September 2010 | DC Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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VOL.22, NO.9

Actors find family comes first

Baltimore beginnings Tucker grew up in a large extended family in Baltimore. His mother was one of seven children — his father one of 15 — and they owned a kosher butcher shop.

SEPTEMBER 2010

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PHOTO BY BEN STROTHMANN

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

New Orleans endures and entices; plus, Easton’s lively arts scene near the Maryland shore, and figuring gratuities abroad page 39

ARTS & STYLE

Marsha Mason arrives to perform Shakespeare; plus, a former lawyer finds he has a flair for film, and Bob Levey is wistful for Hank Aaron page 53 Actors Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, together with their grown children Alison and Max, help care for Eikenberry’s mother, Lora, who has dementia. The couple will speak about caregiving and autograph Tucker’s new book, Family Meals, at the Beacon’s InfoExpo on Oct. 10 at White Flint.

When Tucker’s grandfather died after the birth of his 15th child, Grandma Tucker picked up the pieces, ran the shop and raised the kids. “There were always uncles and aunts, grandparents and cousins around the house,” recalled Tucker in a recent interview with the Beacon, speaking from his Upper West Side apartment in New York. But like many of his generation, Tucker added, he “rebelled” against this family model. Tucker, Eikenberry and their two children, Alison and Max, were like many modern American families “spread out all over the country, pursuing our own lives.” Tucker got his acting start in Baltimore,

and then was off to Carnegie Institute of Technology’s well-regarded drama school “to do it for real,” acting having always been his career goal. Tucker’s theater credits range from regional theater to Broadway. He has also appeared in such films as Woody Allen’s Radio Days and The Purple Rose of Cairo, fellow Baltimorean Barry Levinson’s Diner and Tin Men, Paul Mazursky’s An Unmarried Woman, and Lina Wertmuller’s A Night Full of Rain, to name just a few. Most recently, he starred in Based on a Totally True Story, at Manhattan Theatre Club. See ACTORS, page 56

FITNESS & HEALTH k Too many tests in the ER? k Diabetes myths and facts

LAW & MONEY 26 k Decent returns with less risk k Social Security’s politics VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Hats off to a milliner

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

LIFETIMES k From the Charles E. Smith Life Communities

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

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

We are proud to count among this year’s Community Partners and Exhibitors: AARP Maryland AARP Virginia Access Design Alexandria Department of Aging Alexandria YMCA Alfred House Eldercare Arden Courts of Annandale Arden Courts of Fair Oaks Arden Courts of Potomac Arlington County Area Agency on Aging Arlington Employment Center Arlington Mill Community Center Arlington Public Library Ashton Care Inc. Asbury Methodist Village Aspenwood Senior LIving Aurora Hills Senior Center Bailey's Senior Center BeClose Bethany House B’nai Brith Homecrest House Bravo Health CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Carol's Care Assisted Living Cavalier Apartments Charles Houston Senior Center Charter House Chesterbrook Residences Chevy Chase House Chinquapin Park Community Center Churchill Senior Living City of Alexandria Libraries City of Fairfax Senior Center Claridge House Classic Residence by Hyatt

Closet Factory County of Fairfax - Senior Housing Culpepper Garden Senior Center CVS/pharmacy David R. Pinn Senior Center Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging Fairfax Department of Community and Rec. Services Forever Young TV Fox Hill Franklin Apartments Gaithersburg Upcounty Senior Center Garden of Remembrance Genworth Financial Grace Presbyterian Church Groveton Senior Center Gutter Helmet Systems Hampshire Village Hermitage of NOVA Holiday Park Senior Center Hollin Hall Senior Center Holy Cross Hospital Humana Ingleside at King Farm Interages The Jefferson Jewish Council for the Aging Kaiser Permanente Kensington Park Retirement Community Kentlands Manor Knollwood Langston Brown Senior Center League of Women Voters Lee Senior Center Lewinsville Senior Center

Liberty Grove at Manassas Lifelong Learning Institute, Montgomery College Lincolnia Senior Center Little River Glen Senior Center Lockwood House Long Branch Senior Center Lorton Senior Center Madison Senior Center Margaret Schweinhart Senior Center Maryland Insurance Administration Montgomery County Aging & Disability Montgomery County Volunteer Center/RSVP Montpelier Arts Center/M-NCPPC National Active and Retired Federal Employees of Fairfax Nightingale House The Pavilion on the Park Pimmit Hills Senior Center Prevention of Blindness Society Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna Sonus Hearing Care Springhouse of Bethesda Springhouse of Silver Spring St. Martin de Porres Senior Center Sully Senior Center Top Banana Home-Delivered Groceries Town of Garrett Park Vinson Hall The Virginian Wakefield Senior Center Virginia Hospital Center Walter Reed Senior Center Washington National Opera

We thank all our partners and exhibitors! If you would like to become a Community Partner and/or Exhibitor at this year’s events, please call (301) 949-9766 TODAY!

Featured entertainment: “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” – performing Sinatra and swing favorites, with Rick on keyboard and Adelaide at the mike.

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

FREE AT TWO LOCATIONS Over 50 or love som eone who is?

Bob Ryan

JC Hayward

Michael Tucker & Jill Eikenberry

WJLA 7 Meteorologist

WUSA 9 Anchor

Authors and Stars of Stage and Screen

Ballston Common Mall

White Flint

Arlington, VA Sunday, October 3 Noon – 4 p.m.

N. Bethesda, MD Sunday, October 10 Noon – 4 p.m.

With special guests JC Hayward and Bob Ryan

With special guests JC Hayward, Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry

INFORMATIVE EXHIBITS CELEBRITY SPEAKERS HEALTH SCREENINGS ENTERTAINMENT • GIVEAWAYS Win round-trip Acela Express tickets to NYC Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry transportation provided by Amtrak

To exhibit, sponsor, volunteer, or for more information, call 301-949-9766. GOLD SPONSORS

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

Make your vote count As I write this, we are just weeks away ability departments — will find their dedifrom this year’s potentially momentous cated programs crowded out by other deelections. mands if spread among a vaFor some time now, candiriety of health and social weldates for county and statewide fare agencies. positions, and their supportI tell candidates I raise this ers, have been knocking on both as publisher of the Beadoors in my neighborhood, con and chair of the Marysometimes stopping by more land Commission on Aging. than once, to discuss their poTwo years ago, the numsitions, invite discussion and ber of Marylanders 65 and ask for votes. over hit 1 million, and the When they’ve asked me if I FROM THE total is growing fast. Virhave any particular issues I’d PUBLISHER ginia’s older population is like to discuss, I always raise By Stuart P. Rosenthal growing even faster in Fairthis one: In this period of defax and Loudoun counties. clining revenues and tight budgets, how The vast majority of this area’s older strong is your support of local and state adults are healthy and actively engaged in programs that assist low-income seniors taking care of their own needs. They “give and persons with disabilities? back” by helping their families and comFurthermore, in the effort to make gov- munities. ernments more efficient (which in general But, naturally, a rising number are also I support), I ask if candidates are opposed in need of assistance over time. And curto, or in favor of, moves being made or sug- rent political and fiscal realities, I fear, are gested throughout the area to close down conspiring against planning for and adagencies and departments “of aging” and dressing this growing need. divide up their responsibilities among A small fraction of federal, state and other offices? local budgets is dedicated to programs for I’m concerned that older adults — our the aging, even as this population is poised fastest-growing age group, which only in to explode. I believe our politicians need to recent years has obtained a governmental start facing this fact and prepare to adpresence in the form of aging and/or dis- dress it.

Beacon

As I’ve said before, the demographic reality we face is not a tsunami or even a wave. It’s more of a tide: a mathematically calculable, completely predictable increase for which we can readily prepare — if we have the courage to do so. I urge you to make this point to your local, state and national representatives and senators, and to cast your vote this election year in a way to make your voice heard. By the way, if you picked up this copy of the Beacon anywhere in Montgomery County, you will find inserted the excellent Primary Election Voters’ Guide produced by the Montgomery County League of Women Voters and published by the Beacon. Next month, you will find the General Election Voters’ Guide in our Montgomery County copies. The League has offices in jurisdictions throughout the Greater Washington area. I encourage you to become familiar with them and their helpful materials. And, of course, don’t forget to vote!

Join us at the Expo I want to invite all readers to participate in the Beacon’s annual InfoExpo events taking place in early October. These free events combine health screenings, celebrity speakers, live entertainment and giveaways with useful information from government agencies, nonprofits and local businesses. Mark your calendars for Sunday, Oct. 3, for our InfoExpo at Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va., and for Sunday, Oct. 10, for our InfoExpo at White Flint in N. Bethesda, Md. Read more about these events inside this issue. Come and bring your friends and family. And those who would like to exhibit are welcome to call us at (301) 949-9766 for more information. Space is limited, but currently still available. I hope to see you there!

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.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain residents of the greater Washington D.C. and Greater Baltimore areas, and is privately owned. Readership exceeds 300,000. Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. residents: add 5.75 percent for sales tax; MD residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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CIRCULATION AUDITED BY

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ..........................................Kristian Dixon, Ron Manno • Staff Writer ..................................................Delia Sava

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The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • E-mail: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 61 for classified advertising details. Please mail or e-mail all submissions. © Copyright 2010 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

Dear Editor: Reference is made to the August Beacon “Letters to the editor” in which Dear Pharmacist columnist Suzy Cohen responds to a letter by Anthony B. Mauger. That this dialog appears in the Beacon, which targets to a great extent a vulnerable population (the aged and those with deteriorating or unusual health concerns) reflects a clear-cut case of poor judgment on the part the Beacon’s editors. Mr. Mauger’s statement that “[prescription] medicines have been rigorously tested for approval by the FDA as safe and effective” is essentially correct. In the absence of providing a rational response to Mr. Mauger’s letter, Ms Cohen chooses to put him down by flaunting her so-called training, which in no way responds to Mr. Mauger’s allegation that she “routinely recommends herbal “remedies.” Unable to control her emotions, she goes into an attack on the drug industry, takes shots at the scientific process, makes a factually incorrect statement about the safety of U.S.-approved drugs, and makes an uncivil and abominable remark, “An approved drug will get recalled when enough people die.” The drug approval system in the U.S. is emulated throughout the developed world as providing safe and effective drugs for human use. The Beacon is a highly regarded publi-

cation throughout our area, an icon! It’s everywhere. It should stand out as a virtual authority in providing “peer reviewed” authenticity in its content on health issues. Col. Sammie R. Young USAF Medical Service (retired) and Senior FDA official (retired) Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: My suggestions for Social Security: Take money from all full- time workers, including government workers up to the U.S. President. Remove the upper income limit for contributions. All income should be taxed. Do not make COLAs automatic, regardless of inflation. If the economy can’t accommodate a COLA in a particular year, don’t give one. Many of us who are retired, including myself and many friends, find ourselves helping out-of-work or marginally employed relatives. Many have had older children move back home. Many “hire” them to help with chores, grant them loans, or just give funds to them for rent, utilities, etc. Also, many charities are losing donations. Most of the seniors I know contribute what we can to help feed others, help with medical needs, etc. Raising our taxes will have a domino effect on others. Do not raise the retirement age: Raising the retirement age is unfair to those who See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 60

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

Living Well Series Resumes with Fall Seminars B

rooke Grove Retirement Village (BGRV) will resume its Living Well Community Seminar Series in September, according to Director of Marketing Toni Davis. Designed to help participants navigate a variety of financial, healthcare and personal challenges, each of these free, monthly presentations will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the terrace level conference room of Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Each seminar will be preceded by a complimentary lite supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. They are open to the general community as well as to members of the BGRV family. Michael Patterson, founder of mindRAMP & Associates and chair of the Research Committee for the National Center for Creative Aging, will kick off the fall series of seminars with “The Power and Potential of the Mature Mind” on Wednesday, September 22. New discoveries in brain research are forcing scientists to rethink longheld assumptions about the power and potential of aging brains. Mr. Patterson will explain — in plain language — what current neuroscience research has to say about the incredible “plasticity” of mature minds and what we can do to keep our brains healthy and vital. On Wednesday, October 20, Brooke Grove Foundation Medical Director Ted Howe, M.D., C.M.D., will present “To Be or Not to Be: Healthcare Decisions Involving Quantity and Quality of Life.” Discussion will center on medical and legal issues surrounding advance directives, living wills and surrogate decision makers and will address questions such as “What are the choices? How does one ensure that

one’s wishes will be followed?” Leta Blank, program director of the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program, will take the podium on Wednesday, November 10, to discuss “Medicare 2011: What You Need to Know to Get the Best Benefits from Medicare and Its Prescription Drug Program.” Participants will learn the answers to questions such as “What does Medicare A and B cover? Do I need Part C? How does Medicare Part D (the prescription drug program) work? Medicare doesn’t pay for everything, so what else do I need?” Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is located at 18131 Slade School Road on BGRV’s Sandy Spring, Maryland, campus. For further information and reservations, contact Toni Davis at 301-924-2811, option 3, or tdavis@bgf.org by the Monday prior to each seminar.

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I would like to know more about The Cottages independent living. I would like to know more about assisted living. I would like to know more about rehabilitative and long-term care services. Please reserve my seat for the September 22 seminar on "The Power and Potential of the Mature Mind." Please reserve my seat for the October 20 seminar entitled "To Be or Not to Be: Healthcare Decisions Involving Quantity and Quality of Life." Please reserve my seat for the November 10 seminar on "Medicare 2011."

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Please mail this coupon to: Brooke Grove Retirement Village, Attn: Community Relations, 18100 Slade School Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860. Phone: 301-924-2811. Fax: 301-924-1200. Web: www.bgf.org

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

Health Fitness &

FLU SHOT PATCH A patch may soon be used to deliver flu vaccine painlessly WEAK AT THE KNEES? Knee replacement surgery improves life; plus knee care tips GARDEN-VARIETY IDEAS How to simplify your gardening, and protect your body, as you age MORE GAIN, LESS PAIN Ten minutes of brisk exercise can have positive effects that last an hour

Are ER tests too much of a good thing? By Lindsey Tanner Fast decisions on life-and-death cases are the bread and butter of hospital emergency rooms. Nowhere do doctors face greater pressures to overtest and overtreat. The fear of missing something weighs heavily on every doctor’s mind. But the stakes are highest in the ER, and that fear often leads to extra blood tests and imaging scans for what may be harmless chest pains, run-of-the-mill head bumps and nonthreatening stomachaches. Many ER doctors say the No. 1 reason is fear of malpractice lawsuits. “It has everything to do with it,” said Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. The fast ER pace plays a role, too: It’s much quicker to order a test than to ask a patient lots of questions to make sure that the test is really needed. “It takes time to explain pros and cons. Doctors like to check a box that orders a

CT scan and go on to the next patient,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kline, an emergency physician at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Patients want definitive diagnoses Patients’ demands drive overtesting, too. Many think every ache and pain deserves a high-tech test. “Our society puts more weight on technology than on physical exams,” Gardner said. “In other words, why would you believe a doctor who only examines you when you can get an X-ray that can tell something for sure?” Refusing those demands creates unhappy patients. And concern that unhappy patients will sue remains the elephant in the emergency room. ER physicians are among the top 10 specialists most likely to be sued for malpractice, according to leading doctor and insurers groups.

The Physicians Insurers Association of America, which represents almost twothirds of private practice doctors, lists more than 600 lawsuits against ER doctors nationwide between 2006-08. That’s about 3 percent of their clients. In a busy emergency room, “when all hell is breaking loose, not a lot of doctors feel they can take the time to sit down with the patient” and build rapport, said Texas family physician Dr. Howard Brody, an outspoken critic of excessive medical care. The result can be extra costs, as well as potential harm — including side effects from unneeded drugs and increased chances for future cancer from excessive radiation. No one tells patients after a CT scan that the test “just imparted three years of radiation to your body as well as significant stress on your kidney, and Medicare just got charged lots of money,” Kline said. Gardner, who works in a Dallas emer-

gency room, said she tries to talk patients out of tests she thinks they don’t need, but usually without success.

Is it harmless or serious? There are more than 116 million ER visits each year nationwide, national data suggest, and research suggests the number of visits is rising. The most common reasons adults go to emergency departments are abdominal or chest pain. Both can mean something harmless — or deadly. To determine which it is, ER doctors turn to X-rays, CT scans and other imaging tests. In 2006, these were done for almost half of all emergency visits; blood tests were ordered for more than a third of ER visits; medicine, including antibiotics, was given to 75 percent of patients. One of doctors’ biggest concerns with See OVERTESTING, page 9

Common misconceptions about diabetes By January W. Payne Every day, more than 4,000 adults are diagnosed with diabetes and about 200 people die from the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to figures released last year, nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes. It’s one of the major causes of heart disease, stroke, new cases of adult blindness, and leg and foot amputations not caused by injury. Those are facts. Yet there are many mistaken beliefs about diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently surveyed more than 2,000 Americans about the most common ones. Sue McLaughlin, president of healthcare and education at the ADA, offered her opinion of what she said are the six most common myths and misconceptions about diabetes: 1. Diabetes is not that serious. In fact, diabetes causes more deaths than breast cancer and HIV/AIDS combined, McLaughlin said. Still, people with type 2 diabetes — the most common form of the disease — may go a long while, even years, before being diagnosed because

they may downplay their symptoms or write them off to other causes. So if you’re making frequent trips to the bathroom at night; experience extreme thirst, overwhelming fatigue, or blurry vision; or notice that you keep getting infections, ask your doctor to test you for diabetes. An early diagnosis can help ward off complications. 2. Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. “Certainly, anybody will benefit from eating less sugar because it is not a nutrient-dense ingredient,” McLaughlin said. That said, simply eating too much sugar does not cause diabetes. 3. Being over weight causes diabetes. Just because a person gains weight doesn’t mean she’s going to get type 2 diabetes. Having a body mass index over 25 is just one of several risk factors for diabetes, but there are many overweight people who don’t get the disease, McLaughlin said. Still, being obese — having a body mass index of 35 or more — is considered to be a major risk factor, and the increase seen in diabetes diagnoses has coincided with a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States, according to the CDC.

Other risk factors for diabetes include being older than 45, a lack of regular physical activity, or a family history of diabetes. You’re also at risk if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome, metabolic syndrome, or acanthosis nigricans (a condition that causes dark, thickened skin around the armpits or the neck). Having suffered from gestational diabetes during pregnancy or given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds also raises the risk of the disease. And AfricanAmericans, Hispanic Americans, AsianAmericans, and American Indians are at higher risk than are Caucasians. 4. Having diabetes means you must eat foods that are different from everyone else’s. People with diabetes don’t need to follow a restricted diet, but instead should try to follow the same healthful eating guidelines as everyone else, including choosing foods that are lower in fat, higher in nutrients, and contain an appropriate amount of calories, McLaughlin said. “Everyone needs to be eating healthier. And if you haven’t followed healthy eating habits before now, [a diagnosis] is a good

wake-up call to make positive changes,” McLaughlin noted. 5. A diabetes diagnosis means you automatically need insulin. That’s the case with type 1 diabetes but not with type 2 diabetes. In some cases, proper diet, exercise and oral medications, if needed, can keep type 2 diabetes under control for some time before insulin becomes necessary, McLaughlin said. The key is to make a lifestyle change. That means no smoking, more healthful eating habits, and regular exercise. 6. Only older people get diabetes. These days, children as young as age 5 are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, McLaughlin said. “It used to be that kids just got type 1 diabetes,” which is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes, she said. But now the split between type 1 and type 2 in people under 18 is about 60-40. To help prevent diabetes in children, parents should try to encourage good habits for the entire family. That means less video game and TV time, more physical activity, less junk food, and smaller portions. © 2010 U.S. News and World Report

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Petzel makes clear that a VA doctor could reserve the right to modify a veteran’s treatment plan if there were risks of a bad interaction with other drugs. “If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management” in a VA facility, Petzel wrote. “The discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds.” Opioids are narcotic painkillers, and include morphine, oxycodone and methadone. Under the previous policy, local VA clinics in some of the 14 states, such as Michigan, had opted to allow the use of medical marijuana because there is no rule explicSee MEDICAL MARIJUANA, page 8

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Check the boxes of communities from whom you would like to receive information and mail or fax this form. Washington D.C. ❏Friendship Terrace (See ad on page 16) ❏Methodist Home of D.C. (See ad on page 40) ❏St. Mary’s Court (See ad on page 7)

Maryland ❏Asbury Methodist Village (See ad on page 13) ❏Brooke Grove (See ad on page 5) ❏Charter House (See ad on page 27) ❏Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 40) ❏Country Meadows (See ad on page 59) ❏Covenant Village (See ad on page 57) ❏Emerson House (See ad on page 57) ❏Homecrest House (See ad on page 41) ❏Kensington Park (See ad on page 8) ❏National Lutheran Home/Village (See ad on page 43) ❏Park View at Bladensburg (See ad on page 24) ❏Park View at Columbia (See ad on page 24) ❏Park View at Ellicott City (See ad on page 24) ❏Park View at Laurel (See ad on page 24) ❏Renaissance Gardens Riderwood (See ad on page 15) ❏The Residence on Greenbelt (See ad on page 15) ❏Riderwood Village (See ad on page 10) ❏Shriner Court (See ad on page 57) ❏Victory Forest (See ad on page 16) ❏Willow Manor (See ad on page 19)

Virginia ❏Chesterbrook Residences (See ad on page 25) ❏Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 8) ❏Greenspring Village (See ad on page 10) ❏Kendrick Court (See ad on page 25) ❏Olley Glen Retirement Community (See ad on page 9) ❏Quantum Affordable Apts. (See ad on page 57) ❏Renaissance Gardens Greenspring (See ad on page 15) ❏Sommerset (See ad on page 23) ❏The Virginian (See ad on back page)

Please take a moment to answer these questions: When are you thinking of moving? ❏ immediately ❏ within 6 months ❏ within a year ❏ just looking What type of housing are you interested in? ❏ market-rate apartment or condo ❏ limited income active retirement ❏ market rate active retirement ❏ assisted living ❏ continuing care retirement community Name________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ City______________________________________State______Zip________________ Phone (day)__________________________(evening)_________________________ E-mail_________________________________________________________________

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The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law. But it will now make clear that in the 14 states where state and federal law are in conflict, VA clinics generally will allow the use of medical marijuana by veterans already taking it under other clinicians. “For years, there have been veterans coming back from the Iraq war who needed medical marijuana and had to decide whether they were willing to cut down on their VA medications,” said John Targowski, a legal adviser to the group Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, which worked with the VA on the issue.

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Targowski in an interview said that confusion over the government’s policy might have led some veterans to distrust their doctors or avoid the VA system. Dr. Robert A. Petzel, the VA’s undersecretary for health, sent a letter to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access in July that spells out the department’s policy, and the guidelines are being distributed to the VA’s 900 care facilities around the country.

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By Hope Yen Patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it’s legal, which include Maryland and the District of Columbia, according to new federal guidelines. The directive from the Veterans Affairs Department is intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs. Veterans groups have complained for years that this could bar veterans from VA benefits if they were caught using medical marijuana.

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Fitness & Health

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

BEACON BITS

Medical marijuana

Sept. 11

From page 7

FREE HEALTH FAIR

A community health fair, with a panel discussion, informational material, health screenings and examinations will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 to 3 p.m. at Evangel Assembly, 5900 Old Branch Ave., Temple Hills, Md. For more information, call the church office at (301) 899-5940 or visit www.eagcs.org.

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itly prohibiting them from doing so. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, in addition to Maryland and the District of Columbia, states with medical marijuana laws are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexi-

co, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Jersey also recently passed a medical marijuana law, which is scheduled to be implemented next January. For more information, visit the website of the Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access: www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

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Overtesting From page 6 belly pain is appendicitis, and CT scans can confirm it. But the scans often are done in patients without classic symptoms. Patients with suspicious abdominal pain used to go straight into the operating room, where surgeons opened them up to find appendicitis — or rule it out. Dr. Angela Mills of the University of Pennsylvania said CT scans have reduced unnecessary surgeries, “but I think the pendulum has gone to the other side.” The trade-off is fewer surgeries and hospitalizations versus a test that costs several hundred dollars but involves lots of radiation. Mills is studying a blood test that would detect a marker for appendix inflammation, which might avoid the need for CT scans and would be safer and cheaper, too.

A test case for a lawsuit Missed heart attacks like Stacy Meaux’s are the top reason patients sue emergency doctors The 41-year-old Texas woman sought emergency treatment for chest pain at Christus St. Mary Hospital in Port Arthur, Texas, but doctors didn’t think it was heart-related and sent her home. She fell dead of a heart attack several hours later. Her family won a malpractice lawsuit in January. Meaux was overweight, with high blood

pressure and diabetes when she died Oct. 3, 2007. Doctors did two electrocardiograms — a heart test using little sensors placed on the chest and elsewhere. They also checked Meaux’s blood pressure, but skipped other heart tests, and sent her home with medicine for high blood pressure and asthma-like symptoms, court documents show. A jury found Meaux’s doctor and the hospital negligent and awarded her family more than $1 million in damages. A hospital spokesman said he couldn’t comment because the hospital is appealing the verdict. Not surprisingly, Meaux’s mother, Mary Ann Licatino, isn’t so worried about ER overtesting. “I just don’t have any faith in emergency rooms, because I lost a daughter,” Licatino said. “They’re not doing enough.” However, as many as 95 percent of ER patients with chest pain aren’t having a heart attack, so it’s more typical that doctors go overboard with testing. “Often we are testing for that 5 percent,” said Dr. Rahul Khare, an emergency physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Patients with suspected heart attacks often get the range of what the ER offers, from multiple blood tests that can quickly add up in cost, to X-rays and EKGs, to costly CT scans, which are becoming routine in some hospital ERs for diagnosing heart attacks.

Costs vary. At Northwestern, a heart CT scan runs roughly $900, Khare said. Add bloodwork, chest X-ray and EKGs and the total easily approaches $2,000. And the battery of testing may be paying off: A few decades ago insurance statistics showed that about 5 percent of heart attacks were missed in the emergency room. Now it’s well under 1 percent, said

Dr. Robert Bitterman, head of the American College of Emergency Physicians’ medical-legal committee. “But you still get sued if you miss them,” Bitterman added. For online national ER data go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr007.pd f and the American College of Emergency — AP Physicians at www.acep.org.

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Fitness & Health

Health Shorts Flu vaccine patch in development One day your annual flu shot could come in the mail. At least that’s the hope of researchers developing a new method of vaccine delivery that people could even use at home: a patch with microneedles. Microneedles are so small you don’t even feel them. Attached to a patch like a Band-Aid, they barely penetrate the skin before they dissolve and release their vaccine. The business side of the patch feels like

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

fine sandpaper. In tests of microneedles without vaccine, people rated the discomfort at one-tenth to one-twentieth that of getting a standard injection. Nearly everyone said it was painless. Some medications are already delivered by patches, such as nicotine patches for people trying to quit smoking. That’s simply absorbed through the skin. But attempts to develop patches with the flu vaccine absorbed through the skin have not been successful so far. In this patch, the vaccine is still, technically, injected. But the needles are so small that they don’t hurt, and it doesn’t take any special training to administer. So two problems are solved right away — fear of needles, and disposal of leftover hypodermic needles. The patch is placed on the skin and left for five to 15 minutes.

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The little needles are 650 microns (threehundredths of an inch) in length. “The goal has been a means to administer the vaccine that is patient friendly,” said Mark R. Prausnitz of Georgia Tech, who is leading the research. That means “not only not hurting or looking scary, but that patients could self-administer,” he said, and people would be more likely to get the flu vaccine. The patch, which has been tested on mice, was developed in collaboration by researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Prausnitz said. The researchers are now seeking funds to begin tests in people and, if all goes well, the patch could be in use in five years, he said. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

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U.S. health officials at the FDA have approved a first-of-its-kind technology to counter a leading cause of blindness in older adults — a tiny telescope implanted inside the eye. The Implantable Miniature Telescope

aims to help in the end stages of incurable age-related macular degeneration, a creeping loss of central vision that blocks reading, watching TV, eventually even recognizing faces. The idea: Surgically insert the Implantable Miniature Telescope into one eye for better central vision, while leaving the other eye alone to provide peripheral vision. The brain must fuse two views into a single image, and the FDA warned that patients need post-surgery rehabilitation to make it work. There’s little to help such advanced patients today aside from difficult-to-use handheld or glasses-mounted telescopes, while the new implanted telescope — smaller than a pea — can improve quality of life for the right candidate, said Dr. Malvina Eydelman, FDA’s ophthalmic devices chief. But it’s only for a subset of the nearly 2 million Americans with advanced macular degeneration, Eydelman warned: Those 75 and older, with a certain degree of vision loss, who also need a cataract removed. In fact, the FDA took the highly unusual step of requiring that patients and their surgeons sign a detailed “acceptance of risk agreement” before surgery, acknowlSee HEALTH SHORTS, page 11

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WOMEN’S HEALTH SEMINAR Find out more about how the scientific understanding of women’s

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health, and of the medical differences between men and women, has changed over the years in a free, day-long symposium hosted by the National Institutes of Health. The event takes place on Monday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and includes a reception. For more information, contact (301) 402-1770 or visit www.orwh.od.nih.gov.

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Health Shorts From page 10 edging potential side effects — including corneal damage and worsened vision — and the need for lots of testing to determine who’s a candidate. In a 219-patient study, the FDA said 90 percent of telescope recipients had their vision improve by at least two lines on an eye chart, and three-quarters went from severe to moderate vision impairment. Concern about damage to the inside lining of the cornea, the eye’s clear front covering that helps focus light, held up FDA approval for several years. In that study, 10 eyes had serious corneal swelling, five that required corneal transplants. The telescope’s developer, VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, of Saratoga, Calif., is seeking Medicare coverage for the surgery and rehab costs, a package that it calls CentraSight. The company wouldn’t estimate total costs, but said the device itself costs $15,000. For more information from VisionCare about the device, go to www.centrasight.com.

New bonestrengthening drug for women The FDA has approved Amgen’s new

bone strengthening drug, Prolia, for postmenopausal women at risk for fractures. It’s a potential blockbuster market. The injectable drug is given once every six months to increase bone mass and strength. Pill-based osteoporosis drugs, such as Fosamax and Zometa, have been available for more than a decade. But Amgen Executive Vice President Dr. Roger Perlmutter said many women can’t tolerate those drugs or have trouble remembering to take a daily medication. Amgen said in a statement that Prolia is the first drug to target a cellular pathway that breaks down bones. One out of every two women over age 50 will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis, which causes bones to become brittle, according to an FDA statement. FDA approved the drug based on a 7,000 patient study conducted by Amgen that showed reduced vertebrae and hip fractures in postmenopausal women. In pre-approval studies, more than 5 percent of the those taking Prolia experienced such side effects as back pain, high cholesterol and urinary bladder infections. Like some other osteoporosis drugs that suppress bone turnover, Prolia can also lead to osteonecrosis of the jaw, a severe bone disease Amgen will be required to distribute patient guides explaining the drug’s risks.

Global sales of osteoporosis treatments topped $8 billion last year, including hundreds of vitamin brands and drugs like GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Boniva and Merck & Co. Inc.’s Fosamax. With eight other pills and injectable

medicines on the market, analysts say Prolia’s success likely will hinge on its price. Prolia will cost $825 per injection, which Amgen says is competitive with existing treatments. — AP

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11th annual InfoExpo in both N. Va. and Md. By Barbara Ruben Next month, the Beacon newspapers will present the 11th annual InfoExpo — a fun and free community education program — at two locations in Maryland and Virginia. The half-day InfoExpo programs combine well-known speakers with informative exhibits, health screenings, computer education, entertainment and giveaways — all geared to people over 50 and those who love them. On Sunday, Oct. 3, the expo will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on the upper level of Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va. The following Sunday, Oct. 10, the expo will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on both the main and upper levels of White Flint Mall in N. Bethesda, Md. Continuing this year at both locations will be a resource fair of government and nonprofit agencies, arranged with the assistance of Montgomery and Arlington

counties.

Prominent speakers At the Ballston Mall expo on Oct. 3, ABC7 meteorologist Bob Ryan will speak about his long career on local television stations and his experiences predicting Washington’s mercurial weather. After his 1 p.m. presentation, he will be greeting attendees and signing autographs. At the White Flint location on Oct. 10, actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, who starred together in “L.A. Law,” will speak about their experiences with family caregiving. (See this issue’s cover story for an interview with the actors.) The “Tuckerberrys” will speak at the auditorium inside Dave & Buster’s, located on the top level of White Flint. Due to limited seating (approximately 200), their live presentation at 1 p.m. will be taped and shown in the same auditorium for a second viewing at 2:30 p.m.

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They will be speaking about Tucker’s recent book, Family Meals, which describes the family’s experiences caring for Jill’s mother. The book will be available for sale at a discounted price, and the speakers will be autographing purchased copies after their presentation. Veteran television news broadcaster JC Hayward, who anchors WUSA 9’s weekday noon newscasts, will emcee the programs at both locations. Free blood pressure and glaucoma tests will be available at both locations, along with osteoporosis screenings at White Flint. “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” will be entertaining at both locations. The duo will perform Sinatra and swing favorites, with Rick on keyboard and Adelaide at the mike. Dozens of local companies and organizations will be exhibiting at the two shows — including healthcare providers, housing communities, legal and financial advisors, travel services, plus many government agencies and non-profit organizations offering services for older adults and their families. In addition, at White Flint, three free introductory computer classes will be offered, courtesy of the new JCA SeniorTech location at the mall. Many exhibitors will have free giveaways, and valuable door prizes will be presented throughout the day. Door prizes include round-trip tickets to New York aboard Amtrak’s Acela Express.

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Fitness & Health

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Knee replacements improve quality of life By Sarah Baldauf Getting a new knee because the original has worn out and may have become painfully arthritic is an increasingly common surgery in America. First-time knee replacement surgeries rose 63 percent between 1997 and 2004, according to a 2008 paper in Arthritis Care and Research. If that clip keeps up, some 1.4 million such surgeries will be performed in 2015, the researchers estimated. Findings coming out of the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) shed helpful light on knee replacements — including how active one can be with an artificial knee, how young or how old one should be to undergo the surgery, and the varying benefits to be gained. When patients and their doctors decide whether to proceed with a knee replacement, “it’s always a quality-of-life issue,” said Mark Figgie, chief of the Surgical

Arthritis Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Osteoarthritis, which causes the cartilage in joints to wear away, is the usual culprit when knee pain has made walking painful. Even sleeping can be very uncomfortable — sometimes unbearably so — because a day’s worth of moving around has inflamed the joint. And being unable to enjoy the activities you once did — say, golf or cycling — also can be a quality-oflife factor, said Figgie.

Younger patients Patients used to have knee replacements in their late 60s or later. The standard practice used to be that younger patients with knee trouble would be prescribed painkillers or given steroid injections for several years to tide them over until surgery. Figgie said he now is more often doing the procedure in folks in their 50s — and

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not infrequently, in patients in their 40s. Experts see several forces at work. “Now we’ve got better materials and we’re more comfortable doing (total knee replacements) in patients younger than 60 or 65,” said Michele D’Apuzzo, an orthopedic surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. In particular, the plastics being used to replace the worn-out cartilage and serve as a cushion in the knee joint have improved. Still, the younger patients having these surgeries will likely live another 20 to 30 years, and the data on how well these improved components will last, said D’Apuzzo, is “not there yet.” In addition, folks’ expectations of continued mobility and activity have risen. Not only do aging baby boomers expect to keep doing the things that can really put pressure and strain on joints — like tennis, skiing, or jogging — but younger people don’t want to wait for a knee fix if the technology is available now.

Play it again? Research presented at this year’s AAOS meeting suggests, however, that even the activities that the Knee Society, a professional group for knee specialists, currently considers a no-no after knee replacement may be OK for some individuals. These activities are ones that pound on the knee and put the most pressure on the joint — such as singles tennis, running, soccer and football. “We were expecting patients who practiced impact sports would have terrible complications,” said Sebastien Parratte, an orthopedic surgeon who was doing a oneyear fellowship at the Mayo Clinic when the study was performed. That was not the case, however. The results showed no significant differences after 7.5 years of follow-up in patients who stayed away from the not-recommended sports and patients who played

BEACON BITS

Sept. 15

LIVE AT HOME LONGER Learn about home modifications and inexpensive gadgets that

can help older adults live at home longer on Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Braddock Glen Center, 4027B Olley Lane, Fairfax, Va. For more information, call (703) 978-0502.

Sept. 12

MACULAR DEGENERATION INFORMATION Find out “News You Can Use” from the Macular Degeneration Network on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Sibley Memorial

Hospital, in the Renaissance Building, Room 2, 5275 Loughboro Rd., N.W. The event is free, but register beforehand by calling (202) 364-7602.

Senior Nutrition Hotline Wednesdays 9 am - 11 am 240-777-1100 Speak with a Registered Dietitian about your food, nutrition and diet concerns.

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Fitness & Health

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

Knee replacement From page 14 them anyway. The surprising results, Parratte said, were “reassuring, but it’s only one study. It’s not enough to change the recommendation.” He notes, however, that while the

Knee Society said patients can do less punishing activities, like cycling or swimming, they are also not officially recommended. Perhaps it’s time to consider recommending such gentler activities, said Parratte, since the subjects in the trial that fared best after knee replacement were the least likely to be obese or have diabetes or

cardiovascular disease. “They are healthier and practice sports,” he said. Indeed, Figgie notes that generally speaking, people who do best after a knee replacement are in good shape. “It’s better to be fit than fat,” he said.

Better balance

8 ways to protect your knees Nearly half the adults in America will develop osteoarthritis by the time they’re 85, and obesity will be the main culprit. You can protect your knees by staying active and strengthening the right muscles at any age. But take these precautions: 1. Lighten the load. Simply walking around puts pressure equal to three to five times your body weight onto your knees. Excess weight on your knee joints may accelerate osteoarthritis, the degeneration of the joint, so shed some of those pounds. 2. Work all the muscles. Strengthening and flexibility exercises can build up muscles to stabilize the knees — but don’t bulk up one group and forget about the others. Most important are the quads (front of thigh), hamstrings (tendons and muscles behind the knee and thigh), and hip abductors and adductors (outer and inner thighs, respectively). 3. Pick your sports. Rowing, crosscountry skiing and cycling are kneefriendly activities because they are low impact and don’t encourage twisting. 4. Put it on ice. Don’t ignore a tweak or strain, no matter what sport you take

up. This is a simple way to reduce inflammation and pain. 5. Avoid rotation of hips and knees. Jumping and slowing down from a run — common to many exercises — seem to be particularly bad for the knee’s ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Land with joints aligned so that hips are over knees, knees are over ankles, and ankles are over toes — but with some give to the joints. 6. Beware the up and down. Running in hilly terrain can put particular strain on tendons in the knees. Pay attention to clues that your knees need a rest — or at least a flatter course. 7. Cross-train. Overuse is the slow and steady way to knee injuries. Opt for a range of varied activities by alternating workouts. If you run, for example, alternate with cycling to use different muscle groups. 8. Brace yourself. Braces typically don’t prevent injury, but if you’re rehabbing an old injury or are trying to prevent repeated tears or strains, having your doctor fit you for the right brace may be in order. © 2010 U.S. News and World Report

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And older knee replacement patients may reap the added benefit of improved balance, according to other research coming out of this year’s AAOS meeting. Israeli researchers found that subjects with an average age of 73 who had total

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knee replacements enjoyed significant improvements in balance, pain and self-reported quality of life. The study showed that post-knee replacement patients again have a straight knee and the ability to fully flex the joint. This provides them more stability, which improves their walking and, of particular importance to older folks, reduces the risk of falling. As long as patients are healthy enough to withstand the effects of surgery, he said, they are not too old to have a shot at improved quality of life with a knee replacement.

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

Keep your garden growing safely, simply By Dean Fosdick Sydney Eddison believes you can weed out loads of demanding yard work without reducing the enjoyment of gardening. The

78-year-old author says it’s simply a matter of gardening more wisely. Rather than move to smaller surroundings after her husband died, Eddison

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opted to remain alone on her secluded, but celebrated, four-acres-plus in Connecticut. She has shaped the wooded property, with house and barn, into a country showcase over the last half-century, giving tours and writing a half-dozen books about her experiences. Yet something had to give as she aged, and that something was painstaking garden maintenance. “I threw my body at the garden over the years and got away with it, but I have to watch it now,” Eddison said. She gets the job done with some help from friends, and by applying many of the shortcuts described in her most recent book, Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older (Timber Press, 2010). Here are a few “gleanings” from the book: • Reject perfection. “Nature does not clean up every dead leaf in the fall and gardeners don’t have to either. Dead leaves left under shrubs serve as a mulch, which eventually breaks down and contributes nutrients to the soil.” • Thin the perennials. “In my garden, the square footage devoted to flowering perennials demands more time and energy than the rest of the acre-and-a-half under cultivation. The greater the variety of perennials you grow, the more work your border will entail.” • Switch to shrubs. “Shrubs afford more value for less work. Some rarely need pruning.” • Shade gardens are good. “Shadetolerant plants are easier to maintain than sun lovers. One of the reasons is that weeds are also sun lovers. In the shade, they become feeble and can be controlled by a layer of mulch.”

• Incorporate your surroundings: “If you own even a scrap of woodland, you can make it an extension of your garden by edging it with a few berried and flowering shrubs. Naturalize daffodils on the forest floor.” • Miniaturize. “There is nothing fake about a container garden. It is the real thing. And for anyone who can’t do the heavy labor of in-the-ground gardening, gardening in containers can provide much of the same pleasure.”

Tips for safer gardening Gardening can be physically and emotionally rewarding as you grow older, and there are many ways to overcome the challenges of a deteriorating body. “If your vision is failing, choose tools with bright handles,” said Rebecca Haller, director of the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Denver. “Be more careful with trip hazards — uneven paving stones or hoses lying across a path. “Grow vertical so you don’t have to stoop. Put things on wheels rather than pushing or pulling. Garden closer to the house so you don’t tire so much coming and going. Have a spot where you can rest. Pace yourself.” Making the most of the time you have is one of the older gardener’s primary tasks, Eddison said. “How beautiful can you make your garden with the resources you still have at your command?” she said. “This is the question I keep asking myself. I don’t have the answer, but I’m working on it.” For more information, see this Ohio State University Extension fact sheet about gardening: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hygfact/1000/1642.html. — AP

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

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Fitness & Health

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

Ways to sleep better; reduce cholesterol By Dr. Nancy Keating and Dr. Thomas H. Lee Q. I take ibuprofen p.m. on occasion — maybe once a month or so — to help me get to sleep. It seems to work. Is that OK? A: Ibuprofen p.m. is a combination medication that contains ibuprofen and diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in Benadryl, an antihistamine taken for allergies. The ibuprofen will help easy any aches or pains. The diphenhydramine makes most people drowsy. That’s why ibuprofen

p.m. is probably helping you get to sleep. In general, it’s OK for most people to use diphenhydramine to help them fall asleep. Small, infrequent doses are not likely to cause any harm, although diphenhydramine is not without its problems. The sedating effect may last, so you may be drowsy the next day, even if you did sleep well. And the list of possible side effects from diphenhydramine (blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth) would give anyone pause. Side effects are more common and pronounced in older people. If you don’t have any pain and sleep

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alone is the problem, I’d recommend taking just diphenhydramine. Although a low dose of ibuprofen is generally safe, why take an extra drug if you don’t need it? For people who have not tried diphenhydramine for sleep, start with a low dose, 25 milligrams before bed. If that doesn’t seem to help and you don’t feel groggy the next day, you can try 50 milligrams. Don’t plan on driving or operating machinery the day after you take your first dose, or if you have increased the dose. You want to be certain that you’re not one of the people with lasting drowsiness from the drug. If you find you need to take diphenhydramine often, you may be experiencing insomnia, which is defined as complaints of disturbed sleep in the presence of adequate opportunity and circumstance to get it. Patients who have insomnia for 30 days or more are considered to have chronic insomnia, and experts recommend against treating chronic insomnia with diphenhydramine. So, if you find yourself reaching for ibuprofen p.m. on a regular basis, talk with your doctor about your sleep and what can be done to improve it. Q: I’ve tried all of the statin drugs to lower my cholesterol, but each one has caused severe muscle pain. Are there any non-statin medications I could try using to lower my cholesterol? A: Have you tried niacin yet? It’s an excellent drug for reducing cardiac risk in almost every way — it lowers harmful LDL cholesterol, raises beneficial HDL, and reduces cardiac complications. One reason it plays second fiddle to statins is that it causes side effects like itching and flushing in many people. These side effects can often be minimized or even eliminated by taking an aspirin before niacin, by gradually building up the dose, or by taking the intermediate-release type called Niaspan, which is available by prescription only. Two other drugs that may be used in place of a statin are ezetimibe (Zetia) and

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colesevelam (Welchol). Both of these medications work in the intestines rather than the bloodstream, and so are less likely than statins to cause side effects. Ezetimibe blocks cholesterol in food from crossing the intestinal wall and getting into the bloodstream. Colesevelam grabs cholesterol-rich bile acids in the intestine and locks them into a watery goo that is excreted in the stool. Ezetimibe has been controversial since trials showed it adds little to cardiac protection. Colesevelam might be a good choice if you have diabetes because it lowers blood sugar as well as cholesterol. What you eat can help lower cholesterol. Switching from an average American diet to a Mediterranean-type diet can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Researchers at the University of Toronto created what they called a “dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods” that included margarine enriched with plant sterols; oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber; soy protein and whole almonds. A diet emphasizing these foods substantially lowered LDL, triglycerides and blood pressure, and did not harm HDL. Eating nuts can modestly lower cholesterol. Fish oil and garlic have long been touted as cholesterol reducers, but meta-analyses of clinical trials show they have little effect on cholesterol. Substances that do lower cholesterol are plant sterols and stanols. They have been added to margarine (Benecol, Promise, others), orange juice, granola bars, chocolate and other foods. They are also available as plain, no-calorie pills. Dr. Nancy L. Keating is an associate professor of medicine and healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School and an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Mass.. Dr. Thomas H. Lee is the chief executive officer for Partners Community HealthCare, Inc., and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. © 2010 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

Ten minutes’ exercise = hour-long effects By Lauran Neergaard Ten minutes of brisk exercise triggers metabolic changes that last at least an hour. The unfair news for panting newbies: The more fit you are, the more benefits you just might be getting. We all know that exercise and a good diet are important for health, protecting against heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. But what exactly causes the health improvement from working up a sweat or from eating, say, more olive oil than saturated fat? And are some people biologically predisposed to get more benefit than others? These are among the questions that metabolic profiling, a new field called metabolomics, aims to answer in hopes of one day optimizing those benefits — or finding patterns that may signal risk for disease and new ways to treat it.

Exercise causes chemical changes “We’re only beginning to catalog the metabolic variability between people,” said Dr. Robert Gerszten of Massachusetts General Hospital, whose team (which includes researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard) just took a step toward that goal. The researchers measured biochemical changes in the blood of a variety of people: the healthy middle-aged, some who became short of breath with exertion, and marathon runners. First, in 70 healthy people put on a treadmill, the team found more than 20 metabolites that change during exercise. These are naturally produced compounds involved in burning calories and fat and improving blood-sugar control. Some weren’t known until now to be af-

fected by exercise. Some revved up during exercise, like those involved in processing fat. Others involved with cellular stress decreased with exercise. Those are pretty wonky findings, a first step in a complex field. But they back today’s health advice that even brief bouts of activity are good. “Ten minutes of exercise has at least an hour of effects on your body,” said Gerszten, who found some of the metabolic changes that began after 10 minutes on the treadmill still were measurable 60 minutes after people cooled down. Your heart rate rapidly drops back to normal when you quit moving, usually in 10 minutes or so. So finding lingering biochemical changes offers what Gerszten calls “tantalizing evidence” of how exercise may be building up longer-term benefits. Back to the blood. Thinner people had greater increases in a metabolite named niacinamide, a nutrient byproduct that’s involved in blood-sugar control, the team reported recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Checking a metabolite of fat breakdown, the team found people who were more fit — as measured by oxygen intake during exercise — appeared to be burning more fat than the less fit or than people with shortness of breath, a possible symptom of heart disease. The extremely fit — 25 Boston Marathon runners — had 10-fold increases in that metabolite after the race. Still other differences in metabolites allowed the researchers to tell which runners had finished in under four hours and which weren’t as speedy. “We have a chemical snapshot of what the more fit person looks like. Now we have to see if making someone’s metabo-

lism look like that snapshot, whether or not that’s going to improve their performance,” said Gerszten, whose ultimate goal is better cardiac care.

A workout pill? Don’t expect a pill ever to substitute for a workout — the new work shows how complicated the body‘s response to exercise is, said metabolomics researcher Dr. Debbie Muoio of Duke University Medical Center. But scientists are hunting nutritional compounds that might help tweak metabolic processes in specific ways. For example, Muoio discovered the muscles of diabetic animals lack enough of a metabolite

named carnitine, and that feeding them more of it improved their control of blood sugar. Now, Muoio is beginning a pilot study in 25 older adults with pre-diabetes to see if carnitine supplements might work similarly in people who lack enough. Next up: With University of Vermont researchers, she’s testing how metabolic changes correlate with health measures in a study of people who alternate between a carefully controlled Mediterranean diet and higher-fat diets. “The long term hope is we could use this in making our way toward personalized medicine,” Muoio said. — AP

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Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Insomniacs sought to test new sleep drug The four-month study involves taking the investigational medicine at home nightly, as well as six overnight stays at one of the clinics. There will also be four office visits for blood work, EKGs and other lab tests. Participants will also keep sleep diaries in which they will record their sleep and other factors each morning and evening in a Palm Pilot with a user-friendly program. In the study, one third of the patients will be randomly assigned to receive a placebo (an inactive pill). Others will be randomly assigned to take one of two strengths of the study medication. Those over 65 will be assigned a slightly lower dose of the medication than participants who are younger. Neither the volunteers nor the doctors will know which pill any person is taking until after the conclusion of the study.

To volunteer To qualify for the study, participants must be at least 18 years old, have insomnia, and be in good physical and mental health. Those age 65 and over must take a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mini-mental stateâ&#x20AC;? exam to rule out any cognitive problems. Those in the study cannot have difficulty sleeping due to a medical condition or another kind of sleep disorder. They cannot have a history of neurological or bipolar disorder or have ongoing depression. Those who smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day also are not eligible to participate. Participants will be paid $100 for each

orders, in Chevy Chase, Md., at (301) 6545665. Or call the Sleep Disorders Center of the Mid-Atlantic, in Vienna, Va., at (703) 752-7881.

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Gout Study (See ad, p. 21) Insomnia Study/Maryland (See ad & article, p. 21) Insomnia Study/Virginia (See article, p. 21)

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By Barbara Ruben Some nights you toss and turn, flip your pillow to the cool side, look at the clock yet again, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage to fall asleep for hours. But on those nights you actually fall asleep quickly, you wake up at 3 a.m. and sometimes never manage to go back to dreamland again. Insomnia can plague people at all ages, but aging can exacerbate problems. About half of older adults report difficulty sleeping, according to the Mayo Clinic. As people age, they may sleep more lightly, waking up three or four times a night. Researchers are now studying a new medication that can help with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The investigational medicine is made by Merck and is being tested in two area locations: the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Md., and the Sleep Disorders Center of the Mid-Atlantic in Vienna, Va. A particularly vexing problem â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for both insomniacs and researchers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is staying asleep through the night, said Dr. Helene Emsellem, director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It involves a lot of trial and error because we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have tried-and-true treatment options,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The study is interesting because it is addressing an area that is deprived of attention in the pharmaceutical world and for which we have fewer tools than we would like.â&#x20AC;? The only drug on the market that works to help people stay asleep is Ambien CR, a time-release pill. However, the trial medication works in a different manner from Ambien, and even from all other classes of

3DLQIXO VZROOHQ EXUQLQJ MRLQW" <RX PD\ EH H [SHULHQFLQJ V\PSWRPV RI JRXW Consider the following criteria for possible participation in a local clinical research study for gout: â&#x20AC;˘ Men 18 years of age or older â&#x20AC;˘ Never taken any of the following â&#x20AC;˘ Women 45 years of age or older medications for gout: allopurinol â&#x20AC;˘ Experienced a gout ďŹ&#x201A;are (painful, (ZyloprimÂŽ), febuxostat (UloricÂŽ), swollen joint, redness over joint)

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

Nutrition misunderstandings and hoaxes Q: I heard that a new report shows grains and vegetables to be some of the top sources of sodium. Does that change the recommendation to make these foods major parts of our diet? A: No. The federal report you refer to, which is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identifies the top sources of sodium in the U.S. diet, most of which are processed foods, not fresh vegetables or basic whole grains such as brown rice and rolled oats. The report shows where most Americans are getting their sodium. That means it reflects both how concentrated in sodium a food is and how much of it we eat. For example, the report shows that the food category that supplies the most sodi-

um in the average American diet — 37 percent — is grains. This reflects our high consumption of frozen pasta meals, convenience grain mixtures, crackers, cookies and breads. If most Americans chose moderate amounts of whole-grain bread and cereal, along with pasta (without the high-sodium sauce) and unprocessed whole grains like brown rice, bulgur, quinoa and others, sodium consumption would be drastically lower. Vegetables were ranked as the third leading source of sodium in our diet, supplying an average of 430 milligrams of sodium daily. But fresh and unsalted frozen vegetables generally contain no more than 10 mg. per half-cup serving.

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The problem here isn’t that we’re eating The hoax email that includes this false large amounts of vegetables! It’s that when statement includes other misinformation we do eat vegetables, it’s as well. Unfortunately, we largely in high-sodium sauces have to remember that even and soups. when something on the InterFurthermore, the category net is attributed to a source includes potato chips and you trust, it’s always best to go French fries — unfortunately directly to the website of that some of our most frequent trusted source to verify the invegetable choices. formation. What the report shows is In this case, the Johns Hopthat even in choosing the kins Hospital website encourmostly plant-based diet that ages people to share with anywe know can lower risk of NUTRITION one who circulates the hoax cancer and heart disease, it’s WISE email this link to a correction of important to make healthful By Karen Collins, the untrue statements: www. choices within these food cat- MS, RD, CDM hopkinsmedicine.org/kimegories. mel_cancer_center/news_ If we choose unsalted vegetables and events/featured/cancer_update_email_it_is grains and flavor them with herbs, spices, _a_hoax.html. lemon juice, flavored vinegar, garlic, olive When you receive information about reoil and other low-sodium options, sodium ducing cancer risk or helping cancer surconsumption will be low. vivors, it’s always a good idea to doubleQ: My friend got an e-mail from a fa- check the advice with an authoritative exmous hospital that said by avoiding pert source like the American Institute for meat, we can free up more enzymes to Cancer Research (www.aicr.org) or the Naattack and destroy cancer cells. Is that tional Cancer Institute (www.nci.nih.gov). true? The American Institute for Cancer ReA: No. What you are describing is part search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800of a hoax email supposedly coming from 843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday the cancer treatment center at Johns Hop- through Friday. This free service allows you kins Hospital — but it does not. to ask questions about diet, nutrition and Excess consumption of red meat (beef, cancer. A registered dietitian will return pork and lamb) is linked to increased risk your call, usually within three business days. of colon cancer, but the potential reasons Courtesy of the American Institute for scientists have identified for the link have Cancer Research. Questions for this column nothing to do with body enzymes, and that may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., link does not mean that cancer survivors N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins canneed to avoid all red meat. not respond to questions personally.

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Fitness & Health

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

Curried chicken salad marries two seasons By Dana Jacobi In September, summer and fall meet. As the two seasons flow, or see-saw, from one to the next, farmers markets and supermarkets, with their increasing offerings of local produce, still feature luscious plums while, at the same time, the new apple crop is accelerating into high gear. In the garden, cooler weather, or so we hope, has brought back sweet-tasting lettuces, leafy spinach and other greens that shun summer’s full-on heat. Vegetables perfect for making summery Mediterranean meals remain abundant. Tomatoes, along with sweet peppers ready for roasting and stuffing, are at their best. This surplus of summer with fall’s bounty inspires me to see how time-sharing can work on my plate. September is still prime time for serving a salad as a one-dish meal. With this in mind, I created this supper — and super — chicken salad combining summery nectarines and plums with autumnal apples and grapes. Its dressing also mixes the cool of yogurt with the cozier creaminess of mayonnaise. Golden curry in the dressing helps marry together the flavors of the summer fruits, chicken and scallions, while its color and warmth add a September glow.

Curried Chicken Salad Makes 4 servings 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt 3 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise 1 tsp. mild curry powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice Ground pepper to taste 1 large nectarine 1 large plum or pluot, preferably redfleshed 3 cups diced roasted chicken breast (about 1 lb. raw) 2/3 cup seedless green grapes (about 12), halved lengthwise ½ medium Fuji apple, cored and diced

2/3 cup finely chopped red onion Red leaf or romaine lettuce leaves, optional 2 Tbsp. roasted sliced almonds 2 Tbsp. chopped scallion, green part only In small bowl, whisk together yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Mix in curry powder and salt, then lemon juice. Season dressing to taste with pepper. The dressing can be made up to four hours ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered. Holding nectarine in one hand, use small knife to make eight vertical cuts and release the flesh in crescents. Cut each crescent lengthwise into two or three slices, then cut slices crosswise and place in mixing bowl. Using the same technique, quarter and cut up plum and add to nectarine. Add chicken, grapes, apple and onion, then toss to combine. Add dressing to chick-

en and fruit, and toss to coat salad well. Transfer salad to serving platter, lined with lettuce leaves if desired. Sprinkle on almonds and scallions, and serve immediately. The dressed salad holds for up to one hour, tightly covered in refrigerator. After

that, the fruits’ juices dilute the dressing. Per serving: 250 calories, 8 g. total fat (1.5 g. saturated fat), 17 g. carbohydrate, 25 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 450 mg. sodium. Dana Jacobi creates recipes for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

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Fitness & Health

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

Fighting fungus; benefits of hot springs I have toenail fungus — three toenails tootsies go bare sometimes. that are thick, discolored and broken. Fungus flourishes in areas where healthy It’s really unattractive. normal flora has been deI’ve had this problem for stroyed. If you lack a healthy many years. I’ve taken prestash of intestinal flora (i.e. scription medications, but probiotics), then the yeast can they don’t work. Can you take over. help me? Keep in mind that, just like — L.J. your tongue, your fingernails Dear L.J.: and toenails are the outward exToenail fungus is termed pression of what’s going on in“onychomycosis” by doctors. side of you. Long-standing toeThat’s a big word for toenail nail fungus could mean you have DEAR crud. diabetes or very poor immunity. PHARMACIST While this seems obvious, I It’s remarkable that estroBy Suzy Cohen must remind you: Toenail fungen-containing drugs like horgus is a fungus! The laws of mones and birth control fuel nature govern that fungus thrives in mois- fungal growth. I think this happens via the ture. Sweaty feet will exacerbate fungus, effect these drugs have on intestinal flora. so make sure your shoes and socks conShelves are jam-packed with non-presist of breathable material and let your scription treatments, which I’ve listed

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below. If you try them, please resist the urge to e-mail me and sound off that people smell you from a mile away. And no pictures either, okay? Here we go: Vicks Vaporub: This is a cough/cold formula sold at pharmacies. It contains menthol as its primary active ingredient. You rub it into your toenail about three times daily for a few months. Apple cider vinegar: Known as ACV at health food stores, apple cider vinegar contains natural antifungals (including carbolic acid) and helps many people. Don’t use this if your nail is lifted off your nail bed because it may sting. Make a foot bath with one part ACV to two parts warm water and soak for 20 minutes every day for 3 to 6 months. Saccharomyces boulardii: This oral dietary supplement is just a friendly yeast that helps drive out dangerous fungus. I

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Anne Arundel County U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì ÕÀ >Vi À> V \ {£ä ÇÈ£ {£xä U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì -iÛiÀ > *>À \ {£ä x{{ Î{££ Baltimore City U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì Ã > ` /iÀÀ>Vi\ {£ä ÓÇÈ È{{ä U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì `Ã«À }\ {£ä x{Ó {{ää Baltimore County U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì >Ì ÃÛ i\ {£ä Ç£ {È{ U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì Õ `> \ {£ä Ónn x{nÎ U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì Õ iÀÌ \ {£ä ÈÈÎ äÈÈx U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì À> >À > ` }\ {£ä Î £ nÎÇx U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì ,> `> ÃÌ Ü \ {£ä Èxx xÈÇÎ U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì , Ãi`> i\ {£ä nÈÈ £nnÈ U / Ì Þ ÕÃi / ÜÃ ®\ {£ä nÓn Ç£nx U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì />Þ À\ {£ä ÈÈÎ äÎÈÎ U *>À 6 iÜ >Ì 7 ` >Ü \ {£ä Ón£ ££Óä

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:Xcc +('$)+-$.+00 fi <dX`c J\e`fiC`mè^7j_\ck\iîg%Zfd kf èhlì\ XYflk \c`^`Y`c`kp i\hlì\d\ekj Xe[ kf XiiXe^\ X gi`mXk\ kfli% Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.com The Shelter Group is committed to Equal Housing Opportunities for people of all races, religions, ethnic groups, and disabilities and all other groups protected by federal, state, or local law.

recommend you take this along with a high-quality probiotic formula. Clotrimazole: This is just generic Lotrimin, sold at pharmacies. It has antifungal properties. Tea Tree Oil or Cream: It contains “terpenoids,” which are antiseptic and antifungal. Tea tree fights toenail crud just as well as clotrimazole according to the Journal of Family Practice. I’m often asked if prescription anti-fungal drugs, taken orally, are safe. I recommend trying natural treatments first because they’re safer. A few of those prescription drugs have hurt the liver and even been fatal in some people. Reduce toxic load by eating more organic foods, and avoid chemicals. The stronger your GI tract, the less you’ll develop fungus. Of course, see a podiatrist to ensure the healthiest toes and feet. Dear Pharmacist: I saw your Facebook pictures of hot springs in Utah, and you said that you’d actually fly to hot springs to get their healing benefits. What’s in the water that’s so healing? I’m curious because around here, hot springs are for hippies only. — E.W., St. George, Utah Dear E.W.: Hippies? I am an Aquarian, so perhaps I qualify, LOL. The mere thought of hot springs brings a rush of peace into my body and a deep breath. I prefer undeveloped hot springs that are nestled deep in the woods, or amidst a waterfall. That Facebook picture is me soaking at Pah Tempe in Hurricane, Utah, which sits at the bottom of a red rock canyon (www.pahtempe.com). Another favorite is Strawberry Hot Springs in Steamboat, Colorado (www.strawberryhotsprings.com) which is heavenly when the snowbanks are covered and the hot springs are steaming. Some places are more developed, and water is piped to a jacuzzi-like tub. There are thousands of hot mineral springs all over the world. Hot spring waters are legendary when it comes to stories of healing. When I visited the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (www.bluelagoon.com), another American tourist said she flies there every month because the waters take away her rheumatoid arthritis pain. I know one man who cured himself of psoriasis. The waters contain minerals and sulfur compounds that go right through your skin to soothe aching muscles, ease joint pain, improve circulation, relieve skin irritations, boost immunity and ease breathing difficulties. Sulfur-based compounds help unstick dangerous pollutants. The warmth of the water increases circulation, which helps detoxification and improves blood flow to the heart. I realize some of you cannot travel, so recreate the hot springs in your own bath like I do. Mineral bath salts like “dead sea” See DEAR PHARMACIST, page 25

Fitness & Health

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

A friend who won’t stop talking about sex Dear Solutions: all, you don’t want to be a lewd prude! A friend of mine who I haven’t been in Dear Solutions: touch with for some time I have two married sons called me. She’s now diwho live in two different vorced, and I’m still married. states, and I get along well She’s now seeing a man with each couple. and is excited about the relaI’m a widow now, and they tionship. We’ve been having each said I should move lunch together, and now she near one of them so they can goes into details about her help me as I get older. They sex life. Not only am I unwant me to choose which comfortable hearing it all, one I’ll move near, and they but then she starts to ask me say it won’t make any differSOLUTIONS questions about my sex life. ence which one I choose. By Helen Oxenberg, I won’t share this, but I Do you think it’s a good idea MSW, ACSW don’t know how to tell her for me to do this — choosing I it’s none of her business mean? I wouldn’t be moving in without alienating her. Up to now I just with them but just be living nearby. sort of shrug and mumble something, — Doris and she laughs at me and calls me a Dear Doris: prude. How do I say nothing nicely? Moving near one of them is a good idea if — Nan you’ve really thought it through and want to Dear Nan: Agree with her. Tell her do that. Choosing between them is not. she’s right — you are a prude. And since Remember how we used to teach kids to you don’t want to be a rude prude, you’d be fair when they share? We had one of them appreciate it if she’d stop asking you. cut a piece of cake in two, and the other one Tell her, humorously, that your sex life then gets to choose his piece. That was easy has been X-rated by your husband, and if — a “piece of cake” as the saying goes. you talk about it, your marriage might beThis however, is no piece of cake. You’re come “ex” also. right to be hesitant about making a choice Of course, if she insists, you can say between them. So, after assuring them you’ll be perfectly happy to hear about her you’ll be happy near either one, insist that sex life as long as it’s not too explicit. After they’ll have to choose which one you live

Dear Pharmacist From page 24 salts are sold at bath shops. I like the scented “Mineral Essence” salts available at SeaSalt.com, and for a strong (but relaxing) detoxification bath, I buy the “Mustard Bath Salts” from Sumbody.com.

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.dearpharmacist.com.

near. That’s your insurance against the “Mom loves you best” sibling syndrome. Dear Solutions: My very independent daughter has moved back to my area after finishing her graduate degree in another state, where she also worked. She takes care of herself, and that’s fine with me. But an aunt of mine is making me crazy. She keeps insisting that I should tell my daughter exactly what to do in every situation, where to go, whom to meet and what to say. She would do the same thing with my son, but he doesn’t live nearby. How can I stop her from bothering me about this? — Meg

Dear Meg: Tell her your children are now older, so you’re not allowed to give them any advice unless they ask for it. Tell her, though, that if she insists, she can talk directly to your daughter. Give her the phone number, and repeat it whenever she starts giving you instructions. You can then contact me again when your daughter calls you desperately seeking a way to stop Aunt Busybody. © Helen Oxenberg, 2010. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also e-mail the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 6553684.

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

Money Law &

FINANCIAL REFORM FIXES The new financial reform overhaul is expected to strengthen regulation of banks, credit rating agencies, hedge funds, debit cards and derivatives FINDING A SOCIAL SECUITY SOLUTION On its 75th anniversary, Social Security faces a solvable funding issue, but politics appears to be getting in the way of the most reasonable solutions

Where to find decent returns with less risk Even in the best of times, most older against the very real risk of rising interest adults couldn’t care less about whether the rates and inflation in the coming years, I recommend the following stock funds they own top the performance charts or beat four lower-risk funds. All the funds own stocks the stock market. What most of us — and a and bonds. I’ve arranged growing number of younger them in order from least risky investors — want are mutual to most risky. But even the most risky fund here qualifies funds that produce decent as “low risk” compared to the profits in good markets, and, overall stock market. most important, limit losses in Va n g u a r d We l l e s l e y bad markets. Income (1-800-635-1511, That’s doubly true now, beSAVVY SAVER www.vanguard.com) is one of cause these are hardly the By Steven T. Goldberg the most conservative stockbest of times. The U.S. ecoowning funds you can buy nomic recovery is anemic, and Europe may well fall into a double-dip re- from Vanguard — which specializes in conservative, low-cost investing. Expenses cession. Federal, state and local governments, as are a mere 0.31 percent annually, and the well as many consumers, are up to their fund yields an annualized 4.1 percent. Wellington Management has run this eyeballs in debt, and many of us think the stock market will continue to provide a fund since inception in 1970. The managers keep roughly 60 percent of assets in bumpy ride for the next several years. My best guess is that well-chosen mainly high-quality corporate bonds. stocks will rise despite those bumps, but at Stock manager Michael Reckmeyer incloser to 5 or 7 percent annually than their vests the rest in primarily high-yielding, blue-chip stocks. The fund has returned an historical average of about 9.5 percent. annualized 7 percent over the past 19 Lower-risk funds to consider years, through mid-August. So, for those investors dissatisfied with By comparison, Standard & Poor’s 500the currently microscopic yields on bank stock index has lost an annualized 1 percertificates of deposit, and aware that bond cent over the same period. Wellesley is funds provide little or no protection less than half as volatile as the S&P 500. It

lost just 9.9 percent in 2008 when the S&P 500 plunged 37 percent. Vanguard Wellington is Wellesley’s slightly feistier twin. Wellington Management has run this classic balanced fund since — get this — July 1, 1929. The fund has returned an annualized 6 percent over the past 10 years and tumbled 22.4 percent in 2008’s collapse. It usually holds two-third of assets in stocks and one-third in bonds. Expenses are 0.34 percent, and the fund’s annualized yield is 3.2 percent. Like Wellesley it sticks to high-quality bonds. Stock Manager Ed Bousa focuses on stocks of large companies that pay dividends. The fund is onethird less volatile than the S&P. FPA Crescent (800-982-4372, www.fpafunds.com) is my favorite of these four funds. It’s more eclectic than the others, and much more flexible. Steven Romick, who has managed the fund since 1993, adjusts its holdings based on his views on the economy and individual securities. Currently, he’s quite worried about global economic weakness and debt levels. Accordingly, he has 38 percent of the fund in cash and 17 percent in mostly AAArated corporate bonds. The rest is in mostly defensive stocks, such as healthcare and consumer staples. The fund has returned an annualized 11

percent over the past 10 years — tops among these four funds. It lost 21 percent in 2008. Crescent is just a smidgen more volatile than Wellington. Its expense ratio is 1.17 percent, and the fund’s annualized yield is a puny 1.3 percent. T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation (1-800-638-5660, www.troweprice.com) is misnamed, but it’s a fine fund. This is Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price’s most conservative stock fund, typically with about 60 to 70 percent of assets in stocks. Unlike Wellesley and Wellington, in this fund, manger David Giroux buys a wide variety of high-yielding securities, including “junk” bonds, convertible securities and leveraged bank loans. With the stock portion of the fund, he favors dividendpaying stocks that are otherwise out of favor. The fund, which plummeted 27.2 percent in 2008, is about 15 percent less volatile than the S&P. It has returned an annualized 9 percent over the past 10 years. Capital Appreciation yields an annualized 2.2 percent, and expenses are 0.74 percent annually. Steven T. Goldberg (steve@tginvesting.com; 301-650-6567) is a freelance writer and investment advisor in Silver Spring, Md. He welcomes reader questions. Send them to: Steven Goldberg, c/o The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227.

Some local tax-relief programs extended By Delia Sava While the 2010 filing deadlines for tax relief and tax assistance programs have passed in many areas, residents of Maryland and Fairfax County are in luck: those jurisdictions have extended them. Maryland residents now have until Nov. 1 to apply for the Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit program, which limits the amount of property taxes owed by residents, based on their income. Among the eligibility requirements are the following: • Homeowners must have a combined household income (counting everyone in the applicant’s household) of less than $64,000, • Lived in their home for at least six

months, or will live in it for the next 12 months, and • Have no more than a combined net worth of $200,000, which does not include the value of the primary residence or the cash value of any qualified retirement savings or individual retirement accounts. An application must be submitted each year to apply for the property tax credit program. An additional county supplement and a Senior Tax Credit will automatically apply to eligible county residents. For the senior tax credit, residents must be at least 70. No additional application is required for either the county supplement or the senior tax credit.

To obtain an application, call the Maryland State Department of Assessment and Taxation at 1-800-944-7403 or download the form at the SDAT website at www. dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/htc.html.

In Virginia and the District Fairfax County will continue to accept applications for real estate tax relief through Dec. 31 from residents who are first-time applicants or who failed to file on time due to a hardship. In addition to real estate tax relief, the county also has a program for car tax assistance. Applicants must be 65 years old or have become permanently and totally disabled during the year in which they

apply. To obtain an application and or to determine eligibility, call (703) 222-8234 or visit www.fair faxcounty.gov/dta/taxrelief_home.htm. For information on filing for tax help for next year, homeowners in Alexandria may visit http://alexandriava.gov/TaxRelief or call (703) 746-3901. Arlington residents may review eligibility and deadlines at www.arlingtonva.us/portals/topics/TopicsTaxRelief.aspx or call (703) 228-1350. In the District, there are two programs offered, the Homestead Deduction and Senior Citizen Tax relief. To review eligibility rules and deadlines, visit, http:// cfo.dc.gov/otr/cwp or call (202) 727-4829.

Law & Money

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

Are small cap stocks losing their edge? By Dave Carpenter Could David be losing his historical edge over Goliath in the stock market? Investors are starting to wonder. Small-cap stocks have lost their sizzle in recent months, falling 12 percent and underperforming blue chips since the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful 13-month rally ended in April. Such price swings are hardly unusual, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only part of the evidence that suggests their latest run of dominance over large-company stocks is ending. Some experts contend they are as overpriced as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in three decades. A new study by BNY Mellon Beta Management highlights small capsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vulnerability. Investors, the study found, are no longer compensated for the extra risks they take buying small stocks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right now thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no benefit to investing in small caps versus large caps,â&#x20AC;? said Mark Keleher, CEO of the San Franciscobased investment firm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The optimum time to invest in small caps may have passed.â&#x20AC;? Investors apparently are reaching the same conclusion. U.S. small-cap funds saw outflows of $822 million for the week that ended August 11, according to EPFR Global, a Boston-based firm that tracks global fund flow data. That tipped fund flows into negative territory for 2010. Less than four months after the year-to-date total reached $6.3 billion in inflows, it is now at $689.8 million in outflows.

The rationale for preferring small But the notion of small caps as laggards runs counter to what every student of investing learns early on. Small stocks as a group have outperformed large ones for at least three-quarters of a century. Small-cap stocks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; defined as those with market capitalizations between $160 million and $2 billion â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have netted annualized returns that are an average 2 percent higher than those of large caps since 1927, according to Ibbotson Associates. The performance gap widened dramatically after 2000. The Russell 2000 index of

smaller companies has beaten the Standard & Poorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 500 index, a common yardstick for large caps, in every year of the past decade except 2007. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up 29 percent from 10 years ago, compared with a 23 percent drop for the S&P. A $10,000 investment in the Russell 2000 at the start of 2000 would have grown to $14,802 as of July 31, assuming all distributions reinvested, according to Morningstar Inc. The same amount put into the S&P would have shrunk to $9,080. Small has proven better than big over the long run for several reasons: Small companies can react faster to changes in the business environment and grow faster. They thrive when interest rates are low and financing their growth doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost as much. The comparative lack of information about smaller companies also means there are more opportunities for small stocks to be mispriced. More recently, they have benefited by having limited exposure to Europe. And small caps tend to lead the way during economic recoveries; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve outperformed large caps in the first year following each of the last nine recessions.

ager, said smaller companies are poised to expand as soon as employment and consumer sentiment turn around. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a little more expensive than the S&P, but their earnings growth is seemingly higherâ&#x20AC;? than large capsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, he said. Chris Retzler, portfolio manager for the Needham Small Cap Growth Fund, said long-term investors still can find bargains. Small-cap healthcare stocks, for instance, have been avoided because of ongoing uncertainty over healthcare reforms. So theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a great buying opportunity, he said. Even doubters arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t saying small stocks are a terrible investment. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just

that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re no longer the near-automatic winner over large caps that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve long been. Dirk Van Dijk, senior equity strategist for Zacks Investment Research in Chicago, is among those who now lean toward large caps that are now loaded with cash, strong balance sheets and strong credit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are really good investment opportunities in good, stable, safe companies,â&#x20AC;? he said, citing Microsoft Corp. as a prominent example. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why take the risk in companies that you have less information about, that have less access to capital and are probably dependent on one or two major customers?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

So why the downbeat forecast? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changed about their outlook is partly a question of timing. If the recession ended just over a year ago, as most economists think, that means small companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; post-recession resurgence could be largely over. Some analysts also say the nearly unprecedented 118 percent run-up small-cap stocks enjoyed from March 2009 to late April 2010 pumped their valuations too much. The BNY Mellon study forecast approximately equal returns for small and large caps over the next three years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a period during which interest rates are expected to rise. This is the first time since 1983, it said, that investors get no premium for sinking money into companies that have less liquidity and higher transaction costs. But small cap boosters say concerns about the short term are overstated. Bill McVail, a small-cap growth portfolio man-

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

Will Your Money y Last As Long g As You Do? At Capitol Retirement Strategies, our goal is for every one of our clients to ask and answer that one simple question. If your assets need to be organized to supplement your Social Security and/or a partial retirement income (now or in the future), if you feel that your portfolio is more of a Hodge Podge of Investments versus a Coordinated Strategy, or if you don’t own long term care insurance, then one or both of our upcoming seminars may be for you.

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

What the new financial reform law does This is the conclusion of last month’s article on some of the elements of the massive new financial reform law. See “New financial reform law means changes,” on page 4 of the August Beacon, for information about the new consumer watchdog agency and the law’s effect on mortgages. By Daniel Wagner The massive new financial system reform law will have an effect on both businesses and consumers. Here are some of the changes to look for as the new law is implemented.

Avoiding future crises A council of regulators led by the Treasury secretary will identify threats to the overall financial system. One potential threat: Big, interconnected financial companies. The council will have authority to review both banks and nonbank companies — such as insurers and credit unions, which haven’t faced bank-style regulation — to see if they could threaten the system. All such companies must meet tougher standards. For example, their use of borrowed money will be limited. Fuller disclosures, onsite supervision by Federal Reserve regulators, and stiffer accounting rules will apply, too. The law provides an orderly way to close big companies. Companies the council feels could eventually pose a threat must write a “funeral plan.” If regulators decide a company is endangering the system, they could dismantle it and sell off the pieces. The idea is to prevent panic from spreading. The Treasury would pay the bank’s obligations. Treasury would be repaid with industry fees and money raised from the failed company’s shareholders, bondholders and asset sales.

Strengthening banks Banks must keep a sturdier financial base — what’s known as capital. Capital is the stable money banks sit on. It includes money not at risk, such as shareholder equity. Think of it as an expanded rainy day fund. Regulators decide how much capital banks must have to cover unexpected big losses. The law instructs regulators to raise these

standards. But they’ll have broad discretion. The bill also bans “proprietary trading.” That’s when banks place bets for their own profit, rather than for their clients. It’s unclear how strictly the ban will be enforced. It can be hard to tell, for example, whether an investment is intended to benefit a bank or its clients, and whether federally insured deposits could be put at risk by these trades. Regulators will draft rules after doing a study.

Credit rating agencies Credit rating agencies will be held more accountable. Before the recent financial crisis, they gave high ratings to investments that turned out to be worthless. Under existing case law, the agencies can’t be successfully sued for ignoring an investment’s risks — only for fraud. The overhaul ends that protection; investors can sue agencies for recklessly ignoring risks. Also, the agencies must explain more fully how they assign ratings. If an agency performs poorly over time, the Securities and Exchange Commission could cancel its registration.

Insurance companies Insurance companies escaped with few changes. A new office at Treasury will monitor the industry and help decide if an insurer is big enough to warrant tighter oversight. Today, insurers are regulated by the insurance commissions of each state in which they operate.

Debit card fees Regulators can limit the fees retailers pay when shoppers use debit cards. Merchants argue that the fees — often up to 2 percent of the transaction cost — are too high. Still, the fees help card issuers defray losses on credit card loans. Debit cards carry no such risk for the issuer.

Regulation of derivatives Executive pay

Many financial derivatives will be regu-

Shareholders of public companies can weigh in on pay packages for top executives. They can vote to approve or disapprove of pay deals as part of the proxy process. That’s the annual ballot that shareholders use to elect boards of directors. The votes on pay will be held at least once every three years. But shareholders won’t be able to block pay packages they see as excessive. Their votes will be nonbinding.

Higher standards for brokers Brokers offering personalized investment advice must act in clients’ best interests. The rules will hold brokers to the same standard that investment advisers already must meet. The change won’t occur until regulators have studied the issue.

Examining hedge funds Hedge funds must register as investment advisers. Retirement funds, money managers and wealthy individuals often in-

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lated for the first time. Derivatives are investments whose value depends on the future price of some other investment. Stock options and corn futures are examples. Many companies use derivatives to reduce risk. A company might hold a derivative whose profit would allow it to recoup part of the cost if a raw material’s price soared. Before the crisis, some investors used derivatives purely for speculation: They arranged side bets on the housing market. Once the market crashed, their bad bets magnified the crisis. Under existing rules, many derivatives are traded outside the view of regulators. The new law will require that most derivatives trade openly on exchanges. Derivatives for the first time will also trade through clearinghouses, which will require derivatives sellers to set aside money for each contract in case their bets go bad. Banks won’t be able to trade derivatives that are thought to pose the most risk. These include those based on energy and most metals. But banks can still trade most derivatives. Examples include those based on gold, interest rates and foreign currencies. — AP

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

Politics block Social Security solutions By Stephen Ohlemacher Prospects appear bleak for fixing Social Security’s financial problems as the government retirement insurance program celebrates its 75th anniversary. Many Democrats adamantly oppose any cut in benefits to reduce cost, and some won’t accept a gradual increase in the retirement age — something that was done in the last overhaul in 1983. Meanwhile, Republicans say an increase in Social Security taxes is out of the question, even for the wealthy. Unless Congress acts, Social Security’s combined retirement and disability trust funds are expected to run out of money in 2037. At that point, Social Security will collect enough in payroll taxes to cover about

three-fourths of the benefits it is obligated to pay out. The rhetoric is creating a tough environment for President Barack Obama’s bipartisan fiscal commission to come up with recommendations to improve the government’s troubled finances. Obama says everything should be on the table, and the commission’s co-chairmen — a Republican and a Democrat — have asked for civil discourse. The commission’s proposals are due in December, after congressional elections in November.

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on a compromise: small cuts in future benefits coupled with small tax increases. “You could put 10 moderates in a room, and they could come up with a package in a day that solved the long-term problem and combined tax increases and spending cuts,” said William Gale, an adviser to President George H. W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers and now co-director of the Tax Policy Center. “It’s not that hard to do.” Social Security’s short-term finances are being hurt by a recession that shed more than 8 million jobs, reducing revenue from the payroll taxes that support the program. Social Security’s long-term finances will be strained as the 78 million baby boomers reach retirement age — and live longer as life expectancy increases. For the first time since the 1980s, this year Social Security is paying out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. The program is expected to post surpluses again in 2012 through 2014, but will return to permanent deficits in 2015, its trustees said in their annual report last month. The Social Security disability program — for those under 65 but unable to work due to disability — is in even worse shape. The disability trust fund is projected to be exhausted by 2018, meaning Congress will have to act soon to address it.

Trust fund mirage The combined programs have built up a $2.5 trillion “trust fund” over the past 25 years, brought about by collecting more revenue over that period than payouts required. However, the trust funds, which exist in paper form in a filing cabinet in Parkersburg, W.Va., are simply bonds backed by the government’s “full faith and credit” — in effect, IOUs from one part of the government to another. The actual cash surplus has been spent by Congress over the years to fund other government programs. The government must now start borrowing money from public debt markets — adding to the federal budget deficit — or raise taxes to redeem the bonds held by the trust funds and repay that money to Social Security. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14, 1935. This year, more than 53 million people will receive a total of $700 billion in benefits. Retirement benefits average

$1,100 a month and disabled workers get an average of $1,065. In 75 years, 122 million people — onefourth of the U.S. population — will be drawing benefits. Social Security is financed by a 6.2 percent payroll tax on wages below $106,800. The tax is paid by workers and matched by employers. Older Americans can apply for early retirement benefits, starting at age 62. They qualify for full benefits if they wait until they turn 66, a threshold that is gradually increasing to 67 for people born in 1960 or later.

Some quick fixes Social Security would be made solvent for another 75 years if payroll taxes were increased by about 1 percentage point for both workers and employers. It would also be fixed if Congress started taxing all wages, not just those below $106,800. About 23 percent of the shortfall would be gone if Congress gradually increased the full retirement age from 67 to 68, according to the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Nearly a third of the shortfall would disappear if it was gradually increased to 70. House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio recently suggested increasing the full retirement age to 70. Democrats slammed Boehner, even though House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., made a similar suggestion in a speech the week before. “It’s an important program for millions of Americans, tens of millions of Americans, and if we don’t fix it, it will not be there,” Boehner said later. “I understand that these subjects get to be rather sensitive, and especially in an election year. I was not at all surprised by the attacks that came my way.” Among the first to attack Boehner was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She was asked later if she was hamstringing Obama’s fiscal commission by publicly opposing an increase in the retirement age. “That would be my goal, but I don’t think I have that much influence in what they do,” Pelosi said. “They are an independent commission appointed by the president. They have to do what they have to do.” To read the report of the Senate Special Committee on Aging visit http://aging.senate.gov/ss/ssreport2010.pdf. —AP

BEACON BITS

Sept. 16

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY David Rowland, a retired national information and securities spe-

cialist, will give a free lecture on President Obama’s 2010 national security strategy and the nation’s role in spreading democracy. The discussion will take place at Holiday Park Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md., on Thursday, Sept. 16 at 1:15 p.m. For more information, call (240) 777-4999.

Law & Money

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

BEACON BITS

Medicare savings are another mirage By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Martin Crutsinger The double counting of Social Security trust fund “surpluses” has been so successful that Medicare — the government-run healthcare plan for those over 65 or with disabilities — is soon to try a similar tactic. The recently passed healthcare reform legislation has been touted for saving $575 billion in Medicare costs over 10 years, thus extending the program’s solvency for 12 years. But Richard Foster, Medicare’s chief actuary, said in a statement included in the Medicare and Social Security trustees’ recent report that the Medicare savings were unlikely to be realistic. He said the projections were based on current law, which calls for payments to doctors to be cut by 23 percent this December and by a combined 30 percent over the next three years — an outcome that Foster called “an implausible result.” Congress has for years voted to put more money in the Medicare program to keep such sharp cuts in doctor’s payments from occurring. Foster said that the report also makes overly optimistic assumptions about the amount of savings that hospitals and other major providers will be able to achieve by

operating more efficiently. “For these reasons, the financial projections shown in the report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable expectation for actual program operations in either the short range ... or the long range,” Foster wrote. In addition, the savings appear to be counted twice in many government reports touting the beneficial effects of the healthcare reform legislation. An April 22 analysis by the nonpartisan professionals at the Office of the Actuary — an obscure economic unit in the Health and Human Services Department that has a reputation for independence — pointed out that the projected gain of 12 years of additional solvency for Medicare was largely an “appearance,” stemming from how Medicare cuts are handled under federal accounting rules. Under the healthcare reform law, savings from those cuts will actually be used to finance coverage for the uninsured. So, much like the Social Security trust funds, they will have already been spent when it comes time for those “savings” to fund additional Medicare coverage. Stuart Rosenthal contributed to this report. — AP

Sept. 20

WOMEN AND FINANCES

Attend a free seminar, “Women Approaching Retirement and Beyond,” on Monday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at Friendship Terrace Retirement Community. Lisa Burke, a financial specialist with the nonprofit Society for Financial Awareness, will talk about women and money, divorce and widowhood, retirement and estate planning, risk management, life insurance and long- term care insurance. Friendship Terrace is located at 4201 Butterworth Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. For more information or to reserve a seat, call Derek Johnson at 202-244-7400.

Sept. 14

GET THE MOST OUT OF METRO

A free discussion on “Metro Bus, Metro Access Eligibility and Fares” will take place at the Eye Clinic in the Washington Hospital Center, 110 Irving St., N.W., Washington, D.C., at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Free parking stickers will be provided. For more information and to reserve a complimentary lunch, call (202) 877-6801.

Sept. 29

FREE MEDICARE SEMINAR

Turning 65 soon? Find out what you need to know about Medicare: how to track health care claims, access preventive services, authorize a family member to get your care information and more in a free seminar at Holiday Park Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton, Md., on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 1:15 p.m. For more information, call (240) 777-4999.

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

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

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

Careers Volunteers &

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

Milliner has no plans to hang up her hat A second career Beane, a rare practitioner of an old-fashioned art form, has her own remarkable story. She began her hat business after retiring from the federal government, and 30 years later her creations remain very much in demand in an age when few people wear hats and many of those who do are content with mass-produced headgear from China. Beane still works full time at Beane Millinery, her boutique in the Manor Park neighborhood of northwest Washington. “I just enjoy being here,” Beane said recently, surrounded by finished and unfinished hats of all shapes, styles and colors. The work provided a welcome distraction after the 1980 death of her son in a boating accident and the 1993 death of her husband. “It just helped me through these trying times that I’ve had,” Beane said. Born in Wilson, N.C., Vanilla Powell was the youngest of seven. After coming to Washington, she met her husband, whose last name yielded the unexpected combination with her first name. (She says she didn’t even think about it until someone remarked

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AP PHOTO BY JACQUELYN MARTIN

By Sarah Karush Ninety-year-old Vanilla Beane is a milliner who knows that a hat can be so much more than mere headgear. Look no further than Beane’s favorite customer: civil rights pioneer Dorothy Height, whose hats were known far and wide as a statement of her dignity and grace. When Height died at age 98 this spring, some of her friends and admirers — Beane among them — wore hats to her funeral as a final tribute. The audience was dotted with colorful creations, and the eulogist-in-chief noted Height’s most distinctive feature in his remarks. “We loved those hats that she wore like a crown,” President Barack Obama said. Now one of Beane’s creations is to be immortalized in a modest memorial to Height in front of the southwest Washington building where the civil rights leader lived for 27 years. A metal replica of a Vanilla Beane original — painted hot pink — will be placed atop one of the city’s obsolete emergency call boxes this month, part of a citywide initiative to restore the 19th-century structures as works of art.

Milliner Vanilla Beane works on a hat design in her shop, in the Manor Park neighborhood of northwest Washington. Beane’s favorite customer was civil rights pioneer Dorothy Height.

on it about a year after the wedding.) Beane became interested in hats when she was working as an elevator operator in a downtown building that housed Washington Millinery Supply. She liked to sew and would often stop in the shop to look around and pick up materials. In 1955, she was hired as a seamstress. “She had very much talent, but she didn’t have the design know-how in those days,” recalled Richard Dietrick, Sr., the owner of Washington Millinery Supply. “She picked it up very quickly.” Beane eventually left the company and went to work as a mail clerk for the General Services Administration. But hat making continued to be her passion: She’d make them at home and sell them at hat parties. Dietrick eventually decided to move

Washington Millinery closer to his home in Maryland and focus on bridal headpieces and veils. “You girls quit wearing hats, more or less,” said Dietrick, 85.

Staying in fashion But hat fashion lived on in the AfricanAmerican community, particularly in the churches, and Beane bought much of the store’s remaining inventory. “Then I had to find a place to put it,” Beane said. After retiring from the government, she opened her own shop on Third Street. The store next door is Lovely Lady Boutique, where Height bought many of her clothes. She’d stop by Beane’s to get a See MILLINER, page 35

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

Holding onto insurance after losing a job By Kimberly Lankford Q: Since I lost my job nearly 18 months ago, my health insurance has been covered through the COBRA program. Now my COBRA eligibility is about to end, and I still don’t have a job with benefits. I have some health problems, so I don’t think I can qualify for a policy on my own. Is there any chance that Congress will extend COBRA eligibility beyond 18 months? Or should I wait for the new high-risk pools to open? A: Even though thousands of people are nearing the end of their COBRA coverage, Congress is unlikely to extend eligibility beyond 18 months for people who lose their job. But you do have several alternatives. Despite your health problems, you may qualify for an individual policy if your condition is well managed. To get price quotes from several insurers in your area, contact eHealthInsurance.com (call 1-800-977-

8860 to discuss your health situation rather than requesting an online quote), or find a health-insurance agent in your area at www.nahu.org. An agent can help you gather letters from your doctors and other key records that could strengthen your case and help you qualify for coverage. If you have major health problems, however, you might be rejected for coverage. But because you’re coming off COBRA, you have access to some special health-insurance options. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) allows people who exhaust their COBRA eligibility to buy certain policies regardless of their health condition as long as they don’t have a gap in coverage longer than 63 days. HIPAA coverage, which varies from state to state, doesn’t come cheap. Some states limit HIPAA policies to 145 percent of the cost of a standard health insurance policy,

Milliner

can run up to $500, said she believes hats are making a small comeback, thanks in part to church-sponsored teas and the attention paid to Height toward the end of her life and around her funeral. When Beane is not busy working on an order for a customer, she experiments with new designs for herself. “It’s hard for me to find a hat that suits me because I don’t like too large a hat,” Beane said. “I’m very conservative.” — AP

From page 34 matching hat. Lovely Lady’s owner, Ethel Sanders, said Beane has a keen eye for fashion and manages to make her hats up-to-date. “There are not very many milliners around, and she happens to be one of the best,” Sanders said. Beane, whose custom-made creations

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

WHAT A DOLL! Every year at Christmas, the Salvation Army gives out dolls to chil-

dren in Arlington dressed by local residents to make each one unique. Anyone interested in dressing a doll in a homemade or purchased outfit should call (703) 228-4721. Donations of fabric are also welcome.

Oct. 1+

HELP A HOSPICE Montgomery Hospice seeks volunteers in the areas of patient or bereavement care, administrative work and licensed massage

therapists. Training will be held Fridays, Oct. 1, 8 and 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Montgomery Hospice in Rockville, Md. Call Christiane Wiese at (301) 921-4400 or visit www.montgomeryhospice.org for application.

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but others permit insurers to charge up to 300 percent of the standard cost. In some states, all insurers must offer a HIPAA plan to eligible applicants regardless of preexisting conditions. In other states, one insurer provides all HIPAA coverage. And some states provide coverage by letting HIPAA-eligible people into their high-risk pool without a waiting period. For details about your state’s rules, go to www.coverageforall.org, or contact your state insurance department. You can find links to the state departments at www.naic.org. Don’t wait for the new high-risk pools. The healthcare reform law specifies that you must be uninsured for six months to qualify for one. If you have a health condition, it could be dangerous to go that long

without health insurance. Instead, start the HIPAA application process at least a month before your COBRA eligibility expires so you don’t end up with a gap in coverage. And whether you have a HIPAA policy or you qualify for an individual plan, you may be eligible for some assistance in paying health insurance premiums. Twenty states, including Virginia, have Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) programs, which help low-income people with medical conditions pay private health insurance premiums. Go to www.dmas.virginia.gov/rcp-HIPP.htm for more information. © 2010 Kiplinger. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Volunteers & Careers

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

Senior Advocate’s Message A Mayor For All of Us August 2010

Dear Friends, This is a critical time for our city, and we need a mayor who will lead the District with determination, compassion and foresight. That person is Vince . Gray, and I am asking you to cast your vote for him on September 14, 2010 Vince Gray will move our city forward without leaving any of us behind. He will lead our great city with the same maturity and resolve he has displayed as Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia. As Mayor, Vince Gray will make the District of Columbia work for all of us. He believes in “One City” — which includes you and me. I KNOW Vince Gray and I TRUST Vince Gray to save our senior programs, services and benef its and to include us in future plans for our city. With Vince Gray as Mayor we will have a seat at the decision making table. Thank you... Let’s go all the way and deliver results for Vince Gray on September 14th! See you at the polls!!! Yours in Aging,

D.C. Early Voting Begins Monday, August 30th August 30 – Sept. 11 (Closed Sunday) 8:30 am – 7 pm

September 13 8:30 am – 4:45 pm Board of Elections • 441 4th Street, N.W.

September 4-11 (Closed Sunday) 8:30 am – 7 pm Chevy Chase Community Center Turkey Thicket Recreation Center Hine Junior High School SE Tennis and Learning Center

For more information, call the D.C. Board of Elections at 202-727-2525. Paid for by E. Veronica Pace, 5170 34th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008

E. Veronica Pace Senior Advocate and Public Servant

★ GRAY FOR MAYOR ★ VOTE SEPTEMBER 14 ★ D.C. PRIMARY ★ GRAY FOR MAYOR ★ VOTE SEPTEMBER 14 ★ D.C. PRIMARY ★

GRAY FOR MAYOR ★ VOTE SEPTEMBER 14 ★ D.C. PRIMARY ★ GRAY FOR MAYOR

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

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXV, ISSUE 9

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By Dr. Clarence Brown As we almost say our goodbyes to summer, we say hello to our newest facility, the Ward One Senior Wellness Center, which is opening this fall at 3531 Georgia Ave., N.W. Mayor Adrian Fenty has made the health and well-being of seniors a priority in his administration. The leading causes of death among the elderly in Ward One, according to D.C. Vital Statistics, are heart disease, cancer, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, influenza/pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory and diabetes. Some of these diseases can be maintained or reduced with proper health and wellness education, thus avoiding costly hospitalization or institutionalization. We encourage all seniors to take healthier steps toward aging. Become involved in one of our senior wellness centers listed in this issue. Join a senior program by calling the Lead Agency in your ward to find out how you can lead an active lifestyle. Be sure to contact your doctor first to ensure that you are physically able to join a wellness center. Congratulations to all our participants in the Commission on Aging’s Intergenerational Poster Contest. I would like to thank the United Black Fund for its generous financial contribution to each of the winners. In closing, remember to exercise your civic duty by voting in the upcoming Primary Election on Sept. 14. Early voting is also available. Avoid the lines, vote now!

SAVE THE DATE! Office of the People’s Council’s (OPC's) Wards 6, 7 and 8

Energy Efficiency Expo "In-A-Box" Saturday, October 9 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, Main Conference Hall 2616 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20020 Panel discussions on: 1. Solar panel and geothermal installation 2. Solar co-ops: what, how and why 3. The benefits of a professional energy audit 4. Grants and other available programs 5. Smart meter, FIOS, etc. Hands-on energy efficiency demonstrations and much more.

September 2010

Opening This Fall Ward One Senior Wellness Center Located at 3531 Georgia Avenue N.W. (corner of Georgia Avenue and Newton Place) Building features will include: • Nutrition counseling and teaching classrooms • Intake room • Health education seminar rooms • Exercise and fitness area • Massage room • Computer training center • Multipurpose rooms • Offices for staff • Rooftop terrace with walking space • Lobby with art work The Ward One Senior Wellness Center is slated to open For more information, call 202-724-5626. this fall.

Visit one of our existing wellness centers: Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center 3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. 202-563-7225 Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center 324 Kennedy St., N.W. 202-291-6170

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center 1901 Evarts St., N.E. 202-635-1900 Washington Seniors Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Ave., S.E. 202-581-9355

Fenty Announces New Vehicles for Senior Transportation DCOA transportation fleet gets big “We are very excited to add these new vehiboost with purchase of vehicles cles to our transportation fleet,” said Brown. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and D.C. Office on “The new vehicles are a testament to Mayor Aging (DCOA) Director Dr. Clarence Brown an- Fenty’s leadership and commitment to ensurnounced the purchase of 11 new wheelchair-acces- ing seniors in the District are able to remain insible vehicles for the Washington Elderly and dependent and active.” Handicapped The new vehicles Transportation replace old, de(WEHTS) program crepit vehicles that to assist in transhave traveled more porting seniors to than 100,000 miles medical appointeach. The vehicles ments and geriatric have the capacity to care centers across transport 12 to 16 the city. passengers, as well “The purchase as two passengers of these vehicles Eleven new wheelchair-accessible vehicles will help seated in wheelgreatly assists the transport older residents to doctor appointments. chairs. The curb-toDistrict in its abilicurb ser vice is ty to transport our elderly clients to lifesaving often the best transportation option for seniors appointments and senior services on a daily and persons with disabilities in the District. basis,” said Fenty. “Our residents are living WEHTS averages 260 trips per day and translonger, more robust lives, and being able to pro- ported 101,211 seniors to various senior cenvide transportation for them to medical and ters, meal sites and recreational activities in recreational activities ensures that they contin- 2009. The 11 new vehicles are worth a total of ue to lead full and healthy lives.” approximately $649,000.

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

D.C. OFFICE

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar September events

13th to 17th

1st • 11:30 a.m. “The New Medicare Law and You” will be the topic for a seminar at the Green Valley Senior Nutrition Center, 2412 Franklin St., N.E. For additional information, contact Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

1st • 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. IONA Senior Services and the Greater Washington Partnership for Palliative and End of Life Care are hosting a seminar on “managing pain” to be held at IONA, 4125 Albemarle St., N.W. The featured speaker is Dr. Barbara Supanich, medical director of Palliative Care Consultation Service at Holy Cross Hospital. The session will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and repeated at 7 p.m. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. a pharmacist from New Hampshire Pharmacy will speak about medication management. Care will be provided for family members in the IONA Adult Day Health, Wellness and Arts Center, if needed. Call 202-895-9448 to make arrangements or for more information.

The District of Columbia Office on Aging and the Aging and Disability Resource Center (DCOA/ADRC) will offer a “Master Trainers” session for the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), an evidencebased training program developed by Stanford University Patient Education Research Center, from September 13 to 17. It will be held at 441 Fourth St., N.W. The cost is $700. Participants who complete the training will be certified to conduct the DSMP and to train other leaders to conduct self-management workshops throughout the community. To register, contact Fonda Sutton at 202-724-5622, 202-535-1444, or fonda.sutton@dc.gov.

15th, 16th, 17th National Senior Month will be celebrated on these days at the senior nutrition centers that are part of Seabury Ward 5 Aging Services. For additional information, contact Vivian Grayton at 202529-8701.

tomac River. He has won numerous awards and has had his work widely exhibited in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. He is a partner in the law firm of Nixon Peabody LLC, where he specializes in renewable energy law. For more information, call 202-895-9448.

17th • 5 to 9 p.m. Grab your cowboy boots and come on down to St. Luke’s Center for a Blue Jean Ball and westernstyle dinner. This fundraiser for the Keen Seniors Program costs $12 and will take place in the Satellite Room at the center, 4923 E. Capitol St., N.E. There will be a prize for the best jean outfit. For more information, contact Robin Gantt at 202-5344880, ext. 110.

18th • 11 a.m. There will be a presentation for caregivers on longterm care at the Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Center, 4817 Blagden Ave., N.W. Contact Holly Segal for more information, 202-723-8537.

16th • 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. 13th • 11:30 a.m. Seabury Ward 5 Senior Services will offer an educational workshop in honor of National Preparedness Month at a site to be announced. Call Vivian Grayton for site location and topic at 202-529-8701.

Learn about fine art photography with Lee Goodwin, artist in residence at IONA, 4125 Albemarle St., N.W. Goodwin has focused his lens on locations in and around Washington D.C., with particular emphasis on Great Falls, the C & O Canal and the Po-

Important Information on Upcoming D.C. Primary Election on September 14th Early voting going on now The September 14th Primary is open to persons who are registered Democrats, Republicans and D.C. Statehood Green voters to nominate a party candidate for the general election.

Important information that seniors should know about the upcoming 2010 Primary and General Elections: Same day voter registration is available August 30 to September 14. During the early voting period and on election day you must present an ID.

Offices on the Primary ballot: Delegate to U.S. House of Repre-

sentatives, Mayor, Council Chairman, At-Large Member of the Council, Ward Councilmember (Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6) and U.S. Representative, State Board of Education (Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6), All Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners.

Early Voting At Board of Elections Office now until September 13 441 4th St., N.W., Old Council Chambers, First Floor Washington, DC 20001 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closes at 4:45 p.m. on Monday, September 13 For more information, call the D.C. Board of Elections at 202-727-2525.

23rd • 11 a.m. A workshop on falls prevention will take place at Seabury Ward 5 Aging Services at Ft. Lincoln 1, 2855 Bladensburg Rd., N.E. For additional information, contact Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

Intergenerational Poster Contest Winners The D.C. Commission on Aging held the 17th Annual Calvin W. Rolark Intergenerational Poster Graphics Contest, supported by the United Black Fund and the D.C. Office on Aging. More than 80 participants from the Summer Youth Employment Program and the Girl Scouts submitted entries for the contest. The United Black Fund provided cash awards for the winners.

The winners are as follows: Grades 1-5 Destiny Faith Nelson, First Prize, Grade 4 EFBC Troop #5178

Joy Canty, Second Prize, Grade 4 Lamond Recreation Center Joel Canty, Third Prize, Grade 6 Lamond Recreation Center

Grades 6-8 Angel Collins, First Prize, Grade 6 Theodore Hagans Cultural Arts Center Natalie M. Davis, Third Prize, Grade 5 EFBC Troop #3168

Grades 9-12 Angel Obie, First Prize, Grade 11 Lamond Recreation Center Dasia Williams, Second Prize, Grade 10 Theodore Hagans Cultural Arts Center

SAVE THE DATE!

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. 441 4th St., N.W., 9th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov Dr. Clarence Brown, Executive Director Darlene Nowlin, Editor Vikrum Aiver, Photographer 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.

The National Hispanic Council on Aging’s 2010 Annual Conference

Sept. 28 to 29

L’Enfant Plaza Hotel 480 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W. • Washington, DC 20024

202-484-1000

Pre-event online registration deadline: September 17 http://nhcoa.org/conf/register.php For assistance, contact 1-866-488-7379 or rgriego@nhcoa.org

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

Travel Leisure &

Easton, Md. offers arts and inns. See story on page 42.

Eclectic New Orleans endures and entices

Colorful characters When I got to my B&B in the French Quarter in May and awaited a key, I perched on a rickety wooden chair streetside and was soon joined by my next door “neighbor” who emerged for a smoke.

He was a scraggly fellow in a sleeveless, dingy undershirt and loose-hanging jeans. We heard a long tooting whistle. “That’s the paddle boat coming in,” he explained, as colorful characters of every age meandered along the sidewalk and the sweet aroma of baking beignets wafted by. It was a fitting introduction to New Orleans — the Big Easy, a place where you can go from the seedy to the sublime in an instant. Here at the foot of the Mississippi River in a filled-in swamp, the humidity seems to nourish a fusion of cultures and a zany mix of people with a boundless joie de vivre. In Jackson Square, I met two guys, one whose entire body, head to toe, was painted silver; the other was painted gold. Another fellow claimed to be a duplicate (not a twin) of Muhammad Ali and wanted to shed his bathrobe for a fisticuff. It can seem a bit surreal. Maybe it’s because the “Mighty Muddy” Mississippi — a river that drains 41 percent of the United States and is unpredictable — lurks untamable and presumably restrained by a levee. Maybe it’s the backdrop of vapors emanating from the slow-moving, steamy bayous that ripple through the region and the gangly bald cypresses draped in dangly Spanish moss.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

By Glenda C. Booth Just after the Deepwater Horizon well blowout started spewing crude oil across the Gulf of Mexico in April, New Orleans native Joe Kimbrell had reason to moan. “We don’t need this. Why can’t we just relish being the Super Bowl champs?” Southeastern Louisiana, with New Orleans its heartbeat, has been battered time and again — Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi River floods, Formosa termite invasions, and then, the ruptured well that sent over 200 million gallons of oil onto Gulf shores and into the state’s cherished wetlands. But this time the Crescent City may have dodged a bullet. The actual well is 100 miles from New Orleans, and the city has not been directly fouled. Its seafood is testing safe, city promoters insist. Conventioneers still descend, chefs create mouth-watering gourmet dishes, and jazz reverberates through the French Quarter at all hours. The resilience and enduring spirit of the people of New Orleans are part of its persona. “We may have a bit of insanity, but we never grow old,” touts a video about the city’s most famous festival, Mardi Gras.

A New Orleans river boat cruises down the Mississippi River past the round Aquarium of the Americas.

Taking in the French Quarter The vibrant core of New Orleans is the PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

A horse-drawn carriage passes in front of the Royal Café in New Orleans’ French Quarter, which is once again filled with jazz and nightlife.

French Quarter, Vieux Carré (old square), 66 blocks of jazz clubs, boutiques, restaurants, shops, art galleries and homes. Visitors can be amused for hours just walking the streets. A stroll on Bourbon Street can be a bacchanalian experience worth doing once. There seem to be minifests always going on somewhere, with blues oozing out of windows and doorways. Jackson Square is a magnet for musicians, buskers, clairvoyants, mystics, dancers, artists, transients, tricksters, odds and ends of people and many curiosity seekers. Some say you could see alligators crossing the square at one time. These reptiles aren’t far away, and they once scampered through the area’s towns. The architecture bespeaks the rich mix of cultures — Spanish, French, German, French Acadian, Cajun, Creole and native American — that have made New Orleans the gumbo that it is. Wrought-iron and cast-iron work decorate balconies and fronts. Double-shotgun houses and Creole cottages are crammed side by side along narrow streets. Tuckedaway inner courtyards beckon. The $15 French Quarter Walking Tour, starting at the 1850 House, 525 St. Ann St., is an informative introduction to the Quarter’s quirks and history. There are also tours for every taste, including architecture, history, food, music, ghosts and voodoo. There’s a “rebirth”

tour on which you can see the levee that breached and areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Cemetery tours explore the area’s unique burial methods. Because New Orleans is below sea level, a grave would fill with water quickly and caskets would float up. So most burials are above ground, and the city’s dearly departed rest in vaults.

Quintessential cuisine “We live to eat. We’ve never heard of counting calories,” Baton Rouge native Whitney Breaux, told me as I downed a two-inch high, spongy bread pudding, after dining on crab claws and catfish Orleans, fried filets with crawfish étoufeé. Food is central to the identity of the City of Chefs. The cuisine combines Cajun, Creole, French, Italian, African and Caribbean dishes from hole-in-the-wall dives to high-end restaurants. In more than 1,000 restaurants, chefs master distinctive dishes like red beans and rice, gumbo, boudin, crab boil, jambalaya, oysters Bienville, various étoufeés, pralines, beignets, king cakes, po-boys and muffulettas. Paul Prudhomme, founder and head chef at K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, elevated spicy blackened fish to fame here. A good introduction to eating is the Court of the Two Sisters’ jazz brunch, See NEW ORLEANS, page 40

Leisure & Travel

New Orleans From page 39 where you can tickle your palate with famous New Orleans dishes from a bounteous buffet. At restaurants like Antoine’s, Commander’s Palace, Galatoire’s, Broussard’s and Pierre Maspero’s you’ll rarely go wrong. Check out the back window of the Café du Monde, open 24-7, and you’ll see the chef flinging dough into oil en route to becoming mouth-watering beignets.

All that jazz Jazz seems to seep from every crevice, but in truth, there’s a wide range of music here, including zydeco, Cajun, R&B, bluegrass, rockabilly, reggae and rock ‘n’ roll. Among the greats who have called New

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

The 100-year-old St. Charles streetcar rumbles along a 13-mile loop and is a convenient way to visit the Garden District, a 13-block area of sumptuous antebellum mansions amid subtropical foliage that evoke the Deep South.

Orleans home are Louis Armstrong, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, and Ellis, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis. The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park offers a self-guided walking tour of jazz sites in the French Quarter. Visit www.nps.gov/jazz. A good nightspot for authentic N’awlins’ jazz is Snug Harbor at 626 Frenchmen St., www.snugjazz.com. There are many museums. For history and local culture, try the Museum Cabildo, which boasts Napoleon’s 1821 death mask made 40 hours after he died. The Presbytere has an excellent Mardi Gras exhibit, including filmed interviews with locals, who explain New Orleans arcana like krewes (organized groups that participate in Mardi Gras parades or balls), king cake (colorful cakes served at Mardi Gras), and the “art form” of building floats.

Down in the bayou Getting out of the city and into southeastern Louisiana’s swamplands offers a broader context and saturation in all that is Louisiana. Spanish moss droops eerily from the cypress and tupelo trees, and alligator eyes peek out just above the water. Winding through the bayous with the critters croaking, buzzing, scampering and slithering showcases a key part of the fabric of southern Louisiana. About 30 minutes out of town, in the National Park Service’s Barataria Preserve, you can explore 20,000 acres of swamp and forest on foot or by canoe. Visit www.nps.gov/jela/Baratariapreserve.htm. Fifty-seven miles from New Orleans, and well worth a day trip, is the Cajun Man’s swamp tour near Houma. The drive there is a tour of small town Louisiana, burgs largely dependent on oil and fishing, endeavors not incongruous to locals. In his two-hour pontoon ride, Ron “Black” Guidry rattles on about the native flora and fauna and is often tailed by his two “pet” alligators, who at the sound of the boat, speed over for a chicken snack. Guidry plays a guitar and Cajun accordion

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and treats passengers to tunes, including one about a Louisiana lass who ran off with a Yankee rascal from Baton Rouge. Another titled “Colinda,” begins “Allon, let’s dance, your mother is not here to chaperone.” “The great white egrets come around when they hear me sing,” Guidry quips. Pretty soon, everyone is singing “You Are My Sunshine,” written by a revered former Louisiana governor, Jimmie Davis. Reservations are highly recommended. Call (985) 868-4725.

If you go Visit the New Orleans tourism office at www.neworleanscvb.com for information on lodging, restaurants, museums, tours and other services. AirTran offers non-stop flights from BWI Marshall Airport starting at $175 round-trip in mid-September. United Airlines has a non-stop flight from Dulles that starts at $230 round-trip. Decide if you want to stay in the French Quarter or near it. Staying in it means you might be “treated” to revelers all night. Two hotels on the edge of the Quarter, but accessible on foot to major sites, are the Hotel St. Pierre, 911 Burgundy St. (1-800-6540224, www.FrenchQuarterInns.com, $79 to $169 per night) and the Best Western at 920 North Rampart St, (504-524-3333, www.bestwesternlouisiana.com, $119 per night). Glenda C. Booth is a travel writer who lives in Alexandria, Va.

Look for Fo Alzheime rest Side r’s Assiste Coming S d Living Call for m oon. ore 202-966-76 info: 23. We offer the full continuum of care, all under one roof, and without an entry fee. Come enjoy luxurious independent living, attentive assisted living, plus rehabilitation and nursing care should you ever need it. Three meals a day, housekeeping, transportation, wellness programs and more are included in your rent. Plus — our onsite physicians’ clinic brings an internist, dentist, podiatrist, and massage therapist to you.

For more information or to schedule a tour, call (202)

966-7623.

4 9 0 1 C o n n e c t i c u t Av e n u e , N W • Wa s h i n g t o n , D C 2 0 0 0 8 - 2 0 9 4

Leisure & Travel

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

Visit New Orleans’ World War II museum By Janet McConnaughey From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, the exhibits at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans blend personal accounts, artifacts, documents, photographs and rare film footage to tell the stories of America’s role in World War II in Europe, the Pacific and on the homefront. The museum, opened 10 years ago to commemorate D-Day, continues to expand. Three new buildings on its six-acre campus are slated to open in 2015. World War II vets get free admission to the museum. Smoky the Yorkshire terrier, Lady Astor the pigeon, and a host of horses and mules are among war heroes and heroines featured in the latest exhibit. “Loyal Forces: The Animals of WWII” will run until Oct. 17, featuring the four kinds of animals most often brought into the war. “There was a great love and loyalty between the soldiers and the animals they worked with,” said registrar Toni M. Kiser, who created the exhibit with archivist Lindsey Barnes.

BEACON BITS

Sept. 10+

KAYAK AT SUNSET Take a tour of the

upper Potomac and watch the sunset from your kayak. No previous experi-

Guarding the coast In the mezzanine, where a Sherman tank and a halftrack represent the period’s most common cavalry, is a figure of a Coast Guardsman on shore patrol with his horse. The shore patrols were set up after German saboteurs twice landed on American beaches. This may seem odd to people used to thinking of the Coast Guard as having offshore duty in cutters, patrol boats, helicopters and airplanes. “Luckily, before they could wreak havoc, they were caught,” said Kiser. “But there was this great fear that we really had to protect America’s coastline.” Nearly 3,000 horses, provided by the Army Quartermaster Corps, let the shore patrol cover much more ground. “The U.S. Coast Guard used more horses than any other branch of the U.S. Military during WWII,” the title panel notes. The first thing visitors see in the special exhibits gallery is a German reconnais-

sance horse and soldier, representing the European theater. Germany’s 1st Cavalry Division pursued the Soviet Army through the northern marshes of the Soviet Union, but was disbanded and mechanized in November 1941, largely because horses needed extensive supplies and attention, and Adolf Hitler considered them outmoded. But most supplies and a great deal of artillery were still horse-drawn, and a mounted infantry squadron patrolled about six miles in front of every German infantry division. North Africa and the Mediterranean are represented by pigeons such as Lady Astor, which brought an urgent message to Allied forces from the front lines in North Africa in spite of pellet fire that broke one leg and took half the feathers from one wing.

Going to the dogs For the Pacific front, there are the dogs. Smoky, found in a foxhole in New

BEACON BITS

Sept. 25

B’nai B’rith

ELLIS ISLAND TOUR Follow in the footsteps of 16 million American immigrants with a

trip to Ellis Island on Saturday, Sept. 25. Buses leave early in the morning from Franconia Police Station, Mason Government Center and Fair Oaks Mall. The cost is $114 for residents of Fairfax County and $129 for others, and also

call (703) 324-8687 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec/classes/trips.

• HUD Subsidies for Rent • Care Subsidies for Personal Care Services

Take an adventure • Ride an elephant • Visit Thailand!

Falls, Va. on Friday afternoons, from

$65 for residents of Fairfax County and $80 for others, which includes all equipment. For more information, call (301) 292-6455 or

Four times a year, I personally lead small group tours to magnificent Thailand. Stay in great hotels, enjoy tantalizing cuisine, and see Bangkok, tribal villages, temples and palaces, beaches and more. It’s the trip of a lifetime. Our tours are flexible and affordable!

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks

Call Lee at (571) 244-4363

/rec/classes/sail.htm.

to learn more about this incredible adventure. www.h2t3Tours.com

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ay W ch a E

Quality Senior Living You Can Afford forYears to Come! • Personal Care & Independent Apartments

hour tour leaves from Riverbend

Sept. 10 through Oct. 1. The cost is

Homecrest House

includes admission to the Statue of Liberty. Meals are not included. To sign up,

ence is required. The two-and-a-half-

Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St., Great

Guinea, was a mascot who became a war heroine when engineers needed to run 70 feet of telegraph wire through an 8-inch culvert under an airfield. Cpl. William Wynne, who had adopted Smoky and taught her many tricks, tied one end of the wire to Smoky’s collar and had his buddies hold Smoky at one end of the culvert while he called her from the other. Her story is among a half-dozen featured on a touch-screen display, as is that of Kurt, a Doberman pinscher who alerted his handler to Japanese soldiers lying in wait above the Asan Point beachhead on Guam. The dog later was killed by a mortar shell. The National WWII Museum is located at 945 Magazine St., New Orleans. For more information, go to www.nationalww2museum.org or call (504) 528-1944. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults, $18; children 5-12, $9. —AP, with additional reporting by Barbara Ruben

• Ask about meals, medication administration, housekeeping, laundry, activities, & more! For more information and to schedule your personal tour, call

301.598.4000 Ext:79 Or visit us online at

www.homecresthouse.org 14508 Homecrest Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20906 TTY 800-735-2258

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Leisure & Travel

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Easton’s lively arts scene near the shore food at open-air stands, and enjoying a sense of community. A three-day pass for $10 gets you in to events. The collectible decoys fetch hundreds of dollars; talking to the carvers is free.

Exploring Easton Concentrated on Dover Street, art galleries, restaurants, inns, and the Avalon Theatre make for a lively mix. A good place to start your walking tour is the Talbot County Visitors Center, one block over on Harrison Street. Once home of the fire company, the tiny tourist office displays memorabilia of the 300-year-old community, including clothing, products manufactured in the area, and items from the plantation where Frederick Douglass was a slave. On a quiet summer weekend we encountered few visitors. Sidewalk cafes and private galleries on the central plaza at Talbot County Courthouse (circa 1794) had a relaxed buzz. The walkable center of Easton focuses on the historic Avalon Theatre. During the silent movie era, the Avalon hosted the premiere of The First Kiss starring Gary Cooper and Fay Wray, filmed aboard a skipjack fishing boat at St. Michaels in 1926.

Upcoming Trips Dunes Manor Hotel, Ocean City, MD Sept 29-Oct 1 This is the perfect time to visit Ocean City! The air and the ocean are warm and the crowds are gone. Every room at the Dunes Manor Hotel is oceanfront, and the hotel is just off the boardwalk. Enjoy fine dining, afternoon teas, and nightly entertainment, and the many attractions of Ocean City, or you can just relax on the large veranda overlooking the ocean. $429 per person, double occ.; $499 single occ. Chicago–Riverside Dinner Theater, October 13

Experience the “razzle-dazzle” of Chicago—the Musical, a story of justice and show business in the “Jazz Age.” It includes the memorable music and dance numbers “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango,” “Roxie,” and many others. Before the show you’ll enjoy a delicious luncheon elegantly served at your table as only the Riverside Dinner theater does. $129 per person

Trapp Family Lodge and Foxwoods Resort Casino, October 17-21 You will stay two

nights at the Trapp Family Lodge, a little piece of Austria in the Green Mountains of Vermont. While there, you’ll visit other Vermont attractions before heading for the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Your stay at Foxwoods will include an excursion to the historic Mystic Seaport and Village. $849 pp, dble occ.; $1169 single occ.

The Allenberry Christmas Show, Boiling Springs, PA (near Gettysburg) Sunday, December 5

Join us for this joyful holiday musical at the Allenberry Playhouse theater, featuring traditional music, colorful costumes, and a heartwarming story. Prior to the show, we’ll partake of a wonderful buffet lunch–including Allenberry’s famous sticky buns–in a charming setting all decked out for the holidays.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INN AT 202 DOVER

By Bernard Burt Maryland’s Eastern Shore attracts boaters, crabs and tourists galore. But Easton, the historic seat of Talbot County, has neither beaches nor marinas. Unlike other towns near the bay, however, it has lots of art. Movie buffs will flock to the Chesapeake Film Festival, Sept. 24 to 26. The third annual edition of this homegrown event promises a mix of independent productions, documentaries and golden oldies. Inspired by the Sundance festival in Utah, a group of Maryland filmmakers put together an eclectic series of screenings and talks with movie directors. The annual Waterfowl Festival in November makes Easton the capital of duck carving. Twelve venues throughout town feature world-class paintings, sculpture, carvings and photography of waterfowl. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Waterfowl Festival. For three days, Nov. 12 to 14, the entire town will celebrate the fall season. With migrating Canada geese flying overhead, colonial streets are closed and historic buildings decorated with natural greens. While the exhibitions and competitions are ticketed, the festive atmosphere attracts families walking dogs, sampling

Easton’s Inn at 202 Dover, built in 1874, features French and Victorian antiques, along with dollhouses crafted by one of the owners.

Refurbished with touches of Art Deco decoration, the theater is run by a nonprofit foundation that presents live concerts as well as movies. The 400-seat auditorium has remarkable acoustics, comfortable seats, an elevator and two bars. Upstairs, the Stoltz Listening Room is an intimate venue for jazz, bluegrass and country music groups. On the ground floor, Legal Sprits Tavern has a lively vibe at the corner of Dover and Washington Streets. Some of the Chesapeake Film Festival’s movies will screen at the Avalon. Paintings by some of the area’s professional artists drew our attention at Grafton Galleries, 32 E. Dover St. Landscapes by David Grafton capture the essence of Eastern Shore life. And you may meet the artist in his studio next door. Nearby, South Street Art Gallery hosts shows from across the country as well as local artists. Troika Gallery has impressive work by 33 local artists. Decoy collectors can check out sales at Studio 26, a new gallery on Dover Street. The newest addition to the Academy Art Museum comes from collectors in New York City. Fifty works from the Vogel collection of American modernists, recently documented on PBS TV, were given to the Easton museum by the National Gallery of

Art through a grant from the Maryland Arts Council.

An historic mansion reborn Our five-block walk in the historic area ended at Tidewater Inn’s cozy pub, steps from tree-lined streets graced with fine examples of Tidewater homes. Ronald and Shelby Mitchell drove down from Bethesda six years ago to discover a rundown mansion waiting to be reborn as the Inn at 202 Dover. Built almost 140 years ago, the stately Colonial Revival residence had been through numerous incarnations before falling into disarray. Applying creative energy from former careers in advertising and law, the Mitchells brought the mansion back to life, adding a culinary hotspot and design details unique to Easton. Featuring just four suites and one single bedroom, the Inn at 202 Dover offers the best of past and present. Victorian and French antiques harmonize with a piano in the parlor that was created by enclosing porches. Hosting a B&B inn brought out the Mitchells’ artistic flair. Shelby’s handmade doll houses are displayed in public rooms. “We preserved the building’s Victorian origins by theming suites to popular destiSee EASTON, page 43

BEACON BITS

Sept. 25

ASSIST BABIES AND MOTHERS The Naomi Project, an interfaith program that promotes healthy

pregnancies, babies and mothers, will hold a training session for volunteers on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Falls Church Presbyterian

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Leisure & Travel

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

Easton From page 42 nations of that era,” Ron explained. Guests choose lavishly furnished Asian, French, English or African Safari suites with spacious parlor, full bath and distinctive décor. The Mitchells added a glass-walled conservatory to expand the dining room, now known as the Peacock Restaurant & Lounge. It is graced by a full-feathered bird found in an antiques shop down the street. Open to the public, the Peacock adds music by a pianist for Sunday brunch. That brunch spotlights chef Mark Knipp, who

hails from culinary powerhouses like the Inn at Little Washington, Va. Local farmers supply ingredients for his all-American menu. Breakfast is Ron’s specialty (ask for his buttermilk croissant French toast with orange calvados), included in the cost of your suite. Our host even met me at the Greyhound station in his vintage Mercedes. This is real small town hospitality.

If you go Easton is an hour’s drive from Washington, located on Route 50 halfway between Annapolis and Cambridge. Greyhound connects via Baltimore. However, the bus

BEACON BITS

Jan. 3+

CRUISE FOR FUN AND FITNESS

Join a “Fun and Fitness” cruise to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and other western Caribbean locales from Jan. 3 to 10, 2011. The cruise departs from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and costs $679. Daily ship exercises include yoga, water aerobics, deck walking and more. For more information about this or other cruises, call (703) 827-0414.

Sept. 26

NATURAL WONDER

Visit Natural Bridge, one of the seven wonders of the natural world, located between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. The cost is $119 for residents of Fairfax County, and $134 for others. Buses leave early Sunday morning, Sept. 26, from Franconia Police Station, Mason Government Center and Fair Oaks Mall. To register, call (703) 3324-8687 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec/classes/trips.

stop is not located in town, and a taxi has to be booked in advance.. For a community guide and calendar of events, visit www.tourtalbot.org or call (410) 770-8000. Suites for two persons at the Inn at 202 Dover cost $450 per night weekends; $349 midweek, including breakfast. An a la carte menu featuring fall harvest fare from $12 is served in the Peacock Restaurant & Lounge: dinner Thursday through Monday from 5:30 p.m., Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. 1-866-450-7600, www.innat202dover.com. Less expensive accommodations are available at the Comfort Inn, about five minutes from downtown Easton. Rates start at $149 a night. Call 1-800-228-5150. The Waterfowl Festival requires tickets for indoor exhibits. Scheduled are world championship calling contests, decoy auctions, demonstrations by stunt dogs and

retrievers, fly-fishing, and evening concerts. A three-day pass costs $10; parking and shuttle bus are free. For more information, go to www.waterfowlfestival.org or call (410) 822-4567. For more on the Avalon Theatre, go to www.avalontheatre.com or call (410) 8227299. The Academy Art Museum Gallery is open Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $3. It is located at 106 South St.. For more information, go to www.academyartmuseum.org or call (410) 822-ARTS. For Chesapeake Film Festival program details, go online to www.chesapeakefilmfestival.com or call (410) 822-1012. Bernard Burt is a Washington, D.C. travel writer and author of 100 Best Spas of the World.

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Leisure & Travel

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Try these tips to untangle travel gratuities Over the years I’ve been traveling, tip- Singapore and Thailand. Don’t be surping has become a lot more confusing — prised to see this list shrink even more in and a lot more expensive. the next few years. Moreover, long established Restaurant tipping. Precustoms around the world sumably, you tip more often have changed, mostly for the — and more generously — in worse. restaurants than anywhere else. And you find lots of variHere are some highlights ations among the 70-plus nafrom the most recent worldtions listed: wide tipping guide posted regularly by Magellan’s, the big • The United States tops the list for cost for restaurant online and catalog store for tipping, at a suggested 15 to travel items. It covers only TRAVEL TIPS 20 percent of the check. I rerestaurants, porters and taxis. By Ed Perkins member the days when 10 No-tipping zones. Among the few remaining places where “no tip- percent was the standard tip, and I’ve lived ping” is still the norm for restaurants, through the inflation to 15 percent and porters and taxis are Japan, New Zealand, now increasingly to 20 percent.

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Even more annoying is the practice — still mainly in New York City but expanding — of a separate tip for the “captain,” a totally unnecessary intermediary between headwaiter and waiter. Feh! • Other countries with the relatively high top tipping rate of 15 percent include Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Israel, Mexico and Russia. Since I’ve been traveling, several former no-tipping countries have migrated into the tipping category. Among the most prominent is Australia, now at 10 percent for “fine” restaurants. I remember, during my first visit to Australia, that locals berated me (and all Americans, generally) for “ruining” their local customs by offering tips in cases where the locals didn’t. Ser vice charges. Probably the most confusing areas for visitors are those countries where restaurants automatically add a fixed service charge to the bill. That list includes most of Western Europe plus several other important visitor destinations: • In some, Magellan’s recommends tipping 10 percent only where a service charge isn’t added. • In others, however, tipping over and above the service charge seems to be expected now, including Austria, Chile, Egypt, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Italy and Spain. Again, when I first started traveling, the customary add-on, if any, was basically a “round up” to the nearest equivalent of $1, usually in the form of residual small change from a bill paid with paper currency. But the “service plus” rate now seems to have settled in between 5 and 10 percent. In those cases, by the way, I recommend leaving the extra tip in cash rather than adding it onto a credit card slip. With a credit card, there’s no way of making sure

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the server gets any part of it. Porter tipping. Magellan’s lists fewer variations for porter tipping, generally at $1 per bag anywhere except the “no tipping at all” countries. The main exceptions are Canada and the United States, with a recommended $1 to $2 per bag. Taxi tipping. Magellan’s lists only two basic formulas for taxi tipping (beyond the no-tipping areas): • In many countries, including Australia and almost all of Western Europe, the standard is to “round up” the meter fare to the nearest major unit of currency. • Otherwise, the standard seems to be 10 percent, except in Israel and the United States, where it’s up to 15 percent. Hotel tipping. When I first started traveling, nobody gave the slightest thought to leaving tips for housekeepers — after all, that’s the job they’re paid to do. However, leaving $1 to $2 a day for housekeepers now seems to be the norm, at least in the United States. Cruise tipping. Whole books have been written about cruise tipping. To me, the best source of information for cruise tipping is the online site Cruise Tip Calculator (http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/). You enter the name of the ship, cabin occupancy, and number of nights, and the website automatically calculates and displays recommended tipping for everybody likely to get a tip. All in all, I resent tipping — travel companies should pay their employees a living wage. But I’m not about to change things, and neither are you. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Perkins’ new book for small business and independent professionals, Business Travel When It’s Your Money, is now available through www.mybusinesstravel.com or www.amazon.com.

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A Special Supplement to The Beacon newspaper 1910

Join musical legends at our Centennial Gala, December 11 OF

Page 7

2010

HEBREW HOME GREATER WASHINGTON 100 th ANNIVERSARY

September 2010/No.18

New Frontiers in Dementia Care: Perspectives for Clinicians and Caregivers

Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of Johns Hopkins’ Division of Cognitive Neuroscience and Emmy-award winning CBS correspondent Barry Petersen, are keynote speakers for an educational symposium co-sponsored by the Hebrew Home and Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Emmy-award-winning CBS correspondent Barry Petersen was covering top political, Olympic and health news when the unthinkable happened: his wife Jan, at the age of 55, also a promising journalist, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Petersen is not alone in his fight to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. In the Washington-Maryland-Virginia area, more than 200,000 will find their lives dramatically transformed due to dementia this year. On October 8, 2010, the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington will further its century-long leadership role in eldercare by convening physicians, health care professionals and caregivers in a critical conversation about dementia. The New Frontiers in Dementia Care: Perspectives for Clinicians and Caregivers symposium, co-sponsored by Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, will bring together Mr. Petersen, who has just published a

chronicle of his personal journey, Jan’s Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s, with top researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine, a key government official and health care experts. Physicians, nursing home administrators, nurses, social workers and other caregivers are invited to take advantage of the latest research on diagnosis and treatment at the half-day symposium, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville. One of the key events marking the Hebrew Home’s centennial year, the symposium will focus on:

• Top researchers reviewing the groundbreaking longitudinal study on cognitive impairment conducted by Johns Hopkins • The dementia picture, from diagnosis to impact on care providers • Best practices in dementia and eldercare, a blueprint for direct care providers • Policy issues, top official, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services invited CMEs for physicians are available through Suburban Hospital and CEUs for nursing home administrators, social workers and nurses are available through the Beacon Institute, LifeSpan. >> continued on page 3

HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON • SMITH-KOGOD & WASSERMAN RESIDENCES • LANDOW HOUSE • RING HOUSE • REVITZ HOUSE

When memory fails

Residents of the past 100 years

Top stars headline Gala, President’s Circle

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It Takes a Community Did winter’s snow and summer’s thunderstorms leave you in the dark? Residents at Charles E. Smith Life Communities never missed a beat, or a meal or a chance to be together with friends and neighbors. Before Mother Nature causes more havoc in our area, check out our opportunities for independent living and assisted living. Some apartments have immediate availability. Call Pam at 301.816.5012.

Generation to Generation Initiatives

When Memory Fails Alzheimer’s – the very word triggers apprehension. For the newly diagnosed with the disease, it means life will never be the same again; for their families, the heartbreak has only just begun. So, what is Alzheimer’s, how does it differ from dementia, whom does it affect, and what are the prospects for prevention and treatment? Dr. Dinesh Patel,right, Hebrew Home physician, participated on a panel at a recent NIH conference.

10 early signs According to a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine affiliate, Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that’s “progressive, irreversible, fatal and without a cure.” It’s the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. The Alzheimer’s Foundation summarizes its early signs: 1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life. 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. 4. Confusion with time or place. 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. 8. Decreased or poor judgment. 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. 10. Changes in mood and personality.

Page 2 | September 2010

Statistics The Alzheimer’s Association has compiled these figures: • 5.3 million Americans ages 65 and older suffer from Alzheimer’s. • Without a medical breakthrough, that number could rise to between 11 and 16 million by 2050. • 10.9 million unpaid individuals now shoulder their care. • It is our nation’s seventh leading cause of death. Prevention In a statement issued by the 2010 National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference, panel experts report that “Currently, no evidence of even moderate scientific quality exists to support the association of any modifiable factor (such as nutritional supplements, herbal preparations, dietary factors, prescription or nonprescription drugs, social or economic factors, medical conditions, toxins, or environmental exposures) with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.” ■

www.smithlifecommunities.org

The Hebrew Home of Greater Washington is greatly impacted by the prevalence of Alzheimer’s among its elderly residents. Our physicians, nurses, aides, social workers, and Pastoral Care Director, Rabbi James Michaels, strive not only to manage patient treatment, but also offer comfort and support to families. In April, Dr. Dinesh Patel shared his knowledge at the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference, “Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline.” In honor of its Centennial, the Hebrew Home is co-sponsoring with Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, an October 8 symposium that focuses on dementia care. The “New Frontiers in Dementia Care” event, described on page 1 and at www.hebrewhome.org/symposium, will provide healthcare professionals and caregivers an arena to discuss the latest findings in the longitudinal dementia study conducted by Johns Hopkins and supported by the National Institutes of Health and best practices in patient care. ■

Perspective “We now have strong evidence from randomized clinical trials that coordinated medical and community care for people with dementia and counseling and support for family caregivers can stretch out the time that people with Alzheimer’s can live successfully in the community.” – Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Albert is a keynote presenter in the October 8 symposium co-sponsored by the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

LifeTimes

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

L’shana tova! We extend best holiday wishes to you and your family as we celebrate the Jewish New Year, 5771. Please use our Free Rosh Hashanah eCards – at www.hebrew-home.org – for friends and family. If you’d like to include a Hebrew Home resident on your list, just address your greeting card to hhinfo@hebrew-home.org; we’ll print and hand-deliver the card. Artwork by Miriam Rosen. New Frontiers in Dementia Care • Friday, October 8, 2010 For complete information on the program, keynote speakers and presenters and to register, visit www.hebrew-home.org/symposium 301.770.8329

Centenarians Larry Berman and Sidney Spevak were among the residents featured in a Fox 5 News segment highlighting the Home’s centennial year and campus centenarians. See the newscast through a link on our home page, www.hebrew-home.org.

If you ask Larry Berman and Sidney Spevak the secret to a long life, they won’t mention a fountain of youth or even a special diet and exercise regimen. Instead, they will tell you a long, fulfilling life is a result of the golden rule — treat others the way you want to be treated. Oscar Hoffman, Larry and Sidney are among the more than 25 residents of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington and the Charles E. Smith Life Communities who are turning 100 years old or older this year. As we, at the Hebrew Home, reflect on our century-long tradition of evolution in person-centered care, we also celebrate the personal journey of our residents whose lives began the same year the Hebrew Home was established. Our centenarian residents have experienced love and war. They have survived The Great Depression, and voyages from Germany, Hungary, and Russia to the United States. Through their personal journeys we receive a glimpse of history, life lessons, and inspiration. Fox 5 recently visited our campus to speak with some of our centenarians, and aired their stories on August 9 and 15. ■ LifeTimes

Symposium

continued from page 1

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, is accredited by MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society to sponsor continuing

medical education for physicians. Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, designates this educational activity for a maximum of 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. ■

Creativity blooms on our campus

Author Mollee Kruger signs copies of her autobiography, The Cobbler’s Last. More Edith Ratner displays the bounty from the Ring than 125 from the community attended House garden. Despite a rocky start (literally her book reading at Ring House. and figuratively), resident gardeners are proudly harvesting beans, parsley, cherry tomatoes and gourds for art projects. A staff member gave large handfuls of Rainbow Swiss Chard to visiting families — “a delightful and unexpected exchange.” Ring House chef David Warne uses the bright green basil growing in raised beds at Landow House, and all residents are welcome to snip tarragon, oregano, sage and chives. Next year, expect zucchini on the menu!

Artist Miriam Rosen, born in South Africa, displays one of the paintings from her retrospective exhibit, “Then & Now.” Miriam’s early work includes landscapes of Johannesburg and poignant portraits of Africans. The show runs through mid-September at Revitz House, and was made possible by a gift from the Ellen Gelman Special Exhibitions Fund.

www.smithlifecommunities.org

Ring House resident Martin Zober has an eye for the perfect nature shot. See his photography, including this daffodil, on display at Ring House and Landow House through September. To join our expressive and active seniors at Charles E. Smith Life Communities, call Pam Rosen, at 301.816.5050. ■

September 2010 | Page 3

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Celebrating a Century of Service

A tapestry of residents <

< 1929

1931

Mr. Gimbel studied Talmud at Spring Road, the Home’s location from 1925 - 1969. Torah study classes and religious observances were key components of daily life.

Page 4 | September 2010

1970s – 80s

Alfred Klein, who came through Ellis Island at the turn of the century, co-founded Washington’s first Yiddish newspaper, The Washington Life, or Das Washington a Leben, which was registered with the Library of Congress. Klein and his wife both studied law at night and became practicing attorneys; Mr. Klein was chief law officer, U.S. Civil Service Commission. Nathan Zagoria, a rabbi from Russia, barely survived as he stowed away on board a ship to America. Once in America, he discovered that he could not earn a living as a rabbi. Eventually, he became a store owner and served a small synagogue in his spare time.

At age 11, Rose Gershman apprenticed as a dressmaker in her small Russian village. In America, she joined a union while still in her teens, and in 1919, after hearing Samuel Gompers, she organized a garment workers’ strike that lasted for ten weeks. Harry Reidinger, with no knowledge of English, saw an ad for a tailor in Cody, Wyoming and headed west. To fulfill his promise to his father to remain a Jew, he moved to the booming copper town of Butte, Montana, which had a synagogue and kosher butcher. As part of the colorful life of the Old West, Harry made a suit of clothes for Buffalo Bill. He is pictured here with his bride. He celebrated his 100th birthday at the Home in 1981.

The first residents of the Hebrew Home were part of the wave of immigration at the turn of the twentieth century that brought Jews of Eastern Europe to America. They told vivid stories of childhoods punctuated by pogroms, political upheaval, poverty and persecution. Today’s residents include survivors of the Holocaust, “Greatest Generation” veterans of WW II, skilled professionals and more recent refugees from Russia and Viet Nam. Their stories mirror the experience of American life of the past 100 years.

Sadie Hershey earned $11 a week at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York when one of the worst factory fires in U.S. history claimed 146 lives on Saturday, March 25, 1911. Sadie escaped from the eighth floor through one of the few stairwells not yet blocked by fire when the machinist arrived with keys to unlock the door. “So with God’s help Brown did come but by then, I don’t know –I don’t remember how she [my friend] disappeared. . . You know how a whole bunch, one pushes the other, and we went out and we fell, we were rolling down steps. I was black and blue. I lost my coat. I came downstairs and I see that girl’s body on the floor. They threw one on top of the other. It was really terrible, terrible, terrible.” When Sadie testified that the doors were locked, she lost her job.

The earliest photograph of a Hebrew Home resident identifies Mr. Imber, right, with Rabbi Maurice Maser, the Home’s first administrator.

Centennial

The Washington Post ran a major story on the Hebrew Home and our centennial on Friday, August 20. The reporter began with the story of our founding in 1910, and shared stories of residents whose lives seem fresh from the pages of American history. Meet our residents on these pages, and find a link to the news story at www.hebrew-home.org, on the Newsroom page.

www.smithlifecommunities.org

LifeTimes

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

IT MAY BE USED… BUT IT’S NOT USELESS!

Brighten Shabbat, High Holidays, and other special occasions

Consider donating your car to the Hebrew Home. Proceeds benefit our elderly residents. It’s an easy, tax-deductible gift… and we offer FREE towing. For more information,

for a Hebrew Home resident with a bouquet of festive flowers. For information or to place an order, contact the Hebrew Home’s Volunteer Department at 301.770.8333 or online at www.hebrew-home.org/family.

please contact us at

301.770.8329.

2000s

Today

Elizabeth Metro lived at the Home for 23 years, longer than any resident we recall. Challenged by physical disability all her life, she pursued her education at her father’s insistence and became a librarian at the Library of Congress. In her later years, she headed the Resident’s Council here.

Gary Dubin was a TV sports producer, first for WTTGChannel 5 in DC and then for USA Network. He interviewed sports legends, helped to hammer out pre- and postgame segments, and organized tech staff for every broadcast.

Sadye Monderer played the Tin Man in a 1982 resident production of The Wizard of Oz. Residents on the yellow brick road included Eva Gurevitch (Dorothy), Isadore Sklar (Scarecrow) and Sarah Wegbreit (Cowardly Lion). Hannah Katz, who ate kosher cat food, lived contentedly on 2 North in 1987. There was a champagne and catnip reception in her honor.

Lillian Kline enjoyed great success in her 43-year career with the May Company. In her electric wheelchair, “my little Cadillac,” she was tremendously active in activities here, loved to attend baseball games, and as “honorary good will ambassador,” offered inspiration and comfort to fellow residents.

“Today we turned 13,” said Helen Cohen (at microphone), as women residents proudly celebrated their belated Bat Mitzvah at the Home in 1988. There have been several similar ceremonies since.

As an enlisted Marine, Herman Markowitz participated in the 1945 amphibious invasion of Okinawa, Japan. He later owned a communications business in El Paso, Texas, developing sophisticated systems for public and private sector clients.

1990s Ida Goldman, 90, testified on Capitol Hill about the value of music therapy in 1991. “Music is better than medicine,” she said, and her rendition of I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair made national newscasts. Senator Eugene McCarthy spent time in our Rakusin Rehabilitation Center. He spoke at a 1999 “Rehab Reunion” for 90 residents who had recovered and returned to their homes.

1910 – 1914 – 1925 – 1953 – 1969 – 1980 – 2006 –

LifeTimes

Mikhail Surikov commanded the Soviet infantry’s heavy artillery at the first Ukrainian Front during World War II, assisted in the liberation of Budapest, Prague, and Berlin, and in 1945, participated in the victorious “Elbe River Handshake” between American and Soviet combat troops.

A handful of individuals needing a home 10 residents, in M Street row house 35 residents, on Spring Road 165 residents, Spring Road expansion 266 residents, in Rockville 556 Hebrew Home residents 1,000 seniors in five residences

www.smithlifecommunities.org

Lorna Tranen arrived at the Home with no prior art experience, yet with encouragement from a caring art instructor, she discovered a gift for painting colorful compositions which adorn her walls and serve as lovely gifts for friends and family.

Morris Ashin was a professional cattle buyer who handled grading, selection, bidding, purchase, and transportation of cattle from farm to a Pennsylvania slaughterhouse.

Dr. William Simmons, a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon, travels down to Georgetown University weekly to teach neuroanatomy to first-year medical students. He also treats clinic patients at So Others Might Eat and mentors middle-school children.

Labor economist Morris Weisz worked for the National Labor Relations Board, the War Production Board, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Organization for Cooperative Development. He taught international and U.S. labor history at universities here and abroad. His writings are housed at the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University.

September 2010 | Page 5

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Organize your Estate Planning information! Our FREE booklet helps you record important details regarding your assets and the location of your will. We offer more assistance, too, including an opportunity to discuss, without obligation, ways to include the Hebrew Home in your estate plans. Please call 301.770.8342 or mail this form to: Julia Pitkin-Shantz, CFP®, Director of Gift Planning Hebrew Home of Greater Washington 6121 Montrose Road, Rockville MD 20852-4856

Name Address City/State/Zip Phone/E-mail For a personalized illustration showing how you can receive income for life, please list your birth date: LT 9/10

LifeLines In Our Mailbox

Unsung Heroes

Dear Mr. Eisenberg, We dreaded having to place our mother, Ann Kestenbaum Hernstadt, in a nursing home, even the Hebrew Home. But the Hebrew Home turned out to be a real community for our mother, and for our family. For that, we are grateful. Our mother was at the Hebrew Home for just short of four years when she passed away on the 1 East wing of the Smith-Kogod building. We visited frequently, and every time we came, we saw the nursing staff showing kindnesses to our mother and to the other residents, and taking delight in their happiness. To these staff, our mother was a person with a rich history, and not just an old, confused body. They always showed her the respect that she deserved, and they shared a culture of caring for the residents in their charge. Even, and especially, as she became weaker, they tried to engage our mother and encourage her to keep on. We came to see that even as people grow frail, they can still find delight in life, through music, which the Hebrew Home often provided, the relationships they keep, or the new ones they build. Our mother also enjoyed being outside, and the lovely garden attached to Smith-Kogod was a refuge for all of us. We also became part of a community, learning a little about the other residents there, sharing information and support with the families who came to visit. But we save the best for the last. The charge nurses at One East were superb. Irene, Angela, Bernadette, and Rosemary led by example. They managed a diverse group of confused, sometimes obstreperous residents with grace and humor. They were observant: noticing when our mother was not doing well and taking steps to help her. They were kind, respectful, and a great support to our family. The serving and cleaning staff also contributed to the sense of community and their assistance should not be overlooked. We shall miss their company. The Hebrew Home is a charitable organization in the best sense of that ideal: doing good, with kindness and respect for those they serve.

Sincerely, Carol Hernstadt Shulman and Howard Hernstadt

Page 6 | September 2010

Hebrew Home residents meet the beautiful and talented 2010 Miss America, Caressa Cameron.

Andy Seigel is the first teen honored to receive the Home’s top volunteer award, the Kitty Davis Award. At right: Hedy Peyser, who directs volunteer programs.

Dr. Irving Brick was a gastroenterologist, whose career at a prominent university hospital was spent healing patients and advancing knowledge in his field. Dr. Brick and his companion are numbered among our “unsung heroes” – neither wished to be recognized during their lifetime for the planned gift they established in their estate plans. Dr. Brick’s companion did not even want to be acknowledged after her death. The couple took private satisfaction in knowing that their gifts would help seniors who could not afford to pay for their care at the Home. Dr. Brick and his companion created Charitable Remainder Trusts, receiving an income tax deduction when they formed the trusts and regular distributions of income. They named the Home to receive funds remaining in the trust after their deaths, in this case, over $2 million. These gifts were given to the Hebrew Home without any conditions. Unrestricted gifts from estate plans are invested and treated by the Home as if they were a permanent endowment. The Home does not spend these gifts, but uses a portion of the annual earnings to pay for residents’ care, just as our community has done for the last 100 years. Would you like to know how to create your own planned gift? For private assistance, please contact our director of gift planning, Julia Pitkin-Shantz, CFP® at 301.770.8342 or at pitkin-shantz@hebrew-home.org. We promise to respect your wishes as an “unsung hero.” ■

LifeTimes is published quarterly by the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, Inc. The Hebrew Home is registered in Maryland as a charitable organization. Documents and information filed under the Maryland Charitable Solicitation Act may be obtained from the Maryland Secretary of State, 410.974.5534. We are an equal opportunity employer and we provide access to community programs without regard to race, age, national origin, familial status, religion, sex or disability. Our services and programs are open to all in the community. David A. Samuels, Chair Warren R. Slavin, President/CEO Marilyn Feldman, Editor Nicholas Simmonds, Vice President, Development and Public Affairs © 2010 by The Hebrew Home of Greater Washington 6121 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852-4856, 301.881.0300

www.smithlifecommunities.org

LifeTimes

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

Race day volunteers are essential to the event’s success, and are needed to: • Assist at water stations • Monitor the route • Cheer on the runners, • Help at the finish line and post-race party at Federal Plaza

Sunday, Oct. 3 CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS! Our annual Home Run race is a great opportunity to support the residents at the Hebrew Home.

Volunteers should report to the registration tent in Federal Plaza, adjacent to Panera Bread, for a 6:45 a.m. orientation. Bus transportation is available to take volunteers to and from their posts along the route, leaving Federal Plaza at 7:30 a.m., and returning to the post-race party about 9:30 a.m. We provide free T-shirts, coffee and refreshments.

Call 301.770.8329 to volunteer.

Centennial Gala celebrates 100 years on December 11

EventMakers Help provide a safe and caring home The majority of our residents depend on Medicaid to pay for their care, yet government reimbursement does not cover the entire expense of providing the level of care they need and deserve. Despite significant cost-reduction initiatives, the Home’s 2010 shortfall will exceed $2.8 million. Guardian Campaign Chairs Rob Selzer and Jeffrey Pargament, with their committee of dedicated volunteers, hope to raise $1.15 million to help offset this deficit. Your generous gift will extend the legacy of earlier generations and enable us to continue to provide a safe home and outstanding care to those who once cared for us. We will be thanking Guardian donors of $500 or more at the Centennial Gala on December 11 at the Washington Hilton. For more information, please contact Lisa Friedman at 301.770.8328, or friedman@hebrew-home.org. You may make your gift at www.hebrew-home.org. ■

Compete, walk, volunteer or be a sponsor on October 3 It’s not too late to train for the Home Run 10k/5k and fun run on Sunday, October 3. Whether you are a veteran runner, first timer or somewhere in between, come join the fun! Bring family and friends to cheer you on and enjoy post-race family-friendly activities. Information for participants is available at www.hebrew-home.org/homerun2010. Not a runner? Come as a volunteer! We need lots of people to help in myriad ways on race day. Montgomery County Student Service Learning credits are available. Contact Carolyn Lesesane at 301.770.8329 or lesesane@hebrew-home.org. Would you like your business to be a Home Run sponsor? We offer plenty of great exposure and an opportunity to participate on race day. Learn more at www.hebrew-home.org/2010homerun. ■ LifeTimes

The Centennial Gala, to be held Saturday, December 11, at the Washington Hilton, marks the culmination of our milestone year. Join us as comedian Richard Lewis emcees an evening of fabulous music that spans the decades. Lewis, who is a regular on the HBO multi-Emmy nominated hit Curb Your Enthusiasm, will bring his sharp sense of humor to the evening. Comedy Central has recognized Mr. Lewis as one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time, and he was charted on GQ Magazine's list of the “20th Century's Most Influential Humorists.” A cadre of prominent community leaders co-chairs this extraordinary event: Helen and Leonard Abel, Barbara Landow Bernstein, Sandy and Stanley Bobb, Arlene and Steve Friedlander, Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn, Barbara and Allan Hurwitz, Vivian Pollock and Phyllis and Ron West. Three bands will pay tribute to Frank Sinatra, Elvis, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and "BRUCE IN THE USA: A Musical History of Bruce Springsteen and The E ST Band." Find details at www.hebrewhome.org/gala. If you would like to receive an invitation, please e-mail lesesane@hebrew-home.org. ■

President’s Circle presents an evening with Paul Shaffer on November 14 The President’s Circle Dinner is a special thankyou for Benefactor and President’s Circle-level donors to the 2010 Guardian Campaign and to Major Gift donors. This year’s event on Sunday, November 14 is at the spectacular House of Sweden on K Street. Musician Paul Shaffer, best known as David Letterman’s sidekick and band leader, will be the evening’s special guest. Shaffer will share behind-thescenes stories of his amazing career. Punctuating his anecdotes with music, Paul has plenty to say about entertainers with whom he has worked, from John Belushi to Placido Domingo and Bruce Springsteen. He will end his performance with an engaging conversation with the audience. To learn more, contact Lisa Friedman at 301.770.8328. The evening is generously hosted by Amy and Alan Meltzer. ■

www.smithlifecommunities.org

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Save the dates 3 October n Run u F / k 5 / k 10 ille a, Rockv laz Federal P

Start the Jewish New Year with a Mitzvah For 100 years, the Hebrew Home has helped Jewish residents observe the High Holidays, a period of reflection and repentance marking the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Volunteers are needed to escort residents to traditional and reform services within their buildings. Please contact the Volunteer Department at 301.770.8333 if you can help: • Rosh Hashanah: Sept. 8 - 10 • Yom Kippur: Sept. 17 - 18 • Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah: especially on Sept. 23, 24, 30 and Oct. 1

r8 e b o t Oc sium

o Symp ntiers in

ro New F ntia Care Deme t Country on Woodm Club

Novem Preside ber 14 nt’s Ci Presid rcle ent’s C ircl eE with P aul Sh vening aff House of Swe er den

The shofar, or ram’s horn, is sounded at Rosh Hashanah services at the Hebrew Home on Spring Road, September 29, 1935. Pictured here are Mr. Rosenberg, 95; Mr. Miller, 88 and Rev. Brown, 75.

“This has been a wonderful place for me,” says Joan Lipnick, whose fivemonth recovery process at Rakusin Rehabilitation Center from a debilitating illness was nothing short of miraculous. Through a combination of occupational, physical and speech therapy, Ms. Lipnick has experienced dramatic restoration of upper and lower-body movement. Here, occupational therapist Ilana Lakhman shows Rabbi Kassel Abelson how to help his wife maintain a therapy regime at home following her discharge. To learn more about rehabilitation programs at the Hebrew Home, call 301.770.8476.

r 11 e b m e c e D Gala l a i n n e t n Ce

Comedian ees ewis emc Richard L ilton Hotel nH Washingto

✓ check 8111 or for CFC ■ ✓ check 49705. Support the Hebrew Home through your gift to United Way ■ Our Other Special Events September 12 “Squeals on Wheels,” a petting zoo Ring House & Landow House garden area, 2 p.m.

For more information about upcoming events, resident activities and family support groups, visit our web site at www.hebrew-home.org.

Page 8 | September 2010

How to reach us... ■

■

Hebrew Home 301.770.8476 www.hebrew-home.org Revitz House 301.881.7400 www.revitzhouse.org

■

Hirsh Health Center 301.816.5004

Ring House 301.816.5012 www.ringhouse.org

www.smithlifecommunities.org

■

Landow House 301.816.5060 www.landowhouse.org

Volunteer Programs 301.770.8333

LifeTimes

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

Style Arts &

Photographer Duncan Whitaker finds art in everyday objects, such as in his photo â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Dories.â&#x20AC;? See story on p. 55.

Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well for Marsha Mason in new role

Besides, Mason must know it will be dif-

Marsha Mason â&#x20AC;&#x201D; nominated for four Academy Awards, including her role in The Goodbye Girl â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is starring in the Shakespeare Theatre Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Well that Ends Well, opening Sept. 7.

tress with both language and emotional range. I have never worked with Marsha, but I knew she was a terrific classical actress and I thought she would be perfect for the part.â&#x20AC;?

A contemporary countess Mason has been active in live theater See MASON, page 54

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Returning to Shakespeare

ferent in September when she stars in the Shakespeare Theatre Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Well that Ends Well, which the troupe is staging at its Lansburgh Theatre venue. There, she will be the center of attention and will revel in the spotlight as she portrays the wily Countess of Rousillon. The widowed Countess aids her ward, the lovely young Helena, as she seeks to marr y Count Bertram, the Countessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; son. Bertram has no interest in marriage and does his best to avoid the union. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s especially challenging because Helena, who is of common birth, has recently saved the life of the King of France. Her reward is the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decree that she can choose any man she wants for a husband. Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Well that Ends Well may be one the Bardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous quotes, but it is one of his least known, least-performed plays. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generally thought to be because audiences have such a mixed reaction to Bertram. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cad, making him an unlikely choice for the fair Helena. Making the relationship work for audiences is tricky, forcing casts and directors to negotiate some sharp twists in logic. Still, Mason was eager to come to Washington for the role, described by Shakespeare Threatre Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artistic Director Michael Kahn as â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of the most wonderful parts that Shakespeare wrote for older women. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The role of the Countess needs an ac-

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY

By Michael Toscano The doors open and audience members spill out into the Shakespeare Theatre Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glass-walled, second floor lobby at Harman Hall, overlooking the Verizon Center downtown. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intermission at opening night in August for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short-run production of Twelfth Night. As patrons grab drinks and snacks and move gingerly through the packed hall, few take notice of the attractive brunette quietly talking with several friends. In fact, the people literally rubbing shoulders while sidling past her would likely be significantly surprised to realize they were in the presence of a four-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actress. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that Marsha Mason is hard to spot all these years after her string of hits in the 1970s, including The Goodbye Girl, Cinderella Liberty, Only When I Laugh and Chapter Two. The perky face is fuller, but the eyes still sparkle and the full-on smile remains infectious. However, unlike many stars of stage, screen and TV, she is not giving off vibes compelling people to look at her. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not eagerly peering around to see who might be noticing her, which in itself usually draws attention to a famous person. She seems relaxed and comfortable just enjoying herself at the theater and enjoying quiet conversation, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no gawking from most of the crowd milling by.

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Arts & Style

Mason From page 53 her entire career, even during her Hollywood heyday, and has been in numerous Broadway productions and off-Broadway shows. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to do Shakespeare again,” she said. “The last

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

time I did Shakespeare was 1984 or ‘85 at the Old Globe. It was Twelfth Night, by the way. This is a rare opportunity.” Mason, at a youthful-looking age 70, isn’t bothered by the reference to the Countess being an “older woman.” “She’s me,” she explained matter-of-factly. “She’s my age and she’s dealing in the play with the issues I’m dealing with, and it

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

A PASSION FOR PAPER

DJ Gaskin’s fine art collages will be on display through Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, in Gallery West, Goodwin House, Bailey’s Crossroads, 3440 S. Jefferson St., Falls Church, Va. She will also teach a two-session class “Expressive Poetry and Journal Workshop” at Goodwin House on Saturdays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The fee is for the class is $45, while the exhibit, called A Passion for Paper, is free. For more information, call (703) 578-7218.

seems perfectly natural to me.” Mason has been married twice, the second time to playwright Neil Simon, from whom she’s long divorced. Mason had no children. But she was and remains quite close to Simon’s daughters from his previous marriage. That may have provided her crucial insight to the play. “Truthfully, I think that young women can mature faster than young men, and so in some ways the play is very contemporary from that point of view,” she said. Kahn has taken the story, which he calls “a serious comedy,” out of Elizabethan times and moved it to 1914-15, the time of World War I. It helps themes of looming war and of boys growing into men to resonate with modern audiences, and Mason makes even more contemporary comparisons. “The Countess works hard for the relationship because she knows her son, from the very first scenes, has things in his personality that could be problematic for him as he matures into a young man,” she said. “She has taken over what some have traditionally called the father’s role. She’s managing the family affairs, and in that sense is a very contemporary woman.”

From the farm back to the stage

You can pick up your free copy of the Beacon at more than 100 CVS/pharmacy stores located throughout the metro area! The VOL.22, NO.9

I N

F O C U S

OTERS GUIDE

BEACON BITS

Sept. 26

A CLASSIC AFTERNOON

Enjoy a piano concert and reception at a treasured musical venue, Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md., on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. The Piano Society of Greater Washington opens its 2010-2011 season with music of Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff. Free will offering. For more information, call (301) 793-1863, or visit www.pianosocietyofgreaterwashington.org.

INSIDE!

F O R

P E O P L E More than 200,00 OV E R 0 readers through out Greater Washin gton

Actors find family come s first

In addition to her stage and television work, including an Emmy-nominated role on Frasier, Mason has spent much of her time in recent years on a New Mexico farm. There she has devoted substantial energy to “biodynamic” farming, producing a commercial line of health-oriented products. She becomes quite animated when dis-

cussing her experiences growing herbs organically. She pursued the disciplines of a hundred-year-old approach in which farmers view the soil and the farm as living organisms, taking into consideration such factors as the lunar calendar. But now she says she is putting the farm on the market and will once again devote her energies to New York and theater. “I do love theater, maybe because we’re so technologically oriented now that the idea of being able to affect another human being by being on a stage, and the kind of psychic energy that exists with an audience, is different at each performance. “So there’s a kind of, I don’t know, creative energy there that you don’t necessarily find in film or television,” she said. Mason and the Shakespeare Theatre Company perform All’s Well that Ends Well from Sept 7 to Oct. 24 at the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St., N.W., in Washington, D.C. Showtimes are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. A sign-interpreted performance will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m. An audio-described performance will be held Saturday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. Ticket prices start at $37, with discounts available for seniors. For tickets, call the box office at (202) 5471122, TTY: (202) 638-3863. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ShakespeareTheatre.org. Michael Toscano is the Beacon’s theater critic.

5 0 SEPTEM BER

2010

PHOTO BY B EN STROTH MAN

By Carol Sorgen Michael Tucker I N S I D E … and Jill Eikenberr best known for y are their star turns in the television series “L.A. Law.” Their careers have encompas sed many screens (television and movie) and stages (theatre speaking circuit), and and continue to do so. Lately, however, their focus has shifted from their careers to their family, as the couple has taken responsibility for the care of Jill’s mother, Lora, who suffers from dementia. The couple will discuss their role as caregivers — and the LEISURE Michael has written touching new book & TR about the surprising New Orleans endures A V E L positive effect ly it has had on their tices; plus, Easton’s and enfamily — when they appear lively arts as keynote speakers scene near the the Beacon’s InfoExpo at Marylan on Sunday, October and figuring gratuitie d shore, 10, at White Flint Mall in N. Bethesda, s abroad Md. Tucker, 65, and Eikenberr y, 63, page 39 met in 1970 while performin g together in at Arena Stage a play in Washington, D.C. They married three years later. In addition to his Tucker has discoveredtalent as an actor, a flair for writing, having published two books about his passion for good food and the good life. In I Never Forget a Meal, Tucker lighted his love highfor cooking — “inspired by my love for eating” and lege “out of self-defens developed in colARTS & STYLE e ”— with poignant memories and Marsha Mason recipes. arrives to perHis second book, form Shakespeare; Living in a Foreign plus, a forLanguage, continued mer lawyer finds the theme, detailing he has a flair the story of Tucker for film, and Bob and chase of a 350-year-o Eikenberr y’s pur- Actors Jill Eikenberry Levey is wistand Michael ld stone, fixer-uppe ful for Hank Aaron Tucker, together farmhouse in r Max, help care for Eikenberry with Italy, and the their ’s about grown mother, caregiving and friends and children Alison meals that have autograph Tucker’s Lora, who has dementia. and page 53 Expo on Oct. led them to The couple will new book, Family 10 at White spend as much time there speak Flint. Meals, at the as possible. Beacon’s InfoBut in his latest FITNESS & HEALTH When Tucker’s book, Family grandfather died Meals: the Coming Together 6 k Too many tests after and then birth of his 15th to Care for an in the ER? was off to Carnegie child, Grandma Aging Parent, the ever-enter er picked up the Tuck- Technolog k Diabetes myths Institute of taining raconteur pieces, ran the and facts y’s well-regarded serious (yet not turns shop and “to drama school without his trademark raised the kids. do it for real,” LAW & MONEY sense of humor). acting having “There were always been his career always uncles 26 goal. k Decent returns Copies of the and aunts, grandparents book with less risk Tucker’s theater and cousins k Social Security’s sale at the InfoExpo,will be available for house,” credits range around the from politics recalled gional reand Tucker and theater to Broadway. Tucker in a recent Eikenberr y will view with the He has also apinter- peared be autograph VOLUNTE ERS Beacon, speaking in such films ing chased copies & CAREERS as Woody Allen’s from his Radio after their presentatio pur- Upper West Side apartment 34 k Days Hats and The Purple off to a milliner n. in New York. Rose of Cairo, But like many fellow Baltimore of his Baltimore beginnin an Barry Levinson’s added, he “rebelled” generation, Tucker Diner SPOTLIGH T ON gs and Tin Men, AGING against this family Tucker grew Paul Mazursky 37 model. Tucker, k Newsletter for up in a large Unmarried Woman, ’s An Eikenberr y and D.C. seniors extended children, family in Baltimore. and Lina Wertmulle their two A His mother was Alison and Max, Night Full of Rain, r’s seven children one of modern were like many LIFETIME S to name just a — his father one few. American families Most recently, he of 15 — over 45 and they owned k From the Charles starred in Based the country, pursuing “spread out all tally True Story, a kosher butcher on E. Smith shop. at Manhattan Theatre a Toour own lives.” Life Communit Tucker got his ies Club. acting start in Baltimore, PLUS CROSSW See ACTORS, ORD, BEACON page 56 BITS, CLASSIFI EDS & MORE N

Look for this rack and help yourself to a Beacon and a shopping basket.

Sept. 10

CHEAP SNEAK PEEK

Get a preview of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming musical season at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln., N. Bethesda, Md. The BSO will play selections from The Magic Flute, Cinderella, Star Wars and other notable works. For $10 advance tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org. Tickets at the door cost $15.

Sept. 19

OPERA IN THE OUTFIELD

Enjoy a free, live simulcast of Verdi’s opera, A Masked Ball, at Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St., S.E., on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Gates open at noon. Bring a blanket to sit on. For more information, call (202) 572-3057 or for advance seating reservations, visit www.OperaintheOutfield.org.

Sept. 17+

A POLITICAL PLAY

Farragut North a play about a press secretary’s meteoric career rise and the backdoor politics he encounters, opens Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 3 at the Lee Center for the Performing Arts, 1108 Jefferson St., in Old Town Alexandria, Va. General admission tickets cost $18 ($16 for those 60+), and may be purchased at the box office, by calling (703) 838-2880, or via e-mail PortCityInfo@aol.com.

Arts & Style

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

Former lawyer finds he has flair for film

A traditional approach Today, Whitaker’s intimate landscapes are available for sale in galleries in both the Washington metropolitan area and Maine, where he spends most of his summers. He also sells them through his website, www.whitakerphotography.com. Using a Nikon F100 — a “warhorse” of a camera, he calls it — Whitaker takes an oldschool approach to photography. He prefers film to digital technology, though he does own a point-and-shoot digital camera as well. “I think the combination of capturing an image on film and then having it printed digitally gives the best result in quality,” said Whitaker, who admits that his son has told him that his days as a film photographer are numbered. “He may be right,” said Whitaker. “We’ll see, but I will not give up easily.” As befits someone who prefers traditional film photography, Whitaker has no use for such digital photo editing programs as Photo-

shop. “I like my photos to be printed the way they were captured,” he said. “None of my photos has been manipulated or changed in any way.”

Making the ordinary extraordinary

Though he may sometimes “pre-visualize” a shot and wait for just the right moment to capture an image, Whitaker doesn’t pose his subjects or set up a scene in any way. “I take things as they are,” he said. “I like to take ordinary objects — a cap, a door, a paint can, for example — and capture them in a way that is interesting and evokes a response from the viewer. That’s the challenge.” “Wet Paint,” for example, one of Whitaker’s most popular pho- After he retired from a career in law, Duncan Whitaker transitioned to professional photography, tos, is a colorful, yet stark, image where he prefers working with traditional film of two well-used paint cans resting rather than digital images. in front of a newly painted wall. “The Balloon Man” — like “Wet Paint,” terms of what it captures, but the color and taken in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — composition engender an immediate reshows the retreating image of a balloon sponse, as does the attention to detail. vendor, carrying his multi-colored wares Whereas someone else might walk past at what looks like the end of a long day. See PHOTOGRAPHER, page 57 Neither photo is particularly unusual in

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Madama Butterfly Feb 26–Mar 19, 2011 Gluck

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never had any serious thought that I could or should pursue the same,” he said. But with his interest piqued, Whitaker took a class in photography at the Smithsonian Institution, and began immersing himself in the subject by reading books, looking at good photography, and taking workshops across the country.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DUNCAN WHITAKER

By Carol Sorgen As a successful lawyer, Duncan Whitaker spent almost 40 years working as a corporate lawyer in Washington, D.C. When he retired in 1997, he wanted to find something else that would occupy both his time and his interest. Whitaker, who lives in McLean, Va., performs pro bono legal work one day a week, which keeps him connected to the legal world. But for the rest of the time, “I didn’t want to go to the office each day and sit around reading newspapers and the like, as some of my former partners have done,” said the 78-year-old Whitaker. While casting about for a new passion, he took some classes in bird-watching and went on several bird walks. “That didn’t really work out so well,” he laughed. “Bird watching was not for me. I could not distinguish the bird songs, and I soon learned that the smaller the bird, the higher it perched in the trees and thus was more difficult to see.” But someone on one of the bird walks was taking photographs, and Whitaker thought, “That looks like fun.” He began to think seriously about photography, which he had done up to that point only by taking photographs at family birthdays and holiday trips. “For some years, I had enjoyed perusing fine art photography books, but had

Don Pasquale May 13–27, 2011 * Iphigénie en Tauride only available to groups of 10+ or with the purchase of three operas.

Plácido Domingo returns to the Kennedy Center stage as Oreste in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride.

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Arts & Style

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

Actors From page 1 But he is probably most well known to the public for his eight-year stint as Stuart Markowitz on “L.A. Law” from 1986 to 1994. That role brought him three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.

Catching up with Jill Eikenberry Eikenberry has had her own thriving career, both before and after her run as Ann Kelsey on “L.A. Law,” for which she earned four Emmy nominations and a

Golden Globe award. A graduate of Barnard College in New York and Yale Drama School, Eikenberry began an extensive theater career both on and off Broadway, winning Obie awards for her performances in Lanford Wilson’s Lemon Sky and Richard Greenberg’s Life Under Water. This past spring, Eikenberry appeared in an off-Broadway production of the musical The Kid, which she said was a “difficult and ultimately rewarding experience.” In the show, she played the mother of a gay man who wants to adopt a child with his partner.

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One of the highlights of the experience for Eikenberry — an accomplished musical artist as well as actress — was that she got to sing a “terrific” song called “I Knew,” about knowing since he was a child that her son was gay. In an e-mail interview from their home in Italy, Eikenberry said she doesn’t have any particular professional goals at this point in her life. “I just want to work with good actors on good material.” One of those actors, of course, is her husband. “We love to work together,” said Eikenberry. “We had a ball doing the offBroadway musical Enter Laughing last year. “He’s tremendously helpful to me when I work on my part. He’s very smart, and I love to bounce ideas off him. And then, of course, the security I get from working with him makes me braver as an actor.” “The Tuckerberrys” — as they affectionately refer to themselves — have also appeared together on stage in A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters, on TV in “Hill Street Blues” and in such TV movies as A Family Again, A Town Torn Apart and Archie’s Wife, which also featured their daughter Alison. Tucker and Eikenberry are also performing around the country in a two-person show they put together. Life is a Duet tells the story of their 35-year relationship with the help of a dozen songs, video clips from TV and films, and even a cooking segment, where Tucker passes out tasty morsels to the audience. The couple doesn’t actively look for projects together, Eikenberry said, “but it’s great when they come up. It makes our life easier, because we don’t like to spend too much time apart.” A breast cancer survivor, Eikenberry also co-produced a one-hour documentary for NBC titled “Destined to Live,” which dealt with the emotional aspects of breast cancer, from diagnosis to recovery. Eikenberry, who battled the disease in 1986 and suffered a recurrence last year, thought it important to let other women know that they were not alone and could recover and lead full and normal lives. She and Tucker call her illness a turning point in their lives. “Our experience with breast cancer forced us to face the

fact that we are going to die one day. The question became, ‘How do we want to live?’“ Eikenberry said. While Tucker’s most recent passions are food and writing, Eikenberry said her current passion is herself. She explained that she has always been interested in discovering more about who she is and why she does the things she does. That inner exploration has become more important with both her mother’s decline and Eikenberry’s breast cancer recurrence. “With the help of some great teachers of Pilates, yoga and singing, I’m really learning a lot about my body, and in some ways feeling better than I ever have — at 63,” she said. “And with the help of meditation and a fabulous therapist, I’m peeling back the layers of the onion. discovering what parts of myself are no longer current and learning to let them go. And as a result, I’m feeling a new freedom, almost a second childhood,” she said. “I’m very excited!”

A new focus on family For Tucker, who continues to take on acting roles from time to time, the majority of his professional life is now spent writing. With three books under his belt, he finds that writing is really not so unlike acting. “It’s just another way to express myself.” In Family Meals, Tucker addresses the challenges many boomers face when dealing with aging family members, focusing on the story of his own mother-in-law. Now almost 91, Lora’s rapid descent into dementia after becoming a widow prompted Tucker and Eikenberry to move her from an assisted living facility in California to a New York apartment across the hall from theirs. When the Tuckerberrys’ own children decided to move back to New York as well, the family truly came together — much as extended families in Italy do, Tucker said. Each of them has taken on elements of Lora’s care. While Tucker’s self-deprecating wit and empathy shine in the book, he also acknowledges that caring for Lora — espeSee ACTORS, page 58

BEACON BITS

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Sept. 10+

EL CAPITAN The Victorian Lyric Opera Company will present a concert version

of John Phillip Sousa’s operetta El Capitan on Friday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Dr.,

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(301) 949-9766.

SEPTEMBER 2010

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY FRANK K LEIN

For demographic information and advertising rates, call Alan at

By Carol Sorgen Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry are best known for their star turns in the television series “L.A. Law.” Their careers have encompassed many screens (television and movie) and stages (theatre and speaking circuit), and continue to do so. Lately, however, their focus has shifted from their careers to their family, as the couple has taken responsibility for the care of Jill’s mother, Lora, who suffers from dementia. The couple will discuss their role as caregivers — and the touching new book Michael has written about the surprisingly positive effect it has had on their family — when they appear as keynote speakers at the Beacon’s InfoExpo on Sunday, October 10, at White Flint Mall in N. Bethesda, Md. Tucker, 65, and Eikenberry, 63, met in 1970 while performing together in a play at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. They married three years later. In addition to his talent as an actor, Tucker has discovered a flair for writing, having published two books about his passion for good food and the good life. In I Never Forget a Meal, Tucker highlighted his love for cooking — “inspired by my love for eating” and developed in college “out of self-defense ”— with poignant memories and recipes. His second book, Living in a Foreign Language, continued the theme, detailing the story of Tucker and Eikenberry’s pur- Actors Jill Eikenberry and Michael chase of a 350-year-old stone, fixer-upper Max, help care for Eikenberry’s Tucker, together with their grown children Alison and mother, Lora, who has farmhouse in Italy, and dementia. The couple the friends and about caregiving and autograph Tucker’s will speak new book, Family Meals Expo on Oct. 10 at White meals that have led them , at the Beacon’s InfoFlint. to spend as much time there as possible. When Tucker’s grandfather But in his latest book, died after and then was Family Meals: the off to Carnegie birth of his 15th child, Grandma Coming Together to Care Tuck- Technology’s well-regarded Institute of for an Aging Par- er picked up the pieces, ran drama school ent, the ever-entertaining the shop and “to do raconteur turns raised it for real,” acting having the kids. serious (yet not without always his trademark been his career goal. “There were always uncles sense of humor). and aunts, Tucker’s theater credits grandparents and cousins range from reCopies of the book will around the gional theater be available for house,” to Broadway. He has also recalled Tucker in a recent sale at the InfoExpo, apinter- peared in such and Tucker films as Woody Allen’s Eikenberry will be autographing and view with the Beacon, speaking from his Radio Days and The pur- Upper West Side Purple Rose of Cairo, chased copies after their apartment in New York. presentation. fellow Baltimorean Barry But like many of his generation, Levinson’s Tucker Diner and Tin added, he “rebelled” against Men, Paul Mazursky’s Baltimore beginnings An this family Unmarried Woman, and Lina Wertmuller’s model. Tucker, Eikenberry Tucker grew up in a and their two A Night large extended children, Full of Rain, to name just Alison and Max, were like family in Baltimore. His a few. many mother was one of Most recently, he starred modern American families in Based on a Toseven children — his father “spread out all tally True one of 15 — over the Story, at Manhattan Theatre country, pursuing our own and they owned a kosher Club. lives.” butcher shop. Tucker got his acting start in Baltimore,

5 0

See ACTORS, page 56

LEISURE & TR AVEL

New Orleans endures and entices; plus, Easton’s lively arts scene near the Maryland shore, and figuring gratuities abroad page 39

ARTS & STYLE

Marsha Mason arrives to perform Shakespeare; plus, a former lawyer finds he has a flair for film, and Bob Levey is wistful for Hank Aaron

Oct. 1

FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ Enjoy a night of jazz music with the Avery Sharpe Trio at the Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel, Md. The per-

page 53 FITNESS & HEALTH k Too many tests in the ER? k Diabetes myths and facts

LAW & MONEY 26 k Decent returns with less risk k Social Security’s politics VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k Hats off to a milliner

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

LIFETIMES k From the Charles E. Smith Life Communities

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

formance will take place on Friday, October 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20, ($18 for those 60+), and can be purchased by calling (301) 377-7800.

Arts & Style

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

PHOTO BY DUNCAN WHITAKER

Duncan Whitaker’s photo “Flaming Stairs” was taken in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Photographer From page 55 the same scenes, Whitaker sees the extraordinary in the ordinary. Though some of his photos include people, he tends to focus on details of objects or landscapes. “I think as you get closer to something, whether it’s a cap on a chair or a narrow look at a sand dune, you get a more appealing image.” His works are varied in terms of location, geography and subject matter, but in each case Whitaker says his photographic goal was the same. “Working in a world which is complex and often chaotic, I seek to discern the essence of a scene or subject and, through simplification and composition, create a visually interesting and perhaps at times a compelling image,” he said. “In short, I attempt to render the common uncommon and to convert the ordinary into a new or different visual experience. The key is not what you look at, but rather what you see,” he said.

Through Sept. 26, a sampling of Whitaker’s photographs is being displayed at the Evergreen Museum & Library in Baltimore. “From Mexico to Maine: Photographs by Duncan Whitaker” presents 12 of Whitaker’s color photographs in the sumptuous setting of a former Gilded Age mansion. The exhibition is the second in the Evergreen Museum & Library’s “Second Act” series, which focuses on people who discovered their artistic talents after the fulfillment of other careers. For more information, call (410) 516-0341 or visit online at www.museums.jhu.edu/ evergreen. Whitaker’s work is also on display throughout the year, except for August and September, at the Waverly Street Gallery, 4600 East West Highway, in Bethesda, Md. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. See the gallery’s website www.waverlystreetgallery.com for more information. In November, Whitaker will also have 21 photos on exhibit at the Penn Camera store located at 8357-E Leesburg Pike, in Vienna, Va.

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ROCKVILLE ART EXHIBIT

Miriam Rosen, a native of South Africa, composes scenes and portraits using acrylics and watercolors. Her work is on display in the lobby of Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Revitz House, 6111 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day until Sept. 19. For more information, call Victoria Molina at (301) 770-8307.

Sept. 14+

Rent based on income

From $855

TREKKIES, TAKE NOTE

“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” will play at the AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md., on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $9 for seniors. Additional showings will take place on Sept. 5 at 7:15 p.m., Sept. 6 and 8 at 8:45 p.m., and Sept. 9 at 9:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit the box office or www.afi.com/silver.

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BEACON BITS

Sept. 4+

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301-567-9537 Rent based on income

ARTISTIC MEMORIES

Memory of a Time I Did Not Know, an exhibition by artist and Silver Spring resident Miriam Morsel Nathan, opens on Tuesday, Sept. 14, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The works will remain on display at the Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery, 1529 16th St., N.W., until Dec. 17. For more information, contact (202) 777-3208.

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Arts & Style

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

Actors From page 56 cially before getting a workable situation in place — was not without its challenges. “I was terrified that Jill would focus solely on her mother’s problems and our life would have to take a backseat,” he said. “I was adamant that we had to try to do both — take care of Lora and live this new chapter of our life to the fullest. “It’s been hard work, but we’ve managed to get on the same side of the issue.” One of the challenges in caring for aging parents is admitting how they have changed and, as a result, how your relationship with them has changed. For Tucker, who formerly had a somewhat uneasy relationship with his motherin-law, the fact that she can no longer speak and lives a more child-like existence

has eliminated the friction that once marked their relationship. Lora’s home care aide — who only knows Lora as she is today— has taught Eikenberry how to love the mother she has now, not the mother that she once had, or the mother that she might have wanted to have. The crisis surrounding Lora led both Tucker and Eikenberry into therapy, leading to what Tucker calls “a time of personal growth” for them and their family. “Our children have become much closer during this time, both to each other and to us,” said Tucker. “It’s the nicest and most surprising side effect of the crisis around Jill’s mom. We’ve all developed a new appreciation for the good life we have together.”

Caregiving guidance If the couple has one piece of advice for

The I N

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Once Again Sweeps National Awards The Beacon continues to garner top honors at the National Mature Media Awards and the annual journalism competition of the North American Mature Publishers Association. Among our recent awards: General Excellence Feature Writing

Profiles

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Sept. 25

LITERARY EXTRAVAGANZA A large book sale will be held at St. Rose Church, 11701 Clopper

Rd., Gaithersburg, Md. on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thousands of used books, most selling for $1 or $2, will be available for purchase, along with music, movies and software. For more information, call the church at (301) 9487545.

FREE GARDENING ADVICE Members of Montgomery County Master Gardeners answer questions at 10 locations around the county during the gardening sea-

son. Bring full and intact plant and insect samples, garden problems and other questions for a free consultation. For a complete listing of times and locations, visit www.mastergardener.um.edu, then select “Local MG programs.” Questions

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more, and from which he long rebelled.) While watching her mother gradually “disappear” through the years has been difficult, there have been unexpected bonuses as well, said Eikenberry. As an only child, she had always felt responsible for her mother, especially when Lora lost most of her hearing when she was just 32. “My refusal to let go of that role has caused a lot of tension between me and my husband and a lot of dis-ease in me,” Eikenberry said. “Mike has questioned many times my need to put myself — and our life — aside to take care of my mother.” But having her mother in such close proximity and being able to see her every smile — even if she is no longer the same woman she once was — has led Eikenberry “to do some really important inner work.” “That has had an extraordinarily positive effect on my relationship with Mike,” said Eikenberry. So has having their daughter cook for Lora twice a week in their own kitchen. “That has deepened my relationship with Alison beyond what either of us could have imagined.” So whether Lora can understand her or not, Eikenberry would just like to say, “Thanks Mom!” Carol Sorgen is the Beacon’s contributing editor in Baltimore.

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others going through the same challenging time with their own parents, it’s this: “Get help. Don’t try to do it all by yourself. “There are professionals out there — some who are financed by community service groups — who can help you.” “Find a great caregiver — or two or three,” said Eikenberry. “Don’t be the caregiver yourself. Be the daughter or son. It works better that way.” Eikenberry said their life changed when Marcia (Lora’s professional caregiver) walked through the door. “She’s a caregiver in the most profound sense of the word and, unlike all the others I’d seen, she instantly ‘got’ my mother,” Eikenberry said. “[Marcia] made her laugh — and then suddenly everything was possible.” Through their own experience, Tucker and Eikenberry have become strong proponents of keeping elderly family members at home, or at least nearby, whenever possible. It’s a practice that is more common in other cultures than in our own, Tucker said. “In the States we want to put our old people away from us, whereas in Italy, they bring them into the house. I think the way we eventually dealt with our situation was very much inspired by Italy and the Italians,” he said. (Though he doesn’t seem to realize it, it also sounds much like the family in which he grew up all those years ago in Balti-

on gardening may also be directed to mgmont@umd.edu or (301) 590-9650.

Sept. 11+

CIVIL WAR SLEUTHS Revisit and reexamine sites and clues from the investigation into the Lincoln assassination conspiracy with a two-hour, mile-and-a-

half long walking tour from Ford’s Theatre at 511 10th St., N.W., to the White Writing Feature 2005

House. Tours cost $12 and are offered Saturdays, Sept. 11, 18 and 25 and Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 10:15 a.m. Order tickets for “Investigation: Detective McDevitt” through www.fords.org, or by calling Ticketmaster at (202) 397-7328.

Be sure to pick up your FREE copy of the Beacon every month at any of our 1,500+ local distribution sites.

Oct. 2

OKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION Enjoy live music, food, a beer garden and more at the Vienna Oktoberfest, held on Saturday, Oct. 2, along the town’s historic

Call (301) 949-9766 for the location of a site near you or to place an advertisement.

Church St., in Vienna, Va. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (703) 319-3990 or visit www.VTRCC.org.

Arts & Style

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

Comparing today’s heavy hitters to Hank Aaron Age can creep up on you in the oddest He never flew first class, or stayed at a ways. Across a few days a couple of Four Seasons Hotel, or stayed anywhere months ago, age tackled me without a roommate. as I read the sports pages of He never had an agent, or a the morning newspapers. guy who handled endorseStory Number One: Steven ments for him, or a posse of Strasburg, a 21-year-old pitchfriends who followed him er who had never spent a secaround the country and freeond in the major leagues, was loaded off his earnings. paid more than $15 million to Henry Aaron, arguably the sign a contract. greatest ballplayer who ever Story Number Two: Lelived, smoked Camels at 20 Bron James, a brilliant profescents a pack, drank Coke, HOW I SEE IT sional basketball player, was drove a Ford, and lived in a By Bob Levey openly campaigning to be routine suburban house. He traded to a different team, where he ended never used his fame or salary to suggest up signing a $110 million contract. that he was royalty. Story Number Three: Tiger Woods, It’s easy to beat up on an entire generaclearly the greatest golfer who has ever tion when you hear stories like this. Easy, lived, was about to hand his wife a divorce and misleading. settlement worth $700 million. It’s just as easy to canonize an entire genStory Number Four: Albert Haynesworth, eration, like Henry Aaron’s. Easy, and misa professional football player whose contract leading. is worth $100 million, said it was too much But it isn’t misleading to point out the trouble to show up for preseason condition- biggest difference between Henry Aaron ing drills. (whose career came together in the 1950s) And then I picked up The Last Hero, a and the four contemporary athletes I mennew book about the great Henry Aaron, tioned above (whose careers came together in and started to read. the 2000s, or haven’t yet come together at all). Aaron is — and will be for a long time — Television. the greatest home run hitter in baseball Strasburg, James, Woods and Haynesworth history. He surpassed Babe Ruth’s leg- are TV staples. Children who can’t yet read endary career total of 714 in 1974, but he know that James’s uniform number is 23. Todkept on going. dlers can imitate Tiger’s famous fist-pump. By the time Aaron retired, in 1976, he These four athletes — and hundreds had hit 755 home runs. Barry Bonds even- like them — have become brands more tually surpassed Aaron’s total, but almost than people. certainly with the help of illegal chemiThey are agents of commerce. cals. They drive spending decisions that defy Aaron never earned more than $240,000 logic. per season, according to this book. For example, a Steven Strasburg jersey He was never offered a contract that retails for $73. LeBron James sneakers sell covered more than two years. for $180 a pair. Despite his recent marital

troubles, Tiger Woods’ name is on more than 10 lines of clothing — all of it top-end in terms of price. Albert Haynesworth is not quite a household word. But a Haynesworth crying towel will set you back $40 just the same. A pair of Haynesworth sweatbands goes for $25. And Henry Aaron? He never had a bobblehead doll fashioned in his honor. Never an Aaron beer mug. Never an Aaron breakfast energy drink. As a boy, I owned an Aaron fielder’s glove. It cost $7.50. It doesn’t matter how much of that princely sum Henry got. The point is, there was relatively little to get, because television was still in its infancy. Henry Aaron, now 76 years old, tells the author of “The Last Hero” that he isn’t jealous about having been born when he was born. In many ways, Aaron would have been a fish out of water in the modern era. He never yelled at an umpire, live and in color, or strutted after he hit one 400 feet. He was a modest man from Alabama who never finished high school. He believed that his baseball skills should — and did — speak for themselves. Because television was in its infancy

when Aaron played, his image was written about, not displayed. That meant that a sportswriter, usually for a newspaper, told the public what it could not otherwise see without attending a game in person. In the TV era, of course, that’s quaint, ancient history. Highlight reels are everywhere. YouTube files crisscross the world in seconds. The more flamboyant an athlete, the more money he can demand — and expect. Henry Aaron played major-league baseball for 23 seasons. His teammates and opponents recall that he never complained, always played through minor injuries, suffered insults from fans without cursing them or punching them. He showed up for work, and he did his work. For that reason alone, he deserves as much hero-worship as any contemporary athlete who excels — and then leers. I’d never begrudge an athlete his salary. He is worth whatever anyone chooses to pay him. But TV has turned sports into a world of preeners and spoiled brats. Henry Aaron did not inhabit that world. I miss it — and him. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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Jeanne knew it was time for a change. Country Meadows resident since 2008

Jeanne loves the memories of her family and the home they shared. However, when she found herself alone, fixing problems and taking care of maintenance became overwhelming. When Jeanne moved to Country Meadows, she brought her memories with her and left homeowner worries behind. Now, she feels spoiled by people serving her dinner, taking care of landscaping, even cleaning her apartment. It gives her time to do the things she loves most. At Country Meadows, we have independent living, assisted living, memory support services and restorative care options to fit the individual needs of most seniors. Like Jeanne, every one of our residents is unique. So for many of them, having more choices about how they live makes a world of difference.

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may not even live to draw SS funds. I have several friends and colleagues who died before the age of 70 (some before 65). Grace C. Cooper Hyattsville, Md. Dear Editor: I want to express my approval for raising taxes, especially a Social Security tax on high earners, at least to continue Social Security for the baby boomers, who were promised Social Security for their retirement. It occurs to me, however, that there could be an answer to the complaints of younger workers apparently paying for Social Security for the elderly. I read with interest Steven T. Goldberg’s Beacon article on the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) for federal workers (“Pros and cons of federal sav-

ings plan,” July). If all workers had the option of saving through their employers in the TSP G fund, they could be essentially providing for their own individual retirement. I would prefer the G fund (which purchases Treasury securities) because private securities can drastically lose value. (I heard, for example, that New Jersey had its pension fund heavily invested in BP oil.) I recall that presidential candidate John Edwards proposed government-administered retirement funds that would pay what the workers themselves saved. Workers could designate beneficiaries of any savings remaining [after] the workers’ death. This kind of idea, might, hopefully, appeal to both political parties. However, as a Democrat, I also favor continuing SSI and Medicaid for the disabled and poor. I feel that American taxpayers can afford to help those who are unfortunate. Catherine R. Bleick Rockville, Md. Dear Editor: I read your article on Social Security in the August edition. I am in my late 40s and have followed this issue quite a bit over my adult lifetime. I think Social Security is a good idea from the perspective of being a minimal safety net for working adults who have lived past their working years. Unfortunately, it has become much more than that. The first step is to restrict eligibility based on retirement age only and not disability. This works only as a retirement safety net. There are too many ways people try to beat the system through disability, and it gets the government in the business of deciding what constitutes a disability. It doesn’t belong in that business. There are plenty of social welfare programs to help people in this situation, not to mention family. The retirement age should be indexed to some sort of life expectancy index. One idea is to index it to three years earlier than whatever that age is. Age 70 is probably generous. I believe the average expected age is 78 (male and female combined), so age 75 seems appropriate. Politically this is tough to change, but we managed to go from 65 to 67, so it can be done over time. If that doesn’t solve the problem, I think the next step is to raise the ceiling on taxable income somewhat. I don’t think there needs to be no ceiling at all, but something higher than $106K. Raising the tax rate hurts everyone. Reducing our government’s financial liabilities is paramount. We cannot become a welfare state. Welfare states do not foster innovative dynamic cultures and, ironically, are the opposite of “progressive.“ Joe DeRoma Via e-mail

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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 below. 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.

Business & Employment Opportunities OFFER A NEEDED SERVICE VERY FEW KNOW ABOUT! Earn large commissions selling the unwanted life insurance policies of seniors in the emerging industry of Life/Viatical Settlements. Need network of seniors and/or professionals that work with seniors. Call Ray at 877-282-4360. www.AtAge60.com. FINANCIAL FIRMS HIRING! Customer Service Types! M/F PT work from home option. Bilingual a plus. Only serious and ambitious may apply. Professional appearance a must. Call 301-946-7786 for interview. 1000 ENVELOPES = $5000. Receive $3-$7 per envelope stuffed with sales materials GUARANTEED!! Recording 1-800-370-2881. ACTORS/MOVIE EXTRAS - $150-$300/Day depending on job. No experience. All looks needed. 1-800-281-5185-A103. AIRLINES ARE HIRING: Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified Housing available. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 866-453-6204. MYSTERY SHOPPERS! Earn up to $150 daily. Get paid to shop pt/ft. Call now 800-6901272. THE JOB FOR YOU! $500 Sign-on-bonus. Travel the US with our young minded enthusiastic business group. Cash and bonuses daily. Call Wanda 866-386-5621 today.

Caregivers

Financial Services

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

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.

$$$ACCESS LAWSUIT CASH NOW!! Injury lawsuit dragging? Need $500-$500,000+? We help. Call 1-866-386-3692, www.lawcapital.com.

LEISURE WORLD® - $78,900. 1 FB 1-1/2 Baths “Cordoba” model. Garden condo with enclosed patio, carport. 1020 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

LOVING HOME CARE “Care you can trust and afford.” Licensed, bonded, insured. Companionship, hygiene supervision, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, shopping, doctor’s appointments, etc. Loving, dependable caregivers for Live-In/Out, FT/PT. Call for your FREE consultation: 301-490-1146. www.lovinghomecare.org.

LEISURE WORLD® - $119,500. 2 BR 1 FB “Hampton” model with access to Broadwalk. Wood floors, upgraded carpet, recent updates. 1200 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $114,000. 2BR 1FB 2HB “Berkeley” townhouse. End unit. Patio with nice view. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

RESTLESS ROVER? WE’LL BE RIGHT OVER! Personal, professional pet care in your home or ours. Walks, visits and cageless boarding in loving environment. Senior discount. PRECIOUS PALS 301-237-0265. SENIOR CAREGIVER. Recommendations from current and past clients. Available weekends (live-in or commute) and Wednesdays and Thursdays (commute only). Prefer Virginia. Call Roseann 703-424-4457.

Community Announcements FLU VACCINATION CLINIC – October 17, 2010, 9:00am – 1:00pm. Medicare B, Bravo Health, Aetna – participating coverage. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC. No pre-registration required.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. HOME. BUSINESS. Call: D. Guisset at 301-270-4848. COMPUTER TUTORING SERVICES Private tutoring made Fun and Easy. Beginner to advanced computer instruction, Internet research, social networking. Renee Waltzer, 301770-0848.

Entertainment KARAOKE BY TWIST AND SHOUT STUDIO. Don’t just have a birthday party or private event. Have a “Really Fun” birthday or event. Let me bring the fun to you. I do a mix of music from any era. Plus, a large selection of karaoke and DJ music for everyone. Call Twist at 301699-0660. www.twistandshoutstudio.com. DJ FOR SENIORS Oldies & Goldies, all danceable. No party too small. Very Reasonable. Love to do small birthday parties. 301-437-6888.

SELL YOUR UNWANTED LIFE INSURANCE! Nationally licensed and insured. Call 877-282-4360 for a FREE evaluation. www.AtAge60.com.

PRIME TIME GROUP – September 15, 2010. 50+ group. 11:00am – Expressive Art Program; 12:00pm – Luncheon ($6.00); 1:00pm – Performance by Swing Dancers. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC. RSVP to church office: 202-9665489.

QUTECARE HOUSEHOLD STAFFING SERVICES Dependable and attentive domestic service solutions. *Senior caregivers/companions *Housekeepers *Nannies *Personal assistants *Pet/House sitters. No placement fees, carefully screened personnel. We handle payroll so you can relax. 301-217-0024. www.qutecare.com.

DRAMA WORKSHOP – Begins October 12, 2010. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4900 Connecticut Ave. Washington, DC. 50+ group. Sixweek interactive, participatory play reading and discussions; 90 minutes. Led by Montgomery County Seniors’ Theatre. $25.00 for six sessions or $5.00 per session. 11:00am – 12:30pm. Call for more information @ 202-966-5489.

Caregivers

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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

N A N A

From page 62.

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LEISURE WORLD® - $109,000. 2BR 2FB “Warfield” on first floor. Enclosed patio, table space kitchen, extra storage, separate laundry. 1116 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463 LEISURE WORLD® - $112,000. 2 BR 2 FB “E” model in the “Greens”.Table space kitchen, view of trees, extra storage. 980 sq ft. ALSO FOR RENT - $1200. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $119,000. 2BR 1 FB 2 HB “Berkeley” townhouse with new appliances, fresh paint and carpet, custom florida sunroom. 1600 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $144,900. 2BR 2 FB “G” model in “Greens” with garage+golf cart space. Golf course view. New paint and carpet. 1195 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-9283463. LEISURE WORLD® - $164,900. 2BR 2FB “N” model in Turnberry. California Kitchen, enclosed balcony, walk-in closets. 1040 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $149,900. 2BR 2 FB “GG” model in “Greens”. Fresh paint and carpet, garage space included, enclosed balcony, golf course view. 1195 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $134,000. 2 BR, 2 FB “F” model in the “Greens”. Enclosed balcony. 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $112,500. 2 BR 1 FB 2HB “Berkeley” townhouse updated kitchen with granite counters and maple cabinets, flagstone patio, new windows. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $103,500. 2 BR 1FB 1 HB “Elizabeth” model. Rare first floor location with custom patio enclosure, Extras and upgrades. 1308 Sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $219,500. 2 BR 2 FB “Nottingham” model in move in condition. Parquet floors, large family room addition with extra storage. 1004 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $94,900. 2 BR 2 FB “E” model in “Greens”. Enclosed balcony, table space kitchen, extra storage. 980 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-628-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $119,900. 2 BR 2 FB “Warfield” model. New appliances and AC, enclosed patio. Move-in condition.1043 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $225,000. 2 BR 2 FB “E” model in Villa Cortese, fresh paint, table space kitchen with window, close to elevator. 1350 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors,301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $229,000. 3 BR 2FB 1 HB, “N” model with GARAGE + storage room. Needs work, but well worth the effort. 1615 sq ft.. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-9283463. LEISURE WORLD® - $255,500. 2BR 2FB “R” model in “Fairways” with GARAGE, new paint and appliances. Golf course view. 1420 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD ® - $113,000. 2BR 2BA “Warfield” model on 2nd floor. New kitchen appliances, new washer and dryer, separate laundry room, enclosed sun porch, view of trees. 1043 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-9283463. 2BR, GARDEN APARTMENT with balcony & pretty views. Calvert model, 1035 sq.ft. Freshly painted. Monthly Fee includes everything except phone! Pets allowed. Only $59,900, or, for rent $1,000/month. Call Nancy Einwaechter, 301-460-6976 today to see this super unit at 3301 South Leisure World Blvd. Begin this carefree lifestyle now! Weichert Realtors 301-6810550. JUST WAIT ‘TIL YOU SEE IT! Fabulous renovation! New kitchen with up-graded appliances, wood floor, pretty cabinets, granite counter tops, + breakfast bar! Fresh paint + new carpet! More! Call Nancy Einwaechter @ 301-4606976 to see this super condo at 3330 North Leisure World Blvd Today. 2BR, 2BA – 1195 sq.ft. $184,500. Weichert Realtors 301-681-0550. 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 preview units & contact you with 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 on page 22. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors. 55+ LEISURE WORLD CONDO, indoor garage space. 2 bedrooms + den, 2 bathrooms, 1,480 sf, table-space kitchen, glass-enclosed sunroom. Close to elevator. $248,900. Call Barbara Michaluk, Authorized Leisure World Specialist 240-506-2434, Weichert.

Classifieds cont. on p. 63

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

Crossword

Puzzle Page

Game Show Mix 1

by Stephen Sherr 6

33 37

41 45

34 39

44 47

Across

1. Churches with Sat. sabbaths 5. Drastically reduce prices 10. Communicate with Zeus 14. An underclassman, briefly 15. Chocolate source 16. Damn Yankees siren 17. Brainy host 20. Petting zoo attractions 21. Backs off 22. Windfall 23. “___ the Walrus”: Lennon’s trippy claim 24. Chance to catch up quickly 31. Winna of The Thrilla in Manila 32. Seaweed, for example 33. Back muscle 35. Prepare the salad 37. Bratty kids 39. “This one’s ___“ 40. Newsboy’s shout 42. “___ that kind of girl” 44. Mouser 45. Quiet little spot 48. Solitaire quorum 49. Puzzler Rubik 50. Decouple 54. “Mi ___ su...” 57. Potential dater 61. Start of a root canal doc. 62. Put on cloud nine 63. He lived 905 years 64. Wood shaper 65. Domesticated 66. Seeing double from alcohol withdrawal

Down

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Answers on p. 61.

1. Dir. from Dallas to Austin 2. Homer Simpson’s comment

3. Dogma defenders 4. Civil War battle 5. Pyramid scheme 6. Tra trailer 7. Strong hole cards 8. Charlie Parker’s instrument 9. Pinched Pontiac, perhaps 10. It could be copped 11. Embezzles 12. Away from the wind 13. Chatters 18. Recipient of many letters 19. Clean another glass of spilled milk 22. MS city damaged by Katrina 23. “___ kick from...” (Cole Porter lyrics) 24. Arriving after the curtain was raised 25. Letters on umps’ hats in Cincinnati 26. Start a fire 27. Supermodel Campbell 28. Grp. Bob Hope performed for 199 times 29. Lack of authorization 30. New York senator, first elected in 1980 34. 63 Across’ dad 36. Will probably be sold out shortly 38. Arlo, to Woody 41. Without supervision 43. Bridge support 46. Sandal accessory 47. Miner’s hot spot 50. Top of Germany 51. Gramma 52. Flat screen TV types 53. Peter Cottontail’s favorite breakfast restaurant 54. Overpack 55. First ingredient in the pot 56. Litigated 58. Pay ending 59. Reel partner 60. Blue ribbon text

Answers on page 61.

Answer: She worked as a mattress model because it was a "DREAM" JOB Jumbles: ABIDE JOINT MANIAC EMERGE

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

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Miscellaneous

Personals

Wanted

55+ LEISURE WORLD CONDO, Vantage West 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Table-space, large kitchen, glass-enclosed sunroom. New carpet, ceramic foyer, washer/dryer. $199,900. Call Barbara Michaluk, Authorized Leisure World Specialist 240-506-2434, Weichert.

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. Medical, Business, Paralegal, Accounting, Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. Call 800494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com.

SENIOR LADY World traveled, humorous, kind. Seeks telephone friends. Lunch? Jennie, 703-370-8062.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls. We pay the most for your valuable treasures because we get the most money on ebay – the worldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area – Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia. Buying the following items – furniture, art, paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintage wristwatches, military items, including guns, rifles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instruments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls, trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennis equipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools, books, photographs, comic books. Please call Tom 240-476-3441, Thank you.

55+ LEISURE WORLD CONDO, with covered parking. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full-size washer and dryer, balcony overlooks trees, large room sizes. All pets ok. $114,900. Call Barbara Michaluk, Authorized Leisure World Specialist 240-506-2434, Weichert.

Personal Services

LEISURE WORLD – PRISTINE CONDITION $99,000 2BR, 2 full baths. 1st floor unit in excellent condition. Call 732-223-0596.

CHERYL’S ORGANIZING CONCEPTS. Specializing in residential and small business organizing, paperwork management and senior move management. Member National Association Professional Organizers (NAPO). Bonded, insured. www.CherylsOrganizing.com. 10% senior discount 301-916-9022.

LEISURE WORLD 1BR/BA Sunny garden apartment with ground floor access, walking to shopping and clubhouse. New paint, carpet, and flooring. Includes all utilities. Private patio and storage. $1,100. 978-501-2943.

MOTHER WILL DRIVE YOU to your appointments, do your shopping, clean your house, fix computers, event planner, personal assistant at a reasonable rate. Honest and dependable. 240-595-7467.

***FREE FORECLOSURE LISTINGS*** OVER 400,000 properties nationwide. Low down payment. Call now 800-250-2043.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates call 703-671-1854.

For Sale FSBO: $8,000 FOR 4 BURIAL SITES. National Memorial Park, 7400 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Virginia. Location: Block F, Lot 489, sites 1A - 4A. Please call 619-846-8206. MEN’S SHOES – FLORSHEIM – (4 pair) size 10 (3E) and 10 (4E). 2 black – 2 brown. Each pair worn once. Tuxedo size 44 regular great condition. 301-438-9323. DIRECT to home Satellite TV $19.99/mo. FREE installation, FREE HD-DVR upgrade. New customers - No Activation Fee! Credit/Debit Card Req. Call 1-800-795-3579. DIRECTV - 5 Months FREE! With NFL SUNDAY TICKET for $59.99/mo. for 5mos. New Cust only. Ends 10/06/10 Direct Sat TV 888-420-9472.

Health PAIN RELIEF WITHOUT DRUGS. Relieve pain control inflammation naturally. Improve breathing, reduce swelling in joints and muscles, support cardiovascular health, enjoy restful sleep, and energize your life. To learn more about this amazing new, completely natural health product, send $2 for full details to Sidney Secular, P.O. Box 8336, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8336. MINI-FACE LIFT AND EYE LID LIFT Local anesthesia. No downtime. Seniors NO credit check guaranteed financing. DC 202-452-1332 * Bethesda 301-738-6766 * Columbia 410-7307226 * Tyson’s Corner 703-533-1025. EYE PHYSICIAN/OPHTHALMOLOGY Accepting new MEDICARE patients. Payment plans available. DC Eye Surgeons 24th and I Street, 908 New Hampshire Ave., NW #400, DC – 202-464-5216. FDA APPROVED VIAGRA, Testosterone, Cialis. Free Brochures. CODE: Free pills 3 (619) 294-7777, www.drjoelkaplan.com.

Home/Handyman Services NEED HOUSE CLEANING? Professional service at an affordable rate! Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or one time. Call for a free estimate at 240-644-4289.

Miscellaneous DONATE UNWANTED CARS, Trucks, boats to: Model Prayer Ministries Charities and receive tax deduction for full value. For more details visit: www.modelprayerministries.us. PHONE: 877-537-5277. 27/7. *AAAA DONATE YOUR CAR FREE TOWING “Cars for Kids” Any Condition Tax Deductible Outreachcenter.com 1-800-794-4511. DONATE YOUR CAR. FREE TOWING. “Cars for Kids”. Any condition. Tax deductible outreachcenter.com, 1-800-597-9411. PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? You choose from families nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6292, 24/7 Void/Illinois.

WOW! GREAT HAIRCUT at a great price! Professional family hair salon conveniently located in Bethesda, MD. State board certified. Call 240-432-7211. PRESERVE YOUR FAMILY MEMORIES! Don’t let your precious photos be forgotten or fade over time. I’ll transfer your photos, slides, and negatives to a CD so they can be easily shared with friends and family. Once they’re scanned, I can bring your photos to life in a memorable DVD slideshow that will make a creative and unique gift for any occasion! Call Kim at Virtual Computer Services, 301-438-3140. PUT YOUR MEMORIES IN FRONT OF YOU EVERY DAY Photo/Film/Slide Scanning. I am a grandfather with four grandchildren. The most enjoyable part of my day is when I pass by one of my family digital picture frames with a continuous slide show of my family growing up. It always brings a smile to my face. Maybe I can help you do the same. Call for free brochure and pricing. Free pick up and delivery. www.twistandshoutstudio.com, 301-699-0660. MEDICARE PROVIDER HOME VISITS by a licensed clinical psychologist with over 40 years experience. SENIOR ASSISTING SENIORS with stressful life changes of aging including illness, chronic pain, relationship problems, loss of family or friends due to death or change of residence. If you think you might benefit from consulting with a mental health professional, and have difficulty making visits to doctors, call Ben Prieto, Ph.D. at 301-384-3392 to arrange a FREE initial consultation. STRESSED? TIRED? OVERWHELMED? Changes in work status, family life, friendships, health and aging can produce increased levels of stress. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with training and experience in cognitive/behavioral therapy. I support people who are undergoing change to help them transform “limitations” into possibilities. Convenient Bethesda location. Accept Medicare. Don’t struggle alone: Call for support today. Judith R. Peres, LCSW-C 301-455-5140. CONNECT GENERATIONS WITH YOUR SPOKEN MEMOIR. In this day of disposables, email, and throw-away possessions, exactly what will our descendents discover about us? Narrate your memoir. Only you know how it was and how you want your experiences and irreplaceable family stories to be remembered. A vivid keepsake in your own voice. Recorded in a casual setting in your home, with expert assistance, recorded with quality equipment, and produced as an aural CD for you and attractively labeled copies suitable as gifts for those close to you. For further information, please contact Dave Checkman PhD, Memoir Keepers Associates, by email (david393@cox.net) or phone 703821-7666. Ask for a free sampler CD to hear what a memoir can be like. MY GIRL FRIDAY Shopping Assistance: Errands, Grocery, Dry cleaning, Pharmacy, Retail. Driving Assistance: Medical appointments, Salon. Call Maria Niklason, 703-698-8991, marianiklason@aol.com. Serving the Northern Virginia Area. VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van. Call Mike 301-565-4051.

SWF – 54, 5’4”, 118 pounds, (Tysons area). Seeking a S/DWM 52-65 with traditional values, in Fairfax or Montgomery County. Nonsmoker preferred. Retired OK. Let’s meet for coffee! 571-451-2770.

Wanted HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES– Old and good quality furniture, glass, pottery, china, paintings, art, toys, advertising, costume and high-grade jewelry, gold, silver, silver flatware, wind-up watches, clocks, dolls, musical instruments, music boxes, sports & paper memorabilia, sterling, fishing, hunting, rugs, lamps, Hummels, political, rock & roll memorabilia, posters, military items, helmets, guns, swords, bayonets, medals, weapons, guitars, banjos, prints, art, sculptures, Lladro, bronzes, trains, fishing rod reels & lures, cast iron outdoor furniture, hi-grade American made tools, presentation and other unusual items. Purchasing one piece or entire Estates. I have over 30 years experience and I am a very ethical dealer located in Bowie, Md. Also a permanent vendor at Eastern Market in Southeast Washington, DC on Sundays. Please call Mike Keller, (301)731-0982 or (301)742-5031. 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.

WANTED TO BUY old magazines, books, postcards, posters, etc., pre-1975. Also bookends, antique bookcases with glass fronts. Please call 301-946-0941 anytime. HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. Compare my price before you sell! Serving entire metro area. Call for a free consultation, and professional service. I will purchase one piece or your entire estate. Including Furniture, Artwork, Glassware, Jewelry, Rugs, Costume, Gold and Silver, Watches, Sterling Items, Flatware, Lladro & Hummel Figurines, All Military Items, Guns, Swords, Helmets, Bayonets, Medals, Scout Items, Clocks, Music Boxes, Toys, Baseball Memorabilia, trains, All String Instruments, Including Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, Fishing Rods and Reels, Lures, Historical Items, American tools, Posters, Outside Iron Furniture. I am a very reputable dealer with two locations in Silver Spring and Bowie, MD. Please call Christopher Keller 301-408-4751 or 301-262-1299. Thank you.

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.

ALWAYS BUYING OLD MAGAZINES books, costume jewelry and other better jewelry, watches (all kinds), silver flatware and hollowware items in any condition, old coins, comic books, and anything else that’s old. Call Alex now! 571-426-5363.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom or Katherine. Call anytime 301-654-8678.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, ETC. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158.

ANTIQUE AND QUALITY OLDER FURNITURE and accessories wanted. One piece or entire estate, including toys, dolls, paintings, silver, Oriental rugs, prints, pottery, china and glassware. Music boxes, clocks, country store items, paper memorabilia, historical and military items, old fishing equipment, antique firearms and all other items of value. I am a Washington native with over 35 years of experience in this business. I am well educated, courteous and have more experience and pay higher prices than virtually any other dealer in the area. I make prompt decisions, have unlimited funds, pay immediately and remove items expeditiously. No messy consignments or phony promises. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, (301) 279-8834. Thank you.

BEST PRICES Cash for jewelry & coins & old sterling diamonds. We do repair & designs. Open 7 days a week. Appointment, 703-3149233. 8101 Richmond Highway. (Inside Mount Vernon Antiques).

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS - up to $17/Box! Shipping paid. Linda 888-973-3729. www.cash4diabeticsupplies.com.

WATCHMAKER desires to buy antique and vintage pocket watches and wristwatches. Working or needing repair. Also movements, cases, dials, parts, crystals, tools, repair manuals. Anything related. Buying one piece or entire inventory. Please call Bill @ 540-6568762. WANTED JAPANESE MOTORCYCLES KAWASAKI,1970-1980, Z1-900, KZ900, KZ1000, H2-750, H1-500, S1-250, S2-250, S2350, S3-400. CASH PAID. 1-800-772-1142. 1310-721-0726.

BEACON BITS

Sept. 21

ANCESTRY RESEARCH

Find out how to use historical records on footnote.com for ancestry research. The Mount Vernon Genealogical Society will meet in room 112 of the Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 1 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, call Harold McClendon at (703) 360-0920 or email, haroldm@erols.com.

Sept. 21

CAR SAFETY

CarFit helps older drivers check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them, to help increase safety. The next CarFit event is on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church parking lot, 8922 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. If cancelled due to rain, it will take place on Sept. 28 at the same time. Registration is required. Contact Carla Rosenfeld at (703) 537-3060 or CarlaR@jccnv.org, for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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