July 2013 Howard County Beacon Edition by The Beacon Newspapers

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So they began Pets with Disabilities, a nonprofit organization that now houses up to 25 dogs and a handful of cats and seeks to find them appropriate homes. The dogs with the most severe disabilities, like Ernie, live with the couple in their house, which is handicapped accessible. Generally, those are not available for adoption. However, the majority of the pets may be adopted. While some dogs are placed with families with children, Darrell said she thinks older adopters who have more time to devote to the animals make an

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No longer “unadoptable”

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When Fido needs a wheelchair By Barbara Ruben Ernie, a fluffy white Samoyed, bounds across the field, a buff-colored German shepherd named Annie at his heels. Megan, a tan and white hound, leaps in the air at the sound of visitors. Neither Ernie nor Annie have the use of their hind legs. But special adapted “wheelchairs” that attach to the dogs’ hips allow them to run through the large yard of their home in Prince Frederick, Md. Affable Megan, who is blind, serves as a kind of one-canine welcome committee for Pets with Disabilities — the only shelter in the country that exclusively houses dogs and cats that are paralyzed, missing limbs or blind. Pets with Disabilities was founded 10 years ago by Joyce Darrell and her husband Michael Dickerson. At the time, they had a German shepherd named Duke who, like Ernie, broke his back and became paralyzed merely as a result of landing wrong while playing as a puppy. “During surgery, the vet kept calling us and telling us it would be better to put Duke down. But there was no way we planned to do that,” Darrell recalled. As Darrell and Dickerson learned how to care for Duke, they came to meet other dogs like him, languishing in shelters because they were deemed unadoptable. Ernie, in fact, was just a couple of hours from being euthanized when Darrell first met him. “I saw that big white face, and when they said he was gong to be put to sleep, I just turned to Michael and said, ‘I don’t think so.’”

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Joyce Darrell (right) established Pets with Disabilities, a nonprofit shelter that helps find loving homes for dogs and cats who are blind, paralyzed, missing limbs or have other impairments. Sharon Sirkis is the group’s director of fundraising. The dogs in “wheelchairs” (left to right), Annie, Ernie and Dixie, can run as fast as dogs having the use of all four legs.

ideal match. The adoption fee is $275. Darrell said that although she receives inquiries from across the U.S. and even internationally, she limits adoptions to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. She said that’s because she wants to be able to drive to a home to retrieve a dog if an adoption doesn’t end up being a good match. But most are. Take Karen Omohundro’s blind dog named Faith, a spitz mix, who “looks like an Arctic fox.” “She has a very brave soul and simply ‘sees’ the world with more than her eyes,” said Omohundro, who lives in Owings Mills. “She has taught me resilience and the fact that despite the many setbacks you may have, you’re able to get up and go

about your day. You’re stronger than you think. Almost every day she learns something new and comes through.” Omohundro said the biggest challenge for Faith was learning to negotiate the many steps in her home. But Omohundro patiently walked the dog up and down the stairs, telling her to “step up” or “step down” at each stair until she learned. She also placed textured stair treads at the top and bottom of the steps to alert Faith that the steps are coming. Omohundro’s chow mix named Raven has adjusted to her new canine companion as well. And Raven may be catching on See PETS, page 13

ARTS & STYLE

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre presents a Caribbeanflavored Antony and Cleopatra; plus, two new books show it’s never too late to be creative page 26

FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k When hallucinations are normal k Foods that fight bad breath THE SENIOR CONNECTION 16 k Howard County Office on Aging newsletter LAW & MONEY 18 k Before you co-sign on a loan k Index funds trump managed ones PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

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What’s private anymore? The recent revelations that our governYes, we voluntarily use the cards. They ment collects telephone records and inter- aren’t forced upon us. But our consumer buycepts Internet communicaing habits are easily bought, tions have led to a great hue and they are directly used to inand cry throughout the world. fluence us. I don’t deny the revelations Do we buy GPS devices and are shocking. But what’s cell phones with GPS functionshocking to me is that the ality? How about smartphone programs have been reapps that help us navigate trafvealed, not that they are takfic, find nearby stores and hoing place. tels, and choose our music and I am also shocked by how news for us based on our past surprised so many people “expressed preferences”? seem to be that privacy and FROM THE Again, we willingly, even secrecy aren’t valued the way PUBLISHER eagerly, seek out these useful they used to be. Our privacy By Stuart P. Rosenthal services. But all of them are is no longer valued or prokeeping close tabs on our tected by our government, by businesses, every movement — where we drive and by journalists — or by the rest of us, really. when, what we read and listen to, where If we just look around, we can see evi- we shop and what we spend. dence of this in nearly every aspect of our Today’s businesses know more about each daily lives. of us than ever before. And if you read the Do we join frequent flyer and frequent fine print of their “terms of use,” you will see buyer clubs? Use grocery store and drug- that this information is available as well to store discount programs? Sign up for cred- other businesses they choose to work with, it cards that offer small refunds? and to all levels of government investigators All of these track every purchase we whenever there’s a potentially reasonable make and use that information to spit out need for it. competitors’ coupons at the cash register The same certainly goes for phone call and to bombard us with offers to buy. records, and that should not be news, either.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of Howard County, Md. and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Md., Greater Washington DC, and Greater Palm Springs, Ca. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ................................................ Steve Levin, Jill Joseph • Publishing Assistant ....................Rebekah Sewell

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

Don’t we regularly read news reports indicating that wrongdoers (bribed officials, philandering husbands, thieves) were caught by police or private detectives who searched through their phone records? And what about the Internet searches we do at home or work? The “cookies” planted by every site we visit are not to satisfy our hunger, but that of those who own or manage the sites and search engines. We run a light at an intersection, and we get a ticket in the mail. How long might it be before speeding tickets are issued to us automatically based on what our GPS measures as our traveling speed? Two fellows casually put down their backpacks at the Boston marathon and walk away. Within hours, a video of their actions is splashed on television screens around the world. Is it a revelation that all of us are similarly being filmed whenever we do nearly anything outside our homes? We used to be able to choose, for the most part, what aspects of our lives were lived in public. But it has become more and more difficult to even function today without “choosing” to lose our privacy. We can no longer walk down a sidewalk, enter a building, drive in our cars, shop in a store, or surf the Internet with a reasonable expectation of privacy. I don’t point this out to indicate a categorical objection. On the contrary, I am generally pleased that our law enforcement officers are able to so readily locate my fellow Americans who steal credit and ATM cards, rob banks, and plant bombs on the street. Furthermore, there’s no denying that we

live in dangerous times. There are many groups and individuals throughout the world who publicly announce their intention to try to kill and maim as many Americans as they can. I have every reason to believe they mean what they say, and if there are ways to detect and prevent them from doing so, I think we should be pursuing them. But there is definitely a trade-off going on here, and I am surprised that more Americans don’t seem to have realized it before. I guess it’s time we started talking about it. Different people will have different opinions regarding how much general snooping they are willing to tolerate, and how much they trust those institutions — including Congress and the courts, as well as attorneys and investigative journalists — who provide some checks and balances to protect citizens from government overreaching. In the end, it all comes down to whom you trust. I invite you to share your thoughts on this subject through a letter or email to the editor. I leave you with one last thought. This whole debate has been sparked by high-level secrets published in a British newspaper and the Washington Post. There used to be a time when reputable news organizations consulted with the U.S. government before revealing state secrets that might conceivably undermine citizen protections. The days when our government had such privacy rights seem to be gone as well.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I look forward to reading the Beacon each month, but was so disappointed when I could not locate your advice columnist in the May issue. Her advice was always intelligent and full of common sense. We frequently cannot see beyond our problems, but she always did so in her column. Although I find most articles in the Beacon enjoyable, interesting and informative, her column was my favorite. Is there any possibility that she will return? Mary Anne Dupon Columbia Editor’s note: We’re glad you enjoy Solutions columnist Helen Oxenberg. Because we want to provide a variety of articles in each month’s issue, we can’t always fit her column in. But you will find it in this issue on page 15. Dear Editor: My elderly mother, now deceased, struggled with failing eyesight caused by macular degeneration.

Gradually losing her sight was very difficult, but in my mother’s case, the problem was compounded by the visual hallucinations she also experienced. For several years, until she died at the age of 98, she had periods of several weeks’ duration when she would “see” yellow curls on everyone in the restaurant, nests of straw on our heads, four women standing by her bed, a sink full of flowers, etc. These were not dreams; she described what she saw in real time. Fortunately, my sister happened upon a book that identified such hallucinations as Charles Bonnet syndrome. Knowing that my mother’s experiences were not a sign of impending dementia was an enormous relief to her. It is sad to think that many folks with low vision are keeping such experiences to themselves for fear that they will be thought to be See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 31

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MEDICARE’S CATCH-22 Be sure you’re “admitted” to the hospital, not just “observed” FOODS THAT FIGHT BAD BREATH Some foods promote bad breath, but others destroy mouth bacteria A HEART-HEALTHY STUDY Join a study about the effects of resveratrol, found in grapes, on the heart GOOD-FOR-YOU COCOA Cocoa can have all the antioxidants of dark chocolate, without the fat

A healthy long life? It’s all in our heads Hypothalamus may hold keys to aging well By Douglas Heaven A mechanism that controls aging, counting down to inevitable death, has been identified in the hypothalamus — a part of the brain that controls most of the basic functions of life. By manipulating this mechanism, researchers have both shortened and lengthened the lifespan of mice. The discovery reveals several new drug targets that, if not quite an elixir of youth, may at least delay the onset of age-related disease. The hypothalamus is an almond-sized puppet master in the brain. “It has a global effect,” said Dongsheng Cai at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Sitting on top of the brain stem, the hypothalamus is the interface between the brain and the rest of the body. It is involved in, among other things, controlling our automatic response to the world around us, our hormone levels, sleep-wake cycles, immunity and reproduction.

Important research done in mice While investigating aging processes in the brain, Cai and his colleagues noticed that aging mice produce increasing levels of nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) — a protein complex that plays a major role in regulating immune responses. NF-kB is barely active in the hypothalamus of 3- to 4-month-old mice but becomes very active in old mice, aged 22 to 24 months. To see whether it was possible to affect aging by manipulating levels of this protein complex, Cai’s team tested three groups of middle-aged mice. One group was given gene therapy that inhibits NF-kB, the second had gene therapy to activate NF-kB, while the third was left to age naturally. The last group lived, as expected, between 600 and 1,000 days. Mice with activated NF-kB all died within 900 days, while the animals with NF-kB inhibition lived for up to 1,100 days. Crucially, the mice that lived the longest

not only increased their lifespan but also remained mentally and physically fit longer. Six months after receiving gene therapy, all the mice were given a series of tests involving cognitive and physical ability. In all of the tests, the mice that subsequently lived the longest outperformed the controls, while the short-lived mice performed the worst. Post-mortem examinations of muscle and bone in the longest-living rodents also showed that they had many chemical and physical qualities of younger mice, according to a study published in Nature.

Hormones also play a role Further investigation revealed that NFkB reduces the level of a chemical produced by the hypothalamus called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) — better known for its involvement in the regulation of puberty and fertility, as well as the production of eggs and sperm. To see if they could control lifespan

using this hormone directly, the team gave another group of mice — 20 to 24 months old — daily subcutaneous injections of GnRH for five to eight weeks. These mice lived longer too, by a length of time similar to that of mice with inhibited NF-kB. GnRH injections also resulted in new neurons in the brain. What’s more, when injected directly into the hypothalamus, GnRH influenced other brain regions, reversing widespread age-related decline and further supporting the idea that the hypothalamus could be a master controller for many aging processes. GnRH injections even delayed aging in the mice that had been given gene therapy to activate NF-kB and would otherwise have aged more quickly than usual. None of the mice in the study showed serious side effects. So could regular doses of GnRH keep death at bay? Cai hopes to find out how difSee AGING, page 5

Vision loss may lead to hallucinations People with Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) can vouch for the cliché that things aren’t always as they seem. This syndrome, named for the 18th century philosopher who first described it, is characterized by the periodic occurrence of hallucinatory visions. People with CBS may see anything from abstract patterns to birds to babies to white sandy beaches. Sometimes the hallucinations are very animated and detailed. They tend to occur when a person is awake, alone and in dim light, or when he or she is physically inactive or lacks distractions, such as television. They also frequently occur during down time — say, while getting a haircut or waiting in line at the store. Those who have these visions know they’re just mirages. That is, the images are illusions, not delusions. The difference is that a person with delusions is convinced that what she sees is real. Patients with CBS may initially second-guess themselves, but they ultimately accept that their perceptions have no substance.

The cause of this disorder is thought to be a misfire in the brain similar to the neurological mixup that occurs in patients with phantom limb syndrome. As vision wanes, the brain continues to interpret visual imagery in the absence of corresponding visual input, just as it sometimes continues to process pain signals from a limb that’s no longer there.

May be quite common When a person first has such visual illusions, he may wonder if he’s becoming mentally ill or developing senile dementia. He may hesitate to tell his doctors or loved ones about the problem for fear they’ll draw that very conclusion. For this reason, it is difficult to estimate how common the condition is, but it has been reported to occur in 10 to 40 percent of older patients with low vision, such as those with age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and other eye disorders. Turning on an extra lamp or two, staying physically and mentally occupied,

spending time with family or friends, and participating in social activities can reduce the frequency and vividness of the hallucinations. Each patient must learn what works for him or her. A positive attitude is the key. Your eye care professional is the best healthcare professional to diagnose this condition. In addition, your eye care provider will already be aware of any underlying vision disorders you have that may be associated with the syndrome. A thorough eye examination to rule out additional problems and a few targeted questions about your symptoms are usually all that’s needed to diagnose the syndrome. Sometimes consultation with a neurologist or other specialist is necessary to rule out any serious disorders that may mimic CBS, such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis may be complicated by the fact that many patients have multiple medical problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, for which they take several medications.

Usually temporary Fortunately, the saying “This, too, shall pass” is also true for those with CBS. After a year or perhaps 18 months, the brain seems to adjust to the person’s vision loss, and the hallucinations generally begin to recede. In the meantime, of course, the underlying visual impairment should be treated or monitored. Idle time should be kept to a minimum. If the person is found to be depressed, therapy or pharmacologic treatment may be in order. Anti-seizure medications have been shown to calm the hallucinations in some patients, and anti-anxiety agents can be used in those who find the visions upsetting. For most patients, though, just knowing that they aren’t becoming mentally ill and that the symptoms will eventually subside is all the treatment they need. Based on information from Lighthouse International, an organization that fights against vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowering those with low vision or who are blind. For more information, see www.lighthouse.org or call 1-800-829-0500.

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“There are maybe 10 steps to controlling aging,” said Miller. “We’ve taken the first two or three.” The first is simply accepting the idea that aging can be slowed down, he said. “Many think it can’t. They are wrong.” Maudsley said that we could see drugs that slow aging in the next 20 years. Initially, though, research is likely to focus on delaying the onset of age-related diseases. But since the hypothalamus has an effect on every cell in the body, Maudsley warns that interfering with it could lead to unwanted sequences of events. “You’re playing with fire,” he said. Researchers are investigating several other avenues in their quest to defy age.The

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So can we delay aging?

doses of toxin may promote cell growth by rallying the body’s defense mechanisms. For example, garlic and chili contain components that induce a mild stress response. This opens cell membranes and lets in calcium, driving growth factors. Some researchers suggest that it is this principle, known as hormesis, that is behind the health benefits of exercise and restricted diets. The scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, will be the keynote speaker at the Beacon 50+Expo on October 13, 2013 in Silver Spring, Md. He will discuss the latest research on aging and address the topic, “What we’re learning about how to live longer and better.” © 2013 Reed Business Information UK. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.

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ferent doses affect lifespan, but said the hormone is unlikely to prolong life indefinitely since GnRH is only one of many factors at play. “Aging is the most complicated biological process,” Cai said. “There are dozens of pathways that people will look at thanks to this work,” said Richard Miller at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Miller has previously demonstrated that an immunosuppressant drug called rapamycin can also extend life in mice. Since the hypothalamus — and GnRH in particular — regulate several major biological processes, it may be possible to influence aging through related mechanisms, said Miller. He wants to look at possible dietary interventions, such as the indirect effect that spikes in glucose may have on the hypothalamus. Stuart Maudsley at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore agrees that the hypothalamus could be the route in for age-controlling drugs. “The body is all one big juicy system,” he said. The ideal drug would hit that system at its center. “Activate that keystone and everything falls into place,” he said. Though this is the first time that an explicit role has been found for GnRH in the aging process, previous studies in humans have hinted at a link between longevity and fertility — in which the hormone is

immune system may be a good place to start. Rapamycin — a drug produced from bacteria discovered on Easter Island — is commonly used to suppress the immune system of transplant patients. It also increases the lifespan of yeast cells and mice. Alternatively, resveratrol, found in grapes, is thought to stabilize DNA and has been used to extend the lifespan of yeast by 70 percent. It seems to work for worms and fruit flies, too. Restricting calories is another option. Macaques given 30 percent fewer calories significantly outlive peers on a non-restricted diet. Rather than dieting, it might be possible to develop drugs that trick the body and brain into thinking it has consumed less. Finally, on the principle that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, small

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known to play a significant role. As GnRH levels drop, so does egg production and fertility. In a study presented in May at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America in New Orleans, Graziella Caselli at the University of Rome, Italy, and colleagues found that mothers in Sardinia who’d had their last child over the age of 45 — so were still fertile at a late age — were significantly more likely to reach 100 than those who’d had their last child at a younger age. Since late fertility could be linked to higher levels of GnRH, Cai said those findings are a good match for his own. “There is likely to be some kind of biological correlation between aging and reproduction,” he said.

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Medicare often won’t cover skilled care Lawsuits, appeals aim to change policy By Susan Jaffe After Lois Frarie, a 93-year-old retired teacher, spent four days at a California hospital while being treated for a broken elbow and pelvis, she went to a nearby nursing home to build up her strength. But her family was stunned to find out that they would have to pay thousands of dollars up front since she was considered to be “under observation” for two of the days she spent in the hospital. Under federal law, Medicare won’t cover a skilled nursing and rehab stay unless it follows a minimum three-consecutive-day stay as an “admitted” patient. “I assumed I was under the hospital’s care” for the whole four days, said Frarie. Advocates for seniors say the distinction is not fair to patients, especially since they are typically not informed by hospitals either of their status or of the Medicare rules. In May, the Center for Medicare Advocacy took their argument to federal court in Hartford, Conn., for the first hearing on a lawsuit on behalf of 14 seniors seeking to have Medicare eliminate the observation label.

A hollow “right” to appeal Government lawyers argue in court filings that Medicare considers observation care an outpatient service, and if elderly patients think they should have been admitted to the hospital, they should file an appeal. Federal records and interviews with patients and advocates across the country show that many observation patients who call Medicare about the billing problem find out there is nothing that Medicare can do to help — as Frarie’s and other persistent families have learned first-hand. “People are often told there is nothing to appeal,” said Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. In April, Medicare sought to help observation patients who have lost nursing home coverage and who also pay higher hospital costs than admitted patients. The agency proposed changes to the hospital payment system that would require, with some exceptions, patients who stay in the hospital two days or less to be classified as observation patients, and those who stay longer would have to be admitted. However, the proposal has been criticized by patient advocates, the American

Hospital Association and the American Medical Association because it would still maintain the three-inpatient-day requirement before patients would be eligible for nursing home coverage.

Catch-22s Frarie’s nursing home bill for nearly three months of care came to $19,000. Her family took the first step in the appeals process, asking Medicare to count all four days in the hospital as inpatient so that she would have the minimum required for Medicare coverage for her nursing home stay. Then they hit a dead-end. A Medicare appeals coordinator, writing to Frarie’s niece Sherry Smith in February, said the agency could not accept the appeal because “the claim(s) or date(s) of service identified in your request have not been denied.” In other words, Frarie received, and Medicare paid for, the care the hospital determined she needed, including her two days as an observation patient. The letter didn’t say how to challenge this determination, information that is required whenever an appeal is denied. The government’s lawyers say the plaintiffs must go through the appeal process — all five levels if necessary — before they can file a lawsuit. “Indeed, to challenge coverage and payment determinations, the Medicare statute and regulations afford program beneficiaries extensive opportunities for review, including several levels of administrative review, and, potentially, judicial review,” government lawyers write in papers asking a federal judge to dismiss the suit.

But hospitals are not required to tell patients they are under observation, Medicare officials have said. Another obstacle for seniors is that the three-day requirement is part of federal law. Once patients leave the hospital and then find out they were receiving observation services — when a bill arrives — it’s too late: Hospitals and physicians are prohibited from reclassifying observation patients as inpatients once they’ve been discharged, according to Medicare rules. If the federal judge won’t eliminate observation care, the seniors’ lawyers are asking that hospitals be required to tell patients when they are in observation and allow them to appeal that decision before they leave. [Marylanders have recently won some of these protections through state law. This spring, the Maryland legislature passed, and Gov. Martin O’Malley signed, a bill stipulating that hospitals must provide oral and written notice to patients of their outpatient status and the billing implications if the patient has received services at the hospital for more than 23 hours.] A Medicare spokeswoman declined to answer questions about appealing observation care because it is agency policy not to comment on pending litigation.

Observation cases skyrocket The number of Medicare patients receiving observation care jumped 69 percent in only five years, to 1.6 million in 2011, according to the most recent federal data. Even though Medicare recommends See MEDICARE, page 9

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Here’s an update on the progress toward groundbreaking at MILLER’S GRANT. We’re creating a new destination in Ellicott City for you and your whole family to cherish: a green, peaceful setting filled with natural beauty, and a community filled with wonderful neighbors, stimulation and inspiration. Building on a philosophy of learning and living. We’re taking all the knowledge and experience of Carroll Lutheran Village and building MILLER’S GRANT: a senior living community for living and aging in grace. From the architectural design to the proactive wellness activities in our Flourish programs, our mission is to create an asset for you, your loved ones and all Howard County. We are finalizing design plans. As you read this, our team of respected experts is drawing up the finishing touches on MILLER’S GRANT: financing from Herbert J. Sims, designs from RLPS Architects, with construction provided by Harkins Builders and Williamsburg Homes. There will be nothing like it anywhere! Now is the right time to make plans. Recently, we accepted nine reservation deposits in a two-week period, so don’t wait. You can have the greatest choice of residences at the best prices— all for a no-risk deposit, fully refundable, right up until move-in day. Join the many neighbors who’ve already made the choice to make MILLER’S GRANT their new home.

Visit www.MillersGrant.org for new images of the community, news about our Flourish wellness programs and special events we’re holding to bring future neighbors together. We look forward to sharing a flourishing future with you. Please call 877-530-4761 for a personal look at MILLER’S GRANT. Geary Milliken, President & CEO

9531 Frederick Road | Ellicott City, MD 21042

www.MillersGrant.org The Lutheran Village at MILLER’S GRANT is a proposed continuing care retirement community subject to approval by the Maryland Department of Aging and participates with Howard County in the Moderate Income Housing Unit Program.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Foods and drinks that fight bad breath By Gretel H. Schueller There’s nothing worse than meeting someone and realizing that your breath smells like the tuna you had for lunch, stale coffee, or worse. What you eat and poor oral hygiene are the main causes of halitosis, or bad breath. When you think about it, the mouth is a dirty worksite: More than 600 kinds of bacteria live in the average mouth. Many produce smelly gases as they digest the tiny food particles lodged between your teeth and on your tongue. Some of the most offensive gases produced by mouth bacteria are sulfur compounds, which are formed during the breakdown of proteins. Garlic and onion also contain many sulfur compounds. A proper oral-hygiene routine, which includes brushing, flossing, rinsing, tongue cleansing and regular visits to the dentist,

is an important first step to beating bad breath. But even with good dental hygiene your breath can still stink. About $1 billion a year is spent on breath-freshening products like gum and mints. However, these only work to temporarily mask odors. Fortunately, there are a few foods that fight the odor-causing bacteria promoted by other foods. Consider adding these to your arsenal in the battle against bad breath: 1. Tea For tea-rific breath, try a cup of tea. Studies suggest that drinking unsweetened black or green tea may help ward off bad breath. Both types of tea contain antioxidants called polyphenols that can help destroy the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath, although green tea contains more because it’s processed in a different way.

A study conducted at Pace University in New York, for example, found that green tea extracts were effective at fighting several types of oral bacteria by preventing their growth. Polyphenols also reduce those nasty sulfur compounds. 2. Probiotic yogurt Recent studies show that eating 6 ounces of unsweetened yogurt every day can reduce the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in your mouth. The reason is that active cultures in yogurt, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, compete with the bacteria in your mouth that contribute to bad breath. Accumulation of plaque and development of periodontal disease were also reduced in the study’s yogurt eaters. Eat a cup of plain yogurt with active cultures and make sure to avoid varieties with added sugars. (Sugars allow for bacterial

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growth in the body and especially the mouth.) 3. Water Wet your whistle — often. Most odorcausing bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they thrive in a dry mouth. Drinking water helps flush out food particles and bacteria stuck in your mouth. Drinking water also promotes the production of saliva, which acts as a cleansing agent. 4. Parsley and basil Nothing says stinky breath like garlic and onions. That’s because there are roughly 33 different smelly sulfur compounds that naturally occur in garlic and onions. They linger in your mouth and are absorbed in the bloodstream and expelled when you exhale. But parsley and basil help kick garlic breath. The polyphenols (compounds that act like antioxidants) in these herbs break down the sulfur compounds in garlic. For the biggest benefit, combine garlic and either basil or parsley in the same dish (think pesto!), though it may be possible to get the garlic-breath-fighting benefits of polyphenols by eating the herbs in dishes separate from the garlic, as long as they’re consumed during the same meal. 5. Apples and spinach While we can’t guarantee that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, research has shown that eating apples at the same meal as garlic can mitigate garlic breath. (Think pork chops with apples and garlic-mashed potatoes. Or if the thought of garlic and apples together doesn’t sound appealing, follow a garlic-heavy dish with an apple.) The polyphenols found in apples break down the smelly sulfur compounds. Spinach is another polyphenol-rich food that’s good at breaking down stinky sulfur compounds. According to Sheryl Barringer, Ph.D., professor of food science and technology at Ohio State University, the polyphenols in foods like spinach and apples should be mixed with garlic to break down the sulfur compounds. Luckily, spinach and garlic are delicious together. 6. Cherries and lettuce According to nutritionist David Grotto, author of The Best Things You Can Eat (Da Capo Press, 2013) cherries and lettuce can also beat back bad breath. Studies have shown that these two foods help remove the smell of methyl mercaptan, another odorous gas released by mouth bacteria as they digest bits of food. If halitosis is a persistent problem, talk with your doctor. It could be a sign of a more serious condition. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2013 Eating Well, Inc. 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 3

Medicare From page 6 that hospitals decide within 24 to 48 hours whether to admit a patient, observation stays exceeding 24 hours have nearly doubled to 744,748. Few of those patients turn to the appeals process for help. Medicare officials would not disclose how many beneficiaries file observation care appeals. But buried in a document the agency submitted to Congress in April explaining its proposed budget request is a revealing figure: out of 3.2 million appeals received last year, seniors filed less than 10 percent. The rest come from hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other providers. When seniors call Medicare to complain about observation status, the option to appeal is rarely mentioned. According to records of 316 complaints — the total

Medicare said it received from beneficiaries or their representatives about observation since 2008 — a typical response was that Medicare “cannot intercede with hospital/physician regarding change of status.” In a response to one of dozens of congressional inquiries, officials “advised senators [Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services] cannot change a hospital stay classification.” In addition, information provided by officials about the scripts used by the 800MEDICARE call centers to answer observation care questions also do not mention that callers can appeal the denial of nursing home coverage or their extra hospital charges, including non-covered drugs. “I called everyone and their grandmother,” said Arlene Roach in Lynn, Mass., who is trying to appeal her mother-in-law’s $33,000 nursing home bill after she spent

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Kindred Spirits, a social club for persons diagnosed with earlystage memory disorders, meets on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center, 2700 Rte. 97, Cooksville. Activities include therapeutic music, art, exercise and a support group. A daily fee of $30 includes snacks, lunch, coffee and tea. The program is sponsored by the Howard County Office on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Maryland. For further information, email jumiller@howardcountymd.gov or call Judy Miller at (410) 313-5441.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

three nights in the hospital for observation. “Medicare shows that no payment can be made because the services on the claim do not reflect a three-day qualifying stay for inpatient services,” wrote a Medicare contractor in Birmingham, Ala., last November in response to the first of two requests for coverage. This letter said nothing about appeals. But the denial of the second request included information on how to continue the appeal. “It’s like hitting my head against the wall,” Roach said.

She was eventually referred to Diane Paulson, senior attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, who is trying to get Roach a definitive decision from Medicare. “This is a basic denial of due process,” said Paulson. “People are entitled to a written, timely decision and notice of the right to appeal.” Provided by Kaiser Health News, www.kaiserhealthnews.org. Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — 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 3

All about healthy chocolate and cocoa Q: We hear so much about antioxi- mixes made with natural (untreated) dant compounds in chocolate. What cocoa, and you can make a more flavonoidabout cocoa and chocolate milk? rich drink by using natural cocoa plus your A: Chocolate’s flavonoid own sweetener and milk. compounds are under study not Overall, dark chocolate, only as antioxidants, but also for which can run from 50 to 90 other health-protective effects percent cocoa, is higher in like reducing inflammation and flavonoids and has a more inlowering blood pressure. tense flavor than milk chocoChocolate and cocoa-related late, although milk chocolate products have highly variable does provide some flavonoids, flavonoid content, and cocoa too. content on labels can be tricky White chocolate contains to decipher. no cocoa bean solids and Cocoa powder is made up of NUTRITION therefore is not a source of cocoa bean solids — which hold WISE flavonoids. You may see the flavonoid compounds — and By Karen Collins, white chocolate labels stating cocoa butter. One to two table- MS, RD, CDM a percent cocoa (or cacao) spoons of natural cocoa powder content, but this is all present provide a similar level of in the form of cocoa butter, flavonoids as the amount of dark chocolate which does not contain flavonoids. used in studies suggesting health benefits. Q: It seems to be so much harder to However, most widely available cocoa avoid weight gain as I’ve gotten older. mixes contain cocoa treated with alkali Is it true that metabolism slows down (called Dutch cocoa), which removes most as we age? Is there anything to do of the flavonoid compounds. about it? Chocolate milk is also made with Dutch A: You’re right — if you eat the same as cocoa, because it mixes with cold liquids you did as a young adult, and remain just better. But that means chocolate milk is as active, barring some unusual illness, not a source of these potentially protective you will gain weight partly due to slowing flavonoids. metabolism. You may find some gourmet cocoa Research shows we burn fewer calories

as we age because of a combination of decreased physical activity, loss of lean muscle tissue, and slower metabolic rate. On average, compared to total calorie needs at age 20, at age 50 you need about 200 fewer calories per day, and at age 65 or 70, about 400 to 500 fewer calories per day. One way to avoid or reduce age-related weight gain is to reduce calorie consumption. Make “treats” a less common event, reduce portion sizes, and don’t go back for seconds on anything but vegetables, for example. However, you can get to a point where it’s hard to meet nutrient needs if you aim for a calorie intake that’s too low. The good news is that the reduced amount of calories burned with age can be offset by increasing physical activity. Doing 30 to 60 minutes daily of moderate physical activity — like brisk walking — generally burns calories similar to the drop in metabolic rate that occurs.

This activity doesn’t need to occur all at once, but it needs to be virtually every day and needs to take you beyond an easy stroll where you could easily sing as you walk. The really terrific news is that even as this activity is helping avoid weight gain, it exerts powerful metabolic effects independent of weight that help to reduce diabetes and cancer risk with each and every walk. The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days. Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., N.W. Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

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minutes of group laughter exercises starting every Monday at 9 a.m. at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. There is a $2 instructor fee each week. For more information, call (410) 313-7311.

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Health Studies Page

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

NIA studying resveratrol for heart health By Carol Sorgen Resveratrol is a compound found in the leaves and skin of grapes, in peanuts, and in the roots of the plant Japanese knotweed. Although resveratrol has long been used in Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, it became popularly known in the 1990s when researchers began to

suspect that resveratrol may be the major reason for the positive effect of red wine on cardiovascular health. Since then, studies have found that resveratrol has a number of biological effects on blood vessels, cancer, blood clotting, blood sugar control, muscle activity and inflammation.

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Studies are also being conducted to explore whether resveratrol may produce some of the same beneficial effects as decreased food intake through its action on enzymes in the body called sirtuins, which might have a positive effect on the aging process.

Study seeks volunteers Though resveratrol has been extensively studied in test tubes, cells and animals, it is only now being explored fully in people. The National Institute of Aging (NIA) is currently conducting a study at Harbor Hospital, 3001 Hanover St. in Baltimore, to test the effects of different dose levels of resVida (a commercially available resveratrol supplement) on heart and blood vessel health. In a prior animal study of resveratrol conducted by NIA in monkeys, there was a reduction in the stiffness of blood vessels over several weeks. Earlier studies in healthy human volunteers or in patients with type II diabetes mellitus have also begun to identify possible roles for resveratrol as a nutritional supplement. The compound appears to have no harmful effects at doses up to 5 grams per day. For the current study, researchers are seeking overweight but otherwise healthy nonsmoking volunteers who are at least 50 years old.

What the study entails This 12-month study of resVida will involve a screening visit and four study visits, some of which will require overnight

inpatient stays. Participants will undergo a screening that includes a physical exam, medical history, and blood and urine samples. They will also be given a list of foods to avoid eating while on the study. Those taking part in the study will be separated into three groups. Two groups will take different dose levels of the study drug. The third group will take a placebo. Participants will not know which group they fall in. At the first study visit, participants will stay in the clinical center overnight for two days of tests. They will provide blood and urine samples and undergo body scans to measure fat and muscle mass. They will also have exercise tests and a muscle biopsy. At this visit, they will receive their dose of the study drug. They will continue to take this dose for as long as they are on the study. The second visit will take place 16 weeks later and will take only two hours, during which most of the tests from the screening visit will be repeated. The third visit will take place 16 weeks after that, and will again involve an overnight stay. The fourth and final visit will take place in another 16 weeks and will also involve an overnight stay. Most of the tests from the initial study visit (including the scans and the exercise tests) will be repeated. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Vickie L Schaffnerat at (410) 350-7319, schaffnervl@mail.nih.gov, or Dr. James B Strait, (410) 350-3989, straitj@mail.nih.gov.

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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 3

Pets From page 1 that Faith is blind — she recently has been stealthily stealing nearby bones away from her.

Many ways to help out While Sharon Sirkis, of Silver Spring, Md., doesn’t have room in her houseful of pets for one with disabilities, she was so drawn to Pets with Disabilities after reading a story about the organization in the Ladies Home Journal five years ago, that she offered to volunteer immediately and is now the group’s director of fundraising. “All I could focus on — almost to the point of obsession — was how could I raise money to help these beautiful animals that had such a zest for life despite their disabilities,” she said. Pets with Disabilities costs more than $100,000 a year to run, with more than half of that going for veterinary care. Sirkis, who retired last year from a 35year career in communications with the federal government, organizes several fundraising events each year, including an annual Toast to Pets with Disabilities dinner and auction held in June. Sirkis and Darrell are seeking volunteers who can help in other fundraising capacities, such as writing thank-you letters to donors and preparing grant applications. There is also a small cadre of volunteers who work in the shelter, helping Darrell with the day-to-day chores of mopping the floors, doing laundry and washing dog dishes. Darrell quit her job as a gym manager to run Pets with Disabilities. She now rises each

day at 6:15 a.m. to care for the animals, often working until after sunset. She does not take a salary from the organization either — she is a more-than-full-time volunteer. Her husband drives to downtown Washington each day for his job as an elevator engineer, but he also helps out with the pets when he returns home every night.

Devices help overcome disabilities The dogs that aren’t able to walk are strapped into their wheelchairs, which provide two wheels in place of hind legs, for several hours each day. They propel themselves with their front legs and can run like the wind. “The younger they’re introduced to the wheelchair the better,” Darrell said. “Ernie had to have one of his legs amputated, but we got him in a wheelchair as soon as he got here, and he’s running all over the place.” While Tammy Linden’s dogs don’t need wheelchairs, both Patch and Trixie have a condition called valgus deformity in one of their front legs. “I call it a crooked leg. It doesn’t hurt their mobility. When people see them, they make these faces and say, ‘Oh, does it hurt?’ I forget it’s even there. I say, ‘No, he’s fine, they’re fine.’” Linden, who lives in Sykesville, adopted Patch first. She recalls emailing Darrell with numerous questions before meeting Patch, and Darrell wrote back with a twoword reply: “He’s wonderful.” “And he is. I just adore this dog,” Linden said. Also bonding with their pet is a Centreville, Va., family that in May adopted Heidi, a large white dog with a sprinkling of

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

brown patches. She is missing toes on her left front paw. “Her paw looks deformed, although she is bubbly and happy, so it’s is not noticeable right away,” said owner Laurie Lett, in an interview conducted by text message because she is deaf. “I know how often dogs with disabilities get overlooked by society because they are not perfect, just like some people do with me because I am deaf,” Lett said. Lett does not know if Heidi is missing toes due to a congenital deformity or because of abuse, but says the dog is adapting to her family well and already has learned two commands in sign language: sit and down. Helene Jorgensen adopted a blind dog, Riley, a collie mix she describes as “sort of looking like a modern-day Lassie.” Riley, who is about 9 years old, lost his sight to untreated glaucoma. “At first he was pretty stressed and kept bumping into things in our house,” she said after adopting Riley 1 ½ years ago. Jorgensen, who has two other dogs and

lives in Washington, D.C., said she covered the corners of chairs and the coffee table with blankets to help Riley avoid injuries. She blocked the entrance to the stairs, helping guide him up herself. Working with Riley has inspired Jorgensen to contemplate a career change. Currently an economist, she’s now thinking about using her experience with Riley to start her own dog training business. For Sirkis, caring for dogs who are blind and that have other disabilities is a joyful experience she hopes more will get to share. “How heartwarming to see a blind dog running toward your voice, tail wagging; the deaf dogs watching you move as you throw them that ball for the 20th time; the wheelchair dogs as they race around….In our eyes, they are handicapped, but to them they are just living a different type of normal.” For details about individual pets available for adoption, or how to become an “angel” and support one for a month or a year, see www.petswithdisabilities.org or call (443) 624-9270.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — 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 3

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Issues arising after unhappy marriages Dear Solutions: Dear Solutions: I’m very upset about my younger sisMy former husband and I were marter. She’s in her 60s and ried for more than 55 years was in an unhappy marriage before we got divorced, and for over 40 years. Now she’s it wasn’t a great divorce, eia widow and, luckily, was ther. Neither of us has releft a lot of money. married. Somehow, men she Now my children and meets seem to know this, grandchildren are having a and she thinks any man big party for him, and they who’s interested in her is keep insisting that I after her money. She says should come. Yes, they she would be very gullible say, they know we’re diif she believed they’re not SOLUTIONS vorced, but since I was By Helen Oxenberg, just after her money. married to him for so long, So she keeps looking for MSW, ACSW I should be part of this someone else and keeps party anyway because he’s getting hurt. I don’t know how to stop pretty old, and it may be the last one. this or what to call this. I don’t really want to go, but I don’t — Irene want to disappoint the kids either. Do Dear Irene: you think I should go? I don’t know I’d call it Gullible’s Travels, since she’s what’s right or wrong anymore. For intraveling from man to man. Since she was stance, just because we were married in a bad, emotionally abusive marriage, for so long, should I go to his funeral? her self esteem is probably low, and she — Unsure doesn’t trust that a man might be truly in- Dear Unsure: terested in her, not her money. Not until he’s dead — and not unless he So she needs help to build up her self dies before you do! Of course, all of these worth and play down her financial worth. decisions are yours and yours alone. Encourage her to use some of this lucky fiDivorcing after all those years was probnancial means to pay for good therapy to ably a big shock to those children. When a help her feel good about herself and im- marriage lasts so long, even if it’s bad, peoprove her ability to judge the real charac- ple stop thinking about it and expect it to ter of the men she meets. go on forever.

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July 31

DISABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS The Howard County Commission on Disability is seeking nomina-

tions for its 2013 Leadership Awards program, with a deadline of Wednesday, July 31 for receipt of applications. Nominees must live, work or provide services in Howard County, and provide leadership in disability issues in the areas of business and accessibility. Additional awards are slated for an adult and a young person with a disability, who take leadership roles in a specific area such as sports, education, employment or community advocacy. To learn more about the awards or to download a nomination form, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/CDlawards.htm or call (410) 313-6400.

After a divorce, even grown children seem to hold on to the fantasy that their parents will get back together some day. Evidently, they want you two to at least be friends. You have to choose your priorities. If you can let go of any lingering resentment you may feel, and it’s important to you to please your children, then go to the party (you can decide about the funeral later). Make it very clear to them first that this will not change your marital status, but you are willing to at-

tend a big family celebration once in a while. And if not, then ask the children to please understand that you will be too uncomfortable attending. If all else fails, toss a coin. Please let me know how it all turns out. © Helen Oxenberg, 2013. 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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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 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 3, NO. 7 â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 2013

A Message from the Administrator

By Dayna Brown, Office on Aging Administrator

Summer is here, and Howard County living is easy andâ&#x20AC;Śhot! If you are looking to beat the heat, check out the wide array of activities that are offered (in air conditioned comfort) at Howard County senior centers this summer. There really is something for everyone; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll even find indoor, cushioned walking tracks and fitness facilities at two of our centers, in North Laurel and Glenwood. Check them out! Things will really heat up in August, when the Howard County Fair returns to West Friendship for its 68th year, from August 3 to 10. Mark your calendars for Senior Day at the Fair on Tuesday, August 6, when everyone age 62 and better gets in free all day, and be sure to head over to the 4-H Activities Building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all sorts of fun, sponsored by the Office on Aging. Visit www.howardcountyaging.org or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;likeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HoCoCitizen for details. If you find yourself with extra time this summer, why not put it to good use by volunteering with our office? You can even volunteer with your pet if you like; participants in our Paws4Comfort program love taking their four-legged friends to visit older adults at facilities all around Howard County. Call 410-313-7461 to register for the next free information session and pet evaluation on Wednesday, July 3 at the Bain Center. For more volunteer opportunities, visit www.howardcountyaging.org and click on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Volunteeringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or contact Darlene Vaselaros at 410-313-5956. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and be sure to mark your calendars for some great Office on Aging events coming this fall, including Kick-Off To Healthâ&#x20AC;ŚA Wellness Event for Men on September 17; the 15th annual 50+EXPO on October 18; and the 2nd annual Caregivers Workshop on November 9. As always, if you need information, a referral or assistance, contact Maryland Access Point at 410-313-5980 (voice/relay), email map@howard countymd.gov or visit www.marylandaccesspoint.info.

Take Charge of Your Health

Try a Living Well Workshop

Maryland has joined states across the country and countries across the world in implementing Stanford Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evidence-based Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). Leaders at federal, state and local levels are driven by one critical goal: to improve the quality of life of persons with chronic conditions while reducing healthcare costs for this growing population. In Howard County, the Stanford CDSMP is known as Living Well: Take Charge of Your Health and is offered through the Office on Aging. Living Well is designed for adults of all ages who have one or more chronic health conditions, or those who care for someone who does. Having severe conditions or living with multiple health conditions (such as arthritis, COPD, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and obesity) often results in frequent use of healthcare services, higher out-ofpocket expenses, and can contribute to a poor quality of life. The Living Well program helps participants learn to become more self-sufficient in managing their lives and improving

their physical and emotional health, thereby reducing healthcare costs. Offered over the course of six weeks, the Living Well program is highly structured and intensively interactive. Each weekly session lasts approximately 2.5 hours, and is facilitated by two trained lay leaders who also have a chronic condition. Each interactive session deals with a specific topic: â&#x20AC;˘ Techniques to deal with frustration, fatigue, pain and feelings of isolation â&#x20AC;˘ Appropriate exercise to maintain and improve strength, flexibility and endurance â&#x20AC;˘ Communicating effectively with family, friends and health professionals â&#x20AC;˘ Understanding how to evaluate new treatments â&#x20AC;˘ Appropriate use of medications â&#x20AC;˘ Nutrition Each participant also receives a Living a Healthy Life book, as well as a Time for Healing relaxation CD. The charge for the entire series is $28 and includes all materials. Financial assistance is available. For more information or to register for an upcoming Living Well class, contact Wendy Farthing at 410-313-3506 or wfarthing@howardcountymd.gov.

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The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Department of Citizen Servicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Office on Aging. 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 â&#x20AC;˘ 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.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Coming Events

Say you saw it in the Beacon

The Senior Connection

Wednesday, July 3, 7 p.m. – Paws4Comfort Evaluations, The Bain Center Want to volunteer with your pet? To find out how, or schedule a free evaluation for your pet, contact Ingrid Gleysteen at 410-313-7461 or igleysteen@howard countymd.gov. Pets must be at least one year old, and have lived with you for at least six months. Wednesday, July 3, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Independence Day Cookout, Elkridge Senior Center Celebrate our independence while enjoying cooked-to-order hamburgers, hot dogs and delicious sides, plus music and games. Call 410-313-4930 for more info; sign up at the center. Free; lunch donation accepted.

Tuesday, July 9, 2 to 3 p.m. – Medicare Tune-Up, North Laurel 50+ Center Get Medicare updates on topics including durable medical equipment, diabetic supplies, preventative services, fraud protection and benefit programs to cover costs. Free; for more information or to register, call 410-313-7391. Sponsored by the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Wednesday, July 10, 10 a.m. – The Big Four, Glenwood 50+Center Wayne Schaumberg, Baltimore’s go-to guy for history, will discuss the beginnings of philanthropy in Baltimore. Free; call 410-313-5440 to register.

Wednesday, July 10, 10:30 a.m. – Basket Weaving, East Columbia 50+ Center Learn how to make a beautiful oblong tray with Rosewood handles. Cost: $48 includes all materials, instruction and fun! Call 410-313-7680 to register. Wednesdays, July 10 – 31, 1 p.m. – America from Beginning to Today, Ellicott City Senior Center Enjoy our new history series, presented by Gary Kavanagh. Weekly topics include: Discovery to the Revolution; Constitution to Civil War; Civil War Reconstruction to WWI; and WWI to the Present. Call 410-313-1400 to register.

Thursday, July 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – BYOB (Bring Your Own Beads) Jewelry Club, East Columbia 50+ Center No set project; come start something new, or restring an old set that needs some TLC. Call 410-313-7680 to register. Free, unless you need to purchase supplies.

Thursday, July 11, 6 p.m. – Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), East Columbia 50+ Center An acupuncture alternative to clearing blocked energy flow, EFT, or simple tapping on acupuncture points, is easy to learn and use. Cost: $12; call 410-313-7680 to register.

Tuesday, July 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Omega Psi Phi’s Connecting with the Community Party, The Bain Center Meet the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and enjoy live music, entertainment, and the chance to win great door prizes. Lunch will be served; nominal donation suggested. Call 410313-7213 to reserve your seat and lunch by July 9.

Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Medicare Tune-Up, The Bain Center Get Medicare updates on topics including durable medical equipment, diabetic supplies, preventative services, fraud protection and benefit programs to cover costs. Free; to register, call 410-313-7391. Tuesday, July 16, 11 a.m. – Downsizing Made Easy, Ellicott City Senior Center Victoria Hathaway of RE/MAX presents The Silver Group, a unique program that addresses the challenges associated with a senior move. Topics will include Downsizing; Move Managing; and Searching for a Senior Living Community. Call 410-313-1400 to register.

Wednesday, July 17, 10 to 11 a.m. – Home Staging, The Bain Center Selling your home in the near future? Rita Bianchi, accredited staging professional, will show you how to prepare your home for sale to appeal to the highest number of potential buyers. For more information or to register, call 410-313-7213.

Thursday, July 18, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SPRING Luncheon: Timbuktu Restaurant, 1726 Dorsey Road, Hanover, Md. Celebrate summer with SPRING and have lunch at Timbuktu! Choose an entrée: Crab Cake, Chicken Timbuktu or Pasta Primavera (price varies with selection and includes coffee/tea/ice tea and gratuity). Seating is limited; register by July 9 by calling Elaine Widom, 410-313-7283. Thursday, July 18, 11 a.m. to noon – Medicare Tune-Up, Ellicott City Senior Center Get Medicare updates on topics including durable medical equipment, diabetic supplies, preventative services, fraud protection and benefit programs to cover costs. Free; to register, call 410-313-7391.

Tuesday, July 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Libretto & Lunch, The Bain Center The incomparable Tom Glenn, DPA, will discuss Madame Butterfly, Puccini’s most heart-felt opera. Cost: $13; call 410-313-7213 to register by July 16. Wednesday, July 24, 11 a.m. to noon – Medicare Tune-Up, East Columbia 50+ Center Get Medicare updates on topics including durable medical equipment, diabetic supplies, preventative services, fraud protection and benefit programs to cover costs. Free; to register, call 410-313-7391.

Thursday, July 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – All American Pie Contest & Picnic, North Laurel 50+ Center Sample homemade pies and vote for your favorite, then join us for hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. Pie tasting starts at 11; lunch is at noon. Cost is $3 plus a lunch contribution. Please reserve by July 17. For more information, call 410-313-0380.

Tuesday, September 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Kick-Off To Health, A Wellness Event for Men, The Bain Center Designed to heighten awareness and empower men to be proactive about their health, this new event will feature interactive exhibitors, free health screenings and seminars, exercise demos and more. Free admission; call 410-313-5957 for more information.

Saturday, November 9, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. – 2nd Annual Caregiver Workshop, The Bain Center Join us to learn more about Howard County resources for caregivers; legal issues; managing stress and challenging behaviors; long term care planning and more. Free; continental breakfast and lunch included. Call 410-313-6410 for more information.

Riding High with your Feet on the Ground!

Thursday, July 18, 1 p.m. – Diabetes Awareness Program, Ellicott City Senior Center Craig Weinsweig, from the Ellicott City Pharmacy, will present the latest diabetes information, along with tips on managing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Call 410-313-1400 to register. Friday, July 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – What a Dish, Elkridge Senior Center Don’t miss a cooking demonstration and tasting by Becky Mengel, featuring Shrimp Scampi! Free; call 410-3134930 for more info or sign up at the center.

Friday, July 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Crab Cake Luncheon, Glenwood 50+Center Join us to enjoy delicious homemade crab cakes with coleslaw, pickle, chips, drink and dessert. Eat in or carry out. Cost: $14; for tickets, call 410-313-5440.

SENIOR DAY AT THE FAIR Howard County Fair 2013 FREE ADMISSION for ADULTS 62+ Tuesday, August 6 • 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!

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Money Law &

BETTER OFF WITH INDEX FUNDS You can often net more from index mutual funds than managed ones because the fund fees are much lower MISPLACED TRUST Living trusts are often sold to people who don’t need them. The trusts are not needed to protect assets from probate in most cases

Will Social Security changes affect you? There’s nothing like proand are in good health, it pays posed changes to Social Seto wait to retire until your full recurity limits to get readers of tirement age before you claim this column going. After benefits (and it’s even better if President Obama released you can delay until age 70). his fiscal 2014 budget, a While you can choose to tap number of you wrote in askinto the system as early as age ing, “What will this mean to 62, your benefit will be permame?” nently lower — for some as Well, let’s start with a much as 25 percent less, which quick refresher on the cur- RETIRE SMART also could affect a non-working rent system. To qualify for By Jill Schlesinger spouse, who also will claim based Social Security retirement on your work history. Unfortubenefits, you need to have worked and nately, many Americans can’t afford to delay paid payroll taxes for at least 10 years. You — they need the income as soon as possible. can check your online benefits statement There is one more part of the equation. at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement to The government adjusts the amount of determine where you currently stand. your retirement benefit annually to acFull retirement age varies from 65 to 67 count for rising prices. In 2013, the cost of depending on the year of your birth. The living adjustment, or “COLA,” was an ingeneral rule is that if you can afford to do so crease of 1.7 percent.

Running out of money? But let’s hit the pause button here. Social Security is not going broke any time soon. Yes, there are fewer workers paying into the system today than in the past, and indeed, more and more baby boomers retire every day. The Social Security 2012 trustee report projected that in 20 years (after 2033), payroll tax income would pay only about three-quarters of scheduled benefits through 2086. But the trustees’ report also offered a different way to think about Social Security — as a share of Gross Domestic Product, or the economy as a whole. Social Security costs equaled 4.2 percent of GDP in 2007, and the trustees project that these costs will increase gradually to 6.4 percent of GDP in 2035 before declining and will remain at about 6.1 percent of GDP from 2055 through 2086.

Many argue that 6 to 6.5 percent of GDP is a small price to pay to fund a program that provides about 37 percent of all income for Americans 65 and older, and a whopping 85 percent for those in the bottom 20 percent of incomes. That’s why legislators and pundits have been floating so many ideas for enhancing the current system, which include increasing full retirement age, raising the Social Security wage base from the current level of $113,700 of earned income, increasing the Social Security payroll tax for high earners, means-testing Social Security benefits for retirees who have incomes above a certain threshold, and/or changing the cost-of-living adjustment.

See SOCIAL SECURITY, page 19

Stable value funds help preserve capital dicting higher interest rates Long-term investors should for many years and they obvinot have a significant amount ously have been wrong. Beof money invested in Treasury cause of the weak economy, bills, money market instruthe Federal Reserve has ments or garden variety savadopted an easy money poliings accounts. The reason is cy, and as a result interest simple: These options return rates have remained very less than 1 percent per year, low. which means they don’t keep However, there is no doubt pace with inflation. that rates will rise at some Yet many people still park THE SAVINGS point, and there is no doubt their money in these vehicles, GAME that, when they do, investors simply for the sake of preserv- By Elliot Raphaelson holding intermediate and ing their capital. They remember 2008, when practically all other invest- long-term bonds and bond funds will take a hit. ments lost significant value. Are there other decent investment opWhat about bonds and bond funds? For the last few years, most bonds and bond tions for those who want to preserve capital? funds have performed very well. However, many analysts have pointed out that interest rates have nowhere to go Higher than money market yields One option is a stable value fund. The but up. When rates do eventually rise, bond prices, with the exception only of objective of stable value funds is to prevery short-term bonds and short-term serve the value of invested capital, perform better than money market instrubond funds, will fall in price. In many of my columns, I have recom- ments, and earn consistent, reliable remended that bond investors steer clear of turns. all long-term bonds for this reason. (I do The managers of stable value funds acso in my own portfolio.) complish this by investing in high-quality Of course, many analysts have been pre- fixed-income investments and investment

contracts with insurance companies and banks. Such contracts are designed to preserve capital regardless of market conditions. The investment portfolio consists of investment-grade securities — such as U.S. Treasuries, government agency bonds, mortgage-backed securities, other assetbacked securities and private-placed mortgage debt. Individuals who invested in these funds in recent years would have received returns much greater than the return of money-market instruments, but less than the returns from the majority of most intermediate and long-term bonds and bond funds. For example, over the last five years (as of December 31, 2012), the return of T. Rowe Price Stable Value Common Trust Fund F was 3.79 percent; for three years, the return was 3.36; for one year, 2.51 percent. According to Hueler Co., a Minneapolis research firm, at the end of March 2013, the average stable-value fund yield was 2 percent. The industry’s Stable Value Investment Association has indicated that these accounts are available in half of all definedcontribution retirement plans.

Some transfer restrictions It is important that investors review the restrictions associated with transferring funds out of stable value accounts. For example, you cannot transfer funds out of a stable value account into a money market investment unless you have maintained the stable-value account for at least 90 days. Generally, there are fewer restrictions if you want to transfer funds into an account other than a money market account. Long-term investors should not have a large amount invested in ultraconservative investments such as money market instruments. Investments in stable value funds will provide you with greater returns than a money market fund, allow you to earn consistent reliable returns, and avoid the short-term risks associated with long-term and intermediate-term bonds if interest rates do increase. However, investments in stable value funds will not provide you with long-term capital growth. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. 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 3

What to consider before co-signing a loan By Kaitlin Pitsker When all it takes to lend a hand to your child, relative or close friend is a few strokes of a pen, it can be difficult to say no. But co-signing for someone else’s credit card, lease or loan can pose a high risk to your hard-earned credit history. Co-signers are on the hook for repaying the debt if the primary borrower defaults. Late or missed payments would appear on your credit report and ding your score just as they would with any other debt. Even if the payment history is flawless, your higher debt-to-income and credit-utilization ratios after co-signing can affect your ability to get a loan.

Minimize your risks If the request comes from an adult child

Social Security From page 18

Refiguring cost of living The president’s budget focuses on that last option by tinkering with the COLA calculation as a means to slow down the cost of Social Security over the next decade. The proposal would replace the current measure of inflation (a consumer price index for wage earners, or CPI-W) with one called “chained CPI,” which the government has only been calculating since 2002. Advocates claim that chained CPI is a more accurate measure because it takes into account the fact that consumers respond to the rise in the price of one good by shifting to cheaper alternatives. Chained CPI has shown an average rate of inflation that’s 0.3 percent lower than the government’s current measure, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. The Obama administration said that this change in calculation would shave $110 bil-

— say, to co-sign a car loan — the answer depends on your philosophy of children and money. Are you willing to support them, or is it time to let them sink or swim? If someone other than your child asks you to become a co-signer, consider why that person hasn’t been able to secure credit. “The bank is asking for a co-signer because it’s not comfortable doing business with that person,” said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. The borrower may have a thin credit report, bad credit or not enough income to meet the repayment criteria. If you decide to take on these risks, review the documents before signing and discuss your expectations with the primary borrower. lion from the budget over 10 years. However, what would be the net effect of this change on retirees? According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the switch to chained CPI could reduce benefits for the average worker who retires at age 65 by about $650 per year by age 75, and by over $1,100 per year by age 85. So, while some combination of these proposed changes could be made to bolster Social Security over the long term, many of them will shrink the already meager benefits of most retirees. Like it or not, this appears to be the new reality of retirement. We should all pay attention and plan accordingly. Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is the Senior Business Analyst for CBS News. A former options trader and CIO of an investment advisory firm, Jill covers the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign. She welcomes comments and questions at askjill@jillonmoney.com. © 2013 Tribune Media, Inc.

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Ask the borrower to refinance the loan or close the credit card (the only ways to get your name off the account) as soon as the borrower’s credit score improves or income rises.

Stay on top of payments After signing, closely monitor the account (you should have online access to statements) to ensure that payments are being made. If the primary borrower misses a payment, the lender typically contacts both borrower and co-signer almost immediately, said Ulzheimer. (It won’t affect your credit scores until the payment is more than 30 days overdue.) If the borrower stops making payments, be prepared to

step in and make the payments in order to avoid marring your credit. Parents may be able to avoid the cosign question in the first place by helping their children build a solid credit record. For example, adding a child as an authorized user to one of your credit cards builds credit in the child’s name, even if your child doesn’t use the card, said Ulzheimer. Other ways to build credit are with a secured card, which generally requires a deposit of $300 to $500 (usually equal to the card’s credit line), or with a retail credit card in the child’s name. Kaitlin Pitsker is a reporter at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. © 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Index funds often superior to managed ones By Jill Schlesinger “What does your fund manager do?” screamed the headline of the April 8 edition of Barron’s. All I could think was, “What, indeed!?” The article said some superstar fund managers “fly around the world, they crunch reams of data, they dissect industries” — and, for good measure, ultimately beat the index against which their funds are measured. Here’s the problem: Even if there are

some diamonds in the rough (and believe me, it’s rough out there in managed mutual fund land), it may not even be worth trying. The reason is that it is very difficult to beat the index after factoring in costs and fees. A recent survey by the London investment firm Style Research analyzed 425 global equity funds versus the MSCI World index. Without fees, 59 percent of the managers beat the index. However, after investor fees were included, only 31

percent beat the index last year. And it gets harder to beat year after year, because investors tend to pile into the good funds only after they have beaten their relative indexes. Once new money flows into these funds, costs tend to rise and the funds can get too large and cumbersome for the manager, which together make outperformance more difficult to achieve in the future.

Fund fees fall a little There has been some good news on fees. According to the Investment Company Institute, mutual fund fees have been trending lower. The average expense ratios for equity funds have fallen from 0.99 percent in 1990 to 0.79 percent in 2011, a 20 percent decline. But a good chunk of that decrease may be attributable to the shift toward no-load (no commission) funds. Actively managed equity funds still have average fees of 0.93 percent, while index equity funds have average fees of 0.13 percent. How do you find the good ones? It will take some work. You will need to identify active investment managers with a proven track record who can consistently stick to an articulated and prudent strategy. You will also want to look for a fund with low investment costs as well as low administrative and advisory fees. Also watch out for costs due to portfolio turnover, commissions and execution.

The index fund alternative If you prefer to spend your time in other ways and want to make your investment life a little easier, there’s a simple solution. Instead of trying to beat the index, just buy the index!

Last month, index fund pioneer Vanguard issued a research report comparing index versus managed funds and noted “persistence of performance among past [managed fund] winners is no more predictable than a flip of a coin....Low-cost index funds have displayed a greater probability of outperforming higher-cost actively managed funds.” Index funds have been around since the early 1970s, but suffered from a definitive “un-cool” status for a long time. It was much more fun to think that some manager held the keys to the investment kingdom than to imagine that all you needed was a few index funds in different asset classes. And there was no massive brokerage sales force and marketing campaign blazing the trail for the stodgy index fund. Of course, the commission-based brokers who were touting managed mutual funds had a great incentive — only the expensive, loaded mutual funds would pay them. But in the aftermath of the financial crisis, boring has become more attractive. Many investors dumped their managed funds and decided that they would prefer to start the investing year with the extra 0.80 percent in their own pockets. According to fund-tracking firm Morningstar, assets in U.S. index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) accounted for 34 percent of equity and 18 percent of fixed income funds as of yearend 2012. My hope is to see those levels steadily rise, as do-it-yourself investors wise up, or as investors who work with advisers choose fee-only or fee-based professionals who adhere to an indexing strategy. © 2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Older adults throughout the region are reading the Beacon every month Shouldn’t your ad be here? For advertising rates, call Alan at (410) 248-9101 or email alan@thebeaconnewspapers.com

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Why you probably don’t need a living trust By Sandra Block Living trusts are typically marketed as a way to avoid the cost and hassles of probate — the legal process used to determine that a will is valid and to ensure that your property is distributed according to your wishes. All too often, though, they’re sold to people who don’t need them, said Sally Hurme, a project adviser for AARP. An estate plan that includes a trust costs $1,000 to $3,000, versus $300 or less for a simple will. What a living-trust promoter may not tell you: You don’t need a trust to protect as-

sets from probate. You can arrange for most of your valuable assets to go to your heirs outside of probate. A home or other property that’s owned jointly with the right of survivorship goes directly to the joint owner when you die. More than a dozen states allow transfer-on-death deeds for real estate, said Mary Randolph, author of The Executor’s Guide, by Nolo. Likewise, pensions, retirement accounts and life insurance policies automatically transfer to the beneficiary. You can keep bank accounts out of probate by setting up payable-on-death ac-

BEACON BITS

July 11

THE EMPLOYMENT EDGE Topics in this seminar at the Central Branch of the Howard County

Public Library include job search tools, resume writing, interview skills and professionalism on the job. The event takes place on Thursday, July 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. For more information, call (410) 313-7800.

Ongoing

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER INFO Howard County residents with questions about the Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly know as “Section 8”) for low-in-

come households, disabled persons or the elderly, can receive answers by addressing questions via the email link hcvhousing@howardcountymd.gov or calling

counts, which give the recipient immediate access to the money. Probate doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Many states have streamlined probate for small estates. In the District of Columbia, estates are considered small with less than $40,000 in assets; in Virginia, with under $15,000; in Maryland, with less than $50,000 (or $100,000, if the spouse is the sole heir). You must transfer property to a trust. For example, if you want your home to be included in a living trust, you need to record a new deed transferring ownership to the trust. This can be a hassle, but if you overlook this step, the living trust is a “worthless piece of paper,” Hurme said. There may be unforeseen consequences. When you create a trust, you name yourself as trustee so you have control of the assets. Most married people name their spouse as joint or successor trustee. This could create problems if you become incapacitated and your spouse devel-

ops, say, dementia. Randolph recommends naming another successor, such as an adult child, as trustee. Don’t believe anyone who said a living trust will make it easier to qualify for Medicaid. Assets in a living trust are “countable” for purposes of Medicaid eligibility. Sometimes a living trust makes sense. For example, if you own out-ofstate property, such as a vacation home, putting it in a living trust will save your heirs from probate in that state. And Danielle Mayoras, an elder-law lawyer, recommends living trusts to clients who want to leave more to one child than the others. Sandra Block is a senior associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Kiplinger’s has a new service to pinpoint the ideal time to claim Social Security to maximize benefits. Visit http://kiplinger.socialsecuritysolutions.com. © 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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Travel Leisure &

Chincoteague and Assateague islands are home to more than 300 wild ponies. See story on page 25.

Portland’s small-town yet urban waterfront it “America’s foodiest small town.” Never mind that Men’s Health listed it “dead last” on their tabulation of 100 hotbeds of sex.

Waterfront city Portland, the largest city in the Pine Tree State and founded in 1632, is known for its working waterfront. It sits on a peninsula jutting into Casco Bay and includes five islands that are part of the city. Mainers, mariners and non, promote the deep harbor that is icefree year round. (History footnote: Canada had to use Portland for shipping before icebreakers were invented.) You can stroll from a Picasso at the Portland Museum of Art to harbor seals near the ferry terminal. Compact, pleasant and easily walkable, Portland offers an urban-smalltown-waterfront experience, all in one. Local resident Sophia Booth, says “It’s impossible to be bored here,” citing events like the First Fridays Art Walk and GreenDrinks, a social networking group focused on environmental concerns. “And where else can you rent a ukulele from the public library?” she asked.

By Glenda C. Booth From my sixth floor hotel room in the middle of Portland, Maine, I stared at the waters of Casco Bay gently lapping the harbor and was 99 percent convinced I had a blurry sighting of the legendary Casco Bay Sea Serpent porpoising across the bay. I had just come from the International Cryptozoology Museum, where for two hours I pondered arcane objects and fuzzy images of Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster and other mysterious creatures. Roaming around downtown, I had contemplated a snazzy purple chapeau at the Queen of Hats, savored an Eritrean lamb stew at Asmara’s Restaurant, and toured Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s boyhood home. Such is Portland, Maine, city of 70,000, a rich mix, pedestrian-friendly, urban center on the water and full of surprises. You might talk lobster prices with a crusty sea captain at Becky’s lunch counter or world events with a Somalian refugee at a fish market. You might be drawn into analyzing the feats of the Seadogs, Portland’s minor league baseball team, or guessing the essential ingredients of a true whoopee pie. Forbes magazine labeled Portland one of the country’s most livable cities, which is perhaps why actress Bette Davis had a home on the outskirts. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance said last year that Portland’s “the best city in the U.S. for Second Acts.” Bon Appetit dubbed

Eclectic tours A bus or trolley tour (www.PortlandDiscovery.com) is a good starting point for getting to know the city. You’ll roll through stately Victorian neighborhoods and two parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead that capitalize on scenic water views. THE GREATER PORTLAND + CONVENTION CENTER

Boats dock in Casco Bay along Portland’s waterfront. Portland, the largest city in Maine, dates back to 1632, when it became a British fishing and trading settlement named Casco.

The historic Portland Head Light overlooks the rocky entrance to Portland, Maine’s harbor. The 222-year-old lighthouse is the oldest in Maine.

No visit to Maine’s rocky coast is complete without a stop at the 80-foot Portland Headlight and Museum, Maine’s oldest lighthouse dating from 1791 and authorized by President George Washington. When the lighthouse was built, Portland was the closest port to Europe. Or try the Wicked Walking tour (www.WickedWalkingTours.com) for legends of haunted Portland. On the Culinary Delights (www.mainefoodietours.com) taste tour, you’ll sample local specialties like fiddleheads, seafood chowder (“chowdah”), clams, mussels, whoopee pies and, of course, the king of crustaceans — the Maine lobster. The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad (www.mainenarrowgauge.org) has daily summer trips along Casco Bay. You can while away a day in the Old Port area, especially along Commercial Street, one of the country’s most successfully revitalized warehouse districts. With gulls squalling overhead, ever ready to swoop down and steal morsels, you’ll find around 160 locally-owned shops and no chain retail stores (except one Starbucks that “snuck in”). Pick up some “moose poop” treats for your pup, or all things blueberry: jam, pancake mix, candy, even barbeque sauce featured on television’s Travel Channel. In the Maine Pantry, you can buy Cajun seasoning mixed in Maine. “Go figure!” says a sign. Be sure to duck into the no-nonsense Har-

bor Market for the real coastal Maine, human and piscine, where brawny seafood merchants help eager customers select fish fresh out of the ocean, from eels to haddock. It’s real.

Cultural pursuits Designed by I.M. Pei, the Portland Museum of Art (www.portlandmuseum.org) has more than 17,000 fine and decorative works of art, including paintings, sculpture, glass and ceramics and furniture dating from the 18th century. Works by Mainer Andrew Wyeth are favorites, but you can also see art by Rockwell Kent, Louise Nevelson, John Singer Sargent, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. There’s a Winslow Homer collection, and the museum arranges trips to his Prouts Neck studio where he painted many masterpieces. This summer, the museum will feature an exhibit titled “Shangaa: Art of Tanzania.” The federal-style Longfellow House was built in 1786 by the poet’s grandfather and was the first brick house in the city. The Maine Historical Society, the third oldest in the country and dating from 1822, has 15,000 photos and thousands of maps. The Portland Observatory Museum, a National Civil Engineering Landmark that has withSee PORTLAND, page 23

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

Portland From page 22 stood many fierce storms, is the only remaining historic maritime signal station in the U.S. The 50-ton Kotzschmar organ in Merrill Auditorium can replicate virtually all the sounds of a symphony orchestra. Built in 1912, it has pipes ranging from the size of a pencil to some 32 feet long, plus 100 miles of wiring that connects the pipes to the keys. The study of the unknown, the unproven, the anecdotal and the supposed at the International Cryptozoology Museum (http://cryptozoologymuseum.com/) entices. There’s a model of the Feejee Mermaid, which turned out to be a hoax, a monkey sewn to a fish and mummified. There’s film footage of a big hairy, gorillalike beast loping through dense vegetation, and “evidence” of more mysterious Maine cryptids beyond the Casco Bay Sea Serpent.

Food and drink For thirst quenching in a local brewery, tour the Shipyard Brewery Company, a microbrewery that flies a beer keg on the roof instead of a flag. It’s hard not to eat well in Portland. DeMillos on the harbor is a floating former car ferry loaded with nautical imagery where “diners are passengers.” Fresh lobsters, mussels and clams practically jump off the menu. “The clams you eat here today slept last night in Casco Bay,” the restaurant touts. J’s Oyster Bar on the waterfront is always crowded but worth the wait for oysters “raw and nude.” J’s makes chowders, lobster rolls and a scallop casserole to die for. Family-owned, downhome Becky’s Diner has whole-belly fried clams, clam cakes, homemade soups and freshly-made pies. A waitress told me the banana cream

pie “weighs 20 pounds.” A regular customer commented, “The food is consistently good, and the waitresses are sweet.” If you really want a fresh lobster, catch one. Sail out with Lucky Catch Lobstering (www.luckycatch.com) and haul traps. You’ll learn all about hardshells, softshells, shedders, shorts, culls and keepers. The Portland Lobster Company restaurant on the pier will cook them for you. Prepare for drippy elbows.

Island hopping After traipsing around the city, relaxing on Great Chebeague Island is a refreshing respite. In 2006, Chebeaguers voted to secede from the town of Cumberland, and they carefully nurture a year-round community esprit de corps. “We don’t want to be a snooty, touristy Nantucket-type island,” the town historian told me, so they killed the construction of a bridge to the mainland. The island is four miles long and 1.5 miles wide, and the speed limit is 30 mph all over. There’s one grocery and one restaurant, sort of. Historically known for stone sloops, boats that carried granite from quarries, Chebeague has 350 year-round residents. Proud islanders view Casco Bay as “the moat.” It separates and protects them from the city. While Chebeaguers eschew the touristy, locals are welcoming. Everyone waves to you. I arrived at the dock with a suitcase and no arrangements for transportation to the Chebeague Inn. As I watched my suitcase hoisted up and down by a crane, I befriended a woman waiting for her groceries to come off the ferry. When I asked how to get to the inn, she offered me a ride in her rusty 1970s Ford station wagon with floor “ventilation.”

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The Chebeague Island Inn (www .chebeagueislandinn.com), dubbed the “11th Best Small Hotel in the U.S.” by CondéNast Traveler, is a restored, Greek Revival-style 1920s hotel with wide relaxing porches and sweeping water views. From a comfy wicker chair, you can watch terns dive and great blue herons fish. If you need to move around, poke around in the tide pools. Rooms start at $166 per night, including breakfast. Casco Bay Lines (www.CascoBayLines.com) makes frequent daily trips from the ferry terminal to six Casco Bay islands. You can cruise around and absorb the

scenery, day trip, or stop at one for a stay. For downtown lodging, the Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn by the Bay are the most reasonably priced hotels. United has July flights from BWI through Cleveland for $199. You can tour much of the city over several days without a car, but you need a car to venture beyond downtown. For more information, visit the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.visitportland.com, and the Maine Office of Tourism, www.mainetourism.com. Glenda C. Booth is a travel writer based in Alexandria, Va.

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Chincoteague known for ponies and more

Pony paradise During our recent visit, my wife Fyllis and I were immersed in stories about Misty, Stormy and the other ponies as soon as we arrived. Although known as Chincoteague ponies, two herds today actually roam free on Assateague Island — a wildlife refuge that is protected from development. A fence marks the Maryland-Virginia border that bisects that barrier island, and one group of the ponies hangs out in each state. The shaggy, sturdy animals, which are slightly smaller than horses, have adapted to their harsh seashore environment by learning to subsist on dune and marsh grasses and drinking from fresh water ponds. Pony lore begins with the mystery of how their ancestors came to the area. One scenario thought to be likely by many historians is that the horses are descendants of domesticated stock that farmers grazed on Assateague Island during the 17th century to avoid taxes and penning regulations on the mainland. Another is that Native Americans had ponies when the first European settlers arrived. More intriguing, but more in doubt, is the colorful legend that the ponies’ forebears swam to shore from the wreck of either a Spanish galleon or an English vessel that sank offshore. No matter how they arrived, the animals’ fame has been spread not only by the books about Misty and Stormy and the subsequent motion picture, but also because of the annual pony penning and sale. Each summer since 1925, the ponies on the Virginia end of Assateague Island have been rounded up, and those strong enough to swim are herded into the narrowest part of the channel that separates Assateague and Chincoteague. After swimming across, they’re led through the Chincoteague town streets and into pens where they spend the night.

The next day, the foals — those less than a year old — are sold at auction during some spirited bidding. The remaining ponies spend another night in town and swim back to their home on Assateague Island home the following day. The money earned from the auction — which this year will take place July 24 and 25 — benefits the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.

PHOTO BY DIANE GINSBERG

By Victor Block Mention Chincoteague Island, Va., and you’re likely to be asked, “Isn’t that the place where those ponies are?” The answer is “yes.” The narrow spit of land, and the larger Assateague Island nearby, became known to people around the country as home to a herd of wild ponies in 1947, when the popular children’s book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry was published. A 1961 movie based on that story spread the ponies’ fame even further. The attention of the country was focused on the area again in March 1962, when a devastating hurricane flattened oceanfront dunes, crashed onto Chincoteague Island (pronounced Shink-a-tig by locals), and flooded the town beneath a wall of sea water. Misty, pregnant at the time, was saved by being sheltered in her owner’s home, which stood on high ground. The foal she delivered, appropriately named Stormy, served as the main character in another book by Henry.

Observing the ponies If you’d prefer to see the ponies in their natural setting (and are willing to miss the large crowds that gather for the annual swim), there are plenty of opportunities to do so. For example, they often may be watched as they graze near designated viewing areas in the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge (which, despite its name, is on Assateague Island). Fyllis and I also enjoyed sightings from the water on Captain Dan’s Around the Island Tours. In addition to learning about the history of Chincoteague and Assateague from a waterman whose family has lived in the area since 1780, we passed clam and oyster beds in the shallows, spotted bald eagles and other birds circling in the sky overhead, and saw a number of ponies on land. Captain Dan pointed out individual horses by name and explained the reason for each moniker. He noted that Woeful Willy, a somewhat depressed looking pony, usually hangs out alone. Rambling Rose, on the other hand, “keeps company” with several stallions. A dark tan horse with an unkempt blond mane is known as Surfer Dude. There also are other ways to get close up and personal with the ponies. At the Chincoteague Pony Center, descendants of Misty are among horses available for riding and lessons, and they star in occasional shows. Wildlife bus tours offered from April through November, which carry passengers into areas of Assateague closed to other vehicles, include pony sightings on every trip. Misty fans also won’t want to miss the Museum of Chincoteague Island. Exhibits there explore the local history, culture and people. They include what Fyllis and I found to be interesting stories about the oystering industry, which employs many island residents.

Oysters and duck decoys Our personal introduction to oystering came during a visit to the Chincoteague Shellfish Farms. Mike McGee, the jovial proprietor, explained that dredging for oysters as was done in the past has pretty much given way to present-day aquaculture. He proclaimed that the local waters surrounding Chincoteague and Assateague islands are “God’s country for the oyster.” In order to experience and enjoy their full flavor, Mike recommended eating the bivalves “raw and naked,” without sauce. A visit to Mike’s or any other oyster operation, and viewing the beds in the shallow waters surrounding the islands, provides an introduction to the process that transports oysters from their environment to dinner plates all over the country. And if you’re as lucky as

Wild ponies swim across the channel that separates Assateague and Chincoteague islands in an annual event. The young foals are auctioned off the next day. This year, the event takes place on July 24 and 25.

I was, you may be treated to a tasting. Fyllis and I found equally engrossing the story of ornamental bird carving which, we were told, still has about two dozen practitioners on Chincoteague Island today. Long before European settlers arrived in the New World, Native Americans fashioned floating decoys from reeds and grasses that they used to attract waterfowl within reach of arrows and nets. Those lures gave way over time to simple carved wooden decoys

and, later, manufactured plastic models. Some carvers began to fashion much more elaborate waterfowl, and what had begun as a craft evolved into an art form. The best examples display every feather and other feature in intricate lifelike detail, and can take months to complete. For more information about visiting Chincoteague and Assateague islands, visit www.chincoteaguechamber.com or call (757) 336-6161.

J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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Style Arts &

It’s never too late to get the creative juices flowing. See story on page 29.

Shakespeare al fresco with Caribbean flair

A relaxed rendering Director Ralph Alan Cohen explains that his unorthodox setting decision was prompted by an incident while he was relaxing on a beach in St. Martin. He hap-

pened to be reading Antony and Cleopatra in preparation for this show when a strolling musician came by, Cohen recalled, and called out “Hey, mon, want to buy my CD?” “The laid-back approach, that’s something Antony would have enjoyed,” said Cohen, a co-founder and director of mission at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va. “And I began to think of other Caribbean influences that would work so well with this play.” As a result, Cleopatra seduces in a lipstick red sundress, with her attending ladies in similar garb. Roman soldiers appear in khaki shorts and shirts, and Antony sports a white Panama-style chapeau. The company traditionally includes one intermission and one “musical interlude” between acts when the audience is invited to join in the singing and dancing. During Antony and Cleopatra, the merriment is accompanied by Caribbean-flavored steel drums and guitars. This relaxing-the-rules, “have fun with it” attitude permeates the production crew as well. Company members like Mindy

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Braden, 51, who has a day job as a medical assistance trainer for the state, spend evenings and weekends with the company. Braden has performed on stage, supervised wardrobe and this summer is taking on the role of stage manager. “This is the best job in the world,” she declared. “We have young people — high See SHAKESPEARE, page 27 Isabelle Anderson stars as Cleopatra and Matt Radford Davies is Antony in Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Caribbean-flavored production of Antony and Cleopatra. In the play, Shakespeare chronicles the tempestuous romance and military exploits of Mark Antony, one of the rulers of the Roman Republic, and the love of his life, Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY.

By Anne Ball Just as when Shakespeare’s plays were first performed, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre brings its audience up close to the stage. And as in the first staging of Antony and Cleopatra and Taming of the Shrew back in the 1600s, the actors join the audience between exits and entrances. But that’s where the similarities to the Bard’s time end. Chesapeake Shakespeare’s “stage” is the picturesque gray stone “ruins” of the historic Patapsco Female Institute, just up the road from the Howard County government offices complex in Ellicott City. And this company’s Antony and Cleopatra, playing in rotation with Taming of the Shrew through Aug. 4, is set not in ancient Rome and Egypt as in Shakespeare’s day, but thousands of miles away in the Caribbean.

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Shakespeare From page 26 school and college students — working with us, and the opportunities to interact with them and their ideas and concepts is fascinating.” Taming of the Shrew will have a more traditional production and be directed by Ian Gallanar, the founding artistic director of the company.

Innovative, kid-friendly company Established by a small group of artists in 2002, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company has grown in size and professional reputation in the Baltimore-Washington area and nationally as well, holding membership in the Shakespeare Theater Association, the international organization for professional Shakespeare theaters. The company’s mission statement notes that its members are committed to creating innovative performances and education programs that bring the works of Shakespeare and other classics to life. There are year-round programs that bring actors into the schools to perform and talk about Shakespeare and Elizabethan times. Children are welcome at performances, and there are special activities just for the youngsters in the audience, as well as takehomes like coloring pages themed around the show. For Antony and Cleopatra, there’s one with Roman numerals and hi-

eroglyphics. Youngsters are also invited to bring a sheet and learn to make their own toga. Local Girl Scouts have put together and printed a coloring book featuring Maryland Women to be distributed at the July 4th celebration, incorporating both Cleopatra and Kate from Shrew in “A Salute to Independent Women.” And if young theatergoers want to come early to any performance, there will be other activities starting 90 minutes before show time based on the show’s theme. This summer, it’s Caribbean limbo and races balancing a basket on one’s head. As an extra incentive from June through August, children under 18 are admitted free with a ticketed adult. “We want to raise a new generation of lovers of culture and arts,” explained Jean Thompson, the theater’s communications manager.

A new winter home The buzz this season is about the recently confirmed plans to open a theater for the company in downtown Baltimore, at 200 E. Redwood St., near the Inner Harbor. Again it is a historic structure, the landmark 1885 Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company building. Plans call for a 250-seat “modern Globe” theater, plus other spaces for additional theater and arts events and festivals.

“It’s a very exciting time for us. This will be our first permanent winter location,” Thompson said. “We’ll also be part of a ‘theater triangle,’ within a short walk of the Hippodrome and the new Everyman Theatre. “But opening a Baltimore theater doesn’t mean we’re abandoning Howard County,” she explained. “We’ll still be here for all the outdoor fun next summer.” Because the summer outdoor theater is in a somewhat remote setting, Thompson suggests theatergoers be prepared for sudden showers, expect portable bathroom facilities, and a short walk (or van shuttle ride) up the hill from the parking lot.

Seating is on folding chairs that are provided, but those attending the performances may bring their own chairs or blankets, as well as a picnic. The Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park is located at the end of Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 on Wednesdays, $29 on Thursdays, and $38 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Patrons 65 and over pay $29 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be purchased at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.org or through the box office, (410) 313-8661.

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IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Jitterbug is owned by GreatCall, Inc. Your invoices will come from GreatCall. All rate plans and services require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35. Coverage and service is not available everywhere. Other charges and restrictions may apply. Screen images simulated. There are no additional fees to call Jitterbug’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Monthly minutes carry over and are available for 60 days. If you exceed the minute balance on your account, you will be billed at 35¢ for each minute used over the balance. Monthly rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees subject to change. 1We will refund the full price of the Jitterbug phone if it is returned within 30 days of purchase in like-new condition. We will also refund your first monthly service charge if you have less than 30 minutes of usage. If you have more than 30 minutes of usage, a per minute charge of 35 cents will apply for each minute over 30 minutes. The activation fee and shipping charges are not refundable. Jitterbug and GreatCall are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ©2013 Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC. ©2013 GreatCall, Inc. ©2013 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | 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 3

How to become more creative later in life By Carol Sorgen It’s never too late to develop your creativity, and two new books show you why and how. Contemplating life after retirement and its inevitable question of “What’s next?,” psychologist Francine Toder impulsively, and almost simultaneously, took up cello lessons and creative writing classes. What those two seemingly random events led to was an exploration of late (or later in) life creativity, the focus of her new book, The Vintage Years: Finding Your Inner Artist (Writer, Musician, Visual Artist) After Sixty. Only recently, writes Toder, have neuropsychologists and other scientists confirmed that age 60 and beyond may be the best time in life to take up an art form like writing, playing a musical instrument, or a visual art like painting, sculpting or ceramics. Contrary to what we might think, not only does the brain continue to grow new connections and become more efficient with age, but wisdom amassed over the years greatly enhances the expression of art. Add to that, reports Toder in this engaging book, the increased focus made possible by lifestyle changes, and you have the ingredients for more satisfying, meaningful and creative “vintage years.” Toder has divided the book into three sections, and even suggests that they do

not need to be read in order. The first, and most research-oriented, part of the book focuses on the development of our brain from babyhood on. It also describes how and why many of us give up the artistic pleasures of our childhood (finger painting anyone?) — from inhibition to attention to career, children, etc. For those new to the topic, Toder does a good job of turning scientific jargon into a readable explanation of not only why it’s never too late to take up a creative pursuit, but why there’s a very good chance we can become successful enough to derive great pleasure from the pursuit itself, and perhaps even garner external acclaim. This brings us to the second part of the book — the stories of more than 20 “budding late-blooming” artists, including musicians, visual artists and writers. Their individual stories range from simply interesting to downright compelling and inspiring. Some, like Toder herself, stumbled upon their new passion shortly before or after retiring. Others faced life crises, notably health-related, that compromised their ability to make a living or pursue former interests and led them to recalibrate their lives in some new ways. All, though, extolled the virtues of their creative endeavors and credited them with contributing to their health, longevity and on-

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going participation in the world around them. In the final section of the book, Toder offers a road map to “making it happen.” She addresses how to decide whether or not to retire (for some it’s not an option, and if they can’t, how they can still bring artistic endeavors into their life). Also, she discusses creating a “decision tree” that can help you narrow down the possibilities by considering such factors as your personal style, resources and opportunities. For Toder, her own creative explorations

that inspired this book continue. She is planning a sequel and still practices the cello every day.

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD D E B U G

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

N A R R E P P E R E E G S G O O T T I O D S

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A L A R M

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J U L Y 2 0 1 3 — 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 Stringers by Stephen Sherr 1

21 24

43 46

45 49

Across

Puzzle answers on p. 29.

28 31

1. Regard 5. Citric Bacardi flavor 10. Model 14. Sea eagle 15. Addis ___ 16. Circle around the moon 17. Stringer on summer hiatus 19. “Pronto!” 20. Regular customer’s request 21. Jab at a stringer with flammable flannels (with 30 Across) 23. “___ whiz!” 24. Pinnacles 27. They will really curl your hair 28. Memo heading 29. Meter starter 30. See 21 Across 35. Market measure, briefly 38. Flat line, to a mathematician 39. ___ asada (Mexican steak) 40. Good name for a DNA researcher 41. Mo. with the shortest days 42. Result of stringers gone amok 44. Singer Kristofferson 46. Big heads 47. The first hurricane of 1972 49. “Slowed to ___” (downshifted a horse) 51. Participated in Thanksgiving 54. Slogan for all of the stringers in this puzzle (with 59 Across) 56. Home to three NBA teams 58. Type of apple 59. See 54 Across 62. Where witches put kids 63. System of belief 64. Theater box 65. Egg container 66. Puts chips in the kitty 67. He puts chips in the cookie

Down 1. Correct a programming error 2. Correct a math error

56 60

3. Come next 4. Arizona’s third-largest city 5. SoCal team in box scores 6. Corp. founded in 1911 as the Computing Tabulating Recording Company 7. Maine ingredient 8. Plays “Simon Says” 9. The POV in first person lit. 10. Harpoon holder 11. Vehicle which produced Jack Nicholson’s first Oscar nomination 12. Unit of chili strength 13. Restrains cattle 18. Extended families 22. Fencing sword 25. Early spring bloomer 26. ___ work 28. “___ alive!” 29. Expecting 30. Tablet computer 31. Take off the payroll 32. Tom, Dick, and Harry 33. Part of TGIF 34. Type of beauty 36. Insufficient quantity for 52 Down 37. Itty-bitty 40. Nav. aid that came 500 years too late for Columbus 42. Naughty/nice identifier 43. ___ voce (softly) 45. Not from yore 47. It may say “Kiss the cook” 48. Fruit farm 49. Item in a squirrel’s stash 50. Core belief 51. “All men are created equal”, for example 52. Ballroom dance 53. Requirements for Superman costumes 55. Early Peruvian 57. Scat-singer Fitzgerald 60. Peace sign 61. Security guard’s request

Answers on page 29.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 3

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

Caregivers NURSING STUDENT AND LICENSED, bonded, highly experienced CNA seeks fulltime, overnight caregiving position. I’m pet friendly, with an extensive resume, stellar references and solid background check. If interested, kindly call Jacqueline at 301-787-3555. SKILLED NURSING / PERSONAL CARE SERVICES AT HOME Clearview Medical services is committed to providing compassionate skilled nursing & personal care services. We have a pool of experienced health professionals (RN, LPN, CNA, & Companions) with a track record of excellence. Call us today, for all your nursing & companion needs on 410-779-9162.

For Rent/Sale: Real Estate VACATION RENTAL: OCEAN CITY, MD. 55th Street Condo, Oceanside. 1st Floor, Half Block from Beach. Lovely Unit, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath w/ Jacuzzi. Sleeps 6. Fully Furnished. All Amenities. Pool + Toddler’s Pool. Low Rates – Prime Weeks. Info, 410-747-4440 or 410-967-9922.

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

Home & Handyman Services HANDYMAN MATTERS will help you stay safe in your own home. Professional, Reliable Skilled Craftsmen. Grab bar Installation, Bathroom Modifications and your to-do list! 410-549-9696. MHIC # 89094. SANFORD & SON HAULING Trash removal, house & estate clean-outs, garage clean-outs, yard work & cleanups, demolition, shed removal. 410-746-5090. Free Estimates. Insured. Call 7 days a week 7am - 7pm.

Personal Services FUNERALS & CREMATION – Parkview Funeral Home & Cremation Service by Brent Francis, P.A. Family Owned & Operated “Celebrating Life.” Traditional burial, cremation, memorial services, pre-planning, affordable options for all budgets. 7527 Harford Rd. (2 block south of Taylor Ave.), 410-444-4683. www.parkviewfh.com.

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Personal Services ARTISTIC SLIPCOVERS – UPHOLSTERY COMPANY. Steve Gulin. Your fabric or mine. 45 years experience. References available. 410-655-6696 – Cell: 410-207-7229. ESTATE SPECIALIST Experts in estate clean-outs and preparing your house for sale. Trash removal, house cleanouts, light moving, demolition, yard work, cleaning. 410-7465090. Free estimates. Insured. Call 7 days 7am - 7pm. HELP YOU SELL we help you sell any type of large item. Don’t lose the sale, we’re there when you can’t. We run the ad, meet with clients, and Help with the transaction. Automotive, Motorcycles, RV’s, large vehicles, and Equipment, Boats, and More. Call Dave @ 443-514-8583. $$$$$ NEED CASH $$$$$ We help clear out and conduct sales for: Estates, Down-Sizing, Clutter Clearing, Divorce, Moving, Rental Properties, and More. We Buy, Sell, and Trade Items. Free Estimates. Call David @ 443-5148583 davidbalt7@aol.com.

Miscellaneous SMALL CAR WANTED! Seeking to purchase a small, well-kept, used car. Mileage under 60k. Automatic only. Will give fair price. Must be looked over by family mechanic. Serious sellers only, please. Call Rebekah, 240-638-6727.

Wanted VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-5966201. CASH BUYER for old costume jewelry, pocket and wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watch maker tools and parts, train sets and accessories, old toys, old glassware & coins. 410-655-0412. $$$$$ WE PAY CASH FOR ITEMS $$$$$ We buy the following items and more: Toys, Collectable Glassware, Dolls (Barbies, Ceramic), Automotive and Motorcycle Parts and Related Items, Electronics, Musical Instruments, Trains, Items of Any Kind – Just Ask – Vintage or Current Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, RV’s and More. Call Dave @ 443-514-8583. Davidbalt7@aol.com. BUYING OLD BASEBALL CARD COLLECTIONS Baseball Card Outlet at 7502 Eastern Ave. near Eastpoint Mall is always in the market for buying vintage sports card collections & memorabilia from 1975 & older. 410-284-4440 Open daily at 10AM. WE BUY OLD AND NEW COINS, Jewelry, Silver and Gold, Paper Money too. Watches, Clocks and Parts, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling Silver Flatware, Tea Sets or Single Pieces., Furniture, Tools, Cameras, Good Glassware, Art Work Too. Toys From Trains to Hotwheels, Action Figures to Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-6587954. MILITARY ITEMS Collector seeks: helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, webgear, uniforms, inert ordnance, ETC. From 1875 to 1960, US, German, Britain, Japan, France, Russian. Please call Fred, 301-910-0783, Thank you. Also Lionel Trains.

Thanks for reading the Beacon!

BEACON BITS

June 28

FREE LATIN POP BAND CONCERT

Ocho De Basto will present a free concert on Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m. at East Columbia Library Park, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. For further information, call (410) 313-4635 or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/summerconcerts.

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. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, Howard County Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

Letters to editor From page 2 mentally as well as physically impaired. Because there seems to be so little awareness of this problem, at least among patients and families we know, I have been writing people who may have contact with low-vision patients to ask for their help. The staff of the Beacon came to mind. Please consider publishing information about Charles Bonnet syndrome. You may well be helping many anxious folks feel more at ease with these strange experiences of visual hallucinations. Donna P. Mergliano Woodbine, Md. Editor’s note: Thank you for bringing this relatively unknown condition to our attention. Look for an article on Charles Bonnet syndrome in our Health section this month.

a es ift! k a M at g e gr

Dear Editor: Thank you for printing in your May edition the article, “Some of the best urban areas for retirees.” A factor NerdWallet failed to take account in choosing its 10 best urban retirement cities is the environmental quality — overall cleanliness — of communities. Of the 10 “best” cities [they identified] for retirees, only four — Jacksonville, Tampa, Tucson and Nashville — do not appear in Travel+Leisure’s list of “America’s Dirtiest Cities” nor are located in an American State Litter Scorecard “worst” government for having poorest-kept public spaces. Washington State is the top “best” Scorecard entity, while San Diego is America’s most populated community not in the dirtiest cities list or a scorecard “worst” state. Steve Spacek Clarksburg, Md.

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