NBV Quartely Newsletter

North Bethesda Village Quarterly February 2024 Welcome to the inaugural issue of your NBV newsletter! Each issue will include these columns: NBV Board Notes, Staying Healthy, Recent NBV Events, Amazing NBV Participants, Montgomery County (MOCO) Resources, and important links to your NBV website and calendar.

NBV BOARD NOTES: MEET YOUR NBV BOARD

STAYING HEALTHY

Jean Hochron

Jean serves as President of NBV. In addition to chairing the NBV Board of Directors, she manages all NBV communications and leads the monthly walking/hiking group. Jean is originally from Northern New Jersey and has lived in Montgomery County since 1976. She retired in 2016 after a forty-year career developing health policy at both the national and local level, with a special focus on health care access for people experiencing homelessness.

Jean and her husband Jim have been married since 1978. They have two sons (in New Orleans and Columbus, OH) and three delicious grandchildren. She likes to hike, swim, cook, sing, and work outdoors.

Donna Phillips Mason Donna served as the Vice President of NBV from 2019 until last month. Responsible for initiating programming and partnerships, Donna has been a liaison between businesses, other villages and has reached beyond the Montgomery County aging network to introduce programs that can benefit our participants. She has also represented NBV on efforts to bring more diversity to the Village.

Donna has a background in social gerontology and association management, having served in key roles locally with Montgomery County Government and additionally with the National Council on Aging.

Donna and her husband have lived in North Bethesda for eight (8) years. Donna is the proud grandmother of five (5) spectacular young adults, all of whom live on the West Coast.

Donna will continue on with NBV in an emeritus/special projects role as she also embarks on new endeavors.

Caroline Levenson Caroline’s role with NBV is two-fold: event coordination and Board Treasurer. In the former, she manages upcoming activities, including planning and executing new events, supporting events managed by others, and executing underlying event registration and correspondence tasks. For the latter, she oversees NBV's bank account and financial position, including required federal and state reporting.

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Winter Isolation The days are shorter, the nights are long, the temperature is falling and the wind is blowing-perfect weather for staying at home with a warm drink and a cozy blanket. Staying at home, on occasion, is fine, but some of us choose to stay home because we believe we have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Social isolation and loneliness, according to Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, is an epidemic that causes harm to individuals and to our society and leads to premature deaths, chronic physical and emotional illness, and political divisiveness. Perhaps, 25 percent of adults over 65 are considered to be socially isolated.

The World Health Organization defines loneliness as a perception of feeling disconnected, due to a lack of close and satisfying relationships. At different points in our lives, for varying reasons, we can feel lonely. Living alone, aging and the loss of family and friends along with chronic illness, contribute to a break in social connections. Being lonely may result in gradual social isolation and little or no social support or contact.

Retirement may break tenuous relationship bonds. And a very small number of social interactions can result in deeper loneliness. The winter months can contribute to this isolation because it is often more difficult to be in situations where social interactions normally occur. And there may also be a lack of knowledge as to what is available.

Our own North Bethesda Village addresses loneliness and social isolation. Our NBV programming and volunteer opportunities allow our community to mitigate social isolation.

The NBV calendar is full of opportunities for seniors to meet and connect either in person or on zoom. We can open our arms and invite others to attend to come with us to in-person events such as learning a interesting lecture.

The CDC suggests exploring AARP's Community Connection Tools, the National Council on Aging, and the National Association on Aging. Also, check out our local MCPL Davis Library for a variety of activities. Finally, check out Defeating SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder): A Guide to Health and Happiness Through All Seasons by North Bethesda author, Norman E. Rosenthal, MD.

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North Bethesda Village Quarterly NBV BOARD NOTES: MEET YOUR NBV BOARD, cont'd Professionally, Caroline last worked for the World Bank as a Budget Officer, retiring over a dozen years ago.

Prior to that, she was a technical writer in various computer and space science areas as well as a staff member on a House of Representatives Commission on Ethics.

Caroline moved to the DC area from California 54 years ago. Her son and daughter live in Rockville and Baltimore, respectively. Her desire for community building stems from a childhood in a farming area where neighbors knew and supported one another whenever needed.

Joan Alpert As a new Board member in 2023, Joan has had miscellaneous duties: Single Women's Group administrator, minutes taker at Board meetings, and chair of the NBV Website review.

Cheryl is a docent at Brookside Gardens, gardening being one of her passions, and takes a Tai Chi class and hikes with a small group of friends twice a week. She is an avid Ravens fan and still belongs to her Boston Literary Woman's Society and has joined a local book group.

Susan Verner Susan is a newer board member having joined the NBV Board in January 2023. Her role so far has been to assist with implementing technology to help with surveying our email list and for volunteer sign-ups. She has also been involved with coordinating volunteers, assisting with a couple of new programs and is part of a work group which is exploring the addition of services for NBV participants.

Susan has been a resident of North Bethesda for 25 years, having relocated here from California via New York with her husband, Doug. She was an attorney in California and “retired” to spend time raising her two children and volunteering in the community. Susan came out of retirement about ten years ago, and is now a realtor, and enjoys helping people buy and sell their homes.

Having moved to the DC area in 1968, she and her husband raised three children, and she initially took on volunteer activities, such as coop nursery school president and elementary school PTA president.

When her youngest began going to school, she began a new career, lasting 35 years, as a writer/editor/ communications manager for four different organizations. After retirement, she continued to explore opportunities to expand her hobbies (e.g., painting, playing bridge, book clubs), as well as to seek out additional volunteering.

Having moved to North Bethesda in 2012, just before her husband passed, she is currently publicity chair and a board member of the New4You Thrift Store, co-chair of the Wisconsin condominium Welcome and Resource Support Committee, and shelf organizer at the Montgomery County Library Book Store.

Cheryl Brown Cheryl began serving as a North Bethesda Board member in January 2023. She knew of "elder villages" because they began in Massachusetts where she lived for 50+ years. Several of her senior faculty colleagues joined those early villages. So, looking to make new age peers here she sought out a local village and attended an NBV Meet & Greet outside Whole Foods one bitterly cold winter day. She met an NBV board member there.

Since then, she facilitates the NBV Coffee Connections that meets two Wednesday mornings/month for the past year and a half, participates in NBV Art Reflections, and attends some of the NBV movie and dining gatherings.

Cheryl moved to the Maryland area in 2020 after her husband of 45 years passed, to be near her two sons, daughter-in-law and her four terrific grandchildren. She also has a daughter who lives in Atlanta.

She was a faculty member for 30 years at Tufts University and Wheelock College focusing on early childhood and inclusion. Cont'd....

GROW with US! This is your Village!! We need your help and

talents to build the many components of our village. Specifically, we are seeking individuals to participate in the following project areas.

• • • • • •

Website management Management of participant database Volunteer outreach and engagement Planning and implementing social events Service delivery planning and execution Communications strategy Interested? Please e-mail us at NBVQuarterly@gmail.com

Connect with the NBV online!

Be sure to click here to visit us on the web at www.northbethesdavillage.org!

And click here to check out the NBV calendar of upcoming events: www.northbethesdavillage.org/ upcomingevents February 2024 * Page 2

North Bethesda Village Quarterly

RECENT NBV EVENTS With each newsletter, we will highlight two activities sponsored by the Village.

NBV Coffee Connections (CC) The CC was initiated in April 2022 and meets twice a month on Wednesday mornings and has met continuously now for nearly two years. The group began meeting at Java Nation on Rockville Pike and moved to the Silver Diner for the summer months at the request of attendees. When the weather turned cooler CC returned to Java where heaters and blankets are plentiful.

Participants RSVP to the facilitator, Cheryl Brown, to make seating arrangements possible.

The group periodically generates topics for discussion that have included sharing travel ideas, favorite museums, the occasional book and a presentation on “emergency to-go bags.” There are roughly seven or eight “regular” attendees, though there has never been a meeting when new NBV participants haven’t joined CC, and thus we begin with brief introductions and move to our topic.

SCRABBLE by Eileen Zimmer Did you know that the game of Scrabble is over 80 years old and is one of the biggest selling and most popular board games of all time? NBV, in conjunction with Davis Library, sponsors Scrabble game play. Games are held on the second and fourth Fridays of each month between 1 and 3 o’clock, in meeting room 1, on the lower level. All are welcome, all skill levels play, and the library even supplies the board game.

Since I am a fan of many word games including Wordle, Word Wipe, and Text Twist, I decided to check out this out. I was warmly welcomed by this group, and while it has been years since I last played, I became immediately engrossed in game play. I have to admit that I didn’t win any games, but at least I didn’t come in last! And most importantly, I had fun! Everyone should give it a try. I also learned that there are other game clubs in the Montgomery county area, including Scrabble clubs. Here is a link to some of those. https:// www.gamesclubofmd.org/Mage.asp Below are pictures of fast and furious scrabble players.

Healthy connections have come from these social connections.

One example was that a few members decided to meet at a restaurant this past Christmas Day for participants who do not celebrate or would otherwise be alone. Another group organized a trip to view an opera together at a local movie house. These examples of organic outcomes really illustrate what villages can yield for NBV senior participants.

MOCO RESOURCES FOR SENIORS THIS MONTH: Active MONTGOMERY Active MONTGOMERY, a division of the Montgomery County Department of Recreation and Montgomery Parks, allows citizens to find and register for programs, classes, and other activities as well as to reserve recreation facilities (e.g., tennis courts, library rooms, picnic sites). To explore its offerings, go to www.activemontgomery.org.

THANK YOU AND FEEDBACK? A special thanks to the NBV Quarterly editorial staff-Joan Alpert, Cheryl Brown, Susan Mintz, Susan Verner and Eileen Zimmer. Additionally, we thank Yola Rosenberg for content outreach.

The editorial staff hopes you enjoyed this newsletter. If you did, we would love to learn which articles you liked best and why. If you did not like something, we’d like to hear criticisms. In all cases, we welcome suggestions for future issues. Please e-mail NBVQuarterly@gmail.com with your feedback.

Start by clicking on Programs and Activities on the top of the page or click on specific pictured links, such as aquatic, education, or dance.

Here's a small sample of recent program types: • Hikes and walks from joining others to go shopping at various malls to taking an evening night hike to look and listen for night creatures.

• Physical activity such as swimming lessons, yoga classes, Tai Chi lessons, dancing, and some unusual classes like "Bone Builders."

• Health improvement classes such as learning CPR and first aid and improving nutrition intake.

• Educational events ranging from learning about collecting maple sugar and processing it into maple syrup to improving technical skills during a Senior Planet/AARP, 20-session course, called "Beyond the Basics-App Based." These classes explain how to use computers to accomplish everyday tasks, stay organized, find entertainment, and be creative.

• Hobbies to explore through seminars and clubs include knitting, acting, drawing, painting, and book discussions.

Many programs are free, but some have fees. When you look at possibilities, the costs are clearly shown as are the dates and locations for each activity. To sign up for anything, you must first create an account with your e-mail and chosen password. From the home page, just click on "My Account—Sign In/Register" and follow the instructions using a PC, tablet, or other mobile device with internet access.

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North Bethesda Village Quarterly

MEET OUR AMAZING NBV SENIORS! MARLENE SCHOEN

HELEN LEW

Marlene lives in the Grosvenor Community near her daughter, son-in-law and nephew, having relocated from NYC in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. She is 93.

Helen lives alone in the Old Farm Community near her brother, nieces and a nephew and is 72.

Career/Work Life before Retirement

Work/Career Life before Retirement

She began her career as an elementary teacher but dabbled in being a travel agent, interior designer, and landscape designer, while raising her two children before going back to teaching at the junior high level. Marlene volunteered to teach eighth graders which she saw as a fun challenge, She retired after 28 years and then managed her husband’s law firm for a few years.

Helen went to American University and began work in the General Accounting Office (GAO) in 1973 where she reported to the U.S. Congress as Deputy Assistant Inspector. In 2020 she then worked for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, (otherwise known as METRO), as the first Inspector General (IG) establishing the IG office. This was a highly visible position, always in the news. Several fatalities occurred in the DMV early in her time there, as well as the construction of METRO to Dulles Airport where there was a controversy about underground vs above ground long-time residents may recall.

Career Highlight that NBVillagers Might Find Interesting An intriguing part of her last job was managing new young lawyers who were as inappropriate as her middle schoolers, often needing to be counseled to dress appropriately for court (NO JEANS!). Often she needed to chide them to push clients to submit documents in a timely way to be ready for court proceedings.

A Favorite Passion in Retirement Marlene is passionate about bridge, considering herself to be an intermediate player. When she meets new NBVillagers her first question is most often “Do you play bridge?” As some older players have dropped out, due to health challenges, she actively recruits others, most recently Sarena whom she met through the NBV Coffee Connections. Sarena had played in the past. Marlene coaches such players until they’ve re-learned the game.

A Career Highlight that NBVillagers Might Find Interesting Helen notes her love of being a public servant, overseeing capital expenditures and making the best use of public monies. She shared that as an IG the best times were when an entity/agency being investigated was willing to work collaboratively and implement recommendations to more efficiently utilize public resources.

A Favorite Passion in Retirement

Marlene is just as passionate about her online opera classes which she says she could do daily — a continuation of something she did in her NYC life.

Helen says her passion in retirement is wellness.

She takes many classes each week, including Tai Chi, Senior Fit, MOCO Explorers (hiking), and teaches a Bone Builders class. She says these activities keep her healthy and it is where she meets interesting people.

Meaningful Connections to the NBV

Meaningful Connections to the NBV

Marlene feels that social interactions are essential to remaining healthy and avoiding isolation while living alone.

She notes she participates in as many NBV events as she can manage. Marlene is a “regular” at Coffee Connections and World Dining. She has mastered transportation options for seniors, including bus routes and METRO ACCESS since landing in North Bethesda.

Helen has participated in NBV walks whenever they don’t coincide with her many wellness classes. On those walks she recommends wellness opportunities to other NBVillagers. She feels the village provides the social supports so necessary for seniors’ health and well being.

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