December 2011 Howard County Beacon Edition by The Beacon Newspapers

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Toby brings it all together

A teacher from the start Her path started to take shape in the late 1950s, shortly after Orenstein graduated from Columbia University, where she had majored in theater and minored in education. She was chosen as one of a dozen teachers to take part in a federal education project in Harlem, overseen by Eleanor Roosevelt. There she worked with children who didn’t show that they wanted to learn anything. “They hated life and they hated me,” Orenstein said. Then came the play-acting. “I was teaching social studies, and I brought in costume hats for the kids,” she recalled. “And

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOBY’S DINNER THEATRE

By Robert Friedman Toby Orenstein — owner, founder, director and producer at the two dinner theaters that bear her name — is well aware of the stigma attached to the term “dinner theater.” As she puts it, some people believe that it’s “bad theater, with chicken breasts and rice.” Yet, she proudly aligns her name with the genre. The main ingredient in good theater, she said, “is innovative, passionate people who want to communicate — and that can be done in a barn or a bathroom.” Not only do her theaters provide much more comfortable surroundings than that (together with more-than-you-can-eat buffets), her productions vie with the best theaters in the region for top theatrical honors. Over the past 27 years, Toby’s actor/singers, choreographers and her own work as a director have been nominated for 57 Helen Hayes awards — the Washington-area equivalent of Broadway’s Tonys — and have won a number of them. Now 74, Orenstein got her start in the theater, you might say, back in the Bronx when she was a schoolgirl, putting on great American musicals with her classmates and coaxing her mother to accompany them on the piano. Her life has not all been about show biz, however. Orenstein sees teaching as her main calling, and she has managed to combine the two professions into something of a mission. Her work in both fields has earned her, among other honors, a place in the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame.

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Alabama’s Civil War and civil rights sites; plus, time to think spring when it comes to the garden page 23

ARTS & STYLE Toby Orenstein, owner of Toby’s Dinner Theatres in Columbia and Baltimore, not only has directed hundreds of musical productions, but is also the founder of the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, which introduces children to acting.

we had sand and they became miners, panning and digging for gold and telling how they felt. And the California Gold Rush became alive for them,” she said. Theater became the spark that ignited a desire in these kids to learn about the world. The same spark ignites in autistic children and those with Asperger’s syndrome when they take to theater, Orenstein has observed. “Imagine parents in the audience, whose children wouldn’t say one word or wouldn’t look anyone in the eye, now seeing their kids on stage, speaking and looking at that other kid!” Orenstein felt that rush personally

when she saw her grandson, who has Asperger’s, perform. “He participates in the arts, and it has helped him enormously, teaching him to work with other kids, to handle real-life situations,” she said.

From Handel’s Messiah to David Sedaris’ darkly humorous Holidays on Ice, there’s a holiday show in Howard County for every taste page 27

FITNESS & HEALTH k Foods that boost immunity k Ways to prevent falls

Moving into drama Orenstein moved to Maryland in 1959 and began teaching drama classes and directing at Cynthia Warner’s School in Takoma Park. She also directed shows and children’s drama at the Burn Brae Dinner Theatre. She was a visiting professor in theater at Catholic University from 1974 to1980. But See TOBY, page 28

THE SENIOR CONNECTION 16 k Howard County Office on Aging Newsletter LAW & MONEY k Reasons to invest in Asia k Beware used car scams

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Tooting our horn Every year, we enter a selection of our Carol Sorgen, won bronze awards for two original stories in the editorial contests other cover stories — “Fitness leads to run by the two largest 50+ ageless body,” and “Finding media associations: the Nafreedom on two wheels.” A tional Mature Media Awards, Greater Washington cover and the North American Mastory by Ruben about the ture Publishers Association growing popularity of tattoo(NAMPA) awards. ing among older adults, I am pleased to report that “Making their mark with the Beacon once again came body art,” won a merit award. away from both competitions The Mature Media competiwith some top honors. In fact, tion was for items published in this year, all three of our Bea- FROM THE 2010, so our Howard County con editions — including our PUBLISHER edition was not yet eligible. But new Howard County Beacon — By Stuart P. Rosenthal we were able to enter stories won awards. from our earliest Howard The Mature Media awards draw entries County editions in the NAMPA competition from national publications, such as AARP because it covered publications from July The Magazine, as well as local papers like 2010 through June 2011. ours. They are judged by recognized writSo we were pleased that the cover of ing and aging experts. our debut Howard County issue, “When This year we won two silver awards. Our grown kids move back in,” written by Sormanaging editor, Barbara Ruben, won one gen, won first place in NAMPA’s feature for her Greater Washington cover story, writing category for papers with circula“Two generations kiss and tell,” about a tions under 50,000. mother and daughter bookwriting team. We By the way, the NAMPA competition is also won a silver award in the overall “news- judged by the prestigious University of Mispaper” category for last year’s July issue. souri School of Journalism, and its judges proOur Baltimore contributing editor, vide comments with all awards. The judges

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

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei

• Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King

support of Beacon readers like you. Which leads me to note that, whatever awards we do or do not win, what always matters the most to us is what our readers think of us. We value your opinion, always welcome your input, and ask that you share your comments and suggestions with us via mail, e-mail, phone or fax. We love to hear from you. I want to conclude by expressing my thanks to, and admiration for, the entire Beacon staff. They are truly committed (and often overworked), and I’d like to thank them by name for their excellent efforts and devoted contributions to the Beacon: Managing Editor Barbara Ruben, Contributing Editor Carol Sorgen, Vice President for Operations Gordon Hasenei, Director of Sales Alan Spiegel, Graphic Designer Kyle Gregor y, Asst. Operations Manager (and webmaster) Roger King, Advertising Representatives Doug Hallock, Ron Manno, Steve Levin, Cheryl Watts and Dan Kelly, and last but certainly not least, my wife and Associate Publisher Judy Rosenthal. We also are grateful for the many contributions of our talented freelancers, including Robert Friedman and Anne Ball in Howard County, travel writers Victor Block and Glenda Booth, theatre reviewer Michael Toscano, and freelance photographer, Frank Klein. The Beacon would not exist without all of their efforts, nor without your reading of our publications. My thanks to you all.

Letters to the editor

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

• Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel

called Sorgen’s cover a “well-researched, deftly written piece that provides context and solutions as well as lively anecdotes.” We are particularly proud of our Baltimore edition, which not only won two firstplace writing awards in its division (50,000100,000 circulation), but also first place for general excellence and overall “Best of Show” in its division. Here’s what the judges had to say about our Baltimore edition: “Sophisticated in content and presentation, the Baltimore Beacon reflects an audience that obviously seeks both an authoritative and more broad-minded approach to topics. While it remains committed to subjects of value for its audience — health, travel, investments, the arts — it doesn’t shy away from tough issues, such as medical marijuana, divorce and retirement resentment. This is a refreshing publication that gives readers tools to manage life’s challenges.” Our Greater Washington edition won two first place awards, as well as second place for general excellence in its division (papers with more than 100,000 circulation). Ruben won first place in the senior issues category with her cover story, “Sex, drugs and HIV after 50,” which the judges called “really important work on a subject of national importance.” And my January 2011 From the Publisher column, “Time to advocate” — in which I encouraged readers to support the independent existence of the Maryland Department of Aging through a letter-writing and email campaign — was awarded first place in the community service editorial category. Of course, the real reward of that column was in the success of the advocacy effort, made possible by the tremendous

2010 Outstanding Publication Award

• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ............Ron Manno, ............................................Doug Hallock, Steve Levin

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial and advertising is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

Dear Editor: With respect to last month’s “From the Publisher” column, Social Security has done exactly what it was designed to do since 1935, and will continue to do so, according to the Social Security actuaries, until 2036 when there is projected to be a 22 percent shortfall in benefits. Social Security is one of this country’s most successful programs that provides a safety net for American families. Why do some groups say “hands off?” The answer is that Congress’ “super committee” is under great pressure to come up with ways to reduce our national deficit by a minimum of $1.2 trillion, and Social Security is on the table along with everything else. Social Security did not contribute one

penny to this deficit and should not be touched and used as a piggy bank. Social Security is more important to seniors now than ever before, since most 401Ks have become 201Ks. Social Security is a contract that must not be broken. Social Security has changed in the past and will need to change in the future. Its value to this country and to its citizens is worth a full congressional and grassroots discussion. The future of Social Security should not be decided by a committee of 12 in a rush to meet a Thanksgiving deadline. This is the time to keep “Hands Off” and cut the turkey, not the program. Laura Feldman Via email

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Health Fitness &

FOODS THAT FIGHT STRESS When stress strikes, reach for foods that soothe the psyche DON’T HEAD FOR A FALL Schedule an eye exam, and check your balance and meds to prevent falls A NATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S PLAN Congress orders plan to fight Alzheimer’s; draft promised in December UNRAVELING THE BEST DNA Researchers seek to unlock the secrets of healthy longevity

Machines measure blood pressure better Doctors are notoriously bad at measuring their patients’ blood pressure. Nurses are better, but many still don’t use the correct method. Even clinicians who do follow the proper procedure often get a reading that’s higher than the person’s usual blood pressure. This is called white-coat hypertension — blood pressure that’s high when a doctor or other clinician measures it, but normal the rest of the time. Maybe it’s time to give the job of measuring blood pressure to machines, not humans. That’s the novel — and successful — approach taken by teams in Canada and the Netherlands.

People get higher readings In Canada, researchers asked 88 primary care physicians and 555 of their patients with high blood pressure to take part in the Conventional Versus Automated Measurement of Blood Pressure in the Office (CAMBO) trial. Half of the physicians measured their patients’ blood pressure the old-fashioned way — in person, by pumping up a standard blood pressure cuff and listening through a stethoscope to the stop and start of blood through the brachial artery. The other half handed over the job to a machine. These doctors fit a blood pres-

sure cuff around the patient’s arm, made sure the machine was working, then left the room. The volunteer sat quietly while the machine recorded his or her blood pressure five more times, with a break of a minute or two between each measurement. Later, each volunteer wore a monitor that measured his or her blood pressure dozens of times over the course of 24 hours. The average measurements made by the doctors were higher than those made by the blood pressure monitor alone. In addition, the automated readings were more in line with the 24-hour recording (BMJ). In a related study in the Netherlands, 84 men and women whose doctors suggested they have 24-hour blood pressure monitoring first had their pressure checked by a machine, not by a doctor or other clinician. Each volunteer sat alone in a quiet room while his or her blood pressure was automatically measured eight times in 30 minutes. The readings yielded an average that

was very close to the 24-hour recording. Notably, the first measurement in the series averaged 154 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), but by the fourth one it had stabilized at 142 mm Hg (Annals of Family Medicine).

The white coat effect Up to 20 percent of people who are told they have high blood pressure, and who begin treatment for it, may actually have normal blood pressure everywhere but in the doctor’s office. Why some people have white-coat hypertension isn’t clear. It could be the rush of getting to an appointment, the anxiety and stress associated with seeing a doctor, or poor technique by the person who is taking the measurement. The effect of white-coat hypertension on long-term health is still a bit hazy. One large study showed that people with whitecoat hypertension are more likely than

those with normal blood pressure to develop “true” hypertension over time. Other studies suggest that people with white-coat hypertension fare much the same as those with normal blood pressure. One way to test for white-coat hypertension is with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring — wearing a blood pressure cuff around the arm, connected to a portable monitor, for an entire day and night. This offers a better estimate of “true” blood pressure than a single snapshot in a doctor’s office. But it is a hassle having the cuff inflate every so often, even while you sleep. An easier alternative might be to sit quietly by yourself in your doctor’s office and have a machine measure your blood pressure several times. In a paper in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Dr. Donald G. Vidt (a member of the panel that set the current standards for measuring and treating high blood pressure) and his colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic pose an interesting question: Is taking blood pressure too important to trust to humans? It looks like the answer is yes. You can read the paper yourself at www.health.harvard.edu/169. © 2011 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Stay healthy with three immune boosters By Emily Sohn You already know you need to eat well to stay healthy, but scientists are now zeroing in on specific diet strategies that can help bolster immunity. With cold and flu season right around the corner, here are three to add to your arsenal: 1. Fill your Vitamin D tank: You may have fewer health problems — ranging from colds to cancer — if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it — albeit in smaller doses — from fatty fish, such as salmon, and fortified milk. But because Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such

a supplement may help boost your immune system. In a study of more than 300 Japanese children, those who took daily vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percent less likely to get a common flu virus than kids who took a placebo. Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick, said Dr. Adit Ginde, a public health researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. Aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (check with your doctor before taking more). 2. Get a daily dose of soluble fiber: Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice that dined on meals containing mixed fiber, accord-

ing to a recent study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Soluble fiber — abundant in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats — helps fight inflammation, said lead author Christina Sherry of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Insoluble fiber — found in wheat, whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables — is still important for overall health, but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact on immunity. Strive for 25 to 38 grams of total fiber a day, Sherry said, paying extra attention to getting the soluble kind. 3. Stay lean: Overweight adults who cut their daily calorie intake by nearly a third saw a 50 percent boost in immunity, according to a six-month study out of Tufts University, Medford, Mass. (Those who cut calories by

10 percent had smaller improvements.) Restricting calories may reduce levels of compounds in the body that depress your immune response, said Tufts nutritional immunologist Simin Meydani. Animal studies suggest that calorie restriction could work in normal-weight individuals. too. “Try to maintain your body weight at what is considered ideal,” Meydani said, because eating more than what you need drags the immune system down. “And remember: when you cut back on quantity, you need to be even more vigilant about the quality of your diet,” Meydani added. Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables — and choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy. © 2011 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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If you’re looking for a new doctor who takes Medicare, start with the Physician Compare tool at Medicare.gov. Enter your Zip code and the type of doctor you’re looking for. Specify that you want to see providers who accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. You can leave the doctor’s gender and last name blank. The search will result in a list of physicians in the area who accept Medicare. But this resource isn’t foolproof. “We have found doctors on the Medicare.gov list who have retired,” said Elaine Wong Eakin, executive director of California Health Advocates. She recommends starting with four or five doctors on the list, or asking friends or relatives in the area for recommendations.

A decline in brain activity linked to memory loss in aged monkeys has been reversed, resulting in activity akin to that of a youngster. It may provide vital clues to preventing memory problems in humans. To better understand memory loss, Mark Laubach and colleagues at Yale University studied neuron degradation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of monkeys, the part of the brain responsible for working memory — critical to everyday tasks including planning ahead and learning.

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How to find doctors who accept Medicare

Drug improves memory in older monkeys

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Viruses might soon meet their kryptonite: a drug that can, in theory, destroy cells infected by almost any one of them without harming healthy neighbor cells. Most antiviral drugs or vaccines are specific to one virus, or even one strain. When a virus mutates, researchers must retool our medicines. But nearly all viruses have one thing in common: they generate double strands of RNA longer than 30 base pairs. Healthy mammalian cells do not produce such long double-stranded RNA, offering a way to identify virus-infected cells. The immune system already includes an enzyme — protein kinase R (PKR) — that binds to long double-stranded RNA molecules and blocks production of viral proteins, but many viruses can evade it. So Todd Rider at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Lexington and his colleagues glued PKR to apoptotic protease activating factor 1 — a protein that triggers cell suicide in extreme situations. The new antiviral drug “catches the virus with its pants down,” explained Rider, by destroying the cell as soon as viral RNA is detected. He calls the drug DRACO, for double-stranded-RNA-activated caspase oligomeriser. In tests, DRACO prevented rhinovirus — which causes some forms of the common cold — from spreading through human and mouse cells in Petri dishes. It performed just as well against 14 other viruses, including the one responsible for dengue fever. DRACO also boosted sur-

Then contact those doctors to see whether they are accepting new Medicare patients. If you still have trouble finding a doctor you like who accepts Medicare, you may want to consider switching to a Medicare Advantage plan for 2012 during open-enrollment season this year, which runs only through Dec. 7 — earlier than in past years. These private plans, which offer medical and prescription-drug coverage and provide networks of doctors, may have more doctors available in certain areas than traditional Medicare does. But they also have rules limiting which doctors and hospitals may be used, and have different co-payments, deductible and coverage amounts than traditional Medicare. — Kiplinger’s

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New antiviral drug: A cure for the common cold?

vival rates in mice given a normally lethal dose of the H1N1 flu virus (PLoS One). “Just as antibiotics revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections, this project has a lot of potential to treat a range of illnesses,” said Rider. “This is a very clever approach,” said Timothy Tellinghuisen of the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla., but he added that some viruses can conceal their doublestranded RNA, and so could elude DRACO. Andrea Branch of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City also has reservations. Destroying all infected cells can be dangerous in people with advanced viral infections, she said. “Suppose 100 percent of your hepatocytes (liver cells) are infected and you used this — you would die of liver failure.” — New Scientist

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The brain/digestion connection explained By Karen Ansel Are your tummy troubles all in your head? Yes and no. There’s a reason why, when you’re upset, you feel a knot in the pit of your stomach. “The brain and the digestive tract share many of the same nerve connections,” said Dr. Douglas A. Drossman, a gastroenterologist and psychiatrist and co-director of the University of North Carolina Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders, Chapel Hill. It’s because, in the womb, the nerves that eventually separate into the brain, spinal cord and nerves of the intestine all have the same beginnings and remain interconnected. Mental stress delivers a one-two punch to our digestive systems. First, it causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that not only divert energy to your

muscles (so you can fight — or flee!) but also slow down digestion. For momentary bouts of stress, that’s a good thing: You want to use your energy to escape the bear, not digest your lunch. But when stress is chronic, those same hormones can make your digestive system sluggish, leading to constipation. In addition, chronic stress can alter the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which promotes relaxation. And because 80 percent of your body’s serotonin is located in your gut, it’s no wonder that when too much is released it can keep you running to the bathroom, while too little can make you irregular.

Try these foods Luckily, science suggests that, when stress strikes, reaching for certain foods can soothe your psyche and your “stom-

ach.” Here are three to get things back on track: 1. Oatmeal: This comforting grain is packed with fiber, which helps regulate digestion — slowing things down when they’re moving too fast and speeding things up when they’re sluggish. The fiber in oatmeal also guards against dips in blood glucose that can leave you cranky and lethargic. 2. Yogurt: You’ve heard that probiotics (good-for-you bacteria in foods like yogurt) can improve digestive health — and there’s some evidence they might. Now a British Journal of Nutrition study indicates they may alleviate stress as well. Study participants who took a probiotic supplement felt less stress, depression and anxiety than those who received a placebo. “Probiotics are very strain-specific, meaning that each strain has unique and

distinct benefits,” said D. Milton Stokes, M.P.H., R.D., co-author of Flat Belly Diet! for Men (Rodale, 2009). “While this study looked at only two specific strains (that aren’t currently available to consumers in foods), it provides encouraging evidence that probiotics may have a beneficial impact on the mind-gut connection.” 3. Fatty fish: Stress can trigger an increase in compounds called cytokines that promote inflammation, which can worsen digestive ills. Eating more EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) — two omega-3 fats found most commonly in oily fish, such as salmon, herring and sardines — can help relieve inflammation linked to tummy troubles, according to a 2005 Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition study. Karen Ansel is a registered dietician. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2011 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Health shorts From page 5

BRAND NEW APARTMENT HOMES FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 62 OR BETTER Regency Crest is an extraordinarily carefree community because of the convenient lifestyle enjoyed by those who live here. We go the extra mile to provide our residents with distinctive amenities and service that cannot be found in ordinary active adult communities.

In both monkeys and humans, workingmemory function declines with age, leading to problems such as forgetfulness. The team connected electrodes to over 300 individual neurons in the PFCs of young, middle-aged and old monkeys, and measured their activity while the monkeys took part in a memory-based task. Neuron firing related to working memory decreased significantly with age. In the old-age group, neuron activity could be restored to that of a young monkey by administering a drug that temporarily prevented potassium channels in the neurons from opening, demonstrating that the reduced firing was not due to permanent structural changes in the brain. The study was published in the journal Nature. — New Scientist

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HERBAL APPROACHES TO HEALTHY HAIR

The Tai Sophia Institute will offer a free lecture and discussion on the approaches of different cultures to common disorders of the hair and scalp, including hair loss, thinning and graying. The program will be held at noon on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Tai Sophia Institute, 7750 Montpelier Rd., Laurel. For further information and to register, visit the website www.tai.edu or call (410) 888-9048 ext. 6616.

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Many ways to keep from heading for a fall By Jim Miller Falls are a big concern for millions of older Americans and their families. In the United States, roughly one-third of the 65and-older population will suffer a fall this year, often with dire consequences. But many falls can be prevented. Here are some steps you can take to help stay on your feet and reduce your risk of falling and that of your loved ones. Check your meds: Do you take any medicine or combination of medicines that make you dizzy, sleepy or lightheaded? If so, gather up all your drugs — prescriptions and over-the-counter — and take them to your doctor or pharmacist for a drug review. Schedule an eye exam: Poor vision can be another contributor to falls. If you wear glasses, check to see if your prescription is correct. And beware of bifocals and progressive lenses. Multifocal glasses can impair vision needed for detecting obstacles and judging depth. Check your balance: Balance disorders — which can be brought on by a variety of conditions, such as inner ear problems, allergies, a head injury or problems with blood circulation — are also a common cause of falls. If you are having some balance issues, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked and treated. Start exercising: Improving balance

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through exercise is one of the best ways to prevent falls. Strength training, stretching, yoga, and tai chi are all great for building better balance. Some simple exercises that one can do any time are walking heel-to-toe across the room, standing on one foot for 30 seconds or longer, or getting up from a chair and sitting back down 10 to 20 times. For more balance exercise tips, call the National Institute on Aging at 1-800-2222225 and order their free exercise DVD and free exercise book. You can also see it online at www.go4life.niapublications.org. Check around the home: Because about half of all falls happen around the home, some simple modifications can go a long way towards making your living area safer. Start by picking up items on the floor that could cause people to trip, such as newspapers, books, shoes, clothes, electrical or phone cords. If you have throw rugs, remove them or use double-sided tape to secure them. In the bathroom, put a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tub or shower, and have a carpenter install grab bars inside the tub and next to the toilet. Also, make sure the lighting throughout the house is good. Purchase some inexpensive plug-in nightlights for the bathrooms and hallways and, if you have stairs,

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consider putting handrails on both sides. In the kitchen, organize your cabinets so the things you use most often are within easy reach without using a step stool. For more tips, call the Eldercare Locater at 1-800-677-1116 and order a free copy of their “Preventing Falls at Home” brochure. Other pitfalls: Believe it or not, the improper use of canes and walkers sends around 47,000 seniors to the emergency room each year. If you use a cane or walker, be sure it’s adequately adjusted to your height and that you’re using it properly. A physical therapist can help with this, or see the Mayo Clinic slide show on how to choose and use a cane (www.mayoclinic.com/health/canes/HA00064) and a

walker (www.mayoclinic.com/health/ walker/HA00060). Another possible hazard is pets. If you have a dog or cat, you need to be aware that, because they can get under foot, pets cause a lot of falls. Shoes are another issue to be aware of. Rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes are the best slip/trip proof shoes for seniors. Savvy Tip: If falls are a worry, consider getting a home monitoring system or personal emergency response system — a small pendent- or wristwatch-style “SOS button” that can allow you to call for help if you fall. Systems cost around $1 per day. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.

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Hearing loss has been called an “invisible” health condition as there are no outward physical signs associated with it. It usually occurs gradually, and may be noticed by your close friends and family members before you notice it. At first, you may only have problems with the phone, TV or only in background noise. You may have the perception that you’re hearing fine, if other people would just stop mumbling. Hearing loss tends to gradually get worse over time. As with most health conditions, earlier diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss usually leads to most successful outcomes. Since the negative effects of untreated hearing loss are well documented, the benefits of seeking treatment are proven, and hearing aids not only help you hear better but also greatly improve your quality of life.

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

U.S. tackles national plan for Alzheimer’s By Lauran Neergaard As her mother’s Alzheimer’s worsened over eight long years, so did Doreen Alfaro’s bills: The walker, then the wheelchair, then the hospital bed, then the diapers — and the caregivers hired for more and more hours a day so Alfaro could go to work and her elderly father could get some rest. Alfaro and her husband sold their house to raise money for her mother’s final athome care. Six years later, the 58-year-old Alfaro wonders if she eventually develops Alzheimer’s, too, “what happens to my care? Where will I go?” Dementia is poised to become a defining disease of the rapidly aging population — and a budget-busting one for Medicare and Medicaid, the U.S. government’s medical programs for the sick and the elderly, as well as for American families. Now the Obama administration is developing the first National Alzheimer’s Plan, to combine research aimed at fighting the mind-destroying disease with help that caregivers need to stay afloat. “This is a unique opportunity, maybe an opportunity of a lifetime in a sense, to really have an impact on this disease,” said Dr. Ronald Petersen of the Mayo Clinic, who chairs a committee that in September began advising the government on what that plan should include.

A growing toll An estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s or similar dementias. It is the sixth-leading killer. There is no cure; treatments only temporarily ease some symptoms. Barring a research breakthrough, those numbers will worsen steadily as the baby boomers age. By 2050, from 13 million to 16 million Americans are projected to have Alzheimer’s, costing $1 trillion in medical and nursing home expenditures. That is not, however, the full toll. Sufferers lose the ability to do the simplest activities of daily life and can survive that way for a decade or more, requiring years of care from family, friends or paid caregivers. Already a recent report finds that nearly 15 million people, mostly family members, are providing more than $200 billion worth of unpaid care. Thousands of those caregivers have turned out at public meetings since early August, and at a “telephone town meeting” organized by the Alzheimer’s Association that drew 32,000 people, pleading for a national Alzheimer’s strategy to bring changes. They want primary care doctors trained to diagnose dementia earlier, describing how years of missed symptoms cost them precious time to make plans or seek treatment. They demand to know why the National

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Institutes of Health spends about six times more on AIDS research than on Alzheimer’s, when there are good drugs to battle back the HIV virus but nothing comparable for dementia. Overwhelmingly, they ask for resources to help Alzheimer’s patients live their last years at home without ruining their caregivers’ own health and financial future. “Either you’re rich and can afford $25 an hour for care at home, or you send him to a facility. We’re in the middle of the road,” said Shirley Rexrode of suburban San Francisco, whose 85-year-old father, Hsien-Wen Li, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly three years ago. Adult day care did not work out. Even at $90 a day, the only place with an opening could not handle the behaviors of Alzheimer’s. Rexrode’s mother, Li’s primary caregiver, already has suffered some depression. “We just have to muddle through, but we don’t know how long we can,” Rexrode said. And while Medicare will pay for doctor bills and medications, even getting to the doctor can be a hurdle. When her 89-yearold mother with advanced Alzheimer’s developed a urinary tract infection, Susan Lynch could not find a doctor willing to come to her parents’ home in Fall River, Mass. Lynch flew there from her home in Gaithersburg, Md., but could not carry her mother down the stairs. A private ambulance service did not have an opening for weeks. Lynch wound up calling the town ambulance for a costly but Medicarecovered trip to the emergency room. Federal health officials, who promise a first draft of the national plan by December, say they are getting the message. “Folks desperately, desperately want to

be able to provide the care themselves,” said Donald Moulds, a deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services who oversees the project. “It’s very, very hard work. Figuring out better mechanisms for supporting people who are trying to do that work is the right thing to do.” It also may be cheaper for taxpayers. Nursing homes not only are pricier than at-home care, but many families can afford them only through Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor — jointly paid for by the federal government and the states. Another key, Moulds said, is better care coordination as Alzheimer’s complicates the many other health problems of aging.

Where will funding come from? Given the U.S. government’s budget crisis, the big question is whether any antiAlzheimer’s strategy can come with enough dollars and other incentives attached to spur true change. “That’s a concern, a very real one,” said Mayo’s Petersen. The law that requires a national Alzheimer’s plan did not provide funding, and Moulds is silent about the possible price tag. Almost complete is an inventory of all Alzheimer’s-related research and care reimbursement paid for by the U.S. government, to look for gaps that need filling and possible savings to help pay for them. For more information about services available now, the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour toll-free number, 1-800-2723900, with counselors to help families. Also visit www.alz.org. — AP

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

Newly approved drugs not always better By Carla K. Johnson Many consumers mistakenly believe new prescription drugs are always safer than those with long track records, and that only extremely effective drugs without major side effects win government approval, according to a new study. A national survey of nearly 3,000 adults finds that about four in 10 wrongly believe the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves only “extremely effective” drugs. One in four mistakenly believes the FDA allows only drugs that don’t have serious side effects. That means consumers “may not get the benefit from drugs they think they’re getting, or they may expose themselves to more harm than they think” said study coauthor Dr. Steven Woloshin of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the VA Outcomes Group In truth, the FDA approves a new drug when its benefits outweigh any known risks. FDA approval doesn’t mean the drug’s benefits are large compared to drugs already on the market. And risks for some drugs appear only after they’ve been used by millions of people and long after FDA approval. For instance, Merck & Co. withdrew the FDA-approved arthritis pill Vioxx after reports of heart risks surfaced over a period of five years.

Warnings can help consumers The new survey, appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, revealed a partial solution to consumer confusion: Simply worded cautions can make a difference in which drugs people choose. To test that idea, the researchers dreamed up two fictional drugs for heart disease and two for heartburn. The survey posed a question: Which drug would you choose? Participants were told both heart disease drugs were free and both lowered cholesterol, but only one was known to reduce heart attacks. Seventy-one percent of people chose the better drug that reduced heart attacks — when they were reminded in a warning that the other one only lowered cholesterol levels. “It is not known whether it will help patients feel better or live longer,” the warning said. Fewer people, 59 percent, made the better choice when they weren’t given the added caution. As for the make-believe heartburn drugs, consumers were told they worked equally well and were free. The difference? One was approved by the FDA in 2009, the other in 2001. This time, 53 percent chose the older drug when given a warning about the newer one. The caution said: “As with all

new drugs, rare but serious side effects may emerge after the drug is on the market — when larger numbers of people have used the drug.” Fewer people, 34 percent, chose the older — and perhaps safer — drug when they didn’t get that warning. “One of the reasons doctors tend to prescribe newer, expensive drugs is there’s a widespread perception that newer is better,” said Dr. Michael Steinman of San Francisco VA Medical Center, who wrote a

commentary about the study in the journal. “That’s sometimes true, but many times it’s not true. So much of what doctors learn about new drugs is somehow affected by drug company marketing.”

Clearer information needed Woloshin said simple cautions would help doctors, too, and should be part of drug advertising and labeling. He and coSee NEW DRUGS, page 11

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

Enjoy life more by getting past the guilt Dear Solutions: dren’s money?” The thought of going I’m a 70-something widower. When is very exciting, but then I get pulled my wife was alive, we both back by all these other wanted to go on an aroundfeelings. What do you the-world cruise, but we think? kept putting it off. — Harry Now I would like to go, Dear Harry: but until last week I had no You have a golden opportuone to go with. At a senior nity for a gilt-edged trip, degroup meeting I met a pending on how you spell the woman who said she word. Gilt? Guilt? would like to go also and Let’s try being rational. had no one to go with. She 1. It’s sad that your wife didasked if we could we go to- SOLUTIONS n’t have the opportunity to go. gether and take separate By Helen Oxenberg, However, since you both postMSW, ACSW rooms. poned the trip, the first thing I like this woman, but I you have to do — unless you feel guilty going when my wife never murdered her — is to give up responsibility had the chance. for her missed trip. You can feel bad and cry Also, someone else said, “Wouldn’t over it, but when you finish, ask yourself, “If you feel guilty spending your chil- I don’t go now, will that give her back the

BEACON BITS

Nov. 30+

LEARN CPR IN ONE NIGHT

Howard County General Hospital is offering a one-evening program on CPR leading to an American Heart Association completion card. The course is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and will be repeated on Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Howard County General Hospital Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100, Columbia. The fee is $55. To register, visit www.hcgh.org. For more information, call (410) 740-7601.

lost opportunity?” 2. If you like the woman who wants to go with you, think of her as a friend or a companion, not a date. Whether you take separate rooms or not is entirely up to the two of you, and is nobody else’s business. 3. Leaving money to one’s grown children is a gift not a given. You are entitled to fulfill your dreams and, hopefully, your children will be happy for you. So go, Harry. If not now, when? Dear Solutions: My 25-year-old grandson recently got a job in my town and is temporarily living with me to save money until he can get his own place. He got involved with an older woman and had an affair with her. Now he wants out of it, but she won’t leave him alone. She keeps calling

him. Every time he tries to break off with her, she’s right back again. How can I get this woman out of my grandson’s life? — Belle Dear Belle: Evidently, you want to be the only “older woman” in his life, since you are trying to control him, her and the whole situation. She may be older, but so is he. Twentyfive is no baby. He’s an adult and will have to work out his own problems. Insist that your grandson at least get his own phone to monitor his own calls, and then you let go. © Helen Oxenberg, 2011. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 25+

GOING TO THE DOGS

Approximately 1,500 to 2,400 dogs representing 150 different breeds will be showing off their pedigrees and obedience skills in this four-day show that also features 50 vendors selling dog-related products. The show will be held Friday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Nov. 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd., West Friendship. For further information, call (410) 442-1022.

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

How healthy is white whole wheat bread? Q: Is the bread called â&#x20AC;&#x153;white whole White wheatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighter color and sweeter wheatâ&#x20AC;? really as healthy as regular whole flavor are due to its lower content of natuwheat? ral plant compounds, called A: â&#x20AC;&#x153;White whole wheatâ&#x20AC;? phenols. Research so far does sound confusing, but it is shows this white whole-wheat indeed a whole grain, because flour lower in antioxidants it includes the bran, germ and than traditional whole wheat, endosperm of the grain. and there could be additional Most bread products are health differences due to its made from red wheat; white lower phenol content. wheat is a different variety of We also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know yet wheat. The bran of white wheat whether the fine grind typiis lighter in color and milder in cally used for white wholeflavor, so for children and NUTRITION wheat flour affects the beneadults accustomed to tradition- WISE fits obtained from its fiber al white bread and other re- By Karen Collins, concerning bowel function fined grains, this lighter whole MS, RD, CDM and reducing constipation. wheat may be more readily acIs white whole wheat better cepted. for you than traditional refined white Fiber, vitamin and mineral content of bread? Certainly. For optimal health, curwhite whole wheat is similar to red whole rent evidence suggests using it as a transiwheat, because it still has the healthful tion to become more comfortable with trabran and germ that are removed in refin- ditional whole wheat, or as just one part of ing grains. That said, white whole wheat overall whole grain consumption. might not supply all the health benefits of Q: I know exercise helps reduce traditional whole wheat. risk of breast cancer. What about

New drugs From page 9 author Dr. Lisa Schwartz have been working with the FDA to improve its guidance to drug makers on writing labels, he said. They also are promoting the idea of drug fact boxes, similar to the nutrition fact boxes on packaged foods. The fact boxes, written in plain English, would tell consumers how well a drug works compared to other drugs, and would describe side effects. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national health care law required the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the evidence for drug fact boxes. The de-

partmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report said it needed at least three more years to study the idea. Drug fact boxes could help consumers and doctors, Steinman said. He added that patients should question their doctors about prescriptions. He suggested these questions for starters: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this drug recommended by the guidelines for my disease? Is there a drug thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equally effective but has a longer track record of safety? Has this drug been shown to help people like me live longer or feel better?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AP

breast cancer survivors? A: We now have several studies following women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer (stages 1 through III) that link getting some physical activity each week with 35 to nearly 50 percent lower risk of recurrence or death over the average five to ten years that women were followed after diagnosis. Protection is seen regardless of type of cancer, menopause status or weight. Even an hour of walking throughout the week is better than nothing, and up to an hour a day of moderate to vigorous exercise is linked to even better odds of remaining cancer-free. We have no evidence, however, that more than an hour or so of moderate to vigorous exercise daily provides any additional benefit. Physical activity could act in several different ways to reduce breast cancer recurrence, just as it reduces risk of an initial cancer: it tends to decrease levels of insulin and growth factors that can promote development of

breast (and other) cancers, and it changes reproductive hormones, too. In addition, a new study suggests physical activity may affect gene expression, effectively â&#x20AC;&#x153;turning onâ&#x20AC;? genes related to suppressing breast cancer tumors. Finally, although physical activity generally doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn enough calories to produce much weight loss on its own, studies consistently find it a crucial part of longterm weight maintenance, which plays an important role in protecting against postmenopausal breast (and other) cancers. The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800- 8438114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nutrition Wise,â&#x20AC;? 1759 R St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

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Health Studies Page

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

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Looking for particularly healthy seniors Researchers are seeking America’s “healthy elderly” — those 80 and older with no history of chronic disease — to help them unlock the genetic secrets behind lifelong health. A study dubbed “Wellderly” by Scripps Genomic Medicine plans to analyze the complete genomes of some of the healthiest older Americans to help pinpoint why some people remain healthy into their 80s, 90s and beyond. A complete genome reveals not only genes but also other DNA that’s responsible for regulating genes. It’s “the full monty,” showing DNA elements that are key for illness and health, said Dr. Eric

Topol, the study’s principal investigator. “We all carry genes that make us susceptible to diseases, but some of us avoid the major illnesses that afflict others. A great many people carry the genes that cause heart attack, cancer and other diseases, but some have modifier genes that cancel out their risk,” Topol said. “It’s nature’s way of protecting them.”

Participate by mail While the study will be based in Southern California, participants can enroll throughout the country. Those in California will come in to Scripps to give blood samples or have a nurse visit their house.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 30+

POWER OVER PAIN

A new group has been formed through the Howard County Office of Aging for anyone living with chronic pain. Sessions will discuss ways to develop and sustain a positive attitude, offer information, and present opportunities to talk to others living with chronic pain. Meetings are held every Wednesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the North Laurel 50+ Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel. Call Karen Hull at (410) 313-7466 for more information and to register.

Participants elsewhere will submit a saliva sample by mail after completing an interview by phone. Scripps will mail a packet that contains the consent form, the saliva collection cup, and instructions for participating together with a pre-paid return mailer. Because the study is seeking more than 1,000 participants, each individual will not see his or her results. However, study participants will be updated on the overall findings of the study. No compensation is offered to participants. In the research, samples will be labeled with a barcode and number, and researchers will not see your name or any other personal information to protect privacy. If volunteers decide they no longer want to be part of the study, they can call Scripps, and the DNA sample will be destroyed.

Who qualifies for the study? Participants must be 80 years or older and not have a history of any of the flowing conditions: cancer (except for some skin cancers), heart disease, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, chron-

ic kidney disease, an autoimmune condition (such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s or lupus), diabetes, or an aneurysm. People with the following conditions can take part in the study: osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, controlled high blood pressure, prostate enlargement, high cholesterol and hypothyroidism. One of the challenging parts of the study is locating participants — because such healthy people don’t spend much time in healthcare facilities, Topol said. “The logistics are tricky, but we have to find them,” he said. “We think as people learn about this program, they’ll want to participate as a way to help benefit the health and well being of future generations. “Why are these people Teflon-coated?” Topol asked. “Why don’t they get disease? There’s been too much emphasis on disorders per se and not enough on the people who are exceptionally healthy,” to learn from their genomes, Topol said. “Now we have the powerful tools to do that.” For more information on the study, call 1-800-727-4777 or email wellderly@scrippshealth.org.

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

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Researchers seek secrets of longevity By Malcolm Ritter George Eberhardt turned 107 in October, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he’s going to hand over some of his DNA. He’s one of 100 centenarians taking part in a project that will examine some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools: whole-genome sequencing, the deciphering of a person’s complete collection of DNA. Scientists think DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they have lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help the rest of us stay disease-free longer. By the time you reach, say, 105, “it’s very hard to get there without some genetic advantages,” said Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrics expert at Boston University. Perls is helping find centenarians for the Archon Genomics X Prize competition. The X Prize Foundation, best known for a spaceflight competition, is offering $10 million in prize money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100. The contest will be judged on accuracy, completeness and the speed and cost of sequencing. The contest is a relaunch of an older competition with a new focus on centenarians. Genome pioneer J. Craig Venter said the

centenarian project is just a first step in revealing the genetic secrets of a long and healthy life. “We need 10,000 genomes, not 100, to start to understand the link between genetics, disease and wellness,” said Venter, who is co-chairing the X Prize contest.

What’s the common denominator? The 107-year-old Eberhardt of Chester, N.J., played and taught tennis until he was 94. He said he’s participating in the X Prize project because he’s interested in science and technology. It’s not clear his genes will reveal much. Nobody else in his extended family reached 100, and he thinks only a couple reached 90, he said in a telephone interview. So why does he think he lived so long? He credits 70 years of marriage to his wife, Marie. She in turn cites his “intense interest in so many things” over a lifetime — from building radios as a child to pursuing a career in electronics research. But scientists believe there’s more to it, and they want to use genome sequencing to investigate. Dr. Richard Cawthon of the University of Utah, who is seeking longevity genes by other means, said it may turn up genetic features that protect against multiple diseases or that slow the process of aging in general.

Learn how to make Every time you use the phone. If any disability makes it difficult for you to use the telephone, you may qualify for FREE assistive telephone equipment through the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications program.

Even though you may be able to carry on a conversation with someone in person, you may have difficulty communicating by standard telephone. The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) program, a service of Maryland Relay, provides assistive telecommunications equipment — free of charge — to people who qualify. Training on how to use the equipment is available. To learn more about the free equipment, including hands-free phones, amplified phones, voice activated phones and more, simply call Maryland Relay Customer Service at 1-800-552-7724. You may also visit our website, www.mdrelay.org. Click on Free Equipment for more information on how to apply

Living wrong, but living long Protective features of a centenarian’s DNA can even overcome less-than-ideal lifestyles, said Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. His own study of how centenarians live found that “as a group, they haven’t done the right things.” Many in the group he studied were obese or overweight. Many were smokers, and few exercised or followed a vegetarian diet. His oldest participant, who died this month just short of her 110th birthday,

smoked for 95 years. “She had genes that protected her against the environment,” Barzilai said. One of her sisters died at 102, and one of her brothers is 105 and still manages a hedge fund. No doubt many will be interested in learning what accounts for such a family history and what, if anything, can be done to replicate it. For more information on the X Prize competition, see http://genomics.xprize.org. — AP

All Pet Crematory, Inc. (410) 552-0703 or 1(888) 552-0703 (toll free) • open directly to the public for private cremations only • caring & professional staff • memorial urns and merchandise available “Pet Lovers Serving Pet Lovers” WWW.APCrematory.com

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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

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

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

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Drop your blood pressure with potassium Dear Pharmacist: of restoring nutrients that get depleted by I have borderline high blood pres- medications, for this is your side effect sure, but I don’t have presolution! scription drug insurance so Most physicians are aware I’m not willing to start medof the need to reestablish ication yet. If you had to potassium levels after ordering pick only one vitamin or a diuretic drug, so patients are supplement to recommend, commonly told to replace what would you suggest? potassium with a banana. — M.G. FYI, one cup of papaya or Dear M.G.: French-style green beans If I’m pinned to just one, I have much higher amounts of pick potassium chloride. It’s natural potassium compared inexpensive, sold over-the- DEAR to one banana, a fruit that is counter at pharmacies nation- PHARMACIST high in sugar and prone to funwide, and is well-documented By Suzy Cohen gal disease at the plantation. to help regulate blood presPotassium can also be desure. There are even extended-release ver- pleted from the body by intense workouts sions available by prescription, such as (think hot yoga), any kind of dehydration, Micro-K and Klor-Con. vomiting, chronic or severe diarrhea and Potassium lives in all of our cells, and you alcoholism. If you want to know your blood need it to move your muscles and make your heart beat in perfect rhythm. Without enough potassium on board, your muscles will cramp (and remember, your heart is a muscle). Potassium also seems to protect the brain from ischemic injury (like a stroke). The scary part to me is that there are dozens of drug muggers of potassium — that is, other medications that rob the body of needed potassium. These include certain types of diuretics, heartburn medications, laxatives, insulin therapy and corticosteroid drugs. More classes of medications are listed in my book, Drug Muggers. I cannot overestimate the importance

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28+

A JOYFUL START TO THE WEEK

Every Monday morning, the Bain Center offers “Another Way to See It,” a club to lift enthusiasm, morale and motivation, improving relationships. The group meets Mondays, starting Nov. 28, from 9 to 9:40 a.m. at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. A $2 fee is collected at each meeting. For further information, call the center at (410) 313-7213.

Dec. 15

COPING WITH GRIEF AT THE HOLIDAYS

A free workshop for people who need extra support in preparing for and coping with the holidays this year will be offered by Gilchrist Hospice Care. The workshop will be held on Thursday, Dec. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gilchrist Hospice Care, 5537 Twin Knolls Rd., Suite 433, Columbia. For more information and reservations call (443) 539-4086 or email GHC_bereavement@gilchristhospice.org.

levels, physicians offer a blood test to evaluate your level of potassium and other electrolytes. Potassium works with its brother, sodium, and the two together help control your body’s water balance, which in turn regulates blood pressure. Potassium has a cumulative effect, and this makes it better to take a regular dose for two or three months, rather than to take large doses for short periods of time. Never take more than your doctor recommends, and be careful because potassium interacts with certain diuretics and blood pressure drugs that are “potassium-sparing.” Studies consistently support potassium in the regulation of blood pressure. Research has shown that adults (and animals) with high blood pressure who are given supplemental potassium often show a drop in systolic and/or diastolic pressure

by up to 12 mm Hg (sometimes more, depending on the study). Animals prone to stroke also showed benefit from potassium in at least one study. Only two percent of the rats who were potassium-supplemented suffered a stroke, compared to 83 percent of the untreated group. When supplementing with potassium tablets, drink plenty of water and eat a snack because this helps ease the mineral into your body gently, while minimizing GI discomfort. This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

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

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VOLUME 1, N O. 9 â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2011

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Review Your Medicare Drug Plan Before Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Too Late

By Bill Salganik, Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Time is running out to make sure you are in the right Medicare prescription plan for next year. Open enrollment is earlier this year, and Dec. 7 is the deadline to sign up for 2012 plans. But if you are reading this after Dec. 7, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not necessarily stuck. People who are enrolled in state or federal programs to help with prescription costs get to switch outside the enrollment period. If your annual income is below $32,670 for an individual or $44,130 for a couple, you can join one of these programs any time. If you are reading this before Dec. 7, move quickly to make sure your plan will be right for you in 2012. Plans can change their premiums, co-pays and lists of covered drugs. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quick look at some of the changes for 2012: Dropping out are Advantage Star by RxAmerica, CIGNA Medicare Rx Plan 2, Envision RxPlus Gold, and Medicare Part D Review & Enrollment Events Bring your Medicare card and a list of your prescription drugs. Appointments are preferred. For appointments, call 410-313-7392. â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, Dec. 1, 5 to 8 p.m., The Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia â&#x20AC;˘ Friday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City

Sterling Rx. You will either be switched to a different plan, which may not meet your needs, or you will be left without prescription coverage altogether. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in one of these plans, be sure to call us. Premium increases can have particular impact on people who are receiving help paying premiums. For example, the popular AARP MedicareRx Preferred plan is raising premiums from $32.40 a month to $37.50. People receiving federal Extra Help or state prescription assistance can remain in AARP Preferred, but will be billed for a few dollars a month. SHIP offers regular office hours at the Bain Center (410-313-7213), the Ellicott City Senior Center (410-3131400) and the Glenwood 50+ Center (410-313-5440). In addition, SHIP will hold special enrollment events, including some on evenings and Saturdays. Call 410-3137392 for an appointment or visit www.howardcountyaging.org for the schedule. â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia Long-Term Living: Covering the Cost Explore your long-term care insurance options. Discussions are led by SHIP representatives. To preregister, call 410-313-7391. â&#x20AC;˘ Wed., Dec. 7, 11 a.m., Kiwanis Wallas Recreation Center, 10481 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City

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Welcome, Dayna Brown

Lois Mikkila, left, Director of the Department of Citizen Services, has announced the appointment of Dayna Brown as the new administrator of the Office on Aging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am thrilled to have someone with Daynaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience and talent taking on the role of Administrator in the Office on Aging," said Mikkila. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am confident she will provide the direction needed to effectively address the needs of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older adult population.â&#x20AC;? Ms. Brown was appointed to her new role last month by County Executive Ken Ulman, who said, "Dayna brings a wealth of experience to Howard County, and I believe she is the right person to lead the Office on Aging as we work to meet the current and future needs of our growing aging population.â&#x20AC;?

Crowds Throng 50+EXPO

Thousands of area residents descended on Wilde Lake High School in Columbia on October 21 for the 13th annual 50+EXPO, pictured above. Early registration discounts for the 50+EXPO on October 19, 2012 are in effect through Dec. 16 (applies to for-profit vendors and exhibitors only). Vendor and exhibitor early registration forms are available online at www.howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo.

The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging, Department of Citizen Services. We welcome your comments and suggestions. To contact us, or to join our email subscriber list, email seniorconnection@howardcountymd.gov with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;subscribeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the subject box. The Senior Connection from Howard County Office on Aging 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 | www.howardcountyaging.org Dayna Brown, Administrator

Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging or by the publisher.

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

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Holiday Events

The Senior Connection

Thursday, December 1, 9 a.m. to noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Holiday Preview & Sale, The Bain Center

Bain Center members will display their artwork and crafts in the lobby; some items will be for sale. Free refreshments; call 410-313-7213 for information.

Thursday, December 8, 11 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 50+ Players Holiday Show, Ellicott City Senior Center

Join us for a free performance by the Fabulous 50+ Players, a musical theatre group founded by the Howard County Arts Council. Call 410-313-1400 for information.

Thursday, December 8, 2 to 4 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Make a Holiday Bracelet, Ellicott City Senior Center

Add sparkle to your holidays with a beautiful Swarovski Crystal Bracelet. Class fee is $12, plus a supply fee of $15 for each bracelet and $5 for earrings. To register, call 410-313-1400.

Friday, December 9, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Annual Holiday Party, The Bain Center

Bring a friend to enjoy food, games and live entertainment, and a non-perishable food item for the Howard County Food Bank. Call 410-313-7213 to reserve your seat and lunch.

Friday, December 9, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BSO Holiday Show & Lunch, Elkridge Senior Center

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the Baltimore Symphony Orchestraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday show, featuring music and dancing. Tickets are $70, and include transportation and lunch at the Inner Harbor. Call 410-313-5192 for reservations.

Friday, December 9, 11 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bushy Park Elementary School Chorus, Ellicott City Senior Center Enjoy a very special holiday concert by the Bushy Park Elementary School Chorus, under the direction of Lisa Boss. For information, call 410-313-1400.

Monday, December 12, 9:30 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Balance Assessments, East Columbia 50+ Center

Touchstone Physical Therapy & Wellness will offer free balance assessments, beginning at 9:30 a.m. For appointments, call 410-313-7680.

Tuesday, December 13, 10:30 a.m. to noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hanukkah Party, The Bain Center

Enjoy great entertainment with vocalist Robyn Helzner, and holiday refreshments. Call 410-313-7213 to reserve your seat and lunch. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Howard County Food Bank.

Tuesday, December 13, 6:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lyric Opera Holiday Concert, East Columbia 50+ Center

Spend a magical evening with the Lyric Opera, featuring a welcome reception and holiday music. Free; please bring a donation for Project Holiday! For reservations, call 410-313-7680.

Wednesday, December 14, noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Holidaze Happening, Glenwood 50+ Center

Kick off the holiday season and enjoy a festive, catered meal and beautiful piano music. Cost is $8 and pre registration is required. To register, call 410-313-5440.

Wednesday, December 14, 1 to 2 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Make the Most of Your Food Dollar, Longwood Senior Center

Join dietitian Rona Martiyan, MS, RD, LDN as she shares grocery shopping tips and ways to maintain a nutritious diet on a budget. Free. Call 410-313-7217.

Friday, December 16, 11 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Mighty Keltones Holiday Concert, Glenwood 50+Center

The Keltones are back with the sounds of the holiday season, accompanied by a harpist. Free, but registration is required. Call 410-313-5440 to register or order lunch.

Thursday, December 15, 1 to 2 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holiday Spiritâ&#x20AC;? Concert, Longwood Senior Center

Talented musicians from Lyric Opera Baltimore will warm our hearts with holiday music. Refreshments provided; donations are welcome. Call 410-313-7217 for reservations.

Wednesday, December 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ARL Computer Class Trip, Longwood Senior Center

Students from the PC Systems Academy will offer one-on-one assistance to help you set up, use and maintain your personal computer. Transportation is available. For more information, call 410-313-7217.

Friday, December 23, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gingerbread House Making, Elkridge Senior Center

Join the fun as children from the culinary arts school help us make gingerbread houses. Lunch will be served afterward. Free, but donations are appreciated. Call 410-313-5192 for more information.

Howard County Senior Centers

THE BAIN CENTER 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia / 410-313-7213 EAST COLUMBIA 50+ CENTER 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia / 410-313-7680 ELKRIDGE SENIOR CENTER 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge / 410-313-5192 ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1400 GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER 2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5440 LONGWOOD SENIOR CENTER 6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia / 410-313-7217 NORTH LAUREL 50+ CENTER 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel / 410-313-0380 ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER PLUS 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1425 GLENWOOD SENIOR CENTER PLUS 2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5442 NORTH LAUREL SENIOR CENTER PLUS 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel / 410-313-7218

Warm Hearts this Holiday Season

As part of its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Warming Hearts for the Holidaysâ&#x20AC;? project, the Ellicott City Senior Center is collecting new clothing to benefit the Karis Home, a division of the Baltimore Rescue Mission, which provides emergency short-term help to homeless men, women and children. Requested items include T-shirts, undergarments, socks, gloves, scarves, hats and diapers. All items must be new and unwrapped. Drop off your donations at the center, located at 9401 Frederick Rd. in Ellicott City, anytime during regular hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays) from now through Dec. 31. For more information, call 410-313-1400.

: t c e j Holiday o pr The 0W_IZL +W]V\a 7NĂ&#x2026;KM WV )OQVO is collecting donated items for low-income seniors who have little or no family and reside in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in the community.

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Drop off your donations by December 16 at any Howard County Senior Center WZ I\ \PM 0W_IZL +W]V\a 7NĂ&#x2026;KM WV )OQVO 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, Md. .WZ UWZM QVNWZUI\QWV KWV\IK\ 7NMTQI :W[[ I\ WZ WZW[[(PW_IZLKW]V\aUL OW^

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

Money Law &

Many foreign stocks trade on U.S. exchanges. Consider some of the companies highlighted below to diversify and strengthen your portfolio.

Investing overseas for dividends, income By Jeffrey R. Kosnett Despite the turmoil in stock markets around the world, this is a great time to home in on solid dividend-paying and growth stocks of foreign companies. Though it requires some extra research and may take you beyond your comfort zone, you’ll find hundreds of foreign stocks that trade in the U.S. as American depositary receipts (ADRs). The payoffs of high dividends and an expanding roster of stocks at favorable prices make it worth the trouble. ADRs are priced in dollars and you can buy and sell them in an ordinary brokerage account. Here are some examples to consider: • BHP Billiton (symbol BHP; recent price, $77) is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and mines everything from aluminum to zinc. The company has prospered thanks to a boom in demand for natural resources, especially from fastgrowing emerging nations. That trend should continue — as long as the world avoids a global recession. The company has boosted its dividend at an annualized rate of 23 percent over the past five years. The yield isn’t especially eyecatching, but BHP should deliver an attrac-

tive total return (dividends plus appreciation) over the long haul. • Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (EOC; $47), known informally as Endesa Chile, provides power mostly in Chile, Argentina and Colombia. The dividend yield of the Santiago-based firm compares favorably with the best U.S. electrics, but its prospects are better, given the steady economic growth in the region it serves and Endesa’s long list of power projects under construction. That contrasts with U.S. utilities, which build little nowadays, instead relying on obsolete facilities and trying to grow mainly by merging. Because Endesa gets most of its electricity from hydropower, however, dry weather and climate change present special risks. • Novartis (NVS; $55) is the world’s third-largest pharmaceutical company. It is well diversified, with a broad portfolio of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and eye-care products. Returns on Novartis’s shares have trounced those of U.S. and other European drug giants over the past five years. The company has been able to raise dividends

19 percent annually over that half-decade. And its location in Basel, Switzerland, means U.S. investors benefit from the super-strong Swiss franc. • Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo (SBS; $52) is a water-and-sewer utility in the giant Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. Compared with U.S. water stocks, Saneamento Basico yields way more and pays out far less of its profits as dividends (only 30 percent). That gives it the flexibility to boost dividends even more. Saneamento also has plenty of growth potential. It will take decades to bring water and sanitation to hundreds of poor settlements and to the new residences, offices and factories going up in booming Brazil. Dividends, which vary year to year, were 29 percent higher in 2010 than they were in 2009. • Telefonica (symbol TEF; recent price, $19) provides phone and Internet services in Europe and Latin America and offers an unusually high 8.6-percent yield. Part of that is because of the perceived risk of being headquartered in Madrid. But Telefonica is far from a pure investment in Spain. The rest of Europe and

Latin America, from Mexico south, account for 71 percent of Telefonica’s revenues and 64 percent of its profits. Europe will produce little growth, but Telefonica generates enough cash flow to keep raising its dividends. • Total (TOT; $44). Europe’s largest oil refiner is one of a shrinking number of integrated oil companies. It’s also involved in natural gas, as well as solar and wind energy. The chief difference between Total and other integrated multinationals, such as BP, Chevron and ExxonMobil, is its yield: At 6.0 percent, Total, a French company, yields about twice as much as Exxon, which prefers to buy back huge amounts of its stock rather than boost its payout by a large amount. • Unilever (UN; $31), an Anglo-Dutch company with dual headquarters in London and Rotterdam, competes with the likes of Procter & Gamble to sell soap, personal products and food. Well-known brands include Dove soap, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Vaseline. This is an odd duck. You can buy British See INVEST OVERSEAS, page 20

Scams target used car shoppers online By Eileen AJ Connolly It’s another case of “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” The FBI is warning online auto shoppers to watch out for deals that offer cars at very low prices, then direct unwitting buyers to phony websites designed to separate victims from their money. The agency says more than $44.5 million was stolen through such scams from 2008 to 2010. The agency said there are variations on the scheme, but the basic version involves a seller placing an ad on a legitimate website like Craigslist for a car at a below-market price. When an interested buyer responds via email, the return email often includes a story of hardship explaining why the price is so low — the seller lost his job, there’s a health care emergency, or even that the seller is being deployed by the military. The email also includes a request to move the transaction to another website

“for security reasons,” yet at the same time offers (fake) buyer protection through another company, often identified as eBay Inc. The seller may also pose as a representative of a legitimate company in a live online chat, and will send a real-looking invoice that purports to be from eBay or another major site. The return email will also ask the consumer to wire the money to pay for the vehicle, and sometimes to fax a receipt showing when that transaction has taken place. The parties then agree on a time and place to deliver the vehicle — but it never arrives.

Red flags The FBI lists a series of warning signs that the sale is a scam on its website, www.fbi.gov . To summarize the red flags: car shoppers should watch out for deals with ultra-low prices, sellers who want to switch websites,

claims that buyer protection is available from a website not involved in the transaction, and sellers who won’t meet in person to allow the buyer to see the car ahead of time. Also beware of hard-luck stories that seemingly explain why the car is such a good deal. And any sale that requires funds to be wired ahead of time should be a big warning sign. Once funds are wired, there is no way to retrieve them.

Craigslist and eBay scams A bluntly worded warning posted on the “Cars & Trucks” page on Craigslist warns consumers against having a vehicle shipped to them. “Offers to ship a vehicle are virtually 100 percent fraudulent,” the site states, and adds that customers should “never use Western Union or a wire transfer to pay for goods — only a scammer will ask for this, and any funds sent will be lost.”

There were nearly 14,000 complaints submitted to the FBI by consumers who have been targeted or fallen for this type of scam between 2008 and 2010. Jack Christin, associate general counsel at eBay Inc., said the online auction company sees the scammers as “hijacking the eBay name.” The company has placed an alert on the top of www.ebaymotors.com warning consumers that their vehicle purchase protection only covers transactions completed on their site. If a seller from another site promises eBay protection programs, the warning says, “Walk away. It is fraudulent.” The eBay Motors Security Center also offers tips for safe online car buying and links to report suspected fraud to the company and the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is operated by the FBI and other government agencies. — AP

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

Money Shorts Medicare drug co-pays going up in 2012 A new study finds that Medicare Part D copays for brand-name drugs will be going up sharply in many plans next year. Copays for preferred brand-name drugs will increase by 40 percent on average, and non-preferred brands will average nearly 30 percent more, according to the study by Avalere Health. Copays are the portion of the cost of each prescription that the customer pays the pharmacy directly. Medicare announced this summer that premiums for most prescription plans would remain unchanged next year, an average of about $30 a month. But the government’s numbers didn’t delve into detail on copays. The Avalere study shows that the plan with the lowest monthly premium may not always be the best deal when all costs are considered. “Everyone’s drug needs are going to be individual,” said Medicare deputy administrator Jon Blum. “You can’t make a general conclusion until you look at the particular plan they are in and the particular drugs they are taking.” In fact, since the study’s figures are averages for the entire program, actual costs could vary markedly by medication, plan and region of the country. The changing scene underscores how important it is for seniors to check and see what changes are being made in their current plans — and look for other plans that may be cheaper — before the Part D open enrollment period ends Dec. 7. In the past,

the enrollment period extended later in the year, but has been moving earlier to allow companies more time for processing new members. — AP

Get some benefit from old electronics Old electronics, or “e-waste,” constitutes the fastest-growing source of consumer trash. But don’t dump your old computers, cellphones and other devices in a landfill. Your trash could be someone else’s treasure. • Sell it. Buyers at eBay and Amazon.com are always looking for deals. You can sell your used items yourself, or go through a company like iSold It, which sells products online for consumers. Mike Hadad, owner of an iSold It outlet in Gaithersburg, Md., said he sells most of the electronics he gets on eBay, but he tends to place new or nearly new items on Amazon, where they usually fetch a higher price. ISold It franchises usually take about a third of the sale price in commission. Anyone can become a seller on eBay or Amazon. If you don’t want the hassle of listing and shipping your items yourself, find an online trading assistant at http://ebaytradingassistant.com. Capstone Wireless (www.capstonewirelessllc.com) buys back all varieties of cellphones, as long as they power up and have a good LCD display. Gazelle.com buys more than 20 categories of electronics. Apple offers a gift card in exchange for reusable Apple computers (go to www.apple.com/recycling/computer). • Donate it. ReCellular resells phones

Quality Senior Living You Can Afford... Now and For Years to Come!

Our Affordable Programs Keep Rent at 30% of Your Income 1. PERSONAL CARE SERVICES with subsidies including:

B’nai B’rith

Homecrest House

2. INDEPENDENT LIVING • Meal Plan • Full Activities Calendar • Transportation

it can find buyers for and recycles the rest (visit www.recellular.com/recycling/donatephones.asp). Give desktop computers and peripherals to the National Cristina Foundation (www.cristina.org) and the World Computer Exchange (www.worldcomputerexchange.org). To establish the value of donated items for a tax deduction, use ItsDeductible (free at www.turbotax.com; look under “Tax Calculators and Tools”). • Recycle it. Some retailers and many manufacturers take back electronics for recycling or resale. Best Buy stores accept most electronics. Staples stores take personal electronics (such as PDAs, cellphones and digital cameras) free, but charge $10 to take back office electronics. Call2Recycle picks up cellphones and rechargeable batteries from many locations, including Radio Shack and Home Depot stores (to find the nearest drop-off

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location, visit www.call2recycle.org). For manufacturers’ take-back programs, visit the website of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (www.electronicstakeback.org). Dell partners with Staples and Goodwill to collect Dell products in their stores (http://reconnectpartnership.com). To find other places to recycle electronics, visit www.earth911.com and search by zip code. Of course, you can always just give your e-trash away to someone nearby who wants it. Join your local Freecycle group at www.freecycle.org. Important note: Whether selling or giving it away, clear your computer’s hard drive first, so your personal information doesn’t find its way to an identity thief. Use a free disk-wiping product, such as Active@KillDisk (http://killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm) or Darik’s Boot and Nuke (www.dban.org). — Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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

Growing scam targets local grandparents Howard County Executive Ken Ulman recently warned residents to be alert for telephone calls and emails from people falsely claiming that the residents’ grandchildren are in trouble and need money for assistance. “The ‘grandparent scam’ has been cropping up across the country, and sadly our Office of Consumer Affairs is also hearing from Howard County residents who have been targeted,” said Ulman. “If something seems out of the ordinary, it probably is, but you can protect yourselves and others by becoming more aware of these con artists’ tactics and ploys.”

Recent victims Recently, a county resident was contact-

ed by a person claiming to be a Canadian police official. This person said the resident’s grandson was being held in jail and would be released once the resident posted $2,950 for bail through a money wire transfer. The resident was ultimately convinced to wire the money to the Dominican Republic, where she was told it would be transferred through the U.S. Embassy back to Canada. Another county resident received a similar call from someone posing as her grandson, who said he had been arrested for a traffic violation in Niagara Falls, Ontario. In both situations, the residents reported the incidents to county officials. “This scam takes advantage of seniors

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who are quick to act when asked by their grandchildren for help,” said Rebecca Bowman, consumer affairs administrator for the county. “In these scenarios, more sophisticated con artists may have the name and other information about the grandchild obtained from obituaries, social networking sites or by hacking into unprotected computer email contact lists. Recovering the lost money is very difficult.”

Is it really your grandchild? To avoid becoming the victim of such scams, the Office of Consumer Affairs urges residents who get calls or emails asking for help on behalf of family members or friends to take the following actions:

Invest overseas From page 18 ADRs (symbol UL) or Dutch ADRs (UN). Their prices may vary by a few hairs because of different exchange-rate trends among the dollar, pound and euro. Either way, Unilever has paid dividends since 1937 and is your basic tried-and-true, lowrisk, growth-and-income stock. • Vodafone (VOD; $26), based in England, provides cellphone services in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It also owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless (the rest is owned by Verizon Communications), which represents a major part of

• Confirm the legitimacy of the situation before sending any money. • Ask the caller questions that would be hard for an imposter to answer correctly — for example, their pet’s name or an important date that most other people wouldn’t know. • If you still think the call may be legitimate, contact a relative or friend of the person to verify the story. • Do not send any money until you are sure that it is really your relative or friend who has requested your financial help. • Report all suspicious calls and/or emails to the Office of Consumer Affairs at (410) 313-6420. • If you have been a victim of a scam, report it to police by calling (410) 313-2200.

Vodafone’s fortunes. After not paying a dividend to its Vodaphone for six years, Verizon Wireless announced recently that it would distribute $10 billion to its parents next January. Vodafone’s stock-price chart closely tracks that of Telefonica, but you ought to own shares of both if you’re interested in global telecommunications. Jeffrey R. Kosnett is a senior editor 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. © Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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

How to qualify for elder care tax breaks By Kimberly Lankford Q: My mother, who’s in the early stages of dementia, has moved in with me. She will attend an adult day care program while I’m at work. Can I deduct any of the expense of her care? A: You may be able to claim a dependent-care tax credit or set aside pretax dollars in a flexible spending account to pay for her care, as long as the expenses are necessary so that you (and your spouse, if you’re married) can continue to work. To qualify for the tax credit, your mother must be physically or mentally unable to care for herself. The rules for claiming the dependent-care tax credit are less stringent than those for claiming a parent as a dependent. That means even if your mother’s gross income exceeds $3,700 (the personal-exemption amount for 2011), you could still claim the dependent-care credit as long as you provide more than half of her support.

For most taxpayers, the dependent-care credit is worth 20 percent of the cost of care, up to $3,000 for one dependent ($6,000 for two or more). But your mother must live with you more than half of the year to qualify for the tax credit. So if she moved in after June, you won’t be able to claim the dependent-care credit on your 2011 income tax return that you’ll file next year; you’ll have to wait to claim the credit on your 2012 return. For more information about the tax rules, see IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.

care account for this year. If not, you can set up an FSA for 2012 during this year’s open-enrollment season. The rules for dependent-care FSAs can vary by employer, but generally your mother would be eligible if she is physically or mentally incapable of caring for herself, she lives with you for more than half the year, and you provide more than half of her support. “A practical example of an eligible expense might be the fees for a senior day

care center for elders with Alzheimer’s — if, say, a parent lives with and is dependent on an adult child who works, and the parent goes to [an adult day care] center each day because the parent can’t be left alone,” said Jody Dietel, of WageWorks, which administers FSA plans for many large employers. You must choose between the FSA and the tax credit; you can’t claim both for the same expense. © 2011 Kiplinger. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Flexible spending accounts Your employer may offer a flexible spending account program (FSA), which allows you to set aside part of your salary tax free for use in caring for your mother. If you are eligible for an FSA, ask whether you can make a midyear election to designate up to $5,000 to a dependent-

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A free seminar exploring long-term care insurance options and inhome care costs will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. Advance registration is required, and participants must be 55 or older. The program will be held at the Kiwanis-Wallas Hall, 3300 Norberts Way in Ellicott City. For further information, call (410) 313-7391.

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A day of spiritual refreshment and skill workshops to support job seekers and career changers will be offered at no charge by Bon Secours Spiritual Center. The event includes talks on personal prayer and guided reflection on learning from the job search. Following a noon lunch, workshops on personal and job search management skills will be available. Seating is limited and reservations are requested. The program will be held on Friday, Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bon Secours Spiritual Center, 1525 Marriottsville Rd., Marriottsville. For more information, visit www.bonsecoursspiritualcenter.org or call (410) 442-1320.

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Plant bulbs now for colorful blooms next spring. See gardening column on page 25.

Alabama’s Civil War and civil rights sites Civil War is an opportune time to explore Alabama’s multiple layers.

The capital’s contrasts The 1851 state capitol building on “goat hill” — so called because of its original grazing denizens — dominates the center of Montgomery. Tour guides point out that segregationist Governor George Wallace and his wife Lurlene, remembered inside in statues and portraits, served 17 years. Murals under the dome trace the state’s history. The old Senate Chamber, restored to the way it appeared in 1861, is where delegates from seceding southern states formed the Confederate States of America. A refreshing break from the reminders of strife is the sweet statue of Helen Keller as a child at her family’s water pump the moment she first understood language. Nearby is the fully-restored first White House of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis’s home, as it looked mid-19th century, showcasing personal items, like the family Bible. Fast forward to the 1960s civil rights era at the red brick Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, just down the block from the capitol, where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached self-empowerment and civil disobedience. The words of Rev. Vernon Johns in the basement museum’s video are a chilling

PHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH

By Glenda C. Booth Montgomery, Alabama, claims to be the birthplace of both the Civil War and the civil rights movement — events 100 years apart, but not unrelated. Morgan Berney, with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitor Bureau, told me: “You should come here to learn the history of the important things that happened here.” So I set out to do just that. And it’s true: Here in the heart of Dixie, visitors can explore well-preserved buildings and homes and even reenact historic events in a part of the country where some still even debate what to call the 1861-1865 conflict — the Civil War, the War of Southern Independence or the War of Northern Aggression? On the steps of the state capitol last March, 500 local students sang freedom songs at a rousing civil rights rally. Three weeks earlier, on the same steps, more than 1,000 people in genteel period finery re-enacted Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s 1861 inauguration, celebrating Montgomery as the first capital of the Confederacy. Indeed, a trip across central Alabama is an expedition through the state’s schizophrenic past and a candid look at Alabama’s beauty marks and blemishes. The sesquicentennial commemoration of the

PHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH

The Dexter Parsonage Museum is located in the home where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his family lived when he was pastor of the Dexter Avenue (King Memorial) Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

At this year’s annual re-enactment of the 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Ala., U.S. Rep. John Lewis (left) recalls the original march, when walkers were attacked by state troopers. To his right are U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Tom Harkin, Rep. James Clyburn and Jesse Jackson, Sr.

reminder of the hostilities of that period. “It’s safe to murder Negroes in Montgomery,” he says in the film. The Dexter Parsonage Museum is the homey, seven-room, white frame house with the Kings’ starched doilies, rotary telephone and chenille bedspreads, depicting how the King family lived from 1954 to 1960. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was founded in the dining room. The front porch bears a crater blasted by a stick of dynamite that blew while Coretta Scott King and her baby were home. Sitting in the home’s kitchen, I felt like MLK could walk in any minute. Another must-see is the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, commemorating “the event that changed the world” — the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. There’s a video re-enactment of seamstress Rosa Parks’s refusal to move to the back of the bus. She later explained, “I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed.” The museum has a replica of the bus and a film telling the story of the 381-day boycott. These excellent museums tell the civil rights story and show how activists braved cursing and spitting crowds, courageous children integrated public schools, and police unleashed tear gas and billy clubs on marchers.

A black granite Civil Rights Memorial honors those who died. Designer Maya Lin has explained, “This is not a monument to suffering; it is a memorial to hope.” Of course, visitors can also enjoy more typically tourist attractions here as well, including the Hank Williams Museum (the largest collection of Williams memorabilia worldwide), a cruise on the Harriett II riverboat, or a night out with the Biscuits — an AA baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. And between museums, you can “go southern” and savor fried green tomatoes, homestyle grits and banana pudding. Residents will greet you with friendly “hi y’alls” and warm southern hospitality. An equal rights side note. In the state archives, I spotted a plaque that read, “To Our Heroic Women of the Sixties.” I thought, well, Alabama is honoring the women of the 1960s civil rights movement. But I had jumped to the wrong conclusion. The plaque was dedicated to the women of the 1860s and was sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy!

Still marching in Selma Selma, 45 miles west of Montgomery and the birthplace of the White Citizens Council, comes across initially as a weary, runSee ALABAMA, page 24

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Alabama From page 23 down town. But probing deeper, you’ll find something very significant about the place. During the Civil War, the town’s arsenal and foundry next to the Alabama River were Union targets. But Selma is best known for the 1965 voting rights march. When police shot 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson in Marion, Ala., people were inspired to march to Montgomery and present their demands to Gov. Wallace. Led by Rev. King and others, as 600 people crossed Selma’s arched Edmund Pettus

Bridge, the sheriff’s mounted deputies and a “sea of blue” state troopers sent by Wallace attacked the marchers with nightsticks and tear gas. Every year, during the first weekend in March, the town perks up with a bridgecrossing jubilee, featuring a parade, rallies, music, a unity breakfast and many notables. On Sunday morning of jubilee weekend, commemorative church services are held around town. I was welcomed to a two-hour service, led by Dr. Frederick Douglas Reece, who invited Rev. King to Selma in 1965 and was confronted by the police multiple times.

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He recounted that as a young black boy he had one pair of pants and took a sweet potato to his all-black school for lunch. He commented that today in Selma, “All people are recognized of the same rank.” While in Selma, be sure to visit the modest but informative National Voting Rights Museum, spotlighting the movement’s heroes and heroines. One exhibit quotes activist Wendell Paris, who said, “Selma was a real hellhole” and called the 1960s “absolute apartheid.” The Old Depot Museum has artifacts from both the Civil War and voting rights eras. The National Park Service’s Lowndes County Interpretive Center east of town recalls the 54-mile march on Jefferson Davis Highway to Montgomery, which resulted in President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the Voting Rights Act, which outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes.

Proud Tuskegee Tuskegee, about 85 miles east of Selma, brings back an earlier but notable time. The center of the national historic site is the Tuskegee Institute, a college founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington, the determined former slave who sought to give blacks education, work skills and opportunity. Here we’ll “do some common things uncommonly well,” he said. The Oaks is Washington’s elegant 1899 home built by students. The Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center has exhibits on the civil rights struggle over two centuries and on the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study. Also in Tuskegee, the Carver Museum highlights George Washington Carver’s scientific research on peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops, techniques that revolutionized agriculture. Scientists here collaborated with the National Air and Space Administration in the 1980s to grow plants without soil on space missions. Worth a visit is the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field, where legendary black airmen defied

racial stereotypes and set the stage for desegregating the military. At the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee I attended in March, one of the women active in the 1960s Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee said, “We should not bury the past, but we should build on what happened here.” Alabama is doing it.

If you go The least expensive roundtrip flights to Montgomery start at $306 on US Airways and $310 on Delta in early December from BWI Marshall Airport. The state tourism agency at www.Alabama.travel provides information on attractions and itineraries like the Civil Rights Trail and history tours. To get started in Montgomery, visit http://visitingmontgomery.com, call (334) 261-1100 or stop in the visitors’ center at 300 Water Street. From the centrally-located Hampton Inn (rates start at $89 per night), you can walk to most major sites. Across the street, Wintzell’s Oyster House is noisy, but has “killa” shrimp, baked crawfish pie and gator tail. Motto: ”I got fried, stewed and nude at Wintzell’s.” The House Restaurant touts “local grits with shrimp” and fried green tomatoes. In Selma, check with the Welcome Center, 132 Broad St., (www.selmaalabama.com) for information. For lodging, the historic 1838 St. James Hotel (www.historic-hotels-lodges.com/ saint-james-hotel.htm, (334) 872-3234) is the only downtown choice and a good one, perched atop the Alabama River in the historic district, exuding antebellum charm. Rates start at $110 per night. Try shrimp hush puppies and seafood gumbo in the hotel restaurant. In T uskegee, the Kellogg Hotel (www.tuskegeekelloggcenter.com, (334) 727-3000) on the university campus provides southern hospitality. Rooms start at $99 a night.

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Plant bulbs now for your spring garden By Ruth Kling It has been difficult to get excited about the advent of fall weather this year due to a wet September and October. Yet gardening is all about hoping for the best. This sense of hope is well represented by the spring bulb. Spring bulbs are nature’s little bundles of delayed gratification. In each bulb is a harbinger of spring; a snow drop or crocus, a daffodil or tulip. All this will be yours in exchange for some hard labor now in the fall. Bulbs are really some of the easiest flowers to grow and perhaps the most rewarding. They only need sun, well draining soil and water if it becomes very dry. It is very easy to get carried away with purchasing spring bulbs, so I should urge you not to go crazy purchasing bulbs. But it is hard to resist their allure. (Brent and Becky’s Bulbs in Gloucester, Va., is a good, local source for bulbs.)

When to plant In our climate, we can plant bulbs up through early December in some years if the ground doesn’t freeze, which happens at about 20 to 24 degrees. However, it is best to plant them when there will still be some time for them to develop a root system before they go completely dormant for the winter. Plant them too early, and the heat will cause them to bloom and they’ll be damaged in the coming cold periods. But if you see little tips of bulbs coming out of the ground during a warm spell in December or January, just cover them up with some shredded leaf mulch.

If you have purchased so many bulbs that you cannot plant them all at once, as I have been known to do, they can be placed in a paper bag and put in the refrigerator until they can be planted. Be sure to label the bags so you don’t plant daffodils where you wanted the fritillaria.

Fending off the squirrels Plant all bulbs, including tulips, to a depth of three times the height of the bulb. This depth will help them weather temperature fluctuations and (supposedly) foil squirrels. However, I never underestimate a squirrel’s ability to dig up something it wants, and squirrels love tulips. I try to preserve the tulips by rolling each bulb in chili powder as a repellent. (Beware: even though chili powder is not toxic to humans, you do not want to inhale it or get some in your eyes!). Bulbs in pots are practically like cookie jars for squirrels, so cover containers planted with tulips with a bit of chicken wire. The wire keeps the squirrels from digging the bulbs out, but lets the plant emerge. Remember that many bulbs emerge before trees have their leaves, so a shady spot in summer will be sunny in the early spring. There is nothing more lovely than some early crocus and grape hyacinth peaking up around the base of a tree. Some bulbs, such as daffodils, spread and only need to be divided every few years.

might need to add some lime. (Amend the soil before planting the bulbs, not at the same time). I do not recommend blood meal as a fertilizer because it attracts rodents. For fertilizer, I prefer to dig in some compost when planting, or organic bulb fertilizer. Don’t forget the culinary bulbs, like garlic and shallots. Divide a head of garlic or shallots into cloves and plant each one tip up. After the green shoots emerge, mulch with shredded leaves. Next summer you

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will have plenty of garlic and shallots to eat and share. Don’t fuss too much. The truth is bulbs are little powerhouses of life. Inside each bulb are the nutrients that the flower needs to bloom in spring. So, be patient. If the flowers can make it through the winter only dreaming of blooming, so can you. Falls Church, Va., gardener Ruth Kling blogs at ruthsgarden.blogspot.com. Send her gardening questions at gardenruth@gmail.com.

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Other tips for planting Bulbs like a neutral ph, so it is possible in our rather acidic local soil that you

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

Which destinations offer the best value? Looking to take a trip where you can index for Vegas comes to $164. And I know enjoy luxury on the cheap? Recently, two you can often enjoy five-star luxury hotel groups took a close look at relaccommodations midweek ative “values” in typical tourist for less than $150 a night — destinations. accommodations that would TripAdvisor, which bills itcost at least three times that self as “the world’s largest onin most other big U.S. cities. line travel community,” comNext best, but at significantputes a “Best Value Index” for ly higher index numbers (from cities around the world, based $210 to $215), are Dallas, New on the combined cost of one Orleans and Atlanta. The top night in a four-star hotel, a end of the scale is no surprise, pizza, one dry martini and either: New York City, at $367, a five-mile taxi trip, as deter- TRAVEL TIPS with Boston and Washington, mined through extensive By Ed Perkins D.C. fairly close behind. input from travelers. Bangkok is the worldwide In the United States, Las Vegas is proba- winner, at $112. Others in the top 10 bly no surprise as the value leader. Interna- offer a surprising range of visitor options tionally, Bangkok seems to be the winner. and experiences, from Sofia, Warsaw, Las Vegas tops the domestic destination and Budapest in Europe, to Beijing, list, which is no surprise. The TripAdvisor Sharm-el-Sheikh, Kuala Lumpur, Auckland,

Marrakech and Dubai, all for $154 or less. Again, the top end is what you’d expect, with Paris at $429 and Zurich, London and Tokyo all higher than New York. To me, the most encouraging finding here is how diverse the best-value cities are, especially in the international group. You can choose anything from steamy, exotic Bangkok, to crisp and friendly Auckland, to architecturally stunning Dubai, to beach resort Sharm-el-Sheikh, to historic Budapest and Warsaw. If you can’t find something you like in one of these cities, you should stay home.

The hamburger index The Economist, that highly respected business publication, just updated its unique “Big Mac Index.” Very simply, it’s the U.S. dollar equivalent of the local price of a Big Mac in each country.

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The theory is that because the Big Mac is probably the world’s most widely available but totally standardized consumer purchase, relative Big Mac prices are a good guide to some combination of local currency valuation and local purchasing power. Although this concept seems simplistic, big time economists accept it as valid, and who am I to argue with big time economists? Thus, relative prices for a Big Mac are supposed to reflect overall relative costs, compared to the U.S. base. Surprisingly, Big Macs cost a lot less in several foreign countries than the average $4.01 they cost here in the U.S. Prices are below $2.50 in China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand. They’re less than $3 in Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Taiwan. The world’s most expensive Big Macs are in Norway ($8.31), Switzerland ($8.06), and Sweden ($7.64); I know from experience that Finland, not covered in the survey, is also near the top. Prices in the most popular overseas destinations for Americans are $3.89 in Britain and $5 in Canada. For some reason, the Economist didn’t include France, Germany or Italy in the survey. I’m not surprised that Bangkok/Thailand comes out best in both systems or that Zurich/Switzerland scores close to the most expensive. Those findings correspond with my own observations. I’ve often noted that if you really wanted to vacation at rock-bottom cost, you’d probably head for a small city, town or state park relatively close to where you live. But that’s not very helpful in the real world. What I do find helpful is the finding, from both reports, that some very interesting and rewarding destinations also qualify as good values. Sure, if you’re in love with New York or Paris, you‘ll have to pay accordingly (though even there, going down market can cut your costs substantially). But if you want to combine good value with at least relative luxury, you’ll find that in Bangkok, Vegas, and lots of other places. Send email to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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HOLIDAY TRIP TO THE BIG APPLE

Visit the tree in Rockefeller Center, take in a Broadway show, shop, dine — it’s your choice. The Howard County Recreation & Parks Senior Adult Trips will bus you to the heart of New York City, and you’re on your own to pick the activities for the day. Cost is $88 per person, and children six years or age or older may join you. The bus leaves Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 a.m. and returns at midnight. For more information or to register, call (410) 313-7279 or (410) 313-7275.

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

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Rep Stage hosts a one-man reading of David Sedaris’ off-kilter holiday views in Holidays on Ice.

Enjoy a varied selection of holiday shows

Rep Stage’s artistic director Michael Stebbins will stage a one-man reading of David Sedaris’ off-center holiday views from the popular humorist’s book, Holidays on Ice. The three Sedaris essays that Stebbins will read and act out are “Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family,” in which an annoying relative writes an annoying recap of the family’s nasty yearly doings; “Based Upon a True Story,” about a TV exec who brings his New York attitudes and opinions to a holiday visit of a Pentecostal Church in the deep South; and “Front Row Center,” which deals with a local theater critic who lambastes an elementary school production of the birth of the baby Jesus.

Choral music In keeping with a religious focus, Pro Cantare will give two classical concerts to celebrate the season. The Messiah will be performed by the 100-plus chorale on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jim Rouse Theater in Columbia. There will be a free pre-concert lecture on the 18th century composition at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $23 ($20 for seniors and students); $2 more at the door.

Columbia Pro Cantare 35TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

FRANCES MOTYCA DAWSON, CONDUCTOR SUNDAY, DEC. 4, 2011, 7:30 PM - HANDEL: MESSIAH Sponsored by: JIM ROUSE THEATRE, 5460 TRUMPETER RD, COLUMBIA 21044 AMY VAN ROEKEL, Soprano; MARYANN MCCORMICK, Mezzo CHARLES REID, Tenor; LESTER LYNCH, Baritone TICKETS: Adults - $23 Advance; Seniors/Students $20 Advance, $2 more At Door Group rates available

SUNDAY, DEC. 11, 2011, 3:00 PM - “A CHRISTMAS NOËL”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PRO CONTARE

Sedaris’ skewed celebration

Stebbins, who has directed and read other Sedaris holiday essays in theater performances, believes this has become a Rep Stage season ritual. “We’ve done a full-scale Santaland Diaries (Sedaris’ best-known, hilarious piece about his job as a holiday elf at Macy’s), and now people are showing up for the shows decked out in outlandish outfits. We will be giving out door prizes this year and having an audience vote for the craziest costume. “As you see, I have a little different perspective on the holiday season. I like things a little askew,” said Stebbins. Holidays on Ice will take place Dec. 1619 at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center on the Howard Community College campus in Columbia. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Dec. 16 and 17, at 2 p.m. on Dec. 18, and at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19. There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 17. All tickets are $15. For more information and tickets, see www.repstage.org or call (410) 518-1500.

PHOTO BY CHRIS CHRISTIANSEN

By Robert Friedman Holiday offerings by Howard County performing arts groups range from the sacred to the secular, including a performance by the Columbia Pro Cantare of Handel’s Messiah and a staging of Holidays on Ice, David Sedaris’ caustic comic essays on the season. The season’s perennial, The Nutcracker, will be performed around the county. One group — the Kinetics Dance Theater — will do it with a difference in a performance entitled The Cracked Nut. Also on tap is White Christmas, a theater adaptation of the movie that highlighted the song of the same name.

The musical White Christmas runs through Jan. 8 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

The Pro Contare Chorus will perform Handel’s Messiah on Dec. 4.

Also, their 28-voice chamber singer group will present A Christmas Noel on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia. Advance tickets are $15 ($13 for seniors and students); $2 extra at the door. The holiday music will feature songs from the Renaissance to the

present. The singers will perform a cappella pieces as well as numbers accompanied by piano and organ. Pro Cantare has not forgotten auld lang syne, with a New Year’s Eve Celebration See HOLIDAY SHOWS, page 29

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

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Toby From page 1 she believes her most important teaching credential comes from her founding of the Columbia School for Theatrical Arts (now known as the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, or CCTA). That was in 1972, in response to a request from the late Jim Rouse, a close friend and the planner-developer who designed and built the town of Columbia in 1967. “Jim wanted to build an ideal city, regardless of peoples’ race and socio-economic conditions,” said Orenstein. “He believed all good things should be available to all people.” She said that vision included a school that taught children the complete

performing arts process. Orenstein is especially proud of one of the first projects that came out of the CCTA. It was a touring group called the Young Columbians, who performed a musical version of American history, from “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to “The Age of Aquarius.” Three CCTA companies toured the country for five years. Besides appearing at mall openings, nursing homes and corporate affairs from Maryland to Kansas, the group played the nation’s number one stage: the White House. The occasion was a 1977 state dinner whose audience included President Jimmy Carter, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Harry Belafonte. Thousands of students and their parents

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Dec. 3

PACIFICA QUARTET CONCERT The Pacifica Quartet, 2009 Grammy Award winner for Best

Chamber Music Performance and recently appointed quartet-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will perform a program of Dvorak, Shostakovich and Beethoven under the sponsorship of Candlelight Concerts. The concert will be held Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Smith Theatre of the Horowitz Performing Arts Center at Howard County Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. Tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors. For further information, email info@candlelightconcerts.org or call (410) 997-2324.

have been influenced by the center, said Orenstein. It continues to operate, offering after-school and Saturday classes, camps and around-town theater productions. Orenstein remains involved as well. She is currently putting together another group of Young Colombians, 50 young men and women, ages 10 to 21, who will update U.S. history through song.

The musical theater attraction Seven years after starting CCTA, Orenstein took another major step, again with the support of Rouse. She took over the Columbia Theatre, renaming it Toby’s. Since then, “Toby’s has played a major role in Washington area regional theater,” said Linda Levy Grossman, president of the newly renamed theatre Washington, the organization behind the Helen Hayes Awards. Orenstein “has built theater audiences in a way that few theaters can do,” Grossman said, making her productions “accessible and affordable.” At the same time, her teaching and actor-training skills have influenced the American theater scene in general, according to Jayne Blanchard, former chief theater critic for the Washington Times and a current reviewer for the DC Theatre Scene website. Toby’s productions have served “as entrée into regional and national theater for generations of actors,” Blanchard said.

In 2006, at the behest of the Best Western in Baltimore, she picked up where a previous theater owner flopped and opened a second Toby’s in the hotel. The Baltimore theater, located outside the downtown area, has not been a resounding success. The Columbia theater is drawing about three times as many people as the Baltimore location, according to Toby’s recent reservation figures. Still, together they constitute a significant force in the area. About 100,000 theatergoers have been attracted yearly to productions at the two theaters. People appreciate musicals especially in hard times, Orenstein said. For about $50, audiences at her theaters get professional productions in a theater-in-the-round in Columbia (on a proscenium stage in Baltimore), along with hearty and healthy dinner or brunch fare. She acknowledged that the current tough economic times have somewhat affected the box office. Audiences had been declining in the past year or two at both venues, until very recently, when Chicago in Columbia and Dreamgirls in Baltimore started packing them into the 300-seat theaters again. Both shows opened in September. Performances at the Columbia location run throughout the week, except for Mondays, while the Baltimore theater stages shows from Thursdays to Sundays. See TOBY, page 29

Monthly Membership Meeting Wednesday, December 14, 2011 • 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.

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Location: Vantage House Retirement Community 5400 Vantage Point Rd, Columbia, MD 21044

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21-SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012. Open 7 days a week from 6 pm - 10 pm; closed December 31.

Group Walk Throughs

Special Event: Holiday Networking

NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 21 Mondays & Wednesdays ONLY, 4:30 - 5:45 p.m. Registration Required! Please call 410-740-7840 for reservations.

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A family “stroll” through the lights THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 A dog friendly walk through the lights. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

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A family fun New Year’s Eve celebration with fireworks at 7pm. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

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Holiday shows From page 27 that will feature five of its musicians ushering in 2012 with Jazz Age music. This will include New Orleans classics, swing, ballads, novelty tunes and Poulenc’s Sonata for Trumpet, Horn and Trombone. The 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. affair will be held at a private home in Dunloggin, Ellicott City. The $30 tickets will include food, drink and a raffle. Further information will be available once you make reservations online at www.procantare.org. You can also call (410) 730-8549.

Nutcrackers galore If it’s Christmastime, it’s got to be The Nutcracker, and a bevy of local dance groups will be en pointe for performances. Highlights from the Tchaikovsky classic will be presented by the Columbia Chamber Ballet on Dec. 3 at 7 30 p.m. in the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City; Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in the Stonehouse Long Reach Community Center in Columbia; at the Vantage House Retirement Community in Columbia on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m., and at the Historic Savage Mill in Savage on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 to the Howard County and Savage Mill recitals. The Vantage House and Stonehouse performances are free, but you should call ahead for reservations. For more information on any of the performances, call Ballet with Cindee Velle at (410) 465-7674. Meanwhile, the modern Kinetics Dance

Toby From page 28

Looking for a successor It may all be a labor of love, but it’s still labor. Orenstein rises at 4 in the morning to work on the myriad of tasks in her portfolio. She’s out and about very early and, as witnessed by this writer on a recent visit during auditions, is constantly approached by others for advice or consent on various decisions. But she insists she is cutting down, a little, on the theater front, training co-directors to work with her on the dinner theater productions. And, for the future, there’s the dream. While the CCTA currently works out of different classrooms and performs in churches and other sites around town, she dreams of the school and theater being brought together under one roof. ”I’m looking for help in building a [permanent] children’s school and theater facility in Howard County, and I need to find someone as passionate as me to carry on after I’m no longer able to teach children. “There’s nothing like the theater to help children mature, think, feel, empathize with others, to instill in them confidence and to teach them to interact with their community,” said the woman who keeps seeing it happen.

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

Theater will offer a different take on the Christmas Eve tale at the Howard County Arts Center in Ellicott City on Dec. 10 and 11, with two matinee performances each day at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. The group advertises its interpretation as “a bit of ballet, a sprinkling of swing, a splash of synchronized swimming and a big helping of humor.” Tickets are $5. For tickets, call (410) 480-1686 or see www.kineticsdance.org. Toby’s Dinner Theater in Columbia will mark the season with a stage adaptation of White Christmas — the 1954 movie that starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney and featured the songs of Irving Berlin (including the song the film was named for, of course). The show opens Nov. 10 and will run through Jan. 8. There will be no performances on Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Evening performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with the doors opening

for dinner at 6 p.m. On Sundays, when the show starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. There are also Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 12:30 p.m., with food service beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets range from $34.50 (for kids) to $53, depending on performance.

Toby’s will also offer a New Year’s Eve Special consisting of a double buffet, the show, an after-show cabaret, a DJ, dancing, a champagne toast and noisemakers. The price for the evening is $110. For tickets, see http://tobysdinnertheatre.com or call (410) 730-8311.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD H U R T

A R O O

H E M S

E P I C

H I T P A R A D E

A B A S E

T O U T S

O T R A S

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

P A R E

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

T I M I D

A T O N E

R A N G E

F O O L H A R D Y

R A R E

I D O S

R E D S

T E S T

From page 30.

MILLER’S GRANT Ellicott City’s Premier Continuing Care Retirement Community

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

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Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Puzzle of the Month by Stephen Sherr 1

30 33

32 38

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

Answer: When the doorman was arrested, the detective had an - OPEN AND SHUT CASE Jumbles: PENCE QUASH UPSHOT FEWEST

Across

Down

1. “That’s hilarious” 5. Member of the Bear family 9. Fix the driveway 14. Exodus author 15. Undocumented, as a contract 16. 1980 Tony Awards Best Musical 17. IRA guy 18. Color close to beige 19. Evil spirit 20. Early greeting 23. Performing ___ 24. Society page word 25. Gidget portrayer 26. “___ Johnny!” 28. Hot rods first produced in 1955 31. Fed. org conceived by Nixon in 1970 32. October 31 shout 33. With “Day’s”, a chain of over 1000 restaurants 37. Politically neutral 41. Picturesque 42. Rival 43. Acapulco gold 44. Los ___ (New Mexico lab site) 46. Frasier’s sitcom brother 48. From ___ Z 51. Quickly cross the Atlantic 52. Future jr. 53. Source of sincerity 59. An ear-relevant word 60. Tonight Show host in 1960 61. Native Canadians 62. Follow compulsively 63. Sufferer of 45 Down, briefly 64. Supplements 65. There are two in every seventy-six 66. Burstyn’s costar in Same Time, Next Year 67. Dermatologist’s concern

1. Injured 2. Cowboy, with a buck 3. Pop music list 4. On the beach 5. Rhymers 6. St. Louis landmark 7. Peel, as an apple 8. Graduates 9. Make the harbor even deeper 10. 2-4-6-8; these numbers all have what trait? 11. Lacking courage 12. Make amends 13. Lion’s territory 21. Lauderdale and Myers, in FL 22. “___ Land of the Free...” 26. Makes an edge 27. Like Lawrence of Arabia 28. As well as 29. Very successful, as 16 Across 30. Paul McCartney title 32. “Relax!” 34. Reckless 35. Valuable, as a baseball card 36. Bachelors’ last words 38. Evidence on CSI: Miami 39. Schulz strip that predated Peanuts 40. Companions of fros 45. Nearsightedness 46. Japanese drama 47. Regurgitation medication 48. Belittle 49. Publicizes 50. Others from Spain 52. Neighbor of Turkey 54. Piece of Scheherazade’s strategy 55. Pass alternative 56. Co-worker of the butler, gardener, and cook 57. Commies 58. ___ pattern

Answers on page 29.

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

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Words of the month The curious origins of our words and rituals

December and January The names of the last and first months of the year are Latin in origin. December takes its name from decem, the number 10, going back to a time when the calendar had only 10 months. January derives from the Roman god Janus (shown here). He was a twoheaded deity, — the keeper of gates and doors, able to look both front and back — even as January looks both behind and ahead to the old and new year.

Auld Lang Syne This traditional New Year's Eve song was first published by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1796. But it was bandleader Guy Lombardo who popularized the song and turned it into a tradition. Lombardo first played the song at midnight at a New Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1929. After that, Lombardo's version of the song was played every year at the Waldorf Astoria until 1976. Auld Lang Syne literally translates to "old long since" and means "times gone by." The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness. Prepared by Wizard Communications© All rights reserved. To submit a word or phrase to be researched, contact Wizard Communications at jpozga@verizon.net .

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

Brooke Grove’s Walk to End ™ Alzheimer’s Team Raises $31,000 Brooke Grove Retirement Village’s (BGRV) 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer’s™ team raised more than $31,000 to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, National Capital Area. This year’s total significantly surpassed the team’s goal of $20,000 and represents the highest amount ever raised by BGRV, a long-time supporter of the cause! Hundreds of enthusiastic participants joined emcees Bob Madigan (WTOP) and Pamela Brown (WJLA) on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the November 5 Walk to End Alzheimer’s™. The throng of people “On the Move” to end Alzheimer’s included 64 BGRV employees, volunteers, resident family members and friends. Nearly 100 BGRV team members also joined forces prior to the event to Brooke Grove team members "On the Move" at the Walk to End Alzheimer's™ raise awareness of the disease and to raise funds. Captain Janet Wright, BGRV’s ($3,010), Brooke Grove BGRV began this year’s BGRV assisted living residents, director of admissions. “It’s Foundation President Keith Gibb fundraising efforts with a including many diagnosed with exciting to be part of such a ($1,979) and Janet Wright Concert and Dance to End Alzheimer’s, showed their support Alzheimer’s on May 1. Produced committed, growing effort that can ($1,270). “I am so grateful to each of the organization’s team and the member of our team and to all by James Hubert Blake High ‘touch people’s lives’ in such a fight against the disease by those who supported us by School Senior Ashley Larkin in meaningful way.” participating in a group walk on participating in the walk or partnership with BGRV, the event Top BGRV fundraisers for the campus held the day prior to the raised more than $10,000. BGRV campaign include former resident making a donation,” concluded Walk to End Alzheimer’s™. Ms. Wright. also hosted the Washington-area family member Suzanne Carbone The Alzheimer’s Association is Walk to End Alzheimer’s Kickoff the world leader in Alzheimer’s Party in August and conducted a research, care and support, and it is raffle and yard sale. Local dedicated to finding not just the businesses, BGRV residents and cure, but preventative methods and family members supported the treatment. “We share the campaign with generous association’s passion for caring for donations in response to a direct those with Alzheimer’s, and we mail campaign. consider it a privilege to support the www.bgf.org “The enthusiasm of our team Walk as a corporate sponsor each increases each year and so does our 18100 Slade School Road • Sandy Spring, MD 20860 year,” remarked BGRV Director of fundraising total!” noted Team Marketing Toni Davis.

For more information about Brooke Grove, call today!

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