July 2018 | DC Beacon

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20 years on a field of dreams

A lifelong passion Adams spent boyhood Saturday afternoons at the old Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., going to Senators games with his dad.

“It is stunning to walk into the ball park and see the beautiful green field. I’m really attracted to the ‘Oh wow’ moment of walking through the tunnel [entrance] in the middle of a city and seeing the green field.”

What is it about baseball that appeals so

JULY 2018

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY REY LOPEZ

By Barbara Ruben On summer nights in the mid-1990s, Bruce Adams would travel to bucolic Virginia towns nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, take a seat in the bleachers of small ballparks, and revel in the thwack a baseball made against a wooden bat.

Seemingly half the town would show up for the games to eat $1 hotdogs and watch the amateur college ball players who made up the summer teams and were housed by nearby host families.

“It was pure pleasure,” recalled Adams, now 70, who at the time had recently finished four terms on the Montgomery County Council.

“As I drove home from those weekends, I thought about what fun it would be to be part of the Valley League. It combined two of my passions — building community values, and baseball at its most genuine. But then I realized that commuting between Bethesda and the Valley on I-66 every summer night might get old quickly.”

Adams was determined to find a way to bring that same small-town feel of the games to urban Bethesda. And so, in 1999, Bethesda Big Train baseball was born.

The summer collegiate team opened its 20th season last month at the ballpark Adams helped build in Cabin John Regional Park, located off Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda, Md. The team adopted the nickname of celebrated pitcher and Hall-of-Famer Walter “Big Train” Johnson, who played for the Washington Senators in the early 20th century, and pitched the decisive game where the team won the World Series in 1924.

Johnson, a Bethesda resident, earned his nickname Big Train because he “threw a ball faster than a locomotive,” according to Adams.

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Nearly 20 years ago, Bruce Adams, center, created Big Train Baseball, a Bethesda summer collegiate team designed to promote community spirit through America’s pastime. Among the long-time volunteers who make the team a success are Bill Hickman, left, and Randy Schools, right. Games are played in a stadium built for the team in Bethesda’s Cabin John Park, and draw upwards of 500 fans.

deeply to Adams?

“It’s a thinking person’s sport, less fastpaced than some other games. There’s time to reflect on what just happened and what’s about to happen. I’m not into the violence of football and hockey. I keep score. My wife calls it ‘male knitting,’” he laughed.

In 1995, Adams, his wife Peggy and their two children spent the summer crisscrossing the country on an epic journey, visiting 82 stadiums in 44 states. Based in the trip, Adams co-wrote a Fodor’s travel guide called Ballpark Vacations. It was another inspiration to bring baseball to Bethesda.

After some research, Adams discovered that the Washington area already had a summer league made up of college student players, the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate Baseball

League. So Adams decided to build a stadium and form a team to join the league.

He turned to John Ourisman, from the car dealership dynasty, for fundraising help. Together, they ended up collecting more than $600,000, and began construction of Cabin John ‘s Shirley Povich field, named for a Washington Post reporter who covered sports for 75 years, from Babe Ruth to Cal Ripken, Jr.

A league of their own So the games began on the field. But five years after its start — and after winning the Griffith League championship — Adams came to the conclusion that Big See BASEBALL, page 12

A trip off the beaten path to Myanmar; plus, visiting Baltimore with grandchildren, and how to avoid airline, hotel and other fees page 31 TECHNOLOGY 3 k Protect your privacy on Facebook FITNESS & HEALTH 6 k How pets can keep us healthy k Medical marijuana blossoms SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY 25 k Why you need a credit card k Whet your interest in water funds ARTS & STYLE k An exuberant On the Town

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While we don’t currently have any med- mentia), and is based on a thorough medications or other approaches that effective- ical exam and history, investigating symptoms such as memory loss ly prevent or delay the proand neurological damage. gression of Alzheimer’s disBrain scans and genetic ease, it is heartening to know tests can further aid diagnosis that research is being funded in some cases, and as these and that important discovertests improve, momentum is ies are being made. building for using these more At a recent event of the broadly, in hopes of identifyBrightFocus Foundation, ing patients years before which funds research into symptoms arise. glaucoma, macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s, I met Why would we want to do that? some of those researchers FROM THE Since we don’t currently go and got a glimpse into some PUBLISHER By Stuart P. Rosenthal of the latest developments looking for signs of Alzheimer’s until serious symptoms of dethat hold promise.

Rather than try to explain any of that mentia appear, we tend to diagnose people early research here, however, I want to ad- only after their brains show extensive signs dress the topic in a broader way. There’s a of the plaques and tangles that characterize debate afoot in the world of dementia re- the disease.

It is now believed that defective tau prosearch. The question is, how do researchers determine when a person has tein tangles and amyloid plaques start forming in the brain decades before peoAlzheimer’s disease?

And there’s a related question not nec- ple show any symptoms. This means that essarily being asked: Do patients really by the time we start using the various drugs designed to postpone or halt the diswant to know?

Only a post-mortem exam can definitive- ease, it may be too late for them to work. ly identify Alzheimer’s. In living persons, a Perhaps an earlier diagnosis would enable diagnosis is generally made by ruling out them to be more successful. other causes (such as other types of deThis is the thinking behind recent re-

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search guidelines issued by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association that recommend identifying prospects for clinical trials based not on current symptoms, but rather on early biological markers that can be measured using current technology, such as brain scans and spinal taps.

This new proposed “research framework” is not being proposed for clinical use. In other words, doctors won’t start ordering these tests to try to identify potential Alzheimer’s patients. For one thing, they haven’t yet been validated as accurate diagnostic tools.

But even used solely in the context of research, this will vastly increase the number of people researchers consider to have Alzheimer’s, according to an interview published by the Associated Press: “The numbers will increase dramatically,” said Dr. Clifford R. Jack, Jr., a Mayo Clinic brain imaging specialist who led the panel of experts who drafted the new guidelines. “There are a lot more cognitively normal people who have the pathology in the brain who will now be counted as having Alzheimer’s disease.”

Maybe that’s not a bad thing. If this enables people to enter a clinical trial possibly decades before any hint of a problem, it might lead to better treatments for them and those who come after them.

But there’s one problem with this logic.

Jack also noted that “about one-third of people over 70 who show no thinking problems actually have brain signs that suggest Alzheimer’s.”

A similar statement appeared in our April edition in another AP article entitled “Why do some stay so sharp as they age?”

Dr. Claudia Kawas of the University of California, Irvine, told a meeting of scientists that “About 40 percent of the oldest-old who showed no symptoms of dementia in life nonetheless have full-fledged signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.”

So, on the one hand, we don’t really know when the presence of tangles and plaques in the brain will translate into the actual behavior of dementia we are trying to treat. This is good news for many of us, as it suggests the physical changes that occur fairly commonly do not necessarily have to cause the symptoms we so fear.

But at the same time, researchers are seeking to broaden the definition of who has Alzheimer’s to include those with the earliest biological signs associated with the disease.

Do we really foresee medicating 30 to 40 percent of the older population who are cognitively normal but have evidence of pathology in their brains when they may never exhibit any behaviors associated with dementia?

See FROM THE PUBLISHER, page 45

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion 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 e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: Bob Levey’s baseball column (“Mourning the loss of old-time baseball”) in the June edition of the Beacon befits an old fuddy-duddy who laments that things just aren’t like they used to be. It’s the kind of talk that gives me the shudders when I hear senior citizens begin sentences with

“this younger generation…“ I won’t bother to point out all the inaccuracies and false stereotypes — designated hitters lumbering out of the dugout, etc.

No, I’d invite Mr. Levey to take note of the following: See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 39

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Technology &

Innovations Take steps to protect your Facebook data

By Kaitlin Pitsker Facebook is not getting a lot of likes these days. This spring, we learned that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics and political consulting firm, gained access to the personal information of up to 87 million Facebook users.

In the weeks that followed, Facebook’s stock plunged, founder Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress, and lawmakers discussed regulating how tech giants manage consumer information.

In an effort to repair the damage, the social media giant announced plans to prevent further misuse of user data. It’s also rolling out easier-to-use tools to help you manage what you share, and which companies have access to your data.

So far, though, the changes have been largely cosmetic, and many users remain concerned about the personal information Facebook is collecting and how it’s being used.

gender, profile picture and cover photo, will be visible to everyone.

But many users are unknowingly sharing far more with the public, from lists of friends to photos of their kids.

To quickly review what the public can

see about you, go to your Facebook profile: • Click the three dots in the lower right corner of your cover image and select “View As.” To change what information is public and what can be seen only by your friends:

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You can see much of the information Facebook has collected about you by clicking the small arrow in the upper right corner of Facebook, selecting “Settings” and then “Download a copy of your Facebook data.” Facebook will e-mail a link to download your archive.

If you are ready to delete your account — causing your photos, status update messages and everything else to disappear — see a guide at kiplinger.com/links/quit.

Telling the service to remove your account takes only a few minutes, but it may take up to 90 days for Facebook to delete your data from its system. And even that won’t retrieve your data from any company that has already harvested it for marketing or other purposes.

Facebook says you own the content you post, but it also says that your information will be shared with their business partners and other third parties.

If you want to continue to use the service, you can take steps to make it more difficult for Big Data to delve into the details of your personal life.

On your computer, start by reviewing how much of your profile is available to the public. Some items, such as your name,

See FACEBOOK DATA, page 5

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• Click the small arrow in the upper right corner of Facebook, select “Settings” and then the “Privacy” and “Timeline and Tagging” pages from the menu at the left.

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How Google aims to simplify your life

By Ryan Nakashima and Mae Anderson Google put the spotlight on its artificial intelligence smarts at its recent annual developers conference, announcing new consumer features aimed at simplifying your life.

Many of the updates have a practical bent, designed to ease tasks such as composing emails, making lists, navigating city streets, and lessening the digital distractions that have increasingly addled people’s lives as a result of previous tech industry innovations.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers for the thousands of software developers who gathered at the outdoor conference was an augmented reality feature on Google Maps that helps people get walking directions.

Users will be able to follow arrows — or possibly a cartoon-like creature — that ap-

pear on a camera view showing the actual street in front of them.

Some new features for Android phones also aim to improve people’s digital wellbeing, including a new “shush” mode that automatically puts a phone in “do not disturb” mode if you flip it face down on a table. And a “wind down” mode will fade the screen to grey at a designated time to help you disconnect before bed.

The company’s digital concierge, known only as the Google Assistant, is getting new voices — including one based on that of musician John Legend — later this year.

It will also encourage kids to be polite by thanking them when they say please, similar to a feature Amazon is bringing to its Alexa voice assistant.

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The assistant may also soon be talking with ordinary people at businesses for tasks such as restaurant reservations, although the feature is still in development.

“Hi, I’m calling to book a hair appointment for a client,” said a realistic-sounding automated voice in a demo from the conference stage. The AI assistant deployed pauses and “ums” and “mmm-hmms” to sound more human in conversation with real people.

Google is now rolling out the technology, called Duplex, as an experiment. “We really want to work hard to get this right,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who kicked off the conference, known as Google I/O.

Making predictions Other changes are more immediate.

Gmail is getting an autocomplete feature that uses machine learning to offer suggestions for finishing half-completed sentences.

For example, “I haven’t seen you” might be autocompleted to “I haven’t seen you in a while and I hope you’re doing well.” You can accept the completion by hitting the tab key.

The Google Photos app aims to get smarter about suggesting who you might want to share photos with. Whenever it recognizes a photo of one of your Google contacts, it can suggest sharing the photo with that person. It will also convert photos to PDFs and automatically add color to black-and-white photos or make part of a color photo black and white. The changes are coming in the next two months.

The search giant aims to make its assistant and other services so useful that people can’t live without them — or the search results that drive its advertising business.

But it also wants to play up the social benefits of AI and how it’s being used to improve healthcare, preserve the environment and make scientific discoveries.

Pichai didn’t emphasize the privacy and data security concerns that have put companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google in the crosshairs of regulators. But he did say the company “can’t just be wide eyed about the innovations technology creates.”

“We know the path ahead needs to be navigated carefully and deliberately,” he said. “Our core mission is to make information more useful, accessible and beneficial to all of society.”

More AI for Androids Google’s latest version of its Android phone software, for now known as Android P, will offer other smart features. It will teach the battery to adapt to how you use apps in order to conserve energy.

Phones using Android P will also learn how to set your screen brightness by studying your manual adjustments, a change from automatic adjustments based on ambient light levels.

But not everyone will see the new Android features soon — if at all. Android P won’t be released until later this year, and even then, phone manufacturers and carriers frequently limit Android updates to their newest phones. Owners of Google’s own Pixel phones will get the updates most quickly.

Samsung is getting snubbed on some of these new features, at least for now. It has been challenging Google more frequently by launching services that duplicate what Google already offers on Android.

For instance, Samsung users won’t have access to an early “beta” version of Android P. Samsung’s camera app also won’t get a built-in Lens feature that lets Google offer information after taking a photo of a building or sign. Samsung has been developing its own similar feature, called Bixby Vision.

— AP

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To reassure jittery users, Facebook promised to limit the data that advertisers can use to serve up ads related to your online activity.

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If you’ve used your Facebook account to access other services — in other words, you’ve logged in with your Facebook user name and password — data harvesters may be able to see your profile.

To see a list of the apps and sites that you’ve accessed using your Facebook account: • Select “Settings” and then “Apps and Websites” from the menu on the left side of the page.

• Visit each app or site that you still use and create separate log-in credentials before returning to Facebook to revoke their access. Instead of trying to commit all these new user names and passwords to memory, consider using a password manager. [See “Secure passwords with less headache,” in our March issue.]

• To turn off this Facebook feature, return to the Apps and Websites page and select “Edit” from beneath “Apps, Websites and Games.” By turning off this setting, you’ll no longer be able to use Facebook to log in to other accounts, and those sites and services will no longer be privy to your Facebook data.

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You can also reduce the amount of info that advertisers gather about you by doing the following: • Return to Facebook’s Settings page and click “Ads” from the menu on the left.

Here, you’ll see a list of topics Facebook has concluded are of interest to you, advertisers you’ve interacted with, a summary of what advertisers see about you (including biographical information, your political views and the devices that you use to access the site) and your ad settings.

• Remove interests, delete info from your advertising profile, and hide ads from certain advertisers from your Facebook feed by clicking on the “x” in the top right-hand corner of the advertiser or interest.

• To put the kibosh on targeted ads, change the three items under “Ad Settings” to “Not Allowed,” “No” and “No One.” You’ll still see advertisements, but they won’t be based on your online activities or be as relevant to you.

Consider omitting sensitive information, such as your political or religious views, from your profile. If you post an event invite, leave out your exact address.

Finally, consider culling your friends list to exclude people you don’t know very well, or creating tighter circles of friends within Facebook. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Health Fitness &

TOSS OR KEEP MEDS? Some drugs, but not all, are still effective long past their expiration dates SMART PILLS Pills with tiny electronics and genetically engineered cells may soon aid diagnoses YOGA ENLIGHTENMENT Yoga can alleviate back pain, bolster bones and help your heart WEIGHTY MISTAKES To lose weight, don’t cut all carbs, skip weight training or skimp on sleep

Studying ways pets help keep us healthy The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills.

Over the past 10 years, the National Institute of Health has partnered with the Mars Corporation’s Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition to fund research studies. Scientists are looking at what the potential physical and mental health benefits are from different pets — from fish to guinea pigs to dogs and cats.

Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure.

Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.

Researchers are looking into how animals might influence child development.

They’re studying animal interactions with kids who have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other conditions.

“There’s not one answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific condition,” explained Layla Esposito, Ph.D.,

who oversees NIH’s Human Animal-Interaction Research Program.

“Is your goal to increase physical activity?

Then you might benefit from owning a dog you have to walk several times a day. If your goal is reducing stress, sometimes watching fish swim can result in a feeling of calmness.”

Therapy dogs Animals can serve as a source of comfort and support. Therapy dogs are especially good at this. They’re sometimes brought into hospitals or nursing homes to help reduce patients’ stress and anxiety.

“Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, [dogs] know how to sit there and be loving,” said Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. “Their attention is focused on the person all the time.”

Berger works with people who have cancer and terminal illnesses. She teaches them about mindfulness to help decrease stress and manage pain.

“The foundations of mindfulness include attention, intention, compassion and

awareness,” Berger said. “All of those things are things that animals bring to the table. People kind of have to learn it. Animals do this innately.”

Researchers are studying the safety of bringing animals into hospital settings because animals may expose people to more germs.

A current study is looking at the safety of bringing dogs to visit children with cancer, Esposito said. Scientists will be testing the children’s hands to see if there are dangerous levels of germs transferred from the dog after the visit.

Animals go to school Dogs may also aid in the classroom.

One study found that dogs can help children with ADHD focus their attention.

Researchers enrolled two groups of children diagnosed with ADHD into 12-week group therapy sessions. The first group of kids read to a therapy dog once a week for 30 minutes. The second group read to puppets that looked like dogs.

Kids who read to the real animals

showed better social skills and more sharing, cooperation and volunteering. They also had fewer behavioral problems.

Another study found that children with autism spectrum disorder were calmer while playing with guinea pigs in the classroom. When the children spent 10 minutes in a supervised group playtime with guinea pigs, their anxiety levels dropped. The children also had better social interactions and were more engaged with their peers.

The researchers suggest that the animals offered unconditional acceptance, making them a calm comfort to the children. “Animals can become a way of building a bridge for those social interactions,” Griffin said.

He added that researchers are trying to better understand these effects and whom they might help.

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2018 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Many doctors approve marijuana for pain But most admit having too little knowledge

By Carla K. Johnson Nearly half of U.S. cancer doctors who responded to a survey say they’ve recently recommended medical marijuana to patients, although most say they don’t know enough about medicinal use.

The results reflect how marijuana policy in some states has outpaced research, the study authors said. All 29 states with medical marijuana programs (which include Maryland and the District of Columbia) allow doctors to recommend it to cancer patients.

But no rigorous studies in cancer patients exist. That leaves doctors to make assumptions from other research on similar prescription drugs, or in other types of patients.

“The big takeaway is we need more research, plain and simple,” said Dr. Ilana Braun of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who led the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Most discuss with patients Patients want to know what their doctors think about using marijuana. In the survey, cancer doctors said their conversations about marijuana were almost always started by patients and their families, not by the doctors themselves.

Overall, nearly eight in 10 cancer doctors reported having discussed marijuana with patients or their families, with 46 percent recommending it for pain and other cancer-related problems to at least one patient in the past year.

Among those who said they recommended marijuana, 56 percent said they did not have sufficient knowledge to do so.

“They’re not as close-minded as you might think, and they also feel they have a lot to learn,” Braun said.

The survey was conducted in a random sample of cancer doctors; researchers got completed surveys from 237 doctors, or 63 percent.

Marijuana is considered an illegal drug by federal officials and federal restrictions have limited research. Last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded the lack of scientific information about marijuana poses a risk to public health.

But in June, the FDA approved the first medication derived from marijuana, Epidiolex (cannabidiol), for the treatment of seizures caused by rare forms of epilepsy.

There’s also evidence marijuana can treat chronic pain in adults, and that medications similar to marijuana can ease nausea from chemotherapy.

In the survey, 67 percent of cancer doctors said they view marijuana as a useful addition to standard pain therapies, with 75 percent saying it posed less risk of overdose than opioids. About half view marijuana as equal to, or more effective than, standard treatments for cancer-related nausea.

Safety concerns Marijuana isn’t harmless. The National Academies report said pot smoking may be linked to higher chances of traffic accidents, chronic bronchitis from long-term use, and schizophrenia and other causes of psychosis, especially in the most frequent users.

Dr. Steven Pergam of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance answers questions about marijuana’s safety from his colleagues at the treatment center.

His responses depend on the patient. A dying patient with cancer that’s spread?

“Whatever they want to do to make themselves comfortable” is fine, said Pergam, who wasn’t involved in the new research.

A patient with leukemia, however, should be warned of a theoretical possibility of a fungal infection tied to cannabis use.

“If we’re not comfortable having these discussions, patients will get information from other sources, and it’s not going to be as reliable,” he said.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Age-Friendly Montgomery “I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.”

County Executive Ike Leggett

Volunteer to Help Area Youth Achieve Their Goals!

Montgomery County has many appealing opportunities for adults to become volunteer tutors and mentors to local youth. Such intergenerational volunteering is rewarding for students and volunteers alike. Additionally, there are plenty of other local volunteer opportunities for people age 50+.

At JA Finance Park, students become “adults” for the day with a career, salary, credit score and financial obligations to balance. Volunteers are needed to guide students through budgeting considerations during the simulation. To learn more, contact Matt Roller at matthew.roller@ja.org

JCA Heyman Interages JCA Heyman Interages® Center offers several highimpact volunteer programs that engage people age 50+ to help youth, ages 3 to 18, succeed in academics and build self-confidence. JCA Heyman Interages volunteers can make a difference in as little as one hour a week, or can choose to give more time. JCA provides training and ongoing support, and works with interested volunteers to find an opportunity that fits their interests, skills and schedule. To learn more, contact JCA at 301-949-3551 or Interages@ AccessJCA.org

The 50+ Volunteer Network, a unique new initiative of Montgomery County Volunteer Center, connects County residents age 50 and up with meaningful volunteer opportunities that leverage your lifetime of professional skills and personal experience to help others. Volunteer options include projects coordinated through Senior Corps RSVP. To learn more, contact 50plus@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-2600.

JA Finance Park Since 2011, more than 90,000 middle-school students in Montgomery County Public Schools have learned personal finance skills in the classroom through Junior Achievement (JA). More volunteers are being recruited because the program is transitioning into a JA Finance Park learning facility at Thomas Edison High School for Technology.

Find more ways to help!

The Montgomery County Volunteer Center website allows you to search for many volunteer opportunities that enable you to share your wisdom and experience in guiding young people. To learn more, go to www. montgomeryserves.org and type in the red box a key word like “mentor” or “tutor” – or another area of volunteering – to get information about dozens of local ways to serve.

Contact Us Today

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Is it safe to use your expired medicines?

By Linda A. Johnson Just how firm are expiration dates on bottles of allergy or pain pills? Probably not as crucial as the “Best By” date on milk cartons.

Medicines are expensive and, amid occasional shortages, some people are tempted to use expired pills. After all, a pill good till July 31 can’t be useless on Aug. 1.

The expiration date, typically just one or two years after manufacture, simply shows how long the maker tested the drug’s stability by exposing it to extreme temperatures, humidity and light.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises against using expired drugs, warning they may not work as intended or may be harmful, especially for people with seri-

ous ailments.

Yet many people, including doctors, use medicines well after expiration. “I think everybody does,” said Dr. Jennifer Lowry, a toxicology expert at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.

Waste is costly Still, most expired medications get tossed.

“We probably are throwing away $60 to $70 billion a year,” estimated Ajaz Hussain, president of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education.

Hussain, a former FDA official, said he doesn’t hesitate to take expired pills.

Multiple medical groups have urged the FDA to lengthen expiration dates, but the

federal agency said it’s not sure it has authority to do so. The FDA does provide recommendations for drugmakers to do that voluntarily, but the companies have little financial incentive to do so.

During acute shortages of some medicines, the FDA lets drugmakers extend dates if they have data indicating they’re still good. That’s happened with this year’s shortage of saline solution for hospitals, as well as for a seizure drug last year and during a 2013 shortage of Tamiflu.

Numerous studies on expired, properly stored drugs, mostly pills, have found them fully potent or close, some many years after the expiration date.

In one case, unopened bottles of painkillers, antihistamines and other drugs from the 1960s were still very potent when tested a half-century later.

The FDA and Department of Defense jointly run a program that periodically tests batches of antibiotics and other drugs in the national stockpile for potential disease epidemics and chemical attacks.

That’s repeatedly resulted in years-long extensions, saving billions of dollars.

General guidance on use Experts tell the Associated Press they know of no cases of patients harmed by taking expired medicines. The exceptions are

aspirin and the antibiotic tetracycline, which can deteriorate soon after expiration dates.

But it’s hard for consumers to know what’s safe and what’s risky. “A year out, I think you’re perfectly OK to use the medications,” said Dr. Ali Raja, an emergency medicine doctor at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.

But experts say don’t use expired liquid medicines, insulin and other injected drugs that must be refrigerated. They can break down faster than pills, especially if they aren’t kept cold.

Ditto for drugs not properly stored.

Medicines kept in areas with high humidity or fluctuating temperatures — like a bathroom cabinet — or left in direct light degrade faster and can lose potency.

Instead, keep them in a cool, dark place, advised Michael Ganio of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Also, don’t put different pills in one bottle, as the chemicals could interact. And don’t use discolored, powdered or smelly pills, cloudy liquids or dried creams.

What about EpiPens, the pricey emergency injectors people with severe allergies carry as a precaution? Their shelf life is about a year and a half. But multiple studies have shown their potency declines slowly See EXPIRED MEDICINE, page 9

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

9

Supplement for pain may pose cancer risk

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. Q: I was thinking about taking chondroitin for my arthritis pain. But I recently read it might cause melanoma.

Should I avoid it?

A: Chondroitin sulfate is among the most popular supplements in the world.

It’s often taken in combination with glucosamine for joint disease. Some take it for prevention, others to treat pain.

And yet, evidence that it actually works at all is limited at best. One review of the evidence suggested that of the few studies of chondroitin that were positive, nearly all were funded by makers of the supplement.

Despite this, millions of people take it, many of my patients swear by it, and the lack of evidence doesn’t seem to be much of a concern to them. A frequent comment I hear is: “Well, I’m not sure if it’s doing much, but it can’t hurt, right?”

A new study suggests that maybe it can.

Researchers publishing in the medical journal Molecular Cell are raising concerns that chondroitin sulfate may encourage the development or recurrence of melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

Expired medicine

Here’s what they found: • The growth of human melanoma cells with a particular mutation (called V600E) that had been grafted onto the skin of mice was promoted when the mice consumed chondroitin sulfate. About half of human melanomas contain this mutation.

• Among mice fed chondroitin sulfate, these melanoma tumors were more resistant to an antitumor drug, vemurafenib, than those without the mutation.

Although this research did not actually study human beings with melanoma, the study authors speculate that for people with precancerous skin growths containing the V600E mutation, taking chondroitin might be a bad idea because it could speed up tumor growth. And if a person had melanoma in the past, taking chondroitin might make recurrence more likely.

unless they’re exposed to heat or light.

More study needed It’s important to point out that this is preliminary research. Although the tumor cells studied came from humans, a link between chondroitin sulfate use and melanoma in humans has not yet been established.

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this supplement is particularly helpful anyway — I’d advise against its use, at least until we know more.

Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical chief of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. For additional consumer health information, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

“We know expired EpiPens can work,” said Lowry. In a pinch, people should use them and then head to an emergency room, she said.

— AP

From page 8

LIFT CHAIRS

It’s possible that these results aren’t relevant to actual people: For example, the doses or metabolism of chondroitin sulfate may be so different in humans (vs. mice) that these results do not apply to humans.

It is not rare that studies in animals do not translate directly to people.

Here’s my take: This research is quite preliminary, and might turn out to have little relevance to human disease.

But if chondroitin sulfate may promote melanoma growth — and it’s not clear that

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Take this pill; it will call me in the morning

By Carla K. Johnson Scientists have developed a swallowed capsule packed with tiny electronics and millions of genetically engineered living cells that might someday be used to spot health problems from inside the gut.

The capsule was tested in pigs and correctly detected signs of bleeding, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported in the journal Science.

At more than an inch long, the capsule will have to be made smaller for testing in

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people. But the results suggest it could eventually be used in people to find signs of ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or even colon cancer, the researchers said.

Many potential uses It’s the latest advance in a growing field of sensors that can be swallowed or worn to monitor our health. Pills equipped with cameras, thermometers and acidity gauges already look for disease and track digestion.

Last year, a psychiatric medication that alerts doctors when it’s taken won U.S. approval. Stick-on skin monitors for recovering stroke patients are in the works.

The MIT device is the first to use engineered cells as sensors in swallowed capsules, said Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, who is developing a gas-sensing, all-electronic pill at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

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Eligibility: District residents who have been certified by the Washington DC Voice Lifeline Program as eligible may apply for the Economy II program or Broadband Lifeline service for customers who subscribe to Fios Internet. To apply, schedule an appointment with the Washington, DC Voice Lifeline Program by calling 1-800-253-0846.

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To find out more information, you may also call the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC), which administers Voice Lifeline and Broadband Lifeline for the FCC, by calling (888) 641-8722 or by accessing its website at www.LifelineSupport.org.

Economy II and Broadband Life are Lifeline supported services. Voice Lifeline and Broadband Lifeline are government assistance programs. Only eligible consumers may enroll. You may qualify for Voice Lifeline or Broadband Lifeline service if you can show proof that you participate in certain government assistance programs or your annual income (gross and from all sources) is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. If you qualify based on income, you will be required to provide income verification. Proof of participation in a government assistance program requires your current or prior year’s statement of benefits from a qualifying state or federal program; a notice letter or other official document indicating your participation in such a program; and/or another program participation document (for example, benefit card). Proof of income requires your prior year’s state or federal tax return; current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub; a statement of Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement, pension, or Unemployment or Workmen’s Compensation benefits; a federal notice letter of participation in General Assistance; a divorce decree; a child support award; and/or another official document containing income information. At least three months of data is necessary when showing proof of income. In addition, the Lifeline program is limited to one discount per household, consisting of either wireline or wireless service. You are required to certify and agree that no other member of the household is receiving Voice Lifeline or Broadband Lifeline service from Verizon or another communications provider. Verizon also provides Voice Lifeline and Broadband Lifeline Services to residents of federally recognized lands who meet Native American Lifeline criteria. Voice Lifeline and Broadband Lifeline services are non-transferable benefits. Voice Lifeline customers may not subscribe to certain other services, including other local telephone service. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain the Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment, or can be barred from the program.

“The work is yet another step toward showing the great promises of smart, ingestible capsules,” said Kalantar-zadeh.

The researchers tested the capsules using a harmless strain of E. coli bacteria.

The cells were modified with DNA from other bacteria to make them detect blood and then light up. Electronics then take over, relaying signals to a smartphone.

More study needed Shrinking the capsule to a normal pill size could be achieved by combining its three electronic chips, said co-author Phillip Nadeau. Data encryption will be needed to protect patient privacy. And it’s meant to be used once, so they’ll need to make it flushable, co-author Mark Mimee said.

All that, plus human testing, means a commercial product is years off.

As labs discover DNA with new sensing powers, the capsule could be customized to diagnose multiple conditions. Co-author Tim Lu speculated that future patients could swallow a capsule “once a week or once a month” to screen for early signs of cancer instead of getting a colonoscopy.

The capsule could help doctors monitor tricky-to-reach parts of the small intestine for people with Crohn’s disease, or to study the normal balance of microbes in the gut, said Dr. Stephanie Hansel of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“We’re excited about it,” said Hansel, while noting that it probably won’t replace the need for procedures using flexible scopes.

Texas Instruments and the National Science Foundation helped pay for the research, and the researchers are seeking patents for the capsule. Mimee received a fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports the Associated Press Health & Science Department.

—AP

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

11

Your MD vs. hospitalists: who’s better?

By Lindsey Tanner The old-fashioned, family doctor style of medicine could be lifesaving for older hospitalized patients, a big study suggested, showing benefits over a rapidly expanding alternative that has hospital-based doctors overseeing care instead.

Medicare patients with common conditions including pneumonia, heart failure and urinary infections who were treated by their own primary care doctors were slightly more likely to survive after being sent home than those cared for instead by hospitalists — internists who provide care only in hospitals.

While hospitalist care can shorten stays and reduce costs, the new results suggest that, for at least some patients, getting taken care of in the hospital by a doctor who knows them can have important advantages.

Almost 11 percent of patients cared for by a hospitalist died within 30 days of leaving

the hospital, compared with just under 9 percent of primary care patients. While that difference was small, it “was certainly a startling finding,” said Dr. Jennifer Stevens, the study’s lead author at Harvard Medical School.

Also, among hospitalist patients, 36 percent were sent to a nursing home or other long-term care center, versus about 30 percent of primary care patients. Studies show that older patients who are discharged to nursing homes are less likely than others to ever return to their homes, Stevens said.

Reasons for those advantages are unclear. Stevens noted that primary care doctors who know their patients’ health and family histories may be more attuned to how well they can manage at home after hospitalization, and which potentially risky follow-up tests or medicines they can avoid.

Stevens and her colleagues analyzed Medicare claims data on nearly 600,000 hos-

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Greenbelt Library presents Senior Computer Club: Social Media Basics on Monday, July 9 at 1:30 p.m. Learn what social media and social networks are, and get to know some of the most popular and useful sites including Facebook, Twitter and Yelp. The library is located at 11 Crescent Rd., Greenbelt, Md. The class is limited to six students, so sign up soon. For more information or to register, call (301) 345-5800.

July 10

MEDICAL MARIJUANA TALK

Hope Connections for Cancer Support presents a free talk on Medical Marijuana for people affected by cancer and their loved ones on Tuesday, July 10 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Melissa Jackson of Grassroots Healing will discuss the many benefits of medical cannabis in treating symptoms of cancer, and growing evidence that cannabis may be an anticancer agent. Attendees will be informed of Maryland’s medical cannabis program and learn how to get registered. The talk will take place at 8401 Corporate Dr., Suite 100, Landover, Md. For reservations or information, call (301) 634-7500 or email info@hopeconnectionsforcancer.org.

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pital admissions in 2013. Their results were published last fall in JAMA Internal Medicine.

If you have the option Many hospitals allow certain primary care physicians to care for their own patients, but fewer doctors are choosing to do so, focusing instead on their ambulatory practice, according to Dr. Yancy Phillips, chief quality officer at Holy Cross Health.

“Patients at Holy Cross Hospital and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital may

have their own primary care physician treat them in the hospital, although relatively few primary care physicians have chosen to practice within hospitals in recent years,” Phillips said.

Even when patients rely on hospitalists, they should be sure the hospital’s doctors stay in communication with their primary care physician.

“It is important for primary care physiSee HOSPITALISTS, page 13

12

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Baseball From page 1 Train didn’t fit in with the league.

The games were poorly attended. There was little community spirit. It just didn’t have the feel he wanted to replicate from the Shenandoah Valley games he became enamored of.

So Adams and other teams leaders created their own league — the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League — which began the next year, and over time has grown to include more teams in Maryland as well as teams in the District of Columbia

and northern Virginia.

“In the Griffith League, not many fans came. My hope was [that our new league] would show them how to do that through simple community building. We’d invite the Boy Scouts and youth baseball. Promote to businesses. I wanted to get 500 to 800 to a game, instead of 30 or 40,” Adams said. The stadium seats up to 1,500.

But he couldn’t do it alone. Randy Schools, president of NIH’s Employee Service Association, volunteered to start a booster club for the team. He got the word out about the team to the Institutes’ more than 25,000 workers. He also instituted the

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

team’s mascot, Homer the dog, who was later joined by Bunt, another pooch.

Today, each game sees upwards of 500 fans.

Supporting the community In addition, Adams and Schools wanted to give back to the community, raising money for inner city fields, showcasing local nonprofits during the games, and using the mascots to promote summer reading.

“In my mind, it’s a celebration of our humanity. Once citizens get together and put heads together, they can do some good,” said Schools, who recently retired to Delaware, but returns for games when he can.

“I had an experience taking inner city Baltimore children to an Orioles game. A little girl sat next to me and said, ‘Sir, I never knew grass got that green.’ Those sorts of things stick with you, and you know you’ve done some good,” Schools said.

Over the years, Big Train has collected more than 12,000 pounds of food from fans to contribute to the Manna Food Center.

Team players also teach skills to local kids

at summer camps in the area.

Like Schools, Bill Hickman also stepped in to volunteer with the team. After he retired, he began with Big Train as a volunteer usher. But he kept receiving multiple, confusing phone calls regarding when he was supposed to volunteer.

“I had been in management in government and the private sector,” Hickman said.

“I sort of stepped forward and said, ‘I think you need a volunteer coordinator.’ That got me into the heart of the organization.”

From there, Hickman became the unofficial team statistician and historian, compiling everything from record batting averages to home runs. He’s kept a running tally of players, noting that they’ve come from 130 colleges, with the highest numbers of players from Florida Atlantic University, University of Maryland and San Francisco State.

Thirteen Big Train players have gone on to the major leagues. In 2011, the team was ranked the top team nationally in summer college baseball, and in 2017 it was See BASEBALL, page 13

Play ball!

While Big Train’s players are college athletes, older adult amateurs have a number of opportunities to join softball teams across the Washington area.

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• Northern Virginia Senior Softball (NVSS) is a slow-pitch softball league open to men 50 and up, and women 40 and up. NVSS has more than 550 players.

There are three conferences based on skill level. There are both spring/summer and fall seasons, when seven-inning doubleheaders are played Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as well as a winter conditioning program.

NVSS started in 1980. David Scheele, 85, the nonprofit organization’s publicity chair, has been playing since 1985. He took up softball as a way to help destress after his first wife was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. He’s one of at least 40 players over 80.

The NVSS motto is “fun, fitness and friendship,” and Scheele believes this combination helps explain why no league members that he knows of have developed Alzheimer’s disease while they are part of NVSS. “No one is getting it. Why? The exercise. You’ve got to be in shape,” Scheele said. “And there’s the mental exercise. How many outs? Where do I throw the ball? There’s constant thinking out there.

“And the social aspect, let’s have a beer together after the game. The combination of those three factors has made it really special,” he said.

To learn more, see www.nvss.org.

Forms to register to play are on the website.

• The Golden Girls league began more than 25 years ago, for women ballplayers over 40. This 180-member league, based in Vienna, Va., is composed of teams that play each other twice a week — on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Women who have never played softball are welcome to join, and are provided special coaching. Organizers work to balance teams with players with a range of ages and skill levels. Skill drills are held Monday mornings during the winter.

See www.goldengirls.org or contact mamallery@comcast.net.

• Fairfax Adult Softball is the largest ASA nonprofit private softball organization in the United States. It was recently voted the Number 1 amateur sports organization in Northern Virginia.

While it includes dozens of men’s, women’s and coed teams of all ages, the Fairfax Adult Softball’s senior league is for men over 50 only.

To learn more, see www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com or call (703) 815-9007.

Maryland • The Montgomery County Senior Sports Association manages eight leagues: three daytime and five nighttime. All games are played on fields located in Olney, Wheaton and Cabin John.

Among its numerous leagues are ones for men over 50, 55, 60 and 70.

Women’s leagues include players 40 and older.

For more information, see https://mcseniorsports.org or contact the association’s president Jim Ganz at jimganz@verizon.net.

— Barbara Ruben

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Hospitalists From page 11 cians to provide input into each patient’s care, especially for elderly individuals where the primary care physician may have a long-standing relationship with the patient and insights into all of the factors associated with the patient’s health,” Phillips said.

The researchers don’t advocate replacing hospitalists. But Stevens said the study “opens the door” to limiting their use with certain hospital patients, particularly the elderly. Patients in the study were aged 80 on average.

The hospitalist specialty has grown

since the 1990s amid insurance industry changes, rising demands on primary care doctors’ time, and research showing hospitalists can shorten patients’ stays and reduce costs.

In 1995, hospitalists provided 9 percent of general medicine services in hospitals.

But by 2013 that had grown to nearly 60 percent, a journal editorial noted.

Hospitalists may bring “new eyes” to patients’ problems, but the study results, if valid, suggest there’s a trade-off, the editorial said.

In the study, 60 percent of patients got their hospital care from hospitalists versus only 14 percent from their primary care doctors.

The rest got care from other general physicians, including partners of patients’ primary physicians. These were physicians who likely didn’t know the patients or the hospital well, Stevens said.

The average length of stay was about five days for primary care or general care,

13

and about half a day shorter for hospitalists.

Those treated by other general physicians were slightly more likely than the others to die within 30 days of discharge and to be readmitted to the hospital.

—AP

BEACON BITS

July 25

SENIOR GAMES TALK Love to participate in sports? Love to travel? Consider combining these two to create a fun adventure. Learn everything about sen-

ior games on Wednesday, July 25 at 1 p.m. at Langston-Brown Senior Center, 2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington, Va. Join volunteer Linda Sholl in a discussion about her travels to various senior games across the USA, including five National Senior Games and 10 state senior games. Also learn how to register for the 2018 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics and how to qualify for the 2019 National

Baseball From page 12 ranked fourth. The full history, stats and more information are available on the Big Train website, www.bigtrain.org.

Today, Adams, a native Washingtonian, is the director of the Office of Community Partnerships in the Montgomery County Executive’s office. In 2014, he was named Public Citizen of the Year by the Fund for Montgomery, and last year he won the Peacemaker of the Year award from the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County.

In June, Adams MC’ed a 20th anniversary Big Train ceremony before the start of a game that was attended by many local legislators and community organizations, as well as by Walter Johnson’s grandson, Hank Thomas. Each threw out a pitch.

“At a time when there’s so much division in Washington, it’s great to get together on something we can all agree we love, Big Train baseball,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

“You all know that line in the great movie [Field of Dreams], ‘If you build it, they will come?’ [Bruce Adams] built it and all of you came.”

Senior Games. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-6300.

BEACON BITS

July 17

IPAD BASICS Long Branch Library presents an Ipad basics for beginners class on Tuesday, July 17 at 2:45 p.m. With hands-on support, you’ll

learn the basics of the iPad and how to use it to browse the web, use email, download apps, watch videos, take pictures, connect online and more. iPads will

The care you need to get you back to your life.

be provided for use in class. Long Branch Library is located at 8800 Garland

ManorCare - Adelphi

ManorCare - Largo

301.434.0500

301.350.5555

ManorCare - Bethesda

ManorCare - Potomac

301.530.9000

301.299.2273

ManorCare - Chevy Chase

ManorCare - Silver Spring

301.657.8686

301.890.5552

ManorCare - Hyattsville

ManorCare - Wheaton

301.559.0300

301.942.2500

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Ave., Silver Spring, Md. For more information, call (240) 777-0910

Experience Makes a Difference.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Yoga can relieve back pain, bolster bones

By Karen Asp Yoga has gotten to be a popular activity with people of all ages — perhaps because it leaves you with such a good feeling after you practice it. (Who doesn’t love ending a workout session flat on your back with your eyes closed?)

But yoga can do more than bliss you out after a good session; it has unique health benefits, too.

Here are three reasons to incorporate a few sun salutations into your schedule on a regular basis.

Relieve lower-back pain with yoga.

Forget bed rest — today’s docs often prescribe exercise, yoga included. Practicing yoga may ease back pain better than avoid-

ing exercise, concluded a scientific review tallying results from over 1,000 men and women, all suffering from low-back pain for three-plus months.

Most studies asked participants to attend a 60- to 90-minute class (typically Iyengar-style, a form of Hatha yoga) once or twice a week, and practice at home on non-class days.

It may be better to do yoga than to skip your workout because of its relaxation, meditation and breathing elements. But beginners should find a class designed to ease low-back pain so an experienced instructor can help you protect your back.

Yoga can bolster your bones. Less than 15 minutes of yoga a day may keep your bones strong, according to a study pub-

lished in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation.

Over 200 individuals, mainly women averaging 68 years old, did 12 minutes of yoga daily (or at least every other day) for two years. They held 12 poses (including tree and twisted triangle) for 30 seconds each.

The result: improved bone density. In fact, the progress surpassed bone-building results typically seen with osteoporosiscountering drugs.

Why? Using your muscles makes your bones stronger. Since yoga uses several muscle groups at once, you’re exerting force on the bone from multiple angles, possibly enhancing the bone-building process.

Striking a pose may help your heart.

Move over, cardio. Researchers evaluated almost 40 trials and found that yoga came with numerous heart-friendly benefits: lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, increasing HDL (“good”)

cholesterol and improving body weight, blood pressure and heart rate.

But how does this stack up against aerobic activity like jogging? Surprisingly high.

“Yoga achieved similar improvements to aerobic exercise,” said Dr. Myriam Hunink, a study co-author from the Netherlands. The study points to several factors about yoga that may be responsible for these changes, including the strengthening, stretching, breathing, meditation and relaxation aspects.

There’s also no reason you can’t do both. Incorporating a variety of different exercises into your workout routine just makes it easier to find a workout you enjoy (and can stick with).

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2018 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna offers a support group for

caregivers of adult family members who have dementia on the first and third Thursday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Oakton, Va. For more information, contact facilitator Jack Tarr, (703) 821-6838, jtarr5@verizon.net.

The Village at Rockville presents

2018 Dementia Education Series

These events are part of a series of six events focused on caring for individuals with dementia.

July 10, 3 – 4 p.m. I Beyond Memory Loss: Handling Personality Changes and Impulse Control Issues in Dementia - Stephanie Goldstein, BSW, LBSW, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

August 14, 3 – 4 p.m. I Cognitive Impairment and Falls: Understanding How Dementia Contributes to Falls - Dr. Ann Morrison, PhD, RN, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

September 24, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I CRUISE Through Caregiving: How to Reduce the Stress of Caring for a Loved One Who Has Dementia - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

October 9, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I Navigating the Mid to Late Stages of Dementia (Without Falling Overboard) - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

November 6, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I Promises in Caregiving: Why You Shouldn’t Make Them and How to Undo Them - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

Space is limited.

RSVP to

The Village at Rockville

sflowerswilliams@thevillageatrockville.org

A National Lutheran Community

Learn more and view more events in this dementia series at www.thevillageatrockville.org/events

9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850

301-424-9560

Light refreshments will be served.

The Village at Rockville is sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, !"#$!%#&%!'"()* *+"%,(!$("-.(/01 2.3*413(56"-.%1 (7-6%4-(* (8).%*419(+.%0* 2(&.!&3.(!$(133(:.3*.$+;(

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Health Studies Page

15

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Studying if fasting protects your brain

By Barbara Ruben The equation to lose weight is simple: Burn more calories than you take in each day.

But a popular recent diet trend goes beyond this, promoting fasting two days a week to not just lose weight but gain other benefits, like less inflammation and insulin resistance.

Doctors with the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore are conducting a study to see if this intermittent fasting may also be beneficial to the brain.

These researchers are now seeking overweight or obese people ages 55 to 70 to join a study in which half the participants will drink only two shakes two days a week, eating a healthy diet the rest of the time.

Why might drastically restricting calories like this help the brain? NIA’s Dr. Dimitrios Kapogiannis, the study’s principal investigator, said that once the body has no food to break down for energy, it begins to break down proteins in the body, some of which may be abnormal.

“If we eat constantly, we block the process of metabolism of breaking down proteins that may be abnormal. And that is not healthy,” he said.

When the body does not get nutrients from outside, it breaks down fat and generates what are called ketone bodies. These are an alternative fuel for the brain, rather than glucose (which is what the body produces when digesting food).

It takes about 12 hours without food for this to happen. And it may be helpful in the prevention of dementia, Kapogiannis said.

When we don’t eat, “the body kind of holds its own and waits patiently with the

hope that nutrients will come in. But at 12 hours it kind of gives up, and says it will now break down lipid stores and start producing ketones.

“Ketones are exactly what we want the brain to be fed on because they are neuroprotective. We think that this is something that has potential for preventing damaging processes that ultimately lead to Alzheimer’s disease.”

Kapogiannis also says that ketones may even be helpful once someone already has dementia.

Little study has been done in this area in middle-age adults, although about 24 people have already taken part in the fasting study now underway.

Volunteers sought To qualify for the study, participants must be between the ages of 55 and 70 and have a BMI over 27, putting them in the overweight or obese range. They cannot have diabetes or severe neurological issues, such as a brain tumor, stroke or seizures.

During the 11-week study, participants will visit Harbor Hospital in Baltimore six times. At the beginning and end of the study, they will have a number of tests, including an MRI of the brain and a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to measure chemicals in the brain. They will also have glucose tolerance and memory tests.

Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. Both groups will get a two-hour education session on healthy eating habits, and guidelines for what the study calls a Healthy Living diet.

One group will eat the diet each day for

eight weeks. The other group will eat the diet for six days a week and choose two days each week to consume only two nutritional shakes, for a total of 460 calories on those days.

From those who have already completed the study, Kapogiannis said he’s found that during the first two weeks or so they have some difficulty making it through the fast days.

“Later on, from three to four weeks, something seems to switch, and they look forward to these days. They don’t find it

hard. Overall they feel more focused and have more clarity on these days. They feel better and brighter,” he said.

In addition to the visits at the beginning and end of the study, participants will make four more office visits, and have weekly phone calls with the study coordinators for support.

Compensation is offered for completing the study. For more information, or to volunteer, call (410) 350-3941 or email NIAStudiesRecruitment@mail.nih.gov and mention NIA Study #15-AG-0123.

16

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Latest news in breast cancer treatment

By Marilynn Marchione Most women with the most common form of early-stage breast cancer can safely skip chemotherapy without hurting their chances of beating the disease, doctors are reporting from a landmark study that used genetic testing to gauge each patient’s risk.

The study is the largest ever done of breast cancer treatment, and the results are expected to spare up to 70,000 patients a year in the United States, and many more elsewhere, the ordeal and expense of these drugs.

“The impact is tremendous,” said the study leader, Dr. Joseph Sparano of Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Most women in this situation don’t need treatment beyond surgery and hormone therapy, he said.

The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, some foundations, and proceeds from the U.S. breast cancer postage stamp.

Who can avoid chemo?

Cancer care has been evolving away from chemotherapy — older drugs with harsh side effects — in favor of gene-targeting therapies, hormone blockers and immune system treatments. When chemo is used now, it’s sometimes for shorter periods or at lower doses than it once was.

The breast cancer study focused on cases where chemo’s value increasingly is in doubt: women with early-stage disease that has not spread to lymph nodes, is hormone-positive (meaning its growth is fueled

by estrogen or progesterone), and is not the type that the drug Herceptin targets.

The usual treatment is surgery followed by years of a hormone-blocking drug. But many women also are urged to have chemo to help kill any stray cancer cells.

Doctors know that most don’t need it, but evidence is thin on who can forgo it.

The study gave 10,273 patients a test called Oncotype DX, which uses a biopsy sample to estimate the risk that a cancer will recur. It measures the activity of genes involved in cell growth and response to hormone therapy.

About 17 percent of women had highrisk scores and were advised to have chemo. The 16 percent with low-risk scores now know they can skip chemo, based on earlier results from this study.

The new results are on the 67 percent of women at intermediate risk. All had surgery and hormone therapy, and half also got chemo.

After nine years, 94 percent of both groups were still alive, and about 84 percent were alive without signs of cancer, so adding chemo made no difference.

Certain women 50 or younger did benefit from chemo. Slightly fewer cases of cancer spreading far beyond the breast occurred among some of them given chemo, depending on their risk scores on the gene test.

Who needs less Herceptin?

A different study suggests that many women with a common and aggressive form of breast cancer that is treated with Herceptin (a drug designed to block the growth and spread of cancer cells) can get by with six months of that drug instead of the usual 12, greatly reducing the risk of heart damage Herceptin sometimes can cause.

It’s good news, but it comes nearly two

decades after the drug first went on the market, and many patients have suffered that side effect.

The study was done in the United Kingdom and funded by UK government grants. Results were released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Herceptin transformed care of the dreaded disease when it was approved in 1998 for women with advanced breast cancers whose growth is aided by a faulty HER2 gene, as 15 percent to 20 percent of cases are.

It was later approved for treatment of those cancers in earlier stages, too, based on studies that had tested it in patients for 12 months. That guess, that the drug should be taken for a year, became the standard of care.

Shorter use appears sufficient But over time, the drug can hurt the heart’s ability to pump. That often eases if treatment is stopped, but the damage can be permanent and lead to heart failure.

Some studies tested shorter use periods, but results conflicted. The new study is the largest so far, and involved more than 4,000 women with early-stage cancers who were given usual chemotherapy plus Herceptin for either six or 12 months.

After four years, about 90 percent of both groups were alive without signs of the disease. Only 4 percent on the shorter treatment dropped out due to heart problems versus 8 percent of those treated for a year.

“It’s great news” for patients, said the study leader, Dr. Helena Earl of the University of Cambridge in England. Earl has consulted for Herceptin’s maker, Roche.

The company had no role in the study.

“There’s no reason to not immediately See BREAST CANCER, page 17

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

17

Few smokers get free lung cancer scans

By Marilynn Marchione Lung cancer screening has proved to be stunningly unpopular. Five years after government and private insurers started paying for it, less than 2 percent of eligible current and former smokers have sought the free scans, researchers report.

The study didn’t explore why, but experts say possible explanations include worries about false alarms and follow-up tests, a doctor visit to get the scans covered, fear and denial of the consequences of smoking, and little knowledge that screening exists.

“People are not aware that this is a test that can actually save lives,” said Dr. Richard Schilsky. “It’s not invasive, it’s not painful, there’s no prep, nothing has to be stuck into any body cavity,” so to see so little use “is shocking.” Schilsky is chief medical officer of the American Society of Clini-

Breast cancer From page 16 change practice. The findings are persuasive,” said Dr. Richard Schilsky, chief medical officer for the oncology society.

Most of Herceptin’s cancer-fighting benefit seems to come in the early months of use, he said.

Others said that because so few women have died or relapsed after being treated with the drug, longer follow-up may be needed to make sure the findings hold up before guidelines should be changed.

Doctors also want to see results published, and to study them to see if certain groups of women need longer treatment.

—AP

BEACON BITS

July 28

GRIEF WORKSHOP

Haven of Northern Virginia offers a free summer workshop called “Journey through Grief” on Saturday, July 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. Registration is requested. Haven is located at 4606 Ravensworth Rd., Annandale, Va. For information, call (703) 941-7000, email Haven at havenofnova@verizon.net, or visit www.havenofnova.org.

July 18

WEBINARS FOR CAREGIVERS

Fairfax County offers free webinars for family caregivers, which can be accessed via computer or telephone either live or after the fact.

The next session will be “Traveling with your loved one: a caregiver’s guide” on Thursday, July 19 from noon to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/FairfaxCaregiversWebinar.

cal Oncology, which released the study.

Lung cancer is the top cancer killer worldwide, causing 155,000 deaths in the United States each year. It’s usually found too late for treatment to succeed.

The big study found that annual lowdose CT scans, a type of X-ray, could find cases sooner and lower the risk of dying of lung cancer by 20 percent for those at highest risk. That’s people ages 55 through 79 who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years (or the equivalent, such as two packs a day for 15 years).

In 2013, a government task force and others backed screening for such folks.

The scans cost $100 to $250, and are free for those who meet the criteria. But people must have a special appointment to discuss risks and benefits with a doctor.

Dr. Danh Pham at the University of Louisville in Kentucky and others got in-

formation on how many scans were done from an American College of Radiology registry of all 1,800 sites in the U.S. accredited to perform them. A federal health study was used to estimate how many current and former smokers were eligible.

The results: In 2016, less than 2 percent of 7.6 million eligible smokers were screened. Rates ranged from 1 percent in the West to 3.5 percent in the Northeast.

That’s way below the 60 to 80 percent rates for breast, colon or cervical cancer screening.

The study was sponsored by the BristolMyers Squibb Foundation. One study leader has consulted for the company and other cancer drugmakers.

Mary Baroody of Alexandria, Va., has had several scans at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital since her husband, Michael, was diagnosed with lung cancer

and successfully treated seven years ago.

Both are 71 and longtime smokers who quit 15 years ago.

“I’m glad to go do it, and I feel good afterward,” she said of getting screened.

“You get a clean bill of health. What else could you want?”

Her husband said screening “just seems to be a no-brainer” because it can find cancer when it’s most treatable. “I’m living proof, literally, that caught early you can do something about it,” he said.

But screening has a dark side: research shows that over three years of annual scans, 40 percent of people will have an abnormal finding that often leads to follow-up tests such as a lung biopsy, and complications of those can be fatal, said Dr. Otis Brawley, the American Cancer Society’s chief medical officer.

—AP

18

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Common weight-loss mistakes to avoid

By Mallory Creveling From juice cleanses to super-early workouts, some common “good for you” fitness practices might actually be making it more difficult for you to get in shape.

Here is a review of what not to do: Committing only to cardio. Despite what you may have heard, running or spinning shouldn’t be your only workouts — strength training is vital to fitness, too.

After all, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Aim to lift weights at least twice a week.

Try adding 30-second high-intensity intervals to the treadmill (or bike) by upping the incline, resistance or speed. Do more squats or lunges, too, or try using equipment such as resistance bands or battle ropes.

Cutting calories. Eating fewer calories will initially help you slim down, but it probably won’t last. Consuming less while moving more, for example, forces the

brain into starvation mode, which makes the body hold onto fat.

Not all calories are alike, either: 100 calories of apple are not the same as 100 calories of chips. Processed carbs spike levels of insulin and signal fat cells to hoard calories. Then, your brain says you need more food.

To slim down, focus on food quality instead. Specifically, aim for healthy fats, natural carbs and proteins.

Waking up super-early to work out.

If you’re also staying up late, you could actually be sabotaging your ability to get sculpted.

Skimping on shut-eye leaves you hungrier the next day, and more likely to reach for sugary, starchy snacks. It can also destabilize hormones, upping your risk of diabetes and obesity. Make it a priority to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

Cutting out all carbs and fat. An im-

portant PSA: Not all carbs are evil, and fatfree products often have more sugar or additives than the regular versions.

On the other hand, full-fat foods (like yogurt) typically leave you more satisfied, so you won’t crave another snack.

And while saturated fat may harm your health, monounsaturated varieties (found in avocados and nuts) are better for you.

As for carbs, they’re a crucial part of a healthy, get-slim diet — the fiber fills you up faster and keeps you feeling full longer.

Just choose 100 percent whole-grain crackers, pasta and bread, and eat more whole fruit and ancient grains such as quinoa.

Only working out when you have a full hour. Don’t ditch exercise just because you can’t carve out 60 minutes: try HIIT (high-intensity interval training) instead. Doing 30 seconds of all-out effort (like sprints or jump squats) followed by 30 seconds of active rest (such as walking or biceps curls) and repeating this four to eight times melts fat faster than an hour of

moving at a moderate pace.

Also keep in mind that a sweaty workout isn’t the only way to get in shape. Classes like yoga and barre provide toning benefits — and they don’t leave you drenched.

Using the gym as an excuse to overindulge. You can’t lose a significant amount of weight without paying attention to what you eat, said Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center.

While it’s OK to have dessert occasionally, don’t eat a big portion and plan to work it off later. Aim for 400- to 500-calorie meals, and 100- to 150-calorie snacks, by filling your plate with fruits, veggies, fish and legumes — and cutting back on empty calories.

Family Circle offers candid advice and fresh ideas for everything, from what to make for dinner to what keeps parents up at night. Online at www.familycircle.com. © 2018 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT

Haven of Northern Virginia offers support, compassion, information and resources to the bereaved and seriously ill, and is looking for volunteers to provide individual and group support to those suffering from a loss. Volunteers must complete a 30-hour training, which is offered in October.

For more information, call (703) 941-7000.

Aug. 5

HISTORY OF BODY LANGUAGE

Green Spring Gardens presents “A History of Body Language,” a talk exploring gestures that form a nuanced, non-vocal language that speaks volumes, on Sunday, Aug. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Reservations are required.

The talk costs $32 per person if you want to enjoy tea and $12 for just the program. Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, Va. For more information, call (703) 941-7987, TTY or (703) 324-3988.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

19

Flavorful, warm roasted peach dessert It might seem impossible to improve on a perfect peach, but we decided to try.

We wanted a simple, warm dessert that amplified the peaches’ flavor. To achieve tender, flavorful peaches with a lightly sweet glaze, we began by tossing peeled and halved peaches with a little sugar, salt, and lemon juice to season the fruit and extract some juice.

To help the peaches heat through and still hold their shape, and to prevent the sugar from burning, we broiled the halves cut side up in a skillet, adding water to the pan to prevent sticking.

Once the peaches had begun to brown, we took them out and brushed them with a mixture of honey and butter, and then slid them back under the broiler to caramelize the glaze and produce beautifully browned peaches.

Lastly, we reduced the juices that had accumulated in the skillet into a thick, intensely peachy syrup to drizzle over the warm peaches, and topped them with some toasted hazelnuts.

Select peaches that yield slightly when pressed. You will need a 12-inch ovensafe skillet for this recipe. Use a serrated peeler to peel the peaches.

These peaches are best served warm, and with vanilla ice cream or plain Greek yogurt, if desired.

Honey-glazed roasted peaches Servings: 6 Start to finish: 40 minutes 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 firm, ripe peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup honey 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped coarse Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat the broiler. Combine lemon juice, sugar and salt in large bowl.

Add peaches and toss to combine, making sure to coat all sides with sugar mixture.

Transfer peaches, cut side up, to 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Pour any remaining sugar mixture into peach cavities. Pour water around peaches in skillet. Broil until peaches are just beginning to brown, 11 to 15 minutes.

Combine honey and butter in bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds, then stir to combine. Remove peaches from oven (skillet handle will be hot) and brush half of honey mixture over peaches.

Return peaches to oven and continue to broil until spotty brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven, brush peaches with remaining honey mixture, and transfer

peaches to serving dish, leaving juices behind.

Being careful of hot skillet handle, bring accumulated juices in skillet to simmer over medium heat and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute. Pour syrup over peaches.

Sprinkle with hazelnuts and serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 154

calories; 47 calories from fat; 5 g. fat (1 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 5 mg. cholesterol; 98 mg. sodium; 28 g. carbohydrate; 3 g. fiber; 25 g. sugar; 2 g. protein.

For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit www.americastestkitchen.com .

— AP

BEACON BITS

July 11+

ORAL HISTORY COURSE The Oral History Training Program is a three-week course about

oral history, meeting in the evening once a week. The 2018 course will be offered on Wednesdays, July 11, 18, and 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Shaw Public Library, 1630 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. Led by a professional oral historian, the course will introduce participants to the best practices of doing oral history and will empower them with the basic tools for developing their own styles and approaches to realizing the project’s overall aim: preserving D.C.’s rich past through oral history interviews with a wide range of its residents. Participants must complete three workshops. Completion of the Oral History Training Program will give participants access to the DCOHC digital audio recorders for their interviews and a cohort of peers in the DC area involved in oral history. It will also provide the opportunity for participants to submit their interviews to the DCOHC’s collection and get advice and ideas about future narrators to interview. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/DCOralHistoryProgram.

Fulfilling Jewish values by providing innovative and compassionate services to older adults and their families.

Conveniently located on a 38-acre campus in Rockville, services include: • Independent living at Revitz House and Ring House • Assisted living at Landow House and Memory care assisted living at Cohen-Rosen House • Skilled nursing care and Post-Acute care at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington • Geriatric medical care at Hirsh Health Center • Compassionate, versatile home care services through SmithLife™ Homecare

Call us at 301.770.8448 to visit our campus. www.smithlifecommunities.org

20

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Seven medical benefits of the kiwi fruit Kiwi is among my favorite fruits of all Besides being generally healthy, kiwi oftime. It’s also known as “Chinese Goose- fers these seven benefits: berry.” The little black seeds 1. Irritable bowel synin kiwi do more than just get drome (IBS) — Kiwi has comstuck in your teeth. They give pounds in it that reduce the acyou a small amount of healthy tivation of intestinal cells that omega 3 fatty acids. ruin your gut. This reduces inAn average kiwi has about 30 flammation in the gut. milligrams of alpha-linolenic 2. Asthma and wheezing acid. Kiwi is a great source of — Kiwi is rich in all kinds of annatural vitamin C and A, and tioxidants, especially vitamin C, also a good source of natural fowhich promotes collagen and late, thiamin and riboflavin. promotes healthy breathing.

In addition, Kiwi offers DEAR There was a study published in PHARMACIST some vitamin K (phylloquiThorax that evaluated children

By Suzy Cohen none) and minerals such as with asthma symptoms. The potassium, calcium, magnekiwi-consuming group had less sium and phosphorous. In this regard, it’s wheezing and noticed fewer nocturnal great for blood pressure and bones! coughing fits.

The fleshy green part gives you an added 3. Depression and PMS melancholy bonus of fiber, which promotes smooth traf- — Some foods are naturally high in serofic through your colon (regularity) and stim- tonin. Tomatoes are one of them. But kiwis ulates healthy probiotic growth. have twice as much serotonin as tomatoes.

Serotonin is a “happy” brain chemical that lifts mood, induces relaxation and boosts self esteem. People who are aggressive or hostile, or live in “fight” mode, might be low in serotonin.

I have a longer version of this article at my website in case you want more details.

Eating kiwis can essentially make a person feel more content because it acts as a natural fruit anti-depressant!

4. Sleep — Serotonin converts in the body to melatonin, a sleep hormone. So eating kiwis should help you fall asleep faster, and sleep a little bit longer. Eat one or two right after dinner.

5. Your eyes — Natural antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin are needed to support vision. Kiwi contains these special eye-loving nutrients. If you’re suffering with glaucoma or cataracts, why not eat a kiwi each day as part of your diet?

6. Respirator y infections — There was some kiwi research published in Advances in Food and Nutrition Research in 2013. Compounds in kiwi were found to

modulate the immune response, making it a great fruit to eat if you have suppressed immunity or chronic sinus/lung infections.

7. Anemia — If you’re iron deficient and supplementing with iron tablets, you can boost the amount of iron your body takes up with vitamin C-containing fruits such as kiwi, or orange juice.

Kiwi is a refreshing fruit that has many medical benefits.

Just be aware that you might be allergic to kiwi if you’re allergic to peanuts. There is a cross-sensitivity with tree nuts and kiwi.

By the way, if you’ve never tried kiwi before, be sure to peel the fuzzy brown skin off before eating it!

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

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her or see more articles, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING

Rockville Library offers counseling for SCORE, a resource partner of the Small Business Administration, to assist on a variety of concerns. Sessions are available Monday through Saturday by appointment. For more information or to register, call (240) 777-0001.

July 31

LUNCHTIME YOGA

Grace Studios offers a free community yoga class on Tuesday, July 31 at noon at Silver Spring Library, 900 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring, Md. This 50-minute vinyasa flow is designed to help you connect movement with breath, build flexibility and maintain good alignment and balance.

Modifications are available. Bring a yoga mat and water bottle. For more information, call (240) 773-9420.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

21

Issues with daughters over marriages Dear Solutions: your help to get out of it and have a happy My daughter is getting married this wedding memory instead of an aggravatsummer, and although I’m ing event. thrilled at this news, I’m Let your husband be the inalso very, very angry. My considerate, nasty boor that he husband, her father, left me is. You rise above it. Leave out after 35 years of marriage, all those F words. Instead of and is now living with the “forgive,” “forget” and “friendwoman with whom he had ly,” try “cool,” calm” and “courathe affair that broke up our geous.” marriage.

Ignore the boor. People will Now my daughter is very admire you, and you will be upset because her father told giving your daughter a really her he won’t come unless SOLUTIONS loving wedding present — a that woman is part of the By Helen Oxenberg, day of joy for her. She will feel greeting line after the cere- MSW, ACSW good about you and — surmony. My daughter wants prise — so will you! him there no matter what. I don’t want Dear Solutions: his girlfriend there — especially as part My daughter is giving me hard time. of the greeting party.

My wife died a little over a year ago. I’ve My daughter and I have always been met a great woman who I want to marry close, and she knows how hurt I’ve so we can travel together. been. How should I handle this with My daughter says it’s “inappropriher? ate” and too soon, and that I’m “forgetPeople say I should forgive and for- ting her mother like she didn’t exist.” get and be friendly. But I won’t forgive I’m not forgetting her mother (my this latest nastiness, and I can’t forget wife). I had a good marriage, and I it all, and I certainly won’t be friendly miss her. to either of them.

But I’m past 75, and I don’t know — Millie what’s appropriate at this age. My Dear Millie: daughter says all I think about is havYou’re right. You don’t have to forget. ing fun, and there’s time for remarYou have to remember your daughter! She riage later. is caught in the middle, and she needs I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t

BEACON BITS

Aug. 2

want to lose my daughter, but this woman takes away my loneliness. What can I say when she says I only think of having fun?

— Fred Dear Fred: Tell her time flies even when you’re not having fun!

Try to make her understand that you’re in a different time zone from her. When you’re young, there’s an illusion that there’s time for everything. When you’re older, you become more and more conscious of the limits of time.

Also, people grieve in different ways.

People who have had good marriages are much more likely to seek to remarry than to continue mourning. Actually, this is not

an insult to her mother but a tribute, since she helped you to see marriage as a plus.

You must do what you feel is right for you, at the same time assuring your daughter that you care about her feelings and hope you and she can remain close.

Remember, you are not asking for her permission, only her understanding.

Also, it might be helpful for your daughter to join a bereavement group for a while.

This will give her an opportunity to share her feelings and her grief. © Helen Oxenberg, 2018. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

July 14

OLD TIMEY MUSIC

The Carlyle Club presents Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra on Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m. Enjoy the sounds from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, such as “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” “Charleston” and the romantic tunes of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and the wonderful swing era of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and more. Tickets cost $35. The Carlyle Club is located at 2050 Ballenger Ave., Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/OldTimeyMusicCarlyle or call (703) 548-8899

Ongoing

WALKING CLUB

Sibley Hospital offers a free waking club on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Mazza Galerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave., Washington, D.C. Members walk in a temperature-controlled, safe and dry environment. Free blood pressure checks are provided. Meet at the concourse level. There’s free parking in the underground structure. For more information, call (202) 364-7602.

80s POP STAR CONCERT

Montgomery College presents special guest Tom Bailey, of hit 80s pop band The Thompson Twins on Thursday, Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. The Thompson Twins had memorable hits like “Hold Me Now,” “Doctor Doctor,” “You Take Me Up,” and “Love On Your Side.” The concert takes place in the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville, Md. Tickets cost $65 ($55 for Montgomery College students). For more information, call (240) 567-5301.

July 16+

LGBTQI GRIEF WORKSHOP

Montgomery Hospice offers two two-hour grief workshops for the LGBTQI community on Mondays, July 16 and 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The workshops are led by members of the community.

Montgomery Hospice is located at 1355 Piccard Dr., Rockville, Md. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call (301) 921-4400.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 7

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging June was an eventful month here at the Office on Aging!

We’ve loved spending time with you as we’ve kicked off the summer, celebrating our city’s diversity in the Capital Pride Parade and our first ever senior Pride party, experimenting with virtual reality and robotics at our Senior Symposium, crowning a new Ms. Senior D.C., and hanging out with you and our friends at the Department of Parks and Recreation at SeniorFest!

After all, we’re not just government employees, we’re your neighbors, your friends and part of your community. That’s what makes D.C. a city I’m proud to call home.

One of the many gifts of my role at DCOA is how much I’ve been challenged to think bigger about how we can live and love together as a community.

I don’t talk about this much, but I’ve struggled with depression. I’m not embarrassed to say that, because I think many of you have, too, or know someone who does.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced that the suicide rate is increasing in the United States. You may have heard me say during a town hall that recent research shows that loneliness (which is close cousins with depression) has negative health impacts similar to heavy smoking.

Mental health is very closely linked to physical health. At DCOA, we talk a lot about physical health, but we don’t talk as much about mental health. Let’s change that.

I know stigma sometimes gets in the way of talking openly about mental health, but the more that we can be open about what we’re feeling, the more we can admit that we might need more support than we let on.

Depression is something that many of us experience. For me, admitting that I need help remains my toughest lesson (and one that I’ve repeated over and over). I bet many of you can relate. But here’s the thing — we’re meant to live together in community. We need each other.

We have nothing to be ashamed of, and the more we talk about it, the stronger we get as a community. I hope you’ll reach out to your friends, to your neighbors, to us, and be open to having these honest conversations about mental health.

As I often say, D.C. is the biggest small town I know. I thought I moved to D.C. to escape small towns, but now I know that I was just looking for the one that fit me. And I’m in an amazingly privileged position to say that we at DCOA want to strengthen and support the best community there is. Know that we’re here for you. You belong here. DCOA — with you.

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

July 2018

New Ms. Senior D.C. Crowned

Executive Director Laura Newland and Deputy Mayor HyeSook Chung congratulate Ms. Senior D.C. Phyllis M. Jordan with Ms. Senior America Carolyn M. Slade.

Eight District women met weekly for nearly two months to learn their steps, practice their talents, and perfect their philosophies on the road to becoming the next Ms. Senior D.C. Phyllis M. Jordan, who sang “Four Women”

by Nina Simone and wore a turquoise blue offthe-shoulder gown with mermaid bottom during her evening gown and philosophy of life presentations, was crowned Ms. Senior D.C. 2018. Her a cappella presentation showed off her voice as well as the four women — Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing and Peaches — depicted in the song, released in 1966.

Margaret Carter was awarded First Runnerup, Best Talent and Best Interview, and she heated up the crowd in a red gown adorned with beads and a knee-length split, and with her interpretive dance to “Fever” by Peggy Lee. Second Runner-up was Paulette Cunningham, who presented her poem titled “Life.”

Joycelyn Thompson was Third-Runner-up, Best Salesperson and Best Evening Gown. She entertained the crowd with her Caribbean Wind dance in a colorful costume that included green sequins, green ostrich feathers, a green lame, pleated cape and native flag headwear. The contestants voted Phyllis Jordan Ms. Congeniality.

Ms. Senior D.C. 2017 Frances Curtis-Johnson performed her talent from last year, where she portrayed a Radio DJ on WFRJ 97.5 local radio, a call-in show for seniors. She began the

show with “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, and ended with the beat of Chuck Brown’s “Chuck Baby.” She presented her farewell address and her final walk as Ms. Senior D.C., thanking all who supported her doing her reign.

Special guest for the event, Ms. Senior America Carolyn Slade Harden, greeted attendees and sang “I Love Being Here with You” by Peggy Lee. She changed some of the words of the song, and acknowledged a few D.C. members by name.

During her visit here, many of the ladies took her to the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a tour. The D.C. Seniors Cameo Club also hosted a meet and greet at Tesora Restaurant directly after the pageant.

Representatives from the Ms. Senior America Pageant who attended the event included Robin Rosenthal Milne, executive director, Senior America, Inc.; Kat Fanelli, national pageant director; Sam Fanelli, sound engineer; Annmarie Pittman, national pageant choreographer and Ms. Virginia Senior America past administrator; and Fran Owens, secretary, National Senior America Alumni Club.

The MC Steppers opened and closed the program with dances to the music of Chaka Kahn, including the pageant theme song, “Every Woman.”

Congratulations to all of our contestants!

Job well done!

Get Involved Wednesday, July 11 11 to 11:30 a.m.

D.C. Office on Aging, the Mayor’s Office on Community Relations and Services, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services hosts its monthly Senior Telephone Town Hall Topic: Neighborhood Watch To RSVP or to request reasonable accommodations, please call 202-442-8150 or email engagement.dc@dc.gov

Thursday, July 19 2 to 5 p.m.

Out & About: Seabury Resources for Aging LGBTQ Older Adults on the Move “Love is Strange� Film Screening & Program Launch Party Contact Billy Kluttz, LGBTQ Program Coordinator, at bkluttz@seaburyresources.org or 202-397-1726 to learn more.

Thursday, July 26 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

D.C. Office on Aging Graciously Supports the Gettysburg Community Association

Community Health, Wellness & Informational Fair Gettysburg Senior Building 3005 Bladensburg Rd. NE – Ward 5

Saturday, July 28 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Community Health and Informational Fair Nineteenth Street Baptist Church 4606 16th St. NW – Ward 4 Contact: Church Office 202-882-7345

Saturday, July 28 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Serve 2018 Day East Friendship Baptist Church 4401 Brooks St. NE – Ward 7 Contact: Tracey Smith 202-277-7440

Saturday, July 28 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Health Seminar Galatians Baptist Church 822 Tewkesbury Pl. NW – Ward 4 Contact: JoAnn Summers Jsummers5245@verizon.net

7th Annual Senior Symposium Hundreds of seniors gathered at Dunbar Senior High School for the Mayor’s Seventh Annual Senior Symposium, titled “Making Technology Work for You.�

Seniors had their choice of topics at three sessions of workshops, which included subjects such as how to build a robot, traveling through virtual reality, smartphone assistance, and learning how to be money smart.

Other activities included visiting the exhibit hall with more than 100 exhibitors of government and communi-

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5626 www.dcoa.dc.gov

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

Brain Games Return

Spotlight on Aging

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

ty service providers and technology-focused companies.

They also listened to keynote speaker Joycelyn Tate of Tate Strategies, who discussed seniors and technology, and how apps like NextDoor can keep seniors connected to their communities.

At the Main Stage, host Rayceen Pendarvis led the entertainment with vocalist Nia Simmons, the Lori Williams Jazz Ensemble (compliments of Washington Performing Arts), and dance contests. The event featured something for everyone.

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia

Say you saw it in the Beacon

The 2nd Annual DCOA Brain Games is a citywide trivia competition for seniors in the District to promote brain health. The Games will start with inter-ward competitions, July 18 to 31. The playoffs and champion game will be held in September, and one ward will be named the D.C. Citywide Brain Games Champion! If you are interested in joining a team, please contact your Lead Agency.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; J U L Y 2 0 1 8

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

Say you saw it in the Beacon

B-1

B-2

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Competitive market spurs new housing

By Carol Sorgen With the number of Americans over the age of 80 expected to double in the next two decades, the senior living housing market is becoming increasingly competitive.

That’s good news for the many older adults who will be looking for new housing options, whether in an independent living, continuing care/life plan, or assisted living community.

Residential communities in the Greater Washington/Baltimore corridor are looking to future needs, expanding and improving existing communities or building entirely new ones.

At Roland Park Place in Baltimore, for example, 58 new independent living apartments are being added, while in the Washington area, the nonprofit Culpepper Garden of Arlington, Va., has begun a total renovation of its 204 apartments.

Here is an alphabetical summary of the growth now underway in the Beacon readership areas:

In the Washington, D.C. area Asheir Homes Potomac, Md. (301) 250-6660 www.asheirmanor.com Asheir Homes Assisted Living will soon open a second location in Potomac, Md. Run

by a nurse practitioner, the new eight-bed, two-level home on two acres has an elevator and all private rooms with private bathrooms.

The home will specialize in serving residents with Parkinson’s disease, as well as mobility and memory care. A small therapy gym will help residents with strength and gait training.

Memory care residents will be able to order snacks and drinks from an onsite coffee shop. The company’s first home, Asheir Manor, is in Germantown, Md. Brandywine Assisted Living Alexandria, Va. (703) 940-3300 www.brandycare.com Located near historic Old Town, Brandywine Living at Alexandria provides a convenient location for those from the area who want to reside close to their children, grandchildren and friends, while remaining in the community they love.

Brandywine Living at Alexandria is part of the development of Alexandria’s West End and the larger Van Dorn Corridor.

The 116-suite, six-story luxury community features amenities such as a movie theater, pub, therapy pool and restaurantstyle dining. As part of Brandywine’s “Escapades…for Life!” program, the community offers an array of educational, entertainment and health and wellness choices

Assisted Living and Memory Care with

a whole lotta heart.

There’s a brand new assisted living

tailored to each resident.

Brightview Senior Living Bethesda, Md. (240) 558-5605 www.brightviewseniorliving.com Brightview Senior Living is constructing a new eight-story community in downtown Bethesda. Brightview Bethesda Woodmont, opening in May 2019, will have 112 private and semi-private apartments for residents who need assisted living or memory care services.

Planned amenities include rooftop dining, a sloped-floor theater, a fitness area, salon/spa services and an activity room.

Design features will include granite counters, tile floors, and crown molding.

The Landing of Silver Spring Silver Spring, Md. (301) 388-7700 www.leisurecare.com The Landing of Silver Spring, opening in November, will offer assisted living and memory care services to meet a wide range of needs.

Residents at the Landing of Silver Spring will enjoy a robust activity calendar full of engaging programs and innovative fitness opportunities specifically designed to keep seniors of all abilities active. There will be a bistro and hospitality bar serving coffee and snacks throughout the day, and a restaurant offering seasonal menus and local fare.

Silverado Memory Care Alexandria, Va. (703) 215-9110 www.silverado.com The Silverado Alexandria Memory Care Community is now open to serve the needs of up to 65 residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other memoryimpairing conditions. The three-story community with underground parking is

located on a two-acre site within a mile of Old Town, off King Street.

The community features indoor space specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the memory impaired, as well as secure outside space purposefully built to give residents the freedom to enjoy the outdoors.

Sunrise of Bethesda Bethesda, Md. (240) 215-4002 www.sunriseseniorliving.com At Sunrise of Bethesda, the newly opened community offers assisted living and memory care services led by an experienced staff trained to provide individualized care for each resident.

Dining staff provides three meals a day, and residents enjoy a variety of activities, clubs and social events both within the community and in nearby Bethesda and the nation’s capital.

Sunrise of Chevy Chase Chevy Chase, Md. (240) 215-4114 www.sunriseseniorliving.com The newest Sunrise community, Sunrise of Chevy Chase, offers assisted living and memory care. The building includes nine floor plans, ranging from 518-square-foot assisted living and memory care units, to a 929-square-foot two-bedroom/two-bathroom assisted living apartment.

Sunrise offers three chef-prepared meals a day, plus activities including art, yoga and fitness classes, as well as book groups, current events discussions and more. Pets are also welcome.

Sunrise at Silas Burke House Burke, Va. (571) 290-4970 www.sunriseseniorliving.com See COMMUNITIES GROW, page B-3

OPENING FALL 2018

and memory care community coming to town. And you know how new things are—they’re bright, shiny and oh-so-nice.

The Landing of Silver Spring will certainly be all those things. You can

Live Local.

You shop local, so why not live local, too?

absolutely count on that.

But, most of all, you can count on our heart. Our great, big, helpful and caring heart.

We’ll make sure you feel right at home. Always.

NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS! Call today to learn more about The Landing and the benefits of joining our Priority Waitlist.

Unlike many communities that are part of a nationwide chain, Chesterbrook is a local, not-for-profit community sponsored by two area Presbyterian churches and a Jewish temple.

Decisions are made with our residents in mind.

There is only one Chesterbrook Residences.

Call today 703-531-0781 to schedule your tour.

Assisted Living Community 13908 New Hampshire Avenue • Silver Spring 301.200.0928 • TheLandingOfSilverSpring.com

2030 Westmoreland Street | Falls Church 703-531-0781 | chesterbrookres.org Coordinated Services Management, Inc.—Professional Management of Retirement Communities since 1981.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Communities grow From page B-2 This 80-unit Sunrise community opened last winter on the grounds of the nearly 200-year-old home of the man for whom Burke, Va. is named. Sunrise restored the home as part of the agreement to construct an assisted living and memory care facility adjacent to it.

Like the other Sunrise communities, Sunrise at Silas Burke House offers a roster of daily fitness, creative, social, learning and spiritual activities, and is pet friendly.

In Baltimore and Howard County Arbor Terrace Maple Lawn Fulton, Md. (301) 327-2613 www.arborcompany.com Arbor Terrace Maple Lawn offers stateof-the-art senior living and one-of-a-kind Bridges and memory care communities designed specifically for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Pricing is based on the apartment type and level of care. Monthly rent includes trained staff available 24 hours a day, three meals served daily, weekly housekeeping, daily bed-making and trash removal, scheduled group transportation, daily programs and activities, maintenance of buildings and grounds, secure safety system, all utilities, and oversight of general well-being.

Carsins Run Bel Air, Md. (443) 390-2590 www.carsinsrun.org Harford County’s first Continuing Care Retirement Community is slated to open in 2020 on a 47-acre campus in Bel Air, Md. Called Carsins Run at Eva Mar, the community is part of the nonprofit Presbyterian Home of Maryland.

Carsins Run will include independent and assisted living, as well as nursing and memory care for those over 60.

There are six independent-living floor plans, ranging from a 755-square-foot onebedroom/one-bathroom apartment to a 1,329-square-foot two-bedroom/two-bathroom unit.

Health services include a physician, nursing team and social services. There will be several dining options, including carry-out, and a clubhouse for activities and classes.

Residents pay a one-time entrance fee that is refundable to the resident or resident’s estate.

Chapel Springs Senior Apartments Perry Hall, Md. (410) 352-7440 www.chapelspringsapartments.com Recently opened, Chapel Springs Senior Apartments is Baltimore County’s newest community for those 62 and older. The smoke-free community includes amenities to promote an active lifestyle, including a library, fitness center, beauty salon and cyber-

Independent Living

Rental Cottages Available at

At The Village at Rockville - A National Lutheran Community you can enjoy cottage living without the entry fee.

Amenities include: • Social, recreational, educational, spiritual and cultural opportunities • Use of on-site care center (additional fees may apply) • Beauty Salon/Barbershop • Transportation services to medical appointments (additional fees may apply) • Walking trail with LifeTrail Wellness Stations • Housekeeping services • Dining venues • Fitness center • Chapel • Library and gift shop • Therapy services

Learn more at

www.thevillageatrockville.org or 301-281-6997 The Village at Rockville is sponsored by National Lutheran !""#$%&%'()*)+',-%.'(/)0)10%&2340('5/)$!&31!,36,!7&)"%$%(&,8)!1)&2') Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving people of all beliefs.

café. The community is also pet-friendly.

Convenience features include washer and dryer in each home, ample parking, and elevators. Green features include upgraded insulation, Energy Star appliances and energy-efficient HVAC. Chapel Springs is close to the Beltway and I-95, and is less than five miles from White Marsh.

The Homestead Baltimore, Md. (410) 664-4006 www.springwellseniorliving.com The Homestead is Baltimore’s newest independent living community, located in the heart of Mount Washington, close to arts and culture venues, restaurants, shopping, medical centers, and more. Floor plans range from one-bedroom/one-bath to two-bedroom/two-bath. Many feature balconies or patios.

B-3

Other amenities include multiple dining options, room service, concierge, housekeeping services, fitness center, community shuttle services, laundry and linen service, flower and vegetable gardens, faith and fellowship chapel, art studio, 24/7 security, and Wi-Fi. Roland Park Place Baltimore, Md. (410) 243-5700 www.rolandparkplace.org The expansion of Roland Park Place is now underway. Improvements in the first phase of work, focusing on the renovation of existing common spaces and a complete redesign of the healthcare center, will include a new entrance hall and a café.

When the project is complete, an eightstory addition will offer 60 residences as well as a new dining venue, arts center and indoor parking.

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Housing Notes

By Barbara Ruben

Culpepper Garden starts major renovation Culpepper Garden, a nonprofit senior living community in Arlington, Va., has begun a two-year, $24.8 million renovation of its 204 apartments. The building dates from 1975. Residents will be temporarily relocated on-site during the phased renovation.

The renovation, known as Culpepper Garden 1, will include repair of the exterior façade, new roof, replacement of all

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

apartment windows and of major systems (heating, cooling, plumbing and sanitary), substantially upgraded elevators, and the installation of sprinklers throughout the building. All apartments will be remodeled with new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and finishes.

Six new apartments will be added, and public space will be updated. Accessibility will be increased in each apartment, and 21 apartments will be fully accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The renovation is a partnership between Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation (ARHC) and Wesley Housing Development Corporation (WHDC), with funding from Arlington County, Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, and tax credit equity through the Virginia Community Development Corporation (VCDC).

THE FOOD. THE FRIENDSHIPS. THE LIFESTYLE. AT ASPENWOOD SENIOR LIVING, WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST.

14400 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906

301-598-6424 “There is a wonderful sense of community at Aspenwood. It begins with the staff. It's a place, ‘where everybody knows your name.’ There are plenty of good food choices in the dining room, too. Our family has peace of mind knowing our mother is in good hands.”

Additional senior public housing planned for D.C. In June, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced three communities for older adults that will be built or preserve existing public housing. All projects will serve households making no more than 80 percent of the median family income ($117,200), but many are reserved for those who have far lower incomes.

“Washington, D.C. is growing quickly, so we’re working quickly to make room for everyone, especially our long-time residents,” said Bowser. “Using every tool in our toolbox means preserving the affordable housing we already have available, building new units, and funding innovative projects that do both — that’s what these projects will do.”

The developments include: • 63 units for seniors, including 13 for those who are homeless, at 1100 Eastern Ave. NE • 88 units for seniors, including 14 who are homeless, in Ward 4 in a development called Spring Flats — Senior • Renovation of Anacostia Gardens Apartments, to preserve 99 units for seniors in a $9.85 million project

D.C. area tops for accessibility The Washington, D.C. area is number one among “the 10 best cities for accessible living,” according to the real estate agency Redfin. Baltimore came in at 10th place on the list.

To find out which U.S. cities are leading the way in housing and community features accessible to persons with disabilities, Redfin analyzed data from the Multiple Listings Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and Numbeo, a cost-of-living database and app. The cities were ranked on four accessibility factors: accessible housing, public transportation, community attractions and access to healthcare.

In determining the number of accessible homes for each area, Redfin looked at the number of active listings with accessible features in 2017. Examples of accessible features include manageable entries or routes, wide doors suitable for wheelchair access, grab bars in bathrooms, and usable kitchens and other rooms.

The Washington area had 10,634 homes for sale with accessible features in 2017, with a median sales price of $580,000.

About 6.7 percent of the population lives with a disability.

The Baltimore area had 17,067 homes for sale with accessible features in 2017, and the median sales price was $171,000.

About 11.9 percent of the Baltimore population lives with a disability, Redfin found.

The report noted that Washington’s Metro system and local buses, including GO Alex, a public transit service in Alexandria, Va., are specifically designed for people with mobility issues.

Washington also has many community recreational programs designed for people See HOUSING NOTES, page B-6

Best Senior Care Gets Thumbs Up

– Cathy, Google.com Review

JOIN US FOR A COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH AND SAVOR A TASTE OF OUR FIVE STAR DINING EXPERIENCE! ASK ABOUT OUR SIZZLING SUMMER SPECIAL!

HOW’S THE FOOD? EXCEPTIONAL. Our creative chefs know that cooking is about more than following a recipe.

It’s an experience. A passion. An opportunity to bring people together. Now, we’re bringing our residents and families new ways to connect over a shared love of food. From new menu items to enhanced dining options, the Five Star Dining Experience is adding more flavor and flexibility to every day.

CALL TO JOIN US FOR A MEAL AND SCHEDULE A PERSONAL TOUR.

• Companionship, Meal Assistance, Medication Reminders, Personal Hygiene Assistance, Grocery Shopping, and much more • A family company: You will always speak directly with our owner • Only highly qualified and experienced caregivers • Fully licensed, bonded, and insured

301-717-2212

www.bestseniorcare.us

www.AspenwoodSeniorLiving.com INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING A R E A ’ S O N LY I N D E P E N D E N C E P L U S ©2018 Five Star Senior Living

HUD will be awarding 141 “tenant protection vouchers,” guaranteeing that most current and future residents will pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent.

Culpepper Garden I will remain 100 percent affordable, with 208 units rented to those who earn 60 percent of the area median income and two units at 80 percent.

The current average income of Culpepper Garden I residents is $18,000 and average age is 77 years.

RSA # R 2041 Pet Friendly

Complimentary Consultation and Assessment Expires 7/31/18

You may qualify for services at no cost! Call now for details.

WB 7/18

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

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The latest design apps for home layouts

By Katherine Roth Planning out how to arrange furniture in your home — or plants in your garden — used to involve a pencil, graph paper, a measuring tape and a lot of imagination.

The process has gotten easier — and way more streamlined — thanks to a burgeoning selection of home and garden apps.

Furniture companies, interior design firms and even landscapers have been rolling out a new generation of apps and online programs to make the process more foolproof for novices and pros alike, often using virtual and augmented reality technology.

“Design apps are really great for generating ideas, and deciding on materials and sources for do-it-yourself projects,” said Margaret Mayfield, an architect in Los Osos, California. “And they’re also very helpful for communicating design ideas to contractors and architects.”

Fit furniture before buying The technology allows you to see what furniture would look like in your home before you buy it, using just the camera on your phone, for example, instead of dealing with the hassle — and back pain — involved in returning, say, an ill-chosen sofa.

And the design apps do not stop at the door. There are landscaping apps to help

take the guesswork out of deciding what to plant and where and when.

Among the most popular home apps is Houzz, a free app with 40 million users around the world each month, according to Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing for Houzz. Features include a huge database of design photos — searchable by style, country or color, for example — to create a personalized “idea book.”

The site’s “Visual Match” feature allows visitors to order furniture and other products that are the same or similar to those seen in the magazine-type photos. You can work with a friend by using the “Invite a Collaborator” feature, or, through “Directory,” contact local designers, architects and landscapers.

One of the newest features is “View in My Room 3D,” which invites you to look at your room through your phone and then — using augmented reality technology — place a selected piece of furniture there to see what it would look like.

Other indoor design apps include Hutch, Home Design 3D, and Room Sketcher, and interior design apps from stores like IKEA and Overstock.com.

Plot your garden For outdoors, Houzz features articles and advice from gardening pros, and a

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

JOB SEEKERS CLUB Hyattsville Library offers a Job Seekers Club that meets on Mondays

at 6:30 p.m. (except July 9). Looking for a job? Preparing for an interview? Need help filling out an application? This program meets regularly to answer questions, provide guidance and assist job seekers in their job search. The library is located at 6502 America Blvd., Hyattsville, Md. For more information, call (301) 985-4690.

forum where home gardeners can share ideas and suggestions.

Another popular landscaping app is iScape, which helps you visualize your garden, save and share ideas, and buy gardening products.

As with all technology, though, the apps have a learning curve that in some cases is far greater than the old graph paper and pencil method of laying things out. And professionals warn that for major jobs, it’s still best to seek out a pro.

Just don’t be surprised when your landscaper or designer pulls out their phone to consult an app.

Matt McMillan, a landscape designer in Pound Ridge, New York, said, “My designs are very focused on drawing nature into the garden. So I frequently consult the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin app. I also have apps for dragonflies, butterflies and mushrooms. I can’t live without the ‘Toolbox’ app in general, and specifically its compass.”

— AP

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Housing notes From page B-4 with disabilities, and all federal buildings are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible. Access to high-quality healthcare also contributed to making the D.C. area number one.

Resident offers advice on assisted living Most of the information available to

prospective assisted living residents and their adult children comes from the brochures of the communities and a handful of books on the subject. None of these publications was written by a resident of one of these facilities, said Carol Netzer, 91, who has been a resident in assisted living facilities for more than four years.

So she decided to write her own book, Assisted Living: An Insider’s View — a unique combination of descriptions of dayto-day operations in assisted living, personal impressions, and observations of fellow residents and how they interact.

Netzer is a trained psychologist, natural-

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

ly inclined to observe human behavior wherever she goes. She tackles some thorny issues, such as those who find themselves unable to thrive in a new environment, how to best care for what she calls the “old old,” when new residents have trouble making friends, and other topics.

The paperback book is available from online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $7.99. http://www.assistedlivingresident.net

Sidestep rising rates on homeequity loans Rising interest rates have boosted the cost of borrowing against your home, and rates are likely to go higher. The average rate on a home-equity line of credit (HELOC) in early June was 5.92 percent, nearly 1½ percentage points higher than when the Federal Reserve started raising rates in December 2015. With at least one

more rate hike expected in 2018, the average HELOC rate could hit 6.5 percent by year-end.

During the initial draw period, usually 10 years, your lender may allow you to avoid future rate hikes by locking in the current rate on all or a portion of your outstanding balance. For example, Wells Fargo allows its HELOC borrowers to convert a minimum of $10,000 to a fixed rate twice a year.

If your budget allows, choose a fully amortizing payment that won’t leave a balance at the end of the repayment period to which a higher, variable rate would apply.

Another option for homeowners who don’t have a super cheap mortgage: Roll your mortgage and home-equity debt into a single mortgage. If you used the homeequity debt to buy, build or improve your home, you’ll qualify for a lower rate than you’d get if you refinanced your first mortgage for more than the current balance and took the difference as cash, said Josh Moffitt, president of Silverton Mortgage, in Atlanta.

Save this special section or share with a friend.

Where Excitement + Lives!

L

!"#$%&#'&(#)%&*#+,$-.-&/#+0+&.1#2%&(#3+!34+56#%.

7+%8"9*#%.#:9-+&(1;-3#<+99%$+=

At Friendship Terrace, our residents are just as socially active and excited about life as ever. Our community recently celebrated the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup win with a “Rock the Red” party. Red was everywhere, from our resident’s outfits to the delicious red velvet cake!

With socials, art classes, live entertainment, clubs, a greenhouse, a rooftop deck, and more, there’s always something to look forward to at Friendship Terrace.

Experience the lifestyle for yourself!

FriendshipTerrace.org 1-800-643-3769 DC RELAY SERVICE • 1-800-643-3768 TTY 4201 Butterworth Place NW,

Call 202-244-7400 (TRS 711) to schedule a visit.

Washington, DC 20016

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

B-7

D.C. exhibit focuses on adaptable homes

By Katherine Roth Most housing is designed for nuclear families (one couple with dependent children), but today, most U.S. households don’t meet that description.

That’s why flexible floor plans — and innovations including moveable walls, smart technology, multifunctional furniture and spacesaving features — are the future, according to a new exhibit, “Making Room: Housing for a Changing America,” at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum’s curator, Chrysanthe Broikos, said only about 20 percent of households today are traditional nuclear families, so housing and zoning rules need to adapt to keep pace with demographic changes.

In addition to interiors, the exhibit highlights a number of studies on housing, and information about what’s going on around the country in new development and zoning.

“We’re trying to say, ‘Hey, what are the other 80 percent of households doing?’”

Broikos said. The exhibit, which opened last November, runs through Sept. 16.

An adjustable house One unique feature is an “Open House” designed by Italian architect Pierluigi Colombo, co-founder of the design firm Clei, which is changed during the course of the exhibit to illustrate how a flexible space can adapt to accommodate three different living arrangements.

Initially set up to house four imaginary roommates (two singles and a couple), the space was then transformed to house an imaginary multigenerational family. The space is currently configured to house an imaginary retired couple, and will include a rental apartment.

Although the Open House is only 1,000

square feet, it feels much larger — and allows for flexibility — because all the beds fold up to become walls, sofas or tables.

It also features acoustically sound motorized moving wall systems made by the Wisconsin-based Hufcor company, long known for making the bigger moving walls used in gyms and ballrooms.

“A floor plan should not just be a picture in time. It should be adaptable,” said Lisa Blecker, marketing director at Resource Furniture, whose multifunctional furnishings are featured in the exhibit.

“The big takeaway is that if you’re planning to renovate or reconfigure your home, it’s essential to think about the long term, and opportunities for flexibility in years to come,” she said.

“The makeup of a household is fluid and, more than ever, home layouts, wall configurations and furnishings need to keep up with those changes.”

out redoing the plumbing.

“We will always need single-family homes and apartments that are designed to accommodate a nuclear family,” said Sarah Watson, deputy director of the Citizens Housing & Planning Council, which helped organize the exhibit.

“But today, the majority of our households are comprised of singles living alone, multi-generational families, and adults sharing their homes with roommates. Our population is also aging rapidly, and will need new housing options that can support aging-in-place with diminished physical or cognitive abilities.”

Dan Soliman, director of the AARP Foundation, a major funder of the exhibit,

said that one-fifth of U.S. adults will be 65 or older by 2030, “and a recent AARP study found that almost 90 percent of people want to continue living in their own home for as long as possible.”

“We need more designs like this one to meet the needs of individuals and families through all stages of their life,” Soliman said.

The National Building Museum is located at 401 F St. NW, Washington, D.C. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for those 60 and older; $10 for others. For more information, see www.nbm.org or call (202) 272-2448.

— AP

Shenandoah Senior Living is quietly located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in

Adaptable kitchens and baths

the Shenandoah Valley. This

The beauty of the home set up in the exhibit is that it can accommodate multiple household configurations without moving bathrooms or the kitchen.

“And the kitchen has been carefully designed to work well for children, millennials, older people, and someone in a wheelchair,” Blecker said.

The kitchen in the exhibit features adjustable-height counters for wheelchair accessibility. Pull-down cabinet fittings, which allow high shelves to be pulled down to almost counter height, save people from having to stand on stools to reach upper shelves.

Bathrooms are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and sinks are mounted separately from the vanity so a wheelchair can be accommodated with-

Assisted Living and Memory Care community is in a safe and tranquil environment.

103 Lee Burke Road Front Royal, VA 22630

540-635-7923

Each day is lived with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and

ShenandoahSL.com the nearby Shenandoah River.

Experience a premiere senior living community One rich in tradition with the ideal independent lifestyle.

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B-8

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

The Village at Rockville 301-424-9560 9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850-3462 www.thevillageatrockville.org Welcome home to The Village at Rockville. Here the people within make a difference. As a staff we're always engaging, collaborating and making sure that our Life Enrichment programming is perfectly tailored to the wants and needs of those we serve, with activities such as wellness and art classes, social events, educational lectures and shopping excursions. And here, with our full continuum of care, we can meet any changes in health care needs with our short-term myPotential rehabilitation services, brand-new assisted living suites, memory support accommodations and skilled nursing care. Call today to learn more about plans for new independent living!

LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Covenant Village 301-540-1162 18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874 www.qpmgmt.com • Spacious 2-bedroom plans with washer/dryer in each apt.

• Covenant Village shuttle bus for shopping and local trips • Fitness room, billiard room, game/crafts room, movie theatre • On-site beauty salon, garden plots It’s all about our residents, says Kathy the Property Manager. The staff ensures that the residents always have interesting and exciting activities going on. Some of the fun includes movie nights, new resident meet and greet, holiday parties, fashion shows, and community dinners. Attendance at the wine and cheese and ice cream socials is close to 100%. Covenant Village was recently awarded a trophy by the Property Management Association for being Maryland’s Best Affordable Community in their category! Please call today to make an appointment for a tour.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Falcons Landing 703-293-5054

Greenspring 1-877-589-9570

20522 Falcons Landing Circle Potomac Falls, VA 20165 www.FalconsLanding.org

7410 Spring Village Drive Springfield, VA 22150 EricksonLiving.com

Common Bonds and Extraordinary Living is what you find when you move to Falcons Landing! Nestled near the Potomac River in scenic Loudoun County, Falcons Landing is a vibrant hub for residents who have retired from work, but not from life!

Adventure, friendships, education, exquisite food and more are waiting for you. Call us today to schedule your personal visit and learn more about the Falcons Life! Falcons Landing welcomes all officers whether retired or honorably discharged, from all branches of service, as well as senior-level federal employees of GS-14 and higher, to include spouses and surviving spouses.

For almost 20 years, active seniors have chosen Greenspring in Springfield as their new address for vibrant, maintenance-free living.

The 58-acre campus boasts a wide variety of stylish apartment homes; three amenity-packed clubhouses; and an unparalleled health and wellness program exclusively for older adults. Residents can age in place with confidence, knowing that assisted living, memory care, and nursing care are available right on campus if they need extra support in the years to come. Most importantly, Greenspring’s inclusive Monthly Service Package and 90% Refundable Entrance Deposit* make this lifestyle affordable for most retired homeowners. Call 1-877-589-9570 for a free brochure! *As per the Residence and Care Agreement.

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED/MEMORY CARE

Waltonwood Ashburn 571-982-6318 44141 Russell Branch Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147 www.Waltonwood.com Social opportunities and luxury amenities await you at Waltonwood Ashburn, a brand new community from Singh Development with independent living, assisted living and memory care communities. Our broad range of amenities includes a spa, saltwater therapy pool (independent living only), fitness and wellness center, movie theatre, cafe, convenience store and more.

Enjoy chef prepared meals in our elegant dining room, plus personal help services and courtesy transportation. You will love our beautifully appointed and spacious studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartment homes. Independent living, assisted living and memory care are NOW OPEN! Visit us for tours 7 days a week and take advantage of brand new, luxury senior living.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org You’ll feel it as soon as you drive onto our 220-acre campus of lush pastures and hardwood forest — all that makes independent living at Brooke Grove different. Beautiful cottages in a truly picturesque setting. Maintenance-free living, with more time for what you really want to do. Personalized fitness programs, meals prepared by talented chefs, clubs and social events. Neighbors who share your interests and passions. Come for a visit and see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most soughtafter retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different… because what surrounds you really matters.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this entire page to the Beacon. Please do not request info if you are not interested. All replies have an equal chance to win. To be eligible for Wolf Trap tickets, your reply must arrive by August 1, 2018.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES: WASHINGTON, DC ❑ Friendship Terrace . . . . . .B-6 & B-12

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Riderwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-11 Springvale Terrace . . . . .B-11 & B-14 Village at Rockville . .B-3, B-8 & B-10 Vinson Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-7 Waltonwood Ashburn . . . .B-8 & B-10

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Morris Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 Shenandoah Senior Living . . . . . .B-7 Sommerset . . . . . . . . . . .B-5 & B-12 Tall Oaks Assisted Living . .B-5 & B-15 Wingler House . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12

MARYLAND ❑ Aspenwood . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 & B-15 ❑ Brooke Grove Retirement Village . . . . . . . . . .B-8, B-11, B-16 ❑ Chevy Chase House . . . . .B-3 & B-15 ❑ Covenant Village . . . . . . .B-8 & B-12 ❑ Emerson House . . . . . . .B-11 & B-12 ❑ Homecrest House . . . . . . .B-7 & B-11 ❑ Kensington Park . . . . . . .B-11 & B-13 ❑ Landing of Silver Spring . . . . . . . .B-2

VIRGINIA

HOME CARE SERVICES:

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❑ A Second Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 ❑ Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4

Ashby Ponds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-15 Beverly Assisted Living . . . . . . . . .B-5 Chesterbrook Residences . .B-2 & B-15 Falcons Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-8 Greenspring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-8 Gum Springs Glen . . . . . . . . . . .B-12 Herndon Harbor House . . . . . . . .B-12 Lockwood House . . . . . . . . . . . .B-12

SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION: ❑ Brooke Grove Retirement Village .B-15

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227.

You may also include the free info coupon on page 5.

One entry per household please.

Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________ Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ________________________________________________ Please provide your telephone number and e-mail address so we may contact you promptly if you win the drawing.

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B-9

B-10

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How will my home sale will be taxed?

By Kimberly Lankford Q: I’m thinking about selling my house and then renting for a while.

Will I have to pay higher capital gains taxes on my home sale because I’m not rolling over the money to a new house?

A: No. You’re thinking of the old law, under which people could delay paying taxes on their home-sale profits if they rolled over their gains into the purchase of a new house.

But that rule changed in 1997. Now, people may exclude a big portion of their home-sale profits from taxes, whether or not they buy a new house.

The specifics depend on how long you’ve owned the house and your tax-filing status. You can exclude from taxes up to

$500,000 in gains on the sale of your home if you’re married filing jointly (up to $250,000 if you’re single), as long as you’ve lived in the house for at least two out of the past five years.

So, for example, if you’re married and bought a house several years ago for $300,000 and then sell it for $700,000, you won’t have to pay taxes on the $400,000 in profit.

If your profits are higher than the threshold, there are still ways to minimize the taxes. To calculate the size of your profit, take the sales price of the house (minus certain expenses, such as an agent’s commission and any points you paid for the buyer) and subtract the adjusted tax basis, which is the original cost of

Luxury Senior Living Community Now Open!

Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care apartments all available for move-in Waltonwood Ashburn caters to seniors who desire social opportunities, luxury amenities, and access to personal care services if needed. With a great location and warm, caring staff, you will feel right at home as soon as you step inside.

Apartments are renting quickly.

Stop by and select yours today!

Rental community with no buy-in fee!

A SHBURN

Stop by or call and schedule a tour today.

(571) 982-6318

Independent Living, Assisted Living & Memory Care 44141 Russell Branch Parkway, Ashburn, VA 20147

www.Waltonwood.com | www.SinghJobs.com

the home plus certain settlement fees or closing costs you paid.

You can also add to the basis the cost of major home improvements, such as a new

roof; a remodeled kitchen; the addition of a room, deck or porch; or a new heating and See HOME SALE TAX, page B-12

Closing cost scam targets home buyers

By Thomas H. Blanton You’ve found your dream house and made a winning offer on it. Now all that’s left is a transfer of funds to get you in the door. That’s when the closing-cost scammers strike.

Posing as real estate or settlement agents, these con artists swindled home buyers out of nearly $1 billion last year, up from $19 million in 2016, the FBI said.

The scheme works like this: Thieves hack into a real estate professional’s email account to track upcoming transactions. When a deal’s closing date nears, they send the home buyer an e-mail that appears to come from the real estate agent or title company that’s handling the closing.

The e-mail directs the home buyer to wire funds for the closing costs and the down payment to a fraudulent account.

To protect yourself from this scam, don’t trust e-mails containing moneywiring instructions. Don’t click on links or call phone numbers provided in such e-mails, and don’t share your financial information with the sender.

Talk to your real estate or settlement agent about the closing process and wire-transfer protocols. Once you’ve made the transfer, confirm that the funds were received. If you’re victimized, catching problems quickly increases your chances of getting the money back. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

INDEPENDENT/PERSONAL CARE/ASSISTED LIVING

Seabury at Springvale Terrace 301-587-0190 8505 Springvale Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 www.springvaleterrace.org Have you discovered Seabury at Springvale Terrace, inside and out?

Offering residential senior living, as well as several levels of enhanced or assisted living care, you’ll enjoy the lifestyle you love at a value that can only be found at our community. Within blocks of Seabury at Springvale Terrace, you will enjoy easy access to the Silver Spring Library, grocery stores, pharmacies, movie theaters, shopping, restaurants, and more! Within our walls, we offer dining, daily activities and social events, as well as special entertainment for residents. If you’ve visited us before or have just driven by, come take a fresh look at Seabury at Springvale Terrace.

Call today to schedule your visit!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Emerson House 301-779-6196 5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710 Our community features bright onebedroom apartments in a nine-story elevator building for today’s active and independent seniors who are 62 or older. Emerson House is subsidized for low- to moderate-income households. Activities are yours to choose from: gardening, Bingo, Wii bowling league, movie night, parties, bus trips, exercise classes, learning to line dance — it’s all waiting for you and more! Emerson House offers an in-house Resident Service Coordinator to assist with finding helpful resources.

Please call today for an appointment to tour our community or request an application; 301-779-6196 Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 5:00.

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-244-3579 14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org Homecrest House is a non-profit, affordable, subsidized community offering two options: Independent & Personal Care Services.

PERSONAL CARE offers: assistance with bathing, daily meals, weekly housekeeping & laundry services with optional medication administration. Homecrest is nestled on 10 beautiful acres & neighbors with Leisure World. Residents may qualify approximately 30% of their adjusted income for rent & may qualify for personal care subsidies. Homecrest offers a full array of amenities, activities & scheduled weekday van service. Call Princetta at 301-244-3579 for a personalized tour or visit us at www.homecresthouse.org.

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Riderwood 1-877-742-4390 3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 EricksonLiving.com How to find the right retirement lifestyle for you With so many senior living options available, how do you determine the best fit for your lifestyle, finances, and future?

Riderwood, the premier continuing care retirement community in Silver Spring, offers this advice: Find a community that helps you stay active. At Riderwood, you’ll enjoy a wealth of amenities and 100-plus clubs, classes, and activities. Get the most value for your money. Many people are surprised by all that’s included at Riderwood, such as maintenance, most utilities, and flexible meal plans. Plan ahead for future needs.

With continuing care at Riderwood, you’ll have access to multiple levels of support should you ever need it. To learn more, call 1-877-742-4390 or visit RiderwoodCommunity.com.

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org This community hums with warm-hearted camaraderie and a zest for life shared by residents and staff alike. Experience all that makes assisted living at Brooke Grove extraordinary. Cozy, homelike dwellings with easy access to beautiful courtyards and walking paths. Caring staff trained in using memory support techniques, building independence and lifting self-esteem.

Innovative LIFE® Enrichment Programming with meaningful activities and off-site adventures. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing care retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING/MEMORY CARE

Kensington Park 301-946-7700 3620 Littledale Road Kensington, MD 20895 www.kensingtonparkseniorliving.com Friendship and fun. Activities and companionship. Family and support. You'll find it all at Kensington Park, a senior living community that features Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care on one beautiful campus. The variety of lifestyle options makes it easy for residents to live the way they want and need in an environment that reflects deep understanding of seniors. Independent Living offers a lively calendar of events, a sophisticated dining experience and cocktail hours. Assisted Living provides enhanced care programs that include a full spectrum of clinical support and end-of-life care. Three levels of Memory Care address challenges unique to each phase of progressive change. Please call us at 301-946-7700.

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Affordable Senior Communities Discover how great senior living is at one of our affordable apartment communities. Many of our communities feature 24-hour emergency maintenance, full activities programs, spacious floor plans, affordable rents, caring and dedicated staff, and much more. We are conveniently located near shopping, including grocery stores and pharmacies. Let us help you live life to the fullest.

Call or visit our web site to view these communities:

Home sale tax From page B-10 air conditioning system. (Basic repairs and maintenance don’t count.) Keep records of the cost of the improvements until three years after you sell your house.

If you haven’t lived in the house for two of the past five years, you may still be able to exclude part of your gains from taxes if your

move was prompted by changes related to work, family or health. These include a divorce, death of a spouse, the birth of two or more children from a single pregnancy, the need to obtain or provide healthcare, and a new job that is at least 50 miles farther from home than your old work location. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

July 17+

ENGLISH TUTORS The Literacy Council of Montgomery County is looking for English tutors, who meet with students in convenient public spaces like li-

braries and Starbucks to help them with English. Tutors are asked to commit to at least two hours of tutoring per week. A three-hour training session is required, which will take place at Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Md. Attend an information session there on Tuesday, July 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. or Monday, July 30 from 10 to 11 a.m. For more information or to register for training, contact

600 North Madison Street, Arlington, VA 22203

Rent based on income

703-538-6000 Lockwood House

Ashley at (610) 301-0030, ext. 206.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY 7010 Schoonmaker Court Alexandria, VA 22310

From $896

703-719-7268

873 Grace Street Herndon, VA 20170

From $950

703-904-9444

20900 Runny Meade Terrace Ashburn, VA 20147

703-858-9507

From $941

Wingler House Apartments

7837 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22306

From $1,006

703-780-9072

5999 Emerson Street Bladensburg, MD 20710

301-779-6196

18889 Waring Station Road Germantown, MD 20874

301-540-1162

Sommerset Retirement 703-450-6411 22355 Providence Village Dr. Sterling, VA 20164 www.Sommersetretirement.com At Sommerset Retirement Community, located in the heart of Sterling, Virginia, you’ll experience exceptional independent living at its best, with a comfortable, fulfilling, secure and active lifestyle. Sommerset’s unique amenities include restaurant style dining, housekeeping, 24-hour front desk personnel and private transportation. Enjoy the convenience of being just minutes from medical services, shopping, banking and entertainment.

For two years in a row now, Sommerset has been voted by the readers of Virginia Living Magazine as one of the best retirement communities in Northern Virginia! Call us or visit our website to request more information or to schedule your tour and complimentary lunch.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Rent based on income

From $1,247 for 2 bedroom

5101 River Road, Suite 101 • Bethesda, MD 20816

301-941-8040 www.qpmgmt.com Professionally managed by Quantum Real Estate Management LLC T/A Quantum Property Management

Seabury at FRIENDSHIP TERRACE 202-244-7400 4201 Butterworth Place NW Washington, DC 20016 www.Friendshipterrace.org Active, affordable senior living close to stores, restaurants, transportation and entertainment can be found at Seabury at Friendship Terrace! Located in a quiet, tree-lined northwest Washington neighborhood, Friendship Terrace is just two blocks from the Tenleytown Metro station. The community offers affordable senior living with subsidy assistance to those who are eligible, as well as exciting on-site events including performances, lectures, holiday observances, socials, and more. A rooftop deck, greenhouse, library, lounges, and a dining room overlooking an outdoor courtyard are highlights of the community. Your new home awaits. Remarkable value! Unbeatable location! Call for your tour today!

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

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How to help grown children buy a home

By Marilyn Lewis When responsible first-time homebuyers need help buying a home, the “family bank” sometimes can lend a hand.

Younger homebuyers face a mountain of obstacles, including rising home prices and interest rates, too few homes for sale and unpaid college debt.

Student debt is a major source of trouble. When the National Association of Realtors surveyed recent homebuyers who had problems saving up for a down payment, 53 percent of those in the youngest group (37 and younger) blamed student loan debt for their difficulty.

Families appear to be pitching in to help, according to the results of that survey in the 2018 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report. Among homebuyers who made a down payment, 23 percent of those 37 and younger used a gift and 6 percent a loan from family or friends — the highest proportion for either type of assistance among all age groups.

Family assistance like this works best when the kids qualify for a mortgage on their own and parents make the purchase more affordable with, for example, a bigger down payment or a lower interest rate, said Jeremy Heckman, a certified financial planner.

ents may need to sign letters confirming that the money isn’t a loan.

When it comes to taxes, anyone can give any other person a gift up to $15,000 in value (money or, say, stocks) in 2018 without filing a gift-tax return (IRS Form 709).

So a parent with two children can give each of them — and even the children’s partners — up to $15,000 this year without having to complete Form 709. A tax professional can confirm how the rules apply to individuals’ specific circumstances.

2. Finance the mortgage. Parents with cash to invest can become the mortgage lender, offering extra-easy terms, such as no closing costs or down payment.

Heckman said they can charge a higher rate of interest on their money than it earns in a savings or money market account and still offer kids a lower-than-market mortgage rate.

“I said, ‘This could be a win-win for both of us,”‘ said Jay Weil, an attorney in Wayne, New Jersey. He and his wife, Judy, have financed two mortgages for their son Matt and Matt’s wife, Allison.

How it works: Jay and Judy fully funded the younger couple’s first home, a townhouse in Columbia, Md. They decided to use a service that facilitates family loans.

They worked with National Family Mortgage, which charges one-time setup fees of $725 to $2,100, depending on the loan size; provides all necessary forms and documents to meet state, local and IRS requirements; guides families through the settlement and filing process; and connects borrowers with loan servicers.

Then in 2017, the Weils lent the kids money again, for a $579,900 house in Laurel, Md. Matt and Allison got two loans.

One was a primary mortgage from Sun-

Trust Mortgage for $259,900, at 3.875 percent. His parents provided a second mortgage for $260,000 at 1.98 percent. They used money earned from the sale of their first home to make a down payment.

Family lenders must charge at least the Applicable Federal Rate — the minimum interest rate required to keep the IRS from considering the assistance to be a gift.

3. Co-borrow. Although riskier for parents, co-borrowing is another option. Mortgages with co-borrowers were nearly a quarter of all new-purchase mortgages in the third quarter of 2017, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data company.

Co-borrowing helps borrowers overcome a limited credit history or a too-high debt-to-income ratio, said Case, of SunTrust Mortgage.

See BUY A HOME, page B-14

First, the ground rules To create a businesslike distance for these transactions, Heckman suggests that parents: • Consider disclosing the assistance to all immediate family • Consider treating all siblings equally • Use contracts • Document gifts Formal agreements offer important benefits, said San Francisco real estate attorney Andy Sirkin. They define obligations and minimize misunderstandings.

And if parent lenders die or become incapacitated, all their heirs can view the transaction and its history.

Ways to help Here are three ways parents can help make it more affordable for new homebuyers to purchase a home: 1. Give money. A gift of money is often best, Heckman said. Parents can write a check for any amount they choose. That’s it — no contract or ongoing commitments.

Or they can pay all or part of an expense, such as mortgage closing costs. Providing down-payment assistance can help new borrowers avoid paying for private mortgage insurance, which helps keep their monthly payment low.

How it works: Strict rules dictate how cash gifts are used in a home purchase, and they vary by mortgage type, lender and lender offer, said Mark Case, a senior vice president at SunTrust Mortgage.

Lenders like to see money gifts — easily traceable checks, bank transfers or wire transfers — in a borrower’s bank account three or four months before applying for a mortgage, Case said. Givers and recipi-

— Our Porch Lights Will Be On —

Please join Kensington Park for a “National Night Out” Block Party Tuesday, August 7, 2018 • 6:00pm-8:30pm • Rain or Shine K9 Demonstrations • Music by R&B Musician Daryl Davis • Food • Free Admission National Night Out is an annual community-building event, designed to generate and spread good will between police and neighbors. The festive evening includes demonstrations and displays that promote neighborhood support of and participation in efforts to make the community a more caring, safe place to live. Bring the whole family to enjoy food, face painting for kids and musical entertainment. Meet officers from the Montgomery County Police Department 2nd District and other local agencies who strive to keep our neighborhoods secure. For more details, contact Betsy at bdavis@kensingtonsl.com or 301-946-7700.

(301) 946-7700 3620 Littledale Road, Kensington, MD 20895 | www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

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Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Tips for renting out your home on Airbnb

By Miriam Cross Renting out your home while you’re away sounds like an easy way to make money (and may even help pay for your vacation).

But you need to make sure your rental is legal, and that you have the right insurance and are paying all the taxes due.

Before posting your ad, ask your condo association, homeowners association or co-op board if short-term rentals (often defined as less than 30 consecutive days) are allowed.

Then search your local government website for restrictions that may complicate your plans.

Jumping through hoops You may need to register your unit with the city, pay for a license, submit floor plans, undergo an inspection or notify your neighbors.

Some cities also set limits on the number of guests who can occupy your home at once, the maximum number of days you

Buy a home From page B-13 How it works: Parents apply for the mortgage, too. They must meet the lender’s credit requirements, and sign loan papers with their kids at closing.

Aside from the mortgage itself, a sepa-

can rent your home each year, or the minimum number of days that you must live in your home each year in order to dabble in short-term rentals.

Airbnb summarizes laws for more than 50 localities on its site, (including Arlington, Va., at http://bit.ly/airbnb-arlington, and Washington, D.C, at http://bit.ly/airbnb-washington).

You also want to protect yourself from damage or theft in your home and the potential for liability claims. Discuss your plans with your homeowners insurer, and be up front about how often you hope to rent out your home.

Increasingly, insurers are paying attention to this kind of activity and working out a solution with clients when possible. Your insurer may be comfortable allowing “incidental” rentals through Airbnb (meaning you still treat your home like a primary residence and

only rent it out on occasion each year), or it may sell an add-on to your policy that covers short-term rentals.

Keep a log of your rental days, as well as receipts for your expenses. You may need to collect occupancy, sales or lodging taxes for your city, county or state. Airbnb takes care of this in a number of locales.

You also need to pay income taxes on your rental earnings if you rent out your home for more than 14 days a year.

Consult IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (Including Rental of Vacation Homes), for more details.

In addition to Airbnb, there are a number of other websites through which you can rent out your home or rooms in it.

HomeAway. This site, which also owns another rental site called VRBO, rents out entire structures only. The service fee starts at 5 percent per booking. Homeowners can buy tailored vacation-rental insurance called HomeAway Assure. There is no

assistance with taxes. Hosts can impose a security deposit.

FlipKey by TripAdvisor. FlipKey lets you rent out private rooms or entire structures. The service fee is 3 percent per booking. The site holds payments from guests until after check-in. TripAdvisor, which owns other home rental sites as well, collects and pays occupancy taxes in certain cities. No insurance products are available.

Hosts can impose a security deposit.

Other smaller or specialty sites include HouseTrip, Kid & Coe, Onefinestay, Rent Like a Champion and Wimdu.

If you list with a site that doesn’t take care of taxes for you, services such as Avalara MyLodge Tax (www.avalara.com) can help you calculate what you owe.

Avalara charges $20/month to file taxes on your behalf. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

rate family contract can define expectations and details, such as who gets how much equity when the home sells, and what happens in case problems arise, said Sirkin, the real estate attorney.

For parents interested in being co-borrowers, there are some things to keep in mind: • Not all loans allow co-borrowers, so

it’s good to confirm the option when shopping for mortgages.

• Some lenders may call this step cosigning, which may have different parameters, but the outcome is the same: Parents and children are equally responsible for the loan and any missed mortgage payments.

• Parents’ credit could be affected, making it hard to finance another big purchase later, even if children make payments on time.

With all the headwinds facing first-time homebuyers, family help sometimes makes all the difference.

—NerdWallet via AP

Insurance and tax issues

Seabury at Springvale Terrace

simply

senior living Wonderful care, private apartments, and an excellent location at a great price. No wonder our residents are smiling! Springvale Terrace is simply the best value for senior living in Silver Spring. Experience it for yourself.

Call us today at 301-587-0190 (TRS 711) to schedule your visit.

Residential Living • Enhanced Living • Assisted Living

SpringvaleTerrace.org • 1-800-552-7724 MD RELAY SERVICE 8505 Springvale Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Housing Options

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING

Chevy Chase House (202) 686-5504 5420 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20015 www.meridiansenior.com/chevychase Everything old is new again at Chevy Chase House, serving seniors for decades. Visit our newly renovated community and tour our luxury apartments! Everyone deserves a great life you can learn a new skill, meet new friends, visit places you’ve always wanted to see, and more. You’ll find allinclusive amenities, including central air, comfortable living spaces, a full social calendar and everything you need and desire to live life to the fullest. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of premiere city living with all its benefits, all from your luxurious, secure senior community apartment. Call Mary Lawrence to schedule a tour and enjoy lunch on us!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Ashby Ponds 1-877-664-5445 21170 Ashby Ponds Boulevard Ashburn, VA 20147 EricksonLiving.com If you haven’t driven by Ashby Ponds in Loudoun County lately, you may be surprised at how much the community has grown. High demand for their all-inclusive senior lifestyle prompted Ashby Ponds to add exciting new amenities and hundreds of stylish new apartment homes to their 132-acre Ashburn campus. Few seniors-only communities offer so many benefits!

Ashby Ponds boasts five restaurants, two fitness centers, a glorious all-season pool, a salon, day spa, and even a fully staffed on-site medical center. It’s no wonder they’re the area’s most sought-after address for active retirement living. Call 1-877-664-5445 for a free brochure!

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ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Tall Oaks Assisted Living 703 834-9800 12052 N. Shore Drive Reston, VA 20190 TallOaksAL.com For thirty years, Tall Oaks has served seniors and families with respect and compassion. Many things have changed during that time, but our commitment to affordable, quality care remains the same. As the needs of the community have changed, so have we.

We are excited to offer our new Junior Studio Assisted Living apartment — the perfect space for one, starting at just $3,995. It can even accommodate a full or queen size bed! You have to see it to believe it. Call Tall Oaks today at 703-834-9800 to schedule your tour. Mention that you saw us in the Beacon and we’ll treat you and a guest to lunch during your visit!

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING

Aspenwood Senior Living (301) 598-6424 14400 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.aspenwoodseniorliving.com Welcome to Aspenwood Senior Living, where you will find comfort, flexibility, security and choice in a delightful setting with every convenience at your fingertips. Imagine the luxury of a spacious apartment, coupled with fine dining, a full range of favorite programs, friendly neighbors and a caring staff. In addition, as your needs change, Aspenwood offers a variety of services to meet your healthcare and social desires. Since 1989 Aspenwood Senior Living has been the premier choice for Independent and Assisted Living to many seniors and their families. The wonderful rhythm of life here sets us apart from other communities, but the wealth of service options makes us a leader in the senior housing industry.

REHABILITATION

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Chesterbrook Residences 703-531-0781

Brooke Grove Retirement Village 301-260-2320

2030 Westmoreland Street Falls Church, VA www.chesterbrookres.org

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org

At Chesterbrook Residences, you will be able to live with dignity, grace and security, close to the people and places you love in a comfortable, neighborhood setting. We offer an active assisted-living lifestyle for those 62 and over. A variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans are available. Enjoy our community living room with fireplace, beautiful views, and chef-prepared meals in our gracious main dining room. Rehab services are available 5 days a week, offering physical, occupational and speech therapy, most of which are covered by Medicare Part B. We also have an on-site wellness center with visiting physician and podiatrist. We are a mixed-income nonprofit, so our rates are affordable and all inclusive.

Imagine an extraordinary staff and the best therapies and equipment — in a beautiful environment that rejuvenates and restores. Physical therapy spaces bathed in sunlight. The quiet comfort of a garden walk or relaxing massage. Imagine getting back to the activities that matter to you. Our new, state-of-the-art rehab addition at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center offers innovative therapy services for seniors, including NeuroGym® Technologies mobility training, the Korebalance system and much more. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing-care retirement communities in the state. Rehab here is simply different… because what surrounds you really matters.

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Housing Options

PULL OUT & KEEP THIS SECTION

J U L Y — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

THIS SUMMER ...

Start a New Journey Whether it’s strolling winding paths or socializing in sunny courtyards, residents of Assisted Living at Brooke Grove experience a warm, vibrant lifestyle and delight in our charming setting of open meadows and airy trees.

OUR AMENITIES Private rooms filled with sunshine from over-sized windows and skylights 24-hour on-site clinical support from licensed and caring nurses Secure courtyards and walking paths Ornamental koi pond Manicured flower and sensory gardens Playground for visiting kids

MEMORY SUPPORT PROGRAM For residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia, we offer a special assisted living option with: Specially trained memory support staff An interactive lifestyle that maximizes choice and independence ®

Tailored LIFE enrichment programming that connects each resident to his or her past Group activities that allow residents to enjoy the outdoors and a thriving social life

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811

www.bgf.org

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

25

FREEZE FOR FREE New rules mean you can freeze and unfreeze your credit report without cost ERRING ON HEIRS Name beneficiaries for all your investments to avoid probate cost, delays FRESH SAVINGS How to get more for your money at the farmers markets this summer MEDICARE Qs AND As Information on finding Medicare doctors, using HSA accounts and more

Why to always use at least one credit card

By Liz Weston Certified financial planner David Rae said he used to think that “anyone who could draw breath” could get an auto loan.

Then one of his millionaire clients tried to buy a car — and failed.

The 42-year-old client was turned down for a loan because he had no credit scores, said Rae, who is based in Los Angeles.

Nineteen million American adults are “unscoreable,” lacking enough recent credit history to generate credit scores, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They either have “thin” files, with too few accounts, or “stale” ones that haven’t been updated in a while.

Roughly 7 million of these people are what credit scoring company FICO calls “credit retired.” They no longer actively use credit, but their histories are free from charge offs, collections or other negative marks that might indicate that “their exit from the credit mainstream was involuntary,” said Ethan Dornhelm, FICO’s vice president for scores and predictive analytics.

Having no scores can cost you These consumers can face a host of po-

tential problems, including: • People without scores could be shut out of credit they might want in the future, including rewards credit cards and lowcost loans.

• Insurers typically use credit-based scores to set premiums for auto and home insurance, so not having credit could cause those without scores to miss out on lower rates.

• People with no credit scores may not qualify for the best cell phone plans, and may have to make bigger deposits to get utilities.

The median age of these credit retirees is 71, Dornhelm said. They may have retired from work, paid off their homes, and feel no need to borrow money. But the credit retired also can include younger people, including those who live cash-only lifestyles.

Credit scores can die fast They may not realize that credit scores can die relatively quickly. While closed accounts in good standing typically remain on credit reports for 10 years, lenders often stop updating those accounts soon

after they’re closed.

Without updates, scores can’t be generated. The FICO scoring formula used in most lending decisions requires peoples’ credit reports to show at least one account that’s been updated within the previous six months.

The rival VantageScore looks back somewhat further, 24 months, for updated accounts. VantageScore and FICO’s alternative formula, FICO Score XD, also generate scores for people based on their histories paying noncredit accounts, such as telecommunications and cable bills.

But applicants typically can’t know in advance if a lender uses VantageScore or an alternative score, so they should assume it will be a traditional FICO score.

You just need one card The key to reviving traditional scores?

Having and using a single credit card is enough, as long as the card issuer reports to all three credit bureaus (most do). Balances can and should be paid in full each month, since there’s no credit score advantage to carrying debt.

Rae’s client was a renter whose only

credit card was tied to his business. Business credit cards often don’t show up on individuals’ credit reports. Rental payments are included on some credit reports, but they’re not factored into the most commonly used FICO credit scores.

So Rae had his client apply for a secured credit card, which required a $500 deposit to get a $500 credit limit. After four months, the client applied for a regular credit card from his bank. His healthy account balances helped convince the bank he was a good bet, Rae said.

Having lots of assets or making big down payments can help the credit retired get approved for many types of credit, noted Jeff Richardson, vice president of communications for VantageScore. Credit unions, which are member-owned, may also be willing to look beyond credit scores when making lending decisions, he added.

Two months after being approved for the credit card, Rae’s client got a car loan.

And a year after that, he got a mortgage to buy a multimillion-dollar home, Rae said.

“It’s all good, but it was rough and a big hassle at the beginning,” Rae said.

Get your feet wet in water-related funds

By Alex Veiga As natural resources go, oil tends to get more attention from investors than clean drinking water, even against the backdrop of headline-grabbing shortages in Flint, Michigan, South Africa and elsewhere.

But a few funds are showing that investing in utilities and water infrastructure and technology companies can pay off, especially for long-term investors looking to diversify their portfolio.

Several exchange-traded funds invest in water-related stocks, including PowerShares Water Resources ETF (PHO), First Trust ISE Water Index Fund (FIW) and Tortoise Water Fund (TBLU).

Each holds shares in U.S. water utilities such as American Water Works, infrastructure companies like Aegion Corp. and technology companies like Xylem, a supplier of energy-saving pumps and controls for hot water systems.

The three ETFs are all up around 15 per-

cent over the past 12 months. By comparison, the S&P 500 is up about 13 percent in the same period.

Their investment rationale centers on the growth in the need to update the infrastructure used to treat and transport clean water. The idea being that as demand for water grows along with the population, so will the need for new infrastructure and upkeep on water systems.

“What we try to do is focus on essential assets, and from our standpoint there’s really not a much more essential asset than water,” said Matt Weglarz, portfolio manager at Tortoise Index Solutions. “And people are really starting to realize we have a global water problem on our hands.”

A thirst for water Weglarz notes that global water demand is expected to grow by more than 50 percent over the next 30 years.

The need for access to clean water has

grabbed international headlines this year after a severe drought hit Cape Town and other parts of South Africa, prompting leaders there to warn that the city of 4 million would have to close most water taps sometime this year.

The so-called “Day Zero,” when the taps are supposed to be shut off, was supposed to happen last month. It has since been put off, thanks partly to residents consuming water at restricted levels.

Closer to home, in Flint, Michigan, thousands of home water lines are still being replaced following revelations in 2015 that the city’s water system was contaminated with lead due to a lack of treatment.

A 2015 assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that $472.6 billion was needed to upgrade the nation’s public water infrastructure system. That includes the cost to fix or upgrade thousands of miles of pipe, thousands of treatment plants, and other key

components of the nation’s water system.

“It’s been well laid out to us that whether it’s through news about water scarcity, or news about the demand for water, or need around improving our water infrastructure, those are all reasons that you would want to be in a clean water portfolio of companies that are addressing any one of those areas,” said Dave Fanger, CEO of Swell Investing, which operates a portfolio of water-focused companies.

The Swell Clean Water portfolio is managed. Investors own shares in the companies, and can remove stocks from the portfolio. It’s up 11 percent over the past 12 months.

Investing in infrastructure Weglarz sees opportunity for investors to capitalize on clean water infrastructure and technology spending for years to come because of the need to upgrade and See WATER FUNDS, page 26

26

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Freeze and unfreeze credit reports for free

By Kimberly Lankford Question: I’d like to freeze my credit record to protect against identity theft. I heard that Congress recently passed a law making credit freezes free. When can I get my free freeze?

Answer: A credit freeze prevents new creditors from reviewing your credit report, making it harder for identity thieves to take out credit in your name.

Congress recently passed a law that will prohibit the three big credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — from charging a fee to place or lift a credit freeze. The free freezes will be available throughout the country this fall; the credit bureaus have until September 21 to implement the new law.

Until the new law goes into effect, the cost to freeze your credit record varies by state. In many states, each credit bureau charges $5 to $10 to freeze your credit record, and may charge a similar fee to lift the freeze if you’re applying for a loan. (To

hinder ID thieves, you need to freeze your record at all three credit bureaus.)

But several states recently passed laws to eliminate credit-freeze fees. You can place a free credit freeze in Colorado, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Washington, D.C. (You may need to pay a fee to lift the freeze in some of these states.)

By the end of June, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington state will also be offering free credit freezes.

Go to www.equifax.com, www.experian.com and www.transunion.com to initiate the freeze and find out more about the cost and procedures.

Also check with your state attorney general’s office or consumer protection bureau to find out whether your state offers additional consumer protections on security freezes beyond what the federal law provides. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Water funds

While water utilities such as Aqua America and American Water Works are undervalued and have strong fundamentals, the water-focused ETFs tend to have limited stakes in utilities. Instead, industrial companies focusing on machinery or construction and engineering are more represented in the funds, noted Todd Rosenbluth, director of ETF Research at CFRA Research.

“As such, the ETFs have less defensive characteristics than traditional utilities ETFs,” Rosenbluth said. “We think there is investment merit from a diversification perspective other than from an impact investing one.”

— AP

From page 25 maintain water systems across the U.S. One catalyst for water funds could be the trillion-dollar infrastructure spending bill on the Trump administration’s agenda.

“Water was a fairly decent size part of it and there was a focus on redoing the water infrastructure, so you could see a big boon to the companies that provide water or equipment here in the States,” Weglarz said.

For investors considering water-focused funds, it’s best to think of them as a longterm, diversification play.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; J U L Y 2 0 1 8

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Name beneficiaries to limit cost to heirs An article appeared recently on the edi- accounts are inherited by the individual(s) torial page of the Wall Street Journal writ- you select, ensure that you specify a ten by Warren Kozak, whose named beneficiary for your wife died earlier this year. retirement accounts, and that Kozak indicated that his the names are retained by the bankers had never recomfinancial institution that mainmended to him and his wife tains your account. that they should name beneficiaries on their savings acName for each account counts.

You need to name beneficiKozak was under the false aries properly for all of your fiimpression that the savings nancial assets. As Kozak account in his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name found out, it is very expensive would automatically transfer THE SAVINGS and time consuming if you fail to him. He had to hire an at- GAME to ensure that you name a torney, at the cost of $465 per By Elliot Raphaelson beneficiary properly for each financial asset you own. hour, to name him as the exFor example, several years ago, I was ecutor of the estate in order to give him named as the executor of my auntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate. the power to transfer the accounts.

The filing costs in New York City were All of her assets were in the form of certifi$1,286, and the running attorney bill now cates of deposit held at various financial instands at over $7,400, and is expected to in- stitutions.

For most of her accounts, she had crease.

Kozak also indicated that his wife had named beneficiaries for the CDs she never named a beneficiary for the retire- owned. Unfortunately, unknown to me, ment account held at her bank. As I have she neglected to name specific beneficiarpointed out many times, in order to make ies for some of her CD accounts. sure that your IRAs and other retirement She had a valid will in which she did

name specific individuals who would inherit any assets in which there was no named beneficiary. The CDs she owned, in which she had not named a beneficiary, would be inherited by these individuals. However, in order for this to happen, I was forced to hire an attorney to file for probate.

Accordingly, the estate had to pay several thousand dollars in attorney fees to file for probate. The probate process took several months before the assets associated with the CDs that did not have a named beneficiary could be transferred to the individuals named as beneficiaries in the will.

Plan to avoid probate Naturally, you would like your assets to be inherited by the individuals you select, and you want these assets to be transferred in a timely manner without expensive attorney costs and filing costs.

I suggest you make a list of all your assets, specify who you want to inherit each

ESTATES & TRUSTS

Resolved to plan this year?

BEACON BITS

July 26

July 14

A STRONG FINANCIAL FUTURE

Olney Library presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building a Strong Financial Foundation & Proper Protectionâ&#x20AC;? on Saturday, July 14 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Registration is recommended. The library is located at 3500 Olney Laytonsville Rd., Olney, Md. For more information or to register, call (240) 773-9545.

Onging

Now is the time to make a new will or trust, make major gifts, or develop a succession plan for a business, farm or other important family asset.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE TALK

Bethesda Library presents a Maryland Investment Group talk on â&#x20AC;&#x153;China and International Tradeâ&#x20AC;? on Thursday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Sheldon Ray, chairman of the Osgood Board and Senior VP of Raymond James and Associates, will speak on developments regarding China, international trade and its implications for investors. Bethesda Library is located at 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, Md. For more information or to register, call (240) 777-0970.

AVOIDING SCAMS

Fairfaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mature Living cable TV show recently created a short video on protecting yourself from scams targeted at seniors. For more information and to view the video, visit http://bit.ly/FairfaxScamsWarning.

asset, and indicate what actions you have taken to ensure that these individuals will inherit that asset. Review this information with your attorney and/or financial planner.

If you have postponed preparing or updating a will to reflect significant changes in your life, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t procrastinate. Set up an appointment with your attorney to make sure your will is up-to-date regarding your wishes.

If you want to educate yourself regarding ways to avoid probate, I recommend the book, 8 Ways to Avoid Probate (www.nolo. com) by Mary Randolph. The author discusses the ways you can name beneficiaries for different asset classes such as stocks, bonds, retirement accounts and savings accounts so that you can avoid probate and its associated costs and delays.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. Š 2018 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Fresh ways to save at the farmers market

By Laura McMullen The difference between the produce at farmers markets and supermarkets is more than “tomayto” versus “tomahto.”

Plus, buying fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers markets offers opportunities to save money in ways you might not find at a grocery store.

The produce sold at most supermarkets is typically harvested before it’s ripe, said Chris Curtis, executive director of Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets. Then it’s transported — often long distances — before arriving at the store.

The many people involved in getting a tomato from the vine to the store and, finally, into your tote may get a slice of your payment, she said. That doesn’t leave

much for the farmer.

When you buy a tomato at a farmers market, however, “almost all of your dollar is going directly to the grower,” Curtis said. That grower picked the produce ripe, soon before selling it. A recently harvested peach tastes better than that “hard little green ball” sold at large retailers, she said.

Here’s how to get the most for your money when buying produce and other farmers market goods: 1. Get to know the vendors. Many vendors give deals to folks they know, said Gabrielle Lupton, a baker at Bubble & Brown Bakery, which sells goods at Salt Lake City farmers markets. To build that kind of relationship with a vendor, become a regular. Consistently buy from that seller

and turn to her for bulk and special orders.

In addition to scoring deals — and maybe even a friendship — becoming a regular gives you “an inside scoop on the variability of the season,” said Nina Gruber, outreach and development coordinator for Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets. For example, you may be among the first customers to know when farmers will start selling peaches, she said. You may also learn when peach prices are expected to change with supply and demand throughout the season.

2. Buy “ugly” produce. “Seconds” or “No. 2s” are fruits and vegetables that taste the same as other produce but look a little off — they may be misshapen or bumpy, for example. Farmers typically sell them more cheaply than the perfect-looking produce.

“It’s something farmers have been doing since the dawn of farmers markets,” Gruber said. Get a deal on seconds and you’re not just saving money — you’re also helping to reduce food waste.

Even if you prefer eating or serving flawless produce, you can follow Gruber’s lead and use seconds for cooking, baking and making jam. She buys a box of No. 2 tomatoes, then cooks and freezes batches of pasta sauce. “Then I have sauce for the rest of the year,” she said.

3. Pay in cash. Access to a credit or debit card — and dozens of freshly baked pastries — can put your grocery budget in danger. Lupton said that customers paying with a card typically outspend those who use cash. Consider bringing cash, spending a set amount and leaving your cards at home. (This is a reliable money-saving tip for most kinds of shopping trips.)

4. Shop late. Vendors don’t want to be stuck with unsold inventory so “they’ll start slinging deals toward the end of the day,” Gruber said.

For example, in the final 30 minutes the market is open, you may be able to snag a bag of apples for half the price you would have paid first thing in the morning. The tradeoff is that there will be a smaller selection of products at the end of the day, Gruber said.

5. Get discounts on bulk purchases.

Remember, vendors want to offload as much of their product as possible. So they’re incentivized to cut a deal if you’re interested in buying a lot of it, Lupton said.

Ask vendors what prices they can offer for the quantity you want, such as a dozen cookies or two pounds of potatoes. They may throw in a few extra potatoes or charge you less for a batch of cookies than they would have for 12 individual treats.

— NerdWallet via AP

BEACON BITS

July 17

CAREER WORKSHOPS

Prince George’s County offers a 50+ Workforce Development Forum Workshop called “Make an Impression and Get the Job” on Tuesday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at Prince George’s County Dept. of Family Services, 6420 Allentown Rd., Temple Hills, Md. For more information, call (301) 699-2672.

Ongoing

MEALS ON WHEELS COORDINATOR

Meals on Wheels is looking for a group coordinator in the Franconia area (Alexandria) to update and manage their client roster. For more information, visit https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380 or call (703) 324-5406, TTY 711.

July 15

BOOKS, CLOTHING SALE

A “New-to-You” Sale of new and nearly new books, clothing, toys and household goods will take place on Sunday, July 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Har Shalom Congregation, 11510 Falls Rd., Potomac, Md. (on the T-2 Metrobus line). There will be free parking and great bargains. For more information, contact Eileen Sherr at esherr2@gmail.com, or (301) 461-9421.

July 30

APPALACHIAN TRAIL TALK

Learn about trekking the Appalachian Trail with Tom Curtis on Monday, July 30 at 1 p.m. at Lee Senior Center, 5722 Lee Hwy., Arlington, Va. Are you curious about the 2,170 mile-long footpath from Georgia to Maine, known as the Appalachian Trail? Learn about its history, lore and what it’s like to actually hike and camp overnight on what has been described as a national treasure. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-0555.

July 21

JAZZ AND BIRD WATCHING

Rock Creek Nature Center presents Pileated Woodpecker Strut, a morning of jazz music and bird watching, on Saturday, July 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free. There will be a live performance

by Capital Focus Jazz Band and a presentation of “Birds in the Night Sky” in the planetarium. Event is rain or shine. The center is located at 5200 Glover Rd. NW, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/JazzAndBirdWatching.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

29

Some answers to your Medicare questions Learn the answers to some common Medicare questions, courtesy of the experts at Kiplinger’s Retirement Report and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Whether you’re already retired or just starting to plan for retirement, brushing up on your knowledge of Medicare will pay off.

Start by checking the “physician compare” tool at Medicare.gov. Enter the new Zip code and the type of doctor you’re looking for, and specify that you want to see providers who accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. The search will produce a list of physicians in the area who accept Medicare.

Healthcare pre-Medicare My husband will retire when he turns 65 and sign up for Medicare. I am five years younger, work part-time and have no benefits. So, what are my options for healthcare?

One is to buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Go to Healthcare.gov to find a link to your state’s marketplace. Despite the political uncertainty surrounding the ACA, it’s worth reviewing your options.

You can buy coverage outside the marketplaces, but you won’t receive any subsidy under the ACA. Another possibility: You may qualify for COBRA, which would let you continue on your husband’s former employer’s plan for up to 18 months. This is likely to be expensive, because you would have to pay both the employer and employee portion of the premium.

Finding a Medicare doctor I’m moving to a new town, and I’m having a hard time finding a doctor who accepts Medicare patients. Are there any good resources to help?

First, know that you’re not alone. A report to Congress last year noted that 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries seeking a new primary care physician said they had a “big problem” finding one willing to accept Medicare’s approved amount as payment in full for covered services. Another 15 percent reported a “small problem.”

New HSA contributions once on Medicare I am about to sign up for Medicare at age 65. Can I still contribute to a health savings account once I enroll?

You can’t make new contributions to an HSA after you enroll in Medicare, but you can continue to use any money that was already in the account tax-free for out-ofpocket medical expenses, such as deductibles, co-payments, your share of prescription-drug costs, and a portion of longterm care insurance premiums based on your age (up to $4,160 in 2018 for ages 61 to 70, for example).

After turning age 65, you can also use HSA money tax-free to pay premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D, and for Medicare Advantage plans.

You can make tax-deductible contributions (or pretax if through an employer) to an HSA in 2018 if you have an eligible health insurance policy with a deductible of at least $1,350 for single coverage or $2,700 for family coverage.

You can’t make HSA contributions after enrolling in Medicare, but you can make pro-rated contributions in the year you sign up, based on the number of months before your Medicare coverage takes effect.

Using wife’s HSA to pay Medicare premiums I’m on Medicare, but my wife is in her 50s and is covered by an HSA-eligi-

BEACON BITS

July 26

MANAGING GARDEN PESTS

Virginia Cooperative Extension presents the free talk “Summer Garden Critter Controls” on Thursday, July 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington, Va. Learn how to manage and control garden critters affecting your vegetables, fruits, ornamentals and lawn with the Agricultural Natural Resource Extension Agent. For more information or register, visit mgnv.org, call (703) 228-6414 or email mgarlalex@gmail.com.

July 27

ORIGAMI WORKSHOP

There will be a workshop called “The Art of Kirigami,” a variation of origami that translates from the Japanese words kiri “cut” and kami “paper,” on Friday, July 27 at 10 a.m. Yoshi Hazen, an experienced kirigami and origami artist, will share the creative art of cutting and folding paper in an interactive class, which takes place at Arlington Mill Senior Center, 909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington, Va. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-7369.

July 19

GARDEN TOUR AND TEA

Green Spring Gardens presents a Summer Garden Tour and Tea on Thursday, July 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. Tour the glorious demonstration gardens with a master gardener docent who will inspire you with stories of Green Spring past and present. Afterward, enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea. The gardens are located at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, Va. Reservations are required. Admission costs $32 per person. For more information, call (703) 941-7987, TTY (703) 324-3988.

ble health insurance policy. Can she use HSA money tax-free to pay for my Medicare premiums and other HSA-eligible medical expenses?

She can use HSA money tax-free to pay for eligible expenses for herself, her spouse and her dependents, so she can use money in her health account to pay for your out-ofpocket medical expenses, such as vision and dental care, as well as co-payments for medical care or prescription drugs.

But HSA money can be used tax-free for premiums for Medicare parts B and D and Medicare Advantage only if the account owner is 65 or older. Because it’s her account and she is only in her fifties, she can’t do it. After she turns 65, she can use those tax-free dollars for Medicare premiums — her own as well as yours. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Hospital type beds feature adjustable heights and railings, but they are hardly comfortable. Now, thanks to innovative design and superior engineering, you get the best of both. Plus, with an infinite number of positions controlled by remote control, you can pick a custom position for sleeping, reading watching TV or just relaxing with your feet up! It looks just like a regular bed… not institutional, and the mattress is luxurious and features a natural bamboo quilted cover that’s anti-bacterial, deodorizing and breathable.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

31

Leisure &

Jousting knights are just one reason to take the grandchildren to Baltimore.

See story on page 33 for more kid-friendly activities in Charm City.

Off the beaten path: our trip to Myanmar Pervasive pagodas While no one knows how many pagodas and other Buddhist holy places there are throughout the country, the visitor soon learns that if there isn’t one in sight at any given time, there probably will be very soon.

Whether exploring a sprawling religious site or coming upon a tiny roadside memorial, the pervasiveness of the religion that the great majority of people practice is everywhere.

For non-Buddhists, an itinerary that includes a seemingly endless array of holy places may threaten to cause a bit of pagoda overload. Even so, sites like Bagan belong on any “must-see” list. Others have their own special appeals.

According to legend, a stupa has stood for 2,600 years where the Shwedagon in Yangon does today. The existing building is believed to enshrine strands of Buddha’s hair, and is encrusted with more than 4,500 diamonds.

The seated Buddha statue in the Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay is one of the most venerated in the country. So many worshippers have applied gold leaf to the image as a sign of their devotion that it’s shape has become somewhat distorted.

Fyllis and I were struck by the reverence of the people when we attended the daily washing ritual of that effigy which, to our dismay, begins at about 4:30 a.m. A

PHOTO BY ZZVET@DREAMSTIME.COM

By Victor Block I was 3,000 feet high, floating in a hot air balloon with 11 other passengers, including my wife Fyllis, and — thank goodness — a pilot.

Since this was my first balloon flight, my attention during the ascent was focused on the gigantic orb overhead that was keeping us aloft, into which our aviator was directing occasional bursts of flame. Flame!

Once I was convinced that we would stay afloat and not catch on fire, I was able to focus my attention on the reason why we had clambered into the airborne basket in the first place. We were gently passing over a vast plain that is home to a massive and magnificent collection of Buddhist pagodas, temples, monasteries and dome-shaped monuments called stupas (stoo-puhs).

Our balloon ride sailed us over the ancient city of Bagan, which was the capital of a kingdom spanning the 9th to 13th centuries from which Burma later evolved. At one time, more than 10,000 Buddhist structures dotted the landscape there, and the remains of over 2,200 survive today.

We spotted both crumbling red brick shrines and whitewashed, gilded edifices that have been spruced up and returned to their former glory. This assortment of centuries-old Buddhist monuments is part of the reason that Myanmar (ME-un-mahr) is referred to as “The land of pagodas.”

Balloons float over the ancient city of Bagan, which in the 9th to 13th centuries was the capital of a kingdom from which Burma, now called Myanmar, evolved. Buddhist pagodas and shrines are prevalent throughout the country.

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

senior monk of the temple carefully rinses the statue’s face as people who fill every available space from which to observe the ceremony bow, pray and chant.

A surprise to me was the extent to which the deep devotion evident at ancient religious places often coexists with touches of modernity and commercialism.

For example, some pagoda complexes have installed elevators and escalators for worshippers and visitors who can’t, or won’t, climb long flights of stairs. And in addition to incense, flowers, candles and other items to leave as offerings, vendors lining entrances into holy sites also sell all manner of religio-tourist trinkets.

Breaking free of Britain

In the crowded city of Mandalay, Myanmar’s traditional marketplaces juxtapose with motor scooters, cell phones and other 21st century technology.

If the pervasiveness of religion in everyday life leads to an assumption that Myanmar is only about Buddhist temples, think again. In fact, it’s a multi-racial country with interesting cities, intriguing villages, stunning nature, and attractions sure to excite and delight even the most intrepid traveler. [See also, “Human rights issues in Myanmar,” on page 32.]

Britain controlled Burma from 1824 until the country gained its independence in 1948. An oppressive military junta that took control in 1962 left a lasting stain on the na-

tion’s history. The generals suppressed dissent, were accused of serious civil rights abuses, and allowed the economy to stagnate, largely isolated from the rest of the world.

In an effort to erase reminders of British domination, the name of the country was changed from Burma to Myanmar, although both are still used. Names of cities, rivers, mountains and other places also were altered to avoid memories of the colonial days.

When free elections were permitted to take place in 2015, the political party of Aung San Suu Kyi won a resounding victory. She is an activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, but whose advocacy for democracy resulted in her being held under house arrest for 15 years until her release in 2010.

Aung San now serves as the State Counselor, a position similar to prime minister, and she has managed to institute some new freedoms, economic reforms and other advancements. However, the constitution still gives the military a strong voice in governing the country.

Myanmar’s major cities In recent years, tourism to Myanmar has slowly increased, and those who go there See MYANMAR, page 32

32

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Myanmar From page 31 find variety enough to satisfy a myriad of interests. The major cities alone would make the trip worthwhile.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is the biggest city and commercial center. It boasts the largest number of colonial-era buildings in southeast Asia, along with a proliferation of new shops and restaurants that have sprung up since the country reopened to the world.

A good way to get a sense of the city is to board the Circular Train that transports workers, students and shoppers to their destinations. A ride costs only 30 cents, and while we didn’t stay on the run-down coach car for the entire three-hour round-trip, we observed a colorful slice of local life.

The tracks lead past upscale homes, ramshackle wooden huts and tent cities. Passengers see apartment buildings with porches festooned by a colorful array of drying laundry. Vendors walk the aisles, selling goods ranging from fresh fruit and cooked corn on the cob, to bottled water and astrology charts.

Mandalay is the second-largest city in the country, and before the British colonization it was the last seat of Burma’s kings. In addition to the de rigueur religious relics, it is renowned as a center of arts and crafts, with different neighborhoods dedicated to various trades.

The streets are clogged by motor scooters and trucks laden with unbelievably large loads, and pedestrians avoiding sidewalks that are badly in need of repair.

More special to me than the cities were the villages scattered about the countryside, where in many ways people live much as their forebears did. Simple houses made of intertwined bamboo line narrow dusty lanes. Domesticated animals often wander along the streets.

Yet even in the tiniest and most isolated hamlets, there are hints of transformation.

Cell phones are as ubiquitous as in the U.S. Children of all ages use a smartphone to play games, and I saw more than one monk fish a cell phone from his saffron robe to make or take a call.

Where time stands still But one place where life has changed little is Inle (In-lay) Lake, and a fascinating way of life it is. That large, shallow body of water is home to the Intha people, one of 135 nationalities — each with their distinctive dialects, clothing and traditions — that comprise Myanmar’s population.

Small villages consist of rustic two-story houses elevated above the water by bamboo stilts. Here and there is a store, post office, barber shop and other establishment of similar construction.

All transportation is by boat, primarily long, narrow teakwood dinghies propelled by whining outboard motors.

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Fishermen, however, move their motorless boats in a kind of over-water ballet, with a paddle held in one leg, leaving their hands free to cast a net.

Farmers plant crops in floating gardens made of hyacinths, weeds and mud, bound together and anchored to the lake bottom by long bamboo poles.

Not surprisingly, even in this dreamlike setting, pagodas dotted around the lake serve as reminders that you are, in fact, in Myanmar. It’s just another experience, along with countless others, that make a visit to that country so intriguing.

If you go Accommodations included in the Myths and Mountains itinerary range from fivestar city hotels to more casual, very comfortable bungalow complexes.

The Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort originally was established as the government’s guesthouse for “elite visitors,” and is located within the archaeological zone. It sprawls over 24 acres of landscaped gardens,

and many rooms are in separate cottages.

Rates begin at $110 a night. For more information, visit www.thiripyitsaya-resort.com.

Equally inviting is the Inle Princess Resort, perched at the edge of the lake. The architecture of the teak and bamboo huts echoes that of minority people who live in the area, and guests who stroll through the small village adjacent to the property get a good picture of rural life. Rates begin at $217. For more information, see www.inleprincess.com.

For those considering a trip to Myanmar, the company Myths and Mountains operates tours and individual custom travel there and to a number of other destinations in Asia and Southeast Asia. One twoweek trip next January called “Myanmar: Cruising the Chindwin River” starts at $5,960 per person, excluding airfare. The least expensive airfare from Washington airports currently offered at that time is $1,188 on Singapore Airlines.

For more information, call (800) 6706984 or see mythsandmountains.com.

Human rights issues in Myanmar Since August 2017, there have been continuous news reports about atrocities by Myanmar’s military forces against Rohingya Muslims who lived in Rakhine Province and have been attacked or chased across the border.

The Rohingyas originally came from neighboring Bangladesh, and have been viewed by natives as interlopers since they arrived. Both the United Nations and the United States government have described the campaign against the Rohingyas as “ethnic cleansing.”

Because the unrest is confined to a narrow strip of land along the border with Bangladesh, it’s safe for tourists

to travel throughout most of the country. However, some people believe that to travel to Myanmar at this time could be construed as supporting, or at least turning a blind eye to, the violence.

Others conclude that tourism supports Burmese civilians because the money that visitors spend helps to provide a livelihood for people who work in that industry.

According to Voices for Burma, a prodemocracy advocacy group, tourists assist by “bringing money to local communities and small businesses, and by raising awareness of the situation worldwide.”

—Victor Block

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

33

A visit to Baltimore with grandchildren

By Victor Block “Can we ask someone for help?” Mollie inquired, her voice exhibiting the anguish we all felt.

“Not yet,” I replied, trying to sound as confident as possible. “Let’s give it one more try.”

It took less than five minutes for me to capitulate. “OK, let’s ask that family over there.”

Approaching the group, I explained that we were participating in a Baltimore-area scavenger hunt, couldn’t decipher the next clue and needed help. The father, his wife and their two children broke into laughter.

“We were just going to ask you for help,” the dad said.

Thus began the intergenerational weekend trip that my wife Fyllis and I planned to celebrate our granddaughter Mollie’s teenage birthday. We had two goals: To give Mollie and a friend a special treat, and

to test our theory that it’s not necessary to travel far from home to combine a good time with a learning experience.

Our research to seek a choice of activities turned up a surprisingly long list of inviting alternatives. We showed the options to Mollie without revealing our destination, despite her repeated entreaties.

Then we compiled her selections into what we hoped would be a workable itinerary.

As we drove toward Baltimore, no amount of pleading by Mollie and her friend Ingrid persuaded us to reveal our destination.

As we turned off the highway into the city, we wondered if our experiment of having a getaway so close to home was doomed to failure. But it was too late to change plans, so with hope in our hearts we drove to the place where our first activity would begin.

Scavenger hunt and jousting Ranked first on Mollie’s wish list was an urban scavenger hunt called Baltimore Quest. It combines an intellectual challenge with visits to some of the city’s major attractions.

The first clue on our smartphone directed us to find a large ship’s anchor, which we soon discovered. A statue of William Donald Schaffer, a former mayor of Baltimore, also was easy to locate.

But when we got to a clue that required solving a math problem and completing a crossword puzzle, we hit the aforementioned snag. Even that worked out, as we got to meet the other family on the same quest.

The cost to join the Quest is $49 per team.

For more information: www.urbanadventurequest.com/tours/things-to-do/baltimore/default.aspx, (805) 603-5620.

After successfully completing the first activity we headed for our next destination: the National Aquarium, overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. There we came face-to-face with sharks and razor-tooth piranha, spotted an emerald tree boa napping on a branch, and understood why oversize tree frogs and turtles have Giant as part of their name.

Touch pools became instant favorites of our young companions, who delighted in making contact with horseshoe crabs, sting rays and other denizens of the seas. Mollie fiSee BALTIMORE, page 35

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

BUS DIRECT

TO NYC

ARLINGTON * BETHESDA * PENN STATION The author’s grandchild, Mollie, tries her hand at glassblowing at McFadden Art Glass in Baltimore.

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How to avoid airline, hotel and other fees You hear a lot about travel fees these days — especially airline fees, more especially fees for “something you used to get free,” and most especially fees that are theoretically optional but in reality are mandatory.

A recent survey by MileCards listed fees that travelers hate most. Fortunately, you can avoid many of the worst fees, at least some of the time, at little or no cost. Here’s how:

Airline fees In MileCard’s survey, checked-bag fees

came out as the most hated. In theory you don’t have to check a bag, but if you’re going on a two-week vacation or business trip, you probably really need to do so.

You can avoid this fee completely in only one instance: when you fly Southwest, an airline that allows two free checked bags on any type of ticket.

You can also avoid the fee on a single big airline if you use that line’s credit card, but if you don’t already have the card, you’ll have to pay an annual fee of $80 or

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in the initial price display but is actually more to get one.

Another most-hated airline fee is for ex- part of the true price. You can’t avoid it.

It’s actually a scam, a dechanging or canceling a ticket, ceptive pricing practice that and like the bag fee, the only the Federal Trade Commisway to avoid it completely is to sion should outlaw, but I’m fly Southwest. You can limit the not holding my breath until loss on other airlines by buying the sluggish FTC fulfills its cancellation insurance, which obvious obligation. costs a lot less than the fee.

The third top-hated fee is payment for advance seat asOther hated fees signments, which is especially Cellphone data roaming annoying for family groups charges are a moving target, who want to sit together. You TRAVEL TIPS with constant adjustments can’t avoid it. This problem is By Ed Perkins being made to roaming costs. tough enough that several legislative proposals call for airlines to seat families together without fees.

Fees for extra-legroom seats make the hate lists, and unless you’re an exaltedlevel frequent flyer, you can’t avoid them.

But they’re in a different class: You can get to your destination in a regular seat. An extra-legroom seat is a product upgrade for which you should expect to pay.

Fees to use an airline’s phone reservation system are a minor annoyance. My take is that Allegiant’s fee to book online is even worse: The only way to book Allegiant without paying an extra fee is to schlep to an airport and line up at Allegiant’s counter.

Hotel fees Surprisingly, hotel Wi-Fi fees topped MileCard’s hate list, and it’s hard to see why: These fees are easy to avoid most of the time.

With a giant chain, just join its loyalty program, at no charge, and book through its website, where you might even get a slightly better rate. And very few small independent hotels add a Wi-Fi fee: If they have it at all, it’s free, and most have it.

The really annoying hotel fee is the “resort” or similar fee, which is not included

But you can avoid most problems by installing an app that lets you call through the Internet when you’re roaming.

Fees for using an out-of-network ATM are unavoidable with many ATM cards.

But if your regular bank charges for foreign withdrawals, you can open a separate checking account for travel use with a bank or credit union that issues no-foreignfee debit cards.

Similarly, you can avoid credit-card and debit-card foreign transaction fees by using a card that doesn’t charge fees — a feature most travel-focused cards now provide.

Rental car companies’ fees for collision damage waiver (CDW) are outrageous — but avoidable. Your regular auto insurance may cover you, and these days, many credit cards provide secondary coverage that picks up whatever your insurance doesn’t.

If you’d rather avoid a potential hit on your insurance rates, some premium credit cards offer primary collision coverage, or you can buy third-party primary coverage starting at around $8 a day.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. © 2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SOCIAL SECURITY VIDEOS The Social Security Administration offers Facebook Live events,

live-streamed talks you can watch on the computer, to reach out to the public and provide resources. Recent topics include a conversation with chief actuary Steve Gross on the future of Social Security, and how to protect your identity. To view these, visit www.facebook.com/SocialSecurity or www.youtube.com/SocialSecurity.

July 26

ST. MICHAELS OYSTER SAILING Montgomery County SOAR offers a two-hour sail on the slooprigged skipjack, which is used as an oyster dredger during oyster

season, on Thursday, July 26. Enjoy the Bay’s wild beauty, experience a demonstration, listen to the Captain discuss the Bay’s ecology and the culture of the waterman. Lunch and sightseeing is on own at St. Michael’s. Wear sneakers or boat shoes (no slippery soled shoes). The trip costs $64 for Montgomery County residents and $79 for non-residents. The bus will depart from Olney Manor Recreational Park, 16601 Georgia Ave., Olney, Md. at 7:30 a.m. and will return at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/StMichaelsOyster.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Baltimore From page 33 nally got up the nerve to feel the top of a jellyfish, and both girls ignored my I-thought-humorous query about what flavor the jelly was.

Admission for adults is $39.95, ($34.95 if 65+), and children 3 to 11 $24.95. For more information: www.aqua.org, (410) 576-3800 By the time we had scavenged, communed with fish and eaten lunch, we were ready for an immersion in Medieval Times at Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover. That adventure takes place in what passes for an 11th-century European castle complete with armor, coats of arms and other ersatz artifacts.

Let me say that this is the kind of attraction I love to hate. Let me add that I very much enjoyed it.

Having already eaten, we arrived after the four course meal had been served, but in time for the pageantry, and it was abundant. A presentation of Middle Ages falconry was both entertaining and educational. A demonstration of dressage by magnificent horses was as graceful as a human ballet.

Then came the highlight: A jousting tournament by knights, each of whom was loudly cheered on by supporters in the audience. The Black & White Knight was introduced as “humble in prayer, loyal in service and in battle invincible.” The Red & Yellow Knight “fights like a lion uncaged.”

Admission, including a meal (which you

eat with your hands!), is $59.95 for adults and $36.95 for children 12 and under. For more information: visit www.medievaltimes.com/plan-your-trip/baltimore-md or call 1-(866) 543-5278.

The day ended with dinner and four sleepy but happy travelers turning in for what we agreed was a well-deserved rest.

Glass blowing and mini golf When the girls didn’t answer our morning knock on their hotel room door, our first reaction was one of panic. Then, using the logic that grandparents should possess, we headed for the swimming pool and — to our relief — found them cavorting in the water.

After breakfast, we headed for an establishment that enveloped us in yet another world of wonder. We were surrounded by paperweights and pumpkins, fruits and flowers, and a seemingly endless variety of objects in a seemingly endless array of colors —all made of glass.

McFadden Art Glass is a combination gallery and workshop, which offers classes for serious creators as well as drop-by opportunities for one-timers like us. After admiring the choice of objects on display, the girls selected the items they wished to make.

Prices for smaller objects are in the $20 to $65 range, and working with Sean — the very helpful, pleasant and, Mollie and Ingrid agreed, cute assistant — turned out to be a highlight of the weekend. With his guidance, our charges fashioned the items

they had selected to take home as tangible tokens of the weekend.

For more information: http://mcfaddenartglass.com, (410) 631-6039 Colors of a different kind greeted us at the Monster Mini Golf Course, which offers a unique twist on a popular pastime.

The indoor 18-hole layout is bathed in black light, in which a multitude of monsters glow as they move, talk and entertain players with their antics, making who wins the game unimportant. $10.99 adults, $8.99 children. For more information: http://monsterminigolf.com/locations/to wson, (410) 497-9704 The day, and weekend, were supposed to end by playing paintball, but that was canceled because the girls weren’t wearing long pants to soften the splatter of dye-filled

35

pellets. Fortunately, a nearby Go Kart track provided an exciting finale to the festivities.

Any worries we still had about the success of a celebratory outing so nearby dissipated during the return drive, as the girls excitedly recounted the experience. Ingrid voiced pleasure that in addition to being fun, the scavenger hunt “taught us some history at the same time.”

Mollie’s summary supported the theory that we had set out to prove. “I didn’t know there are so many interesting things to see and do so close to home.”

She and Ingrid proved what Fyllis and I had set out to prove. Anyone anywhere can follow our game plan, and turn a short commute into a memorable family getaway.

For information about visiting Baltimore, call (800) 343-3468 or see www.Baltimore.org.

BLACK HILLS, SD, Sept. 5 – 19 ........................................................................................$2399pp Visit Chicago & the Wisconsin Dells on route to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial and much more.

Based on double occupancy

BUCKS CO, Oct. 10–12 ...................................................................................................... $539pp Includes Motorcoach, 2-Nights Hotel, 3 meals, Baggage Handling & Sightseeing.

Based on double occupancy

VA WINE COUNTRY, Nov. 14 .................................................................................................$162pp Enjoy a day in Northern Virginia tasting the local wines with a 3 course luncheon at Magnolia at the Mill.

36

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Style Arts &

The Cuban Affair is one of four recent novels that are perfect to read on a lazy summer afternoon. See reviews on page 40.

Marvelous musical revisits 1940s New York the life they can into the boys’ 24-hour shore leave in New York City. You know, “New York, New York, a helluva town,” where, “the people ride in a hole in the ground.” That one.

Book and lyrics are by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (which started them off on a storied career), and the choreography was originated by the celebrated Jerome Robbins. So it comes from the best musical theater DNA, and it’s a fast-paced 2 hours and 20 minutes of raucous comedy and alternately rousing or dreamy dance numbers held together by Bernstein’s panoramic score.

Director Jason Loewith has a first-rate cast of 22 to work with, including some of the D.C.-area’s best-loved musical-stage stars. Among them are Tracy Lynn Olivera, Bobby Smith, Donna Migliaccio, Sam Ludwig, Rachel Zampelli and Evan Casey.

Smith and Migliaccio have 11 roles between just the two of them, popping up in scene after scene. And they don’t have to steal each and every scene they’re in because they own them, commanding just as much attention as the three gal-and-guy leading pairs.

PHOTO BY STAN BAROUH

By Michael Toscano So you’re still annoyed or let down that you can’t get in, or can’t afford, to see Hamilton? Well, here’s a theater-insider’s secret: go to Olney Theatre Center for their splendiferous production of the musical On the Town, and you will have just as much fun and just as much sublime pleasure, for much less money and bother.

Go ahead: feel smug. You’re saving on astronomical ticket prices and steep parking fees. You’re avoiding the crowding and tension. And you can take the grandkids, too.

And now you can quietly feel satisfaction that you have taken the road perhaps less traveled, but to just as rewarding a destination.

The Hamilton audiences are reveling in the work of Lin-Manuel Miranda. And that’s great. But you’ll enjoy the expansive score by Leonard Bernstein, hardly a comedown. And truly outstanding performances in singing, dance and comedy.

This the revival version of the 1944 Broadway hit on which the OK, but watered-down, Gene Kelly-Frank Sinatra film version was based. It’s the tale of three sailors and three gals trying to squeeze all

Robert Mintz, Lance E. Hayes and Rhett Guter kick up their heels in the Leonard Bernstein musical about the Big Apple in the 1940s, On the Town, now on stage at Olney Theatre Center.

From ballet to soft shoe It starts out as a fairly standard, old-fashioned Broadway musical comedy, with “New York, New York” the second number.

But by the fourth song, the awkwardly titled “Presentation of Miss Turnstiles” — See ON THE TOWN, page 38

MONDAYS, 8 P.M. West steps of the U.S. Capitol

TUESDAYS, 7:30 P.M.

U.S. Navy Memorial 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C.

All concerts are FREE and open to the public. No tickets required. For our full performance calendar, visit our website.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

37

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actress turns advocate

Getting a diagnosis Remembering how frustrating it was for her daughter to not know what was wrong with her, Wilson knew that getting the name of the condition out could help many families suffering from the same issue.

“Nobody understands, nobody can figure it out, and so when you get that name, that starts you on that journey to health,” she told the Beacon in a phone interview.

Wilson made an earnest plea to the writers and producers of the TV show, who agreed to feature the condition her daughter had in an episode that ran in 2012.

“To be able to get the name ‘cyclic vomiting syndrome’ out into a primetime audience of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ watchers was the most incredible thing because, as anyone going through chronic illness or something that’s taken a while to get diagnosed

knows, when you finally get the name of what it is that you’re going through, that takes so much weight off you. Because up until that point, you just think you’re crazy,” she said with a laugh.

According to Wilson, her success on the show has imbued her with a certain level of accountability for her actions. “As I have received this amazing blessing of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I’ve also realized that along with that is my responsibility to my audience, because people are watching,” she said.

That awareness is part of what makes her a passionate actor, especially in scenes that help shed light on many important medical issues. “Grey’s Anatomy” as a medical drama is uniquely positioned for promoting healthcare awareness, even if the show is largely focused on relationships, and Wilson is excited to be a part of it.

“We have given the platform to so many different things, and let me tell you, it’s never anything we make up! Everything comes from — what’s that expression about life being stranger than fiction?

That’s true!” she said.

Women and heart attacks The latest life changing health-related arc on the show is her character’s brush with death on the February 1 episode titled “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”

While stressed with work, her character Dr. Bailey begins to experience signs of a heart attack. As an experienced doctor, she “knew her own body, and she knew that something was wrong,” explained Wilson.

Dr. Bailey rushes to an ER at another hospital (she doesn’t want the doctors at hers to know) and is met with doubt by its well-meaning male doctor.

Here the show touched on many important and relatable issues for women, such as

‘Great Performances in the Neighborhood’ Rockville Musical Theatre presents

Rockville Civic Ballet presents

Anything Goes

Lancelot

July 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m.; July 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $25 Adults; $23 Seniors (62+) and Students

Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 29 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $17 Adults; $13 Seniors 60+ and Children 12 and under

Get Your Season Subscriptions Rockville Little Theatre/Rockville Musical Theatre available from July 22-Oct. 7! Victorian Lyric Opera Company available through spring!

Theatre F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tickets Online: www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre Box Office: 240-314-8690

AT RO C K VI L L E C I VI C C E NTE R PA R K

Rockville Civic Center Park • 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD

PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMENHEART

By Rebekah Alcalde When Chandra Wilson’s daughter suddenly became ill with nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal pain — a condition that persisted and returned many times — the 48-year old mother and actress rolled up her sleeves and began to keep a log of her daughter’s symptoms.

Eventually, the binder of information she put together, accompanied by her persistent advocacy, helped doctors diagnose it as the rare cyclic vomiting syndrome.

Though not a real M.D., Wilson possesses an unusual amount of medical acumen as she’s long played the brilliant and formidable Dr. Miranda Bailey on the hit television show “Grey’s Anatomy.” Wilson won the role of the surgeon and chief resident of surgery at the fictional hospital Grey Sloan Memorial in 2005, and audiences have since fallen in love with her character.

Chandra Wilson was recently given an Excellence in Media Award from WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease for her portrayal of “Grey’s Anatomy” character Dr. Miranda Bailey as she suffers a heart attack and its aftermath.

being treated for their emotions instead of physical symptoms (the doctor dismissed her problems as psychological), and her character’s refusing to let others know she was in trouble. “That’s one of the other big things we do as women,” she said with a laugh. “We try to go through things alone.”

These everyday problems were highlighted to great effect in the episode. “To have someone like Miranda Bailey tell that story — someone that everybody thinks

they know — it’s like the story is coming from someone’s friend,” she said.

It also highlights the difficulties that occur for women of color, both concerning symptoms and treatment. Dr. Bailey is shown having to share statistics with the psychiatrist she’s forced to see in order to convince him that she’s in trouble. One of those statistics was that “63 percent of See CHANDRA WILSON, page 39

38

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On The Town From page 36 with its bluesy rhythms pulsating from Christopher Youstra’s tight orchestra, paired to the lithe but muscular balletic choreography of Tara Jeanne Vallee — the full richness of this show starts to envelop you. Claire Rathbun’s lush soprano soars to operatic fullness in this energetic number.

Casey and Ludwig, as sailors Chip and Ozzie, are joined by Rhett Guter, as Gabey.

They’re matched by Olivera as Hildy, Zampelli as Claire, and Rathbun as Ivy, as the romance-struck gals.

Guter and Rathbun have two “Pas De Deux” numbers, where, especially in the first — their part of the magnificent “Lonely Town” sequence — the dance is sublimely expressive, even as the singing is full-throated Broadway. (With special men-

tion due Catherine Mikelson’s contribution on cello.)

That may all sound pretty high-falutin’, but that first “Pas De Deux” is followed by the “Carnegie Hall Pavane,” which lets us enjoy some nice soft-shoe moves.

Lots of laughs And it’s all played out amidst some very funny, broadly played, and sometimes quite bawdy comedy.

Olivera, particularly, gives a no-holdsbarred comic performance as the lusty and commanding Hildy. In comparison, she makes the always formidable Ann Miller in the film version look like she’s playing a nun. Olivera tears up the stage, belting “I Can Cook Too” with Casey’s sailor Chip a delightfully comic partner.

The action speeds up in Act Two, with the Latin undulations of music and movement in

R E N TA L S AT

Rockville Civic Center Park Theatre and Events 240-314-8660 • www.rockvillemd.gov/Glenview • Glenview@rockvillemd.gov ♥♥ All are welcome.

603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, Maryland

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

“Ya Got Me” creating an infectious sense of merriment that washes over the audience.

The hard-working cast, however, begins here to layer in some emotional expression, a sense of yearning, so that we have some place to go between the laughs.

This is war-time, after all. The boys are just getting the briefest respite from horrors they may have experienced or are about to experience again. And the gals begin to realize they may be left to deal with a dark void created when the guys get back on their ship.

So, enjoy the fact that you won’t get stuck as all those cars clog up trying to get in and out of the Kennedy Center’s parking garage. Take pleasure in the far more pleasant drive out of town to see On the Town at Olney. It’s a helluva show.

On the Town continues through July 22 at Olney Theatre Center’s Mainstage, located at 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd. in Olney, Md.

Showtime Wednesday through Saturday evenings is at 8 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m.

There is also a Wednesday matinee on July 11 at 2 p.m.

There is a sign-interpreted performance on Thursday, July 12 at 8 p.m., and an audiodescribed performance for the blind and visually-impaired Thursday, July 19 at 8 p.m.

Post-show discussions follow the Saturday matinee performances on July 7, 14 and 21.

Ticket prices range from $42 to $84, with a $10 discount available for those 65+.

Call the Olney Theatre Center Box Office at (301) 924-3400 to make reservations, or visit www.OlneyTheatre.org for tickets and information.

There is free, on-site parking and the facilities are accessible to patrons with mobility impairment. For listening assistance during performances, an infrared system, which amplifies the sound on stage, is available free of charge.

BEACON BITS

July 29

PIANO CONCERT

The Washington Piano Society presents its summer concert on Sunday, July 29 at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Featured are works ranging from Handel to Faure, and from solo piano to voice and piano. The concert is free, and no advance tickets are required, though a voluntary contribution is appreciated to help meet the expenses that make these concerts possible. For more information, visit www.dcpianosociety.org or call (301) 793-1863.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Chandra Wilson From page 37 women who die suddenly from coronary heart disease have no previous symptom, and women of color are at a far greater risk.”

As is true for women in general, the symptoms Dr. Bailey experienced were different from men’s, which is partly why the doctor in the show doesn’t take her seriously. She doesn’t have the chest or arm pain you normally think of when you think “heart attack.”

According to the American Heart Association, symptoms for women are commonly misdiagnosed, and include shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, as well as back or jaw pain. It’s easy to think it’s the flu or a cold, or “indigestion or acid

Letters to editor From page 2 — Attendance at major and minor league baseball has never been higher.

Compare today’s attendance figures to those of the 1950’s and 1960’s.

— For those (like me) who prefer to watch on TV, the game is covered from every possible angle and can be studied like a graduate course.

— No sport requires more hand/eye coordination than baseball. Hitting a ball thrown at 98 mph or turning a double play requires unparalleled athletic skill.

— The game is played at a higher degree of skill than ever before.

— The range of talent — players from Japan, the Caribbean, etc. — has never been greater.

— World Series games that were previously played on midweek afternoons, when kids like me had to go to school and thus missed Don Larsen’s perfect game, are now played in the evening when anyone who wants can tune in — or record and watch later.

So go ahead, Mr. Levey, and pout about the good old days — yes, I too recall the Mantle, Clemente, Berra era. Meanwhile, the rest of us will go about enjoying the great American pastime.

Philip Brown Chevy Chase, Md. Dear Editor: I’ve been very excited about your Celebration of the Arts since I read about it.

I am 65 years young and live in a nursing home in Hyattsville Md. As a child, I avoided art after receiving a low grade in art in the second grade. Yeah, I was kind of nerdy about my grades early on.

During a trip to Europe, I fell in love with art, but I did not attempt to create my own until recently. A few years ago, I took a few lessons using oils and acrylics.

In my present living situation, I decided to try watercolors as they would be less messy. So I’m self taught in the medium. I have lots to learn.

Most of my art is given to friends as gifts or to brighten their day. I also make handmade cards with art on the front.

My favorite artists are Van Gogh,

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The heart attack storyline on “Grey’s” has resonated with audiences, so much so

that WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease recently gave Wilson an Excellence in Media Award.

CEO Mary McGowan said her organization gave Wilson the award “for her incredibly accurate and moving performance” on the episode. “Her character’s persistence and self-advocacy will live on in the millions of viewers who are now more educated and informed about how to advocate for their heart health,” McGowan said.

Wilson credits two sources for the episode’s authenticity: her own experience advocating for her daughter, and the experience of Elizabeth Finch, who wrote the episode and who had to battle a rare type of bone cancer in her 30s.

Finch herself went misdiagnosed for several years by her doctors, and so she

thoroughly understood the significance of the storyline. Wilson and Finch had many conversations about their frustrations and discoveries along the way.

Wilson passionately described “having to fight for yourself and having to tell your story over and over again to every ear that comes in, as if you were telling your story for the first time.”

She is excited to keep seeing how this storyline affects her character for the rest of the series. “This now is a part of [Dr. Bailey’s] life, and what we’ll get to see through the seasons now is how she lives with heart disease. That’s really important to get out there to the audience,” Wilson said.

For a transcript of Wilson’s complete interview with the Beacon, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/chandra-wilson-qa.

Monet, Klee, Rothko, Edvard Munch, Andrew Wyeth, William Turner, The Florida Highway Men and my first teacher, Patrick

Rausch.

I have entered three works in your amateur art competition. Thank you for spon-

soring this event.

reflux,” as the ER doctor informs her.

Despite the frustration experienced by her character, Wilson said filming the episode was “invigorating.” She knew how significant the message was, and admitted to being “awakened by the challenge” of portraying the scene properly.

She also mentioned the ever important “ER etiquette” that is illustrated in the scene. “Even with Miranda Bailey being chief of surgery, she still isn’t allowed to know more than the physician she’s speaking to, because once she knows more, then she can be taking care of herself, as far as the [other] physician is concerned.”

Honored for her roles

We Turn Addresses

into homes

Judy Porter via email

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785 • 55 & Better Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526 Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour.

www.rhomecommunities.com MOST COMMUNITIES ARE PET-FRIENDLY

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Try these delightful novels this summer Escape into fantasy, revel in the past, fol- paperback, 2017 Lawyers (especially members of the low a detective on his rounds around the D.C. Bar) and those who Louisiana bayous, join a tour enjoy legal thrillers will find to Cuba with a suspenseful this book fun to read. While side trip, and enjoy the comJohn Grisham’s previous ofpany of characters created by fering, Camino Island, strayed talented writers. from this popular writer’s What a great way to spend usual legal-centric plot, The a relaxing day! Whether soakRooster Bar returns the auing up the rays at the water’s thor to his highly entertaining edge, enjoying the shade potboiler plotlines that have under a favorite tree with a become synonymous with Grcool drink in hand, or winding THE isham’s literary oeuvre. down indoors with your feet BIBILOPHILE The story of third-year law up and the A/C on, let go and

By Dinah Rokach students unfolds masterfully let your mind take imaginative to a climactic conclusion. As flight into the pages of fiction.

The Rooster Bar, by John Grisham, the action unfolds, serious contemporary 384 pages, Bantam paperback, 2018; issues are raised: unscrupulous compa480-page Random House large print nies that provide student loans; for-profit

BEACON BITS

July 30

BEING MORTAL DOCUMENTARY — FREE SCREENING

A screening of the PBS documentary Being Mortal will screen at Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna, Va. on Monday, July 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. There will also be a discussion of the film, which is based on the best-selling book by Atul Gawande, M.D., which explores the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness and their relationships with the physicians who treat them. Light refreshments will follow. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/BeingMortalDocumentary.

law schools (many of whose graduates are unprepared to pass the bar and find remunerative employment to pay off their crushing debts); tort lawyers who rake in millions filing class-action lawsuits; ICE’s heartless practices, and the government’s use of privatized detention facilities; the confounding court system encountered by first-time petty offenders who are easy targets of shady lawyers, and the secretive behavior of offshore banks and shell corporations that serve as safe havens for illgotten gains.

Local readers will no doubt enjoy descriptions of the District’s familiar landmarks, vistas and thoroughfares where much of the action takes place.

You may find yourself rooting for the lovable rogues in spite of yourself.

Manhattan Beach: A Novel, by Jennifer Egan, 448 pages, Scribner paperback, 2018 The coming of age of a young woman during World War II is the subject of this fascinating novel set in and around Brooklyn’s ocean side community of Manhattan Beach. The yarn unfolds on the bustling waterfront and in the posh homes along the Atlantic and the crowded inland tenements.

The twists and turns contrived by Jennifer Egan will leave you guessing. Her finely crafted words bring to life the glitter-

ing Manhattan nightclubs, the seedy Mafia hangouts, the society swells, the Navy Yard bursting with wartime activity, and the men and women struggling through the Depression while dealing with the ramifications of wartime.

Young Anna Kerrigan copes with life’s vicissitudes as do her immediate family and circle of friends. They are tested by challenges and betrayals, supported in time of trouble by acquaintances they hardly know.

Much is left untold, as the mysterious disappearance of Anna’s father Eddie and the exact nature of his ties to mob boss Dexter Styles are fully revealed only in the concluding chapters.

This novel by a Pulitzer-Prize-winning author is sure to be enjoyed seaside, watching the tide in real time or in one’s imagination. It is the winner of the 2018 One Book, One New York award selected by readers of New York Magazine for a citywide read. One thousand five hundred copies of Manhattan Beach will be donated to New York Public Library branches so that everyone can participate.

Robicheaux: A Novel, by James Lee Bruce, 464 pages, Simon & Schuster hardcover, 2018 (Orion paSee SUMMER NOVELS, page 42

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

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Summer novels From page 40 perback, July 26, 2018) Follow the thrilling and heart-stopping rounds of Detective Dave Robicheaux as he pounds the beat, trying to solve multiple gruesome murders in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Haunted by PTSD, flashbacks of his wartime experiences, the tragic circumstances that surrounded the deaths of his two wives, plagued by his recent relapse from sobriety, this brilliant and complex

man stalks the petty criminals and crime bosses, murderers and rapists, dirty cops and venal politicians who inhabit his territory and the neighboring domain.

Robo confronts his own demons, the treachery of dirty cops and the unsolved murders that still tug at his heartstrings, while showing loyalty to his flawed best friend, chivalry to women in distress, and love to his adult adopted daughter.

You’ll need to concentrate as the plot unfolds to sort out the colorful and sinister cast of characters. The story intensifies as the crimes multiply, and you will be enthralled

BEACON BITS

July 13+

MOTOWN TRIBUTE

Arts on the Green presents “Heard It Through the Grapevine – A Tribute to Motown,” a show that runs Friday, July 13 through Sunday, July 22 with evening performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will also be a performance on Thursday, July 19 at 8 p.m. The Arts Barn is located at 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg, Md. Admission is $22; $18 for students 15 to 21; $12 for those 14 and under. This show is recommended for ages 12 and older.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov or call (301) 258-6394.

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

by the time you reach the exciting finale.

James Lee Bruce is masterful in his description of the Louisiana landscape. His characters are portrayed in realistic manner, the dialogue is sharp and his imagination soars.

Follow the bloody trail and be prepared for a ride that will take your breath away.

The Cuban Affair: A Novel, by Nelson DeMille, 448 pages, Simon & Schuster paperback, 2018; 697-page large print Thorndike Press hardcover, 2017 An educational tour group to Cuba with the Yale School of Architecture seems a sedate premise for the basis of an actionpacked suspense thriller in The Cuban Affair. But factor in the presence of macho Army veteran Mac, who was injured in Afghanistan and is now back in civilian life

as a Key West charter boat captain.

Will he undertake a secret mission to help a damsel in distress? Are her motives pecuniary, political or romantic? What about Mac’s motives? Will he and his best buddy get out alive? Will he get the girl?

Nelson DeMille has crafted a highly readable, dramatic story set on the scenic islands of Key West and Cuba. He vividly paints a picture in words of Havana and its countryside, and evokes the laid back culture of the Florida Keys.

Readers will appreciate the portrayals of John and Eduardo, seniors who play pivotal roles in the plot. Add into the mix the volatile politics of refugees residing in Florida, and the repressive conditions natives of Cuba still endure. The pressure cooker is bound to explode, but will all the good guys emerge unscathed? Read on!

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FREE CONCERTS The Fairfax County Park Authority will host free summer concerts in the backyard of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000

Government Center Pkwy., Fairfax, Va., every Thursday night from July 5 through

July 28

CLASSICAL CONCERT

Rockville Memorial Library presents a summer classical music performance on Saturday, July 28 at 6 p.m. Violinist Gray Dickerson will perform a recital with works from Johann Sebastian Bach. Pianist Alice Chang will also play classical piano solos by Frédéric Chopin and Claude Debussy. The library is located at 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Md. For more information, call (240) 777-0140.

Aug. 30. Evenings on the Ellipse summer concert series is a family-friendly event featuring a talented line-up of performers and a wide range of musical genres.

Shows run from 5:30 to 7 p.m., rain or shine. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved inside to the center forum. There will also be wine tastings and a farmers market, which is open until 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Learning what counts from ex-teachers It’s a snazzy retirement party that a very need the money. Wouldn’t you rather give good friend is tossing for herself. She has the alarm clock to Goodwill and putter for a while?” ordered grape leaves, humMy friend (age 69) says no. mus and lots of very good She knows herself better than French wine.

I know her, clearly.

She deserves all of it.

She says she still has tons She has been dragging out to give. So she will find a way of bed at 5 a.m. for nearly to give it to people who are 20 years as a public school not teenagers. teacher in the Washington sub“I’m thinking of working for urbs. She says her head hurts, a hospice,” she said. “Managher feet hurt, call her tomorrow and probably something ing their staff, helping with new HOW I SEE IT patients, that kind of thing. I else will hurt. need to feel useful. I need to feel No question that she has By Bob Levey earned a sojourn in the recliner in which wanted.”

Is she an outlier? I don’t think she is. she sits — accepting congratulations, What’s my evidence? Three other people I toasting her good fortune.

How good a job did she do all these met at the same party.

All are women in their late 60s. All used years? Several of her current students are there, trying not to eat too many grape to work with my friend. All retired from the school system a year ago. All went on leaves. That speaks for itself.

But after I plant a big kiss on her cheek, to new careers immediately, for the same she says that she isn’t about to fade off to reasons my friend cited.

Jackie tells me that she left the school Florida or to obsolescence. She’s seriously system on a Friday, and began work the considering starting a new career.

You could have knocked me over with following Monday as a mid-level executive at a hospital. her last pay stub.

“I manage scheduling for nurses, I “I’m going to sound like every silly women’s magazine,” I warned her, “but order supplies, I do whatever needs good grief, haven’t you earned the right to doing,” she said. “I know it’s kind of like kick back and smell the roses? You don’t proving a negative, but if I didn’t do a good

job, the entire system would be worse.”

Over near the hummus is a woman named Isabel. She still has the accent of her native Iran. She tells me that her family wanted her to move back to that country once she was done with all those surly American adolescents. But no. She now serves as an executive recruiter.

“I specialize in the educational world,

because that’s what I know best,” she tells me. “It’s very satisfying to find the right person for a job. It’s kind of like doing a, what do you call it, a jigsaw puzzle. I’m feeling very fulfilled.”

Marjorie is outside on the patio. She says she didn’t “bump” into a new career See EX-TEACHERS, page 45

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 44 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

P A T H S P R Y E G R E T

L U R E

O D O R

D I L B E T A R A S T R S O U M M E S P N E T U E I N O O N

S O L A A R R A U R S A E T D S P W E E S L O L

B I T G A M U S T A L A H M I T S P S U E B E D T Z E H E R B M A T A P O I T H F R I E E E P D S

S T E T Z I L T T I E I V E P T L E A R N A S N

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: ROBOT BATTY IGUANA ENSIGN Answer: He bought the tavern because it was a -- BAR-GAIN

S I L V E R M O O N

A V I A N

M Y T H S

E U R O

S T E W

E R I E

C O V E

E W E R

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J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Sheepish Grins 1

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Across 1. Walks through heavy snow A 6. Salad bar bacon 10. Boston bartender 13. Jack, of electronic music 14. Run the ___ 15. Harvard or Yale 16. Internet provoker 17. Past its prime 18. Activated, as a cigarette 19. Where a lamb becomes a ewe 22. Write air, when you really meant heir 23. Amt. of salt in a batch of Toll House Cookies 24. Common conclusion to “homo sapiens” and “aliens” 25. Walk of Fame tile 28. Pac-12 school with highest enrollment 30. 8 1/2 x 11 paper tray 31. When sheep count sheep 37. Monopoly props. furthest from the corners 38. Got into position to take an entrance exam 39. Highest point Scrabble tile 40. Fully anesthetized 41. Why Mary looks so familiar 45. Pre-___ (undergrad. studies) 46. Welcome ___ 47. Sufficient, old-style 48. WNBA broadcaster 50. Maple syrup source 52. Make a selection 54. Lie down with sheepdogs, ___ 60. Outdoor rec. chain founded in Seattle 61. Like Halloween sound effects 62. Part of Amazon’s logo 63. Rock producer Brian 64. Hypnotist’s command 65. Unworldly 66. 2,000 pounds 67. Assembly-line pioneer

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68. Disdainful look Down 1. Off the beaten ___ 2. It may be in a tackle box 3. It may be all around a tackle box 4. Modern office drone 5. Class of renewable energy 6. Dog-washing basin 7. Mosque leaders 8. Dutch flower 9. “On second thought, let it stand” 10. Shiny satellite 11. Birdlike 12. Fairy tales 14. Fed. property overseer 20. Noah’s landing spot 21. Last choice for pasta (alphabetically) 25. Full of pep 26. Poi ingredient 27. Initial theory 29. Eve’s last named son 30. Scramble of LITE or TILE 32. Previously owned 33. Book before Nehemiah 34. ___ Honor (Thomas Clancy novel) 35. Currency of Portugal 36. Beef bourguignon, basically 42. List of sandwiches at Subway 43. Used-up beer cans 44. One honored annually on November 11 48. Everglades bird 49. ___ evil (first monkey’s limitation) 50. Grow, as a head bump 51. Publicized ones grievances 53. “The best laid ___ of mice and men...”

55. Cold cash, in Chile 56. Are You ___ to the Jive? (Cab Calloway classic) 57. Cleveland’s lake 58. Small bay 59. Decorative pitcher

Answers on page 43.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Ex-teachers From page 43 right away.

“I took the first summer off,” she said.

“But it’s like you always hear. I started to hear my footsteps. I started to hear the clock tick. I knew I needed to find something.”

She has. She now works 40 hours a week as the office manager at a physician’s practice.

She makes sure that all the bills are paid.

She says she even enjoys the patients — “and some of them are not very enjoyable.”

I’m delighted for these women, and even more delighted to see an old theory of mine vindicated.

I have always felt that experience is the single most important attribute anyone can bring to any job. That isn’t a slam on 20-somethings. Yes, they need jobs. Yes, they could probably do just fine at a hospital, an executive search firm or a doctor’s office.

But look, please, at what the marketplace is saying: Women in their late 60s are being hired because they are senior citizens, not despite that.

Bear in mind that none of these women had any direct experience in the industries that now employ them. What they knew was how to get the best out of themselves every day, in an often chaotic environment.

If you think it’s easy to handle dozens of kids in a public school, well, you’d better have some more of that very good French wine.

How long will these newly employed women stay with it? As long as they can keep making a difference, they all said.

Three of them are proving that the market is not looking for a perfect fit when a job opens up. It is looking for people who are flexible, who can work in groups, and who can solve problems.

Very soon these three former teachers will be joined by a fourth. Once her head and her feet stop hurting.

From the publisher From page 2 While we want to be able to find new and better treatments, we have to take into account the anxiety (and potentially many other problems) this new definition will cause for the people found to have these markers.

Yes, it’s important for our researchers to keep striving for more information, and for older adults to participate in clinical tri-

Say you saw it in the Beacon

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

als that help identify new drugs. But at the same time, we need to think ahead about the impact these developments will have on real people and their families.

I don’t have any answers today. Just questions. What do you think? I invite you to share your thoughts on this issue with us by sending a letter to the editor via mail, email or our website.

BEACON BITS

July 22

FEMALE BLUEGRASS BAND Sweet Yonder, an all-female soulful bluegrass band will perform on

Sunday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.) at Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna, Va. This toe-tapping concert will benefit Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna. Tickets cost $20. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/FemaleBluegrass.

WB718

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 47.

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.

Business and Employment Opportunities PART-FLEX-TIME ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR of N. Bethesda-based global health consulting office. Good computer, research, secretarial skills, be detail oriented, self-starter, some remote ok. CV to globalhealthadvocat@gmail.com.

Caregivers CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE — reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.

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“A” HOME HEALTH CARE — Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599.

SKILLED, LOVING CAREGIVER seeking full-time position providing care for the elderly or person with disabilities in their home. Has references. Call Monica, 301-646-2132.

ELDERLY CARE — FEMALE care provider.

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I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references.

Lots of experience. 301-502-2258.

A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones.

Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

Financial DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3-Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-844-855-7670.

GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society.

Call 1-844-230-2952.

J U L Y 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions!

SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-888-9817657 Promo Code CDC201725.

LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors.

DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844366-1003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

LEISURE WORLD, $369,900. 3BR, 2FB, corner-lot patio home. Fully renovated kitchen and bathrooms, granite countertops, Florida room, finished garage, oak hardwood flooring and fresh paint throughout, new windows, abundant storage, many extras, For sale by owner, 301774-7220.

TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 9389694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

JUNK REMOVAL: SAVE 20%! Donations, recycling, junk junked, plus get money back when we sell your stuff! 1-800-Junk-Refund. 240-2465405.

SENIOR WANTS TO RENT BEDROOM and bath in basement, Takoma Park or Hyattsville area with kitchen privileges. All utilities included. About $750 a month. 301-906-2502.

WERE YOU AN INDUSTRIAL OR CONSTRUCTION TRADESMAN and recently diagnosed with lung cancer? You and your family may be entitled to a significant cash reward.

Call 1-888-351-0312 for your risk free consultation.

LEISURE WORLD® – $199,000. 2 BR 2 FB “H” with garage and a Storage room in “Greens.”

Table space kitchen with window. Separate Dining Rm. 1225 sq ft. Stan Mofffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $189,900. 2 BR 2 FB F in “Greens.” Updated kitchen with new cabinets, granite counters. Enclosed balcony plus outside patio. New paint and carpet. 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $359,000. 2 BR 2 FB “G” in “Overlook” with garage, updated kitchen, golf course view. 1325 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® – $159,000. “2 BR 1 FB 2 HB “Berkeley” Coop TH. Move-in ready, new paint and carpet. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

For Sale DODGE SPIRIT, BLUE, 1992, Maryland-inspected, 78,400 miles, well-maintained, excellent condition, AC, non-smoker owner. $2,000.

301-593-3622.

Home/Handyman Services JUNK HAULING. RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL Junk Removal, Garage/Attic/Basement cleanouts, light demolition. $50 off. “Call Today, We’ll Haul Away.” HocoHaulers.com. 410292-6700.

Legal Services

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) Free evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1866-970-0779. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington, D.C. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

Miscellaneous DONATE VEHICLES. Your donation to Auted helps train disadvantaged at-risk youths in basic auto repairs and maintenance, also vehicles donations to low-income families. MVA Registered Charity Accepted to Receive Donated Vehicles. 100% Tax-deductible. Complete donation form at www.auted.org or mail@auted.org, 301355-9333.

ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99.

Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com.

KING DAVID CEMETERY: two spaces in highly desirable garden area. Block 8, Lot 87.

Includes burial liners, opening and closings. Desirable $9,000. 60% off current prices. Call 610696-5345.

SENIOR CITIZEN SEEKING senior guitar teacher. 301-879-9515.

CEMETERY PLOTS: I AM IN A POSITION to offer assistance to those seeking burial plots at a reduced rate. This offer is legitimate! Contact me at mr.mj23@verizon.net, if you know of anyone who has expressed a desire to purchase a plot at either: Washington National, Lincoln Memorial or Cedar Hill Cemeteries.

CUTE, ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, FIFTIES — Looking for single white male, fifties plus, attractive, robust, warm-hearted, romantic.

Enjoy dates, companionship, devoted relationship. If interested, call 240-418-4124, leave message.

EXCELLENT CONDITION: QUEENSIZE bedroom set, infrared heat sauna for 2, electric exercise bike, Roland Digital Piano, antique table, Savanarola chair, motorcycle wheel chock.

202-431-9813.

FORT LINCOLN CEMETERY. 2 burial rights. Garden of our Lord. $4,000. Call 202-4458217.

Personals

LOVELY WOMAN, 50s, SHAPELY LADY, young at heart, easygoing, seeking to meet and date a very attractive SWM, age 50s or 60s, a gentleman. Prefer brawny build, who is caring, sincere, courteous, compassionate, affectionate, stable, secure and lives a healthy, active lifestyle, non-smoker. Have fun dates, laughter, friendship, possibly more. 703-863-5564. Please leave a nice message with phone number for reply.

FORT LINCOLN CEMETERY. Historic, Thomas Jefferson Mausoleum Forecourt. Beautiful, highly desirable, walkway access, center front first row, site #2, prime location. One ground site, one vault, $8,000 (fees included).

Huge saving below current cemetery price of $12,000. Best offer, call 240-582-6085.

WM, 72, 5’5”,155 LBS, average, easygoing, enjoys movies, daytrips and more, looking for WF, 70-75, for friendship and relationship. Call 301448-6161. Leave message.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

YOUR PERSONAL DRIVER IS HERE: lifelong local resident. Reliable, professional service. Safe, accident-free driving record. Spacious, comfortable minivan, seating up to 6 passengers. Airports, cruise ports, trains, theatres, stadiums, casinos, restaurants, celebrations, ceremonies. Anytime, 24/7… anywhere, including extended trips to other states. Reservations recommended… Call 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with questions or to schedule your ride. Emergencies if needed. Steven Saidman. Cell/Text: 301-9338899. Email: Steve.Your.Driver@gmail.com.

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

Personal Services

PERSONAL ASSISTANT AVAILABLE. Is it getting harder to do your own shopping, sort through your papers, or drive to medical appointments? Or perhaps you have an elderly relative who could use some help a few hours a week? Inspired by the resilient and cheerful sunflower, Isabelle founded Tournesol Services, LLC to provide affordable, flexible, nonclinical support for DC Metro Area seniors.

Services include: de-cluttering, filing, medical note-taking, patient advocacy, errands, friendly visits, estate inventories, and more! Isabelle is the caring “daughter next door,” whose health & safety research background, client focus, and years of dedicated volunteer work make her an ideal personal assistant or companion. Email tournesolservices@gmail.com or go to www.tournesolservices.com. After the complimentary 1-hour consult/evaluation, if you sign up for services and mention: “Tournesol means Sunflower” — you will win a free service hour! De-stress your life, and Turn to Tournesol!

LADY WANTS TO CLEAN HOUSES and babysit. 10 hours in Woodbridge and Dale City area. Dorothy, 571-260-8511.

TV/Cable DIRECTV. CALL AND SWITCH NOW — Get NFL Sunday Ticket for FREE! Every Game.

Every Sunday. CHOICE- All-Included Package.

Over 185 Channels. $60/month (for 12 Months.)

CALL 1- 888-572-4953.

DISH Network. 190+ CHANNELS. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 months) Add High Speed Internet - $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & SAVE 25%! 1-844560-5837.

SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-888-366-7573.

Wanted MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy costume and other jewelry, coins, antiques, watches, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954.

TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — J U L Y 2 0 1 8

Wanted

Say you saw it in the Beacon

47

Wanted

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 279-2158.

BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301-219-6201.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested.

No phony promises or messy consignments.

References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-464-0958.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202841-3062.

LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-7851129.

CASH FOR ESTATES, PARTIAL ESTATES, DOWNSIZING. I buy a wide range of items. Buy-out/cleanup. Gary Roman, 301520-0755.

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

WE PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUE FURNITURE, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-3324697.

SEEKING FULL/SEALED BOTTLES of Vintage Bourbon and Rye. Do you have full/sealed vintage bottles of bourbon or rye collecting dust in your cabinet. Do any of your bottles have an old red or green tax strip?

Call Alex, 443-223-7669.

Thank you for reading the Beacon!

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SENIOR FITNESS

Episcopal Trinity Church in D.C. offers free fitness classes for seniors, including Tai Chi on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and Seniorcise (lowimpact aerobics) on Mondays at 10:45 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome. The church is located at 7005 Piney Branch Rd. NW. For more information, call (202) 726-7036.

Ongoing

55+ FOODIES GROUP

A 55+ Foodies group meets at Central Arlington Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., on the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. to chat about trying new restaurants and more. July’s session will take place on July 19. For more information, call (703) 228-4878.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies Antibiotics Study ..........................15 Healthy Living Diet Study ............17 Healthy Research Volunteers ........15 Hearing & the Brain Study ...........15 Hearing Research Study................16 RSV Research Study.....................16

Computer/ Technology Help TechMedic4u...................................5 Ur Geeks .........................................2

Dental Services Friedman, Stephen, DDS ..............18 Oh, Judy, DDS ..............................21

Events Beacon 50+Expo...........................24 Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant ........................43 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.........................11

Financial Services Children’s National Hospital.........27 Edward Jones/Chelsi Dildine........27 Mortgage Network Solutions........26 Silver Spring Bank..........................3

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation................10

Government Services DC Dept of Energy & Environment.................................4

DC Office on Aging ................22-23 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services .................7, 11

Home Health Care/Companion Services Ameristar Healthcare Services . .13 A Second Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-6 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4 Options for Senior America ..........20

Housing Ashby Ponds .........................8, B-15 Aspenwood Sr Living .......B-4, B-15 Atrium Assisted Living .................20 Beverly Assisted Living ..............B-5 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. .................B-8, B-11, B-16 Charles E. Smith Life Communities ......................19 Chesterbrook Residences..B-2, B-15 Chevy Chase House ..........B-3, B-15 Churchill Senior Living ................16 Covenant Village.........................B-8 Culpepper Garden .........................21 Emerson House .........................B-11 Falcons Landing .........................B-8 Friendship Terrace.............B-6, B-12 Gardens of Traville, The................18 Greenspring.............................8, B-8 Homecrest House..............B-7, B-11 Kensington Park..............B-11, B-13 Landing of Silver Spring.............B-2 Potomac Place ...............................21 Quantum Property Mgmt.............B-12 R Homes Communities ....................39 Riderwood.............................8, B-11

Shenandoah Senior Living..........B-7 Sommerset ........................B-5, B-12 Springvale Terrace ..........B-11, B-14 Tall Oaks ...........................B-5, B-15 The Village at Rockville ......14, B-3, B-8, B-10 Vinson Hall .................................B-7 Waltonwood Ashburn........B-8, B-10

Retail/Pawn/Auction Healthy Back Store .........................9 Just My Height Adjustable Bed ....30 Perfect Choice HD .......................40 Quinn’s Auction Galleries .............29 Sleep Chair....................................41

Legal Services

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Farr Law Firm ...............................29 Law Offices of Lee Holdmann............................28 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ........27

Brooke Grove Retirement Village ................ B-15 Manor Care Health Services.........13 Village at Rockville, The ..............14

Medical/Health

Subscriptions

Herbology .......................................9 Lesner Hearing..............................11 Medical Eye Center ......................34 Silver Spring Medical Center .......14

Beacon Newspaper........................45 Washington Jewish Week..............34

Miscellaneous AARP Volunteers............................9 America Builders ..........................12 Beacon Silver Pages......................42 Senior Zone...................................43 SHIP/JCA..................................B-12 TheBeaconNewspapers.com.........48

Real Estate Long & Foster/Eric Stewart ....26, 38 Long & Foster/Walter Johnson .......4 Re/Max Choice/Bonnie Kyte ..........8 Weichert/Sue Heyman ..................12

Restaurants Original Pancake House................18

Theatre/ Entertainment F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre ............37 Rockville Civic Center Park .........38 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ...................36 US Navy Band ..............................36

Tour & Travel Eyre Travel ....................................33 Festive Holidays ............................33 Nexus Holidays .............................32 Seven Lands & Sea Travel ............35 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club .........35 Travel West Virginia......................32 Tripper Bus ...................................33 Vamoose........................................35

Utilities Verizon ..........................................10

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