August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

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VOL.10, NO.8 IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE OVER 50 AUGUST 2013 More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore INSIDE… O u r 1 0 t h Y e a r ! FITNESS & HEALTH 3 k Brain scans can ‘see’ pain k Try these anti-aging drinks LAW & MONEY 18 k Earn 4 to 8% on investments k Why bank stocks are big VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS 22 k Help with medical bills PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE ARTS & STYLE North Oaks artist wins senior center art show; plus, summer stages have diverse offerings page 30 By Carol Sorgen Having logged close to 150,000 miles since he began cycling more than 40 years ago, you might think 92-year-old Joe Datsko would want to take it a bit easy now. Not a chance. The retired University of Michigan engineering professor bikes 10 to 15 miles a day around the 1.3 mile loop road on the campus of the Charlestown re- tirement community in Catonsville, where he lives. And as soon as he bounces back from a foot problem, he’ll be back to his regular rides at Patapsco State Park as well. All in all, this nonagenarian rides nearly 100 miles a week. Datsko didn’t take up cycling until he was 50, when his younger son became in- volved in bike racing. Soon it was a family affair, and Datsko, his late wife Doris and their five children all became avid bikers. Every year the group took a 210-mile bike trek along the Ohio River. “Our first family trip was on Mother’s Day weekend in 1970,” Datsko recalled, “and we’ve been doing it ever since.” Even though his wife has passed away, the entire family — which now numbers about 21, with in-laws and grandchildren — still gets together for an annual reunion (although there’s more reuniting than biking these days). At the age of 71, Datsko moved up to long-distance cycling, doing a cross-coun- try trip. “I put my back wheel in the ocean at Bellingham, Washington, and [for] six days a week for 12 weeks I rode across the country, with a group of 35 people, until I put my front wheel in the ocean at Port- land, Maine,” he recalled. That was the first of five long-distance trips Datsko took: in 1993, cycling from Portland, Maine, to Orlando, Florida; in ’94 from Oceanside, California, across the South to St. Simons Island, Georgia; in ’95, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Ti- juana, Mexico; and in ’97, from Independ- ence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, along the Oregon Trail. A workout “high” for body and brain For many years, cycling brought Datsko the endorphin-induced “high” that active athletes (be they of the weekend or profes- sional variety) talk about. But now, he said, his main reason for getting on the step-through (for easy mounting and dismounting) Trek bike that his kids bought him for his 90th birth- day, is not so much to give his body, but rather his brain, a good workout. “Keep the blood pumping, and your brain will stay healthy,” said Datsko. Research seems to bear him out. In a Time magazine article last fall, titled “Exer- cise Trumps Brain Games in Keeping Our Minds Intact,” University of Edinburgh re- searcher Alan J. Gow said that people in their 70s who participated in more physical exercise had less brain shrinkage and fewer other signs of aging in the brain than those who were less physically active. Previous studies presented at a recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference also found that older adults who exercised regularly had a better mem- or y than those who were less active. And, of course, there are other health benefits as well. Studies conducted at Pur- due University have shown that regular cy- cling can lower your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. Perhaps especially good news for men (and their partners), is that Harvard Uni- versity researchers have found that men 50 and older who cycle for at least three hours a week have a 30 percent lower risk Joe Datsko has pedaled nearly 150,000 miles, including five cross-country bike trips, since he took up cycling at the age of 50. Now 92, he continues to reap the benefits of biking, which not only improves physical health but memory and cognitive skills as well. See CYCLING, page 15 Cycling is all about the journey PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE DATSKO LEISURE & TRAVEL Visitors enjoy feasts for both eyes and stomach in L yon and the French Alps; plus, the joys of mother-daughter traveling page 25

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August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Transcript of August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Page 1: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

VOL.10, NO.8

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0AUGUST 2013More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

I N S I D E …

Our 10th Year!

FITNESS & HEALTH 3k Brain scans can ‘see’ paink Try these anti-aging drinks

LAW & MONEY 18k Earn 4 to 8% on investmentsk Why bank stocks are big

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS 22k Help with medical bills

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

ARTS & STYLENorth Oaks artist wins seniorcenter art show; plus, summerstages have diverse offerings

page 30

By Carol SorgenHaving logged close to 150,000 miles

since he began cycling more than 40 yearsago, you might think 92-year-old Joe Datskowould want to take it a bit easy now. Not a chance. The retired University of

Michigan engineering professor bikes 10to 15 miles a day around the 1.3 mile looproad on the campus of the Charlestown re-tirement community in Catonsville, wherehe lives.And as soon as he bounces back from a

foot problem, he’ll be back to his regularrides at Patapsco State Park as well. All inall, this nonagenarian rides nearly 100miles a week.Datsko didn’t take up cycling until he

was 50, when his younger son became in-volved in bike racing. Soon it was a familyaffair, and Datsko, his late wife Doris andtheir five children all became avid bikers.Every year the group took a 210-mile biketrek along the Ohio River.“Our first family trip was on Mother’s Day

weekend in 1970,” Datsko recalled, “andwe’ve been doing it ever since.” Even thoughhis wife has passed away, the entire family —which now numbers about 21, with in-lawsand grandchildren — still gets together foran annual reunion (although there’s morereuniting than biking these days).At the age of 71, Datsko moved up to

long-distance cycling, doing a cross-coun-try trip. “I put my back wheel in the oceanat Bellingham, Washington, and [for] sixdays a week for 12 weeks I rode across thecountry, with a group of 35 people, until Iput my front wheel in the ocean at Port-land, Maine,” he recalled. That was the first of five long-distance

trips Datsko took: in 1993, cycling fromPortland, Maine, to Orlando, Florida; in ’94from Oceanside, California, across theSouth to St. Simons Island, Georgia; in ’95,from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Ti-juana, Mexico; and in ’97, from Independ-ence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon,along the Oregon Trail.

A workout “high” for body and brainFor many years, cycling brought Datsko

the endorphin-induced “high” that activeathletes (be they of the weekend or profes-sional variety) talk about.

But now, he said, his main reason forgetting on the step-through (for easymounting and dismounting) Trek bikethat his kids bought him for his 90th birth-day, is not so much to give his body, butrather his brain, a good workout. “Keepthe blood pumping, and your brain willstay healthy,” said Datsko. Research seems to bear him out. In a

Time magazine article last fall, titled “Exer-cise Trumps Brain Games in Keeping OurMinds Intact,” University of Edinburgh re-searcher Alan J. Gow said that people intheir 70s who participated in more physicalexercise had less brain shrinkage andfewer other signs of aging in the brain thanthose who were less physically active.

Previous studies presented at a recentAlzheimer’s Association InternationalConference also found that older adultswho exercised regularly had a better mem-ory than those who were less active.And, of course, there are other health

benefits as well. Studies conducted at Pur-due University have shown that regular cy-cling can lower your risk of heart diseaseby 50 percent. Perhaps especially good news for men

(and their partners), is that Harvard Uni-versity researchers have found that men50 and older who cycle for at least threehours a week have a 30 percent lower risk

Joe Datsko has pedaled nearly 150,000 miles, including five cross-country biketrips, since he took up cycling at the age of 50. Now 92, he continues to reap thebenefits of biking, which not only improves physical health but memory and cognitiveskills as well.

See CYCLING, page 15

Cycling is all about the journey

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LEISURE & TRAVELVisitors enjoy feasts for botheyes and stomach in Lyon andthe French Alps; plus, the joysof mother-daughter traveling

page 25

Page 2: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Why do so many of the social issues wecurrently face appear to be intractable?

I think one of the reasonsis that many problems in oursociety are treated as havinga very limited range of solu-tions — as being black andwhite, leaning left or right, of-fering a choice of yes or no,take it or leave it.

A few issues may really pres-ent such a stark choice, at leastsometimes. But most problemsare susceptible to compromise,if people are honest about it.

Sometimes options arelimited because of the forumin which an issue is being addressed. Con-cerning the recent trial of George Zimmer-man for the killing of Trayvon Martin, ourcourts require a clear verdict and a unani-mous one at that. Guilty or not guilty?

But we all know that this is because ourlegal code requires establishing criminalguilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Certain-ly reasonable doubts cloud the space be-tween innocence and guilt in nearly everyhuman interaction. But to reach a verdict,we have to say, “If there’s a reasonabledoubt, there’s no criminal conviction.”

Should a civil trial follow, with a very dif-ferent burden of proof, it may well produce a

different result. What about issues being de-

bated in the forum of the worldpress? Edward Snowden andWikiLeaks would like to treatthe NSA’s gathering of metada-ta as presenting us with a vividchoice. To them and others, itseems we have lost our cher-ished freedoms as Americansand become pawns of BigBrother.

On the other hand, a num-ber of world leaders and indi-viduals involved in diplomacy

and international affairs suggest that gath-ering intelligence from enemies, allies andeven our own citizens is quite old hat anduniversally done.

More nuanced commentators point tothe checks and balances over the NSA —the congressional committees, courts andjudges who take competing interests intoaccount and oversee the process. Becausenational security is at stake, the debatestake place out of the public eye, but theNSA’s requests are indeed judged and reg-ulated.

Seen in this light, the question is: Wheredo we stand along the continuum? Do weneed to balance the interests differently?

Looking closer to home, what about theheated debates over whether Walmartshould be allowed to open in communitiessuch as the District of Columbia?

On one side there are those who arguethat Walmart should be welcomed for pro-viding quality produce and goods at afford-able prices and creating hundreds of jobsfor local citizens.

On the other side are those who say thathuge stores like Walmart decimate smalland independent businesses and pay lowwages that workers cannot live on.

The decision is typically presented inmany communities as a clear choice, present-ing an up or down vote. The D.C. City Coun-cil has brought an element of compromise tothe issue by voting to require a minimum payscale for large employers like Walmart.

Perhaps that could be seen as a middle-ground approach, but it ought to havebeen introduced at the start of the process,not as an afterthought once three storeswere under construction.

Finally, I turn to the issue of govern-ment entitlements: Social Security andMedicare. Here, too, we hear argumentssetting up a battle to the death.

Seniors who have long been promised asecure retirement with inflation adjust-ments — who worked hard for decades,fought in national wars, scrimped and savedfor years — feel it’s completely unfair tochange the rules at this time of their lives.

Others point out that rising longevityhas extended by decades the years that

benefits are being paid, and that the retire-ment of the baby boom generation justnow getting underway will, in a few years,be diverting two-thirds of discretionaryfederal dollars to senior programs, to thedetriment of every other government pro-gram, including those for children, educa-tion, research, transportation and more.

Here, I think it should be clear that a vari-ety of solutions exist. Yes, there are compet-ing interests and legitimate points to be madeon both sides. But there are also ways of ad-justing payments to help the truly needy byreducing benefits to the truly wealthy with-out undermining the whole enterprise.

I have written many times about thechanges that can be carefully crafted toprotect those already retired or close to re-tirement. And I have pointed out that rela-tively subtle adjustments to different ele-ments of Social Security and Medicare canspread the pain among different groups,over a period of many years.

Yes, some problems are intractable, anda rare few may even present a zero-sumgame. But if we’re willing to step back andlisten to each other, admit there are goodarguments on both sides, and make a seri-ous effort at compromise, we may find thatmany of our most divisive issues can bereasonably resolved.

I certainly believe entitlement reform iscapable of such a solution, and I urgeeveryone to start considering it. We owe itto ourselves and to our progeny.

Intractable problems

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed inthe 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.

Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:The article “How to become more creative

later in life” in the July issue is interesting andstimulating. But it focuses far too narrowlyon artistic creativity. There is quite anotherdimension that needs to be recognized.

If you had a career in a profession in se-rious science, such as being a universityprofessor (as I was), you had to stick to ex-isting orthodoxies if you wanted to attaintenure and funding for your work. If youwanted to feed your family, it would havebeen foolish to do otherwise.

When you retire, many of these con-strictions have been lifted. You can nowfollow some of your long-delayed dreams.

Since age 65 I have published four books— two self-published and two published bya university press. All of these are outsidethe mainstream; all allow me the luxury offollowing my creative yearnings.

I am convinced that I am not alone inhaving creative yearnings that were too-

long delayed, but are by no means dead.My website, QuestForEffectiveLiving.com,

describes my most recent book, an effort tojump-start a new science about the socialspace in which we humans live.

Fred Emil KatzBaltimore

Dear Editor:I love reading every article in the Bea-

con. Thank you for such valuable informa-tion every month.

I wholeheartedly agree with the columnin the July issue, “What is private any-more?” Who can we trust?

Whenever I go to my doctors, at the firstvisit, I’m asked to sign the HIPAA privacyform. Because I am a very private person,I do not divulge my e-mail address at mostof my initial visits.

I had cataract surgery in December.Shortly after my initial visit to my doctor, I

2 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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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 2013 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 for $12 or

via first-class mail for $36, pre paid with order. MD residentsadd 6 percent for sales tax. Send sub scrip tion order to the office listed below.

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

• Publishing Assistant ....................Rebekah Sewell

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 35

Page 3: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Marilynn MarchioneIn a provocative new study, scientists re-

ported that they were able to “see” pain onbrain scans and, for the first time, measureits intensity and tell whether a drug wasrelieving it. Though the research is in itsearly stages, it opens the door to manypossibilities.

Scans might be used someday to tellwhen pain is hurting a baby, someone withdementia, or a paralyzed person unable totalk. They might lead to new, less addictivepain medicines. They might even help ver-ify claims for disability.

“Many people suffer from chronic pain,and they’re not always believed. We see thisas a way to confirm or corroborate pain ifthere is a doubt,” said Tor Wager, a neurosci-entist at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

He led the research, published in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine. So far it is onlyon pain felt through the skin — heat appliedto an arm. More study needs to be done onmore common kinds of pain, such asheadaches, bad backs and pain from disease.

Pain is the top reason people see a doctor,and there’s no way to quantify how bad it isother than what they say. A big quest in neu-roscience is to find tests or scans that can helpdiagnose ailments with mental and physicalcomponents such as pain, depression andPTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Looking for pain’s “signature”Although many studies have found

brain areas that light up when pain is pres-

ent, the new work is the first to develop acombined signature from all these signalsthat can be used to measure pain.

“This is very exciting work. They madea huge breakthrough in thinking aboutbrain patterns,” said Dr. David Shurtleff,acting deputy director of the National Insti-tute on Drug Abuse, which helped sponsorthe research. “We need a brain-based sig-nature for pain. Self-report doesn’t cut it.It’s not reliable, it’s not accurate.”

The research involved four experimentsat Columbia University approved by a panelto ensure no participants were harmed. Inall, 114 healthy volunteers were paid $50 to$200 to be tested with a heating elementplaced against a forearm at various tempera-tures, not severe enough to cause burns orlasting damage. Some of the experiments re-quired them to stand it for 10 to 20 seconds.

“It’s like holding a hot cup of coffee thatyou really want to put down but can’t quiteyet,” Wager said.

Functional magnetic resonance imag-ing, or fMRI scans, which don’t require ra-diation as X-rays do, recorded changes inbrain activity as measured by blood flow.Computers were used to generate signa-tures or patterns from these readings.

The first set of experiments on 20 peopledeveloped signatures for pain versus the an-ticipation of it or mild warmth on the arm.The second experiment validated these sig-natures in 33 other people and found theypredicted how much pain they said they felt.

“It’s really what seems to be a true meas-

ure of the experience that the patient’s hav-ing,” and it gives a number to pain severitythat can guide care, said one expert with norole in the studies, Dr. Costantino Iadecola,director of the Brain and Mind Research In-stitute at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Measuring emotional pain, tooResearchers took their work a step fur-

ther with the third experiment, which in-volved 40 people who recently lost a seri-ous love relationship and were feeling in-tensely rejected. Besides the heat tests,they had scans while being shown a pic-ture of their former partners and then apicture of a good friend. Researchersfound the brain signatures for social or

emotional pain were different from theones for physical pain.

“That’s very provocative,” said Dr. AllanRopper, a neurologist at Brigham andWomen’s and Harvard University who wrotea commentary in the journal. The signaturesseem highly accurate and able to distinguishphysical pain from other kinds, he said.

In the fourth experiment, researchersgave 21 participants two infusions of a mor-phine-like drug while they were beingscanned and having the heat tests. The firsttime, they knew they were getting the drug.The second time they were told they weregetting dummy infusions but in fact got the

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 3

HealthFitness &FROM IMMOBILE TO MOBILEMotor-powered exoskeletons help theparalyzed to walk again

ANTI-AGING DRINKSThese drinks aren’t the fountain ofyouth, but they do slow aging

LYME DISEASE LIMBOTo diagnose Lyme disease, other diseases must be ruled out first

DO YOU HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL?If so, help test a new drug at the SinaiCenter for Thrombosis Research

Brain scans can ‘see’ and measure pain

See BRAIN SCANS, page 4

Page 4: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

drug again. Brain signatures showed theirpain was being relieved both times in propor-tion to how much drug was in their systems.

“This is beginning to open a new wedgeinto brain science,” Ropper said. “Theremay be completely novel ways of treating

pain by focusing on these areas of thebrain rather than on conventional medica-tions, which block pain impulses from get-ting into the spinal cord and brain.”

Shurtleff also said he hoped the re-search would lead to newer drugs. “Wewant medications that can reduce this sig-nature and don’t show a signature for ad-diction,” he said. — AP

Q: Does exercise increase yourchances of developing plantar fasciitisor help protect against it?

A: Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation in aband of tissue that runs from your heel to thebones in the ball of your foot, and it makeswalking quite painful. One of the most com-mon orthopedic complaints involving thefeet, it most often occurs after age 40.

Exercise increases your risk of plantarfasciitis if you run long distances, especial-ly on hills or uneven surfaces, or exercisein shoes that don’t provide enough sup-port in the arch of the foot or padding inthe heel.

On the other hand, risk of plantar fasci-itis also increases with excess body weightor when the Achilles tendon (the tendon

connecting the muscles in the calf of yourleg to your heel) gets tight.

Adequate exercise is a key factor inavoiding weight gain, and proper stretch-ing to keep ankles, calf muscles andAchilles tendons flexible helps reduce riskof plantar fasciitis.

One of the main symptoms of plantarfasciitis is heel pain when you first get outof bed or stand up after sitting for an ex-tended time. The pain usually gets betteras you walk a bit more, but gets worse asthe day continues.

If you think you have plantar fasciitis,see your healthcare provider to makesure this is the cause of your pain. It cantake quite awhile for the problem to re-solve, but most people do feel better

within a year if they take certain actions. Because it can take so long to improve, and

can pose such an obstacle to theexercise that keeps you healthy,it’s important to talk with yourdoctor about how much to rest,how to gradually add activityback in, and what sort of shoes,inserts, stretching exercises oreven night splints on your footyou might need.

Work with your healthcareprovider to find alternativeways to be physically active ina way that is safe and comfort-able for you.

The American Academy ofFamily Practice websiteshows two stretches that are recommend-ed to be done twice a day to help resolveor prevent plantar fasciitis, but do makesure to get individualized advice fromyour doctor before you try them if you al-ready have this condition.

To see the stretches, scroll halfway downthis web page: http://bit.ly/plantarfascitis.

Q: I’ve heard that watermelon is agood source of lycopene. Is watermel-on as good a source of lycopene astomatoes?

A: Watermelon is rich in lycopene, aphytochemical that is a carotenoid “cousin”to beta-carotene.

Lycopene from watermelon seems to bewell absorbed without the cooking or pres-ence of fat that so markedly increases howmuch lycopene we absorb from tomatoes.Research is limited, but in one humanstudy, lycopene from raw watermelon juicewas absorbed as well as the lycopene fromheat-treated tomato juice.

Tomato juice has been used in manystudies because it’s been shown to effec-

tively provide lycopene thatmay help reduce risk ofprostate cancer.

And in a laboratory studythat tried to mimic human di-gestion processes to see howcarotenoid compounds are af-fected, researchers calculatedthat in equal weight portions,more lycopene would be ab-sorbed from raw watermelonthan from raw tomatoes.

When you bring it home,keep uncut watermelon atroom temperature for up to aweek or until fully ripe. Not

only will the melon get better tasting, re-search on uncut watermelon shows that ly-copene content may even increase duringroom temperature storage.

Watermelon is also an excellent sourceof vitamin C, and it holds on to virtually allof its vitamin C and carotenoid compoundsduring this storage period.

Refrigerate the watermelon once it’sripe or after you’ve cut it in pieces, and usewithin five days. The American Institute for Cancer Re-

search offers 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 business days.Courtesy of the American Institute for

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

Exercise can cause or prevent foot pain

NUTRITIONWISEBy Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM

4 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Brain scansFrom page 3

Page 5: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Marilynn MarchioneA new genetic test to gauge the aggres-

siveness of prostate cancer may help tensof thousands of men each year decidewhether they need to treat their cancerright away or can safely monitor it.

The new test, which went on sale in May,joins another one that came on the marketearlier this year. Both analyze multiplegenes in a biopsy sample and give a scorefor aggressiveness, similar to tests usednow for certain breast and colon cancers.

Doctors say tests like these have the po-tential to curb a major problem in cancercare — overtreatment. Prostate tumorsusually grow so slowly they will neverthreaten a man’s life, but some prove fatal— and there is no reliable way now to tellwhich ones are which type.

Treatment with surgery, radiation orhormone blockers isn’t needed in mostcases and can cause impotence or inconti-nence, yet most men are afraid to skip it.

“We’re not giving patients enough infor-mation to make their decision,” said Dr.Peter Carroll, chairman of urology at theUniversity of California, San Francisco.“You can shop for a toaster” better than forprostate treatment, he said.

Enter the Oncotype testA study he led of the newest test — the

Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score —was discussed at an American UrologicalAssociation meeting in San Diego in May.

The results suggest the test could triplethe number of men thought to be at suchlow risk for aggressive disease that moni-toring is a clearly safe option. Conversely,the test also suggested some tumors weremore aggressive than doctors had believed.

Independent experts say such a test isdesperately needed, but that it’s unclear howmuch information this one adds or whetherit will be enough to persuade men with low-risk tumors to forgo treatment, and treat itonly if it gets worse. Only 10 percent who arecandidates for monitoring choose it now.

“The question is, what’s the magnitude ofdifference that would change the patient’smind?” said Dr. Bruce Roth, a cancer spe-cialist at Washington University in St. Louis.

One man may view a 15 percent chancethat his tumor is aggressive as low risk,“but someone else might say, ‘Oh my God,let’s set the surgery up tomorrow,’” hesaid. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk.”

Also unknown: Will insurers pay for theexpensive test without evidence it leads tobetter care or saves lives?

The newest test was developed by Ge-nomic Health Inc., which has sold a similar

New test aids prostate treatment decisionB A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 5

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Page 6: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

one for breast cancer since 2004. Doctors atfirst were leery of it until studies in moregroups of women proved its value, and thesame may happen with the prostate test,said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Can-cer Society’s deputy chief medical officer.

The company will charge $3,820 for theprostate test and says it can save money byavoiding costlier, unnecessary treatment.Another test for assessing prostate cancerrisk that came out last summer — Prolarisby Myriad Genetics Inc. — sells for $3,400.

Both companies can sell the tests with-out Food and Drug Administration ap-proval under separate rules that governlab diagnostics.

Myriad Genetics has published nine stud-ies on Prolaris involving more than 3,000 pa-tients. Genomic Health has not publishedany results on its prostate test, another thingthat makes doctors wary. Yet it has a trackrecord from its breast cancer test.

About 240,000 men in the U.S. are diag-nosed with prostate cancer each year, andabout half are classified as low risk usingcurrent methods. Doctors now base riskestimates on factors such as a man’s age

and how aggressive cells look from biop-sies that give 12 to 14 tissue samples. Buttumors often are spread out and vary fromone spot to the other.

“Unless you can be sure your biopsy hashit the most aggressive part that’s in theprostate, you can’t be sure” how accurateyour risk estimate is, explained Dr. EricKlein, chief of urology at the ClevelandClinic, who led early development of theOncotype prostate cancer test.

Testing the test For one study, researchers used prostates

removed from 440 men. They measured theactivity of hundreds of genes thought to beinvolved in whether the cancer spread be-yond the prostate or proved fatal.

A second study of biopsies from 167 pa-tients narrowed it down to 81 genes, andresearchers picked 17 that seemed to pre-dict aggressiveness no matter the locationin the tumor.

A third study used single-needle biopsysamples from 395 UCSF patients scheduled

to have their prostates removed. The genetest accurately predicted the aggressive-ness of their cancer once doctors were ableto see the whole prostate after surgery.

Using one current method, 37 of the 395men would have been called very low riskand good candidates for monitoring.Adding the gene test put 100 men into thatcategory, said another study leader, Dr.Matthew Cooperberg of UCSF. The genetest shifted about half of the men into ei-ther a lower or a higher risk category.

“It went both ways — that was the re-markable thing. In any category of risk itadded independent information comparedto the standard criteria we use today,” Car-roll said. “More work needs to be done, but,in my opinion, this is a very good start.”

However, Dr. Kevin McVary, chairmanof urology at Southern Illinois UniversitySchool of Medicine and a spokesman forthe Urological Association, said the testmust be validated in more men before itcan be widely used.

“It’s not there yet,” he said. — AP

6 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Page 7: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 7

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Page 8: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Carla K. JohnsonWhen Michael Gore stands, it’s a tri-

umph of science and engineering. Eleven

years ago, Gore was paralyzed from thewaist down in a workplace accident, yet herises from his wheelchair and walks across

the room with help from a lightweight“powered exoskeleton.”

The technology has many nicknames.Besides exoskeleton, the inventions arealso called “electronic legs” or “wearablerobots.”

This version, called Indego, is amongseveral competing products being usedand tested in U.S. rehab hospitals that holdpromise not only for people such as Gorewith spinal injuries, but also those recover-ing from strokes or afflicted with multiplesclerosis and cerebral palsy.

Still at least a year away from the mar-ket, the 27-pound Indego is the lightest ofthe powered exoskeletons. It snaps togeth-er from pieces that fit into a backpack. Thegoal is for the user to be able to carry it ona wheelchair, put it together, strap it onand walk independently.

None of the products, including the In-dego, are yet approved by U.S. regulatorsfor personal use, meaning they must beused under the supervision of a physicaltherapist.

Gore, 42, of Whiteville, N.C., demon-strated the device last month at the Ameri-can Spinal Injury Association meeting inChicago, successfully negotiating a noisy,crowded hallway of medical professionalsand people with spinal injuries in wheel-chairs.

When he leans forward, the devicetakes a first step. When he tilts from sideto side, it walks. When Gore wants tostop, he leans back and the robotic legbraces come to a halt. Gore uses forearmcrutches for balance. A battery in the hippiece powers the motors in the roboticlegs.

“Being able to speak with you eye-to-eyeis just a big emotional boost,” Gore said toa reporter. “Being able to walk up to you

and say hello is not a big thing until youcannot do it.”

Some drawbacksThe devices won’t replace wheelchairs,

which are faster. None of the devices arespeedy enough, for example, for a para-lyzed person to walk across a street be-fore the light changes, said Arun Jayara-man of the Rehabilitation Institute ofChicago, who is testing a number of simi-lar devices.

“None of them have fall prevention tech-nology,” Jayaraman added. “If the personfalls, they can hurt themselves badly. Ifyou fall down, how do you get off a robotthat is strapped into you?” In addition, theyneed to be even lighter and have longer-lasting batteries, he said.

Still, Jayaraman said, the devices mighthelp prevent pressure sores from sittingtoo long in a wheelchair, improve hearthealth, develop muscle strength, lift de-pression and ultimately bring down med-ical costs by keeping healthier patients outof the hospital.

Made by several companiesCompanies in Israel, New Zealand and

California make competing devices, and allthe products are becoming less bulky asthey are refined.

The Indego was invented at VanderbiltUniversity in Nashville and tested at theShepherd Center, a rehabilitation hospitalin Atlanta. It’s now licensed to Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corp., whichmakes precision engineered products likeaircraft wheels and brakes.

It’s unclear exactly how much the de-vices will cost if they become available for

Exoskeletons enable paralyzed to walk8 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

See EXOSKELETONS, page 10

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Page 9: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Brierley WrightAging is inevitable. And there are many

variables involved in how long you live. But you can also add years to your life

by making smarter food choices. Helpkeep your mind razor-sharp and body fine-ly honed with these anti-aging drinks:

1. Pink grapefruit juice for smootherskin

Pink grapefruit gets its pink-red huefrom lycopene, a carotenoid that’ll keepyour skin smooth, according to a smallstudy published in the European Journal ofPharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. Re-searchers found that of the 20 individualsstudied, those who had higher skin con-centrations of lycopene had smoother skin.

2. Alcohol to ward off Alzheimer’sdisease

Drinking alcohol — moderately, whichis one glass a day for women and two dailyfor men — may ward off dementia andAlzheimer’s disease.

As we age, brain cells die, leading togaps that slow nerve transmission withinthe brain and between the brain and therest of the body.

Moderate drinking appears to somehowprevent these “potholes.” (Scientists aren’tsure why.) In high doses, however, alcoholkills brain cells, leading to brain damagethat may manifest itself as permanentmemory loss.

3. Cocoa for a healthier heartThe Kuna people of the San Blas is-

lands, off the coast of Panama, have a rateof heart disease nine times less than thatof mainland Panamanians.

The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of abeverage made with generous proportionsof cocoa, which is unusually rich in fla-vanols that help preserve the healthy func-tion of blood vessels.

Maintaining youthful blood vessels low-ers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 dia-betes, kidney disease and dementia.

4. Beet juice to beat dementiaBeets are rich in naturally occurring ni-

trates, which — unlike unhealthy artificialnitrates found in processed meat — maybe beneficial.

In a 2011 study in the journal NitricOxide, older adults who ate a nitrate-richdiet got a boost in blood flow to the frontallobe of their brains — an area commonly as-sociated with dementia. Poor blood flowcontributes to age-related cognitive decline.

Scientists think that the nitrates’ nitricoxide, a compound that keeps blood ves-sels supple, helps increase brain bloodflow. Cabbages and radishes also naturallycontain nitrates.

5. Green tea to fight inflammationEven if coffee is your beverage of

choice, don’t bag tea altogether, especiallygreen tea. Green tea is full of potent an-tioxidants that help quell inflammation.

Chronic inflammation plays a significantrole — as either a cause or effect — inmany diseases, including type 2 diabetes,autoimmune diseases and the three top

killers in the United States: heart disease,cancer and stroke.

In fact, researchers from Texas TechUniversity Health Sciences Center in Lub-bock recently found that green tea can in-hibit oxidative stress and the potential in-flammation that may result from it.

“After 24 weeks, people who consumed500 mg. of green tea polyphenols daily —that’s about 4 to 6 cups of tea — halvedtheir oxidative stress levels,” said LeslieShen, Ph.D., the study’s lead author. (Theplacebo group didn’t see a single change.)

6. Soy milk for firm skin and fewerwrinkles

The isoflavones in soymilk may help topreserve skin-firming collagen. In a studypublished in the Journal of the AmericanCollege of Nutrition, mice fed isoflavonesand exposed to UV radiation had fewerwrinkles and smoother skin than mice that

were exposed to UV light but didn’t getisoflavones. The researchers think thatisoflavones help prevent collagen break-down.

7. Milk to build muscle mass andstrength

Studies show that we lose 1/2 to 1 per-cent of our lean muscle mass each year,starting as early as our 30s. Musclestrength also declines by 12 to 15 percent

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 9

I’m here for you.Sharta Johnson and Comios Shaw, café chefs, have happy assignments at North Oaks – preparing and serving the kind of fare that puts smiles on people’s faces. Whether scheduled in the main dining room or the Acorn Café, Sharta and Comios connect with residents daily – and know their tastes and culinary needs. Friendliness is the common ingredient in their interactions with everyone. Being well taken care of by great people like these will be on the menu when you live here.

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When you live in this senior living community, you’ll

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Please call (410) 486-9090 to learn more.

Stay sharp with these 11 anti-aging drinks

See ANTI-AGING DRINKS, page 10

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Page 10: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

personal use. Some technology newsmedia reports have said $50,000 to$75,000.

Indego’s makers want to bring the costbelow that, said co-inventor Ryan Farris ofParker Hannifin. Experts say it will takeyears of research to prove health benefitsbefore Medicare and private insurancecompanies would consider covering theexpense.

Paul Tobin, president of the nonprofitadvocacy group United Spinal, said wear-able robots present an exciting opportuni-ty, but that patients should keep their ex-pectations realistic.

“It’s going to be critical that peoplehave a thorough medical evaluation be-fore trying something like this, especiallyif they’ve been injured for some time,”Tobin said. “It won’t be appropriate foreveryone. For some people, it will be agodsend.”

— AP

per decade. The amino acids in protein are the build-

ing blocks of muscle — and one aminoacid, called leucine, is particularly good atturning on your body’s muscle-buildingmachinery.

Once that muscle-building switch isflipped — you need to do this at each meal— you’re better able to take in the aminoacids (of any type) from protein in your diet.

Milk contains whey protein, an excel-lent source of leucine. Other dairy prod-

ucts, such as Greek yogurt, as well as leanmeat, fish and soy, such as edamame andtofu, are also rich in this amino acid.

8. Carrot juice for memoryCarrots contain luteolin, a flavonoid be-

lieved to reduce inflammation that canlead to cognitive decline.

In a 2010 study published in the Journalof Nutrition, mice that ate a diet that in-cluded luteolin had better spatial memory(e.g., how quickly they found a platform ina water maze) and less inflammation thanmice that didn’t get any luteolin. Luteolinis also found in bell peppers, celery, rose-mary and thyme.

9. Coffee may protect against skincancer

Drinking a single cup of coffee daily maylower your risk of developing skin cancer.

In one study of more than 93,000women, published in the European Journalof Cancer Prevention, those who drank 1cup of caffeinated coffee a day reducedtheir risk of developing nonmelanoma skincancer by about 10 percent. And the morethey drank — up to about 6 cups or so perday — the lower their risk. Decaf didn’tseem to offer the same protection.

10. Water for better breathWater keeps your throat and lips moist

and prevents your mouth from feeling dry.Dry mouth can cause bad breath and/oran unpleasant taste — and can even pro-mote cavities.

11. Orange juice for eye health

Studies show that people with low levels ofantioxidants are more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) thanthose with higher levels. (AMD is the leadingcause of blindness in people over 60.)

Vitamin C, abundant in orange juice, isone antioxidant that seems to be especiallyprotective against the disease. (Other an-tioxidants include vitamin E, lutein andzeaxanthin.)

While it’s not completely clear how an-tioxidants protect your eyes, it seems thatthey accumulate in the retina where theycan mop up free radicals, compounds thatdamage cells by starving them of oxygen.EatingWell is a magazine and website de-

voted to healthy eating as a way of life. On-line at www.eatingwell.com.© 2013 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by

Tribune Media Services, Inc.

10 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Anti-aging drinksFrom page 9

ExoskeletonsFrom page 8

Page 11: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Mike StobbeThey sweep. They swab. They sterilize.

And still the germs persist.In U.S. hospitals, an estimated 1 in 20

patients pick up infections they didn’t havewhen they arrived, some caused by dan-gerous “superbugs” that are hard to treat.

The rise of these superbugs, along with in-creased pressure from the government andinsurers, is driving hospitals to try all sortsof new approaches to stop their spread:

Machines that resemble “Star Wars” ro-bots and emit ultraviolet light or hydrogenperoxide vapors. Germ-resistant copperbed rails, call buttons and IV poles. Antimi-crobial linens, curtains and wall paint.

While these products can help get aroom clean, their true impact is still debat-able. There is no widely-accepted evidencethat these inventions have prevented infec-tions or deaths.

Meanwhile, insurers are pushing hospi-tals to do a better job, and the govern-ment’s Medicare program has moved tostop paying bills for certain infectionscaught in the hospital.

“We’re seeing a culture change” in hospi-tals, said Jennie Mayfield, who tracks infec-tions at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Those hospital infections are tied to an es-timated 100,000 deaths each year and add asmuch as $30 billion a year in medical costs,according to the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention. The agency last monthsounded an alarm about a “nightmare bacte-ria” resistant to one class of antibiotics. Thatkind is still rare, but it showed up last year inat least 200 hospitals.

C-diff especially difficultHospitals started paying attention to infec-

tion control in the late 1880s, when mountingevidence showed unsanitary conditions

were hurting patients. Hospital hygiene hasbeen a concern ever since, with a renewedemphasis triggered by the emergence adecade ago of a nasty strain of intestinal bugcalled Clostridium difficile, or C-diff.

The diarrhea-causing C-diff is now linkedto 14,000 U.S. deaths annually. That’s beenthe catalyst for the growing focus on infec-tion control, said Mayfield, who is also pres-ident-elect of the Association for Profession-als in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

C-diff is easier to treat than some otherhospital superbugs, like methicillin-resist-ant staph, or MRSA. But it’s particularlydifficult to clean away. Alcohol-based handsanitizers don’t work, and C-diff can per-sist on hospital room surfaces for days.

The CDC recommends hospital staffclean their hands rigorously with soap andwater — or better yet, wear gloves. Androoms should be cleaned intensively withbleach, the CDC says.

Complicating matters is the fact that larg-er proportions of hospital patients today aresicker and more susceptible to the ravagesof infections, said Dr. Marisa Montecalvo, acontagious diseases specialist.

There’s a growing recognition that it’s notonly surgical knives and operating roomsthat need a thorough cleaning, but also spotslike bed rails and even television remote con-trols, she said. Now there’s more attention tomaking sure “that all the nooks and cranniesare clean, and that it’s done in as perfect amanner as can be done,” Montecalvo said.

Portable germ-killing machine Enter companies like Xenex Healthcare

Services, a San Antonio company thatmakes a portable, $125,000 machine that’srolled into rooms to zap C-diff and otherbacteria and viruses dead with ultravioletlight. Xenex has sold or leased devices to

more than 100 U.S. hospitals.The market niche is expected to grow

from $30 million to $80 million in the nextthree years, according to Frost & Sullivan,

a market research firm.Mark Stibich, Xenex’s chief scientific of-

Varied ways to fight hospital infections B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 11

See SUPERBUGS, page 12

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Page 12: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

ficer, said client hospitals sometimes callthem robots and report improved satisfac-tion scores from patients who seem im-pressed that the medical center is trottingout that kind of technology.

At Cooley Dickinson Hospital, a 140-bedfacility in Northampton, Massachusetts,the staff calls their machines Thing One,Thing Two, Thing Three and Thing Four,borrowing from the children’s book TheCat in the Hat.

But while the things in the Dr. Seusstale were house-wrecking imps, CooleyDickinson officials said the ultraviolet hasdone a terrific job at cleaning their hospitalof the difficult C-diff.

“We did all the recommended things. We

used bleach. We monitored the quality ofcleaning,” but C-diff rates wouldn’t budge,said nurse Linda Riley, who’s in charge ofinfection prevention at Cooley Dickinson.

A small observational study at the hospi-tal showed C-diff infection rates fell by halfand C-diff deaths fell from 14 to 2 duringthe last two years, compared to the twoyears before the machines.

Hand washing is still keySome experts say there’s not enough evi-

dence to show the machines are worth it. Nonational study has shown that these prod-ucts have led to reduced deaths or infectionrates, noted Dr. L. Clifford McDonald of theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

His point: It only takes a minute for anurse or visitor with dirty hands to walkinto a room, touch a vulnerable patient

with germy hands, and undo the benefitsof a recent space-age cleaning.

“Environments get dirty again,” McDon-ald said, and thorough cleaning with con-ventional disinfectants ought to do the job.

Beyond products to disinfect a room,there are tools to make sure doctors, nurs-es and other hospital staff are properlycleaning their hands when they come intoa patient’s room. Among them are scan-ners that monitor how many times ahealthcare worker uses a sink or hand san-itizer dispenser.

Still, “technology only takes us so far,”said Christian Lillis, who runs a smallfoundation named after his mother, whodied from a C-diff infection.

Lillis said the hospitals he is most im-

pressed with include Swedish Covenant Hos-pital in Chicago, where thorough cleaningsare confirmed with spot checks. Fluorescentpowder is dabbed around a room before it’scleaned and a special light shows if the pow-der was removed. That strategy was followedby a 28 percent decline in C-diff, he said.

He also cites Advocate Christ MedicalCenter in Oak Lawn, Illinois, where thefocus is on elbow grease and bleach wipes.What’s different, he said, is the merger ofthe housekeeping and infection preventionstaff. That emphasizes that cleaning is lessabout being a maid’s service than aboutsaving patients from superbugs.

“If your hospital’s not clean, you’re cre-ating more problems than you’re solving,”Lillis said. — AP

12 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Just come in.Open House on Saturdays from 2:00 to 4:00.

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When someone you love needs care, you worry about them all the time. The process of finding the support they need in a place they’re comfortable can be overwhelming.

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SuperbugsFrom page 11

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seminar on Monday, July 29, at 11 a.m. at the Overlea Senior

Center, 4314 Fullerton Ave. For more information, call (410) 887-5220.

SEEDS OF HOPE BEREAVEMENT GROUPSeeds of Hope, a bereavement group offered by the Palliative

Care Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview, meets the first Tuesday

of every month from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Care Center Conference Room in the

John R. Burton Pavilion, 4940 Eastern Ave. The next meeting will be Aug. 6. For

more information, call (410) 550-0291.

BEACON BITS

July 29

Aug. 6+

Page 13: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Dear Pharmacist:On Facebook, you said people catch

Lyme disease from theirpets, which tote ticks.That’s how I got Lyme,and I have Bartonella, too.

I found this out thanksto you, and it explainedmy symptoms of jointpain, confusion, memoryloss and seizures. I owemy life to you! — D.C.Dear D.C.:

Thank you. Lyme is thefastest growing epidemic inthe United States. It’s been afocus for me ever since myfirst column which sparked thousands of“atta girl” emails from 27 countries.

Few medical journalists tackle Lyme be-cause it’s extremely controversial. Yousee, some physicians don’t believe chronicLyme exists, and there’s a huge divideabout treatment protocols.

So while the docs are busy arguingabout whether it’s real, and how long totreat it, most Lymies are misdiagnosed.They bounce from doctor to doctor, sufferbeyond belief, and some die. Others wantto.

There are 30 Bartonella-like or “Bart”species. You can get infected from cat

bites/scratches, mites, fleas, mosquitoes,biting flies and ticks. Sadly, antibody blood

tests only detect a few strains.So your test result may saynegative for Bart (and Lymefor that matter), but you stillhave it.

Physicians unaware of thelimitations of standard ELISAblood tests mistakenly accepta “negative” result and diag-nose you with a neurologicalor autoimmune disease, fi-bromyalgia, CFS or any one of300 diseases that Lyme mim-ics.

It’s a terrible oversight be-cause you might really have Lyme and co-infections like Bart, Babesia or Ehrlichia.

I’m sure you are alarmed by now, but doyou realize there’s no conclusive test for fi-bromyalgia or CFS? These are diagnosesof “exclusion,” meaning your doctor testsyou and rules out every other disease be-fore stamping you with fibro/CFS.

But you must ask if Lyme and Bartonel-la have been ruled out properly by capa-ble, specialized laboratories. For Lyme, Irecommend testing by Igenex Labs. ForBartonella, I recommend either Igenex orGalaxy Labs. With all their limitations,they’re still more reliable than standard

ELISA tests, which are frequently wrong.I interviewed a Lyme-literate medical

doctor, Marty Ross, M.D. who said, “Ioften make my decision to treat Bartonellabased on symptoms. If you have enoughBartonella symptoms, you should be treat-ed for the infection regardless of testing.” Isuggest you get Dr. Ross’s free treatmentmanual from www.TreatLyme.net.

Bart symptoms include chronic fatigue,pain, muscle twitching (fasciculations),anxiety, depression, abdominal pain, vom-iting, fever/chills, autistic-like symptoms,hallucinations, neuropathy, tinnitus, jointpain, skin rash, stretch marks, memoryloss, brain fog, cystitis and excessive daysweats.

Bartonella affects the brain. It also af-fects vision, causing conjunctivitis, for-eign body sensation, vision loss, opticneuritis, redness, blurriness and lightsensitivity.

I have more to say. To receive an ex-tended version of my article, sign up formy free newsletter at www.DearPharma-cist.com. I also recommend an excellentbook by Stephen Harrod Buhner calledHealing Lyme Disease Co-infections, avail-able from Amazon.com.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. Visit SuzyCohen at www.dearpharmacist.com.

Pets and bugs can transmit Lyme disease

DEAR PHARMACISTBy Suzy Cohen

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 13

COMMUNITY AMENITIES• Beautiful club room with theatreand demonstration kitchen

• Salon• Indoor saltwater pool• Yoga studio & classes• Bingo, and many moreplanned activities

• Movie theatre & Billiards Room• Business center – 24 hours• Incredible courtyard and meditation garden with koi pond and gazebo

• Guest suites

Regency Crest is an extraordinarily carefree community because ofthe convenient lifestyle enjoyed by those who live here. We go theextra mile to provide our residents with distinctive amenities andservice that cannot be found in ordinary active adult communities.

3305 Oak West DriveEllicott City, MD 21043855.446.1131

www.RegencySeniorApartments.comPLANNED ACTIVITIES SUCH ASWATER AEROBICS, RESIDENT MIXERS, COOKING CLASSES, ZUMBA, MOVIE NIGHTS, BBQ’S AND MANY MORE!

APARTMENT HOMES FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 62 OR BETTER

300 W. Seminary AvenueLutherville MD, 21093 | 410-252-0440www.collegemanor.com

Family Operated Since 1952Spacious private rooms

Nutritious and delicious mealsCompassionate Staff

Gorgeous 11-acre campusStimulating fun activities

College Manor provided just the environment wewere seeking for Mom. Residents, staff, friends andvisitors are all part of the College Manor family. It is so comforting to know even when I am not withMom, I am assured another "family member" is always there with her. – daughter, Martina

Please accept my personalinvitation for a complimentarylunch and a personally guided

tour of College Manor.

You can reach me by calling410-252-0440

Jane Banks, Owner and Administrator

A HOME-STYLE RESIDENCEWITH A FAMILY FEEL

66

EXTENDED FAMILYASSISTED LIVING

Page 14: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

The Sinai Center for Thrombosis Re-search, under the direction of Dr. PaulGurbel, has been actively fighting heartdisease by designing and conducting clini-cal trials investigating novel drug thera-pies and devices.

The center is currently conducting atrial investigating the clinical effects of a

new cholesterol medication called Evace-trapib. The study will also investigate theoccurrence of major adverse cardiovascu-lar events in patients with “high-risk vascu-lar disease.”

Cholesterol concernsCholesterol is one of the many sub-

stances created and used by our bodies tokeep us healthy. There are two types ofcholesterol: “good” (HDL) and “bad”(LDL). Cholesterol levels in the blood canbe used to monitor a person’s risk forheart disease.

When there is too much LDL in theblood, it builds up in the walls of the arter-ies (vessels that carry blood to the heart,brain, and legs and all other parts of ourbodies).

When the arteries become narrowed,the blood flow slows down and the bloodvessels may be blocked. Patients who haveblockages in their arteries may be diag-nosed with “high-risk vascular disease.”

Those people are at high risk of havinga heart attack or stroke, or may even diefrom the disease. HDL (the good choles-terol) helps to keep the LDL from gettinglodged into your artery walls. An un-healthy diet or family history can causehigh cholesterol.

If the low-cholesterol diet does not workto lower bad cholesterol and increase goodcholesterol, your doctor may prescribemedications. Evacetrapib is being devel-oped to reduce the risk of future cardiovas-cular events by significantly raising thegood cholesterol and lowering the badcholesterol in the blood.

Taking part in the studyApproximately 11,000 patients are being

recruited around the world for the study.Participants must be 18 years of age orolder, and must currently be taking med-ication to treat abnormal cholesterol lev-els. Prospective candidates must also havehad a heart attack, unstable angina,stroke, peripheral artery disease or dia-betes with coronary artery disease.

This study is expected to last from 18months to four years and will include up to14 visits at the study site at Sinai Hospital,2401 West Belvedere Ave., and six follow-up phone calls for about three years.

Study participants will receive:• Reimbursement of up to $1,400 for

time and expenses.• Close lipid monitoring for the dura-

tion of the study and study drug at no cost. • A physical exam with cardiologist and

complete laboratory blood work-up.The information learned about the study

drug and how it works may be helpful topatients with heart disease in the future.

If you are interested, contact the SinaiCenter for Thrombosis Research at (410)601-4795 or email Kevin Bliden at [email protected]. The study teamwill assist you with determining your eligi-bility and with any questions you may have.

14 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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

Study examines new cholesterol medication

TAKE A TRIP TO DELAWARE PARKJoin the Edgemere Senior Center on Wednesday, Aug. 7, for a

crab feast at Fisherman’s Crab Deck and a trip to Delaware Park

casino and racing. Cost is $72. To reserve a spot, call (420) 477-2141.

BEACON BITS

Aug. 7

Do you have more trouble than usual remembering things?

People 50 and older with memory problems are needed for a research study to find out if mentally stimulating activities can improve memory.

You may participate at:Johns Hopkins Bayview or Mays Chapel Ridge

Participation involves 1 screening visit, 4 visits lasting 5 hours, and 17 visits lasting 1 hour. You will be paid $620 for the study.

For more information, please call Christina at (410) 550-2688.Principal Investigator: Miriam Z. Mintzer, Ph.D.Protocol #: NA_00039100 Approved December 23, 2011

Stay in theconvenience ofyour home with

Our pre-screened, bondedand insured staff provides:• Personal care (bathing, dressing, etc.)• Shopping and household chores • Medication reminders• Errands and escort to appointments • Meal preparation• Laundry and light housekeeping services

Call today for more information and your free evaluation

410-583-0447www.companionhomecare.com

New Customer Gift CertificateUp to $100.00 off your first weekly bill!

Family owned &operated since 1989

Page 15: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

of impotence than those who do little or noexercise.

Cycling Seniors clubThat may be one reason older adults in

the area are once again taking up what hasalways been a popular childhood pastime.

At 79, Towson resident Bob Carson isthe organizer of Ateaze Cycling Seniors.It’s not a program of Ateaze Senior Center,but it does operate out of the center’s Ho-labird Avenue location.

Carson, a retired elementary schoolphysical education teacher, had biked as akid: As a native of Buffalo, he would regu-larly ride to Canada. But when he beganworking and got a car, “well, that did awaywith the bike,” he said.

In 1972, Carson took a summer job thatrequired him to have a bike, and he pickedup the sport again. Since then, he has beenactive in local cycling groups, has helpedrun national biking events, and eventuallyjoined Cycling Seniors, first as a partici-pant, and now as the leader.

About 300 people, from 50-year-old“youngsters” to the oldest active rider at87, are on the group’s email list, and about20 to 30 join the rides every Fridaythroughout the Baltimore metropolitanarea and on the Eastern Shore. The tripsusually range from 25 to 35 miles, thoughsome may be longer, some shorter, so thatall skill levels can be included throughoutthe year.

In deference to not being quite as nim-ble as he once was, Carson uses a recum-bent bike, which he finds much more com-fortable. And though his fellow cyclists areknown to observe that “these hills are get-ting just a bit steeper,” Carson continues tobike most days, both for recreation and torun errands.

He believes his efforts produce benefitsboth physical and social. “My blood pres-sure is lower,” he said, “and the group alsogives us a chance to socialize, which is justas important as you get older.”

Gaynor Collester, supervisor of techni-cal product support for Performance Bicy-cle, Inc., a nationwide cycling retailer withlocations in Baltimore and Columbia,added that another reason for the in-creased popularity among “gray beards”(not that women don’t ride too, of course)is that, compared to other sports, cyclingis much easier on the body.

“There are no sudden stops and startsas there are in tennis, for example, and nostress on your joints, as there is in run-ning,” Collester said. The circular, low-re-sistance motion of cycling “awakens” thejoints, but doesn’t strain them, he said.

Furthermore, bike riding is an easysport to come back to or to pick up later inlife, Collester said. “You can do it casually,but you can also set ambitious goals foryourself.”

Buying a bikeIf you are just starting out, whether as a

beginner or after a long bout of inactivity,Collester recommends getting the adviceof a reputable bike salesperson who canguide you to the best bike for your bodyand your needs, including any physicallimitations you may have.

Bikes can range in price from basic hy-brids that generally cost $300 and up, to“flat bar” road bikes costing from $400 to$600, to full road bikes, from $500 and up.

Then, be smart about your training.Start slowly and increase your distance,time and intensity no more than 10 percenta week.

“A little at a time goes a long way,” saidCollester, an older rider himself at 65.“Older riders especially need to be morecareful about listening to their body.”

From clubs like Cycling Seniors, to on-line blogs like Bicycle-Riding-for-Boomers.com, to custom-designed biketouring companies such as Senior Cycling(www.seniorcycling.com), biking seems tobe all the rage.

Senior Cycling, headquartered inNorthern Virginia, uses the tagline: “oldfolks on spokes.” Its popular custom-de-signed bicycling trips are already sold outfor the rest of 2013.

They run about 12 trips a year, rangingfrom 2 to 10 days each, and hit the FloridaKeys and Central Florida, Maryland, Vir-ginia, Washington D.C., North Carolina,

Pennsylvania and Quebec, Canada. Single-day bike rides for older adults are also of-fered in the Northern Virginia /Washing-ton, D.C. area.

For Senior Cycling founder Pat Black-mon, who is nearing her 75th birthday,with older cyclists there is more of an em-phasis on the social aspect of the activitythan there may be with younger riders.“It’s not how far we go,” she said, “but howmuch we enjoy the journey.

“It’s great exercise too, but that’s notour focus,” she continued, adding with alaugh, “The more you ride, the more oftenyou can have that extra cocktail.”

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 15

CyclingFrom page 1

STUDIES ON ANEMIA

• Several new research studies are being designed by researchers atJohns Hopkins University specifically for older adults with anemia.

• By volunteering to join our anemia registry, you will be kept up todate on anemia research studies that match your situation.

Are you 65 years or older?Have you been recently diagnosed with anemia?

OR Have you had anemia in the past?

en you may be interested in:

“THE JOHNS HOPkiNS registry of older adults with anemia”

Call us at 410-550-2113to join the Anemia Registry today!

We can conduct the study in your home. No travel is required. If you choose to come to Bayview to participate, your parking will be paid.

We look forward to hearing from you!Principal Investigator: Dr. Jeremy Walston, MD. IRB application No: NA_00035307

Page 16: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Few things go together better than chick-en and an assortment of summer vegeta-bles all cooked so that the flavors mingle.

Convenient and easy to prepare, thisdish makes a great complete summermeal. It also allows you to combine thebest of the garden into a single dish.

The delightful mustard sauce seals inthe moisture of the chicken while provid-ing a wonderful flavor. The hearty qualityis gained from the stone ground mustard.Mustard is made by grinding mustard

seeds to make a zesty, rustic condimentthat is minimally processed.

The fennel with its subtle anise tasteadds an unexpected flavor twist to theroasted vegetables. The smaller fennelbulbs are less fibrous, but if you have largebulbs, you can peel off the outer layers formore tender pieces.

The much underutilized fennel has astoried past. It was on Charlemagne’s listof must-have cooking ingredients and wasreportedly Thomas Jefferson’s favorite

vegetable.When it comes to summer vegetables,

the term “new potatoes” is often confusing.They are not a separate variety of potato,but merely immature or younger versionsof other varieties. Harvested during thespring and summer, the skin of new pota-toes is generally thinner than the skinfound on older potatoes.

Not surprisingly, they are rarely peeledbefore cooking. Because they are small insize, they blend well with the other vegeta-bles. These qualities make them perfectfor roasted dishes.

In addition to the mustard sauce andnatural taste of the summer vegetables,the recipe derives great flavor from thethyme — a truly classic summer herb. Theonions and celery further add to the layersof flavor.

You might want to make a little extra ofthis recipe because it makes great left-overs. Simply refrigerate and reheat laterto enjoy again.

Mustard Chicken with SummerVegetables

Serves 44 Tbsp. stone ground mustard2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce4 chicken legs, skin removed4 chicken thighs, skin removed1 medium fennel bulb, cut into 1-inch

wedges

2 small yellow squash, sliced 1 1/2-inchthick

2 small zucchini, sliced 1 1/2-inch thick4 carrots, sliced in half lengthwise4 celery stalks, sliced into 2-inch pieces1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges8 whole baby new red potatoes or 4

small red potatoes, halved4 sprigs fresh thyme1 Tbsp. olive oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.In large mixing bowl, whisk together

mustard and soy sauce. Add chicken andcoat well.

In large baking pan, arrange fennel,squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, onion, po-tatoes and thyme. Brush vegetables withoil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place chicken over vegetables. Brushchicken with mustard sauce. Cover panwith foil and roast for approximately 50minutes, or until chicken is cookedthrough and vegetables are tender.

Remove foil, increase oven temperatureto broil and roast another 4 to 5 minutes tobrown vegetables and chicken. Serve.

Per serving: 400 calories, 12 g. total fat (3g. saturated fat), 40 g. carbohydrate, 28 g.protein, 7 g. dietary fiber, 460 mg. sodium.— Courtesy of the American Institute for

Cancer Research

Mustard chicken with summer vegetables16 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

BALTIMORE COUNTY NATURE QUESTThrough November, bike, hike or canoe on designated trails tocomplete the Baltimore County Nature Quest and earn prizes. Pick

up a Nature Quest booklet from your local Wegman’s grocery store, at participat-ing parks (Robert E. Lee Park, Oregon Ridge Nature Center, Cromwell Valley Park,Marshy Point Nature Center, or Benjamin Banneker Historical Park) or online atwww.baltimorecountymd.gov/agencies/recreation/programdivision/naturearea.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Have You Fallen?Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study at the

University of Maryland & Veterans Affairs of Baltimore to betterunderstand 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

If interested call: 410-605-7179 & Mention code: LIFTBaltimore 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 of time per visit

CALL TODAy!

Page 17: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Dear Solutions:I have a brother-in-law who has

been very successful finan-cially and in business. Thetrouble as far as I’m con-cerned is that he’s also ob-noxious, and I don’t knowhow to deal with him with-out insulting my wife,since he’s her brother.

He never stops remind-ing everyone that he’s a“self-made man.” Whenev-er he hears of someonewho is a well-educated pro-fessional but isn’t rich be-cause of it, he scoffs andrepeats his mantra, “What did all thateducation get him? Look at me — Ididn’t have to go to school to getwhere I am. I’m a self-made man.”

I haven’t punched him yet. Any sug-gestions? — Bernie

Dear Bernie:The trouble with that “self-made man” is

that he worships his creator!But does he really? Dig a

little deeper and realize thathis scoffing at educated peo-ple smacks of jealousy and in-feriority.

Instead of punching himwhen he puts these peopledown, try something else.First give him his due. Tellhim you admire his accom-plishments.

Then quietly point out thatsuccess comes in differentforms. It’s not always about

money. It’s also about accomplishment andloving the work you do.Dear Solutions:

We had an 85th birthday party formy brother Ben recently. Unfortunate-ly, my sister invited a really annoying

nephew of hers whom we hadn’t seenin years.

He’s 32 years old, and he kept say-ing how amazed he is that Ben is 85years old, since he assumed Ben wasdead by now. He actually said thatseveral times right in front of Ben.

And then before he left he said,“Boy, if Ben lives to be 90 that will re-ally be a miracle, so I’ll certainly try tocome to that.”

— ???!!!

Dear ???!!!:Just tell this obnoxious bore that if he

takes good care of himself, doesn’t smokeor drink, and exercises regularly, hemight make it to Ben’s 90th — if he’s invit-ed.© Helen Oxenberg, 2013. Questions to be

considered for this column may be sent to:The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring,MD 20915. You may also email the authorat [email protected]. To inquire aboutreprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

Coping with obnoxious family members

SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 17

RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNSMore than 80 Charm City eateries will be participating in thisalways-popular event. Each restaurant will offer a selection of

three-course prix fixe meals for $30.13 or $20.13, with some locations offering atwo-course option for $15.13. See which restaurants you want to try at www.bal-timorerestaurantweek.com.

BEACON BITS

July 26+

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 1or 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, DPM410-235-23454419 Falls Road, Suite A, Baltimore 4000 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

Page 18: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

18 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

PHONY PHONE FEESScammers may be trying to sneak extracharges onto your cell phone bill; watchfor third-party billing and “text spam”

BIG BANK STOCKSBanking’s behemoths, like Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase, havemade big stock gainsMoneyMoneyLaw &

By Nellie S. HuangTo earn up to an 8-percent yield in a

world where safe investments pay 1 per-cent or less requires accepting significantrisk. But if you really want or need to boostreturn and are willing to take some risks todo so, read on.

Many of today’s best bets for high yields— master limited partnerships (MLPs),mortgage-owning real estate investmenttrusts, and business development compa-nies — trade on exchanges like stocks,putting you in the often gut-churning posi-tion of watching their share prices whiparound like a roller coaster.

But there are also strong dividend-pay-ing stocks and high-yield municipal bondsthat more conservative investors mightwant to consider.

Master limited partnershipsBecca Followill, head of stock research

at U.S. Capital Advisors, thinks MLPs are a

great idea for superior income. Her fa-vorite is Targa Resources Partners (sym-bol NGLS; recent price, $46; yield, 6.0 per-cent).

Morningstar analyst Steven Pikelnylikes four closed-end funds offered byBlackRock: BlackRock Corporate HighYield (COY; $8; 7.6 percent); BlackRockCorporate High Yield III (CYE; $8; 7.9 per-cent); BlackRock Corporate High Yield V(HYV; $13; 8.2 percent); and BlackRockCorporate High Yield VI (HYT; $13; 8.1percent).

All invest in “junk” bonds and take on amoderate amount of debt to boost theirpayouts, and all recently traded at close tonet asset value. Pikelny suggests buyingthe one trading at the biggest discount toNAV (or at the smallest premium).

He also favors AllianceBernstein GlobalHigh Income (AWF; $16; 7.7 percent). Topholdings of this fund include bonds issuedby Brazil and Argentina, but more than 70

percent of assets are in corporate junkbonds.

Speaking of junk bonds, a key bench-mark fund, the Bank of America MerrillLynch High Yield Master II index, cur-rently yields 5.9 percent.

Wells Fargo Advantage High Income(STHYX; 4.0 percent) yields less becauseof expenses and because it is more conser-vatively managed than many junk funds.Still, High Income beat its typical peerover the past three years, with a 10.3-per-cent annualized return — and it did sowith less volatility.

The biggest junk-bond ETF is iSharesiBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond(HYG;, 4.9 percent). It charges annual feesof 0.50 percent.

Municipal bond fundsIf you’re in a high tax bracket, consider

a closed-end fund that owns municipalbonds. Nearly all such funds use borrowed

money to boost income. One that doesn’t is Nuveen Municipal

Value Fund (NUV; $10; 4.4 percent), whichmostly buys high-quality, long-term bonds.Although at first glance the fund’s yieldseems to disqualify it from this group, youreally need to look at its taxable-equivalentyield — what someone would have to earnfrom a taxable bond to equal the yield of atax-free bond.

In this case, 4.4 percent is the equivalentof a 6.1-percent taxable yield for someonein the 28-percent federal tax bracket and7.7 percent for an investor in the top 39.6-percent bracket, who also faces the new3.8-percent Medicare surtax on invest-ment income.

For those who can stand more risk, UBSanalyst Sangeeta Marfatia favors Black-Rock MuniYield Quality (MQY; $17; 5.7percent), which also buys long-term, high-

Investing to earn 4 to 8 percent or more

By Charles Babington With Congress increasingly unable to

resolve budget disputes, federal pro-grams on automatic pilot are consumingever larger amounts of government re-sources.

The trend helps older Americans (in-cluding wealthy ones), who as a group re-ceive the bulk of Social Security andMedicare benefits, at the expense of peo-ple (including low-income seniors) whobenefit from almost all other governmentprograms.

This shift of resources draws modestpublic debate. But it alarms some policyadvocates, who say the United States is re-ducing vital investments in the future.

Because Democrats and Republicanscan’t reach a grand bargain on deficitspending — with mutually acceptedspending cuts and revenue hikes — SocialSecurity, Medicare and Medicaid keepgrowing, largely untouched. Steady ex-pansions of these nondiscretionary “enti-tlement” programs require no congres-sional action, so they flourish in times ofgridlock.

Meanwhile, nearly all other discre-

tionary programs are suffering underWashington’s decision-by-indecision habits,in which lawmakers lock themselves intoquestionable actions because they can’tagree on alternatives.

A generational divideThe latest example is $80 billion in auto-

matic budget cuts (the “sequester”), whichlargely spare Medicare and Social Securi-ty. Growth in these costly but popular pro-grams is virtually impossible to curb with-out bipartisan agreements.

Instead, the spending cuts are hittingthe military and many domestic programsthat benefit younger Americans as well asneedy seniors. They include early educa-tion initiatives such as Head Start, scientif-ic and medical research, and meals onwheels for the homebound.

This shift in public resources is dramat-ic and growing. While 14 cents of everyfederal dollar not going to interest wasspent on entitlement programs in 1962, theamount is 47 cents today, and it will reach61 cents by 2030, according to an analysisof government data by Third Way, a cen-trist-Democratic think tank.

“Entitlements are squeezing out publicinvestments” in education, infrastructure,research and other fields that have nur-tured future prosperity, the study said.“The only way for Democrats to save pro-gressive priorities like NASA, highwayfunding and clean energy research is to re-form entitlements.”

But Democrats won’t consider entitle-ment cuts until Republicans agree to in-crease taxes for the rich. And Republicans,who control the House, refuse to do that.

The Third Way study was written 10months ago. Since then, partisan clashesthat produced the “fiscal cliff” and the au-tomatic cuts have made matters evenworse, said the group’s vice president, JimKessler.

“The foot is on the accelerator with enti-tlement programs, and it’s on the brakeson investments,” Kessler said. “And thiscountry needs more investments.”

Society must care for the elderly andneedy, Kessler said, “but we can’t do that atthe expense of young people and new ideas.”

More retirees = more spendingWith baby boomers retiring in huge

numbers, total benefits for seniors arebound to grow. “But over the course ofdecades, Medicare and Social Securityspending generally grow faster than infla-tion, per beneficiary,” Kessler said. Thatsqueezes nearly everything else.

According to White House budgetrecords, discretionary spending com-prised two-thirds of total federal outlays in1968 and mandatory spending made up27.5 percent.

The estimate for 2018 has those sharesnearly reversed: discretionary programswill consume 27.5 percent of total federalspending, mandatory programs will con-sume 62 percent and interest on the debtwill take about 10 percent.

“Costs linked to the retirement of thebaby boom generation,” the nonpartisanCongressional Research Service said in arecent report, “are a major cause of risingmandatory spending.” The current trajec-tory of federal healthcare spending, the re-port said, “appears unsustainable andcould place heavy fiscal burdens onyounger generations and generations notyet born.”

— AP

Senior benefits grow, shrinking all elseSee EARN MORE, page 19

Page 19: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

grade munis. But unlike the Nuveen fund,this one uses borrowed money to boost in-come. A 5.7-percent tax-free yield is equiv-alent to 7.9 percent taxable for someone inthe 28-percent bracket and 10.0 percent fora top-bracket investor.

If you want more diversification, checkout PowerShares CEF Income Composite(PCEF; $26; 7.4 percent). It’s an exchange-traded fund that owns dozens of taxable,income-producing closed-end funds. Mostof its holdings borrow money, though theETF itself does not.

Dividend-paying stocksNormally, to get even 4 to 6 percent

yields, you have to take on a fair amount ofrisk. But in the case of dividend-payingstocks, that may not always be the case.

Some high-yielders, such as AT&T(symbol T; recent price, $38; yield, 4.7 per-cent), Verizon Communications (VZ; $50;4.1 percent) and Intel (INTC; $21; 4.2 per-cent), are financially strong companiesthat have the wherewithal to sustain theirpayouts.

Jason Brady, of Thornburg InvestmentManagement, favors telecom companiesbecause of the rapid growth of smartphones. One of his favorites is Telstra(TLSYY; $24; 6.0 percent), a leading Aus-tralian provider.

We took a page from his book: iSharesInternational Select Dividend ETF (IDV;5.2 percent) tracks an index that includes100 high-yielding stocks in developed for-eign markets.

Preferred sharesPreferred shares are stock-bond hy-

brids. They pay a fixed, regular dividendlike bonds, but the shares trade likestocks. Preferreds suffered terribly duringthe 2008 financial crisis, but they’ve recov-ered strongly since then.

One ETF, iShares S&P U.S. PreferredStock (PFF; 5.6 percent), holds 75 percentof its portfolio in banks, insurance and di-versified financial-services companies.

Bonds in developing countries are pay-ing yields of more than 4 percent thesedays. T. Rowe Price Emerging Bonds(PREMX; 4.3 percent) and Fidelity NewMarkets Income (FNMIX, 4.3 percent)hew closely to a JPMorgan emerging-mar-

kets bond index. Aberdeen Asia-Pacific In-come (FAX; 5.4 percent), a closed-endfund, focuses on Australian and Asiandebt.

Real estate investment trustsFinally, real estate: Health Care REIT

(HCN; $70; 4.4 percent), a real estate in-vestment trust, and CBRE Clarion GlobalReal Estate Income (IGR; $10; 5.7 per-cent), a closed-end fund, offer exposure totwo growing areas of the sector.

The growth catalyst behind HCN is thefirm’s senior-living communities. CBRE isa real estate firm whose assets are mostly

invested in North America (59 percent),but which has a chunk across Asia (29 per-cent), making it a good bet for cashing inon rising consumer wealth in that region.The fund recently traded at a 4-percent dis-count to net asset value.Nellie S. Huang is a senior associate edi-

tor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance maga-zine. Send your questions and comments [email protected]. And for moreon this and similar money topics, visitwww.Kiplinger.com.© 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 19

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INFORMATION ON ADVANCE DIRECTIVESAn advance directive lets you decide who should make healthcaredecisions for you if you cannot do so yourself. You can also specify

what kind of treatments you do or do not want. For more information and advancedirective forms, contact the Maryland Attorney General’s Office at (410) 576-7000 or www.oaf.state.md.us/health pol/directive.pdf, or Caring Connections at1-800-658-8898 or www.caringinfo.org.

RÉSUMÉ CAFEWant to brush up your résumé? The Reisterstown Road Branch ofthe Enoch Pratt Library offers one-on-one assistance every Thurs-day at 11 a.m. The library is located at 6310 Reisterstown Rd.

Call (410) 396-0948 for more information.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Page 20: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Anya KamenetzThe average person is paying more than

$70 a month on her cell phone bill.With those kinds of prices, it’s infuriat-

ing to realize that small-time scammersmay be sneaking extra charges into thefine print. But that’s exactly what the Fed-eral Trade Commission says is happening.

It’s called cell phone “cramming,” and inApril the FTC filed the first-ever case aboutit. The complaint alleges that an Atlantacompany called Wise Media sent people

unauthorized text messages featuring newsor horoscopes, and then billed them $9.99 amonth in “subscription” fees for somethingthey had never subscribed to.

How do you avoid having this happen toyou?

Watch for third-party billingYou may be familiar with fundraising ef-

forts for presidential campaigns, disasterrelief, and the like that ask you to make a$10 donation by texting a word or two to a

special shortcode on your cell phone. Thatcharge then appears on your cell phonebill, which is called “third-party billing.”

The FTC doesn’t want to shut downthird-party billing for mobile phones alto-gether because of these legitimate uses,even though third-party billing is also theway that the no-good crammers operate,and even though Verizon and AT&T haverecently banned third-party billing forlandlines. So it’s left up to individual con-sumers to police their own bills.

Scour your billIn the absence of an all-out ban on third-

party billing, it’s important for each one ofus to look carefully at our monthly mobilebill, especially if it’s more than you expect-ed. You are looking for something under“miscellaneous charges” or “subscriptionfees” or “surcharges.” Note unfamiliar ab-breviations, apps or downloads, and callsfrom area codes you don’t recognize.

Even if there aren’t any unauthorizedcharges, taking a close look at your bill hasthe added benefit of helping you figure outif you’re paying for services you don’tneed, or need to switch to a different plan.

Be aware of “text spam”In March, the FTC filed yet another

complaint against spammers who sent atotal of 180 million unauthorized and un-wanted text messages.

Sometimes consumers were chargedfor the messages. Sometimes they offered“free” gift cards or prizes, but in order toclaim the supposed gifts people wereasked to sign up for personal information

or pay for services — you guessed it, an-other pathway to cramming.

The safe policy is, if you get any textmessage written in all caps from a senderyou don’t recognize, delete it.

By the same token, avoid signing up forcontests or special offers that ask for yourcell phone number. This is the major waythat spammers get hold of cell numbers inthe first place. In general, these free offersand prizes are too good to be true.

What you can doIf it happens to you, take action as soon

as possible.The FTC is working to improve the dis-

pute resolution process when it comes tomobile phone cramming. The first place tocontact about an unauthorized charge isyour cell phone carrier, who may agree tocredit the money back to you. You shouldalso ask the company to put a “block” onany third party billing in the future.

The company should be able to give youinformation about the third party so you cancontact them directly to dispute the charge.Follow up by putting your complaint in writ-ing: email and certified mail both work.

Finally, the FTC requests that you file acomplaint with it as well. Go to FTC.gov orcall 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can also contactyour state attorney general’s office withthe problem.

Just because you’ve complained, don’tassume the problem is taken care of. Fol-low up by checking your bill next month tomake sure the charges don’t reappear.© 2013 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by

Tribune Media Services, Inc.

How to avoid shady mobile phone fees20 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Page 21: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Kathy KristofBanking’s behemoths are on a roll. Big-

bank stocks have soared over the past twoyears, and the companies’ prospects lookbright, thanks to an uptick in businesslending, better loan quality and cleanerbalance sheets.

To be sure, the stocks are still well belowwhere they were before the financial crisisstruck five years ago. For example, Citi-group (symbol C) sold for as much as $552in 2007 (adjusted for a reverse split in2011). In late June, the stock went for $50.

Citi may be the most promising of thebig-bank stocks. Analysts expect Citi’searnings to grow about 14 percent annual-ly over the next three to five years. Theprofit growth should boost the stock,which trades at a relatively low 10 times es-timated 2013 earnings.

Bank of America’s big riseThe hottest big-bank stock has been

Bank of America (BAC). Its shares have

rocketed from $5 in late 2011 to $13 today.B of A is slowly working through the disas-trous results of a decade of acquisitions.Strong results and the belief that B of A’swoes are finally winding down have driventhe stock’s ascent.

The shares sell for 13 times predicted2013 earnings. That seems expensive for abank stock, but it looks like a fair price inlight of expected annual earnings growthof 23 percent over the next few years.

Other bank stocks to considerShares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) con-

tinue to be held back by a London tradingdebacle that cost the bank a whopping $6.2billion, said analyst Erik Oja, of S&P Capi-tal IQ. Although a congressional reportwas highly critical of the company’s leader-ship, including chairman and CEO JamieDimon, Oja thinks JPMorgan is among thenation’s best-run banks. At $54, the stocksells for nearly 9 times estimated 2013earnings and yields 3.1 percent.

An attractive big bank with a differentfocus is Capital One Financial (COF), oneof the nation’s biggest credit card issuers. Itgenerates about three-fourths of its incomefrom credit cards and consumer loans.

The improving financial health of theconsumer sector is driving down CapitalOne’s default rates and helping to put thecompany in a position to meet increasinglystringent regulatory capital requirementswell ahead of schedule.

In fact, the bank is so well capitalized

that regulators recently gave it permissionto hike its quarterly dividend sixfold, to 30cents per share. At $62, the stock yields 2percent and sells for 9 times projected2013 earnings.Kathy Kristof is a contributing editor to

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.Send your questions and comments [email protected]. And for moreon this and similar money topics, visitwww.Kiplinger.com.© 2013 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Big bank stocks are staging a comebackB A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — A U G U S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 21

TREASURES IN SMALL TOWNSVisit the charming towns of Shepherdstown, Boonsboro and MountAiry on Tuesday, Aug. 13, with the Parkville Senior Center. Cost of

the trip is $78. For more information and reservations, call (410) 882-6087.

BEACON BITS

Aug. 13

Page 22: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Jennifer WalderaHaving lost her father to Alzheimer’s

disease (AD) in 2009, 57-year-old PamelaBlount has dedicated her volunteer hoursto providing assistance to caregivers, fami-lies and medical professionals who workwith other individuals suffering from thememory-robbing disease.

Blount serves as a Helpline specialist atthe Timonium branch of the Alzheimer’sAssociation Greater Maryland Chapter.Specialists like Blount provide assistanceto more than 3,000 callers each year.

“Working part-time in real estate has al-lowed me time to volunteer at theAlzheimer’s Association,” said Blount,who spends four to six hours a week at theHelpline.

“In caring for my father for many years,I watched helplessly as this devastatingdisease slowly claimed him from our fami-ly,” said Blount, who lives in Hunt Valley.“It was heartbreaking.

“Millions feel powerless against this dis-ease,” Blount continued. “This is the sixthleading cause of death, and it has no cureor even a way to slow or stop its progres-sion.”

Help available at all hoursThe Alzheimer’s Association’s mission

for its 24/7 helpline is to ease some of thepain and helplessness that those involvedwith the care of an Alzheimer’s patient canfeel. Blount said she has nothing but admi-ration for the Association for the world-wide leadership role it plays inAlzheimer’s research, care and support.

Helpline specialists provide empathyand support, identify the caller’s needsand problems, and/or provide educationor information about available resources.

Specialists receive extensive training,shadowing other experienced volunteersto learn appropriate listening skills and tounderstand when a situation is an emer-gency. Blount spent 15 hours undergoingtraining before becoming a specialist her-self.

Honored for volunteeringFor her volunteer efforts, Blount was

honored recently with the Retired andSenior Volunteer Program (RSVP) andWellness Champion Award for her out-standing service to the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation. Each year, Baltimore County rec-

ognizes volunteers like Blount who havededicated their time and energy to helpingimprove communities and provide servic-es as volunteers.

Having already served nearly 200 hoursso far this year, Blount was cited for her ded-

22 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

CareersVolunteers &

Helpline serves Alzheimer’s caregivers

Pamela Blount, center, recently won the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Pro-gram) Health and Wellness Champion Award for her work with the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation Helpline in Timonium. She is shown with RSVP Project Director Tonee Law-son (left) and Baltimore County Department of Aging Director Joanne Williams.

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See HELPLINE, page 24

Rabbi David Wiesenberg, a medicalbilling advocate, discusses errors in a hos-pital bill with a client. See story, page 23.

Page 23: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Rebekah SewellRachel Smith (all names in this article

have been changed for confidentiality) wasthousands of dollars in debt. The Balti-more resident was born with a rare, incur-able collagen disorder known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, among whose symp-toms are early onset osteoporosis, joint de-formity, severe pain and other problems.

Due to early misdiagnoses, she hadbeen labeled by many doctors as ahypochondriac, a “drug seeker,” “a non-compliant patient” and worse.

Smith, now 62, underwent 31 surgeries,including titanium and Kevlar implants inher foot, ankle and spine. Post-surgery re-cuperation involved months of bed restand anxiety about upcoming procedures.

But the worst part of coping with her con-dition, Smith said, was dealing with the “night-mare of the incomprehensible billing prac-tices by insurance companies and doctors.”

Her premiums for her self-employed cov-erage drastically increased, which forced

her to give up health insurance and pay outof pocket. She was overwhelmed by theamount of paperwork, insurance lettersdenying coverage, and high medical billsshe received, and didn’t know where to turn.

Help in paying billsThen a friend introduced Smith to Rabbi

David Wiesenberg, president of Compas-sionate Patient Advocates, an organizationthat helps people reduce high medical billsthrough advocacy.

According to Wiesenberg, if medicalbills seem too high, chances are they con-tain mistakes or overcharges. The MedicalBilling Advocates of America, an organiza-tion that trains billing specialists andmatches clients with advocates, estimatesthat 8 out of 10 medical bills they reviewcontain clerical errors or up-charges,sometimes dramatically inflating costs.

Smith passed the paperwork, which in-cluded many unopened envelopes, toWiesenberg saying she was relieved to nolonger be facing the “medical billing jug-gernaut alone.”

Wiesenberg noted that interpreting themedical billing system can be confusingand stressful. The complicated coding lan-guage makes it difficult to spot errors oreven to identify individual charges.

Following Smith’s last major surgery, shewas left with an $11,000 bill. ThroughWiesenberg’s intervention and negotiationwith her surgeon, he successfully cut the billto $4,500. Due to the complexity of her case,she paid him a one-time $500 fee and 20 per-cent of the overall savings for his services.

Wiesenberg saved another Baltimorearea patient more than $20,000 in medicalbills for his wife’s clinical depression. Thepatient told the Beacon that working withhim “took away all the headaches.”

Free governmental help Laura Jones suffered from a severe case

of psoriasis, a disease that causes an over-production of often itchy skin cells. She ex-perimented with several drugs for her con-dition, notably Humira and Embrel, andnothing worked.

When she finally discovered the drugStelara, the only medication that had everalleviated her symptoms, she was countingon her insurance company to cover thedrug — though it wasn’t on its formulary.

Her physician wrote a letter saying thedrug was necessary, but Jones’s insurancecompany denied coverage anyway.

She then turned for help to the HealthEducation and Advocacy Unit (HEAU) ofthe Maryland Attorney General’s office.This state-sponsored organization has ahotline that put her in touch with an om-budsman — a nurse with 40 years ofhealthcare experience.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Volunteers & Careers 23

Advocates can help with high doctor bills

See BILLING ADVOCATES, page 24

Common billing errors• Duplicate billing• Canceled services• Misplaced decimals• Upcoding• Inflated operating room fees• Inflated charges• Unbundled charges

Trained billing specialists canconsiderably cut medical bills byfinding such errors and negotiat-ing with insurance companies andhealthcare providers.

— Rebekah Sewell

Page 24: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

The ombudsman contacted her insur-ance company and gave them a comprehen-sive outline of her medical history, including

the failure of the previous drugs. Eventually,they approved Jones’ treatments, saving her$33,000 a year in out-of-pocket charges.

The HEAU offers free mediation servic-es to Maryland residents who need assis-tance with their insurance companies or

healthcare providers. In some cases, theyidentify obviously wrong charges. In oth-ers, clients may simply need help under-standing their bills or finding ways to bet-ter utilize their insurance coverage.

HEAU files appeals and mediates dis-putes with hospitals and other healthcareproviders. For example, “we’ve appealed todental practices whose patients have beencharged for getting crowns on six teethbut have only gotten two,” said KimberlyCammarata, director of the unit.

“Last year, HEAU saved or recoveredover $1.8 million for consumers,” Cam-marata said. She estimated that 55 percentof their appeals are successful.

All services are free, and HEAU doesnot turn clients away if they have a legiti-mate reason for an appeal. “Anyone we canhelp, we help,” Cammarata said.

However, some patients, like Smith,may need more individualized attentionand want to find a private medical billingadvocate, who may be able to take moretime finding and fighting obscure errors.Such advocates may go by other names,

such as claims assistance professional,medical claims professional or healthcareclaims advocate.

How much does it cost?Billing advocates are paid hourly or by

commission. In this area, hourly rates typi-cally range between $125 and $150 perhour. Advocates who work by commissioncollect between 15 and 33 percent of thesavings they generate, so they are paidonly to the extent they are successful.

Wiesenberg accepts payment in eitherfashion. His general hourly rate is $125,and his commission is 15 percent. He ac-cepts payment of commissions only aftersettlement with the healthcare provider orinsurance company.

Compassionate Patient Advocates maybe reached at www.compassionatepa.comor (855) 855-8101.

To reach the Maryland Attorney Gener-al’s Health Education and Advocacy Unit,or to file a complaint, visit www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/HEAU.htm or call1-888-743-0023.

ication to fulfilling the mission of the organi-zation to help those affected by Alzheimer’s.

When asked what volunteering for theAlzheimer’s Association means to her,Blount explained: “Many of the callers are

struggling with the challenges of caringfor a loved one as I once did. I feel theirpain and frustration, and I want to help.”

Blount added that volunteering as aHelpline specialist has also provided herwith personal fulfillment. “My choice tovolunteer at the Alzheimer’s Associationhas been rewarding, and when I answer a

Helpline call, I no longer feel helpless inthe fight against AD.”

Passionate about encouraging others toget involved as well, Blount wants peopleto know that many volunteer opportunitieswith the Alzheimer’s Association are avail-able. “You are needed,” she said. “Get in-volved. You will be glad you did!”

If you’re interested in serving as aHelpline specialist for the Timoniumbranch of the Alzheimer’s AssociationGreater Maryland Chapter, contact SallyDrumm at (410) 561-9099, ext. 210 oremail [email protected].

To reach the Helpline, call 1-800-272-3900.

24 Volunteers & Careers | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Call 888-840-2214 !"#$#%"&'$()#*!+"#! #(,)#-+../#-&0)#! #1& )

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HelplineFrom page 22

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Page 25: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 25

TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

By Glenda C. BoothAccording to Allrecipes.com, Lyonnaise

potatoes, “a simple combination of pota-toes and onions, can be absolutely extraor-dinary.”

What I discovered on a recent trip toLyon is that all cuisine in that city is ex-traordinary. Lyon (pronounced “lee-on”) isFrance’s third-largest city and its gastro-nomic capital.

The city is a crossroads of severalcuisines — the hearty meats of the cattleand sheep farms to the west, the olive-oiland tomato-ey flavors of the Mediter-ranean to the south, and the scrumptiousbutters and cheeses of the north.

Lyon is especially famous for its homeyrestaurants called bouchons. My introduc-tion to these rustic eateries was a five-coursefeast at Chez Paul, highlighted by an entréeof ox tongue with piquant tomato sauce anda huge serving bowl filled with white beansshared by four — my travel mate and twofriendly strangers at our table.

These heaping dishes were interspersedwith beets, gherkins, pickled herring, fourchoices of cheese, and topped off with acrème caramel dessert. Maureen McFallscommented, after “surviving” her first bou-chon meal, “I felt like a little piggie myselfafter that amazing meal.”

While studying the menu, we lubricatedour own chitterlings with a communard —an aperitif of red Beaujolais spiked with

black currant liqueur (crème de cassis). Notonly is the wine good in Lyon, it is cheap.

The calorie-conscious may find bou-chon meals a bit heavy, since the bistros’specialties are dishes like tripe soup, porkoffal sausage, coq au vin and bloodsausage. But when in Rome…

Banter with the chef and neighboringdiners is expected. In fact, to not engage inhearty, elbows-on-the-table eating wouldbe considered insulting. In the no-frills,checkered-tablecloth atmosphere, guestsmop up juices and sauces with fresh-bakedbread as they chat with fellow diners.

Local chefs will tell you that the authen-tic bouchons are only found in Lyon. Bou-chon purists require a little plaque at therestaurant’s door showing Gnafron, adrunken marionette with a red nose andwine glass — a sign that the eatery is partof the official French bouchon association.

French novelist Stendhal commented,“I know of only one thing that you can dowell in Lyon, and that’s eat.” Eat well youcan, but there’s more.

Passageway to the RenaissanceLyon is spliced by two rivers, the Rhone

and the Saône. City center is the one-square-mile Presqu’ile in between, a penin-sula throbbing with activity in its squares,cafés, shops, restaurants, museums, the-aters, opera house and perhaps a sidewalkprotest.

Old Town, or Vieux Lyon, the Romans’capital of Gaul in 43 C.E. and a silk-makingcenter in the 15th century, is a zigzaggy,UNESCO World Heritage site, as it con-tains one of the largest concentrations ofRenaissance buildings in Europe. You canescape to another age in this labyrinth ofmusty passageways, cobbled streets andnarrow alleyways crammed with Renais-sance and medieval facades.

Lyon is especially known for its 315 tra-boules — dingy, tunneled passages stretch-ing for 30 miles and built in the 1800s toprovide silk weavers shelter from in-clement weather as they moved their deli-cate handiwork. In World War II, the tra-boules were hideouts for the French Re-sistance dodging German street patrols.

At the Musée Historique de Lyon, a15th century mansion, you can learn aboutthe decorative features of Lyon’s build-ings. Here also is the Musée de la Marion-nette, home of the town’s famous Lyonnaispuppets — the 18th century creations,Guignol and Madelon — and the only mu-seum in France devoted to puppetry.

As you meander, you’ll salivate as youstudy the offerings of numerousboulangers (baked goods), charcuteries(prepared meats) and fromageries (cheeseshops).

No trip to a French town is completewithout a visit to its cathedral. The Ro-manesque and Gothic Cathédral St-Jean,

bedecked with gargoyles, was built be-tween 1180 and 1480. Inside is an astro-nomical clock, beautiful rose windows, and13th century stained glass above the altar.

You can hike up to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière, a structure that de-fines the skyline looming from its hilltopposition and irreverently known as “the up-side-down elephant.” The walking wearycan ascend via the funicular.

At the top, you’ll soak in a broad view ofthe city between the two rivers or maybeglimpse the Alps on a clear day.

On the promenade along the RiveGauche of the Rhone, you can probe open-air markets amid the walkers, runners, cy-clists and a few relaxed loafers.

On and up into the AlpsLyon is the gateway to the French Alps,

which climax at Europe’s highest point,the 15,780-foot Mont Blanc. The famousmountains are only an hour or so westfrom the bustle of downtown by train.

In the summer, the French Alps becomea Sound of Music setting, exploding in nat-ural beauty — soaring snowcapped peaks,crystalline lakes, jagged ridges and ver-dant meadows spangled with wild flowersof every hue. (Winter has its pristine beau-ty too, which attracts world-class skiers.)

The Savoie region starts in the north at

Making the most of mother-daughtertravel. See story on page 27.

French Alps’ glorious food and scenery

Wildflowers blanket the 132,000-acre Parc National de la Vanoise in the heart of theFrench Alps. The park includes more than 100 lakes and 1,300 acres of glaciers.

The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière sits atop a hill in Lyon. Visitors can eitherwalk to the top of the hill or take a funicular.

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Page 26: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

Lake Geneva and ends at the mighty MontBlanc. In between are many towns, ham-lets and resorts separated by rolling pas-toral landscapes, meadows and hillsidesdotted with grazing dairy cows, completewith tinkling bells.

One place to absorb all things alpine isthe 132,000-acre Parc National de laVanoise, France’s first national park desig-nated in 1963 and home to five nature re-serves.

The park contains 107 lakes and 1,300acres of glaciers, as well as massive peaks,plateaus, meadows and hiking trails. LaGrande Sassière Nature Reserve, altitude7,500 feet, rises between the villages ofTignes and Val d’Isère.

Hiking and walking choices range fromgentle paths to moderately challengingslopes. The treks are well worth the effortfor summer sightings of animals like the

ibex (one third of the country’s 2,100 arehere), the goat-like chamois (6,000 here),marmots, foxes, stoats, hares, 1,200species of plants and 120 species of birds.Bearded vultures and golden eagles soarabove.

Wildflowers burst forth like multi-col-ored stars on a green velvet carpet. Parkrangers and local guides lead walks in thesummer and can drive visitors to a trailfrom the tourism office in Val d’Isère.

Alpine villagesParc National de la Vanoise is bordered

by 28 villages. A year-round, convenientspot is the town of Val d’Isère, known asone of the world’s top ski resorts, but itdoubles as an easygoing summer spot, es-pecially for families because it offers activ-ities like tennis, bocce, trampolines, hik-ing, biking, trekking, horseback riding,rafting and kayaking on the River Isère.Val d’Isère boasts 27,000 hotel beds and alocal population of only 1,500.

The town is sprinkled with brightly col-ored flower boxes and beds from whichfour-foot lupines seem to lunge. For a 360-degree alpine vista, take the ski lift to 8,200feet above the tree line. At the top, you canfish in a mirror-clear lake — or just imag-ine Heidi romping over the crest of thenearest hill.

In the Old Village, the quaint Catholicchurch is always open. Don’t miss thetown cheese factory for an authenticcheese-making experience, including aview of goats, whose milk is used to makethe cheese, grazing next door.

Even the grocery (casino marché) is funto explore — a warren of local wares likewines, pâtés, jams, herbs, cheeses and oliveoils and a refreshing change from the bigbox, cookie-cutter American supermarkets.

Every region of France touts its own cui-sine. The French Alps have an enticingfood story too, summed up in one word —cheese. It’s not the bright orangeprocessed chunks and slices common to

U.S. grocery shelves. France has around400 types of cheese, their method of manu-facture closely guarded.

The farmstead cheeses of the Alps most-ly start with Tarentaise cows and result inyummy products like Beaufort, Tomme deSavoie and Bleu de Termignon. Samplingthem all to identify the sometimes subtle,sometimes not-so-subtle, differences is aworthy culinary escapade all its own.

And the cheese dishes of the FrenchAlps are what many tourists write homeabout. Warming on a chilly day is thetartaflette, a creamy assemblage of pota-toes, ham, crème freche, wine, cheese andonions baked to perfection.

A raclette is a mixture of melting cheese,boiled potatoes, charcuterie and babygherkins.

And finally, fondue. Fondue Savoyardehas three types of cheese — Emmental,Beaufort and Comté — melted in drywhite wine for dunking fresh breadchunks.

Here in the mountains after a rainfall,you might see cooks collecting snails offroadside plants for dinner, as I did.

In the Alps, weather can change quicklyin any season, so have layers at hand andbe prepared for rain and cold.

Another jumping off point for the Alps isAnnecy, a town by Lac d’Annecy, filled withbewitching 16th century passageways,canals, a 12th century chateau, castles andcafes.

Lyon and the French Alps are good ex-amples of how varied, deep and enticingFrench gastronomy is and has been foryears, and reaffirms for visitors that eatingin France is essential to the art of living.

If you goLyon Tourism: www.en.lyon-france.com.

Offers free booking services.Val d’Isere Tourism: www.valdisere.com.

Staff speak English and can offer lodgingoptions. Once you chose, they can bookyour room.

Annecy Tourism: www.lac-annecy.comTo get to Val d’Isere: From Lyon, either

take the train to Bourg-St. Maurice and thenrent a car or take a taxi or bus 40 minutes. Orrent a car and drive from Lyon (three hours).For information about Parc National de laVanoise, visit www.parcnational-vanoise.fr.

Trains are easily available, reliable,comfortable and a hassle-free way to movearound. One caution: If you are not fluentin French, using ticket machines may bedaunting, so buying tickets from agents oronline may be easier.

Train tickets are usually not collectedbut randomly checked, with heavy finesfor freeloaders. The word “composte”means “punch your ticket” in the yellowstation machines which record where andwhen you embarked. So be sure to com-poste before you board. Train informationis available at www.raileurope.com;www.sncf.com; www.eurail.com (Eurailpasses are valid in 21 countries.)

The lowest roundtrip fare to Lyon fromBWI Marshall Airport in late August is$1,383 on US Airways.

26 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

French AlpsFrom page 25

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By Anne D’InnocenzioWhen I was young, I learned a lot about

travel from my mother. She taught me howand what to pack. She taught me to keep atravel diary to record my memories. Andmost importantly, she taught me how topower-sightsee.

“You never know when you’ll be back,”my mother used to say, as she and my dadpushed my sister, brother and me to yetanother art museum, Gothic church or18th-century cemetery.

Decades later, my mother and I still trav-el together, but now that she’s in her mid-80s, our roles have changed. She’s hear-ing-impaired, and often uses a cane for bal-ance, while I bring a notepad and pen towrite down tour highlights for her.

I also handle hotel accommodations, hailthe cabs, and make sure a wheelchair iswaiting at the airport to take her to the gate.

Some might think of traveling with anelderly parent as a burden, but my mom isinvaluable to me. She’s still vibrant andfiercely holds onto her love of travel.

She’s a globe-trotter and a wealth ofknowledge — my personal version of aFrommer’s guide or smartphone app. I’ma journalist, perpetually time-strapped as Irace to meet the next deadline, so I also de-pend on her to help me with the researchfor our trips. She often highlights hot spots

weeks in advance.

Childhood travel memories Back when I was in college, I would

have never dreamed my mother wouldbecome my travel companion decadeslater. I might have even shuddered at thepossibility.

You see, growing up in our family, vaca-tions were rarely about splashing in hotelpools or relaxing on beaches. Vacationingwas a form of boot camp. Think touringWashington, D.C. in July, when scorchingtemperatures wilt hair bows and drenchsummer shorts.

Even a trip as a child to Walt DisneyWorld in Orlando, Fla., was not as muchfun as one might think. My mother madesure it was squeezed between educationalsightseeing trips to Cape Canaveral, homeof the Kennedy Space Center, and St. Au-gustine, where my sister, brother and Ilearned about 16th century history and ex-plorer Ponce de Leon.

But as the decades have gone by, mymom’s and my life’s circumstances havemade the mother-daughter travel combo anatural, practical and enjoyable experience.

To be sure, I have taken plenty of tripswith friends to a variety of places — PuertoRico, Miami’s South Beach, San Francisco.And over the years, my mom has traveled

with her own circle of friends, and mostoften with my father, crisscrossing theglobe to faraway places like Australia andIndonesia.

My father was a catalyst for travel — heworked for a major oil conglomerate that

took him on overseas assignments. Butmom lost her most dependable travelbuddy when my dad died in 2002, and heraging friends are too frail to travel now.

The joys of mother-daughter traveling BA L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 27

Anne D’Innocenzio (right) is pictured with her sister Donna and mother Marie on thebanks of the Rhine River. In addition to vacationing in Germany, the D’Innocenzioshave traveled to Italy, Ireland and other locales together. They find their differenttravel styles complement each other.

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JOIN SENIOR BOX OFFICESenior Box Office (SBO), a volunteer program of the Baltimore

County Department of Aging, provides complimentary or reduced rate tickets to

members for cultural, educational and entertainment events. The 2013-2014

membership year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Those 60 and older are invited to

join. Yearly membership costs $30 per household. For more information, or an

application, see www.seniorboxoffice.org or call (410) 887-5399.

THE BLUES ARE HOTIt’s hot in August, but the blues are even hotter at the Hot August

Blues and Roots Festival at Oregon Ridge Park on Saturday, Aug.

17. Tickets range from $49 to $169. For more information, call (877) 321-FEST or

visit www.hotAug.blues.com.

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Page 28: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

28 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

You’re on top of your medications.But we make a good back up.You know it’s important to stay on your medications exactly as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, want a lower-cost alternative, or experience any side effects, we can answer any questions. Speak to your local CVS Pharmacist to learn more.

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Page 29: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

As for me, most of my friends are mar-ried and often travel with their families. Idon’t particularly like to travel alone, andit’s hard to synchronize my plans with mysingle friends’ crazy work schedules. Evenif my friends were more readily available, Iworry that taking trips with them mightput stress on our relationships.

Complementing each other What makes this mother-daughter trav-

el team work is that we understand eachother. That includes our differences.

Unlike me, my mom is fearless — andhas remained that way even into her 80s.Turbulence on planes doesn’t bother her,while I get a pit in my stomach anytime aplane lurches.

At 80, she climbed the steep stone stepsto the top of Ireland’s Blarney Castle. I, onthe other hand, get nervous when I seespiral staircases. So I stayed at the bottom,and waited for her to come down.

My mother is also more organized than Iam. Think of TV’s favorite “Odd Couple” —Felix and Oscar. Weeks in advance of a trip,my mom folds her clothes neatly in hersuitcase and wraps her shoes with layers oftissue paper as if she’s wrapping a gift. Ioften find myself packing the night before,throwing things in a bag helter-skelter.

And even though I have adopted mymom’s sightseeing approach of trying tocover a lot of ground, we have our own styles.

We love to go to art museums, but I liketo concentrate on the highlights of the ex-hibit. Mom studies every single paintingfor a few minutes before moving on to thenext. So we compromise and meet at theend of the exhibit.

Traveling together we have also discov-ered similarities. We are both forgetful. Infact, losing eyeglasses has become ourspecialty.

After touring the massive Romanian par-liament in Bucharest built by the country’slate dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, my moth-

er realized she had left her glasses inside.The problem: She didn’t remember whichof the hundreds of rooms she left them in.We did find them eventually with the helpof our tour guide, but not without con-fronting armed guards trying to keep usfrom retracing our steps.

Connecting with family roots As I get older, I value more and more

how my mother has used travel as a way toconnect with our roots. As a family, wehave been to Italy several times, where wevisited relatives or tried to research our an-cestors in small towns like Deliceto in theSoutheast corner of Italy.

I have also admired the way my momused travel as a source of comfort. Twoyears after my brother passed away atage 23, my sister, mother and father wentto Europe. My mother was key in theplanning.

Friends tell me how lucky I am to havemy mom as my travel companion. I do feel

lucky, but I’m already starting to feel nos-talgic. A few weeks ago, after being hospi-talized with a severe case of the flu, mymother confided in me that perhaps hertraveling days are over.

I refuse to believe it. And so I’m plan-

ning our next trip. An Alaskan cruisemaybe, or what about a trip to the South ofFrance to visit her friend? If I have my way,the possibilities for more adventures withmy mom remain endless.

— AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 29

Traveling w/momFrom page 27

SIGN UP NOW FOR CASA MARATHON

Maryland CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association

is recruiting runners and walkers for its charity team, Team CASA, which will par-

ticipate in the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12, at

M&T Bank Stadium. All Team CASA members will have the opportunity to walk or

run in the marathon, half marathon, 5K or team relay to raise funds and aware-

ness about CASA’s efforts on behalf of victims of child abuse and neglect. For

more information or to register, visit www.GoTeamCASA.org, email Kay@mary-

landcasa.org, or call (410) 828-6761.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 12

VISIT AREA GALLERIES AND MEET ARTISTS

Visitors can explore 24 galleriesthroughout Baltimore for unexpectedand intriguing group and solo exhibi-tions during Artscape GalleryNetwork through Sunday, Sept. 1.Guests can not only visit the gal-leries for free, but meet participatingartists during opening receptions.Five venues have been chosen asshowcase galleries for the citywideevent: Bromo Seltzer Arts TowerGallery; Center for the Arts Gallery,Towson University; The Gallery atCCBC, Catonsville; MAXgallery @Maxine Taylor Fine Arts; and TheWind Up Space. For more informa-tion, visit www.artscape.org.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Page 30: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

By Carol SorgenLynn Perlin is no stranger to artistic pur-

suits. The 81-year-old North Oaks retire-ment community resident studied art as ayoungster, worked as a draftsperson andgraphic designer, spent more than 30 yearsas a potter, and dabbled in oil painting.

But now Perlin is finding success in hermost recent endeavor, as a watercolorist. Herintriguing image of a woman surrounded bythe fruits (and flowers) of her labor, entitled“Harvest,” was recently awarded a blue rib-bon in the Liberty Senior Center Art Contestand will be entered in the Baltimore CountySenior Expo Art Contest, which will be heldas part of the annual Baltimore County BabyBoomer/Senior Expo at the Maryland StateFairgrounds in Timonium in October.

Perlin’s award-winning watercolor willbe judged in the juried competition in thepainting category. She will be competingwith artists who are 60 and older and whorepresent the 20 Baltimore County De-partment of Aging Senior Centers.

The theme of this year’s art contest is“Remember the Past, Celebrate the Pres-ent and Energize Your Future.” Artworkcan be expressed in any of six different

media, including photography (color orblack/white), drawing (graphite, pastels,calligraphy), jewelry (handmade), models(scratch and kit), painting (oil, acrylic, wa-tercolor), and woodworking.

Diverse themesPerlin didn’t paint “Harvest” with the

competition in mind, and had no inspira-tion per se when composing her painting.“I work on five or so paintings at a time,”she said, “and my subjects vary.”

Indeed, in a tour of her works, whichhang both in North Oaks’ public spaces aswell as in Perlin’s own light-filled resi-dence, where one bedroom serves as herstudio, her subtly colored and shadedpaintings depict still lifes, landscapes, ani-mals and portraits. And while the inani-mate subjects may be taken directly fromnature or composed by Perlin — as in agrouping of onions she put together — theportraits are either drawn from Perlin’sown imagination or sometimes taken fromblack and white newspaper photographs.

“Whatever grabs my fancy is what I’llpaint,” said Perlin, adding that she’d rathernot paint portraits of people she knows.

“They always want to change something!”she said.

Though Perlin is already an accom-plished artist — a talent shared by herchildren and grandchildren — she contin-ues to hone her skills by taking classesunder art instructor Carol Zika, both atLiberty Senior Center and at North Oaks.It was Zika who suggested that Perlinenter her painting in the contest.

“Lynn’s paintings have a skillfully drawnfoundation, and she has a wonderful senseof color and is masterful in manipulating hermaterials,” said Zika, adding that the guestjudge at the Liberty Senior Center Art Con-test was impressed by so many strong con-tenders, but was particularly drawn to thecolors in Perlin’s “Harvest” painting.

Perlin has no interest in selling herpaintings — she said that 30 years of sell-ing her pottery in craft shows was enoughof a retail experience for her. But she givesadmired paintings to friends and family(“My walls are getting kind of full,” shesaid) or will do a painting as a gift, such asone of a sailboat she painted as a weddingpresent for two avid sailors.

An affinity for watercolorsWorking with both liquid watercolors

and watercolor pencils, the latter of whichPerlin finds “liberating” because they canbe picked up at any time, Perlin said sheenjoys the portability of watercolors.

“Everything is small enough and lightenough that I can handle it all,” she ex-

plained. “It’s a very practical art form forme at this stage.”

Watercolors also offer the opportunityof problem-solving — how much water touse, whether to use a pencil wet or dry,etc. — and Perlin said she enjoys figuringout the mechanics of what she’s workingon, as well as the opportunity watercolorsgive her to change her mind.

Though North Oaks offers its residentsa full roster of activities and classes tochoose among (Perlin’s sister, for example,who also lives at North Oaks, takes writingworkshops), most of Perlin’s time is taken

30 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com AUGU S T 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Arts & Style Lynn Perlin, who painted this watercolorof tulips, uses a bedroom for an art studio. See story below.

TOBY’S DINNER THEATRE OF COLUMBIA CALL 410-730-8311

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North Oaks artist wins art show at center

Lynn Perlin’s painting, “Harvest,” recent-ly won a blue ribbon in the Liberty Sen-ior Center art contest and will be en-tered in the Baltimore County SeniorExpo art contest in October.

See ART SHOW, 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

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up with her painting.“I do something related to art almost

every day,” she said, “even if it’s just con-templating what I’m going to do next.

“I’m always experimenting, and alwayschanging my mind,” Perlin continued.“But the main thing is, I’m having fun.”

Carol Zika said she hears regularly fromnewly retired seniors that they have al-ways wanted to take up drawing or paint-

ing. “Seniors like Lynn bring a wealth ofexperience to art classes,” Zika said. “Witha positive attitude and willingness to trynew things, it is never too late to start. It’sa fun and rewarding experience.”

Expo visitors will cast their votes in eachcategory for the “People’s Choice” winners.A local art expert will select the “Best inShow” winners. First-place winners will beannounced on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 1:30p.m. at the main stage. For more informa-tion about the art show or the expo, visitwww.seniorexpoonline.com/index.html.

By Carol SorgenIf you’re a theater-lover, you’re probably

hankering for the start of the new dramaticseason come September, but that doesn’tmean there aren’t plenty of stage offerings tokeep you going for the rest of the summer.

Whether you opt for an offering by oneof Baltimore’s community theaters, or ven-ture a bit farther — but not too far — afield(road trip, anyone?), there’s plenty of livetheater to enjoy.

Fiddler on the RoofHere in town, Spotlighters Theatre clos-

es out its 51st season with the perennial fa-vorite, Fiddler on the Roof, through Aug. 4(Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundaysat 2 p.m.). Based on the stories of ShalomAleichem, this popular musical takes placein pre-revolutionary Russia and focuses onthe life of Tevye, a milkman, who is tryingto uphold his family’s tradition at the sametime he is trying to marry off his threeolder daughters — who would rathermake their own matches, thank you verymuch. You’ll enjoy hearing such familiartunes as “To Life,” “If I Were a Rich Man,”and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for those60+, and $16 for students and military. Spot-lighters is located at 817 Saint Paul St. Call(410) 752-1225 or visit www.spotlighters.org.

Me and My GirlCelebrating its 40th season is Cockpit in

Court Summer Theatre at the CommunityCollege of Baltimore County-Essex.

Through Aug. 4, enjoy another popularmusical, Me and My Girl, first staged in1938, revived in London in 1984, and thenin New York in 1986.

The late Viscount Hareford had a youth-ful but unfortunate marriage, which result-ed in a son and heir who is kept out of sight.Lo and behold, the family solicitor laterfinds the rightful heir, much to the dismayof his newfound, upper-crust relations.

Also at Cockpit through Aug. 4, is AMurder is Announced, an adaptation of anAgatha Christie mystery. This classicChristie puzzle features mixed motives,concealed identities, several deaths, and ofcourse, Miss Marple on hand to solve it all.

For ticket information for both shows,call (443) 840-ARTS or email [email protected].

Tartuffe andMuch Ado AboutNothing

Not far away at the Bowie Playhouse(16500 White Marsh Park Dr.), you’ll findthe Annapolis Shakespeare Company,which is putting on both Moliere’s come-dy, Tartuffe, as part of its Comedy in theCourtyard series, through Aug. 13, andShakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing,from Aug. 2 to 18.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company is justin its third season, but has been garneringrave reviews from Baltimore and Washing-ton drama critics, being called “a new stan-dard bearer for excellence in local theatre.”

Tickets range from $18 to $24. For moreinformation and reservations, call (410)

415-3513 or visit www.AnnapolisShake-speare.org.

Into the Woods The longstanding Annapolis Summer

Garden Theatre is rounding out its summerseason with Stephen Sondheim’s Into theWoods, on stage from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1. This“fractured” fairy tale, which has won numer-

ous honors, including three Tony Awards, isboth an irreverent fantasy and a moralityplay about community responsibility.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased bysending a check, payable to ASGT, to ASGTTicket Office, 143 Compromise St., Annapo-lis, MD 21401. The ticket office is also open

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 31

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Summer stages have diverse offerings

Art showFrom page 30

Fiddler on the Roof plays at the Spotlighters Theatre through Aug. 4.

See SUMMER STAGES, page 33

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from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on performance nights.For more information, visit www.summer-garden.com or call (410) 268-9212.

A Chorus LineThe 75-year-old Olney Theatre Center

(2001 Olney Sandy Spring Road), which inits early days was dubbed “The South’sFirst Professional Summer Theatre,” hasseen its share of stars through the years,such as Helen Hayes, Moss Hart, CarolChanning and Ian McKellen, to name just ahandful. From Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, Olney willstage one of the most popular shows-about-a-show ever produced, A Chorus Line.

Following the story of 17 dancers whoare competing for eight sought-after spotsin the chorus of a Broadway musical, the

show features such songs as “What I DidFor Love,” “One (Singular Sensation),”and “I Hope I Get It.” Tickets for seniorsrange from $38.50 to $48.50. For reserva-tions and more information, call (301) 924-4485 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

The Fox on the FairwayAnd finally, in the dollhouse-sized town

of Oxford, just 90 minutes from Baltimore(and an ideal day or weekend trip), is theTred Avon Players, founded in 1982. Nexton stage will be The Fox on the Fairway, byKen Ludwig, which begins with “ThriftyThursday Preview,” on Aug. 15, and runsweekends through Sept. 1. This MarxBrothers-style comedy is filled with mis-taken identities, slamming doors and thede rigueur romantic shenanigans.

Tickets are $15 each (2 for $15, or $10for 1 on “Thrifty Thursday”). For reserva-

tions, call (410) 226-0061or visit www.tredavonplay-ers.org.

For a listing of theatersthroughout Maryland, visitwww.srbnet.com/maryland.html.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 33

WHAT’S YOURREASON TO WALK?

Greater Baltimore Oregon Ridge Park

Saturday, October 12, 2013

.

alz.org.walk

I WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

M E T O O U T E S F A BI V A N A N O T E B I O US E X P R O P O S A L R R RT R I O C A T E A S T S

P I T C H E R S S T A TT R A T O K N O T I PR E P A T O I L S A M EE A R L Y M I D D L E A G E SE R I K A I D D Y E R S

C A P R I S B A S E EG E O L O G I C T I M ER A T I O O A F G N A WA T J C L U E S F O R E R AS T A H I N D I B E R G SP O M T O S S S T O O P

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 34

Stephen Horst (as Tartuffe) and Lauren Turchin (as Elmire) star in Moliere’s comedyTartuffe in a production by the Annapolis Shakespeare Company at Bowie Playhouse.

The cast of the musicalMe and My Girl, firststaged in 1938, will beonstage at Cockpit InCourt Summer Theaterthrough Aug. 4.

Summer stagesFrom page 31

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Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 33.

Crossword PuzzleDaily crosswords can be found on our website:

www.TheBeaconNewspapers.comClick on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 33.

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

13 14 15 16

17 18 19

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28 29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38

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69 70 71

Down1. Product of a witch’s cauldron2. Word before after3. Prepare for takeoff4. Hop ___5. Boat propeller6. Settle in to the hotel7. A canine8. Little green men9. Moon feature10. Chapter One11. Largest artery12. Start (as applause) or end (as a bubble)15. Sanctified18. Prefix used for the tenth month23. “Do ___ ...”25. Pint-sized26. Oklahoma city named for a character

in Idylls of the King27. Start a Monopoly turn28. Fir instance29. Backside30. Spread for toast34. Acid neutralizer35. Off kilter37. Unnecessary modifier for “pittance”38. To be, to Romans40. Butter subst.41. 4, on many clocks42. Like gouda, but betta (to some)47. A canine48. Equilibrium49. Son of a salesman51. Comprehend52. ___ Live (diet book)53. About 56% of college students54. Bird of the Everglades58. Successor to Claudius59. Winner of three 2012 Academy Awards60. Winged stinger63. Class that may ignite the interests

of 53D64. Value of a “Goooooooollll!”65. Docs. for preggos

Not Just Detergent by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Purr of a copycat6. Salt Lake City students10. Like The Beatles13. Her four husbands were Alfred, Donald,

Riccardo, and Rossano14. The second memo16. Payment alternative17. It can get your face slapped19. Toy engine sound20. Stooges or Amigos21. One drop in a rainstorm22. Sport league divisions24. “Holds one quart of iced tea”28. ___-la-la31. Tik ___ (The first number one song of

the decade)32. Punishment, to a waitress33. One who comes back to the homeland35. Stir fry ingredient36. 36 inches, relative to a yard39. The 40s43. Estrada of CHiPs44. Work for the Red Cross45. Trippy shirt makers46. Pants style48. Agency whose activities are summarized

by “the 3 Cs”: capital, contracts and counseling

50. ___ no evil51. Newsmag with realllly slow delivery55. 4 parts gin to 1 part vermouth, for example56. Buffoon57. Eat like a bunny61. 2008 reality show, America’s Toughest

Jobs, briefly62. 17, 23, 39, and 51 Across66. B&O stop67. Delhi tongue68. Chunks broken from an ice shelf69. Shortened dog or fruit70. Sleep fitfully71. Bend down

Jumbles: ABBEY PUPIL BENUMB YEARLY

Answer: Easy to hold up on a rainy day -- AN UMBRELLA

Jumble Answers

Page 35: August 2013 Baltimore Beacon Edition

was receiving unwanted e-mails aboutcataracts and cataract surgery.

For over two years, I’ve received phonecalls from people identifying themselvesas Verizon representatives calling with ref-erence to my computer. When I spokewith Verizon and asked if they were givingmy unpublished phone number to suchpeople, Verizon told me I would have to re-port these calls to the police.

Lastly, one week ago, I ran a smallitem ad in the For Sale section of a localneighborhood newspaper. I found my adplastered all over the internet yesterday —along with my phone number which at thistime is still unpublished.

Beverly GrossmanBaltimore

Dear Editor:I have no problem with the U.S. govern-

ment collecting phone records, but I wantto know how they will be used. If massivedata mining of phone calls can smoke out a

terrorist, that’s great. But as a law-abidingcitizen with nothing to hide, I want toknow how years of this personal informa-tion might be used against me.

We willingly relinquish tremendousamounts of personal information each day,and again it doesn’t bother me. Whyshould I care if a manufacturer learns Iprefer Brand B cereal to Brand X?

But what concerns me, along with mil-lions of other Americans, is just how muchpersonal information does the governmentcollect? Do I have to worry they are track-ing the books I borrow from the library, orthe phone calls I make to my senators andcongressman? And why does the govern-ment need to know this in the first place?

There are millions of foreigners living inAmerica in violation of our immigrationlaws, so it’s unfair the rest of us are singledout for such scrutiny.

You ask “whom do you trust?” Rightnow my answer is no one. We have a socialcontract and we have a Constitution. Sadly,both are being shredded.

Rosalind Ellis HeidBaltimore

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — A UGU S T 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 35

NURSING STUDENT AND LICENSED,bonded, highly experienced CNA seeks full-time, overnight caregiving position. I’m petfriendly, with an extensive resume, stellar ref-erences and solid background check. If interest-ed, kindly call Jacqueline at 301-787-3555.

GARDENVILLE – LARGE, CLEAN BED-ROOM, private bath, with microwave and re-frigerator. For rent in 2nd floor of private home– reasonable references. 410-485-1702.

TWO SIDE BY SIDE CEMETERY PLOTSin Apostles Garden at Dulaney Valley MemorialGardens. Asking a fraction of the cemetery’scurrent asking price. Call, 410-484-8529.

PRIDE JAZZY SELECT 6 Ultra Power withcharger unit. Power elevating pan seat withsynergy cushion. Like new – never used. $1,900or best offer. 410-465-5647.

TWO SIDE BY SIDE cemetery plots and vaults inGarden of Holy Cross at Dulaney Valley MemorialGardens. $35,000 or Best offer . Call, 410-357-0661.

COLLECTION OF 78 RPM ALBUMS – byartists Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey, Nat KingCole, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, InkSpots and more. Signed, Numbered andFramed Prints by Charles Bibbs. 443-814-0678.

TWO SIDE BY SIDE CRYPTS in CloistersMausoleum at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gar-dens. Retail Value: $15,000. Sell For: $8,000.410-870-1442.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints fromDante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures ifdesired. Call Steve 410-913-1653.

MIKE RUPARD – A FULL SERVICEPAINTING contractor. Interior. Exterior. “Nojob is too small.” 30 years experience. Free es-timates. Fully-licensed and insured. 301-674-1393.

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL –Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency,Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Re-moval, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling,Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates.10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and In-sured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285).

HANDYMAN MATTERS will help you staysafe in your own home. Professional, ReliableSkilled Craftsmen. Grab Bar Installation,Bathroom Modifications and your to-do list!410-549-9696. MHIC # 89094.

SANFORD & SON HAULING Trash re-moval, house & estate clean-outs, garage clean-outs, yard work & cleanups, demolition, shedremoval. 410-746-5090. Free Estimates. In-sured. Call 7 days a week 7am – 7pm.

PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP – SWF, 65, isseeking women for platonic friendship for din-ing out, picnics, movies, conversation, boardgames, travel day trips, concerts, walking, hik-ing, window shopping, museums, swimming,miniature golf, amusement parks, etc. CallMary, 410-978-4887.

SINGLE MEN – SWF, recently retired, pe-tite, senior, 65, Christian, blonde hair, blueeyes is seeking single men 55+ for dating,possibly marriage, who enjoys movies, diningout, day trips, watching TV, walks, exercise,hikes, swimming, concerts, travel, amuse-ment parks, and church. Call Mary, 410-978-4887.

ESTATE SPECIALIST Experts in estateclean-outs and preparing your house for sale.Trash removal, house cleanouts, light moving,demolition, yard work, cleaning. 410-746-5090.Free estimates. Insured. Call 7 days 7am - 7pm.

FUNERALS & CREMATION – Parkview Fu-neral Home & Cremation Service by Brent Fran-cis, P.A. Family Owned & Operated “CelebratingLife.” Traditional burial, cremation, memorialservices, pre-planning, affordable options for allbudgets. 7527 Harford Rd. (2 blocks south of Tay-lor Ave.), 410-444-4683. www.parkviewfh.com.

LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN –FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational.Grammatical. Private lessons. ReasonableRates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEW-ELRY – pocket and wrist watches (any condi-tion). Also buying watch maker tools and parts,train sets and accessories, old toys, old glass-ware & coins. 410-655-0412.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm& Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or78s, Larger collections of at least 100 itemswanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

WE BUY OLD AND NEW COINS, Jewelry,Silver and Gold, Paper Money too. Watches,Clocks and Parts, Military Badges and PatchesOld and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

BUYING OLD BASEBALL CARD COL-LECTIONS Baseball Card Outlet at 7502Eastern Ave near Eastpoint Mall is always inthe market for buying vintage sports card col-lections & memorabilia from 1975 & older. 410-284-4440 Open daily at 10AM.

$$$$$ WE PAY CASH FOR ITEMS $$$$$Webuy the following items and more: Toys, Collecta-ble Glassware, Dolls (Barbies, Ceramic), Auto-motive and Motorcycle Parts and Related Items,Electronics, Musical Instruments, Trains, Itemsof Any Kind – Just Ask – Vintage or CurrentCars, Trucks, Motorcycles, RV’s and More. CallDave @ 443-514-8583. [email protected].

BUYING OLD BASEBALL CARD COL-LECTIONS Baseball Card Outlet at 7502Eastern Ave near Eastpoint Mall is always inthe market for buying vintage sports card col-lections & memorabilia from 1975 & older. 410-284-4440 Open daily at 10AM.

OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling SilverFlatware, Tea Sets or Single Pieces., Furniture,Tools, Cameras, Good Glassware, Artwork Too.Toys From Trains to Hotwheels, Action Figuresto Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

HELP WANTED - ZIPS DRY CLEANERS.Coming soon. 6201 Baltimore National Pike,Catonsville, MD. Help wanted for all positions,managers, counter service and production.Apply in person between 1 and 4 p.m., Tues-days and Thursdays in August 2013. Call forappointment. Sara: 516-312-0425, Ray: 601-818-4876, Sam: 601-307-4612.

CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

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

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

scene, of fen sive, harmful, or fraudulent adver-tising. How ev er, we do not in ves ti gate any ad -ver tis ers or their prod ucts and can not ac ceptre 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 and their best judg ment.

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

ad ver tis ing in violation of federal, state, andlocal laws pro hib it ing dis crim i na tion based onrace, color, national origin, sex, fa mil ial sta tus orhandicap in connection with employment or thesale or rental of real estate.

For Sale

Personal Services

Wanted

Wanted

Home/Handyman Services

Caregivers

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

For Sale

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

Personals

Return this form with your check, made payable to The Bea con, to:

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

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