February 2021 | Howard County Beacon

The Howard County

I N

F O C U S

VOL.11, NO.2

F O R

P E O P L E

O V E R

More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County

Conversations on race, culture PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

By Robert Friedman The new director of Maryland’s museum of African American history and culture has bigger things in mind than cataloguing or explaining events and artworks of the past.

Terri Lee Freeman takes over as executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore on Feb. 15, at a time when the country is focused anew on the issue of racism. She hopes to involve the museum and its visitors in the larger conversation about race in our times.

It’s something she has done successfully before, as president for the past six years of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Freeman said she is happy to be returning to her longtime home in Columbia, Maryland, where she and her husband raised their three daughters, now grown.

FREE

5 0 FEBRUARY 2021

I N S I D E …

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

A bold trip to Boulder during the pandemic; plus, pudding or crisps, anyone? Rick Steves translates Britishisms

Museum as meeting place Freeman, 60, said in a recent interview with the Beacon that she sees the current role of museums not only as places to exhibit great art and historic artifacts, but also as “platforms for people to learn about issues and how they can get involved. This includes presentations, panel dialogues, town halls, author talks and artist talks.”

In today’s turbulent times, present-day social movements have become important factors in judging what museums should be, Freeman said.

“Museums are changing now, seeing their role in the community differently.

You used to go to the museum mainly for exhibits on history, culture, art.

“Art, of course, is always relevant, but things take on new meaning in politically and socially changing times. One of the museum’s roles now is to explore those changes,” Freeman said.

For example, after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis last June, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., launched an initiative called Dialogues on Race, citing “the benefits in having open dialogue about race and racism.”

Freeman also pointed to a recent audio exhibit at the National Building Museum about evictions of low-income people from their homes and “what happens to them when they are evicted. You could say this is more of a cultural exhibit, relevant to the times —

page 20

Terri Lee Freeman is the incoming executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. In her new role, Freeman is expected to invite dialogues with the community on issues of race and culture, as she did in her former position as president of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.

what some people are experiencing.”

Freeman’s work of a similar nature at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis gained her — and the museum — international attention. That museum is located at the site of the Lorraine Motel, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

Under her direction, the museum focused for 18 months on King’s legacy, culminating in a three-day commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his assassination.

Several people who had marched and worked with King in the civil rights movement appeared at the event, appearing on the very balcony where King was shot to death 50 years earlier.

Among those participating in the sym-

posium were the late Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa, the former president of Poland, who led its nonviolent Solidarity movement and helped bring democracy to his country.

Just three months ago, Freeman launched a seven-month virtual dialogue program at the Memphis museum called “Unpacking Racism for Action,” where participants discuss issues of bias and structural racism.

One of the program’s goals is to “build skills and nurture willingness to confront issues of racism as they arise in personal and professional settings,” according to the museum’s website.

See MUSEUM, page 24

ARTS & STYLE

Singers in Encore chorales find ways to keep the beat while apart page 23

FITNESS & HEALTH k Blood test for Alzheimer’s k Benefits of oxygen meters

3

LAW & MONEY k Fund your IRA, cut taxes k Donate points to charity

16

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

27

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

2

Visit beacon50expo.com

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

How we talk about aging As a publication geared toward readers cial, housing, travel and arts sections that over 50 (and largely written and produced we thought would resonate with readers by people over 50 or close to and ideally inspire you toit), the Beacon is very sensiwards a lifestyle and retiretive to the issue of how we ment years filled with meantalk about aging. At least, we ing and fulfillment as well as think we are. pleasure.

That’s why I bring up the In choosing to write about subject today. I’d like to know these topics, and in selecting your opinion. interesting older adults and First, I should start out by role models for our cover stonoting that my wife, Judy, and I ries, we were intentionally started the Beacon when she “talking about aging” in a was in her late 20s and I was in FROM THE positive way. Or so I always my early 30s. For many years, I PUBLISHER thought. didn’t even dare to write an By Stuart P. Rosenthal Recently, I was introduced opinion column on what we to the work of a think tank used to call “senior issues,” as I felt my per- called the FrameWorks Institute. In a nutspective would be inauthentic, given my age. shell, its mission appears to be to help pubBut I have, so to speak, grown into this lic policy advocates and members of the column over the past 32 years. Regular media reframe the way people think about readers may recall me recounting my per- important issues (such as aging, among sonal efforts helping my parents (of many others) to make it more likely that blessed memory) as they faced challenges public perceptions and, eventually, public in their health, housing situation, and hos- policy will lead to positive change. pital and rehab stays.

I support that in principle. But when I Those were educational experiences for looked more closely into their suggested me, giving me more understanding of, and “reframings” of various issues related to empathy for, readers and their families aging, I was less sure I supported their apwith those issues. proach.

Beyond this column, our managing ediMy first exposure was to their discustors and I have chosen to write, solicit or sion of how to approach the question: reprint stories in our regular health, finan- What does an aging population mean for

Beacon The

I N

F O C U S

F O R

P E O P L E

O V E R

5 0

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington, DC and Richmond, Va. (Fifty Plus).

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

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

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Vice President of Operations – Gordon Hasenei Vice President, Sales & Marketing – Alan Spiegel Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Director of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representative – Steve Levin Assistant Editor – Catherine Brown Content Manager – Ashley Griffin

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 27 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2021 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

programs like Social Security?

Now I have written about this issue frequently, almost annually, for many years. I have noted that the demographic shift to a larger proportion of older adults has been evident for many decades and yet Congress has been slow to adjust or even plan for the rising costs of Social Security and Medicare.

I’ve talked about the increasing share of the federal budget these programs will take up, and urged readers to contact their legislative representatives and support a forthright analysis and action.

I’ve also tried to calm readers, noting that there are no proposals to affect the benefits of current retirees, and the sooner Congress acts to preserve Social Security and Medicare for the long term, the more gradual any change will be.

Well, I now see that this approach of mine neatly fits what FrameWorks calls “The False-Start Answer.” They critique such an approach as sowing fear and anxiety, and tapping into the public’s “default perception” that the government is inefficient and unable to solve problems.

The think tank suggests reframing one’s answer to see the “opportunity” an aging population offers to “develop solutions” in keeping with our society’s long tradition of “innovative approaches to challenges.”

They suggest describing Social Security and Medicare as examples of innovative public policies that support better aging, and pivot to suggest “restructuring public policies on issues like work and retirement, transportation, housing, health care and community-building.”

The think tank calls this “an Ingenuity Narrative” that uses a “building momentum” metaphor and reframes the facts about changing demographics “to point to the civic benefits aging provides…which helps to foster optimism about the future.”

I can see that this approach is less anxiety provoking than mine, but I feel it com-

pletely fails to address a real problem seriously and honestly.

Perhaps their approach could be helpful in tamping down push-back some younger generations might attempt in the face of adjustments to Social Security. But to my mind it has no place in speaking either to older adults themselves or to those in government with responsibility for funding and maintaining Social Security and Medicare.

I’d like to think it’s possible to be upbeat and positive about aging in general and still call attention to financial and social concerns that could lead to a crisis if ignored.

Of course, I could be wrong. So, now I’d like to ask what you think. Do you think my, shall we say, forthright approach would impel you to think differently about Social Security and take action, such as contacting your congressperson?

Or would you feel more empowered and moved to act if you read the ingenuity narrative and felt optimistic about Social Security’s future?

As I mentioned before, here at the Beacon we like to be upbeat and help our readers learn the best ways to maintain their health, carefully spend their wealth, and enjoy all that life has to offer at any age.

But we also feel our readers do not need to be shielded from reality. After all, you have had the experience of facing and addressing challenges your whole lives.

Are we mistaken? Please share your thoughts via email, letters or at our website: thebeaconnewspapers.com/contact-us.

NOTE: I have greatly condensed the FrameWorks material, and have only shown you one example. You can see exactly how they address the questions of Social Security, ageism and successful aging at bit.ly/FrameWorksFAQ.

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 email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: We seniors thank you very much for the Beacon’s Virtual 50+Expo. The classes geared toward us “oldies” were outstanding.

Yes, We Can! I loved Chef Francis’ Seared Filet Mignon instructional video, wherein Chef gives the steak a heavy pour of bourbon. Suddenly, alcohol-soaked flames whoosh out from under the heavily-heated pan. A frightening, fiery explosion erupts as the rapidly spreading blaze causes its creator to surrender the pan and retreat. Oh my, it scared the living daylights out of me when the combustion spread to the surrounding burners and became a burgeoning

inferno. I was initially disappointed when the demo abruptly cut away from the anxiety-inducing action. Is Chef ok? Was the steak edible? Did the kitchen survive? But now I give a big huzzah! to the brilliant director who left me hanging. When is Part 2 coming out?

C. B., Via website Editor’s reply: Yes, our virtual Expo consists of more than 60 educational and lively videos, including classes, speakers and entertainers, not to mention nearly 100 nonprofit, government and business resource pages (we call them exhibitors) for older adults and their families. But readers should note: The Expo ends January 31!

Expo closes January 31!

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

Health Fitness &

3

STAY CONNECTED A website can connect you to a circle of people with similar interests BREATHE EASY Why some people should use a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen levels WORTH THE WAIT Use your mask and keep your distance while vaccine roll-out gets underway HEALTH STUDY Did someone in your household test positive for COVID? Hopkins needs you

Medicare to cover hospital care at home

By Linda A. Johnson Hospitals will be allowed to care for Medicare patients in their own homes during the pandemic under a government program called Acute Hospital Care at Home, announced in November. It is designed to help hospitals deal with the latest surge.

Some hospitals already offer patients with private insurance the choice of getting care at home instead of in the hospital.

The pandemic dramatically boosted use of such programs.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it will let hospitals quickly launch home programs, which will offer around-the-clock electronic monitoring for Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients who are sick enough to be hospi-

talized, but don’t need intensive care.

“We’re at a new level of crisis response with COVID-19,” and this option will help hospitals increase their capacity to help more patients, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. Medicare would pay hospitals the same rate as for inhospital care.

Six health systems already offering “hospital-at-home” care were approved to participate in the Medicare program immediately.

Hospitals need to meet certain standards to participate. Those include providing twice-daily visits by medical workers, and equipment such as blood pressure and oxygen-level monitors, and keeping patients connected via an iPad or other device to a command center should they need help.

Participating hospitals will also be required to investigate patients’ home environment in advance to assess both medical and non-medical factors, including the presence of working utilities, possible physical barriers and screening for domestic violence concerns.

What patients are eligible?

COVID-19 patients are eligible. But so are patients with more than 60 acute conditions, including asthma, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Beneficiaries will only be admitted from emergency departments and inpatient hospital beds, and an in-person physician evaluation is required prior to starting care at home.

CMS said it anticipates patients may

value the ability to spend time with family and caregivers at home without the visitation restrictions that exist in traditional hospital settings.

Additionally, CMA noted that patients and their families not diagnosed with COVID-19 may prefer to receive care in their homes if local hospitals are seeing a larger number of patients with COVID-19.

It is the patient’s choice to receive these services in their home or in a traditional hospital setting, and patients who do not wish to receive them in their home will not be required to.

The latest in several new programs Earlier in the pandemic, CMS expanded See HOSPITAL AT HOME, page 4

Blood test for Alzheimer’s now available

By Marilynn Marchione A company has started selling the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease — a leap for the field that could make it much easier for people to learn whether they have dementia. It also raises concern about the accuracy and impact of such life-altering news.

Independent experts are leery because key test results have not been published, and the test has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It’s being sold under more general rules for commercial labs.

But they agree that a simple test that can be done in a doctor’s office has long been needed.

It might have spared Tammy Maida a decade of futile trips to doctors who chalked up her symptoms to depression, anxiety or menopause before a $5,000 brain scan last year finally showed she had Alzheimer’s.

“I now have an answer,” said the 63-yearold former nurse from San Jose, California. If a test had been available, “I might have been afraid of the results” but would have “jumped on that” to find out, she said.

Typically diagnosed by scan More than 5 million people in the United States and millions more around the world have Alzheimer’s, the most common

form of dementia. To be diagnosed with it, people must have symptoms such as memory loss plus evidence of a buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain.

The best way now to measure the protein is a costly PET brain scan that usually is not covered by insurance. That means most people don’t get one and are left wondering if their problems are due to normal aging, Alzheimer’s or something else.

The blood test from C2N Diagnostics of St. Louis aims to fill that gap. The company’s founders include Drs. David Holtzman and Randall Bateman of Washington University School of Medicine, who headed research that led to the test and are included on a patent that the St. Louis university licensed to C2N. The test is not intended for general screening or for people without symptoms — it’s aimed at people 60 and older who are having cognitive problems and are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s.

It’s not covered by insurance or Medicare; the company charges $1,250 and offers discounts based on income. Only doctors can order the test and results come within 10 days. It’s sold in all but a few states in the U.S. and just was cleared for sale in Europe.

The test measures two types of amyloid particles plus various forms of a protein that reveal whether someone has a gene

that raises risk for the disease. These factors are combined in a formula that includes age, and patients are given a score suggesting low, medium or high likelihood of having amyloid buildup in the brain.

If the test puts them in the low category, “it’s a strong reason to look for other things” besides Alzheimer’s, Bateman said.

“There are a thousand things that can cause someone to be cognitively impaired,” from vitamin deficiencies to medications, Holtzman said.

“I don’t think this is any different than the testing we do now,” except it’s from a blood test rather than a brain scan, he said.

“And those are not 100% accurate either.”

Accuracy claims, doubts C2N Diagnostics has not published any data on the test’s accuracy, although the doctors have published on the amyloid research leading to the test.

Company promotional materials cite results comparing the test to PET brain scans — the current gold standard — in 686 people, ages 60 to 91, with cognitive impairment or dementia: —If a PET scan showed amyloid buildup, the blood test also gave a high probability of that in 92% of cases and missed 8% of them, said the company’s chief executive, Dr. Joel Braunstein.

—If the PET scan was negative, the

blood test ruled out amyloid buildup 77% of the time. The other 23% got a positive result, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the blood test was incorrect, Braunstein said.

The published research suggests it may detect amyloid buildup before it’s evident on scans.

Braunstein said the company will seek FDA approval, and the agency has given it a designation that can speed review. He said study results would be published, and he defended the decision to start selling the test now.

“Should we be holding that technology back when it could have a big impact on patient care?” he asked.

Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuroscience chief at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, said the government funded some of the work leading to the test as well as other kinds of blood tests.

“I would be cautious about interpreting any of these things,” he said of the company’s claims. “We’re encouraged, we’re interested, we’re funding this work, but we want to see results.”

Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association said it won’t endorse a test without FDA approval. The test also needs to be studied in larger and diverse populations.

“It’s not quite clear how accurate or generalizable the results are,” she said.

—AP

4

Fitness & Health | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

Stay connected and informed from home The people behind a new website called Amava note that “experiences that connect us to others and produce authentic social ties are more important than ever.”

So, they bring older adults together virtually for engaging conversations (called “circles”) around topics of mutual interest.

For example, 10 people or so can “meet” to discuss pets, travel or even play charades online. Other circles might address topics such as caregiving, volunteering or something called “Designing Your Next,” a popular program that helps retirees and pre-retirees figure out their next meaning-

Send a letter to the editor.

See page 2.

ful experiences.

Not surprisingly, the site is attracting interest from hundreds of thousands of retirees and empty nesters throughout the country, especially during the pandemic.

Membership in Amava is free, and includes numerous highly varied opportunities for virtual volunteer “gigs,” ranging from being a Soldier’s Angel (“adopting” family members of soldiers), organizing donations for fire victims, knitting for Warm Up America!, becoming a citizen scientist, and more.

There are also opportunities for flexible jobs, many of which can be done from home.

There is a modest charge for the inter-

active discussion circles, which are led by an Amava guide. Different circles cost different numbers of “credits,” typically one or two, though a particularly substantive program, like “refresh your resume,” costs 15 (including a one-on-one consultation).

Credits cost $10 each; or 10 for $80.

Amava members also are eligible for discounts on multi-week classes offered by educational organizations. Free newsletters keep members up to date on new offerings of all types.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/ AmavaCircles and explore the attractive website.

—Beacon Staff

Hospital at home

Karjian said he hopes elderly patients who might have been deferring care during the pandemic “will now get the care they need.”

CMS stressed that the new program was based on models of at-home hospital care throughout the country that have seen prior success in several leading hospital institutions and networks, and reported in academic journals, including a major study funded by a Healthcare Innovation Award from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

In a statement, CMS said, “The development of this program was informed by extensive consultation with both academic and private sector industry leaders to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect patients, and at no point will patient safety be compromised.”

Ed. Note: Many area hospitals offer home care to Medicare patients, but this program is different. Check with your hospital to find out when or if it may offer acute hospital care to patients at home.

— AP, with additional information from CMS

From page 3 coverage for telemedicine appointments and launched a program paying for care in field hospitals and hotels.

“This will help health systems create capacity to care for patients during the surge,” said Dr. Bruce Leff, a geriatrics professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a home hospital pioneer.

He said hospital-at-home programs have proven benefits for patients and can prevent complications they might experience in a hospital.

Leff helped CMS plan the program, along with experts at major hospitals already running such programs and three companies that contract with hospitals to run programs for them: Medically Home, Contessa Health and Dispatch Health.

Since the pandemic began, all three companies have reported a surge of new, privately insured patients choosing to stay at home, where they can be more comfortable and have family around.

Medically Home Chief Executive Rami

You can feel safe and confident at Charlestown.

In good times and uncertain times, there’s no safer, smarter place to be than at an Erickson Living®managed community like Charlestown in Catonsville.

Enjoy independent senior living, plus a safety net of additional support should you ever need it.

•

Feel safe and secure in a community of friends, neighbors, and caring staff.

•

Our full-time providers are available for telehealth appointments and even house calls.

•

You can rely on the expertise and financial strength of Erickson Living, a national leader in senior living.

Learn more.

Call 1-800-989-6981 for your FREE brochure.

14289158

Catonsville CharlestownCommunity.com

5

Expo closes January 31! | Fitness & Health

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

Why would you want an oxygen meter?

F R EE ★ I N F O R M AT I O N F R EE ★ I N F O R M AT I O N F R EE

(see article on page 9) Name_____________________________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________State__________Zip____________________ Phone (day)_____________________________(evening)_____________________________ E-mail_____________________________________________________________________________

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

I N F O R M AT I O N ★

F R EE I N FOR MATION ★ F R EE I N FOR MATION ★ F R EE I N FOR MATION ★

hwcg.com/howard-county

❏ Living with Someone with COVID Study

F R EE

410.715.9175

Health Study Volunteers

★

off 1st week’s service. *Call for details

I N F O R M AT I O N

15% discount*

❏ Park View Colonial Landing (see ad on page 8) ❏ Park View Columbia (see ad on page 8) ❏ Park View Ellicott City (see ad on page 8) ❏ Park View Emerson (see ad on page 8) ❏ Shriner Court (see ad on page 17)

F R EE

Mention this ad for a

(see ad on page 11)

HC2/21

• Hourly to 24/7 care • Hygiene assistance and medication reminders • Light housekeeping and meal preparation • Companionship and socialization • Hospital sitting one-on-one

❏ Alta At Regency Crest (see ad on page 7) ❏ Brooke Grove (see ad on pages 14-15) ❏ Charlestown/Erickson (see ad on page 4) ❏ Evergreens at Columbia Town Center

★

Home Care Services Provided:

Housing Communities

I N F O R M AT I O N

Each of our clients is wonderfully unique.

The care we provide is too.

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

F R EE

Oxygen meters are noninvasive and carry no serious risks.

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

★

F R EE

I N F O R M AT I O N

★ F R EE I N FOR MATION ★ F R EE I N FOR MATION ★ F R EE I N FOR MATION ★

★

No serious risks

do not provide alerts for all possible oxygen issues and cannot serve as a substitute for other forms of monitoring.

People using pulse oximeters should discuss the risks with a doctor and should maintain a record of the readings over time. Changes in readings, particularly in response to environmental changes, sometimes signal a health problem.

People interested in using consumergrade oxygen meters should discuss their plans with a doctor before investing in a device.

People who use pulse oximeters to monitor oxygen saturation should not rely on the oximeter as a substitute for subjective experience. People experiencing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, dizziness or other signs of possible oxygen deprivation should seek medical attention.

—Excerpted with permission from Medical News Today, medicalnewstoday.com.

I N F O R M AT I O N

Pulse oximeters are useful for people who have conditions that affect oxygen saturation. For example, a sleep specialist might recommend a pulse oximeter to monitor the nighttime oxygen saturation level of someone with suspected sleep apnea or severe snoring.

Pulse oximetry can also provide feedback about the effectiveness of breathing interventions, such as oxygen therapy and ventilators.

Some doctors use pulse oximetry to assess the safety of physical activity in people with cardiovascular or respiratory problems, or may recommend that a person wear a pulse oximeter while exercising. A doctor may also use pulse oximetry as part of a stress test.

Some benefits of pulse oximetry include alerting to dangerously low oxygen levels, offering peace of mind to people with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, assessing the need for supplemental oxygen, and indicating dangerous side effects in people taking drugs that affect breathing or oxygen saturation.

Pulse oximeters are now widely available to buy online (no prescription required), so some people without specific risk factors may use them.

✃

Pulse oximeters (also called oxygen meters) are clip-on devices that measure oxygen saturation. The device may be attached to a finger, wrist, foot, or any other area where the device can read blood flow.

Oxygen saturation can drop for many reasons, including infections such as pneumonia [or COVID], diseases such as emphysema, lung cancer and lung infections, heart failure or a history of heart attacks, allergic reactions and sleep apnea.

Pulse oximeters work by shining a light through a relatively transparent area of the skin to a detector positioned on the other side of the skin.

For example, when a pulse oximeter is clipped onto a finger, one side of the clip

Benefits of oxygen meters

The main risk of pulse oximetry is a false reading. The accuracy of pulse oximeters depends on a correct fit, and minor changes in their positioning can produce an inaccurate reading.

Oxygen saturation may also dip for brief periods due to other factors, such as a change in sleeping position or momentary breath-holding. A pulse oximeter gives an alert even when the drop is temporary and harmless.

For people with health anxiety, or whose doctors have not helped them understand the role of a pulse oximeter, this can cause unnecessary worry.

Some factors can reduce the accuracy of a pulse oximeter reading, including changes in the pulse, interference from external light or color (including nail polish), and having cold hands or poor circulation.

Conversely, pulse oximeters can give some people a false sense of security. They

I N F O R M AT I O N

How it works

shines the light, and the other detects it.

The amount of light absorbed by the blood indicates the oxygen saturation.

A pulse oximeter does not directly measure oxygen saturation, but instead uses a complex equation and other data to estimate the exact level.

F R EE

By Zawn Villines Pulse oximetry is a measure of how much oxygen is in the blood. People with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, very young infants, and individuals with some infections may benefit from pulse oximetry.

Every system and organ in the body needs oxygen to survive. Without oxygen, cells begin to malfunction and eventually die.

The body transports oxygen to the organs by filtering it through the lungs. The lungs then distribute oxygen into the blood via hemoglobin proteins in red blood cells. These proteins provide oxygen to the rest of the body.

Pulse oximetry measures the percentage of oxygen in hemoglobin proteins, called oxygen saturation. Oxygen saturation usually indicates how much oxygen is getting to the organs.

Normal oxygen saturation levels are between 95 and 100%. Oxygen saturation levels below 90% are considered abnormally low and can be a clinical emergency.

6

Fitness & Health | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

Make your home more comfortable than ever

“To you, it’s the perfect lift chair.

To me, it’s the best sleep chair I’ve ever had.”

— J. Fitzgerald, VA

NOW also available in Genuine Italian Leather (and new Chestnut color)

Three Chairs in One Sleep/Recline/Lift

Pictured: Italian Leather chair chestnut color. Chestnut color also available in DuraluxTM fabric

ACCREDITED BUSINESS A+

You can’t always lie down in bed and sleep.

Heartburn, cardiac problems, hip or back aches – and dozens of other ailments and worries. Those are the nights you’d give anything for a comfortable chair to sleep in: one that reclines to exactly the right degree, raises your feet and legs just where you want them, supports your head and shoulders properly, and operates at the touch of a button.

Our Perfect Sleep Chair® does all that and more.

More than a chair or recliner, it’s designed to provide total comfort. Choose your preferred heat and massage settings, for hours of soothing relaxation. Reading or watching TV? Our chair’s recline technology allows you to pause the chair in an infinite number of settings. And best of all, it features a powerful lift mechanism that tilts the entire chair forward, making it easy to stand. You’ll love the other benefits, too. It helps with correct spinal alignment

and promotes back pressure relief, to prevent back and muscle pain. The overstuffed, oversized biscuit style back and unique seat design will cradle you in comfort.

Generously filled, wide armrests provide enhanced arm support when sitting or reclining. It even has a battery backup in case of a power outage.

White glove delivery included in shipping charge.

Professionals will deliver the chair to the exact spot in your home where you want it, unpack it, inspect it, test it, position it, and even carry the packaging away! You get your choice of Genuine Italian leather, stain and water repellent custom-manufactured DuraLux™ with the classic leather look or plush MicroLux™ microfiber in a variety of colors to fit any decor. New Chestnut color only available in Genuine Italian Leather and long lasting DuraLux™. Call now!

The Perfect Sleep Chair®

1-888-728-9614 REMOTE-CONTROLLED EASILY SHIFTS FROM FLAT TO A STAND-ASSIST POSITION

Please mention code 114041 when ordering.

Genuine Italian Leather

Chestnut

classic beauty & durability

Long Lasting DuraLux™

Chestnut

Burgundy

Tan

Chocolate

Blue

stain & water repellent

MicroLux™ Microfiber

Burgundy Cashmere Chocolate

Indigo

breathable & amazingly soft

Because each Perfect Sleep Chair is a custom-made bedding product, we can only accept returns on chairs that are damaged or defective. © 2020 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

46552

Footrest may vary by model

Expo closes January 31! | Fitness & Health

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

7

Editing genes may end sickle cell disease

By Marion Renault Scientists are seeing promising early results from the first studies testing gene editing for painful, inherited blood disorders that plague millions worldwide, especially Black people.

Doctors hope the one-time treatment, which involves permanently altering DNA in blood cells with a tool called CRISPR, may treat and possibly cure sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

Partial results were presented last month at an American Society of Hematology conference, and some were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

10 patients appear cured Doctors described 10 patients who are at least several months removed from their treatment. All no longer need regular blood transfusions and are free from pain crises that plagued their lives before.

Victoria Gray, the first patient in the sickle cell study, had long suffered severe pain bouts that often sent her to the hospital.

“I had aching pains, sharp pains, burning pains, you name it. That’s all I’ve known my entire life,” said Gray, 35, who lives in Forest, Mississippi. “I was hurting everywhere my blood flowed.”

Since her treatment a year ago, Gray has weaned herself from the pain medications she depended on to manage her symptoms.

“It’s something I prayed for my whole life,” she said. “I pray everyone has the same results I did.”

Sickle cell affects millions, mostly Black people. Beta thalassemia strikes about one in 100,000 people. The only cure now is a bone marrow transplant from a closely matched donor without the disease, like a sibling, which most people don’t have.

Both diseases involve mutations in a gene for hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.

In sickle cell, defective hemoglobin leads to deformed, crescent-shaped blood cells that don’t carry oxygen well. They can stick together and clog small vessels, causing pain, organ damage and strokes.

Those with beta thalassemia don’t have enough normal hemoglobin, and suffer anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath and

BEACON BITS

Jan. 21

AI IN HEALTHCARE

other symptoms. Severe cases require transfusions every two to five weeks.

Method tricks cells The treatment studied attacks the problem at its genetic roots.

In the womb, fetuses make a special type of hemoglobin. After birth, when babies breathe on their own, a gene is activated that instructs cells to switch and make an adult form of hemoglobin instead.

The adult hemoglobin is what’s defective in people with either of these diseases.

The CRISPR editing aims to cut out the switching gene.

“What we are doing is turning that switch back off and making the cells think they are back in utero, basically,” so they make fetal hemoglobin again, said one study leader, Dr. Haydar Frangoul of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville.

The treatment involves removing stem cells from the patient’s blood, then using CRISPR in a lab to knock out the switching gene. Patients are given strong medicines to kill off their other, flawed blood-producing cells. Then they are given back their own lab-altered stem cells.

December’s results were on the first 10 patients, seven with beta thalassemia and three with sickle cell. The two studies in Europe and the United States are ongoing and will enroll 45 patients each.

Chief medical writer Marilynn Marchione contributed from Milwaukee. —AP

BEACON BITS

Jan. 19+

CARING FOR YOU, CARING FOR ME Seabury Care Management offers a five-week virtual program to

help family members providing assistance or support to persons with long-term illnesses or disabilities. Cost is $50, and seminars take place each Tuesday, beginning Jan. 19 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. To register, email cminfo@seaburyresources.org or call (202) 364-0020. Learn more at bit.ly/CaregiverSeminars.

FIND Y FIND YOUR OUR N NEW EW H HOME OME A AT T

and enjoy and enjoy a life life of of lluxury uxury aand nd e ease ase

E L L I COTT C I TY ’ S RESORT-STYLE 55+ COMMUNITY

Discover the secret of maintenancefree luxury living with friendly neighbors, best-in-class amenities, and an attentive management team.

CALL TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CURRENT SPECIALS! (833) 419-7513

DELIVERY Join the National Academy of Medicine for a free webinar about the use of artificial intelligence in health

W W W. A LT A R E G E N C Y C R E S T. C O M

care delivery. This event takes place Thurs., Jan. 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/AIinHealthCare.

3305 Oak West Drive Ellicott City, MD 21043

8

Fitness & Health | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

Vaccines won’t end COVID-19 right away

By Candice Choi Don’t even think of putting the mask away anytime soon.

Despite the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in December, it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans can once again go to the movies, cheer at an NBA game or give Grandma a hug.

“If you’re fighting a battle and the cavalry is on the way, you don’t stop shooting; you keep going until the cavalry gets here, and then you might even want to continue fighting,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said in November.

Most people will probably have to wait months for shots to become widely available. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines each require two doses, meaning people

will have to go back for a second shot after three and four weeks, respectively, to get the full protection.

Moncef Slaoui, head of the U.S. vaccine development effort, said on CNN in November that early data on the Pfizer and Moderna shots suggest about 70% of the population would need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity — a milestone he said is likely to happen in May. But along the way, experts say the logistical challenges of the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history and public fear and misinformation could hinder the effort and kick the end of the pandemic further down the road.

“It’s going to be a slow process, and it’s going to be a process with ups and downs, like we’ve seen already,” said Dr. Bill Moss, an infectious-disease expert at Johns Hopkins University.

Older adults are a priority Federal and state officials are still figuring out exactly how to prioritize those most at risk, including the elderly, prison inmates and homeless people. By the end of January, HHS officials say, all senior citizens should be able to get shots.

For everyone else, they expect widespread availability of vaccines would start a couple of months later.

To make shots easily accessible, state and federal officials are enlisting a vast network of providers, such as pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

But some worry long lines won’t be the problem. “One of the things that may be a factor that hasn’t been discussed that much is: ‘How many will be willing to be vaccinated?’” said Christine Finley, director of Vermont’s immunization program. She noted the accelerated development of the vaccine

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

The Greens at Hammonds Lane: 410-636-1141 Park View at Furnace Branch: 410-761-4150 Park View at Severna Park: 410-544-3411

Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886 Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363 Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185 Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

BALTIMORE CITY Ednor Apartments I: 410-243-0180 Ednor Apartments II: 410-243-4301 The Greens at Irvington Mews: 410-644-4487 Park Heights Place: 410-578-3445 Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440 Park View at Coldspring: 410-542-4400

EASTERN SHORE Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070

HARFORD COUNTY Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064 Park View at Box Hill: 410-515-6115

HOWARD COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344 Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660 Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888 The Greens at English Consul: 410-789-3000 The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100 The Greens at Logan Field: 410-288-2000 The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988 Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464 Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 • 55 & Better Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665 Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375 Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673

Park View at Colonial Landing: 410-796-4399 Park View at Columbia: 410-381-1118 Park View at Ellicott City: 410-203-9501 Park View at Ellicott City II: 410-203-2096 Park View at Emerson: 301-483-3322 Park View at Snowden River: 410-290-0384

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785 • 55 & Better Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526 Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

Call the community of interest to you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour.

EnterpriseResidential.org PET-FRIENDLY

and the politics around it have fueled worries about safety.

Even if the first vaccines prove as effective as suggested by early data, they won’t have much impact if enough people don’t take them.

No magic bullet Vaccines aren’t always effective in everyone: Over the past decade, for example, seasonal flu vaccines have been effective in about 20% to 60% of people who get them.

AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna say early trial data suggests their vaccine candidates are about 90% or more effective.

But those rates could change by the time the studies end.

Also, the definition of “effective” can vary. Rather than prevent infection entirely, the first COVID-19 vaccines might only prevent illness.

Vaccinated people might still be able to transmit the virus — another reason experts say masks will remain crucial for some time.

Another important aspect of vaccines: They can take a while to work. The first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine might bring about a degree of protection within a couple of weeks, meaning people who get infected might not get as sick as they otherwise would.

But full protection could take up to two weeks after the second shot — or about six weeks after the first shot, said Deborah Fuller, a vaccine expert at the University of Washington.

People who don’t understand that lag could mistakenly think the vaccine made them sick if they happen to come down with COVID-19 soon after a shot. People might also blame the vaccine for unrelated health problems and amplify those fears online.

“All you need is a few people getting on social media,” said Moss of Johns Hopkins University.

There’s also the possibility of real side effects. COVID-19 vaccine trials have to include at least 30,000 people, but the chances of a rare side effect turning up are more likely as growing numbers of people are vaccinated.

Depending on whether the virus mutates in coming years and how long the vaccine’s protection lasts, booster shots later on may also be necessary, said Dr. Edward Belongia, a vaccine researcher with the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Wisconsin.

Belongia and many others say the coronavirus won’t ever be stamped out and will become one of the many seasonal viruses that sicken people.

How quickly will vaccines help reduce the threat of the virus to that level? “At this point, we just need to wait and see,” Belongia said. —AP

Please patronize our advertisers.

Expo closes January 31! | Fitness & Health

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

Health Studies

9

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

If someone in your home has COVID‌

By Margaret Foster You’ve been vigilant throughout the pandemic, wearing masks, avoiding close contact with people — but now someone in your household has come down with COVID. Your odds of contracting the virus are as high as 50%, according to one study.

What do you do?

First, of course, quarantine the sick person, and wear a mask indoors. Second, consider enrolling in a Johns Hopkins study at Green Spring Station in Lutherville that is testing a treatment to boost the body’s defenses. “In our study, which we call PROTECT, we’re looking at the potential to treat people who are at high risk for infection but are not yet infected,� said Dr. Mark Sulkowski, professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and principal investigator of the study. “We could turn on their antiviral defense mechanisms in a way that would prevent infection or decrease the severity of the in-

fection, which is similar to what vaccine does, but vaccine takes two to four weeks� to work, Sulkowski said. “This is a way to act immediately.�

Two short visits required Adults ages 18 to 80 who live with someone who has tested positive — but who haven’t tested positive themselves — are eligible for the trial, which requires two inperson visits to the Johns Hopkins facility at Green Spring Station.

During the first visit, researchers will give a COVID test, draw blood and then give one injection. At home, participants will report other information to Sulkowski’s team.

At a second appointment 28 days later, researchers will check antibody levels.

The study is a randomized, single-blind trial, which means that one group of participants will receive a pharmaceutical injection, and the other will receive a saline solution.

Neither injection causes harsh side effects. “For people who are otherwise feeling well, we know that this will not cause notable side effects,� Sulkowski said.

M A R K YO U R C A L E N D A R

Jan. 20+

ART AND WELLNESS

Every Wednesday, the Phillips Collection offers guided meditation via Zoom. During this half-hour session, a local yoga teacher guides meditation inspired by a calming work in the collection. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/ArtandMeditation.

Jan. 26+

Activating the immune system The treatment Sulkowski’s team is testing is a type of interferon. “Interferons are part of our natural antiviral defense mechanism that quickly responds to infection. It’s been noted that interferon is part of the early response to SARSCoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19],�

Sulkowski said.

Since the tested type of interferon is found on the body’s respiratory epithelial cells, where the virus attacks, “very early in the COVID pandemic it was discovered that [this treatment] might be a very good

strategy,� he said.

People who want to help scientists end the pandemic can enroll in the PROTECT study or other COVID-19 studies. “It’s very important that we find ways to disrupt the spread of SARS-CoV-2. That requires many different strategies,� Sulkowski said, including handwashing and social distancing. “This is a pharmacological way to prevent transmission.�

Compensation of $100 will be provided.

To enroll, text or call (410) 314-1142 or email PROTECT-study@jhmi.edu.

• •

•

•

•

•

•

!"# $ %&' &

! "#$ "%"&

VIRTUAL SEATED CHAIR EXERCISE CLASSES

Participate in a free virtual seated chair exercise class every Tuesday from 1 to 2 p.m. Go to bit.ly/SeatedChairClass to submit a registration form or email community@iona.org for the Zoom link.

Jan. 23+

OUR VOICE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

HopeWorks’ Our Voice Advisory Council offers leadership and advocacy opportunities for survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and human trafficking. Quarterly meetings take place Sat., Jan. 23; Apr. 24; July 24; and Oct. 23. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/OurVoiceAC.

Feb. 15+

CALMING OUR NERVES, LIFTING OUR SPIRITS

Join the Jewish Community Center for a four-day sequence of virtual sessions to help you reduce anxiety and evaluate your emotional and physical well-being. Learn more and register at bit.ly/CalmOurNerves.

• Eye Care for All Ages • Specialists in Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration • Contact Lens Specialists • Plastic & Reconstructive Eye Surgery

Full In-House Optical Department Outpatient No-Stitch Cataract Surgery • Laser Surgery MEDICARE ASSIGNMENT ACCEPTED LENARD H. HAMMER, M.D., F.A.C.S. GORDON LUI, M.D. SCOTT B. BECKER, M.D. BRIAN J. WINTER, M.D.

VANESSA LIMA, M.D. CRISTINA F. ROUILLER, O.D..

410-997-9900

8860 Columbia 100 Parkway, Suite 101, Columbia, MD

10

Fitness & Health | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

LAST CHANCE to visit our Virtual Expo.

2020

Access to exhibitors, classes, speakers and entertainers will end on January 31, 2021!

Visit now.

beacon50expo.com PRESENTED BY

WHAT:

A 50+Expo like you’ve never seen before:

More than 60 hours of speakers, classes and entertainment, 100 exhibitors, and 3 months in which to enjoy it! Plus, weekly door prizes

A sampling of our programs:

Register weekly for our $100 cash door prize.

Only 2 more drawings to go!

WHEN:

The Virtual 50+Expo is live now

and continues through January 31, 2021.

Classes: Meditation 101; Line Dancing; Avoiding Frauds & Scams; Healthy Cooking

Speakers: Low Vision Solutions, Interview with the Oldest Living Tuskegee Airman; Caregiving During COVID; Options for Intergenerational Activity

Entertainment: Jazz piano; Stand-up Comics; Classical String Quartet; Rock 'n' Roll, Barbershop Chorus

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

Brought to you free of charge by the Beacon Newspapers, in partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Aging and the Howard County Office on Aging & Independence.

WHO:

BRONZE SPONSORS

SPIRE

AT BELMONT BAY

www.beacon50expo.com

MEDIA SPONSORS

Expo closes January 31! | Fitness & Health

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

11

Tweaks that can make recipes healthier When cooking this winter, use these of any soup with a bay leaf or two-inch recipe tweaks to make everything healthier. piece of astragalus root, or both. Remember to pull them out before These ideas are designed to imserving. prove immune function. Don’t be afraid to experiment in the Shiitake mushrooms kitchen with different healing Using these mushrooms inherbs and spices. stead of plain ones adds biologSlivers of Swiss chard ically active compounds that Dark leafy greens are dense fight cancer and inflammation. in nutrients. Add one large A 2015 study in the American green leaf of Swiss chard to a Journal of Clinical Nutrition big salad — just make sure to concluded that shiitakes recut it into thin pieces or slivers, duce c-reactive protein, which so that it combines well into DEAR your liver sends into your PHARMACIST the other lettuce. bloodstream in response to inBy Suzy Cohen This superfood offers imporflammation. tant antioxidant compounds to Cauliflower your salad, which help boost immunity and Most people know about mashing cauliimprove DNA methylation — a complex bio- flower as a substitute for high-carb regular logical process that controls gene expres- mashed potatoes. But what about “Caulision and suppression. flower Mac and Cheese?” I have this recipe posted on my website.

Turmeric One half teaspoon of (dried) turmeric in Fresh sage, rosemary or thyme Everyone is used to using dried spices a casserole will go virtually unnoticed, even by kids! You can also grate and add from a jar, but if you ever try the fresh about a teaspoon of fresh turmeric. Either sprigs, you’ll never go back! If you are way, it adds strong anti-cancer and anti-in- cooking gravy, scissor in some fresh rosemary, and put some thyme in, too. flammatory benefits.

Enhance the water Pumpkin seed oil If you’re boiling pasta, vegetables or poAdd 2 teaspoons to your pumpkin pie filltatoes, add immune-boosting herbs to the ing before cooking it for a profoundly richer pot of simmering water. Enhance the water flavor and powerful medicinal benefits. Or

try it in a stir-fry. It’s rich in vitamin E, zinc, omega fatty acids, and is well known to support prostate and breast health.

Garlic Anywhere you can add garlic, do so! You can even roast a whole head of garlic if you wrap it in foil and cook it inside the oven.

Then spread it onto crackers or add a dollop to mashed potatoes. Garlic contains allicin, a very strong anti-viral and antibacterial compound.

Dried tart cherries Instead of cranberries, add dried tart cherries into your stuffing or salad. These contain natural melatonin, which is deeply relaxing; plus, there’s research to show cherries support gout.

Tart cherries reduce muscle breakdown and speed up recovery, too. They have virtually no fat or sodium and taste delicious, not

too sweet. [See also “Tart cherry juice may improve your sleep,” in the December Beacon.]

Substitutes for wine If you don’t want to drink red wine (or alcohol), make a 50/50 mix of tonic water with pomegranate juice.

Or try kombucha, a fermented tea that comes in all kinds of flavors. Or you can sip warm apple cider.

If you’re interested in more recipe tweaks, I have a longer version of this article posted at my website.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 11

MARYLAND RESILIENCE AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY Join officials from Howard County, Baltimore County, Frederick

County and Washington County to learn more about how emergency managers and economic recovery leaders can work together to improve the state’s resilience. This free Webex workshop takes place Thurs., Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/MDResilience.

12

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

Visit beacon50expo.com

A Publication of the Department of Community Resources and Services

Volume 11, No. 2 • February 2021

Make Heart-Healthy Lifestyle Changes

H

eart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, causing one in four deaths each year (nhlbi.nih.gov). During National Heart Month, the Howard County Health Department, Howard County Local Health Improvement Coalition, and Howard County Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) have joined forces to encourage residents to make positive lifestyle changes to improve their heart health.

Offered via Webex, a series of free, weekly seminars will demonstrate that small lifestyle changes are achievable and worth the effort! Each week offers a different perspective on heart health: 1) a clinical/medical focus; 2) nutrition; 3) movement; and 4) mental health.

Use the Individual meeting links below each description to join that specific seminar (meeting password: Hoco50+).

Heart Medications Explained Wednesday, February 3 • 2:00 pm Learn about medication treatments for common heart-related conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Questions will be answered as time permits. Presented by Fariborz Zarfeshan, R.Ph. Meeting number: 180 336 2713 V Link: https://bit.ly/3nzPxKF

Tasty Tidbits: Cooking Smart for Your Heart Monday, February 8 • 2:00 pm Find out which foods can keep your blood pressure low and your heart healthy. Explore the benefits foods that provide the most nutrients to the heart and learn how to make a heart-healthy meal. Presented by Brandy Leno.

Meeting number: 180 297 5953 V Link: https://bit.ly/3bjT7WH

Best Diets for Heart Health Tuesday, February 9 • 3:00 pm Join OAI Nutritionist Carmen Roberts, R.D., for an overview of some of the best diets that support heart health. Learn how these diets promote healthy heart function.

Meeting number: 180 395 4719 V Link: https://bit.ly/3nuNqHI

Healthy Heart 101: Working Out Wednesday, February 17 • NOON Learn how aerobic exercise supports a heart-healthy lifestyle, and why increasing your heart rate is worth the effort! Presented by Malarie Burgess, OAI Exercise Specialist.

Meeting number: 180 443 4897 V Link: https://bit.ly/35DUDiT

Healthy Heart 102: Settling Down Friday, February 19 • 1:00 pm Get insights on how softer movement like stretching and yoga and breathing exercises help to reduce stress and support heart health. Presented by Jeannie DeCray, Director, Elkridge 50+ Center Meeting number: 180 017 5238 V Link: https://bit.ly/2LbZ0KI (continued on next page)

A Message from Howard County Executive

Calvin Ball This February, as we celebrate Black History Month, we want to recognize the heroes that live amongst us every day. You may have heard about Vivian “Millie” Bailey last year when at the young age of 102, decided to go skydiving. Her jump was featured on Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, in People Magazine, and even mentioned by Oprah. In Howard County, Millie is known for her dedication to our country as a WWII veteran and for her decades of charitable work. We recognized her contributions by naming our newest park in her honor. If you have not already done so, be sure to visit the Millie Bailey Neighborhood Square in Downtown Columbia.

Millie’s courage and compassion is a shining example of how our aging residents contribute to our community every day.

During National Heart Month, we encourage all older adults to check-in with their medical providers — do not put off any medical challenges you may be facing because of COVID-19.

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for many residents, and it is vital that you address your risk and take appropriate action.

While the pandemic continues to affect our community, we now have hope on the horizon with vaccine distribution underway. If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine or the phases of its distribution, please visit bit.ly/HoCOVIDVaccine.

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

The 50+ Connection

Seven Simple Steps to Improve Heart Health

Register for weekly door prizes

A Balanced Life Health Experience: The

Howard County 50+

By Carmen Roberts, MS, RD, LDN, Nutritionist Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

Virtual Fitness Pass

H

The HoCo 50+ Fitness Pass can help you: ENHANCE Q Stay FOCUSED. YOUR Q Get STRONGER. Q Find Your BALANCE. HEALTH! Q Boost Your HEALTH. Q Make New FRIENDS. Q Connect with COLLEAGUES. Q Get PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION. Q Stay HOME and Stay CONNECTED!

eart disease is a leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. To reduce your risk of heart disease, make heart-healthy changes to your diet — adding additional servings of fruits and vegetables to your plate, and limiting foods with high levels of saturated and trans fats and added sugars. Here are seven simple steps to put you on the path to a healthier heart: STEP #1 — Decrease saturated and trans fats. Instead, choose monoand polyunsaturated fats (found in olive and canola oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, flaxseed, and fatty fish).

STEP #2 — Eat more fruits and vegetables. Seven to nine servings of fruits and veggies each day provides antioxidants, vitamins and fiber that can help prevent disease. Eating from a rainbow of colors helps you to get a variety of nutrients.

STEP #3 — Eat more fiber. A diet rich in fiber can lower cholesterol and blood sugar, promote regularity, and prevent gastrointestinal disease.

Aim for at least 25 grams each day. Soluble fiber provides the greatest heart-health benefit because it helps to lower cholesterol. Good sources include oats, barley, legumes (dried beans and lentils), psyllium, flaxseed, apples, and citrus fruits.

STEP #4 — Choose more meatless meals. Beef, pork, chicken with skin, and whole milk dairy products contain saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease. Try replacing some of these foods with plant-based proteins such as tofu, beans and legumes.

STEP #5 — Choose low-fat dairy products. Two to three servings of dairy each day is good for your heart, bone and blood pressure health. Choose skim or 1% milk, 1% or nonfat yogurt or cottage cheese, and reduced-fat cheeses.

STEP #6 — Maintain and achieve a healthy body weight. Talk with your doctor or dietitian about how you can achieve a healthy body mass index (BMI). A loss of just 5 to10 percent of body weight can have a huge impact on your heart health. This means that a 200-pound person would have to lose only 10 to 20 pounds to achieve the health benefits.

STEP #7 — Stay active. Exercise improves blood pressure, cholesterol and heart health. Engaging in aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day can have tremendous heart-health benefits.

Lifestyle Changes (continued from previous page)

Stress and Mental Health Tuesday, February 23 • 11:00 am Learn to recognize the signs of stress; understand older adult mental health concerns; and realize the impact stress has on overall health. Discussion focuses on reducing stress, stress management and finding resources.

Presented by Karen Hull (OAI) and Heidi Weiss-Beedie (Howard County Health Department).

Meeting number: 180 962 0243 V Link: https://bit.ly/35kM248

The Mind & Heart Connection Thursday, February 25 • 1:00 pm Discover the connection between stress/mental health and heart health.

Identify ways to reduce or your risks for heart disease and learn heart health strategies to help manage stress. Presented by Kirsten Minor, Howard County Health Department Meeting number: 180 268 2671 V Link: https://bit.ly/3q0OiWf

13

Offering 26 Class Options Every Week!

ONLY $167 PER DAY* ($50/month) For more DETAILS, or to ENROLL in the VIRTUAL FITNESS PASS, call 410-313-1400 or 410-313-5440 (VOICE/RELAY) Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

The 50+ Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence.

This publication is available in alternate formats upon request.

To join our subscriber list, email kahenry@howardcountymd.gov 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCommunity

Kim Higdon Henry, Editor • Email: kahenry@howardcountymd.gov Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Office on Aging and Independence or by the publisher.

14

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

Visit beacon50expo.com

VILLAGE LIFE the following is excerpted from

BGRV’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s® Team Raises $23,066 for Alzheimer’s Association rooke Grove Retirement Village’s (BGRV) Walk to End Alzheimer’s® team of staff, residents, volunteers, family members and friends surpassed its goal and raised $23,066 to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area (ALZ/NCA), according to team co-captains Toni Davis, BGRV’s director of marketing, and Lynelle Smith, director of employee and public relations.

B

“This is a remarkable achievement during a year in which so many are facing financial challenges due to the pandemic,” noted Ms. Davis in a letter of thanks to team members. “Because of your efforts and the generosity of donors throughout the Washington metropolitan area, the Alzheimer’s Association will be able Brooke Grove Foundation Board Chair Tom Wetmore and his to continue its vital work.” Formed in 1980, the Alzheimer’s wife, Heidi, in their neighborhood on Walk day.

Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. It is dedicated to finding not sponsoring a raffle prize, Morgan-Keller Construction was an just the cure, but preventative methods and treatment. underwriter for BGRV’s campaign. Top Walk team fundraisers include Dennis Hunter, John and Lois Harris, Diane Marcus, Susan BGRV was also named Top Senior Care Team during a November 12 Phillips and Brenda Erb-Marquis virtual Walkcademy Awards Ceremony hosted by ALZ/NCA. A top area fundraiser for many years, BGRV has raised nearly $385,000 for “Thank you all for the support that you provided this year for the the cause since the organization began participating in the Walk in 2003. Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” said Cindy Schelhorn, senior director of communications and marketing for the ALZ/NCA. “We know that Local businesses, vendors, and BGRV residents and their loved this has been a crazy year for so many, and the fact that you went ones supported the campaign by participating in a raffle and making above and beyond to help means so much to us. You’ve been with generous gifts in response to a direct mail campaign. In addition to us for a long time, and we think you’re wonderful!”

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Among First in Maryland n December 23, Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center residents and staff from across the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus stepped up to the plate for their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. This critical step toward prevention was made possible through a partnership with CVS Pharmacy, and the clinic was among the first to be offered in Maryland.

O

Phase 1 of Maryland’s vaccine distribution program included hospitals, emergency medical services, healthcare workers and skilled nursing facility residents, and it is expected that other residents on campus will receive the vaccine early in the new year.

“Today is so important because we are actually getting the COVID19 vaccine to nursing home residents, patients and staff — INDEPENDENT LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING

Marylanders who are most in need and most at risk,” said Joe DeMattos, president and chief executive officer of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland.

“We should all appreciate this new dawn and know that together, we will get through this.”

Luis Gomez, who takes care of maintenance needs at BGRNC, receives his vaccine.

REHABILITATION

LONG-TERM CARE

MEMORY SUPPORT

Expo closes January 31!

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

15

Lettermen Community Project Spreads Holiday Cheer re you a fan of The Lettermen? Their first single, “The Way You Look Tonight,” debuted in 1961, and the group went on to international success with over 75 albums. During the holiday season just past, the Lettermen Community Project (LCP) partnered with Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (BGRNC) to create a card shower for residents in long-term care. The LCP’s connection with the Brooke Grove community is very personal, as the mother of one of its staff members was a previous resident.

Over 1600 cards were contributed to the project, arriving from as far away as Australia! They were delivered to BGRNC, along with holiday treats and DVDs, by The Lettermen Manager David Resident Jerome Schaeffer checks out gifts of holiday cheer from the Lettermen Haskell in December. Each resident also received Community Project. an autographed picture of the entertainers, which sparked great memories and conversations. health department COVID-19 restrictions have greatly limited The card shower was doubly appreciated this year as state and visitation in nursing and assisted living homes.

A

Message from the Village From the desk of Dennis Hunter, president, Brooke Grove Foundation s I write this on the day before I’ll be vaccinated for COVID-19, I’m reflecting on the incredible gift we call life.

A

Let’s face it. 2020 was one of the darkest years to come along in many lifetimes. Many folks have scars that may cloud their vision of the future for a long time. Even so, there were high points. I noticed that our team members showed a lot of appreciation for each other, and our nation expressed great

For more information about Brooke Grove, call

301-637-8928 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

www.bgf.org INDEPENDENT LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING

support for the caregiving profession.

It’s important to recognize how incredibly valuable these simple things are to the resilience and hope of the human heart. Love and kindness create a special kind of glow that illuminates the spirits of those around us, brightening days and lightening loads.

This is my hope for the coming year that each of us will continue to flood the world with love, hope and joy. We are the ones who touch people’s lives, lighting the way to a hope-filled life. The coming vaccines will shape our future, but nothing will change the future more than people who know how to bring light into a dark world. Here’s to a bright, new year free of COVID!

REHABILITATION

LONG-TERM CARE

MEMORY SUPPORT

16

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

Visit beacon50expo.com

Money Law &

Did you know you can donate unused points and gift cards to charity? See story on page 19.

Fund your IRA by April to cut your taxes

By Sandra Block Make sure you haven’t overlooked one of the best ways to cut your 2020 tax bill (even in the new year) and secure your future: funding a traditional IRA. (Note: There is no upfront tax break for funding a Roth IRA.) You can make an IRA contribution for the 2020 tax year up until the time you file your tax return, which is due April 15, 2021, and still be able to deduct your IRA contribution on your 2020 return.

To contribute to a traditional IRA, you or your spouse must have earned income from a job. And you may be able to deduct contributions to an IRA even if you or your spouse are covered by another retirement plan at work. Plus, starting in 2020, seniors age 70½ and older with earned income can contribute to a traditional IRA, too.

Here’s some more good news: The IRA deduction is an “above the line” adjustment to income, meaning you don’t have to

itemize your deductions to claim it. It will reduce your adjusted gross income (AGI) dollar-for-dollar, lowering your tax bill. And your lower AGI could make you eligible for other tax breaks that are tied to income limits.

Who qualifies?

If you’re single and don’t participate in a retirement plan at work, you can make a tax-deductible IRA contribution for 2020 of up to $6,000 ($7,000 if you’re 50 or older), regardless of your income.

If you’re married and your spouse is covered by a workplace-based retirement plan but you’re not, you can deduct your full IRA contribution as long as your joint AGI doesn’t top $196,000 for 2020. You can take a partial tax deduction if your combined income is between $196,000 and $206,000.

But even if you do participate in a retirement plan at work, you can still deduct up

to the maximum $6,000 IRA contribution ($7,000 if you’re 50 or older) if you’re single and your income is $65,000 or less ($104,000 if married filing jointly). And you can deduct some of your IRA contribution if you’re single and your income is between $65,000 and $75,000, or if you’re married and your income is between $104,000 and $124,000.

Spouses with little or no earned income for 2020 can also make an IRA contribution of up to $6,000 ($7,000 if 50 or older) as long as their spouse has sufficient earned income to cover both contributions. The contribution is tax-deductible as long as your household income doesn’t exceed the limits for married couples filing jointly.

Double tax break Some low- and moderate-income taxpayers get an extra break for contributing to an IRA or other retirement account.

In addition to the usual IRA deduction,

you may qualify for a Retirement Savers tax credit of up to $1,000 for contributions to an IRA or other retirement tax plan. (A tax credit, which reduces your tax bill dollar-fordollar, is more valuable than a deduction, which merely reduces the amount of income that is taxed.)

The actual amount of the credit depends on your income. It ranges from 10% to 50% of the first $2,000 contributed to an IRA or other retirement account.

To be eligible, your 2020 income can’t exceed $32,500 if you’re single; $48,750 if you’re the head of a household with dependents; or $65,000 if you’re married filing jointly. The lower your income, the higher the credit. But you can’t claim the Retirement Savers credit if you’re under 18, a student, or can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.

All contents © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ways to pay for long-term care if needed Many retirees and prospective retirees ford to initiate a policy near retirement. In don’t realize that Medicare does not cover ex- addition, if their health has deteriorated, penses associated with longthey might find they are not elterm care, which is unfortunate igible to purchase such polibecause statistics show that apcies. proximately 70% of them will Many, if not most, individueventually need it in some form. als who did purchase tradiLong-term care (LTC) is tional LTC policies have the care, both medical and found that their premiums non-medical, required by peohave increased dramatically ple for an extended period of because insurance companies time because of medical, underestimated the costs, and physical and cognitive condistate insurance departments THE SAVINGS tions caused by an accident, have granted the right to GAME illness or frailty. many insurance companies to

By Elliot Raphaelson LTC typically involves asincrease their LTC rates, sistance or supervision of acsometimes to two or three tivities of daily living when these tasks can times the original premium. no longer be performed independently.

Accordingly, policyowners have been Because of the high cost of nursing faced with the unattractive options of paying homes and assisted-living facilities, a sig- much higher premiums, accepting lower nificant percentage of retirees will have a coverage or allowing their policies to lapse. difficult time handling the cost of LTC if these facilities are required for an extend- An alternative to insurance ed period.

Annuity expert Stan Haithcock (www.

Traditional LTC policies are not cheap. theannuityman.com) points out that a limitIndividuals who did not obtain such a poli- ed number of healthcare providers offer a cy when they were young and in good “simplified issue” annuity that provides LTC health will likely find that they cannot af- benefits without such a rigid underwriting

process. You can obtain coverage without a medical exam by answering a detailed set of healthcare questions by phone.

A significant lump-sum deposit is required, say $100,000. However, depending on the policy, you may be entitled to a benefit that is a multiple of the deposit amount, for example up to $300,000 to cover your LTC expenses.

And if you do not use the LTC option, you earn interest at a nominal rate on the initial deposit. All of the lump-sum payment would eventually be paid out either as LTC expenses or returned to you or your heir with the nominal interest payments.

Other advantages: — No premium increase: Once you purchase the annuity, there will be no increase in premium. Individuals who have purchased traditional long-term insurance policies do not have the protection of a fixed premium.

— 1035 exchange option: If you have already purchased a policy which has value, you may be able to switch policies to a LTC annuity.

— Possible tax-free withdrawals: If you purchase the policy with after-tax funds,

most of your withdrawals would be tax-free.

— Return of premiums: If you do not use the long-term healthcare option, you or your heirs would be entitled to receive the principal back with interest. With a traditional LTC policy, you will not receive any repayment of premiums.

Some disadvantages: — LTC benefits are more limited than those associated with traditional LTC policies.

— You will have to make a large up-front payment.

— Withdrawals you make for health expenses will reduce the value of the annuity.

— Some withdrawals can be taxable. For example, if the annuity was purchased inside a traditional IRA, the withdrawals would be taxable. Benefits from a traditional long-term health care are not taxable.

The following healthcare companies offer simplified issue annuities: Securian Financial, Nationwide Financial, Brighthouse Financial, One America, Pacific Life, NY Life, Mass Mutual and Lincoln Financial.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2020 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Expo closes January 31! | Law & Money

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

17

Tap into a home’s value with refi or loan

By Patricia Mertz Esswein A debt-free retirement has been the ideal scenario for so long that older adults often overlook a valuable financial resource: their home.

Collectively, homeowners age 62 and older have a record $6.5 trillion of “tappable” equity, according to data analytics firm Black Knight. Individually, home equity accounts for more than a quarter to almost half of the median net worth of retirees, depending on age, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Many financial planners believe tapping that wealth in retirement or just before makes sense if done wisely. For instance, the money can be used for some laudable goals: to pay off higher-priced credit card debt, remodel a home with features to help you age in place, delay taking Social Security until you qualify for the maximum payout, buy long-term care insurance, or pay the tax bill for a Roth conversion.

The ultimate way to cash in on that equity is to sell your home and downsize or rent the next one. But most retirees don’t want to move, and even if they do, downsizing in today’s heated housing market presents its own challenges.

The alternative is to borrow from your home equity with your home as collateral.

You can refinance an existing mortgage

and take cash out, borrow with a home equity loan or line of credit, or apply for a reverse mortgage. Each option comes with opportunities, limits and costs.

First, prove you qualify Lenders can’t discriminate against you based on your age, but you must prove you have the income and assets to repay a loan.

[See “Retired? Good luck getting a mortgage,” in the October Baltimore Beacon, or on our website.]

A lender will ask for documentation including copies of award letters (for Social Security or a pension), payment stubs, recent savings or investment account statements, and 1099 forms for the past two tax years.

Lenders generally want to see a “two-year history and three-year future” for most income sources, according to LendingTree.

Generally, borrowers with higher credit scores and lower loan-to-home-value ratios get the best rates. Reverse mortgages work a bit differently, requiring underwriting but no credit score.

No matter how you tap your home’s equity, you’ll pay closing costs including the lender’s origination fee plus fees for thirdparty services, such as the appraisal, title work and recording the lien with the county.

The fees can be paid out of pocket or rolled into the loan. You’ll have a three-day

cooling-off period after closing in case you change your mind.

Cash-out refinancing Most seniors with home equity are candidates for refinancing because the rate on their first mortgage is significantly above the market average, according to Black Knight. By refinancing, they can improve their rate and take cash out.

In a cash-out refinance, the existing mortgage is replaced with a new, larger

one that reflects the home’s current appraised value. You can take cash out of the difference up to a limit.

In late November, the national average fixed rate hit an all-time low of 2.72% for 30year mortgages and 2.28% for 15-year mortgages, according to Freddie Mac. The rate on a cash-out refinance will be about an eighth to a quarter of a percentage point higher than for a no-cash-out refinancing, See HOME EQUITY, page 18

Are you an Active Senior of Moderate Income?

Discover Great Senior Living at our Affordable Community Conveniently located near the Union Bridge Community Center. 24-hour emergency on-call maintenance.

Affordable rent. Caring & dedicated staff.

550 Shriner Court Union Bridge, MD 21791

410-775-2940 www.qpmgmt.com Rent starts at $575. Income restrictions apply.

Call or visit our web site to view this community.

T/A Quantum Property Management

A Network of Professionals Dedicated to Serving Older Adults Our members enjoy: • Monthly Networking Meetings • Social Gatherings • Directory & Website Advertising • Professional Development Programming

To review our complete menu of marketing opportunities, visit cogsmd.org.

Prospective members are welcome to attend one meeting as our guest.

To register, email info@cogsmd.org.

18

Law & Money | Visit beacon50expo.com

Home equity

whenever you like by using a check, a credit or debit card connected to the account, or an electronic transfer. You’ll incur a variable rate of interest on any outstanding balance.

You could use the HELOC to pay for completed phases of a remodeling project, for ongoing or variable expenses, such as medical bills, or just keep funds available for an emergency.

Be aware that lenders may reduce, freeze or cancel lines of credit if they anticipate or experience a rising number of defaults, as they did during the Great Recession. Despite the pandemic, lenders haven’t yet curtailed borrowing for existing lines of credit, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH.com. However, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo stopped taking applications for new HELOCs this past spring and had not resumed by early December.

Don’t wait to apply until your home is under construction, unoccupied or for sale, or has lots of deferred maintenance or damage because it will no longer qualify as collateral, Garcia said.

HELOCs provide an initial withdrawal period, usually 10 years, when you can borrow up to your limit. During that time, you may choose to make a minimum payment — typically 1% to 2% of the loan balance — or an interest-only payment if you qualify.

You can usually prepay more without penalty. As you repay principal, your available credit is replenished.

Many lenders offer a “loan within a line�

From page 17 said Adam Smith, a mortgage broker in Denver.

Lenders will let you borrow up to 80% of your home’s value, including the new mortgage and the cash you take (75% for a second home or investment property).

With a loan-to-value ratio of 80% or less, you’ll avoid the cost of private mortgage insurance. If you have any other home equity debt, you must pay it off or roll it into the new mortgage up to the limit.

Your monthly mortgage payment, including the principal, interest, property taxes, hazard insurance and any homeowners’ association fees, should consume no more than 28% of your monthly gross income.

Closing costs are typically 2% to 6% of the new loan amount. Use the Tri-Refi calculator (hsh.com/refinance-calculator) to determine whether it’s better to pay out of pocket or roll the cost into the loan or interest rate.

Home equity loan options A home equity loan, also called a second mortgage, provides a lump sum payout that may work well for a one-time expense, such as a specific home project or car purchase.

It offers the predictability of a fixed rate of interest and repayment in equal monthly payments over a term of five to 20 years.

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a revolving line of credit that you can tap

! s u n i o J

ITALY online

! o a i C Serata Vevening irtuale in the stacks

HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Evening in the Stacks Sat, February 27 | 7 pm TICKETS & DETAILS: hclibrary.org/stacks -RLQ XV IRU D IXQ HYHQLQJ oOOHG ZLWK •

$XWKRUV $GULDQD 7ULJLDQL -XOLHW *UDPHV 3DXOLQH )URPPHU

•

,WDOLDQ FKHI GHPR

•

7UXIpH KXQWLQJ LQ 7XVFDQ\

•

&DWHUHG PHDO GHOLYHUHG WR \RX

HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM IRU LWV WK DQQXDO JDOD IXQGUDLVHU LV JRLQJ YLUWXDO DQG WUDQVSRUWLQJ JXHVWV WR ,WDO\ 3URFHHGV EHQHoW OHDUQLQJ ER[HV IRU FKLOGUHQ DQG ODSWRSV DQG KRWVSRWV IRU SHRSOH LQ QHHG

VSRQVRUV as of 1.6.21

iii

FRIENDS & FOUNDATION

of HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

PHGLD VSRQVRUV %DOWLPRUH %XVLQHVV -RXUQDO _ %DOWLPRUH 6W\OH _ 7KH %XVLQHVV 0RQWKO\ _ &LW\EL]OLVW _ 7KH 'DLO\ 5HFRUG _ 'RZQWRZQ'LDQH QHW _ +HLGQ6HHN (QWHUWDLQPHQW _ :<35 )0 _ <HOS

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

type of HELOC. During the draw period, you can convert all or part of your outstanding balance from a variable to a fixed rate, usually a limited number of times, and repay that portion over a term of up to 20 years.

After the draw period ends, you must begin making principal and interest payments, typically over 10 to 20 years. Look for a fully amortized repayment plan that will completely pay off your balance by the end of the term, without requiring a balloon payment.

If you pay only interest throughout the draw period, you could get hit with a substantially larger payment. To avoid that, pay off the balance in full or refinance into a new HELOC before the repayment period begins.

How to get the best rate In early December, the average fixed rate for a home-equity loan with a 10- or 15year term was 5.6%, and the average variable rate for a HELOC was 4.5% (with a loan or line amount of $30,000, a FICO score of 700 and a combined loan-to-value ratio of 80%), according to Bankrate.com.

Some lenders will offer a lower, introductory HELOC rate to qualified borrowers. Make sure you know how long it lasts and what your new rate will be when the introductory period ends.

You may qualify for a discount of 0.25% or 0.5% on the rate if you already have or open a deposit account with the lender, sign up for automatic payments, or agree to pay an

annual fee of, say, $50. Look for a rate cap to keep borrowing costs manageable.

Closing costs for a home equity loan or line of credit can run about 2% to 5% of the loan amount. In exchange for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;no-costâ&#x20AC;? offer, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll either pay a higher interest rate, or the lender will impose a penalty if you close the loan or line prematurely. Pay special attention to miscellaneous fees for such things as inactivity or a minimum balance.

Begin shopping wherever you currently have a bank account, but check other lenders for current rates and offers or request personalized quotes. Then use calculators at bankrate.com, hsh.com or lendingtree.com to run what-if scenarios.

The cost of tapping your equity may be reduced on your federal tax return. If you itemize, interest on up to $750,000 of mortgage or home equity debt ($375,000 if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re married and file separately) is deductible to the extent that the money was used to buy, build or improve your home. (Higher limits apply if you acquired the debt before Dec. 16, 2017.)

If you refinance, take cash out and pay for a car or vacation, the interest on that amount canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be deducted.

The interest accrued on a reverse mortgage wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be deductible until you repay the loan, typically when you leave the house and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sold. To qualify for the deduction, the money must have been used to â&#x20AC;&#x153;buy, build or substantially improveâ&#x20AC;? the home. Š Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Expo closes January 31! | Law & Money

19

Why would you donate points to charity?

By Erin Hurd If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to give to charity this year but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to dip into your bank account, donating unused credit card rewards, hotel points and airline miles can be a helpful alternative. In some cases, the charity can use the rewards for travel needs, and in other cases, the issuer can convert them to cash for the charity.

When donating points works well 1. When you (and the charity) will get good value for the points Sometimes point values are diminished if you donate them. Other times, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fair or even superior value.

Citi lets eligible cardholders donate ThankYou points to a handful of charities at a value of 1 cent each. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a better value than redeeming for cash back.

Those who hold eligible Chase credit cards can redeem their points for statement credits to cover donations to about a dozen charities, again at a rate thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher than the penny-per-point value for cash back.

There are third-par ty options, too.

Miles4Migrants, a charity that uses donated miles to help people affected by disasters, works to get full value for gifted rewards.

2. When the charity gets a kicker In December, American Express offered a 10-times match when you donate points to

Feeding America. Discover let cardholders donate rewards to several charities and contributes an extra $25,000 to one that receives the most donations annually.

United Airlinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Miles on a Mission platform runs periodic campaigns to support nonprofits.

3. You have a surplus Points and miles donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t earn interest and can be devalued. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting on more points than youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use in the next two years, donating them may make sense.

When donating points isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ideal 1. When your points lose value Many loyalty programs donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disclose how many dollars a charity will receive for your points or miles donation. But often it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the same value you could expect if you used them for travel.

Marriott, for instance, offers a robust list of charities to which you can donate Bonvoy points â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from as few as 2,500 points for a $10 donation. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a value of 0.4 cent per point, but you can more than double that if you use them for travel.

2. If you can donate cash rewards instead Some cards may give you an option to earn rewards as points or cash back. And while points can sometimes offer a fair or excellent value when donated, cash back

remains the most flexible reward of all.

You can give that money to any number of charities, not just ones that partner with the card issuer. Plus, you might reap tax benefits this way.

Because the IRS generally views credit card rewards as rebates and not income, donations of points and miles arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eligible write-offs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but monetary donations could be. If you redeem rewards for cash back and then donate that directly to a charity, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving money, not points.

3. If you have alternative â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;found fundsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Another way to avoid tapping into your rewards stash is to donate â&#x20AC;&#x153;cash equivalents.â&#x20AC;? One example: unused gift card balances.

Charity Choice, a nonprofit that lets users send gift cards to more than 1,000 different charities, also accepts unused balances on existing retail and restaurant gift cards.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll receive a tax receipt for the full value of the gift card you donate. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;AP/NerdWallet

A T E

~ ~ A L

S

A TRADITION IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 125 YEARS Contact us for our Advance Planning options and resources.

Columbia Arrangement Center 5560 Sterrett Place, Suite 204 Columbia, MD 21044 sollevinson.com â&#x20AC;˘ 410-730-7230

20

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

Visit beacon50expo.com

Travel Leisure &

The Brits eat biscuits and crisps rather than cookies and chips. Rick Steves reviews British witticisms on page 22.

Being bold in Boulder during a pandemic

Warm welcome A few minutes after clocking the third and final leg of our trek to the Centennial State, we were treated to a warm greeting

at Trader Joe’s in Boulder, 25 miles northwest of Denver.

“Where you guys from?” asked the cashier in a sweet singsong.

“We’re from D.C.,” my wife replied, stacking the counter with frozen Indian curry dinners. “We drove. We had no faith that the airline wouldn’t suddenly begin selling the middle seat again.”

Then and there, another worker stepped into the conversation, clutching a bouquet of flowers.

“For you!” she announced cheerily, as if we were visiting, jet-lagged royalty. “Welcome to Boulder!”

PHOTO BY BOULDER CVB

By Tony Glaros Practically speaking, no one in their right mind would dare drive to Colorado during a life-altering pandemic. Or stay in motels in the nation’s heartland while it’s in the grip of a deadly virus. So, what does that make me and my wife?

We will not soon forget the 1,600-mile road trip we took this fall to help our son move to Denver. We spent five weeks out West, returning in time for the holidays.

Best of all, we avoided the virus and continue to enjoy good health.

Of course, more orchestration than usual went into planning our trip. We packed well and wore masks. While pumping gas, we would slip on our disposable plastic gloves.

We booked the same three motels on the way to Colorado and coming home. At every one, we requested a first-floor room.

When we arrived, masks on, we would find a parking spot closest to our room, thereby limiting time spent in the lobby, corridors and elevators.

We also waived maid service for the duration of our stay. For breakfast, our motels offered lunch bags with fruit and a granola bar, not a continental buffet (although self-serve coffee and tea were still available in the lobby).

Rocky Mountain high At sunrise on the first day at our rustic, ski-lodge-like Airbnb, in the early stages of recovering from our road trip, I was roused from a peaceful sleep by my wife.

She was eager to share the joy she felt upon opening the living room shades.

Stumbling from the bed, I zig-zagged down the hall. Together, we stood, mesmerized, by the towering mountain across the street.

Grabbing a map, we learned it was one of the famed Flatirons. These five exquisite chestnut-colored rock formations line the eastern slope of Green Mountain.

The Flatirons are part of the 45,000 protected acres of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks. The area is replete with trails from easy to difficult, and provides a PHOTO BY BOULDER CVB

The Dushanbe Tea House, renowned for its ornate handmade ceiling, was a gift from Tajikistan to the city of Boulder. The tea house remains open, but other restaurants are open for takeout only.

By dining outdoors on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, visitors can stay safe while taking in the beautiful view of the Flatirons. Despite the pandemic, there’s plenty to do in Boulder, a city that celebrates the outdoor lifestyle.

sanctuary for animals — yes, bears and mountain lions, too. Many of the trails start at the Chautauqua Trailhead.

No trip to the Front Range would be complete without a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Located in Estes Park, an hour north of Boulder, the wilderness contains 415 square miles of subalpine and alpine forests.

Based on my unscientific analysis, in Boulder there are as many four-wheel drive Subarus navigating the craggy, snow-capped foothills of the Front Range as there are mountain bikes piloted by many of the 30,000-plus college students in town. The University of Colorado’s flagship campus spreads out at the base of the peaks like the antlers on a Shiras moose.

Art scene, redefined In a pineapple upside-down cake of a world punctuated by confusion over what’s open and what’s not, Boulder’s artistic and cultural stewards are doubling down to keep things rolling.

The doors at the Museum of Boulder have reopened, albeit with limited hours.

The archive brims with thousands of vintage documents and photographs. You can also stumble on parking meters, protest signs, weather balloons and Olympic gear.

During the fall, the list of activities soared to new heights as socially distanced fitness and yoga classes were of-

fered on the museum’s rooftop patio.

“We are very proud to be open fully, but we are no doubt hemorrhaging [money] right now,” said Lori Preston, executive director of the museum.

A museum director from D.C. helped the Boulder museum revamp its strategic plan.

Brent Glass, interim director of the Smithsonian’s National Building Museum, offered some ideas. His exhibit, “Drawing Parallels: Community Art and Artifacts From 2020,” focuses on how Boulder dealt with simultaneous historic events in the past, such as world wars, civil rights and pandemics. The exhibit runs through March 1.

Boulder’s art scene has attracted other transplanted Washingtonians. One is Jean Inaba, who since 2013 has worked for Colorado Public Radio’s classical music platform as a producer and on-air host. Inaba, who is in her early 60s, spent two decades at renowned all-classical WETA-FM. On the air, Inaba richly describes the outdoorsy rhythm of life in northern Colorado. Her sweet spot: the exquisite latticework of trails in around Denver and Boulder.

“I’ve been on all the main ones, and it’s great fun!” Inaba enthused in her familiar silky voice in a phone interview. “My favorite is the Clear Creek Trail, a 30-mile ride from where I live to the town of Golden.”

See BOULDER, page 21

Expo closes January 31! | Leisure & Travel

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

Boulder

“How did you do that?”

“There’s a great pizza place there. It’s called Grimaldi’s. It’s one of my favorites.”

From page 20

Shops still open If you’re not up for hiking, a stroll on downtown Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall can unfurl a surfeit of still-open coffee shops, winter apparel retailers and souvenir outlets.

As we strolled the streets of the four-block outdoor mall, most people of all ages donned masks. The only exception were street performers, whose work called for activation of their vocal skills for outdoor audiences.

In a heady, mile-high whirlwind we stumbled upon the iconic ZIP Code Man, aka David Rosdeitcher. He claims to have memorized 50,000 Zip codes, a feat that earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Simply call out your Zip code, and he will reveal where you live, plus toss in the name of a well-known eatery there.

“It’s showtime!” bellowed the unmasked ringmaster from his sidewalk stage by the Visitors Center kiosk. Outfitted in faded trousers and yellow hoodie, he had a bricklayer-after-sweating-all-day-under-a-blazingsun look.

“11201,” one spectator called out. You could almost see the wheels in Rosdeitcher’s head spinning. Two seconds passed.

“New York!” he screamed, competing with the rising chorus from scores of UC students gleefully marching on the corner to celebrate Joe Biden’s win.

“That’s awesome!” the guy blurted out.

“When I got to the top,” she recalled, “I had this feeling that I don’t care if I die right now because I’ve got everything I need in life!”

Reinvented restaurants We found a number of favorite eateries in 80302, downtown Boulder. Our nearly yearlong pandemic has sparked an avalanche of reinvention. Restaurant owners have slashed hours, limited occupancy, and retrofitted their operations in myriad other ways.

Holding steady are stand-out spots such as Arabesque. Ordering is limited to the walk-up variety. Signature favorites, like the Middle Eastern combination platter laden with shawarma and homemade grape leaves, taste delicious, even at home.

For dessert, we went with the baklava and the mouth-watering Arabic chai.

The pandemic has forced owner Manal Jarrar to lay off her staff and reemerge as a one-person band. These days, all the prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning is in her hands. Yet, she somehow finds time to mix it up with admiring customers.

Jarrar grew up poor in her native Palestine, but she had dreams. Catching the bus every week to Haifa, Israel, she studied ballet at a private school. Later, she taught and performed. For effect, she launched into a ballet number, arms extended gracefully, from “The Nutcracker.”

When she arrived in Boulder with her husband and their three children, she embarked on her first mountain hike.

Warm winter teas While Jarrar is deservedly proud of her recipe for chai, there’s another place, the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, that boasts more than 100 kinds of high-end loose-leaf tea — plus an interesting back story.

For most of our meals out, my wife and I ate outside, marveling at the mountain views.

But one morning, we breezed into the teahouse for a cup of tea and lingered for 30 min-

21

utes, marveling at the sumptuous Persian atmospherics. Was it a restaurant? A museum?

“All of the above,” my wife declared.

Nestled across the street from leafy Civic Park with meandering streams and a large homeless population, the teahouse was a gift to Boulder from its sister city, Dushnabe, the capital of Tajikistan, a tiny Central Asian country and former member of the Soviet Union. Its hand-carved, hand-painted ceiling was disassembled, crated and shipped to Boulder to delight locals and tourists alike.

Whether indoors or outdoors, Boulder offers a snowpack of delicious mountain moments: life, fully realized.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 28

VIRTUAL JOB FAIR

This free Howard County Virtual Job Fair takes place Thurs., Jan. 28 from either 12:30 to 2 p.m. or 2:30 to 4 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/HoCoJobFair.

RACE AND FOREIGN AID

Feb. 4

The Georgetown Global Political Economy Project hosts a virtual conversation about race and foreign aid on Thurs., Feb. 4 from 12 to 1 p.m. The talk will stream live and then will be available on the GPEP website. For more information, visit bit.ly/GPEPTalk.

ROMANCE SCAMS

Feb. 2

Join AARP for a virtual webinar on romance scams that can occur on dating sites and through social media and email. This free event takes place Tues., Feb. 2 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. To register and learn more, visit bit.ly/AARPRomance.

Stand Up Straight and Feel Better Discover the Perfect WalkerTM, the better way to walk safely and more naturally

NEW

Old Way

Better Way

It’s a cruel fact of life, as we age, gravity takes over. Our muscles droop, our bodies sag and the weight of the world seems to be planted squarely on our shoulders. We dread taking a fall, so we find ourselves walking less and less– and that only makes matters worse.

Well, cheer up! There’s finally a product designed to enable us all to walk properly and stay on the go. It’s called the Perfect WalkerTM, and it can truly change your life.

Traditional rollators and walkers simply aren’t designed well. They require you to hunch over and shuffle your feet when you walk. This puts pressure on your back, your neck, your wrists and your hands. Over time, this makes walking uncomfortable and can result in a variety of 24” wide health issues. That’s all changed with the Perfect WalkerTM. Its upright design and padded elbow rests enable you to distribute your weight across your arms and shoulders, not your hands and wrists. Helps Easy reduce back, neck and wrist pain and discomfort. Its FREE Folding unique frame gives you plenty of room to step, and the Utility Bag and 10.5” Compact Cane Holder oversized wheels help you glide across the floor. The Design height can be easily adjusted with the push of a button 39” to fit anyone from 5’ to over 6’. Once you’ve reached your Comfortable Seat destination you can use the hand brakes to gently slow down, and there’s even a handy seat with a storage compartment. Its sleek, lightweight design makes it easy to use indoors and out and it folds up for portability and storage.

Large Capacity

18.5” wheelbase for stability

Supports up to 300 lbs.

Why spend another day hunched over and shuffling along. Call now, and find out how you can try out a Perfect WalkerTM for yourself... and start feeling better each and every day in your own home.

Perfect WalkerTM Call now Toll-Free 1-888-847-4051 Please mention promotion code 114042. © 2021 first STREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

84525

Utility Bag

22

Leisure & Travel | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

American’s guide to the Queen’s English

By Rick Steves As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine.

These thoughts about communicating on the road in Britain are a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

Oscar Wilde famously said that the English “have really everything in common with America nowadays — except, of course, language.” It’s still true. A trip to Britain comes with plenty of linguistic surprises.

I’ll never forget checking into a smalltown B&B as a teenager on my first solo European adventure. The landlady cheerily asked me, “And what time would you like to be knocked up in the morning?”

I looked over at her husband, who winked and asked, “Would a fry at halfeight be suitable?” The next morning, I got a rap on the door at 8 a.m. and a huge British breakfast a half-hour later.

Britain can be an adventure in accents and idioms. Every day you’ll see babies in prams and pushchairs, sucking dummies as mothers change wet nappies. Soon the kids can trade in their nappies for smalls and spend a penny on their own.

“Spend a penny” is British for a visit to the loo (bathroom). Older British kids enjoy candy floss (cotton candy), naughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe), big dippers (roller

coasters) and iced lollies (popsicles). Kids are constantly in need of an Elastoplast or sticking plaster (Band-Aid), which their parents buy at the chemist’s (pharmacy).

In a stationery store, you can get sticky tape or Sellotape (adhesive tape), rubbers (erasers) and scribbling blocks (scratch pads). At garden shops, those with green fingers (a green thumb) might pick up some courgette (zucchini), swede (rutabaga) or aubergine (eggplant) seeds. If you need a torch (flashlight), visit the ironmonger’s (hardware store).

In Britain, fries are chips, and potato chips are crisps. A beef burger, made with mince (hamburger meat), comes on a toasted bap (bun). For pudding (dessert), have some sponge (cake).

Exploring brilliant towns The British have a great way with names. You’ll find towns with names like Upper and Lower Slaughter, Once Brewed and Itching Field.

This cute coziness comes through in their language as well. You’ll visit “brilliant” (wonderful) sights that’ll give you “goose pimples” (goose bumps). Your car will have a bonnet and a boot rather than a hood and trunk. You’ll drive on motorways, and when the freeway divides, it becomes a dual carriageway.

Technology revolutionizes the most important piece of furniture in your house!

Got mobility or balance issues?

UpBed is the ONLY adjustable bed that puts your feet safely on the ground.

Never go anticlockwise (counterclockwise) in a roundabout. Gas is petrol, a truck is a lorry, and when you hit a tailback (traffic jam), don’t get your knickers in a twist (make a fuss) — just be patient and queue up (line up).

The British never say they have a twoweek vacation, but many locals holiday for a fortnight, often in a homely (homey) rural cottage or possibly on the Continent (continental Europe).

They might pack a face flannel (washcloth) and hair grips (bobby pins) in their bum bag (never a “fanny” pack — which refers to the most private part of a woman’s anatomy). If it’s rainy, they wear a mackintosh (raincoat) or an anorak (parka) with press studs (snaps).

If you get settled into a flat (apartment), you can post letters in the pillar box or give your mum a trunk (long-distance) call. If that’s too dear (expensive), she’ll say you’re tight as a fish’s bum. If she witters on (gabs and gabs), tell her you’re knackered (exhausted) and it’s been donkey’s years (ages) since you’ve slept.

After washing up (doing the dishes) and hoovering (vacuuming), you can have a plate of biscuits (cookies) and, if you’re so inclined, a neat (straight) whisky. Too much of that whisky will get you sloshed, paralytic, bevvied, wellied, ratted, popped up or even pissed as a newt.

NEW!

Listen and learn Then there is the question of accents.

These days, accents are trendy in Britain.

Politicians, newscasters and movie stars have been favoring deep accents over the Queen’s English.

It’s hard for American ears to pick out all of the variations — and some accents are so thick they sound like a foreign language — but most Brits can determine what region a person is from based on their regional accent.

All across the British Isles, you’ll encounter new words, crazy humor and colorful accents. Pubs are colloquial treasure chests. Church services, sporting events and local comedy shows are linguistic classrooms. The streets of Liverpool, the docks of London and children’s parks throughout the UK are playgrounds for the American ear.

One of the beauties of touring Great Britain is the illusion of hearing a foreign language and actually understanding it… most of the time.

Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This article was adapted from his new book, For the Love of Europe. You can email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook. © 2020 Rick Steves

4 PRODUCTS IN ONE!

Introductory Offer

Save 40% 1

TM

2

Frame and side rails may vary by model

It’s a “Bed”– for a comfortable and relaxing night’s sleep It’s a “Sit Up Bed”– for reading, watching TV and resting

3

It’s a “Chair”– for crafting, eating, visiting with friends and family

4

It’s a “Lift Bed”– that puts your feet safely on the floor – you’re ready to go!

The only adjustable bed that helps you “Get Up and Go” by yourself! been easier or safer. The bed elevates slowly, and the bottom of the mattress curls in, enabling you to put your feet firmly on the floor while the bed lifts you gently towards the “nose over toes” position where you simply stand and walk away. It’s easy, safe and no other bed can do it.

Nothing is worse than spending the night worrying about how you are going to get out of bed. Call now, and a helpful, knowledgeable product expert can tell you how you can try out the UpBed™ for yourself, in your own home. Delivery of the bed is most convenient as we offer to-your-door delivery or we can provide White Glove delivery and we will completely set up the bed where you would like. Call today!

Call now to find out how you can get your own UpBed! Please mention promotional code 114043.

For fastest service, call toll free 24 hours a day. 1-888-964-2209

This bedding product cannot be returned, but if it arrives damaged or defective, at our option we will repair it or replace it. ©2020 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

81208

For millions of Americans, “Rise & Shine” has become a thing of the past. Mobility and balance issues have forced many people to struggle getting in and out of bed. Not being able to get out of bed by yourself can be inconvenient, undignified and downright dangerous. To solve this problem, this product has been introduced in continuing care and other health care facilities. Now, thanks to firstSTREET, the leading marketer of innovative products for seniors in the United States, that same bed can enable people to get up, get going and live independently in their home. It’s called the UpBed™, and there is nothing else like it. The secret to the UpBed™ is its revolutionary system for raising the mattress to any position for a variety of activities. It features a state-of-the-art mattress with memory foam for a great night’s sleep… like sleeping on a cloud. With the touch of a button, it gently raises your upper body to a “sitting up” position, perfect for reading a book or watching TV. Another touch and it moves to a full sitting position, enabling you to eat, knit, play cards... all in a comfortable position. Time to get out of bed? It’s never

Expo closes January 31!

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

Style

23

Arts &

A Columbia couple keeps up with choir rehearsals during the pandemic.

See story below.

Choral singers enjoying virtual technology

New tech for singing in unison This month, Encore University’s spring semester will begin with courses such as

Black Classical Composers from the Renaissance to the present, Gregorian Chant, Yoga for Singers and Songs of Hope and Change.

In addition, its 22 chorales will begin rehearsals at home with a new technology that allows them to sing together while being physically apart.

Zoom works well for virtual meetings, but it has a fatal flaw for musicians: a lag time, or latency, that makes it impossible for people in different locations to sing or perform in unison.

“If you tried to sing Happy Birthday, it would be a garbled mess,” said David Simmons, associate artistic director and one of Encore’s 10 conductors.

So, Encore has adopted a technology called JackTrip — an open-source software made easy to configure and use via a system that costs each household about $200 for a small black box, headphones and a few cables. (This expense is in addition to Encore’s tuition, which costs about $200 per semester.)

JackTrip was initially developed 15 years ago by the Stanford Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics.

During the pandemic, one of its inventors heard his son complaining about missing his San Francisco-area choir practices.

The father remembered the technology and made a few tweaks.

“Motivated by his son’s longing to sing with his Ragazzi Boys Chorus friends, Mike Dickey, a software entrepreneur, developed

TWO (2) LOCATIONS • ALL INCLUSIVE PRICING Cremation Packages Just a Simple Cremation

$1,295

Crematory on premises

Burial Packages Just a Simple Graveside Funeral (Winston 20 Gauge)

$2,895

Simplicity Plus Funeral

Family Goodbye Cremation

$5,895

$3,895

1091 Rockville Pike* Rockville, MD 20852 301.296.6864

$3,595

Casket included

Enhanced Cremation

Casket included (Winston 20 Gauge)

www.goinghomecares.com Email: andrew@goinghomecares.com

519 Mabe Drive Woodbine, MD 21797 410.442.3662

*Restricted-operating out of Going Home Cremation & Funeral Care by Value Choice, P.A. Woodbine, Md.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ENCORE CREATIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS

By Margaret Foster In March, when the pandemic hit, many members of a Washington state chorus fell ill after a rehearsal attended by a COVID patient, making it clear that singing in a group could be a dangerous, potentially fatal activity.

So, Encore Creativity for Older Adults, which operates 22 choruses in the Baltimore-Washington area, cancelled all its inperson rehearsals and shifted to Zoom, the online video chat program.

“What happened when the world went silent was, for about a week we were shellshocked. And then we started putting videos out — on vocal technique, music theory, anything we thought our singers would enjoy,” said Jeanne Kelly, who founded Encore in Annapolis in 2007. Its choirs, open to anyone 55 and over, don’t require an audition or any prior choral experience.

Dubbing the video classes Encore University, Kelly and her nine conductors were able to stay in touch with their 800 singers during a critical time. Even people without computers could participate by phone.

“Many of them live alone, and this isolation — I knew it was going to be devastating,” Kelly said. “So, we can keep them busy from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon, and they love it. They can keep learning.”

Singers in the 22 area chorales conducted by Encore Creativity for Older Adults can sing in unison via computer, thanks to technology from Stanford University engineers. During this period without in-person gatherings, the nonprofit has also been offering members online courses on vocal technique, choral masterworks and even a nostalgic rock and roll history class.

an inexpensive, plug-and-play solution that reduces latency to a point where singers can harmonize in real-time over common internet connections,” according to a company statement.

So far, about 175 of Encore’s singers have decided to purchase a JackTrip system, Simmons said. When those people sing together, others without the system can listen in and sing along, benefitting from the sound of a synchronized choir.

“We have a lot of older adults who are very tech-savvy. We have 90-year-olds who are doing this,” Simmons said. But, he admitted, “It’s not an easy thing to set this up,

and we can’t come out and help you.”

All benefit from courses A Columbia couple has decided to stick to the Zoom classes, so they can sing along without any new technology.

“I don’t want anybody to hear me anyway. I would just as soon be off-key all by myself,” joked Steven Von Hagen-Jamar, who has been singing in the Columbia Encore Chorale for several years.

His wife, Shelley Von Hagen-Jamar, a soprano in the chorale, has expanded her See CHORALES, page 25

24

Arts & Style | Visit beacon50expo.com

Museum From page 1 In a recent press release, the Lewis Museum pointed to the dialogue series as an example of the new director’s “collaborative approach [that] has significantly increased public engagement with the museum.”

Finding a great leader Lewis Museum Board Chair Drew Hawkins noted that the museum had “launched a nationwide search for someone with the depth of knowledge that Terri brings to the table. Her longstanding passion for bridging communities, and her clear understanding of the museum’s history, as well as our vision for the future, makes Terri a great leader for the Lewis Museum.”

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

Hawkins told the Baltimore Sun the museum board was “bowled over” by Freeman’s “management and leadership skills…Her fundraising capabilities are unmatched.”

Freeman holds a master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University. Before becoming director of the Memphis museum in 2014, Freeman served in D.C. for 18 years as president of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, which raises funds for nonprofits and recipients of scholarships.

During her tenure, the foundation’s assets reportedly rose from $52 million to more than $350 million. Prior to that, she was the founding executive director of the Freddie Mac Foundation in D.C. The Memphis museum Freeman is leaving boasts a $9.7 million budget (which

BEACON BITS

Jan. 27+

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA This performance showcases the connection between pop and

classical music with works by composers who have bridged the two worlds. The performance premieres Wed., Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. and is available on demand

significantly increased during her tenure) and a 50-member staff. She will be leading a smaller institution in Baltimore with a $3.9 million budget and a 20-member staff.

No doubt there is hope she will similarly help transform the Lewis Museum, which relies heavily on donations.

Reunited in Columbia Freeman noted that personal issues played a significant role in her decision to return to Maryland.

Her husband, Dr. Bowyer G. Freeman, began his ministry at the First Baptist Church of Guildford, in Columbia, and is now senior pastor of the New Saint Mark Baptist Church in Baltimore. For the past six years, with his wife working in Memphis, he has commuted there on weekends.

In a previous interview, Freeman told the Memphis Business Journal about a “pretty bad” car accident she had last January, when she broke her knee and ankle and “was off my feet for 12 weeks. My husband, when I had the accident, wasn’t

here… because we’ve been in this kind of commuter marriage for six years.”

Her husband arrived at her bedside soon after the accident, but Freeman said she realized “it was nearing the time for both of us to be in the same place.”

This year, Freeman said her focus at the Lewis Museum will be as it has always been: “How do we take a look at history and inform the public what our present and future will be?

“The thing that I will be doing at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum…is focusing more on cultural issues. So, [the board] will allow me to move into different types of arenas that aren’t really just historical in nature.”

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum is located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Admission is $8 ($6 for people 65 and over). Due to the pandemic, the museum suggests that visitors purchase a timed-entry ticket in advance on its website, lewismuseum.org. Before you visit in person, call the museum at (443) 263-1800 to verify its hours of operation.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 21

RENEWABLE ENERGY George Mason University Professor of Physics Dr. Robert Ehrlich

examines the options for renewable energy and a possible future for nuclear enerthrough June 2021. The cost is $10 for pay-per-view and $20 for monthly access.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/BSOTwelve.

gy. This event takes place Thurs., Jan. 21 from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/TalkonEnergy.

Finally… a better mobility solution than Scooters or Power Chairs.

The Zoomer’s versatile design and 1-touch joystick operation brings mobility and independence to those who need it most.

Sturdy & Lightweight Frame

Joystick Control (adaptable left or right)

If you have mobility issues, or know someone who does, then you’ve experienced the difficulties faced by millions of Americans. Once simple tasks like getting from the bedroom to the kitchen can become a time-consuming and potentially dangerous ordeal. You may have tried to solve the problem with a power chair or a scooter but neither is ideal. Power chairs are bulky and look like a medical device. Scooters are either unstable or hard to maneuver. Now, there’s a better alternative… the Zoomer.

Comfortable Seating

My Zoomer is a delight to ride! It has increased my mobility in my apartment, my opportunities to enjoy the-out-of-doors, and enabled me to visit the homes of my children for longer periods of time. The various speeds of it match my need for safety, it is easy to turn, and I am most pleased with the freedom of movement it gives me.

Sincerely, A. Macon, Williamsburg, VA

beneath table or desk

joystick control

Why spend another day letting mobility issues hamper your lifestyle?

Call now and find out how you can have your very own Zoomer.

Swivel Away Footrest

Powerful Battery/ Dual Motors

12”

Folds to 12” in seconds

Ready to get your own Zoomer? We’d love to talk to you.

Call now toll free and order one today!

1-888-251-1626

Please mention code 114044 when ordering.

85025

After just one trip around your home in the Zoomer, you’ll marvel at how easy it is to navigate. It is designed to maneuver in tight spaces like doorways, between furniture, and around corners. It can go over thresholds and works great on any kind of floor or carpet. It’s not bulky or cumbersome, so it can roll right up to a table or desk- there’s no need to transfer to a chair. Its sturdy yet lightweight aluminum frame makes it durable and comfortable. It’s dual motors power it at up to 3.7 miles per hour and its automatic electromagnetic brakes stop on a dime.

The rechargeable battery powers it for up to 8 miles on a single charge. Plus, it’s exclusive foldable design enables you to transport it easily and even store it in a closet or under a bed when it’s not in use.

Joystick conveniently rolls Easy to use

The Zoomer Chair is a personal electric vehicle and is not a medical device nor a wheelchair.

Zoomer is not intended for medical purposes to provide mobility to persons restricted to a sitting position. It is not covered by Medicare nor Medicaid. © 2020 first STREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

Chorales From page 23 musical knowledge during the pandemic.

She had always wanted to learn to read music, so she took a music theory class and a vocal technique class through Encore University last summer.

“For the same tuition I was able to take at least two classes. I popped around and sampled a lot of things,” she said.

She was impressed by the “expertise and talent” of the teachers, all Encore conductors. “It was very intense. We had homework every week,” she said. But she reached her goal and can now read music.

“There’s got to be all kinds of new neural pathways in my brain now,” she said.

“I’m able to pick up a lot more in the rehearsals because I’m studying more outside the rehearsals.”

Singers in 26 states The beauty of video classes is that any-

one, anywhere, can attend. The Von Hagen-Jamars, for instance, were able to attend classes and rehearsals from their summer home on Lake Anna. Recently people from 26 different states have joined in, according to Kelly.

“Before COVID, we were geographically based, so we had a Towson chorale, a Columbia chorale, an Arlington chorale.

Now it doesn’t matter” where you live, Simmons said.

Most importantly, he said, singers can stay connected. “We’ve had email after email saying, ‘This has been a lifeline; these classes have saved me; I don’t know how I mentally could have gotten through this period,’” he said. “We’ve had some people singing with us for 13 years, and we care about them.”

After each class or rehearsal, Simmons said, people seem reluctant to sign off.

“When everybody says goodbye, they wave to each other. They just keep waving.

It’s heartbreaking because you can see

BEACON BITS

Feb. 2+

VETERANS’ BOOK CLUB The Howard County Library hosts a free virtual book club for vet-

erans on the first Tuesday of each month. The five monthly meetings start on Feb. 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Participate by phone or Zoom. Registration is open to vets or active-duty members of the military. For more information, visit hclibrary.org or email elizabeth.haynes@hclibrary.org.

25

Expo closes January 31! | Arts & Style

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

they’re just longing to have some human connection even if it’s through this Zoom call.”

It’s not too late to register for this se-

mester of Encore Creativity for Older Adults. Visit encorecreativity.org or call (301) 261-5747.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 25

WRITERS READ Original artists of the Light Street Writers Exchange read their

works during this free virtual event that takes place Mon., Jan. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information and Zoom links, visit bit.ly/WritersExchange.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 26 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

F A T W A

A L I E N

R O M A N T I C I Z E

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

S I D E S T R S E T E E T N O D E F Y

G O R E S

E L E C T O W E P U R E E

C A S H A R O I P E E L N S C E R C E R S E T T

I N G O A L

M O I S T

E O V N A E N T O R Y E S

P E L U N S B E D I N D E P E N D E N T

O R A T E

A M O S

B E T T Y

A R I S E

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: GRANT HONOR INSIST RODENT Answer: It’s easy to add zero plus zero because there’s — NOTHING TO IT

HC221

26

Arts & Style | Visit beacon50expo.com

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

Crossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Fight Entropy 1

2

3

4

6

7

8

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

32

28 34

35 39

40

41

42 45

48 53

49

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

58

26

50 55

57

25

12

31

46

54

56

11

36

38

44

10

30

37

47

9

29

33

43

Jumble answers on p. 25

5

13

27

Scrabble answers on p. 25.

By Stephen Sherr

51

52

Across

Down

1. He played Klinger in AfterMASH 5. Its only private school is Vandy 8. Urge forward 13. Ingredient in Banana Boat After Sun Gel 14. Monster that is illegal to kill in Arizona 15. Horizontal lines on a sentence diagram 16. “___ to make the donuts” 17. Poems of praise 18. Mocked 19. Start of M.C. Escher quote about how life influences art influences life influences ...

22. Media pundit Coulter 23. Woodstock’s home, in Peanuts 24. Share price per earnings, for example 27. Romantic rendezvous 29. Stir fry requirement 30. Presenter of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program 32. Acid in proteins 34. Clue murder weapon 36. Dutch cheese town 37. Middle of quote 40. ___ better to have loved and lost...

41. Holder of a learner’s permit, most likely 42. Parts hidden by turtleneck sweaters 43. Looney Toon who debuted in Devil May Hare 44. Companion animal 45. ___ of the crime 47. Enticed 49. Sassy 50. Grp. with Wizards and Warriors 53. End of quote 56. Easy to lift 59. Blunders 60. The Abominable Snowman, to pals 61. Subject of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 62. Stocking stuffers 63. Ear-responsible MDs 64. Request a new credit card 65. “Are we there ___?”

66. Eyelid infection

1. Ruling on Islamic law 2. Mork, but not Mindy 3. Make perception better than reality 4. Marsh plant 5. Google Maps suggestion 6. Choose the homecoming queen 7. Payment option 8. Allowed to use one’s hands 9. Dewy-eyed 10. Tavern 11. Path of I-20 from Kent, Texas to Florence, South Carolina 12. Timothy Leary’s drug of choice 14. Attacks a matador 20. “Fool me once, shame ___...”

21. Name on The Little Mermaid’s birth certificate 25. One without a party 26. Deliver a graduation speech 28. Vaccine components 29. Many know it, but few will say it 31. His cookie recipe is now sold by Kellogg’s 32. “Can you move to the left ___?”

33. Loud type of rock music 35. Be in arrears 36. Senator Bayh of Indiana 38. Dictation taker 39. “... and ___ grow on!”

44. Plump 46. Maker of tooth-whitening strips 48. Dr. of Philosophy 49. Make baby food 51. Wilma’s Bedrock neighbor 52. Greet the day 54. Say “no” to authority 55. Options in the bread aisle 56. Grassy field 57. Mischief-maker 58. Difference in values between generations

Answers on page 25.

Expo closes January 31!

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

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

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

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

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

Caregivers MOBILE HAIR STYLIST AND NAIL SERVICES — WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Stylists / COVID Tested and Trained.

Women and Men’s Services — All Hair Types.

Shampoo, Cuts, Sets, Color, Perms, Relaxers, Men’s Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. Call us at 410-415-1760.

I’M A CERTIFIED CAREGIVER Seeking private duty position caring for the Elderly in their homes & all of their daily needs. Own transportation, personal care, will run errands, good cook, excellent references, Live in/hourly.

Covid prepared. Call Naana - 630-200-9592.

For Sale

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

PUT ON YOUR TV EARS and hear TV with unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original were originally $129.95 - NOW WITH THIS SPECIAL OFFER are only $59.95 with code MCB59! Call 1-833-934-0843.

Health MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1240-650-9189 PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258.

LIFE ALERT. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. FREE First Aid Kit (with subscription.) CALL 240-847-6732 FREE Brochure.

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington and Richmond editions).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number. • Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher's discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

Home/Handyman Services STAY IN YOUR HOME LONGER with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation!

Call us at 1-877-240-2061 or visit www.walkintubquote.com/beacon THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower.

Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

THINKING ABOUT INSTALLING A NEW SHOWER? American Standard makes it easy.

FREE design consultation. Enjoy your shower again! Call 1-844-536-0485 today to see how you can save $1,000 on installation, or visit www.newshowerdeal.com/tbn

Personals

Wanted

FIND YOUR Soulmate at: www.CompanionOutreach.com

I BUY LARGE LP RECORD ALBUM COLLECTIONS! I pay cash, come to you+haul.

Classic Rock, Soul, Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock, Blues, Jazz, Rap, unique collections... No classical, 78’s, theatricals, soft rock or crooners.

410-900-5657 kronysrecords.com

TV/Cable DIRECTV - Every live football game, every Sunday - anywhere - on your favorite device.

Restrictions apply. Call IVS - 1-888-572-4953.

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019.

Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations.

Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

MONEY, TIME TO SELL! CALL GREG, 1-717658-7954. We buy sterling silver flatware, jewelry, gold, silver, coins, watches, paper money, antiques, toys, bottles, comic books, records, pottery, art glass, vintage military and old sporting items (baseball, football and boxing) just about anything old. Make the right choice! You have something to sell give me a call. Greg 1-717-658-7954.

DISH NETWORK. $59.99 for 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today!

1-844-560-5837.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 28+

LIVING WITH DIABETES Living Well with Diabetes is a free, six-week virtual workshop with

Legal Services

Financial

an interactive group approach for people with diabetes or predia-

APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-866-970-0779 FREE Consultation. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

betes and caregivers. Learn to set goals, manage stress, monitor glucose, care for skin and feet, exercise and eat well. The classes take place every Thursday, Jan. 28 to March 4, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. To register or learn more, visit hcgh.org/events or call (410) 740-7601.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Events

Housing

Retail/Services

Beacon Virtual 50+Expo . . . . . . . . . . .10 COGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Alta At Regency Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Evergreens at Columbia Town Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Shriner Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Columbia’s Village Centers . . . . . . . . .19 Perfect Sleep Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Perfect Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Up Bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Zoomer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Funeral Planning & Services Cremation Society of Maryland . . . . . .4 Going Home Cremation & Funeral Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. . . . . . . . . .19

Home Health Care A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Homewatch Caregivers . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Options for Senior America . . . . . . . . .23

27

Medical/Health Age Well Senior Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Dr. Jeannine GeorgeRichardson, DPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Wellness at Home/DialMD . . . . . . . . .28

Senior/Government Services Howard County 50+ Connection . .12-13 Howard County Library . . . . . . . . . . .18

Subscriptions The Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Volunteers/Careers Beacon Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

28

Visit beacon50expo.com

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N