November 2012 Baltimore Beacon Edition

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When heartburn leads to heartache

NOVEMBER 2012

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PHOTO BY FRANK KLEIN

By Carol Sorgen Mindy Mintz Mordecai is a familiar face to many from her years serving as a reporter and program host on Maryland Public Television, WBAL channel 11, and WYPR-FM, where she was named Baltimore’s Best Radio Talk Show Host by the Baltimore City Paper.

As recently as five years ago, Mordecai had a successful career as both a broadcast reporter and attorney. She was also happily married to her husband John (known to all as Monte), and mother to daughters Mara and Maya.

But then the family’s life took a tragic turn when John was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer. He died just a year later, leaving Mordecai trying to understand how this could have happened.

“From being a reporter, I thought I was pretty aware of health issues,” said the 53year-old Pikesville resident. “But I was flabbergasted when I found out that esophageal cancer can be caused by reflux disease [heartburn].”

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A glitzy train ride through Asia on the Eastern & Oriental Express; plus, laid-back living in eclectic Key West, Fla. page 26

Sobering statistics While her husband was ill, Mordecai spent countless hours online looking for treatments that could save his life. She thought there would be many organizations to which she could turn.

What she found, however, was that public — and even medical — awareness of esophageal cancer was alarmingly low, even though it’s one of the fastest increasing cancer diagnoses in the U.S. Every day, an estimated 25 million American adults suffer from Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease (GERD) or heartburn.

The condition occurs when food and stomach acid back up into the esophagus, irritating its sensitive lining. Some experts believe that 40 percent of adults experience heartburn every month.

Some people with GERD will develop a condition called Barrett’s esophagus. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus have a 30to 125-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. Persistent backup of acid from the stomach alters the normal cells lining the esophagus, causing a change in the DNA that can allow cancer cells to take over.

ARTS & STYLE Mindy Mintz Mordecai gave up her career as a reporter and talk show host to establish and run the Esophageal Cancer Action Network following the death of her husband from the disease. The nonprofit organization raises awareness of esophageal cancer, particularly its link with heartburn.

The incidence of esophageal cancer due to any cause increases with age. About 8 out of 10 people diagnosed are between the ages of 55 and 85. (Mordecai’s husband was 63 when he died.)

Despite these statistics, said Mordecai, few people understand that heartburn can cause cancer. And currently, only one in five patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer will survive five years, largely because the disease is usually detected at late stages.

But if esophageal cancer is caught in pre-cancerous or early cancer stages, patients have a good chance for survival.

common as heartburn had caused her husband’s cancer, and determined that no other family should suffer a loss because of this devastating disease, three years ago Mordecai founded the national Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN).

Mordecai and the ECAN board of directors, comprised of physicians and business leaders, are working to increase awareness about the link between heartburn and cancer, and support increased funding of research for esophageal cancer treatment, detection and prevention.

“So many people believe heartburn is benign,” said Mordecai, noting that doc-

Filling an information void Angry and frustrated that something as

See MORDECAI page 11

The Color Purple musical moves audiences at Toby’s; plus, a conversation with Ms. magazine founder Susan Braun Levine page 30

LAW & MONEY k Funds that beat the market k Annuity pros and cons VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Zumba for all

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Appreciation time It’s definitely feeling like fall around Vic Jose Award for General Excellence.

The lovely engraved gold desk clock that here. And with Thanksgiving not far away, comes as the Vic Jose Award autumn always feels like a is prominently placed in the ofgood time to think about apfice of our managing editor, preciation.

Barbara Ruben, whose efI have a number of things forts have so much to do with to be thankful for this fall, not our winning that award. the least of which is our staff We have long submitted arhere at the Beacon. And apparently I’m not the only one ticles in the National Mature who thinks they are doing a Media Awards writing comwonderful job. petition, perhaps the most In the last month, three naprestigious of the competitional newspaper and pub- FROM THE tions for publications in our lishing organizations have PUBLISHER niche. This is the competition held their annual meetings By Stuart P. Rosenthal that is often swept by AARP’s and industry competitions, Bulletin and Magazine. showcasing the best-written, best-edited Nearly every year we receive one or and best-designed publications. more Mature Media Awards, and this year Because we did very well in those com- we were happy to win three: A Silver petitions, I now have a chance both to Award for our Washington February 2011 show my appreciation for our talented staff cover story, “Sex, drugs and HIV after 50” of writers and editors, and to crow a bit for by Barbara Ruben; a Silver Award for Barbara’s August 2011 Washington cover the honors that the Beacon won.

This is the first year we have submitted story, “Buying into a 2nd (or 3rd) career,” entries in the competition sponsored by and a Merit Award for Carol Sorgen’s the Independent Free Papers of America cover story, “When grown kids move back (IFPA), a group comprising all types of in,” which ran in both our Baltimore and Howard County editions. free newspapers around the country.

And most recently, we learned the reWe were so pleased to have won two awards in our size category: first place for sults of the North American Mature PubFeature Writing, and second place in the lishers Association (NAMPA) awards,

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County and Greater Washington and Palm Springs, CA. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), repaid with order. MD residents add 6 percent for sales tax.

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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

which are judged by the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

There, all four of our Beacon editions had award-winning articles in their respective circulation categories.

Our Howard County edition won first place for feature writing with its August 2011 cover story, “He bought a town to preserve it,” written for us by R. A. Propper. The judges called the piece “a sublime read,” saying, “The writer found an intriguing character with an amazing story to share and told it very well.”

Our Greater Baltimore edition won second place for last April’s cover, “Father and son get a TV show,” by Carol Sorgen. The judges praised Sorgen for doing “a nice job of both satisfying reader curiosity and documenting the genuine natures of the father and son.”

In addition, our Baltimore edition, which Sorgen helps write every month, won first place in its circulation category for General Excellence, with the judges saying it “covers all the bases” and that “each page is full of fresh, valuable information for the audience.”

Our Greater Washington edition also won in a number of categories, including first place for travel writing (Victor Block), first place for How-To Feature (Barbara Ruben), first place for Topical Issues (for my recent column “No patience for politics,”) and, like our Baltimore edition, first place for General Excellence for its circulation size (100,000+).

The judges called the Beacon, “an outstanding example of a publication that finds subjects with powerful connections to readers….The overall package is striking.”

I was particularly thrilled that our newest edition, the Coachella Valley Beacon, which serves the Palm Springs area of California, also won two awards though it’s less than a year old.

And finally, www.theBeaconNewspa-

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.

• 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

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. © Copyright 2012 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

pers.com won second place for websites, with the judges saying, “The variety and richness of the topics on this site make it inviting…It’s a strong resource for the community.”

Of course, whatever awards we do or do not win, what always matters most to us is what our readers think. We value your opinion, always welcome your input, and ask that you share your comments and suggestions with us via mail, e-mail, phone or fax. We love to hear from you.

I want to conclude by expressing my thanks to, and admiration for, the entire Beacon staff, which works so diligently to produce our four editions every month. I’d like to thank them by name for their efforts and devoted contributions to the Beacon: Managing Editor Barbara Ruben, Contributing Editor Carol Sorgen, Director of Operations Gordon Hasenei, Director of Sales Alan Spiegel, Graphic Designer Kyle Gregory, Asst. Operations Manager (and webmaster) Roger King, Advertising Representatives Doug Hallock, Steve Levin, Cheryl Watts, Dan Kelly and Jill Joseph, and last but certainly not least, my wife and Associate Publisher Judy Rosenthal.

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

The Beacon would not exist without all of their efforts, nor without your reading our publications. My appreciation goes out to all of you.

Dear Editor: I look forward to reading the Beacon on a regular basis. I must certainly commend you and the staff for sharing so much information for us seniors on matters regarding healthcare, financial topics, housing and so much more.

What an excellent and informative resource we have at hand. A job well done!

I just had my 64th birthday on 9/11, and I am writing to encourage many of your readers who may be facing a serious health issue, such as cancer.

I am presently going through multiple myeloma and prostate cancer, but I keep a positive attitude and strong faith in God. I meet so many patients while at my on-

cologist who are depressed and have low self-esteem. Don’t give up, and remember we have a higher power who knows all things beyond our understanding.

You can make it. Take it from me; I am not a victim, but a victor, as I live each day with hope and strong faith in God. Dr. Timothy M. Modlin Baltimore Dear Editor: I am a practicing Catholic with adult children who are what some would call traditionally married. As I get older, I find that being rigid about ideas and issues is not necessarily a sign of wisdom.

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 32

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

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AARP encourages you to consider your needs when selecting products and does not make specific product recommendations for individuals. Plan is insured or covered by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliates, a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor.

UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers. You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year.

Members may use any pharmacy in the network, but may not receive Preferred Pharmacy network pricing. Target Pharmacy accepts other Part D plans. Copays apply after deductible. Target Pharmacies are not located in all Target stores, hours vary by location, services of pharmacist may not be available at all times when Target stores are open. Free translation services available. ©2012 Target Stores. Target and the Bullseye Design are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. 112103 Y0066_PDPSPRJ11372_000 CMS Accepted

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TAKE A BITE OUT OF PET BILLS Pet health insurance can help pay for large vet bills, but read the fine print to determine coverage PROS AND CONS OF ANNUITIES While annuities can provide lifetime income, they have downsides to watch out for, too FOOLPROOF PASSWORDS How to create and remember computer passwords that can’t be cracked by criminals

Four low-cost funds that beat the market

By Mark Jewell An index mutual fund is a sensible option for building a diversified stock portfolio while keeping investment costs under control. The approach is simple: The fund holds the same stocks as the segment of the market it tracks. Expenses are low because there's no professional manager picking the investments.

But you also give up something with an index approach. You're guaranteeing that you'll never beat the market. In fact, you'll come up a bit short, because the modest fees that index funds charge are shaved off investment returns.

If that proposition isn't appealing, consider funds run by pros who try to outperform the market. With a little research, an investor can find managed funds charging fees that aren't far above those assessed by

some higher-cost index funds. And several among that select group have beaten the market over periods spanning several years.

That's not to say these funds necessarily will maintain their standout performance. In most years, a majority of managed funds fail to beat the market. What's more, a wealth of research has shown that a fund's expenses are almost always a more significant factor in long-term returns than any edge a manager can achieve.

But it's hard to argue with the results the four funds below have delivered, or with the fees charged. Each invests primarily in large U.S. companies, the types of stocks that typically anchor a well-diversified portfolio.

Each has outperformed a large-cap stock index, the Russell 1000, over the latest fiveand 10-year periods.

And the funds have accomplished that

while charging fees that are below 0.74 percent. That's the average expense ratio that investors paid last year to invest in U.S. stock funds of all types, managed and index, according to Morningstar.

Each of the four requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000 or less, so the funds are accessible to most individual investors.

None charges an upfront sales fee, known as a load.

The four, listed in order of their 10-year returns:

Mairs & Power Growth (MPGFX) This fund barely made the cut because its expense ratio of 0.71 percent is only slightly below average. But it's a standout in several other respects.

Its 10-year return places the fund within the top 10 percent among its large-cap blend

peers, which invest in a mix of value- and growth-oriented stocks. It's also in the top 10 percent over the past five-year period and 12 months.

The fund's managers, William Frels and Mark Henneman, typically invest a substantial portion of the portfolio in companies with headquarters in Minnesota or neighboring states. That's the region that the St. Paul-based managers know best.

At latest count, the fund held 47 stocks, with Minnesota-based Valspar, 3M, Target, Ecolab and U.S. Bancorp making up the top five holdings. The fund tends to hold stocks for years before trading them. Three of those top five holdings have been in the portfolio since 1993.

See FUNDS, page 5

Deficits will dwarf Social Security surplus

By Stephen Ohlemacher As millions of baby boomers flood Social Security with applications for benefits, the program's $2.7 trillion surplus is starting

to look small.

For nearly three decades Social Security produced big surpluses, collecting more in taxes from workers than it paid in benefits

Small Social Security COLA next year More than 56 million Americans on Social Security will get raises averaging $19 a month come January, one of the smallest hikes since automatic adjustments for inflation were adopted in 1975.

It’s expected that about a third of the 1.7 percent increase in benefits will get wiped out by higher Medicare premiums, which are deducted from Social Security payments. The Medicare premium hike had not yet been announced when the Beacon went to press, but is projected to be about $7 per month.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is tied to a government measure of inflation. The small increase confirms that inflation has been relatively low over the past year, despite the recent surge in gasoline prices.

Congress has been considering changing the way the COLA is calculated by adopting a new inflation index that would result in even lower annual adjustments.

Social Security recipients received a 3.6 percent increase in benefits at the start of this year after getting none the previous two years.

In addition to retired and disabled workers, Social Security provides benefits to millions of spouses, widows, widowers and children. About 8 million people who receive Supplemental Security Income, the disability program for poor people, will also receive the COLA. In all, the increase will affect about one in five U.S. residents.

— AP

to retirees. The surpluses also helped mask the size of the budget deficit being generated by the rest of the federal government.

Those days are over. Since 2010, Social Security has been paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes, adding to the urgency for Congress to address the program's long-term finances.

“To me, urgent doesn't begin to describe it,” said Chuck Blahous, one of the public trustees who oversee Social Security. “I would say we're somewhere between critical and too late to deal with it.”

The Social Security trustees project the surplus will be gone in 2033. Unless Congress acts, Social Security would only collect enough tax revenue each year to pay about 75 percent of benefits, triggering an automatic reduction.

Lawmakers from both political parties say they want to avoid such a dramatic benefit cut for people who have retired and might not have the means to make up the lost income. Still, that scenario is more than two decades away, which is why many in Congress are willing to put off changes.

Snowballing shortfall But once the surplus is spent, the annual funding gaps start off big and grow fast, which could make them hard to rein in if

Congress procrastinates.

The projected shortfall in 2033 is $623 billion, according to the trustees' latest report. It reaches $1 trillion in 2045 and nearly $7 trillion in 2086, the end of a 75-year period used by Social Security's number crunchers because it covers the retirement years of just about everyone working today.

Add up 75 years' worth of shortfalls and you get an astonishing figure: $134 trillion.

Adjusted for inflation, that's $30.5 trillion in 2012 dollars, or eight times the size of this year's entire federal budget.

Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said he is frustrated that little has been done to solve a problem that is only going to get harder to fix as 2033 approaches. If changes are done soon, they can be spread out over time, perhaps sparing current retirees while giving workers time to increase their savings.

“It won't be easy but it's just going to get harder the longer they wait,” Astrue said.

There is no consensus in Washington on how pressing the problem is.

President Barack Obama created a deficit-reduction commission in 2010, but didn't embrace its plan for Social Security: raising the retirement age, reducing benefits for medium- and high-income workers, See SOCIAL SECURITY, page 5

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Funds

That emphasis can hold the fund back T. Rowe Price Growth stock Vanguard Equity-Income (VEIPX) (PRGFX) This fund takes a similar approach to when the market rallies. For example, Equi-

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and raising the cap on the amount of wages subject to the payroll tax, all very gradually.

The issue has been largely absent from this year's presidential election. Neither Obama nor his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, has made it a significant part of the campaign.

Blahous, a Republican, warns that the magnitude of the problem is becoming so great that “Social Security's days as a selffinancing program are numbered” if Congress doesn't act in the next few years. Democrat Robert Reischauer, Social Security's other public trustee, is less dire in his predictions but has told Congress that it needs to act within five years.

Social Security's finances are being hit by a wave of demographics as aging baby boomers reach retirement, leaving relatively

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From page 4

fewer workers behind to pay into the system.

In 1960, there were 4.9 workers paying Social Security taxes for each person getting benefits. Today, there are about 2.8 workers for each beneficiary, a ratio that will drop to 1.9 workers by 2035, according to projections by the Congressional Budget Office.

About 56 million people now collect Social Security benefits, and that is projected to grow to 91 million in 2035.

Despite the severity and extent of the problem, the solution needn’t be draconian. The Social Security Administration says if payroll taxes were increased by 2.67 percentage points, to a little more than 15 percent (half from employers; half from employees), they would generate enough money to cover the 75-year shortfall, with some left over.

To read the 2012 Social Security Trustees report, see www.ssa.gov/ oact/tr/2012/index.html.

— AP

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ty-Income's 17 percent return in 2009 lagged the Standard & Poor's 500 by 9 percentage points, and trailed nearly nine of 10 peers.

But last year, the fund beat that index by 8 percentage points, returning nearly 11 percent. In the large-value category, the fund's five- and 10-year average annualized returns rank within the top 10 percent among its peers.

— AP

F R E E

This is one of the standout managed funds at Vanguard, best known for index funds. With an expense ratio of just 0.31 percent, it's among the lowest-cost managed funds.

The emphasis in the portfolio of around 50 stocks is dividend-payers. Recent top holdings include PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson, Occidental Petroleum, Target and Exxon Mobil.

Morningstar analysts currently give the fund a top-rung gold medal ranking, based on their assessment of its future prospects.

Among other things, Morningstar cites the fund's stable management. Don Kilbride has run the fund the past six years, and has more than $1 million personally invested in the fund.

Vanguard Dividend Growth, focusing on dividend-paying stocks while also charging expenses of just 0.31 percent. But this fund is more diversified than the other, with a portfolio of around 150 stocks.

The four-person management team also puts a sharper focus on value-oriented stocks, which tend to generate steady earnings and are considered inexpensive based on their price-to-earnings ratios.

F R E E

Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX)

With expenses of 0.70 percent, this fund also just made the cut. The emphasis is on growth stocks, which typically generate revenue and earnings at an above-average rate.

Examples include Apple and Google, the fund's recent top two holdings, making up 11 percent and 3.8 percent of the portfolio, respectively.

Apple's recent strong performance has been a big contributor to the fund's 17 percent year-to-date return, which ranks in the top 10 percent among peers. Over 10 years, the fund ranks in the top 20 percent.

Morningstar analysts are cautious about the fund, currently maintaining a “Neutral” rating. One reason is the fund's inability to offer much protection in sharp market declines. In 2008, for example, the fund lost 42 percent, worse than nearly two-thirds of its peers.

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From page 4

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The pros and cons of annuities — Part II In my last column, I described the various types of annuities. This month, we’ll address specifically the pros and cons of these tax-deferred retirement savings vehicles.

diate annuity, it would be prudent to do so with only a portion of your total portfolio.

Many retirees like to use an immediate annuity to cover their fixed costs, and describe it as similar to having a salary Immediate annuities to meet regular expenses.

Guaranteed income for life However, most immediate is a big time benefit of immeannuities provide for fixed diate annuities, but it comes payments, which are not adat a cost. The first concern is justed for inflation. Although that you are giving up access we are in a low inflation envito your money (the lump- RETIRE SMART ronment today, who knows sum payment you make to By Jill Schlesinger whether prices will rise subpurchase the annuity) in exstantially during the payout change for a lifetime income stream period of your annuity? (consisting of both the principal and inAlso, realize that an investment in an imterest). mediate annuity is an investment in the As you age, access to money becomes company that issues it. The guaranteed more important, so tying up your savings stream of income is only as good as the firaises a significant concern. For this rea- nancial stability of the insurance company son, if you are going to invest in an imme- that writes the contract. As we all learned

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HOW TO AVOID SCAMS This free session at Cockeysville Senior Center will explain how to

avoid popular scams targeting seniors, and steps to take if you are a victim of financial fraud. It takes place on Monday, Nov. 19 at 11:15 a.m. at the center, 10535 York Rd., Cockeysville. For more information, call (410) 887-2002.

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during the recent crisis, insurance companies can run into big problems.

Deferred annuities Although there are different flavors of deferred annuities (fixed, variable, equity index), they all share two distinct phases: the accumulation phase, during which your money grows on a tax-deferred basis, and the payout phase, during which you begin to receive scheduled payments.

Deferred annuities share the same lack of liquidity as immediate annuities, but there are other, more worrisome downsides to these contracts.

Insurance agents often extol the tax advantages of deferred annuities, but there are three big issues surrounding their taxation.

First, when you start withdrawing money from the annuity, earnings (but not principal) will be taxed at your ordinary income rate, rather than at the lower capital gains rates applied to investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other nontax-deferred vehicles in which funds are held for more than one year.

So, investing in a deferred annuity means that you may be converting capital gains into ordinary income, which can add up to big tax payments, especially for those in high tax brackets. [Editor’s note: The same ordinary income tax treatment would apply to earnings from an immediate annuity.]

Second, many financial advisers and insurance agents recommend variable or equity-index annuities for accounts that are already tax-deferred, like 401(k)s, 403(b)s and IRAs. This makes absolutely no sense, because these accounts are already tax-advantaged. If someone tries to sell you a variable annuity to hold in a tax-deferred

account, or encourages you to purchase an annuity before you maximize your retirement plan contribution, head for the exit.

Third, from an estate planning perspective, proceeds from most deferred annuities do not receive a "step up" in cost basis when the owner dies. Other types of investments, such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds, do provide a step up in tax basis upon the owner's death, which can limit the tax liability for your heirs.

By far the most problematic issue with deferred, variable and equity-index annuities are the sky-high costs. Mortality and expense charges (M&E), administrative fees, underlying fund expenses, charges for special features, and the salesperson's commission can eat up 2 to 3 percent of the value of your investment every year!

Insurance professionals will talk about the value of the death benefit of these contracts, but since most people are using the funds in retirement, the death benefit is irrelevant. If you do need life insurance, there are lots of cheaper options, like term insurance.

By now you realize that I'm not a huge fan of deferred variable annuities, but if you already own one, consider exchanging it for a lower cost one through TIAA-CREF or Vanguard. Section 1035 of the tax code allows you to swap one annuity for a similar one without triggering tax liability.

When considering annuities to secure income in retirement, make sure you weigh the potential benefits as well as the inherent risks in these complicated savings vehicles.

Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is the Editor-at-Large for www.CBSMoneyWatch.com. She welcomes comments and questions at askjill@moneywatch.com. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc

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7

Taking the bite out of pet healthcare costs

By Jessica Anderson As recently as 20 years ago, if a pet was seriously ill, treatment options were limited. Today, many of the options available to humans — transplants, cancer treatments and so on — are also available for pets.

Rather than choose between your pet's well-being and your wallet, you may be considering pet health insurance. If you think buying a policy might be right for you, do plenty of research.

Until 1997, the only company offering pet insurance was VPI, and it still has the largest share of the market. But competition has been growing over the past five years, and now 11 companies offer coverage.

Older pets — those past 7 to 10 years old — may not be eligible for a new policy, so getting a policy when your pet is a pup (or a kitten) is the way to go.

Check out claims payments When you're shopping policies, the first thing to look at is how a company pays out claims. The higher the maximum payouts, the pricier the premiums.

VPI, for example, reimburses according to a set schedule of benefits. That means that for each diagnosis there's a ceiling on the amount you can be reimbursed, and the plan pays 90 percent of the allowed amount.

In return, premiums are fairly inexpensive.

(As when you use your own health insurance out of network, you pay the vet directly and submit your bill for reimbursement.)

Many of the newer companies pay a percentage of your vet bill, up to 90 percent.

Be sure you understand the deductibles and maximums. Deductibles can be annual, per visit or per incident (say, if Fluffy gets hit by a car and requires multiple vet visits). Plans may have annual maximums that limit the payout per year, or they may have per-incident maximums.

For older pets and pets with higher-risk lifestyles — cats that live outdoors or dogs that are allowed to roam, for example — look for policies with higher maximums because it's more likely those pets will have higher expenses.

Wellness plans Many pet insurers offer a wellness plan as a rider to a policy that covers injury and illness. Wellness plans cover routine care — such as physical exams, flea-and-tick and heartworm medications, vaccinations and regular testing. You'll be reimbursed based on a schedule — say, $20 to $50 for a physical exam.

Preexisting conditions are never covered, said Michael Hemstreet, editor of PetInsuranceReview.com. Hereditary dis-

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orders — such as hip dysplasia in golden retrievers and kidney disease in Persian cats — are generally not covered, either.

Ask how the insurer handles chronic conditions, such as epilepsy in dogs and

asthma in cats. Those issues will likely require numerous vet visits.

Jessica Anderson is an associate editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. © 2012 Kiplinger's Personal Finance

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to compare Medicare prescription plans

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior: Is it important to compare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans every year? My pharmacist recommends it, but it’s such a hassle sorting through all those different plans.

— Confused Beneficiary Dear Confused: Because all Medicare Part D prescription drug plans can change their costs and coverage each calendar year, comparing plans every year during the open enrollment period (which is Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) is still the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on your best deal for 2013, especially if you take a lot of medications.

Here are a few tips and resources that

can help you compare plans with the least amount of hassle.

Online tool If you’re comfortable using a computer, you can easily compare Medicare’s drug plans yourself online. Just go to Medicare’s Plan Finder Tool at www.medicare.gov/finda-plan, and type in your ZIP code or your personal information, the drugs you take and their dosages, and select the pharmacies you use. You’ll get a cost comparison breakdown for each plan available in your area.

This tool also provides a five-star rating system that evaluates each plan based on past customer service records, and suggests generics or older brand-name drugs that can reduce your costs.

It’s also important to keep in mind that when you’re comparing drug plans, don’t judge a plan strictly by its monthly premium cost. Low-premium plans are often associated with higher prescription co-payments and may end up being more expensive.

Instead, look at the “estimated annual drug costs” that shows how much you can expect to pay over a year in total out-ofpocket costs — including premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

Also, be sure the plan you’re considering covers all of the drugs you take with no restrictions. Some plans may require you to get permission or try a number of cheaper drugs before they will cover certain prescriptions.

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If you need some help with this or if you don’t have Internet access to compare the plans yourself, ask your kids, grandkids or a trusted computer-savvy friend to help you. Or, you can call Medicare at 1-800633-4227 and a customer service representative will compare plans for you over the phone for free.

Another resource that you can call on for help is your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free one-on-one Medicare counseling in person or over the phone. They also conduct seminars during the open enrollment period at

various locations throughout each state.

To find the contact information for your local SHIP, visit http://shiptalk.org, or call the eldercare locator at 800-677-1116.

Smaller donut hole You also need to know that Medicare’s “donut-hole” coverage gap will shrink a little more next year. In 2013, Medicare Part D beneficiaries that hit the coverage gap will receive a 52.5 percent discount on brand-name drugs, and a 21 percent discount on generic medications.

For 2013, the coverage gap begins when your total drug cost exceeds $2,970 (that includes your share and the insurer’s share of the costs) and ends when combined spending is $6,733. After that, your Part D plan usually covers around 95 percent of your remaining drug costs for the year.

Low income assistance Also, be aware that if your annual income is under $16,755 ($22,695 for married couples living together), and your assets are below $13,070 ($26,120 for married couples), you may be eligible for the federal Low Income Subsidy known as “Extra Help.”

It pays for your Part D premiums, deductibles and copayments, and is worth about $4,000 a year. For more information or to apply, call Social Security at 1-800-7721213 or visit www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp.

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Better passwords improve online security

By John Miley If you're like most people, you shrug off advice to craft truly secure passwords for your online accounts. But easy-to-remember words and phrases leave your accounts susceptible — and using the same password on more than one site creates a potential field day for hackers.

In a survey by Trusteer, a computer-security firm, three-fourths of respondents said they've reused their online banking password to access at least one nonfinancial website.

"If even one of those accounts is compromised and its password stolen, all your accounts may be at risk," said Lujo Bauer, a professor of computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

How to make passwords The first step to beefing up your online security is creating better passwords and changing them frequently. A six-character password in all lowercase letters, such as

kitten, would take a hacker's computer less than a day to guess, according to a tool at Passfault.com.

However, a complex password that combines upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, such as %+M;8aa@?aVt, would take four centuries to crack. (To test your passwords, go to www.microsoft.com /security and click on "Create strong passwords.")

Remembering such souped-up passwords is a hassle, but some simple memorization strategies can fix that. Because longer is better, try using a phrase or sentence, such as TheBoyWentBacktoSchool.

If your account has a character limit, use a mnemonic trick to jog your memory, and include non-letter symbols: "We have a boy who is 18 and a dog that is 7" becomes Whab#18aad#7.

How to remember them Once you've created stronger passwords, you may have trouble keeping

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track of them. That's where password managers come in handy.

Services such as LastPass (www.lastpass.com; premium costs $12 per year and comes with mobile access on iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Windows Phone) and 1Password (www.agilebits.com; $35; available for Apple and Android mobile devices) store and remember all your passwords for all your accounts.

With one master login and password to the service, you have access to everything. Bonus: Both services will automatically generate secure passwords for you.

For those willing to take an extra step to access accounts in the name of security, some online providers, such as Google,

offer two-step verification (go to Account Settings to set up the service).

After you sign up, a code is sent to your cellphone via text or voice. To log in to your online account, you must enter the code as well as your regular password.

With this extra step, even were hackers to figure out your password, that wouldn’t give them access to your account.

The code is good for one month per computer. When its 30 days are up, a new code is sent to you automatically. LastPass offers a similar service.

John Miley is a reporter for the Kiplinger Letter. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. © 2012 Kiplinger's Personal Finance

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Careers Volunteers &

Does your organization use senior volunteers or do you employ a number of seniors?

If you do and you’d like to be considered for a story in our Volunteers & Careers section, please send an email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Volunteer Zumbas for the love of her mom

By Carol Sorgen Shirlee Dinkin had a lifelong love of dancing and even performed as a youngster in her father’s local restaurant. Today, the 83-year-old resident of Sunrise at Pikesville suffers from dementia and can no longer dance.

But her daughter, Debbie Shavitz, carries on the family tradition by volunteering as a Zumba instructor at senior facilities throughout Greater Baltimore. The popular fitness craze called Zumba, created in 2001, is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program.

Shavitz also hosts an annual Zumbathon for Alzheimer’s to raise funds for research.

“This is a difficult disease,” said the 58-yearold Pikesville resident. “I just want to give

back to my mom, who did so much for me.”

From student to teacher Shavitz had a long career in sales, but when she began caring for her mother about eight years ago, she found she needed a break from the worry and anxiety that was a constant companion. Shavitz herself had always loved dance, so she began taking Zumba lessons.

With the encouragement of the teacher — who told Shavitz that she should be teaching the class, not taking it — Shavitz became a licensed Zumba instructor. She is now a volunteer Zumba instructor at such facilities as Sunrise at Pikesville, the Weinberg Centers, the Jewish Community

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The Reisterstown Senior Center invites you to a production of Godspell at the Vagabond Theater on Sunday, Nov. 11. Have lunch at Shuckers in Fells Point as well. For information and reservations, call (410) 887-1143.

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The classes have become so popular — as many as 50 people at a time attend her Sunrise classes — that Shavitz decided to branch out and established the annual Zumbathon for Alzheimer’s.

Attendees take part in Zumba classes taught by Zumba education specialists, and also enjoy a 20-minute performance by

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some of Shavitz’s students.

The third annual fundraiser will be held on Sunday, Nov. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Beth Tfiloh Synagogue’s Sagner Auditorium. A $20 donation at the door is requested.

Shavitz emphasizes that all funds raised at the Zumbathon support research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. The first year, Shavitz had 125 attendees and raised $6,000. The second year, she had 150 attendees and raised $8,000. This year her goal is $10,000.

Being a loving caregiver is easy for her, said Shavitz, who visits her mother every day for lunch or dinner. “I get to give back to my mom what she gave to me through my childhood and my life thus far,” she said. But she admitted that it’s hard to watch the debilitation on a daily basis.

“I don’t want my daughter to [have to] do the same for me,” she said. “That’s why research is imperative, the way to find a cure, and why I designate all proceeds from the Zumbathon to research. Just to know I can give back in some way does my heart good.”

For more information or to donate, contact Shavitz at dshavitz@aol.com or call (410) 581-8033.

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Centers and others.

“Teaching the classes is just a natural progression of caring for my mom,” she said.

“Zumba transcends age, gender, color and religion,” said Shavitz. “You can be seated in a chair, like the seniors I work with, and still enjoy every second of it and get a wonderful workout.

“Everyone thinks that the seniors should have slow moving, bland music, but it’s quite the contrary. They rock when they hear a beat they love, and when you give them a set of maracas, look out!”

Shavitz said she doesn’t take it easy on the seniors in her class either. “I keep them smiling but I work them hard,” she said, adding though that the participants are, of course, free to dance at whatever pace they can.

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Get in the holiday spirit on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Christmas Show at American Music Theatre in Lancaster, Pa., and enjoy a buffet lunch at Arthur’s Terrace. Tickets are $83. Call (410) 887-8208 for reservations.

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

Mordecai From page 1 tors will often prescribe a heartburn medication, or more likely, heartburn sufferers will just reach for an over-the-counter drug and self-medicate. “Because the disease is not getting a lot of attention, not a lot of research is being done.”

Mordecai is working to change that.

She has successfully advocated with the National Cancer Institute to include esophageal cancer in its groundbreaking genome mapping project known as the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

“Tears were running down my face when NCI called to tell me this,” said Mordecai. “Even if we never accomplish anything else, we’ve done something that really matters…that can save so many lives in the future.”

New guide about risk But Mordecai is not content for that to be ECAN’s only success. Since its inception, the organization has made other significant strides in the fight against esophageal cancer, including a just-released guide for patients providing comprehensive and clear information about the link between GERD and cancer.

According to Mordecai, the guide is designed to help patients advocate for their own healthcare and is available as a free download from the ECAN website

(www.ecan.org).

“People don’t realize how dangerous heartburn can be, and making the symptoms go away won’t prevent you from developing cancer,” said Mordecai. “We want people to understand the risks and get screened, so it can be caught early enough to save their lives.”

“Because there are currently no clear guidelines about who should be screened for esophageal cancer or Barrett’s esophagus, this is valuable information patients can use to be advocates for their own healthcare,” said ECAN board chair Dr. Bruce Greenwald, professor of medicine and a gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center.

Mordecai has also formed a partnership with the estate of film icon Humphrey Bogart, who died from esophageal cancer.

Bogart’s son, Stephen, will be coming to Baltimore at the end of October to shoot several public service announcements to help ECAN raise public awareness.

Thanks to Mordecai’s efforts, April has also been designated as Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month in states across the nation.

ECAN sponsors an annual fundraiser, called the Cancer Dancer, first inspired by Mordecai’s older daughter, Mara, now 17 and a dance student at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson. (Younger daughter, Maya, 14, attends Pikesville Senior High.)

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Symptoms to watch for ECAN’s new esophageal cancer guide suggests patients should talk to their doctor if: • They have more than occasional heartburn symptoms • They have experienced heartburn in the past, but the symptoms have gone away • They have any pain or difficulty swallowing

• They have a family history of Barrett’s Esophagus or esophageal cancer • They have an ongoing, unexplained cough • They have been speaking with a hoarse voice over several weeks • They have a long-lasting, unexplained sore throat • They cough or choke when they lie down

This past April, ECAN also hosted the first gala ever held in the U.S. to focus on esophageal cancer advocacy. Former congresswoman and undersecretary of state Ellen Tauscher, an esophageal cancer survivor, spoke to a gathering of nearly 300 guests. Tauscher has agreed to be the honorary chair of ECAN’s 2013 Cancer Dancer and is working with ECAN leadership to advance the organization’s mission.

Mordecai also praises the efforts of the many volunteers and families across the country who are working to raise public awareness and benefit ECAN. Mordecai’s former career has given way

to her full-time efforts for ECAN, based in Pikesville. The small organization was only recently able to hire two part-time staff members and two part-time consultants. “We’re still small, but we’re making things happen.

“Like my daughters, a lot of young people are losing their fathers especially,” said Mordecai. That’s because esophageal cancer targets men three times as often as women.

“I just want to keep other families from suffering the same tragedy that we did.”

For more information about ECAN and its mission, go to www.ECAN.org.

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A NEW SHOT IN THE ARM New kinds of flu and pneumonia vaccines are available this season

Health Fitness &

TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL? There are no right answers in deciding when to share difficult health news CARING FOR CAREGIVERS How to find resources that help caregivers with information and services SLEEP MORE, WEIGH LESS Catching a few extra Zs may help you eat less and keep the pounds off

Family history of heart disease raises risk hol consumption.”

The Wisconsin congressman joked “my veins run with cheese” when he was named Romney's running mate, but it is clear that he takes the health of his arteries seriously.

Still, heart attacks can result from genetic factors, an abnormal heart rhythm or a heart muscle problem — not just clogged arteries from poor health habits, said Dr. Patrick McBride, a preventive cardiology specialist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

“What's important for anybody with [Ryan’s] kind of story is that they sit down with their physician and get a very thorough, detailed family history and try to identify what factors may be present in the family — not just on their own think they can fix their problem,” McBride said. “Exercise alone won't obviate this risk.”

Quantifying the effect Ryan's family history of heart disease “is dramatic,” and his efforts to modify whatever risks he can control is “very wise,” said the leader of the new study,

Dr. Mattis Ranthe, a scientist at the Danish Ministr y of Health.

The study involved 4 million people from Denmark, which has detailed medical registries on families dating to 1949 because of universal health care. Researchers zeroed in on people who had developed cardiovascular disease — such as clogged arteries, heart failure, a rhythm problem or trouble with a valve — by age 50.

The chance of this was Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan serves roughly doubled if someone lasagna at a community event. His family history of had a close relative (a parent, heart disease has led him to focus on fitness. sibling or child) who died of cardiovascular disease before age 60. heart disease — by 19 percent. As the Losing two or more close relatives to number of early deaths in a family rose cardiovascular disease by age 60 more and the age at which they died fell, a perthan tripled the odds that someone son's risk of early heart disease rose up to 10-fold, researchers found. would develop it before age 50.

The Danish Heart Foundation paid for Having a less-immediate family memthe study, which was published in the Jourber, such as a grandparent, die young of cardiovascular disease also modestly inSee HEART DISEASE, page 15 creased a person's risk of early-onset AP PHOTO BY MORRY GASH

By Marilynn Marchione Paul Ryan works out and watches his diet, but a new study shows that clean living can only go so far to help people like the vice presidential candidate overcome a strong family history of heart disease.

The study of 4 million people — the largest ever on heart risks that run in families — found that having a close relative die young of cardiovascular disease doubles a person's odds of developing it by age 50.

This risk was independent of other factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, and was even higher if more than one close family member had died young.

Ryan has said his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all died of heart attacks in their 50s, and the 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman has cited that as the reason for his devotion to exercise.

In an email message, Brendan Buck, a Mitt Romney campaign spokesman, said Ryan has never smoked, “works out five times a week, eats healthy, gets regular checkups, avoids sweets and limits alco-

Take two chocolates and call me in the a.m.

By Joyce Hendley Chocolate to cure a broken heart is a popular prescription, but it turns out chocolate's heart-mending reputation might just be deserved.

A few months ago, Har vard researchers reported that in a study of over 31,000 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women, those who consumed one or two ounces of chocolate a week had a 32 percent lower risk of heart failure than women who ate no chocolate.

Similar large-scale studies have suggested that people who regularly eat moderate amounts of chocolate may have lower incidence of high blood pressure, hardened arteries and even strokes.

Improved blood flow Researchers aren't sure exactly how chocolate helps the heart, but a likely explanation is that compounds in cocoa called flavanols help activate enzymes

that release nitric oxide — a substance that helps widen and relax blood vessels.

That allows blood to flow through the vessels more freely, reducing blood pressure. Nitric oxide is also involved in thinning blood and reducing its tendency to clot — lowering, potentially, the risk of stroke.

What's more, some of the key flavanols in cocoa — catechins and epicatechins (also found in red wine and green tea) — are known to have heart-healthy, antioxidant effects, such as helping to prevent artery-threatening LDL cholesterol from converting to a more lethal, oxidized form.

While cocoa butter, the fatty part of chocolate, contains some saturated fat, it's mostly stearic acid, a more benign satfat that doesn't appear to raise LDL levels.

Cocoa flavonols also have anti-inflammatory properties that could protect the heart and arteries, and thus might someday have a role in managing other

diseases associated with inflammation and blood vessel damage, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Look for high cocoa content If you're keen to get the most flavanols from your chocolate fix, you might have to do some hunting, since most manufacturers don't list flavanol content on their product labels.

But since the compounds are found only in the cocoa component of chocolate, seeking out cocoa, or chocolate with a higher cocoa content, should theoretically send more flavanols your way.

So can choosing dark rather than milk chocolate, which, because of the added milk, contains a lower percentage of cocoa solids.

Opt for natural cocoa over dutched cocoa powder, as well, since a substantial amount of flavanols are lost when cocoa is alkalized.

Of course, all those steps are no guar-

antee of high flavanols, since manufacturing processes like roasting and fermenting cocoa beans can have a huge effect on flavanol content, too — and those vary widely from brand to brand. Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer and ask.

But of course, any positive effects of regular chocolate eating have to be tempered with the reality that it packs plenty of sugar y, fatty calories (particularly those added if you're dosing yourself with chocolate in the form of whoopee pies or Snickers bars).

All those extra calories can quickly pile on extra pounds, easily undoing any good those flavanols might have wrought. It's still better to keep on thinking of chocolate as a treat, not a treatment.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life.

Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2012 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

14

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

New vaccine options for this flu season

By Jim Miller Several different types of flu shots are available to older adults this year, along with a new FDA-approved shot for pneumonia. Here are your options:

Flu shots Just as they do every year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends a seasonal flu shot to almost everyone, but it’s especially important for older adults, who are more vulnerable.

The flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills around 24,000 – 90 percent of whom are 65 or older.

This year, all those 65-plus have two flu vaccine options from which to choose. A traditional flu shot, or a shot of Fluzone High-Dose. The high-dose vaccine contains four times the amount of

antigen (the par t of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibody) of a regular flu shot, and accordingly creates a stronger immune response for better protection.

And if you’re under age 65, your two options are a regular flu shot, or a shot of Fluzone Intradermal. The intradermal vaccine uses a shorter, thinner needle to inject the vaccine just under the skin, rather than deeper in the muscle like standard flu shots. If you’re squeamish about needles, this is a nice option.

You also need to be aware that if you’re allergic to chicken eggs or if you have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past you should not get vaccinated without consulting your doctor first.

To locate a vaccination site that offers regular, high-dose and intradermal flu shots, ask your doctor or pharmacist, or

check the online flu-shot locator at www.flu.gov. Most chains like CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, Kmart, Walmart, Rite Aid and Kroger offer all types of shots.

You’ll also be happy to know that if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the cost of any flu shot. But if you’re not covered, you can expect to pay around $25 to $35 for a regular or intradermal flu shot; $50 to $60 for a shot of the high-dose.

Pneumonia vaccine The other important vaccination the CDC recommends — especially this time of year — is the pneumococcal vaccine for pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumococcal diseases hospitalize around 300,000 U.S. seniors each year, and kills around 5,000.

The CDC currently recommends all those 65 or older get a one-time-only shot

of the vaccine Pneumovax. It is also recommended for those under 65 who smoke or have chronic health conditions like asthma, lung and heart disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune system.

Pneumovax, which protects against 23 strains of the pneumococcal disease, is also covered 100 percent under Medicare Part B, and you can get it on the same day you get your flu shot. If you’re not covered by insurance, this vaccine costs around $45 to $85 at retail clinics.

Not all pharmacies give the pneumonia vaccine, and if they do, they may require a doctor’s prescription. Call the pharmacy first to find out.

You also need to know that this year, there’s an alternative pneumococcal vaccine available to people age 50 and older called Prevnar 13.

This vaccine, which has been available to children for several years, may provide older adults with longer lasting and better protection against pneumonia than Pneumovax. Talk to your doctor to determine which pneumonia vaccine is best for you.

Prevnar 13 is also covered by most insurers including Medicare Part B. But if you aren’t covered, the shot runs between $100 and $150.

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.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 24+

SUPPORT GROUP FOR CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital at 5601 Loch Raven Blvd. sponsors a support group/seminar series to address ways to cope with chronic health conditions. The group meets on Wednesdays, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 28, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The series is free, but registration is required.

Call (443) 444-4100.

Nov. 4

FREE SEASONAL FLU SHOTS

Protect yourself and your family from seasonal flu at Franklin Square Hospital’s 6th Annual Free Drive-Through Seasonal Flu Vaccination Clinic on Sunday, Nov. 4, at CCBC-Essex Campus, 7201 Rossville Blvd., beginning at 9 a.m.

Clinicians will administer free seasonal flu vaccinations to everyone ages 6 months and older. Come early as shots will be available on a firstcome, first-served basis. For more information, call (443) 777-7000.

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

15

Websites link caregivers to info, services

By Lauran Neergaard A woman grips her car's steering wheel and silently lets out a scream as her frail father, on oxygen, coughs beside her and her kids play around in the back seat.

The frustration portrayed in an arresting new public service announcement is recognizable to millions of Americans who struggle to care for aging loved ones while holding down jobs, raising children and taking care of their own health.

"I take care of her, but who takes care of me?" says another one of the public service announcements from the nonprofit Ad Council, which is distributing the ads for TV, radio, print and online use.

It's part of a major campaign from AARP and the Ad Council to raise awareness of

Heart disease From page 13 nal of the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Svati Shah, medical director of Duke University's adult cardiovascular genetics clinic, noted that researchers saw a strong risk from family history even after taking into account traditional heart hazards such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“It's very important to modify those,” she said, but “for certain individuals, there may be a genetic predisposition independent of those risk factors.”

One big weakness of the study: It had no information on smoking habits.

McBride said smoking a pack a day leads to about the same risk as having two family members die early of heart disease.

What you can do Doctors and the American Heart As-

the impact of family caregiving as the nation rapidly grays — and to point overwhelmed families toward resources that may ease the strain.

"Most caregivers don't know where to turn for help," said AARP vice president Debra Whitman, whose own family has experienced caregiving twice, for her grandmother and her mother-in-law.

The sandwich generation

Phillips, a lawyer with 1- and 4-year-old daughters, raced to find nearby senior housing that her mother would accept and could afford. But already she's having to cobble together additional care as the Alzheimer's worsens.

She says her mother skips her prepaid meals in favor of a cookie stash, misses medication despite Phillips' daily takeyour-pills phone calls, and is embarrassed to find herself struggling to remember and

perform personal hygiene — the kind of day-to-day issues that health providers didn't address.

"I do constantly feel that I'm playing catch-up," said Phillips, adding that she feels guilty when she gets frustrated. "I'm trying to find the right resources so Mom and I can continue to have a good relationship."

Although they often don't identify themSee CAREGIVERS, page 16

Even knowing what to ask can be a hurdle. That's what Andrea Phillips of Alexandria, Va., discovered when her mother, now 74, visited from Chicago a few years ago and got too sick to go home. She recovered from a heart problem only to be diagnosed with early Alzheimer's.

sociation offer these tips to anyone with a family history of heart disease: • Learn all you can about the circumstances around a close family member's death, such as the age when they developed cardiovascular disease and any risk factors such as smoking or obesity.

• Be aware of symptoms of heart disease or stroke, and see a doctor if you have any.

• Make sure other family members and your doctors are aware of your family history.

• Live right: Get active, control cholesterol, eat better, manage blood pressure, lose weight, reduce blood sugar and stop smoking.

To read the study in Journal of the American College of Cardiology, go to bit.ly/OHYLNf. Information from the American Heart Association on family risk is available at http://bit.ly/MALEy2.

— AP

, B Y P L AY I N G A G A M E, H E S W I N N I N G

T H E B I G G E ST B AT T L E O F H I S L I F E.

At the Sinai Rehabilitation Center, we help people regain lost independence.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in a bike accident, Doug Eby could not stand or walk and his memory was severely impaired. Our highly skilled team of therapists helped him regain his physical abilities and improve his cognitive skills. It hasn’t been easy, but Doug has made incredible progress and is working on returning to his job as a traffic engineer. Learn more at www.lifebridgehealth.org/sinairehab.

410-601-WELL (9355) www.lifebridgehealth.org/sinairehab

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Caregivers From page 15 selves as "caregivers," more than 42 million Americans perform some form of consistent care for older or impaired adult relatives or friends, according to a 2009 estimate.

The care can range from paying bills, to driving Mom to doctor appointments, to more hands-on care such as bathing, and even tasks once left to nurses such as the care of open wounds.

"At first you're just helping out Mom. Then it can become more than a fulltime job," said AARP's Whitman.

NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

She described the average U.S. caregiver as a 49-year-old woman who on top of her regular job provides nearly 20 hours a week of unpaid care to her mother for nearly five years.

An AARP report found family members provide a staggering $450 billion worth of unpaid care annually — and other research makes clear that the stress and the time involved can take a toll on the caregivers' own health and finances as they put off their own doctor visits, dip into their savings, and cut back their working hours.

Adding to the challenge is that more and more people are living well into their

90s, as Census figures show the oldest-old are the fastest growing segment of the population.

Consider Oona Schmid's father, who is 96 and has advanced dementia. The Arlington, Va., woman has overseen his care for a decade, since her mother died — and said she could have better planned how to pay for it if only someone had warned her how long people can live with dementia.

Schmid said the bill at her father's assisted-living facility has reached nearly $8,000 a month as he now needs roundthe-clock care.

"I don't think he knows who I am, but he still smiles when he sees me," she said.

She choked up as she described the pull she feels between her responsibilities to her father and to her 3-year-old son, fretting that there's no money left to set aside for her son's education.

Schmid, 41, works full time, pet-sits for extra cash, and is exploring options to save on her father's care. "Maybe this is a terrible thing to say, but I'm terrified of how long he's going to live and how much it's going to cost," she said.

Like Schmid's father, very few Americans have purchased private, and pricey, long-term care insurance, and Medicare doesn't pay for that kind of care. That's why family members wind up performing so much of it for so long.

The Obama administration last fall ended efforts to establish a governmentsponsored program to make long-term care insurance more affordable, finding it

financially unsustainable.

Finding help A key message of the new campaign is for caregivers not to neglect their own needs.

The ads direct people to AARP's website — www.aarp.org/caregiving — to find information and services from that organization and others.

The site offers Web chats with caregiving experts, online support groups, legal documents and links to such programs as locators for care providers — www.eldercare.gov — or respite services — www.archrespite.org.

A new "Prepare to Care" brochure offers to-do checklists for families new to caregiving. People not as web-savvy can call a hotline at 1-877-333-5885.

Another large website, www.caring.com, has long offered expert advice, access to caregiving resources and support groups.

Until there’s a crisis, too many caregivers don't know such services exist, or even that they can ask their loved ones' doctors to refer them for help, said Dr. Eileen Callahan, a geriatrician at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center who isn't involved with the AARP campaign.

The AARP project is broader than another new effort targeting caregivers — a government website that, as part of the National Alzheimer's Plan, offers families information specific to dementia care at www.alzheimers.gov.

— AP

BEACON BITS

Nov. 16

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

– Alvin, Baltimore

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.

HEART HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE SCREENING

Northwest Hospital will sponsor a heart health and lifestyle screening on Friday, Nov. 16, at the Reisterstown Senior Center, 12035 Reisterstown Rd. The screening is for men and women age 18 and older and includes blood pressure, cholesterol/ triglycerides, comprehensive metabolic panel blood profile, body composition analysis, a heart health awareness assessment, and a brief counseling session with a registered nurse. Appointments are required. The screening begins at 9 a.m. and the fee is $20. For more information, call (410) 601-9355.

Ongoing

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

Regardless of your age, knowing your health risks and what you can do to improve them can add years to your life. Take an online health quiz now to learn your true health age. Learn more about the health risk assessment, sponsored by MedStar Harbor Hospital, at www.harborhospital.org/hra.

– Susan, Baltimore

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

Getting you back to your life.

— Dr. Stuart Goldman

Stuart Goldman, DPM

410-235-2345

4419 Falls Road, Suite A, Baltimore 4000 Old Court Road, Suite 301, Pikesville

Fellow American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing

Marquis Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare Author, multiple articles on Foot & Leg Symptoms

H elP F orYour F eet.C oM

©2011 HCR Healthcare, LLC

16

Dulaney – 410.828.6500 Ruxton – 410.821.9600 Towson – 410.828.9494 www.manorcare.com

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

Health Shorts Weight-loss surgery reduces diabetes risk Doctors are reporting a new benefit from weight-loss surgery — preventing diabetes. Far fewer obese people developed that disease if they had stomachshrinking operations rather than usual care to try to slim down, a large study in Sweden found.

The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, are provoking fresh debate about when adjustable bands and other bariatric procedures should be offered.

It is “provocative and exciting” that surgery can prevent diabetes, but it is “impractical and unjustified” to think of doing it on millions of obese adults, Dr. Danny Jacobs, a Duke University surgeon, wrote in a commentary in the medical journal.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, bariatric surgery chief at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, disagreed.

“If surgery is the only treatment we have, we have to accept the cost ramifications of that” and give up “the naive notion” that we can just teach severely obese

people how to lose weight, said Roslin, who consults for some makers of bariatric surgery equipment.

Millions of Americans have Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity. Earlier this year, two studies showed that obesity surgery can reverse diabetes and keep it away for many years, possibly for good.

The new study went a step further, to see if it could prevent diabetes in the first place among people who are obese.

Researchers led by Dr. Lars Sjöström of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, tracked 1,658 patients who had bariatric surgery — mostly bands and stomach stapling — and 1,771 similar patients who just got usual care and counseling on how to lose weight.

None had diabetes when the study began. After about 10 years on average among those still in the study, 392 developed diabetes in the usual care group versus 110 in the surger y group. Researchers calculated that surgery had reduced the odds of getting diabetes by 78 percent.

Weight-loss surgery costs $15,000 to $25,000, and Medicare often covers it for diabetics. Proponents note that complications of diabetes and obesity are expensive, too, especially if dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed.

— AP

Colon screening without the prep New Harvard research offers a glimpse of a future when much of routine colorectal cancer screening will no longer require an aggressive bowel prep to clear the colon. Instead, the colon will be imaged in a CT scan and the stool removed digitally — akin to Photoshopping blemishes from a still photo.

Virtual colonoscopy, known officially as CT colonography (CTC), is already of-

• Skilled Nursing • Personal Care • Respite Care • Companionship • Light Housekeeping

fered as a colorectal cancer screening procedure. Although CTC eliminates the need for physically inserting a 'scope into the body, in its present form it still requires a complete bowel prep.

In addition, when CTC finds polyps, a conventional colonoscopy is then required to remove them. Therefore, to avoid two preps, some people choose conventional optical colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy's ability to both find and remove precancerous polyps during the See HEALTH SHORTS, page 18

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

By Elena Lombardi Freelance Writer

Donald Paquette, 72, a former assessor from Anaheim, California, thought that his driving days were over. “I could not read the street signs soon enough and I couldn’t pass the vision test at the DMV office.”

Gonzalo Garcia, 74, Albuquerque, New Mexico, wanted to be able to read and write more easily.

He wanted to see the nails and screws when he tried to use them in home repairs. He wanted see his grandchildren singing in the church choir. But he thought those days were over when he was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration.

California optometrist, Dr. Richard J. Shuldiner and Baltimore optometrist Dr. Thomas Azman are using miniaturized binoculars or telescopes to help people who have lost vision from macular degeneration or other eye conditions.

“Some of my patients consider us

Hank Frese wearing Bioptic Telescope Driving Glasses

the last stop for people who have vision loss.” said Dr. Azman, a low vision optometrist who has just completed training with Dr. Shuldiner in California.

“Amazing!” says Donald. “I can read the street signs twice as far as I did before and even see the television better!”

Macular degeneration is the most common eye disease among the senior population. As many as 25% of those over 65 have some degree of degeneration. The macula is one small part of the entire retina, but it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp images.

When it degenerates, macular degeneration leaves a blind spot right

17

in the center of vision, which makes it impossible to recognize faces, read a book, or pass the drivers vision test.

The experts do not know what causes macular degeneration. But major factors include UV light from the sun, smoking, aging, and improper nutrition.

Vitamins can help. The results of two studies, AREDS and LAST demonstrated a lowered risk of progression by about 25% when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamins. Dr. Azman advises patients on the best nutritional supplements during the low vision evaluation.

Nine out of ten people who have macular degeneration have the dry type. There is no medical treatment except for vitamins. The wet type involves the leakage of fluid or blood from the blood vessels behind the macula. Injections of Leucentis or Avastin are very effective in preventing the vessels from leaking.

“Our job is to figure out anything and everything possible to keep a person functioning,” says Dr. Azman.

“Whether it’s driving, reading, watching television, seeing faces, playing bridge… we work with whatever is on the persons “wish list.”

Even if it’s driving.

Maryland and California are two of many states that allow the use of telescopic glasses for safer driving.

Hank Frese, 69, a former High School Principal from La Palma, California saw Dr. Shuldiner last August. “I could not read the street signs soon enough when driving, and I could not read my morning paper.”

Bioptic Telescopic glasses were prescribed to read signs and see traffic lights farther away. As Hank puts it, “These telescope glasses not only allow me to read signs from a farther distance, but makes driving much easier. I’ve also used them to watch television so I don’t have to sit so close. I don’t know why I waited two years to do this; I should have come sooner” “Telescopic glasses start at around $1500”, says Dr. Azman, “and low vision prismatic reading glasses start at $500. A small price to pay for better vision and increased independence.”

If you or someone you care about is struggling with vision loss, call Dr. Thomas Azman for a free telephone interview.

Call toll-free 1.866.269.3916 or online at www.LowVisionMD.org

18

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health shorts From page 17 same procedure is a clear advantage.

"The trouble is a lot of the people at risk of colorectal cancer have a strong aversion to the laxative prep that is required for colonoscopy," said Dr. Michael Zalis, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

A solution may be at hand. In a study published earlier this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Dr. Zalis and his colleagues describe an experimental prepfree version of CTC. Such an option might spur more people to be screened.

The study involved 605 adults recruited at four different healthcare centers. For two days before their scans, the volunteers

ate a low-fiber diet and drank small amounts of a contrast agent with meals.

The agent chemically "tagged" the stool, allowing software to detect it and subtract it from the CT scan. What remained was a 3D image of the colon wall that radiologists then searched for polyps.

The study is the first moderately large multicenter trial of a laxative-free version of CTC. For the polyps most likely to be dangerous — those around 1 centimeter or larger — the laxative-free CTC performed nearly as well as regular colonoscopy.

— Harvard Men's Health Watch

A blood test for depression?

New techniques for diagnosing depres-

NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

sion may make it easier to tell if you have the condition. They may also help change perceptions about the disorder.

Two new studies indicate that depression is a physiological illness, detectable in the blood. In April, researchers at Northwestern University found they could use a blood test to diagnose depression in teenagers.

A few months earlier, Harvard-affiliated researchers reported a similar finding in adults. Their blood test identified nine biomarkers associated with depression, and correctly identified people with depression 91 percent of the time.

"The test needs more stringent validation before it will be ready to be used in medical offices. Still, it appears that these results are promising," said Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the study.

While depression blood tests aren't yet available, the studies are increasing awareness that the condition has a physiological basis. That's important, since many people mischaracterize depression as a problem of the mind.

"The recognition that depression is a physiological illness — one that can be controlled by medicines, just like diabetes or high cholesterol — will help decrease its stigma," said Dr. Kinrys.

— Harvard Health Letter

One-day treatment for insomniacs If your nights are spent counting sheep instead of getting sleep, a new treatment

could teach you to rest easy.

Insomniacs are unfamiliar with the sensation of falling asleep quickly, but a recent study suggests that inducing sleep deprivation can help them learn to do it.

Leon Lack, head of the Sleep Laboratory at Australia's Flinders University, worked with colleagues to improve the condition of 79 insomniacs in one 25-hour session.

At the beginning of each half-hour, the researchers let participants fall asleep — they'd been kept up the previous night, so they were exhausted — but woke them after only three minutes and then kept them up until the next half-hour began. The sleepwake cycle was repeated for 25 hours, and then the volunteers were sent home.

Within a week participants were falling asleep faster, and the benefits were still measurable six months later. "These people had significant insomnia for years, and in just one day they were able to greatly improve the quantity and quality of their sleep," said Arthur Spielman, a sleep specialist at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Why was the therapy so effective? It trains insomniacs to associate the act of going to bed with the feeling of quickly nodding off. "Over the course of 25 hours, someone experiences that process dozens of times, helping them keep that association once they return home," Lack explained.

There are no do-it-yourself versions of this therapy available now. But the Flinders sleep lab is already exploring the possibility of creating portable sleep monitors with alarm signals that could translate the 25-hour procedure to a home environment.

— Psychology Today

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

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19

Health threats — to share or not to share?

By Leanne Italie In 1976, as a 24-year-old grad student, Samira Beckwith was diagnosed with the thing people still whispered about: cancer.

She was in and out of the hospital, had five surgeries, and endured round after round of chemotherapy and radiation as she battled Hodgkin's lymphoma. Beyond a few professors and close friends, she didn't routinely tell people of her bleak diagnosis as she focused on staying alive.

Years later, as she was about to turn 50, disaster struck again. This time it was breast cancer requiring a double mastectomy. Her desire for a bit of privacy was the same, but society and sickness had become a share-all whirl.

“Back the first time around, people did-

n't want to hear or talk about cancer. But the boundaries changed, and the second time, it was breast cancer. People really like to talk about breast cancer,” said Beckwith, now 59 and clinical director of a healthcare services company in Fort Myers, Fla.

Keeping it quiet “But there are still many people who want to keep their illness, keep the decisions that they're making, within a close circle,” she said. “They don't want to be out there on Facebook. It's almost like there's something wrong with them because they don't want to share.”

Nora Ephron might have agreed. The humorist who chronicled her life in books

and lent romance a laugh in movies kept her leukemia largely locked down to the point that her death in June at age 71 stunned even some close friends. If she had any wisecracks about cancer, she didn't share them with the world.

There's no one right way to handle news of a life-threatening diagnosis, but how difficult is it for people to tell or not tell, and at what cost?

Michael Jaillet, a senior executive at Dell, learned in June 2011 that he had amy-

otrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. It was the “ultimate horror,” he said.

Only his wife and three brothers knew for several months as he sought out a diagnosis, then second and third and fourth opinions. Among those initially left out of the loop were co-workers and his three children, now 14, 13 and 11.

“It became, in a lot of ways, a bigger burden than the disease,” Jaillet said of the seSee TO TELL OR NOT, page 20

BEACON BITS

Oct. 27

GREATER BALTIMORE WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

The Alzheimer’s Association will sponsor the Greater Baltimore Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Saturday, Oct. 27 (rain or shine), at Oregon Ridge Park, 13555 Beaver Dam Rd., in Cockeysville. Hosted by the Greater Maryland Chapter, the annual event will raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s disease, which is a growing epidemic and now the sixth leading cause of death. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register early as teams or individually. Admission is free. For more information, to start or join a team, or to make a donation, contact the Alzheimer’s Association online at www.alz.org/maryland or call (410) 561-9099.

Missing the Game? Could be Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide, and an estimated 4.5 million people globally are blind because of it.

The Krieger Eye Institute offers a full range of ophthalmic consultation services. Our experts are at the forefront of diabetic eye disease research and patient care. General eye care is available as well as specialized consultations in glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and cataracts.

Two fully-staffed office locations are: Krieger Eye Institute Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Morton Mower, M.D. Medical Office Building, Sixth Floor 2411 W. Belvedere Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21215

Krieger Eye Institute at Quarry Lake Suite 180 2700 Quarry Lake Drive Baltimore, Maryland 21209

To schedule your appointment with one of our ophthalmologists or to learn more about the Krieger Eye Institute, call 410.601.6190 or log onto www.kriegereye.org

20

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To tell or not From page 19 cret. “It's guilt, tiptoeing around, talking in code. It's clearing out your email or your Internet browser every night because you know your kids are going to get on and you don't want them to see what you've

NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

been researching.”

Now “out” and active in raising money for research and supporting others with ALS, the 41-year-old Jaillet sees dignity in going public and embracing a broader base of emotional support. “I feel like I've got a torch that I have to carry,” he said.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HISTORIC FEDERAL HILL GHOST TOUR The Historic Federal Hill Ghost Tour is Baltimore’s newest haunted

offering this fall. This one-hour guided tour explores the spirits of the past as they commune with the explorers of the present. Discover the techniques and the science behind ghost hunting while walking the old cobble stones and modern paved streets of this neighborhood filled with taverns, shops and restaurants, situated just two blocks from the Inner Harbor. Tours are offered on Saturdays at 6 and 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15. For more information, visit federalhillghosttour.ticketleap.com.

Deciding to tell Often with limited energy and a need to maintain normal routines, people faced with life-changing illness may not know how to go about deciding when, how and how much to disclose.

“Someone's going to know. Word's going to get out and then you're in a position and they're in a position of sort of dancing around the elephant in the room,” said psychotherapist Fredda Wasserman, who has spent 40 years helping people navigate that journey.

Anticipating how people will react can be a huge source of anxiety, said Wasserman, clinical director of Our House, a grief counseling and support center in Los Angeles and co-author of the 2010 book Saying Goodbye to Someone You Love.

If sharing the journey is a priority, then be clear about what you need from those you tell, she suggests.

An offer of dinner, for instance, doesn't have to mean a night of chitchat with the

Your New Lifestyle Begins Here

Apartment Homes for Those 62 and Better

Designed and managed for today’s seniors at these locations: ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY "#$%&'(!)$&%'*!410-761-4150 ! "#$%&'( +(,($%&!-&$.!410-544-3411 ! +(,($%& )/0123456!7218 )/0123456 ! /9*:&%;!1($$&'(!410-276-6440 ! 7<:;9=$>%?!410-542-4400 )/0123456!74@A18 ! 7&B<%9,>::(!410-719-9464 ! C#%;&:.!410-288-5483 *New D! "#::($B<%!410-663-0665 Renovatlyed! ! 3>$&E&$!0&%;>%?!410-391-8375 ! 5&%;&::9B<F%!410-655-5673 ewly * Rosedale 410-866-1886 Re*N novated! ! 1<F9<%!410-828-7185 ! 1&G:<$!410-663-0363 ! H<<;:&F%!410-281-1120

6/+165A!+I456 ! 6&9B<%!410-770-3070 I/5"45C!74@A18 ! )<J!I>::!410-515-6115 ! )(:!/>$!410-893-0064 I4H/5C!74@A18 ! 7<:<%>&:!0&%;>%?!410-796-4399 ! 7<:#EK>&!410-381-1118 ! +%<F;(%!5>,($!410-290-0384 ! 6::>'<BB!7>BG!410-203-9501 ! 6::>'<BB!7>BG!22!410-203-2096 ! 6E($9<%!301-483-3322 -52A76!L645L6M+!74@A18 NOW! D! ):&;(%9K#$?!301-699-9785 *55 or Better ! 0&#$(:!301-490-1526 ! 0&#$(:!22!301-490-9730

FFFN-&$.O>(F+(%><$0>,>%?N'<E Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour or email parkviewliving@sheltergrp.com.

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person who brought it. Do you need jokes to keep you laughing or a shoulder for crying?

“People sometimes want to pray for you.

If they do, you can tell them what you're hoping for,” she said. “If I'm looking for a cure, that. Maybe I'm just hoping for a day free of pain. Maybe I'm looking for the strength and courage to face what is ahead for me. Let me tell you what I want.”

A very personal choice For others, talking about their illness is the last thing they want to do. “It makes them feel worse,” Wasserman said. “It's, ‘I don't want to think of myself as a cancer patient. I don't want to be talking about my aches and pains.' Sometimes people will tell and then really regret it, because they're being treated differently.”

Taking control of the conversation is important, she said.

“Say, ‘Look, I don't want you to treat me like I'm dying, or I don't want you to treat me like I'm pathetic,’” Wasserman said.

“That's one reason why a lot of people don't tell. Their skin cringes to have people talk to them like that.”

Jessica Aguirre, the mother of two young boys in Green Acres, Fla., was 29 when diagnosed with breast cancer nearly two years ago. Her bad news came just three days before she received a promotion to manager of the cell phone store where she is now on medical leave, after the cancer spread to her brain.

“I just decided to be completely open with everything and everyone at work,” she said. “I just thought, you know what, maybe having this can help somebody else. I think that if you do keep it to yourself, it will eat you up inside.”

— AP

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BALTIMORE FARMERS’ MARKET

Visitors can enjoy a one-of-a-kind shopping experience with economical prices, Sundays through December 23, at the 35th annual Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar. The market is produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts and is held at Holliday and Saratoga Streets from 7 a.m. to noon.

Oct. 30

CNN ANALYST TO SPEAK

Jeffrey Toobin, lawyer, author and CNN analyst will speak at the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Johns Hopkins University, Shriver Hall, 34 N. Charles St., at 8 p.m. The event is free.

Seating is first come, first serve, with the exception of reserved seating, which can be purchased for $20.

Visit www.jhu.edu/mse for more information.

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

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21

Extra sleep can improve weight loss Q. How does inadequate sleep impact my weight?

A. While those unwanted pounds aren't likely to effortlessly melt away, catching a few extra Zs may be an effective strategy toward maintaining a healthy weight.

Paradoxical as it seems, studies are showing that more sleep is a dieter's ally, while burning the midnight oil may sabotage weight loss goals.

It's really not as implausible as it seems when you consider the many benefits of sleep on the mind and body. Scientists have long known that when we don't get enough sleep, certain body hormones are thrown off balance — such as ghrelin and leptin, which influence appetite.

Ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, stimulates appetite; the higher the level, the hungrier you feel. Leptin, on the other hand, lets the brain know when the body is full.

When levels are normal, leptin counter-

regulates ghrelin, keeping hunger in check.

Sleep deprivation causes a rise in ghrelin levels, signaling hunger, and lowers leptin levels, which dulls the signal of satiety.

Studies show the connection Many studies, including the large scale Nurses' Health Study, which followed 60,000 women for 16 years, have reported an association between short sleep duration and increased weight, and risk for weight gain and obesity.

A study published in 2010 in the Annals of Internal Medicine divided 12 healthy dieters into two groups for two weeks. One group had 5.5 hours of sleep, while the other had 8.5 hours.

The sleep-deprived group had decreased leptin and increased ghrelin levels, and a 45 percent increase in hunger and cravings for high-carbohydrate, calorie-rich foods compared with the adequate-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

sleep group.

While both groups lost weight, more than half of the weight lost in the adequate sleep group was from fat, compared to only onefourth from fat in the sleep-deprived group.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP The Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at Northwest Hospital

offers a breast cancer support group the third Wednesday of each month at the Northwest Hospital Infusion and Cancer Therapy Center. The group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Call (410) 601-9355.

Quality of sleep matters Some research indicates that weight gain may be simply the result of spending more hours awake with more time to eat and fewer calories burned due to a general lack of energy. However, sleep quality turns out to be an important factor in the sleep-weight equation, too.

Because most calories burned during sleep take place in the REM state (rapid eye movement, when the brain is most ac-

tive), those who have interrupted sleep or a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea don't spend enough time in that phase.

In fact, sleep apnea patients are more likely to be obese, despite normal leptin levels, which indicates that people may respond differently to leptin and that other individual factors may be at play — such as stress levels, exercise, diet and genetics.

As research continues to emerge, it makes sense to make time for the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. It feels good, boosts energy for the day ahead, and if it helps stave off extra pounds, it's time well spent. © 2012 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Enjoy Your Favorite Foods Again Implant-Supported Dentures provide the strong, natural feel of real teeth and are SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE

For a free brochure and consultation call 1-800-847-0494 www.TheDentalCenter.org • Dr. Edward Leventhal 3 convenient locations: Perry Hall, Pikesville and Glen Burnie

22

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Health Studies Page

NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Helping cancer patients stick to treatment

By Carol Sorgen Treatment for breast cancer has been proven to decrease death from the disease.

The key to the success of treatment, though, is getting the right dose at the right time, whether that’s chemotherapy, radiation or hormone treatment.

Many women, however, do not receive optimum treatment. Treatment delays, missed appointments, and failure to take medication on a regular basis lead to poorer survival from breast cancer.

In a study among low-income women,

only 60 percent of women adhered to the treatment, which means they took their medication at least 80 percent of the time.

Twenty percent of women, who were supposed to take five years of hormone treatment, had stopped their medication in the first year. Similar problems occur with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

There are many reasons that women don’t follow through on their treatments — from poor symptom management, to missed and cancelled appointments because of not feeling well or lack of transportation.

Cancer specialists are finding, though, that having regular interaction with a knowledgeable nurse can help patients manage and minimize symptoms. Such “nurse navigators” assist patients with appointment reminders and answer questions to help them obtain optimum breast cancer treatment.

It is estimated that with better treatment delivery through such methods, death rates from breast cancer could be further improved between 45 and 57 percent.

Volunteers needed

the Technology-Enhanced Nurse Navigation Trial (TENN), funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The purpose of the study is to find the best way to provide breast cancer patients with information through a computer connected to the Internet. The study will examine whether providing such information will help patients cope better with their treatment.

The hypothesis is that participants assigned to receive the technology-enhanced nurse-directed navigation will be more likely to adhere to treatment regi-

To help improve treatment adherence, Mercy Medical Center is participating in

See CANCER STUDY, page 23

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP PRESERVE SIGHT

The Maryland Society for Sight is dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. If you are interested in volunteering, call (410) 243-2020 or visit www.mdsocietyforsight.org.

Ongoing

Service. Deliver Delivered.

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps is a national organization of men and women age 50 and over. It was founded in Baltimore to provide an opportunity for retired or semi-retired persons to share their talents, skills, wisdom and life experience in service to the poor. Its members volunteer in local service organizations two days a week. For more information, visit www.ivcusa.org and see the Baltimore page. You can also email baltimore@ivcusa.org or call (410) 752-4686.

Ongoing

FREE

prescription delivery

EASY

prescription transfers

ALL

SHARE YOUR LIFE SKILLS

BECOME A FOSTER GRANDPARENT

The Foster Grandparent Program of the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities is looking for paid volunteers age 55 and up to mentor exceptional needs children at various sites.

Volunteers serve 20 to 40 hours per week and provide mentoring, tutoring, advice, special attention and life skills to help children in special education classes, Head Start centers, a homeless shelter and a family support center succeed.

To be accepted into the program, volunteers must be income eligible and at least 55 years old. Benefits including a tax-free stipend, paid training, vacation, sick leave, free transportation, lunch and physical examinations are provided. For more information, call (410) 222-4464.

major plans accepted Pharmacy Locations: Erickson Retirement Communities: Charlestown Community, OakCrest Village

Steve Neal, RPh NeighborCare® s Liberty/BCCC

Hospital Locations: Bon Secours Hospital, GBMC, Mercy Medical Ctr, Sinai Hospital, Saint Agnes Hospital, St Joseph Medical Center

Symptoms of depression in older adults are common yet often go undetected. Symptoms could include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, loss of energy, inability to enjoy pleasurable activities, changes in appetite or sleeping patterns, or poor concentration/memory.

Medical Office Building Locations: Liberty/BCCC, Owings Mills/Crossroads Med Ctr, Pikesville/Old Court Prof Bldg, Woodholme Med Ctr, Reisterstown / Signature Bldg

If you are feeling depressed, not taking antidepressant medication and in good physical health, you may be eligible to participate in a research study involving treatment.

Qualified people will participate at no cost to them and will be compensated for their time and transportation.

YOUR FIRST NEW OR TRANSFERRED PRESCRIPTION

For more information about the research study, please call:

Present this coupon with your prescription.

Limit one per customer. Offer not valid on prescriptions transferred from other NeighborCare locations. No cash value. Per federal law, offer not valid if any portion of prescription is paid for by a government program.

Coding: SrB2012

Location:

New Customer

Are you over 60 and feeling depressed?

Existing Customer

410-550-4192

410-752-CARE neighborcare.com

Approved February 21, 2012

IRB Protocol No: NA_00021615 Principal Investigator: Gwenn Smith, PhD

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

Cancer study From page 22 mens and have improved symptom management than women who only have access to information on the Internet, but without a nurse to guide them.

Principal investigator Dr. Kathy J. Helzlsouer will measure the success of the program by improved treatment adherence, health outcome measures such as fatigue and symptom management, patient-reported quality of life, reduced distress and patient satisfaction.

Taking part in the study This study is for women diagnosed with breast cancer within the last three months and who are receiving treatment. Participants must have an income level that does not exceed 300 percent of the federal

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

VOLUNTEERS WITH TECH SKILLS NEEDED

Creating technological solutions to improve the independence and quality of life for individuals with disabilities, V-LINC volunteers build customized assistive technology that make it easier for people with disabilities to live, work and play more independently. Volunteers come from a variety of

poverty level, based on family size.

One hundred women are being recruited to participate in the trial. Participants will be given Internet connectivity.

One group of patients will be provided with a netbook computer (a small, lightweight laptop) plus Internet access and ongoing interaction with a nurse and a social worker navigator for a one-year period.

A control group will be provided with a netbook computer, Internet access and general website information, but no interactive navigational support. They will also participate for one year.

For more information, call Ashley Price, research nurse, at (410) 332-4945, or visit www.mdmercy.com/womens/prevention/studies.html.

RESEARCH STUDY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

23

BEACON BITS

Nov. 5

AVIATION SPEAKERS SERIES On Monday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m., the Glenn L. Martin Maryland

Aviation Museum presents 21st century space pioneer Blaze Sanders of Solar System Express. Sanders will discuss his team’s innovative endeavors in the space industry, including the creation of a space sky-diving suit. This free event takes place at the Lockheed Martin auditorium on the Lockheed Martin campus, 2323 Eastern Blvd., in Middle River. A photo ID is required for admission to the program.

For additional information, call (410) 682-6122 or visit www.mdairmuseum.org.

Want to Prevent Falls in the Elderly?

Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study at the University of Maryland &Veterans Affairs of Baltimore to better understand balance and the prevention of falls in aging individuals.

You will receive:

The Johns Hopkins University is currently recruiting men and women for a study examining the relationship between sleep apnea and glucose metabolism.

Eligible participants will receive a sleep study, blood test, EKG and other medical tests.

Participants will be compensated up to $860 for their time.

Subjects must be between 21 and 75, and in good health.

• Health evaluation • Balance, step, strength, and/or flexibility exercises • Compensation for your time If interested call: 410-605-7179 & Mention code: LIFT at

Please call 410-550-4891 and ask for Kelly Devine, Project Coordinator, for more information.

CALL TODAY!

The

backgrounds, including engineering, carpentry, machining, nursing and

Baltimore VA/University of Maryland Gerontology Recruitment Line *You must be at least 65 years old and in good health *Participants will be seen at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and University of Maryland School of Medicine *You will attend approximately 41 visits for 1 to 4 hours each per visit

Do You Have Knee Arthritis and Difficulty Sleeping?

physical and occupational therapy.

For more information, call (410) 5549134, or email info@v-linc.org.

Study Principal Investigator: Naresh Punjabi, M.D., Ph.D. Application Number: NA_00036672

STUDIES ON ANEMIA Are you 65 years or older?

Have you been recently diagnosed with anemia?

OR Have you had anemia in the past? en you may be interested in: “THE JOHNS HOPKINS registry of older adults with anemia” • Several new research studies are being designed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University specifically for older adults with anemia.

• By volunteering to join our anemia registry, you will be kept up to date on anemia research studies that match your situation.

Volunteers NEEDED for a Clinical Trial on New Non-drug treatment for problem sleeping Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are looking for volunteers to participate in a research study examining new ways of treating insomnia, in people with osteoarthritis in their knee.  To participate in this study, you must be: • At least 50 years of age OR 35 years of age and older with prior diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis • Have frequent knee pain • Interested in sleeping better  This study involves: • Sleep studies conducted in your home • Sensory testing and knee exam at Johns Hopkins • Meeting with sleep specialist to discuss ways to improve sleep • Additional optional medical tests • All examinations, parking, & tests are provided at no cost.  Compensation up to $870.00

Call us at 410-550-2113 to join the Anemia Registry today!

We can conduct the study in your home. No travel is required. If you choose to come to Bayview to participate, your parking will be paid.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jeremy Walston, MD. IRB application No: NA_00035307

Approved 8/16/10

Michael T. Smith, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Protocol: NA_00011802 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

For information, please call (410) 550-7906

24

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Why chamomile offers so many benefits Dear Pharmacist: A few months ago, you wrote about the medicinal action of herbal teas (May 2012 Beacon), and got my attention. I have serious health concerns like diabetes, hypertension, pancreatitis and insomnia. What teas should I drink?

— J.Y. Dear J.Y. As far as tea goes, chamomile is perfect.

Researchers report that drinking chamomile tea daily helps prevent complications of diabetes, such as loss of vision, nerve damage and kidney damage.

This speaks to the ability of chamomile to fight free radical damage in the body, which is excellent. This is exactly what you want to

do if you have pancreatitis, too. I’ve emailed you a free copy of my ebook, “Understanding Pancreatitis & Pancreatic Cancer.”

After reading a study about chamomile’s benefits to those with diabetes, I theorized that it must have other benefits for the pancreas. Lo and behold, I found numerous studies discussing “apigenin” and its ability to inhibit growth of pancreatic cancer cells through various mechanisms.

Apigenin is a citrus bioflavonoid compound found in chamomile (and other fruits/vegetables including grapefruit) that gives it a yellow color as well as that familiar sedative effect. It’s what we call a flavonoid, and it happens to be a strong anti-inflammatory.

Gentle Foot Care in Your Home Diabetic foot exams Corns/calluses Wound/infection care Toenail fungus Dr. Richard Rosenblatt DPM

Over 25 years experience

410-358-0544 6606 Park Heights Avenue Baltimore, MD

Same Day, Weekend and Evening appointments. Most Insurance Accepted

According to the study published in Mo- supplement online or at a health food store. lecular Cancer (December 2006) Apigenin Another way to get its benefits is to drink suppresses pancreatic cancer chamomile tea or take dietary growth through suppression supplements of chamomile. of “cyclin B-associated cdc2 acThere are very few warntivity” and “G2/M arrest.” The ings associated with the lovely researchers conclude that apicenturies-old flower, but being genin may “be a valuable drug a natural sedative, chamomile for the treatment or prevencould enhance the effect of tion of pancreatic cancer.” prescribed tranquilizers, antiA few years later, in Pancreas anxiety medications, and pre(May 2009), scientists pubscribed sleep aids (alprazolam, lished findings about apigenin diazepam, zolpidem) or diDEAR again, this time to conclude that etar y supplements/herbs, PHARMACIST it improved the action of gemcsuch as kava kava, passionBy Suzy Cohen itabine, a drug used to treat panflower and GABA. creatic cancer. Their results High dose supplementafound that apigenin in combination with tion could enhance the effect of antigemcitabine inhibited pancreatic cancer cell seizure medications, necessitating a lower growth more than either agent alone. It was drug dosage. dose-dependent too — the more apigenin, Teas are weaker than supplements. the better the effect.

Make your own tea by steeping one tableApigenin was shown in a 2008 study in spoon of chamomile herb in hot water for Pancreas to decrease glucose uptake in pan- 15 minutes. creatic cancer cells (you might say it This information is opinion only. It is not starved them to death). Other studies have intended to treat, cure or diagnose your confound this compound to possess ability in dition. Consult with your doctor before using inhibiting several cancer lines, including any new drug or supplement. breast, colon, thyroid, skin and leukemia.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist To spare confusion, apigenin is a com- and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist pound found in chamomile, it’s not a drug. and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To You can purchase apigenin as a stand-alone contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

25

What’s wrong with visiting old flames?

Dear Bea: Dear Solutions: Develop a deaf ear. Men have one — they Can you tell me what's wrong with don't hear the little voices getting in touch in a friendly around the house saying, "dust way with an old girlfriend? me,” “wash me,” “answer me," On a trip we're taking, I etc. planned it so that my wife Structure your time. Either and I will be passing dust them, wash them and anthrough my old home town. swer them before you start to We'll be staying for a few work or set aside some time days, and I heard that this after work. Then, when you old girlfriend is now dihear them, stop and shout vorced. We were once en"QUIET!" and get on with your gaged, but that was a long SOLUTIONS work. time ago.

By Helen Oxenberg, You'll see — after a while My wife is very upset at MSW, ACSW they'll give up. And once you the idea of me getting in work out a chore sharing touch with her. I don't see anything wrong. I just want to know how arrangement with your husband, they won't dare bother you again. she's doing.

— Tom Dear Solutions: I went on a bus tour recently with my Dear Tom: How she's doing what? And what will you husband and other people. One woman do with this knowledge besides being titillat- was always late getting back to the bus ed by your hopeful fantasy that she still finds when we stopped to do sightseeing.

People applauded when she got back you attractive?

Never mind what's wrong with getting in on the bus after we were all waiting for touch with her. Concentrate on what's her. That seemed like a good natured wrong in your marriage that makes this so way of letting her know we were annoyed, but my husband had to go one threatening to your wife.

Home town or not, remember Tom, you step further.

He kept making nasty remarks to her can't go home again. Consider this "passing through" to just be a passing fancy. Let it go about holding us all up. I was very embarrassed, and I think people avoided Dear Solutions: When my husband partially retired, us after that.

We're planning another trip, and I he worked at home and seemed to do dread going because that same woman very well. He didn't get distracted.

He's working outside our home again, is also taking the trip. How can I keep and now I'm trying to find a way to work him from always going that one step furat home. But I'm having a difficult time ther than anyone else and making nasty remarks? He won't listen. with distractions.

— Embarrassed Wife Men seem to be able to do this easier.

Dear Wife: How come, and what should I do?

Watch out, or that one step further may be — Bea

toward you, and the nasty remarks may be aimed at you and your effort to control him.

You have a choice. You can tell him how his behavior makes you feel and refuse to go on this trip unless he changes. Or you can accept the truth that the only person whose behavior you can change is your own.

That means don't join him in his remarks, but don't react either. Try a little humor.

Shrug your shoulders and smile. Be very nice to the other people. Your husband is

not an extension of you.

Suggest to your husband that he represent the group in speaking to the tour guide, who should set specific rules and times. And remember — it's that woman who is wrong. © Helen Oxenberg, 2012. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 7

THE COLOR PURPLE AT TOBY’S

See The Color Purple at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia on this trip sponsored by Liberty Senior Center on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Tickets are $70. To reserve a spot, call (410) 887-0780.

Nov. 8

A VISIT TO LANCASTER

Join the Ateaze Senior Center on this trip to the Dutch Apple Theatre in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 8, for a production of Church Basement Ladies. Tickets are $77. Call (410) 285-0481 to reserve a place.

Ongoing

ART LOVERS SOUGHT AT THE WALTERS

The Walters Art Museum brings art and people together for enjoyment and learning. The museum is committed to exhibitions and programs that will strengthen and sustain our community. For information on volunteer opportunities, call (410) 547-9000, ext. 281, or visit www.thewalters.org.

MOM STAYS SAFE & HAPPY with Assisted Living at Charlestown and Oak Crest Assisted Living at Charlestown and Oak Crest offers your loved one everything she needs to live a rewarding life.

Your mom will benefit from an entire community filled with great neighbors, top-notch on-site health care and lots of fun things to do.

Learn more today. Call for your free brochure and activities calendar.

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8482819

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410-988-4985

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26

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Travel Leisure &

The Eastern & Oriental Express offers the ultimate in luxury train trips. See story on page 29.

Laid-back living in eclectic Key West, Fla. Hemingway drank (and wrote) here A number of both locals and visitors head for Sloppy Joe’s Bar and Captain Tony’s, both of which claim, with some justification, that Ernest Hemingway was a regular patron when he lived in Key West.

After being operated as an illegal speakeasy by a local named Joe Russell, Sloppy Joe’s came out of the shadows on December 5, 1933, the day Prohibition was repealed.

The name for the rowdy saloon was suggested by Hemingway, who had frequented a similarly named bar in Cuba, where melting ice used to preserve seafood kept the floor wet and, yes, “sloppy.”

In 1937, Joe Russell refused to pay what he viewed as an unreasonable rent increase, from $3 to $4 a week, and he leased an empty building nearby. One evening in May, his customers carried their drinks and all of the tavern’s furnishings down the street to the new location, and partying continued without missing a beat, or in this case a swallow.

Later, what had been Sloppy Joe’s was purchased by Tony Tarracino, a charter boat captain, who renamed it Captain Tony's Saloon.

Hemingway, by far Key West’s most famous resident, lived there from 1931 to 1942. Those were his most productive years, during which he wrote some of his best-known classics, including A Farewell

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

By Victor Block Even after several days luxuriating in the sun that bathes Key West in its glow, the essence of the Florida destination eluded me. I had immersed myself in the tiny island’s history, wandered narrow streets lined by gingerbread-trimmed houses, and taken in a long list of intriguing sights.

The missing ingredient fell into place when I spotted several elderly men playing bocce. I asked a bystander if lawn bowling is popular because many people of Italian descent live in Key West.

Chuckling, she replied, “No, it’s popular because it’s a game you can play with one hand while you hold a drink in the other.”

That fun-filled outlook on life summed it up. More than the subtropical setting, surpassing its eclectic gathering of historic and other sites, Key West is an attitude. Life there is laid back, and people need little excuse to party.

Even the sunset provides one. Each evening, a crush of people congregates at Mallory Square as the sun dips toward the horizon beyond the Gulf of Mexico. Jugglers, musicians and other entertainers compete for an audience — and tips.

Many spectators clutch a plastic take-out cup containing a beverage purchased at a nearby bar. After the sun disappears, usually to the sound of applause, the throng disperses and flows toward the watering holes and restaurants that line nearby Duval Street.

A sightseeing train chugs past Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where Ernest Hemmingway was a regular patron when he lived in Key West from 1931 to 1942.

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Hemingway worked hard during the mornings, writing in his small studio on the second floor of a converted carriage house overlooking an equally minuscule swimming pool.

He also played hard, descending around lunch time to spend the rest of the day and evening swimming, fishing and drinking with a coterie of friends that ranged from fellow literary giants to bar owners and commercial fishermen.

The Spanish Colonial-style home where Hemingway lived with Pauline, his second of four wives, operates today as a museum.

Of special interest is his studio, which remains exactly as he left it. An ancient manual typewriter stands on the desk, and stuffed heads of animals the author shot on safari adorn the walls.

Today’s residents are some four dozen cats, many of them six-toed — descendants of the writer’s beloved “Snowball.”

Other Key West luminaries

President Harry Truman stayed at this house, dubbed the Little White House, on his frequent visits to Key West. Many later presidents followed suit. The house now offers guided tours to the public.

Hemingway wasn’t the only famous author to be attracted by Key West’s charms.

Robert Frost came from 1945 to 1960 to escape the New England winters, which some of his poetry describes. John Dos Passes was a drinking buddy of “Papa” Heming-

way, and John Hersey and Gore Vidal dropped by for visits.

Tennessee Williams owned a modest bungalow on the island from 1949 until his death in 1983. It’s believed that he wrote the first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire while there, and the movie version of his Academy Award-winning play, The Rose Tattoo, was filmed on Key West in 1956.

Another famous part-time resident was President Harry Truman, who made 11 trips to what became known as the “Little White House.” That modest, two-story wooden structure was built by the U.S. Navy in 1890 to serve as home for the commander and paymaster of a base on the site.

Among other notables who temporarily lived in or visited the house were Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Thomas Edison lived there while conducting experiments and developing weapons for the Navy during World War I. Guided tours and exhibits at a small museum introduce visitors to the famous people who stayed in the house. They also provide personal tidbits about President Truman that to me were more interesting than any facts and figures.

See KEY WEST, page 27

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

Key West From page 26 I learned (and like) that Harry enjoyed playing spirited games of poker with his guests, and taking part in “loud shirt” contests with White House staff members.

Another humanizing touch about the 33rd president was his insistence that he down an early morning “shot of bourbon followed by a large glass of fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice” on the advice of his doctor.

Forts and shipwreck treasures Although it has been more decades than I care to remember since I wore the uniform of the Army, I found two small but interesting forts to be worth a visit.

Construction of Fort Zachary Taylor was begun in 1845. Even though Florida seceded from the Union during the Civil War, the presence of the fort, which Yankee troops used as a base from which to blockade Confederate shipping, kept Key West on the side of the North.

The fort also saw action during the Spanish-American War. The state park that surrounds the building includes one of the better beaches on Key West, and offers swimming, swim-out snorkeling, fishing and wooded nature trails.

Federal forces began construction of the East Martello tower in 1862, but the work was never completed. The eight-foot-thick walls today house an eclectic hodge-podge of artifacts that trace many aspects of the history of Key West and the other Florida Keys.

There are exhibits on early industries, including fishing, shrimping, sea sponge harvesting and cigar making. A small section devoted to Cuban immigration since Fidel Castro came to power includes a rickety raft used by people to escape to the United States, and the tragic story that their effort failed and they were never found.

Another intriguing aspect of Key West’s history is depicted in two other collections.

The Shipwreck Treasures Museum tells the intriguing story of Key West “wreckers” with a combination of exhibits, audio-visual displays and a live presentation.

Wrecking and salvage — rescuing passengers, then recovering the cargo of ships that sunk following collisions with treacherous offshore reefs — was the foundation of Key West’s economy throughout the 19th century. For a time, that enterprise made the tiny island the richest city per capita in the United States.

Storytellers in period costumes relate this historical tidbit, interspersing fascinating facts with humor that’s as corny as it is colorful. As part of his patter, one guide sought to convince me that I would have made a good diver, until I learned they had to hold their breath under water for up to five minutes.

The Mel Fisher Treasure Museum recounts the story of that intrepid fortune hunter. He spent 16 years seeking the wreck of Spanish galleons that sank in 1622 off the coast of Key West during a ferocious hurricane.

The $450 million treasure he ultimately found included more than 40 tons of gold

and silver as well as emeralds, Chinese porcelain and other precious artifacts. To me, the story of Mel Fisher’s search for the valuable cache is as fascinating as the exhibits themselves.

A little-known gem that is overlooked by too many visitors to Key West is Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden. “Secret” definitely is the operative word. Tucked away at the end of a tiny lane, it’s a quiet oasis of lush tropical greenery only steps from the rushed, raucous action along Duval Street.

Quiet, that is, except for the loud squawking — and impressive talking — of more than two dozen parrots. Conceding that she’s “passionate about parrots,” Nancy knows the likes (ham with grits, sweet potatoes, peanut butter), dislikes (people food, quality nutrition) and idiosyncrasies (baths, quiet days) of each bird that shares the lovely setting. The one acre refuge is perfect for those seeking a temporary respite from the sometimes frantic frivolity elsewhere on Key West.

If you go Accommodations in Key West range from hotels and motels to small inns and charming guest houses. Some of them were built as homes for wealthy wreckers, merchants and sea captains, and many have an interesting history.

For example, the Angelina Guest House at 302 Angela Street, built in the 1920s, did duty as a gambling hall and bordello. Now it’s a few-frills property with a small swimming pool surrounded by tropical foliage.

Rates begin at $99 including continental breakfast. For more information, call 1-888303-4480 or log onto www.angelinaguesthouse.com.

If you like cats, as I do, the Andrews Inn may be the perfect place to stay. Because its six rooms share a wall with the Hemingway estate, the famous six-toed residents of that property often drop by for a visit.

Andrews Inn sits in a lush garden setting surrounding a pool. In addition to a bountiful continental breakfast, afternoon “happy

27

hour” combines complimentary beverages and snacks with opportunities to meet and mingle with other guests. Rates begin at $145. For more information, log onto www.andrewsinn.com or call 1-888-263-7393.

When it comes to dining, the choice ranges from the whitest of white tablecloth restaurants to eateries that give new meaning to the word “casual.” Seeking opportunities to mix and mingle with locals, I opted for the latter.

The Blue Heaven, at the corner of Petronia and Thomas Streets, combines a party atmosphere with good food. It once was the site of cock fights and boxing matches that Ernest Hemingway dropped by to referee.

Today’s competitive activity is ping pong, and an informal tournament on Saturday evenings attracts fishing boat captains, crew members and — on a recent night — this travel writer.

In this laid-back setting, the kitchen See KEY WEST, page 29

28

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Eastern & Oriental Express defines glitzy

By Charmaine Noronha Beads of sweat trickle down my forehead on a muggy night in Bangkok when I realize I'm late for the Eastern & Oriental Express train. I've missed the shuttle from my hotel, and my baggage bounces over the unevenly paved streets as I run to the station in a panic.

As I fly down the platform, my dress billows behind me. I feel like a character in an old movie as I sprint for the train, but it's not Paris in the 1920s and I'm not chasing the love of my life.

Instead, I plan to be chasing back martinis as I journey through northeast Thailand's picturesque landscapes of rice paddy fields and lush hilltops, en route to Laos on this modern luxury train.

Flustered, I hop on seconds before the green and cream train toot-toots out of the station, and just as I imagined, it's as though I've landed in a bygone era.

Cherry-wood-walled corridors inlaid with deep-set maroon carpets pave the way to elm-burr paneled cabins, outfitted with floral-patterned furniture and adorned with veneers of rosewood marquetry and intricate inlays.

Flamingo pink and brass lampshades create warm, buttery hues inside cozy cabins.

Elegantly suited attendants pepper the corridors, ready to oblige your every need. In the distance, a bar piano tinkles Dixieland jazz.

A reputation for luxury The Eastern & Oriental is owned by the same company that took over the storied Orient Express, which began running between Paris and Vienna in 1883. That legendary route changed and expanded over time, and by the 1930s the trains also served destinations in central and southern Europe.

Luxurious interiors and service attracted royalty, diplomats, business executives

Key West From page 27 turns out good food. A Jamaican “jerk” chicken dinner costs $22, a veggie stir fry with chicken $25. Entrees are accompanied by vegetables and outstanding corn bread.

For more information, log onto blueheavenkw.com or call (305) 296-8666.

BO’s Fish Wagon at 801 Caroline Street manages to make the Blue Heaven resemble a haute cuisine setting. In what appears from the outside to be more wreck than

and the bourgeoisie. And the brand — including sister trains like the E&O — still carries that reputation for luxury.

The team that refurbished the modern Venice Simplon-Orient Express train created the interiors for the Eastern & Oriental, which began running in Asia in 1993. Its carriages incorporate Eastern motifs and themes.

The E&O has several routes, including journeys to Singapore and through Malaysia. I picked a four-day, three-night round-trip from Bangkok to Laos.

Unfortunately, we lost a day's ride due to flooding that had washed out tracks in the south, so instead of winding through the countryside by day for a stop in Chiang Mai, we listened to a lecture about Thailand's textile culture and history at Bangkok's Mandarin Oriental hotel, followed by a delectable evening spread.

With full bellies, we boarded the train just in time for a night cap, an introduction to our cozy cabins and attendant, and moments later, our bumpy ride into the night began.

At dawn, the smell of percolating coffee wafted through the corridors and the jostling of locomotive travel shook us from slumber. Our cabin attendant greeted us with a continental breakfast, including a selection of scrumptious gluten-free baked goods to accommodate my allergy.

of the sprawling ancient city.

We hopped back onto the train for lunch and journeyed through picturesque Khao Yai, where we disembarked for an afternoon tour of the GranMonte Family Vineyard, a unique grape-growing region and winery in the country's north. After sampling several international award-winning selections, we stumbled back onto the train to glam it up for dinner.

The E&O encourages a formal dress code for its night-time noshing as a means to help preserve its glitzy past, and also encourages passengers to get to know each other. So you're seated among other guests for a fancy-shmancy meal and entertaining conversation.

I dined with a couple who had recently lost their home and belongings in the earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand. They were using the tragic incident as a catalyst to begin anew, along with a fellow Canadian who regaled me with fascinating stories about working around the world as an international conflict resolution expert with the United Nations.

The next morning, the train rode over the Mekong River via the Friendship Bridge on newly laid tracks linking Thailand to Laos. We were greeted by another traditional dance, this time Laotian, before setting off to explore the capital city of Vi-

If you go For more information, see www.orientexpress.com/e&o. Luxury train routes in Asia include Bangkok to Singapore, Thailand and Laos. Rates vary by route, length of trip and accommodations.

A four-day, three-night SingaporeBangkok trip with stops in Malaysia departing Nov. 6, 18 and 27, and Dec. 23 starts at $2,440 per person, double occupancy, including some meals and tours.

For Europe, Venice Simplon-Orient-Express routes include London, Venice, Paris, Budapest, Vienna and other destinations, as well as Istanbul. Visit http://www.orient-express.com.

— AP

Touring Thailand And then it was off to Phimai, one of the most prominent complexes of Khmer ruins in Thailand, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Located in Korat in northeastern Thailand, Phimai was the site of a Khmer city, built between 1579 and 1589 by the Khmer King Suriyavaraman I as part of the Khmer Empire. Here, we were treated to a traditional Khmer dance performance and a lecture about the significance and history

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For general information about Key West, call 1-800-352-5397 or log onto www.flakeys.com.

American Airlness offers the least expensive roundtrip tickets to Key West in midNovember. Tickets are $395 from BWI and have one stop.

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entiane, as well as a textile factory started by a former U.N. development worker originally from Ethiopia.

The day of touring did not provide enough time to do the city justice, but we headed back to the train for the last evening of cocktailing and conversation.

After a delightful, waist-expanding threecourse dinner, I snuggled into bed for the last night's journey back to Bangkok.

Before drifting off, it occurred to me that if I had been chasing the love of my life, I might have let him go so I could spend more time chasing adventures on the Eastern & Oriental through Southeast Asia.

TAKE A TRIP TO DELAWARE On the Go Seniors is sponsoring a trip to Dover Downs and

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Style Arts &

Susan Braun Levine talks about her recent book on late-life love, How We Love Now. See story on page 31.

Color Purple musical is masterful, moving

A harrowing tale Spanning four decades, this is the story of black women in the South in the first half of the last century, centered on the life of Celie (played by Dayna Quincy).

By the age of 14, Celie has birthed two children, who have been taken from her.

She is sold into a marriage with the abusive Mister (Mark Anthony Hall), who sep-

arates her from her loving sister Nettie (Jessica Coleman), who disappears.

The show takes us on a harrowing tale of sexism, physical and sexual abuse, racism and violence. But by the stirring finale, the characters, good and bad alike, have achieved a level of salvation and deliverance.

In fact, the various stories are so neatly tied up at the conclusion that it should shred credibility. Yet — and much of this is a credit to Toby’s top-notch cast — it all seems believable and affecting.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, with a strong nod to the Steven Spielberg movie, the stage version of The Color Purple was a smash hit on Broadway with music, lyrics and book from people you have never heard of.

(Music/lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray. Book: Marsha Norman. Now you have heard of them.)

It’s a mix of life-affirming messaging, sketchy story-telling that lunges through the years, and emotive, at times rousing, music. The score is based in pop with an overlay of regional themes (the story is based in Macon County, Ga.), gospel, blues, and the kind of power singing that

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOBY’S DINNER THEATER

By Michael Toscano I’m not quite sure where it came from, but as the applause began to die down at the conclusion of a recent performance of the musical The Color Purple at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Md., I wrote one final word in my notebook: redemption. That was unusual.

My eyes were moist. That’s not entirely unusual. I am a sentimental person and susceptible to the evocations of music and story.

But I have seen this musical several times before, including with the Broadway cast. I knew what to expect. Aware of the nuts and bolts of the unwieldy story-telling and the pop-based core of the music, I should not have been moved yet again.

But I was — and you will be, too. If not, you might want to check for a pulse.

Shayla Simmons gives a powerhouse performance as Celie’s glamorous friend Shug in The Color Purple at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

usually relies more on lungs than heart.

There is a sequence in the second act that focuses on African dance, and the music there is heavily percussive and hypnotic.

The music may not always be subtle, but it is stirring and works its magic. The

story-telling is not subtle, to say the least.

But the musical performances draw us close enough to the characters that the often weak dialogue and head-snapping See COLOR PURPLE, page 33

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BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

31

Making and living modern women’s history chapter of transforming experience.”

How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood, released last December, reveals Levine’s studies of women throughout the United States who are exploring later-in-life love after reexamining their interests.

The book describes scenarios as varied as involvement with multiple partners at once, choosing a solo life with only-platonic companionship, rebuilding intimacy with a lifelong partner, reconnecting with a long-ago love, and testing the waters in a same-sex union.

Time, Mademoiselle and McCall’s.

But in 1972 at the age of 31, she joined other young women in producing Ms., one of whom was the magazine’s publisher — renowned activist and feminist Gloria Steinem. The time was pivotal for American women who were beginning to lobby for equal rights at home and in the workplace.

While some older women of the era struggled with adapting to the evolution in See HOW WE LOVE, page 32

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN BRAUN LEVINE

By Connie George For a young college graduate in the 1960s with admittedly no clear vision for her future, writer and editor Suzanne Braun Levine ended up on a career trajectory that has made her one of the most accomplished authorities on women and family issues.

Her long list of professional achievements includes having been the first editor of Ms., the groundbreaking magazine that launched 40 years ago and was instrumental in promoting women’s rights, even helping to determine the definition of “rape.”

Now 70 and author of a new book on the sex lives of women over 50, Braun recently reflected to the Beacon, “Basically, I’ve been following my generation into the next

Ms. magazine’s first editor Suzanne

Power and passion at Ms. An initial position at Seattle magazine led her to work in New York as an editor for

Braun Levine recently published her fifth book, How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood, about later-life love.

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Chestertown, Md., and celebrates a spirited 122-year history. The Baltimore Museum of Industry has assembled an extensive Ouija exhibit highlighting this history. The exhibit is on view through Jan. 27, 2013. The Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, is open Tuesday-Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.thebmi.org or call (410) 727-4808.

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How we love From page 31 their gender identity after generations of inequality with men, “It was the younger women who had the nerve” to put out a magazine like Ms., Braun said.

It was also personally transforming for Braun, she said. She had just spent two years as editor of a medical journal on sexual behavior, being paid only about twothirds of what a male candidate for the position had been offered. Though she accepted the position at what she called “the girl price,” Braun said her resentment at being disrespected by the lower salary made her “very ready for Ms. and its support of women’s rights.”

The Ms. staff combined women with a variety of concerns, not only for equality of women, but for civil and welfare rights.

Her biggest challenge as editor, she said, “was to turn all this challenge and passion into a magazine” — and she discovered just how much women could learn from each other’s experiences.

“Ms. expanded my understanding of the world,” she said. “It gave me things to fight for and believe in, and it put me into a moment in history.”

Her awareness of this history-in-themaking contributed to Braun developing and producing the 1981 Peabody Awardwinning HBO special She’s Nobody’s Baby: A History of American Women in the 20th Century.

Braun was with Ms. until 1988, and then served from 1989 to 1997 as the only woman editor of the Columbia Journalism Review.

A new direction Finally, at a peak in her career as an edi-

Letters to editor From page 2 Experiences in life help me to understand that the world is larger than my own family or my church. I support justice for all couples who love each other and desire to fully participate in marriage and family life.

I will support and vote for Question 6

tor, Braun said she became uncertain which direction to go next.

While she had not previously considered writing a book, she realized she had always been interested in the subject of family dynamics, including a growing trend among men becoming more involved in their home lives. Braun’s first book, Father Courage: What Happens When Men Put the Family First, was published in 2000.

In 2007, she co-authored with Mary Thom an oral history of one of the country’s most outspoken former congresswomen, Bella Abzug: How One Tough Broad from the Bronx Fought Jim Crow and Joe McCarthy, Pissed Off Jimmy Carter, Battled for the Rights of Women and Workers, Rallied Against War and for the Planet, and Shook Up Politics Along the Way. But three of Braun’s five books have put her in the forefront of exploring the lives and relationships of women over 50, in what she describes as their “second adulthood.”

In addition to the recently released How We Love Now, Braun published Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood in 2005 and Fifty is the New Fifty: Ten Life Lessons for Women in Second Adulthood in 2007.

She also writes a column on similar issues as a contributing editor to More magazine.

Prior to her 50s, Braun said, “I didn’t find my voice. I didn’t feel I had anything to say. I didn’t feel I had a right…I am absolutely certain I could not have written any of these books earlier in my life,” she added.

“That’s why I find this stage of life so exciting. Our authenticity is emerging. That sense of authority is coming forward.”

and marriage equality in Maryland. My decision comes from my own experience of knowing loving gay/lesbian couples and my faith’s Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

CST says the individual person is not only sacred but also a social being. Marriage is an important aspect of our society’s social life. CST also calls for human dignity and says that in a healthy community every

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NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Sex and the new intimacy In How We Love Now: Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood, Suzanne Braun Levine continues shedding light on the issues that face midlife (and older) women, and those whom they love — be they husbands, lovers, children, friends and, most importantly, themselves.

Levine has said that she wrote the book to encourage women to take inventory of the intimate connections that are already enriching their lives — women friends, work or volunteer relationships, children, children-in-law, grandchildren — and to ask themselves what love means to them now.

In a reasonably short, engagingly written book, Braun weaves the science of getting older with the personal experiences of both women and men as they discuss how their relationships have changed in mid-life. And the good news is, Levine reports, it’s mostly for the better.

Most of the women and men Levine interviewed for this book say that their relationships — whether new or old — are based much more on egalitarianism and less of a power play than they once were.

In chapters that focus on such issues as “From Dependence to Independence to Interdependence,” “Turning On to Our Sexuality — Even If We Undress in the Dark,” “A Second Chance at Getting it Right,” “Love and Work – Together at Last,” “Cyberspace — Where The Action Is,” and “Care Getting — The Next

person has a fundamental right to those things required for human decency.

Virginia Bartlett Rugemer Baltimore Dear Editor: A proposal in the House Agriculture Committee would cut SNAP benefits (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) by $16 billion over 10 years. This will jeopardize the important Farmers Market subsidy coupons and reduce other nutrition assistance to the poor.

Currently, Congressman Elijah Cummings and Congresswoman Donna Edwards are the only Marylanders to speak

Frontier,” Levine also finds that how we experience intimacy (not just sexual intimacy) is different from earlier times in our lives.

“We are nurturing it in relationships that might not have developed in the past,” she writes. “We are finding the kind of fulfillment, trust, and delight in a widening universe of intimate connections that deserve to be called love. And, most of all…we are discovering new dimensions of give-and-take in those relationships, because we are uncovering new resources for giving and taking within ourselves.”

According to Levine, the new intimacy, as she calls it, is based on who we are now. She makes the point early on that “You are not who you were, only older.” Rather, “your circumstances have changed; your choices have changed; you have changed.”

The new intimacy is also about risk taking; about finding, not losing, yourself in a relationship; about second chances; about letting go and reevaluating old priorities; about acceptance — of who you are, how you look, and your worthiness to be loved as well as about the limitations of time; and finally, about finding a “peaceful place” where the conflicts that might have plagued you before between past and present, love and work, who you are and who you thought you should be, are reconciled.

— Carol Sorgen

out in support of SNAP benefits.

Members of Congress are waiting to hear your readers’ opinions on the cuts.

Please urge them to call their representative now at 1-877-698-8228. They can enter their zip code when prompted and will be connected to their congressperson’s office.

Callers: please let them know if you rely on SNAP assistance, and that you strongly oppose cuts to SNAP proposed in the Farm Bill. After you call, please encourage your friends to make the same call.

Arnold Eppel Director, Office of Aging / CARE Baltimore City Health Department

BEACON BITS

Oct. 27+

LAUGH ALONG WITH THE ODD COUPLE Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of house-

keeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day. This perennial favorite by Neil Simon will be performed (with alternating male and female versions) by the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, at 1 p.m. on Oct. 27-28, Nov. 3-4, and Nov. 1011, at J Bldg. Lecture Hall on the CCBC Essex Campus at 7201 Rossville Blvd.

All seats are $10. For tickets and information, call the CCBC Box Office at 443840-ARTS (2787).

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

Color Purple From page 30 plot jumps can be overlooked.

The men are either evil or ineffectual, and the women are either saintly or wise in their degradation. The storylines move so rapidly that character development just seems to happen, whether we know how and why or not. But we’re sad when we’re supposed to be, and happy when appropriate, just the same.

Directors Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey move things along so quickly that we don’t have time to dwell on the sketchy writing. We just let it wash over us, riding the wave of music.

Some dialogue scenes are under-directed, however, and are flatter than need be.

For instance, it should be traumatic drama as a favorite character, Theresa Cunningham’s Sofia (the part Oprah played in the film), is brutalized. But the scene is perfunctorily played and the moment is lost.

Magnificent singing Dayna Quincy and Mark Hall were both with the national tour of The Color Purple, and their care for the material shows in two marvelous performances.

Quincy is riveting as downtrodden Celie, a living portrait of non-existent selfesteem. But as Celie finds the power within her, Quincy transforms before our eyes.

Her voice grows in strength and tone, her haggard and tense face and body finally relaxing and resonating with joy. Quincy’s voice is a magnificent instrument, used to full effect in the popular anthem, “I’m Here,” close to the finale.

With Toby’s troublesome sound system muffling much of the singing with off-centered, badly mixed and muddy music from the live band, and faulty microphones hampering vocal performances in quieter moments, it is especially rewarding to hear Quincy holding the audience rapt with the

heart-wrenching and plaintive “Somebody’s Gonna Love You.” Singing with minimal musical accompaniment, Quincy has the room to herself to mix love and pain and hope when Celie’s baby is taken from her.

Hall’s physicality is a feat of story-telling all by itself. In early scenes, he radiates power and authority. He never walks; he strides, riding crop in hand. As Mister starts to age, Hall’s movements become more serpentine, as evil cunning replaces physical strength as a source of domination. And his powerful baritone shows expressive range in several numbers.

Adding considerably to the success of this production is Shayla Simmons as Shug, the sensuous saloon singer and Mister’s mistress, who is integral to Celie’s blossoming. Simmons’s voice is liquid gold, used to stunning effect in “Too Beautiful for Words,” a lovely ballad that’s all the more effective because she provides beauty in the midst of moral squalor and ugliness.

And in non-singing moments, where this show is weakest, Simmons puts such life into her acting that Shug’s contradictions make sense. We know her, just as we know Quincy’s Celie and Hall’s Mister.

When Quincy and Simmons perform the moving duet “What About Love?” it’s musical storytelling and intense character development at its best, as well as a musical highlight.

There are too many musical moments that are either emotionally compelling or joyous fun to list here, although mention must be made of choreographer Anwar Thomas’ work.

The highlights are “Push Da Button,” the raucous and bluesy road-house number in Act One, and the “African Homeland” sequence that opens Act Two. “Push Da Button” is gritty and earthy, all sweaty energy as the ensemble enjoys physical pleasure in movement. “African Homeland” is a swirl of lithe and supple dance set to the throbbing rhythms of African drums

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— a celebration of community expressed in both synchronized movement and individual gyration and leaping. Diverse in approach, both scenes are show stoppers.

This is a genuine crowd-pleaser. Except for some lethargy in a few Act Two scenes, this production of The Color Purple is compelling, delightful and emotionally exhilarating.

The Color Purple continues through Nov. 11 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. The show runs every day, except Mondays.

The doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner prior to evening shows Monday through Saturday and at 5 p.m. for the Sunday evening performance. Doors open for matinee/brunch performances at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Sundays.

All-you-can-eat buffets (including a sun-

dae bar) are served prior to every performance. Following the meal, evening performances begin at 8 p.m. except Sundays, when show time is 7 p.m. Matinee performances begin at 12:30 p.m.

Reservations are required. Ticket prices, which include the meal but not sodas or specialty drinks, range from $49 to $54 for adults, depending on which performance is selected. Tickets for children 12 and under cost $35.50. Performers, who also serve as waiters, will expect tips.

There is ample, free parking on the premises.

For reservations and information, call 1800-88TOBYS (888-6297). You may also visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

Michael Toscano is the Beacon’s theater critic.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD A C M E

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T A K E T S H E L U N O M M A O N G B O B E T E I A N R G

A K A N Y R E E T G F I O F A I L

R E D R E W O W N S

B R O O B A L I K

A F T S R A S E C A P E S R S T O I I T H H O S E E M A M Y A I R C Y D R E E A R S S S T I O M A N D M A B E E N A D

S H O P C L E R K S

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From page 34.

Operation Open House Saturday, November 3, 2012 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Serving Veterans and their Eligible Spouses

The day will include tours of the facility and demonstrations of services offered to our residents.

Exhibitors will provide valuable information for seniors, their families and caregivers, and physicians.

29449 Charlotte Hall Road / Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 301.884.8171 / www.charhall.org

NOVEMBER 2012 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Puzzle Page

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

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Scrabble answers on p. 33.

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Answer: The trombonist joined the marching band because he knew the -- INS AND OUTS Jumbles: STAID FETID OBLONG QUEASY

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1. Your heart goes out to it 6. Imitates Huck Finn 11. That boat 14. Swamp sound 15. Reset the white board 16. “___ is for horses” 17. Requirement for a super-hero costume 19. It is measured on a miner scale 20. “Anything ___?”

21. Mos. and mos.

22. Engine speeds (abbrev.)

23. Arbor Day honoree 25. Acting like a statue 28. Requirement for a ghost costume 33. Tossed with abandon 34. Come across as 35. Fed. org. since 1970 36. ___-Pah-Pah (Song from Oliver!)

37. Like some coffee-house treats 39. Stimpy’s cartoon pal 40. ___ Believer (Monkees tune written by Neil Diamond) 41. The Hawkeye State 42. In a lather 44. Requirement for a princess costume 48. Prepares, as a potion in a witch’s cauldron 49. Sound receivers 50. Drive the get-away car 52. It exceeds 768 mph 53. Beliefs 57. Hula dancer’s accessory 58. Requirement for a witch costume 62. Brownish shade a little darker than 64A 63. He said “What Washington needs is adult supervision” 64. Brownish shade a little lighter than 62A 65. Assn.

66. Compare 67. Word on a ticket stub

Down 1. Wile E. Coyote’s supplier 2. Tough test

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3. 1992 foe of Bill and George 4. “OK; let’s all rest now” 5. Rap sheet letters 6. Updated Congressional districts 7. Rainbow parts 8. Employer of air traffic controllers 9. Recipe amt.

10. Match a bet 11. Those who sell super-hero, ghost, princess, and witch costumes 12. Damage 13. Jack-o’-lantern holes 18. No, to Alexander Ovechkin 22. ___ Bravo (Wayne Western) 24. “Do you want ___ or decaf?”

25. Tulip supporter 26. Those guys 27. Resistance unit 28. Instant replay speed 29. A creature inside a super-hero, ghost, princess, or witch costume 30. Hurricane of 2012 31. Fencing tools 32. Beach, basically 33. Defeat a villain 37. Colt or filly 38. Holds the deed 41. “___ were a rich man...”

42. Sticker used at the outlet store 43. Dwelled 45. Understood (as a joke) 46. Toady 47. Spreadsheet lines 50. One higher than tenor 51. Yellowstone Park denizen 52. Between all and none 54. Thin wooden wedge 55. Wizards 56. “Never mind; leave it alone” 58. Basketball giant, Manute 59. A grand slam will net you four 60. America’s national tree 61. Grp. with a Slam Dunk Contest

Answers on page 33.

BALTIMORE BEACON — NOVEMBER 2012

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the 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 ac cept 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 PHLEBOTOMISTS to work in local physician offices in the Greater Baltimore area. Must have 5+ years experience drawing and processing specimens to send to a lab. Part-time, fulltime and prn positions. Call Steve at 443-9090958.

Caregivers LICENSED, BONDED CNA with decade of geriatric care experience seeks long-term, fulltime overnight position. Currently a grad student pursuing nursing degree, I come with an extensive resume, sterling references & solid pet-care skills. If interested, kindly call Jacqueline at 301-787-3555.

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For Sale MACULAR DEGENERATION READER for person with AMD, a 22-inch screen Merlin reader. Used 17 months. Original cost $3,000, now $950. Have all papers. 410-608-8225 / 410821-1010.

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.

POWER LIFT & RECLINER CHAIR (Golden Technologies). Used for one year with a protective cover. Perfect condition. Pictures available upon request. $350 Phone: 443-677-4601.

Home/Handyman Services FEDERAL HOME SOLUTIONS INC. Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). We are a full service remodeling company specializing in modifications for the aging and disabled. 410409-8128.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational.

Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

MATH TUTOR – certificated in secondary mathematics. Reservations range from $50 per hour to $500 for a 20 hour package. Reserve a package for your child or grandchild now. Call 443-858-8039.

Personals SINGLE MALE, 49, good looking, honest, intelligent. Looking for single female 30-40 friendship/more, nice, honest, kind, caring, loving, down to earth, nice personality. Please!

Write P.O. BOX 33471, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Wanted CASH BUYER for old costume jewelry, pocket and wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watch maker tools and parts, train sets and accessories, old toys, old glassware & coins. 410655-0412.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

AMONG POETS

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum hosts a commemorative exhibition of images featuring Lucille Clifton among her poet friends, some of whom have Maryland ties. “Among Poets” is curated by Dr. Joanne Gabbin, executive director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University, and is running at the same time as a photo exhibition about Clifton at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults and $6 for those age 65+. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 830 E. Pratt St. For more information, visit www.rflewismuseum.org or call (443) 263-1800.

Oct. 28+

WOMEN ARTISTS FORUM FALL EXHIBIT

The Women Artists Forum will present its fall exhibition, “Artistic License,” at the Parlor Gallery in Towson from Oct. 28 to Jan. 4.

The works, all created by women, will represent a broad range of aesthetics and technical styles. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, Oct. 28, from noon to 2 p.m. Admission is free. The Parlor Gallery is located at the Ascension Lutheran Church, 7601 York Rd., Towson, and is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For further information, call (410) 825-1725.

Ongoing

AFRICANS IN RENAISSANCE ART

The almost unknown presence of Africans in Renaissance art is the focus of the exhibit, “Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe,” at the Walters Art Museum, on view through Jan. 21. The Walters is located at 6 N. Charles St., and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (410) 547-9000 or visit www.thewalters.org.

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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 Wanted

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.

$$$ NEED CASH $$$ We’ll Buy Your Stuff.

Moving/downsizing, De-Cluttering, Loved One has passed. We Plan and Operate Estate Sales.

Help You Sell on E-Bay and Craigslist. We Clean Out Buildings, Barns, Sheds and More...

Call for other services 443-514-8583.

COLLECTOR BUYING MODERN FURNITURE, lighting, art & accessories from the 1940’s – 1970’s. Danish/Scan, Knoll, Herman Miller, Dunbar, Paul Evans, Thayer Coggin, Harvey Probber, Vladimir Kagan, Nakashima ect. Also buying abstract modern art, ceramics, glass and records. Please call 202-2139768.

a es ift! k Ma at g e gr

BUYING NUMISMATIC COINS and most gold or silver items including coins, sterling, jewelry, etc. Will come to you with best cash offer. Call Paul: 410-756-1906.

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

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Dr. Hatem Abdo

410-391-6904

Dr. Clayton Dean

410-539-3434

Dr. Lawrence Shin

410-368-8323

Dr. Spiro Antoniades 410-539-3434

Dr. James Frazier

410-391-6904

Dr. Gurtej Singh

410-849-4270

Dr. Oren Blam

410-644-1880

Dr. Dale Johnson

410-601-5201

Dr. Brian Steinmetz 410-539-3434

Dr. Andrew Brown

410-350-3389

Dr. David Maine

410-332-9036

Dr. Henry Wang

443-849-2311

Dr. William Cook

410-879-0066

Dr. Charles Park

410-391-6904

Dr. Thelma Wright

410-448-7120

Dr. Charles Yim

443-849-2311

Dr. Michael Dabbah 410-337-8888

Dr. Charles Schnee 410-646-0220