March 2025 | DC Beacon

Dolly Parton’s books for kids

By Margaret Foster

Every month, when Eris Doweary’s 4year-old daughter sees a book arrive in the mail, she “gets excited,” her mother said.

“She’ll yell at me, ‘Mommy, I got a new book!’” said the D.C. resident. “It’s a treat for her when the books come into the house.”

Doweary’s daughter, who has been receiving free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since she was born, started reading when she was just two years old.

“My daughter can read because of Dolly Parton. She is the real deal,” Doweary said of the Grammy-winning country singer.

Tribute to Parton’s father

As Dolly Parton fans may know, she grew up in a poor family with 11 brothers and sisters in eastern Tennessee.

Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was one of 15 children, and although he was intelligent (“horse sense,” Parton calls it), he never learned to read, which embarrassed him throughout his life.

When Dolly was 49 years old, she decided to donate books to preschool children in the hopes that they would learn to read early in life.

“I said, ‘Daddy, I’m going to start something that you’re going to have to help me with,’” Parton told a live audience in 2022.

The program started small in 1995, mailing books to households in her hometown community of Sevier County.

“My dad and I thought that this would be something that would go maybe a county, maybe two or three counties over,” she said. “We had no idea when we started this that it was going to become what it has become.”

Now celebrating its 30th year, the Imagination Library has mailed more than 270 million books to children in America, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Australia.

Iceland’s otherworldly sites range from glaciers to Northern Lights; the capital, Reykjavik, offers cool museums and an oceanside lagoon-spa page 20

A R T S & S T Y L

More than three million children in those countries currently receive monthly books from the program, which starts at birth and continues until the child turns five.

“Over the past three decades, Dolly’s vision has ignited a passion for reading in children across five countries,” said Tracy Long, director of marketing and develop-

ment at the Dollywood Foundation, which manages the program.

“We look forward to inspiring even more children to imagine, dream and grow. As Dolly always says, ‘You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.’”

See

PARTON , page 25

Shakespeare Theatre Company presents the U.S. premiere of Kunene and the King, through March 23. The play was written by, and stars, Tony Awardwinning actor Dr. John Kani. page 24

Dolly Parton began mailing free books to children in her hometown 30 years ago. Each year, her Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library program sends a book every month to more than three million preschoolers in five countries, instilling a love of reading at the earliest opportunity.

DOLLY

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION

Music from the ether

As many of you may know, I took off the month of January for another of my “musical sabbaticals.”

I love to play the piano and compose music, but I can never find enough time to do either when I’m working. Fortunately, I’ve managed to carve out a few weeks in each of the past three years to focus on my hobby (and, I hope, my future retirement gig).

I never know where my inspiration will come from, but this time — in a first for me — I awoke one morning with a song in my head that I didn’t recognize. I immediately jotted it down and started asking people, “Have you heard this before?”

something a bit spooky, in my opinion.

The song in my head was only the first few bars of something; not an entire number. So, I played around with it on the piano, as I always do when I compose, until I came up with some additional measures that seemed to flow well from the first ones

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

That’s important, I find, because we all go around with songs in our heads (especially those darn earworms). And a composer really might not know if his “creations” are original or simply dredged up from an attenuated memory. It’s an occupational hazard.

Eventually, I decided I must have come up with the melody myself and went to work turning it into a piano piece. But there’s more to the story. In fact, there’s

During the weeks I worked on the piece, I played it for different groups of friends (fellow amateur pianists, for the most part) and always asked: Have you heard this song before? I was always assured they had not.

So then I needed to come up with a title. The song has the beat of a tango, but it transitions into a pensive love song in a later section. Since that part is rather romantic, I think of it as a nocturne. So, for a tentative title, I came up with “Tango Nocturne.” Catchy, I thought.

Before I posted a video of myself playing my new piece on YouTube and Facebook, I wanted to check on Google and see if others may have used the title “Tango Nocturne.”

I thought I was fortunate when I got only one hit — something called “Tango

Notturno.” As it happens, it’s a romantic song from a German film of the same name made in 1937.

OK, so what’s the big deal? No one is going to mistake my piece for a German song from a black-and-white film dating from the 30s, right? Well, then I listened to an old recording of “Tango Notturno,” also found on YouTube.

And I kid you not, part of that song is nearly identical to my own, in both notes and rhythm. It's even written in the same key!

I cannot for the life of me imagine that I somehow had heard this song before. Or if I did, that I would recall its notes well enough to seemingly serendipitously come up with it while writing my tango.

And how to explain the nearly identical title? Note that the only reason I searched for and discovered this piece of music — and its uncanny similarity to my own — was because I had also come up with basically the same title!

I know what you’re thinking. The mind works in strange ways, and somehow both the theme and the title were embedded deep in my unconscious and happened to make a veiled appearance last month as I tooled around on my piano.

I suppose it’s possible.

different parts of the world by people who had no communication between them.

Examples of such “multiple independent discoveries” include the development of calculus by both Newton and Leibniz, and of the theory of evolution by Darwin and Wallace.

Perhaps our brains do indeed tap into some invisible source of new ideas (or songs) whose time has come.

Coincidentally (perhaps?), Rosanne Cash is quoted in the new issue of AARP magazine saying of her songwriting: “I’d say there are songs out in the universe that are complete, and if you've gotten to a certain place in your songwriting, you can receive them.”

By the way, I wrote this column expressing the same thought and published it in the Baltimore Beacon before AARP published that interview. So there we have another example!

At any rate, I went back and rewrote the part of my piece that was such a close version of the 1937 tune. I also changed the name of my composition to “Latin Nocturne” (yes, there are several other works of music online with that title as well, of course).

I’m just hoping my replacement melody doesn’t turn out to be “borrowed” too!

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But it might be equally possible (and similarly improbable) that what has been called “the music of the spheres” is running 24/7 out there in the ether, and that now and then we tap into that universal consciousness when we come up with something “original,” or seemingly so.

Think of the great scientific discoveries made at the same time (or thereabouts) in

To listen to “Latin Nocturne” and my other compositions, please visit stuartsmelodies.com and click on Music. If you think you’ve heard any of my melodies before, keep it to yourself!

Letters to the editor

Readers are encouraged to share their opinions 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 info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor:

I’m writing to bring your attention to an unfortunate blooper in the front-page headline of your February issue, atop the otherwise fascinating story of the Quanders and the Hendersons.

The headline reads: “Two ancestors carry the torch.” But the two gentlemen pictured are descendants of their storied relatives — who are their ancestors.

That said, congrats to both families for keeping their traditions alive.

Nelson Smith Arlington, Virginia

Ed. Note: We were truly embarrassed by our gaffe. Our ancestors would be ashamed.

Dear Editor:

I am truly mystified by the bizarre sentiment expressed in this headline in your “Fitness & Health” section (February 2025): “Why cooking, no matter the

recipe, is healthier.”

The article [proclaimed] that all cooking at home is healthier than going to a restaurant. In reality, there are many restaurant options that are quite healthy, and there are myriad home cooking recipes that are very unhealthy.

The article also provided some other baffling supposed truisms, including that one will eat more of a variety of foods if they cook at home — and that cooking brings pleasure. For many working Americans, cooking is a time-consuming dreaded chore for which they rely on a handful of tried-and-true recipes, hardly the relaxing and enjoyable activity producing a dietetic smorgasbord, as the author asserts.

Jennifer Gittins-Harfst Annandale, VA

Fitness & Health

NIGHTTIME PAIN

Why we get leg cramps at night and what can be done about it

DEVICES USING AI

Gadgets screen for cancer, monitor diabetes and catch irregular heartbeats

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A healthy diet may shut down some genes that cause disease

COME AGAIN?

Earwax can cause hearing loss and vertigo. Learn safe ways to remove it

Medicare telehealth coverage ends soon

By Donna LeValley

Prior to the Covid pandemic, Medicare covered telehealth (virtual doctor visits over the Internet) only for those in rural areas (with certain exceptions). Even then, patients were required to travel to an approved “originating site,” such as a clinic or doctor’s office in order to receive telehealth services.

To address the need to keep an eye on patients during Covid and all the related shutdowns, Medicare expanded its telehealth coverage to include patients’ homes as a permissible “originating site.”

While use of telehealth services has declined since those days, it remains nearly two times higher than pre-pandemic levels, with 12.7% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries receiving a telehealth service in the last three months of 2023.

Under current law, Medicare’s coverage of non-rural home-based telehealth will end at the end of this month: March 31, 2025. It was originally set to end on December 31, 2024, but was extended for three months by the American Relief Act (H.R. 10545), passed to

fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

So, whether you are worried about picking up a cold in your doctor’s waiting room or don’t want to drive in nasty or cold weather, you can still use the telehealth option to take care of many of your health needs — until the end of March.

Beginning April 1, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area (in the U.S.) for most telehealth services. However, if you aren’t in a rural healthcare setting, there are a limited number of telehealth services you will remain eligible to get.

Telehealth coverage

Until the end of this month, Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers certain telehealth services, and you’ll pay the same amount for those that you would pay if you received the services in person.

You’re responsible to pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for your doctor or other healthcare provider/practitioner’s services, and the Part B deductible applies. Medicare currently offers telehealth

coverage for preventive health screenings, office visits and psychotherapy. The menu of covered services was expanded in 2020 to include physical and occupational therapy, emergency department virtual visits and nursing facility care.

Of course, with telehealth, you can’t receive care that includes procedures that require a physical examination, taking blood or urine samples, performing x-rays or giving injections.

Here are ways telehealth can be used to take care of your health:

• Behavioral health services. Services offered include mental health screenings, addiction counseling, to monitor and manage symptoms of anxiety and depression, and dispensing medication.

• Test results. Checking results from lab tests or x-rays.

• Follow-up care. Checking in with your provider after surgery and managing your medicines.

• Non-emergency urgent care. Getting help for common ailments such as colds or an upset stomach, and checking on com-

mon problems like headaches or infections.

• Therapeutic treatments. Physical or occupational therapy sessions.

• Remote monitoring. You can use technology to track and share health data with your health provider. This is called remote patient monitoring or RPM. Some RPM tools track blood sugar levels, heart rates, blood pressure and weight.

Some services will continue

Telehealth services that will continue for all Medicare patients even after March 31 include:

• Monthly End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) visits for home dialysis

• Services for diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of symptoms of an acute stroke wherever you are, including in a mobile stroke unit

• Behavioral health services, also called mental health services, for the diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder, including in your home

Procedure targets high blood pressure

By Lauran Neergaard

Nothing doctors prescribed controlled Michael Garrity’s dangerously high blood pressure — until they zapped away some nerves on his kidneys.

If that sounds weird, well, kidneys help regulate blood pressure in part through signals from certain nerves. The new treatment disrupts overactive renal nerves.

“My blood pressure would spike and I’d run out of breath and feel tired, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Garrity, 62, of Needham, Massachusetts. He still takes medicine but at lower doses, his blood pressure normal for the first time in years. “I’m thrilled.”

About half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. It’s a major risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, even dementia. Many people don’t even realize they have hypertension until it’s done serious damage.

“Know your blood pressure, know the numbers,” stressed Dr. Randy Zusman of Massachusetts General Hospital. He specializes in the hardest-to-treat cases and

advises people who think they’re fine to at least get a yearly check.

Not well controlled

Only a fraction of patients have their hypertension well-controlled, meaning there’s a need for novel strategies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the “renal denervation” option about a year ago, based on studies showing a modest benefit in patients whose blood pressure remains high despite multiple medicines.

Now, after the American Heart Association (AHA) recently deemed it promising, some hospitals including Mass General Brigham are cautiously offering it as they work out who are good candidates — and whether their insurance will cover a minimally invasive procedure costing thousands of dollars.

What is high blood pressure?

Two numbers describe blood pressure. The top, “systolic” pressure, is the force blood puts on the walls of arteries as it’s

pumped out of the heart. The bottom “diastolic” number measures that same pressure but between heartbeats.

Normal is less than 120 over 80. Blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day, higher when you’re physically active or stressed.

But when it stays high — consistently 130 over 80 or higher, according to the most recent guidelines — it stiffens arteries and makes the heart work harder.

How to measure blood pressure

It doesn’t take a doctor’s visit. Pharmacies and sometimes even libraries offer blood pressure screening, and people can use inexpensive at-home monitors.

To avoid falsely high readings, the American Medical Association has tips: Sit quietly with feet on the floor, legs not crossed. Place the cuff on a bare arm, not over clothing. Don’t dangle the arm — rest it on a table.

Drugs aren’t the only treatment

To treat high blood pressure, lifestyle changes are the first step, especially for

otherwise healthy people. Guidelines urge losing weight, exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting salt and alcohol, and taking steps to handle stress.

Medicine is a must once hypertension reaches 140 over 90. The average patient requires two or three drugs, sometimes more, along with healthier living, Zusman said.

But the hypertension that Garrity has struggled with since his late 20s is treatment-resistant. Despite taking four to six drugs plus a strict diet and exercise, his blood pressure regularly reached 150 over 100 or worse.

What is renal denervation?

Doctors thread a small catheter, or tube, through blood vessels to reach the kidneys and then beam in ultrasound or radiofrequency energy.

Those pulses pass through the renal arteries to selectively target surrounding nerves, said Dr. Joseph Garasic, a Mass General interventional cardiologist who

Telehealth

page 4

• Services to treat a substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder including in your home

• Diabetes self-management training

• Medical nutrition therapy

What can you do to keep telehealth?

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are required to cover all Part A and Part B benefits covered under traditional Medicare, and have some flexibility to offer additional telehealth benefits, similar to their coverage of eye exams and dental check-ups.

MA plans may continue to offer the expanded services after March 31 regardless of the status of the temporary telehealth expansions in traditional Medicare. Check with area Medicare Advantage providers to learn what they plan to cover.

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Mar. 19

A workaround for those enrolled in traditional Medicare is using a provider that participates in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO).

An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who work together to coordinate your healthcare. They are permitted to waive these requirements and may continue to provide telehealth services without geographic restrictions, even after the current flexibilities expire for Medicare generally.

Congress could vote to continue Medicare coverage of telehealth, but the legislation proposed (including the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024) doesn’t include a repeal and only offers a temporary extension of the waiver of the requirements.

[Call or write your Congressional representatives to express your views.]

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What to do about nighttime leg cramps

By Howard LeWine

Q: I get these brutal leg cramps at night that wake me from sleep. I can never predict when and why they happen. Are there ways to prevent them?

A: Leg cramps are muscle spasms that happen when nerves that power muscle contractions go into a nonstop firing mode. They are more common among people with foot problems like flat feet or high arches, metabolic disorders, or neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or neuropathy (nerve damage).

Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, such as low blood potassium or magnesium levels (a common side effect of diuretics), can increase the risk of cramping. However, many people with re-

current leg cramps cannot identify a cause.

How to stop or prevent one

To stop a foot or leg cramp once it happens, stand up and slowly lean forward. If you don’t want to get out of bed, sit up and reach forward so you can grab your toes, then slowly bend your foot up toward your head. Hold for about 20 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.

Despite the lack of scientifically proven ways to prevent recurrent nighttime leg cramps, a few approaches may be worth trying.

Begin with stretching exercises. While facing a wall and standing about two feet away, lean forward until your hands touch

the wall. Keep your legs straight and feet flat on the floor.

You should feel a stretch, but it should not be painful. Hold the position for 20 seconds and release.

Repeat the stretch four to five times. Try to do this three times per day for at least the first few weeks and then as needed. The most important time to stretch is before bedtime.

Other preventive measures include staying well hydrated, wearing well-fitting supportive footwear during the day, and keeping the bedding at your feet loose during the night.

Although the evidence isn’t strong, some people find that taking a daily B-complex vitamin supplement containing eight B vitamins — B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 — helps prevent cramps.

Blood pressure

From page 4

performed Garrity’s procedure. It takes about an hour.

Although already used in other countries, a key U.S. trial of renal denervation failed about a decade ago, prompting changes before researchers tried again. In November 2023, the FDA approved two catheter systems, from Recor Medical and Medtronic.

It’s not a cure, and some patients get no benefit. But Garasic said multiple studies show on average an 8 to 10-point drop in

Quinine is one drug known to be effective in reducing the frequency of muscle cramps. However, the drug is out-ofbounds for most people.

Quinine has FDA approval to treat certain types of malaria. But the FDA has issued repeated warnings against using quinine to prevent or treat leg cramps because it may cause serious side effects, including severe anemia, bleeding and kidney damage.

Although doctors can still prescribe quinine, it is recommended only when cramps are disabling and the person understands the significant risks.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, see health.harvard.edu. © 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

blood pressure — a modest but important improvement. Some like Garrity see a bigger drop, enough to gradually scale back medications.

The FDA deemed the procedure safe for carefully chosen patients. It wasn’t tested in those with kidney disease or narrowed arteries, for example. And studies have lasted only a few years, not long enough to tell if the nerves might eventually regenerate.

Guidance from the AHA urges would-be patients and experienced doctors to have “thoughtful and informed discussions” to decide who’s a good candidate. —AP

Gadgets to diagnose and monitor health

Today, we’re diving into how AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced gadgets are transforming diagnostics, telehealth and personal health management.

Let’s start with diagnostics. Imagine you have a lump or need some imaging for your abdomen or knee, for example. AI can now quickly analyze your x-rays, MRIs and pathology slides and catch details that might have slipped past even the most experienced specialist.

rhages in record time, even before a radiologist reviews the scan.

By Suzy Cohen

For example, Aidoc’s AI helps emergency departments identify pulmonary embolisms or brain hemor-

Early cancer detection

AI has been particularly revolutionary in spotting earlystage breast cancer and lung cancer — conditions where early detection can make a lifesaving difference.

A study published in The Lancet Digital Health in 2022 found that AI systems in mammography detected breast cancer with accuracy comparable to that of human radiologists, with fewer false negatives.

But what’s truly game-changing is per-

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sonalized healthcare. AI programs can analyze your unique data and consider your complex medical history, genetic details and even lifestyle factors to create customized diagnostics.

It’s like having a personal Sherlock Holmes dedicated to solving your health puzzles.

For example, AI helps tailor treatment plans for complex conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Apps like MyGIHealth analyze symptoms and dietary habits to recommend personalized lifestyle changes, all while tracking improvements over time.

Remote-monitoring devices

Real-world conditions like diabetes, hypertension or even heart arrhythmias are now more manageable with telehealth devices.

Thanks to remote patient-monitoring gadgets like KardiaMobile or the new Apple Watch, healthcare providers can track metrics such as blood pressure, heart rate or blood sugar levels in real time. Imagine catching an irregular heartbeat or an impending hypertensive crisis before it escalates.

Non-invasive glucose monitoring is the next big thing. While “Raman spectroscopy-based” gadgets to analyze body fluids without needles are still in development, continuous glucose monitoring devices like the Dexcom G7 and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 3 are making diabetes management easier than ever. No more finger sticks, just continuous data deliv-

ered straight to your smartphone from a tiny implanted sensor.

And it’s not just for diabetes. Health wearables like Fitbit now sync with AIpowered apps that analyze sleep, activity and even stress levels.

For example, if you’re recovering from long Covid or managing chronic fatigue syndrome, these gadgets can identify patterns and suggest tweaks to optimize your energy levels.

What does all this mean for you? It means healthcare is becoming more accessible, accurate and personalized than ever. Diagnosing early-stage cancer, managing diabetes without needles, or preventing a heart attack with a smartwatch — it’s not just possible; it is happening.

But here’s the thing: While AI and gadgets are incredible tools, they’re not replacements for the human touch in healthcare. Your doctor, pharmacist and other providers are still your most valuable resources.

Until next time, keep your health in check and your gadgets close! If this topic is interesting to you and you’d like more information on health wearables, I have a more comprehensive blog on my website at suzycohen.com.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe

Can diet override genetic disease risk?

By Densie Webb

The question of “nature versus nurture” usually refers to a person’s personality and weighs which is most likely to determine who you will be as an adult.

But the question of nature versus nurture is also relevant to your risk of developing certain diseases.

Your genetic makeup, passed onto you from your parents, determines everything from the color of your eyes and hair to your predisposition to certain diseases. That’s nature.

Everyone knows that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of developing certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers. That’s nurture.

Your genetic makeup is beyond your control, but can what you eat throughout your lifetime override your genes and reduce your disease risk?

Not exactly, said Debbie Petitpain, MBA, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Diet and lifestyle choices can greatly influence whether certain genes are turned on or off,” she said. “So even if someone has a genetic predisposition to a particular disease, healthy food choices and supplements can reduce the risk or delay the onset. But I wouldn’t refer to this as an ‘override.’”

Nutrigenomics

The study of diet’s effect on genes is called “nutrigenomics,” and it’s a growing and constantly evolving research field.

It’s important to remember that not every gene is affected by diet. Diseases such as Huntington’s disease or cystic fibrosis, for example, are determined by specific genetic mutations that exist at birth, and diet won’t have a significant impact on the course of the disease.

Diet may not completely control your genes, but what you eat does have the power to turn on or off genetic markers for some preventable diseases.

Your diet can affect the “on” or “off” switch for genes in a variety of ways.

A recent study out of the UK of more than 350,000 adults found that a healthy lifestyle — which included a healthy diet, physical activity, and not smoking — offset a genetic predisposition to disease by 60% and added an average of five years to life for subjects.

The effect of diet alone wasn’t teased out, but the researchers concluded that, regardless of a person’s genetic background, a healthy diet as part of a healthy lifestyle could reduce the risk for disease and extend life.

Nutrigenetics

While diet can affect gene expression,

the reverse is also true. Genes can affect the absorption and metabolism of certain nutrients, which in turn affect the way in which those nutrients turn on or off specific disease-related genes.

Several genes are known to influence how nutrients are metabolized. This area of study is called “nutrigenetics.”

Diet, of course, affects the gut microbiome — the 40 trillion bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungi that reside in the intestinal tract. That population of microorganisms can affect

health for good or bad, depending on the balance of “good” and “bad” microorganisms. A high-fiber diet, probiotics, fermented foods, plus yellow, green and orange fruits and vegetables are all beneficial for the balance, which can in turn influence whether a gene is activated or remains dormant.

The future: Personalized diets

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Earwax can dangerously block ear canal

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’ve heard that excessive earwax can cause serious health problems in older adults. What can you tell me about this?

— Caregiving Daughter

Dear Caregiving

Excessive amounts of earwax can indeed cause problems, including hearing loss or ringing in your ears. Some people experience vertigo, which increases the risk of falling. And there’s also a correlation between hearing loss and cognitive decline and depression.

Earwax — which is not really wax at all, but a substance called cerumen that binds with dirt, dust and debris — is nor-

Diet vs. genetics

From page 9

able to get a blood test that would provide the information needed to know whether a Mediterranean diet might be better for reducing your disease risk than, say, a vegan diet.

The goal is to eventually evolve from one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations to tailor-made recommendations based on an individual’s genetic makeup.

Government-funded research and private companies are working to develop reliable methods that take into account as many factors as possible that could affect the “on/off switch” for genes that influence disease risk.

A personalized diet will depend on that person’s genetic makeup, microbiome balance and other lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, exposure to toxins in the environment and smoking status. More research is necessary.

“The relationship between genes and diet

mally produced by the body as a way to clean and protect the ears.

In most people, the self-cleaning process works fine. But in others, including more than 30 percent of elderly people, the wax collects to the point where it can completely block or impact the ear canal.

Those that are most affected are the oldest, especially those living in nursing homes or assisted living centers that provide substandard hygiene.

And those highest at risk are hearingaid users, because those devices can push wax down into the canal.

Earwax removal

Usually, earwax moves up and out of the

is complex and not fully understood,” Petitpain said. “The interaction between multiple genes and environmental factors can make it difficult to predict how someone will respond to a particular diet based on genetics alone.”

Bottom line

Until accurate and reliable genetic testing to determine the specific diet to reduce your disease risk is widely available, dietitian Petitpain said to try to maintain a healthy diet.

“We know the fundamentals of healthpromoting diets,” she said. “Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, unprocessed foods low in salt and sugar, and avoid solid fats and too much alcohol.”

Following a balanced, plant-based diet fits the bill and has been linked to a decreased risk of several diseases.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800-8295384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com.

© 2024 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ear canal on its own, so the best way to control it is to leave it alone. But that advice can backfire for those who accumulate excessive amounts of earwax.

The symptoms of an earwax problem can include an earache, a feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), dizziness, an ear infection, ear itchiness, or cough due to pressure from the blockage stimulating a nerve in the ear.

If you or your loved one experiences any of these symptoms, try using an “earwax softener” to help the wax leave the ear or to remove it more easily. Baby oil or mineral oil can be used in this way.

Using an eyedropper, apply a drop or two into your ear, tilting your head so that the opening of the ear is pointing up

toward the ceiling.

Stay in that position for a minute or two to let the fluid flow down to the waxy buildup. Then tilt your head in the opposite direction to let the fluid and wax drain.

Or try an over-the-counter earwax removal solution or kit, which can be found in most pharmacies. Solutions may contain oil or hydrogen peroxide, and some kits include a bulb syringe that you squeeze to flush your ear with warm water, if needed.

You may need to repeat this wax-softening and irrigation procedure several times before getting rid of the excess earwax.

If, however, the symptoms don’t improve after a few treatments, you need to

Drug and Supplement Safety

If you’re like most older adults, you take one to five or more prescription medications daily. As we age, our bodies react differently to medications, and we become at greater risk of adverse side effects and interactions.

To protect yourself from these risks:

Keep a list of ALL your meds — prescription, over-the-counter (OTC) and supplements — in your wallet or on your phone (or take pictures of each bottle). Include the name and dose of the medicine, how often you take it, and the name of the prescriber. Show it to every doctor on every visit and discuss.

Ask your pharmacist to give you a free review of everything you take. They will explain how each medicine works, answer your questions, and help you prepare questions to ask other healthcare providers. If the pharmacist finds any problems (such as potential interactions), they will work with you and your doctor to help solve them. Plans with Medicare drug coverage must offer Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services to help members if they meet certain requirements.

The difference between meds and supplements

The FDA regulates both prescription and OTC drugs and must prove them safe and effective.

However, dietary supplements — which include vitamins, herbals, anti-oxidants and other “natural” supplements — have NEVER been

evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or purity.

People often think all supplements are safe. “Natural” doesn’t mean “safe.” Poison ivy is natural. Plus, supplements aren’t required to have warnings about side effects or drug interactions. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Furthermore, unless they are marked with the USP Verified Mark (below), supplements sold OTC do not always contain the listed ingredients at the strength indicated and may be contaminated with other substances.

Patients should be aware of these risks, talk to their healthcare providers, and be careful about misleading online claims regarding GLP-1 receptor agonists prepared by compounding pharmacies. These versions are not approved by the FDA and aren’t checked as strictly as approved medicines.

Medical marijuana

Weight loss drugs

Weight loss medicines (GLP-1 receptor agonists) like semaglutide (found in Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (found in Mounjaro and Zepbound), help people lose weight by reducing hunger and improving how the body uses energy. These medicines can lead to significant weight loss when combined with healthy eating and exercise.

However, more than half of those taking these medicines stop within a year and often gain back the weight they lost. Common side effects include feeling sick (nausea), vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, slow stomach emptying, low blood pressure, fainting, sleep problems, headaches, kidney stones, kidney inflammation, gallbladder issues and pancreas inflammation.

Medical cannabis is becoming more popular among older adults for issues like long-term pain, trouble sleeping, nerve pain and anxiety. Some studies suggest its main components, THC and CBD, can help with pain and swelling and might reduce the need for opioids and other medicines.

However, cannabis may also cause dizziness, dry mouth and thinking problems, and may interact with medicines you take for pain, your mental health or your heart, potentially altering their effectiveness or causing adverse effects.

Many seniors prefer edible cannabis products. These have delayed effects, which can increase the risk of unintentional intoxication and falls.

If you decide to try medical marijuana, talk to your doctor and pharmacist to ensure safe and effective use and minimize risks. Starting with a low dose and increasing slowly can help reduce side effects. More research is needed to understand its long-term effects in older adults.

Secure storage is essential to prevent accidental ingestion by children, especially if you have grandchildren in the house.

No-bake chocolate treats taste decadent

By Kelly Song, America’s Test Kitchen

These truffle-like treats hit the spot as the ultimate homemade chocolate snack, without requiring the hassle of an oven.

Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies create fudgy base, which is bound together with melted chocolate chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk.

After chilling, an extra layer of melted chocolate adds more complexity and creaminess.

No-Bake Fudgy Chocolate Squares

Makes 64 one-inch squares

Ingredients:

36 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces

2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips, divided 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1tablespoon pieces, divided 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon table salt

Directions:

1. Make a foil sling for an 8-inch square

Earwax

From page 11

see an audiologist or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor to have the wax removed.

Earwax removal is one of the most common procedures performed by ENT specialists. They have a variety of tools that can remove stubborn earwax.

A warning

It might be tempting to poke a cotton

baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in the pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.

2. Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer cookie crumbs to a large bowl.

3. Microwave 1½ cups chocolate chips and 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl at 50% power until melted, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer melted chocolate mixture to bowl with cookie crumbs and stir in condensed milk, vanilla and salt until evenly combined (mixture will be very thick). Transfer to prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula or your hands, press into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

4. Microwave remaining ½ cup chocolate chips and remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a clean bowl at 50% power until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over set

swab, bobby pin, pencil or finger into your ear to get the gunk out, but don’t go digging.

Yes, it’ll remove some of the wax, but it may also push the rest deeper into the ear canal and increase your risk of injuring your eardrum and making the problem worse.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book

cookie base with offset spatula. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

5. Using foil overhang, lift squares out of pan and transfer to cutting board; discard foil. Using chef’s knife, cut into 1-inch squares (wipe knife clean with dish towel between slices). Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: Fudgy chocolate squares can be refrigerated for up to one week. [Each one-inch piece contains 92 calories, 4g fat, 11g carbohydrates, 7g sugar, 5mg choles-

terol, 49mg sodium, 1g protein.]

For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA.

© 2024 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Primary Care

At Home

Providing

Ikon Health offers:

• Care coordination with specialists.

• Access to services such as x-ray and blood work, at home.

• Close communication with patients and their loved ones.

• Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and most major supplemental insurance plans.

Hello Seniors,

DIRECTORS MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

The first quarter of the year is nearly complete, and we have already experienced so much. One lesson we have learned and will continue to embrace is the importance of living boldly while keeping our loved ones close. Every day, my team and I are committed to ensuring that aging remains one of the best phases of your life by maintaining your quality of life and amplifying your voices.

Last month, I had the privilege of testifying at the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Performance Oversight Hearing before the DC Council’s Committee on Executive Administration & Labor. This was a key opportunity to highlight our progress over the past year and outline our vision for the future. Under the leadership of Mayor Muriel Bowser, DACL remains committed to three essential priorities: strengthening partnerships with our sister agencies, streamlining resources to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction, and improving the overall well-being of our seniors so they can Live Boldly in the District of Columbia.

I often remind my team of a guiding principle: “For without the seniors, there is no us.” Your lives and contributions make our work at DACL possible. Your feedback, accountability and encouragement drive us to be better every day. If you ever have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to DACL at 202-724-5626.

Recently, we also had the chance to participate in Mayor Bowser’s discussions surrounding the FY2026 budget. Through our Senior Budget Engagement Tele-Townhall and watch parties, DC’s aging residents played an active role in shaping the conversation — voicing their priorities, concerns and ideas for the future. Hearing directly from you brought me immense insight into senior needs, and reinforced DACL’s mission to advocate even more effectively for our senior community.

As a proud DC native, it is an honor to serve and make a difference in the city that raised me. This month, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, I reflect on the remarkable women who have shaped our community. From Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to Sharon Pratt, the first woman mayor of DC, to Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has led the Nation’s Capital for the last decade, their legacies inspire us to lead with purpose and drive positive change.

I encourage you to celebrate the strength of women by joining Mayor Bowser and thousands of DC residents at the annual HERSTORY 5K on March 8, 2025, at Freedom Plaza. To register, visit fitdc.com.

Living boldly is not just a motto — it is a call to action. Our seniors embody this spirit daily, and we know you have powerful stories to share. If you’d like to share your experiences and wisdom, please email us at dacl.communications@dc.gov. We look forward to amplifying your voices.

Thank you for your continued support. Here’s to another year of serving and celebrating our vibrant aging community!

In Service, Charon P.W. Hines

Mayor Bowser’s Budget TeleTownhall 2025

DC seniors gathered at Model Cities Senior Wellness Center and 10 watch sites across the city to discuss the Mayor’s budget, reflecting on past and current allocations while sharing their voices on budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

DACL Celebrates DC Seniors for Valentine’s Day at Red, White and You Event

Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health Opening Soon

We are delivering on our promise to expand healthcare access East of the River, and we’re just a few weeks away from opening a brand-new, world-class hospital on the St. Elizabeths East campus! On April 15, Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health will officially open in Ward 8, marking a significant milestone in our work to build a comprehensive system of care. https://cedarhillregional.com

At Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, seniors will be able to benefit from a range of services, which include, but are not limited to:

• Adult Emergency Services

• Cardiology and Cardiac Rehab

• Oncology

• In-patient and Out-patient Dialysis

• Out-patient Infusion

• Orthopedics

• Out-patient Rehab

• Surgical Capability

• Catheterization Lab and Interventional Radiology Procedures

• Wound Care

• Behavioral Health

Director Charon P.W. Hines

Editor Amanda Washington

Photographer Estefani Legge

Money Law &

Who’s best to grant power of attorney to?

By Peter Newman, CFA

Appointing someone to act on your behalf under a power of attorney (POA) is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your estate planning process. The POA grants significant authority over your finances, healthcare or both, so choosing wisely ensures that your wishes will be respected and carried out effectively.

Here are the key qualities to look for in the person to whom you grant POA: Trustworthiness. The person named in your POA, commonly referred to as your “agent” or “attorney-in-fact,” will have legal authority to act on your behalf. It’s therefore vital that they are trustworthy, will prioritize your best interests and will follow your instructions.

Competence and expertise. Ideally, the person you choose should be organized, detail-oriented and capable of managing financial or healthcare decisions. Someone with experience in these areas — such as a professional fiduciary or financially savvy relative — can be a good choice.

Emotional stability. Your agent must remain calm and logical in high-pressure or emotional situations, such as handling

end-of-life decisions or managing your assets during a medical crisis.

Proximity. While not mandatory, choosing someone who lives nearby can be helpful, especially for healthcare decisions or if frequent in-person actions are required.

Willingness and availability. The role of an agent can be time-consuming and stressful. Ensure the person you choose is willing to take on the responsibility and has the time to dedicate to managing your affairs.

Can you choose your adult child?

Choosing an agent is a critical decision, and while many people consider naming their children, this option may not always be ideal. Here are five good reasons not to name your children in your power of attorney:

1. Potential for family conflict: If you have multiple children, appointing one child as your agent can lead to disagreements or jealousy among siblings. This may strain family relationships.

2. Lack of financial or legal expertise: Managing someone else’s financial or healthcare decisions can be complex. Your child may lack the necessary knowledge to

Medicare Advantage plans that get what you need

Which plan you choose can make all the difference. The HumanaChoice H5216376 (PPO) is a Medicare Advantage plan made to get you the right benefits for your budget. It includes:

Dental, hearing and vision coverage

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handle these responsibilities.

3. Emotional involvement: Children, no matter how well meaning, may struggle to make objective decisions during emotionally charged situations. For example, in end-of-life healthcare decisions, they might allow their emotions to override your stated wishes or act out of guilt rather than logic.

4. Conflicting priorities: Your child may already have significant personal or professional obligations, such as managing their own family or career. Adding the responsibilities of a POA could overwhelm them, leading to delays or mistakes in managing your affairs.

5. Risk of misuse or abuse of authority: Although rare, there is always a risk that a child with POA might misuse the authority, whether intentionally or unintentionally. This could include mismanaging funds, making decisions that benefit them financially, or ignoring your stated wishes. Choosing an impartial third party can mitigate this risk.

Alternative solutions

If you decide not to appoint your child, consider naming:

• A trusted, objective relative with relevant expertise

• A close friend or adviser who understands your wishes

• A professional fiduciary, attorney or institution experienced in POA duties This approach ensures decisions are made objectively, professionally, and in line with your best interests.

Consider a professional agent

If you’re concerned about conflicts of interest, emotional decision-making or lack of expertise, a professional agent might be a better option. Examples include attorneys, certified public accountants (CPAs), licensed fiduciaries and trust companies. These professionals are experienced, impartial, and legally bound to act in your best interests.

Legal and practical steps

• Define your wishes clearly. Draft a comprehensive POA document that spells out your preferences, powers granted and any limitations.

How to allocate a well-balanced portfolio

By Zain Jaffer

The 60/40 portfolio, consisting of 60% U.S. stocks and 40% U.S. Treasury bonds, has become the cornerstone makeup of most portfolios ever since John Bogle of Vanguard released the company’s Balanced fund several years ago.

Generally, in most years the 60/40 portfolio has provided good returns, with some years going below expectations, such as when the selected stocks in a 60% allocation were not the best that could have been picked.

Still, as a general statement, if you believe in the U.S. economy and government, the 60/40 allocation should work well for most people.

As the U.S. economy grows, a well-selected set of stocks from the S&P 500 coupled with long-duration Treasury bonds and some short-term bills, if managed well, should give decent returns in most years.

Sometimes a hedge is needed

The problem is if the assumptions above are no longer true. For example, during periods of recession where the economy shrinks or contracts, stock prices generally fall to reflect the projected smaller discounted present value cash flows they would get.

Or, if Congress fails to rein in spending, the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio will keep growing. At some point, bondholders might hesitate to buy more bonds because the U.S. then becomes like a credit card holder who does not pay their bills but still insists on charging more to their card.

Then the U.S. Treasury will likely be forced to offer higher yields to attract buyers, which would raise our interest payments and thus increase our deficit even further.

Plus, when the U.S. prints more money that is backed by debt and not actual revenue from tariffs and tax collections, inflation rises and further dampens the real economy because of the excess currency in the system.

Because of these factors, I believe that with the current situation, it is wise to add an uncorrelated hedge to one’s 60/40 allocation.

An uncorrelated hedge is a protective investment against situations where both stocks and bonds underperform, partially due to the reasons I described earlier.

In other words, you want some of your bets to win to counteract losses in others. If all your bets are correlated, then you could lose on all of them at once.

Examples of uncorrelated hedges

Some possible uncorrelated hedges to stocks and bonds include gold, silver, ETFs, cryptos, commodities, oil, futures, fine art, luxury watches and the like. The price movements of these assets do not necessarily mirror the movements of stocks (though they sometimes do).

As for how much of your portfolio to devote to such hedges, maybe 4%, more or less, but the actual ratio is up to you. Thus it might be more like 58/38/4, but you determine what it should be.

The thing to remember is that you need to keep allocations to these hedging assets small — small enough that if these were to

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

go to zero, you might have a bad day, but not enough of a loss to wipe you out or feel devastating.

You also want to pick assets that have a high chance of outperforming the S&P 500 if these do well. In plain English, if you are going to take a risky bet, it better be worthwhile if you win. Otherwise, what is the point of taking the extra risk?

In financial parlance, an asset should have a high alpha (i.e., return over the S&P 500) and ideally a low beta (i.e., volatility). However, sometimes the outsized returns come from highly volatile and very speculative assets, such as cryptos.

The best way to approach this is that if you feel that an asset is extremely volatile price-wise, but can have a potential expo-

nential return, then size your position so that it is small.

That way, if you lose, you will not lose much; but if it goes exponentially parabolic, you at least have a small position in it that could potentially offset any losses from your “safe” 60/40 allocation.

There are no guarantees in life. No one can predict the future. You could get run over just crossing the street.

But if you are hedged properly with a small amount of uncorrelated assets, you might actually grow and preserve your capital despite the many rocky situations you might encounter in the future.

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

I’m a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® who is steeped in knowledge and experience. My unique marketing and master negotiating skills are

wrapped up in kindness, ho protective care. I guide you to sell for top dollar while s you with the very best reso Whether you want to rema your home, or move to a re communityy, , I am the Realto want to call. onestyy, , and u in how supporting ources. ain in etirement or® you

What you need to know about retirement

Christine Benz, the director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar, has written an excellent book that I highly recommend. The book, How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement, is based on interviews with leading experts in all phases of retirement.

What makes Benz’s book different from most retirement planning guides is that she doesn’t focus only on the financial aspects of retirement. She interviews knowledgeable individuals who are able to discuss quality-of-life issues that are crucial to happiness in later life, including establishing important relationships.

Pfau and Mary Beth Franklin, who have all written excellent retirement planning books. Here are some of the topics Benz discusses with experts that will help you plan a more successful retirement:

Asset allocation

THE SAVINGS GAME

By Elliot Raphaelson

For example, in the closing chapter, she interviews a physician who gave up a highpaying position to focus on lessons he learned about living a productive life from individuals who were at the end of their lives.

Many of the experts whom Benz interviewed, and others who have recommended this book, have written their own books that I previously have recommended because of their expertise.

These authors include Ed Slott, Wade

Power of attorney

From page 16

Consult an attorney. Work with an estate planning attorney to ensure your POA document is legally valid and tailored to your specific needs and state laws. Communicate with your chosen agent. Have an open discussion with the person you’re considering to ensure they’re comfortable with their power of attorney duties and fully understand your wishes.

Review and update regularly. Life circumstances change. Revisit your POA decisions every few years to ensure your chosen representative is still the best fit.

Benz interviewed William Bernstein, who recommends that in order to change your portfolio effectively as you enter retirement, you should ask yourself four questions:

What is your planned spending rate? After answering this question, you would know how aggressive you have to be in structuring your portfolio.

At what age do you plan to retire? The expected length of your retirement also dictates how aggressive your portfolio should be.

What is your risk tolerance? If you are very conservative and want to avoid large fluctuations in value, this will determine how conservative your portfolio should be.

Finally, what balance do you wish to strike between making a bequest with your money and “personal safety”? Bernstein uses the example of an individual who is willing to invest conservatively be-

Risks of not having a POA

If you do not designate a representative in a POA, decisions about your finances and healthcare could fall to a court-appointed guardian or conservator. This process can be lengthy and costly, and may result in someone you wouldn’t have chosen managing your affairs.

Peter Newman, with Peak Wealth Planning, LLC, provides estate guidance in the context of financial planning. For more information, email info@peakwealthplanning.com. However, your estate attorney and CPA should be the final authority on your estate documents and tax matters.

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cause he wants to be able to endow a wing to a hospital.

Plan for healthcare

Benz interviewed Carolyn McClanahan, who emphasizes the importance of having a good primary doctor. She recommends a primary doctor who is a “board-certified geriatrician.” Make sure that you select a retirement location in which there is no shortage of doctors.

She reviews the pros and cons of different insurance options. If you select a plan that doesn’t cover dental, vision and hearing, you should have an emergency fund to cover such costs.

McClanahan also points out the importance of having long-term care insurance, noting that traditional Medicare does not cover long-term care in a nursing facility.

The book covers all other important issues relevant to retirement, such as a comprehensive estate plan, Social Security, taxes and housing. And every important financial issue is covered by an expert. You will find this book to be a great addition to your library.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2024 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Riekhof P: 240-399-7899 F: 240-553-1744 priekhof@jgllaw.com

Leisure & Travel Leisure &

A road trip throughout dramatic Iceland

By Don Mankin

Swirling iridescent lights danced slowly across the pitch-black sky. It was only my second night in Iceland, and I was experiencing a light show unmatched since my psychedelic 60s.

I was in Stykkisholmur in West Iceland on a two-week road trip around Iceland in September. For the first week, I traveled with my friend and colleague Michael Bennett, the founder of a Seattle-based travel design company. On the second week, I continued the adventure on my own.

Iceland is often called the Land of Fire and Ice. To that I would add water, rocks and the Northern Lights. Its scenery is incredibly varied: waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, fjords, volcanoes, steam vents, idyllic farmland and lava in various forms, shapes and sizes.

The country’s beautiful, dramatic and often harsh landscape lends itself to the kind of mindful rumination I was seeking — about my life, my past, and my future, such as it is, at age 82.

West Iceland’s national park

Two hours after our plane landed, Michael and I were soaking in the geothermal waters of the posh Retreat spa at the Blue Lagoon.

Before we turned into limp noodles, we

got into our 4x4 SUV and drove three hours north to Stykkisholmur, a quaint, scenic town and gateway to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

The highlight of our two days there was a spectacular drive around the peninsula through Snaefellsjökull National Park, which wraps around a massive glacier.

On one side of the road was the sea; on the other, sharp, craggy, blown-out volcanoes with waterfalls tumbling down from the jagged heights. The Northern Lights made their grand appearance that night.

The South’s Golden Circle

Our next stop was the South Coast, only a couple hours’ drive from Reykjavik, the capital. [For more on this city, see “Top sites in Reykjavik and its environs” on page 22.]

The scenery on the South Coast is just as dramatic as on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula — a vertical world of flat coastal planes ending abruptly against soaring cliffs, buttes and mountains cut by canyons and waterfalls and capped by glaciers.

Here we saw tall waterfalls, wide waterfalls, waterfalls you can walk behind, waterfalls that morph into wisps in the wind and disappear before they reach the ground.

On the Golden Circle, the country’s most famous scenic route, the Gulfoss wa-

terfall’s wide, thundering falls create mist that will soak you to the bone unless you are fully encased in Gore-Tex.

The South Coast also has an active geyser and black-sand beaches with towers of lava molded into bizarre shapes by the wind and water.

Otherworldly Central Highlands

My favorite destination of the trip was Highland Base, a rugged yet luxurious resort in a remote mountain range in central Iceland. Getting there required a long drive through harsh tundra, bouncing on a gravel road with one pothole after another.

A heavy fog hung over the tundra as we drove, making the experience a bit spooky. Through the fog, I could barely make out the landscape, but what I could see looked like a cross between Mars and the Scottish moors.

On our one full day at the resort, Michael and I hiked up a hill, then across a rocky plateau strewn with lava boulders with a 360-degree view of two huge glaciers, icy ridges and valleys.

Later, we followed a trail alongside a river that opened up onto an unexpectedly colorful vista of yellow-green moss on the black lava slopes. This, plus the blue sky and a sparkling white glacier in the distance, made

for one of the most beautiful views of our trip. We ended the day by soaking in the outdoor bath with views of the otherworldly surroundings.

The North’s glacial canyon, volcanic lake

A four-hour drive north (half on a rough, potholed road) took us to the rolling countryside of northern Iceland, then along a long fjord framed by snowcapped mountain ridges.

The last hour of the drive was on a road with seaside cliffs on one side and equally steep cliffs on the other. This marked the end of our week together, a week filled with laughs, stories and heartfelt conversations that strengthened our friendship.

As Michael noted later, “Despite the significant difference in our ages, it was reassuring to see that we are dealing with many of the same challenges — the highs and lows of love and loss, figuring out who we are and where we are going, and where to find a good craft beer.”

After dropping off Michael at the airport in Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland, I was on my own.

I headed to Asbyrgi Canyon, part of

The best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland is between September and April. The iconic lightshow is often visible at around midnight.

Reykjavik has a compact, walkable downtown with charming museums and restaurants. See story on page 22.

Two James Bond movies were filmed at Iceland’s most famous glacial lake, Jökulsarlon, located in Southeast Iceland, about five hours from Reykjavik.

Iceland

From page 20

Jokulsargljufur National Park, a long canyon with several hikes and scenic viewpoints. The walks and hikes I chose were short and easy, including one to the river at the bottom of the canyon through woods glowing gold with autumn colors.

I also took an early morning walk to the bottom of the canyon for up-close views of lava towers shaped by cones, cubes and columns of basalt.

Best of all was the short walk to the viewpoint for Dettifoss, the largest waterfall in Europe. A rainbow shone through the mist rising from the pounding water.

My final destination was Lake Myvatn, a volcanic landscape of craters, geothermal baths and steaming pools and vents. I ended the long day by soaking in my hotel’s spring-fed hot tub while gazing at the sheep and horses next door.

The East Coast: Fjords and waterfalls

The drive to my next stop, Egilsstadir, on the fjord-carved east coast, was the most harrowing drive of the trip — a tense, white-knuckled three hours through a driving snowstorm.

After checking into my hotel and chilling out for a couple of hours, I got back into the car and drove along Lagerflot Lake to Hengifoss, yet another stunning

waterfall at the end of a steep, uphill trail. The drive along the lake was almost as stunning as the waterfall, with the autumn colors lighting up the way.

On my last day I drove to see the Jokulsarlon glacier, the country’s largest glacier.

Far less crowded, though, is the Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon, just a few miles down the road. I had the beach pretty much to myself for several minutes of quiet contemplation.

During the trip, I had plenty of such opportunities for reflection. On what, you might ask? The meaning of life? Hardly.

But I did think a lot about the meaning of my life. Have I lived my life well? Would I change anything, if I had it to do over again? Perhaps most important, how am I doing now?

Since I was in Iceland, hiking, soaking in hot natural baths and looking at stunning scenery, I figured that the answer to, “How am I doing now?” was, in the words of Larry David, “Pretty, pretty, pretty good.”

If you go

Nonstop round-trip airfare from the D.C. area is about $450 on Icelandair.

In Stykkisholmur in the west, a double room in the Hotel Karolina (hotelkarolina.is) is about $200/night.

On the south coast, the Skalakot Manor Hotel (skalakot.is) is about $350/night, as are self-catering cabins at Seljalandsfoss Horizons (seljalandsfoss.is).

Highland Base (highlandbase.is) in the central highlands ranges from $350 to $800/night.

In Asbyrgi in the north, the Hotel Skulagardur (skulagardur.com) is about

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

$100/night. The Sel Hotel Myvatn myvatn.is), also in the north, is about $125.

On the east coast, Hotel Eyvindara (eyvindara.is) is about $280, and the Hrafnavellir Guesthouse (hrafnavellir.is) is $250.

VIRTUAL MUSIC CLASSES

Encore University offers a variety of music

singers and anyone else interested. The classes meet

Zoom one hour per week at 4 p.m. through the week of April 28. Thanks to AARP, all classes are pay-what-you-can. To view the schedule and register, visit encorecreativity.org/encore-university. For more information, call (301) 261-5747 or email info@encorecreativity.org.

SLEEP TECHNOLOGIES WEBINAR

Mar. 17

Learn how to use smartwatches to gain insights about your sleep, such as tracking sleep patterns, monitoring sleep disorders and even improving sleep. Join this free webinar on Mon., March 17 from 11 a.m. to noon on Zoom. For more information, including the meeting link, visit bit.ly/SleepTechWebinar.

Top sites in Reykjavik and its environs

By Glenda C. Booth

In the compact, friendly city of Reykjavik, Iceland, locals take an afternoon timeout to soak and socialize in steamy, geothermal pools. After all, this is a country with a bathing culture.

Beyond nature’s hot tubs, there’s much more to explore indoors and outdoors in this walkable city of 139,000 people.

For an overview of the country, start at the National Museum of Iceland. Norse Vikings settled on this wild island in the 9th century, calling themselves chieftains of their various provinces.

Christianity arrived around the year 1000, and chieftains clashed in a civil war in the 1300s. Iceland came under Danish rule in 1380 for the next 500 years.

Icelanders still seem to chafe under the former rule of both Denmark and Norway, and tout their independence, gained in 1944.

The overriding theme of Iceland’s history is that its people must adapt to thrive. They use what they have, be it fish skin for windows or a cow’s skull for a milking stool. They respect their natural resources. They have to: Iceland is one of the world’s most active volcanic regions.

Striking museums and buildings

Learn about the country’s restless geology at the Perlan, a science museum built atop six hot-water tanks that store geothermal water.

In the Perlan’s planetarium, the Northern Lights come alive in an all-surround show. Bundled-up visitors can walk through a real ice cave, too.

Reykjavik’s Hallgrims Kirkja, the largest church in Iceland, looms and dominates the skyline. Atop its 243-foot tower, visitors get a panorama of the city, ocean and mountains.

Another striking building is Harpa, a one-

of-a-kind concert hall and home to opera, big band and jazz concerts. Designed by Olafur Eliasson, it looks like an organized jumble of kaleidoscopic glass bricks and steel that mirror the city’s light and changing weather.

No tourist should miss the Icelandic Phallological Museum, probably the only one in the world dedicated to the male organ. While stifling their giggles, visitors can study the anatomy of whales, elk, bulls, giraffes and more, collected over 40 years, interspersed with phallus-related art.

After browsing the exhibits, visitors can buy phallus-shaped key chains, toothbrushes and earrings in the gift shop.

After a day of sightseeing, it’s time for a soak. Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon tops many travel lists. But the oceanside Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik is a fierce competitor.

In this lagoon-spa, bathers can move through seven stages, including the warm

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lagoon, cold plunge, ocean-view sauna, cool drip and spray and steam room. When you waddle out, not only do you feel like a soggy wet noodle, but you’re a step closer to being a true Icelander — at least in your mind.

Day trips beyond the capital

The island of Iceland has almost 5,000 miles of coastline, rivers, lava fields, glaciers, geysers, volcanoes and mountains to explore. Local companies offer tours for whale and puffin watching, fjord gazing and even geothermal power plant tours.

Don’t bother trying to read a book or fixate on a smartphone on your motorcoach ride past lava fields, smoking or fiery volcanoes, spurting geysers, icy glaciers, pristine lakes and roaring streams.

Just 30 miles east of Reykjavik, in the Silfra fissure, is Thingvellir National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only place in the world where people can swim between two continents. At this spot, the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, and water flows in from the Langjokull glacier through porous lava rock.

Don’t be intimidated by the unpronounceable names of some of Iceland’s glaciers Breidamerkurjokull, for instance). Whizzing in a snowmobile across an icy blue glacier clad in your thermal suit and helmet is the thrill of a lifetime.

Part of Iceland’s intrigue is its variable weather, with the highest summer temperature around 75° Fahrenheit and the winter temperature that plummets to -5°.

Although there’s midnight sun in June, there’s only six hours of daylight per day in January, but the Northern Lights glow in winter.

Icelandic food

Fast food alert: There’s no McDonald’s in Iceland. Fresh seafood is the star here. Geothermal-powered greenhouses and glacier water supply fresh fruits and vegetables year-round.

Icelanders boast that their lamb is the best-tasting in the world because the hormone-free animals graze on wildflowers and herbs all summer. Lamb soup, lamb stew, lamb chops and smoked lamb pop up on many menus.

But it’s cod that “is our real national hero, what kept us alive,” historian Por Bjarnson told me. In addition to cod, haddock, ling, wolffish, monkfish and Arctic char are popular here.

A special delicacy is hakarl, fermented shark. In the days before refrigeration, Icelanders cured and dried shark meat for four to five months.

After you try it, ask a local to explain a shark’s urinary system (hence the aromatics). The taste gives the diner a jolt. Locals advise following it with Brennivin, their version of schnapps.

Besides the fresh food and eye-popping views, it’s the people of Iceland who make it worth the trip. In fact, the people are so nice, one local said, “We stop for ducklings.”

Arts & Style

Shakespeare connects in S. African play

By Lynda Lantz

This month the Shakespeare Theatre Company brings the play Kunene and the King to D.C. for its U.S. premiere. Written by and starring South African playwright Dr. John Kani, it’s a heartfelt play in which, Kani has said, “A piece of you is on that stage.”

Kani is best known as King T’Chaka in the film Black Panther, but he’s also an activist, writer and Tony Award-winning actor.

Directed by Tony Award-winning director Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the play centers on two characters in post-apartheid South Africa who struggle to make sense of each other.

Kani plays the role of Lunga Kunene, a Black retired nurse who takes a position caring for Jack Morris, played by Edward Gero, a Shakespearean actor who is dying of liver cancer.

As a nurse, Kunene has had regular experience working with white people, and Kani imbues the role with dignified authority. Morris’ primary relationship with a Black person was with his former maid of 15 years, whose last name he never bothered to learn.

In Gero’s skilled hands, Morris exhibits a flair as dramatic as his embroidered

dressing gown, constantly distracting others from his alcoholism and ruined relationships.

Gero brings to the often-dissembling character a vulnerability as he rages at the indignities of an illness that may prevent him from playing the role of King Lear before he dies.

As the men poke at each other and, at times, connect, Kunene is not afraid to confront the truth. If he holds his tongue at times, it is because his own stories are too important for him to waste on a man who refuses to hear them.

Over and over, the well-off Morris reveals how his comfortable, secure world has sheltered him from the struggles of Black South Africans.

Having Shakespeare in common

When both men discover a shared love of Shakespeare, however, Morris has the opportunity to appreciate Kunene for more than his nursing skills.

In this moment of connection, the patient gets a glimpse of the cruelty of apartheid. While Morris had access to all of Shakespeare’s works, the South African govern-

ment taught Black students only one Shakespearian play, Julius Caesar, which emphasized that attempts to overthrow the government will lead to death.

Kunene cherishes the Bard’s language as translated into the Bantu language isiXhosa, which he shares with a delighted Morris. They read King Lear aloud, working on Morris’s lines while Kunene offers a sharp, funny, African perspective on the foolish king.

There is a third character in the play: Isithunywa, a spirit who appears between acts to sing and dance at the front of the stage. South African actor Ntembo delivers a riveting performance in the role, but it’s unclear if she’s providing prophesy or commentary.

Nonetheless, these moments of glorious punctuation between acts force the audience to consider the relationship between the men in a tense, contemporary South Africa that we may know little about.

A final confrontation

In the third act, the self-centered, lonely

(and, to be fair, dying) Morris has grown so dependent on Kunene’s companionship that he surprises all of us, perhaps even himself, by making the dangerous trip to Kunene’s home in Soweto via a

crowded taxi van.

Dolly Parton read her book to children in D.C. in 2018. Our cover story continues on opposite page.

Dolly Parton

Although her father died in 2000, Parton said, “My dad got to live long enough to see it through, and he got such a big kick out of hearing the kids call me The Book Lady.”

How the program works

The books are completely free for families. But the program isn’t available everywhere; a few more than 3,000 partners help cover the costs of the Imagination Library.

Most partners are state governments or local libraries that shoulder at least part of the cost of the books themselves. The Dollywood Foundation covers the cost of shipping and other administrative services.

For instance, Washington, D.C. pays $25 per child per year in its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which it calls Books from Birth. Since the program launched locally in 2016, 3,250,800 books have been delivered to children living in the District.

Recently, some states have balked at the program’s cost. Indiana Governor Mike Braun last month proposed cutting his state’s 50% funding match for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Instead, his wife, Maureen Braun, has pledged to raise private funds to continue the program.

The Imagination Library’s book selection staff, based in Tennessee, selects the titles and pre-orders them from the publisher, Penguin. The shrink-wrapped, age-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

appropriate books include a special guide on the inside flap with questions and talking points to engage preschoolers.

Exactly what books do kids receive? Classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Little Engine That Could are on the list, as well as books like Look out Kindergarten, Here I Come! and Parton’s 1994 children’s book, Coat of Many Colors, which extrapolates on her famous 1971 song of the same name.

Coat of Many Colors was the book Parton read aloud to a group of D.C. children in March 2018. She made a personal appearance at the Library of Congress that year when the program hit 100 million books, reading to rapt preschoolers seated on mats at her high-heeled feet.

Sign up your grandkids

Parents, guardians and even grandparents can register children via Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website, as long as the child or grandparent lives in an area with a local affiliate.

“My grandson and I love getting these books,” Robin Murphy, a blind grandmother, told the library last year. “I receive each book with all the print and with braille layover so I can read the book [in Braille] and he can also see the book. Very amazing,” she wrote.

Grandfather Lloyd Kerr told the library that his granddaughter “developed a love for books thanks in large part to you and all the others involved in Dolly’s pro-

BEGINNERS LATIN DANCE

Join Arlington County Parks & Rec for Latin dance for beginners every Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Lubber Run Community Center. Learn the basic steps of salsa, merengue and bachata. This free class takes place at 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington, VA. To register, visit bit.ly/LatinDanceArlington. For more information, contact Edson Bravo at (703) 228-7783 or ebravo@arlingtonva.gov.

gram…We spend time every day reading. She gets excited when she receives a new book from you and insists on sitting on my lap and reading it several times.”

Many local communities have reported that the program helps inspire an early love of reading. In fact, the Dollywood Foundation reviewed 20 years of research on the program’s implementation and found that “the program is extremely popular in the communities where it’s implemented and shows promise in promoting changes in home literacy environments, children’s attitudes toward reading, and early literacy skills,” according to its website.

Each child receives as many as 50 books before kindergarten. Doweary attributes her daughter’s early reading to the free books her daughter has amassed.

“I started reading to her when she was

an infant, and she started sounding out words and reading things on her own, and from then on she was just reading to me at bedtime,” Doweary said.

Although Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been around for 30 years, some parents still don’t know about it, Doweary said, so she tries to spread the word.

“I always recommend it to other parents, especially the ones with younger kids, because it helps so much.”

In addition to Washington, D.C., there are Imagination Library affiliates providing free books to children in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia, and in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Howard counties in Maryland, among others. For more information, visit ImaginationLibrary.com or ask your local library.

It’s not so easy to play Cupid anymore

My wife came home from lunch with a former colleague. She’s usually bubbly after such events. On this day, she was a bit moody.

“He got divorced,” she announced. “And he wants me to fix him up with a female friend of mine. Any female friend.”

She agreed to try, without enthusiasm, without any guarantees offered or expected. But as she tossed her raincoat onto a chair and slumped onto the couch, it was clear that the prospect of arranging a meet-up didn’t delight her.

of nerdy and kind of set in his ways?

“I don’t really know what he’d be like in a dating situation,” my wife said. For that matter, she doesn’t really know what any of her female friends would be like, either.

She now has two pals — the guy she just had lunch with, and whoever she might suggest to him as a date. But if the date goes sour, she might quickly cascade from two friends to neither. Who needs that?

So many people think that having a partner, a regular date, even a sometime squeeze, is the natural order of things. Why be lonely? Any companionship/cuddleship is better than none, right?

I asked my wife if she had any ideas about unattached women she might suggest to this guy.

Something went badly wrong. The couple splintered into a million pieces on a snowy streetcorner in downtown Washington. She called me the next day to say she never wanted to see him again.

But they did meet once more — on the Oprah Winfrey Show!

Fixing people up, at our (advanced) age? Fixing this guy up, when he’s 71, kind

On the other hand, there’s always a whiff of possibility when someone has just divorced and comes back on the market, regardless of age.

I know her so well. She mulled by walking that question up one side of her face and back down the other. Then she said: “I know a lot. But none of them have ever told me that they’d be interested. They’re women of a certain age, and they’re perfectly happy to be single.”

In this day and age, a single man with wrinkles and white hair isn’t as rare as it used to be, I pointed out. “But it isn’t a fair fight. That single guy attracts far more attention than a single woman does or would. It’s not a level playing field, but it’s the truth.”

My wife knows me so well. She asked if I could please recount the story of my two fix-ups.

In both cases, the couples were in their 20s (I was in my 40s).

Couple One consisted of my research assistant and my wife’s cousin. They met. Sparks flew. They’ve now been married for more than 30 years — and have moved on to grandchildren, no less.

Then there was the fix-up that turned to mud.

A producer called me. Oprah was doing a segment about blind dates that didn’t work, but might have. Did I have any guests to suggest?

I sure did.

Winfrey management flew the couple to Chicago (yes, on separate planes). They sat five feet apart on a couch while Oprah grilled them on national television.

Neither looked at the other. Neither smiled. Neither had a good word to say about the other, or the whole experience. I stayed home from work to watch the episode. As glares and grimaces multiplied, I remember thinking, “Robert, you gave America THIS?”

Which was exactly why my wife wanted to hear my fix-up stories yet again.

She asked if I had ever again tried to play matchmaker after the streetcorner splinter. I said I hadn’t. Why risk a lifetime .500 batting average?

She was a colleague. He was a professional acquaintance. She asked if I knew anybody. I asked if he was interested. He was.

The relationship took off like a rocket. Three dates in three days. Tentative plans to meet the other’s family. They called me separately to thank me.

Was I batting 1,000?

Nope. A mere .500.

This is a place Morris has never been, a neighborhood that is not safe for Blacks, much less whites.

Here we see Kunene’s spartan but immaculate home, which shares the same olive- and wheat-colored palette of Morris’s room, thanks to scenic designer Lawrence E. Moten III.

In Kunene’s music-filled home, it’s clear that he cares for each record, plant and possession.

By contrast, Morris’s larger home is packed with high-end appliances and objects that he largely ignores (except to hide his liquor bottles). It is in disarray, not because Morris is ill but because he’s never cleaned for himself.

Although Kunene welcomes Morris

She is still mulling whether to help her lonely, divorced male friend. She is still landing on the basic truth of all potential couplehood: You never know until you try. But the mulling has gotten less frequent lately. I think she has landed on a soft no. Dating is so fraught at any age and any stage. My spouse seems sold on the idea that it will all work out for her divorced friend somehow, without her help — and without Oprah’s prying postmortem.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

with gracious hospitality, it is only a matter of time before the ailing Morris insults Kunene. Provoked in his personal space, Kunene fires Chekov’s proverbial gun, finally revealing the bitter story of the violence that destroyed his family and altered his youthful plans for the future.

In that moment, when Kunene has at last been allowed to show himself as a wise, funny, knowledgeable and traumatized man, he asks Morris, the audience and his country, “Do you see me?” We do.

Kunene and the King is performed at the Klein Theatre, located at 450 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C.With a run time of one hour and 40 minutes, the play has been extended through March 23. For tickets, which range from $35 to $195, visit shakespearetheatre.org or call the box office between noon and 6 p.m. daily at (202) 547-1122.

HOW I SEE IT

By Bob Levey

MARCH & APRIL EVENTS

Noseda conducts Debussy’s Images & Ravel’s Boléro

Discover Debussy’s delightful Images for orchestra, a series of musical postcards inspired by England, Spain, and France; and Ravel’s sultry slow-burn Boléro, with its sensuously hypnotic theme building to volcanic climax. Also on the program: Rota’s lively Trombone Concerto and Decisamente allegro by Nicola Campogrande, “one of the most interesting Italian composers of the young generation” (OperaWire).

Gianandrea Noseda , conductor Craig Mulcahy , trombone

March 6–8 | Concert Hall

NSO musician

Noseda conducts Stravinsky’s Petrushka

Leonidas Kavakos plays Shostakovich

Critics call Leonidas Kavakos’ interpretations of Shostakovich “utterly compelling.” Witness the magic live as the superstar Greek violinist returns to perform Shostakovich’s explosive, unpredictable Violin Concerto No. 2. To close, Stravinsky’s striking ballet score Petrushka dazzles with vivid colors, irresistible rhythms, incandescent brass and winds… a rich bouquet of assorted, ear-rousing moments!

Gianandrea Noseda , conductor

Leonidas Kavakos , violin

March 13–15 | Concert Hall

NSO Sound Health Friday

March 14

Before the concert, check out these FREE Sound Health Friday activities at 10 a.m.!

Memory Preservation with Jennifer Pastora of The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center and an NSO Musician playing

Friday Morning sing with The City Choir of Washington

Interactive cognitive session with Sentimental Journey Singers of Encore Creativity

Music and Tai Chi with staff from the Mather Institute and NSO Musician

Kennedy Center Chamber

Players: Spring Concerts 1 & 2

Two concerts, seven Brahms sonatas for strings, one epic afternoon of music! Join us as titled musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra unite in different ensembles across two concerts to perform chamber music masterpieces by Brahms.

Marissa Regni , violin

Ying Fu , violin

Ricardo Cyncynates, violin

Daniel Foster, viola

David Hardy , cello

Lambert Orkis , piano

March 16 | Terrace Theater

Fabio Biondi conducts Mendelssohn’s “Italian”

Mao Fujita plays Mozart

Under the baton of Fabio Biondi, Mendelssohn’s vivacious Symphony No. 4 captures the zest and exhilaration of Italy’s sun-soaked vistas, bustling cities, and idyllic countryside. But first, Mao Fujita—described by The Times as “a musician of tremendous versatility and taste”—performs one of the grandest of Mozart’s piano concertos: No. 25.

Fabio Biondi , conductor Mao Fujita , piano

April 3, 4 & 6 | Concert Hall

*NSO subscription debut

Karina Canellakis conducts Tristan und Isolde & The Poem of Ecstasy

Alban Gerhardt plays Dvořák

Karina Canellakis takes on feats of musical storytelling in this visionary program. The Prelude and Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde capture a passion more powerful than death itself; Scriabin’s symphonic Poem of Ecstasy intoxicates listeners with a whirlwind of color and perfume. Alban Gerhardt opens the concert with a performance of Dvořák’s famous Cello Concerto.

Karina Canellakis , conductor Alban Gerhardt , cello

April 10–12 | Concert Hall

MARISSA

DANIEL

Scrabble

answers on p. 31.

Crossword Puzzle

Good For Your Heart By Stephen Sherr

Across

1. Part of a racquetball, but not tennis, court

5. Harvester of wind energy

9. Helen Mirren and Angela Lansbury

14. Jai ___

15. 1/2 B x H, for a triangle

16. Greek marketplace

17. Roving

19. 75% of a G&T

20. They were excluded from a landmark 1978 auto recall

22. Paragon of slipperiness

23. Parts of stringed toys

24. Backyard feature of a fancy house

33. Come as you ___

34. Formerly named

35. Musical pace

36. Where the price tag goes on the watermelon

38. Write your instead of you’re, for example

40. ___ in full (red stamp words)

41. Left-side item on a balance sheet

43. Last word before “blastoff!”

45. O, in a love letter

46. Annual highlight of December’s college football schedule

51. End of mob- or miss-

52. Letters in “anxious” that may make you feel anxious

53. Hearty meals that may include this puzzle’s key words

62. Stock up, pathologically

63. First version

64. Barcelona buddy

65. Outer prefix, from the Greek ektos

66. Operatic solo

67. Toothbrush bristles, usually

68. One who walks the walk

69. VCR buttons

3. Where a dragon keeps its gold

4. Lead actor in Barney Miller

5. She was once called Norma Jeane

6. It was once called Persia

7. Fast times at St. Raphael High

8. Sister who appeared in Michael Jackson’s Say Say Say video

9. Spreadsheet, for example

10. Highly eager

11. Like The Beatles’ earliest albums

12. ___ Brockovich, released 3/17/2000

13. Bunts intended to advance runners

18. Dueling sword

21. Doo-___ (harmonic song style)

24. Unit of gold purity

25. “Kiss me, I’m ___”

26. Like pure gold

27. Go steady with

28. Bird that often symbolizes purity

29. Enthusiasm

30. Largest city on the Missouri river between Sioux City and Kansas City

31. Source of morphine and heroin

32. Chalet

37. Enforcer of The Controlled Substances Act of 1970

39. Single-stranded genetic molecule

42. Wore in a dressing room

44. One who kicks out a tenant

47. Grp. with Reds and Red Sox

48. Let out a soft scream

49. Start of a pirate’s shout

50. Rolling Stone says Jimi Hendrix played it best

53. “A bad excuse is better ___ none”

54. Cozy and comfortable

55. A maglev train doesn’t touch it

56. Start of a conclusion

57. Chevron competitor

58. Record in a journal

59. It’s a string instrument, honest

60. Poem with a lot of words

61. Red, Black, and Yellow

Thin child

Voice of Tina Turner or Cher

Letters to the editor

From page 2

Dear Editor:

Thoroughly enjoyed Ted Meyerson’s thought-provoking editorial last month, “Learning how to think,” about the dangers that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to society.

His thoughts about how AI sweeping the world will endanger people’s ability to think and reason sends a much-needed alarm. AI respects no one and dumbs down everyone it touches.

Richard K. Todd Washington, DC

BEACON BITS

Mar. 29

BLOSSOM KITE FESTIVAL

Visit the Washington Monument Grounds on Sat., March 29 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to enjoy free activities, music, competitions and performances as part of the 2025 Blossom Kite Festival. You don’t need to be a kite enthusiast to join in the fun. For more information, including the list of performers and photos from previous festivals, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/ event/blossom-kite-festival.

Apr. 5

KENSINGTON BREAKFAST WALK

Join the Kensington Breakfast Walk with the Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club. Choose between a 5- or 10-kilometer walk on Sat., April 5 starting between 8 and 11 a.m. from Kensington Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, MD. Participation fee is $4. For more information, visit sugarloafers.org or call Darla Fera at (301) 651-1875.

ONE BIG HAPPY

By Rick Detorie

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; Obituaries; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 31.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS:

We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers

COUGAR CARE HEALTH AND HOME SERVICES We are a long term health and home care agency serving the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and beyond since 1990.We provide CNA’S, Caregivers, Nurses, Companions, Personal Assistants, Housekeepers, Pet Sitters, Drivers, Personal Trainers or any other employee you may need, For more information and to place an order call #202-317-0679.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A DEDICATED SUPPORT WORKER to assist an autistic adult male in navigating daily life and achieving personal goals. You will provide personalized assistance tailored to his unique needs and preferences. Contact Information: Please contact Fran Robinson at fest809@aol.com for more details and to apply. Together, let’s create a supportive and enriching experience.

ELDERLY CARE/CAREGIVER I provide care for your loved ones. I do Dr appointments, daily Hygiene, meal preparation, grocery shopping, daily activities, and many more. I do have 34 years experience with excellent references. Call Laverne 301-996-1385.

MY NAME IS LETICIA GARCIA and I’m a Home Health Aide in search of caring for your loved one. I have 18+ years of experience along with excellent references. I can be reached at 240-855-2477. I hope to hear from you soon and God bless.

RDH TRANSPORTATION SERVICES include: Medical Appointments: Safe and reliable rides to doctor visits and treatments. Errands: Transportation for groceries, pharmacies, and essential errands. Social Outings: Support for attending family events or community activities. Custom Trips: Flexible options tailored to individual transportation needs. Contact (301455-2414, rdhcare.dwb@gmail.com).

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Hair Stylist. Women and Men’s Services - All Hair Types. Cuts, Styles, Roller Sets, Color, Perms, Men’s Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. Call 301-338-8251

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK. Four choice sites in desirable Block I (eye). Regular $9,495, sale $4,495 per plot OBO. Phone 703-256-0560.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY. 4 Choice Sites in Desirable Block DD, Regularly $7995/ea. SALE: $2500/each, or best offer Contact 917-754-3355.

VCR TAPES Felix is the primary one New York. $10 each. 11 to 5. Glucose meter $30. Lock with key $20. Montgomery Village Christine 301-330-0987.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK- 3 choice burial sites in desirable Lilac Garden. Regular $9495 each, sale all 3 for $12,000 OBO. 804-400-6318.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES TODAY with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-301-960-3174 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

NEW WINDOWS FROM WINDOW NA-

TION. Special money saving offer - zero down, zero payments, zero interest for TWO years AND buy 2 windows and get 2 FREE! Offer is valid for select models. Labor not included. Other restrictions apply. Call Window Nation today! 855-909-2278.

REAL ESTATE MADE EASY! Looking to buy or sell? KW Metro Center has you covered with expert guidance and local insights. Call or visit tauheedgul.kw.com for more info! Tauheed Gul (Tony) Real Estate Agent VA 0225263776. Cell 703.659.7366 Office 703.224.6000.

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1240-650-9189.

STROKE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer - 5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-844-485-7035.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

SLOWING DOWN AFTER 42 YEARS of contracting. Small to medium jobs mainly but will do some commercial work. Will work all over DC area. $45.00 from arrival on job. Andy 703-906-5429.

MOVING OR LIQUIDATING AN ESTATE? Let Downsizing Specialists, LLC show you how our easy process helps you decide what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard. Services include estate liquidation, downsizing, estate sales, house and storage unit clean-outs, and junk removal. We buy estates, vehicles, & real estate. Free estimates. Local. Family Owned. Licensed. Insured. Better Business Bureau A+ Certified Company. Call/Text Philip @ 301-2193600 ~ DownsizingSpecialists.com

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. Plus 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-977-6078.

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-866-3655170.

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-866-478-2363.

AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL HEATING & COOLING. As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-691-0273.

JACUZZI BATH REMODEL can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waiving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. (Offer ends 3/30/25.) Call 1833-994-0538.

CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-833-742-1303.

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance PublishingTrusted by Authors Since 1920. Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Call for Your Free Author’s Guide 1-833-992-0110 or visit dorranceinfo.com/beacon

GET DISH SATELLITE TV + INTERNET!

Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-844-560-5837

DIRECTV - All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-572-4953.

I BUY GUNS: Military/Civilian & MILITARY

MEMORABILIA. I am a licensed Firearms Dealer and can legally purchase from you. Don’t risk selling to unlicensed dealers. Tim Frank 301-201-0241. historian1975@gmail.com. www.midatlanticmilitaryantiques.com

ALWAYS BUYING OLD COSTUME JEWELRY, sterling silver flatware & holloware, school rings, unwanted jewelry, gemstones & broken jewelry, old comic books (pre-1990), old toys/games and other old items. Text or Call Alex at 571-426-5363 DMV area.

CASH FOR ESTATES; Estates, Moving, Downsizing, Etc. I buy Gold, Silver, Art, Quality Glass, Historical Items, Cultural Items, and a wide range of other categories. Collections, Accumulations. Website: TheAtticLLC.com, Gary Roman, 301-520-0755.

WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-464-0958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com).

BUYING ESTATES, FULL OR PARTIAL, large or small. Need a house cleared in a hurry, I can get it done. Also buying individual small, pretty things such as Herend, Royal Copenhagen and vintage holiday decorations. Call Susan (301) 785-1129.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (Reg. 883).

PAYING TOP CASH FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. Housecalls made with prompt, courteous service seven days a week and 25 years of experience! Buying toys, trains, militaria, glassware, advertising merchandise, paper items and much more! Contact Mason or Megan at: 443-306-8816. CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 & CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990 JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, R&B, DISCO, SOUL, REGGAE, & GOSPEL, ANY VINYL FORMAT 33 1/3 RPM Albums, small 45 RPM’s & some 78 RPM, Also CD’s, Prefer LARGER COLLECTIONS AT LEAST 100 items, PLEASE CALL JOHN 301-596-6201.

WANTED OLD MOTORCYCLES Any condition “AS IS” picked up at your location. Paying Top Dollar for 1920-1980 Harley Kawasaki Z1 KZ900 H2 Honda CB750 BMW Indian BSA Norton & others. Call for CASH offer 1-800-2209683. Website: www.wantedoldmotorcycles.com

UP TO $15,000.00 OF GUARANTEED

LIFE INSURANCE! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company - 866-212-1092 or visit www.Life55plus.info/beacon

IF EVERYTHING YOUR EYES FALL ON in your living environment doesn’t bring you pleasure, I can help. I’m an organization expert who can make your everyday life run more smoothly through the art of permanent organization. Combining over 25 years of experience as a project manager with scientifically backed methods, I can help you unclutter and enjoy your living or work environment. See LemonAideConsultingLLC.com for details.

LITTLE DEEDS ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS Live independently and safely in your own home through Little modifications by licensed, skilled, and deeply caring craftspeople. Did you know we can convert your tub into a shower with a Tub-Cut for a quarter of the cost of those shower conversion companies? Little Deeds also provides no-cost, no-obligation, safety, and accessibility assessments for Aging in Place or when coming home from the hospital. Text/Call 410-450-4466 https://www.littledeeds.com/

MENDING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. I’m

Jane M. Connor, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Maryland, dedicated to helping families navigate these challenges. My goal is to support families in overcoming painful experiences and rebuilding relationships. Ready to take the first step? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me—no strings attached. Let’s explore if my approach is right for you. If not, I’ll help you find the right resources. Contact me at 202-658-5045 or janemconnor@gmail.com. Visit www.janemconnor.com for more information. Together, we can foster understanding and closeness.

REDZONE FITNESS STUDIO-We specialize in working with older adults. We come to you and have achieved fantastic results. We will set up a workout plan tailored to your individual fitness goals. Call 410-739-3318 to set up a free fitness evaluation.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158, leave message & phone number (please speak slowly).

Apr. 5

VOLUNTEER Join the Tudor Place garden team to help keep invasive species out of the historic garden. Tools will be provided, but you will need to bring your own gloves. Weeding takes place Sat., Apr. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon at Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW, Washington, DC. Register at tudorplace.org/event/weekend-weeders. For more information, call (202) 965-0400 or email info@tudorplace.org.

Clinical

Study

Home Health/ Adult Day Care

Ashby Ponds/ Erickson

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington edition).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad:

• $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

• Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

.7

Greenspring/Erickson .1,7

Falcons Landing

.32

Homecrest House . . . . .11

Park View Bladensburg . .

.22

Park View Columbia . .22

Park View Emerson . . .22

Park View Laurel

.22

Riderwood/Erickson . .1,7

Willow Manor at Cabin Branch

Woodleigh Chase/ Erickson

.5

.7

Legal Services

Farr Law Firm

Law Offices of Paul Riekhof

Medical/Health

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