June 2023 | Baltimore Beacon

IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE OVER 50

By Tina Collins

“As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us, that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.”

These words by the late puppeteer Jim Henson set the stage for an immersive museum experience into his enduring entertainment legacy.

Henson’s remarkable contributions to pop culture will be showcased at “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited” — an exhibit that runs from May 26 to December 30 at the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) in downtown Baltimore.

Marylanders consider Henson a native son, though he was born in Mississippi. In the late 1940s, his family moved to University Park, Maryland, where Henson, who attended Northwestern High School, first began entertaining friends and family with puppet shows.

When Henson was a student at the University of Maryland, in the early 1950s, he created his first Muppet — a hybrid marionette and puppet. His first show, Sam and Friends, aired on local television, and a career was born.

The traveling exhibition celebrates his creations, which span four decades and include The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and other beloved works.

A puppet innovator

The exhibition features hundreds of objects from Henson’s career: sketches, storyboards and early versions of now beloved characters. A 1969 sketch of Oscar the Grouch shows the same eyes as the finished character, and some of the early puppets on display resemble future Muppets.

One part of the exhibit shows how Henson innovated the primitive technique of puppeteering. For instance, he used cloth instead of wood, which made it easier to manipulate the puppet’s eyes, nose and mouth into human expressions.

Covering 5,000 square feet, the exhibition is immersive and interactive. Screens, scripts, sketches and prototypes show what went on behind the scenes.

A life-sized replica of The Muppet Show’s

©

famous arches provides a fun photo opportunity for museum visitors.

Visitors can also see a different side of Henson in ventures he explored outside of children’s entertainment. For instance, in the 1960s, Henson worked as an experimental filmmaker on commercials, documentaries and short films, one of which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1965.

As a television pioneer, Henson maintained the eye of a filmmaker, emphasizing consistency of character and message.

Admirers worldwide

Though Henson’s life was tragically cut short at age 53 (he died of pneumonia in

1990), what he created connects us all: Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Kermit the Frog.

After all, images we come to love in childhood, uncrowded by other memories, often become the best-remembered lessons and emotional experiences. With its global reach, Henson’s work may be one of the things much of the world has in common.

One display reveals what Henson scribbled on a script for the 1980s television series Fraggle Rock: “What the show is really about is people getting along with other people, and understanding the delicate balances of the natural world.”

See JIM HENSON, page 20

INSIDE…

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Make time for an adventure in vast, beautiful Alaska; plus, check out the powwows of Native tribes across the region this summer page 15

ARTS & STYLE

Artist Hal Boyd creates colorful, dreamlike paintings from his Baltimore studio page 19

k New drugs for weight loss

k Lonely? Tips that can help

LAW & MONEY

k Earn higher, and safer, interest

11

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY 23 PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

DISNEY/MUPPETS.

COURTESY THE JIM HENSON COMPANY/MOMI

This photo of the late Jim Henson, snuggling his iconic creation Kermit the Frog, shows him in front of a mural of his other puppet characters painted by Coulter Watt. An interactive exhibition on Henson’s life is on display now through December at the Maryland Museum of History and Culture.

FITNESS & HEALTH 3

Layers of reality

Since the invention of microscopes and telescopes some four centuries ago, our view of the world around us and the universe in which we live has changed markedly.

What we used to believe about how our bodies worked, how stars and planets moved, and the very nature of reality have been repeatedly disrupted by new knowledge thanks to scientists and their steady improvement in developing technologies and experiments that uncover deeper and deeper layers of reality.

skin constantly sloughs off. Even if they’re friendly, it’s a good thing we can’t see those little buggers, right?

thing apparently solid exists.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

As a result, we have come to be more in awe of our own brainpower even as we lose (or should lose) some faith in our five senses.

We used to say “seeing is believing.” Perhaps we haven’t rejected that completely, but we no longer believe that what we see with our naked eyes is all there is.

Let’s start with what we see when we look at our own skin. We now know that a trillion or more bacteria live on each person’s body, feasting on the dead cells our

Speaking of what’s invisible to us, think about our old transistor radios and television sets, and today’s cell phones and Wi-Fi. The air all around us is filled with electromagnetic waves that are transmitting the sounds and images of millions of radio and television programs, streaming movies, personal calls and GPS instructions all at once.

Imagine what our lives would be like if our eyes could see such waves or our ears could pick up all those sounds. We would be unable to function!

Sometimes I think back to my seventhgrade science class. That’s where I first encountered the periodic table and learned that all matter — living or dead, organic or inorganic — is made up of atoms, and that those consist of protons, neutrons and electrons, all of which are in constant motion. It always made me wonder how any-

I find myself even today sometimes contemplating ordinary items in my daily experience — my desk, my car, a fly on the wall, this copy of the Beacon — and trying to imagine how they can all be composed of the same, constantly moving subatomic building blocks, only in different combinations.

Speaking of the periodic table, does it make sense that one additional proton distinguishes atoms of the metal lithium from those of the gas helium, or the gas nitrogen from carbon, or mercury from gold? How do so many characteristics of different forms of matter arise from such a seemingly small change?

At the age of 12, I guess I took all this in stride, like just about everything else I learned in school. But the older I get, the more amazed I am by such facts — and by the many additional layers of understanding that physicists now have to explain what lies at the root of our daily reality.

By that, I mean much of what we were simplistically taught in grade school has been completely transformed by quantum physics and its ongoing discoveries. (These took a few decades to trickle down to school textbooks.)

We now “know” that gravity is (probably) caused by the stretching of space-time, and that electrons don’t literally orbit nuclei, but are jumping around in “clouds” that surround them (but defy observation).

We are also told that what Einstein derogatorily called “spooky action at a distance” has been proven: That when two quantum particles interact once, they continue to affect each other even when they are so far apart they can no longer have any way to communicate.

Oh, and by the way, did you know researchers have identified about 200 or so subatomic particles to date, thanks to experiments in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN?

Perhaps even deeper beneath these discoveries are so-called “strings,” which are hypothesized to be the vibrating energy underpinnings of subatomic particles, and hence of all nature.

One of my favorite lines from the theater is when the son Chris in Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons explains that he reads the book reviews in the newspaper because “I like to keep abreast of my ignorance.”

That’s how I feel about my occasional reading about contemporary science or the YouTube videos I often watch for the same reason.

Our understanding of the universe — like the universe itself apparently — is everexpanding and endlessly full of wonder.

I don’t pretend to really understand anything I’ve talked about in this column. But the more I learn (well, hear) about the many layers of what we call reality, the more I find myself agreeing with Trudy, Lily Tomlin’s character in Jane Wagner’s Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, when she says, “Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.”

Maybe I would amend that to say, “amongst those attempting to stay abreast of our understanding of it.” It’s challenging, mind-bending stuff. But it also continually fuels our sense of wonder and awe at the multi-level reality in which we live.

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md. and Greater Washington, D.C. Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

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

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal

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Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:

Thank you for your February cover story about the civil rights history behind the carousel on the National Mall, “Author made history as a baby.” [The writer co-authored a book about its 1963 desegregation.]

As a result, I was invited to give a talk over Zoom to a lunchtime meeting of a Rotary Club and, just this week, I received an email from someone inviting me to give a talk at her church in Baltimore. I also

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heard from a few others in the area who enjoyed the article.

So, thanks for spreading the word!

Sadly, the carousel on the National Mall has been packed up and sent off for renovation and won’t be back on the Mall for a year or so. It definitely needs repair work. Maybe they’ll have a re-dedication event when it returns.

Amy Nathan Larchmont, New York

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details. Please mail or email all submissions. © Copyright 2023 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

The Baltimore County Department of Aging seeks caring, compassionate people to volunteer as advocates for elders. Volunteer ombudsmans attend a three-day training course to learn how to protect elders’ rights. Then they’re asked to visit a nursing home for one to two hours per week. For more information, call (410) 887-2715 or email volunteers@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Health Fitness & Health Fitness &

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

Lonely? Join a club, host a gathering and brush up on your social skills

CAREGIVERS WANTED

If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia, test out a new app that can help MULTIVITAMIN MYTHS

Studies show that most people don’t need to take a daily multivitamin

WHATCHAMACALLIT

Talking to yourself can help you remember names and where you put things

Prescription drugs promising weight loss

By Jonel Aleccia

WeightWatchers, the 60-year-old diet firm, announced in March it would acquire a telehealth company whose providers prescribe anti-obesity drugs for growing numbers of eager online subscribers.

The $132 million deal with Sequence is just the latest commercial push into the red-hot market for prescription drugs that promise significant weight loss.

For months, the diabetes drug Ozempic has been touted on social media by celebrities even though it’s not approved for weight loss. The demand for it sparked shortages.

WeightWatchers will introduce its roughly 3.5 million subscribers to a new generation of medications that go beyond behavioral changes like gym workouts and

diet tracking. Obesity experts say the drugs may revolutionize treatment of the disease that affects 42% of American adults.

Here’s a look at the promise of these new medications and cautions about their use.

What are these new drugs?

The drugs that have generated the most buzz are from a class of medications called GLP-1 agonists. Two of the most popular, Ozempic and Wegovy, are different doses of the same drug, semaglutide.

Ozempic has been used for six years to treat Type 2 diabetes and is not approved for weight loss. Wegovy was approved in 2021 to treat obesity in adults and late last year to treat kids and teens 12 and older.

Doctors prescribe the medications to

people with diabetes alone or to people who are obese or who are overweight with additional health problems. Most of these types of drugs are delivered through weekly injections.

Supply problems and soaring demand last year led to a shortage of the drugs, but Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, said those have been replenished.

How do the drugs work?

They mimic the action of a gut hormone that kicks in after people eat, boosting the release of insulin, blocking sugar production in the liver, and suppressing appetite.

A newer drug, called tirzepatide, mimics the action of two hormones for an even greater effect. The Eli Lilly and Co. drug,

sold under the brand name Mounjaro, is now approved to treat diabetes, but the FDA granted fast-track status to review it to treat obesity. A decision is expected this spring.

With a lower appetite and a greater feeling of fullness, people using these drugs eat less and lose weight.

How effective are the drugs?

In a clinical trial, adults who took Wegovy saw a mean weight loss of nearly 35 pounds, or about 15% of their initial body weight. Adolescents lost about 16% of their body weight.

A clinical trial of Mounjaro, which is still

New connections can counter loneliness

By Harvard Health Blogs

Loneliness is complicated. You can feel lonely when you lack friends and miss companionship or when you’re surrounded by people — even friends and family.

Either way, loneliness can have devastating health effects. It boosts the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, declining thinking skills, inability to perform daily living tasks, and even an early death.

The remedy?

Not all loneliness can be solved by seeking out people. The loneliness that occurs despite having plenty of relationships may require talk therapy and a journey that looks inward.

But reducing loneliness caused by a

lack of relationships is more of an outward journey to make new friends. Below we offer three ways to ease loneliness and add happiness by helping you expand your social network.

“That’s a challenge as we get older because people are often established in their social groups and aren’t as available as they might have been in a different phase of life. So, you have to be more entrepreneurial and work harder to make friends than you once did,” said Dr. Jacqueline Olds, a psychiatrist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the co-author of two books on loneliness.

Trying these strategies can help:

1. Seek like-minded souls. Being around people who share your interests gives you a head start on making friends:

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you already have something in common.

Start by considering your interests. Are you a voracious reader, a history lover, a movie aficionado, a gardener, a foodie, a puppy parent or an athlete?

Are you passionate about a cause, your community or your heritage? Do you collect things? Do you love classic cars? Do you enjoy sprucing up old furniture?

Maybe you want to learn something new, like how to cook Chinese food or speak another language. Search for online groups, in-person clubs, volunteer opportunities or classes that match your interests.

Once you join a group, you’ll need to participate regularly to build bonds. If you can gather in person, it’s even better.

“The part of our brain involved in social connection is stimulated by all five senses. When you’re with someone in the same room, you get a much stronger set of stimuli than you do by watching them on a screen,” Dr. Olds said.

2. Create opportunities. If joining someone else’s group is unappealing, start your own. Host gatherings at your place or elsewhere.

“All it takes is three people. You can say, ‘Let’s read books or talk about a TV show or have a dinner group on a regular basis,’” Dr. Olds said.

Other ideas for gatherings — either weekly or monthly — include game nights, trivia nights, hikes, birdwatching expeditions, running or cycling, meditation, museum visits, cooking, knitting, sewing, crafting, shopping, day trips to nearby towns, and even a collector show-and-tell (comic books, antique dolls, baseball cards).

The people you invite don’t have to be dear friends; they can just be people you’d like to get to know better — perhaps neighbors or work acquaintances.

If they’re interested in a regular gathering, pin down dates and times. Otherwise, the idea might stay stuck in the talking stages.

“Don’t be timid. Say, ‘Let’s get our calendars out and get this scheduled,’” Dr. Olds said.

3. Brush up on your social skills. Sometimes we’re rusty in surface social graces that help build deeper connections. “It makes a huge difference when you can be enthusiastic rather than just sitting there and hoping someone will realize how interesting you are,” Dr. Olds said.

Here are some tips to practice:

• Smile more. Smiling is welcoming, inviting and hospitable to others.

• Be engaging. Prepare a few topics to talk about or questions to ask — perhaps about the news or the reason you’ve gathered. (If it’s a seminar, for example, ask how long someone has been interested in the subject.)

Or look for a conversation starter. “Maybe the person is wearing a pretty brooch. Ask if there’s a story behind it,” Dr. Olds suggested.

• Be a good listener. “Listen in a way that someone realizes you’re paying attention. Hold their gaze, nod your head or say ‘Mm hmm’ as they’re talking so you give feedback. Assume everyone in the world is just yearning for your feedback,” Dr. Olds said.

• Ask follow-up questions. Don’t ignore signals that someone has interesting stories to tell. “If they allude to something, your job is to look fascinated and ask if they can tell you more. They’re dropping crumbs on a path to a deeper exchange,” Dr. Olds noted.

Weight loss

being studied, saw a mean weight loss of 15% to 21% of body weight, depending on the dose, compared with a weight loss of about 3% for people taking a placebo or dummy drug.

Why not just diet and exercise?

In a typical weight-loss program where participants rely only on diet and exercise, about a third of people enrolled will lose 5% or more of their body weight, noted Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Most people find it difficult to lose weight because of the body’s biological reactions to eating less, he said. There are several hormones that respond to reduced calorie intake to increase hunger and maintain body mass.

“There is a real physical phenomenon,”

Loneliness

From page 4

Even chats that don’t lead to friendships can be enriching. A 2022 study found that people who had the most diverse portfolios of social interactions — exchanges with strangers, acquaintances, friends, or family members — were much happier than those

he said. “There is a resistance mechanism that is a coordinated effort by the body to prevent you from losing weight.”

What are the drugs’ side effects?

The most common side effects are short-lived gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and constipation.

Other possible side effects include thyroid tumors, cancer, inflammation of the pancreas, kidney and gallbladder, and eye problems. People with a family history of certain thyroid cancers or a rare genetic endocrine disorder should avoid the drugs.

What to watch out for

These new medications could be an effective part of a multifaceted approach to weight loss, said Dr. Amy Rothberg, a University of Michigan endocrinologist who directs a virtual weight management and diabetes program called Rewind.

But she worries that programs like

with the least diverse social portfolios. Ultimately, a wide variety of interactions contributes to well-being, whether you’re talking to the cashier at the supermarket, a neighbor, an old friend, or a new one. And all of these connections combined may go a long way toward helping you feel less lonely.

© 2023 by Harvard University

WeightWatchers are primarily interested in boosting enrollment — and profits.

“My hope is that they do their due diligence and have real monitoring of the patients taking the drugs,” Rothberg said.

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It’s important to make sure that patients are taking the drugs for the intended purpose, that there’s no reason they shouldn’t take the drugs, and that they’re monitored for side effects, she added. —AP

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Ongoing

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUAL)

A support group for those who have lost a spouse or partner meets online on the second and fourth Friday of each month, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For more information and the link to join the online group, contact Deb Vaughn at (301) 816-2658.

MAIL OR EMAIL FOR FREE INFORMATION

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Housing Communities

❏ Brightview Senior Living (see ad on page 5)

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Clinical Research Studies

❏ Balance/Falls Study (HIPS) (see ad on page 6)

❏ Caregiver Study (see ad on page 6)

❏ Dementia Patient Caregivers (see article on page 6)

❏ Diabetes Diet Study (DASH 4D) (see ad on page 8)

❏ Knee Osteoarthritis Study (see ad on page 7)

❏ Mild Cognitive Impairment Study (see ad on page 7)

Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study seeks dementia patient caregivers

By Margaret Foster

More than six million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. And most of them (80%) still live at home, cared for by family members, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“The caregiver is on their own,” said Laura Gitlin, Ph.D., dean emerita of Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. “Families are always on their own to figure out how to provide care and support

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the person throughout the disease process.”

To help those families, Gitlin and her colleague, Helen Kales, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist at UC Davis, developed a new online tool called WeCareAdvisor. Now, with funding from the National Institute on Aging, they’re testing the online platform in a study in which busy caregivers can participate entirely over the phone.

Gitlin and Kales have worked with thousands of families and have devised many

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The Baltimore Amateur Radio Club is a nonprofit for amateur radio operators in public service to the area, including disaster communications. Its annual Hamfest is a flea market featuring radio equipment as well as miscellaneous items and food. Join them at the Arcadia Volunteer Fire Company grounds on Sun., June 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Father’s Day Hamfest & Swap Meet. Admission is $5, or $10 per tailgating space. The event takes place at 16020 Carnival Ave., Upperco. For more information, visit w3ft.com/hamfest.

successful ways to support people living with dementia. They’ve treated common dementia-related symptoms, including agitation, wandering, repetitive questioning or shadowing their caregiver.

“These behaviors occur throughout the dementia process and can be very disturbing for the person and their caregiver,” Gitlin said.

She and Kales hope WeCareAdvisor can “help families manage these behaviors,” so they’re testing it with the people who need it most — family caregivers.

“We developed it with lots of input from family caregivers as well as providers,” said Gitlin, co-principal investigator of the study.

How the online tool works

Caregivers who enroll in the study can access WeCareAdvisor on a smartphone, computer or tablet. They can use it around the clock to learn about dementia and solve behavioral challenges.

Let’s say it’s the middle of the night, and a husband with dementia grows agitated and tries to leave the house. His wife quickly checks her phone for a solution.

Instead of flipping through a book, people can use WeCareAdvisor to get the information they need on the spot. The tool provides “access to strategies and information about dementia 24/7, whenever a caregiver needs it,” Gitlin said.

WeCareAdvisor uses the DICE approach, which stands for Describe, Investigate, Create and Evaluate, Gitlin explained.

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First, the caregiver is asked a series of questions to describe the behavior — say, wandering. Then caregivers are asked yes/no questions to investigate the behavior, such as, “Was there a sudden onset? Has there been a change in medication?”

Within seconds, the tool will create a plan that includes easy-to-use strategies to try. After caregivers try the strategies, the tool asks them to evaluate how well they worked. It can also offer additional strategies if they’re needed.

What can participants expect?

For the study, which is enrolling now, caregivers are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group immediately learns how to use the tool and starts using WeCareAdvisor. Training takes just 15 to 30 minutes, Gitlin said, because the tool is fairly simple to use.

The second group receives training and access to the tool three months later.

The research team will interview all caregivers four times: at the beginning of the study, one month later, three months later, and then six months later.

“Everyone has an opportunity to use WeCareAdvisor and evaluate it,” Gitlin said.

Participants will give feedback to researchers, who also will collect information regarding how often caregivers used the tool.

“If it’s effective,” Gitlin said, “we definitely want to make this available to families.”

For more information about this study, or to enroll, email WeCare@drexel.edu.

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Stretch in the sun! Meet at 3500 Shannon Dr., Baltimore (corner of Shannon Dr. and Brehms Ln.) for a free yoga class with Blissful Body Yoga. Mats are provided. Register at friendsofherringrun.org/events.html. For more information, call (410) 417-8565.

Not everyone needs a daily multivitamin

By Julie Corliss

Are you among the one in three Americans who gulps down a multivitamin every morning, probably with a sip of water?

The truth about this popular habit may be hard to swallow.

“Most people would be better off just drinking a full glass of water and skipping the vitamin,” said Pieter Cohen, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an internist at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance.

In addition to saving money, you’ll have the satisfaction of not succumbing to misleading marketing schemes.

That’s because for the average American adult, a daily multivitamin doesn’t provide any meaningful health benefit, as noted recently by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Their review, which analyzed 84 studies involving nearly 700,000 people, found little or no evidence that taking vitamin and mineral supplements helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease that can lead to heart attacks and stroke, nor do they help prevent an early death.

“We have good evidence that, for the vast majority of people, taking multivitamins won’t help you,” said Cohen, an expert in dietary supplement research and regulation.

Who might need supplements?

There are some exceptions, however. Highly restrictive diets and gastrointestinal conditions, or certain weight-loss surgeries that cause poor nutrient absorption, are examples of reasons why a multivita-

min or individual vitamins might be recommended.

A daily vitamin D supplement may be necessary when a person gets insufficient sun exposure. Your doctor may recommend an iron supplement if you have a low red blood cell count (anemia).

Claims don’t require proof

Vitamins are very inexpensive to make, so the companies that sell them can sink lots of money into advertising, Cohen said.

But because the FDA regulates dietary supplements as food and not as prescription or over-the-counter drugs [which need to be proven both safe and effective], the agency only monitors supplements for claims regarding the treatment of disease.

For example, supplement makers cannot say their product “lowers heart disease risk.” But their labels are allowed to include phrases such as “promotes a healthy heart” or “supports immunity,” as well as vague promises about improving fatigue and low motivation.

“Supplement manufacturers are allowed to market their products as if they have benefits when no benefit actually exists. It’s enshrined into the law,” Cohen said.

It’s wise to note the legally required disclaimer on each product: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

But even the strong language in this disclaimer — “not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent” — doesn’t seem to affect how people perceive the marketing claims.

Although multivitamins aren’t helpful, at least they’re not harmful. But the money people spend on them could be better spent on purchasing healthy foods, Cohen said.

Julie Corliss is executive editor of Harvard Heart Letter.

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

Q&As on memory and statin side effects

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: What are some ways to help remember names and decrease other memory slip-ups?

A: While recurring or worsening memory issues should always be checked out, everyday lapses can be managed. Here are some tips on how to overcome some common memory situations:

Names. When you meet someone for the first time, make the connection meaningful. Many times, we forget a name because we didn’t notice it being said or don’t make an effort to try to remember it.

Repeat the name and immediately link it to something that may help trigger recall, such as the person’s appearance or job. Or associate the name with someone who has a similar name, like a celebrity, relative or movie character.

You can also connect the name with a rhyming word, a song or an image. For example, link the name Sandy with the idea of a beach, and imagine Sandy on the beach. Use as much detail as possible — picture her walking along the water’s edge or on a beach that’s familiar to you.

Finally, write down the name and the person’s relation to you (for example, your neighbor’s sister) in your smartphone or in a memory notebook specially dedicated to things you want to remember.

Routine tasks. We often forget routine behaviors because we are not fully engaged when we do them.

An excellent way to remind yourself of a completed task is to talk to yourself while doing it. Say it out loud, such as, “I’m locking the front door” or “I’m putting the clothes in the dryer.”

Everyday items. Always put things you regularly use in the same place. For example, set up dedicated areas near the front door, in the living room by your favorite seat, and in the bedroom, and use these spaces for all your vital objects like phone, keys, glasses and medicine.

For objects you don’t handle regularly, make a point to focus on the location where you place them and, again, tell yourself out loud what you are doing. For instance, say “I’m placing the scissors in the kitchen drawer below the coffeepot.”

To-do lists . Smartphones also are great for scheduling reminders for tasks and appointments, and their alarms can be set up for one-time or recurring events.

You can also email yourself reminders, or leave yourself a note. Another approach is to create a visual reminder: Put an object associated with the task in a prominent place. For instance, if you need to order concert tickets, leave a picture of the artist near your phone or on your memory table.

Q: I’m told I need to be on a higher dose of atorvastatin (Lipitor) to lower my cholesterol. But I don’t even like taking the 10-milligram dose because I feel more aches and pains. What options do I have?

A: Statin drugs such as atorvastatin are important medications that reduce high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and significantly lower the risk for heart attack, stroke and premature death. Despite the drugs’ effectiveness, many people discontinue it without telling their doctor.

Statins are often abandoned because of side effects (real or perceived). Body aches are the most common complaint. But clinical studies suggest that, most often, the side effects are not related to the drug.

People frequently have negative expectations even before they take their first statin dose. An example is the claim of cognitive decline as a side effect, which has been disproven several times over.

Work with your doctor to see if one of the following approaches can help you stick with your statin.

Consider a low-dose, alternate-day strategy to ease into statin use. This recalibrates expectations and may give you more of an open mind that you can tolerate the statin.

Have confidence in every conversation.

Do you find it difficult to use a standard phone? Do people ask you to repeat yourself during telephone conversations? Do you miss important calls because you can’t hear the phone ring? The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) program is here to help by giving Maryland residents the opportunity to apply for State-provided telecommunications equipment to independently make and receive calls. Once you qualify, a skilled evaluator meets with you to determine the best device to support your day-to-day communications. The MAT program has a variety of equipment solutions to support clearer communication, including:

• Amplified phones

• Tablets

• Ring signalers

• Phones with large and/or high contrast buttons

• Captioned Telephones

• And more

For more information:

800-552-7724 | 410-767-7253 (Voice/TTY) 410-801-9618 (Video Phone) | MDMAT.org

Switch to a different statin. For example, rosuvastatin (Crestor) may cause fewer muscle aches.

Try a non-statin cholesterol drug. These drugs don’t cause muscle aches the way statins sometimes do. Bempedoic acid (Nexletol) boosts LDL cholesterol clearance by the liver with less effect on muscles. Ezetimibe (Zetia) works in the intestines to inhibit cholesterol absorption.

Think about other causes of muscle aches. Is it really the medication causing discomfort, or did you perhaps begin to exercise more when you started the statin?

Consider drug interactions. Some medications can cause adverse reactions when taken with statins.

Ask your doctor if it is safe to stop the statin for two to three weeks. You can see if the muscle aches stop. Also, some people find they can restart the statin after a short drug holiday.

Try coenzyme Q10. This supplement has mixed results for relieving muscle aches from statins.

Check your vitamin D levels. There’s an association between low vitamin D levels and higher muscle aches when you take a statin.

© 2023 President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tools and methods to safely trim toenails

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good toenail clipping solutions? My toenails have gotten increasingly thick since I’ve gotten older and have become very difficult for me to reach down and cut.

—Almost 80 Dear Almost, Trimming your toenails is a task that can become very challenging as we get older. For many, toenails can become thicker and harder to cut, and our reduced flexibility can make it more difficult to get into the right position to cut them.

By Jim Miller

Fortunately, there are solutions available that can make this job a little easier.

One of the simplest tricks for cutting thick toenails is to simply take a bath or shower, or soak your feet in warm water, prior to cutting them. The water helps soften them for easier cutting.

There are also toenail softening creams you can buy, like “Miracle of Aloe Toenail Soft” and “Barielle Toenail Softening Cream,” that temporarily soften thick, hard nails. Just rub it into your toenails at bedtime, and in the morning, they’ll be easier to cut and file.

Most people’s toenails grow about 1/16 inch per month, so it’s appropriate to cut them every six to eight weeks. When cutting nails, take care not to cut too far down. Overaggressive trimming, and cutting the toenails too short, can lead to ingrown toenails. Podiatrists typically recommend leaving a small bit of nail past the nail bed when trimming.

You may also want to avoid a rounded cut. It’s best to cut the nails fairly straight across, ensuring that the corners of the nail do not cut into the skin folds of the toe. And use an emery board to smooth the jagged edges and corners that can snag and potentially tear the nail as it grows.

Top toenail clippers

There are a number of medical-grade or specialty toenail clippers recommended by professionals for older adults.

For thick nails, the “New Huing Podiatrist Toenail Clipper” is a top option. This clipper has a sharp, curved blade that easily cuts through any toenail, no matter how hard or thick it has gotten. It also has a nonslip, cushioned grip that allows for comfortable clipping.

For those with limited mobility, check out the “Clipperpro Omega Select Toenail Clipper,” which has a long plastic grip that’s much larger than that of a standard set of nail clippers. Also, its blade head swivels 180 degrees. Both of those features make this clipper much easier to use for anyone with arthritis or mobility issues, since users will have more control and an added range for reaching.

For people who have a hard time bending over, there are long handled toenail

clippers like the “DriFeez Long Handle Toenail Clipper,” which comes in four sizes: 20, 24, 28 and 32 inches long. It also has a heavy-duty clipper with a 1/8-inchwide jaw opening designed to cut thick toenails.

All of these clippers are available online at sites like Amazon.com and Walmart.com at prices ranging from $10 to $40.

Sundays in Atlantic City!

Harriett Tubman Museum – June 27

Ocean City – July 1, July 15, July 29

St Michael’s MD Crab Claw

Restaurant – August 13, September 17

Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band

Transportation Only September 9 See

Rocky

of Maine September 10-14

African

September 19

SAVVY SENIOR

Southern Spain’s best-kept secret recipe

By America’s Test Kitchen

Espinacas con Garbanzos is a hyperregional dish native to Seville with strong Moorish influence. It’s a substantive dish that’s full of flavor.

Briefly simmering canned chickpeas (uniformly tender, well-seasoned and convenient) in a combination of chicken broth and chickpea canning liquid tenderizes

BEACON BITS

June 13

them and infuses them with savory flavor.

A picada (a paste of garlic and bread cooked in plenty of olive oil) thickens and seasons the sauce. Smoked paprika and Moorish spices such as cumin, cinnamon and saffron imbue the picada with heady aromas, while tomatoes and vinegar boost its tang.

Thawed frozen chopped spinach is per-

FREE WOMEN’S SELF-DEFENSE CLASS

This free women’s self-defense class is designed to help build confidence while developing lifesaving skills. It takes place on Tue., June 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at CareFirst Engagement Center, 1501 S. Clinton St., Ste. 100, Baltimore. Light refreshments will be served. Register at bit.ly/BaltimoreSelfDefenseClass.

fect here. Already fine and tender, it disperses beautifully throughout the dish and provides plenty of surface area to hold the juices in place.

Espinacas con Garbanzos (Andalusian Spinach and Chickpeas)

Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:

1 loaf crusty bread

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (1 can drained, 1 can undrained)

1½ cups chicken broth

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon table salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Experience the Harmony Difference

1 small pinch saffron

2 small plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, flesh shredded on large holes of box grater and skins discarded

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for seasoning

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions:

Cut a 1.5-ounce piece from loaf of bread (thickness will vary depending on the size of the loaf) and tear into 1-inch pieces. Process in a food processor until finely ground (you should have ¾ cup crumbs).

Combine chickpeas and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain simmer and cook until the level of liquid is just below the top layer of chickpeas, about 10 minutes.

While chickpeas cook, heat ¼ cup oil in a 10-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium heat until just shimmering. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and saffron, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and vinegar; remove from heat.

Stir bread mixture and spinach into chickpeas. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and stew-like, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Season with salt and extra vinegar to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with remaining bread.

Recipe notes: For a vegan version, substitute vegetable broth or water for the chicken broth. Use a fruity, spicy, highquality olive oil here. Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar.

For 25 years, confident cooks in the know have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA.

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

Trimming toenails

From page 9

Toenail trimming services

If you get to the point that you can’t, or would rather not, cut your own toenails, a podiatrist can provide both foot and toenail care. But be aware that routine foot care is not covered by Medicare unless you have an underlying condition or injury that requires a professional to tend to your feet.

If you are generally in good health, regular pedicures at a nail salon are a good option for getting your toenails cut and are much cheaper than visiting a podiatrist.

Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or

Senior book.

Money Law & Social Security, Medicare facing changes

By Amanda Seitz and Hannah Fingerhut

Most U.S. adults are opposed to proposals that would cut into Medicare or Social Security benefits, and a majority support raising taxes on the nation’s highest earners to keep Medicare running as is.

The new findings, revealed in a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, come as both safety net programs are poised to run out of enough cash to pay out full benefits within the next decade.

About 65 million Americans access government-sponsored health insurance through Medicare and rely on monthly payments from Social Security.

Few Americans would be OK with some ways politicians have suggested to shore up the programs: 79% say they oppose reducing the size of Social Security benefits, and 67% are against raising monthly premiums for Medicare

Instead, a majority (58%) support the idea of increasing taxes on households making over $400,000 yearly to pay for Medicare, a plan proposed by President Joe Biden last month. [Ed. Note: A Bloomberg analysis reported on by the Washington Post says this alone would not solve Medicare’s shortfall.]

Taxing the rich is popular

Ninety-year-old Marilyn Robinson disagrees with nearly everything the president says, but she thinks his plan to increase taxes on wealthy Americans to pay for the healthcare program’s future makes sense.

She doesn’t know anyone in her rural farming town of White Creek, New York, who makes that much money. Robinson herself, who has been on Medicare for the past 25 years, receives just $1,386 in Social Security and pension checks every month.

“I can survive on that much money,” she said. “But if you’re talking about $400,000, you’re just in another category. There’s nobody around here making money like that.”

That’s about the only change to the entitlement programs that most Americans say they would support.

One way or another, changes are in store for the programs. The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released on April 6 warned that Medicare will only have enough cash to cover 89% of payments for inpatient hospital visits and nursing home stays by 2031. Just two years later, Social Security will only be able to pay 77% of benefits to retirees.

Little faith in programs’ future

The poll found that many Americans have doubts about the stability of both programs: Only about 2 in 10 are very or ex-

tremely confident that the benefits from either program will be available to them when they need them, while about half have little or no confidence.

Republican and Democratic leaders have publicly promised not to cut benefits for Social Security or Medicare. Some Republicans, however, have floated the idea of raising the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare to keep the programs flush.

But a majority of Americans overwhelmingly reject that, too. Three-quarters of Americans say they oppose raising the eligibility age for Social Security benefits from 67 to 70, and 7 in 10 oppose raising the eligibility age for Medicare benefits from 65 to 67.

U.S. lawmakers who support raising the eligibility age to keep those programs

See SAVING MEDICARE, page 13

Comprehensive retirement planning guide

In December 2021, I wrote a favorable review of Wade Pfau’s Retirement Planning Guidebook, published by Retirement Resources.

Pfau has recently produced a second edition of his book, which addresses all the major regulations passed since then. Many experts agree this book is the most comprehensive and best-written personal finance book ever written. I agree.

If you are approaching retirement and need guidance regarding any of the most important aspects of retirement, you should obtain this book. It is required reading not only for prospective retirees but for all financial planners as well.

Medicare, health insurance, long-term care options, housing decisions, tax planning and estate planning.

In every one of these subjects, Pfau goes into considerable detail, with reliable sources, to help you make critical decisions with a full understanding of all options, knowing the pros and cons of each.

Reverse mortgages

THE SAVINGS GAME

By Elliot Raphaelson

The guide discusses four general retirement income styles. You can determine your style, before obtaining the book, by filling out a questionnaire. You’ll get input to develop a strategy that will allow you to meet your retirement objectives.

You can visit risaprofile.com/guidebook to take the questionnaire and make your profile without cost or any future obligation.

The book covers investments, withdrawal options, annuities, Social Security,

One of my favorite parts of the book is the section on housing decisions. Pfau has developed expertise regarding reverse mortgages and has covered the advantages in this book at a depth that no other author has, to my knowledge.

Not everyone in retirement wants to remain in their home long-term. But for those who do, this section is a must-read. (Pfau has also written a separate comprehensive book, Reverse Mortgages: How to Use Reverse Mortgages to Secure Your Retirement, which I have reviewed favorably.)

Pfau explains clearly the differences between a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, and a home equity conversion

mortgage, or HECM.

With a HELOC, a homeowner borrows the money using the home as collateral, generally with low start-up fees, and is required to repay the loan in a relatively short time frame. Retirees may not be eligible for a HELOC loan if they don’t have a regular income.

With a HECM, which is used for most reverse mortgages, the homeowner would have higher up-front fees and has the option to repay the loan voluntarily, but is under no obligation to make any repayment as long as he/she is eligible for the loan.

HECMs added new safeguards in 2015 to make sure that they are not used solely as a last resort by those who have otherwise depleted their resources.

However, the qualifications for HECMS are less stringent than those for a HELOC. A HECM is generally available as long as set-asides are included to cover taxes, insurance and maintenance.

Pfau points out that the major advantage of the HECM is that a line of credit cannot be canceled, frozen or reduced. No such protection is available for HELOCS. This was a significant problem for HELOCs during the financial crisis in 2008.

Pfau also emphasizes that the principal

limit and line of credit for HECMS will grow throughout retirement, independent of home value, unlike the fixed amount available with HELOCs.

Furthermore, the HECM has flexible payback options and is noncancellable. For homeowners who want to establish a liquid contingency fund, the HECM has advantages that HELOCs don’t have.

At the end of the book, Pfau discusses the non-financial aspects of retirement success. For example, the relationship between work and retirement is discussed, and the importance of strengthening relationships and social connection. Also covered is the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Each chapter recommends valuable sources for further reading, if you want to investigate any subject in more detail.

Bottom line: The guide is very comprehensive. There is no major category associated with retirement that is not covered in depth. You will find the guide an essential tool to a prosperous retirement.

The second edition of Retirement Planning Guidebook was released March 15, 2023 and is available on Amazon and other online booksellers.

© 2022 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Financial writer Elliot Raphaelson recommends this retirement guide. See article below.

How working affects Social Security benefits

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I started drawing my Social Security retirement benefits back in 2021, when I was forced to retire early. Now I’m interested in going back to work part-time. Will this affect my benefits, and if so, how much?

—Back to Work Dear Back,

You can collect Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time, but depending on how old you are and how much you earn, some or all of your benefits could be temporarily withheld. Here’s how it works:

BEACON BITS

June 5

SSA earning rules

Social Security says that if you’re under your full retirement age and are collecting benefits, you can earn up to $21,240 in 2023 without jeopardizing any of your Social Security benefits if you don’t reach your full retirement age this year. But if you earn more than the $21,240 limit, you’ll lose $1 in benefits for every $2 over that amount.

Full retirement age is 66 for those born between 1943 and 1954, but it rises in twomonth increments every birth year to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later. You can find your full retirement age at bit.ly/SSagecalculator.

In the year you reach your full retirement

MONEY MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP (VIRTUAL)

A free online workshop, “Conquer Debt and Make Your Money Count,” teaches you strategies to deal with creditors, prioritize your debt payments, and reduce your credit card or medical bill debts. Presented by CASH Campaign of Maryland on Mon., June 5, from 7 to 8 p.m. For the Zoom link and to register, visit bit.ly/ConquerDebtBaltimore.

PROTECTING YOUR INFO ONLINE (VIRTUAL)

June 6

Learn tips for staying safe in cyberspace, recognizing online scams, and knowing when it’s safe to share your personal information online. Join AARP’s Senior Planet for a free Zoom session on Tue., June 6, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at bit.ly/ProtectingYourInfo. Registration not required.

age, a less stringent rule applies. If that happens in 2023, you can earn up to $56,520 from January to the month of your birthday with no penalty. But if you earn more than $56,520 during that time, you’ll lose $1 in benefits for every $3 over that limit.

Once your birthday passes, you can earn any amount by working without your benefits being reduced at all.

Wages, bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay all count toward the income limits. But pensions, annuities, investment earnings, interest, capital gains and government or military retirement benefits do not.

To figure out how much your specific earnings will affect your benefits, see the Social Security Retirement Earnings Test Calculator at SSA.gov/OACT/COLA/RTeffect.html.

It’s also important to know that if you do lose some or all of your Social Security benefits because of the earning limits, they aren’t lost forever. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be recalculated to a higher amount to make up for what was withheld.

For more information on how working can affect your Social Security benefits see SSA.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/wh ileworking.html.

Be mindful of taxes, too

In addition to the Social Security rules, you need to factor in Uncle Sam. Because

BEACON BITS

June 25

working increases your income, it might make your Social Security benefits taxable.

Here’s how it works. If the sum of your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security benefits is between $25,000 and $34,000 for individuals ($32,000 and $44,000 for couples), you have to pay tax on up to 50% of your benefits. Above $34,000 ($44,000 for couples), you could pay on up to 85%, which is the highest portion of Social Security that is taxable.

About a third of all people who get Social Security have to pay income taxes on their benefits.

For information, call the IRS at 1-800-8293676 and ask them to mail you a free copy of publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits” or view it online at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf.

In addition to the federal government, 12 states (Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia) tax Social Security benefits to some extent, too. If you live in one of these states, check with your state tax agency for details.

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 book.

GWYNN OAK FOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL

Stop by Gwynn Oak Park for live music, food, a jollof rice (West African dish) competition and a dance contest. This free annual neighborhood festival is scheduled for Sun., June 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 6010 Gwynn Oak Ave., Baltimore. For more information and details, visit 4410online.com/gofestival.

Peace of Mind is Priceless

Pre-planning a funeral is a great gift, to your family and to you:

It relieves the pressure on them to imagine what you might have wanted while they deal with grief and loss.

Your funeral service will be exactly as you wish.

Your family can enjoy peace of mind knowing everything has been arranged.

If you choose to pre-fund, the cost is fixed and protected from later price change or inflation.

Call

Ask

Ask

Saving Medicare

From page 11

afloat may have been given a preview of the difficult road ahead in France, where President Macron’s proposal to increase the country’s pension retirement age from 62 to 64 was met with violence and demonstrations by 1 million people.

Just 10 years out from his planned retirement, 55-year-old Mark Ferley of Chesapeake, Virginia, is worried about the future of the programs — and that he won’t get back the money he paid in. He supports raising the eligibility ages for Social Security and Medicare to 70.

Ferley, who said he leans conservative, also believes that taxes should be raised on households earning $400,000 or more to keep the social programs solvent.

While most support increasing taxes on households earning more than $400,000 a

BEACON BITS

year to pay for Medicare, the poll shows a political divide on doing so: 75% of Democrats support the tax, but Republicans are closely divided, with 42% in favor, 37% opposed and 20% supporting neither.

While the American public may be in agreement on solutions for the programs, Ferley worries that elected officials won’t come up with a plan to fix the program.

“Until our leadership determines that the term compromise is no longer a dirty word, I don’t have a whole lot of optimism,” he said.

Short-term solutions won’t work

His concerns are valid, said Paul Ginsburg, a professor of health policy at the University of Southern California. Most legislators are not taking dire warnings about the future of Social Security and Medicare seriously.

Instead, the federal government is coming up with short-term solutions to keep

the programs extended for a few more years. “People are just going to go back to business as usual and not worry about it,” Ginsburg said after the latest trustees’ report warned of Social Security and Medicare shortfalls on the horizon.

“It’s particularly problematic for Social Security. In Social Security, you have a situation where if you make changes now, they can be quite modest. If you wait until 2035,

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June 20

FREE

they’re going to be draconian.”

The poll of 1,081 adults was conducted March 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

© 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Maryland Legal Aid attorneys, paralegals, law students and volunteer attorneys will spend a couple of hours at the Waverly Library providing brief, one-on-one advice for various civil legal issues. This free event takes place on Tue., June 20, from noon to 2 p.m. at 400 E. 33rd St., Baltimore. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (410) 396-6053.

Join

Everywhere, a

featuring safety tips. Stop by Patterson Park to try on shoes, test open-ear headphones and browse reflective gear. The first 100 participants will receive free mini strobe lights. This event takes place on Sun., June 4, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Patterson Park, 27 S. Patterson Park Ave, Baltimore. Register at bit.ly/BeAwareEverywhere.

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

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 decoraate their homes as they al staff. independence and assured by a caring, professionalfessionalstasttaff.

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

24 locations for older adults in Maryland

Senior living, services and supports for older Marylanders and their families.

St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

667-600-2600

Short-term

667-600-2280

Email – housing@cc-md.org

Supportive, affordable apartment communities. Total of 24 locations in Maryland, home to more than 1,800 older adults.

Activities,

The

(CHS) Program, available at nine of our communities, offers services to support safely aging in place. Services include daily meals served in a group setting, weekly housekeeping, laundry, and personal services, and service management provided by the on-site CHS Supervisor.

www.cc-md.org/seniors

Here, assisted living is living, with the right amount of personal assistance…

…at a great value.

Treasury bills good for earning interest

By Erin Bendig

Savings rates have continued to go up this year, so if you’ve been looking for a place to store your savings and earn interest in the short term, you’ve probably considered a high-yield savings account or CD. And while these are both good op-

BEACON BITS

June 5

COMEDY OPEN MIC

tions, there’s another short-term investment alternative you should also consider: Treasury bills.

Treasury bills (T-bills) have maturity dates of less than a year, While longer-term Treasuries typically pay higher yields, shortterm Treasury yields are currently higher.

Visit Fells Point’s Sláinte Irish Pub and Restaurant on Mon., June 5, from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. for a comedy open mic night. All are welcome to watch or perform. This free event takes place at 1700 Thames St., Baltimore. To reserve a spot on stage, visit bit.ly/MondayOpenMic.

JIM HENSON EXHIBITION VOLUNTEER

As this paper goes to press, the 3-month Treasury bill rate is 4.97%, while the 30year Treasury rate is 3.78%. So, if you’re looking for a risk-free way to earn interest on your cash over a short period, investing in a T-bill could be a good choice.

Treasury bills are good investments for individuals looking to make a large purchase in a short timeline, as the money will only be tied-up for at most a year.

Although T-bills don’t typically earn as much as other securities, or in some cases CDs, they still offer higher returns than traditional savings accounts.

also be bought through ETFs and mutual funds.

If you’re looking to buy a T-bill for your IRA, you’ll need to go through a broker, as you cannot do so on TreasuryDirect.

How a Treasury bill works

A T-bill is a short-term debt obligation backed by the U.S. Treasury Department. It’s one of the safest places you can save your cash, as it’s backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Ongoing

The Maryland Center for History and Culture seeks volunteers for its “Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited.” Sign up to be a greeter, wayfinder or museum store assistant at the center, located at 610 Park Ave., Baltimore. For more information and to apply, visit bit.ly/ImaginationUnlimitedVolunteer or email volunteers@mdhistory.org.

TEACH YOUTHS ABOUT BUSINESS

Ongoing

Want to help elementary school kids learn about the business world? Junior Achievement needs volunteers to participate in BizTown, a day when fourth through sixth graders take on a “job” to experience hands-on workplace, business and personal finance challenges. Online training is required. Sign up at centralmaryland.ja.org/volunteer/volunteer-now. For more information, contact Diana Pearson at dpearson@jamaryland.org.

Plus, they’re one of the safest places you can save your money, making them a great fit for conservative investors who want to avoid risk-taking but still want to earn interest.

How to buy a Treasury bill

You can buy a Treasury bill through a broker or directly from the government through TreasuryDirect.gov. The minimum purchase is $100.

To start an account with TreasuryDirect, you’ll need to provide a U.S. address, Social Security number and a bank account. Afterward, since T-bills are sold on auction, those looking to invest will need to place a bid. Once it’s accepted, it will arrive in your TreasuryDirect account.

If using a brokerage account, T-bills can

T-bills are auctioned off at a discount and then redeemed at maturity for the full amount. “Interest” on T-bills is the difference between how much you pay for it and how much value you get when the bill matures. The most common maturity dates for T-Bills are four, eight, 13, 26 and 52 weeks.

In addition to Treasury bills, there are other Treasury securities one can invest in as well.

Treasury bonds, or T-bonds, pay a fixed interest rate every six months and have the longest maturity periods, either 20 or 30 years.

Treasury notes also pay a fixed rate of interest every six months but have shorter maturity periods than T-bonds, ranging from two to 10 years.

© 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors

Travel

Make time for wild adventures in Alaska

By Glenda C. Booth

As our travel group hiked on a lupinelined trail in Alaska, the guide called out, “Here bear, here bear,” every minute or so, advising us to make some noise and not surprise Ursus arctos, the Alaska grizzly.

Soon we spotted a dark brown mound shrouded in the bushes about six car lengths away — a bear’s head. Out came the guide’s bear spray. We didn’t need it; our 500-pluspound visitor ambled off into the wilderness.

Viewing wildlife is a top attraction in the 49th state, 365 million acres far up in the continent’s Northwest and 55 miles across the Bering Strait from Russia. Wildlife abounds: bears, moose, whales, wolves, bald eagles, red-throated loons, salmon and Dall sheep, for example. In fact, Alaska has twice as many caribous as people.

The state’s fjords, glaciers, ice fields, islands, rivers, lakes and forests remain mostly untouched. Civilization has encroached on about 160,000 acres — or just one percent — of the state.

Every year 2.2 million tourists visit Alaska for its 15 national parks, 16 national wildlife refuges, two national forests and even more public lands. But it never feels crowded.

Most people visit Alaska between May and September, when the weather is variable but temperate. The Alaska Journal of

Commerce reported last June, “Temperatures soared and reached the high 70s.” Summer sunlight can last 19 to 22 hours, which is great for growing giant cabbages but challenging for some sleepers.

The most critical thing to remember when planning a trip to Alaska is this: It’s a very big state, larger than Texas, California and Montana combined. Distances can be long. Many areas are roadless. Getting around may require a cruise ship, boat, ferry, van, bus, train or seaplane.

“It may not always be easy to get here,” said Harrison Brown, a guide with Alaska Wildland Adventures, “but Alaska always delivers.”

Start in Anchorage

Anchorage, the largest city, sits between 5,000-foot peaks and the fish-rich Cook Inlet. Many of its sites are accessible on foot or by trolley tours from the downtown visitors center, which is located in a log cabin.

Stop by the Public Lands Museum for an overview of the state’s plant and animal life, glaciology, peat bogs and permafrost.

A film titled “The Day the Earth Shook” recounts the 9.2-magnitude earthquake that caved in one side of Fourth Avenue in 1964. “It sounded like a freight train coming through,” said a survivor. Today’s

Earthquake Park commemorates an entire neighborhood that slid into the ocean.

The Anchorage Museum is a must for understanding Alaska’s past and present. Its Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center examines Alaska Native cultures, and how people have adapted to and survived their environment. On Alaska’s cold, a sign reads, “It’s inhospitable white nothingness, but it engenders human commonality and fosters perseverance.”

Not to mention resourcefulness: Seal intestines made parkas waterproof, fish nets could float with inflatable animal bladders, and whale bones were used to make snow goggles and sled runners.

The Anchorage Museum’s other exhibits examine Russian settlement in the state, and the Klondike Gold Rush from 1896 to 1899, which offered the mythic promise of great wealth. Similarly, drilling for oil has brought both prosperity and dismay to the region.

Alaska has almost as many airplanes as cars, celebrated at the four-hangar Alaska Aviation Museum. It’s next to Lake Hood, the world’s most extensive seaplane base, with 87,000 landings and takeoffs a year.

Some airplanes have pontoons for water

landings; others, fat tires for the tundra. “Aviation is the lynchpin of the state,” intones a video, because planes facilitated settlement and industry.

Even in the city of Anchorage, wildlife’s at home, like bald eagles foraging for salmon on Ship Creek. Locals estimate that there are 1,500 moose nibbling in the city’s backyards.

Kenai Peninsula’s glaciers

Alaska offers almost countless adventures in the great outdoors, depending on time, budget and logistics.

The Kenai Peninsula is a favorite destination, with the fishing town of Seward, 120 miles south of Anchorage, a convenient jumping-off point.

The peninsula juts out into the Gulf of Alaska, where glaciers calve, whales breach and Arctic terns dive for food. The Gulf attracts kittiwakes, seals, sea lions, sea otters, porpoises and numerous fish species.

The 607,000-acre Kenai Fjords National Park has rugged wilderness and 38 named glaciers, some 1,000 feet thick, and many with mountain peaks piercing the ice. Glacier

See ALASKA, page 16

A grizzly bear is at home at the foot of 20,210-foot Denali, formerly known as Mt. McKinley, in Alaska’s Denali National Park.

PHOTO © DAVID HOFFMANN PHOTOGRAPHY | DREAMSTIME.COM

The public is invited to observe most Native tribe powwows in the area. See story on page 17.

A tourist takes in the scenery on a cruise through the College Fjord, which has dozens of pristine glaciers named after schools like Harvard, Vassar and Yale.

PHOTO © TONYMPIX | DREAMSTIME.COM

VIKTORIA LELIS | DREAMSTIME.COM

Alaska

From page 15

ice is nine times denser than snow, rangers explain.

Inside the park, the Harding Icefield Trail rises 3,000 feet, providing a view of ice and snow as far as the eye can see. Kayaking on crystal clear waters recalls the 18th-century Alutiiq way of life and even earlier times.

One place to unplug and commune with nature’s majesty is the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, which is only accessible by boat. The lodge and its 16 rustic cabins are tucked away in woodsy settings on a tidal lagoon where seals and loons stir the silky waters.

Lodge visitors can take guided paddling trips and walking excursions in the spongy forests. A favorite happy hour top-off is a glacierita, a margarita with glacial ice.

Denali National Park & Preserve

The six-million-acre Denali National

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Park is the crème de la crème of an Alaska trip for many.

At 20,320 feet, Denali is the tallest mountain in North America. While a favorite attraction for many Alaska-goers, remember that Denali’s peak is visible only around one-third of the time due to cloud cover.

On a park tour by bus, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or “flightseeing” plane, visitors learn about various habitats, including taiga and tundra, while looking out for moose, bears and wolves.

Alaska is a big, bucket-list state, well worth an adventure into the wild.

If you go

Roundtrip flights from BWI to Anchorage in July start at $1,050 on Alaska Airlines. Dixie Sommers, who will make her seventh trip to Alaska this summer, advises spending as much time there as possible: “It’s a big place, and takes time to get there.” She also suggests:

Don’t hurry. Things operate on “Alaska time” because of distances, dependence on air travel and ferries, and constantly changing weather. (Dress in layers for the weather.)

Go on guided outings. Look around for tour groups. You’ll see a lot more and have fewer logistics to manage.

Take a sleep mask. It is daylight most of the time from spring through fall.

Be aware. Bears can be almost anywhere. Moose are very large and dangerous.

Pay attention to the Alaska Native cultures. Buy their beautiful artwork.

Take binoculars. Be prepared for spectacular scenery.

BEACON BITS

GREENDROP CENTER

Want to donate used clothing, shoes, blankets, kitchenware or household items? Visit GreenDrop’s first brick-and-mortar location in Maryland, at 204 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air. Proceeds go to the American Red Cross.

Attendants can collect items from your car and provide a tax receipt. The location is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 1-888-944-3767.

HOME TEAM VOLUNTEER

Through the Baltimore County Home Team program, volunteers visit eligible older adults at risk of social isolation, either by phone or in person. The program seeks people who are able to commit to one hour a week for six months. Volunteers will be matched with county residents in their neighborhoods. For more information, call (410) 887-4141.

Tourists get up close and personal with a massive glacier in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park.

PHOTO BY BRIAN ADAMS

Powwows sustain indigenous cultures

By Glenda C. Booth

Six men nestled close together in a circle, drumming in a steady, rhythmic beat as others sang along in Native American languages. Drumming like this is central to every powwow, or Native American gathering, providing a mesmerizing live soundtrack.

“The drum is our heartbeat,” said Powhatan Red Cloud-Owen, a member of Virginia’s Chickahominy Tribe, who attended a powwow last October in Caroline County, Virginia. “It draws you in. It creates a sense of social and spiritual harmony.”

A powwow is a one-day or multi-day gathering where Indigenous people, usually from more than one tribe or nation, sing, dance and celebrate their history. The public is welcome at powwows, which take place throughout the year.

Native tribes, nations or organizations hold powwows all over the Americas — even on cruise ships. The world’s largest powwow, the Gathering of Nations, took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April.

Several powwows in Virginia and Maryland are scheduled for this summer and fall, as described below.

Coming together

At the Rappahannock Powwow last fall, Dennis Zotigh, a cultural specialist with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, explained that these gatherings are a way to connect or make peace.

“A powwow is a celebration of being Indian, where tribes that never met or were historically enemies get together and dance to a common drumbeat,” Zotigh said.

Of course, they’re also a type of reunion.

“A powwow is a spiritual thing and chance to get tribal members back together,

a reason to come home,” Upper Mattaponi Chief Kenneth Adams said at one of his tribe’s gatherings last fall. Dorothy Gray of Indian Head, Maryland, from the Rappahannock Tribe, said she enjoys “meeting our extended family at powwows.”

The events are also a show of gratitude. The Rappahannock Tribe’s fall powwow, for instance, is a time “to give thanks for the annual harvest which fed our tribe during the winter so they could survive,” said the tribe’s chief, Anne Richardson.

Virginia legislator Paul Krizek attended that October event and many similar celebrations. “Native cultures are not stagnant, but a vibrant and a changing way of life. That strength of culture and history comes alive in the powwow. That’s why powwows are so wonderful,” Krizek said.

These gatherings demonstrate that Native culture survives and thrives. Michael Nephew, Eastern Band of the Cherokee Tribe from Falls Church, Virginia, dances regularly at powwows to show that “Native American culture is not just in the past,” he said.

‘I live in two cultures’

Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans have been living for 22,000 years in what is now Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Today, about 5,000 Native Americans from a dozen tribal nations live in the Washington area, according to Zotigh.

Indigenous people prefer to be identified by their tribal affiliation rather than simply as Native American, Zotigh said. After all, there are 600 tribes in the U.S. “We are diverse. There is no ‘one size fits all,’” Zotigh said.

See POWWOWS, page 18

AMERICAN

Visit AVAM’s 27th original thematic mega-exhibition to experience a wildly joyful, community-building contemplation of what constitutes real wealth. The works are on display through Sun., Sept. 3 at the museum, located at 800 Key Hwy., Baltimore. Tickets are $10. For more information, including hours of operation, call (410) 244-1900.

VOLUNTEER

The Baltimore County Department of Aging seeks caring, compassionate people to volunteer as advocates for elders. Volunteer ombudsmans attend a three-day training course to learn how to protect elders’ rights. Then they’re asked to visit a nursing home for one to two hours per week. For more information, call (410) 887-2715 or email volunteers@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Native American dancers performed at the 67th Annual Chickahominy Fall Festival and Pow-Wow, held every September outside Richmond, Virginia. Several powwows are scheduled nearby for this summer, and the public is welcome.

VISIONARY ART MUSEUM EXHIBITION

OMBUDSMAN

From

Greg Winston, Pamunkey Indian Tribe, said he attends powwows to “connect with people, to be in my culture. I live in two cultures.”

Winston passes down that culture to his children, who go to powwows with him. Winston played Native American drumming music when his son, Bryce, now 11, was in utero. Drums helped the boy fall asleep as a baby, he said.

The desire to pass down traditions is what drives many Native Americans to par-

ticipate in these events. Marylander Maurice Proctor, Piscataway Conoy, said he has danced at powwows for 32 years to “keep the traditions going with another generation and to educate others.”

What happens at a powwow

Powwows are usually held outdoors in a circular area called an “arena” — a zone considered sacred and used only by dancers. The gatherings have standard elements and protocols, with an arena manager or emcee who announces each performance.

Powwows open with the Grand Entry, a flag processional including the American

flag, tribal flags, and eagle staffs of the Native tribes or nations present. Everyone stands for the procession.

Singing and drumming performances are the heart of the event. Performers sing old and new songs in traditional Native American languages to honor traditions, ancestors, elders, veterans, children and our creator, explained Cloud-Owen.

Dancers wear regalia, clothing and accessories that they often have spent months or years making from buckskin or cloth. The pieces are enhanced with beading, fringes, bones, shells and animal skins. Feathers or leather are sometimes passed down from ancestors.

It is considered inappropriate for visitors to touch or handle any part of a dancer’s regalia. The regalia is not a costume, Zotigh explained to a youngster at the Rappahannock Tribe’s powwow.

“A costume portrays someone you not really are. We are real. Our dance clothes evolved over time. They are a modern expression of powwow traditional clothing,” Zotigh said.

Dance styles vary by region. In the popular chicken dance, men step, crouch and rise, imitating the mating dance of prairie chickens. For the men’s fancy dance, dancers wear brilliantly colored feather bustles. For the jingle dance, women wear satiny dresses decorated with tin jingles.

Some powwows feature dance competitions in which dancers compete for monetary prizes. At many events, different generations dance together. Some powwows have a “friendship dance” at the end, when audience members can join in.

Food is also a big part of powwows, with traditional foods like fry bread — flatbread fried in oil, shortening or lard — for sale.

Vendors also sell arts and crafts, including jewelry, knives, blankets, clothes, arrowheads and feather art.

Sage bundles known as “smudge sets” — dried leaves burned to cleanse a room or calm one down — are also popular. At an Upper Mattaponi powwow, a sign pro-

moting smudge sets read, “If it burns, it carries our prayers to the heavens.”

Nearby powwows coming up

Several annual powwows, now back on track post-Covid, are taking place in the area. The Baltimore American Indian Center will hold its annual powwow on November 18 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

On July 15 and 16, the 30th annual Howard County Whispering Winds PowWow/American Indian Show and Festival will take place at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship.

Coming up on Memorial Day weekend, the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe Powwow will take place in King William, Virginia, about three hours south of Baltimore.

The Monacan Indian Nation’s 30th annual powwow is scheduled for early June in Monroe, Virginia, about four hours away, while in September the Nanticoke Indian Tribe’s annual powwow takes place in Delaware.

Last July, Running Strong for American Indian Youth and the Udall Foundation Internship Program held what sponsors called an "urban powwow" in Alexandria, Virginia.

At that event, the Zotigh Singers sang and drummed for the entry procession and dancing. When he’s not working at the Smithsonian, Dennis Zotigh sings with that popular group, performing at many major powwows.

At the Rappahannock Powwow, held last October just before Indigenous People’s Day, Zotigh asked rhetorically, “Why do we need an Indigenous Peoples’ Day?”

He answered himself, “It sends a powerful message. We are still here, and we are still proud.”

For more information on powwows, including a visitor’s guide and calendar, see powwows.com. Or visit the American Indian Society of Washington, D.C. at aisdc.org; the Baltimore American Indian Center at baltimoreamericanindiancenter.org; and the National Museum of the American Indian at americanindian.si.edu.

Arts & Style

Artist Hal Boyd makes ‘art that is mine’

By Ana Preger Hart

Baltimore artist Hal Boyd’s paintings give observers the feeling that they’re in a dream: People dressed to the nines are waltzing in the moonlight while a gazelle looks on nearby (“Gazelle,” 2012); a bride and groom pose for a traditional wedding portrait, while candles dance behind the bride and two ghostly figures kiss in the background (“Bride & Groom,” 1989); a reclining woman admires her manicure, while a miniature pig beside her shows off its painted hoof (“Drying our Nails,” 2017).

Boyd was born in 1934 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a small city in the Mississippi River Delta. His earliest memory of making art is as a first-grader at Columbus School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had been drawing with pencils and crayons for some time but discovered poster paints at school.

“Each month, first-graders voted on which of their anonymous entries would be easel-painted to illustrate the next month’s calendar,” Boyd wrote in an email to the Beacon. His drawing of Santa with a Christmas tree and gifts won for December 1939.

“In fact, I’m pretty sure my images won

every month of first grade,” he added.

Boyd later studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the University of Nebraska and the University of Mississippi, where his teachers included abstract expressionist painter Jack Tworkov and sculptor David Smith. Nevertheless, Boyd thinks of himself as largely self-taught.

Painting ‘to keep my sanity’

As with many artists whose careers span decades, Boyd’s need to create is visceral and ever-present.

He says he is at his best, mentally, physically and emotionally, when he paints every day. “[While] Painting, I lose any sense of time — I lose myself. I have to paint.”

Boyd, now in his late 80s, has been hospitalized several times but still paints every day in his home studio. “When hospitalized, I sketch — to scare up painting ideas and to keep my sanity,” he said.

Where does the endless inspiration come from? In one word: everywhere.

“I am inspired by ideas, by memories and experiences, by individual human beings, by the human figure, by animals, by poems and plays, by newspaper reports, by photo-

graphs, by other people’s paintings, by my dreams and the dreams of others, by philosophical and psychological concepts, by stories both oral and in print,” Boyd said.

Boyd’s paintings are lively, with bold colors and rich, layered textures. The physical spaces he depicts often appear wavy or off-kilter, resembling the surreal landscape of dreams.

As a child, he had pet cats, and his daughter keeps several, so cats (as well as other animals and imaginary creatures) feature prominently in his work.

So do women, musicians and people kissing. Large, colorful flowers, the sun, the moon and

Our cover story about the Jim Henson Exhibition continues on page 20.

See ARTIST, page 21

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAL BOYD

Artist Howell “Hal” Boyd, who began winning people over with his art in first grade, creates colorful, dreamlike paintings in his Baltimore home studio.

JIM HENSON

Jim Henson

From page 1

Henson imagined new worlds and new ways of seeing our world. In a 2007 press release for an earlier tour of his work at the Smithsonian, Sesame Street producer Jon Stone captured the spirit of Henson’s magic:

BEACON BITS

June 6

“Jim didn’t think in terms of boundaries at all the way the rest of us do. There are always these fences we build around ourselves and our ideas. Jim seemed to have no fences.”

Traveling exhibit

“The Jim Henson Exhibition” is actually the traveling version of a permanent exhib-

DIGITAL STORYTELLING (VIRTUAL)

Do you have an interesting story to tell? This free online lecture can teach you how to use digital tools like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Enwoven and StoryCorps to write and share life stories. Join the Zoom meeting on Tue., June 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. at seniorplanet.org/event/digital-storytelling.

ART AROUND TOWN

June 15+

Check out an exhibition of works by artists living in Anne Arundel County. Meet the artists in person at a reception on Thu., June 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Ln., Brooklyn Park. Complimentary drinks and light snacks will be served. The exhibition is on view until July 12. Reserve your spot at bit.ly/ArtAroundTown.

GEORGETOWN’S HIDDEN PAST

June 15

Author and journalist Rachel Swarns discusses her new book, The 272, which tells the story of the 272 enslaved people sold by Catholic priests in 1838 to ensure the growth of Georgetown University. This free event, presented in person and virtually, takes place on Thu., June 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Register at bit.ly/RachelSwarnsLive. For more information, call (410) 396-5430.

it at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York City, which explores the art, history and technology of the moving image in all its forms.

Its Jim Henson exhibit started with a major donation by Henson’s family to MoMI in 2013. The final production is a collaboration between the museum, the family, and the multiple companies, workshops and studios that encompass the Henson universe.

Since 2017, the traveling version of the MoMI Henson exhibit has delighted museum visitors across the nation. MoMI’s director of curatorial affairs, Barbara Miller, said the Henson family was eager to bring the exhibition to Maryland, where Henson first established his creative genius. The Maryland Center for History and Culture is the tenth venue to host the show.

MoMI works with each venue to ensure a smooth installation. Since “the puppets are essential to the experience,” Miller explained, a puppeteer from the Jim Henson Company visits each venue to “pose the characters in order to bring them to life.”

The Maryland Center for History and Culture — a combined museum, library and virtual learning center, founded in 1844 as the Maryland Historical Society — considers itself the oldest cultural institution in the state.

Today, under its first female president and CEO, Katie Caljean, the center is em-

bracing its purpose with renewed energy. Caljean’s vision of a “warm and welcoming” place where “everyone can find themselves and feel accepted” aligns with Henson’s delightful vision of caring communities.

It is an ideal environment to display the depth of Henson’s vision. Miller explains that “Henson’s career was truly unique, as it is realized across generations, media platforms and spans history from the earliest days of television to the early days of digital puppetry. Henson and his team of writers, builders, composers and performers conceived a model of collaboration that is timeless.”

The MCHC is located at 610 Park Ave., Baltimore, and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

“The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited” opens May 26. Tickets are $19 for adults, $18 for seniors, $17 for students and children, and free for MCHC members and those under 2.

On Saturday, June 3, is an all-day “opening festival” featuring puppet shows, films, live music and more. The museum will also host a puppet-making workshop on June 10 and a screening of The Muppet Movie on July 15.

For more information on these and other events around the exhibition, visit the MCHC website at mdhistory.org or call (410) 685-3750.

Loosen

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Artist

From page 19

other natural elements often appear in the background.

Boyd is an avid reader of fiction and a lifelong philosophy and psychology student. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that his fascination with psychoanalysts Freud, Jung and Lacan shows up in his work.

“Viewers ask where my ideas come from. If by ‘ideas,’ they mean ‘images,’ they come from somewhere I can go

only through painting — from the unconscious,” Boyd said. “The unconscious encodes aspects of itself on the canvas. In that sense, every painting is a discovery.”

Boyd feels it’s not easy to pin down his influences. “I’ve been affected by the work of so many artists,” he said. “Earliest influences were the Sunday funnies and comic books, including Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates.”

Later influences include Balthus, Max Beckmann, Pierre Bonnard, Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse.

Happy to be in Baltimore

Family members — wife Clif and children Jenifer, Patrick and Betsy — have always supported his efforts and often contributed valuable suggestions regarding individual works-in-progress, Boyd said.

“They have posed for me occasionally, and I often base characters on one or another family memory, painting him or her basically from memory — more or less faithful to his or her lineaments.”

After spending 32 years in San Antonio, Texas, and 20 years in Brevard, North Carolina, Boyd and his wife moved to Baltimore County in 2018 to be near their younger daughter and her twin boys.

“I like big cities, and love Baltimore,” he commented, “especially the galleries and

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the Baltimore Museum of Art.”

Boyd quickly gained local recognition and has exhibited in several Baltimore galleries, most recently with a solo exhibit titled “Active Imagination” at Gallery Blue Door in Mount Vernon.

“Baltimore is definitely an artist’s city. The art community is warm and welcoming, generous and fun,” Boyd said. He has also exhibited at the Forum Gallery in New York City, the Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, Tennessee and the Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin, Texas.

What’s next for Boyd? “The next painting is always very much what’s next for me,” he said. And, hopefully, another show or two.

“Clif says I’m happiest when I paint,” Boyd said, “and she’s right.”

PIANO AT PEABODY July

Find

Crossword Puzzle

She Cares

By Stephen Sherr

Scrabble answers on p. 21.

Across

1. Atom Ant or Jiminy Cricket

7. It knows how to get to Sesame St.

10. “I’m sorry, I was talking on ___”

14. Boil over with rage

15. “I do not like that mouse”

16. On a naval mission

17. She cares for the last of 20, 38, and 54 Across

18. Rear ends

20. Gravity, or one of three others

22. Hullabaloos

24. Dir. from Key West to Key Largo

25. Nation with 8 of Earth’s 10 tallest mountains

26. “Hey; I could use some more hay”

27. A final abbreviation

28. The Adventures of ___ Rabbit

30. Some lower than sopranos

32. Delays a placekicker

34. Maker of “Perfect Portions” Healthy Kitten Cuts

38. Misstatement

41. Last word of the year’s last song

42. One who could bat as a DH prior to 2022

43. Encouraged foolish behavior

44. It comes before Descartes

46. Shift scheduler at TGI Fridays

48. 66 went from Chicago to LA

49. Upon face value terms, as a bond

52. ___ de sac

53. George Santos or Costanza

54. Very relaxed

58. “I would rather trust a woman’s ___ than a man’s reason” (Stanley Baldwin)

59. Standing ovation shouts

62. ___ bad example

63. Kindergartener

64. Fall flowers

65. Occupant of a Winter Palace

66. Pig parlor

67. Setbacks

Down

1. End of magnet- or mystic-

2. Keanu, in The Matrix

3. Enter

4. Community spirit

5. Sonny’s Babe in the early 70’s

6. 20th century Toyota subcompact

7. Black tea

8. Meatball meat, maybe

9. Largest organ of the body

10. Having relevance

11. Get to the bottom of the bottle

12. ___ Haute, Indiana

13. Prop for Bob Ross

19. In possession of all of one’s marbles

21. Provide justification for

22. Accumulate

23. She was first played by Carol Channing!

27. It brought Marilyn Monroe to Korea to entertain GIs in 1954

28. Stein

29. They are all up to U

31. Diva

33. Friend of Fidel

35. Oppresses

36. Epsilon ___ (engineering honor society)

37. Passover service

39. Geisha’s prop

40. “___ the fields we go...”

45. Able was I ___ saw Elba

47. Worldwide

49. Those allowed to pass through the velvet rope

50. Voice mail prompts

51. ___ job listing (advertise on LinkedIn)

52. Spiteful

53. Tests most SCOTUS members have once taken

55. Kitchen pests

56. Sean Connery, but not Roger Moore

57. Guesstimate words

60. Valuable rock formation

61. Leaky tire sound

CLASSIFIEDS

The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Legal Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the right.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS:

We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

LAWN HELP NEEDED for senior citizen in Owings Mills. Will pay $15 per hour cash. All tools provided. (410-356-3406)

EXTRA EXTRA MONEY!!!!!!!!! Immediate Private Duty Assignments for GNA’s and CNA’s. For More Information Contact: ONE DAY AT A TIME PERSONAL CARE LLC. 443882-3040

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Jamhuri

Healthcare Services recognizes the importance of keeping seniors or adults with special needs, in their homes, rather than sending them to a skilled nursing facility. Our personal in-home care program is designed to implement nonmedical tasks to meet the clients’ physical needs. Our home care aides provide a multitude of services for our clients, ranging from meal preparation & house cleaning to personal assistance & running errands. We are diligent in our staff & client pairings. We won’t put just anyone in your home or the home of your loved ones. Senior transportation services available 24/7. Call us toll-free at 1-800-547-2851. Visit our website: www.jamhuricares.com. send us a text at the same number.

PATIENT, PRACTICAL, PERSONAL. Become comfortable and confident using your smartphone, tablet, laptop, printer, TV, etc.

Over 20 years experience with all skill levels.

Julia: 443-436-2612, magicviolet@outlook.com, computercoachbaltimore.weebly.com

SHOP WITH US! Vendor Members Group annually organizes multiple CRAFTS GALORE! Events (homemade goods & food) in Baltimore County, MD. Customers can register for event notifications. Interested vendors can inquire on: www.vendormembersgroup.com

UP TO $15,000.00 OF GUARANTEED LIFE INSURANCE! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company - 866-212-1092 or visit www.Life55plus.info/beacon

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.

2 CEMETERY LOTS. Moreland Park Cemetery. Value $6200 each. Asking 5500 for both. Call 410-321-9009.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

TODAY with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Money Down + Low Monthly Payment Options. Request a FREE Quote. Call now before the next power outage: 1-866-964-8106. 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.

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Hair Stylist. Women and Men’s Services - All Hair Types. Cuts, Styles, Roller Sets, Color, Perms, Men’s Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. Call 443-450-3344 for info.

STROKE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer - 5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-844-485-7035.

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! 1240-650-9189.

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.

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.

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

DOCTORLESSCARE.COM - How a regular guy regained prostate health without doctors or surgery. Get 2 free tips at DoctorLessCare.Com

EDEN PERSONAL CARE/ ST. JOHN DAY

CARE — for adults who need personal care & Assistance, light housekeeping & meal prep, companionship & medication reminder. We also have Adult Day Care service from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. 10947 Golden West Dr. #200, Hunt Valley, MD, 21031. Call 410-329-1444, ask for Ms. Kitty

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! 1866-365-5170.

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-866-478-2363.

THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-866944-0699

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

REPAIR CERAMIC, PORCELAIN, MARBLE, granite tiles, repair leaking showers, basic plumping work, new bathrooms, showers, floor installation, handicap access, kitchen backsplash, counter, drywall, plaster repair, paint, handyman services. Please call: # 410 -977- 3610, # 410-2855452. Email: axstile@yahoo.com. MHIC # 115085

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.

CIRCLE OF LIFE ESTATE PLANNING WORKBOOK (188 pages) removes the stress and anxiety of Will and Trust preparation. All you need to do is to fill in the blanks that relate to you. When completed, you will have a complete inventory of your estate. Order by credit card to: Workbook, PO BOX 169, Kensington, MD 20895. All major credit cards accepted. (301)565-2917. Cost: $59.99 plus tax, s/h free 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.)]

VERY EXPERIENCED LAWYER IN FIELD OF CIVIL LITIGATION (auto accidents, family law, etc) and in estate matters (drafting wills, powers of attorney, and health directives). William Mulroney 400 Redland Court, Suite 110, Owings Mills, Md 21117. 240 271-1799. wmulroney@mulroneylawfirm.com. First consultation is free.

SAVE YOUR FAMILY MOVIES. Transfer your VHS Tapes to DVDs. Free Pick Up and Delivery Available with a minimum order. Call 410 812-7080

CONSUMER CELLULAR. Switch and save up to $250/year on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. For more information, call 1-833-742-1303.

75% offofLabor*

*Offer does not include cost of material. Discount applied by representative at time of contract execution. Offer ends

*Allparticipants who attend an estimated60-90-minute in-home product consultationwill receive a$50 Visa giftcard. Retail value is $50. OffersponsoredbyLeafGuard Holdings Inc. Limit one perhousehold. Company procures,sells,and installsseamless gutter protection. This offer is valid for homeowners over18years of age. If married or involvedwith alife partner, both cohabitating persons must attendand complete presentationtogether. Participants must have aphoto ID and be legallyable to enter into acontract. The following persons are not eligible for this offer:employees of Company or affiliatedcompaniesorentities, theirimmediate family members, previousparticipants in aCompany in-homeconsultationwithin the past 12 months and all current and former Companycustomers.Giftmay notbeextended, transferred,orsubstituted except thatCompanymay substituteagiftofequal or greater value if it deems it necessary. Gift cardwillbe mailed to the participant via first class United StatesMail within 10 daysofreceipt of the promotion form. Not validinconjunctionwith any other promotion or discount of any kind.Offer not sponsored andissubjecttochangewithout notice prior to reservation. Offer not available in the statesofCA, IN, PA andMI. Expires /2023.LeafGuardoperates as TriState LeafGuardinNew Jerseyunder HICPA licensenumber PA126357.