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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Taking a multi-generation vacation to Orlando; plus, visiting Baton Rouge, known as the gumbo of Louisiana, and what to watch out for with nonrefundable hotel deals page 42

ARTS & STYLE

Sandy Kursban (left) started the Family & Nursing Care Foundation to help fund home care services for local residents who can’t afford them. The foundation provides grants to Home Care Partners and Rockvile Community Ministries to help lowincome older adults, such as Jimmy Petty, pictured with caregiver Arlene Graham.

Local foundation provides help Fortunately, instead Petty got assistance from the Family & Nursing Care Foundation, a local private foundation. It makes grants to two local nonprofits, which in turn provide free home care to needy local residents who can’t afford to pay for it on their own. Foundation funds paid for four hours a week of home care for Petty — enough to get him back on his feet and enable him to remain at Waverly House. For Sandy Kursban, the chair and founder of the foundation, providing such assistance is the crowning achievement of her 45 years at the helm of Family & Nursing Care, a Sliver Spring-based home care agency. “We have potential clients call and sometimes, when we tell them the prices,

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By Barbara Ruben After Jimmy Petty suffered a stroke 20 years ago, he could no longer keep up with his job at a lawn installation company. But Petty was still able to care for himself and enjoyed cooking for, and socializing with, fellow residents at Waverly House, a subsidized senior apartment building in Bethesda, Md. However, over the years, his memory began failing, he fell frequently, and rarely cooked for himself. His son Calvin Muse stepped in, visiting Petty’s apartment several times a week to help with the laundry and to ensure that his father had food. Then Muse moved to Georgia for a few years, and his wife was later diagnosed with breast cancer. “That’s when he really fell off the cliff,” Muse said of his father, who is now 79. “I didn’t know what to do. My older brother doesn’t do much. It’s my responsibility to make sure he’s getting what he needs.” Even when Muse moved back to Maryland, he felt like he was drowning in responsibilities for his dad, wife, two daughters and his job. Meanwhile, Petty had gone downhill to the point where he could no longer live independently. While a few hours a week of home care could have addressed his needs, he couldn’t afford the cost — an average of $21 an hour in the Washington area, according to a 2012 MetLife survey. It looked like he would have to move to a nursing home.

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there’s this silence, and we know the cost is beyond their means. “My heart goes out them because we know how important this help would be to them,” Kursban said. “So I was always thinking, ‘One day that’s what I want to do — be able to help these people, too.’” When Kursban stepped down as president and her son Neal took over the family business in 2008, she decided it was time to find a way to help those with limited resources get help with dressing, eating and other activities of daily living to allow them to age in place. So she set up the foundation, which has made grants for the last three years to two nonprofit organizations: Home Care Part-

ners and the Elderly Ministries program of Rockville Community Ministries. Both provide home care and coordinate resources for senior clients. “The Foundation stepped in to support these organizations at a time when they were faced with losing county funding and were going to have to reduce the vital services they provide to low-income seniors,” Kursban said. “With the Foundation grants, they have been able to continue to serve this vulnerable population and actually increase the lives they touch.” Family & Nursing Care Foundation is a fund of the Community Foundation for See HOME CARE, page 41

A candid conversation with Woody Allen; plus, MetroStage pays homage to jazz greats, and one last chance to see works by Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei page 48 FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k Reasons to avoid growth hormone k Is diabetes in your future? LAW & MONEY 26 k Don’t overpay your 2012 taxes k Veterans beware “advocates” SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS k New life for an old mill

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Reporter for a day I’ve been a publisher and editor since of the Capitol press corps for a day. Sure, I could have watched both the my wife and I started the Beacon newspaSenate and House proceedpers 24 years ago. Still, it’s a ings at home, live on C-SPAN. rare thing these days when I But was there any substitute actually “report” on anything for being there at a time like myself. this? During the quiet days at After going through securithe end of 2012, as I was readty and getting oriented, I deing about the fiscal cliff negocided to start by observing tiations and Congress was the House from the balcony being called back into sesseats reserved for the press. sion over New Year’s Eve Across from me, on the weekend, I had a realization. other side of the House balThe year was ticking down FROM THE cony, groups of tourists to the dreaded “sequester” PUBLISHER that would potentially push By Stuart P. Rosenthal marched in and out of the public gallery, taking seats the country back into recession, and I finally decided I had to see the for a few minutes to observe the “action,” goings-on for myself at this presumably such as it was. But in the press seats, for the most part, historic moment. So on Sunday, December 30, I called the I was sitting alone. Senate’s Periodical Press Gallery, which Not that there weren’t plenty of rehandles press credentials for the Capitol, porters in the Capitol that day. But most of them were back in the press rooms, doing and asked for a press pass. Not surprisingly, I was told that obtain- their research, noshing, and keeping tabs ing official press credentials could be a on the House and Senate — by watching months-long process. (The bureaucracy- C-SPAN and other news networks on the fighting press has its own bureaucracy, not many flat-screen televisions attached to to mention the security issues of the Capi- the walls! A few reporters and photographers tol and its inhabitants.) However, I was invited to come down were staking out hallways and paths bethe next day, December 31, to hand-deliver tween the House and Senate, hoping to my application and to enjoy the privileges catch the major players as they entered or

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exited. (There’s even a screen in the press room indicating where “stakeouts” — yes, that’s the word they use — are permitted and when.) But on the House floor, fewer than a handful of representatives were present, and they politely took turns reading their prepared remarks to the C-SPAN camera and (apparently redundant) court reporter/stenographer. Given that these days were meant to be vacation even for congresspersons, I was pleased to hear those present sharing concerns on international relations issues (should we reconsider giving our old military frigates to Turkey when that NATO “ally” has been less than friendly lately?) and addressing difficult constituent problems (what can we do for a man whose exwife absconded with their only child to Saudi Arabia when he had been given sole custody?). And even though the speakers had a minimal audience and left the room as soon as they were done, it was good to know they took a stand for things they believe in and that their words would be available in print and digital video to anyone with an interest. In the middle of the day, President Obama gave a televised speech assessing the state of the negotiations at that point (and blaming Republicans for the impasse). That attracted lots of attention on the various screens in the press room (and in the downstairs cafeteria), and I took that as my sign to visit the Senate chamber next. Sure enough, a number of Republican senators took turns expressing their feelings about the president’s “confrontational” remarks and his “ridiculing of Republicans.” They were interrupted after awhile, however, when Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) entered, in a blaze of flashing bulbs from the

photographers outside the chamber. McConnell had come to report on his negotiations with Vice President Biden. As he started to speak, about two dozen reporters suddenly joined me in the press gallery and huddled around the front row with their pads. (I guess they also wanted to “be there” for the dramatic moments.) McConnell said an agreement had been reached, solely dealing with preserving the Bush-era tax cuts for most Americans, and that although this was not the deficitreducing deal Republicans had been fighting for, it was a hard fought agreement, and he felt his fellow senators should approve it. He then turned and left, as did all the other reporters. As you know, very little ultimately came of that day’s congressional activity. There was a deal, of sorts. A decision not to decide. A postponement of any truly difficult action to trim our deficits. But I left the Capitol feeling I had experienced something special, even so. It really is quite remarkable how accessible our government is to the people and to the press. Just a few miles from where most of us live, decisions are made daily that have an impact on our lives and on the lives of future generations. I’ve always thought Americans should take more advantage of the opportunity we have to express our opinions to our representative and senators. And now I think those of us who are fortunate to live a stone’s throw from the Capitol might find it edifying to stop by that building some day to get a close-up look and soak it all in.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

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The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 54 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

Dear Editor: Your essay on preventing and treating heartburn is well done but, unfortunately, somewhat incomplete. While GERD may be an “underlying trouble,” in many cases the cause of that trouble may be an anatomical defect called “hiatus hernia,” in which the upper portion of the stomach protrudes into the lower esophagus. I published a report on this for the Director of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases [at NIH.] Cases of hiatus hernia refractory [nonresponsive] to therapy may require surgical correction. Vincent W. Franco, M.S. Arlington, Va.

Dear Editor: Feb.1, 2013 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Maryland Clean Indoor Air Law going into effect. Contrary to the dire predictions of the tobacco lobbyists and many members of the Maryland General Assembly, the [state’s] restaurants, bars, casinos and tourist businesses are thriving [despite the smoking ban]. Although several organizations within Maryland aided in the passage of this legislation, it was the yeoman work of the Maryland Group Against Smoker’s Pollution (MDGASP) over 32 years that started the effort and ensured the bill’s passage. See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 50

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2013 Community Seminar Series Offers Insight on Living Well Brooke Grove Retirement Village (BGRV) is pleased to launch its fifth year of Living Well Community Seminars beginning in February. Designed to help participants navigate a variety of healthcare and personal challenges, this year’s series offers an impressive array of experts ready to offer insight on topics that range from Alzheimer’s disease to the rewards of a daily, 15-minute workout. Each free, monthly presentation will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the terrace level conference room of Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and will be preceded by a complimentary light supper beginning at 6:30 p.m. They are open to the public as well as to members of the BGRV family. The seminar series will kick off on Wednesday, February 20, with “The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.” Mikki Firor, programs and services manager of the Alzheimer’s Association, National Capital Area, will share the facts about Alzheimer’s including detection, causes, risk factors, stages of the disease, treatment and much more. “Recover from Paper Overload” is on Wednesday, March 20, with professional organizer and productivity consultant Marcie Lovett of Organized by Marcie™. Just in time to help you prepare for your income taxes, you’ll learn what to keep and what you can safely discard. The author of “The Clutter Book: When You Can’t Let Go,” Ms. Lovett will also help you reduce the amount of time you spend on paperwork by

keeping it organized throughout the year. On Wednesday, April 24, Brian Sanderoff will take the podium to discuss “The Essential 6: The Supplements Everyone Should Take.” As a holistic pharmacist and popular radio show host, Mr. Sanderoff is often asked “What supplements do you take?” Since Mr. Sanderoff suggests a myriad of supplements for a variety of conditions, the implication is that the supplements he personally takes must be the really important ones! His seminar will provide the answer to that question and more. You will learn the biochemical and scientific justification for taking certain supplements and/or tending to specific, key functions of the body. You will also discover the hidden secrets to keeping your body

functioning like it did when younger and how to avoid the diseases of aging from which generations in your family have suffered. An interactive presentation by fitness expert and motivator Rick Bradley on Wednesday, May 22, will help you get moving – one small step at a time – toward a healthier life. If you realize that exercise is good for you, but remain physically inactive for many reasons, this introduction to “Quick Fit: The Complete 15Minute, No-Sweat Workout” is

for you! The creator of the Quick Fit exercise program and the author of a book by the same name, Mr. Bradley will demonstrate how a 15-minute combination of aerobic activity, strengthening exercises and stretching can be done at home or at work to improve cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. To attend any of these programs, please RSVP by the Monday prior to each seminar to Director of Marketing Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

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Health Fitness &

LONELY? TRY MEDITATION Mindfulness meditation can lessen loneliness in older adults GET THOSE JOINTS JUMPING Exercise, from walking to tai chi, can help ease arthritis pain DO YOU HAVE DIABETES? Frequent thirst and urination, fatigue and weight loss are symptoms VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER A game plan to cook a healthy, unhurried dinner, from salad to dessert

More older adults using growth hormone Off-label usage has dangers, few benefits By David B. Caruso and Jeff Donn A federal crackdown on illicit foreign supplies of human growth hormone has failed to stop rampant misuse, and instead has driven record sales of the drug by some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, an Associated Press investigation shows. The crackdown, which began in 2006, reduced the illegal flow of unregulated supplies from China, India and Mexico. But since then, major drug companies have been satisfying the steady desires of U.S. users and abusers, including many who take the drug in the false hope of delaying the effects of aging. From 2005 to 2011, inflation-adjusted sales of human growth hormone (HGH) were up 69 percent, according to an AP analysis of pharmaceutical company data collected by the research firm IMS Health. Sales of the average prescription drug rose just 12 percent in that same period. Peddled as an elixir of life capable of turning middle-aged bodies into lean machines, HGH — a synthesized form of the growth hormone made naturally by the human pitu-

itary gland — winds up in the eager hands of affluent, aging users who hope to slow or even reverse the aging process. Experts say these folks don’t need the drug, and may be harmed by it. The supposed fountain-of-youth medicine can cause enlargement of breast tissue, carpal tunnel syndrome, and swelling of hands and feet. Ironically, it also can contribute to ailments of aging, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Prescribed illegally First marketed in 1985 for children with stunted growth, HGH was soon misappropriated by adults intent on exploiting its modest muscle- and bone-building qualities. Congress limited HGH distribution to a handful of rare conditions (growth defects in children and certain hormonal conditions) in an extraordinary 1990 law, overriding the generally unrestricted right of doctors to prescribe medicines as they see fit. Despite the law, however, illicit HGH spread around the sports world in the 1990s, making deep inroads into body-

building, college athletics and professional leagues from baseball to cycling. (Consider Lance Armstrong’s recent revelations.) The even larger banned market among older adults has flourished more recently. Anti-aging HGH regimens vary greatly, with a yearly cost typically ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 for three to six self-injections per week. Across the U.S., the medication is often dispensed through prescriptions based on improper diagnoses, carefully crafted to exploit wiggle room in the law restricting use of HGH, the AP found. Last year, U.S. pharmacies processed 340,000 orders for HGH, a whopping $1.4 billion worth. That’s nearly double the number of prescriptions that would be expected from legitimate patients of HGH. So, about half of those sales likely went to patients not legally entitled to get the drug. The No. 1 manufacturer, Roche subsidiary Genentech, had nearly $400 million in HGH sales in the U.S. last year, up an inflation-adjusted two-thirds from 2005. Pfizer and Eli Lilly were second and third with

$300 million and $220 million in sales, respectively, according to IMS Health. Members of the medical establishment are also taking a fat piece of the profits — doctors who fudge prescriptions, as well as pharmacists and distributors who are content to look the other way. HGH is often promoted on the Internet with the same kind of before-and-after photos found in miracle diet ads, along with wildly hyped claims of rapid muscle growth, loss of fat, greater vigor, and other exaggerated benefits to adults far beyond their physical prime. Sales also are driven by the personal endorsement of celebrities such as actress Suzanne Somers.

Side effects strike older users While doctors say more than 90 percent of legitimate patients are children with stunted growth, 40 percent of 442 U.S. side-effect cases tied to HGH over the last year involved people age 18 or older, according to an AP analysis of FDA data. See GROWTH HORMONE, page 6

The five healthiest foods to eat this winter By Kerri-Ann Jennings, R.D. Although fewer foods are in season during the winter than in summer, winter boasts some surprising health superstars. Here are five of the healthiest winter foods you should be eating: 1. Pomegranates Chances are you’ve tasted pomegranates in their newly popular juice form. And from a heart-health perspective, that’s probably a good thing. Pomegranate juice is richer in antioxidants than other fruit juices. Just a cup daily might help to keep free radicals from oxidizing “bad” LDL cholesterol, according to a preliminary study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Oxidized LDL contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries. Another study showed that drinking pomegranate juice might improve blood flow to the heart in people with myocardial ischemia, a serious condition in which the

heart’s oxygen supply is compromised because the arteries leading to it are blocked. 2. Dark leafy greens Dark leafy greens, such as kale, chard and collards, thrive in the chill of winter when the rest of the produce section looks bleak. In fact, a frost can take away the bitterness of kale. These greens are particularly rich in vitamins A, C and K. Collards, mustard greens and escarole are also excellent sources of folate, important for women of childbearing age. 3. Citrus Citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit, are at their juiciest in the wintertime and can add sunshine to the dreary winter. Citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C — one medium orange delivers more than 100 percent of your daily dose. Citrus fruits are also rich sources of flavonoids. The predominant flavonoid in

these fruits — hesperidin — is credited with boosting “good” HDL cholesterol and lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. 4. Potatoes Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap for being a white starch, thrown into the same category as white rice or white bread. But unlike those other starches, which have indeed been stripped of healthful nutrients, potatoes are a whole food containing several beneficial nutrients. They’re an excellent source of two immunity boosters —vitamins C and B6, delivering 25 percent and 29 percent of your daily needs per medium potato, respectively. They’re also a good source of folate, which is especially important for women of childbearing age, and they deliver fiber (4 grams in a medium potato; women need 25 grams daily and men need 38 grams). If you can find purple potatoes, you’ll get an added health boon; they are rich in an-

thocyanins, antioxidants linked to a host of health benefits, from lowering cancer and heart disease risk to quelling inflammation. 5. Winter squash There are many varieties of winter squash — including butternut, acorn, delicata and spaghetti squash — and they’re all excellent choices in the winter. One cup of cooked winter squash has few calories (around 80) but is high in both vitamin A (214 percent of the recommended daily value) and vitamin C (33 percent), as well as being a good source of vitamins B6 and K, potassium and folate. In fact, these winter squashes generally have more nutrients than popular summer squashes like zucchini and crookneck. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2013 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Two antiviral drugs — Tamiflu and Relenza — can cut the severity and risk of death from the flu. But they must be started within 48 hours of first symptoms to do much good. So if you get the flu and are in one of

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these risk groups, see a doctor, Frieden urged. One third to one half of people are not getting prompt treatment with antiviral medicines, he said. To help avoid a shortage, the FDA is letting Tamiflu’s maker, Genentech, distribute 2 million additional doses of capsules that have an older version of the package insert. “It is fully approved, it is not outdated,” just lacks information for pharmacists on how to mix it into a liquid if needed for young children, said Dr. Margaret Hamburg, head of the Food and Drug Administration This year’s flu season started about a month earlier than normal, and the dominant flu strain is one that tends to make people sicker. Vaccinations are recommended for anyone 6 months of age or older. There’s still plenty of vaccine available. About 145 million doses have been produced, “twice the supply that was available only several years ago,” Hamburg said. About 129 million doses have been distributed already, and a million doses are given each day, Frieden said. The vaccine is not perfect but “it’s by far the best tool we have to prevent influenza,” he said. To find a flu shot available near you, check the Center for Disease Control’s vaccine finder at www.flu.gov. More flu information is available at www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm. — AP

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By Marilynn Marchione The number of older people hospitalized with the flu has risen sharply this season, prompting federal officials to take unusual steps to make more flu medicines available and to urge wider use of them as soon as symptoms appear. The U.S. is about halfway through this year’s flu season, and “it’s shaping up to be a worse-than-average season” and a bad one for older adults, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The government doesn’t keep a running tally of adult deaths from the flu, but estimates that it kills about 24,000 people most years. About 90 percent of flu deaths are among older adults, the very young, and people with other health problems, such as diabetes, who are also at higher risk. So far this season, half of confirmed flu cases are in people 65 and older. Lab-confirmed flu hospitalizations totaled 19 for every 100,000 in the population, but 82 per 100,000 among those 65 and older, “which is really quite a high rate,” Frieden said.

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Growth hormone From page 4 The average adult’s age in those cases was 53, far beyond the prime age for sports. The oldest patients were in their 80s. Some of these medical records even give explicit hints of use to combat aging, justifying treatment with reasons like fatigue, bone thinning and “off-label,” which means treatment of an unapproved condition

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Even Medicare, the government health program for older Americans, allowed 22,169 HGH prescriptions in 2010 — a fiveyear increase of 78 percent, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in response to an AP public records request. And those figures don’t include HGH sold directly by doctors without prescriptions at scores of anti-aging medical practices and clinics around the country.

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Those numbers could only be tallied by drug makers, who have declined to say how many patients they supply and for what conditions.

Banned for aging symptoms FDA regulations ban the sale of HGH as an anti-aging drug. In fact, since 1990, prescribing it for things like weight loss and strength conditioning has been punishable by five to 10 years in prison. Still many older patients go for HGH treatment to anti-aging practices and clinics heavily concentrated in retirement states like Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California. These sites are affiliated with hundreds of doctors who are rarely endocrinologists. Instead, many tout certification by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, though the medical establishment does not recognize the group’s bona fides. The clinics offer personalized programs of “age management” to business executives, affluent retirees, and other patients of means, sometimes coupled with the amenities of a vacation resort. For proof that the drug works, marketers turn to images like the memorable

one of pot-bellied septuagenarian Dr. Jeffry Life, supposedly transformed into a ripped hulk of himself by his own program available at the upscale Las Vegas-based Cenegenics Elite Health. (He declined to be interviewed for this article.) These promoters of HGH say there is a connection between the drop-off in growth hormone levels through adulthood and the physical decline that begins in late middle age. Replace the hormone, they say, and the aging process slows. “It’s an easy ruse. People equate hormones with youth,” said Dr. Tom Perls, a leading industry critic who does aging research at Boston University. “It’s a marketing dream come true.” While the operations insist there are few, if any, side effects from HGH, mainstream medical authorities say otherwise. A 2007 review of 31 medical studies showed swelling in half of HGH patients, with joint pain or diabetes in more than a fifth. A French study of about 7,000 people who took HGH as children found a 30 percent higher risk of death from causes like bone tumors and stroke, stirring a health advisory from U.S. authorities. — AP

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Feb. 12

HELP PLAN COUNTY HEALTH PROGRAMS

Help Montgomery County Recreation develop a three-year plan to enhance and improve recreational programs that promote overall health and wellness for older adults. Come to a community meeting and share suggestions about the types of recreational and wellness programs you would like to see offered. The meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., at the Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Rd., Silver Spring, Md. For more information, call (240) 777-6875, TTY (240) 777-6974.

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THE EYE-HEART CONNECTION

Ophthalmologists will discuss “The Eye-Heart Connection: How Your Eyes are a Window to Your Heart” at three events sponsored by the Prevention of Blindness Society. On Thursday, Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m. the lecture will be held at Village at Rockville, 9701 Veirs Dr., Rockville, Md. To register for a glaucoma screening following the lecture and for more information, call (301) 354-8447. On Sunday, Feb. 12 at 2:30 p.m., learn about the subject at Sibley Memorial Hospital Medical Building Room 2, 5215 Loughboro Rd. NW, Washington, D.C. Call (202) 364-7602 for more information. On Thursday, Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m., the lecture will be given at Charles Beatley Regional Library, 5005 Duke St., Alexandria, Va. For more information, call (703) 746-1760.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Health Shorts Advances in flu vaccines The annual scramble to get a flu vaccination may one day be a thing of the past. In a first for an infectious disease, a flu vaccine has been made out of messenger RNA (mRNA), the genetic material that controls protein production. What’s more, the new vaccine primes immune cells to kill the flu virus over an extended period and can potentially protect against all strains of the virus. We’re protected from flu when our immune system learns to recognize the HA and NA proteins that coat the virus. But flu evolves and those proteins change, so we have no immunity to subsequent strains. For this reason, a new vaccine must be made each year. This takes six months, so manufacturers have to guess which strains will be around the following winter. Lothar Stitz, of the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute in Riems Island, Germany, has gotten around these hurdles. He focused on the viral mRNA that controls the production of HA and NA. When our immune cells encounter this mRNA, they translate it into proteins that are recognized as foreign, generating an immune response. The mRNA can be mass-produced as a vaccine within a few weeks, according to the study reported in Nature Biotechnology. In trials, Stitz’s team found that mRNA vaccines for common flu strains rapidly induced protective levels of antibodies. Better still, the mRNA, unlike HA and NA, induced a response in immune cells such as killer T-cells. They recognize and keep attacking flu viruses even after they have evolved to evade antibodies.

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Stitz has also tested an mRNA vaccine to a flu protein which does not vary between strains. The mRNA protected animals against a seasonal human flu strain and H5N1 bird flu, suggesting that a well-chosen mRNA vaccine could give long-term protection against all flu strains. — New Scientist

Eating disorders in women over 50 Eating disorders, a condition typically associated with young women, may be more prevalent among older women, according to research from the University of North Carolina published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Researchers evaluated 1,800 U.S. women who took part in the Gender and Body Image Study. Among the female subjects over the age of 50, about 27 percent were obese, 29 percent were overweight,

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42 percent were normal weight, and 2 percent were underweight. The study found that about 4 percent of the women binge eat, about 8 percent purge, and 70 percent diet to lose weight. In addition, 36 percent spent at least half of their time in the last five years dieting, 41 percent check their body size daily, and 40 percent weigh themselves at least

twice a week. Strikingly, 62 percent said body weight negatively impacts their life, 79 percent report it affects their self-image, and 64 percent think about their weight daily. — Environmental Nutrition

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 9

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The best healthy 100-calorie snacks to eat By Lori Zanteson Snacks are as programmed into our diet as breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yet, these between-meal repasts, which all too often are nutritionally inadequate, may thwart an otherwise healthy diet.

As tempting as it is to grab a 100-calorie pack of chips, cookies, or other deceitfully “healthy” convenience foods, these items provide energy in calories, but often little in terms of nutritional value. Counting calories in foods without attention to their

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nutrients leaves many people deficient in necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber and daily fruit and vegetable intake. A shift in focus to nutrient-rich foods will get your snacking back on track and reward you with valuable nutrients from whole foods that are as delicious and satisfying as they are nutritious. Check out some of our favorite, natural 100-calories snacks, easily portable for work, school or road trips: • Almonds (17). Calories: 102. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 9 grams. Sodium: 0 • Artichoke hearts (8 with 2 tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise). Calories: 98. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 10 grams. Sodium: 412 mg. • Avocado (¼ cup mashed with ½ small red pepper, sliced). Calories: 104. Protein: 1 gram. Fat: 9 grams. Sodium: 4 mg. • Banana (1 medium). Calories: 105.

Protein: 1 gram. Fat: 0. Sodium: 1 mg • Cottage cheese (nonfat, 1 cup). Calories: 104. Protein: 15 grams. Fat: 0. Sodium: 478 mg. • Hard-boiled egg (1 jumbo). Calories: 90. Protein: 8 grams. Fat: 6 grams. Sodium: 88 mg. • Kiwi fruit (sliced, 1 cup). Calories: 108. Protein: 2 grams. Fat: 1 gram. Sodium: 5 mg. • Milk (nonfat, 1 cup). Calories: 86. Protein: 8 grams. Fat: 0. Sodium: 127 mg. • Mozzarella cheese (part skim, 1-1/2 oz. with sliced fresh tomato). Calories: 110. Protein: 11 grams. Fat: 6 grams. Sodium: 220 mg. • Popcorn (air-popped, 3 cups). Calories: 93. Protein: 3 grams. Fat: 0. Sodium: 3 mg. • Raspberry smoothie (1/2 cup nonfat milk, ½ cup raspberries, 1 tsp. honey, blended). Calories: 97. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 0. Sodium: 63 mg. • Sunflower seed butter (1 tbsp. with ¼ cup apple slices). Calories: 107. Protein: 3 grams. Fat: 8 grams. Sodium: 0 • Whole wheat mini pitas (2, with 1 tbsp. hummus). Calories: 101. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 2 grams. Sodium: 185 mg. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 1-800-8295384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. (c) 2012 Belvoir Media Group Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 12+

JOIN A SENIOR SOFTBALL TEAM

Northern Virginia Senior Softball, with an average player age of 65, is preparing for spring and summer games with a skills training and conditioning program that runs Tuesday, Feb. 12 through Thursday, April 4. Two slow-pitch, seven-inning games will be played Tuesday and Thursday mornings from April 9 to Aug. 2. Placement on one of 26 teams will be according to skill level. For more information, call Dave at (703) 524-5576 or visit www.nvss.org.

Feb. 9+

SUPPORT FOR BEREAVED PARENTS

The Compassionate Friends, an international support group for bereaved parents, meets the second Saturday of each month. The next meeting will be on Feb. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Reston District Police Station, 12000 Bowman Town Dr., Reston, Va. For more information, call Harriett at (703) 525-9311.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Health shorts From page 7

Green tea boosts heart health Lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease may be as easy as drinking green tea. Studies suggest this light, aromatic tea may lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which may be responsible for the tea’s association with reduced risk of death from heart disease and stroke. A number of studies have looked at possible links between green tea and cardiovascular disease. A study of 40,530 Japanese adults found that participants who drank more than five cups of green tea a day had a 26 percent lower risk of death from heart attack or stroke and a 16 percent lower risk of death from all causes than people who drank less than one cup of green tea a day. In 2011, a meta-analysis of observational studies — 13 conducted in green tea drinkers and five in black tea drinkers — found that people who drank the most green tea had a 28 percent lower risk of coronary artery disease than those who drank the least green tea. Black tea had no effect on heart risk. Another 2011 meta-analysis of 14 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials found that green tea significantly lowered LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Many of the studies had been conducted with capsules containing catechins, the active polyphenols in green tea, rather than with the beverage itself. “The limited data available on green tea support a potential association between green tea and beneficial properties in relationship to risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” said Kathy McManus, director of the department of nutrition at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Mass. Although no serious side effects were reported in the studies, catechins have been reported to raise liver enzymes in animals. Green tea is also a major source of oxalate, which can cause kidney stones. This suggests that drinking more than five cups of green tea a day (or taking the equivalent in catechin capsules) might have more risks than benefits. When consumed wisely, though, green tea may improve your cardiovascular health. “The bottom line is that no serious red flags were seen in the amount of tea they were testing. It appears that a few cups a day may be beneficial,” said McManus. — Harvard Heart Letter

the Buddhist monks who cultivated the fruit centuries ago in southern China. It provided folk remedies for numerous ailments. Monk fruit is now making its debut in the U.S., appearing in a range of products, from granola to cocktails. This small, dark-green melon contains an intensely sweet compound called mogroside, which is the star ingredient in this new generation sweetener. Today, people are searching for healthy, natural alternatives to sugars and artificial sweeteners; thus, monk fruit’s sweetening capabilities come at the perfect time. BioVittoria, a food company in New Zealand, developed an extraction process to capture monk fruit’s mogroside, which in its pure form is 300 times sweeter than sugar. The fruit is crushed, mixed with hot water, filtered and spray-dried to form a sweet, zero-calorie powder called Fruit-

Sweetness, which now is used in a number of foods and beverages. While the Chinese believed monk fruit contained a “longevity factor,” the scientific research on the fruit’s potential benefits is still very young. There is preliminary laboratory evidence that monk fruit and its compounds, including mogroside, display anti-cancer and antioxidant activities. One 2009 cell study performed by Chinese researchers found that mogroside might have potential benefits for diabetes, in that it has a low glycemic index and may stimulate insulin secretion; in addition, two earlier studies found potential anti-diabetic effects in mice from mogroside. However, much more research needs to occur before any recommendations can be made regarding monk fruit extract’s possible health benefits. — Environmental Nutrition

New sweetener from an old fruit Legend has it that the monk fruit, commonly called by its Chinese name, luo han guo or luo han kuo, gained its name from

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Meditation relieves sense of loneliness older adults. This research suggests that mindfulness meditation training is a promising intervention for improving the health of older adults.”

Testing the theory For the study, the research team recruited 40 healthy adults ages 55 to 85 who indicated an interest in learning mindfulness meditation techniques. Each person was assessed at the beginning and end of the study using an established loneliness scale. Blood samples also were collected. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program or no treatment. The MBSR program consisted of weekly two-hour meetings in which participants learned body awareness techniques — noticing sensations and working on breathing — and worked their way toward understanding how to mindfully attend to their emotions and daily life practices. They also were asked to practice mindfulness meditation exercises for 30 minutes each day at home and attend a daylong retreat.

Using the blood samples collected, they found that the older adult sample had elevated pro-inflammatory gene expression in their immune cells at the beginning of the study, and that the training reduced this pro-inflammatory gene expression, as well as a measure of C-Reactive Protein (CRP). These findings suggest that mindfulness meditation training may reduce older adults’ inflammatory disease risk. “Reductions in the expression of inflammation-related genes were particularly significant because inflammation contributes to a wide variety of health threats including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases,” said study collaborator Steven Cole, professor of medicine and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences

at the UCLA School of Medicine. While the health effects of the observed gene expression changes were not directly measured in the study, Cole noted that “these results provide some of the first indications that immune cell gene expression profiles can be modulated by a psychological intervention.” That is, it appears we can affect the functioning of our immune system by changing the way we think. “It’s important to train your mind like you train your biceps in the gym,” Creswell said. He added that while this research suggests a promising new approach for treating loneliness and inflammatory disease risk in older adults, more work needs to be done. — Carnegie Mellon University

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For older adults, loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s, as well as death. Attempts to diminish loneliness by encouraging new relationships through social events at community centers have not proven effective. However, a new study led by Carnegie Mellon University’s J. David Creswell offers the first evidence that “mindfulness meditation” can reduce loneliness in older adults. Published in Brain, Behavior & Immunity, the researchers also found that mindfulness meditation — a 2,500-year-old practice dating back to Buddha that focuses on creating an attentive awareness of the present moment — lowered inflammation levels. Inflammation is thought to promote the development and progression of many diseases. These findings provide valuable insights into how mindfulness meditation training can be used as a novel approach for reducing loneliness and the risk of disease in older adults. “We always tell people to quit smoking for health reasons, but rarely do we think about loneliness in the same way,” said Creswell, an assistant professor of psychology. “We know that loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems and mortality in

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Do migraines boost risk for dementia? By Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson and Dr. Michael Craig Miller Q. I have frequent migraine headaches. Does this increase my risk of memory loss or dementia? A. This is a logical question, given that some studies have linked migraine headaches to an increased risk of symptomatic stroke as well as “silent” stroke. Multiple “silent” or unnoticed strokes may lead to progressive memory loss, cognitive decline and dementia. Your question is particularly important for women, since they are more likely to have migraine headaches than men, and they also have a higher prevalence of dementia.

Fortunately, findings from the Women’s Health Study are reassuring on this topic. The Women’s Health Study is a randomized, prospective study involving 39,876 U.S. female health professionals ages 45 and older. In 1998, a subset of 6,377 women ages 65 and older were tested for memory and reasoning (cognition), and asked about past or current migraine headaches. These women were followed for an average of three and a half years. Those who had migraine were not at greater risk for cognitive decline compared with those who did not have migraine. Although the study had a short followup period, it involved a very large number

of women, giving its conclusions heft. It should be reassuring to you and other women who have migraines. Nevertheless, don’t give up any measures you are taking to reduce your risk of stroke. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or elevated cholesterol (especially LDL, or “bad” cholesterol), or if you are obese, work with your doctor to control these conditions. If you have atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm), ask your doctor if you are a candidate for drugs that prevent clots from forming. Make time for regular physical activity, aiming for 30 minutes of exercise a day. If you smoke, take measures to stop. Q: My elderly uncle can’t seem to recover from the loss of his dog. Is it normal to grieve for months when a pet dies? When is it time to encourage him to seek mental health help? A: More than half of American households have pets. “Companion animals” are often considered part of the family. An elderly person may find special solace in the company of a pet after losing a spouse or friends. The attachment may be very strong. Not much research has been done about grief over losing a pet. The available evidence says that this grief is like any grief. It resembles the grieving of a close friend or family member.

The grieving period varies. It can go on for weeks or several months. In one study, a third of those enrolled experienced grief for at least six months after a pet died. You should seek help when grieving interferes with the ability to function. (This applies whether the person is mourning the loss of a person or an animal.) In the study I just cited, only a small percentage of people could no longer function because of losing their pet. Is your uncle still getting out of bed in the morning? Is he eating regularly and otherwise functioning? Then he may just need more time and understanding. He will probably navigate the grief process fine. Is the grief overwhelming his ability to care for himself? Then it may be time for him to consult a mental health clinician. Your uncle may welcome advice about how to heal. Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D., is editor in chief, Harvard Women’s Health Watch. Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an associate physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is a Senior Medical Editor at Harvard Health Publications.) © 2013 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 23

GRIEF SUPPORT

Haven of Northern Virginia is offering a community workshop, “Journey through Grief,” on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 4 p.m. Haven is located at 4606 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale, Va. For registration and further information, call (703) 941-7000, visit Haven’s Web site at www.havenofnova.org, or e-mail havenofnova@verizon.net.

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Exercise can help you cope with arthritis For a disease that affects 50 million adults in the United States — about 1 in 5 people — arthritis is remarkably misunderstood. For example, many people believe it’s a crippling and inevitable part of growing old. But things are changing. Treatments are better, and plenty of people age well without much arthritis. People also tend to think of arthritis as a single disease. In fact, there are more than 100 different types of arthritis. And although they all affect joints, their causes and treatments can vary considerably. If you have arthritis, you can take steps to protect your joints, reduce discomfort, and improve mobility. Because describing your symptoms is so important for a correct diagnosis, it’s important to know the range of symptoms that may occur and which are typical of particular kinds of arthritis. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Other types include gout, pseudo gout, and infectious arthritis. There are several established medical therapies, as well as complementary treatments, such as acupuncture, chiropractic and massage. Self-care is also important, especially exercise.

Establish a regimen Even the healthiest people find it diffi-

cult to stick with an exercise regimen. But those with arthritis commonly discover that if they don’t exercise regularly, they’ll pay the price in pain, stiffness and fatigue. Regular exercise not only helps maintain joint function, but also relieves stiffness and decreases pain and fatigue. Feeling tired may be partly the result of inflammation and medications, but it’s also caused by muscle weakness and poor stamina. If a muscle isn’t used, it can lose 3 percent of its function every day and 30 percent of its bulk in just a week. A 2009 review article in Current Opinion in Rheumatology asserts that both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises are safe and effective for people with chronic arthritis. Below are brief summaries of different forms of structured exercise programs (most of which are offered by local Arthritis Foundation chapters) and their potential benefits: 1. Land-based programs. These include community-based group classes led by health or fitness professionals with specialized training in instructing people with arthritis. Examples include Fit and Strong!, a program targeted to older adults with osteoarthritis; the Arthritis Foundation’s Exercise Program (AFEP); and its Walk with Ease program. All include some combination of a warm-up routine and three standard exer-

cise goals, plus specialized activities to enhance body awareness, balance and coordination. Studies have found that people with arthritis in their hips, legs and feet who took Fit and Strong! classes were able to exercise longer, felt more confident about their ability to exercise, and reported less joint stiffness compared with those in a control group. Many of the benefits lasted between six and 12 months. Those attending AFEP classes for eight weeks had less pain, stiffness and fatigue, and these improvements persisted at least six months as well. In one study, people who completed the Walk with Ease program (which also teaches participants about managing their disease) had more confidence, less depression and less pain, compared with participants who attended classes focused on pain management.

2. Water-based programs. Also known as aquatic or pool therapy, these group classes are done in water that’s nearly 90 degrees F and feature a variety of exercises, including range-of-motion exercises and aerobics. According to one study, people who took the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program improved knee and hip flexibility, as well as strength and aerobic fitness. Other investigations suggest water exercise lessens pain and boosts physical functioning, and the benefits after the 12week session were sustained for three months after the last class. 3. Strength and resistance training. This form of exercise, which uses equipment such as weight machines, free weights, and resistance bands or tubing, strengthens not only muscles but also your

BEACON BITS

Feb. 22

WHEN A LOVED ONE HAS A STROKE Caregivers are often overwhelmed with questions after a spouse or family member has a stroke. What medications have been pre-

scribed? What side effects should be watched for? Does the home need to be modified? Senior adult specialist Nancy Connors will share 15 tips from the American Stroke Association at 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22, at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington, Va. The program is free. To register and for more information, call (703) 228-5722.

Feb. 8+

MOVE TO THE MUSIC Learn easy techniques for limbering up as you stretch to modern music and jazz on Friday, Feb. 8 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Guy

Mason Recreation Center, 2600 Calvert St. NW. The program is the first of Glover Park Village’s monthly Friday Free-for-Alls. The instructor has experience at the Washington School of Ballet, the National Ballet, and Erika Thimey Dance Theatre. Comfortable clothing is suggested for this fun, free, interactive session. Need a ride or more information? Call 202-436-5545 or e-mail dorothybiondi@msn.com.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Some sugars block feeling of fullness By Marilynn Marchione Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose — a sugar that saturates the American diet — can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating. After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn’t register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found. It’s a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity. But experts say it adds evidence they may play a role. These sugars often are added to processed foods and beverages, and consumption has risen dramatically since the 1970s, along with obesity. A third of U.S. children and teens and more than twothirds of adults are obese or overweight. All sugars are not equal — even though they contain the same amount of calories — because they are metabolized differently in the body. Table sugar is sucrose, which is half fructose, half glucose. Highfructose corn syrup is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Some nutrition experts say this sweetener may pose special risks, but others and the industry reject that claim. And doctors say we eat too much sugar in all forms.

MRI scans used For the study, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans to track blood flow in the brain in 20 young, nor-

Arthritis From page 13 bones and your cardiovascular system. Resistance training improves muscle strength, physical functioning, and pain in 50 to 75 percent of people with knee osteoarthritis, according to a 2008 review article. One Japanese study compared people with knee osteoarthritis who either took NSAIDs or did twice daily knee extension exercises to strengthen their quadriceps (the muscles on the front of the thigh). At the end of the 8-week study, both groups had less pain and stiffness, as well as improved functioning and quality of life. 4. Tai chi. With origins in Chinese martial arts, this low-impact, slow-motion exercise also emphasizes breathing and mental focus. A number of small studies suggest tai chi helps people with different forms of arthritis, mainly by increasing flexibility and improving muscle strength in the lower body, as well as aiding gait and balance. The Arthritis Foundation, along with Dr. Paul Lam, a family physician and tai chi instructor, developed a standardized form of tai chi designed specifically for people with arthritis. Based on Sun-style tai chi, one of the discipline’s five major recognized styles, it includes agile steps and a high stance

mal-weight people before and after they had drinks containing glucose or fructose in two sessions several weeks apart. Scans showed that drinking glucose “turns off or suppresses the activity of areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” said one study leader, Yale University endocrinologist Dr. Robert Sherwin. With fructose, “we don’t see those changes,” he said. “As a result, the desire to eat continues — it isn’t turned off.” What’s convincing, said Dr. Jonathan Purnell, an endocrinologist at Oregon Health & Science University, is that the imaging results mirrored how hungry the people said they felt, as well as what earlier studies found in animals. “It implies that fructose, at least with regards to promoting food intake and weight gain, is a bad actor compared to glucose,” said Purnell. He wrote a commentary that appears with the federally funded study in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers now are testing obese people to see if they react the same way to fructose and glucose as the normal-weight people in this study did. What to do? Cook more at home and limit processed foods containing fructose and high-fructose corn syrup, Purnell suggested. “Try to avoid the sugar-sweetened beverages. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever have them,” but control their size and how often they are consumed, he said. — AP

(meaning the legs bend only slightly). 5. Yoga. Scant research has explored the benefits of yoga for people with arthritis. One study showed that people with knee osteoarthritis who took eight weeks of Iyengar yoga (a form of yoga that focuses on correct body alignment, and uses blocks, belts and other props to assist in performing postures) had less pain and could function better at the end of the study. Another study of people with rheumatoid arthritis found benefits from participating in twice-weekly Iyengar sessions for six weeks — namely, less pain and depression, and greater mobility. But both studies were quite small, and neither included a comparison group. Locally, Arthritis Foundation exercise programs are offered at the D.C. Center for Therapeutic Recreation, 3030 G St. SE, Washington, D.C., (202) 698-1794, and the Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center, 3531 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., (202) 727-0338. For more information on Arthritis Foundation exercise programs, go to www.arthritis.org/resources/community-program. Excerpted from Harvard Health Special Report “The Joint Pain Relief Workout.” © 2013 President and Fellows of Harvard College

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Diabetes has some noticeable symptoms By Dr. Robert Rizza Dear Mayo Clinic: What are the most common symptoms of diabetes? Is it true that changes in my eyesight could mean I’m developing diabetes? Answer: People who have diabetes have too much sugar in their blood. Although you can’t know your level of blood sugar without a blood test, high blood sugar may cause symptoms that are noticeable. The most common symptoms of diabetes are frequently feeling thirsty, urinating often, losing weight, feeling tired and having sores that heal slowly. Blurred vision or a change in eyesight also can be symptoms of diabetes. People who develop diabetes have a problem with a hormone called insulin. Insulin is made in the pancreas — a gland located just behind the stomach. When you eat, the pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream. The insulin allows sugar to enter your cells, lowering the amount of sugar in your blood. If you have diabetes, that process doesn’t happen normally.

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There are two kinds of diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make any insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin or your body cannot use insulin as well as it should. With both types, sugar cannot move into your cells. Instead, it builds up in your blood.

Understanding diabetes As blood sugar rises, it can cause a variety of problems in many areas of the body. Too much sugar in your bloodstream pulls fluid from your body’s tissues. That can cause you to become thirsty more often than normal. As a result, you may drink and urinate more than usual. Without enough insulin to move sugar into your cells, your muscles and organs don’t have the energy they need. That can make you feel hungry and tired. But even though you eat more, you still may lose weight. That’s because your body doesn’t have enough of its normal energy source, sugar, so it turns to other fuels like muscle and fat. Diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor blood circulation. These problems

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make it harder for your body to heal sores or wounds, particularly on your feet. Changes in eyesight can happen as a result of diabetes, too. One reason for that is

high levels of blood sugar can damage the tiny vessels that supply blood to your retiSee DIABETES, page 17

Medicare’s diabetes coverage By Jim Miller Here’s a breakdown of what Medicare covers when it comes to diabetes services and supplies, along with some other tips that can help you save. Doctor’s ser vices: If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Medicare Part B will pay 80 percent of the cost of all doctor’s office visits related to diabetes. You are responsible for paying the remaining 20 percent after you’ve met your annual 2013 Part B deductible of $147. Screenings: If you have pre-diabetes or some other health conditions that put you at risk of getting diabetes — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, are overweight, or have a family history of diabetes — Medicare will pay 100 percent of the cost of up to two diabetes screenings every year. Education: If you have diabetes, Medicare covers 80 percent of the cost of self-management training (after you meet your Part B deductible) to teach you how to successfully manage your diabetes. Supplies and medications: Eighty percent of the cost of glucose monitors, test strips and lancets (up to 100 per month if you use insulin; 33 per month if you don’t), glucose control solutions and insulin (if you use an insulin pump) are covered by Medicare Part B, after you’ve met your deductible. If, however, you inject insulin with a syringe, Medicare’s Part D prescription drug benefit may help pay your insulin costs and the supplies needed to inject it — if you have a plan. Part D plans also cover most other diabetic medications. Check your plan for details. Nutrition: Medicare will pick up the entire tab for medical nutrition therapy, which teaches you how to adjust your diet so you can better manage your condition. You’ll need a doctor’s referral to get this service. Blood sugar tests: Also known as a

hemoglobin A1c test, this checks your average blood sugar level over the past three months to determine how well your diabetes is being controlled. Medicare covers this test when your doctor orders it. Foot exams: Medicare covers 80 percent of foot care every six months for diabetics with diabetes-related nerve damage, and therapeutic (not orthopedic) shoes for people with severe diabetic foot disease. Eye exams: Because eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts are more common in diabetics, 80 percent of dilated eye exams are covered each year, but eye exams for glasses are not. For more information, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 and ask for their free booklet, “Medicare’s Coverage of Diabetes Supplies & Services” (publication 11022), or download it from the Internet at www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/11022.pdf. If you have a Medigap (Medicare supplemental insurance) policy, it may pay some of the costs that Medicare doesn’t. Call your benefits administrator for more information. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO), your plan must give you at least the same diabetes coverage as original Medicare does, but it may have different rules. Check your policy for details. If you’re income is low and you can’t afford your Medicare out-of-pocket costs, you may be able to get help through Medicare Savings Programs. Call your local Medicaid office for eligibility information. Also, find out if you are eligible for “Extra Help,” which assists Medicare Part D beneficiaries with their medication expenses. Visit www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to learn more. — Savvy Senior

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Diabetes From page 16 na, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. Eventually, diabetic retinopathy can result in vision loss. Vision changes also may happen because too much sugar is getting inside the lens of the eyeball, causing blurriness in your eyesight.

Visit your doctor If you suspect you might have diabetes, it’s important to see your doctor and have your blood sugar checked. All it takes is a simple blood test to see if your blood sugar levels are normal or if they are too high. The American Diabetes Association recommends routine screening for type 2 diabetes beginning at age 45 for everyone, with

or without symptoms. For people whose test results are normal, it is recommended the test be repeated every three years. If the results are borderline — meaning the blood sugar is higher than normal but not at the level of someone with diabetes — ask your doctor when to come back for another test. Screening is recommended for people who are younger than 45 and overweight if they have other risk factors for heart disease or diabetes — such as a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of type 2 diabetes, a personal history of gestational diabetes, or high blood pressure. If left untreated, diabetes can cause many serious health problems. In addition to the ones already mentioned, the disease also can lead to kidney disease and cardiovascular problems like stroke and heart attack. But if it is caught early and blood sugar

is well controlled with careful treatment and healthy lifestyle choices, many of the health complications associated with diabetes can be managed or prevented. — Robert Rizza, M.D., Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an ed-

ucational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, email medicaledge@mayo.edu. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 19

EXPLORE ANCESTORS’ FAMILY AND FRIENDS The Mount Vernon Genealogical Society will feature a free pro-

gram, “Our Ancestors Did Not Live Alone,” at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Hollin Senior Center. The guest speaker will be Charles S. “Chuck” Mason, Jr., a certified genealogist who also co-hosts the “Tracing Your Family Roots” program on Fairfax Cable Television’s channel 10. The senior center is at 1500 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, Va. For more information, call Phyllis Kelley at (703) 660-6969 or visit www.mvgenealogy.org.

Feb. 23

MINI-CONFERENCE FOR GARDENERS Montgomery County Master Gardeners will hold its 13th Annual Mini-Conference on Saturday, Feb. 23. This year’s theme is “Our

Common Ground: Building Better Landscapes, One Yard at a Time.” Workshops, networking, meals and door prizes will be included. The event will be held at the Agricultural History Farm Park at the University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County Office, 18410 Muncaster Rd., Derwood, Md. Cost is $50 for one person or $90 for two. Register by Friday, Feb. 15, at www.mcmg.umd.edu. For more information, email mgminiconference@gmail.com.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Evidence weak for ‘natural’ cold remedies By William Kormos, M.D. Q. I always catch colds during the winter and they last more than a week. I heard that zinc and echinacea help

to shorten colds. Should I try them? A. As cold and flu season ramps up, we’re reminded how common the “common cold” truly is. The average adult expe-

BEACON BITS

Feb. 25+

LEARN HOW TO USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Explore the new technology of personal electronic devices in a user-friendly and supportive four-week program from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 25 through March 20. Topics covered will include: different types of portable phones, computers, cameras, iPods, e-readers and other popular electronic tools; social networking, special interest and health websites; and Skype/Webcam technology, among other subjects. Costs are $65 for Reston residents and $130 for nonresidents. Students are encouraged to bring their own electronic devices to the classes, which will be held at Reston Community Center–Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston, Va. For reservations and more information, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com.

Feb. 26

SAVING THE WORLD’S ELEPHANTS

Every year, at least 25,000 elephants are killed by poachers for their tusks to feed the hunger of ivory collectors and the market for religious objects. Watch the premiere screening of Battle for the Elephants from National Geographic Channel on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmakers and elephant experts. The price is $11. The event takes place at National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW. Tickets may be purchased online at www.nglive.org or via telephone at (202) 857-7700,

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riences two to four colds per year, with symptoms that can linger seven to 10 days. Most colds get better without treatment, but many people searching for a shorter illness have turned to two “natural” therapies: echinacea and zinc.

Echinacea Laboratory studies have shown that substances in the echinacea flower and roots activate immune cells and block inflammation. This has spurred excitement about echinacea’s potential to shorten the duration of the common cold. Early studies suggested that echinacea reduced cold symptoms, but more recent research has not documented any benefit, including a study of 719 cold sufferers published in 2010. People in both the echinacea and the placebo group reported symptoms lasting for about the same period: seven days.

Zinc The element zinc has antiviral effects, including against rhinoviruses, which are the most common cause of colds. Studies of zinc supplements for colds have been equally split, with half of the studies showing a benefit, and the other half showing no effect. Also, the zinc studies have a serious flaw: Zinc’s bad taste could alert people to the fact that they were taking the zinc lozenges rather than the inactive placebo version. This could have biased the results in favor of zinc working. A recent analysis combined the results of 17 studies that included over 2,000 people. It concluded that zinc shortened the duration of colds in adults by an average of 2.6 days. On the downside, zinc lozenges, besides leaving a bad taste in your mouth,

can cause nausea.

Problems with all such studies It is difficult to interpret the medical research on vitamins and herbal supplements. The ingredients in supplements sold over the counter are not standardized, and there’s no requirement for quality control, so it’s hard to know for sure if you’re taking the same thing as people in the studies. However, there are now consumer agencies that will provide a “seal of approval” to indicate that the product has passed certain quality measures. Also, the people enrolled in these studies often have a variety of illnesses with differing levels of severity, making general conclusions difficult. Finally, there’s a strong placebo effect in any study with self-reported symptoms as the outcome. In the echinacea study mentioned above, researchers compared a group that received no pills with a group that received placebo pills. The people who took the inactive placebo tended to have shorter and less severe symptoms than the people who took no pill at all. So, the evidence that echinacea fights colds is weak. Although zinc may shorten cold duration, it may leave you with a bad taste in your mouth and a sick feeling in your stomach. The best treatment for colds may actually be prevention. Hand washing decreases the number of colds transmitted, and flu shots prevent about 80 percent of influenza cases in a typical year. — William Kormos, M.D., Editor in Chief, Harvard Men’s Health Watch © 2012. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Heart mapping study seeks volunteers By Barbara Ruben Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. In some cases, the heart can’t fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can’t pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems. The condition is a common cardiovascular problem. Its incidence increases with age, affecting up to 10 percent of people older than 65, including nearly 14 percent of men and 12 percent of women over age 80. The term heart failure doesn’t mean someone’s heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, heart failure is a serious condition that requires medical care.

Two-year study underway Researchers at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., are now studying the use of noninvasive imaging methods to better understand the symptoms and effects of heart failure. They are looking for people with the condition for a two-year study. No treatment will be provided as part of the study, and patients will continue to see their own doctors. Participants will visit the Clinical Center four times during the study, with one initial screening visit and three study visits. The three study visits will take place one year apart. Participants will also receive followup phone calls six months after the first and second visits.

During the screening visit, they will have a full medical history taken and have a physical examination, as well as submit blood and urine samples. During each of the study visits, participants will have the following imaging tests: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cardiac computerized tomography (CT) to study the blood vessels in and leading to the heart, echocardiogram to evaluate heart function, and electrocardiogram to measure heart electrical activity.

Who qualifies to participate? To take part in the study, participants must be age 18 or older, and be diagnosed with heart failure at a New York Heart Association functional class II level or worse. People who have a history of severe allergic reaction to contrast agents may not participate. Those with symptomatic coronary artery disease, a prior heart attack, congenital heart disease and certain other heart conditions are also disqualified from taking part in the study. Additional disqualifying conditions include a personal or family history of kidney disease, diabetes treated with insulin, multiple myeloma, lupus, renal failure and end stage liver disease. Compensation for time and travel is available for study participants. To learn more about the study, or to volunteer, contact NIH’s Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office at 1-800-411-1222 or e-mail prpl@mail.cc.nih.gov.

Are you or a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? Georgetown University is participating in a study investigating BIIB037 sponsored by Biogen Idec. The purpose of the study is to find out more about BIIB037, evaluate its safety (side effects), and whether it has the potential to be a helpful treatment for patients with AD.

We are looking for people who: • Are between 70 and 90 years of age • Are diagnosed with either prodromal or mild AD • Are in good general health with no memory problems or concerns • Are fluent in English • Are willing and able to undergo all test procedures (MRI and PET scans, lumbar puncture) • Have a study partner (friend or relative with whom you are in contact at least 10 hours/week and who can accompany you to all study visits)

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You’re on top of your medications. But we make a good back up. You know it’s important to stay on your medications exactly as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, want a lower-cost alternative, or experience any side effects, we can answer any questions. Speak to your local CVS Pharmacist to learn more. Find a store near you at www.cvs.com

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Don’t believe myths you hear about fruit Q: I’ve heard that fruit should be need without vegetables at all. But eaten alone rather than with other carotenoid compounds — beta-carotene, foods. Is that true? alpha-carotene and beta-crypA: No. You may see articles toxanthin — found in dark suggesting a myriad of probgreen and orange vegetables lems that stem from eating are important for more than fruit along with other foods, making vitamin A in the body. but none are based on sciThese vegetables have anence. tioxidant compounds that can One thing you may read is protect our cells from highly that you cannot digest fruit if reactive “free radicals” that other foods are present in could damage cells and lead your stomach at the same to cancer, heart disease and time, so the fruit ferments NUTRITION other health problems. In adcausing indigestion or heart- WISE dition, dark green vegetables By Karen Collins, burn after a meal. are a major source of folate, a This is absolutely untrue: MS, RD, CDM B vitamin with many healthCarbohydrate digestion beprotective functions. gins with enzymes in the saliDark green and orange vegetables are va and continues as food passes through one part of what you need for good health. the stomach and then the intestine. En- These and other vegetables and fruits prozymes that break down carbohydrate in vide nutrients Americans need more of — fruit are separate from those that break like potassium, a mineral that can help down protein and fat. control blood pressure. Eating different types of food together They also supply a host of phytochemidoes not inhibit digestion. The stomach cals, which are natural compounds found puts out large amounts of acid; food does in plant foods that seem to block several not sit there rotting or fermenting. steps in cancer development. You may also hear claims that fruit comRegardless of where else you get vitabined with other foods leads to becoming min A, aim for at least five servings every overweight because the body cannot di- day of a variety of vegetables and fruits, gest them. But this, too, is untrue. Mixing and then add more for additional health foods at a meal does not leave the body un- and weight control benefits. able to digest them. Q: I’m confused. Popcorn is always And even if it did, undigested food pass- recommended as a low-calorie snack, es out as waste material; it cannot possibly so why do people make such a big turn into body fat. Excess body fat comes deal about calories in movie theater from just the opposite — more calories popcorn? consumed, digested and absorbed than A: Popcorn can be a low-calorie, highour bodies burn. fiber snack. Three cups of air-popped popIf anything, combining fruits with other corn (a portion the size of three typical plant foods like vegetables and whole adult fists) contain just 90 calories (along grains could be beneficial. with practically zero sodium and nearly 4 Fruit can be a filling appetizer to help grams of dietary fiber). limit calories at a meal, a delicious addition However, movie theater popcorn is to salads, and a satisfying way to end a quite different: Portions tend to be huge, meal on a sweet note. Don’t be afraid to it’s popped in oil and often served with combine fruit with whatever foods you extra buttery topping. According to inforwant. mation from major movie theater chains, a Q: Can a person get enough vitamin “large” portion (often 17 to 20 cups) may A from milk, fortified cereal and other contain 900 to 1,000 calories, and when the sources without eating dark green and buttery topping is added, that can zoom up orange vegetables? to about 1,500 calories. A: You could get all the vitamin A you For many women trying to lose weight,

BEACON BITS

Feb. 14+

CELEBRATING DANNY KAYE

Danny Kaye was a versatile American actor and comedian, who enthralled audiences in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s with his lively singing and dancing on stage, on television, and in films such as White Christmas and Hans Christian Andersen. His wife, Sylvia Fine, played a major role in his success, writing the music and lyrics for his songs. Their careers will be celebrated in a Library of Congress exhibition, “Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine: Two Kids from Brooklyn,” which opens Thursday, Feb. 14 in the Performing Arts Reading Room Gallery on the first floor of the Library’s James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington D.C. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, through July 27. On Saturday, March 23, the Library will hold events focusing on Kaye. For more information, call (202) 707-1606 or see www.loc.gov.

that’s almost the calorie recommendation for a whole day. Cutting portion size helps, but even a theater “small” unbuttered portion contains 450-485 calories — which is like a whole extra meal. I know that for many people getting popcorn seems an essential part of going to the movies, but it’s primarily “mindless” eating, which is a habit (whether at home or out) that is worth breaking. If you feel totally deprived going to a movie without getting popcorn, get one in the smallest size available, skip the extra butter, and share it with others. Or your theater may have some lower calorie snack options like granola bars. But ideally, break the connection and

focus on enjoying the movie. Some people may find sugarless gum helps ease this transition by providing something to chew — and it keeps you from saying “yes” if companions offer you some of their popcorn! The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days. Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., NW, Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

A complete Valentine’s Day dinner for two By Dana Jacobi Romance is leisurely and unpredictable. Cooking requires coordination and precise timing. But you can blend the two with this simple yet elegant meal, enabling you to enjoy Valentine’s Day dinner with your sweetie. The three-course menu starts with a festive green salad tossed with rosy blackberry vinaigrette. Baked glazed salmon with green beans and a wild rice-blend make the main course. Fresh strawberries and sorbet fashion a heart-warming sundae for dessert. The day before Valentine’s Day, get organized, shop and do a little preparation. To sail through it all, follow these step-bystep instructions from start to finish. Wednesday: Make your shopping list and buy ingredients; Make blackberry vinaigrette; Slice shallots and goat cheese (or chop walnuts), trim green beans, cover and refrigerate; Put rice in cooking pot; Set table. Thursday, starting 75 minutes before dinnertime: • Turn on oven • Add water and cook rice • Hull and slice strawberries and refrigerate • Make glaze, coat and put salmon in oven

• Steam beans in covered skillet, and then plunge into cold water. • Using the same skillet, sauté shallots and set them aside on a plate. Put dried green beans in the buttery pan and set aside. • Assemble salads and put on the table. • Fluff rice with a fork and set aside, covered. • Add sugar to the berries and set aside. • Remove fish from oven and cover loosely with foil Then enjoy the salad. Warm the beans. Divide them between 2 dinner plates and top with some shallots. Toss remaining shallots with rice and spoon some onto each plate. Add the salmon. Then serve the main course. Assemble strawberry sundaes. Finally, turn out the kitchen light. Enjoy dessert. Snuggle up. Here are the menu’s complete recipes:

Baby Greens with Blackberry Vinaigrette For dressing: 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (defrost if frozen) 2 tsp. coarsely chopped shallots 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. agave syrup 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste For salad: 4 cups lightly packed mesclun salad mix 2 slices (3/4-in.) reduced-fat fresh goat cheese or 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts 6-8 whole blackberries, for garnish Place all dressing ingredients in bulletstyle blender or mini food processor and

A lot more than you thought. For a lot less than you think. Welcome to the Village at Rockville, the area’s greatest value in Independent Senior Living.

whirl until dressing is creamy and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let dressing stand in refrigerator for up to 24 hours before using. Makes 1/2 cup dressing. Divide greens between 2 salad plates. If using cheese, set a slice in center on top of greens, then drizzle 2 tablespoons of Blackberry Vinaigrette over salad before See RECIPES, page 23

FREE UPGRADES Customize your new cottage at The Village at Rockville to match your personal style: a $15,000 Value! Call for details. s &LEXIBLE lNANCIAL PLANS s ,IMITED MONTH TO MONTH RENTALS AVAILABLE s 0ETS WELCOME s #ONVENIENT TO SHOPS AND DINING

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9701 Veirs Drive s Rockville, MD 20850 s 877-405-1590 s www.thevillageatrockville.org The Village at Rockville is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, not-for-profit ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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Recipes From page 22 serving. Or, drizzle on dressing, then sprinkle walnuts on top. Garnish with 3 or 4 whole blackberries. Reserve remaining dressing for another use. It keeps covered in refrigerator for three days.

Green Beans and Rice with Shallots 1/2 cup brown basmati-wild rice blend 1/2 lb. fresh green beans 3/4 cup water 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

Cook rice blend according to package directions, about 30 minutes. Let rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. In covered skillet, cook green beans in water for 4 minutes. Drain beans in colander under cold running water. When cooled, dry and set beans aside. In same skillet, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté until soft, 5 minutes. Stir all but 1 tablespoon of the shallots into the rice with fork. Set the rest aside. Do not wash pan. Just before serving, add beans to pan and cook until warmed, stirring occasionally. Divide beans between 2 plates, garnish with reserved shallots and add 3/4 cup cooked rice.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BETTER BONES

This Holy Cross Senior Source program maintains bone density while improving strength, flexibility and balance. Some exercises are done seated. This ongoing free class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. at 8580 Second Ave. in Silver Spring, Md. For more information or to register, call (301) 754-8800 or go to www.holycrosshealth.org.

Feb. 22

MANAGING MENOPAUSE

Dr. Terri Remy, of Medical Associates of Beauregard, will present some of the symptoms of menopause, the effects of these changes and the options to manage this change on Friday, Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to noon. The talk is part of the free Virginia Hospital Center Healthy Aging Lecture Series and will take place at 601 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 558-6859 to RSVP.

Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze Fresh Strawberry Sundae 2 tsp. dry mustard powder 1 Tbsp. wildflower honey Two (5-6 oz.) salmon filets, preferably wild Heat oven to 300 degrees F. In small bowl, whisk together mustard powder and honey. Place salmon on baking sheet. Brush tops of pieces liberally with honey glaze. Bake until salmon is almost opaque in center, 20-25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

12-15 strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced 1/2 tsp. firmly packed brown sugar 2 small scoops of any fruit sorbet 2 cigar-shaped rolled cookies, optional In bowl, use fork to toss sliced berries with sugar. Set aside for 20 to 60 minutes. To serve, divide fruit and any juices between 2 glass dessert dishes. Top with sorbet. Insert cookie into berries at one side of dishes, if using. Dana Jacobi creates recipes for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 9

CELEBRATE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE

The Feel the Heritage Festival will feature music and dance performances, delicious food, a variety of vendors and more on Saturday, Feb. 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at Langston-Brown Community Center, 2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington, Va. As part of the program. WalkArlington will be leading a memory-sharing community walk of High View Park at 2:30 p.m. Starting at Langston-Brown, the 30-45 minute walk will stop at significant locations in the community where walkers will be encouraged to share memories about the neighborhood, its residents and traditions. These memories will be adapted into a future Walkabout. For more information, visit www.walkarlington.com/pages/walkabouts.

Ongoing

JOIN A WOMEN’S SHOW CHOIR

Do you love to sing? Make new friends? Bring joy to others through music? Performers are wanted for the Celebration Singers, a women’s show choir that gives concerts at various community sites in Northern Virginia. Practice is held during daytime hours on Wednesdays in Burke, Va. For more information, contact Gayle Parsons at (703) 644-4485 or gparsons3@cox.net.

Get Help With Your

Medicare Costs! The DC Medicare Savings Program can save you over $5,000 each year in Medicare expenses and prescription drug costs. You can qualify if you… Are a DC resident Are eligible for Medicare Have monthly income below $2,812 (single) or $3,802 (couple) If you work, your income may be higher. Any money you have in savings is not counted for this program.

For more information, contact 202-994-6272 or DCHICP@gmail.com Health Insurance Counseling Project

LAWC_1213_8

The District of Columbia Office on Aging

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Looking closer at cholesterol and statins Recently I wrote that we should not necessarily strive to lower our LDL cholesterol. Rather, we need to know the type and number of our LDL particles. Two subtypes of LDL particles directly affect your cardiovascular risk — Lipoprotein A or “Lp(a)” and apolipoprotein B or “Apo B”. Do you have those numbers on your lab test? I bet you don’t. In my first book, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, I explained that statins are not very effective in reducing LDL particle number or Apo B, and usually do not increase the size of your LDL particles. That’s why I don’t encourage them. It’s confusing for consumers (and physicians who unwittingly accept drug company propaganda) because studies conclude that statins reduce total LDL. And yes, they do reduce “total” LDL. They are also excellent anti-inflammatories, so they are not completely without merit. But I’m bent on you reducing Lp(a) and

Apo B, the dangerous subtypes of LDL known to raise risk for heart attack and stroke. A routine “lipid profile” ordered by your doctor wastes your money. Half the people who have heart attacks have normal total cholesterol. If your results show a low LDL (considered the bad particle), then you might assume you’re okay. But a low total LDL score doesn’t say much. Your triglycerides might be through the roof! You may have a huge concentration of dangerous Lp(a) and Apo B subtypes of LDL that are never measured in that basic lipid profile. Likewise, you may be happy with your high HDL cholesterol score, (HDL is considered a good cholesterol). But what if you have the wrong kind of HDL particles? Yeah, some HDL is bad, too. You would still be at very high risk. The better tests, sometimes covered by insurance, measure particle size, type and

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sometimes the actual number of LDL and py-treated patients still lit up, but were much duller in brightness, indicating less HDL particles. activity. That’s exactly what I urge you to ask your physi“chemo brain” sufferers comcian to order tests from Berkeplain about. ley HeartLab, a leader in this The researchers are not field. There’s also another one exactly sure why this hapcalled the “VAP Test” by pens. It could be related to exAtherotec Diagnostics and finalcessive cytokine production ly, the “NMR Lipoprofile” by Lior nerve unraveling (demyelipoScience. nation). Dear Pharmacist: But it validates so many of My friend has cancer and you who have asked me to is receiving chemotherapy. help you with memory loss, She’s responding well but DEAR PHARMACIST poor concentration, inability now has trouble with simple By Suzy Cohen to solve problems, and genermath, decision making, and al cognitive decline after reshe doesn’t finish her senceiving chemotherapy. tences. Can chemo do that? So how can this help your friend? First, — B.G. point out to her that her problem may get Dear B.G.: Scientists are still trying understand the better after completion of the chemo. phenomenon your friend describes, which Next, suggest she increase colorful fruits is often called “chemo brain.” Its cause has and vegetables in her diet, keeping it free evaded scientists, making it difficult to of anything refined or processed. Exercistreat. Even with an MRI scan, only minor ing 30 minutes a day can also help by shutdifferences in the brain are seen before tling more glucose to the brain. There are supplements at health food and after chemotherapy. In order to work, grow and think, your stores or online that nourish the brain, brain needs glucose, the fuel derived from providing more glucose and improved the food you eat. In fact, your noggin uses blood flow. She can ask her oncologist if more than 20 percent of your body’s glu- some of the following would be beneficial: cose. Knowing this, scientists recently vinpocetine, ginkgo biloba, bacopa, phosmade a discovery that should help chemo phatidylserine, coconut oil and DHA. In fact, anyone with memory loss should brain sufferers. Researchers at the University of Virginia ask their doctor about these supplements. This information is opinion only. It is not School of Medicine watched how the brain uses glucose in patients on chemo and in oth- intended to treat, cure or diagnose your coners. Using a PET scan along with CT scans, dition. Consult with your doctor before using they discovered that the regions of the brain any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist responsible for planning and decision-making normally light up brightly when glucose is uti- and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To lized. Interestingly, the brains of chemothera- contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

When your grandson wants to wear a skirt

Dear Solutions: ing plans for it. Then go — and enjoy. shedding a little light here and there and everything, but they’re afraid to follow My daughter, a recent widow, and her Dear Solutions: then moves on. The light is lovely to look through. They’re afraid they can’t live up to 5-year-old son have moved I have a friend who at, but don’t count on it for your electricity. the promise — and they’re right, they can’t. in with me so I can take care ever yone agrees is ver y These people are charming but irreEnjoy your friend, but lower your expecof him while she works full charming and delightful. sponsible. They’ll never be there for the tations because you can’t count on her. time. She’s agreeable and flatter- crunch. They’ll disappear in a crisis. © Helen Oxenberg, 2013. To inquire I don’t know whether we ing and great company. They want to be liked so they agree to about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684. have a problem or not. My The trouble is it’s very grandson keeps wanting to deceiving, because she’ll ◆ Personal Care & Hygiene Quality of Life Through wear a skirt. When I tell him volunteer to help out with ◆ Meal Preparation that boys wear pants and projects and then at the last Our Quality Home Care ◆ Light Housekeeping & Laundry girls wear skirts, he says minute find an excuse not ◆ Shopping Our trained, licensed and experienced girls wear pants all the time, to do them. It makes me ◆ Activity & Appointment Assistance SOLUTIONS caregivers are dedicated to making life and he’s right, of course. angry, and yet I don’t want ◆ Companionship safer and more enjoyable for individuals On Halloween he insisted By Helen Oxenberg, to give up her friendship. ◆ Medical Reminders needing help with daily living. on going as a witch. Is there MSW, ACSW I’m confused because I ◆ Exercise Assistance something we should be don’t think she really means C A E R M E O 301-879-2700 , IN We’re committed to providing doing now? What does this mean in to be dishonest. Can you explain this? TH www.athomecareinc.com excellent and affordable terms of who he will be in the future? — Carol 301-421-0200 assisted living in the comfort — Worried Dear Carol: Serving the Metropolitan area since 1977 of home. Dear Worried: Yes. She’s a firefly. She darts around It means he will be who he will be, and the less fuss and disapproval you show, the more chance he has of feeling good about himself no matter who he is in the future. It means you and his mother should set only necessary limits — such as he can’t wear a skirt to school even if girls do wear pants. Why? Because those are the rules. You might explain that there are other cultures where men wear skirts some of the time, but not in this country. You could then buy him a Scottish kilt, so it will be both a skirt and a costume. You might explain to him that if he wears a skirt among other children they may think it’s silly and laugh at him, so he should think about how he would feel about that. After that, just answer his questions as he asks them, not before. Relax and accept him lovingly for who he is. If you or your daughter would feel more comfortable, you might consult a child psychologist for more advice. Dear Solutions: My daughter, who is very generous but has been out of work for a while now, kept offering to pay for a lovely vacation the attitude that at any age, the moment is It will occupy your thoughts during the day for me for an upcoming birthday. I worth living and memories are worth cherishing. and keep you up at night. You’ll take a look thanked her but said no because I didThe medical, rehabilitative and therapeutic at every possibility. You’ll consider her needs n’t want her to spend the money when services that surround this new memory care and yours, and it will lead to the same conclushe’s not working. She got furious and residence are among the best in the nation. sion. You can no longer provide the care she started yelling at me that I never let her The environment within it is quite special. needs, but who will? do anything for me. That’s not true anyway, but I’m confused about why she’s We know there are few decisions more The new Cohen-Rosen House in Rockville fills reacting this way. difficult than the care of someone you love. today’s moments in a way that helps each I would think she’d appreciate that I Come talk to us and get the peace of mind resident feel successful, and each family feel at don’t want to spend her money. Why you need to make one of the most important ease. Here, people are respected as individuals. is she so angry at me? decisions of your life. All of our residents receive compassionate, — Her Mom professional care at the level they need, with Dear Her Mom: Because she’s a grownup and it’s her COHEN-ROSEN HOUSE money and her decision as to how she wants 301.816.5050 • www.cohen-rosen.org to spend it. When she yells, “You never let me do anything for you” she’s really also It Takes a Community. yelling, “You never let me feel good about myself” and “You never recognize that I’m an adult and can make my own decisions.” There’s an art to giving. There’s also an art to receiving. Tell her you’ve thought about her offer and that vacation sounds really great and you’re excited about mak-

Is it hard to imagine someone else caring for the person who took care of you?

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Money Law &

DON’T DROP LIFE INSURANCE You can sell your life insurance policy for cash or other benefits DO GOOD WITH $1,000 Be a philanthropist by setting up your own foundation fund with $1,000 STRIKING GOLD While gold has seen a meteoric rise, don’t overdo it in your portfolio WHERE TO STASH CASH Where to find the best rates for your savings in a low-interest environment

What to expect when preparing 2012 taxes By Carole Feldman Taxpayers preparing to file their 2012 returns can breathe a collective sigh of relief. The alternative minimum tax (AMT) has been patched — permanently — and several tax credits and deductions that technically expired at the end of 2011 were extended as part of the fiscal cliff legislation that Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law in January. “It certainly puts back into place many of the tax benefits that had expired for many people,” said Mark Steber, chief tax officer with Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. But the delay in congressional action could mean confusion for some taxpayers over what credits and deductions still exist. That could make going it alone on tax day costly. Experts say people should seek some guidance — whether it’s from a professional tax preparer, up-to-date software programs, or tax guides — before filing returns. The Internal Revenue Service began ac-

cepting returns Jan. 30, an eight-day delay necessitated by the late congressional action. “We have worked hard to open tax season as soon as possible,” IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller said in a statement. “This date ensures we have the time we need to update and test our processing systems.” The agency said most taxpayers — more than 120 million households — can file now. But filing for those claiming energy credits, depreciation of property, or general business credits will be delayed until late February or March.

Deductions and exemptions As people sit down to do their taxes this year, they’ll find that the standard deduction has been adjusted higher for inflation, to $11,900 for married couples filing jointly, $8,700 for heads of households, and $5,950 for single taxpayers. Each exemption (for taxpayers and their dependents) is worth $3,800 this year, up from $3,700 in 2011. Look expansively at

dependents beyond your children under 19 (or 24 if in college). For example, if you’re paying more than half the support for your parents and their taxable income is less than the $3,800 exemption, you might be able to claim them as dependents even if they’re not living in your own home. “When we say income over the exemption amount, we mean taxable income,” said Jackie Perlman, principal tax research analyst with H&R Block’s Tax Institute. “If a parent’s only income is Social Security, chances are little or none of the Social Security will be taxable. Otherwise, very few people would get to claim a parent.” Single taxpayers with qualified children or relatives as dependents also may be able to use head of household filing status, which is more advantageous to the taxpayer. There also are higher mileage rate deductions — 55.5 cents per mile if you use your car for business, 23 cents per mile for moving or medical issues, and 14 cents a

mile for charity. Capital gains rates are unchanged from 2011 — a maximum of 15 percent for assets held more than a year. And don’t forget planning for retirement. You can contribute up to $5,000 to a traditional individual retirement account — $6,000 for people age 50 and older — and reduce their income by that amount. If you haven’t made a contribution yet, there’s still time. You have until April 15, 2013, the tax filing deadline. Be aware, however. Many deductions and credits phase out at higher incomes. Dozens of credits and deductions that impact 2012 taxes had been due to expire at the end of 2011, but were extended as part of the legislation that restored the Bush tax cuts for most taxpayers.

AMT indexed to inflation The end-of-year legislation also breathed See 2012 TAXES, page 27

Scams targeting veterans are on the rise By Elliot Raphaelson There are thousands of “free lunch” seminars that attract large audiences. In 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority scrutinized 110 securities firms that presented free lunch seminars. Their report found that 100 percent of them were sales presentations, despite the fact that the majority were advertised as “educational.” The report also indicated that 50 percent of these meetings featured misleading advertising; 23 percent involved possibly unsuitable recommendations; and 13 percent appeared to be fraudulent. If you attend a free lunch seminar, and the products offered seem too good to be true, they probably are. For years, AARP has warned about “veterans’ advocates,” who in fact are unscrupulous investment advisers interested only in generating commissions for themselves. (See www.aarp.org/money/scamsfraud/info-03-2012/scam-targets-vetswa1889.html.) According to AARP, scams targeting veterans are increasing across the country. In

many instances, the advisers are not accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Veterans should never take advice about veterans’ benefits from an adviser who is not accredited by the VA.

ately wealthy retirees. Moreover, the annuity the advisers often recommend is a longterm investment inappropriate for most seniors, one that introduces serious inflexibility into their portfolios.

Benefits ploy

Medicaid missteps

One scam involves the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit. For certain senior veterans who served during wartime and their spouses, this benefit covers unreimbursed medical expenses and in-home care. In order to qualify, a veteran’s assets are considered. While there is no hard and fast limit, generally those with assets of more than $80,000 are excluded. Unscrupulous advisers often make presentations “educating” seniors who are too well off to qualify about how to reposition their assets using an annuity in an irrevocable trust in order to meet the program’s threshold. They tell senior vets that their assets will be safe and will pass to their heirs when they die. The sales pitch is inappropriate because the Aid and Attendance program was not designed to assist wealthy or even moder-

Another thing seniors may not realize is that by executing this subterfuge, they will be jeopardizing their chances to qualify for Medicaid if their health deteriorates and they must go to a nursing home. In most states, Medicaid requires applicants to indicate what they have done with their assets over the prior five years. Since an annuity purchase would be categorized as a nonexempt transfer, this would preclude the veteran from qualifying for Medicaid benefits. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has introduced a bill that would enforce a similar three-year lookback period for the Aid and Attendance benefit. This would essentially prevent vets who try the deferred annuity/irrevocable trust trick from qualifying. If the law is enacted, a vet could end up ineligible for Medicaid and for Aid and At-

tendance — and have his assets tied up inside in a trust with little flexibility. The only winner in this scenario is the “adviser” who generated a large commission for himself. For example, Neil Granger, a California consultant on investment fraud, reported to AARP that a $500,000 annuity sale could generate a $75,000 commission. In summary, the Aid and Attendance benefit was not put in place for every veteran who served in wartime. It is a special benefit for those veterans who do not have the financial resources to cover all their medical or in-home health care needs. If you are a veteran and believe you have been subject to fraud, report it to VeteranFraud@gmail.com. You can also call the VA hotline at 1-877-294-6380. If you are considering any investment because you were told it will provide an additional veteran’s benefit, do not make a commitment without verifying it independently with an elder-care attorney. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

2012 taxes From page 26 new life into deductions for state and local sales taxes and an array of education-related credits and deductions. Not to mention the AMT patch. “There was broad bipartisan agreement it had to be fixed,” Steber said. Originally set up to make sure millionaires were paying taxes, increasing numbers of middle-class taxpayers are now being caught up in the AMT. The tax has been adjusted for inflation every year, but the last patch expired at the end of 2011. Without a new one, Miller said in a letter to Congress last fall, about 33 million taxpayers would have to pay the AMT in 2012, up from about 4 million in 2011. Congress, as part of the fiscal cliff bill, passed a permanent fix for the AMT. Going forward, it will be indexed according to inflation. For 2012, the AMT exemption is $50,600 for unmarried individuals and $78,750 for joint filers. “It’s not just that they passed the threshold amount and indexed it for inflation,” said Kathy Pickering, executive director of H&R Block’s Tax institute. “The other nugget in there is that the nonrefundable credits are allowed.” That means filers subject to the AMT may still be able to use these credits, as long as their income doesn’t exceed the phase-out limits. The fiscal cliff bill signed by Obama also

extends the $1,000 per child tax credit, the expanded earned income tax credit, and the credit for adopting a child. Several education-related credits and deductions also were extended in the legislation. The American Opportunity Tax Credit can be worth up to $2,500 for college tuition. The credit, which can be claimed for each of the first four years of college, was extended through 2017. Elementary and secondary school teachers will still be able to deduct up to $250 of their out-of-pocket expenses for the classroom. And taxpayers will have the choice of deducting state and local sales taxes instead of state and local income taxes. This is especially important to residents of states like Florida, which doesn’t have an income tax.

Storm damage losses For people in the Northeast, Superstorm Sandy may have left them with a casualty loss that will lower their taxes or increase their refund. Tax law allows victims in federally declared disaster areas to file casualty claims in the year the incident happened or file an amended return for the previous year. If they don’t have all the material they need yet to file 2012 returns, they can amend their 2011 return now to include the casualty losses. That’s just one of the reasons people

file amended returns. Amended returns are often filed when taxpayers discover discrepancies in the income that was reported. Sometimes they receive a 1099 form late or a corrected one after they filed their returns. Or they may discover that they didn’t take a deduction or credit to which they were entitled. Some people are reluctant to file amended returns out of fear that they might be

audited. According to Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst for CCH, while the IRS closely guards statistics on what type of returns invite audits, “an amended return would not necessarily be an invitation for an audit,” he said. “It depends what’s contained in there,” said Greg Rosica, a partner at Ernst & Young. “If it’s a very large refund, it could get a different level of review.” — AP

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

SIMPLY

DIFFERENT You’ll see it as soon as you turn onto our scenic drive through lush pastures and hardwood forest. You’ll hear it in the birdsong, breeze and peaceful absence of city noise. You’ll feel it in the friendly manner of people who thrive in a gracious quality of life. This community hums with warmhearted camaraderie and a zest for living shared by residents and staff alike—in independent living, assisted living, memory support, rehabilitative care and nursing care.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Make your life insurance work for you now By Sandra Block If you need money now and don’t need to preserve your life insurance policy for a spouse or children, you may be able to sell your cash-value policy to an investor. Lifesettlement companies buy policies for cash, continue to pay the premiums, and collect the death benefit when the insured individual dies. The size of the settlement varies, depending on the size of the premiums and the policyholder’s life expectancy, said Bryan Freeman, founder of Habersham Funding, a life-settlement company. The settlement amount is typically 12 to 25 percent of the death benefit, although someone with a terminal illness and low premiums may receive up to 60 percent of the death benefit, said Freeman. Here’s an example: A 73-year-old man had a universal life policy he purchased in 2003. The policy had a $2 million death benefit and cost him nearly $40,000 in annual premiums. He sold the policy to the Lifeline Program, one of the largest lifesettlement companies, for $515,000 — more than twice its cash value of $250,000.

Not for everyone If you’re in your 50s and feeling fine, this isn’t an option for you. Brokers are primarily interested in policyholders who are in their 70s, or younger if they have a serious illness, said Darwin Bayston, executive director of the Life Insurance Settlement Association. And that’s the reason life settlements make many people uneasy. Investors profit from your death, and the sooner it occurs, the more money they make. You’ll be asked to provide detailed information about your health and give the life-settlement company ongoing access to your medical records. Be aware that taxation of life-settlement payouts remains murky, and legislation to clarify the issue has languished in Congress. Most people who sell their insurance policies work with an independent insurance broker, who negotiates with buyers on their behalf. A financial adviser with experience in insurance products may be able to refer you to a broker. Once you’ve received a referral, contact your state insurance department to find out whether the broker is licensed — a re-

quirement in most states. Your state insurance regulator can also tell you whether a broker has a record of complaints. Avoid brokers who base their commissions on the death benefit instead of the amount of the settlement. You should expect to pay about 10 percent of the settlement amount in fees, Bayston said. If you’re willing to do the legwork yourself, you can save money by contacting lifesettlement companies directly. (Find a list of companies through your state insurance commission or at the Life Insurance Settlement Association’s Web site, www.lisa.org.)

Other options exist There are other options to profit from a life insurance policy you no longer need. Through what’s known as a 1035 exchange, you can convert it into an income annuity without paying taxes on your gains. You’ll no longer have to pay premiums, and you’ll lock in income for the rest of your life (or a specific number of years). The conversion is tax-free, but you’ll pay taxes on a portion of each payout, based on the proportion of your basis to your gains. To compare annuity payouts, go to

www.immediateannuities.com. A financial planner with experience in the insurance industry can help you select the best payout.

Long-term care coverage You can also exchange a life insurance policy for long-term care insurance taxfree. And because long-term care benefits aren’t taxable, you’ll never pay taxes on your gains. Unfortunately, few long-term care insurers allow you to pay for your coverage with a lump sum. That means you must arrange a partial exchange every year to pay the annual insurance premiums, and only a handful of long-term care insurers — including Genworth and Northwestern Mutual — have systems in place to support partial exchanges. Another option is to exchange your policy for one that combines life insurance with long-term care coverage. Lincoln Financial’s MoneyGuard Reserve Plus policy, for example, provides a pool of funds that can be used for long-term care or a death benefit. See LIFE INSURANCE, page 32

BEACON BITS

Feb. 14

SUPREME COURT DOCENT GIVES LECTURE Supreme Court docent Bennett Gold will speak to members of the

Senior Hazak Program on Thursday, Feb. 14, at B’nai Israel Congregation, 6301 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. A lunch will be served at noon, with the free presentation beginning at 12:30 p.m. For more information, call Jo at (301) 881-6550.

Feb. 13

HOW TO REPAIR YOUR CREDIT RECORD Today, credit checks are required not only when applying for a loan or a credit card but also when applying for a rental lease and even

some jobs. Housing Counseling Services, Inc., a nonprofit agency, offers free Money Matters workshops on how to repair and improve credit. The next workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13th, at 6 p.m. at 2410 17th St. NW,

Did you know?

Suite 100, Washington, D.C. For more information, call (202) 667-7006.

You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents. Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans: Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers at no charge. Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also, customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced rate of $1.00 per month. • Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. Rates as stated here are effective as of September 1, 2011. But, the rates and other terms are subject to change in the future.

Link-Up America Link-Up America Link-Up America is for District residents who are eligible for social service assistance. New customers or customers who move to a new address may qualify for a 50 percent reduction in service connection charges.

Contact DDOE at 311 to apply To learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Be an effective philanthropist for $1,000 You don’t need a fortune to be a philanthropist. Here are a few ideas on how you can make a difference with a modest amount of money. • Start a charitable fund. A number of community foundations let you funnel as little as $1,000 a year into donor-advised funds, sometimes called acorn funds, that build value over time and let you choose the recipient of your largesse. You contribute cash, stocks or other property — and take a tax deduction for your contribution each year — until you reach a certain threshold, typically $5,000 or $10,000. After that, you recommend an IRS-approved charity to the community foundation trustees. Although you no longer have direct control over the gift, the foundation usually respects your wishes. You can find a directory of community foundations nationwide at www.cof.org/locator. • Give to a classroom, What better way to spend your charitable dollars than to help teachers help kids? At DonorsChoose.org, you get your pick of teacher-proposed projects — from outfitting a media center with computer chairs to buying magazine sub-

scriptions for seventh-graders. You can donate to one project or spread the wealth among several. DonorsChoose makes the purchase and sends it to the teacher. For your contribution, which is tax-deductible, you’ll get pictures of the students and feedback on how the project is helping them. • Volunteer on vacation. Use your next vacation to give something back. The Sierra Club offers environmental and historical-preservation trips throughout the U.S. starting at about $400. For example, the program fee is $545 for a weeklong habitat-restoration project in May to remove non-native plants in Point Reyes National Seashore, in California. Round-trip flights from Washington, D.C., or New York City to San Francisco run about $300. Meals and accommodations in a rustic boathouse are included. Other week-long projects include wildlife habitat work in Arizona’s Altar Valley ($695) and restoration of historic homesteads in Antietam National Battlefield, in Maryland ($695). You can even be an angel investor for as

little as $100. Thanks to the government’s approval in 2012 of “crowdfunding” as a way for businesses to raise capital, it’s easier than ever (not to mention cheaper) to invest in new companies. Upstart (www.upstart.com) allows you to give money to entrepreneurial college graduates from a pool of 30 universities, including Harvard, Stanford and MIT. You can invest in $100 increments in one “upstart” or as many as you choose. You’ll receive a modest portion of the company’s income — up to an annual rate of return of 14.99 percent — for 10 years

(you could also lose your stake if the project goes under). You can also contribute to projects through Kickstarter, which focuses more on creative individuals who want to raise money to produce films, music and art. The biggest difference from Upstart: Kickstarter projects keep 100 percent of the funding, so there’s no financial return to backers. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

BEACON BITS

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Should gold play a role in your portfolio? By Elliot Raphaelson In times of great volatility in the stock and bond markets, investor interest spikes in commodities such as gold. Indeed, ever since the global economic turmoil began more than four years ago, gold has had quite a run. While the one-year return to mid-January was just 3.21 percent, the three-year annualized return was 17.62 percent, and the five-year was 16.25 percent. It’s hard to say if or how long gold can sustain its upward march. Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of the giant money management firm PIMCO, opined in September that gold would outperform stocks and bonds over

the next few years. He is a large holder of the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD), which he purchases for PIMCO’s Commodity Real Return Strategy funds. (I have held one of these funds for several years as a small part of my portfolio.) On the other hand, the price of gold has fallen 9.4 percent from its October 2012 highs. I believe that some investment in commodities is prudent to protect against inflation. However, I do not recommend that investors, especially retirees, invest a high percentage of their portfolio in commodities. Commodity prices are volatile, and you will not be earning income. Personally, I

have restricted my investment in commodities to a maximum of 5 percent, and I think that’s a good rule of thumb for most investors. If you do invest in commodities, it is very important to understand the fundamental factors that affect their prices.

Inflation: There has not been a strong long-term correlation between inflation and gold prices. The authors believe that there are two fundamental reasons. First, gold is not consumed like other products, and accordingly it responds to purchasing power differently. Secondly, gold must compete for yields when an economy is growing, which is often when inflation is at its highest. If inflation occurs during a period of growth, confidence is likely to be high, which will make gold a relatively unattractive investment. If inflation is very high during a period of low confidence and high levels of fear, you should expect gold prices to increase

What determines price? For those interested in gold, I highly recommend reading All About Investing in Gold (McGraw Hill, 2011) by John Jagerson and S. Wade Hansen. The authors examine five fundamental factors that affect gold prices: inflation, currency fluctuations, global risk discounting, interest rates, and gold supply and demand. I’ll elaborate on these factors briefly.

See GOLD, page 34

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However, some long-term care riders don’t pay benefits unless a doctor certifies that you are terminally ill, said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. A financial planner can help you find a policy that suits your needs. Look for a planner who works with more than one insurer and has experience in both longterm care and life insurance planning. You can also get information from a specialist at the American Association for LongTerm Care Insurance, at www.aaltci.org. Sandra Block is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. Kiplinger’s has a new service to pinpoint the ideal time to claim Social Security to maximize benefits. Visit http://kiplinger.socialsecuritysolutions.com. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

From page 30 “If you [ultimately] don’t need longterm care coverage, there’s still a death benefit that’s passed to heirs,” said Mike Hamilton, vice-president for institutional product management at Lincoln. Or you could exchange your policy for one that includes a long-term care insurance rider. If you need long-term care, the policy will typically withdraw money from the death benefit. If that fund is exhausted, the rider kicks in, generally extending coverage for another two to four years. Make sure you understand the terms of these policies, which may have restrictions. Long-term care insurance typically becomes available once you need help with at least two daily activities, such as bathing and dressing.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

What are good places to stash your cash? By Lisa Gerstner The yields you earn at safe places to stash your savings are dismal, and they probably won’t improve for at least a couple of years. The options below, all of which are federally insured, are among the top-yielding accounts in the U.S. You can also search for accounts nationwide and in your region at sites such as Bankrate.com, DepositAccounts.com and NerdWallet.com.

Money market accounts Fee-free money market deposit accounts and savings accounts are good places for your emergency fund or for cash that you may need in a hurry. The Sallie Mae Money Market account (www.salliemae.com) pays 1.05 percent with no minimum balance and no monthly fee. Earn 1 percent with a Barclays Online Savings account (www.banking.barclaysus.com) with no minimum balance or monthly fee. The no-fee ableBanking Money Market account (www.ablebanking.com; $1,000 to open an account) offers a 0.96-percent

yield, plus the bank will donate an extra 0.25 percent of your balance to a charity of your choice each year.

Credit union accounts The Lake Michigan Credit Union Max Checking account pays 3 percent on balances of up to $15,000 (www.lmcu.org; join with a $5 donation to the West Michigan chapter of the ALS Association and a $5 minimum deposit in a savings account). You must set up a direct deposit, make 10 debit card purchases monthly, and sign up for online statements and notices. The ABCO Federal Credit Union’s Premiere Checking account (www.goabco.org) has similar requirements and pays 2.52 percent on up to $25,000.

Certificates of deposit Certificates of deposit pay higher rates than money market and savings accounts. But don’t lock up all your cash in longterm CDs in case interest rates rise down the road; stick with high-yielding CDs with terms of three years or less. Melrose Credit Union (www.melrose-

cu.org; join with a one-time $1 membership fee and a $25 minimum deposit in a savings account) recently paid 1.46 percent on a three-year CD with a $5,000 minimum deposit. Another option: high-yield CDs with minimal early-withdrawal penalties. You’ll lose only the previous 60 days’ worth of interest if you withdraw early from an Ally Bank High Yield Certificate of Deposit (www.ally.com). The five-year CD recently yielded 1.64 percent.

Inflation-protected bonds I-bonds, which are savings bonds tied to the consumer price index, are worth considering. They currently yield 1.76 percent

— combining a guaranteed rate (currently 0 percent), which is fixed for the life of the bond, and an inflation-based rate that adjusts each May and November. You may withdraw the money after one year, but you’ll lose the previous three months’ interest if you do it before the bond’s five-year maturity. An individual may buy from $25 to $10,000 in I-bonds per calendar year at www.treasurydirect.gov. Lisa Gerstner is a staf f writer at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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Gold From page 32 very quickly. The bottom line is that inflation is a factor, but not just any kind of inflation will do.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Currency fluctuations: Exchange rate fluctuations reliably affect the long-term value of gold. When the dollar is weakening against other major currencies, gold prices should be rising. If inflation is higher outside the United States, however, we

BEACON BITS

Feb. 12

TAKE THE BITE OUT OF YOUR GROCERY BILL SNAP, the federally-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-

gram, helps people with low-income purchase groceries. The annual range in benefits for a single person is $192-$1,428. Fairfax County is sponsoring a presentation introducing SNAP to older adults on Tuesday, February 12 at 10 a.m. at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace St., Herndon, Va. After the presentation, you can schedule an appointment with trained staff and volunteers for assistance applying for SNAP. Appointments will be scheduled for Friday, February 15 at the center. For more information, call (703) 464-6200.

may see a flight into U.S. dollar-denominated assets, which would create a stronger dollar, which could inhibit gold prices. Global risk discounting: War, or the threat of war, is the most significant source of uncertainty for investors. Gold is seen as a safe-haven investment and tends to do well when investors are most fearful. War is also associated with other factors that will drive up prices, including excess spending, money printing and political instability. Interest rates: Individual investors should not expect to earn income from gold investments. Accordingly, gold prices will be sensitive to alternatives that offer income, such as bonds and dividend-yielding stocks. Higher yields on bonds will have a bearish effect on gold prices, especially when the economy is good. Gold supply and demand: Overall, Jagerson and Hansen feel that in the near future there will be a net increase in demand over supply. However, they point out

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that a good gold investor should be aware of potential changes on both the supply and demand sides of the gold market.

How to invest in gold There are relatively safe and straightforward ways to buy gold. Jagerson and Hansen point out that the characteristics of good investment products are more or less universal: low cost, liquidity and efficiency. The authors discuss the following options: 1) exchange-traded funds (ETFs), especially ones that hold bullion, 2) goldmining stocks and 3) stock options. Bullion ETFs are convenient, liquid and efficient. Most are passively managed or indexed and come very close to matching the index or underlying asset they are following. Fees are as low as 0.25 percent per year. Gold ETFs are set up to minimize your tax liability. You pay taxes on your gains when you sell, not when managers make an adjustment in holdings. You can hold them in tax-sheltered accounts. Jagerson and Hansen recommend two gold bullion ETFs: GLD and the iShares Gold Trust ETF (IAU). GLD is the largest physically backed gold exchange-traded fund in the world. Remember: The price of gold, as with most commodities, is very volatile. It is a hedge against high inflation, and it provides protection against central banks printing too much money. It is not a substitute for a diversified portfolio. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 20

EXPLORE FUNERAL-PLANNING OPTIONS

Thom Norris from the Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home will discuss how to plan for one of life’s largest expenses at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20. The free presentation will be held at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington, Va. For reservations, call (703) 228-5722.

Ongoing

EXHIBIT OF WORKS BY ALEXANDRIA PAINTER

The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Society is exhibiting works by Alexandria artist Frances Seeger through Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Athenaeum Gallery, 201 Prince St., Alexandria, Va. Seeger has been painting and exhibiting in the Washington DC area since the 1960s. The show is free and features Seeger’s larger figural paintings. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (703) 548-0035 or visit www.nvfaa.org.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXIV, ISSUE 2

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE By John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA In last month’s issue of “Spotlight on Aging,” I highlighted our Ambassador Program and how we plan to offer opportunities for the Office on Aging Ambassadors to become involved in a meaningful way through volunteerism. In this month’s issue, I will discuss the valuable role an ambassador can play in changing the lives of our District’s seniors and persons with disabilities. I trust that by the end of this story, you will be convinced that you can make a difference and will be energized to partner with the Office on Aging. I have a cousin who suffered from a stroke and was in an intensive care unit for a short period of time until she was admitted into a nursing home for rehabilitation service for what was considered a short-term stay. However, two years later, she is still in a nursing home spending nearly $7,000 of her retirement money on institutional services. She desires to return home, but does not have family members in her immediate area advocating for her or simply understanding how to get her home. Therefore, she remains in a nursing home and does not know how to begin the nursing home transition process. After learning of her story and her desire to return home, I visited my cousin in late December, and she explained her situation to me. As I listened to her, I learned that she was anxious to return to the residence she has called home, where she lived for more than 50 years, raising her children, spending many holidays cooking and baking in her kitchen, and gathering with family and friends by her fireplace. She no longer felt that she should remain in a nursing home, where she simply did not participate in the social activities offered at the facility. She explained to me that her days were spent looking out of the window of her single-occupancy room without any meaningful tasks. Based on my visit to the nursing home, I immediately connected with the Options Counselor for the local Area Agency on Aging (similar to the work of the D.C. Office on Aging) in Fayetteville and explained my cousin’s situation to her. In a matter of a week, the Options Counselor met with my cousin, reviewed her medical files, assessed my cousin, and offered her viable solutions in helping her to transition back home. This is exciting news for my cousin! I am hoping that she can return to her home within the next 30 days. You may know of someone in a similar situation as my cousin or someone in a hospital who needs home- and community-based services upon discharge, or someone in his/her home who needs services to remain in the community. If so, you can help as an Ambassador! My experience in working with my cousin has been an easy and rewarding one, and I am confident that you will experience the same joy and excitement in helping someone. Please contact us at 202-724-5622 to enroll in an Office on Aging Ambassador Training Program.

February 2013

Searching for Ms. Senior D.C. 2013 We are looking for Ms. Senior D.C. 2013. If you know of a senior woman who is active in her community, elegant, and possesses a talent that she would like to share, please make sure she is entered in the Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant 2013. For more information or to receive an application, call 202-724-5626. Shown at right, Ms. Senior D.C. 2012, Mary L. McCoy.

Dr. John M. Thompson, Executive Director of the D.C. Office on Aging, brought greetings to residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event with the Retired and Seniors Volunteer Program and Senior Works Internship Program volunteers. Residents were treated to entertainment through dance and song by members of the D.C. Seniors Cameo Club and others. Family Matters of Greater Washington sponsored the event.

DCOA Provides Options Counseling Options Counseling provides individuals, family members and/or significant others with support in their decisions to determine appropriate choices. During this process, a written plan for receiving community resources is developed based on an individual’s needs, preferences, values and circumstances. This service is available regardless of income or financial assets. The ADRC Options Counselor also provides clients with: • A “live” voice that listens and under-

stands the client’s needs • Respectful and truthful guidance • Knowledgeable & responsive staff • Thoughtful client follow-up, including a consumer satisfaction survey If you are: • In a nursing home • In the hospital • Or in your own home Contact the D.C. Office on Aging Information and Assistance Line at 202-724-5626 for more information about counseling services or to make an appointment.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

D.C. OFFICE

AGING NEWSLETTER

Winter Fire Safety Tips from the U.S. Fire Administration The high costs of home heating fuels and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternate sources of home heating. The use of wood burning stoves is growing, and space heaters are selling rapidly, or coming out of storage. Fireplaces are burning wood and manmade logs. All these methods of heating may be acceptable. They are, however, a major contributing factor in residential fires. Many of these fires can be prevented. The following fire safety tips can help you maintain a fire-safe home this winter.

Wood Stoves and Fireplaces Wood stoves and fireplaces are becoming a very common heat source in homes. Careful attention to safety can minimize their fire hazard. To use them safely: Be sure the fireplace or stove is installed properly. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (36”) from combustible surfaces and proper floor support and protection. Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid construction and design, and should be laboratory tested. Have the chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time. Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire. Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace opening to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out, unwanted material from going in, and help prevent the possibility of burns to occupants.

Wood stoves should be burned hot twice a day for 15 to 30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.

Fire Safety Tips for the Home Don’t use excessive amounts of paper to build fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire. Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide. Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite these materials. Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house. If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on the package. NEVER break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire, or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.

Furnace Heating It is important that you have your furnace inspected to ensure that it is in good working condition. Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition. Leave furnace repairs to qualified specialists. Do not attempt repairs yourself unless you are qualified. Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line. If the wall is hot or discolored, additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required. Check the flue pipe and pipe seams. Are they well supported and free of holes and cracks? Soot along or around seams may be an indicator of a leak. Is the chimney solid, with cracks or loose bricks? All unused flue openings should be sealed with solid masonry. Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system.

Other Fire Safety Tips Never discard hot ashes inside or near the home. Place them in a metal container outside and well away from the house. Never use a range or an oven as

a supplemental heating device. Not only is it a safety hazard, it can be a source of potentially toxic fumes. If you use an electric heater, be sure not to overload the circuit. Only use extension cords that have the necessary rating to carry an amp load. Tip: Choose an extension cord the same size or larger than the appliance electrical cord. Avoid using electrical space heaters in bathrooms or other areas where they may come in contact with water. Frozen water pipes? Never try to thaw them with a blow torch or other open flame, otherwise the pipe could conduct the heat and ignite the wall structure inside the wall space. Use hot water or a laboratory tested device, such as a hand-held dryer, for thawing. If windows are used as emergency exits in your home, practice using them in the event fire should strike. Be sure that all the windows open easily. Home escape ladders are recommended. If there is a fire hydrant near your home, you can assist the fire department by keeping the hydrant clear of snow so in the event it is needed, it can be located. Finally, be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm, and be sure to check and clean it on a monthly basis. Plan and practice a home escape plan with your family. Contact your local fire department for advice if you have a question on home fire safety.

Helping Seniors in the Community Do you need a bedroom, kitchen or bath painted? Do you need to replace damaged drywall, mend a wood fence or have small house repairs? If your answer is yes and you can afford to purchase the paint or building materials for any job that does not require a DCRA building permit, this is your lucky day! The D.C. Office on Aging, in collaboration with Youth Build Public Charter

School, has developed an intergenerational program to help seniors in the community. Youth Build is providing the labor to help seniors and older adults who have disabilities repair or paint their homes. If you are a resident and a senior living in one of the District of Columbia’s eight wards, you qualify to get your home fixed at No Cost for the labor; all you need is pay for the materials.

We will visit your home or apartment with the Youth Build Construction Manager to conduct a scope of work and provide you with a cost estimate for your material. Youth Build Public Charter School offers on-the-job training programs while helping the students obtain their GED and learn a viable trade. The school will use its Workforce Construction team, supervised by a profes-

sional project manager, to improve your home. Visit its website www.youthbuildpcs.org to learn more about the school. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. To take advantage of this wonderful service, please contact the DC Office on Aging at 202-724-5626 or you can email: dcoa@dc.gov to register and get started.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

D.C. OFFICE

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar February events

19th+ • 1 to 3 p.m.

5th • 7 p.m. District Address at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

7th • 11:30 a.m. Take a “Healthy Heart Seminar” at Ft. Lincoln 2 Senior Nutrition Site, 3001 Bladensburg Rd. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

8th • 10 a.m. Attend a Valentine’s Day event for Ward 5’s older adults sponsored by Seabury Resources for Aging at 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

13th • 11:30 a.m.

Iona Senior Services will present “Opera Gems,” a six-week class presented in partnership with the Washington Concert Opera. The fee is $60. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW. To register, call 202-895-9448.

21st • 10 a.m. The Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired will present a black history program at 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

Nominate a Senior for Links Award community service contributions. For consideration, nominations must be received by Feb. 27. For further information and to obtain nomination forms, please contact Stephanie Myers at 202-327-4301 or by email at rjmpub@earthlink.net

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center will present “Saluting African American Women.” The center is located at 1901 Evarts St. NE. For more information, contact Monica Carroll at 202-635-1900.

March & April events

20th • 10 a.m. The Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center and the Office on Aging will host a Black History Month celebration, “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington,” at Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center, 324 Kennedy St. NW. For more information, call 202-291-6170.

An elder abuse seminar titled “An Age for Justice” will be presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office at Edgewood Terrace Senior Nutrition Site, 635 Edgewood St. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

The Capital City Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, a volunteer community service organization, has announced that it will accept nominations for its 2013 “Sage Senior Award” honoring Greater Washington Area seniors who are 70 years of age and older for outstanding

27th • 10:15 a.m.

March 4, 11 & 18 • 6 to 7:30 p.m. Iona Senior Services holds a class called “Living with Middle Stage Alzheimer’s, for Caregivers.” The free class is designed to provide caregivers with the knowledge, tools and strategies needed to cope. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW. To register, call 202-895-9448.

April 27+ The Washington Seniors Wellness Center is sponsoring a nine-day, eight-night trip to Branson, Mo. from April 27 to May 5. The fee is $739 per person double occupancy. The trip departs from the Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave. SE, at 8 a.m. on April 27. For more information or to sign up, contact Helen Clarke at 202-581-9355.

SEEKING: District Centenarians

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher. 500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA Executive Director Darlene Nowlin, Editor Selma Dillard Photographer The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, nation-

al origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is

The District is searching for residents who are age 100 or older to honor during an event planned for this spring. If you know of residents who have celebrated their centennial birthday by March 30, please call Darlene Nowlin or Courtney Williams at (202) 724-5626 or you may email: dcoa.communications@dc.gov. When registering centenarians, please make sure you know the name, birth date and contact information for each individual.

in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Government of the District of Columbia Vincent C. Gray, Mayor

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Careers Volunteers &

Did you (or someone you know) change careers, start a business or go back to school after retirement? Please share your story. Email info@theBeaconNewspapers.com or call Barbara at (301) 949-9766.

Volunteer at a working mill in Rock Creek for sales of books and souvenirs. Docents provide service during the annual candlelight tours organized by the Park Service.

A new lease on life The mill began operating again in October 2011, after a 20-year shutdown. The restoration was led by the Friends of Peirce Mill, a nonprofit organization that helped raise $3 million to complete the overhaul of the wooden machinery and install an advanced pumping system at the 200-year-old mill. Richard Abbott, a retired international agricultural consultant, founded the Friends group in 1997 and saw the effort through the final days of the restoration. “Visitors can again experience the sights and sounds of a 19th century waterpowered flour mill,” once prominent in almost every town and village, Abbott said. More than 10,000 people have toured the mill since the 2011 re-opening, demonstrating that the site remains a prominent destination in the park. The mill ended its commercial life in 1897, and was subsequently operated as a teahouse where Washingtonians could

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Ongoing

LEAD EXERCISE CLASSES

Volunteers are needed to lead free Bone Builders exercise classes in Montgomery County, which help prevent falls and fractures caused by osteoporosis. Activities include demonstrating the exercises, encouraging and assisting participants, and ensuring a safe and clutter-free environment. Volunteer leaders free training, ongoing support and supervision. Bone Builders is sponsored by Montgomery County’s RSVP program and Aging and Disability Services. For more information about upcoming training, contact Dawn Praske at (240) 777-3043 or dawn.praske@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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PHOTO BY STEVE DRYDEN

By Steve Dryden Philip Gaudette’s grandfather once made mill equipment, so Gaudette finds it fitting that he now volunteers at the newlyrestored Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. “For me, the mill is a connection to a time before Pepco, when the local economy depended on the technology of water power,” said Gaudette, who lives in the District. “I have a photograph of my grandfather, who died before I was born, making the wide belts that are used to transfer power in old mills.” More volunteers are needed to serve as docents and work with the National Park Service on further improvements at the site. The docents welcome visitors and answer questions about the history and operation of the mill, while Park Service staff run the waterwheel and grind corn and wheat. Other tasks range from helping to sweep and clean up the mill, to light weeding on the grounds. Volunteers may also be assigned to greet people at the Peirce Barn Visitors Center next to the mill, and act as a cashier

Mason Maddox demonstrates the workings of Peirce Mill to visitors. Volunteers are needed to welcome visitors and tell them about the history of the 200-year-old grain mill, located in Rock Creek Park.

enjoy refreshment and watch Rock Creek. That was the era in which the current dam was constructed to provide visual interest and the sounds of a waterfall for patrons.

In the 1930s, the Interior Department used the Works Progress Administration See PEIRCE MILL, page 40

Volunteers & Careers | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Peirce Mill

Feb. 28

VOLUNTEER WITH PARKS AND RECREATION

From page 39

Learn about volunteer opportunities available through Arlington

(WPA) to restore the mill as a working example of early American industrial development and a reminder of Washington’s agricultural legacy. Over the years, the mill became a popular National Park Service site for school visits, as well as a source for freshly-ground whole grain flour. The recipe editor for the old Washington Times-Herald wrote in 1940 that the mill managers produced “special bread that contains the live wheat germ, one of the few sources of the precious vitamin E. I’m terribly proud that we’re making this health-giving bread right here in Washington.”

County’s Parks and Recreation Department. Milada Weaver, volunteer program specialist, will discuss volunteer options, how to apply, and benefits to the community at 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., Arlington, Va. To register, call (703) 228-0955.

HELP WITH MONEY MANAGEMENT

Ongoing

Volunteers are needed to help seniors balance their checkbooks, prepare checks, ensure bills are paid on time and keep track of fi-

nances. Clients are often homebound, disabled, visually impaired or forgetful. Volunteers visit a client’s home once or twice a month, should have a solid knowl-

Teaching a new generation

edge of household budgeting, and be patient, friendly and organized. For more in-

Last spring, the first elementary school classes came to the mill for curriculumbased lessons in waterpower, gravity, sim-

formation and to receive a volunteer application, contact Marcia Custer at (301)

ple machinery — and nutrition. The school visits were organized by the Friends, who are playing a co-management role with the Park Service. Other activities included the planting of the first apple trees in a partial reestablishment of the Peirce Plantation orchard. In the 19th century, the orchard sold 50 varieties of eating and cider apples. Until April, volunteers will work primarily on weekends, when the mill is open between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. There may be weekday hours in the warmer months, depending on Park Service plans. To learn more about volunteering, contact Steve Dryden at (301) 512-5899 or jsdryden@comcast.net. Further information can be found at www.peircemill-friends.org. Steve Dryden is program manager for Friends of Peirce Mill and author of Peirce Mill: Two Hundred Years in the Nation’s Capital.

962-1829, ext. 14, or marcia.custer@seniorconnectionmc.org.

BEACON BITS SHARE YOUR MUSICAL TALENT

Ongoing

A volunteer musician is being sought to play soothing music for members of the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace St., Herndon,

Ongoing

DO YOU SPEAK ARABIC OR RUSSIAN? Fairfax County needs a volunteer who speaks Arabic to provide so-

cial visits to an elder in Reston four hours each month. It is also seeking a volunteer who speaks Russian to visit and grocery shop for an older adult in Reston.

Va. The facility has a piano. For more information, call Fairfax County’s Volunteer Solutions at (703) 324-5406, visit VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.gov, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and click on “Volunteer Solutions.”

Contact Fairfax County’s Volunteer Solutions at (703) 324-5406, VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit Volunteer Solutions at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and click on volunteers.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"#$%!&'()!*+,,'-!*(,.!+/!01.2'3'4'5,!06(-78!! !

In partnership with the Commission on Aging and The Beacon newspaper,!Montgomery County government annually honors two residents age 60 and better whose lifetime of volunteer service and commitment to Montgomery County make them outstanding role models for young and old alike. This annual award is named in memory of former County Councilmember, County Executive and activist, Neal Potter, and is presented at the!Montgomery Serves Awards gala. The event is organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center, Fund for Montgomery, and the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery CALL FOR NOMINATIONS. DEADLINE: February 25, 2013 5 p.m.! • • • • •

The nominee must have lived, worked, or served in Montgomery County during their time of service. The nominee must be 60 years of age or better. The nomination should focus on volunteer service performed over a lifetime. Past winners and current members of the County's Commission on Aging are ineligible. See our website, www.montgomeryserves.org, for these lists. To submit a nomination online, visit www.montgomeryserves.org, click on “service awards” and open the Neal Potter nomination form.

If you are unable to submit a nomination online, contact Kathleen Meaney Stobie at the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2612 or kathleen.stobie@montgomerycountymd.gov. ! ! Winners will be announced in mid-March and celebrated at the Montgomery Serves Awards gala on April 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Brief video documentaries of each award winner will be created and aired at the Awards ceremony. The event is free and registrations can be made at www.montgomeryserves.org after February 11, 2013. Questions? Please email serviceawards@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-2600.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Home care From page 1 Montgomery County, a tax-exempt, public charity made up of charitable giving funds established by individuals, families, corporations and other organizations. [For information on how individuals can contribute through such foundations, see “Be an effective philanthropist for $1,000” on page 31.] In addition to Kursban’s personal contributions to the foundation, Family & Nursing Care staff members also make voluntary contributions, as do individual donors, including clients’ families.

Aging in place Receiving just a few hours of care a week is all some frail seniors need, according to Marla Lahat, executive director of Home Care Partners, based in Washington, D.C. “When we get a grant from Family & Nursing Care, it makes all the difference for some people who otherwise wouldn’t get the care to stay in their own homes,” Lahat said. “That’s the bottom line. Without this care, they would end up in a nursing home. It makes a huge, huge difference.” That’s been the case for Jimmy Petty, whose Home Care Partners aide Arlene Graham visits him twice a week. She cajoles him to eat, washes his dishes and clothes, and helps him shower. “Mr. Petty has such a wonderful smile. I really enjoy coming in to help him,” she said. And Calvin Muse is especially happy. “[These] guys have really bridged the gap for me. I appreciate Arlene so much. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he said. The Foundation’s support helped Petty

for months, until he came off the waiting list for a Medicaid waiver, which now provides for his home care and other needed services.

Bonding with caregivers Other clients who receive support from foundation-funded aides have similar stories. Neeko Akpan, another Waverly House resident, said he’s “always been as independent as could be.” But when his prostate cancer spread to his bones and he needed spinal surgery two years ago, he found he needed help with everyday tasks. “There were some days I couldn’t even operate my computer,” said Akpan, 79. “But as time went on, I got better and better. I’m at about 75 percent now.” An aide visits him three days a week for two hours at a time. She helped change his dressings after surgery, and cleans the bathroom and kitchen. “She’s the type of worker who doesn’t ask what needs to be done. She would see it and just do it. It would be very, very hard for me to get by without her,” Akpan said. Catherine Oyarzo feels the same way about her home care worker. While Oyarzo’s daughter and granddaughters help drive her to medical appointments, they lead busy lives, said Oyarzo, who has diabetic neuropathy and uses a walker to get around. “I’m a very independent lady. But I find I tire very easily. When an aide comes, I feel a lot better and we talk. She cheers me up. She asks me how I am. Things like that,” said Oyarzo, who lives in Forest Oak Towers, an apartment building for low-income seniors in Gaithersburg, Md. In addition to socializing, the aide does

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP DELIVER MEALS OR OFFER IT HELP Colesville Meals on Wheels, an independent group of volunteers

delivering meals in the Northeast Silver Spring, Md., area to those that are no longer able to cook for themselves, needs more volunteers. In addition to drivers, the group is also looking for help with technical support for its computer system,

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Volunteers & Careers

Oyarzo’s laundry and other tasks in her apartment. The aide is there just two hours a week, but Oyarzo said she’s amazed at how that small amount of time makes a huge difference in her life. “It has enabled me to stay in my home,” she said. “I am eternally grateful.”

For more information about the Family & Nursing Care Foundation, see www.familynursingcarefoundation.org or call (301) 588-8200. Presently, the nonprofit home care providers are only taking foundationsupported clients from existing residents of select low-income buildings.

Do what is right and fair, EVERYTIME

Senior Real Estate Specialist Lisa L. Langlais ABR, SFR, SRES, VA Licensed Associate Broker

NVAR 2012 Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club, Top Producer

Cell: 703-967-2675

myrealtorlisa@yahoo.com “Lisa guided us to our dream house!” – J.S. 10300 Eaton Place, Suite 120 • Fairfax, VA 22030

Re-enter the work force with a leg-up from Career Gateway! The Career Gateway! features small classes, 30 hours of intensive training over two weeks, a long-term mentor, and valuable take-home materials

including the website and general troubleshooting. If interested, call (301) 384-

This intensive five-day course will help you:

5735.

• turbo-charge your resume • hone your interviewing skills • learn how to network

Feb. 28

SEEKING MS. VIRGINIA SENIOR AMERICA

tition, to be held in Staunton, Va., on May 17. Orientation for candidates is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 28 in Arlington, Va. For more information, contact State Director Annmarie Pittman at (703) 549-7012 or annmariep@comcast.net, or visit www.msvirginiasenior.com.

Feb. 9

• discover the hidden job market • develop personal job search plans...and more

The search is underway for women 60 years of age and over to represent Virginia in the 2013 Ms. Virginia Senior America compe-

AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSE The AARP Driver Safety Course will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, at Seabury at Friendship Terrace. The

class teaches current rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, and how to operate a vehicle safely in today’s increasingly challenging driving environment.

WHEN: Courses offered monthly for computer-savvy seniors Coming up: Session 4: Feb. 18 Another session begins Mar. 12 WHERE: 12320 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852 FEE: $75

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call NO W Space is ! limited

Call (301) 255-4215 or e-mail JCAUniversity@AccessJCA.org Funded By Montgomery County Aging & Disability Services; e Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the Jewish Council for the Aging®

Some automobile insurance companies offer discounts for completion of the course. Friendship Terrace is at 4201 Butterworth Pl. NW, Washington, D.C. Enroll-

ment is $12 for AARP members, $14 for nonmembers. For registration and more information, call Erin Hansen at (202) 244Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA)® www.AccessJCA.org

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Children love to splash through the fiveacre water park at Orlando’s Reunion Resort, which also has two golf courses for the adults. See story on page 44.

Baton Rouge: The gumbo of Louisiana The major historic sites Larger-than-life populist Huey Long — whose motto was “every man a king; share our wealth” — is still king around here. He was loved by the masses and loathed by powerful political enemies, who thought him a demagogue. In the old state capitol building, designed to resemble a Gothic-Victorian castle, you can bone up on Louisiana history with a video in which a newsreel announcer in 1932 describes “The Kingfish’s” plan for Louisiana to rule the world. Among exhibits about the Louisiana Purchase and more about the state’s history is one about Long’s legacy. It includes the pistol used to assassinate him in 1935, when Long seemed to be positioning himself to run for U.S. president. The capitol’s windows are the original stained glass, bright hues of red, blue, green and yellow in diamond patterns. The cypress (“swamp wood”) columns are painted to look like oak, and there are 22 fireplaces. The capitol grounds have an Old South feel, with big live oaks, magnolias and azaleas. The design of the restored 1885 iron fence features corn, cotton and magnolia seeds, symbols of Louisiana’s heritage. In this near-sacred space, another Louisiana governor, Jimmie Davis, is also honored, best remembered for writing the song, “You Are My Sunshine.” Another diversion from the homage to Huey Long is the

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT BATON ROUGE

By Glenda C. Booth According to some New Orleans natives, the best way to see Baton Rouge is in the rearview mirror. But a visit to this city can quickly dispel that notion. Baton Rouge got its name (which literally means “red stick”) from French explorers who found cypress poles smeared with blood and stuck in the ground by Native Americans who were marking their territories. Seventy miles west of “N’awlins,” Baton Rouge is a rich blend of gentility, joie de vivre, antebellum mansions and southern mystique. An easygoing city, it mixes the Creole of New Orleans with the Cajun culture of the state’s bayous. As locals say, Baton Rouge is a gumbo — a blend of everything Louisianan. For example, it boasts great football. Louisiana State University’s flagship campus is here, home of the famed purple and gold LSU Fighting Tigers, a name adopted in 1896 from a Civil War company called the Tiger Rifles. It’s also the state capital, where you can quickly become captivated by the legend of the colorful, bombastic Huey Long. He ruled the state from 1928 to 1932 as governor and from 1932 to 1935 as a U.S. Senator. He was also assassinated here at the age of 42. And despite the disdain of some from New Orleans, Baton Rouge took in refugees from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, housing them in its convention center when the storm’s devastation displaced thousands.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT BATON ROUGE

Docked on the banks of the Mississippi, the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial Museum is a restored World War II fighter vessel. The museum includes model airplanes and ships, as well as a restored riverboat pilot’s house.

Louisiana’s Gothic-style old state capitol building, constructed 160 years ago, stands high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge and is now a museum. A “new” capitol building, 34 stories tall, was completed in 1932.

Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame exhibit. In contrast to the old building, the “new” 450-foot, 34-story, art deco capitol building, erected by Long as the tallest state capitol in the U.S., towers over the town. From the 27th floor, it offers an expansive view of the Mississippi river and the city. There’s a statue of Long on the grounds. The Old Governor’s Mansion is more go-for-it-all Huey, a Georgian-style landmark that Long built to look like the White House, so he could mentally prepare to be U.S. president. The house has the original 1930 terrazzo floors and frieze work, the same French wallpaper that First Lady Jackie Kennedy installed in the Washington White House, and even an oval room and East Ballroom. You might see Long’s green silk pajamas and learn that he conducted state business in his pjs. The USS Kidd Veterans Memorial Museum, docked nearby on the river, is a restored World War II Fletcher-class destroyer. It features a riverboat pilot house, a full-scale model of the gun deck of the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), model airplanes, tanks, military uniforms and videos of historic dogfights. It was voted the “best historically preserved ship” by the Historic Naval Ship Association. Louisiana’s State Museum says it explores the “soul of America,” i.e., Louisiana — the music, food, culture and history of all

the state’s regions. Once again, Huey Long looms, credited with paving roads and promoting his “share-our-wealth” philosophy. The museum also pays tribute to the 2,438-mile-long Mighty Mississippi River — muddy, unpredictable and ever changing. Like Huey Long, it too has been feared and loved throughout history. Others exhibits examine historic hurricanes, slavery in the state, oil drilling and sugarcane production, accented by a harvester with six-foot-tall tires. There’s also an exhibit honoring native son Louis Armstrong. For a look at another slice of 19th century Louisiana culture, try the Rural Life Museum at Louisiana State University, a complex of 19th century plantation buildings and artifacts. You can see a country church, pioneer cabin, shotgun house, Acadian house and dogtrot (or breezeway) house.

The Mississippi and its plantations No visit to Baton Rouge is complete without climbing up the 50-foot levee along the Big Muddy. Watching the river’s languid flow in the humid air evokes images of days gone by. Huck and Jim could float by on their raft any minute, it seems. Wishing for a Scarlet and Rhett experience? Plantation Country starts in Baton Rouge and stretches east to New Orleans. See BATON ROUGE, page 43

Baton Rouge From page 42 A meander along the scenic Great Mississippi River Road (route 61) is a journey back 200 years to historic plantations — a view of antebellum splendor coupled with squalid slave life. The Baton Rouge visitor guide has details on 15 plantations along this route. Each tells a different story. The San Francisco Plantation has an elaborate Steamboat Gothic house built in 1856 with galleries resembling decks of a ship, ceilings painted in trompe l’oeil, and cypress painted to look like marble. You can also tour a slave cabin. Picturesque Oak Alley, which some call the “Grande Dame,” is flanked by towering oaks. Houmas House is known for its 16 acres of beautiful gardens that bloom 365 days a year. Learn about plantation life unique to Louisiana at Laura, built in 1805, which brings back the lives of Creole owners and slaves who raised sugarcane. The guided tour is based on Laura Locoul’s Plantation Memoirs, first-hand accounts of daily life by a former owner.

Native indulgences “We live to eat,” Whitney Breaux told me, as she dipped Louisiana crab claws into her spicy tomato sauce. Don’t leave Baton Rouge without trying some gumbo, andouille sausage, oysters, shrimp remoulade, catfish Orleans, crawfish etoufée and alligator. Top off a meal with spongy, two-inch-thick bread pudding with a cinnamony cream sauce. Louisiana chefs, professional and otherwise, start with the “Holy Trinity” — celery, onions and bell peppers. Many dishes are seasoned with a Creole spice blend called Tony Chachere, after the chef who formulated it, a substitute for salt and pepper. “We use it on everything,” one local told me. Two good dining options in Baton Rouge are the Capitol City Grill and Boutin’s. Boutin’s serves Cajun food, has live turtles out back, and Cajun music nightly after 7 p.m. Washington Post writer Courtland Milloy wrote in 2011 that “in Louisiana, even the

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

grass tastes good. LSU coach Les Miles carries some from the football field around in his pocket, nibbling on blades for good luck during a game.”

If you go Late winter and spring are favorite times to visit, when temperatures are in the 70s. Louisianans say they celebrate everything from red beans to Lent. The more than 100 festivals around the state revolve around food, music, art, culture, history and holidays. You can find festivals celebrating alligators, strawberries, crawfish, jambalaya, Greeks, Celtic nations, mud, lumbering, poke salad, Mayhaw jelly, rice, cattle, jazz and zydeco. “If we can have a party around a party, we’re gonna do it,” said resident Katie Guasco. New Orleans is known for its raucous Mardi Gras celebration, but Baton Rouge has a tamer version and seven parades, running from Jan. 27 to Feb. 9. Also coming up: March 16, St. Patrick’s Day Parade; April 13, Baton Rouge Blues Fest; April 14, Sunday in the Park, with free

Join MCC on a Trip and Take a Day

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outdoor concerts; and May 25 and 26, Bayou Country Superfest, country music festival (www.bayoucountrysuperfest.com). There are several downtown hotels convenient by foot to major sites, including the two capital buildings. The Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel and Casino (www.belleofbatonrouge.com) is next to the levee, and when you tire of sightseeing, you can bet the night away. Room prices start at $139 per night. The Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center (www.hiltoncapitolcenter.com) offers the Viking Cooking School Outdoors, classes in outdoor grilling. Rooms start at $149 per night.

The Hotel Indigo (www.hotelindigo.com/ batonrougela) is a historically renovated boutique hotel. Rooms start at $151. Load up on tourist information from the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 703 North Blvd.; 1-800-5276843; www.visitbatonrouge.com. The least expensive roundtrip airfare from the Washington area in late February is $267 from BWI on US Airways. You could also fly into New Orleans (lowest fare is $221 on US Airways), then rent a car and have a leisurely 130-mile drive to Baton Rouge along the Great River Road, where you can take in a few classic plantations.

Upcoming Trips Biloxi, MS, & New Orleans Sunday-Saturday, March 17-23 (7 days/6 nights) The Gulf Coast is back, and it’s time to return on a fun-filled trip. We’ll explore Bay St. Louis, the Bayou Wilderness, and other area attractions; and we’ll spend a full day in New Orleans. This tour will include four nights at a luxurious Biloxi casino hotel. $999 pp, dbl. occ. “The Full Monty” at Riverside Center Dinner Theater Wednesday, April 10 Six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, seeing how much their wives enjoy male strippers during “Girls Night Out,” devise a novel way to accumulate some cash – they’ll become strippers themselves. Nominated for 10 Tony awards, this show features clever and tuneful melodies and a captivating story. $129 per person The Greenbrier, WV Sunday-Tuesday, April 21-23 (3 days/2 nights) A resort worthy of a head-of-state, The Greenbrier represents the height of elegance. You’ll dine in the main dining room and enjoy afternoon teas, the luxurious spa, and the abundant recreational and athletic facilities. You can also tour the famous bunker and the Presidents’ Cottage Museum, take a carriage ride, or try your luck at the new Monte-Carlo-style casino. $799 pp, dbl. occ. Philadelphia! Sunday-Tuesday, May 5-7 (3 days/2 nights) You will experience the many sights and sounds of this vibrant city. You’ll have a guided tour of the historic areas of Philadelphia and visit the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell Center. In addition, you’ll see the Barnes Collection in its new location, visit the Reading Terminal Market and Franklin Court, and enjoy evening entertainment with the “Founding Fathers.” $639 pp, dbl. occ.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Try a multi-generation reunion in Orlando By Victor Block Nine-year-old Becca stopped in her tracks, pointed across the street and stared in amazement. “Look, Grandpa, that building is upside down!” Sure enough, the massive white structure appeared to be standing on its head. The point of its roof was smashed into the ground, as if the edifice had fallen from the sky. Where the top of the building should have been were ersatz grass and several palm trees that appeared to be growing down rather than up. Even the name over the entrance portico was upside down but readable: WonderWorks. And a wonder it was — one of many encountered during a 10-person, three-generation trip to Orlando, Fla. Another wonder was that Walt Disney World, which attracts families like bees to honey, was not the focus of our stay. As a result, we saved time, because crowds elsewhere usually are smaller, as well as money, which at Walt Disney World seems to disappear more quickly. Planning for this intergenerational sojourn took months, involving numerous emails and long-distance telephone calls. The first priority was selecting a destination that well suited to family members whose ages span seven-plus decades. Orlando had appeal as home to seven major

theme parks, more than 25 smaller attractions and abundant sunshine.

A resort built for families Next came the choice of accommodations. After countless Internet searches, one place emerged as the odds-on favorite. Reunion Resort lives up to its name in every way. It’s a place for family members to gather, have fun, reconnect and spend quality time together. When the day of our departure arrived, our family descended upon the land of sun and fun from Washington, D.C., Denver and Chicago. As each group arrived at the Reunion Resort, we soon understood how it got that name. As it turned out, the grandchildren would have been satisfied to spend virtually all of their time at the 2,300-acre complex. During our initial visit to the resort’s five-acre water park, their eyes widened, their mouths opened in amazement and they took off in different directions. Talya, age 4, and her brother Josh, 3, are daredevil divers who headed for the boards and plunged into the large pool time after time. Becca climbed into an inner tube float and disappeared around a bend of the Lazy See ORLANDO, page 45

BEACON BITS

Apr. 27+

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BIRDING ADVENTURE

Join National Geographic for a day of bird watching in Virginia. Start the day with a meet-and-greet breakfast and private tour by National Geographic staff of the exhibit “Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution.” Then, escape the city with National Geographic artist, author and editor Jonathan Alderfer, for an introduction to birding and the species living in Dyke Marsh, one of the Washington area’s largest remaining tidal wetlands. Enjoy a picnic lunch and receive a complimentary, signed copy of Alderfer’s most recent book on this trip, which takes place on Saturday, April 27 and repeats on Saturday, May 11. It begins at 9 a.m. at the National Geographic Society, 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, D.C. To sign up, call (202) 857-7700 or visit www.ngmuseum.org.

Mar. 19

FUN FACTORY TOURS

Take three factory tours in one day. Tour the Harley Davidson factory, the Wolfgang Candy Co. and Martin’s Potato Chips, all in York, Pa. Lunch will be at Old Country Buffet. Wear comfortable shoes because this trip with Arlington’s 55+ program requires a lot of walking. The trip leaves the Lubber Run Recreation Center, 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington, Va., at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19 and returns at 7 p.m. The cost is $89 for Arlington residents and $95 for non-residents. Call (703) 228-4748 or visit www.arlingtonva.us/dpr to register.

Feb. 17

GROW CARNIVOROUS PLANTS

Explore the fascinating world of carnivorous plants from around the world in a 90-minute program at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 17, at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, Va. Gardening specialist Michael Szesze will discuss a variety of ways to grow these plants in the home or garden. Cost is $10 per person. For registration or more information, call (703) 642-5173 or visit www.greenspring.org.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

From page 44 River, which meanders through the park. After several minutes she drifted past those of us waiting by the man-made stream, gave a happy wave and continued on her voyage. In the meantime, 7-year-old Ellie had discovered the multiple slides in the water park. As soon as she emerged from an enclosed tunnel and splashed into the water below, she scrambled up a ladder for another thrilling ride. Adding to the fun was a huge bucket overhead that slowly filled with water, tipped and doused anyone standing below. After sliding, swimming, floating and being drenched by an occasional torrent of water, our grandchildren took to the land. Organized games, both for kids alone and with their parents and grandparents, take place throughout the day. A spa offers the usual relaxing and rejuvenating services plus some extras. For example, while many spas offer water or tea following a message, here it was champagne. Then there’s golf. While the children may be enjoying half- and full-day camp sessions, their parents can head for the fairways. The resort is the only place in the world with courses designed by golf legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Out to the theme parks Given the something-for-everyone appeals of the Reunion Resort, it became a challenge to persuade members of the younger generation to head out for other, very different settings. Once there, the challenge became convincing them that we had to return to the resort for dinner. For Fyllis and me, the wacky world of WonderWorks — which bills itself as an indoor amusement park for the mind — was a personal favorite. From the topsy-turvy building to the imaginative experiences inside, our first challenge was to keep up with the youngsters as they flitted from floor to floor and room to room. A simulated hurricane and earthquake proved to be just frightening enough for the young ones to enjoy without prompt-

ing nightmares. While Fyllis kept her eyes tightly closed during most of a 4-D roller coaster movie, Talya begged to see it again — and again. The older kids were fascinated by a simulated space shuttle ride and mind control game. The little ones spent a long time creating giant soap bubbles which they then delighted in popping. WonderWorks more than lives up to its claim that “the unexplainable will come to life and the unusual will be the norm.” General admission prices are $25 for adults; $20 for children 4 to 12 and visitors 55 and older Not far away, the Old Town theme park entertains children of all ages, and adults brave enough to accompany them, with rides that range from adrenaline rushing to tame enough for 3-year-olds. In the Kid’s Town area, little ones can hop on a merrygo-round, go for a spin in flying tea cups, and ride the Wacky Worm Kiddie Coaster. We adults held our collective breaths as Ellie, fearless mountain climber to be that she is, decided to conquer a ropes course that rose more than 40 feet above ground. She clambered to the highest level, then confidently made her way over a series of plank bridges that swayed in the breeze. Even though she was attached to a safety wire over her head, we resumed normal breathing only after she descended and her feet touched Mother Earth again. More to the liking of Ellie’s grandparents was Main Street, several blocks of shops that range from fun to funky and conjure up images of years past. While the children were mesmerized by the glitter of stones in Black Market Minerals, we reminisced at the general store and enjoyed a treat at the A&W Root Beer shop. There’s no admission charge to Old Town, but you pay for each ride and activity. If aptly named Old Town speaks to the past, Legoland looks to the future. Any child who has played with Legos (and how many haven’t?) is sure to be entranced by giant figures, familiar characters and entire mini-cities made of oversized Legos. The park is divided into themed zones, and we had to move quickly to keep up with the little ones as they explored every one. They sampled many of the rides, which range from roller coasters to the

PHOTO BY ARIANNE NICHOLSON

Orlando

Beacon travel writer Victor Block, his wife Fyllis Hockman, their adult children and five grandchildren took an intergenerational vacation to Orlando, Fla., meeting up at the Reunion Resort, which features a water park, spa and other activities for all ages.

youngsters’ first experience driving a minicar and navigating a boat. Even waiting lines, which are encountered at virtually every theme park, became part of the fun for the youngsters. While their parents and grandparents held their place, the younger set headed for play areas filled with small mountains of Legos. When the adults reached the front of the line, we had to convince the little ones to leave the Legos and join us for the next ride or attraction. Legoland is not inexpensive. General admission costs $76 (children and seniors

are $66), but there’s enough going on there to fill an entire day. Following each excursion, we headed back to the Reunion Resort to prepare dinner, reminisce about our experiences, and plan the next fun, frolic and family togetherness. Each evening, Talya proclaimed, “That was the best day ever” — until the one that followed. That observation alone made it the best family trip ever for her parents and grandparents as well. See ORLANDO, page 46

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Orlando From page 45

Plans and preparations Here’s a brief checklist that can help assure that an intergenerational family vacation will be a delight rather than a disaster. Picking a place. While the Orlando area (and Reunion Resort) turned out to be perfect for our family, you might choose something very different. Whether you prefer a winter ski trip, dude ranch, visit to a large city or any other experience, take into account the wishes of everyone, from oldest to youngest. Plan together. While adults obviously make the major decisions, such as where to go and how to get there, let the youngest family members take part in the planning process. Give them a list of things to do and see, and let them make choices for part of the time. R and R. When young children are involved, set aside time for rest and relaxation. A crying, complaining, overtired youngster is not having fun and neither are any adults within earshot. Enjoy down time. Some of the most enjoyable moments and best memories often result when family members are just relaxing together. Our evening meal preparation, followed by card and board games, were times of fun and bonding. Be flexible. Plans made can be plans broken. If an attraction you wish to visit is closed, have a fallback position. If you get a rainy day, have a Plan B of indoor activities. Keep a sense of humor. Along with many benefits, intergenerational travel can have moments — or longer — of challenge. It’s important for the adults to set

Exp. 3/31/13

Sharing family fun in an upside down building, exploring a reproduced vintage town, and marveling at a wonderland of super-sized Legos turned out to be enjoyable for our three-generation travel group. But many of the most meaningful hours were spent at the Reunion Resort, where we shared two adjacent, spacious suites. Winter rates begin at $299 for one-bedroom suites, and at $399 for two-bedroom suites, and special packages are offered yearround. In addition to high-rise buildings with condo-like apartments, the property also rents villas and homes with private pools. While there are numerous restaurant and café establishments at the resort, cooking your own meals in the fullyequipped kitchens in every suite can stretch your travel dollar. And remember, every hour spent enjoying the resort’s attractions and activities is an hour not spending money at a theme park. For more information about the Reunion Resort, visit www.reunionresort.com or call 1-877-845-9163. For information about the Orlando area, including theme parks and other attractions, see www.visitorlando.com or call 1800- 972-3304. The least expensive roundtrip fare from the Washington area to Orlando in midFebruary is $163 on AirTran from Reagan National.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WONDER WORKS

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the tone by remaining relaxed and dealing calmly with any problems that might arise. That will make it more likely that children will do so as well.

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The “upside down” WonderWorks building houses more than 100 interactive educational exhibits geared to the younger set. It is one of many attractions that make Orlando a good destination for intergenerational vacations.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 7

VISIT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW Explore the Philadelphia International Flower Show’s English gar-

den theme this season with Sibley Senior Source on Thursday, March 7. Meet at 7:45 a.m. at Sibley Hospital, 5255 Loughboro Rd. NW, Washington, D.C., for an 8 a.m. departure. Return will be at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $79 per person. For reservations and more information, call Kim Grizzel at Eyre Tour and Travel in Glenelg, Md., at 1-800-321-3973, ext. 3224.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Be careful with nonrefundable hotel deals A traveler I know recently reserved a mains that he had the opportunity to find room at a hotel in Florence, Italy at a dis- the “no elevator” news before he committed, and he failed to do so. counted — but nonrefundable Hotels have no legal re— price through Booking.com. quirement to provide any speHe thought he had scored a cific facilities and services very good deal: good price, other than to comply with apgood location, good-looking plicable safety rules and rooms. Good, that is, until he maintain a secure environgot the conforming email, ment. But almost all of us which had a notice at the bothave a cluster of expectations tom: “Important Information: for what we should get as part Please note the building has of the room rate: no lift [i.e., elevator].” • Housekeeping services All of a sudden, the deal TRAVEL TIPS • Air-conditioning in sumturned into not-so-good. This By Ed Perkins traveler has a bad back. And the last thing mer, heating in winter • In most of the world, nonsmoking he needed was a two- or three-story staircase schlep, with baggage, to his hotel rooms available • Elevators in any building higher than room. He immediately contacted Booking.com to cancel, but an agent told him, two floors • Full-time accessibility to a front desk “Sorry; the hotel refuses to refund a nonor equivalent refundable rate.” • In-room cable or satellite TV The agent went on to note that the hotel • Acceptance of major credit cards description page on Booking.com’s website • In addition, no-charge Wi-Fi has beposted the same notice, at the very bottom. He got the same response directly from the come a necessity for many travelers These days, you can pretty much be hotel. I checked the Booking.com website, sure that any 3- or 4-star city hotel will proand the warning was there, as claimed. When I checked the same hotel on Ex- vide all or most of those amenities anypedia, however, I found no such warning where in the world (although you can still — yet Expedia also offered a nonrefund- expect some charges for Wi-Fi). For that able rate. The absence of an elevator was reason, you can feel pretty safe in taking not even noted on the pull-down “accessi- advantage of a nonrefundable discount or bility” menu. If you book through Expedia, buying through an opaque site such as you could be in for a nasty surprise after Hotwire or Priceline. Even then, however, before you commit you arrive. you might want to know about onsite parking, pet acceptance, accessibility, availabiliAlways read the fine print This little story illustrates a fundamen- ty of laundry and cleaning, food service, tal truth about “nonrefundable” hotel swimming pool, and a lot more. But expectations change dramatically rates: You can never assume you’ll get what you usually expect at a hotel. Instead, for smaller inns, B-and-Bs, and older, small you get only what is explicitly promised in hotels, especially in Europe. You often find no elevators, part-time reception desks, no the fine print. My friend claims that most other travel- swimming pool and no TV or Wi-Fi. ers would probably do as he did, and not scroll down the entire page to see all of the How to avoid surprises details. He’s probably right. But the fact reThe lessons here are obvious, if you

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Have you ever wanted to plan and book a trip using a computer? Sarah Daviau from the Aurora Hills Library will teach you how to navigate popular travel sites, book flights and hotels, and plan your itinerary online in a free class at 1:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 25, at the Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington, Va. To register, call (703) 228-5722.

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book any hotel you think might differ from the “standard” expectations — and especially one that is obviously “quaint” or quirky. My own personal rule is even stiffer. I book nonrefundable rooms only at modern, 3- or 4-star city hotels. And I never book a nonrefundable room at a downmarket city hotel or quaint inn. Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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BEACON BITS

Feb. 25

need a special facility or service: • Always check the complete fine print available on a booking website, and if your need isn’t addressed specifically, check with the website or directly with the hotel before you buy. • If possible, check TripAdvisor or some other traveler review site. Although Expedia’s listing didn’t show “no elevator,” several reports posted by earlier travelers indicated this information. • Be extremely cautious any time you

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

Woody Allen talks about his life as a filmmaker. See story on page 50.

MetroStage pays homage to jazz greats mythologies and backstage stories of the ‘40’s and ‘50s with four legendary jazz divas as they gather to commemorate the passing of jazz legend Charlie Parker.”

Too much for one show? But look closely, and you’ll see there’s some confusion. The show is about Charlie “Bird” Parker, the saxophonist who, along with Dizzy Gillespie, invented bop/be-bop in the 1950s, packed them in at New York’s famed Birdland, and then died young. But its title extols the music and lives of female blues singers. And not just any singers, but the singers: Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. Well, that’s certainly an awful lot to cram into one 90-minute show, a show already packed with 25 musical numbers. And the “jazz folklore, mythologies and backstage stories” are not really so much about Parker, his life or his genius. The focus is mostly about his death in 1955, at age 34, at the apartment of a colorful, vaguely mysterious woman called Baroness “Nica” Pannonica de Koenigswarter. Oh, we get lots of bio-flavored exposi-

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER BANKS

By Michael Toscano Was the world premiere production of Ladies Swing the Blues at MetroStage pushed onstage before its creators really had a handle on what they were doing? It seems that way. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to enjoy here. In fact, the music (and fortunately, it’s mostly music) is great. But the premise of the production twists several disparate elements together and awkwardly ties them up with strained, exposition-heavy dialogue. The pedigree is certainly a good one, as the work comes from Thomas W. Jones II (book and lyrics, direction), who has written and directed such MetroStage hits as Harlem Rose, Three Sistahs, Two Queens One Castle, Bricktop, Cool Papa’s Party, and Pearl Bailey…by request. He partnered with William Knowles (original music and arrangements, music direction), who has directed music and performed in the theater company’s Bricktop, Cookin’ at the Cookery, Cool Papa’s Party, and Pearl Bailey…by request. And the concept, as expressed in the promotional material, looked promising: “The production explores the jazz folklore,

In Ladies Swing the Blues at MetroStage in Alexandria, Va., performers sing 25 songs made famous by jazz and blues greats, interspersed with stories and bits of history. Shown left to right are Yvette Spears (Sarah Vaughan), Lori Williams (Ella Fitzgerald), Anthony Manough (Charlie “Bird” Parker), Roz White (Billie Holiday) and Sandy Bainum (Peggy Lee).

tion about her, too, draining away even more precious moments from Parker and his fascinating gifts. So we’re left with a lot of hopping about through six very large lives and end up learning or feeling almost nothing about any of them. Oh, and they throw in Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, too. Director Jones has not taken firm control of the pacing for the inter-song segments, and the dialogue alternates between enervated and tentative one moment, and forced stereotypical shtick the next. In between songs, the ladies work

their way through their lives and their views of Bird’s life and his Baroness. There is also a problematic performance by Anthony Manough as the restless ghost of Parker. He struts about as an eyerolling dandy, begging for love from his audience. Maybe that was the man; I’m no expert on Parker’s life. But that’s not how he comes across in the film I have seen of him in stage performance or TV shows. And it tells us nothing of his music, or how it bubSee JAZZ GREATS, page 51

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

Last chance to see Chinese artist exhibit

Exploring free expression Artworks in “Ai Weiwei: According to What?” capture his push for free expression and his relentless questioning of authority, curators said. One 1995 photograph shows him giving the middle finger to the White House. It’s also a study on perspective that Ai has repeated at the Eiffel Tower, Tiananmen Square and elsewhere. “I always admire his questioning attitude. I think it’s important for all of us to try to find the truth and where the truth is,” said curator Mami Kataoka of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, who organized the exhibit. “It’s very difficult to find the truth, particularly in China.” Planning for the exhibit began years ago, long before Ai was detained for 81 days during a crackdown on dissent. The installation includes sculpture, photography, video and audio works, and encompasses most of the museum. In a statement to the Smithsonian, Ai, 55, said the exhibition was a chance to communicate with far away audiences. “It

is part of a continual process of self-expression,” he said. It includes new works created since the last major exhibition in Tokyo. One piece involves 3,200 porcelain crabs called “He Xie.” These Chinese words for river crab sound like the Chinese word for “harmonious,” part of the Communist Party’s slogan of “the realization of a harmonious society.” The term has become Internet slang for online censorship.

PHOTO BY CATHY CARVER

By Brett Zongker The first North American retrospective of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who helped design Beijing’s Olympic Stadium and has since drawn tough scrutiny for his political activism, is open through Feb. 24 at Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum. Those who haven’t yet seen the museum exhibit or his works projected on the façade of the Newseum in January, have a last chance to view his works in various media before the exhibit travels to museums in Indianapolis, Miami, New York and Toronto. Ai himself is barred from leaving China, though, after being detained without explanation for three months in 2011 and recently fighting charges of tax evasion.

Honoring earthquake victims Several works emerged from Ai’s response to the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008 that killed more than 5,000 children in poorly constructed schools that collapsed. One wall lists all the victims’ names. A snake on the ceiling is made of children’s backpacks in their honor. And a sculptural piece, entitled “Straight,” was created from 38 tons of twisted steel from collapsed buildings. Ai was angry that society was “forgetting what happened as if nothing had happened” in the quake’s aftermath, Kataoka said. Visitors will find a photo montage covering the gallery’s walls and floors of Ai’s “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium under construction. There are also photographs from his years living in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, where he witnessed protests and government opposition, and studied the work of Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Marcel Duchamp. Ai’s father, Ai Qing, was a famous Chinese poet. Shortly after the Cultural Revolution and Ai’s birth, however, the family was exiled during China’s Anti-Rightist Movement. Ai saw his father humiliated, reduced to cleaning public toilets, Kataoka said. “He was born out of those kind of social

Older adults throughout the region are reading the Beacon every month Shouldn’t your ad be here? For advertising rates, call Alan at (301) 949-9766 or email alan@thebeaconnewspapers.com

A retrospective of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei now on exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum includes a 1995 self-portrait triptych titled “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn,” showing the artist literally breaking with history. The exhibit, which also includes “Colored Vases” created from 2007 to 2010, will close on Feb. 24 to go on national tour.

conditions,” she said. “I think it’s only natural for him to question about human rights.” Ai’s release from government detention last year was seen as a concession to international pressure and appeals inside the

ruling Communist Party, where Ai’s father is still widely revered. Smithsonian leaders celebrated the exhibit’s opening in October in the U.S. politSee AI WEIWEI, page 51

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Woody Allen talks candidly about career idea. So what keeps you trying? Allen: You always think that you’re going to do better the next time. It’s deceptive. Sometimes you do better than the last time, sometimes you don’t. It’s like a gambler. You’re constantly thinking, ‘This next one, I’m going to really nail it. Everything’s going to be perfect.’ And you do it, and of course it’s far from perfect. AP: Did you ever think that you’d be part filmmaker and part travel guide? Allen: No, I never wanted to or expected to make a film outside of New York. New York became very, very expensive. The same $18 million spent in Barcelona or Rome goes much further there. I’ve had six other offers [outside the U.S.] since then. ... I don’t know if I could do that indefinitely. AP: Your earlier films seemed to be more searching and questioning. Allen: You can see them as searching, but you would find that, after time, the conclusions are grim. No matter what kind of sugarcoating people put on it — whether it’s a religious sugarcoating or a philosophical sugarcoating — no matter what they tell you, the facts are grisly. AP: So what, then, is the point of art or a movie? Some look for enlighten-

PHOTO BY NFP/B PLUS PRODUCTIONS/DAPD

By Jake Coyle Woody Allen’s newest film, Blue Jasmine, slated to open later this year, is the 77-year-old filmmaker’s 46th film, a total he’s amassed by making, with remarkable consistency, a film a year. It’s also the first film he’s made in the United States after a self-imposed exile traversing European capitals, where he shot eight movies, including 2012’s To Rome With Love. That film, which met with mediocre reviews, is an ensemble farce about numerous characters (Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg and Penelope Cruz, among others) chasing conflicting desires in the Eternal City. By contrast, his 2011 movie, the Oscarnominated Midnight in Paris, was his biggest box-office hit ever, a success Allen greets only with a shrug. Blue Jasmine, again starring Baldwin, along with Cate Blanchett, took him back to New York and also to San Francisco last year. Sony Pictures describes the film as “the story of the final stages of an acute crisis and a life of a fashionable New York housewife.” Allen chatted with the Associated Press about filmmaking Woody’s way: AP: You’ve often described filmmaking as a constant process of disappointment in not realizing your initial

Woody Allen’s upcoming movie Blue Jasmine is his first filmed in the U.S. after several movies set in European cities, from Paris to Rome.

ment when they open a book or go to a movie. Allen: The answer to your question, I think, on both sides of the camera or the novel: Distraction. I’m obsessed with: Can I get this actress or my third act to work? I’m distracted. I’m interested in that so I don’t sit home and think, “Gee, life is meaningless. We’re all going to die. The universe is pulling apart at breakneck speed.” So I’m distracted with relatively solvable trivia. AP: Have you ever felt you accomplished the film you set out to make at the start? Allen: A couple times I’ve felt, “Gee, I’ve come very close to my original concept here and this is nothing to be ashamed of.” For me, the trick is to execute my original intention. The audience may wind up

hating my original intention. And it may be that when I prostitute the film and don’t live up to the original intention — let’s say like Hannah and Her Sisters — it’s a big success, and a bigger success than if I had achieved my original idea. There’s no correlation between what the public likes and what I’m after. I’m in a different world. AP: How did you want Hannah and Her Sisters to be different? Allen: It was much darker. I softened it a lot, and then people liked it. But I didn’t. It was too neatly tied up. AP: You were also dissatisfied with Manhattan, which is among your most beloved films. Allen: When I saw it, I was not crazy about it. To this day, I have memories of it

Letters to editor

MDGASP was instrumental in removing several of these people from office by urging our members to vote against them and elect members sympathetic to our cause. I would like to thank all of our MDGASP members who traveled to Annapolis to provide testimony to the General Assembly and those who responded to our many election guides and legislative action alerts over those many years. John O’ Hara, PhD, President Maryland Group Against Smoker’s Pollution Bowie, Md.

From page 2

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When MDGASP started our effort in 1975, smoking anytime and anywhere was part of the US culture. It was very difficult to change this culture. In addition, Maryland was one of the largest tobacco growing states in the nation, and we met fierce opposition from the tobacco lobbyists and the senators and delegates in the General Assembly from the tobacco growing regions of Maryland.

See WOODY ALLEN, page 53

BEACON BITS

Feb. 6+

SENIOR FORUM AND MOVIE On the first Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. join the

Montgomery County Police Dept. for a morning of safety information, prizes and a free movie at the Movies at Westfield Montgomery, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, Md. The movie on Feb. 6 is Awakenings, the March 6 movie is Moonrise Kingdom, and the April 3 movie is The Devil Wears Prada. For more information, call Officer Stoman at (240) 876-1277.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3

bled up from inside him. Now that would be a show.

Singing shines Now to the fun part, the 25 songs, which roll out on the stage-filling bandstand, performed by a tight band of piano, drums, alto sax, trumpet and bass, led by Knowles at the keyboard. They have it down as they move through Monkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Round Midnight,â&#x20AC;? Parker and Gillespieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shaw â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nuff,â&#x20AC;? Ray Nobleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cherokeeâ&#x20AC;? (which was over in a flash), Billie Holidayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Billieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blues,â&#x20AC;? Gillespieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Night in Tunisia,â&#x20AC;? Jimmie Luncefordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rhythm Is Our Business,â&#x20AC;? and more tunes from Parker. Added to the mix are nicely arranged versions of songs from Sy Oliver (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t What You Doâ&#x20AC;?), Sonny Rollins (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pent Up Houseâ&#x20AC;?), George Shearing (a way too short â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lullaby of Birdlandâ&#x20AC;?), Benny Goodman (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flying Homeâ&#x20AC;?), and even Harold Arlen (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyplace I Hang My Hat is Homeâ&#x20AC;?) and Matt Dennis (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Angel Eyesâ&#x20AC;?). Knowles has added a couple of his own songs, pleasant tunes with lightly Latin rhythms that reminded me more of Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 than Parker. Some of the songs, most notably â&#x20AC;&#x153;Angel Eyes,â&#x20AC;? are used to punctuate or accent moments in Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, while others are there just for the sheer, exuberant joy of them. If they had just done all the songs, and eliminated most of the talking, it would be a perfect experience for music lovers. The four ladies, Roz White (Billie Holiday), Lori Williams (Ella Fitzgerald), Yvette Spears (Sarah Vaughan), and Sandy Bainum (Peggy Lee, the Baroness, Chan Parker) turn in high energy vocals. The best moments are Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; snappy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flying Homeâ&#x20AC;? and Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Billieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blues,â&#x20AC;? as she gently layers emotion while gradually building energy and getting deep into it.

at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $48 to $55 (students and active military are $25; there are no senior discounts). Tickets can be reserved by calling 1800-494-8497 or visiting www.boxofficetickets.com. More MetroStage infor-

mation is available at www.metrostage.org. There is free, on-site parking, a nearby restaurant, and the theatre is accessible to the disabled. Michael Toscano is the Beaconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theater critic.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 7+

2ND ANNUAL REELABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL The Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia will present

the 2nd Annual ReelAbilities Disabilities Film Festival from Feb. 7 to 14. Screening venues are located in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The opening night film, Mary and Max, is a claymation story exploring a pen-pal friendship. Opening night tickets are $15; all other film tickets are $10 ($7 for those 60 and older). Some films have complimentary seating. For schedules, locations and ticket reservations, visit www.reelabilities.org/greaterdc.

Bring Your Group to the Kennedy Center for Entertainment on a Grand Scale! New York City Ballet in Vienna Waltzes GROU P SAVE S UP TO 15%!

Show Boat

New York City Ballet

This spectacular new production of Broadwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original masterpiece brings unforgettable songs, dazzling choreography, and an epic story together to make great entertainment and great art. The legendary songsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Man River,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You Are Love,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Help Lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dat Man,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bill,â&#x20AC;? and many SHOW BOAT PHOTO BY DAN REST moreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;will be performed the way the composer intended, with a full orchestra and chorus, in this production created by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and conducted by John DeMain. Visit kennedy-center.org for casting. -AY n s /PERA (OUSE David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO. This production is made possible through the generous support of Jacqueline Badger Mars. Musical Theater at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Adrienne Arsht Musical Theater Fund.

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One of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost dance companies, NYCB performs two signature mixed repertory programs accompanied by the NYCB Orchestra. Program A (Mar. 26 & 27 eves. and 31 mat.): Swan Lake (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky), Allegro Brillante (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky), Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 (Balanchine/ Tchaikovsky). Program B (Mar. 28 & 29 eves., 30 mat. & eve.): Carousel (A Dance) (Wheeldon/Rodgers), Glass Pieces (Robbins/ Glass), Vienna Waltzes (Balanchine/J. Strauss Jr., LehĂĄr, and R. Strauss).

ÂŠ PAUL KOLNIK

From page 48

There are also quite a few â&#x20AC;&#x153;companyâ&#x20AC;? numbers, enhanced by simple but fun choreography (un-credited, so one assumes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from Jones). The ladies make no attempt to imitate their namesakes, either in vocals or appearance, save for the white orchid Roz White wears as Billie â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lady Dayâ&#x20AC;? Holliday. So, really, nothing would be lost by cutting the bio stuff and just letting them sing. Maybe there would then be time to actually explore Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music. The show has a subtitle: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Jazz Fable.â&#x20AC;? But you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a fable when you have a man like Bird, who said this about music: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live it, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come out of your horn. They teach you thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a boundary line to music. But, man, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no boundary line to art.â&#x20AC;? Ladies Swing the Blues continues through March 17 at MetroStage, 1201 N. Royal St., in Alexandria, Va. Show times are Thursdays and Fridays

ÂŠ PAUL KOLNIK

Jazz greats

MEGAN FAIRCHILD AND ANDREW VEYETTE IN ALLEGRO BRILLANTE

-AR n s /PERA (OUSE The Kennedy Center Ballet Season is presented with the support of Elizabeth and Michael Kojaian. New York City Balletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement is presented with the support of the State Plaza Hotel.

Additional support for Show Boat is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ai Weiwei From page 49 ical capital near diplomats from more than 200 countries. Hirshhorn Director Richard Koshalek called it one of the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important installations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The context in which this exhibition is being presented is extremely, extremely important to him and to us,â&#x20AC;? Koshalek said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saying refers to not just China, but it refers to other places in the world where freedom of expression is threatened or doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist.â&#x20AC;? The Hirshhorn is located on the National Mall at the corner of 7th Street and Independence Avenue. Admission is free. It is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, including upcoming tours, films and gallery talks, see www.hirshhorn.si.edu. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

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Anything Goes

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Winner of three Tony AwardsÂŽ, including Best Musical Revival, Cole Porterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first-class comedy features some of musical theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most memorable standards, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Get a Kick out of You,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the Top,â&#x20AC;? and, of course, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anything Goes.â&#x20AC;? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss what Associated Press exclaims as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So DELIGHTFUL, So DELICIOUS, So DE-LOVELY!â&#x20AC;? *UNE n*ULY s /PERA (OUSE Musical Theater at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Adrienne Arsht Musical Theater Fund. The Kennedy Center Theater Season is sponsored by Altria Group.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO. The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Roger and Vicki Sant. General Dynamics is the proud sponsor of the NSO Classical Season.

The Kennedy Center welcomes patrons with disabilities.

Nordic Cool 2013 is presented in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Call now to reserve your Group tickets Visit our Web site at kennedy-center.org/groupsales

(202) 416-8400

4OLL FREE s 449

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Facing a doc who says ‘no more Medicare’ When you’ve had the same primary care The dollars-and-cents part of me underdoctor for 10 years, and you had her father stands this totally. The patient part of me is as your primary care doctor for unsettled, unhappy, a bit un25 years before that, you don’t hinged. expect a “Dear Bob” letter. The last thing I wanted or exBut that’s what spilled out pected to do at my age was to of my mailbox one day last chase and audition new priNovember. mary care doctors. But that’s “The realities of practicing what I would have to start medicine have changed,” doing — without delay, so I wrote my doc. “As of Decemcould get ahead of what I asber 31, 2012, I will no longer sumed would be a New Year’s accept Medicare patients.” rush. HOW I SEE IT No, it wasn’t because I have More on that in a moment. By Bob Levey exotic diseases or smell funny. But first I want to say this isn’t It’s because the doc says she can’t cover just a rant against medicine, or against the her costs with what Medicare sends her government that gave us Medicare and every time a Medicare patient visits. now seems determined not to fund it fully.

This is also a rant against my ancient love, journalism. To read the popular press, Medicare is about political football, ideology and the American Dream. Cue the tape of Hubert Humphrey, arguing for Medicare’s passage on the Senate floor nearly 50 years ago. He said it would be the medical safety net that older Americans could count on. Now the net has frayed, but it isn’t demon politicians who are doing the fraying. It’s doctors like mine, who say they care about us, who say they would wish to keep treating us, but who practice in small groups and have bills to pay. However, you aren’t reading about the Forced Divorce piece of the story. You don’t hear about some Medicare patients, pushed away from their longtime docs, who might not go to a doctor at all from now on, thus endangering themselves unnecessarily. And you don’t hear about better-off Medicare patients who can buy supplemental insurance — whereas less well-off Medicare patients can’t. Same potential result — more care for some, less for others, all of it pegged to income. Yet the headlines focus only on the bloviating, on both sides of the political divide. So let’s do something about that. Here is the story of how the “Dear Bob” letter has affected the guy who received it. I quickly got recommendations for four doctors — one from the Forced Divorce doc, the rest from friends. I made appointments to see all four. Each assured me that they would happily accept Medicare patients. But each replied identically when I poked their answer a little harder. What will happen, I asked, if you start facing the same cost squeeze that my Dear Bob doctor faces? Well, then, they might have to deny Medicare patients, they all said. In other words, today’s safety might be tomorrow’s Divorce Number Two. One of the four docs was especially honest. He said that as long as he is an employee of a major hospital system, he can accept all the Medicare patients he wants. His employer wouldn’t dare turn aside Medicare patients, for fear of bad publicity and for fear of breaking various laws. But as soon as the recession lifts more fully, and as soon as Obamacare is fully operational in 2014? “It might make economic sense for me to go solo, rather than stay where I am,” he said.

In other words, the Bigs in healthcare can afford Medicare patients, and the Smalls and Solos probably can’t. Reminds me of the endless debate about huge retailers blotting out mom-and-pop businesses. Walmart can accept less for each sale because it attracts more customers. Joe’s Hardware can’t because it doesn’t. “We all have bills to pay,” said one of the docs I interviewed. “We’d be lying if we didn’t tell you that this is a business.” And off he went, with tales of medical school loans he couldn’t and didn’t pay off for more than ten years. I agree that it’s grating and scary to wait each year to see if Congress will re-authorize Medicare reimbursement levels. I agree that the problem is not just reimbursements, but patients who seek expensive care even when some of them don’t really need it. I agree that doctors pay far too much for malpractice insurance, and Medicare will never pay enough to balance that. But rather than divorces, how about trial separations? Couldn’t docs who face the “Medicare cliff” place their Medicare patients on probation for, say, one year? This would cushion the blow. It would give the doc time to see if the healthcare landscape changes in Congress. It would prevent patients on the bad side of 65 from jumping to a new physician and suddenly finding that the new doc wants a divorce, too. It would also make sense from a dollarsand-cents point of view. Ask any doctor to name the worst part of his or her job, and the answer will be: Negotiating with insurance companies. Those are the people who insure fullpayment patients, not old Medicare birds like me. To get fully reimbursed, docs have to be on the phone, often for hours, to collect their money. That sounds to me as if the grass may not be all that green even when patients are full-payers. Time is money, and if a doc spends it on the phone with bureaucrats, he or she could end up net minus, not net plus. So the regular flow of bucks from Medicare might be a blessing in disguise. Dear Doc Who Divorced Me: If you’ll have me back as a probationer, I’ll return. No acrimony. No questions asked. And I promise I’ll eat more veggies. This time, I mean it. Yours in frustration, Bob Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 15

TEXTILE ART

The Seniors Textile Arts Renaissance Society (STARS) of D.C. will showcase the work of fiber artist James Brown, Jr. on Friday, Feb. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 P St. NW, Washington, D.C. Brown is a founding member of STARS, and as an instructor/mentor has inspired new interest in felting and wool. For more information, email events@StarsofDC.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

Woody Allen From page 50 as being disappointing to me. I’m not saying it wasn’t beautifully filmed — it was Gordon Willis, shot in black in white — and the people were good. But the writing was too preachy, too self-righteous. That’s one of the reasons I thought Match Point was a good film, because it wasn’t preachy or self-righteous. It just was what it was. AP: At the end of Manhattan, your character listed the things that make life worthwhile, including Willie Mays,

Louis Armstrong’s “Potato Head Blues,” Flaubert’s Sentimental Education, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Groucho Marx and the crabs at Sam Wo’s. If you updated that list, what would you add? Allen: I made one big mistake on that list and I would change it today. I got a letter from a lady that said: “You named all the things that made life worth living, but you didn’t name your child.” I had a child with Meryl Streep in the movie. At the time, I had no children in my life, and I figured, “Eh, she’s nuts,” and I threw it away. Now that I have children, I realize what an egregious blunder that was and how shortsighted I was. That would be the leading thing on the list. — AP

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box at the right. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business & Employment Opportunities EXPERIENCED SALESPERSON to sell non profits grant subscription services. Downtown Silver Spring office. Endorsed by Grant Professionals Association. Part-time, flexible weekday hours. Excellent earnings. 301-588-6380 x134. DO SOMETHING SPECIAL! Be a COMFORT KEEPER! Provide Interactive Caregiving to seniors and other adults at home, keeping them safe, assuring healthful nutrition, social stimulation, and mobility, the highest quality of life that is achievable. COMFORT KEEPERS OFFERS: Full-time, part-time positions, flexible work hours, non-medical in-home care and personal care services, healthcare degree required. Interactive Caregiving Nurse positions as well. Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties VIRGINIA: 571-287-2539. Montgomery County MARYLAND: 301-775-3682. www.beacomfortkeeper.com. Over 700 independently owned and operated offices worldwide. Ranked #1 Home Health, Entrepreneur Magazine.

Caregivers ASSISTED LIVING HOME – Compassionate, cost effective, professional medical staff and in a home-like environment in Silver Spring. Maryland State Licensed. Transportation, recreation, shopping, and clinical support. Call 301-944-4600. CNA / MED TECH AVAILABLE NOW for live-in or live-out, taking care of the elderly. Over 15 years experience. Own transportation. Excellent references upon request. Please call 240-482-9027. COMPANION AVAILABLE – Hope to improve and assist with your daily life. Compassionate, personable, reliable, references. 301-257-6480, Cynthia. MATURE EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER seeks position as live-in companion/assistant in elder household. Prefer Bethesda/Chevy Chase area near public transportation. Call 443-8525557. ELDERLY CAREGIVER & companionship and housekeeper for seniors. Reliable, experienced, good references, doctor’s appointments, errands. Call Cristina at 240-899-1380. 14+ years experience.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: D. Guisset at 301-6424526. TECH/COMPUTER TUTOR/TROUBLESHOOTER, Consumer Electronics consultant with 17 years experience making house calls. PC, Mac, iOS, Android, networks. Call Claude 202-630-5016 or visit kerno.biz.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Computer Services COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use. Windows 8, Smartphone/tablet, digital camera. Learn at your own pace with gentle & patient tutor. We also troubleshoot problems & setup new computers. Teaching Seniors since 1996. Senior Discount. Call David, 301-762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR. COMPUTER PERSONAL IT SERVICES HELP – Transfer 3.5 floppy or camera pictures to CD, download music and books, upgrade computer programs, training, setup email, Apps, and accounts. Gift certificates available. Contact: Wilson 301-830-2344, Personal_IT@aol.com.

Financial Services WHY PAY MORE FOR YOUR Care, Home, Business, Life and Renters Insurance? Call Paul Coote Insurance agency, an authorized Agent of Progressive and Ohio National Life Insurance. Telephone: 240-678-8639. E-mail: singjam@yahoo.com.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate COLONIAL BEACH, VA – FOR RENT: Beautiful home on river in quiet neighborhood. Golf Cart Community. 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Finished attic. Washer/Dryer. Screened porch. New kitchen. Garage. Nice yard. $1250. Water/Sewer included. Call 703-430-7988. LEISURE WORLD® - $339,000. 2BR 2FB “G” with Garage in Creekside. Table space kitchen, separate laundry room, enclosed balcony. 1325 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $269,000. 2BR 2FB “EE” with Garage in Vantage East. Open table space kitchen, large enclosed balcony, separate laundry room, 1260 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $279000. 3BR 2FB “M” with Garage in Fairways. Close to elevator, golf course view, table space kitchen. 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $139,000. 3BR 2FB “Ellicott” model with table space kitchen, separate dining room, separate laundry room, ground level patio. 1340 sq ft., Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $229,000. 2/3BR 2FB “Sherwood” model patio home. End of group, custom reconfiguration with Great Room, enclosed patio, recent paint and carpet. 1400 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - RENTAL - $1400. 2BR 2FB “E” in “Greens”. Fresh paint and new carpet, New kitchen and bath flooring. 980 sq ft, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $289,000. 3BR 2-1/2BA, “M” in “Greens”, Garage parking, sep din rm, mirrored closet doors, enclosed balcony, 1530 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - RENTAL - $1400. 1BR + Den, 1-1/2 BA “C” model. Rarely available, new paint and carpet throughout. 950 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® - $69,500. 2BR 1FB Hampton Coop. New paint and carpet, renovated, patio with view of trees. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463. LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 47. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors. FOR RENT: $1,200 PER MONTH, 1BR, 1BA, The Greens at World of Leisure, age 55+ community. Gorgeous view, enclosed balcony, new carpet, new appliances, fresh paint, close to elevator. Call Roberta Campbell, Weichert, Realtors, 301-681-0550 x136 or 301-801-7906 (cell). LOOKING TO LIVE IN part of a quiet residence with a separate bedroom and perhaps a private entrance. A basement would be acceptable. The Takoma Park/Silver Spring area is preferred. Quiet 68-year-old (as of 02/05/13) employed man. Steve, 301-589-4040.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

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Wanted

ELECTRIC POWER WHEELCHAIR $600! Cost over $3,000! Golden Compass Sport. Model GP605, 2 years old, recently serviced! Hurry! Call Joann, 301-210-4126.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls. We pay the most for your valuable treasures because we get the most money on eBay – the worldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area – Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia. Buying the following items – furniture, art, paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintage wristwatches, military items, including guns, rifles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instruments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls, trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennis equipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools, books, photographs, comic books. I am a resident of Silver Spring and work in Bethesda. I have 25 years experience. Please call Tom Hanley at 240-476-3441 – Thank you.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed. Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve 410-913-1653.

Home/Handyman Services LADY WANTS TO CLEAN HOUSES. Charge $70 a day. Help Elderly/Babysit $10 per hour. Call 703-341-6722. Dorothy.

Personal Services FIX COMPUTERS/TRANSPORTATION/TUTORING. Will visit/fix your sick computer. Drive you to doctor, grocery, errands. Tutoring various subjects: computers, science, languages. Call John 301-990-9393. WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854. VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van. Call Mike 301-565-4051. PERSONAL ASSISTANT: People need help. I like to help. I can help with errands, shopping & accompanying people to appointments. Reasonable rates. I don’t expect to make a lot of money. Gary Kaushansky – 301-816-1812.

Personals LOOKING TO LIVE IN part of a quiet residence with a separate bedroom and perhaps a private entrance. A basement would be acceptable. The Takoma Park/Silver Spring area is preferred. Quiet 68-year-old (as of 02/05/13) employed man. Steve, 301-589-4040.

Volunteer Opportunities COLUMBIA LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND, a nonprofit organization serving people of all ages in the Washington metropolitan area who are blind and visually impaired, is recruiting adult volunteers to serve as Readers and Friendly Visitors. Participants in the Readers & Friendly Visitors program are adult volunteers who are matched one-on-one with blind or visually impaired adults. Volunteers arrange weekly meetings with clients at their homes to assist with activities, such as reading mail, grocery shopping or running errands. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Jocelyn Hunter at 202-454-6422 or jhunter@clb.org to attend an upcoming orientation.

Wanted STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com. STERLING SILVER will pay top dollar for your silver marked “Sterling”, “925” “800.” Please no silver plate. Want flatware, bowls, plates, candlesticks, etc. Call Richard 301-6460101.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, ETC. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158. CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-6540838. BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE 240-4640958. WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697. MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan (202) 841-3062. VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-5966201. CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole state. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755. FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan 301-2798834. Thank you. WANTED LARGE DOG who needs loving home. Live with cats and 2 children. Inside Fenced yard. Kay 301-445-3778.

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Puzzle Page

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Get Me Out Of Here by Stephen Sherr 1

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1. ___ California 5. State abbrev. that sounds painful 9. Vocation 12. Not written 13. Stash away 14. 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate 17. Hershey Bar : chocoholic :: Boone’s Farm Apple: ___ 18. Astronomer’s night spot 20. More than a long while 22. Feel woozy 23. Wrongful act 24. Dirty sheets, perhaps 28. Chinese “way” 29. Word with mai or chi 30. Steven’s disposition 31. Weather vane letters after the tornado 33. Words said under the chuppah 35. She is remembered for her past tens 39. Phone feature training 43. Spiritual song 44. Info avail. at www.jetblue/flightstatus 45. Opposite of exo46. “___ deer” 49. Appropriate 51. “Fleming; ___ Fleming” 52. Poultry feasts 57. Recipient of “his own” 58. Paddle 59. Small club 60. Make a substitution at the seafood house 64. Maker of defective Road Runner traps 67. Short, but not sweet 68. Snacks for a snack machine 69. Artful discretion 70. Create a flag 71. Lady’s escort 72. Spooky lake 1. Gift box topper

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