 years ago.

The path meanders past more than three dozen structures, some restored but most left in their natural state. Of greatest interest are a 26-foot-tall pyramid, the ruins of what once were residences, and a small temple where remnants of ancient mural paintings of animals are still visible.

Not far south of the city, along the Caribbean coastline, is Xel-Ha, a park that combines recreational activities with history. It offers excellent snorkeling, a small museum, restaurants and souvenir stalls.

An early Mayan ruin is located close to the park entrance. Paintings are still visible on the walls of the Casa del Jaguar (“House of the Jaguar”) and the Templo de las Pajaros (“Temple of Parrots”).

Several miles further on is Tulum, one of the most inviting Mayan sites, but not for the ruins themselves. Instead, it’s the setting that makes this many a visitor’s favorite archeological location.

The structures stand on a rolling field See CANCUN, page 24

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Cancun From page 23 on a 40-foot-high cliff, protected on three sides by walls and on the fourth by the precipice and the turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea. A carved figure named the Diving God, with wings and a bird’s tail is repeated on many of the walls. Words etched in stone, and painted murals said to date from the 13th century, adorn the Temple of Frescoes.

Visiting Chichen Itza Further from the sea, about a 2-1/2 hour drive from Cancun, is Chichen Itza, one of the most impressive and best-restored

Mayan places. Its mysterious past adds interest to its already fascinating story.

The area was settled by the Mayans between 500 and 900 CE, then abandoned for a reason that no one knows. It was resettled about 1100 and, it is believed today, then fell under control of the warlike Toltecs whose home base was what now is Mexico City.

Chichen Itza was primarily a ceremonial place of massive structures spread out over two square miles. El Castillo (“the Castle”) is a 98-foot-tall pyramid that overlooks the lower buildings. Eight ball courts were used for a game that was won by guiding a rubber ball through rings suspended 20 feet above the ground.

A series of limestone sink holes, called

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

“cenotes” (see-NOTE-eez), provided most of the water that was required by the people. One, called the Sacred Cenote, also was used by the Toltecs, when they controlled the site, as a sacrificial well. Victims were thrown into it and drowned in order to appease the gods in which the people believed.

Another reminder of the Toltec practice of human sacrifice are sculpted images of Chacmool, a reclining stone figure with bent knees whose hands hold a receptacle.

It’s believed that some sacrificial ceremonies included cutting the heart from the chest of victims and placing it, still beating, in the stone dishes.

It requires a 45-minute boat ride to reach another, much smaller, Mayan monument. The four-mile-long Isla Mujeres (eesla mu-hair-us) presents a split personality to those who make the trip.

The dock area includes an inviting beach, restaurant and snorkeling operation, while the compact “downtown” neigh-

borhood is jammed with modest restaurants, jewelry stores and tourist shops, all selling pretty much the same merchandise.

On a plateau overlooking the sea at the opposite end of the island stand the remains of a small Mayan temple that was dedicated to Ixchel, the goddess of love and fertility.

According to legend, when Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century and found numerous stone statues of the goddess, they gave the island its name, which means “island of women.”

Whether exploring sprawling Chichen Itza or viewing much more modest Mayan sites, relaxing in the sun or taking in the excitement of the hotel zone, visitors to Cancun and the surrounding area have a wide choice of alternatives.

The combination of old and new, of inviting beach destinations with fascinating reminders of a once-great civilization, offers something-for-everyone appeal.

If you go While many visitors like the convenience of staying in the hotel zone, with its proximity to restaurants, shopping and other non-beach attractions, others head for the resorts that are strung out along the Caribbean coast south of the city.

The Sunset World Resorts is a Mexicanowned, family-operated mini-chain of properties, each of which offers a very different experience, plus the added benefit to guests of taking advantage of the facilities and services available at all of them.

One of them, the Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, Spa and Nature Park, features a 340-acre setting encompassing five major ecosystems.

The focus at the Sunset Marina Resort & Yacht Club is on a long list of water sports. The Sunset Fisherman resort, south of Cancun, is located near several Mayan sites as well as a small town known for its bustling night life scene.

Rates at the Sunset World Resorts change fairly frequently. The all-inclusive cost of a room, including all meals and a wide variety of services and activities, begins as low as $79 per person, double occupancy. For more information, visit sunsetworld.net or call (800) 494-9173.

For an experience that combines culture and cuisine, check out Mercado 23, an authentic local market very different from the more commercial Mercado 28 that many tourists visit. This small market is located on Avenue Tulum.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat on Isla Mujeras, don’t let the name of the “Joint” dissuade you from going in. It combines a funky Caribbean feel with a lengthy menu of Mexican dishes. Burritos ($6), and chicken, fish or shrimp ($7), all served with French fries, are filling and tasty. For more information, call (52) 998-243-4475 or visit www.islamujeresdining.com.

For information about visiting Cancun, call (52) 998-881-2745 or visit www.cancun.travel.

American Airlines, US Airways and Southwest Airlines fly from BWI to Cancun in mid-November with roundtrip fees ranging from $383 to $520.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

25

Civil War sites: recreate and contemplate

By Carole Feldman About 150 years after the “Battle that Saved Washington,” journalist and Civil War buff Keith White leads a dozen friends on a tour of the farmland south of Frederick, Md., where Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace were credited with delaying the Confederate advance toward the nation’s capital.

The group will spend nearly three hours hiking many of the half-dozen or so miles of trails at the Monocacy National Battle-

field, listening as White relays details of the battle that July 9 in 1864, which resulted in a Confederate victory and more than 2,000 Union casualties.

“It’s not just a hike, but there’s something additional,” he says in an interview later. “You can go to a battlefield and get a little sense of that history.”

Two dozen battlefields There are more than 300 miles of trails to explore in the 24 national parks desigAP PHOTO/CAROLE FELDMAN

Keith White, right, leads a group of friends on a tour of the Monocacy National Battlefield south of Frederick, Md. The battle of Monocacy, which took place on July 9, 1864, is credited with delaying the Confederate advance toward Washington, D.C.

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nated as significant battlegrounds of the Civil War, according to figures provided by the National Park Service.

The Manassas National Battlefield in Virginia, for example, has more than 40 miles of trails. Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico has just two.

The 24 battlefields drew nearly 10 million visitors last year.

“Each one is unique, yet the vast majority share things in common,” said Mike Litterst, a National Park Service spokesman.

Most have a visitor’s center and a museum to help put the site in context. Many have park rangers or volunteers who give walking tours.

And these aren’t the only preserved Civil War battlefields. Others are under state, local or private jurisdiction.

“Some 10,500 armed conflicts occurred during the Civil War, ranging from battles to minor skirmishes,” the Civil War Sites See CIVIL WAR, page 27

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Civil War From page 25 Advisory Commission said in a report to Congress in 1993.

Of those, 384 were determined to be “principal battles” that had a significant impact on the course of the war. Those battles occurred in 26 states.

“The war really did touch pretty much every corner of America,” said Mary Koik, deputy director of communications for the Civil War Trust, an organization that works to preserve the battlefields. “You have battles fought from Pennsylvania all the way out through New Mexico.”

Some people may use the battlefields for fitness or recreation, a place to walk the dog or take a stroll with the kids and be out in nature.

The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park near Atlanta is historic, but also “quality outdoor space,” Koik said.

Surveys done by her group, however, indicate that most park visitors are interested in the history.

Tips for visiting Before visiting a battlefield, White recommends reading up on it. You can get information about the battlefields on the Civil War Trust and National Park Service websites, or pick up brochures and maps at the visitor center.

“It’s also good to sit down and talk to a

ranger,” White added.

Markers along the way will point out historical spots on the battlefield and give you a snapshot of what occurred there.

“By visiting these in succession, in the right order, you’ll see how the battle unfolded,” Koik said.

Before his tours, White does research on the battle fought there and prepares a script. “Usually, time permitting, I will go up and walk the trail before I lead the tour so I’m not caught unaware.” White became interested in the Civil War after learning that he had ancestors on both sides of the conflict.

He also volunteers at the site of the Battle of Chancellorsville, part of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia. He plans to lead friends on a tour of two additional battlefields this year.

“The more you learn, the deeper you get into it,” he said. “There are so many people and so many story lines involved.”

The National Park Service and the Civil War Trust also have free GPS-based smartphone apps that will act as tour guides for some of the parks.

“We think the most important thing is to get people out to see these places,” Koik said.

Learn more about visiting battlefields at the National Park Service’s Civil War page, www.nps.gov/civilwar/index.htm, and from the Civil War Trust at www.civilwar.org.

— AP

27

BEACON BITS

Oct. 30

VISIT AVAM AND LITTLE ITALY

Join the Pikesville Senior Center on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on this excursion to the American Visionary Arts Museum’s many different and creative exhibits. You’ll lunch at German’s in Little Italy. Cost of the trip is $45. Call Pikesville Senior Center at (410) 8871245 to save a spot.

Nov. 2+

MURDER AND MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

Senior Box Office invites you to the Catskills Villa Roma Resort Murder Mystery Program on Sunday, Nov. 2 to Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Callicoon, N.Y. The cost of $530 per double includes nightly music and entertainment, daytime activities and ten meals. Call Senior Box Office at (410) 882-3797.

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Captioned Telephone t Word-for-word captions t Easy-to-read display t Simple to use Just dial 7-1-1 to make a Relay call.

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*Available to qualified applicants with traditional landline service only.

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Style Arts &

Mendes Cohen fought in the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 and is the subject of a new museum exhibit. See story on facing page.

Hippodrome offers theatre, music classes maximize community access to the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center and, through free outreach and education programs, increase understanding and appreciation of all aspects of theater.

The road to Broadway In her presentations, Rousuck, who started offering a similar class at senior centers in 2009, discussed the complicated route a production takes to get to Broadway and the influences that affect the success and longevity of a show’s run. She also previewed a few of the shows coming to the Hippodrome Theatre this season, including Annie, Wicked and Pippin.

Rousuck, who spent 33 years at the Sunpapers — 23 of them as theater critic — is an unabashed fan of the stage and all those who tread its boards.

“I have enormous admiration and awe for people on the stage,” she said. Yet, unlike many critics, Rousuck never aspired to a theatrical career herself. “I know which side of the footlights I should be on,” she laughed.

The longtime critic said that what she wants to share with those who attend her

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By Carol Sorgen The Hippodrome Foundation (HFI), the non-profit partner of the Hippodrome Theatre, is taking the show on the road as part of HFI’s expanded outreach and educational programming for older adults.

The new programming initiative kicked off in October with award-winning veteran theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck speaking at the Cockeysville and Seven Oak Senior Centers. In her lecture, “Broadway 101,” Rousuck shared anecdotes from more than three decades as a theater critic, first for the Baltimore Sun and currently for WYPR-FM’s “Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast.”

“It is fitting to be focusing on this sector of the community in a year that the Hippodrome Theatre is celebrating its 100th anniversary,” said Olive Waxter, director of the Hippodrome Foundation. “Many of these participants have been coming to the Hippodrome Theatre for decades. We are thrilled to have found a way to keep them engaged in the arts.”

The mission of the Hippodrome Foundation Inc., in addition to presenting the Broadway series at the Hippodrome, is to

Theater critic Judy Rousuck teaches a class for the Hippodrome Foundation on how theatrical shows make it to Broadway. The foundation is expanding its offerings for older adults.

classes is the same kind of excitement and expectation that she experiences when the lights go down and the curtain goes up.

“That’s a magical moment,” she said.

Rousuck also speaks to the other end of the age spectrum, hoping to draw young

people in with her enthusiasm for the theater. But there’s something special about speaking to older audiences, she observed.

See HIPPODROME, page 29

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

29

Exhibit recalls forgotten Renaissance man

By Carol Sorgen “Mendes Cohen is the most influential and extraordinary Baltimorean you’ve never heard of,” said Marvin Pinkert, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland.

Now, 135 years after his death, Cohen is getting some long overdue modern-day recognition at the museum’s new exhibit, “The A-Mazing Mendes Cohen,” on view until June 14, 2015.

So who was Mendes Cohen? Born in 1796 in Richmond, Va., Cohen was the son of a Bavarian immigrant who died when Mendes was just 7 years old.

After his father’s death, Mendes’ English-born mother, Judith, moved the family of eight to Baltimore in 1807, seeing the city as the land of economic opportunity.

And indeed, the family found much success — first in the lottery business (long before Powerball!) and later in banking.

McHenry. He was one of 60 volunteers in Joseph Nicholson’s Artillery Fencibles.

Many decades later, as the last living survivor of his artillery company, Mendes would regale his fellow Baltimoreans with stories of the battle, though that was just one of the many adventures he had throughout his long life.

Not only was he a soldier and a banker, but also an adventurer, politician and philanthropist. He was at the center of a Supreme Court case that established the principle that the court had jurisdiction when federal and state laws were in conflict.

His family was instrumental in pushing for the rights of Jews to perform public service without being required to take an oath on the New Testament.

He was present at the coronation of Queen Victoria, as well as at the Vatican

for the installation of a new pope. Among his friends he counted Samuel Morse and Nathan Rothschild. And he was one of the first amateur Egyptologists, and the first American tourist in Jerusalem.

Much to see and to do Created in partnership with the Maryland Historical Society, this maze-like exhibit (designed that way on purpose) is an interactive look at the many pieces of the puzzle that made up Cohen’s identity, including the facts of both his fierce loyalty to America and his pride in being a Jew. The exhibit brings the 19th century to life, according to Burt Kummerow, director of the Maryland Historical Society.

“The Mendes Cohen letters and artifacts have always been a treasure of our collection, and it is wonderful that we’ve found a way to engage the public with this story.”

Highlights of the exhibit include a welcome from the “ghost” of Mendes himself, portrayed by a living history character who introduces the maze experience by video clip.

Original artifacts range from Mendes’ hand-sewn American flag, created in 1832 as he sailed down the Nile River, to his US passport, issued in 1829, his traveling writing desk, artifacts collected on his journey through Egypt (the bulk of which now make up Johns Hopkins University’s Archaeological Museum), and much more.

Hands-on activities (at appropriate heights for little hands) include saving the powder magazine at Fort McHenry, designing your own flag for the journey through Egypt, even deciphering Mendes’ handwriting (you may need reading glassSee COHEN EXHIBIT, page 30

A man of many talents Mendes Cohen and his brother Philip (as well as four other Jewish men) fought in the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 at Fort

Hippodrome From page 28 “It is wonderful to have the opportunity to speak to a group of theater lovers who are excited to learn more about the history of a production and the actors — they know the plays and recognize the actors I am talking about,” said the 63-year-old Mt. Washington resident.

For her park, Rousuck is a fan of works ranging from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, to Baltimorean John Waters’ Hairspray, to works by Stephen Sondheim, George Bernard Shaw and Noel Coward. She loves to see the work of new playwrights as well. “I think every critic wants to be surprised by new works,” she said.

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Music and writing classes next In December, HFI will launch Get Hipp, an HFI senior education program using creative movement and music to promote inspiration, expression and communication. December’s class will focus on holiday favorites, and a spring class will teach classic oldies.

HFI will work with Rousuck again in the spring on another new program. This one will teach the elements of writing a critical review. Participants will write a review of a professional production performed at the Hippodrome Theatre.

“This type of intellectual stimulation not only enhances and enriches the lives of older adults. It is vital to their emotional well-being,” said Lisa Kennedy, Programs and Facilities Manager of the Baltimore County Department of Aging.

Most of the classes are free of charge.

For more information, visit www.hippodromefoundation.org/our-programs/ or call (410) 727-7787.

Atrium Village is an Official

TOYS FOR TOTS DROP OFF SITE

For each new prospective resident who visits us in December, we’ll donate a toy to Toys for Tots.

We also encourage you to bring a toy for a needy child to help fill our box.

TASTE AND TOURS

Join us each Thursday in December at 12:30PM for our Thankful Thursdays Taste and Tours*.

We’ll be serving a sensational chef-prepared lunch followed by warm pie and hot toddies.

Call to reserve a place at our table. Seating is limited. *Excluding December 25th

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Ongoing

FREE FALL BALTIMORE

From page 29

Everything is free at the ninth annual Free Fall Baltimore through

es for that!).

What is especially interesting about the exhibit is how it depicts the events in Mendes’ life in the context of what was happening in the young country of America — such as the struggle for equal rights for Jews in Maryland, and the fight for equality across many communities in the U.S. and in nations abroad.

“It’s a cliché to say that an exhibit has something for everyone,” said Pinkert.

“But this exhibit has been designed (by Minotaur Mazes) to be accessible at several different levels. For the young visitor who is just beginning to explore the past, it’s framed as an adventure. But for seasoned museum-goers, it provides an indepth look at the formation of a community’s identity.”

“The A-Mazing Mendes Cohen” is on view at the Jewish Museum of Maryland.

15 Lloyd St., Sundays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for students, and $3 for children 12 and under. For more in-

Friday, Oct. 31. The citywide celebration offers hundreds of free arts and cultural events and activities at participating venues throughout Baltimore City. Held in conjunction with National Arts and Humanities Month, area attractions and organizations showcase the importance of the arts with concerts, dance and theater performances, lectures, workshops, visual art exhibitions, tours and special events. You can find a full schedule of events on www.freefallbaltimore.org or call (410) 752-8632.

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formation, call (410) 732-6400 or visit www.jewishmuseummd.org.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

The Babe Ruth Museum hosts a sports photography exhibit in the Thomas Winstead, Jr. Gallery featuring 54 images by sports photographer Neil Leifer, including many of his memorable Sports Illustrated photos, such as Muhammad Ali’s 1965 knockout punch to Sonny Liston. The exhibit runs through Friday, Oct. 31. The museum is located at 301 W Camden St. For more information, call (443) 864-4246 or visit http://baberuthmuseum.org/.

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Mendes Cohen, a Baltimore soldier, banker and adventurer in the early 19th century, is the subject of a new exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. The maze-like display is open through next June.

BEACON BITS

Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

or call 410-941-4948.

COURTESY OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF MARYLAND

Cohen exhibit

BEACON BITS

Oct. 24

AR-BOO-RETUM!

Celebrate Halloween in the shadow of Cylburn Arboretum’s 1860’s mansion with night hikes, trick or treat stops and a costume parade from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cylburn is located at 4915 Greenspring Ave. General admission is $10; children, $5; seniors, military and students, free. Call (410) 367-2217 or visit http://cylburn.org/educationevents/special-events/arbooretum.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

31

Baseball’s Orioles taught me life lessons

By Jack Levine As I write this, the 2014 Major League Baseball Playoffs are in full swing. For as long as I can remember, I have been a baseball fan. In fact, I’ve learned much about life from my devotion to the game of baseball.

My grandfather, Aaron Cohen, loved the

Yankees. All of his friends and neighbors in the Bronx loved the Yankees. Every generation was devoted to that team, and everyone I knew as a child either loved the Yankees or hated the Yankees because they were Dodgers or Giants fans.

When those two National League teams abandoned New York for Sunny California PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK LEVINE

Native New Yorker Jack Levine (right) is pictured with his son Josh before an Orioles game. Levine became an Orioles fan as a child in the 1950s and has followed the team ever since.

in the late 1950’s, emotional crises ensued.

Those fans who decided not to jump out of their apartment windows developed deep dark depressions.

A few years later, the Mets were birthed.

But very few of the die-hard Dodgers and Giants fans embraced the new baby as their own, pining for the teams they loved as children.

Something in me made it difficult to embrace the Yankees. Maybe it’s because they always seemed to be winning, and as

a chubby, less-than-athletic kid, I never saw myself in those classic pin-stripes. I always favored the underdog, considering myself an “almost underdog” in many settings.

Falling for the Orioles Then 1959 came. My eighth birthday (June 26th) brought a strange but welcomed gift — a trip to Baltimore for a summer visit with Uncle Arthur and Aunt EsSee BASEBALL, page 32

32

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NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Baseball

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BALTIMORE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA WALKING TOURS The city’s oldest urban trail leads visitors through three distinct

neighborhoods: the Inner Harbor, Little Italy and historic Jonestown. Discover the people and places that have shaped Baltimore over the past four centuries. Tours are given weekdays at 10 a.m., and on weekends at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 2. Tickets for seniors are $5. For more information, call (410) 8786411 or visit www.explorebaltimore.org.

From page 31 ther. They had a son my age, and the master plan was for me to stay for a week or longer, and we would all go to baseball games.

My mom accompanied me to Baltimore on the five-hour train ride then left to go back home, and I found myself immersed in a whole new baseball culture.

The Baltimore Orioles were a new team, having moved from St. Louis in 1954, where they were called the “Browns.�

Their new hometown welcomed the fledging birds to their nest with enthusiasm.

Uncle Arthur worked for the post office delivering mail, and — get this — Memorial Stadium was on his mail route! Needless to say, he had great tickets, four rows off of the third base line.

So there I was, in a new Oriole cap, watching who would become the greatest third baseman in the history of the game, Brooks Robinson. The man did it all — defense, offense and flashing a modest “Arkansas Country Boy� smile my way.

We went to six games in eight days, and

BEACON BITS

Oct. 25

Cities around the world host Doors Open events, where notable architec-

ns !*

This year, Baltimore Architecture Month will host the first-ever DOORS OPEN BALTIMORE event. This year’s theme is “Industrial Baltimore.� To find out more, visit www.aiabalti-

in

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ACTIVE ADULT HOMES!

more.org/ or call (410) 625-2585.

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Lď?Żď?ˇ Mď?Ąď?Šď?Žď?´ď?Ľď?Žď?Ąď?Žď?Łď?Ľ Hď?Żď?­ď?Ľď?ł

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Left on Marley Neck Rd. First right on Osprey Landing Ct. Model on the right. OPEN DAILY 11-6. CLOSED THURS./FRI. MHBR# 155 williamsburgllc.com *On new contracts only. Limited time oer. Promotional amount capped at $20K. **Must use preferred lenders and settle at Lakeside Title. Brokers Welcome.

On the upswing Then 1966 rolled around. I was 15, a stage of life when everything seems awkward, and the last thing a kid wants is attention. But my Birds from Baltimore flew to the top of the baseball tree. We not only See BASEBALL, page 33

FROM PAGE 34

DOORS OPEN BALTIMORE

WATERSIDE

I was hooked! I frankly don’t remember how many of those games the O’s won.

That didn’t seem as relevant as this intimate relationship I was building with a new team who was not the Yankees!

Upon returning home to New York, my friends were baffled. “Your favorite team has a cartoon bird as their mascot?� “What are you friggin’ doing to yourself?� “Don’t you know they are basement dwellers and probably will never win anything?� “And by the way, where the hell is Baltimore?�

I stood my ground, changed my recreation league uniform number to 5 — just like Brooks — and tried to become the first left-handed third baseman in the history of baseball. All the while, I suffered the derisive scorn of adopting a loser team, and by association, I was a loser kid.

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

F A C

G Y M N A S I A

A C E I A N D A A B E S

A S P E A R I C E A H E N T E N D I T S L T S A N L E R A W P O N Y R T E O U T A O N O R F D A S

P E C S A N O E N D M E T P K M O U S E E A N N A D D O G S D N T E S H O W C O H O R S P A P S P A

S N E E

S A N S E A T

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

Baseball From page 32 took the American League pennant, we won the World Series...trouncing the Dodgers in a four-game sweep!

I was one happy fella! Don’t get me wrong. I was not carried through the neighborhood on anyone’s shoulders and no parade was organized for me or my Birds, but suffice it to say a little “come-uppance” is a sweet treat after years of tasting humble pie.

In the ensuing decades, my team has enjoyed both vaunting victory and dark defeat. My adoration for Brooks Robinson transitioned into adoration of Cal Ripken, Jr. — the Ironman who played some 15 seasons without missing a single game In late September, I visited New York for business and a healthy dose of late season baseball. Along with two good friends, everywhere we went — the streets, subways and of course at Yankee Stadium — the loud D-E-R-E-K J-E-T-E-R chant reverberated.

I share this because other than Brooks and Cal, I cannot think of a player besides

Derek who personifies the grace and grit, the love of the game and fan loyalty, that this kid from New Jersey displays.

The career of this beloved hero, now retired, speaks for itself. And most important, his aura of modest competence, both on and off the field, speaks to all of us.

My Orioles have enjoyed a great season.

As I complete this column (early October), I make no predictions, and hope for the best. But you can be sure of this: I have built a career advocating for the underdog (bird?), and cheering on those whose lives are dedicated to doing good for others.

I believe with all my heart that all children need the guidance of loved ones in their families and community to lead them in the direction of something that captures their lifelong passion.

While family policy advocacy is my field, there are lessons to be learned on every field of play: Keeping fit, practicing, learning the game, hard work, playing by the rules, overcoming adversity, performing

under stressful conditions, appreciating teammates, respecting fans, and — as important as any, whether winning or losing — loving the game. All of these lessons go a

long way toward helping us reach our goals.

Jack Levine, founder of 4Generations Institute based in Tallahassee, is a family policy advocate. He may be reached at jack@4gen.org.

Classified cont. from page 35.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational. Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

CHERYL’S CLEANING – Owner works alone. No Teams. Very thorough, honest and dependable. Reasonable rates. General cleaning and move-in, move-out cleaning.

Call Cheryl, 410-444-2608.

OUR LINE WORKERS UNDERGO TOUGH TRAINING

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 rugs 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.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

WE BUY OLD AND NEW JEWELRY, Coins, Silver and Gold, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks and Parts, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717658-7954.

OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling Silver Flatware, Tea Sets, Single Pieces, Fountain Pens, Lighters, Tools, Cameras, Glassware, Art Work. Toys From Trains to Hotwheels to Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY – pocket and wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, train sets and accessories, old toys, old glassware & coins. 410-655-0412.

ELECTRIC SLOT-RACING CARS & accessories from 60’s and 70’s especially Aurora, Atlas & Tyco HO-scale plus other manufactures & scales. Call Bill @ 410-615-7043.

BGE line workers are equipped to quickly and skillfully take action when needs arise—but not until they have proven themselves in some of the industry’s most rigorous training programs and simulated field operations.

In addition to ongoing employee training, BGE invests in safety and reliability through maintenance of emergency-response and storm-readiness plans, which we test with drills throughout the year. Choosing and training the right people are among the best investments we make for delivering the reliability you expect. To learn more about how smart energy gets more reliable every day, visit BGE.COM/RELIABILITY.

RELIABLE ENERGY. SMART ENERGY.

SO THE TAYLORS CAN STAY COMFORTABLE.

33

34

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Crossword Puzzle

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Tell your friends.

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus

Circle of Life 1

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by Stephen Sherr 6

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1. Gets hitched 5. Audibly express surprise 9. Chest muscles, briefly 13. Produce carbon monoxide 14. 365 days 15. Un ___ 365 dias 17. Violate a book banning 20. Fled on foot 21. Lady lobster 22. It tolled ya’ 23. Toy with 28. Groovy 29. “___ on it, Potsie” 30. Go out with 31. Departing part of ETA 32. Be under the weather 33. Kournikova or Karenina 36. Come down like the dickens 41. ___ gin fizz 42. Less of Lester 43. Evidence on Law and Order: SVU 44. Argentine aunt 46. Unedited 47. Commandment count 48. Overly elaborate presentations 54. Carpools’ right side 55. Watercolors and fingerpaints 56. Logical way to start 57. See ___ (and complete this puzzle’s Circle of Life) 63. Excessive outing 64. “Roadwork scheduled ___ about...”

65. One of the Bears 66. Cuts down trees 67. Since 2009, tobacco regulation is part of ___ mission 68. Not quite an all out war 1. Complex trail of deception 2. Bird from Down Under

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3. One-person fixer-upper project 4. Alibi 5. Halls of records 6. First 60% of a kindergartner’s sequence 7. Scent to one’s bedroom 8. Spruce up 9. Criticize in print 10. “If all economists were laid ___, they would not reach a conclusion” (Shaw) 11. ___Serve (early on-line service) 12. Looks for the hider 16. Snick-or-___ 18. Start of the second-mostvisited website 19. Throw-ins 23. Letters in an Rx sign 24. Pre-Euro currency 25. Jazz Appreciation Month 26. Abuse a pinball machine 27. Honey drinks 32. ___ the hole 34. Greet from afar 35. Vice President during every manned moon landing 37. Older 38. The “A.” in Chester A. Arthur 39. Bank holiday 40. Without 45. It’ll do ya 46. Chubby 48. “___ I do, not...”

49. Vitality 50. Piercing stare 51. Vodka value 52. Hogwarts or Monsters U. 53. B-ball 58. Two-time loser to D.D.E. 59. ___ fault (excessively) 60. It can be taken or beaten 61. Health resort 62. Devour cauliflower

Answers on page 32.

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2014

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 right.

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.

Business Employment Opportunities ASSEMBLE PRODUCTS AT HOME. Easy work, great pay, over 80 easy-to-assemble products. Everyone accepted. For free work at home guide write to: HomeJobs-BB, PO Box, Forest Hill, Maryland 21050.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Business Employment Opportunities THE AWARD-WINNING BARKS AND BLOOMS is looking for Fabulous Animal Lovers to join our Pet Sitting Company. If interested, please contact us online at www.barksandblooms.com.

Financial Services ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING, TAXES – conscientious CPA, 37 years experience, reasonable rates, looking for additional business, personal and eldercare clients. Call 410-653-3363.

For Rent GARDENVILLE – LARGE, CLEAN furnished bedroom, with private bath for rent in private home. Utilities and refrigerator included. Reasonable – 410-485-1702.

TIME TO DOWNSIZE BUT DON’T KNOW where to start? Let me handle the details of your move, and I will help you step by step. Seasoned, patient, caring realtor for 30 years. Free consultation & home evaluation. Don’t be overwhelmed. Call me today. Ask for Rosemary Taylor, 443-474-2784, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 410-461-7600.

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, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise.

Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text 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 For Sale

Home/Handyman Services

GARDENS OF FAITH – 2 adjacent lots. First Miracle Garden. Retail value $3,595 each. Sell for $1500 each. Call Nancy, 410-486-2708.

SANFORD & SON HAULING & RECYCLING. Trash + Junk removal, house & estate cleanouts, garage+ basement cleanouts. Demolition – Shed, deck fence + pool removal. Licensed + insured. Free estimates over the phone. Call 7 days a week, 7 am to 7 pm. 410-746-5090.

WE BUY HOUSES FOR CA$H – Call today, 240-670-6797. Iwant2helpyou.com.

MORELAND MEMORIAL PARK cemetery. 3 lots at $2,000 each. Retail $3,000 each. Call Tom, 410-949-4932.

1919 MONROE STREET, Baltimore, MD. 21217. Large room with bathroom and storage space. Ideal small business opportunity or clubroom. $400/month. Call 410-298-8048.

PARKWOOD CEMETERY – Taylor Avenue – Poplar Lot 831 – Site 2. Also includes one burial vault and one opening and closing of grave site – value $6,685. Sell for $3,300 or best offer, 410-529-1191.

NEWLY-RENOVATED LOVELY one-bedroom apartment in private home. Ground floor, private entrance, washer/dryer. Quiet neighborhood in Pikesville. $800. If interested, please call 410-653-2594.

BOOKS, THOUSANDS, for the collector and reader, all ages and subjects. Antique Depot, historic Ellicott City, Booth 119, 3rd floor.

For Sale STUDENT DESK AND CHAIR, wood, $200.

Chrome clothes hanger with shelf, $25. 3 box xmas balls, 50 cents each. 10 paper books 50 cents each. 410-529-1764.

30 WESTERN POCKET BOOKS – Mostly L. ‘Amour, $25. 10 Western Hardbacks – includes 4 leather-covered by L. ‘Amour, $30. Call for list of Civil War Book Collectibles. 410-866-2373.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements.

Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates. 10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285).

Personals SBM, 51, NICE-LOOKING ISO: SB/WF 30-50 friendship/more who’s nice, honest, caring, loving, down to earth, passionate, nice personality, likes to cuddle. Write: P.O. Box 33471, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Classified cont. on page 33.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

OMEGA-3 Fish Oil Study . . . . .15 Dementia Caregivers Study . .13 Elderly Falls Study . . . . . . . . .14 Healthy Aging Study . . . . . . . .14 Memory Study . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Alzheimer’s Disease Study . . .15

Elections

League of Women Voters . . . . . . . .9 John Sarbanes Congressman . . . 25

Events

AARP Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Beacon 50+Expo . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Financial Services

Debt Counsel for Seniors and the Disabled . . .30 Golden Real Estate . . . . . . . . .32 JSR Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Keeping Money Safe . . . . . . . .19 Ridgebrook Insurance . . . . . . .19

Funeral Services

Holly Hill Memorial Gardens . . .24 Sterling Ashton Schwab Witzke Funeral Home . . . . .31

Hearing Services

Hearing & Speech Agency . . . .16 Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Home Health Care

Options for Senior America . . . . .4

Housing

AHEPA Senior Housing . . . . .34 Aigburth Vale Apts . . . . . . . . .18 Alta Regency . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Atrium Village . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Charlestown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Cove Point Apartments . . . . . . .7 Ednor Apartments . . . . . . . . . .32 Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Greens/Hammond Lane . . . . . .7 Greens/Irvington Mews . . . . . .7 Greens/Liberty Road . . . . . . . . .7 Greens/Rolling Road . . . . . . . . .7 Heritage Run at Stadium Place .5 Memorial Apartments . . . . . . .31 Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Osprey Landing on Marley Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Paradise Assisted Living . . . . .27 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . .21 Park View Apartments . . . . . .22 Shangri-La Assisted Living . . .27 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers 25 Weinberg Manor South . . . . . . .4 Westminster House Apts . . . . .33

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Housing Referral Service

Senior Placement Service/ Care Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Legal Services

Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . .21

Medical/Health

Ideal Health Chiropractic . . . . .8 Low Vision Specialists of Maryland & Virginia . . . . . .11 Dr. Stuart Goldman, DPM . . .16 Medstar Heart Health . . . . . . .17 Merritt Athletic Club . . . . . . . .13 Medstar Orthopaedics . . . . . . . .6 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . .17 Progressive Rehab . . . . . . . . . .10 Dr. Richard Rosenblatt . . . . . .17 Smart Pain Management . . . . . .9 State Health Insurance Assistance Program . . . . . . .19

Movers

Easy Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Pharmacies

CVS Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Rite Aid Pharmacy . . . . . . . . .26 Walgreen’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Retail

First Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Bluepoint Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . .8 Communicare Health . . . . . . .11 Forest Haven Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . .25 Holly Hill Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . .10 Manor Care Health Services . .12 Northwest Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . .8

Theatres/ Entertainment

The Lyric/Madam Butterfly . .28 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . .30 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . .28

Tour & Travel

Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel . . . . .27

Utility Services

BGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Volunteers

Baltimore City RSVP . . . . . . .18

36

NOVEMBER 2014 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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The cares of the day seem to fade away, along with the aches and pains of everyday life. Unfortunately for many aging Americans with mobility issues, slipping into a bath can result in slipping onto the floor. The fear of falling has made the simple act of bathing and its therapeutic benefits a thing of the past until now. JacuzziÂŽ, the company that perfected hydrotherapy, has created a walk-in tub that offers more than just safe bathing, peace-of-mind and independence, it can actually help you feel better.