F R E E

VOL.8, NO.12

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0DECEMBER 2011More than 100,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

By Carol SorgenDavid Silverman found his life’s passion

when he was just 4 years old. On a familyvacation in upstate New York, Silverman’sfather gave him a handful of nickels to playthe pinball machines.

“In New York City, where we lived, pin-ball machines were outlawed, so I hadnever seen one before,” the now-63-year-old landscape designer recalled. But all ittook was those few nickels, and Silvermanwas hooked from that moment on.

“The bells, the whistles, the lights…theyall just struck a chord with me and haveever since,” said Silverman.

Pinball machines were declared illegalin New York City from 1939 until 1976.The legislation was spearheaded by MayorFiorello LaGuardia, who considered pin-ball to be a form of gambling or “games ofchance,” possibly because some operatorspaid high scorers cash rewards and prizes.At any rate, LaGuardia didn’t want school-children wasting their nickels and dimesin the machines.

But that didn’t deter Silverman, whosefamily regularly vacationed in upstate NewYork, where pinball was legit. He not onlybecame an enthusiastic player in hisyouth, but, later on, an avid collector ofpinball machines.

Perhaps the gambling spirit has stayedwith him as well, for Silverman is now bet-ting that he can bring his love for pinball— and his extensive collection of the ma-chines — to Baltimore. Soon he plans toopen his National Pinball Museum in thePower Plant Live complex at the InnerHarbor.

Amassing a collectionSilverman bought his first pinball ma-

chine for $200 while a young art instructorin Ohio, then added another. When he ac-quired a couple of roommates, he was soshort of space for himself that he wound upspending his nights under the machines.

Later, he moved to Rockville, Md., totake up a position teaching art. Due to thedifficulty of moving his machines, he soldthem and tried to ignore the calling to pur-chase another one.

The lure was too great, however, andshortly after he got married he broughthome “Fireball” — a machine he had first

played in Spain and then ran across in ahome amusement store.

After that, “all hell broke loose,” Silver-man laughed.

Fast forward 30-some years, and Silver-man is now the proud owner of nearly 900pinball machines, spanning the history ofthe game from the late 18th century to thepresent.

Among the vintage games he owns are a1967 Beat Time game, featuring “The Boo-tles” (a play on the name of the Fab Fourto avoid paying royalties), a 1980 RollingStones game, and a 1976 Captain Fantasticgame (inspired by Elton John’s appear-ance in the movie version of the rockopera Tommy. That movie told of a blind,

deaf and mute boy whose senses are awak-ened when he plays pinball.)

Silverman has restored many of the ma-chines himself in workshops he built inback of his home. Several years ago,though, it dawned on him that not onlywas he running out of room, but he had acollection that might be of interest to otherpinball enthusiasts as well.

So was born the National Pinball Muse-um, which opened last year in Washing-ton, D.C.’s tony Georgetown district. Un-expectedly, the property where it was lo-cated was sold and is now being redevel-oped, resulting in the loss of his lease.

I N S I D E …

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PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

A R T S & S T Y L ENoel Coward’s comedy, PrivateLives, reveals couples at theirbest and worst; plus, Baltimorelights up for the holidays

page 27

L E I S U R E & T R A V E LAlabama’s Civil War and civilrights sites; plus, time to thinkspring when it comes to thegarden

page 23

Pinball wizard comes to Baltimore

Pinball aficionado David Silverman is preparing to open his National Pinball Museumon the Inner Harbor. The museum, moving here from a short-lived venue in Wash-ington, D.C., will feature part of his vast collection of vintage and contemporary pinball machines and give visitors a chance to operate select machines.

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See PINBALL WIZARD, page 29

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

Every year, we enter a selection of ouroriginal stories in the editorial contestsrun by the two largest 50+media associations: the Na-tional Mature Media Awards,and the North American Ma-ture Publishers Association(NAMPA) awards.

I am pleased to report thatthe Beacon once again cameaway from both competitionswith some top honors. In fact,this year, all three of our Bea-con editions — including ournew Howard County Beacon—won awards.

The Mature Media awards draw entriesfrom national publications, such as AARPThe Magazine, as well as local papers likeours. They are judged by recognized writ-ing and aging experts.

This year we won two silver awards. Ourmanaging editor, Barbara Ruben, won onefor her Greater Washington cover story,“Two generations kiss and tell,” about amother and daughter bookwriting team. Wealso won a silver award in the overall “news-paper” category for last year’s July issue.

Our Baltimore contributing editor,

Carol Sorgen, won bronze awards for twoother cover stories — “Fitness leads to

ageless body,” and “Findingfreedom on two wheels.” AGreater Washington coverstory by Ruben about thegrowing popularity of tattoo-ing among older adults,“Making their mark withbody art,” won a merit award.

The Mature Media competi-tion was for items published in2010, so our Howard Countyedition was not yet eligible. Butwe were able to enter storiesfrom our earliest Howard

County editions in the NAMPA competitionbecause it covered publications from July2010 through June 2011.

So we were pleased that the cover of our debut Howard County issue, “Whengrown kids move back in,” written by Sor-gen, won first place in NAMPA’s featurewriting category for papers with circula-tions under 50,000.

By the way, the NAMPA competition isjudged by the prestigious University of Mis-souri School of Journalism, and its judges pro-vide comments with all awards. The judges

called Sorgen’s cover a “well-researched, deft-ly written piece that provides context and so-lutions as well as lively anecdotes.”

We are particularly proud of our Balti-more edition, which not only won two first-place writing awards in its division (50,000-100,000 circulation), but also first place forgeneral excellence and overall “Best ofShow” in its division.

Here’s what the judges had to say aboutour Baltimore edition:

“Sophisticated in content and presenta-tion, the Baltimore Beacon reflects an audi-ence that obviously seeks both an authorita-tive and more broad-minded approach to top-ics. While it remains committed to subjects ofvalue for its audience — health, travel, invest-ments, the arts — it doesn’t shy away fromtough issues, such as medical marijuana, di-vorce and retirement resentment. This is arefreshing publication that gives readerstools to manage life’s challenges.”

Our Greater Washington edition won twofirst place awards, as well as second placefor general excellence in its division (pa-pers with more than 100,000 circulation).

Ruben won first place in the senior is-sues category with her cover story, “Sex,drugs and HIV after 50,” which the judgescalled “really important work on a subjectof national importance.”

And my January 2011 From the Publishercolumn, “Time to advocate” — in which I en-couraged readers to support the independ-ent existence of the Maryland Departmentof Aging through a letter-writing and emailcampaign — was awarded first place in thecommunity service editorial category.

Of course, the real reward of that col-umn was in the success of the advocacy ef-fort, made possible by the tremendous

support of Beacon readers like you. Which leads me to note that, whatever

awards we do or do not win, what alwaysmatters the most to us is what our readersthink of us. We value your opinion, alwayswelcome your input, and ask that youshare your comments and suggestionswith us via mail, e-mail, phone or fax. Welove to hear from you.

I want to conclude by expressing mythanks to, and admiration for, the entire Bea-con staff. They are truly committed (andoften overworked), and I’d like to thankthem by name for their excellent efforts anddevoted contributions to the Beacon:

Managing Editor Barbara Ruben, Con-tributing Editor Carol Sorgen, Vice Presi-dent for Operations Gordon Hasenei, Di-rector of Sales Alan Spiegel, Graphic De-signer Kyle Gregory, Asst. OperationsManager (and webmaster) Roger King,Advertising Representatives Doug Hal-lock, Ron Manno, Steve Levin, CherylWatts and Dan Kelly, and last but certain-ly not least, my wife and Associate Publish-er Judy Rosenthal.

We also are grateful for the many contri-butions of our talented freelancers, includ-ing Robert Friedman and Anne Ball inHoward County, travel writers VictorBlock and Glenda Booth, theatre review-er Michael Toscano, and freelance pho-tographer, Frank Klein.

The Beacon would not exist without allof their efforts, nor without your readingof our publications. My thanks to you all.

Tooting our horn

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:With respect to last month’s “From the

Publisher” column, Social Security hasdone exactly what it was designed to dosince 1935, and will continue to do so, ac-cording to the Social Security actuaries,until 2036 when there is projected to be a22 percent shortfall in benefits.

Social Security is one of this country’smost successful programs that provides asafety net for American families.

Why do some groups say “hands off?”The answer is that Congress’ “super com-mittee” is under great pressure to come upwith ways to reduce our national deficit by aminimum of $1.2 trillion, and Social Securityis on the table along with everything else.

Social Security did not contribute one

penny to this deficit and should not betouched and used as a piggy bank. SocialSecurity is more important to seniors nowthan ever before, since most 401Ks havebecome 201Ks. Social Security is a con-tract that must not be broken.

Social Security has changed in the pastand will need to change in the future. Itsvalue to this country and to its citizens isworth a full congressional and grassrootsdiscussion. The future of Social Securityshould not be decided by a committee of12 in a rush to meet a Thanksgiving dead-line.

This is the time to keep “Hands Off” andcut the turkey, not the program.

Laura FeldmanVia email

Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressedin the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mailyour Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring,MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

BeaconThe

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

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915(410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.comSubmissions: 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 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2011 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

2010 Outstanding Publication Award

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedi cated to inform, serve, and en ter tain the citi zens of the GreaterBaltimore area, and is pri vate ly owned. Other editionsserve Howard County and Greater Washington.Subscriptions are available via third-class mail

($12), pre paid with order. MD residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send sub scrip tion order to theoffice listed below.

Publication of advertising contained hereindoes not necessarily con sti tute en dorse ment.Signed col umns represent the opinions of thewriters, and not necessarily the opinion of thepublisher.

• 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 ............Ron Manno,

........................................................................Steve Levin

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 3

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4 DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

FOODS THAT FIGHT STRESSWhen stress strikes, reach for foodsthat soothe the psyche

DON’T HEAD FOR A FALLSchedule an eye exam, and check yourbalance and meds to prevent falls

A NATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S PLANCongress orders plan to fightAlzheimer’s; draft promised in December

UNRAVELING THE BEST DNAResearchers seek to unlock the secretsof healthy longevity

HealthFitness &

By Emily Sohn You already know you need to eat well

to stay healthy, but scientists are now zero-ing in on specific diet strategies that canhelp bolster immunity. With cold and fluseason right around the corner, here arethree to add to your arsenal:

1. Fill your Vitamin D tank: You mayhave fewer health problems — rangingfrom colds to cancer — if you get enoughvitamin D. Your body naturally makes vita-min D from sunlight. You can also get it — albeit in smaller

doses — from fatty fish, such as salmon,and fortified milk. But because Americansdon’t get enough vitamin D, most expertsrecommend a D supplement.New research in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such

a supplement may help boost your immunesystem. In a study of more than 300 Japan-ese children, those who took daily vitaminD supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percentless likely to get a common flu virus thankids who took a placebo.Laboratory studies indicate that the nu-

trient may help immune cells identify anddestroy bacteria and viruses that make ussick, said Dr. Adit Ginde, a public healthresearcher at the University of ColoradoSchool of Medicine in Denver. Aim to getat least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (checkwith your doctor before taking more).

2. Get a daily dose of soluble fiber:Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber forsix weeks recovered from a bacterial infec-tion in half the time it took mice that dinedon meals containing mixed fiber, accord-

ing to a recent study in the journal Brain,Behavior and Immunity.Soluble fiber — abundant in citrus

fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats —helps fight inflammation, said lead authorChristina Sherry of the University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor. Insoluble fiber — found in wheat, whole

grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables — isstill important for overall health, but it doesn’tseem to have the same impact on immunity. Strive for 25 to 38 grams of total fiber a

day, Sherry said, paying extra attention togetting the soluble kind.

3. Stay lean: Overweight adults who cuttheir daily calorie intake by nearly a third sawa 50 percent boost in immunity, according toa six-month study out of Tufts University,Medford, Mass. (Those who cut calories by

10 percent had smaller improvements.) Restricting calories may reduce levels of

compounds in the body that depress yourimmune response, said Tufts nutritionalimmunologist Simin Meydani.Animal studies suggest that calorie re-

striction could work in normal-weight indi-viduals. too. “Try to maintain your bodyweight at what is considered ideal,” Mey-dani said, because eating more than whatyou need drags the immune system down. “And remember: when you cut back on

quantity, you need to be even more vigilantabout the quality of your diet,” Meydaniadded. Aim to eat more fruits and vegeta-bles — and choose lean protein sources,such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy.

© 2011 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.

Stay healthy with three immune boosters

Doctors are notoriously bad at measur-ing their patients’ blood pressure. Nursesare better, but many still don’t use the cor-rect method. Even clinicians who do follow the prop-

er procedure often get a reading that’shigher than the person’s usual blood pres-sure. This is called white-coat hyperten-sion — blood pressure that’s high when adoctor or other clinician measures it, butnormal the rest of the time.Maybe it’s time to give the job of meas-

uring blood pressure to machines, not hu-mans. That’s the novel — and successful— approach taken by teams in Canada andthe Netherlands.

People get higher readingsIn Canada, researchers asked 88 pri-

mary care physicians and 555 of their pa-tients with high blood pressure to takepart in the Conventional Versus Automat-ed Measurement of Blood Pressure in theOffice (CAMBO) trial.Half of the physicians measured their

patients’ blood pressure the old-fashionedway — in person, by pumping up a stan-dard blood pressure cuff and listeningthrough a stethoscope to the stop and startof blood through the brachial artery. The other half handed over the job to a

machine. These doctors fit a blood pres-

sure cuff around the patient’s arm, madesure the machine was working, then leftthe room.The volunteer sat quietly while the ma-

chine recorded his or her blood pressurefive more times, with a break of a minuteor two between each measurement. Later,each volunteer wore a monitor that meas-ured his or her blood pressure dozens oftimes over the course of 24 hours.The average measurements made by

the doctors were higher than those madeby the blood pressure monitoralone. In addition, the au-tomated readingswere more in linewith the 24-hourrecording (BMJ).In a related

study in theNetherlands, 84men and womenwhose doctorssuggested theyh a v e 2 4 - h o u rblood pressure moni-toring first had their pressure checked bya machine, not by a doctor or other clinician.Each volunteer sat alone in a quiet roomwhile his or her blood pressure was automat-ically measured eight times in 30 minutes. The readings yielded an average that

was very close to the 24-hour recording.Notably, the first measurement in the se-ries averaged 154 millimeters of mercury(mm Hg), but by the fourth one it had sta-bilized at 142 mm Hg (Annals of FamilyMedicine).

The white coat effectUp to 20 percent of people who are told

they have high blood pressure, and whobegin treatment for it, may actually have

normal blood pressureeverywhere but in thedoctor’s office.

Why some peoplehave white-coathypertensionisn’t clear. Itcould be therush of get-ting to an ap-pointment,the anxiety

and stress asso-ciated with seeing a

doctor, or poor technique bythe person who is taking the meas-

urement.The effect of white-coat hypertension on

long-term health is still a bit hazy. Onelarge study showed that people with white-coat hypertension are more likely than

those with normal blood pressure to devel-op “true” hypertension over time. Otherstudies suggest that people with white-coathypertension fare much the same as thosewith normal blood pressure.One way to test for white-coat hyperten-

sion is with ambulatory blood pressuremonitoring — wearing a blood pressurecuff around the arm, connected to aportable monitor, for an entire day andnight. This offers a better estimate of“true” blood pressure than a single snap-shot in a doctor’s office. But it is a hassle having the cuff inflate

every so often, even while you sleep. Aneasier alternative might be to sit quietly byyourself in your doctor’s office and have amachine measure your blood pressureseveral times.In a paper in the Cleveland Clinic Journal

of Medicine, Dr. Donald G. Vidt (a memberof the panel that set the current standardsfor measuring and treating high blood pres-sure) and his colleagues at the ClevelandClinic pose an interesting question: Is tak-ing blood pressure too important to trust tohumans? It looks like the answer is yes. You can read the paper yourself at

www.health.harvard.edu/169.© 2011 President and fellows of Harvard

College. All rights reserved. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.

Machines measure blood pressure better

New antiviraldrug: A cure forthe common

cold?Viruses might soon meet their kryp-

tonite: a drug that can, in theory, destroycells infected by almost any one of themwithout harming healthy neighbor cells.Most antiviral drugs or vaccines are

specific to one virus, or even one strain.When a virus mutates, researchers mustretool our medicines.But nearly all viruses have one thing in

common: they generate double strands ofRNA longer than 30 base pairs. Healthymammalian cells do not produce such longdouble-stranded RNA, offering a way toidentify virus-infected cells.The immune system already includes

an enzyme — protein kinase R (PKR) —that binds to long double-stranded RNAmolecules and blocks production of viralproteins, but many viruses can evade it.So Todd Rider at the Massachusetts In-

stitute of Technology-Lexington and hiscolleagues glued PKR to apoptotic pro-tease activating factor 1 — a protein thattriggers cell suicide in extreme situations. The new antiviral drug “catches the

virus with its pants down,” explainedRider, by destroying the cell as soon asviral RNA is detected. He calls the drugDRACO, for double-stranded-RNA-activat-ed caspase oligomeriser.In tests, DRACO prevented rhinovirus

— which causes some forms of the com-mon cold — from spreading throughhuman and mouse cells in Petri dishes. Itperformed just as well against 14 other

viruses, including the one responsible fordengue fever. DRACO also boosted sur-vival rates in mice given a normally lethaldose of the H1N1 flu virus (PLoS One).“Just as antibiotics revolutionized the

treatment of bacterial infections, this proj-ect has a lot of potential to treat a range ofillnesses,” said Rider.“This is a very clever approach,” said

Timothy Tellinghuisen of the Scripps Re-search Institute in Jupiter, Fla., but he addedthat some viruses can conceal their double-stranded RNA, and so could elude DRACO.Andrea Branch of the Mount Sinai

School of Medicine in New York City alsohas reservations. Destroying all infectedcells can be dangerous in people with ad-vanced viral infections, she said. “Suppose100 percent of your hepatocytes (livercells) are infected and you used this —you would die of liver failure.”

— New Scientist

How to find doctors who acceptMedicare

If you’re looking for a new doctor whotakes Medicare, start with the PhysicianCompare tool at Medicare.gov. Enter your Zip code and the type of doc-

tor you’re looking for. Specify that you wantto see providers who accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. You can leave the doctor’s gender and

last name blank. The search will result in alist of physicians in the area who acceptMedicare.But this resource isn’t foolproof. “We

have found doctors on the Medicare.govlist who have retired,” said Elaine WongEakin, executive director of CaliforniaHealth Advocates.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 5

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She recommends starting with four orfive doctors on the list, or asking friends orrelatives in the area for recommendations.Then contact those doctors to see whetherthey are accepting new Medicare patients.If you still have trouble finding a doctor

you like who accepts Medicare, you maywant to consider switching to a MedicareAdvantage plan for 2012 during open-enroll-

ment season this year, which runs onlythrough Dec. 7 — earlier than in past years.These private plans, which offer med-

ical and prescription-drug coverage andprovide networks of doctors, may havemore doctors available in certain areasthan traditional Medicare does. But they also have rules limiting which

doctors and hospitals may be used, and havedifferent co-payments, deductible and cover-age amounts than traditional Medicare.

— Kiplinger’s

By Karen AnselAre your tummy troubles all in your

head? Yes and no. There’s a reason why,when you’re upset, you feel a knot in thepit of your stomach.“The brain and the digestive tract share

many of the same nerve connections,” saidDr. Douglas A. Drossman, a gastroenterol-ogist and psychiatrist and co-director ofthe University of North Carolina Centerfor Functional GI and Motility Disorders,Chapel Hill. It’s because, in the womb, the nerves

that eventually separate into the brain,spinal cord and nerves of the intestine allhave the same beginnings and remain in-terconnected.

Mental stress delivers a one-two punchto our digestive systems. First, it causesthe release of cortisol and adrenaline, hor-mones that not only divert energy to yourmuscles (so you can fight — or flee!) butalso slow down digestion.For momentary bouts of stress, that’s a

good thing: You want to use your energy toescape the bear, not digest your lunch. Butwhen stress is chronic, those same hor-mones can make your digestive systemsluggish, leading to constipation. In addition, chronic stress can alter the

release of neurotransmitters like sero-tonin, which promotes relaxation. And be-cause 80 percent of your body’s serotoninis located in your gut, it’s no wonder that

when too much is released it can keep yourunning to the bathroom, while too littlecan make you irregular.

Try these foodsLuckily, science suggests that, when

stress strikes, reaching for certain foods cansoothe your psyche and your “stomach.”Here are three to get things back on track:

1. Oatmeal: This comforting grain ispacked with fiber, which helps regulate di-gestion — slowing things down whenthey’re moving too fast and speeding thingsup when they’re sluggish. The fiber in oat-meal also guards against dips in blood glu-cose that can leave you cranky and lethargic.

2. Yogurt: You’ve heard that probiotics(good-for-you bacteria in foods like yo-gurt) can improve digestive health — andthere’s some evidence they might. Now a British Journal of Nutrition study

indicates they may alleviate stress as well.Study participants who took a probioticsupplement felt less stress, depression andanxiety than those who received a placebo.“Probiotics are very strain-specific,

meaning that each strain has unique anddistinct benefits,” said D. Milton Stokes,M.P.H., R.D., co-author of Flat Belly Diet!for Men (Rodale, 2009). “While this study looked at only two spe-

cific strains (that aren’t currently available toconsumers in foods), it provides encourag-ing evidence that probiotics may have a ben-eficial impact on the mind-gut connection.”

3. Fatty fish: Stress can trigger an in-crease in compounds called cytokines thatpromote inflammation, which can worsendigestive ills. Eating more EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) — twoomega-3 fats found most commonly in oilyfish, such as salmon, herring and sardines— can help relieve inflammation linked totummy troubles, according to a 2005 Scandi-navian Journal of Nutrition study.

Karen Ansel is a registered dietician. Eat-ingWell is a magazine and website devotedto healthy eating as a way of life. Online atwww.eatingwell.com.

© 2011 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.

The brain/digestion connection explained6 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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By Jim MillerFalls are a big concern for millions of

older Americans and their families. In theUnited States, roughly one-third of the 65-and-older population will suffer a fall thisyear, often with dire consequences. But many falls can be prevented. Here

are some steps you can take to help stayon your feet and reduce your risk of fallingand that of your loved ones.

Check your meds: Do you take anymedicine or combination of medicines thatmake you dizzy, sleepy or lightheaded? If so,gather up all your drugs — prescriptionsand over-the-counter — and take them toyour doctor or pharmacist for a drug review.

Schedule an eye exam: Poor visioncan be another contributor to falls. If youwear glasses, check to see if your prescrip-tion is correct. And beware of bifocals andprogressive lenses. Multifocal glasses canimpair vision needed for detecting obsta-cles and judging depth.

Check your balance: Balance disor-ders — which can be brought on by a vari-ety of conditions, such as inner ear prob-lems, allergies, a head injury or problemswith blood circulation — are also a com-mon cause of falls. If you are having somebalance issues, make an appointment withyour doctor to get it checked and treated.

Start exercising: Improving balancethrough exercise is one of the best ways toprevent falls. Strength training, stretching,yoga, and tai chi are all great for buildingbetter balance. Some simple exercises that one can do

any time are walking heel-to-toe across theroom, standing on one foot for 30 secondsor longer, or getting up from a chair andsitting back down 10 to 20 times.

For more balance exercise tips, call theNational Institute on Aging at 1-800-222-2225 and order their free exercise DVDand free exercise book. You can also see itonline at www.go4life.niapublications.org.

Check around the home:Because abouthalf of all falls happen around the home,some simple modifications can go a long waytowards making your living area safer. Start by picking up items on the floor

that could cause people to trip, such asnewspapers, books, shoes, clothes, electri-cal or phone cords. If you have throw rugs,remove them or use double-sided tape tosecure them. In the bathroom, put a non-slip rubber

mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tubor shower, and have a carpenter install grabbars inside the tub and next to the toilet. Also, make sure the lighting throughout

the house is good. Purchase some inex-

pensive plug-in nightlights for the bath-rooms and hallways and, if you have stairs,consider putting handrails on both sides.In the kitchen, organize your cabinets sothe things you use most often are withineasy reach without using a step stool. For more tips, call the Eldercare Lo-

cater at 1-800-677-1116 and order a freecopy of their “Preventing Falls at Home”brochure.

Other pitfalls: Believe it or not, the im-proper use of canes and walkers sendsaround 47,000 seniors to the emergencyroom each year. If you use a cane or walk-er, be sure it’s adequately adjusted to yourheight and that you’re using it properly. A physical therapist can help with this,

or see the Mayo Clinic slide show on howto choose and use a cane (www.mayoclin-ic.com/health/canes/HA00064) and awalker (www.mayoclinic.com/health/

walker/HA00060). Another possible hazard is pets. If you

have a dog or cat, you need to be awarethat, because they can get under foot, petscause a lot of falls. Shoes are another issue to be aware of.

Rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes are thebest slip/trip proof shoes for seniors.

Savvy Tip: If falls are a worry, considergetting a home monitoring system or per-sonal emergency response system — asmall pendent- or wristwatch-style “SOS but-ton” that can allow you to call for help if youfall. Available through companies likewww.lifelinesys.com and www.lifealert.com,these systems cost around $1 per day.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributorto the NBC Today show and author of “TheSavvy Senior” book.

Many ways to keep from heading for a fallBA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 7

Although the complication rate with KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty has been demonstrated to be low, as with most surgical procedures, there are risks associated with the procedure, including serious complications. This procedure is not for everyone. A prescription is required. Please consult your physician for a full discussion of risks and whether this procedure is right for you.© 2008 Medtronic Spine LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MEDTRONIC Spinal and Biologics Business 1221 Crossman Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA Tel: (408) 548-6500

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TAKE CHARGEIf you’re over 50 or have osteoporosis, it’s important that you don’t ignore your back pain. It may signal a spinal fracture. See your doctor right away if you think you may have one.

Spinal fractures can be repaired if diagnosed. KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for spinal fractures that can correct vertebral body deformity, reduce pain and improve patient quality of life.

Don’t turn your back on back pain.

Spine specialists actively offering KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty in your local area:

Medtronic maintains a list of physicians who have been trained to use, and are believed to be both active and proficient users of, Medtronic’s products and who are willing to accept patient referrals. Physician participation on this list is voluntary and free. All refer-rals are identified based upon geographic criteria only. Medtronic does not guarantee the accuracy of the listings or the capabilities of the physicians listed. The physicians referenced may be paid consultants of, and research cited may have been funded partially or in whole by, Medtronic.

Dr. Hatem Abdo 410-391-6904Dr. Spiro Antoniades 410-539-3434Dr. Oren Blam 410-644-1880 Dr. Andrew Brown 410-350-3389Dr. William Cook 410-879-0066Dr. Michael Dabbah 410-337-8888Dr. Reginald Davis 443-849-4270Dr. Charles Edwards 410-539-3434Dr. Dale Johnson 410-601-5201

Dr. Agha Khan 410-601-8314Dr. Akhil Khanna 410-532-4538Dr. Mesfin Lemma 410-532-4786Dr. Alma Lynch-Nyhan 410-828-2311Dr. Charles Park 410-391-6904Dr. Charles Schnee 410-646-0220Dr. John Sefter 410-337-8888Dr. Lawrence Shin 410-368-8323Dr. Henry Wang 443-849-2311

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BEACON BITS

Dec. 6+

Ongoing

By Lauran Neergaard As her mother’s Alzheimer’s worsened

over eight long years, so did Doreen Al-faro’s bills: The walker, then the wheelchair,then the hospital bed, then the diapers —and the caregivers hired for more and morehours a day so Alfaro could go to work andher elderly father could get some rest. Alfaro and her husband sold their house

to raise money for her mother’s final at-home care. Six years later, the 58-year-oldAlfaro wonders if she eventually developsAlzheimer’s, too, “what happens to mycare? Where will I go?” Dementia is poised to become a defin-

ing disease of the rapidly aging population— and a budget-busting one for Medicareand Medicaid, the U.S. government’s med-ical programs for the sick and the elderly,as well as for American families. Now the Obama administration is devel-

oping the first National Alzheimer’s Plan,to combine research aimed at fighting themind-destroying disease with help thatcaregivers need to stay afloat. “This is a unique opportunity, maybe an

opportunity of a lifetime in a sense, to real-ly have an impact on this disease,” said Dr.Ronald Petersen of the Mayo Clinic, whochairs a committee that in Septemberbegan advising the government on whatthat plan should include.

A growing toll An estimated 5.4 million Americans

have Alzheimer’s or similar dementias. Itis the sixth-leading killer. There is no cure;treatments only temporarily ease somesymptoms. Barring a research breakthrough, those

numbers will worsen steadily as the babyboomers age. By 2050, from 13 million to16 million Americans are projected to haveAlzheimer’s, costing $1 trillion in medicaland nursing home expenditures. That is not, however, the full toll. Suffer-

ers lose the ability to do the simplest activ-ities of daily life and can survive that wayfor a decade or more, requiring years ofcare from family, friends or paid care-givers. Already a recent report finds thatnearly 15 million people, mostly familymembers, are providing more than $200billion worth of unpaid care. Thousands of those caregivers have

turned out at public meetings since early Au-gust, and at a “telephone town meeting” or-ganized by the Alzheimer’s Association thatdrew 32,000 people, pleading for a nationalAlzheimer’s strategy to bring changes. They want primary care doctors trained to

diagnose dementia earlier, describing howyears of missed symptoms cost them pre-cious time to make plans or seek treatment. They demand to know why the National

Institutes of Health spends about six timesmore on AIDS research than on Alzheimer’s,when there are good drugs to battle back theHIV virus but nothing comparable for de-mentia. Overwhelmingly, they ask for resources

to help Alzheimer’s patients live their lastyears at home without ruining their care-givers’ own health and financial future. “Either you’re rich and can afford $25 an

hour for care at home, or you send him to afacility. We’re in the middle of the road,” saidShirley Rexrode of suburban San Francisco,whose 85-year-old father, Hsien-Wen Li, wasdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly threeyears ago. Adult day care did not work out. Even at

$90 a day, the only place with an openingcould not handle the behaviors ofAlzheimer’s. Rexrode’s mother, Li’s pri-mary caregiver, already has suffered somedepression. “We just have to muddlethrough, but we don’t know how long wecan,” Rexrode said. And while Medicare will pay for doctor

bills and medications, even getting to the doc-tor can be a hurdle. When her 89-year-oldmother with advanced Alzheimer’s devel-oped a urinary tract infection, Susan Lynchcould not find a doctor willing to come to herparents’ home in Fall River, Mass. Lynch flew there from her home in

Gaithersburg, Md., but could not carryher mother down the stairs. A private am-bulance service did not have an openingfor weeks. Lynch wound up calling thetown ambulance for a costly but Medicare-covered trip to the emergency room. Federal health officials, who promise a

first draft of the national plan by Decem-ber, say they are getting the message. “Folks desperately, desperately want to be

able to provide the care themselves,” said

Donald Moulds, a deputy assistant secretaryat the Department of Health and HumanServices who oversees the project. “It’s very,very hard work. Figuring out better mecha-nisms for supporting people who are tryingto do that work is the right thing to do.” It also may be cheaper for taxpayers.

Nursing homes not only are pricier than at-home care, but many families can affordthem only through Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor — jointly paid forby the federal government and the states.Another key, Moulds said, is better

care coordination as Alzheimer’s compli-cates the many other health problems ofaging.

Where will funding come from?Given the U.S. government’s budget cri-

sis, the big question is whether any anti-Alzheimer’s strategy can come with enoughdollars and other incentives attached tospur true change. “That’s a concern, a veryreal one,” said Mayo’s Petersen. The law that requires a national

Alzheimer’s plan did not provide funding, andMoulds is silent about the possible price tag. Almost complete is an inventory of all

Alzheimer’s-related research and care re-imbursement paid for by the U.S. govern-ment, to look for gaps that need filling andpossible savings to help pay for them.Other countries including England and

Australia — and 25 U.S. states, by Moulds’count — have developed their ownAlzheimer’s plans. Maryland is not amongthem.For more information about services

available now, the Alzheimer’s Associationhas a 24-hour toll-free number, 1-800-272-3900, with counselors to help families.Also visit www.alz.org.

— AP

U.S. tackles national plan for Alzheimer’s8 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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800-522-VETSwww.charhall.org

SERVINGTHOSE WHO SERVEDAND THEIR ELIGIBLENON-VET SPOUSES

By Carla K. JohnsonMany consumers mistakenly believe

new prescription drugs are always saferthan those with long track records, andthat only extremely effective drugs with-out major side effects win government ap-proval, according to a new study. A national survey of nearly 3,000 adults

finds that about four in 10 wrongly believethe U.S. Food and Drug Administration ap-proves only “extremely effective” drugs.One in four mistakenly believes the FDAallows only drugs that don’t have seriousside effects. That means consumers “may not get the

benefit from drugs they think they’re get-ting, or they may expose themselves tomore harm than they think” said study co-author Dr. Steven Woloshin of the Dart-mouth Institute for Health Policy and Clin-ical Practice and the VA Outcomes Group In truth, the FDA approves a new drug

when its benefits outweigh any knownrisks. FDA approval doesn’t mean thedrug’s benefits are large compared todrugs already on the market. And risks for some drugs appear only

after they’ve been used by millions of peopleand long after FDA approval. For instance,Merck & Co. withdrew the FDA-approvedarthritis pill Vioxx after reports of heartrisks surfaced over a period of five years.

Warnings can help consumers The new survey, appearing in the

Archives of Internal Medicine, revealed apartial solution to consumer confusion:Simply worded cautions can make a differ-ence in which drugs people choose. To test that idea, the researchers dreamed

up two fictional drugs for heart disease andtwo for heartburn. The survey posed a ques-tion: Which drug would you choose? Participants were told both heart dis-

ease drugs were free and both loweredcholesterol, but only one was known to re-duce heart attacks. Seventy-one percent of people chose the

better drug that reduced heart attacks —when they were reminded in a warningthat the other one only lowered choles-terol levels. “It is not known whether it willhelp patients feel better or live longer,” thewarning said. Fewer people, 59 percent,made the better choice when they weren’tgiven the added caution. As for the make-believe heartburn

drugs, consumers were told they workedequally well and were free. The differ-ence? One was approved by the FDA in2009, the other in 2001. This time, 53 percent chose the older drug

when given a warning about the newer one.The caution said: “As with all new drugs, rarebut serious side effects may emerge after the

drug is on the market — when larger num-bers of people have used the drug.” Fewer people, 34 percent, chose the

older — and perhaps safer — drug whenthey didn’t get that warning. “One of the reasons doctors tend to pre-

scribe newer, expensive drugs is there’s awidespread perception that newer is bet-ter,” said Dr. Michael Steinman of SanFrancisco VA Medical Center, who wrote acommentary about the study in the jour-nal. “That’s sometimes true, but manytimes it’s not true. So much of what doc-tors learn about new drugs is somehow af-fected by drug company marketing.”

Clearer information needed Woloshin said simple cautions would

help doctors, too, and should be part ofdrug advertising and labeling. He and co-author Dr. Lisa Schwartz have beenworking with the FDA to improve itsguidance to drug makers on writing la-bels, he said.They also are promoting the idea of

drug fact boxes, similar to the nutritionfact boxes on packaged foods. The factboxes, written in plain English, would tellconsumers how well a drug works com-pared to other drugs, and would describeside effects. Last year’s national health care law re-

quired the Department of Health andHuman Services to report to Congress on

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 9

Call for a personal tour 443-578-8008www.Broadmead.org • 13801 York Rd. Cockeysville, MD 21030

TTY/Voice - Maryland Relay Service 1.800.201.7165

Larry has a passion for art and a passion for life. That’s why he chose Broadmead.

Warm surroundings are home to a wealth of amenities, like the full woodworking studio whereLarry can pursue his love of sculpting. Creative, intelligent, stimulating – these are the traits thatdescribe the Broadmead community and its residents – people like Larry, people like you.

Life’s passion:

Greatest accomplishment:

What makes you laugh:

My Art and Sculpture

My Family

My Grandchildren

Larry SchneiderBroadmead resident

76 years young

Newly approved drugs not always better

See NEW DRUGS, page 10

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LIFE AFTER CANCER

The Pink Ladies Fall Series at St. Joseph Medical Center in

Towson will present a free workshop on “Life after Cancer” by survivorship nurse

Rose Menton on Thursday, Dec. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Refreshments

and snacks will be provided. The event will take place in the Patient Library in

the Cancer Institute, Building A, 7501 Osler Dr. in Towson. For more information,

call (410) 427-5509 or email susanfield@catholichealth.net.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 15

the evidence for drug fact boxes. The de-partment’s report said it needed at leastthree more years to study the idea. Drug fact boxes could help consumers

and doctors, Steinman said. He added thatpatients should question their doctors

about prescriptions. He suggested these questions for

starters: “Is this drug recommended bythe guidelines for my disease? Is there adrug that’s equally effective but has alonger track record of safety? Has thisdrug been shown to help people like melive longer or feel better?”

— AP

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

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New drugsFrom page 9

Dear Solutions: I’m a 70-something widower. When

my wife was alive, we bothwanted to go on an around-the-world cruise, but wekept putting it off.

Now I would like to go,but until last week I had noone to go with. At a seniorgroup meeting I met awoman who said shewould like to go also andhad no one to go with. Sheasked if we could we go to-gether and take separaterooms.

I like this woman, but Ifeel guilty going when my wife neverhad the chance.

Also, someone else said, “Wouldn’tyou feel guilty spending your chil-

dren’s money?” The thought of goingis very exciting, but then I get pulled

back by all these otherfeelings. What do youthink?

— HarryDear Harry: You have a golden opportu-

nity for a gilt-edged trip, de-pending on how you spell theword. Gilt? Guilt?Let’s try being rational. 1. It’s sad that your wife did-

n’t have the opportunity to go.However, since you both post-poned the trip, the first thingyou have to do — unless you

murdered her — is to give up responsibilityfor her missed trip. You can feel bad and cryover it, but when you finish, ask yourself, “IfI don’t go now, will that give her back the

lost opportunity?” 2. If you like the woman who wants to

go with you, think of her as a friend or acompanion, not a date. Whether you takeseparate rooms or not is entirely up tothe two of you, and is nobody else’s busi-ness. 3. Leaving money to one’s grown chil-

dren is a gift not a given. You are entitledto fulfill your dreams and, hopefully, yourchildren will be happy for you. So go,Harry. If not now, when?Dear Solutions:

My 25-year-old grandson recentlygot a job in my town and is temporari-ly living with me to save money untilhe can get his own place. He got in-volved with an older woman and hadan affair with her.

Now he wants out of it, but she won’tleave him alone. She keeps calling

him. Every time he tries to break offwith her, she’s right back again. Howcan I get this woman out of my grand-son’s life?

— BelleDear Belle: Evidently, you want to be the only “older

woman” in his life, since you are trying tocontrol him, her and the whole situation. She may be older, but so is he. Twenty-

five is no baby. He’s an adult and will haveto work out his own problems. Insist that your grandson at least get his

own phone to monitor his own calls, andthen you let go.

© Helen Oxenberg, 2011. Questions to beconsidered for this column may be sent to:The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring,MD 20915. You may also email the authorat helox72@comcast.net. To inquire aboutreprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

Enjoy life more by getting past the guilt

SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

BALTIMORE OSTOMY SUPPORT GROUP MEETS

The Baltimore Ostomy Association Support Group will meet on

Sunday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Medical Center, 7501 Osler Dr. in

Towson. Admission is free. For more information, call (410) 337-1845.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 11

Learn how to makeLearn how to make

Every time you use the phone.If any disability makes it difficult for you to usethe telephone, you may qualify for FREE assistive telephone equipment through the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications program.

Even though you may be able to carry on a conversation

with someone in person, you may have difficulty communicating by standard telephone.

The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) program, a serviceof Maryland Relay, provides assistive telecommunications equipment —free of charge — to people who qualify. Training on how to use theequipment is available.

To learn more about the free equipment, including hands-free phones,amplified phones, voice activated phones and more, simply call Maryland Relay Customer Service at 1-800-552-7724. You may also visit our website, www.mdrelay.org.Click on Free Equipment for more information on how to apply

Q: Is the bread called “white wholewheat” really as healthy as regular wholewheat?

A: “White whole wheat”does sound confusing, but it isindeed a whole grain, becauseit includes the bran, germ andendosperm of the grain. Most bread products are

made from red wheat; whitewheat is a different variety ofwheat. The bran of white wheatis lighter in color and milder inflavor, so for children andadults accustomed to tradition-al white bread and other re-fined grains, this lighter wholewheat may be more readily ac-cepted. Fiber, vitamin and mineral content of

white whole wheat is similar to red wholewheat, because it still has the healthfulbran and germ that are removed in refin-ing grains. That said, white whole wheatmight not supply all the health benefits oftraditional whole wheat. White wheat’s lighter color and sweeter

flavor are due to its lower content of natu-ral plant compounds, called phenols. Re-search so far shows this white whole-wheat flour lower in antioxidants than tra-ditional whole wheat, and there could be

additional health differences due to itslower phenol content.

We also don’t know yetwhether the fine grind typi-cally used for white whole-wheat flour affects the bene-fits obtained from its fiberconcerning bowel functionand reducing constipation. Is white whole wheat better

for you than traditional refinedwhite bread? Certainly. For op-timal health, current evidencesuggests using it as a transitionto become more comfortablewith traditional whole wheat,or as just one part of overallwhole grain consumption.

Q: I know exercise helps reducerisk of breast cancer. What aboutbreast cancer survivors?

A: We now have several studies follow-ing women diagnosed with early stagebreast cancer (stages 1 through III) thatlink getting some physical activity eachweek with 35 to nearly 50 percent lowerrisk of recurrence or death over the aver-age five to ten years that women were fol-lowed after diagnosis. Protection is seen regardless of type of

cancer, menopause status or weight. Evenan hour of walking throughout the week is

better than nothing, and up to an hour a dayof moderate to vigorous exercise is linked toeven better odds of remaining cancer-free. We have no evidence, however, that more

than an hour or so of moderate to vigorousexercise daily provides any additional benefit.Physical activity could act in several differ-

ent ways to reduce breast cancer recurrence,just as it reduces risk of an initial cancer: ittends to decrease levels of insulin and growthfactors that can promote development ofbreast (and other) cancers, and it changes re-productive hormones, too. In addition, a new study suggests physi-

cal activity may affect gene expression, ef-fectively “turning on” genes related to sup-pressing breast cancer tumors.

Finally, although physical activity gener-ally doesn’t burn enough calories to pro-duce much weight loss on its own, studiesconsistently find it a crucial part of long-term weight maintenance, which plays animportant role in protecting against post-menopausal breast (and other) cancers.

The American Institute for Cancer Re-search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800- 843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday throughFriday. This free service allows you to askquestions about diet, nutrition and cancer.

Courtesy of the American Institute forCancer Research. Questions for this columnmay be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20009. Collins can-not respond to questions personally.

NUTRITIONWISEBy Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM

How healthy is white whole wheat bread?BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 11

How fortunate I feel

to have found a doctor who

could not only diagnose an

underlying problem that many

specialists missed, but who has

been able to find a painless and

rapid method of relieving the

worst symptoms.

– Susan, Baltimore

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As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, I

have always focused on conservative treatment of

foot and leg pain. I find that most people with foot

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other treatments, including surgery of the foot (or

back), can be helped, usually in 1or 2 visits.

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Researchers are seeking America’s“healthy elderly” — those 80 and olderwith no history of chronic disease — tohelp them unlock the genetic secrets be-hind lifelong health. A study dubbed “Wellderly” by Scripps

Genomic Medicine plans to analyze thecomplete genomes of some of the healthi-est older Americans to help pinpoint whysome people remain healthy into their 80s,90s and beyond.A complete genome reveals not only

genes but also other DNA that’s responsi-

ble for regulating genes. It’s “the fullmonty,” showing DNA elements that arekey for illness and health, said Dr. EricTopol, the study’s principal investigator. “We all carry genes that make us sus-

ceptible to diseases, but some of us avoidthe major illnesses that afflict others. Agreat many people carry the genes thatcause heart attack, cancer and other dis-eases, but some have modifier genes thatcancel out their risk,” Topol said. “It’s na-ture’s way of protecting them.”

Participate by mailWhile the study will be based in South-

ern California, participants can enrollthroughout the country. Those in Califor-nia will come in to Scripps to give bloodsamples or have a nurse visit their house.Participants elsewhere will submit a salivasample by mail after completing an inter-view by phone.Scripps will mail a packet that contains

the consent form, the saliva collection cup,and instructions for participating togetherwith a pre-paid return mailer. Because the study is seeking more than

1,000 participants, each individual will notsee his or her results. However, study par-ticipants will be updated on the overallfindings of the study. No compensation isoffered to participants.In the research, samples will be labeled

with a barcode and number, and researcherswill not see your name or any other personalinformation to protect privacy. If volunteers decide they no longer want

to be part of the study, they can callScripps, and the DNA sample will be de-stroyed.

Who qualifies for the study?Participants must be 80 years or older

and not have a history of any of the flowing

conditions: cancer (except for some skincancers), heart disease, stroke, deep veinthrombosis, pulmonary embolism, chron-ic kidney disease, an autoimmune condi-tion (such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’sor lupus), diabetes, or an aneurysm.People with the following conditions can

take part in the study: osteoarthritis, os-teoporosis, controlled high blood pres-sure, prostate enlargement, high choles-terol and hypothyroidism.One of the challenging parts of the

study is locating participants — becausesuch healthy people don’t spend muchtime in healthcare facilities, Topol said. “The logistics are tricky, but we have to

find them,” he said. “We think as peoplelearn about this program, they’ll want toparticipate as a way to help benefit thehealth and well being of future genera-tions.“Why are these people Teflon-coated?”

Topol asked. “Why don’t they get disease?There’s been too much emphasis on disor-ders per se and not enough on the peoplewho are exceptionally healthy,” to learnfrom their genomes, Topol said. “Now wehave the powerful tools to do that.” For more information on the study, call

1-800-727-4777 or email wellderly@scripp-shealth.org.

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

Looking for particularly healthy seniors

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

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Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing

SOCK MONKEY SATURDAY

Don’t let the holidays drive you bananas! Relax by making your

very own sock monkey on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A great last-

minute gift for the grandkids! The event is free, but you must bring two pairs of

(clean) socks and scissors. Instructions, stuffing, sewing needles, thread,

baubles and camaraderie are provided. AVAM’s Jim Rouse Visionary Center is

located at 800 Key Highway. No advanced registration required. For more infor-

mation, call (410) 244-1900.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 10

Knee arthritis pain?

Volunteers are needed for a

research study conducted at

Johns Hopkins Bayview

To study sleep in patients with osteoarthritis of the

knee. To participate, you must be 50 years or older.

Both good and poor sleepers are needed. Parking, and

tests are provided at no cost. Compensation is provided.

Call 410-550-7906and/or visit the website at

www.SleeplessInBaltimore.com

Principal Investigator: Michael T. Smith, Ph.D.

Protocol NA_000118021Approved

08/24/2009

Principal Investigator: Devon A. Dobrosielski, PhDIRB# NA_00040314

For more information, please call 410-550-5428 or 410-550-5429 or 410-550-6997.

Research Study

Johns Hopkins Medicine is conducting a research study in persons who maysnore and are not currently being treated for snoring. Eligible participants mustbe over 60 years of age, overweight, not smoking, and not regularly exercising.

All visits are free, including parking, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Have you been told you snore? Do you need to lose weight?

By Malcolm RitterGeorge Eberhardt turned 107 in October,

and scientists would love to know how he andother older folks like him made it that far. Sohe’s going to hand over some of his DNA. He’s one of 100 centenarians taking part

in a project that will examine some of theoldest citizens with one of the newest sci-entific tools: whole-genome sequencing,the deciphering of a person’s complete col-lection of DNA. Scientists think DNA from very old

healthy people could offer clues to howthey have lived so long. And that could oneday lead to medicines to help the rest of usstay disease-free longer. By the time you reach, say, 105, “it’s

very hard to get there without some genet-ic advantages,” said Dr. Thomas Perls, ageriatrics expert at Boston University. Perls is helping find centenarians for the

Archon Genomics X Prize competition.The X Prize Foundation, best known for aspaceflight competition, is offering $10million in prize money to researchers whodecipher the complete DNA code from 100people older than 100. The contest will bejudged on accuracy, completeness and thespeed and cost of sequencing. The contest is a relaunch of an older com-

petition with a new focus on centenarians.Genome pioneer J. Craig Venter said the

centenarian project is just a first step in re-vealing the genetic secrets of a long andhealthy life.

“We need 10,000 genomes, not 100, tostart to understand the link between ge-netics, disease and wellness,” said Venter,who is co-chairing the X Prize contest.

What’s the common denominator?The 107-year-old Eberhardt of Chester,

N.J., played and taught tennis until he was94. He said he’s participating in the X Prizeproject because he’s interested in scienceand technology. It’s not clear his genes will reveal much.

Nobody else in his extended family reached100, and he thinks only a couple reached90, he said in a telephone interview. So why does he think he lived so long?

He credits 70 years of marriage to his wife,Marie. She in turn cites his “intense inter-est in so many things” over a lifetime —from building radios as a child to pursuinga career in electronics research. But scientists believe there’s more to it,

and they want to use genome sequencingto investigate. Dr. Richard Cawthon of the University of

Utah, who is seeking longevity genes byother means, said it may turn up geneticfeatures that protect against multiple dis-eases or that slow the process of aging ingeneral.

Living wrong, but living longProtective features of a centenarian’s DNA

can even overcome less-than-ideal lifestyles,said Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein

College of Medicine in New York. His ownstudy of how centenarians live found that “asa group, they haven’t done the right things.” Many in the group he studied were

obese or overweight. Many were smokers,and few exercised or followed a vegetariandiet. His oldest participant, who died thismonth just short of her 110th birthday,smoked for 95 years. “She had genes that protected her against

the environment,” Barzilai said. One of hersisters died at 102, and one of her brothersis 105 and still manages a hedge fund. No doubt many will be interested in

learning what accounts for such a familyhistory and what, if anything, can be doneto replicate it. For more information on the X Prize com-

petition, see http://genomics.xprize.org.— AP

Researchers seek secrets of longevityBA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 13

TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT

The most-loved and attended event in the sport of table tennis is

the North American Teams Championships, held annually at the Baltimore

Convention Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The event, which attracts 3,000

competitors and spectators from five continents, comes to town again on

Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25-27. Spectator ground passes are good for all

three days and cost $20 at the door. For times of tournaments, call (301) 816-

0660 or email info@natabletennis.com.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 25

THE NIGHT OF 100 ELVISESElvis lives, at least on the nights of Dec. 2 and 3 at LithuanianHall, 851-3 Hollins St. The main ballroom will host at least 12

bands and 12 Elvis tribute artists. All entertainers will perform Elvis music allnight. A southern buffet featuring some of Elvis’ favorite foods will be served from7:30 to 9 p.m., followed by coffee, cake and fried peanut butter and banana sand-wiches beginning at 10 p.m. Tickets start at $55. For more information, visitwww.nightof100elvises.com.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 2

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

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

prevention of falls in aging individuals.You will receive:

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

• Compensation for your time• Free parking

You must be at least 65 years old and in good health. CALL TODAY!

410-605-7179Mention code: LIFT

Approved February 25, 2010

PROCEDURES:• Screening to determine eligibility• Administration of escitalopram (Lexapro) or placebo(sugar pill) for 12 weeks

• Brain scans at the start and end of treatment• 4 scheduled clinical visits during the 12 week period

All subjects who complete the 12 week study will bepaid $200.00 at the end of the study.

For information, contact Vani Rao, M.D, at

410-550-2288

Have you been depressed since you had a traumatic brain injury?

The Johns Hopkins Schoolof Medicine is seeking people who have developeddepression since the traumatic brain injury for a treatment research studywith escitalopram (Lexapro)or placebo (sugar pill)

Principal Investigator: Vani Rao, M.D.Application No.: NA_00020154

Breast Cancer StudyBreast cancer survivors between the ages of 45-80 years needed to participate in a diet and exercise research study. Work with doctors, dieticians and exercise physiologists to change your diet and physical activity to help improve your fitness. Includes cardiac, diabetes,

and blood pressure risk evaluation. No diet drugs.

If you are interested, please call U. of MD-BVAMC 410-605-7179 mention code: breast cancer

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

“Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and geta cell phone. My kids have been bugging me, my book group madefun of me, and the last straw was when my car broke down, and Iwas stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stoppedto help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almostchanged my mind. <e phones are so small I can’t see thenumbers, much less push the right one. <ey all have cameras, computers and a “global-positioning” somethingor other that’s supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to mygrandkids! <e people at the store weren’t much help.<ey couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want aphone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans!<ey were complicated, confusing, and expensive… andthe contract lasted for two years! I’d almost given upwhen a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone.Now, I have the convenience and safety of being able tostay in touch… with a phone I can actually use.”

'e cell phone that’s right for me. Sometimes Ithink the people who designed this phone and therate plans had me in mind. <e phone fits easilyinto my pocket, and flips open to reach frommy mouth to my ear. <e display is large and backlit, so I can actually see who is calling.With a push of a button I can amplify thevolume, and if I don’t know a number, I cansimply push “0” for a friendly, helpful operator that will look it up and even dial it for me. <e Jitterbug also reduces background noise, making the sound loudand clear. <ere’s even a dial tone, so I knowthe phone is ready to use.

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01/03/2012

Dear Pharmacist:I have borderline high blood pres-

sure, but I don’t have pre-scription drug insurance soI’m not willing to start med-ication yet. If you had topick only one vitamin orsupplement to recommend,what would you suggest?

— M.G.Dear M.G.:

If I’m pinned to just one, Ipick potassium chloride. It’sinexpensive, sold over-the-counter at pharmacies nation-wide, and is well-documentedto help regulate blood pres-sure. There are even extended-release ver-sions available by prescription, such asMicro-K and Klor-Con. Potassium lives in all of our cells, and you

need it to move your muscles and make yourheart beat in perfect rhythm. Withoutenough potassium on board, your muscleswill cramp (and remember, your heart is amuscle). Potassium also seems to protect thebrain from ischemic injury (like a stroke). The scary part to me is that there are

dozens of drug muggers of potassium —that is, other medications that rob the bodyof needed potassium. These include certain

types of diuretics, heartburn medications,laxatives, insulin therapy and corticosteroid

drugs. More classes of med-ications are listed in my book,Drug Muggers. I cannot overestimate the

importance of restoring nu-trients that get depleted bymedications, for this is yourside effect solution!Most physicians are aware

of the need to reestablishpotassium levels after orderinga diuretic drug, so patients arecommonly told to replacepotassium with a banana. FYI, one cup of papaya or

French-style green beans have much high-er amounts of natural potassium comparedto one banana, a fruit that is high in sugarand prone to fungal disease at the plantation.Potassium can also be depleted from the

body by intense workouts (think hotyoga), any kind of dehydration, vomiting,chronic or severe diarrhea and alco-holism. If you want to know your blood lev-els, physicians offer a blood test to evalu-ate your level of potassium and other elec-trolytes. Potassium works with its brother, sodi-

um, and the two together help control your

body’s water balance, which in turn regu-lates blood pressure. Potassium has a cumulative effect, and

this makes it better to take a regular dosefor two or three months, rather than totake large doses for short periods of time. Never take more than your doctor recom-

mends, and be careful because potassium in-teracts with certain diuretics and blood pres-sure drugs that are “potassium-sparing.”Studies consistently support potassium

in the regulation of blood pressure. Re-search has shown that adults (and ani-mals) with high blood pressure who aregiven supplemental potassium often showa drop in systolic and/or diastolic pressure

by up to 12 mm Hg (sometimes more, de-pending on the study). Animals prone to stroke also showed ben-

efit from potassium in at least one study.Only two percent of the rats who were potas-sium-supplemented suffered a stroke, com-pared to 83 percent of the untreated group. When supplementing with potassium

tablets, drink plenty of water and eat a snackbecause this helps ease the mineral into yourbody gently, while minimizing GI discomfort.

This information is opinion only. It is notintended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-dition.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist. Tocontact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

Drop your blood pressure with potassium

DEAR PHARMACISTBy Suzy Cohen

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 15

Baltimore Eye Doctor Helps Legally Blind to See AgainADVERTORIAL

Diplomat in Low Vision Caretrains Dr. Thomas Azman tohelp those with age-related macular degeneration withreading and driving.

By Elena LombardiFreelance Writer

Donald Paquette, 72, a former as-sessor from Anaheim, California,thought that his driving days wereover.“I could not read the street signssoon enough and I couldn’t pass thevision test at the DMV office.”

Gonzalo Garcia, 74, Albu-querque, New Mexico, wanted to beable to read and write more easily.He wanted to see the nails andscrews when he tried to use them inhome repairs. He wanted see hisgrandchildren singing in the churchchoir. But he thought those dayswere over when he was diagnosedwith Macular Degeneration.

California optometrist, Dr.Richard J. Shuldiner and Baltimoreoptometrist Dr. Thomas Azman areusing miniaturized binoculars or tel-escopes to help people who have lostvision from macular degeneration orother eye conditions. “Some of my patients consider usthe last stop for people who have vi-sion loss.” said Dr. Azman, a low vi-

sion optometrist who has just com-pleted training with Dr. Shuldiner inCalifornia.

“Amazing!” says Donald. “I canread the street signs twice as far as Idid before and even see the televi-sion better!”

Macular degeneration is the mostcommon eye disease among the sen-ior population. As many as 25% ofthose over 65 have some degree ofdegeneration. The macula is onesmall part of the entire retina, but itis the most sensitive and gives ussharp images.

When it degenerates, macular de-generation leaves a blind spot right inthe center of vision, which makes it impossible to recognize faces, read abook, or pass the drivers vision test.

The experts do not know what

causes macular degeneration. Butmajor factors include UV light fromthe sun, smoking, aging, and im-proper nutrition.

Vitamins can help. The results oftwo studies, AREDS and LASTdemonstrated a lowered risk of pro-gression by about 25% when treatedwith a high-dose combination of vi-tamins. Dr. Azman advises patientson the best nutritional supplementsduring the low vision evaluation.

Nine out of ten people who havemacular degeneration have the drytype. There is no medical treatmentexcept for vitamins. The wet type in-volves the leakage of fluid or bloodfrom the blood vessels behind themacula. Injections of Leucentis orAvastin are very effective in pre-venting the vessels from leaking.

“Our job is to figure out anythingand everything possible to keep aperson functioning,” says Dr. Azman.“Whether it’s driving, reading,watching television, seeing faces,playing bridge… we work with what-ever is on the persons “wish list.”

Even if it’s driving.Maryland and California are two

of many states that allow the use oftelescopic glasses for safer driving.

Hank Frese, 69, a former HighSchool Principal from La Palma, Cal-ifornia saw Dr. Shuldiner last August.

“I could not read the street signssoon enough when driving, and Icould not read my morning paper.”

Bioptic Telescopic glasses wereprescribed to read signs and seetraffic lights farther away. As Hankputs it, “These telescope glasses notonly allow me to read signs from afarther distance, but makes drivingmuch easier. I’ve also used them towatch television so I don’t have to sitso close. I don’t know why I waitedtwo years to do this; I should havecome sooner”

“Telescopic glasses start ataround $1500”, says Dr. Azman,“and low vision prismatic readingglasses start at $500. A small priceto pay for better vision and in-creased independence.”

If you or someone you care aboutis struggling with vision loss, callDr. Thomas Azman for a free tele-phone interview. You can reach Dr. Azman by dialing(410) 561-8050.

Hank Frese wearing Bioptic Telescope Driving Glasses

Due to an inadvertent typographicalerror, prior versions of this ad have

described Dr. Azman as an“opthomasetrist” rather than

“optometrist” throughout. The Beaconwas responsible for the error and we

apologize for any confusion.

Diabetic foot examsCorns/calluses Wound/infection careToenail fungus

Gentle Foot Care in Your Home

Dr. Richard Rosenblatt DPMOver 25 years experience

Same Day, Weekend and Evening appointments. Most Insurance Accepted

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MoneyLaw &

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

Many foreign stocks trade on U.S. exchanges. Consider some of the companies highlighted below to diversifyand strengthen your portfolio.

By Jeffrey R. Kosnett Despite the turmoil in stock markets

around the world, this is a great time tohome in on solid dividend-paying andgrowth stocks of foreign companies.Though it requires some extra researchand may take you beyond your comfortzone, you’ll find hundreds of foreignstocks that trade in the U.S. as Americandepositary receipts (ADRs). The payoffs of high dividends and an ex-

panding roster of stocks at favorable pricesmake it worth the trouble. ADRs arepriced in dollars and you can buy and sellthem in an ordinary brokerage account.Here are some examples to consider:• BHP Billiton (symbol BHP; recent

price, $77) is headquartered in Mel-bourne, Australia, and mines everythingfrom aluminum to zinc. The company hasprospered thanks to a boom in demand fornatural resources, especially from fast-growing emerging nations. That trend should continue — as long as

the world avoids a global recession. Thecompany has boosted its dividend at an an-nualized rate of 23 percent over the pastfive years. The yield isn’t especially eye-catching, but BHP should deliver an attrac-

tive total return (dividends plus apprecia-tion) over the long haul.• Empresa Nacional de Electricidad

(EOC; $47), known informally as EndesaChile, provides power mostly in Chile, Ar-gentina and Colombia. The dividend yieldof the Santiago-based firm compares favor-ably with the best U.S. electrics, but itsprospects are better, given the steady eco-nomic growth in the region it serves andEndesa’s long list of power projects underconstruction. That contrasts with U.S. utilities, which

build little nowadays, instead relying onobsolete facilities and trying to grow main-ly by merging. Because Endesa gets most of its elec-

tricity from hydropower, however, dryweather and climate change present spe-cial risks.• Novartis (NVS; $55) is the world’s

third-largest pharmaceutical company. It iswell diversified, with a broad portfolio ofprescription drugs, over-the-counter medi-cines and eye-care products. Returns on Novartis’s shares have

trounced those of U.S. and other Europeandrug giants over the past five years. Thecompany has been able to raise dividends

19 percent annually over that half-decade.And its location in Basel, Switzerland,means U.S. investors benefit from thesuper-strong Swiss franc.• Companhia de Saneamento Basi-

co do Estado de Sao Paulo (SBS; $52) isa water-and-sewer utility in the giantBrazilian state of Sao Paulo. Comparedwith U.S. water stocks, Saneamento Basi-co yields way more and pays out far less ofits profits as dividends (only 30 percent).That gives it the flexibility to boost divi-dends even more. Saneamento also has plenty of growth

potential. It will take decades to bringwater and sanitation to hundreds of poorsettlements and to the new residences, of-fices and factories going up in boomingBrazil. Dividends, which vary year to year,were 29 percent higher in 2010 than theywere in 2009.• Telefonica (symbol TEF; recent

price, $19) provides phone and Internetservices in Europe and Latin America andoffers an unusually high 8.6-percent yield. Part of that is because of the perceived

risk of being headquartered in Madrid.But Telefonica is far from a pure invest-ment in Spain. The rest of Europe and

Latin America, from Mexico south, ac-count for 71 percent of Telefonica’s rev-enues and 64 percent of its profits. Europewill produce little growth, but Telefonicagenerates enough cash flow to keep rais-ing its dividends.• Total (TOT; $44). Europe’s largest oil

refiner is one of a shrinking number of inte-grated oil companies. It’s also involved in nat-ural gas, as well as solar and wind energy. The chief difference between Total and

other integrated multinationals, such asBP, Chevron and ExxonMobil, is its yield:At 6.0 percent, Total, a French company,yields about twice as much as Exxon,which prefers to buy back huge amountsof its stock rather than boost its payout bya large amount.• Unilever (UN; $31), an Anglo-Dutch

company with dual headquarters in Lon-don and Rotterdam, competes with thelikes of Procter & Gamble to sell soap, per-sonal products and food. Well-knownbrands include Dove soap, Hellmann’smayonnaise, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream andVaseline. This is an odd duck. You can buy British

Investing overseas for dividends, income

By Eileen AJ ConnollyIt’s another case of “if it sounds too good

to be true, it probably is.” The FBI is warning online auto shoppers

to watch out for deals that offer cars at verylow prices, then direct unwitting buyers tophony websites designed to separate vic-tims from their money. The agency saysmore than $44.5 million was stolen throughsuch scams from 2008 to 2010. The agency said there are variations on

the scheme, but the basic version involves aseller placing an ad on a legitimate websitelike Craigslist for a car at a below-marketprice. When an interested buyer respondsvia email, the return email often includes astory of hardship explaining why the priceis so low — the seller lost his job, there’s ahealth care emergency, or even that theseller is being deployed by the military. The email also includes a request to

move the transaction to another website

“for security reasons,” yet at the same timeoffers (fake) buyer protection through an-other company, often identified as eBay Inc. The seller may also pose as a represen-

tative of a legitimate company in a live on-line chat, and will send a real-looking in-voice that purports to be from eBay or an-other major site. The return email will also ask the con-

sumer to wire the money to pay for the ve-hicle, and sometimes to fax a receipt show-ing when that transaction has taken place.The parties then agree on a time and placeto deliver the vehicle — but it never arrives.

Red flagsThe FBI lists a series of warning signs

that the sale is a scam on its website,www.fbi.gov . To summarize the red flags: car shoppers

should watch out for deals with ultra-lowprices, sellers who want to switch websites,

claims that buyer protection is availablefrom a website not involved in the transac-tion, and sellers who won’t meet in person toallow the buyer to see the car ahead of time. Also beware of hard-luck stories that

seemingly explain why the car is such agood deal. And any sale that requiresfunds to be wired ahead of time should bea big warning sign. Once funds are wired,there is no way to retrieve them.

Craigslist and eBay scams A bluntly worded warning posted on the

“Cars & Trucks” page on Craigslist warnsconsumers against having a vehicleshipped to them. “Offers to ship a vehicle are virtually

100 percent fraudulent,” the site states,and adds that customers should “neveruse Western Union or a wire transfer topay for goods — only a scammer will askfor this, and any funds sent will be lost.”

There were nearly 14,000 complaintssubmitted to the FBI by consumers whohave been targeted or fallen for this type ofscam between 2008 and 2010. Jack Christin, associate general counsel

at eBay Inc., said the online auction com-pany sees the scammers as “hijacking theeBay name.” The company has placed analert on the top of www.ebaymotors.comwarning consumers that their vehicle pur-chase protection only covers transactionscompleted on their site. If a seller from an-other site promises eBay protection pro-grams, the warning says, “Walk away. It isfraudulent.” The eBay Motors Security Center also

offers tips for safe online car buying andlinks to report suspected fraud to the com-pany and the Internet Crime ComplaintCenter, which is operated by the FBI andother government agencies.

— AP

Scams target used car shoppers onlineSee INVEST OVERSEAS, page 18

How to keep or obtain free checking

Free checking accounts are increasing-ly coming with a little asterisk. A recent study released by Bankrate.com

found that the vast majority of banks stilloffer free checking accounts. But more ofthem require customers to meet certainconditions to have monthly fees waived. For example, customers may have to

maintain a certain balance or set up directdeposit, in which a paycheck or govern-ment benefit is automatically depositedinto their account on a recurring basis. Otherwise, the study found that only 45

percent of checking accounts are free withno strings attached. That’s down sharplyfrom 65 percent last year and 76 percentjust two years ago.Even if customers find a free account,

the other fees they run into may be some-what higher. The average total cost for using an out-

of-network ATM rose slightly to $3.81,from $3.74, the year before, the studyfound. That’s including the fees chargedby the customer’s own bank and the ATMoperator. The average overdraft fee alsorose slightly to $30.83, from $30.47. The findings were based on a study of

banks in the country’s biggest markets inAugust. The higher costs come as banks revamp

their terms and conditions to adjust to newregulations. Starting in October, the fees banks can

collect from merchants whenever cus-tomers swipe their debit cards was

capped. These fees generated an estimat-ed $19 billion in revenue for banks in 2009,according to the Nilson Report, whichtracks the payments industry. Severallarge banks have cited the regulation inending or scaling back their debit rewardsprogram in the past year. Banks are also experimenting with new

ways to increase revenue. Chase and WellsFargo, for instance, are testing a $3 month-ly fee for customers who want debit cardswith their checking accounts. Another regulation that went into effect

last summer requires banks to obtain acustomer’s consent before enrolling themin overdraft programs, which often chargeas much as $35 per violation. Previously, it was a common industry

practice to automatically sign up cus-tomers without giving them a way to optout. Consumer advocates said that wasmisleading because most people assumethey can’t spend more than they have intheir account. — AP

Medicare drug co-pays

going up in 2012A new study finds that Medicare Part D

copays for brand-name drugs will be goingup sharply in many plans next year.Copays for preferred brand-name

drugs will increase by 40 percent on aver-age, and non-preferred brands will aver-age nearly 30 percent more, according tothe study by Avalere Health. Copays arethe portion of the cost of each prescriptionthat the customer pays the pharmacy di-rectly.Medicare announced this summer that

premiums for most prescription planswould remain unchanged next year, an av-erage of about $30 a month. But the gov-

ernment’s numbers didn’t delve into detailon copays. The Avalere study shows that the plan

with the lowest monthly premium may notalways be the best deal when all costs areconsidered. “Everyone’s drug needs are going to be

individual,” said Medicare deputy adminis-trator Jon Blum. “You can’t make a generalconclusion until you look at the particularplan they are in and the particular drugsthey are taking.” In fact, since the study’s figures are av-

erages for the entire program, actual costscould vary markedly by medication, planand region of the country.The changing scene underscores how

important it is for seniors to check and seewhat changes are being made in their cur-rent plans — and look for other plans thatmay be cheaper — before the Part D openenrollment period ends Dec. 7. In the past,the enrollment period extended later inthe year, but has been moving earlier to

allow companies more time for processingnew members.

— AP

Get some benefitfrom old electronics

Old electronics, or “e-waste,” consti-tutes the fastest-growing source of con-sumer trash. But don’t dump your old com-puters, cellphones and other devices in alandfill. Your trash could be someoneelse’s treasure.• Sell it.Buyers at eBay and Amazon.com

are always looking for deals. You can sellyour used items yourself, or go through acompany like iSold It, which sells productsonline for consumers. Mike Hadad, owner of an iSold It outlet in

Money Shorts

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 17

SeeMONEY SHORTS, page 18

STAYING SAFEMt. Carmel Senior Center is sponsoring an event called “Be Pre-pared: Winter and Holiday Safety for Seniors” for family, friends

and caregivers to learn how they can help keep older adults safe and ensure theyhave the resources they need. The program will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 6from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. The center is located at 17038 Pretty Boy Dam Rd.,Parkton. For more information, contact Sally Cavanaugh at (410) 887-1923.

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Maryland, said he sells most of the electron-ics he gets on eBay, but he tends to placenew or nearly new items on Amazon, wherethey usually fetch a higher price. ISold Itfranchises usually take about a third of thesale price in commission.Anyone can become a seller on eBay or

Amazon. If you don’t want the hassle oflisting and shipping your items yourself,find an online trading assistant athttp://ebaytradingassistant.com. Capstone Wireless (www.capstonewire-

lessllc.com) buys back all varieties of cell-phones, as long as they power up and have agood LCD display. Gazelle.com buys morethan 20 categories of electronics. Apple offersa gift card in exchange for reusable Apple

computers (go to www.apple.com/recy-cling/computer).• Donate it. ReCellular resells phones

it can find buyers for and recycles the rest(visit www.recellular.com/recycling/do-natephones.asp). Give desktop computersand peripherals to the National CristinaFoundation (www.cristina.org) and theWorld Computer Exchange (www.world-computerexchange.org).To establish the value of donated items

for a tax deduction, use ItsDeductible (freeat www.turbotax.com; look under “Tax Cal-culators and Tools”). • Recycle it. Some retailers and many

manufacturers take back electronics forrecycling or resale. Best Buy stores acceptmost electronics. Staples stores take per-sonal electronics (such as PDAs, cell-phones and digital cameras) free, butcharge $10 to take back office electronics. Call2Recycle picks up cellphones and

rechargeable batteries from many loca-tions, including Radio Shack and Home

Depot stores (to find the nearest drop-offlocation, visit www.call2recycle.org).For manufacturers’ take-back programs,

visit the website of the Electronics TakeBackCoalition (www.electronicstakeback.org).Dell partners with Staples and Goodwill tocollect Dell products in their stores(http://reconnectpartnership.com). To find other places to recycle electron-

ics, visit www.earth911.com and search byzip code. Of course, you can always justgive your e-trash away to someone nearbywho wants it. Join your local Freecyclegroup at www.freecycle.org.Important note: Whether selling or

giving it away, clear your computer’s harddrive first, so your personal informationdoesn’t find its way to an identity thief. Usea free disk-wiping product, such as Ac-tive@KillDisk (http://killdisk.com/down-loadfree.htm) or Darik’s Boot and Nuke(www.dban.org).

— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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

Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.com

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour or email seniorliving@sheltergrp.com.

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‡ Colonial Landing 410-796-4399‡ Columbia 410-381-1118‡ Snowden River 410-290-0384‡ Ellicott City 410-203-9501‡ Ellicott City II 410-203-2096‡ Emerson 301-483-3322PRINCE GEORGE· S COUNTY

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Af fordable Apartments You· ll Be Proud To Call Home

ADRs (symbol UL) or Dutch ADRs (UN).Their prices may vary by a few hairs be-cause of different exchange-rate trendsamong the dollar, pound and euro. Eitherway, Unilever has paid dividends since1937 and is your basic tried-and-true, low-risk, growth-and-income stock.• Vodafone (VOD; $26), based in Eng-

land, provides cellphone services in Eu-rope, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Italso owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless(the rest is owned by Verizon Communica-tions), which represents a major part ofVodafone’s fortunes. After not paying a dividend to its Voda-

phone for six years, Verizon Wireless an-nounced recently that it would distribute$10 billion to its parents next January.Vodafone’s stock-price chart closelytracks that of Telefonica, but you ought toown shares of both if you’re interested inglobal telecommunications.Jeffrey R. Kosnett is a senior editor at

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.Send your questions and comments to mon-eypower@kiplinger.com. And for more onthis and similar money topics, visitwww.Kiplinger.com.© Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Invest overseasFrom page 16

Money shortsFrom page 17

COMMUNITY SERVICES ONLINE DIRECTORY

The Maryland Community ServicesLocator website, www.mdcsl.org, isan interactive online directory thathelps community members locateservices that provide assistance withsubstance abuse, short-term housing,job readiness, adult education,health/mental health, emergencyfood assistance, family assistance,victim services and more. For moreinformation, call (301) 405-9796 orvisit the website.

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Ongoing

START-UP EMAIL RESOURCEStartupDigest.com is a weekly email newsletter for startups in 40cities, including Baltimore. Sign up at www.startupdigest.com.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMSVolunteers are needed for kindergarten and elementary school pro-grams throughout Baltimore county. There is no minimum require-ment for number of hours of service. Training will be provided by

Baltimore County Public Schools before entering the classroom. For more informa-tion, call (410) 887-2715.

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Ongoing

Ongoing

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 19

LiveLife at Atrium Village

to the fullest

Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care 4730 Atrium Court | Owings Mills, MD 21117 | www.seniorlifestyle.com

Make your move to Atrium Village NOW and pay NO RENT UNTIL 2012! Select the apartment that !ts your lifestyle in Independent Living, Assisted Living or Memory Care.

Call 888-840-2214 for reservations.

Thursday, December 15, 1:30pm Holiday Open HouseGet up close and personal at Atrium Village this holiday season. Take a tour of homes of our residents and see how they Live Life everyday. Refreshments will be served by our hosts and hostesses in the comfort of their apartments.

By Kimberly LankfordQ: My mother, who’s in the early

stages of dementia, has moved in withme. She will attend an adult day careprogram while I’m at work. Can Ideduct any of the expense of her care?A: You may be able to claim a depend-

ent-care tax credit or set aside pretax dol-lars in a flexible spending account to payfor her care, as long as the expenses arenecessary so that you (and your spouse, ifyou’re married) can continue to work.To qualify for the tax credit, your moth-

er must be physically or mentally unable tocare for herself. The rules for claiming thedependent-care tax credit are less strin-gent than those for claiming a parent as adependent. That means even if your mother’s gross

income exceeds $3,700 (the personal-ex-emption amount for 2011), you could stillclaim the dependent-care credit as long as

you provide more than half of her support.For most taxpayers, the dependent-care

credit is worth 20 percent of the cost ofcare, up to $3,000 for one dependent($6,000 for two or more). But your mothermust live with you more than half of theyear to qualify for the tax credit. So if she moved in after June, you won’t

be able to claim the dependent-care crediton your 2011 income tax return that you’llfile next year; you’ll have to wait to claimthe credit on your 2012 return. For moreinformation about the tax rules, see IRSPublication 503, Child and DependentCare Expenses.

Flexible spending accountsYour employer may offer a flexible

spending account program (FSA), whichallows you to set aside part of your salarytax free for use in caring for your mother. If you are eligible for an FSA, ask

whether you can make a midyear electionto designate up to $5,000 to a dependent-care account for this year. If not, you canset up an FSA for 2012 during this year’sopen-enrollment season.The rules for dependent-care FSAs can

vary by employer, but generally yourmother would be eligible if she is physical-ly or mentally incapable of caring for her-self, she lives with you for more than halfthe year, and you provide more than half ofher support. “A practical example of an eligible ex-

pense might be the fees for a senior daycare center for elders with Alzheimer’s —if, say, a parent lives with and is dependenton an adult child who works, and the parentgoes to [an adult day care] center each daybecause the parent can’t be left alone,” saidJody Dietel, of WageWorks, which adminis-ters FSA plans for many large employers.You must choose between the FSA and

the tax credit; you can’t claim both for thesame expense.© 2011 Kiplinger. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

How to qualify for elder care tax breaks

LEFTOVERS MONDAY

After Thanksgiving Leftovers Monday will be held from 10 to 11

a.m. on Nov. 28 at the Brooklyn Park Senior Activity Center, 202 Hammonds Lane.

Bring in a turkey sandwich and other leftovers, and get dessert. Call (410) 222-

6847 for information.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28

VOLUNTEER AT SINAI HOSPITAL

Sinai Hospital relies on volunteers to visit patients in nursing

units, greet and direct patients in admitting areas, deliver flowers, books or maga-

zines, and survey patients about their hospital experience. To find out more, call

Beth Markowitz at (410) 601-5023 or email bmarkowi@lifebridgehealth.org.

RSVP SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Baltimore County’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is seek-

ing volunteers for activities from mentoring children to preparing

income tax returns, planting trees and more. For more information, contact Ed-

drena Miller at (410) 887-3101 or email volunteers@baltimorecountymd.gov.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

COMMUNITY AMENITIES• Beautiful club room with theaterand demonstration kitchen

• Wellness center• Indoor saltwater pool• Yoga studio & classes• Cooking Classes, and many moreplanned activities

• Movie theater & Billiards Room• Business center• Incredible courtyard and meditationgarden with koi pond and gazebo

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 21043410.753.4171

www.RegencySeniorApartments.com

PLANNED ACTIVITIES SUCH ASWATER AEROBICS, RESIDENT MIXERS, COOKING CLASSES,ZUMBA, MOVIE NIGHTS, BBQ’S AND MANY MORE!

BRAND NEW APARTMENT HOMES FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 62 OR BETTER

20 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — 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.

Find a store near you at www.cvs.com

014331RXX11

By Carol SorgenThe late Steve Jobs changed not only

the way we think about technology (admitit, how many of us are addicted to ourMacs, iPhones, and/or iPads), but how weshop for it as well (think big box ware-house versus stylish Apple boutique). BethAnn Lederer hopes to do the same

thing for what she calls “tools for daily liv-ing.”Whether it’s clothes, home decor, or

even homes themselves, Lederer is on acrusade to shift our thinking, shoppingand living to a greener, more environ-mentally friendly and healthier experi-ence.Lederer, a resident of Towson, became

interested in environmentally responsibleproducts when she was doing an eco-friendly remodel of her own home aboutfive years ago. “There wasn’t much available and there

was no single destination — either onlineor in a bricks-and-mortar destination —where you could buy greener, safer,healthier products,” said Lederer, whoprefers not to give her age.With an entrepreneurial background as

the former owner of a successful card andgift shop, Lederer decided there was anempty niche in the marketplace that shecould fill. In 2006, she founded Working Wonders,

first out of her home, and now an e-com-merce site that will eventually have morethan 8,000 products from more than 100designers and manufacturers available forsale online.

From umbrellas to beddingThese range from clean burning palm wax

candles to organic cotton bedding and cloth-ing, flooring, window treatments, accessories,even biodegradable umbrellas, all the way topre-fab housing manufactured in environmen-tally controlled facilities to reduce toxins. “The clothes we wear and the objects we

live with are often laced with very toxicmaterials,” said Lederer, suggesting thatviewers watch a video produced by eco-ac-tivist Annie Leonard called The Story ofStuff, available on the Working Wonderswebsite, www.workingwondersus.com.All of the products Lederer sells meet

her eight goals for greening our homesand lifestyles: reducing waste, conservingnatural resources, improving air quality,saving energy and/or water, improvingproduction practices, creating better ship-ping practices, providing better communi-ty relations, and supporting manufacturingin communities and countries that need tobuild their own economy.

Small showroomLederer has also opened a deliberately

compact (just under 1,000 square feet)temporary showroom at 1416 ClarkviewRd. in Mt. Washington. It is open by ap-pointment to both the public and the de-sign-and-build trade. The showroom willalso be open for regularly scheduled openhouses (the next one will probably be heldclose to Valentine’s Day). Her goal is to find a destination location

in Maryland for customers who want thesame shopping experience they encounter

at, say, an Apple store — efficient, elegant,fun and sexy, said Lederer. And you don’tneed a large amount of space to do that,she said, noting that Apple, with its com-paratively small shops, tops U.S. retailchains in sales per square foot. People often are reluctant to embrace

the concept of “green,” fearing that theywill have to spend more money or give uptheir creature comforts, Lederer acknowl-edges. But she is quick to assure prospec-tive customers that that is not the case. “Substitute ‘better’ for ‘green,” she sug-

gested, saying the products she is sellingare better for the earth, better for theworkers who are manufacturing them insafer environments, and better for our own

health as we lessen the amount of toxinsand allergens we take in.Starting the business, especially in an

economic downturn, has not been withoutits challenges, said Lederer. She is seekinginvestors to help her grow the company,which she has personally financed so far. “Let’s say I have a lot of skin in the

game,” she said of the money she’s putinto the business. But it’s all for a causeshe deeply believes in.“To provide a more engaging shopping

experience with vetted products to opti-mize our well-being…that is my passion,”said Lederer.Learn more about Working Wonders at

www.workingwondersUS.com.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 21

CareersVolunteers &Does your

organization use senior volunteers

or do you employ a number of seniors?If you do and you’d like to be considered for a story in ourVolunteers & Careers section, please send an email to

info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

7633153

Sure, downsizing was a chore,but

making room for new opportunities

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With Erickson Living’s realty and moving services, the process can be easier than you’d think. Find out how easy a move to an Erickson Living community can be!

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Entrepreneur focuses on the eco-friendly

BethAnn Lederer sells ecologically-friendly merchandise, from recycled glass vases to pre-fab building supplies, through Working Wonders, a company she founded five years ago.

PH

OTO

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UR

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OF

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ER

ER

The jobless rate for older workers isn’tas high as it is for the overall U.S. work-force. But older workers who do lose theirjobs tend to remain jobless much longerthan their younger counterparts — ifthey’re able to find work at all.Many have been forced to take part-

time jobs, and their retirement plans aretaking severe blows due to unplannedwithdrawals and stock market upheaval. For those too young to qualify for

Medicare, the loss of employer-providedhealth insurance has been a devastatingblow. Finally, those who do find new workmost often accept jobs with lower pay andless valuable benefits.So, to state the obvious: The best strate-

gy for job security after age 50 is to keepthe job you have, if at all possible.OK, you can stop laughing at me now. I

know it’s one thing to advise keeping yourjob, and another thing to do it in this mis-erable economy. But is job loss solely amatter of the luck of the draw? Alan Sklover doesn’t think so. An attor-

ney who’s represented or coached hun-dreds of older workers in employmentcases over his 30-year career, Sklover —who also coaches older workers facing fir-ings, downsizings or layoffs — believesthere are things you can do to boost yourodds of keeping your job.

Eight employment tipsSklover caught my eye with a recent

video he created that outlines eight waysolder workers can remain employed andemployable. (You can view the video here:http://bit.ly/qFASnI.)I spoke with Sklover recently, and start-

ed by asking for his views on workplaceage discrimination. The answer, comingfrom an employment lawyer who repre-sents workers, surprised me.He acknowledged that age discrimina-

tion is “rampant” in the workplace. But healso said it is “natural and normal,” eventhough it’s illegal, adding that, “We allmake judgments based on age, no matterwhat anyone says.”That means it’s that much more impor-

tant for older workers to “find ways to en-hance job security by making yourself in-dispensable,” he said. “We’re all wired tobe sensitive to our own self-interest, and anemployer’s self-interest is to ask, ‘Is thisperson helpful to me? Can they help me besuccessful?’ That is always where it starts.”Here are some of the tips for enhancing

job security that Sklover said have workedwell over the years for his older clients.Oh, and if he sounds a bit prejudicedagainst older workers, it’s worth mention-ing that Sklover himself is over 60.

1. Be vigilant about appearance. “Some-

times we get a little grayer, gain a little weight,don’t stand up as straight,” he said. “Naturemay have these effects on you,but that doesn’t mean you haveto cooperate in the process. “You can walk a little extra, or

take up yoga. Get a little extrasun and sleep — even drinkmore water. Do what you can —within reason — to maintain aperception of vitality.”

2. Stay tech savvy. If youdon’t know the latest softwareand other technologies, such associal media, it creates the per-ception that you’re over the hill. “You mightneed to hire a 15-year-old to be your tutor,”he said. What matters is that you learn.

3. Seek situations where you canhave greater proximity to revenue. Ifthere are things going on in your organiza-tion that involve revenue production, get in-volved if you can, because you’re less likelyto lose your job. “And if you do lose yourjob,” he added, “you’ll be a more attractivecandidate for the next job you apply for.”

4. Build and maintain relationships.This is important within your organizationand outside of it. Be active in trade organi-zations, stay in touch with old customers.“Relationships are critical to organiza-tions,” Sklover said. “Don’t allow them tofall by the wayside.”

5. Involve yourself in critical long-

term projects and programs. If your or-ganization is working on a project that will

take three to five years tocomplete, do what you can toget involved because thatprobably will keep you on thejob for that length of time,Sklover said.

6. Be a reputation-en-hancer. “Write an article andsubmit it to a trade journal,” hesaid. “Do an appearance on tel-evision. In some way, help yourorganization polish up its per-ception in the marketplace.”

7. Play your strong card, which is ex-perience. Would you rather hire someonefor a job who has 40 years of experience, orfour? “Don’t be afraid to market your expe-rience and knowledge. But at the sametime, don’t allow yourself to be perceived assomeone who always is looking backward.”

8. Look beyond the horizon to thefuture. Be someone who thinks about andacts on what might be the next big wave inyour field.

Mark Miller is the author of The HardTimes Guide to Retirement Security. Hepublishes http://retirementrevised.com, re-cently named the best retirement planningsite on the web by Money Magazine. Contacthim with questions and comments atmark@retirementrevised.com.

© 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

How to hang onto your job in tough times

RETIRE SMARTBy Mark Miller

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

Neither is Springwell :-)

This isn’t far away.

A Senior Living Community in the Heart of Mt. Washington

Call 888-805-1123 and feel warm.www.SpringwellSeniorLiving.com

ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR?The Small Business Resource Center offers assistance to entre-preneurs with everything from preparing business plans to findinginsurance for their employees. The center is free to the public and

has a PC-based business library with literature and videos. Visit at 1101 E. 33rdSt., Suite C307, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (443)451-7160 or visit www.sbrcbaltimore.com.

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Ongoing

Luxury Apartment Living for Adults 62+

Enjoy worry-free living and great amenities in a building nestled in a country-like setting in the heart of Baltimore County

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For more information and a tour call the rental office at 410-655-2400

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BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 23

TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

By Glenda C. BoothMontgomery, Alabama, claims to be the

birthplace of both the Civil War and thecivil rights movement — events 100 yearsapart, but not unrelated. Morgan Berney, with the Montgomery

Area Chamber of Commerce Conventionand Visitor Bureau, told me: “You shouldcome here to learn the history of the im-portant things that happened here.” So Iset out to do just that. And it’s true: Here in the heart of Dixie,

visitors can explore well-preserved build-ings and homes and even reenact historicevents in a part of the country where somestill even debate what to call the 1861-1865conflict — the Civil War, the War of South-ern Independence or the War of NorthernAggression? On the steps of the state capitol last

March, 500 local students sang freedomsongs at a rousing civil rights rally. Threeweeks earlier, on the same steps, morethan 1,000 people in genteel period fineryre-enacted Confederate President Jeffer-son Davis’s 1861 inauguration, celebratingMontgomery as the first capital of the Con-federacy. Indeed, a trip across central Alabama is

an expedition through the state’s schizo-phrenic past and a candid look at Alaba-ma’s beauty marks and blemishes. Thesesquicentennial commemoration of the

Civil War is an opportune time to exploreAlabama’s multiple layers.

The capital’s contrastsThe 1851 state capitol building on “goat

hill” — so called because of its originalgrazing denizens — dominates the centerof Montgomery. Tour guides point out thatsegregationist Governor George Wallaceand his wife Lurlene, remembered insidein statues and portraits, served 17 years. Murals under the dome trace the state’s

history. The old Senate Chamber, restoredto the way it appeared in 1861, is wheredelegates from seceding southern statesformed the Confederate States of America. A refreshing break from the reminders

of strife is the sweet statue of Helen Kelleras a child at her family’s water pump themoment she first understood language.Nearby is the fully-restored first White

House of the Confederacy, JeffersonDavis’s home, as it looked mid-19th centu-ry, showcasing personal items, like thefamily Bible.Fast forward to the 1960s civil rights era

at the red brick Dexter Avenue King Me-morial Baptist Church, just down the blockfrom the capitol, where Rev. Martin LutherKing, Jr. preached self-empowerment andcivil disobedience. The words of Rev. Vernon Johns in the

basement museum’s video are a chilling

reminder of the hostilities of that period.“It’s safe to murder Negroes in Mont-gomery,” he says in the film. The Dexter Parsonage Museum is the

homey, seven-room, white frame housewith the Kings’ starched doilies, rotarytelephone and chenille bedspreads, depict-ing how the King family lived from 1954 to1960. The Southern Christian LeadershipConference was founded in the diningroom. The front porch bears a crater blasted

by a stick of dynamite that blew whileCoretta Scott King and her baby werehome. Sitting in the home’s kitchen, I feltlike MLK could walk in any minute.Another must-see is the Rosa Parks Li-

brary and Museum, commemorating “theevent that changed the world” — the 1955Montgomery bus boycott. There’s a videore-enactment of seamstress Rosa Parks’srefusal to move to the back of the bus. She later explained, “I had been pushed

as far as I could stand to be pushed.” Themuseum has a replica of the bus and a filmtelling the story of the 381-day boycott.These excellent museums tell the civil

rights story and show how activists bravedcursing and spitting crowds, courageouschildren integrated public schools, and po-lice unleashed tear gas and billy clubs onmarchers.

A black granite Civil Rights Memorialhonors those who died. Designer Maya Linhas explained, “This is not a monument tosuffering; it is a memorial to hope.”Of course, visitors can also enjoy more

typically tourist attractions here as well, in-cluding the Hank Williams Museum (thelargest collection of Williams memorabiliaworldwide), a cruise on the Harriett II river-boat, or a night out with the Biscuits — anAA baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. And between museums, you can “go

southern” and savor fried green tomatoes,homestyle grits and banana pudding. Resi-dents will greet you with friendly “hi y’alls”and warm southern hospitality. An equal rights side note. In the state

archives, I spotted a plaque that read, “ToOur Heroic Women of the Sixties.” Ithought, well, Alabama is honoring thewomen of the 1960s civil rights movement.But I had jumped to the wrong conclusion.The plaque was dedicated to the women ofthe 1860s and was sponsored by the Unit-ed Daughters of the Confederacy!

Still marching in SelmaSelma, 45 miles west of Montgomery and

the birthplace of the White Citizens Coun-cil, comes across initially as a weary, run-

Plant bulbs now for colorful bloomsnext spring. See story on page 25.

At this year’s annual re-enactment of the 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Ala.,U.S. Rep. John Lewis (left) recalls the original march, when walkers were attacked bystate troopers. To his right are U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Tom Harkin, Rep.James Clyburn and Jesse Jackson, Sr.

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The Dexter Parsonage Museum is located in the home where Rev. Martin LutherKing, Jr. and his family lived when he was pastor of the Dexter Avenue (King Memo-rial) Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

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See ALABAMA, page 24

Alabama’s Civil War and civil rights sites

down town. But probing deeper, you’ll findsomething very significant about the place. During the Civil War, the town’s arsenal

and foundry next to the Alabama Riverwere Union targets. But Selma is bestknown for the 1965 voting rights march. When police shot 26-year-old Jimmie

Lee Jackson in Marion, Ala., people wereinspired to march to Montgomery andpresent their demands to Gov. Wallace.Led by Rev. King and others, as 600 peoplecrossed Selma’s arched Edmund PettusBridge, the sheriff ’s mounted deputiesand a “sea of blue” state troopers sent byWallace attacked the marchers with night-sticks and tear gas.

Every year, during the first weekend inMarch, the town perks up with a bridge-crossing jubilee, featuring a parade, rallies,music, a unity breakfast and many nota-bles. On Sunday morning of jubilee week-end, commemorative church services areheld around town. I was welcomed to a two-hour service,

led by Dr. Frederick Douglas Reece, whoinvited Rev. King to Selma in 1965 and wasconfronted by the police multiple times. He recounted that as a young black boy

he had one pair of pants and took a sweetpotato to his all-black school for lunch. Hecommented that today in Selma, “All peo-ple are recognized of the same rank.”While in Selma, be sure to visit the mod-

est but informative National Voting RightsMuseum, spotlighting the movement’s he-

roes and heroines. One exhibit quotes ac-tivist Wendell Paris, who said, “Selma wasa real hellhole” and called the 1960s “ab-solute apartheid.” The Old Depot Museumhas artifacts from both the Civil War andvoting rights eras.The National Park Service’s Lowndes

County Interpretive Center east of town re-calls the 54-mile march on Jefferson DavisHighway to Montgomery, which resultedin President Lyndon Johnson’s signing ofthe Voting Rights Act, which outlawed lit-eracy tests and poll taxes.

Proud TuskegeeTuskegee, about 85 miles east of Selma,

brings back an earlier but notable time.The center of the national historic site isthe Tuskegee Institute, a college foundedin 1881 by Booker T. Washington, the de-termined former slave who sought to giveblacks education, work skills and opportu-nity. Here we’ll “do some common thingsuncommonly well,” he said.The Oaks is Washington’s elegant 1899

home built by students. The TuskegeeHuman and Civil Rights Multicultural Cen-ter has exhibits on the civil rights struggleover two centuries and on the infamousTuskegee syphilis study.Also in Tuskegee, the Carver Museum

highlights George Washington Carver’sscientific research on peanuts, sweet pota-toes and other crops, techniques that revo-lutionized agriculture. Scientists here col-laborated with the National Air and SpaceAdministration in the 1980s to grow plantswithout soil on space missions. Worth a visit is the Tuskegee Airmen

National Historic Site at Moton Field,where legendary black airmen defiedracial stereotypes and set the stage for de-segregating the military.At the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee I

attended in March, one of the women ac-

tive in the 1960s Student Nonviolent Coor-dinating Committee said, “We should notbury the past, but we should build on whathappened here.” Alabama is doing it.

If you goThe least expensive roundtrip flights to

Montgomery start at $306 on US Airwaysand $310 on Delta in early December fromBWI Marshall Airport.The state tourism agency at www.Alaba-

ma.travel provides information on attrac-tions and itineraries like the Civil RightsTrail and history tours.To get started in Montgomery, visit

http://visitingmontgomery.com, call (334)261-1100 or stop in the visitors’ center at300 Water Street.From the centrally-located Hampton Inn

(rates start at $89 per night), you can walkto most major sites. Across the street,Wintzell’s Oyster House is noisy, but has“killa” shrimp, baked crawfish pie andgator tail. Motto: ”I got fried, stewed andnude at Wintzell’s.” The House Restaurant touts “local grits

with shrimp” and fried green tomatoes.In Selma, check with the Welcome Center,

132 Broad St., (www.selmaalabama.com) forinformation. For lodging, the historic 1838 St. James

Hotel (www.historic-hotels-lodges.com/saint-james-hotel.htm, (334) 872-3234) isthe only downtown choice and a good one,perched atop the Alabama River in the his-toric district, exuding antebellum charm.Rates start at $110 per night. Try shrimphush puppies and seafood gumbo in thehotel restaurant.In Tuskegee, the Kellogg Hotel

(www.tuskegeekelloggcenter.com, (334)727-3000) on the university campus pro-vides southern hospitality. Rooms start at$99 a night.

AlabamaFrom page 23

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

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN BRANDYWINE Join the Essex Senior Center on Tuesday, Dec. 13, on this trip tothe Brandywine River Museum in Pennsylvania to enjoy the Wyeth

Family art collection. Take in the sights of Longwood Gardens and enjoy lunch atthe Chadds Ford Tavern as well. Cost is $85. For reservations, call (410) 687-5113.

THE 511 ON MARYLAND TRAVELThe Maryland Department of Transportation has launched a newofficial travel information service called Maryland 511. Travel

information is provided through the Internet at www.md511.org and by phone at511 (for those in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia).Maryland 511 provides users with real-time traffic information, transportationalternatives and links to tourism spots across the state.

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By Ruth KlingIt has been difficult to get excited about

the advent of fall weather this year due to awet September and October. Yet garden-ing is all about hoping for the best. This sense of hope is well represented

by the spring bulb. Spring bulbs are na-ture’s little bundles of delayed gratifica-tion. In each bulb is a harbinger of spring;a snow drop or crocus, a daffodil or tulip.All this will be yours in exchange for somehard labor now in the fall.Bulbs are really some of the easiest

flowers to grow and perhaps the most re-warding. They only need sun, well drain-ing soil and water if it becomes very dry. It is very easy to get carried away with

purchasing spring bulbs, so I should urgeyou not to go crazy purchasing bulbs. Butit is hard to resist their allure. (Brent andBecky’s Bulbs in Gloucester, Va., is a good,local source for bulbs.)

When to plantIn our climate, we can plant bulbs up

through early December in some years ifthe ground doesn’t freeze, which happensat about 20 to 24 degrees. However, it is best to plant them when

there will still be some time for them to de-velop a root system before they go com-pletely dormant for the winter. Plant themtoo early, and the heat will cause them tobloom and they’ll be damaged in the com-ing cold periods.But if you see little tips of bulbs coming

out of the ground during a warm spell inDecember or January, just cover them upwith some shredded leaf mulch.

If you have purchased so many bulbsthat you cannot plant them all at once, as Ihave been known to do, they can be placedin a paper bag and put in the refrigeratoruntil they can be planted. Be sure to labelthe bags so you don’t plant daffodils whereyou wanted the fritillaria.

Fending off the squirrels Plant all bulbs, including tulips, to a

depth of three times the height of the bulb.This depth will help them weather temper-ature fluctuations and (supposedly) foilsquirrels. However, I never underestimate a squir-

rel’s ability to dig up something it wants,and squirrels love tulips. I try to preservethe tulips by rolling each bulb in chili pow-der as a repellent. (Beware: even thoughchili powder is not toxic to humans, you donot want to inhale it or get some in your

eyes!). Bulbs in pots are practically like cookie

jars for squirrels, so cover containers plant-ed with tulips with a bit of chicken wire. Thewire keeps the squirrels from digging thebulbs out, but lets the plant emerge. Remember that many bulbs emerge be-

fore trees have their leaves, so a shady spotin summer will be sunny in the early spring. There is nothing more lovely than some

early crocus and grape hyacinth peakingup around the base of a tree. Some bulbs,such as daffodils, spread and only need tobe divided every few years.

Other tips for plantingBulbs like a neutral ph, so it is possible

in our rather acidic local soil that youmight need to add some lime. (Amend thesoil before planting the bulbs, not at thesame time).

I do not recommend blood meal as a fer-tilizer because it attracts rodents. For fer-tilizer, I prefer to dig in some compostwhen planting, or organic bulb fertilizer.Don’t forget the culinary bulbs, like gar-

lic and shallots. Divide a head of garlic orshallots into cloves and plant each one tipup. After the green shoots emerge, mulchwith shredded leaves. Next summer youwill have plenty of garlic and shallots to eatand share. Don’t fuss too much. The truth is bulbs

are little powerhouses of life. Inside eachbulb are the nutrients that the flowerneeds to bloom in spring. So, be patient. If the flowers can make it

through the winter only dreaming ofblooming, so can you.

Falls Church, Va., gardener Ruth Kling blogsat ruthsgarden.blogspot.com. Send her garden-ing questions at gardenruth@gmail.com.

Plant bulbs now for your spring gardenBA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel 25

SET SAIL FOR THE CARIBBEANA Bahamas cruise to

raise funds for the Louis S. DiggsResearch Center for AfricanAmerican History will ship out fromJan. 7-16, 2012 from the Port ofBaltimore, on the Royal CaribbeanEnchantment of the Sea. For moreinformation, call Deborah Mullen at(410) 653-1918 or email dpm-trav-el@aol.com. For more information onthe center or to make a donation,call Louis Diggs at (410) 356-5259or email Louis-Diggs2@verizon.net.

GROUP TOURS WELCOME AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY

The United States Naval Academy inAnnapolis welcomes groups for tours ofthis historic military academy. You canorganize a tour around topics includingan historical tour, tour and tea, Jewishchapel tour, military reunion tour, andleadership training tour. To plan agroup tour, call (410) 293-8687 orvisit www.navyonline.com.

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

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Refills By PhoneRefills just got easier. Call the Pharmacynumber on your prescription bottle, enter the prescription I.D. number printed on the labeland we will tell you when it will be ready.

Internet RefillsWith Internet Refills, you can order your pre-scription without ever leaving the house. Justgo to www.riteaid.com and click “Refill Now”,select Store Pick-up or Mail Delivery andsimply enter prescription information.

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BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 27

By Carol SorgenNoel Coward’s 1930’s comedy of man-

ners, Private Lives, is a lighter-than-meringue confection. For a thoroughly en-joyable bit of escapism, this productioncurrently playing at Everyman Theatre isright on the mark.

The plot is simple: Amanda and Elyot di-vorced five years ago but find themselvessuite-by-suite on the French Riviera, eachhoneymooning with a new spouse, Victorand Sibyl. The formerly married partnerssee each other, sparks fly, and they run offwith each other.

Was their divorce a mistake, or is theirnewly rekindled romance a mere longingfor what once was? All will be revealed inthe next three acts through Coward’s wittybanter, expertly delivered by companymembers Deborah Hazlett and Bruce Ran-dolph Nelson, with strong — albeit lesswordy — performances by supporting castmembers Erin Lindsey Krom, Peter Wray,and Sophie Hinderberger as Louise, theFrench maid.

True, there are several lines in the playthat reflect the sensibility of another timeand make us cringe today — as when

Elyot declares that “some women shouldbe struck regularly, like gongs.”

Amanda gives as good as she gets,though, and her mature sparring withElyot is an interesting counterpoint toSibyl — at first glance a bit of fluff, as theBrits would say, who eventually provesherself to have what it takes to be anAmanda-in-the-making.

Nuanced actingIn his portrayal of the world-weary

Elyot, Bruce Nelson gets just as muchmileage out of a glance or a gesture as hedoes from his rapid-fire dialogue, whilePeter Wray’s Victor comes across as athoroughly decent, albeit at times befud-dled, chap.

Kudos to the four main characters fortheir British accents, which they managedquite admirably to keep on top of through-out the evening. That’s not an easy task,especially with such a quick-paced, dia-logue-intense play. And a special mentionto Sophie Hinderberger’s expertly deliv-ered scenes, in French yet.

It can’t be said that there is any deepmeaning to Private Lives, but quite frankly,

there’s nothing wrong withthat. Not every theatricalpiece has to be a teachablemoment. Sometimes sheerenjoyment is the order ofthe day. As Elyot says toAmanda, “Let’s be superfi-cial and … enjoy the partyas much as we can.”

Period design andcostumes

In addition to the expertperformances, a large partof the pleasure of this pro-duction is its thoroughlygorgeous set design andspot-on costuming. Fromthe first-act hotel balcony

Arts & StylePrivate Lives sparkles at Everyman Theatre

Baltimore lights up for the holiday season. See story on page 28.

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Peter Wray and DeborahHazlett star as the honey-mooning Victor and Aman-da in Noel Coward’swicked comedy, PrivateLives, now playing atEveryman Theatre.

See PRIVATE LIVES, page 29

By Carol SorgenCharm City is never as charming as it is

this time of year, when it puts on its partyclothes to celebrate the holidays. Whydon’t you do the same and enjoy some ofBaltimore’s favorite traditions — andmaybe find a few new ones of your own?

Bromo Seltzer projections Summertime has open-air movies in Lit-

tle Italy, and wintertime now has the color-ful illuminations of artist and graphic de-signer Kelley Bell atop the Bromo SeltzerArts Tower. The winter-themed creation isprojected from three of the four clockfaces of the tower so that moving imagesshine on downtown Baltimore.

The projections can be seen from duskuntil dawn through Dec. 12. For more infor-mation, visit www.bromoseltzertower.com.

Power Plant light show From now through Dec. 31, the Power

Plant lights up the Inner Harbor with a magi-cal display of lights, lasers, music and more.Don’t miss this “electrifying” attraction! Findout more at www.itsawaterfrontlife.org.

Festival of Trees Get a head start on Christmas at the

Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Festival ofTrees at the Maryland State Fairgrounds,Nov. 25-27. This annual three-day extrava-ganza dazzles with its fairyland forests,gingerbread towns and toy train gardens,more than 100 craft boutiques, and a line-up of nightly entertainment. Learn more athttp://festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org.

Chanukah House The Chanukah House has a new location,

but the same festive display of lights. Stop by

6721 Greenspring Ave. through the month ofDecember, weather permitting. There is nofee, but donations are welcomed.

For more information, visit www.thechanukahhouse.com.

Holiday train festival Celebrate the holiday season at Balti-

more’s largest holiday display of toy andmodel train layouts from Nov. 25 throughDec. 31. If there’s a little one in your life,take note that Santa arrives by locomo-tive to the Roundhouse at 10:30 a.m. onNov. 25.

Weekend train rides and photo opportu-nities with Santa will go on through Dec.21; then Frosty the Snowman moves inthrough Dec. 31. For more information, goto www.borail.org.

Artful shopping Skip the malls and head to the American

Visionary Art Museum on Saturday, Nov.26, for BAZAART — the American Vision-ary Art Museum’s Annual Holiday Market-place of original creations by over 50 re-gional artists and craftspeople featuringpainting, sculpture, paper crafts, metal-work, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, andother work that simply defies categoriza-tion! Admission is free. More details avail-able at www.avam.org.

Parade of Lighted Boats Baltimore’s nautical spirit shines during

the annual Parade of Lighted Boats, takingplace Dec. 3, starting at 6 p.m. More than50 boats and pleasure crafts festoonedwith holiday lights make their way fromBaltimore’s Inner Harbor to Fell’s Point.Find out more at www.fpyc.net.

Washington Monument lighting The official lighting of our Washington

Monument on Dec. 1 once again featuresan evening of choir performances,strolling entertainment and more. Theevent ends with a colorful fireworks finalechoreographed to music. Visit www.pro-motionandarts.com to learn more.

A Chinese ChanukahJoin the Jewish Museum of Maryland

on Dec. 25 from noon to 4 p.m. as it cele-brates all things Chinese at its annual fam-ily event. Play mah-jongg, make Chineselanterns and origami, and enjoy Chinesetreats as the museum pays tribute to itslandmark exhibition, “Chosen Food: Cui-sine, Culture and American Jewish Identi-ty.” RSVP to Ilene Dackman-Alon, (410)732-6400, x. 214; or email idackmanalon@jewishmuseummd.org. Tickets are $10 forJMM member families; $15 for nonmemberfamilies.

Night tour of Fort McHenry Discover how Yuletide celebrations and

Fort McHenry’s role changed over time.Join the Park Rangers on Dec. 3 for an ex-citing walk through the War of 1812, CivilWar, World War I and World War II and arare glimpse of Fort McHenry at night!Tours are free and last approximately 45minutes.

Mayor’s Christmas Parade It’s not holiday season in Baltimore with-

out a trip to Hampden, ‘hon. This year’sMayor’s Christmas Parade is set for Dec. 4,and features the Baltimore MarchingRavens, Harley Davidson motorcycles andmarching bands. See more at www.may-orschristmasparade.com.

Kwanzaa Family Day Inspired by “Hand Held: Personal Arts

from Africa,” this year’s celebration of com-munity and family on Dec. 28 at the Balti-more Museum of Art features a special per-formance by Keur Khaleyi African DanceCompany and fascinating stories brought tolife by actress Maria Broom, featured onthe Beacon’s August cover. For more infor-mation, visit www.artbma.org.

Kwanzaa Crafts and DancingRed, black and green — celebrate the

colors of Kwanzaa from Dec. 28-30 at theReginald F. Lewis Museum with fun-filledactivities for the family. Learn Kwanzaa tra-ditions while working on craft projects.Dance to traditional African music andenjoy a live performance from FarafinaKan, a professional West African percus-sion orchestra from Washington, D.C.More details at www.africanamericancul-ture.org.

New Year’s Eve Spectacular Ring out the old, ring in the new, with a

celebration offering a night of live musicand the countdown to 2011 starting at 9p.m. at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater, anda fireworks display that is the largest in theregion. The choreographed fireworks showstarts at the stroke of midnight. For moreinformation, visit www.bop.org.

From all of us to all of you, have ahealthy and happy holiday season!

28 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Baltimore lights up for the holiday season

Fireworks will light up the night aroundthe Washington Monument on Dec.1

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Once he got over the initial disappoint-ment of having to close the D.C. museumafter less than a year, Silverman becameexcited about the prospect of moving it toBaltimore. He thinks the Inner Harbor lo-cation will be ideal, drawing in tourists andresidents alike.

As of press time, the museum is sched-uled to open at the end of November.Check www.nationalpinballmuseum.orgfor updates.

The four-story building (the formerChocolate Factory at 608 Water Street)will house more than 100 machines on ex-hibit, and include an interactive areawhere visitors can play both vintage andmodern machines.

There will also be classrooms, as Silver-man wants to share his knowledge aboutpinball with the public — especially withyoung kids. “It’s more than a game,” hesaid. “Pinball machines are a piece of both

art and of history.”

How pinball developedThe tradition of pinball dates back to

such games as bocce and lawn bowling.Then in France, during the reign ofFrench King Louis XIV from 1643 to 1715,billiard tables were narrowed, and woodenpins or skittles were placed at one end ofthe table, with players shooting balls witha stick or cue from the other end.

Because pins took a long time to resetby hand after being knocked down, theywere eventually affixed to the table, withholes in the bed of the table becoming thetargets. Players learned to ricochet ballsoff the pins to achieve the harder holes. Astandardized version of the game eventual-ly became known as bagatelle.

Between the 1750s and 1770s, billardJaponais (Japanese billiards) was invented(despite the name, in Western Europe). Inthat game, players used thin metal pinsand, instead of a cue, a coiled spring and aplunger. With the plunger, players would

shoot balls up the inclined playfield towardthe scoring targets, just as they do todaywith most modern machines.

Not only New York, but Los Angelesand Chicago as well once considered pin-ball so seedy they outlawed the machines.And that was despite the fact that most ofthe major pinball machine manufacturerswere located in Chicago.

But today the games are ubiquitous andwell-received (for the most part), drawingin growing audiences as both the artwork— and the electronic bells and whistles —continue to develop.

Silverman says he doesn’t play as oftenas he used to. “Pinball is a game of concen-

tration and reaction,” he noted, ruefully ad-mitting that his are not what they used tobe in his younger days.

But that’s all right, Silverman said. “Ihave so many other areas of interest whenit comes to pinball machines that I don’tmiss playing as often or as well as I oncedid.”

If attendance (close to 5,000 visitors) athis short-lived DC museum is any indica-tion, Silverman knows there are just asmany other fans nostalgic for the games oftheir youth, and as many more interestedin joining the fun.

So move over Angry Birds. “Pinball isfar from being over,” said Silverman.

scene with its angular Art Deco details tothe second- and third-act scenes set in anexquisitely staged Paris apartment, youare instantly transported to ever-so-stylishFrance (and may be left wondering how tore-create that living room in your ownhome; I know I am).

The costumes similarly reflect the era,but also serve to enhance the differentages and personalities of the characters.Sibyl’s romantic dresses reinforce thesweetness and naïveté she brings to hernew marriage (her first) to Elyot, whileAmanda’s outfits, no less of the era, aremore sophisticated, seductive and worldly(as befits a woman who has had a few dal-

liances along the way).Private Lives marks the Everyman di-

rectorial debut of company member CarlSchurr, who served for 25 years as the pro-ducing artistic director for Pennsylvania’sTotem Pole Playhouse. If this assured pro-duction is an indication of Schurr’s skill,Everyman audiences will have much tolook forward to in future efforts.

You could go to New York to see PrivateLives currently running on Broadway(starring “Sex and the City” star Kim Cat-trall), but you probably wouldn’t have anybetter a time than you will right here.

Private Lives runs through Dec. 11, withperformances Wednesday through Satur-day at Everyman Theatre, 1727 N. CharlesSt. Tickets are $10-$45. Call (410) 752-2208or go to www.everymantheatre.org.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style 29

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

From page 30.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

H A H A P A P A R E T A RU R I S O R A L E V I T AR O T H E C R U D E M O NT O P O F T H E M O R N I N G

A R T S N E E D E EH E R E S T B I R D SE P A B O O T G I F R IM I D D L E O F T H E R O A DS C E N I C F O E O R O

A L A M O S N I L E SA T O F L Y S O P HB O T T O M O F M Y H E A R TA U R A L P A A R C R E ES T A L K I I I I A D D SE S S E S A L D A C Y S T

Private LivesFrom page 27

Pinball wizardFrom page 1

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

Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Jumbles: PENCE QUASH UPSHOT FEWEST

Answer: When the doorman was arrested, the

detective had an - OPEN AND SHUT CASECrossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Click on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 29.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43

44 45 46 47

48 49 50 51 52

53 54 55 56 57 58

59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67

Down1. Injured2. Cowboy, with a buck3. Pop music list4. On the beach5. Rhymers6. St. Louis landmark7. Peel, as an apple8. Graduates9. Make the harbor even deeper10. 2-4-6-8; these numbers all have

what trait?11. Lacking courage12. Make amends13. Lion’s territory21. Lauderdale and Myers, in FL22. “___ Land of the Free...”26. Makes an edge27. Like Lawrence of Arabia28. As well as29. Very successful, as 16 Across30. Paul McCartney title32. “Relax!”34. Reckless35. Valuable, as a baseball card36. Bachelors’ last words38. Evidence on CSI: Miami39. Schulz strip that predated Peanuts40. Companions of fros45. Nearsightedness46. Japanese drama47. Regurgitation medication48. Belittle49. Publicizes50. Others from Spain52. Neighbor of Turkey54. Piece of Scheherazade’s strategy55. Pass alternative56. Co-worker of the butler, gardener,

and cook57. Commies58. ___ pattern

Across1. “That’s hilarious”5. Member of the Bear family9. Fix the driveway14. Exodus author15. Undocumented, as a contract16. 1980 Tony Awards Best Musical17. IRA guy18. Color close to beige19. Evil spirit20. Early greeting23. Performing ___24. Society page word25. Gidget portrayer26. “___ Johnny!”28. Hot rods first produced in 195531. Fed. org conceived by

Nixon in 197032. October 31 shout33. With “Day’s”, a chain of over 1000restaurants37. Politically neutral41. Picturesque42. Rival43. Acapulco gold44. Los ___ (New Mexico lab site)46. Frasier’s sitcom brother48. From ___ Z51. Quickly cross the Atlantic52. Future jr.53. Source of sincerity59. An ear-relevant word60. Tonight Show host in 196061. Native Canadians62. Follow compulsively63. Sufferer of 45 Down, briefly64. Supplements65. There are two in every

seventy-six66. Burstyn’s costar in Same Time,

Next Year67. Dermatologist’s concern

Puzzle of the Month by Stephen Sherr

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 31

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FREE GAS! Receive $300 Gasoline Savings!Gasoline Stimulus Program provides $300 gassavings to participants of driving survey. LocalStations - Major Brands ! Call now 877-898-9027.

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CASH BUYER SEEKING WATCH MAKER’STOOLS & PARTS, wrist & pocket watches (anycondition), costume jewelry and antiques, coins.410-655-0412.

BUYING NUMISMATIC COINS and mostgold or silver items including coins, sterling,jewelry, etc. Will come to you with best cashoffer. Call Paul: 410-756-1906.

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

STAMPS! U.S. only. Small collector buying sin-gles, sets or collections. Fair price paid. South-west Stamp Club meets Friday, December 16,2011, 1PM, Arbutus. 410-247-4169.

ESTATE BUY-OUTS / CLEAN-OUTS FROMBASEMENT-GARAGE-ATTIC-STORAGEUNITS. ELECTRONICS, RECORD COLLEC-TIONS, TUBES, HI-FI SPEAKERS, ACCUMULA-TIONS. CASH PAYMENT, PROMPT REMOVAL.PLEASE CALL 410-740-5222 OR 240-478-1100.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHSpurchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers,paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty –highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-6637. Stampex1@gmail.com.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from the 20sthrough 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm& Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or78s, Larger collections preferred. Please callJohn, 301-596-6201.

WANTED: YOUR UNWANTED BOOKS.Help me to help those less fortunate to ownbooks too. Will pick-up. 443-799-4083 after 5pm, weekends anytime.

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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 Op-portunities; and Want ed. For sub mis sionguide lines and dead lines, see the box on thebottom of this page.

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

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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.

Business & EmploymentOpportunities

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Wanted

Words of the monthThe curious origins of our words and rituals

December and JanuaryThe names of the last and first

months of the year are Latin in origin.

December takes its name from decem,

the number 10, going back to a time

when the calendar had only 10 months.

January derives from the Roman god

Janus (shown here). He was a two-

headed deity, — the keeper of gates and

doors, able to look both front and back — even as January looks

both behind and ahead to the old and new year.

Auld Lang SyneThis traditional New Year's Eve song was first

published by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in

1796. But it was bandleader Guy Lombardo who

popularized the song and turned it into a tradition.

Lombardo first played the song at midnight at a

New Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in

New York City in 1929. After that, Lombardo's

version of the song was played every year at the

Waldorf Astoria until 1976. Auld Lang Syne literally translates to

"old long since" and means "times gone by." The song asks

whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to

remember people of the past with fondness.

Prepared by Wizard Communications© All rights reserved.

To submit a word or phrase to be researched, contact

Wizard Communications at jpozga@verizon.net .

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDDeadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of eachmonth.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in thenext month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a numberwhere you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad.We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

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

Commercial Party Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing commercialbusiness enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each addi-tional word.

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Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

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QUILT EXHIBIT AT MCDONOGH SCHOOLFabric constructions by national quilt artists Dr. Joan Gaither andJanet Waters will be on display through Monday, Dec. 12 at

McDonogh School, 8600 McDonogh Rd. in Owings Mills. The Tuttle Gallery, locat-ed in the Lyle Building, is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (410)998 for more information.

BEACON BITS

OngoingMiscellaneous

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