November 2021 | DC Beacon

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VOL.33, NO.11

What’s next for Diane Rehm?

Surprised to have a career Born in 1936, Rehm grew up in Washington, D.C., at a time when many Americans were glued to the radio.

“As a child, radio was my escape,” Rehm told the Beacon. From “The Shadow” to “The Lone Ranger,” she said, “I loved it all.

I had no idea I’d ever have a ‘career.’ I was

NOVEMBER 2021

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY WAMU COURTESY OF DIANE REHM

By Margaret Foster With a voice as familiar as that of a friend, longtime radio talk show host Diane Rehm, 85, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Virtual 50+Expo.

Her remarks, in the form of a video conversation with Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal, will be accessible with the rest of the Expo’s features through January 2022 at beacon50expo.com.

As Rehm’s colleague Kojo Nnamdi (himself a radio legend) once said, she is “a genteel woman, but one made of solid steel.”

Her steely nature buoyed her in the 1990s, when her voice was nearly destroyed by a condition called spasmodic dysphonia.

She had developed a cough that occasionally prevented her from going on the air.

Soon she began suffering tremors in her voice box that almost upended her career.

“It got really frightening,” she said once.

“I came as close to having a nervous breakdown as you can get…I was croaking. I was strangling. I couldn’t get my words out.”

Doctors at Johns Hopkins finally landed on a diagnosis in 1998. She went off the air for four months to start treatment for her voice and for the anxiety she had developed.

Of course, we all know the happy ending to this story: Rehm returned to National Public Radio with the daily “Diane Rehm Show” for several more decades, eventually reaching an audience of nearly three million worldwide.

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L E I S U R E & T R AV E L

Denver’s colorful murals cover the RiNo art district; plus, Rick Steves reminisces about Paris, and Europe begins to reopen to tourists page 43

ARTS & STYLE Radio legend Diane Rehm stepped away from her daily talk show on NPR several years ago, but she’s still hosting two weekly podcasts and a monthly book club. “I’m plenty busy and enjoying every minute,” Rehm said. The author of several books, including one on the right to die, Rehm will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Virtual 50+Expo at beacon50expo.com.

a homemaker for 14 years, raising two wonderful children.”

When her youngest left home in 1973, “I began wondering what to do with the rest of my life,” Rehm said. A friend had recent-

All together it’s a great place to live

ly volunteered at American University’s radio station WAMU, she recalled, helping with a program called “The Home Show.”

See DIANE REHM, page 46

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The Nighthawks celebrate 50 years of the blues; plus, cookbooks just in time for Thanksgiving, and Bob Levey on good grammar page 49

FITNESS & HEALTH k Yes, you still need a flu shot k 10 myths about working out

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A pat on the back Each year, we enter a selection of our writ- ed to” our readers. ers’ original stories in the anOur quarterly Housing & nual journalism competition Homecare Options pull-out held by the North American section won first place in the Mature Publishers Association Special Section category.

(NAMPA), the association for These sections appear in the newspapers and magazines deGreater Washington and Balsigned for readers 50 and over. timore Beacons every JanuThat competition attracts ary, April, July and October. hundreds of submissions Our special “Celebration of every year and is judged by inthe Arts” insert, which apternationally respected faculty peared in all editions, won secat the University of Missouri ond place for Special Section. It FROM THE School of Journalism. contained images of winning PUBLISHER This year, our four publica- By Stuart P. Rosenthal artwork and short articles tions, each of which comabout the artists from our 2020 petes in a different category amateur art competition for based on circulation, received a total of 21 older adults.

NAMPA awards.

Our Managing Editor Margaret Foster Among those we won were perhaps the and Assistant Editor Catherine Brown most-valued prizes: Best of Show and Gen- wrote the seven articles in that section, eral Excellence. The other awards were for which involved interviewing 21 artists in specific stories, sections or columns. seven categories.

In some cases, the winning stories apFoster also won a first-place award for peared in all of our editions. For example, her Topical Issue story, “A caring home for two of our regular travel writers, Don those with disabilities,” which ran on the Mankin and Victor Block, won first and cover of our Housing Section this past April. second-place awards, respectively, for Robert Friedman, a long-time freelance their travel features. writer for the Beacon, penned a story, “A Block was praised for his “delightful ob- spy reveals her life in disguise,” that ran on servations” and for “showing a nifty touch the cover of our Howard County, Baltimore for detail.” The judges liked how Mankin and Greater Washington editions. It won a compiles “a bucket list of adventures suit- first prize award in the Profile category for

Beacon The

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Richmond, Va. Readership exceeds 400,000.

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

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Director of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representatives – Dan Kelly, M.K. Phillips, Alan Spiegel Assistant Editor – Catherine Brown Content Manager – Ashley Griffin

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 55 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

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Friedman’s “captivating inside story” about a CIA spy and master of disguise.

Friedman won another Profile award for his cover story about the new director of Baltimore’s Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Terri Lee Freeman. Titled “Conversations on race and culture,” the story “brings perspective to the heated subject of race,” according to the judges.

Glenda C. Booth, who also writes for many of our editions, won first place in Feature Writing for her story, “Moonshine and more for 2nd act.” That ran on the covers of our Greater Washington and Baltimore editions, and was called “an enlightening look at a bright new enterprise.”

Booth also won a second place Topical Issue award for “Speak out to make a difference,” about older adults who became lobbyists and advocates for Alzheimer’s research and other causes after retiring from their careers.

Former Beacon Assistant Editor, Ivey Noojin, was honored for her cover story, “Help from healthcare students,” which appeared in the Baltimore Beacon. Judges were impressed by “this heartwarming story told with grace and touching details.”

Three of our regular columnists were also honored. First place in Column Review went to Dinah Rokach, who writes as “The Bibliophile,” our book review column that appears primarily in the Greater Washington Beacon, but occasionally in other issues as well. She was noted for “taking care to read thoroughly and summarize succinctly.”

Second place in Senior Issues went to Bob Levey, whose column mostly appears in our Greater Washington edition. Judges liked his “sly sense of humor” and that “he always offers something to think about.”

A How-to Feature award went to Lela Martin, with the Virginia Cooperative Extension, whose gardening column runs in Fifty Plus, our Greater Richmond publication.

Speaking of Fifty Plus, two other authors won awards for their stories in that publication. Diane York was honored for “Doulas support end-of-life transitions.” The judges noted that “the sensitive way the writer handles the difficult nature of the story is impressive.”

Eileen Abbott’s cover story, “When caregivers face abuse, there’s hope,” was praised for “leading victims to solutions” and including “a much-appreciated list of resources.”

As regular readers know, I have been

gradually returning to my childhood hobby of classical piano. One way I dipped my toe in was to assign myself an arts feature about a local doctor who composed his first symphony in his spare time.

That story, which appeared in both our Greater Washington and Howard County Beacons, won a feature writing award. It also inspired me to return to composing myself.

And several of my “From the Publisher” columns — on Alzheimer’s research, the COVID vaccine and seizing an opportunity to help others — were honored in the Editorial, Senior Issues and Personal Essay categories.

In short, nearly every Beacon staff writer and freelancer was honored in this national competition, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.

Of course, whatever awards we do or do not win, what matters most to us is that you, our readers, are pleased with the practical information, news and entertainment you find each month in the Beacon.

Please let us know what you think — even (actually, especially) if you think we are missing the boat in any particular area.

Your opinions, suggestions and letters to the editor are always welcome, whether you contact us by mail, phone, email or online.

I want to conclude by expressing my thanks to, and admiration for, all our writers (and editors) mentioned above as well as the other members of our staff, who work so diligently to produce multiple editions of the Beacon every month.

I’d like to thank them by name: Executive Vice President Gordon Hasenei; Art Director Kyle Gregory; Director of Operations Roger King; Advertising Representatives Lisa Benton-Hawkins, Dan Kelly, Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips and Alan Spiegel; Content Manager Ashley Griffin and last, but certainly not least, my wife, the Beacon’s President and Associate Publisher, Judy Rosenthal.

The Beacon would not exist without all of their efforts, nor without you who read our publications each month. I offer my sincere appreciation to each of you.

P.S. For those who have been following the saga of my bad back, I’m extremely happy to say that I am much better! Many thanks to all of you who sent me good wishes and advice.

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 email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: I’ve been receiving the Beacon at the retirement home that I live in for a few years, and I really need the print to be larger now. Other residents here need the same thing.

Can you publish a larger print issue soon?

Marsha Harris Via email Ed. Note: We are glad to have you and your neighbors as readers. We can’t enlarge

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 53

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Health Fitness &

WORKOUT MYTHS No pain, no gain? Not necessarily.

Ten common workout myths upended HEARING AID NEWS Over-the-counter hearing aids may be coming to a pharmacy near you GO GREEN IN THE KITCHEN Cutting back on food waste and shopping locally can help the planet STANDING ON ONE FOOT Simple daily exercises can help you keep balanced and avoid falls

Time for another jab: flu vaccine season

By Lauran Neergaard Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot.

Flu cases have dropped to historically low levels during the pandemic. The U.S. and Europe experienced hardly any flu last winter, and the Southern Hemisphere just ended its second flu season of the coronavirus pandemic with little to report.

But with U.S. schools and businesses reopened, international travel resuming and far less masking this fall, flu could make a comeback. The big question is whether it will trickle in or roar back and put extra pressure on hospitals already struggling with COVID-19 surges.

“People are sick to death of hearing about having to roll on out and get vaccines of any sort,” said flu specialist Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Yet after 18 months of little influenza exposure, “we probably as a population don’t have as much immunity against this virus as we typically might,” Webby said. “It makes absolute sense to go on out and get that vaccine and at least prepare for something that, you know, could be quite severe.”

Here are some things to know: Q: Who should get a flu vaccine?

A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says just about everybody needs an annual flu vaccination, starting with 6-month-old babies. Influenza is most dangerous for adults over age 65, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions, such as heart or lung disease.

Q: Why do I need one this year, since flu hasn’t been a threat during the pandemic?

A: COVID-19 restrictions including masking and staying home — especially for children, who are flu’s biggest spreaders — clearly had a side benefit of tamping down influenza and other respiratory bugs.

But as soon as masks started to come off, the U.S. experienced an unusual summer surge of children hospitalized with a different virus, named RSV, that usually strikes in the winter. That’s a worrying sign of what to expect if flu returns.

Q: What’s the forecast for flu this winter?

A: Flu is notoriously difficult to predict.

But there’s a little more circulating in some countries this fall than last, including a recent uptick in China, said Webby, who

directs a World Health Organization flu center.

And people may be a little more vulnerable: Before the pandemic, 15% to 30% of the population was exposed to flu each year, a missing bump in immunity, he said.

“If flu does at least get a foothold in, it’s going to have more opportunity of spreading this season,” he said.

Q: When should I get a flu vaccine?

A: Now. The CDC encourages people to get their vaccine by the end of October.

Doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies and local health departments have millions of doses on hand. And most Americans with health insurance can get it with no co-pay.

Q: I already got a COVID-19 vaccine. Do I really need a flu shot, too?

A: COVID-19 vaccines prevent the coronavirus, and flu vaccines prevent influenza. They don’t overlap. But you can catch both viruses at the same time, or one after the other.

“Avoid the double whammy” and get both vaccines, advised the American College of Emergency Physicians. For now, COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone 12 and older.

Flu vaccines aren’t as powerful as vac-

cines against some other diseases, but if people do get influenza anyway, they tend to have a much milder illness.

Q: Can I get a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit?

A: Yes, the CDC says it’s fine to pair a flu vaccine with either a primary COVID-19 shot or a booster dose.

Q: What’s the best flu vaccine to get?

A: Flu constantly evolves, and each year’s vaccine is made to fight the strains that international experts deem most likely to circulate. This year all the flu vaccines offered in the U.S. offer protection against all four of those strains.

Options include traditional shots or a nasal spray vaccine. There also are shots specifically designed to rev up seniors’ age-weakened immune systems, either with a higher dose or an added immune booster. There are also options for people allergic to eggs, which are used to make some flu shots.

Q: How much flu vaccine is available?

A: The CDC expects vaccine manufacturers to deliver 188 million to 200 million doses. Nearly 194 million doses were distributed last winter, a record.

—AP

Unregulated stem cell clinics proliferate

By Matthew Perrone Hundreds of clinics pushing unproven stem cell procedures caught a big break from the U.S. government in 2017: They would have three years to show that their questionable treatments were safe and effective before regulators started cracking down.

But when the Food and Drug Administration’s grace period expired in late May — extended six months due to the pandemic — the consequences became clear: Hundreds more clinics were selling the unapproved treatments for arthritis, Alzheimer’s, COVID-19 and many other conditions.

“It backfired,” said Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of California, Irvine. “The scale of the problem is vastly larger for FDA today than it was at the start.”

The continuing spread of for-profit clin-

ics promoting stem cells and other socalled “regenerative” therapies — including concentrated blood products — illustrates how quickly experimental medicine can outpace government oversight.

No clinic has yet won FDA approval for any stem cell offering, and regulators now confront an enormous, uncooperative industry that contends it shouldn’t be subject to regulation.

Although emerging research suggests stem cells could someday have broad use for a number of medical conditions, experts say they should not be used outside of well-controlled studies or a handful of established uses. For instance, stem cells collected from blood or bone marrow have long been used to treat leukemia and other blood diseases.

Many clinics use so-called adult stem cells collected from tissue like fat or bone marrow — not the more versatile but con-

troversial stem cells from embryos used in research.

Expensive, unproven treatments Turner and other experts have tracked the growth of the clinics for nearly a decade. Clinics charge between $2,000 to $25,000 for adult stem cell injections and other infusions which they advertise for an assortment of diseases, including diabetes, autism, cancer, multiple sclerosis and vision problems.

Some clinics use stem cells derived from fat, harvested via liposuction then reinjected into patients, aiming to repair joints or fight disease. Others use bone marrow or blood taken from umbilical cords after birth.

There is no government tally of how many clinics operate in the U.S. But Turner counted more than 1,200 of them in 2019, up from the 570 clinics he and a co-

author identified in 2016. He’s working on an update but said the number has consistently grown.

The FDA has repeatedly warned Americans to steer clear of unapproved and unproven stem cell therapies, which have occasionally caused blindness, bacterial infections and tumors.

“It’s time to actually get the data we need,” to assess clinics’ stem cell procedures, FDA’s Dr. Peter Marks said at an industry conference in June. He pointed to a multiyear effort by FDA to help clinics through the review process.

Many stem cell doctors continue to argue that their in-office procedures are outside FDA’s purview. But FDA has concluded that processing stem cells and giving them to patients with serious diseases amounts to creating a new drug, which the See STEM CELL CLINICS, page 5

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Pew Charitable Trusts published a review of 360 reported injuries from stem cell and other regenerative procedures between 2004 and 2020. Nearly all the reports came from medical journals, government publications, social media or news reports. Just five came from FDA’s database for medical injuries.

“There are a lot of holes in the safety system,” said Liz Richardson of Pew, who led the project.

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lating FDA rules. But the names of the clinics haven’t been publicized, and such warnings are often ignored.

“The business model is this: ‘We can keep offering these products until things get serious with the FDA — and then we can just take down our website’,” said Laertis Ikonomou, a stem cell researcher at the University of Buffalo who also heads a task force on the topic for the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy.

He and other specialists say the clinics have damaged the reputation of legitimate stem cell research while also siphoning off patients who might otherwise enroll in studies.

For now, people on both sides are waiting to see what FDA does.

“We shouldn’t feel too confident that the FDA has this wrapped up,” said Turner, the bioethicist. “They really have invested some resources, and they are trying to do something here. But I think they’re just outmatched and overwhelmed.”

—AP

I N F O R M A T I O N

Stem cell clinics

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Health Shorts Baby aspirin no longer generally advised

By Lindsey Tanner Older adults without heart disease shouldn’t take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released last month.

Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance.

For the first time, the panel said there may be a small benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those

in their 50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear.

The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke.

Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it’s the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center.

“Aspirin use can cause serious harms, and risk increases with age,” he said. Newer studies and a re-analysis of older research prompted the updated advice, Wong said.

If finalized, the advice for older adults would backtrack on recommendations the panel issued in 2016 for helping prevent a first heart attack and stroke, but it would be in line with more recent guidelines from other medical groups.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Doctors have long recommended daily low-dose aspirin for many patients who already have had a heart attack or stroke.

The task force guidance does not change that advice.

Aspirin is best known as a pain reliever but it is also a blood thinner that can reduce chances for blood clots. But aspirin also has risks, even at low doses — mainly bleeding in the digestive tract or ulcers, both of which can be life-threatening.

The guidance was posted online to allow for public comments until Nov. 8. The group will evaluate that input and then make a final decision. —AP

Palliative care helps heart patients By the American Heart Association New research published in the Journal

of the American Heart Association indicates palliative care can significantly lower the risk of rehospitalization and the need for invasive procedures, including mechanical ventilation and defibrillator implantation, for heart failure patients.

Palliative care provides support to patients with chronic conditions to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Predominately occurring in the home, it focuses on pain relief and emotional support.

“There’s a false perception that palliative and at-home care is only provided at the very end of life. However, palliative care can be beneficial for patients in any stage of a serious illness,” said palliative care expert Neeraj Mendiratta, MD, volunteer medical expert for the American Heart Association and assistant physician in chief at Kaiser Permanente.

Using data from the Veterans Affairs (VA) External Peer Review Program, researchers identified more than 57,000 patients who had been hospitalized for heart failure at one of the 124 VA medical centers between 2010 and 2015.

Among those, 1,400 received palliative care prior to and during hospitalization for heart failure. Patients were matched for age, gender and similar health conditions and compared with the same number of patients in a control group who did not receive palliative care.

The study found: —Palliative care reduced rehospitalization rates. Overall, 31% of patients in the palliative care group experienced repeated hospital readmissions compared to 40% of patients in the control group.

—The risks of mechanical ventilation and defibrillator implantation were significantly lower for palliative care patients (2.8% for palliative care versus 5.4% in the control group; and 2.1% for palliative care See HEALTH SHORTS, page 7

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Health shorts From page 6 versus 3.6% in the control group, respectively).

—After adjusting for hospital differences around the country, palliative care reduced hospital readmissions and being put on mechanical ventilation by about 25%.

Additional information on this study and resources on heart failure and palliative care are available at newsroom.heart.org.

Exercise reduces healthcare costs Healthcare costs later in life were significantly lower for adults who maintained moderate or high physical activity levels, according to a new analysis of claims data linked to the National Institutes of HealthAmerican Association of Retired Persons

(NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study.

The study, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, examined various levels of participation in physical activity throughout adulthood and how activity affected Medicare claims.

Among the findings: Exercisers with a moderate level of activity had healthcare costs $1,200 a year lower after age 65 compared with adults who were consistently inactive from adolescence into middle age.

(Moderate exercise involved walking or otherwise being in motion for a few hours most weeks.)

The health costs of those with a high level of activity were $1,350 lower per year.

But even late starters benefited: Waiting until middle age to increase activity still led to cost reductions of $824 per year.

Adults who increased physical activity levels in their 20s experienced the most dramatic reductions in health costs: $1,874 lower per year. Even if some of those exer-

cisers decreased activity during middle age, reducing how often they worked out in their 40s and 50s, they still spent about $860 less on healthcare per year than people who were sedentary for most of their lives.

Participation in physical activity was associated with lower risk for several dis-

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: Top 10 workout myths

By David Webster Dear Mayo Clinic: I eat fairly healthy, but I want to lose weight and improve my physical wellness in the new year.

I’m finding a lot of conflicting information about the best workouts for weight loss, the amount of time I need to work out and what food I should eat. Can you help me make sense of it so I can plan a routine?

A: Being proactive to achieve longterm health and wellness is important, and you should be proud of your efforts to set fitness goals and develop routines.

However, among research, personal opinion and stereotypes, a lot of misinformation can make it hard to know what is accurate.

Here is the truth about the top 10 workout myths that you should consider as you

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develop your game plan: Myth 1: Stick solely to cardio for weight loss.

While it’s true that you should include 20 to 30 minutes of cardio in your daily workout routine, focusing solely on cardio will not transform your body as quickly or as dramatically as you think.

People perceive cardio as the ultimate solution because their heart rate is up. But in reality, you need to incorporate both cardio and strength training into your workout.

Strength training builds muscles and maximizes your cardio routine. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, especially during cardio.

Myth 2: Heavy weights will bulk you up.

Some people are concerned that adding strength training will build muscle bulk to the point that they will look like a body-

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builder. This is not true. You would have to work out excessively to do so.

Start slow and add weight to build muscle, which will maximize the calories your body will burn.

Myth 3: If you work out today, you can be lax in your diet.

Working out is important, but so is having good nutrition. You can’t work off a bad diet. Food is fuel, and proper nutrition guarantees results.

If you want to lose weight, your calorie output needs to be higher than your calorie input.

Myth 4: Stretching helps prevent injuries.

If you grew up playing sports, stretching before a game was a regular routine.

However, you might be surprised to learn that while stretching is beneficial — because it prepares the muscles for movement and eases your workout recovery — there is no proven research that it will reduce your chances of getting an injury.

That’s entirely based on your form and movements during a workout.

Use functional, dynamic stretches like lunges and leg swings to help muscle movement during workouts.

Myth 5: If the number on the scale isn’t going down, you’re not losing weight.

Many people focus on the number on the scale, but it is not the best representation of body changes. The number on the scale is a factor of many things, including how much water you’ve consumed, what you ate and when you’re weighing in. Often when a person loses a significant amount of weight, the number on the scale goes up because of building muscle from exercise.

If you want to accurately track your weight loss and muscle development, record measurements of your arms, waist and thighs. And if you’re going to use the scale, weigh yourself at the same time every day.

Myth 6: Cardio machines count burned calories with 100% accuracy.

Some people depend on the treadmill to tell them an exact number of calories burned during a workout. Unfortunately, this metric isn’t 100% accurate.

Many factors determine how many calories your body burns, including your sex, age and current weight. Some machines allow you to enter personalized data for one or two of these factors but rarely all three.

Myth 7: Sticking to ab workouts will give you a six-pack.

Abdominal workouts are great for developing core muscles because they benefit your body in many ways, such as improving your balance and stability. However, a person’s overall body fat prevents abs from being seen.

If you want six-pack abs, you have to dramatically decrease your body fat to 10% to 12% for men or 11% to 13% for women.

While possible, this requires strict dedication to eating a healthy diet and exercising.

See WORKOUT MYTHS, page 9

Workout myths From page 8 Myth 8: Supplements and protein shakes are necessary after workouts.

Supplements and protein shakes are not necessary. The benefits they offer are available from natural and direct food sources, such as chocolate milk, turkey or a scoop of peanut butter.

The truth is, you don’t need supplements and shakes to get proper nutrients.

You can get those nutrients from other food sources. If you consume protein-rich foods after a workout, do so within 30 minutes. That’s when your muscles absorb that energy, as they’re still burning and working.

Myth 9: If you’re not working up a sweat, you’re not working hard enough.

Sweating is not an accurate way to measure your workout. Many factors go into the amount a person sweats, such as the temperature, humidity and hydration

levels. Your body just could be efficient at cooling itself, as well.

Myth 10: No pain, no gain.

While feeling uncomfortable during a workout is normal, feeling pain is not.

Many athletes live by the “no pain, no gain” motto, but pain is the way your body tells you that something is wrong.

If you start to feel pain during a workout, stop immediately. If you continue to push through it, you could end up with a serious injury.

— David Webster, Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © 2021 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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New Alzheimer’s drug breeds skepticism

By Tom Murphy The first new Alzheimer’s treatment in more than 20 years was hailed as a breakthrough when regulators approved it more than four months ago, but its rollout has been slowed by questions about its price and how well it works.

Several major medical centers remain undecided on whether to use Biogen’s Aduhelm, which is recommended for early stages of the disease. Big names like the Cleveland Clinic and Mass General Brigham in Boston say they’ll pass on it for now.

One neurology practice has even banned the company’s sales reps from its offices, citing concerns about the drug and its price, which can climb past $50,000 annually.

Many doctors say they need to learn more about how Aduhelm works and what will be covered before they decide whether to offer it. That might take several months to sort out. Even then, questions may linger.

“The drug won’t be for everybody, even with access,” said Salim Syed, an analyst who covers Biogen for Mizuho Securities USA. Syed estimates that only around one-

tenth of the people diagnosed with earlystage Alzheimer’s may wind up taking Aduhelm chronically, especially if regulators approve similar treatments from Biogen’s competitors.

Biogen is not saying how many people have received the drug since it was approved on June 7. A company executive said last month that Biogen was aware of about 50 sites infusing Aduhelm, far fewer than the 900 the company had said it expected to be ready shortly after regulators approved the drug.

First of many new drugs Aduhelm is the first in a line of new drugs that promise to do what no other Alzheimer’s treatment has managed: slow the progress of the fatal brain-destroying disease instead of just managing its symptoms.

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Alzheimer’s drug From page 10 “know what’s coming, and they want to do whatever they can to stay in the milder stage.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Aduhelm despite objections from its own independent advisers, several of whom resigned. The agency later said the drug was appropriate for patients with mild symptoms or early-stage Alzheimer’s.

Aduhelm clears brain plaque thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and regulators made the call based on study re-

sults showing the drug seemed likely to benefit patients.

Biogen, which developed Aduhelm with Japan’s Eisai Co., had halted two studies on the drug due to disappointing results. It later said further analysis showed the treatment was effective at higher doses.

The FDA is requiring Biogen to conduct a follow-up study.

Not a clear correlation As for Aduhelm’s effectiveness, company data shows that plaque removal “is reasonably likely to predict a clinical benefit,” said Biogen Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maha Rad-

hakrishnan. She said regulators reviewed data from more than 3,000 patients, counting two late-stage studies and earlier research.

[Ed. Note: But only one of the studies showed any cognitive improvement came from the reduced plaque.]

Doctors also are worried about whether patients taking Aduhelm will be able to get the regular brain scans needed to monitor their progress on the drug. Patients must be monitored for problems like dizziness or headaches. Bleeding in the brain is another potentially serious side effect.

Aduhelm also requires a deeper level of coordination among doctors than other

Alzheimer’s treatments, noted Radhakrishnan.

Prescribing doctors have to work with neurologists, radiologists and nurse practitioners to diagnose patients, confirm the presence of plaque in the brain, get them started on the treatment and then monitor them.

“All of this is work in progress,” Radhakrishnan said.

The federal Medicare program is expected to make a national coverage determination by next spring that will lay out how it handles the drug.

—AP

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U.S. regulators propose OTC hearing aids

By Matthew Perrone Health regulators last month unveiled their proposal to allow Americans to buy hearing aids without a prescription, a long-awaited move intended to make the devices more accessible to millions of people with hearing problems.

The Food and Drug Administration said the proposed rule would cut red tape that currently requires hearing exams and a prescription for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Under the plan, the devices could be ordered online or bought over-the-counter at pharmacies and other retail stores.

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Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters.

The agency will take public comments on its proposal for 90 days before finalizing the new rules. FDA officials wouldn’t speculate on when new devices would actually hit store shelves.

Consumer electronic companies for years have produced lower-cost “personal sound amplification” devices, but U.S. regulations bar them from being marketed as hearing aids and they do not undergo FDA review.

Regulators said last month that the new rules will make explicit that those devices are not alternatives to FDA-vetted hearing aids. Companies that market them inappropriately could face federal penalties, such as fines or product seizures.

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Once the FDA rules take effect, traditional manufacturers are expected to begin selling cheaper, direct-to-consumer

models.

Eventually, advocates predict the hearing aid market will resemble eye care, where consumers can choose between drugstore reading glasses or prescription bifocals.

The looser regulations would not apply to devices for people with severe hearing loss or for children. Also, the agency said over-the-counter devices would be required to have volume limits and other measures to help prevent injuries.

Companies making over-the-counter hearing aids generally wouldn’t be required to conduct studies in people. Instead, they would submit applications to the FDA showing they met its standards for the devices.

October’s announcement follows prodding from medical committees and Congress, which in 2017 instructed the agency to lay out a plan for over-the-counter hearing devices by August 2020. The agency missed that deadline, in part due to the workload of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, an executive order by President Joe Biden earlier this year set a timetable for the agency to take action no later than mid-November.

—AP

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Reasons to meet with a genetic counselor

By Sarah Mantia, M.S., CGC Dear Mayo Clinic: My grandmother died of breast cancer at 70. My first cousin was recently diagnosed at 35. And another cousin also had breast cancer a few years ago.

A friend suggested that I undergo genetic counseling to determine my risk. Is that necessar y? Can a genetic counselor tell me anything else about my risk for other diseases?

A: Although it can be daunting to have a loved one diagnosed with cancer, having a family history does not mean that you will automatically get cancer. This is one of the reasons why having a discussion with a genetic counselor can be valuable.

A genetic counselor looks at your person-

al health history and your family’s health history to identify your personal risk for certain conditions. One of the benefits of meeting with a genetic counselor is that he or she can try to determine if there is a pattern or connection between family members’ diagnoses and how that may affect you.

For instance, you mentioned that your grandmother and several cousins have had breast cancer, but it’s unclear if these women are related to one another. If they are all on the maternal side of your family, for instance, then that is more suggestive of a pattern that could potentially increase your risk.

People seem to be most aware of genetic counseling in the setting of breast cancer.

This likely is due to the fact that the most

common genes associated with increased breast cancer risk — BRCA1 and BRCA2 — have received a lot of media attention over the years. In general, though, only about 5% to 10% of breast cancers have a hereditary cause that can be identified.

Other cancers that may have a hereditary connection include ovarian, colon, prostate, uterine and pancreatic cancers.

Concerns for a hereditary cancer syndrome rise if people are diagnosed at younger ages, have a personal history of more than one cancer, or have multiple family members with the same or associated cancers.

Also, genetic counselors and geneticists see patients for other health conditions, including certain heart and neurologic conditions, as well as more rare genetic conditions, like cystic fibrosis.

Meeting with a genetic counselor doesn’t immediately mean that you need genetic testing. Rather, the goal of the appointment is to have a discussion that can guide you toward making an informed decision regarding genetic testing.

Discussing the potential risks and limitations of genetic testing are just as important as reviewing potential benefits.

Understanding your family’s health tree can be challenging, especially if prior generations didn’t share much or document health concerns. You’re encouraged to talk to your family prior to meeting with a genetic counselor if you can.

Sometimes reviewing all of this information together allows things to be put in a new context. For some families, it illustrates a clear pattern of increased risk for certain conditions. In other cases, though, it may lower your concern.

I recall a young woman who came to see me recently to discuss her significant fam-

ily history of cancer. But as we began charting her family tree, we realized that only a few relatives had developed skin cancer, and they worked outdoors on a farm or in construction. In reality, her risk for cancer was minimal given her lifestyle.

Family history should be gathered for three or four generations on both sides, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and children. Helpful information to gather includes: —Major medical conditions and the age they started —Cause and age of death —Birth defects —Family’s ethnic background, as some conditions can be more prevalent in certain ethnicities. For instance, if someone is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, his or her risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is greater than the general population One good resource to help you get started is a free online tool called My Family Health Portrait, which is available at phgkb.cdc.gov/FHH, through the Surgeon General’s office. It allows you to collect the information and create a family pedigree that can be printed and shared with healthcare providers and your family.

As you discuss your family history, don’t forget to talk about conditions that may not have a strictly genetic cause but may have a genetic link. Although there are conditions, such as diabetes, where a genetic test is not available, it’s important to document the patterns in your family and share them with your primary healthcare provider. © 2021 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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15

Risks outweigh growth hormone benefits

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: Can taking human growth hormone slow down the aging process?

A: The answer so far is no. Human growth hormone injections have not been shown to be an effective anti-aging product.

The pituitary gland in the brain makes and secretes natural growth hormone. In combination with other hormones, such as IGF1 (insulin growth factor 1), it is responsible for body development early in life.

Children deficient in growth hormone do not grow to their full potential height and have short stature. The FDA approved a synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) as a replacement in these children, which helps them grow taller.

Throughout your life, growth hormone continues to play a role in protein production and helps the body use fat for energy.

As we age, the amount of growth hormone secreted by our pituitary gland naturally declines. By age 55, blood levels of growth hormone are about one-third lower than they are in people ages 18 to 35. This drop also coincides with the reduced muscle mass and increased body fat that happens with aging.

While healthy adults who take HGH might increase muscle by about 6% and reduce body fat by about the same amount, the risks greatly outweigh these possible small benefits.

Numerous negative side effects There are downsides to using HGH. It can cause insulin to be less effective, which can raise blood sugar levels and increase the risk of diabetes.

HGH also can lead to joint and muscle pain, breast enlargement, fluid retention, high blood pressure, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

And then there is this: animal studies suggest that lower levels of growth hormone activity may lead to longer life. So, theoretically, HGH injections might actually shorten life span, challenging the notion that HGH is anti-aging.

The FDA has approved HGH in adults only for documented growth hormone deficiency. Synthetic human growth hormone is a prescription drug and cannot be obtained legally without a doctor’s approval. To have any effect, it must be injected.

Don’t waste your money on pills con-

Injections might actually shorten life span

ment of life.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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taining HGH. The active ingredient is not absorbed when taken by mouth.

You can slow the tick of the clock with the time-tested formula of eating a healthy diet with enough protein and pursuing a regular program of aerobic and resistance exercise. This approach is better than any drug for enhancing your vigor and enjoy-

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Many ways to go ‘green’ in the kitchen

By Lori Zanteson We all want to do our part to protect our precious Mother Earth. But with such overwhelming issues — climate change, pollution, sustainability — it might seem like there’s no way one person could make an impact.

Something as simple and routine as getting food on the table can have a big impact in lightening your environmental footprint. The foods you eat, the way you prepare them, and the way you clean up affect the environment in many ways, from energy use to greenhouse gas emissions. Over time, they accumulate as either healing or harmful contributions.

Here are some ways to keep your kitchen practices on the healing side that

happen to be as healthy for you as they are for the planet.

Cut food waste Consumers are responsible for two-thirds of food waste in this country. Food waste produces greenhouse gasses, causes water waste, and takes up valuable land resources — all are threats to the environment and our health. Small steps can make big changes.

Shop savvy. Stocking the fridge with fresh, nutritious whole fruits and vegetables is a clear sign of our intention to follow a healthy dietary pattern. We all know that sometimes the beautiful produce we couldn’t resist at the market ends up looking unrecognizable at the bottom of the crisper drawer, destined for the trash bin

and then the landfill.

Planning meals before heading to the market can help minimize food waste. Buy only what you’ll use and stock your pantry with items with longer storage time — canned vegetables, dried beans and pastas, root vegetables, frozen foods — to help fill out your meals.

Pass on packaging. Avoid buying foods in unnecessary and excessive wrappings, containers and packages, most of which end up in landfills. Even a quarter of recyclable materials never see new life. Skip single-use disposables and go with reusable plates, cutlery, straws and napkins.

Eat seed to stem. Use every part of vegetables and fruits whenever you can.

Unless your dish relies on visually perfect produce, cut, dice, chop or puree the whole thing. Nobody will know the difference, nothing will go to waste, and you’ll enjoy the added nutrients of parts like peels and skins that are so often tossed.

When your greens are getting slimy, use them to make stock, pesto, dressings and smoothies. If they’re beyond saving, composting is the next best option.

Go local. Whether you grow some of your food in a backyard or community garden, purchase it from the neighborhood farmers market, or shop seasonally, you’re minimizing the miles your food travels, which means fewer greenhouse gas emissions in the form of carbon dioxide.

These foods are also more likely to be organic, which reduces pesticides in the environment and in your home. Local food can be fresher, healthier and cheaper.

Watch water use. The kitchen plays a significant role in the 88 gallons of household water Americans use each day.

There are some common water guzzlers

that are quick-fixes, such as fixing leaky faucets and not letting the faucet run when rinsing produce, washing hands or cleaning the sink.

Rather than wash dishes by hand, save water by running a full dishwasher of dishes. Catch water that is coming to temperature in a bucket, and use pasta cooking water or soaking water from dried beans to water plants in the house or garden.

Conserve energy. Appliances use the bulk of energy in the kitchen. Using less electricity reduces greenhouse gas emissions, lowering our carbon footprint. Newer appliances are more energy efficient than older models, but there are ways to save electricity in the kitchen even with older models.

Keep the fridge between 37 and 40 degrees F and the freezer at 5 degrees (0 degrees for a stand-alone) for highest efficiency. And don’t overcrowd it, as this interferes with air circulation.

Consider using a toaster oven or microwave for smaller dishes, and utilize lids when cooking on the stovetop to avoid wasting heat.

Get even more efficient by using an instant pot, pressure cooker and slow cooker whenever possible. They are far more energy efficient than other cooking appliances. The instant pot, for example, saves up to 70% of the electricity used by ovens, stove and steamers.

It’s empowering to know how small, simple changes in everyday kitchen practices can have such a positive impact at home, on us, and on our beautiful planet.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800829-5384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2021 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Easy sources of protein for a healthy diet

By Cynthia Sass, M.P.H., RD Have you seen the recent headlines about canned tuna losing its popularity? This highquality, convenient form of protein has seen sales drop by 40% in recent years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Apparently, this is largely due to millennials not buying it because they favor fresher fare.

If you also pass on canned tuna, you may be looking for alternative high-protein foods that are quick, easy and versatile. Below are five you’re probably not eating often enough.

[The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 56 grams for average men and 46 for average women.]

tions, you can purchase steamed, ready-toeat lentils in the produce section of many markets. A 1-cup portion provides roughly 18 grams of protein, along with 16 grams of filling fiber (over 60% of your daily target) and a plethora of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

For a meal in minutes, toss a generous handful of leafy greens with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar, stone-ground mustard and Italian herb seasoning. Top with lentils, a quarter of an avocado and a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds. Or simply add a cup of lentils to your spaghetti sauce for a quick vegetarian Bolognese.

Lentils

Pea-protein burgers

In addition to canned and frozen op-

While whole foods are always preferred

over anything processed, burgers made from pea protein are derived from yellow split peas and can be a good source of protein. In addition to pea protein being naturally gluten-free and not a common allergen, it’s easy to find pea burgers made with whole-food ingredients.

One patty can provide at least 25 grams of protein. These can be used in a number of ways, including crumbled on salads, in a stir-fry or rolled up in collard wraps with chopped veggies and vinegar-based slaw.

They are also delicious whole, placed between lettuce leaves, along with tomato, onion and avocado, served with air-fryer or oven fries.

Hard-boiled eggs While hard-boiled eggs are super easy to make, you can also purchase them precooked. Each whole egg provides about 6 grams of protein.

Plus, newer research shows that the cholesterol in eggs, which is entirely found in the yolk, has little if any negative impact on blood cholesterol. In fact, one study found that in healthy adults, up to three whole eggs per day increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and lowered “bad” LDL. The yolk also contains the bulk of an egg’s nutrients, packing choline, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

Beans In addition to canned beans, look for beans sold in shelf-stable, tear-open boxes. One cup of organic vegetarian baked beans contains roughly 12 grams each of protein and fiber.

For a quick meal, serve beans with steamed frozen broccoli tossed with jarred dairy-free pesto. Or pair them with a fresh garden salad dressed with an extra virgin olive oil-based balsamic vinaigrette.

Greek yogurt Both plant-based and dairy-based grassfed Greek yogurts can be good sources of ready-to-eat protein. Depending on the brand, one individual container of a plantbased variety provides 11 to 14 grams of protein. Dairy-based Greek yogurt contains about 17 grams of protein.

The great thing about plain Greek yogurt is that you can enjoy it either sweet or savory.

For a sweet version, add fresh fruit, nuts or seeds, a drizzle of maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon and a sprinkle of fresh-grated ginger.

For a savory option, add garlic, fresh dill, red-wine vinegar, sea salt and black pepper, then toss with veggies like sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and a bit of red onion.

Health delivers relevant information in clear, jargon-free language that puts health into context in peoples’ lives. Online at health.com. © 2021 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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19

Exercises to help maintain your balance

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about balance exercises? I’ve fallen a few times over the past year and have read that balance exercises can help me regain my steadiness, but I’m not exactly sure what to do.

— Unsteady at 70 Dear Unsteady, Most people don’t think much about practicing their balance, but they need to.

As we age, our balance declines if it isn’t practiced, which can lead to falls that often result in a broken bone. Every year, more than one in four people age 65 and older fall, and the risk increases with age.

Here’s what you should know about balance problems, along with some different exercises that can help you improve it:

Aging affects balance Balance is something most people take for granted until it’s challenged by a medical condition, medication or advanced age, which dulls our balance senses and causes most seniors to gradually become less stable on their feet over time.

Poor balance can also lead to a vicious

cycle of inactivity. You feel a little unsteady, so you curtail certain activities. If you’re inactive, you’re not challenging your balance systems or using your muscles.

As a result, both balance and strength suffer. Simple acts like strolling through a grocery store or getting up from a chair become trickier. That shakes your confidence, so you become even less active.

Balance exercises If you have a balance problem that is not tied to illness, medication or some other specific cause, simple exercises can help preserve and improve your balance. Here are four exercises you can do that will help: One-legged stands: Stand on one foot for 30 seconds, or longer, then switch to the other foot. In the beginning, you might want to have a wall or chair to hold on to. Or, for an extra challenge, try closing your eyes or standing on a throw pillow or Bosu ball (an inflated rubber disc on a stable platform).

Heel-to-toe walking: Take 20 steps while looking straight ahead. Think of a sobriety test.

Standing up: Without using your hands, get up from a straight-backed chair

and sit back down 10 to 20 times. This improves balance and leg strength.

Tai chi: Research has shown that the Asian practice of tai chi — which uses a combination of slow, graceful movements, meditation and deep breathing — can help reduce the risk of falls.

For more information on different balance exercises you can do at home, there are a variety of balance and strength exercises and beginner Tai Chi DVDs you can purchase at amazon.com or through Amazon Prime video.

There are also senior fitness programs, like SilverSneakers (silversneakers.com) and Silver & Fit (silverandfit.com), that offer online classes that can guide you through a series of exercises you can do at home.

When to see a doctor I do, however, want to emphasize that if you’ve already fallen, are noticeably dizzy or unsteady, or have a medical condition af fecting your balance, you need to see a doctor, who might refer you to a physical therapist or to an appropriate balance-training class in your community.

It’s also important to know that many medicines and medical conditions — from Parkinson’s disease to diabetes to innerear disorders — can affect balance.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman OK 73070 or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior.

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Follow a Mediterranean diet on a budget

By Katlyn Moncada The Mediterranean diet continuously ranks as one of the best diets for overall health among health professionals and experts. The (mostly) plant-based diet follows simple guideline of eating whole, fresh foods without any severe restrictions.

But when you’re trying to feed yourself (or your family) on a budget, it might seem difficult to maintain a healthy eating plan of fish, veggies, fruits and whole grains.

Good news: There are plenty of ways to

maintain a Mediterranean diet plan without spending a fortune on groceries.

“A common misconception about the Mediterranean diet is that it’s expensive,” said Brynn McDowell, RD, author of The Mediterranean Diet Made Easy.

“However, if you think about the fact that this diet is based on the traditional style of eating for entire populations of people (young, old, rich, poor, families, etc.), you’ll see that instead of expensive ingredients, it’s actually based on season-

al, local food.”

Here’s advice on how to eat a Mediterranean diet on a budget:

Stick to seasonal produce It’s a safe bet you’ll find better prices on strawberries or tomatoes in the summer than the middle of winter. Aim to plan your meals around whatever vegetables and fruits are in season. This way, you can rely on enjoying fresh, flavorful dishes without spending more money.

McDowell recommends buying local from your farmers market, when possible, to find great deals while also supporting local businesses.

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“Not only are they pretty inexpensive, but they’re a great way to get your recommended two servings of heart-healthy seafood each week,” McDowell said.

A healthy Mediterranean diet doesn’t always have to revolve around expensive cuts of fish. Beans and legumes are “a cheap and cheerful protein that cost pennies in comparison to meat and fish,” said Melanie Lionello, nutritionist and author of Frugal Mediterranean Cooking. When possible, you can make batches of dried beans to get more bang for your buck.

Canned food is your friend Canned or frozen vegetables and beans are excellent pantry staples for adding nutrients and fiber to quick weeknight meals.

This is especially cost-effective when the vegetables you want aren’t in season.

For simple lunches or dinner, a major budget-friendly Mediterranean ingredient to add to the pantry is canned seafood such as tuna or salmon.

Plan ahead Both McDowell and Lionello say one of your best bets to following a budget-friendly Mediterranean diet plan is planning your meals. This doesn’t have to be a full, written menu that’s set in stone. By creating a general meal plan, you can avoid impulse buys and also utilize weekly ads to figure out what ingredients are on sale to help build your weekly menu.

For example, McDowell said, if you need half a bag of spinach for a recipe, you can add a different recipe that uses the other half for another day that week so it doesn’t go to waste.

Utilize leftovers When busy days are on the horizon, take advantage of days that you’re already cooking to make extra portions for easy lunches or just to prevent food waste.

And there’s no need to get tired from eating the same dish again the next day.

Use leftover ingredients such as roasted chicken from dinner and bring them to life the next day as a salad or soup.

Better Homes and Gardens is a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas.

Online at bhg.com. © 2021 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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RESOURCES FROM

quickly, do you have the ability to quickly close doors to keep the smoke and fire away from you?

Your Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service can provide information, suggestions and advice.

If you have questions or need help with your alarms, call 311 or go to www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe

Simple, Important Steps Like so many other things, your fire safety isn’t difficult as long as you take it seriously and take the first step. You have local experts who can help you with free information and services. Don’t delay, take the first steps today! Call 311 or go to www. mcfrs.org/mcsafe

3 Quick Steps to Fire Safety Take a moment and look up. Do you have smoke alarms in your home? Do they work? Would they alert you in case a fire occurred while you were sleeping? Do you have a realistic fire escape plan?

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service can help you with these questions and others about your home safety.

Have Several Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms No matter what type of home you live in, we all need early, reliable warning of danger from fire or carbon monoxide. You can do this by ensuring that you have working smoke alarms that are less than 10 years old both outside and inside your bedroom, and on every level of your home. Most of us should

also have working carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home.

If you have questions or need help with your alarms, call 311 or go to www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe

A Personalized Fire Escape Plan While considering your safety, you are as unique as the stars in the sky. Some of us hear better than others. And some of us are quicker (or slower) on our feet than others.

Fire safety is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

Once you have the working alarms in place, think about your strengths and your weaknesses associated with escaping a fire. If you use an assistive device like a cane or a walker, is it next to you at all times?

If you cannot get out of your home

Keep in mind that the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is concerned for the safety of everyone, and not just from fires.

If you or someone you know is a resident of Montgomery County and drives young children in a car, they can schedule a free car seat check by calling 311 or going to www.mcfrs. org/mcsafe.

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23

What to do about diabetes and gallstones

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: On my last routine blood work, my blood sugar was just above the normal range. Am I destined to have diabetes?

A: Making small changes to your habits and daily lifestyle now can help prevent or at least delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

A large study published almost 20 years ago showed the strength of the connection between lifestyle habits and Type 2 diabetes risk. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) trial, which followed thousands of participants in 27 areas across the country from 1996 to 2001, was the first major effort to look at whether lifestyle changes were more or less effective than drug intervention in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in 2002, included a diverse group of 3,234 Americans who had prediabetes and were overweight. It found that those who lost a modest amount of weight (just 5% to 7% of their starting weight) and increased their physical activity by about 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by an impressive 58%. The diabetes drug metformin also lowered risk, but less dramatically — by 31%.

The most recent follow-up study revealed that over 22 years, lifestyle changes reduced the development of Type 2 diabetes by 25%, while metformin reduced it by 18%.

Other studies in China, Finland, Europe, India and Canada have also found that lifestyle changes can delay Type 2 diabetes in people who are at risk. This suggests that even if Type 2 diabetes runs in your family, you can lower your risk of developing it by adopting some habits that help you be more active and lose a little weight.

Best of all? You don’t have to try to make these changes on your own. Perhaps the best thing to come out of the DPP study was a nationwide program that provides support and encouragement to people with prediabetes wanting to make these changes.

The intervention that was used in the original DPP study was so successful that the CDC used it as a model to create the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

You can find a CDC-certified lifestyle change program in your area by visiting cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention.

Q: I had an abdominal ultrasound that showed I have gallstones. My digestion is fine. Do I need to do anything about them?

A: Most people who have gallstones don’t know it. Their gallstones stay silent and may only be discovered incidentally, through an ultrasound or CT scan performed for other reasons.

Gallstones begin with bile, a substance that helps with the digestion of fats and the absorption of certain vitamins. Bile is

made in the liver and carried to the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that concentrates and stores it.

Gallstones are solid lumps that develop when the stored bile crystallizes. Most are less than an inch in diameter, but they can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Most gallstones are composed mainly of cholesterol.

Cholesterol stones form when liquid bile in the gallbladder contains more cholesterol than the bile salts can dissolve.

Cholesterol stones may also develop if the gallbladder doesn’t contract and empty as it should.

Before age 40, women are diagnosed with gallstones almost three times more often than men are, but by age 60, their risk is just slightly greater.

Obesity is another risk factor because bodies with more fat produce more estro-

gen. Paradoxically, rapid weight loss also increases the risk. Gallstones are also more likely to occur in people with diabetes and in postmenopausal women who take oral estrogen.

Symptoms arise mainly when stones pass through a bile duct or obstruct it, causing biliary colic — better known as a gallbladder attack. These attacks occur when the gallbladder contracts (usually in response to a fatty meal) and presses the stones so as to block the gallbladder duct.

The main symptom is pain, usually in the right upper or middle abdomen (just below the rib cage), which builds to greatest intensity within an hour and can persist up to several hours. The pain usually subsides as the gallbladder relaxes.

Typically, gallstones are treated only if they cause symptoms. For recurrent gall-

bladder attacks or gallstones that have caused complications, the most effective treatment is surgical removal of the gallbladder. The preferred procedure is laparoscopy, with a much faster recovery than traditional cholecystectomy.

There’s no proven way to prevent you from getting more gallstones, but research suggests some possibilities. Eat three wellbalanced meals daily, replace saturated fats with mono- and polyunsaturated fats, maintain a normal weight, and get regular exercise (at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week).

The Nurses’ Health Study also found that women with more fiber in their diets and those who ate several 1-ounce servings of nuts per week were less likely to need gallbladder surgery. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Recipes to enjoy dairy without discomfort

By Family Features Dairy foods — key ingredients in many at-home meals — provide nutrients for people of all ages to grow and maintain stronger bodies and minds.

However, some bodies are unable to break down the sugar found in milk, known as lactose, which causes an upset stomach and a heavy, bloated feeling.

Rather than avoiding dairy and missing out on beneficial nutrients, people with lactose intolerance can enjoy real dairy products without the stomachache by eating foods that are naturally low in, or don’t contain, lactose, such as: • Lactose-free milk, which is real milk with the same 13 essential nutrients as regular milk • Hard and aged cheeses, such as cheddar, colby, Monterey Jack, Parmesan and Swiss • Yogurt with live and active cultures, which help break down lactose, making it easier to digest These easy-to-make meals offer lactose intolerance-friendly options for families seeking to keep milk on the menu.

Because they both require an hour or less in the kitchen, they provide quick solutions without sacrificing taste or nutrition.

Visit MilkMeansMore.org to find more

delicious dishes that fit a lactose-intolerant meal plan.

Feta Roasted Salmon and Tomatoes You don’t need to have a party — just a weeknight dinner will do — to enjoy tangy feta cheese roasted on salmon or halibut.

Top it with herb-and-garlic flavored tomatoes that roast alongside the fish.

Servings: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon dried oregano or dried dill ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided 1½ pounds salmon or halibut fillets, cut into 4 serving-size pieces 1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese Preheat oven to 425°F. Line an 18x13x1inch (half sheet) baking pan with foil.

Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In medium bowl toss together tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano or dill, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.

Place fish pieces skin side down on one side of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Lightly

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press feta cheese on top of fish. Pour tomato mixture on the other side of the prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Place salmon on serving plates. Spoon tomato mixture over top.

Nutrition Information Serving size: 1 piece fish and ½ cup tomato mixture Calories: 380, Carbohydrate: 6 g (2%), Protein: 40 g (80%), Total Fat: 21 g (32%), Saturated Fat: 8 g (40%), Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 125 mg (42%), Sodium: 570 mg (24%), Dietary Fiber: 2 g (8%), Calcium: 20%*

Creamy Ricotta and Parmesan Pasta Dinner is as easy as cooking a pan of pasta with this recipe! The no-cook sauce is a mix of ricotta and Parmesan-Reggiano cheeses made creamy with some reserved hot pasta cooking liquid.

And the fresh spinach wilts when you drain the pasta on top of it.

Servings: 5 Prep time: 20 minutes 1 package (16 oz.) dried whole wheat or multi-grain penne pasta 5 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 8 cups loosely packed) 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

¾ cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups halved cherry tomatoes In Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in large colander rinse spinach leaves. Leave spinach in colander.

Drain pasta when done over top of spinach.

In the same warm Dutch oven stir together ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, ricotta cheese, Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, pepper, garlic powder and salt.

Add pasta-spinach mixture. Toss until coated. If needed for a creamy sauce, stir in more of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

Ladle pasta mixture onto serving plates.

Top with tomatoes.

Nutrition Information Serving size: 1½ cups Calories: 510; Carbohydrate: 69 g (23%), Protein: 26 g (52%), Total Fat: 14 g (22%), Saturated Fat: 6 g (30%), Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 40 mg (13%), Sodium: 520 mg (22%), Dietary Fiber: 9 g (36%), Calcium: 35%* *These values are approximate. Per serving, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Recipes by Marcia Stanley, MS, RDN, Culinary Dietitian

BEACON BITS

Nov. 18

HOW HUMANS SURVIVE In this Zoom lecture hosted by the National Museum of Natural

History, learn how humans have evolved to live in a broad range of environments.

This free event takes place Thurs., Nov. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit bit.ly/ExtremeHumans.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

25

How and why to freeze herbs, vegetables Food shortages are continuing as groLay the pieces out on a cookie sheet cery stores face supply chain issues and lined with waxed paper. Freeze that for an fewer deliveries. So, I highly hour or even overnight. Then recommend that you learn to take it out and store the indifreeze some things for the vidual pieces of frozen kale in winter season. a big freezer bag. If you don’t Here’s how you do it: do it this way, you’ll wind up —Parsley is known as a with one big green glob that’s blood cleanser and diuretic. hard to work with!

Take a bunch, cut off the —Carrots contain beta stems, and wash the leaves carotene, which converts to well. Spread them out on a vitamin A in the body, and you clean towel and dry them the need A for good eyesight, DEAR best you can. Try to get as PHARMACIST beautiful skin and a strong immuch water off as possible. By Suzy Cohen mune system.

To freeze carrots, I cut off You can chop them nicely if the green tops and the tip, you want to, but this is optional. Once dry, put them in a little freezer then peel them. Rinse them and cut into storage bag and seal tightly, getting out as slices. Blanch the carrots for three minutes in hot water, then plunge into cold much air as you can.

—Kale contains many anti-cancer com- water to stop the cooking. pounds and antioxidants. Take a bunch of Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet kale, separate the leaves from the stems lined with waxed paper. Dry them comand cut them into pieces. Wash them very pletely. Freeze the whole tray for a few well, drain and pat dry with paper towels. hours and then transfer to freezer bags.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 8

DECLUTTER YOUR HOME Join local real estate advisor Marjorie Dick Stuart for a workshop on

how to declutter your home, with tips about where to donate items and what to consider when moving and selling your home. This free event hosted by Around Town DC takes place on Wed., Dec. 8 from 3 to 4 p.m. To register, visit bit.ly/DeclutteringinDC. Call Lena Frumin at (202) 895-9485 with questions.

Nov. 12+

FRIDAY MIDDAY CONCERTS The National City Christian Church hosts classical music concerts on Fridays at 12:15 p.m. Concerts take place in person at 5 Thomas

Circle NW but are made available for viewing on YouTube and Facebook. For a list of concert dates and performers, visit bit.ly/NCCCFridayConcerts.

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Get cozy and comfortable at Chesterbrook Residences this fall!

Call 703-531-0781 to schedule your personal tour. chesterbrookres.org | 2030 Westmoreland St. | Falls Church, VA Coordinated Services Management, Inc.—Professional Management of Retirement Communities since 1981.

—Rosemary and Thyme: Every rice dish and soup I make contains rosemary and thyme. The compounds in both herbs exert strong antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory actions on the body.

Rinse them and then remove the leaves from the sprigs. Put a tablespoon of herb into each cube of an ice cube tray. Then pour some good olive oil over each “cube” and freeze the whole tray. This does not impact the quality of your oil, don’t worry.

When ready to use, just put a cube into your soup or recipe.

—Lemons: I use lemon juice in my marinades, smoothies and teas. Honestly, I never want to be without lemons! Wash fresh lemons well and slice them or cut into wedges. Dry them off and put into a

labeled freezer bag and freeze. You can freeze zested lemon rind too, preferably in a small glass container.

To maintain freshness, make sure your fruits, vegetables and spices are as dry as possible and use a straw to siphon out all air in the bag as you seal it.

If you’re interested in how to freeze more fruits and veggies, I have a longer version of this article posted on my website, suzycohen.com.

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

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe.

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A free online experience, accessible from your computer, tablet or smartphone Dozens of RESOURCE PAGES from businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, plus more than 30

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ALL-NEW Classes, Speakers and Entertainment A sampling of our ENTERTAINMENT

A sampling of our SPEAKERS

A sampling of our CLASSES

Stand-up Comics: Comedy at the OK Boomer Corral

Diane Rehm: Keynote Conversation

Individual Serving Appetizers

Rearview Mirror Duo: Oldies from the 40s through the 70s

Dr. Mark Warshawsky: Social Security and Medicare -

History of Great Broadway Musicals

Aboard Air Force One, September 11, 2001:

with Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal What Needs to Change

The A, B, C and D’s of Medicare An Introduction to Ayurveda Nutrition Exercises for Body and Soul Cardio Yoga

A Virtual Tour of Howard County

Conversation with a former ABC News correspondent and

Classical Chamber Music

First Lady Laura Bush’s chief of staff on what happened that

Ways to Reduce Expenses

morning on the President’s plane

Seated Core Training

Walking the California Mission Trail Get Moving by Line Dancing (The Hustle) Music Trivia Fun Hour (Name That Tune and more) Baby Boomers, the Blues and BeyondGreat Plus more…

Avoiding Cyber Scams: with speakers from the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Boost Nutrition with Juices and Smoothies Grilling Tips and Recipes

Don’t Retire, Rewire – Rethinking Retirement

How to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Conquer Negative Thinking

Climate Change: What We Know

The Power of Long-Distance Walking

Plus more…

Ike Leggett: Personal Reflections on Race in America Spark Joy in Your Space Make Your Savings Last as Long as You Do Legal Documents to Plan for Your Future PRESENTED BY

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

ALL-NEW Classes, Speakers and Entertainment A sampling of our ENTERTAINMENT

A sampling of our SPEAKERS

A sampling of our CLASSES

Stand-up Comics: Comedy at the OK Boomer Corral

Diane Rehm: Keynote Conversation

Individual Serving Appetizers

Rearview Mirror Duo: Oldies from the 40s through the 70s

Dr. Mark Warshawsky: Social Security and Medicare -

History of Great Broadway Musicals

Aboard Air Force One, September 11, 2001:

with Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal What Needs to Change

The A, B, C and D’s of Medicare An Introduction to Ayurveda Nutrition Exercises for Body and Soul Cardio Yoga

A Virtual Tour of Howard County

Conversation with a former ABC News correspondent and

Classical Chamber Music

First Lady Laura Bush’s chief of staff on what happened that

Ways to Reduce Expenses

morning on the President’s plane

Seated Core Training

Walking the California Mission Trail Get Moving by Line Dancing (The Hustle) Music Trivia Fun Hour (Name That Tune and more) Baby Boomers, the Blues and BeyondGreat Plus more…

Avoiding Cyber Scams: with speakers from the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Boost Nutrition with Juices and Smoothies Grilling Tips and Recipes

Don’t Retire, Rewire – Rethinking Retirement

How to Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Conquer Negative Thinking

Climate Change: What We Know

The Power of Long-Distance Walking

Plus more…

Ike Leggett: Personal Reflections on Race in America Spark Joy in Your Space Make Your Savings Last as Long as You Do Legal Documents to Plan for Your Future PRESENTED BY

Gardening Basics Plus more…

All at beacon50expo.com starting November 1!

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Thank you to our Sponsors and Exhibitors: AARP/GOLD SPONSOR Arlington Agency on Aging Baltimore County Department of Aging Beacon Newspapers B’nai B’rith Homecrest House Brooke Grove Retirement Village Brookfield Residential Properties Byron E. Macfarlane, Register of Wills for Howard County CCBC Catonsville Cigna HealthCare/SILVER SPONSOR Columbia Pro Cantare Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County EveryMind F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging Family & Nursing/BRONZE SPONSOR 40Plus of Greater Washington GBMC/BRONZE SPONSOR Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home Holy Cross Health/SILVER SPONSOR Home With You Senior Care Horizon Foundation Howard County General Hospital Howard County Office on Aging & Independence Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Johns Hopkins University Osher Kaiser Permanente Lorien Health Services/BRONZE SPONSOR

MacNabb Funeral Home Maplewood Park Place/SILVER SPONSOR Maryland Relay/BRONZE SPONSOR Maryland Vascular Specialists/ BRONZE SPONSOR Mid-Atlantic ADA Center/BRONZE SPONSOR Montgomery County Aging & Disability Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection Montgomery County Public Libraries Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office Montgomery Energy Connection Pepco/BRONZE SPONSOR Residences at Vantage Point/BRONZE SPONSOR Rockville Senior Center / F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care Seabury at Friendship Terrace Senior Connection Sibley Seniors Sol Levinson Sommerset State of Maryland Comptroller Unclaimed Property UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete Plan UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center Virginia Relay

Thank you to our Community Partners: Arlington Agency on Aging Arlington County Langston Brown Senior Center Arlington County Madison Senior Center Arlington County Senior Community Outreach Benjamin Gaither Center Brooke Grove Retirement Village Caring Matters City of Rockville Senior Center Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery EveryMind F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre Foggy Bottom West End Village 40 Plus of Greater Washington Griswold Home Care Jewelry Accents / Jeff Bulman Maplewood Park Place

McLean Community Center Metro Maryland Ostomy Assocation, Inc. MoCo DHHS-Aging & Disability MoCo Office of Consumer Protections Montgomery County Holiday Park Senior Center Montgomery County LTC Ombudsman Program Montgomery County Police Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office Montgomery County Stroke Association Montgomery County Volunteer Center Montgomery Hospice Mount Vernon at Home Office of Consumer Protection - Montgomery County Seabury Resources for Aging The Senior Connection

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

SALUTING YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE AARP salutes those who have served and still serve. We support veterans and their families with information on caregiving resources, community connections, heath care, and more. Our new Veterans Health Benefits Navigator can help you determine the health care options available to you and your family.

To learn more, visit aarp.org/VetsHealthNavigator

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland, Director D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living Happy Caregiver Month! Whatever you plan on doing to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I hope you take a moment to thank the caregivers who are the backbone of our community. Thanks to caregivers, people are able to live safely in the community they know and love.

If you are a caregiver, Thank You. When we celebrated our Centenarians this September, I realized that all the centenarians we visited in the community shared something in common—they all had incredible support and active social lives. They spoke often with their friends and family, and their caregivers would visit them often. From what I’ve seen, the secret to longevity is love. The centenarians love their communities, and their caregivers (usually family members) love having them as part of their communities.

I know that no matter how much you love the person you’re caring for, caregiving can be hard, isolating, and constant. But you’re not alone. You deserve a break. You deserve to treat yourself. If you’re a caregiver who is not already connected to a community of support, call us at 202-724-5626. We can help connect you to available services and provide a listening ear if you just want to talk.

Last year, the public health emergency prevented us from hosting you at the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Celebration, and we missed you! This year, we’re planning a big reunion because we could all use some joy and celebration. If you want to attend the holiday celebration (and trust me, you won’t want to miss it!), make sure you’re fully vaccinated. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, this is a perfect time to get the shot! Call us if you need help figuring out where to get vaccinated. We can even help you get there! You can also call 1-855-363-0333, and we’ll come to your home to vaccinate you. For those of you who are fully vaccinated, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether it’s time for a booster shot. And don’t forget your flu shot while you’re at it!

This year’s celebration will be at the Convention Center, so hold December 15th, and get ready to have some fun! With everyone vaccinated and masked, we can keep each other safe. I can’t wait to see you there. More details to come!

Living Boldly is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living or by the publisher.

Director Laura Newland

Editor DACL External Affairs

Photographer Richard Williams

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 | (202) 724-5626 | www.dacl.dc.gov

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Money Law &

Holidays can be the perfect time to talk about inheritances. Learn how to start on page 36.

Now is your chance for Medicare changes

By David Olsen Despite what you might think — based on the year-round onslaught of Medicare commercials and the flyers arriving in the mail — you can’t just make changes to your Medicare coverage any time you want.

Most people who want to make adjustments must wait for the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. That’s when you can do things like: • Disenroll from Original Medicare and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan instead.

• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.

• Move from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare (parts A and B).

• Enroll in a Part D prescription plan, cancel your prescription drug coverage, or move from one prescription plan to another.

Since, in most cases, the opportunity to make changes comes just once a year, it’s important to be prepared to act. Here are seven steps you (and your spouse) can take: Avoid waiting until the Dec. 7 deadline to make decisions. By starting early, you can avoid the crush of people who also may be looking for individualized help from their local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Medicare, licensed insurance agents and financial advisers.

Talk to your doctors about your current coverage. If you have a Medicare supplement (or Medigap) plan, which al-

lows you to see any doctor who takes Medicare patients, ask the physicians you see regularly if they still will be accepting Medicare in the coming year.

If you have an Advantage plan, it’s a little more complicated. Providers can join or leave a plan’s provider network at any time during the year — or your plan may make changes to its providers. If that happens, and your physician (or physician’s group) no longer accepts your insurance, you may have to find a new doctor or a new plan. Do your research and be ready.

Find and read your plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). The ANOC, which arrives in the fall, should list any coming changes to your plan’s coverage, costs or service area. Those changes will become effective Jan. 1.

The size and complexity of this document may seem daunting, but it’s important to review the information it contains.

(There’s usually an easy-to-follow summary of plan changes near the beginning.)

All Medicare plans are required to send an ANOC by Sept. 30, or 15 days before the start of the AEP — even if there aren’t any changes. If you didn’t get yours, contact your plan.

Make a complete list of the prescription drugs you take. If you take medications regularly, be sure to see whether those drugs will still be covered when your current plan moves into the new year. Or, if you’re considering changing to a new plan, check

that plan’s formulary for your prescription drugs. You can compare drug plans (Part D) and Medicare Advantage Plans on the official Medicare website, Medicare.gov.

Know the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage plans. You’ve probably noticed that most of the Medicare ads on TV tout an appealing (and growing) bundle of benefits offered by Advantage plans. Those upfront savings can be a real draw for retirees on a fixed income.

However, I’ve seen many people who were fans of Advantage plans when they were young and healthy change their opinion when they needed specialized care that wasn’t included in their plan’s network.

(Remember, with traditional Medicare, you can see any provider who takes Medicare.)

Yes, you can switch from your Advantage plan to traditional Medicare and a supplement plan during the AEP, but you may have to answer some medical underwriting questions. Plus, Medigap insurers aren’t required to sell you a policy if you don’t meet their underwriting requirements.

If you haven’t already, create an account at Medicare.gov and sign up for free email updates. The site offers tons of reliable information on Medicare basics, including contact information for organizations that offer assistance to those with questions about enrollment.

Don’t panic if something changes in your life and you need to make adjustments to your plan outside the AEP.

You may be eligible to make changes during a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) if, for example, you move or leave your employer’s coverage. You can get information about the rules for different SEPs at Medicare.gov.

Even if you’re satisfied with your current plan’s coverage, it may still be a good idea to shop around and compare prices.

Medicare plans can vary widely in their coverage for services and prescriptions, and you may be able to find a better or more affordable option.

Whatever you do, don’t become complacent about your Medicare choices, even if you’ve been enrolled for years. Your decisions could affect the cost of your care, the care you receive, and the freedom you’ll have to get the care you want and need.

If you aren’t clear on the options available, or you need personalized assistance, reach out and ask for help.

Here are phone numbers for several local SHIP offices: Montgomery County, Md.: (301) 255-4250 Prince George’s County, Md.: (301) 2658450 Washington, D.C.: (202) 727-8370 Arlington, Va.: (703) 228-1725 Alexandria, Va.: (703) 746-5712 Fairfax, Va.: (703) 324-5851 Kim Franke-Folstad contributed to this article. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Meet Virtual Expo’s Social Security expert

By Margaret Foster Economist Mark J. Warshawsky, a keynote speaker at this year’s Virtual 50+Expo, has been focused on the coming insolvency of Social Security for most of his career.

“Changes are needed. It’s an old-fashioned program,” said Warshawsky, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. “Action needed to be taken years ago, but our system is pretty slow.”

Warshawsky, who served as Social Security’s Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy from 2017 until earlier this year, addresses the threats to the program in a recorded keynote address that

can be viewed at beacon50expo.com start- Years of government service ing November 1.

Warshawsky’s resume spans both govA Chicago native, Warshawsky en- ernment and private industry. countered his future career His recent stint as Social during his freshman year at Security’s deputy commisNor thwester n University. sioner wasn’t his first time at His ver y first class in colthe agency; he served on the lege was macroeconomics.

Social Security Advisor y “It made sense to me,” WarBoard from 2006 through shawsky remembered. “It 2012, and as vice chairman really appealed to me, so I of the federal Commission kept at it.” on Long-Term Care in 2013.

Warshawsky went on to Dr. Mark Warshawsky He also held senior-level poearn a PhD in economics at sitions at the Federal ReHarvard, where he wrote his dissertation serve Board and the IRS. on annuity markets — “a major theme for In the private sector, he has served as me in my research career,” he said. director of research at the TIAA-CREF In-

stitute; director of retirement research at Towers Watson, a global human capital consulting firm; a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center of George Washington University; and visiting scholar at MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy, to name a few positions.

He’s had time to publish four books and more than 100 research papers so far, and he’s considering writing a book on both long-term care insurance and Social Security, he said.

Warshawsky’s proudest accomplishment in the public sector came in 2006, when he was instrumental in developing See EXPERT, page 37

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

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Buying insurance to fill Medicare’s gaps

By Jackie Stewart and Kimberly Lankford Each year, older adults have important decisions to make regarding their Medicare coverage.

Original Medicare provides a number of great benefits to enrollees, but this coverage does have some gaps. For instance, Part B will cover only 80% of your medical expenses after you hit the deductible, with no out-of-pocket maximum. That means you could be on the hook for a significant bill if you become gravely ill.

Part A will only pay for the first 60 days you spend in the hospital, again after a deductible is met, before you must start paying co-insurance.

Because of this, many beneficiaries choose to enroll in either a Medicare Advantage plan or a supplemental policy to help cover those costs.

If you decide to go with a Medicare supplement policy (more commonly called medigap), you then must select which plan you want.

Medigap plans are administered by private insurance companies. These plans come in 10 letter designations (A through D; F; G; and K through N). All plans with the same letter have the same coverages, but prices can vary based on the insurance company you go with.

Which plan is right for you depends on your personal preferences and how much medical care you expect to need that year.

The plans offer a range of benefits, with some covering many of your Medicare costs while others require more cost sharing.

Compare plans Plan F has been the most popular because of its generous benefits. It covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible and co-payments, the Part B deductible, and some emergency care outside the U.S. Plan C covers many of the same benefits as Plan F, except it won’t pay for the Part B excess charge. This happens when a provider charges Medicare more than the amount approved by the program. The beneficiary is then responsible for that excess amount.

However, Plans C and F are no longer available to those who first become eligible for Medicare after Jan. 1, 2020. Medigap plans are no longer allowed to cover Part B deductibles.

Since both of these plans paid for that, insurance companies can no longer offer them to new beneficiaries. However, those already enrolled in such plans can keep that insurance.

If you were considering Plan F, then take a look at Plan G. It provides the same coverage as Plan F except for the Part B deductible.

If you don’t anticipate having many doctors’ visits, consider Plan N, which usually has lower premiums in return for some cost sharing.

Medicare.gov provides a chart that outlines what each medigap plan covers.

(Click on “Find a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy.)

The website also provides a tool that allows you to compare different medigap

plans available in your area. Enter your ZIP code, age, gender and whether you smoke, and Medicare will provide a price range for each available plan and a list of

insurers who offer the coverage. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Life Happens & We’re Here to Help You Prepare For It!© • Medicare Supplements • Life Insurance • Long-Term Care • Licensed in Insurance MD, DC, VA • Annuities Ellen Davis Life Home Health Insurance Group, LLC

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How to teach adult children about money

By Indrika Arnold Jane and John, who are parents to four adult children, have amassed substantial wealth during their careers. To experience their children enjoying some of this wealth — and to take advantage of the current high federal estate tax exemption amounts, which could potentially be reduced — they would like to give away some of it during their lifetime.

However, they are concerned that their children and spouses might not be ready to handle the responsibilities of receiving large monetary gifts that could change their lives.

Though well-intentioned, will the gifts become burdensome to their children?

How can Jane and John ensure that their children and their families will be good receivers and stewards of their inheritance?

While Jane and John may be hypothetical

clients, their challenge is a common one.

Wealth education, or even the basics of money, is not part of the curriculum in most public schools. If parents don’t take on that responsibility, young adults often leave home with little to no knowledge about the fundamentals of money management — such as banking, debt, saving and investing.

There are many reasons these conversations aren’t had at home, especially for families of substantial wealth. Some parents feel that sharing information about their wealth would demotivate children and make them “trust fund babies,” while to others it is a reminder of their own mortality.

Perhaps parents never had the conversation with their own parents growing up, so they find it a difficult and awkward subject to broach. Avoiding the subject seems like the easier and more pleasant path to take.

Regardless of how much wealth a family

has, wealth education is crucial to overall financial education, preparing for the future, and to becoming a good steward of an inheritance. For parents who haven’t had conversations early, it’s not too late.

Family meetings are a thoughtful and effective way of bringing members of a family together with a goal of facilitating communication and education.

They allow for sharing family stories, communicating values, setting goals to help ensure transparency, and helping members across generations understand their roles around stewardship and wealth.

How do you have an effective family meeting, one that its members not only value, but also look forward to?

Do some prep work. As an important first step, the hosts of the meeting should spend time with each participating family member in advance to help them under-

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stand the reason for the meeting and learn more about their expectations. There should be a desire and commitment from the participants to invest time and effort to make family meetings successful.

Plan ahead. Setting a clear agenda that defines the purpose and goals of each meeting and sharing this agenda with participants before the meeting are key to its success. Choose a neutral location that makes everyone comfortable and encourages participation. Carving out part of a day during a family trip or while at a family vacation home are examples of neutral locations where families tend to be at ease.

Break the ice. Allow time for a fun icebreaker activity to put people at ease. This could be an activity or a question (“What does the family business mean to you?”

“What money messages did you receive as a child, and what message would you like to pass on to your own children?”) that all family members answer.

Set aside time for learning. Include an educational component in the agenda, such as an introduction to investing, estate planning, budgeting and saving, or philanthropy.

Have a “parking lot.” Document subjects brought up that might need to be addressed in a future meeting. This shows members that everyone’s participation and input is valuable and that while a subject might not fit into the present agenda, it will be included in a future meeting.

Include a facilitator. Consider including a trusted adviser to facilitate the meeting. Having a facilitator present who is experienced in working with families who have wealth can help with managing the agenda, offering a different perspective, calming emotions and making sure everyone is heard and understood.

Follow up. Include some “homework” and schedule the next meeting to set expectations about continuing to bring the family together.

Correctly facilitated, family meetings can be a safe place for members across generations to communicate effectively and learn about stewardship. The goal is that the family unit will continue to flourish even after the first generation has handed over the reins to the next.

So, what happened to Jane and John?

They sought the help of their adviser, who spent time upfront understanding their goals and getting to know their children and their spouses. They planned their first family meeting.

During that meeting, the parents shared their story and communicated details about their values, goals and expectations.

Over the next few years, the family met several times and talked about a variety of topics. The children learned more about investing and opened their own investment accounts, to which the parents made gifts. They talked about estate planning and created their own estate plans.

Following a meeting on philanthropy, See FAMILY MEETINGS, page 38

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Delaying RMDs can end up costing more

By Jackie Stewart It took more than four decades for Congress to raise the age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2019 from 70½ to 72. Less than two years later, Congress is considering raising it again.

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 had bipartisan support, and experts believe that Congress’s encore, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act — already approved by the House Ways and Means Committee — has a good chance of becoming law.

Dubbed the SECURE Act 2.0, the bill aims to make it easier for Americans to save for retirement by raising the RMD age to 73 on Jan. 1, 2022; to 74 on Jan. 1, 2029; and then to 75 on Jan. 1, 2032.

Having three more years of tax-deferred growth in your retirement savings accounts, however, is a mixed bag. “Everyone likes when you delay RMDs,” said Ed Slott, president of Ed Slott and Co., which provides IRA training to financial advisers.

“But waiving RMDs or putting them off doesn’t help most people.”

In fact, taking RMDs later could hurt.

The amount of these required withdrawals from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s is based on both the account balance at the end of

Expert From page 34 the Pension Protection Act of 2006.

“You can thank me that your pension is safe,” he said, although “no one ever has,” he added with a chuckle.

While he was at Social Security, Warshawsky and his staff streamlined the annual statement every American receives in the mail.

“We totally revamped and redesigned the Social Security statement…That statement had not been changed in 20 years. It was very wordy, a lot of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo.”

Now, he said, “It’s much cleaner; it’s not as long — thank goodness.”

Invented the life care annuity Warshawsky is also credited with inventing the “life care annuity,” an insurance company product for people who can’t afford, or aren’t eligible for, longterm care insurance.

Although most people will require longterm care someday, they likely won’t be able to afford it. Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care, so some people try to buy insurance to cover future expenses.

However, Warshawsky pointed out, “a lot of people can’t get long-term care insurance because their health is poor. Long-term care insurance (LTCI) is expensive to begin with. It’s unaffordable for most people.”

So Warshawsky hit upon the idea of combining long-term care insurance with

each year and the account owner’s life expectancy as determined by the IRS’s Uniform Lifetime Table.

By delaying RMDs, retirees may be forced to make bigger withdrawals from an account that is likely to have a larger balance because it had more time to grow.

That can have tax implications.

Justified by longer lives Of course, raising the RMD age is appropriate given today’s longer life expectancies. In the mid-1970s, when the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, first authorized IRAs, U.S. life expectancy at birth was 72.6 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2020, that age, according to the CDC, had jumped to 77.3 years.

Raising the RMD age does give retirees more flexibility. If the law is changed, savers can still take distributions before age 75 or, if they can afford to, leave the funds alone a few more years.

“This just gives you options, but doesn’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” said Catherine Reilly, director of retirement solutions at Smart USA, a retireSee RMDs, page 39

life annuities.

“The people who buy LTCI are people who expect to use it, so they’re presumably sicker and more frail,” he explained.

“By contrast, the people who buy life annuities expect to live forever. If you combine them, both groups come out ahead.”

“Everyone needs a life annuity in my mind because we never know how long we’re going to live. You could outlive your income,” he said.

After working as a financial consultant for years, Warshawsky struck out on his own and established a company to provide guidance about and offer the annuities he invented.

During the five years that he ran the business, he also developed a software program related to estate planning. The program, he said, addressed the question, “How do you optimize your portfolio to get a lifetime stream of income and leave a legacy to your grandchildren?”

What can average citizens do about Social Security’s problems? Although the looming insolvency won’t affect people in the Greatest Generation or perhaps even Boomers, younger generations may witness disaster.

“People need to understand it, they need to weigh in on it,” he said. “People should express their views to their congressman,” he recommends.

You can watch Warshawsky’s informational lecture from a computer, smartphone or tablet. Check out the Beacon’s free Virtual 50+Expo at beacon50expo.com from Nov. 1, 2021 through Jan. 31, 2022.

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Tax-smart strategies for gifts to charity

By Martin Schamis While each of us has our own very personal motivations for, and approach to, giving, Americans as a group continue to be the world’s most charitable nation. In 2020 alone, annual charitable gifting in the United States totaled over $471 billion (with gifts by individuals comprising 69% of that total).

And even though income and estate tax advantages aren’t the main reasons driving most people’s philanthropy, they’re nevertheless valuable benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked.

To qualify for an income tax deduction on a charitable gift of cash or property, you need to: • Itemize deductions on your income tax return • Meet gift documentation/substantiation requirements

• Make the gift to a qualified charitable organization In this regard, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 (colloquially known as the Trump tax cut) served to both give and take away. The TCJA not only retained the existing tax deduction for charitable contributions, it bolstered it by allowing taxpayers to contribute even more under the deduction.

Prior to the TCJA, you could only deduct up to 50% of your adjustable gross income (AGI) as charitable gifts. The Act effectively raised the AGI limit to 60%, allowing taxpayers to gift more while still benefiting from the deduction.

At the same time, the TCJA dramatically overhauled the standard deduction — essentially doubling the deduction amount while eliminating and scaling back a number of allowances. For 2021, the standard deduction is $12,550 for single taxpayers and $25,100

for those who are married filing jointly.

Not surprisingly, that has dissuaded many taxpayers who used to itemize deductions from continuing to do so. For the 2019 tax year, only about 1 in 10 (11.4%) taxpayers itemized their deductions compared to about 1 in 3 (31.9%) prior to the change, according to IRS data.

One small victory for those who choose not to itemize is that the CARES Act and subsequent legislation includes a special $300 charitable tax deduction for both the 2020 and 2021 tax years — and for 2021, married couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600.

But what if you want to give considerably more than that to charity? Are there ways to still gain the tax benefits without having to itemize your deductions every year?

Yes, there are. In fact, the following are two relatively simple strategies you may want to consider.

‘Bunching’ contributions Let’s suppose you’ve historically donated $10,000 each year to one or more local qualified charities. But now, you no longer itemize your deductions.

Rather than losing out on the tax benefits of your charity, you may want to consider bunching several years of giving (e.g., $50,000 for the next five years) into a single year and placing the gift into a donor advised fund (DAF).

DAFs are separate charitable investment accounts offered through qualified custodians (such as Fidelity, Vanguard and other brokerages). They’re extremely easy to set up, and can be funded with a variety of assets, including cash, stocks, bonds and funds.

Once you open and fund your DAF account, you choose a strategy for how those funds will be invested until they are given away. You can then start “recommending” grants of funds to any qualified charity you wish to support. The custodian will then transfer those funds to the charity or charities you suggested.

Because contributions to a DAF are irrevocable gifts, you get an immediate tax deduction in the year the gift is made (typically up to 60% of your AGI for cash contributions and up to 30% of your AGI for appreciated assets) no matter how long you take to distribute the funds.

Essentially, this strategy is a way to front-load multiple years of charitable deductions into a single tax year in which you opt to itemize deductions on your federal return.

For example, in Year 1, you contribute $50,000 to your DAF (only distributing $10,000 of the money to charity) and itemize your deductions to get the full tax benefit. In Years 2 through 5, you can then take the standard deduction and still make the same $10,000 annual gifts in the form of “recommended grants” out of your DAF.

Gifting RMDs you don’t need Did you know that the IRS allows you to make tax-free distributions directly from your taxable IRAs to any 501(c)(3) registered charity rather than taking your reSee CHARITABLE GIVING, page 39

Family meetings From page 36 the parents created a Donor Advised Fund so that the children could come together, recommend gifts to the charities of their choice, and make joint decisions about charitable giving.

These meetings brought the family together. They came to understand their responsibilities as stewards of the wealth created by their parents and gained more confidence to build lasting wealth for generations to come. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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RMDs

let alone until age 75.”

From page 37

But later can be costlier

ment plan provider.

The delay also gives people more time to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth before RMDs kick in, which can have tax advantages. (You can still convert to a Roth after you start taking distributions, but before the conversion you must take your RMD for that year.)

Roth IRAs have no RMDs, and because the accounts are funded with post-tax dollars, withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.

For most seniors, though, the proposed legislation is unlikely to matter. The Treasury Department estimated in 2019 that 20.5% of seniors required to take RMDs would withdraw only the minimum amount in 2021. That implies that most people taking RMDs need the money for living expenses and are unlikely to delay distributions if given the choice.

“For the majority of retirees this will be a nonevent if [Congress] pushes the age back,” said Paul Camhi, vice president at investment advisory firm The Wealth Alliance. “Most can’t afford to wait until 72,

If you can afford to wait, be prepared for a tax hit. Because RMDs are taxed as income, taking a larger sum later could nudge you into a higher tax bracket. As a result, more of your Social Security benefits may be taxed, or you could lose out on certain deductions and credits if higher RMDs push you past income requirements.

Even Medicare premiums for Parts B and D, which are based on income, could be higher. “There are ripple effects from having more income,” Slott said.

No matter what happens, don’t assume that waiting to take RMDs is always better.

Instead, calculate how your RMDs would change if you take them later. “Try to get the money out at the lowest tax rate possible,” Slott said.

“That may mean spreading the RMDs over more years to stay in a lower tax bracket. Pushing it back to 75 may not be doing yourself a favor long-term.” © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Charitable giving

vestment income), the couple realize they will likely end up in a higher income tax bracket for the year, as well as be subject to a higher short-term capital gains tax rate.

By only taking $20,000 in RMDs and gifting the other $40,000 to their favorite charity using a QCD, the couple can reduce their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) enough to drop down to a lower tax bracket, and avoid paying income taxes on the $40,000 they otherwise would have been required to take as part of their RMDs. While charitable giving helps address critical humanitarian needs and provides an ideal way to light the flame of philanthropy in future generations, it can also arm you with some important tax benefits.

These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax adviser. © The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 38 quired minimum distributions (RMDs) from those accounts?

It’s an opportunity to use RMDs you may not need for income, and instead fund a sizable gift (up to $100,000 per taxpayer per year) to one or more qualified charities.

This Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) provision is only available to taxpayers who are age 70½ or older, and provides a way to accomplish three goals in one: —satisfy your annual taxable RMD —support one or more charities that are important to you —and avoid having to pay income taxes on your RMDs, as well as the potential that your RMDs might push you into a higher tax bracket and/or prevent phaseouts of other tax deductions.

Example: Consider a married couple who are both age 75 whose combined RMDs for 2021 will total $60,000. When combined with their other annual income sources (Social Security, pension and in-

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How to invest in cryptocurrency indirectly

By Alana Benson Cryptocurrencies are inherently cryptic — it’s right there in the name. And if you follow Warren Buffett’s advice to never invest in businesses you can’t understand, it may be hard to justify investing in a currency made of math instead of gold.

But it’s also hard to ignore some cryptocurrencies’ astounding performance: The price of one bitcoin jumped from just under $5,000 in March 2020 to over $60,000 in April, where it also stands as of print date.

The excitement surrounding digital currency may leave some investors feeling like the lonely kid at the pool party, wanting to join their friends having fun in the deep end but too nervous to jump in.

For those investors who are cautiously curious, here are ways to gain exposure to cryptocurrency without buying it, and if you do decide to purchase, how to lower your risk.

Invest in companies that hold it Think of this strategy as cryptocurrency investing once removed. Some publiclytraded companies have cryptocurrency holdings. And because they are betting on its success, you can too, with those companies acting as a buffer.

“When you’re thinking about investing

in a company because they have exposure to crypto, it really runs the gamut from how direct or indirect you are in terms of that exposure,” said Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner and president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York City. “It just depends on how much of their balance sheet is in crypto.”

Checking a company’s balance sheet can be revealing: As of June 30, 2021, Tesla held $1.31 billion in digital assets. And while the tech giant has received lots of media attention for its investment, that $1.31 billion currently equates to only about 2.4% of Tesla’s total assets. But if those assets balloon in value, as cryptocurrency is sometimes wont to do, Tesla’s stock value could too.

Invest in its infrastructure Another way to gain exposure is to invest in companies that have a stake in the cryptocurrency industry.

Coinbase (COIN) is a platform where investors can buy and sell cryptocurrency — and it’s publicly traded.

“Just like you have with gold, you can either invest in the commodity itself or the infrastructure around it, the miners, the materials needed for mining, same with energy and oil,” Boneparth said. “And there are public companies that are specif-

ically operating in the blockchain space, but there’s not many of them.”

Riot Blockchain Inc. (RIOT) is one of those few publicly traded companies that focuses on cryptocurrency mining. Riot Blockchain, among others, helps build cryptocurrency infrastructure and provides another cryptocurrency-adjacent investment opportunity.

Exchange traded funds coming While there are currently no cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds that have been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, there is demand for them.

A cryptocurrency ETF would operate much like any other ETF, but instead of tracking a market exchange like the S&P 500, it would track a cryptocurrency. For instance, a bitcoin ETF would track the price of bitcoin.

There have been numerous applications for cryptocurrency ETFs, and the SEC is expected to decide whether to approve investment manager VanEck’s bid for a bitcoin ETF, which could be the United States’ first such fund, on Nov. 14, 2021.

On October 18, the SEC approved the first bitcoin futures exchange traded fund.

The fund will invest in Bitcoin futures,

which are essentially bets on where Bitcoin’s price will go in each of the months ahead.

The Bitcoin futures market is overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which may offer investors more protection. But it also doesn’t perfectly track the price of Bitcoin.

“This is not a replacement for owning bitcoin directly,” said Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF and mutual fund Research at CFRA.

Use caution if investing directly If you’re willing to invest in cryptocurrency directly, there are a few ways you can mitigate your risk. One way to do this is to reduce the amount of money you invest.

Some credit cards offer cryptocurrency rewards in a similar way as cash back or miles. If you decide to add cryptocurrency to your portfolio by way of rewards, you don’t even have to use your own dollars to do so.

Another way to reduce your risk is to invest in stablecoins, which are similar to traditional cryptocurrencies but are backed by real-world assets, making them less prone to significant drops in value. — AP/NerdWallet. AP’s Stan Choe contributed to this article.

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Warning signs of potential identity theft

By Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia Identity theft is stressful, and it can do tremendous damage to your finances. It’s important to recognize the signs early. The earlier you notice something is amiss, the faster you can take action to minimize the damage.

The Better Business Bureau identifies the following signs to help you recognize signs of identity theft as soon as possible: —You receive statements or bills in the mail for accounts you never opened. If you get a bill for an account you didn’t authorize, someone may have obtained your personal information and opened an account in your name. Contact the company immediately to find out if there’s been a mistake and check your credit report for unusual activity.

—You are surprised by being denied a loan or credit. You may think you have great credit, but if you apply for a credit card or loan and are shocked to find that you’ve been rejected, you may be the victim of identity theft. Thieves can open accounts in your name, run up the bill, and then default on payments, ruining your credit before you know what they’ve been up to. Check your credit report a few times a year to make sure no one has opened any credit accounts in your name.

—Your regular bills stop showing

up in the mail. If you haven’t signed up to go paperless and your bills stop showing up in the mail, it could be a sign that someone has changed your billing address. Contact your creditors to inquire if they sent the bill and confirm the address they have on file is correct.

—You notice suspicious activity in your bank account. Unfamiliar charges, new accounts, and withdrawals you didn’t make are all signs of identity theft. Review your bank account regularly to make sure no one has access to your funds.

—You notice suspicious charges on your credit card. Scammers may make a small charge on your account first to test out their information, hoping you won’t notice. If you notice any strange charges on your credit card bill, report them immediately. Even a small inconsistency can be a sign of fraud.

—You get authentication messages for accounts you didn’t set up. Scammers could be trying to set up a new account in your name. If you receive unexpected authentication messages, don’t reply. Review your bank accounts, credit card statements and credit report to make sure no one has succeeded in making transactions in your name.

—The IRS rejects your tax return. If your tax return gets rejected, someone

may have filed in your name and made off with your tax refund. Contact the IRS if you suspect your tax identity has been compromised.

—The IRS informs you a tax return has been filed on your behalf. Sometimes the IRS catches a fraudulent tax return before the fake filer succeeds in getting your refund. When this happens, you may receive a letter from the IRS with instructions on how you can verify your identity and prevent identity thieves from using your Social Security number.

—Your credit score inexplicably improves or deteriorates. If your credit score is suddenly very low, a fraudster may have maxed out your credit without paying the bill. On the other hand, if your credit is improving when you haven’t done anything to earn it, an identity thief may be building up your credit so they can run through it later.

—You are suddenly denied medical coverage. Scammers can steal your identi-

ty to use your health benefits too. If you get medical bills in the mail but you haven’t been to the doctor, someone may be using up your benefits in your name.

The same is true if you are unexpectedly denied coverage. Contact your insurance company to find out if you’ve been the victim of medical identity theft.

—Debt collectors call about debts you are unaware of. If you receive calls from debt collectors about money owed in your name for charges you never made, someone may be using your personal information. In some cases, con artists may even use your child’s name or Social Security number to rack up debts. Get as much information as you can from the debt collector so you can investigate the supposed charges and take action to correct the matter.

If you suspect you are the victim of identity theft, visit identitytheft.gov to report the matter and get a personalized recovery plan.

Report scams to BBB.org/ScamTracker.

BEACON BITS

Thru Dec.

WINTERNATIONAL MARKET

This year marks the 9th annual Embassy Showcase Winternational, a virtual marketplace. Through Dec. 2021, shop the Winternational marketplace for visual arts, handcrafts, jewelry, apparel and culinary fare by visiting bit.ly/Winternational21.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Finally… a better mobility solution than Scooters or Power Chairs.

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If you have mobility issues, or know someone who does, then you’ve experienced the difficulties faced by millions of Americans. Once simple tasks like getting from the bedroom to the kitchen can become a time-consuming and potentially dangerous ordeal. You may have tried to solve the problem with a power chair or a scooter but neither is ideal. Power chairs are bulky and look like a medical device.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

Travel

43

Leisure &

Rick Steves recalls his strolls on Paris’ grandest boulevard. See story on page 44.

RiNo: Denver’s colorful, trendy arts district

Wasn’t always for hipsters Officially a part of the historic Five Points neighborhood, RiNo was a blue-collar mecca early in the 20th century, when businesses like foundries and pattern shops opened there.

By the late 1980s, however, industry began moving to the suburbs, leaving the area with an assortment of vacant warehouses and a crumbling infrastructure.

The Five Points area “had a reputation that was less than stellar,” explained Alison

Salutz, director of community programs for Historic Denver, Inc., a nonprofit that works to preserve old structures slated for demolition.

“It was the first place in the city to grow when the downtown area became too congested.”

Five Points became home to many Black residents “because of its location near the railroad,” Salutz said.

That inflow, she added, was prompted by the process of redlining. The New Deal program, designed by the federal government, systematically kept minorities out of suburban neighborhoods by denying them loans and services and redirecting them to urban housing projects. “It forced them to live there,” she added.

PHOTO BY VISIT DENVER, RINO ART DISTRICT

By Tony Glaros Just three minutes from downtown Denver, an industrial-warehouse-belt-turnedart-district bubbles with creativity. Nestled on the South Platte River, the part of town known as River North, or RiNo, is a rich mosaic of murals towering inside and outside trendy bars and coffee shops, in alleyways and on highway underpasses.

RiNo offers a sensory romp anchored by rich shades of primary colors set against the multi-hued backdrop of the Rockies. Everywhere you look, art studios and galleries fill the frame.

During the last decade, the area has morphed “from a largely empty, uninhabitable area to probably the hippest of Denver right now,” said Ed Sealover, a former Annapolis resident and longtime reporter for the Denver Business Journal.

Warehouses attracted artists In time, in order to revive the area, a grassroots group called RiNo Art District began linking artists with various arts entities, converting forgotten warehouses into studios with affordable rents.

The construction boom produced a wide range of sparkling new distilleries, wineries, bars, restaurants and 10- to 12story apartment buildings.

At Sacred Heart Catholic Church, near the heart of RiNo, the pastor of the longest continuously operating Catholic parish in Denver, Father Joe Lajoie, finds the neighPHOTO BY REBECCA TODD

At Nocturne, a jazz and supper club in RiNo, patrons can hear live jazz almost every night of the week. Bars and coffee shops are abundant in the hip neighborhood.

Denver’s creative side takes center stage in River North, or RiNo. This mural, by artist Nick Napoletano, is one of dozens that decorate the neighborhood, which is a thriving arts and entertainment district within walking distance of the city’s baseball stadium.

borhood’s freewheeling, bohemian mood a never-ending source of inspiration. When he’s not saying Mass or lifting weights, he sets out in search of some quiet time.

“And given the nature of my assignment,” he deadpanned, “I [allow] time into my schedule to go to a brewery and drink beer.” Lajoie’s favorite spot is Epic Brewery on Walnut Street, about four blocks from the parish.

Exploring the robust margins of RiNo on foot is possible in a couple of days. At one worthy destination, the Molly Brown House Museum, fill your senses with facts and fantasy surrounding the life of Margaret “Molly” Brown.

She became a socialite and philanthropist after her husband made a fortune following the discovery of gold at a mine he managed.

She also gained fame as a survivor of the RMS Titanic in 1912. The so-called “unsinkable” Brown became active in numerous social and political causes, among them women’s suffrage and workers’ rights.

To honor her heroics on the ship’s maiden voyage, a fictionalized musical comedy, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” premiered on Broadway in 1960. The film version, starring Debbie Reynolds, was released in 1964.

Kathy Deutsch, a 73-year-old Bethesda resident, grew up in Denver and graduated from East High School, which produced familiar names like singer Judy Collins and novelist Jack Kerouac.

Deutsch recommends historic businesses like Tattered Cover, her treasured bookstore, which opened its first store in 1971 in the Cherry Creek North section of the city.

“It’s the best independent bookstore in the country. They have every book you’d ever want,” she said, and it has “the same vibe” as Politics and Prose in the District of Columbia.

Connecting with residents On a Friday afternoon, John Gaines circled the neighborhood around Larimer and 35th Streets, near an outdoor drinking and dancing club sporting an expansive chunk of artificial turf.

“There’s a lot of spirit [here],” said Gaines, an independent stock broker. “The art helps you stay present if you take it all in.”

Gaines, a Baltimore area native, observed that “architecturally, RiNo’s more like Pigtown,” the historic meat processing district of Baltimore. “They’re neighborhoods that See DENVER, page 45

44

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Reminiscences of Paris’ Champs-Élysées I’m ready for my stroll on the ChampsÉlysées. I like to say it out loud: shahn-zay lee zay. This grandest of boulevards is Paris at its most Parisian: sprawling sidewalks, stylish octogenarians caked in makeup, concept cars glimmering in showroom windows, and pastel macarons in grand cafes.

Paris’ characteristic love of strolling (a stately paced triathlon of walking, windowshopping, and high-profile sipping) dates from the booming 19th century, with its abundance of upper-class leisure time and cash.

Donning an aristocratic air, I amble gently downhill to the immense and historic square called the Place de la Concorde.

This boulevard is the country’s ultimate parade ground, where major events unfold: the Tour de France finale, Bastille Day parades, and New Year’s festivities.

Cruising for 350 years In 1667, Louis XIV opened the first stretch of the Champs-Élysées: a short extension of the Tuileries Gardens leading to the palace at Versailles. The ChampsÉlysées soon became the place to cruise in your carriage. It still is today — traffic can be jammed up even at midnight.

A century after Louis XIV, the café scene arrived. Cafés were ideal for both Parisian

PHOTO BY IOAN PANAITE/SHUTTERSTOCK

By Rick Steves As we’ve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here’s one of my favorite memories from Paris — a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis.

I have a ritual when in Paris. I ask my cabbie to take me around the Arc de Triomphe two times, then drop me off to stroll down the city’s grand boulevard, the Champs-Élysées.

We plunge into the grand traffic circle where a dozen venerable boulevards converge on this mightiest of triumphal arches.

Like referees at gladiator camp, traffic cops are stationed at each entrance to this traffic circus, letting in bursts of eager cars.

On this visit, after barely avoiding an accident, my cabbie calms me, saying, “In Paris, a good driver gets only scratches, not dents.” Groping for the lost end of my seatbelt, I say, “There must be an accident here every few minutes.”

He explains, “In the case of an accident here, each driver is considered equally at fault. This is the only place in Paris where the accidents are not judged. No matter what the circumstances, insurance companies split the costs 50-50.” While we’re momentarily stalled on the inside lane, I pay and hop out.

Paris’ main thoroughfare, the Champs-Élysées, connects Place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe, above. The iconic street has been a place to see and be seen since the 19th century.

pleasure-seekers and thinkers, conspiring to share ideas and plot revolutions.

That coffee-sipping ambience survives today, amid pop-up boutiques and music megastores. Two cafés, Le Fouquet’s and Laduree, are among the most venerable in Paris and beloved for their pastel and tasty macarons.

Until the 1960s, the boulevard was pure Parisian elegance, lined with top-end hotels, cafés and residences. Locals actually dressed up to stroll here.

Then, in 1963, the government, wanting to pump up the neighborhood’s commercial metabolism, brought in the Metro to connect the Champs-Élysées with the suburbs. Suddenly, the working class had easy access.

And bam — there goes the neighborhood.

The arrival of McDonald’s was another shock. At first, it was allowed only white arches painted on the window. Today, the hamburger joint spills out onto the sidewalk with cafe-quality chairs and stylish flower boxes.

The nouvelle Champs-Élysées, revitalized in 1994, has new street benches, lamps and an army of green-suited workers armed with high-tech pooper scoopers.

Two lanes of traffic were traded away to make broader sidewalks. And plane trees (a kind of sycamore that thrives despite bigcity pollution) provide a leafy ambience.

From cabaret to Egyptian obelisk As I stroll, I notice the French appetite for

a good time. The foyer of the famous Lido, Paris’ largest cabaret, comes with leggy photos and a perky R-rated promo video.

The nearby Club Med building is a reminder of the French commitment to vacation. Since 1936, France’s employees, by law, have enjoyed one month of paid vacation. The French, who now have five weeks of paid vacation, make sure they have plenty of time for leisure.

On the Champs-Élysées, the shopping ends and the park begins at a big traffic circle called Rond Point. From here, it’s a straight shot down the last stretch of the boulevard to Place de la Concorde. Its centerpiece was once the bloody guillotine but is now the 3,300-year-old Obelisk of Luxor.

It was shipped here from Egypt in the 1830s, a gift to the French king.

I stand in the shadow of that obelisk with my back to the Louvre, once Europe’s grandest palace, now its grandest museum. Looking up this ultimate boulevard to the Arc de Triomphe, I can’t help but think of the sweep of French history — and the taste of those delightful macarons.

Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This article was adapted from his new book, For the Love of Europe. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook. © 2020 Rick Steves

BEACON BITS

Nov. 10

CHANGING WEATHER IN MARYLAND Maryland Center for History and Culture hosts a virtual conversation

about the impact of the earlier start of spring on Maryland plant species with Lynn Cazabon, featured artist of MCHC’s Losing Winter exhibition, Dan Barrie of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Erin Posthumus of the USA NaWB1121

tional Phenology Network. The event takes place Wed., Nov. 10 from 12 to 1 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/WeatherPatternsinMD.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

Denver From page 43 have sprung up around factories.”

For resident Rachael Smith, the forest of tall buildings in downtown Denver caused her to “lose my direction.” That’s why living a few miles from the center of town brings her immediate relief.

In RiNo, block after block of creative commentary “arouses my senses,” said Smith, 37, a project manager. “And you can see the Rockies from our rooftop!”

Murals make visitors smile Within the intimate circle of local street artists, Pat Milbery’s name stands out. His mural “Love This City,” at Broadway and Arapahoe, showcases a love for Denver with a heart fashioned from geometric

shapes. Two other versions of the mural are displayed in the city’s other art districts, Santa Fe and the Golden Triangle.

Milbery, who hopscotches the country painting on commission, said RiNo “is a special city in a lot of respects. It’s really welcoming. I enjoy the chill. And the weather is really incredible. You’re painting in the sunshine every day.”

Over on Larimer Street, the action never seems to stop at Lekker Coffee & Watering Hole. Kara Finkelstein and her mother, Dawn Kaprielian, started the business four years ago. In that time, Milbery’s work has added energy to their coffee shop experience.

“We chose Pat because everything’s so bright and colorful,” said Finkelstein, who donates 10% of the shop’s profits to a rhinoceros conservation society.

“When you walk in, you just want to smile.”

If you go Round-trip flights from the Washington area to Denver start at around $220 on United, but you can often find cheaper flights at discount airlines like Spirit, Frontier or Southwest.

When you arrive, take a colorful twohour walking tour of the River North arts district called the Denver Graffiti Tour ($30 per ticket at denvergraffititour.com).

The tour ends at Denver Central Market in the heart of RiNo, where you’ll find plenty of breweries, galleries and restaurants.

Denver may be landlocked, but that doesn’t stop regular shipments of fresh seafood from arriving on a rotating basis from eastern and western ports. At Fish

45

and Beer, 35 Larimer Street, Spanish octopus is a specialty.

The Source Hotel, 3330 Brighton Blvd., features a wide assortment of restaurants and an excellent bakery. Stop by The Woods Restaurant, located on the hotel rooftop, for a view of the city. On the ground floor, New Belgium which traces its roots to a basement in Fort Collins, is now the third-largest craft brewery in the country.

At Blue Moon Brewing, 3750 Chestnut Place, pulled pork tacos and bison burgers are among the featured items.

If you’d like to watch a baseball game, you can walk from RiNo to Coors Field to see the Colorado Rockies play other major league teams.

For more information, visit rinoartdistrict.org.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 13

SPY MUSEUM PARADE Celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall with the 15th annual Parade of

the Trabants. The Trabant is a small “cardboard” car now regarded as a symbol of East Germany and the Fall of Communism. The parade takes place at the International Spy Museum on Sat., Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experts will be on hand to answer questions about the cars, Cold War and Communism, while Alte Kameraden German Band performs. For more information, visit bit.ly/ParadeofTrabants.

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TINA TURNER THE MUSICAL ON BROADWAY, Mar 29 – 30 ....................................From $535pp Price based on double occupancy Broadway is open! Includes, transportation, Front mezz seating, overnight hotel only a minute walks from theater.Register before 1/27/22.

46

Leisure & Travel | Subscribe online! See how on p. 44

Diane Rhem From page 1 Rehm asked if she could volunteer, too.

On her very first day at the station, the program’s host was out sick, and the station manager asked Rehm to accompany her on the air to conduct that day’s interview.

As it happened, the subject matter was right up her alley, and “I felt quite comfortable and had a great time,” Rehm told Rosenthal. “That was the beginning of it all.”

In a 2016 interview at NIH, Rehm said, “When I got home [that first day], I was so excited…[My husband] looked at me and said, ‘Someday you’re going to be host of that show.’ He had such faith in me.”

After 10 months as a volunteer, Rehm landed a part-time position at the radio station, then a full-time one. She began hosting her own show in 1979, and it was named for her beginning in 1984. The last episode of “The Diane Rehm Show” aired in December 2016.

Rehm attributes her success to two things: perseverance and good fortune. “I was in the right place at the right time, as [in 1973] WAMU was soon to become part of National Public Radio, which itself was just getting off the ground.”

A passionate cause During the final years of Rehm’s daily two-hour show, her husband, John Rehm, developed Parkinson’s disease and began to decline.

When he reached the point of complete dependence on others, he felt ready to die and asked his doctor for medical assistance in dying. The doctor informed him it was illegal in Maryland and his only option was to stop eating and drinking, which he proceeded to do.

“I said, ‘Sweetheart, are you sure that this is what you want?’” Rehm recalled.

“And he said ‘absolutely’.” After 54 years of marriage, her husband slipped into a coma and died after 10 days.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

It wasn’t Rehm’s first painful experience watching a loved one suffer. When Rehm was just 19 years old, her mother died of liver cancer. Her father died 11 months later of heart disease — “literally of a broken heart,” she said once.

Rehm was deeply affected by watching her mother’s agony. “She begged to die,” Rehm recalled in a 2020 interview with Nnamdi. “That began my really strong feeling that people should not have to suffer.”

After her husband’s death, Rehm began interviewing people across the country for an NPR documentary about the right to die movement. Her conversations with patients, doctors, clergy and others on both sides of the issue were condensed into a one-hour documentary, “When My Time Comes: Should Americans Have the Right to Die?” Rehm decided to publish a companion book to the documentary “because I wanted people to have a chance to read a little more about persons featured in the film,”

Rehm said. That book, When My Time Comes: Conversations about Whether Those Who Are Dying Should Have the Right to Determine When Life Should End, was published in 2020, in tandem with the documentary.

Rehm says that “the subject will always be one of controversy, one of differing opinions, and I totally respect all of those opinions. My belief is that no matter what the choice, people should have a choice, they should be able to decide for themselves.”

When her own time comes, she told Nnamdi, “I would consider a good death one that is peaceful, painless, quiet. Perhaps having a party beforehand, having lots of champagne.”

Retired but still working By the time Rehm was in her late 70s, she had published several books and articles and amassed nearly a dozen awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award and National Humanities Medal.

Over the years, she had interviewed hundreds of politicians, authors, celebrities and experts in just about every field.

When asked about favorites, she pinpoints two special guests: Fred Rogers and Maya Angelou.

“Those two individuals, among thousands of others, will always stand out in my mind,” she said, for their compassion for others.

Rogers “teaches not only children, but adults what it is to express kindness, appreciation, to know what empathy is. I’ve never met anyone like him,” Rehm said.

Though she reveled in her job, Rehm always had a plan, she said, to “step away from the daily microphone once I turned 80. I’d held the show for 37 years, and it was time for a younger person with new and fresh ideas to take it on.”

Instead of retiring completely from radio, Rehm scaled back a bit. At first, she hosted one podcast a week, then another, and then added a monthly book club on Zoom. (She chooses each book herself.)

Rehm also hosted fundraising dinners in her home (pre-COVID) and chairs the 1961 Society, whose members have named WAMU in their wills.

“So, I’m plenty busy and enjoying every minute,” she said.

As for what’s next, Rehm indicated she does not have another book in mind to write, but would consider anything that comes her way.

“You know, I’ve never had a plan for my life. It’s all just happened. I’m open to whatever looks interesting and could add to our understanding of the world.”

At the same time, “If what I’ve done is the last thing I do, that’s fine with me,” she said.

Listen to Diane Rehm’s podcast “On My Mind” at wamu.org/show/diane-rehm-onmy-mind or register for her free virtual book club at wamu.org.

Through Jan. 31, 2022, watch a video of Rehm’s conversation with Beacon publisher Stuart Rosenthal at beacon50expo.com.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

47

Europe, anyone? What you need to know “Europe is Opening.” So proclaim post4. UK getting easier. Headlines about — and especially the country where you first line. Although you can buy such tests after ings from travel mavens and “opening” the U.S.-UK corri- arrive in Europe. you arrive, buying in advance avoids one destination advocates, and it dor refer to changes in U.S. 6. U.S. hasn’t budged. Regardless of possible destination hassle. probably is accurate. But rules for incoming visitors, all the other openings, the U.S. has not 7. It ain’t over ‘till it’s over — and it “opening” is kind of a loose not U.S. visitors to the UK. budged on its longstanding requirement ain’t over. Although the outlook is pretty concept — and, in the case of But the UK is easing the that even vaccinated U.S. travelers must upbeat right now, things could go pearEuropean travel — a moving former pre-arrival require- have a negative COVID test taken within shaped quickly. My longstanding recomtarget. ment for an expensive PCR three days prior to a return flight. mendations remain in force: Chances are that many of test to allow for much less exOnsite tests are available at many large • Stay flexible and have a Plan B in case you may want to visit Europe pensive antigen tests. In an European airports, but many are limited to requirements tighten again. over the holidays, and probaideal situation, UK will relax the expensive ($200 or so) and time-con• Minimize your financial exposure: Pay bly even more are thinking even that requirement for suming PCR tests. as few nonrefundable fares and rates and about visiting in spring or TRAVEL TIPS fully vaccinated travelers.

Fortunately, CDC also accepts some as few big deposits as possible. summer of 2022.

Given the importance of cheaper and easier rapid tests — even • Consider travel insurance that covers

By Ed Perkins Right now, that looks feasiU.S. visitors to the UK hospi- “home” tests — provided they include a both COVID travel expenses and medical ble, but COVID-19 can still stage its own tality business, I suspect there’s lots of telehealth service that observes and vali- costs while you travel. reopening, so caution remains the watch- pressure to do just that. dates the test online. You can do this from Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net word. Although requirements will proba5. Know before you go. Entry into some your hotel with a smart phone, laptop or or check out his travel website at www.railbly change, current rules are still reason- countries requires some additional prepara- tablet. Simple home tests without the tele- guru.com. ably strict. tions beyond just having a CDC card. Check health link don’t make the grade. © 2021 Ed Perkins. Distributed by Trib1. No jab, no journey. Yes, unvacci- the requirements of each country you visit Some airlines sell qualified self-tests on- une Content Agency, LLC. nated folks can enter many countries, at a cost of lots of testing and possible quarantines. Even if you can get into a country without having proof of vaccination, however, you’ll need it for many domestic visi“We don’t make product health PRQWKV ³6L[WHHQ ÀLJKWV DQG QRW D VQLIScientists have discovered a natural tor activities — from attending theaters, claims,” he said, “so I can’t say cause and ÀH ´ VKH H[FODLPHG way to kill germs fast. shopping at major stores, eating in restau%XVLQHVVZRPDQ 5RVDOHHQ VD\V ZKHQ Now thousands of people are using it H൵HFW %XW ZH NQRZ FRSSHU LV DQWLPLFURrants, and getting into the big museums to people around her show signs of unwantagainst unwanted viruses and bacteria in bial.” riding public transport, high-speed trains, He asked relatives and friends to try ed germs, she uses copper morning and the nose and on the skin. and local flights. night. “It saved me last holiGerms, such as viruses and 2. Stay current. Make sure your vaccidays,” she said. “The kids had bacteria, can multiply fast. nation is current. Volume vaccinations crud going round and round, When unwanted germs get in started early this year, and lots of you will but not me.” your nose they can spread and have passed the one-year mark before a $WWRUQH\ 'RQQD %OLJKW cause misery unless you stop tried copper for her sinus. “I them early. spring trip. Get a booster if you need it. am shocked!” she said. “My In the last 20 years, hun3. Paper OK, digital better. All of the head cleared, no more headdreds of studies by governcountries I checked accept the CDC vacache, no more congestion.” ment and university scientists cine card and the three major vaccines — A man with trouble breathshow the natural element copPfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson ing through his nose at night per kills germs just by touch.

— as proof of vaccination. tried copper just before bed.

7KH (3$ R൶FLDOO\ GHBut I’ve seen conflicting reports about ³%HVW VOHHS ,¶YH KDG LQ \HDUV ´ clared copper to be antimiwhether local venues such as museums he said. crobial, which means it kills and railroads also accept the paper card.

In a lab test, technicians microbes, including viruses, You’re much better off if you have a digital Natural device puts copper right where you need it. SODFHG PLOOLRQ OLYH ÀX YLbacteria, and fungus. vaccine pass of some sort.

The National Institutes of Health says, it. They reported the same thing, so he ruses on a CopperZap. No viruses were The EU has launched its EU Digital “The antimicrobial activity of copper is patented CopperZap® and put it on the found alive soon after.

COVID Certificate. As far as I can tell, U.S. Some people press copper on a lip market. now well established.” residents are not currently able to apply Soon hundreds of people had tried it. right away if a warning tingle suggests Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used for it, but some postings suggest that U.S. copper to purify water and heal wounds. The feedback was 99% positive if they unwanted germs gathering there. applications will be possible “soon.” Keep The handle is curved and textured to They didn’t know about microbes, but used the copper within 3 hours after the up to date at the EU website. increase contact. Copper ¿UVW VLJQ RI XQZDQWHG now we do. can kill germs picked up on germs, like a tickle in Scientists say the high conductance of Meanwhile, again as far as I can tell, U.S. ¿QJHUV DQG KDQGV DIWHU \RX the nose or a scratchy copper disrupts the electrical balance in a visitors can apply for and get a French carte touch things other people microbe cell by touch and destroys it in throat. sanitaire, which is much the same. Apply have touched.

Early user Mary seconds. through the French government website.

The EPA says copper still Some hospitals tried copper for touch Pickrell said, “I can’t works even when tarnished. surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. This believe how good my BEACON BITS Made in America of cut the spread of MRSA, and other ill- nose feels.”

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Pat McAllister, 70, received one for call toll-free 1-888-411-6114. nose that felt like a cold about to start, he Georgetown Neighborhood Library. %X\ RQFH XVH IRUHYHU rubbed the copper gently in his nose for Christmas and called it “one of the best The event takes place Tues., Nov. 16 Statements herein are not intended presents ever.

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

November Events Nicholas McGegan conducts Bach & Haydn Enjoy Baroque at its best as “one of the finest Baroque conductors of his generation” (The Independent) leads a joyous program featuring music by Bach and Telemann. Maestro Nicholas McGegan closes the evening with Symphony No. 98 by “father of the symphony” Joseph Haydn.

November 4 & 6 | Concert Hall

Katia & Marielle Labèque play Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos Renowned sibling pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque, who The New York Times credits with having “transformed the piano duo,” perform a piece composed especially for them: Bryce Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos.

November 11–13 | Concert Hall

Nicholas McGegan

Kennedy Center Chamber Players Fall Concert Comprised of title players of the NSO, this ensemble performs today’s finest chamber repertoire with acclaimed artistry.

November 14 | Terrace Theater

NSO Presents: Ben Folds In Actual Person Live For Real Tour NSO Artistic Advisor Ben Folds returns to the Concert Hall as part of his anticipated In Actual Person Live For Real Tour! Folds is no typical rock star—his last album, So There, featured a blend of power-pop songs, alt rock hits, and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra that soared to #1 on both the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. Note: The NSO is not performing on this concert.

November 15 | Concert Hall

Katia & Marielle Labèque

Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony Australian conductor Simone Young makes her NSO debut with a Benjamin Britten-influenced program featuring Britten’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, and Arvo Pärt’s requiem to the great English composer.

November 18 & 20 | Concert Hall

NSO Pops: Disney and Pixar’s Up in Concert The unforgettable animated classic returns to the big screen with Michael Giacchino’s Oscar- and Grammy Award®winning score performed live to the film! Follow the unlikely duo of a curmudgeonly 78-year-old balloon salesman and his 8-year-old stowaway on this hilarious, heartwarming journey to a lost world filled with danger and surprises.

November 26 & 27 | Concert Hall

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

Style

49

Arts &

Spiff up your Thanksgiving with the help of these cookbooks. See reviews on page 50.

The Nighthawks celebrate five decades

From roadie to performer The son of a judge and a sculptor-turnedtherapist, Wenner got a backstage peek of the music business in the early 60s, when his younger brother started playing saxophone in soul bands. He helped out by driving to gigs and carrying their equipment. “I liked hanging around them,” he said.

After working as a roadie for his brother’s band, Wenner learned to play harmonica and got some on-stage experience as a singer. “I didn’t think I could sing, but the PA systems were so primitive that you couldn’t hear me anyway.”

As a student at Columbia University, Wenner played harmonica and sang in

bands, performing at fraternity parties and more serious New York City venues.

He wanted to perfect the art of performing but was frustrated that he couldn’t find a venue for an up-and-coming band to play every night to develop their skills.

“It requires just [performing] a lot to where your body will just switch over into that mode,” Wenner said.

After graduation, he moved back to the area with a plan to form his own group, and he started performing on stage with a friend, Bethesda blues guitarist Bobby Radcliff.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NIGHTHAWKS

By Katherine Mahoney Maryland musician Mark Wenner remembers taking the bus to downtown Washington, D.C., in the 1950s and 60s to see blues legends — such as Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and James Brown — perform at the Howard Theater for $1.

“I was spoiled rotten,” said Wenner, now 73.

As a kid growing up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Wenner was also “addicted to the radio…D.C. had three African American stations that I pretty much switched on to,” he said. Those local radio stations introduced him to the blues, country, rockabilly and other genres — music that he and his band, the Nighthawks, love to perform.

Wenner formed the Nighthawks in the 1970s from his home base in the D.C. area.

Next year, the Nighthawks will celebrate 50 years in the music business with a new album.

Over the years, the four-man band has performed at Wolf Trap, Carnegie Hall and on an episode of the HBO series “The Wire.” They will perform at a charity concert in a Maryland town hall this month.

Making it big By the spring of 1972, the Nighthawks had taken flight. It wasn’t until 1974 that the band solidified all of its members, which included Jimmy Thackery, Jan Zukowski, Pete Ragusa and Wenner.

The foursome played all types of music.

“Our sound is based on a Chicago blues band, but we could always do a country song or an old rock-and-roll song — or even something by a contemporary songwriter or a Motown kind of song,” Wenner said.

With their unique style, the Nighthawks hit the road. “We were working 300 days a year. We played in 49 states and about 10 different countries,” Wenner recalled.

“And that’s what really made the band’s reputation…that really relentless touring, being everywhere we could, as often as we could.”

Their hard work paid off. The Nighthawks had the opportunity to open for Muddy Waters, James Cotton and Carl Perkins, as well as the chance to record with John Hammond and Pinetop Perkins.

“It was pretty rough and I loved it, but I’m not doing that [now]. I physically can’t

The Nighthawks have been playing their unique take on the blues since 1972. The band’s current members include (left to right) original founding member Mark Wenner, Paul Pisciotta, Mark Stutso and Dan Hovey.

do that anymore; I would not survive,” Wenner said, noting that two band members are “well into their 70s,” and the others are in their 60s.

Over the years, the band members have

changed, but their style has stayed the same. Today, the Nighthawks include Mark Stutso as a vocalist and drummer, See NIGHTHAWKS, page 50

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50

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Cookbooks for Thanksgiving and more Preparing meals from scratch has be- Yee, an accomplished chef. come popular during the pandemic. These Recipes run the gamut from breakfast to books provide welcome ideas drinks, main dishes to to home cooks of all levels of desserts, sandwiches, snacks, experience. side dishes, appetizers and Friends: The Official pasta. Prep times and yields Cookbook, by Amanda Yee, accompany each recipe.

176 pages, Insight EdiEach entry begins with a tions hardcover, 2020 short paragraph associating This large-format cookthe dish with a character on book contains recipes that the show and, often, a tie-in to might have been prepared the plot of a specific episode in and served in the television the series.

THE series “Friends,” the hit sit- BIBLIOPHILE Color photographs illustrate com that debuted in 1994. The By Dinah Rokach most of the recipes. Publicity culinary tastes of characters shots of the stars and stills Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and from episodes are interspersed throughRachel are imagined by author Amanda out the text.

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Recipes are simple to prepare and readily accessible for those with rudimentary culinary skills. Learn how to make pizza from scratch. Discover how to make a dozen post-run recovery bars by simply freezing a mix of ingredients.

For Thanksgiving, you’ll find excellent recipes for roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce and candied pecans. Find suggestions for preparing sandwiches with leftover turkey. Desserts include pies, muffins, macarons, biscotti and flan.

There are no calorie counts, nutritional information or index. However, the contents, which include more than 100 recipes, are organized under 10 chapter headings. This cookbook is made to enjoy and read at your leisure.

Friends: The Official Cookbook Gift Set combines, in a deluxe gift box, the Friends cookbook with a chef’s apron designed à la Monica. It makes a great hostess gift.

Gordon Ramsay Quick and Delicious: 100 Recipes to Cook in 30 Minutes or Less, by Gordon Ramsay, 256 pages, Grand Central Publishing hardcover, 2020 Restaurateur and TV chef Gordon Ramsay provides detailed instructions on how to prepare sophisticated dishes quickly without angst or trepidation.

Full-color photographs accompany each of his 100 culinary creations. Many recipes include preparation tips, time-saving ideas and serving suggestions. Every recipe includes the number of servings, but there is no calorie count.

Introductory chapters present helpful advice, such as 12 suggestions on improving your productivity in the kitchen. Chef Ramsay’s 10 recommended kitchen basics include some that may surprise you.

The index is comprehensive: Not only can you find recipes by name, but individual

ingredients are included among its entries.

Gordon Ramsay Quick and Delicious is a great resource to expand your repertoire.

Ramsay is a remarkable teacher who boils it all down to these basics: the best ingredients, sure-handed guidance and a great recipe. He plans to open an eponymous Fish & Chips fast-casual eatery in DC’s Penn Quarter.

Quick & Healthy: 50 Simple Delicious Recipes for Every Day, by American Cancer Society, 108 pages, American Cancer Society paperback, 2020 The American Cancer Society advocates incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, low-fat dairy and fowl in your diet. These precepts form the basis for easy-to-prepare recipes in this paperback.

“If you don’t have a lot of time but you want to eat healthy, or provide your family with healthy options, this cookbook is for you,” according to Esmeralda Buchanan, senior director of Journals and Books Publishing at the American Cancer Society.

Quick and Healthy is a compilation of 15 vegetarian, 15 seafood and 20 chicken and turkey recipes. Learn to make unique dishes such as skillet turkey shepherd’s pie. Wow your guests with stuffed portobello caps, fresh garlic-parmesan-walnut rotini, and honey mustard cod with pecan topping.

Each of the recipes is accompanied by a full-page color photograph, a short cook’s note with prep tips, cooking advice or optional ingredients. The recipes presented serve four but can easily be recalibrated.

Most significantly, this cookbook includes calorie and nutritional counts per serving.

The dishes are not only tasty but healthy. Serving them is a gesture of love and concern for those at your table. To order a copy, go to cancer.org/bookstore.

Proceeds are returned to the American Cancer Society.

Nighthawks

there…it’s my local spot,” Wenner said.

The Nighthawks will play old tunes as well as some of their 10 new songs, written last year, when they were unable to tour or perform.

During the pandemic, “we went into safe places and created a whole album’s worth of material, plus some,” Wenner said. That album, their 31st, was recorded in an Annapolis studio and will be released next spring.

Wenner admits that the music business can be grueling, but “it’s been a good ride,” he said.

“You might as well follow your bliss and follow your heart and do what you really want to do.”

The Kensington Thanksgiving Dance is scheduled for Wed., Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Town Hall (Armory), 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, MD 20895. Tickets cost $10 at the door, and proof of vaccination or a negative test is required. Guests should bring a canned good or a gift card to a grocery store.

From page 49 Paul Pisciotta as bass player, and Dan Hovey as a vocalist and guitarist. Wenner is still a vocalist and harmonica player.

“It’s a very creative team,” Wenner said.

“We get along really well. We’re able to criticize each other without getting into fights...It’s a mature, working team that’s just a joy.”

Thanksgiving tradition for 18 years A resident of Kensington, Wenner has tried to give back to his community. In 2003, he helped create and plan Kensington’s annual Thanksgiving dance, a fundraiser for Bethesda Help — a nonprofit that provides food and services to locals in need.

The Nighthawks will perform in the town hall the night before Thanksgiving.

“The Kensington Town Hall is special to me. I took my driver’s test there when I was 16; I vote there; I played a little basketball in

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

51

Missing grade-school English teachers Ah, those younger generations. So spry. To cement in our pea brains the difference So attractive. So positive. So presentable. between “effect” and “affect,” she would And then they open their have us use each of those mouths. Out come the equivawords in a sentence. lents of chalk screeching “Robert,” she would say to across a blackboard. me, “can you effect a change “Me and him, we went to in the room temperature by the movies.” opening a window?”

“He has less people work“Yes, Miss Slipper,” I would ing for him.” reply.

‘She’s reverting back to the “And can you affect the same mistakes she used to room temperature by opening make.” the window, Robert?”

HOW I SEE IT “Learn me how to paint.”

“Yes again, Miss Slipper,” I

By Bob Levey “Where is he at?” would reply.

And similar atrocities. So many of them.

“Very good,” she would say. “You are a Too many of them. student to whom all praise is due.”

We oldies (not “us oldies!”) are the last This colloquy must have happened half generation to remember rotary dial a million times. Then, we groaned. Today, phones, soda fountains and milkmen. Alas, it’s obvious that the lessons stuck. we might also be the last generation to Such distinctions are chomped up and speak and write English correctly. spit out in the modern era, almost willfully Maybe you were as lucky as I was — to ignored. In many circles, it isn’t cool to have an eighth-grade English teacher who speak English precisely. It marks you as a never tired of diagramming sentences, and nerd, a dullard, an outcast. Even professionwho positively delighted in the distinction al writers don’t seem to care about gerunds, between who and whom. dangling modifiers or run-on sentences.

“I am your English teacher, to whom As usual, the villain is television. Before you must pay attention,” she would an- it took over the American living room and nounce, at least once a week. “You are my the American consciousness, proper Engstudents, who will pay attention.” lish could be found in two places: books She was also a big believer in practice. and radio.

Have a look at novels published in the 1950s. They wouldn’t dare end a sentence with a preposition, or fumble it’s and its.

As for radio, it was a cathedral of propriety. Yes, the announcers were almost all Caucasian. Yes, they were almost all male.

But to hear a Clifton Fadiman or an Art Linkletter delight in each syllable of “onomatopoeia” was to do three things simultaneously.

One, leap for the nearest dictionary.

Two, bet your bratty brother that he didn’t know what that word means.

Three, relish the fact that proper English can be fun. It’s not just about fusty, musty rules.

Close your eyes and hear with me — once again — the sculpted vowels of Orson Welles or Angela Lansbury. For them, and for us as the audience, English was to be treasured — buffed as if it were Grandma’s best candelabra.

Yes, of course, Jimmy Durante and Edward G. Robinson made careers out of mangling the mother tongue. But the vast majority of us knew that these fellows

were mangling it for effect.

The real deal was Douglas Edwards reciting the news each weekday evening on CBS. Carefully, precisely, flawlessly, as if he were afraid that a teacher of his from long ago would rap his knuckles with a ruler if he ended a sentence with a preposition.

Or how about Betty White as “the Happy Homemaker” on the Mary Tyler Moore show? No slurring, no slang. Just a solid midwestern accent and adjectives where there should be adjectives, adverbs where there should be adverbs.

I know I’ve painted with too broad a brush. Today’s young people are not all butchers. My agemates are not all shining stars. Even the guy typing this will sometimes say “I was only late by five minutes,” instead of “I was late by only five minutes.”

But Miss Slipper (yes, that was her name) instilled in me great pride in doing it right, and great guilt whenever I do it wrong. Can today’s wordsmiths say either?

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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They keep the Beacon free!

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Crossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Quads 1

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By Stephen Sherr 3

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Jumble answers on p. 55.

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Scrabble answers on p. 55.

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2. Attempt to destroy a pig's house 3. Achy 1. Cookie recipe qty.

4. Waiting area for bulls 5. Chart type in a PowerPoint presentation 5. Outcast 8. Religion founded in the 20th century 6. Stark raving mad 13. Burn soother 7. Acronym for Delta’s best guess 14. Orkin antagonist 8. Take the scenic route 15. Second-to-last syllable of a word 9. End of a magician's stage name 16. Traps prey 10. Puffy clouds 19. Accept the easy-finance terms 11. Fasteners 20. Letters on a Memorial Day flag 12. Finally!

21. Code for the Midwest’s busiest airport 15. Party for the World Series winners 22. One side in the War of 1812 17. Mostly EMPTY 23. Along with Mexico and Costa Rica, it 18. “Quit it!” represented CONCACAF in the 2018 24. Eroded World Cup 25. Nissan sedan 25. Peak of Western civilization 26. King excavated in 1922 26. Is the number one priority 27. Lines in a Henny Youngman joke 31. Parental ___ 28. Photog's products 32. Build a skyscraper 33. Location of a noted chainsaw massacre 29. Ends the boxing countdown 30. Spiderman foe, Doc ___ 35. TINIEST center 34. Part of CBS, but not ABC or NBC 36. Part of a boardwalk store's inventory 35. “___ were harmed in filming this 40. Sleeping bag fabric dissertation” 42. One attracted to flames 37. Preschooler 43. Restarts one’s analog timepiece 38. List shortening letters 49. Biblical prophet who said “I am not a 39. Surprise party warning sound prophet” 41. Light-bearing 50. "___ a number between 1 and 10" 43. European capital city 51. A single usually goes 45 44. Hold back 52. Like 36 in roulette 45. Extras in 2020’s Best Picture 53. Suffix with sucr- or lact46. Uproar 54. ___ Just Not Than Into You 47. Early reader of the Dead Sea Scrolls 57. Adds in some garlic and beef broth 48. Even smaller than 61. One with a monkey on his back 52. Giant mythical birds 62. A Bobbsey Twin since 1904 54. Angel topper 63. Jai ___ 55. Biblical big brother 64. Adam and Mae 56. Mix in the cream and sugar 65. Words which can precede each of the four theme answer starts (with 66 Across) 58. Use a loveseat 59. Item in Wile E Coyote's Acme 66. See 65 Across shopping cart Down 60.

“You are just a big dumb ___” 1. Option in a Mexican combination platter

Answers on page 55.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1

Letters to editor From page 2

53

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

the font of our print newspaper, but if you read the Beacon on our website, thebeaconnewspapers.com, you can zoom in and enlarge text as much as you like.

There are also apps that will read text from a website or smartphone aloud, though they usually charge a monthly fee. If you don’t have access to a computer, consider using a magnifier or drugstore eyeglasses.

Dear Editor: I greatly enjoy Bob Levey’s column, but do wish you would run a sharper photo of him. He’s fading into the sunset!

Thank you for continuing a fine newspaper for us seniors.

Patricia Minami Via email Ed. Note: See page 51 of this issue. Bob thanks you!

Dear Editor: Re: the October edition of the Washington Beacon (WB): 1. Page 19, “Should you stay in the stock market?”

This article ONLY promotes staying in the stock market. It does not look objectively at the issue of whether one should stay in the stock market, as the article title implies that it does.

2. Vaccination Hype There exists a huge controversy about whether one should get the covid vaccination(s), yet WB ONLY PROMOTES getting the vaccination(s).

We are trusting the WB to advise us as to performing the best self care in a complicated and conflicted environment. For example, given the tens of thousands of deaths resulting from the covid vaccines, we readers are owed the inclusion of that information.

Bill Norwood Greenbelt, MD Ed. Note: We are indeed promoting getting the COVID vaccine to our readers, but you are right that our readers are owed accurate statistics regarding adverse events.

You refer to “tens of thousands of deaths resulting from” the vaccine. That is simply not correct.

As MU Health Care, the health system of the University of Missouri, explains in “Scary reports of death following COVID-19 vaccination aren’t what they seem” — “The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) was established in 1990 as a national early warning system to detect potential safety problems with vaccines. It is managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The system allows anyone who has received a vaccine (not just a COVID-19 vaccine) to report “adverse events” (think side effects) that they experience following vaccination. Healthcare providers are required to submit reports of events that come to their attention even if the events clearly have no relationship to vaccination.

Since December 2020, more than 350 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S., and VAERS has received 6,968 reports of death (0.0019% of recipients), according to the CDC. (Numbers as of Aug. 26, 2021.)

However, that statistic offers no insight into the cause of death for those people. If a 90-year-old nursing home resident got the vaccine and then died days, weeks or even months later of another ailment, the resident’s death would be reported to VAERS and included in that statistic.”

Therefore, even if we were to attribute all those deaths to the vaccine — which is likely highly overstated — that would mean 1.9 people out of every 100,000.

Just for a reality check, note that more than 1 in every 500 Americans has died of COVID to date.

While a few may die from the vaccine, and some will die despite the vaccine, those who are not vaccinated at all are 11 times more likely to die from COVID than those who have been vaccinated. Hence our strong recommendation to readers to get vaccinated unless there are medical reasons not to do so in their case.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 19

50’S MUSIC CONCERT

Dec. 4

VIRTUAL NUTCRACKER

Enjoy rock and roll, blues and folk music from the 1950s at Aurora Hills Center, 735 18th St. S., Arlington, Va., on Fri., Nov. 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sign up for this free event by visiting bit.ly/AcousticAurora.

The Smithsonian Art Museum and the Washington Ballet present a free virtual Nutcracker performance followed by a master class for adults and children led by the Washington Ballet’s Margaret Williamson. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/VirtualDCNutcracker.

Ongoing

SENIOR CALL CHECKS

Maryland residents can sign up to receive a daily automated call to verify your well-being at a time scheduled for your convenience.

Visit aging.maryland.gov to learn more and find improvements to the process — including a way to verify the check in, pause the check in for a vacation, change or update information and request mailed items.

Ongoing

DANCE FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE

On Wednesdays, the Kennedy Center offers free Dance for Parkinson’s Disease workshops to empower participants to explore movement and music in creative and stimulating ways. The classes take place at 2:30 p.m. in Studio J at the REACH. Registration is required and begins at 10 a.m. the preceding Thursday. For more information, visit bit.ly/KCDanceforParkinson.

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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.

Caregivers A HOME HEALTHCARE- Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 2405336599) A CARE AGENCY - Been in business for more than 10 years. Experienced nurses, CNAs, GNAs. Any hours you need. Flat rate for live-in.

Duties include cooking, housekeeping, bathing, errands, etc. Tel: 667-231-8235

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.

Or 301-328-2112

Financial WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019.

Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations.

Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

For Sale MENS’ GOLF SET WITH BAG AND CART. ‘Gold Eagle Starpete’ irons and woods $140/obo. Treadmill – ‘Trainer 420 Golds Gym’, seldom used – orig. $380, now $250 obo. 2 Tires – (brand new) FALKEN ZE 950 A/S 205-65-R15 $65 each. WEEDEATER, corded electric edge trimmer - $40 obo. REMINGTON Lasso, corded electric trimmer - $45 obo. Call: Richard @ 301461-4122.

SLEEP NUMBER ADJUSTABLE 360 FLEXFIT SMART BED (Twin Long) base/frame & mattress for sale. Top & bottom of bed rises.

Originally $2400 now $1000. Great condition; less than year old. Cash only. For inquiries, email: ssandyk@comcast.net.

Health

TV/Cable

Wanted

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.

DIRECTV for $69.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Watch your favorite live sports, news & entertainment anywhere. One year of HBO Max FREE. Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Call for more details! (some restrictions apply) Call 1888-572-4953.

LOOKING TO BUY PRETTY THINGS. Favorites include Dresden, Herend, Royal Copenhagen and Shelley. English bone china cups and saucers, figurines by various makers and dish sets. Art, collectibles, pottery and sterling. Teak furniture. Serious collector of vintage Christmas and Halloween decorations. Please call (301) 785-1129. MD Precious Metal License 2753.

LIFE ALERT. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. FREE First Aid Kit (with subscription.) CALL 240-847-6732 FREE Brochure.

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away.

For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-240-650-9189 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258.

Home/Handyman Services DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-866-365-5170.

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower.

Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

HOME MOBILITY EQUIPMENT SALES, SERVICE AND REPAIR! One Step Mobility can help with all your mobility needs: Stair Lifts, Modular Ramps, Power Wheel Chairs, Electric Scooters, Manual Wheel Chair Repair and More 24/7: onestepmobility.com 301-767-5070 SLOWING DOWN AFTER 39 YEARS of contracting. small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial. $42.50 an hour from arrival on job. Will work all over DC area.

Andy 703-906-5429.

Legal Services APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-866-970-0779 FREE Consultation. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

Obituary IN LOVING MEMORY OF Claudia Denyse Booker. November 5, 1948 to February 19, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter, mother, and three siblings.

Wanted BUYING ESTATES, JEWELRY: gold, silver, old coins, mens wristwatches, military items, firearms, old toys, books, baseball cards memorabilia, golf, art, etc. Call Tom for free evaluation thanks 240-476-3441.

TOP PRICES PAID FOR FINE ANTIQUES, artwork and decorative objects including decorated crocks and jugs, unusual antique clocks, music boxes and mechanical things, coin operated devices, furniture, rare antique dolls and toys etc. I am 68 years old, well educated, financially capable, and have over 40 years in this business.

Why pay outlandish auction house, estate agent or consignment store commissions when you can get a fair upfront price for your pieces with no hassle? If you have something interesting or unusual, rare and valuable and are prepared to sell it I would like to speak with you. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301 279 8834. No calls after 7 pm please. Thank you.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae, Punk, Blues, and Disco. 33 1/3 LP’s, 45’s and some 78’s, Some Groups Of CD’s Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash which does not tarnish. I will come to your home to 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). Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the U.S. 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. Call Bob, (240) 938-9694.

READY TO MOVE OR DOWNSIZE? Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed? Downsizing Specialists is here to help! Our process helps you determine what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard with a compassionate specialist. Services include downsizing, decluttering, moving prep, estate sales and consignment of antiques, jewelry, coins, and collectibles. We also buy estates, vehicles, and real estate. DownsizingSpecialists.com or call/text Philip 301-219-3600 for details. Entire staff is vaccinated.

GENERAC STANDBY GENERATORS provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home and family stay safe and comfortable. Prepare now. Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!). Request a free quote today!

Call for additional terms and conditions. 1-866964-8106.

PET PORTRAITS by award winning artist, Carol Berman. Preserve the memory of your dear pet forever. Call (703)437-9068 or email carolbermanart@gmail.com to see samples of my work.

PUT ON YOUR TV EARS and hear TV with unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original were originally $129.95 - NOW WITH THIS SPECIAL OFFER are only $59.95 with code MCB59! Call 1-833-934-0843.

DISH NETWORK. $64.99 for 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1844-560-5837.

TV/Cable

WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-464-0958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com).

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Masks & safe distance. Jack (301) 279-2158, leave message.

CASH FOR ESTATES. I buy a wide range of items; Jewelry, Silver, Art, Rugs, Cultural Items, ETC., ETC. BUY OUT/CLEAN, 301-520-0755 WEBSITE: TheAtticLLC.com. I have my own trucks, my own crew & insurance.

WE BUY BOOKS. Moving? Downsizing? Estate? Together the Bonafide Book Buyers have over 85 years experience as professional buyers & sellers of books in the D. C. area. Best prices paid! Call Nelson at 240-472-4615 for details or appointment. Will pick up & remove from your house. Also consider DVDs & CDs. Inside or curbside pickup possible, phone for details.

I BUY CARS, TRUCKS, SUV’S, and Harley Davidsons. Licensed Dealer. Will buy as is.

Working Montgomery County, parts of Washington D.C., and parts of Fredrick County. Please call Tom. 301-806-8140.

Thank you for reading!

BEACON BITS

Nov. 11

VIRTUAL 5K RUN/WALK

MCVets hosts its Veteran’s Day virtual 5K run/walk on Thurs., Nov. 11. The registration fee is $35, and all proceeds benefit homeless veterans. To register, visit mcvet.org.

Nov. 11

Personal Services WE ARE A TO Z PERSONAL ORGANIZERS, bringing order to your life and to the life of your loved ones. We specialize in relocation services for seniors. Check us out on the web: A2ZOrganizers.com, or give us a call at 240.432.4920.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (Reg. 883).

Nov. 12

FREE ADMISSION TO MOUNT VERNON To celebrate Veterans Day, Mount Vernon offers free admission to all active duty, former and retired military personnel on Thurs., Nov. 11.

HOW DC GOT ITS SHAPE

In this virtual event hosted by Around Town DC, Mark Stein, author of the book How the States Got Their Shapes, talks about the borders of DC as both remnants of conflicts that divided the nation at its founding and signs of compromise. The event takes place Fri., Nov. 12 from 3 to 4 p.m. To register, visit bit.ly/ShapeofDC. Call Lena Frumin at (202) 895-9485 with questions.

Nov. 12+

NATIVE CINEMA SHOWCASE

The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase celebrates the best in native film. Films and panel discussions are available free on demand for specific date ranges between Fri., Nov. 12 and Thurs., Nov. 18. For a schedule of events, visit bit.ly/NativeCinemaShowcase.

Nov. 18+

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS

Learn how to put your personal stories on paper with at-home creative writing workshops led by author Seema Reza and other guest writers. The Zoom workshops take place the third Thursday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Participants are asked to pay what they can. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/RezaWritingWorkshops.

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FROM PAGE 52 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

T A C O

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S P P A O E R N E R M I E P A P S T H I T X A S N Y L N D S U C O S M R E A S O N D I C T S T S

I N S A N E N O P H D S

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P A R A D E

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W I C C A E N U L T N I M A L D U S A A L P S O L I S T C T K I T E S M O T H W A T C H E E H E S R O A S T A L A I F O U R

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Clinical Studies Biometrics Research Study . .3

Employment Services JCA Career Gateway . . . . . .39

Events Beacon Virtual 50+Expo . . .27 Washington Innovation Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation . . .50 Lay to Rest Cremation . . . . .6

Government Services/Utilities Free Vax Taxi . . . . . . . . . . .12 Montgomery County Age-Friendly Newsletter . .22 Montgomery County Aging & Disability Services . . .16 PEPCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Home Health Care/Companion Services Best Senior Care ..........9 JCA Kensington Club .....39 Options for Senior America 18

Housing Ashby Ponds/Erickson . . . .15 Brooke Grove Retirement Village . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 26 Chesterbrook Residences . .25 Chevy Chase House . . . . . .19 Churchill Senior Living . . .14 Culpepper Garden . . . . . . . .12 Enterprise Residential . . . . .36 Falcons Landing . . . . . . . . .13 Friendship Terrace . . . . . . . .19 Greenspring/Erickson . . . . .15 Harmony Senior Services . . .1 HIP Home Sharing . . . . . . .24 Homecrest House . . . . . . . .20 Homewood at Frederick . . .18 Knollwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Landing of Silver Spring, The . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Livingston Place . . . . . . . . . .8 Maplewood at Park Place 6, 23

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Modena Reserve . . . . . . . . . .7 Quantum Property Mgmt . .37 Park View Apartments . . . .36 Residences at Thomas Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Riderwood/Erickson . . . . . .15 Sommerset . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Springvale Terrace . . . .16, 25 Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Legal Services

Real Estate Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart . . . . . . . .38, 46

Retail Perfect Sleep Chair . . . . . . .40 Perfect Walker . . . . . . . . . . .41 Zoomer Chair . . . . . . . . . . .42

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Farr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . .35 Law Offices of Nancy Feldman . . . . . . . .37 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof . . . . . . . . . . .39

Manor Care Health Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Medical/Health

Tech

AARP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Copper Zap . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 GAINSWave . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Judy Oh, DDS . . . . . . . . . . .18 Life Health Home, LLC . . .35 Medical Eye Center . . . . . .20 Miracle-Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Mobility City . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Steven Friedman, DDS . . . .20

BeaconSilverPages.com . . .45

Subscriptions Beacon Newspapers . . . . . .44

Theatre/ Entertainment F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre .49 Kennedy Center, The . . . . .48 Puppet Co., The . . . . . . . . . .51 Senior Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Toby’s Dinner Theater . . . . .49

Travel Shillelaghs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

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