May 2017 | DC Beacon

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Helping immigrants feel at home PHOTO BY STUART ROSENTHALW

By Barbara Ruben When Vivien Hsueh arrived in Pennsylvania from Hong Kong with a full scholarship to Harcum Junior College in the early 1960s, she found herself one of the only Asians there, and 8,000 miles from anyone she knew. As she went on to study the nascent field of computer science, her choice was rarer still — a woman in a field nearly completely occupied by men.

So Hsueh (pronounced “shay”) knows what it’s like to flounder at first in an alien culture. But she says her struggles pale in comparison with those of older adults from China who immigrate to America to be with their families. Most do not try to learn a tongue-twisting new language like she did, and cannot get a driver’s license.

The only people they know here are their children and grandchildren.

“They are very isolated. Most came because of their children, and take care of the grandchildren,” said Hsueh, who is 76 and lives in Rockville, Md. “But then the grandchildren get older, and these seniors still don’t speak English. They still don’t have friends; they don’t socialize.”

MAY 2017

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Cuba combines opposites in a time warp; plus, activities indoors and out in the Mile High City, new vacation rental websites, and how to snag bargain airfares page 42

ARTS & STYLE

Creating gathering places Resolving to combat this isolation, about 12 years ago Hsueh started asking recreation centers in Montgomery County if they would open their doors to a daytime program for older Chinese immigrants.

“It was very hard at first, because no one knew us. We had no power and didn’t know where to ask for help. Finally, I connected with the Recreation Department.

“I said, ‘Your centers have almost no one using them in the daytime.’ At first, they were very reluctant. But I said, ‘These are our tax dollars. You already have people manning the place, the lights are on. You should let us use it.’”

Hsueh’s persuasive powers prevailed, and she was allowed to use Plum Gar Neighborhood Recreation Center in Germantown, Md., for the initial 35 members of the Chinese American Senior Services Association (CASSA).

Today, more than 3,000 local Chinese Americans participate in the completely volunteer-run organization at five centers.

It provides Chinese lunches, tai chi and

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To help combat isolation among older Chinese immigrants, Vivien Hsueh started the Chinese American Senior Services Association (CASSA). The all-volunteer organization has grown from an initial 35 members a dozen years ago to more than 3,000 today, who participate in exercise and dance classes, a lunch program and more.

other exercise, cooking and English classes, local and international travel opportunities, and more. The most popular offering?

Ballroom dance.

The lifetime CASSA membership fee is $5, and a $2 donation is requested for each lunch. The food is provided by local Chinese restaurants.

When Chinese seniors participate in CASSA, “they find people who speak the same dialect, and they become friends.

They exchange recipes. They even use WeChat [a popular Chinese social media platform] to communicate when they aren’t together,” Hsueh said.

According to the 2010 Census, 35,818 people of Chinese descent of all ages live in Montgomery County. The American Community Survey component of the cen-

sus found that there are 26,883 people of Chinese descent in the state of Maryland who speak Chinese at home and said they speak English less than very well.

Honored for her work In recognition of her accomplishments, last month Montgomery County officials presented Hsueh with the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award.

The annual award was established by County Executive Ike Leggett in 2012 to honor the late community icon Roscoe Nix, who gave a half century of service to Montgomery County, including as president of the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP and as a member of the MontSee COMMUNITY LEADER, page 24

There’s no place like the superb Fun Home at the National Theatre; plus, Beauty and the Beast enchants at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, a 90-year-old author makes her debut, and Bob Levey reminisces about the ‘70s page 50 TECHNOLOGY k New car technology

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FITNESS & HEALTH 10 k 10 ways to fight osteoporosis k Meditation vs. pain meds SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 32 k Negotiate bills to save hundreds k Finding trustworthy financial advice ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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Growing like weed Last month, I addressed the subject of uses has generated great support. Today, pain management in the context of opioid 29 states plus the District of Columbia pain relievers such as Vicodin have passed laws legalizing and Percocet. marijuana for certain medical Use of these painkillers — conditions. both by patients with legitiThe laws vary by state. mate prescriptions and by Maryland, for example, althose obtaining them illegally lows, but strictly regulates, — has exploded in recent medical marijuana growers years, leading many experts to and suppliers. (Though the speak of an “epidemic” of adlaw permitting medical maridiction and overdose that is juana was passed in 2014, paclaiming many lives each year. tients still do not have access The problem of chronic or FROM THE to it, as lawsuits by companies intractable pain is a real one for PUBLISHER that were denied licenses By Stuart P. Rosenthal many Americans, and doctors have delayed their opening.) and others who encouraged Seven states and the Diswider use of opioid pain relievers a decade trict of Columbia permit its recreational ago thought they were doing the right thing. use. California also legalized the cultivatWe have since learned there are more ing of plants by individuals. Other states and less safe ways of prescribing and have decriminalized the possession of using these drugs. Educating both doctors small amounts. and patients about the risks and benefits is Interestingly, Virginia passed a law becoming a high priority (see “Guidelines decades ago that permitted doctors to preoffer safer ways to control pain,” page 20). scribe marijuana for medical purposes. But This month, I would like to turn your at- in practice, this has not led to any legal use tention to a different, but somewhat related, in Virginia because federal law — which topic much in the news: The growing accept- treats marijuana as a drug with no medical ance of marijuana use for medical purposes use — prohibits doctors from prescribing — such as pain relief, boosting appetite, and (though not from “recommending”) it. slowing the progression of glaucoma.

A National Survey on Drug Use and A nationwide movement to legalize mar- Health found a significant jump in marijuaijuana for these and other claimed medical na use among Americans over 50 in recent

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Readership exceeds 400,000.

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years — from 2.8 percent of the population in 2007 to 4.8 percent in 2013. (That’s a 71 percent increase.)

The survey didn’t ask whether the increase is due to greater recreational or medical use. To some degree, it no doubt reflects the aging of the baby boom generation into the 50-plus category. (For comparison, in 2013, 19 percent of 18- to 26year-olds surveyed said they used pot.)

Given the apparent growing acceptance, you might wonder why the federal government still considers marijuana to have no legitimate medical use.

A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine — a well-regarded nonprofit, nonpartisan body of scientific experts — says there is evidence for both benefits and harms, but that more research is needed.

Reviewing studies published since 1999, the report found “strong” evidence that marijuana can treat chronic pain and ease nausea from cancer treatment, but also strong evidence that its use raises the risk of schizophrenia and other psychoses, as well as of traffic accidents.

It found “substantial” evidence that smoking pot worsens respiratory symptoms and chronic bronchitis, and “some” evidence that it can raise the risk for depression and lead to a dependence on, or abuse of, other drugs or alcohol.

Evidence that it boosts appetite in people with HIV or AIDS and eases symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was “limited.”

Researchers at New York University recently said that marijuana use in older adults can raise their risk of memory loss and falling. That should not be surprising, given the evidence that “marijuana significantly impairs judgement, motor coordination, and reaction time,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

In short, while there is cause for concern over the potential harms of marijuana use, that doesn’t come close to the concern over opioids. The latter are highly addictive: recent research indicates a single prescription lasting seven days is enough to begin a cycle into addiction. And overdoses of opioid pain relievers can and do cause death.

But there appear to be enough reasons to step back from an unconditional acceptance of marijuana use — especially among older adults — until further research is done.

One problem here is that marijuana’s official status as an illegal drug under federal law has made it difficult for researchers to obtain the product or get studies approved.

Perhaps we’ve put the cart before the horse by legalizing its use for medical purposes around the country before the evidence is there. But given that’s where we are today, it would seem to be in everyone’s interest to make research a priority at this point.

We would like to hear your views on the subject. Please send us a letter or email. See our addresses in the box below.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day.

Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: Neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. have the greatest number of older citizens, with the greatest high-density census tracts in D.C. Yet, the area lacks a Senior Wellness Center and, except for a few YMCA classes at the Chevy Chase Community Center (which are filled to capacity), Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities west of the Park offer no senior-centric activities.

I’ve visited multiple DPR Centers east of the Park. All have large rooms and activities devoted to seniors. All have arts and crafts areas open to the public without a fee. All have computer rooms. All have cardio and exercise equipment.

By contrast, the Chevy Chase Community Center near my home has never had any of those amenities.

Some speculate that this disparity of services developed because “west of the Park” is considered affluent and less in need of public services.

The average income level in our neighborhood may be higher than other areas

of D.C., but averages are deceptive. They are raised through housing gentrification and the influx of younger professionals.

We older citizens chose to live in the city 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Now we live as ones or twos, dependent on relatively low pensions or Social Security.

It is false economics for the DPR not to invest in a broader spectrum of elder activities west of the Park. Staying vital and healthy is important not just to us, but to those who will replace us.

Soon the deliberate lack of city services — the lack of cardio machines, of social interactions at community centers, and of arts classes and other endeavors — will be their burden, too.

P.S. Speaking of lack of investment: A woman I respect, and who keeps track of these things, suggests that the D.C. Office on Aging has trimmed its budget line that facilitates distribution of the Beacon around D.C., making it much more difficult to find a copy of your paper here.

Jay Thal Washington, DC

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

The most meaningful words to describe Holy Cross Germantown Hospital are:

Your Very Own.

Putting the Swing B a c k I n t o Susannah’s St e p Susannah Newman, 73, is no stranger to overcoming debilitating joint problems. Even after two total hip replacements more than 27 years ago, when she was still in her 40s, she continued to enjoy an intensely physical lifestyle as a professional dancer, choreographer, university professor of dance and guest artist.

and recovery from both operations as seamless.

She is particularly grateful for the fact that her primary care physician, Yelena Melyakova, MD, at Holy Cross Health Partners at Asbury Methodist Village, was in communication throughout with Dr. Murphy in an effortless continuum of care.

But when both of her old hip replacements were failing, Susannah turned last spring to Douglas Murphy, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, for help.

“Our comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to care guides the patient from planning through recovery,” says Zohair Alam, MD, medical director, Joint Center, Holy Cross Hospital.

“My hips would make a lot of noise when I walked, like a machine grinding,” Susannah says, recalling years of deterioration she endured before her hip replacement last July.

Rehabilitation, exercise classes, home health services, and health and wellness programs round out Holy Cross Health’s commitment to long-term joint health.

It turned out that the grinding sound was due to a dangerous breakdown of her old hip replacements. According to Dr. Murphy, “Fragments had broken free and were eroding into the pelvic bone, and causing chronic inflammation.”

Although both hips needed to be replaced, Dr. Murphy began with the left, which was more severely damaged. The three-hour procedure required grafting to replace eroded bone, and Susannah had to spend more than eight weeks in a full leg brace to allow the hip to stabilize so it wouldn’t dislocate.

“I am grateful that my primary care physician and surgeon, who are both with Holy Cross, worked together seamlessly to care for me during my joint replacement journey,” says former dancer, Susannah Newman.

“She was the role model of a positive attitude in rehabilitation and recovery,” says Dr. Murphy, who also performed replacement surgery on her right hip in February, with excellent results and no leg brace needed afterward.

A resident of Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Susannah describes her experience through planning, joint replacement

Susannah is still recovering from her second replacement—and says she is taking her rehabilitation literally, one step at a time.

“I know my body, and I have complete confidence in Dr. Murphy and my physical therapists at Asbury. This isn’t my first rodeo,” she says. “I am going to keep doing what feels right, and I will get there.”

To find a physician at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, visit HolyCrossHealth.org or call 301-754-8800.

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S AT H O LY C R O S S G E R M A N T O W N H O S P I TA L Our “Ask the Doctors” events are FREE and held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 19801 Observation Dr., Germantown, MD 20876.

To register, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org/AskTheDoctors.

May 18

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HELP FOR HERNIAS

NAVIGATING UROLOGIC AND GYNECOLOGIC HEALTH ISSUES

JOINTS: REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS

IMPROVING YOUR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Women’s health experts discuss issues that may be impacting your quality of life, such as incontinence, prolapse, abnormal bleeding, fibroids and other gynecologic or pelvic health concerns.

Panelists include: • James Barter, MD, Gyn Oncology • Shobha Sikka, MD, OB/GYN

Return to a full and active life by learning more about the risks and benefits of treatment options for joint tears and fractures, including joint replacement. Panelists include orthopedic surgeons: • Douglas Murphy, MD • Gabriel Petruccelli, MD

Hear from Faisal Bhinder, MD, Gastroenterology, about issues that may be impacting your quality of life, such as heartburn, indigestion, bloating and constipation, as well as the latest advancements in the diagnosis and treatment for conditions and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract and organs in the abdomen.

Get the facts on hernia pain, types of hernias, symptoms, treatments and surgical options. Panelists include: • George Conrad, MD, General Surgery • Alexander Sailon, MD, Plastic Surgery

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Technology &

Innovations Take new car technology out for a spin

By Dee-Ann Durbin Car shopping isn’t just about kicking the tires anymore. It’s also about testing the technology.

The rapidly evolving in-car infotainment and navigation systems can be bewildering for all but the most tech-savvy car buyers.

The average vehicle on U.S. roads is 11 years old; that means many people last went car shopping before iPhones were invented.

Car buyers should make sure they can pair their phone with a car, play music from their phone, make a hands-free call, and use the navigation system before they leave the dealer lot, experts say.

They should make sure volume knobs, climate controls and other technology is

intuitive and displayed the way they like.

Some drivers want volume controls on the steering wheel, for example, while others prefer a knob on the dashboard.

Safety technology is also changing rapidly, and buyers should familiarize themselves with what the car can and can’t do.

Some vehicles will brake automatically to avoid a collision, while others flash a warning and help the driver pump the brakes but won’t bring the car to a full stop.

“Spend some time in the parking lot sitting in the car and just messing with it,” said Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor for the car shopping site Edmunds.com.

The issue is a serious one for the auto industry. Consumers’ complaints about phone

connectivity, navigation and infotainment systems have lowered vehicle dependability scores in annual rankings from J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. Poor showings in such rankings can put a dent in sales.

Help is available Car shopping site Autotrader.com has found that as many as one-third of buyers will choose a different brand if they think a vehicle’s tech features are too hard to use.

To combat that, some brands are setting up technology help desks at dealerships and boosting employee training.

In 2013, General Motors Co. formed a staff of 50 tech specialists to help deal with an increase in questions from customers

about new technology. Those specialists train U.S. dealers to pair customers’ phones, set up in-car Wi-Fi, and set preferences like radio stations.

When he takes customers for test drives, Paul Makowski pairs his own phone with the car and has customers make a call, stream music and do other tasks. He uses his own phone so customers don’t worry that their data will be shared with the dealership.

“Some people fear the technology and decline it all, but we still go over it. They don’t leave here not knowing what their car has to offer,” he said.

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• Take your time: Test driving the technology should take at least 45 minutes, according to Brian Moody, the executive editor at AutoTrader.com. Find out whether your phone is compatible with the car and learn how to pair it. Call a friend and ask if the sound is clear. Make sure the car understands your voice commands.

Enter an address into the navigation system or, if the car has the capability, download an address to the car from your phone. Moody said it’s better to learn all these tasks at the dealership than on the road.

• Update your phone: Make sure your phone has the latest operating system when you go shopping. New cars will be most compatible with updated phones.

• Decide what you like: Six percent of new cars sold last year had Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which display many of your phone’s apps on the touchscreen.

That’s expected to rise to 50 percent by 2020, according to IHS Markit. The familiar interface of those systems can make it easier to transition to in-car technology.

But Montoya says there are some shortcomings. Apple CarPlay doesn’t support the Waze traffic app or Google maps, for example, and if you want to change a

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radio station, you have to scroll out of Apple CarPlay and back to your car’s radio. You should decide what system is best for you.

• Shop around: Even if you’ve settled on a vehicle, it never hurts to test drive something else. You may find, for example, that you prefer climate controls on a touchscreen instead of on dashboard knobs, or that one vehicle has easier-touse buttons on the steering wheel for making calls or adjusting volume. “It might expose you to something better,” Montoya said.

• Don’t forget safety: Lane departure warning systems, backup cameras and blind-spot detection systems work differently depending on the car. Some lane departure systems buzz the seat if you drift out of your lane, for example, while others beep loudly. That’s something you might hear or feel a lot, so choose the technology you prefer (or learn how to turn it off).

• Buy what you need: Not everyone wants to stream Spotify and chat with Siri while they’re driving. If you’re in that category, choose a stripped-down model so you’re not paying for features you don’t need, Montoya said. For example, a Toyota Camry starts at $23,050, but the EnTune infotainment package, which includes hands-free calling and other features, costs $775 extra.

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Beacon Links & Apps

By Talia Denicoff and Barbara Ruben

Links Packing for flights Planning on packing an anti-static spray, a curling iron or electronic cigarettes in your checked baggage? They are no-nos on a flight. But a limited amount of substances like dry ice and formaldehyde may be allowed in your carry-on.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s website includes a comprehensive list of items that are prohibited or allowed on airplanes. There’s a variety of sections on the list including electronics, lighters and toiletries. To make sure you do not pack a hazardous item, check out www.faa.gov/ about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/

Advocacy for cancer patients Friends of Cancer Research launched a new online learning community to bring patients, advocates and caregivers together with researchers, developers and regulators. The site has two programs: advocacy education and advocacy alliance.

Advocacy education teaches patients and their advocates how to communicate with drug researchers and others behind the scenes of medicine.

Advocacy alliance helps keep people informed on policy issues, current proposals and national priorities in regulatory science. There is also the opportunity to join Friends of Cancer Research in engaging Congress and federal health agencies on the latest issues.

To sign up, visit www.progressfor patients.org

Awkward family photos Do you think your family takes a terrible

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

photo? Browse awkwardfamilyphotos.com for comedy relief. The website has thousands of awkward pictures that have been submitted. There is an index of categories of pictures, including birthdays, Thanksgiving, weddings and many more. Each picture comes with a description of what is happening in it.

The website even started a podcast called the Awkward Family Podcast run by co-founder, Mike Bender and his wife SuChin Pak, a journalist. They interview the people in the photos to find out what is happening behind the scenes. http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

Apps Convenient parking Parkmobile is an app that helps you find available parking near any venue or building. The app directs you to available spots that are registered with Parkmobile.

Once at the spot, there will be a sticker with a zone number to plug into the app.

You can then pay through the app instead of using coins. Users can even refill the meter while on-the-go through the app.

Parkmobile is in over 200 cities nationwide, including Washington, D.C. The app has an option to reserve a spot before getting there. This feature can be especially useful when going to a busy event or for those with mobility issues to ensure a close parking spot.

Parkmobile is a free app available for iPhone and Androids

Get fit quick More than 2 million people have downloaded the 7 Minute Workout, which provides a structured workout that only takes, yes, seven minutes. Choose 12 exercises (from a list of 72) for each workout. Each exercise is done for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between.

This free app by Johnson & Johnson talks to you to tell you how many seconds you have left of your workout and what exercise is coming up next. There is also a description of how to perform each exercise and a video.

7 Minute Workout is free for iPhone, iPad and Android

Simple rules for proper email etiquette

By Miriam Cross Q. What are appropriate ways to begin and end work-related emails?

A. Save “Hi” for colleagues and work acquaintances. New clients should be greeted with “Hello” or “Dear,” followed by “Mr.” or “Ms.” (or a professional title) and the person’s surname.

“The addressee won’t notice the word hello as much as the respect factor,” said

Diane Gottsman, etiquette expert and owner of the Protocol School of Texas.

To close the email, you can’t go wrong with “Sincerely,” “Best” or “Kind regards,” whereas “Cheers” may come off as too jaunty. You can drop formal greetings as the email conversation continues; take your cue from your recipient as to when to use first names.

What if you’re writing to a general in-

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Ongoing

FREE COMPUTER USE AT LIBRARIES

Montgomery County Public Libraries offers free use of their computers. Computers for public use are available in all MCPL libraries, except the Noyes Library for Young Children. All libraries provide WiFi access. Laptops can be borrowed at the Long Branch Library at 8800 Garland Ave. in Silver Spring; Kensington Park Library at 4201 Knowles Ave. in Kensington; Silver Spring Library at 900 Wayne Ave. in Silver Spring; and Twinbrook Library at 202 Meadow Hall Dr. in Rockville. All computers feature Microsoft Office 2010 programs. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/MontgomeryCoComputers.

box that starts with “info@” or the like, rather than to a specific person? “To Whom It May Concern” makes for a cold greeting, even to a stranger, said Gottsman. Instead, acknowledge that there’s a human on the other end and go with “‘Dear Hiring Manager” or “To the Customer Service Team.”

Q. I was looped into a group email discussion on a topic that’s not my expertise. Should I respond?

A. If your email address appears in the “To” line, yes, said Rosanne Thomas, president of Protocol Advisors, an etiquette consultancy.

But if you’re included in the “cc:” box or as part of a large preset email group, you’re usually off the hook, and recipients might even appreciate your keeping the thread uncluttered.

One exception: If the request comes from a superior or client, send a short, private note back so he or she doesn’t think you are being unresponsive.

Q. Can I send a formal sympathy or thank-you note by email rather than

regular mail?

A. Write condolence cards by hand.

This personal touch is more comforting and meaningful than an email, and better conveys the gravity of the loss. Plus, the recipient might appreciate being able to pull out the card to reread it in the future.

A thank-you message via email is often sufficient, especially when you want to thank someone quickly. But in cases in which someone has done you a special favor, such as helping you out in an emergency or nominating you for an award, send a handwritten letter.

One situation in which it pays to do both: following a job interview. Interviewers expect to hear from you within 24 hours, said Thomas. So send a brief thankyou email right after the interview that also reaffirms your interest. Immediately follow up with a written note repeating your thanks, and reminding the interviewer of the assets you can bring to the job. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Asbury Methodist Village 409 Russell Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 301-987-6291

DO MORE WITH EMAIL

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 3 sessions Limit: 10 # 664 Mon May 8- May 22 9:30am-11:30am

Learn to take full advantage of your web-based email service. This course covers all aspects of email, including attachments and contact management. You use your own mail provider for most lessons. You need your email User ID and password for class.

WINDOWS® 10 ESSENTIALS Prerequisite: Computer experience

dows 10 PC

6 sessions # 666 Fri # 681 Tues

& Win-

Limit: 10 May 12 – June 16 9:30am-11:30am July 18 – Aug 22 9:30am-11:30am

This course teaches you the essentials you need to know to be able to use your Windows 10 computer effectively. You cover the Start menu, the Desktop and taskbar, using File Explorer to manage your files, highlights of the Universal Windows Platform apps, and how to use the Settings app to customize and control Windows 10.

CUSTOMIZE & CONTROL WINDOWS® 10

Prerequisite: Computer experience & Windows 10 PC 2 sessions Limit: 10 # 667 Mon Jun 5 – Jun 12 9:30am-11:30am

This course shows you how to use the Settings app to customize your Windows environment to better suit the way you use your computer and to control many features of Windows. The options you have are easy to use once you understand what they can do for you.

TOTAL PHOTO WITH PICASA

Prerequisite: Experience taking photos, digital photos and computer experience 4 sessions Limit: 10 # 682 Fri July 21 – Aug 11 9:30am-11:30am

You need something to do it all for your digital photos – organize, edit, and share photos without investing a lot of money or buying features you don’t need. Picasa, although no longer supported by Google, still can do the job for you. A copy of Picasa can be provided if you do not have one already.

ORGANIZE YOUR FILES WITH WINDOWS® 10

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 3 sessions Limit: 10 # 683 Mon July 24 – Aug 7 9:30am-11:30am

Bring more organization to your computer-based life.

Learn the features of the Windows 10 File Explorer application and how to bring organization to your collection of documents and photos. File Explorer has features to assist you in creating folders and viewing their content, as well as moving, copying and renaming files.

MASTER THE EDGE BROWSER

Prerequisite: Computer experience & Windows 10 PC 2 sessions Limit: 10 # 684 Mon Aug 14 – Aug 21 9:30am-11:30am

Microsoft Edge is the web browser provided with Windows 10. It contains several features to make your browsing easier and more secure. This course shows you how to take advantage of the new features and how to setup the browser to best meet your online needs.

HOW TO SEARCH THE WEB

Prerequisite: Computer experience & Windows 10 PC 1 sessions Limit: 10 # 685 Fri Aug 18 9:30am-11:30am

Are you having trouble finding what you want on the World Wide Web? This class helps you understand how a search engine like Google or Bing works. You learn how you can better phrase your search input to get the results you are looking for quickly.

7

ASSISTED PRACTICE

FREE sessions: an integral part of your learning. You must be registered for at least one class to participate.

No Fee Wed May10 – Jun 21 9:30am-1:30pm Wed July 19 – Aug 23 9:30am-1:30pm

JCA Bronfman Center 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 240-395-0916

BROWSING AND SEARCHING THE WEB

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Limit: 12 2 session # 668 Thurs May 11 – May 18 10:00am-12:00pm

Using Internet Explorer®, Google Chrome®, and Google® search to learn how to more effectively use the World Wide Web. We will teach the basics but go beyond including setting up favorites and bookmarks, creating a bookmark bar, opening multiple tabs, and adding extensions to the browser. Learn many techniques to more precisely find the information you want.

YOUR IPAD® AND YOU

Prerequisite: iPad needs to be updated to the ios9.1 and have an Apple® ID and password Bring fully charged iPad to class Limit: 12 4 sessions # 671 Thurs Jun 8 – June 29 10:00am-12:00pm

Learn the basics about what you can do with your iPad and how using a tablet is different from using a desktop or laptop computer. Topics include basic navigation, apps and where you get them, how to set up your email account, managing your contact list, taking and sharing pictures, listening to music, how to keep your iPad safe and running efficiently, and how to back up data.

Continued on page 8

8

Technology & Innovations

Continued from page 7

many/most of our questions. What else can google do?

Spend 2 hours with us and unlock the power of Google.

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone to class Limit: 12 2 session # 672 Tues Jun 6 – Jun 13 10:00am-12:00pm

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Limit: 12 1 session # 692 Thurs July 20 10:00am-12:00pm

IPHONE®

AN INTRODUCTION

Learn to navigate the iPhone, make phone calls, surf the web, send messages, manage apps and more!

MICROSOFT WORD AND BEYOND

2016: FROM THE BEGINNING

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent/ Knowledge of the keyboard 3 sessions Limit: 12 # 675 Wed Jun 28 – Jul 12 10:00am-12:00pm

Learn word-processing skills for using Microsoft Word (versions 2010, 2013 and 2016). Learn to create documents of varying levels of complexity. Simple skills include document layout, simple formatting, keyboard commands, and use of the Ribbon. More advanced skills include illustrating documents with graphics, creating tables, advanced formatting, and using templates.

Knowing the PC’s KEYBOARD is a requirement. Notice that you don’t need typing skills, per sé, but you do need to know where the keys are located on the keyboard and what they do. This is NOT a typing class.

EXCEL: THE BASICS

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 2 sessions Limit: 12 # 686 Fri July 14 - July 21 10:00am-12:00pm

Develop and learn how to create a basic spreadsheet and enter data, edit the cells, adjust columns and rows, “crossfooting” spreadsheets, using formulas in spreadsheets.

POWERPOINT®

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 2 sessions Limit: 12 # 687 Mon July 17 – July 24 10:00am-12:00pm

In this course, you will learn to create your own Microsoft PowerPoint presentation by adding and deleting slides, creating different layouts, formatting your presentation and inserting images.

IPHONE® APPS

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone to class 1 session Limit: 12 # 688 Tues July 11 10:00am-12:00pm

Learn to use and organize apps. Explore apps to create reminders, read or listen to books, find directions, track health and fitness activities, share photos and more! Share YOUR favorite app!

IPHONE®

PHOTOGRAPHY: AN INTRODUCTION

Prerequisite: Bring fully charged iPhone to class 1 session Limit: 12 # 689 Tues July 18 10:00am-12:00pm

Learn how to use the iPhone’s capabilities to take great pictures, organize photos, and share photos with friends and family.

IPAD:

MAKING COLLAGES

Prerequisite: iPad needs to be updated to the ios9.1 and have an Apple® ID and password Bring fully charged iPad to class 1 session Limit: 12 # 690 Thurs Aug 3 10:00am-12:00pm If you are an intermediate or advanced iPad user and would like to use a free app to make wonderful collages of your trips and grandchildren, this is the class for you. Using the free app "live collage" you will be able to take pictures from your "photos" and combine them easily into very decorative collages suitable for printing and framing. (They make wonderful gifts.)

JUST GOOGLE IT

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 1 session Limit: 12 # 691 Thurs July 13 10:00am-12:00pm

We all know Google will help us find the answers to

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

JCA SENIORTECH HELPFUL WEBSITES

Could you use a website that would have a customer service representative call you back instead of waiting on hold forever? Where is the halfway point to meet a friend? Come explore helpful websites to make your life easier.

INTERNET SHOPPING WITH YOUR IPAD

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent 1 session Limit: 12 # 693 Thurs Aug 10 10:00am-12:00pm In this class, you'll be shown how to be a smart shopper. You will learn how to shop on eBay and save money, use comparative shopping apps and an app/website that gives you money back just for shopping at most of the popular stores.

 NEW  NEW  NEW 

JCA SeniorTech is proud to present our NEW class given on the MAC Operating System!

INTRO TO THE MAC OS

Prerequisite: Computer Basics or equivalent Limit: 12 2 sessions # 694 Mon July 10 – July 17 1:00pm-3:00pm

The Apple Mac Operating System (OS), known as OS X provides the interface to the Mac hardware and applications. In this class, we will cover the essential components that users need to know in order to operate their computers in a safe and productive manner.

The class will combine lecture and hands-on exercises. Topics will include the Desktop components, including the Dock and Menu Bar, System Preferences, Finder, the safari browser, user accounts, spotlight, Mission Control, ways to run Windows on your Mac, and backup with Time Machine.

TECH TALK!

æ

PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ON HOT TOPICS IN TECHNOLOGY

 NEW  NEW  NEW 

PREVENTION FROM IDENTITY THEFT TRAINING 1 session # 676 Wed

Limit: 25 May 10

10:30am-12:00pm

This course is designed to create heightened awareness about identity theft. This interactive, engaging and real-life scenario-based course, explores the pitfalls of identity theft that could take place in our homes, cars, on the street or even at ATMs. The

JCA must receive registration for classes at least 1 week prior to the beginning of the class.

We will not be able to accommodate walk-ins.

course will also provide you with steps to take to help prevent identity theft and steps to take if you become a victim.

CUTTING THE OF CABLE 1 session # 677 Wed

CABLE – TV WITHOUT THE PRICE Limit: 25 May 24

1:30pm-3:00pm

With the availability of high-speed broadband internet, it is possible to enjoy television without the high price of cable TV. Learn about programs that are available online and how to watch on a standard HDTV set.

INTRODUCTION TO THE CLOUD 1 session # 678 Wed

Limit: 25 Jun 28

1:30pm-3:00pm

There has been a lot of talk about “the cloud” recently. Learn what the cloud is and how to use it for storage, backup and sharing of files, pictures and music.

 NEW  NEW  NEW 

TECHNOLOGY CONSULTATION SERVICES

JCA SENIORTECH

IS PROUD TO BRING YOU TECHNOLOGY CONSULTATION SERVICES FROM OUR KNOWLEDGEABLE TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS. EACH SESSION IS 2 HOURS. CRITERIA: IN ORDER TO REGISTER FOR CONSULTATION SERVICES, STUDENTS MUST HAVE COMPLETED A JCA SENIORTECH CLASS WITHHIN THE PAST YEAR AND PRIORITIZE ONE TOPIC/PROBLEM TO BE DISCUSSED DURING THE SESSION.

After you register, you will be contacted by one of our Technology experts to select a date and time for your session and to discuss your question/problem.

COST: $60 PER 2 HOURS

TECHNOLOGY CONSULTATION SERVICES BRING US YOUR PROBLEMS! Unlimited # 679 Date and time to be determined

Have a one-to-one lesson with our Tech Gurus. Experts are available to help individuals with hardware or software issues. Topics: Windows® 10, buying a new computer, securing your computer, backing up the cloud, laptop/desktop issues, photos/videos, PowerPoint® and more.

MAC® TECHNOLOGY CONSULTATION SERVICES BRING US YOUR PROBLEMS! Unlimited # 680 Date and time to be determined

Have a 1:1 lesson with our Mac Tech Gurus. Experts are available to help individuals with hardware or software issues. Topics: iPhone®, iPad®, Apple® Laptops/computers.

ATTENTION:

Instruction, course materials and all computer language settings are in

English.

Unless otherwise noted, courses are taught with Windows computers.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

SeniorTech

DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES Classes are designed to help adults, 50+, refresh or advance their computer skills and learn to use social media.

Courses are taught by volunteer instructors and coaches.

Courses are almost always “hands on” in which students practice skills and techniques on a computer during class.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

✃

9

Technology & Innovations

JCA SENIORTECH

SENIORTECH REGISTRATION FORM

COMPUTER TRAINING

WAYS TO REGISTER:

BY MAIL:

Include your payment with form to JCA SeniorTech 12320 Parklawn Drive Rockville, MD 20852-1726

BY PHONE: Call 240-395-0916 Donations gratefully accepted allowing JCA to help all seniors thrive.

YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION WILL ENABLE US TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION BELOW. NOTE: ALL REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE 7 DAYS PRIOR TO START OF CLASS. Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________________ State: _______ Zip Code: _______________ Phone#: ______________________________ Email: __________________________________________________ I have taken a JCA SeniorTech class before: ____ Yes ____ No

Student ID (Office use only)_______________

I WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER FOR: Class #

Class Title

Location

Start Date

Start Time

Registration

#

$ FREE

#

$ FREE

YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION WILL ENABLE US TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THIS PROGRAM. PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION BELOW.

❒ Master Card ❒ VISA ❒ American Express ❒ Check (Make Checks payable to Jewish Council for the Aging.)

Amount $______________

Name as it appears on card: ____________________________________________________________

-

Card Number

-

Exp. Date

Sec. Code

SeniorTech follows the weather-related decisions of Montgomery County Public Schools, except that if the school system is closed for even part of the day, the center will be closed the entire day. As soon as possible, your instructor will arrange to make up any classes cancelled due to inclement weather.

WB5/17

-

____________ ____________ ____________ _____________ ______ /______ __________ OFFICE USE ONLY Registration #___________________ Date___________________

Registration #___________________ Date___________________

Registration #___________________ Date___________________

Registration #___________________ Date___________________

NOTICE: WITHIN THE LIMITS OF ITS RESOURCES, JCA SERVES PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. INDEED, WE TRY TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE IN ALL THAT WE DO. SOMETIMES, HOWEVER, JCA MAY DENY A PERSON OR GROUP THE OPTION TO ENROLL OR TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL OR PARTICULAR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO, AT OUR SOLE DISCRETION, SHOULD WE BELIEVE THAT OUR ACTION IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR PROGRAM OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON NOT PRECLUDED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Each contribution or remittance of payment by check is considered authorization to convert that particular check into an electronic fund transfer. If your check is unable to be converted, it may be processed as a Check Replacement Document drawn against your account. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day you make your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. You have the right to opt out of Electronic Conversion. If you choose to exercise this right, write the words ‘Opt Out’ in the memo field of your check and JCA will process it as a draft against your account.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: JCA is registered with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, P.O. Box 92300, Washington DC 200903020. FLORIDA: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR THE JEWISH COUNCIL OF THE AGING OF GREATER WASHINGTON, INC. (REGISTRATION NO. CH36992) MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OR BY VISITING WWW.800HELPFLA.COM REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE, MARYLAND: Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Maryland Secretary of State’s Office, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 for the cost of copying and postage.

NEW YORK: A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by contacting the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10271. VIRGINIA: A financial report is available from the Virginia State Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209.

As is true for all charities, registration by these governmental organizations does not imply their endorsement.

A copy of JCA’s 990 is available for public inspection at JCA’s Rockville office during normal business hours, Monday through Friday (except holidays), 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

10

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

MEDICARE AND THERAPY Medicare covers physical and other kinds of therapy, but there’s a limit RECENT DRUG APROVALS New drugs help with Parkinson’s, cholesterol and nighttime bathroom trips JUST BAD LUCK? Random errors in DNA can help fuel cancer despite good lifestyle choices HAPPY DAYS Optimism and satisfaction with life grow with each passing decade

Ten tips that can help fight osteoporosis

By Carrie Dennett, R.D.N. Because 70 percent of our bone destiny is due to heredity, you’re at greater risk for osteoporosis if you have a family history of the disease. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help shape the health of your bones.

We actively build bone until our mid-20s, then we start to slowly lose bone mass.

After the age of 50, one in two women, and one in four men, will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Until they break that wrist, hip or vertebrae in the spine, odds are they will have no idea they have osteoporosis.

In women, that risk of bone loss temporarily speeds up for about five years post-menopause. While it’s best to develop bone-healthy habits in childhood, you can take action at any age to improve both bone and muscle health, even if your genes may be working against you.

Why is muscle important? Maintaining muscle as you age makes it more likely that you can stop a fall — and prevent a fracture — if you lose your balance.

1. Don’t fear calcium You know that calcium is important for strong bones — but you may also be concerned that calcium supplements increase

the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Andrea Singer, National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) trustee and clinical director, said that calcium intake from food and supplements that doesn’t exceed 2,000-2,500 milligrams (mg.) per day should be considered safe from a cardiovascular standpoint, based on a recent rigorous review of the evidence by the NOF and the American Society of Preventative Cardiology.

2. Supplement calcium smartly The NOF recommends that women under age 50 get 1,000 mg. of calcium per day and women 50 and older get 1,200 mg.

Men age 70 and younger need 1,000 mg. per day, those 71 and older need 1,200 mg.

“Obtaining calcium from food sources is preferred,” Singer said. “Supplemental calcium can be safely used to make up any shortfalls in your diet.”

3. Look beyond the obvious Calcium-rich foods beyond dairy products include canned sardines and salmon that still have their bones, tofu made with calcium, tempeh, calcium-fortified soymilk, and some dark leafy vegetables.

Collard greens, broccoli rabe, turnip greens and kale are the best of the bunch.

4. Don’t block calcium Spinach and beet greens contain oxalic acid, which makes their calcium unavailable to us. Cooking greatly reduces oxalic acid, and eating a food with oxalic acid does not affect absorption of calcium from other foods you eat during the same meal.

One food that will block calcium absorption is wheat bran — if you eat wheat bran cereal with milk, you will only absorb some of the milk’s calcium.

5. Load up on produce A diet rich in fruits and vegetables creates an environment in the body that prevents bone and muscle breakdown. Antioxidants and other nutrients, like potassium, in produce help prevent calcium loss.

Produce and plant foods include still more nutrients that Singer said are good for bone health, including magnesium and vitamins K and C. 6. Stock up on vitamin D Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium, but it also helps build muscle.

When exposed to the sun, your skin produces vitamin D. However, most of us protect our skin from the sun. Food sources include fatty fish and fortified foods such

as milk and most soymilks. Mushrooms contain variable amounts.

Taking 800-1,000 IUs of supplemental vitamin D with food is recommended for osteoporosis prevention if you don’t get enough through diet, especially if you live in northern states where vitamin D production from sunshine exposure may be limited.

7. Power up with protein Adequate — but not excessive — protein is good for both muscle and bone. Divide your weight in pounds in half to estimate your protein goal in grams. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for about 75 grams of protein per day.

8. Calm inflammation Omega-3 fatty acids — both EPA and DHA from fatty fish and ALA from walnuts and flax seed — can help reduce inflammation in the body. This is important because inflammation can accelerate bone loss.

9. Get — and stay — active Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, running and strength training, stimulates bone-building activity and builds and See OSTEOPOROSIS, page 11

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More patience. More heart-to-hearts. More care.

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Call Tall Oaks today at 703-834-9800.

Join us for a chef-prepared Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 14 from 11:15 am to 1 pm.

Visit or call Tall Oaks to purchase tickets.

703.834.9800 12052 N Shore Drive Reston, VA 20190 www.TallOaksAL.com Coordinated Services Management, Inc. - Professional Management of Retirement Communities since 1981

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

11

Meditation can reduce pain, replace pills

By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: For years, I have needed narcotic medications to control my chronic pain.

My doctor is trying to reduce my dose by asking me to practice meditation.

Can this really help reduce my pain?

A: Yes, meditation and other avenues to mindfulness can help decrease your use of pain medication. And you may eventually be able to stop narcotics completely.

Mindfulness is an ancient practice, but it has taken modern imaging technology to demonstrate how it may work. An imaging test called functional MRI [fMRI] shows the brain as it is working. It has allowed us to see things in humans we couldn’t before.

What’s most interesting is that people with chronic pain still show significant activity in pain centers while practicing mindfulness meditation. But despite the brain’s pain centers firing on fMRI, the meditators report feeling less pain compared to nonmeditators. The likely reason: The mindfulness practitioners have less activity in regions involved in emotion and memory.

Such images indicate that mindfulness practitioners may still feel the pain but not the unpleasantness of the sensation. Instead of blocking the sensation itself, they avoid making associations that identified it as “painful.”

How to start meditating Mindfulness involves focusing your mind on the present and letting go of concerns about the past and the future.

Osteoporosis From page 10 maintains muscles. Exercises that help improve balance can also help avoid falls.

10. Avoid “bad to the bone” behaviors These include smoking, and the excessive intake of alcohol, caffeine and sodium, all of which can increase calcium loss.

Yo-yo dieting has also been shown to reduce bone density.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2017 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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They keep the Beacon free!

Here are the basics of a mindfulness meditation practice: In a quiet and comfortable place, sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed, or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight but not stiff. Let your hands rest on the tops of your thighs.

Start by bringing your attention to the sensations of your body (sight, sound, taste, touch, scent).

Next, bring your awareness to your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Pay particular attention to breathing out.

When you become distracted by thoughts and feelings — for example, an appointment you must keep, or anger at someone — silently and gently label these as thoughts, let them go, and return your focus to your breath.

If you’d like to practice mindfulness meditation, start by setting aside some

time each day and begin gradually — meditating for five to 10 minutes once or twice a day. You can gradually build up to 20 minutes or even an hour.

Howard LeWine, M.D. is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston

and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2017 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How Medicare covers physical therapy Q. Can you explain how Medicare covers physical therapy services? I’m a new beneficiary, and would like to get some treatments for my back.

A. Medicare covers a variety of outpatient therapy services including physical, occupational and speech therapy, if you meet their coverage criteria. Here’s how it works.

To get Medicare (Part B) to help cover your physical therapy, it must be considered medically reasonable and necessary, and will need to be ordered or prescribed by your doctor.

You can get these services as an outpatient at a number of places like a doctor’s or therapist’s office, rehabilitation facility, medical clinic or a hospital outpatient department.

You also need to know that Medicare limits how much it pays for outpatient therapy services in one calendar year. These limits are called “therapy cap limits.” In 2017, Medicare will cover up to $1,980 for physical and speech therapy combined, and another $1,980 for occupational therapy.

But be aware that just like with other Medicare covered services, Medicare will pay 80 percent (up to $1,584) of your therapy costs, after you meet your $183 Part B deductible. You, or your Medicare supplemental plan (if you have one), will be responsible for the remaining 20 percent until the cap limits are reached. After that, you’ll have to pay the full cost for the services.

Extra therapy

services, but the ABN lets you decide If, however, you reach your cap limits whether to get them. and your doctor or therapist Therapy at home recommends that you continYou should also know that ue with the treatment, you Medicare covers home theracan ask your therapist for an py services, too, if you are exception so that Medicare homebound and eligible to rewill continue to pay for your ceive home healthcare from a therapy. The therapist must Medicare-approved home provide documentation that healthcare agency. To learn these services are medically more about this option, see necessary for you to continthe “Medicare and Home ue.

If Medicare denies the SAVVY SENIOR Health Care” online booklet at www.medicare.gov/pubs/ claim, you can appeal through By Jim Miller pdf/10969.pdf. the Medicare appeals If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advanprocess. See www.medicare.gov/claimstage plan (like an HMO or PPO), these and-appeals.

If approved, Medicare has an exception plans must cover everything that’s includthreshold of $3,700 for physical and ed in original Medicare Part A and Part B speech therapy combined, and $3,700 for coverage.

But sometimes these plans cover more, occupational therapy. If your therapy cost exceeds these thresholds, Medicare will with extra services or an expanded audit your case, which could lead to denial amount of coverage. To find out whether your plan provides extra coverage or reof further services.

If you choose to get physical therapy on quires different co-payments for physical your own that’s not considered medically therapy, you’ll need to contact the plan dinecessary or prescribed by your doctor, rectly.

If you have other questions, call your therapist is required to give you a written document called an “Advance Ben- Medicare at 1-800-633-4227, or contact eficiary Notice of Noncoverage” (ABN).

Medicare Part B will not pay for these See PHYSICAL THERAPY, page 14

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Age-Friendly Montgomery A Community for a Lifetime

“I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.”

County Executive Ike Leggett

Free summer concerts and movies in Montgomery County Mark your calendar now to attend some of the many free, outdoor movies and concerts happening all summer long here in the County. Just bring your chair or blanket and enjoy!

Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/senior/recreation.html for more information or call us at 3-1-1 (240-777-0311).

Free Summer Concerts Bethesda Summer Concerts, Woodmont Triangle • Thursdays, May 11 – July 27 (6 – 8 p.m.)

Silver Spring Swings Concert, Veterans Plaza • Thursday evenings, June 15 - Aug 3 (7-9 p.m.)

BlackRock Center for the Arts Summer Concerts, Germantown • Saturday evenings in July (begins at 7 p.m.)

Strathmore Live from the Lawn, North Bethesda • Wednesdays, July 12 – August 30 (begins at 7 p.m.)

14th Annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Veterans Plaza • Sat., Sept. 9 (3 – 10 p.m.)

Agricultural History Farm Park, Derwood • May 20, June 17 & July 22, early jazz (5 – 8 p.m.)

• June 23, July 28 & Aug. 25, bluegrass/roots (7 – 9 p.m.)

Free Summer Movies

Hometown Holidays Music Festival, Rockville • May 27 & 28 (2:30 -10 p.m.)

• May 29 parade (9:00 a.m. - noon)

Movies in the Parks in Rockville, at four neighborhood parks • Wednesdays, August 2 – 23 (begins at 8 p.m.)

Brookside Gardens Summer Twilight Concert Series, Wheaton • Tuesday evenings in June (6:30 – 8 p.m.)

Comcast Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore, North Bethesda • August 24- 26 (begins at 7:30 p.m.)

Bethesda Outdoor Movies, Woodmont Triangle • July 18-22 (begins at 9 p.m.)

Contact Us Today

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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Health Shorts Fewer nighttime bathroom trips U.S. regulators recently approved the first drug to reduce the number of times people wake to use the bathroom. The treatment is a nasal spray intended for adults who wake up at least twice a night to urinate.

The Food and Drug Administration said the spray, called Noctiva, is not approved to treat all causes of frequent nighttime urination, so doctors must determine the cause and best treatment for each person.

Noctiva is approved specifically for a common condition caused by such things as

chronic heart failure, poorly controlled diabetes, and bladder and prostate problems, as well as some medications.

The nasal spray is used daily about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works by making the kidneys absorb more water, which reduces the amount of urine.

Noctiva carries the FDA’s strongest warning — a so-called black box — because the drug can cause dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood. Other side effects include colds, bronchitis, increased blood pressure, dizziness, back pain and nose bleeds.

Before using the spray, patients must undergo testing to confirm they produce excess urine at night.

The treatment was tested for three months in about 1,000 people 50 and older with the condition, called nocturnal polyuria. The half who used Noctiva had

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

more nights with one or no trips to the bathroom, compared to the group that got a dummy nasal spray, according to the FDA. The active ingredient in Noctiva, desmopressin acetate, is included in some other drugs, including an injected version for bleeding disorders.

New drug approved for Parkinson’s The FDA has approved the first new drug in a decade for Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurological disorder that causes tremors and movement difficulties. The medication, called Xadago, is for use when a patient’s regular medicines aren’t working well.

The pill was tested in two six-month studies that included about 1,200 patients taking a standard treatment — levodopa.

According to the FDA, adding Xadago to

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levodopa decreased periods with troubling symptoms such as involuntary muscle movement. Patients who took Xadago also had better control of movement compared to groups that got levodopa and dummy pills.

Roughly 1 million Americans and up to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s. It generally strikes older adults, affecting 1 to 2 percent of those over age 65.

Parkinson’s is a progressive disease whose symptoms worsen over time. Levodopa, which most patients take, can become less effective as the disease progresses. So, additional medicines are then needed.

Milan, Italy-based Newron Pharmaceuticals, which has a U.S. subsidiary in Morristown, New Jersey, developed Xadago, known chemically as safinamide. It was approved in the European Union in 2015.

Newron’s partner, US Worldwide Meds See HEALTH SHORTS, page 15

Arlington County, (703) 228-1700 Fairfax County and Alexandria, (703) 324-5851 Loudoun County, (703) 737-8036 To find a SHIP counselor elsewhere in the country, visit www.Shiptacenter.org.

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Health shorts From page 14 LLC of Louisville, Kentucky, will market Xadago in the U.S. That company said the drug’s list price without insurance will be $670 for a 30-day supply of either the 50- or 100-milligram dose.

Possible side effects can include involuntary movement, nausea and insomnia.

The FDA said Xadago should not be taken by people with severe liver problems, or by those taking opioid painkillers and certain antidepressants.

Pricey cholesterol drug reduces heart risks A long-acting cholesterol medicine cut the risk of having a heart attack or some other serious problems by 15 to 20 percent in a big study that’s likely to spur fresh debate about what drugs should cost.

Statins such as Lipitor and Crestor are cheap, and lower LDL or bad cholesterol.

But some people can’t tolerate or get enough help from them.

The new drug, Amgen’s Repatha, is given as a shot once or twice a month and is part of a novel class of medicines that drop LDL to unprecedented levels.

It costs more than $14,000 a year, and insurers have balked at paying without proof that it lowers heart risks, not just the cholesterol number. The new study gives that evidence, but the benefit is not as great as some doctors had hoped.

For every 200 people treated with Repatha for roughly two years, three fewer people would suffer a heart attack, stroke or heartrelated death. But looked at by themselves, deaths were not reduced by the drug.

“That’s a big benefit,” said Dr. Marc Sabatine, the study leader, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. For millions of people with heart disease or high risk for it like those in the study, “it’s worth it to be on this medicine.”

But Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, preventive medicine chief at Northwestern University and an American Heart Association spokesman, called the results modest and “not quite what we hoped or expected.”

Dr. Mark Hlatky, a Stanford University cardiologist and cost effectiveness researcher, said, “people were hoping for a breakthrough, a lot bigger result than 20 percent.”

Repatha and a similar drug, Praluent, called PCSK9 inhibitors, were approved in 2015 for people with inherited risk for high cholesterol, or heart disease that had already caused a problem such as a heart attack. The study tested Repatha in more than 27,500 people like this who had LDL

above 70 (the recommended upper limit for such patients) despite maximum statin use.

After about two years, Repatha, used along with statins, reduced LDL from a median of 92 to 30. It also proved safe — side effects were similar to those from a dummy drug.

Repatha cut by 20 percent the combined risk of having either a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death. That happened to nearly 6 percent of people on Repatha versus more than 7 percent on the dummy drug.

The benefit grew with longer use, and was 25 percent the second year, said Sabatine, who consults for Amgen and other drugmakers.

The drug cut by 15 percent a broader set of problems — the ones above, plus hospitalization for chest pain or an arteryopening procedure. Nearly 10 percent of folks on Repatha had one versus more

15

than 11 percent on the dummy drug.

This last result is something insurers care about — preventing costly healthcare.

“That’s the biggest issue — whether they’re worth all the money,” Hlatky said of the drugs. If they cost 50 times as much as statins, “are they 50 times better? I don’t think so.”

For now, “we should still probably reserve these for the highest risk patients where statins are not doing a good enough job — at least at the price they are currently offered,” said Lloyd-Jones.

Amgen said the drug’s value justifies its cost, and offered more deals for insurers — including refunds for people who have a heart attack or stroke after using Repatha for at least six months.

— AP

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Random errors in DNA help fuel cancer

By Lauran Neergaard Cancer patients often wonder “why me?” Does their tumor run in the family?

Did they try hard enough to avoid risks like smoking, too much sun or a bad diet?

Lifestyle and heredity get the most blame, but new research suggests random chance plays a bigger role than people realize: Healthy cells naturally make mistakes when they multiply. There are unavoidable typos in DNA that can leave new cells carrying cancer-prone genetic mutations.

How big? About two-thirds of the mutations that occur in various forms of cancer are due to those random copying errors, researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported last month in the journal Science.

Whoa: That doesn’t mean most cases of

cancer are due solely to “bad luck.” It takes multiple mutations to turn cells into tumors — and a lot of cancer is preventable, the Hopkins team stressed, if people take proven protective steps.

The researchers’ estimate is based on a math model, and is sure to be hotly debated by scientists who say those unavoidable mistakes of nature play a much smaller role.

But whatever the ultimate number, the research offers a peek at how cancer may begin.

And it should help with the “why me” question from people who have “done everything we know can be done to prevent cancer but they still get it,” said Hopkins’ Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a pioneer in cancer genetics who co-authored the study. “They need

to understand that these cancers would have occurred no matter what they did.”

What causes mutations?

You might inherit some mutations, like flaws in BRCA genes that are infamous for causing aggressive breast and ovarian cancers in certain families.

More commonly, damage is caused by what scientists call environmental factors — the assault on DNA from the world around us and how we live our lives.

There’s a long list of risks: Cigarette smoke, UV light from the sun, other forms of radiation, certain hormones or viruses, an unhealthy diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

Then there are those random copy errors in cells — what Vogelstein calls our baseline rate of genetic mutations that will occur no matter how healthy we live.

One way to think of it: If we all have some mutations lurking in our cells anyway, that’s yet another reason to avoid known risks that could push us over the edge.

How cells make mistakes New cells are formed when an existing cell divides and copies its DNA, one cell turning into two. Every time DNA is copied, about three random mutations occur, Vogelstein said.

We all harbor these kinds of mutations, and most don’t hurt us because they’re in genes that have nothing to do with cancer — or the body’s defense mechanisms spot and fix the damage, said Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society, who wasn’t involved in the new research.

But sometimes the errors hit the wrong spot and damage genes that can spur cancerous growth or genes that help the cell spot and fix problems. Then the damaged cells can survive to copy themselves, al-

lowing important mutations to gradually build up over time. That’s one reason the risk of cancer increases with age.

The study follows 2015 research by Vogelstein and statistician Cristian Tomasetti that introduced the idea that a lot of cancer may be due to “bad luck,” because those random DNA copying mistakes are more common in some kinds of cancer than others. Cancer prevention advocates worried the idea might sway people to give up on healthier lifestyles.

This time around, the duo analyzed mutations involved in 32 types of cancer to estimate that 66 percent of the gene flaws are due to random copy errors. Environmental and lifestyle factors account for another 29 percent, while inherited genes made up just 5 percent of the mutations.

Different organs, different risks The same person can harbor a mix of mutations sparked by random DNA mistakes, heredity or environmental factors.

And which is the most common factor differs by cancer, the Hopkins team said.

For example, they estimate that random cell errors account for 77 percent of critical mutations in pancreatic cancer — while still finding some caused by lifestyle risks like smoking. And the random DNA mistakes caused nearly all the mutations leading to childhood cancers, which is not surprising because youngsters have had little time to be exposed to environmental risks.

In contrast, most lung cancer mutations were the result of lifestyle factors, mainly from smoking. And while lung tissue doesn’t multiply frequently, the small number of mutations caused by chance DNA errors might explain rare cases of neverSee DNA & CANCER, page 18

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Bone marrow donations help save lives Dear Mayo Clinic: Years ago, after going through infertility testing, my doctor told me someone would love a bone marrow transplant from me because I have an overactive immune system.

Why does that make someone a good candidate? I am now 53, and am wondering if I’m too old to donate bone marrow. If not, how do I find out where I can go in my area to become a donor?

Answer: Thank you for your interest in becoming a bone marrow donor. Bone marrow donation can save lives, and there’s always a need for people willing to donate. Although age is sometimes a factor, the most important criteria for being a donor is to have stem cells in your bone

marrow that match those of the recipient.

To be considered as a donor, you can join the registry of potential bone marrow donors that’s maintained by the National Marrow Donor Program.

People who need a bone marrow transplant often have blood disorders or diseases that affect the immune system, such as leukemia, lymphoma or severe anemia.

A transplant may be necessary for people with these conditions because their bone marrow may not be able to make enough healthy stem cells, or because bone marrow may not be able to regrow sufficiently following chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

A bone marrow transplant can help make the blood cells the body needs, lowering the risk of life-threatening infections,

anemia and bleeding.

Stem cells are transplanted Although the procedure is called a bone marrow transplant, it’s actually the bloodforming stem cells within bone marrow that benefit the transplant recipient.

Bone marrow stem cells can develop into red blood cells that carry oxygen to the body, platelets that help blood clot, or white blood cells that help fight infection.

It’s often best for people in need of bone marrow transplants to receive their own stem cells, if possible. This process usually is safer for the recipient.

But in some cases, a person’s bone marrow may be too diseased to be used for a transplant. In those situations, it’s necessary to use stem cells from a donor instead.

Donate up to age 60 Current research shows that bone marrow donations from people between the ages of 18 and 44 lead to more successful transplants. Because of that, most physicians will select a donor under the age of 45, when possible.

However, people are allowed to be donors until the age of 60, and there is particular need for donors from minority populations and those from multiple ethnic or

DNA & cancer From page 16

The care you need to get you back to your life.

smokers who still get sick.

“This paper is a good paper,” said the cancer society’s Brawley. “It gives prevention its due respect.”

Estimates from Britain suggest 42 percent of cancers are potentially preventable with a healthy lifestyle, and the Hopkins team says their mutation research backs that idea.

racial backgrounds.

I’m not aware of data supporting the theory that having a history of infertility means you have a stronger immune system and, as a result, would be a better bone marrow donor.

But there are grounds for thinking donors who have not had children would be better donors. That’s because medical research has shown bone marrow transplant recipients whose donors have had children are at higher risk for a transplant complication called chronic graft versus host disease.

To be considered as a bone marrow donor, visit the National Marrow Donor Program’s website, bethematch.org.

There you can learn more and join the bone marrow donor registry. You should note that potential donors between the ages of 45 and 60 are asked to pay $100 to cover the cost to join the registry.

By the way, a donor’s own stem cells typically repopulate well, so, theoretically, a person could donate more than once.

There can be pain after bone marrow donation, but it usually does not interfere with work or daily activities.

Peripheral blood donation (blood stem cells collected directly from the blood) requires receiving growth factor drugs and See BONE MARROW, page 19

But Dr. Yusuf Hannun, Stony Brook University’s cancer center director, contends that’s just the number known to be preventable today — researchers may discover additional environmental risks we can guard against in the future.

He said the Hopkins paper exaggerates the effect of the unavoidable DNA mistakes.

His own 2015 research concluded they account for 10 to 30 percent of cancer cases.

— AP

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19

Optimism and satisfaction grow with age

By Matt Sedensky Feel down about getting older? Wish your life was better? Worried about all the problems that come with age?

A new survey suggests you need only wait: Many pessimistic feelings held by people earlier in life take an optimistic turn as they move toward old age. Even hallmark concerns of old age — about declining health, lack of independence and memory loss — lessen as Americans age.

“The younger generation is less optimistic,” said Dr. Zia Agha, chief medical officer at West Health, a nonprofit focused on aging issues whose related research institute released the poll with the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. “Perhaps as they age they will build resilience, and they build the capacity that will help them cope better.”

Positivity grows each decade Generally speaking, optimism about growing older increased steadily with age, the poll found.

Among people in their 30s, 46 percent described themselves as mostly or somewhat optimistic about aging, compared with 66 percent of people 70 and older.

Likewise, respondents showed a decadeby-decade increase in feeling confident, not helpless, about aging, and in assessing their household finances positively.

When asked to rate their quality of life, people noted an improvement as they moved from their 50s to their 60s and beyond.

Among respondents 70 and older, two-thirds rated their life excellent or very good, compared to about half of 30-somethings.

Among some metrics, pessimism appears to grow as people move out of their 30s into middle age, before falling later in life. Those 70 and older were least likely to express worry about age bringing poor health, a move into a nursing home or memory loss. They also were least likely to fear old age could prompt them to be disrespected or become a burden on their fami-

Bone marrow From page 18 collection on an apheresis machine.

Joining the registry to become a potential bone marrow donor is commendable.

As a donor, you have the opportunity to save a person’s life. Although your chances of being chosen may be lower due to the reasons outlined above, if you are chosen as a bone marrow donor, you will potentially be someone’s cure.

— Dennis Gastineau, M.D., Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

lies. People in their 60s and beyond had the lowest fear of losing their independence.

Other research has pointed to greater satisfaction, happiness and optimism among older people.

likely to see the age of 65 as a marker of old age. About four in 10 people in their 30s regarded that number as symbolic of reaching old age — twice as large a share as those in their 70s or beyond.

The poll was based on online and tele-

phone interviews of 3,026 adults age 30 and older who are members of NORC’s nationally representative AmeriSpeak panel. It has a margin of sampling error for all respondents of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

— AP

Focus on spirituality, relationships Agha said the latest survey reflects the idea that people often find in their later years a growing appreciation for facets of life they may have focused on less when they were younger, including spirituality and personal relationships. Fulfillment from those things can helps bolster overall happiness, even in the face of potential physical decline.

The NORC-West Health poll also found those 70 and older were less likely than younger people to feel that seniors are forgotten in America today or that they receive too little respect.

Not surprisingly, older people were less

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Guidelines offer safer ways to control pain In the past, if you had minor surgery or an injury your doctor would often prescribe an opioid pain killer to ease your discomfort. That is less likely under new guidelines for physicians.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released the first federal opioid prescription guidelines.

They are written for primary care providers, but patients should know about them, too, said pain management specialist Dr. Richard Rosenquist.

“The goal is to help physicians prescribe opioids in a rational fashion,” he said. “We have an incredible number of people dying from overdoses, and prescriptions must be more aligned with the medication’s proper use.”

The Food and Drug Administration may soon be addressing the issue as well. Scott Gottlieb, the doctor nominated to head the FDA, told senators in early April that his first priority would be tackling the opioid crisis.

Gottlieb said opioid addiction is “the biggest crisis facing the agency” and as serious a public health challenge — for the entire government, not just FDA — as infectious diseases like Ebola or Zika. He said it will “require dramatic action,” including finding ways to spur development of non-addictive alternative painkillers as well as addiction treatments.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the guidelines said more than 165,000 people died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2014. In 2013,

roughly 1.9 million people abused their prescriptions.

Another startling statistic: Overall, the United States — which makes up about 5 percent of the world’s population — uses 80 percent of all prescription opioids.

And, opioids are often over-prescribed, Rosenquist said. Doctors either write prescriptions for too many pills or they offer opioids when there are better choices. The new guidelines, he said, will help them identify how and when a patient really needs an opioid.

Working with your doctor Here are changes you may see in your doctor’s approach. According to the CDC’s suggestions for managing pain, your doc-

tor should: • Look for non-opioid therapy options first. He or she should think about an opioid to treat chronic pain only when benefits outweigh risks.

• Work with you to create a plan to treat your pain. The plan should set realistic goals and focus on limiting opioid use. You and your doctor should also discuss how you will stop taking the drugs when the time comes.

• Talk to you about the risks and benefits of controlling pain with opioids. You should discuss this before you first take them and, over time, for as long as you take them.

• Try immediate-release opioids first.

He or she should opt for extended-release See PAIN CONTROL, page 22

BEACON BITS

May 16+

EVENING SUPPORT GROUP

Montgomery Hospice presents a six-week Tuesday evening support group for Montgomery County residents who have lost a loved one beginning on May 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Montgomery Hospice is located at 1355 Piccard Dr., Suite 100 in Rockville, Md. Registration is required.

For more information or to register, call (301) 921-4400.

May 16

CANCER POST-TREATMENT

The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is holding a discussion, “My Treatment is Over, Now What? Embracing Survivorship” on Tuesday, May 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Learn what to do once treatment ends and how to navigate the transition to recovery. The Smith Center is located at 1632 U St. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information or to register, visit www.smithcenter.org/calendar or call (202) 483-8600.

Ongoing

YOGA ON THE SQUARE

Fairfax City offers free yoga in the square on Sundays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. Bring a yoga mat and a water bottle.

The square is located at 3999 University Dr. For more information, call (703) 385-7858 or email novayogagirl@gmail.com.

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21

A call a day may keep the doctor away

By Talia Denicoff A new program provides older Fairfax County residents with daily phone calls from volunteers to address their social and emotional needs, provide medication reminders, help prevent neglect, and provide a connection with others.

The program, called CareRing 2.0, is provided by volunteers through the nonprofit Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (PRS).

PRS Program Director Laura Mayer said that these phone calls give the clients emotional support and can help them deal with stress.

“It’s more than just a check-in. These are relationships that they’re building with us,” Mayer said. “They can start to deal with

some of the bigger issues that they might be facing, such as complex grief or interpersonal issues with adult children or other people in their lives. It’s definitely more of a social call than it is a medical call.”

Assessing problems CareRing 2.0 volunteers are able to make mental health assessments of their clients in addition to having a friendly conversation with them.

“We’re doing clinical assessments on their depression levels and their suicide risk,” Mayer said. “We’re also doing assessments on their environment. Do they have working lights, working water, do they have food, do they have the ability to wash their

clothes and have bedding and things like that? We are looking at a lot of things that can influence their overall well-being.”

When a volunteer recognizes a risk the client faces, they advocate for services that will help with the identified issue. Volunteers refer their clients to primary care doctors if they do not have one already.

And if they identify that a client has depression or anxiety, they refer them to the appropriate care while continuing to provide daily phone calls.

Connecting with clients Mary (who didn’t want her last name used), a volunteer from Washington, D.C., makes about three CareRing calls a day.

Since she has started calling her clients, Mary has made personal connections with them and says she looks forward to her daily conversations.

“Sometimes you call people, and they feel really down at the beginning of the call, and you can tell they’re not having that great of a day,” she said.

“Then they start to talk to you about their day, or they remember something that happened, or you just get on a random topic like music or a movie they saw, and you can hear that they start to get really happy. Sometimes they get really excited and start talking really fast.”

See CARE RING, page 22

BEACON BITS

June 1+

SEASONAL WALK The Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club is sponsoring a

seasonal, self-guided Silver Spring/Takoma Park walk from Thursday, June 1 to Saturday, Oct. 14. There are several trail options with varying levels of difficulty.

Participants must register at the walk in the “Start Box” at Safeway, located in downtown Silver Spring at 909 Thayer Ave. The walk is free; Volksmarch credit costs $3. For more information, contact Maribeth Evans at (301) 946-5496 or evansm0612@gmail.com.

NOW PRELEASING for October 2017 Move Ins!

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Pain control From page 20 drugs only if immediate-release opioids don’t work.

• Start low; go slow. He or she should take care to start your therapy with the lowest dose necessary, and increase the dose slowly — and only if needed.

• Limit your opioid therapy for acute pain to less than three days. Prescribing opioids for more than seven days should typically be rare. (Long-term use and abuse often begin with doctors treating pain from an injury or surgery.)

• Review how therapy is going. Your doctor should meet with you within one to four weeks of starting therapy for chronic pain to review how it is helping or hurting you.

• Use strategies to reduce risks. He or she should focus on your history and risk factors.

• Review your controlled-substance history every three months. Your doctor should check to make sure you are using prescribed drugs safely.

• Give you a urine test before prescribing opioids. This will help him or her double check on what prescribed drugs and other substances you use.

• Avoid prescribing opioids and benzodi-

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

azepines (tranquilizers) at the same time, if possible. Using them at the same time puts patients at greater risk for a potentially fatal overdose.

• Offer assisted treatments for patients with a history of abuse or dependence problems. The CDC suggests using drugs like methadone along with behavior therapy as an alternative.

Opioid side effects Rosenquist said, opioids can help control pain, but higher doses do not necessarily make them work better. And, opioid use has serious risks.

If you take them long-term, they sometimes cause: • Constipation • Slower gastrointestinal function • Decreased endocrine function • Nervous system inflammation • Greater response to less pain • Erectile dysfunction

CareRing From page 21 Mayer said that by asking clients specific questions about their wellbeing every day, volunteers are able to track their client’s “moods and their level of feeling connected.” Usually within the first two weeks, positive changes in the clients’ moods are being reported.

Currently, CareRing 2.0 has 10 volun-

Large daily doses of opioids — 200 mg morphine equivalents or — may put your risk of death at 1-in-32, Rosenquist said.

Combining opioids with a drug such as Valium boosts your risk of death between four and 10 times.

Ultimately, Rosenquist said, the guidelines should help doctors use opioids in a more rational and appropriate way and help head off problems before they start.

“People have begun to turn the faucet back on the availability of opioids,” he said.

“The goal is not to eliminate their use altogether, but rather to use them in a more effective fashion and to reduce the incidence of prescription drug abuse and death.”

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2017 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. teers and five clients. PRS hopes to enroll up to 40 clients, and will hire more volunteers as necessary.

Fairfax County residents 60 and older are eligible to become clients. Arlington County residents are eligible for a similar telephone support program called CareRing/S.O.S. Plus.

Enrollment forms and volunteer information are available online at www.prsinc.org or by calling (703) 516-6769.

Seabury Senior Living Communities Convenient Washington, DC Location

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Independent living includes fun activities and opportunities to develop rewarding friendships. Residents love our park-like setting, on-site greenhouse, and convenient location—just two blocks from the Tenleytown Metro—close to shopping, restaurants, and more.

Springvale Terrace is a welcoming, caring community for seniors offering independent living as well as personal and assisted living care services. Many social events, seasonal activities, and exercise programs help keep residents active and engaged. Qualifying residents may receive vouchers/subsidies for personal care services.

Discover Friendship.

Make Springvale your home.

Call 202-244-7400 (TRS 711) to schedule a visit.

Call 301-587-0190 (TRS 711) to schedule a visit.

FriendshipTerrace.org 1-800-643-3769 DC RELAY SERVICE • 1-800-643-3768 TTY 4201 Butterworth Place, NW, Washington, DC 20016

SpringvaleTerrace.org 1-800-552-7724 MD RELAY SERVICE 8505 Springvale Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

May 2017

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being.

All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus, unless otherwise noted. Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

Support for the caregiver seminar: “Mind and Mouth – Dentistry and the Aging Brain” May 23, 2-3 p.m.

What do your teeth have to do with your brain?

Quite a bit, actually. This seminar will focus on the dental challenges faced by older adults and how they may impact cognitive health in those with and without dementia. FREE. Register by May 21.

Rehab Center open house May 25, 2-5 p.m.

Your community’s new Rehab Center is open! Tour our state-of-the-art center and two-story therapy gym.

Experience the innovative, revitalizing environment of our healing space. FREE. Register by May 23.

Living Well Seminar: “Sleep for Health” May 24, 1-2:15 p.m.

The average American doesn’t get enough sleep, and that can contribute to a variety of health issues.

Learn holistic techniques to optimize sleep and your body’s innate ability to heal. Offered in partnership with The Spring Yoga and Natural Health Center. Preceded by complimentary lunch at 12:30 p.m. FREE. Register by May 22.

Parkinson’s Exercise Classes Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Our classes aim to improve posture, balance and circulation while also increasing strength, muscle control and mobility of those with Parkinson’s or other neurodegenerative diseases.

Parkinson’s Support Group 2nd Wednesday of each month, 2:15 p.m.

Independent living

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18100 Slade School Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 · 301-260-2320 · www.bgf.org

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Community leader From page 1 gomery County Board of Education.

“Montgomery County is one of the world’s most welcoming and age-friendly communities because of the commitment of people like Vivien Hsueh,” Leggett said in presenting the award. “She saw the problem of isolated immigrant Chinese seniors, and she did something about it.

Vivien has brought happiness to thousands of Chinese seniors.”

Two other county residents were honored with the Nix Award as well. Mark Bergel, founder of the poverty-fighting nonprofit A Wider Circle, is a champion for those most in need. A Wider Circle has provided 180,000 children and adults with basic household furniture and other items, workforce readiness, and long-term support.

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

The third award winner, Sol Graham, founded the biotech company Quality Biological Inc., and has been a role model for minority business leaders. Graham and his wife, Dorothy, have established scholarships at Montgomery College to assist students studying business, science and technology.

A volunteer effort At a recent picnic, dozens of members of a chapter of CASSA called “Golden Sunset” gathered in a local park to socialize under a red and gold banner with its Chinese characters.

“Even though the sun is setting [in the group’s name], it is still a powerful symbol to the Chinese,” said Vincent Tung, 69, who volunteers with CASSA as a translator. “It’s a positive image.”

And Hsueh has been a very positive in-

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“We are so grateful for the care you gave to my husband while he was at your facility. We especially would like to thank all the nurses and aides who helped care for him. They were all wonderful and couldn’t do enough for him.

Thank you all!”

fluence herself, he said. “If it weren’t for her, older seniors would be hibernating in their homes. They are now more healthy and engaged, both physically and mentally. She has done so much. I wish I had her energy.”

Ching Wang, the president of Golden Sunset, said he appreciates the efforts of the volunteers. In all, 250 people volunteer with the CASSA groups. “We are all volunteers. It’s very egalitarian,” he said.

The all-volunteer component is purposeful and not just a way to keep CASSA affordable, Hsueh said. “In China, they may have been professors or big shots in the government. But because of the language difficulties, they can’t do any of it here. It doesn’t mean they lack knowledge or experience.

“But [if] you put them in an environment where they can communicate, they volunteer. They may have organizational skills or managed people before. Volunteering for them is a win-win. They feel they are needed. They are not just feeling useless.”

Hsueh herself is using some of the skills she honed working in computer technology at Geico, where she was the company’s first Asian female manager. She followed that stint with a long career at IBM, as a senior manager in IT systems engineering.

During that time, she raised her two daughters, and now has four grandchildren.

In addition to CASSA, Hsueh participates in a wide range of other volunteer work. She is lobbying to have the county’s Ride On bus service offer their free rides to seniors starting at an earlier time, in part so CASSA participants can get to the centers in time to order lunch and participate in all programs.

She also serves on an advisory roundtable assisting Montgomery County Council Chair Roger Berliner, co-chairs the civic involvement committee for Age Friendly Montgomery, and is a lay leader with the Jewish Council for the Aging. She formerly served on the county’s Commission on Aging.

This month, she is starting a weekly group called Let’s Share, open to seniors of any nationality. It will include seminars on a wide range of topics, from health to travel, followed by fun social activities, including karaoke. She hopes members will step up to present some of the seminars themselves to help improve their public speaking skills.

As if all this weren’t enough, building on the success of CASSA, Hsueh recently began a similar type of program for older immigrants from India.

With such a full schedule, it would seem Hsueh barely has time to catch her breath between activities. In what spare time she has, she likes to stay active with tai chi, Chinese dance and line dancing.

Staying busy is a way of life for Hsueh.

“It keeps me young,” she said.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Health Studies Page

25

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Studying drugs for persistent depression

By Barbara Ruben While many people find the fog of depression lifts after taking anti-depressant medications and/or talking with a therapist, some are unable to find relief, even after trying several different drugs. This is called treatment-resistant depression.

Now, researchers at CBH Health in Rockville, Md., are studying two drugs that might work quickly to ease depression.

One drug, called esketamine, is being studied at more than 200 sites around the U.S. and 19 other countries. Esketamine is a form of ketamine, which in addition to being an anesthetic is also more infamous as a daterape and street drug. But in small doses, it may work to treat severe depression rather than causing hallucinations or sleep.

Works quickly In previous studies, ketamine has been shown to have a greater than 70 percent success rate, and it can improve symptoms within hours. In contrast, it often takes weeks for anti-depressant drugs to work, according to Dr. Robert E. Litman, CBH Health’s medical director.

“Some patients are using one or two

anti-depressants, but seeing less than 50 percent improvement in their symptoms.

So we often find these drugs a little wanting” said Littman. “Esketamine offers a new frontier in terms of a drug to help these people.”

The study is recruiting study volunteers with depression that has not been alleviated by at least one drug. Volunteers must be 18 or older.

During the study, participants will take esketamine (administered through a nasal spray) twice a week, gradually increasing the dose over four weeks. This is not a blind study, so there is no placebo, and all participants will know what they are taking.

There will be a follow-up phase for 24 weeks, during which time some participants may be offered treatment in another study if they are not getting symptom relief.

Another avenue for treatment The second study looks at the drug rapastinel as an addition to drugs patients are already taking for major depressive disorder. The drug works in the brain similarly to esketamine.

There are three arms to this study: Two

groups will take the drug at two different doses via weekly IV injections. The third group will have a placebo injected. Participants will not know which group they are in.

To qualify for the rapastinel study, participants must be between 18 and 65, and currently be experiencing a major depressive episode of at least eight weeks but not more than 18 months. They must have had

no more than a partial response to ongoing treatment.

Those in the rapastinel study cannot have a history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Compensation for time and travel is offered for volunteers in both studies.

For more information, or to see if you qualify, call CBH Health at (301) 251-4702.

BEACON BITS

May 9

TELEPHONE SUPPORT GROUP

Fairfax County’s free Family Caregiver Telephone Support Group meets by phone on Tuesday, May 9 from 7 to 8 p.m. Pre-registration is required. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and click on Telephone Caregiver Support Group or call (703) 324-5484, TTY 711.

May 6

ALZHEIMER’S CONFERENCE

Journey to Hope, a free conference for Alzheimer’s Family Care Partners at Sibley Hospital, will take place on Saturday, May 6 from 9 to 4 p.m. Guest speakers include Dr. Kostas Lyketsos, Dr. Steven Sabat, Karen Marshall J.D., and Loretta Veney, and there will also be resources and refreshments. The hospital is located at 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW, Washington, D.C.; the event will take place in conference rooms 1 and 2. Parking is free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, call 1-800560-0896.

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Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder?

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cbhhealth.com/mdd

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Combine good foods to get more benefit

By Matthew Kady, R.D. Some foods play really well together.

Food synergy occurs when components of different foods work together to maximize benefits. Think of it as 1 plus 1 equals 4 instead of 2; the total result is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Try these good-chemistry eats to watch your health grow exponentially.

Garlic and lemon Perhaps Italians were onto something by frequently pairing these two items. A 2016 study in the International Journal of

Preventive Medicine found that combining garlic and lemon juice can bring about a greater reduction in cholesterol and blood pressure compared to consuming either alone. It might be that compounds in lemon, such as citric acid, improve the ability of garlic to fortify heart health.

How to combine: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper as your daily vinaigrette.

Yogurt and salmon Avocado and carrots It’s a good idea to fatten up your salads.

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A 2014 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who consumed carrots with avocado absorbed 6.6 times more beta-carotene from the carrots than when no fat was consumed. The avocado also greatly increased the conversion of betacarotene in the body to vitamin A. How to combine: Top a spinach salad with shaved carrots, cubed avocado, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

FREE MOVIE AND SAFETY INFORMATION The Montgomery County Police Dept., in partnership with

ArcLight Cinemas Westfield Montgomery, show a free movie and present information on crime and safety trends impacting seniors on the first Wednesday of each month. The informal talk concentrates on awareness, prevention strategies and tips for safety, security and well-being. Learn how to protect yourself from crime,

Calcium plays a role in strengthening bones, but it needs vitamin D for a helping hand. Vitamin D improves calcium absorption from the gut.

Besides through sunshine and supplementation, you can add vitamin D to your diet with fatty fish, including wild salmon and sardines, UV-exposed mushrooms, eggs, and fortified foods like milk and orange juice.

How to combine: Stir together plain yogurt with curry powder and lime juice for a quick sauce to serve with salmon.

and then stay for a recent movie. The next presentation is on May 3 at 10 a.m. at ArcLight Cinemas Westfield Montgomery, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, Md. In June, the event takes place on June 7. For more information, call Officer Dana Stroman at (240) 773-6727.

Broccoli and radish The next time you’re serving a side of broccoli, don’t forget to add a fiery kick. Scientists at the University of Illinois showed that pairing broccoli with a spicy food that contains the enzyme myrosinase (found in

radishes, mustard greens, horseradish, wasabi, cabbage and broccoli sprouts) improves the absorption of sulforaphane, the anti-cancer compound present in broccoli.

How to combine: Steam broccoli florets and toss them with red radish or a handful of radish microgreens.

Kiwi and cereal If cereal is part of your morning routine, be sure to reach for the fuzzy fruit. A report in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that women who consumed an iron-fortified cereal with kiwi raised their iron levels more than those who paired the cereal with banana. Why? Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, which helps convert the plant form of iron into a more easily absorbed form.

The same rule applies to other iron-containing plant foods, like beans, spinach and oatmeal. Pairing them with vegetables and fruits — including red peppers, citrus and berries — boosts iron absorption.

How to combine: Top a bowl of wholegrain iron enhanced cereal with slices of kiwi and chopped almonds.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 1-800-8295384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2017 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

27

Simple salad with black beans and mango

By Melissa D’Arabian Canned beans are fantastic convenience food. For a little over a buck, you can stock your pantry with a shelf-stable protein source that works in main dishes or in side dishes.

You can even use cooked canned beans as an inexpensive way to stretch pricier proteins: Serve seared salmon on a bed of sauteed creamy white beans, and you’ll only need a few ounces of fish to make the meal feel hearty.

Boost the filling factor in pasta dishes by adding a cup of rinsed canned beans to your family’s recipes.

Or, let beans turn a ho-hum salad into a filling comfort dish. In this recipe, I pair black beans with fresh mango, and the result is spectacular, especially given how quickly this recipe comes together.

The hardest part about this salad is cutting the mango, navigating around its long, flat seed. You can easily purchase mango already cut in the packaged produce section, but you can save several dollars for about three minutes of work if you are willing.

To slice or cube a mango, first cut it lengthwise just a little off-center, parallel to the seed, removing two large “cheeks.”

Score (or slice) the mango flesh right in the cheek, leaving the skin intact, and then scoop out the recipe-ready cubes or slices with a spoon, scraping against the skin.

Slice the remaining mango flesh from the edges of the seed, and either cube or just eat them. (Because you deserve a little treat after all that slicing, right?)

Mango is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, and it makes the salad feel bright and tropical. I add yellow pepper and corn (straight from the freezer; it thaws quickly) to make it pretty.

Texture (and niacin!) comes from a light sprinkle of cashews and just a few smashed corn tortilla chips, which you can buy or make by roasting corn tortillas in the oven until crisp, about 15 minutes at 350 F. The tasty dressing is a result of a simple weeknight dressing hack: I add fresh lime juice and a little olive oil to prepared salsa.

I use shredded kale for this salad, but use any hearty dark green — you get more vitamins with the darker greens, and the bold flavors and textures in this salad need a green that can stand up to them.

Feel free to swap out the fruit or other ingredients to match what’s in your pantry

— as long as you have some kind of canned beans in the cupboard, you can make some version of this hearty and versatile salad work.

Black bean and mango salad Start to finish: 15 minutes Servings: 4

For the salad: 6 cups shredded kale, or other dark leafy greens

1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if canned 1 1/2 cup cubed fresh mango, about 1 large mango 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 cup chopped tomato, about 2 roma tomatoes 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/2 large avocado, cubed 2 green onions, chopped See RECIPE, page 28

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

DIY treatments for frizzy, dry or oily hair I lived in the bitter cold of Queens, New York and Somerset Massachusetts until I was 11 years old, then in hot and humid Ocala and Gainesville, Florida for 35 more. For the past six, I’ve been in the dry climate of Denver, Colorado.

My hair’s seen a lot. Yet, at 52, my hair is still thick and healthy. So I’ll share my DIY tips with you today.

(trust me, you don’t want to be picking out chunks of avocado from your hair).

The natural fat in avocado will help smooth your hair strands and make them shine.

You can thin the mashed avocado with a little water and work into hair. Then shampoo it out.

Olive oil The fats in olive oil can really luxe-up your locks. Have you ever given olive oil to a For dry or frizzy hair dog to soften up his fur? Well, DEAR Avocado it works for you, too!

PHARMACIST Use half of a ripe, buttery avUse about one-quarter of a

By Suzy Cohen ocado. For best results, blend cup on its own, or mixed with it in a blender or mash it really other ingredients, for a beautiful well, so it is super creamy and smooth sheen. It’s so softening that this tip will make

people want to scratch behind your ears (kidding!). Work into hair then shampoo it out.

For oily or flat hair Apple cider vinegar Ok, it doesn’t smell great. But apple cider vinegar clears away excess oil and may help dandruff.

Put two tablespoons in a spray bottle with 4 ounces of water, and spray onto your hair until damp. Shampoo (and/or condition) your hair like normal.

Corn starch This fine white powder is a DIY dry shampoo. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your hair, mix through, and let sit for 10 minutes. Then brush it out.

The cornstarch will absorb excess oil and give you that instant shampooed look.

This is nice if you’re tired, have had recent surgery, or you’re disabled.

You can buy commercial brands of “dry shampoo,” but they sometimes contain weird chemicals.

For balanced normal hair Eggs I prefer my eggs scrambled or as egg salad to be honest, but if you can get past

Recipe From page 27 1/4 cup cashews, chopped 8 baked corn chips, lightly crushed chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish

For the dressing: 1/4 cup prepared tomato (or tomatillo) salsa 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt

the ick factor, the rich, fatty egg yolks moisturize and lend natural protein to your hair.

Apply one or two lightly beaten eggs to your hair. You can also try just the yolks, or just whites if you want to experiment.

Then shampoo as normal.

Beer Yes, beer! Before using, you want to let it sit out in an open glass for an hour or so to eliminate the bubbles, so it doesn’t foam all over the place. (Hide it so your hubby doesn’t walk by and have himself a Bud. I don’t have to worry about that because my husband hates beer.)

The protein in beer adds structure to your hair, meaning it’s a DIY hair volumizer.

Closing confession: I’m a little too attached to my bottle of “It’s a 10 Miracle” conditioner and a flat iron straightener.

For a much longer version of this article, visit 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 the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

1/4 teaspoon black pepper Lay the greens on a platter or individual plates. Place on top of the greens: beans, mango, corn, tomato, bell pepper and avocado. Sprinkle on the green onions, cashews, crushed corn chips and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour on the salad. Serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 296 calories; 114 calories from fat; 13 g. fat (2 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 0 mg. cholesterol; 393 mg. sodium; 42 g. carbohydrate; 11 g. fiber; 13 g. sugar; 9 g. protein.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

29

How to get concerned family to back off Dear Solutions: Finally, express your appreciation for his I’m a very active senior and, luckily, caring, and say that when “old” arrives for fairly healthy. Recently, I had you, you hope he’ll still be there a bad fall. But I’m okay now. with his concern and his help.

However, since then, my OK — now get up and go! son has started to treat me Dear Solutions: like I’m an invalid. He’s When my husband gets constantly warning me that angry about something, he I should cut down on my starts shouting. Then, if I activities because I’m want him to hear what I growing old. I don’t intend have to say, I start to shout to do any such thing, but I as well. don’t want to alienate him The other day we went SOLUTIONS by arguing either. through this and then, when He says this advice is for By Helen Oxenberg, I went outside, my neighbor my sake, but also I should MSW, ACSW looked at me strangely. Of consider him because if course, she could hear every anything serious happens to me, he’ll word. I’m embarrassed. have to take care of me. Thus, I My husband and I are a good match should just do things slowly. in other ways except the arguing deHow do I get him to stop bugging partment. How can we do this better? me without making him angry?

— Embarrassed — A Dear Embarrassed: Dear A: You’re a good match in the arguing deTell him you’re taking his advice, so the partment also — you’re a shouting match! most important thing you’re going to do Do just the opposite. Instead of shouting slowly is to grow old! louder, talk softer and softer. He’ll have to Add that you hope he’ll understand that be quiet to hear you, and he’ll probably slow-to-move is fast-to-age! Suggest that he start talking more quietly himself. read literature on aging that emphasizes When arguing, talk only in the first peraging well requires physical activity and son. Speak about you, not about him. Say well as a good attitude. what you feel and how things affect you,

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without excusing or accusing. Your husband will have to listen harder — and so will your neighbor!

Dear Solutions: I’m embarrassed and don’t know what to tell relatives and friends. My grandson, who’s only 26, got married in a big wedding six months ago because the bride wanted a big affair.

Nobody knew the bride was pregnant. Now the baby was just born, and some people are asking if the baby came early. What do I say?

— Grandma Dear Grandma: Just smile and say the baby didn’t come early, the wedding came late! Be happy that at least there was a wedding.

You’re probably a young grandma. Celebrate. Congratulations for a healthy grandbaby. Concentrate on that.

Dear Solutions: I’ve been married for six months now, and there’s something that annoys me, even though it might sound petty.

We’ve both been widowed, but I didn’t bring much of anything from my former marriage. I gave most of everything to

my daughters.

My wife, though, has what she calls “very expensive, lovely” towels from her other marriage. They had never even been used, but they’re all initialed with her former married initials.

They’re now hanging on the bars in our bathroom, and I feel uncomfortable with them there. She says it’s silly of me, and it’s just a waste of money not to use them.

Am I being petty?

— Tom Dear Tom: Those towels are hanging out at the wrong bars. Round them up and kick them out.

First, though, go out and buy replacements. Get the same quality and same color “lovely” towels and have them initialed with your and your wife’s initials.

After that, you can stop discussing it, and wipe your hands of the whole problem. © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXVIII, ISSUE 5

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging Happy Older American’s Month!

We at the D.C. Office on Aging are proud to celebrate how our older residents are redefining aging every day. You’re proving that aging does not mean getting old; it means living your best life every day! Take a look at our community calendar for Older American’s Month celebrations happening throughout the District.

Last month, I had the pleasure to present Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year 2018 budget, “DC Values in Action, a Roadmap to Inclusive Prosperity,” and the investments made to support seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers. To view the full testimony, visit: www.dcoa.dc.gov.

With an increase of nearly 11 percent over this fiscal year, DCOA’s proposed budget will enable the agency to continue to combat isolation, promote wellness, support aging in place, invest wisely and listen to the community. These are our D.C. values, and I’m proud to say that the Mayor’s budget exemplifies these values in action.

Combating Isolation: The FY 18 budget will ensure seniors and people with disabilities most at risk of isolation have access to social, health, and wellness activities with an additional $459,000 invested to expand transportation services to Senior Wellness Centers. The budget will also enable us to continue to host events to celebrate District seniors, including the Centenarian Salute, Ms. Senior D.C., the Senior Symposium and the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Celebration.

Promoting Wellness: Thanks to the Mayor’s $350,000 investment toward senior wellness, we will be

supporting additional senior activities in Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) sites through the Senior Fit & Well program. We will also be piloting a Virtual Senior Wellness Center in wards that do not currently house brick-and-mortar sites. We are looking forward to working with our community partners, advocates and providers to develop this model, and hope to expand it in all eight wards after learning what works.

Supporting Aging in Place: We will continue the successful Safe at Home program with $3 million allocated in our baseline budget.

Through this program, we are serving nearly 600 residents, installing preventative adaptations such as bathtub cuts, chair lifts and furniture risers, enabling them to continue living safely in their own homes as they age. In addition, $300,000 will be committed to senior villages.

We will be looking for input from the community on how we can best support the senior village model as an effective and sustainable community-driven solution for aging in place.

Investing Wisely: We will continue to make smart spending decisions and ensure that our local dollars are invested effectively, our programs are meeting the changing needs of our community, and that we are accountable and transparent with our funds. This means that when we make decisions, no matter how small, our decisions are driven by the answer to one question: What’s best for the community we serve?

Listening: Our most important See DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE, page 31

May 2017

Community Calendar May events 4th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Washington Senior Wellness Center presents the East of the River Older Americans Health and Safety Fair. The center is located at 3001 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information, call Alice A. Thompson at 202-535-1321.

4th, 18th and 25th • 10:30 a.m. to noon There will be a diabetes self-management workshop at the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2900 Newton St. NE. For more information, call Tinya Lacey, community planner/outreach coordinator, at 202-529-8701 8th, 15th and 22nd • noon Make an appointment to meet with Bruce Rathbun of AARP Legal Services for Older Adults at the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2900 Newton St. NE. For more information, call Tinya Lacey, community planner/outreach coordinator, at 202-529-8701.

10th • 7 to 9 p.m.

The D.C. Office on Aging will provide information on its resources and services at the Human Rights Campaign Equality Center, 1460 Rhode Island Ave. NW. For more information, call Alice A. Thompson at 202-535-1321.

11th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy a “Community Senior Day Out” at North Michigan Park, 1333 Emerson St. NE. The event is free for Ward 5 residents age 60 and older. For more information, call Tinya Lacey, community planner/outreach coordinator, at 202-529-8701.

11th • 10:30 a.m.

Visit the Amish Market on Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro, Md., with the congregate meal program of the Washington Senior Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE. To learn more, call 202-581-9355 12th • 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The 5th Annual CPDC and Emmaus Aging in Community Health and Wellness Fair will be held at the R.I.S.E. Demon-

stration Center, 2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. It is supported by the D.C. Office on Aging. To learn more, contact Dr. Katrina Polk at 202-885-9575.

18th • 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The D.C. Office on Aging will support the first annual Robert L. Walker House Older Americans Month “Age Out Loud” celebration. It will be held at 2201 Savannah St. SE. For more information, call Alice A. Thompson at 202-535-1321.

18th • 5 to 9 p.m.

Take a whirl around the dance floor at the annual Ward 7 Prom for Seniors.

This year’s theme is “Sparkling Night — the Roaring ‘20s.” There will be dinner, dancing and a special guest. The event is held in celebration of Older Americans Month by the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative. Music will be played by WPFW DJ Nate D. Skate.

For more information, call Robin Gantt at 202-534-4880, ext. 110 or Chicquita Bryant, at ext. 125.

19th • 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Terrific, Inc. holds its Older Americans Month celebration with the theme “Age Out Loud.” It will be at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, 4606 16th St. NW. For more information, call Alice A. Thompson at 202-535-1321.

20th • 1 to 3:30 p.m.

The Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church will hold its First Annual Resource Fair, sponsored by D.C. Office on Aging. The fair will be at 3630 Quesda St. NW. Contact Pat Kavanaugh at 202449-3987 to learn more.

26th • 2 to 3:45 p.m.

Chevy Chase House presents its First Annual Resource Fair at 5420 Connecticut Ave. NW. Learn more by calling Morgan or Vicki at 202-686-5504 31st • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center holds its Older Americans Month celebration with the theme “Age Out Loud.” It will be at 1901 Evarts St. NE. For more information, call Alice A. Thompson at 202-535-1321.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

D.C. OFFICE

ON

31

AGING NEWSLETTER

May is Older Americans Month Each May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). ACL designed the 2017 OAM theme, Age Out Loud, to give aging a new voice — one that reflects what today’s older adults have to say.

This theme shines a light on many important trends. More than ever before, older Americans are

working longer, trying new things and engaging in their communities. They’re taking charge, striving for wellness, focusing on independence, and advocating for themselves and others.

What it means to age has changed, and OAM 2017 is a perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate what getting older looks like today.

Happy Older Americans Month!

DC older adults are “Aging Out Loud!” They are advocating for themselves and making their voices heard, volunteering in their communities, performing for their peers and others in the community, and making a difference overall.

Director’s message From page 30

value is listening to the community — not just when decisions need to be made, but every day. How else can we answer the question of what’s best for the community we serve, if we don’t listen? We need seniors and people with disabilities to drive the conversation on what it means to age well in this city. And we

need to be adaptable and open to change, when necessary. We will continue advocating on behalf of our community, working closely with our sister agencies to ensure that your voices are amplified and your needs are appropriately addressed.

These are our D.C. values, and these are the values that make D.C. the best city in the world to age! We’re proud of the work we’ve done, and we’re especially proud of what we can accomplish together with these shared values.

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 www.dcoa.dc.gov Executive Director Laura Newland Editor Darlene Nowlin Photographer Selma Dillard

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Join in the Brain Games The DC Brain Games is a citywide trivia competition — inspired

by Tennessee’s Senior Brain Games — to promote brain health and aging. The Games will commence in May in honor of Older Americans Month, and continue through June, which is Alzheimer’s and Brain

Health Awareness Month.

If you would like to sign up to be on a team, or if you would like to register your team of three to four people to participate in the Brain Games competition, contact your Lead Agency or Senior Wellness Center director.

32

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

MANDATORY DISTRIBUTIONS Understand the complex rules for required minimum IRA distributions

Money Law &

RETIREMENT AUTO PILOT Online advisory services can help with retirement spend-down plans HELPING ELDERS AVOID SCAMS How you can help protect loved ones from fraud and bad money decisions ADVICE FOR COUPLES Social Security, pension and investment decisions affect surviving spouses

Why pay retail? Bills you can negotiate

By Liz Weston The word “bills” used to be synonymous with “fixed expenses.” But there’s nothing fixed about many of the bills a typical household pays today.

Some bills have introductory rates that expire, shooting monthly costs skyward.

Others offer secret discounts or upgrades to those in the know.

Providers constantly tweak their plans and pricing, which means long-term customers can overpay by hundreds of dollars a year.

“It’s like airline seating pricing,” said Steven McKean, founder and CEO of BillShark, a bill negotiating service based in Boston. “I wouldn’t say (people) are overcharged, but I would just say that the pricing is very opaque.”

BillShark calculates Americans could save $50 billion a year by haggling over their bills for cell phone service, home security, internet and pay television.

BillShark, like its competitors BillFixers of Nashville, Tennessee, and BillCutterz of Corpus Christi, Texas, offers to negotiate for consumers in exchange for 40 to 50 percent of the savings.

The savings can total hundreds or even thousands of dollars. McKean said his negotiators cut bills by an average of $320 each — with annual savings ranging from $250 for home security, to $300 for TV, phone and Internet bundles, to $360 for cell phone bills.

Check for better phone plans Some of the biggest savings right now

can be found in cell phone plans as a price war roils the industry, said BillFixers founder Ben Kurland.

“A lot of the cell phone providers have introduced multiple plans just this year,” he said. “If you have a cell plan that’s more than six months old, you may not be on the most efficient plan for you anymore.”

In addition to cell phone plans, bill negotiators say the following services often have plenty of room for negotiation: • Pay television (cable or satellite) • Landline phones • Internet • Alarm systems • Storage units • Satellite radio • Bottled water delivery • Gym memberships What these bills have in common is competition: In most areas, there’s another provider that you can hire. You also can opt out, at least theoretically. (It’s typically much harder to tell your electric company that you can do without lights.)

Most BillShark customers would rather stick with the service they have than deal with the sometimes considerable hassles of changing providers, McKean said.

“They don’t want to rip out their DVR, and they don’t want new equipment, and

they don’t want to sit around (waiting to) set up all this stuff,” he said. “They just want a lower price.”

Sometimes a competitor’s deals are so much better that it’s worth the switch, he said.

That’s particularly true for cell phone providers, who are paying customers’ early termination fees and offering other bounties to switch.

“They’re all desperate to steal each other’s clients,” Kurland said. “Switching providers a lot of times just comes with an instant payoff, and then over the long term, as long as you switch smart, you’ll find that you can save money month after month.”

Long-term customers may be overpaying by hundreds of dollars a year.

Steps to getting lower bills Knowing you have that kind of leverage can help you negotiate better deals. Here are the steps: • Gather competitors’ offers. These may be touted on the providers’ websites, or you may have to call and ask what the best deals are for new customers. Make sure you nail down the details — such as the speed of the internet service and which television channels are included, for example.

• Call your provider. Let the telephone representative know, right away, that you’re thinking of switching to a competitor or canceling the service if you can’t

get a better deal. That typically means you’ll be transferred to the customer retention department, which often has more leeway to adjust your bill. Keep an open mind as you talk; there are many ways to cut the cost of cable, for example, not just negotiating the price.

• Tell them what you know. Companies have caught on to empty threats to cancel, Kurland said. “But if you call up and you say, ‘Hey, this is the other provider on my street, and this is the new price that they’re offering. I know that your new customer pricing is even lower than that. Why don’t we strike a deal?’, then you’re talking their language,” Kurland said.

• Don’t accept the first offer. If “Can’t you do any better than that?” doesn’t produce a deeper discount, tell them you’ll sleep on it. That may produce another price break, or you may get a different agent the next day who’s more eager to deal.

• Get clear on expiration dates. Any discounts you negotiate may expire in a few months. To help you keep getting the best deals, enter the expiration dates on your calendar with a reminder to restart negotiations before your bill jumps up again.

• Think bigger. Monthly bills such as mortgages and car insurance aren’t negotiable in the same way, but you can and should revisit those rates at least annually.

The savings could be bigger than all your smaller bills put together.

— Nerdwallet via AP

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33

How to find financial advice you can trust

By Anya Kamenetz The Department of Labor recently announced it will postpone putting the “fiduciary rule” into effect. And the Trump administration has signaled it wants to get rid of it altogether.

The fiduciary rule stipulates that financial professionals who advise you on your retirement accounts must put your financial interests ahead of their own. Without the rule — and as things currently stand — they could push certain products ahead of others (whether or not they are the best fit for you) because they earn a higher commission, for example.

Of course, even without the rule in place, it’s still possible to get good, unbiased and customized financial advice. But in most cases you’re going to have to pay for it.

One option: Do it yourself Don’t overlook the possibility of managing your own affairs. The happy truth is that some of the simplest and cheapest approaches to investing tend to have the best performance over time. I’m talking about buying low-cost index funds, keeping a regular savings habit, paying down debt, and avoiding lots of transactions.

You don’t need complicated investment vehicles or hot stock tips to do well in retirement. The big advantage to managing your own money is that you will have a better idea of what’s going on. And, in the end, no one has your interests closer to heart than you do.

Another: a fee-only adviser But everyone runs into occasional situations where they need more detailed help from a human being. Especially with the complicated financial lives people are leading today. In those cases, a fee-only financial plan-

ner or adviser is what you are looking for.

“Fee-only” is different from “fee-based.”

[Fee-based advisors may charge some direct fees, perhaps a fixed percentage of the assets they manage, but are also compensated through commissions they earn on purchases and sales they make on their clients’ behalf. To the extent fees are based on commissions, this could lead some advisors to buy and sell more frequently, or to select certain high-commission products, in order to earn more money.]

In contrast, fee-only advisers earn their income solely by charging their clients, and pledge voluntarily to follow a version of the fiduciary rule and always to act in their clients’ best interests. This is exactly the rule that the Department of Labor is seeking to throw out.

Fee-only planners don’t have to be expensive. Some advisers will accept a small monthly or annual retainer. It could be as low as $100 a month.

Others work on an hourly or project basis.

This might make sense if you are facing a life transition. Say one partner in a couple wants to start staying home with the kids. Or there is a divorce or retirement on the horizon.

You want someone — ideally, a certified financial planner or CFP — with many good references from satisfied customers.

You can see if anyone has an official complaint filed against them by looking on the Securities and Exchange Commission website at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/ IAPD/Default.aspx.

There are several networks of fee-only advisers, such as the Garrett Planning Network, the XY Planning Network (which lists advisers who specialize in younger clients), the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

Consider a “robot” You might want to look into a hybrid of the going it alone and hiring an adviser.

Services like Wealthfront and Betterment are known as “robo advisers,” and they’re getting more and more popular. They use software to accomplish some of the basics of low-cost retirement portfolio management.

This includes tax loss harvesting (selling securities that have gone down in price, to offset taxable capital gains earned elsewhere in the portfolio) and rebalancing (noticing when one category in your portfolio, such as international stocks, has

changed in value, and automatically reallocating your money elsewhere to maintain your desired diversification). They charge a small fee to do this stuff automatically.

For a larger but still modest fee, services including Betterment and Personal Capital offer access to a financial adviser as well, usually over email and video chat.

These are money managers, so they’re not pushing particular products.

Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2017 Anya Kamenetz Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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May 16

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Complex rules for mandatory distributions Investors know that there are many advantages to IRAs and other retirement plans. However, owners of these accounts and their beneficiaries don’t always follow the complex IRS regulations associated with them, and the penalties can be significant.

This is especially true of required minimum distributions (RMDs). According to Ed Slott, an expert in this field, the following errors are common, and expensive, but can easily be avoided if you know the regulations.

Initial due dates for RMDs: The required beginning date for RMDs of IRAs is generally April 1 of the year after you turn 70 1/2; after that, RMDs are due by the end of the year.

For inherited IRAs, RMDs must generally begin during the year of death of the account’s original owner and be taken by the end of each future year.

There is a 50 percent penalty for any required distribution amount not taken.

However, the IRS will usually waive the penalty for a good cause — such as health problems or mistakes by a financial institution. In this case, you must pay the amount due, and file IRS Form 5329 to request that the penalty be waived.

Multiple accounts subject to RMDs: If you have multiple IRAs, the RMD for each must be calculated separately, but the total RMD can be paid from any one IRA or combination of IRAs. However, if you own

a retirement account from a company plan, tion of taking this distribution the following RMDs can be taken from that plan only. year by April 1. After the first distribution Exceptions for company year, all RMDs must be taken retirement plans: If you still by the end of the calendar year. work for a company that ofThis means if you do postfers a 401(k), if you don’t own pone your first distribution to more than 5 percent of the the next year, you have two company, you can delay the mandatory distributions that RMD to April 1 the year after year. The second distribution you stop working for the comis based on the balance as of pany. However, you are still December 31 of the year you required to take RMDs from turned 70 1/2.

IRAs that are independent of Inherited IRAs: If you inTHE SAVINGS your company’s plan. herited an IRA in 2016, the Year-of-death RMDs: GAME first RMD will be due by the By Elliot Raphaelson RMDs must be taken out in end of 2017. If there is more the year an individual dies. than one beneficiary, then, in Many advisers and accountants are not order to maximize the stretch IRA for each aware that year-of-death RMDs are not re- beneficiary, the inherited IRA must be split ported on decedents’ final tax returns or into separate, properly-titled inherited IRAs estate income tax returns. for each beneficiary by the end of the year.

Beneficiaries are responsible for reportDirect transfers must be used for noning the income on their own tax returns. A spouse beneficiaries. Each titled, inherited beneficiary reports the amount the dece- IRA should contain the name of the dedent would have taken if he/she had lived. ceased IRA owner. The account should be The next year, the beneficiary calculates titled as a beneficiary IRA. Only a spouse the required distribution based on his or beneficiary can use a rollover. her life expectancy.

Taking distributions early: Some indiFirst-year RMDs: When you take your viduals younger than 59 1/2 file for what’s first distribution, base your calculation using known as a 72(t) payment schedule, which the balance as of December 31 of the year See RMDs, page 36 before you turned 70 1/2. You have the op-

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35

Retirees, automate your spend-down plan

By Eleanor Laise It’s one of the thorniest questions retirees face: How much can you safely spend each year? And once you’ve figured that out, which accounts should you tap first, how do you minimize taxes, and how do you keep your remaining portfolio in balance?

A new generation of online advisory services promises to help retirees answer these questions and, in some cases, manage the whole drawdown process. Like existing “robo advisers,” these services rely on software to generate automated advice.

Some also offer access to human advisers.

But unlike most established robo advisers, the services are aimed squarely at retirees.

Although there’s plenty of retirementplanning advice available online, most of it focuses on how to accumulate a nest egg, not spend it down. And the drawdown advice that is available often makes simplistic assumptions, such as expecting that your spending will remain constant each year in retirement.

Strategy offers one-year access to the software, a personalized drawdown strategy report, a recommended Social Security claiming strategy and up to two hours with a financial professional for $500.

Early this year, Income Strategy began offering two new services, said William Meyer, managing principal. For retirees who want to manage their own money, the firm will offer not only access to the software, but also specific trade recommendations to help draw down assets efficiently.

The fee will be about $20 a month.

For retirees who want professional money management, Income Strategy will build a portfolio of exchange-traded funds and manage the whole drawdown process — sending cash to the client and rebalancing the portfolio. The annual fee for this service will be about 0.5 percent of assets under management, Meyer said.

Other options True Link, a robo adviser for retirees, launched late last year and helps implement a “bucket” strategy, with specific assets set aside for each year of retirement.

Money you need this year might be held in money-market or high-interest checking accounts, while money you need five years from now can go into defined-maturity bond funds maturing in five years, according to Kai Stinchcombe, chief executive officer of True Link. Underlying investments include ETFs and bond ladders, and the fee is 0.87 percent annually.

The site also offers a free tool that recommends a monthly withdrawal amount and asset-allocation plan based on a user’s age, gender and portfolio size.

United Income, which will become publicly available in mid-2017, aims to offer highly personalized drawdown plans. Unit-

ed Income will help retirees build portfolios of bond ladders, deferred annuities and other investments; tell them which accounts to tap first; and send them a regular retirement paycheck.

Instead of assuming spending will remain constant throughout retirement, the service will create a personalized spending forecast based on your gender, education level and other demographic information.

Women, for example, “tend to look a lot more frugal relative to men,” said Matt Fellowes, chief executive officer and founder of financial-advice firm Hello-Wallet.

United Income will also rely on demographic data, along with personal health information, to generate personalized lifespan estimates. Fees are not yet disclosed. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

— A Kensington Park 2017 Speaker Presentation —

Tailored to your goals The new online services take a more sophisticated approach, aiming to design drawdown strategies tailored to a retiree’s personal goals, life expectancy and spending needs.

They can help coordinate the many sources of income a typical retiree receives — including Social Security, investment income and required minimum distributions — to form a tax-efficient drawdown plan.

In many cases, you can take advantage of these services while keeping your money in your current investments. On the down side, the services tend to be pricier than the existing robo advisers, which often charge 0.25 percent of assets or less.

The firms say their fees are justified by the more complex services they deliver.

The Income Strategy software aims to make retirees’ assets last as long as possible by coordinating spending plans with Social Security, taxes, Roth IRA conversions and other factors. Currently, Income

BEACON BITS

May 17

LEGAL INFO FOR CAREGIVERS

Fairfax County presents a discussion on the legal considerations for caregiving on Wednesday, May 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. The talk will cover the legal needs caregivers handle, such as powers of attorney, wills and estates, guardian-

Navigating the Medicare Maze with Leta Blank, Program Coordinator for the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) and the Senior Medical Patrol Program (SMP) Thursday, June 1, 2017 • 2:00pm-5:00pm at the Woman’s Club of Bethesda, 5500 Sonoma Road, Bethesda, MD Industry expert Leta Blank will help navigate the alphabet of the Medicare maze to make sense of the plan and the process. If you have turned 64 and are approaching age 65, now is the time to start researching your health insurance options so you’ll be ready for Medicare when you become eligible. Medicare is complicated and often confusing. Learn how to better understand enrollment, insurance plan details, deadlines and choices for consideration.

Free admission • Limited seating • RSVP by May 22 by phone or email Call 301-946-7700 or email hflattery@kensingtonretirement.com

ships and trusts, and will take place at Insight Memory Care Center, located at 3953 Pender Dr., Ste. 100 in Fairfax, Va. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and click on “Register Now: Spring 2017 Caregiver Seminars.”

301-946-7700 3620 Littledale Rd, Kensington, MD 20895 • www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

When an elder needs financial oversight

By Liz Weston Our financial decision-making abilities peak in our 50s and can decline pretty rapidly after age 70, researchers tell us. That’s how otherwise smart older people fall for sweepstakes frauds, Nigerian investment schemes and the grandparent scam — where con artists pretend to be grandchildren in a financial jam.

But few people want to hear that they’re not as sharp as they used to be. Many won’t recognize the rising risk of losing hardearned life savings as they age, said financial literacy expert Lewis Mandell, author of What to Do When I Get Stupid: A Radically Safe Approach to a Difficult Financial Era. “As our ability to make sound financial decisions decreases with age, our self-con-

fidence in this area actually increases,” Mandell warned.

Adult children who want to protect their parents from fraud and bad financial decisions have to tread carefully, said Jessie Doll, wealth management adviser with TIAA in Fairfax, Va. Money may be a difficult subject, and parents may resent the interference or fear losing their independence.

It may help to frame the issue as one all of us will face if we live long enough. Talking about your own efforts to “futureproof” your finances can start the discussion of how they can defend their money against bad decisions and bad guys.

What you can do together • Draft powers of attorney. Two docu-

24th Annual Sylvia Blajwas Productive Aging Award Dinner Purchase your seat or sponsorship now to help local seniors thrive.

ments everyone needs, regardless of age: a power of attorney for health care decisions, and a power of attorney for financial decisions. This paperwork names the people we want to speak for us in case we become incapacitated. We should be having discussions with whomever we name about our wishes and our financial situation, Doll said.

“Talking about it is opening the door to making this less of a taboo discussion,” Doll said.

• Consolidate and simplify. One bank.

One brokerage firm. Two credit cards, one for daily purchases, and one for automatic bill payment. That’s the prescription for simplified, consolidated finances that will be easier to track as we age, said financial planner Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and director of financial planning at Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida.

McClanahan also recommends replacing individual stocks and bonds, which require constant monitoring, with a small number of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.

Having fewer accounts helps the fraud-sniffing software that banks and brokerages use to detect suspicious transactions, Doll said.

“If the assets are all over the place, it’s hard to establish a baseline so they can notice if something’s amiss,” she said.

HONORING

RMDs

Kitty Kelley

From page 34

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allows them to use a series of substantially equal payments for a five-year period in order to avoid the IRS 10 percent early distribution penalty.

These schedules must be followed precisely without exception, otherwise the 10 percent penalty applies for all payments taken prior to age 59 1/2. So it is important to follow the payment schedule precisely

What adult children can do • Stay in touch. Isolation is the fraudster’s best friend. Scam artists don’t want their victims to have a close circle of family and friends looking for signs of exploitation, said Sally Hurme, an elder-law attorney with AARP in Washington, D.C. Weekly calls to catch up, and regular visits can help loved ones spot red flags — like a pile of sweepstakes offers, or the investment salesman who’s getting too friendly.

• Keep up to date on the latest scams.

Criminals are endlessly creative. Some places to learn about their ever-evolving schemes include StopFraud.gov, AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, and the IRS, which offers consumers alerts and an annual list of the “Dirty Dozen” top tax-related scams.

Discussing news reports about frauds, such as telephone imposters pretending to be IRS agents or Microsoft tech support, can help you keep relatives informed.

What parents can do • Get more eyes on your money. Financial institutions likely offer text or email alerts to notify you of unusual activity, and so do sites that provide regular See FINANCIAL ADVICE, page 37

to avoid the penalty.

IRS regulations are precise regarding IRAs and RMDs. Penalties are expensive.

Make sure you and your beneficiaries are well-informed. Ed Slott’s books will be helpful. A good one is The Retirement Savings Time Bomb ... and How to Defuse It (Penguin Books).

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2017 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 7

Medicare costs less for some than others

By Jim Miller Q: I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get my head around the Medicare Part B premium. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read that the basic premium is supposed to be $134 for 2017, but that most seniors will pay $109 a month, and some will pay more than $400. Can you clear things up?

A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll try. The 2017 premium is officially $134, but about 70 percent of beneficiaries (those receiving Social Security benefits in December and not subject to high-income surcharges) will pay much less, averaging about $109. The law forbids passing along an increase in Part B premiums that would reduce January 2017 benefits below the amount received by a beneficiary in December 2016.

This means that different people will pay different premiums: last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $104.90 plus the amount that 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 0.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment adds to their Social Security benefit. The rising premium offsets the COLA, but it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reduce the benefit below Decemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level.

Those who do not start receiving benefits until sometime in 2017 will pay at least $134 a month, because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not protected by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;benefits canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go downâ&#x20AC;? rule.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pay more if their income is high enough to trigger a surcharge. Those surcharges can drive 2017 premiums as high

as $428.60 a month. Beneficiaries will get a notice from Social Security pinpointing what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll pay.

Q: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll retire in April, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure my income for 2017 will fall below the level that triggers the high-income surcharge for Medicare.

But if the government sets the premium based on my 2015 tax return, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to pay almost $350 a month. Am I stuck with the surcharge until Medicare gets my 2017 tax return showing lower income?

A: No. Because retirement is considered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;life changingâ&#x20AC;? event, you can appeal to have your estimated 2017 income used to set the premium.

The basic premium for Medicare Part B for someone who signs up this year is $134 a month. The surcharges, which start when adjusted gross income plus tax-free interest exceeds $85,000 for single filers and $170,000 for joint filers, can drive that monthly cost as high as $428.60.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to file Form SSA-44 with Social Security to avoid or limit a surcharge.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard that the most efficient way to handle this is to call Social Security (1-800772-1213) to set up a face-to-face meeting at a local office.

Financial advice

countant, permission to contact your wingman if they suspect youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re suffering serious cognitive decline.

Finally, plan with your family about what to do if you show signs of diminished capacity but you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know you are impaired, Rosenblatt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Set the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;trigger pointsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for having your successor take over your finances, and what they can do if you resist because you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fine, but no one else does,â&#x20AC;?

Rosenblatt said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know they are impaired resist giving up financial control, and this is very dangerous.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nerdwallet via AP

From page 36 looks at free credit reports.

Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re over 65, consider setting these up so that your â&#x20AC;&#x153;wingmanâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the person you want to make financial decisions for you â&#x20AC;&#x201D; gets them as well. It may also be smart to run any investment youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering past your appointed person, said elder-law attorney Carolyn Rosenblatt, author of The Family Guide to Aging Parents: Answers to Your Legal, Financial, and Healthcare Questions.

Give your doctors and any financial professionals, such as your adviser or ac-

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M AY 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

39

Spouse’s death affects retirement planning

By Craig Hammer Investing, in general, involves risk.

Some of the risks most often discussed are market risk, inflation risk and reinvestment risk. These risks, and others, are present both before and after retirement.

However, one under-discussed risk in retirement income planning is the death of a spouse. The death of a spouse can have a substantial impact on the surviving spouse’s retirement lifestyle. In many cases, it results in a decrease in income for the surviving spouse.

Careful planning can help lessen the impact of an untimely death. Here are three things to consider:

Social Security choices Determining when to start taking Social Security benefits is an important retirement decision, and the ramifications of that decision can stretch beyond the beneficiary’s lifetime.

Why: Starting your Social Security ben-

Medicare cost From page 37 If you wind up paying the surcharge for a month or two before your appeal is approved, Social Security will reimburse you

efit before full retirement age may not be your best option because of the impact an early claiming strategy might have on a surviving spouse.

How: At the death of a spouse, the Social Security Administration will review the benefits that were available to both spouses and grant the surviving spouse the larger of the two benefits.

Effect: Claiming your Social Security benefit before your full retirement age will reduce your monthly benefit by at least 25 percent, and possibly as much as 35 percent, depending on your date of birth and when you start taking distributions. This is a permanent reduction, and so will affect what your spouse receives after you die.

Alternative: If your full retirement age is 66, you can increase your monthly benefit amount by 32 percent by not claiming your benefit until age 70. If your cash flow allows for you to delay claiming your Social Security benefit, the extra monthly income from the delayed credits could great-

for the overpayment.

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

ly benefit the surviving spouse.

Pension choices For those entitled to pension benefits, choosing the correct type of pension distribution is key to protecting your spouse after you’re gone.

Why: Many pension plans allow you to choose the type of distribution that is most suitable for your situation.

How: A life-only benefit would cease when the pension recipient dies. A survivorship option would pay a reduced benefit, for instance a 50 percent benefit, to the surviving spouse once the recipient dies. The difference between the two types of distribution is that the life-only option will usually pay a larger monthly benefit

than any type of survivorship option.

Alternative: One way to help offset the loss of income from either the Social Security benefit or the pension benefit due to the death of a spouse is with life insurance.

Under this scenario, a life insurance contract would be written on one or both spouses. Then at the death of the insured, the proceeds received from the life insurance company would be used to create an income stream to help offset the lost income.

Investment choices When one spouse dies, the other’s needs and goals inevitably change, and that can include the goals for their investSee DEATH OF SPOUSE, page 41

M O T H E R ’ S DA Y

Open House Friday, May 12th and Saturday, May 13th 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Please join Waltonwood Ashburn for a “Waltini” — our signature sparkling wine drink — Mimosas, and light Brunch.

Opening later this year, Waltonwood Ashburn will provide luxury senior living in Eastern Loudoun. Residents will enjoy a carefree lifestyle, social opportunities, upscale amenities, and personal care services when needed.

Top 1% of Agents Nationwide • Weichert Top Producer • Seniors Specialist Former Mont. County Teacher * Community Resident * 25+ Years Experience

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JUST SOLD! – “Berkley” Co-op Townhouse All-new everything from top to bottom – light fixtures, flrs, paint, appliances, cabinets & counters! $146,000

JUST LISTED! – The Overlook Hi-Rise “A” Luxury 1BR, 1.5BA, table-space kitchen w/ window, gorgeous view, garage space available. additional $25K. $148,000

JUST SOLD! – Turnberry Courts Hi-Rise “K” 2BR + den, 2FB, over 1,500sf, largest sunroom in community, pleasant view. $295,500

JUST LISTED! – Villa Cortese “F” with Garage Stylish 2BR + Den, 2FB, almost 1500 sf. Sep. DR, huge kitchen,garage parking! $349,000

JUST SOLD! – “Royal Aintree” Patio Home Renovated 2BR, 2FB, upscale kit & baths, two LRs, sunroom w/secluded view, 1-car garage! $370,000

UNDER CONTRACT! – The Greens “G” Model 2BR. 2FB, golf course view, table-space kitchen, garage & golf cart spaces! $198,000 UNDER CONTRACT! – Turnberry Courts “W” Model 2BR + den, 2FB, almost 1500 sf, golf course views, enclosed balcony, garage space. $375,000 UNDER CONTRACT! – Regency “Oak Hill” Model Stunningly updated 4BR, 3FB, two lvls, HWDs, 2-car gar, backs to treed area! $715,000

The Open House will be held at our Information Center: 44144 Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn, VA 20147

A gift awaits those who RSVP 571-982-6318

A SHBURN Independent Living, Assisted Living & Memory Care

CONTACT ME Call or email for your free Community Booklet.

Meet me by appointment at our Leisure World Plaza Office or the office inside the community.

www.facebook.com/waltonwoodseniorliving

www.Waltonwood.com | www.SinghJobs.com

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Finally... A scooter that loads itself in and out of your car.

Introducing the Quingo® Flyte - the powerful, portable mobility scooter that you never have to lift. Now featuring patented 5-Wheel Anti-Tip Technology.

It’s a sad fact. Many people who have mobility issues and could benefit from a scooter aren’t able to use them away from home. Struggling to get it into a car or loading it onto a bumper-mounted lift just isn’t worth the effort. Now, there’s a better scooter, the Quingo® Flyte. It’s easy to use, even for one person, and requires no more effort than closing a car’s tailgate. Clever design enables it to fit into SUV’s, mini-vans, crossovers and hatchbacks.

Only one scooter is this powerful and portable • Patented 5-Wheel Stability

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• No dismantling or lifting of heavy scooter parts.

• Fits most SUV’s, mini-vans, crossovers and hatchbacks.

• Large motor + up to 350 pound capacity.

• Extra long range with BIG scooter performance.

• Won’t bounce around in your car– locks in place.

“For the first time in years I’ve been able to go with my granddaughters to the mall. A crowd gathers every time I unload my scooter from my car!”

– Judi K, Exeter, CA This scooter provides 5-Wheel Anti-Tip Technology for stability, agility and comfort with its unique wheel configuration. The patented 5-wheel BumpmasterTM design by Quingo enables it to ride safely over a wide variety of surfaces. It uses 4 ultra slim powerful batteries providing a range of up to 23 miles on a single charge.

The best selling auto-loading scooter in Europe is now available in the US! Don’t wait to take advantage of this exciting new technology, call today to find out more.

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Quingo® Flyte can load and unload itself in less than 60 seconds using an innovative ramp and a simple remote. The built-in guide rails can be installed in minutes and safely direct your scooter to ground level.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

A payout for credit score customers

By Lisa Gerstner If you purchased a credit score from credit agencies Equifax or TransUnion, you may have a check coming your way.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently took aim at the companies for misrepresenting the scores they sold to customers as the same scores that lenders typically use to judge credit applicants.

The CFPB also charged the agencies with falsely advertising that customers could get scores and other credit-related products free or for $1. Customers were actually enrolling in subscription programs that charged $16 or more a month after the trial period.

Affected customers will be notified by mail with instructions on how to claim their share of the settlement. TransUnion must pay more than $13.9 million to about 700,000 customers, and Equifax is paying out almost $3.8 million to its eligible customers.

Truly free services exist Credit scores come in a multitude of

Death of spouse From page 39 ment accounts.

Why: Assets are a tool to be used to help accomplish a goal. When both partners are living, the goal of the investments may be modest growth to help offset inflation in the future, or it may be to preserve the assets for the next generation.

At the death of a spouse the goal of the investment assets, or a portion of the assets, may need to change to an income-focused strategy to help offset the loss of Social Security or pension benefits.

Effect: Failure to change the investment assets could result in a change of lifestyle for the surviving spouse, or it could lead to a more rapid depletion of the investments.

Caveat: Changing investment assets soon after the death of a loved one is not

models, and you’d be hard-pressed to pin down which version a potential lender might use before you apply for a loan.

But you don’t need to know the exact number a creditor will see to get an idea of where your credit stands. At CreditKarma.com, you can get free VantageScore credit scores from Equifax and TransUnion, and sign up for free alerts of significant changes to your TransUnion credit report.

At CreditScorecard.com or Freecreditscore.com, you can see a free FICO score based on data from credit agency Experian.

Your bank or credit card issuer may provide free credit scores to customers, too.

To avoid getting roped into a pricey subscription plan, be wary of submitting your credit card information in exchange for a free or low-priced product. You may be charged a higher recurring fee if you don’t cancel before the trial expires. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC recommended. The surviving spouse needs time to grieve, and time to adjust to a new life without their loved one before it is appropriate to discuss the new goals of the investment assets.

The loss of a spouse is a difficult and trying time. Proper retirement income planning can help alleviate some of the financial stress the surviving spouse may face.

Both partners in the marriage should be educated on the options available, and decide which options best fit their situation. Also, a candid discussion about the objective of the investment assets is essential in helping the surviving spouse make appropriate decisions.

Securities and investment advisory services offered through Geneos Wealth Management, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

BEACON BITS

May 20+

D.C. RENTERS’ RIGHTS

The D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate is offering several educational sessions on tenant rights. Renters 101 is designed to provide D.C. tenants with information on their rights and responsibilities. Topics include leases, security deposits, how to handle housing code problems, landlord disclosures required by law, reasonable notice by landlord to enter property, evictions, and quiet enjoyment. Sessions will take place on Saturday, May 20 at noon, Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m., Saturday, July 29 at noon, and Wednesday, Aug. 30 at p.m. All sessions will take place at the Reeves Center, 2000 14th St., NW in Suite 300N, in Washington, D.C. For more information, call (202) 719-6560 or email delores.anderson@dc.gov.

June 14

ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY

Montgomery County Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse Task Force presents the 7th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Wednesday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event features exhibitors, resources, safety classes and demonstrations at Rockville Senior Center, located at 1150 Carnation Dr., Rockville, Md. For more information, call (240) 314-8800.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Sunny Denver is a city known for its vibrant arts, Rocky Mountain views and beer. See story on page 45.

Cuba combines opposites in a time warp

A country of contradictions Cuba is beguiling. Cuba is stuck in the ‘50s. Cuba is stunning. Cuba is frustrating.

So go the opinions of many Americans who have visited the country.

Exploring this island nation is a classic “eye-of-the beholder” experience. The U.S.

Tour Operators Association labeled Cuba 2017’s hottest destination. Former President Barack Obama, Madonna, Mick Jagger and Pope Francis went to Cuba in recent years.

In 2016, so did a record 4 million tourists.

But tourism is restricted and regulated by the Cuban and U.S. governments. Because of the U.S. embargo, travel from here requires a U.S. Treasury Department license for one of 12 categories of authorized travel.

Hence, the easiest way to go to Cuba from the U.S. is with a licensed tour operator. They can conduct authorized “peopleto-people,” educational trips that involve not just tourism, but meeting and talking with Cuban people.

Independent travel is possible, but car rentals are expensive, hotels are booked far in advance, reservations are unreliable, and so are credit card transactions. It’s prudent to take cash and not expect to rely on credit.

To fully absorb all that Cuba has to offer requires an open mind. Only 90 miles from the U.S., it’s the largest Caribbean island — 777 miles long and 55 miles wide, with 3,570 miles of coastline and thousands of islands washed by the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution brought

PHOTO BY JHVE PHOTO

By Glenda C. Booth When Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492, he proclaimed the island to be “the loveliest land that human eyes have ever beheld.” Cuba is the “Pearl of the Antilles,” touted the 1958 World Book Encyclopedia.

Today, this tropical archipelago still boasts broad sandy beaches, seven UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, lush rain forests, swaying palms, aquamarine seas, pristine reefs, and about 350 species of birds — including the world’s largest flamingo nesting site.

On the other hand, Cuba is probably best known to Americans as a communist state ruled ruthlessly for 58 years by brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro. Fox News’ Elizabeth MacDonald has said, “Cuba is run by Soviet-style...party elites who call the shots behind the scenes, and who have gotten spectacularly wealthy in the process, all while abusing its people and business partners.”

Classic American cars abound in Cuba, where importing American-made goods was banned when Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Today, the meticulously maintained (though seat belt-free) Cadillacs, Fords and Buicks can be seen on streets in Havana and throughout the country. American tourists seem to enjoy taking a ride.

PHOTO BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

The main square, Plaza Mayor, of the 500-year-old Cuban city of Trinidad (not to be confused with the island) showcases some of the city’s Moorish-style and neoclassical architecture.

authoritarian rule. The U.S. broke relations and imposed an embargo in 1961. In 1990, when the former Soviet Union withdrew billions in subsidies, hard times, called the “Special Period,” ensued. In 2015, Obama re-established diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

For the traveler, this history could mean inconveniences or the absence of typical American amenities. Internet connections are spotty, and ATMs are sparse.

Some guest rooms lack air conditioning, and their décor and furniture may look tired. Tap water may not be potable.

Cruise ships can snarf up all the available bottled water. A museum’s hours may not be as advertised.

Resident Cuba expert Marc Frank maintains, “Remarkable changes are going on here. Cuba’s a work in progress.”

“We are changing, but not that fast,” said Cuban tour guide Rigoberto Rodriguez, explaining that there’s “guarded openness,” that people can speak their minds within certain parameters. Cuba has had more private businesses, more decentralization, and more economic globalization in recent years, he argues.

Cuba’s many pastimes Music is at the core of Cuban life. In the 1940s, Havana’s original Buena Vista So-

cial Club throbbed with musicians, a club recalled in a famous recording by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez and Ry Cooder.

Then, Cuban-born Desi Arnaz, aka Ricky Ricardo, pounded his conga drums and sang “Babalu” on the 1950s television sitcom, “I Love Lucy,” imprinting lively Latin music on many American minds.

Today, in nightclubs, on street corners and at community gatherings, Cuba’s “musical golden age” of the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s lives on with salsa, rumba, mambo, chachachá, danzón and more.

At Havana’s La Colmenita Children’s Theater, children age 5 to 18 train daily, playing handmade drums, claves and castanets, beating on chairs and whacking wood and cow leather in a unique combination of percussion and dance. At the world-renowned Cabaret Tropicana, nearly naked showgirls, known as “Flesh Goddesses,” have performed in sequined pasties and feathered head pieces since 1939.

Then there’s Cuban rum, Cuban cigars and baseball. Youngsters start playing the game at age six or seven. All of these express the Cuban spirit.

Having endured invasions, revolutions, hurricanes, embargoes and shortages, See CUBA, page 43

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Cuba From page 42 Cubans excel at surviving. “We Cubanize,” Rodriguez said. “We always find a way.”

During the Special Period’s shortages, people started home gardens. They make do today with rationed goods, and joke that the national sport is “waiting in line.”

President Obama complimented their ingenuity, saying, “The Cuban invents things out of thin air.” This can-do spirit is symbolized by the ‘40s and ‘50s cars that resourceful owners keep running by making needed parts.

Only the indifferent could not marvel at the classic cars roaming Havana’s streets.

Eager entrepreneurs stand at the ready to take visitors for rides in spic-and-span 1950s classics, cars that have been meticulously preserved throughout the 56-year embargo, without dealer services or ready car parts.

Though these pre-catalytic-converter, pre-seat-belt relics are loud and can foul the air, they are well worth a taking for a spin around the city. Older tourists can recall their teens, riding in a shiny Cadillac Eldorado, Ford Fairlane, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler Plymouth Belvedere or Buick Roadmaster.

Now and then a Soviet-era Lada chugs by. Because Ladas sputter like lawn mowers and stall in rain storms, locals like to call it the “Believer Car” — because owners believe they own a car.

Museums and Hemingway Old cars, old cobblestone streets, old buildings, filled with people young at heart. This is Havana, founded in 1519, and one of the great historic cities of the New World, where mansions going back centuries line plazas.

Old Town Havana, a UNESCO site, has around 900 historically important buildings — a mix of neoclassical and baroque architecture with some art deco thrown in.

Visitors can fixate on peeling paint and neglected buildings, or as Chicagoan Carole Anshaw put it, the “beauty of decay.”

Calle Obispo is Old Havana’s main boulevard, a bustling commercial and night-spot artery. Plaza de la Catedral fronts the city’s asymmetrical cathedral

from the 1700s, restored for the Pope’s 2015 visit.

Nearby is the Taller Experimental Workshop of cutting-edge art and graphics. At the Revolution Museum, Fidel Castro’s 60-foot boat, Granma, that transported 82 revolutionary fighters in 1956, is enshrined in glass.

The incongruous capitol building, built in the 1920s when officials wanted one like the U.S. Capitol, was the seat of the Cuban Congress until 1959. Today, it’s the National Library of Science and Technology. The Yoruba Museum and the Museum of the Orishas explore African influences and history.

Tourists can feel like locals strolling the famous, six-lane Malecón among enchanted lovers, cigar-sellers and musicians, refreshed by cooling sea breezes or jolted by crashing, Atlantic Ocean waves during storms.

Visitors can channel Ernest Hemingway with a mojito at El Floridita Bar or La Bodeguita del Medio. You can sense his spirit at Museo Hemingway, the 1940s villa he left to the Cuban people. In this home, unchanged since his 1960 departure, he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea while comforted by a clowder of cats.

French-inspired Cienfuegos Cienfuegos is a pedestrian-friendly port city with 19th century French roots. It is centered around the Paseo del Prado, a Parisian-style main avenue, and Parque Martí, where a statue commemorates revolutionary hero, Jose Martí, Cuba’s leader of independence from Spain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, its shops and street stalls, reflect the city’s mixed French-Caribbean heritage.

It is also the home city of Afro-Cuban singer Benny Moré. Talented students at the school bearing his name give public performances in music, dance and visual arts.

At a nearby former sugar mill built by Bostonian Edward Atkins, tourists can visit historic factory buildings and study today’s rationing system under pictures of Vladimir Lenin, Che Guevara and Raúl Castro. Quoting Martí, one sign says, “There is no possible social equality with-

out cultural equality.”

The nearby 132-acre Cienfuegos Botanic Garden has 2,000 plant species and one of the world’s largest collections of palms.

Other cities and countryside Cuba’s rural countryside is a verdant expanse spotted with palm, banana and mango trees, grazing cows, and rice and sugar cane fields. Most of the sugar cane today goes into Cuba’s celebrated rum.

In the small towns, many people walk, bike, ride horses or rumble along in horsedrawn buggies. There are more one-story houses with roof clotheslines, fewer cars and more dirt roads than in cities. People sell wares from front-yard card tables.

The central Cuban city of Trinidad, founded in 1514, reeks of history. Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s the country’s best preserved colonial city —

43

with shops, vendors, art studios (including a crochet collective) and many restored facades in the historic center. The city is a mix of 18th-century, adapted Moorishstyle and 19th-century, neoclassical architecture, and boasts many pastel-colored buildings.

In today’s main square, Plaza Mayor, people play checkers and children romp around a former slave market, as horses clop-clop-clop down cobblestone streets.

The tower of the Museo Histórico Municipal, a former sugar baron’s mansion, offers an expansive view of the city. The Nueva Era restaurant serves enticing dishes using fresh shrimp from a nearby farm.

“The enemy fled in disarray.” “Yankee imperialism is a total failure.” “Death to the invader!” These are some of the mesSee CUBA, page 44

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Cuba From page 43 sages that scream out at the Bay of Pigs Museum in Playa Giron. Exhibits, uniforms, pictures of heroes and military equipment — including a captured U.S. Browning machine gun — present the Cuban point of view of the failed 1961 U.S. paramilitary invasion of Cuba.

Exhibits proclaim, the “first defeat of imperialism in history.” One quotes Fidel Castro: “We have made a socialist revolution in their noses.” Another: “This was one of the most glorious pages in the history of our country.”

Cuban cuisine The food scene has blossomed in recent years as Raúl Castro’s economic reforms have encouraged private restaurants called paladars. Visitors might be treated to gazpacho, garlic octopus tapas, paella, tacos, ceviche, spicy shredded beef, crocodile stew, empanadas, flan and plantain chips.

Hosts urge guests to top meals with “Vitamin R,” Cuba’s ubiquitous rum or a canchanchara — rum, lime juice, sparkling water and honey. Some restaurant ware dates from the 1950s, including frosted glasses with paintings of bathing beauties.

Expect the unexpected. Be flexible.

Cuba constantly delivers “curve balls,” wrote Christopher P. Baker in the National Geographic Traveler. For the adventurous traveler, they can be intriguing curve balls.

If you go To learn more about rules governing travel to Cuba, see https://travel.state. gov/content/passports/en/country/cuba .html.

Some tour agencies offering trips to Cuba: Caribbean Conservation Trust, www.cubirds.org Cosmos, http://www.cosmos.com/ Marazul Charters, www.marazul.com National Geographic Expeditions, http:// www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/ Road Scholar, www.roadscholar.org V ictor Emanuel Natur e Tours, http://ventbird.com/ Cruises: Carnival, www.carnival.com; Royal Caribbean, www.royalcaribbena.com; Norwegian Cruise Line, www.ncl.com If you want to arrange a flight yourself, Spirit, American and United Airlines fly from all three area airports. There are no nonstop flights. The least expensive flight in late May is $286 roundtrip on a combination of Spirit and United Airlines flights.

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Havana neighborhood bursts with art

By Robert Friedman It’s as though Picasso and Gaudi got together and occasionally called on Salvador Dali and French painter Jean Dubuffet to help them spruce up this poor seaside barrio on the outskirts of Havana.

The public art project is called Fusterlandia, and is actually the one-man creation of Cuban artist Jose Rodriguez Fuster. Over the decades, he has worked, and continues to work, on turning the neighborhood where he lives into an incredible site of imaginative art.

Fuster began the project in Jaimanitas, the neighborhood’s official name, in 1995. So far, more than 80 homes — along with the artist’s residence — have been embellished with murals, ceramics, mosaics, paintings, drawings and sculptures. There’s also a chess park with giant boards and tables.

The centerpiece is the artist’s twostory home, its inside studio and walls, its terrace, roof, garden, balconies and patio.

The walls are covered with paintings, while magically unrealistic constructions pop up all over the outside areas.

While much of the art work in the painted, sculptured and tiled wonderland have nautical themes — fish, boats, mermaids — there are columns covered with Dali-like surrealist eyes; fauxnaif Dubuffet-like paintings; sculptures of Picasso-like heads, as well as of giraffes, giant hands, outsized flowers and huge hearts; mosaics and paintings of Cuban flags; beautifully tiled benches; replicas, in assorted media, of cowboys, palm trees, horses, roosters and saints; and colorful domes and arches.

A mural outside the artist’s home is called “Homage to Gaudi” — the Spanish architect whose world famous works in Barcelona include the city’s great cathedral, as well as buildings and public parks filled with his artworks.

The potpourri of styles, color and design in Fuster’s studio-residence spills into the surrounding houses, street signs, bus stops and more.

Postcards, books and original Fuster paintings and ceramics are sold in a small gallery-shop in the artist’s home.

The money from the sales reportedly goes back into the community to fund more works in Fusterlandia.

Admission to the artist’s home is free.

Except for one area, gated-off to give Fuster and his family privacy — a sign at the gate reads: “Beware of dog; he hasn’t eaten yet” — tourists can wander around the studio, climb steps to the balconies, sit on tiled benches there, and peer down into the garden and patio.

You can get buses from central Havana to Jaimanitas for about eighty cents. A taxi could cost close to $20.

Tour buses make frequent daily trips to the fishing-village-now-tourist-hangout.

Along with the overall surrealism of Fusterlandia, patriotic signs and symbols are on display. There is a mural of the Granma, the boat that took Castro and his troops from Mexico to Cuba to start the revolution. Eight chimney pots spell out in black print, “Viva Cuba.”

But unlike in so many of the public squares and assorted art spaces in Havana, there are no huge murals of Fidel or Che, gracias a Dios.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

45

Activities indoors and out in the Mile High City Denver is an outdoor city filled with urban adventures. The Mile High City is known for its world-class cultural attractions, thriving craft breweries, and famous music scene, all within easy reach of the Rocky Mountains.

Situated in the South Platte River Valley, the city draws openness from the Great Plains to the east, and embraces the spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains to the west.

Explore the walkable downtown on your own two feet, or get your heart pumping by renting a bicycle from Denver B-cycle.

If you really want to discover Denver, delve into its diverse neighborhoods.

Street art depicts urban stories all over town, bursting with color on alleyways, garage doors and storefronts.

Uptown has a long stretch of cafés, bistros and pubs with outdoor patios near the city’s largest greenspace, City Park.

The Art District on Santa Fe is a haven for art lovers, with more than 60 art galleries and colorful murals, highlighting the neighborhood’s Hispanic roots.

The Highlands neighborhood is a great destination, with its Victorian-era homes and buildings, lush gardens and parks, hip, independently-owned shops, art galleries and restaurants. The River North Art District (RiNo) is “where art is made”

— riding a wave of industrial revival with art galleries, brewpubs and restaurants.

And in Five Points, the music of jazz legends transcends local clubs. Now it’s a fusion of old and new with coffeehouses, craft breweries, museums and beloved barbecue institutions.

Vibrant arts options Here are a few other ways to experience Denver’s burgeoning art scene.

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) in the Golden Triangle neighborhood is the largest art museum between Kansas City and the West Coast. Designed by worldrenowned architect Daniel Libeskind, DAM is filled with classics by Monet, Picasso and Matisse, as well as more modern works by Warhol and O’Keeffe.

In all, the museum contains more than 55,000 works from around the world, including intriguing pieces from Africa and preColumbian America. DAM is also home to a vast collection of American Western art, including the works of Frederic Remington.

Denver’s latest art institution, the Clyfford Still Museum, opened in 2011. Born in 1904, Still was a leading figure in the development of abstract expressionism. The museum houses nearly 2,400 of Still’s paintings, drawings and prints, representing most of his lifetime output. Still was honored last

September, along with Rothko, Pollock and Willem de Kooning, at a special show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

And in Lower Downtown (LoDo), the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA) — designed by another renowned architect, David Adjaye — houses a revolving set of exhibits. No two visits to MCA Denver are the same.

Beer, wine and spirits Denver is known for something other than its altitude: beer.

With more than 200 craft beers brewed in Denver daily, the Denver Beer Trail can guide you into a world of pale ales, one-off firkins, and daring ingredients, created by a community of passionate artisans. (The Den-

ver Beer Trail is available at tourist information centers and online: denv.co/beertrail.)

Tivoli is Colorado’s oldest, most historic, brewery. It originally opened in 1859 and supplied beer to the gold rush pioneers.

Wynkoop Brewing, meanwhile, is a Denver institution, known for innovative brewers who will put just about anything in their beer, including Rocky Mountain oysters, gummy bears and green chilies. It’s known as the brewery that brewed a neighborhood because Wynkoop helped catalyze the revitalization of LoDo. While we’re on the subject of drinking, don’t miss Balistreri Vineyards, a familyowned winery dedicated to completely natuSee DENVER, page 46

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Denver From page 45 ral wines, or Infinite Monkey Theorem, an urban winery that has turned heads by doing the unthinkable — canning its wines! Colorado is also home to more than 16 distilleries making whiskey, rum, brandy, gin and vodka.

Innovative dining Denver is a hub for chef-owned restau-

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

one-stop culinary adventure. Housed in a 14,000-square-foot 1920s-era building, Denver Central Market includes a bodega selling milk, eggs, butter, yogurt and bulk coffee; a meat and cheese shop; a bakery; a full-service fish market; a butcher; and a chocolate shop. There’s also a bar, an ice cream shop, and a pizzeria in case shopping whets your appetite.

Not far away is The Source, where you’ll find just-baked breads, artisan cheese, organic wine, small-batch spirits and freshcut flowers.

rants. Stroll among the Victorian buildings and boutique shops of Larimer Square and take your pick of culinary talent, then be wowed by the offerings from locally sourced products. Whether you’re downtown on the 16th Street Mall or looking for a unique spot in Cherry Creek, visitors have a variety of great options to choose from.

Denver has been getting a lot of attention for its latest innovation: gourmet food markets. In the RiNo neighborhood is a

Explore nature

influencer.

With Denver’s 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s hard to stay indoors. City Park is a great place to take a walk, and also features one of the most popular zoos in the nation.

The Denver Zoo has about 4,000 animals, representing more than 750 species. The zoo’s new Amur tiger habitat, the Edge, brings guests closer than ever to these magnificent felines.

Catwalks and bridges spanning just over visitors’ heads demonstrate the cats’ playfulness and allow them to get exercise. The Amur exhibit also features large pools, and is set on the edge of a pine forest, hence the name, to simulate the animals’ natural habitat in Russia.

Adjacent to the zoo is the Denver Museum of Nature & Science that explores fossils and dinosaurs, the mysteries of space at Gates Planetarium, Egyptian mummies, larger-than life films at the Phipps IMAX 3D Theater, and a slew of interactive exhibits.

Denver Botanic Gardens, meanwhile, is a 24-acre oasis in the city. Its array of plants,

I’M NOT A SENIOR. I’M AN

Les Davis Fairhaven resident, community leader and United States international economic policy advisor

Western history For the history buff, Denver has plenty of fascinating museums and landmarks.

The History Colorado Center features exhibits and programs that tell the stories of Colorado and engage visitors in the past, present and future of the Rocky Mountain West. Enjoy interactive exhibits like a virtual ride in a real Model T, test your skills on a ski-jump simulator, or set off dynamite in an 1880s hard-rock mine.

A true Western icon, the late Jack A. Weil, invented the first cowboy shirt with snaps, and helped popularize Western wear as legitimate American fashion.

Many of the Rockmount Ranch Wear designs are worn by movie stars and music legends, all with the signature diamond snaps and sawtooth pockets. The grandson of “Papa Jack” Weil, Steve Weil, continues the tradition today, and the store is located in the heart of downtown.

Located in a 1930s-era former Air Force hangar, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum is heaven for the aerospace enthusiast. The museum is home to more than three-dozen historic airplanes and space vehicles, including a massive B52 Stratofortress, a 1926 Eaglerock “longwing,” and an X-Wing fighter from Star Wars movie fame.

One of the most famous cowboys ever to put on a pair of stirrups, William F. “BufSee DENVER, page 47

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT DENVER

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Fifteen miles outside of Denver, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre was built alongside impressive sandstone cliffs, and offers a sweeping view of the city. It has hosted legendary performers, such as the Beatles in 1964 and U2 20 years later.

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47

Not a hotel lover? Try a vacation rental “Eew, this isn’t anything like what I ex- no way to check individually on as many as pected!” Although vacation rentals don’t a million separate posted rentals. And less generate a lot of complaints, organized websites such as I’m pretty sure the number Craigslist provide almost no one complaint is disappointcover for renters. ment on arrival at a previously Over the years I’ve used unseen rental. several such marketplace The big online vacation websites with no problems. rental “marketplaces” such as But if you’re looking for an FlipKey and VRBO do as extra level of certainty, you much as they can to assure might well turn to a “curated” that rental owners are, as Fliprental agency that posts only Key puts it, “nice and trusted TRAVEL TIPS rentals that staff or associates people,” and they vet renter By Ed Perkins have examined personally. reviews and complaints to Most curated vacation rental weed out bad actors. agencies specialize geographically. I’ve used Still, they’re essentially billboards, with such disparate outfits as Oregon Coast Vaca-

Denver From page 46 falo Bill” Cody epitomized the Old West.

The Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave in nearby Golden, Co., features exhibits on Buffalo Bill’s life, the Wild West shows, Indian artifacts including Sitting Bull’s bows and arrows, Western art and firearms.

At the top of every music lover’s bucket list is Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Legendary musicians like the Beatles (1964) and U2 (1983) have performed here, and today, the summer concert series from May

through October presents the best artists in jazz, rock, pop, bluegrass and more.

Located just 15 miles from town, see the gorgeous sandstone monoliths that buttress the iconic stage, and go for an easy hike on the trails in the surrounding park.

While you’re at it, take a moment to enjoy sweeping views of the Denver skyline.

Go to www.visitdenver.com to learn more about Denver and to plan your trip.

Frontier Airlines has the least expensive flights in mid-May from Dulles and Reagan National airports. They are nonstop and start at $267.

tion Rentals, At Home in France, and Vacanza Bella to find rentals that I would be reasonably sure were described accurately and honestly.

And I know of literally dozens of similar agencies around the world. While London, Tuscany and Provence may get a bit more than their share of curated agencies, you can find one almost anywhere.

tified.com, a new rental agency, specializes in rentals for senior travelers — to my knowledge, the first to do so. According to their CEO, “We inspect up to 60 senior-centric features in and around every apartment we offer. Our hand-cranked algorithm assesses noise levels in bedrooms, graffiti in the neighborhood, local crime rates, building security, property management and dozens of other features.”

New: rentals for seniors But instead of a geographical focus, Scer-

See RENTALS, page 48

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

BLANKETS FOR THE SICK

From page 47

The University of Maryland Extension Office is looking for volun-

Obviously, you don’t have to be of a certain age to use Scertified; even some younger travelers might well like to stay in senior-friendly facilities.

So far, rental listings on the site are limited to a few units in 17 cities — including 11 important visitor destinations in the United States plus Barcelona, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Paris and Rome. So far, there’s little in the countryside, but, as I said, it’s a new idea.

Property searches are straightforward, with excellent detail about the rental and its neighborhood. I would hope, however, that the search engine will incorporate filters for some of the most critical features, such as availability of an elevator, for seniors, and availability of free Wi-Fi for just about everybody.

Although I qualify as a senior, I haven’t personally used Scertified and can’t vouch for it on the basis of experience. But the idea seems like a good one.

Surprisingly, the big marketplace websites haven’t done much with either ageor interest-based filters. If you Google “vacation homes for golf,” you find postings for individual resorts or general “vacation rentals” responses, but the only one I found with a golf filter for listings was VacationHomes.com, which provides for quite a few filters, including “golf.”

teers to make afghans and quilts for sick children in the hospital.

Participants can knit, crochet or sew (yarn and fabric are provided). The extension office holds monthly meetings on the grounds of the Montgomery County Agricultural Farm Park, located at 18410 Muncaster Rd., Derwood, Md. The next meeting will take place on Friday, May 12 from 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Donations of plain fabric and children’s prints and worsted-weight acrylic yarn are also accepted. For more information and directions, contact Pat at (301) 460-5451 or Jeanne at (301) 641-4878 or jcpurich@cs.com.

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Also, PerfectPlaces filtered for “tennis,” along with several other interest categories. But I didn’t find any marketplace that specifically filters for seniors or senior-friendly features.

Working with an agency Some curated vacation rental websites offer another advantage. Unlike the marketplace websites, many specialized sites act as actual agencies: Your deal is with the online agency, not the individual property owner/manager. If you have any problems related to payment terms, you settle them with a local agency, not a possibly anonymous owner in some foreign country.

Not all geographically focused agencies are curated. I recently received a press release from a new outfit that mounts a series of separate websites for rental cabins in narrowly focused rustic regions: RentWisconsinCabins, RentMichiganCabins, RertMinnesotaCabins, RentMontanaCabins, RentNewYorkCabins and RentTennesseeCabins.

The basic pitch is to renters: Avoid the big guys’ fees. But, obviously, that pitch may draw in some properties that you won’t find on the giant websites. Give them a look if you’re interested in those areas.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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49

Be flexible to snag true bargain airfares

By Ryan Ermey Kiplinger’s interviewed Scott Keyes, who writes an email newsletter called Scott’s Cheap Flights. Through it, he sends out international airfare deals to 350,000 subscribers.

Here are excerpts from the interview.

Q.: What’s your number-one rule for finding cheap airfare?

A.: Flexibility. Once you have an origin airport, a destination airport, and a date that’s set in stone, about 95 percent of what you can do to get the price down is already out the window.

Most folks look at a map and say, “I want to go to Spain.” And then they start searching. But there might not be a deal to Madrid, while there could be a deal to London.

Going where there’s a deal — rather than deciding where you want to go and then looking for a deal — may sound counterintuitive, but it will really help get the airfare down.

What’s the best way to build flexibility into a search?

I recommend using Google Flights, because you can enter five origin airports and five destination airports. Let’s say you live in New York City. You can check flights from LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, Newark, Philadelphia and Hartford. Then you can say you want to fly to London, Paris, Rome or Madrid. Instantly, it will pull up two months’ worth of the cheapest prices.

Why do you think your website has taken off?

People don’t like to spend a lot of time monitoring airfares, and having someone

BEACON BITS

May 11

EMPLOYMENT EXPO

The Fairfax 50+ Employment Expo will take place on Thursday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fair Oaks Marriott Hotel, located at 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax, Va. This event is free, and registration is not necessary. For more information, visit www.accessjca.org/programs/senior -employment.

May 17

FAIRFAX AGING MEETING

The Fairfax Commission on Aging meets on Wednesday, May 17 at 1 p.m. at the Hunter Mill District Office, located at 1801 Cameron Glen Dr. in Reston, Va. The public is welcome to attend and join in the comment period that begins each session. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/coa.htm or call (703) 324-5403, TTY 711.

to do it for them is a service that some people are willing to pay for.

A lot of the best fares often don’t last very long. So being able to pull the trigger quickly can be pretty important when it comes to getting cheap fares.

Is there a sweet spot for buying tickets?

I generally recommend buying overseas airfare about two to six months in advance.

You should not expect the airlines to offer cheap fares to fill seats at the last minute.

That was the model for a long time. But over the past 10 or 15 years, airlines realized that business travelers, who tend to be less price sensitive than leisure travelers, were buying those empty seats. Now, rather than cut the prices, they tend to raise prices closer to the departure date.

What constitutes a bargain fare to Europe now?

The new transatlantic budget carriers, such as Norwegian Air and Wow Air, regularly offer flights to Europe for less than $400 round-trip — from all over the country, not just from New York, L.A. or Miami.

So I’d say $450 to $650 is acceptable, depending on connections and how well the

fare jibes with your preferred dates. Anything over $650 or $700, unless you’re buying at the last minute or for very specific dates around holidays, is too much. © 2017. The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

D.C. FIRST RESPONDERS

The D.C. Office on Aging, in partnership with the Dept. of Health, is looking for 100 volunteers to be first responders. In case of an emergency or disaster, the first responders will assist local government responders in emergency preparedness, response and recovery, first aid and CPR, and special issues dealing with seniors and persons living with disabilities. These trained, certified volunteers will assist the Office on Aging and the city in their response to emergency situations. For more information, call (202) 724-5622 or email dcoa@dc.gov.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

Be their guest at Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast. See review on page 52.

There’s no place like National’s Fun Home school and restores historic houses. Along the way, he picks up male lovers, from their landscaper to his students.

Even as a child, Alison knows something is amiss; that secrets leap from the closet and are just as quickly swept away.

for the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

It closed on Broadway last September, and a traveling version is now on the road throughout the country. It continues at National Theatre until May 13.

A show in flashbacks The show’s genius lies in its use of three actresses portraying Alison at various stages of her life. They are often onstage all at once, one acting the scene, while adult Allison offers commentary and reflection. Thus, Fun Home melds memory and present day, often tying them together with poignant and funny song.

The show begins with the youngest version of Alison, about age 10, setting the tone in the song “It All Comes Back.” In it, she beseeches, “Daddy! Hey, Daddy, come here, okay? I need you. What are you doing?

I said come here. You need to do what I tell you to do. Listen to me.” Here, she merely wants him to swing her around as she plays airplane, spreading out her arms like wings.

But it is a lifelong refrain for her in trying to understand her mercurial, enigmatic father, who, in addition to embalming bodies, teaches English at the local high

“Welcome to our house on Maple Avenue,” young Alison and her brothers sing.

“See how we polish and we shine? We rearrange and realign. Everything is balSee FUN HOME, page 51

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

By Barbara Ruben While its title might suggest otherwise, Fun Home is not a comedy, although it has its comedic moments. It comes closer to a carnival fun house, with a hall of mirrors that twist and distort and disorient you from the truth until you finally tumble back outside.

But the real genesis of the superb musical now onstage at National Theatre in Washington, D.C. is the truncated name of the family business — “fun home” being short for funeral home.

To be sure there is a lot of black humor here, with the family’s three young kids playing practical jokes in the caskets. But all in all, Fun Home is a bittersweet portrayal of cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s journey from childhood to adolescence to early middle age. Along the way, she comes out as a lesbian and grapples with her father’s death.

Fun Home began as Bechdel’s autobiographical graphic novel about coming to terms with her life. Lisa Kron added lyrics and adapted it for stage, where on Broadway it won five Tony Awards in 2015 — including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Book. Fun Home was also a finalist

In the National Theatre’s production of Fun Home, Kate Shindle (a former Miss America) plays Alison, who grapples to understand her relationship with her father Bruce, played by Robert Petkoff, who died while she was young. Other actors portray Alison as a child and a youth. The bittersweet musical, in its Washington premiere, is based on an autobiographical graphic novel and runs through May 13.

COMING JUNE 15

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

From page 50 anced and serene. Like chaos never happens if it’s never seen.”

But humor is also interspersed, such as in this disco-inspired song, complete with baby blue jumpsuited backup singers (the show begins sometime in the 1970s after all): “We got Kleenex and your choice of psalm. Stop by the Fun Home. Think of Bechdel when you need to embalm.”

A time of discovery

Every Allison is stellar A show balancing three versions of one character on stage at once is a tricky thing to pull off. In lesser hands, it might be confusing or affected. But the deft directing

by Sam Gold focuses on a synergy between the actors, highlighting one while another might be sketching or reading or merely observing in the background.

Ultimately, the success of Fun Home, rests squarely on the shoulders of the actors who play all three versions of Alison.

Alessandra Baldacchino shines as Small Alison, capturing the fleeting wonder of childhood mixed with confusion over her family’s dysfunctional dynamics. She was Small Alison’s understudy on Broadway.

At age 11, Baldacchino projects both a lightness and gravitas beyond her years.

And her singing voice is pure perfection.

Nineteen-year-old Abby Corrigan plays Medium Allison with androgynous adolescent angst as she blossoms during college and tries to understand where she fits into her family.

Kate Shindle’s portrayal of adult Alison ties all three together with her sardonic 20/20 hindsight of the events that shaped her. With mannish short hair and blend-intothe-background cardigan, jeans and sneak-

ers, she has come a long way since being crowned Miss America in 1998, and looks surprisingly like the real Alison Bechdel.

But Shindle is absolutely convincing as a 40-something lesbian working to process her memories via cartoons. While she has more of a role later in this no-intermission show, Shindle’s performance is so good that you want more of a role for her earlier on than her ironic comments sparingly interspersed with the action.

While Kron’s lyrics both move the action along and reinforce it, the music by Jeanine Tesori sets the mood. It’s heavy on the strings, with guitars, bass and cello.

Music veers from elegiac to up-tempo, but this is not a show for the most part with big brassy Broadway numbers — and it’s all the better for it.

Fun Home pulls you in so that, like one of the Alisons, you are also an observer.

For a couple of hours, the stage — primarily decked out as the fusty, overly ornate funeral home — is your home, too.

Fun Home continues at National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. through May 13.

Tickets range from $48 to $98. They are on sale at www.thenationaldc.com, or by calling 1-800-514-3849.

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Fun Home then segues to the character termed Medium Alison as she enters college, her hair cropped short and wearing a boy’s shirt. Here, she discovers and comes to terms with her own sexuality and starts to see the parallels to her father’s.

It’s the ‘80s, and she falls for Joan, with her Mohawk and sophisticated swagger.

In her college dorm room she sings, “I’m changing my major to Joan.”

She doesn’t get much of a response when she comes out, via a letter, to her parents. In a voice over by father, he reads his nonchalant letter in response: “Oh, by the way, we got your letter. Well, kid, talk about a flair for the dramatic.” Finally, Alison talks to her mother on the phone, who tells her that her dad has had affairs with men for years, some of them teenagers.

Throughout Fun Home, we see the adult Alison sketching family scenes, trying to

fuse memory with her now mature perspective. “Caption?” she asks herself on numerous occasions, trying to find the perfect phrase to capture new-found meaning.

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YOUNG ARTIST SOLO COMPETITION CONCERT

Heritage to Horizons ! Summer

Concert Series

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 7:30 P.M.

Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Northern Virginia Community College 4915 E. Campus Drive Alexandria, Va.

Heritage, Innovation and Partnership

All concerts are FREE and open to the public. No tickets required.

For our full performance calendar, visit our website.

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featuring the Airmen of Note, Air Force Strings and Max Impact with exciting flyovers and impeccable Honor Guard Drill Team demonstrations.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Beauty and the Beast enchants at Toby’s Belle offers to take her father’s place and live in the castle forever. Little does she know that the Beast, his castle, and his many servants are trapped under a spell that only true love can break.

An excellent cast, as usual In her Toby’s debut, Nicki Elledge is wonderful in the title role of Belle, with her soaring vocals and convincing wideeyed innocence.

As an iconic character, Belle is a standout among Disney princesses for her love of books and adventure — a love that is frowned on by her small-minded, provincial townsfolk. Elledge’s verses in the song “Belle (Little Town)” are gorgeous, and convey her inherent curiosity and desire for a bigger life.

The show also doesn’t shy away from depicting Belle’s (and many other women’s) real-life fears. She is constantly pursued by the boorish Gaston, who hounds her relentlessly despite her protests. The show does a good job exploring Belle’s discomfort and later panic at his persistence to make her his “little wife.”

David Jennings plays Gaston with gusto, and his strong vocals are a true highlight in “The Mob Song.” But perhaps he relies a bit too heavily on punches to the face of his henchman Lefou.

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PHOTO BY TERI TIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

By Rebekah Alcalde The tale may be “old as time,” but Beauty and the Beast has seen plenty of new life lately. With the new Disney live-action film setting box office records in movie theaters, fans can get a similar, but more fleshed-out, experience of the musical from the stage version currently at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia.

It features all the beloved original songs from the animated film of 1991 with some notable additions, since it’s based on the Broadway musical production of 1994.

Toby’s Beauty and the Beast is classic Disney fare: It’s a solid performance for young children, but also interesting and amusing enough for adults.

You’re probably familiar with the story — how the beautiful, kind and intelligent Belle falls in love with a frightening melancholy prince cursed by an enchantress to live as an ugly beast because of his arrogant and selfish behavior.

In the story, Belle lives with her aging father Maurice, a quirky but kind and loving inventor. Toby’s veteran Robert John Beidermann plays an especially doddering Maurice. When he gets lost in the woods and is attacked by wolves, it is genuinely moving and sad.

After Maurice wanders into the Beast’s castle and is imprisoned for trespassing,

Cogsworth (David James), Lumière (Jeremy Scott Blaustein) and company beg Belle, played by Nicki Elledge, to “Be Our Guest” in Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast. The musical is onstage through June 11.

Jeffrey Shankle plays goofy Lefou splendidly, and provides some much-needed comic relief in their scenes. (Shankle was also our charming server at dinner: Actors wait tables during intermission at Toby’s.)

In the show’s other title role, Russell Sunday beautifully sings the Beast role. His larger-than-life presence and deep booming voice is reminiscent of the phantom from Phantom of the Opera. The plaintive “How Long Must This Go On?” is especially moving.

As stunning as his voice is, though, his acting (or perhaps direction) could use some reexamination. He portrays the Beast as a spoiled and immature child. This is surprising, untraditional, and not a little unsettling. Here is grown man/beast acting like a child, and that makes his budding relationship with Belle uncomfortable at best, and her attraction to him difficult to explain.

Shining supporting roles As is the case with most Disney stories, the main characters of Beauty and the Beast are written as classic “types,” and it’s the supporting roles that truly “shine” — as is the case with Lumière, the castle’s maitre d’, trapped in the form of a candelabrum.

Actor Jeremy Scott Blaustein is charming and hilarious, and his vocals on “Be Our Guest” are commendable. His costume candle “arms” boast faux flames.

Also note, the show isn’t shy regarding his enthusiastic romantic romps with the “French maid” feather duster Babette, played vivaciously by Elizabeth Rayca.

Other notable performances include Lynn Sharp-Spears as teapot Mrs. Potts, and the very young Ethan Lee as the adorable See BEAUTY & BEAST, page 54

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director

Giacomo Puccini/ Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Madame Butterfly

She made the ultimate sacrifice for love.

PHOTO BY CORY WEAVER

May 6–21 Opera House

KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600 For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO’s Presenting Sponsor

Madame Butterfly is a production of the Clarice Smith Opera Series.

Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

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Beauty & Beast From page 52 teacup Chip. As an added dose of realism, both their costumes actually steam.

Jane C. Boyle, as opera-singing wardrobe Madame Bouche, is also hilarious, with an equally impressive costume with working drawers that hold clothes.

I’ve saved the best for last: The show

standout is David James as Cogsworth, the stuffy clock steward. His presence is perfect in every scene. James doesn’t try to outdo the boisterous fan-favorite Lumière, relying instead on his excellent acting, comedic timing and joke delivery.

One of the most notable differences between the musical and the films is the show’s expansion of the staff storyline. In one scene, Cogsworth is aghast he has “grown”

BEACON BITS

May 7

PIANO CONCERT

The Washington Piano Society presents a free spring concert on Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. A reception will follow. This concert will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church, located at 9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. For information, visit www.dcpianosociety.org or call (301) 793-1863.

May 9

IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTARY

There will be a free screening of America: An Immigration Nation on Tuesday, May 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bus Boys and Poets, as part of their monthly Focus on Film Series. The Bus Boys and Poets is located at 1025 5th St. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/SmokeyStevensDocu.

May 4+

CINEMA MUSIC SERIES

The Arlington Philharmonic presents “Magnificent Movie Music!”

— a three-part multimedia lecture series — on Thursdays, May 4, 11 and 18 at The Spectrum Theater in Arlington, Va. Happy hour begins at 6 p.m., and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. The theater is located at 1611 North Kent St. The cost is $25 per lecture; $60 for all three. For more information, call (703) 910-5161 or visit http://arlingtonphilharmonic.org/MMM.html.

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

a winding mechanism in his back.

Fears eventually turn to hope in the song “Human Again,” when they realize Belle and the Beast are growing closer — and there’s a chance for their love to break the spell.

Seeing the show Toby’s theatre-in-the-round creates an engaging, if sometimes dizzying, experience (as the actors and dancers spin around to meet all eyes in the audience).

The show requires fairly complex stage placement (or blocking), but every actor hits their marks and their spotlights.

And there are many spotlights. Actually, there are over 400 light changes and cues in this show, according to the introduction by actor Robert John Beidermann. Before the show begins, he called for applause for the light designer Lynn Joslin.

Beauty and the Beast continues through Sunday, June 11 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. in Columbia.

The show runs seven days a week, with evening and matinee performances. Doors open at 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, for dinner prior to the evening performances, which start at 8 p.m. For Sunday evening performances, which begin at 7 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, there are matinee performances. Doors open for brunch at 10:30 a.m., with shows beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Reservations are required. Ticket prices range from $43.50 (for children under 12) to $62, depending on the performance.

Ticket prices include all-you-can-eat buffet dinner or brunch, tea and coffee.

Toby’s buffet offers something for everyone. Our meal featured shrimp cocktail, prime rib, roast potatoes, a variety of vegetables and salads, and more. Cake and unlimited ice cream are also included.

For more information or to reserve tickets, call 1-800-888-6297 or visit www.tobys dinnertheatre.com.

BEACON BITS

May 5+

COUNTRY NOIR PLAY

Rockville Little Theater presents Book of Days, a country noir play about small-town hypocrisies, religion, greed and lies. Directed by Jeff Mikoni and produced by Jeff McDermott, the show opens Friday, May 5 and runs through Sunday, May 14 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, located at 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville, Md. There will be an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, May 13. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults; $20 for those 62+ and students. For more information or to buy tickets, call (240) 314-8690 or visit https://fscottfitzgerald.showare.com.

May 19

‘70S AND ‘80S MUSIC

The Birchmere is holding a “reunion” of the night clubs Desperado’s and Wax Museum on Friday, May 19 from 7:30 p.m.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, Desperado’s had the best of “roots rock” (soon to be called Americana) and Wax Museum was a showcase for artists of all genres. The show will be headlined by Billy Price, and there will be an All-Star Jam at the night’s end. Tickets cost $25. The Birchmere is located at 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va. For more information, call (703) 549-7500.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Nathalie Stutzmann

Alice Sara Ott

Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade

Mahler’s Second Symphony

Gustavo Gimeno, conductor Paul Jacobs, organ TCHAIKOVSKY C. ROUSE

The Nutcracker Suite No. 1 Organ Concerto (NSO Hechinger co-commission & D.C.

Premiere)

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Golda Schultz, soprano Nathalie Stutzmann, mezzo-soprano The Washington Chorus, Julian Wachner, music director MAHLER

Symphony No. 2

June 1 & 3

Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade

June 3: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

May 11–13 May 11: AfterWords free post-concert discussion May 12 & 13: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony

Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks

Edo de Waart, conductor Alice Sara Ott, piano

Ton Koopman, conductor

M. BATES TCHAIKOVSKY RACHMANINOFF

J.S. BACH HANDEL

Orchestral Suite No. 3 Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 Concerto a due cori No. 3 Music for the Royal Fireworks

Christoph Eschenbach conducts Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Leah Crocetto, soprano J’nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano Joseph Kaiser, tenor Soloman Howard, bass The Choral Arts Society of Washington Scott Tucker, artistic director B. SHENG BEETHOVEN

Zodiac Tales Symphony No. 9

June 15–17 June 16 & 17: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

Garages of the Valley Piano Concerto No. 1 Symphony No. 3

June 8–10 June 8: Free post-concert Organ Postlude by Russell Weismann

The Music of John Williams

May 18–20

Steven Reineke, conductor

May 20: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

From a galaxy far, far away to the magical school of Hogwarts, John Williams’s iconic scores have accompanied moviegoers on epic journeys for decades. In celebration of the acclaimed composer’s 85th birthday year, the NSO Pops and The Choral Arts Society of Washington journey through a selection of music by the most Oscar®-nominated man alive. The entire second half of the program recognizes the 40th anniversary of Star Wars.

COFFEE CONCERT May 19 at 11:30 a.m.

June 22–24

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office.

Groups call (202) 416-8400.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO and have made The Rubenstein Family Organ possible through their extraordinary generosity.

The Blue Series is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2016-2017 NSO Pops Season.

The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Victoria and Roger Sant.

New Artistic Initiatives are funded in honor of Linda and Kenneth Pollin.

Friday morning Coffee Concerts The June 15–17 performances are funded in part by the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts.

NSO Pops: The Music of John Williams is sponsored in part by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.

Join your friends for coffee and a la carte continental breakfast in the KC Café beginning at 10 a.m. before attending the 11:30 concert together!

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

First-time author at 90 dreams of Oscars “First of all, it doesn’t have an army. It’s striving toward peace. It has the University for Peace,” Chavarria said. “It’s a very nature-oriented place — with mountains and beaches, and a lot of nature that the government protects and that the population is very proud of.”

Protecting turtles That helped provide the book’s plot, where city girl Marcia, the daughter of a New York business man, and Ricardo, a native Costa Rican who is an environmental lawyer, fall in love.

Marcia’s father wants to build a resort on the beach, while Ricardo and other Costa Ricans are strongly against this idea,

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saying that cutting down trees, the bright lights, and the building itself will cause ecological systems to fail. Furthermore, the beach the resort is planned to be built on is the site where a nearly extinct species of turtles lay their eggs each year.

Chavarria says she hopes her book will raise awareness and consciousness of the continued need to protect lush, tropical Costa Rica for generations to come.

“I think what was important to me in writing the book and developing the characters was that they all went through transformations,” Chavarria said. “They became very different people from the beginning of the book to the end of the book.”

The book also stems from Chavarria’s own childhood in Santa Barbara, Calif. Living near the beach and the California coastline “was a big influence in my life.

When I was young, I loved the ocean and everything to do with marine life and that environment.”

Chavarria’s friend Edith Billups, an editor, helped get the book ready for publication. It is now available at local Barnes and Noble stores and online. “From page one, I could see that she writes beautifully, and I loved the plot and its emphasis on protecting the environment,” said Billups.

As well as being a published author, Chavarria is a professional potter. When

PHOTO BY EDITH BILLUPS

By Talia Denicoff Seven years ago, Frances Chavarria of Rockville, Md., wrote her first novel, inspired by the 35 years she lived in Costa Rica. But discouraged after an editor criticized it, she put the manuscript away until a friend convinced her to dust if off and self-publish the book.

This spring, Chavarria became a published author — at the age of 90.

Chavarria’s novel, Let Us Dream of Turtles, is based in part on her own experiences. Decades ago, Chavarria and her husband, who was born in Costa Rica, visited his family. There, they both fell in love with the land. They moved to the country after he retired.

Frances Chavarria wrote her first novel, Let Us Dream of Turtles, drawing on her years living in Costa Rica and her interest in its environmental preservation.

her son started junior high school, she decided to go back to school where she majored in art with a specialty in studio ceramics. She has sold her work, and some of her pieces have been displayed in museums.

On to the silver screen?

After hearing the news that her book would be sold at Barnes and Noble, See AUTHOR, page 57

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Author From page 56 Chavarria was “feeling quite encouraged” and has put thought into further pursuing her writing career.

“Maybe I should go on and develop another storyline,” she said. “I am kind of just beginning to think in those terms.”

Billups and Chavarria believe Let Us

Dream of Turtles would make a great movie.

“I am assisting her with finding a screenwriter to look at the book,” said Billups. “She actually is very serious about being on the red carpet at the Oscars!”

Chavarria be signing copies of Let Us Dream of Turtles at 1 p.m. on June 3 at Barnes and Noble, 12089 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md.

BEACON BITS

May 9+

SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCE

Robert Richmond directs Timon of Athens, Shakespeare’s tragic satire about a wealthy aristocrat who loses his fortune and his friends due to his over-generosity. The show explores materialism, money and friendship, and features Helen Hayes Award winner Ian Merrill Peakes in the title role. The show is on stage Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $75.

The show will take place at Folger Shakespeare Library, located at 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.folger.edu/theatre or call (202) 544-7077.

May 18

RIGHTS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

The Chevy Chase (DC) and Georgetown chapters of NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees) is holding a meeting featuring attorney Debra D’Agostino, who will discuss the rights of federal employees. Federal workers are facing unprecedented attacks and restrictions.

Can feds express political opinions? Attend protests? Raise money? Blow the whistle without getting fired? This talk will take place on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. at IONA Senior Services, located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Ann Sulkovsky at (202) 518-2519 or ansul2032@verizon.net.

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BEACON BITS

May 13

CELTIC CONCERT

The second annual Celtic Spring Fling will take place on Saturday, May 13 from 3 to 7 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, located at 8531 Riverside Rd., Alexandria, Va. This family-friendly event will feature games, crafts, food and drink, plenty of music and dance, face painting, corn hole tournament and more. Performers include Ronn McFarlane, who performs from 4 to 5; the Boyle School of Irish Dance, who performs from 5 to 6 p.m.; and Jody Marshall and Andrea Hoag who will close the festival from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Margaret (Peg) Bartel at MBartel@bartelassociates.com or (703) 548-4250.

May 30

KENNEDY FILM SCREENING

The Library of Congress presents a screening of the documentary Primary, which follows Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey as they contend against each other in Wisconsin during the 1960 primary season, on Tuesday, May 30 at noon. The film captures Kennedy’s political charm and appeal in a manner that still is riveting when viewed today. This screening will take place in the Mary Pickford Theater on third floor of the Madison Building at the Library of Congress, located at 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.loc.gov or call (202) 707-2905.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Photo by Atossa Soltani

Image © Ted Spiegel, used with permission

Bandaloop

Skateboarding

Kennedy Center Open House Celebrating JFK at 100 It’s a free, crosscultural festival celebrating the 100th birthday of President Kennedy! Bring your family to explore and experience the performing arts through more than 30 free performances, activities, and events—from music, dance, and theater to street arts and skateboard culture.

FREE! Saturday, May 27, Noon–10 p.m.

Explore more at jfkc.org/openhouse

Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Altria Group, Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Chevron, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Target.

DANCE Bandaloop ● Company E ● FLEXN The Washington Ballet MUSIC National Memorial Day Choral Festival THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES All the Way Live! ● Mouth Open, Story Jump Out PLUS swing dance lessons, a skate park, outdoor music stage, & more!

The 35 Days of Giving Centennial Challenge is your opportunity to play an active role in promoting President Kennedy’s legacy! During the 35 days leading up to President Kennedy’s 100th birthday on May 29, your contributions will be matched two-to-one, helping to raise vital funds to support the Center’s ongoing and future artistic and educational activities. Learn more and get involved at tkc.co/35days

Photo by Dave Metty

Photo by Teresa Wood

All the Way Live!

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Taking a trip back in time to the 1970s Ah, the sainted 1970s. Elvis shakes ished, and I’m sure it occasionally flourished hands with President Nixon. Lava lamps in the backs of conversion vans. But not for and cell phones are invented. everyone. And not for everyone The world endures leisure who owned a conversion van. suits. Vietnam goes away. WaA fanfare, please, for my tergate arrives. dear friend, Arlen. He was the Sounds wild? It was. unluckiest would-be lover I’ve But for my money, the ever known. wildest artifact from the 1970s In the 1970s, he would date was the conversion van. This all the time. He would spend was a plain box of a vehicle that scads of money for fancy dincould be fitted out — and often ners. His flower tab was into was — with an interior that HOW I SEE IT some amazing number of diggave bad taste new meaning. its.

He never stinted on afterBy Bob Levey You could outfit your convershave, haircuts or diets. He sion van with shag carpet. With a stereo looked for all the world like a man who sound system that blasted Janis Joplin at would have no trouble with women. the top of her (very formidable) lungs.

But he did — lots and lots of trouble. As With a special incense holder. With cap- he used to say, “Other guys worry about tain’s chairs. With murals on all four walls. getting from third base to home plate. I’m With multicolored psychedelic curtains. always stuck in the dugout.”

And with a mattress.

So Arlen decided that the key to a This, for many van owners, was the change of fortune was a conversion van. whole point. Their vehicle-of-choice was a I went with him to buy one. He oohed rolling bedroom (or so they hoped). The and ahhed over the tinted windows, the idea was that once you and your best cupholders that were a perfect fit for wine girl decided to “hop in the back,” pyrotech- glasses, the blackout curtain that pulled nics would follow. I have a strong feeling tight all around the rear cargo area. that you know exactly what I mean.

It was a “seduction special,” as he put it.

But I am here to report, some 45 years The salesman wanted to tell Arlen all later, that people were still people way back about horsepower and zero-to-60. He couldthen. Love existed, and occasionally flour- n’t have cared less. He wanted the van not

for what it could do on the road, but for what it could do for him while parked.

Alas, none of it worked.

Lady after lady was invited to visit the interior of Arlen’s fabulous customized van.

Lady after lady said, gee, that’s nice, or gee, that sure is different. But Arlen remained in the dugout, romantically speaking.

So he sold the thing after a year or so, at

a tremendous loss. He blamed the fates.

He blamed General Motors.

Eventually, I’m happy to say, he found a woman who was far more interested in his sense of humor and his solid career arc. They tied the knot and it stayed tied, through a succession of boring Fords.

See BOB LEVEY, page 61

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 60 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

S O P H

O N L Y

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

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

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: SMACK PARCH CATTLE GRISLY Answer: When he joined the dice game, his chances were -- "SHAKY"

T H R I L L E D

W I N E

O P E N

T S E K A Y

O R I O O K E L I R E D

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

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

GET THE FACTS ABOUT

ACTIVE RETIREMENT LIVING

By Stephen Sherr

at Ashby Ponds, Greenspring, or Riderwood.

Call 1-877-575-0231 or visit EricksonLiving.com to request your FREE brochure! See our ad on page 14.

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7. State abbrev. for Columbus moms 8. State abbrev. for Lincoln moms 1. Brief request for help 9. State abbrev. for Salem moms 4. Hi ___!

10. On cloud nine 7. Singer Sean Lennon’s mom 11. ___ and dine 10. The lowest prime number 12. Accepting customers 13. Aboard the lead UFO 14. What a bank robber might say 17. It may be “guilty” 15. One from a multiple birth 18. Sea eagle 16. Some eBay users 19. Church song 20. State abbrev. for Des Moines moms 21. Battery, bond, or baseball classification 22. Martian, on Earth 23. State abbrev. for Harrisburg moms 22. Set one’s sights on 25. Third-person verb suffix in the 24. In poor health King James Bible 25. Swallows swallows 26. “I just solved the mystery” 29. State abbrev. for Baton 27. Add ice cream to pie Rouge moms 28. Having no maternal instincts 30. Dies (as a snowman) 31. Starbucks offering 33. 10 C-notes 32. Pie in the ___ 34. Fail the smell test 36. Pressure-brewed coffee 35. May greeting 37. Still in utero 42. Elementary reader 38. Raw fish dish 50. Dot-based language 39. Feel free to put your mother’s 51. Tel Aviv tenant initials here 52. It parts “a fool”, “his money” 40. Underwater breathing aid 53. Suggestion from thesaurus.com, 41. Baltimore baseballer briefly 42. Advanced degree 54. Star Trek captain’s diary 43. Tiny bit 55. M&M color, absent from 44. Monogram reqs. for Lex Luther 1976 - 1987 and Lois Lane Down 45. Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee 1. One with a GPA 46. Source of the Beverly Hillbillies’ 2. “One night ___!” wealth 3. Rose handle 47. Unit of work in physics 4. State abbrev. for Augusta moms 48. “___ the land of the free ...”

5. Foreboding sign 49. User of a cheaper menu 6. State abbrev. for Jefferson City moms

Across

Jumble answers on p. 59.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Bob Levey From page 59

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

I hadn’t thought about any of this in decades. A few weeks ago, I was having my monthly breakfast with a pal who sells cars. I asked him how business was.

He told me that he was having trouble wooing customers over the age of 55. And then he told me that he has a conversion van on his lot.

It’s just the basic vehicle, mind you, he said. No incense holder. No tinted windows. No rear speakers. But you can add those if you like.

I was enchanted.

“Do you think some Romeo who was born in the 1940s will buy it?,” I asked him.

“No question,” he said.

His prediction came true in less than a week.

A man with white hair came in to kick some tires. He told the salesman that he was 70 years old, and down on his luck with the ladies.

He was entranced by the van. He plunked down $70,000 to buy it. He drove it off the lot with a look in his eyes that said, “No female can resist me now!”

Arlen can tell him how that assertion ends. But in the meantime, my hat is off to this Romeo. He is proving an old saw from the 1970s: The music never dies. Neither does hope.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

WB 5/17

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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 page 63.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

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

Business and Employment Opportunities MAINTENANCE TECH WANTED: We are looking for a full-time Maintenance Technician for Summit Hills Apartment community in Silver Spring. Need skills in electrical, plumbing, carpentry, ceramic tile, drywall/paint, appliances, and masonry. Take calls every 4th week. Live within 15-minute drive from the community. Required: 1 to 2 years experience in apartment maintenance, working knowledge of HVAC, boiler/chiller, convectors, preventative maintenance. www.smc.jobs.

Apply to Req #1415. Position includes a full benefits package! SMC is a EOE and EHO.

Caregivers COLLEGE GRAD WITH DEGREE in literature seeks Caregiver/Companion position. Will accompany to doctors, errands, outings, etc. Responsible and reliable. CPR/First-Aid certified.

240-274-5506.

“A” HOME HEALTH CARE – Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599.

HYGIENE CARE, MEAL PREPARATION, Housekeeping, Errands, Appointments, Medication reminders, Companionship. I’m a loving, experienced, trusted caregiver available for FT/PT or Live-In care for a flat rate. Call 301-490-1146.

CAREGIVER – EXPERIENCED NURSE, available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in. 20 years experience.

301-803-9000 or 240-510-7125.

I AM A CERTIFIED AND LICENSED NURSING assistant caregiver. I am CPR-certified with over twenty years’ experience and looking to care for your loved one in the comfort of their home. I am available, day or night, and I am reasonable and affordable. Please contact Beverly at 301-528-0820.

LICENSED, EXPERIENCED RN seeks private position caring for your loved ones. Sterling references available. Overnight only. If interested, please call Jacqueline at 301-787-3555.

CAREGIVER/COMPANION CARE — Weekends only for your elderly loved one. Experienced w/ Alzheimer’s, loneliness and health challenges. Light housekeeping included. Call Janie at 301-598-3627.

EXPERIENCED CNA/GNA/HHA to take care of your loved one at home. Live-in, live-out hourly duty. I also give massages to help relieve some discomfort. Good references. Call 240-997-5582.

“CARE YOU CAN TRUST AND AFFORD.” Loving, experienced caregiver for companionship, medication reminders, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, Dr. appointments. Full/part-time, flat rate for day or live-in care. One week free. Call 301-490-1146.

M AY 2 0 1 7 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Caregivers

For Sale

Wanted

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A LOVING, CARING, compassionate, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved one? Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call, 301-908-9134.

PARKLAWN MEMORIAL GARDENS. Double-depth plot for two burials. Double vault includes opening and closing of two internments.

Block 30-L, Lot 17, Site 1D/D. Close to road.

Total cost for everything: $8,500. 301-933-0641.

BUYING VIOLINS, COINS, FOUNTAIN PENS – Cash paid. Also guitars, old toys, comics, baseball cards, memorabilia, golf, football, fishing, firearms, swords. Tom, 240-476-3441.

CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com.

LARGE BEANIE COLLECTION — Over 900 in acrylic boxes. Mint condition. Bears mostly.

Cats, dogs, etc. Serious buyers. Sold as collection. 301-984-7584. Leave message and number.

Computer Services

UNIQUE OWL COLLECTION — about 500, varied sizes, unusual compositions, world variety, some wall display boxes, sold as collection only. Serious buyers. 301-984-7584. Leave message and number.

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

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

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

Events

Miscellaneous

DERRICK’S PAINTBRUSH PRESENTS: Mother’s Day Sip and Paint. Spend Mother’s Day with us! Celebrate your mother with music, laughter, a chilled glass of wine and a painting you won’t believe “you” created. There will be games and prizes during intermission. Mother’s Day package deals. $35, Sip and Paint. $50, Sip and Paint plus dinner and complimentary soda and water. $65, Sip and Paint plus dinner, unlimited wine and mixed drinks. Tickets are available online at Eventbrite or http://derrickpaintbrush.com. Any questions, contact Derrick Morgan, 202-270-5941. Event location: 7979 Parston Dr., Forestville, MD 20747.

THANKSGIVING NOVENA TO ST. JUDE. O Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked.

St. Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid.

Amen. Say three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and Glorias. Publication must be promised. This Novena has never been known to fail. I have had my request granted. Publication promised.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate Personal Services LEISURE WORLD® — $299,000. 2BR 2FB “QQ” in Vantage Point East. Open table space kitchen, new paint, master bath with separate tub and shower. 1335 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $185,000. 2BR 2FB “B” in “Overlook.” Fresh paint, golf course view.1035 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $149,000. 2BR 1FB 2HB “Berkeley” coop townhouse. New paint and carpet, enclosed patio with skylights. Move-in ready. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $240,000. 2 BR 2FB “F” in Turnberry Courts, table space kitchen with window, Treetop views, enclosed balcony open to bedroom and living room, 2 walk-in closets. New paint and carpet. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® — $255,000. 2 BR 2FB “EE” in “Overlook.” Open kitchen, enclosed balcony, treetop view, new paint. Move-in ready.

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

ROOMS MONTPELIER/LAUREL: Female, non-smoker, no pets, upstairs, drug free and quiet. Kitchen (own refrigerator), laundry, patio.

1-301-676-3996.

FURNISHED ROOM FOR RENT in private home in Takoma Park, MD on a month-tomonth, shared kitchen and bathroom. Nonsmokers and no pets, seniors preferred. 301-4398017.

SELL YOUR HOUSE FOR A COMMISSION of just $990. Complete full service realtor. Everything included. www.990sellsdulles.com, call Adam Ferguson, Fairfax Realty. 703-727-5861.

LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors.

For Sale 1950s, BARBIE DOLLS, KEN, CASE, lots of clothes. 1920s-1950s old dolls. 1930s games.

1900s baptismal gowns, baby clothes. 1930s girls dresses. Call Char, 301-942-1447.

MASSAGE THERAPY in your home. Prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasms, arthritis pain and stress of affordable price. Call 240-510-7125 for appointments.

PACKING SPECIALIST. DC, MD, VA. Experienced packers, excellent references. We pack kitchen, books, pictures, decorations etc. Packing material available. Wardrobe boxes 50% off.

Sort it out (household goods). Moving in, moving out. Cleaning services 50% off. www.packingamazon.com, packingamazon@gmail.com. Call Carmen Alberto, 571-229-8021.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL? I will help you turn your stories into a published book.

I am a published author. 857-615-0520.

READY TO DE-CLUTTER? Sort, donate, discard. Reasonable rates. Call Jan, 301-933-7570.

NEED A HOME SERVICE, such as house cleaning, yard work, organizing, or decluttering?

How about a home repair? Need errands run?

Call Gloria at 301-775-6022.

Wanted WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, tea sets, single pieces of silver, large pieces of silver plate. Attic, basement, garage. You have something to SELL, we like to BUY. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER JEWELRY. Costume too. Gold and silver coins, paper money, military, crocks, old bottles and jars, etc.

Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

LOOKING FOR A QUIET AND FRIENDLY WOMAN between the ages of 55-70 to share my lovely home in a quiet area of Silver Spring, MD. Must be either vegan or lacto-vegetarian, nonsmoker, and non-drinker. The rent is $600/month including utilities. Call Carol at 301-754-1289.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 279-2158.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, JEWELRY, ESTATES. I have been advertising in the Beacon for 20 years. Montgomery County resident – will travel to D.C., MD, VA. Buying following items: Furniture, art, jewelry, gold, sterling silver, old coins, vintage pocket and wrist watches, old tools, books, camera, military items – guns, rifles, knives, pocket knives, swords etc. Also buying: old toys, dolls, trains, comic books, photographs, autographs, musical instruments, guitars, violins, etc. Also old sports memorabilia and equipment – baseball, golf, football, fishing etc. Please call Tom at 240-476-3441.

CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole estate. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

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

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202-841-3062.

LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgewood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone china cups and saucers, quality dog and cat figurines and sterling silver flatware and hollowware also. 301-785-1129.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-654-0838.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

BEACON BITS

May 22

POETRY READINGS There are free monthly

poetry readings on Monday, May 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Friendship Heights Village Center, located at 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. Poets Jean Nordhaus and Jeneva Stone will read from their work, and an open mic will follow. The evening starts with classical guitar, and includes refreshments.

For more information, call (301) 6562797.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

BEACON BITS

May 7

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES

MAY 7 FLUTE CHOIR

The Woodbridge Flute Choir (WFC) celebrates the 10th anniversary of its artistic director, Debbie Gilbert, with a free performance for the community on Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. at Haymarket Gainesville Community Library. The concert will include some of the director’s favorite pieces over the past ten years, including songs from the choir’s CD Butterfly, Naranjada

by Proust, Melange of Neumes by Stephen Lias, Insomniac Blue by Peter Senchuk, and Memories of East Tennessee by Alan Austin Scott. The library is located at 14870 Lightner Rd., Haymarket, Va. For more information, visit www.woodbridgeflutechoir.org or call (703) 261-9321.

May 7

63

FUNERALS AS LIFE CELEBRATIONS

The Memorial Society of Northern Virginia presents a seminar on funeral planning on Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. Mary Albrethsen, licensed funeral director and embalmer, will discuss current trends in the funeral industry and the concept of “life celebrations.” The meeting will take place in the program building in Rooms 3 & 4 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, located at 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, Va. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ron Brandt at (703) 765-4779 or gronbrandt@gmail.com or visit www.memorialsocietyva.com/Membership.html.

Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

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

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

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

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies CBH Study ...............................25

Computer/ Technology Help

Garden of Remembrance .........33 Going Home Cremation...........56

Government Services

Easy Elder Tech..........................6 JCA .........................................7-9 TechMedic4u..............................6 Our Voice ...................................5

DC Office on Aging ...........30-31 MC311 .....................................46 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services ..........13, 20 Montgomery County Senior Nutrition Line ............16

Dental Services

Home Health Care

Cavallo, Joseph P., DDS...........22 Friedman, Stephen, DDS .........54 Lee Dentistry............................12 Oh, Judy, DDS .........................19

A Second Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Ameristar Healthcare Services 10 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . .18 Holy Cross Home Care and Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Options for Senior America .....52 Shaloom Care Givers ...............21

Events Beacon 50+Expo......................59 City of Fairfax Antique Car Show .................43 JCA Productive Aging Awards ........................36 Montgomery County Summer Concerts ................................13 Seabury Leadership Awards.....54

Financial Services Capital Bank...............................4 Children’s National Hospital .................................33 First Maryland Disability Trust......................32 Jefferson Mortgage ..................33 PENFED Credit Union ............34

Funeral Services Fram Monuments .....................34

Housing Asbury Methodist Village ........24 Ashby Ponds.............................14 Aspenwood Senior Living........16 Bayleigh Chase ........................46 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. .............................17, 23 Buckingham’s Choice ..............46 Chesterbrook Residences .........27 Churchill Senior Living ...........28 Culpepper Garden ....................51 Elms at Clarksburg Village, The ...........................29 Fairhaven ..................................46 Friendship Terrace....................22 Gardens of Traville, The...........36 Greenspring..............................14 Homecrest House .....................48

Kensington Park.......................35 Landow House .........................52 Olney Assisted Living..............20 Overture Fair Ridge..................21 Park View .................................49 Quantum Property Mgmt............37 Ranier Manor...............................26 Residences at Thomas Circle, The ..................26 Riderwood................................14 Ring House...............................47 Springvale Terrace....................22 Tall Oaks ..................................10 Victory Terrace.........................28 Vinson Hall ..............................29 Waltonwood .............................39

Weichert/Sue Heyman..............39

Restaurants Original Pancake House...........57

Retail/Auction Dan Kugler Design Center..38, 64 Quingo Scooter ........................40 Quinn’s Auction Galleries ........47

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Communicare Health ...............24 HealthSouth Rehab Hospital....12 Manor Care Health Services ....18 Village at Rockville, The .........27

Legal Services

Subscriptions

Law Firm of Evan Farr.............34 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ...37

Beacon Subscription ................61 Washington Jewish Week.........48

Medical/Health

Theatre/ Entertainment

Holy Cross Hospital ...................3 I Hate Knee Pain ......................11 Medical Eye Center..................48 River Medical Group ...............19 Silver Spring Medical Center...14 Vascular Institute of Virginia ...15

Ford’s Theatre...........................50 Kennedy Center ...........53, 55, 58 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ..............50 US Air Force Band ...................51 US Navy Band .........................51

Miscellaneous

Tour & Travel

Oasis Senior Advisors ..............32 Senior Zone..............................56

Eyre Travel ...............................44 Festive Holidays .......................44 Nexus Holidays ........................45 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club ....45 Travel West Virginia.................44 Tripper Bus ..............................47 US Navy Memorial ..................43 Vamoose...................................45

Real Estate Jim Miller.................................11 Long & Foster/Eric Stewart ..41,57 Long & Foster/Inderjeet Jumani ...................................46

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