January 2013 DC Beacon Edition

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Still writing for kids after 65 years

One dog’s story Among her dozens and dozens of books, Naylor said she has a soft spot for Shiloh, sparked by a abandoned dog she and her

JANUARY 2013

I N S I D E …

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By Barbara Ruben At age 15, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor published her first short story in a church magazine, for which she was paid the princely sum of $4.67. Sixty-five years, more than 135 books and one Newberry Medal later, Naylor is still penning books from her home, now in a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Md. Best known as the author of the awardwinning Shiloh, about an abused dog and the boy who saves him, Naylor grew up in Indiana during the Depression in a home filled with literature.

“We read most of Mark Twain’s books aloud. My dad could be Aunt Polly one minute and Injun Joe the next. That was just magic.

“I started writing little books when I was in fourth or fifth grade, stapling pages together.

I loved doing it. It was my favorite pastime,” said Naylor, who turns 80 on Jan. 4.

When she first started selling her stories, she thought, “Wow, what a life!”

In college, Naylor studied to become a clinical child psychologist and paid her tuition by selling short stories. “I just loved [writing] so much that I finally gave up plans for graduate school and began writing full time,” she said.

While her books are primarily for children, including the wildly popular Alice series about a red-headed motherless girl growing up in Silver Spring, Md., Naylor has also written several novels for grownups.

Naylor still spends about four hours a day writing in her airy apartment overlooking the campus of Asbury Methodist Village, a continuing care retirement community she moved to five years ago after living for years in Bethesda.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves line the living room and her abutting office, with copies of her books mingling with such diverse volumes as the 1902 edition of the Sears Roebuck catalogue, Alistair Cooke’s America and Anne Tyler’s Ladder of Years. A recent issue of the School Library Journal sits on the coffee table.

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LEISURE & TRAVEL

Exploring village life and wildlife in the heart of Africa; plus, this year’s top travel destinations, and debunking the value of duty-free shopping page 41

ARTS & STYLE

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, who won the prestigious Newberry Medal for her children’s book Shiloh, has written more than 135 books, including a series of 24 young adult novels about a girl named Alice who lives in Silver Spring, Md. The final Alice book will be published later this year.

An overview of upcoming theater offerings; plus, Chita Rivera stars again on Broadway, the art of the Civil War, and lunch with Bob Levey page 47

husband Rex encountered on a trip more than 20 years ago to visit friends in the West Virginia town of Shiloh. They took a walk along a creek, and nearby Naylor could see the weeds moving parallel with them.

“I went over to look, and there was the saddest little dog I’ve ever seen. It was a female, skinny, ticks all over her body, filthy and down on her belly, just trembling. But her tail was wagging. So I knelt down and tried very gently to pet her, but she was just so frightened. We thought, “This is an abused dog,” Naylor recalled.

The dog followed them back to their friends’ house and peered mournfully up at the porch for hours. After they left for Maryland, the friends tried to find the

dog’s owner without success.

“I cried and I cried all the way home. My husband said to me, ‘Are you going to have a nervous breakdown or are you going to do something about it?’

“As a writer, all I can do is write,” Naylor said, “so I put everything aside” and wrote.

She named the dog Shiloh after its hometown and published the book in 1992 to modest reviews.

So Naylor was shocked while eating her shredded wheat early one morning when the phone rang with the news that Shiloh had just won the Newberry Medal — the top honor bestowed on one children’s book See NAYLOR, page 39

FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k Stem cells mend failing hearts k Understanding Medicare LAW & MONEY 26 k Many types of investment risk k Good online banking options SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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

To be or not to be…

As we approach the New Year, our But no, he said, that’s not what he meant.

He was referring to all the medical conthoughts are generally forward-looking: ditions, pills, doctor visits, We think about New Year’s hospital stays, losses of moresolutions, wonder what bility and independence and changes the coming year will the like that afflict those bring, and think about what blessed with long life. we have to look forward to.

I guess it was his way of On the other hand, we also saying what Bette Davis once are likely to see the popular said and Art Linkletter popuimage of Old Father Time larized: “old age is not for passing on the baton to the sissies.” newborn New Year. The For those who have missed image suggests, as does my earlier columns about my much of our culture, that FROM THE parents, I should mention those who are aged are “on PUBLISHER the way out,” while the future By Stuart P. Rosenthal that each of them has faced some of the common health belongs to the young.

Many of you have read about my father issues that affect those of us on the other on these pages over the years, and though side of 50.

No matter how well we take care of ourhe’s now 92, I hope to have the opportunity to continue to write about my visits to selves, setbacks will occur — from acute see him and my mother for years to come. episodes like infections, falls and broken But my last couple of trips to Texas to bones, to chronic conditions like arthritis, see them have featured some significantly to debilitating or even terminal illnesses.

What was most interesting to me about more sober conversations than usual with my Dad, and I’m wondering how wide- my father’s line of thought was that he spread his feelings are. A few months ago, seemed to be viewing his recoveries from he began talking about “how hard it is to various setbacks as a “failure to die” rather than “success at surviving.” die.”

Isn’t avoiding death the whole point of At first, I thought he was saying how much he loved life and would find it diffi- modern medicine? Don’t we want our doccult to let go of all the beautiful experi- tors to fight every infection with antibiotics ences in this world (such as my visits!). and every illness with hospitalizations and

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IVs and multiple medications and surgeries?

And when these actions succeed and return us to our homes — perhaps somewhat drained, and sometimes even jaded by the many indignities imposed on us in the process — don’t we nonetheless feel relieved and happy to be back?

My father has been suggesting recently that, well, maybe not entirely. Surviving to fight another day means having to face that next fight. And, at least in his recent experience, each fight is a bit harder fought than the last.

So I told him I thought what he was finding so difficult was not dying, but rather choosing to live by fighting death. It takes energy, sometimes an indomitable spirit, to bounce back and take another crack at life.

I reminded him how hard he worked at painful physical therapy to regain the strength to walk unaided; the effort he made to learn how to crush his medications and feed himself through a stomach

tube. These things bespeak his very strong will to live, and they are an inspiration to me and to others, I said.

It’s been a few months since that original conversation, and I think he has gradually been regaining his long-time optimistic outlook.

I was visiting my folks again recently, and this time, though Dad made a passing reference to dying, he spent much more time complaining about some of his doctors.

“You come in with an aide or family member, and they talk about you to the other person as if you’re not there,” he said. He wanted to grab the doctor by the collar and say, “I’m the patient. Talk to me!”

My dad’s no sissy. Seems to me he’s ready for another bout.

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

Dear Editor: Bravo on your December editorial (“The time is ripe)” that clearly and comprehensively explained the need for reform of the Social Security program. Although it would be great if the program could be left unchanged, we seniors know and fully appreciate that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

We also know that leaving things as they are would just penalize our children and grandchildren by requiring them to suffer the consequences of not fixing the program while it is comparatively less onerous.

Also, as you so clearly show, the effect on us older Americans, both retired and those soon to retire, would be quite modest. Allowances could be built in for the small number of folks who are not in a position to tolerate any loss of income.

The rest of us should be proud to do our share to ensure that future generations will also benefit from the program that has been so good to us.

Herman Efron, Ph.D. Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: Thanks for the December article about local productions of A Christmas Carol, but I was disappointed you didn’t mention the Toby’s Dinner Theatre production. I joined members of White Oak Chapter 1888 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Assn. to attend that production.

It was the most unusual version of that

play I have ever seen. Done like an operetta, the voices were extraordinary, and the choreography sensational. I hope Toby’s repeats it in future years.

Gordon F. Brown Bethesda, Md. Dear Editor: Your story on “The FDA warns of risks of online pharmacies” in the November issue isn’t helpful to consumers in need of prescription medication.

The FDA stated that only 3 percent of online pharmacies follow state and federal laws, implying that most online pharmacies are risky and don’t follow standards of quality. People I know who use online pharmacies indicate that there are a lot of respectable online pharmacies.

There are also a lot that are not so respectable, but the FDA does nothing to guide consumers between the two groups.

If the FDA knows how many follow certain laws, they probably know which ones provide good product.

I would hope that senior-oriented publications like the Beacon would provide news seniors could use on prescription drugs.

Also, if companies can outsource their purchases, why can’t consumers? Today almost all drugs are researched, developed and manufactured outside of the United States. The U.S. consumer pays 5 to 10 times standard international prices for drugs. The FDA-enforced restriction of See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 53

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Health Fitness &

BAD FISH, GOOD FISH A guide to finding fish that are healthy for you and the environment A MEDICARE PRIMER If you’re on Medicare, or about to be, you should know all this DRIVING ISSUES Confronting questions over license renewals and giving up the keys SEED YOUR DIET Little chia, flax, hemp and other seeds offer big nutritional benefits

Stem cells from strangers repair hearts

By Marilynn Marchione Researchers are reporting a key advance in using stem cells to repair hearts damaged by heart attacks. In a study, stem cells donated by strangers proved as safe and effective as patients’ own cells for helping restore heart tissue.

The work involved just 30 patients in Miami and Baltimore, but proves the concept that anyone’s cells can be used to treat such cases. Doctors are excited because this suggests that stem cells could be banked for off-the-shelf use after heart attacks, just as blood is kept on hand now.

Results were announced at a recent American Heart Association conference in California and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study used a specific type of stem cells from bone marrow that researchers believed would not be rejected by recipients. Unlike other cells, these lack a key feature on their surface that would otherwise make the immune system see them as foreign tissue and attack, explained the

study’s leader, Dr. Joshua Hare of the University of Miami.

The patients in the study had suffered heart attacks years earlier, some as long as 30 years ago. All had developed heart failure because the scar tissue from the heart attack had weakened their hearts so much that they grew large and flabby, unable to pump blood effectively.

sue had been reduced by about one-third among patients in both groups.

All had improvements in how far they could walk and in quality of life. There was no significant difference in one measure of how well their hearts were able to pump blood, but doctors hope these patients will continue to improve over time, or that refinements in treatment will lead to better results.

Donated marrow

Cells on demand

Researchers advertised for people to supply marrow. The cells were removed from the marrow using a needle into the hip and then amplified for about a month in a lab at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, then returned to Miami to be used for treatment.

The procedure did not involve surgery.

Rather, the cells were delivered through a tube pushed through a groin artery into the heart near the scarred area.

Fifteen patients were given cells from their own marrow and 15 others, cells from strangers. About a year later, scar tis-

The big attraction is being able to use cells supplied by others, with no blood or tissue matching needed.

“You could have the cells ready to go in the blood bank so when the patient comes in for a therapy — there’s no delay,” Hare said.

“It’s also cheaper to make the donor cells,” as a single marrow donor can supply enough cells to treat as many as 10 people.

Dr. Elliott Antman of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who heads the heart conference, praised the work.

“That opens up an entire new avenue for

stem cell therapy, like a sophisticated version of a blood bank,” he said. There’s an advantage in not having to create a cell therapy for each patient, and it could spare them the pain and wait of having their own marrow harvested, he said.

The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Hare owns stock in a biotech company working on a treatment using a mixture of cells.

Juan Lopez received his own cells in the study, and said it improved his symptoms so much that, at age 70, he was able to return to his job as an engineer and sales manager for a roofing manufacturer and ride an exercise bike.

“It has been a life-changing experience,” said Lopez, who lives in Miami. “I can feel day by day, week by week, month by month, my improvement. I don’t have any shortness of breath and my energy level is way up there. I don’t have any fluid in my lungs.”

And, he said happily, “my sex drive has improved!”

— AP

Placebo or not, acupuncture lessens pain

By Lindsey Tanner Acupuncture gets a thumbs-up for helping relieve pain from chronic headaches, backaches and arthritis in a review of more than two dozen studies — the latest analysis of an often-studied therapy that has as many critics as fans.

Some believe its only powers are a psychological, placebo effect. But some doctors believe even if that’s the explanation for acupuncture’s effectiveness, there’s no reason not to offer it if it makes people feel better.

The new analysis examined 29 studies involving almost 18,000 adults. The researchers concluded that the needle remedy worked better than usual pain treatment and slightly better than fake acupuncture.

That kind of analysis is not the strongest type of research, but the authors took extra steps, including examining raw data from the original studies.

The results “provide the most robust evidence to date that acupuncture is a reasonable referral option,” wrote the authors, who include researchers with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in

New York and several universities in England and Germany.

Their study doesn’t constitute proof, but it adds to evidence that acupuncture may benefit a range of conditions.

The new analysis was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The federal government’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine paid for most of the study, along with a small grant from the Samueli Institute, a nonprofit group that supports research on alternative healing.

More insurances cover Acupuncture’s use has become more mainstream. The military has used it to help treat pain from war wounds, and California recently passed legislation that would include acupuncture among treatments recommended for coverage under provisions of the nation’s new healthcare law. That law requires insurance plans to cover certain categories of benefits starting in 2014. Deciding specifics is being left up to the states.

Some private insurance plans already

cover acupuncture; Medicare does not.

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves inserting long, very thin needles just beneath the skin’s surface at specific points on the body to control pain or stress. Several weekly sessions are usually involved, typically costing about $60 to $100 per session. Fake acupuncture studied in research sometimes also uses needles, but on different areas of the body.

Scientists aren’t sure what biological mechanism could explain how acupuncture might relieve pain, but the authors of the new study say the results suggest there’s more involved than just a placebo effect.

Acupuncture skeptic Dr. Stephen Barrett said the study results are dubious. The retired psychiatrist runs Quackwatch, a Web site on medical scams, and says studies of acupuncture often involve strict research conditions that don’t mirror how the procedure is used in the real world.

from studies of patients with common types of chronic pain — recurring headaches, arthritis or back, neck and shoulder. The studies had randomly assigned patients to acupuncture and either fake acupuncture or standard pain treatment including medication or physical therapy.

The authors explained their statistical findings by using a pain scale of 0 to 100: The patients’ average baseline pain measured 60; it dropped to 30 on average in those who got acupuncture, 35 in those who got fake acupuncture, and 43 in the usual treatment group.

While the difference in results for real versus fake acupuncture was small, it suggests acupuncture could have more than a psychological effect, said lead author Andrew Vickers, a cancer researcher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. The center offers acupuncture and other alternative therapies for cancer patients with hard-to-treat pain.

The analysis was more rigorous than

Common pains reduced The new analysis combined results

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most research based on pooling previous studies’ results, because the authors obtained original data from each study. That makes the conclusion more robust, said Dr. Andrew Avins, author of an Archives commentary and a physician and researcher with the University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser-Permanente.

Acupuncture is relatively safe, and un-

Housing Communities

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From page 4

certainty over how it works shouldn’t stop doctors from offering it as an option for patients struggling with pain, Avins said.

“Perhaps a more productive strategy at this point would be to provide whatever benefits we can for our patients, while we continue to explore more carefully all mechanisms of healing,” he wrote.

Learn more about acupuncture at the website of the National Institutes of Health at www.1.usa.gov/igK6l.

— AP

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People who have eye diseases that damage their central vision — such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — can regain the ability to read quickly and comfortably by using digital tablets (such as iPads), according to a recent study.

The research found that people with moderate vision loss could increase their reading speed by 12 to 42 words per minute, depending on the device.

Loss of central vision affects millions of people who have eye diseases such as AMD or diabetic retinopathy, which damage the light-sensitive cells of the eye’s retina. The retina relays images to the optic nerve, which transmits them to the brain.

When treatments such as eyeglasses, medications or surgery are no longer effective, ophthalmologists help patients maximize their remaining sight by using low-vision aids. Before digital tablets came along, reading aids were limited to lighted magnifiers, which are cumbersome and inconvenient by comparison.

In the study, which was conducted at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, researchers found that all of the 100 participants gained at least 42 words-per-minute (WPM) when using the

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iPad tablet on the 18-point font setting, compared with reading a print book or newspaper. A more modest gain of 12 WPM, on average, was achieved by all subjects when using the Kindle tablet set to 18-point font.

Patients with the poorest vision — defined as 20/40 or worse in both eyes — showed the most improvement in speed when using an iPad or Kindle, compared with print.

The researchers believe the iPad’s backilluminated screen is the key to the significantly improved reading speed achieved by patients with moderate vision loss.

The vision factor involved is called contrast sensitivity, which means being able see an object as separate and distinct from its background and to discern shades of gray. Loss of contrast sensitivity is common in people with low vision.

The high word/background contrast provided by a back-lit screen is a big plus for such patients. The original Kindle, which was used in this study, does not have a back-lit screen.

The study also assessed low vision patients’ comfort while reading and found that their preferred mode was linked to their degree of vision loss.

People with the worst vision found the iPad most comfortable, while those with the best vision preferred print. This information will be useful to ophthalmologists in advising patients with various degrees of vision loss.

— American Academy of Ophthalmology

F R E E

Health Shorts

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Health shorts From page 5

Your face may reveal heart risks Want a clue to your risk of heart disease? Look in the mirror.

People who look old — with receding hairlines, bald heads, creases near their ear lobes, or bumpy deposits on their eyelids — have a greater chance of developing of heart disease than younger-looking people the same age do, new research suggests.

Doctors say the study highlights the difference between biological and chronological age. “Looking old for your age marks

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

poor cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, who led the study.

A small consolation: Wrinkles elsewhere on the face and gray hair seemed just ordinary consequences of aging and did not correlate with heart risks.

The research involved 11,000 Danish people and began in 1976. At the start, the participants were 40 and older. Researchers documented their appearance, tallying crow’s feet, wrinkles and other signs of age.

In the next 35 years, 3,400 participants developed heart disease (clogged arteries) and 1,700 suffered a heart attack.

The risk of these problems increased with each additional sign of aging present at the start of the study. This was true at all ages and among men and women, even

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after taking into account other factors such as family history of heart disease.

Those with three to four of these aging signs — receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the crown of the head, earlobe creases or yellowish fatty deposits around the eyelids — had a 57 percent greater risk for heart attack and a 39 percent greater risk for heart disease compared to people with none of these signs.

Having yellowish eyelid bumps, which could be signs of cholesterol buildup, conferred the most risk, researchers found.

Baldness in men has been tied to heart risk before, possibly related to testosterone levels. They could only guess why earlobe creases might raise risk.

Dr. Kathy Magliato, a heart surgeon at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., said doctors need to pay more attention to signs literally staring them in the face.

“We’re so rushed to put on a blood pressure cuff or put a stethoscope on the chest” that obvious, visible signs of risk are missed, she said.

— AP

Fool your brain, reduce your pain The next time you’re looking for pain relief, try a little distraction.

A recent study published in Current Bi-

ology found that mental distractions actually block pain signals from the body before they ever reach the brain.

“Human brains have a limited capacity for attention. If you have a demanding enough task, you’ll have less attention to give to your pain,” said Dr. Randy Gollub, associate professor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Researchers found that challenging participants with memory games did more than just divert conscious attention from the body’s pain messages. The distractions may have actually released natural painkillers that blocked the incoming pain signals as they entered the spinal cord.

But you don’t have to play memory games to get the same effect. Gollub said you can use anything that brings you great pleasure.

“Think about experiences when you’ve done something so pleasurable or meaningful that there was a moment where you were distracted from your pain, and then do more of that activity. Maybe it’s a visit with the grandkids or watching a favorite program.”

You don’t have to limit your distractions to just one activity, either. “Using your brain to do more things that are rewarding tips the balance away from the negative aspects. The point is that you don’t want to live your pain all the time; you want to live your life,” said Gollub.

— Harvard Health Letter

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Eat these fish, but avoid those fish

By Brierley Wright, R.D You probably already know that you’re supposed to be eating fish twice a week.

Fish are a lean, healthy source of protein.

And the oily kinds, such as salmon, tuna and sardines deliver those heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fats you’ve also heard you should be getting in your diet.

But then there are also concerns about mercury levels and choosing seafood that’s sustainable. Knowing what seafood is best both for your health and for the environment isn’t always easy.

Fortunately, Seafood Watch, a program run by Calif. Monterey Bay Aquarium, has combined data from leading health organizations and environmental groups to come up with their list of seafood that’s good for you and the environment. They call the list “Super Green: Best of the Best.”

To make the list, fish must: a) have low levels of contaminants — below 216 parts per billion (ppb) mercury and 11 ppb PCBs; b) be high in health-promoting omega-3 fats; and c) come from a sustainable fishery.

Many other options are on the program’s list of “Best Choices” (seafoodwatch.org). The Blue Ocean Institute (blueocean.org) also has sustainability ratings and detailed information.

Here are six fish that Seafood Watch said you should be eating: 1. Albacore Tuna (troll- or polecaught, from the U.S. or British Columbia) Many tuna are high in mercury, but albacore tuna — the kind of white tuna that’s commonly canned — gets a Super Green rating as long as (and this is the clincher) it’s “troll- or pole-caught” in the U.S. or British Columbia. The reason: Smaller (usually less than 20 pounds), younger fish are typically caught this way (as opposed to the larger fish caught on longlines).

These fish have much lower mercury and contaminant ratings, and those caught in colder northern waters often have higher omega-3 counts. The challenge: You need to do your homework to know how your fish was caught, or look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue eco label.

2. Salmon (wild-caught, Alaska) To give you an idea of how well managed Alaska’s salmon fishery is, consider this: Biologists are posted at river mouths to count how many wild fish return to spawn. If the numbers begin to dwindle, the fishery is closed before it reaches its limits, as was done recently with some Chinook fisheries.

This close monitoring, along with strict quotas and careful management of water quality, means Alaska’s wild-caught salmon are both healthier (they pack 1,210 mg. of omega-3s per 3-ounce serving and carry few contaminants) and more sustainable than just about any other salmon fishery.

3. Oysters (farmed) Farmed oysters are good for you (a 3ounce serving contains over 300 mg. of omega-3s and about a third of the recommended daily values of iron).

They’re also good for the environment.

Oysters feed off the natural nutrients and algae in the water, which improves water quality. They can also act as natural reefs, attracting and providing food for other fish.

One health caveat: Raw shellfish, especially those from warm waters, may contain bacteria that can cause illnesses.

4. Sardines, Pacific (wild-caught) The tiny, inexpensive sardine is making it onto many lists of superfoods and for good reason. It packs more omega-3s (1,950 mg.!) per 3-ounce serving than salmon, tuna or just about any other food.

It’s also one of very few foods naturally high in vitamin D. Many fish in the herring family are commonly called sardines.

Quick to reproduce, Pacific sardines have rebounded from both overfishing and a natural collapse in the 1940s.

5. Rainbow trout (farmed) Though lake trout are high in contami-

nants, nearly all the trout you’ll find in the market is farmed rainbow trout. In the U.S., rainbow trout are farmed primarily in freshwater ponds and “raceways” where they’re more protected from contaminants and fed a fishmeal diet that’s been fine-

tuned to conserve resources.

6. Freshwater Coho Salmon (farmed in tank systems, from the U.S.) Freshwater Coho salmon is the first — See BAD FISH, GOOD FISH, page 8

8

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Bad fish, good fish From page 7 and only — farmed salmon to get a Super Green rating. All other farmed salmon still falls on Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch “avoid” list for a few reasons: Many

farms use crowded pens where salmon are easily infected with parasites, may be treated with antibiotics, and can spread disease to wild fish (one reason Alaska has banned salmon farms).

Also, it can take as much as three pounds of wild fish to raise one pound of salmon.

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

Coho, however, are raised in closed freshwater pens and require less feed, so the environmental impacts are reduced. They’re also a healthy source of omega-3s — one 3ounce serving delivers 1,025 mg.

Fish to avoid A number of environmental organizations have also advocated taking many fish off the menu. The large fish listed below are just a few examples.

We are highlighting popular fish that are both depleted and, in many cases, carry higher levels of mercury and PCBs. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has also posted health advisories on some of these fish at edf.org.

1. Bluefin tuna In December 2009, the World Wildlife Fund put the bluefin tuna on its “10 for 2010” list of threatened species, alongside the giant panda, tigers and leatherback turtles. Though environmental groups are advocating for protected status, the bluefin continues to command as much as $177,000 a fish. Bluefin have high levels of mercury, and their PCBs are so high that EDF recommends not eating this fish at all.

2. Chilean sea bass (aka Patagonian Toothfish) Slow-growing and prized for its buttery meat, Chilean sea bass has been fished to near depletion in its native cold Antarctic

waters. The methods used to catch them — trawlers and longlines — have also damaged the ocean floor and hooked albatross and other seabirds. At present, there is one well-managed fishery that’s MSC-certified.

EDF has issued a consumption advisory for Chilean sea bass due to high mercury levels; adults should eat no more than two meals per month, and children aged 12 and younger should eat it no more than once a month.

3. Grouper High mercury levels in these giant fish have caused EDF to issue a consumption advisory. Grouper can live to be 40 but only reproduce over a short amount of time, making them vulnerable to overfishing.

4. Monkfish This strange fish resembles a catfish in that it has whiskers and is a bottom dweller, but its light, fresh taste made it a staple for gourmets. These fish are recovering some after being depleted, but the trawlers that drag for it also threaten the habitat where monkfish live.

5. Orange roughy Like grouper, this fish lives a long life but is slow to reproduce, making it vulnerable to overfishing. As Seafood Watch puts it: “Orange roughy lives 100 years or more — so the fillet in your freezer might be from a See FISH, page 9

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Jan 14+

Peace of Mind When You Need It Most Hospice Care for Families in Need

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will be offered twice a week, beginning Monday, Jan. 14, at Oak Marr RECenter & Golf Complex, 3200 Jermantown Rd., Oakton, Va. The class modifies Pilates fundamentals, exercises and sequencing for a slower-paced practice. Classes are held at noon on Mondays and at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays. Enrollment is $110 for 11 sessions. For registration and more information, call (703) 222-4664 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes.htm.

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

9

Skin research may lead to better drugs

By Helen Thompson Considering we know it like the back of our hands, we understand surprisingly little about how our skin forms the watertight barrier that protects us from our varied environment.

Now, for the first time, the basic molecular structure of the skin layer that forms this barrier has been identified. The discovery could pave the way for new technology to deliver drugs directly through the skin.

Previous studies have pinned the barrier down to the outermost layer of skin — the stratum corneum — and more specifically to the fat, or lipids, occupying the space between cells within this layer.

To get a clearer view of the fat, Lars Norlen at the Karolinska Institute in Stock-

holm, Sweden, and colleagues shaved a layer of skin from the forearms of five volunteers. They put the tissue in a high-pressure freezer that immediately cooled it to below -220 degrees Farenheit. Using this technique, every atom is preserved in its native location, Norlen said.

They then sliced the tissue into layers just 25 to 50 nanometers thick and examined the layers using an electron microscope.

a hairpin-like appearance. A group of lipid molecules will arrange themselves into a two-layered sheet — or bilayer — with all of the tails pointing inwards.

However, the lipid molecules between the cells of the stratum corneum are See SKIN, page 10

BEACON BITS

Jan. 17

GET SOME ZZZZZs Tossing and turning, can’t fall asleep, and tired when you wake

up? Dr. Jay Kaufman, board certified sleep specialist for Arlington Sleep Medicine, will discuss signs and symptoms to look for, how to test for disorders,

Unique structure What the researchers saw came as a surprise: The lipids were arranged in a way never before seen in nature.

Lipids have a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head and two hydrophobic (water-repelling) tails. Normally, the two tails point in the same direction, giving the molecule

complications and treatment options on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. The free presentation will take place at the Walter Reed Senior Center, 2909 S. 16th St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 229-0955 to register.

It’s Time to Ring in the New Year Fish From page 8 fish older than your grandmother!” This also means it has high levels of mercury, causing EDF to issue a health advisory.

6. Salmon (farmed) Most farmed salmon (and all salmon labeled “Atlantic salmon” is farmed) are raised in tightly packed, open-net pens often rife with parasites and diseases that

threaten the wild salmon trying to swim by to their ancestral spawning waters.

Farmed salmon are fed fishmeal, given antibiotics to combat diseases, and have levels of PCBs high enough to rate a health advisory from EDF. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2012 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Skin From page 9 splayed outward so that the two tails of each molecule point in opposite directions.

These lipid molecules are stacked on top of one another in an alternating fashion.

“By stretching out like this, they form a condensed structure that is much more impermeable than a normal bilayer,” said Norlen in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

This uniquely structured fatty layer prevents any water from getting past in either direction — except where the skin layer is modified to form pores.

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

Putting info to practical use The researchers now intend to construct a computer model of the skin to help them screen drugs that could potentially open this seemingly impermeable barrier.

This may allow easy delivery of drugs through the skin and directly into the blood supply, sidestepping side effects that are caused when orally administered drugs are metabolized.

The new discovery could also help researchers develop more realistic artificial skin, said Norlen. © 2012. New Scientist Magazine. Reed Business Information Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Moisturize to avoid dry skin Dry skin becomes more common with aging, and problems with dry skin can be even more pronounced during the winter.

“The air is dry inside because of heating, and outside because of a lack of humidity, and that takes moisture out of your skin,” explains Dr. Kenneth Arndt, a Harvard Medical School professor.

Dry skin can lead to itching, flaking, and even infection in severe cases.

But you don’t have to suffer. Moisturizing is a simple way to keep your skin hydrated and healthy.

“Think of it as putting a barrier between your skin and the cold, dry air,” said Arndt. He advises moisturizing your skin after exposure to water.

“If you soak in a tub or wash your

hands, your skin gets very flexible and spongy. But afterward the water evaporates and you’re worse off. So instead you should seal it in.”

Arndt recommends a heavier ointment with an oil base. Look for occlusive ingredients that block the evaporation of water, such as petrolatum, cetyl alcohol, lanolin, lecithin, mineral oil, paraffin, and stearic acid.

And don’t be confused by promises that lotions are allergy-tested (there’s no government standard for that kind of claim) or full of vitamins (the amounts used are too small to have much effect).

The most important thing to know is that pretty much all moisturizers work well if you use them often.

— Harvard Health Letter

BEACON BITS

Jan. 15

DO HOSPITALS MAKE YOU SICK?

A nurse educator from Suburban Hospital will talk about “Hospital Acquired Infections: How Scary Are They?” on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 1:15 p.m. The program will take place at Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferara Dr., Wheaton, Md. For more information on this free event, call (240) 777-4999.

Feb. 7+

LEARN TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY

Take a five-week course designed by the UCLA Center on Aging to learn practical techniques to enhance memory ability. The course is designed for people with age-related memory concerns but not intended for those with Alzheimer’s disease. The course is sponsored by Holy Cross Senior Source and will be held five Thursdays from Feb. 7 to March 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $20. It will be held at 8580 2nd Ave., Silver Spring, Md. To register, call (301) 754-8800 or go to www.holycrosshealth.org.

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

11

Here’s a Medicare primer (or refresher) Heading into your retirement years brings a slew of new topics to grapple with, and one of the most maddening may be Medicare. Figuring out when to enroll, what to enroll in, and what coverage will be best for you can be daunting.

To help newcomers wade easily into the waters — and for those already on Medicare, to get up to date on changes — here are 10 key things you need to know about Medicare: 1. Medicare comes with a cost Medicare is divided into parts. Part A, which pays for hospital services, is free if either you or your spouse paid Medicare payroll taxes for at least 10 years. (People who aren’t eligible for free Part A can pay a monthly premium of several hundred dollars.)

Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient services, and it comes with a monthly price tag — for most people in 2013, that monthly cost is $104.90.

Part D, which covers prescription drug costs, also has a monthly charge that varies depending on which plan you choose; the average Part D premium is $30 a month.

In addition to premium costs, you’ll also be subject to co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.

2. You can fill the gap Beneficiaries of traditional Medicare will likely want to sign up for a Medigap supplemental insurance plan offered by private insurance companies to help cover deductibles, co-payments and other gaps.

You can switch Medigap plans at any time, but you could be charged more or denied coverage based on your health if you choose or change plans more than six months after you first sign up for Part B. Medigap policies are identified by let-

156,434

ters A through N. Each policy that goes by the same letter must offer the same basic benefits, but the cost for policies can differ among insurance companies, so it pays to shop around.

Plan F is the most popular policy because of its comprehensive coverage. It has a wide range of prices, from an annual $934 to $5,590 for a male, according to PlanPrescriber.com.

3. There is an all-in-one option You can choose to sign up for traditional Medicare — Parts A, B and D, plus a supplemental Medigap policy.

Or you can go an alternative route by signing up for Medicare Advantage, which offers comprehensive coverage through private insurance companies. Technically Part C, Medicare Advantage has a monthly cost, in addition to the Part B premium, that

In 2013, high incomers pay from $42 to $230 more per month per person, depending on their income level, for Part B coverage.

They also pay extra for Part D coverage.

5. When to sign up You’re eligible for Medicare when you turn 65.

If you’re already taking Social Security benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Parts A and B. You can choose to turn down Part B, since it has a monthly cost. If you keep it, the cost will be deducted from your Social Security check if you already claimed benefits.

For those who have not started Social Security, you’ll have to sign yourself up for Parts A and B, or Medicare Advantage.

The seven-month initial enrollment period begins three months before the month you See MEDICARE, page 12

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In many cases, Advantage policies charge lower premiums but have higher cost-sharing. Your choice of healthcare providers may be more limited with Medicare Advantage than with traditional Medicare.

4. High incomers pay more If you choose traditional Medicare and your income is above a certain threshold, you’ll pay more for Parts B and D. Premiums for both parts can come with a surcharge when your adjusted gross income (plus taxexempt interest) is more than $85,000 if you are single or $170,000 if married filing jointly.

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Medicare From page 11 turn 65 and ends three months after your birthday month. To ensure coverage starts by the time you turn 65, sign up in the first three months.

People still working may want to delay signing up for Medicare, but they will need to follow the rules carefully to avoid significant penalties when they do eventually enroll.

6. A quartet of enrollment periods There are several enrollment periods, in

addition to the seven-month initial enrollment period.

If you missed signing up for Part B during that initial enrollment period and you aren’t working, you can sign up for Part B during the general enrollment period that runs from January 1 to March 31 (your coverage will begin on July 1). But you will have to pay a 10 percent penalty for life for each 12-month period you delay in signing up for Part B. Those who are still working, though, can sign up later without penalty during a special enrollment period, which lasts for

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

eight months after you stop working (regardless of whether you have retiree health benefits or COBRA). If you miss your special enrollment period, you will need to wait until the general enrollment period to sign up.

Open enrollment, which runs from October 15 to December 7 every year, allows you to change Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans for the following year, if you choose to do so. (People can now change Medicare Advantage plans outside of open enrollment if they switch into a plan given a five-star quality rating by the government.)

7. Costs in the doughnut hole shrinking One cost for Medicare is decreasing — the dreaded Part D “doughnut hole.”

That’s the period during which you must pay in full out of pocket for your drugs.

For 2013, the coverage gap begins when a beneficiar y’s total drug costs reach $2,970. Catastrophic coverage, with the government picking up most costs, begins when a patient’s out-of-pocket costs reach $4,750.

Because of the healthcare law, the amount a beneficiary pays while in the doughnut hole is gradually shrinking, so that by 2020, beneficiaries will pay just 25 percent of the costs of their generic and brand-name drugs while in the coverage gap.

For 2013, the discount on brand-name drugs in the coverage gap will rise to 52.5 percent, from 50 percent in 2012, and the federal subsidy for generics will rise to 21 percent, from 14 percent.

8. You get more preventive services Besides shrinking the costs that beneficiaries will pay for prescription drugs in the Part D doughnut hole, healthcare reform also increased the number of free preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries.

You get an annual free “wellness” visit to

develop or update a personalized prevention plan. Beneficiaries also get a free cardiovascular screening every five years, annual mammograms, annual flu shots, and screenings for cervical, prostate and colorectal cancers.

9. What Medicare does not cover While Medicare covers your healthcare, it generally does not cover long-term care — an important distinction.

Under certain conditions, particularly after a hospitalization to treat an acute-care episode, Medicare will pay for medically necessary skilled-nursing facility or home healthcare.

But Medicare does not cover costs for “custodial care” — that is, care that helps you with activities of daily living, such as dressing and bathing. To cover those costs, you’ll have to pay out of pocket or have long-term care insurance.

Traditional Medicare also does not cover routine dental or eye care, and some items such as dentures or hearing aids.

For more on tests, items or services that Medicare doesn’t cover, check www.medicare.gov/coverage/yourmedicare-coverage.html.

10. You have the right to appeal If you disagree with a coverage or payment decision made by Medicare or a Medicare health plan, you can file an appeal. The appeals process has five levels, and you can generally go up a level if your appeal is denied at a previous level. Gather any information that may help your case from your doctor, healthcare provider or supplier.

If you think your health would be seriously harmed by waiting for a decision, you can ask for a fast decision to be made.

If your doctor or Medicare plan agrees, the plan must make a decision within 72 hours. © 2012 Kiplinger. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

13

Calcium supplements and heart attacks Calcium is recommended as a way to help prevent osteoporosis, but calcium supplements have come under attack recently due to a possible heart attack risk.

A study published last summer found a significantly increased risk of heart attack among women taking calcium supplements. Two other studies, in 2010 and 2011, had similar results. Since so many people take the supplements, these studies have received a lot of attention.

But Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Mass., noted that such risks haven’t been found with calcium-rich foods.

“Although I think the jury is still out on the supplement issue, it would be wise to try to get most of your calcium from food sources if possible,” she said.

Current guidelines for calcium intake for bone health recommend between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams (mg.) per day, depending on your age and gender.

“The calcium-rich diet has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hypertension. Dietary calcium has not been linked to any increase in risk of cardiovascular events,” Manson said.

The case against supplements

pain, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Calcium may also build up inside artery plaques — little pockets of cholesterol that can block your blood flow or burst, causing a heart attack or stroke. But again, Manson noted that the evidence isn’t solid.

“The evidence that calcium supplements are leading to increased calcification of plaques is not well established.

There’s clear evidence that coronary artery calcium is a marker for increased risk

of heart disease, but there’s also evidence that plaques with calcium may be more stable and less likely to rupture.”

Don’t overdo it Manson said the real risk is when people exceed the daily recommended intake.

“On average in the U.S., women get 700 mg. of calcium from dietary sources, so most women would need 500 mg. or less in See CALCIUM, page 14

Why would calcium from dietary sources be heart healthy, but not calcium from supplements?

Researchers have proposed that digesting calcium supplements might cause a surge in blood calcium levels. The calcium could accumulate in your arteries making them rigid, which contributes to chest

BEACON BITS

Jan.

EXERCISE MONTH AT LONG BRANCH CENTER Start the new year right by reaching your fitness potential with a

free exercise class each day at noon, Monday through Friday, at Long Branch Senior Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring, Md. The program includes seated yoga, seated volleyball, tai chi and general senior fitness. For more information, call (240) 777-6975.

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

Harvard docs answer your questions

By Drs. Howard LeWine and Rebecca Campen Q: My doctor said I have venous insuf ficiency. What does that mean?

Does it require treatment?

A: Venous insufficiency means that the veins don’t work properly. Most people develop this condition in their legs.

The veins are responsible for draining blood and fluid back to the heart. So people with venous insufficiency usually have symptoms caused by the buildup of fluid in their legs.

Symptoms can include:

• Swollen or painful varicose veins.

• Swelling (edema) of the foot, ankle or calf. This swelling may get worse if you stand for long periods of time. And it usually improves when you lie down or raise the legs. Swelling may also get worse during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

• A sense of heaviness.

• Throbbing, achy or crampy pain.

• Redness and irritation of the skin.

Over time, the skin may get thicker or become darker in color.

• In more severe cases, skin ulcers may form or the skin may ooze fluid.

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Venous insufficiency is very common.

Women are affected more than men. The condition is more common as people age or become overweight. In many people, it develops after the veins have been damaged by an injury, surgery or a blood clot.

Treatment options The treatment of venous insufficiency depends on why it has developed, where it develops, and the symptoms it causes: In mild cases, simply elevating the legs appears to help.

Support stockings help to reduce swelling and discomfort. You can buy these at a medical supply store. Custom fit stockings are also available with a prescription from your doctor.

A diuretic (water pill) such as hydrochlorothiazide or furosemide will control some of the fluid buildup.

Mild steroid creams such as hydrocortisone help to reduce redness and irritation of the skin.

Skin ulcers often need careful attention.

Special bandages help speed the healing process. You may need antibiotic pills or creams if the ulcers become infected.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is a practicing internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Mass., and Chief Medical Editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School.

Q: I’m 70-year-old woman, and for the last two or three years my fingernails have begun to split in a lateral manner. I take calcium, so I’m wondering what’s causing this. Can you help?

A: There are a number of reasons why nails may peel, such as:

Calcium From page 13 calcium supplements. However, many women also take supplements of 1,000 mg. or more. This is concerning because high doses of calcium supplements have been linked to kidney stones, as well.”

Whether you get your calcium from food or a supplement, make sure you get adequate vitamin D to help with calcium absorption: The Institute of Medicine recommends 600 IU per day for all adults 70 and younger. Adults older than 70 need 800 IU daily. Fortified dairy products are

• Vitamin deficiencies • Having hands in water often • Fungal infections • Habits such as rubbing or picking nails • Inherited conditions that show up later in life, such as a median nail dystrophy, where nails tend to split down the middle If splitting is due to median nail dystrophy or another inherited condition, there’s little that you can do.

However, for good nail care in general, these tips can help: 1. Eat a well-balanced diet with green and yellow vegetables, as well as protein.

2. Keep nails trimmed.

3. Protect nails by wearing rubber gloves when washing dishes.

4. Keep an unscented moisturizer by the sink for applying to hands and nails after washing and drying hands.

5. Apply clear Vaseline to nails in the evening to help offset nail dryness.

If flaking or splitting continues, see your doctor. He or she can check for a fungal infection. Your doctor can also make certain no other medical condition is involved, since fingernails can sometimes be associated with other medical problems.

Rebecca Campen, M.D., J.D., is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. She divides her time between clinical practice of dermatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and private practice in Savannah, Ga. For additional consumer health information, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2012 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc. also a good source of vitamin D. Manson said it’s vital to get your daily recommended dose of both calcium and vitamin D, even if you already have heart disease. Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt, soy products, sardines, canned salmon, fortified cereal and dark leafy greens such as kale and collard greens.

“Read food labels and you’ll see that it’s feasible to reach 1,000 mg. of dietary calcium a day,” Manson said.

— Harvard Health Letter © 2012 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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15

Some ways to prevent, or treat, heartburn Are you bothered by burning behind the breastbone after eating? You’re not alone. One-third of us suffer from heartburn, typified by a pain and irritation in the upper gut. The underlying trouble is usually a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Heartburn occurs when acidic stomach contents back up (reflux) through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the lower throat, causing a burning pain.

There are many stomach-soothing steps you can try before going to a doctor. These can help cool your symptoms and prevent bigger problems later on.

“Heartburn indicates underlying reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus,” said Dr. William Kormos, editor in chief of Harvard Men’s Health Watch and a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It can cause damage to the esophagus and even increase the risk of cancer if ignored and untreated.”

Steps to prevent heartburn 1. Eat smaller but more frequent meals: Stuffing your stomach puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a valve-like constriction at the base of the food pipe that keeps acidic materials from backing up (refluxing) into the esophagus.

Large meals also take longer to leave the

stomach, giving acid more opportunity to back up and cause heartburn.

2. Eat in a slow, relaxed manner: Wolfing down your food fills the stomach faster, putting more pressure on the LES. 3. Remain upright after meals: Lying down puts more pressure on the LES, making reflux more likely.

4. Avoid late-night eating: Meals or snacks within three hours of lying down to sleep can worsen the reflux of stomach contents, causing heartburn. Leave enough time for the stomach to clear out.

5. Don’t exercise immediately after meals: Give your stomach time to empty; wait a couple of hours.

6. Tilt your torso with a bed wedge: Raising your torso up a bit with a wedgeshaped cushion reduces the pressure on the LES and may ease nighttime heartburn. Wedges are available from medical supply companies. But don’t just prop your head and shoulders up with pillows, which may increase pressure on the stomach by curling you up at the waist.

7. Don’t drink carbonated beverages: They can cause belching, which promotes reflux of stomach contents.

8. Identify and avoid foods associated with heartburn: Some foods and drinks can increase acid secretion, delay stomach emptying, or loosen the LES and trigger

your symptoms. Common offenders include fatty foods, spicy foods, tomatoes, garlic, milk, coffee, tea, cola, peppermint and chocolate.

9. Chew sugarless gum after a meal: Chewing gum promotes salivation, which helps neutralize acid, soothe the esophagus, and wash acid back down to the stomach. Avoid peppermint flavors, which may trigger heartburn more than other types of gum.

10. Rule out medication effects: Ask

your doctor or pharmacist about drugs that can cause pain resembling heartburn.

Some drugs, for example, can loosen the LES and cause acid reflux. Other drugs can cause inflammation of the esophagus.

11. Lose weight: Being overweight fuels heartburn because it puts more pressure on the stomach (and the LES). The tightfitting clothing and belts associated with weight gain may also contribute.

See HEARTBURN, page 16

16

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

Older drivers face array of renewal laws

By Lauran Neergaard Jerry Wiseman notices it’s harder to turn and check his car’s blind spots at age 69 than it was at 50. So the Illinois man and his wife took a refresher driving course, hunting tips to stay safe behind the wheel for many more years — a good idea considering their state has arguably the nation’s toughest older-driver laws.

More older drivers are on the road than ever before, and an Associated Press review found they face a hodgepodge of state licensing rules that reflect scientific uncertainty and public angst over a growing question: How can we tell if it’s time to give up the keys?

Thirty states plus the District of Columbia

have some sort of older-age requirement for driver’s licenses, ranging from more vision testing to making seniors renew their licenses more frequently than younger people.

At what age? That’s literally all over the map. Maryland starts eye exams at 40.

Shorter license renewals kick in anywhere from age 59 in Georgia to 85 in Texas.

The issue attracted new attention when a 100-year-old driver backed over a group of schoolchildren in Los Angeles last year.

That’s a rarity, but with an imminent surge in senior drivers, the federal government is proposing that all states take steps to address what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls “the real and growing problem of older driver safety.”

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Here’s the conundrum: “Birthdays don’t kill. Health conditions do,” said Joseph Coughlin, head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab, which develops technologies to help older people stay active.

Healthy older drivers aren’t necessarily less safe than younger ones, Coughlin pointed out. But many older people have health issues that can impair driving, from arthritis to dementia, from slower reflexes to the use of multiple medications.

There’s no easy screening tool that licensing authorities can use to spot people with subtle health risks. [See “How to tell when it’s time to quit driving,” on page 17.]

So some states use birthdays as a proxy for more scrutiny instead.

A complex issue Senior driving is a more complicated issue than headline-grabbing tragedies might suggest. Older drivers don’t crash as often as younger ones.

But they also drive less. About 60 percent of seniors voluntarily cut back, avoiding nighttime driving or interstates or bad weather, said David Eby of the University of Michigan’s Center for Advancing Safe Transportation throughout the Lifespan.

So, if you measure crashes by miles driven, the crash rate of older drivers begins to climb in the 70s, with a sharper jump at age 80, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Only teens and 20-somethings do worse.

That rising risk reflects the challenge for families as they try to help older loved ones stay safe but still get around for as long as possible, which itself is important for health.

The good news: Fatal crashes involving seniors have dropped over the past decade, perhaps because cars and roads are safer or they’re staying a bit healthier, said the Insurance Institute’s Anne McCartt.

Yet the oldest drivers, those 85 and up, still have the highest rate of deadly crashes per mile, even more than teens. More often than not, they’re the victims, largely because

Heartburn From page 15

Time for medication?

If changing your eating habits and other preventive steps don’t get heartburn under control, the most effective treatment is a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They drastically reduce acid secretion by the stomach. PPIs are available over the counter as omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid).

PPIs will get heartburn under control, but people end up taking them indefinitely.

This is not necessarily safe, since research has linked PPIs to increased susceptibility to bacterial infection and long-term risk of hip fracture, among other potential risks.

However, you should not suddenly stop taking a PPI after prolonged use. “People end up getting ‘stuck’ on them because

they’re too frail to survive their injuries.

And seniors are about to transform the nation’s roadways. Today, nearly 34 million drivers are 65 or older. By 2030, federal estimates show there will be about 57 million — making up about a quarter of all licensed drivers.

The baby boomers in particular are expected to hang onto their licenses longer, and drive more miles, than previous generations.

Specialists say more seniors need to be planning ahead like Jerry Wiseman and his wife Sandy. “Absolutely we want to be as good drivers as we can possibly be for as long as we can,” said Wiseman, of Schaumburg, Ill. At an AARP course, Wiseman learned exercises to improve his flexibility for checking those blind spots. He takes extra care with left-hand turns, which become riskier as the ability to judge speed and distance wanes with age. He knows to watch for other changes.

“We’ll be ready when it’s time for one of us to stop,” he said.

Rules differ by state Where you live determines what extra requirements, if any, older adults must meet to keep their driver’s license.

Among the most strict rules: Illinois requires a road test to check driving skills with every license renewal starting at age 75. And starting at age 81, those renewals are required every two years instead of every four.

At 87, Illinois drivers must renew annually.

In Washington, D.C., starting at age 70, drivers must bring a doctor’s certification that they’re still OK to drive every time they renew their license.

New Mexico requires annual renewals at 75.

Geographic variability makes little sense, said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research. “Either I’m safe to drive or I’m not. Where I live shouldn’t matter,” he said.

Yet when Iowa drivers turn 70, they See OLDER DRIVERS, page 19

PPIs cause a rebound in acid production when stopped,” Dr. Kormos said.

After a PPI cools your heartburn symptoms, ask your doctor if you can taper it off and then combine good preventive behaviors with targeted use of over-the-counter medicines to keep heartburn from returning. H2 blockers are good for this purpose.

They include cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid), and nizatidine (Axid).

If your symptoms persist, you may need additional testing such as endoscopy. Men who have damage to the esophagus (esophagitis) or precancerous changes (Barrett’s esophagus) will probably have to take a PPI indefinitely.

— Harvard Men’s Health Watch © 2012 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

17

How to tell when it’s time to quit driving

By Lauran Neergaard Families may have to watch for dings in the car and plead with an older driver to give up the keys — but there’s new evidence that doctors could have more of an influence on one of the most wrenching decisions facing a rapidly aging population.

A large study from Canada found that when doctors warn patients, and tell driving authorities, that the older folks may be medically unfit to be on the road, there’s a drop in serious crash injuries among those drivers.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine last fall, couldn’t tell if the improvement was because those patients drove less, or drove more carefully once the doctors pointed out the risk.

But as the number of older drivers surges, it raises the question of how families and doctors could be working together to determine if and when age-related health problems — from arthritis to frailty to Alzheimer’s disease — are bad enough to impair driving.

By one U.S. estimate, about 600,000 older drivers a year quit because of health conditions. The problem: There are no clear-cut guidelines to tell who really needs to — and given the lack of transportation options in much of the country, quitting too soon can be detrimental for someone who might have functioned well for several more years.

It’s never an easy discussion.

“It did not go over so well,” Benjamin Benson recalls of the time when his sons told the 87-year-old they feared his reflexes had slowed too much for safe driving.

“I’ve never had an accident,” Benson told them. His family’s response: “Well, do you want to wait for the first one?”

The retired accountant wasn’t ready to quit then, but he quietly began to analyze what would happen to him and his wife, who doesn’t drive, if he did.

His longtime doctor wouldn’t advise one way or the other. So over a few months, the couple tried online grocery shopping. They took a taxi to the dentist, not cheap at $38 round-trip. But Benson calculated that maintaining and insuring the car was expensive, too, when he drove only 3,000 miles a year.

A few weeks ago, Benson surprised his family by giving away the car, and he said he’s faring fine so far.

“Most people in our age group know that it’s inevitable and play around with the idea that it’s going to come and the only question is when,” Benson said. “I didn’t want to be pushed into it.”

Research by Dr. Matthew Rizzo of the University of Iowa shows some cognitive tests might help better identify who’s at risk, such as by measuring “useful field of view,” essentially how much your brain gleans at a glance — important for safety in intersections.

Some tests that might help Today, the American Medical Association recommends that doctors administer a few simple tests in advising older drivers: — Walk 10 feet down the hallway, turn around and come back. Taking longer than 9 seconds is linked to driving problems.

— On a page with the letters A to L and the numbers 1 to 13 randomly arranged, see how quickly and accurately you draw a line from 1 to A, then to 2, then to B and so on. This so-called trail-making test measures memory, spatial processing and other brain skills, and doing poorly has been linked to at-fault crashes.

— Check if people can turn their necks far enough to change lanes, and have the strength to slam on brakes.

Dr. Gary Kennedy, geriatric psychiatry chief at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center, often adds another question: Are his pa-

tients allowed to drive their grandchildren?

“If the answer to that is no, that’s telling me the people who know the patient best have made a decision that they’re not safe,” said Kennedy, who offers “to be the bad cop” for families or primary care physicians having trouble delivering the news.

Assistance for families For now, advocacy groups like the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP offer programs to help families spot signs of driving problems and determine how to talk about it.

Others turn to driver rehabilitation specialists — occupational therapists who can spend up to four hours evaluating an older driver’s vision, memory, cognition and

other abilities before giving him a behindthe-wheel driving test.

Some doctors and state licensing authorities order those evaluations, but programs can be hard to find, often have waiting lists and cost several hundred dollars.

For more information about AARP’s online seminar, “We Need to Talk,” visit www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/we_need_to_talk/.

For the Alzheimer’s Association Dementia & Driving Resource Center, visit www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementiaand-driving.asp.

To locate a driver rehabilitation specialist near you, visit www.driver-ed.org.

— AP

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

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

Older drivers From page 16 must renew their license every two years instead of every five. Neighboring Missouri has its 70-year-olds renew every three years instead of every six.

Some states introduce age requirements after high-profile accidents. Massachusetts now requires drivers to start renewing licenses in person at age 75, with proof of an eye exam. The change came after an 88year-old driver struck and killed a 4-year-old crossing a suburban Boston street in 2009.

Last summer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a national guideline for older driver safety that, if finalized, would push states to become more consistent.

Among the recommendations: Every state needs a program to improve older driver safety; doctors should be protected from lawsuits if they report a possibly unsafe driver; and driver’s licenses should be renewed in person after a certain age, tailored to each state’s crash data.

Still, many states say their main focus should be on inexperienced teen drivers and problems such as texting behind the wheel.

“Teens are risk takers. Our older drivers are risk avoiders,” said Alabama state Rep. Jim McClendon. Alabama drivers renew licenses every four years, with no older age requirements.

New Hampshire last year stopped requiring road tests when 75-year-olds renewed their licenses. The law was repealed after an 86-year-old legislator called it discriminatory.

It’s not the only state worrying about age discrimination. “You don’t want to go around and say, `This person is 85. We’ve got to take them off the road.’ That wouldn’t be fair,” said Assemblyman David Gantt of New York, where licenses last for eight years.

On the other side is the family of a Baltimore college student who died last year after being run over by an 83-year-old driver who turned into his bike lane.

Maryland has begun issuing licenses that last longer — eight years instead of five — despite an emotional appeal from the mother of Nathan Krasnopoler that that’s too long for the oldest drivers.

“You should be looking at your drivers to be sure they’re able to safely drive.

There’s plenty of research that as we age, things do change and we may not be aware of those changes,” said Susan Cohen. She is now is urging Maryland officials to study adding some form of competency screening, in addition to the required eye exams, to license renewals.

“Do we have to lose a 20-year-old with an incredible future ahead of him in order to determine that this particular driver shouldn’t be driving?” she asked.

What to screen for Traffic challenges change for older drivers, who are less likely than younger ones to be in crashes involving alcohol or speeding. Instead, they have more trouble with intersections, making left turns, and changing lanes or merging, because of

gradual declines in vision, reaction times and other abilities, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Scientists are hunting screening tests to check for such things as early warning signs of cognitive problems that might signal who’s more at risk.

But such screenings are a long way from the local license office. In a closely watched pilot project, California tried a three-step screening process to detect drivers who might need a road test before getting their licenses renewed — but it didn’t reduce crashes, sending researchers back to the drawing board.

Today, AAA’s Nelson said in-person renewals are “the single most effective thing states can do to improve safety.”

That’s because workers in the driver’s license office can be trained to look for signs of confusion or trouble walking as people come in — two big clues that they may have trouble behind the wheel — and refer those drivers for a road test or a medical exam to see if there’s really a problem.

Virginia, for example, lets even the oldest drivers hold a license for eight years, but starting at 80 they must renew in person and pass an eye test. California has five-year renewals, and starting at 70 they must be in-person with both a written test and eye check.

Those eye tests can make a difference.

In senior-filled Florida, 80-year-olds renew their licenses every six years instead of every eight, with a vision check each time.

A study found highway deaths among Florida’s older drivers dropped 17 percent after the vision test was mandated in 2003.

How long between renewals is best?

There’s no scientific consensus, but Nelson recommends every four to six years.

Another big key: Programs that make it easy for doctors, police and family members to alert licensing officials to possibly unsafe drivers of any age, so the experts can investigate. But in states that don’t allow confidential reporting, families in particular hesitate in fear of backlash if upset relatives learn who turned them in.

Nor should the question be only whether someone should drive or not: Iowa is leading a growing number of states that customize license restrictions to allow people to stay on the road under certain conditions.

People with early-stage Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, for instance, may qualify for a one-year license. People with other health conditions may be allowed to drive only during the day or within a few miles of home.

In California, older drivers who fail a regular road test sometimes get a re-test on familiar neighborhood roads to qualify for a restricted license. State traffic researchers expect demand for that option to grow, and are preparing to study if that tailored testing really assures safety.

Test yourself; get help if needed Meanwhile, how can people tell how they do on the road?

—The University of Michigan developed an online self-test to help drivers detect safe-

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health

ty changes: http://um-saferdriving.org/.

—AAA and AARP offer websites with similar tools and links to driving courses: http://seniordriving.aaa.com/ and http:// www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/driver—safety/ But ultimately, “the only way you can assess any driver at any age is to sit in the seat next to them and watch them drive,” said Coughlin.

Here’s the state of the law in our local jurisdictions: District of Columbia: Standard license renewal is every eight years. Starting at age 70, drivers must renew in person and

19

bring a doctor’s certification that they’re medically fit to drive.

Maryland: As of last October, all new licenses will last for eight years instead of five, regardless of age. However, an eye exam is required starting at age 40 for every renewal. (The Motor Vehicle Administration said lengthening the renewal period would save the state millions of dollars.)

Virginia: Licenses are renewed every eight years. Starting at age 80, drivers must renew in person and pass an eye test or present proof of a recent vision exam.

— AP

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

Understand breast cancer differences

By Dr. Matthew Goetz Dear Mayo Clinic: Why is it that some breast cancers have higher survival rates than others?

Answer: The main reason for the difference in survival rates is that breast cancer is not just one disease. It’s well accepted that there are four distinct molecular categories of breast cancer.

However, new data suggests that there are additional distinct subsets of breast cancer. These subsets have unique charac-

teristics that can influence the long-term outlook associated with each of them.

Estrogen is key The most common molecular subset of breast cancer is characterized by its ability to respond to the female hormone, estrogen. This type of cancer is characterized by the presence of estrogen receptors. If a tumor is estrogen receptor (ER) positive, that means the breast cancer cells contain receptors that bind to estrogen.

Women and men with ER positive breast cancer tend to have an initial lower risk of the cancer coming back after breast surgery compared with women whose tumors do not have estrogen receptors (known as ER negative breast cancer).

Information regarding a tumor’s ER status is one of the most important factors that guide breast cancer treatment decisions.

When estrogen binds to the estrogen receptors, it may cause these cells to grow.

Several types of medication can be used to inhibit the growth of ER positive breast cancer. These include tamoxifen, which blocks the ER, and aromatase inhibitors, which reduce the amount of estrogen in a person’s body.

By preventing estrogen from stimulating the growth of breast cancer, these drugs substantially reduce the risk of recurrence and improve a patient’s chances for long-term survival.

Although the risk of recurrence for estrogen receptor positive breast cancer is lower than estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, some risk for recurrence remains even after taking one of these medications for five years (the most common duration). So, for some women, treatment may be recommended for up to 10 years.

Aggressive genes affect some

Older adults throughout the region are reading the Beacon every month

The subset of tumors that are ER positive can be divided further into two groups: luminal A and luminal B. Luminal A tends to be slower growing, and associated with excellent response to hormonal therapies and a low risk of recurrence.

Luminal B responds to estrogen and medications that alter estrogen/estrogen receptors, but this tumor often is more aggressive, and characterized genomically by genes and pathways that can drive the growth of cancer independent of estrogen.

Laboratory testing to identify luminal A and luminal B tumors is available, and this information is already being used to guide

decisions about appropriate treatment.

For example, in the case of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, certain tumor gene tests can determine whether tamoxifen alone will be enough to block the growth of the tumor, or whether chemotherapy should also be used as part of a patient’s treatment plan.

HER-2 is another genetic issue Another very important type of breast cancer is the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, or HER-2 amplified breast cancer subset.

In about 20 percent of breast cancer cases, the HER-2 gene is abnormally increased.

This genetic change promotes tumor growth, making this subtype of breast cancer more aggressive than others.

Survival rates for women with HER-2 breast cancer used to be poor. But development of drugs such as trastuzumab and others, which target the HER-2 protein, have dramatically improved the outcome for those who have this kind of breast cancer.

Finally, the last group of breast cancers are characterized by the lack of expression of all three receptors (ER, PR, and HER2), or triple negative breast cancer. This group of breast cancer is the most aggressive, and chemotherapy is the main treatment used.

It is important for doctors to be able to identify and understand these and other specific subtypes of breast cancer. By doing so, the healthcare team is better able to create an overall treatment plan that fits an individual’s unique needs.

— Matthew Goetz, M.D., Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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Shouldn’t your ad be here?

Jan. 9

Jason Abady, author of Battle at the Overland Trail: One Night of Combat on Guadalcanal, explains the significance of this battle and its relationship to the overall strategy pursued by the Marine Corps to reach victory in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He will be available to answer questions and sign copies of his book, which includes material never before released to the public. The free event takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 1 p.m. at Culpepper Garden Senior Center, 4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-4403 to register.

Jan. 3+

For advertising rates, call Alan at (301) 949-9766 or email alan@thebeaconnewspapers.com

WWII AUTHOR

SEE THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION

The Library of Congress will place on display the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, handwritten by President Abraham Lincoln, for six weeks (from Thursday, Jan. 3 through Feb. 18), in recognition of the document’s 150th anniversary. The draft document — which has not been on public view since 2007 — will be part of the ongoing exhibition, “The Civil War in America,” which runs through June 1 in the Southwest Exhibition Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is free and open to the public, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

For more information, see www.loc.gov.

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

Add seeds to your diet

By Amy Levi-Epstein Health nuts are getting serious about seeds. The blogosphere is going crazy for chia seeds (yes, like the “pets”), flax and hemp seed. Sales grew 156 percent between 2008 and 2010.

It’s no wonder, really. Seeds deliver as much protein as nuts (and in some cases more), and all three of these seeds deliver heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fat also found in walnuts.

Flax seeds

Chia seeds

Hemp seeds

Chia seeds may have celebrity status as the newest superfood fad, but they’ve been around for centuries. (They were prized by the Aztecs).

The seeds absorb liquid easily, gelling and making a creamy addition to oats and pancakes. That property also makes them easy on sensitive stomachs, said David C. Nieman, M.P.H., Dr. P.H., at Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C. “Some other seeds, like flax, are harder to digest because they have more lignan, a tough fiber,” Nieman said.

Nutritional boons of chia seeds (per tablespoon): 2 g. protein, 4 g. fiber, 1.75 g. omega-3s.

Hemp plants (aka Cannabis sativa) may be illegal to grow in the United States because of their association with the moodaltering cultivars of the plant, but eating hemp seeds is legal and increasingly popular.

As versatile as, and similar in taste to, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds can be eaten raw, toasted, sprinkled on yogurt or salads or ground into seed butter.

Nutritional boons of hemp (per tablespoon): 4 g. protein, 16 percent daily value of phosphorus, 16 percent daily value of magnesium, 1 g. omega-3s. © 2012 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Flax delivers more ALA than any other plant food. Grind seeds in your (cleaned) coffee grinder or food processor before adding to baked goods or sprinkling over cereal (your body can’t digest the seeds whole). Or mix flaxseed oil into salad dressings or smoothies.

Nutritional boons of flax seeds (per tablespoon): 2 g. protein, 3 g. fiber, 13 percent daily value of manganese, 2 g. omega-3s.

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Jan. 10+

CONNECTING IN FRIENDSHIP

To help older adults combat chronic loneliness and develop and maintain relationships, JSSA (Jewish Social Service Agency), a nonsectarian community agency, has created an interactive social skills program, “Connecting in Friendship” that will meet in January. Led by experienced clinicians, this program focuses on conversing, reaching out and allowing others in, connecting, and expressing appreciation and resolving differences. The group will meet on Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at JSSA’s office, located at 6123 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. Preregistration and screening are required.

The cost for this program is $20 per class. To learn more and to register, call (301) 348-3832 or coamd@jssa.org.

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

How can I reduce inherited cancer risks?

Dear Pharmacist: My sister and mother have both had breast cancer. So far, I’m OK (but obviously worried). What is your number one recommendation for me, since my genetics are bad? Thanks.

— K.B. Dear K.B.: When it comes to breast health, your weight matters the most in my opinion.

But another important factor is hormone balance.

Let’s start with weight. I do not know your particular size or weight, so I will speak from a general standpoint.

Flabby abs and thighs can increase production of dangerous cancer-causing hor-

mones, including estrogen. Clinical trials will often conclude that “estrogen promotes cell proliferation in breast tumors” which could also be stated this way: Fat causes cancer.

Fat cells hold on to estrogen, and estrogen drives certain cancers. Losing weight helps because doing so reduces estrogen load in the body, and this may slow growth of tumors (even before you find out they’re in you). Yes, even before diagnosis.

Why wait for the cancer to be diagnosed? Remember, tumors don’t grow overnight. It has been growing for years — sometimes 10 to 20 years — before it’s picked up by an imaging scan.

Losing weight also works because this

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lowers serum insulin, and high insulin is a this 2 estrogen are sold nationwide at risk factor in the development of cancer, as health foods stores as “I3C” for indole-3-carwell as in 30 other disabling bonol, or a related type which medical conditions. is better for people with low You see, insulin increases stomach acid called “DIM.” an enzyme in your body called Both I3C and DIM are proven aromatase. This is the same to support breast and prostate enzyme that converts testoshealth. Natural iodine suppleterone and androstenedione to ments can help this pathway, estrogen within cells. too.

On my no-no list are fried And, as I just told you, exor fast foods, any boxed, cessive estrogen fuels cancer processed or heavily refined growth. I’ve posted an article I DEAR dinners, anything artificial, as wrote on this at my website.

PHARMACIST well as a diet high in refined Just use my search box to find

By Suzy Cohen sugar.

“Many Diseases Linked to Coconut, olive, avocado and High Insulin.”

The point is, losing weight is critical, grape seed oil are all wonderful to include and choosing good foods can help you re- in your diet. Spices such as curcumin and gain your figure while slashing your risk of saffron are powerful herbs you should eat frequently (or supplement with). cancer.

I think the best breast food you can eat is And, obviously, monitor your hormones broccoli. Broccoli, as well as other crucifers with a urine analysis each year. (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, This information is opinion only. It is not turnips), has a positive impact on the way intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conyou break down your estrogen. They bene- dition. Consult with your doctor before using fit breast health by reducing 4 and 16 estro- any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist gens (considered harmful) while increasing a protective, potent anti-cancer form of and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To estrogen, called 2-methoxyestradiol.

Supplements that increase production of contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

Qualifying Incomes Required for Eligibility

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Jan. 15

BRING YOUR GENEALOGICAL QUESTIONS.

At some point, all genealogists hit a brick wall. All of a sudden an ancestor seems to disappear, leaving no trace in census, death, land or church records. Maybe what you need is an experienced researcher to help guide you. On Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m., the Mount Vernon Genealogical Society will meet in room 112 of the Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, Va., in a session called “Stump the Panel.” The meeting will start at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Email questions you want presented to publicity@mvgenealogy.org. You may also call Phyllis Kelley at (703) 660-6969.

Jan. 20

44TH ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATION

Join the Arlington Parks and Recreation Dept. on Sunday, January 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford St., for an inspirational evening of local and regional talent honoring the civil rights and social justice work of Dr. King. Enjoy live music, dance and spoken word that pays tribute to MLK. Free admission. For more information, call (703) 228-3329 or visit www.arlingtonva.us/mlk.

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

23

A tasty turkey meatloaf that’s low in fat

By Dana Jacobi Change up an American favorite by using turkey. It is healthy and the taste may surprise you.

Like many dishes, of course, meatloaf is not without its history. After the Industrial Revolution, during the mid-19th century, meat became more available to the average citizen. The lack of refrigeration, however, made many folks reluctant to purchase ground meats since the shopper could not always be certain of age, actual ingredients or quality.

The introduction of small meat grinders, though, enabled people to grind their own cuts of meat at home. One of the results was meatloaf — a quintessential part of traditional American cuisine.

Although typically made of beef or pork, or a combination of those meats, this recipe brings the nutritional benefits of turkey into the mix for a great tasting dish.

Although it can be made with all dark or all white meat, using a combination of light

and dark turkey ensures that it has minimal fat, but maintains its moisture. The mushrooms and onion also help the meatloaf remain succulent.

The onion, Worcestershire sauce and stock enhance the flavor of the mix. The breadcrumbs keep it tender and the eggs help bind the mixture. You can use ketchup or tomato paste to coat the top.

If you have leftovers, they can be warmed up and enjoyed again, or use cold slices to make a sandwich. Just as you might associate meatloaf with nostalgic memories of family dinners, you can create the same memories for younger family members with this great variation of an American favorite.

Salt and pepper to taste 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 3/8 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 tsp. tomato paste 2 lbs. ground turkey (mix of dark and light meat) ¾ cup breadcrumbs 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup ketchup Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.

Sauté onions and mushrooms, add thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add Worcestershire, stock and tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Remove from

heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl combine turkey, breadcrumbs, eggs and onion-mushroom mixture. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf in shallow baking dish. Brush ketchup on top.

Bake 75 to 90 minutes or until meat is cooked through and internal temperature is 165 degrees. Serve hot. Leftovers may be served cold in sandwiches.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 238 calories, 6 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 14 g. carbohydrate, 30 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 335 mg. sodium.

Dana Jacobi creates recipes for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Terrific Turkey Meatloaf 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped ½ pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped ½ tsp. dried thyme

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Ongoing

FREE MACULAR DEGENERATION INFORMATION

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people 55 and older. Early detection is key to saving your sight. Contact the Foundation Fighting Blindness for a free information packet about preventing and managing AMD. Call 1-800-610-4558 or see www.FightBlindness.org.

Feb. 3+

HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS

JSSA (Jewish Social Service Agency), a nonsectarian community agency, is seeking volunteers for its Hospice and Transitions programs. The next 20 hour specialized training for prospective volunteers is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 3 through Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6123 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md. Volunteers help enhance the quality of life of individuals and families facing life threatening or terminal illness. For more information, or to register for the training, contact Amy Kaufman Goott at (301) 816-2650 or agoott@jssa.org, no later than five days prior to the start of the course.

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

Looking for the most nutritious options

By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM Q: Is steel-cut oatmeal more nutritious than other kinds of oatmeal?

A: Despite its super-nutritious image, steel-cut oats are similar in nutrition to other forms of oatmeal that don’t contain added sugar or sodium.

All forms of oatmeal are whole-grain, containing the same vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber (including the soluble fiber shown to lower blood cholesterol). Both steel-cut and rolled oats are classified as low in glycemic index (GI) — an estimate of how a carbohydrate food affects blood sugar.

Traditional oatmeal is referred to as rolled oats, because the whole-grain oats are softened by steam and flattened on rollers to form flakes. Steel-cut oats, also known as Irish or Scotch oatmeal, are oats cut by steel blades into small pieces without being flattened. Quick-cooking (one-

minute) and instant oatmeal are steamed, cut and flattened in progressively smaller pieces to cook more quickly.

The real differences between these kinds of oatmeal are their cooking times and textures. Steel-cut takes longest to cook and has a heartier, chewier texture.

Instant oatmeal may seem lower in fiber than other forms when you check label information, but that’s only because a single packet usually makes a smaller serving.

The nutritional disadvantage of flavored instant oatmeal is that in equal size servings, the sugar, sodium and calorie content is often substantially higher than other oatmeal options.

Q: Would green coffee bean extract help me kick-start my new weight loss effort?

A: Green coffee bean extract (GCBE) has gotten a lot of publicity as a weight loss

aid recently, but a 2011 analysis of the research on the topic found just a few small clinical trials that lasted from 4 to 12 weeks.

The studies indicate GCBE may promote weight loss of one-half to one pound per week, yet we have no data about what would happen to weight if people were to use GCBE beyond 12 weeks, or what happened to the participants’ weight once they stopped taking the supplement. In these studies, even those on placebo lost some weight, which suggests that you can also get a motivating start to weight loss by other methods.

For example, you could make a substantial cut in your calories from one particular source (perhaps regular soft drinks, sweetened tea, high-calorie coffee drinks or large amounts of juice). This is not as easy as popping a supplement. But steps like this help you lose weight and form the foundation for new habits you’ll need to

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

It will occupy your thoughts during the day and keep you up at night. You’ll take a look at every possibility. You’ll consider her needs and yours, and it will lead to the same conclusion. You can no longer provide the care she needs, but who will?

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lose weight and maintain the loss.

If GCBE works for weight loss, it may be due to a natural compound called chlorogenic acid, which is higher in green coffee beans than roasted beans. However, when ConsumerLab.com tested GCBE products, four of the eight samples had less (none to 80%) chlorogenic acid than the extracts used in the studies.

So far, it seems to be a relatively safe product in short-term use, but if you want to try it, check with your doctor to make sure there are no specific risks for you.

Realistically, though, considering how the cost adds up, you might invest the same money in a fitness class, some walking shoes, or a session with a Registered Dietitian for a kick-start with more lasting benefits.

Q: What is the difference between pure olive oil, light olive oil, virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?

A: In the United States, we categorize olive oils into extra virgin (sometimes referred to as EVOO), virgin, light and classic (pure) olive oil. All these oils are made by extracting the juice of olives.

All olive oils, like any other fat, contain about 120 calories per tablespoon. Extra virgin olive oil is the first product of the extraction process, and thus has the strongest flavor and aroma of the three types.

Virgin olive oil is also from the first pressing but is of slightly lower quality.

Light olive oil refers to the absence of flavor, which makes it appropriate for dishes that would otherwise clash with the stronger flavored oils. Classic or pure olive oil typically results from a mixture of virgin olive oil and refined oil.

Nutritionally, the fat in all three types of olive oil is mainly monounsaturated fat (MUFA). When MUFA is substituted for saturated fat, it lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol without reducing HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Studies linking greater use of olive oil with lower risk of heart disease generally don’t look at specific types of olive oil.

However, both heart health and other possible health benefits may also relate to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant benefits of several natural compounds in olive oil.

Extra virgin oil offers the most potential health benefits because it is the least processed and retains more of these compounds, including squalene, polyphenols and tocopherols (related to vitamin E).

The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days.

Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St., NW, Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

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25

When ‘being there’ for someone backfires Dear Solutions: iety to get him busy so he won’t bother you!

My husband retired recently. He’s Go about your business now, and don’t not sure yet what he wants make suggestions unless he to do. He says he wants to asks you for them. play golf, but makes very Dear Solutions: little effort to start finding I don’t know where to people to play with. begin with this. My sister If I make a suggestion, he and I are in our 40s. Begets angry at me. It’s the cause of something that same with anything else he happened, we don’t talk to says he might do. As soon each other, and she has as I suggest a way to make said she wouldn’t go anyit happen, he gets annoyed. where if I’m there, too.

SOLUTIONS I’ve made a very busy, Our mother, who’s diBy Helen Oxenberg, fulfilling life for myself, vorced, is getting remarried.

MSW, ACSW while he was working, and Her future husband’s chilI feel a little guilty, but I dren are making a dinner for wish he would get busy. I’m afraid of their family and ours. My mother says him just hanging around all the time, she’ll die of humiliation if my sister and I and I just want him out of my hair don’t come. right now. How should I handle this?

I’m willing to go, but my sister told — Kate our mother she won’t come, and she’ll Dear Kate: be in touch separately. I tried to reach The only way you’ll get him out of your my sister about this, but I just can’t hair right now is to take your hair else- see how to try any more. where. When he gets angry at you for — Irma making suggestions, the message is: “Let Dear Irma: me alone — I’ll find my own way.”

How to try — put a blindfold on your It may take time and a lot of experiment- eye. You don’t have to see how to try anying with different activities. When you keep thing. suggesting ways to make things happen as This incident is between your sister and soon as he mentions them, he feels your anx- your mother. Tell your mother you tried.

She really has to be honest about her family dynamics with her future husband, but that’s up to her.

The only thing that’s up to you is to go and enjoy meeting your mother’s new family.

Dear Solutions: I went to a party recently, and there was one person who cornered me for the whole evening. I wanted to meet other people, but I didn’t know what to do or say to get away from this nonstop talker.

I ended up feeling blocked and meeting no one. How can I handle this next time?

— Terri

Dear Terri: It’s your circulation that’s blocked. Even at a party, there are arteries leading to other people.

You need to improve your circulation by just saying, “It’s been nice talking to you, but I’d better start meeting some of the other people here.” Smile and move on. © Helen Oxenberg, 2012. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 6553684.

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

Money Law &

ABCs OF FINANCIAL TITLES Learn the differences between CFPs, CPAs and other designations FACING MEDICAL DEBT The healthcare law gives patients protections from collection agencies MAKE THE MOST OF 529s How to maximize the benefits of your grandchild’s college savings plan IRAs FOR HEIRS Fill out paperwork properly to pass down your IRAs to beneficiaries

Understanding risk is the key to investing Very few individual investors do as well as Interest rate risk can be understood by market indexes on a long-term basis. One this inverse relationship: When interest rates major reason is that they fail to increase, bond prices decrease, develop long-range plans, inand vice versa. If you invest in stead creating portfolios that rebonds, changes in interest rates quire frequent major changes, can have a significant impact on which incur expenses and the value of your portfolios. taxes.

Long-term bonds are much If you are making dramatic more volatile than short-term changes to your portfolio, and bonds. your returns lag the major inCredit risk refers to the dexes associated with your inpotential loss in investment vestments, then consider changvalue when a corporation’s or ing your approach. You have THE SAVINGS government’s credit rating is GAME probably not looked closely downgraded. After a debt ratenough at the risks that are rele- By Elliot Raphaelson ing downgrade, the value of vant to your investments. an entity’s outstanding bonds or preferred stock will immediately drop.

Five types of risk A disadvantage of buying individual corpoThere are different types of risk — the rate bonds with low credit ratings (aka major ones are interest rate, credit, infla- “junk” bonds) is that they are more likely tion, currency and market — and any one than investment grade bonds to be downof them may affect you differently than it graded. affects other investors.

Inflation risk is an all too familiar con-

cept to savers today. Short-term investments such as Treasury bills and money market instruments currently yield less than 1 percent. Even if inflation is 3 percent a year — a historically low rate — a portfolio of these “safe” investments will erode in value by more than 2 percent a year. Investors with a significant long-term portfolio in these instruments will be losers.

Currency risk refers to the possibility of loss in your portfolio based on changes in the value of currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

Market risk refers to the possible investment loss due to fluctuation in security prices for other reasons. Fluctuations can occur within an entire asset class or for a specific security you own. When you invest in common stocks, you incur more market risk than you would for more conservative investments.

The value of an individual stock may fall because of general market conditions, poor earnings, new tax regulations or unfa-

vorable industry projections.

If you invest in commodities such as gold and silver, you are also subject to market risk because of the price volatility of the underlying commodity.

You have to take some market risk to obtain capital growth, but you shouldn’t take more risk than you can afford. You should look at the price stability of any asset class you are considering investing in to make sure that you can afford shortterm fluctuations in value, and thus do not have to bail out at the wrong time. Diversification is crucial.

Investing for retirement When developing a long-term investment plan, take a hard look at the risks and make sure you are taking the right ones and avoiding the inappropriate ones.

For example, if you are in the early stages of your career and need to save for See RISK, page 27

How you can lose money in ‘safe’ bonds When you purchase stock (“shares” or al direction of interest rates. Here’s how it “equity”), it represents ownership of a pub- works: If you own a 10-year U.S. government bond that is paying 5 perlicly traded company. As a cent, it will be worth more now, common stockholder, you get when new bonds issued by a piece of what the company Uncle Sam are only paying 1.6 owns (assets) and what it percent. Conversely, if your owes (liabilities). bond is paying 1.6 percent, and You are also entitled to voting your friend can purchase a new rights and dividends, which are bond paying 5 percent, nobody a portion of the company’s profwill be interested in your bond its that it distributes to its shareand the price will fall. holders. Stock prices move That’s why bond prices based on supply and demand: If RETIRE SMART move in the opposite direction more people think the company By Jill Schlesinger of prevailing interest rates, rewill deliver future financial regardless of the bond type. So, if you hear sults, they will buy it, and the stock will rise.

Bonds work differently than stocks. that interest rates are on the rise, you can When you buy a bond, you are actually lend- count on your individual bond or bond muing money to an entity — the U.S. govern- tual fund dropping in value.

Although often hailed as “safe,” bond inment, a state, a municipality or a company — for a set period of time — from 30 days to 30 vestors face a number of risks, in addition to years — at a fixed rate of interest (the term the interest rate risk described above. One “fixed income” is often used to describe the is credit risk, which is the risk of default or asset class of bonds). At the end of the term, that the entity does not pay you back. That is a pretty low risk if the entity is the U.S. govthe borrower repays the obligation in full. ernment, but it can be a high one if it’s a How bond prices work company or town that is in trouble.

Bond prices fluctuate based on the generAnother risk is inflation. Even if the

bonds are paid in full, the promised rate of interest can turn out to be worth less over time due to inflation, which eats into the fixed stream of payments.

Should you buy a bond fund?

Many investors prefer owning a bond mutual fund versus an individual bond because funds offer broad diversification at a low cost, and they offer the convenience of being able to buy or sell shares at any time and in any quantity. Additionally, there is no easy way to reinvest interest payments into individual bonds, but you can reinvest easily in a fund.

However, individual bonds offer the certainty of a defined maturity date, which provides an investor with more control over the investment. If you hold an individual bond until it matures, you will get back its face value even if interest rates have risen.

But you can lose principal if you sell shares in a fund at the wrong time (just as you can if you sell an individual bond — whose value has fallen — before it matures).

Because bonds deliver a consistent stream of income, many investors view them as the perfect retirement vehicle. But as mentioned above, bond prices can fluctuate.

The worst calendar year for the broad bond market was 1994, when the broad bond market returned -2.9 percent due to an unexpected upward shift in interest rates (prices dropped more, but the interest from bonds helped defray some of those losses).

Just this past summer, the 10-year Treasury market saw big price drops. In the three weeks from the July 25 peak to Aug. 16, prices tumbled about 8.5 percent, and yields went to 1.82 percent from an alltime low of 1.38 percent.

So, yes, you can lose money in the bond market, though the magnitude of the fluctuations tends to be smaller than those in stocks and other riskier asset classes.

Bonds are an important asset class that can have a stabilizing effect on a diversified portfolio over time. Understanding how they work can prepare you for their eventual ups and downs.

Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is the Editor-at-Large for www.CBSMoneyWatch.com. She covers the economy, markets and investing on her podcast and blog, Jill on Money, as well as on television and radio. She welcomes comments and questions at askjill@moneywatch.com. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

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27

Online banks without fees, minimums

By Joan Goldwasser Online banks don’t have the expense of a multi-branch network, so they can afford to charge fewer fees and pay higher rates than traditional banks.

You’ll have to rely on direct deposit to put money in your account, although some banks allow you to deposit checks via a mobile phone.

1. Ally Bank (www.ally.com). Ally lets you open its Interest Checking account with any amount. It has no monthly maintenance fee, plus it rebates all ATM fees nationwide. The account pays 0.4 percent interest on balances up to $15,000, and 0.75 percent on balances over that amount.

You can also use a mobile phone to deposit checks, transfer funds to other banks and pay bills.

2. Bank of Internet USA (www.bofi.com).

You need $100 to open a Rewards Checking account, but there is no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement. ATM reimbursements within the U.S. are unlimited.

Plus, you can use your mobile phone to make deposits. You earn up to 1.25 percent interest on your balance each month if you meet certain requirements, such as setting up direct deposit, paying bills online, and using your debit card.

3. INGDirect (https://home.ingdirect.com). This online bank was recently acquired by Capital One.

Risk From page 26 retirement, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a large portion of your investment in low-yielding Treasury bills losing more than 2 percent a year to inflation.

If you are near retirement, with a significant capital base, you should be more mindful of market risk — i.e., having too large a percentage in common stocks.

If you are already retired and depend on bonds for recurring income, be wary of credit risk and avoid putting a large proportion of your bond holdings in individual junk bonds. Rather, you should consider either investment grade bonds or a conservative high-yield fund.

With a good understanding of the risks, you likely will not have to make significant changes on a year-to-year basis (other than rebalancing).

If you would rather leave the portfolio selection to professionals, select a no-load mutual fund family with a good performance history and low costs that offers target-date retirement funds and/or balanced funds (i.e., funds that maintain a predetermined mix of equity and income investments). You are likely to have more consistent and better results.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2012 Elliot Raphaelson. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Open an Electric Orange Checking account with any amount you choose. It has no minimum balance requirement and no monthly fees. You can use your phone to make deposits and to transfer money.

Use one of the more than 43,000 Allpoint ATMs worldwide and you pay no fee.

The checking account yields 0.2 percent on balances of less than $50,000.

4. Lake Michigan Credit Union (www.lmcu.org). Anyone can join Lake Michigan Credit Union by donating $5 to the West Michigan chapter of the ALS Association and opening a $5 savings account.

Its Max Checking account has no minimum balance requirement and no monthly fees; it refunds up to $15 a month in ATM fees if you don’t use one of the bank’s 92 proprietary machines. The account pays 3 percent on balances up to $15,000 if, among other requirements, you arrange

for one direct deposit per month.

5. Schwab Bank (www.schwab.com).

The Schwab High Yield Investor checking account rebates all ATM fees worldwide.

The account has no minimum balance requirement and no monthly service fee, and

checks are free. Balances earn 0.15 percent.

You can use your mobile phone to make deposits and pay bills. You’ll need to open a linked Schwab brokerage account, but no minimum balance is required. © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

28

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

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Montgomery County’s Premier Provider Two Years in a Row For the second consecutive year, Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has been named the top facility in Montgomery County under the new pay-for-performance standards. The State Office of Health Care Quality measured our patient outcomes, quality and staffing, interviewed our clients and once again ranked us #1 in the county.

Participants in the Gazette’s Best of Montgomery County (2012) added their stamp of approval by selecting Brooke Grove Retirement Village as one of the area’s top three retirement communities. We’re proud of our rankings and prouder of the independence and quality of life we offer. Because at Brooke Grove, what surrounds you really matters.

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Simply different d e k n a R

#1

nty y Cou pay r e m o in ntg in Mo tate of MD ce S n by the for performa

Montgomery County’s Premier Provider Two Years in a Row For the second consecutive year, Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has been named the top facility in Montgomery County under the new pay-for-performance standards. The State Office of Health Care Quality measured our patient outcomes, quality and staffing, interviewed our clients and once again ranked us #1 in the county.

Participants in the Gazette’s Best of Montgomery County (2012) added their stamp of approval by selecting Brooke Grove Retirement Village as one of the area’s top three retirement communities. We’re proud of our rankings and prouder of the independence and quality of life we offer. Because at Brooke Grove, what surrounds you really matters.

Call today!

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

An alphabet soup of financial designations

By Jill Schlesinger What’s better: a CFP or a CPA-PFS? What’s the difference between a fee-based financial adviser and a fee-only one?

Being a consumer of financial services these days can be maddening. One reader asked, “Can you give me a rundown about what these designations mean so I can select the right type of adviser to help me with my retirement planning?”

Absolutely. Let’s start with the basics: There is a difference between a license and a designation. Conducting certain sales activities in the securities and insurance industries can require both state and federal licensing. Additionally, those who are Registered Investment Advisers

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(RIAs) are licensed to provide advice and must put their clients’ interests first (“the fiduciary standard”).

Those licenses require passing standardized tests and some continuing education. However, many professionals engaged in providing financial advice also rely on outside designations, which are often more rigorous than the licensing exams, in order to differentiate themselves from those who sell product versus those who sell advice.

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cial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) requires candidates to meet what it calls “the four Es”: Education (through one of several approved methods, must demonstrate the ability to create, deliver and monitor a comprehensive financial plan, covering investment, insurance, estate, retirement, education and ethics), Examination (a 10hour exam given over a day and a half; most recent exam pass rate was 59.1 percent), Experience (three years of full-time, relevant personal financial planning experience required), and Ethics (disclosure of any criminal, civil, governmental, or self-regulatory agency proceeding or inquiry). CFPs must adhere to the fiduciary standard.

CPA Personal Financial Specialist (PFS): The American Institute of CPAs offers a separate financial planning designation. In addition to already being a licensed CPA, a CPA/PFS candidate must earn a minimum of 80 hours of personal financial planning education and have two years of full-time business or teaching experience (or 3,000 hours equivalent) in personal financial planning, all within the five-year period preceding the date of the PFS application. They must also pass an approved Personal Financial Planner exam.

Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)/ Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC): Available for insurance agents who want to demonstrate a deeper knowledge base. The CLU is more insurance-focused, while the ChFC is broader. Both require designees to take eight college-level courses on all aspects of financial planning from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn., and then complete continuing education. Neither requires a comprehensive exam.

Membership in the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA): NAPFA maintains a high bar

for entry into membership: Professionals must be RIAs and must also have either the CFP or CPA-PFS designation. Additionally, NAPFA advisers are fee-only, which means that they do not accept commissions or any additional fees from outside sources for the recommendations they make Fee-only advisers can charge based on an hourly or flat rate, or based on a percentage of your portfolio value, often called “Assets Under Management” (AUM). Either method is fine with NAPFA; however, if the adviser collects a commission from an insurance company or a fee from a mutual fund company as part of the financial plan, then that adviser is precluded from membership.

In addition to being fee-only, NAPFA advisers must be fiduciaries and must provide information on their background, experience, education and credentials, and are required to submit a financial plan to a peer review. After acceptance into NAPFA, members must fulfill continuing education requirements.

The requirements make NAPFA members among the tiniest percentage of registered investment advisers, with only 2,500 total current members. I asked John Ritter, NAPFA board member and public policy chair, about setting the bar too high, making it too exclusive a club. He responded that NAPFA advisers want “to be the ones carrying the torch, in front of the industry.”

Certainly, you can get good advice from someone without these designations, but knowing what they mean can help you ask the right questions about the services and fee structures they provide, so you can make an educated choice. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Sue Heyman ★ 301-580-5556 Office: 301-681-0550 x115 • Email: sueheyman@aol.com

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You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents.

Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans: Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers at no charge.

Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also, customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced rate of $1.00 per month.

• Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia.

Rates as stated here are effective as of September 1, 2011. But, the rates and other terms are subject to change in the future.

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

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

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31

Hospital collections must follow new law

By Elliot Raphaelson Many people are facing large, often insurmountable, debt obligations these days, and according to some estimates, medical bills account for half of all collections reported to credit agencies.

Even with a sound long-term financial plan, you may be confronted with unexpected health problems, including an unplanned hospital stay for a member of your family. This can have a significant impact on your financial well-being.

After a hospital stay, many individuals and families without comprehensive hospital insurance face large bills they cannot afford to pay. Most people and even some hospitals are not aware that the new Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provisions that prohibit certain collection techniques that hospitals have used on people having difficulty paying bills for care.

Hospitals that continue to use these collection techniques may lose their federal tax exemption. There has been very little publicity regarding the benefits of these provisions of the ACA to low- and middleincome families.

What the law states

clearly defined “extraordinary collections.”

However, it is clear that Congress intended to protect low- and moderate-income earners from large medical bills.

(Note that a large, unwarranted hospital bill will have a significant negative impact on a patient’s credit report.)

Gerri Detweiler, Credit.com’s consumer credit expert, reported that a reader had her hospital turn her $7,000 bill over to a collection firm before she even received it.

As Mark Rukavina, a healthcare affordability expert, explained in a blog post at Credit.com (http://s.tt/1b57a), the ACA directed the IRS to establish Section 501(r) of the IRS code to implement benefit rules for hospitals that are subsidized through federal tax exemption. These hospitals must: • “Establish written financial assistance policies describing who is eligible for free or reduced cost care and publicize them to patients and the community.

• “Refrain from extraordinary collections actions against patients before screening them to determine whether they qualify for financial assistance.

• “Limit fees charged to patients eligible for financial assistance to rates paid by Medicare or the lowest amounts paid by insured patients.”

Unfortunately, not all hospitals have followed these mandated requirements. As a result, some patients who were eligible for free or reduced-cost care have been contacted and sued by collection agencies, in violation of ACA requirements. The IRS has not yet

Ask for help at the hospital If you are treated by a nonprofit hospital, take steps to ensure that your rights are protected. Contact the billing department and request information regarding financial assistance. You can also ask whether the hospital has any personnel with expertise in assisting low-income patients or patients with disabilities.

Ask for the hospital’s written financial assistance policy, which is mandated under

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ACA. If the billing department cannot provide you this information, then you should make your request in writing and send it by certified mail/signature requested to senior management of the hospital.

Unfortunately, there has been an upsurge in allegations of debt collectors hassling patients. As the Huffington Post reported, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that her department is looking into allegations that “aggressive contractors were confronting patients in the hospital setting, not making it clear that they were actually bill collectors and not part of the hospital system.”

If you are contacted by a collector in the hospital, obtain the person’s relevant information, such as name, company and address, and report it to your Congressional representative, as well as to senior management of the hospital. © 20212 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed

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How to maximize value of a 529 plan

By Kimberly Lankford and Kathy Kristof Q. I opened a 529 account for my granddaughter. Will this af fect her prospects for financial aid?

A: Let’s first take a look at college savings plans — called 529s for the federal code section that gives them their tax-favored status.

They work a bit like Roth IRAs. You con-

tribute after-tax dollars, and neither contributions nor investment income will be taxed by the federal government when withdrawn for qualified educational purposes.

The plans are offered and governed by individual states. And almost every state has at least one — and sometimes several — options. Individual states also deter-

mine what state income tax breaks are available to contributors, and those benefits vary widely, too.

Virginia residents contributing to a Virginia plan can deduct up to $4,000 of their contributions a year; the same benefit is available in the District of Columbia. In Maryland, up to $2,500 in contributions can be deducted.

How funds affect aid

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To answer your question, a grandparent-owned 529 is not reported as either a parent or student asset on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

That’s a big loophole because parents are expected to contribute up to 5.6 percent of their assets toward college bills, according to the federal financial aid formula, and students are expected to contribute 20 percent of their assets.

As soon as the money from the grandparent-owned account is distributed, however, it is considered student income and must be reported as such on the next year’s FAFSA, said Deborah Fox, president of Fox College Funding in San Diego.

Students are expected to contribute 50 cents of every dollar of income toward their college bills, after an allowance of about $6,000. (The CSS/Financial Aid Profile, an aid application used by some private schools, also assesses student income

but does not provide an allowance.)

The same is true for 529 withdrawals from accounts owned by anyone who isn’t the parent — whether it’s a grandparent, another relative or a friend.

You can delay withdrawals Families who expect to qualify for needbased aid should delay withdrawals from a grandparent’s 529 until the last financialaid form has been filed — after Jan. 1 of the student’s junior year of college, said Fox. That way, the distribution won’t affect the award.

If you need to access the account before then, she recommends switching the account owner from the grandparent to the parent, if the plan allows it. (If it doesn’t, you can transfer the account to another state’s plan that does; see SavingforCollege.com for each state’s rules.)

Either way, the money in the 529 would be counted as the parent’s assets, but the withdrawals would not be reported as income on the financial-aid application.

Kimberly Lankford is a contributing editor to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and the author of Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, $18.95). Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com.

And for more on this and similar money topics, visit www.Kiplinger.com.) © 2012 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

BEACON BITS

Jan. 9

SURVIVING FINANCIAL SETBACKS

A free Surviving Financial Setbacks workshop for seniors will be held Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, Room A, 10360 North St., Fairfax, Va. It is sponsored by the National Council on Aging and presented by Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions. RSVP to (703) 778-9506.

Jan. 24

FINANCIAL LITERACY

The Holy Cross Hospital’s Senior Source program will hold a workshop that provides tips to help you protect your money and avoid common financial pitfalls. The program will take place on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 8580 2nd Ave., Silver Spring, Md. To register, call (301) 7548800 or go to www.holycrosshealth.org.

Jan. 17

DON’T GET SCAMMED

Lisa Schifferle, senior attorney and identity theft program lead at the Federal Trade Commission, will offer advice on ways to avoid scams, as well as detecting the signs of fraud and identity theft, on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. The program, presented by Mt. Vernon AAUW, will take place at the Mount Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, Va. Contact Joanna Crane for more information at (703) 718-8892.

Jan. 20

MONTGOMERY COUNTY MLK TRIBUTE

Montgomery County will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Tribute and Musical Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m., and a Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. The Tribute and Musical Celebration will be held at the Music Center at Strathmore beginning at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and will be available on a limited basis at www.strathmore.org. The Day of Service activities include an annual program held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel, 5701 Marinelli Rd., N. Bethesda, Md., from 9 to 11 a.m., and at additional service project sites around the county. For more information and to pre-register, visit www.montgomeryserves.org.

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

How to pass IRAs down to beneficiaries

By Elliot Raphaelson Most individuals who have Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) understand the primary advantages of these accounts — income tax deferral and the associated investment growth over long periods of time.

However, owners of these accounts often fail to consider that these advantages can also work in the favor of beneficiaries who inherit the accounts after they die.

Even those who appreciate the benefits often fail to follow the rules exactly and end up losing out.

IRS regulations on inheriting retirement accounts can be complex, and it is easy for people to make mistakes when they name beneficiaries. There are pitfalls for beneficiaries as well, and mistakes can result in

thousands of dollars in unnecessary penalties and lost investment opportunity.

Do paperwork properly Retirement expert Ed Slott argues that properly filling out your retirement account beneficiary form is the “single most important document in your estate plan because it guarantees that the person you name as beneficiary ... will indeed get that asset when you are gone.”

A filled out beneficiary form will take precedence over provisions in your will. If your personal situation changes — say, because of divorce or death of a spouse — you must make sure you make the appropriate changes to the form. It’s key to get this right, because the retirement account

is the largest asset many individuals own.

Slott’s retirement planning books are an excellent resource to help you make the right decisions. Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map (Ballantine Books, 2007) is particularly useful on this subject.

Don’t assume that your attorney and/or your financial advisor are experts regarding retirement accounts, especially when it comes to inherited accounts. Do your homework, and get informed professional assistance if you need it.

Options for a spouse Naming a spouse as a beneficiary is the most desirable option, as it provides the best opportunity for growth and longevity of the funds in the account. A spouse beneficiary can treat the inherited IRA as his or her own, and have the trustee change the name on the account.

A second option is for the beneficiary to roll the account over to a new IRA in his or her name. Both alternatives are equally advantageous.

A third option is to retitle the account as an “inherited IRA.” If the beneficiary is under the age of 59 1/2, there is an advantage to this option. The beneficiary can withdraw funds immediately without paying the 10 percent penalty that normally applies to those who take early IRA distributions. The beneficiary will have to pay ordinary income taxes on any withdrawals.

If a spouse beneficiary selects the inherited IRA option, at age 59 1/2 he or she should retitle the IRA in his or her name.

The beneficiary will then have the flexibility, between ages 59 1/2 and 70 1/2, to withdraw any amount he or she wishes and retain tax deferral. After age 70 1/2, that person will have to make mandatory withdrawals based on the IRS’ life expectancy tables.

Preserving benefits for heirs If you have inherited an IRA, fill out the retirement account beneficiary form so your heirs, too, can take advantage of the

“stretching” options.

Non-spouse beneficiaries cannot roll over a retirement account into their own names. They can, however — and they should — retitle the account as an inherited IRA. How you, as a non-spouse beneficiary, are required to make withdrawals from an inherited IRA depends on whether the account’s original owner had begun withdrawing.

For example, let’s suppose you inherited an IRA from your mother, who had initiated withdrawals based on her life expectancy. If you retitle the account as an inherited IRA, you can withdraw funds on the same basis as your mother had, retaining the tax deferral. Withdrawals are taxed at ordinary income tax rates.

On the other hand, let’s say that at the point of her death, your mother had not initiated mandatory withdrawals. You will be required to make minimum withdrawals based on your life expectancy. You can always withdraw more than the minimum. Again, all withdrawals are taxable.

If you do not retitle the account as an inherited IRA and cash it out, you will immediately owe income taxes on the whole amount, and you will lose the advantage of tax-deferral.

Make sure the beneficiaries of any retirement accounts and the executor of your will understand the importance of retitling the accounts as an inherited IRA. Fortunately, existing tax laws and regulations allow retirement account owners and beneficiaries many years of potential growth and tax deferral. It is well worth the effort to take advantage of these.

Other excellent sources of information on this topic are Retire Secure! Pay Taxes Later by James Lange (Wiley, 2nd ed., 2009), and Making the Most of Your Money Now by Jane Bryant Quinn (Simon and Shuster, revised 2009). © 2012 Elliot Raphaelson. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 6+

WINTER MARKET

The Olney Farmers and Artists Market will hold its first-ever Winter Market in partnership with the Sandy Spring Museum, starting Sunday, Jan. 6 and continuing throughout the season on Sundays until April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Sandy Spring Museum is located at 17901 Bentley Rd., Olney. The market will feature approximately 25 food and craft vendors inside the museum, with additional vendors outside, weather permitting. Vendors include purveyors of grass-fed beef, farm fresh poultry, organic eggs, cheese, hummus, coffee, homemade pastries and teas, along with art, handmade jewelry and crafts, and photography. For additional vendor or visitor information, contact Janet Terry at (202) 257-5326 or visit www.olneyfarmersmarket.org.

Jan. 15+

BRAIN GAMES

Learn techniques to think faster, focus better, and improve memory retention. Join this mind-bending, fun group and work out on brain teasers, visual puzzles and mind-boggling riddles at each of the eight sessions, held from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12. The class will be held at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston, Va. The fee is $40 for Reston residents and $80 for nonresidents. For more information, call (703) 476-4500.

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

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging VOLUME XXIV, ISSUE 1

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

By John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA This issue of “Spotlight on Aging” is about communities and volunteerism, and it is a nice complement to my message last month on an AgeFriendly Washington, DC, as it is about us ensuring that our seniors remain in the “fabric of this city.”

As we consider the communities across the District of Columbia, we can agree that there are many unmet needs and that there are caring and dedicated seniors and other volunteers who are working to meet some of the needs. Moreover, as I go across the city, I often hear from seniors who want to volunteer their time in a meaningful way.

The D.C. Office on Aging has responded by bolstering its Ambassador Program, which was started in 2012. As you may recall, the purpose of the Ambassador Program is to educate volunteers on the programs and services offered by the agency so that they would be equipped with the necessary information to tell their family members, neighbors, church members and others about our agency.

In less than a year, we have trained well over 200 volunteers. Now we are adding three new components to the Ambassador Program that will afford volunteers an opportunity to be actively engaged in addressing needs in our community through the Intergenerational Service, Discharge and Transition Service, and Library Courier Service to Nursing Home Residents.

I am pleased to announce that DCOA has partnered with Youth Build, a DC public charter school, to rehabilitate seniors’ homes in the District of Columbia. This program is a win-win situation for all parties. The Youth Build students have opportunities to develop home improvement skills while the seniors benefit from the practically free services (the seniors are responsible for purchasing

the materials for the projects).

In just a couple of months, seven seniors have been fortunate to have the following improvements made to their homes: painting, replaced ceiling tiles, sealed exterior porches and cement steps, and a repaired leaking porch ceiling.

As we continue to partner with Youth Build, we have now established a partnership with Langdon Education Campus in Ward 5 and will roll out an intergenerational program on Jan. 28.

Through this newest partnership, DCOA will identify seniors who are interested in working with students in Langdon Education Campus’s Early Childhood Education Programs.

Senior partners will participate in story time, a time when they will read to the children and the children will read to them. Senior partners will also assist teachers during recess and lunch time.

As we understand that some children may not get the necessary supports and nurturing at home, research tells us that similar programs in other jurisdictions have improved the social and academic outcomes for children.

Moreover, seniors benefit as they remain actively engaged mentally and physically as they interact and mold our future leaders. Based on my observation of my father, who has participated in a similar program for the past six years in Columbia, S.C., I am confident that seniors will find that this is a very rewarding program that will keep them socially connected in a meaningful way.

In 2013, we also plan to begin a new partnership with our interested DCOA Ambassadors in identifying and assisting vulnerable residents, who are being discharged from hospitals, in locating the necessary home See DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE, page 36

January 2013

Resolve to Try a Wellness Center Start the New Year with a new life plan that includes fitness and wellness.

Join a wellness center of your choice and participate in fitness classes of all type, exercise your mind in a computer lab, enjoy a nutritious lunch, learn about nutrition, or attend a class to stimulate your mind and provide important information.

Skip the gym membership and join a wellness center that is specifically designed for District residents who are 60+. Join today!

Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center 3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE 202-563-7225 Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center 324 Kennedy St. NW 202-291-6170 Hayes Senior Wellness Center 500 K St. NE 202-727-0357

Wellness Centers

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center 1901 Evarts St. NE 202-635-1900

Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center 3531 Georgia Ave. NW 202-727-0338

Washington Seniors Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Ave. SE 202-581-9355

The District is Seeking Centenarians The D.C. Office on Aging is looking to honor persons age 100 and older at a special luncheon for centenarians in the spring. If you know of someone who should be included, call the Office on Aging

at 202-724-5626 to make sure they are registered as a District of Columbia centenarian. Please provide their name, birth date and contact information so that we may invite them to the upcoming event.

Senior Village Initiative in Ward 4 is Developing Building on the enthusiasm of the Oct. 25 open house sponsored by North Washington Neighbors Incorporated, a group of 26 residents met to discuss their interest in starting a village to assist seniors who want to age in place in their homes in Ward 4.

Representatives from the Brightwood, Colonial Village, Crestwood, Manor Park, North Portal Estates, Shepherd Park, and Takoma DC neighborhoods participated in this first meeting of the Ward 4 Senior Village Steering Committee.

They talked about their expectations for services within a village to support seniors, as well as what seniors themselves could contribute to their communities and their own support systems. For example, seniors can call other seniors by phone to check on their welfare. Everyone was excited about the prospect of remaining among their friends and neighbors, and undaunted about the amount of work that lies ahead.

Assisted by helpful documents supplied

by the D.C. Office on Aging, like the DCOA and Montgomery County blueprints for starting a senior village, the steering committee agreed to form several subcommittees to do work on communications, concept development and needs assessment, fundraising, governance, and volunteer recruitment, retention and management.

The group discussed starting a village as a pilot project that could serve as a model for other villages to serve residents because there are more than 17,000 seniors residing in Ward 4.

The subcommittees are forging ahead with their work, and the full Ward 4 Senior Village Steering Committee is expected to meet again on Jan. 31 to continue its work.

Based upon the amount of time other senior villages — such those in Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle and Georgetown — needed to get started, it is reasonable to expect that with a bit of luck and hard work, a village might be in place to serve some of the seniors in Ward 4 by the end of 2013.

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

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

Seniors Celebrate the Holidays at the D.C. Armory Nearly 3,200 seniors celebrated the holidays at the D.C. Armory, attending the Mayor's 15th Annual Senior Holiday Celebration. Mayor Vincent C. Gray greeted those in attendance, as did Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.

The event provided information and senior resource exhibits, health and safety exhibits, free health screenings and immunizations, counseling, and facials and manicures.

"Captain Fly" from WPFW 89.3 FM and WYCB Spirit 1340 AM ser ved as the Master of Ceremonies for the stage show, which included live music from former lead singer for the Spinners Frank Washington, the HALO Band, and comedian Greg Cooper.

Seniors were also treated to music from a DJ and performances from senior groups the Asian Senior Ser vice Center, Vida Senior Centers, and the Our Lady Queen of Peace Line Senior Dancers.

No event would be complete without a workout from fitness coordi-

nators William Yates, Hayes Senior Wellness Center, Walter Smith and Yummy Tyler, who led chair exercise, dance movement and Zumba, to get seniors moving before the start of the official program.

The event was presented by the D.C. Office on Aging and Family Matters of Greater Washington.

Community partner AARP supported the event and volunteers from the Armed Forces, local schools, PEPCO and various community organizations assisted the seniors throughout the day.

The American Kidney Fund provided free health screenings for seniors, testing kidney health, cholesterol, blood pressure and more.

The event featured the band HALO with special guest, former lead singer for the Spinners, Frank Washington. Also performing was comedian Gregg Cooper.

Posing on stage at the event are Executive Director John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA; Mayor Vincent C. Gray; Tonya J. Smallwood, Chief Executive, Family Matters of Greater Washington; and emcee Captain Fly (a.k.a. Robert Frye), program host at WPFW 89.3 FM and Spirit WYCB 1340 AM.

Ms. Senior D.C. Mary L. McCoy and Dr. Thompson, shown at the Mayor's Senior Holiday Celebration.

The Asian Senior Services Center performed a holiday selection during the event.

Very Special Seniors Selected The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the DC Office on Aging (DCOA) recognized five very special seniors in the District of Columbia from a number of nominations submitted from the public that identified seniors who improved the lives of other District seniors through the creation of community-based programs and/or advocacy in 2012.

Other seniors were identified be-

cause they were in need of holiday cheer. The seniors selected received a hand-delivered special treat from MPD and DCOA on Dec. 24.

The Very Special Seniors selected (in no particular order) are: Ms. Willie Nelson Mr. Johnnie Cain Ms. Elizabeth Hicks Mr. Raymond Ball Ms. Maureen Gehrig Cook

Director’s message From page 35

and community-based services that prevent unnecessary rehospitalizations and premature nursing home placements.

Additionally, we will partner with the D.C. Public Library and area nursing homes in establishing a book club for residents in nursing homes. The premise is that nursing home residents don’t lose the interest in reading books and utilizing other librar y resources when they go into a nursing home; however, we simply have not estab-

lished a system for them to access such services.

As you can see, we have some very exciting programs that are underway and I hope that you share the same enthusiasm in desiring to touch the lives of an early childhood education student and/or a senior.

If you are interested in volunteering your time in any of the aforementioned opportunities, or if you would like to donate home improvement supplies to support home improvement projects, please contact Tony Moreno, strategic planner at the D.C. Office on Aging, at 202-5351372 or tony.moreno@dc.gov.

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

D.C. OFFICE

ON

AGING NEWSLETTER

Community Calendar is offered to those who pay for the entire session in advance. Contact Darryl Simpson at 202-895-0238. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW.

January events 8th • 11:30 a.m Green Valley Senior Nutrition Site will host a workshop called “Thyroid Awareness Symptoms & Signs” at 2412 Franklin St. NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

9th • 11:30 a.m.

Delta Towers Senior Nutrition Site, 1400 Florida Ave. NE, will host a seminar about elder abuse. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

22nd • 11:30 a.m.

8th+ • 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The class “Improving Strength and Coordination” is for those who are managing severe arthritis, Parkinson’s, or ongoing knee, hip or other joint pain, or need to use a cane or walker. The next session runs from Jan. 8 through Feb. 26 at Iona. Take the whole session or attend on a drop-in basis. The cost per class on a drop-in basis is $13. A discounted per-class rate of $10

Learn the symptoms of glaucoma at a program at the Ft. Lincoln 2 Senior Nutrition Site, 3001 Bladensburg Rd., NE. For more information, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

28th • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The Asbury Dwellings, located at 1616 Marion St.

Community Ambassador Program Keeping District Seniors and Caregivers In Touch with Services

The D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA) Ambassador Program is a FREE, interactive, member-based program designed to reach out to older adults and their caregivers to help them learn about the services and resources available to them through DCOA. If you are interested in expanding your network and educating older adults about the services and resources available to them, join us for our next Ambassador Training Workshop to learn about all of the programs and services that DCOA offers to the community and how you can become an Ambassador.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m.

All workshops are held at DCOA Headquarters and include: an overview of Office on Aging programs and services, information on how to access resources, and guidance on your role as an advocate. To register and for more information, call (202) 724-5622.

D.C. Office on Aging•500 K Street, NE•Washington, D.C. 20002 Government of the District of Columbia Vincent C. Gray, Mayor

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING

500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.gov John M. Thompson, Ph.D., FAAMA Executive Director Darlene Nowlin, Editor Selma Dillard and Lateef Mangum Photographers The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, nation-

29th+ 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Iona will offer a Memory Fitness workshop from Jan. 29 to Feb. 26. Topics will include normal and abnormal memory changes, healthy habits to support good memory, managing stress, and brain games and brain fitness strategies. Please note that this group is not intended for individuals who have a medical diagnosis of memory impairment, such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The fee is $60 for the series. Limited scholarships are available. To register, call 202-895-9448 and select option 4. Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St. NW.

Preparing for Winter Emergencies Now is the time to prepare for possible winter emergencies. Once you learn of a cold or winter weather alert, such as a winter storm warning, listen to the broadcast media about the weather conditions.

Seniors are urged to follow certain protective measures, including staying in warm places, wearing several layers of

dry clothing, wearing a windproof outer layer, rescheduling appointments if possible, and storing canned goods and prescription medicines in case you cannot get out to a store.

See www.72hours.dc.gov for information on preparing for emergencies and save these phone numbers:

IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Upcoming Ambassador Training Workshops:

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

NW, will host an open house. Find out more about the program and what services are available to seniors. For more information, contact Alice Murrell at 202-397-1725.

al origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated.

Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

• Emergency Assistance 911 In a life-threatening situation, call 911 for Police, Fire and ambulance services. There is a charge for DC ambulance transportation to healthcare facilities. Medicare Part A recipients can be reimbursed.

• Hypothermia/Shelter Hotline (202) 399-7093 or (800) 535-7252 The hotline offers assistance to persons in need of overnight shelter, and support for those living on the streets. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE • DC Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (202) 442-9557 If the heating system is not working in your rental apartment building, notify the property management. If you do not receive a response, you can call the Housing Inspections Office for assistance during business hours. On weekends and after hours, call the Office of Emergency Management at (202) 727-6161.

• DC Call Center 311 To report public streets that need snow and ice clearing and removal.

Also, the main number for DC residents to report a problem or violation, offer feedback to the Mayor, or obtain government information.

• Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (202) 727-6161 This office can give you information about shelters, where to get blankets, heaters and oil, and whom to contact for other assis-

tance. Also for non-medical emergency assistance and service information on holidays, weekends and after hours. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• D.C. Office on Aging (202) 724-5626 The Information and Assistance Office can link seniors with needed services and provide general information on keeping warm. The Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

• D.C. Energy Office 311 Emergency energy assistance is available to low-income District residents who have received a disconnection notice for electric or gas service, or are currently disconnected. Assistance is also available to residents without home heating oil. The amount of assistance is based on household size, total household income, heating source, and type of dwelling.

38

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

Careers Volunteers &

Did you (or someone you know) change careers, start a business or go back to school after retirement?

Please share your story. Email info@theBeaconNewspapers.com or call Barbara at (301) 949-9766.

Volunteers help eradicate Medicare fraud iors and their caregivers have contacted the Senior Medicare Patrol to ask questions or report potential fraud. According to the HHS Office of the Inspector General, the program has saved the federal government more than $100 million.

In 2011, the Senior Medicare Patrol program taught more than 2 million beneficiaries how to look for Medicare fraud. In Virginia, 28 SMP volunteers helped disseminate fraud toolkits and monthly healthcare journals, and participated in more than 544 community education and group education activities with SMP and local Area Agency on Aging staff, as well as 706 one-on-one counseling sessions.

Alexandria resident Chester Freedenthal joined SMP about two years ago, soon after retiring from a career with the Defense Dept. He came across SMP as he was researching Medicare information for himself and his wife.

“It really interested me because, number one, it’s educating the community, primarily seniors but caregivers as well, and number two, the fact that I’m giving back to the country because it’s helping save money. Those were the primary motivators for me,” he said.

Educating seniors and caregivers Cutting budget costs Trained SMP volunteers talk to older adults and caregivers about how to protect, detect and report healthcare fraud.

Volunteers emphasize the importance of reviewing all Medicare notices to identify errors and potentially fraudulent activities.

Local Senior Medicare Patrol programs provide assistance when issues are identified, so that mistakes are corrected and suspected fraud referred to the appropriate authorities.

Since 1997, more than 1.5 million sen-

Susan Johnson, who directs Virginia’s SMP program as part of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging, said that with the new healthcare law and current budget constraints, there has been a renewed effort to crack down on fraud, and SMP has helped save the government millions of dollars.

“We’ve had a lot of follow up [from federal officials], which is good news. I would say that I don’t know I would have said that five years ago or even three. So it’s very

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL

By Barbara Ruben The Medicare program and its beneficiaries lose an estimated $60 to $90 billion each year to healthcare fraud as older adults are increasingly targeted by scam artists. And that makes Gayle Wix, of Woodbridge, Va., angry.

“I’m pretty much a law and order kind of person, and it really bothers me when I see the enormous fraud in Medicare. It’s made, in my opinion, doubly bad because these people prey on older people who may not have the energy to follow up.

“Fraud is bad enough, but when you prey on innocent people who may be helpless to combat it, that just makes it a more heinous crime,” she said.

So Wix joined Virginia’s Senior Medicare Patrol Program (SMP) as a volunteer, giving presentations at senior communities in northern Virginia.

There are also SMP programs in the District of Columbia, Maryland and other states.

They are funded by the U.S. Health and Human Service (HHS) Administration. SMP programs lead the grassroots effort to fight Medicare fraud by providing prevention, education and outreach in local communities.

Virginia Senior Medicare Patrol volunteer Arline Oldershaw educates older adults and caregivers about how to detect and report Medicare fraud. Nationally, the Medicare program loses an estimated $60 to $90 billion a year due to fraud.

popular because of the budget. I think there’s been much more of an interest overall in what fraud is costing.”

Recent complaints to SMP have included scams regarding the new healthcare law, overbilling by nursing homes, and Medicare Advantage plans being switched without permission, she said.

To help keep up, new volunteers are needed. A daylong training session is provided. For more information or to volunteer, call 1-800-938-8885.

You may also call that number to receive a free fraud prevention toolkit called “Virginians Fight Back! Prevent, Detect Health Care Fraud” and a free 2013-2014 “Monthly Health Care Journal” to help track monthly healthcare appointments and services, making it easier for beneficiaries to compare bills and statements for accuracy.

Washington, D.C. residents may contact their SMP Program at (202) 434-2153. In Maryland, call (410) 767-2077. Learn more about SMP at www.smpresource.org.

Do what is right and fair, EVERYTIME

Senior Real Estate Specialist

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877-276-2145 www.lifebeyondseaburial.com

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

Naylor From page 1 each year. She was told she had to travel to New York that day to be on the “Today” show the next morning.

“My husband was out jogging and said, when he came up to the porch, that my face was just white. The first thing I said was, ‘I have 24 hours to lose 30 pounds,’” she recalled.

The real-life dog also got a happy ending: The Naylors’ friends adopted her and named her Clover. And Naylor went on to write two sequels. Two movies were made from the books.

Always Alice But three books about Shiloh is nothing compared with Naylor’s 24 books about Alice McKinley. The series started with The Agony of Alice, initially written as a stand-alone book in 1985 about an 11-yearold girl who moves with her father and big brother from Takoma Park to Silver Spring.

“I just wanted to write about a motherless girl who’s looking for a role model.

End of story,” she said. “Then the reviewers really liked it and said, ‘Alice’s many fans will await her further adventures.’

And I said, ‘What?!’ Girls started writing,

and said, ‘Tell us more.’”

So Alice went through puberty, endured the horrors of middle school, moved on to high school, met and broke up with a boyfriend, and finally graduated high school, getting a summer job on a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship before going to college in the most recent book.

For Alice’s younger fans, Naylor went back and wrote three prequel books, introducing their heroine as a third grader.

“She’s probably the daughter I never had,” said Naylor, the mother of two grown sons who live in Minnesota and New Jersey. She also has four grandchildren, two young adult granddaughters and two elementary school age grandsons.

Hundreds of girls write to Naylor each year because they see Alice as a kind of guide through the treacherous waters of adolescence, she said. Some ask for advice while others offer advice about Alice. Several years ago, Naylor started a blog with a selection of the questions and information about the Alice books, http://alicemckinley.wordpress.com. “[The girls] say before they go to high school they read all of her books about high school to know what they’re in for.

When they broke up with their boyfriend, they reread Alice Alone, where she was so devastated.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Volunteers & Careers

“She becomes their friend, they say. She becomes a comfort to them when they’re going through the same thing to see how she handled or mishandled it,” Naylor said.

But the same frank discussion of puberty, boys and substance abuse that Naylor’s

39

young readers find so helpful have been met by requests for censorship by some parents, who have asked that the books be banned in school libraries. Shiloh was met See NAYLOR, page 40

BEACON BITS

Jan. 14+

YOUR GATEWAY TO A NEW CAREER

The Career Gateway, JCA’s job search training program, kicks off its next session on Monday, Jan 14. Featuring small classes, individualized attention, 30 hours of instruction over five class days, and long-term mentors, the program is open to job seekers 50 and over who want to turbocharge their resumes, hone their interviewing skills, network more effectively, discover the hidden job market, and develop personal job search plans. The cost is $75. Classes are held at the Ann L. Bronfman Center, 12320 Parklawn Dr., Rockville Md. February and March classes also are open for registration. For more information, call (301) 255-4215 or visit www.AccessJCA.org.

Jan. 16

ALEXANDRIA OPTIONS

Register for the next Senior Services of Alexandria speaker series event, Staying Connected: Employment and Volunteer Opportunities for Alexandria’s Seniors. This free event will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Charles Beatley Central Library at 5005 Duke St., Alexandria, Va. Panelists will include representatives from AARP, Joblink, Volunteer Alexandria, Alexandria’s Mentoring Partnership and the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium. Register by calling (703) 836-4414, ext. 10, or online at www.seniorservicesalex.org.

Ongoing

JOIN THE CIVIL AIR PATROL

Learn about aviation and participate in disaster relief and search and rescue missions by becoming part of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Aviation experience is not necessary. The College Park Squadron meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first four Wednesdays each month at Hap Arnold Center at the College Park Airport, 1909 Cpl. Frank Scott Dr., College Park, Md. For more information, call 1-800-FLY-2338, or visit www.MDcap.org.

Ongoing

4-WHEEL-DRIVERS NEEDED FOR HOSPICE HELP

Hospice of the Chesapeake seeks volunteers with four-wheel-drive vehicles in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties to assist patients and staff with transportation during inclement weather conditions. To volunteer and for additional information, call the Volunteer Department at (443) 8371549 or 1-800-745-6132.

Re-enter the work force with a leg-up from Career Gateway!

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WHEN: Courses offered monthly for computer-savvy seniors Coming up: Session 3: Jan. 14 Another session begins Feb. 18 and Mar. 12 WHERE: 12320 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852 FEE: $75

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

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

Nominations now open for county awards

By Barbara Ruben Do you know of someone in Montgomery County who has gone above and beyond in volunteering their time and

skills in the community? Consider nominating them for a Montgomery Serves Award.

The awards, sponsored by the Mont-

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Ongoing

RESPITE CARE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Give a family caregiver of a frail older adult a well-deserved break

so they can go shopping, attend a doctor’s appointment, or have coffee with a friend. Volunteers visit and oversee the safety of the older adult for a few hours each month. Volunteers are matched with families in or near their own neighborhoods in Fairfax County. Support and training is provided. Contact Kristin Martin at (703) 324-7577 or Kristin.Martin@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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pounds of food a year. To read more about Rubens and Ahmad, see the Beacon’s story from May 2012 at www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/select-stories/features/paths-community-ser vice.

In addition, nominations are being accepted for the following three awards: Youth Achievement Award for extraordinary volunteerism by a resident under 18, Corporate Award for outstanding volunteerism by a corporation, and the Community Service Award for extraordinary volunteerism by a resident or group.

The Volunteer Center will begin taking nominations for the awards on Jan. 28, and nomination forms will be available online at www.montgomeryserves.org starting that day. The nomination deadline is Feb. 25.

Award winners will be honored at the Montgomery Serves Awards on April 29 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda.

Naylor

of the profession, from going over contracts to answering fan mail, she said she works about nine hours a day.

But she no longer divulges what new project is taking shape. “It’s best not to tell what I’m currently working on.

“I’m afraid if you describe it even briefly to someone, the only reaction you want is ‘That’s wonderful.’ Usually I get a raised eyebrow and someone says, ‘How could that happen?’ or ‘That sounds like a book that came out two years ago.’ Anything that bursts your bubble [makes it harder to write],” she said.

Another hindrance to writing was the death of her husband Rex last May, after 52 years of marriage. “He was always the first one to read my books. He was so good about motivation, saying a character just would not do this.

“He would look for unity,” she said of her husband, who was a former United Press International correspondent and speech pathologist.

While she misses him terribly, Naylor is moving ahead with her life and looking forward to turning 80.

She anticipated that her sons and their families would all visit Maryland to celebrate her birthday. “But they said, ‘We’re going to take you to Aruba for snorkeling,’ something I’ve always wanted to do again.

“But I thought I wouldn’t,” Naylor said.

“Where would I go when I’m by myself? So the whole tribe is going. That’s something I’m really looking forward to. I need a new adventure.”

• caring & professional staff

From page 39

• memorial urns and merchandise available

with the same resistance in some schools.

Naylor finds the attempts to censor her books abhorrent and wearying at the same time. She had a long correspondence with one mother who castigated Naylor because the mother’s 11-year-old daughter learned about sex from one of the Alice books.

Parents in a school district in Louisiana went to court over a teacher reading Shiloh in class because the book uses the words “damn” and “hell” in dialogue several times.

This fall, Naylor will publish the final Alice book, Always Alice, in which she ages from age 18 to 60. And while Naylor said she’ll miss the spunky ginger-haired character that’s been part of her imagination for nearly 30 years, she’s ready to move on.

“It was always half the year on an Alice book and half the year on something else.

And now I have the whole year to write something else. That will be nice,” she said.

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gomery Volunteer Center, include the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award for lifetime service by residents age 60 or older. The award, which has been given since 1988, was renamed in the memory of Potter, a former county executive, councilmember and longtime civic activist, four years ago.

Last year, the Path of Achievement Award was given to two older volunteers.

Ruby Rubens devoted countless volunteer hours to working for fair housing policies, providing budgeting assistance to low-income families, and advocating for residents of historically African American communities in Montgomery County.

Tufail Ahmad helped found the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, with the goals of involving more Muslims in the political process and volunteering to help those less fortunate, including collecting and donating more than 20,000

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For Naylor, there will always be a something else. She said she can’t imagine a time when she steps away from the keyboard and her characters stop populating pages.

“Most days I spend four hours writing.

So much of writing is thinking. You wake up in the morning and you’re thinking of a plot,” she said.

Adding in the time to let her imagination run wild, as well as the business side

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Ongoing

GARDENING FANS NEEDED IN SILVER SPRING

Help the Long Branch Senior Center prepare for spring planting in its outdoor garden by volunteering help with cleaning, weeding, mulching and preparing beds for the coming season. Donations of vegetable seeds will also be appreciated, along with bird seed for the outdoor feeders. The senior center is at 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring, Md. For more information, call (240) 777-6975.

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

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Travel

41

Leisure &

Ireland is one of the top travel destinations for 2013. Find out why on page 43.

Wildlife and village life in heart of Africa Everywhere I looked was a photograph waiting to be taken. That was equally true when the ElderTreks tour group with which I was traveling ventured out on game drives and boat cruises for close-up encounters with the animals that make Uganda their home.

From antelope to zebras

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

Village housing has grass roofs.

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

By Victor Block steep hillsides, women — some with a Relaxing in a hot shower, walking to a baby napping in a sling on their back —nearby market to buy meat, or strolling chat with their neighbors working nearby. through a village may seem like common- Many men waiting for passengers to clamplace occurrences. However, for visitors to ber aboard their motorcycle taxi also share the African country of Uganda, these expe- lighthearted banter. riences are likely to be unlike life as you’re The biggest smiles adorn the faces of chilused to living it. dren, whether playing in the dirt near their For instance, the shower consists of hot house or waving to passing vehicles carrying water poured into a tank on the roof of a tent, visitors to their country. Their excitement which drips through and broad grins holes in a bucket onto prompted my wife Fylthe bather below. The lis and me, and our meat is large body parts eight traveling comof animals strung up in panions, to return an outside marketplace. every smile and wave And villages are groupthat came our way. ings of mud-brick huts Memories of other with thatched roofs and scenes also continue dirt floors. to dance in my head. I Most people travel still picture lines of to Uganda to observe a women and children Noah’s Ark variety of walking alongside potanimals in their natuholed roads balancing A young child fills water containers ral habitat. During my at a community well. a variety of bundles on recent visit, I found life their head. of another kind to be equally intriguing. OpThe women, many wearing colorful flowportunities to mix and mingle with the peo- ing dresses, might be carrying a bunch of ple soon became a highlight of the trip. bananas, laundry just washed in a stream, a five gallon plastic container of water pumped A picturesque country and people from the village well, or anything else that This central African country is land- needs to be moved from here to there. Some locked, yet fully a quarter of it is covered school children tote their books on their by water. That includes a section through head, their version of the backpack carried which the Nile River flows, and Lake Victo- by many youngsters in the United States. ria — the second largest freshwater lake in Bicycles and motorbikes are used to the world after Lake Superior. transport larger and heavier items. I spotThough it is one of the poorest nations ted them laden with cages of live chickens, of the world, its people reflect an easygo- heavy bags of charcoal used for cooking, ing, friendly demeanor, especially to visi- and a live goat slung across the lap of a tors. As they toil in fields that spill down man driving to an outdoor market.

The checklist of wildlife is long and varied, a literal alphabet, ranging from antelope to zebra.

Actually, I learned that the word “antelope,” rather than describing a specific animal, is a catch-all name for about 90 species of beautiful creatures. We saw many kinds, varying from miniscule, graceful oribi to sturdy waterbuck, each with its own type of lovely and distinctive horns.

Each animal encounter seemed to exceed the wonder and excitement of the previous sighting. Our itinerary included visits to two major gathering places of elephants in Uganda, where we were thrilled at the sight of those endearing beasts eating, resting and on the move.

Herds of zebras resemble broad tableaus of black and white stripes with heads. Endangered Rothschild giraffes, identified by their white legs below the knee, stretch their long necks to browse on tender leaves at the top of tall trees.

Large groups of powerful and feared Cape buffalo, wallowing in mud or huddled together on land, peer out from nearsighted eyes.

Among our group of travelers, the countless hippos we came across in many bodies of water were a favorite sight. They spend much of the day floating just beneath the surface with only their tiny ears (and sometimes eyes) peeking out. When they emerge to graze on land, you understand why those highly aggressive creatures, which can top out at 6,000 pounds, are pretty much left alone by most other animals.

The checklist of wildlife sightings continued. Troops of baboons congregate alongside roads searching for tasty plants and small insects. Wart hogs, with faces only another wart hog could love, kneel on their front knees to munch on grass.

Giant crocodiles bask in the sun along river banks. Droll-looking vervet, black-andwhite colobus, and a menagerie of other monkeys chatter and scold from tree tops.

Trees also are home to winged crea-

A Ugandan boy is carried by his mother.

tures in more than enough variety to make Uganda a birder’s paradise. More than 1,000 species of resident and migratory birds have been sighted there. Sighting even just a few of them can reveal a breathtakingly beautiful rainbow of colors.

A hike in the forest searching for chimpanzees also had us scanning the treetops.

Our first clue that they were nearby was a series of barks and growls emanating from high branches. Then we picked out four animals staring down at us, including a mother with a baby clinging tightly to her back.

A chimp identified by our guide as an adolescent climbed down from a tree and lay on the ground about 10 feet from us.

Then he took turns taking short naps and occasionally awakening to scratch himself, ignoring the members of our group as we took photo after photo.

Even after countless sightings of birds and animals, we continued to long for encounters with big cats. Understanding how unlikely it is to come across elusive leopards, we agreed to settle for lions and eventually were rewarded for our flexibility.

During one game drive, our eagle-eyed guide saw a family of three lions in the distance that ran into a large cluster of bushes See AFRICA, page 42

42

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

From page 41 as our vehicle approached. After remaining hidden for some time, the male trotted out of the thicket, leaving the mother and infant behind, took a stance about thirty feet away and prowled back and forth as if on guard duty. Only when we eventually drove away did the king of the beasts saunter back into the bush, confident that his family was safe.

Equally intriguing was our experience in the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is one of only two places in the world, the other being in Tanzania, where lions climb trees as part of their regular behavior.

It’s not known whether they do so to escape biting flies at ground level or to catch a cooling daytime breeze, descending at dusk to search for their dinner. The reason mattered little to us as we watched several lions comfortably settled on thick branches of fig trees.

Seeking the mountain gorilla Touted as a highlight of the trip was the opportunity to see mountain gorillas. Those magnificent creatures are mankind’s closest cousins, sharing between 95 and 99 percent of our DNA, depending on how it’s measured.

Unfortunately, that kinship makes those splendid animals susceptible to human diseases. Before we began our trek, we were instructed to stay at least seven meters (about 22 feet) away and to suppress coughs and sneezes.

Of the estimated 880 mountain gorillas in the world, about 400 live in Uganda’s aptly named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

As experienced hikers, Fyllis and I almost scoffed when told that ElderTreks provides a porter to carry each trekker’s daypack and, if necessary, the trekker. However, soon after entering the forest we quickly became thankful for their presence.

The trail disappeared, and the guide used his machete to cut a shoe-wide path through thick underbrush. The ground was slippery,

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

Africa

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

and unbreakable vines clutched at our feet. Our porters literally gave us a hand, pulling, pushing and doing whatever was necessary to help us up the steepest hills we’ve ever encountered. I soon understood why the animals we sought to visit are called mountain gorillas.

Our pre-trek briefing indicated that it could take from two to seven hours to find a group of gorillas, spend one A herd of hippopotamus graze. hour observing them and return to the starting point. Because the group when the silverback, the large dominant we were seeking was on the prowl searching male, growled and began to charge us.

Our guide quickly stepped in front, for food, it took us over three hours to find it and the full seven hours for the entire experi- waved his arms and machete and the hulking gorilla turned away. Just in case, guides ence.

When we caught up with the gorillas, also are armed with an AK-47 which, ours several were on tree branches chomping assured us, he never has had to use.

As much as gorilla trekking had been proon leaves while others remained on the ground. The real excitement occurred moted as a — perhaps the — high point of our trip, it lasted only several hours during a 16-day adventure. The journey also included memorable safari game drives on land and cruises on water, each of which rewarded us with sightings of numerous animals.

The adrenaline rush of a charging mountain gorilla and the beauty of lions sprawled over tree branches are but two of innumerable animal experiences that linger in my memory.

Equally fascinating were encounters with people whose culture and lifestyle are very different from mine. These are among reason why several of my travel companions described their visit to Uganda as the trip of a lifetime.

If you go A safari trip to Africa isn’t best undertaken as a do-it-yourself affair. We went there with ElderTreks, which since 1987 has conducted off-the-beaten-path trips for people 50 and over to more than 100 countries.

Among benefits it offers are small groups limited to no more than 16 travelers, highly efficient trip preparation, outstanding local guides, and inclusion of all meals, which is not true for some tour companies. While a few meals had a set menu, most were elaborate buffets.

Accommodations ranged from a luxury hotel, to a sophisticated lodge overlooking hillside tea plantations, to luxurious, spacious tented wilderness camps with a private bathroom, including that bucket shower.

Monkeys, hippos and wart hogs were among the animals that hung around some camps and provided yet more opportunities to observe wildlife at close range.

ElderTreks will offer its next Uganda trip in July at a discounted price (through Jan. 15) of $6,710 per person. It also will have an 18-day trip in September to Uganda and Rwanda priced at $7,645. Permits to trek for gorillas and chimpanzees cost extra.

For more information about what may prove to be your trip of a lifetime, call ElderTreks at 1-800-741-7956 or log onto www.eldertreks.com.

43

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

Top worldwide travel destinations for 2013

By Beth J. Harpaz Myanmar, Marseille, New Zealand and Gettysburg are all on the travel radar for 2013 thanks to new tours, events and anniversaries.

But the best pitch for travel in the new year might just be coming from Ireland, which is running ads “calling all Flynns, O’Malleys and Schweizenbergs” to the Emerald Isle for a unique grassroots homecoming called “The Gathering.”

Here are details on these and other places, events and travel trends for 2013.

The Gathering “is a citizen-led initiative to attract people who are Irish-born, Irishbred or Irish in spirit to join us in 2013,” said Bernard McMullan of Tourism Ireland. “It’s almost become a competition where one county, town or village tries to have as quirky a gathering as the next.”

More than 2,000 events are already planned, including events for redheads and left-handers as well as reunions based on family names and clans.

The U.S. Census Bureau said 34.7 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, and Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director of Fodor’s Travel, is one of them. Even President Barack Obama has an Irish an-

cestor in the family tree.

“There are Irish people all over the world,” said Bowen. “It will be great fun being able to connect with others going back for this event. It’s like an entire year of St. Patrick’s Day parties.”

Myanmar and New Zealand President Obama’s historic recent visit to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) — the first ever by a sitting U.S. president — is adding to already heated-up interest in the country, which has only fully opened to tourism in the last few years. Fodor’s Bowen said it’s especially attractive to people who are already well traveled and are seeking that next unknown destination.

Many tour companies are adding Myanmar trips due to demand, and the U.S. Tour Operators Association’s active members named Myanmar No. 1 on a list of “off-the-beaten path” countries they foresee becoming popular in 2013.

New Zealand received a huge boost in tourism from fans of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and the release of the new movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is focusing attention on the destination once again. All four of the movies were

BEACON BITS

Jan. 12

LEARN TO SNOWSHOE FOR FREE On the 18th Annual Winter Trails Day, Saturday, Jan. 12, enjoy an

introductory day of free snowshoeing at Ski Liberty in Carroll Valley, Pa. Visit www.wintertrails.org or www.libertymountainresort.com or call (717) 642-8282 for more information.

Apr. 12+

AARP CHAPTER TRIP TO WEST VIRGINIA RESORT Reservations are now being taken for a three-day, two-night trip with the Brookland-Woodbridge AARP 2414 chapter to the

Greenbrier Resort and Casino in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Trip dates are Friday through Sunday, April 12 to 14. The resort in the Allegheny Mountains offers gaming, live entertainment, international cuisine and designer boutiques.

filmed in New Zealand.

The French port city Marseille is one of two European capitals of culture in 2013, along with the Slovakian city of Kosice.

Fodor’s Bowen said Marseille “has been overlooked in the past” by a lot of travelers heading to the lavender fields and wineries of Provence, but she believes it’s ripe for a “renaissance” with new hotels, art galleries and culinary hotspots. XL Airways France is launching direct flights from New York in late May.

Big anniversaries in the U.S. Several important anniversaries take place in 2013, with exhibits and events to mark them.

• Gettysburg, Pa., is marking 150 years since the famous Civil War battle, which took place July 1-13, 1863. The town will also mark the sesquicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln’s brief but brilliant 272-word speech, the Gettysburg Address, See 2013 DESTINATIONS, page 44

The Greenbrier

Upcoming Trips Biloxi, MS, and New Orleans Sunday-Saturday, March 17-23 (7 days/6 nights) The Gulf Coast is back, and it’s time to return on a fun-filled trip that includes four nights at a luxurious Biloxi casino. From Biloxi we will take an excursion to New Orleans; and we’ll explore the Bayou Wilderness, Bay St. Louis, and other area attractions. $999 pp, dbl. occ.

“The Full Monty” at Riverside Center Dinner Theater Wednesday, April 10 Six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, seeing how much their wives enjoy male strippers during “Girls Night Out,” devise a novel way to accumulate some cash – they’ll become strippers themselves. Nominated for 10 Tony awards, this show features clever and tuneful melodies and a captivating story. $129 per person The Greenbrier, WV Sunday-Tuesday, April 21-23 (3 days/2 nights) A resort worthy of a head-of-state, The Greenbrier represents the height of elegance.

You’ll dine in the main dining room and enjoy afternoon teas, the luxurious spa, and the abundant recreational and athletic facilities. You can also tour the famous bunker and the Presidents’ Cottage Museum, take a carriage ride, or try your luck at the new Monte-Carlo-style casino. $799 pp, dbl. occ.

Philadelphia! Sunday-Tuesday, May 5-7 (3 days/2 nights) You will experience the many sights and sounds of this vibrant city. You’ll have a guided tour of the historic areas of Philadelphia and visit the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell Center. In addition, you’ll see the Barnes Collection in its new location, visit the Reading Terminal Market and Franklin Court, and enjoy evening entertainment with the “Founding Fathers.” $639 pp, dbl. occ.

Call us for our full schedule and details about these and our other fun-filled trips.

The cost is $669 per person, double-occupancy, and travel will be by train from Union Station. For more information, call L. Fitzgerald at (202) 529-0141 or email travelaarp2414@aol.com.

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2013 destinations From page 43 which he delivered Nov. 19, 1863 at the battlefield cemetery.

Marquee events for the battle commemoration, including reenactments and tours, will take place June 28 to July 7, but there will be activities and programs throughout the year.

On July 1, the new Seminary Ridge Museum opens in a building that was used as a soldiers’ hospital. Union Gen. John Buford also used the structure’s cupola to scout the countryside on the battle’s first day.

• Dallas plans a ceremony to mark 50 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, at the exact time and place where shots rang out: Dealey Plaza,

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

Nov. 22, 12:25 p.m. The ceremony will begin with church bells tolling and a moment of silence, followed by a reading of Kennedy’s speeches, songs, prayers and a military flyover.

Special programming for the occasion is also planned by many other sites, from the Newseum in Washington, D.C., to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, located in a building where a sniper’s nest and rifle were found following the shooting.

• Saratoga, N.Y., is planning a May to September celebration with festivals and concerts marking the 150th anniversary of the Saratoga Race Course, where watching the horses remains a fun and popular pastime. The town is also known for upscale eateries and lodging, along with Saratoga Spa State Park, with its beautiful pools and natural springs.

• New York City’s Grand Central Terminal kicks off its centennial Feb. 1 with a rededication of the landmarked Beaux Arts station. Performances, lectures, exhibits and tours are planned throughout the year.

• Florida is marking the state’s 500th anniversary of European discovery and exploration, with events in all 67 counties.

Theme parks and beaches Next summer will see the popular 3-D ride based on the “Transformers” movies opening at Universal’s theme park in Orlando. “Transformers: The Ride — 3D” previously opened this past May at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles.

At Disneyland in California, spring will see the opening of Fantasy Faire, located at Fantasyland and dedicated to Disney heroes and heroines. At Disney World near Orlando, Fla., a new attraction called Princess Fairytale Hall, where guests can meet Disney princesses, is also scheduled to open in 2013.

Princess Fairytale Hall will be located at

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the Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland, which opened in early December, doubling the size of the original Fantasyland.

Both parks are offering weekly surprises for guests as part of a yearlong 2013 program called Limited Time Magic.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed beaches, boardwalks and waterfront attractions all along the mid-Atlantic coast. Many communities on the Jersey shore, the beloved pier in Ocean City, Md., and elsewhere are hoping to have infrastructure rebuilt by summer.

On Coney Island, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the landmark Cyclone and Wonder Wheel rides are in good condition along with other amusement park attractions, and are expected to reopen in spring as usual, along with the famous hot dog eatery Nathan’s and the home stadium for the Cyclones minor league baseball team.

The New York Aquarium at Coney has been closed due to damage from flooding but hopes to reopen some if not all exhibits by summer.

— AP

Colorful boats bob in the water in the town of Cobh, Ireland, a seaport town in County Cork. This year, a grassroots movement called the Gathering is inviting those of Irish heritage to visit the country to attend some of the more than 2,000 events planned.

Are you online? So are we!

Visit our website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com You’ll find topical articles, as well as blogs, recipes, useful links, games, puzzles and event listings.

Add your event to our calendar.

Also – www.facebook.com/BeaconNewspaper

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

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45

Is there any point to ‘duty-free’ shopping?

The duty-free shopping business reached excise, or other sales taxes, nor does it ina worldwide sales mark close to $50 billion clude the taxes that those items incur for last year, according to the Parissale in the U.S. As long as you based Tax Free World Associastay within the very generous tion. Clearly, those deals must allowances, you won’t pay any appeal to somebody, but my U.S.-imposed duty or tax at all. take is that they’re limited to a But absence of locally imvery few cases. posed tax doesn’t mean that the Overall, airports account duty-free stores give you the for almost two-thirds of total full benefit of the tax breaks. Induty-free sales — no surprise stead, most airport shops add there. Luxury goods, includadditional markup to make ing fashion items and accestheir prices almost as high as sories, jewelry and watches, TRAVEL TIPS prevailing local retail (or “high account for about a third of the By Ed Perkins street” in British terminology) sales, with fragrances and cosmetics about prices — with just enough of a cut to appeal the same, and wines and spirits a bit less. to penny- or euro-pinching travelers.

The Asia-Pacific region rings up the highThus, the only items on which lack of est sales volume, followed by Europe. taxes is potentially important to American travelers are those that carry high U.S. exA big and growing business cise taxes: Among potential travel purchasDuty-free is clearly big business. And es, those are liquor and tobacco products. for the big airports, especially in Asia and Europe, it’s a cash cow.

Are the prices good?

As I noted a few years ago, if you were Do you really get great prices? The most suddenly transported to the international recent worldwide survey I could find dates departure area of Heathrow or De Gaulle, back to 2010 and is from Kelkoo UK, the you’d think you were in a shopping mall British arm of the online international rather than in an airport. In many big over- price-comparison service, and it found no seas airports, you literally can’t get to your consistent pattern. Unfortunately, that departure gate without wending your way study was limited to 10 major European through an array of shops hawking “tax- airports and did not include airports such free” or “duty-free” purchases. as Dubai or Singapore that, by reputation, But does that mean duty-free is a good provide better deals. idea for the typical American traveler?

My take is that you’re likely to find good First, let’s look at some basic facts: prices on tobacco products — if you still “Duty-free” and “tax-free” don’t refer to use them. You may also find good prices what you can bring into the United States at on liquor. When you buy it post-security, all. Instead they mean that the stuff on sale you can carry it in the cabin. does not carry locally-imposed value-added, But unless your final home destination

is your entry gateway airport, you can’t carry it on a connecting flight: Instead, you have to pack it in your checked baggage and risk having to claim a liquor-saturated suitcase in case your bag gets dropped a bit too hard.

I find it hard to understand why luxury goods, fragrances and cosmetics get so much play. The United States doesn’t tax them heavily, so you can usually get good deals here at home. Certainly, European countries may tax them heavily, but you don’t have to pay those prices.

And I certainly don’t get the popularity of cameras, watches and tech items, which — in my unofficial observations — are almost always better buys in the U.S., to say

nothing about future problems with warranties and service.

Clearly, then, the prime rule of duty free is to know U.S. prices on anything you’re likely to buy before you leave home so you can compare what you see overseas with those known benchmarks.

If you think you’d be tempted to buy liquor, electronics, fashion products, cigarettes or whatever, then find out the prices at your local Costco, Walmart or wherever else you shop, or go online, before you leave.

Then you can tell right away which tax-free goods are a good deal and which aren’t.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. © 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Travel with us 4X & get the 5th ride FREE!

BEACON BITS

Aug. 16+

CRUISE TO ALASKA

Plan now for a Fun & Fitness Travel Club cruise on Alaska’s Inside Passage Aug. 16 to 23. Travel on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas and see Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord/Sawyer Glacier and Victoria, British Columbia. Prices start at $919 per person double occupancy. For more information about this cruise, visit www.funfitness.com/cruises/alaska-cruise-2013.html or call (703) 827-0414.

Jan. 24

TRY YOUR LUCK AT MARYLAND LIVE! CASINO

Visit the area’s newest casino, Maryland Live!, which has 4,750 slot machines and electronic table games, in Hanover, Md. on this trip with Arlington’s 55+ program. The trip will leave Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 S. 2nd St., Arlington, Va., at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24 and return at 6 p.m. Lunch is on your own. The fee is $10 for Arlington residents and $12 for non-residents. Call (703) 228-4748 for registration information.

Jan. 28

MAKING HOUSING DECISIONS

At the monthly Dupont Circle Village Live and Learn Seminar, social worker Christine Bitzer, assistant director of the care management program at Seabury Resources for Aging, will explore the many services that are available for all levels of care, both in the home and away. The program will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, at the Thomas House Residences, 1330 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. The talk is free for Village members and $10 for others. For reservations, contact Linda Harsh, (202) 234-2567, or lindajkh@mac.com.

*

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

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

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47

Arts &

Chita Rivera, 80, is back on Broadway.

See story on page 50.

An overview of upcoming theater offerings

Old favorites, tried and true They’re concentrated at the end of the January, but these picks for old favorites are worth waiting for.

Keegan Theatre takes us to 1931 Berlin and the seedy Kit Kat Club. That can only mean another round of Cabaret, the smash hit musical that won 8 Tony Awards on Broadway and 8 Oscars in Hollywood and boasts a sparkling Kander & Ebb score.

The songs include the infections title song and my favorite, “Maybe This Time,” which contribute mightily to a wallop of a show. It’s the dark tale of a cabaret singer, a writer from America, and the night denizens of Berlin, facing themselves and a rapidly changing and dangerous society.

Cabaret runs Jan. 26 to Feb. 23 at the Church Street Theatre in D.C. Visit www.KeeganTheatre.com for information and tickets.

We go from Berlin to Our Town, at Ford’s Theatre. The oft-staged, Pulitzer Prize-winning Thornton Wilder classic is 75 years old, and Ford’s is promising “a diverse cast, creating an Our Town for our time.”

Our Town is, of course, timeless — exploring the rich currents of life and love and mortality that make up our everyday existence. Our Town will run Jan. 25 to Feb. 24. Visit www.FordsTheatre.org for information and tickets.

Shakespeare fans have Henry V to look forward to at Folger Theatre. The theater has brought back the team that produced the thrilling 2009 presentation of Henry VIII, and that promises a zesty look at the young king whose outsized ambition leads to legendary military exploits.

Henry V runs Jan. 22 to March 3 at the Folger’s Capitol Hill venue. Visit www.Folger.edu for information and tickets.

Unfamiliar and new works It’s not exactly a famous old favorite, but

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN

By Michael Toscano Maybe it’s a sign the economy really is improving, after all: 2013 is starting off with an exciting pick of innovative productions at D.C.-area theater companies.

For several seasons now, depressed ticket sales at many of the area’s theater companies, big and small, have resulted in a lot of “safe” choices. That is, we’ve seen a glut of old-fashioned Broadway musical classics and popular-but-too-frequentlystaged straight plays.

But based on the way 2013 is starting off, the dry spell may be coming to an end, as there’s some exciting new material to explore.

The more cautious folks will still find plenty to see and thoroughly enjoy, but for those who relish the active, edgy stage scene that has made D.C. one of the hottest theater towns in the country, it’s time to jump back in and start ordering tickets.

So here are some critic’s picks for both groups of theatergoers.

Ford’s Theatre will present a new take on the 75-year-old Thornton Wilder classic Our Town, on stage from Jan. 25 to Feb. 24.

The Show Off, a comedy, was a pretty big hit on Broadway in 1924. And it almost won a Pulitzer Prize.

How does a play almost win a Pulitzer?

Apparently Prize officials rejected the decision of the jurors, and handed the award to

another play, which quickly sank into oblivion.

The Show Off is revived occasionally, and reviews say it’s still fresh and funny See PREVIEW, page 48

48

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Preview From page 47 nine decades later. Arlington’s The American Century Theater (TACT) stages this “parlor comedy” about a young man who works as a railroad clerk but passes himself off as a tycoon.

When he falls in love, hilarity apparently ensues. It looks promising, so give it a try, Jan. 11 to Feb. 2. TACT performs at Theatre II of the Gunston Arts Center in Arlington. For information and tickets, visit www.AmericanCentury.org.

It doesn’t open until the very last day of the month, making anticipation mount as we await Eugene O’Neill’s powerful drama, Hughie. The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) describes this as “powerfully focused,” which means it is short but

potent and has only two characters.

STC has nabbed Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Schiff (The West Wing) for the role of Erie Smith, a small time hustler who laments to a seedy hotel’s new night clerk in 1928 that his luck has gone bad since Hughie, the old night clerk, died.

It doesn’t sound like much, but Erie is one of O’Neill’s most compelling characters, a role Jason Robards threw himself into on several occasions. Rarely seen now, it’s a portrait of a man trying to avoid seeing himself as he is, as O’Neill deftly mixes humor and heartbreak.

It runs Jan. 31 to March 17 at Shakespeare’s Lansburgh Theatre. For information and tickets, visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.

The Washington Stage Guild has the D.C.-area premiere of Tryst, a tale of sus-

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

pense that was a West End hit in 1997, with successful Off-Broadway runs in 2006 and 2011. It’s set in 1912 England as a man tries to exploit a young woman for his own purposes, even as it becomes unclear who is exploiting whom.

It plays at the Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church on Massachusetts Avenue, NW in D.C., Jan. 3 to Jan. 27. For information and tickets, visit www.StageGuild.org.

Upcoming avant garde plays If you’re the adventuresome type, check out the world premiere of The Minotaur, presented by Rorschach Theatre in association with Atlanta’s Synchronicity Theatre.

From up-and-coming playwright Anna Ziegler, it’s described this way: “A young man with the head of a bull paces his cage and contemplates his fate. Across the sea, a warrior sets sail with just one goal. Between them, a girl is ready take on the world…A whimsical, haunting and poignant tale about the difficulty of writing your own story.”

The Minotaur will play at Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street, NE in DC, Jan. 18 to Feb. 17. For information and tickets, visit www.RorschachTheatre.com.

And if you’re really into theater adventures, think about trying We Tiresias on for size. It’s presented by Forum Theatre at Round House Theatre’s Silver Spring annex. A play by Forum ensemble member Stephen Spotswood, it earned Best Drama honors at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival.

Here’s the official description: “Capricious gods, forbidden love, false prophets, true seers, ancient kings, bandit queens, switched genders, eyes plucked out in fistfuls, and a healthy dose of gallows humor.

Is the future of mankind a comedy or a tragedy?” It’s a short run, playing Jan. 3 to

13. For more information and tickets, visit www.Forumtd.org or www.roundhousetheatre.org.

MetroStage in Alexandria is debuting another of its homemade bio-musicals, although this one apparently focuses more on a time and place than an individual.

From many of the same people who have brought us Bricktop, Pearl Bailey by Request, and Cool Papa’s Party, this latest world premiere is titled Ladies Swing the Blues: A Jazz Fable.

Set in 1955 at New York’s 52nd Street, “the cultural mecca of jazz in the universe,” it explores jazz folklore of the 1940s and 50s. Four jazz divas, modeled after Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, gather in a dressing room to commemorate the passing of Charlie Parker and, as the theater describes it, “we hear the tapestry of bebop, blues, and jazz.”

It runs Jan. 24 to March 17 at MetroStage’s north Alexandria theater. For information and tickets, visit www.MetroState.org.

Also of note, Theater J has adapted Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, called it Boged (Traitor): An Enemy of the People, and moved it to a present-day Israeli industrial park. It runs Jan. 12 to Feb. 3 at Georgetown University’s Davis Performing Arts Center. Visit http://washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j.

And Studio Theatre brings us the U.S. premiere of Mike Bartlett’s Contractions.

Here’s the blurb: “Emma’s boss is concerned that she is in breach of contract. An office romance is dissected over a series of increasingly bizarre meetings in this inkblack satire from one of Britain’s most provocative writers.” Jan. 2 to Jan. 27. Visit www.StudioTheatre.org.

Michael Toscano is the Beacon’s theater critic.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 30

POET LAUREATE READING

U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey reads from her Pulitzer Prize-winning book of poetry, Native Guard, at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 30 in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, 10 First St. SE in Washington, D.C. For more information about this free event, call (202) 707-5394.

Jan. 27

25% special discount for the Beacon readers

and Free “Guide to Jewish Life”

$52

$39

New subscribers only! $41.34 With MD Sales Tax

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FREE WINTER CONCERT & RECEPTION

Come to the Piano Society of Washington’s winter concert and enjoy a reception afterward, featuring piano works by Bach, Schubert and Mendelssohn. The concert takes place on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Freewill offering appreciated. For more information, call (301) 793-1863 or visit www.pianosocietyofgreaterwashington.org.

Jan. 14+

FUSED GLASS CLASS

Artist Betsy Mead will show you how to use two shades of white glass to create an 8” x 8” plate that, when fused, can have shades of black, brown, grey or blue. This two-part workshop will take place Mondays, Jan. 14 and 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at Del Ray Artisans gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va. The fee is $65 for members; $75 non-members. Details and registration can be found at www.TheDelRayArtisans.org/FusedGlass or by calling (703) 838-4827.

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style

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

49

2012–2013 SEASON

“Genuine excitement and feeling…virtues that too many orchestra concerts lack these days.” —The Washington Post JAN UARY/ F E B R UARY CO N C E RTS

2013 EUROPEAN TOUR PREVIEW CONCERTS Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Tzimon Barto, piano BEETHOVEN: Egmont—Overture BARTÓK: Piano Concerto No. 2 BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 THU., JAN. 17 AT 7 FRI., JAN. 18 AT 8 SAT., JAN. 19 AT 8

KUUSISTO

The Blue Series is sponsored by

BARTO

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Dan Zhu, violin BEETHOVEN: Grosse Fuge MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 5 BARTÓK: Concerto for Orchestra THU., JAN. 24 AT 7 FRI., JAN. 25 AT 8 SAT., JAN. 26 AT 8 Organ Postlude: Thu., Jan. 24 performance followed by a free (with purchase of a concert ticket) mini-recital on the new Rubenstein Family Organ by J. Reilly Lewis.

The Red Series is sponsored by

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Pekka Kuusisto, violin SIBELIUS: Night-Ride and Sunrise LINDBERG: Violin Concerto SAARIAHO: Orion SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 7 Part of Nordic Cool 2013

THU., FEB. 28 AT 7 FRI., MAR. 1 AT 8 SAT., MAR. 2 AT 8 AfterWords: Thu., Feb. 28 performance followed by a free discussion with Christoph Eschenbach, Pekka Kuusisto, and NSO Director of Artistic Planning Nigel Boon.

The Blue Series is sponsored by

ZHU

Nordic Cool 2013 is presented in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers

The 2013 European Tour is sponsored by FedEx Corporation.

and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor Renaud Capuçon, violin

DOHNÁNYI

CAPUÇON

HENZE: Adagio, Fugue, and Maenads’ Dance (from The Bassarids) MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4 THU., FEB. 21 AT 7 FRI., FEB. 22 AT 8 SAT., FEB. 23 AT 8

Presenting Underwriter HRH Foundation Festival Co-Chairs Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Barbro Osher Major support is provided by Mrs. Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Dr. Glen Nelson, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, David M. Rubenstein, and the State Plaza Hotel.

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

(202) 467-4600 nationalsymphony.org Tickets also available at the Box Office | Groups (202) 416-8400 | TTY (202) 416-8524 Presenting Underwriters of the NSO David and Alice Rubenstein

NSO Music Director Chair endowment Roger and Vicki Sant

Presenting Sponsor of the NSO Classical Season

NSO Media Partner The Beacon Newspaper

The Kennedy Center welcomes patrons with disabilities.

50

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

Chita Rivera stars on Broadway again at 80 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens — the audience is called on to weigh in on resolutions to the story, either by a show of hands or clapping. The customers decide what is a mysterious detective’s real identity, who the murderer is at the heart of the play, and which couple from among the cast should fall in love.

For the cast, that means memorizing multiple endings and quickly being able to shift into the new role. “I just want to be the lover,” said Rivera, and she usually is.

Many memorable characters Rivera originated some of theater’s most memorable roles, including Anita in 1957’s West Side Story, Rose in 1960’s Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in 1975’s Chicago, and the title role in 1993’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, the second of her two Tony wins.

She still hopes that a lost Fred Ebb and John Kander musical that she champions, The Visit, will make it to Broadway.

She turns 80 on Jan. 23, but Rivera — still sexy, still vibrant, always funny — hates thinking about it and refuses to acknowledge the number.

This is a woman, after all, who clambered back on stage to dance in 1988 after

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By Barbara Ruben At age 15, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor published her first short story in a church magazine, for which she was paid the princely sum of $4.67.

Sixty-five years, more than 135 books and one Newberry Medal later, Naylor is still penning books from her home, now in a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Md. Best known as the author of the awardwinning Shiloh, about an abused dog and the boy who saves him, Naylor grew up in Indiana during the Depression in a home filled with literature.

“We read most of Mark Twain’s books aloud. My dad could be Aunt Polly one minute and Injun Joe the next. That was just magic.

“I started writing little books when I was in fourth or fifth grade, stapling pages together.

I loved doing it. It was my favorite pastime,” said Naylor, who turns 80 on Jan. 4.

When she first started selling her stories, she thought, “Wow, what a life!”

In college, Naylor studied to become a clinical child psychologist and paid her tuition by selling short stories.

“I just loved [writing] so much that I finally gave up plans for graduate school and began writing full time,” she said.

While her books are primarily for children, including the wildly popular Alice series about a red-headed motherless girl growing up in Silver Spring, Md., Naylor has Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, who won the prestigious also written several novels Newberry Medal for book Shiloh, has written for grownups. her children’s more than 135 books, Naylor still spends about including a series of 24 young adult four hours a novels about a girl named Alice who lives in Silver Spring, Md. The day writing in her airy will be published later final Alice book this year. apartment overlooking the campus of Asbury Methodist husband Rex encountered on a Village, a continuing care trip more dog’s owner retirement com- than 20 without success. years ago to visit friends munity she moved to five in the West years ago after Virginia “I cried and I cried all the town of Shiloh. They took way home. My living for years in Bethesda. a walk husband said to me, ‘Are you going along a creek, and nearby Floor-to-ceiling shelves to Naylor could see have line the living the weeds a nervous breakdown moving parallel with them. or are you room and her abutting office, with copies going to do something about “I went over to look, and it?’ of her books mingling there was the with such diverse saddest “As a writer, all I can do little dog I’ve ever seen. is write,” Naylor volumes as the 1902 edition It was a fe- said, “so I put of the Sears male, skinny, everything aside” and wrote. ticks all over her body, Roebuck catalogue, Alistair filthy She named the Cooke’s Ameri- and down dog Shiloh after its homeon her belly, just trembling. ca and Anne Tyler’s Ladder But town and published of Years. A re- her tail was the book in 1992 to wagging. So I knelt down cent issue of the School and modest reviews.

Library Journal tried very gently to pet her, but she sits on the coffee table. was So Naylor was shocked just so frightened. We thought, while eating her “This is an shredded wheat abused early one dog,” morning Naylor recalled.

One dog’s story when the phone rang with the The dog followed them news that Shiloh Among her dozens and back to their had just dozens of books, friends’ won the Newberry Medal house and peered mournfully Naylor said she has a soft — the up top honor bestowed spot for Shiloh, at the porch on one children’s book for hours. After they left sparked by a abandoned for dog she and her Maryland, the friends tried to find the PHOTO BY PATRICE GILBERT

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being in an almost fatal car accident two years earlier that crushed her right leg and required 12 screws to fix.

Even Superstorm Sandy couldn’t stop her. She rode out the storm in her upstate New York home near Nyack with her dogs and her daughter, choreographer and singer Lisa Mordente. They had no power for 11 days and stood in line for gas.

“The lesson I got from this is: generator,” she said.

The Associated Press sat down with Rivera to talk about the show, her birthday, and whether heat really rises.

AP: Everyone in the Chita Rivera, 80, is lighting up Broadway again in The Myscast seems to be hav- tery of Edwin Drood. She has played memorable characters ing so much fun on- in The Kiss of the Spider Woman, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and many other movies and shows. stage. Are you really?

Rivera: Oh, we are.

We really are. But I believe there’s a dan- around from bedroom to bedroom to see if ger. Timing is everything. Shape and form heat really does rise and how long it stays.

AP: And the answer? is everything. The word is everything.

Rivera: It’s cold.

And there has got to be control.

AP: You’ve been touring for these When you give a bunch of actors that past few years. How has the theater kind of freedom, you’ve got to look at that, because it’s starting to stretch a little bit al- scene changed?

Rivera: I don’t think we have enough ready. There is a freedom that’s delicious, original musicals. I really don’t. I know I’m but there’s also a danger.

AP: Is it strange performing in a being old fashioned but the theater is the show where the ending is up in the air? place where music, lyrics, words, scenery Rivera: I love the fact that the audience is and stories come together.

And I’ve been blessed enough to have involved, even though I’m from the old done several shows when they really did. school — I do like having a beginning, a middle and an end. You know what you’re doing. They take you places and they’re daring.

In this, when I get offstage and they tell That’s what we need.

AP: You are approaching a rather me I’m the murderer, I have to quickly go important birthday. How does that over the lines again. And that means I’m not the lover since nobody can be the lover feel?

Rivera: Age just seems, to me, ridicuif you’re the murderer.

AP: How did you fare with no elec- lous, because I’m blessed. I’m lucky. I’m doing what I love to do. I still can. And I tricity after Sandy?

Rivera: It was so cold and terribly dark. have the sense to know what I can’t do and — AP We tried it for a few days. And I moved what I should do.

PHOTO BY LAURA MARIE DUNCAN

By Mark Kennedy Even when she should be relaxing, Chita Rivera just can’t.

Currently starring on Broadway in the ensemble musical The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, the two-time Tony Award-winning singer, dancer and actress spends some time backstage during the show in her dressing room — and isn’t used to it.

“I play solitaire. I read. I’m thinking of doing needlepoint,” she said with a big laugh. “In my DNA, I’m a dancer and we don’t sit still. It’s just a different formula.

I’m loving it. But it’s different.”

Rivera has to share the spotlight with a zany cast that includes Stephanie J. Block, Will Chase, Gregg Edelman, Jim Norton, Jessie Mueller and Andy Karl. Everyone is having so much fun that the show is slowly getting a little longer every night as the cast overacts deliciously.

Rivera, making her first return to Broadway since her musical Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life landed in 2005, gets the biggest applause. She plays Princess Puffer, a brothel owner, and sings several songs including “The Wages of Sin.” In the new show — written by Rupert Holmes and inspired by the unfinished

See NAYLOR, page 39

I N S I D E …

event takes place on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Institute for Musical Traditions

LEISURE & TR AVEL

Exploring village life and wildlife in the heart of Africa; plus, this year’s top travel destinations, and debunking the value of duty-free shopping page 41

ARTS & STYLE

An overview of upcoming theater offerings; plus, Chita Rivera stars again on Broadway, the art of the Civil War, and lunch with Bob Levey

at the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, Md. The cost is $15 in advance; $18 at the door. For more information and tickets,

page 47 FITNESS & HEALTH 4 k Stem cells mend failing hearts k Understanding Medicare LAW & MONEY 26 k Many types of investment risk k Good online banking options SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

35

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS 38 k Stamping out Medicare fraud PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

call (301) 960-3655 or visit www.imtfolk.org.

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

51

How art, photography affected Civil War

Photography brought realism Photographs had perhaps the greatest impact on art of the era. Battlefield photographs by Alexander Gardner showing piles of dead soldiers, and images by George Barnard showing Charleston in ruins, destroyed any romantic notions of war being a heroic adventure.

Such images were shown in art galleries in the Northeast during the war and made people realize “this is not what I signed up for,” Harvey said.

“Photographs from Antietam make it stunningly impossible for anyone associated with the New York art world to make romantic pictures of the war because they look like lies,” Harvey said.

Art also changed the rhetoric about war by depicting gruesome reality. Raw imagery shown to President Abraham Lincoln likely influenced the words he drafted for his Gettysburg Address, Harvey said.

“There’s a realization that this is a war that left nobody unscathed,” she said. “As a result, as rich as you are, there is no insulation from the impact of the war.”

Reflecting nation’s mood Even landscape paintings reflected the mood of the nation. Artists depicted scenes of nature and weather to represent the war’s destruction and impact.

There are layers of coding in such paint-

ings, Harvey said, as with Church’s depiction of ice as Northern fortitude, an erupting volcano to represent slavery, and the tropics to represent the South.

At the same time, Homer and Johnson addressed slavery and emancipation with scenes of ordinary people, including a slave family escaping to freedom on horseback and a slave man reading from the Bible.

In postwar America, Homer painted a scene of former slaves meeting with their former mistress, renegotiating their relationship to involve wages. “Homer is saying, ‘until this gets fixed, we’re not done,’” Harvey said.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is located at 8th and F Streets, NW in Washington, DC, at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro Station, and is open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is free. For more information, call (202) 633-7970 or visit www.americanart.si.edu.

— AP

COLLECTION OF FRED KEELER

By Brett Zongker Paintings and photographs depicting the raw reality of the U.S. Civil War marked a major change in American art — tossing out romantic notions of war.

Some of the finest artists of the day, including Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, Frederic Church and Sanford Gifford, painted landscapes and scenes of everyday life to show how the 1861-1865 war transformed America.

Their best works, along with some of the first photographs of soldiers killed on the battlefield, have been gathered by the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a major exhibition on how artists represented the war and how the war changed art.

“The Civil War and American Art” is on view in Washington through April and then moves to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator Eleanor Jones Harvey spent years researching the project and borrowing many of the 75 works featured in the show. It features Civil War scenes from Washington, Baltimore, New York, and points south at Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

Rather than make portraits of war generals and heroes, however, artists of the day focused on the common man. There was a realization that “art that presents normal human beings, rather than celebrities and luminaries, carries more lasting weight,” Harvey said.

One painting in the show, Gifford’s 1862 painting “Preaching to the Troops,” depicting a scene near Washington, was displayed in the Oval Office for 13 years.

Frederic Edwin Church’s 1861 painting, “Our Banner in the Sky,” is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s exhibit, “The Civil War and American Art,” on display through April 28.

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52

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

Reminiscing deeply with college roomies Three men meet at a restaurant in San he had chucked his future.

“You next,” I say to Greg. “Give me Francisco. They are a lawyer who became an Greg’s 46 years in ten senauto mechanic, a psychotheratences.” pist who never did anything He takes 25. Marriage. Kids. else, and a guy who types a lot.

A hugely successful career Fifty years ago, fate plopped treating veterans and families. them down onto the same floor Now retirement and grandchilof a college freshman dorm. dren.

They became fast friends.

“And you?” they croon, in They went to class togethunison. er, except when they didn’t.

I take them through all the They each fell in and out of resume stuff — jobs, honors, love several times. They got HOW I SEE IT career blips, career earththeir sea legs under them, as By Bob Levey quakes. college students always try to But then I throw myself on the mercy of do (and occasionally manage to do).

Then they accepted diplomas and went the court. “Guys,” I say, “I want to talk about what I haven’t done. All the unfintheir separate ways.

They haven’t seen one another in more ished business. All the choices I might have made but didn’t. This is what keeps than 46 years.

The three men measure each other with me up at night.”

Thus began a three-hour burrow into their eyes. Hair —yup, most of it still there. Waistlines — yup, within the our three psyches.

The waitress didn’t stay mad at us for bounds of sanity. Looks — yup, I’d know very long because we kept ordering more both of you anywhere.

The men pile into a grunting, rocking drinks and more sides of hummus. Her tip group hug that lasts more than 15 seconds turned out to be stratospheric.

So did the level of the conversation. and astounds the homeless man who’s We ranged across the biggest question panhandling down the block.

“OK,” I say to Paul, after we’re seated. of all for men our age — had we played it “You go first. What have YOU been doing too safe somehow by marrying and settling down? for the last 46 years?”

Should we have “joined the circus” in His answer wasn’t always pretty. A divorce. The death from cancer of his sec- some way — become a professional golfer ond wife. A sharp veer away from law into (Paul’s dream), become a lithographer 30 years of tinkering with sick carburetors. (Greg’s), taken a promising folk singing The disdain of his parents, who were sure career on the road (mine)?

We agreed that to dream about roads not taken was not to invalidate those we did take.

We agreed that marriage had been great, and had made us each much better than we’d ever have been on our own.

We agreed that our children had taught us more than we had taught them, and always would.

But we were World War II babies who were born to run, in Bruce Springsteen’s famous phrase. We were not bred to be drones who sat at a desk all day and punched a clock.

Had we caved into that lifestyle? Had we missed the lure and allure of the open road?

Greg was worried that he had. In 1967, he joined the military and studied for a masters’ degree in counseling at the same time. He married that same year. They just celebrated their 45th (!) anniversary.

“I knew what I wanted to do at 23 and I’m still doing it at 68,” he said.

Paul was worried that he had missed out on the challenges and rewards of tackling The Big Issues.

“Law was all I ever wanted to do — until I started doing it,” he told us. “I couldn’t stand it. Far too stultifying.” Only when he turned to fixing cars did he feel creative and fulfilled.

“Of course, I probably sacrificed at least two million dollars in income,” Paul said.

“And I’ll never argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. But what’s the price of happiness?”

I told him that even attempting to fix a

car would produce so much unhappiness in me, it wouldn’t be funny. “I can’t fix a sandwich,” I said.

“You always did have a way with exaggeration,” Greg jabbed.

More guffaws. More drinks. More hummus.

“My bottom line, guys, is that we each made our peace with the establishment.

Paying taxes and staying married to the same woman isn’t the same as selling out.

It’s stability — and that can be the springboard for creativity.”

Greg said he had often told his kids the very same thing. “I tell them, ‘I am not stodgy because I’m still married to your mother. I just happen to love her.’”

Paul said that he didn’t see any difference in some ways between practicing law for 30 years and fixing Volkswagens for 30 years.

“You need to be disciplined, you need to be alert, and you need to be thorough,” he said. “And when some lady says her car is running better than it ever has, well, is that so different from a defendant thanking you for this freedom?”

My contribution: “I don’t need new all the time. I like old. I like familiar. I want to see how the story comes out.”

We hugged for more than 15 seconds as we left. The homeless guy was astounded all over again.

But he wouldn’t have been by our vow.

Another dinner, once a year, every year.

After three hours, we had only just begun.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 7

Known for our Breakfasts Famous for our Lunches!

BETHESDA • 7700 Wisconsin Ave. • 301-986-0285 ROCKVILLE • 12224 Rockville Pike • 301-468-0886 FALLS CHURCH • 7395 Lee Highway • 703-698-6292 www.OPHRestaurants.com FREE PARKING ALL LOCATIONS! Find us on Facebook

LEARN ABOUT GLOVER PARK VILLAGE

Poets on the Fringe members will read from their own work.

Come read a poem of yours or one by a favorite poet. It’s free, open to all, and light refreshments will be served. The reading is sponsored by Glover Park Village, a volunteer-managed nonprofit organization fostering neighbor-to-neighbor connections to help community members age in place. Also learn more about the village at the event on Monday, Jan 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. Need a ride or more information? Call (202) 436-5545. Visit http://poetsonthefringedc.weebly.com for more information about the group.

Jan. 6+

SUNDAY MORNING AT THE MOVIES

Cinema Arts Bethesda hosts monthly breakfast club screenings, complete with coffee, bagels and post-screening discussion. The film on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. is A Bad Day to Go Fishing, Uruguay’s official submission to the 2010 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. A Better Life will be screened on Feb. 3. Admission is $15. For more information, see http://cinemaartbethesda.org or call (301) 365-3679.

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

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

53

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

Letters to editor From page 2 access to the U.S. market is no doubt a factor in that disparity.

I did a little experiment last summer with a Canadian friend. We found the retail price in the Canadian drug stores of four widely prescribed drugs was around 20% of the retail price in American drug stores for the same drugs made by the same manufacturers.

I think Obama could do himself and the “Affordable Health Care” Act a lot of good if he looked into, or instructed the FDA to look into, drug prices and then did something to make them in fact, more affordable. Doing so seems a low cost and likely very popular way to begin controlling out of control medical costs. It will be more popular than cutting benefits or raising taxes.

Joel Dubow Annandale, Va. The editor responds: Regarding your first point, and giving consumers direction, the article recommended visiting the FDA’s website, www.fda.gov/BeSafeRx, which has links to every state’s board of pharmacy so consumers may determine if an online pharmacy they wish to use is licensed and safe.

Dear Editor: Massage is a great way to reduce in-

flammation, as noted in your November 2012 article “Ten ways to reduce chronic inflammation.” Therapeutic massage also has a host of other benefits that can enhance the health and well-being of older adults.

More and more studies, many of them funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), are demonstrating that regular therapeutic massage can have a cumulative positive effect on reducing arthritis pain, relieving the symptoms of diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and improving mobility and daily functioning.

In addition to physiological benefits, massage bestows a basic human need the elderly often go without: touch.

With no serious side effects when performed by a specially-trained massage therapist, massage is a great addition to any wellness regimen.

Mindy Kursban, Vice President Family & Nursing Care Therapeutic Massage Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: I have followed articles in the Beacon for years while I was a staff person with the

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BABY BOOMER PAGEANT Ms. Golden America, a pageant for women 50 and older, is look-

ing for contestants for the next event to be held in Naples, Fla. on May 4. The entry deadline is Jan. 31. Modeling or previous pageant experience is not required. Contestants may be married, divorced, widowed or single and must be United States citizens. For more information, see www.msgoldenamerica.com or call (802) 353-0895.

Parks and Recreation Department with Arlington County. I am now retired and live in Montgomery County.

I wanted to thank you for the always impressive issues of the Beacon. I find the Beacon at my local recreation center and library as well as some retail stores. I always look forward to the articles and information about things happening in Montgomery County as well as the region.

The information is timely and always of interest and shows the breadth and depth of programs, services and opportunities. I found it especially helpful in connecting

me to needed services when my parents were experiencing health issues.

I also find it helpful to connect to important political and advocacy issues, as well as opportunities for me to continue my lifelong learning.

Recently you published “Living and Thriving in Montgomery County,” an excellent pull-out filled with lots of information for me to have at my finger tips. Thank you so very much for this offering and the monthly Beacon. It is a jewel.

Beth Zeidman Via email

54

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box at the right.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either.

Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business & Employment Opportunities EXPERIENCED SALESPERSON to sell non profits grant subscription services. Downtown Silver Spring office. Endorsed by Grant Professionals Association. Part-time, flexible weekday hours. Excellent earnings. 301-588-6380 x134.

Caregivers COMPANION GHA/HH AIDE AVAILABLE NOW Live-in or out day or night. With excellent references. Very reliable and punctual. Own transportation. Pets okay, no reptiles. Please call 240-543-5024.

LOVING CARETAKER Lety Garcia 240-8552477. Caretaking you can afford and trust with years of experience in Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and hospice care. Meal preparation, companionship, housekeeping, errands, appointments, or just getting out! Very dependable. References available.

COMPANION AVAILABLE – Hope to improve and assist with your daily life. Compassionate, personable, reliable, references. 301-257-6480, Cynthia.

COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVER – Companion available to care for Elderly or Adult with disabilities. Very reliable, experienced, own car with excellent references. I can provide quality care for your loved one. Please call 240-4263548, kindly leave a message.

Computer Services COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computer training at your home. Email, Internet, general computer use, and more. Learn at your own pace with gentle and patient tutor. We also fix computers, set up your new computer and troubleshoot. Working with Seniors since 1996. Ask about your Senior Discount. Call David, 301762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR. PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: D. Guisset at 301-6424526.

TECH/COMPUTER TUTOR/TROUBLESHOOTER, Consumer Electronics consultant with 17 years experience making house calls. PC, Mac, iOS, Android, networks. Call Claude 202-630-5016 or visit kerno.biz.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate COLONIAL BEACH, VA – FOR RENT: Beautiful home on river in quiet neighborhood. Golf Cart Community. 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Finished attic. Washer/Dryer. Screened porch. New kitchen. Garage. Nice yard. $1250. Water/Sewer included. Call 703-430-7988.

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

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will preview units & contact you with a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings on page 30. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert, Realtors.

LEISURE WORLD® – $349,000. 2BR 2FB “G” with Garage in Creekside. Table space kitchen, separate laundry room, enclosed balcony. 1325 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-9283463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $269,000. 2BR 2FB “EE” with Garage in Vantage East. Open table space kitchen, large enclosed balcony, separate laundry room, 1260 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $110,000. 2BR 2FB “E” in Fairways. Freshly painted, wood flooring throughout, 980 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $139,000. 3BR 2FB “Ellicott” model with table space kitchen, separate dining room, separate laundry room, ground level patio. 1340 sq ft., Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $229,000. 2/3BR 2FB “Sherwood” model patio home. End of group, custom reconfiguration with Great Room, enclosed patio, recent paint and carpet. 1400 sq ft.

Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – RENTAL – $1400. 2BR 2FB “E” in “Greens”. Fresh paint and new carpet, New kitchen and bath flooring.980 sq ft, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $299,000. 3BR 21/2BA, “M” in “Greens”, sep din rm, mirrored closet doors, enclosed balcony, garage parking, 1530 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – RENTAL – $1400. 1BR + Den, 1-1/2BA “C” model. Rarely available, new paint and carpet throughout. 950 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

FLORIDA CONDO FOR SALE Two bedroom, two bath, completely renovated. Located in 55 plus community with pool and clubhouse in Dunedin, Florida. $72,500. 301-892-7195.

LOOKING FOR A QUIET AND FRIENDLY WOMAN between the ages of 55-70 to share my lovely home in a quiet area of Silver Spring, MD. Must be vegetarian, non-smoker, and nondrinker. The rent is $600/month including utilities. Call Carol at 301-754-1289 between 6:30PM – 8:30PM.

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.

1) RCA ViSYS 2-line business Speakerphone with integrated Answering system with variety length of telephone lines, $60.00 Thompson, Inc. Indianapolis, IN. 2) Radio Shack, Desktop Cassette Recorder CTR-121 14-1128 with extra tapes (2) $30.00. Price is negotiable. Call: 301-942-7000.

Home/Handyman Services MICHAELS HAULING Clean-outs, scrap & debris removal yard waste, etc. Mulch, dirt & stone delivery, lite dump truck, 20’ trailer & bobcat. Fully insured. 240-388-1898.

MGL CLEANING SERVICE Experienced.

Same team every time. Licensed bonded, insured. Good references, free estimates. Our customers recommend us. Mario & Estela: 202-4916767 & 703-798-4143.

Personal Services MOTHER WILL DRIVE you to your appointments, church, shopping and assist you. Honest, reliable, References. DC & Maryland. Bee 301949-4873.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts, etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

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

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

Personal Services

Wanted

VAN MAN – For your driving needs. Shopping, appointments, pick-up and deliver – airport van.

Call Mike 301-565-4051.

WANTED: ELECTRONICS, radio tubes, ham radios, huge old loud speakers, tube HiFi, stereo amps, earliest computers ever made, vinyl records, professional musical instruments, scientific curiosities, early electronic books, magazines, engineers, physicists, scientist, accumulations. 202-527-9501, vcvdc@msn.com.

DRIVER - Help with transportation, shopping, Help around the house, small projects. Call John, 301-990-9393.

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

Wanted FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan 301-2798834. Thank you.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

STERLING SILVER will pay top dollar for your silver marked “Sterling”, “925” “800.”

Please no silver plate. Want flatware, bowls, plates, candlesticks, etc. Call Richard 301-6460101.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, ETC. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments.

Jack (301) 279-2158.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tom. Call anytime 301-654-8678 or 301-654-0838.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE 240-4640958.

CASH FOR ESTATES, Gold, Silver, Coins, Costume Jewelry, Antiques/Collectibles, Etc. Will travel 301-520-0755.

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan (202) 841-3062.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole state. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755.

WANTED: INTERPRETER of Farsi, Russian, Tajek and English. Reading and writing simple papers. 301-229-0232.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES, ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls.

We pay the most for your valuable treasures because we get the most money on eBay – the worldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area – Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia.

Buying the following items – furniture, art, paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintage wristwatches, military items, including guns, rifles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instruments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls, trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennis equipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools, books, photographs, comic books. I am a resident of Silver Spring and work in Bethesda. I have 25 years experience. Please call Tom Hanley at 240-476-3441 – Thank you.

Thanks for Reading!

BEACON BITS

Jan. 31

PRESSURE POINT THERAPY

A pressure point is an area of nerve interference located in the body that can lead to pain and illness. In this workshop, led by a doctor, learn about how to locate and relieve these pressure points. The workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 31 at the Praisner Community Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, Md. For more information, call (240) 777-4970.

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

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

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Across

Down

1. Without ___ in the world 6. A trail of breadcrumbs, perhaps 10. Driving hazard 13. They may be hidden behind portraits 14. Geometry test answers 16. ___ Jima 17. “No bid” 18. Like a Jeopardy! champion 19. Even-money roulette bet 20. “I’ll have a ham on rye - stat” 23. ___ Day (vitamins) 24. 1040 fig.

25. Boil with anger 28. Where the news team crashes for the night 31. 43 Across times five 34. Snaky fish 35. A likely story 36. Chortle sound 37. “You’ve got mail” co.

40. Standard quantity of king’s horses 42. Schwarzkopf, e.g.

43. Suit to ___ 45. Transcript fig.

47. Addicts 49. The area of town where all the novelists live 53. Existentialist philosopher 54. Word on a Valentine’s card 55. Apropos of 59. WICU: 98.6 on Your FM Dial 62. Ostrich’s cousin 64. Remove a wrong answer 65. Top tens 66. Big container of chemicals 67. Dissuade 68. Come next 69. Typo correctors 70. Use the left lane 71. Arab Spring hot spot

1. Do ___ 2. Poultry option 3. ___ in the crowd 4. Do-over 5. Exxon ex-name 6. Collect $200 7. Bedroom piece 8. Extract a coupon from an ad 9. High-pressure pitch 10. It may contain the dedication 11. Have more payments 12. Saturn or Mars 15. Take the wheel 21. Have a heart-to-heart 22. Recline on a hammock 26. In better health 27. Utopias 29. US Air’s best guess 30. Casual meeting 31. Recovers from the freezer 32. Four-word introduction 33. What squirrely squirrels bury 38. “He’s fat, ugly, and mean” 39. 70’s-era revolvers 41. Director Jean-___ Godard 44. Caesar’s surprise 46. The pits 48. On ice 50. Miscalculated 51. Those with fewer electoral votes 52. Behind the fashion curve 56. Wimp 57. Determine one’s Putt-Putt score 58. Commencement 60. ___ pita (try Middle Eastern cuisine) 61. Toward the harbor 62. All About ___ 63. Insane

Answers on page 53.

Answer: When a computer fails, it can be — "TERMINAL" Jumbles: FAINT YOKEL MIDWAY JUMPER

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