December 2023 | Baltimore Beacon

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A second chance behind bars

A turning point Launched in 2016, the Prisons and Justice Initiative was the brainchild of Marc Howard, now its executive director.

Howard’s life trajectory changed when he was in high school. On his first day of senior year, Howard woke up to the news that the parents of his friend Marty Tankleff had been murdered.

Through a hostile interrogation without presence of counsel, the young Tankleff was tricked into believing he had been iden-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PRISONS AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE

By Margaret Foster Maryland professor Neil Roland’s students aren’t your average college kids. Instead of dorm rooms, they live in prison cells. Roland, 71, has tutored incarcerated people for eight years, starting at a maximum-security prison in Jessup, Maryland.

Today, Roland teaches world affairs at the District of Columbia Jail through Georgetown University’s Prison Scholars, a program of its Prisons and Justice Initiative. The initiative, which also offers degree programs to inmates, has reached more than 200 people to date.

This fall, Roland brought one of his students a book she had been trying to find for years. “She was overjoyed. She covered her face to keep herself from crying,” Roland said.

“Clearly, this was a woman who loves learning. Of course, I kept my cool, but when I can help set off that spark for learning in someone, it brings me joy.”

Every year, convicted people in America’s jails are proven to be innocent of the crimes for which they were imprisoned.

Even those that were justly convicted can turn over a new leaf and start anew. Getting an education is one way to achieve that.

DECEMBER 2023

I N S I D E …

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Osaka, Japan is worth a visit for its castle, world-class aquarium and delicious street food; plus, relive Dirty Dancing at the Virginia lodge where the 1987 movie was filmed page 16

Marc Howard is founding director of the Prisons and Justice Initiative, which helps incarcerated people earn college degrees and assists them in returning to society after they’re released from prison. Howard got into the field after he helped exonerate a high school friend who was wrongly convicted and spent 17 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.

tified as the murderer, though he suspected his father’s business partner of the crime.

Tankleff was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

(The business partner who owed Tankleff’s father money and fled after faking his own death was never charged with the murders.)

Years later, Howard began visiting his old friend, who continued to maintain his innocence, behind bars.

“One day in the prison visiting room, I made him a promise: I said, ‘I’m going to do everything I can to get you out of prison.’

Author of a new memoir recalls growing up in an East Baltimore rowhouse in the 1950s page 19

FITNESS & HEALTH 3 k Does TV boost dementia risk? k Light therapy fights winter blues

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

A time for thanks I want to thank the thousands of Beacon I want to thank our hard-working staff readers and their guests who attended our for putting together these fantastic events, two 50+Expos in October. and also want to thank our I think those who came will gold sponsors: AARP Viragree that it was wonderful to ginia and Brandywine Living be together with other peoat Potomac. We so appreciple, and simply to be out and ated Giant Pharmacy for about on a beautiful day, visitproviding a variety of vacing the informative exhibits, cines and health screenings, getting essential vaccines and and the Prevention of Blindhealth screenings, and enjoyness Society for offering ing a fun, public event. glaucoma tests.

I was especially happy to If you were unable to hear see so many familiar faces FROM THE my interview of Tony Perkins and get a chance to speak PUBLISHER of NBC News4 Today and with you, catch up on your By Stuart P. Rosenthal MAJIC 102.3, we have posted lives, and hear your views on a video of it on our website at the issues of the day. www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/50expos.

Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit We are already making plans for next that one of the best parts was hearing all fall’s Expos, and intend for them to be even the glowing compliments people shared bigger and better than this year’s. I hope with me about the Beacon, our writers, our to see all of this year’s attendees again sales staff and the events themselves. I next year, and many more of you who were was floating out the door at the end of both not able to attend this year.

Expos.

Our exhibitors were equally happy with Writing awards I also want to share with you the kudos the event and with meeting so many active older adults who were sincerely interested the Beacon received in the 2023 Mature in the housing communities, health Media Awards competition, which “honor providers, financial and legal advisors, the nation’s best materials and programs recreation and travel opportunities, and for older adults.” government and nonprofit agencies that The Beacon won both a Silver and a Merit participated. award in the Newsletter/Newspaper catego-

Beacon The

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md. and Greater Washington, D.C. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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

0Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Vice President of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representatives – Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel Marketing & Operations Manager – Ashley Griffin Assistant Editor – Ana Preger Hart Editorial Intern – Margaret Scala

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 23 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

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ry. (The other Silver winners were both AARP publications.)

We also won numerous awards in the annual journalism competition of the North American Mature Publishers Association.

Once again, we won “Best of Show” and first place for “General Excellence” and “Special Section” (for our quarterly Housing and Homecare Options pullout), as well as individual writing awards for selected features, profiles, arts reviews, travel stories, topical issue columns, editorials and personal essays.

Staff writers and freelancers so honored include: Catherine Brown, Dan Collins, Mark Dreisonstok, Glenda Booth, Bob Levey, and yours truly.

As we are entering the holiday season and the year draws to a Congratulations to Mrs. Phyllis T. Sipes of close, I want to add here my Halethorpe, Maryland, whose response to a thanks to, and admiration for, all national reader survey placed in our April issue by the North American Mature Publishers Association of our staff, who work so diliwas randomly selected as the winner of a $500 gently to produce multiple edi- gift card. She said she loves to read the Baltimore tions of the Beacon every month. Beacon, which she picks up each month at the I’d like to thank them by Lansdowne Senior Center. Sipes said she’s been name: Executive Vice Presi- reading the Beacon for 12 years, that our Fitness dent Gordon Hasenei; Art & Health section is her favorite part, but that she loves to read it “cover to cover…It’s just perfect.”

Director Kyle Gregory; Man- Thank you, Mrs. Sipes, and congratulations on aging Editor Margaret Fos- your prize. ter; Assistant Editor Ana The Beacon would not exist without all Preger Hart; Advertising Representatives Dan Kelly, Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips of their efforts, nor without you who read and Alan Spiegel; Marketing & Opera- our publications each month. I offer my tions Manager Ashley Grif fin and, of sincere appreciation to each of you.

Wishing you and yours a happy and course, my wife, the Beacon’s President and Associate Publisher, Judy Rosenthal. healthy holiday season and new year!

We also are thrilled to welcome back our former Director of Operations, Roger King, who returned this year to become our Vice President of Operations.

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

Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: What a great and informative article about Passager on your October cover. As a Maryland writer, senior center teacher and library regular, I must say you have discovered a treasure. I’m certainly clipping your story and passing it around.

One of the things I continually suggest is to write and journal. In the past year or so, AARP and the Department of Aging also have begun urging that more seniors try journaling as a way to reduce stress and anxiety, particularly post-Covid.

Frances Altman Rosedale, MD Dear Editor: I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that our ad looking for alumni to help

maintain the Western High School Alumni Association worked, and the Association will continue under new management.

Thanks for your assistance. We invite any other Beacon readers who are alumni of Western High School to join us.

Jorge M. Castrogiovanni Western High School Alumni Assn.

Dear Editor: In May 2018 I was involved in a rather serious car accident. Police, firefighters and EMS staff quickly arrived to help.

This experience led me to create a nonprofit called ManyThanks2U, which I believe is the first of its kind, to encourage the public to express gratitude to those See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, page 20

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BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

Health Fitness &

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LET THERE BE LIGHT If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, try using a lightbox daily ENERGY IRONY Tired? Surprisingly, aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening workouts help IMMUNE SYSTEM FACTS No, vitamin C won’t cure a cold — and other myths about the immune system COLD FINGERS If your hands hurt or throb in cold weather, see your doctor for a diagnosis

Does more TV time raise dementia risk?

By Andrew E. Budson, M.D. Be honest: Just how much television are you watching? One study has estimated that half of American adults spend two to three hours each day watching television, with some watching as much as eight hours per day.

Is time spent on TV a good thing or a bad thing? Let’s look at some of the data in relation to your risks for cognitive decline and dementia.

First, it’s proven that physical activity sharpens the mind. The more time you sit and watch television, the less time you have available for physical activity. Getting sufficient physical activity decreases your risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

Not surprisingly, if you spend a lot of time sitting and doing other sedentary behaviors, your risk of cognitive impairment and dementia will be higher than someone who spends less time sitting.

cognitive tests, including those measuring: • prospective memory (remembering to do an errand on your way home) • visual-spatial memory (remembering a route that you took) • fluid intelligence (important for problem solving)

• short-term numeric memory (keeping track of numbers in your head) Five years later, many participants repeated certain tests. Depending on the test, the number of participants evaluated ranged from 12,091 to 114,373.

The results of this study were clear.

First, at baseline, more television viewing time was linked with worse cognitive function across all cognitive tests.

More importantly, television viewing time was also linked with a decline in cogSee TV TIME, page 5

Is TV actually bad for you?

OK, so it’s better to exercise than to sit in front of the television. But you knew that already.

Assuming you’re getting regular exercise, is watching television still bad for you? The first study suggesting that, yes, television is still bad for your brain was published in 2005.

After controlling for year of birth, gender, income and education, the researchers found that each additional hour of television viewing in middle age increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease 1.3 times.

In contrast, participating in intellectually stimulating activities and social activities reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Although this study had fewer than 500 participants, its findings had not been refuted. But would these results hold up when a larger sample was examined?

T’

O S C N NE CT

In 2018, the UK Biobank study began to follow approximately 500,000 individuals in the United Kingdom who were 37 to 73 years old when first recruited between 2006 and 2010. The demographic information reported was somewhat sparse: 88% of the sample was described as white and 11% as other; 54% were women.

The researchers examined baseline participant performance on several different

LE

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

SADder in the winter? Try light therapy Dear Mayo Clinic: Once daylight saving time ends, I find it difficult as it gets darker earlier. I also notice that I get a bit more depressed in the winter.

My friend suggested a light box for seasonal affective disorder. What is a light box, and can it be helpful in improving my mood?

A: Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that typically occurs each year during fall and winter. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.

It is important not to brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk you must tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.

The use of light therapy can offer relief.

For some people, light therapy may be more

effective when combined with another SAD treatment, such as an antidepressant or psychological counseling, or psychotherapy.

Light therapy boxes for SAD treatment are also known as light boxes, bright light therapy boxes and phototherapy boxes.

Light boxes come in different shapes and sizes. Some look like upright lamps, while others are small and rectangular.

All are designed to do the same thing, but one type may work better for you than another.

A light therapy box mimics outdoor light.

Researchers believe this type of light causes a chemical change in the brain that lifts your mood and eases other symptoms of SAD.

How to use a light box Generally, the light box should provide an exposure to 10,000 lux of light and emit as little ultraviolet, or UV, light as possible.

Typical recommendations include using the light box:

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• within the first hour of waking up in the morning, • for about 20 to 30 minutes, • at a distance of about 16 to 24 inches from the face, and • with eyes open but not looking directly at the light.

Light boxes are designed to be safe and effective, but they aren’t approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration for SAD treatment, so you can buy a light box without a prescription.

Still, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about choosing and using a light therapy box. Most health insurance plans do not cover the cost.

A caveat: If you’re experiencing both SAD and bipolar disorder, the advisability and timing of using a light box should be carefully reviewed with your healthcare provider. Increasing exposure too fast or using the light box for too long each time may induce manic symptoms if you have bipolar disorder.

If you have past or current eye problems, such as glaucoma, cataracts or eye damage from diabetes, get advice from your eye care provider before starting light therapy.

How to choose a light box Here are some questions to think about when buying a light box for SAD: Is it made specifically to treat SAD? If not, it may not help your depression. Some light therapy lamps are designed for skin disorders, not for SAD. Lamps used for skin

disorders primarily emit UV light and could damage your eyes if used incorrectly.

How bright is it? Light boxes produce different intensities of light. Brighter boxes will achieve the same effect as dimmer boxes with less use each day. Typically, the recommended intensity of light is 10,000 lux.

How much UV light does it release?

Light boxes for SAD should be designed to filter out most or all UV light. Contact the manufacturer for safety information if you have questions.

Can it cause eye damage? Some light boxes include features designed to protect the eyes. Ask your eye care provider for advice on choosing a light box if you have eye problems, such as glaucoma, cataracts or eye damage from diabetes.

Can you put it in the right location?

Think about where you’ll want to place your light box and what you might do during its use, such as reading. Check the manufacturer’s instructions so you receive the right amount of light at the proper distance.

Again, talk to your healthcare professional about light box options and recommendations to get one best suited to your needs. — Compiled by Mayo Clinic staff Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu.

For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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TV time From page 3 nitive function five years later for all cognitive tests.

Although this type of study cannot prove that television viewing caused the cognitive decline, it suggests that it does.

Further, the type of sedentary activity chosen mattered. Both driving and television were linked to worse cognitive function.

In contrast, computer use was associated with better cognitive function at baseline, and a lower likelihood of cognitive decline over the five-year study.

TV and dementia risk In 2022, researchers analyzed this same UK Biobank sample with another question in mind: Would time spent watching television versus using a computer result in different risks of developing dementia over time?

Their analyses included 146,651 people 60 and older from the UK Biobank. At the start of the study, none had been diag-

nosed with dementia. Over 12 years, on average, 3,507 participants (2.4%) were diagnosed with dementia.

Importantly, after controlling for participant physical activity: • time spent watching television increased the risk of dementia, while • time spent using the computer decreased the risk of dementia.

These changes in risk were not small.

Those who watched the most television daily — more than four hours — were 24% more likely to develop dementia. Those who used computers interactively (not passively streaming) more than one hour daily as a leisure activity were 15% less likely to develop dementia.

Studies like these can only note links between behaviors and outcomes. In other words, it’s possible that people who were beginning to develop dementia started to watch television more and use the computer less.

The bottom line If you watch more than one hour of TV daily, my recommendation is to turn it off

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BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

and do activities that we know are good for your brain.

Try physical exercise, using the computer, doing crossword puzzles, dancing and listening to music, and participating in social and other cognitively stimulating activities.

Andrew E. Budson, M.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications and an Editorial Advisory Board member for Harvard Health Publishing. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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MAIL OR EMAIL FOR FREE INFORMATION For free materials on housing communities and health studies, just complete and clip this coupon and mail, or take a picture and email it to the Beacon.

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Q&A: Advice on weight loss; low energy

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: If you are overweight, what is more important: getting fit or losing weight?

A: You are alluding to what some people have called the fat but fit paradox. Let’s start with definitions of fitness and fatness.

Fitness, also referred to as cardiovascular fitness or cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), is a measure of the performance of the heart, lungs and muscles of the body.

Muscle performance includes measures of both strength and endurance.

Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), a laboratory measure of the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during exercise, is the optimal measure of CRF. However, self-reported physical activity is often used as a proxy for VO2 max in research studies because it’s much easier and less expensive to assess.

Fatness can be defined in many different ways. Body mass index (BMI), a calculation of your size that takes into account your height and weight, is used most commonly.

However, we know that measures such as body fat percentage, waist circumference, waist-to-hip, ratio and waist-to-height ratio tell us much more than BMI about a person’s health, metabolic risk and risk of death. Still, due to the ease and relative inexpensiveness of this measurement, BMI is

used most commonly in research studies.

The fat but fit paradox suggests that individuals with obesity who are also active can experience a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk that supersedes the effect of their increased weight.

It’s no surprise that being more physically active is linked to lower levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar compared to being inactive.

However, physical activity does not completely compensate for the negative effects of having either overweight status or obesity. In other words, individuals with overweight or obesity are at greater cardiovascular disease risk than their counterparts with normal weight, regardless of physical activity levels.

Thus, the existing evidence shows that physical activity reduces — but does not eliminate — the effects of overweight or obesity on cardiovascular disease risk.

So, if you are both overweight and inactive, what should you concentrate on first?

The natural answer is both.

However, for my patients I have always advocated concentrating first on increasing daily physical activity and scheduling 10 to 15 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day.

There are many non-weight related benefits of exercise, including improvements in

energy metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, tissue repair and immunity. But don’t expect that you will immediately start to shed pounds with a bit more exercise.

Once your increased activity level becomes more routine, you are more likely to consider the ways you can reduce daily calorie consumption.

Also, you may wish to talk with your doctor about pharmacologic options to help with weight loss.

Q: I am in my 70s, and my health is good overall. But I wish I had more energy. Why do older people become less energetic? How can we boost our energy naturally?

A: As we get older, we lose energy-producing engines in the cells (mitochondria), and as a result, we make less adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the molecule that delivers energy to cells throughout the body.

We also lose muscle mass, resulting in fewer cells, fewer mitochondria and lower ATP production. If you’re too tired to be active, it compounds the problem by further weakening and shrinking muscles.

Fortunately, a healthier lifestyle can help give you more energy. That means eating a diet low in added sugars and processed foods, with enough calories and nutrients to meet your needs; getting seven to nine

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hours of sleep each night; managing stress; and (if necessary) talking to your doctor about medication side effects.

And perhaps the fastest, most important way to boost your energy is to move more.

The recommended amounts of exercise are at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) per week, and at least two muscle-strengthening workouts per week. But studies have shown that any amount of exercise is beneficial.

For example, a review of almost 200 randomized controlled trials of resistance training, published online by the British Journal of Sports Medicine on July 6, 2023, found that people who did any strength training at all increased muscle mass and physical function compared with people who didn’t do strength training.

In addition to boosting your energy, it’s essential to use what you have wisely. Think in terms of “energy dollars” and be more frugal about the way you spend them.

Strategies known as the “four P’s” can help.

Prioritizing. Think about what you need to accomplish in a day versus what you want to accomplish, and make the necessary activity your priority.

Planning. Planning how to use your energy will help you accomplish more.

See ADVICE, page 8

Makes a great gift! | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

Ask the Ho H me Care Exper xpert Tom Smith, To th, Bu Business Dev Business ve elopm nt Man elopment Manag ager, Family & Nursin in ng Carre e

S

ince 1968, Family & Nu Nursing Care has helped tens of thousands of families by providing g p older access to caregivers who help adults wit with accttiv ivit ities of dai aily ly liivving — incl cluding bat athing, dressing, mobiliitty assistance, errands, meal prep, ligght

houseke keepingg, medicat aattion remin i d ders, compan m anionsh hiip and more.

Now servving the Baltimore g region, Fam milyy & Nursingg Care is a leading resource ffo or private duty home care services, providing clients and their families with

access to compassionate pas i a and expert le caregivers to help expert-level older adults maintain their independence p and q qualityy of liffee as they age. Ninety-eight percent of surveyed clients hav ave said they would recommend these services

to a ffrriend or o family member. nth, we asked To Tom This mon ness Development Smith, Busin Managgerr,, Fam milyy & Nursingg Care for some advvice ffo or those w who find themsellves in the “sandw dwicch generaattion”.

Q: How can I avoid burning out as a caregiver for my aging mother while activ vely parenting my teenagers?

Many people aren’t aaw ware of the flexiib ble nat ature of home care.

Care can be arranged ffo or just a ffeew hours a day ay. There is no long-term obligaattion. People who try iit out ut experience succh h posiitive cch hanges in their liffee and in the liffee of their loved one that at they often cchoose to receiivve home care services long term.

care services, the overwhelming maj ajorit ity say ay they wish they’’d called us sooner. We We recognize that at every family’s needs are diff ffeerent and

there is no one-size-fi fitts-all answer.

We will workk together with you to find a solut utio on fo for your unique family siittuat ation.

A: There’s no doubt that it’s an physical y strain to emotional and p balance everything as a family caregiver, but help is available.

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Fact v. fiction about our immune systems

By Jessica Migala The health of our immune systems has become front-of-mind for many over the last few years. And with that comes a lot of advice on the best way to prepare your body’s defenses for any lingering bugs.

Here, we take a look at four common myths about immune health and see what the science says.

1. The body’s defenses weaken with age.

True. Research shows that as more candles top your birthday cake, the immune function begins to decline, leaving adults over age 65 more vulnerable to severe illness from viral and bacterial infections.

There’s a science-y term for this process: immunosenescence. You have

fewer circulating immune cells, and changes to those you do have make them slower to respond to infectious invaders.

2. Probiotics support healthy immune function.

Mostly true. The microbiome plays a key role in a strong, resilient immune system. A recent review found that probiotic supplements (which contain strains of “good” gut bacteria) decreased the risk of becoming sick with a respiratory infection, and shortened its duration among those who did come down with one.

Probiotics may activate immune cells that fight viruses, reduce inflammation, and kick out “bad” bacteria in your GI system that could open the door to illness. However, this mechanism isn’t fully understood, and high-

er-quality clinical studies are needed.

3. Honey will “cure” your allergies.

Too early to tell. The theory is this: Honeybees gather pollen from the very plants that cause your itchy eyes, so consuming a small daily dose of the local honey — and subsequently these pollens — may stimulate your immune system and reduce allergies, explained Miguel P. Wolbert, an allergist and immunologist in Evansville, Indiana.

But the pollens that cause sneezing and congestion — such as ragweed — are wind borne, while the pollens bees collect are too heavy to fly in the breeze.

Wind-borne pollens can fall onto flowers, get picked up by bees and end up in honey, Wolbert said, “but it’s likely to be a

very, very small amount” — not enough to make a difference. And, so far, no clinical evidence shows that honey alleviates allergy symptoms.

On the other hand, honey may help soothe your cough. The brain part that registers sweet tastes and the part that causes coughing are located near each other, so sensing sweetness may affect coughing, according to researcher Ian M. Paul, M.D. 4. A megadose of vitamin C can squash a cold.

Mostly false. This vitamin does play an important role in immune function. But at the first sign of sniffles, don’t run to the drugstore to load up on C: High-dose sup-

Advice

Positioning. Maintain good posture when you’re sitting or standing. You’ll expand your lungs so they can take in more oxygen. And it might help to sit down during activities to reduce the amount of energy you’re using.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 6 Planning could be scheduling just one major errand or appointment per day as opposed to three errands. Planning could also mean that you schedule rest breaks.

Pacing. Don’t try to rush through activities, which can use up all of your energy quickly. Rushing leads to fatigue and increases your risk of falling. Spread out your activity to give yourself time to recover between tasks.

See IMMUNE SYSTEM, page 11

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Why fingers may hurt in colder weather

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. Q: I am getting more sensitive to colder weather. I am worried about the times my fingers get cold enough to hurt and throb. What are some of the possible causes?

A: A likely possibility is Raynaud’s phenomenon. People with this condition have blood vessels that respond in an exaggerated way to cold. This occurs in their fingers and toes and sometimes in other parts of the body.

Instead of the blood vessels constricting normally in reaction to the cold, they “overreact” and constrict more severely.

This causes discomfort.

A key feature of Raynaud’s phenomenon is reversible color changes in the fingers. Initially, the fingers may appear white, but within minutes will turn blue and then red before returning to normal.

Raynaud’s phenomenon may accompany other conditions such as lupus and scleroderma. However, these conditions are relatively rare while Raynaud’s phenomenon without another condition (such as lupus) is common.

Other potential explanations include:

Poor circulation. Atherosclerosis can affect blood vessels anywhere in the body, but it’s rare that it primarily affects the hands A congenital circulation problem.

Some people are born with small or missing arteries in the hands, so their fingers may get less than normal blood flow.

Thyroid disease. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) may cause cold intolerance, though this is usually bodywide, not just in the fingers.

Drugs. Prescription, over-the-counter and recreational drugs may provoke Raynaud’s phenomenon. Examples include beta-blockers (such as metoprolol/Lopressor), pseudoephedrine (as in Sudafed), and cocaine. Caffeine and nicotine may also constrict small arteries in the fingers.

Diseases that cause sluggish blood flow. These can include polycythemia vera, cold agglutinin disease or cryoglobulinemia. Among all people complaining of cold hands, however, these are rarely to blame.

See your doctor for an evaluation. It may be worthwhile to have your thyroid checked, your medications reviewed,

and to have some basic blood tests (to look for some of the conditions mentioned earlier in this article).

In the meantime, keep warm. Wear a hat, coat, scarf and gloves before going out in the cold. Hand warmers are another effective remedy for cold fingers.

However, if you have Raynaud’s phenomenon and these actions don’t help, medications (such as nifedipine/Procar-

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Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is a senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing and corresponding member of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Some unique appetizers for the holidays

By Dawna Pitts As the holidays approach, add these appetizers to your entertaining repertoire.

Parmesan Crisps, below, are available in grocery stores, but they are easy to make and can be prepared a week in advance.

Homemade ones taste so much better, and leftovers are great on salads, soups, or with slices of pear for a little snack.

In addition, Baby Brie and Fig Pies are an easy, fast appetizer using store-bought, premade pie crust. These pies are filled with the delicious combo of melted Brie cheese and fig jam. These cuties disappear very fast!

Baby Brie and Fig Pies Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 frozen pre-made pie crust, defrosted 8-10 ounces soft Brie cheese (not triple cream, which will be too runny in this recipe) 8 ounces fig jam 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water Butter or non-stick spray for preparing the baking pan Round cookie cutters Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare mini cupcake tins or mini tart tins by spraying non-stick spray or rubbing butter inside. Silicon baking pans

work great for non-stick purposes.

3. Roll out the pie crust so it is flat, even, and about ¼-inch thick.

4. Using a 2 or 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut the bottom part of the baby pies.

5. Press the cut pie crust into the baking tins and repeat until you have used about half of the crust.

6. Trim Brie by cutting out most of the wax and cut it into 1-inch cubes, inserting them into prepared pie bottoms.

7. Spoon a teaspoon-full of fig jam and add to top the Brie pieces. Spread gently to fill the pie cups.

8. Using a 1- to 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out small rounds of pie crust

until you have used all the pie crust. You can re-shape and use the scraps as well.

9. Place a small round-cut crust on top of the pie and seal the rounds by pressing with a fork all around the diameter. Also, poke holes in the center top of the pie with a fork.

10. Beat 1 egg and a tablespoon of water until well combined and brush the egg wash on top of the pies.

11. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Let cool for about 5 minutes before taking them out of the pans. Serve warm.

Parmesan Crisps Serves 6 These can be made a week in advance.

Ingredients: 1 cup grated parmesan cheese ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Optional topping ideas: 1 tablespoon “Everything Bagel” seasoning Fresh minced herbs such as thyme leaves, rosemary, chives or parsley Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine cheese, flour, pepper and any optional toppings.

3. Place a generous tablespoon of mixture on a parchment paper-lined cookie

sheet (make sure you leave at least an inch and a half of space between them as they will spread out in the oven).

4. Bake for 8 minutes.

5. Let cool and store in airtight container until you’re ready to use.

You can toast them quickly in the oven right before serving for a warm and softer texture.

Excerpted from Entertaining Is My Love Language, a new home entertainment cookbook from party planner Dawna Pitts. © 2023 by Dawna Pitts

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

Makes a great gift! | Fitness & Health

11

One-sided headache may need attention

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: How would a person know if a one-sided headache around the temples is just a migraine or something more serious, like temporal arteritis?

A: Throbbing pain in the temples, especially on just one side of your head, is a common symptom of migraine pain.

But when throbbing turns into a constant headache, and it’s accompanied by pain when you touch your temples, you need immediate medical evaluation. It may be a sign of temporal arteritis.

Temporal arteritis is a condition caused by inflammation of one or more large arteries. It typically strikes either or both large temporal arteries located on the side of the head.

Also known as cranial or giant-cell arteritis, this painful condition almost always occurs in people 50 or older.

People with temporal arteritis describe the pain as severe, throbbing, and burning — most often at the temple on one side of the head. Other symptoms, such as a low-

grade fever, fatigue, loss of weight or appetite, or a tender scalp or temple may also occur. Chewing may cause aching jaws.

Doctors don’t know what triggers the problem, but it involves a misguided immune response causing inflammation of artery walls. The resulting swelling can progressively narrow the affected vessels, reducing blood flow.

In severe cases, arteries become totally blocked. If this happens in the artery supplying the retina, it threatens the vision in that eye. However, when caught and treated early, temporal arteritis responds well to medication.

A doctor who suspects temporal arteritis will check your blood’s erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein (CRP). A high level of one or both suggests there’s inflammation in your body. In some centers, an ultrasound of the temporal arteries can confirm the diagnosis.

But the surest way to diagnose the condition is to remove part of the blood vessel

Immune system

Plus, there’s only so much vitamin C your body can absorb in one sitting; you’ll simply urinate out any excess. © 2023 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 8 plements won’t prevent or shorten the duration of a cold, according to a review published in Frontiers in Immunology.

and examine it under a microscope for changes in the artery wall. Confirming temporal arteritis is crucial because the condition requires long-term treatment with drugs to reduce inflammation.

If your symptoms, exam and blood test strongly suggest temporal arteritis, therapy with high-dose corticosteroids needs to start as soon as possible. Most doctors will begin corticosteroid therapy as a precautionary measure before having an ultrasound or taking a blood vessel biopsy.

If the diagnosis is confirmed, you will need to take prednisone or another corticosteroid at a high dose until symptoms have disappeared and the laboratory tests are close to normal. This usually takes at least a month.

The dosage is then gradually decreased.

Your doctor may suggest adding another anti-inflammatory drug, such as tocilizumab, to help more rapidly reduce the dose of prednisone. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Money Law &

Learn how to maximize your tax deductions when you give charity. See page 14.

Medicare Advantage — pitfalls to avoid

By Kate Ashford [Ed. Note: We are currently in the thick of Medicare’s annual “open enrollment period,” which runs from October 15 to December 7 every year. That’s the period during which you can a) switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa, b) join, drop or switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan, and c) add, drop or change prescription drug coverage.

It is advisable to review your options every year, as various aspects of health and drug plans may change. This article is focused on those currently in or considering a Medicare Advantage plan.]

Only 3 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries who have a Medicare Advantage plan shop around during open enrollment, according to a 2022 analysis from KFF, a health policy nonprofit. And only 1 in 10 Medicare Advantage enrollees voluntarily switch plans.

A 2020 analysis of Medicare Advantage plan choices by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that more than half of beneficiaries overspent by more than $1,000 due to the plan they selected.

Here are some practices to avoid as you shop for Medicare Advantage this fall: 1. Thinking Medicare Advantage is Medicare If you’re considering Medicare Advantage, understand that it’s not the same thing as government-provided Medicare.

It offers the same benefits, but Medicare Advantage is run by private health insurance companies, and it operates differently.

“You are essentially taking the Medicare coverage that you’ve been provided by the government and turning that in,” said Melinda Caughill, co-founder and CEO of 65 Incorporated, which offers Medicare guidance.

You can switch back to Original Medicare during each year’s open enrollment period, but you may not be able to qualify for an affordable Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, or Medigap, once you’re past the one-time Medigap open enrollment period. (Medigap helps with certain out-of-pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare.)

2. Assuming your doctors are in network Medicare Advantage plans operate within networks of medical providers, and you usually must see in-network doctors for covered care.

“A lot of people don’t realize that — especially those $0-premium plans — they tend to have fairly confined networks,” said Emily Gang, CEO of the Medicare Coach, a site that provides Medicare guidance. “You want to double-check that your doctor is actually an approved provider in that network.”

Ask your providers what insurance they’ll be accepting in 2024, suggests

Sarah Murdoch, director of client services for the Medicare Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. It’s easier than trying to check each plan’s network individually.

3. Not checking your drug coverage Like network providers, drug coverage can also change each year. Your drug plan might cover one of your medications differently in 2024, leaving you with more out-of-pocket costs than you expected.

“If you take even one brand name medication, your need to compare plans is incredibly high,” Caughill said. No brand names on your list? Shop around if you take five or more medications in general.

4. Buying for the dental benefits Medicare Advantage plans usually include benefits that aren’t part of Original Medicare, such as dental, vision or hearing coverage. These extras may be appealing, but don’t let them steer your plan choice.

“First of all, it’s health insurance — so how is it going to cover your healthcare providers and your medications?” said Katy Votava, who holds a doctorate in health economics and nursing and is president and founder of Goodcare, a consulting firm focused on the economics of Medicare.

“If you pick (your plan) for a benefit that isn’t health insurance, you’re often picking wrong. And the dental benefit is pretty limited in all these plans — it’s a couple of

cleanings and some bite wings.”

5. Looking at the premium only The majority of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans with no premium, meaning you pay nothing each month for the plan. “People see that $0 premium and they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s free,’” Gang said.

“And it’s not.”

Research the rest of the plan’s costs before you sign up, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance and the out-of-pocket maximum, which is the most you might have to spend on covered care in a year. In 2023, the out-of-pocket max can be as high as $8,300 for in-network care.

6. Buying because your friend has it People eligible for Medicare are bombarded by information during open enrollment, and it can be overwhelming.

“They don’t shop,” Votava said. “They go with name recognition or what their friend has.”

The better choice: Focus on your own situation and find the plan that meets your needs.

If you need help, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, for free Medicare guidance. Just don’t wait until the last minute, because appointments fill up, Votava said. In Baltimore, call (410) 887-2059 to schedule an appointment. © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Time to give bonds and CDs a closer look Traditionally, financial advisers have stock returns in the near future will be urged investors to allocate 60% of their much lower than in the past. Average portfolios to stocks and 40% stock returns in the last few to debt instruments. This apyears have been poor. proach made sense during In 2022, the returns for both bull markets for stocks, when stocks and bonds were poor. the average return for a diFor most of 2023, most stock versified stock portfolio perindexes had very good reformed much better than for sults, but now all of the gains a diversified bond portfolio. have fallen back to levels at Lately, however, the Federal the start of 2023, so if you look Reserve has been increasing at the average returns of most interest rates to curb inflation. indexes, stock returns over THE SAVINGS The result has been that rethe last two years have been GAME turns for investments in cermostly negative.

By Elliot Raphaelson tificates of deposit, money As recently as the beginmarket funds, and bonds with short and ning of 2022, the returns on investments in long maturities have increased dramatically. short-term debt instruments were much Many market forecasters predict that less than 1%.

But with the recent increases in interest rates, even very conservative debt investments — such as CDs with various maturities, money-market funds, short- and longterm Treasury instruments, and highquality corporate bonds — carry attractive interest rates often exceeding 5%.

The current attractive interest rates, coupled with the uncertainty and risks of traditional common stock investments, are leading many investors to change their portfolio balance more in favor of bonds and fixed-income securities.

Bonds also have risks If you are planning to invest more heavily in bonds, you need to understand the risks involved.

Interest rate risk. When you purchase

an individual bond, or invest in bond funds or bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the value of the investment will fluctuate based on changes in interest rates. This is an inverse relationship to interest rates.

That is, when interest rates increase, the value of individual bonds decreases.

If you purchase individual bonds and hold them to maturity, you will receive the par value of the bond. You receive your principal back.

But when you purchase mutual funds or ETFs, the manager is constantly buying and selling shares, so an increase in interest rates will reduce the value of your investment. You don’t have the option of waiting until the portfolio matures.

Therefore, unless you are investing on a See BOND BASICS, page 13

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BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

13

Own Series I Bonds? Consider cashing in

By Sandra Block In 2022, a spike in inflation made normally staid Series I [inflation-protected] savings bonds almost as popular as tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

I bonds issued between May and October 2022 earned a six-month composite rate of 9.62%, creating a surge in demand from yield-hungry investors that briefly overwhelmed the TreasuryDirect website where they’re sold.

I bond rates have since come down to earth. Bonds issued between May and October 2023 pay a composite rate of 4.3%.

Meanwhile, some certificates of deposit and high-yield savings accounts are paying more than 5%, and the recent yield on oneyear Treasury bills topped 5.3%.

Yields on Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) — government securities that are indexed to the rate of inflation — are also attractive now, according to David

Enna, founder of Tipswatch.com, a website that focuses on I bonds and TIPS. But I bonds may still provide some benefits for long-term investors, particularly those issued between May and October 2023. And cashing in your I bonds may mean giving up some interest — if you can cash them in at all.

I bonds consist of two components: an inflation rate, which is based on the consumer price index and is adjusted every six months from the bond’s issue date, and a fixed rate that remains the same for the life of the bond (up to 30 years).

You can’t redeem an I bond in the first year, and if you cash it in before five years have passed, you’ll forfeit the most recent three months of interest. (If you check your bond’s value at TreasuryDirect.gov within the first five years of owning it, the threemonth penalty is subtracted from it.)

Bond basics

Call risk. Many bond issues, including municipal bonds, allow the issuer to retire all, or a portion, of the bonds at premium or par before maturity. Before purchasing individual bonds, make sure you understand any call provisions.

From page 12 long-term basis, you should only invest in bond funds and ETFs with short maturities to protect your principal.

Credit risk. The safest bond/debt instruments you can buy are issued by the U.S. Treasury. You can obtain higher interest rates with corporate bonds, but you incur the risk of default (in which case your interest payments are stopped or missed for a period), or downgrading (in which case the bond price may fall significantly).

You should select bonds with the highest ratings. Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s ratings are reliable yardsticks to measure credit risk.

Money-market benefits Personally, I have increased the percentage of debt holdings in my portfolio, investing a significant portion of my portfolio in federal money-market funds, which now return over 5%.

Significant advantages of money-market funds are liquidity and safety. You can sell your shares any time.

So, if you decide that you want to increase your common stock holdings in the future, you can dollar-cost average back

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Weigh your options With that penalty in mind, if you’ve owned an I bond for longer than a year but less than five years, is it worth redeeming the bond — which means giving up some of the interest you’ve earned — so you can reinvest the money in a higher-yielding investment?

The answer depends on your goals, when you bought the I bond, and the fixed rate for the bond, Enna said.

For example, if you bought one in October 2022 — when many investors snapped up I bonds to capture the 9.62% rate for six months before the rate reset — your optimal redemption date is January 1, 2024.

The reason: Those bonds earn a 0% fixed rate and transitioned in October 2023 to a composite rate of 3.38%, which is well below what you can get from shortterm Treasuries.

If you wait to cash in the bond until three months after the rate resets, the interest

into the stock market by investing in diversified index funds. You can use this approach both within or outside your retirement plan.

Bottom line: There are now many safe debt instruments that provide high returns with short and long maturities. Don’t

penalty will apply entirely to the 3.38% rate, rather than some portion of the penalty applying at the higher 6.48% rate that the bond earned during the previous six months.

For I bonds purchased in September 2022, the optimal redemption date is December 1, 2023; for bonds purchased in August 2022, the optimal redemption date is November 1, 2023.

For I bonds purchased in November 2022 through April 2023 — which can now be redeemed — the inflation-adjusted rate announced on November 1 was 3.94%. Since those bonds carry a 0.4% fixed rate, you may or may not want to hold onto them.

Likewise, you may want to hold on to I bonds issued between May and October 2023, even if the new six-month inflationadjusted rate is underwhelming. Those I bonds have a fixed rate of 0.9%, which is the highest fixed rate in 16 years. No matter what See I BONDS, page 14

assume that your only investment option is maintaining a high proportion of common stocks in your portfolio.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2023 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Give to charity from IRA for max tax benefits

By Joy Taylor Many Americans donate to charity each year. Knowing that the money can help an organization that is near and dear to your heart helps you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Getting a federal tax break for the contribution might be an added bonus.

However, these days, most people who donate can’t write off their gifts. That’s because only individuals who itemize deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040 can deduct charitable contributions. And fewer people are itemizing each year because of higher standard deductions. Only 11.6% of federal tax returns for 2021 claimed itemized deductions.

For IRA owners who are 70½ or older, one of the easiest ways to make a charitable donation and get a tax break is by making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from a traditional IRA. For 2023, you can transfer up to $100,000 directly from your traditional IRA to charity. If you have more than one IRA, the $100,000 cap applies per account owner, not per IRA. The amount next year will be a bit higher because the Secure Act 2.0 retirement law provides for annual inflation indexing of the $100,000 cap.

Note: Qualified charitable distributions are not permitted from employer plans, such as 401(k)s. The tax break applies

only if you are 70½ or older on the date of the charitable transfer.

If you are married, you and your spouse can each potentially give up to $100,000 in 2023 from your separate IRAs, provided each of you has a substantial amount in your IRA. But let’s say you have a $70,000 balance in your IRA, and your wife has an IRA worth $1.2 million. In this situation, your qualified charitable distribution cap is limited to $70,000 and your wife’s is limited to $100,000. Your wife won’t be able to make a distribution of $130,000 to make up for your lower gift.

Do it right There are three main tax benefits of qualified charitable distributions. They are not taxable. They are not added to your adjusted gross income, which can help you mitigate surcharges on your 2025 Medicare premiums. And they can count toward your annual required minimum distribution (RMD).

(Note: The first dollars out of your IRA are considered to be required minimum distributions, so if you want to do a qualified charitable distribution that will count toward your required payout, give money to the charity before you take money for yourself.)

But you can’t deduct the qualified chari-

table distribution on Schedule A. That would be double-dipping.

Only transfers from your IRA directly to charity are considered qualified charitable distributions. Most IRA custodians will require you to fill out a form requesting the charitable payout. The custodian will then either send a check directly to the charity or make a check out to the charity and send it to you to mail to the organization.

In either circumstance, get a receipt from the charity to substantiate the donation.

Also, give a heads up to the charity if the check is being sent to it from the custodian. Let the charity know the money will be arriving, and give your name and address for an acknowledgement receipt for your tax records.

If you have check-writing privileges on your IRA account, your custodian might let you write the check to charity yourself, but first ask if that’s OK. Don’t wait until the last minute in 2023 to do a qualified charitable distribution. It can take some time for the money to go

I Bonds From page 13 happens to inflation in the future, you’ll lock in that rate for as long as you own the bonds.

from the IRA to the charity, particularly if an investment needs to be sold for cash, and the charity must receive the money by Dec. 31 for your contribution to count for that year.

Gifts to colleges also OK The money must generally go to a section 501(c)(3) organization. However, there is now a limited exception to this rule.

IRA owners can do a one-time qualified charitable distribution of up to $50,000 through a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder unitrust or a charitable remainder annuity trust. Many private colleges have charitable gift annuity programs. If you’re an alumnus, you may hear about this from your alma mater.

Reporting on your Form 1040 The Form 1099-R that you will get early next year won’t reflect the qualified charitable distribution. The 1099-R will show See CHARITY, page 15

“If you have a very attractive fixed rate, hold on to it as long as possible,” Enna said. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

24 locations for older adults in Maryland Senior living, services and supports for older Marylanders and their families.

St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Senior Communities

667-600-2600

Email – housing@cc-md.org

Short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing, long-term and memory care.

Supportive, affordable apartment communities.

Total of 24 locations in Maryland, home to more than 1,800 older adults.

– 2023 Newsweek – Top Rehabilitation and Nursing facility in the Greater Baltimore region 3RD YEAR IN A ROW

Caritas House Assisted Living

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PENING S A residential community of care with personalized assistance in daily activities for adults 62 and older.

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Caring Home Service Program

The Caring Home Services (CHS) Program, available at nine of our communities, offers services to support safely aging in place.

Services include daily meals served in a group setting, weekly housekeeping, laundry, and personal services, and service management provided by the on-site CHS Supervisor.

See cc-md.org/senior-communities for list of 9 locations where CHS is available.

St. Ann Adult Day Services

667-600-2680 Activities, socialization and medical supervision so older adults can continue to live at home.

ONE APPLICATION NO APPLICATION FEE

www.cc-md.org/seniors Inspired by the Gospel mandates to love, serve and teach, Catholic Charities provides care and services to improve the lives of Marylanders in need.

Catholic Charities welcomes people regardless of faith and is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider.

Answers for the Aging 667-600-2100 or toll-free 1-888-50ASKUS (MD only) Telephone-based information and referral service for older adults and caregivers.

Go to

jmorreliving.ccom for news, s deliciouss recipes and fun featurres.

Makes a great gift! | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

15

Reducing financial abuse of older adults

By Trina Walton Financial crime against older Americans is a growing problem. Victims of fraud who are 80 and older lose an average of $39,200 every year.

People living with dementia are at an especially high risk of becoming victims. As their memory and other thinking skills decline, people with dementia may struggle to make financial decisions.

They may not remember or report the abuse — or understand that someone is taking advantage of them. This abuse can occur anywhere, including at home or in care settings.

Studies show that financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse.

However, only a small fraction of these incidents is reported.

You can help protect others by learning to recognize common signs of financial ex-

ploitation and abuse, including: • Unopened bills • Unusual or large purchases • Utilities being shut off due to unpaid bills • Money given to telemarketers or soliciting companies • Unexplained withdrawals from the person’s bank account

Steps for caregivers There are many simple things that caregivers can do to reduce the risk of financial abuse for people with dementia and similar conditions, like Alzheimer’s. (Do your best to make sure they’re involved in deciding which safety measures to put into place.)

Some options include: • Agreeing to spending limits on credit cards

• Signing up for the “Do Not Call” list at DoNotCall.gov • Setting up auto-pay for bills instead of paying them by check • Signing up to receive automatic notifications for withdrawals from bank accounts or large charges to credit cards • Requesting electronic bank and credit card statements and watching for unusual purchases or changes in how the person typically spends money • Asking credit card companies to stop sending balance transfer checks, and opting out of future solicitations • Creating a separate account where you

can keep a small, agreed-upon amount of money that the person can use for recreational activities, meals with friends, etc.

To learn more about combating elder abuse, visit Social Security’s blog at blog.ssa.gov/world-elder-abuse-awarenessday-combating-injustice.

Trina Walton is the Social Security district manager in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse, don’t ignore it. If you think that something isn’t right, contact your local Adult Protective Services or the National Center on Elder Abuse at 1-855-500-3537.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing DONATE BLOOD The Red Cross is working around-the-clock to collect 10,000 blood and platelet donations, especially type O blood. To make an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Charity From page 14 only the total amount of distributions made from the IRA for 2023.

When filling out your 2023 Form 1040 or 1040-SR, you would include the total distribution amount on line 4a of the 1040.

Then, subtract the qualified charitable distribution and report the remainder, even if $0, on line 4b. Write “QCD” next to line 4b. If

filing electronically, a drop-down box for line 4 should give you a choice to click QCD. Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, a popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that’s right on the money. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing FREE MEMORY SCREENINGS Concerned about memory loss? The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s National Memory Screening program offers free, confidential memory screenings. A list of screening sites can be found at nationalmemoryscreening.org.

Peace of Mind is Priceless Pre-planning a funeral is a great gift, to your family and to you: It relieves the pressure on them to imagine what you might have wanted while they deal with grief and loss.

Your funeral service will be exactly as you wish.

Your family can enjoy peace of mind knowing everything has been arranged.

If you choose to pre-fund, the cost is fixed and protected from later price change or inflation.

Call us to learn more.

Ask about our price-match guarantee!

Ask for Jim Schwartz or Chris Boggs: 410-747-4770

SCULPTURE DISPLAY

Ongoing Sookkyung Park’s sculpture designs are on display at the Asian Arts Gallery at Towson University Mon.-Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 16. This free exhibit is located at 1 Fine Arts Dr., Towson. For more information, email asianarts@towson.edu or visit towson.edu/asianarts.

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Make new friends

16

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

PHOTO BY MOUNTAIN LAKE LODGE

Travel Leisure &

Stay in the lodge where the 1987 film Dirty Dancing was filmed. See story on opposite page.

Street food, friendly people in Osaka, Japan

Osaka’s street food scene Our hotel was located next to the airport bus terminal, subway and railroad stops.

More importantly, it was only a short walk to Dotonburi, the heart of the nightlife and street food scene.

Once a thriving theater district, the primary attractions now are wall-to-wall crowds of people, and prominent, almost hallucinatory, signage above the many restaurants that line the promenade — including a giant crab, a large cow and a sea serpent.

One could just find a place to sit, gaze at the neon and watch the people streaming by. But I was there for the food.

Our first stop was at one of the many stalls selling takoyaki, doughy dumplings stuffed with bits of octopus, which are synonymous with Osaka street food. I nibbled carefully at the molten hot ball of dough before wolfing it down.

At my wife’s urging, we moved on to a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant for our next course. If you are not familiar with the concept, you sit at a counter as a conveyor belt whisks all manner of sushi past.

You have to make a split-second decision as to whether or not you want the particular morsel whizzing by and grab it before it passes out of reach. The effect is not unlike a buffet or smorgasbord where the pull of something new and different leads to serious overeating.

Over the next three days, I continued my research on Osaka street food, including okonomiyaki, a savory pancake filled with meat, vegetables and whatever else the chef decides to throw in. I also visited (twice!) a

PHOTO © KHIM WAI WOON | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Don Mankin “Why go to Osaka?” a fellow travel writer asked at an annual adventure travel conference.

Another travel writer spoke up: “It’s the only place in Japan with soul.”

My wife, Katherine, and I were attending the conference in Sapporo, Japan, and looking for a place to visit afterward. I’ve toured Tokyo and Kyoto, hiked the Kumano Kodo trail, and visited the southernmost island of Kyushu.

I was looking for someplace new to explore. Osaka, like Tokyo, is huge and sprawling. It’s the third largest city in Japan and is often considered its economic hub.

Osaka is also a major port and is, therefore, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. It’s more workingclass than Tokyo, and according to several of my travel writer colleagues, the people are friendlier and more outgoing.

And most importantly, Osaka has a reputation for great street food. That’s all I needed to know! We were going to Osaka.

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

Katherine Mankin, the author’s wife, feeds a wild fawn in pastoral Nara Park, a 30minute drive from Osaka, known for its herd of docile, but hungry, deer.

The landmark Osaka Castle rises over Japan’s third largest city, reminding people of its long history. Located six hours southwest of Tokyo, Osaka is worth a visit for its architecture, world-class aquarium and street food scene.

stall that sold one of my favorite hand-held desserts, a sweet bun sliced in half with a slab of vanilla ice cream in the middle.

get there (you can take an elevator, but it takes at least half an hour’s wait to get on).

Nara’s wild deer World’s largest aquarium Of course, we did more than just eat.

The city’s famous world-class aquarium is a must-see both for its impressive setting and unique architecture.

Located on the bay, the aquarium claims the title of world’s largest aquarium. Visitors walk down a ramp descending from the top floor, winding around a huge, multistoried tank filled with all kinds of fish and aquatic mammals, including a whale shark.

The outer rim of the ramp features tanks with animals from various natural environments around the Pacific Rim, including Japan, the Aleutian Islands, Panama, the Great Barrier Reef and Antarctica.

Another attraction was Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks.

The current castle, a reconstruction of the original built in the late 16th century, looms over a moat. Inside is a museum that traces the history of the castle and the critical battles that played a major role in the unification of Japan.

The observation deck at the top of the castle offers a 360-degree view of the city.

It’s well worth climbing seven stories to

From Osaka, it’s just a 45-minute subway ride to Nara — a relatively small, walkable city that was the capital of Japan in the 8th century.

One of Nara’s main draws is the herds of wild deer that roam city parks looking for snacks from accommodating tourists.

Park vendors sell special “deer crackers” made of wheat flour and rice bran. The deer can get a bit pushy, gently nudging visitors for yet another snack.

We saw more than a couple of kids cringing and crying because of the insistent deer. It’s a fun thing to do for a while, but the novelty soon wears off.

For me, the main attraction of Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the ancient temples, shrines and Japanese gardens throughout the city.

My favorite was Todai-ji Temple, which contains one of the largest Buddhas in the world, close to five stories high. I could have spent hours wandering from one temple, shrine and garden to another.

Leafy, green and peaceful, with a bit of See OSAKA, page 18

Makes a great gift! | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

17

For nature lovers and Dirty Dancing fans

Resort’s setting, amenities The history alone is enticing. In the early 1800s, a wooden hotel was built to serve as a stagecoach stop. Following several reincarnations, a businessman purchased the property and, in 1936, erected the sprawling stone lodge that still stands.

Today, the resort is owned by a foundation that preserves its role as a place where people can forge a close connection with nature.

There are 24 miles of hiking trails of varying degrees of challenge. Birdwatchers can explore the tranquil hemlock forest and marsh bog nearby. Guided tours reveal hidden areas of the property.

The resort clings proudly to its past. Hallways are lined with historic photographs and memorabilia, and cottages built during the early 1900s have been refurbished to serve as accommodations. Stone benches from that time are scattered about the campus to provide rest and respite.

Those seats come in handy for guests seeking a bit of R&R after taking advantage of the resort’s eclectic A-to-Z choice of recreational alternatives, from art classes to zip lining.

Escape rooms challenge the ingenuity of

those who venture into them, and a ropes course tests their bravery and balance.

An onsite shooting range, Clays at the Overlook, offers rifle shooting at moving targets, and lessons are available for a fee to help beginners score a bullseye.

Other opportunities close to the resort include fishing, kayaking and canoeing, river rafting and golfing.

PHOTO BY MOUNTAIN LAKE LODGE

By Victor Block It didn’t take long after arriving at Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, to realize that, despite the resort’s name, it has no lake. What it does offer guests is a long, colorful list of activities that can fill many a day.

Then there’s that not-so-secret reason many people go there: Most of the popular 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, which supposedly took place at a vacation retreat in New York’s Catskill Mountains, was filmed at the Virginia lodge.

Taking advantage of the almost cult-like following the motion picture spawned, Mountain Lake Lodge stages a series of special weekends focused on the film.

During our recent visit, my wife, Fyllis, and I combined an immersion in the movie’s mystique with a sampling of other things to do and see on the resort’s 2,600acre spread.

What happened to the lake?

Not long ago, the on-site lake itself offered a choice of water-related opportunities. Geologists explain that Mountain Lake was formed about 6,000 years ago by rock slide dams.

It’s the only body of water in the world that goes through natural periodic cycles of draining through leak holes, and then refilling as those openings are plugged by sediment.

While the lake bed was empty when Fyllis and I were there, it’s famous for another reason. During the making of Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey practiced “the lift” there — the most famous part of a dance routine at the end of the film. The location is identified by one of a number of signs that mark spots where scenes were filmed.

The resort’s special Dirty Dancing weekends, which are held throughout the year, attract both first-time participants and fans who, I learned, have watched the movie as many as 50 times.

At a costume contest, Hollywood wannabes dress up like various actors. Dance lessons introduce some of the moves that gave the movie its name, and games like a scavenger hunt and trivia quiz separate diehard groupies from less dedicated devotees.

The weekend warriors we met told us that a Dirty Dancing sequel is in the works, written by and starring Jennifer Grey. It’s not yet known when filming at the site will take place.

Not a resort to be satisfied with its film fame, Mountain Lake Lodge also offers other themed events: Independence and Mother’s Day celebrations, football weekends, craft beer tastings and Thanksgiving

SENIOR LIVING IN HISTORIC MT. VERNON • Affordable housing for those 62+ • Utilities included/underground parking • Only steps away from theater, library, churches, shopping and restaurants • Penthouse view without the penthouse price.*

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You don’t have to be a Dirty Dancing fan to enjoy a stay at the Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, where the movie was filmed 36 years ago. Situated on 2,600 acres, the resort offers many activities, including ziplining, art classes and archery.

and Christmas fetes.

Even if the inventory of special occasions doesn’t tempt a visit to Mountain Lake Lodge, the beautiful setting and relaxing campus may do so. Fyllis and I returned home with fond memories and the hope of returning in the future to create more of them.

If you go Mountain Lake Lodge is about a fivehour drive from the Baltimore area.

Accommodations include the historic lodge building and cottages located around the property.

See MT. LAKE LODGE, page 25

BELTWAY MOTEL & SUITES • Family Atmosphere • Spacious Suites with Discounts for Those 60+ • Close to Stores • Friendly Desk Clerks • Home of Hospitality

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Osaka

DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Welcoming, outgoing people

From page 16 wildlife, Nara may well be my favorite destination in Japan.

As for Osaka, the street food was tasty, the aquarium was great, the castle was imposing and Nara was charming. But maybe the best thing about the city was the people.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing CHAVERIM CLUB The Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center invites all older adults with disabilities to gather with friends for fun activities, crafts, games and snacks every Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. The center is located at 5700 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore. Registration for this free event is required at jcsbalt.org/chaverim-club. For more information, email jleboe@jcsbaltimore.org.

Dec. 2

MAKE ART TO WEAR

If someone has made an impact on your life, join the Walters Art center for a drop-in artmaking session anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 2 and make your loved one something they can wear.

This event is free and located at 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore. For more information, email info@thewalters.org.

Almost ever ywhere we went, people smiled and asked us where we were from and engaged us in what passes for conversation when one party speaks little English and the other speaks no Japanese at all, aside from Konnichiwa (hello) and Arigato (thank you). Smiles and gestures said a lot.

Nowhere was this spirit more evident than at the jam session in Jazz Bar 845, a jazz club close to our hotel, which we discovered on the last night of our visit.

Everyone welcomed us, asked where we were from, and loved my stories about seeing the giants of jazz in my youth — Coltrane, Miles and Rahsaan, among many others — when I haunted the clubs of Philadelphia. I was even invited to sing at the open mic. (Fortunately for all concerned, I demurred. I have a lousy voice and can’t carry a tune.)

My travel writer colleagues who described Osaka’s people as friendly and outgoing were totally right.

If you go Round-trip airfare from Baltimore/Washington area airports runs about $2,000.

We stayed at the Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka. Rooms start at about $150 per night. Rooms at the nearby Agora Place Osaka Namba are about $110 for a standard double.

In addition to street food, we also ate at several restaurants, including at Sushitojizakeigossou, a sushi bar near the hotel.

Very little English is spoken there.

My favorite meal was at a tiny restaurant, Senzou, down an alley a couple of blocks from the hotel, which served platters of beef cooked on a charcoal grill in front of us. Little English was spoken there as well.

For mor e infor mation on Osaka, see osaka-info.jp/en. For a self-guided walking tour in and around Nara, see bit.ly/Nara5days.

Mt. Lake Lodge

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

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

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

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

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

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

HARFORD COUNTY

From page 24 Nightly rates begin at $199, and prices for the all-inclusive Dirty Dancing weekends start at $499 a night per person.

Meals in the Harvest Dining Room, where some Dirty Dancing scenes were filmed, offer a farm-to-table experience using locally sourced ingredients. A meat and cheese charcuterie board, listed as a “small plate,” was enough to share ($18).

Cast iron chicken ($21) and sesame seedcrusted salmon ($23) were among other entrée alternatives.

For more information, call (540) 626-7121 or visit mtnlakelodge.com.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 9

HOLIDAY MARKET The 9th annual Holi-

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

day Maker’s Market is hitting Green

HOWARD COUNTY

Spring Station on Sat., Dec. 9 from 10

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

a.m. to 4 p.m. This outdoor shopping market, located at 10751 Falls Rd., Lutherville, includes local artisans and food vendors. For more information, email mam@mikeymonaghan.com.

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

MADE IN

Ongoing BALTIMORE STORE The Made in Baltimore pop-up store is open again Wednesdays through Sundays until Jan. 8. Unique hand-

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

EnterpriseResidential.org PET-FRIENDLY

crafted items made by Baltimore locals will be on sale every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 301 Light St., Baltimore. For more information, visit madeinbaltimore.org/visit-our-store.

Makes a great gift!

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

19

PHOTO BY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY/PJI

Style Arts &

Prisoners at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup can earn college degrees. Our cover story continues on p. 21.

Remembering East Baltimore in the 50s

1950s teens In her 281-page photo-filled paperback memoir, Divel includes snippets of the poetry she started writing in her 20s. But most of the book is about growing up at a specific time, the 1950s, in a specific place, East Baltimore.

For example, she noted, “As children,

we never went to a restaurant. No steamed crabs growing up. It was considered nonessential food at the time.

“But later in life, it was our turn for steamed crabs…Once the bag opened, wow!”

Readers who grew up in 1950s America will relate to Divel’s memories of her teenage years.

“Most of the guys in the neighborhood were either Drapes or Squares. The Drapes were into rock and roll, cool with an attitude, cigarettes, cars, and DA (duck’s behind) hairstyle. Perfect. They would carry combs to fix the ‘do and sometimes switchblades in their back pocket. If they could not afford a leather jacket, the other choice was gabardine or corduroy.”

They were also into tattooing their fingers, Divel recalls, the left hand often spelling out LOVE and the right hand inked with HATE. Metal taps from old tap-dancing pairs were often attached to their shoes.

The girls of the time showed how hip they were by rolling down their bobby socks, worn with ballerina slippers and a pencil skirt cinched with an elastic belt.

Balto Girl also mentions the Orioles of that time — not the pennant-winning, playoff-losing baseball team, but “one of the most successful and prominent earliest, vocal harmony groups for the doo-wop sound.”

Who over the age of 70 doesn’t remember 1953’s “Crying in the Chapel” with

Sonny Til as the lead singer of the Orioles?

Recalling the racism Divel’s book also recounts a disgraceful side of the Baltimore broadcasting scene when the highly popular “Buddy Deane Show” was taking off on television.

The variety show wanted to feature integrated audiences as well as black artists. Owner Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. thought it might cause a revolution or perhaps something worse to show black and white kids dancing together, so an all-black episode aired weekly.

John Waters’ popular movie Hairspray was inspired by these events See BALTO GIRL, page 20

J

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET VIVEK DIVEL

By Robert Friedman Those who’ve ever lived in a Baltimore row house may remember scrubbing the front steps with a strong brush and brown soap or Ajax until the stone brightened and the white marble gleamed.

“There was something about the cleanliness of the vestibule,” author Janet Vanik Divel remembers.

“It was pride in ownership, maybe oldfashioned thinking,” but owning a home “was the end of the rainbow,” she said.

Divel, now 83 and living in Tampa Bay, Florida, describes growing up in East Baltimore from the 1950s to 1970s in her memoir, Balto Girl, published last fall.

In an interview with the Beacon, Divel noted how Baltimore has remained in her head and her heart, despite having moved away.

“I was born in Baltimore in 1941 and lived in the same house on North Port Street near Patterson Park for 32 years,” she said. It was “a real neighborhood. All the people there, we all knew the same way of life. We helped each other out when it was needed.”

Janet Vanik Divel grew up near Patterson Park and recently published a memoir about her three decades in Baltimore.

12 M

10

! "

# # $ % & '

TobysDinnerTheatre.com

20

Arts & Style | Subscribe online! See how on p. 22

Balto Girl From page 19 and is a fictionalized account of what happened.

In her book, Divel includes an interesting note about the Deane broadcasts.

When Baltimore native and Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson requested footage from the TV show for his Baltimore-set film Diner, he was told by the TV station that no footage survived.

And it was the love for her family that motivated young Divel to actually skip high school so she could take a job as a

clerk in the Muskin shoe factory on Greenmount Avenue for a salary in 1950 of some $20 a week.

“My family consisted of my mother and two younger brothers, one handicapped, and we needed my salary from the shoe factory to keep everybody together,” Divel said.

How did she feel about missing high school? “I hated [to do] it,” she said, noting that she achieved a high school equivalency diploma at age 34 and has since taken college courses in physics and biology.

Misses Baltimore Divel visits Baltimore as often as she

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliances Everything and anything is sold on

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

DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

can. “We still have friends and relatives that we visit in the city, and I miss living in Baltimore greatly,” Divel said. “We have tried to move back two or three times over the years, but life interfered.”

For instance, just before one considered return, her husband, William, got a job offer in Florida in his work as a construction foreman that he couldn’t turn down.

Divel has heard about, read about, and seen some dismaying changes in her onetime Charm City, the nickname for Baltimore devised by ad agencies during the 1960s mayoral reign of William Donald Schaffer.

Does Divel have any suggestions that

might brighten the days and safeguard the nights for Baltimoreans once again?

“I always thought [it helps] if people had something they owned — a responsibility, like their own home; something affordable, like the row houses of yesterday. And there were factories throughout the city — that was how the middle class was born.

And I feel [affordable housing and good jobs] may be one of the answers to a very complex question.”

In other words, she said, it may still be possible to regain the past — or at least recognize its power. Divel ends her book with a poem she wrote, containing this line: “Yesterday is who you are.”

Letters to the editor

I guarantee a smile will appear on the first responder’s face.

ManyThanks2U is different from other nonprofits, since we don’t ask for funding.

Visit our website at ManyThanks2U.com to learn more about the organization’s purpose, recommendations and projected impact on first responders.

Douglas Zinn New Freedom, PA

From page 2 individuals who serve us in uniform.

Far too often, the public forgets to thank these valiant individuals, who risk their lives on our behalf. When we do, though, first responders will give you their undivided attention, shake your hand, and express their appreciation for your gratitude.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

Second chance From page 1 That was a real turning point in my life,” Howard said.

Howard, who had been working as a professor of European politics at Georgetown University, decided to devote his life to helping people in prison. He earned his J.D. degree from Georgetown Law and is now a professor of government and law at the university.

“I completely changed my direction and orientation, and now do everything I can to help support people in prison to a successful social reentry, and overturning wrongful convictions.”

Thanks in part to Howard’s efforts, the charges against Tankleff were dismissed, and he was freed in 2008 — after 17 years in prison.

For the past six years, Howard and Tankleff have seen each other almost every day. Both now professors at Georgetown, they jointly teach a course called Making an Exoneree.

In the class, university students reinvestigate cases and advocate for people they believe were wrongly convicted. Since the course launched in 2018, students have helped free seven people.

The Prisons and Justice Initiative’s staff of 20 works on several fronts. First, they send Georgetown professors to teach in person at the D.C. Jail via the Prison Schol-

ars program, which also began in 2018.

They also offer a five-year bachelor’s degree to incarcerated people through a program that started in 2022. So far, about 75 students are working toward a Georgetown University degree from behind bars.

Rejoining society Even with a Georgetown degree, it can be difficult to land that first job when you have a prison record. So, the initiative also focuses on supporting people’s re-entry into society.

Two training programs have helped dozens of people: a paralegal course and a business startup course (called the Pivot Program).

One graduate of the paralegal program, Kenard Johnson, studied six days a week while he was in prison. He worked hard to earn his certificate from Georgetown Law School. “It challenged me to my core,” Johnson said.

Johnson now works as a paralegal specialist at the D.C. Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection, helping victims of fraud get their money back.

“I go to work every day for the small man,” Johnson said. He has also self-published a book of poetry, which he started writing while he was incarcerated.

21

with those behind bars, as Roland does.

To that end, in 2020 Howard founded the nonprofit Frederick Douglass Project, which “brings members of the free community into prisons to meet and engage with, and connect with, incarcerated people,” he explained. So far, nine states have joined the Frederick Douglass Project.

“I’m very committed to expanding that program and to allowing people across the country to have the opportunity to visit a prison and engage with the humanity of incarcerated people,” Howard said.

“Everything that I do is to try to reinforce that theme of common humanity — recognizing that incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people are just like us.”

As for Roland, he’s still teaching at the jail every Friday. He started with a class of only four people, and now his classes have as many as 25 students.

Going to the jail each week is no longer a jarring experience; in fact, Roland looks forward to it. “I’m accustomed to having prison doors close behind me — [hearing] the finality of that sound — and interacting with inmates,” Roland said.

“I’ve taught junior high school, high school, college and graduate school. But the older students behind bars [have] the highest motivation I’ve encountered anywhere,” he said. They are hungry to learn “because they know this is their ticket out — not only out, but to a better life.”

FROM PAGE 22

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

‘Common humanity’ Howard, now 52, hasn’t slowed down.

He wants to enable more people to interact

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

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DECEMBER 2023 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Crossword Puzzle Find a new crossword every day on our website at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com/puzzles.

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Across

71. Numerous characters in Barbie

1. Respond to a thriller’s twist 5. Temporary release from jail 9. Made a choice 14. “The best thing to hold ___ is each other” (Audrey Hepburn) 15. Machu Picchu builder 16. Jacket style the Beatles wore in 1965 17. Singer Redding, who died in a 1967 plane crash 18. Enter 19. Full of firs 20. One who witnessed history 23. Shoe width that sounds like a screech 24. Sludge 25. @@@@@ 26. Fed. org. with a flower in its logo 29. “Let them ___ cake” 31. Business org.

33. Reviewer 39. Religious offshoot 40. “Gimme ___” (start of an Occidental College cheer) 41. Outer limit 42. Four inches 47. Fill up the moving van 48. Name part with Alamos or Angeles 49. Org. that manages Fed. properties 50. General dir. of I-75 from Atlanta to Miami 52. Actors Lowe and Schneider 55. NFL linemen who do not protect the blind side 57. Where the groom touches the bride 63. “... ___ dark stranger” 64. The spookiest sounding of the great lakes 65. Emmy and Tony winner, Alan 66. Silenced 67. 21st century tech.

68. Prompted 69. Fencing swords 70. “You don’t ___ into the wind”

1. Blunder 2. Prefix for -freeze and -fog 3. Prepare pancake batter 4. Deputy’s dawgs 5. What a narcissist has 6. Small buffalo 7. Cinnamon roll section 8. Old pal of Han Solo 9. Above 10. South American nation with good sunset views 11. Canine companion 12. Construct 13. Gentlemen 21. Any of the Mutant Ninja Turtles 22. South Coast, to the trendy 26. Exxon predecessor 27. Rounded end of a hammer 28. Use one of the foot pedals 30. Russian ruler 32. Snorkeler’s spot 34. Diplomat, von Bismarck 35. Be at wits’ ___ 36. Tree branch, to an elephant 37. Self-images 38. “Siri, ___ reminder for noon” 43. Partners of Maude and Kumar 44. “U do me, and ___” 45. Lose without even playing 46. Italian wine town 50. Mortify 51. Enter the initial parameters 53. Makes regular or decaf 54. Remove all the sheets 56. Eat between meals 58. Run away!

59. 20th century tech.

60. Add details to a diorama 61. Genesis setting 62. X-ray units

Down

Answers on page 21.

Makes a great gift!

BALTIMORE BEACON — DECEMBER 2023

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