July 2012 Howard County Beacon Edition by The Beacon Newspapers

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Kellner, who graduated from FarleighDickinson University in New Jersey with a degree in English, says, “I’ve become an historian by default.” After coming to Columbia when her husband was transferred for business reasons to the area, she volunteered at the archives, deciding it would be the best way to learn about her new community. They raised two children here, and she became a full-time employee at the archives in 1995. Her husband died in 1999. Now, after nearly three decades of immersing herself in Columbia’s story, she is the author of two books about Columbia. She is called upon to give talks at schools

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An accidental historian

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The keeper of Columbia’s past By Robert Friedman The urban planners come from Korea, China, Belarus, California and Pennsylvania, all wanting to know the same thing: “How did Columbia do it?” How were some 15,000 acres of farm land turned into a city of 100,000 residents often rated, along with nearby Ellicott City, as one of the most livable communities anywhere? The questions are put to Columbia Archives Director Barbara Kellner, who then pulls from the file cabinets and drawers the planning documents and blueprints, the personal papers and committee reports, the organizational records, photos, posters, maps, builders’ brochures, surveyors’ plots, newspapers, artwork, etc. — all held in a room located off the lobby in a building on Wincopin Circle. The archives, now under the aegis of the quasi-government Columbia Association, started as a community initiative in 1983, some 16 years after the birth of Columbia. It grew to a community institution through the donation of materials from those who helped plan, develop and build the unincorporated community. Kellner, a native of the New York City borough of Queens, started volunteering at the archives when she moved to Columbia in 1983. She is now the go-to woman for those who want to know the history of, and the perspective on, what James Rouse and others shaped into 10 villages after purchasing property from 150 landowners in the mid-1960s.

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ARTS & STYLE For nearly three decades, Barbara Kellner has immersed herself in the archives of Columbia’s past — from planning documents and blueprints, to personal papers and newspaper clips. She started working at the archives as a volunteer, and rose to the position of Columbia Archives Director, where she remains the city’s historian and chronicler, having written two books about the city.

Rep Stage’s upcoming season focuses on diversity; plus, a look at the winners of Howard County’s Commission on Aging awards page 26

and in forums, and until recently hosted the local TV program, “Columbia Matters.” She still has a monthly segment on the show. “Never in a million years did I think the work at the archives would become such an exceptional part of my life,” she said.

An inclusive community Kellner is a believer in the Rouseian philosophy of an inclusive, diverse, planned living experience. “Living in a community with that ethos has made me even more appreciative and embracing of the importance of economic, social and racial diversity,” she said.

From its inception, Columbia was developed for economic and racial diversity. A range of living units were built, from subsidized housing to custom-designed family homes. Rouse sent a memo to developers, realtors, builders and sales people that said, in part, “Simply stated, we are color blind.” The realtors were told not to steer people to any one neighborhood. The people working at the exhibit center, which was open from 1967 to 1989 to attract residents, were both white and African-American, and everyone there was “up front,” See ARCHIVIST, page 27

FITNESS & HEALTH k 10 hotspots for longevity k Saunas help hearts

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Maximizing a maxim One of the aphorisms I’ve been partial to bereft of friends and family (unless, perhaps, since childhood says a person should “live we were to invite a different friend or family each day as if it were your last.” member to accompany us on Though I’ve liked and reeach of our adventures). Still, membered the maxim, I only very few would have the rerecently found myself wondersources or stamina to keep this ing what it really means. Perup for long. haps getting older (and attendSo, if the lesson of “live ing more funerals) has started each day as if it were your to make the concept more last” can’t really be to spend thought provoking to me. every day having the most On first blush, it sounds pleasurable personal experisomething like another popu- FROM THE ences, perhaps the phrase lar saying: “Eat, drink and be PUBLISHER means something completely merry, for tomorrow we die.” By Stuart P. Rosenthal different. After all, if we know tomorrow Maybe it impels us to dereally is our last day on Earth, we might try vote ourselves intensely to doing as many to see how many pleasurable experiences good deeds for others as possible — for we can cram into those last 24 hours. this day could be our last chance to While that could be a reasonable ap- (choose one or more): repent, give to charproach to a terminal diagnosis with a firm ity, return favors, make up for all the time 24-hour countdown, it does raise the ques- we wasted, make up to all the people we’ve tion of how reasonable an approach it wronged, earn a decent epitaph, etc. would be as a plan for daily life. This might well be considered a worthIf each day we devoted ourselves to a while use of one’s last day. It might indeed round-the-clock effort at fulfilling (and ex- even be a more popular choice than the panding) our bucket list, we’d soon be worn selfish one we first contemplated. out and poor, out of a job, and probably But would it be any more reasonable as

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an approach to daily life? We might treat each day as our last chance for “doing good,” but the more days we spent in this fashion, the more we might start to wonder: When are we going to start “doing well,” too? How might those of us who are workaholics interpret the precept? OMG! Only one day left to complete all the projects, organize the piles, clean out the inbox, file away the reports, or at very least, set things in order for those to come after. Believe it or not, my own dear wife, the associate publisher of the Beacon, admitted sheepishly that those were some of her first thoughts when I asker her to interpret the expression. She’s really not a workaholic. But she’s incredibly responsible (and considerably compulsive), and since she’s handled the Beacon’s billing and books for 20+ years, all the inevitable loose ends tend to weigh heavily on her. Still, she was well aware that this would be no way to live every day while waiting for one’s last breath. In fact, she said, she’d probably be more likely to do the polar opposite of her first reaction and devote her last day to spending time with family and friends. This might be a fine way indeed to focus attention on something both meaningful and pleasant on one’s last day — giving voice to all the deepest things we feel and think, but seldom express; drawing close those who mean the most to us; reaching out to those we’ve perhaps ignored, or scared off, or stopped speaking to. But if there ever were a prescription for one’s last day that did not lend itself to on-

going practice, it would be this. Those we love couldn’t take this kind of perpetual closeness any more than those we once sent packing! Following this path day after day would not only wear you out, but also everyone you ever knew! Ironically, the one activity most people would probably never do on their last day is spend time exercising — the very thing that, doctors tell us, has the greatest chance of extending our longevity. If we really knew this would be our last day, what would be the point? But if we made a habit of not exercising, our lives would be considerably shorter and, probably, far less pleasant given the illnesses and troubles brought on by a sedentary lifestyle. So where does that leave us? Seems to me the underlying lesson of living each day as if it were our last is that we should live a balanced life: We should strive to be good to others, devote some concerted effort to our work, show some love to our friends and family, get some exercise, and be sure to enjoy ourselves a bit, too. I’m glad I took some time today to think about it. Please feel free to share with us your thoughts on this topic, or any other. Email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com or write to Letters to the Editor, The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227. On Facebook? Please post your comments (and “like” us!) at www.facebook.com/BeaconNewspaper.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your letter to the editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I have a few observations to make about your commentary “How we see ourselves” by guest columnist Leslie A. Morgan in the June issue. The discrimination faced by older people is not a natural phenomenon; in fact in many cultures the senior generation is treated with deference and respect. The prejudice today is a manufactured bias, and it is a situation where scrutiny is needed. I read many magazines, newspapers, watch television and peruse the Internet, and since reflecting on your commentary, I’ve noted a dearth of pictures of older people and a total lack of stories about seniors in the popular press. There is even a derision of our “older hood” in TV commercials and on the Internet. Whatever happened to the Grey Pan-

thers, now that they’re really needed? Considering the enormous demographic of us baby boomers, it’s hard to believe the media and advertisers do not recognize that we are a lucrative market. It’s possible advertisers see us as a cyberwasteland and hardly worth any effort to engage. Today, it’s more and more difficult for older people to have a “positive place in society,” and even finding meaningful volunteer work is a challenge. (I know from personal experience.) When you understand you are living in a culture that denigrates your existence, it makes sense to be watchful and on the alert. Ageism is painful, but it is the way of today’s rapidly changing world. Rosalind Ellis Heid Baltimore

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Health Fitness &

HEART HEALTHY HEAT Frequent saunas can help patients with heart failure — and boost mood, too A SHOT IN THE ARM (OR KNEE) Injections of the anti-inflammatory drug cortisone often must be repeated QUALITY OF LIFE When living long and living well conflict, decisions can be difficult BEATING EATING DISORDERS Eating disorders can develop at any age, but appropriate treatment helps

Let sunshine in for a better night’s sleep By Sarah Korones Insomnia — a common and difficult-totreat condition — is estimated to cost the American economy $63.2 billion each year in lost productivity. A new body of research suggests that a cure might be as simple as soaking up some sun. Blue light, a part of the visible spectrum in solar rays, keeps us perky during the day by suppressing the release of melatonin, the hormone that causes sleepiness. But when we spend our time cooped up indoors, our eyes fail to take in the proper amount of light, and we never get an internal signal to sleep at night. “If you don’t have a change in melatonin levels during the 24 hours of the day, your body doesn’t know when to rest and when to

stay awake,” said Line Kessel, an ophthalmologist at the University of Copenhagen. Long hours at the office and the corresponding lack of sunlight may be to blame for the estimated 23 percent of U.S. workers afflicted with insomnia.

Problems: indoor light, aging eyes Artificial lighting is no replacement for sunshine. “You might as well be sitting in a dark room as far as your circadian clock is concerned,” said Patricia Turner, an ophthalmologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Sleep problems can be even worse in older adults. As we age, a natural yellowing of the eyes may hinder blue light from reaching the retina, according to a study in

the journal Sleep. “If the blue light is filtered out by a yellowing lens, the daily and nightly changes in melatonin concentration are flat,” explained Kessel, the study’s author. “Your body’s biological rhythm is disturbed.” Employers may be reluctant to let their workers outside for a sunshine break, but they might want to reconsider. Epidemiologist Ronald Kessler, of Harvard Medical School, puts it simply: “It’s hard to do anything if you don’t sleep.”

Some tips for better sleep Staring at blue light-emitting TVs and computers at night suppresses melatonin, keeping us awake when we should be getting sleepy. To reap the benefits of blue

light while avoiding its perils: 1. Take your lunch outside or walk to work, when the sun is at its brightest. 2. Read a book before bedtime rather than watching TV. Inappropriately timed blue light can lead to insomnia. 3. House hunting or remodeling? You’ll want a home with skylights, large windows and other features that let in plenty of natural light. 4. Take off your shades. While it’s never healthy to stare at the sun, Turner said that habitually wearing sunglasses may block the blue light we need. — Psychology Today Magazine © 2012 Sussex Publishers. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

The top 10 hotspots for human longevity By Miriam Weiner In 1513, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon set sail in search of Bimini, a mythical land said to house a spring that restored youth to anyone who drank from it. After scouring the Caribbean and Florida, he returned empty-handed, and the Fountain of Youth remained undiscovered. Perhaps he was just looking in the wrong place. As part of their data collection for the World Factbook, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) combs through death certificates — recording race, gender, cause of death, and other factors to estimate the life expectancy of a nation’s entire population. Calculating the average life expectancy of the world’s total population at 67.59 years, the CIA has determined which societies live longer. In the United States, average life expectancy is 78.49 years, well above the world’s norm. Many experts attribute this to ongoing medical developments, which have dealt with conditions that used to mow us down early. Meanwhile, nations without advanced medical care report a much shorter life expectancy. For instance, citizens of the Republic of Chad in central Africa are only expected to live until their late 40s. Despite the fact that the average American lives into his or her late 70s, the United States ranks 50th on the CIA’s life ex-

pectancy list. According to the World Factbook, the following 10 nations seem to have discovered the secret to longevity — no magical spring water required: 10. Italy (Average Life Expectancy: 81.86 years) Italians live an average of 3.37 years longer than Americans. Many experts draw a connection between their longevity and diet — which is more than just pasta, meat and cheese. The Mediterranean diet is credited with lowering the risk for all sorts of diseases. The antioxidants found in olive oil and red wine — two key features of an Italian meal — can improve cholesterol, prevent blood clots, and stave off heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Italians also rely on spices like basil, oregano and garlic to flavor their cuisine, while Americans depend heavily on salt. As such, Italians improve their odds against high blood pressure and stroke. 9. Australia (Average Life Expectancy: 81.90) Australia’s long life expectancy can be attributed to several factors, including relatively low smoking and obesity rates, as well as an active lifestyle enjoyed by its citizens. But many Australian medical experts insist that the secret to Aussies’ longevity is universal healthcare. While the ability to obtain healthcare in the United States depends heavily on employment status and

personal wealth, Australians have access to necessary care no matter how much they make. That said, Aussies shouldn’t get too comfortable. Their obesity rate is steadily climbing, which could undercut their longevity in years ahead. 8. Hong Kong (Average Life Expectancy: 82.12) Hong Kongers can expect to live nearly four years longer than Americans. Like Italians, people from Hong Kong can partly attribute their longer lives to their diet — rice, vegetables and tofu are staples — and active lifestyle. Hong Kong reports a much lower obesity level than the United States does, as well as fewer instances of obesity-related health conditions, like diabetes. 7. Guernsey (Average Life Expectancy: 82.24) This small island in the English Channel is not a member of the United Kingdom or the European Union, despite being a British crown dependency. Its independence means Guernsey has not been affected by its neighbors’ flailing economies. How does this tie into the long life expectancies of Channel Islanders? One theory: Guernsey residents live longer because they are wealthy, which affords them above-average healthcare and better nutrition. Channel Islanders are well-off, thanks to Guernsey’s extremely low tax

rates and high-paying jobs. 6. Andorra (Average Life Expectancy: 82.5) Several factors may explain why Andorrans outlive residents of other countries. First, this tiny nation, sandwiched between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains, promotes an active, outdoor lifestyle. Its citizens spend lots of time outside, which experts say can lower stress levels and, consequently, cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure. Residents have easy access to hiking trails and ski resorts, while clean and well-maintained parks are often used for friendly games of soccer and rugby. Secondly, the CIA states that 100 percent of Andorra’s population is educated. High education levels account for Andorra’s extremely low unemployment rate. This means most Andorrans can afford high-quality nutrition and healthcare. 5. San Marino (Average Life Expectancy: 83.07) Europe’s third smallest state — behind Vatican City and Monaco — and the world’s oldest republic has a life expectancy that trumps the United States by 4.5 years. Money plays a major role here, as it does in both Guernsey and Andorra, but another key ingredient could be the nation’s work environment. See LONGEVITY, page 5

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The first of 10 weeks of either Tuesday or Thursday morning hatha yoga sessions to improve flexibility, strength and relaxation, will begin on Tuesday, July 17 at 9 a.m. or Thursday, July 19 at 9 a.m. at the Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Rte. 97, Cooksville. Instructor Mary Garrat will include a slow-paced section as well. The fee is $56 for the 10-week session. For more information, call (410) 313-5440.

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AFAA certified instructor and personal trainer Sara Schwab will lead a series of floor aerobics, power development and resistance strength training using a variety of equipment. With modifications for beginner to advanced levels, the classes will be held every Monday and Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. from July 9 through Sept. 24 at the Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Rte. 97, Cooksville. The cost is $75 for 20 classes. For more information, call (410) 313-5440.

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Prevention Specialist Madeline Morsha-Taylor of the Howard County Health Department will lead a women’s discussion group on a wide range of topics, from current events to shopping, friendships, losses, isolation and heartaches. The group will meet on Monday, June 25 at 11 a.m. at Longwood Senior Center, 6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia. For more information, call (410) 313-7217.

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This enclave on the Italian peninsula didn’t rake in its riches through manual labor. San Marino’s primary industries are banking and tourism, with the majority of the Sammarinese working in office settings. This drastically reduces the number of work-related deaths — a big problem elsewhere. 4. Singapore (Average Life Expectancy: 83.75) A sound diet and a clean environment contribute to the longevity exhibited by the population of this fast-paced city-state, located on the southern edge of the Malay Peninsula. Like in Hong Kong, Singapore’s cuisine centers on rice and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients that help keep residents healthy and active. Singapore’s government also enforces a strict code of cleanliness — such as heavily restricted smoking areas — to ensure that all residents live in healthy surroundings. Interestingly, back in the 1980s, the government recognized that the nation’s population was aging steadily, and with careful planning, Singapore now features excellent healthcare facilities and programs for the elderly. 3. Japan (Average Life Expectancy: 83.91) Japan boasts an impressively low obesity rate: 3.1 percent compared with 33.9 percent in the United States. Much of the credit is owed to the Japanese diet, which revolves around fresh vegetables, rice, and most importantly, fish. Fresh fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote healthy blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids encourage healthy brain function, helping prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

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From page 4

The Japanese also make healthier lifestyle choices: They tend to walk more and not overeat. 2. Macau (Average Life Expectancy: 84.43) Like several other nations on this list, Macau can attribute its high life expectancy, at least somewhat, to its fruitful economy. But why this tiny nation in the South China Sea is so prosperous might surprise you: Gambling is its main source of revenue, and 70 percent of the money generated on the casino floor is reportedly invested by the Macau government in public healthcare. The island boasts a variety of casinos, many of which are owned by the same bigwigs who gave Las Vegas its “Sin City” reputation. In January 2012, Macau welcomed 2,461,640 visitors looking to test Lady Luck. 1. Monaco (Average Life Expectancy: 89.68) Residents of Monaco live, on average, 5.25 years longer than the second longestliving nation, Macau. That’s approximately a decade longer than the average American. Monaco shares several aspects with other long-living nations, including an abundance of wealth and state-funded healthcare. Monaco residents also live on a Mediterranean diet, which is associated with a reduced risk for a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. But many say it’s Monaco’s relaxing atmosphere that keeps residents hanging on until a ripe old age. Its location along the Mediterranean Sea and clean environment do their part to reduce stress, which can lower immunity and contribute to cardiovascular diseases. © 2012 U.S. News and World Report

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

Saunas appear to improve heart function By Linda Geddes That warm, fuzzy feeling you get from sitting in a sauna isn’t in your imagination — and it may also help your heart. People with chronic heart failure who took saunas five times a week for three weeks improved their heart function and the amount of exercise they could do. Neurons that release the “happiness molecule” serotonin respond to increases in body temperature, perhaps explaining the sauna’s pleasurable effects.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to supply enough blood to the body, resulting in shortness of breath and difficulty exercising. Previous studies have hinted that saunas might boost health. To investigate, Takashi Ohori at the University of Toyama in Japan and colleagues asked 41 volunteers with heart failure to take 15-minute saunas five times per week, using a blanket for 30 minutes afterwards to keep their body temperature about 1 C higher than normal.

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Helps hearts pump better Sauna treatment increased the heart’s ability to pump blood, and boosted the distance participants could walk in six minutes from 337 meters to 379 meters. The team also noticed improved function of the endothelium — the membrane lining the inside of the heart that releases factors controlling the diameter of blood vessels and clotting. The researchers also found more circulating endothelial progenitor cells — adult stem cells that can turn into endothelial cells, according to the study published in the American Journal of Cardiology. In a separate study in AJP: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, the same group temporarily cut off blood supply to rats’ hearts to mimic a heart attack, then gave them a sauna every day for four weeks. Later examination saw fewer of the changes to the heart’s chambers than usually occur after heart attacks in rats not exposed to a sauna. In addition, the sauna rats showed increases in endothelial nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme that regulates blood pressure and the growth of new blood vessels. “We think that repeated saunas trigger pathways that produce nitric oxide and other signaling molecules that eventually reduce resistance to the pumping capacity

of the heart,” said Tofy Mussivand at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Ontario, who was not involved in the research.

Heating also boosts mood Heating might have other benefits, said Christopher Lowry of the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has identified a group of serotonin-releasing neurons in a region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus, which fire in response to increases in body temperature. They seem to initiate cooling, but these neurons also project into a region of the brain that regulates mood, which may account for the pleasure of a sauna. Intriguingly, these same neurons feed into the sympathetic nervous system. Activation of the SNS boosts blood pressure and heart rate, but “by heating up the skin you inhibit the sympathetic nervous system, which is probably a good thing if you’ve had a heart attack,” said Lowry. Mussivand cautions against people with heart failure rushing to the nearest spa, however. “Cardiologists currently don’t recommend that heart failure patients should be exposed to heat, so this has to be done under medical supervision,” he said. © 2012 New Scientist Magazine. Reed Business Information Ltd. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

Repeat cortisone injections are common By Dr. Paul Carns Dear Mayo Clinic: How do cortisone shots work to relieve pain? It appears that they provide only temporar y relief and are often given multiple times. Is there a point at which frequent cortisone shots can be harmful to the body? How much is too much? Answer: Injections of cortisone, or a similar corticosteroid, decrease inflammation in an injured part of the body. When body tissue is injured, a series of events occurs locally and within the bloodstream to promote healing. Inflammation can result from this healing process and, frequently, the inflammation causes pain. Injecting corticosteroids into the inflamed area helps to calm the inflammation. As the inflammation subsides, the pain does, too. Cortisone is naturally produced in the body’s adrenal glands. It was discovered in the 1940s by Mayo Clinic researchers Edward Kendall, Ph.D., and Philip Hench, M.D., who first used it to treat joint disorders. Its powerful anti-inflammatory effect produced such dramatic results in people with rheumatoid arthritis that it was hailed as a miracle drug. In 1950, Drs. Kendall and Hench were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of cortisone.

decreases or eliminates pain long enough to allow the injury to completely heal. It is not uncommon, though, for repeat injections to be needed in patients experiencing chronic inflammatory conditions.

Side effect concerns Corticosteroids cause a number of side effects, which can be limited to the area injected or affect the entire body. Side effects increase with larger doses and repeated clinical use. For this reason, physicians may limit the number of injections and the cumulative amount of corticosteroid that is given. Typically, corticosteroid injections are not given more often than every six weeks, and usually not more than three or four times a year. But these are only guidelines. A patient’s situation dictates the timing and frequency of treatment.

Side effects may include weakening of the joint, increased blood pressure, elevation of blood sugar, and decreased ability to fight infection. Evidence of these side effects should be reported to the doctor monitoring the condition. Also important to note is that, although corticosteroid injections into a joint can relieve pain and restore mobility, in many cases they are combined with other medications and physical therapy to treat the underlying medical problem or injury. Physical therapy is particularly crucial because it can strengthen the muscles surrounding the injured area, so those muscles can provide proper joint support. This will increase the likelihood of long-term healing, as well as reduce the risk of repeat injury. For most effective use, corticosteroid injections should be repeated only when they produce substantial pain relief that

lasts several weeks to several months. A physician should closely supervise an individual’s total dose of corticosteroid, monitor the patient’s benefit, and check regularly for side effects. When used correctly, corticosteroid injections can be a useful part of therapy to treat the pain of acute and chronic inflammatory disease. Paul Carns is an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu, or Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2010 Westridge Drive, Irving, TX 75038. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Helps tendinitis, gout and more In current medical practice, corticosteroids are used to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases, including bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis and gout. Corticosteroids can be given by mouth or injected into affected joints, including the ankle, elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, hand and wrist. Injections near the spine are also common. You are correct that corticosteroid injections do not provide a permanent cure. However, pain relief from a corticosteroid injection may last from several weeks to several months, depending on the medical condition and the patient receiving it. Ideally, the relief provided by the injection

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

When living long and living well conflict By Marilynn Marchione A heart device might save your life but leave you miserable. That awful possibility is the reason for new advice urging doctors to talk more honestly with people who have very weak hearts and are considering pumps, pacemakers, new valves or procedures to open clogged arteries. Too often, patients with advanced heart failure don’t realize what they are getting into when they agree to a treatment, and doctors assume they want everything pos-

sible done to keep them alive, says the new advice, published recently by the American Heart Association and endorsed by other medical groups. It calls for shared decision making when patients face a chronic condition that often proves fatal and they need to figure out what they really want for their remaining days. If they also have dementia or failing kidneys, the answer may not be a heart device to prolong their lives. “Patients may feel

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One of Allen’s former patients is an example: a 74-year-old man too weak to go shopping or walk around his neighborhood. He was so miserable that doctors thought he would feel better with a “mini artificial heart” — a $100,000 left ventricular assist device to make his heart pump better. “Even if it goes well, people are left with an electrical cord coming out of their belly” and a higher risk of stroke and bleeding from the nose or throat, Allen said. The man suffered bleeding problems, needed a breathing machine, and spent 10 weeks in the hospital. He and his wife hated that his device kept him tethered to a power supply or gave him only a few hours of freedom on battery power. Some models last longer. “They came to us a couple months after he went home and said his quality of life was not what he wished” and asked to have the pump turned off, Allen said. The man died about a year ago. By contrast, former Vice President Dick Cheney, 71, said he did well with the heart assist device that was implanted in 2010 and used until his heart transplant in March. “I’ve gotten used to the various contraptions that are always with me, and I’m working and traveling, I’ve hunted a time or two, and I have some fishing planned,” he wrote in his memoir released last year.

Thinking it all through The new heart association advice takes aim at this problem. It urges: • An annual talk between heart failure patients and doctors to set treatment goals for the present and for possible emergencies such as cardiac arrest.

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heart failure, and the number is growing as the population ages. It occurs when a heart becomes too weak — because of a heart attack, high blood pressure or other condition — to pump enough blood. Fluid can back up into the lungs, causing shortness of breath, weight gain, fatigue and swollen ankles. Many high-tech treatments are available to treat advanced disease. But they usually don’t slow its progression, they just keep people from dying. Patients often don’t understand that when they agree to gadgets like a $30,000 to $50,000 implanted defibrillator, which shocks a quivering heart back into normal rhythm, it usually means living longer with steadily worsening symptoms. “Defibrillators don’t actually make people feel better — it doesn’t treat the underlying heart failure. All it does is abort sudden death,” Allen said. More than 100,000 defibrillators are implanted each year in the United States, and one quarter of them are replacement operations because a battery has worn out (they last three to five years). That often is done without reconsidering whether a patient’s health has deteriorated so much that the device isn’t a good idea, three Harvard Medical School doctors wrote recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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

New, home-like models of long-term care By Carol Sorgen Prior to moving into the newly opened Households at Levindale, 95-year-old Thelma Rustin lived in the more conventional nursing care area of the Northwest Baltimore long-term care facility. Now, said her son, Walter Harris, his mother likes being able to shut the door to her own suite and relax by herself, while still being able to enjoy the company of other residents in a comfortable common area when she wants to. “My mother loves living in the Households,” said Harris. “It’s nice for her to know that there are people around.” Harris is also pleased with his mother’s new home. “As her son, I want her to enjoy life, and I think she does here. The staff is so nice, and they take good care of her.” Harris especially likes the atmosphere in his mother’s “household,” which is made up of only 14 suites. “It’s calm and

Living long From page 8 • “Milestone” reviews after any big change such as hospitalization, a defibrillator shock, worsening kidney problems or dementia. • Discussing not just survival gains but also potential problems from devices or treatments — such as side effects, loss of independence, quality of life and obligations on families and caregivers. • Considering palliative care, which does not mean stopping treatment. The goal is “not only living long, it’s living well. People often make decisions about the ‘long’ without even considering the ‘well,’” said Jessie Gruman, president of the Center for Advancing Health, a patient advocacy group. The heart association asked Gruman, who has had several cancers and a heart problem, to review the advice from a patient’s perspective. The worst thing is to have no plan or clear goals when an emergency occurs, she said. “The person who’s ill may not have particular cognitive clarity and the caregivers may be upset and exhausted. They just haven’t thought it through — they haven’t had a chance to think it through. They’ve never done this before,” Gruman said. Mary Jane Eaton, 80 years old, has thought it through. Twenty years ago, she had a new heart valve put in that is leaking now. She has heart failure and chest pains, probably from clogged arteries. After talks with her cardiologist, Dr. Jennifer Dorosz, Eaton has decided to treat her fluid buildup with higher doses of diuretics and not have any more tests or surgery. “I can’t see that I could go through that,” she said. “At my age, I just figure you know what, when the Lord’s ready for me, he’s going to take me. And I don’t want to be taken on the operating table.” — AP

quiet…with a home-like quality.” The Households are located in two new Levindale buildings that create neighborhoods of six households with 14 rooms each. Harris is able to visit as often as he likes and sees his mother at least five days a week. They sometimes take short walks together to enjoy the landscaped grounds around the Households, which will soon feature a garden that residents may work in. The recent opening of the Households is the completion of the first phase of an expansion of Levindale’s Northwest Baltimore campus, which has been renamed the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus. The Households are a further development in the implementation of Levindale’s Neighborhood Model philosophy, which emphasizes resident-directed care, where the needs and desires of the residents are put first — from when they would like to

get up in the morning, to what and when they would like to eat, to what activities they would like to take part in.

Resident-centered care The home-like atmosphere of the Households at Levindale is what long-term care is turning toward, according to Heather Wojcik, Households’ operations manager. “Giving the residents a lot of freedom and choice — even when it comes to when and what they have for breakfast — gives them a sense of ownership,” said Wojcik. Among other features, the Households provide private rooms, private bathrooms, a country kitchen, home-style meal service, and “town centers” where residents can gather. The more relaxed atmosphere also helps reduce anxiety and improve the residents’ self-confidence. Wojcik relates the story of

one resident who was afraid of elevators and wouldn’t get out of her wheelchair. But since moving into the Households, she has become a “completely different person,” said Wojcik, visiting other residents, walking, and being more engaged in her daily life. Room and board in the Households is $330 a day, and the population is made up of a mix of residents on Medicare, Medicaid, or paying privately. (Regular Levindale room rates are $285/day private and $265/day semi-private.)

Based on Green House model Levindale based its Households on several well-known innovative programs in longterm care, including the Green House Project, the Eden Alternative, the Neighborhood Model, and the Household Model of care. See NEW LTC MODEL, page 11

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J U L Y 2 0 1 2 — 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 — J U L Y 2 0 1 2

New LTC model From page 9 One of the most well-known of these models, the Green House Project, was founded by geriatrician Dr. William Thomas, founder and president of the Eden Alternative (www.edenalt.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more home-like atmosphere in longterm-care facilities, with such previously unheard of features as pets and gardens. Green Houses are part of a movement called “culture change” or “patient-centered care” that is changing the way nursing homes look, feel and deliver care. Nationwide, there are 124 Green Houses, 30 under construction and 78 in development, according to the nonprofit Green House Projects, a division of NCB Capital Impact. The patient-centered care movement also supports the idea of more informal interaction between residents and staff. Rather than following a rigid daily routine designed for the convenience of the staff, patient-centered aides give residents more control over their lives, with staff members tasked with responding to residents’ wishes and needs within reason. It takes a special kind of person, as well as a lot of training, to work in this type of facility, but aides seem to like it just as much as the residents, reports Wojcik. Even facilities that can’t add on to existing buildings or build entirely new campuses are moving toward a more residentcentered, resident-directed standard of care. “We’re getting away from the uniform, institutional model,” said Wojcik.

Maryland’s first Green House Also turning to this new model of care has been GEDCO (Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation) and Catholic Charities of Baltimore, which have partnered to create GEDCO Stadium Place, on the former site of Memorial Stadium. GEDCO is the owner/developer of the property, while Catholic Charities runs the operational side. Each of the four floors has 12 individual suites, with a common kitchen, dining and living room area called a “hearth,” dens for watching TV and socializing, therapeutic spa rooms and group porches. The fa-

cility also features floor to ceiling windows offering residents views of the city skyline and the stadium fields. At least 60 percent of the rooms in the Green House homes are reser ved for older adults who are eligible for Medicaid. Stadium Place has also been built in an environmentally friendly manner to obtain LEED Silver certification. According to GEDCO Stadium Place Executive Director Mitch Posner, Green House residences such as Stadium Place fill a need for lower-income seniors who can’t function independently and need long-term care, but whose options are limited to being cared for by their families or in traditional nursing homes that accept people with private insurance in multi-patient rooms. “We’re trying to create a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) for people who can’t afford one,” he said. Stadium Place is the first certified Green House project in Maryland. It is also the first in the U.S. to take advantage of special financing for Green House projects aimed at low-income elders under a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NCB Capital Impact. The Stadium Place project received additional support from the Harr y and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, and private donors, according to Posner. Before starting the project, he traveled to Michigan to see an early example of Green House living and came away thinking, “If our moms needed long-term care, we’d want them in a Green House.” “In the Green House Residences, as in all of the programs of Catholic Charities, we work to provide the highest level of care without ever losing sight of the humanity and the fundamental dignity of all people,” said Catholic Charities of Baltimore Executive Director William J. McCarthy. According to Stadium Place Administrator Nate Sweeney, Green House residences “look, feel, smell and work like a real home.” “They’re totally different from institutions,” he said. That extends beyond the resident-directed approach to the staff as well. Each residence has a shabazz (a Persian word) who cares for the residents as he or she would in their own home.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

EAT FRESH AND HEALTHY THIS SUMMER

A half-dozen small to mid-sized farms are offering county residents shares in community-supported agricultural programs (CSA) providing fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, eggs, dairy products and meats. For more information, see the websites of the participating farms: Breezy Willow Farm, www.breezywillowfarm.com; Gorman Produce Farm, www.gormanproducefarm.com; Love Dove Farms, www.lovedovefarms.com; Norman’s Farm Market, www.normansfarmmarket.com; Roundabout Hills Market Garden, www.localharvest.com and Shaw Farm CSA, www.shawfarmscsa.com.

Ongoing

INDOOR WALKING CLUB

Stay cool with an indoor walking club that meets every Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. for a brisk walk around the indoor track at the North Laurel Senior Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel. For more information, call (410) 313-0380.

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“The relationship between the residents and the individuals who care for them is much more family-oriented,” said Sweeney. “This is a much more dignified, respectful way to live.” While there are currently no Green House projects in Washington, D.C., a coalition of organizations and individuals is working with the D.C. Office on Aging and Deputy Mayor Beatriz “BB” Otero to develop “community integrated” Green Houses. These would be ordinary neighborhood homes reconfigured to provide living space for 10 to 12 individuals served by a dedicated resident staff. “How far from reality is this vision? I bet

within the next four years there will be several D.C. neighborhoods with Green Houses among their housing stock,” said Gail Kohn, the founding executive director of Capitol Hill Village. For information about the Households at Levindale, call (410) 601-2400 or visit www.levindale.com. For information about GEDCO Stadium Place, call Stephanie Hill at (443) 414-6218, or visit www.catholiccharities-md.org/greenhouse. To learn more about Green Houses, see http://thegreenhouseproject.org or call (703) 647-2311.

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

Eating disorders can develop at any age Q: Can eating disorders occur even in middle age or late life? A: Absolutely! In fact, incidence of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, as well as disordered patterns of eating and problems with distorted body image, may be increasing among middle aged and older adults, whom many consider at low risk for these problems. Eating disorders and disordered eating patterns often flare up at times of transition in life in an effort to feel more “in control” of something. Clinicians treating eating disorders report that many adults seeking treatment are those who had eating disorders earlier in life, whether or not they were actually diagnosed or treated, though some may first

develop them later in life. Stress related to divorce, infidelity, job loss or change, or kids leaving the nest are possible triggers. Women of all ages are especially targeted in cultural messages that place extremely high value on thinness. For vulnerable women, that can give an undesirable emotional impact to messages about the health benefits of limiting midlife weight gain. Changing self-talk and avoiding restrictive diets can help steer people away from sliding into an eating disorder, but once one has developed, treatment from a multidisciplinary team of qualified professionals is essential. Regardless of age, appropriate treatment works. The National Eating Disorders Associ-

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ation lists some questions to ask when considSoymilk is closer to cow’s milk in protein ering treatment options at www.nationaleat- content, providing 6 grams (g) in an 8-ounce ingdisorders.org/informationglass compared to the 8 grams resources/general-information. in cow’s milk. Almonds themphp#seeking-treatment. selves are packed with protein, Research is clear that overbut almond milk is really not a weight and obesity increase source, supplying 1 gram per risk of type 2 diabetes, heart 8-ounce glass (less than you disease and cancer. But reget in a slice of bread). Calorie ducing that risk does not content varies substantially. mean pushing weight to unreUnsweetened soymilk in regalistically low and unhealthy ular or “lite” form is similar in levels that require rigid rules calories to either 1% (low-fat) or NUTRITION for “perfect” eating. skim (nonfat) cow’s milk. Most importantly, we all WISE Unsweetened almond milk conneed to be clear that excess By Karen Collins, tains less than half the calories body fat defines a health risk MS, RD, CDM of soymilk. Choosing sweet— not who you are as a person. ened versions (including vanilQ: How do almond and soy milks la) adds from 2 to 5.5 teaspoons of sugar per compare nutritionally to cow’s milk? cup, raising calories accordingly. A: For people avoiding cow’s milk due Cow’s milk is highest in potassium, to allergy, lactose intolerance or other rea- which helps control blood pressure, folsons, almond milk and soymilk are two of lowed by soymilk; almond milk is much the most popular choices. Their popularity lower. On the other hand, almond milk is has led to many different options within lower in sodium and supplies half of the each category, so check labels since nutri- daily recommended amount of vitamin E. tional content varies substantially. For vegans and others who have trouble The calcium-fortified versions of soy getting the heart-healthy omega-3 fats, one and almond milk provide calcium amounts type of soymilk has added the omega-3 fat similar to cow’s milk (and some may pro- DHA. Consider what nutrients you want vide fortification beyond the 30% of Daily your milk choice to provide and choose acValue found in cow’s milk). Beyond that, cordingly, reading labels among the specific they are quite different nutritionally. choices to find what best meets your needs.

BEACON BITS

July 19

From the daughter of our resident Mr. Dell Bean...

SUMMER LUNCH WITH SPRING

Celebrate summer with SPRING, a program of the Howard County Office on Aging, at the Timbuktu Restaurant, 1726 Dorsey Rd., Hanover, on Thursday, July 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Seating is limited. Call Elaine Widom,(410) 313-7283, or stop by the Bain Center or Ellicott City Senior Center by July 12 to register.

Moving my dad to Heartlands has given my family the peace of mind to know that he is being taken care of. It gives us a real sense of relief knowing that he is eating well, having the opportunity to exercise in a safe environment, and being a part of a community. Everyone at Heartlands has opened their hearts to him and it has been really great! -Lindsey Marks

At Heartlands Ellicott City, you will find: • Cottages with updated kitchens, walk-in closet and three-season porch • On-site medical services and wellness center • State-of-the-art fitness and rehab center with indoor pool and spa

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

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

50+? Be paid to participate in sleep study By Barbara Ruben Having insomnia is bad enough, but it can be even worse when the inability to sleep is coupled with arthritis pain. “We think that the sleep and pain systems are so intertwined that sleep influences the processing of pain by the brain and vice versa,” said Michael T. Smith, Ph.D., director of the Center for Behavior and Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Consequently, Smith and his research team are now recruiting participants — both with and without arthritis or insomnia — for a study to learn more about how to help patients who suffer with the conditions.

Healthy volunteers needed, too To participate in this study, you must be at least 50 years old and be in one of four groups: • knee pain and trouble sleeping • knee pain with no trouble sleeping • be generally healthy, with no knee pain, but have trouble sleeping • be generally healthy with no trouble sleeping During the first visit, participants will complete questionnaires, undergo an in-

terview with a clinician regarding sleep, and have X-rays taken of both knees. In addition, participants will provide a urine sample and optional blood samples. An electronic diary and wrist device used to record activity levels will also be given to all participants for two weeks. At the second visit, participants will undergo sensory and pain testing and, if knee pain is present, will also meet with a rheumatologist. All participants will complete an overnight sleep study conducted in their own homes. These two visits fulfill the first phase of the study, and those who complete this first phase can receive up to $215 compensation. All examinations and parking are free of charge.

Train your brain to sleep Those who have osteoarthritis of the knee and insomnia will continue into the second phase of the study. This part of the trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a type of psychological treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing sleep disturbances and pain. CBT helps participants learn new sleep

habits and provides mental exercises designed to reduce arousal and alertness while trying to sleep. This treatment involves meeting with a psychologist one-onone, once a week for a total of eight weeks. The treatment is free of charge. After completing the 8-week treatment, participants will visit Hopkins two more

times, at approximately three and six months after the last treatment session, to complete questionnaires, have their pain level assessed, and complete in-home sleep studies. Participants will also periodically wear See SLEEP STUDY, page 14

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

Osteoporosis? Try strontium supplements Dear Pharmacist: My wife has osteoporosis in her back pretty badly. I read an article you wrote a few years ago about strontium being a good mineral for bone health. Do you still recommend it? — C.C. Dear C.C.: Everything I said four years ago, in my first column, holds. Strontium has been clinically proven to support bone health. I wish more physicians would suggest

over-the-counter strontium supplements before prescribing bone-building bisphosphonate drugs like Actonel, Boniva and Fosamax, or even Evista or Forteo. A 2004 study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that strontium reduces the risk of non-vertebral fractures by 41 percent over three years, and increases bone mineral density by 14.4 percent — impressive when you compare that to standard treatments! You’re probably wondering why no one

Make money selling ads for the Beacon!

has mentioned this to you. Conventional ranelate. This is the substance that was testpractitioners educate themselves at semi- ed in the published clinical trials. nars that are not based in In the U.S., supplements “functional medicine” (my edcalled “strontium citrate” and ucational track), so they are “strontium gluconate” are sold probably not aware of stronat health food stores, comtium’s potential benefits. Docpounding pharmacies, and hotors interested in scientificallistic physician’s offices. Highly-based holistic medical semiquality brands include Life Exnars should visit www.functension’s “Strontium Caps,” tionalmedicine.org. OrthoMolecular’s “StronStrontium offers a one-two tium,” Nutricology’s “Stronpunch with its dual mechanism tium Osteo Complex,” SoDEAR of action. It prevents bone laray’s “BioCitrate Strontium,” PHARMACIST breakdown, while simultaneor Doctor’s Best “Strontium By Suzy Cohen ously stimulating new bone Bone Maker.” [Editor’s note: growth. Medications typically These supplement versions have work only one side of that equation. not been tested in clinical trials, while stronFurthermore, strontium may support tium ranelate has not been approved for sale joint health and prevent tooth decay, in in the U.S. by the FDA.] sharp contrast to certain osteoporosis You must have enough calcium in your medications that can lead to necrosis (de- body for strontium to work well. Most peostruction) of the jaw and loss of teeth. I ple do, but if you don’t, and you need both wonder if strontium could help with can- calcium and strontium, space them apart. cer-related bone pain, too. For example, take strontium first thing in the Brand new research published in the morning (on an empty stomach), then take Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and calcium (preferably with vitamin D) at lunch. Biology said, “[Strontium ranelate] can When it comes to bone health, vitamin now be considered as a first-line option to K2, natural progesterone hormone, silica, treat women at risk of osteoporosis frac- iodine, zinc, chromium and magnesium tures, whatever their age and the severity are important players. Also, don’t forget to of the disease.” do regular weight-bearing exercises. Strontium is a natural component of Some experts now feel that whole bone — about 100 micrograms in every grains, which contain phytates, prevent abgram of bone — so supplementing en- sorption of minerals essential to bone hances more of what you already have (or health. Finally, you should know that had, in the case of osteoporosis). Stron- gluten, caffeine and carbonated beverages tium’s brothers include calcium and mag- are all associated with crumbling bones. nesium, which are all chemically similar. [WebMD.com warns that taking excessive In Europe, there are prescription drug ver- doses of strontium can actually weaken bones. sions called “Stronat” and “Protelos” because See DEAR PHARMACIST, page 15 they patented a unique salt called strontium

Sleep study From page 13 the wrist device to record activity levels, and complete electronic diaries to keep track of pain, sleep, medications and symptoms. This second phase of the study offers up to $530 compensation. Thus, total compen-

This full-time, inside sales position pays a base salary plus commissions and benefits. We’re looking for a hard-working, detail-oriented people person. Must be outgoing, love selling, be comfortable with computers, e-mail and contact management software (such as ACT!), and be willing to follow direction, complete required paperwork, and work from our office in Kensington, MD. Inside sales or telemarketing experience a plus. If you love the Beacon — and would be excited to call potential advertisers — send your resume and cover letter to Alan Spiegel, Director of Sales, at: alan@theBeaconNewspapers.com.

sation for completion of both phases is up to $745. In addition, those who complete both phases can earn up to another $125 for referring friends and family for study participation. To participate, call (410) 550-7906. More information is available under the “Research” section at www.sleeplessinbaltimore.com.

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Showing true love to your grandchildren Dear Solutions: different room while we’re there, but my I have a new son-in-law who has two husband says I’m just being stubborn children from a former marand I should trust her. riage. My daughter, who is a It’s not her I don’t trust, widow, also has two chilit’s the dog — especially dren a little younger than since she’s only had him a his. They, of course, are my week. What do you think? real grandchildren. — Not Sure My son-in-law’s children Dear Not Sure: have started to call my husI think you should be dogged band and me Grandma and in your refusal to go unless the Grandpa because they hear dog is restrained in some way. my real grandchildren callThis could be the world’s genSOLUTIONS ing me that. It makes me tlest dog, but it’s new to this By Helen Oxenberg, feel uncomfortable. It’s as if household, and no one knows MSW, ACSW all the children are the just how it will react to a house same. full of strangers. My husband, though, loves it. He Of course, you could spend the entire wants every child in the world to call time just holding on to your grandson so him Grandpa. I think he thinks it that he doesn’t inadvertently annoy the makes him seem like some great, vir- dog. But that wouldn’t be much fun for anyile something or other. How can I ask my son-in-law to tell his children not to call me Grandma but maybe by my first name or something? — Not Their Grandma Dear Not: What you call your “real” grandchildren are your biological grandchildren. Letting your son-in-law’s children into the grandma circle will not distance your biological grandchildren from you. This should not be a biology lesson, anyway, but a love lesson. Think of how much your grandchildren by marriage must like you if they want to see you as their grandma, and how lucky your daughter is to have a new family who all want to be close. By the way, it’s not “as if” all children are the same. All children are the same in the one ingredient they all need to grow and thrive — love. And that great husband of yours — wow! He sounds like the Pied Piper of grandpas. You don’t have to follow him, but you could march along with him. Dear Solutions: We’re invited to a party at my sisterin-law’s house. Our two-year-old grandson, who is staying with us, is also invited. My sister-in-law has just acquired a big dog. She assures me the dog is very gentle and that I don’t have to fear for my grandchild. I’m not so sure. My husband says his sister is very responsible and he trusts what she says. I want to ask her if she’ll keep the dog in a

one — not even for the dog. Dear Solutions: My friend has been having an affair with a married man for a year now. She says she doesn’t want any commitments and never wants to get married again. I can’t understand her attitude, and I just want to know what you think. He’s a very nice guy, but shouldn’t it bother her that he’s married? — Sue Dear Sue: If he’s such a nice guy, shouldn’t it bother him? Since she says she doesn’t want any commitments and she certainly has no moral conviction, his marriage is her salvation. What do I think? I agree with you, Sue. I think extramarital affairs are wrong. The other thing I think is that you and I should both stay out of it.

Dear Solutions: I’m married to a widower for just a year now. Lately he’s started talking a lot about his first wife. I’ve listened and have been sympathetic about the loss, but now I’m really getting annoyed. Actually, when we were dating he told me he didn’t have a good marriage. How can I get him to stop talking about her? — Annoyed Dear Annoyed: When he starts talking about his first wife, you start talking about your next husband. © Helen Oxenberg, 2012. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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Dear Pharmacist From page 14 It also advises caution for those with kidney problems or a history of blood clots.] 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. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

For more information or to sign-up, please visit CA’s Membership Service Center (10221 Wincopin Circle, Downtown Columbia on the Lakefront) any time Monday-Saturday from 10am-7pm or call 410-730-1802.

Offer is valid for CA Residents, ages 65+, and cannot be combined with any other special offer or discount. 20% discount applies to one-year Individual Facility, Outdoor Pool, Package Plan or Package Plan Plus memberships. 25% discount applies to multi-year Individual Facility, Package Plan or Package Plan Plus memberships. Discounts are valid on new memberships only. Additional fees and restrictions may apply for classes, indoor tennis courts and greens fees. Offer expires July 31, 2012.

J U L Y 2 0 1 2 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 2, N O. 7 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2012

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Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Markets are Open for Business

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A Message from the Administrator By Dayna Brown, Office on Aging Administrator

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you are enjoying the lazy hazy days of summer in Howard County. The past couple of months have been very busy ones here at the Office on Aging, so I am looking forward to spending some quality time on the golf course this summer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my idea of relaxation! If you see me on the course, I hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stop and say hello. I truly enjoyed meeting many of you at WomenFest last month in Glenwood. It was a wonderful mix of information and entertainment, made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, vendors and exhibitors and the dedicated efforts of staff and volunteers. Thank you one and all for your contributions! To bring you events like WomenFest and the 50+EXPO, Office on Aging staff spend countless hours coordinating vendors, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and screenings. Since itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer, we thought it would be nice to plan an event thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the fun, like Senior Day at the Howard County Fair on Tuesday, August 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; admission is free all day for those who are age 62 and older! Join us from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the 4-H Activities Building at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy live Caribbean music and plenty of free bingo with great prizes. While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, pick up some Office on Aging brochures and learn about our programs (we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist a little information sharing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we do!). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there, and I hope you will too! Enjoy your summer, and remember, if you need information and assistance, call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-5980 or email map@howardcountymd.gov.

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By Rona Martiyan, RD, MS, LDN, Office on Aging Nutritionist Nothing quite compares to a summer salad of sun-warmed, juicy red tomatoes topped with just-picked basil sprigs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; delicious! Fresh really is best, and lucky for us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readily available too, thanks to the scores of local farmers who bring their produce to sell at Howard Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets each week. When you visit the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets this summer, you may notice more â&#x20AC;&#x153;organicâ&#x20AC;? fruits and vegetables, and wonder what organic really means. In general, farmers who grow organic produce must raise crops without hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, irradiation, chemicals or sewer sludge fertilizer. The USDA certifies four levels of purity: â&#x20AC;&#x153;100% organic,â&#x20AC;? which contains 100% certified organic ingredients; â&#x20AC;&#x153;organic,â&#x20AC;? with 95% or more organic ingredients; â&#x20AC;&#x153;made with organic ingredients,â&#x20AC;? with at least 70% organic

ingredients; and â&#x20AC;&#x153;some organic ingredients,â&#x20AC;? with less than 70% organic ingredients. Only the first two can carry the USDA seal, but all must be labeled â&#x20AC;&#x153;certified organicâ&#x20AC;? and include the name of the certifying agent. Visit www.ams.usda.gov to learn more. It is important to note that â&#x20AC;&#x153;naturalâ&#x20AC;? is not the same thing as â&#x20AC;&#x153;organic.â&#x20AC;? Natural products are minimally processed without artificial ingredients or added color, but their growing standards are not regulated by the USDA. Only those foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic. A veritable bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs are waiting for you at Howard County farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets. Visit www.howardcountyfarmersmarkets.com to find a location near you. Your health will be better for it!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Living Well...Take Charge of Your Healthâ&#x20AC;? East Columbia Library

6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045

Wednesdays, July 25, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Learn techniques to cope with feelings of frustration, fatigue, pain and isolation often associated with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Also, learn exercises to maintain and improve strength, flexibility and endurance, as well as how to communicate more effectively with family, friends and health professionals. The class and accompanying materials cost $28. If you are interested, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 410-313-5980. 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. Howard County Office on Aging 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 | www.howardcountyaging.org www.Facebook.com/HoCoCitizen Dayna Brown, Administrator Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging or by the publisher.

Coming Events

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

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The Senior Connection

Monday, July 2, 1 to 2 p.m. – 4th of July Ice Cream Social, Longwood Senior Center Join us for an Independence Day Celebration featuring a make-your-own sundae bar. Enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing with friends. Cost $1. Call 410-313-7217 for details.

Tuesday, July 3, 11 a.m. – 4th of July Celebration, Ellicott City Senior Center Join us for a picnic lunch to celebrate Independence Day featuring a sing-a-long accompanied by Alan Schwartz and lots more fun! Cost: Super Special lunch donation; sign up at the ECSC Front Desk. For details, call 410-313-1400.

Every other Friday, July 6 to September 21, 10 a.m. to noon – The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works, The Bain Center Senior Entertainment & Arts presents “The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works,” a lecture series by Professor Robert Greenberg, which fosters an understanding of the orchestral medium. Free; call 443-542-9452 to sign up.

Mondays, July 9 to 30, 1 to 3 p.m. – Creative Writing Mini Workshop, East Columbia 50+ Center Fire up your creative senses and heat up your summer writing in a series of workshops by the ever popular Shana Johnson. Cost: $60/four-week session. Call 410-313-7680 to register. Tuesday, July 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Omega Psi Phi’s Annual ‘Connecting with the Community’ Party, The Bain Center Stop by and meet the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Enjoy live music, entertainment, and enter to win great door prizes. Lunch is available for a suggested lunch donation. Call 410-3137213 to reserve your seat. Wednesday, July 11, 10 a.m. to noon – Genealogy with Bill Amos: Land Deeds, Ellicott City Senior Center Land deeds yield interesting information that may not or cannot be found in other sources. In some cases, land deeds may be the only records that still exist. Free; call 410-313-1400 for details.

Wednesday, July 11, 7 p.m. – Pets on Wheels Evaluations, The Bain Center Pets on Wheels needs a few good pet volunteer teams! If you have a friendly, social pet consider joining us — it’s fun and rewarding. To schedule an evaluation or find out more, contact Ingrid Gleysteen, 410-313-7461 or igleysteen@howardcountymd.gov.

Thursday & Friday, July 12, 13 all day – Food, Fun & Fiction, Glenwood 50+ Center Don’t miss our book and bake sale — great books at great prices! Book donations are now being accepted; we also need volunteers to bake cookies or brownies for the bake sale (sign up at the front desk). For more info, call 410-313-5440.

Thursday, July, 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Rummage Sale, Longwood Senior Center Sale features books, household items, jewelry, clothes, and much more! Cool refreshments provided. Call 410-313-7217 for details.

Thursday, July 12, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Summer Craft Show, East Columbia 50+ Center Crafters from our Sew Who Cares group will show you how to make a trellis necklace (small fee applies). Shop the outdoor market, then cool down with an iced drink and a slice of pizza. Call 410-313-7684 to register.

Friday, July 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Crab Cake Lunch & Fundraiser, Glenwood 50+ Center We’re making crab cakes to raise funds for the center! Homemade crab cakes and sides will be available for takeout or eat in. Cost: $14; sign up at the front desk to reserve yours. For more info, call 410-313-5440.

Monday, July 16, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – AARP Driver Safety Program, Elkridge Senior Center Drivers age 50+ will learn safety strategies and tips to help them adapt to physical and mental changes related to aging. Many insurance companies offer a discount after you complete this class! Cost: $12; call 410-313-5192 to register.

Tuesday, July 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Libretto & Lunch, The Bain Center Tom Glenn, DPA presents the greatest of all Russian operas, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Often called the Russian Macbeth, Boris is an epic masterpiece. Cost: $13; call 410-313-7213 for details or to register. Wednesday, July 18, 10:30 a.m. – Juggling School, East Columbia 50+ Center Juggling can improve hand-eye coordination, peripheral vision, depth perception, and neuromuscular balance. Impress your friends and family with your new talent! Cost: $15

Thursday, July 19, 1 p.m. – Tea Party, Ellicott City Senior Center Don’t miss a special History Alive performance by Mary Ann Jung as “Good Queen Bess.” Learn about the popular foods and pastimes of the era, then enjoy a tea by “Tea Lady” Rosemary Glusick. Cost $20; sign up at the front desk. Reserve your seat early; for details, call 410-313-1400.

Friday, July 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Bone Density Screenings, Elkridge Senior Center Protect yourself from debilitating bone loss with a free bone density screening. For appointments, call 410-313-5192.

Tuesday, August 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Safety Awareness Day, Ellicott City Senior Center Save to date to learn the latest safety initiatives from the Howard County Police Department, Fire & Rescue Services, and the Office of Consumer Affairs. Watch for more details in the August issue, or call 410-313-1400.

Friday, October 19, 2012 • 9 am - 4 pm Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD

Over 140 Exhibitors • Educational Seminars • Food & Refreshments Health Fair • Flu Shots • Life-Enriching Workshops Living Green Vendors • All Day Entertainment The Capitol Steps return for the 2012 Presidential Election Year!

Always STRESS-FREE Parking: FREE Courtesy Shuttle from The Mall in Columbia!

WHERE THE MANY FACES OF 50+ MEET! For corporate sponsorship information, please contact: LISA MADERA, EVENT COORDINATOR phone: 410.313.5990 • email: lmadera@howardcountymd.gov For general event information, contact us at 410-313-6410 or www.howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo

Riding High with your Feet on the Ground!

SENIOR DAY AT THE FAIR Howard County Fair 2012 FREE ADMISSION for ADULTS 62+ Tuesday, August 7 • 10 am - 3 pm VISIT THE ACTIVITIES BUILDING FOR FUN THINGS TO DO... Healthy Aging Programs Entertainment & Exhibits Bingo, Games & Prizes Great Information Demonstrations

DON’T MISS SENIOR DAY AT THE FAIR!

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Money Law &

LOOMING BENEFIT CUTS Social Security and Medicare are hurtling toward insolvency faster than previously projected, though it’s not too late to avoid future benefit cuts PAYING FOR HOME CARE Depending on what type of care is needed in the home, Medicare and Medicaid may pay, but often the cost is out of pocket

American landmarks you can invest in By Jeffrey R. Kosnett The owners of the Empire State Building are creating a real estate investment trust that will own the crown of Manhattan’s skyline. If you buy into Empire State Realty Trust (symbol ESB), which is due to begin trading later this year on the New York Stock Exchange, you’ll own a piece of what is arguably the world’s most famous office tower. We wondered what other landmarks you could own through REITs or regular stocks, and it turns out there are a bunch. We identify three more investor-owned landmarks worth considering. For a longer list, visit http://kiplinger.com/links/landmarks.

Churchill Downs Own it by investing in: Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN) Price: $59 Yield: 1.0 percent

The company owns the namesake racetrack that has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875. Churchill Downs is the cornerstone of a gambling and racing mini empire that includes tracks in Chicago, Miami and New Orleans, a casino in Mississippi, and slot machines in Florida and Louisiana. The stock doesn’t keep pace with the faster horses, but the Churchill Downs company did just raise its annual dividend by 20 percent, to 60 cents per share. The company is trying to persuade the state of Kentucky to let it install a casino at its hometown horse track, which might turn a buck or two given that 150,000 people show up every May for the Derby. Churchill Downs has already installed slot machines at its tracks in Florida and Louisiana.

Disney World and Disneyland Own them by investing in: Walt Disney

Co. (DIS) Price: $43 Yield: 1.4 percent The smiling visitors to Disney theme parks can get additional satisfaction by buying a piece of the whole enterprise, instead of just sweatshirts and stuffed animals. Helped by films and other brands, such as ABC and ESPN, Disney generates solid long-term growth and lately has been raising its dividends sharply — the payout jumped 50 percent this year. (Disney, incidentally, pays dividends only once a year.) Plus, the company has relatively little debt.

Madison Square Garden Symbol: MSG Price: $35 Yield: 0 percent

The home of the New York Knicks and Rangers hasn’t been on Madison Square since 1925, but the name clings to the world’s most famous arena (the fourth structure with the name). The present Garden, located above Pennsylvania Station, is 44 years old and about to undergo major renovations. The arena is best known for basketball and hockey, but it also has a monumental history of concerts, boxing matches and political conventions. Madison Square Garden (the company) owns the Knicks and Rangers, and it operates Radio City Music Hall as well. Jeffrey R. Kosnett is a senior editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. For more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Are European stocks a bargain today? By Matthew Craft It often pays to zig when everybody else zags. If you were brave enough to put cash into the stock market three years ago — and very few small investors were — you’ve doubled your money. European stocks have lost about 15 percent since mid-March. Renewed worries about the region’s long-running debt crisis have rattled markets. So it might look like a chance to buy cheap. The trouble, money managers say, is that nobody knows when the crisis there will end. Most of them predict it will get worse, perhaps far worse, before it gets better. “You can’t pick the bottom,’’ said Martin Jansen, lead manager for international equities at ING Investment Management U.S. “And if things get worse in Europe, today’s cheap won’t look so cheap anymore.’’ To hear Jansen and other money managers tell it, a rule for shopping applies for investing: Not everything that goes on sale is a bargain. If Greece drops out of the 17-country euro currency group this year, as analysts worry it will, it could spread havoc throughout the financial system. And Europe’s underlying problems — slumping economies, deep debt burdens and ever-rising interest rates — could take years to fix.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to sell everything connected to Europe. The best approach, fund managers say, is to divide the continent into struggling countries and stronger ones. Investors who take this approach keep clear of Greek banks but favor German giants. All European markets could get hammered in a panic, but stocks in the stronger countries stand a better chance of bouncing back months, or maybe years, later. “Put it this way: Are European markets a screaming buy?’’ Jansen said. “No, right now it’s time to be cautious, time to be selective.’’ Some questions and answers: Q: Which European countries are in better shape? Among the 17 countries that use the euro currency, Germany is an outlier. It has the largest economy in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world. But it’s not just Germany’s size that sets it apart. Key measures of the German economy make it look as if the country broke away from the continent. Unemployment across the euro countries has hit 10.9 percent, with Spain and Greece above 20 percent. Eight of them are in recession. Borrowing costs for deeply indebted countries hover near what economists consider unsustainable levels.

Spain and Italy have to pay slightly less than 6 percent to borrow for 10 years. By contrast, Germany’s unemployment rate is 6.8 percent. Economists expect the economy to expand nearly 1 percent this year. And Germany is a bond-market darling, borrowing for 10 years at just 1.5 percent. Q: But companies in Germany sell to customers in Portugal, Spain and other shrinking economies. Isn’t everyone on the same troubled ship here? German companies do depend on customers elsewhere in Europe. That’s why the next step for bargain-hunters is to find those companies in stable European countries that cater to customers in faster-growing markets across Asia and Africa or even the U.S. For some money managers, German car makers fit the bill. Volkswagen, for instance, sold a record 8 million cars last year, vaulting to the No. 2 spot worldwide, behind General Motors. Adidas, with its far-reaching customer base, sells nearly a quarter of its shoes and clothes to the U.S. and Canada, and another 10 percent each go to Latin America and China. Q: So the idea is that you buy and hold till things clear up. When will that be?

By the looks of it, not anytime soon. An informal poll of five money managers yielded results from “I wouldn’t try to guess’’ to “Who knows?’’ Jansen of ING said that the crisis could go on for 10 years. Q: I’m not invested in Europe. Why should I care? Not so. It’s safe to say that if you own a stock fund, you’re exposed to Europe. One vehicle of choice for 401(k) investors is the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a collection of large, publicly traded U.S. corporations. S&P estimates that the 500 companies in the index get 14 percent of their revenue from Europe. Overall, nearly half of revenue comes from abroad. Some well-known U.S. companies lean heavily on Europe, according to data from Howard Silverblatt, S&P’s senior index analyst. McDonald’s and Kraft Foods get roughly a third of their revenue from Europe. For healthcare behemoths Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, the region counts for a quarter. Q: So what’s the lesson there? I’m not supposed to sell my S&P fund, right? That’s the bad news about the troubled ship of Europe: We’re on it, too. — AP

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You may already own shares of Facebook By Mark Jewell Ask people what they think about Facebook, the world’s largest online social network, and you’re likely to hear everything from “It’s a terrific way to connect with friends and family,” to “It’s a colossal drain on time and productivity,” and more recently, “It’s a big investment opportunity.” Facebook stock began trading publicly in May in one of the largest IPOs (initial public offerings) ever. While the high expectations of its underwriters were not exactly met (and several lawsuits are now proceeding in connection with it), Facebook and its early shareholders sold more than 400 million shares that first day. Market pros and average investors alike are still sizing up the company’s strengths and weaknesses. The key question: Can Facebook parlay its vast legions of users into huge profits, as Google did following its 2004 initial public offering?

Many mutual funds hold stock While May’s IPO was the first opportunity for ordinary members of the public to buy Facebook shares, dozens of investment funds had acquired private shares of Facebook over the past 18 months. More than 30 Fidelity Investments mutual funds recently owned private Facebook shares, including Fidelity’s largest stock fund, Contrafund (FCNTX). But Facebook made up just 0.1 percent of that $84 billion fund’s portfolio at the end of March, and other Fidelity funds holding Facebook had similarly small investments. Another big fund company, T. Rowe Price, recently reported that 19 of its funds owned private Facebook shares, in nearly all instances making up less than 1 percent of each portfolio. Morgan Stanley has also been active. Its $1.7 billion Focus Growth Fund (AMOAX) recently held 3.6 percent of its portfolio in Facebook shares. Funds from smaller companies had purchased Facebook stock on secondary markets that are off-limits to average investors. Below are comments from interviews

(held prior to the IPO) with managers of two such funds: Chris Brown of Pax World Balanced (PAXWX) and Thomas Vandeventer of Tocqueville Opportunity (TOPPX). They discuss prospects for the stock:

Huge potential for rewards Facebook’s potential is undeniable because the site has more than 900 million users. There are huge profit opportunities for Facebook and its investors from advertising revenue. Brown believes much of that is still untapped. He sees a big opportunity if Facebook can generate earnings from highlytargeted ads tailored to appeal to specific Facebook users based on their interests. “Right now, the ads [on Facebook] are more about building brand awareness,” Brown said. “But if advertisers could specifically target a certain demographic, by age group or gender for example, that’s where the profit margins would be very beneficial.” Vandeventer is cautious about the shortterm outlook, but optimistic in the longrun. It’s still a pretty young company, and we don’t really know how it will find a way to significantly increase the income it generates from online services, he said. But he adds that Facebook has attracted half of all current Internet users on Earth, “so it’s a huge opportunity for a profitable business model.” “It is not that different than if you had invested in Google back in 2004, or even LinkedIn a year ago,” he said. In both cases, the companies went public as their income-generating potential was still unclear. Yet each has proved itself. Google’s shares debuted around at $100 apiece, and today trade at around $592. LinkedIn shares opened at $45 last May, and now trade at around $99.

Yet risks abound Despite its vast user base, Facebook isn’t yet generating a huge amount of revenue by Wall Street standards. Although first-quarter revenue grew 45 percent from

a year earlier to $1.06 billion, it declined 6 percent from the fourth quarter. “They may have to spend more money to grow this business, and that could put pressure on profit margins,” Brown said. Other key challenges include attracting more users who access Facebook from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and generating mobile ad revenue. Most Facebook users are on personal computers, and Brown believes Facebook is lagging somewhat in the faster-growing mobile space. Mobile applications could be a good growth driver, but could also be a challenge for them, Brown said. Another key issue is whether Facebook can someday expand into China. It’s shut out now. China’s government blocked Facebook as well as Twitter after the social media services were instrumental in antigovernment protests in Iran two years ago. However, Vandeventer still sees plenty of opportunity to grow globally. Facebook

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Don’t Let Nursing Home Costs Take Every Dime You’ve Worked For. Medical Assistance Planning and Eligibility

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July 7

has penetrated only 60 percent of the U.S. market, he said. “Then there’s India, Brazil and so on. There is still plenty of potential growth.” Facebook has established its user base, and increasingly its prospects depend on execution. Vandeventer believes Facebook’s executives are capable of building a hugely profitable business, although founder Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a typical CEO. Just before the IPO, the 28-year-old Zuckerberg showed up at meetings with prospective investors wearing a hoodie, a staple of his wardrobe. Vandeventer attended such a meeting in New York City, and he’s comfortable with the executive team’s youthful vibe. “Who cares what Mark Zuckerberg wears to his meetings? I don’t,” he said. “What I care about is that he executes. The team that I saw has a pretty firm grasp of what’s going on.” —AP

Advance Medical Directives / Living Wills

YARD SALE FOR ALZHEIMER’S GROUP

Somerford Place is holding a yard sale extravaganza to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association on Saturday, July 7 from 8 a.m. to noon at Somerford Place, 8220 Snowden River Pkwy., Columbia. Shop or sell — table space is available for $10. Call (410) 313-9744 to reserve a spot.

Trusts / Estate Planning Administration Wills / Powers of Attorney

July 14

ALL ABOARD! Disability Planning / Special Needs Trusts

Howard County Recreation & Parks is sponsoring a bus trip to Lancaster, Pa. for a 45-minute ride in an elegantly restored dining car on a train powered by a steam locomotive on Saturday, July 14. The tour bus departs at 9 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m., with lunch provided. Fee is $83. To register or for more information, call (410) 313-7279 or (410) 313-7275.

Ongoing

KNIT AND CROCHET FOR OTHERS

Join volunteers creating afghans, blankets, baby wear and more for local charities, hospitals and senior centers on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Kiwanis Wallas Hall, 3300 Norbert’s Way, Ellicott City. For more information, call (410) 313-4682.

Guardianship

Frank, Frank

& Scherr, LLC

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

Cuts to Social Security and Medicare loom By Stephen Ohlemacher and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Social Security is rushing even faster toward insolvency, driven by retiring baby boomers, a weak economy and politicians’ reluctance to take painful action to fix the huge retirement and disability program. The trust funds that support Social Security will run dry in 2033 — three years earlier than previously projected — the government said in late April. There was no change in the year that Medicare’s hospital insurance fund is projected to run out of money. It’s still 2024. The program’s trustees, however, said the pace of Medicare spending continues to accelerate. Congress enacted a 2 percent cut for Medicare last year, and that is the main reason the trust fund exhaustion date did not advance. The trustees who oversee both programs say high energy prices are sup-

pressing workers’ wages, a trend they see continuing. They also expect people to work fewer hours than previously projected, even after the economy recovers. Both trends would lead to lower payroll tax receipts, which support both programs.

Both programs face insolvency Unless Congress acts — and forcefully — payments to millions of Americans could be cut. If the Social Security and Medicare funds ever become exhausted, the nation’s two biggest benefit programs would collect only enough money in payroll taxes to pay partial benefits. Social Security could cover about 75 percent of benefits, the trustees said in their annual report. Medicare’s giant hospital fund could pay 87 percent of costs. “Lawmakers should not delay addressing the long-run financial challenges facing

“The last thing I want to do is talk about cemetery property, especially my own. However… I will if I can talk with someone I trust who simply gives me the facts.”

Here’s the Facts

Social Security and Medicare,” the trustees wrote. “If they take action sooner rather than later, more options and more time will be available to phase in changes so that the public has adequate time to prepare.” The trustees project that Social Security benefits will increase next year, though the increase could be small. They project a cost-of-living-adjustment, or COLA, of 1.8 percent for 2013; the actual amount won’t be known until October. Beneficiaries got a 3.6 percent increase this year, the first after two years without one. America’s aging population — increased by millions of retiring baby boomers — is straining both Social Security and Medicare. Potential options to reduce Social Security costs include raising the full retirement age, which already is being gradually increased to 67, reducing annual benefit increases, and limiting benefits for wealthier Americans. Policymakers could also increase the amount of wages that are subject to Social Security taxes. Social Security is financed by a 6.2 percent tax on the first $110,100 in workers’ wages. It is paid by both employers and workers. Also affecting Social Security coffers is the fact that Congress temporarily re-

duced the tax on workers to 4.2 percent for 2011 and 2012. The government has increased its borrowing to keep the program’s finances on track.

Medicare cuts threaten providers Medicare is even trickier to address because it has to contend with healthcare inflation, not just an aging population. Options include raising the eligibility age, cutting payments to service providers, shifting more costs to beneficiaries, or even privatizing the program. President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law is supposed to trim Medicare expenses by $500 billion, extending the life of the program. But some independent experts doubt the full savings will materialize, and even the administration concedes more cuts are needed. Furthermore, alternative cost projections prepared by the trustees’ technical experts suggest the Medicare cuts in the healthcare law would be unsustainable, driving payment rates so low that 15 percent of hospitals, nursing homes and home health providers would be in the red by 2019. The trustees conceded that their own See MEDICARE CUTS, page 21

$7,750 Average Price of Funeral – January 2010 (based on NFDA questionnaire)

$16,981 Average Price of Funeral in 2030 (based on 4% annual price increase)

For assistance with your pre-planning needs call Kathy Clark, Family Service Coordinator 2150 Mount View Road Marriottsville, Maryland 21104

(410) 442-5700

Who pays for the cost of home care? Depending on what type of care is needed in the home, benefits programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid, may pay for services. But often care must be paid for out of pocket by those receiving care. These questions and answers provide more details on paying for home care. Q. What is the current cost for home care? A. The cost depends on a number of factors, including where you live and the type of care you need. Based on the 2011 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services and Home Care Costs, the average cost in Maryland of either a home health aide from an agency or homemaker averages $20 per hour. Because agency rates can vary, it is best to call multiple agencies and get quotes regarding billing and rate structures, such as hourly or shift rates or minimum hourly requirements. Q. Is there a minimum charge per visit? A. Ask the agencies whether they provide a set fee per visit for a specific care task, such as a bath visit. A regular visit might require a four-hour minimum, but the agency may also provide bath visits. These typically last from 45 minutes to 2 hours and might include bathing, dressing and routine daily and personal care for a set fee. Q. Does private insurance cover home care?

A. Health insurance and managed care organizations will pay for certain home care services, but this varies from plan to plan. Services usually need to be medically necessary or skilled, sometimes need pre-approval, and may or may not cover general personal care. Q. Does Medicare pay for home care? A. Yes, however the care being provided must be skilled and intermittent, and the individual must be homebound while receiving services under a plan of care ordered by a physician. The services must be provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency. If the person meets all of these criteria, Medicare will pay for home healthcare services and 80 percent of pre-approved durable medical equipment needs. The home health aides who provide care under Medicare need to have specialized training to provide Medicare home care services. Q. Does Medicaid cover home care costs? A. Medicaid, a joint federal-state assistance program for low-income individuals, covers medically necessary care, long-term care, and some other personal and homemaking care at home depending on the situation. Each state has individual requirements. Check with your local Medicaid office. Q. Do veterans receive home care benefits? See HOME CARE COSTS, page 21

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

Medicare cuts From page 20 Medicare projections could be too rosy. Based on current law, they assume cuts in payments to doctors that Congress routinely waives will actually take place. They also assume the healthcare law will squeeze the full amount of its cuts from the program.

Home care costs From page 20 A. Some veterans may be eligible to apply for benefits called the Aid and Attendance (A&A) Special Pension. Veterans and surviving spouses who require assistance with eating, bathing, dressing or toileting, and who are eligible both medically and financially, can apply for this special assistance. Q. Are there other organizations that will help defray costs? A. Local chapters of organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis Society, or Alzheimer’s Association may sometimes assist with funding for home care services. Some local Area Agencies on Aging may provide funding for respite services to support family caregivers. BenefitsCheckUp.org is a free online resource developed by the National Council on Aging that can help you find federal, state, local and private programs that help pay for a variety of services at home. Q. What does long-term care insurance cover? A. Long-term care insurance is privatepay insurance that can assist in reimbursement for home care costs if an individual meets the eligibility criteria in the policy. The insurance must be purchased before the care is needed, for example, before long-term care becomes necessary.

“Medicare’s actual future costs are highly uncertain and are likely to exceed those shown ...in this report,” the trustees said. Republicans, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are proposing to overhaul Medicare by converting it into a system that mainly relies on private health insurance plans to cover future retirees. Beneficiaries would get a fixed payment from the government, with low-income

seniors in poor health receiving more. Obama says he wants to preserve the existing program and its federally guaranteed benefits. But in negotiations with congressional Republicans last year, he went further than most Democrats by signaling he was willing to raise the eligibility age by two years to 67. He’s also willing to limit future increases in Medicare spending, a policy that prompts serious misgivings

from groups such as AARP. The trustees who oversee the programs are Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. There are also two public trustees, Charles Blahous and Robert Reischauer. — AP

There are many different plans and it is always prudent to check with your carrier regarding eligibility criteria, deductibles and reimbursement. Q: What can I do to prepare for having a caregiver in the home? A. Here are some items that should be reviewed with caregivers when they begin their employment: In a notebook placed next to the phone, list the name of current doctors, pharmacies, local hospital, cell phone and work numbers for close family members, and the name, address and phone number of a neighbor or friend. In the notebook, include a local street map and write down the phone number, street address and directions to your home. Note the location of your home’s water shut off, breaker boxes, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in the notebook and acquaint the caregiver with their locations. Some items to remember as an employer are: Protect all valuables by moving them to less conspicuous places or placing them in a safe. Make an inventory list with pictures and dates for future reference. Be sure that payroll records, which include Social Security and other taxes, are kept current and accurate. You may want to consult your attorney or tax adviser for payroll requirements. If you are a family caregiver, be prepared

to make unannounced and unexpected visits to the home when the caregiver is there. Watch for any signs of abuse or neglect, and take action immediately. All the checklists, interviews, and resumés you can gather cannot ensure safe, quality care. Personal references from other caregivers and your own instincts are ultimately the best indicators of the ap-

propriate person for you. Even so, once the caregiver is in your home, it may take some time before you are able to determine whether the caregiver meets your needs, and you may have to hire a number of people before you find the perfect fit. Excerpted from “Receiving Care at Home” by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

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We want to be your Family’s Pharmacy That’s why we give you more. Our pharmacists are at the heart of everything we do. They can counsel you on your medications, side effects, drug interactions... even vitamins. We give you more than your medications; we’ll give you the advice you need. Plus a series of pharmacy benefits like no other drugstore.

LifeCheck

When we fill your prescription, our LifeCheck computer system lets our pharmacists triple check your prescriptions.*

Satellite Link

Since all of our Pharmacies are linked by satellite network, we can access your prescription profile and fill your prescription at any location.* *If on file at another Rite Aid store.

Refills By Phone

Internet Refills

Refills just got easier. Call the Pharmacy number on your prescription bottle, enter the prescription I.D. number printed on the label and we will tell you when it will be ready.

With Internet Refills, you can order your prescription without ever leaving the house. Just go to www.riteaid.com and click “Refill Now”, select Store Pick-up or Mail Delivery and simply enter prescription information.

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With every prescription, you will receive written information on the dosage, side effects and potential drug interaction.

Only Rite Aid pharmacists are specially trained to know vitamins. Ask your Rite Aid pharmacist for a personal vitamin profile.

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“Being injured on the job is hard enough. Your Rite Aid Pharmacist is here to personally help you along your road to recovery.” Ask us about our Workers’ Compensation Prescription Program. There are no hassles, no delays and no out-ofpocket expenses.

We make children’s medicines a lot less yucky. Ask the pharmacist to add any of our 20 great flavors to any of your liquid medications.

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Travel

Leisure &

Which city passes give you the most for your money in New York and Paris? See story on page 25.

Southeastern Wyoming’s wilds and wiles Home on the range The southeastern corner of Wyoming offers many adventures to satiate your inner cowboy, cowgirl and explorer. It’s a good place to come to experience the nation’s Old West heritage. Varying from 6 to 12,000 feet, Southeastern Wyoming is shortgrass prairie and high plains, home to some of the finest ranch land in the U.S., say locals. Summer days are “absolutely exquisite,” touts local real estate agent Caitlin Murphy. Why visit the area? Mike Scott, manager of Laramie’s Grand Newsstand, brags that southeastern Wyoming is one of the few places on Earth where you can see more antelope than people. And the area offers a range of ranching adventures. Mary Mountain, executive director at the Ivinson Mansion told me, “Branding cattle is still an annual spring event, and the mama cows still bawl when their calves are branded.” Traveling with your horse? Laramie has the Cowgirl Horse Hotel for people needing an overnight stall for their equine companion. This corner of Wyoming has seen hardy pioneers, the Union Pacific Railroad, cattle drives, sod busters and the Lincoln Highway come through. Today, Cheyenne and Laramie offer western town experiences with outdoor opportunities in every direction.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARAMIE AREA VISITOR CENTER

By Glenda C. Booth It’s wild, stubborn, dry, harsh and grand. Nicknamed “the Cowboy State,” Wyoming has pioneer trails, gritty towns, ancient fossils, windswept prairies, broad mesas and majestic mountain peaks. As Governor Dave Freudenthal says, “People don’t visit Wyoming to go to the opera.” With only 500,000 residents, it’s a place to savor solitude, study streaky sunsets, sniff the sagebrush and, yes, watch the antelope play. It’s easy to spot their upended white rumps as they graze near the highways. The state symbol, the bucking bronco, is everywhere, and little girls aspire to be rodeo queens. Wyoming’s license plate features the silhouette of a world champion horse, Steamboat, “the horse who wouldn’t be rode” — fiery, free and determined. The weather can be challenging too, at least to visitors. Wimps might say that Wyoming has only four good months of weather — May through August. But the University of Wyoming’s Anthropology Museum boasts that people there “have been thriving through frigid winters and hot summers for 13,000 years.” Under big skies and billowing clouds, the wind never seems to stop, stirring up dust and sagebrush scraps and, in winter, shifting snow in all directions. Wind power advocates say that southeastern Wyoming has some of the most consistent wind in the U.S.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARAMIE AREA VISITOR CENTER

A freight train pulls into downtown Laramie, Wyo. The frontier town is home to Wyoming’s only public university, as well as the Wyoming Territorial Prison, where Butch Cassidy was once incarcerated.

Rocky outcroppings punctuate the landscape of southeastern Wyoming, including this area in Albany County outside of Laramie.

Cheyenne’s millionaire cowboys Cheyenne, the state capital and the state’s largest city (56,000 people), hosts the biggest outdoor rodeo in the world, the annual, 10-day Frontier Days in late July (www.cfdrodeo.com). Started in 1897, at this “Daddy of ‘em All,” you’ll see plenty of Wild West swagger as 10,000 gutsy contestants ride bulls, wrestle steers, rope calves, race barrels and compete in a wild horse race, vying for a million-dollar purse. There’s music, western arts and crafts, and Native American dancing. Start your Cheyenne tour at the visitors’ center, 121 West 15th St., in the block-long Union Pacific Railroad Depot, a national historic landmark. The State Museum documents Wyoming’s history, with displays on prehistoric creatures, wildlife and mining. No city tour would be complete without a visit to the gold-domed capitol, a Corinthian-style building of local stone completed in 1890 when Wyoming was still a territory. Don’t miss the 1,000-pound Tiffany chandelier. The message of the Cowgirl of the West Museum is that women also helped tame the West. Locals like to boast that Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, allow women to hold public office and serve on juries. Cheyenne’s Botanic Gardens offer a ver-

dant respite amid the annuals, perennials, roses and cacti. Twenty miles west on I-80, stop by Buford, population one, a town in the news this spring. Advertised as the smallest town in the U.S., it was sold at auction for $900,000 on April 5 to Pnam Dinh Nguyen from Vietnam. Perched at 8,000 feet, the town consists of 10 acres, some outdoor post office boxes, a gas station and convenience store, a 1905 schoolhouse, a cabin, a garage and a three-bedroom house. The new owner said he would sell items made in Vietnam from Buford, according to the Huffington Post. Another few miles west, amble through the otherworldly Veedauwoo rock formations, 1.4 billion years old. The more you stare at the boulders, some precariously perched, the more imaginary creatures and objects you’ll spy — maybe a seal, a turtle or a loaf of bread.

Laramie Fifty miles west of Cheyenne is Laramie, another frontier town that meshes the western imagery of horse trailers, pickup trucks and cowboy bars with the academics and culture of the University of See WYOMING, page 24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Wyoming From page 23 Wyoming, the state’s only public university. Named after fur trapper Jacque La Ramee, some of its first arrivals were a rowdy bunch of gamblers, land speculators and prostitutes, so rambunctious that the first mayor declared the town “ungovernable.”

At the visitors’ center, 210 East Custer St., you can get tourist brochures, including one for a self-guided walking tour. Downtown is lined with authentic frontier architecture, some buildings 150 years old. Kick back in the Buckhorn Bar, 114 Ivinson St., the oldest Laramie saloon, dating to 1890. This joint does not sell food, but you can see the bullet hole in the mirror from a 1971 shootout, the goal of which was the de-

BEACON BITS

July 18

MUSICAL AND BUFFET IN PA.

July 24

CRAB FEAST

A grandchild-friendly trip to Allenberry in Boiling Springs, Pa. includes a buffet and afternoon performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music on Wednesday, July 18, leaving at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $97; children should be 10 years of age or older. To register or for more information on this Parks & Recreation trip, call (410) 313-7279.

Join Recreation & Parks’ annual bus tour to the Fisherman’s Village Crab Deck in Grasonville, Md., for an all-you-can-eat crab feast on Tuesday, July 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $69. For more information or to register, call (410) 313-7279 or (410) 313-7275.

Ongoing

NEEDLING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY

Improve your knitting, crocheting and sewing skills while working on special projects for the community. This dedicated group meets every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the East Columbia 50+ Center, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. For more information, call (410) 725-3044.

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

mise of the bartender. Result: unsuccessful. As you sip your Snake River beer, check out the taxidermied deer, elk, buffalo, a miniature Hereford and a two-headed horse on the walls. The university offers an art museum with more than 7,000 objects, as well as the Geological Museum, home to fossils millions of years old — some of the best in the U.S. You can study skeletons of more than 50 species of prehistoric dinosaurs from the area, like T. rex and flying dinosaurs. “Big Al” Allosaurus, from 150 million years ago, is the state’s Jurassic giant. You’ll learn that Wyoming once had camels, rhinoceroses and crocodiles. The Anthropology Building’s museum has exhibits on rock shelters (500 were found in Wyoming), Paleo-Indians, bison hunting, and the Human Odyssey from the heart of Africa to the ends of the Earth. A must-see is the Victorian Ivinson Mansion for a glimpse at how the rich lived in the late 19th century. There’s an elk-foot stool, 19 pieces of furniture carved by prisoners, and a bathtub and shower purchased at the 1893 Chicago Exposition. The third-floor Laramie Plains Museum showcases 52 types of barbed wire, cook stoves, and ranching paraphernalia. You can compare a lamb incubator with a baby incubator, which parents could borrow from the hospital to help infants survive at home. There are sheep-castrating and shearing tools, and a cabin for overnighting with cattle out on the range. Beef up on frontier justice and Wild West scofflaws at the Wyoming Territorial Prison, 1872-1903. Butch Cassidy, a horse thief who dynamited trains, was its most famous inmate. Around 1,000 male and 12 female outlaws served time there for crimes such as forgery, stealing, arson, murder, stage coach robbery and cattle rustling. On the self-

guided tour, you can view cells and learn how prisoners made 270 brooms a day.

Get outdoors Outdoor Wyoming is the state’s main attraction, most locals would say. Wyoming claims 800 species of wildlife and seven of North America’s greatest big game animals: bighorn sheep, moose, elk, whitetailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and black bears. Head to the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains for hiking and worldclass fishing in clear, trout-laden lakes. At high elevations, you might see snow during the summer. Venture out to Medicine Bow Peak at 12,000 feet for hiking trails, sparkling streams, glacial lakes and spectacular mountain scenery. For a night on the range, bed down to the lullaby of the Little Laramie River at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch (www.veebar.com, 1-800483-3227), 20 miles west of Laramie. Rates start at $150 per night for a cabin and breakfast. Try the trail rides, fishing, ranch grub and the soothing hot tub.

If you go The least expensive way to visit southeastern Wyoming is to fly into Denver International Airport and drive a rental car two hours north. The least expensive flights in mid-July from area airports cost $360 roundtrip on American or Frontier from BWI and Reagan National. If you want to fly to Cheyenne, Frontier is offering an $655 roundtrip ticket from Baltimore-Washington Airport in July. To find lodging, restaurants and other sites, try these websites: www.wyomingtourism.org, www.cheyenne.org, www.VisitLaramie.org, www.laramiemainstreet.org, and www.wyomingoutdoorsradio.com. Glenda C. Booth is a freelance writer living in Alexandria, Va.

BEACON BITS

July 4

FIREWORKS ON THE FOURTH The Howard County Government, with support from the Columbia

Association, presents a family friendly fireworks extravaganza along the Columbia Lakefront. Entertainment includes live bands and a variety of children’s activities. Blankets, chairs and picnics are welcome; food is for sale on site. The event will be from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4. Rain date for fireworks only is July 5. For more information, see www.howardcountymd.gov/july4th.htm.

July 12+

GLENWOOD FUNDRAISER The Glenwood Senior Center will hold a fundraiser featuring baked goods and a used book sale all day on Thursday, July 12 and

Friday, July 13 to raise funds for the Kindred Spirits program, a social club for early memory loss. On Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the center will serve a crab cake lunch for $14 per person. The center is located at 2400 Rte. 97, Cooksville. For more information, call (410) 313-5440.

July 18

CLARA BARTON VISITS GLENWOOD Mary Ann Jung from History Alive portrays Clara Barton in a lecture and conversation with the audience in a free program on

Wednesday, July 18 at 10 a.m. at Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Rte. 97, Cooksville. For more information, call (410) 313-5440.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel

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

Are inclusive city passes worth the price? You’ve seen the promotions for passes passes varies among cities: Some are that promise “free” admission to a handful great; others, not so much: of a city’s top attractions — • In New York, the pass covers the Empire State mostly bypassing ticket lines. Building, the American MuseThey sell for a fixed price that um of Natural History, the is a lot less than you’d pay Metropolitan Museum of Art, separately. the Museum of Modern Art I know of two major pro(MoMA), the Guggenheim grams that sell passes for lots Museum, Top of the Rock, of different cities. And some inand the Statue of Liberty or dividual cities organize their own passes. The idea is intriguthe Circle Line Tour. The pass ing — both the lower total cost costs $79. Individual admisTRAVEL TIPS and bypassing some lines. sion to just the three blockBy Ed Perkins CityPass (www.citypass.com) buster museums would otherissues passes for 10 cities in North Ameri- wise come to $65.50; add any of the comca: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, mercial attractions, and the pass is a good Houston, New York, Philadelphia, San deal. • Pass deals are similarly good for a mix Francisco, Seattle and Toronto, providing no-extra-cost admission to a mix of impor- of museums and commercial attractions in tant museums and major commercial Boston, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. San Francisco also includes a seventourist attractions. • Each pass is valid for nine days after day cable car and transit pass — a big plus. first use. Philadelphia’s pass is weaker, and it ex• Each pass typically covers four to six cludes the most important museum: the one-time admissions from six to eight alter- Philadelphia Museum of Art. natives. • On the other hand, the Hollywood • Prices range from $39 to $79, depend- pass, at $59, is useful only if you’re a big ing on the city. fan of motion picture lore. You get a Starline Tour, Madame Tussaud’s, Red Lines Where are the best values? Behind the Scenes and the Kodak Theater All in all, my take is that the value of the or Hollywood Museum. To me, that list is

very “ho, hum,” but if movies are your bag, go for it. • Passes for Atlanta, Seattle and Toronto are also heavy on the commercial attractions. You won’t be surprised by my overall conclusion: CityPass is a good deal if you would otherwise visit at least half of the attractions each pass covers; not so good if you don’t.

Leisure passes include more Leisure Pass (www.leisurepassgroup.com) issues passes for Berlin, London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia and Yorkshire. Its basic approach is quite different: Each pass covers far more attractions than CityPass, but pricing is much higher and varies by length of validity. The New York version, for example, includes admissions to “over 70” attractions but costs $80 for one day, $130 for two days, up to $210 for seven. The mix includes the same blockbuster museums as CityPass plus lots of smaller ones, along with the same commercial attractions plus many more. The Philadelphia pass ($49 for one day, up to $95 for five days) provides similar coverage, and it does include the Philadel-

phia Museum of Art. The Berlin (about $83 for two days minimum), London (about $72 for one day), Paris (about $130 for two-day minimum) and Yorkshire (about $54 for one day) passes provide similar coverage. The London website also pitches Travelcards, but the prices are only about a half-pound less than regular prices. All in all, Leisure Pass is a tougher proposition than CityPass. Even the oneday prices are higher, and you pay a lot more for multi-day validity. Most of you could probably come out ahead using a Leisure Pass for a day or two of intensive museum or commercial attraction visits, but the CityPass formula is a lot better if you don’t want to cram all your museum and attractions visits into a day or two. Keep in mind that independent city passes may also be a better deal. For example, a two-day Paris Museum pass costs about $52; a three-day Berlin Museum Pass costs about $25. Do a Google search for passes in other cities. Email questions and comments to eperkins@mind.net. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Style Arts &

Rep Stage is the county’s only Actors’ Equity professional theater company. See story below.

Rep Stage’s season to focus on diversity By Robert Friedman The meaning of community and of diversity will be explored by Rep Stage in its upcoming 20th season through four diverse selections. The troupe’s productions, presented at the Horowitz Center at Howard County Community College in Columbia, will include: The Temperamentals by Jon Marans (Aug. 29Sept. 16), dealing with the early gay rights movement; Mary Rose by J.M. Barrie (Oct. 31-Nov. 18), a haunting tale of lost memory; Home by Samm-Art Williams (Feb. 27-March 17, 2013), a coming-of-age story about a young African-American living through the civil rights and Vietnam War eras; and Boeing-Boeing by Marc Camoletti (April 17-May 5, 2013), a comedy of the swinging ‘60s. Rep Stage artistic director Michael Stebbins said choosing plays that deal with “the theme of community and home,” as well as with diversity, jibe with what the city of Columbia is about. Stebbins asked: “How does one define community? Is it the county in which we live? Is it the people we meet that have the same interests that we do? Is community our immediate family, our actual or figurative home?”

Depicting diversity Stebbins, who has directed plays at Rep Stage for 11 years and been its artistic director since 2005, noted that, “Howard County is a melting pot community of individuals from all walks of life, some of whom have been here since Jim Rouse first unrolled his blueprints for a planned community.” Diversity, he noted, “can be connected to ethnicity, as with the coming-of-age story of a young black man in Home, or sexuality, as seen through the early gay rights movement in The Temperamentals. Mary Rose puts the Earth where humans dwell on par with the spirit world, and asks if those who dwell in each are as different as we’d think. “And, then, of course, there is diversity through the decades, as in the bedroom farce Boeing-Boeing, where a 1960s architect in Paris with a voracious libido attempts to woo ‘air hostesses’ from America, Italy and Germany, with the help of his French maid. “Now, if that’s not diverse,” Stebbins said, “I don’t know what is!” The Temperamentals, the play that kicks off the anniversary season in late August, is

named after a 1950s code name among gays for their brethren. Winner of a Drama Desk Award in 2010, it tells the story of Harry Hay, a communist who was drummed out of the party for being gay, and Rudi Gernreich, the Viennese designer who became famous for creating the topless bathing suit. The two met, fell in love, and built the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest gay rights organizations. Kasi Campbell will direct.

A ghost story Stebbins will direct Rep Stage’s second presentation of the new season, Mary Rose, a lyrical ghost story opening on Halloween. The 1920 play by J.M. Barrie, who is known for creating the character Peter Pan, tells the story of a little girl who disappears from a family vacation on a remote Scottish island, then returns after three weeks with no remembrance of time or things past. Years later, she returns to the same island with her husband and...“well, you can see what happens,” said the director. Hitchcock reportedly wanted to make a film of the play, but could not get enough backing from the money men. Home traces the teenage-to-manhood years of Cephus Miles, who travels from rural North Carolina to points north during the politically and socially turbulent 1960s and ‘70s. Originally produced by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1979, the

play moved to Broadway in 1980, when it was nominated for Tony Awards for best play and best actor. The original play had three actors performing 25 characters. Rep Stage has not yet announced how it will approach its production, which will be directed by Duanne Boutte. The season will wind up with Boeing, Boeing, a French farce that made its Broadway debut in 1965 and was turned into a film that year with Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis. The plot line follows a Parisian architect who juggles his relationships with three airline stewardesses. Rep Stage, under the direction of Karl Kippola, will mount the 2008 Broadway version, which garnered six Tony nominations and won two, including one for Best Revival of a Play. According to the New York Times, the 2008 “Boeing, Boeing” version was “propelled by the same gutsy spirit that animated Commedia dell’Arte and the silent films of Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd.” Rep Stage, Howard County’s only professional Actors’ Equity theater company, will also continue to offer free reading events, pre-show lectures, post-show discussions, and Wednesday pay-what-youcan performances starting in August. To learn more about Rep Stage, see www.repstage.org or call (443) 518-1500.

BEACON BITS

June 30

A NATURAL PERFORMANCE The Columbia Festival of the Arts presents MOMIX Dance

Company in Botanica, portraying nature’s changing imagery through performers, projections and puppetry on Saturday, June 30 at 8 p.m. at the Rouse Theater, 5460 Trumpeter Rd., Columbia. A master class with MOMIX performers is included in the admission, ranging from $35 to $55. For more information, call (410) 715-3044 or visit www.columbiafestival.com.

July 8

A COMBATIVE ROMEO AND JULIET A family-friendly pre-show demonstration of onstage combat techniques will start at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 8 with the performance

of the classic Romeo and Juliet scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City. Tickets are $15 to $36; children 18 and under are free with a paying adult. For more information, call (410) 313-8874 or visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style

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

Archivist From page 1 said Kellner, that the new community would be racially diverse. Interfaith centers in the community offered religious diversity. Almost everything put out in writing by the town fathers — and mothers — accented the diversity goal and it soon became widely known. She added that her children and many other young Columbians going to college have found this appreciation of diversity much more limited in other communities. But these children of Columbia have learned “a healthy respect for people just as people,” Kellner said, and they hopefully have spread what, for them, is an obvious message. “Moving to Columbia has been life changing for a lot of people in very impor-

tant ways,” she said. The transplanted New Yorker agreed that the quirkiness quotient that could make for colorful experiences is lower in a planned community than in the big city But, she noted, “because of the ideals Jim Rouse brought here, you have a pretty high percentage of interesting, well-educated people, which in the end, is what you want where you live.” She added: “There are an amazing number of clubs and organizations of wide interests that people started of their own volition. Whatever you are interested in, you could probably find it here.”

Not quite utopia Kellner acknowledged that not all of Rouse’s aspirations for the community have been reached. “The goal was for Co-

lumbia to be a complete city,” she said. “But we still lack some things.” Among those deficiencies, she said, is good enough public transportation, both within the community, and to and from Baltimore and Washington. “One of Rouse’s original ideas was for a three-prong system for getting around: walking, biking and public transportation. The latter has not been adequately developed,” she said. Rouse also proposed a more fully developed downtown with more office and commercial space, the archivist said. “Things got more spread out than originally envisioned,” she said, as “big box” and smaller complementary stores began

congregating along I-95, with infrastructure and employment being drawn there rather than to the downtown area. Also, Howard County Community College has become more spread out than originally planned, which has caused problems for the surprisingly large number of older adults taking courses, Kellner noted. While Columbia lacks a central arts and cultural space, there are plenty of venues and activities around town, Kellner said. Furthermore, “plans exist,” she said, “to revitalize — no, make that to vitalize — downtown. It’s a challenge, but the plans are there.” See ARCHIVIST, page 28

BEACON BITS

June 27

AUTHOR DISCUSSION Edith Pearlman will discuss her newest book, Binocular Vision,

Columbia Association wins award for older adult programs The Columbia Association (CA), which operates the archives as part of its Community Services Division, considers itself the keeper of the Columbia vision. Run by a council of elected officials from the 10 villages of the community, the entity has been variously defined as a private homeowners association as well as a quasi-government. Most residents reportedly agree that the association is primarily responsible for Columbia’s enviable quality of life. The association builds, operates and maintains most of the community’s recreational facilities — including 23 outdoor swimming pools, six indoor pools, water slides, ice and roller skating rinks, an equestrian center, a sports park with miniature golf, a skateboard park, batting cages, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, golf courses, and numerous indoor and outdoor tennis, basketball, volleyball, squash and racquetball courts and running tracks, not to mention more than 90 miles of walking, jogging and biking pathways. The association also maintains more than 3,500 acres of open space and runs a welcome center, an art center, a teen center, before- and after-school care, summer camps, free summer lakefront concerts, and an exchange program with cities in France and Spain. CA raises its operating funds through homeowner fees and from membership payments for its many programs. A CA Resident Card allows residents who do not have memberships to pay as they go for occasional visits to the outdoor pools and other facilities. The Resident Card is free to residents who live on property protected by the association’s covenants.

Programs, deals for older adults The CA recently won the Benchmark Award from the Howard County Commission on Aging for its “many programs and services geared towards Howard County’s older adult population.” For example, its three fitness clubs offer “mature adults” aqua and studio exercises for arthritis, fall-prevention and balance classes, weights and osteoporosis programs, basic aerobics, yoga classes, qi gong, tai chi and Zumba. There are also belly dancing classes. In addition to these programs, the commission pointed to the tennis, golf and swim programs, watercolor and ceramics classes, gallery receptions, international and multi-cultural programs, seminars about retirement, and tours of “over 55” housing facilities provided by the CA. It also took note of the CA’s Senior Event Shuttle, which gives free rides to local cultural events to groups of four or more seniors 60+. The associations’ WINN (Why If Not Now) program teams up adults over 45 with coaches who offer five private lessons during an individually designed, eight-week exercise and workout course. Through the end of July, the CA is offering new members age 65 and over 20 percent off all one-year memberships or 25 percent off multi-year memberships. For more information about classes, facilities and discounts, visit the CA Membership Service Center, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. You may also call (410) 730-1802. Also visit www.columbiaassociation.com. — Robert Friedman

winner of the 2011 PEN/Malamud Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, on Wednesday, June 27 at Historic Oakland, 5430 Vantage Point Rd., Columbia. Admission is $20. The event is sponsored by the Columbia Festival of the Arts. For more information, call (410) 715-3044.

July 6+

ARTISTS TAKE TO THE STREETS Stroll the streets of the old town and watch artists at work during an outdoor plein air painting event in historic Ellicott City. The

event starts on Friday, July 6 and concludes on Sunday, July 8. For more information, call (410) 313-2787.

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

Commission on Aging names honorees Howard County’s Commission on Aging recently held its annual Recognition Awards Ceremony at the Bain Center in Columbia. The program spotlights outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations that exemplify the commission’s mission to promote successful aging in Howard County. “There are so many people who give back to Howard County in meaningful ways, but this special group of honorees has consistently uplifted our community through their dedicated service, programs and overall gen-

erosity,” said County Executive Ken Ulman. This year’s award winners were: Civic Engagement Award: Lyn Fatzie Lyn Fatzie has a long history of service to Howard County residents. She has been active as a member and chairperson of the Columbia Association’s Senior Advisory Committee for the past 12 years, a long-time member of Transportation Advocates of Howard County, was one of the early organizers of Neighbor Ride, a Columbia Association Senior Events Shuttle coordinator, and

BEACON BITS

July 18

GET THE MOST OUT OF MEDICARE

Whether you have just signed up for Medicare or have been on it for some time, learn how to get the most out of your coverage and reduce problems or confusion. Find out about helpful resources for contact and quality information about local medical providers, explanations of Medicare benefits and much more. This program is sponsored by the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) on Wednesday, July 18 at 11 a.m. at Kiwanis Wallas Recreation Center, 3300 Norbert’s Way, Ellicott City. Register by calling (410) 313-7391.

Ongoing

DO YOU LOVE NATURE?

Howard County Conservancy seeks volunteer nature hike guides for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 field trips. Training is provided. Drop-in gardening volunteers are also needed on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Contact hcconservancy@hcconservancy.org or call (410) 465-8877.

Ongoing

PROVIDE SPIRITUAL CARE TO PATIENTS

Howard County General Hospital s seeking volunteers to help provide multi-denominational spiritual care for patients and their families at the hospital, located at 5755 Cedar Lane in Columbia. The hospital’s Pastoral Care Department is offering a 15-week training program, which will be held on Thursday evenings beginning September 20. Following training, participants will be asked to volunteer two hours a week for at least one year. The registration deadline is Aug. 31. For more information, call Chaplain Jack Dunlavey at (410) 740-7898.

Are you online? So are we! Visit our website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com You’ll ﬁnd topical articles, as well as blogs, recipes, useful links, games, puzzles and event listings. Add your event to our calendar. Also – www.facebook.com/BeaconNewspaper

served on the Transportation Committee for the County’s Commission on Aging. In the early 1990s, she became active in the county Office on Aging’s SPRING program. As a facilitator with SPRING’s Low Vision Group, Fatzie epitomizes the program’s philosophy of fostering a positive outlook and supporting a thriving aging process. Benchmark Award: Columbia Association The Columbia Association (CA), guided by its Senior Advisory Committee, offers many programs and services geared toward Howard County’s older adult population. Learn more about them in “Columbia Association wins award,” on page 27 of this issue of the Beacon. Benchmark Award: Howard County Police Department, Community Outreach Senior Liaison Program The Community Outreach Senior Liaison Program was established by the county po-

lice in 2007 to develop, implement, evaluate and update programs for county seniors. The program’s Senior Liaison, PFC Holly Burnham, developed “Prescription Drug Safety,” “Life is a Highway” and “Arm Yourself with Knowledge” presentations for county senior centers, 50+ communities, community association meetings and assisted living facilities. The program also works in partnership with the TRIAD community policing initiative and the Elder Abuse Awareness program with the county’s Office on Aging Ombudsman Program. The police department has also collaborated with AAA MidAtlantic, local occupational therapists, and the Office on Aging to offer the “CarFit Program” — a 12-point evaluation that determines how well an older driver “fits” their personal vehicle.

Archivist

House in Wilde Lake for a heated threehour town meeting. The residents went on to take out ads in the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun headlined, “We have a dream — one America.” The ad, addressed to Wallace, read, in part: “Although it is our opinion that you and your followers represent everything that the community of Columbia is against, we…maintain your right to speak in the city of Columbia because we believe in the fundamental right of freedom of speech.” (Ironically, four years later, as he again ran for president, Wallace was shot and left paralyzed just 11 miles from Columbia, at the Laurel Shopping Center.) Kellner noted that Rouse said later it was at that town house meeting where Columbia “found its soul.” Kellner has poured her own heart and soul into learning about and living in Columbia. She has no plans to retire, or to live anywhere else. “Columbia has enriched my life in so many ways,” she said. “It’s a great place to live, no matter what your age. I can’t see not living here.”

From page 27

A cohesive moment for Columbia Asked about significant happenings in Columbia’s history, Kellner pointed to the community’s reaction to a political event in 1968 as a “great moment.” In June of that year, as Columbia was getting ready to celebrate its first anniversary, most in the fledgling community of 5,000 residents were shocked to learn that George Wallace had been scheduled to speak at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Many of the original Columbians, and those who soon followed, had been active in the civil rights movement, Kellner said, and they, along with others, were “outraged” that the political rally for Alabama’s racist governor had been booked for their hometown. Wallace’s appearance as a presidential candidate was set for barely two months after extensive riots heavily damaged parts of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., following the assassination of Martin Luther King. Opponents of the rally met at Slayton

See HONOREES, page 29

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Honorees From page 28 The commission noted that the Community Outreach Senior Liaison Program has consistently offered unique and innovative programs to promote the safety and wellbeing of Howard County’s senior population. Award for Excellence in the Arts: Toby Orenstein Toby Orenstein is the founder of the Columbia Center for the Theatrical Arts (CCTA),

the Young Columbians and Toby’s Dinner Theatre. Since CCTA’s founding in 1972, Orenstein has remained a dynamic and integral part of Howard County’s arts community. She has been recognized for her contributions to the theatre, her mentorship of young artists, and her role in arts education and philanthropy. She has been inducted into the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame, the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame, and was named a “Marylander of Distinction” by Maryland Life Magazine.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style

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

Additionally, Orenstein’s fundraising efforts have benefited the Howard County Aids Alliance, the Carson Scholars Fund and the Howard County Arts Council. Orenstein is an outstanding role model in

the arts community. Orenstein was featured on the cover of the Howard County Beacon last December. View the edition online at http://issuu.com/thebeaconnewspapers/docs/hocodec2011/1.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

HELP A SCHOOL THIS SUMMER Office volunteers are needed this summer at Glenelg and Long

Reach High Schools to help with taking calls and messages, greeting visitors, filing, copying and other tasks, with flexible hours between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. For

BEACON BITS

Glenelg High School, 14025 Burntwoods Rd., Glenelg, contact Michele Nethken

July 20

at (410) 313-5528. For Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane,

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE DISCUSSION

Columbia, call Cindy Jaksec at (410) 313-7117.

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will present Pride and Prejudice at 8 p.m., with a pre-show discussion at 7 p.m. led by the theater’s Erin Bone Steele, at 8510 High Ridge Rd., Ellicott City. Tickets are $15 to $36; children 18 and under are free with a paying adult. For more information, call (410) 313-8874 or visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.

Ongoing

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD P R A D R E L O O F F W S A N

LINE DANCING IN LAUREL If it’s Tuesday at 11:15 a.m., it’s probably time for line dancing open studio led by Linda Pohland at North Laurel Senior Center,

9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel. There is a $1 per day drop-in fee. For more information, call (410) 313-0380.

F O O L S

A N N I E

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R A N I

A C H O S L L E E O N T O E N M I S E M A S E R T L L E S A

S K I T U A N N A E T W A W E S U Y S E N P A

A P E S N O I S E F U S S

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

O V A L

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E D E G S E T

From page 30.

Get Centered We promote communication, cooperation and education among nonproﬁts, agencies, businesses and professionals serving older adults in Howard County. Learn more by calling (410) 997-0610

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

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Puzzle Page

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

48 51

JUMBLE ANSWERS

11 16

21 23

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

18 20

55 61

ACROSS 1. Ritzy handbags 7. Blazing tennis server 11. 2001 craft 14. Close the vault for the night 15. Mountain cat 16. Madison ___ 17. Watered-down cocktail 20. Not loco 21. Employ 22. Stooge from 1932 - 1946 23. The start of two NL West teams 25. 39 Across, for example 26. Impure dessert 35. Common soccer score 36. Salad dressing ingredient 37. Warm up for a take down 38. Not deceived by 39. ___ Lizzie 40. Roll call response 41. Property claim 42. Nationals is; Senators ___ 43. Future fungi 45. Adulterated appetizer 48. Letters in nine state postal abbreviations 49. Sally Field character, Norma ___ 50. Wipe out 53. ET carrier 55. Watergate artifact 59. Diluted breakfast (with 65 Across) 63. The end of “Life Magazine” as we know it 64. Light converger 65. See 59 Across 66. We apologize, but the real clue for this org. has been classified 67. Relaxation locations 68. The Mad Hatter’s collection DOWN 1. Golf expert 2. Disinterested striped group 3. NATO communication is as easy as ___, Bravo, Charlie 4. In the dumps 5. “But you are ___ people ... a holy nation”: 1 Peter 2:9

6. Come back down the mountain 7. Mimics 8. NIH researcher’s goal 9. Big bird 10. Buckwheat, for one 11. Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, for two 12. Secretariat’s path 13. Approve alternative 18. ___ salad 19. Waterproof footware 24. The first purchase request on Wheel, often 25. Animation collectible 26. Defrauds 27. Hall, of fame 28. “___ In” (Entry point to Wings’ fifth album) 29. Most like Daffy 30. Unpleasant music 31. Pink Lady ingredient 32. Musical story 33. Paddled 34. Bridesmaid’s uniform 39. Menlo Park monogram 42. Intl. conflicts 43. Fed. org. for entrepreneurs 44. Create an e-mail today to send tomorrow 46. Checks out a new bakery 47. Disney sci-fi film 50. Monumental 51. Indian queen 52. One half base times height (for a triangle) 53. Annapolis inst. 54. Ado 56. Launched 57. Gluttons 58. Location of “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on a Presidential dollar coin 60. “You betcha” 61. Trail mix bit 62. Superlative suffix

Answers on page 29.

Answer: He changed the oil in his wife's car to avoid this — "FRICTION" Jumbles: TIGER FENCE PICNIC FELONY

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

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the bottom of this page. A National Trade Association we belong to has placed some of the above classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business & Employment Opportunities AIRLINE CAREERS begin here - Become an Aviation Maintenance Tech. FAA approved training. Financial aid if qualified - Housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM (866)453-6204. DRIVERS! CDLTraningnow.com accepting applications 16 day company paid CDL training. No experience needed. 1-800-991-7531 www.CDLTrainingNow.com. OVER 18? Can’t miss limited opportunity to travel with successful young business group. Paid training. Transportation/Lodging. Unlimited income potential. 877-646.5050.

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For Sale

Wanted

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

CA$H PAID- up to $26/Box for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS. Hablamos Espanol. 1-800-371-1136.

WANTS TO PURCHASE MINERALS and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201.

DONATE YOUR CAR Fast Free Pickup. Running or Not. Live Operators - 7 Days! Help yourself and the Cancer Fund of America. Call Now 888-317-7257.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Running or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800-4546951.

LIMITED TIME! Bundle DIRECTV® service & High-Speed Internet and Save! Call DirectStarTV - Authorized DIRECTV Dealer: 1-888662-6598. Ask about current offers.

BEACON BITS Health HELP! I’ve Fallen & I Can’t Get-UP! You or a loved one live alone? Get Immediate Help in an Emergency! Call LifeAlert Now-FREE Info!Call-800-916-2138. STOP PAYING FOR OVERPRICED MEDICATIONS! Fill your prescription at our Canadian Pharmacy & you’ll SAVE up to 90%! CALL NOW - 800-315-8208 for $10 off+FREE Shipping.

Home & Handyman Services RICHARD YOUNG PLUMBING * Master plumber * Over 30 years experience * locally owned and operated husband and wife team * Contact us about our discounts 301-562-9100, richardyoungplumbing@gmail.com. MPL#21098.

Miscellaneous ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice, *Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 800494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com.

July 10+

GET YOUR INSURANCE QUESTIONS ANSWERED Staff from the Maryland Insurance Administration will be available

to answer consumer questions in three Howard County libraries in July, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at each session. They will be at the Elkridge Branch, 6540 Washington Blvd., in Elkridge on Tuesday, July 10. On Wednesday, July 11, they will be at the East Columbia Branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, in Columbia. And they will answer questions at the Miller Branch, 9421 Frederick Ave., in Ellicott City, Thursday, July 12. A full schedule of agency outreach activities and consumer materials are available at www.mdinsurance.state.md.us, as well as by request and at various community events.

June 27

INTERGENERATIONAL ART PROGRAM Introduce your grandchildren to the arts with an intergenerational program featuring Peabody Institute of Music soprano Devonna B.

Rowe and an artist with the Maryland State Arts Council’s Artist in Education Program, accompanied by William Griggsby on piano. Enjoy French and German

FINISH HIGH SCHOOL at home in a few weeks. First Coast Academy, 1-800-6581180x130. www.fcahighschool.org.

art songs, arias from operas of the 19th and 20th century, and folk songs from

Personals

free event will be held Wednesday, June 27 at 11 a.m. at the Bain Center, 5470

MEET SINGLES RIGHT NOW! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now 1-888-909-9905.

Wanted VINYL RECORDS WANTED from the 20s through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections preferred. Please call John, 301-596-6201. WE BUY QUALITY BOOKS, CDs, DVDs, Records. We come to you for certain collections. For more info call 443-864-2280. SecondEditionBooks.com. CASH FOR CARS, Any Make or Model! Free Towing. Sell it TODAY. Instant offer: 1-800-8645784.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

the American tradition, while learning about the composers and their music. The

Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. For more information, call 410-313-7213.

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