May 2025 | Baltimore Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

Football pro turns college coach

By Timothy Cox

Football fans may be familiar with the name Jimmy Johnson, the former coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Now another Jimmie Johnson (no relation), a famous name in the NFL ranks, has come to Baltimore. Last year, the athletic department at Morgan State University hired Johnson as an assistant football coach.

“I started playing football in Augusta, Georgia at age six. At 58, I’m still a fan of the game and enjoy helping young people become the best that they can be on the gridiron,” Jimmie Olden Johnson Jr. told the Beacon

Johnson had a 10-year professional career as a tight end, including three years with the Super Bowl XXVI-winning Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and other teams, including the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles.

Johnson got a strong start with an athletic scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C., often called the Harvard of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Morgan State, another HBCU, hired Johson as assistant offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator last spring. According to the university’s new athletic director Dena Freeman-Patton, they hired him because his professional and collegiate pedigree will help develop young athletes.

It’s a task Johnson takes very seriously. “We strive to help our players make the transition from high school to becoming fine young men,” Johnson said.

“As coaches, we find ourselves in various roles: mentors, big brothers, father figures, psychologists. It’s our priority to field a successful team and win as many games as possible, but along that route we emphasize developing good people, great students, and eventually paving the road from young men to manhood.”

Off to college and the pros

Johnson’s road to success started with a move from his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, to D.C. for college. He was looking for a school with a robust athletic program, and his high school football coach happened to be a fraternity brother of Howard University’s football coach.

“I knew about Howard’s academic repu-

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tation — that was important to me. But in high school, I excelled both in football and basketball, so I really wanted to go to a school that allowed me to play both sports,” he remembered.

“Howard’s head coach…assured me, my parents and coach that I would be well taken care of if I came to D.C. Plus, I’d be allowed to play both sports,” Johnson said.

At Howard, he played basketball his senior year but focused mostly on football. After redshirting his freshman year of college, he became an award-winning tight end on the football team.

Despite pledging Omega Psi Phi fraternity in college, he said he focused on good grades and staying in physical shape, often forgoing the party scene.

As a fifth-year senior, he was selected first-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and became a two-time

Sheridan Broadcasting Black College AllAmerican in 1987 and 1988. Johnson graduated from Howard in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in consumer studies.

During his three years with D.C.’s football team, Johnson earned a Super Bowl ring for his team’s victory over the Buffalo Bills in 1992.

Johnson stayed in the NFL after retiring as a player. He began coaching in 2001 and working for NFL teams such as the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 through 2014 and the New York Jets in 2015.

He also coached college football teams, including Texas Southern and South Carolina State. He worked as a coaching analyst at the University of Maryland, recruiting and developing tight ends for its football team.

During this past year at Morgan State,

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY COX

Jimmie Johnson Jr. played football in the NFL for 10 years and joined the coaching team at Morgan State University last spring. “I’m one of the lucky people blessed enough to have a job in an industry that I still love,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel like work to me.”

Time to rotate the tires

At the moment, retirement — whether voluntary or imposed — is a topic on people’s minds, particularly in the Beacon’s readership area. This region is being hit especially hard by the government cutbacks we read about daily.

So, it hasn’t been surprising that the question, “So, are you thinking of retiring?” comes up in almost every casual conversation I’ve recently had.

Some years ago, I came up with the idea (probably not original) that “re-tirement” is when you get yourself a new set of “tires,” figuratively speaking.

tread, been worn down by all that rubber meeting the road over the years, and it’s time for some fresh, springy new ones: tires you can take out for a spin and feel great about again.

I like that image because it pictures retirement as an opportunity for well-deserved change and as a positive way to increase our longevity.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

The old ones have lost most of their

In the Beacon, we’ve written many times about how our readers — whatever their present circumstance — would do well to give serious thought to what they’d like to do if/when they either retire from work or retire from retirement.

HOMEOWNERS’ AND RENTERS’ TAX CREDIT

Applications are now open for the Maryland Department of Taxation’s 2025 Homeowners’ and Renters’ Tax Credit programs. The deadline for both is Oct. 1. These programs provide tax relief to Maryland residents. For more information or to check eligibility and apply, visit bit.ly/2025TaxCreditApplication.

Howard County, Md. and Greater Washington, D.C.

Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal

President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal

Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei

Managing Editor – Margaret Foster

Art Director – Kyle Gregory

Vice President of Operations – Roger King

Advertising Representatives –Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel

Assistant Editor – Ana Preger Hart

Editorial Intern – Tori Cleveland

The options are varied, and selecting the right one or ones requires both investigation and forethought. Ideally, it also includes a try-out.

That may involve taking a class, doing internet research, talking to friends and role models, and even taking a sabbatical to try out a new career or job before leaving the security of the present one.

There’s that word again: “sabbatical.”

Yes, I’ve been using it a lot in my columns the last few years because I’ve been taking my own advice and taking a few weeks off from the Beacon now and then to explore the possibilities of writing and producing original music — a passion since my youth.

I’ve decided the time is ripe to stop exploring and start living that life. However, I’m not trading in for an entirely new set of tires. I’ve decided to rotate some and replace others, you might say.

As of May 1, I will become the Beacon’s editor emeritus, and our managing editor, Margaret Foster, will become our editor.

Margaret has been an invaluable member of our team for more than six years. She says she’s excited about taking on the additional responsibilities of editor, and I know she’ll do a fantastic job.

As for me, I’ll remain the Beacon’s publisher and continue to be involved with both story selection and advertising. But I’m definitely going to be spending more of my days (I hope, more than half) compos-

ing music for solo piano as well as voice and piano.

I’ll continue writing this column as I have for 36 years (most months, anyway), and I plan to be there to greet you at our 50+Expos this fall.

I would also love to continue hearing from readers like you whenever you have a thought about the Beacon or a critique to share.

When you have a chance, please visit my website — StuartsMelodies.com — where you can listen to many of my compositions and watch my music videos. If you like what you hear, you can email me through the site, share links to my songs with your friends, and/or repost videos on your Facebook and other social media pages.

And if you click “subscribe” while watching any of my videos (which won’t actually cost you anything), it will encourage YouTube to share my music with even more people online.

I look forward to having these new ways to interact with you as well as the world at large.

Oh, and please keep reading the Beacon, patronizing our advertisers and recommending us to your friends!

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 info@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor:

I would like to see a monthly article about online, phone and any other kind of scams. This could be general advice about avoiding getting scammed or active scams going on in the region.

I think it would be helpful for everyone in the community no matter their age. Thank you.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE SUPPORT (VIRTUAL)

If you’re coping with the physical, emotional and social impacts of Parkinson’s Disease, there’s an online support group to help. The free meetings take place on the second Tuesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom. In addition, a support group for caregivers or partners of Parkinson’s patients meets the third Thursday of each month from 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom. For more information, call JCS Baltimore at (410) 843-7455 or (410) 843-7456.

STEAM SHOW AT THE FIRE MUSEUM

Visit The Fire Museum of Maryland on Sat., May 3 to see real steam engines in action. The annual Steam Show takes place in the museum’s parking lot at 1301-R York Rd., Lutherville. Enjoy family games and activities and free admission to the show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit firemuseummd.org or call (410) 321-7500.

Terri H. Via email

Home Care Ti

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Health Fitness &

As pharmacy lines and wait times grow, enroll in auto-refill to save time

If you’re waking up at night to go to the bathroom, rule out these causes

Have allergies? Many OTC drugs deplete important vitamins and minerals

Johns Hopkins seeks people over 65 for a study on the benefits of walking

How GLP-1 drugs could revolutionize retirement

By Jacob Schroeder

You know something is a big deal when Big Food gets nervous.

The culprit? Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, which mimic the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to curb hunger, aren’t just suppressing appetites. They’re reshaping eating habits, steering people away from sweet and salty cravings.

A Cornell study found households with a GLP-1 user cut grocery spending by about 6%, with the largest drop in caloriedense, processed items, including an 11% decline in savory snacks. As The New York Times reports, companies like Pepsi are scrambling to reformulate products, such as adding protein and whole grains to match shifting consumer tastes.

The rise in GLP-1 drugs is undeniable. Morgan Stanley projects that by 2035, 24 million Americans, or 7% of the population, will be using these medications.

But that estimate may be too low. GLP-1 medications are proving remarkably effective beyond weight loss, showing promise in treating substance abuse and even psychological disorders. These early signals suggest the impact could extend far beyond a healthier bag of chips. They could spark a broader health revolution.

David Blanchett, head of retirement re-

search at PGIM, believes these medications could change how we plan for retirement: “We’re going to have more of these advances in the future, that result in increasing lifespans in retirement. It’s not really possible to know what these are, but the implications for retirement are somewhat staggering.”

With healthier adults living longer, the future of retirement could be rewritten entirely.

So, what could that future look like?

GLP-1 drugs and fewer doctor visits — and bills

The cost of healthcare looms large for retirees. Fidelity estimates that the average retiree today will spend $165,000 on medical expenses. Rising costs are driven by longer lifespans and chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

“If GLP-1 medications can effectively reduce the incidence and severity of chronic diseases, retirees may indeed experience lower healthcare costs,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, obesity medicine physician and associate professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

What’s more, research indicates GLP-1 drugs may help prevent a range of serious conditions, lowering the risk of stroke, kid-

ney disease and even neurodegenerative diseases we’ve thought practically incurable, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The potential benefits extend beyond healthcare savings. “This could allow more disposable income to be spent on travel, hobbies and other activities, enhancing quality of life,” Stanford added.

More retirees on the go

Age naturally slows us down, with slower metabolism, muscle loss and inactivity as common culprits. That’s why retirement is often described in three stages: the Go-Go years, the Slow-Go years and the No-Go years. It’s during the Go-Go years — those early, active retirement days — that people travel and pursue longawaited adventures.

But GLP-1 drugs could help rewrite that narrative — more “go” than “slow.” These medications could help retirees remain active well into their later years.

According to a PwC study, over half of users said they made healthier food choices, and about a third reported less binge eating and drinking. Most kept or increased their exercise routines, signaling a stronger commitment to a healthier lifestyle.

“If retirees can be healthier for longer, they may want to do more things, for

longer, than we’re seeing today from retirees,” Blanchett said.

Yes, a more active retirement could mean more spending on travel, leisure and experiences, but here’s the kicker: GLP-1 drugs could reduce one of the biggest obstacles to financial security — the health problems that force people into early retirement.

Longer careers, larger savings

More than half of respondents in an EBRI survey retired earlier than planned, citing health problems or disabilities as the top reason.

GLP-1 drugs could help people stay healthier and work longer, providing a crucial opportunity to catch up on savings.

“With better health management, individuals may be able to extend their working years, contributing to increased workforce participation among older adults,” Stanford said.

The concept of a fixed retirement age may fade altogether. If people have healthier, longer lives, retirement could become more of a flexible transition than a hard stop.

The bottom line

While GLP-1 drugs offer promising ben-

Know the early signs and symptoms of diabetes

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the early signs and symptoms of diabetes? I’m 60 years old and in pretty good shape, but I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What did I miss?

—Diabetic Dan

Dear Dan,

The signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be so mild that many people miss them. That’s why testing is so important. Here’s what you should know.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 38 million Americans have diabetes today, and another 97 million have prediabetes, but many of them don’t even know they have it.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that develops slowly over decades. Most people have prediabetes for a long time before the disease becomes full-blown diabetes, and even then, it progresses gradually. Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. This excess blood sugar damages blood vessels and affects circulation, putting you at risk for a host of ailments, from heart attack and stroke to blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage.

Signs and symptoms

So how can you tell if you have diabetes?

The earliest signs, which are usually subtle, include urinating more frequently (often at

night), being thirstier and hungrier than usual, weight loss without trying, feeling very tired, having dry, itchy skin and blurry vision.

And the symptoms that can indicate advanced diabetes and long-term damage has occurred include cuts or sores that heal slowly, having more infections than usual and pain or numbness in your feet or legs.

Who should get tested?

Because prediabetes typically causes no outward symptoms, and the signs of early type 2 diabetes can easily be missed, the only way to know for sure if you have it is to get a blood test.

Everyone age 45 years or older should consider getting tested for diabetes, especially if you are overweight with a body mass index (BMI) above 25. See CDC.gov/bmi to calculate your BMI.

If you are younger than 45 but are overweight, or have high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes, or belong to an ethnic group (Latino, Asian, African or Native American) at high risk for diabetes, you should get checked too.

To help you determine your risk for diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a quick, online risk test you can take for free at Diabetes.org/risk-test.

Diabetes tests

There are three different tests your doctor can give you to diagnose diabetes. The most common is the “fasting plasma glucose test,” which requires an eight-hour fast before you take it. There’s also the “oral glucose tolerance test” to see how your body processes sugar, and the “hemoglobin A1C

SAVVY SENIOR

By Jim Miller

GLP-1 drugs

From page 4

efits, they come with notable drawbacks. In fact, 50-75% of people stop using them within a year. Cost is the leading factor (hundreds of dollars per month).

“They are expensive, particularly in the U.S., compared to other countries with national insurance, such as Canada and the UK,” Stanford notes.

Side effects also cause concern, with users reporting nausea, gastrointestinal is-

Diabetes

test” that measures your average blood sugar over the past three months. It can be taken anytime, regardless of when you ate.

Most private health insurance plans and Medicare cover diabetes tests; however, if you’re reluctant to visit your doctor to get tested, an alternative is to go to the drug store, buy a blood glucose meter and test yourself at home. They cost around $20. If you find that you are prediabetic or diabetic, see your doctor to develop a plan to get it under control. In many cases lifestyle changes like losing weight, exer-

sues and sleep disturbances. Rare cases of eye complications, including conditions linked to blindness, have surfaced.

Still, the buzz around GLP-1 drugs continues to build, fueled by study after study showcasing their potential. Whether they spark a health — and retirement — revolution or fade like a fleeting trend, one thing is certain: They already have more staying power than Crystal Clear Pepsi.

cising, eating a healthy diet and cutting back on carbohydrates may be all you need to do to get your diabetes under control. For others who need more help, many medications are available.

For more information on diabetes and prediabetes or to find help, join a lifestyle change program recognized by the CDC (CDC.gov/diabetes-prevention). These programs offer in-person and online classes in more than 1,500 U.S. locations.

Send your 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.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon

!

14th ANNUAL N.E.

FREE EVENT!

MARYLAND SENIOR 50+

Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Harford Mall in Bel Air, Md.

• 70+ businesses catering to your Senior needs and desires

• Information seminars & Free Health Screenings

• Live musical entertainment (at noon both days): Classic Rock on Wednesday; Sgt. Pepper’s on Thursday

For more info, contact Alan Hardt at (410) 688-4117or email ravensal@aol.com

MAIL OR EMAIL FOR FREE INFORMATION

For free materials on housing communities and/or research studies, just complete this coupon and mail or email it to the Beacon.

Housing Communities

o BrightView (see ad on page 11)

o Charlestown/Erickson (see ad on page 6)

o Christ Church Harbor Apts (see ad on page 17)

o Merritt Station (see ad on page 10)

o Oak Crest/Erickson (see ad on page 6)

o Park View Laurel (see ad on page 14)

o Park View Towson (see ad on page 14)

o Park View Fullerton (see ad on page 14)

o Park View Rosedale (see ad on page 14)

o Pickersgill (see ad on page 11)

o St. Mary’s Roland View Towers (see ad on page 19)

o Terraces at Park Heights (see ad on page 13)

o Virginia Towers (see ad on page 12)

o Warren Place Senior Apartments (see ad on page 12)

o Westminster House (see ad on page 8)

Clinical Health Studies

o Home Mobility Tracking Study (see ad on page 9)

o Inactive Movement Study (see ad and article on page 9)

o Long COVID Study (see ad on page 8)

o Prediabetes Blood Sugar Study (see ad on page 9)

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 or take a picture and email to housing@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Ease pharmacy visits, nighttime waking

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I have been using the same pharmacy for many years. Recently, it has been more of a struggle to get my prescriptions. The lines can be very long, and I feel rushed when the staff finally gets to me. Is this common?

A: The types of changes you describe are happening across the country. Like many other businesses, pharmacies are struggling with budget cuts and staffing shortages. That’s leading to challenging working conditions for pharmacists and the technicians who support them. They’re doing more with less, and yet they’re expected to fill hundreds of prescriptions per day, administer vaccines,

consult with customers, and call insurance companies to resolve billing issues.

As a result, many pharmacy workers are experiencing burnout. They say they don’t have the time to do their jobs properly, and they worry about patient safety. Meanwhile, customers are sometimes scrambling to get their prescriptions filled or wondering if they should be concerned about the safety of their medications.

Sometimes there’s a problem because the drug is out of stock. Your pharmacy may be unable to fill a prescription in a timely manner because they don’t have the medication on hand. It could just be that the drug is temporarily out of stock. Or it could be due to a manufacturing issue

causing a shortage.

If it’s a manufacturer issue, call your doctor’s office. Your doctor may need to change to a different medication that can work just as well. If the prescription is temporarily out of stock, ask your pharmacist to see if another store in the chain has it, make the call yourself, or ask your doctor to call in a prescription to a different pharmacy — one where it’s already confirmed that your medication is in stock and available.

Don’t wait until the last minute to refill your prescription. Consider putting the prescription on auto-refill, which should allow the pharmacy to refill the prescription within a week of when it is due.

Pharmacists work hard to fill prescriptions accurately, making sure you receive

the right drug at the right dose. Yet mistakes sometimes occur. It’s unclear if that’s happening more frequently now. Always double-check medications before leaving a pharmacy. Look at your pills to become familiar with their appearance. If you get a batch that looks different, ask your pharmacist about it or search online to find an image of the pill you have and what it’s used for. Generic medications can come in a variety of shapes and colors, which can vary by manufacturer.

Q: Why might a person start waking up more often to urinate during the night?

A: Most people, once they reach middle

Wakeups

From page 6

age, will feel the need to empty their bladder at least once during the night. Doctors call it nocturia. Whether the need to urinate wakes a person up or it’s just that he or she wakes up for another reason and has the urge usually can’t be determined.

Sometimes lifestyle is to blame. For example, it could be that you drink caffeinated beverages too late in the day. Caffeine increases your kidneys’ production of urine.

Or maybe you’re drinking a lot of fluids close to bedtime. The kidneys never stop making urine, and many people make urine more efficiently when they’re lying flat than when they’re sitting or standing.

Underlying conditions can cause nocturia. In women, an overactive bladder that results in a larger number of urinations is common, particularly after menopause. In men, an overactive bladder is frequently caused by an enlarged prostate (benign

prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH).

Both men and women can experience nocturia due to various medical conditions. For example, in individuals with type 2 diabetes, the kidneys remove the extra sugar that’s in the blood and produce more urine to carry that waste out of the body. Also, people with diabetes tend to drink more fluids because of increased thirst.

In people with sleep apnea, the brain recognizes it isn’t getting enough oxygen at night. To increase oxygen circulating in the blood, the brain signals the kidneys to increase blood volume and tells the heart to pump faster. That increases urine production.

Other reasons for nocturia include kidney disease; taking a diuretic (water pill) for heart disease or high blood pressure; or varicose veins associated with daytime retention of fluid, which shifts from the legs to the blood and kidneys at night.

What you can do

Treating nocturia starts with lifestyle

TOWSONTOWN SPRING FESTIVAL

Enjoy summertime foods, unique vendors and a variety of entertainment at this free family-friendly festival on Sat., May 3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun., May 4 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on and around 400 Washington Ave., Towson. For more information, visit towsontownfestival.com or call (410) 825-1150.

changes. Try to stop drinking fluids several hours before bed and eliminate caffeinated beverages 10 hours before bedtime.

Also, ask your doctor if you need to be tested for the various possible medical conditions that can cause nocturia, which may not yet have been diagnosed.

Medications can sometimes help ease nocturia. In men with BPH, this could include drugs (alpha blockers) that improve the flow of urine, helping empty the bladder before bedtime. But you won’t go from getting up five times a night to zero times. It might just go from five to two.

For women, bladder medications may help ease nocturia. But the drugs have possible side effects, and the risks and benefits have to be weighed carefully. Pill-free approaches include pelvic floor exercises, injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) or nerve stimulation.

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, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2025 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Best ways to combat springtime allergies

Spring is here, and so is allergy season! Beyond the obvious pollen, mold spores thrive in damp environments, especially after seasonal rains, while dust mites multiply as temperatures rise. Pet dander also becomes a bigger problem as animals shed their winter coats.

Meanwhile, grass pollens like Bermuda, Timothy and ryegrass kick into high gear in late spring, especially in May and June. These lightweight particles travel easily on the wind, making you miserable in your skin.

take slightly longer to kick in. Both block histamine, the chemical responsible for sneezing and itching.

By Suzy Cohen

For fast relief, many people turn to overthe-counter (OTC) antihistamines like cetirizine (Zyrtec) or loratadine (Claritin). Cetirizine works quickly but can cause drowsiness, so it should be taken at night, while loratadine is non-drowsy but may

Nasal sprays like fluticasone (Flonase) reduce inflammation and congestion, but they take a few days to work and may cause nosebleeds if overused. This is effective for mild-to-moderate allergies, but if symptoms persist, you may need stronger support. If OTC meds aren’t cutting it, your doctor may prescribe montelukast (Singulair), which blocks leukotrienes, another inflammation trigger that your body makes when faced with pollen. It’s great for asthma-related allergies, but some people experience mood changes or vivid dreams. Ask your doctor about that one.

Antihistamines come in two generations

SENIOR LIVING IN HISTORIC MT. VERNON

and a lot of people don’t know that. The first-generation meds (like diphenhydramine, or Benadryl) work fast but cause drowsiness. That’s why it got rebranded as a sleep aid! It’s great for nighttime relief but not for daytime function.

The second-generation medications (like cetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine) provide longer-lasting, non-drowsy relief. They’re better for daily use but can still cause dry mouth or headaches.

Some people live on these medications. However, you should know that taking antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays yearround can deplete essential nutrients — what I call the “drug mugging” effect. Here’s what to watch for:

• Antihistamines can lower vitamin C and zinc, both crucial for immunity.

• Nasal steroids may reduce vitamin D, leading to weakened bones and increased infections.

• Montelukast can impact magnesium and B vitamins, affecting mood and energy. If you rely on these meds daily, consider supplementing with what they deplete; your body will thank you.

Natural remedies

I love weaving in natural options for allergy relief. Consider the following:

• Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine, reducing sneezing and itching.

• Vitamin D keeps your immune system balanced.

• B Complex helps regulate histamine and supports energy.

• Catalase helps detox oxidative stress, which can worsen allergy symptoms.

If OTC meds aren’t helping or your symptoms include wheezing, facial swelling or sinus infections (like sinus fungal balls, which I’ve written about before), it’s time to see a doctor.

You don’t have to suffer all season! If you’re interested in a deeper dive into this topic, I’ve written a longer, more comprehensive article on my website, 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

Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Get out and walk with Hopkins study

By Margaret Foster

We all know that exercise is good for us, but as we age, our joints might feel creaky or we may have more aches and pains. That may make exercise harder.

Now a new study at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hopes to help people age 65 and older get moving again.

Federal guidelines suggest that we get 150 minutes of exercise every week.

“Those guidelines are hard to reach, particularly for older adults,” said Amal Wanigatunga, Ph.D., the principal investigator of the Sedentary to Active Rising to Thrive Trial, also known as the START Trial.

“This trial is trying to find easy, simple, gradual ways to start on a path to be more active.”

Just two visits to Hopkins

After a short phone call, participants will visit Hopkins’ ProHealth research center in Woodlawn for some tests and bloodwork. (Parking is free, and compensation is provided.)

Then they’ll go home and walk just three minutes a day, adding three minutes each day for 10 days.

After 10 days, they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: One group will continue to walk for 10 minutes three times a day, and the other will walk for 30 minutes once per day.

Wanigatunga emphasized that this is “very light walking.” The message to everyone who participates is: “I don’t want you to sweat; I don’t want you to push yourself; I just want you to get up and walk very lightly. We’re just building the behavior, the consistency.”

During the two months of the study, participants will wear a wrist monitor that records their activity levels. They’ll also record their experience in a diary. Hopkins researchers will call them periodically to check in.

In the summer months, researchers will remind participants to stay hydrated.

“We’re asking them to only walk at the pace they normally walk, like to their mailbox. This is not an exercise trial per se.”

Volunteers get to see results

After two months of walking — either three times a day or once a day — participants return to Hopkins for the same tests they took on the first day. They’ll get to see the results of their wrist monitor, which

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The Johns Hopkins University research study is examining if sitting less by moving more helps promote an active lifestyle in older adults vulnerable to illness and injury.

• You may qualify if you are 65 years and older and inactive

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• We offer compensation of $200 for your participation and free parking

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will tell them how active they’ve become.

Then, four months later, researchers will check in by phone. They’ll also mail another wrist monitor to measure movement for seven days.

Light walking is something almost everyone over 65, no matter how sedentary, can try.

“People can reach the 30-minute [goal]. I’m confident that they can do it. You just have to give them a process,” Wanigatunga said.

“We’re trying to remove all perceived barriers to starting” a walking habit, he said.

To learn more about the START study, or to volunteer, call (410) 281-1600.

Cognition And Metabolism in Prediabetes (CAMPS) Study

Are you 50 years or older?

Are you relatively healthy, without a diabetes diagnosis?

If so, you may be eligible for a new research study in which you learn about your daily blood sugar ﬂuctuations and cognitive abilities.

Receive $100 for participating.

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SEEKING ADULTS FOR HOME MOBILITY TRACKING STUDY

YOU MAY QUALIFY IF

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

The hope is that eventually, you will be 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 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.

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 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 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 cholesterol, 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.

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Money Law &

You’ve saved up; do you have an income plan?

By Cliff Ambrose

Retirement planning is often compared to climbing a mountain. The ascent — the accumulation phase — is about building your wealth, while the descent — the distribution phase — is about strategically living off those savings.

The sequence of returns risk

One of the most significant challenges during the descent is managing sequence of returns risk, which refers to the impact of the order in which investment returns occur during retirement. While the average rate of return dominates discussions during accumulation — because consistent contributions smooth out fluctuations

— the sequence of returns becomes crucial during distribution.

Negative returns early in retirement, when withdrawals are being made, can significantly erode a portfolio’s value. This occurs because withdrawals lock in losses, leaving less capital to recover when markets rebound. Managing this risk is critical to ensuring your savings last throughout retirement.

Steps to mitigate sequence risk

Diversify with safe assets. Allocate part of your portfolio to safe, stable assets such as annuities, bonds or CDs. They can be a safety net during market downturns.

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Design a flexible withdrawal plan.

Work with your adviser to create a strategy that prioritizes pulling from safe assets during bear markets, reducing the need to sell equities at a loss.

Engage experts early. Assemble a team that includes financial professionals, tax advisers and estate planners to ensure your retirement withdrawal strategy aligns with your broader financial goals.

Build a resilient portfolio

A key aspect of retirement distribution is withstanding market volatility while meeting your income needs. To help weather unstable markets:

Balance growth and safety. Com-

bine growth-oriented investments with stable asset.

Visualize your income plan. Use historical market data to simulate potential outcomes, providing confidence in your ability to sustain your lifestyle.

Plan for tax efficiency

Understanding the taxation of different income sources is critical in retirement. “Buckets” of money — taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free — must be strategically managed to reduce tax burdens and maximize income. Strategies like Roth conversions can be particularly effective in lower-

Retirement lessons learned over my career

I worked 34 years before retiring and have been retired from full-time work for 29 years. I have made some good decisions and some not so good, and I hope you can learn from both. First, I will discuss what I believe were good decisions.

1. When you look for fulltime employment, see if you can find an employer that offers a defined benefit plan. Although most employers no longer offer defined benefit plans, unions are now being more aggressive and are insisting on them. Since I retired at 58, I have received over $700,000 in pension payments from my defined benefit plan.

tired at age 58, the account was worth several hundred thousand dollars, which I rolled over into an IRA account.

By Elliot Raphaelson

2. If your employer offers a defined contribution plan, such as a 401(k), always contribute at least as much as necessary to obtain the maximum employer match. By making maximum contributions to my plan and receiving a 50% match, when I re-

Retirement income

From page 12

ing future RMDs and reducing taxes on Social Security benefits.

Avoid common retirement myths such as:

3. Whenever your yearly taxable income is lower than usual, convert your traditional, non-Roth retirement plan into a Roth account. [Ed. Note: This will increase your tax that year, but you’ll pay tax at a lower rate provided the conversion doesn’t raise your tax bracket.] Try to avoid pushing your taxable income into a higher marginal tax bracket.

4. If you have reached your required beginning date — which means you are required to take required minimum distributions (RMD) from your traditional retirement accounts — use the qualified charitable deduction (QCD) to make charitable contributions before you take any yearly RMD. This will reduce the amount you

The 80% income rule. Many assume retirees need only 80% of their preretirement income, but most aim to maintain their full lifestyle. Plan for a realistic spending level to avoid shortfalls.

have to withdraw to meet your RMD by the amount of your charitable contribution. [Ed. Note: Do this in a year when you itemize deductions so you can take advantage of the charitable deduction.]

5. If you have earned income from selfemployment, make sure you take all legal tax deductions, including premiums and Medicare premiums, as deductions on their tax returns.

6. If you have a hobby or skills you enjoy, try to find a way to turn these hobbies and skills into profitable side income.

For example, even though I was employed full-time at a major bank for 23 years, I was able to earn substantial income with considerable tax deductions as a college instructor, a freelance writer and book author. I was able to earn almost as much in these activities as I earned in my full-time positions.

Because I had already been making retirement planning presentations at my bank, Dow Jones hired me as a consultant to conduct retirement planning seminars

for its employees.

Not all my decisions were optimal. The following are some maxims that I didn’t always follow. If I had, the results would have been more favorable.

—Always make your new contributions to retirement accounts to Roth accounts rather than traditional accounts.

—Establish retirement accounts for nonworking spouses with contributions from your earned income. Using this option, you can create an additional IRA for your spouse using the same maximum annual limit.

—Allocate more than 50% of your retirement account assets to equities. I generally allocated no more than 50% of my retirement accounts to equities. Allocating more than half of your retirement assets to stocks will maximize growth, especially for young workers.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com.

The 4% rule. While once considered a safe withdrawal rate, the 4% rule doesn’t account for market volatility or today’s low-interest-rate environment. A tailored strategy based on your unique circumstances is more reliable. Market volatility can derail even the best-laid plans. Working with an adviser who can proactively adjust your portfolio ensures you remain on track despite economic shifts.

Make a giving plan that won’t break the bank

By Elena Ladygina

Making decisions about gifting can evoke many emotions. As you think about the legacy you want to leave, you may feel a sense of urgency to make a positive impact in the lives of your loved ones and on the world. In my discussions with retirement-age clients about charitable giving, I like to quote a flight attendant’s warning before takeoff: Put your own oxygen mask on first — before helping others.

Having a clear understanding of your overall financial picture can help you securely incorporate charitable gifting into your financial plan.

Here are a few steps you may want to take to secure your financial future so that you can safely offer financial support to friends, family and the charitable organizations you value.

1. Work with an adviser to review

your goals, evaluate your spending and make a solid long-term plan.

My first suggestion is to talk with a financial adviser who can help you establish a prudent long-term plan based on your lifestyle and goals. Before deciding on a gifting plan, your adviser can help you review your financial situation and evaluate the potential impact of different spending choices — retirement timeline, spending amounts, emergency funds, investment risk, etc.

2. Ask to see cash flow projections.

You may also consider asking your adviser to prepare cash flow projections to help you consider what you are comfortable giving away without putting your long-term financial future in jeopardy. They may recommend that you set aside funds for the unexpected and take steps to ensure that your financial plan can withstand periods of negative market returns.

3. Ask your adviser to stress test your financial plan using Monte Carlo analysis.

I believe that stress testing your plan using Monte Carlo analysis is another wise move. This type of analysis is an approach your adviser may use to help ensure your financial plan can withstand and succeed in all market cycles. A Monte Carlo analysis considers a wide range of outcomes and may uncover hidden insights. We cannot predict the future, but Monte Carlo can shed light on the path ahead and consider the sea of probabilities.

4. Evaluate various gifting strategies. Evaluating different gifting strategies, prioritizing your goals and creating a gifting budget can also be valuable in the process.

Gifting during your lifetime can be very fulfilling — as you can witness the immedi-

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ate impact of your generosity. However, these gifts are irrevocable, and you lose access to those funds permanently.

Leaving bequests (gifts designated in your will) allows for more flexibility in your lifetime. This approach still allows you to give gifts in line with your values, though you do give up the opportunity to witness the impact of those gifts firsthand.

Being thoughtful when designing your charitable giving strategy and continuously monitoring progress are key to both financial success and alignment of values.

5. Consider qualified charitable distributions.

Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) can be a win-win strategy to make an impact on charitable organizations and your tax planning. QCDs allow individuals who are over the age of 70½ to donate money directly to qualified charities from their IRAs. Qualified donations made directly from an IRA count toward your required minimum distributions but are not included in your income. This can be a valuable strategy for those seeking to reduce tax liability and support causes that are important to them.

Here are some considerations:

• If you are required to take an RMD but do not need the income, a QCD can be an effective way to donate directly to charity and avoid paying income tax on that distribution as the donor does not report the QCD as taxable income.

• You can make a QCD of exactly your RMD amount (if it is below the limit for QCDs) and keep that amount out of your adjusted gross income.

• QCDs can help manage your adjusted gross income (AGI) bracket and be even more valuable for those managing Medicare premiums as a QCD reduces the income that Medicare premiums are based on.

• The 2024 QCD limit is up to $105,000 per person.

• QCDs must be transferred directly to a qualifying charity, so those looking to donate to donor-advised funds and private foundations will not benefit from this approach.

• QCD donations are not tax deductible. However, the tax benefit of the distribution amount not being included in your AGI can create other tax advantages, such as reducing income phaseouts for other deductions and credits.

The bottom line for those with a strong desire to give back to their families, their communities and to charity is that clearly your heart is in the right place. Now you just need to make sure your finances and your gifting plan are in place to make your generous goals a reality.

The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as the provision of personalized investment advice, or an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any securities.

Travel Leisure &

has a compact, walkable downtown with charming museums and restaurants. See story on page 16.

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 16.]

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.

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

Reykjavik

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 oneof-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.

In the museum gift shop, one can buy phallus-shaped key chains, toothbrushes and earrings for souvenirs.

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 lagoon, cold plunge, ocean-view sauna,

cool drip and spray and steam room. When you waddle out, not only do you feel completely relaxed, 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 win-

ter 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.”

Peace

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 BWI is about $410 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).

MARYLAND

All Marylanders 100 years of age and older, or who will be age 100 by December 31, 2025, are invited to attend the 32nd anniversary Luncheon

Maryland Centenarians Recognition Luncheon

Thursday, May 8, 2025 • 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Martin’s West 6821 Dogwood Rd. • Baltimore, MD

All family and friends of centenarians are also welcome. Donation: $60. Centenarians admitted free with registration. For more information or to register, call (410) 664-0911 or email doctorodd@comcast.net www.mdcentenarians.org

SPONSORS:

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 May 28

$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.

ANNUAL SPRING ART SHOW

Visit the Edward A. Myerberg Center on Wed., May 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. to view the 2025 Spring Art Show, featuring ceramics, watercolors, oils, pastels and acrylics by the center’s students and instructors. The event is free and open to the community, and kosher refreshments will be available. The art show takes place at 3101 Fallstaff Rd., Baltimore. For more information and to register, email info@myerberg.org or call (410) 358-6856.

Arts & Style

Artist Weiss explores concepts of time

By Noelani Kirschner

The night before Michael Weiss’s 10th birthday, he found himself in the middle of an existential crisis about aging.

“I was in tears because I was never going to be single digits again,” he said. “The notion of time, the passage of time, the delicacy of life, the fleeting nature of it — it’s been with me since I was that age.”

Now 57, Weiss can laugh about this childhood memory, and also reflect on how those early realizations about time have driven his career as a painter.

Weiss, who was born in Baltimore City and raised in Baltimore County, has taught painting for more than 20 years at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where he is currently interim associate provost and dean for undergraduate studies.

Weiss graduated from the art school’s MFA program in 1996 and spent years teaching as an adjunct for various local universities before returning to teach at his alma mater.

His work has been shown at galleries from New York to Europe, and last fall his studio was open to the public in a Studio Open House event.

Not the career he expected

Weiss wasn’t always set on becoming an artist, though. Despite drawing on any piece of scrap paper he could find as a child and taking some art classes in high school, he went to Dickinson College intending to study political science.

During a freshman-year seminar on “the creative life,” taught by the chair of the art department, he began to consider working as an artist.

He became “interested in trying to create things that promoted an emotional response in a viewer, that pushed people in particular ways,” he remembered.

During the fall semester of his senior year in 1988, Weiss studied abroad in London through a Syracuse University painting program and had a “crystallizing moment” when he realized that he wanted to pursue painting as a career. “It was a great semester for me,” he said. “I worked a ton; I went to museums and galleries.”

He also met his future wife in London, and the two decided to stay behind after the program ended to spend Christmas in the city. Tragically, several of their friends were returning to America for the holiday

on Pan Am Flight 103 and died in the terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“It made me feel like I cannot waste the time that I have because you just don’t know,” he said of the bombing. The experience spurred him to channel his grief into making more art.

“We dealt with it on our own [without therapy], and I’m still dealing with it,” he said.

From physics to history

Weiss’s paintings have become a study in the passage of time.

He describes his artistic process as an “interior dialogue” between himself and the canvas — a sort of call-and-response, where he makes a mark, then follows his intuition on how to build the work from there.

Using a combination of oils and alkyd — a type of synthetic resin — on canvas or wood panels, Weiss builds layer after layer,

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL WEISS/MICA

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY COX

Federal Hill resident Michael Weiss paints abstract images and creates stained-glass works. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is now a professor and administrator there.

Jimmie Johnson Jr. joins the coaching team at Morgan State. Our cover story continues on opposite page.

Johnson coached offensive linemen. This coming season, he’ll be responsible for developing wide receivers.

Drive and work ethic

As the son of Carolyn Johnson and the late Jimmie Olden Johnson Sr., the younger Jimmie said he grew up in a loving, working-class home.

“My dad was the enforcer. Anytime I got ‘out-of-pocket,’ my mother would threaten us by saying, ‘Wait ‘til your father gets home.’ My father was a good man, but he was definitely in charge.”

He credits the discipline he learned as a child for his eventual success as an adult.

“I’ve always had a certain drive and work ethic, even as a kid. I never wanted to lose.

“Early on, I always wanted to be the best. I never needed anyone to motivate me, not even my parents or coaches.

Whether it was about working out or lifting weights, I knew it would take hard work to get to the next level, and it has paid off,” Johnson said.

Johnson is proud of his Southern heritage and frequently returns home to see his mother. Augusta area live music enthusiasts may recall the late Jimmie Johnson Sr. as the lead singer for several R&B and

soul bands during the 1980s and 1990s.

Sports run in the family

In between coaching jobs, Johnson earned an M.B.A. from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He was part of its inaugural class for a two-year executive M.B.A. program for professional athletes, launched in 2011.

Though currently unmarried, Johnson, 58, is the proud father of six athletic children. All four of his sons, Jimmie O. Johnson III, Bradley Bush-Johnson, Jamal Johnson and Jordan Johnson, played collegiate football.

His oldest daughter, Courtney Johnson, is also a Howard University graduate, and his youngest daughter, Savannah Johnson, 15, is a member of her high school’s volleyball, basketball and track teams.

“Football remains a very special part of my life,” he said. “That’s something we all have in common, even though I never pressure [my sons] to follow in Daddy’s footsteps. It’s a route they individually chose,” said Johnson.

After decades of coaching, Johnson is as enamored of the game as he was when he was six years old.

“I’m one of the lucky people blessed enough to have a job in an industry that I still love,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel like work to me.”

Senior Adventures in Learning at CCBC

Classifieds cont. from p. 23

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experimenting with textures and color, until the final painting is complete. Because each piece takes days to dry, he has multiple works under way at once in his studio space.

Weiss has begun applying the same process to stained glass, letting the materials guide him “intuitively, one piece at a time, responding to the work I had done the previous session or a few minutes ago,” he said.

Although his foray into the medium is still in its early stages, he says he’s excited to explore where it takes him.

Weiss works in abstract forms, and im-

bues his paintings with ideas from books on topics ranging from quantum physics to the local history of Baltimore.

He has thought carefully about how our past shapes who we are today. He sees a parallel between the way our lives develop and the act of painting.

“We are constituted of all of our previous experience. And in a physical way, our bodies are constituted of all the things we ingest — whether it’s food or things in the air or the things that we drink.

“And our body uses those as building blocks in the same way that our conscious mind uses our previous experiences and observations,” he said.

“It’s what makes us each an individual. There is a literal equivalent to the way a

painting gets built up, layer by layer, move by move, such that it also becomes an individual. It is a result of that passage of time and that passage of experience and accumulation.”

Watching the city change

Weiss said that living in Baltimore for most of his life, too, is a study in the passage of time. He remembers the 1980 renovation of Harborplace, and how the city has always been on the verge of rebirth, even after all these decades.

Baltimore is “a city that has got beautiful light from all the humidity and the way that the water interacts with it,” Weiss said.

As a longtime resident of the Federal Hill neighborhood, Weiss has witnessed the city’s evolving character. Every morning and evening, he walks his dog through the Inner Harbor, watching the sun rise and set. His daily ritual presents a perfect artistic metaphor, he said. On his walks, Weiss notices and appreciates the tenacity of nature, he said — “the way that trees grow out of abandoned buildings,” and how weeds sprouting in the cracks in the sidewalk “struggle to survive in this environment.”

That persistence of nature inspires Weiss every day.

To see Weiss’ paintings and stained glass works, go to MichaelWeissArt.com.

MUSICAL IMPROV MEETUP

Join Highwire Improv to explore musical improvisation. No experience needed. In this free workshop, you’ll get hands-on practice at crafting songs instantly. The event takes place on Sat., May 10 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1900 Saint Paul St., Baltimore. To register, visit bit.ly/musicalimprovmeetup. For more information, email highwireimprov@gmail.com.

DJANGO JAZZ JAM

Whether you are a jazz musician, dancer or listener, join the fun at the Baltimore Django Jazz Jam every Monday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Bluebird’s Green Room, 3600 Hickory Ave., Baltimore. These free events are led by guitarist Michael Joseph Harris of the Hot Club of Baltimore. For more information, email info@ultrafauxmusic.com or call (443) 844-2123.

Scrabble answers on p. 21.

Crossword Puzzle

In Your Own Words By Stephen Sherr

Across

1. Covering for a tooth, or tube of toothpaste

4. “Sure; that’s what ___ all say”

8. Elephant tines

13. Start of a bone doc

14. Capital city east of Madrid

15. Song title words, before “Extremes” or “Pieces”

5. English words that follow HIP HIPs

6. Flightless bird

7. “___ out!” (ump’s call)

8. Busy

9. Type of tangelo

10. Briefly microwaved the butter

11. Middle of a BACKTRACK

12. Sauce on a Chinese restaurant table

16. Basis of being a bit bananas

19. One of twelve on a Manhattan map

20. It helped to deliver the canoe in Deliverance

21. Cut and paste frames of film

22. Settings for Road Runner cartoons

24. Toodle-oo in Toulouse

27. Wide shoe size

30. Foundation of the fidgets

33. Agreed to make monthly payments

34. Kill a bill

35. Detests

38. Half that usually has the bigger hits in a jukebox

40. It may go down Memory Lane

41. “I ___ disturbance in the Force” (Qui-Gon Jinn)

44. Powerful fuel, according to some ads

50. Start of the first A in NCAA

51. Fashion magazine issues

52. “Hurry! The bus is ready to go”

53. With Sunni, a branch of Islam

55. Mai ___

57. Widow of a Beatle

58. Compulsion cause

63. “___ this a 10/10 for annoyance”

64. Newspaper nickname

65. Hamilton has two

66. Item on a cop’s belt

67. Nation with common interests

68. Any third of Fat Albert’s catchphrase

1. Cowardly 2. Sign a police statement 3. Greek letter that is an anagram for HIP

Little Tenderness (Otis Redding hit)

13. The Patriots won the most Super Bowls during his term in office

17. More apt to peek in windows

18. “___ before liquor, never been sicker”

23. Tilted

25. Anonymous litigant

26. T-shaped contraceptive device

28. Ending for bachelor- or luncheon-

29. Employee Stock Options, briefly

31. Answers to irrelevant survey questions

32. Fly through the air

35. “___ boy!”

36. Englishman

37. International waters

38. It joined the Big 12 conf. in 2024

39. Director Leone, who pioneered the spaghetti Western

41. George Carlin hosted its first ep. in 1975

42. It helps you to see

43. It helps you to smell

45. (Mel) Brooks’ best friend

46. Second and third words of a bedtime prayer

47. Immediately!

48. Degrees in a right angle

49. Nautical miles per hour

54. Sexologist, Shere

56. Pen name of advice columnist Pauline Phillips

58. 12 1/2 cents

59. It has been Common for over 2000 years

60. The NFL’s “Organized Team Activities”

61. ‘Net address

62. “No dice”

CLASSIFIEDS

The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment, Financial, For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Legal Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the right.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

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

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS:

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

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PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

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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 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,

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JACUZZI BATH REMODEL can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. (Offer ends 8/25/24.) Call 1-833-994-0538.

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! 1-855-6530087.