March 2011 Baltimore Beacon

F R E E

VOL.9, NO.3

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

By Carol SorgenUnlike many “empty nesters,” Sharon

and Craig Gendler were happy to sendtheir two daughters out into the world andhave their house — and their life — backto themselves.“We liked it,” said Sharon, 54, a former

retailer who is now a legal assistant for herhusband’s law practice. “We didn’t feelempty in the least.”But today — like it or not — the

Gendlers’ Reisterstown home is filled tothe brim once again as their girls, ages 24and 26, have moved back in, joining other“boomerang” kids of their generation whohave fled the “real world” and are onceagain living with Mom and Dad.The Gendler daughters are certainly

not alone. According to a 2009 survey bythe Pew Research Center, 13 percent ofparents with grown children reported thatone of their adult sons or daughters hadmoved back home during the year.In large part, this trend has been fueled

by difficult economic times. While the re-cession has touched Americans of all ages,it has hit young adults particularly hard.A job loss — or the inability to find a job

in the first place —makes it difficult to payrent. According to the Bureau of LaborStatistics, in October 2009, 15.6 percent of20-to-24-year-olds were unemployed com-pared with 8.7 percent for people over 25.Kids come home for other reasons, too.

They may be in debt from college loans,they may be getting over a divorce, orthey may just realize they can’t afford thecomfy lifestyle they had at home.“I don’t think she realizes how good she

has it here,” said the Nelsons, a BaltimoreCity family that prefers not to use theirfirst names so as not to upset their daugh-ter — whom, they are quick to say, theylove beyond measure and are happy tohave home while she looks for a job (butstill wish she’d show a bit more apprecia-tion and responsibility).

A generational shiftBut parents bear some part of the re-

sponsibility for this phenomenon, too.“Boomerang kids are home not just be-

cause of the recession, but also because inthe past generation there has been a shiftin child-rearing,” said psychiatrist Scott

Haltzman, author of The Secrets of HappyFamilies: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetimeof Connection and Contentment.“We have treated our kids like friends,

allies and colleagues,” he said. “We’veblurred the lines that once clearly definedthe parent-child relationship.“We’re much more indulgent than our

parents were,” Haltzman continued, “andwe’ve made home a really comfortableplace for our kids. They have little desireto leave. They experience some independ-ence at college and then they’re ready tocome home.”Moving back home can be “business as

usual” for the kids, but as the Gendlers

and Nelsons have found, it can be “disrup-tive” for the parents.“When the kids are back, you shift back

from being a couple-focused household toa child-focused household,” said Haltz-man. “You’re no longer in control of yourschedule, what’s in your refrigerator, howmuch gas is in the car, and so on.”“We all get along well,” said the Nel-

sons. But they admitted that “it would benice to know what our daughter’s plans arewhen we get home in the evening.”“Food is definitely an issue,” added

Sharon Gendler. “I make dinner, and I never

When grown kids move back in

Wendy and Michael Appleby welcomed their grown daughter Lauren back home fouryears ago. Like many among the growing number of such “boomerang kids,” Laurenmoved in with her parents to save money. When adult children return home, opencommunication about expectations on both sides can avoid strain.

See BOOMERANG KIDS, page 11

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I N S I D E …

FITNESS & HEALTH 4k Why bad habits are hard to breakk Better blood pressure from food

LAW & MONEY 14k In the market for convertiblesk Test your wits against scammers

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A R T S & S T Y L EA roundup of new shows, froma Tony Bennett tribute to oneof Shakespeare’s last plays;plus, colorful quilts handmadeby Marylanders

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2 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com MARCH 2 0 1 1 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

Recently, the North American MaturePublishers Association presented its annu-al journalism awards.

I am pleased to say theBaltimore Beacon once againwon top honors for papers inthe 50,001-100,000 circulationcategory. And the Washing-ton Beacon, produced by oursame staff, fared similarly forpublications in the 100,000-plus circulation category.

Both publications tookBest of Show honors in theircategories.

The award judges, fromthe prestigious University of MissouriSchool of Journalism, pointed to the Bea-con’s “engaging feature stories on interest-ing people” and called us “a well-editedpaper from cover to cover with nary atypo.”

We are particularly proud of our Balti-more contributing editor, Carol Sorgen,who won numerous awards for various fea-tures.

Sorgen’s cover story, “Fitness leads toageless body,” about a 73-year-old femalepersonal trainer and bodybuilder, won thefirst-place award for Profiles. “Sometimes

the selection of a fabulous subject leads tocaptivating reading—but only if the writing

lives up to the subject,” thejudges said. “This time, thewriter accomplishes both.”

Sorgen won the CommunityService Award for her article,“Economy spurs entrepre-neurs,” about laid-off workersand the new careers they start-ed. She also won an award for“A second career in the cler-gy.” “These are compelling sto-ries,” the judges said.

Sorgen’s article “Reflectionsabout Woodstock’s 40th,” won

the first-place Feature Writing award. “Theaccounts are as varied as the sources, andthe result is a kind of re-creation of anepochal event,” the judges wrote.

Guest columnist Bob Levey edged meout in the Personal Essay category, takingfirst place for his personal essay, “GotMedicare, but don’t plan to use at lot.”

The judges opined, “it’s not often thatyou read about someone deciding to usetheir benefit wisely. This is a well-writtencolumn and challenges the predominantframe of those on Medicare.”

I’m not sure on what basis the judges

come to that rather stereotyped conclusion,but we appreciate the award all the same.

My “From the Publisher” columns onhealthcare and Social Security reform tookthe second-place Personal Essay award.The judges said, “The writer is not afraidto give his opinion, but he does it in a re-sponsible way. The ideas are thought outand very informative. The columns arewritten to elicit thoughtful conversations.”I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Congratulations also go to Dan Collins,who won first place for his theatre reviewsin the Beacon last year, and photographerFrank Klein, who won both first and sec-ond place awards for his cover photos. Youmay remember his photo for our tattoostory, “Baltimore boomers get inked,”which the judges called “well-executedand tasteful.”

I want to add my congratulations andpersonal thanks not only to Sorgen, Levey,Collins and Klein, but also to our manag-ing editor Barbara Ruben, who deserveskudos for finding and editing our manyfreelancers and columnists, and who alsowon several awards for her writing in ourWashington edition.

And I want to express my thanks and ad-

miration to everyone on our staff for theirexcellent work and their many contribu-tions to the Beacon. Congratulations to youall!

As I always say, whatever awards we door do not win, what matters themost to us iswhat our readers think of us. Please contin-ue to share your comments and sugges-tions, whether via mail, e-mail, phone, fax oronline at www.theBeaconNewspapers.com.We love to hear from you and appreciateyour being our readers.

We’re growingWe are also pleased to announce that

the Beacon will begin publishing a newHoward County edition next month. Ifyou’re currently a Howard County reader,look for the new edition (rather than ourBaltimore edition) around the middle ofMarch.

Those with an interest in advertising inHoward County or in proposing storyideas are invited to contact us at (410) 248-9101.

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

BeaconThe

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

• 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

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915(410) 248-9101 • E-mail: [email protected]: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of themonth preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the monthof publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or e-mail all submissions.

© Copyright 2011 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

2010 OutstandingPublication Award

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated toinform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the GreaterBaltimore area, and is privately owned.Subscriptions are available via third-class mail

($12), prepaid with order. MD residents add6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to theoffice listed below.

Publication of advertising contained hereindoes not necessarily constitute endorsement.Signed columns represent the opinions of thewriters, and not necessarily the opinion of thepublisher.

Tooting our horn

Dear Editor:In February I will be 62. In 2003, my

husband and I moved from New York toRandallstown. Since I retired in New Yorkand my health plan is [from there], all ofmy medical expenses are “out of network.”

When I go to the doctor for medicalcheck-ups, I have a co-pay. Then I wait forMercy Hospital to bill my insurance compa-ny and then I am billed for the difference.

The problem is that Mercy MedicalCenter’s bills always come six to ninemonths after I have received my services.They then expect the bill to be paid imme-diately. They are counting the gap be-tween the time of the service and the timethey have billed me as delinquent, eventhough I am just getting the bill.

An example is my colonoscopy exam. Ipaid the doctor that administered theexam. The anesthesiologist is now coming

a year later with his bill, and it is consid-ered delinquent even though I just re-ceived it.

The next thing I know, they have givenit to a collection agency, and they are justso rude and unscrupulous that I refuse todeal with them.

My question to you is have you had anyother seniors complaining about thesemedical centers’ billing practices? I realizeonce I reach 65 and start receivingMedicare this will get better.

Deborah Taitt-StoneRandallstown

Editor’s Note: We contacted Mercy Hospi-tal on your behalf, and we understand theirpatient advocate is working with you andyour insurance companies (of which thereare apparently two, which is part of theproblem) to address your concerns. We hopethey will resolve everything shortly.

Letters to the editorReaders 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 [email protected]. Pleaseinclude your name, address and telephone number for verification.

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HealthFitness &

Fiddling with diet to control cholesterolmakes perfect sense. After all, some of thecholesterol that ends up in our arteriesstarts out in food.

But changing your diet to control hyper-tension (high blood pressure) doesn’tseem quite so straightforward. Yet foodcan have a direct and sometimes dramaticeffect on blood pressure.

Salt certainly plays a role. But there’s farmore to a blood pressure-friendly diet thanminimizing salt intake. Fruits, vegetables,low-fat dairy foods, beans, nuts, whole-grain carbohydrates and unsaturated fatsalso have healthful effects on blood pres-sure.

There isn’t a single “magic” food in thislist. Instead, the whole package is a foun-dation for an all-around healthful eatingstrategy that’s good for blood pressure andso much more.

Rigorous trials show that eating strate-

gies such as the DASH (Dietary Approach-es to Stop Hypertension) diet, DASH vari-ants like the OmniHeart diet, and Mediter-ranean-type diets lower blood pressure inpeople with hypertension and those head-ed in that direction. They also help preventsome of the feared consequences of highblood pressure.

A danger you can avoidWhy bother? Hypertension is the ulti-

mate stealth condition. You’d never knowyou have it without having your bloodpressure measured — or until high bloodpressure begins to damage vital organs.

Half of the 65 million American adultswith high blood pressure don’t have itunder control. That’s worrisome given theinsidious consequences of high bloodpressure.

It is the leading cause of stroke in theUnited States. It contributes to thousands

of heart attacks. It overworks the heartmuscle, leading to heart failure. It dam-ages the kidneys, erodes sight, interfereswith memory, puts a damper on sexual ac-tivity, and steals years of life.

Drugs that lower blood pressure tend towork well. But they don’t necessarily at-tack the cause of the problem. And no mat-ter how safe they are, all drugs have someunwanted or unintended side effects.

A healthful diet is an effective first-linedefense for preventing high blood pres-sure. It is an excellent initial treatmentwhen blood pressure creeps into the un-healthy zone, and a perfect partner formedications.

10 dietary tipsUnfortunately, translating the dietary

strategies tested in clinical trials into dietsfor daily life hasn’t been easy.

Drs. Frank M. Sacks and Hanna Cam-

pos, of the Department of Nutrition at Har-vard School of Public Health, have at-tempted to do just that. In the New Eng-land Journal of Medicine, they offer tenpieces of evidence-based advice about dietand blood pressure:

1. Eat more poultry, fish, nuts andlegumes (beans), and less red meat.

2. Choose low-fat or nonfat milk andother dairy products instead of full-fat ver-sions.

3. Turn to vegetables and fruits insteadof sugary or salty snacks and desserts.

4. Select breads, pasta, and other carbo-hydrate-rich foods that are made fromwhole grains instead of highly refinedwhite flour.

5. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.6. Use unsaturated fats like olive,

canola, soybean, peanut, corn, or safflower

By Lauran NeergaardUh-oh, the new year is only a month old,

and already you’re finding it hard to keepthose resolutions to junk the junk food, getoff the couch or kick smoking.

It might make you feel better to learnthere’s a biological reason a lot of our badhabits are so hard to break — they getwired into our brains.

That’s not an excuse to give up. Under-standing how unhealthy behaviors be-come ingrained has scientists learningsome tricks that may help good habits re-place the bad.

“Why are bad habits stronger? You’refighting against the power of an immediatereward,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director ofthe National Institute on Drug Abuse and anauthority on the brain’s pleasure pathway.

It’s the fudge vs. broccoli choice: Choco-late’s yum factor tends to beat out theknowledge that sticking with veggiesbrings an eventual reward of lost pounds.

“We all as creatures are hard-wired thatway, to give greater value to an immediatereward as opposed to something that’s de-layed,” Volkow said.

Just how that bit of happiness turns into ahabit involves a pleasure-sensing chemical

named dopamine. Dopamine is releasedfrom a cluster of nerve cells, called the nu-cleus accumbens, lying deep in the brain.

It conditions the brain to want that re-ward again and again — reinforcing theconnection each time — especially when itgets the right cue from your environment.

We resist temptations poorlyPeople tend to overestimate their ability

to resist temptations around them, thusundermining attempts to shed bad habits,said experimental psychologist LoranNordgren, an assistant professor at North-western University’s Kellogg School ofManagement.

“People have this self-control hubris,this belief they can handle more than theycan,” said Nordgren, who studies the tug-of-war between willpower and temptation.

In one experiment, he measuredwhether heavy smokers could watch a filmthat romanticizes the habit — called “Cof-fee and Cigarettes” — without taking apuff. Upping the ante, they were toldthey’d be paid according to their level oftemptation: Could they hold an unlit ciga-rette while watching? Keep the pack on thetable? Or did they need to leave the pack in

another room?Smokers who predicted they could resist

a lot of temptation tended to hold the unlitcigarette — and were more likely to light upthan those who knew better than to hangonto the pack, said Nordgren. He now is be-ginning to study how recovering drug ad-dicts deal with real-world temptations.

But temptation can be more insidiousthan how close at hand the cigarettes are.

Always snack in front of your favoriteTV show? A dopamine-rich part of thebrain named the striatum memorizes ritu-als and routines that are linked to getting aparticular reward, explained NIDA’sVolkow. Eventually, those environmentalcues trigger the striatum to make some be-haviors almost automatic.

Even scientists who recognize it can fallprey. “I don’t like popcorn. But every timeI go to the cinema, I have to eat it,” Volkowsaid. “It’s fascinating.”

Much of what scientists know aboutdopamine’s role in habit formation comesfrom the study of alcohol and drug addic-tion, but it’s a key player in more commonhabits, too, especially overeating.

In fact, for anything that links an actionand a reward, “dopamine is indispensable

for the formation of these habits,” Volkowsaid.

Cravings get hard wiredFurthermore, recent research shows that

there’s more involved than just dopamine.Dopamine interacts with another neuro-transmitter, glutamate, to hijack the brain’ssystem of reward-related learning.

According to the current theory, repeat-ed exposure to an addictive substancecauses nerve cells in the nucleus accum-bens and the prefrontal cortex — the areaof the brain involved in planning and exe-cuting tasks — to communicate in a waythat links pleasure with desire and action(seeking the substance).

Meanwhile, the hippocampus and theamygdala store information about environ-mental cues associated with the desiredsubstance, so that it can be located again.These memories help create a conditionedresponse — or craving — whenever yourenvironment cues the desired substance.

The question is how to circumvent thecravings. Some companies offer employ-ees outright payments or insurance re-

Why unhealthy habits are so hard to break

How to beat high blood pressure with diet

See HABITS, page 5

See BLOOD PRESSURE, page 6

bates for adopting better habits.It’s not clear yet just how well a financial

incentive substitutes as a reward. In oneexperiment, paying smokers at GeneralElectric up to $750 to kick the habit nearlytripled the number who did, said Dr.Kevin Volpp, who directs the Center forHealth Incentives at the University ofPennsylvania.

A similar study that dangled dollars forweight loss found no difference — and en-vironmental temptation might help explainthe differing results.

It’s getting hard to smoke in public but“every time you walk down the street,there’s lots of sources of high-calorie,tasty, low-cost food,” Volpp said.

What you can doHowever paying for behavior plays out,

researchers say there are some steps thatmay help counter your brain’s hold on badhabits:

• Repeat, repeat, repeat the new behavior— the same routine at the same time of day.Resolved to exercise? Doing it at the sametime of the morning, rather than fitting it inhaphazardly, makes the striatum recognizethe habit so that eventually, “if you don’t doit, you feel awful,” said Volkow the neurosci-entist, who’s also a passionate runner.

• Exercise itself raises dopamine levels,so eventually your brain will get a feel-good hit even if your muscles protest.

• Reward yourself with something you re-ally desire, Volkow suggested. You exercisedall week? Stuck to your diet? Buy a book, agreat pair of jeans, or try a fancy restaurant —

safer perhaps than a box of cookies becausethe price inhibits the quantity.

• Stress can reactivate the bad-habit cir-cuitry. “You see people immediately eatingin the airport when their flight is can-celed,” Volkow pointed out.

• And cut out the rituals linked to your

bad habits. No eating in front of the TV, ever.“What you want to be thinking about is,

‘What is it in my environment that is trig-gering this behavior?’“ said Nordgren.“You have to guard yourself against it.”

— AP, with additional information fromHarvard Health Letters

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 5

HabitsFrom page 4

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to:

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By Lauran NeergaardThink the occasional cigarette won’t

hurt? Even a bit of social smoking — or in-haling someone else’s secondhand smoke— could be enough to block your arteriesand trigger a heart attack, according to arecent surgeon general’s report.

Lung cancer is what people usually fearfrom smoking, and yes, that can take yearsto strike. But the new report says there’sno doubt that tobacco smoke begins poi-soning immediately — as more than 7,000chemicals in each puff rapidly spreadthrough the body to cause cellular damagein nearly every organ.

“That one puff on that cigarette could bethe one that causes your heart attack,”

said Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.Or the one that triggers someone else’s:

When Pueblo, Colorado, banned smokingin all public places in 2003, the number ofpeople hospitalized for heart disease plum-meted 41 percent in just three years, thereport found.

“I advise people to try to avoid beingaround smoking any way that you can,”Benjamin said.

Big killer and source of diseaseAbout 443,000 Americans die from to-

bacco-caused illnesses every year. Whilethe smoking rate has dropped dramaticallysince 1964, when the first surgeon gener-al’s report declared tobacco deadly,

progress has stalled in the past decade.About 46 million adults — one in five —

still smoke, and tens of millions more areregularly exposed to secondhand smoke.The government had hoped to drop thesmoking rate to 12 percent by last year, agoal not only missed but that’s now beenput off to 2020.

The report was the 30th issued by U.S.surgeons general to warn the public abouttobacco’s risks.

“How many reports more does Con-gress need to have to say that cigarettes asa class of products ought to be banned?”asked well-known nicotine expert Dr. K.Michael Cummings of the Roswell ParkCancer Institute, who helped to review the

report. “One-third of the patients who arein our hospital are here today because ofcigarettes.”

Still, this newest report is unusual be-cause it devotes more than 700 pages to de-tail the biology of how cigarette smoke ac-complishes its dirty deeds — including thelatest genetic findings to help explain whysome people become more addicted thanothers, and why some smokers develop to-bacco-caused disease faster than others.

There is no safe level of exposure to ciga-rette smoke, whether you deliberately in-hale it or are a nonsmoker who breathes inother people’s fumes, the report concludes.

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

Surgeon general: 1 cigarette is 1 too many

oils instead of butter, coconut oil, or palm-kernel oil.

7. Rely on fresh or frozen foods insteadof canned and processed foods.

8. Choose low-sodium foods wheneverpossible; use herbs, spices, vinegar, andother low-sodium flavorings instead of salt.

9. Don’t skip meals; try to eat one-thirdof your calories at breakfast.

10. If you need help, record everythingthat you eat day by day for a week. Havethis information reviewed by a dietitian.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer and enjoyputtering around the kitchen, you canbuild a blood pressure-friendly diet fromthese tips.

If you like more direction, plus menusand recipes, a cornucopia of help is avail-able. Drs. Sacks and Campos extractedtheir advice from the DASH, OmniHeart,and Mediterranean-type diets. Much has

been published about two of the three.A 64-page guide to the DASH diet is

available at www.health.harvard.edu/148for free, or can be mailed to you for a smallfee by calling the NHLBI Health Informa-tion Center at (301) 592-8573.The DASH Diet Action Plan, by Marla

Heller, and The DASH Diet for Hyperten-sion, by Thomas Moore and Mark Jenkins,are available in bookstores.

A number of books have been writtenabout the Mediterranean diet, from How toEat Well and Stay Well the MediterraneanWay, written in 1959 by pioneering nutri-tion researcher Ancel Keys and his wife,Margaret, to Your Heart Needs the Mediter-ranean Diet, published in 2007 by EmiliaKlapp, a registered dietitian.

Information about the OmniHeart diet isharder to come by. A summary of it can beread at www.health.harvard.edu/BPdiet.© 2011 President and fellows of Harvard

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

Blood pressureFrom page 4

See SMOKING, page 7

HORMONES, SLEEP AND YOUR HEALTH

If you’re sleep-deprived, this lecture is for you (after all, you’ll be

awake to hear it!). Presented by Jessica Mong, an associate professor in the

University School of Medicine, this talk will be held on Thursday, Feb. 24, from

noon to 1:30 p.m. at the UM Southern Management Corporation Campus Center,

Ballroom B, 621 W. Lombard St. Call (410) 706-3100 or visit

www.wellness.umaryland.edu for more information.

SUPPORT FOR THE BEREAVED

Seeds of Hope, a bereavement group offered by the Palliative

Care program at Johns Hopkins Bayview, will hold its next meet-

ing on Tuesday, March 1, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Care Center Conference

Room in the John R. Burton Pavilion, located on the Johns Hopkins Bayview cam-

pus. The group meets the first Tuesday of every month. Seeds of Hope is a sup-

port group designed to help people dealing with a death through acknowledging

their grief and honoring their loved one. To register, call Jane Schindler, LCSW-C

at (410) 550-0291.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 24

Mar. 1+

Nor is there reason to think efforts todevelop so-called safer cigarettes reallywill pan out. In fact, the evidence indicatesthat changing cigarette designs over thelast five decades, including filtered, low-tar, and “light” variations, have not re-duced overall disease risk among smokersand may have hindered prevention andcessation efforts.

Even a little is too muchRecently it’s become clear that some of

the harms — especially those involvingthe heart — kick in right away, said Dr.Terry Pechacek of the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention.

That means social smoking, the occa-sional cigarette at a party, can be enough totrigger a heart attack in someone whose ar-teries already are silently clogged, he said.

“Too often people think the occasionalsocial cigarette is not so dangerous, whenin fact this report says yes, it is,” he said.

Why? Cigarette smoke immediatelyseeps into the bloodstream and changesits chemistry so that it becomes moresticky, allowing clots to form that cansqueeze shut already narrowed arteries,the report explains.

That’s in addition to the more subtlelong-term damage to blood vessels them-selves, making them more narrow. And no

one knows how little it takes to trigger thatclotting.

Some other findings in the report:• Smoking one to four cigarettes a day

increases the risk of heart disease almostas much as smoking a pack a day.

• The chemicals and toxicants in tobac-co smoke damage DNA, which can lead tocancer. Exposure to tobacco smoke alsocan help tumors grow.

• Smoking can weaken your body’s abili-ty to fight cancer. With any cancer — eventhose not related to tobacco use — smokingcan decrease the benefits of chemotherapyand other cancer treatments.

• The body makes white blood cells torespond to injuries, infections and cancers.White blood cell counts stay high whilesmoking continues, meaning the body isconstantly fighting against the damagecaused by smoking, which can lead to dis-ease in almost any part of the body.

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke com-plicate the regulation of blood sugar levels,exacerbating the health issues resultingfrom diabetes. Smokers with diabetes havea higher risk of heart and kidney disease,amputation, eye disease causing blindness,nerve damage and poor circulation.

Kicking the habit lets your body start heal-ing, Benjamin stressed: “It’s never too late toquit, but the sooner you quit the better. Evenif you’re 70, 80 years old and you’re a smoker,there’s still benefit from quitting.”

— AP


SmokingFrom page 6 UNITED SENIORS OF MARYLAND TO RALLY

BCASCO, the Baltimore County Association of Senior CitizensOrganizations, Inc., will be joining United Seniors of Maryland at its

34th Annual State Legislative Rally on Wednesday, March 9. Attendees will meetwith their elected state Delegates and Senators and visit committee hearing rooms.Bus service is provided. Pickups are at the Liberty Senior Center at 6:45 a.m..;Towson United Methodist Church, Beltway exit 27B at 7:15 a.m.; and the AteazeSenior Center at 7:35 a.m. The bus will leave Annapolis at 2:30 p.m. to returnhome. The cost of $30 includes transportation, admission, continental breakfastand box lunch. For more information, contact Beth Wiseman at (410) 484-6866.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 9

Baltimore Eye Doctor Helps Legally Blind to SeeAgainADVERTORIAL

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

By Elena LombardiFreelance WriterDonald Paquette, 72, a former as-

sessor fromAnaheim, 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 Opthomasetrist, Dr.

Richard J. Shuldiner and Baltimoreopthomasetrist Dr. Thomas Azmanare using miniaturized binoculars ortelescopes to help people who havelost vision from macular degenera-tion or other eye conditions.“Some of my patients consider us

the last stop for people who have vi-sion loss.” said Dr. Azman, a low vi-sion opthomasetrist who has justcompleted training with Dr. Shuldin-er in California.

“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 most

common 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 in

the center of vision, which makes itimpossible 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 of

two 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 have

macular 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 twoof many states that allow the use oftelescopic glasses for safer driving.Hank Frese, 69, a former High

School 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 were

prescribed 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. Definitely worth the $2450cost. I don’t know why I waited twoyears to do this; I should have comesooner”

“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 about

is 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 BiopticTelescope Driving Glasses

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Lose weightwith water

Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of waterbefore breakfast, lunch, and dinner maybe just the backstop your willpower needsto help you shed pounds permanently, ac-cording to a recent study published inObesity.

Researchers instructed two groups ofoverweight or obese men and women tofollow a low-calorie diet, asking one groupto also drink two cups of water beforemeals.

After 12 weeks, the water drinkers hadlost an average of 15½ pounds, comparedwith 11 pounds for the control group.Those who continued the habit for a yearlost an additional 1½ pounds on average.

“I would never promote this as a get-slim-quick scheme,” said senior study au-thor Brenda Davy, an associate professorin the department of human nutrition,foods and exercise at Virginia Tech Uni-versity.

But she noted that the practice slowsthe emptying of the stomach. “This is sim-ply an additional strategy that could helppeople manage their hunger.”

The study examined the effect only onmiddle-age and older adults, but LiweiChen, an assistant professor of epidemiolo-gy at Louisiana State University Health Sci-ence Center School of Public Health, thinksit’s a smart strategy for everybody, particu-larly if it causes them to cut back on soda.

American adults average 28 ounces ofsugar-sweetened beverages per day, saidChen, who led a study that found even asmall reduction in sugar intake significant-ly lowered blood pressure.

“Aim to avoid sugar-sweetened bever-

ages altogether,” she advised. That way,you battle two risk factors at once.

— U.S. News and World Report

Two drugs arebetter than one

New drug combinations are helpingwomen with early breast cancer. Using twodrugs that more precisely target tumorsdoubled the number of women whose can-cer disappeared compared to those whohad only one of the drugs, doctors report-ed at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Sym-posium in December.

The good news study was the first testof Herceptin and Tykerb together forearly-stage disease. They aim at a proteincalled HER-2 that is overproduced in aboutone-fourth of all breast cancers. Herceptinblocks the protein on the cell’s surface;Tykerb does it inside the cell.

Dr. Jose Baselga, associate director ofthe Massachusetts General Hospital Can-cer Center, tested these drugs alone and incombination in 455 patients who also weregiven the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.(The study was done when he worked pre-viously in Barcelona, Spain.)

The patients were treated for about fourmonths before surgery to remove their tu-mors and for nine months afterward. Doc-tors have been testing drugs in advance ofsurgery to shrink tumors and make the op-eration less drastic, and to get an ideaquickly if these drugs will help a patient.

Just over half of the women who re-ceived Herceptin and Tykerb were discov-ered to have no signs of invasive cancerwhen their surgeries were done, versusonly 25 to 30 percent of those given justone of these drugs.

Tykerb had more side effects, mostly di-arrhea. But the main side effect of combotreatment is to the wallet: Tykerb pills cost$5,000 to $6,000 per month. Herceptincosts more than $4,000 a month plus what-ever doctors charge to infuse it.

“The possibility that we have here is toenhance the number of patients that arecured” and avoid more treatment down theline that might cost more, Baselga said.

Dr. Neil Spector of the Duke Cancer In-stitute said cost “is a real consideration.”Yet he called the results “really exciting”and said the future of cancer care is ap-proaches like this that use targeted drugswell matched to patients’ tumor profiles.

British-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC


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Spinal fractures can berepaired if diagnosed.KYPHON® Balloon Kyphoplasty is a minimallyinvasive treatment for spinal fractures that cancorrect vertebral body deformity, reduce painand improve patient quality of life.

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Dr. Hatem Abdo 410-391-6904Dr. Spiro Antoniades 410-539-3434Dr. Oren Blam 410-644-1880Dr. 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

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Health Shorts

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 9

CUT THE CRAVINGSLearn about foodcravings and binge

eating, and how to avoid them. Findout how the popular media influencesour body image. This lecture will beheld on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at the UMSouthern Management CorporationCampus Center, Room 351, 621 W.Lombard St. Free. For more informa-tion, call (410) 706-3100 or visitwww.wellness.umaryland.edu.

DINE WITH ADIETITIANJoin the St. JosephMedical Center dieti-

tian and an executive chef at thisnutrition and culinary demonstrationseries. See how easy it is to trans-form simple ingredients into healthymeals that are delicious and afford-able. You even get to taste theresults. The next event isWednesday, March 16, from 5:30 to6:30 p.m. on the St. Joseph campus,7501 Osler Dr. Call (410) 337-1337or visit www.StJosephTowson.com toregister. There is a cost of $10 tocover the meal. The next event inthe series will be on April 28.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 23

Mar. 16

makes Tykerb; California-based Genen-tech, now part of the Swiss companyRoche, makes Herceptin. Glaxo helpedpay for the study.

A second study in Germany pitted thetwo drugs against each other in 600women with early breast cancer also get-ting standard chemotherapy for sixmonths before surgery. Herceptin won: 31percent saw their tumors disappear versus22 percent on Tykerb.

— AP

Atrial fibrillation:don’t blame

caffeineCaffeine has long been suspected to be

a trigger for atrial fibrillation, an all-too-common problem that turns the steady, co-ordinated beat of the heart’s upper cham-bers into a fast, erratic churn.

While it is possible that drinking eightcups of espresso in an afternoon couldspark atrial fibrillation, moderate caffeineconsumption has little effect on its devel-opment, according to a large Harvard-based study.

Researchers followed more than 33,000participants of the Women’s Health Studyfor 14 years. Over the course of the study,

atrial fibrillation developed in just as manywomen in the group with the lowest caf-feine intake, about one cup of coffee aweek, as it did in the group with the high-est caffeine intake, about six cups a day.The source of caffeine — coffee, tea, cola,or chocolate — didn’t make a difference.

This study is in line with others showinglittle effect of moderate daily doses of caf-feine on the development of atrial fibrilla-tion. A few laboratory studies even sug-gest that moderate caffeine intake mayhelp protect the heart against this prob-lematic rhythm disorder.

Two things to keep in mind here are theterms “moderate” and “individual.” Largedoses of caffeine — the definition of largecan vary — may set off atrial fibrillationand other potentially dangerous rhythms.How you respond to caffeine depends onhow your body handles it and how accus-tomed you are to it.

— Harvard Heart Letter

How to reportbad drugreactions

For years, the only way an individualcould alert the medical community about abad reaction to a drug or device was bytelling his or her doctor, who might — ormight not — pass the report along to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Today you can tell the FDA directlythrough one of two programs.

Call a Consumer Complaint Coordinatorto report a problem that arises from takinga prescription or over-the-counter medica-tion or dietary supplement, or from using amedical device. Coordinators follow up onthe complaint and add the information to anational database.

The number for the coordinator servingMaryland, Virginia and the District of Co-lumbia is (410) 779-5713.

Contact MedWatch to report a more seri-ous event, such as a life-threatening reactionto a drug or device, a permanent disability,

or a reaction that required medical care.MedWatch is also the place to turn if

you think you aren’t getting the same re-sults from a generic medication that youhad gotten from the brand-name versionor from another generic version.

You can reach MedWatch at 1-800-332-1088, or access an online reporting form atwww.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/med-watch/medwatch-online.htm

Adverse reactions to a vaccine shouldbe reported to the Vaccine Adverse EventReporting System (VAERS) at https://se-cure.vaers.org/VaersDataEntryintro.htm.

— Harvard Heart Letter


Health shortsFrom page 8

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know who’s going to be here.” Even order-ing in can be difficult, albeit at times amus-ing. “It took us hours to decide on what kindof pizza the four of us wanted the othernight,” Gendler laughed.

Glad to be together againNot all families are finding their

“boomerangers” a challenge. Columbiaresidents Wendy and Michael Applebysaid that having their daughter Laurenhome for the past four years has been“pretty copacetic.” Lauren agreed. “It’spretty easy here.”

Wendy, 53, an interior designer and den-tal hygienist, and Michael, 56, a member ofthe Secret Service, said they always as-sumed Lauren would come back home(unlike their son, Jared, now 26, who spentsix months at home after college and“hated it here”).

“I wanted to save my money for the fu-ture,” said Lauren, 25, co-owner ofSerendipity, a clothing and gift boutique inHighland, Md. That future is coming upnext year, when Lauren and her fiancé willbe married (and, it is assumed, moving outon their own).

Despite their obvious good rapport witheach other, there have been times when is-sues had to be dealt with. “If something an-noys me, I just make a snide remark,”

Wendy chuckled. “Lauren always gets it andchanges whatever it is that’s irritating me.”

Similarly, Wendy admitted that though itwas difficult for her, she realized she hadto start backing off: “If [Lauren] were liv-ing on her own, I wouldn’t know every-thing she’s doing, so I shouldn’t necessari-ly know it just because she’s here…onsome levels, ignorance is bliss!”

Making it workAccording to “Adult Children Moving

Back Home: Don’t Let ‘Boomerang Kids’Derail Your Goals,” a report published byinsurance company New York Life, a re-turn to the nest works best when parents:

• Initiate a family discussion. Makesure you and your child are on the samepage about why he/she/they are living athome. Is it to save money, attend school,take a break?

• Set expectations. What do you ex-pect your child to contribute to the house-hold, whether in terms of chores and/orhousehold expenses? (The families in thereport all agreed that their children aren’tcontributing financially — “They’re poor,”was the overall consensus. But they alsoagreed that they probably could have, andshould have, been more clear about thekids’ responsibilities for chores like mak-ing dinner, cleaning up, etc.).

Talk about whether she or he can havedates over to spend the night; if they arespending the night out, should they call

first? (“Yes,” said Sharon Gendler. “I don’twant to be lying in bed thinking they’redead!”)

• Set a time limit. How long does yourchild expect to be at home? How long is itOK with you for him or her to be there?

• Charge rent. Easier said than done,especially in this economy, say both theparents and Dr. Haltzman. But kids shouldbe paying for their own gas, entertain-ment, and meals out with friends.

• Keep your promises. If both parentsand adult children stick to their agree-

ments and treat each other respectfullyand as adults — and don’t revert to tradi-tional parent/child roles — many prob-lems can be avoided.

Remember, though, that there don’thave to be hard and fast rules. “You can al-ways re-evaluate,” said Haltzman.

While there can be frictions and chal-lenges to having the nest filled once again,there are pleasures as well. Said WendyAppleby, “I get to watch my daughterevery day live her life as an adult the way Iraised her to be.”


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Most people aspire to a long life blessedwith good health, the ability to move easilyand a sharp mind. Too often, however, thedeleterious effects of aging are all too evi-dent. Many people suffer from multiplechronic diseases and impaired physicaland metal function, which can result in amove from their home to an assisted livingfacility or nursing home.

“Yet most of us believe that our destinywill be different,” said Dr. Luigi Ferrucci,chief of the longitudinal studies section ofthe National Institute on Aging. “In our

imaginary unconscious, we will be a mem-ber of a privileged caste of lucky peoplewho at the age of 90 will still be able to runa mile in 10 minutes and cite by memorythe most hilarious quotes from MarkTwain.”

According to Ferrucci, studies in largepopulations in both the U.S. and Europehave found that, although quite rare, thesefortunate people do exist and, therefore,our dream is not completely without foun-dation.

“What do we know about the character-

istics of these improbable individuals?”asked Ferrucci. “And even more impor-tant, can we do something to increase ourchances to become one of them?”

Studying the fortunate fewResearchers want to know why certain

individuals live in excellent health intotheir 90s while others fail much sooner.

One theory put forth by scientists is thatthose people who escape diseases and dis-ability in old age still retain some powerfulrepair mechanisms that patch up all breaksand dysfunction as soon as they emerge sothat they cannot accumulate and challengethe integrity of our body and mind.

“Understanding these mechanisms mayopen new opportunities to boost healthyand productive life in old age,” said Fer-rucci.

To accomplish this goal, over the nextfive years the National Institute on Agingis recruiting 500 people, age 80 and older,who are free of diseases, in good physicaland mental condition, and who are not onmedications for chronic conditions. Theseindividuals will be studied for the rest oftheir lives.

This new study, named Insight into Ex-ceptional Aging and Longevity (IDEAL), issponsored by the Baltimore Longitudinal

Study of Aging (BLSA), the longest ongo-ing study of human aging supported bythe National Institutes of Health.

Do you qualify?Persons who qualify to participate in the

IDEAL Study will be enrolled in the BLSAand receive a complete physical and med-ical exam and tests of strength, staminaand mental sharpness every year.

“By comparing IDEAL individuals whohave already reached the goal of healthylongevity with current BLSA participantswho were no longer healthy or fully func-tional when they reached the age of 80, wehope to identify the mechanisms that arecritical for exceptional aging and longevi-ty,” said Ferrucci.

“In the future, these mechanisms couldbe enhanced, therefore allowing manymore people to be healthy and productiveup to very late in their life.”

If you, or someone you know, live in theBaltimore-Washington area, are 80 yearsor older, and physically healthy and men-tally sharp, you may be a candidate for en-rollment in the IDEAL study.

To learn more about participating inthe new NIA initiative, call 1-800-225-2572or send an e-mail to [email protected].


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

What are the secrets to healthy long life?

MEET HARRIET TUBMANMeet one of the most interesting and inspiring figures inAmerican history when impersonator Gwendolyn Briley-Strand

brings Harriet Tubman to life on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. at Johns HopkinsUniversity, 3400 N. Charles St. Admission is free, but reservations are required.Call (410) 516-4842 or visit www.greatthinkers.jhu.edu.

SPRINGTIME IN PARISEnjoy “Springtime in Paris” at the Philadelphia Flower Show in atrip hosted by Senior Box Office. Tickets are $66 per person; din-

ner on your own. For reservations, call (410) 882-3797.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 22

Knee arthritis pain?

Volunteers are needed for aresearch study conducted atJohns Hopkins Bayview

To study sleep in pa"ents with osteoarthri"s of theknee. To par"cipate, you must be 50 years or older.Both good and poor sleepers are needed. Parking, andtests are provided at no cost. Compensa"on is provided.

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Seeking Men and WomenThe University of Maryland & Veterans Affairs

of Baltimore are conducting a research study to betterunderstand FALLS in aging individuals.

With your participation you will receive:• Health evaluation

• CT scans of waist, hip, and leg• Balance and strength testing

410-605-7179Mention code: FALLS

You must be at least 65 years old and in good health.You will be compensated for your time.

Studies on Aging: Johns Hopkins UniversityAre you 70 years or older?Investigators from the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Johns Hopkins BayviewMedical Campus are looking for individuals aged 70 or older to participate in a researchstudy that is looking at the aging process.Tests would include measurements of strength, walking speed and questions about yourphysical activities. We may also request a blood draw and urine sample.

You will be paid $10 for participating depending on the study and we can conduct thestudy in your home. No travel required. If you choose to travel to Bayview, a parkingpass will be given to you.

For more information, please call our study coordinators at Bayview:410-550-9016 or 410-550-2113

We look forward to hearing from you!

Mar. 11

Getting a diagnosis isn’t the only nerve-racking aspect of a medical visit. The billyou’re handed can be even scarier, espe-cially when you lack health insurance orface an intimidating deductible or co-pay.

But just as big employers and insurancecompanies negotiate prices down as a mat-ter of course, individuals can bargain withdoctors and hospitals, too, according toErin Moaratty, chief of external communi-cations at the nonprofit Patient AdvocateFoundation.

Ideally, the time to make your case for adiscount is before you go in for a proce-dure. Call the medical facility and ask forthe projected fees. If you have insurance,contact the company next to find out howmuch it will pay. Then talk over your situa-tion with the billing department, request-ing a break.

You might win as much as 50 percent off

full price if you offer to pay quickly by cashor check, said Cindy Holtzman, a medicalbilling advocate in Marietta, Ga. She’s partof a growing industry of professionals ded-icated to aiding patients with billing dis-putes.

Providers accustomed to accepting lessthan they’d like from insurers often realizethat getting payment without hassle or delayis preferable to waiting for the full amount orhaving to hire a collection agency.

If you can’t pay even a discountedamount promptly, you’ll likely still be ableto get a good deal if you promise regularpayments of an agreed-upon size, Holtz-man said.

Patients with severe financial problems(especially those brought on by illness)may find their physician is compassionateenough to accept the insurer’s portion asfull payment. And uninsured low-income

individuals who make too much to qualifyfor Medicaid may be eligible for free or re-duced charity care.

The most effective way to get the billingdepartment to trim its fees is to request,rather than demand, assistance.

“People are always more likely to lend ahand when you acknowledge them as fel-low human beings, rather than as bureau-crats,” advised Michelle Katz, author ofHealthcare for Less. Once you hammerout a payment plan, ask for your revised

balance in writing.You’ll also want to scrutinize all bills for

errors. Katz’s husband was once billed$11,000 for a three-hour ER visit becausethe hospital had recorded him as havingchecked in the day before. The correctedtotal was thousands of dollars less.

Holtzman recalled one hospital charg-ing nearly $1,000 for alcohol swabs andcups for medications. Those items, atleast, come with the room.

— U.S. News and World Report

Many doctors will reduce fees if you askB A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 13

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BEACON BITS

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Do you havemore trouble thanusual remembering things?

People 55 and older with memory problems are needed for aresearch study at Johns Hopkins Bayview.

The study will find out if mentally s"mula"ng ac"vi"es canimprove memory and other types of thinking.

Par"cipa"on involves 1 screening visit, 4 visits las"ng 4 hours, and 17 visits las"ng 1 hour.You will be paid $620 for the study.

For more informa�on, please call (410) 550-2688.Principal Inves"gator: Miriam Z. Mintzer, Ph.D. | Protocol #: NA_00039100

Approved January 11, 2011

14 MARCH 2 0 1 1 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

NO LONGER IN THE MAILThe IRS isn’t mailing tax forms for 2010;try the library or go online to get theforms you need

TAX TIPSMake filing your return easier byorganizing your records, checking throughdeductions and filing electronically

HOW TO CLEAR YOUR NAMEDebt collectors can be aggressive, even ifthey have the wrong person

MoneyLaw &MoneyIf I were a betting man, I’d wager that

2011 turns out to be a better year forstocks than for bonds. Withthe extension of the Bush taxcuts and the clear resolve ofthe Federal Reserve to spureconomic growth, I think thatthe stock market will do wellfor the remainder of this year— albeit with its customarystomach-churning dips.By the same token, eco-

nomic growth, especially ac-companied by the huge feder-al deficit, likely means higherinterest rates on bonds. Whenbond yields rise, their prices decline.But I don’t like to bet. And for conserva-

tive investors — and most sensible seniorsbelong in that category — convertible se-curities offer a wonderful way to makemoney if the stock market does indeedchalk up healthy gains this year, yet cush-ion your losses if the economy turns southagain.A convertible security is a hybrid: Nei-

ther stock nor bond, it contains somethingof each. Like a bond, a convertible securitypays you a fixed amount of interest regu-larly. Like a stock, it rises and falls with thefortunes of the underlying company, espe-cially the common stock.

Less volatile than stocksHere’s the good part: Convertibles typi-

cally have provided investorswith higher returns thanbonds, yet have boastedfewer losses and lower volatil-ity than stocks.When the stock market

goes up, convertibles tend torise, too, though not as muchas stocks. When the marketfalls, convertibles usually loseground also, but again, not asmuch.Lots of people steer away

from convertible securitiesbecause they either haven’t heard of themor they don’t understand them. And thetruth is that convertibles are complexbeasts.I wouldn’t recommend that anyone but

the most sophisticated investors buy andsell individual convertibles. But you canhire a mutual fund manager to do theheavy lifting for you — and not worryabout whether you understand all the insand outs of convertibles.

Two good fund choicesMy favorite fund for navigating this

tricky sector is Vanguard Convertible Se-curities (telephone 1-800-635-1511). This

fund charges just 0.72 percent of assets an-nually. For the past 10 years to mid-Janu-ary, the fund has returned an annualized7.6 percent — an average of 6.5 percent-age points better per year than Standard &Poor’s 500-stock index.Over those years, the fund ranks in the

top 1 percent among convertible funds. Ityields 3.8 percent.Vanguard outsources the management

of almost all its actively managed stockfunds. Since the 1986 launch of this fund, ithas paid highly respected Oaktree Capitalto manage it. Larry Keele has been leadmanager since 1996.In January, Oaktree announced it had

appointed two co-managers, Abe Ofer andJean-Paul Nedelec, to help the fund ex-pand its purchase of foreign convertiblesecurities. The fund also employs severalanalysts.Keele, 54, has done a terrific job, yet

keeps his humility. Of convertible securi-ties, he says: “Convertibles make sense ifyou don’t know what the future holds, andI don’t know what the future holds.”Howard Marks, chairman of Oaktree,

probably puts it even better. He calls con-vertibles “equities with training wheels.”Perhaps Keele’s most notable accom-

plishment: Since he began running thefund, it has never had a bond issuer default

on an interest payment.But the fund has one big negative. The

initial minimum investment is $10,000.Vanguard boosted it that high to keep toomuch money from pouring into the fund.For the same reason, it’s very difficult tobuy the fund via online brokerages.

A good second choice is Fidelity Con-vertible Securities (1-800-544-6666). Annu-al expenses are 0.68 percent, a tad lowerthan Vanguard’s.Over the past 10 years, the fund has re-

turned an annualized 6.6 percent — onepercentage point per year, on average, lessthan the Vanguard fund. Manager ThomasSoviero has run the fund since 2005. Ityields 3.2 percentDespite my affection for convertible

funds, I wouldn’t make them the only fundyou own. Any solid portfolio needs a goodmix of bond funds and stock funds.But keeping a nice 10 to 20 percent of

your investments in a convertible fund willlikely boost your returns — and may evenhelp you sleep at night.

Steven T. Goldberg is a freelance writerand investment advisor in Silver Spring,Md. He welcomes reader questions. [email protected] or write to StevenGoldberg, 9005 Woodland Dr., SilverSpring, MD 20910. You may also call himat (301) 650-6567.

SAVVY SAVERBy Steven T. Goldberg

Convertible securities offer smoother ride

By Mark JewellMutual funds have been put to the test.Over the last three years investors saw

their balances nose-dive, then edge backtoward prior heights. But few investorshave fully recovered.On the bright side, all that drama should

make it relatively easy to perform an annu-al portfolio checkup, to decide whichfunds to keep and which to cast out.How a fund performed through melt-

down and recovery are good indicators ofhow it will fare from here, whether the cur-rent rally has legs or not.Consider selling funds that took a steep-

er dive than their peers when the marketwas tumbling, then lagged during the re-covery as well. If a fund fared well throughboth halves of that volatility, stick with it.

“I can’t think of anything fundamentallydecent that hasn’t outperformed in at leastone of those two environments,” saidChristine Benz, personal finance directorwith fund tracker Morningstar. “The lastthree years have provided a terrific lensthrough which to view what your holdingsare, and what kind of performance you canexpect them to deliver.”

How to check out fundsExamining a fund’s three-year record is

one quick test, but it shouldn’t be the onlyone. Here are seven checkup tips, includ-ing special considerations for 2011:

1. Keep short-term performance inperspective: Evaluating a fund’s perform-ance over more than three years is impor-tant, especially if it’s one you expect to

stick with for decades.“Don’t discard any fund if it has one bad

year,” said Cliff Caplan, a financial plannerand president of Neponset Valley FinancialPartners in Norwood, Mass. “But if I seethree years in a row with questionable per-formance, then I have a problem.”

2. Use the right performance yard-stick: Assess a fund’s performance onlyagainst its peers. It’s misleading to com-pare funds investing in different segmentsof the market.For example, performance can vary

widely between a fund specializing instocks of medium-sized companies andone focusing on bigger companies. Thatcan be true even if both emphasize compa-nies with the same earnings growth char-acteristics.

Mid-cap growth funds have averaged a22 percent gain this year, compared with14 percent for large-cap growth funds.Comparing funds in these two groups isapples-to-oranges.

3. Consider dropping what’s beenhot lately: There’s no certainty that yes-terday’s champs will become tomorrow’slaggards, or vice versa. But market shiftsare to be expected.This year, funds specializing in small-

company stocks have given investors anaverage return of more than 20 percent.Funds that specialize in stocks of real es-tate investment trusts also deserve specialscrutiny after their average 21 percentgain.

4. Stick with a long-term plan: Be

Now’s a good time to review your portfolio

See VOLATILITY, page 17

Con artists are very good at trickingconsumers into parting with money or di-vulging personal information that can beused to steal funds or run up thousands ofdollars in fraudulent credit card charges.How good are you at telling a scam from a

legitimate offer or advertisement? Take thefollowing quiz to see. Correct answers follow.

1. You agree to sell your valuablecollection of superhero comic booksfrom the 1960s to a complete strangerwho mails you a cashier’s check. Be-cause you want to be sure the check is“good” before you part with yourprized possessions, you should:(a) Confirm that the dollar amount and

your name on the check are correct. Apartfrom that, cashier’s checks are always safeto accept.(b) Deposit the check into your bank ac-

count and wait at least two business daysbefore letting go of the items.(c) Contact the bank that issued the

cashier’s check to make sure the check islegitimate.

2. You agree to rent your vacationhouse to a far-away stranger who sendsyou a check as a deposit, but when thecheck arrives, it’s for more money thanyou agreed upon. The person apolo-gizes and asks you to deposit the checkand wire back the difference. This is:(a) Safe for you to do because you’ll be

depositing a check for more money thanyou expected anyway.(b) Safe for you to do because, if there’s

a problem, money sent by wire is veryeasy to recover.(c) Likely to be a scam.3. You’ve just realized that your

ATM/debit card has been lost orstolen. To get the maximum legal pro-tection against losses from unautho-

rized withdrawals, you should notifyyour bank:(a) Within two business days of discov-

ering the card missing.(b) Within 10 business days.(c) Before your next statement arrives,

even if that is weeks later.4. A company offering to rescue

your home from foreclosure may berunning a scam if it:(a) Says it will stop the foreclosure from

taking place.(b) Suggests that you transfer owner-

ship of the home to the company so youcan rent and buy the property back fromthem.(c) Advises you to stop talking to your

lender, lawyer or housing counselor.(d) Any of the above.5. Your credit report may suggest

that you have been a victim of identitytheft if it shows:(a) You have a credit card, loan or lease

in your name that you know you don’t have.(b) A company you never tried to do

business with has requested a copy of yourcredit report.(c) A home address for you that you

never had.(d) Any of the above.

Quiz Answers1(c) There’s been explosive growth in

all forms of counterfeit checks, includingcashier’s checks. Crooks also know thatconsumers trust cashier’s checks, moneyorders and other official checks.Although federal rules require that the

funds from most deposited checks beavailable for withdrawal within two busi-ness days (unless the bank provides a writ-ten notice to the contrary), that does notmean there isn’t a problem.

If you simply deposit the check into youraccount and a week later it is returned un-paid, your bank will deduct from your ac-count the original deposit amount, even ifyou’ve already spent the money. You couldalso be held responsible for any fees trig-gered by your reduced account balance.Not only that, you will no longer have yourvaluable collection of comic books.So, when presented with a cashier’s

check by a stranger, “you need to confirmthat the check is legitimate,” said MichaelBenardo, chief of the FDIC’s Cyber-Fraudand Financial Crimes Section.To have the check authenticated, he

said that your best strategy is to contactthe bank the check is drawn on or take thecheck to your bank’s branch manager tocontact the other bank on your behalf. Youcan also ask how to safely proceed.

2(c) “Be suspicious any time you re-ceive a check for more money than you aredue,” warned Benardo. “And be especiallyskeptical if you’re asked to deposit themoney and wire back some or all of it, be-cause if you comply and the check is fraud-ulent, the scam artist will have your pay-ment and you’ll probably owe your bankthe amount you took out of your account.”Benardo also explained that money sent

by wire is very difficult, if not impossible,to get back.

3(a) Under the Electronic Fund Trans-fer Act (EFTA), if your debit card or ATMcard is lost or stolen, your maximum liabil-ity is limited to $50 if you notify your bankwithin two business days of discoveringthat the card is missing.If you wait more than two business days

but no more than 60 days after receiving abank statement that includes an unautho-rized transfer, you could be liable for loss-es up to $500.But if you wait longer than that, the law

doesn’t require your bank to reimburse youfor any unauthorized transfers made afterthe 60-day period, even if that would cleanout your account. Note: After you report alost or stolen card, under most circum-stances you will limit your liability for unau-thorized transactions from that point on.However, to promote the worry-free use

of debit cards and ATMs, some banks mayvoluntarily waive all liability for unautho-rized transactions if the cardholder tookreasonable care to avoid fraud or theft, butconsumers must still report errorspromptly.A good rule of thumb is to review your

checking account and credit card state-ments promptly and report unauthorizedtransactions to your bank as soon as possi-

Test your knowledge of common fraudsBA L T IMORE BE ACON — MARCH 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 15

See FRAUDS, page 17

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By Carole FeldmanThe start of tax season used to be her-

alded by the arrival of tax forms in themail. Not any more.The Internal Revenue Service decided

this year not to automatically mail them toindividual and business taxpayers. “It’s asign of the times,” said Terry Lemons, IRSsenior spokesman. “More people are

going electronic. We’re interested in sav-ing taxpayers money.”He said the agency realizes that not every-

one has access to the Internet or to comput-ers. “We thinkmost people are going to haveoptions to get this information,” he said.Forms will be available at many public li-

braries, post offices and other communitysites. They also can be ordered through

the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov. In addition,there are programs such as Volunteer In-come Tax Assistance (VITA) and TaxCounseling for the Elderly, Lemons said.Kathy Pickering, executive director of

the Tax Institute at H&R Block, said thedecision against mass mailing of forms hasanother benefit. “With [Congress’s] latepassage of the tax bill, the IRS did not haveto send out forms that were obsolete,” shesaid. “It provided them with some agility.”Congress passed a tax bill, which in-

cluded extension of the Bush-era tax cuts,during a post-election session that endedjust before Christmas.

Paper forms gradually phased outLemons said only 8 percent of individual

taxpayers got paper tax packages in themail last year. Those people were mailedpostcards last fall informing them aboutthe decision against mass tax-form mail-ings and telling them where they could getthe required forms. Still, some may havemissed the postcard.“Some people are just waiting for their

forms to come before they file,” said Bar-bara Weltman, author of some of J.K. Lass-er’s tax publications. “Don’t wait,” shesaid. “It’s not coming.”Electronic filing of tax returns is gaining

in popularity. The IRS said nearly 99 mil-lion returns were filed electronically lastyear, up 3 percent from 2009.While nearly two-thirds of the electronic

returns were filed by professional prepar-

ers, the biggest growth — 8 percent —was among those who did their taxesthemselves. Last year, 34.8 million self-pre-pared tax returns were received electroni-cally by the IRS. Tax experts expect thetrend to continue.

Speedier refundsThe IRS Web site says benefits of filing

electronically include faster refunds andgreater accuracy.J.K. Lasser’s Your Income Tax 2011 says

that with electronic filing, taxpayers can ex-pect a refund within one to two weeks if theychoose direct deposit, or in three weeks ifthey opt to have a check mailed to them.Under the IRS’ Free File program, tax-

payers earning less than $58,000 a yearcan use tax preparation software and fileelectronically at no cost. Some of the taxpreparation software companies also pro-vide no-cost filing for taxpayers under cer-tain income levels.The government also provides forms

that can be filled out online and filed elec-tronically by taxpayers of all income levels.The “Free File Fillable Forms” servicedoes basic math calculations for taxpayersbut does not include any tax preparationsoftware.Taxpayers who must submit certain

documentation with their return, such asthose claiming the homebuyer tax creditor the adoption credit, will still have to filepaper forms.

— AP

IRS no longer mails packages of tax forms

Tax return tipsfrom experts

With tax season upon us, tax ex-perts are ready with advice.“Everybody needs to put some ef-

fort into understanding what the law isfor 2010, how things changed, howthings didn’t change,” said Greg Rosi-ca, tax partner at Ernst & Young.Some pointers:• Documents. “Get your records

in order, get everything together,don’t be in a rush,” said Barbara Welt-man, author of tax guides for J.K.Lasser. Needed records include W-2s,1099s and receipts for charitable de-ductions.

• Deductions and credits. Makesure you’re claiming every one you’reentitled to, said Turbotax Vice Presi-dent Bob Meighan. For example, hesaid, if you volunteer at the foodkitchen, you can’t deduct your timebut you can deduct your mileage toget there. Don’t underestimate thevalue of goods you donate to charity.

• Check for errors. “Review, re-view, review,” the Internal RevenueService said. Don’t forget to include

your Social Security number and signyour return.

• Don’t go it alone. “Softwareserves as a double-check,” said MarkLuscombe, a principal tax analyst atCCH. So do professional preparers.

• File electronically. “You’re goingto get a more accurate return,” saidTerry Lemons, chief spokesman for theIRS. It also will help speed your refund,especially if you choose direct deposit.

• Remember the deadlines.This year, taxpayers have until April18 to file 2010 tax returns.

• Look ahead. It’s not too early tostart planning for your 2011 taxes. Areyou having too much tax — or too little— withheld from your paycheck?Should you be doingmore to save for re-tirement — and lower your tax liabilityin doing that? Are you considering sell-ing a house or business? If so, youmightwant to consider doing it this year, whencapital gains rates are still low.“All items ought to be on the list

and examined,” Rosica said.— AP

16 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com MARCH 2 0 1 1 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

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careful not to disrupt the balance of yourportfolio between stocks and bonds.Maintain a long-term plan that accountsfor your age, income needs and tolerancefor risk.Benz recommends rebalancing if the

stock or bond portion of your portfolio hasveered 5 percentage points or more off tar-get. For instance, you may want to easeback on stocks if market gains have leftyou with 65 percent in stocks, rather thanan intended 60 percent.If you haven’t rebalanced within the past

three years, you may not need to. That’sbecause the market recovery has gone along way — but not all the way — to re-store balance in portfolios that had becomebond-heavy after stocks plunged in 2008.

5. Look beyond stocks vs. bonds:Don’t make a change without determiningwhether it might leave you under- or over-exposed to certain segments of the market.For example, ditching a large value fund

in favor of a small growth fund might beproblematic. Your portfolio could lag if bigcompanies with steadily growing earningssurge while smaller companies hit a roughpatch. Keep an appropriate mix of bondholdings with short-, medium- and long-term maturities, and diversify among cor-porate and government debt of varyingcredit quality.

6. Examine factors other than per-formance: If a fund’s management haschanged, study the new arrival’s creden-tials to gauge whether they’re up to thetask. If the managers have shifted thefund’s investment style — by veering fromsmall-company stocks to large, for exam-ple — consider whether the move mightrun afoul of your goals.If the fund has raised the ongoing man-

agement fee, consider finding a compara-ble fund with a lower expense ratio.

7. Don’t overdo it: If you’ve got asound long-term plan, it’s generally betterto make no changes or only minor oneseach year. Potential pitfalls include unin-tended transaction costs or tax penalties.While it’s generally cheaper to move

around than it used to be — consider thatcompanies like Vanguard, Fidelity and

Charles Schwab now offer commission-free trades of certain exchange-tradedfunds — frequent moves only increase thechance of a misstep.

— AP

ble. While you may have time under thelaw to report a suspicious transaction andlimit your liability, you should always try tonip these problems in the bud.

4(d) Many homeowners having difficultymaking their monthly mortgage paymentsare being targeted by criminals who falselyclaim they can rescue a home from foreclo-sure, then charge large upfront fees and failto deliver on their promises. In some of theworst cases, homeowners are tricked intosigning away their ownership of a house.If you’re having trouble paying your

mortgage, contact your lender or loan ser-

vicer immediately, perhaps with the helpof a reputable housing counselor. If a com-pany advises you to cut off communica-tions with your lender or another advisor,that’s another warning sign of a scam.

5(d) There are many good reasons tofrequently review your credit reports, andone is to look for warning signs that anidentity thief has been or is trying to obtainloans or commit other fraud in your name.“The most important warning sign of ID

theft in a credit report is a credit card, loanor lease in your name that you know noth-ing about,” said Benardo. “Any one ofthese may indicate that someone haslearned enough information about you tobe able to steal your identity and conduct

business acting as you.”Also pay close attention to the “in-

quiries” section of the report that showswho has requested a copy of your credithistory. That’s because thieves sometimesfalsely claim to represent a company with a

legitimate right to obtain credit reports andthen use the information to commit fraud.

Excerpted from the Fall 2010 issue ofFDIC Consumer News. To read the full storyonline, go to www.fdic.gov/consumers/con-sumer/news/cnfall10/fraudquiz.html.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — MARCH 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 17

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By Kathy KristofIf you have a common name, watch out.

You could get “tagged” with someoneelse’s debt.Debt tagging is the term used in the col-

lections field for a situation in which an in-nocent consumer is mistakenly blamed forsomeone else’s overdue debt, usually be-cause of a similarity in names or someother type of mix-up.But even though it’s a mistake, the per-

son who is tagged can go through a lot oftrouble to clear his or her name.It happened to Michael Hughes, a re-

tiree in Virginia, who suddenly started get-ting calls from collection agents tellinghim he owed $12,000. Hughes, who had al-ways been financially cautious, knew itcould not have been him.“I tried to tell them that they had the

wrong Mike Hughes,” he said. “They didn’tcare. They let me know that if I didn’t paythe debt I’d be in big trouble.”

How it happensThe problem of debt tagging has gotten

worse in recent years because banks andcredit card companies are increasinglyselling debt for pennies on the dollar.“This rarely happens when the original

credit issuer is doing the collecting,” saidBill Bartmann, president of CFS II, a col-

lection company headquartered in Tulsa,Okla. “But when debt gets sold, it’s likethat old game of telephone.”“You start out with all the information

about the person who owes the money, butthe file gets transferred and somethinggets lost or misinterpreted. Then the debtis sold again and again, and the problem ismagnified.”You’re most likely to be a victim of debt

tagging when you have a common name,said Adam Levin, president of IdentityTheft 911, which specializes in identitytheft resolution services. In some cases,the name and an address — or perhaps anold cell phone number — are all that a col-lection agent has to go by.

Your legal rightsIt’s important to know that debtors have

rights. Those rights also extend to thosewho have been wrongly tagged with a debt.Themost important of these rights, in this

situation, is that you’re legally entitled to de-tailed information about the debt you sup-posedly owe. So “the first thing to do is to askfor verification of the debt,” Bartmann said.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

requires the collection company to provideyou with the precise amount owed, thecompany to which it’s owed, and informa-tion about when the debt was incurred. You

can ask for the original loan application, apayment history and other documentation.Demand to see written proof that this

debt is yours and when it originated, hesuggested. Keep as much as possible ofyour communications with the collectioncompany in writing so that if you end up incourt you’ll have documentation.

Clearing your nameIf you receive information about the

debt and know it isn’t yours, you may dis-pute it by sending the collection companya written letter, explaining that while yourname is Jane Young, you are not the sameJane Young who owes $10,000 to Sears, forexample. It’s helpful to include the discrep-

ancies between the real you and the per-son who took out this debt.If you get debt tagged by mistake, your

dispute letter to the collection agencyshould say you do not want to be contactedagain. Also insist that the erroneous debtnot be included in your credit file, and, ifit’s already there, that the collectionagency have it removed.Then be sure to check your credit re-

ports later to make sure it’s not there. Youhave the right to get all three of your cred-it reports, once every 12 months, for free.Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com —the only government-authorized site forthe free credit reports — to get them.

© 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — MARCH 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 19

Catch colorectal cancer before it starts.Screening can help save your life!

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Now you know the facts, call your primary care doctor today to scheduleyour colorectal screening!

• Of cancers affecting both men and women,colorectal cancer is the second leading cancerkiller in the United States

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• Colorectal cancer often can be prevented with regular screenings

• Many insurance plans, including Medicare, help pay forcolorectal cancer screening

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Want more information about colorectal cancer?Go to www.cancer.org and www.cdc.gov.

Debt collectors can tag the wrong person

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By Carol SorgenGirl Scouts believe that once a scout, al-

ways a scout, and that’s certainly true forBaltimore volunteers Roberta Dorsch andPat Disharoon.

Dorsch, 67, began her girl scouting inthe Baltimore Council around 1950 and re-mained active through the group’s “inter-mediate” level. She earned the “curvedbar,” the highest distinction at that time.

When Dorsch’s daughter was 6 yearsold, she became a Girl Scout herself, firstin Baltimore and then in Allegany County,where the family relocated. Dorsch be-came the troop leader, later joining theShawnee Council staff. Then Dorsch wentback to work, taking a position with the

Maryland Park Service of the Departmentof Natural Resources.

Like her mother, Dorsch’s daughtercontinued the family scouting traditionthrough high school, earning the “GoldAward,“ the equivalent of the Boy Scouts’Eagle Award. She was also a camp coun-selor, and after graduating from college,became PR director at the Shawnee Coun-cil, where she had spent her own scoutingdays.

Even Dorsch’s husband got into thescouting act, becoming a troop leader aswell. Today, Dorsch, her husband anddaughter are all lifetime members of theGirl Scouts of the USA.

Once Dorsch retired from the park

service, her fond memories of scoutingdrew her back, and she began volunteer-ing as a member of the archives commit-tee. She puts in about 10 hours a week, in-ventorying the history of the CentralMaryland Chapter of the Girl Scouts, cata-loguing documents and artifacts such asscout uniforms through the years.

“I really like and enjoy preserving histo-ry for the future generations,” said Dorsch,who is also an active volunteer with thepark service, her community association,her church and various other programs.Scouting has a special hold on her thoughbecause she loves the organization and thegood it does for the girls who go through it.

Leading the wayPat Disharoon also was active in Girl

Scouts growing up. She became a troopleader while in college, then took a breakwhile attending medical school and havingher children.

When her daughters became eligible forscouting, Disharoon (known as “Dr. Pat”)became a troop leader again. The 57-year-old physician, a Ten Hills resident, is alsothe Girl Scout chorus director and accor-dionist.

She recently took on the role of travelpathway leader, leading the council’s effortsto help more girls experience the joys oftravel. In that capacity, she will be taking

girls on trips around the U.S. and abroad. This summer they’re off to Savannah,

Ga., then will be visiting the WAGGGS(World Association of Girl Guides and GirlScouts) World Centers in England andSwitzerland in the near future.

Disharoon said she spends about 1,000hours a year on Girl Scout activities. “It’s alot of fun but it’s a lot of work!” she said.Still, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Girl Scouts is a wonderful organiza-tion,” she said. “It helps girls reach theirfull potential and develop leadership skillsand self-confidence. It’s a wonderful thingto see how these young girls become im-pressive young women.”

Share your skillsGirl Scouts of Central Maryland de-

pends on its 11,000 adult volunteers toserve as troop leaders, cookie and cookiecupboard managers, program aides, campdirectors, archivists, program leaders,trainers, first-aiders and more.

“Volunteers like Roberta and Pat are thebiggest part of the engine that runs GirlScouts,” said communications directorDanita Terry.

According to Terry, Girl Scout volun-teers are needed in all capacities. They canhelp with a program at a school or commu-

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

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 our

Volunteers & Careers section, please send an e-mail to

[email protected].

Former Girl Scouts return as volunteers

Pat Disharoon (right) leads Girl Scout camping trips as well as the local council’s workto help more girls travel in the United States and internationally.

See SCOUTING, page 21

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M A R C H 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Volunteers & Careers 21

Four local women authors willshare the stories behind their booksat Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s5th annual Women’s LeadershipForum. The event will take place onWednesday, March 9, from 5 to 8:15p.m. at the Maryland Women’s Her-itage Center, 39 W. Lexington St.

Themed after the Girl Scouts’new Journey handbook series, “It’sYour Story –Tell It,” each authorwill share how she developed thestories she felt compelled to write.

The following writers will discussthe inspirations behind their literaryworks and engage the audience inan interactive discussion and Q&A:Elizabeth Chandler (pseudonym forMary Claire Helldorfer), author ofKissed by an Angel and Dark Secretsseries; Ginny Gong, author of FromIroning Board to Corporate Board;Jerdine Nolen, who wrote RaisingDragons, Harvey Potter’s Balloon

Farm and Eliza’s Freedom Road: AnUnderground Railroad Diary; andMia Redrick, author of Time forMom-Me: 5 Essential Strategies for aMother’s Self-Care.

Cost for adults is $25; studentsare asked to bring two canned fooditems in support of Girl Scouts’ Har-vest for the Hungry campaign.

The Women’s Leadership Forumis an annual program that providesan opportunity for teenage girls, col-lege students and women to cometogether to discuss challenges andtriumphs from a variety of careerand community perspectives.

The event is co-sponsored by Wom-anTalk Live, Maryland Women’s Her-itage Center, Mercy High School andthe Junior League of Baltimore City.For more information or to purchasetickets, contact Clarke Fitzmaurice [email protected].

— Carol Sorgen

Bring students to hearwriters’ own stories

nity center, teach girls a new skill like knit-ting, woodworking, painting, knotting,mapping or sewing at troop meetings, orprovide guidance as girls pursue their sil-ver or gold awards.

“There are many opportunities for adults,

whether they want to volunteer for an hour,a day, a month or a year,” said Terry.

To find out more about volunteer opportu-nities with Girl Scouts of Central Maryland,contact Meghan Laschinger at (410) 358-9711, ext.219 or [email protected] subscribe to the monthly volunteernewsletter, which lists current opportuni-ties, e-mail [email protected].

ScoutingFrom page 20

FREE WOMEN’S EXPOThe Women’s Expo will feature information on women in business,health and fitness, educational opportunities and more. It will be

held on March 12-13 at the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsvillecampus at 800 Rolling Rd. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. Formore information, visit www.womensexpomd.com.

SENIOR EDUCATIONAL FORUMBCASCO, the Baltimore County Association of Senior Citizens Or-ganizations, will present its 7th Annual Senior Educational Forum

on Friday, March 11, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Towson United MethodistChurch, Dulaney Valley Rd. and Hampton Lane, Beltway Exit 27B. For more infor-mation, contact Beth Wiseman, (410) 484-6866.

PINTER PLAYIrene Lewis ends her tenure as CenterStage director with HaroldPinter’s modern comedy classic, The Homecoming, running

through Sunday, Feb. 20. Tickets range from $15 to $55. CenterStage is locatedat 700 North Calvert St. For more information or reservations, call (410) 332-0033, or visit www.centerstage.org.

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22 Volunteers & Careers | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com M A R C H 2 0 1 1 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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TravelLeisure &

By Troy PetenbrinkIt is my favorite part of the show: A

grand staircase appears on the middle ofthe stage, and among all the dazzling showlights the lovely ladies of the FabulousPalm Springs Follies take to the stage oneat a time, adorned in rhinestoned, feath-ered and flowered regalia.

Watching Washington, D.C. native JoniNaber in her purple halo of a headdressgracefully descend the stairs with herlong, statuesque legs, I forget for a mo-ment that she is 74.

Founded in 1991, the Follies is a songand dance troupe that features a core castof performers, all 55 or older, who performup to nine shows a week from Octoberthrough May.

Each year, a series of special guest vari-ety acts and performers join the cast. Pastguests have included ventriloquist SammyKing, burlesque star Tempest Storm, en-tertainer John Davidson, and formerSupreme Mary Wilson.

The Follies is just one of the many ap-peals of Palm Springs. The southern Califor-nia destination, just over 100 miles east ofLos Angeles, is a jewel among desert cities.

Its village atmosphere has been preserved

and embellished over the years. Nestled atthe base of the stunning San Jacinto Moun-tains— visible from nearly every point in thecity — Palm Springs offers a vibrant down-town, featuring open-air cafes, galleries andshops along palm tree-lined streets.

Its stunning mid-century modern neigh-borhoods and premier golf courses also at-tract visitors from around the world, whocome to enjoy its rich history, many attrac-tions and year-round sunshine.

A life on stagePalm Springs drew Naber when she

joined the Follies five years ago after own-ing and operating a dance studio, theWheaton Studio of Dance, for nearly half acentury. (She still maintains a home in Sil-ver Spring, Md.).

Naber’s performing career began withappearances on local television in the na-tion’s capital when she was in her teens,touring the U.S. with various dance troupes,including the Roxyettes, a rival troupe to theRockettes, and traveling the world with theUSO as a precision line dancer.

Though she has shared the stage withsuch legends as Louis Armstrong, Gor-don MacRae, Eddie Fisher and Bobby

Darin, Naber includes herFollies cast members amongher favorite co-stars.

“They are a bunch of swell,happy, healthy people,” shesaid. “When we are on stage,we just have a good old time.”

She connected with the Fol-lies when her in-laws, from SanDiego, gave her and her hus-band tickets for a Christmasshow. She enjoyed it so muchshe flew back cross-country byherself, unannounced, for asuccessful audition.

It was not just her love ofdance and an eternal drive toentertain others, but also herfascination with the city ofPalm Springs that drove her tostart a new chapter of her life.

“This is paradise out here,”said Naber. “It is just fabu-lous…opening the door every-day and seeing the beautifulsunshine.”

History and HollywoodThe land that Palm Springs occupies is

the ancestral home of the Agua CalienteBand of Cahuilla Indians. They knew thearea as “la palma de la mano de Dios“— thepalm of God’s hand. Their ancient healingmineral waters are still a part of the successstory of Palm Springs, showcased at theirdowntown Spa Resort Casino, one of sixmajor casinos in the Palm Springs area.

Palm Springs remained a sleepy villageuntil the late 1800s, when it drew pioneersafter the Southern Pacific Railroad camethrough the desert. This early history iskept alive and shared at the Village GreenHeritage Center on S. Palm Canyon Drive(the city’s main street).

The center houses the McCallumAdobe Cornelia White House Museumwith memorabilia of local pioneers, thecharming Ruddy’s 1930s General StoreMuseum, and the Agua Caliente CulturalMuseum.

The city’s early settlers could not haveforeseen that the elite of Hollywood wouldflock to “The Springs” and make this pieceof desert the international playground ofthe stars.

Falling prey to the magic of PalmSprings were the likes of Rudolf Valentinoand Theda Bara back in the 1920s, and Lu-cille Ball and Kirk Douglas in the ’60s.

These tinseltown adventurers andmany, many others played hard in PalmSprings and many bought hideawayhomes as refuge from the Hollywood stu-dios. But as actors and actresses becameless geographically tied to Hollywood,Palm Springs briefly lost its luster.

The late Sonny Bono, who served as thecity’s mayor from 1988 to 1992, is creditedby many for the revitalization of the city, in-cluding the establishment of the PalmSprings International Film Festival heldeach January.

The city has since added the PalmSprings International Short Film Festival,held in June. These events have helped at-tract a whole new generation of Hollywoodstars to Palm Springs.

A life-sized bronze statue of Bono sits onthe edge of a large fountain in the center ofdowntown along S. Palm Canyon Drive,where the Walk of Stars honors pioneersand entertainment celebs. It is here thatyou also find the historic Plaza Theatre,the scene of many Benny and Hope radiobroadcasts in the ’40s and the home of theFabulous Palm Springs Follies.

Every Thursday evening the downtownsection of S. Palm Canyon Drive is the sitefor VillageFest, when the street becomes a

Enjoy a cultural feast in San Francisco’sChinatown. See story on page 24.

A bronze Sonny Bono sits on the edge of a fountain at a downtown square in PalmSprings. Bono is credited with revitalizing the desert city when he served as mayorabout 20 years ago. The Springs, about 100 miles from Los Angeles, is nestled atthe base of the San Jacinto Mountains.

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Former dance studio owner and Washingtonian JoniNaber, 74, now kicks up her heels with the FabulousPalm Spring Follies, whose cast members range inage from 56 to 81.

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Palm Springs, California’s desert oasis

See PALM SPRINGS, page 25

24 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com MARCH 2 0 1 1 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

By Michelle LockeSmack in the middle of San Francisco’s

Chinatown, Portsmouth Square is a kalei-doscope of sounds, smells and colors. Thecadence of Chinese dialects fills the air,and splashes of red and gold glow fromshop windows to banners strung acrossthe narrow streets.

The rich smell of roast duck curls out ofhole-in-the-wall eating places, blendingwith the faint smell of incense burning onmodest shrines.

Hard to believe that only a few blocksaway lay the designer boutiques and gour-met coffee shops of a cosmopolitan West-ern city.

But that’s what it means to visit SanFrancisco’s Chinatown — a magic carpetof a destination that can take you fromWest to East in zero to 60 steps.

“What’s really significant about SanFrancisco’s Chinatown is that it has sur-vived for over 100 years. Despite the hard-ships early on, the community is stillhere,” said Sue Lee, executive director ofthe San Francisco-based Chinese Histori-cal Society of America.

And not just survived, but thrived, sheadded. Although many of the original in-habitants have moved out to other areas ofthe city as well as suburbs, this is still astarting point for many new immigrantsfrom Asia.

“It’s a shopping district, it’s a residentialneighborhood and it’s a tourist destination.And that’s not by accident,” she said.

Chinese New YearA visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown is a

great way to experience Chinese-American

culture. And the best way to experience Chi-natown is by foot, so it’s no surprise thereare a number of walking tours available.

At the Chinese Culture Center, toursbegin with a look at art exhibits at the cen-ter, which blend contemporary and tradi-tional works.

Then it’s a short stroll to PortsmouthSquare, where you will find dozens of resi-dents playing mah jongg and other games,or just sitting and talking.

With housing space at a premium inbustling Chinatown, the square is “like aliving room” for area residents, explainedFengyuan Ji, deputy program director ofthe Chinese Culture Foundation. “This iswhere they play chess, they play poker,they talk.”

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the dis-trict that almost wasn’t. After the 1906earthquake, city leaders pressed for relo-cating the Chinese to the city outskirts.But Chinatown businessmen pointed outthat getting rid of the Chinese immigrantswould also mean losing the rents andtaxes they paid.

They came up with a plan to rebuild thearea and make it a tourist attraction thatwould bring more money to the city. Amer-ican architects were hired to create thenew district, and pagodas were slapped upjust about everywhere, along with gener-ous helpings of red and gold dragons.

Chinatown’s outward appearance maybe more picturesque than authentic, butwhat goes on behind the colorful facadesis the real deal.

Herbs and fortune cookiesAt the Great China Herb Company,

herbalists carefully weigh out intriguing-looking bundles of this and that aimed atrestoring vitality, improving digestion andgenerally curing what ails you. They alsosell high-quality ginseng, which comesfrom the exotic locale of Wisconsin.

Incense is the signature of the Tin Howtemple on Waverly Place. Climb a fewflights of stairs to find the small templededicated to the Goddess of Heaven.Pause to admire the ceiling, a blaze ofhanging red lanterns that commemoratethe dead.

Tucked into narrow Ross Alley, theGolden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is thekind of place you smell before you see —the sweet, sugary scent of baking cookiesfloats out the door. It’s a tiny place whereworkers fold cookies by hand. You can buya bag of your own for a few dollars.

Everywhere you turn there are thingsto see, like the markets on Stockton Streetthat have all manner of foods still swim-ming, clucking and croaking.

There are plenty of places to eat in Chi-natown, from hole-in-the-wall noodle shopsto dim sum palaces. A popular spot, albeitone on the outskirts of Chinatown, is CityView Restaurant (662 Commercial St.).

Also in abundance are the stores thatsell paper replicas of worldly possessionsdesigned to be burned for the dead sothey can arrive in the afterlife fullyequipped. You can buy the basics — furni-ture, food, money. And you can go way be-yond that with replicas of computer equip-ment, fast cars, fine liquor and even de-signer purses.

There are glimpses of the past, like theEast West Bank branch office (743 Wash-ington St.), a green-and-red marvel ofcurved eaves plunked down between tworesolutely Western structures. The build-

ing was once the home of the telephoneexchange, where Chinese operators wererequired to speak multiple dialects toserve the diverse population.

And there are signs of the future — thenew immigrants who come to find theirfortune in California just like generationsdid before them.

East, West, past, future — all are here.“What’s so fascinating about Chinatown,”said Lee, “is it’s so multifaceted.”

If you goThe ornamental gateway for Chinatown is

located at the intersection of Grant Avenueand Bush Street. The main thoroughfaresare Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. Bypublic transportation, take BART to PowellStreet, then take the Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable cars to Chinatown.

The Chinese New Year parade takesplace Feb. 19, 5:15 p.m.-8 p.m., from Mar-ket and Second to Kearny and Jackson.

The Tin How Temple is located at 125Waverly Place. Free admission, but dona-tions accepted.

The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Facto-ry is at 56 Ross Alley, parallel to Grant Av-enue and in betweenWashington and Jack-son streets. Free admission, although asign asks 50 cents for pictures.

Great China Herb Co. is at 857 Washing-ton St.

Chinese Culture Center: is at 750Kearny, (415) 986-1822, www.c-c-c.org.The center offers heritage walking toursTuesday to Saturday, at 10 a.m., noon and2 p.m. Cost: $30 adults, $25 under age 15,free for children under 5.

The Chinese Historical Society of Amer-ica is located at 965 Clay St., (415) 391-1188, www.chsa.org.

— AP

San Francisco’s Chinatown feeds the senses

You’ll know you’ve entered Chinatown when you start seeing red lanterns hanginghigh above the street and smell the fragrant Chinese cooking wafting from restau-rants and noodle shops.

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Winners will be honored at Maryland’sOlder Americans Month celebration in May.

For detailed category descriptions and anomination form, visit www.mdoa.state.md.us

For more informationcall (410) 767-1064 or 1-800-243-3425

Nomination deadline: April 8, 2011

Nominate a Marylander 60 or over for the

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Four categories:TrailblazerVisual or Performing ArtsHealth and VitalityPhotography – NEW CATEGORY

pedestrian promenade and is lined withmore than 200 booths offering beautifulart, handcrafted items and unique food.

Attractions for all tastesOn the eastern edge of downtown, the

Palm Springs Art Museum is one of thetop cultural attractions of the community,with renowned traveling exhibitions andan extensive permanent collection amongthe 28 galleries and two sculpture gar-dens.

A visit to the Palm Springs Air Museumprovides a look back at aircraft of theWorld War II era. The large, air-condi-tioned hangars house one of the country’slargest collections of WWII flying aircraft.The many programs and flight demonstra-tions bring this era to life.

Visitors can also take to the sky on thePalm Springs Aerial Tramway, which hasbeen delighting visitors for more than 30years with a 10-minute trip from the desertfloor up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon toan alpine forest 8,516 feet above in the Mt.San Jacinto State Park.

The tramway features two state-of-the-art tramcars that rotate 360-degrees so rid-ers can see the spectacular views of themountains and valley below.

More than 54 miles of hiking trails,great views and a mountaintop restaurantmake this a must-do.

Palm Springs is also famous for its eclec-tic, adventurous architectural style. The Na-tional Trust for Historic Preservation, whichproduces an annual list of the nation’s cul-tural tourism destinations for architecture,named Palm Springs to its 2006 list of Amer-ica’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations.

The city has one of the largest concen-trations of mid-century modern architec-ture in the world. There is still an aurahere brought about by famed mid-centurymodern architects, such as the late AlbertFrey. He was a long time resident who de-signed Palm Springs City Hall, manyhomes in the posh Smoke Tree Ranch, andthe Tramway Gas Station, which is nowthe Palm Springs Visitors Center, amongother buildings.

The city holds Modernism Week eachFebruary to formally promote and pre-serve its unique architectural heritage.The event draws fans from around theworld for extensive home tours, lecturesand a Modernism show and sale.

A popular stop during ModernismWeekand year-round is the Elvis HoneymoonHideaway, the five-bedroom house thatElvis leased for a year and where he andPriscilla spent their 1967 honeymoon.

Desert eats and sleepsThere is no shortage of quality restau-

rants to help keep one fueled as you ex-plore all that Palm Springs has to offer.

Johannes, located in the downtown coreon S. Indian Canyon Dr., has been one ofthe city’s top restaurants for more than adecade. It offers diners a sophisticated

menu of American- and European-inspireddishes.

For great Mexican food, El Mirasolnever fails to deliver. Classic dishes suchas chile rellenos, enchiladas and carneasada go well with the restaurant’s margar-itas. Barry Manilow, a Palm Springs resi-dent, is known to dine here occasionally.

Since opening its first location in 1953,Sherman’s has become a landmark in thedesert. The family restaurant, still ownedand operated by Sherman Harris and hisfamily, offers an extensive menu for break-fast, brunch, lunch and dinner, reminis-cent of a New York deli.

Among Naber’s favorite restaurants isLG’s Prime Steakhouse, locally owned bythe husband and wife team of Leon andGail Greenberg. It is located just a shortwalk from Plaza Theater on S. PalmCanyon Drive.

When it comes to accommodations,Palm Springs has an array of options, fromlarge full-service resorts, to boutique ho-

tels, to unique vacation rentals.One of the city’s newest and largest ho-

tels, the 24-acre Riviera, has a rich history.Opened in 1959, the original Riviera PalmSpring immediately became the city’s hotspot for celebrities and cultural sophisti-cates around the world who wanted the ul-timate “Palm Springs experience.”

The hotel was featured in the 1963 filmPalm Springs Weekend, where actressConnie Stevens had her rendezvous lunchby the pool with actor Robert Conrad.

Following a nearly $100 million dollar re-juvenation, Riviera re-opened in late 2008.Rates start at $181 for a double room, if pur-chased at least 21 days in advance. Formore information or reservations, call 1-866-588-8311 or go to www.psriviera.com.

Its modernist architecture, relaxed at-mosphere and South Beach vibe, make theboutique Movie Colony Hotel a transport-ing getaway. There are 16 rooms with cus-tom furnishings, many with private patiosor private terraces.

In addition, there are three large poolsidetownhouseswithmountain views and privatebalconies. A true modernist gem, the MovieColonyHotel was built by Frey in 1935 and islocated within easy walking distance todowntown Palm Springs. Rates start at $149a night. For reservations: www.moviecolony-hotel.com or 1-888-953-5700.

Many of homes and estates formerlyowned by the rich and famous of PalmSprings’ golden age are now available asdaily, weekly or monthly rentals through var-ious rental agencies, such as Vacation PalmSprings (www.vacationpalmsprings.com, 1-800-590-3110), which handles properties pre-viously owned by the likes of Bing Crosbyand Tony Curtis.

Roundtrip air fares start at about $410 inlate March on American Airlines from BWI.

Formore information about Palm Springs,visit www.visitpalmsprings.com or call 1-800-347-7746.

Troy Petenbrink is a Washington, DC-based travel writer.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — MARCH 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel 25

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By Carol SorgenFrom musicals to comedies to drama,

Baltimore’s theaters are jumping thismonth. Here’s a look at some of the offer-ings on local stages.

Running through Feb. 27 at the Hippo-drome is the award-winning musical JerseyBoys, based on the story of the 1960s popgroup the Four Seasons. The musicalopened on Broadway in 2005 and has beenon a North American national tour, playingin Las Vegas, Chicago, Philadelphia andToronto. It has also played the West End inLondon and in Australia.

Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards:for Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Fea-tured Actor and Best Lighting Design. TheHippodrome is located at 12 N. Eutaw St.Tickets range from $35 to $135 plus fees, ifapplicable. For more information, call(410) 547-SEAT, or visit www.france-mer-rickpac.com.

Through March 19 you can take in theChesapeake Shakespeare Company’spresentation of Cymbeline. The play, one ofShakespeare’s last, depicts the court ofpre-Christian British King Cymbeline.

Situated amidst the backdrop of a

Roman invasion of the island, Cymbeline isfull of familiar Shakespearean elements —outcast noblemen, lost sons, mistakenidentities, duplicitous seductions, deadlypotions, gender confusion, a king blind totreachery and a cad turned instantly hero-ic. This action-packed journey of twistsand turns ends as one of Shakespeare’smost redemptive plays.

Cymbeline will be presented in Oliver’sCarriage House in Columbia, 5410 LeafTreader Way. Ticket prices for adults are$25, Thursday evenings and Saturday mati-nees; $30, Friday and Saturday evenings.Those age 65 and over pay $23; studentsage 12 to 25 pay $15. Call (410) 313-8874 orvisit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.

Nostalgia at Toby’sTake six talented women and add one

hot band, countless wigs, a considerableamount of costumes, 25 cans of hairspray,and more than 40 of the greatest ‘60s hits,and you get Beehive, The 60’s Musical! Itfeatures popular songs like “Proud Mary,”“One Fine Day,” “My Boyfriend’s Back,”and “Respect.”

This lighthearted slice of nostalgia is onstage through Feb. 27 at Toby’s Dinner The-atre in Baltimore, based at the BestWesternHotel and Conference Center at 5625O’Donnell Street. Tickets, which includebuffet dinner, range from $49.50 to $51.50

Arts &StyleA wide choice in local theatre productions

See LOCAL THEATRE, page 29

Now playing at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Baltimore, Beehive, the 60’s Musical! in-cludes 40 of the decade’s iconic hits. It is one of many shows, from Shakespeare toa Tony Bennett tribute, now on stage in the area.

Radio Flea Market

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

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Colorful quilts from across Marylandat the Banneker Museum. See story onpage 28.

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SENIOR EDUCATIONAL FORUMBCASCO, the Baltimore County Association of Senior Citizens

Organizations, will present its 7th Annual Senior Educational

Forum on Friday, March 11, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Towson United

Methodist Church, Dulaney Valley Rd. and Hampton Lane, Beltway Exit 27B. For

more information, contact Beth Wiseman, (410) 484-6866.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 11

By Carol SorgenThe history of American quilting is

nearly as old as the history of the UnitedStates itself. Quilting originated in theColonial era when women of a communitywould come together to make quilts byhand.

Though modern technology has givenindividual quilters the option of sewing bymachine, the tradition of hand-sewingquilts in quilting circles — groups of peo-ple (usually women) working together ona quilt — remains strong. An exhibit ofsuch quilts, “Stitches In Time/Threads OfChange: An Exhibition of Maryland Com-munity Quilts,” is currently on view at theBenjamin Banneker Historical Park andMuseum.

The exhibit, which runs throughMarch, displays 16 present-day worksfrom quilters who have developed theirstyle from this quintessentially Americanart. Among the quilters from across thestate featured in the exhibit are the Fur-nace Town Quilters of the Eastern Shore,Faithful Quilters of Columbia, Enon Bap-tist Church Quilters of Baltimore and theGlyndon Quilters.

Art form continues to thriveThe quilts illustrate diverse themes and

applications, techniques and purposes.They also reflect the vibrancy, relevancyand power of the art form that has bothsurvived and progressed in Maryland, ac-cording to museum director Steven Lee.

“These quilts show that this art form isalive and well in Maryland,” said Lee. Healso noted that the quilts on display aren’tjust for keeping someone warm, but also todocument the history of a community —be it a church, a school, a women’s shelter,or a nature preserve.

The exhibit was createdafter Lee sent out a call toarts organizations through-out the state for quilts to dis-play. The exhibit’s quiltswere selected from a varietyof entries Lee received, fromelementary school students,to college art majors, toolder adults and quiltingmasters.

Lee particularly wanted toshow the diversity of Mary-land’s population in his selec-tions. The subject matters are as diverse asthe artists who created them, he said, andinclude such themes as friendship, wildlifepreservation, domestic violence, abortionand racial oppression.

None of the quilts was created by an in-dividual artist. Most of the quilts were

pieced together with one quilter sendingher finished block to another and so onuntil the quilt was completed — a processknown as a round robin quilt.

Honoring Benjamin BannekerTaking center stage in the exhibit is the

“Banneker Historical Quilt,”completed in 2010 and con-structed by the BannekerQuilting Circle in Oella overthe course of five years.

The objective of the quilt-ing circle, made up of de-signer Barbara Pietiella andseven other quilters, was to“depict the life and times ofBenjamin Banneker by theexpression of various sym-bols on either side of thefamily tree.” The tree traces

the three generations of Banneker’s fami-ly.

Benjamin Banneker was born a freeAfrican-American in 1731 and became amathematician and amateur astronomer.

28 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com MARCH 2 0 1 1 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

Wednesday, March 30th1 p.m.

Contestants from eight Maryland counties will be competing.Join this showcase of senior vocal talent!

Tickets are $6 and are available in advance by callingBaltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks at

410.396.2920.

The Chesapeake ArtsCenter in Brooklyn Park

presents

It takes a village to make quilts like these

See QUILTS, page 29

MARYLAND SENIOR IDOLBaltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks hosts the 5th

Annual Maryland Senior Idol Competition and Benefit at the Chesapeake Arts

Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park on Wednesday, March 30 at 1 p.m.

Contestants age 60 and over from across the state of Maryland will be compet-

ing in this vocal competition. Proceeds will benefit the Maryland Food Bank.

Tickets are $6. For more information or for tickets, call (410) 396-2920 or e-mail

[email protected].

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTHHear stories, poems and music written by African Americans at

this “Fireside Stories” event at the Hampden branch of the Enoch

Pratt Free Library, on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. You’re welcome to share

something you’ve written for Black History Month. The Hampden Library is locat-

ed at 3641 Falls Rd. Call (410) 396-6043 or email [email protected] for more

information.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 30

Feb. 24

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UNITED SENIORS OF MARYLANDNEEDS YOU

USM lobbies for Maryland seniors and is a key player on statecommissions and task forces that make recommendations tothe Governor and Legislators.

BECOME A MEMBERHelp achieve a better Maryland for seniors. The cost is small,the payback huge, just $25 (including Rally ticket) for individualsand $50 for most organizations.

Visitwww.unitedseniors.netto learn more, join, and buy Rally tickets

The USM Annual State Legislative Rally has been rescheduled toWed., March 9, 2011. Tickets already purchased are still good. If youbought tickets for Jan. 25 and cannot attend on March 9, [email protected] for a refund.

Vegetables quilt

He died in 1806. He is said to have beenone of the first surveyors of Washington,DC, and also published numerous al-manacs, all the while overcoming racialdiscrimination.

The Benjamin Banneker Historical Parkand Museum, at 300 Oella Avenue at Fred-erick Road (near Ellicott City), was found-ed on the homestead of the Banneker fam-ily. Once known as “Stout,” the original100-acre lot was purchased in 1737 by Ben-

jamin’s father in exchange for 7,000pounds of tobacco.

Here the Bannekers farmed tobacco,wheat, corn crops, a fruit orchard, apiary,and a small vegetable garden. Much of thevegetables, poultry, fruit and honey pro-duced were sold to the Ellicotts to supplytheir General Store in the old mill townnow known as Ellicott City.

The Benjamin Banneker Historical Parkand Museum is open Tuesday through Sat-urday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission isby donation. For more information aboutthe Banneker Museum, call (410) 887-1081.

for adults; $35.50 for children under 12. Formore information, call (410) 649-1660 orvisit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

There’s more nostalgia at Toby’s Co-lumbia location with I Left My Heart: ASalute to the Music of Tony Bennett, run-ning through March 6. The songs fea-tured stretch from his early top-40 hits,jazz recordings with Count Basie, StanGetz, and Bill Evans, to his torch songs,film scores, all the way to his now infa-mous MTV unplugged (which introduced

him to a whole new generation of listen-ers).

I Left My Heart includes an unforget-table score of 40 standards recorded byBennett, including “Because Of You,”“Stranger In Paradise,” ”The Best Is Yet ToCome,” ”Cold, Cold Heart,” ”Boulevard OfBroken Dreams,” ”I Wanna Be Around,””The Good Life,” ” Rags To Riches,” andhis best-known hit, “I Left My Heart In SanFrancisco.”

Toby’s Columbia is located at South En-trance Road between Route 29 and LittlePatuxent Parkway. Tickets range from $47to $52 for adults, and are $33.50 for chil-

dren under 12. For more information, call(410) 995-1969 or log onto www.tobysdin-nertheatre.com.

New takes on classicsFrom March 1 through March 6,

Cameron Mackintosh presents a new 25thanniversary production of Boublil &Schönberg’s legendary musical Les Miser-ables at the Hippodrome. This new produc-tion, with new staging and re-imaginedscenery inspired by the paintings of VictorHugo, has already been acclaimed by crit-ics and theatergoers alike.

Ticket prices range from $20 to $75,

plus any applicable fees. The Hippodromeis located at 12 N. Eutaw St. For more in-formation, call (410) 547-SEAT, or visitwww.france-merrickpac.com.

Teen actors join with professional actorsin the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival’sproduction of Romeo and Juliet fromMarch 10 through April 3 at 3900 RolandAve. Ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20for seniors, and $10 for students.

Baltimore Shakespeare Festival becameBaltimore City’s third resident profession-al theatre company in 2003. For more in-formation, call (410) 366-8596 or visitwww.baltimoreshakespeare.org.

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — MARCH 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style 29

S T A Y R O P E S W I T SO R C A A R E N A A R E AR O C K A N D R O L L S O N GE T O S L A S E E N E E

M O T O R S F A S T SP A P E R W E I G H T SC H A R O C E E A R U MT O N P O K E R O S US P Y S O N E A R B O R

S C I S S O R S K I C KC O R A L T R I T O NA T O O A R A C H H O OS H O O T F O R T H E M O O NT E M P E S T E E B O Z OE R S T W E E D S A D E S

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Local theatreFrom page 27

Tell your friends about the Beacon!QuiltsFrom page 28

Makes a

great gift!

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Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Jumbles:THYMEBARGESECONDPAUPER

Answer:Whatthegossipcolumnistbecamewhenshe

gotdivorced-ANAMEDROPPER

CrosswordNEW! Daily Crosswords

on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.comClick 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

68 69 70

71 72 73

3. Add in the background music4. Himalayan beast5.Was in short supply6. Truth ___7. Part of m.p.g.8. 1946 RBI leader, Slaughter9. Clearance event10. Existed11. Straightens hair12. Precept13.Wise guys18. The Jetsons character with the most legs19. Baseball position, briefly25. Star-spangled contraction26. Least able to attend school28. Cute button go-between29. Poll results (abbrev.)30. ___, skip, and a jump31. “That’s interesting!”32. That girl36.Wealth redistributor37. Grp. formerly chaired by Peter Ueberroth38. Gloomy darkness40. Kalua pig ingredient41. Switch positions44.Mailer of over 140 million checkseach yr.

46. ___World Turns47. Studio that gave birth to Bringing UpBaby49. Coagulate50. Spoke to a crowd51. Piles of loot52. Social class53. Last choice in many polls54. House units58. About three or four59. February purchase62. Seep63. John Lennon’s in-laws65.Make a decision66. This clue’s number goes to LA67.Wharton award (abbrev.)

How to Decide by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Instruction to Fido5. Rock climber’s tools10. Ingenuity14. Largest member of the dolphin family15. Place to see a Monster Truck16. Type of code17. Elvis output20. Ike’s command in W.W. II21. Patty Hearst kidnapping grp.22. Observe23.Wedding announcement word24. General ___27. Abstains29. Office knickknacks33. Eight-time Love Boat guest34.Middling grade35. Boxing promoter and rival to Don King39. Unit of measure of fun40. Fireplace tool42. Letters in a Buckeye’s e-mail address43. A ___ Journey (Memoir of a CIA agent)45. The loneliest number46. ___ Day (the 4th Friday in April)48. Karate or swimming maneuver52. Pink hue55.Moon of Neptune56. From ___ Z57. Paddle60.With 61A, an extended sneeze61. See above64. Have high aspirations68. Office helper69. Lauder, who had a lotion notion70. Character portrayed by Willard Scott in196071.While lead-in72. Uses a hoe73. Fruit drinks

Down1. Peeved2. A horse gait


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DONATE YOUR CAR! Breast Cancer Re-search foundation! Most highly rated breastcancer charity in America! Tax Deductible/FastFree Pick Up. 800-771-9551 www.cardonations-forbreastcancer.org.

GET YOUR DEGREE ONLINE *Medical,*Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *CriminalJustice. Job placement assistance. Computeravailable. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 800-510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com.

DONATE YOUR CAR…To the Cancer Fundof America. Help Those Suffering With CancerToday. Free Towing and Tax Deductible. 1-800-835-9372 www.cfoa.org.

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

TO AND FROM Reliable transportation serv-ice. Doctor appointments, groceries, airport, etc.Have car, insurance, references. Call 443-622-1514 or 410-718-0550.

SUNNY WINTER SPECIALS At Florida’sBest Beach-New Smyrna Beach Stay a week orlonger, Plan a beach wedding or family reunion.www.NSBFLA.com or 1-800-541-9621.

STAMPS! U.S. only. Small collector buying pre-1940. Best price paid. Southwest Stamp Clubmeets Friday, March 18th, 2011, 1PM, Arbutus.410-247-4169.

ELECTRONIC CLEAN-OUTS WANTED,absolute best price, collections, contents, elec-tronics, attic-basement-garage, speakers, accu-mulations, generous offers, honest pricing, un-limited funds, will travel, CASH. Call Alan 410-740-5222 or 240-478-1100.

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.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS ANDQUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS want-ed by a serious capable buyer. I am very well ed-ucated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40years in the antique business] and have the fi-nances and wherewithal to handle virtuallyany situation. If you have a special item, collec-tion or important estate I would like to hearfrom you. I pay great prices for great things inall categories from oriental rungs to Tiffany ob-jects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silverand gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful I aminterested. No phony promises or messy con-signments. References gladly furnished. Pleasecall Jake Lenihan 301-279-8834. Thank you.

**OLD GUITARS WANTED!** Fender, Gib-son, Martin, Gretsch, Prairie State, Euphonon,Larson, D’Angelico, Stromberg, Rickenbacker,and Mosrite. Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1930’sthru 1970’s TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-401-0440.

CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

under the following headings: Business &Employment Opportunities; Caregivers;Computer Services; Entertainment; ForSale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free;Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Mis-cellaneous; Personals; Personal Services;Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. Forsubmission guidelines and deadlines, seethe box on the bottom of this page.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!The Beacon does not knowingly accept

obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent ad-vertising. However, we do not investigate anyadvertisers or their products and cannot ac-cept responsibility for the integrity of either.Respondents to classified advertising shouldalways use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT&REAL ESTATEADS:Wewill not knowingly or intentionally accept

advertising in violation of federal, state, andlocal laws prohibiting discrimination based onrace,color,national origin,sex, familial statusorhandicap in connectionwithemploymentor thesale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers

Financial Services

Miscellaneous WantedFinancial Services

For Rent/Sale Real Estate

Personal Services

Vacation Opportunities

Wanted

BEACON BITSBE A GOOD NEIGHBORVolunteer to help a homebound senior living in need in your neigh-borhood by giving the gift of your time, just four hours a month.

The Baltimore County Department of Aging Home Team Program is looking forgood neighbors willing to assist with shopping, escort trips, homemaker services(such as reading the mail) and/or friendly visiting with elderly homebound peoplewho need a little help to maintain independence in their own homes. Call (410)0887-4141 or email [email protected].

COMMUNITY THEATRE NEEDS VOLUNTEERSCockpit in Court Summer Theatre is a community theatre in resi-dence at CCBC Essex and produces five theatrical productions ayear. Volunteers are needed for committee and board member-

ships, set and costume construction, set crew, lobby sales and ushering. For moreinformation, call (410) 780-6369 or visit www.ccbcmd.edu/cockpit.

HELP PROTECT CONSUMERSThe Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the AttorneyGeneral attempts to mediate complaints regarding business trans-actions. Volunteers will learn consumer protection laws and will

mediate complaints by phone and letter. Volunteers work two days per week, fivehours per day. Call (410) 576-6455 or visit www.oag.state.md.us.

BEACON BITS

HELP THOSE WITH CHRONIC DISEASESThe Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities is

looking for volunteers who want to learn to be Chronic Disease

Self-Management Leaders. Leaders will co-facilitate a six-week workshop for par-

ticipants who suffer from chronic conditions. Leaders do not have to be healthcare

professionals, but should have a chronic disease or be a caregiver of someone with

a chronic disease. Training will take place in March at the Department of Aging

and Disabilities, 2666 Riva Rd., in Annapolis. For more information, contact Pam

Toomey at (410) 222-4366 or at [email protected].

ARE YOU A HISTORY BUFF?If you’re interested in history and the decorative arts, consider vol-

unteering at Mount Clare Museum House in Carroll Park. The

museum is looking for women and men interested in bringing the storied history of

this 1760s Georgian mansion to life. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capaci-

ties, especially as tour guides. For more information, call (410) 837-3262 or visit

www.mountclare.org.

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.

PrivatePartyText 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.

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

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

Business & EmploymentOpportunities

For Sale

Miscellaneous

Thanks for reading!

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

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March 2011 Baltimore Beacon

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