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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
GAZETTE
SENIORS Editors
Kimberly Bamber, Anna Joyce
Graphic Design
Anna Joyce
Contributing Writers
Karen Finucan Clarkson Ellen Cohen Scott Harris Arlene Karidis Jim Mahaffie
Corporate Advertising Director
Dennis Wilston
Advertising Director
Neil Burkinshaw
Prepress Manager
John Schmitz
Special Sections Coordinator
Ashby Rice
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Gazette Seniors is produced by The Gazette’s Special Sections and Advertising departments. It does not involve The Gazette’s newsrooms. ON THE COVER: Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters plays in the Blues Tent at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Courtesy of Jim Mahaffie. Inset photo courtesy of Paul Goss.
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(RE)LIVING HISTORY
COURTESY OF CHARLES (BEN) HAWLEY
COURTESY OF PAUL GOSS
Charles (Ben) Hawley of Silver Spring joined the Washington, D.C.-based 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1991. Today, he focuses on reenactments at school events.
Paul Goss shows miniballs to visitors during a living history event in Fairfax Station, Va. Goss, 70, who has been a reenactor for 18 years, focuses on school and museum events.
u Seniors
Clarence Hickey, above and right, adopts Dr. Edward Stonestreet’s persona at the historic BeallDawson House in Rockville. Above, he 'treats' a mannequin.
Teach and Learn by Reenacting
BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
“A
braham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and the Emancipation Proclamation—that’s the extent of most people’s knowledge of the Civil War.We open their eyes by exposing them to the life of the common soldier,” said Paul Goss of Fairfax,Va., “and we do it from the perspective of North and South. After all, we’re all Americans.” Goss, 70, who has participated in Civil War reenactments for 18 years, is with Company D of the 17th Virginia Infantry Regiment, also known as the Fairfax Rifles. But these days, Goss spends as much time doing school and museum events as he does camping out on a battlefield. “The enjoyment comes from meeting the people who come up to you afterwards and talking with them. I get real satisfaction from educating them about life in 19th century. Yes, there’s a lot of minutiae, but that’s what it was like.” 4
ABOVE, RIGHT BY AL LAOANG, COURTESY OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
That minutiae, along with the clamor and fury of firearms, artillery and cavalry, was on display earlier this month when Goss and his company, along with an estimated 10,000 participants, settled in for reenactments at the Battle of Gettysburg sesquicentennial. A series of commemorative events will take place over the next two years, culminating with the 150th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox in April 2015. While the Civil War sesquicentennial has garnered much attention, historic reenactments have been a popular pastime for decades. For the past 24 years on the first Sunday of each month, April through October, Hugh Clayton, dressed in uniform, has fired Civil War-era artillery at Fort Washington Park in Prince George’s County. “The house band,” is how he described the National Park Service’s FortWashington Guard, whose members come from Company D of the 1st U.S. Artillery. Clayton, a 54-year-old Gaithersburg resident, is on a first-name basis
with “Joseph,” a 6-pound field d gun, and “Molly,” a 12-pound d mountain howitzer. “It’s great at fun and very educational,” he said. aid. “But it’s got to be something that’s hat’s in your heart, something you’re u’re willing to put time and effort into. There’s satisfaction at the end of the day when you’ve done a good d job and helped educate people.” Having spent four yearss researching the life and times of Dr. Edward Stonestreet, a Civill War surgeon, Clarence Hickey holds ds office hours the second Sunday of the month at the Stonestreet Museum useum of 19th Century Medicine, on the grounds of the historic Beall-Dawson awson House in Rockville. As a first-person person interpreter, Hickey uses Stonestreet’s treet’s persona to “put forth the facts ts and bust the myths” associated with th Civil War-era medicine. Hickey also lso takes
COURTESY OF JANET WILSON MCKEE
Janet Wilson McKee, a volunteer with the Montgomery County Historical Society, makes bobbin lace at the Colonial Market Fair at the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum in Catonsville.
Stonestreet on the road, dressing in period attire and speaking in character to school and community groups. “I find that the doctor is both entertainment and education, which I don’t mind as long as I’m able to teach something about history.”
While love of history and a desire
to share their knowledge with others unite many reenactors and interpreters, other reasons also compel older adults to relive the past. For Charles (Ben) Hawley of Silver Spring, it was an opportunity to honor his ancestry. “My great-great-great-grandfather was in the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment,” he said. After joining theWashington, D.C.-based 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1991, Hawley found his curiosity about his roots deepening. He eventually became “the amateur genealogist for the family.” His great-great-great-
grandfather had 17 children. “I’ve taken it on myself to connect all these people, about 10 families already.” Today, Hawley limits his activities to school events—“There’s so much we don’t know about black history, so many stories left untold”—and marching. “At 72, I’m kind of old to be sleeping on the ground. I was, however, in the most recent inaugural parade and the one the time before.” With relatives “that served in every major war in American history,” Bob Brewer grew up knowing he had “both Union and Confederate ancestors who more or less faced each other in the Civil War.” That history is in his blood and, like Hawley, Brewer looks at his participation in living history events— “not reenactment shoot-’em-ups”—as a way of paying tribute. “The group I belong to is highly authentic....We’re the go-to group for See REENACT, 24
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SIGN ME UP Blue Mash Golf Course in Laytonsville opened in 2001. An evening men’s league plays there regularly.
TEEING IT UP
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUE MASH GOLF COURSE
u Get into the swing of things with area golf leagues BY JIM MAHAFFIE
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Twin Lakes offers two courses in Clifton and is a favorite venue for league play for all ages in Northern Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAIRFAX COUNTY PARK AUTHORITY AND DON SWEENEY
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
ant to play some golf, enjoy good company and have a lot of fun doing it? Consider one of the many golf leagues in the area. The Montgomery County Revenue Authority, a public corporation, manages the county’s golf course system, which is comprised of nine courses. There are leagues at all courses organized by the individuals who play in the leagues, according to Director of Golf Operations Wayne Rohauer. “From opening until noon on weekdays, at least 60 to 70 percent of the golfers are seniors,” he said. “It’s a big part of our early weekday business.” While harder courses with hillier terrain may not be as popular with seniors, Falls Road Golf Course in Potomac is easier and more appreciated by older
golfers, said General Manager and Director of Instruction Mike Kenny. A ladies league, the Early Birdies, tees off on the back nine at 7 a.m. at the Falls Road course every Monday, April through October. “There is no age cutoff for us, but you could probably describe us as mostly ‘senior lady golfers,’” said Sharon Cayelli of Potomac, Early Birdies membership chair. “We limit our membership to 60 ladies and often we have a waiting list.” The group has been in existence for about 40 years. “I was ‘starter’ this morning in charge of organizing the ladies into foursomes as they showed up to play,” said Cayelli on a recent June morning. “We had 42 Early Birdies there and at least half of them were waiting for the front desk to open at 6:30 a.m. We live up to our name!” The Rattlewood and Laytonsville golf courses, said Rohauer, are popular for senior play, too. “They’re more friendly as far as design—shorter,
more open and a little flatter. Northwest is longer, though it has popular senior leagues. Lower handicaps like that challenge, but older players may not,” said Rohauer. Peter Furey, manager of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Golf Enterprises, oversees the golf program at the county’s courses. “We have senior leagues at all our courses except at Laurel Hill, which has a higher price point and is our higher-end course with a lot more outings and a membership component.” At the other seven courses, he said, the park authority commits a day of the week to senior leagues. “It’s usually all theirs in the mornings,” said Furey. As in Montgomery County, leagues are self-managed by volunteers within each group, and leagues elect their own officers and have their own bylaws.They have ladies groups at just about every golf course, too, according to Furey. “We work with leagues extensively, giving them (bulletin) board space in clubhouses and a handicapping program,” said Furey. Each league has various types of competitions and shotgun starts, and leagues usually begin in March and play through October. “When weather is marginal, it’s the draw of the camaraderie that brings people out, and our senior league golfers fill up our typically slower weekdays,” he said. While some leagues have a waiting list for membership, others are still recruiting players.
Greendale Golf Course is one of eight Fairfax County Park Authority courses inVirginia. In May, the course hosted a Seniors Only Tournament—a one-day, 18-hole individual stroke play tournament with competitions for Almost Seniors (5564), Seniors (65-74), Super Seniors (75-plus) and Ladies. The $40-per-person registration included tournament-day greens fee, golf cart, breakfast, lunch and prizes, said Maureen Sullivan, assistant manager at Greendale. Greendale has a popular senior men’s league with 110 golfers on the roster, said Sullivan.They play on Wednesdays from April 1 through Oct. 1. “We lowered the eligible age to 55 this year and got almost 30 new golfers,” she said. “It’s a very walkable course and, with our Golf Multi-Round Pass and senior discount, a senior can walk 18 holes for less than $20.” A 65 or older senior pass is available at all county courses for 35 percent off regular greens fees, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Passes Online! Web page. In all, Fairfax County offers more than a dozen golf courses that are open to the public, from the short, nine-hole Jefferson District course in Falls Church to classic Reston National Golf Course to the newer Westfields Golf Club in Clifton. Montgomery County operates nine courses, according to mcggolf.com, and there are many See GOLF, 26
KATHLEEN ORISTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Bobbi Peters, Judy Walser, Shirley James and Judy Sparrow play with the Early Birdies, a ladies golf league at Falls Road Golf Course in Potomac.
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SIGN ME UP
CLASSES Many senior organizations in Montgomery County regularly or occasionally offer iPad and/or other computer education programs. l
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ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE Gaithersburg 301-755-3030 jeannenorth@sbcglobal.net asburymethodistvillage.org
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DAMASCUS SENIOR CENTER 240-777-6995
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GAITHERSBURG UPCOUNTY SENIOR CENTER 301-258-6380 gaithersburgmd.gov
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LIVE AND LEARN BETHESDA 301-740-6150 info@liveandlearn bethesda.org liveandlearnbethesda.org/ 2013-catalog
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OASIS Westfield Montgomery at Macy’s Home Store, Bethesda 301-469-4960 oasisnet.org/Washington
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ROCKVILLE SENIOR CENTER 240-314-8800 rockvillemd.gov/ seniorcenter Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
TABLETS BY ARLENE KARIDIS
R
ay Greene has been working on computers since 1976; he began on a monster-sized mainframe, back when he was a pharmacist at the National Institutes of Health. Over the years, he has watched the machines get smaller and smaller—and a lot smarter. “They were just dumb terminals back in the day. But they have amazing applications now,” said the retired Brookeville resident, who really began playing around with the technoln personal ogy in the 1980s, when desktop computers became available. He kept playing once the smaller laptops ops rolled out, and now he hass a 7 3/4inch tablet called an Android, a product made byy Google. Apple’s iPad is another er popular tablet on the market. Greene uses the tiny com—from playputer for everything—from ing Scrabble with his mother over the Internet from m across the 920s basemiles to looking up 1920s ing out at ball trivia while hanging Holiday Park Multi-service ervice Seon. nior Center inWheaton. ffered Holiday Park offered a presentation in May nfor both iPad and Android users. Greene was in attendance— along with about 100 others seniors— carrying his tablet. t. rd In fact, about a third ad of the participants had similar devices already ady in hand, accordingg to oliSonia Leon-Reig, Holiday Park’s volunteer eer r. and class coordinator.
“Many people who come to the senior center are drawn to the technology because they have limited mobility; they like the idea of a device they can carry from room to room at home or take out,” said Leon-Reig. The presentation was an introduction to tablets, covering how they work and what applications they come with and generally what the user can buy. “It can be a challenge to master, but our members want to learn. They like the portability feature, and that it keeps them busy and connected—whether to
make movies, stay in touch with their friends and family, shop online, or take a class online,” said Leon-Reig. The presentation’s popularity has Holiday Park’s staff thinking about facilitating another one, she said. Asbury Methodist Village regularly offers computer courses exclusively on Apple products. The iPad class is among the most sought-after courses in the series of classes that meet weekly for four weeks, according to resident Jeanne North, administrator of Apple Corps, the on-campus club.
ISTOCKPHOTO/PRESSUREUA
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HOLIDAY PARK MULTISERVICE SENIOR CENTER, WHEATON 240-777-4999 sonia.leon-reig@ montgomerycountymd.gov holidaypark.us
where to learn about
TINY COMPUTERS. HUGE POTENTIAL.
Run by seniors, classes are available for a small fee to the Gaithersburg retirement community’s residents, as well as the outlying community. Apple Corps also offers one-on-one tutoring sessions to help users resolve problems. It’s free, but donations are requested. “People have different user issues with their iPads, but most of them are related to vision and hearing. I work with them on accessibility, which is functions built into the device,” said Jim Utterback, who gives the tutorials every Wednesday. Utterback sets up seniors’ iPads to read text for them, whether from a Microsoft Word file, email or other application. He shows them how to get the iPad to “voice” aloud what icon they have selected; if you tap on theWord icon, for instance, the device will tell you so. Another user-friendly trick is to enlarge the cursor to easily follow what’s on the screen. Utterback also shows those with hearing impairments how to adjust audio, and how to get the screen to flash when they receive notice of a software update or an email. “These same functions are available on Androids, but there are different ways
Ray Greene works with his tablet at the Holiday Park Multiservice Senior Center in Wheaton. LEFT: Dorothy Blakeslee, right, and Ruth Lotz take an iPad class at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg.
PHOTO BY HAL GAUT
of doing it,” he said. “You just have to know what you need and where to adjust settings.” David Glasco, a Kensington resident, is an iPad user who attended the Holiday Park presentation. A self-employed portrait and fine art photographer, he’s known his way around Apple computers for years and recently bought an iPad to market his work. “I wanted fairly large and sharp images to show my clients, but I wanted a portable device rather than have to carry around a portfolio,” said Glasco, who can transport hundreds of photos with his lightweight device. And, as with a laptop,
PHOTO BY SONIA M. LEON-REIG
he can plug the device into a projector to show his work to groups. Though Glasco was already familiar with the tablet when he went to the presentation, he did learn something new. “I use a Bluetooth or wireless keyboard in my work, and I discovered my
iPad is compatible with my keyboard. So I don’t need to carry around the keyboard,” he said. As computers become smaller and lighter, yet can still be adapted to be easily read with visual and auditory accommodations, they attract more seniors.
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BY SCOTT HARRIS
T 10
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
IS THE FASTEST-GROWING SPORT IN THE U.S.
There is one important exception, however—slide tackling, in which one player slides feetfirst toward the legs of another player, is not allowed. “There are some people who take it seriously, but most of us are like old friends, or we’ve played as old teammates,” Creekmore said. “It’s a social thing more than anything else. Any injury might end our playing days, so we try to keep it friendly.”
For more information, call Patty Ingram: 301-222-3927.
PHOTOS BY JAIME BARRERA, COURTESY OF NICK CREEKMORE
Nick Creekmore, wearing jersey No. 20, is a player and coach in Montgomery County’s soccer league for men 55 and older. In the league, the game "is a social thing more than anything else."
SOCCER BALL: PHOTODISC/RYAN MCVAY/THINKSTOCK
hough soccer occer may be most often associated with th teenagers and younger ounger children—Montgomer Montgomer y Soccer Inc. nc. offers agelevel playy for more than 14,000 county ounty children, according too the program’s website—olderr adults have more options than ever to get in on the fun. Montgomery County Recreation ion now offers men’s and women’s leagues for the more experienced set. Leagues are available for men 55 and older, and an evening league is available for women 40 and older. According to league coordinator Patty Ingram, soccer holds not only clear health and fitness benefits, but also provides a social component that isn’t always available on your local treadmill. “What’s great is the camaraderie,” Ingram said. “We take new people all the time, and everybody gets along.” The leagues play in spring, typically from April through early June. Adult soccer games are held at parks and fields throughout the county—from Potomac to Clarksburg. According to Ingram, the men’s 55-and-over league has nine teams, with about 20 players on each. According to U.S. Soccer, approximately 3 million children 5 to 19 play youth soccer. It is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, according to US Youth Soccer, and that growth is not necessarily exclusive to the younger set. “I’ve always been a soccer nut, but people in my generation didn’t have much chance to play, so lots of us don’t have that background,” said Spencerville resident Nick Creekmore, 61, a player and coach in the league. “We didn’t play in youth leagues or in college or high school.” For the most part, the rules are the same as they are for any traditional soccer game. Eleven players play for each team at one time, and there are two 45-minute halves.
SOCCER
Creekmore, who plays with the team Creekmo called Los V Viejos (Spanish for “the old people”), said sa the popularity of the socg cer leagues grew in the county to the point pl that aging players were able to successfulc for the exclusive 55-andly make the case re older men’s recreational league. bunc of us aged, we decided to “As a bunch ask if we could do an over-45 league, and as we aged even more, we went for a 55-plus league,” he said. Cr According to Creekmore, his team members hail from 11 countrie countries, including Iran, Belgium, Korea, France, and variou various others in Central and South America. “It’s a lot like the coun county,” Creekmore said of the diverse demographic makeup. “…We have some really, really good players. But even if you don’t have skills, you can do it. If you can run, you can do it.” That appears to be the push from league organizers, who maintain that it’s just good fun. “Some still work, some are retired,” Ingram said. “But they all get out there and do it, and that’s all that matters.”
TRAVEL BY JIM MAHAFFIE
P
TRAVEL ABROAD
Popular Trips & Essential Tips
An informal poll of locals revealed many plan to travel abroad this summer. Destinations include the ever-popular Galapagos Islands, Spain’s Barcelona, Prague in the Czech Republic and Ireland’s west coast. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL BRODY
hil Schrag and Lisa Lerman of Bethesda, both in their 70s, are leaving this month for Fiji and the Solomon Islands for two weeks to live on a small boat and snorkel the reefs of the South Pacific with two live-aboard marine biologists. Bethesda’s Doris Brody and her husband Phil are planning their annual birding expedition in Costa Rica. Travel professional Ellen Sisser said river cruises in Europe, Russia and Asia are very popular with her senior clients today. Sisser, 66, is manager of leisure sales and development of the Fairfax, Va., office of Omega World Travel. “Maybe people are tired of the Caribbean and Alaska and looking for something different,” said Sisser. Gliding along scenery and historic sites in riverboats is luxurious and prestigious, and can be more intimate than a large cruise ship, she said. “Empty nesters and retirees usually have the savings to travel, and they tend to want to do it the right way.” For an upcoming trip to Japan, Lee Gough of Bethesda asked the Listserv of 700 or so families in her neighborhood for advice. After many years of traveling, she prefers “getting travel information from like-minded people I know.” Gough’s comment raises questions many wonder about: Whom can you trust for the best advice for that vacation abroad, and how do you know how to prepare for your trip? See ABROAD, 23
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TRAVEL
LOCALS VENTURE TO ON NEW EW ORLEANS
Jazz Fest BY JIM MAHAFFIE
M At the French Market, this man makes and sells costumes with a distinctive flair. FAR RIGHT: The author spotted this character walking down Royal Street.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM MAHAFFIE
y wife presented me with two tickets to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, aka Jazz Fest, for my 50th birthday a few years back.We went with a couple of friends from Bethesda, and we’ve been going ever since. Held over two long April and May weekends, Jazz Fest is an annual cultural feast of music, food, art and fun. Twelve stages are set up around the Fair Grounds Race Course in the city, and they feature just about every kind of music. We’ve seen James Taylor; Earth, Wind & Fire; Bruce Springsteen; Billy Joel; Dave Matthews; Bonnie Raitt and more. But it’s the smaller stages and regional music that we like best. A Gospel Tent is always filled with rocking church groups, and just across from that is the Blues Tent, with its succession of great blues musicians from New Orleans and around the country. The Fais Do-Do is an old barn featuring zydeco groups. At either end of the racetrack are the giant Gentilly and Acura stages where the bigname musicians play. This May, we joined a friend, New Orleans artist and native Jeannette Landphair, for a much more local Jazz Fest experience. Instead of our usual French Quarter hotel, Landphair found our group a beautifully renovated Creole cabin rental in an up-and-coming area called Bywater that’s along the river.We rented bikes for the long weekend—simple, one-gear beach cruisers that took us everywhere and saved on cab fares.
We chose the second weekend
of Jazz Fest—Thursday, May 2 through Sunday, May 5. With tickets for three 12
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
New Orleans native, the one and only Aaron Neville, closed Jazz Fest 2013 with his trademark falsetto and amazing band.
of the four days, we passed up the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Patti Smith, Widespread Panic and Roy Ayers to spend Thursday bike riding around New Orleans.We rode through the Bywater and the Marigny neighborhoods, then the famous French Quarter, and admired the architecture in the Garden District, a National Historic Landmark that’s considered one of the best-preserved collections of historic southern mansions in the U.S. During a po’boy lunch at Tracey’s Bar and Restaurant in the Garden District, the rain began. The restaurant manager outfitted us with trash bags to wear, and we continued our tour through eerie aboveground cemeteries in Tremé,
then rode through the Tulane University campus and Audubon Park, which has huge oak trees and populations of egrets, herons and ducks. The trash bags kept us surprisingly dry. About the goofy look? It’s New Orleans—anything goes. That night found us at Jacques-Imo’s cafe, a hot reservation for “Nawlins” cuisine. Landphair reserved a table weeks in advance, a must during Jazz Fest.We spent the evening wandering through the rocking bars and happy crowds in the Frenchmen Street area. On Friday, the rains had made a muddy mess of the fairgrounds, so we wore trash bags duct-taped over our shoes, which looked ridiculous but worked well. Again, when in New Orleans… We wandered the festival seeing fiddler Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys,
the Pinstripe Brass Band, BeauSoleil and Marc Broussard. In between venues are craft vendors, beer tents and an astonishing array of food, all authentically prepared local and regional dishes. (Hot dogs and funnel cakes were nowhere to be found.)With no thought of calories or trans fat, we ate alligator pie, duck po’boys, cochon de lait sandwiches, cracklins and beignets.There is no such thing as bad food here—bad for you, maybe, but oh-so-good. New Orleans knows how to eat! Tweens were everywhere because Maroon 5 was on the Acura Stage. We ventured to the other side of the fairgrounds and watched Willie Nelson sing his classics—and he had just turned 80. Another highlight was Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., who talked about family music legacies like his own, the Marsalises and the Nevilles.That night we had a wonderful dinner at Café Amelie, dining native as you always should in a city renowned for its for cuisine.
The next morning, Landphair led
us on a bike tour through the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. It’s a little spooky—very few people were out and storm-damaged homes were still empty after eight years. Actor Brad Pitt’s Make It Right organization is rebuilding safe, sustainable houses there in the Lower Ninth, and we saw more than 80 new homes with their distinctive designs and solar panels—and also the empty lots and concrete steps to houses that no longer exist. Stone markers showed where people perished during Katrina.
After beignets at the French Market in the French Quarter, we wandered around the festival, where Cowboy Mouth, Terence Blanchard, Los Lobos and Fleetwood Mac were highlights. Discovering new bands and music is always a bonus at Jazz Fest; this year it was Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, who play a blend of blues, zydeco and Caribbean-influenced music that we loved. That night featured a memorable meal at Feelings Café—an old plantation home—where we had bacon-wrapped oysters, pâté maison and a terrific gumbo. Early on Sunday, the last day of Jazz Fest, Landphair led us on a bike ride into the Musicians’ Village, another post-Katrina rebuilding effort founded by Louisiana natives and musicians Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, along with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. We rode by more than 70 homes designed for the city’s elderly musicians and their families who had been displaced by the storm and were previously living in poverty. At the heart is the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named for jazz pianist and patriarch of the Marsalis musical family. Later, at Jazz Fest, we discovered the irresistible dance music of the New Birth Brass Band, then saw New Orleans blues fixture Irma Thomas, as well as Hall & Oates, Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, and the Pine Leaf Boys. We faced a choice at the end: Trombone Shorty at the Acura Stage or Aaron Neville at Gentilly? We chose Neville and stood right up front watching him and listening to that amazing voice—no less so at 72 than it was in his youth.
ABOVE: Stopping
by legendary pianist Fats Domino’s house in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans
LEFT: Visitors to New Orleans in their rain gear, left to right: Chris Davis, Jeannette Landphair, Tony Crane, Jim Mahaffie, Elise Mahaffie and Cindy Crane
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LIVING FIVE STAR PREMIER RESIDENCES OF CHEVY CHASE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FIVE STAR PREMIER RESIDENCES OF CHEVY CHASE
Independent & Assisted Living Near D.C. BY ELLEN R. COHEN
ABOVE: Residents enjoy visiting in this common area.
H
aving made the decision to move to a senior living community, many seniors may have additional concerns. Will they feel physically and emotionally comfortable? Will there be activities to keep them interested? For those who request it, Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase sometimes helps seniors decide by providing short-term “trial” stays. Once actually on-site for several weeks, many discover a variety of interesting ways to spend their time and enjoy the wealth of historical, cultural and entertainment options the area offers. “Our residents enjoy about 300 scheduled activities a month,” said Mary S. Lawrence, the community’s sales director. These include current events and book discussion groups; fitness classes; lectures led by college professors; art classes; concerts; socials; dinner theater outings; trips to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and to Baltimore and Annapolis; and more, said Lawrence. A monthly calendar lists upcoming activities so residents may plan ahead. Within the community, there is a library, an indoor pool, a computer center with Internet access, billiard and card rooms, landscaped grounds and outdoor walking paths. When Charlie Saunders’ wife passed away in May 2012, he “rattled around in a five-bedroom house,” and knew he needed to move. A Bethesda resident for 40 years, he came to Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase in November, 2012. “I have all the space I need, everything fits, and my view from the 10th floor is beautiful,” he said. Involved in education “most of my life,” Saunders has held positions with the American Council on Education,
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
One described living at Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase as “like being on a cruise ship every day.” LEFT: There are 335 one- and two-bedroom
apartments in the 16-story high-rise building that has four elevators, balconies and scenic views.
“and we appreciate the many activities and shuttle bus outings.We lived in Chevy Chase for about 40 years and knew the community.” Since moving in March 1, they have also appreciated “not having to deal with roofers, plumbers and yard work. When something breaks, we pick up the phone and have immediate help.We also appreciate the once-a-week cleaning lady.” the Montgomery County Board of Education, the board of trustees of Montgomery College and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Now retired, he participates in the many day and evening activities and walks about 3 miles on the Capital Crescent Trail several times a week.
Located inside the Capital Beltway, Five Star
Premier Residences of Chevy Chase offers both independent and assisted living. The community operates on a monthly rental basis, with no upfront fees, Lawrence said. Independent living apartments include washers and dryers, laundry service for towels and linens, and weekly cleaning and household maintenance assistance, as needed. New residents Ken and Marie Gaarder are pleased to have two meals a day included. “We like being able to go down for breakfast and dinner,” said Marie Gaarder,
Assisted living residents receive daily living
assistance and medication management. A variety of activities and amenities are also available to them. Laundry service is provided and they receive three meals daily. Additional assistance and services are designed to meet individual needs. This senior community has been on Connecticut Avenue for 23 years. Opened in May 1990, it was known as Classic Residence by Hyatt until Dec. 15, 2011. Now, Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase is managed by Five Star Quality Care. There are 335 one- and two-bedroom apartments in the 16-story high-rise building with four elevators, balconies and scenic views. A majority—60 percent—of the residents are from Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Northwest Washington, D.C., and other local areas, said Lawrence. Couples comprise 10 percent of the population.
Charlotte Gottlieb moved to this
community three years ago after living in Darnestown for 37 years. Impressed “by the friendliness of residents and staff, the ambiance and the programs, I felt comfortable the minute I walked into the building,” she said. Gottlieb had remained in her house for one-and-a-half years after her husband passed away in 2008. When her daughters urged her to relocate, she attended a luncheon for prospective residents and felt welcomed. Marie Watson and her husband came to the community in 2006, moving from only 2 miles away.The couple enjoyed the fact that there were “no stairs, no shopping, no cooking and no cleaning.” When Watson’s husband passed away 18 months later, she was pleased that her five children no longer had to worry about her. She likes the exercise classes, as well as the trips, activities, lectures and movies. “There’s something going on every day,” she said. “You don’t have to drive or go out if you don’t want to.” A shuttle bus offers complimentary, regularly scheduled trips. For an additional fee, a private driver is also available for personal events or appointments.
“This is a real community,” said Marie Gaarder, a retired speech pathologist. “We share life events. The community cares. They are all supportive, including the staff.” Ken Gaarder, a retired psychiatrist, enjoyed writing an article for The Clarion, the monthly community newsletter. He also takes advantage of the exercise classes and fitness equipment. “This is like being on a cruise ship every day.You can be busy or not, as you wish,” said Gottlieb, who herself keeps a packed schedule. She ran for the Resident Council, is chairman of the welcoming committee and chairperson of the Jewish Culture Group, participates in the Play Readers’ group every Friday, started a singers’ group, and tries not to miss Monday Opera Night. “I never knew I liked opera until I came here.”
The community features an indoor pool, as well as landscaped grounds and outdoor walking paths.
Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase 8100 Connecticut Ave. Chevy Chase 20815 301-907-9894 fivestarpremier-chevychase.com
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July 2013 | Gazette SENIORS
15
LIVING
WHERE EVERY DAY FEELS JUST LIKE A
HOLIDAY
Her class, one of dozens at the center, is offered in eight sessions on Tuesday and orry, I’m a little busy right Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. now. We have about 250 In the all-purpose room, more than 25 people out here for a dance seniors were rocking in an Easy Fit Dancparty,” said Carol Fuening aerobics class taught by retired Monttevilla, center and program director of gomery County schoolteacher Marcia Holiday Park Multi-service Senior CenYoung.“I’ve been teaching this class since ter, Montgomery County’s largest and 2001 and many of these people have been oldest senior center, in Wheaton. here since then,” saidYoung. Holiday Park offers an impressive Rose Tessitori of Aspen Hill was a array of activities and class participant, havservices for those who ing joined after losIn the all-purpose want to learn someing her husband a thing new, enjoy good little over a year ago. room, more than conversation, or exerShe also attends leccise mind and body. tures, and particularly Friday dance parties enjoyed recent talks attract hundreds of on Cole Porter and seniors, while every in an Easy Fit Dancing George Gershwin’s day the center hosts music, as well as a lecaerobics class. 500 to 700 people for ture on the health benvarious other activiefits of certain spices. ties, said Sonia Leon-Reig, volunteer co“I love to read, too, and this place has a ordinator. Seniors come for both drop-in great library, too,” she said. and preregistration programs. According to Holiday Park’s newsOne recent Tuesday, Holiday Park letter, fitness classes and programs last was abuzz with activity. Several tables month included ballroom dancing, Chiof bridge were being played in the sonese folk dancing, line dancing, strength cial hall. All three pool tables in the pool training, yoga and singing programs. room were filled with men shooting There were drop-in classes in basic Engfriendly games. A volunteer was selling lish, computers, tai chi, bridge and more. vegetable, herb and annual plants for $1 Special interest classes were offered in each. Atsuko Craft and Marlene Levine Chinese brush painting, French and were selling snacks at the center’s Café, Spanish, photography and theater. and instructor Jackie Morse was leading Some classes are offered by other ora packed class of seniors who were learnganizations in the community, such as ing to use computers. citizenship preparation by the Maryland “Most class participants want to be Council for New Americans; art and poable to communicate with their families, etry by the Lifelong Learning Institute at learn how to navigate the Internet and Montgomery College; a Senior Driving want a general knowledge of the computReview sponsored by AARP; and various er terminology and operations.They also health and fitness classes sponsored by want to know what to ‘buy,’” said Morse. Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. BY JIM MAHAFFIE
“S
25 SENIORS WERE ROCKING
PHOTOS BY JIM MAHAFFIE
Rose Tessitori of Aspen Hill and Louise Cohen of Silver Spring enjoy the exercise classes and other programs at the center.
Carlos Quintanilla of Wheaton exercises a few times a week on the gym equipment.
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
Other center services include health insurance assistance, widowed persons support groups, a mobile post office, a gift shop and more. Created in 1981 in a shuttered elementary school building, Holiday Park is run by Fuentevilla, seven part-time staff members and more than 150 volunteers. The center is located steps from the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. At the front desk, seniors can obtain a free Rec Card that counts participation and attendance. A Membership Card—available for $20 a year through Holiday Park Seniors Inc., a nonprofit agency at the center that supports programs and classes—offers reduced rates for classes, programs and events. For more information on activities at Holiday Park, visit holidaypark.us.The center’s monthly newsletter, Hi-Lites, is filled with activities at Holiday Park and is available on the website and through the center. 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton 20906 240-777-4999 holidaypark.us Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Chinese brush painting expert Helene McCarthy teaches the ancient art Tuesdays at Holiday Park.
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July 2013 | Gazette SENIORS
17
HEALTH
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Helps to Restore Mobility & Function BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
W
AN INABILITY TO WALK THREE CITY BLOCKS
affects 22.5 million people. COMSTOCK/THINKSTOCK
18
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
hether used for pain management, to forestall surgery, or to recover from injury or ailment, physical therapy (PT) is often an older adult’s first line of defense. PT helps “get you back to doing what you need to do, want to do and love to do,” said Daren P. Moat, director regional of the Inova Physical Therapy Center at Dulles South, Tysons/Vienna and Mount Vernon in Virginia. PT helps “improve or restore people’s mobility so they can move on with their lives,” said Rob Grange, director of therapy at Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland in Rockville. “It covers just about every health issue people deal with from a mobility standpoint.” Musculoskeletal issues arising from any of the 10 leading causes of disability—arthritis, spinal problems, stroke and diabetes among them—can be helped by physical therapy. Among adults reporting a disability, the most common limitation—an inability to walk three city blocks—affects 22.5 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “That means that 1 in 10 adults have trouble walking a distance equal to walking from the parking lot to the back of a large store or through a mall,” noted the CDC website. Difficulty climbing a flight of stairs ranked second, affecting 21.7 million people. Just over 18 million adults 65 and over and 17.3 million adults 45 to 64 report some type of disability. Women have a higher rate of disability than men at all ages. “If a patient has pain that’s limiting daily functioning, muscle weakness or lack of flexibility, impaired balance, or has lost mobility skills that allow them to manage in their homes, physical therapy can help,” said Mary Strait, program clinical coordinator for Inova MountVernon Hospital’s Outpatient Neurorehab/Bridge and Joint Replacement Program.
While many think of physical therapy as a surgical complement—improving outcomes for procedures such as joint replacement, spinal fusion or diskectomy, and rotator cuff repair—it “can be an alternative to surgery or pain medication,” said Grange. “It falls in the realm of conservative treatment as opposed to more invasive techniques, such as surgery or shots … And, the potential for complications is much, much lower.”
a team, making sure patients regain the strength and mobility needed to use the prosthesis,” said Moat. “We can help with prosthesis selection and, then, learning to walk correctly.”
While physical therapy does not
Several studies have demonstrated
ABLESTOCK/THINKSTOCK
the benefits conferred by PT.A report earlier this year, published by the American Thoracic Society, noted that patients with chronic respiratory conditions had “significant improvements in the perception of breathless, lung function and functional capacity” as a result of PT. A 2007 scientific statement by the American Heart Association urged physicians to focus on nonpharmacological approaches, such as physical therapy, to manage pain, as some medications can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Physical therapy is now being incorporated into treatment plans for cancer patients. “Cancer rehab is somewhat new,” said Grange, noting that it will be among
the services offered when the Aquilino Cancer Center opens this fall in Rockville, adjacent to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. It’s not unusual following “cancer surgery for people to get swelling in their arms or legs. Physical therapy manages
swelling through manual lymph draining technique, massage and wrapping with a custom compression sleeve.” Diabetics that have experienced limb loss also turn to physical therapists. “We work alongside prosthetists as part of
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require a prescription—direct access is available to self-paying patients in Maryland and Virginia for 14 days—most insurance companies will not cover the costs without a doctor’s order, said Grange and Moat. Medical necessity is essential to obtaining insurance coverage. “Providers have their own definition and interpretation of medical necessity,” said Moat. In most cases, “treatment must require the skilled intervention of a therapist. It can’t be something patients can do on their own … There must be a clearly identified functional limitation, a change in someone’s function. Nowadays pain alone isn’t sufficient. That pain must keep someone from doing something. And, there must be reasonable expectations that it can be improved on.” With a physician’s referral in hand, a physical therapist will evaluate the patient
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July 2013 | Gazette SENIORS
19
FINANCES
Surviving spouses are entitled to at least onethird of the estate in both Maryland and Virginia, even if the deceased’s will dictates otherwise.
The Dollars & Cents of Remarriage BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
B
efore taking another trip down the aisle, a trip to an attorney’s office might be in order. The financial considerations associated with remarriage are significant and have far reaching implications—and not just for the betrothed, said Rhonda A. Miller, managing partner with Matsen, Miller, Cossa & Gray, PLLC, an elder-law and estate-planning firm in Fairfax, Va. Because older adults are more likely to come to a second or third marriage with adult children, a house, retirement accounts and other assets, a trip to the altar can be complicated. Legally, matrimony includes a marriage of assets. But, “blending households doesn’t necessarily mean you have to blend finances,” said Ann G. Jakabcin, principal with Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll PC in Rockville. While those who remarry “have an obligation to provide for their surviving spouse, they may also feel a similar obligation to their surviving children” from a previous marriage. Balancing those obligations requires forethought and, often, legal expertise. “It’s important to be able to talk to your future spouse about finances, to say, ‘You have your kids, I have mine.You have your assets, I have mine,’ and then discuss what will happen” either upon dissolution of the marriage or death, said Miller. Surviving spouses are entitled to at least onethird of the estate in both Maryland and Virginia, even if the deceased’s will dictates otherwise. If that’s not what’s envisioned, a prenuptial agreement may be in order. “One element of the agreement is a waiver of that statutory [one-third share] mandate,” said Jakabcin. A prenup serves two purposes. It designates “what happens when one spouse dies … or the marriage doesn’t succeed, in which case it pro-
COMSTOCK/THINKSTOCK
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
vides a framework to unwind finances that got consolidated,” said Jakabcin.
Because remarriage may
Whether or not to consolidate
RESULT IN THE LOSS OF BENEFITS,
finances is a decision that couples should make rather than allow to happen. “I have a client, now married 25 years, that never comingled finances,” said Miller. “If that is what you plan to do, it’s great to have a prenup.” Don’t think a prenup is “just for the rich and famous,” said Jakabcin. “It might be worth spending $3,500, even if your total net worth is half a million dollars or if you have some asset that you don’t want to go out of the family.” A prenuptial agreement is not intended to replace a will or estate plan but to spell out that to which a couple has agreed. Should one partner subsequently alter his will to the financial detriment of the other, the prenup is there to help enforce the original agreement. A prenup may be revoked by mutual agreement. “Sometimes, with long-term second marriages where they’ve been together 20 years or more, they may choose to rip up the prenuptial agreement,” said Jakabcin.
such as alimony, a pension, Social Security, or health or life insurance, couples need to carefully evaluate the financial impact.
What a prenuptial agreement cannot do is stipulate “anything about child support,” said Jakabcin, or waive the legal obligation to provide for a spouse’s medical or long-term care bills, according to Miller. “Medicaid doesn’t care about your prenuptial agreement. It expects you to spend down in order for your spouse to receive certain benefits,” said Miller. “There are ways to mitigate this, especially when a client comes to us young enough and healthy enough to qualify for long-term care options.”
The melding of households,
particularly in regard to living arrangements, may have lifelong consequences that affect both the couple and heirs.
“If I have a house and my husband has a house, deciding where to live is tricky,” said Jakabcin. “We can keep both houses and rent one or we can sell both and buy our own house. There’s not one answer that suits everyone’s needs.” Housing issues are of concern to a surviving spouse, particularly if he is living in a house titled in his spouse’s name. It’s not uncommon, said Jakabcin, to give one’s spouse a life estate, allowing him to remain in the house during his lifetime. Upon his death or relocation to another permanent residence, such as a nursing home, the house passes to the original heirs. There are, of course, expenses associated with the upkeep of a residence, as well as for food, clothing, health and medicine,
and transportation. Insuring their coverage may involve the establishment of a trust, according to both Jakabcin and Miller. The idea behind a trust is to protect the inheritance of children from a previous marriage while using the assets to support the lifestyle and medical needs of the surviving spouse.“Financial assets can be held in trust for the benefit of the second spouse during her lifetime. Upon her death, they go to the children,” said Jakabcin. Because remarriage may result in the loss of benefits—such as alimony, a pension, Social Security, or health or life insurance—couples need to carefully evaluate the financial impact. “If that’s the case, talk about buying life insurance to give the spouse something more,” said Miller. While love can make life rosy, don’t let it cloud your vision, cautioned both Jakabcin and Miller. “I find that taking time to iron out the details [before remarrying] is much better than having to fix things on the back side,” Miller said. “It’s best to address these [financial] issues when a couple is happy and in love,” said Jakabcin, “not when things have deteriorated … A conversation sooner can minimize conflict later.”
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21
THERAPY, continued from 19 and recommend a course of treatment to both patient and insurance carrier. “As health care changes, we’re feeling the positive pressure to get people better faster,” said Grange. “Our average number of visits has been reduced. Last year it was 11 visits per episode. Now we’re down to 10, which is a good thing as long as the outcomes are still there.” Those receiving PT as an outpatient “may start out coming two or three times a week for the first several weeks and then just once or twice a month. If insurance only covers a few visits, we try to spread the visits out,” said Strait.While time with the therapist is important, “homework … is the key to success in getting the most out of therapy as an outpatient.What you do on your own allows you to achieve goals sooner and more completely.” “With physical therapy, the goal is to move the onus of responsibility from therapist to patient,” said Grange. “We want to work ourselves out of a job. We’re not happy if someone is coming three, four or five months. We want to maximize the time in the clinic, having them do more and more on their own, until they’re as independent as they can be.” Targeted exercises, many of which can be replicated at home, are just one of several tools a physical therapist may integrate into a treatment plan. Other “modalities include ice, heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation and traction,” said Moat. “We also use soft-tissue and joint mobilization and range-of-motion and manual-therapy techniques.”
“One consideration is ‘what were they doing prior?’ If they tell me, ‘Oh, I want to run,’ but they haven’t run in 10 years,
THAT’S NOT REALISTIC.” –DAREN P. MOAT
Treatment is individualized and takes into consideration the patient’s disability, health status, needs and desires. “We customize and tailor treatment based on their goals,” said Moat. “One consideration is ‘what were they doing prior?’ If they tell me, ‘Oh, I want to run,’ but they haven’t run in 10 years, that’s not realistic.” “Success isn’t always defined as getting back to 100 percent normal,” said Strait, especially for “those people who start completely dependent and can’t do anything for themselves.The goal is to get them as independent as possible. In some cases—with a high quadriplegic injury, for example—the focus may be on educating the patient and training caregivers in order to avoid complications.” As the health care system continues to look for ways to reduce costs, Grange sees PT “playing a larger role … When you look at the cost to the system, isn’t it worth it to spend six weeks in physical therapy in order to gain another year, maybe more, before having to go to an institutional setting? For many folks, physical therapy is what keeps them independent.”
Tell us a story! Do you know someone 50 or older with an interesting tale to tell? Or about events, arts, groups or other activities that cater to a mature crowd? Gazette Seniors wants to hear about it, please! Email seniors@gazette.net. 1907455
22
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
Doris Brody regularly travels with her husband to Costa Rica for birding expeditions.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL BRODY
• The U.S. Department of State’s travel. state.gov is a clearinghouse of information on international travel, visas, passports, specific country information and travel warnings and alerts. • Another U.S. government resource is www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/ Travel/International.shtml. It offers information on currency exchange rates, entry requirements, international driver’s licenses, travel warnings and more.
1842568
• Health information can be found at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s comprehensive website. Get details about vaccines, medicines and more. Before any trip, the Scheeles notify their bank and credit card companies of their travel so charges won’t appear mysterious, and have a little local currency available until they can get to an ATM machine at their destination. They also keep a copy of their medical histories, passports, and debit and credit cards in case they lose the real ones. “We update a cell phone for emergency international calls, although we just normally text to update the family that we are safe,” said Dave Scheele.They review what the other is packing, remembering chargers for the camera and cell phone and two voltage converters, plus trip paperwork. Omega World Travel’s Sisser appreciates the Web as a travel tool, but noted, “The Internet swamps you with choices, and we can help sort them out for you. It’s nice to have someone to turn to if there’s a problem.You’re in a foreign country, don’t speak the language, and don’t know where to turn ... we have so much more control over solving issues.”
G IN E C L N B A A N IL FI VA A
Before Helene and Gene Granof of Bethesda went to China, they asked neighbors who are originally from China over for brunch.The neighbors advised them to avoid fish, fresh vegetables and shellfish.The Granofs were concerned about air quality, but their Chinese friends said it was usually only really bad in the winter, when coal is burned for heat.“There were no shots needed,” said Helene Granof. “But we took some antibiotics in case we get sick.”They were also advised by their tour group as well as friends to bring tissues, as toilet paper may be lacking in public toilets. Dave and Jeanne Scheele of Fairfax learned valuable lessons from a recent riverboat trip in France. For background before visiting World War II sites such as Pointe du Hoc, the D-Day beaches, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and Sainte-Mère-Église, the couple read “The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II,” an historical book by Jeff Shaara about D-Day. “We were primed to question the military historian who was our guide as we visited,” said Dave Scheele, 80.Then, as their riverboat was gliding into Paris, their trip was cut short with an emergency back home. “This was the first time that I have used the trip insurance that I have bought for the past few years,” he said. “Based on our ages and the unknown, trip insurance has become just part of the cost of the trip. “Our travels are frequent enough that we each recently registered on the Global Online Enrollment System,” he said. “We paid for a special identity card that will enable us to move more quickly through U.S. security when traveling by air into and out of the U.S.” He said the couple will use their cards on their next trip, a 16-day guided tour of Ireland and Scotland in September.
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July 2013 | Gazette SENIORS
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ABROAD, continued from 11
23
REENACT, continued from 5 the National Park Service.They’ve picked us for battles at Manassas, Antietam and Gettysburg,” he said. A 53-year-old Gaithersburg resident, Brewer belongs to the 14th Tennessee Infantry, a part of Brig. Gen. James J. Archer’s brigade that was assigned to A.P. Hill’s Light Division. “Each year, my unit recreates the A.P. Hill march.We cross the river at Boteler’s Ford and march up to where A.P. Hill saved the day.You’re hungry, tired and your feet hurt. It’s not for sissies. But, you come to truly appreciate the enormous distances these troops covered. Fatigue, for them, was an everyday thing.”
It was Janet Wilson McKee’s passion
for bobbin lace that laid the groundwork for her interpretation of a Colonial-era lace-maker. As a volunteer with the Montgomery County Historical Society, McKee seized the opportunity to enhance her docent presentation by incorporating her hobby.While lace making may be “a dying art, people are intrigued by it and what I do with the bobbins,” said the 63-year-old Rockville resident. McKee also attends demonstrations, late spring through fall. “What’s especially fun is the try-me pillow. Kids and adults can try making lace and see that it’s not as difficult as they thought.” For McKee, the educational component of her work cuts both ways. “I find that I always learn something, even though I’m the one doing the demonstrating.” Hickey, the Dr. Stonestreet interpreter, concurs. “I’ve learned that when I am carrying a message, the energy flows both ways. I end up learning too.” Hawley’s service not only prompted him to learn more about slavery in Maryland, but also pushed him toward advocacy. “I knew D.C. had emancipation, but what about Maryland? My research showed that Maryland actually freed slaves in November 1864, before the 13th Amendment. So, I went to the state legislature and said, ‘Let’s have a Maryland Emancipation Day.’” His efforts were successful. This spring, Gov. Martin O’Malley signed into law legislation declaring Nov. 1 Maryland Emancipation Day.
1907454
A willingness to expose oneself to
different people and ideas and to continue to learn and study not only make reenactors more successful but add to their enjoyment. “You’re not disqualified from joining if you don’t have a Ph.D. in history,” said Clayton, “but you should at least have some background knowledge and be ready to learn.” That learning is both formal and informal. Classes have helped both Hickey
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
“I learned that when I am carrying a message,
THE ENERGY FLOWS BOTH WAYS. I end up learning too.” –Clarence Hickey
and McKee. “I’ve taken several workshops for reenactors and gleaned a lot myself,” said Hickey. He takes notes at the annual Chautauqua program—where professionals portray historic figures, this year to include Rachel Carson, Amelia Earhart and Jackie Robinson—held at Montgomery College’s Germantown campus in July. Meanwhile, docents from ColonialWilliamsburg worked with McKee and others through a grant received by the Montgomery County Historical Society. When Clayton first volunteered at Fort Washington Park, he had never fired a cannon. “There’s a lot of on-the-job training involved. But, you do have to get recertified each year in black powder safety by the National Park Service.” Firearm safety is taken seriously in reenactment circles. “We self-train,” said Hawley. “We have classes and teach each other.We all carry muskets, 1857 muskets, and learn the history of our weapons and how soldiers back then learned to shoot.”
Acquiring a firearm is just one of
many costs incurred by battlefield reenactors, unless they opt to be a drummer or a medic. Some, like Brewer, opt for originals. Others use reproductions. “I have an original Enfield 1862 [musket],” said Brewer. He said he does not carry that musket in living history or reenactment events. “It’s been proofed and inspected [in the 1800s]….Those using a reproduction arm can get it defarbed. There’s a gunsmith in Harper’s Ferry who will detail weapons, adding a touch of authenticity.” A replica can run $200 or more, while an original can cost more than $1,000, depending on type and quality. Period clothing is another expense. “If you forego the clown suit [which is how Brewer described his first uniform] for museum-quality gear, you could spend $2,000 to $3,000,” said Brewer. “I spend far more for shoes I only wear 20 times a year than I do for shoes I wear daily.”The price varies depending on the quality, detailing and level of authenticity.
COURTESY OF HUGH CLAYTON
Hugh Clayton of Gaithersburg stands with a 12-pound mountain howitzer at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Md.
Known as sutlers, suppliers of clothing and accoutrements can be found at most reenactment sites and online. Those accoutrements may include an 1860s-style tent, blanket, eating utensils and a variety of leather goods. While some of Hickey’s clothing belongs to the historical society, he’s purchased a variety of items himself. “Everything has to be period correct. I have two long, black frock coats, one double-breasted, one not; a number of neckties; several vests, both black and blue; black suspender trousers; and shirts with long, bulky sleeves and buttons that appear to be mother-of-pearl.When I’m a Civil War surgeon, I take off the coat and wear an apron,” he said. McKee, the bobbin lace-maker, created her own Colonial garb. “I got the pattern from one of the recreating groups,” she said. “I wanted to use appropriate sewing tech-
niques when making the jacket, so I looked at the ColonialWilliamsburg website, which has a bunch of stuff on period clothing and appropriate dress.” While historic reenacting and interpretation may have drawbacks—sleeping on the ground or fighting in the sweltering sun, pouring rain or winter cold—“everyone should try it once,” said Brewer. “What you’ll experience in 2013 is as close as you can get to the field conditions 150 years ago. There’s a 24-hour guard, no eating in the ranks, drills on military procedures, and worries about being ‘killed.’ It’s the only way to get a feel for how soldiers spent their days …. It will transport you.” This story was updated from the print edition to correct the spelling of Boteler's Ford. Also, additional information was added to clarify Bob Brewer's statements regarding weapons and uniforms. 1895269
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KATHLEEN ORISTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOVE: Jane Beam, left, and Peg Showers of the Early Birdies league in Potomac take a ride in the cart. LEFT: Golfers Leonard Ramsey, left, and
Wolfie Fraser take a break after playing a round. Fraser, of Silver Spring, plays in a regular Wednesday Men’s Senior League at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring.
PHOTO BY JIM MAHAFFIE
GOLF, continued from 7 more semiprivate courses that allow public play. One of the newer courses is Blue Mash Golf Course in Laytonsville, where most of PGA Teaching Professional Kent Keith’s students are over 50, as is Keith.Blue Mash is popular with seniors, he said, because it’s a great course to walk and has lower rates during nonpeak hours. Blue Mash offers nine-hole leagues in the evenings, with a Tuesday golf league, a ladies league on Wednesdays, and a twoperson best-ball format for leagues on Thursdays, said Emily Weidner, marketing and events coordinator. “We enjoy having
seniors play here. They understand how to take care of the course, replacing divots and ball marks and keeping pace.” Keith recommended the Maryland State Golf Association (MSGA) as, “a terrific organization for senior golfers to have the opportunity to play many of the area courses.” A membership organization, MSGA sponsors and conducts tournaments for players of all levels, and provides handicap services and course ratings at many courses, as well as a variety of other programs. If you’re interested in league golf, contact your local course for information. Individual leagues in both counties set league fees.
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Cell: 201-360-2136 Office: 202-362-3164
Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
Tel: 202-362-1300
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Gazette SENIORS | July 2013