October 2013 Howard County Beacon Edition

VOL.3, NO.10

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0OCTOBER 2013More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County

The Howard County F R E E

I N S I D E …

FITNESS & HEALTH 4k Blood sugar linked to dementia k How to eat to avoid wrinkles

THE SENIOR CONNECTION 17k Howard County Office on Aging newsletter

LAW & MONEY 21k Alternative investments to considerk Finding discounts and freebies

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

ARTS & STYLEA robust, masterful Les Miser-ables at Toby’s Dinner Theatre

page 29

LEISURE & TRAVELContemporary attractions inSpain’s Basque Country andCatalonia; plus, getting yourcar to a distant destination

page 25

By Robert FriedmanEllie Rose of Mt. Airy takes the audi-

ence over the rainbow as she gazes at aphoto of Clark Gable and sings “You MadeMe Love You.”Bob Hoke of Columbia, singing “Inka

Dinka Doo,” keeps ordering the band to“stop the music,” then signs off by sayinggood night to Mrs. Calibash, wherever sheis.Ann Henry of Ellicott City, wrapped in a

blue feathered gown and black boa, huski-ly invites the men in the audience to “comeup and see me sometime.”It’s show time for the Fabulous 50+ Play-

ers of Howard County. At least, it soon willbe, as the troupe of 11 women and sevenmen get ready for their 2013 fall season.The performers, most in their 60s and

70s, are rehearsing Mondays at theHoward County Arts Center in EllicottCity for two shows this season: a revival oftheir highly popular vaudeville review, anda night of nostalgic songs called Our (asopposed to Your) Hit Parade. Phyllis Stanley, the troupe’s music di-

rector since its inception in 2000 and nowalso its stage director, noted that the 7 to 9p.m. Monday rehearsals could turn out tobe auditions for any Howard County sen-ior bitten by the show biz bug. Just come to the rehearsal, take to the

stage, and do your thing. Stanley said thegroup is especially seeking singers.

Taking the show on the road While past performances were staged

at the arts center, the Fabulous 50+ Play-ers are taking their show on the road thisyear, Stanley said. So far, the group’s schedule calls for

daytime performances at the North LaurelSenior Center on Nov. 20, where reason-able facsimiles of Judy Garland, Jimmy Du-rante, Mae West, Eddie Cantor, the DollySisters, Bert Williams, Fanny Brice andothers will perform a vaudeville show; atthe Ellicott City Senior Center on Dec. 13,where Our Hit Parade brings back memo-ries from the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60sthrough melodies of the times; and at theElkridge Senior Center on Dec. 18, whereholiday songs will celebrate the season.Stanley, 67, also teaches a creative arts

course at Howard County Community Col-lege and has directed musical programsaround the county. She says she enjoys putting older per-

formers on stage and bringing show biz tosenior audiences for “the love of it.”Among other things, she has seen youngpeople who have come to past shows “in-spired about how energetic the older peo-ple are.” Some in the audience may suffer from var-

ious stages of Alzheimer’s, but they arequick to remember all the words to thesongs of their youth, Stanley noted. “Thesongs are associated with certain deep mem-ories, and people in the audience often crywhen hearing them again,” she said.

For performers and audiences alike, theacting, the singing and the rememberingis “so therapeutic,” she said.

Onstage as Mae WestAnn Henry, who retired after many

years working in ob/gyn offices, now se-duces audiences as Mae West. She was “al-ways fascinated” by show business, Henrysaid. Once one of the tap-dancing Golden

Girls, who perform around the county, shesaid she didn’t have the nerve to do a soloact. So she joined the Fabulous 50+ Play-ers in 2008 as stage manager, working be-

Members of the Fabulous 50+ Players rehearse “Give My Regards to Broadway” aspart of a production they will take to senior centers this fall. From left to right areChuck Knauf, Shirley Bishop, Ann Henry, Paula Rehr, Jackie Dunphy and AudreySanders. Other numbers feature stand-ins for Mae West, Jimmy Durante, FannyBrice and other stars of yesteryear.

See FAB 50+, page 32

Retirees give show biz a whirl

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An item from the “be careful what youwish for” department: I was having a prob-lem coming up with a topicfor this month’s column. Iwas praying for some inspira-tion.

Then I glanced at the day’snewspaper, and oh, was Isorry! While it provided anearly instant topic, it alsomade my blood boil, notonce, but three times.

Here, in a nutshell, are thefirst three items I read in thatday’s paper.

Story #1: A series of arti-cles described how the D.C.Office of Tax and Revenue imposes lienson the homes of residents who have notpaid their property taxes, then auctionsthose liens off to the highest bidders. Thebidders, in turn, may impose additionalfees and interest to the point where theymay legally foreclose on the property,evicting the residents and their posses-

sions, and taking ownership of the home. None of this is illegal, and in fact, the

city relies on individual in-vestors and businesses to col-lect and pay such back taxes.

But the story identified anumber of cases wherehomes worth hundreds ofthousands of dollars weretaken from their owners overa property tax bill as low as$50! Many of the victims ofthis scurrilous behavior havebeen older adults who eitherthought they had paid theirtax, didn’t understand theconsequences of not paying

the tax, or were suffering from dementiaor other disabilities.

Eventually, a couple of the investorswho bought and foreclosed in these egre-gious cases were charged with a crime —not for taking homes away from people,but for colluding at the auctions. Apparent-ly, they “took turns” allowing each other to

be the highest bidder on every other prop-erty, and that broke the rules.

Story #2: This one comes from PineBluff, Ark., and concerns a 107-year-oldman whose granddaughter and a friendhad come to help him move to a newhome. Apparently, the gentleman mistookthe ladies for burglars, brandished a pistol,and told them, “You better stop breakinginto my house.”

They called police for assistance, andwhen the man shot at officers through thedoor, they threw tear gas and a “distrac-tion device” into the house, then stormedinside, guns drawn. When he fired atthem, they shot back and killed the 107-year-old.

Story #3: This one took place in Mary-land. A middle-aged daughter was thecaregiver for her elderly parents. Her fa-ther had suffered three strokes and couldno longer do many things for himself.

The daughter claims he told her repeat-edly that he wanted to die, and that he re-fused the food she brought him. When shefinally called 911 to come take his bodyaway, the found an emaciated corpse withmore than a dozen open sores, five so deep“that bones were exposed.”

Investigation revealed that in themonths leading up to her father’s death,his doctors and nurses had reported himlooking increasingly unkempt. When so-cial workers came to the home to assist,the daughter turned them away.

The judge, who found evidence in therecord that the daughter was “an otherwisevery fine person,” sentenced her to one yearin prison for involuntary manslaughter.

The situations are different, the motiva-tions are different, the consequences aredifferent, but to me, all three of thesecases have some things in common.

I’m going to call them the five (lack of)senses: Lack of common sense, lack of asense of decency, lack of a sense of propor-tion, lack of a sense of fairness, lack of asense of shame.

Maybe we aren’t born with a moral com-pass, and no doubt many people grow upwithout either being taught morality orcoming to their own sense of right andwrong through experience.

And certainly there are criminals inevery town and every society, as well associopaths who prey on innocents.

But the situations above are not neces-sarily, or not wholly, examples of immoralor illegal behavior.

It’s something else that leads otherwisedecent people to make a living acquiringproperty at pennies on the dollar by “fol-

lowing the rules”; that sometimes leadslaw enforcement officers to shoot beforethey understand the situation; that leadschildren to think they are “honoring theirparents’ wishes” when they withhold careor neglect them.

Of course, each of these stories madeit into the paper precisely because mostof us find them outrageous. It is impliedin their very reporting that such behav-iors are antithetical to our social norms.That’s the good news part of the badnews.

But don’t most of us desire to, or actual-ly, act in some of these ways some of thetime? Do we allow ourselves to benefit atothers’ expense as long as the others arenot visible to us? Do we overreact or jumpto conclusions before fully assessing a situ-ation? Do we persuade ourselves we areacting as others have asked, or wouldwant, without truly putting ourselves intheir shoes?

There’s something very close to“human nature” reflected in these atti-tudes. Nearly all of us look out for “num-ber one” first and foremost.

But there’s also something redeemingabout human nature, in that we can see —in others, at least — how dark and danger-ous a person’s thoughts and actions canbe. Perhaps it’s time we turned the spot-light more on ourselves.

Come to our ExpoIf you’ve attended one of our 50+Expos

in the past, you know about the useful in-formation, government and nonprofit re-sources, excellent speakers, exercisedemonstrations, health screenings andgreat entertainment you’ll find there, andwe hope you’ll return this year.

We also invite newcomers to visit theBeacon’s 14th annual 50+Expo on Sunday,October 13 from noon to 4 p.m. The eventwill be in a new location for us: the SilverSpring Civic Center in downtown SilverSpring, Md. In addition to the change invenue, we will also be adding an outdoorArts & Crafts Fair.

I hope you’ll join us for a free and enjoy-able afternoon. In particular, I think you’llenjoy hearing Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, scientificdirector of the National Institute on Aging,speaking about the latest research inlongevity and healthy aging.

Come, and bring your friends! I look for-ward to seeing you there.

Common (lack of) sense

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed inthe Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your

Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915,or e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your

name, address and telephone number for verification.

Letters to the editor

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

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

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

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HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 3

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By Lauran NeergaardNinety birthdays maybe, but not 120.

Americans hope to stretch out life ex-pectancy another decade or so, but theyare ambivalent, even skeptical, about afountain of youth.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Cen-ter explores attitudes about a scientificquest: Creating treatments that one daymight slow the aging process and let peoplelive decades longer than is normal today.

Scientists already can extend the lifespan of certain laboratory animals — mice,worms, flies — with various techniques.They’ve also tried with monkeys, althoughthe evidence in that species is mixed.

There’s no way to know if there ever willbe some type of Methuselah pill for humans.

But with the field growing, Pew took thepublic’s pulse and found most Americanswouldn’t want a treatment that would letthem live to 120. Fifty-six percent said no

thanks — although two-thirds expect mostother people would want to try such a step,according to the report.

Few expect such a radical idea to becomereality, at least by 2050, although most ofthose surveyed expect other medical ad-vances that could more gradually extendlife expectancy, such as better cancer care.

When asked about living to 120 or be-yond, the survey found 51 percent of peo-ple said that would be bad for society. Theyworried about a strain on natural re-sources, and that such treatments proba-bly would be available only to the richrather than to everyone.

Not just longer, but betterWhat is the ideal life span? To most

Americans, it’s between 79 and 100; the me-dian answer was 90 years, Pew reported.

In the U.S., a child born today can expectto live 78.7 years. Women’s life expectancy

is longer, 81 years, than men’s, 76.2. With a rapidly graying population that is

bringing concern about the growth ofAlzheimer’s disease and an overburdenedMedicare system, caution about the idea ofone day living even longer may not be sur-prising.

But longevity pioneer Cynthia Kenyonof the University of California, San Francis-co, wonders if the public understands thereal goal of such research, which is betterhealth.

Many of the experimental animals whoselives have been extended look and act faryounger — and are far healthier — thantheir untreated counterparts of the sameage, she said.

“It would be the equivalent of a 90-year-old person that you think is looking like a 45-year-old,” Kenyon told the Associated Press.

Because aging itself underlies the develop-ment of many chronic diseases as our bodiesbreak down, the theory is that slowing theaging process might help keep people health-ier for longer — even if it’s never as dramaticas what has happened with animals.

“We are very interested in not only lifeextension, but extension of the healthspan,” said Dr. Marie A. Bernard, deputydirector of the National Institute on Aging,which pays for much of this research.

Genetic research underwayResearch into life extension began with

the discovery that severely restricting calo-ries in lab animals — they regularly con-

sume 25 to 30 percent less than normal —makes them live longer. Remarkably, theyalso were healthier than their litter mates.

That led to the discovery of various ge-netic alterations that control life span. Keny-on’s research, for example, found that alter-ing a single gene doubled the life span ofroundworms, which stayed healthy untilnear the end. Other researchers have dis-covered similar aging-related gene muta-tions in different species.

What about people? Some research hasfound healthy centenarians are more likelyto harbor similarly protective genes.

The next step is to find medications thatmight somehow switch on those protectivepathways, rather than drastic dieting orgene manipulation. A number of candi-dates have worked in animals.

In July, NIA researchers reported that alow dose of the diabetes drug metforminimproved the health and longevity of mid-dle-aged mice.

No anti-aging pill is ready to try in peopleyet. Aging specialists say, for now, common-sense is the best medicine: Eat a healthydiet, maintain a healthy weight and exercise.

The Pew Research Center’s Religion &Public Life Project survey was conductedfrom March 21 to April 8, 2013. The na-tionally representative survey involved in-terviews, conducted on cell phones andlandlines, with 2,012 adults. It has a mar-gin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent-age points.

— AP


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HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 5

Columbia Associationoffers classes, programs, special events and moreto keep you active and involved in your community.

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By Sharon Palmer, R.D. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you

probably know how frustrating it is to cutback on your calorie intake only to see noweight loss reflected on the bathroomscales.

But there may be a good scientific ex-planation for this phenomenon. It doesseem clear that as people lose weight,their resting energy expenditure — theamount of calories the body needs whenit’s at rest — drops due to a lower bodymass.

It may seem like a cruel trick, but thisresponse is actually an ingenious strategythat humans evolved over centuries inorder to withstand times of famine, accord-ing to Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., associ-ate professor at the Stanford PreventionResearch Center.

Gardner, who researches weight loss,

said, “It isn’t so much that metabolic needsdecline as you lose weight, but your meta-bolic efficiency increases. Either way, itmeans the more weight you lose, the lessenergy you burn doing simple things likemaking your lungs breathe, heart beat,and kidneys work.”

New ideas about weight lossA new understanding of weight loss has

developed, as scientists learn more aboutthe body’s energy needs during weight loss.In fact, it turns out that the old adage — re-ducing your calories by 3,500 will result inone pound of weight loss — is inaccurate.

According to a consensus panel con-vened by the American Society of Nutri-tion and the International Life Sciences In-stitute, the “3,500 calorie equals 1 pound”rule is wrong, because it assumes thatbody weight changes are uniform over

long periods of time. However, the panelpointed out that as people lose weight,resting energy expenditure drops due toless body mass. So, that 3,500 calorie re-duction will no longer result in a pound ofweight loss.

In fact, the National Institutes of Healthcreated a mathematical modeling ap-proach for weight loss over time that takesinto account the body’s adaption to energyexpenditure during weight loss, which waspublished in the Lancet in 2011.

The NIH researchers reported that peo-ple with higher body fat lose largeramounts of weight than those with lowerbody fat, and that the body’s weight re-sponse to a change in energy intake is slow.

Everyone is differentAnother facet of the weight loss dilem-

ma is that people have very individualized

energy needs. Everyone knows someonewho can literally eat whatever they wantand never gain a pound, as well as some-one who is careful with every bite of foodand still struggles with maintaining ahealthy weight.

Dr. David Katz, founding director ofYale University’s Prevention ResearchCenter, reports that the energy needs forindividuals is highly variable and not amatter of choice.

Any two people doing the same physicalactivity will burn different numbers ofcalories due to a complex interplay ofgenes, body composition and physiology.

And any two people eating the samefoods in the same quantities may experi-ence entirely different effects on weight,dependent on genes, resting energy ex-penditure, body composition, body massand other factors, he said.

That’s why Katz launched the NationalExchange for Weight Loss Resistance(www.newlr.com) in order to provide aforum for information among those whoare unusually resistant to weight loss.

Don’t get discouragedAll of this information on weight loss

may seem discouraging for the thousandsof people trying to lose weight, but there’salso some good news.

Gardner believes that, if you lose weightand keep it off for months or years by eat-ing the same amount of calories, yourbody may eventually “agree” with this newweight and go back to being less “effi-cient.” Although this theory makes sense,it has yet to be proven, said Gardener.

Is there one particular diet that can helpcounter the body’s metabolic response toweight loss? While one study linked alower carbohydrate diet with benefits, re-searchers stress that there’s not enoughevidence supporting one diet over another.

“I doubt there will ever be one best diet.My hunch is there are multiple best diets,and certain people are more predisposedto be successful on one vs. another,” Gar-dener said.

It’s true: our bodies fight weight loss6 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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Elder Law Essentials and Updates • 6:00pmPresented by Elville and Associates. Discover your family’s legal rights and enjoy refreshments by our Five Star team.

Options in Healthcare – a panel discussion • 5:30pmRegent Healthcare, Seasons Hospice, and Home Call, will be hosting a paneldiscussion regarding the different healthcare options and the differences between them.Find the right solution for you and enjoy seasonal snacks.

The Basics of Alzheimer’s: Communication and Behaviors • NoonThe Alzheimer’s Association will be leading this important presentation on communicating with your loved one with dementia. Enjoy lunch and learn about free family resources.

Help with Holiday Shopping • 11:30am - 1:30pmLet us take care of your loved one while you finish your holiday shopping. We’d be happy to wrap a few gifts for you, too—call today to learn more. Reservations are required. We’ll treat your loved one to lunch and a joyful activity.

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We do know that thousands of peoplehave successfully maintained a significantamount of weight loss. This has beenproven in The National Weight ControlRegistry (www.nwcr.ws), the largest inves-tigation of long-term weight loss mainte-nance in the U.S.

Led by researchers from Brown Med-ical School and the University of Colorado,the NWCR tracks more than 10,000 indi-viduals who have lost a significant amountof weight (at least 30 pounds) and kept itoff for at least a year. Findings from theNWCR point out that long-term weightloss is achievable. It just takes time, dili-gence and hard work.

Indeed, research shows that 20 percentof overweight people are successful, ac-cording to a 2005 study in the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition. And thelonger the weight loss is maintained, thefewer maintenance strategies are neces-sary, according to research published inthe journal Obesity.

While we have much more to learnabout the complicated science of weightloss, the NWCR may hold some of ourmost promising answers and results.Reprinted with permission from Environ-

mental Nutrition, a monthly publication ofBelvoir Media Group, LLC. 1-800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com.

© 2013 Belvoir Media Group. All rightsreserved. Distributed by Tribune MediaServices, Inc.


Weight lossFrom page 6

BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING A free blood pressure reading with a registered nurse is avail-able every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Ellicott City

Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. For more information, call(410) 313-1400.

TIRED OF BEING TIRED?Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, director of the Sleep Center at HowardCounty General Hospital will discuss common sleep problems thatcome with age in a free lecture on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6 to 8

p.m. at the HCGH Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Ste. 100, Columbia. Forfurther information, call (410) 740-7601 or visit www.hcgh.org.

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By Matthew PerroneThe Food and Drug Administration is

cracking down on more than a dozen com-panies that market illegal treatments fordiabetes — ranging from bogus dietarysupplements to prescription drugs sold on-line without a prescription.

All of the products aim to cash in on thecountry’s diabetes epidemic, which affectsnearly 26 million Americans. Regulatorsworry that consumers who buy such unap-proved products could put off getting legit-

imate medical care, which could exacer-bate heart disease, kidney failure andother deadly complications.

The FDA sent warning letters to 15companies, both in the U.S. and abroad,ordering them to stop selling diabetestreatments that violate U.S. drug laws.

False claims and ingredientsThree of the products targeted are mar-

keted as “natural” supplements, but actuallycontain unlisted pharmaceutical ingredients.

For example, Diexi, which is sold as a tra-ditional Indian “herbal formula,” actually con-tains metformin, the most common prescrip-tion drug used to treat diabetes. The productis sold by Amrutam Life Care, of Surat, India.

“Consumers should exercise caution be-fore using products claiming to be herbalor all-natural alternatives to FDA-approvedprescription drugs,” the agency said in astatement. “These products should be con-sidered unsafe and should not be used.”

Other products include genuine dietarysupplements that make unproven claims totreat or prevent diabetes. For example, Dia-betes Daily Care is a capsule-based supple-ment containing cinnamon extract andother herbs. Its manufacturer, Nature’sHealth Supply Inc., claims it “safely and ef-fectively improves sugar metabolism.”

Under U.S. law, only FDA-approvedmedicines are permitted to make claimsfor treating or preventing disease.

Illegitimate pharmaciesOther companies targeted by the FDA

run online pharmacies that sell prescrip-tion drugs for diabetes without a prescrip-tion. The FDA issued a warning letter towww.bestcheapmedsonline.com for mar-keting unapproved versions of diabetesdrugs like Januvia, from Merck & Co. Inc.

The FDA warns patients against buying

prescription medications on the Internet.Only 3 percent of online pharmacies actu-ally comply with all U.S. pharmacy laws,according to a review by the National As-sociation of Boards of Pharmacy.

People with diabetes are unable to prop-erly break down carbohydrates, either be-cause their bodies do not produce enoughinsulin or because they’ve become resist-ant to the hormone, which controls bloodsugar levels. These patients face higherrisks of heart attacks, kidney problems,blindness and other serious complications.

Many diabetics require multiple drugsto control their blood sugar levels.

The U.S. market for prescription dia-betes drugs is the largest in the world, withsales of $22 billion last year. Sales have bal-looned more than 60 percent in the lastfour years from $13.6 billion in 2008, ac-cording to health data firm, IMS Health.

The FDA said it has not received any re-ports of injury or illness connected withthe products, but is taking action as a pre-cautionary measure.

The FDA sent the warning letters to thecompanies in July. The letters gives eachcompany 15 business days to reply and ex-plain how they will come into compliancewith U.S. law. FDA warning letters are notlegally binding, but the agency can take com-panies to court if they are ignored. — AP

FDA targets illegal diabetes remedies8 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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By Dr. Stacey RizzaDear Mayo Clinic: I recently heard that the CDC now

recommends baby boomers be testedfor hepatitis C. Is that true? If so, whyis testing necessary? Wouldn’t I havesymptoms if I had the disease?Answer: It is true that the U.S. Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention recom-mends anyone born between 1945 and1965 get tested for hepatitis C infection.

Americans born during that time arefive times more likely than other people tobe infected. Most people with hepatitis Cdon’t have symptoms, so testing for thisserious infection is very important.

Hepatitis C is an infection caused by avirus that attacks the liver. In about 60 to80 percent of adults infected by hepatitisC, the virus lingers in the body. But inmost cases, it’s impossible to know it’s

there without testing for it. Eventually, as people age, the hepatitis C

virus can cause damage to the liver. Manyof those with hepatitis C don’t know theyhave the infection until liver damage showsup, often decades after the initial infection.

How infection occursThe hepatitis C virus is spread from

contact with contaminated blood. The rea-son for the higher hepatitis C infection ratein baby boomers is not entirely clear.

It may be linked to the fact that before1992, blood-screening tests for hepatitis werenot as reliable as they are now. So it was pos-sible to get the virus through a blood transfu-sion or organ transplant without knowing it.

Some people may have become infectedwith hepatitis C by sharing contaminatedneedles when injecting drugs. This canhappen even if a person comes in contactwith an infected needle only once.

In some mild cases of hepatitis C, treat-ment may not be necessary because therisk of future liver damage is very low. If so,follow-up blood tests and monitoring forliver problems may be all that’s needed.

Treatment optionsIn many cases, though, hepatitis C infec-

tion is treated with antiviral medications thatcan clear the virus from the body. Usually, acombination of antiviral medicine is takenover several weeks to several months.

Once the treatment is completed, bloodtests are done to check for hepatitis C. If thevirus is still present, a second round of treat-ment may be recommended. Frequently, nofurther treatment is necessary beyond that.

If hepatitis C goes undetected and theinfection is not treated over many years, itcan cause serious liver problems. Afterseveral decades, hepatitis C infection canlead to scarring of the liver tissues, a con-dition known as cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis makes it hard for the liver towork properly. In time, that can lead toliver failure and possibly the need for aliver transplant. In addition, some peoplewith hepatitis C develop liver cancer.

Blood tests that can detect the hepatitisC virus are available. If the virus is found,it may be necessary to take a small sampleof liver tissue — a procedure called a liverbiopsy. A biopsy can help doctors deter-mine the severity of liver damage andguide treatment decisions.

If you were born between 1945 and1965, talk to your healthcare providerabout being tested for hepatitis C. — Stacey Rizza, M.D. specializes in infec-

tious diseases at the Mayo Clinic inRochester, Minn.Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educa-

tional resource and doesn’t replace regularmedical care. To submit a question, write to:[email protected]. For health informa-tion, visit www.mayoclinic.com.© 2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Ed-

ucation and Research. All Rights ReservedDistributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

10 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Boomers should be tested for hepatitis C

By Gretel H. SchuellerWrinkles are a natural part of aging, but

that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything toprevent them.

While plenty of us spend lots of moneyon creams and cleansers, the best place tofind anti-aging products is in your grocerystore or garden. What we eat is as impor-tant — if not more so — as what we slatheron our skin.

Nourishing our skin from the inside outcan help beat the clock. And just as somefoods can help slow the effects of time, otherfoods can speed up our skin’s aging process,contributing to wrinkles and sagging.

Your skin is important; it’s actually yourbody’s biggest organ. What keeps skinlooking healthy? Oil and collagen.

Our skin is coated in a layer of naturaloils that protect it and lock in moisture. Aswe age, the oil production slows down, andskin cells lose the ability to repair them-selves as easily.

Our skin’s reserve of collagen — a typeof protein that keeps skin firm, elastic andyouthfully plump — also begins to run low,making skin thinner. And thin skin wrin-kles more easily than thicker skin.

Environmental factors, such as smog,cigarette smoking and sun exposure, canmake your skin look older, drier and dull.

What you eat matters, too. Avoid the fol-lowing skin-aging foods to help minimizewrinkles and keep your skin healthy.1. Sugars and sweetsThe average American eats a whopping 22

teaspoons of sugar a day. According to der-matologist Dr. Jessica Wu, author of FeedYour Face, “a diet high in sugar” activates en-zymes that “devour healthy collagen,” leav-ing behind damaged fragments of collagen.

When skin’s healthy collagen-makingcells run into these fragments, they get con-

fused, shut down and stop making collagen.As a result, the collagen-depleting effect, aprocess called glycation, is exponential.

If collagen is a rubber band that keepsyour skin looking firm, then glycation istying it into knots and rendering it useless.

The end products of glycation (“ad-vanced glycation end products,” typicallyand appropriately shortened to AGEs),damage skin and other tissues. Amonghealthy people, the effects of glycation onskin start to show at about age 35 and in-crease after that, according to a 2001 studyin the British Journal of Dermatology.2. Saturated fatsIt’s not new news that a diet high in sat-

urated fat is bad for your heart, but satu-rated fat may also be a major contributor toaging skin.

A 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nu-trition study that looked at more than4,000 middle-aged women concluded thatdietary differences did appear to influencethe degree of wrinkling.

A 17-gram increase in daily fat intake in-creased the likelihood of a wrinkled ap-pearance. And a study in the Journal of theAmerican College of Nutrition found thatpeople who ate more butter experiencedmore wrinkling.

The reason for the sad fat-wrinkle con-nection is those pesky AGEs (again!). Itturns out that fats can also react with colla-gen to produce AGEs.3. Fried, grilled and broiled foodsWhen certain foods are cooked in certain

ways, guess what forms? Fat plus proteinplus high, dry heat ages us! Broiling, grillingand high-heat frying can all create AGEs.

Those sear marks on a deliciouslygrilled steak, the finger-licking crispy bitson fried chicken, the crunch of brownedbacon and basically any charred bits are

all evidence of AGEs.Researchers are noticing higher levels

of AGEs in people, in part because of thespread of processed foods. Yes, AGEs are

also present in many processed foods, suchas crackers, chips and cookies, that have


Avoid these foods that can age your skin

See FOODS THAT AGE, page 12

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been exposed to high temperatures tolengthen their shelf life. That high heat re-acts with the sugars and fats to form AGEs.

There’s no need to switch to a raw diet,

however. Cooking methods that involvelots of water — such as steaming, stewing,poaching, braising and blanching — re-duce the AGE-creation process becausethe liquid offsets the heat. © 2013 EatingWell, Inc. Distributed by

Tribune Media Services, Inc.

By Marilynn MarchioneHigher blood-sugar levels, even those

well short of diabetes, seem to raise the riskof developing dementia, a major new studyfinds. Researchers say it suggests a novelway to try to prevent Alzheimer’s disease— by keeping glucose at a healthy level.

Alzheimer’s is by far the most commonform of dementia, and it’s long beenknown that diabetes makes it more likely.The new study tracked blood sugar overtime in all sorts of people — with and with-out diabetes — to see how it affects riskfor the mind-robbing disease.

“It’s a nice, clean pattern” — risk rises asblood sugar does, said Dallas Anderson, ascientist at the National Institute on Aging,the federal agency that paid for the study.

“This is part of a larger picture,” he said,and adds evidence that exercising and con-trolling blood pressure, blood sugar andcholesterol are viable ways to delay or pre-vent dementia.

Because so many attempts to develop ef-fective drugs have failed, “It looks like, atthe moment, sort of our best bet,” Ander-son said.

“We have to do something. If we just donothing and wait around till there’s somekind of cocktail of pills, we could be wait-ing a long time.”

About 35 million people worldwide havedementia; in the United States, about 5 mil-lion have Alzheimer’s disease. What caus-es it isn’t known. Current treatments justtemporarily ease symptoms.

People who have diabetes don’t makeenough insulin, or their bodies don’t useinsulin well, to turn food into energy. Thatcauses sugar in the blood to rise, whichcan damage the kidneys and other organs— possibly the brain, researchers say.

Further study neededThe new study, published in the New

England Journal of Medicine, just trackedpeople. It did not test whether loweringsomeone’s blood sugar would help treat orprevent dementia. That would have to betested in a new study.

In the meantime, people should notseek blood-sugar tests they wouldn’t nor-mally get otherwise, said the study’sleader, Dr. Paul Crane of the University ofWashington in Seattle.

“We don’t know from a study like thiswhether bringing down the glucose levelwill prevent or somehow modify demen-tia,” but it’s always a good idea to avoid de-veloping diabetes, he said.

Eating well, exercising and controllingweight all help to keep blood sugar in line.

The study involved 2,067 people 65 andolder in the Group Health Cooperative, aSeattle-area healthcare system. At the start,232 participants had diabetes; the rest didnot. They each had at least five blood-sugartests within a few years of starting thestudy, and more after it was underway.

Researchers averaged these levels overtime to even out spikes and dips from test-

ing at various times of day or before orafter a meal.

Participants were given standard testsfor thinking skills every two years andasked about smoking, exercise and otherthings that affect dementia risk.

Dementia risk raised by 18%After nearly seven years of follow-up,

524, or one quarter of them, had developeddementia — mostly Alzheimer’s disease.

Among participants who started outwithout diabetes, those with higher glucoselevels over the previous five years had an 18percent greater risk of developing dementiathan those with lower glucose levels.

Among participants with diabetes at theoutset, those with higher blood sugar were40 percent more likely to develop demen-tia than diabetics at the lower end of theglucose spectrum.

The effect of blood sugar on dementia riskwas seen even when researchers took intoaccount whether participants had the apoE4gene, which raises the risk for Alzheimer’s.

At least for diabetics, the results sug-gest that good blood-sugar control is im-portant for cognition, Crane said.

For those without diabetes, “it may bethat with the brain, every additional bit ofblood sugar that you have is associatedwith higher risk,” he said. “It changes howwe think about thresholds, how we thinkabout what is normal, what is abnormal.”

— AP


High blood sugar increases dementia risk

Foods that ageFrom page 11

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By Carol SorgenOur kidneys remove waste products

from our blood, regulate water fluid levels,and produce important hormones and en-zymes.

Twenty-six million American adults havechronic kidney disease (CKD), and millionsof others are at increased risk, according tothe National Kidney Foundation.

CKD includes conditions that damageour kidneys and decrease their ability tofunction. It may be caused by diabetes,high blood pressure and other disorders.

If kidney disease worsens, resulting inincreased levels of wastes in your body,you may develop complications such ashigh blood pressure, anemia, weak bones,poor nutritional health and nerve damage.Kidney disease also increases your risk of

heart and blood vessel disease. Early detection and treatment can often

keep chronic kidney disease from gettingworse. When kidney disease progresses,however, it may eventually lead to kidneyfailure, which requires dialysis or a kidneytransplant to maintain life.

Though CKD is common, it is oftenoverlooked by medical professionals whenpatients who have it are receiving medicaltreatment for other conditions.

Patients with CKD have special needswhen it comes to medical treatment, andwhen these needs are not taken into ac-count during medical care, unintendedharm can result, which can lead to fre-quent hospitalization, accelerated loss ofkidney function, increased risk of end-stage renal disease, and even death.

Identifying kidney patientsThe University of Maryland is conduct-

ing an observational study to determinewhether increased recognition of the dis-ease can decrease the number of adverseevents in patients with CKD.

The research study has two purposes:The first is to determine how partici-pants feel about wearing a medical alertbracelet or necklace that identifies themas having decreased kidney function sothat healthcare workers can more easilyidentify them. Medical alert jewelry isoften recommended for people whohave other medical problems, such asdiabetes.

For CKD patients in the study, the med-ical alert accessory has an address to aninformational website about the safe careof patients with kidney problems. Study in-vestigators think that informing health-care workers that a person has decreasedkidney function may improve the patient’scare and reduce risk of injury.

The second purpose of the study is to trackhow often people with kidney problems maybe exposed to medicines, tests or proceduresthat might increase their chance of having anaccidental medical injury or safety event.

Though some medical injuries cannotbe prevented, the study investigators wantto find out what medical events in patientswith kidney problems might be preventa-ble, as well as what conditions — such asphysical weakness or unclear medical in-structions — might increase a patient’schances of getting a medical injury.

Who may volunteerThe study is seeking participants age 21

and older with CKD who are not undergo-ing dialysis. They will be assessed annual-ly to observe the frequency of adverseevents over time.

The first 100 participants (Phase I) willbe provided with a standard medical alertnecklace or bracelet that states, “de-creased kidney function. For my care,please visit www.safekidneycare.org.”

Participants are also asked to log ontothe website using a unique four-digit ID totrack their use of the site. The website doesnot collect or store patient health informa-tion. It tracks only the IP address of the de-vice used to access the site (which general-ly tracks the city, state, Zip and area codeswhere the computer is located).

The volunteers in Phase I will betracked over time as to how they use andtolerate their medical alert bracelet ornecklace, and for their incidence of CKD-related patient-safety incidents.

In Phase II, 250 participants will betracked on an identical study schedule fordetection of CKD-related events, but with-out the use of the medical alert accessory.

Clinic visits may include a combinationof blood and urine samples and nose,throat and skin swabs. Clinics are locatedat the Baltimore VA Medical Center andthe University of Maryland Medical Cen-ter. The study concludes in 2015.

For more information, or to volunteer,call (410) 605-7000, ext. 5280 or [email protected].


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!"-78%)(!.%2!'%!45H(!5!6/33()(#$(!5'!'.(!A:FC!F%8&#'(()!I5/)

ADMISSION: $2 or two cans of non-perishable food

FREE GIFT - NIGHT LIGHTSponsored by BGE & GBMC

EXPO

Baltimore County Department of Aging50+

!"#$$%#&'( )* www.seniorexpoonline.com

fitness

Wednesday, October 9, 20139 a.m. to 6 p.m.Thursday, October 10, 20139 a.m. to 4 p.m.Timonium Fairgrounds

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Special performance by

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The Original DRIFTERS


VOLUME 3, NO. 10 • OCTOBER 2013

By Dayna Brown,Office on AgingAdministrator

Fall is here, which means the50+EXPO cannot be far behind.This year’s event, on Friday, Oct.18, marks the 15th anniversaryof the EXPO, and we’ve

planned a day packed with information and entertain-ment, events and adventure. Why adventure you ask?Well, aging in itself is a bit of an adventure — you reallydon’t know what to expect, but you try to plan as best asyou can, as far ahead as you can, knowing that the roadahead may have some unexpected twists and turns.

As you wind your way through themultitude of exhibitors and vendorsat the 50+EXPO, you’ll find resourcesto help you meet today’s needs andprepare for tomorrow’s challenges. Besure to visit the Office on Aging’sbooth just inside the entrance, andpick up a copy of our newly revised Resource Guide. To help you plan your visit to the 50+EXPO, visitwww.howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo to view thefull schedule of events and activities.

Though the EXPO is by far the largest Office onAging event this month, it’s not the only one. Oct. 15thmarks the start of Medicare’s open enrollment period,which runs through Dec. 7th this year. Our StateHealth Insurance Program (SHIP) has planned a seriesof information events (see the article and schedule inthis issue) to help current Medicare recipients reviewtheir coverage plan to be sure they have the one that bestfits their needs. Call SHIP at 410-313-7392 to scheduleyour appointment.

In November, which is National Family CaregiverMonth, mark your calendars to attend “You Are NotAlone,” the second annual Caregiver Workshop on Sat-urday, Nov. 9th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Lau-rel Community Center. Join us to share and learn fromOffice on Aging staff, service providers and, perhapsmost importantly, other caregivers. Respite care andlunch are included — I hope you will attend! And re-member, if you ever have questions about caregiving, orneed information or a referral, call Maryland AccessPoint for assistance at 410-313-5980.

A Message from the Administrator

50+EXPO Celebrates 15 Years of Healthy Aging

Over the past decade and a half, the Howard County50+EXPO has become a popular destination for adultsof all ages in search of information and entertainment.Celebrate 15 years of healthy aging at 50+EXPO 2013on Friday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wilde LakeHigh School, 5460 Trumpeter Rd. in Columbia.Discover the products and services of almost 160vendors and exhibitors offering resources that supportall stages of healthy aging. Whether for yourself oryour loved ones, whether you need to address currenttopics of concern, or are seeking resources to plan forthe future, the EXPO brings exhibits, services,seminars, health screenings and great entertainment alltogether under one roof, and admission is free!

New this year, the 15th annual 50+EXPO will feature a keynote presentation at 10a.m. in the James Rouse Theatre: Boost Your Brain: How to Protect Your Memoryfor Life by Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D., and chief medical officer and principal of thenew NeurExpand Brain Center in Columbia. Following the free presentation, Dr.Fotuhi will answer questions, and NeurExpand will offer memory screenings adjacentto its exhibit booth on Main Street. The first 10 people that sign up for memoryscreenings will receive an autographed copy of Dr. Fotuhi’s newly-released book,“Boost Your Brain: The New Art + Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance.”

Be sure to check out one or more life-enriching workshops featuredthroughout the day. Don’t miss ID Theft - How to Protect Your Loved Ones andYourself presented by the Howard County Department of Citizen Services Officeof Consumer Affairs; Supercharge Your Immunity, presented by RachelBrumberger, M.Ac., L.Ac. of WisdomWell; ABC’s of Herbs & Spices, presentedby Jade Connelly-Duggan, M.Ac., of WisdomWell; and Protecting Yourself on theInternet, presented by Malcolm Wolf, of Computer Seniors of America.

Stop by the Living Green Fair in Exhibit Hall B to find out how you can addecologically friendly options to your life. Take advantage of the wide array of free healthscreenings at the 50+EXPO health fair, and get screened for diabetes, too. Once again thisyear, flu vaccinations (injection or mist) will be offered at no charge to adults aged 50 andolder, and to adults under age 50 with underlying chronic medical conditions. Pneumoniainjections are available as well; the charge is waived if you bring your Medicare Part B card.

Live music and all day entertainment are a highlight of the Café 50+, where avariety of delicious lunch options is available for purchase. Not to be missed, the everpopular Capitol Steps returns to the James Rouse Theatre, with two shows at noon

See 50+EXPO, page 19

Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D


50+EXPO Parking is at the Mall in Columbia by Sears with FREE Shuttle Service to the EXPO Front Door!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 • 9 am - 4 pmWilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD

If you need this publication in an alternate format, call 410-313-5980. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to attend this event, call 410-313-5980 by October 11. To request transportation, call HT Ride at 800-270-9553 by October 10.

MEDIA SPONSORS

BALTIMORE SUN MEDIA GROUP • CMRT • GUIDE TO RETIREMENT LIVING SOURCEBOOK • HER MIND MAGAZINE • THE BEACON • THE BUSINESS MONTHLY

GOLD SPONSORS

ADVANCED HEARING GROUP • EVERGREENS AT COLUMBIA TOWN CENTER • HOWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT LORIEN HEALTH SYSTEMS • ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF CENTRAL MARYLAND

SeminarsID Theft - How to Protect Your Loved Ones and Yourself Presented by

Howard County Department of Citizen Services Office of Consumer Affairs

Supercharge Your Immunity Presented by

Rachel Brumberger, M.Ac., L.Ac. WisdomWell

ABC’s of Herbs & Spices Presented by

Jade Connelly-Duggan, M.Ac. WisdomWell

Protecting Yourself on the Internet Presented by

Malcolm Wolf Computer Seniors of America

410-313-6410 www.howardcountyaging.org

*Persons with Medicare Part B should bring their Medicare card

Over 150 Exhibitors • Healthy Aging Seminars Life-Enriching Workshops • Ideas & Demonstrations for Living Green All Day Entertainment • Food & Refreshments Diabetes Screenings • Health Fair & Flu Shots*

In The Rouse TheatreDon’t Miss Our Keynote Speaker at 10 am! Boost Your Brain: How to Protect Your Memory for Life Presented by

Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D. Chief Medical Officer and Principal

NeurExpand Brain Center

The Capitol Steps for 2 Shows!12:00 noon and 2:00 pm

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HoCo50PlusEXPO

Celebrating 15 years of Healthy Aging!

FREE

ADM

ISSION!

The Senior Connection


www.howardcountyaging.org

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Marsha Ansel, Psychogeriatric Coordinator Howard County Mental Health Authority

Saturday, November 9, 20138:00 AM - 3:00 PM

North Laurel Community Center9411 Whiskey Bottom Road

Laurel, MD 20723Continental breakfast & lunch provided. On-site respite provided.

A PRESENTATION OF THE

HOWARD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES

OFFICE ON AGING

To register, or for additional information, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP) at 410-313-5980 or email [email protected]

Reservation deadline for lunch and respite is Friday, November 1

If you need this document in an alternative format or need

accommodations to attend this event, please call 410-313-5980.

Review Your Plan During Medicare Open Enrollment

By Bill Salganik, Counselor, StateHealth Insurance Assistance Program It’s that time of year again —

time for Medicare beneficiaries to re-view their current prescription cov-erage, choose a different prescriptionor Medicare Advantage health plan(such as an HMO) or join a plan ifthey don’t have one. Open enroll-ment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7;all changes take effect Jan. 1, 2014.Even if you’re happy with your

2013 plan, it’s worth re-shopping,because your needs change over

time. And every year, insurancecompanies can, and do, changetheir premiums, deductibles, co-pays, lists of covered drugs, andlists of pharmacies where you canget the best prices. If you stay inthe same plan without checkingto see what’s changing, you couldbe in for a nasty surprise in Janu-ary, faced with a hefty premiumhike, or find out that the medi-cine you need is no longer cov-ered. Some insurers may leave themarket, while other new ones

may offer plans that might beright for you.To stay on top of these

changes, Howard County resi-dents can turn to the State HealthInsurance Assistance Program(SHIP) for assistance. Taking thetime to review, re-shop and possi-bly switch your plan with thehelp of a knowledgeable SHIPvolunteer could save you hun-dreds of dollars! Even if you endup staying in the same plan, youwill do so knowing that it will con-

tinue to be a good choice for you. To make an appointment for a

one-on-one review, call SHIP at410-313-7392. A SHIP counselorwill arrange to meet with you atthe Bain Center, Ellicott City Sen-ior Center, Glenwood and NorthLaurel 50+ Centers. During theopen enrollment period someevening and weekend times areadded, so check the schedulebelow, and call to set up an ap-pointment at a time that’s conven-ient for you.

Medicare Part D Review & Enrollment EventsTo schedule an appointment with a SHIP Counselor, call 410-313-7392. Bring your Medicare card and a list of your prescription drugs.

Thursday, Oct. 17 1 to 4 p.m. North Laurel 50+ Center

Monday, Oct. 21 9 a.m. to Noon Elkridge Senior Center

Tuesday, Oct. 22 9 a.m. to Noon Glenwood 50+ Center

Wednesday, Oct. 23 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ellicott City Senior Center

Saturday, Nov. 2 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Bain Center

Wednesday, Nov. 6 5 to 8 p.m. The Bain Center

Thursday, Nov. 7 1 to 4 p.m. North Laurel 50+ Center

Friday, Nov. 8 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ellicott City Senior Center

Tuesday, Nov. 12 9 a.m. to Noon Glenwood 50+ Center

Saturday, Nov. 16 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Bain Center

Wednesday, Nov. 20 5 to 8 p.m. The Bain Center

Thursday, Nov. 21 1 to 4 p.m. North Laurel 50+ Center

Friday, Nov. 22 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ellicott City Senior Center

Wednesday, Dec. 4 5 to 8 p.m. The Bain Center

Thursday, Dec. 5 1 to 4 p.m. North Laurel 50+ Center

Friday, Dec. 6 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Ellicott City Senior Center

The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard CountyDepartment of Citizen Services’ Office on Aging. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

To contact us, or to join our email subscriber list, [email protected] with ‘subscribe’ in the subject box.

Howard County Office on Aging6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046

410-313-6410www.howardcountyaging.org • www.Facebook.com/HoCoCitizen

Dayna Brown, AdministratorAdvertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging or by the publisher.

and 2 p.m. Tickets for both shows will be distributed at the EXPO ticketbooth beginning at 9 a.m., while quantities last. There is no charge, butattendees are encouraged to make a donation to the Office on Aging’semergency assistance fund for older adults in Howard County. To make getting to the 50+EXPO as stress-free as possible, free door-to-door

courtesy shuttle buses will run continuously between Wilde Lake High School andthe Mall throughout the day, from Sears’ lower parking lot. Transportation is alsoavailable by advance request by calling HT Ride at 410-313-1921 by Friday, Oct. 11.For a complete schedule of 50+EXPO events, or for more information,

visit www.howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo, like us on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/HoCo50PlusEXPO or call 410-313-6410.

50+EXPOFrom page 17



Coming EventsTuesday, Oct. 1, 9:30 to 11 a.m. – World Vegetarian Day, Bain CenterGo meat-free this October. Sample a display oftasty vegetarian food and leave with great recipes.Please sign up in the lobby.

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1 to 3 p.m. – Bunco!, East Columbia 50+ CenterJoin our team of rollers, who never tire of a greatgame. No experience necessary, but a sense of humoris required. Free; call 410-313-7680 for information.

Fridays, October 4—November 8, 10 a.m.to noon – SPRING Initial Facilitator TrainingThe SPRING peer outreach program will holdfacilitator training for volunteers who like workingwith groups, possess good listening skills, are flexibleand reliable. Fee is $25; scholarships are available.Contact Karen Hull, 410-313-7466 to register.

Monday, October 7, 10 to 11 a.m. – Meet the Author of The Art of Living Foods,Bain CenterAuthor Anura Desai demonstrates easy to makerecipes with fruits, vegetables, herbs, whole grains, andnuts. Free; call 410-313-7213 to sign–up in advance.

Monday, October 7, 3 p.m. (advanced), 4 p.m. (beginner) – Line Dance with MaryMcCormick, East Columbia 50+ Center Line dance combines brain and physical fitness ina dance routine, taught in a relaxed and funsetting by Mary McCormick. Monthly fee; firstclass is free. Call 410-313-7680 to register.

Tuesday, October 8, 6 to 7:30 p.m. –SPRING Wellness Seminar: Success inAging, Ellicott City Senior CenterMary Carter, Ph.D., program director ofGerontology at Towson University, will discussdefining success as we age. Free; call 410-313-1400to register by Tuesday, October 4th or Karen Hull,410-313-7466 for more information.

Tuesday, October 8 and 15, 2 to 3:30 p.m.– Medicare 101 & Medicare 102, North Laurel 50+ CenterMedicare 101 covers how Medicare Parts A, B, andD work, what the benefits are, and coveragedecisions. In Medicare 102, learn about Medicare

Part C Health Plans and Supplement Policies. Free;sponsored by SHIP. Call 410-313-7391 to register.

2nd Wednesdays, starting October 9, 10 to 11 a.m. – Travel Chatter Club, Bain CenterShare your travel experiences and photos, andlearn the do’s and don’ts of planning a trip. Call410-313-7213 to register in advance.

Thursday, October 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. –Blood Drive, Bain CenterIt only takes a few minutes to donate blood andgive the gift that keeps on giving. Schedule yourappointment at the front desk.

Thursday, Oct. 10, 12:30 p.m. – Retro Rockets, Ellicott City Senior CenterJoin us for a rockin’ performance to liven up yourday. Free; call 410-313-1400 for more information.

Friday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. –AARP - 55 Alive Driver Safety Course,Elkridge Senior CenterLearn how to become a safer driver from theAARP. Cost: $12; lunch is available for a donation.Call 410-313-5192 for more information or toregister.

Friday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to noon –Medically Curious, Glenwood 50+ Center Dr. Larry Romaine is back with an overview ofwhat you need to know when it comes to falls andtrauma. Free. Register in binder at the front desk,or call 410-313-5440 for information.

Tuesday, October 14, 10 a.m. –Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT),East Columbia 50+ CenterTry tapping to clear your energy meridians. It’sbased on acupuncture, but without needles. Cost:$12; call 410-313-7680 to register.

Tuesdays, starting October 15, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Living Well withDiabetes, Elkridge Senior CenterJoin us for a six-week program that will teach youhow to manage the symptoms of diabetes and takecontrol of your own health. Cost: $25; includes all

materials. Call 410-313-5980 toregister. Lunch is available for adonation.

Tuesday, October 15, 1 to 4p.m. – Clarity Audiology,Ellicott City Senior Center Dr. Mary Carson will perform freehearing screenings. Call 410-313-1400 for your 15 minuteappointment, or sign up at thefront desk.

Wednesday, October 16, 10 a.m. – Civil War Series:The Civil War at Sea,Glenwood 50+ Center Craig Symonds, retired professorof history at the U. S. NavalAcademy and a distinguishedCivil War historian, will presentThe Civil War at Sea. Register atthe front desk.

Wednesday, October 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.– Nutrition Counseling, Ellicott CitySenior CenterSchedule your 30 minute counseling session withNutritionist Rona Martiyan at the front desk orcall 410-313-1400.

Thursday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. – War of 1812Thursday, Glenwood 50+ Center Vince Vaise, National Park Service Ranger from FortMcHenry in Baltimore will discuss the War of 1812.Sign up in binder at front desk.

Thursdays, starting October 17, 10:30a.m. to noon – Bereavement Group, Bain CenterFor anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, thegroup explores the process of mourning, copingstrategies, and living beyond grief. Pre-registrationrequired. Cost is $15 for the entire series. ContactKaren Hull, 410-313-7466, to register.

Friday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – 15thAnnual 50+EXPO, Wilde Lake High School,5460 Trumpeter Lane, Columbia, Md.Friday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – 15thAnnual 50+EXPO, Wilde Lake High School,5460 Trumpeter Lane, Columbia, Md. Celebrate15 years of healthy aging at the 50+EXPO, withmore than 150 exhibitors, a health fair, seminars, flushots, living green ideas, entertainment and food.For details, call 410-313- 6410.

Tuesday, Oct. 22, all day – Fall PreventionScreening, Ellicott City Senior CenterThe Occupational Therapy Assistant Programfrom CCBC will conduct a Fall PreventionScreening Program here at our center. Free; call410-313-1400 to schedule your appointment.

Friday, October 25, 10 a.m. to noon –Cookbook & Bake Sale, North Laurel 50+ CenterJust in time for holiday entertaining, browse andshop our inventory of great cookbooks available atbargain prices and finish your with a sweet treat. Formore information, call 410-313-0380.

Friday, October 25, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.– Cozy Inn Restaurant and GettysburgOutlets, Elkridge Senior CenterShop the outlets and enjoy an all you can eat buffet.Cost: $25 per person includes buffet andtransportation. Call 410-313-5192 to register.

Wednesday, October 30, 11 a.m. – Show ofMusical Legends, North Laurel 50+ CenterEnjoy the Jazzy Comedy Show of Musical Legendsand enjoy lunch at our Pasta Bar; dress as yourfavorite musical legend (prize for best costume).Cost: $5 plus a lunch contribution. To purchasetickets, call 410-313-0380.

Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. – “YouAre Not Alone” Caregiver Workshop, NorthLaurel Community CenterJoin us to learn more about Howard County resourcesfor caregivers; legal issues; managing stress andchallenging behaviors; long-term care planning; andmore. Free onsite respite care provided; continentalbreakfast and lunch included. Call 410-313-5980 byNovember 1 to reserve lunch or arrange for respite.

The Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton WayColumbia, MD 21044

410.313.7461www.howardcountyaging.org

The Howard County Paws4Comfort programfosters special bonds between pets, their

owners and the County residents they visit.

If you are interested in volunteering, or wish to schedule a free

evaluation for your pet, contact Ingrid Gleysteen,

at 410-313-7461 or [email protected].

Evaluations are held the 1st

Wednesday of every month.

Wednesday, Oct. 2nd

7 PM at Bain Center


The stock, bond and commodities mar-kets saw steep price declines after Chair-man Ben Bernanke indicatedthat the Federal Reservewould likely slow down itspurchase of governmentbonds a few weeks back. Un-fortunately, the volatility is un-likely to stop.

Investors have a right to beconcerned. Traditional safeinvestments — such as Treas-ury bills, money-market in-struments, and short-termcertificates of deposit — stillearn less than 1 percent,while inflation is approximate-ly 1.4 percent.

What alternatives are available for in-vestors who want reasonable income butwithout a great deal of risk?

Bob Rice, Bloomberg’s alternative in-vestment editor and founder of TangentCapital, wrote an excellent ar ticle inJune titled “Liquidity Detox: Prepare forthe Shakes.” It is available online atwww.forbes.com/sites/rice/2013/06/18/liquidity-detox-prepare-

for-the-shakes, and you should read it. He discusses the danger of investors

holding longer-term bonds inthe current environment be-cause it is likely that interestrates will increase. [See also“Protecting bonds when interestrates rise,” September Beacon,page 21.]

He discusses duration risk,also termed interest rate risk,which I have talked about inprior columns. His main pointis that small increases in ratesgenerate disproportionatelylarge reduction in value forbonds.

Rice gives the example of an investorholding 10-year Treasury bonds. He pointsout that in recent trading, these bondsdropped 1/10 percent in value for each1/100 percent increase in interest rates.

He believes that investors should lowertheir exposure to traditional bonds. Hepoints out that if rates increase 4 or 5 per-cent for intermediate Treasury instru-ments, investors stand to lose one-third oftheir value.

Replacements for bondsIn the article, Rice cites some alterna-

tive investments that have generated supe-rior returns for the best money managers.He goes into a lot more detail in his excel-lent book, The Alternative Answer: TheNontraditional Investments that Drive theWorld’s Best-Performing Portfolios (Harper-

Business, 2013).Rice believes that the following alterna-

tive investments will provide higher in-come with lower risk than traditional in-vestments: master limited partnerships(MLPs), royalties, catastrophe bonds,


MoneyMoneyDISCOUNTS AND FREEBIESDozens of retailers and restaurants — including Kohl’s, Banana Republic andDunkin’ Donuts — offer discounts toolder customers. You just have to ask

FEES CONSUME EARNINGSEven half a percent more in fees can costyour retirement account hundreds ofthousands of dollars over time. What todo about it

Law &

Alternative investments for regular Joes

THE SAVINGSGAMEBy Elliot Raphaelson

See INVESTMENTS, page 23

• Estate Planning and Administration

• Veteran and Survivor Pension• VA Disability Claims and

Appeals• Asset Protection• Medicaid Planning• Home Visits Available

LifeCareA D V I S O R S

Elder Law and Life Care Planning

Larry A. Blosser, P.A.5457 Twin Knolls Rd • Suite 101 • Columbia, MD 21045

443-420-4096www.lifecarelegal.com

By Anne D’InnocenzioThere’s a big silver lining to getting

older: a bevy of discounts for you to enjoy— from free samples to discounts on carrentals. And for many of these incentives,you don’t have to be anywhere near 65. Infact, some can be enjoyed starting at 50.

Of course, to get the freebies or the 20percent off you’ll have to admit your age— and then, most likely, flash your ID —but it can be well worth it.

“Every penny counts,” said Jodi Fur-

man, author of a blog called Livefabuless(www.livefabuless.com), who said she’sseeing more discounts that start at age 50than just a few years ago. “All you have todo is mention your age.”

Tips for savings Don’t be shy: Many stores or restau-

rants don’t broadcast their discounts. Evenon their websites, the offers can be hard tofind. So just ask the manager what’s avail-able. What’s the worst that can happen?

And you may even get your ego strokedwhen the person at the cash registerthinks you’re much younger than you are.

“Today people are more comfortable withtheir age and with asking for discounts,”said Alison Jatlow Levy, a retail strategist atconsulting firm Kurt Salmon. She also en-courages shoppers to think broadly andlook at every area, from spas to electronics.

Join AARP and other groups: Onceyou’re 50, you can sign up to be a memberof AARP, which provides benefits like dis-counts and freebies to its membersthrough affiliate partners. It costs $16 tobe a member for one year, but less thanthat per year if you purchase a member-ship for several years at once. There areother organizations, like the AmericanSeniors Organization (www.americanse-niors.org), that offer benefits, too.

Research online: Discounts keepchanging, so you need to keep surfing theWeb to make sure they’re current. TheAARP website (www.AARP.org) has a tabdedicated to discounts. It includes a grocery

coupon center powered by Coupons.com,and has links to such retailers as arts-and-crafts chain Michael’s, which offers a 20 per-cent savings every Tuesday for AARP mem-bers. The site also has a section on free sam-ples of top brands in food and beauty.

Levy encourages consumers to check outdifferent websites that focus on discountsfor the 50 and over set. Among the largest:www.seniordiscounts.com, which featuresmore than 250,000 local listings. Other sitesinclude www.free4seniors.com, www.allseniordeals.com and www.sciddy.com, whichlets you search discounts by your area code.

Furman also advised trying a free appcalled www.Larky.com, which currentlyworks on Apple and Android products.The app offers automatic reminders ofyour membership perks and discountswhen you need them.

Be prepared: Make sure to bring yourID and your AARP card when you go out.Business establishments will likely want to

22 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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COLUMBIA LAUNCHES CITIZENS ACADEMY A free five-week program to inform residents about the workingsof the Columbia Association, a nonprofit service corporation that

manages Columbia, will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. and continue onWednesdays through October at the Columbia Association Headquarters, 10221Wincopin Circle, Columbia. The citizens academy, “Excite Columbia,” is open topersons 18 or older, and registration is required. Classes are limited to 25 partici-pants. For more information, call Erin McPhail at (410) 423-1891. To register on-line, visit ExciteColumbia2013.Eventbrite.com.

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR SPEAKS Best-selling romance author Victoria Christopher Murray discuss-es her latest novel, Never Say Never, on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7p.m. at the Central Branch Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy.,

Columbia. The event is in partnership with the Columbia MD Alumnae Chapter ofDelta Sigma Theta Sorority.

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see proof that you are the age you say —especially if you look much younger thanyou are.

Where the discounts are The following are the types of discounts

you can grab: Retailers: A diverse group of stores offer

discounts, though most offer them on a cer-tain day of the week. For example, Bealls of-fers “50 & Fabulous” discount days everyTuesday. The 15 percent discounts are validat its stores only and an ID is required. AtKohl’s, shoppers age 60 and older can savean extra 15 percent every Wednesday. Thediscount is not available online.

Gap Inc.’s Banana Republic offers 10percent off every day for customers 65 andolder. The discount can be combined withother coupons and discounts availablethroughout the year, according to EdieKissko, a Gap spokeswoman.

Restaurants: A vast array of eateriesoffer discounts, but most are limited tofast-food chains, such as IHOP andDunkin’ Donuts.

At Dunkin’ Donuts, you can order anylarge or extra-large beverage and get a

free doughnut, but you have to show yourAARP card.

Travel and hotels: For many car rentalcompanies, you have to be a member ofAARP to take advantage of discounts.Budget Rental Cars discounts rates up to

10 percent. Among the hotel chains that offer dis-

counts are Wyndham Hotels and Resorts,which operates under such names as DaysInn, Howard Johnson, Super 8 and Rama-da. AARP members can save up to 20 per-

cent off the best available rate at its hotels,according to Christine Da Silva, a spokes-woman at Wyndham Hotel Group.

Cruise bound? AARP members can save5 percent on select Norwegian cruises.

— AP

DiscountsFrom page 22

emerging market debt, multiclass ETFs,specialty finance and corporate loans (in-cluding business development compa-nies).

He explains these alternatives are nowavailable to every investor. He believesthat it is time for average investors to aban-don the traditional 60/40 mix of stocks andbonds and use alternative investments. Hebelieves this approach will dramatically in-crease returns and reduce overall invest-ment risk.

He also discusses what he categorizesas “not-so alternative sources,” namely

REITs, high-yield bonds, and high-divi-dend and preferred stocks. Rice arguesthat these are often overpriced, and thathis alternatives provide better risk/returncharacteristics and better inflation protec-tion.

MLPs are an underappreciated assetclass, according to Rice. Congress createdthese vehicles in the 1980s to spur energyinfrastructure, creating attractive investorincentives.

They trade publicly, do not pay entity-level taxes, and pay out almost all their netincome to investors. They can be activelymanaged in order to increase earnings.MLPs, in general, provide better returnsthan conventional bond alternatives.

Diversified multi-asset ETFsRice indicated that multiclass ETFs are

an interesting new entry as a “one-stopshop” for diversified and uncorrelated in-come. They combine investments in cate-gories such as REITs, MLPs, royalties, anddomestic and foreign high-dividend stocks.This is a convenient way to obtain incomefrom diverse sources with the prospect ofhigher income in inflationary periods.

Rice does not recommend specific in-vestments. However, he does cite reliablesources for these alternatives.

He recommends Morningstar as asource for all traded securities offeringnontraditional products. For example,Morningstar provides a four-star rating for

Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF(CVY), which was established in 2006.

Rice recommends Miller/Howard In-vestments for their expertise in MLPs. Intheir portfolio, they hold Enterprise Prod-uct Partners (EPD) and Markwest(MWE).

Recently, we have seen that traditionalportfolio diversification did not protectmost investors. Investors who are interest-ed in higher income as well as protectingtheir capital should consider the alterna-tives Rice presents.

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

© 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributedby Tribune Media Services, Inc.

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 23

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Great looking, earth-friendly clothing and gear!

• Sample some delicious fall food• Gift Card Raffles• Lots of apples, of course!

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InvestmentsFrom page 21

ORGANIZE YOUR

RECORDS

Columbia Archives, a service of the Co-

lumbia Association, will present a free

records management workshop focus-

ing on clubs and volunteer organizations

on Monday, Oct. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. at

Historic Oakland, 5430 Vantage Point

Rd., Columbia (Town Center). The work-

shop will be led by Rebecca Fitzgerald,

certified records manager and archivist.

For more information, visit

www.ColumbiaArchives.org or call

(410) 715-6781. To register, go to

www.ManagingRecords.Eventbrite.com.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 14

By Jill SchlesingerA Yale professor is, providing a perfect

follow-up to the PBS “Frontline” episode“The Retirement Gamble” that aired earli-er this year. The program detailed Ameri-ca’s retirement crisis and how the financial

services industry feasts on high fees in-side of many employer-sponsored plans.

Professor Ian Ayres has recently com-pleted an exhaustive analysis of company-sponsored 401(k) plans and found thatmany charge excessive fees. But Ayres

has taken the research to a new level bysending about 6,000 letters to the compa-nies, writing that he would disseminate theresults of his study next spring and wouldspecifically identify and expose those com-panies with high-cost plans.

The conce pt of reeling in retirementplan fees gained a bit more momentumlast year, when the Department of Laborput new rules into effect, which required401(k) sponsors to disclose fees and per-formance data to plan participants. Thefirst round of the more detailed informa-tion was sent in November 2012, but de-spite all of the media hype, those disclo-sures did not make much of an impact.

According to the EBRI 2013 RetirementConfidence Survey, about half (53 percent) ofdefined contribution plan participants report-ed having noticed these new disclosures, andonly 14 percent of those who noticed (7 per-

cent of all plan participants) said they madechanges to their investments as a result.

How big a bite?To review, there are a bunch of fees that

participants pay, including administrative,trustee and investment fees. The averageplan costs about 1.5 percent, with largercompany plans coming in at closer to 1percent, and small to medium sized onessometimes costing in excess of 2 percent.

You may think that a half of a percentdoes not seem like a big difference, butthat fraction could cost you literally hun-dreds of thousands of dollars over time.

As a baseline, if you were to start with$100,000 and invest it over 50 years at a 7percent return (compounded monthly)with no fees, you would end up with ap-proximately $3.2 million.

If you apply the average plan fee of 1.5percent, the future amount is more thanhalved to just over $1.5 million. But if youare in an expensive plan and the fee is 2percent, your future value drops to $1.2million at the end. That’s $300,000 thatcould be falling to your bottom line!

Finding lower feesWhat should you do if your retirement plan

is more expensive than the average? One ben-efit to the disclosure rules is that plan partici-pants can be empowered to effect change.

The first step is to review the disclosurethat was sent. If your plan costs more than theaverage of 1.5 percent, gather as many co-workers as possible and lobby your boss for acheaper plan. It may surprise the boss to learnthat he or she can find cheaper alternatives.

But it is notoriously difficult for smallercompanies to get the best plans. The rea-son is that the financial services industrylikes scale. It takes a lot of money to pro-vide all of the services necessary to oper-ate a retirement plan, so financial compa-nies like to land the big fish.

If you hit a brick wall on a new plan,then at the very least try to have cheaperinvestment options added to the currentplan. Index funds, which carry muchlower fees, can make a big difference.

I recently helped a radio caller navigateher 401(k) plan investment options. By shift-ing from costlier actively managed funds toindex funds, her cost of investing droppedfrom over 1 percent to just 0.25 percent.

It can feel burdensome to stay on top ofall of these issues, but the long-term bene-fit could seriously outweigh the short-termwork involved.

Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is the Emmy-nomi-nated, Senior Business Analyst for CBSNews. A former options trader and CIO ofan investment advisory firm, Jill covers theeconomy, markets, investing and anythingelse with a dollar sign on TV, radio (includ-ing her nationally syndicated radio show),the web and her blog, “Jill on Money.” Shewelcomes comments and questions [email protected].

© 2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

24 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Retirement plan fees can eat up earnings

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TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

By Gwen GibsonTo fully enjoy the riches of Catalonia

and the Basque Country of northernSpain, it helps to have stamina, curiosity, ahearty appetite for fine wines and gourmetfoods — and a knowing, multi-lingualguide with friends in high places.

I realized this during a recent, 10-daytrip to this beautiful, autonomous corner ofSpain.

Initially, four items were on my “must-do” list. One, visit La Sagrada Familia, themagnificent cathedral created byBarcelona’s famously controversial archi-tect, Antoni Gaudi.

Two, eat pintzos (Basque-style tapas)while strolling the soft sands along San Se-bastian’s sea walk.

Three, visit the newest Guggenheimmuseum in Bilbao.

Four, eat in Pamplona, where ErnestHemmingway dined and wrote part of TheSun Also Rises.

I accomplished this and a great dealmore, together with 33 others who hadalso booked the challenging study tourarranged by the Flying Longhorns, thetravel arm of the University of Texas Alum-ni Association.

We were a large, diverse group with dif-ferent backgrounds and political leanings.But we had a sense of camaraderie thanksin large part to the patience and abidingsense of humor shown by Antonio Ruiz,our tour guide in Spain.

A native of Spain with a degree in lin-guistics, Ruiz escorted us to scores of fa-mous landmarks as well as to bars, restau-rants and concerts. When we encounteredwaiting lines Ruiz waved us past like a sea-soned maître d’.

Four other local tour guides, all gradu-ates of Spanish universities, also spoke tous about local lore and culture as we ex-plored northern Spain, starting with Cat-alonia and the Basque Country.

Autonomous regionsHere are some of the tid-

bits we learned. The histo-ry of these areas predatesthe formation of Spain as aunified country. Indeed,the medieval kingdoms ofNavarre and Aragónhelped to create Spain.

But neither Catalonianor the Basque Countryhas ever been an official na-tion. Despite this, theycling to their centuries-oldculture, while occasionallythreatening to secede fromtheir “mother country.”

The Spanish Parliamentgranted autonomy to Cat-alonia and the BasqueCountry in 1979, but thedebates go on even asthese areas bask in theirglory as some of Europe’smost popular tourist areas.

The Basque language,still spoken by many, doesnot derive from any otherlanguage. It originated lo-cally.

Spain is geographicallythe highest country in Eu-

rope outside of Switzerland; Catalonia andthe Basque Country are the highest pointsin Spain.

The flags of Catalonia, the Basque Coun-try and Spain are all red and yellow, butwith different designs — and different ad-mirers. Be careful what you salute.

Our tour started in Barcelona, the capi-tal of Catalonia and a bustling port city onthe Mediterranean Sea. Barcelona, with ametropolitan population of 4.5 million, liesbetween the sea and the foothills of thePyrenees and cannot grow “any way butup,” the locals complain with a dry laugh.

The second largest city in Spain, afterMadrid, Barcelona is home to a famousopera house; a 100,000-seat football stadi-um; a 60,000-seat Olympic stadium; notedmuseums like the Picasso, Miró and Mar-itime, and the popular Las Ramblas Boule-vard that reaches from the heart of the cityto the sea. Busy shops, cafes, markets andstreet performers keep this stretch alive,day and night.

But nothing here attracts tourists likethe works of Antoni Gaudi, the mod-ernisme, or art nouveau, architect whowas 100 years ahead of his time.

His creations include ornate early lamp-posts, the several houses he designed (andwhich locals boast inspired Star Wars cre-ator George Lucas), the magnificent ParcGuell in suburban Barcelona, and LaSagrada Familia, or the Sacred Family, the

city’s number-one tourist attraction and aUNESCO World Heritage site.

Construction on La Sagrada Familiastarted in 1832. Gaudi worked on it for 41years and is buried in the crypt. But themagnificent cathedral is not yet finished.Six architects are still at work here. Com-pletion is scheduled for 2026, on the 100thanniversary of Gaudi’s death. “But don’tbank on that,” one worker laughed.

From Barcelona we travelled by privatebus to Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Bilbao andPamplona. Since billboards are limited onthese roads, we could see clearly the greenfields, poppies and wildflowers along theway.

We also hiked on city streets, ruralroutes and mountainsides. Antonioequipped us with headphones, called“whispers,” to keep us informed — and inline, so no one wandered off to a bazaar orbar.

Capital of Basque countryWe also needed the headphones in San

Sebastian, the proud capital of the BasqueCountry, which extends from the foothillsof the Pyrenees into southern France.

Site of many landmarks, museums andparks, San Sebastian also beckons touristswith a four-mile oceanfront promenadethat wraps around the city’s beaches. You

There are many ways to get your car toa distant destination besides driving it.See story on page 27.

Age-old Spain's contemporary landmarks

Colorful buildings line a canal in the city of Bilbao in Basque Country. Bilbao is hometo the curving limestone, glass and titanium Guggenheim Museum designed by FrankGehry.

Casa Batlló in Barcelona was built by Antoni Gaudí be-tween 1904 and 1906, commissioned as a private homeby the textile industrialist Josep Batlló. Today, the spec-tacular facade is an iconic landmark in the city, and thebuilding houses a modernist museum open to the public. See SPAIN, page 26

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get a sweeping view of this from atop near-by Mounte Igeldo where — on a clear day— you can also see France.

Like Antonio, our lecturer here, DavidBumstead, emphasized that San Sebastian“is one of the safest cities in the world.” Healluded to the ETA — the violent separatistgroup that operated out of the Basquecountry of Spain and southern France foryears. ETA translates in English to“Basque independence and security.”

“The ETA is no longer big,” Bumsteadstressed. “It went too far, did some terriblethings. But they have since become mar-ginalized and have declared a permanentceasefire.”

We also learned that Ferdinand Magel-lan was not the first to circumnavigate the

world. He was killed during a battle in thePhilippines. His second in command, JuanSebastian Elcano, a Basque explorer, tookover and completed the voyage. A monu-ment to Sebastian Elcano stands in Gitaria,a seaside community near San Sebastian.

Bilbao, another city with little crime,was transformed from a dark industrialtown, known for exporting steel and coal,into a clean and popular tourist site afterthe Guggenheim Museum opened here in1997.

Designed by Frank Gehry, the distinc-tive building is constructed of limestone,glass and more than 30,000 thin titaniumplates that change color dramatically as theweather changes. From some angles, itlooks more like a sculpture than a building.

Bilbao landed the handsome museumby paying millions for the building and theGuggenheim name with taxpayer dollars.

The Guggenheim Foundation chooses theart exhibited, which is mainly modern orImpressionistic.

Running of the bullsIn sharp contrast, the principal attrac-

tion in Pamplona is the raucous, week-longFestival of San Fermín, which opens withhundreds of bullfighting fans runningthrough city streets to the bull ring, aheadof six frightened bulls.

Held each year from July 6 to July 14, ithonors Saint Fermín, the city’s first bishopand patron saint, who was beheaded inFrance in the third century.

All of Catalonia and San Sebastian in theBasque country have banned bull fighting,but this remains Pamplona’s most lucra-tive attraction.

The hotel room where Hemingwaystayed during the bullfighting festival nowcosts 2,000 euros per day. Orson Wellsstayed here once and skipped out on hisbill. Proudly framed, the bill hangs in thehotel lobby.

“If you have anything bad to say aboutHemingway, don’t say it here,” lecturerGuillem Genestar said. “If you have any-thing bad to say about France, go rightahead.”

Our close-knit group of 34 had a four-course meal fit for a matador at Café Iruña,where photos of Hemingway still line thewalls.

As I told you, this trip took stamina. But

if I could do it in my 80s, so can you. It’sworth the effort. Catalonia and the BasqueCountry, combined, are no larger thanNew Hampshire. But the welcome you feelhere is many times as big.

Planning your tripBritish Airlines offers the lowest mid-

October fare from BWI to Barcelona at$1,005 roundtrip.

If you aren’t taking a package tour, likethe one I and my fellow alumni took, I rec-ommend the Hotel Cristal Palace inBarcelona(www.eurostarscristalpalace.com), whererates start at about $190 a night, andthe seaside Hotel Londres y de Inglaterra(London and England) in San Sebastian(www.hlondres.com/en), for about $310 anight. Both have great dinner and break-fast restaurants and are located in theheart of the city near many sights.

Restaurants we enjoyed in Barcelona,outside the hotel, included the CitrusRestaurant on the Passeig de Gracia,which specializes in Mediterranean cui-sine, and the Catalan restaurant Pomara-da, on the same street.

In San Sebastian, we enjoyed a seasidedinner at the La Perla restaurant. Forlunches, we strolled the waterfront look-ing for the best places to try “pintxos” (pin-chos) or tapas, the local specialty.

Gwen Gibson is a freelance writer livingin Austin, Texas.

26 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Talking on the phone can be easy again.You have our word.

To learn more, visit mdrelay. org or call 1-800-552-7724 (Voice/TTY).

Using voice recognition technology, a Captioned Telephone operator makes it possible for you to receive on-screen captions of what your caller says as you listen. You may qualify for a Captioned Telephone, ampli�ed phone, or other devices through the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications program at no cost.

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SpainFrom page 25

WORKSHOP ON PERSONAL GROWTH The Domestic Violence Center of Howard County will host a

Discovery Workshop focusing on creative activities to help move

forward with a “new normal” in personal growth and healthy relationships. The

workshop will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Center, 5457

Twin Knolls Rd., Columbia. The program is designed for individuals who are not in

crisis to explore new options in their lives. Admission is free, but donations are

welcomed. To register, call Vanita Leatherwood at (410) 997-0304 or email

[email protected].

BEACON BITS

Sept. 28

SHARE YOUR COMPUTER SAVVY Computer Seniors of America is looking for volunteers to teachone or two courses a month to seniors needing assistance with

their computers. For more information, call (410) 336-5878.

ANTIQUES APPRAISAL FAIRThe Second Annual Antiques Appraisal Fair sponsored by theHoward County Historical Society will be held on Saturday, Oct.

12 on the Howard Community College campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Allappraisals will be done by John Caplan Harris and Shelley Harris of Maryland’sBusiest Auction. Tickets are required; members of the Historical Society pay $8and non-members $12 for two appraisals. The cost is $5 for each additionalappraisal. The appraisal fair will be held in the Kittleman Room, Duncan Hall atHCC, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. For more information tickets,visit www.hchsmd.org.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Oct. 12

By Victor BlockEvery year, countless residents of the

Washington area follow migrating birdssouth to Florida and other warm-weatherdestinations to escape frigid winter tem-peratures and the snow and ice that ac-company them.

Others from the same region and acrossthe country are on the go because they arevacationing or wintering elsewhere ormoving to a new state.

Whether traveling for a vacation, workor another reason, a major decision peopleface is how to get where they wish to goand how to have transportation when theyarrive. The choice boils down to four basicalternatives, each of which has pros andcons.

If you’re planning a “snow bird” winterescape to Florida or another southern sunspot, or a temporary or permanent moveelsewhere, it pays to give some thought tothe available options.

On the roadDriving your vehicle to your destination

has both advantages and disadvantages.On a positive note, you can fill a car withmore suitcases and personal belongingsthan you could transport by plane or train,and you don’t have to rent a car at yourdestination.

On the other hand, driving means pay-ing for tolls, hotel stays, meals and fuel.There’s also the hidden cost of wear andtear on your vehicle (not to mention onyourself), which can be substantial duringa trip of hundreds or even thousands ofmiles.

Taking to the airSome people prefer the speed of travel-

ing by air, which gets you where you wantto be in the quickest possible way. Ofcourse, airline tickets can be expensive,but part of that cost may be offset becausethere are no expenditures for hotel ormotel rooms, meals and gas en route, asthere are for those who drive their car.

On the other hand, while they reachtheir destination quickly, people who flyare subject to the whims of public trans-portation when they arrive, unless theyrent a car, which can be costly for an ex-tended stay.

Another challenge for folks who fly isthat the size and number of suitcases theycan check through and carry on a planeare limited. That can be a big drawback foranyone planning a lengthy vacation trip,though there are ways to ship bags aheadof time as well. [See “Airlines will shlepyour bags for a price,” June Beacon, page25.]

Riding the railsPassengers aboard trains don’t have to

worry about high excess luggage fees likethose who fly. (Amtrak allows two checkedbags free, and charges $20 each for up to 2additional bags.) Still, dealing with enough

suitcases for a lengthy stay in a home awayfrom home can be cumbersome at best.

Train travel also has added costs, in-cluding food purchased aboard, and the

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 27

Getting your car to a distant destination

See CAR TRANSPORT, page 28

UPDATE ON ISRAEL

Al Biegel, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, will present an update of

the contemporary challenges facing Israel. He will highlight prospects for resump-

tion of the aborted Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and other key regional

threats. The talk takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Jewish

Federation of Howard County, 10630 Little Patuxent Pkwy., #400, Columbia. For

additional information, email [email protected], or call Sophie

(410) 730-4976, x103

AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE

Edgar Allan Poe, portrayed by Mark Grimes, professor of English

at Howard Community College, presents a night of mesmerizing

tales, haunted stories, moving verse and insights into the Gothic tale that was

Poe’s life. The event takes place on Thursday, Oct. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the

Central Branch of the Howard County Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy.,

Columbia. For more information, call (410) 313-7800.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 2

Oct. 3

added price of sleeping accommodationsfor those on overnight trips who don’twant to try to snooze sitting up.

Some Florida-bound travelers take theAmtrak Auto Train, which transports pas-sengers together with their automobilefrom Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla., just out-

side of Orlando. The daily trip takes 17 anda half hours.

The basic one-way price for two passen-gers and one car varies by date, but runs inthe range of $400 to $600 in coach, and$750 to $1,200 for a sleeper (the upper endincludes a private toilet and shower). Din-ner and continental breakfast are includedin the ticket price.

Of course, those heading for places in

Florida other than Orlando (or to othersouthern or western states) still have todrive to their final destination, which addsmore hours, and dollars, to the trip.

Cars on trucksThen there are those who combine the

speed of flying, or a nostalgic journey bytrain, with the benefits of having use oftheir own vehicle at their vacation destina-tion. While they fly or ride, their car is car-ried there on an open or enclosed trans-port truck.

The truck, but not the cars on it, addshundreds of miles to its odometer. Yourcar’s trunk may be filled with luggage,clothing bags and other items needed foran extended stay. Some companies do notencourage this, however, as they do nottake responsibility for materials lost orstolen from the vehicles.

Auto transport companies offer termi-nal-to-terminal service, door-to-door pick-up and delivery, or both.

Charges for car transportation vary, andit’s important to know exactly what you’regetting for your money. For example, acomparison of prices from several compa-nies for picking up a car in the Washing-ton, D.C., area and delivering it to Saraso-ta, Fla., ranged from $570 to $740. Also,most companies schedule pick-up and de-livery of cars during a range of dates thatcan be as long as a week.

Each transportation service offers its

own benefits and deals. Here are some toconsider:

Autolog Auto Transport, the originator ofshipping privately owned cars, schedulesvehicle pick-ups on a specific date, and —unlike some companies — does not chargea cancellation fee. It delivers door-to-doorand also has a partnership with the AutoTrain. For a free price quote, call 1-866-425-1125 or visit autologmarketing.net/beacon.

Carbone Auto Transportation picks upvehicles within one to seven days and of-fers only door-to-door service. Visitwww.carbonetransportation.com or call 1-888-511-1888 for pricing.

Corporate Auto Transport offers openand enclosed carriers. It encourages plan-ahead scheduling (one to two weeks) butalso offers expedited shipping (pick upwithin 72 hours) for an extra fee. Visitwww.corporateautotransport.com for aprice quote.

Both Stateway Auto Transport and Har-vester Trucking offer door-to-door serviceonly. They also provide vehicle trackingwhile en route and the option of enclosedcarriers at a higher fee. Enclosed carriersoffer more protection for vehicles, whichmay be worthwhile for luxury or newercars.

For more about Stateway and a pricequote, visit www.statewayauto.com or call1-877-848-7474. For Harvester Trucking,visit www.harvestertrucking.com or call(815) 679-6742.

28 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Car transportFrom page 27

CONTEMPORARY FICTION BOOK CLUBDiscuss The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce at

the October meeting of the Contemporary Fiction Book club at the Glenwood

Branch of the Howard County Library, 2350 State Route 97, Cooksville. Call

(410) 313-5577 for further information.

MARYLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVALJoin jousters, jugglers, archers and more at this annual step back in

time to the 16th century. The Maryland Renaissance Festival takes

place weekends through Oct. 20 at the Crownsville Festival Fairgrounds. Tickets

are $8-$22. For more information, visit www.marylandrenaissancefestival.com.

ALL ABOARD!The Chesapeake and Allegheny Live Steam Preservation Society

gives rides on scaled-down steam trains for both adults and kids

at Leakin Park. Train rides are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free

though donations are welcome. Parking is available near the Eagle Drive entrance

to the park, off of Windsor Mill Rd. in Baltimore.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 7

Ongoing

Oct. 13

By Michael ToscanoGarishly sentimental, and with a score

that’s fully drenched in overheated melo-drama, the musical Les Misérables could bea long, three-hour slog for theatergoerswho appreciate subtlety. Almost all of the songs are mighty an-

thems, with only a rare break for a ballad orfun tune; characters are drawn with a broadbrush; and it is a significant challenge forsingers, as it relentlessly tries to grab youby the heartstrings and shake you all about. And yet, as we know, Les Misérables is a

magnificent, sumptuous feast of a show whenit is performed properly. So, good news! Allthe strengths of the Boubil and SchönbergTony Award-winner are on full display in a ro-

bust, colorful and full-throated production atToby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia. They’re touting it as their most ambi-

tious show ever, and while scenic elementsare necessarily constrained because ofToby’s in-the-round layout, a newcomer tothe show will get a deep appreciation ofwhy this is now the world’s longest-run-ning musical. And longtime fans will enjoyanother chance to wallow in the epic pas-sions, broken dreams and redemption ofthe human spirit the lush score explores.The timing is ironic, as this bold pro-

duction coincides with the sudden closingof Toby’s sister theater in Baltimore. Likethe quiet passing of drive-in theaters fromthe American landscape, dinner theaters

are edging ever closer to extinction, a vic-tim of...what, exactly? Changing demo-graphics? A bad economy? Have peoplestopped enjoying the comforts of an amplebuffet and drinks on the table in additionto seeing a show? I’m not sure why some self-styled the-

ater aficionados (and a certain daily news-

paper which itself is going the way of thedrive-in) view dinner theater as somethingnot deserving of attention. But let them miss out, as long as you go

see this show. Enjoy the brunch or dinnerthat’s included in your ticket price, too.


Arts &

NOW PLAYING

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

OPENING NOVEMBER 15

Two Amazing Shows You Won’t Want To Miss!

Dinner & Sho wTobysDinnerTheatre.com

RESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY!

Based on availability. Due to the nature of theatre bookings, all shows,dates and times are subject to change.

A Must See in-the-round

A true classic; this joyous,heart-warming musical

is perfect for the holidays.

StyleSee LES MIS, page 30

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In its inspiring production of Les Miserables, Toby’s Dinner Theatre creatively accom-modates its in-the-round stage by using see-through scaffolding as a barricade. Theepic musical continues through Nov. 19.

Toby’s robust, masterful Les Miserables

2013-2014 Chamber Music Series

CCSSCCSCCS

www.candlelightconcerts.org410.997.2324

Funded In Part, by Grants from The Maryland State Arts Council, The Howard County Arts Council Through a Grant From Howard County, The Community Foundation of Howard County,

and The Rouse Company Foundation.

Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Smith Theatre, Horowitz CenterPre-concert lectures at 7:15PM

Tickets: Adult $32 / Senior $30

DOVER STRING QUARTET October 5, 2013Season Opener!

Winner of the 2014 Banff International String Quartet Competition and resident quartet at the Curtis Institute of Music perform works by Janácek, Shostakovich and Sessler (World Premiere).

JUPITER STRING QUARTET & JAMES DUNHAM, Guest ViolistOctober 19, 2013

“lush tone, a fine sense of color…energy and polish.” – NY Times

miXt BENJAMIN BEILMAN, VIOLIN JOSÉ FRANCH-BALLESTER, CLARINET RAN DANK, PIANODecember 14, 2013

Three Young Concert Artist winners

MECCORRE STRING QUARTETNovember 9, 2013

Arriving from Poland for their North American Tour Debut

Jeffrey Shankle plays Marius andMaryKate Brouillet is Eponine in LesMiserables at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

And then, when the show picks up somecoveted Helen Hayes Award nominations,you can brag that you were there.

A gritty opera liteThis is the Cameron Mackintosh pro-

duction of Victor Hugo’s 250-year oldnovel, adapted into a sung-through musi-cal in which many of the songs encompassentire long scenes. It’s not light opera, butwith almost no spoken dialogue, and withthe heavy subject matter explored in tech-

nically demanding singing, it could becalled opera lite. Les Misérables pulls us back in time to

the grim prisons, raucous inns and grittyfactories, the sewers and streets of Francefrom 1815 to 1832. Saint-like Jean Valjean(Daniel Felton) has been jailed for 19years after stealing bread to feed a starv-ing child. Finally released, but under the watch of

an obsessed police inspector Javert(Lawrence B. Munsey), he skips parole,which would have further condemned himto a life of poverty and misery, and be-comes a successful factory owner under

an assumed name. Along the way, he takes in the waiflike

Cosette (Katie Heidbreder), daughter ofan ill-fated employee, Fantine (Janine Sun-day). With Javert relentlessly stalkinghim, Valjean gets drawn in to a citizen up-rising against the unpopular government,and a giant barricade is erected in thestreets for a bloody final showdown.

Innovative sets and choreographyThe unique feature of Toby’s production

is, of course, that it is performed in theround. As always, directors Toby Oren-stein and Steven Fleming make efficientuse of the cramped space. They creatively use pools of darkness

and light to aid in quick scene transitions,and they position and rearrange their twodozen cast members in tightly choreo-graphed action that make it all seem quitenatural. Those familiar with the show, and

Toby’s, will wonder how the heck theymanage to stage a giant barricade. Well,set designer David Hopkins utilizes scaf-folding to brilliant effect. Massive seg-ments are squeezed in through side en-trances and rapidly assembled. Becauseit’s scaffolding, you can see through theset even as actors clamber all over it,singing their hearts out. You don’t miss a thing from any angle.

(Although I did worry a few times that awig or two was perilously close to hot

lights in the ceiling and might burst intoflames. Then again, that added some edgysuspense.) Those sewers? A bridge from which

someone plummets to death (whilesinging, yet)? Again, inventive use of scaf-folding.

Onstage chemistryFelton and Munsey, as Valjean and

Javert, provide inspired interpretations oftheir roles, the pairing creating com-bustible chemistry. Felton’s sweetly inflected tenor capably

climbs the upper reaches of songs, sound-ing positively angelic in the high registersof act two’s “Bring Him Home.” He obvi-ously works hard to plumb some of thelower depths of the score, which occasion-ally tires out his voice when he then has toreach for big, loud notes. But it is anaward-worthy performance, his face astudy in humility and pain. Munsey is a more-than-worthy counter-

weight, looking as though he just steppedout of an oil painting. His Javert is a malev-olent figure in dark, form-fitting costumes,his face a permanent sneer. Munsey’s pow-erful baritone befits the character, and ifhis body is rightly rigid with authority andintensity, his singing is fluidly dynamic. In Act One’s “Come to Me,” Felton and

Munsey circle each other like boxers, fac-

30 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Les MisFrom page 29

See LES MIS, page 31

Entertainment Sponsors: Being There Senior Care, LLC; Deborah L. Herman, CPA

Beverage Sponsor: Ellicott City PharmacyDiamond Sponsors:

AARP; Howard County General Hospital, a Member of Johns Hopkins MedicineHors D’oeuvers Sponsor: The Bob Lucido Team, LLC

Dessert Sponsor: Copper Ridge, EMAMoney Wheel Sponsor: Whaley Financial Services

Sapphire Sponsors: Bayada Home Health Care, Howard County Office on Aging

Media Sponsors: Howard Magazine, My City4Her, The Beacon Newspapers

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ing off in an escalating cycle of revelationas Valjean realizes he can no longer live alie. It’s a rare moment of introspection inthe show, as he saves an innocent man butmakes himself vulnerable to his enemy. Playing off Munsey’s glowering visage

and mounti ng emotion, Felton’s work isdelicate here, the power of the song andthe turning point it represents completelyrealized. And yet, it’s just a pair of actors ina pool of light. So much for scenic extrava-ganza, shown to be irrelevant here.

Vibrant performancesProviding substantial backup is the

work of Helen Hayes winner Theresa Cun-ningham as the conniving innkeeperMadame Thenardier. Cunningham ispaired with David James as her monsieur.The scene in their inn — with the lively“Master of the House” and “ThenardierWaltz” — is a show highlight, with ener-getic fun and toe-tapping music. While both supply plenty of wily charm,

Cunningham radiates a vibrantly ribaldpresence every second she is onstage. It’shard to imagine she is the same actor whotook home the Hayes award as the tragicSofia in Toby’s The Color Purple.As Eponine, daughter of the Thenardiers,

MaryKate Brouillet is a soothing presence.Her warm, full voice is an expressive balm as

she aids the attempted revolution and — de-spite her own love for the revolutionary Mar-ius (Jeffrey Shankle) — assists in his bur-geoning love affair with Cosette. Brouillet’swork is exquisitely nuanced, and she adds awelcome sensual ambiance. Sunday’s Fantine and Heidbreder’s

Cosette are workmanlike performances,but each actor lacks the full vocal abilitiesrequired by some of the songs. The duetsbetween Cosette and Marius thus fail toreach their full potential, despite Shankle’stender singing.Also of note is the work of the small or-

chestra tucked away in a second-floorroom adjacent to the stage. With just acouple of keyboards, a rare live violin, andtrumpet, reeds and trombone, they fill thespace with pulsing, eardrum-pressingmusic. Musical director Christopher Yous-tra’s whittling down of the sumptuous, de-manding music to a handful of instru-ments maintains the score’s integrity quitewell.This show is usually operating at fever

pitch, emotionally, which can exhaust anaudience. But directors Orenstein andFleming shake up the dynamics wheneverpossible, allowing the audience a chanceto refresh their sensibilities. There are considerable shifts in Act

Two’s lengthy “A Little Fall of Rain,” whichranges from hope to promise to tragedy.The ensemble’s energy never flags as theysegue from one complicated moment to

the next, and the audience can keep upevery step of the way.In short, this is a satisfying, worthwhile

production. Les Misérables continuesthrough Nov. 19 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre,5900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia. The show runs seven days a week, with

evening (dinner) and matinee (brunch)performances. The doors open at 6 p.m.for the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet Mon-day through Saturday, with the show at 8p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the Sundayevening 7 p.m. performance.Doors open for matinee performances at

10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Sundays for

brunch. The performance begins at 12:30 p.m.Reservations are required. Ticket prices

range from $37.50 to $56, depending ondate and time. Ticket prices include the all-you-can-eat buffet, dessert, and coffee ortea. Specialty drinks and desserts are avail-able at extra cost. Waiters are actually theactors as well, and they rely heavily on tipsfor their pay. There is ample, free parking on the

premises. For reservations and information, call

(410) 730-8311 or 1-800-88TOBYS (888-6297). You may also visit www.tobysdin-nertheatre.com.

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 31

50+EXPO Parking is at the Mall in Columbia by Sears with FREE Shuttle Service to the EXPO Front Door!

Over 150 Exhibitors • Healthy Aging Seminars • Life-Enriching Workshops Health Fair • Flu & Pneumonia Vaccines • Ideas & Demonstrations for Living Green

PLUS All Day Entertainment & Food in the 50+ Cafe!

Friday, October 18, 20139:00 am - 4:00 pmWilde Lake High School

5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HoCo50PlusEXPO

To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to attend this event, please call 410-313-5980 by October 11.

Celebrating 15 years of Healthy Aging!

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS: Advanced Hearing Group • Evergreens Columbia Town Center • Howard County Health Department Lorien Health Systems • Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland

MEDIA SPONSORS: Baltimore Sun Media Group • CMRT • Guide to Retirement Living SourceBook • Her Mind Magazine • The Beacon • The Business Monthly

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS:

FREE ADMISSION!

FOR MORE INFO: 410-313-6410

www.howardcountyaging.org

Les MisFrom page 30

Columbia Pro CantareFrances Motyca Dawson, Conductor. 37th Season!

“Choral Postcards from Europe” October 26, 2013, 8 PM

Jim Rouse Theatre, 5460 Trumpeter Rd., Columbia 21044

www.procantare.org

Columbia Pro Cantare, CPC Chamber singers, Laura Whittenberger, sopranoJames Farlow, tenor, Alison Gatwood, piano, Erik Apland, piano. Festival Orchestra.

Brahms,Liebeslieder Waltzer, Opus 52Bach,Lobet den Herrn, alle HeidenMozart,Regina Coeli in B, KV127

Verdi, Ave Maria from Quattro pezzi sacriBritten,A Birthday Hansel, poems of Robert Burns

Strauss, Durch EinsamkeitenBrahms,Four Songs, Opus 17for Harp and Horns

For information and tickets: 410-799-9321 or 301-854-0107

Sponsored by:

hind the scenes rather than taking the riskof appearing under the bright lights. Then, last year — what the hell — she

sashayed from the back stage to face theaudience and let the women out thereknow that the important thing wasn’t themen in their life, but the life in their men,as well as other Mae West witticisms. When she was given a choice to per-

form in the vaudeville show as SophieTucker or Mae West, Henry had no prob-lem in deciding. “I always liked MaeWest’s attitude,” said Henry, 71. “She wasbawdy, a little crude maybe, but honestand funny. And she wore feathers and dia-monds!

“I realized acting on stage, rather thanbeing behind it, was really fun,” sheadded. “As you get older, you come to thepoint that little things such as stage frightdon’t matter. When people see you havingfun, they have fun.” Bob Hauck appeared in community the-

ater productions while keeping his day jobwith the federal government for over 40years. And he was once a radio broadcaster,also doing commercials and voice-overs.“I just thought I could do Jimmy Du-

rante,” he said of his audition for the Fabs.It brought down the house, and he becamethe Schnozzola for the vaudeville review.Being out there on stage “makes a dif-

ference,” Hauck said, and is more reward-

Fab 50+From page 1

32 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com OCTOBE R 2 0 1 3 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

www.ParkViewSeniorLiving.com

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

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and

to arrange a personal tour or email [email protected].

Begins Here

*Newly Renovated!• 55 or BETTER!

*Newly Renovated!

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ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

• Furnace Branch 410-761-4150

• Severna Park 410-544-3411

BALTIMORE CITY

• Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440

• Coldspring 410-542-4400

BALTIMORE COUNTY

• Catonsville 410-719-9464

• Dundalk 410-288-5483

* Fullerton 410-663-0665

• Miramar Landing 410-391-8375

• Randallstown 410-655-5673

* Rosedale 410-866-1886

• Taylor 410-663-0363

• Towson 410-828-7185

• Woodlawn 410-281-1120

EASTERN SHORE

• Easton 410-770-3070

HARFORD COUNTY

• Bel Air 410-893-0064

• Box Hill 410-515-6115

HOWARD COUNTY

• Colonial Landing 410-796-4399

• Columbia 410-381-1118

• Ellicott City 410-203-9501

• Ellicott City II 410-203-2096

• Emerson 301-483-3322

• Snowden River 410-290-0384

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

* Bladensburg 301-699-9785

• Laurel 301-490-1526

• Laurel II 301-490-9730

New Your NewLifestyle

APARTMENT HOMES FOR THOSE 62 AND BETTER!

DESIGNED AND MANAGED FOR TODAY’S SENIORS AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Ask about our Smoke Free

Communities

OUTDOOR SCULPTURE PROPOSALS WANTEDThe Howard County Arts Council is seeking proposals by Friday,Oct. 25 for outdoor sculptures to be featured in the ARTsites pro-

gram May 2014 through July 2015. Selected artists will be awarded a $2,500grant to participate in the exhibit. For guidelines and submission information,visit hocoarts.org or call (410) 313-2787.

FOLLOW DRACULA THROUGH RUINS Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents Dracula under thestars at the ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute beginning

Friday, Oct. 4 through Thursday, Oct. 31. All performances begin at 8 p.m. andare “moveable” — the audience follows the actors through the scenes in differ-ent parts of the Institute’s ruins. The Institute is located in the Patapsco Female

Institute Historic Park, 3691 Sarah’s Ln., Ellicott City. Tickets range from $29 to$38 and can be purchased online at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or bycalling (410) 313-8661.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

See FAB 50+, page 33

CANDLELIGHT SERIES PRESENTS JUPITER STRINGS Guest violist James Dunham will be featured in the Jupiter StringQuartet concert on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Horowitz

Performing Arts Center, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. The program willinclude works by Haydn, Britten and Brahms. Tickets are $32 for adults, $30 forseniors and $12 for students. For more information, visit www.candlelightcon-certs.org or call (410) 997-2324.

THANKSGIVING CENTERPIECES The Longfellow Garden Club of Howard County will hold an openhouse on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Bain Center, 5470Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. A demonstration of making a

Thanksgiving centerpiece with natural materials will be highlighted. For moreinformation, call (443) 803-4850.

BEACON BITS

Oct, 19

Oct. 4+

Oct, 10

october meetingdate: Wednesday, October 23, 2013time: 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.

location: Lighthouse Senior Living at Ellicott City3100 North Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043

speaker: Dr. DV, Integrative Internal Medicine Specialist,The Columbia Center for Integrative Medicine

topic: Staying Healthy at Any Agelearn more by calling (410) 997-0610 or

visit www.cogsmd.org

Platinum membersHoward County General Hospital – Johns Hopkins Medicine • The Beacon Newspapers

Gold membersBeing There Senior Care • Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park

Howard County Office on Aging • Visiting Angelssilver members

American Remodeling Group • Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP • Deborah L. Herman, CPAEllicott City Health & Rehabilitation Center (Communicare) • Ellicott City Pharmacy • EMA-Copper Ridge

bronze membersEarl Wilkinson, M.D., ENT • Gentiva Health Services • Home Instead Senior Care

HomeWatch Caregivers • Lighthouse Senior Living at Ellicott City • Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc.Sterling-Ashton-Schwab-Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc. • The Bob Lucido Team

Trevor Barringer JD/MBA • Whaley Financial Services • Witzke Funeral Homes Inc. of ColumbiaWood Builders Collaborative

Patron membersAlzheimer’s Association – Greater MD Chapter • Brighton Gardens of Columbia

Brooke Grove Retirement Village • Chesapeake Bay Aquatic & Physical Therapy • Craig Witzke Funeral CareElizabeth Cooney Care Network • Home With You • Ivy Manor Normandy, Inc.

Morningside House of Ellicott City •Progressive Care at Home Right At Home – In Home Care & Assistance

Thank you to our 2013 Executive Members

We’re a coalition of nonprofits, agencies, businesses and professionalswho come together to advocate for and help older adults.

Coalition of Geriatric Services

ing than being behind a mike, as he wasduring his earlier radio days. Performingbefore a live audience “gives you energy, itgives you that spark,” he said. Shirley Bishop of Catonsville is the

brains behind the vaudeville review. Or, asshe says more modestly, she “helped de-velop the idea” of bringing back thosegood old days. Bishop did research on thestars and their performances.A former occupational therapist who

worked with mental health patients, Bish-op was drawn to song-and-dance way back,probably when she was about 13, she said.She also appeared in community theater

productions. She remembers fondly per-forming as a nurse in South Pacific when itwas presented at the historic St.Bartholomew’s Church in New York,where Leopold Stokowski once directedthe choir.

In the vaudeville skit, she plays one ofthe Dolly Sisters. “I love doing song anddance,” said Bishop, 78. “It was a gift givento me. I seldom used it when I wasyounger. I was a shy girl. It took me awhile, but now I’m back.”Among the other local residents per-

forming in the vaudeville show are hus-band Bill and director Phyllis Stanley asGeorge Burns and Gracie Allen; JackieDunphy, of Ellicott City, as Eva Tanguay;Jay Fred Cohen, Columbia, as Eddie Can-tor; Shirley Greenwald, Columbia, as theother Dolly sister; Audrey Sanders, Hal-lethorpe, playing Sophie Tucker; DougWilliams, Baltimore, as Bert Williams;Paula Rehr, Ellicott City, as Fanny Brice;Bob Hoke and Bill Stanley as Smith andDale; and Tom Kowalski of Catonsville asHarry Lauder.For more information on the Fabulous

50+ Players and their performances, or tolearn about rehearsals and auditions, call(410) 313-2787.

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 33

N O F A T D D E S H U NE R A S E E R N S H O N ET I N K E R W I T H O T I S

L E N O L A O R E F SE V E R S O S L I G H T L YR A T Y M A L U I SA U T O S I T N E W E RS L E P T D E B S I T E DT R E E D E L S M E T E

R E E L U P S R A NC H A N C E M E E T I N G S

C H I T A M A L E M AL O K I D O U B L E P L A YO R E O E N V Y D E L T AD E R N S E E S L Y L Y

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 34

Visit our 24-hour stores and pharmacies throughout Montgomery County, day or night.

BETHESDA (301) 656-2522 6917 Arlington Rd.

GAITHERSBURG (301) 948-6886 19100 Montgomery Village Ave.

GAITHERSBURG (301) 948-3250 546 North Frederick Ave.

KENSINGTON (301) 962-8090 3715 University Blvd. West

NORTH POTOMAC (301) 251-0024 9920 Key West Ave.

OLNEY (301) 774-6155 3110 Olney Sandy Spring Rd.

ROCKVILLE (301) 299-3717 7955 Tuckerman Lane

D1895RX13_Beacon

Fab 50+From page 32 Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

HONOR AN ARTISTThe Howard CountyArts Council is seek-

ing nominations before Friday, Nov. 1for the annual Howie Awards honoringan outstanding artist, arts educatorand business or community supporterof the arts in the county. The awardswill be presented at the Celebration ofthe Arts in Howard County on March29, 2014. For more information or anomination form, visit the ArtsCouncil website www.hocoarts.org orcall (410) 313-2787.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 1


Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 33.

Crossword PuzzleDaily crosswords can be found on our website:

www.TheBeaconNewspapers.comClick on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 33.

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

13 14 15 16

17 18 19

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

Down1. Ping pong table accessory2. “Stop ___ shoot!”3. Autograph request4. Jeopardy! contestant5. Itsy-bitsy6. Mountain ___7. Work on a tooth8. Necessitate9. Just a few laps10. Flophouse11. Join together12. Bitter end15. General Japanese term18. 10 Down units23. Renaissance and Reformation24. Underground chamber25. “That’s what she ___”26. Hurries up31. It added “Brain Freeze” in a 2004

contest33. Piece of golf course litter35. In perpetuity36. Price less38. Cotillion girl40. Cloudless42. Lairs44. Period between censuses46. Distinguish between so and sew49. Poorly made cars51. War horses53. Item on a wheel of misfortune54. Consumer of trail mix55. Magenta’s neighbor, on a color

wheel56. Drive on57. Simpleton62. “Toodles”63. Div. rival to NYM64. “Whoopee!”

Pro-gression by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Yogurt shop’s claim6. The first supreme commander of NATO,in 1951

9. Punish, socially13. Reset a contacts list14. Sea eagles16. Make a point17. Manipulate, experimentally19. Cookie-meister Spunkmeyer20. Midnight rambler21. Neighbor of a Vietnamese22. Umps’ striped cousins23. Almost imperceptibly27. Maze enthusiast28. Singer Sumac29. San ___ Obispo, Calif.30. Type of loan32. Try to get into a bar34. Less exciting, to a historian37. Used the bears’ third bed39. Cotillion girl41. Positioned43. Like a shady park45. Windy City trains47. Distribute48. Kite line holder50. Good times52. Tried to become Class President53. Elevator encounters57. Voucher58. Org. with a snake in its logo59. Champagne Tony of golf60. Norse god61. Result of the name pro-gression from

17 to 23 to 53 Across65. Ice cream flavor66. Emotion in Snow White67. travelocity option68. Actress Laura69. Understand70. In a foxlike way

JUMBLE ANSWERSJumbles: PARTY GOOSE EXHORT AERATE

Answer: What the diner said when the server sprinkledcheese on the pasta -- THAT’S “GRATE”

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

BASEMENT OR FOUNDATION PROB-LEMS? LEVELIFT SYSTEMS, INC. offershonest, professional, no-pressure inspection,consultation & repair quotes for owner-occu-pied homes with settling, cracking & bucklingbasement walls. Our 23-year-old Jessup,Maryland-based firm has a spotless recordwith Angie’s List, Better Business Bureauand Maryland State Home ImprovementCommission. Ask for Paul. Office: 301-369-3400. Cell: 410-365-7346. [email protected] #45110.

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

SANFORD & SON HAULING Trash re-moval, house & estate clean-outs, garageclean-outs, yard work & cleanups, demolition,shed removal. 410-746-5090. Free Estimates.Insured. Call 7 days a week 7am - 7pm.

ESTATE SPECIALIST Experts in estateclean-outs and preparing your house for sale.Trash removal, house cleanouts, light mov-ing, demolition, yard work, cleaning. 410-746-5090. Free estimates. Insured. Call 7 days7am - 7pm.

ARTISTIC SLIPCOVERS – UPHOL-STERY COMPANY. Steve Gulin. Your fab-ric or mine. 45 years experience. Referencesavailable. 410-655-6696 – Cell: 410-207-7229.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul,Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

CASH BUYER for old costume jewelry, pock-et and wrist watches (any condition). Alsobuying watchmaker tools and parts, trainsets and accessories, old toys, old glassware &coins. 410-655-0412.

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

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS ANDQUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGSwanted by a serious capable buyer. I am verywell educated [law degree] knowledgeable[over 40 years in the antique business] andhave the finances and wherewithal to handlevirtually any situation. If you have a specialitem, collection or important estate I wouldlike to hear from you. I pay great prices forgreat things in all categories from orientalrugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks tofirearms, from silver and gold to classic cars.If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phonypromises or messy consignments. Referencesgladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan,301-279-8834. Thank you.

OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling SilverFlatware, Tea Sets or Single Pieces., Furni-ture, Tools, Cameras, Good Glassware, Art-work Too. Toys From Trains to Hotwheels, Ac-tion Figures to Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

MILITARY ITEMS Collector seeks: hel-mets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, we-bgear, uniforms, inert ordnance, ETC. From1875 to 1960, US, German, Britain, Japan,France, Russian. Please call Fred 301-910-0783, Thank you. Also Lionel Trains.

Wanted

Personal Services

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — O C TOBE R 2 0 1 3 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 35

CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

under the fol low ing headings: Business &Employment Opportunities; Caregivers;Computer Services; Entertainment; ForSale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free;Health; Home/ Handy man Services; Miscel-laneous; Personals; Per son al Services; Va ca -tion Opportunities; and Want ed. For sub -mis sion guide lines and dead lines, see thebox on the bottom of this page.

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

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

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TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDDeadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th ofeach month.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be includedin the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. In-clude a number where 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 dowe accept credit cards.

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

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

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Home & Handyman ServicesHELP OTHERS AVOID HOMELESSNESS

Bridges for Housing Stability welcomes volunteers to work with

staff to help county residents avoid homelessness through a variety of projects and

tasks, from clerical work to moving furniture. For more information, call (410) 312-

5760, ext. 102 or email Pam DeCiccio at www.bridges2hs.org.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Makes a

great gift!

Thanks for reading!

APPLY TO EXHIBIT YOUR WORKThe Howard County Arts Council is seeking works in varied disci-plines for exhibits in the 2014-15 gallery season, with a deadline of

Tuesday, Oct. 1 for receiving proposals. Both artists and curators are encouraged toapply. For more information, visit www.hocoarts.org or call (410) 313-2787.

FUNDRAISER TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER The Domestic Violence Center of Howard County will hold its sev-enth annual Hope Bowl fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 7 to 9p.m. at the Brunswick Columbia Lanes, 7100 Carved Stone Ln.,

Columbia. Teams of five bowlers are suggested. For more information, visitwww.dvcenter.org or call (410) 997-0304.

IRON MAN AUTHOR EVENTAuthor Brian Boyle will share his true story of finishing the HawaiiIron Man race just three years after a near fatal car accidentresulted in a lengthy medically-induced coma. He speaks on

Monday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd.,Ellicott City. The program on his book Iron Heart: the True Story of How I CameBack from the Dead is in partnership with the American Red Cross which hastwice named Boyle as Spokesperson of the Year. For additional information, callthe library at (410) 313-1950.

BEACON BITS

Oct. 1

Oct. 5

Sept. 23

36 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Have you ever wondered how much your favorite heirloom is worth? Is it trash or treasure?

Find out at the Antiques and Collectibles Road Show!

Experts from Peenstra Antiques Appraisals and NovaGold, LLC, will provide free appraisals, consultations and advice on anything you might own, including furniture,

glass, porcelain, paintings, toys, documents, jewelry, silver, stamps, coins, books and more. Each guest may bring one item to the Antiques and Collectibles Road Show. The first 30

people to RSVP will become part of the show and enjoy their appraisal in front of the audience. Private evaluations will be provided for remaining guests after the show’s conclusion.

You are also welcome to attend simply as a spectator.

BROOKE GROVE RETIREMENT VILLAGE CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO ATTEND AN

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

ROAD SHOWTuesday, october 15, 2013

10 a.m. - noon

Sharon Courtyard of Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Campus tours available upon request.

October 2013 Howard County Beacon Edition

Documents

Transcript of October 2013 Howard County Beacon Edition