April 2023 | Howard County Beacon

VOL.13, NO.4

The Howard County

IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE OVER 50

Reenacting historical battles

By Ana Preger Hart

White-walled A-frame tents dot the field where Union soldiers dressed in their blues march nearby in formation, muskets propped up straight against their shoulders. The sun catches serious faces under their distinct forage caps; these soldiers are marching to battle.

Soon, a cloud of smoke hovers over the field as a line of soldiers fires a volley at the enemy, stars and stripes on the flags barely visible through the white, cloudy air.

No, this isn’t 1861; this is a reenactment, a hobby — and a passion for many.

The reenacting of battles from major wars has been going on, in one form or another, since Roman times. Today, it’s done as a way to experience camp life and battle (without risking one’s life), and to reproduce the camaraderie of shared experience.

Reenactors come from all different backgrounds: They are teachers, masons, newspaper photographers, retirees, ex-military — both men and women. But they all seek out the same spirit of friendship that bound the original soldiers together almost two centuries ago.

“Going on the battlefield and firing your weapon and maneuvering around, that’s one thing,” said Bill Hart of West Friendship, Maryland, who has been participating in Civil War reenactments for 19 years as a member of the 7th Maryland Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

“But I enjoy the camp life more. It’s sitting around talking, exchanging stories. That’s the fun for me.”

Hundreds gather for weekends

Reenactment groups are often organized into historical military units from the area that fought in a particular conflict. In

the U.S., the American Civil War and the Revolutionary (or Rev) War are two popular periods to reenact.

Each side of the conflict has its own regiments, and once a person joins a regiment, they typically stick with it for years.

In our area, the 7th Maryland Infantry Regiment, of Union soldiers, attracts dozens of participants. Reenactment groups attend weekend-long events and participate in activities throughout the year.

Some are battle reenactments, like the “Getty Annual” — the reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg (July marks its 160th anniversary). One of the most famous Getty reenactments took place in 1913, attended by more than 50,000 Union and Confederate veterans.

These kinds of reenactments are play-byplay recreations of actual historical battles,

See WAR REENACTORS, page 20

PHOTO © JOE SOHM | DREAMSTIME.COM

Revolutionary War reenactors fire a cannon at a weekend-long battle. Marylanders of all ages participate in scripted war reenactments for the excitement of experiencing historical battles and enjoying the spirit of camaraderie.

Who’s your real friend?

You probably either watched or read about the impromptu exchange at the recent State of the Union address between President Biden and congressional Republicans concerning Social Security.

Did the rare display of politicians apparently in agreement that Social Security is “not to be touched” give you goosebumps — or chills?

I ask it that way because I firmly believe that any politician who pledges not to touch Social Security is not one who loves seniors, but rather one who disdains the more than 65 million people who are currently receiving benefits and the even larger number of Americans who will be expecting them in the future.

that Social Security is “your” money that you paid into the system — implying that it simply needs to be withdrawn from some bank or other — this is not literally the case and never has been.

lem we have long known was heading this way is now at our doorstep.

At the Beacon 50+ Expo in 2011, our keynote speaker was Charles Blahous, a public trustee of Social Security, who explained clearly that the popular program was heading toward insolvency if it wasn’t fixed, and fixed soon, by Congress.

Americans? Are they weighing the pros and cons of the multifarious ways they can tweak the program to keep it solvent?

No. On both sides of the aisle, so-called leaders are grandstanding on television and in the press, preening before the cameras and loudly braying, “We won’t touch Social Security.”

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

There is no huge government pension plan where the Social Security taxes you and your employers have been paying since you got your first paycheck get invested and grow over decades until you finally get to claim them in retirement. Instead, the wages of current workers are being taxed now to pay benefits to today’s retirees, just as they have been since 1935, when Social Security came into being.

Now, insolvency doesn’t mean Social Security will disappear. But it does mean that, as presently operating, all beneficiaries will see a cut of about 25% in their benefits starting in 2030 or thereabouts.

Blahous also made the point that, for every year Congress kicks the can down the road, the cost to fix the program — and the pain it will cause — will grow.

A plague on both their houses! In order to preserve their coveted positions in Congress, nearly all politicians today are claiming to be your friend when, in fact, they are guaranteeing you (and your children, probably) will suffer serious financial harm through their immature behavior.

We have all known for decades that Social Security has been heading towards “insolvency” around the year 2030, give or take a few. The retirement of the baby boom generation (the last of whom will hit 60 in 2024) is part of the reason, but so is the rising longevity of Americans in general, thanks to the miracles of modern medicine.

You see, while politicians will tell you

The problem is, in 1935 there were 22 workers paying into the system for every retiree collecting benefits. Today, there are fewer than 3.

That’s a demographic fact no politician can afford to ignore: The smaller generations that followed the baby boom are carrying the burden of paying for the boomers’ (and their elders’) retirement.

Add to that the (generally) growing lifespan of each generation, and the prob-

Ten years later, in 2021, we presented another expert at the virtual Beacon 50+ Expo, Dr. Mark Warshawsky, a former deputy commissioner of Social Security. He brought us up to date with not only more dire projections, but also a dozen potential solutions to the problem.

Of course, any of the most likely steps could be politically damaging: risking the ire of recipients (who might get lower costof-living increases or wait longer to qualify), of workers (who might see more of their paychecks withheld), of employers (who would have to match their employees’ contributions), and of taxpayers (who might find their taxes go up).

If each of these constituencies were asked to bear part of the cost to help Social Security fulfill its future commitments, no one group or person would have to suffer inordinately.

So, are we hearing voices among our nation’s leaders saying we owe this to older

They need to get a spine and sit down rationally to discuss the many different ways — ways that have been identified clearly over the years — to correct the course of Social Security and not leave millions of older adults with reduced checks.

What are they afraid of? You. Voters.

So how can you help?

For one thing, talk amongst yourselves, and educate others about what’s really needed to preserve this essential program for us and future generations. The program isn’t going to fix itself.

Second, I would urge you to contact your congressional representatives and tell them they need to take action, now, to set Social Security on a sound fiscal path for the future.

And be sure to add that you won’t kick them out of office for doing so. In fact, you’ll only kick them out of office for NOT doing so!

Letters to the editor

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Howard County area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, 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

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

Marketing & Operations Manager – Ashley Griffin

Assistant Editor – Ana Preger Hart

Client Liasion – Jaclyn Thompson

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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 am a retired journalist who just read the March Beacon issue front to back when it arrived today.

My response to your Publisher’s column is “Right On!” I agree writers and editors have a limited amount of time to compose an article (sometimes three a day!), but these time constraints equal inadequate reporting and a lack of critical thinking.

A course for students as you mentioned would be helpful.

Mary P. Felter Arnold, MD

our discontent” behind us, emerge from hibernation and launch into spring. My advice is to just get up, get out, and get going.

Walking, starting small working out with weights or taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a great start, and it is invigorating.

I did just that! Instead of making excuses as to why I couldn’t go out one day, I headed for the subway. I got off at the Smithsonian stop, and voila! I emerged onto the Mall, took a look around, and was absorbed by its greatness.

Dear Editor:

I just read your March “From the Publisher” column on Critical Thinking and couldn’t agree with you more. Like law school with less pain?

Debbi Mack Columbia, MD

Going out does not have to be a costly endeavor. Spring is upon us. Don’t get complacent.

And remember, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Find the best option that works for you. I have chosen to pack food for those in need with a wonderful local organization. People need people. They need you.

Dear Editor:

Sometimes it’s hard to put “the winter of

Carmelita McAllister Takoma Park, MD

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Health Fitness &

Fitness & Health

MELLOW YELLOW

Studies suggest turmeric can relieve joint pain and inflammation; ask your doctor

BLOOD PRESSURE TIPS

OTC painkillers and decongestants can raise your blood pressure; seek alternatives

WHAT’S A LEAKY GUT?

Your genes, age or an unbalanced diet can cause issues with your intestines

SMOKER SCREEN

Men over 65 who do or have smoked should get screened for aneurysms

New technologies can keep food fresher

By Dee-Ann Durbin

Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help.

Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste.

Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell — more precisely than a label — when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy.

Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost — both in dollars and in environmental impact — has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. U.S. food waste startups raised $4.8 billion in 2021, 30% more than they raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste.

In 2019, around 35% of the 229 million tons of food available in the U.S. — worth around $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed.

Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas.

High-tech sensors, packaging

ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging.

Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe to consume depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening.

SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Birgen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet — made with food-safe materials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier.

Nashville, Tennessee-based hot-chicken chain Hattie B’s was skeptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when it’s catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers.

Brian Morris, Hattie B’s vice president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than $1 but ensures a better meal.

“When it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,” Morris said. “We don’t want the experience to go down the drain.”

But will consumers pay?

Cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers.

Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, ended its multiyear partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers weren’t willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel’s edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, thus extending the time that produce stays fresh.

Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives.

Kroger wouldn’t say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldn’t reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer.

But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology.

A complex problem

There is another big hurdle to coming up with innovations to preserve food: Every food product has its own biological makeup and handling requirements.

“There is no one major change that can improve the situation,” said Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department at Michigan State University’s school of agriculture.

Beaudry said the complexity has caused some projects to fail. He remembers working with one large packaging company on a container designed to prevent fungus in tomatoes. For the science to work, the tomatoes had to be screened for size and then oriented stem-up in each container. Eventually the project was scrapped.

Beaudry said it’s also hard to sort out which technology works best, since startups don’t always share data or formulations with outside researchers.

Some companies find it better to rely on proven technology — but in new ways. Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, which was founded in 2015, sells 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a gas that has been used for decades to delay the ripening process in fruit.

Who should buy new OTC hearing aids?

By Tom Murphy

It’s now a lot easier — and cheaper — for many hard-of-hearing Americans to get help.

Hearing aids can now be sold without a prescription from a specialist. Over-thecounter, or OTC, hearing aids started hitting the market in October at prices that can be thousands of dollars lower than prescription hearing aids.

About 30 million people in the United States deal with hearing loss, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But only about 20% of those who could use a hearing aid seek help.

Here’s a closer look:

Who might be helped

The FDA approved OTC hearing aids for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. That can include people who have

trouble hearing phone calls or who turn up the TV volume loud enough that others complain.

It also can include people who have trouble understanding group conversations in noisy places.

OTC hearing aids aren’t intended for people with deeper hearing loss, which may include those who have trouble hearing louder noises, like power tools and cars.

They also aren’t for people who lost their hearing suddenly or in just one ear, according to Sterling Sheffield, an audiologist who teaches at the University of Florida. Those people need to see a doctor.

Hearing tests

Before over-the-counter hearing aids were available, you usually needed to get your hearing tested and buy hearing aids

from a specialist. That’s no longer the case.

But it can be hard for people to gauge their own hearing. You can still opt to see a specialist just for that test, which is often covered by insurance, and then buy the aids on your own. Check your coverage before making an appointment.

There also are a number of apps and questionnaires available to determine whether you need help. Some over-thecounter sellers also provide a hearing assessment or online test. [See “Free online hearing tests to take at home,” in our November issue.]

Where to buy them

Several major retailers now offer OTC hearing aids online and on store shelves. Walgreens drugstores, for example, are selling Lexie Lumen hearing aids nation-

wide for $799. Walmart offers OTC hearing aids ranging from about $200 to $1,000 per pair. Its health centers will provide hearing tests.

The consumer electronics chain Best Buy has OTC hearing aids available online and in nearly 300 stores. The company also offers an online hearing assessment, and store employees are trained on the stages of hearing loss and how to fit the devices.

New devices will make up most of the OTC market as it develops, Sheffield said. Some may be hearing aids that previously required a prescription, ones that are only suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Overall, there are more than a dozen manufacturers making different models of

Turmeric might be beneficial for some

By Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.N.

Dear Mayo Clinic: I am a breast cancer survivor who still suffers from various aches and pains, including arthritis.

A friend told me that her arthritis pain improved after she started taking turmeric. Can you tell me more about this supplement? Is it something I can add into my diet to feel better?

[Ed. Note: Studies have shown that use of turmeric/curcumin decreases the effectiveness of some drugs used to treat breast cancer, including tamoxifen. Consult with your oncologist before taking any supplements.]

A : Turmeric is becoming a common spice in many home pantries, especially since people are hearing of its many purported health effects, including reducing inflammation.

Turmeric, which is a plant related to ginger, is grown in many Asian countries, as well as other tropical areas. It’s a major ingredient in curry powders — common in many Indian and Asian dishes — and is often used as a col-

oring for foods, fabrics and cosmetics.

The underground portions of the plant can be dried and made into capsules, tablets, extracts, powders or teas. Or they may be made into a paste to apply to the skin.

Turmeric’s main active component — curcumin — is what gives the spice its yellow color. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potential treatment for a number of health conditions — including pain, asthma and decreased movement in people with osteoarthritis.

Other research suggests that curcumin may reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In addition, it may lessen some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, such as joint swelling and morning stiffness.

Other areas of investigation include curcumin’s effect on Crohn’s disease, certain cancers, depression, diabetes, joint pain and irritable bowel syndrome.

There are various studies looking at the benefits of turmeric, including several that showed turmeric to be just as effec-

said. “It absolutely makes a difference.”

The role of consumers

The compound — considered non-toxic by the EPA — is typically pumped into sealed storage rooms to inhibit the production of ethylene, a plant hormone. But Hazel’s real breakthrough is a sachet the size of a sugar packet that can slowly release 1-MCP into a box of produce.

Mike Mazie, the facilities and storage manager at BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan, ordered around 3,000 sachets this year. He used them for surplus bins that couldn’t fit into the sealed rooms required for gas.

“If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn’t you?” he

The science is promising but it’s only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera, the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Most food waste happens at the residential level, she said. Lowering portion sizes, buying smaller quantities of food at a time, and improving the accuracy of date labels could have even more impact than technology.

“Overall, as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said.

Martha Irvine contributed from Belding, Michigan.

tive as ibuprofen for reducing inflammation, swelling and pain. However, more research is necessary to confirm these effects.

Some concerns about supplements

Although there are supplements available, the data is not conclusive, and supplements are not regulated.

Additionally, like many plants, it is not just one component that may have a beneficial effect. Non-curcumin compounds, such as turmerin, turmerone, elemene, furanodiene, curdione, bisacurone, cyclocurcumin, calebin A and germacrone, also have been shown in animals to possess anti-inflammatory properties.

When taken by mouth or applied to the skin, turmeric — and the curcumin it contains — appears to be generally safe when limited to less than 8 grams a day.

That said, different amounts often are recommended depending on the health con-

dition being addressed, and higher doses have been used for limited periods of time.

High doses or long-term use may cause gastrointestinal upset for some people — even damage to the liver.

Turmeric, or curcumin, may be a complementary therapy that is valuable for you. I would recommend that you discuss with your medical team using it as a complement to mainstream medical treatment.

You also should talk to your healthcare team about turmeric if you take an anticlotting medication or at any point require additional chemotherapy, as the supplement may interact with your medication.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org.

© 2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A screening former smokers should get

By Young Erben, M.D.

Dear Mayo Clinic: My 70-year-old father-in-law smoked for more than 30 years. I read that men who used to smoke should be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. What does this screening involve? What would be done if he is found to have an aneurysm?

A: Several factors can raise the risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm. One of the most significant is tobacco use. In addition to the direct damaging effects

BEACON BITS

WALKING CLUB

Ongoing

that smoking has on arteries, smoking contributes to the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries and high blood pressure. Smoking also can cause an aneurysm to grow faster by damaging the wall of the aorta.

Other risk factors include a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm, being male, and having atherosclerosis, which is a condition where fat and other substances build up in the lining of your blood vessels. The risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm also goes up with age.

Because of his history of smoking and

Walking is a great way to get outdoor exercise. Join others to walk around East Columbia Library. This free group meets every Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. For more information, call (410) 313-7700.

AVOID MEDICARE FRAUD/LUNCH SERVED

Mar. 31

Join the Senior Medicare Patrol at the Elkridge 50+ Center on Fri., March 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an interactive lunch and learn discussion to uncover ways to safeguard your sensitive information and detect and report Medicare fraud and abuse. Call (410) 313-5912 to secure your spot and complimentary lunch.

his age, you are correct that your fatherin-law should be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The screening that is recommended typically includes a physical exam and an ultrasound of the abdomen. Other imaging tests may be needed in some cases, too.

If an abdominal aortic aneurysm is found, treatment depends on the size of the aneurysm, its rate of growth, and whether it is causing any symptoms.

The aorta is a large blood vessel about the size of a garden hose that runs from your heart through the center of your chest and abdomen. Two types of aortic aneurysms can occur in the wall of the vessel.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta just above the area of your belly button that forms due to weakness in the blood vessel’s wall. A thoracic aneurysm also can occur along the part of the vessel that passes through the chest cavity.

The greatest risk of an aneurysm is that it may rupture. Because it provides the body with much of its blood supply, a rupture in the abdominal aorta can lead to lifethreatening internal bleeding.

Based on the various risk factors, many healthcare organizations, including Mayo Clinic, recommend that men 65 to 75 who are or were smokers get screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Men and women who have a family history of the disease may need to begin screening earlier. Some organizations recommend that screening begin at 55. Currently, the data to screen women with a previous smoking history is inconclusive.

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Most abdominal aortic aneurysms can be detected through a physical exam combined with an imaging test, such as an abdominal ultrasound.

Screening is important because in most cases aneurysms grow slowly and do not

BEACON BITS

Apr. 22

cause any noticeable signs or symptoms until they rupture.

Though rare, an abdominal aortic aneurysm that has not ruptured may trigger persistent back pain; deep, constant abdominal pain; or a pulsating feeling near the belly button.

Symptoms of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm include sudden back pain, abdominal pain or fainting. If your fatherin-law experiences any of these symptoms, it is critical that he receives emergency medical care right away.

If an aneurysm is found on a screening exam, surgery to repair the aneurysm typically is recommended if the aneurysm is 5.5 centimeters in size or larger, if it is growing rapidly, or if it causes pain or shows evidence of forming blood clots.

If an aneurysm is small, slow-growing and not causing any bothersome symptoms, a healthcare professional may recommend monitoring it regularly without immediate treatment.

Although having an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially serious health condition, the outlook is good when these aneurysms are identified early. Even large aneurysms often can be successfully repaired.

Encourage your father-in-law to schedule an appointment with his primary healthcare provider or a vascular specialist to be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

— Young Erben, M.D., Vascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org.

© 2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

NEIGHBOR RIDE BINGO FUNDRAISER

Join Neighbor Ride for its ninth annual bingo fundraiser on Sat., April 22, at 28332 Nine Mile Cir., Catonsville. Proceeds support the organization’s volunteer-driven transportation service that gives older adults the “wheels” to stay healthy, active and connected to the community. Doors open at 6 p.m.; games are at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at neighborride.org/event/bingo-2023 or via check mailed to 5570 Sterett Pl., Ste. 102, Columbia, MD, 21044. For more information, contact Coleen Dumais Konstanzer at (410) 884-7433.

Hearing aids

OTC hearing aids.

Shoppers should expect a lot of devices to enter and leave the market, said Catherine Palmer, a hearing expert at the University of Pittsburgh. “It will be quite a while before this settles down,” she said.

What to watch for

Look for an OTC label on the box. Hearing aids approved by the FDA for sale without a prescription must be labeled OTC.

That will help you distinguish OTC hearing aids from cheaper devices sometimes labeled sound or hearing amplifiers — called a personal sound amplification product or PSAP. While often marketed to seniors, these are designed to make sounds louder for people with normal hearing in certain environments, like hunting. And amplifiers don’t undergo FDA review.

“People really need to read the descriptions,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

And check the return policy. That’s important because people generally need a few weeks to get used to them, and make sure they work in the situations where they need them most. That may include on the phone or in noisy offices or restaurants.

Does the company selling OTC devices offer instructions or an app to assist with

setup, fit and sound adjustments? A specialist could help too, but expect to pay for that office visit, which is rarely covered by insurance.

Sheffield said hearing aids are not complicated, but wearing them also is not as simple as putting on a pair of reading glasses.

“If you’ve never tried or worn hearing aids, then you might need a little bit of help,” he said.

The cost

Most OTC hearing aids will cost between $500 and $1,500 for a pair, Sheffield said. He noted that some may run up to $3,000.

And it’s not a one-time expense. They may have to be replaced every five years or so. Hearing specialists say OTC prices could fall further as the market matures. But they already are generally cheaper than their prescription counterparts, which can run more than $5,000.

The bad news is insurance coverage of hearing aids is spotty. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer coverage of devices that need a prescription, but regular Medicare does not.

There are discounts out there, including some offered by Medicare Advantage insurer UnitedHealthcare in partnership with AARP.

Shoppers also can pay for the devices with money set aside in health savings ac-

counts or flexible spending accounts.

Don’t try to save money by buying just one hearing aid. People need to have the same level of hearing in both ears so they

Apr. 22

can figure out where a sound is coming from, according to the American Academy of Audiology.

Qs & As on blood pressure and leaky gut

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I already take two different blood pressure medicines, but my top number is still too high. I would like to bring it down without taking an additional drug. What can I do?

A: You may need to ramp up healthy habits to maximize their blood pressure lowering effects. Start by eating a plantbased diet that’s low in salt; aim for less than 2,400 milligrams of salt per day. You should also be getting at least seven

hours of sleep per night, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.

And if you’re not exercising much, it’s time to start. Exercise boosts cardiovascular health in many ways. And a small, randomized trial published in JAMA Cardiology suggests that aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart and lungs pumping) may be another effective treatment for hypertension that’s tough to control.

In the study, people who walked, cycled,

or both — for 40 minutes, three times per week, for 12 weeks — lowered their blood pressure by seven points in the top (systolic) number of their blood pressure measurement, and five points in the bottom (diastolic) number of the measurement, compared with people who didn’t exercise.

You may be taking an over-the-counter product or supplement that is raising your blood pressure. Bring your doctor a list of all the medications you are taking, or bring a bag with all the medication bottles.

Include over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements. The list, or bag, of medicines can help your doctor identify if any are contributing.

For example, taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) can raise blood pressure. So can decongestants (such as phenylephrine found in many cold medicines). Alternative medications or physical therapy to relieve arthritis pain can decrease or eliminate the need for NSAIDs.

If these strategies don’t reduce your blood pressure, your doctor may feel it’s necessary to prescribe more pills. But don’t despair. No matter what you are taking now, your doctor should be able to make affordable changes in your blood pressure medications to bring down your numbers.

Q: What is meant by a leaky gut

and why is it a problem?

A: It begins at the cellular level. The lining of the intestine is made of millions and millions of cells. These cells join together to create a tight barrier that acts like a security system and decides what gets absorbed into the bloodstream and what stays out.

However, when the gut becomes unhealthy, the lining can weaken, so “holes” develop in the barrier. The result is that toxins and bacteria can leak into the bloodstream.

This can trigger inflammation in the gut and throughout the body and cause a chain reaction of problems such as bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities, fatigue, headaches and joint pain, to name a few.

How do these “holes” form? Blame genes and diet. Some people may have a weaker barrier because they were born with it, or they follow an unbalanced diet low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fats, which may be the trigger that weakens the gut lining.

Age also plays a role since, as you age, cells get damaged more easily and heal slowly, if at all, so the gut becomes more vulnerable.

Some research suggests leaky gut is linked with a higher risk of autoimmune diseases (such as lupus and multiple scle-

A simple, more velvety sauce for pasta

By America’s Test Kitchen

The egg yolks in this dish create a velvety sauce that coats each and every piece of pasta. Heat from the pasta cooks the yolks so that they’re safe to eat, but you need to warm them up slowly or else they’ll curdle and turn into scrambled eggs.

To do it, add hot pasta-cooking water to the yolks, a little at a time. This gently raises the yolks’ temperature, cooking them. This technique is called “tempering,” and it also keeps the sauce smooth — save scrambled eggs for breakfast!

Creamy Egg-Sauce Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 quart water

2 large egg yolks

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (half an ounce), plus extra for serving

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Qs & As

From

rosis) or chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s difficult to measure the strength of a person’s gut barrier, so you can’t know for certain when a leaky gut is really present, or what influence it may have elsewhere in the body.

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

2½ cups (6 ounces) farfalle pasta

¾ teaspoon table salt

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to boil over high heat.

2. While water heats, in a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, Parmesan, garlic powder and mustard powder until well combined.

3. Add pasta and salt to boiling water. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Use a ladle to carefully transfer 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to a liquid measuring cup. Drain pasta in a colander. Return drained pasta to the now-empty saucepan.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of reserved cooking water to egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined. Repeat 2 more times with 2 more tablespoons of reserved cooking water, whisking thoroughly after each addition.

The best way to protect yourself from a leaky gut is to invest more in your overall digestive health. This means being more attentive about following a gut-healthy diet to help reduce inflammation, like limiting processed and high-sugar foods, and ingesting sufficient amounts of fiber.

© 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

6. Pour warm egg yolk mixture into a saucepan with pasta. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly for 30 seconds. Cover saucepan with lid and let pasta sit for 1 minute.

7. Remove lid and stir pasta constantly again until sauce thoroughly coats pasta and is thickened, about 30 seconds. If needed, add from the remaining cooking water until sauce is loosened slightly and coats pasta well.

Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

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, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.

© 2022 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Upcoming Programs for 55 Years + Recreation

& Parks

Adventure & Outdoors

• Info: Dawn Thomas, 410-313-1754 or dthomas@howardcountymd.gov or Matt Medicus, 410-313-1769 or mmedicus@howardcountymd.gov.

Encore Adventures Series

Dabble in a variety of outdoor skills. Try your hand at paddling a kayak, learning the basics of archery, fishing around Centennial Lake, and more. Earn a certificate and patch for completing at least five Encore Adventure activities within a two-year period. To see all of the current Encore Adventure Series offerings, visit tinyurl.com/HCRPEncoreAdventures.

Intro to Target Archery

Learn the basics, including equipment, safety and elements of shooting with our USA Archery-certified instructors.

55 yrs +Centennial Pk SouthClasses: 1

RP9171.301Apr 189:30-11:30amTu$39

Encore Adventures Kayaking Club

Learn kayak paddling strokes, how to read the water conditions, and practice safety techniques in this fun, social and safe environment. This club meets the paddling basics requirement for paddling trips.

55 yrs +Centennial Pk SouthDays: 6

RP9171.311Apr 208:30-10:30amTh$75

Crafts & Fine Arts

Stained Glass Workshops

This class is appropriate for all skill levels. Make a 6-8-piece stained glass hanging using the copper foil technique. Learn to score, cut, foil, and solder stained glass pieces into a finished hanging. Develop and practice skills needed to score and break glass. Supplies provided. Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

55 yrs +Instructor: Maureen StoneN Laurel CCClasses: 1

RP3536.301Apr 1811am-3pmTu$89

Digital Photography 101

Learn the elements and techniques that produce compelling photos, then practice your new skills while photographing Belmont’s historic manor and grounds. Digital camera required (DSLR or point-and-shoot with manual controls). Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

55 yrs +Instructor: John GuionBelmontClasses: 4

RP3521.301Apr 119:30-11:30amTu$95

Dance

• Info: Tessa Hurd , 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

Beginner Ballet for Active Aging Adults with Carol Asher

This adult beginner ballet dance class is filled with graceful and fluid movements that help build strength and flexibility while having fun. No equipment is needed. Come and enjoy this weekly class and socialize with members of the community.

55 yrs +Roger Carter CCClasses: 10

RP3508.301Apr 1212:30-1:30pmW$99

Beginner/Intermediate Soul Line Dance

Line up and learn the step-by-step choreography. Learn to improve balance, strength, endurance, and cognitive training while having fun.

55 yrs +Instructor: Jessie BarnesClasses: 8

RP3511.301N Laurel CCApr 116-7pmTu$79

RP3511.302Harriet Tubman CtrApr 1211am-noonW$79

Beginner Jazz for Active Aging Adults with Carol Asher

Incorporate rhythm and musicality while building strength. Jazz dance combines techniques of classical ballet and modern dance with current popular dance. Enjoy this class while listening to show tunes.

55 yrs +Roger Carter CCClasses: 10

RP3512.301Apr 1410-11amF$99

Fitness (55 yrs +)

• Info/Fitness Waiver: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

Mat Core and Strength with Taylor Williams, GFI

Blend classic Pilates exercises with yoga movements that focus on strength and flexibility using resistance bands and light dumbbells. This total body workout is designed to strengthen small muscles (triceps, shoulders, biceps, and calves) and large muscles (hamstrings, back and chest) leaving you with increased agility in everyday movements.

55 yrs +Cedar Lane Rec CtrClasses: 12

RP3586.301Apr 1711:30am-12:30pmM,W$89

NEW! Yoga for Bone Strength

with Kathy Greisman

Help stimulate your bone growth with gentle yoga movements. Join us in this class that helps to build strength, flexibility, stability and improve balance to reduce the risk of falls.

55 yrs +BelmontClasses: 12

RP3566.301Apr 1211:30am-12:30pmM,W$95

Zumba Gold with Lulu Sines, Zumba Gold Licensed

Zumba Gold introduces easy-to-follow Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion and coordination. Come ready to sweat and prepare to leave empowered. We focus on all elements of fitness: cardiovascular, muscular conditioning, flexibility, and balance. Zumba Gold is perfect for active older adults who are looking for a modified Zumba class that recreates the original moves you love at a lower intensity.

55 yrs +Kiwanis-Wallas HallClasses: 10No class 5/4 , 7/4

RP3595.301Apr 189-10amTu,Th$85

Lifelong Learning

• Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

The Platinum Spanish Club

Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture through entertainment and networking. The Platinum Club was designed to extend the joys of learning another language by focusing on applicable lessons such as practical vocabulary and real-world conversations that can be incorporated into your daily life. All levels of proficiency are welcome!

55 yrs +Instructor: Language & Cultural Club

Classes: 6No class 5/20

RP3503.301Roger Carter CCApr 206:30-7:30pmTh$120

RP3503.302Harriet Tubman CtrApr 2210-11amSa$120

Speaker Series

• Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

Famous Howard County Contemporaries:

Carrolls, Dorseys, Bannekers, and Ellicotts

The mid-18th century into the 19th century was a period of significant growth of industry in the Patapsco River Valley. The Ellicotts harnessed the Piedmont’s streams to power merchant grist mills, built local roads and surveyed the Federal Territory (Washington, D.C.).

55 yrs +Roger Carter CC

Instructor: M. Lee Preston Jr.Classes: 1

RP3506.301Apr 2510-11:30amTu $20

Sports & Leagues

• For info, visit www.hcrpsports.org.

• Sign up for the following programs has begun!

AquaticsFencingKickballSoftball

BadmintonField HockeyLacrosseTennis

BaseballFootballMartial ArtsVolleyball

BasketballGolf PickleballTher Rec

BilliardsGymnasticsRunning

CricketJump RopeSoccer

Therapeutic Recreation & Accommodation Services

• Info: Susan L. Potts, 410-313-4628 or spotts@howardcountymd.gov.

Therapeutic Aqua

This gentle exercise combines aquatic activities recommended for chronic illnesses such as arthritis, MS, fibromyalgia, and Parkinson’s, or anyone who has been challenged by an injury. Maintain and improve balance, endurance, range of motion, strength, and flexibility while having fun. Swim experience is not necessary, but participants should be able to recover to a standing position if they slip, and some splashing occurs. Laced water shoes are highly recommended for class.

40 yrs + Roger Carter CC Classes: 9No class 5/29

RP4318.301Apr 1010:15-11:15amM$90

RP4318.302Apr 1210:15-11:15amW$90

RP4318.303Apr 1410:15-11:15amF$90

• Info: Tracy Adkins, 410-313-7279 or tadkins@howardcountymd.gov.

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

The Hirshhorn shares the power of modern and contemporary art by creating meaningful experiences through art, artists and audiences. Through groundbreaking exhibitions, events, research, and acquisitions, the Smithsonian creates a space where people encounter the most important artists of the 21st century! Lunch on your own at the onsite Dolcezza Café.

21 yrs +Bus provided

RP4580.301Apr 69:30am-4:30pmTh$75

Scan the QR code or visit tinyurl.com/hcrptrips for more trips & tours!

Make your wishes known with an advance care plan

Volume 13, No. 4 • April 2023

Advance care planning is one of the most important discussions you can have with your family. It always seems too early, until it’s too late. Advance care planning is the process of discussing values and goals of care, determining treatment directives and appointing someone to speak for you when you cannot speak for yourself.

An advance directive is a legal document that identifies who can make medical decisions for you, if you are not able to express what you want for yourself, and it outlines what medical treatments you want or do not want. On April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day, all Americans are encouraged to take the steps to ensure their future healthcare choices are known and protected. The annual observance reminds us it is important to make these decisions known, regardless of your age or current health. There are many ways to create an advance directive, from utilizing a free trusted online resource to working with an elder law attorney. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General offers a free download on its website, “Maryland Advance Directive: Planning for Future Health Care Decisions.” To complete an advance directive entirely online, visit https://speakeasyhoward.org. Completed directives can be uploaded to the SpeakEasy Howard website, or you can contact the advance planning coordinator at Howard County General Hospital to have the document uploaded to your medical record.

Maryland Access Point, the information and referral arm of the Office on Aging and Independence, also offers resources to help you make health care choices in advance. Contact a MAP specialist at 410-313-1234 (voice/ relay) for assistance to complete a Maryland Advance Directive form. MAP can also provide a list of elder law attorneys in Howard County if you need legal advice for end-of-life planning and other issues.

Another available resource is, “Five Wishes,” a booklet that guides you to answer questions which address your personal, spiritual, medical, and legal wishes in one document. Once complete, Five Wishes serves as a legal document and your family or caregiver will know exactly what you want, so they don't have to guess. It is available to complete digitally at https://fivewishes.org/.

A message from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball

Every April, we celebrate Occupational Therapy Month to honor the occupational therapists (OTs) who make a meaningful difference in the lives of Howard County residents. When an illness, accident or normal aging affects a person’s ability to do what they want to do, OTs serve as a bridge during the transition from a medical setting back to the community. The 2023 theme, “Occupational Therapy Brings Possibilities to Life,” reflects the life-changing impact OTs can have on an individual’s ability to complete activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and eating.

For more than 30 years, OTs and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) throughout the Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) have supported healthy aging for Howard County residents, designing strategies to tackle everyday living tasks and customizing home environments to increase safety and maximize the potential for independence. There are several programs which address these needs.

OAI’s Community Living Program provides resources and referrals for home modifications as well as recommendations for home safety improvements. The Loan Closet of Howard County provides adaptive devices and durable medical equipment at no charge to Howard County residents; OTs on staff can assess an individual’s needs, suggest appropriate adaptive equipment, provide instruction on its use, and connect them to other community services. Finally, the Connections Social Day program at the Ellicott City 50+ Center provides a therapeutic and stimulating environment for older adults who are less independent and would benefit from a more structured setting, offering respite to family members.

To find out more about OAI’s support programs, contact Maryland Access Point at 410-313-1234. The Loan Closet can be reached at 410-313-0363.

MAP staff will distribute a limited number of Five Wishes hard copies (a $5 value) in multiple languages, on a first-come, first-served basis at the following locations:

• April 14, 10:00 a.m. to noon, North Laurel 50+ Center (available in English and Spanish)

• April 17, 10:00 a.m. to noon, Glenwood 50+ Center (available in English and Spanish)

• April 18, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., Ellicott City 50+ Center, (available at the Asian American Forum in Korean, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog and Hindi)

No matter what method you choose to complete the document, make sure copies of your advance directive are given to all medical providers and involved family members.

Astronomy Series Part 1: Models of the Solar System

BAIN 50+ CENTER

April 11, 11:00 a.m. (A01620.300)

Cosmic storyteller, Bob Savoy, describes our solar system – the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Learn which planets can be seen by the naked eye (without a telescope or binoculars). Free. Register on ActiveNet.

BroadwayDance Class

GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER

April 19, 10:00 a.m. (A03412.301)

Learn about the style and work of iconic choreographer Bob Fosse. Explore his unique style and how it influenced a body of workthat includes many Broadway standouts. Register on ActiveNet.

Celebrate Earth Day 2023

EAST COLUMBIA 50+ CENTER

April 21, 10 a.m. to noon (A04602.300)

Gather empty plastic water bottles and newspaper sleeves and join ustocrea te “coral” forthe2023CoralReefEncounter whichwillbe

us to create coral for the 2023 Coral Reef Encounter, which will be installed at the Jeffers Hill pool July 22 – 23. Free milkweed seeds and treats for all! Register on Activenet or call 410-313-7680.

Cancer Prevention Presentation

ELKRIDGE 50+ CENTER

April 20, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, will host an educational session about cancer prevention (breast, lung, prostate and colon). Free. Call 410-313-5192 to reserve your space.

Writing THA

AT T Memoir

ELLICOTT CITY 50+ CENTER

Wednesdays,April 5 – May 10, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (A02926.301)

Otts Laupus, retired To o wson University and John Hopkins Osher Lifelong Learning educator, will lead you through the process of recalling your life events and structuring them into a narrative (story) form.Cost:$64/six sessions.Register on ActiveNet.

Healthcare Decisions Day

NORTH LAUREL 50+ CENTER

April 14,  10 a.m. to noon

The Maryland Insurance Commission & Maryland Access Point (MAP) will answer questions about advance care planning, advance directives and living wills so that you can express your wishes regarding healthcare to your family and providers. Free. Sign up at the front desk.

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Money Law &

High interest rates are good for one thing: a higher return on your savings.

Today’s best conservative investments

Many readers have indicated they are concerned about future returns on both stock and bond investments. Returns for both markets overall were poor in 2022, and many analysts are not enthusiastic about returns in 2023.

What are the alternatives for conservative investments this year? Because the Federal Reserve is likely to continue raising interest rates in 2023, albeit at a more moderate pace than it did in 2022, several options look more attractive. Here are a few:

are returning over 4% on a 30-day basis. Other financial organizations are offering similar rates.

There is no guarantee that the returns will stay at the current level, but as long as inflation persists, and the Fed continues to increase interest rates, it is likely that returns will stay at current levels.

THE SAVINGS GAME

By Elliot Raphaelson

Money-market investments

Not long ago, returns on these instruments were well below 1%. That situation has changed significantly, and brokerage firms and mutual funds are now offering money market investments at much higher rates.

For example, I recently invested in federal money market funds at Vanguard that

When you buy money-market funds, you have the flexibility to withdraw funds whenever you wish. And if you invest with a major financial institution, there is minimal risk to your principal.

There is no such guarantee with investment in bond funds, even those with short maturities. Most of these funds showed losses to capital in 2022.

Treasury bills/notes

T-bill returns have also increased significantly in 2022. As of February 2023, you can obtain a coupon equivalent return of

4.84% for 6-month bills and one-year bills. Return for two-year treasury notes is 5.07%.

The interest is not taxable at state and local levels. Return of your principal is guaranteed.

Certificates of deposit (CDs)

Just as rates have increased for moneymarket instruments and T-bills, returns on CDs have also increased significantly. In February 2023, for example, one-year CDs had returns as high as 4.5%. For two years, rates were as high as 4.85%.

Multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs)

If you are willing to invest for more than three years, you can obtain higher returns from MYGAs than from CDs, with the same maturities. For example, for five-year maturities you can currently receive a return that exceeds 5%. [Note also that interest earned on CDs will be taxed every year, while returns from MYGAs are tax-deferred until withdrawn.]

Although you can purchase MYGAs for

longer periods, in a rising interest rate environment, you may want to restrict your time frame to no longer than five years, even though you can obtain a slightly higher interest rate for longer maturities.

There are surrender charges if you decide to withdraw the funds prior to the end of the specified contract period. However, even during the surrender charge time period, most MYGAs allow you to take some money out without penalty. Terms vary, and it is important for you to understand them.

MYGAs are insured by state guaranty funds, not by the FDIC. Make sure your MYGA is issued by a quality carrier.

If you are interested in MYGAs, I recommend you consult with Stan Haithcock (stantheannuityman.com), an annuity expert who can explain the pros and cons of investing in MYGAs. I have worked with Haithcock for many years. He only recommends MYGAs consistent with investor objectives.

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

© 2023 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

How to create your retirement glide path

By Liz Weston

In investing terms, a “glide path” describes how a mix of investments changes over time. Typically, the mix gets more conservative — with fewer stocks and more bonds, for example — as the investor approaches a goal such as retirement.

You also can create a glide path into retirement by making gradual changes in your working and personal life in the months or years before you plan to quit work.

Retirement can be a jarring transition, especially if you haven’t set up ways to replace the structure, sense of purpose and socializing opportunities that work can bring, said financial coach Saundra Davis, executive director of Sage Financial Solutions, a nonprofit financial education and planning organization in San Francisco.

“People are excited to leave (work), but then once they leave, they feel that pressure of ‘How do I define myself?’” Davis said. “Am I important now that I’m no longer in the workforce?”

What do you want your life to look like?

Davis suggests people start by thinking about what they want from retirement. That could mean visualizing your ideal day: where you’re living, what you’re doing, who you’re spending time with.

Free tools such as YearCompass and Unravel Your Year can help you identify what “sparks joy” for you and what you want more of in your life, Davis said. These tools allow you to reflect on your recent past and plan for the future.

“What are the things that have been calling you? What gives you energy?” Davis asked.

Your ideal retirement may well face roadblocks: a lack of money, ill health or the need to provide care for someone else, for example. But understanding what you really want from this phase of your life can help you figure out ways to get what’s most important, she said.

“Just because you might have some limitations, either physical or emotional or fi-

nancial, don’t assume that that counts you out,” Davis said.

Discuss your vision of retirement with your spouse or partner to “see if you’re on the same page,” said David John, senior strategic policy adviser for the AARP Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. Your significant other may have different ideas about when to retire, where to live and what they want to do with their time, and those should be discussed before either of you quits work, John recommended.

“We tend to assume that people agree with us when we haven’t had a formal discussion about something, and that can prove to be a mistake,” John said.

What role will work play in your retirement?

Some employers have “phased retirement” programs that allow people to cut back to part-time work while retaining a paycheck and benefits.

Other companies don’t have formal plans but may be willing to accommodate

an employee who asks, particularly if the worker is a high performer, said Joe Casey, a retirement and executive coach in Princeton, New Jersey, and the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

Phased plans give employers time to look for a successor while allowing workers to ease into retirement, said Melissa Shaw, a wealth management adviser for financial services firm TIAA in Palo Alto, California.

“They still have more freedom to start to enjoy and plan for the next phase,” Shaw said. “It’s a good way to transition.”

If phased retirement isn’t an option, a part-time job or consulting work can help people keep a foot in the work world while they shape their post-work life, Shaw adds.

How will you stay connected and sharp?

Loneliness doesn’t just diminish the quality of your days — it also can diminish

© KARIN HILDEBRAND LAU | DREAMSTIME.COM

Beware scammers impersonating banks

By Ben Demers

Consumer scams are getting more and more creative with every year that goes by. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that consumers lost more than $5.8 billion to fraudsters in 2021, an increase of more than 70% over the previous year. And the data for 2022 is expected to be even higher when it’s released, as criminals experiment with more intricate and inventive scams.

One of the latest technology-aided gambits involves scammers contacting you, pretending to be your bank, in order to steal sensitive data and take over your accounts. So how do these scams work, and how can you protect yourself?

How they work

The Detroit Free Press reported on a recent surge in scammers targeting checking accounts and bank accounts, particularly during the last holiday shopping rush. The latest trend is to impersonate or “spoof” bank fraud departments.

Scammers and criminal gangs reach out

Glide path

From page 14

the quantity. Social isolation and loneliness significantly increase someone’s odds of premature death, and are associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia as well as higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many people underestimate the social connections that work provides, Davis said. They also may not anticipate how much their social circles can shrink over time as people move away or die.

Davis recommends making friends of different generations to counteract that

to potential victims via fake text messages, phishing emails, or telephone calls — both live and pre-recorded.

Criminal gangs usually already have some of their intended victim’s personal details, often gained through a data breach, which they use to convince you they really are from your bank.

Once they’ve successfully impersonated the victim’s bank, scammers hope to confuse their mark into believing fictional stories about crooks hacking into their bank accounts.

The scammer tries to convince you to reveal personal information or to click on fraudulent links to help “stop the crooks” when, in actuality, the scammer’s true goal is to take over your bank account themselves.

Ignore requests to use apps

Scammers use these fake, urgent warnings to panic you into acting before you have time to think, according to the FTC. This “fight or flight” feeling is what helps scammers achieve their goals — and it

trend. Hobbies and volunteering are among the ways to find prospective friendships, she said.

But it can also help to find friends or mentors among people who have retired, Shaw said. Senior centers, gyms, social connection sites like Meetup and the AARP Foundation’s Connect2Affect service are other ways to find potential social contacts.

“Having others around you who have experienced retirement and who can provide support and tips and share ideas is extremely valuable,” Shaw said.

Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet. She is a certified financial planner and author of five money books, including Your Credit Score. —AP/NerdWallet

usually succeeds unless potential victims understand how to protect themselves.

The American Bankers Association reports that scammers also attempt intricate phishing attempts to trick consumers into using person-to-person payment apps to transfer money to the crooks, under the guise of a legitimate business or someone you trust.

PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and Zelle are the preferred money-transfer apps for scammers. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), consumers lost $130 million in 2021 by mistakenly sending money to scammers via these payment apps or similar services.

How to protect yourself

To guard against these types of scams, follow a few cardinal rules from the CFPB:

• Never trust Caller ID [which can be easily spoofed], especially when a caller asks you for private information. Banks will never call and ask you for that info over the phone to avoid this exact scenario.

• Worried that a call or message is fake?

Don’t use the number provided by the caller. Instead, reach out to your bank or credit card company directly via their mobile app or via their official phone number, which is usually located on bank statements and on the back of your credit or debit card.

• Never share passwords or numbers for Social Security, credit cards or bank accounts.

• Never send money to someone you don’t know [especially using a payment app]. If you think you sent money to a scammer, contact your bank or the payment app operator you used to report a potential mistake and hopefully recover your funds.

• Put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry to avoid robocalls from scammers. Go to donotcall.gov or call 1888-382-1222.

• Submit complaints about scammers and fraudulent activities to consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

© 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Patagonia’s spectacular hidden wonders

By Don Mankin

As I guided my kayak through a narrow, twisting marble cave, I marveled at the swirls of turquoise-colored rock.

Although it was only my second day in the Aysén region of Patagonia — the remote, breathtakingly beautiful region that has inspired dreamers, adventurers and entrepreneurs for over a century — I understood why they came and why so many of them stayed.

I have traveled to the southern tip of Patagonia several times — to explore Torres del Paine National Park, to cruise through the Strait of Magellan and to Antarctica, and to stand in a blasting wind on Cape Horn. But the Aysén region, located in Chile’s southernmost third, is even more remote and beautiful.

To quote famed wilderness photographer, Linde Waidhofer, this is the “Unknown Patagonia” — the region that few know about and even fewer have visited. It’s that very “unknownness” that inspired me to visit the region and experience it for myself. This region was essentially inaccessible until 1995, when the Carretera Austral, the

Southern Highway, was completed. From Puerto Montt in the north to Villa O’Higgins in the south, this almost 800-mile highway passes through some of the most magnificent scenery on earth.

After a night in Coyhaique, a one-hour drive from Balmaceda, the only airport in the region, my wife and I headed south to the lodge where we’d be staying. It’s tucked into a protected cove on the southern edge of the massive General Carrera Lake, the second largest lake in South America after Lake Titicaca.

It’s not an easy drive. Most of it is on an uneven two-lane gravel highway studded with bone-jarring potholes. Fortunately, we had an experienced local driver who was unfazed by the challenge, so I was free to gawk at the wall of mountains looming like sentries over the broad river valley and the broken clouds wrapped around pointy peaks.

Purple lupines lined the road, adding a touch of color to the monochromatic scene. The scenery got even better when we reached the lake.

Now we were looking at jagged peaks and glaciers across a wide expanse of turquoise-hued water. As the day wound down, the grey massifs across the lake glowed orange in the rays of the setting sun.

Lodge with a view

We stayed in the familyowned Mallin Colorado Ecolodge, a serene, peaceful place with outstanding views of General Carrera Lake and surrounding mountains.

Eduardo Christensen and Maria Arteaga, parents of seven, purchased the property decades ago to serve as a family retreat. Eduardo, a professional agronomist, cleared the overgrown weeds that blocked views of the lake, planted trees and, with help from other family members, designed and constructed all the build-

ings on the property.

In the early 2000s, the family converted the property into a thriving business, renting rooms to adventuresome tourists. We easily could have spent our four days at the lodge sitting on the porch outside our room, gazing at the panorama before us, but there was much more to see.

My favorite activity of our stay was the three-hour kayak to, around, and through the Marble Cathedral, Chapel and Cave — graceful, colorful, layered marble formations jutting out of the lake.

We also visited the dramatic confluence of the Baker and Nef rivers, where the waters, jade-colored from glacial silt, roared over rocks and falls.

Contemplative visits

Later that day, we toured a misty, drizzly Patagonia National Park. Free-roaming guanacos (a distant cousin to the camel and llama) nibbled on the grass surrounding the tiny cemetery where conservationist Doug Tompkins, the founder of the clothing companies Esprit and North Face, is buried.

Tompkins, who helped establish several national parks in Chile and Argentina, died from hypothermia on an ill-fated kayaking trip in 2015 on the very lake we gazed at

every day.

On our last full day, we visited Puerto Guadal, just a few miles away. Sometimes referred to as the “pearl of the lake,” this small village features great weather and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

My favorite stop in the village was the small cemetery. This may sound morbid, but I love visiting cemeteries in foreign countries, especially in far-flung corners of the world. Each grave, often decorated with moving displays of grief and love, tells a story of a person, of their family, of the community and culture of which they were part.

I try to imagine their lives in a place and era much different than my own. Where did they come from, how did they live, how did they die?

The view from its cemetery is impressive, but it gets even better a couple of miles down the road with a full-on vista of the lake. The jagged peaks and glaciers of the southern ice fields loom over the scene.

If we had another day, we would have hiked four hours over the ridge behind the lodge to the best viewpoint to contemplate the ice fields in all their vast, gleaming glory.

Over the centuries, water has eroded the calcium carbonate cliffs on the edge of Chile’s General Carrera Lake, leaving twisted marble caves for kayakers to navigate. Patagonia’s ice-blue glaciers, turquoise lakes and chalky mountains enchant travelers to this distant land, located at the southern end of South America.

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

Rick Steves encourages travelers to see masterpieces in person. See why on facing page.

The author’s wife, Katherine Mankin, hikes in the rainforest surrounding the resort where they stayed. Older travelers may find travel to Patagonia a bit easier with a touring company that arranges transportation and appropriate lodging.

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICK STEVES’ EUROPE

Coming to appreciate Europe’s great art

By Rick Steves

To see great art is a joy. And to see it, while traveling, “in situ” — both physically (where it was meant to be seen) and historically (to understand the context in which it was made) — makes the experience richer yet.

I haven’t always loved art history. As a teenager, I struggled doggedly through Kenneth Clark’s epic art series, Civilisation. “Brilliant work,” I thought, “but let’s lighten up.”

And I remember, back in my college days, flipping through a course catalog with dorm friends and playing “name the most boring class of all.” My vote: Art History.

A few inspiring professors — and perspective-broadening trips — later, I had changed my tune. I’ve learned to recognize the value of great art as a window into the culture and people we travel so far to experience and understand.

As a travel writer and tour guide, I’ve spent the last 40 years teaching art history in the most wonderful classrooms imaginable: Europe’s great galleries, palaces, cathedrals and museums.

Through those years, just as some gain an appreciation of fine wine, I’ve gained an appreciation of artistic genius — and the times and places where that genius flourished.

It’s great travel to look at a Fra Angelico fresco at his monastery in Florence and understand why, for this monk-artist,

painting was a form of prayer, and that he couldn’t paint a crucifix without weeping.

It’s great travel to gaze upon an Albrecht Dürer self-portrait brimming with humanistic pride (at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich) and marvel at how, with his etchings and the new-fangled printing press, he was Europe’s first “best-selling” artist.

It’s great travel to stand before a Vermeer painting at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and let it capture tranquility so intimately that you can almost hear the trickle of milk as the maid pours it.

To visit one of Europe’s venerable music halls and realize how Baroque music — Bach with his interwoven melodies, Scarlatti with his trills — can be “Bernini for your ears” and is best played with ruffles on your sleeves.

And to circle the sun-dappled Musée de l’Orangerie gallery in Paris and look way too closely at Monet’s messy brushwork — a seemingly abstract collage of competing colors — then zoom out and, bam, to suddenly understand the genius of his Water Lilies

Domes through the ages

On Scotland’s Orkney Islands, I lowered my head — as people have for 5,000 years — to squeeze through a tunnel before standing tall in a Stone Age tomb. Under that rock ceiling, I was reminded that the progress of Western civilization can be

tracked by art and architecture — in this case the evolution of ever-grander domes.

That progress started about 1,300 BCE with a Bronze Age tomb constructed like a

stone igloo, with stones fitted together like the “beehive” tomb I visited in Mycenae, Greece.

Hiking in a humid rainforest

From the Mallin Colorado Ecolodge, we headed north, back to where we started, and beyond.

As we drove, the scenery changed dramatically. If the southern portion of the Carretera Austral highway reminded me of the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the northern portion looked more like Southeast Alaska and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State (without the bears and poisonous snakes).

In the humid north close to the ocean, the mountains are covered with trees, which cling to sheer rocks with their roots like the fingers of desperate climbers. The lush, vertical forest was shrouded in clouds and mist.

Our destination in the north was the Hotel Termas de Puyuhuapi, on the edge of a Pacific fjord, reachable only by boat.

The main attraction of this posh hotel and spa are the thermal baths and pools, most of them outdoors overlooking the fjord. The hotel is also surrounded by thick, dripping rainforest.

On our one full day at the hotel, we hiked for an hour or so through the rainforest, working up a grand sweat in the humidity, then soaked in a secluded bath on the bank of the fjord. Since most of the other guests were off on an excursion across the fjord, we had the bath entirely to ourselves.

The Hanging Glacier

It’s hard to imagine that the trip could get any better, but it did. On our last full day, we stopped in Queulat National Park to see the famed Hanging Glacier — a wall of ice “hanging” between two slopes on the edge of a precipice.

After an easy two-mile trail through the forest and across a footbridge suspended over a roaring river, we reached a large

lake. We could see the hanging glacier across the lake, spanning two slopes and feeding a long narrow waterfall.

Through the telescopic lens of my camera, I could see chunks of ice tumbling from the glacier and splashing into the waterfall. In a trip that featured one spectacular vista after another, this was perhaps the best, especially when we cruised across the lake in a Zodiac for an even closer look.

In many ways this was the ultimate road trip — a journey through a pristine corner of a remote country where the air is fresh and sweet, the vistas are wide and far, and the roads are largely empty.

If I were younger, I would have loved doing this road trip myself, stopping for the night in funky hostels and guest houses. Now I am happy to have someone else do the planning (and driving) and to stay in luxury spas, boutique hotels and secluded lodges, so I can just sit back and enjoy the spectacular views.

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If you go

Round-trip airfare from BWI to Santiago, Chile, can be as low as $784. From Santiago to Balmaceda, the round-trip fare is about $200.

As for the other details, I strongly recommend letting a tour company like Adventure Life (adventure-life.com) organize everything for you, including the lodges, hotels and especially the driver.

Don and Katherine’s trip was hosted by Adventure Life. For more photos and information go to the blog on Don’s website, adventuretransformations.com.

Europe’s art

From page 17

Then, in Rome, I dropped my jaw under the dome of the Pantheon, built 1,400 years later and still wowing travelers with the magnificence and splendor of ancient Rome at its zenith.

Two hours away by train, and about 1,400 years later again, I gazed up at Brunelleschi’s mighty cathedral dome towering high above Florence. It was so beloved by the citizens that when Michelangelo set out to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he said he would build a dome “bigger but not more beautiful” than its sister in Florence.

Some 500 years later, summiting St. Peter’s, I stood where sunbeams enter the grandest church in Christendom and marveled at how a Renaissance superstar could glorify God and celebrate humanism at the same time.

Art takes us back to experience it as if we lived when it was created. To be filled with wonder: like a prehistoric hunter with a torch under a dome of bison. Or like a medieval peasant, stepping from an existence of hunger, shivering and fear into a church, to be surrounded by riches and the promise of a happy eternity.

To thrill at the appearance of a gothic spire on the horizon, as if a pilgrim who’s hiked a thousand miles to get there. To really believe that a “divine monarch” was ordained by God to rule without question, and then to be wowed by giant murals of his triumphs and his halls of mirrors slathered in gold leaf.

To understand why the great surrealist Salvador Dalí said, “I am the drug.”

Art transports us to other cultures and other times. It shows us both our foibles and our potential for greatness. It helps a society’s culture sparkle. And, of course, it gives us something to savor — exquisite beauty.

Travel writer and television host Rick Steves recently finished a two-year-long project — producing a six-hour public television miniseries called “Rick Steves Art of Europe” — that aims to make art accessible, meaningful and fun. This article was inspired by that series.

Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. You can email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.

© 2022 Rick Steves. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

PHOTO BY BILL HART

Teaching brings joy to poet, art instructor

By Tara Prakash

“When I teach poetry, I get more energy after the class than when I began. It’s the opposite of being drained — it’s being hydrated,” said Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri.

At age 91, Cavalieri is passionate about teaching poetry to students at different universities and schools across the country. “Younger generations are where the energy is,” she said.

Cavalieri is the author of 26 books of poetry and fiction and 26 produced plays. She founded the public radio series “The Poet and the Poem” in 1977, a podcast in which she talks with some of the country’s leading poets.

Named Poet Laureate of Maryland in 2018, Cavalieri is still broadcasting, teaching, writing and publishing. She said the poet laureate position “gave [her] a new key to the door, so [she] could access more people.”

Cavalieri also co-founded the Washington Writers’ Publishing House in 1975, a nonprofit that has published more than 50 volumes of poetry and holds annual writing contests for writers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Cavalieri has also been able to expose younger generations to her work through social media. She regularly posts her poetry and art to more than 130 followers on Instagram, where younger people can view, engage with, and learn from her work. Cavalieri also leads a women’s writing group, where members share and collaborate on their poems.

“I believe poets are born wired a certain way, to see the world a certain way through language,” Cavalieri said. She said mentoring young writers is vital. “If we do not pass on what we’ve experienced, civilization is at risk. You want the next generation to be the ones to hold the record up from the mud, because language is the way that we achieve knowledge and civility.”

Teaching at the heart of her art

Like Cavalieri, artist Sue Bikoff also derives energy from teaching art to younger generations.

Founder of Artwork Studio B, located in McLean, Virginia, Bikoff, 66, holds weekly art classes for kids five and older. A retired elementary school art teacher, Bikoff said

from the University of Iowa, which inspired her career as an artist and teacher.

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Grace Cavalieri, Maryland’s 10th Poet Laureate, lives in Annapolis.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN SQUIRE PUBLISHING

Both men and women participate in battle re-enactments. Our cover story continues on page 20.

War reenactors

From page 1

based on well-documented contemporaneous or historical information.

The Civil War is one of the best-documented conflicts in existence. Regiments practice drills ahead of time so reenactors can learn their roles.

Other gatherings are known as “living history” events, which primarily serve to educate the public about the lives and lifestyles of the people of a given period. These include craft and cooking demonstrations, and leisure activities like period baseball.

“I really wasn’t interested in the Civil War until I moved to Maryland about 15 years ago,” said Erik Schwetje, a Frederick resident who does both Civil War and Revolutionary War reenactments.

“I just realized how right in the heart of the Civil War…here in Maryland we were. I wanted to know what it was like — the soldier’s experience, to be in the field, the whole nine yards.”

Many of today’s reenactors are history buffs. Around the campfire in the evenings they tell stories based from the relevant time period — but also talk about more recent history, like previous events that were fun or memorable or both.

Some sing songs and play music, too, particularly drums and fifes, which were used as signals during battle because not

much else could be heard through the commotion.

“I just love the immersion into the Civil War for two straight days,” Schwetje said. “We wind up talking about books we’ve read and movies about the war. It’s great information sharing, but it’s mostly the friendships that keep me coming back.”

A family tradition for some

It isn’t uncommon for people to get involved in what’s called “the hobby” due to family members’ interests. A few even choose to join specific regiments their ancestors belonged to.

“I was pulled into reenacting because my husband was reenacting, and his dad was reenacting, and his grandfather was reenacting,” said Baltimore County resident Amanda White, a member of the First Maryland Regiment, a Revolutionary War group. “And now my children [ages 9 and 7] are reenacting as well.” White’s 89year-old grandfather, John White, has been bringing his family to reenactments since shortly before the American Revolution Bicentennial in 1976.

Eventually, White started his own business selling goods to reenactors. These purveyors of period goods are called sutlers, “a term that was used for guys who had a wagon and went out and sold goods to the soldiers: canned oysters, pies, pieces of uniform, buttons, whatever,” Hart explained. Today’s sutlers also sell

souvenirs like coffee cups, flags, hats and T-shirts.

Annapolis resident Dawn Giovannini initially attended Civil War-era events to mind her young stepson while her husband was on the battlefield. She made herself a period-appropriate dress and joined other women as a “camp follower.”

Later, when her stepson was old enough to be on the battlefield as a bugler, Giovannini found herself “sitting in camp, in layers of cotton in the heat, cooking over a campfire while all the men are out, and they’re coming back…with huge grins on their faces,” she recalled. “What’s wrong with this picture?” Giovannini asked herself.

Giovannini then read the book They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War, a historical account of hundreds of women who adopted male personas and fought as soldiers.

Deciding to follow their lead as a reenactor, she began going out in uniform with the men. “It’s much easier to wear pants than a dress in camp,” Giovannini said with a chuckle.

Before the ban on women in combat was lifted in 2015, Giovanni would listen to talking heads debating “about women not [being] fit for combat. And I’m sitting here in a Civil War uniform going, ‘Um, I beg to differ. They did it…150 years ago; they did it successfully.’” Giovannini enjoys sharing this lesser-known piece of history with the

kids at the educational events where her regiment participates.

It’s not exactly a cheap hobby, however. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own uniforms and battle gear. Fortunately, items ranging from axes to shoe horns and all types of uniforms (from vintage to replicas) are available online.

Assembling a “kit,” a uniform and accessories, can cost about $1,000. But beginners usually can borrow items from seasoned re-enactors to give it a try before going all in.

Why do reenactors step out of the 21st century for a weekend to don period clothing, sleep in un-airconditioned tents and cook over an open fire?

“It’s fun to be an amateur historian,” White explained. “It’s a nice hobby for any age… from the little itty bitties to our older generation.”

For more information about local reenacting groups, visit 7thmaryland.com (for Civil War-era reenacting) and 1mr.org (for Revolutionary War-era reenacting).

Members of the public can observe a Revolutionary War reenactment in October, including living history presentations and craft demonstrations; see mountharmon.org. To learn about the 160th Battle of Gettysburg Anniversary reenactment event, visit gbpa.org.

Ed. Note: Bill Hart is the author’s fatherin-law.

page 19

Bikoff’s passion for art began at a young age. “When I didn’t have paints, I’d take my father’s shoe polish and paint with it,” she remembered. She believes she “sees things differently as an artist.”

One of Bikoff’s biggest joys is watching her students go through a period of doubt during a project and then overcome that struggle to create an incredible piece. She finds that some of the best art comes with much labor and frustration.

In addition to a more developed toolkit of skills, Bikoff hopes to cultivate in students a deep, long-lasting love of art. “My biggest joy is seeing art come into my stu-

dents’ lives,” Bikoff said.

For example, one of Bikoff’s longtime students recently created a curriculum to teach art to underprivileged girls in the Dominican Republic (DR).

The student approached her for ideas, and together they crafted a week-long curriculum for a camp for more than one hundred girls, who painted a group mural. These are the kinds of ways Bikoff believes art can connect and unify people.

“I love seeing the vibrant work that’s done, but my main goal is instilling in students a respect and appreciation for art and aesthetics,” Bikoff said. “That’s what you’re going to live with.”

BEACON BITS

Apr. 12

Visit the Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House for this deep dive into the works of 12 widely recognized African American women artists. L. Ann Benjamin, a docent at the Baltimore Museum of Art, will lead you through the works exploring themes of beauty, self-identity, resilience, determination, motherhood and culture. The lecture is on Wed., April 12, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at 10400 Cross Fox Ln., Columbia. This event is free, but you must register by emailing events@wildelake.org. For more information, contact Lisa Kim at (410) 730-3987

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY

PAYING CASH FOR MERCHANDISE

FROM

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

To

Scrabble answers on p. 21.

Find

Crossword Puzzle

Easy Bake Stephen Sherr

HB423

Across

1. Additionally

5. Vinyl singles require 45

8. “Poppycock!”

13. Neighborhood in London or New York

14. “Chief Twit,” Musk

16. Show a good time

17. Medicine helper

20. Thrice, in prescriptions

21. Banishment

22. Ali strategy, rope-a-___

23. Tax File Numbers (Australian SSN equivalents)

25. Give an early end to a ‘70’s talent show act

27. Get shutout

33. At this very location

34. Chop off the last letter from 2 Down

35. “Strange things come ___ in troubled times”

37. Word on a shoppe sign

38. Civic start to Moines or Plaines

40. Queue after Q

41. Q: On what day of the ___ chickens hide?

A: Fry Day

44. Its main campus is in Troy, N.Y.

46. End ___ era

47. What April grains do

50. Poi source

51. Abbrev. for Online Only Fashion

Retailers

52. Deplaned

55. Baseball box-score column

58. Pecan or pistachio

61. What you can do with the ingredients at the end of 17, 27, and 47 Across

64. Entry in a daily planner

65. Requirement of an angel costume

66. Good hole cards

67. Volumize hair

68. News org. with the most Pulitzer Prizes

69. Last item in a top-ten list

Down

1. Kind of prof.

2. Bound along

3. Cook in a diner

4. New pedometer reading

5. Rejection letter, for example

6. Asset

7. Golden retriever : shed :: goldfinch : ___

8. Father figures

9. Like good lipstick

10. Author of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

11. Expeditiously (expeditiously)

12. Used to be

15. Have ___ (be humble)

18. Homophone for nun

19. Winter glaze

24. Animal shelter offering

26. Hero of The Matrix series

27. Conduct an open house

28. Tabloid topic

29. Odin or Eros

30. Bolshoi Theatre performance

31. It starts with a pilot light

32. Yellow dwarf, such as Alpha Centauri

36. The only NBA Pacific Division team not based in California

39. Secret agent

42. Modern forensic tool

43. Shrek and Fiona

45. “It must have slipped my mind”

48. Change from one form to another

49. Wager on the wrong team, with

52 Down

52. See 49 Down

53. Cleanse

54. Seller of the Ektorp sofa

56. Horse color

57. For one night ___

59. Hawaiian strings

60. Vision check-up

62. Chowed down

63. Uber alternative

Answers on page 21.

The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; 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.

WOODRIDGE ASSISTED LIVING PLACE. Bed available for a female resident. Level two care, 65-79years, services provided incudes adult day program and all medical third party services. Call Joan for more information 301-792-9571.

ASSISTED LIVING REFERRER AGENCY. Lic. ALR0071. Let’s help you find an Assisted Living Home for your loved one. All you have to do is register for our service and leave the rest to us. We are licensed and have been in business for 21years. For more info call Joan: 301792-9571.

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WE CAN FIX ANYTHING. 3 generations of builders, cabinet makers, remodelers and crafters completing kitchens, baths and additions got us to this point. If it’s broken, disassembled, ugly, out of date, needs replacement or renewal: please call Bob at R. W. Wood Improvements 410.294.2800, MHIC 92322. If it’s electronics or computers, we suggest you contact your grandchildren.

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, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

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THIS YEAR LIVE WELL

Experience rejuvenating head-to-toe wellness and embrace the vitality of LIFE® at Brooke Grove Retirement Village.

Simply Different

Exceptional independent living in an energetic and supportive community • State-of-the-art rehabilitation that inspires and restores

• Assisted living that nurtures freedom of movement, choice and self-discovery

• Innovative and safe memory support

• Exceptional skilled nursing care

• Meaningful LIFE® enrichment programming

• Dedicated and compassionate staff committed to helping you get the most out of LIFE®

• Walking paths and outdoor gathering spaces in a healing environment

... because what surrounds you really matters.

18100 Slade School Road

Sandy Spring, MD 20860

301-637-8928

www.bgf.org