October 2025 | Howard County Beacon

The Howard County

Caretaker protects the past

By Edward Warner

It’s often said that Amercians fear death: We rarely talk about it, and sometimes, we even abandon family burial sites, leaving them untended and unprotected.

David Zinner, 75, of Columbia, is fighting that trend — and succeeding.

He wants people to know that, as he put it in a recent interview with the Beacon, “talking about death won’t kill ya.”

This fall, Maryland’s abandoned cemeteries will get a boost. A new piece of legislation that aims to revitalize the state’s abandoned cemeteries goes into effect in October. Although volunteers will initially carry out the work, Zinner hopes the state will provide funding for them later.

In December, a second piece of legislation Zinner and others helped pass will initiate what may be the state’s first census of its cemeteries.

That census, Zinner hopes, will help prevent gravesites from being lost. Sometimes they’re lost due to poor recordkeeping; other times, developers will try to remove gravestones and build on the land.

A 30-year advocacy

Zinner began fighting for cemeteries in the early 1990s, when he and others stepped up to save an Ellicott City cemetery from becoming the site of new houses.

It wasn’t easy. The developer breaking ground on the site of St. Mary’s Cemetery had struck human bones before the county listened to opponents like Zinner and offered the developer a different parcel of land.

“I got into death accidentally,” he joked, “and it was at the time a really small pond. You never saw articles in the New York Times or Washington Post about death.”

Zinner started his career decades ago as a community organizer in Chicago, where

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Ancient civilizations and modern cities in Vietnam and Cambodia; plus, a writer returns to Paris after 60 years page 20

he helped organize food cooperatives. He’s been active in organizing ever since.

More recently, in 2020 Zinner co-founded a group called the Preservation and Rehabilitation Initiative for Neglected Cemetery Entities, or PRINCE. It teaches the Maryland prison population how to do cleanups, cut trees and remove invasive species in cemeteries.

Zinner said the group was “designed with three ideas in mind: To get prisoners into the fresh air, to do something that was meaningful and to give them some skills so they could find jobs” when released.

So far, PRINCE has helped rehabilitate about 10 cemeteries. In 2013, it cleaned up

ARTS & STYLE

Boogie the night away at Saturday Night Fever at Toby’s; plus, read three new nonfiction books this fall page 26

PHOTO BY EDWARD WARNER

Columbia resident David Zinner founded a group five years ago that trains Maryland prisoners to clean up cemeteries. Zinner, who also formed an organization to spread the word about “green burials,” helped pass recent legislation to catalog and protect the state’s historic cemeteries. He is also an avid biker.

Do we really want to know?

It’s a story right out of a disaster movie: A pilot in the cockpit of a civilian airliner suddenly cuts fuel to the engines of a plane in flight, risking the lives of all aboard as well as innocents on the ground.

Unfortunately, it’s not a movie. At least, not yet. It really happened — not once, but twice in the last two years.

In July, an Air India flight headed to London with more than 200 passengers aboard crashed less than a minute after takeoff, killing all but 1 aboard and 19 on the ground.

eerily similar situation in October 2023, we do know why a pilot in a cockpit attempted to cause a plane to crash.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

Investigators found that emergency switches — designed to cut power to the engines on the ground in the event of a fire — were suddenly engaged while the plane was just starting to gain altitude, causing the crash.

On the flight recorder, one pilot asks the other why he “cut off” the fuel; the other denied it, but then both switches were moved back into the proper positions within seconds. It was too late.

While we don’t know yet (and may never know) why that pilot acted as he did, in an

An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight jumped up and pulled the emergency fuel cut-off handles. In that case, the flight’s pilots were able to restore power in time and remove the offender from the cockpit.

According to a recent story in the Washington Post, the man told police after the incident that he struggled with depression, had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days prior to the flight (presumably so he would feel better), and hadn’t slept in 40 hours. He said he thought he was dreaming when he pulled the handles.

In a later documentary, according to the Post, he said that he hadn’t sought mental health treatment for his condition because he feared it would cost him his job.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition. Further, it says the vast majority of those who

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disclose such conditions are not disqualified from flying as long as they obtain and maintain treatment.

That policy, however, is fairly recent, partly in response to a Germanwings flight in 2015 that was deliberately flown into a mountain by a co-pilot with a concealed history of depression and suicidal tendencies.

Reportedly, federal authorities are currently investigating thousands of pilots who are suspected of concealing mental health and other conditions that might disqualify them for their jobs.

It’s a tough call for some pilots, I would imagine. It’s probably easier to deny that you are depressed or have another mental health condition than it is to admit you need help for something that could cost you your career.

On the other hand, if you are at risk of harming yourself — and others! — isn’t that more important?

And it’s not just pilots who might want to conceal a condition. Many of us may find ourselves facing a similar quandary.

While some memory loss is normal over time, we are told that Alzheimer’s and other dementias affect a growing percentage of us as we age. How much do we want to know if we are facing something like that, and when do we want to know it, when that knowledge could be a doubleedged sword?

The question has become more urgent, due to recent advances in testing for Alzheimer’s disease. In May, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first blood test that can detect amyloid plaques, believed to be a harbinger of the disease.

If it indeed becomes easy and relatively inexpensive to screen for Alzheimer’s, how many of us will want to get that test, when a positive result could cost us our job, health insurance and possibly keys to the car?

Won’t many prefer not to find out? After all, at this time the condition is not curable. The best treatments we have only delay the speed at which it progresses.

But research continues at a rapid pace, new treatments improve on older ones, and the earlier one starts taking them, the better they appear to work.

Furthermore, a window into even a bleak future has many benefits: We can decide to enjoy the life we have and check off more of our bucket lists, finish longdelayed projects, show our loved ones how much they mean to us, update our wills and financial plans, and tie up loose ends in our relationships.

Apparently, many older adults agree. I was somewhat surprised to see that a recent survey from the Alzheimer’s Association found that 95% of Americans 45+ would want to know if they have Alzheimer’s (despite concerns over having that knowledge), and nearly as many would want to take a blood test for the condition if it were available.

Letters to the editor

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

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

Dear Editor:

I have been impressed by your publisher’s recent comments about spirituality and interest in near death experiences. I have several stories to relate to you.

My grandfather died on the operating table after being seriously injured by a car while he was building a fence along the road. My mother was in her grandparents’ living room when she experienced his spirit coming through the room as if to let her know and say goodbye. It turned out that occurred at the exact time of his physical passing on the operating table.

him with two young children to raise alone.

My mother later described her experience of this as if she was floating above them in the room, feeling free and without any trouble breathing.

But upon hearing my father’s pleas, she came back to her body to face the effort of breathing again.

After my husband died in 2011, I returned to church to sit where we usually sat together. A doctor friend told me later that he “saw” Jeff sitting beside me on more than one occasion. The experience made his hair stand on end.

Each of us is the pilot of our own life, and we all face daunting challenges in the course of it. Perhaps the best course of action we can all take is to seek maximum self-knowledge, and to use that knowledge to make our lives — and those of others whom we affect — better. The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com

Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions. © Copyright 2025 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

Later, my mother herself needed an operation. Afterwards, in her hospital room, she stopped breathing. The nurse jumped to give her artificial respiration, while my father begged my mother to breathe and not leave

As you can see, I can’t tell you my own near death experience — at least, not yet! Mary Allen Sawtelle Lake Ridge, VA

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OUR 26th YEAR

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Bring your Medicare or insurance card. (Some vaccines may require a co-pay.)

Listening Session

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Listening Session with Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.

Come express your views at 3 p.m.

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SMART SNACKS

Health Fitness & Fitness & Health

Health

Nuts, yogurt, avocado toast and bananas can keep you feeling full between meals

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TAKE THE SMELL TEST

Get a free smell test in the mail that may predict Parkinson’s disease

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Kidney stones cause sudden, intense pain. To prevent them, stay hydrated

To stay sharp, challenge your mind and body

By Lauran Neergaard

It’s official: Older Americans worried about cognitive decline can stay sharper for longer by exercising both their bodies and their brains and eating healthier.

That’s according to initial results released in July from a rigorous U.S. study of lifestyle changes in seniors at risk of developing dementia. People following a combination of healthier habits slowed typical age-related cognitive decline — achieving scores on brain tests as if they were a year or two younger, researchers reported in JAMA and at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

It’s not too late to get started — study participants were in their 60s and 70s — and it doesn’t require becoming a pickleball champ or swearing off ice cream.

“It was the first time I felt like I was doing something proactive to protect my brain,” said Phyllis Jones, 66, of Aurora, Illinois, who joined the study after caring for her mother with dementia and struggling with her own health problems.

It’s too soon to know if stalling age-related decline also could reduce the risk of later Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. But Jones and other study participants underwent brain scans and blood tests that researchers now are analyzing for clues — such as whether people also saw a reduction in Alzheimer’s-related protein buildup.

“We’re all on a cognitive aging clock, and anything we can do to slow that clock down, to me, that is a significant benefit,” said Laura Baker of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who led the study.

Good for the heart, good for the brain

Doctors have long encouraged physical activity and a healthy diet for brain fitness. Those steps fight high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes, factors that increase the risk of dementia.

But until now the strongest evidence that specific lifestyle changes later in life could improve how people perform on brain tests came from a study in Finland.

Would it work for a more sedentary and culturally diverse U.S. population? With funding from the Alzheimer’s Association and the government’s National Institute on Aging, Baker’s team tested the strategy for two years in 2,100 adults ages 60 to 79.

What study participants had to do

Half of participants were randomly assigned to group classes for exercise and dietary changes, plus brain-challenging homework — with peer support and coaches tracking their progress.

They did a half-hour of moderately intense exercise four times a week — plus, twice a week, they added 10 to 15 minutes

of stretching and 15 to 20 minutes of resistance training.

They followed the MIND diet, which stresses lots of leafy greens and berries plus whole grains, poultry and fish. Nothing is banned, but it urges limiting red meat, fried or fast food and sweets, and substituting olive oil for butter and margarine.

They also had to meet someone or try something new weekly and do brain exercises using an online program called Brain HQ.

Other study participants, the control group, received brain-healthy advice and minimal coaching — they chose what steps to follow. Both groups improved, but the first group fared significantly better.

Combining social engagement with exercise and dietary steps may be key, said Jessica Langbaum of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, who wasn’t involved with the study.

“Americans want to have that one easy thing — ‘If I just eat my blueberries,’” Langbaum said. “There is no one magic bullet. It is a whole lifestyle.”

How to exercise body, mind on your own

Moderately intense physical activity means raising your heart rate and panting a bit yet still being able to talk, said Baker. She cautioned to pick something safe for your physical capability and start slowly, just 10 minutes at a time, until you can han-

dle more. Make it something you enjoy so you stick with it.

Likewise, there are many options for brain exercise, Baker said — puzzles, joining a book club, learning an instrument or a new language.

Jones, a software engineer-turned-tester, learned she loves blueberry-spinach smoothies. Her favorite exercise uses an at-home virtual-reality program that lets her work up a sweat while appearing to be in another country and communicating with other online users.

Maintaining the lifestyle

Researchers will track study participants’ health for four more years, and the Alzheimer’s Association is preparing to translate the findings into local community programs.

In the meantime, will people in the study stick with their new habits?

Jones lost 30 pounds, saw her heart health improve and feels sharper, especially when multitasking. But she hadn’t realized her diet slipped when study coaching ended until a checkup spotted rising blood sugar. Now she and an 81-year-old friend from the study are helping keep each other on track. The lifestyle change “did not just affect me physically, it also affected me mentally and emotionally. It brought me to a much better place,” Jones said. —AP

Gratitude can change lives for the better

By Cathy Bussewitz

The first thing Alison Jones does when she wakes up is name three things she’s grateful for. It can be as simple as the breeze from a fan or as meaningful as the way a friend showed up for her emotionally.

Jones, an organizational development consultant, said the daily practice has helped her through hardships and the anxiety and vulnerability of starting her own business as a single mom.

“When you practice gratitude, you train your brain to always look for the positive in anything. It just completely shifts everything you’re going through,” she said. “You start to see the lessons in the pain. You start to see the beauty in the very difficult times because you realize, ‘Hey, I’m growing stronger.’”

Practicing and encouraging gratitude can be a simple way to boost morale at a time when layoffs and economic uncertainty are causing stress and anxiety. Proponents say expressing and receiving appreciation can help reduce stress, as well as improve a person’s mood and outlook.

How to be more grateful

If you’re new to practicing gratitude, you can start at home with a routine such as Jones’ custom of expressing gratitude before getting out of bed.

She made her gratitude practice easy so it would become a sustainable habit. Her one rule is avoiding repetition and stretching her mind to find new things to be grateful for each day.

Jones also recommends finding a “grati-

tude buddy” to share with. A buddy may be a friend from work or your social circles, and ideas can be exchanged in person, by text or email or during a phone call. Many people find it helpful to list what they’re grateful for in a journal.

As humans, we often have a bias toward negativity, but gratitude “just does an enormous amount to shift people’s mindsets and the way they engage with each other,” said Peter Bonanno, a consultant who helps companies design mindfulnessbased programs.

“Gratitude is especially powerful in that way. It doesn’t take a long time for people to notice an impact.”

Express thanks to others

Throughout the day, try to find time to

thank the people you encounter. Your words, note or gift could mean a lot to them.

Registered nurse Denise Wittsell remembers how quiet the hospital where she works became during the pandemic. The hallways of Denver Health, typically busy with families and guests, were suddenly empty as visits from outsiders were curtailed and patients battled illnesses alone.

Once in a while, someone from the community would deliver gifts of gratitude: tasty snacks or handmade cards from schoolchildren.

“Those spontaneous recognitions were really sweet,” Wittsell said. “It just felt really kind, and it felt like there was a lot of wrapping around us, a very supportive feeling.”

Smart snacks to tide you over between meals

By Kirsten Nunez

Snacking often gets a bad rap — but it can actually be helpful for staying energized and full throughout the day. The key is to choose foods that are rich in satiating nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates, fiber, lean protein and healthy fats.

Here are eight healthy snacks you can enjoy between meals.

1. Dark chocolate-covered almonds: Satisfy your sweet tooth — and energy levels — with dark chocolate-covered almonds.

When made with minimal ingredients (i.e., nothing more than melted dark chocolate and almonds), this snack will keep you full, according to Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RD. That’s because it contains good fats, fiber and plant-based protein, all of which support satiety and provide fuel.

2. Popcorn: If you’re a fan of crunchy snacks, you’ll be glad to know that popcorn is on the list of healthy energy-boosting options. “Popcorn is a whole grain and a source of fiber,” explained Kristen

The University of Maryland’s Legacy Leadership Institute on Public Policy, in partnership with the state of Maryland, is looking for volunteers age 50+ to serve as volunteer legislative leaders during the 2025-2026 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly.

The twelve-week classroom training (two days per week) begins on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 and ends on Wednesday December 3rd, 2025.

Classes will be held at the University of Maryland Extension, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25, Columbia, MD 21045

The volunteer assignment will be in the legislative offices of members of the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis.

Participants will serve a minimum of two (2) days per week starting Wednesday, January 14, 2026 and ending on Monday, April 13, 2026

For more information or an application contact Wesley Queen at wqueen@umd.edu ng on Monday, 13, 2026

Lorenz, RD. The fibrous carbs in popcorn provide a steady source of energy, along with digestive benefits.

3. Yogurt: Yogurt is a stellar source of protein, which “helps maintain energy levels and prevents the mid-afternoon energy slump,” Lorenz said. “Full-fat Greek yogurts are extra creamy, yielding a seemingly indulgent snack while packing in protein to keep you full and satisfied,” she added. This snack also offers bone-healthy calcium and gut-friendly probiotics, giving you a nutritious bang for your buck.

4. Trail mix: Of course, all trail mixes are different — but when made at home with whole, minimal ingredients, trail mix can be a nutritious and energizing snack. “Let’s say you made your own with half an ounce each of almonds and walnuts, plus some chocolate candies and dried cranberries,” Pasquariello suggested. This mixture offers a healthy combination of carbohydrates, fiber, good fats and plant-based protein, all of which will keep you satiated and energized.

5. Avocado toast: “Avocado toast contains a balance of healthy fats, vitamin A, potassium, fiber and carbs,” Pasquariello explained. Just mash a ripe avocado on wheat toast to keep you energized and ready to take on the day.

6. Hard-boiled eggs: If you’re look-

ing for a snack that’s nutritious and energizing to boot, reach for hard-boiled eggs. “They contain protein and healthy fats, which provide sustained energy and keep hunger at bay,” Lorenz said. “Hard-boiled eggs are also a source of complete protein, meaning you’ll get all nine essential amino acids you need.”

7. Chia pudding: For an energizing make-ahead snack, whip up a simple chia pudding by combining chia seeds and your milk of choice. Chia seeds are rich in three satiating nutrients: fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and plant-based protein. As these nutrients reduce hunger, they’ll quell the fatigue and tiredness that comes with it, keeping your energy levels up.

8. Bananas and nut butter: Bananas and peanut or almond butter provide a generous helping of carbs, fiber, fat and protein.

“Together, these nutrients offer a satiating combo in terms of overall energy,” Pasquariello said. “Bananas also provide micronutrients like potassium, [and] the nut butter will provide B vitamins and minerals like magnesium.”

Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at realsimple.com. © 2025 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Catonsville Charlestow e wnCommunity.com

How to check yourself for skin cancer

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I have very fair skin and worry about developing skin cancers. What’s a good routine to periodically check my skin? What should I look for?

A: To detect skin cancer early, examine your skin all over your body and watch for changes over time. Use a full-length mirror, plus a handheld mirror for hard-to-see spots and a magnifying glass to examine smaller areas. Here’s how to do it.

• Look at your face, neck, ears (especially behind them) and scalp. Use a comb or a blow dryer to move your hair so you can see better.

• Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror. Then, raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.

• Bend your elbows. Look carefully at your fingernails, palm and back of each hand, forearms (including the undersides) and upper arms.

• Check the back, front, and sides of your legs. Also, check the skin on your buttocks and genital area.

• Sit and examine your feet, including the soles of your feet, the spaces between your toes and your toenails.

Note any new or questionable moles, sores, painful spots, raised or firm bumps, dark flaky patches and black or brown lines along fingernails and toenails. Make sure to feel any suspicious areas for firmness, too. It’s common to feel something troubling before you see it. Write down what you find,

including their locations, and when possible, take photos to show your doctor.

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, and the earlier you can catch it, the better the outcome. The first sign of melanoma may be a change in an existing mole. However, it also may appear as a new mole.

To recognize possible melanoma, follow the ABCDE guide:

Asymmetry : the shape of one half doesn’t match the other half

Border: ragged or blurred edges

Color: red, brown, blue, black, or white, and the shades may be uneven

Diameter: about a quarter of an inch or larger, although some can be smaller

Evolution: any changes in size, shape or color

Here are some other skin issues to look out for during your self-exam:

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are rough and gritty growths. They can be flat or slightly raised and appear in different colors, such as red, tan, pink, skin-colored, brown or silver. AKs often appear on the face, tips of the ears, bald spots, and backs of the arms and hands.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are typically slow-growing skin cancers. BCC may look like a bleeding pimple, an open sore, a red patch, a shiny pink growth, or a scar. SCC resembles a crusted, scaly red bump, patch or wart. Both cancers appear in

areas frequently exposed to the sun. Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical

School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2025 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Weight lifting helps improve longevity

By Christy Bieber

Comic book readers from years past may remember the poor “98-pound weakling,” who had a rough go of it for a while, getting sand kicked in his face and being mocked for his small frame. His girlfriend even left him for the bully.

The weakling wasn’t a character in the comics, but rather a regular feature in an ad for Charles Atlas fitness training, a program which would make him a “man” by building big muscles. The skinny sap ended up with a happy ending, as he used the Atlas system and became a musclebound hero in no time.

Old-fashioned stereotypes aside, and with due respect to those who don’t aspire to the bodybuilder physique, the reality is that weight lifting may actually be something worth doing as you get older.

The goal is not to achieve the perfect Atlas look — rather, a growing body of evidence suggests that weight training has a whole host of benefits that can help with healthy aging. So, is it time for you to start pumping iron?

Can preserve muscles, bones

While weight training may not seem like the ideal workout for someone 50 or over, the reality is that there are ample positive effects of lifting that simply don’t come

with other workouts like cardio.

The most obvious effect, of course, is that weight training helps fight off age-related muscle loss. Muscle mass starts to fade at the relatively young age of 30, with most people losing 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade, according to Prevention. Starting at 60, the decline accelerates, with most people losing up to 30% of muscle mass by age 75.

Weight lifting can slow this progression, sometimes stop it altogether, and even reverse it.

“When you do resistance or strength training, very important chains of molecules that relay signals between cells are affected, and these changes linger in the body for hours after exercise, building up a cumulative, positive effect,” according to Roger A. Fielding, Ph.D., associate director, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

Weight lifting can also reduce age-related loss of bone mass, as muscle contractions that strain bones can help promote new bone formation. Not only can this prevent bone fractures, but it can also halt the progression of osteoporosis or prevent its development altogether. Stimulating osteoblastic activity can be especially beneficial in post-menopausal women.

Balance and coordination improve as

well with lifting, even in those who have suffered previous falls, and Prevention reports that lifting weights can improve metabolic health, so your body can better control your blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes.

As if all that wasn’t enough, weight training can also help to stave off or slow down cognitive decline, including in those individuals already diagnosed with mild impairments, and the World Health Organization recommends resistance training as an ideal exercise for the elderly.

How to start weight lifting

If reading all this has inspired you to start lifting, there’s some bad news: You can no longer send away for the Charles Atlas fitness training program. However, this doesn’t mean you’re doomed to the 98pound-weakling life.

The Mayo Clinic recommends starting with machines or bands, adding in free weights slowly over time, and continually

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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

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Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

How smell loss is connected to brain health

By Margaret Foster

As we get older, our sense of smell wanes naturally. However, smell loss may be a red flag, indicating neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has been conducting a study for the past 15 years to determine possible markers for the disease, which has no cure.

“We’re trying to understand how the disease starts and progresses over time,” said Maggie McGuire Kuhl, vice president of research engagement at the Michael J.

Fox Foundation.

Now the foundation is asking people over 40 to take a smell test that one day may be the first step in detecting the disease.

Local man participates in study

Rick Grant, 61, of Bel Air, Maryland, remembers the day in 2018 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“The day I was diagnosed, my daughter hopped on her laptop and said, ‘It’s going to be okay. We’re going to reach out to the Michael J. Fox Foundation,’” he said.

Take the

Test Challenge Today

Ongoing smell loss may be one of the most important signals of brain health as we age.

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

Request your test at

or scan the QR code.

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

After a genetic test revealed a predisposition for Parkinson’s, the foundation enrolled Grant in its signature study. Twice a year, Grant goes to a clinical site of his choice and spends a day or two undergoing tests to help researchers understand the disease.

“If one person can help stop this disease so my grandchildren don’t have to go through this, then great. We’ve done something,” Grant said.

A 15-minute test

Those without a diagnosis can help too. Anyone age 40 or over without Parkinson’s disease can take the smell test.

Once you sign up on the website, you’ll receive the University of Pennsylvania’s Smell Identification Test in the mail.

The smell test consists of 40 pages of scratch-and-sniff scents, one per page, such as lemon, pizza, gasoline, onion and cinnamon. You enter your answers on the website, and in 15 minutes, you’re done.

Longitudinal study

If your results show a poor sense of smell, researchers may invite you to participate in the foundation’s longitudinal study, known as Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), which Grant joined six years ago.

So far, Kuhl said, 90,000 people have taken the smell test, and around 13,000 have been eligible for additional testing at one of the study’s 32 U.S. sites, including one at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, or sites in 12 other countries.

Now the foundation needs another 400 people with Parkinson’s and 1,000 people without it to participate in the clinic portion of the trial.

“We’ve had a lot of folks join us in this effort, but we still need many more,” Kuhl said.

Weight lifting

From page 11

pushing yourself to move to heavier weights.

The Mayo Clinic also has a series of how-to videos, while Harvard Health has a strength training guide for those over 50 as well.

Of course, you should talk to your doc-

Participants in the PPMI study receive travel expenses for them and a companion, plus compensation for their time. In addition, they will receive some of their test results.

The foundations’ researchers are searching for ways to detect Parkinson’s disease before it strikes. They hope to eventually develop a test for Parkinson’s that is similar to blood tests that monitor cholesterol, for instance.

“We really need more markers and tests to understand someone’s specific disease and then know how to treat them,” Kuhl said.

“Our main goal is to prevent Parkinson’s — that’s why we’re looking at so many people without Parkinson’s who perhaps have some of the risk factors,” she explained. “Early detection is key.”

Results of the study so far

The foundation’s landmark PPMI study has been underway for 15 years, and so far it has discovered at least one reliable marker for the disease.

About 10 years ago, researchers developed a new way to detect looming Parkinson’s in spinal fluid.

“Through this study we have had a breakthrough in detecting the biology of the disease,” Kuhl said. “We still have a lot of questions to answer, but we’re on the right track — and this study is a partnership to bring us to more answers.”

Grant has enjoyed his participation in the study over the years.

“Parkinson’s isn’t a death sentence by any means,” he said. “The Michael J. Fox Foundation has taken this disease by the horns. They’re making great inroads.” To find out more about the longitudinal study, call 1-877-525-7764. To request a smell test, visit mysmelltest.org/beacon or call 1-888-830-6299.

tor before jumping into a new routine.

If you have Medicare, you may also qualify for a free gym membership through SilverSneakers, and you may be able to find help there with weight-lifting.

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

What no one tells you about kidney stones

Let me tell you, friends, there’s nothing like a kidney stone to make you rethink every life choice you’ve ever made. We need to talk about the pain, the symptoms, when to run to the ER and how to avoid hosting another internal rock concert.

Mine started out of nowhere. I was just grabbing a package from the porch when a stabbing pain shot through my left side under the ribs. Within minutes it wrapped around to my back.

That’s called flank pain, and it can stop you in your tracks.

ureter, you’ll know.

The symptoms aren’t always the same for everyone. Sometimes it’s sudden, sharp pain in the side or back that can radiate to the groin or belly. For me, it was only flank pain, but it got my attention fast.

DEAR PHARMACIST

By Suzy Cohen

The pain was so intense I started to feel cold and clammy, and I couldn’t catch a deep breath.

At 60, I wasn’t taking chances, so my husband drove me to the ER. They gave me an IV with Toradol, a pain reliever, and within 10 minutes I could breathe again. The physician assistant said I’d passed a 4.3-millimeter stone exceptionally fast and sent me home with a few pain pills. Spoiler alert: He was wrong.

Two days later, another wave of severe pain hit. Kidney stone pain is sneaky that way. You can feel perfectly fine between attacks, when the stone isn’t moving. But the second it starts traveling down the

Some people have nausea or vomiting, blood in the urine that might be visible or might only show on a urinalysis, an urgency to urinate with little or nothing coming out, burning when it’s in the bladder area, or just a deep sensation like an invisible icepick in your side.

Risk factors

The most common type is a “calcium oxalate” stone. Risk factors include dehydration, too much sodium, high-oxalate foods like spinach, almonds and beets, and certain medications such as topiramate or high-dose vitamin D.

Your lifestyle may predispose you to kidney stones: your diet, genetics, how well you stay hydrated, your sodium intake and medications.

Even the climate you live in matters. The Southeastern United States is nicknamed the Stone Belt for a reason. When I

lived in Florida, a doctor friend once joked that it’s not “if” you get a stone in Florida, it’s “when,” thanks to the limestone in the water.

When to call a doctor

If you have sudden severe pain, a fever with chills, nausea or vomiting that prevents you from holding fluids, visible blood in your urine or you cannot urinate at all, get to a doctor or ER immediately. Kidney stones can cause infections and even damage your kidneys if they block urine flow.

If you can, try to catch your stone in a urine strainer so your doctor can analyze it and help you prevent a repeat performance.

How to prevent kidney stones

Hydration is everything. Stones hate flowing water. Think of it as a river sweeping them downstream (your ureter, in this case). Don’t get dry. If your lips are dry, or you regularly use lip balm, that’s a signal you’re not drinking enough.

Drink plain water — 2.5 to 3 liters a day. Aso try citrate-rich fluids like lemon water: Citrate binds calcium and reduces stone formation (but don’t drink lemon if you have reflux). Another great beverage is herbal tea: Chamomile, nettle and dandelion can be gentle kidney supports.

Avoid sodas — especially dark sodas with phosphoric acid, which may promote stones. Try not to eat too much spinach, beets or rhubarb, as they are high in oxalates. You should also limit energy drinks and high-dose caffeine drinks, as they’re diuretics and dehydrating.

Don’t take too many vitamin C supplements. If you do, your body can convert high doses of vitamin C into oxalate, which contributes to kidney stone formation (especially the calcium oxalate kind).

Many supplements on the market go overboard with 1,000 mg or more, and while “more” might sound better, in this case, it can actually do more harm than good. I stick to natural vitamin C in my own supplement — just 250 mg.

If you want to read the full, unedited version of this story with all six types of kidney stones, prevention strategies and my personal hyperparathyroidism journey, visit suzycohen.com and sign up for my free weekly newsletter.

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

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

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October Events at Howard County 50+ Centers

Residents’ Rights Month 2025: Stand with Me

This ctober, communities nationwide will unite to celebrate Residents’ Rights Month (RRM), an initiative led by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care

From nursing homes and assisted living centers to board and care homes, RRM recognizes the voices, rights and dignity of long-term care residents across the country.

The2025 theme, Stand with Me, shines a light on the power of solidarity. It encourages, residents to speak up for their rights and invites families, staff, advocates, and community members to stand beside them in support. Every voice matters—when we stand together, we strengthen the call for quality care and compassionate living.

If you’re in Howard County and have concerns about a resident in a nursing home or assisted living facility call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 410-313-6423 or email ltcombudsman@howardcountymd.gov.

Fall Pumpkins and Botanicals

Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center

Tuesdays, October 7 – 28, 5:15 – 7:15 p.m. | A02516.502

Join local nature illustrator Amanda Glover to learn step-by-step how to draw and paint pumpkins and botanicals using pen and watercolor. No experience necessary. Cost: $50.

Tech Device Donation Event

East Columbia 50+ Center & Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center

October 6 - 10, during regular center hours

Drop tech devices, equipment or accessories (working or not) you no longer use in our donation bins during National Digital Inclusion Week. A list of accepted equipment is listed on the bins. Donations will go to PCs for People for reuse or disposal. Contact Malarie Burgess at mburgess@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-6542 for more information.

DCRS 50th Anniversary Celebration & Glenwood

50+ Center Open House

Glenwood 50+ Center

October 8, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | A03710.500

The oward County Department of Community Resources and Services (DCRS) and the original Officen Aging are celebrating 50 years of connecting, supporting and empowering our community! Join us at Glenwood for an afternoon of fun and friendship. Explore our programs, meet our staff, and see why the center is such a vibrant part of our community.

Thrive While Aging Solo

Elkridge 50+ Center

October 14, 10 – 11:30 a.m. | A01668.503

To support Solo Agers — older adults making personal decisions about their own future — Maryland Access Point specialists will discuss home modifictions, medical directives, building social networks, and creating a care team.

The Secret Life of Honeybees: A Visual Journey & Tasting

Elkridge 50+ Center

October 15, 11 a.m. – noon | A05609.501

Join veteran beekeepers Joan and Tom Cain to explore the complex world of honeybees through photos and videos and sample honey from various countries.

3rd Annual Zumba Gold Party-in-Pink

Bain 50+ Center

October 17, 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | A01494.500

Dress in pink, dance and have fun while showing support for our local Claudia Mayer/Tina Broccolini Cancer Resource Center. A $5 donation is requested. All proceeds benefit the Resource Center.

A Grand Day Out: The

Ellicott City 50+ Center

9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

Find us @HoCoCommunity on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Nextdoor

AVAILABLEINALTERNATEFORMATSUPONREQUEST

Join the subscriber list https://bit.ly/HoCosubscribe

Listen to the HoCo Community Chat podcast on Buzzsprout

Mayhem Magical Circus

October 17, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | A02744.500

Bring your grandchildren ages 4-11 (it’s a Howard County school holiday) and join former Ringling Brothers Circus performer Gregory May as he juggles, walks on a rolling globe, spins plates and ropes, and more! Cost: $5/person.

SeniorsTogether Aging with Grace Group

Mondays, October 20 – December 15, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Virtual | A30123.512

Join MaryPat Donelan and RoseMarie Moran to explore the aging journey. Weekly discussions are based on topics from Joan Chittister’s book, “ The Gift of Years.” Contact Karen Hull, 410-313-7466 for details.

Preparing

for the Unexpected

North Laurel 50+ Center

October 24, 11 a.m. – noon | A06699.501

Join the Officof Emergency Management for “Preparing for the Unexpected” to learn the four steps to getting ready for disaster: Get Informed; Write a Plan; Build a Kit; and Be Involved.

A Night of Elegance: 2nd Annual Fall Ball

Bain 50+ Center

October 24, 5 – 9 p.m. | Call 410-313-7213 to register

Come dressed to impress for an elegant evening, featuring hors d’oeuvres, mocktails, dinner, live entertainment, and a DJ. Tickets ($25) are available for purchase at the front desk, while quantities last.

To register or find more events, visit bit.ly/HoCoRegistration

MoneyMoney Law &

Three common Social Security myths in 2025

By Katherine Tierney

Social Security plays an important role in retirement for most Americans. Here’s what you need to know about three common Social Security myths today:

Myth No. 1: Social Security is going bankrupt

Based on current projections, Social Security isn’t going bankrupt. According to the 2025 Social Security Trustees Report, if no changes are made to the program, it will need to reduce benefits in 2033, paying about 77 cents per dollar of the projected benefit.

However, there are several changes Congress can make to strengthen the program and avoid these future cuts, such as removing the earnings ceiling for Social Security payroll taxes, increasing the payroll tax rate or raising the age for eligibility or full retirement.

For example, the Board of Trustees estimates that raising the combined payroll tax from 12.4% to 16.05% would fully fund the program through at least 2099. What you can do

To navigate the uncertainty, focus on what you can control — how much you save for

retirement and when you claim your benefit.

How much to save: According to a June 2025 analysis from the Social Security Administration, Social Security replaces about 40% of pre-retirement income for a median earner who claims at full retirement age (FRA) and who makes an average of $69,473 a year.

The more you earn, the more you’ll have to replace with your own savings to maintain your lifestyle in retirement. Use a financial calculator or work with a financial adviser to help ensure you’re saving enough to meet your needs.

When to claim: While there might be reasons to claim early, we generally recommend against taking benefits before your FRA based on worries about the program’s health.

Social Security payments can be sharply and permanently reduced by as much as 30% if taken before FRA. This initial reduction also compounds over time, since costof-living adjustments are based on this amount, but retirement could last 25 years or longer.

Additionally, your selections don’t just impact you; they could permanently affect the benefit for your surviving spouse.

Myth No. 2: Layoffs and budget cuts will cause benefits to be delayed or reduced

Budget cuts and staffing reductions won’t reduce your benefit amount. Any changes to how Social Security benefits are calculated would require congressional approval. While service quality could be impacted, we believe widespread delays in benefit checks are unlikely because of the political pressure the government would face. However, wait times to talk to a representative and file benefits could continue to increase.

What you can do

When you’re ready to file, consider the following:

• Start the application process up to four months ahead of your desired start date

• Use online resources and tools when possible

Myth No. 3: Taxes on Social Security benefits have been eliminated

Contrary to some reports, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) didn’t eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, though a new deduction could have an impact

(more on that below).

If your combined income is above a certain threshold, a portion of your benefits will be subject to taxes. Your combined income is equal to the sum of your adjusted gross income (AGI), nontaxable interest and half your annual Social Security benefit.

If your combined income is from $25,000 to $34,000 for single filers ($32,000 and $44,000 for joint filers), up to 50% of your benefit is taxed.

If it’s greater than $34,000 for single filers ($44,000 for joint filers), up to 85% of your benefit is taxed.

While the OBBB didn’t eliminate taxes on benefits, it did include a new temporary deduction for eligible individuals age 65 or older that can help offset taxes on benefits.

To qualify for the full $6,000 deduction (per taxpayer), your modified adjusted gross income must be $75,000 or less for single filers ($150,000 or less for joint filers). It phases down for income above these thresholds and fully phases out at $175,000 for single filers ($250,000 for joint filers).

The deduction is available through 2028, and it’s in addition to the current standard

, page 19

The pitfalls of Medicare Advantage plans

If you watch television, it is hard to avoid the promotions for Medicare Advantage plans, known as Medicare Part C. These commercials suggest that if you are eligible for Medicare, you should be signing up for a Medicare Advantage plan.

It is true that some individuals might benefit from a Medicare Advantage plan. However, you should be aware of the potential disadvantages.

THE

David Bynon has written an informative e-book, “Why Medicare Advantage Plans Are Bad,” which, as the title suggests, discusses the disadvantages in depth. It’s well worth a read before you decide to buy any Medicare Advantage plan. I will cover some of his points below.

sufficient Social Security credits, you will be automatically enrolled in premium-free Part A (hospital insurance), and you will also be eligible to sign up for Part B (outpatient medical insurance); the monthly cost will vary based on your income going back two years.

By Elliot Raphaelson

Once you reach 65, you are eligible to sign up for Original Medicare. If you have

If you sign up for Part B with Original Medicare, you will be covered for 80% of eligible medical costs after you meet your deductible. However, you can buy what is known as Medigap coverage to cover the remaining 20%. This coverage is very important because if you have serious health conditions or you need hospital coverage, 20% of medical costs can be significant. Without Medigap coverage, there is no limit to your possible expenses with Original Medicare.

Once you reach 65 and are enrolled in Part B, you will only have a limited amount of time to enroll in a Medigap plan. If you don’t enroll in that period, or if you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan instead of Original Medicare, you may not be able to enroll in a Medigap plan later.

This is crucial. If you decide at any time to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can’t be guaranteed that you can obtain a Medigap plan.

With a Medicare Advantage plan, you may pay the plan’s premium in addition to the monthly Part B premium. Plans may have a zero premium or may help pay all or part of your Part B premiums.

Medicare Advantage downsides

Bynon’s book itemizes some of the disadvantages of Medicare Advantage plans, including:

—Multiple copays: You have a copay with your primary care medical facility.

When you are referred to a specialist, you have another copay. You also have copays for lab tests and diagnostic tests.

—Hospitalization cost: According to Kaiser Family Foundation, 50% of individuals who have Medicare Advantage plans incur higher costs than those with Original Medicare/Medigap. For example, an inpatient event under a Medicare Advantage plan could run you hundreds of dollars for ambulance costs, medications, physicians and specialists, lab tests and diagnosis. A single hospital admission could easily cost more than the annual cost of a Medigap policy.

—Less doctor contact: Because primary care facilities receive a flat fee associated with Medicare Advantage plans, the result is that you are much more likely to receive medical service from a nurse practitioner than a physician.

—Referrals: According to the Kaiser

Before you take a second job, crunch the numbers. See story on page 18.

SAVINGS GAME

Do the math before taking that second job

By Donna Fuscaldo

Jim Carrey, Al Pacino and Hugh Grant aren’t the only ones who came out of retirement. Countless people return to the workforce after retiring.

For some, it’s a matter of money — they have savings but are afraid it’s not enough. For others, it’s about their well-being — they are bored and miss the structure and sense of purpose at work.

If you want to join the ranks of the unretired, you may want to consider the impact it will have on your finances before you do. After all, it could cost you more money to reenter the workforce than to stay home.

If you don’t need the money, “just don’t go get a job — run it by a financial professional first,” said Rose Niang, a financial planner at Edelman Financial Engines. “Sometimes the pitfalls may be worse than what you gain from that job.”

From Social Security to taxes, here’s a look at three potentially costly drawbacks of returning to work after you’ve retired.

1. You can lose some of your Social Security

If you started collecting Social Security benefits before your full retirement age (which is 67 for those born in 1960 or later) and then return to work, your benefits could be reduced.

This rule is known as the earnings test, and the Social Security Administration applies it to anyone who is working and receiving benefits before their full retirement age.

For every $2 you make over $23,400 for 2025, $1 of your Social Security benefits will be deducted. If you hit full retirement age in 2025, you can earn up to $62,160. For every $3 over that, the SSA will deduct $1. Once you reach your full retirement

age, there is no earnings limit. Your Social Security benefits will go back to normal if you stop working.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world if you are getting some income,” said Judith Ward, thought leadership director at T. Rowe Price. “Just be aware that if you are taking Social Security and you’re not at your full retirement age, you might see a reduction.”

2. Medicare premiums could increase

This applies to people age 65 and older on Medicare thinking of returning to work. If you receive any government subsidies and make more than a certain limit, you may lose some of those discounts, Niang said.

If you don’t receive government subsidies but make too much money when you return to work, you have to worry about the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL

MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER

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Ednor Apartments I: 410-243-0180

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Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440

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BALTIMORE COUNTY

Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344

Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660

Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888

The Greens at English Consul: 410-789-3000

The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100

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The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988

Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464

Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 • 55 & Better

Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665

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BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886

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Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185

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EASTERN SHORE

Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070

HARFORD COUNTY

Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064

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HOWARD COUNTY

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

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Amount, or IRMAA.

IRMAA is an extra charge added to the monthly premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) from the two prior years exceeds certain limits.

For 2025, your MAGI has to exceed $106,000 as a single filer and $212,000 as a couple. The extra expense for 2025 can range from $888 to $5,326.80 per year for Medicare Part B, and $164.40 to $1029.60 for Medicare Part D, depending on how much your income exceeds the threshold. Your job alone may not push you over the threshold, but pensions, dividend-paying investments, capital gains and required minimum distributions are all part of your MAGI. The income may outweigh the increase in premiums, but you won’t know until you do the math.

3. Tax bracket creep

Making more money means you have to pay more taxes, and it’s just not income taxes. Depending on what tax bracket you end up in, you could owe more on your SS benefits, Niang said.

If you make between $25,000 and $34,000 as an individual or $32,000 to $44,000 married filing jointly, up to 50% of your SS benefits may be taxed. Over $34,000 for individuals and $44,000 for married couples filing jointly and up to 85% of your SS benefits may be taxed.

Plus, the higher income tax bracket you are in, the more you’ll owe Uncle Sam come tax time.

“If you need the money, chances are you are not as concerned about these pitfalls,” Ward said. “If you don’t need the money and like the work and the income is a bonus, these are things you might want to be aware of.”

Find the right balance

Ultimately, it’s all about balance. Nobody is telling you not to return to work, but if you are doing it out of boredom, you have to weigh the costs against the gains.

“Run the numbers before you accept the job,” Niang said. “Make sure you weigh the upside and the downside.”

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Oct. 4

Welcome the fall with music, games, entertainment, food trucks and more at Laurel’s Fall Festival. This outdoor festival takes place on Sat., Oct. 4 from noon to 3 p.m. at North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd. The cost is $5. To register, visit howardcountymd.gov/fall-festival. For more information, contact Daneisha Nicholas at dnicholas@howardcountymd.gov or (410) 313-4625.

LAUREL FALL FESTIVAL

BEACON BITS

Social Security

From page 16

deduction available to older people.

What you can do

You might be able to further reduce taxes by using some tax-free assets, such as qualified Roth accounts and health savings account (HSA) withdrawals, as these assets don’t count toward your combined income. Make sure you’re withholding an appropriate amount from your monthly Social Security checks to avoid a surprise at tax time. You can file IRS Form W-4V to up-

Medicare Part C

From page 16

Family Foundation, many plans control costs by using referrals, requiring prior authorization to specialists. Specialists require an additional copay.

—Plan changes to benefits/costs: Insurers are allowed to change benefits, costs and provider networks each year. Monitor these changes each year to determine if you should change coverage. However, if you change your plan, you may not be able to be covered by Medigap coverage.

—Budget uncertainty: With Medicare Advantage plans, you can’t predict your yearly medical costs, such as for an unplanned hospital incident. With Original Medicare/Medigap, you know in advance

date your withholdings.

Katherine Tierney, CFA®, CFP®,is a senior strategist at Edward Jones. This content is provided for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. Consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. Opinions stated are not intended to predict or guarantee the future of Social Security.

© 2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

what your yearly medical expenses will be.

—Limited selection of doctors/providers: Your choice of doctors and other providers is limited. Some plans won’t cover providers outside the plan’s network and service area.

Bynon believes that Medicare Advantage plans could be advantageous for individuals who are healthy and expect minimum use of medical support. However, if you have chronic health conditions, he recommends Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement.

If you want more details about Medicare Advantage plans, visit Medicare.gov/ plan-compare.

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

© 2025 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

FREE SEMINARS

The Residences of Vantage Point in Columbia offers several free seminars that are open to the public. On Thurs., Oct. 9 at 10 a.m., attend a talk by local realtors on the “State of Real Estate.” On. Thurs., Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., author Joy Loverde will present “Solo Aging: Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?” Both seminars are free and held at the Residences at Vantage Point, 5400 Vantage Point Rd., Columbia. RSVP to (410) 992-1241 or vantagepointresidences.org/compass.

How to join a Medicare Advantage Plan

Between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7 each year, anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Not all Medicare Advantage Plans work the same way. Before you join, you can find and compare Medicare Advantage Plans in your area by visiting Medicare.gov/plancompare or calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877486-2048.

Once you understand the plan’s rules and costs, join by:

• Visiting Medicare.gov/plan-compare and searching by ZIP code to find a plan and join. You can also log in to

your secure Medicare account for personalized results. If you have questions about a plan, select “Plan Details” on the search results page to get the plan’s contact information.

• Calling the plan you want to join or visiting the plan’s website to find out if you can join online.

• Filling out a paper enrollment form. Contact the plan to get an enrollment form, fill it out and return it to the plan. All plans must offer this option.

• Calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Travel Leisure & A river tour of Vietnam and Cambodia

By Sandi Barrett

In rural Vietnam and Cambodia, lush vegetation opens up to abundant farmland tended by generations of farmers who still work the land with oxen and plow along the Mekong River.

On a river cruise ship called the AmaDara, a friend and I, along with 120 other passengers, took in the viewsof the beautiful countryside from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap.

Our riverboat journey was bookended by booming metropolises — vibrant cities where hipsters on scooters, professionals in cars, and athletic hustlers in rickshaws navigate traffic together.

Many men who came of age during the Vietnam War and the draft have little desire to walk in the footsteps of U.S. soldiers. My husband had no interest in this adventure, so this ended up as a girls’ trip. Although we experienced moments heavy with sorrow, like a visit to the Killing Fields, several instances of reflection and healing touched my heart. The people we met were overwhelmingly generous and welcoming.

We sailed with AmaWaterways, choosing a cruise that leans into cultural education. Temples, UNESCO sites and historic tours are part of the daily adventures. If you want to learn about the people and culture of two nations that are deeply intertwined with our history, this cruise is a wonderful way to tour this beautiful region.

Underground tunnels

We started out in South Vietnam’s for-

mer capital, Ho Chi Minh City, previously called Saigon. One of the highlights on our pre-cruise day in that city was exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels. A veritable underground metropolis, the network of tunnels connects many rooms where civilians hid and the Viet Cong conducted maneuvers.

Camouflaged entrances to the tunnels dotted the countryside, allowing people to move about without being seen. As we dropped into the tunnel and navigated underground, we marveled at the ingenuity required to design this undetectable network of kitchens, weapons storage, hospitals and a military command center.

Cambodia’s capital

Our trip down the Mekong brought us to many interesting ports, including beautiful Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Riding in a tuk tuk (a three-wheeled motorized carriage) is a unique, albeit touristy, way to see Phnom Penh. The city’s architecture blends French and Khmer architectural styles in a fascinating fusion of modernity and history. Its Central Market is a perfect example: French Art Deco-style housing is the backdrop for classic Cambodian bazaar stalls selling food, clothing and souvenirs.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is the official residence of the elected King of Cambodia, who is part of a unique blend of constitutional monarchy and elected parliamentary government.

The centerpiece of the Royal Palace compound is the Silver Pagoda, whose floor is covered with more than 5,000 re-

The more things change in Paris, the more they stay the same. See story on opposite page.

flective silver tiles (now mostly protected by carpeting). The pagoda is home to stunning Buddhist artifacts, including an emerald Buddha statue and a gold Buddha encrusted with thousands of diamonds.

Another highlight of our seven-day cruise was Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital and the destination for Cambodian pilgrimages. There, in an ornate monastery, we attended a Buddhist blessing ceremony. We sat on the floor while monks-in-training chanted their blessings.

Later, we climbed 409 steps up Oudong Mountain, where the panoramic views from the temple grounds were spectacular. The hike down was much easier, even without railings.

Our stop in Koh Oknha Teywas one filled with children’s laughter and classroom lessons. We visited an elementary school where the students were eager to practice their English, show off their academic prowess and entertain us with a few tunes like “You Are My Sunshine.” The children, who wanted to know everything from our favorite candy to how many grandchildren we had, were an absolute joy.

We next headed to Silk Island, where cloth is still made on looms. You can watch the artisans’ process, from growing the larvae to weaving beautiful scarves and clothing. This excursion is a must-do for any fashionista who wants to add Cambodian silk to their closet.

Cambodian countryside

Angkor Ban, in northwestern Cambodia, is one of the few villages spared by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, likely because of its agricultural importance. Today its dusty dirt roads are lined with traditional wooden houses on stilts. Although it’s not a tourist trap, Angkor Ban’s main streets have small shops that sell food, clothing and other essentials, including “motorcycle beer” — old glass Coke bottles filled with gasoline.

Nearby, the famous Angkor Archeological Park is a complex of ancient temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The iconic Angkor Wat is the park’s centerpiece. We made the trek to Angkor Wat beginning at 4:30 a.m., hoping for a great photo of the sunrise over the temple. Sadly, there was a slight drizzle that morning, so the sunrise was underwhelming. However, the complex is immense (around 150 square miles), and we had plenty of time to explore the ruins, painted murals, carved bas-reliefs and massive statues. Pro tip: Leave your jewelry at home. The ubiquitous wild monkeys like to snatch shiny things.

If you go

Round-trip fares to Vietnam start at $839. While the flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are long, the reward is well worth the time on the plane.

Cambodia’s famous 900-year-old temple, Angkor Wat, has 400 acres to explore.

A woman weaves silk in Oknhatey Village on an island on the Mekong River near Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL NOLAN,

Tale of two cities: Paris, then and now

By Judith Wortman

Sixty years ago, a year after graduating from college, a friend and I decided to enter a graduate program at the Sorbonne of the University of Paris.

We lived in the city for a year, making friends and memories. It was an unforgettable experience, one that shaped my view of living abroad and foreign cultures.

Last May, I returned to Paris for a short stay while I could still get around. I am 85 years old and wanted to travel before my body takes me out of the comfort zone.

Of course, I was thrilled to revisit Paris’ many art museums, churches, bistros and cafés. But my main purpose was to observe how the city had changed from my memories of six decades ago.

To smooth my journey, I made a reservation with Road Scholar for an educational travel adventure. The tour advertised seven active days in Paris, but I arrived a day before thegroup and remained one day after it departed.

I noticed the first difference before I even reached the city. As I traveled from Charles de Gaulle Airport, I noted the immense growth of the Parisian suburbs. Office buildings rose above the imposed height limits for structures in the city center, and numerous apartment buildings provided new nesting places for the labor force.

When I reached the city, I discovered a very pleasant change. Gone was the debris in the gutters and the stench that would sometimes greet one’s nostrils when walking down the street. The presence of covered garbage bins has taken care of the smell, and Paris did a major cleanup when it hosted the Olympic games last summer.

Back to the Marais

The Marais district, where our tour stayed at the four-star hotel Les Jardins du Marais, is the oldest section of Paris and was once home to the largest Jewish population in France. It was also across the Seine from the Sorbonne, where I enrolled in a program designed to prepare foreign students to teach French culture.

The cobblestone side streets looked much as they did years ago, but this time, I had to tread carefully to avoid a trip or fall.

If one looked up rather than down, the prevalence of graffiti was impossible to miss. Either very little graffiti existed in the early 1960s or I was oblivious to it as a young student. Practically every open space was covered with black scrawl or colorful abstract creations. Occasionally I noticed an attempted artistic depiction or message, but most of the graffiti, to my eyes, was scribble — a small change, but one that surprised me.

v nd O re a bite, or just en trolley makes it easier to enjoy the njoying the town, our rolley e shopping, grabbing . r Old Ellicott City T d ride with ease on vite you to park your

One perk of my recent trip was the abundant hot water at the hotel. When my friend and I first arrived in Paris as students, we resided with a French woman who lived north of the Arc de Triomphe. Upon arrival, she warned us that we could only take a bath twice a week because a heater over the tub had to be fired up to get the costly hot water.

More crowds at museums

During this year’s stay, I visited six art museums. In my student days, the art museums were either free or substantially discounted for students.

On my first full day on my own, I visited the Picasso Museum, housed in a stately

The Basilica of Sacré-Coeur in Paris’ Montmartre area has overlooked the city since 1914. Today, the artists who frequented its main square in the 1960s are gone, replaced by food vendors.

See PARIS , page 22

PHOTO BY SEAN X. LIU

From page 21

mansion in the Marais.

I had never seen so many people crowded into each room — a rude contrast to my visits in times past. I had to inch my way sideways to make it through the museum, and getting close enough to read the descriptions of the artwork on the plaques was often impossible.

To top off the experience, all the bodies turned the museum into a sweat box. It was not the pleasant experience I had anticipated.

Then I remembered that I was in Paris a week before the popular Paris Open tennis tournament began, so people were pouring into the city from all over the world, flocking to one of its most popular art museums.

Advantages of group tours

Once I joined the tour, everything be-

BEACON BITS

came a bit easier. Two very experienced guides provided us with entrance passes to the museums, enabling us to skip the lines.

Our guides were particularly advantageous in gaining entrance to the “new” Notre Dame, which some 15,000 people visit each day. The restored 680-year-old Gothic cathedral, which burned in 2019, reopened this year. Its restoration was miraculous: The domed ceiling was clean and elegant, and the stained-glass windows were back in place but shining more brilliantly than I remembered. It is as though the cathedral was restored to its youth.

The white Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur continues to stand out on the Paris skyline, but the artists and their easels that were features of the main square have mostly been replaced by food stalls.

Fine dining

A person can’t visit Paris without mentioning its cuisine. Not surprising is the

HOWARD COUNTY’S GREAT OUTDOORS INITIATIVE

Spending time outdoors benefits both the mind and the body.

Howard County Recreation & Parks invites you to win prizes by challenging yourself to at least 15 minutes of outdoor activity each day in October. To sign up for free, visit bit.ly/HoCoOutdoors. For more information, contact Kelly Vogelpohl at kvogelpohl@howardcountymd.gov or (410) 313-1754.

presence of American fast-food restaurants. In my student days, when I craved a hamburger, I went to the American Drugstore on the Champs-Elysées. Today, I can visit McDonald’s or Burger King (of course, I avoided fast-food establishments in favor of traditional French fare).

On my first night, I went out to dinner at Bofinger, which had been my favorite restaurant in the Marais. As a student, it was a splurge, but I was ready for a self-indulgent treat. It was famous for its coq au vin, and my mouth watered imagining that delicious chicken dish. To my disappointment, it no longer appears on the menu, replaced by vol-au-vent, chicken fingers in a pastry nest. Although it was quite good, I would have preferred the dish from my memory.

While it is still possible to find the formerly popular student meal of ham and cheese on half a baguette, it is not even mentioned on café menus. The popular go-

Vietnam

From page 20

We went in April, when it was beyond hot. February and March have the best weather. Pack sturdy, comfortable shoes because you’ll walk and walk. However, we did experience some very unique modes of transport including sampans, trishaws, tuk tuks, rick-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

to food today is a croque monsieur: grilled cheese with ham and béchamel sauce.

Today’s young Parisians and international students who crowd the outdoor cafés in the evening drink beer, not wine. I thought perhaps they drank beer because it was less expensive, but I was told the taste of beer is simply preferred, and the beverage has become very popular.

All the French people I encountered were gracious, interesting and patient with my pidgin French. None exhibited the standoffish anti-foreigner behavior American visitors have attributed to Parisians in the past.

Because of the people, the food, my guides and the unfading beauty of the city of lights, my trip to Paris in 2025 was delightful.

Judith Wortman is a nonfiction writer and a member of the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. and appears in Who’s Who in American Women. She lives at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

shaws and even an adventure on an ox cart. We made our journey simple on this adventure by booking everything through AmaWaterways, even airfare and transfers. This was my third river cruise with AmaWaterways. The staff is superb, the guides are knowledgeable, and the itineraries include beautiful ports. See amawaterways.com.

DONATE BLOOD FOR THE RED CROSS

The American Red Cross is facing a nationwide blood shortage. There is an urgent need for platelet donors and type O blood donors, but donations of all blood types are welcome. To schedule an appointment or find upcoming blood drives, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

ruateF d Ent Live specialt informa exxh and 3 to Up e tainment er s t produc y and tion with ibitors sponsor 00 9 a 2 rebotcO e We s W

Upcoming Programs for 50 Years + Recreation & Parks

To view all of our programs and activities, visit www.HowardCountyMD.gov/rap.

Special Events

Howard County’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Challenge yourself to a minimum of 15 minutes of outdoor activity each day in October. Sign up and download your daily log online at www.tinyurl.com/HCGreatOutdoors for your chance to win prizes! Info: Kelly Vogelpohl, 410-313-1754 or kvogelpohl@howardcountymd.gov. All agesLocations around the county Oct 1-31Free

Encore Showcase

It’s Active Aging Week. Come celebrate with free activities geared toward keeping your mind and body active! Enjoy mini fitness sessions, quick art projects, and giveaways. You’ll also have a chance to try your hand at bocce and archery. Preregistration is not required but is recommended for event updates. Visit www.HowardCountyMD.gov/EncoreShowcase for the most up-to-date schedule and information. Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov. 50 yrs + Blandair Pk North (Croquet Lawn)Oct 711am-2pmTuFree

Celebration of Sports Golf Tournament

Celebrate community sports and enjoy a day on the links. Fee includes lunch, green fees, cart, use of driving range, awards and hole prizes. Format is scramble. Info: Mike Blevins, 410-313-1668 or mblevins@howardcountymd.gov. 18 yrs +Register before or on-site by 8am, shotgun starts at 9am

RP6601.501Timbers at TroyFoursomeOct 109am-3:30pmF$396

RP6601.502Timbers at TroyIndividualOct 109am-3:30pmF$99

Celebration of Sports

Join organizations and businesses with a vested interest in community sports in Howard County. Share in the evening’s events as we induct members into the Community Sports Hall of Fame, honor GoodSports recipients, and enjoy a buffet dinner. Seatingat 5pm. Info:Ricky DuBois,410-313-4706 or rdubois@howardcountymd.gov. All ages

RP6600.501IndividualTurf ValleyOct 145-9pmTu$49

RP6600.511Table of 10Turf ValleyOct 145-9pmTu$490

Marvel, Chicken & Waffles Volume III (MCW)

Celebrate National Chicken & Waffles Day at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center with a superhero twist! Come dressed up as your favorite Marvel character and indulge in Marvel movie screenings, free popcorn, games, activities, and of course, Chicken & Waffles (available for purchase). Bring the entire family for this pre-Halloween celebration! Info: Roodney Payen, 410-313-0860 or rpayen@howardcountymd.gov.

All ages

RP4455.501Harriet Tubman CtrOct 206-8:30pmMFree

Crafts & Fine Arts

Beginner/Intermediate Stained Glass Workshops

Make a 6-8-piece stained glass window hanging using the copper foil technique. Beginners: Emphasis is placed on learning the skills needed to score and break glass, foil, and solder the pieces into a window hanging. This workshop focuses on straightline cuts and work from patterns such as snowflakes, stars, and Mondrian squares. Intermediate: Learn to cut curves in this intermediate workshop. Emphasis is on techniques to score, break, and foil more complex shapes. Patterns contain curved lines like flowers, birds, and seasonal designs, improving skills with more challenging shapes. It is recommended to take both the beginner and intermediate workshops. Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

50 yrs +Instructor: Maureen StoneClasses: 1$89

RP3536.501N Laurel CCBeginnerOct 1410am-2pmTu

RP3536.502N Laurel CCIntermediate Oct 1610am-2pmTh

RP3536.503N Laurel CCBeginnerDec 1610am-2pmTu

Scan the QR code or visit tinyurl.com/activeaging50 for more 50 yrs + programs!

Dance

Beginner/Intermediate Soul Line Dance

Explore your own style of dance while learning fun, popular, social line dances that can be done at weddings, holiday functions, and more. The class is partner-free and designed for all levels. Line up and learn the step-by-step choreography taught by instructor Jessie Barnes. Multiple dances are performed to great pop and rhythm and blues music.

50 yrs +Instructor: Jessie BarnesClasses: 6No class 9/23

RP3511.502Harriet Tubman CtrOct 2811am-noonTu$59

Beginner Latin Dance

Learn basic dance steps for rhumba and cha-cha dance rhythms with dance instructor Tom Sellner.

50 yrs +Instructor: Tom SellnerClasses: 5

RP3517.501Roger Carter CCSep 99:30-10:30amTu$59

RP3517.502Harriet Tubman CtrOct 169:30-10:30amTh$59

Historic & Cultural Resources

Museum After Dark: Ellicott City Station

Museum Evening Tours

Celebrate the Halloween season at the B&O Ellicott City Station Museum with our special Museum After Dark tours. These tours focus on the darker aspects of railroad history, telling the deadly stories and ghostly tales of the B&O railroad. 16 yrs +Days: 1

RP9980.507B&O EC Station MuseumOct 117-8:30pmSa$15

RP9980.508B&O EC Station MuseumOct 187-8:30pmSa$15

RP9980.509B&O EC Station MuseumOct 247-8:30pmF$15

RP9980.510B&O EC Station MuseumOct 317-8:30pmF$15

Lifelong Learning

Beginner’s Guide to Genealogy

Learn about the world of genealogy! Gain an understanding of the basics of family history research. Learn important tools needed to research and navigate the information. Gain strategies to organize your research. You should have computer literacy. Bring your laptop or tablet to each class as there are hands-on activities that require using your devices for research.

50 yrs +Instructor: Karen GieseClasses: 3

RP3500.502Gary J Arthur CCOct 171-2:30pmF$72

RP3500.503Gary J Arthur CCDec 41-2:30pmTh$72

NEW! Famous Architecture

Discover the fascinating world of architecture as we journey through history, exploring the ingenious building techniques of ancient civilizations. From arches and columns to iconic structures from around the world, get hands-on experience recreating historic designs while learning about the artistry, engineering, and creativity behind them. Using interactive building activities, test your problem-solving skills, spark creativity, and engage in social learning—all while keeping your mind active and engaged. Using LEGO®, build the past, and strengthen your mind!

50 yrs +Instructor: Whiz Kid AcademyClasses: 6

RP3548.501N Laurel CCOct 2810:30-11:30amTu$99

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

Smithsonian’s National Zoo: Pandas

The amazing pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao are awaiting your visit! The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. See lions, tigers, giraffes, and the zoo’s beloved giant pandas. There are 1,500-plus animals that call this 163-acre park “home.” The zoo’s habitats feature animals from 300 different species and about 25 percent of the zoo’s residents are endangered. There are many options onsite to enjoy a snack or lunch on your own. Moderate walking required.

18 yrs +Bus provided

RP4557.501Oct 99:30am-3:30pmTh$89

Fallingwater – Frank Lloyd Wright Country House

This venue is a National Historic Landmark and a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is now open for the 60th tour season with various experiences for visitors to gain insights into Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture and design philosophy, and discover the beauty of Fallingwater and its natural landscape. Experience Wright’s most recognized example of the union of architecture and nature. Walking the beautiful, forested grounds and exploring the house from interior spaces and outdoor cantilevered terraces, you will closely examine Fallingwater’s intimate relationship with the mountainous landscape that inspired its design. Moderate walking required.

18 yrs +Bus provided

RP4574.501Oct 177am-6pmF$139

Meet You There! The ClayGround –Fall Creations: Glass Fusion

Come create beautiful items reflecting fall inspiration through the process of joining compatible sheets of glass together in a kiln. Make amazing items for Autumn. Join us for creative fun while making a treasure to keep!

18 yrs +ClayGround Studio RP4571.502Oct 2211am-1pmW$79

The Amazing Luray Caverns

Deep beneath Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, this U.S. Natural Landmark is the largest and most popular caverns in Eastern America. From well-lit paved walkways, explore cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings 10 stories high that are filled with towering stone columns and crystal-clear pools. Hear the haunting sounds of the world’s only stalactite organ. Lunch is on your own at the onsite Stalactite Café onsite that has a wide variety of menu options. Moderate walking required.

21 yrs +Bus provided RP4590.501Oct 308:30am–6pmTh$145

Arts & Style

For new book recommendations, see opposite page.

Dance in the aisles to Saturday Night Fever

By Eddie Applefeld

Most of us remember the opening scene of the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. A young, slim John Travolta struts through the streets of New York City to the catchy beat of “Stayin’ Alive.”

The year the movie was released, its soundtrack by the Bee Gees exploded, making it one of the bestselling albums of all time. The film grossed $237 million on a $3.5 million budget, and Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

This month, the jukebox musical Saturday Night Fever is the current attraction at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland.

The fast-moving and well-paced show, like the movie, is based on “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,” a 1976 New York magazine article.

It tells the story of a Brooklyn teenager (Tony Manero, played superbly by Patrick Gover) and his angst about growing up, living at home and working in a paint store. His only outlet is dancing at the nightclubs in his neighborhood, where he spends almost every night, becoming one of the best dancers in the city.

Gover and the rest of the exceptional cast boogie to “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “More Than a Woman,” “Jive Talkin,’” “Disco Inferno,” “Boogie Shoes” and “Nights on Broadway.” Try not to sing along — or at least do it quietly.

“The show will leave you dancing in the aisles,” said Ross Scott Rawlings, Toby’s

Oct. 15

music director. His seven-member orchestra practiced for a month, according to Rawlings, and perform live from a platform above the stage.

The show’s excellent choreography shines, too. Many kudos to Christen Svingos, the choreographer: This is a precisely trained ensemble. Because Saturday Night Fever is heavy with dancing, rehearsals began about three months prior to opening night, according to a cast member.

At the performance I attended, the people on stage weren’t the only ones dancing. Rawlings was right: Audience members, most of whom were age 40 and older, danced in the aisles at the end of the show.

“The show brought back to life memories of the 70s,” said one audience member, Sereva Racher, a casting director for movies and television.

The disco decade — with its wide collars, platform boots and feathered hair — comes to life here thanks to the excellent costume director, Heather Jackson, and Jayson Kueberth, who designed the hair and wigs.

Family-friendly show

The theater is in the round, so there aren’t any bad seats. In fact, many of the audience members I have chatted with over the years prefer a seat a little farther back from the stage because it provides a broader view. (All it means is a slightly longer walk to the buffet, which is always outstanding.)

Since Toby’s is a family-friendly theater,

FREE LATIN DANCE CLASS

Join this free community salsa class and immerse yourself in Latin music during Hispanic Heritage Month. Snacks and water will be provided — just bring your dancing shoes to Harriet Tubman Cultural Center, 8045 Harriet Tubman Ln., Columbia, on Wed., Oct. 15 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. All ages and experiences are welcome. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/SalsainHoward.

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Nov. 2

Did you take a good photo of the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area this year? Enter it in the PaSNAPsco Photography contest for a chance to win a cash prize. Amateur and professional photographs welcome. The deadline is Nov. 2. For rules and to submit up to three photos taken this year, visit patapsco.org/attraction/pasnapsco. For more information, email info@patapsco.org or call (410) 696-1328.

it had to tone down some of the grit of 1970s New York, according to Director Mark Minnick.

The film was adapted for the stage in 1998 by Robert Stigwood, with collaboration by Bill Oakes, and the North American version was written by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti, who also did the arrangements.

“The original music is based on the Rrated movie and dealt with adult issues in a direct fashion, and the musical version, while the same story, touches on most of the same themes in a manner more accessible to a PG audience,” Minnick told me. In other words, sexual references and language have been omitted.

An exuberant cast

The cast, a big one, totals 26. Key members include Tori Weaver as Annette (who has a crush on Tony); Tony’s three close friends, Joey Ellinghaus (Joey), Nicky Kaider (Double J) and Ben Ribler (Bobby); Rachel Cahoon (Stephanie, Tony’s dance partner); and Kadejah One (Candy, a disco singer).

I was unsure whether every cast member wore a microphone, but that wasn’t necessary. All of the action is close to the stage, and all actors were clearly trained to project their voices.

I noticed many new actors in the cast. Making their debuts are Terrell Chambers, Brian Kaider, Cameren Evans, Noah

Mutterperl, Shannon Sullivan, Meridian Toalepai, J.C. Bost and Carolina Tomasi. Toby Orenstein, the theater’s founder and artistic director, has told me on many occasions that most of the actors in the plays are local to the area. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many of the same talented group perform in multiple musicals, and there never seems to be a misstep in the casting.

Sadly, I have auditioned many times over the years, and I’m still waiting for a callback.

Saturday Night Fever is a family-friendly production that runs through Nov. 2. Toby’s Dinner Theatre is located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. in Columbia.

Eight performances per week take place Tuesday through Sunday nights, with matinees on Wednesday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (buffet brunch for matinees opens at 10:30 a.m.). As for the evening shows, doors open at 6 p.m., and an 8 p.m. curtain time gets you out at about 10:45 p.m. Most shows are already sold out.

Tickets for this event start at $88 for adults and $67 for children 12 and under. All tickets include an all-you-can-eat buffet (brunch or dinner).

Those 65 and over may attend any Tuesday or Wednesday performance for $78. Tickets may be purchased from Ticketmaster, or by phone from the box office at (410) 730-8311 or via tobysdinnertheatre.com.

Patrick Gover as Tony Manero, a role John Travolta made famous, leads the cast of Saturday Night Fever. The jukebox musical is on stage at Toby’s until Oct. 2.

PHOTO BY JERI TIDWELL

PHOTOGRAPHY

New nonfiction books to read this fall

By The Associated Press

The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-ofthe Century America, by David Baron, Liveright, 2025, 336 pages

Talk about fake news: In 1907 a New York Times banner headline declared, “There Is Life On the Planet Mars.” Upping the ante the next year, the stodgy Wall Street Journal claimed “proof” of “conscious, intelligent human life” on our red neighbor.

Science writer David Baron revisits a decades-long cultural phenomenon in The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the Century America. He explores how a society on the cusp of reality-piercing scientific advances — global radio communications, X-rays, Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity among them — bought into what in hindsight seems downright silly.

ported in English as artificial waterways, “CANALS ON THE PLANET MARS” headlined The Times of London in 1882.

From there, Baron tells a compelling story in which mankind’s greatest power, compelling storytelling, unleashes a tenuous scientific observation that drives premature speculation, and a thin veneer of logic spawns runaway flights of fancy.

No one was more spellbound than a Boston Brahmin armed with a Gilded Age fortune, Percival Lowell. Following a distinguished stint as a diplomat in the Far East, Lowell devoured the emerging Mars debate in print in the early 1890s.

Dedicating his life and resources to further study of the nearby planet, the 39year-old traveled to the Arizona territory to spend countless nights peering at the cosmos.

parallels to today’s conspiracy theories to the reader, and judges Lowell gently by focusing on the many researchers and writers his works inspired.

As Percival Lowell himself observed, “Ideas are as catching as scarlet fever.” — Douglass K. Daniel Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival, by Stephen Greenblatt, W. W. Norton & Company, 2025, 352 pages

The English poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe was born in 1564, the same year as his frenemy William Shakespeare. Yet it is quite possible you never heard of him.

Shakespeare, who “awakened the genius of the English Renaissance.”

Born to a poor cobbler in Canterbury, “Kit” Marlowe was a prodigy from the start. He won a scholarship to a private secondary school, where he was first exposed to Greek and Latin poetry and “a whole world opened up.” From there, it was on to Cambridge, again on a scholarship, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The idea of life on other planets had been orbiting the public imagination ever since the realization that the Earth wasn’t alone in the solar system. As Baron explains, advances in telescopes provided breakthrough views of an alien landscape that led to unbridled theorizing in extraterrestrial life, even civilization, all sparked by an innocent mistranslation.

While several astronomers in the late 19th century had observed the large patches of different colors and shades on our closest heavenly neighbor, Italian Giovanni Schiaparelli published them on a map.

Projecting Earth-like characteristics, he connected Mars’ larger, darker areas thought to be oceans, with thin, linear features he labeled “canali,” Italian for “channels.” Misre-

Over the following years, Lowell did more than anyone to gather what he claimed was visible evidence of engineering on Mars. Though an amateur scientist, he deployed his Harvard erudition to write well-received books and deliver sold-out lectures, all to broaden the acceptance of the canal theory and the possibilities it opened.

When in 1971 the American spacecraft Mariner 9 photographed Mars’ first closeups proving the absence of canals, sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke responded, “Whatever we can say about Lowell’s observational abilities, we cannot deny his propagandistic power.”

In The Martians, Baron captures the milieu spanning the ends of the Victorian and Edwardian eras without jeering at their lack of modern sensibilities. He leaves most opportunities for media criticism or

Except you have. Marlowe was the guy who wrote about Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships” (Doctor Faustus). Who penned the much-imitated line “Come live with me and be my love” (“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”).

In his riveting new biography, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival , Harvard scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores Marlowe’s short, subversive life and argues that it was he, even more than

Under ordinary circumstances, a boy from his humble background could have looked forward to a career in the church. But nothing about Marlowe was ordinary. Indeed, Greenblatt argues that during the years he was pursuing his master’s degree, he was likely recruited as a spy for the royal court, tasked with hunting down Catholic subversives plotting to overthrow the Protestant monarch. Then, at age 29, he was killed in a bar fight for reasons that are not entirely clear, though Greenblatt suggests he had run afoul of authorities because of his “transgressive” personality, including being an atheist and queer.

In Greenblatt’s previous books, including

From page 1

an 1860s era cemetery near Columbia’s Locust United Methodist Church where several freed slaves are interred. The head of the church’s cemetery committee, Roberta Kelly, said the six prisoners who worked there for three days “were fabulous help. [It] looks like a whole new place.”

At a 100-year-old cemetery of former mill workers in Oella, PRINCE’s prisoners lugged the remains of felled trees up the steep hillside and removed invasive plants.

For Zinner it’s not just about where the dead lie but how they are laid to rest. Zinner, who was executive director of Washington, D.C.’s Congregation Tifereth Israel for 10 years until his 2013 retirement, explained that when someone dies in the Jewish community, survivors delegate friends to become a “holy society” that washes and dresses the body. These practices were once seen as Orthodox, but now more Jewish families are expressing interest in them, he said.

That, too, is in part due to Zinner’s efforts. Three years ago he founded the Jew-

LIVING WITH PARKINSON’S

Do you have or care for someone with Parkinson’s disease? Jewish Community Services offers a free support group that provides education and support for coping with the physical, emotional and social impact of the disease. Join via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information and the Zoom link, visit jcsbalt.org/parkinsons or contact Michelle Goldberg at mgoldberg@jcsbaltimore.org or (410) 843-7355.

JAPAN DAY FESTIVAL

Make origami, sip tea, watch a ballet performance and play traditional Japanese games at Howard County’s Japan Day Festival. The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sun., Oct 12 at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center, 8045 Harriet Tubman Ln., Columbia. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children (kids under 8 get in free). For more information or to buy tickets, visit events.humanitix.com/japan-day-2025.

ish Association for Death Education (JADE), which has a $250,000 annual budget and five field representatives who conduct trainings nationally about how a practice involving acts like washing a body by hand can be valuable to the bereaved.

“The people who do this work are changed by this work — it changes how you look at life,” he said. “Mortality is real.”

JADE’s website has received millions of visitors, and those it trains later train others. Zinner can’t say how many trainers JADE has now, but cites how, a few years after he did a training in Boston, “They had 175 volunteers in their group” and they are now spreading the message like “Johnny Appleseeds.”

JADE has something of an uphill battle, though, since some estimates say as many as half of American Jews choose cremation, whereas traditional practice is to use burial within days.

Traditional burials are better for the environment, as they shun chemical embalming. So-called “green burials” are becoming more common across all faiths, and a cemetery focused on them has opened in Baltimore County. In fact, Zinner recently helped inaugurate the Jewish section there.

and others protect from vandals each year on Kristallnacht, the night made infamous by attacks on Jews in 1930s Germany.

At another cemetery there, they encountered a locked gate. Zinner, then 50 years old, jumped the fence to open the gate, so they could find their relative’s resting place. Besides his roles with PRINCE and JADE, Zinner is also a member of yet another group, the Maryland Cemetery Advocates, which helped get the two cemetery bills passed this year.

Zinner also organizes a beloved local event. For the past two years, he and his wife, Rosyln, inspired by their love of Caribbean snorkeling, have held Columbia’s annual, two-day Coral Reef Encounter at the Jeffers Hill Swimming Pool. There, participants float through an underwater route resembling a coral reef filled with 300 handmade fish.

Sometimes, attendees approach the Zinners, wondering, “Are you paid?”

Yes, he replies, “We’re paid in smiles.”

Beyond snorkeling, Zinner’s favorite outdoor activity is bicycling, and of course he has combined that passion with his Jewish spirituality and respect for cemeteries.

This year, one of the rides he leads for the Howard County Cycle2Health program will tour several sukkot, which Jewish families build on their lawns in early autumn. Another ride will visit several county cemeteries, including one that’s well off the trail encircling Baltimore Washington Internation Airport.

The past inspires the present How’d a nice Jewish boy get so obsessed with death? Don’t blame Woody Allen. The reason may, in fact, lie with the summer job he took at age 13, helping maintain his synagogue’s cemetery in St. Louis. His parents now lie there.

Dig deeper, and the reason might be a fateful trip he took with his mother in 2000 to Germany, the land his mother and her parents escaped from just prior to World War II.

Seeking the graves of relatives, they visited a town where an old man took them to a hilltop cemetery, a place he said that he

Whether by leading bike rides or helping overcome unease over death, Zinner still follows the philosophy he started with: “Improve the world by helping people in the world.”

For more information about JADE, visit jadeinfo.org.

Do you know a 50+ person with an interesting hobby, second career or volunteer role? Let us know at info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Columbia Pro Cantare

Laura Lee Fischer, conductor Dunloggin Middle School Chorus, Helen Bates, director

OCTOBER 25, 2025, 7:30 PM

CHURCH, ELLICOTT CITY 150th Anniversary of Birth of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

The highly acclaimed English composer born of an African father and an English mother, who set Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem Hiawatha to music, and brought African music to English symphonic halls, & his Contemporaries: Amy Beach, Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar, Harry T. Burleigh, Undine Moore.

BEACON BITS

Will in the World, his best-selling biography of Shakespeare, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Swerve, he emphasized the importance of cultural context in understanding literature, the so-called “new historicism.”

In Dark Renaissance, he does so with dazzling effects, evoking England circa 1580 as an almost dystopian backwater:

“Narrow lanes were filled with excrement and offal. On London Bridge…severed heads of convicted traitors were stuck up on spikes.” Then, Greenblatt writes, “not instantly but with startling rapidity,” everything changed, with one “remarkable figure” embodying the “ferocious energy and daring” of the era.

That figure wasn’t Shakespeare; it was Marlowe. —Ann Levin

Letters to the editor

From page 2

Dear Editor:

I read your publisher’s recent columns [including “Invisible realms surround us,” August 2025].

Life is a journey, so we need to be the best we can be and [do] what’s expected of us. That’s why we are here. We have a purpose to fill. The question is, have we filled that purpose?

If you want to know, then begin to write

BEACON BITS

Oct. 11

FREE REPAIRS

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb, by Garrett M. Graff, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 2025, 608 pages

The story of the Atomic Age’s start is a fascinating one about the power of invention and a chilling one about its consequences. In The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb, Garrett M. Graff creates a comprehensive account of what seems like a well-told piece of history by including voices that have been either little-heard or missed altogether in the eight decades since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Graff at the outset acknowledges his book is adding to a history that feels wellworn, from historian Richard Rhodes to

in a journal the events of your life.

If you record what you dream, a channel will open. Have a dream journal and write what you get in the sleep state when you quiet the mind. It may seem like “just stuff,” but are there any key words, signs, puns or activity going on?

There’s a thin veil, and when God wants to communicate, it will be so. When you decide to be open, the spiritual, emotional and intuitive will be understood.

Pat Young Brooklyn, MD

Have something that needs fixing or mending? Volunteers will offer their expertise at the Transition Repair Café on Sat., Oct. 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Freetown Farm, 8000 Harriet Tubman Ln., Columbia. No cell phones, tablets or gas-powered tools. Registration required. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/transitionrepaircafe or email makerspace@cei.earth.

filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

But Graff manages to stand up to even those accounts with voices that help the reader see what it was like on the ground. It includes life at Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Hanford, Washington as scientists raced to develop the atomic bomb before Nazi Germany.

The most powerful portions of the book come in the final chapters, which focus on the bombing and the

aftereffects of the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No writer could describe the hellscape that the bombs unleashed better than those on the ground who survived it.

“My God, what have we done?,” Capt. Robert A. Lewis, co-pilot of the Enola Gay, is quoted in the book as saying.

The voices Graff mines help begin to answer at least part of that question. —Andrew DeMillo

Crossword Puzzle

Too Many Words

By

Stephen Sherr

Across

1. Mangy dogs

5. Magician’s word

11. One drafted into the NFL

14. Drive the getaway car

15. Who, what, where, when, why, ___

16. Letters that follow C and D (at a data center)

17. Two many words for teachers

19. “Help me ___-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope” (Princess Leia)

20. It may include an omelet station

21. More than most

22. Immobilize a car

23. A few items auctioned together

24. Two many words for gameshow winners

26. Netspeak for “original posters”

28. Wellness center

30. Tik ___

31. Not legally binding

33. Brouhahas

36. Like Athena

39. Two many words for budget analysts

43. Blood bank collections

44. Injure one’s toe

45. Move ___ a new house

46. Most common surname in Korea

48. Jade or jasper

50. Fed. property manager

51. Two many words for reporters

56. “Oh; now I get it!”

58. Shout “Fore!”

59. “We will, we will rock___!”

60. Nearsightedness

63. Recede

64. Two many words for biographers

66. League that gave 3 MVP awards to Dr. J

67. Goes through the revolving doors

68. Buffalo’s lake

69. Allies in a family feud

70. Determine a property tax amount

71. “When you win, say nothing; when you lose, say ___” (Paul Brown)

1. Rice or pasta, basically

2. Transportation company that is now a verb

3. Disgusting

4. Shorthand taker

5. Off the beaten ___

6. Component of most COVID vaccines

7. Ravens mascot, along with Allan and Poe

8. Rock that is fracking powerful

9. Powder room requirement

10. Have the deed

11. It is not needed for faith

12. Westworld denizen, probably

13. Yadda yadda yaddas over the boring parts

18. They bookend the intermission

22. Two piece suit

24. Loses vibrancy

25. Cinderella’s turned into tatters at midnight

26. Contents of a fertility clinic’s freezer

27. Single-user spacecraft

29. Ms. ___-Man (arcade sequel)

32. Go back to brunette coloring

34. Make a choice

35. Ones with lazybones

37. Asian nation with the highest English proficiency

38. Hoarse drs.

40. Innocent one

41. Homer Simpson’s dad

42. “We ___ long way back”

47. Builders of stepped pyramids

49. Center fielder in baseball’s “All-Time Team”

51. Make minor adjustments

52. Religious leader

53. Environments for the citified

54. “It ___ a lot of money to look this cheap” (Dolly Parton)

55. SAT prep student

57. Setting for most of The Shining

60. Flail at a curveball

61. Colorful part of an eye

62. Yes votes

64. Princess irritant

65. Most 7-Elevens are open for 24

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L IVI NG W E L L S E M INAR: “B LO O D SU G AR CO NTR OL, A TOP IC FO R E V E RYON E : W HY I T MATTTERS AN D HOW TO A CH IEV E I T. ”

TUESDAYY, , OCTOBER 14 • 10:30-11:45 A.M

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Lisa Jo Finstrom is a board-certified clinical nutritionist with a private practice in Bethesda with a special interest in healthy aging as well as managing metabolic issues such as prediabetes. In this presentation she will explain the importance of managing blood sugar with evidence-based suggestions that include diet, lifestyle and a brief mention of supplementation. ideas that can be easily implemented today.

FREE. To o register, visit: bit.ly/BGSugar