August 2025 | Baltimore Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE OVER

Chef Cindy Wolf cooks with heart

By Tina Collins

“To know how to eat is to know how to live.”

— Georges Auguste Escoffier

There are those who cook and those who understand the art of cooking. Not merely the alchemy of heat and ingredients, the delicate balance of salt and fat, but the unspoken language of hunger itself — the yearning for comfort, for memory, for a communion that transcends the mere act of eating. Chef Cindy Wolf understands.

In Baltimore’s busy Harbor East, where the cobblestones meet the water and the skyline glows amber at dusk, Wolf’s Charleston stands as an elegant temple to gastronomy. There, French tradition meets Southern warmth. The plate becomes a canvas; the meal, a celebration.

In the ever-changing landscape of culinary trends, Wolf adheres to excellence and an unwavering dedication to her craft, as she has for nearly three decades. She and her former business and life partner, Tony Foreman, were the main architects of Baltimore’s renaissance as a destination for fine dining.

In 2025, Charleston was awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. This national recognition capped off 25 Beard nominations for the restaurant and its team.

Despite her stature, Wolf prefers to live outside the spotlight. She remains humble and grounded, focused on the food. “I love the look, the feel, the smell of each ingredient — I love every part of it,” she said.

Food as a family value

Born in Virginia and raised in North Carolina, Wolf grew up in a home where food — particularly her mother’s Pennsylvania Dutch cooking — was the centerpiece.

“We were the family that ate dinner at the table every night. My sister and I always washed the dishes in the summer since we had no homework. My mother was a loving taskmaster, assigning chores and life lessons that made me who I am today. When we went out, my father knew where to eat; at home, we were taught how to live.”

Wolf’s father, a master butcher at 17 like his father, went on to become a restaurant

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Tour the “summer cottages” of Newport, Rhode Island; plus, beat the heat with a road trip to Michigan page 15

industry executive, including vice president of Hardee’s in North Carolina and vice president of Ponderosa in Indiana.

Wolf often accompanied her father on his trips to Chicago, where elite French restaurants like the Whitehall Club and Le Perroquet served as her classrooms in haute cuisine.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Wolf trained in classical French technique but found her voice in the dishes of the American South.

“I became a chef because I love good cooking and was exposed to it as a child,” she said. “It seems I was born to be a chef.”

Teaching, learning at Charleston

Wolf has been working as an executive chef since she was 25 years old. Ten years later, in 1997, she opened Charleston.

Rooted in French fundamentals and infused with flavors from South Carolina’s Lowcountry, her cuisine is a study in restraint and reverence.

Wolf believes in the power of being a good mentor while retaining the enthusiasm of a lifelong student. “I’m ever growing my knowledge — always reading, always eating, particularly in Europe, to improve my skills and my palate.”

On her trips to France, many French master chefs inspire her, but she said, “I don’t try to duplicate a recipe. A chef must make the dish their own.”

Wolf finds joy in total immersion and appreciation of her medium. This sensory engagement tempers her “drive for perfection,” she admitted.

“I’m very particular. I want our food to

ARTS & STYLE

Take the grandkids to see Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Toby’s; plus, a local painter finds her niche after retiring page 18

& HEALTH

k Maryland’s low dementia risk k Alzheimer’s studies nearby

Chef Cindy Wolf won a 2025 James Beard Award for her fine dining restaurant Charleston, which opened in 1997. “I’m ever growing my knowledge — always reading, always eating, particularly in Europe, to improve my skills and my palate,” she said.

PHOTO BY JERI

TIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Invisible realms surround us

So much of the world around us is undetectable by human senses. We see only a narrow slice of the light spectrum. Our hearing? Just a small band of sound. Many animals perceive far more than we do.

But through technology, we’ve learned to harness parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can’t see or hear. With the right tools, we translate those invisible waves into everyday essentials: radio, television, cell phones, GPS. We never perceive the waves directly, but we trust they exist. How else would our devices work?

thing else — including potentially vast spiritual dimensions of the universe — gets screened out. This theory finds support in some surprising places. Studies of brainwaves in people undergoing psychedelic experiences, for example, show not the hyperactivity most scientists expected, but rather a quiescent brain almost bereft of electrical impulses.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

That same logic might apply to the spiritual realm. Maybe it’s all around us, but we lack an internal “device” to perceive it.

Some scientists and philosophers are now exploring the idea that our brains function more like filters than receivers of truth — tuning out much of reality so we can focus on just what we need to survive.

In this view, the brain isn’t the pinnacle of evolution, but a narrow-band radio picking up only essential stations: eat, sleep, find shelter, get along with others. Every-

Many people on a “trip” see vivid colors, hear music, feel as if they’re floating through space, merging with the universe, and accessing deep truths they can’t quite explain later. And these rich experiences inexplicably arise when their brain’s usual electrical activity seems to fade away.

Could it be that when our brains — designed to pick up only a narrow sliver of reality — quiet down, we become more open to other spiritual, emotional or intuitive frequencies? Maybe what we call a mystical experience is just the widening of our perceptual bandwidth.

This might explain why belief in a spiri-

Beacon is

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Publisher/Editor Emeritus – Stuart P. Rosenthal

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tual realm remains strong among American adults. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2024 Religious Landscape Study, roughly eight in 10 — including many who identify as religiously unaffiliated — believe there is something spiritual beyond the physical world.

Around 83% say they believe in God or a universal spirit, and 86% overall (including 74% of those under 30) believe humans have a soul or spirit.

Throughout most of history, belief in unseen realms was nearly universal. But it’s somewhat surprising to see such beliefs holding steady today.

Maybe it’s less surprising to find this among older adults, since it is said that, as we age, people tend to become more religious or spiritual. That observation is

often attributed to older people contemplating the end of life.

But maybe it’s not just fear of death that draws us toward spirituality. As we slow down or leave behind high-pressure lifestyles, released from the need to focus our brains on raising children and making a living, maybe we naturally begin to tune into different frequencies.

Are you finding yourself more spiritual than you used to be? Are there moments when you feel connected to something larger — even if you can’t quite name it?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your reflections with us by mail, email or through our website. I look forward to tuning in, and to sharing your experiences with other readers.

Letters to the editor

Readers are encouraged to share their opinions on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email info@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor:

Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is

Loyal Beacon readers and I were discussing the publisher’s “vanishing” into the ether of strange music after reading your March column “Music from the ether.” We were all relieved to have found you again in “As others see us” in July. Phew! You hit the epicenter of what adults should be pondering as we transition from one life to another. I have personally interviewed people that have had out-of-body near-death experiences, and they all have much in common. Their point of view of themselves and others changes dramatically. Many people avoid thinking about, much less answering, these startling questions: Who are you, really? What are you here on Earth for? What matters most? Review your life and try to see yourself as others see you. It’s not about what you have, but what you have become. To that end, your article was spot-on, thought-provoking and a great read. Welcome back from the ether.

Richard Todd Washington, DC

Peace of Mind is Priceless

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Health Fitness &

Sitting less and moving more is good for the heart. Stand up at least once an hour K I D N E Y

To protect your kidneys, stay hydrated, limit alcohol, use ibuprofen sparingly

A L Z H E I M E R ’ S R E S E A R C H

Pikesville researchers are enrolling patients in early Alzheimer’s studies

Aches, pains, restless legs and mood swings may be a result of low magnesium

Mid-Atlantic has lowest dementia rates

By Christy Bieber

The risk of dementia varies surprisingly across the United States. People in certain areas, like the Southeastern states, have dementia rates as much as 25% higher than the baseline.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, conducted a large-scale study of more than 1.2 million older veterans enrolled in the VA medical system from 1990 to 2021. Participants were studied for a period of 12.6 years, and dementia rates were calculated per 1,000 personyears.

The data, which was published in JAMA Neurology, revealed that the lowest rates of dementia occurred in the Mid-Atlantic region. Within this region of the country, which includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia, there were 11.2 cases of dementia per 1,000 person-years.

Dementia hot spots

Since our region had the lowest incidence rates, it became the baseline against which other regions were compared, revealing shocking geographic disparities. Specifically:

• The Southeast region had dementia rates 25% higher than the mid-Atlantic baseline.

• Both the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions saw 23% higher rates.

• Rates in the South were 18% higher.

• Rates were 13% higher in the Southwest.

• Both the Midwest and South Atlanta had 12% higher rates.

• Rates were 7% higher in the Northeast and the Great Lakes.

Researchers accounted for other factors affecting dementia risks, such as age, rates of cardiovascular disease, race and rural versus urban living, as rural areas tend to see higher rates of dementia. Even after adjusting for these factors, the regional differences persisted.

Why the stark disparities?

This study did not provide conclusive answers as to why there is such significant regional variation in dementia diagnoses. However, authors have several theories.

“Quality of education, early life conditions and environmental exposures may be among those factors,” said Christina Dintica, Ph.D., one of the study authors.

Past research has also suggested that factors such as labor market conditions, environmental hazards, structural racism and overall adult health can make an impact.

Other studies have shown that the difference in diagnosis rates can be largely explained by differences in health systems rather than by an actual disparity in dementia rates.

Just because more people are diagnosed in a particular location does not mean that more people have the condition. Rather, it may be that more people are likely to seek help in that region — or doctors there are more likely to identify the issue.

Reduce your dementia risk

The good news is that you can still reduce your risk of dementia. According to the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, up to 45% of dementia cases are preventable.

Here are some ways the commission recommends to reduce your risk:

1. Complete your secondary education.

2. Get a hearing aid.

3. Lower your cholesterol if it is elevated.

4. If you have been diagnosed with de-

pression, get treatment.

5. Avoid traumatic brain injury by wearing helmets, seatbelts and avoiding falls.

6. Aim for 75 minutes (at the very minimum) of aerobic activity per week.

7. Avoid type 2 diabetes or get treatment for diabetes and prediabetes.

8. Don’t smoke, or quit if you do.

9. Treat high blood pressure.

10. Maintain a healthy weight.

11. If you drink, do so only in moderation.

12. Avoid social isolation and loneliness.

13. Keep your eyes and vision healthy.

14. Reduce your exposure to air pollution by monitoring your local air quality index and limiting your outdoor activities on days with poor air quality. This is especially important if you live in areas affected by wildfires.

The real estate listing company Redfin has published property-level air quality data, so you can see your home’s overall risk. Just click on “air factor.”

Other studies have recommended keeping your mind active with games, puzzles and lifelong learning.

Exercise boosts colon cancer survival

By Carla K. Johnson

A three-year exercise program improved survival in colon cancer patients and kept disease at bay, a first-of-its-kind international experiment showed.

With the benefits rivaling some drugs, experts said cancer centers and insurance plans should consider making exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. Until then, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing they are doing their part to prevent cancer from coming back.

“It’s an extremely exciting study,” said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn’t involved in the research. It’s the first randomized, controlled trial to show a reduction in cancer recurrences and improved survival linked to exercise, Meyerhardt said.

Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can’t prove cause and effect. The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and

the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet.

“This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “I love this study because it’s something I’ve been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.”

Study followed chemo patients

The findings were featured in June at ASCO’s annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine

Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years.

Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many

people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week.

“This is something I could do for myself to make me feel better,” said Swain-Collins, 62,. Regular contact with a friendly coach kept her motivated and accountable, she said. “I wouldn’t want to go there and say, ‘I didn’t do anything,’ so I was always doing stuff and making sure I got it done.”

After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause.

“When we saw the results, we were just astounded,” said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario.

Affordable way to live longer

Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, “a remarkably affordable intervention

that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.”

Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else.

Swain-Collins’ coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home in Ontario.

That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there’s a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated.

“Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,” Courneya said.

Surprising health benefits of cherries

By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD

Bursting with a perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors, fresh cherries are one of summer’s most perfect offerings. These small stone fruits also boast some impressive health benefits — making them an even sweeter summertime treat.

Health benefits of cherries

Besides being extremely tasty, cherries — both sweet and sour — are a great source of vitamin C and also have some potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and folate. Together, these vitamins and nutrients help maintain your immune system, keep your skin healthy, regulate your blood pressure, help your muscles contract and help maintain muscle and nerve function, among other benefits.

According to a review of cherry nutrition research, people who ate cherries and cherry products experienced reduced oxidative stress while enjoying the benefits of a diet rich in antioxidants.

They’re an anti-inflammatory snack

They’re also rich in fiber (about 3 grams per cup), which helps promote healthy gut bacteria and can help keep you regular.

Cherries have anti-aging properties

Cherries are rich in antioxidants, which help to fight free radicals and oxidative stress that contributes to the aging process.

Struggling with arthritis, gout, cardiovascular disease or another ailment linked to inflammation? Cherries can actually help to reduce these symptoms, due to their high concentration of polyphenols that provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Studies show that polyphenols, melatonin, carotenoids and vitamins E and C contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cherries. These nutrients help to suppress inflammatory proteins and uric acid build-up that can lead to swelling and pain in your joints. Tart cherry juice is also associated with faster recovery post-workout.

Cherries can help you sleep

Cherries (particularly tart cherries) are naturally high in melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone that can help you nod off faster and stay asleep longer. Some researchers recommend eating a handful of cherries a day

to reap the melatonin benefits; other studies suggest that a glass of Montmorency tart cherry juice may also help improve sleep.

Cherries may promote weight loss

In addition to being low in calories, cherries are a great source of fiber, which may help to control hunger and keep you feeling full and satisfied between meals.

Cherries are also a low-glycemic food, which means they only cause a small rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. So how can this

help? Studies suggest that a simplified approach to weight reduction that emphasizes an increased fiber intake — rather than a complicated diet regimen — may be a reasonable alternative for people who have trouble adhering to traditional “diets.”

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com.

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Ways to keep your heart, kidneys healthy

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I keep hearing we should sit less. But what’s the evidence that it makes a difference, and how should you go about doing it?

A: That’s an important question because whenever you make any type of lifestyle change, it’s helpful to know not just what you’re adding but also what you’re subtracting. For example, when people eat more fruit, they may eat fewer cookies, and both shifts are beneficial. Likewise, people are better off when they move more and sit less.

A study published in the European Heart Journal in November 2023 provided estimates about the potential advantages of choosing different activities — including sleeping — in place of sitting. The article included data from more than 15,000 people. Their average age was 54, nearly 55% were women, and most (88%) rated their health as good or better.

Researchers assessed the participants’ heart health based on their BMI (a measurement that incorporates both weight and height), waist circumference, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar used to assess diabetes risk). About a third were taking medication to control cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, and about 10% had been diagnosed with heart disease.

Participants wore special activity monitors that attach to the front of the thigh. These monitors are more accurate than those worn on the hip or the wrist for discerning between sitting and standing.

Based on a week’s worth of data, the average participant’s day consisted of 7.7 hours sleeping, 10.4 hours sitting, 3.1 hours standing, 1.5 hours doing light physical activity, and 1.3 hours doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Not surprisingly, researchers found that moderate-to-vigorous activity proved most beneficial for heart health, while sitting was the worst. Next, they created statistical models to estimate what would happen if a person swapped one behavior for another.

Replacing even just five minutes of sitting with moderate-to-vigorous activity (such as brisk walking, running or cycling) could have a tangible effect on heart health, they reported.

While adding longer, more intense bouts of exercise can reap greater rewards, even small, modest changes can make a difference. For instance, replacing sitting with standing led to positive changes across all the health parameters.

While the researchers’ model suggests that even sleeping is better than sitting when it comes to heart health, it’s not quite that simple. For example, indirect factors that

lead to weight gain (for example, snacking while watching television) may explain why sitting appears worse than sleeping.

Your smartphone, a fitness band or smart watch can help you keep tabs on your daily activity. Some models include default reminders to stand up at least once an hour for at least 12 hours per day.

Q: My blood test showed a slightly high blood creatinine level. What are some natural ways I can help keep my kidneys healthy?

A: Doctors use a blood creatinine level to assess kidney function. Creatinine is released from muscle cells into the bloodstream. Creatinine is one of the things that the kidneys filter from the blood. If the kidneys start to lose some function, blood creatinine level rises.

This minor reduction in kidney function may be temporary. But even if it is permanent, there’s a lot you can do now to slow and even prevent future damage.

Keep blood pressure well controlled. High blood pressure is a major contributor to kidney disease progression and can damage the kidney’s filters and small blood vessels.

Control blood sugar levels. Slightly elevated blood sugar levels often mean a person has prediabetes, a precursor for Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the top cause

of chronic kidney disease because persistent excess sugar exposure damages tiny blood vessels in the kidney.

Reduce salt. The sodium in salt can cause your body to retain fluid, and excess sodium raises blood pressure in many people. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day.

Limit alcohol intake. Don’t have more than one drink per day. Regular excessive alcohol drinking increases the risk for high blood pressure, contributes to weight gain and makes the kidneys work harder.

Lose weight if you need to. Obesity makes the kidneys work harder than they need to. This can ultimately cause the kidney filters to break down.

Stop smoking. Smoking damages blood vessels, including those providing oxygen and nutrients to the kidneys.

Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise — the kind that makes your heart and lungs work hard, like brisk walking — helps blood vessels stay healthy, flexible and able to expand and contract well.

Stay hydrated. Getting enough fluids each day — from water or watery foods like fruit and soup — helps the kidneys flush out toxins from the body.

Fatal falls increase for older Americans

By Mike Stobbe

Older U.S. adults are increasingly dying from unintentional falls, according to a new federal report published in June, with white people accounting for the vast majority of the deaths.

From 2003 to 2023, death rates from falls rose more than 70% for adults ages 65 to 74, the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The rate increased more than 75% for people 75 to 84, and more than doubled for seniors 85 and older.

“Falls continue to be a public health problem worth paying attention to,” said Geoffrey Hoffman, a University of Michigan researcher who was not involved in the new report. “It’s curious that these rates keep rising.”

Healthy habits

From page 6

Limit painkillers. High doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), can cause kidney damage and worsen existing kidney disease. Follow the dosing directions carefully.

Watch your protein intake. Too much protein forces the kidneys to work overtime. Whether a high-protein diet ac-

The CDC researchers did not try to answer why death rates from falls are increasing. But experts say there may be a few reasons, like gradually improving our understanding of the role falls play in deaths and more people living longer — to ages when falls are more likely to have deadly consequences.

More than 41,000 retirement-age Americans died of falls in 2023, the most recent year for which final statistics based on death certificates are available. That suggests that falls were blamed in about 1 of every 56 deaths in older Americans that year.

More than half of those 41,000 deaths were people 85 and older, the CDC found, and white people accounted for 87% of deaths in the oldest category.

tually causes kidney damage is hotly debated. Still, it’s safest to stick closer to a standard protein intake of about 0.36 grams per pound of body weight.

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, please visit health.harvard.edu.

A fall can lead to other problems

Falls can cause head injuries or broken bones that can lead to permanent disability and trigger a cascade of other health problems.

A number of factors can contribute to falls, including changes in hearing and vision and medications that can cause lightheadedness.

Death rates varied widely from state to state. In 2023, Wisconsin had the highest death rates from falls, followed by Minnesota, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont. Wisconsin’s rate was more than five times higher than the rate of the lowest state, Alabama.

Ice and wintry weather may partly explain why fatal falls were more common in states in the upper Midwest and New England, but experts also pointed to other things at play, like differences in how well falls are reported and to what extent they are labeled a cause of death.

“We’ve yet to unravel why you see such differences in state rates,” said Hoffman, who studies falls among the elderly.

Racial gap

Researchers also can’t yet explain why white seniors die of falls at higher rates than people in other racial and ethnic groups. In the 85-and-up age group, the death rate for white Americans is two or three times higher than any other group, while older Black people had the lowest fallrelated death rate.

“Kind of a flip of the traditional disparity lens,” Hoffman noted, referring to the fact that for most other rates of illness and injury, people of color are disproportionately affected.

Staying active can help people avoid falls, experts say.

Curious about vegan meals? Celebrate plant-based eating all August during Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month. Participating restaurants will serve healthy, plant-based and vegan dishes (without animal products) on their menus. For more information and a list of participating locations, visit mdveganeats.com.

MARYLAND VEGAN RESTAURANT MONTH

BEACON BITS

Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Alzheimer’s research enrolling participants

By Margaret Foster

Did you forget where you parked your car? Lost your keys again? Forgot your neighbor’s last name?

Some of those memory slips are par for the course. After all, between 40 to 50 percent of people over age 50 report memory concerns, according to the National Institute on Aging. So how to do you know if your “senior moments” are a normal part of aging or a sign of a more serious con-

dition such as mild cognitive impairment or even Alzheimer’s disease?

Nearly seven million Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, 13 million may have the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. And there’s no cure yet.

Early detection is important

If you’re concerned about your memory, talk to your doctor because early detection

Visit the Bon Secours Urban Farm in Franklin Square to watch a cooking demonstration using seasonal vegetables from the farm. Take a walk around the farm to see how it operates and leave with free food samples and farm-fresh vegetables. This free event takes place on Wed., Aug. 13 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 1800 W. Fayette St., Baltimore. Reserve your spot at bit.ly/FarmCookingDemo. For more information, call (410) 801-5100 or email Community_Works@bshsi.org.

can help.

Pharmasite Research, located in Pikesville, invites anyone aged 55 to 90 years to call and learn more about its studies. The site, operated by Headlands Research, is currently recruiting for two clinical trials, and more studies will open later this year.

“Our current clinical trials are focused on exploring new treatment possibilities for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Through early screening, we can identify individuals who may benefit from participation,” said Dr. Dima Hnooshi, principal investigator.

The focus of Pharmasite’s current research is on the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, through the mild to moderate range. Qualified participants may be eligible for a free, in-person consultation to see if they are eligible. Afterwards they can determine whether participation in a research study is right for them.

Pharmasite’s clinical trials can last between six months to two years. Participants usually visit the Pikesville office between once a month to once every three months, depending on the study design. Free parking and compensation are available.

Hope for the future

Enrolling in a clinical trial may sound daunting, but many patients find that it’s safe — and rewarding.

“It’s important to be aware that so much goes into reviewing these trials,” said Dr. Christopher Romero, principal investigator and medical director of Headlands Research. The FDA approves each trial, paving the way for medical advances. “If you’ve ever taken a medication, if you’ve ever used a medical device — these things have only come about because of clinical research.”

Participants are critical to finding a future treatment (or, more likely, treatments) for Alzheimer’s disease.

“Individuals who volunteer in clinical trials are the pioneers who are driving the science forward and are mission critical to us to one day have effective treatments to stop the ongoing onslaught of Alzheimer’s disease,” Romero said. “We would never develop these new therapeutics without volunteers that are willing to contribute to the science.”

For more information on memoryrelated studies or to schedule a free memory test, call (855) 367-8834.

A new study from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is exploring this link. We’re calling on everyone with and without Parkinson’s to request a simple scratch-and-sniﬀ test and contribute to important research.

Request your test at or scan the QR code.

Request your test at 877-525-PPMI (7764) mysmelltest.org/beacon or scan the QR code.

On hot days, try a light summer salad

By Family Features

Watermelon, strawberries, corn and green beans get all the fresh produce love in the summer, but don’t forget broccoli as a warm-weather staple.

Instead of dunking in dressing or smothering with melted cheese, go for a lighter dish with this Broccoli salad — an ideal light lunch or simple summer side.

Broccoli salad

Recipe courtesy of Cookin’ Savvy

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 medium heads broccoli

2 apples lemon juice

1 carrot

1 cup blueberries

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pecans

1 package (2.5 ounces) real bacon pieces (optional)

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Directions:

Coarsely chop broccoli and place in large bowl. Coarsely chop apples and brush with lemon juice to prevent browning; add to bowl. Shred carrot and add to bowl with blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, pecans and optional bacon.

To make dressing: Mix mayonnaise, milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar and poppy seeds. Pour over broccoli salad and mix well. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate. Visit Culinary.net to find more veggieinspired salad ideas.

Improve Your Health with Personalized Exercise.

Are you losing magnesium? Why it matters

If you’re struggling with fatigue, anxiety, blood sugar problems, thyroid issues or random muscle twitches, you might be missing something simple: magnesium. It’s depleted by many things, including coffee and common antacids.

Magnesium is your body’s natural chill pill. It helps regulate heartbeat, blood sugar, nerve function and mood. But it’s depleted easily by medications, poor diet and everyday stress. Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency often flies under the radar because the symptoms mimic other conditions.

BEACON BITS

In my book Drug Muggers, I explain how medications can rob the body of essential nutrients. Magnesium is one of the most commonly depleted, and its absence can wreak havoc in ways you wouldn’t expect. (You can download a free ebook on this topic at my website; it’s called Outsmarting Drug Muggers.)

Here are 10 hidden magnesium “drug muggers” that may be draining your levels without you knowing:

By Suzy Cohen

1. Acid blockers like omeprazole (Prilosec) or pantoprazole (Protonix)

2. H2 blockers such as famotidine (Pep-

MUSIC TEACHER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The MusicLink Foundation is looking for music teachers in Maryland to share their passion and expertise with children. Students interested in music but unable to afford lessons are paired with qualified teachers willing to reduce their fees by at least half. The time commitment is one hour per week. For more information, visit musiclinkfoundation.org or call (703) 534-9490.

cid) or cimetidine (Tagamet)

3. Antacids, which interfere with stomach acid needed for magnesium absorption

4. Alcohol, which increases magnesium loss through urine

5. Coffee and caffeine, both of which have a diuretic effect

6. Decaf coffee and black tea, which can impair absorption

7. Diuretics like hydrozchlorothiazide (HCTZ) and furosemide

8. Corticosteroids like prednisone

9. Chemotherapy drugs that strip multiple nutrients

10. Smoking, which lowers magnesium levels

When magnesium is low, symptoms vary widely, ranging from high blood pressure to insomnia, anxiety, muscle cramps or even blood-sugar imbalances. These are often treated as separate conditions, when the root cause may be a simple deficiency.

Did you know magnesium plays a key role in muscle relaxation? This is why low levels lead to nighttime leg cramps. When magnesium is deficient, muscles will contract uncontrollably, leading to sudden, painful spasms that wake you up.

After my own parathyroid surgery, I experienced painful nighttime leg cramps due to the dysregulation of calcium. The solution that worked for me involved replenish-

ing not just magnesium, but also calcium and key electrolytes. This combination finally restored balance and totally eliminated the cramps.

Misdiagnosing a nutrient deficiency as a chronic illness can lead to a frustrating cycle of medications and side effects. Many health professionals aren’t trained to look for drug-induced nutrient depletion, which is why people could end up with a new “disease” when it’s just a deficiency.

The good news? You may be healthier than you think. Replenishing magnesium (through diet or supplements) might help resolve issues that seem unrelated at first glance. Magnesium supports neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, making it critical for a good mood.

Magnesium deficiency can be easily tested with a blood sample. And your symptoms might be telling you the story now that you know what to look for. To learn more, you can check out my book Drug Muggers, available on Amazon. It could be the missing piece to your wellness puzzle. 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.

TREAT AGING

Johns Hopkins is conducting a research study to determine whether an investigational study drug called AGB101 can improve brain networks in older adults.

may eligible for this research study if you: Are between 50-80 years old Are able to have an MRI Participation includes: • Up to 5 in-person study visits over ~12 weeks • Tests of memory, thinking, and behavior • MRI scans of your brain • Blood samples

• Taking AGB101 and placebo for two weeks each with a 4-week washout period between treatments

• Compensation of up to $500 Interested in participating or have questions?

How rising temps could affect Maryland

By Sasha Allen, Capital News Service

Temperatures in Maryland have never been warmer. Since the 20th century, temperatures in the state have risen around 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

But it’s more than just heat. Federal data shows the state is experiencing increasing precipitation, a higher probability of summer droughts, more extreme weather events and flooding accompanied with rising sea levels.

The impact of climate change on the state is as varied as its landscape. From vast forests and rolling farms that line the Eastern Shore to the 80.9 square miles of Baltimore City scattered with “heat islands,” different areas of the state will be affected by climate change in very different ways.

Here’s a closer look at what’s happening to the climate, and what’s expected to happen:

Baltimore City

Baltimore City is vulnerable to both rising temperatures and increased precipitation. The city saw its hottest recorded temperatures in 2023, with an average of 59.4 degrees Fahrenheit for the year.

Increasing temperatures are one of the biggest threats to the city, and because of its infrastructure and lack of greenery, many areas in the city are classified as urban heat islands. High temperatures are dangerous for residents, may overload the energy grid and could increase respiratory illness rates, including asthma.

“The number-one killer from climate change is not hurricanes; it’s not flooding — it’s heat,” Maryland author Mike Tidwell said. “Heat waves kill more people, especially the very old and the very young and the very poor, so [we should be] very concerned about areas of Baltimore and elsewhere.”

Some people in the city are trying to protect residents from these rising temperatures. Katie Lautar is the executive director of Baltimore Green Space, a nonprofit working to preserve gardens, trees and forests in our communities.

“If we are going to lose more forests, the temperatures are going to rise faster,” Lautar said. “Forests provide better cooling benefits to the surrounding community.”

But rising temperatures aren’t the only worry for the city. Rising sea levels and increases in extreme storm events could affect Baltimore because it sits right on the harbor.

A study done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lays out the risks Baltimore City faces. It found that from 1997 to 2011, the city was spending $2.2 million annually to rebuild from flooding events.

“If there are streets that are already flooding, with buses floating down the street in severe weather events, then we need to be especially mindful that development should not be encouraged right around those regions,” Lautar said.

If temperatures increase by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, residents will see between four and five more days above 95 degrees. The number of extreme precipitation events is expected to increase as well.

The city is trying to adapt. Baltimore City adopted a new version of its disaster preparedness plan in 2023, specifically targeting the effects of climate change on residents.

People are concerned. A Baltimore-area survey published by Johns Hopkins University in March found that three-quarters of the Baltimore County residents surveyed said they are worried about higher costs due to climate change.

Overall, 73% of Baltimore-area residents believe climate change will affect them personally at some point in their lives. This is a stark difference from the 2023 national estimate of 46% of adults who believe climate change will affect them at some point in their lives, according to the survey.

“We found that the overall share of Baltimore-area residents who are concerned that climate change will personally harm them in the future is high compared to the nation and the state of Maryland,” wrote the study authors.

Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

The Chesapeake Bay region is the United States’ third-most vulnerable area to sea level rise, behind Louisiana and South Florida, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The Chesapeake Bay has already risen

from between 1.3 to 1.5 inches each decade over the past 100 years, and increasing temperatures would drastically increase precipitation.

Throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the fishing industry is changing. Blue crab populations, which do well in warmer waters, will thrive. But warmer waters will kill fish at an increasing rate, and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases the acidity of the water, which can deplete oyster populations.

The remnants of Harriet Tubman’s birth home sit in a dying forest in Dorchester County.

“They found the original foundations of her home and you now can’t even get there because it’s in the middle of a ghost forest,” said Kate Tully, a researcher and associate professor at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Ghost forests — which are either partially or completely dead — can be found throughout the lower Eastern Shore in Dorchester, Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico counties.

These ghost forests result from saltwater intrusion, or what Tully refers to as “invisible floods,” where seawater creeps inland as temperatures and waters rise.

“That’s essentially when the salt burns the tree from the inside out,” Tully said.

High tides, droughts and groundwater

pumping all contribute to this increasingly common phenomenon. Eventually, land plagued by saltwater intrusion turns into either marshland or open water.

As a result, Tubman’s home — only discovered just a few years ago in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge — is now inaccessible.

In the lower Eastern Shore, there are over 70,000 acres of forest classified by the state as ghost forests, with 90% of those acres classified as severely or very severely impacted. For a forest to fall under these classifications, at least half of its trees would be dead.

But saltwater intrusion isn’t just killing forests.

“There are farmers that are being highly impacted by the saltwater intrusion and the loss of productivity of their land,” said Elliott Campbell, director of the science and research division of the Watershed and Climate Services at Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. “There’s not really a way to get the salt out.”

Farms along the Eastern Shore, including northern counties such as Cecil, Kent, Talbot and Caroline, are known for growing corn and soybeans, used primarily to feed livestock, Campbell said. But these crops don’t grow well in salty soil, and Campbell said there is no perfect alternative.

Capital News Service reporter Rachel McCrea contributed to this report.

MoneyMoney Law &

If you’re concerned about the future of Social Security, tell Congress. See column below.

Protect yourself from the latest scams

By Adriana Morga

Most of us need a refresher course on how to protect ourselves from scams.

“Scams have become so sophisticated now. Phishing emails, texts, spoofing caller ID, all of this technology gives scammers that edge,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

A quick way to remember what to do when you think you’re getting scammed is to think about the three S’s, said Alissa Abdullah, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer.

“Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected,” she said.

Know the most common scams

Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Scammers often imitate someone in authority, such as a tax or debt collector. They might pretend to be a loved one calling to request immediate financial assistance for bail, legal help or a hospital bill.

Robocalls in particular frequently target vulnerable individuals like older adults, people with disabilities and people with debt.

“If you get a robocall out of the blue playing a recorded message trying to get you to buy something, just hang up,” said James Lee, chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Same goes for texts — anytime you get them from a number you don’t know asking you to pay, wire or click on something suspicious.”

Lee urges consumers to hang up and call the company or institution in question at an official number.

Don’t pick up unknown incoming calls, recommends Ben Hoffman, head of strategy and consumer products at Fifth Third Bank. As a general rule, banks don’t normally call their customers, he pointed out.

“Banks don’t ask you for your password,” Hoffman said. If you believe your bank is trying to reach out, hang up and give them a call at a number listed on their website.

Romance scams

So-called “romance scams” can take place over longer periods of time — even years.

Kate Kleinart, 70, who lost tens of thousands of dollars to a romance scam over several months, said to be vigilant if a new Facebook friend is good-looking, asks you to download WhatsApp to communicate, attempts to isolate you from friends and family, and/or gets romantic very quickly.

“If you’re seeing that picture of a very handsome person, ask someone younger in your life — a child, a grandchild, a niece or a nephew — to help you ‘reverse-image search’ or identify the photo,” Kleinart said.

Quiz scams

When you’re using Facebook or scrolling Google results, be aware of quiz scams, which typically appear innocuous and ask

about topics you might be interested in, such as your car or favorite TV show. They may also ask you to take a personality test.

Despite these benign-seeming questions, scammers can then use the personal information you share to respond to security questions from your accounts or hack your social media to send malware links to your contacts.

To protect your personal information, the FTC simply recommends steering clear of online quizzes. The commission also advises consumers to use random answers for security questions.

“Asked to enter your mother’s maiden name? Say it’s something else: parmesan or another word you’ll remember,” advised Terri Miller, consumer education specialist at the FTC. “This way, scammers won’t be able to use information they find to steal your identity.”

Investment scams

An investment scam constitutes any getrich-quick scheme that lures targets via social media accounts or online ads.

Investment scammers typically add different forms of “testimony,” such as from other social media accounts, to support that the “investment” works. Many of them also involve cryptocurrency.

To avoid falling for these frauds, the FTC recommends independently researching the company — especially by searching the

company’s name along with terms like “review” or “scam.”

Best practices

There are many tools at your disposal that can be used to protect yourself from scammers.

— Use a password manager to ensure you’re utilizing a complex password that scammers can’t guess.

— Regularly check your credit report and bank statements to see if someone has been using your bank account without your knowledge.

— Turn on multi-factor verification to make sure impersonators aren’t able to access your social media or bank accounts.

When in doubt, call for help

As scams get more sophisticated, it’s difficult to know who to trust or if a person is actually real or an impersonator.

Organizations like the Identity Theft Protection Center and the AARP Fraud Watch Network offer free services for people who need help identifying scams or knowing what to do if they’ve been a victim of a scam. Contact the ITRC at 888-400-5530 or at idtheftcenter.org. The AARP Fraud Watch Network hotline (877-908-3360) is free; you don’t have be an AARP member to use it.

If you or a family member are a victim of a scam, report it on the FTC’s website at reportfraud.ftc.gov. —AP

Americans have to save Social Security

The Social Security system is efficient. It is not a Ponzi scheme, as former White House adviser Elon Musk has characterized it.

Millions of Americans depend on the survival of Social Security (SSA) in its current form, and the American public should be telling members of Congress that they should be doing everything they can to prevent the system from failing. It has been proposed that individuals can no longer make appointments with Social Security by phone, and they must visit a local Social Security office. But SSA plans to cut its workforce

by 7,000 people.

Social Security is understaffed now. If staff is reduced, local offices are closed and individuals can’t contact Social Security by phone, what is next? What is next is that the Social Security system as we know it will collapse, and payments to Social Security beneficiaries will stop being sent on time.

By Elliot Raphaelson

You should not believe the lies that Social Security is inefficient or corrupt. There is almost no record of errors in which individuals who are not entitled to Social Security benefits are receiving benefits.

It has been claimed that illegal immigrants are receiving benefits they are not entitled to. That is false. People who are living in the United States without legal status are not eligible for Social Security benefits. What’s more, many of them who work in the United States are required to pay FICA taxes, which fund Social Security and Medicare, two programs from which they will never benefit as long as they are undocumented.

Undocumented immigrants paid more than $25 billion in payroll taxes in 2022, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In other words, far from defrauding Social Security and Medicare, undocumented immigrants are subsidizing these programs.

Meanwhile, immigrants who are here

legally and work for reliable employers are paying FICA taxes into Social Security, and they generally are only entitled to benefits after they have worked under Social Security for 10 years.

We cannot allow Social Security to fail. And that is what will happen if we allow DOGE to continue to destroy an efficient system that millions of Americans depend upon, and millions more expect to depend on the future.

There is broad support across all demographics and political parties for strengthening the program, which is an effective system that should be improved to be financially secure for decades to come.

THE SAVINGS GAME

Should you ditch your Medicare Advantage?

By Christy Bieber

Medicare coverage doesn’t just mean signing up for government insurance. In fact, more than half of Medicare recipients now get their coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, or Medicare Part C plan, which is offered by a private insurer.

Advantage plans are an alternative to original Medicare, replacing Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (outpatient care coverage), and sometimes Part D (prescription drug coverage).

Enrollment in these plans is expected to grow to 60% of the eligible population by 2030, with many people drawn to them because they’re often marketed as “zero premium” plans with out-of-pocket limits, while Medicare Part B has uncapped spending and charges premiums.

Yet, while Advantage Plans seem like a good alternative, a substantial number of older Americans who sign up for them don’t stick with them. In fact, among those who

signed up between 2011 and 2022, around half left their plans within five years.

Recent research published in the journal Health Affairs helps demonstrate why so many are opting out of their Advantage Plan during open enrollment, either by switching to a different Part C plan or by returning to traditional Medicare instead.

Since these Advantage plans are less likely to attract beneficiaries over the long term, the study warns that such plans will likely have less incentive to cater to participants with chronic conditions.

Why others are ditching the plans

Researchers found two primary factors drove departures from Medicare Advantage plans, and neither was related to cost. Instead, most people who disenrolled did so because of difficulty accessing care as well as concerns about the quality of their care.

Access issues, in particular, were especially likely to prompt Advantage customers

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not just to switch to a different Medicare Part C plan but instead to return to traditional Medicare. This makes sense, given that traditional Medicare doesn’t impose the same limits as Advantage Plans on which doctors or care providers patients can visit.

Hospitals have also been ending their affiliations with Medicare Advantage Plans, creating huge problems when break-ups happen outside of the open enrollment period, and Advantage Plan customers suddenly find themselves without coverage at the hospital where they’d been treated.

Researchers also revealed that individuals with health issues were more likely to switch

BITS Aug. 8

out of Medicare Advantage.

“People who stay in [Medicare Advantage] are shopping for better service, but … those who switch to traditional Medicare are the ones potentially with high healthcare needs, who are much more strongly driven by dissatisfaction with access to care issues,” said Geoffrey Hoffman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UM School of Nursing and one of the study’s authors.

The study warns that Advantage plans will likely focus on the short-term healthcare needs of beneficiaries due to plan hopping.

Learn about Medicare fraud, how to identify it, and how to report it. This free online session takes place on Friday, Aug. 8 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. through Baltimore County’s virtual senior center, OPAL. Membership is free for residents age 50 and older. To register for OPAL and the webinar, visit bit.ly/OPALBaltimore. For more information, email theopalcenter@baltimorecountymd.gov or call (410) 887-1929. FARR LAW FIRM OPENS NEW OFFICE

Ongoing

The Farr Law Firm has recently opened a new office at 1125 West St., Suite 200, Annapolis. Evan Farr is a leading attorney specializing in elder law, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, estate planning and asset protection. For more information and to learn how the Farr Law Firm can help you, visit farrlawfirm.com or call (410) 372-4444.

Social Security

From page 12

I recommend that every American who wants to see Social Security strengthened write to their representative in the U.S. House and to their senators, and demand that they stop the proposed actions that prevent individuals from calling local Social Security offices for appointments; they must also stop closing local Social Security offices and stop firing of Social Security staff without regard to merit. If we allow Social Security staff, offices

and services to be cut further, it will become impossible for individuals who have earned sufficient work credits to apply for benefits. In addition, the waiting time to be approved for disability benefits will increase dramatically.

Solutions

It is true that, in order to continue to maintain benefits at existing levels on a long-term basis, Congress will have to find ways to increase funding. But there are several ways that can be accomplished. For example, Congress could raise the income

MUSEUM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore is seeking volunteers to welcome tour groups from Thursday through Monday, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Volunteers will also provide general information about the museum and assist in the galleries as needed. The museum is located at 830 E. Pratt St., Baltimore. For more details and to sign up, contact Kiersten Cleveland at (443) 263-1813 or email volunteer.info@lewismuseum.org.

FREE CONCERT

Visit the Plaza at the Rotunda in Hampden for a street festival featuring the local band June Star in a free concert, along with food, drinks, games and vendors. The festival takes place on Fri., Aug. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 711 W. 40th St., Baltimore. For more information and other events at the Rotunda, visit rotundabaltimore.com/events.

thresholds for FICA taxes. It could also change the age at which individuals are entitled to full benefits.

Not only should you write to your congressional representative and senators, but you should tell all your relatives, friends and acquaintances throughout the United States that they should be doing the same thing. You can find contact information for all the House members and senators at congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

It’s not often that I use this space to discuss political issues or urge you to contact your congressional representatives. Indeed, every week I try to educate readers

Medicare

From page 13

Find the right Medicare plan

Those shopping for coverage should visit the Advantage plan’s website to find their searchable directory and determine if their preferred care providers accept that insurance plan.

The Medicare Advantage open enrollment period is from Jan. 1 to March 31 each year. Original Medicare’s open enrollment period is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year.

Those looking for a plan should also check the Star Ratings published on the Medicare Plan Finder by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Health Affairs research revealed that enrollment in a plan with a low star rating was

on how they can save and invest to achieve a secure financial future.

The vast majority of Americans have faithfully contributed to the Social Security system, and they count on a benefit as a substantial part of their financial planning for retirement. However, any chance for financial security and dignity in old age will be taken away from millions of Americans if the program is driven into the ground. America cannot afford to let Social Security fail.

far more likely to lead to disenrollment when given the opportunity.

“While imperfect, the star rating a plan receives is still signaling something important, that our study tells us is definitely linked to why people are switching,” Hoffman said.

Online guides that provide insight into shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan can also be a helpful resource. It’s best to start exploring these tools before open enrollment, though, to prepare in advance, as there’s limited time to sign up for coverage you’re committing to for the year — except in situations where major life changes entitle you to a special enrollment period.

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance… …at a great value.

A place of independence

Pickersgill assisted living residents are rarely in l their rooms! Instead, , theyy’re out and about— participating in a community activity or event or dining with friends.

A place of beauty

Living in n this community—ttucked d into a beautiful West Towson neighborhood —you or your loved one beau njoy a warm welcome and daily activities, and they’ll appreciate the will enj paths, beautifully landscaped grounds, lovely gardens and more. walking path

A place of caring

Call 888-877-9883 today for more information or to schedule your personal tour. h

Each assisted liv g resident enjoys three chef-prepared meals per day, ing re y services, medication administration, help with daily housekeeping and laundry se quest, and all included in a reasonable monthly tasks and more—always by reques o all of the fee. Each h resi s dent also has access to all Pickersgill ameni l ties. private, full bath, and residents are Our assisted living g residences include a priv wish. This is a lifestyle dedicated to encouraged to decorate their homes as they al staff. independence and assured by a caring, professionalfessionalstasttaff.

Travel Leisure &

Newport’s Gilded Age mansions still dazzle

By Sandi Barrett

Newport, Rhode Island, has long been a summer playground for the rich and famous. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the city evolved as Gilded Age tycoons built their “summer cottages” there in the late 1800s. Yachters began hosting the America’s Cup races offshore beginning in 1930. That high-society vibe continues today with sailing regattas, luxury hotels and high-end shops.

I visit Newport often because my extended family owns a historic sailing captain’s home there, affording me a place to land when exploring this community on Narragansett Bay. Each time I visit, I discover a new historic site, hiking trail or café.

Tour the cliffside mansions

The main attractions are The Breakers, The Elms and other historic mansions, many of which are now open to the public as museums.

One such mansion, considered to be one of the first palatial Newport homes, Châteausur-Mer (Castle by the Sea), debuted in 1852. The Italianate-style mansion set the tone for the summer season for Newport’s elite residents. In 1969, the Preservation Society of Newport County bought the estate at auction and opened it as a museum.

Newport’s most iconic mansion, The Breakers, was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II between 1893 and 1895. The Italian Renaissance-style palazzo is a must-visit. Its opulent, over-the-top décor and glorious Great Hall, with its 50-foot ceiling, showcase Vanderbilt’s status as one of the wealthiest men in America.

My favorite Gilded Age mansion is The Elms. Inspired by the French Château d’Asnières, the house is filled with beautiful pieces of fine art. Its expansive terraces are home to ornate fountains, lavish gardens and beautiful sculptures. I suggest booking the “Servant Life Tour,” which offers a peek into the lives of the property’s invisible staff. This back-of-thehouse tour reveals how workers discreetly fulfilled the mundane tasks and quirky requests of their wealthy employers.

You can also visit the stunning Rosecliff, known for its gorgeous heart-shaped staircase. At Marble House (which is, as its name suggests, brimming with the polished stone), stop in the Chinese Tea House that anchors the sweeping lawn. Round out a mansion tour with visits to Chepstow, Hunter House, Kingscote or the Isaac Bell House.

A good way to glimpse the exteriors of the mansions is via the waterfront 3.5-mile

Cliff Walk, which is free and open to the public daily. Many of the mansions are open for the summer season only. During the Christmas season, several mansions are decked out in their finest glitz. All the details can be found at newportmansions.org.

Newport’s sailing history

At the Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame, you can delve into the history of this sport and learn about the master sailors who shaped it.

Newport hosted its first America’s Cup race in 1930. Since then it has been home to many sailing races, including several more America’s Cup competitions.

The America’s Cup, a trophy for the world-famous sailboat race, has its roots in England. In 1851 the New York Yacht Club sailed the schooner America across the Atlantic to compete in the Solent Races, answering a challenge from Great Britain’s Royal Yacht Squadron. After America took home the 100 Guineas Cup, the award for winning a 74-mile race around the Isle of Wight, the club renamed the coveted trophy the America’s Cup.

If you’d like to try your hand at maneuvering an America’s Cup competition yacht, look to America’s Cup Charters (americascupcharters.com). Guests work

as crew alongside seasoned sailors on one of their acclaimed yachts.

My personal preference is for a more laid-back water experience. A sunset sail on a beautiful schooner where I can enjoy the panoramic coastline views with an adult beverage is perfect. Newport Classic Cruises (sail-newport.com) offers a wide range of harbor sailing tours to enjoy a relaxing sail.

Stroll through historic downtown

As for shopping and dining, Newport’s Thames Street is a lively, upscale historic district. With cobblestone streets and trendy shops, the downtown is reminiscent of Boston’s classic brownstone neighborhoods.

Acknowledged as the “oldest operating restaurant in the United States,” the charming White Horse Tavern opened in 1673. The iconic building is the epitome of historic Newport architecture, with red clapboard siding, pediment doors and a gambrel roof. The interior decor of Windsor chairs, aged wood and white linens transports guests to a centuries-old tavern with delectable food.

With a flower show in June, a classical music festival in July and a jazz festival in August, there’s always a good time to visit Newport.

The Breakers, built by the Vanderbilts in the 1890s, has 70 rooms, including 48 bedrooms. The 13-acre property is one of 11 estates in Newport, Rhode Island, that is open to visitors.

See NEWPORT , page 17

Michigan’s shoreline attracts tourists year-round. See story on page 16.

PHOTO BY PURE MICHIGAN

Bannister’s Wharf, located on Newport’s Thames Street, has it all: live music, restaurants, bars and unique shops. Tourists can also hop aboard a schooner for a short cruise.

Beat the heat in Michigan’s small towns

By Alice Shapin

As an East Coast person, I have to admit I had given little thought to visiting the Midwest. When my daughter went to the University of Michigan, though, my husband Paul and I took a road trip to Michigan — an eye-opening experience.

It’s hard to believe, but Michigan is in the same time zone as Maryland. Since it’s located on the western edge of the Eastern time zone, the state has longer days and later sunsets compared to places further south or east. When spring hits in Michigan, it’s light until almost 11 p.m.

When we first glimpsed Lake Michigan, it looked more like an ocean than a lake. The far side of the lake is nowhere to be seen, and cute beach towns dot the shore.

Our first stop was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Perched way above Lake Michigan, the park has miles of

beach and hiking trails. Don’t attempt walking down the dunes, as the drop to the lake can be 450 feet. A sign warns, “Rescues could cost $3,000,” which was enough to discourage most people from trying, especially those of us over 65.

Next stop was Traverse City, an area with two of our favorite treats: cherries and wine. The vineyards are located on the 45th parallel, the same latitude as the Bordeaux and Piedmont wine regions of France. Insulated from extreme weather by Lake Michigan, the area has fertile soil, and long hours of sunlight ensure an extended growing season.

We did tastings at several wineries and took a few winery tours. Later we sat outdoors with our wine and cheese, overlooking the spectacular shoreline.

Michigan, known as the “Cherry Capital of the World,” has some of the best

cherries in the country. The season starts in July and can last into August. Each July, the National Cherry Festival attracts more than 500,000 visitors over eight days. Although we missed the festival, we bought plenty of cherries at roadside stands.

Exploring the Hand

About an hour and a half from Traverse City is Petoskey, located on the shores of Little Traverse Bay, near the top of the Michigan “Hand.”

Its claim to fame is Petoskey stones, the state stone of Michigan. They’re not really stones at all; they’re fossils of a coral reef that existed before the dinosaurs, during a time when a warm, shallow sea covered most of the Great Lakes region, around 350 million years ago.

We checked into a hotel downtown, wandered through the shops and had

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lunch at one of the many restaurants. Afterwards we took an evening stroll along the waterfront at Petoskey State Park for more fantastic Lake Michigan views. From there, we headed to Harbor Springs to see the Tunnel of Trees. Driving beneath these northern hardwoods creates the feeling of traveling through a tunnel. Along the way, dramatic turns and curves on this 27.5-mile drive provided us with more lake views. People say it’s even more spectacular in the fall, when the changing hues form a brilliant canopy.

Island visit

Next was Mackinaw City, where we hopped on the ferry to Mackinac Island, located between the lower and upper Michigan peninsulas. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. As we stepped off the ferry, the first thing that caught our eye was a horse and buggy carrying furniture. It was like travelling back in time.

We explored Mackinac on foot. We strolled through the charming downtown, with its boutiques, restaurants, bars and sweet shops. Since Mackinac Island calls itself the “Fudge Capital of the World,” we had to have some. There’s even a Fudge Festival here in October.

A must-visit is the Grand Hotel, a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1887, it drew wealthy vacationers and notables, including Thomas Edison, Mark Twain and several presidents. The 1981 film “Somewhere in Time,” starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer, was filmed in the hotel, and people visit each year because of the movie.

Rocking chairs line the 660-foot-long front porch, the world’s largest. We loved the breathtaking views of the Straits of Mackinac and Mackinac Bridge from the hotel, which blooms with more than 150 varieties of flowers.

Great golf courses

Surprisingly, Michigan is ranked the second-best state for public golf in America, with 738 public courses. Being golfers (or hackers), before heading home we decided to stop and play at Shanty Creek Resort, which has five golf courses. We played The Legend by Arnold Palmer. It had a little of everything — elevation changes, doglegs, water hazards and wellplaced traps.

Finally we headed home, but we will return in the fall to capture that season’s beauty.

From page 16

If you go

Round-trip flights from BWI to Detroit

Kayakers get a close-up view of Turnip Rock in Lake Huron, located on the “thumb” of Michigan’s “hand.” Summer days are long in the state that borders four Great Lakes.

start at $177 on Southwest. By car it’s eight hours to Detroit and about four hours more to Mackinaw City. During the peak seasons of summer and early fall, it’s best to make hotel reservations in advance. Newport

From page 15 Michigan

If you go Newport, Rhode Island, is a seven hour drive from Baltimore. Often you can find a nonstop flight to Providence, 45 minutes north, for less than $200.

Plan an immersive visit with a stay at

one of the city’s historic inns or B&Bs. Many are the former homes of ship captains and are beautifully restored. Their charming innkeepers are a valuable resource when exploring the city. For more information about where to eat, stay or shop in Newport, visit Discover Newport at discovernewport.org.

Warren

Steps

PHOTO BY PURE

Arts & Style

Cool off under the sea with The Little Mermaid

By Mark Dreisonstok

“We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand,” Hans Christian Andersen wrote in his 1837 fairytale The Little Mermaid. “For on this sand grow the strangest flowers and plants…Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches.” Fathoms below, of course, live the Sea King and his mermaid daughters.

This summer, Toby’s Dinner Theatre invites us into this strange undersea world with its latest production, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, running through August 17. With exquisite mermaid costumes, artful lighting and set designs, floating bubbles and even stylized jellyfish descending from the ceiling, the musical whisks the audience to an aquatic nether realm.

In the Disney musical based on its 1989 animated feature film, the mermaid Ariel rescues Prince Eric, her Prince Charming, and wants to follow him and explore the human world.

To do so, she disobeys her father, King Triton, and falls under the influence of Ursula, an evil but charismatic sea witch who tempts the vulnerable Ariel into making a

pact: In exchange for her beautiful voice, she can grow legs and become human. Yet if she fails to share true love’s kiss from Prince Eric within three days, her soul is eternally doomed to be imprisoned by Ursula.

Has Ariel any hope of emerging unscathed from this Faustian bargain? In the original fairytale, no — but thankfully, Disney provides a happy ending.

Strong vocal performances

Abby Middleton sings wonderfully as Ariel, notably in “The World Above,” “Part of Your World” and her lament “If Only.” When Ariel trades her voice for legs, the talented actress, no longer able to burst into song, communicates well with facial expressions and gestures.

Accompanied by two slick demonic eels on roller skates, the sea sorceress Ursula, played by Lynn Sharp Spears, performs the solo “Poor Unfortunate Souls” in the style of Kurt Weill in The Threepenny Opera. Indeed, Spears appeared in several productions of that classic musical.

“There is a lot of depth in Ursula’s character. She was betrayed by her family and…sees the opportunity to get re-

venge,” Spears told the Beacon. Hers is a “twisted, dark, funny and delicious, yummy role” of “someone whose banishment deprives her of what she sees as rightfully hers.”

number “Positoovity.” Carter Crosby plays an affable Prince Eric, who is guided by the wisdom of Grimsby, played by an earnest David James. Adam Grabau is nothing short of majestic as King Triton.

An equally strong performance emerges from Elijah Henderson as Ariel’s chaperone, Sebastian the crab, whose tour-deforce moments come in the songs “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl.”

Toby’s mainstay Jeffrey Shankle stands out as Scuttle the seagull, especially in the

The talented cast is aided by the superb direction and choreography of Mark Minnick, effective musical direction of Ross Scott Rawlings, atmospheric lighting design of Lynn Joslin, charming scenic

Marty Spence paints her memories of growing up on a farm in Relay, Maryland. See story on opposite page.

Lynne Sharp-Spears plays the sea witch Ursula, who dupes Abby Middleton, playing the young mermaid Ariel, in a revenge plot. The spectacular musical Disney’s The Little Mermaid runs at Toby’s through August 17.

PHOTO BY JERI

Painter says it’s never too late to be an artist

By Sophia Lim

At just shy of 50 years old, Marty Spence stood in her office alone on her last day of work, staring at the closed door and thinking, “I wonder what I’ll be when I grow up?”

So Spence, a retired nurse with a master’s degree in clinical psychiatric social work, transitioned into a full-time artist.

Before fully committing to art, Spence had a fulfilling career focused on child psychiatry. Even after leaving that field, her extensive study of child and human development still influences her creative process.

“I threw myself into studying art just as intensively, and one intersects the other. They really cannot be separated,” Spence, 79, said in an interview with the Beacon Spence’s paintings have appeared in solo exhibitions at the Reeves Art Gallery in Baltimore, Atwater’s Restaurant in Towson, the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore and the Baltimore County Public Library. Her work hangs on the walls of Sheppard Pratt, too, where she used to work. This fall, she’ll be part of the exhibit “A Brush with Creativity,” which opens on Sept. 15 at Gallery Unicorn in Lutherville.

One drawing class started it all Spence’s art journey began at 50, when

she invited a friend to take a drawing course with her at the local community college.

After completing the Drawing 101 course, Spence initially was hesitant to continue her art education at the Maryland Institute College of Art. When she told her drawing teacher that she didn’t have enough nerve to attend classes with artists, he laughed and said, “They’re not any different than you are. Just go.” So she did. And she kept going for the next seven years.

Spence worked during the day and spent her evenings attending art classes at MICA. She began to get involved in boards of groups related to art until she realized that what she really wanted to pursue was art.

“I did that for about two years and realized what I really wanted was to do art myself. So, I resigned from the boards, and I jumped in,” she said.

Local history focus

Spence’s current projects include depicting the town of Relay, Maryland, where she grew up. It’s located between Baltimore and Ellicott City and is now part of Halethorpe.

“The town has a huge history, and I’m trying to capture what it was for myself

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and my brothers and sisters when we grew up,” she said.

Spence uses her canvas to document her memories of growing up on 65 acres with animals like pigs, horses, cows and chickens. She painted a rooster, then the barn, and before she knew it, she had begun to document her life, supplementing paintings with writing about her memories.

The project then expanded from the property she grew up on to the entire town, including streets, houses, markets and

See ARTIST , page 21

Marty Spence pivoted from a career in psychiatry to painting full-time. Since she retired, she has had multiple solo exhibits in the Baltimore area.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTY SPENCE

From page 1

be the very, very best it can possibly be, from getting the finest products in the door to placing the finished plate on the table. The only way to be excellent in the kitchen is to have a high level of discipline all day, all night, all the time.”

This ethos extends to her leadership. Wolf trains her staff with the same care she gives to her cuisine. She demands excellence but offers thoughtful guidance. The result is a masterful team, a brigade de cuisine, that has grown and thrived with her over the decades.

Wolf balances her unflinching standards with patience, humility and grace under pressure. There is no kitchen drama at Charleston. Food is prepared in silence

Little Mermaid

From page 18

designs of Shane Lowry, and the highly imaginative and creative costume designs of Sarah King and Janine Sunday.

Whether young or old, new to the story or inveterate fans of the original film or 2023 live-action remake, audience members will marvel at Toby’s dreamy production of The Little Mermaid while testing the truth of Ariel’s daring proposition:

with calm precision.

“Let the food speak for itself,” she said.

Rough patches

In life as in cooking, Wolf knows how to adapt and persist. During two serious bouts of cancer, she went to the kitchen every day, fully committed to her vocation: “It was my sanctuary.” The very thing that gave her life meaning also helped save it, she said.

At one point, Wolf was associated with multiple establishments in Baltimore, including Petit Louis, Cinghiale and The Milton Inn. The amicable dissolution of the Foreman Wolf brand last January frees her to focus exclusively on Charleston. It represents not an ending but a distillation — and a return to what she loves most.

“What if home isn’t the place where you were born? What if it’s a place you have to discover for yourself?”

Toby’s Dinner Theatre is located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia. Tickets range from $84 to $92 for adults (those 65+ pay $74 for Tuesday evening or any Wednesday performance); children 4 and older are $64 to $67.

Tickets are available from the box office by calling (410) 730-8311 or online via Ticketmaster (with a service fee).

Farm life

These days, when Wolf ventures outside the kitchen, you will most likely find her wandering her recently acquired 85-acre farm in Baltimore County.

“Lately, my life is all about enjoying the farm, walking the farm, working the farm, planning the farm, digging in the garden, introducing my rescue cats to the farm. I don’t even mind the heat and crazy humidity — I love it so much.”

At home, she cooks with the seasons, just as she does in her professional life.

“When I have time, I love to cook outdoors. After a lifetime of cooking indoors, often in kitchens, underground, with no windows, it’s a wonderful change.”

Chef Wolf may seem formidable, but down on the farm, she meditates, practices yoga and recaptures the wonder and

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whimsy of her childhood, when everyone called her Cindy Lou Who. (Credit Dr. Seuss for her love of books.)

Being on the farm gives her time to think about her legacy.

“There is a cookbook in my future. I want it to be a teaching tool, not just a list of ingredients and instructions. I’d love to go into the basics and show how to use good products to make affordable dishes,” she said.

But timing, in life as well as in the kitchen, is key. “I’m going to wait until I’m older. I’m not ready to do it,” she added.

In the meantime, Wolf pours her soul into her work, which also happens to be the love of her life. She’s a quiet fire — steady, brilliant and enduring.

“I’ll be in my 80s and 90s and still cooking my heart out,” she said.

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schools. In a way, Spence brings “old Relay” back to life as she immortalizes it in her art.

Despite its many changes over the years, the emotional and physical landscapes of Relay remain familiar to her. When her project is completed, perhaps next year, she said, “I hope the exhibit will be in the Relay Town Hall, which is beautifully preserved.”

Spence paints from memory and loss. Her childhood home was destroyed by a fire, so she painted the back of it from memory.

“I drew it 17 times before I began to apply any paint to it,” she said. “I expected [my siblings] to say to me, ‘Wait a minute, this window is not right’ or ‘That column’s not right’ or something. But they didn’t. They said it was perfectly fine.”

While painting from memory was difficult, Spence used nature as an anchor to

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make it easier. Sunrises, sunsets and rural landscapes recur in her work.

“It’s not easy to paint the sky, but the sunrises and sunsets are just the most exquisite things,” she said. “It’s free to all of us, and it’s there every day.”

Time to finish projects

Spence finds magic in the mundane of daily life, even when it takes time. One of her paintings took 14 years to complete.

When she started painting the image, which was of forsythia, Spence was still working full-time at her demanding job.

One spring, as she was coming home from work, she spotted a neighbor’s row of forsythia and brought some home to paint. However, by the time she got back to them, the plants she cut were spent, and so were the bushes in the neighbor’s yard.

So Spence stashed the painting in the basement, and it survived many cleanouts and a major move. One day in retirement, she glimpsed another forsythia in bloom.

Her husband cut her some, and she rushed to her studio and got to work.

“I finished the painting I had begun 14 years prior. It now hangs in our kitchen,” Spence said — a symbol of patience, memory and perseverance.

Inspiration for others

This year, Spence patiently continues to work on the series of paintings of the hometown she left when she was 26 years old.

“These things are not something that can be, nor should they be, rushed. It takes

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its own time, has its own life, and results in its own entity all by itself,” she said.

Some older adults may be afraid to start a new chapter in life. They may think that time passes, and so do chances. For these folks, Spence has some advice:

“If they have a passion, they need to pursue the passion and let themselves breathe, experience it and not look for perfection. It’s not a perfect world, and if we look for perfection, it’s going to get in our way and be a big stop sign,” she said. “Just put the wind in your sails and go sailing!”

Jumbles: TEMPO MOLDY LAWYER NOODLE Answer: When Cindy Crawford went bowling at the charity event, she was being a — “ROLL”

Scrabble answers on p. 21.

Crossword Puzzle

Across

1. Columbian cottage

5. Parks, who didn’t move

9. Basics

13. Member of Monty Python, with 41 Across

14. Like Voldemort and Vader

15. Host city of the 1900 Olympics

17. Common experience on Elm Street

19. “This is not ___”

20. More like dogs than wolves

21. Ash or platinum

23. Fed. org. that calculates a COLA

24. Oos and ___

26. “Hey, listen to this”

27. Big fuss

28. At the limits of propriety

30. Downhearted

33. Arctic hunter

37. He got 159 electoral votes in 1996

38. Villain’s foe

39. Basic box of crayons

41. See 13 Across

42. Grp. that advocated for the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

43. Jeans, one size too small

45. NYC bus system

46. “Maybe I spoke too ___”

48. Last letters in letters

49. He played Wayne’s friend in Wayne’s World

51. Mini gulf

52. AL East foe of BOS and TOR

55. Scarce

59. “You are such a ___ goose”

61. Reset the blackboards for the next class

62. Avoid hitting below the belt

64. One with a profile on eHarmony

65. Most people live there

66. The lower priced one in a BOGO offer

67. Grasslands

68. It averaged $88 per square foot in Manhattan in 2024

69. Cravings

Down

1. You can round them off your taxes

2. The Barber of Seville contains six

3. Greek letter that looks like a sideways M

4. Tummy trouble

5. Their most streamed song is Losing My Religion

6. Most cricket fields

7. iPhone’s digital assistant

8. “You don’t have ___ to stand on”

9. Indifference

10. Use a Jacuzzi

11. Option from a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine

12. Spanish ayes

16. “Short Term Rental,” shortly

18. Give Marvin Gardens for two railroads

22. Apple poisoner, probably

25. Migrant worker

27. Perched upon

28. Avoid having to calculate a tip

29. Least valuable part

31. “___ want for Christmas ...”

32. A couple of bucks

33. “Kapow!”

34. “It ain’t the ___; it’s the humility” (Yogi Berra)

35. Attempt to kill bacteria in food

36. Letters on the Ghostbusters’ license plate

37. Baba ghanoush and French onion

40. ___ Team (top-10 TV show from 1982-1985)

44. Rendezvous

46. Contemptuous looks

47. If you only have one, you will go in circles

50. Between Bahamian islands

51. Stop procrastinating

52. Sound the alarm

53. Mork or ALF

54. Stringed instruments, honestly

55. Letters after a proof

56. Russian river

57. Way, way off

58. Prepare to hear a national anthem

60. Full of uncertainty

63. Product sold by John Stetson since 1865

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HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington edition).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number. Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

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