December 2014 | Baltimore Beacon

More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater BaltimoreVOL.11, NO.12

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0DECEMBER 2014

I N S I D E …

F R E E

By Carol SorgenTwo years ago, Harriet Kohl fractured

her right kneecap when she tripped over ajutting piece of sidewalk while taking awalk in her Charles Village neighborhood.

Two months ago, while on a long-await-ed trip to Amsterdam, she tripped over asuitcase in a crowded train station. Thattime, Kohl fractured her left kneecap.

“To put it mildly, I was ticked off,” saidthe 71-year-old artist. (Actually, that’s notthe word she used, but you get the drift.)

Fortunately, she didn’t need surgery ei-ther time. Spending six to eight weeks in aknee brace, and using a cane for assis-tance, put her back on track. But Kohl saidthat the experience of falling is frustrating,to say the least.

“It’s uncomfortable and tiring, and thereare days you just want to throw the cane orthe crutch across the room,” she said.

Kohl has found out first-hand — twicenow — just how debilitating a fall can be.And she’s not alone.

Number of falls not fallingFalls are the leading cause of injury and

accidental death in adults over the age of65. Every 15 seconds, an older adult istreated in an emergency room for an in-jury related to a fall.

In 2012, nearly 24,000 people over 65 diedafter a fall — almost twice the number of adecade earlier, according to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Clutter, inappropriate footwear, poor bal-ance, distractions and tripping hazards —such as an uneven sidewalk or piece of lug-gage — can contribute to a stumble or fall.

The increased number of falls has alsobeen partly attributed to a rise in diseasesthat are often linked to falls — includingheart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritisand Parkinson’s disease — as well as tothe medications frequently used to treatthese diseases. (Many medications cancause dizziness and lightheadedness.)

Impaired vision and, perhaps surprisingly,hearing loss are additional potential culprits.

According to a recent study by JohnsHopkins School of Medicine, falls are near-ly three times more likely to occur amongpeople with mild hearing loss. When peo-ple can’t hear well, they may be unaware of

their surroundings and struggle more tomaintain proper balance, increasing theirchance of tripping and falling.

Nancy Jackson is not unfamiliar withfalling. She spent many years horsebackriding, and even suffered a fractured pelvisafter being thrown from a horse.

But she wasn’t prepared for breaking anankle last summer while hiking with herhusband and two nephews. “I stepped on arock, fell on my leg and heard my anklesnap,” she recalled.

This was Jackson’s second fall in as manyyears. Her first was caused by tripping overan uneven sidewalk while carrying a boxinto her office. Instead of trying to save her-self, she tried to save the box, and wound upwith a sore head and a cracked rib.

“After a fall, you feel old,” said Jackson,who is 56 and lives in Perry Hall. “Itchanges your life.” Jackson said she nowfinds herself looking down all the time totry to avoid missteps.

Still, as cautious as she is, she worries.“I like to be active,” Jackson said. “But I’mvery nervous about falling again.”

Indeed, the American Occupational Ther-apy Association (AOTA) reports that somepeople become so afraid of falling (either be-fore or after an actual fall) that they stopdoing activities they used to enjoy.

Ironically, this is exactly the opposite ofwhat they should be doing. “Remaining phys-ically active is an essential part of preventing

While staircases can be the culprit in some falls, Harriet Kohl broke both herkneecaps in recent years, tripping over an uneven sidewalk and a piece of luggage.Falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in older adults, but thereare many steps, from exercise to better lighting, that can help prevent them.

See PREVENTING FALLS, page 32

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Avoiding a fall is no small feat

FITNESS & HEALTH 8k Time to revisit Medicare choicesk Quicker recovery from surgery

LAW & MONEY 18k When to sell bond fundsk Burial benefits for vets

ARTS & STYLE 29k A model for railroad buffsk BMA opens American wing

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

LEISURE & TRAVELCarlsbad’s caverns reveal un-derground wonders; plus, sitesassociated with the Roosevelts,and last-minute travel deals

page 12

TECHNOLOGYWhat is ‘social media,’ and is itfor you?; plus, how to protectyour ID from breaches, andapps that let you control yourhouse remotely

page 3

2 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

In my column last month, I promised toshare more about the awards our writershave recently garnered in na-tional competitions. Each year, we enter a selec-

tion of our writers’ original sto-ries in two journalism competi-tions: those of the North Amer-ican Mature Publishers Associ-ation (NAMPA) and the Na-tional Mature Media Awards.This year, we received

more than 20 awards at theannual NAMPA convention,held in Shreveport-BossierCity, La., in late September. NAMPA is an association

of publishers producing newspapers andmagazines for the mature market. It focus-

es on sharing best practices for publicationenhancement, exchange of ideas, mainte-

nance and improvement ofstandards, and the improve-ment of business conditionswithin the publishing indus-try.In this year’s competition,

hundreds of submissionsfrom NAMPA member publi-cations were judged in vari-ous categories by an inde-pendent panel of expertsfrom the University of Mis-souri School of Journalism,generally considered one ofthe top journalism schools in

the country.Both the Greater Washington and Balti-

more Beacons won first place “General Ex-cellence” awards in their circulation cate-gories, as well as “Best of Show” awardsfor the most total awards in their cate-gories.The judges found that the Baltimore

Beacons “engaging local features arethoughtfully conceived, written and edited.Much of the rest of the publication is noless useful, with content including leisure,travel, money and health. One can openthis at any point and find something inter-esting to read.”Our contributing editor, Carol Sorgen,

won two first-place feature writing awards:for “One flag with many meanings,” ourMay cover, and for “Contemporary grand-parenting,” last November’s cover story.The judges rightly commented that Sor-gen “makes a strong connection with thepublication’s audience.” Frequent freelancer Jennifer Waldera

won a second place award in the profilecategory for “Who’s the area’s chief chef?”our June cover story. She was praised fordoing “a masterful job telling the chefs’stories.”Other stories in our Washington and

Howard County editions won NAMPAawards in the Feature Writing, Profile,Travel, Topical Issue, Reviews and Person-al Essay categories.Meanwhile, in the Mature Media

Awards competition, our managing editor,Barbara Ruben, won Silver Award for herstory “Secrets of healthy aging,” which ap-

peared on the cover of both our HowardCounty and Baltimore editions in May2013. Ruben also won a Silver, Bronze and

Merit award for three other Greater Wash-ington cover stories, while Sorgen wontwo Bronze Awards for her January andJune cover stories last year. Our theatre re-viewer, Michael Toscano, won a SilverAward for a cover story that appeared inour Washington edition.In short, this was our best year to date

judged by number of awards in both com-petitions. Last month, I recognized the en-tire Beacon staff by name for their hardwork and contributions to our success. Solet me just say “ditto” this month, as we patourselves on the back for all these awards. Of course, whatever awards we do or do

not win, what matters most to us is thatyou, our readers, find the information youare looking for in the Beacon. Please let us know what you think —

even (actually, especially) if you think weare missing the boat in any particular area. Also feel free to share ideas for future

stories, and to recommend your fellow cit-izens for profiles. Your opinions and sug-gestions are always welcome, whetheryou contact us by mail, phone, fax, emailor online. I look forward to hearing fromyou.

Credit where it’s due

BeaconThe

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915(410) 248-9101 • Email: [email protected]: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of themonth preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the monthof publication. See page 35 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2014 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedi cated to inform, serve, and en ter tain the citi zens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is pri vate ly owned. Other editionsserve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington DC andGreater Palm Springs, Calif.Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12),

pre paid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent forsales tax. Send sub scrip tion order to the office listedbelow.

Publication of advertising contained herein doesnot necessarily con sti tute en dorse ment. Signed col -umns represent the opinions of the writers, and notnecessarily the opinion of the publisher.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal

• Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal

• Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei

• Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel

• Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King

• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben

• Contributing Editor..........................Carol Sorgen

• Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory

• Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin,

........................................................................Jill Joseph• Editorial Assistant ........................Rebekah Sewell

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

Letters to the editorReaders are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in

the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your

Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD

20915, or e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your

name, address and telephone number for verification.

CHRISTMAS IN WLLIAMSBURGCockeysville Senior Center invites you to join them as they cele-

brate Christmas in Williamsburg. Depart Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7

a.m., and return Monday, Dec. 8. Enjoy a Christmas Illumination tour by motor-

coach, two-day pass and historic exhibition buildings, all for $289. Call (410) 887-

7694 for reservations.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 7+

CATHOLIC CHARITIES SEEKS VOLUNTEERSWith over 80 programs serving more than 160,000 Marylanderseach year, Catholic Charities relies on the generosity of nearly

20,000 volunteers who serve more than 250,000 hours every year to help the or-ganization fulfill its mission of improving the lives of Marylanders in need. Seemore at: http://cc-md.org/volunteer/ or call (410) 547-5490.

TALK TO THE ANIMALSThe Maryland Zoo needs volunteers who are friendly and outgoing,genuinely interested in conservation of wildlife and wild places,

and can make and fulfill a regular commitment. For more information, visitwww.marylandzoo.org or call (443) 552-5266.

VOLUNTEER AT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSERonald McDonald House provides a home away from home forseriously ill children and their families, and helps to fund pro-

grams in the local area that directly improve the well-being of children. For infor-mation about volunteer opportunities, visit www.rmhcbaltimore.org or call (410)528-1010.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

By Morgan Lamphere and Carol SorgenThere’s a notion common among many

young people that older American’s don’t“get” social media. But actually, older adultsare now the fastest-growing group of newusers of social media in the United States. The growth has been spectacular: In 2013,

43 percent of Americans over 65 used at leastone social networking site, compared with 26percent in 2010 and one percent in 2008.The term “social media” refers to web-

sites and mobile applications (or the moreinclusive term: platforms) that enable peo-ple around the world to interact and com-municate with others who have similar in-terests. There is generally no charge touse these sites, once you have Internet ac-cess and a computer or web-connectedmobile device (smartphone or tablet). When it comes to using social media,

older Americans tend to be more privateand cautious about what they share thanare younger generations. But once they seethe potential benefits of different types ofsocial media, older adults do participate tothe extent they are comfortable doing so.We present below an overview of the

most popular social media platforms, de-scribing some of their features and bene-fits that may be of interest to you.

Facebook (www.facebook.com)Facebook is a platform designed to

rekindle and preserve existing social con-nections using on online “forum” for shar-ing personal messages, written updates,

photos and videos. The site is the mostpopular social media site in the world, with1.23 billion people using it monthly. Users sign up for a Facebook page at no

charge, and then may invite other users toconnect with them as “friends.” In return,users can accept or reject invitations toconnect with other individuals. Based on the information you supply

about yourself, and the Facebook pagesyou chose to connect with, the site recom-mends other users or groups you mightknow or want to know.While users “friend” other individuals,

they can “like” their favorite brands,groups, charities, TV shows and more —and receive updates from those designatedFacebook accounts. Facebook provides millions of older

adults with the ability to keep in touch withfamily members, as well as learn of eachother’s day-to-day activities, through mes-sages and photos posted to their pages. Laura Dorn Foxworth, who is 52 and

lives in Woodmoor in Baltimore County,has been a Facebook user since 2008. “Istarted originally [in order] to keep trackof what my daughter was doing on it,” shesaid. “But now I enjoy reconnecting withold friends that I have not heard from in

years, and have got-ten together withsome who are still intown but with whom Ihad long since losttouch.”

Foxworth’s high school class uses Face-book to inform members of reunions. Fox-worth has also “friended” current friends,family members and church members, and“likes” a weight loss surgery support group. “I go on Facebook once or twice a day,”

said Foxworth. “With the new messengerfeature, I can get instant messages frompeople even if we do not have each other’sphone number.”One social media site is “all I can han-

dle,” said Foxworth, explaining why she’snot a fan of some of the other popular sitesdiscussed below. Her only complaint aboutFacebook? “Sometimes I learn more aboutpeople than I care to know!”For “semi-retired attorney, dad, older

hipster and pseudo-hippie” Eric Berger-son, who is 63 and lives in Potomac, Md.,Facebook is an opportunity to connectwith a “remarkable amalgam of folks,”such as a swami whom he recently met ona lonely country road in Illinois as he wasdriving along Historic Rt. 66. “[The swami] was walking across the

country on a peace mission, and I felt com-pelled to stop for the man in his orangerobes as he gave a beaming smile and en-

thusiastic wave in my direction as I passedby,” said Bergerson, a Baltimore native.The two are now Facebook friends.“For me, Facebook acts as a podium to

post compelling articles that may havesome connection to the lives of family orfriends who will see them,” he added.Bergerson, who uses Facebook daily,

InnovationsTechnology &

What is ‘social media,’ and is it for you?

See SOCIAL MEDIA, page 4

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon 3

Eric Bergerson is a frequent Facebook user.

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CR

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also participates in various forums on thesite, including several related to growing upalong Liberty Road in Baltimore County. And, like most Facebook users, Berger-

son uses the site to store and post photo-graphs, many of which document variousareas within and around Baltimore. “Of course, I also post [photo] albums of

many other events and other places to whichI have travelled, and I am not shy about post-ing photographs of my daughters.”

LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com)LinkedIn is a social

media platform in-tended primarily forbusiness connections.It currently has morethan 277 million users.

The site is frequently used by workersand businesses to network, in an effort to

gain new business or find jobs. Many em-ployers have begun posting job openingson LinkedIn. Once your profile is com-plete, the site will even match you to po-tential job openings according to yourskills and previous job experience.But retired and semi-retired people also

use LinkedIn. It’s a way to keep in touchwith former business contacts who maynot necessarily be considered friends youwould connect with on Facebook. Accord-ing to Social Media Today, 70.6 percent ofLinkedIn users utilize it to reconnect withpast business connections. LinkedIn users may also join various

groups with some sort of business connec-tion. There are groups devoted to certainprofessions, associations, interests, geo-graphic regions, and even current and for-mer employees of certain companies (e.g.,a Current and Ex IBM Employees Group). In addition to networking with individu-

als, LinkedIn users can also “follow” par-ticular companies, and keep abreast of the

latest news from those organizations.

Pinterest (www.pinterest.com)Pinterest is a website

that allows users toshare, collect and or-ganize a variety of dif-ferent items of interestrepresented by photos

or graphics. Think of it as a very large on-line personal bulletin board. Pinterest hasmore than 70 million users, the majority ofwhom are women.The most popular shared images or

“pins” contain recipes, home décor, artsand crafts, fashion, fitness tips and do-it-yourself (DIY) ideas. But there are alsocategories that tend to be of more interestto men, including cars, photography, de-sign, architecture and film.Many consumer brands also have Pin-

terest pages and share their content in lit-tle images that can in turn be re-pinned toa user’s own Pinterest “board.”

“Pinterest is easy to use, easy to share,and it tells me whenever my Facebookfriends join, so I can decide whether or notto follow,” said Cheryl Snyder Taragin,who lives in Baltimore. “I have gotten the best recipes off of Pin-

terest. It is also a great way to bookmarkURLs (website addresses) I think are in-teresting,” she said.

Twitter (twitter.com)Twitter is known

as a micro-bloggingsite. On a blog, peo-ple write regularly,often at length, toshare their thoughts

and opinions and invite comment fromother readers. As a micro-blog, Twitter allows messages

limited to no more than 140 characters (let-ters, numbers and spaces). Each message iscalled a “tweet,” and can be replied to or for-warded (retweeted) to others. People who want to read other people’s

tweets are said to “follow” that tweeter, andin turn may be followed by others who areinterested in what they have to say.Users can also share links, photos and

videos via Twitter. Local businesses oftentweet their daily specials or special deals totheir followers. Today there are more than645 million Twitter accounts.Many feel that the real value of Twitter is

when it is used as a means of instant com-munication. News organizations and evenpolice departments “tweet” important mes-sages to the public that can be viewed ontheir computer or mobile device. During the manhunt after the Boston

Marathon, the Boston PD regularly tweet-ed updates to its followers. Twitter hasalso been widely used by protesters in-volved in various political uprisings aroundthe world.Twitter has popularized the use of

“hashtags” (descriptive terms preceded bythe “#” symbol). Hashtags are a shortcutway of explaining what the tweet is about.By monitoring certain hashtags, users canview online conversations about particulartopics. Facebook has now adopted hash-tags as well.Depending on their needs, interests and

comfort level with technology, potentialusers can easily test out these and othersocial media platforms, and explore thembefore deciding whether or not they areworth signing up for. Also, many commu-nity colleges and continuing educationcenters offer seminars on social media.Social media sites will never completely

replace face-to-face interactions, but theycan provide other ways to stay connectedto friends, family and former colleagues,as well as a means to learn more aboutwhat’s happening in the world today.

Morgan Lamphere is director of market-ing for SearStone, a North Carolina contin-uing care retirement community. Carol Sor-gen is contributing editor of the BaltimoreBeacon. You can find Sorgen on Facebook,Twitter (@BaltimoreWriter), LinkedIn andPinterest.

4 Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Let our WARMTHmove you.

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AUDREY & DUNCANcurrent residents

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Atrium Village is an OfficialTOYS FOR TOTS DROP OFF SITE

For each new prospective resident who visits us in December, we’ll donate a toy to Toys for Tots.

We also encourage you to bring a toy for a needy child to help fill our box.

TASTE AND TOURSJoin us each Kursday in December at 12:30PM for our ankful ursdays Taste and Tours*. We’ll be serving a sensational chef-prepared lunch followed by warm pie and hot toddies.

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ASK A MARKETING COUNSELOR ABOUT OUR END-OF-YEAR INCENTIVES

Social mediaFrom page 3

By Joseph PisaniData breaches at retailers aren’t going

away, but there are ways consumers canprotect themselves from future heists oftheir payment card information. Home Depot said that malicious software

lurking in its check-out terminals betweenApril and September affected 56 milliondebit and credit cards that customersswiped at its stores. Target, Michaels andNeiman Marcus have also been attacked byhackers in the past year. More breaches are likely. The Depart-

ment of Homeland Security Departmentwarned recently that more than 1,000 retail-ers could have malware in their cash-registercomputers. Here are five ways to protect yourself: 1. Consider another way to pay Try newer ways to pay, such as PayPal

or Apple Pay. “Any technology that avoidsyou having your credit card in your hand ina store is safer,” said Craig Young, securityresearcher for software maker Tripwire. Those services store your credit card in-

formation, and it’s not given to the retailerwhen you make a payment. Many big re-tailers, including Home Depot, accept Pay-Pal at their stores, but many others don’t. Apple Pay, which was just introduced in

September, has even more limitations: It isavailable in just a small number of stores

so far, and only people with an iPhone 6can use it. Stored-value cards or apps, such as the

ones used at coffee chains Starbucks andDunkin Donuts, are also a safer bet, saidGartner security analyst Avivah Litan.That’s because they don’t expose creditcard information at the register.

2. Sign it, don’t use your PINIf you’re planning on paying with a debit

card, sign for your purchase instead of typingin your personal identification number (PIN)at the cash register. You can do this by askingthe cashier to process the card as a creditcard or select credit card on the display. Not entering your PIN into a keypad will

help reduce the chances of a hacker steal-ing that number too, Young said. Crookscan do more damage with your PIN, possi-bly printing a copy of the card and takingmoney out of an ATM, he said.

3. Beware of email scammers After big data breaches are exposed and

get a lot of media attention, scammers comeout of the woodwork looking to steal person-al information. Some emails may mentionHome Depot or offer free credit monitoring,but you should never click on the links. Many are for fake sites that try to steal

bank information or passwords. “Avoidthese entirely,” Young said. If an emaillooks credible, go to Home Depot’s site di-

rectly instead of clicking on links. 4. Keep up with statements Scan credit card statements every

month for any unauthorized charges. Andkeep an eye out for smaller charges.Thieves will charge smaller amounts totest to see if you notice, and then charge alarger amount later, Litan said. They mayalso steal a small amount from millions ofaccounts, scoring a big payday, she said.

And check your credit report for any ac-counts that crooks may have opened inyour name. Credit reports are available forfree, from each of the three national creditreporting agencies — Equifax, Experianand TransUnion — every 12 months fromAnnualCreditReport.com.

5. Go old school Use cash. When possible, the safest bet

is to not swipe a card at all. — AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations 5

How to protect your ID from data breaches

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By Jeff BertolucciYou could call it the march of progress.

First, technology allowed you to presetyour VCR, and later it let you program

your TiVo. Now you can watch videos ondemand on your phone or tablet. Next up: devices and apps that let you

set and reset your home’s systems and ap-pliances.

Free home security cameraGot an extra iPad, iPhone or iPod touch?

Repurpose it as a home security cam. Justdownload People Power’s Presence app toan Apple device (free from the Apple AppStore; requires iOS 5.0 or higher) and plugit into an electrical outlet.

Then aim the camera at whatever youwant to watch remotely. (The companysells optional stands, including the $100Galileo, which rotates 360 degrees as peryour remote command.) Motion sensorstrigger the video feed. To watch, sign intoPresence from another Apple iOS device. Presence Pro video (www.presence-

pro.com; $5 monthly or $50 a year) addsseveral features, including 2 gigabytes ofcloud storage for your videos and the abili-ty to make longer recordings (five minutesversus one minute). The company says it plans to add the abili-

ty to view the feed from a Web browser soon.

Digital housekeysCopying a key and handing it to anyone

who needs to get into your house isn’t wise.August Smart Lock (www.august.com; $250)is an innovative alternative: It’s a deadboltthat unlocks via a smartphone app. The Bluetooth-enabled Smart Lock re-

places the latch on the inside of your door;the outside hardware remains the same.Using your iPhone or Android phone’s con-tacts, you can send a “virtual key” that allowsthe recipient to unlock your door wirelessly. Bonus: Smart Lock, which runs on four

AA batteries, also works with a real key ifthe juice runs out.

Adjust temp from afarGoogle’s Nest Learning Thermostat

(www.nest.com; $250) studies your habitsand adjusts itself accordingly. For in-stance, if you lower the temperature a fewdays in a row at 4 p.m., Nest starts makingthat change automatically. The mobile app, which works with

Apple and Android devices, allows you tocheck your energy usage and change thetemperature settings remotely.

Control your appliancesThe free Wink app (www.winkapp.com)

lets you use your Android or Apple deviceto control more than 60 home appliances —including lighting systems, thermostats,smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. The most inventive use of the Wink

technology may be the Aros Smart Win-dow Air Conditioner ($280), which, likeNest, learns from your usage patterns. It isthe product of a collaboration betweenGeneral Electric and Quirky, a crowd-sourcing site for inventors.

Jeff Bertolucci is a freelance writer forKiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.Send your questions and comments to [email protected]. And for more onthis and similar money topics, visitKiplinger.com.

© 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance;Distributed by Tribune Content Agency,LLC.

6 Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Share the power this winter to keep families safe and warm!

Last year, we saved

9,615This year, the goal is

families.13,000families.

FuelFundMaryland.org

Donate today at FuelFundMaryland.orgOr look for the Fuel Fund donation envelope in your next utility bill to give.

Apps let you control your home remotely

The Wink app lets users control theirhome’s lights, appliances, sprinklers,thermostats and more — from whereverthey are.

The August Smart Lock app lets yousend digital keys to the smartphone ofanyone who needs access to your home.

Computing helpfor the visually

impairedWindow-Eyes is a screen reader that en-

ables individuals who are blind or visuallyimpaired to access Windows PCs viaspeech and/or refreshable Braille dis-plays. The display is connected to the comput-

er by a cable and produces Braille withsmall plastic or metal pins that move upand down to display the characters. Consumers using Microsoft Office ver-

sion 2010 or higher can download thescreen reader for free. The website pro-vides download instructions and additionaldetails.

www.WindowEyesForOffice.com

Free classics onthe computer

From Charles Dickens to Willa Catherto Jack London, the full text of hundredsof books by classic authors are availablefree at Classic Reader. Dozens of poets,including Emily Dickinson and WilliamBlake, are also featured, along with plays by William Shakespeare and Hen-rik Ibsen.Share the classics of your childhood

with your grandchildren as well. The siteincludes 10 Bobbsey Twin books, as wellas the Five Little Peppers books and over adozen in the Tom Swift series.

www.classicreader.com

Library ofCongress exhibitsCan’t make it to Capitol Hill in Washing-

ton for the Library of Congress’s currentexhibit about the Civil Rights Act of 1964or the history of the American Ballet The-atre? The library’s website includes each

photo and artifact, which can be enlargedfor up-close viewing, as well as extendedcaptions and explanatory information. And if you missed an exhibit — say, last

year’s retrospective on Danny Kaye—that’s there, too. The site includes full ex-hibits dating back to 1995.

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits

Say it your way“Crazier than a June bug in May.” “Her

driveway doesn’t go all the way to theroad.” “The lift doesn’t go all the way to thetop floor.” Who knew there were so many ways to

say someone is crazy? The American lexi-con is richer for the regional, colloquialphrases that have been passed downthrough generations. AmeriSpeaks collects these phrases (on

subjects from aging to food to weather) andwhat they mean. Visitors can add their own.

http://www.goodlingos.com/amerispeak

Mental health helpThe Geriatric Mental Health Founda-

tion offers a variety of fact sheets on issuesranging from alcohol abuse to dementia todepression. The site also has a searchabledatabase of geriatric psychiatrists.

http://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/consumer/index.html

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations 7

Beacon LinksBy Barbara Ruben

PERFORMANCE. PEOPLE. PRIDE.

managed by

-

By Kimberly LankfordFalling leaves and pumpkins are signs

of autumn — along with Medicare’s openenrollment season, when those with thehealth program can switch plans. As your list of seasonal chores grows,

you may be tempted to stick with your cur-rent Medicare Advantage or Part D pre-scription-drug plan. But that plan may nolonger be your best option.Insurers are boosting premiums and other

out-of-pocket costs. They’re also adding ex-pensive drug-pricing tiers, charging extra ifyou don’t go to approved pharmacies, impos-ing new restrictions on drugs, and droppingdoctors from plans. So even if you’ve been happy with your

current plan, its coverage may change sig-nificantly next year. It’s important to takea look at what your plan will offer nextyear and review alternatives while openenrollment is available — through Dec. 7.

Finding the best drug planFor seniors who take many expensive

medications, here’s the good news aboutMedicare Part D: The “doughnut hole”continues to shrink. Those who enter thecoverage gap in 2015 will get a 55 percentdiscount on brand-name drugs and a 35percent federal subsidy for generic drugs.The doughnut hole works like this: For

2015, after you pay a $320 deductible, theplan provides coverage until your drug ex-

penses reach $2,960 (including both yourshare and the insurer’s share of the costs). Then the doughnut hole begins, and

you pick up 45 percent of the cost of brand-name drugs and 65 percent of the cost ofgeneric drugs. When your out-of-pocketcosts reach $4,700, the government picksup most of the tab.Part D premiums are rising by just $1 a

month on average in 2015, to $32 a month.But those stable premiums could maskchanges within plans that could boost yourcosts.Here’s what to watch out for:1. Beware changing formularies. In-

surers have been changing their formula-ries — the list of drugs that are covered —and adding more pricing tiers. Such movescan increase your out-of-pocket costs.A drug can also cost more because the

Part D plan is placing it on a higher-cost pric-ing tier. Most plans have five pricing tiers,generally with preferred and nonpreferredgenerics, preferred and nonpreferred brand-name drugs, and specialty drugs. Some insurers that previously charged

the same co-payments for all brand-namedrugs, for instance, have started chargingmore for certain brand-name medicationsby adding a nonpreferred tier.2. Buy at preferred pharmacies. The

number of plans with preferred pharmaciesjumped from 7 percent to 72 percent overthe past three years. While an insurer willpay a portion of the costs of drugs boughtfrom pharmacies in its network, it pays agreater share at preferred pharmacies. It’s

not enough to go to a network pharmacy.3. Overcome obstacles. Even if your

drug is on the formulary, you may need toclear some hurdles before an insurer willcover it. For example, some insurers use“step therapy” for some expensive drugs —requiring you to try a lower-cost medicationfirst before they’ll cover your drug.Or they may require “prior authoriza-

tion,” asking for your doctor to fill out a de-tailed form explaining why you need thatmedication. And insurers are imposinglimits on the number of dosages.The first step in determining whether to

stick with your current plan, or to switch,is to review your “annual notice ofchange,” which explains any changes incoverage and costs for 2015, which youshould have received by Sept. 30. Before you change coverage, ask your

doctor if you can switch any of your brand-name medications to generics. The planwith the best deals for generics may be dif-ferent from the one that offers the bestrates for brand-name drugs.With the online Plan Finder, you plug in

your zip code and then your drugs anddosages. The tool then pulls up the plansin your area — providing details on premi-ums, deductibles and co-payments, andwhether all of your drugs are on eachplan’s formulary.It will also show you how much you can

expect to pay out of pocket under eachplan during 2015. Focus on that number

Review Medicare options before Dec. 7


HealthFitness &NEW COGNITIVE CULPRITCognitive problems are being linked to high blood glucose levels

NOT GOING GENTLYToo many suffer needless discomfortand unwanted end-of-life care

NOT SO HUMBLE OPINIONSHow to handle people who loudly trumpet their ill-founded opinions

FALLING INTO PLACEJoin a study to the find the best exercise plan to prevent falls

SeeMEDICARE OPTIONS, page 11

By Lauran NeergaardOne of the big frustrations of surgery:

There’s little way to know if a patient will bea fast or slow healer — someone who feelsback to normal in a week, or is out of workfor a month with lingering pain and fatigue. Now Stanford University researchers

have discovered that right after surgery,patients’ blood harbors clues about howfast they will bounce back — and it has todo with the activity of certain immune cellsthat play a key role in healing. The work one day may lead to a test to

predict who’ll need more care, or maybeeven if an operation is the best choice. “We could ask, ‘Are you fit for surgery?’”

said Dr. Martin Angst, a Stanford profes-sor of anesthesiology and perioperativemedicine, who helped lead the research.

Enhancing recovery U.S. doctors perform millions of opera-

tions every year, many of them minor butothers much more complex. Speed of re-covery depends in part on the type of sur-gery and how sick the person is. Some hospitals have begun implementing

“enhanced recovery” strategies — specificsteps to take right before and after certainmajor operations in hopes of at least speed-ing the patient’s discharge from the hospital,if not their overall recuperation time.

But scientists haven’t known why somepatients recover so much faster than oth-ers who are equally sick, information thatcould help guide development of those en-hanced-recovery programs. “I’m very excited that the science around

surgery recovery is going that direction,”said Dr. Julie Thacker, a colorectal surgeonat Duke University who wasn’t involved inthe new study but praised the work. Thacker has helped implement an en-

hanced-recovery program at Duke that shesaid works well, but said she can’t explainwhich steps are most important or why with-out more research into how they affect suchthings as the body’s inflammatory response.

Studying immune cells The Stanford team took an unusually

close look at 32 otherwise fairly healthypeople who underwent a first-time hip re-placement. They took blood samples fromthe patients before surgery and at severalpoints afterward, and questioned themabout pain, fatigue and other elements ofrecovery every few days for six weeks. Their recovery was quite varied: Some ex-

perienced only mild pain just two days aftersurgery, while others didn’t report their painwas mostly gone until 36 days later. The me-dian time to recuperate from post-surgical fa-tigue — extreme tiredness after simple activ-

ity — was three weeks, meaning half of pa-tients fared better and half took longer.To learn why, the researchers looked to

immune cells that are behind the inflam-mation that always occurs with a wound.To find and map the activity of key players,they turned to the lab of Stanford im-munology professor Garry Nolan, whohelped develop a technology that meas-ures dozens of features of individual im-mune cells simultaneously. The discovery: Patients’ blood shows an

immune signature of recovery that ac-counts for much of their variability in recov-ery time — a pattern of activity in certainimmune cells that are first responders tothe injury site, the researchers reported inthe journal Science Translational Medicine.

If that particular reaction is controlled inthe first 24 hours after surgery, patients re-cover faster. But when that reaction in-creases instead, patients recover moreslowly, Angst said. “We were surprised” that such an early

reaction set the stage for recovery, he said. But it makes sense, he added. Inflamma-

tory processes initiate healing, but “youhave to keep them on a leash and dwindledown efforts,” because too much inflam-mation does harm. The team has begun a larger study to

see if the results hold up, and plans tostudy whether the same kind of immunereaction may play a role in other kinds of

How quickly will you recover from surgery?

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 9

See RECOVERY, page 11

Cognitive problemslinked to glucosePoor dietary choices, being overweight

and being inactive often lead to blood glu-cose problems. And research suggeststhat elevated blood glucose levels — inpeople with or without diabetes — may belinked with cognitive problems.In a study published last year in the New

England Journal of Medicine (August 2013),researchers followed more than 2,000 adults,with and without diabetes, for an average ofalmost seven years. At the start of the study,all of the participants were free of dementia— a group of disorders that includesAlzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Among the participants who did not

have diabetes, risk for dementia increasedwith glucose levels. And among the partic-ipants with diabetes, risk for dementiarose along with glucose levels.Diabetes was also linked to cognitive

function in a study published in September2012 in Archives of Neurology. There, scien-tists measured the degree of change in themental abilities of more than 3,000 elderlyadults over an average of nine years.The participants who began the study

with diabetes had the poorest cognitive

functioning both at the beginning and at theend of the study. During the study period,159 subjects developed diabetes — thisgroup also had a higher decline in mentalabilities, compared to those who stayedfree of diabetes, though not quite as high asthose who started the study with diabetes.What’s the connection between blood

glucose and the brain? Elevated blood glu-cose levels may damage blood vessels orincrease inflammation in the brain.However, research does not yet confirm

that higher blood glucose levels cause de-mentia or cognitive decline. Further, theproblem may stem from insulin resistance— the underlying cause of type 2 diabetesand prediabetes.

— Environmental Nutrition

Double mastectomydoesn’t boost

survival Removing both breasts to treat cancer

affecting only one side doesn’t boost sur-vival chances for most women, comparedwith surgery that removes just the tumor,a large study suggests. The results raiseconcerns about riskier, potentially unnec-essary operations that increasing num-bers of women are choosing. The study involved nearly 200,000 Califor-

10 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Health Shorts

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 12

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

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surgery, such as abdominal operations. The ultimate goals are to create a sim-

ple blood test that could tell who is more

likely to experience a protracted recovery— right after surgery or maybe even be-fore — and to hunt for treatments thatmight alter the immune reaction in orderto help.

— AP

rather than on the premium cost. The PlanFinder also notes the plans that impose re-strictions, such as preauthorization andstep therapy.It’s important to enroll in a Part D plan,

even if you use few drugs now. You neverknow if you will need expensive coverageseveral months into the year. You’ll have topay a lifetime penalty if you decide to en-roll later, unless you have “creditable cov-erage” from an employer, retiree or otherapproved plan.To find a new Part D or Advantage plan,

go to the online Medicare Plan Finder(www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan) or con-tact your local State Health Insurance As-sistance Program (find your local SHIP atwww.shiptalk.org or call 800-633-4227). ASHIP adviser will run through your bestoptions either by phone or in person.

If you have Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage plans are private in-

surance plans that provide both medical anddrug coverage. Some do not charge amonthly premium beyond the monthly costof Medicare Part B, which covers outpatientcare. The standard premium for Part B nextyear will be the same as this year: $104.90 amonth. (Medicare Part A, which pays for in-patient care, is generally free.) Premiums forAdvantage plans have averaged $35 permonth for the past several years.Unlike traditional Medicare, Advantage

plans provide medical care through net-works of doctors and hospitals. Recently,

these plans have been shrinking their net-works. Some plans dropped doctors in themiddle of the year, forcing many policyhold-ers to switch physicians. If this happened toyou, this is the time to reassess your options.If you have a Medicare PPO, you’ll pay a

lot more to see out-of-network doctors —perhaps 20 percent for in-network doctorsvs. 40 percent for out-of-network physicians.And you may face a higher out-of-pocketmaximum if you seek out-of-network care —perhaps $6,700 in-network compared with$10,000 for out-of-network. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare HMO,

you may not get reimbursed at all for caredelivered by out-of-network providers, ex-cept in emergencies.As with Part D, Advantage insurers

should have sent current clients a noticeby Sept. 30 explaining any changes in cov-erage and costs. After typing in your zip code in the Plan

Finder, look at “Medicare Health Plans.” Typein your drugs and dosages and your generalhealth condition (excellent, good or poor inthe “refine your search” section), and you’llget an estimate of each plan’s medical anddrug out-of-pocket costs for your situation.You can also compare estimated out-of-

pocket costs based on health condition (de-fined as good, fair and poor) at Medicare-NewsWatch.com. This site lists Senior GoldChoice awards for the value of benefits andplan design for plans in 80 cities.Check that the plan covers hospitals,

doctors and other providers you use. Con-tact the plans for up-to-date information. Ifyou’re now in a plan, ask your physician ifhe or she will be staying in 2015.

Weigh the importance of sticking witheach doctor. If you have a chronic condi-tion, keeping your current doctor may be atop priority. You may want to change doc-tors if you visit your primary care doctorjust once or twice a year.If you’ve been diagnosed with a major

medical condition but discover that the topspecialists aren’t included in any Advan-tage plan, consider switching to traditionalMedicare and buying Medigap and Part Dpolicies, Schwarz said.Before you switch to traditional Medicare,

find out whether you can qualify for a Medi-gap policy. In many states, you can be reject-

ed or charged more for Medigap coveragebased on your health if you don’t enroll whenyou first sign up for Medicare Part B.Contact your state insurance depart-

ment to check your Medigap options. Go tothe Web site of the National Association ofInsurance Commissioners (www.naic.org)for a link to your state agency.Look carefully at the Advantage plan’s

maximum out-of-pocket expenses, which isthe most you have to pay for covered servic-es during the year. Some plans provide extracoverage, such as vision and dental care.© 2014, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Medicare optionsFrom page 8

RecoveryFrom page 9

nia women treated for cancer in one breastand followed for several years afterward. Ten-year survival rates were nearly iden-

tical — roughly 82 percent — for womenwho had lumpectomies to remove thetumor plus radiation, and for those whohad double mastectomies. Women whohad a single mastectomy, removal of justthe cancerous breast, fared slightly worse. The results confirm what many doctors

have suspected, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld,deputy chief medical officer of the Ameri-can Cancer Society. “There’s no guaranteethat by having the second breast removedthat you will do better,” said Lichtenfeld,who had no role in the research. In the study, just over half the women

had lumpectomy treatment. But the num-

ber who had double mastectomies in-creased substantially to 12 percent be-tween 1998 and 2011. The trend was mostnotable in women younger than 40, climb-ing from just 4 percent to 33 percent. Other research suggests that removing

both breasts to treat one-sided cancer mayimprove survival chances for the relativelysmall number of women who have geneticbreast cancer or strong family histories of thedisease, said study co-author Scarlett Gomez,a research scientist with the Cancer Preven-tion Institute of California. But most breastcancer patients have neither of those risks. The medical community is paying increas-

ing attention to overtreatment and excessivecosts, and the study results raise questionsabout reasons for rising use of an expensive,potentially risky treatment “of dubious effec-tiveness,” the researchers said. Patients’ preferences and fear that cancer

will return play a role, but that fear “usuallyexceeds estimated risk,” the study said. Reasons why survival was slightly worse

for woman who had just one breast re-moved are uncertain, although this treat-ment is more common among Hispanic andblack women and those with lower incomesand public insurance than among wealthywhites. The study was published in the Journal

of the American Medical Association. — AP

Many get unwantedcare near deathAccording to a recent report, Americans

suffer needless discomfort and undergounwanted and costly care as they die.Though people repeatedly stress a desire

to die at home, free from pain, the oppositeoften happens, the Institute of Medicinefound in its “Dying in America” report. Most people do not document their

wishes on end-of-life care, and even thosewho do face a medical system poorly suit-ed to give them the death they want, theauthors found. The result is breathing andfeeding tubes, powerful drugs and othertreatment that often fails to extend life andcan make the final days more unpleasant. The report blamed a fee-for-service med-

ical system in which “perverse incentives”

exist for doctors and hospitals to choose themost aggressive care, inadequate trainingfor those caring for the dying, and physi-cians who default to life-saving treatmentbecause they worry about liability. Advance directives, including living

wills, have been unpopular and ineffective,the report said. It urged repeated conver-sations about patients’ wishes beginningfar earlier than many would think and con-tinuing the talks throughout life. “The fee-for-service model, the lack of

coordination between medical and socialservices, the challenges that individualsface in finding a provider who’s willing andknowledgeable to speak with them aboutdeath and dying, all conspire against themcoming up with the right individual plan,”said Dr. Philip Pizzo, an Institute co-chair.The report praised programs in palliative

care, which focuses on treating pain, mini-mizing side effects, coordinating careamong doctors, and ensuring concerns ofpatients and their families are addressed.This type of care has expanded rapidly inthe past several decades and is now found ina majority of U.S. hospitals, but the reportsaid many physicians have no training in it. In addition, the 500-page report au-

thored by 21 experts said the very type ofend-of-life care Americans say they wantwould shrink medical bills and reduce thegovernmental healthcare burden.

— AP


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Health shortsFrom page 10

THE CHALLENGE OF THE HOLIDAYS From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, many people push themselvesto the point of exhaustion trying for the perfect holiday. Give your-

self the gift of learning some tips for managing the stress, eating sensibly, care-fully using alcohol, and maintaining your weight. Join nurse Daria Rovinski for thisprogram held at two senior centers. On Thursday Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. she will beat Essex Senior Center, 600 Dorsey Ave., (410) 887-0267. On Monday, Nov. 24at 1 p.m., the program will be held at Liberty Senior Center, 3525 Resource Drive(Lenny Moore Way), Randallstown, (410) 887-0780.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 20+

Dear Solutions: This is in reference to a neighbor who

is a hater. Everyone who isnot of her religion or ethnicbackground is “crapola,” asshe refers to us. She asked me if I was Jew-

ish, and when I said “no,”she said “Thank God.” I’veheard her call people whomshe hardly knows “gay,” andshe puts down everyone elsewho is different. She’s a gen-tile yenta.Is there any legal way we

can stop her? We call her theWicked Witch of the FirstFloor.

— 17 Irritated OwnersDear Irritated: Unless she actually does something be-

sides talking, there is no legal way to stopher. However, I have two suggestions. Since

there are many of you who feel this way inyour building, try inviting her to a meetingwhere grievances will be discussed.There, she can be told how her behavior isaffecting people and their regard for her. It might be helpful if a religious leader in

the community would be willing to speak tothe group about mutual respect and the effect

that hate speech has on people. Secondly, when she says these things, tell

her clearly that you do not wantto hear her nasty opinions, andthat she will be isolated by thecommunity if she doesn’t stop. You can always turn your

back and just walk away. Re-member, she has the freedomto speak, and you have the free-dom not to listen.Dear Solutions: I have strong political

opinions and I’m prettyvocal about them. And myfriends know it. I’m also very much in

favor of a certain candidate. There’s onefriend who disagrees with me politically,and especially about that candidate. I tryto avoid discussing it, so that we won’targue. But she keeps sending me long,nasty e-mails about that candidate. I wouldn’t care if these were just her

opinions, but these are written byother people, and they’re full of lies. It bothers me that this kind of false

information is floating around, and thatpeople believe it. How can I point outthe truth without arguing with her orhurting the relationship?

— Kate

Dear Kate: Make a choice. Choice #1: You don’t want to hurt the re-

lationship, so decide that the “e” in “e-mail” means “e-rase,” “e-radicate,” “e-limi-nate,” or go back to the letter D, whichstands for “delete.”Choice #2: You don’t want to be tempted

to read these, so ask her to please stopsending you political material. Choice #3: You can’t stand to let these lies

go unchallenged, so correct each one with

reliable evidence. Then tell her that goodfriends can disagree and still stay friends. However, these issues are emotional, so

don’t count on changing her mind. Peoplediscount truth, defend their lies, and go onbelieving whatever they want.Remember the old adage, “Truth will

out.” Count on that, and you can choose todo nothing. © Helen Oxenberg, 2014. Send your com-

ments, or questions to be considered for this col-umn, to [email protected].


SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

Ways to confront different opinions

HelPForYourFeeT.CoM

As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, Ihave always focused on non-surgical treatment offoot and leg pain. I find that most people with footor leg symptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, cramp-ing or difficulty walking) , even those who have hadother treatments, including surgery of the foot (orback), can be helped, usually in 1 or 2 visits.— Dr. Stuart Goldman

I am a patient who had severefoot pain for 2 years, with no relief in sight....by the end of the4 days I was 85% pain free inboth feet. I thank God for Dr.Goldman and his passion for research in healing people withfoot and leg pain.– Alvin, Baltimore

Stuart Goldman, DPM410-235-23454000 Old Court Road, Suite 301, Pikesville

Fellow American College of Foot and Ankle SurgeonsMarquis Who’s Who in Medicine and HealthcareAuthor, multiple articles on Foot & Leg Symptoms

Treating Difficulty Standing or Walking, attributed to Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Neuropathy, Poor Circulation or Poor BalanceHow fortunate I feel to have found a doctor whocould not only diagnose an underlying problem that manyspecialists missed, but who hasbeen able to find a painless andrapid method of relieving theworst symptoms.

– Susan, Baltimore

Q: Is it true that chia seeds can helppeople lose weight and that they’re supernutritious? How would I use them?A: When chia seeds combine with liq-

uid, they swell and form a gel. That’s prob-ably why some people suggest that, by ex-panding in your stomach and helping youfeel full, chia seeds could help you loseweight. In other words, if they supportweight loss, it’s by helping you eat less, notby some magical fat-burning power. However, only a few controlled studies

have tested this, and so far, they do notshow that chia seeds make weight loss anyeasier. Studies of participants using two tofour tablespoons of chia seeds daily for 10to 12 weeks generally show no effect onweight or body fat.

However, chia seeds are an excellentsource of the plant-based omega-3 fattyacid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). They arealso rich in dietary fiber and provide asmall amount of protein.They add a nutty flavor sprinkled on ce-

real, vegetables or yogurt, but it’s mildenough that most people seem to appreci-ate them more for the crunch or texturethey add, or as a nutrient boost. Combine about one teaspoon chia seeds

to four teaspoons of water for a gel that canbe used as a thickener in smoothies or saladdressings or as a vegan egg substitute.If you’re trying to lose weight, keep in

mind that each tablespoon of dry chia seedscontains about 70 calories. So if chia seedsare among the healthful foods you eat, sub-

stitute those calories for something else. Q: Are mushrooms a good vege-

tarian alternative to meat?A: Mushrooms have a

“meaty” texture, and add a fla-vor known as “umami” thattends to be very satisfying.These qualities make themideal to include in pasta sauce,stews, casseroles, chili andother mixed dishes to main-tain a rich flavor and texturewhile reducing or eliminatingthe meat they contain. That said, mushrooms are

not a substitute for meat nutri-tionally because they are notequivalent in protein amountor quality, and they do not provide compa-rable amounts of iron, zinc or vitamin B-12. On the other hand, mushrooms do pro-

vide a variety of nutrients with just 15 calo-ries in a whole cup of raw chopped orsliced mushrooms. For example, they area good source of the mineral selenium, anantioxidant that may play a role in reduc-ing risk of chronic diseases.In dishes that contain large amounts of

meat, you can replace a quarter to a half ofthe meat with mushrooms to make thedish lower in calories and still delicious. You can also create a vegetarian dish by

substituting mushrooms for all the meat orpoultry in a recipe. However, in this case,

make sure the meal also in-cludes a good source of protein— for example, at least a half-cup of dried beans or quarter-cup of nuts. This strategy can help you

follow a cancer-protective plant-based diet by keeping animalprotein to no more than one-third of your plate. You can also reduce risk for

colorectal cancer by eating nomore than 18 ounces of redmeat weekly, which meets oneof the recommendations forcancer prevention from the

American Institute for Cancer Research(AICR).The American Institute for Cancer Re-

search of fers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800-843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. This free service allows youto ask questions about diet, nutrition andcancer. A registered dietitian will returnyour call, usually within three businessdays.Courtesy of the American Institute for

Cancer Research. Questions for this columnmay be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St.NW, Washington, DC 20009.

NUTRITIONWISEBy Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM

What chia seeds, mushrooms can/can’t do14 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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“Since starting treatment,

my quality of life

has greatly improved.”“Since starting treatment,

my quality of life

has greatly improved.”

By Carol SorgenAs the cover story in this issue demon-

strates, falls and their consequences are aserious medical concern to older adults.Approximately 30 percent of people 65 orolder who are living independently or withfamily — and over 50 percent of those liv-ing in institutions — fall each year. Among older adults, complications of

falls are the leading cause of deaths due toinjury, and are the most common cause ofnonfatal injuries and hospitalization fortrauma. The total lifetime healthcare costof fall-related injuries for the elderly is esti-mated to reach $85 billion by the year 2020. Even if an individual who falls does not

sustain an injury, impaired balance oftenresults in an overall lessening of physicalactivity and less ability to function satisfac-torily both independently and in social sit-uations.The University of Maryland is currently

conducting a study of individuals 65 andolder to determine whether a therapeuticintervention can improve balance and pre-vent falls in older people. Approximately 200 people will partici-

pate in this study, scheduled to end in Au-gust 2015. In addition to the University ofMaryland, the VA Maryland Health CareSystem in Baltimore is also participating inthis study.

Sidestepping the problemThose who fall experience more signifi-

cant impairment in neuro-mechanical fac-tors — such as balance and gait — than doolder adults who don’t have falls.When balance is impaired, taking protec-

tive steps is an important part of preventinga fall. Many older people at risk for falls findit particularly difficult to step sideways tohelp recover from losing their balance. Researchers suggest that age-related

declines in this sideways (lateral) balancefunction, known as “protective stepping,”is a result of limitations in hip musclestrength. The researchers also suggestthat these impairments can be reversedwith a combination of a type of specializedexercise — called “high-intensity inducedstep training” — and muscle strengthen-ing. Participants in the study will be random-

ly assigned to one of four training groups.Training will occur three times a week for12 consecutive weeks. The first group — Induced Step Train-

ing — will use specialized equipment thatapplies motorized waist-pulls in both theleft and right directions to produce side-ways stepping. Those in the second group— Hip Strength Training — will performmuscle resistance exercises. Participants in the third group — Com-

bined Induced Step and Hip StrengthTraining — will receive both waist-pullsand muscle resistance exercises, whilethose in the fourth group — StandardFlexibility and Relaxation — will performonly relaxation and flexibility exercises.The researchers hope to show that the

training groups will achieve a significantand longer-lasting improvement in theirbalance function and hip strength.

Who can join the study?To qualify for the study, participants

must be 65 or older and have a body massindex between 18 and 30 (a range fromnormal weight to overweight). Potential participants will be tested to

see if they are at risk for falls. Those at verylow risk may not take part in the study.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 15

Health Studies PageTHE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Help find the best exercise to prevent falls

See FALLS STUDY, page 16

If interested call: 410-605-7179 & Mention code: LIFTat Baltimore VA/University of Maryland Gerontology Recruitment Line

*You must be at least 65 years old and in good health*Participants will be seen at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and

University of Maryland School of Medicine*You will attend approximately 41 visits for 1 to 4 hours each per visit

CALL TODAY!

Want to Prevent Falls in the Elderly?Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study

at the University of Maryland &Veterans Affairs of Baltimore to better understand balance and the

prevention of falls in aging individuals.You will receive:

• Health evaluation• Balance, step, strength, and/or flexibility exercises

• Compensation for your time

Others who are not eligible to participatein the study include those with Parkinson’sdisease, peripheral neuropathy or a historyof stroke, and those who have had a kneeor hip replacement in the last six months. Reimbursement for time and travel may

be available to those accepted into the study.For more information, or to see if you are

eligible to participate, contact physical thera-pist Mark W. Rogers, PhD, at (410) 706-0841,[email protected], or physicaltherapist Michelle Prettyman at (410) 706-7165, [email protected].

Dear Pharmacist:How important is it when a pill label

has warnings like, “take on an emptystomach” or “take withfood?” I never adhere tothose warnings, and I’mstill alive. Does it reallymatter?

— J.J.Dear J.J.: It matters in most cases,

but not all. With antibiotics, it may be

that your medicine reaches ahigher blood level when youtake it on an empty stomach.But over the course of thera-py, it doesn’t change the out-come, meaning the pathogens are killed. With other medications, for example

sleeping pills, a warning to avoid alcohol is

important and should be adhered to be-cause the combination could be fatal. Same thing with certain antidepressants

(MAO inhibitors) that can’t becombined with cheese, ordeath could result. For your safety, let me give

you the proper questions toask your doctor and/or phar-macist about any new medica-tion:1. What is the name of the

condition that you are treatingme for? 2. What is the brand name

and generic name of the med-ication that you’re prescribing? 3. Do I take it in the morn-

ing, at night, or divide the dose throughoutthe day? 4. Better with food or on an empty stom-

ach?5. About how long before I begin to see

results? 6. Is there a less expensive generic alter-

native? 7. Are there any supplements that could

help this medicine work better, or any toavoid?8. Is it okay to drink wine (if that ap-

plies) with my medicine? 9. Will coffee, dairy or mineral supple-

ments inactivate my medicine?10. How long do I stay on this medica-

tion? Some medications are only intendedfor a few days or weeks, but people remainon them indefinitely. This is the most im-portant question to ask.If the caution label states “on an empty

stomach” that means two hours after youeat, or one hour beforehand. If it states“take with food,” it means to take it while

eating or right after. If it says “do not operate machinery or

equipment,” that is your clue that the med-icine will make you drowsy or clumsy. Itmeans to avoid driving, using a chainsaw,mowing your lawn, or any other activitythat requires you to focus. Here’s another good rule of thumb: Start

low and go slow! With medications, the low-est effective dose is ideal. You don’t need tokill a fly with a shotgun, and if you try, youcould wind up with side effects that youwould not experience with a lower dose. And finally, if you notice your medica-

tion keeps you up at night, then don’t takeit too late in the day. Examples of medi-cines that are best taken in the morning in-clude thyroid medicine, steroids like pred-nisone, attention-deficit drugs like Ritalin,and the fatigue buster Provigil. Examples of medicine that should be

taken at night include certain antihista-mines (like diphenhydramine), anxiolyticslike alprazolam, pain medicines like hy-drocodone, and muscle relaxers. If indoubt, call your local pharmacist or physi-cian.This information is opinion only. It is not

intended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-dition. Consult with your doctor before usingany new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist

and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacistand Real Solutions from Head to Toe. Tocontact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

10 questions to ask about new medicines

DEAR PHARMACISTBy Suzy Cohen


PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HARMFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Social worker Ellen Loy, director ofthe Elder Abuse Project at CHANA,will discuss what you can do when arelationship turns harmful, whetherit’s one with a spouse, adult childrenor caretaker. The workshop will beheld on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 11a.m., at Victory Villa Senior Center,403 Compass Rd., and again onThursday, Dec. 18, at 11 a.m., atCockeysville Senior Center, 10535York Rd. For more information, call(410) 887-2040.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 10+

Falls study From page 15

Most everyone loves traditional potatowedges. Sweet potatoes offer a new way toenjoy potato wedges, yet these wedges arepacked with beneficial beta-carotene. Oven-roasted with a light coating of olive

oil, instead of fried, these crunchy-on-the-out-side and creamy-on-the-inside wedges areseasoned with rosemary, garlic and mustard. Commonly referred to as “yams,” sweet

potatoes actually come from a differentbotanical family. Sweet potatoes with their orange flesh

are packed with beta-carotene — acarotenoid that may inhibit cancer cellgrowth, work as an antioxidant and im-prove immune response. The brighter theorange color of the flesh, the more beta-carotene there is. Sweet potatoes also arerich in vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Though available year round, sweet po-

tatoes are in peak season during Novem-ber and December, finding their way ontoholiday tables. Select firm sweet potatoeswith no cracks, bruises or soft spots, andstore them in a cool, dark, well-ventilatedplace for up to 10 days. These wedges can be made in advance

— especially for the Thanksgiving meal,where culinary tasks can be overwhelm-

ing. Reheat in the oven for a crispy texture,or in the microwave for soft slices.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Rosemary 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and

sliced lengthwise in 8 wedges 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, plus a

few sprigs for garnish½ tsp. garlic powder½ tsp. dry mustard powder2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive or canola oilSalt Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.Place wedges in large bowl. Add rose-

mary, garlic powder, mustard and oil. Tossto coat well.Arrange potatoes on baking sheet, mak-

ing sure not to overlap potatoes. Bake 15minutes. Turn wedges over and bake an-other 15 minutes, or until potatoes are softand beginning to brown.Lightly season to taste with salt. Gar-

nish with fresh rosemary sprigs. Makes 4 servings.Per serving: 146 calories, 7 g. total fat (<1

g. saturated fat), 20 g. carbohydrate, 2 g.protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 54 mg. sodium.— American Institute for Cancer Research

Crunchy, creamysweet potato wedges


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Mary came to ManorCare Health Service – Woodbridge Valley debilitated from an infection. Mary couldn’t even get out of bed!

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Mary came to ManorCare Health Service – Woodbridge Valley debilitated from an infection. Mary couldn’t even get out of bed!

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By Stan ChoeIf bonds start to tumble, should I sell my

bond mutual fund? It’s a question investors are asking as ex-

pectations rise for a more volatile bond mar-ket. But a better question may be: How dif-ficult will it be for my fund manager to sell? Worries are increasing that some man-

agers will have a tough time finding buyersfor their bonds if a flood of investors tries topull out of their funds at the same time. It’sa concept called liquidity, and a lack of itcan accelerate losses for bonds whenprices are falling, at least in the short term. It would likely have less effect on fund

investors willing to hold on through thevolatility than those who sell amid a storm.But it’s another risk that all bond fund in-vestors need to consider.

Why a concern now?The worries partially stem from new

regulations that have led to banks holdingfewer bonds on their balance sheets. Previ-ously, banks’ willingness to hold invento-ries of bonds offered a buffer when sellersin the market outnumbered buyers. Inventories of investment-grade and

high-yield bonds at Wall Street banks andother primary dealers are now just 20 per-cent of where they were in 2007, accordingto State Street Global Advisors. The areas of the market most likely to be

hurt by the liquidity concerns include cor-porate bonds, particularly high-yield bondsthat are issued by companies with weakcredit ratings, said Dan Farley, chief invest-ment officer of the investment solutionsgroup at State Street Global Advisors. Treasurys, the largest sector of the

bond market, aren’t a source of concern.

Periodic fears affect munisSome bond fund investors are already

familiar with the phenomenon, such asthose focused on bonds issued by citiesand other local governments. Severaltimes in the last six years, fear has pushedinvestors to rush for the exits out of mu-nicipal-bond mutual funds. Managers typically keep a portion of

their funds’ portfolios in cash, so they havesome ready for departing investors. Butwhen a flood of sell orders converge, itforces managers to sell bonds to raisemore cash.

In past periods of low liquidity, whenmanagers went looking for buyers for theirmuni bonds, they often found many othersalso looking to sell. That caused municipalbond prices to tumble, which furtherfrightened fund investors, leading them topull yet more money, and fueled evenmore forced selling. Last year, the trigger was worries about

rising interest rates and the creditworthi-ness of Puerto Rico and other municipalborrowers. Investors began withdrawingtheir money from muni funds in thespring, and the largest category of munici-pal-bond funds lost 3.1 percent during thesecond quarter, according to Morningstar. A financial analyst’s highly publicized

prediction for a wave of defaults in the mu-nicipal bond market sparked a similar rushfor the exits in late 2010. Investors pulled$13.3 billion from muni bond funds thatDecember, according to the InvestmentCompany Institute. The toughest conditions, though, were

during the financial crisis in 2008, accord-ing to John Miller, who leads the $95 bil-lion municipal bond investing team at Nu-veen Investment Management.

“In 2008, there was a feeling of beinghandcuffed,” Miller said. The few buyersavailable demanded steeper price cuts,and for a smaller number of bonds than hewas looking to sell. Following each of those episodes, though,

municipal bonds rebounded once the rushfor the exits subsided. Miller’s Nuveen HighYield Municipal Bond fund (NHMAX), forexample, has returned 13.5 percent this yearafter losing 4.7 percent last year.

Other types of fundsHigh-yield corporate bond funds saw a

similar scare in August. Investors pulledout of such funds following warnings fromthe Federal Reserve that junk bond valua-tions may be “stretched” and worries thatinterest rate hikes may come sooner thanexpected. That led to an average 1.2 percent drop

for high-yield bond funds that month, theirfirst loss in 11 months, according to Morn-ingstar. High-yield funds have continued toslide, losing .9 percent between Sept. 21and Oct. 21.


LOCK IN STOCK GAINSProtect stock market profits from the lastfive years by rebalancing your portfolioand choosing which stocks to sell

BURIAL BENEFITSVeterans and spouses are eligible formany funeral benefits through the VA,from headstones, to military honors, toexpense allowances

MoneyMoneyLaw &

What’s the right time to sell bond funds?

See SELLING BONDS, page 21

LOOKING FOR A LOW-COST, LEGALALTERNATIVE TO BANKRUPTCY?

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By Elliot RaphaelsonIf you have been investing in the stock

market for the last five years or so, youknow that the results have been excellent.Since the stock recovery started in March2009, the market has increased at an annu-al rate of approximately 25 percentthrough July 2014. It is not unusual for the market to have a

“correction” — a drop of 10 percent ormore — at the end of a lengthy period ofstock market gains. However, no one cantell you when or if you should protect yourgains in some way. How you proceed de-pends on a number of considerations.If you have a stable job and more than

20 years before retirement, and you have adiversified common stock portfolio, thereis no compelling reason to sell your com-mon stocks, whether they are in mutualfunds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) orindividual securities. Because, on a long-term basis, common

stocks should do better than bonds orother conservative investments — such asCDs, savings accounts and money-marketinstruments — you should maintain a sig-nificant percentage of your portfolio incommon stocks. Even if there is a short-term fall in stock

prices, time is still on your side. In the longrun, as long as you maintain a diversifiedportfolio of common stocks, you should beable to stay ahead of inflation and have aprosperous retirement.

Some should rebalanceOn the other hand, if you are retired or

close to retirement, it is important to havea balanced portfolio, with a significant pro-portion invested in bonds. Balancing is important. I do it at least

once a year. If you have not balanced your

portfolio recently, it is likely that the pro-portion of common stocks has increasedrelative to bonds.For example, assume you determined a

few years ago that you wanted your portfo-lio to be 60 percent stocks and 40 percentbonds. Because of the increase in commonstock prices, your portfolio now might be70 percent stocks vs. 30 percent bonds. Itwould be prudent to sell some of yourstock holdings and go back to a 60-40 ratio.In that way you are protecting some ofyour gains in case there is a general fall incommon stock prices.It is hard to predict Federal Reserve pol-

icy. However, with interest rates as low asthey are, it is likely that they will trend up-wards. If long-term rates increase substantially,

long-term bonds, even Treasurys, will fallsubstantially in value. Thus, it’s prudentnot to have the majority of your bond hold-ings in long-term issues.I maintain most of my holdings in inter-

mediate-term bonds (both in mutual fundsand ETFs.) In this way, I receive moderateincome without a great deal of capital riskshould long-term rates increase a greatdeal. If you have short-term needs, such as

tuition payments or a down payment for ahome, then you should keep these funds inshort-term investments, such as short-term bonds, Treasury bills and money-market instruments.

To sell or not to sell?If you have substantial investments in

individual common stocks that have in-creased greatly in value, you have otheroptions. The most conservative is to sell all

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 19

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Time to lock in your stock market gains?

SeeMARKET GAINS, page 20

Dear Savvy Senior:Does the Veterans Administration pro-

vide any special funeral services or ben-

efits to older veterans? My father is a 90-year-old World War II veteran with latestage Alzheimer’s, so I’m looking into fu-

neral options and would like to knowwhat the VA may provide.

— Planning AheadDear Planning:Yes, the Veterans Adminis-

tration offers a number of bur-ial and memorial benefits toveterans if their dischargefrom the military was underconditions other than dishon-orable — which will need to beverified. To do this, you’ll needa copy of your dad’s DD Form214 “Certificate of Release orDischarge from Active Duty,”which you can request onlineat archives.gov/veterans.Here’s a rundown of some of the dif-

ferent benefits that are available to vet-erans who die a non-ser vice relateddeath.

National and state cemeterybenefitsIf your dad is eligible, and wants to be

buried in one of the 131 nationalor 93 state VA cemeteries(see www.cem.va.gov/cem/cems/listcem.asp for alist), the VA benefits provided atno cost to the family include agravesite; opening and closingof the grave; perpetual gravesitecare; a government headstoneor marker; a United States bur-ial flag that can be used to drapethe casket or accompany theurn (after the funeral service,

the flag is given to the next-of-kin as a keep-sake); and a Presidential memorial certifi-cate, which is an engraved paper certificatesigned by the current President expressingthe country’s grateful recognition of the vet-eran’s service.National cemetery burial benefits are

also available to spouses and dependentsof veterans.If your dad is cremated, his remains will

be buried or inurned in the same manneras casketed remains.Funeral or cremation arrangements and

costs are not, however, taken care of by theVA. They are the responsibility of the veteran’sfamily.

Burial and memorial benefits for veterans

SAVVY SENIORBy Jim Miller

20 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Market gainsFrom page 19of your shares and conserve all your prof-its. However, if you are confident that the

underlying company will continue to in-crease its profits, and believe the stockwill continue to do well, you can sell someof your holdings and reinvest the pro-ceeds in more conservative vehicles, suchas diversified mutual funds or ETFs, or in-termediate-term bonds.Another alternative is to use a stop-loss

order. That’s an order to sell a stock that istriggered when the share price reaches aspecified level. For example, suppose youbought a stock at $20 per share. It is nowselling for $38. You think it will increasemore in value but you want to protectsome of your gains. You can put a stop-loss order at $35. If

the stock does fall to $35, your shares willbe sold at prevailing market prices. If thestock continues to increase in value, youcan cancel your previous stop-loss orderand place a new one at a higher price.If you have done well in the stock market,

congratulations. If you want to protect yourgains, however, you should consider someof the options discussed. Commons stocksprices don’t always go in one direction.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questionsand comments at [email protected].

© 2014 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC.

See VETERANS BENEFITS, page 22

WANT TO START A BUSINESS?The Maryland Small Business Development Center teaches youhow to write a business plan and other aspects of starting a busi-

ness in a programmed titled “Nuts and Bolts of Starting and Planning Your Busi-ness.” It will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m. at the Towson Branch library,320 York Rd., Towson. The program is free, but registration is required by calling(410) 837-4928 or visiting www.centralmdsbdc.org/training.

ENERGIZE YOUR SAVINGS Learn what deregulation means, how to read a utility bill, how toselect third party supplier and more at this program at Seven

Oaks Senior Center on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. The center is located at 9210Seven Courts Dr. Sign up at the center or call (410) 887-5192.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 25

Nov. 25

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 21

A charitable gift annuity gives you income for life.

TO GIVERECEIVE

is to

GIVE TODAYRECEIVE INCOME FOR LIFEMAKE A LASTING IMPACT FOREVERMake a gift to The Associated

that pays you up to 9% a year.

Lower your taxes Increase your income Leave a Legacy

Find out how a charitable gift annuity can make your life richer and less taxing and build a strong future for the Jewish community.

Contact Michael Friedman, Senior Vice President, Philanthropic Planning & Services, at 410-369-9233 or [email protected].

Learn more at associated.org/giftannuity.

Some areas of the bond market are bet-ter insulated from the liquidity concerns.Buyers of high-quality bonds continue tooutnumber sellers, for example. “Where we operate, it’s very healthy,”

said Rob Galusza, who runs Fidelity’s Lim-ited Term Bond fund (FJRLX), which in-vests in shorter-term corporate bonds andTreasurys. “People feel like they can with-stand the volatility there.”

A matter of timingThe liquidity concerns don’t mean in-

vestors should abandon their bond funds,but State Street’s Farley says it could influ-ence the timing for investors who are look-ing to either buy or sell. It’s impossible to know when the next

liquidity scare could hit the bond market— the trigger is likely to be an unexpectedevent that shocks investors. But if everyone is exiting bonds, and a

lack of liquidity is sending prices downeven further, it may make for a good buy-ing opportunity for those who were al-ready interested in buying. Similarly, for those looking to sell, it

may pay to do so before there’s a run onthe exits. — AP

Selling bondsFrom page 18

FREE HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCE Trained volunteers are available to answer your questions regard-ing Medicare A and B, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Sup-

plement Insurance (medigap), Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Medi-caid and potential Medicare frauds. Volunteers can also assess callers for eligibili-ty to obtain financial assistant to help with Medicare and prescription costs. Call(410) 887-2059 for more information.

INFORMATION ON RENTAL HOUSING The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Develop-ment offers information on availability of rental housing units

across the state. Housing providers, developers and property managers can usethis service free of charge to advertise their property listings. For more informa-tion, go to www.mdhousingsrarch.org or call 1-877-428-8844.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Private cemetery benefitsIf your dad is going to be buried in a private

cemetery, the benefits available include a freegovernment headstone or marker, or amedallion that can be affixed to an existingprivately purchased headstone or marker; aburial flag; and a Presidential memorial cer-tificate.Funeral or cremation arrangements

and costs are again the responsibility ofthe family, and there are no benefits of-fered to spouses and dependents who areburied in private cemeteries.

Military funeral honorsAnother popular benefit available to all el-

igible veterans buried in either a national orprivate cemetery is a military funeral hon-ors ceremony. This includes folding andpresenting the U.S. burial flag to the veter-

an’s survivors, and the playing of Taps, per-formed by two or more uniformed militarymembers.The funeral provider you choose will be

able to assist you with all VA burial requests.Depending on what you want, certain formsmay need to be completed, which it is alwaysbetter to have done in advance. For a com-plete rundown of burial and memorial bene-fits, eligibility details and required forms,visit www.cem.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000.

Burial allowancesIn addition to the many burial benefits,

some veterans may also qualify for a $734burial and funeral expense allowance (ifhospitalized by VA at time of death), or$300 (if not hospitalized by VA at time ofdeath), and a $734 plot-interment al-lowance to those who choose to be buriedin a private cemetery. To find out if yourdad is eligible, see benefits.va.gov/bene-fits/factsheets/burials/burial.pdf.To apply for burial allowances, you’ll

need to fill out VA Form 21-530 “Applicationfor Burial Benefits.” You need to attach acopy of your dad’s discharge document(DD 214 or equivalent), death certificate,funeral and burial bills. They should showthat you have paid them in full. You maydownload the form at va.gov/vaforms.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior,P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, orvisit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a con-tributor to the NBC Today show and authorof The Savvy Senior book.

22 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Veterans benefitsFrom page 20LEARN TO EXCEL AT EXCEL

The North Point Branch Library offers a class on learning the ba-sics of Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program, on Tuesday, Nov.

25 at 2 p.m. The library is located at 1716 Merritt Blvd. To register, call (410)887-7255.

LEARN HOW TO USE IPADS & IPHONES Learn the basic functions of the iPad/iPhone, including how to usethe camera, messaging, emailing, downloading apps, iTunes, etc.

Bring your device and questions with you to this session at the Seven Oaks SeniorCenter on Monday, Nov. 24 at 1:30 p.m. The center is located at 9210 SevenCourts Dr. Sign up at the center or call (410) 887-5192.

CHARM CITY CRAFT MAFIAThis juried show on Saturday, Dec. 6, features our area’s best inde-pendent crafters peddling their wares for your holiday shopping

needs. Food and beverage sales, music, free craft activities for the kids, and plen-ty of free parking are available. The event will be held at 2640 St. Paul St. from 10a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (410) 366-7733 or visit www.charmcity-craftmafia.com.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 25

Nov. 24

BENEFITS FOR

VETERANS

The U.S. Department of Veterans Af-

fairs offers benefits to those who

have served in the armed forces.

These benefits include healthcare

services ranging from routine screen-

ings and check-ups to long-term care.

Additional benefits are also available

for aging veterans. For more informa-

tion, go to www.va.gov/geriatrics.

INSURANCE

INFORMATION FOR

SENIORS

The Maryland Insurance Administra-

tion offers “A Consumer Guide to In-

surance Needs for Seniors & Empty

Nesters.” The guide is one in a series

of educational materials that take

into account your current stage of

life and which insurance products you

are most likely to need. Copies are

available at public libraries and senior

centers, or by calling 1-800-492-

6116 or visiting

www.mdinsurance.state.md.us.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

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Dec. 6

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon 23

TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

By Glenda C. BoothDrip...drip...drip... The slow-motion drip

is mesmerizing. For millions of years, drip-ping, seeping, condensing, flowing, andponding water has performed nature’sartistry in the depths of southeastern NewMexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Parkunder the Guadalupe Mountains.

It’s a persistent and powerful force —though it takes between 17 and 34 yearsfor one drop of water to reach the bottom.

Carlsbad Caverns are a subterraneanmaze where water steadily shapes other-worldly cave formations — bearing nameslike icicles, icebergs, draperies, witch’s fin-ger and lion’s tail (and which look uncannilylike their monikers). Carlsbad has all ofthose, plus frozen waterfalls, strands ofpearls, organ pipes, cookies, sponges, totempoles, miniature castles, bulging veins andmore.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is anetherworld of ghostly stalactites and sta-

lagmites; glistening, glazed formations;“puffy” popcorn; soda straws; and flow-stone resembling molasses — plus 45,000-year-old bat guano.

It’s is a geological wonderland for spele-ologists, spelunkers and amateurs, with120 caves in a park of over 46,766 acres.Will Rogers called it the “Grand Canyonwith a roof on it.”

Its spooky allure attracted the filmmak-ers who produced the 1959 flick Journey tothe Center of the Earth, based on the JulesVerne novel and filmed in the caverns withactors Pat Boone, James Mason and DianeBaker.

Carlsbad’s 400,000 visitors per year startin the headquarters at 4,400 feet and de-scend. There are eight tours, with the low-est dropping to what’s called the Lower Cav-ern, 800 feet below the entrance, the deep-est part of the cavern open to the public.

Of the park’s 120 known caves, with 185“cave miles” surveyed, Carlsbad Cavern is

the most accessible and fa-mous. Visitors can exploreabout 10 percent of the under-ground acreage. (For compar-ison, Kentucky’s MammothCave system is the longestknown cave system in theworld. Around 400 cave mileshave been mapped.)

If New Mexico is the“Land of Enchantment,” asits license plates tout, Carls-bad enchants underground.

Ancient originsScientists say the caves of

Carlsbad are actually a fossilreef laid down by an inlandsea 250 to 280 million yearsago.

They believe Paleo-Indi-ans inhabited the GuadalupeMountains 12,000 to 14,000years ago. More recently,Spanish explorers, then U.S.Army surveyors and cattleranchers combed the area.

Around the turn of the20th century, locals extract-ed bat guano from the caveand hauled it up 170 feet inbuckets for shipment tosouthern California to fertil-

ize citrus groves.In 1923, the federal government made

Carlsbad Caverns a national monument,and in 1930 Congress designated it a na-tional park. It became a World HeritageSite in 1995.

It was discovered quite by accident. In1898, a local ranchhand, Jim White, was re-pairing a fence and saw what he thoughtwas smoke rising from a gaping hole in theearth.

He held a lantern over the opening,tossed in a rock and did not hear a sound.He had happened upon a vast underworld.Today, visitors can see the ladder he usedto probe the depths.

The smoke? It was a cloud of batsswirling out of the caverns to feast onnighttime insects. Today, at least seven batspecies use the caves, most as a nurseryfor bat pups, one per mom.

The most common bats are Brazilian orMexican free-tailed bats that fly from Mex-ico to summer in the cave, congregate andhave their young. Free-tailed bats havebeen in Carlsbad for thousands of years.They produce so many droppings they’vebeen called “guano bats.”

Today, 250,000-400,000 bats sleep dur-ing the day in the caverns, and spiral up atsunset like a whirlwind to catch mosqui-

toes, flies, ants, beetles and other insects.Freetails, which weigh only half an ounce,consume at least half their weight in in-sects every night.

From May to October, rangers hold edu-cational programs about the bats 30 to 60minutes before sunset, when bats depart,and on some mornings as early as 5 a.m.,when the bats return.

A final bat note: Some people fear andmalign bats. But they are an importantcomponent of our natural environment.They do not attack people, and performvaluable ecological services, such as eat-ing insects and pollinating flowers.

Touring the cavernsVisitors can take several guided and un-

guided tours of the caverns, and rent audioguides. Carlsbad Cavern, Spider Cave, andSlaughter Canyon Cave are open to the pub-lic, and nine caves are open for skilled, recre-ational cavers with the proper equipment.

A favorite destination in the CarlsbadCavern is the largest underground roomin the world, the 8.2-acre Big Room, 25 sto-ries high. The self-guided walking tour tothe Big Room descends on a 1.25-milepaved trail, mostly level but with a few

Visit sites related to Theodore,Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, fromGeorgia to New York to the Dakotas.See story on page 24.

A park ranger discusses the geological features of Devil’s Den in Carlsbad Cavern.Visitors may take either an elevator or this 1.25-mile paved trail to descend 800feet to the Big Room, where many of the cavern’s largest formations are found.

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Creepy but captivating Carlsbad Caverns

As visitors descend to Carlsbad Cavern’s 25-story BigRoom, largest underground room in the world, they passseveral spectacular speleotherms (mineral deposits), in-cluding this one, named the Temple of the Sun. See CARLSBAD CAVERNS, page 25

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By Beth J. HarpzKen Burns’ recent documentary about

the Roosevelts — presidents Theodoreand Franklin, and Franklin’s wife Eleanor— is bound to stir interest in some of theplaces connected to them.

Here’s a look at some major Rooseveltsites, including birthplaces, family homes,vacation retreats, and national parks andmonuments across the U.S.

Theodore Roosevelt sites Theodore Roosevelt bir thplace:

Theodore Roosevelt lived at 28 E. 20th St.in Manhattan from his birth in 1858 untilhe was 14. The building was demolished in1916, but later reconstructed and decorat-ed with original and period furnishings.

A free half-hour tour tells the story ofRoosevelt’s family: He was descended fromDutch traders who made their fortune in

New York (Roosevelt means rose field inDutch, and is pronounced “rose-velt”), andhe was Eleanor Roosevelt’s uncle andFranklin Roosevelt’s distant cousin.

A sickly child, Teddy became fit using agym on a terrace off his bedroom here.Museum artifacts include a shirt with abullet hole. Roosevelt was shot on thecampaign trail in Milwaukee but finishedhis speech before getting medical care.See www.nps.gov/thrb.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park:This park, in the badlands of westernNorth Dakota, commemorates TheodoreRoosevelt’s sojourn to the region in the1880s, hunting bison and working on aranch. See www.nps.gov/thro.

Mount Rushmore: Theodore Roo-sevelt is one of four presidents whosefaces adorn Mount Rushmore in SouthDakota, along with George Washington,Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.Roosevelt’s legacy includes his leadershipin conservation, creating national parksand wilderness areas, and preserving an-tiquities. He was also seen as a fighter forthe common man, taking on corporate mo-nopolies. See www.nps.gov/moru.

Sagamore Hill: This was Teddy Roo-sevelt’s summer White House, where hevacationed with his family. The home, onthe North Shore of Long Island near Oys-ter Bay, New York, is closed for renova-tion, though a nearby museum andgrounds are open. See www.nps.gov/sahi.

Franklin and EleanorRoosevelt sites

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Li-brary and Museum: Through exhibits onPearl Harbor, “Fireside Chats,” the NewDeal, and many other defining aspects ofFDR’s presidency, this site in Hyde Park,New York, brings to life his leadership dur-ing the Great Depression and World War II.

Visitors will also learn about FDR’s per-sonal life — from his domineering mother,to his struggles with polio, to his relation-ships with Eleanor and other women.

Nearby National Park Service sites includeSpringwood, where FDR was born and lived;Val-Kill, Eleanor’s retreat; and Top Cottage,FDR’s private digs. See www.nps.gov/hofrand www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial:This evocative, unusual memorial in Wash-ington, D.C., consists of a series of outdoorgalleries with waterfalls, sculptures and fa-mous FDR quotes, such as “The only thingwe have to fear is fear itself.” Sculpturesshow FDR with his dog, and FDR in awheelchair. Seewww.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/fdr_memorial.html.

Warm Springs: Warm Springs, Ga.,was known for therapeutic swimmingpools that offered relief from polio. FDR,who was partly paralyzed from polio, fre-quently visited, regaining some of hisstrength here and eventually building a

24 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Fans can follow trail of famous Roosevelts

See ROOSEVELTS, page 26

Sagamore Hill, on the North Shore of Long Island, N.Y., was Theodore Roosevelt’shome from 1885 until his death in 1919. It was used as the “Summer White House”while he was president. Roosevelt is pictured with his children.

steep slants — a descent equivalent to 79stories.

You can also reach the Big Room by ele-vator, recommended for people not ingood physical condition. But then you’llmiss the sights walkers get on the waydown, including Bottomless Pit, Rock ofAges, the Lion’s Tail, the six-stories-tallHall of Giants, and the Giant Dome, a 62-foot high stalagmite. Allow at least an hourand a half to absorb the enormity of it all.

The self-guided tour starting at the natu-ral entrance drops about 800 feet in onemile, winds around in switchbacks, and of-fers good views of Devil’s Spring, Whale’sMouth and Iceberg Rock. In the mouth ofthe cave, you might see nesting or roost-ing cave swallows, and you can study redand black thousand-year-old pictographshigh up on the walls.

The guided King’s Palace tour shows offornate cave rooms, including giant draperiesformed by water trickling from a slanted ceil-ing. Park rangers briefly turn off the lights toshow the natural darkness of the caves.

The caverns may seem bare of life, butkeen observers could spot a horsehairworm, water fleas, sow bugs and pillbugs,for example. Ask a ranger.

Carlsbad is the only cave in the parkwith paved walkways, handrails and lights.Enthusiastic cavers might also want to ex-plore ranger-led tours in Spider Cave andSlaughter Canyon Cave.

Protecting the fragile formationsCaves have very delicate environments,

posing special challenges to managers andvisitors alike.

To preserve the caves’ pristine and frag-ile environment, park staff use Formula409 cleanser to decontaminate shoes if avisitor’s been in a cave in the last sevenyears. That’s because people can inadver-tently bring in harmful spores, fungi andother materials.

A major concern today is a bat diseasecalled white nose syndrome, a fungusspread among bats that has killed millionsof them — in fact, 80 percent of the bats inthe northeastern U.S. The disease isspreading throughout North America,

though it had not been found in New Mex-ico or Carlsbad as of August.

Then there’s lint from visitors’ clothing— so much that volunteers with tweezersand special tools pick over 32 pounds oflint off the formations each year. Lintchanges the ecology. To confine lint in theunderground gift shop, T-shirts are kept inplastic bags.

Lights installed to accommodate thepublic change what otherwise would be adark habitat. Lights and the heat they gen-erate encourage photosynthesis and algaegrowth, so staffers must bleach some for-mations monthly to remove the algae.

In addition, camera lights and high fre-quency sounds from digital devices candisturb bats. Oil from human skin can dis-color rocks.

“Caves have unique and rare qualities,”said Chuck Burton, Carlsbad’s acting su-perintendent. “The formations that are sospectacular and awe-inspiring have takenmillions of years to create. Caves are veryspecial environments, ecosystems thatpeople do not know much about.”

Caves served as shelter to our Paleo-In-dian ancestors. They are still home to mi-croorganisms and troglobites, animals thatlive in the dark. And caves preserve thegeologic and climactic record of an area.

David VonSeggern, an amateur caver,commented, “Caves often contain remainsand relics of early mankind and of now ex-tinct wildlife. They are the last frontier forexploration on Earth. Many deep and diffi-cult passages remain to be explored, whilea vast, unknown realm of caves has noteven been discovered.”

Then there’s medicine: The National ParkService website says, “Studying [caves] hasalready revealed a food chain that beginswith minerals in the rock, and has shownthat some of the organisms may help serioushuman diseases, such as cancer.”

If you goPark officials recommend reservations

for guided tours by visiting www.Recre-ation.gov or calling 1-877-444-6777.

Wear sturdy footwear and inquire aboutphysical requirements. Some trails arestrenuous; some are not.

Underground, it’s a consistent 56 degreesFahrenheit year round. Aboveground, sum-

mer temperatures can reach 100 degreesFahrenheit; winter highs are in the 50s and60s, with lows in the 20s and 30s.

The visitor center is at 727 CarlsbadCaverns Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico88220. The only entrance is from NewMexico Highway 7, 20 miles southwest ofCarlsbad by way of U.S. 62/180.

For lodging, tr y Best Wester n,http://bestwesternnewmexico.com/hotels/best-western-stevens-inn, (575) 887-2851,$162 a night, or Days Inn http://daysinncar-lsbadnm.com, (575) 887-7800, $189 a night.

For accommodations with a little morepersonality, check out the Trinity Hotel,

built in 1892 as a bank, www.thetrinityho-tel.com, (575) 234-9891, $239 a night.

No airport is very close. Albuquerque is304 miles from Carlsbad, while Roswell,N.M. is 103 miles away. In Texas: Lub-bock, 206 miles; Midland, 194 miles; ElPaso, 151 miles.

Carlsbad is served by Greyhound bus.More information is available from:National Park Service, www.nps.gov/

cave, (575) 785-2232Carlsbad Caverns-Guadalupe Mountains

Association, www.ccgma.org, (575) 785-2484 Chamber of Commerce, www.carlsbad-

chamber.com, (575) 887-6516

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 25

MAKE A CALCULATED MOVE to Charlestown or Oak Crest.

When choosing a retirement community, you need all the

facts. You’re searching for the most value, in every sense of the word. At Charlestown and Oak Crest, you can count on exceptional value throughout our campus.

Enjoy maintenance-free living, financial stability, and endless

opportunities to stay social, active, and healthy.

Visit EricksonLiving.com/facts or call 410-941-4948.

FIND MORE FACTS

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Carlsbad CavernsFrom page 23

home known as the Little White House. Hedied here in 1945 during his fourth presi-dential term. Visitors can see the home,pools and other sites related to polio histo-ry. Visithttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presi-dents/roosevelts_little_white_house.html.

Campobello: FDR had a 34-room sum-mer home off the coast of Maine on Cam-pobello Island, in New Brunswick, Cana-da. This is where his mother’s family vaca-tioned, and it was here that he first experi-

enced symptoms of polio in 1921. Thehome is open for tours from late Maythrough Columbus Day (Oct. 13). Thearea’s rocky shores, trails and drivingroads can be visited year-round. A bridgeconnects Lubec, Maine, with Campobello,but you must have a passport to cross. Seewww.nps.gov/roca/index.htm.

Four Freedoms Park: This park, lo-cated on Roosevelt Island in New YorkCity’s East River, memorializes FDR’s“Four Freedoms” speech, made in 1941. Init, he extols freedom of speech, freedom ofworship, freedom from want and freedomfrom fear. An excerpt is engraved on a

granite monument near a bust of FDR. The park, designed by architect Louis I.

Kahn, is considered a sleek Modernistmasterpiece. Its tree-lined plazas, stepsand other structures offer vantage pointsfull of symmetry and angled views for see-ing the Manhattan skyline. Reachable viasubway or the Roosevelt Island tram. Seewww.fdrfourfreedomspark.org.

Roosevelt House Public Policy In-stitute at Hunter College: FDR andEleanor received this six-story Manhattantown house as a gift in 1908 from FDR’smother Sara Delano Roosevelt. A singlefront door opened into two units — one forthe mother-in-law and one for FDR and his

family. They lived here for decades; this iswhere FDR recovered from polio, ran forgovernor and president, and planned theNew Deal.

It’s now owned and used by Hunter Col-lege for lectures and events, and can betoured Saturdays, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.Address: 47-49 E. 65th St., New York City. Seewww.roosevelthouse.hunter.cuny.edu/tours.

Although the Burns documentary won’tscreen on PBS again until spring, seg-ments of the 14-hour show are availableonline at www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-roo-sevelts/watch -videos. The series is alsoavailable on DVD.

— AP

26 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 4 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

RooseveltsFrom page 24

A SWEET TIME IN HERSHEY, PA.

Parkville Senior Center hosts this visit to Hershey, Pa., on Friday,

Dec. 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy a guided tour through the town of Hershey,

lunch, a Christmas musical show at the Hershey Lodge, and time on your own at

Chocolate World. Cost is $95 per person. Call (410) 882-6087 to reserve a spot.

SEE THE LIGHTS IN WASHINGTON, DC

Join Bykota Senior Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 1 to 10 p.m.,

to see the Mormon Temple Festival of Lights and have dinner.

Tickets are $85. Call (410) 887-1691 for reservations.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 5

Dec. 6

With all the travel writers urging “rentearly,” you might think that “last-minutevacation rentals” is an oxy-moron. Fortunately, it isn’t.

A newly launched Britishwebsite, snaptrip.com, focus-es on last-minute vacationrentals, while the industry gi-ants HomeAway and Flipkeyallow you to locate variousspecial deals, including last-minute offers.

SnaptripNewcomer Snaptrip pro-

vides a friendly search system.Enter a destination — either a town or acounty — plus dates you want, length ofstay, and number of beds, and the site postsavailable results. The price displays ac-count for your length of stay; they post full-stay prices rather than prices per night.

The top menu also includes a “top deals”option that returns, as you might guess,the best available deals for your datesthroughout the UK, listed in order of per-centage discounts.

I tested the site for one-week stays at theindustry standard Saturday to Saturday pe-riods. For a stay starting one week after theday I tested, the site returned 33 propertieswith discounts ranging from 6 percent to29 percent, with several above 15 percent. Igot about the same results for rentals start-ing two weeks after my test.

However, three weeks ahead, discountpercentages dropped sharply, and startingfour weeks down the road, only four dealswere available. Snaptrip also displays amap with deal locations highlighted.

I focus on Snaptrip because, to myknowledge, it’s the first website devotedspecifically to last-minute vacation rentals,and the pricing pattern provides some in-sight as to how the market operates.

All in all, Snaptrip is a well-planned anduser-friendly website, making last-minutesearches easy within its relatively smalluniverse of rentals in the UK and Ireland.But I wonder how scalable it would be forreally large worldwide databases.

Given the typically high cost of last-minute airfares, a last-minute rental in theUK is a very limited market for NorthAmericans. So Snaptrip is more interestingas a template for potential U.S.-basedsearch systems than as a resource for typi-cal North Americans.

Presumably, interest in last-minuterentals concentrates on destinations withincomfortable driving distance rather thanthose that require you to buy airline tickets.The giant rental websites do post some last-minute deals, but they’re generally not aseasily accessible as those through Snaptrip.

HomeAwayThe industry’s giant, HomeAway, con-

tinues to be puzzling. Altogether, it listsmore than a million properties worldwide,well ahead of Flipkey’s 300,000.

Although HomeAway seems to be consol-idating some of its many subsidiaries, it still

operates four separate English-language systems: Home-away.com, VRBO.com and Va-cationRentals.com that cater toNorth American markets, plusUK-based ownersdirect.co.uk.

For some reason, Owners-direct seems to have thefriendliest last-minute searchsystem. Log on, select the“Find a Deal” button, entercountry and region, and youget a list of deals. Examples in-clude percent discounts, fixed

“reduced” rates, and extras such as arental car.

This site has limited coverage of NorthAmerica, however, with only 13 properties inthe United States, of which 12 are in the Or-

lando area, and none in Canada or Mexico.Although the main HomeAway site

doesn’t post specific “last-minute” deals, itdoes allow you to filter your search by pri-oritizing “special offers.”

VacationRentals tags some listings asspecial deals, although its former last-minute blog seems to have been discontin-ued. VRBO does not screen by specialdeals — or at least I couldn’t find it.

FlipkeyFlipkey’s primary property display page

includes a “deal” button that filters resultsaccording to special offers. The displaydoes not show the exact nature of the spe-

cial offer, however, only that it’s a deal.In addition to varying deal display, the

big online sites encourage you to sign upfor periodic bulletins that feature any spe-cials that might arise. Clearly, that’s a goodidea if you’re at all interested in spur-of-the-moment vacation rentals.

And remember: regardless of the onlineposting prices, you can always email orphone a property owner to ask about anyspecial promotions that might be availablefor the dates you want to visit. Owners arefree to negotiate as they choose.

Send e -ma i l t o Ed P e r k i n s a [email protected].

© 2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Book last-minute vacation rentals online

TRAVEL TIPSBy Ed Perkins

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 27

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By Danielle RexrodeTrains have always been a big part of

John Jarboe’s life. Growing up, he couldhear the trains go by his home in Annapo-lis Junction, Md., near where his fatherand grandfather both worked for the B&ORailroad. As a civil engineer, he also en-joyed working on projects that involvedrailroads.

So it’s no surprise that when he and hiswife moved to the Charlestown retirementcommunity 18 months ago, he gravitatedtoward the community’s Model RailroadClub.

“Model trains have been a lifelonghobby of mine,” said Jarboe. “I brought myown collection with me when I moved, andI have them on display in my den. I godown two or three days a week to themodel railroad room here at Charlestownand work on the engines, tracks andscenery.”

The 14-member Model Railroad Cluboversees an elaborate train display featur-ing a few hundred feet of track that windmodel trains through a miniature 1950s-era town. Authentic-looking storefronts,farms, local landmarks, and sound effectslike crickets and thunder add to the town’srealistic look and feel.

“When you are working with modeltrains, it’s important to keep things toscale in order to make the set up look asrealistic as possible,” said Jarboe, whosecivil engineering skills are put to good useby the club.

“When you design a layout, you reallywant to stick with one time period so itdoesn’t detract from the layout,” saidRoberta Poulton, co-chair of the ModelRailroad Club. “All of our cars and trolleysare akin to the 1950s. The trolley is even areplica of one that used to run here in Bal-timore.”

Like millions of Americans, Roberta’slove of trains started in childhood.

“My father, grandfather and great-grand-father all worked for the B&O Railroad,”said Poulton, a Catonsville native who re-calls the Short Line Railroad that once ranfrom St. Agnes Station to Catonsville, andfrom which Charlestown’s Shortline restau-rant gets its name.

“I’ve enjoyed model railroading for thelast 30 years,” said Poulton. “In fact, I wasabout 10 when I got my first train — a [his-toric type of train called an] O-scale, whichI still have today. Working with the trainsnow lets me be creative and hold onto apart of my childhood that I loved.”

With an eye for landscape and design,Poulton said that having smaller handsthan most of her male counterparts comesin handy when working with the miniatureitems.

“I’m not electrically savvy, but I enjoyworking on the scenery and landscaping,”she said. “I go down several times duringthe week and improve on the roads or addthings.”

The club has a large inventory of nearly250 rolling stock — engines and cars —

that operate on two main tracks, as well asa separate streetcar line that runs inde-pendently. The trains are operated byhandheld remote controls that run on Dig-ital Command Control, which allows loco-motives on the same electrical section oftrack to be independently controlled.

“We clean the tracks and engines, andoil the engines to keep them in good run-ning order. We usually only run two trainsat a time, otherwise they are difficult tocontrol and you run the risk of derailing orcrashing them,” said Poulton.

In the last few years, the display was

lowered to be handicapped-accessible andkid-friendly. The room itself will also soonundergo a facelift, as the club has commis-sioned resident artist Bill Wilson to paint a14-foot mural on the rear wall of the club’sroom.

The model railroad room is open to allCharlestown residents as well as to the pub-lic year-round on Saturdays from noon until2 p.m. For Poulton, being able to share herfavorite hobby with others is just the icingon the cake.

28 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Arts &Style Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin writesabout aging, loss and memory. Seestory on page 31.

Gershwin: Cuban Overture

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Roberta Poulton and Gary Papritz, along with a dozen other members of Charlestown’sModel Railroad Club, oversee an elaborate train display, a small portion of which isshown. The display is open to the public every Saturday from noon until 2 p.m.

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Model railroading is a passion for many

See TRAINS, page 31

Radio Flea Market

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliancesEverything and anything is sold on

Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

By Carol SorgenOn Nov. 23, one of Baltimore’s most

well-recognized landmarks, the BaltimoreMuseum of Art, will celebrate its 100th an-niversary in a grand way — with the long-anticipated reopening of the newly reno-vated Dorothy McIlvain Scott AmericanWing, together with the reopening of theMerrick Historic Entrance, and a re-designed Zamoiski East Entrance, lobbyand BMA Shop.

The BMA was formally incorporated acentury ago by eight Baltimoreans whobelieved a great city deserves a great mu-seum. The inaugural exhibition opened in1923 in the museum’s temporary home inthe Garrett Mansion at 101 W. MonumentSt. The founders must have been pleasedat their foresight; attendance during thefirst week topped 6,775.

In 1924, Baltimoreans approved a $1million loan to construct a municipal mu-seum. Prominent neoclassical architectJohn Russell Pope was commissioned todesign the new building, which opened in1929 and is today considered a master-piece of Beaux-Arts architecture.

The museum’s original entrance was inuse until 1982. When it reopens (with thesupport of a $1 million gift from theFrance-Merrick Foundation), visitors willonce again be able to enter the museum

through the elegant doors, ushered into agrand columned hall.

Part of overall renovationThe BMA is renowned for its Cone Col-

lection of post-Impressionist and modernart. Similarly, its collection of American artis considered one of the finest on the EastCoast.

The reinstallation of the American Wingis a major milestone in the museum’s $28million renovation. The first phase wascompleted in 2012, with the reopening ofthe Contemporary Wing.

The final phase of the renovation willtake place next year with the reinstallationof the African and Asian art collections inApril and the opening of a new center forlearning and creativity next October.

The museum’s new presentation of theAmerican art collection has been organ-ized by David Park Curry, BMA Senior Cu-rator of Decorative Arts and AmericanPainting and Sculpture. The objective ofthe redesign, Curry explained, is to placeAmerican art in a global context with art-works from England, France and othercountries, displayed to emphasize Ameri-ca’s participation in international art cir-cles and Baltimore’s role as a major centerfor art production and intercontinentaltrade in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Painting and sculpture will be integrat-ed with decorative arts to show the social,economic and cultural links among the dis-ciplines.

“By expanding the approach to Ameri-can art both geographically and chrono-logically, the BMA’s reinstallation high-lights the deep ties between American art,our nation’s history and the broaderworld,” Curry said. “We hope visitors willbe inspired by the stories contained ineach of these incredible works of art, con-

necting the objects to the people who cre-ated and collected them.”

Maryland artists on displayThe American Wing was founded in 1929

and is among the oldest collections of itskind in the country. Today the museumowns 30,000 American paintings and itemsof sculpture and decorative arts dating fromthe colonial era to the late 20th century.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 29

410-547-SEAT

MODELL–LYRIC.COMFor tickets visit the Modell Lyric Box Office (M-F 10a-4p)

MARCH 27

B U Y Y O U R T I C K E T S T O D A Y !

JANUARY 22L I V E I N C O N C E R T

DECEMBER 26-28

BILL COSBY77

BMA’s American art wing reopens at 100

See BMA AT 100, page 30

30 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

If you, or a loved one, is Deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind, or have difficulty speaking, Maryland Relay offers many calling options to keep you connected by phone.

You may also qualify for a free assistive device through the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications program.

More ways to say “I love you.”

Calling Options

Just dial 7-1-1 to make a Relay call. Visit mdrelay.org to learn more.

800-552-7724 (Voice/TTY)443-453-5970 (VP)

TTY (Text Telephone)Voice Carry-Over Hearing Carry-OverSpeech-to-SpeechCaptioned TelephoneSpanish Relay

Among the highlights are important re-gional holdings, such as Maryland-relatedportraiture by Charles Willson Peale, Rem-brandt Peale and other members of therenowned Peale family; silver from promi-nent Baltimore silver manufacturing com-pany Samuel Kirk & Son; and painted furni-ture by John and Hugh Finlay of Baltimore.

More than 850 objects will be on view inthe renovated wing. Among the highlightsof the reinstallation is a gallery showcas-ing the stained glass, mosaics and silver ofLouis Comfort Tiffany; two galleries ofmodern American masterworks by Geor-gia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Joseph Stel-la and others; and a large gallery of art cre-ated by Maryland artists, in Maryland, ofMaryland subjects, or owned by Marylandcollectors.

Nearly 50 paintings, sculptures and dec-orative art objects are new to the collec-tion, have never been on view before, orhave rarely been shown.

The reinstallation also includes four late-18th century architectural interiors fromhistoric homes in Maryland — EltonheadManor (c. 1760-70), Chestertown Room (c.1771), Habre de Venture (c. 1773), and Wil-low Brook (1799). These will become gal-leries for silver and painted furniture.

In conjunction with the American Wingreopening, the BMA is presenting threenew exhibitions that will showcase the cre-ativity of contemporary artists in the U.S.,as well as the needlework achievements of17th-20th century American schoolgirls.

The American Wing Opening Celebra-tion will take place on Sunday, November23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The daylong eventwill include live music, art-making activities,storytelling and artist demonstrations.

For more information, visit www.artb-ma.org or call (443) 573-1700. The BMA isopen Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to6 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and Tues-days.

The museum is located at 10 Art Muse-um Drive. Admission is free.

A CONVERSATION WITH JESSYE NORMAN

Hear internationally renowned opera star Jessye Norman discuss

her new book, Stand Up Straight and Sing!, on Friday, Dec. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. at

Graham Auditorium at the Walters Museum, 600 N. Charles St. The Grammy

Award-winning international opera star will offer perspectives on her life, from

growing up in the South to performing on the world’s greatest stages, in conver-

sation with Tom Hall, music director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society. Tickets

are $25. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org or call (410) 547-9000.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 5BMA at 100From page 29

In the Baltimore Museum of Art’s newly renovated American Wing, a 21st centuryreading chair designed by Nils Holger Moormann and a 19th century reading chairare paired with paintings by Milton Avery and Gertrude Greene.

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“We have grandkids, great-grandkidsand school groups come in,” she said. “Wehave a scavenger hunt where the kids cansearch for specific things, like our Ravenscar or ladies hanging up the wash on theclothesline.

“We’ve had some kids who will juststand there and watch the trains goaround for the entire two hours we areopen. They really love it!”

Call (410) 737-8324 for more informa-tion about the model railroad display.

Model trains and the holidays go handin hand, and Christmas train gardens are alongtime tradition in Baltimore. For a list-ing of holiday train gardens in the area,visit http://www.wvmgrs.org/TrainGar-dens.htm.

TrainsFrom page 28

By Hillel ItalieHe turned 87 on Sept. 30, his eyesight is

failing, and much of his recent work readslike that of a man saying goodbye.

But W.S. Merwin continues to writepoems; he cannot help himself.

“I wrote the last one about 10 days ago.It doesn’t stop, and I don’t know where itcomes from,” said Merwin, a two-timePulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poetlaureate, widely regarded as among thegreatest poets of the past half-century.

“I remember, just over a year ago, afterseveral readings and two red-eye flights, Iwas absolutely exhausted. But in the mid-dle of the night, I woke up with a line and ahalf of poetry to write.”

Poems of loss and memorySpeaking by phone from his house on

the island of Maui in Hawaii, Merwin saidhe hopes to finish at least another book,health permitting. He also discussed his lat-est collection, The Moon Before Morning.

Like his Pulitzer Prize winner from2008, The Shadow of Sirius, its themes areage, time and memory. Phrases such as“this unrepeatable present,” “the currentmusic of vanishing,” and “the long-gonenight pasture” can be found throughout.

In “Relics,” he writes of his affinity forworlds that have disappeared.

Before I knew words for it I loved what was obsolete crumpled at the foot of the closet lost in the street left out in the rain in its wet story from another age “I think I’ve seen so many things in my

lifetime just as they were vanishing, andsometimes I realized it was happening andsometimes I didn’t,” Merwin said.

“I remember one wonderful period oflate summer and autumn into winter, wayup in the mountains of northern Portugal,an area that really had not changed sincethe Romans. So this was very, very ancient

in so many ways — the architecture, theway of farming. I was just hugging myself.It was wonderful.”

An early affinity for wordsA Presbyterian minister’s son, born in

New York City and raised in New Jerseyand Pennsylvania, Merwin’s earliest mem-ories of language include writing out thesermons of his father. He was composinghis own verse while still a boy, and wasclass poet at Princeton University.

His first collection, A Mask for Janus,won the Yale Younger Poets prize in 1951,and by the end of the decade, his friendsand acquaintances included Ezra Pound,T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell.

His style and subject matter wouldchange profoundly — from the classical in-fluences of his early poems, to the anti-warthemes of the 1960s, to the more condensed

and philosophical verse of recent years, in-fluenced by his immersion in Buddhism.

Throughout, he has been a man ofpeace (he was a conscientious objectorduring World War II), a recorder of thepast, a believer in nature, and a skeptic ofhumankind.

At his Princeton graduation, he read acommencement poem that mourned thosewho had died in war, and explained to thegraduation committee that he had “littleoptimism” about the future.

“I think what we’ve been doing to the

Prize-winning poet is curious about aging

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and for-mer U.S. poet laureate W.S. Merwin, 87,says he feels compelled to continue writ-ing poetry. His more recent work focuseson themes of memory, time and loss.

See POET, page 33

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falls,” advised Marlene Riley, clinical asso-ciate professor in Towson University’s De-partment of Occupational Therapy & Oc-

cupational Science, and an OT with Uni-versity of Maryland St. Joseph MedicalCenter.

According to the CDC, research showsthat doing balance and muscle-strengthen-ing activities each week, along with moder-

ate-intensity aerobic activity like briskwalking, can help reduce the risk of falling.

How to prevent fallsRiley offers some other tips to reduce

your fall risk:• Remove clutter in your home, and walk

carefully when there are potential hazards,such as throw rugs and pets underfoot.

• Arrange furniture so that there is plentyof room to maneuver and to create sturdy bal-ance-catching points throughout the home.

• Add light to dimly lit areas.• Never stand on chairs or similar items

to get to something you can’t reach. Askfor help, or use a sturdy stool with handrail or a ladder.

• Do not use towel bars, sink edges andthe like for support, because they couldcome away from the wall.

• Use a nightlight in the bedroom andbathroom.

• To prevent the bathroom floor from get-ting wet, immediately wipe spills off the floor,

and use a rubber-backed bathmat. Even asmall amount of water can lead to a slip.

• Stay active to maintain overallstrength, endurance and balance.

• Know your limitations. If there is atask you cannot easily complete, do notrisk a fall by trying to do it.

• Have your vision, hearing and medica-tions checked regularly.

While Kohl and Jackson still worryabout falling in the future, they are nowhealed from their latest tumbles.

For Lee Kaufman, however, who willturn 87 in December, the fall she took twomonths ago while out with friends has lefther shaken, and not just because of thebroken wrist and fractured pelvis she suf-fered.

“If I fell again,” she said, “I know thatwould be it for me.”

Kaufman is still experiencing the effectsof her fall, and has been unable to drive,even to doctors’ appointments.

The worst part of falling, she said, is theloss of independence. “It’s hard to findrides. [Her daughters do what they can,but are not always available] and friendsdon’t want to be bothered,” she said.

Making things worse is that Kaufmanhas been a passenger in three car acci-dents since her fall. As a result, she’s notonly afraid of falling, she’s now afraid to re-turn to driving even when the doctor givesher permission to do so.

“This has not been a good six months,”she said. “You get very depressed.”

Local programs aboundFalls are such a serious concern as we

age that a Maryland-wide falls preventioncoalition called Gaitway-2-Better Balancehas been formed. So far, the group has im-

32 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

FROM PAGE 34

Preventing fallsFrom page 1

See PREVENTING FALLS, page 33

M A D E M O S S L U R SA B I T A U T O P U P I LS A S H E T A L I R O N YA C R O S S T R A I N I N GD U E S T A R F A DA S P O O R N F C B U S

A C R O S S M Y H E A R TW A I T A R S A B L YA C R O S S C O U N T R YY E S C E S B A S S E T

P A L S E A L H A IS K U L L A N D A C R O S S

W H E R E S O U R O W E SE M E E R P U C E P E R UB O N E S T E A E R S E

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

HOLIDAY GLASS SHOW AND SALE Parkville Senor Center’s Holiday Glass Sale offers an opportunity

to buy unique holiday gifts and home décor. The sale begins Monday, Dec. 1, and

runs through Friday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, at 8601 Harford Rd. For

more information, call (410) 887-5338.

YULETIDE TEA Arbutus Senior Center hosts a Yuletide tea party and luncheon on

Thursday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, 855A

Sulphur Spring Rd., Halethorpe. Entertainment will be provided by hammered dul-

cimerist Donna Nomick. Cost is $10. RSVP by Dec. 11 to (410) 887-1410.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 1+

Dec. 18

Earth, especially since the dawn of the ma-chine age, is so appalling that I don’t know[if] we can turn it back,” he said during hisinterview.

The poem “No Flag” scorns the pursuitof earthly glory, noting that after “thespeeches the medals the fame” comes the“unmapped cold of death.”

But some of the poems in Moon BeforeMorning are statements of gratitude, like“Variation on a Theme” — a procession of“thank yous” for everything from friend-ship and language to the parts of his body

and his windows “above the rivers.” Work these days can be a struggle for

Merwin, in part because he writes in long-hand (“The computer and I are notfriends,” he explained) and has to makethe letters large in order to read them.Still, the pictures are clear in his mind, andwords themselves make him hopeful.

“I do not have to see/in order to be-lieve,” he writes in “The Color They ComeTo,” from his new collection. “I know thatthe flame tree is flowering/when I seepetals at my feet.”

“I think of one of my greatest heroes,[William Butler] Yeats,” Merwin said. “Hewrote at length — although nothing of

Yeats is too long — about old age. He cameto it with real anger, as though it was anoutrage.

“I think of old age as being a time likethe others,” he continued. “It has its reve-

lations of its own that you can’t come toany other way. I don’t have any of thosefeelings Yeats had at all. I accept [old age]with a certain amount of curiosity.”

— AP

plemented a number of programs through-out the state to educate citizens about theissue.

This coalition includes local rehabilita-tion specialists as well as representativesfrom the Maryland Department of Health& Mental Hygiene Injury Prevention Unit,the Baltimore County Department ofAging, and from academic programs suchas the Towson University Department of

Occupational Therapy, the University ofMaryland at Baltimore School of PhysicalTherapy, and the Notre Dame UniversitySchool of Pharmacy.

The coalition has participated in localprograms such as the Baltimore SeniorExpo in October and the annual Falls Pre-vention Week held in September.

The Baltimore County Department ofAging is also partnering with studentsfrom the Occupational Therapy Assistantprogram at the Community College of Bal-timore County–Catonsville to provide bal-

ance screenings, fall screening evalua-tions, and fall prevention education at Bal-timore County Department of Aging(BDCA) senior centers. Check your localcenter for a schedule.

In addition, the Towson University De-partment of Occupational Therapy & Oc-cupational Science is working on a projectwith the Baltimore County Department ofAging on falls prevention.

Throughout the coming year, seniorcenters throughout the county will offerclasses such as “Tai Chi for Better Bal-

ance” and “EnhanceFitness,” which aredesigned to improve balance, strength,physical performance, postural stabilityand walking; reduce the risks of falls; im-prove self-management; and increase qual-ity of life. For more information on how toregister for a class, call (410) 887-2040.

For information about a fall preventionexercise study being conducted at the Uni-versity of Maryland and the VA MarylandHealth Care System in Baltimore, see“Help find the best exercise to preventfalls,” on page 15 of this issue.


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Preventing fallsFrom page 32

Classifieds Cont. from p. 35

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FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALI-TY VINTAGE FURNISHINGSwanted by a se-rious capable buyer. I am very well educated [lawdegree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the an-tique business] and have the finances and where-withal to handle virtually any situation. If youhave a special item, collection or important estateI would like to hear from you. I pay great prices forgreat things in all categories from oriental rugs toTiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, fromsilver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, Iam interested. No phony promises or messy con-signments. References gladly furnished. Pleasecall Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

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BB12/14

Crossword PuzzleDaily crosswords can be found on our website:

www.TheBeaconNewspapers.comClick on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 32.

Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 32.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43 44

45 46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53

54 55 56 57

58 59 60

61 62 63

64 65 66

Down1. Fortress overlooking the Dead Sea2. You can count on it3. Crumbling neglect4. Logical beginning5. Esteemed musician6. “Get me ___ here!”7. The fourth Beatle8. Ingredient in Chicken Florentine9. Sensational10. Second word of many fairy tales11. Land-line sound12. Cagy15. Suffix for motor, pay, or schnozz21. SCISSOR, kicked of its start22. Questionable27. Tetra- times two28. Las Cruces inst.29. Event with diaper wipes ... and cake30. www.thebeaconnewspapers.com, e.g.31. Pigpen33. Pouches34. B’way sellout sign35. Corn units36. The ___ of the world37. High card41. Himalayan hopefuls42. Divest one’s real estate portfolio43. San Antonio or Oklahoma City44. After-bath powder48. Short cuts and cheat sheets49. Lightweight paper50. Use a Cuisniart51. Foremost part of a pig52. Derive from the facts54. Dumb jerk55. Razor-sharp56. Nile snake57. Clue weapon58. ___ of lies

Across Words by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Crafted5. Eight wks., or more8. Defamations13. 12 1/2 cents14. Mustang or Pinto16. One who sets his sights on knowledge17. Miss America accessory18. And some other folks19. Literary device20. Puzzler’s practice23. Ready to give birth24. Red carpet walker25. Mood ring, or pet rock26. ___ as a church mouse28. Grp, with Eagles, Falcons, and

Seahawks29. Commuter’s option32. Puzzler’s vow36. Sit by the railroad crossing38. Railroad crossing letters39. With competence40. Puzzler’s journey45. Twenty Questions response46. Bridge designers (abbrev.)47. French hound50. Comrade51. Finalize wedding invitations53. “Bali ___”54. Puzzler’s flag (with 64 Across)58. Longest of the five W’s59. “Fine and dandy, like ___ candy”60. Activates a home equity loan61. Islamic prince62. Brownish purple (or purplish brown)63. Nation due south of Delaware64. See 54 Across65. ___ and crumpets66. Conclusion of REV- or DIV-

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 Say you saw it in the Beacon 35

CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

under the fol low ing headings: Business &Employment Opportunities; Caregivers;Computer Services; Entertainment; ForSale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free;Health; Home/ Handy man Services; Mis-cellaneous; Personals; Per son al Services;Va ca tion Opportunities; and Want ed. Forsub mis sion guide lines and dead lines, seethe box on the right.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!The Beacon does not know ing ly ac cept

ob scene, of fen sive, harmful, or fraudulentadvertising. How ev er, we do not in ves ti -gate any ad ver tis ers or their prod ucts andcan not ac cept re spon si bil i ty for the in teg -ri ty of either. Re spon dents to clas si fied ad -ver tis ing should al ways use cau tion andtheir best judg ment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally

accept ad ver tis ing in violation of federal,state, and local laws pro hib it ing dis crim i -na tion based on race, color, national origin,sex, fa mil ial sta tus or handicap in connec-tion with employment or the sale or rentalof real estate.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDDeadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’sissue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reachedin the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone orfax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place apersonal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

For Sale

For Rent/Sale Real Estate

Financial Services

Business and EmploymentOpportunities

For Sale

Home/Handyman Services

Home/Handyman Services

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Classifieds Cont. on p. 33

Clinical ResearchStudies

Alzheimer’s Disease Study . . .15Dementia Caregivers Study . .14HYPNOS Diabetic Sleep Study .15Elderly Falls Study . . . . . . . . .15Parkinson’s Disease Study . . .15

Financial Services Associated, The . . . . . . . . . . . .21Catholic Charities . . . . . . . . . .19Debt Counsel for

Seniors and the Disabled . . .18Golden Real Estate . . . . . . . . .33JSR Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Keeping Money Safe . . . . . . . .21Ridgebrook Insurance . . . . . . .18

Funeral ServicesHolly Hill Memorial Gardens . . .20Sterling Ashton Schwab

Witzke Funeral Home . . . . .26

Hearing ServicesClarity & Comfort

Hearing Center . . . . . . . . . . .11Hearing & Speech Agency . . . . .9Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Home Health CareOptions for Senior America . . . .12

HousingAHEPA Senior Housing . . . . . .7Aigburth Vale Apts . . . . . . . . . .3Alta Regency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Atrium Village . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Benet House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Charlestown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Cove Point Apartments . . . . . .24Ednor Apartments . . . . . . . . . .19Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Greens/Hammond Lane . . . . .24Greens/Irvington Mews . . . . .24Greens/Liberty Road . . . . . . . .24Greens/Rolling Road . . . . . . . .24Liberty Village . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Meadows of Reisterstown . . . .10Memorial Apartments . . . . . . . .5New Shiloh Village . . . . . . . . . .7Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Osprey Landing on Marley

Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Paradise Assisted Living . . . . .21Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . .26Park View Apartments . . . . . .31Shangri-La Assisted Living . . .21St. Mary’s Roland

View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Wayland Village . . . . . . . . . . . .7Weinberg Manor South . . . . . . .7Westminster House Apts . . . . .30

Housing ReferralService

Senior Placement Service/Care Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Legal ServicesFrank, Frank

& Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . .19

Medical/HealthIdeal Health Chiropractic . . . .13Low Vision Specialists of

Maryland & Virginia . . . . . . .9Dr. Stuart Goldman, DPM . . .13Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . .10Progressive Rehab Services . .17Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . .10Smart Pain Management . . . . .14State Health Insurance

Assistance Program . . . . . . . .8

MoversEasy Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

PharmaciesCVS Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . .16Rite Aid Pharmacy . . . . . . . . .22Walgreen’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

RetailSleep Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Wilkens Betway Plaza . . . . . .26

Skilled Nursing &Rehabilitation

Bluepoint Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . .11

Communicare Health . . . . . . .12Forest Haven Nursing

& Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . .8Holly Hill Nursing

& Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . .13Manor Care Health Services . .17Northwest Nursing

& Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . .11

Theatres/Entertainment

Chesapeake Shakespeare . . . .29Columbia Orchestra . . . . . . . .28The Lyric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . .28

Tour & TravelChesapeake Travelers . . . . . . .25Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel . . . . .25

Utility ServicesBGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Fuel Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

VolunteersBaltimore City RSVP . . . . . . .29

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