F R E E

VOL.8, NO.7

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0JULY 2010More than 100,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

By Carol SorgenWhen Phoebe Buchanan enrolled in

what was then Coppin State College in1975, at the age of 51, she had every inten-tion of graduating in a timely manner withan undergraduate degree in biology.

But in 1981, having successfully com-pleted 140 credits and earning a 2.6 gradepoint average, she was forced to leaveschool in order to find a job so she couldsupport her two school-age sons.

But proving that it is never too late tomake up for lost time, Buchanan, now 86and a resident of West Baltimore, returnedto what is now Coppin State University lastJune to complete the academic require-ments necessary to obtain her degree. Thir-ty-five years after she started, Buchanan fi-nally graduated in May with an undergradu-ate degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Buchanan wasn’t idle after leaving Cop-pin the first time. She worked as a nurse,and also worked in the Baltimore Cityschool system, and “traveled a lot.”

But finishing her education had alwaysbeen a goal, something new technologymade easier for her. After re-entering Cop-pin, Buchanan enrolled in the Interdiscipli-nary Studies Capstone Seminar — an on-line course that uses Blackboard, a web-based software program.

Buchanan attended Coppin’s studentcomputer lab daily, working one-on-onewith a tutor who coached her on navigat-ing the system, through which she submit-ted her assignments.

Free tuition for older adultsPaying for her education wasn’t an

issue this time around. Buchanan’s tu-ition, fees and books were waived throughthe Senior Citizens Tuition Waiver, whichis offered by the Commission on HigherEducation to Maryland residents who are60 or older for any course in their collegewhere space is available.

Buchanan is, of course, not only happyto be a new grad but also grateful for theopportunities that she has been affordedby Coppin.

“Everyone is so nice to me and treats melike I am golden,” she said. “I love Coppin.”

Not one to let any grass grow under herfeet, Buchanan has also recently been or-dained a minister and plans on attending

Morgan State University in hopes of earn-ing a Master’s degree in religion.

Students over 50 make up nearly 5 per-cent of undergraduate students and abouta quarter of the graduate students at Cop-pin State, which has a mission to servenon-traditional students.

A study by the National Center for High-er Education Management Systems foundthat Maryland residents age 40 to 64 aremore likely to be enrolled in college thantheir peers in many other states. The per-cent of Marylanders in this age group incollege ranks 12th among the 50 states.

From dropout to grad studentIsaiah Fletcher, Sr. can relate to

Buchanan’s spirit of intellectual curiosityand achievement. In May, the 82-year-oldNortheast Baltimore resident picked uphis Master of Arts in Liberal Studies fromLoyola University.

A high school dropout, Fletcher joinedthe Merchant Marines during World WarII, eventually receiving his high schooldiploma.

“I never thought that I’d go to college,

I N S I D E …

FITNESS & HEALTH 3k Pros and cons of daily aspirink Keeping your brain fit

LAW & MONEY 10k Lessons from the bear marketk Calculate your nest egg’s life

LEISURE & TRAVEL 13

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Graduates make up for lost time

Isaiah Fletcher, Sr., 82, earned his master’s degree from Loyola University in May.The former high school dropout also has degrees from Morgan State and Harvard. Heenrolled at Loyola because he worried he was “stagnating intellectually” after retire-ment. Nationally, the number of college students over age 50 grew 45 percent from1997 to 2008.

See GRADUATES page 21

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A R T S & S T Y L EA review of the upcomingsummer festival scene; plus,dance troupe steps up to anaward from the governor

page 16

See Housing Optionsmagazine

after page 12.You may win $100!

This month, the publisher cedes his space toa national award-winning guest columnist.

I slit open the envelope oneday last month and there it was,in all its red, white and blueglory: MyMedicare card.

A passport to health securityin my old age. A social benefitI’ve been anticipating for a longtime. And, yes, proof positivethat I’m about to be, by govern-ment decree, a worthy (if notnecessarily a wise) old owl.

Turning 65 is pretty much ayawn, as birthdays go. Sixtywastough. Seventy will be tougher.

But a birthday that ends in a five? Nobig deal. Please pass the hors d’oeuvres,and what did you say Cousin George hasbeen doing with himself?

But because the government has justclasped me to its bosom and promised tocover my medical bills, 65 is a lot more wa-tersheddish than 55 or 45 ever were.

It’s a time to count one’s blessings, be-ginning with the biggest: I’m still aroundto mark this moment.

And this one: I live in a country thatcares about my old bones.

And this one: My doctors all say theywill honor Medicare.

And this one: I am healthy enough notto need my Medicare card, certainly right

away and maybe for a longtime.

As the actual birthdaybears down on me, I’ve beenthinking a lot about my fatherand my grandfathers. Nonelived to 65. Only one lived to60.

I don’t believe that a littlered, white and blue cardwould have saved any ofthem. Regular overdoses ofbutter and roast beef sealedtheir fates.

But I am their product, and I hope to livelong enough to fray my Medicare card andneed a replacement. To do that, I will needto take a different view of healthcare thanmy Dad and Grandpas ever did.

It’s very tempting to look at one’sMedicare card and see it as a license tospend.

If I’m ever sick, why not arrange forevery diagnostic test in the world? Whynot demand the latest, most expensive(even experimental) drugs? Hey, world,I’ve earned the right, haven’t I? And howvery lovely that someone else — ayounger someone else — will be picking

up most of the tab.Trouble is, I do care. I’ve decided to be

very judicious with my Medicare card. I’mgoing to use it only when absolutely neces-sary. The reason is the people who are myproduct — my children, and theirs, andtheirs.

My generation has had every advan-tage. Polio was cured when we were ba-bies. Smoking was flagged as a major men-ace when we were teenagers, in time tosave thousands of us. Statins can now re-duce the risk of heart disease at astonish-ing rates.

As long as I continue to view celery asan exciting snack, I may be around tomark my 85th, and 95th, and perhapsmore.

Which is precisely the point. The choiceand responsibility are mine. The decision tomainline celery and not doughnuts is mine.

I can’t irresponsibly eat whatever I like forthe next two decades and then hurl myselfat the medical profession, while chanting,“Save me! And charge it all to Medicare!”

Of course, into each life some rain mustfall, celery or no. But when the dropletssplash onto my noggin, I will not ask tax-payers to provide me with the gold stan-dard of care.

Doctors, yes. Comfort, yes. But low-suc-

cess-rate, high-cost surgery that might ex-tend my life by a few weeks? I’m not thatpiggy.

Expensive drugs that might work andmight not? No to that one, too.

Second opinions, third opinions andendless consultations by specialists? No,no, and no.

I can feel your skepticism. Give Bob can-cer, and a chance to survive it, and he willspare no expense, you’re probably saying.Give Bob three months before a grand-child’s wedding, and he will order up everytest and drug in the world so he can stave offan illness and be right there in the first row.

Sorry, but I just don’t see it that way.My right to medical care is no greater

than anyone else’s, and if that someoneelse is far younger than I am — as mostpeople now are — I will gladly exit stageright and leave precious resources to him.

I have had a long run. Others need to beable to say that. I can help them do so.

So: thanks to that huge computer in Gov-ernmentland that created and mailed memy Medicare card. Please forgive me in ad-vance if I use it far less often than most.

Bob Levey is a national award-winningcolumnist and recent winner of the Red Rib-bon Pairs event at the North AmericanBridge Championships.

2 J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

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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

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Got Medicare, but don’t plan to use a lot

GUESTCOLUMNISTBy Bob Levey

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By Sarah BaldaufResearch recently published in the Jour-

nal of the American Medical Associationcasts doubt on the benefit of a daily aspirinin people with very early peripheral arterydisease. It might also increase the risk ofhearing loss in some.These and other findings underscore the

fact that aspirin therapy isn’t for everyone,even though it has other proven benefits.Should you be taking a daily aspirin?

Here’s what recent research on regular as-pirin use reveals:

1. It may increase the risk of hear-ing loss.In the March issue of The American

Journal of Medicine, researchers reportedthat regular use of aspirin — at least twiceweekly — upped the risk of suffering hear-ing loss by 12 percent in men. Thoseyounger than 50 had a 33 percent in-creased risk of hearing loss. Use of othernonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs oracetaminophen also increased the risk ofhearing loss.

2. It may reduce risk of developingcolorectal cancers.A 2009 study in the Journal of the Ameri-

can Medical Association suggested that as-pirin use in certain patients who have hadcolorectal cancer (with tumors that ex-press the COX-2 enzyme) may improvesurvival. And the journal Gastroenterolo-gy published a study in 2008 that found asignificantly lowered risk of developingthe cancers in men using aspirin (andother nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories)

regularly over the long term.The benefits, however, were not evident

until individuals had amassed a total of fiveyears of regular use. Also, the dose withthe biggest benefit — 325-mg. pills morethan 14 times each week — is greater thantypically recommended.

3. It may lower a woman’s risk ofbreast cancer recurrence or possiblyeven its development.A report issued in February based on

data from the Nurses’ Health Study sug-gested that women who had breast cancerand took a low-dose aspirin two to fivetimes weekly were 71 percent less likely tohave a deadly recurrence than those whotook little or no aspirin.And a research review published in 2008

in the Journal of the National Cancer Insti-tute found a 13 percent relative risk reduc-tion in women who used aspirin regularly,compared with those who did not. The find-ings found an overall reduced risk of 12 per-cent for regular use of NSAIDs in general.Previous research on breast cancer risk

and NSAID use had shown conflicting re-sults.

4. It may throw off test results forprostate cancer.In a 2008 issue of the journal Cancer, re-

searchers reported that men who used as-pirin and other NSAIDs regularly hadabout 10 percent lower levels of prostate-specific antigens. The researchers suggestthis may hinder the detection of prostatecancer in regular aspirin users.

5. It may offer some protection against

Alzheimer’s disease.Research has been inconclusive, but a

2008 review published in the journal Neu-rology found that people who used aspirinhad a 13 percent lower risk of developingAlzheimer’s. The study added to an ongo-ing debate about whether certain types ofNSAIDs — say, ibuprofen versus aspirin— were more beneficial.

6. It may help prevent strokes —unless you also take ibuprofen.A small study published in 2008 in the

Journal of Clinical Pharmacology foundthat stroke patients who took daily aspirinto prevent another stroke and also tookibuprofen — say, for their arthritis —reaped no antiplatelet benefit. After a pa-tient stopped the ibuprofen, the aspirin be-came effective. The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration warns that aspirin’s bene-fits may be diminished by ibuprofen use.

7. It may protect against Parkin-son’s disease.A 2007 study published in Neurology

suggests that women who used aspirinregularly (defined as two or more times aweek for at least a month at any point intheir lives) may be 40 percent less likely todevelop the disease.

8. It may prevent asthma in middle-aged women.A 2008 study published in the journal

Thorax found that women 45 and olderwho took 100 mg. of aspirin every otherday were 10 percent less likely to developasthma over the next decade than womengiven a placebo. The study authors note

that aspirin could exacerbate symptoms inabout 10 percent of people already diag-nosed with asthma.

9. It may provide zero protectionagainst heart attacks in people with di-abetes.In 2008, the British Medical Journal pub-

lished research that suggests diabeticstaking aspirin to prevent a first heart at-tack are no less likely to experience an at-tack than those taking a placebo. Peoplewith diabetes are at least twice as likely todevelop heart disease or have a stroke asthe general public.

10. It may offer no protection tosome suf ferers of heart attack orstroke.A 2008 research review published in the

British Medical Journal found that nearly30 percent of people with cardiovasculardisease who took prescribed aspirin wereresistant to its effects. Such “aspirin resist-ance,” the study found, makes such pa-tients four times as likely as those forwhom aspirin had an effect to have a heartattack, stroke or die.

11. It may be less effective in pre-venting heart attack death in women.In 2008, a research review published in

the journal BMC Medicine found that earli-er studies showed a large benefit in mentaking aspirin to reduce the rates of fatalheart attack, but women did not receivethe same advantage. A 2009 U.S. Preven-tive Services Task Force recommendation

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 3

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By Marcella G. WildingWe are generally aware that as we age

we can take steps to keep our bodies fit.There is not, however, the same level ofawareness that we can take simple, every-day steps to keep our brains fit. But re-search has clearly shown that we can doso.The underlying principle in maintaining

brain fitness through mental exercise is tointroduce “newness” into mental activities.For example, if you are an avid crosswordpuzzle player (an effective activity forbrain health), your brain would benefittremendously from introducing numbergames, like Sudoku. Or if you are righthanded, occasionally form letters withyour left hand.

Since all our thoughts and actions origi-nate in the brain, the options for introduc-ing newness into our behavior are unlimit-ed. Comb your hair, wash your car, or setyour dinner table with your least-usedhand.Study a new language, learn a new

game, or read a different type of book.These are all steps that promise to stimu-late fitness of the brain.

Make new connectionsSocial interactions that expose one to

new ideas and new experiences have alsobeen proven to increase mental activity inour brains.One way to understand the importance

of “newness” is to imagine the brain as a

complex circuit board. Some circuit con-nections are often used and thus are welldeveloped, but new activity will promptmultiple new connections.In the brain, these new connections are

occurring between brain cells or neurons.As connections between neurons increase,the density of the brain increases.The denser the brain, the more effi-

ciently it works and the fitter it becomes.Connection activities in the brain arecalled synapses, and a major goal of pro-moting brain fitness is to increase thenumber of brain synapses.Current research supports the possibili-

ty that one can hold brain synapses forlater use. That is, one can draw on extrasynapses when needed for brain efficiency.This is called “the reserve theory” and

is of particular interest for the aging brain.It is not difficult to appreciate the capabili-ty of having synapses “in reserve” when(and if) the aging brain begins to decreasein the density of synapses.

Get physical exercise, tooAnother contributing factor for “brain

fitness” is physical exercise. While it iscommonly accepted that physical exerciseoften improves general health, using phys-ical fitness as a predictor for mental healthis somewhat new.

We know the brain uses 25 percent ofour total oxygen consumption, so improv-ing blood circulation and heart functionthrough exercise would naturally assist indeveloping brain heath.There is an exciting new link being stud-

ied between exercise and brain fitness. Sci-entists are investigating a protein called‘brain-derived neurotrophic factor’(BDNF) which the body produces duringexercise. Findings from some early stud-ies suggest a direct connection betweenBDNF and better memory.Studies are reporting that BDNF may

be making neurons more resistant to in-juries and may be encouraging newsynapses in a memory portion of the brain.These findings may explain why physi-

cally fit people have better memories. Lon-gitudinal studies on the aging brain are be-ginning to consistently report that the riskof developing memory loss with aging ishalved with regular exercise.

Diet mattersThere are many lifestyle behaviors that

we can control and which have a major im-pact on keeping the brain fit. One primarylifestyle behavior associated with brain fit-ness is one’s daily diet.

4 Fitness & Health J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

Diet, exercise and puzzles keep brains fit

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suggests some women may benefit fromaspirin’s action against ischemic strokes,however.

12. It may cause stomach troubles.People taking aspirin or another NSAID

are at higher risk of gastrointestinal bleed-ing and stomach ulcers — particularly

with long-term use of the drug.13. It may increase the risk of

bleeding.Aspirin is a blood thinner; it makes the

blood’s platelets less sticky, so to speak.Because of this mechanism, the drugmakes blood less likely to clot. This is es-pecially risky if bleeding occurs in thebrain, which can be fatal.

© 2010 U.S. News and World Report

It is generally known that keeping a bal-anced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains anddairy products keeps a heart healthy,which in turn is necessary for a healthybrain. Research has consistently foundthat a healthy diet decreases cognitive de-cline.In addition to the overall benefits of a

well balanced diet, the brain has someunique characteristics that could use addi-tional attention with specific foods. Re-search is providing support that antioxi-

dants can make a measurable difference inmemory performance.With the breakdown of oxygen mole-

cules (which produces “free radicals”), celldamage accumulates with age. Foods withhigh antioxidant levels, such as blueber-ries, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes,can help.The importance of B12 and folate in re-

ducing the risk of dementia is another cur-rent focus of ongoing research. This re-search has derived from the findings thathigh homocystene levels (associated withlow B12 and folate vitamins) can doublethe risk of developing cognitive decline

with aging.Polyunsaturated omega-3 oils are yet an-

other food source that contribute to brainhealth. Fish and walnuts are popularsources of omega-3.In addition to daily diet, there are other

behaviors that have been shown to be di-rectly related to brain health. Unattendedhigh cholesterol, high blood pressure, de-pression and isolation have been shown inlongitudinal studies to increase the risk ofcognitive decline and, more specifically,memory loss.Unfortunately, treatments to modify

these problems are often not taken. It is es-

timated that only 25 percent of Americanswith high blood pressure have taken nec-essary steps to get this under control. Un-controlled hypertension in mid-life cantriple the risk of developing cognitive de-cline later in life.Pages could be filled on ways to keep

the brain fit. The essential point is to rec-ognize that one can exert considerable in-fluence on the health of one’s brain by tak-ing the foregoing relatively simple steps.

Marcella G. Wilding, Ph.D., lives inHoward County and speaks frequently tohealthcare professionals and seniors onbrain fitness.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Fitness & Health 5

Fit brainFrom page 4

AspirinFrom page 3

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By Malcolm RitterThe big white pill was brought to her in

an earthenware chalice. She’d alreadyheld hands with her two therapists and ex-pressed her wishes for what it would helpher do.She swallowed it, lay on the couch with

her eyes covered, and waited. And then itcame.“The world was made up of jewels and I

was in a dome,” she recalled. Surroundedby brilliant, kaleidoscopic colors, she sawthe dome open up to admit “this most in-credible luminescence that made every-thing even more beautiful.”Tears trickled down her face as she saw

“how beautiful the world could actuallybe.”That’s how Nicky Edlich, 67, began her

first-ever trip on a psychedelic drug lastyear. She said it has greatly helped herpsychotherapeutic treatment for anxietyfrom her advanced ovarian cancer.And for researchers, it was another

small step toward showing that hallucino-genic drugs, famous but condemned in the1960s, can one day help doctors treat con-ditions like cancer anxiety and post-trau-matic stress disorder.

Study at HopkinsThe New York University study Edlich

participated in is among a handful nowgoing on in the United States and else-where with drugs like LSD, MDMA (Ec-stasy) and psilocybin, the main ingredientof “magic mushrooms.”At Johns Hopkins University School of

Medicine, doctors are recruiting patientsfor a study of psilocybin for cancer anxiety.So far, the study has treated 11 out of aplanned 44 participants. (See health study,page 7.)The work at the universities follows

lines of research choked off four decadesago by the war on drugs. The research isstill preliminary, but at least it’s there.“There is now more psychedelic re-

search taking place in the world than atany time in the last 40 years,” said RickDoblin, executive director of the Multidis-ciplinary Association for Psychedelic Stud-ies, which funds some of the work. “We’reat the end of the beginning of the renais-sance.”He said that more than 1,200 people at-

tended a conference in California in Aprilon psychedelic science.

But doing the research is not easy,Doblin and others said, with governmentfunders still leery and drug companies notinterested in compounds they can’t patent.That pretty much leaves private donors.“There’s still a lot of resistance to it,”

said David Nichols, a Purdue Universityprofessor of medicinal chemistry and pres-ident of the Heffter Institute, which is sup-porting the NYU study. “The whole hippiething in the ‘60s” and media coverage atthe time “has kind of left a bad taste in themouth of the public at large.“When you tell people you’re treating

people with psychedelics, the first thingthat comes to mind is Day-Glo art and tie-dyed shirts.”Nothing like that was in evidence when

Edlich revisited the room at NYU whereshe’d taken psilocybin. Landscape photosand abstract art hung on the walls; flowersand a bowl of fruit adorned a table near thewindow. At the foot of the couch lay an Ori-ental rug.“The whole idea was to create a living

room-like setting” that would be relaxing,said study leader Dr. Stephen Ross.Edlich, whose cancer forced her to re-

tire from teaching French at a privateschool, had plenty of reason to seek helpthrough the NYU project. Several recur-rences of her ovarian cancer had provokedfears about suffering and dying and howher death would affect her family.She felt “profound sadness that my life

was going to be cut short.” And she facedexistential questions: Why live? What doesit all mean? How can I go on?“These things were inmy head and I want-

ed them to take a back seat to living in themoment,” she said. So when she heard NYUresearchers speak about the project at hercancer support group, she was interested.

A spiritual experiencePsilocybin has been shown to invoke

powerful spiritual experiences during thefour to six hours it affects the brain.A study published in 2008 found that

even 14 months after healthy volunteershad taken a single dose, most said theywere still feeling and behaving better be-cause of the experience. They also said thedrug had produced one of the five mostspiritually significant experiences they‘dever had.Experts emphasize people shouldn’t try

psilocybin on their own because it can beharmful, sometimes causing bouts of anxi-ety and paranoia.Did Edlich think the drug experience

helped her? It let her view the issues shewas working on through a different lens,she said.“I think it made me more aware of what

was so important, and what was makingme either sad or depressed. I think it wasrevelatory.”The three people in the study so far felt

better, Ross said, with less general anxietyand fear of death, and greater acceptanceof the dying process.Though the clinical studies are being

conducted by prestigious medical institu-tions such as Hopkins and NYU, some psy-chiatrists who work with cancer patientshave reacted coolly to the prospects ofusing psilocybin.“I’m kind of curious about it,” said Dr.

Susan Block of the Dana-Farber Cancer In-stitute in Boston. She said it’s an openquestion how helpful the drug experiencescould be, and “I don’t think it’s ever goingto be a widely used treatment.”Ross, meanwhile, thinks patients might

6 Fitness & Health J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

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By Barbara RubenJohns Hopkins University Medical

School is seeking patients with potentiallylife threatening cancer diagnoses for astudy on how psilocybin can help with anx-iety over their disease. [See “Treating anxi-ety with psychedelic drugs,” on page 6.]Participants must be 21 to 70 years old

and be depressed or have anxiety. Patientsreceiving chemotherapy, hormonal thera-py, radiation or biologic therapies may par-ticipate.The study lasts eight to 10 weeks, in-

cluding two daylong sessions using psilo-cybin about a month apart. During the firststudy visit, participants will have completequestionnaires and interviews about med-ical and psychiatric history, have a physi-cal exam, and have blood and urine sam-ples taken.Over the next two weeks, participants

will have two or more meetings with atrained “guide,” who is a study team mem-ber that will stay with them during thepsilocybin sessions and teach them medi-tative and mental imagery procedures.For one week proceeding each psilocy-

bin session, participants must refrain fromtaking any nonprescription medication ornutritional or herbal supplement, exceptwhen approved by the research team. Ex-ceptions will be evaluated by the researchteam and will include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, andcommon doses of vitamins and minerals.The sessions in which participants take

psilocybin will be conducted at Hopkins’Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit.Participants will be given capsules to swal-low with water and will spend their time ina room furnished with comfortable livingroom furniture. For most of the time, par-ticipants will be invited to lie down on thecouch with eye shades and headphonesfor music.The doses of the drug will range from

low to high, but neither the participant northe researchers will be told the dosage atthe time it is given. The dosages in the twosessions may differ.After taking the drug, patients will be en-

couraged to focus their attention on theirinner experience. At intervals throughoutthe day, blood pressure and heart rate will

be monitored. Toward the end of the ses-sion, they will complete questionnaires onmood and psychological state.Participants will meet with the guide for

a follow-up visit one to two days after eachsession and about a month later. A final

visit will take place about six months later.Blood samples will be taken at each ses-sion.For more information, see Hopkins’ web-

site on the trial, www.cancer-insight.org, orcall Mary at (410) 550-5990.

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Fitness & Health 7

benefit from more than one dose of thedrug during psychotherapy. The NYUstudy permits only one dose, but all threeparticipants asked for a second, he said.The Hopkins study includes two doses.

Edlich said her single dose “brought meto a deeper place in my mind, that I wouldnever have gone to ... I feel a second ses-sion would take me to even more impor-tant places.“I would do it a second time in a New

York minute.”— AP

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

Hopkins studies altered mental states

Drugs for cancerFrom page 6

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By Marilynn MarchioneOlder women at higher risk for breast

cancer now have two good drug options forpreventing the disease, but they will have toweigh the trade-offs, a major study shows.Tamoxifen, the longtime gold standard,

is more effective and longer lasting, the re-sults show. But a newer drug — raloxifene,sold as Evista— is safer. Tamoxifen is wide-ly used to treat cancer once it’s diagnosed,and Evista is used to treat osteoporosis.The two drugs have not found wide ac-

ceptance so far as cancer preventives. Doc-tors hope the findings will spur more high-risk women to consider taking one of thedrugs.“I don’t see a clear winner,” but two good

choiceswith different risks and benefits, said

Dr. Scott Lippman, a cancer specialist at theUniversity of Texas M. D. Anderson CancerCenter. He is editor of Cancer Prevention Re-search, the journal that published long-termresults from the federally funded study.

For high-risk and older womenThe drugs are not recommended for

women at average risk of breast cancer.But for the millions who are at higher riskbecause of gene mutations, family historyor other factors, they can make a dramaticdifference.“Between 27 and 30million women in the

United States might have a high enoughrisk to qualify for one of these drugs,” in-cluding any woman over age 60, said Dr.Gabriel Hortobagyi, a breast cancer special-

ist at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.The National Cancer Institute study,

called STAR for Study of Tamoxifen andRaloxifene, found that Tamoxifen cut thechances of developing the most seriousforms of breast cancer in half. But it has ahigher risk of uterine cancer.Evista cut the cancer risk by 38 percent,

with fewer uterine problems and other se-rious side effects.“We’ve now documented that [Evista is]

far less toxic” than tamoxifen, said studyleader Dr. D. Lawrence Wickerham.Tamoxifen has long been used to treat

and prevent breast cancer. It blunts estro-gen, which fuels the growth of most tu-mors that occur after menopause.Evista more selectively blocks estrogen.

It is only for use after menopause; its safetyand effectiveness before then are unknown.

Tamoxifen costs 10 times lessGeneric tamoxifen costs about 30 cents

a day, versus up to $3 for Evista. Both cancause hot flashes.The study compared them in nearly 20,000

postmenopausal women at higher risk ofbreast cancer. They took one drug or theother for about five years and then stopped(longer use is not known to be safe or good).After about seven years of follow-up, there

were 310 cases of invasive breast cancer

among women on Evista versus 247 in thoseon tamoxifen. That works out to a 24 percenthigher breast cancer rate for Evista users.On the other hand, uterine cancer devel-

oped in 65 tamoxifen users but in only 37women on Evista. Also, twice as manywomen on tamoxifen had abnormal uter-ine growths that led to hysterectomies.Blood clots and cataracts also were lesscommon with Evista.Evista clearly is the safer drug, said V.

Craig Jordan of Georgetown University,the scientist who led development of ta-moxifen. However, Evista’s breast cancerprevention benefits wane over time muchmore than tamoxifen’s do.Lippman, the Texas cancer specialist,

agreed. “It may be that with raloxifene,you need to continue to take it,” he said.And even counting the additional uter-

ine cancers that occurred with tamoxifen,its users still had 35 fewer invasive cancersoverall than women on Evista.It sets up a choice, he said. For example,

women might choose tamoxifen if they areat very high risk of breast cancer and havehad hysterectomies so that uterine canceris not a concern.For more information on the STAR

study, see www.cancer.gov/star. For abreast cancer risk calculator, seehttp://cancer.gov/bcrisktool. — AP

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By Maria ChengWant a better workout? Then don’t

stretch beforehand, some experts say.Many people take it for granted that

they should start their exercise routineswith some stretching on the spot, perhapshoping it will loosen them up for theirworkout.But most fitness experts now agree this

kind of static stretching before exercise isnot only unnecessary — it’s potentiallyharmful.Traditional stretches, like when people

bend over to touch their toes or stretch theirlegs on a fence, often causemuscles to tight-en rather than relax — exactly the oppositeof what is needed for physical activity.Experts say it is like extending a rubber

band to its limit. When people stretch tothe maximum, they are more likely to pulla muscle.

Stretch afterwards instead“We have developed this idea of static

stretching at exactly the wrong time,” saidKieran O’Sullivan, an exercise expert atthe University of Limerick in Ireland, whohas studied various types of stretching andtheir impact on athletes.When you stretch before exercising,

your body may think it’s at risk of beingoverstretched. It compensates by contract-ing and becoming more tense. That meansyou aren’t able to move as fast or as freely,making you more likely to get hurt.O’Sullivan said stretching helps with

flexibility, but people should only do itwhen they aren’t about to exercise, likeafter a workout, or at the end of the day.“It’s like weight training to become

stronger,” he said. “You wouldn’t do a weightsession right before you exercise, and youshouldn’t stretch right before either.”

In the last few years, several studieshave found static stretching before playinga sport makes you slower and weaker.And when experts at the U.S. Centers

for Disease Control and Preventioncombed through more than 100 paperslooking at stretching studies, they foundpeople who stretched before exercisewere no less likely to suffer injuries suchas a pulled muscle, which the increasedflexibility from stretching is supposed toprevent.

Better warm-up routineInstead of stretching, many experts rec-

ommend warming up with a light jog orsport-specific exercise, like kicking forfootball or a few serves for tennis. Thattype of light movement increases the heartrate and blood flow to the muscles, warm-ing up the body temperature.“This allows you to approach your full

range of motion, but in a very controlledway,” said Dr. Anders Cohen, chief of neu-rosurgery and spine surgery at the Brook-lyn Hospital Center and former physicianfor the U.S. Tennis Open.Cohen said elite athletes in all sports are

increasingly ditching static stretching andusing other warm-up techniques instead.But the message has yet to trickle down tolegions of joggers and recreational ath-letes.“This is classic, old-school stretching

that has been done for generations,”Cohen said. “It’s going to be very hard toconvince people to start doing somethingdifferent.”There’s more news for the traditional-

ists: research shows static stretching does-n’t work as well as more active kinds ofstretching that incorporate movement,such as lunges.

In a study published earlier this year inthe Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine,Roberto Meroni of the University of Milanand colleagues found people whostretched using conventional techniques,like bending over to touch their toes, wereless flexible than those who did a more ac-tive type of stretching that used more mus-cle groups.Meroni said static stretching simply

forces the muscle being stretched to en-dure the pain of that stretch. With activestretches that work more muscles, thestretched muscles learn to extend whileanother group is working.Those types of stretches are commonly

used in yoga, which emphasizes how thebody is aligned during stretches, not justflexibility. Many yoga poses involve thewhole body and focus not only on stretch-ing a particular muscle, but the ligaments,tendons and joints around it.Still, experts don’t discount static

stretching entirely. Lynn Millar, a fellow ofthe American College of Sports Medicine,said they recommend people stretch sev-eral times a week and that most types ofstretching work.

— AP

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Fitness & Health 9

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MoneyLaw &

You don’t need me to tell you just howvolatile the stockmarket can be. You’ve livedthrough it over the past threeyears — as the market first an-ticipated another Great Depres-sion just around the corner, andthen concluded that the futurewould be far sunnier than that,with many bumps and turnsalong the way.

Look at the numbers. FromOctober 9, 2007 throughMarch9, 2009, Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index plunged 55 percent,even after including dividends.That was its biggest loss since the 1930s.

Then the market went virtually straightup for more than a year. It had soared 73percent as of mid-May.

Is the stock market a casino that prudentpeople are wise to avoid? Is there no way tomake some sense of how it behaves?

Or can you still earn decent profits inspite of the investment bankers and broker-ages that treat the market as their play-ground?

Here are five lessons every investor cantake away from the market’s collapse andsubsequent rebound.

Give yourself a break. Are you one ofthe many investors who bailed out of stocks

near the bottom last year? Are you nowwatching your money earn next to nothing

in bank certificates of deposit?Themarket’s volatility scared

everyone, including me. Lots ofpeople did things that, in hind-sight, don’t look smart.

Almost no one thought thebear market would get so bad.At its depths, the media re-peatedly lauded the handful ofexperts who had predictedthe market meltdown.But most of those experts

continued to predict furtherdeclines long after the new bull markethad gained traction. Many remain bearishtoday, with their clients heavily in cash.

The truth is that no one can predict themarket’s short-term moves. You shouldn’ttry. Accept that the market’s short-term di-rection is unknowable. How could anyonehave anticipated, for instance, the near-1,000 point plunge in the Dow in a matterof minutes on May 13?

Stocks are long-term investments.Rather than giving up on stocks, or tryingto predict their short-term course, diversi-fy sensibly and stay put, regardless of whatthe market does.

Since 1926, despite all manner of wars,

recessions, inflation and panics, stockshave returned an annualized 9.5 percent.

Bonds have returned an annualized 5percent, and inflation has subtracted an an-nualized 3 percent from nest eggs. There’sno reason to expect those numbers to bemuch different in the future.

But stocks are horribly volatile over theshort term. That’s the price you pay (therisk you endure) for good returns. Mostretirees, in my view, should keep at least40 percent of their investments in stocks.If you can handle 50 percent or even 60percent in stocks, you’ll likely do better.

But the rest of your money belongs in low-risk bonds andbank accounts.When themar-ket plunges again, you won’t be forced to sellstocks to pay your bills. Instead, you can takewhat you need out of your bonds and cash.

Pick a sensible percentage of your moneyto invest in stocks, bonds and cash—what’sright for you— and then stick with it.

Turn of f the financial news. OnCNBC-TV, a new expert offers differentadvice every five minutes. The same istrue for the Internet.

It’s great to learn more about investing.But don’t become a financial news junkie.

Instead, pick one good source of invest-ment and personal finance information andtune out the rest. I’m prejudiced because I

worked at Kiplinger’s Magazine for almost14 years, but it’s my favorite.

Don’t be fooled. Lots of investments— and the people who sell them — prom-ise risk-free returns. Run from people whopeddle variable annuities, guaranteed eq-uity index annuities, or anything else thatseems too good to be true. These productsare larded with fees, and the real risks aredisclosed only in the fine print.

Likewise, avoid investments that prom-ise to rise in falling stock markets. Most ofthe time the market goes up.

We’re not out of the woods. Theeconomy is a lot healthier than it was ayear ago. But Europe faces enormous chal-lenges paying off its debts, and it will likelygrow much more slowly than the U.S.

China is beset by inflation, and righthere at home, we face continued high un-employment and huge fiscal problems.

There’s no way the market can continuerising at the pace it has set for more than ayear now. But disciplined investors canachieve their goals.

Steven T. Goldberg (steve@tginvesting.com;301-650-6567) is a freelance writer and in-vestment advisor in Silver Spring, Md. He wel-comes reader questions. Send them to: StevenGoldberg, c/o The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Sil-ver Spring, MD 20915-2227.

Investing lessons from the bear market

By Anne D’InnocenzioGot a drawer full of old cell phones and

defunct iPods? A 15-year-old computermonitor in the basement? There’s a grow-ing list of companies happy to take suchjunk.

Gazelle.com and YouRenew.com willeven give you cash for some aging elec-tronics, a process Gazelle.com calls“ReCommerce.”

Recycling firms like GreenCitizen.comwill take gadgets for free or for a fee — de-pending on what they can reuse. Andmany consumer electronics companies, in-cluding Best Buy and Apple Inc., have re-cycling programs. Some charities also takesome cell phones and computers and re-sell or refurbish them.

Just remember, before turning in anyelectronics, especially an old cell phone orcomputer, to delete all your contacts and

other personal files.“There’s a bigger marketplace for recy-

cled equipment, particularly for consumerelectronics,” than even a year ago, saidDudley Blossom, chairman of the market-ing department at LIM College, a fashionand retailing school in Manhattan.

Here’s how it can work for you.1. Do your research: Start by assess-

ing what gadgets you want to get rid of andresearching online what they’re worth.The prices sellers are getting on eBay.comor Glyde.com can offer a pretty solid hintof a gadget’s worth. Or try the calculatorsat Best Buy’s Web site, http://www.best-buytradein.com/bb/calculators.cfm, or atYouRenew.com or Gazelle.com (both ofwhich pay for your shipping). ReCellular,which will give you cash for your old cellphone or recycle it, also has a calculator.

David-Michel Davies, editorial director

of Netted.net, a daily online newsletterabout mobile applications, services andWeb sites, advises shopping around be-cause prices vary widely.

But brace yourself. The AssociatedPress found that a two-year-old HewlettPackard desktop hard drive (with an IntelCore Duo processor) was worth $67 ingood condition at Gazelle.com. An iPodShuffle with two gigabytes of memory inpoor condition had a trade-in value of $4 atGazelle.com or $3 at YouRenew.com. Anda Juke cell phone from Samsung withwater damage had no value on either site,though it would net $7 in good condition.

2. Donate for a write-off: Cell phones— working or not — are accepted by suchorganizations as hopephones.org and cell-phonesforsoldiers.com.

Hopephones.org sends the gadgets toits recycling partner called The Wireless

Source, which either refurbishes, reusesor fully recycles them. The group uses thecredit it receives from Wireless Source tobuy more cell phones that it gives tohealthcare workers around the world.

Cellphonesforsoldiers.com sells thephones it receives to a recycler and usesthe proceeds to buy calling cards for mem-bers of the military.

To unload a computer, check out recon-nectpartnership.com, an alliance betweenDell Inc. and Goodwill Industries Interna-tional that accepts computers and relatedaccessories in any condition. You can dropthings off for free at any participatingGoodwill, but check ahead whether youritems require extra preparation.

Any profit from reselling the refurbisheditems at Goodwill stores helps fund the or-

Recycle old gadgets and get some cash

See RECYCLE GADGETS, page 12

SAVVY SAVERBy Steven T. Goldberg

By Mark MillerHow much do you need to save for re-

tirement? You can get an idea by using anyof the dozens of retirement calculator toolsoffered for free on the Internet.

But a recent study by actuarial expertson retirement forecasting shows thatmany popular calculators have seriousflaws. These problems could lead to seri-ous miscalculations when you’re plottingyour retirement.

The report by the Society of Actuariesanalyzed 12 retirement calculators createdby financial services firms, software compa-nies, nonprofits and government for con-sumers and financial planning pros. All butone of the six consumer calculators werefree — and they had a host of problems.

“These tools take a project that is fairlycomplex and boil it down to somethingsimple,” said John Turner, an economistand co-author of the report. “They don’task you to consider a lot of important vari-ables.”

So it’s buyer beware when it comes toonline retirement calculators. Here’s arundown of the key things to look out for.You can find a more detailed analysis in anarticle I wrote recently for CBS Money-Watch.com (http://tinyurl.com/299faxj).

1. Social Security projections. Mostretirees get a third or more of retirementincome from Social Security. Yet many re-tirement calculators don’t gather the de-tailed information needed to project thesebenefits accurately, Turner said.

“They often project Social Security in-come using a bareminimum of information:typically your current earnings, your age,and the year you expect to retire,” he said.The Social Security Administration offersthe best projection tool, customized to youractual earnings history (http://www.so-cialsecurity.gov/estimator/)

2. Rate-of-return assumptions. Threeof the free calculators used pre-set future in-vestment rate-of-return assumptions thatyou can’t change — and their percentagesvaried widely. One, created by the U.S. De-partment of Labor’s Employee Benefits Se-curity Administration, assumed a 5 percentaverage annual return from 401(k)s; sever-al others assumed 10 percent.

If a calculator won’t let you choose your

anticipated rate of return, either be sureyou’re comfortable with its assumption orwalk away.

3. Life expectancy. It’s impossible toknow how long you’ll live, of course. On av-erage, 65-year-old men can expect to live an-other 17 years, and women another 20 years.

Some calculators, the study found, auto-matically input life expectancy figures. Butthey fail to account for differences by race,income and gender. And they also don’ttake into consideration that you or yourspouse might live longer than the averages.

If a calculator forces you to make alongevity prediction, base it on your familyhistory and your health. If you’re married,use different life expectancy numbers foryou and your spouse, since women tend tolive several years longer than men.

4. Housing. The calculators make verydifferent assumptions about what you’ll dowith your house at retirement. “Some as-sume you won’t liquidate your home; oth-ers assume you will sell and downsize,”Turner said. Very few of the tools analyzethe impact on your finances of carrying amortgage into retirement.

Among the free calculators reviewed,only the U.S. Department of Labor calcula-tor lets you plug in home equity when cal-culating your retirement assets.

5. Inflation. None of the free calcula-tors — and few of the professional tools —listed inflation as a retirement-planningrisk. Some of the tools let you plug in justone percentage forecast, even though in-flation can fluctuate widely over time.

Others put in their own default inflationrate, ranging from 2.3 to 4.6 percent. Thatspread can make a huge difference in howmuch the purchasing power of your assetswill shrink over a 25-year retirement.

6. Spouses. Few of the free calculatorshelped couples forecast retirement incomefor a surviving spouse. They rarely letusers enter separate information for bothspouses and run numbers with differinglife expectancies for them, for example.When the calculators recommended annu-ities for retirement income (most didn’t),none suggested buying one with a sur-vivor’s benefit.

Some of the calculators allow for sepa-rate entry of data for each spouse, but

even these typically assume that both peo-ple retire at the same time. Spousal issuesregarding Social Security benefit claimscan be complex— beyond the capability ofany online calculator.

If you’re married, calculate retirementincome needs for you and your spouse to-gether and separately, using different lifeexpectancy scenarios. This will help en-

sure that the one who lives longer won’trun out of cash.

“Doing the ‘what-ifs’ can help you seejust how differently things can turn out,”said Turner.

Miller blogs at www.retirementrevised.com;contact him with questions and comments atmark@retirementrevised.com.

© 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

The trouble with online retirement calculators

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Law & Money 11

Computing retirement incomeWhile online calculators may have

their drawbacks, they can be helpfulfor basic estimating of income, ex-penses and spending. Here are a fewto try:

T. Rowe Price offers a free retire-ment income calculator at www.troweprice.com/retirementcalc.

The American Institute of CertifiedPublic Accountants also has a plan-ning tool, which can be found athttp://tinyurl.com/ya6eoh9.

Another program, which offers four

versions — from a free online tool tosoftware for purchase — is developedby Economic Security Planning, Inc., acompany headed by Laurence J. Kot-likoff, professor of economics atBoston University. Unlike some othercalculators, the ESPlanner softwaredoesn’t assume that retirees willspend a set percentage of their pre-re-tirement income after they stop work-ing. To try out the free version, go towww.esplanner.com.

— Barbara Ruben

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

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ganization’s mission of putting people towork. If the item can’t be resold, Goodwilltakes care of recycling. Either way, con-sumers get a receipt for a tax deduction.

3. Check out incentives: Many elec-tronics stores and makers offer gift cardsor discount coupons in exchange for agingelectronics. Best Buy, for example,charges $10 when it receives items withcathode-ray tubes like older TVs and mon-itors, but it gives customers a $10 gift card

in exchange. (It does not accept TVs largerthan 32 inches.)

And Apple stores will give anyone whobrings in an old iPod a 10 percent discounton a new one, except a Shuffle or ProductRed nano (part of the proceeds already goto charity). Apple also accepts devices bymail but doesn’t give discounts in ex-change for those.

Target Corp. sends customers a giftcard in exchange for items they send in,once it inspects them. Check http://tar-get.nextworth.com for details and a trade-in calculator.

4. Recycling what’s left: If there’s nosuch program nearby (or no one’s interest-ed in your broken TV), consultEarth911.com, which helps consumersacross the country figure out a local way torecycle anything from car batteries to MP3players and how much it will cost.

At GreenCitizen.com consumers canbuy and sell some items through the“GreenCitizen Classifieds.“

LIM’s Blossom also recommends call-ing your town hall or waste hauler to learnabout local recycling programs.

— AP

12 Law & Money J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

Recycle gadgetsFrom page 10

ESTABLISHING A CONSULTING PRACTICE

If you have a marketable skill, you can establish a full-time or

part-time consulting business. Learn how at this day-long workshop on Saturday,

July 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Laurel College Center, 312 Marshall Ave., in

Laurel. For more information, call Howard Community College at (410) 772-4823

or visit www.howardcc.edu.

BEACON BITS

July 10

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTSMaryland Volunteer Lawyers Service connects low-income Mary-landers in need of civil legal assistance with pro bono attorneys.

Cases handled include family law, foreclosure, guardianship, name change, deedchange, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, tax disputes, consumer issues and wills.Call (410) 547-6537 or (800) 510-0050 for assistance

LEGAL AID AVAILABLE FOR IMMIGRANTSThe University of Maryland Immigration Clinic represents individu-als seeking asylum, individuals with criminal convictions, andthose with domestic violence issues. Call (410) 706-3295 or

email immigration@law.umaryland.edu for more information

JUNE 21 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HEARING LOSSAudiologist Dr. Steve Seipp of the Hearing Assessment Centerwill discuss the psychological, emotional and social effects ofhearing loss at the Bykota Senior Center, 611 Central Ave. in

Towson, from 10 to 11 a.m. on Monday, June 21. To register, call Bykota at(410) 887-3094.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

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• No Pay Back as Long As You Live InThe House

• You Still Own Your House• Use The Money For Any PurposeIf you’re a homeowner 62 or older, you cansafely tap into your home equity with aFederal Government regulated reverse mortgage.

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June 21

Having trouble using the phone?Missing or misunderstanding words?Maryland Relay provides a free public service with equipment(free to qualifying Marylanders) and a system that make itpossible, and simple, for you to use the phoneagain. Learn more:

Visit: www.mdrelay.org

Call: Maryland RelayCustomer Service1-800-552-7724 (Voice/TTY)

Write: Maryland RelayDepartment of 301 West Preston Street, Suite 1008ABaltimore, MD 21201

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Information Techn ologyn

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 13

TravelLeisure &

By Victor BlockTalk about hometown pride! I had heard

that people who live on Smith Island in theChesapeake Bay love their isolatedlifestyle, and that residents of each ofthe three tiny towns there good-naturedlytout its superiority over the others.

Even so, the reply of a grizzled water-man whom I invited to accompany me onthe five-minute boat ride to one of thosevillages caught me by surprise. “Nope,” hesaid, with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve alreadybeen there.”

Along with being chauvinistic abouttheir small island and even tinier towns,Smith Islanders also are hardy, proud, in-dependent and very welcoming to visitors— even when they’re poking a bit of fun.

That last trait is no accident. When peo-ple share a group of grassy island strandsencompassing only about 8,000 acres, ofwhich just 900 are habitable, it helps to de-velop a friendly attitude.

Despite its name, Smith Island actuallyconsists of three minute islets, each occu-pied by a village. Ewell and Rhodes Pointare connected by a short wooden bridge,while Tylerton stands alone.

Captain John Smith spotted the diminu-tive archipelago during his exploration ofthe Chesapeake Bay in 1608. Eventually itwas named not for him, but for a HenrySmith, an early landowner.

The first 17th century settlers hadnames like Marshall, Bradshaw, Evansand Tyler, and many residents today sharethe same last names. Some can trace theirancestry back as many as 12 generationsto those early colonists.

Learning the lingoTheir unique way of speaking also de-

rives in part from the first settlers. Mostwere English and Welsh, and vestiges oftheir Elizabethan dialect persist, leavenedby what I judge to be touches of southernand rural Maryland colloquialisms.

After only a few hours on the island I real-ized that “air” means “are,” “why” translatesto “way,” and “tie-yum” refers to “time.”

An endearing idiosyncrasy whose ori-gin I did not discover is what can only bedescribed as backwards talk. If a Smith Is-lander tells another where the fish are bit-ing, the reply of another who wants tohead there might be, “I ain’t a-going thar

tomorrow.” Should an attrac-tive woman pass by two menseated on a porch, one mayturn to the other and remark,“She ain’t pretty none.”

Following in the bootstepsof their ancestors, most meneke out their living from thegray waters of the Chesa-peake Bay. That means drop-ping traps or trotlines forcrabs during spring and sum-mer, and some dredging foroysters in fall and winter.

Each of the three communi-ties has a small harbor fromwhich locally built workboatsventure forth, often well be-fore daybreak, to return asmuch as 12 hours later.

The harbors also are where8th to12th grade students de-part and return each weekdayfor the boat ride to Crisfield,where they attend classes, andwhere everything from foodto furniture is brought fromthe mainland.

Getting crabbyAs overharvesting, pollution and disease

depleted the Bay’s oyster population in re-cent decades, the island’s economy hascome to depend primarily upon crabbing.Along with some hard shell crabbing, SmithIsland has evolved into the center of thecountry’s soft shell crab industry.

The waters are thick with multicoloredbuoys bobbing in the waves, each markinga wire crab “pot.” Male crabs are the usualbait, luring females that enter anticipatinga mating ritual, only to end up eventuallyon someone’s lunch or dinner plate.

Brought back to land, “peeler” crabs,those about to lose their hard cover andbecome soft shells, are put in “floats” in orjust outside wooden shanties built on ele-vated docks. Water circulates through thelarge trays to keep the crabs alive.

They’re checked every few hours and assoon as they shed their shell, are pluckedout with a net and prepared for shipmentto markets near and far.

Hard shell crabs face a different, if noless ultimate, fate. Some end up, still living,at restaurants not far from the waters wherethey grew up. There they are sprinkled witha peppery mixture of spices, steamed untilthe shells turn from blue to red, and oftenwashed down with cold beer.

Others have a shorter trip, no farther

than the Smith Island Crab Co-op in Tyler-ton. On many mornings and evenings dur-ing the crab season, women gather in thisnondescript little building to pick succu-lent crab meat out of the shells with speedand dexterity that are a wonder to behold.The pickers are equally renowned for theirvoices as they sometimes sing hymns tohelp ease the monotony of their task.

The importance of crabbing to Smith Is-landers cannot be overstated. As JenningsEvans, an unofficial island historian, put it,“Everybody is after a crab. You can haveall the education in the world, but if youcan’t tell a peeler, you ain’t nothin’ here.”

Observing and listening to the action atthe Crab Co-op by no means exhausts op-portunities to sample what Smith Islandhas to offer. Strolling around the threetowns, or traveling by bicycle or rental golfcart, introduces a way of life unlikely to beencountered elsewhere.

After all, how many places have you vis-ited where two golf carts passing consti-tutes rush hour?

Touring by boat and bikeAnother inviting way to get around is by

canoe or kayak. A system of marked watertrails leads through canals and creeks

Smith Island’s famous many-layeredcake, Maryland’s official dessert.

Boats dock at one of Smith Island’s three small harbors. The dockside crab shantieshold equipment used by the watermen, and house “peeler” crabs as they lose theirshells in the process of becoming popular soft shell crabs.

PH

OTO

BY

VIC

TOR

BL

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K

A woman picks meat out of crabs at the Smith IslandCrab Co-op, one of the island’s main industries. Inaddition to touring the co-op, visitors can explore thethree tiny towns that make up the island.

PH

OTO

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OF

SO

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RS

ET

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M

See SMITH ISLAND, page 15

Chesapeake’s one-of-a-kind Smith Island

While economists may deplore thefalling value of the euro, it comes in handyfor travelers looking to book a trip to Eu-rope. And with a wide variety of budget ho-tels there, you can extend your stay aswell.

Europe’s hotel landscape is quite a bitdifferent from ours: some of the playersare the same, but with very different posi-tions.

And knowing the hotel landscape is in-creasingly important as big chains slowly

but surely edge out the funky independent“mom and pop” hotels and bed & break-fasts to which budget travelers formerlygravitated as a matter of course.

For whatever reasons, most of the low-cost chain action is based in France and theUK. There are four large chains: French-based Accor (www.accor.com/en.html) andGroupe Louvre (www.louvrehotels.com/en)and the British Premier Inn (www.pre-mierinn.com) and Travelodge (www.trav-elodge.co.uk). Themajority of their locations

are in France and the UK, but they’re alsosteadily spreading around Europe.

Tiny, inexpensive roomsThere is really no U.S.

equivalent to the very bottomend of the European budgethotel market.

Accor’s Formule1 brand(rebranded as Hotel F1 inFrance) is iconic: rooms ofabout 100 square feet, onestandard double bed plusmini-bunk for a kid (twin bedsin a few locations), washstand,and TV. Toilet and shower are across ordown the hall.

Check-in and room access are complete-ly automated — pay by credit or debit card,then use access codes to get in the hoteland into your room. You can stay therewithout ever encountering an employee.

Rates in small cities start at around 30euros (about $40) per night; breakfast isextra. Formule 1/Hotel F1 is concentrated inFrance, but operates at least some hotels inBelgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain,Sweden, Switzerland, Switzerland and theUK.

Accor’s Etap and Groupe Louvre’s Pre-miere Classe are a small step up the lad-der. Rooms generally include a privatebath or shower and toilet, but they’re stilltiny. Both are mainly in France.

EasyHotels, part of Stelios Hadj-Ioan-nou’s “easy” empire, operates handful ofhotels in the UK plus a few outposts on theContinent. Accommodations are similar tothe bottom-end French chains, with verysmall rooms, self-contained but minimalbath facilities, and extra fees if you want adaily change of linen. Rates start at around$45 in the suburbs, $60 in the city.

If you’re looking for something a bitmore like a typical U.S. budget motel, tryAccor’s Ibis and Groupe Louvre’s Cam-panille and Kyriad, again mostly in Francebut expanding into other areas. Rates startat around $60 a night.

Conventional budget hotelsThe next step up the ladder has more

players and extends over more of Europe.The largest concentrations are in France,

the UK and Spain. Accommo-dations are similar to what youfind at typical midrange budg-et hotels in the United States.Typically, rates start at around$100 a night.

• Holiday Inn Express(www.holidayinn.com) is rea-sonably well represented inEurope, with facilities aboutwhat you’d expect from yourexperiences here at home.

• Premier Inn and Trav-elodge dominate the UK scene, with asmattering of locations in other countries.

• Dublin-based Jury’s Inn (www.ju-ryinns.com) operates seven hotels in Ire-land and 23 in the UK.

• An additional small British chain, CityInn (www.cityinn.com), has only six loca-tions but has received good reviews.

• Husa (www.husa.es/en/) operatesmore than 100 locations in Spain plus ahandful in other countries, with rates start-ing at under $50 a night.

• Multi-tier chain Sol Melia’s brand(www.solmelia.com) is similar, with manylocations, again mainly in Spain.

• The only similar German chain Icould find is InterCity (www.intercityho-tel.com/en/), with 34 hotels. Rates start atabout $100 a night.

Start with the brands’ own websiteswhen you’re looking for good deals: Accor,Premier Inn and Travelodge, in particular,frequently promote sales and special ad-vance-purchase rates.

Otherwise, check the usual suspects:The big online travel agencies (Expedia,Orbitz, Travelocity) cover Europe as wellas the United States.

Also try Booking (www.booking.com),Priceline’s UK affiliate. In a quick check, Ifound that these agencies can often finddiscounted prices at three-star hotels thatare in the same price range as rack rates atmore down-market budget properties.

Send e -ma i l t o Ed Pe r k i n s a teperkins@mind.net.

© 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

A who’s who of European budget hotels

TRAVEL TIPSBy Ed Perkins

14 Leisure & Travel J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

VISIT THE TOTEM POLE PLAYHOUSETake a trip with the Parkville AARP Chapter to the Totem Pole

Playhouse to see Unnecessary Farce, a hilarious new comedy that follows two

incompetent, but highly earnest and honest, cops on their current stakeout.

Price: $78 per person; a deposit of $10 guarantees you a seat. Call (410) 256-

4318 to register.

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT CRAB FEASTJoin the Parkville AARP Chapter on Thursday, August 19, for an

all-you-can-eat crab feast at Kentmorr Crab House and a stop at

the Amish Farmers’ Market. Besides crabs there will be red crab soup, fried

chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, corn on the cob, fresh fruit basket, dessert, ice

tea, soda, coffee and draft beer. Price $66. Call (410) 661-0692 to register.

BEACON BITS

July 28

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Pikesville’s newestassisted living and

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• No entrance fee for early bird residents• On site Spiritual Chapel• On-site Spiritual Director

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 B-1SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

Imagine finding a place where you canlive for the rest of your life without worry-ing about maintaining a home or what willhappen if your health fails.Seniors searching for such peace of

mind about their retirement years can findit by moving into a Continuing Care Retire-ment Community, known as a CCRC forshort. Sometimes, they are called life carecommunities.

Move when you’re healthyWhat differentiates a CCRC from other

retirement housing options is that thecommunity offers a continuum of housing,support services and healthcare that iscentrally planned, located and adminis-tered.CCRCs incorporate the full range of

housing alternatives — from independenthousing to assisted living to skilled nursingcare — all in a single building or campus.Residents most often move to a CCRC

when they are healthy and still quite inde-pendent. Indeed, many communities willnot accept new residents who are not ableto live on their own at the time of admission.But because CCRCs provide healthcare

for life, residents aren’t required to moveaway as they age or should they becomeill. As a result, “CCRCs really address theissue of ‘aging-in-place’ better than anyother housing model,” according to

Joseph Howell, noted housing and health-care consultant.Services provided include meals, house-

keeping, transportation, personal care as-sistance and activities. In addition, CCRCsencourage their residents to continue todevelop their talents and interests, andgenerally provide numerous outlets forsuch creativity.They also offer residents relief from the

burden of day-to-day chores, and provide apredictable way to take care of and pay forfuture needs, especially healthcare.

Each one is differentThe concept of CCRCs was pioneered

by church and fraternal groups in the early19th century. To this day, non-profit organ-izations continue to dominate the industry,though commercial developers and health-care providers have jumped into the mar-ket in recent years.Today, more than 3,500 CCRCs are in

operation around the country, and thenumber being built — as well as the vari-ety of living and healthcare options offered— is on the increase.Some are run as co-operatives, where

you own your own apartment and can sellit when you choose. Most, however, do notinvolve an ownership interest. Instead,your investment (in the form an entrancefee that can range from $5,000 to over $1

million) helps defray your lifetime health-care costs in the community.Some are compact communities based

in one building, with different types ofservices on different floors. Others resem-ble small cities, with clusters of buildingsoften connected by breezeways or tunnels,situated on hundreds of acres of land.There are also different levels of ameni-

ties, styles of dining, and affiliations (in-cluding a tendency to follow a particularreligion) among the residents at differentCCRCs.Because of this variety, visitors should

realize that if they’ve seen one CCRC,they’ve only seen one CCRC. Each com-munity evolves its own operating structureand overall personality, and offers its par-ticular mix of housing and healthcare serv-ices.

Contract options are offeredMany also offer a variety of contract op-

tions as well. There are two parts to yourfinancial obligation. You are responsiblefor an entrance fee, much of which may bereturned to you when you leave, or to yourheirs when you die.But there are also monthly payments

due, which will increase over time with thecost of living and, depending on your con-tract, with the services you require.

There are three main types of con-tracts: extensive or Type A contracts pro-vide unlimited long-term care withoutmuch increase in monthly fees. Modified,or Type B, contracts specify a particularamount of care beyond which you arecharged additional fees. And Fee-for-Serv-ice or Type C contracts require you to payfor assisted living or nursing serviceswhen needed at prevailing rates.For all these reasons, selecting a CCRC,

and choosing among the contract options,can be a highly complex decision. It is im-portant to read all the fine print with theaid of an attorney and financial advisor be-fore committing to a CCRC contract.That said, “CCRCs have been and will

continue to be the option of choice for asignificant portion of the older population,specifically for people who are planners,”said Howell.These are the people who move to a

CCRC both for its total package of benefitsand services, and for the security andpeace of mind it can offer for the rest ofone’s life.

B-2 Housing Options J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

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By Ilona BrayParticularly when the real estate market

is down, and there are a lot more housesavailable than buyers wanting them, homesellers start looking for ways to attractbuyer attention — or at least keep interest-ed buyers on the hook.One way is to throw in a few “extras.”

You may have seen listings advertising tel-evisions, all-expenses-paid cruise vaca-tions, or motor scooters.Do these work? Are they necessary?

Here’s what real estate broker and authorGeorge Devine has to say on the matter:“I always scratch my head when I hear

about home sellers offering things that aresuperfluous to the transaction, like a car ora trip to Hawaii.“If they’re going to pay for those things,

why don’t they just lower the list price? Es-pecially because a higher selling price canresult in a higher documentary transfertax and real estate commission.”The bottom line is that your selling price

is what buyers care most about. They maybe pulling together every last dollar in sav-ings to buy your house — the cruise vaca-tions can wait. So focus first on settingyour price at a reasonable level that willbring in buyers.But once you’ve got an interested buyer,

keeping that person interested can be cru-cial. That’s especially true in a tough mar-ket, where buyers know that if they pullout, they’ll have plenty of other affordablehomes to choose from.Two of the most realistic way to help

keep buyers on the hook include:• offering to pay some closing costs, and• offering to leave some home furnish-

ings that you’d normally take with you.

Paying closing costsThe last thing you want is for your buyer

to get panicky looking at all the tangentialexpenses that come with home buying,such as inspection fees, escrow fees andmoving costs. To sweeten the deal, you canoffer to defray some of the following:

Title insurance and title search fees.Whether the buyer or seller pays thesefees is typically a matter of local custom. Ifthe buyer normally pays, you can usuallycover these costs for around 0.5 to 1 per-cent of your house’s purchase price. If it’sbeen only a few years since you bought,ask whether this fee can be reduced by up-dating your original search.

Escrow fees. The escrow agent’s serv-ices usually cost several hundred dollars,though escrow companies will chargemore for additional services like preparingthe title report (which they’re responsiblefor in some states).

Inspection fees. Inspection fees usual-ly run around $300 to $400, provided noth-ing unusual is needed. (But the buyer stillgets to choose the inspector.)

Homeowners’ insurance. At closing,the buyer will be expected to prepay thehomeowners’ insurance premium, usuallya full year’s worth. If you offer to pitch in,expect this to cost somewhere from $500to $1,300.

Home warranty. Home warranties —which are basically service contracts, pro-viding for repair and replacement of me-chanical systems and attached appliancessuch as the furnace and plumbing — areentirely optional and cost around $300 to$900 per year, depending on the house. It’straditional in many states for the seller tofoot this bill anyway.

Property taxes. Like homeowners’ in-surance, several months’ worth of proper-ty taxes must usually be prepaid at closing.Taxes tend to make people grumpy, so thebuyer would no doubt be delighted to un-load this charge onto you. It will probablybe at least several hundred dollars — de-pending on the assessed value of the prop-erty and its location.

PMI. If the buyer is putting down lessthan 20 percent of the purchase price, thelender is likely going to require privatemortgage insurance, or PMI. The cost ofPMI is tied to the amount of the loan andthe down payment — a 15 percent downpayment will require less for PMI than a 5percent down payment, for example.The buyer will usually have to prepay up

to one year’s worth of PMI in an impoundaccount, usually at a cost of several hun-dred dollars — so if you can come up withthat amount, you’ll make the buyer happy.

Mortgage payments. You may offer tomake the buyer’s first mortgage payment,to ease the cost of transitioning into thenew home.

Moving expenses. While not part oftraditional closing costs, all buyers havesome costs associated with moving. You

can help defray expenses and stress by of-fering to hire a moving company.

Furniture and other itemsYour house itself offers an opportunity

for some real incentives. As you mayknow, fixtures — those parts of the prop-erty that are affixed to the property andcan’t be easily removed — must be includ-ed in the sale.Anything that isn’t a fixture is yours,

however. That means you can take it withyou when you leave.But you may have purchased furniture

or other items that specially suit the houseyou’re in: Perhaps a Mission-style diningtable that blends perfectly in your Crafts-man-style bungalow, an energy-efficientstackable washer/dryer that fits perfectlyin a designated spot, a patio set that blendswith your landscaped yard, gardeningequipment, or exercise machines that arealready assembled and ready to use in thebasement rec room.A prospective buyer who sees these

items may be impressed, and offering themas part of the package could seal the deal.

Reprinted with permission from the pub-lisher, Nolo, ©2010, www.nolo.com

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Housing Options B-3

Trying to sell your home? Incentives help

HAMPTON HOUSE OPENS NEW EXHIBITSHampton National Historic Site, a unit of the National ParkService, will celebrate the grand opening of new exhibits in one of

the park’s oldest buildings, which was constructed in the mid 18th century, onFriday, June 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The house served as the overseer’s and farmmanager’s home on what was once a 25,000-acre estate. Hampton NationalHistoric Site is located at 535 Hampton Lane in Towson. For more information,call (410) 823-1309.

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By Caryn BrooksMore and more people, from job-seek-

ers to budding entrepreneurs to those whojust need a better place to do their paper-work, are thinking about how to create aninstant home office.Christine Brun, a San Diego interior de-

signer and author of Small Space Living(Schiffer Publishing, 2009), specializes incoaxing all you can out of your homeby usingingenious products and overlooked spots.The key is to think carefully about what

you have and what your work will be like,she said.“You need to ask yourself what the min-

imum is you need to function,” she said.Assess your space, including spots youmight normally overlook, such as a land-ing, a laundry room, a hallway and closets.All can be transformed into workspaces.Reconsider the dining room, too.

Avoid the bedroomBrun doesn’t recommend setting up

shop in the bedroom unless absolutelynecessary because it will throw what’ssupposed to be a restful zone off balance.Let’s say you commandeer the dining

room. It’s possible to build a totally mobilehome office set on casters that can bepushed out of the way come dinnertime.If all you have is a living room, you can

get an ottoman that opens up for storage,and by nighttime put everything awayagain. Brun is a big proponent of gettingtransformer furniture that looks right in aliving room but with a few magical movesopens into a workspace.People who have traditional furnishings

and antiques are often worried about howto make a home office blend in, Brun said.“It is actually a little easier for people

who lean towards clean, contemporarytaste to find all the working pieces to thepuzzle,” she said. “But anything can be

screened off by a folding screen or evensomething homemade.”

Furniture optionsBrun said the following five easily or-

dered groups of products offer instanthome office inspiration:1) Ballard Designs (www.ballardde-

signs.com) offers more classic-looking de-signs that fit right into a living room. Shelikes the multi-functional “Bill Payer Cabi-net,” which costs $199 and comes in eitherblack or white with antiqued handles. It hasa stationery caddy on top that you can pulloff and carry around, and features plenty ofnooks and crannies to hold papers and files.The Grande Cambridge Computer Ar-

moire from Ballard ($1,599, distressed blackor cream) looks like a classic cupboardwhen closed, but opens to reveal the slotsneeded for today’s workstation, including asliding printer tray and space for a computer.2) If all you’ll be doing is checking e-mail

and sending out a letter or two, the wall-mounted eNook by Anthro (www.anthro.com) is high tech and compact. You hangeNook on your wall ($429 in a variety of fab-rics and veneers) and it houses your laptopand recharges your gadgets. When closed,eNook is just 7 inches deep, and it opens tooffer a 30-by-15.5-inch workspace.3) From Crate & Barrel (www.crateand-

barrel.com), Brun recommends the Went-worth Desk ($399). “It offers the idea of anold-fashioned rolltop desk, where you canclose up your mess,” she said. This classystreamlined desk opens to become a mini-office with a pull-down front to hold a laptop.Brun also finds Crate & Barrel’s Sloane

Leaning Desk/Bookshelf ($228), whichclings to the wall like a ladder, very versatile.“You can simply lean the pieces. This mightbe good for a wide hallway because the book-

B-4 Housing Options J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

How to create a nearlyinstant home office

See HOME OFFICE, page B-7

CinnamonWoods410-378-410558 Curry AvenueConowingo, MD 21918www.cinnamonwoodscommunity.com

CinnamonWoods is a unique and af-fordablemanufactured home commu-nity located just off of Rt. 222 inConowingo,Maryland. The community offers the perfect blend ofquiet and peaceful surroundingswhile still being conveniently locatednearmajor shopping areas and attractions. Enjoy boating, fishing,shopping or just relaxing.Homeowners benefit from one-story living and low-maintenance ex-

teriors. Amonthly community fee coversmost exteriormaintenance,including snow and trash removal and landscaping.Come visit and see our variety of floor plans. Youmay also custom

design your own! Our prices range from themid $130,000’s to the$160,000’s, depending on square footage.

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

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WeCare Private Duty Services, Inc.410-602-39931852 Reisterstown Road • Suite 209Pikesville, MD 21208www.wecarepds.com

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CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

BrookeGroveRetirementVillage301-260-232018100 Slade School RoadSandy Spring, MD 20860www.bgf.org

Situated amid the natural beauty ofa 220-acre campus just down the road from historic Sandy Spring,Maryland, Brooke Grove Retirement Village has been aninnovator in continuing care for seniors for 60 years.With the ongoing growth of our independent living community,

The Cottages, Brooke Grove Retirement Village adds to decadesof expertise in assisted living, nursing and rehabilitation, respitecare, and specialized support for individuals with Alzheimer’sand other dementias. Call for a personalized tour or visit us onthe Web at www.bgf.org.

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

Lighthouse Senior Living410-918-0400 410-465-22881813 Old Eastern Ave. 3100 North Ridge Rd.Baltimore, MD 21221 Ellicott City, MD 21043

www.lighthouseseniorliving.com

At Lighthouse Senior Living, we offer a flexible approach tomeeting the changing needs of our residents: from independentliving to adaptive personal assistance; from dementia care toshort-term stays — all in an environment that is secure and safe,but also fun and exciting. Our dedicated, professional staffencourages appropriate self-reliance for our residents, within asupportive community. At both our locations, you can rest as-sured that living in a senior community doesn’t mean giving upfreedom and lifestyle. We are conveniently located in WhiteMarsh/Middle River, Baltimore County, and also in Ellicott City,Howard County, close to the MARC train, I-695, I-95, Route 40and BWI Airport.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Housing Options B-5

HOUSINGCOMMUNITIES:� Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . .B-4� Charlestown . . . . . . .B-2 & B-7� Cinnamon Woods . . . .B-3 & B-4� Lighthouse Senior

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FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATIONFor free information — at no obligation — from the following housing communities, just check off the

items of interest to you and mail the entire coupon to the Beacon. All coupons received, whether or notyou request information, will be entered into a random drawing for $100 cash.

BB 7/10

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to:The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227.

You may also include the housing info coupon on page 5 of the Beacon.One entry per household please.

Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________

City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________

Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ________________________________________________

Please provide your telephone number or e-mail address so we may contact you promptly if you win the drawing.

B-6 Housing Options J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

By Dave CarpenterHiring a decorating and marketing spe-

cialist to help sell a house might soundlike a frivolous cost to homeowners des-perate to salvage every dollar in a fallenmarket.A quality house at a fair price will sell it-

self, they figure. Paying a professionalstager to rearrange or bring in new furni-ture, paint the walls neutral colors andhang different pictures surely couldn’t beworth a four-figure fee, the thinking goes.Or could it?Real estate professionals insist staging

makes a big difference in how quickly ahome sells — which can mean a highersale price— and cite their own figures thatshow it.Patrick McLaughlin had such a poor im-

pression of a vacant house he visited at anopen house that he told his broker friend itwould never sell — it felt cold and uninvit-ing. Then he went back after a profession-al had staged it and ended up buying it.“They had art work, furniture, sofas, rugs.

It added a great deal of warmth to the prop-erty,” saidMcLaughlin, himself a broker.More sellers have been turning to stag-

ing to make their properties stand out in amarket packed with competing houses.Margaret Gehr, who stages homes in

the Chicago suburbs through her busi-ness Re-Arrange It Interiors, discussedthe growing practice in an interview:

Q: What exactly is home staging?A: It’s the act of preparing and showcas-

ing a home for sale. Preparing involvescleaning, decluttering, updating and re-pairing, while showcasing is the process ofarranging furniture, accessories, art andlight. The real estate agent, the homeown-er and the stager work together as a teamand decide what needs to be done to pres-ent the home on the marketplace.Staging is all marketing — that’s all it is.

It’s a tool that’s no different than whatsomeone might use to sell a box of cereal.

Q: Shouldn’t home shoppers beable to look at an unstaged house andvisualize themselves there?

A: They should. But statistics from theNational Association of Realtors show thatonly 10 percent of buyers can see pastwhat is in front of them. It’s just natural forpeople to react to color, react to “stuff.”I work with clients all the time who

swear that they do not need to stage theirhome. But I find that they still bought thebest-looking home available.It might have been on a busy street or in

an imperfect location, but the house wasbeautiful — they loved the house. Theiremotions took over because the house wasset up properly.

Q: Why is staging considered moreimportant now?

A: It’s crucial in this market becausethere are just so many options for buyersto choose from. You need to be different,

you need to add extra value to your home.Buyers are very move-in ready, so they

can keep on moving right on down the lineif they don’t like what they see. It used tobe that if you were buying a home youmight look at four or five homes beforeyou made your decision. Now an averagebuyer might look at 35, 50 homes.

Q: How much does a consultationcost?

A: A comprehensive home staging con-sultation starts at $150 and goes up toabout $350 nationwide. That consists of awalk through the property that will pro-vide a homeowner with a to-do list — a de-tailed list of visual repairs, what they cando from fence to curb to get the mostmoney and sell the fastest. We identifywhat should stay and what should go.

Q: What about the costs of stagingitself?

A: For an occupied home, working withwhat the homeowners own in an average-sized house, it would start at about $750and average maybe $1,000 to $1,500. Withenhancement packages, where we supple-ment with furniture and trade some piecesout, that would start at about $1,500 andgo up to about $2,500.To fully furnish a vacant home would

start at $2,500 and the average homewould probably cost $3,000 to $4,000.

Q: What’s the difference betweenstaging and decorating a home?

A: The biggest difference is that deco-rating is an extension of the things we love— our colors, our style, all our personality— whereas in staging we return the focusback to the property. We’re highlightingthe features of the home, we’re compli-menting the architecture of the home.We want the potential buyer to come in

and notice the beautiful windows or thefireplaces, not necessarily whatever coloror style of furniture or pictures or thingslike that might be in the home.

Q: Do you stage every room?A: No. It isn’t really necessary. We usual-

ly just stage the rooms where the buying de-cisions are made, and typically that’s on thefirst floor. We go for a “model home” sort oflook. So, a lot of lifestyle elements to helpbuyers see what it’s like to live in the house.

Q: Home staging is relatively new.What’s it like as a profession?

A: Staging has been going on forever; theyjust didn’t always have a name for it. It used tobe done through the real estate agents, butthat’s not their expertise. HGTV has broughtit into the mainstream since the ‘90s.You can make a good living staging. It

takes time to build your clientele. And ittakes a lot of behind-the-scenes work, a lotof inventory, purchasing, manual labor —lifting, moving, hauling, schlepping stuffaround. The actual staging is the easy part.More information about staging is avail-

able at www.realestatestagingassociation.— AP

Setting the stage: Howto sell your home fastOak Crest

410-665-22228820Walther BoulevardParkville, MD 21234www.erickson.com

Situated in Parkville, Oak Crestis retirement living at its best. Ourbeautiful gated community is 100%maintenance-free. So rather than worry about the house and theyard, you can spend more time pursing your passions: travel, vol-unteer, take a college class and explore some of Oak Crest’s100-plus clubs and interest groups. Multiple campus restau-rants offer a variety of delicious dining options, while 24-hoursecurity offers protection and peace of mind. Enjoy the stabilityof predictable monthly expenses and look forward to a healthyfuture with our full continuum of health care and wellnessservices.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITYAdvertorials

Weinberg Park410-664-01005833ParkHeightsAvenueBaltimore,MD21215-3949www.weinbergseniorliving.com

AtWeinbergParkAssistedLiving, everyone feels at home. Ourquaintroomsandcomfortable spaces create a relaxing atmosphere. To residents,the caring, experiencedpersonnel aremore than just staff,we’re friendsand family. Everythingwedo is focusedonhelpingour residents live lifeto the fullest extent by offering anenvironmentwhere residents thrive.We offer a vibrant community with just the right amount of

assistance to let our residents live with confidence and independence.Whether you need help getting dressed, managing medications orjust need a friend, we’re there with a gentle helping hand. Ouramenities include: Certified Nursing Assistance, Medication Manage-ment, 24-hour Emergency Response System, Laundry and Housekeep-ing Services, Delicious KosherMeals, and Individualized Service Plans.

INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

TheWoodlands410-918-21391320Windlass DriveBaltimore, MD 21220

TheWoodlands Assisted Living,nestled among four acres of serenewoods, has a homelike atmosphere.Each of our three floors is home to 14 residents in each wing.Our spacious dining room encourages social gatherings, while each

wing offers a kitchenette and dining area, enclosed porches withTV/VCR, and warm lounges. We also have a library, game room,beauty/barber shop and general store.At TheWoodlands, we take pride in lending assistance to residents,

while maintaining their independence and peace of mind. Our lovingand caring staff provide a sense of well-being and comfort to each andevery resident.

By Mary StachyraLow- to moderate-income Maryland res-

idents who want to make their homesmore accessible as they age can now do sovirtually for free.Homeowners 55 or older can now borrow

money from the Department of Housingand Community Development (DHCD) atzero percent interest, with payments de-ferred for 30 years, so long as they meet in-come eligibility requirements.The funds can be used for a wide variety

of accessibility renovations, such as widen-ing doorways for wheelchairs, buildingramps for the outside of the home, and in-stalling grab bars in the shower. Home-owners can borrow up to 95 percent of theassessed value of their property.The program is also open on a case-by-

case basis to Maryland residents who livewith an older adult, as long as their houseis the person’s principal residence. Thehouse must be structurally sound and freeof health or safety hazards.The debt will be cancelled after the

owner’s death. If the owner is still alive after30 years, he or she will have to start making

payments on the loan, which will be basedon affordability and income levels. If repay-ment is a hardship for the owner, the statewill consider granting additional time.Anyone who does not currently have a

tax lien, open bankruptcy or foreclosurecan apply. Applications are available atcounty Agencies on Aging.For information about procedures for ob-

tainingahome loanor to find thenearest placeto apply, see www.MDhousing.org or call 1-800-638-7781, TTY/Relay 1-800-735-2258.The state also has funds available for low-in-

come homeowners or renters who would liketo lower their energy costs. The money, ob-tained from the federal government throughthe American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct, covers “weatherization” expenses thatmake homesmore energy efficient.This can include the cost of improvements

to hot water systems, adding insulation andcleaning furnaces. Seniors, the disabled, fam-ilies with children, and high-energy con-sumers will be placed at the top of the list.For more information, call 1-800-638-

7781 or visit www.dhcd.state.md.us/ARRA/WAP.aspx.

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Housing Options B-7

Borrow free to renovateand weatherize

cases are only 14 inches deep and the desksegment is only 20 inches deep,” she said.4) Brun is also a fan of Room and Board, a

companywith 10 stores nationally and onlineordering at www.roomandboard.com.“These folks have good quality bookcas-

es in maple, cherry, walnut and birch thatare made in Pennsylvania, and I love theidea of buying American!” She likes theWoodwind Open Back collection of shelves

($899-$1,299) used as a room divider.5) If you go the route of inexpensive and

mobile, Brun said The Container Store(www.containerstore.com) has somegood, handy lines. The Juxta stackingdrawers ($39.99) are slick and modern,and when fitted with the casters that aresold separately ($9.99), they can bepushed to the side of the room.TheContainer Store’s Elfa brand ofmodu-

lar shelving and drawer system has manypossibilities, and Brun likes how it can turnany nook or closet into an office. — AP

Home officeFrom page B-4

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

ParkView at Rosedale410-866-18861315 Chesaco AvenueBaltimore, MD 21237

Park View at Rosedale offersmaintenance-free living forthose Seniors 62 or better. Thiscommunity is nestled in a park-like setting yet is close to Golden Ring, White MarshMall, FranklinSquare and the Rosedale Senior Center. Residents enjoy many social,recreational and educational activities including bus trips. This con-trolled access elevator building offers such amenities as a spacious com-munity room, hair salon, clothing care center, lending library and loungewith game tables, cable TV, and computerswith free Internet access. Call410-866-1886 or email parkviewrosedale@sheltergrp.com today toarrange for your personal visit. We look forward to meeting you!

Advertorials

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Charlestown410-737-8830715 Maiden Choice LaneCatonsville, MD 21228www.erickson.com

Ideally located in Catonsville,Charlestown offers maintenance-freeretirement living combined with avibrant lifestyle—all in a beautiful gated community. Without theworries of a house and yard, you can spend more time pursingyour passions: travel, volunteer, take a college class and exploresome of Charlestown’s 100-plus clubs and interest groups.Multiple campus restaurants offer a variety of delicious diningoptions, while 24-hour security offers protection and peace ofmind. Enjoy the stability of predictable monthly expenses and lookforward to a healthy future with our full continuum of health careand wellness services.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

ParkView at Dundalk410-288-5483103 Center PlaceDundalk, MD 21222

Park View at Dundalk offers care-freeliving for those Seniors 62 or betterright in the heart of historic Dundalk.Just a block from Dundalk Avenue, this community has easy access topublic transportation, shopping and restaurants. East Point Mall andJohns Hopkins Bayview are just minutes away. Residents enjoy manysocial, recreational and educational activities including bus trips. Ourresidents receive up to four dinners per week in conjunction with theBalto. Co. Eating Together Program. This controlled access elevatorbuilding offers such amenities as a community room, clothing carecenter, lending library and lounge with game tables and cable TV.Call 410-288-5483 or email parkviewdundalk@sheltergrp.com todayto arrange for your personal visit. Come see what you’re missing!

300 Cantata Court • Reisterstown, MD 21136www.firstcentrumcommunities.com

Select1 Bedroomsfrom $779

TwoBedroomsfrom $949

Adults 62+ – Make Your Move!

By Leah DobkinConducting a garage sale is a great way

to make some extra money in this saggingeconomy. I decided to hold a garage sale ayear ago after I had bought a duplex for in-vestment purposes.It contained the possessions of the origi-

nal owner, who was born in 1890, as well asthose of his parents and his daughter. Be-fore I opened shop at my home, I solicitedadvice from Donn Moczynaski and BrianBelli, who conduct estate sales and own anantique mall.If you’re going to hold a garage sale,

you’ll need to decide if there’s anything

you can sell online. You could make extramoney on collectibles.I sold Harley Davidson knickknacks on

eBay because there is a hot market forthem. I also aimed for online collectors tosell a German doll from the 1880s.Because I included the contents of three

generations, my garage sale was biggerthan most. The garage sale lasted twoweekends, and more than 400 peoplestopped by.I displayed about 300 items, including

dishware, clothes, toys, furniture andrecords. Old postcards, maps, magazinesand photos sold quickly. I sold unusual

items, such as an old sauerkraut barreland an American flag with 48 stars.

How to get a good priceWhen setting prices, conduct some re-

search on very old and unusual items.“The time you invest researching will payyou back tenfold,” Belli said.There are diamonds in the dust, and you

want to get a fair price. If you think youmay have some old pieces of value, readEric Knowles Antiques: A Beginner’s GuideWith Over 1,400 Illustrations (MitchellBeazley, $30). Also check consignmentshops, eBay, Craigslist and Google to de-

termine market value.I sought appraisals for my German doll,

an embroidered handmade cloth, andsome old records and books. An originalreceipt or box will increase an item’s value.Know your bottom line and then negoti-

ate. You should mark items slightly higherthan what you expect to sell them for. Alsocheck local ordinances, which could regu-late the number and size of signs you canpost.I wasn’t allowed to conduct the sale on

my front yard, so I used the garage andbackyard. You can buy signs and pricestickers and find tips for sellers and buyersat www.yardsaleportal.com.Keep items accessible so that buyers do

not have to rummage through boxes.Also, be creative. Kathy Peterson, host of“The Balancing Act” on Lifetime Televi-sion, said it’s important to have colorfuldisplays.“Create beautiful vignettes using deco-

rative home-decor items, like pottery andboxes, and group them in a theme,” shesaid. “If people love it all, they’ll buy it all.”Barry Izsak, author of Organize Your

Garage in No Time (Que, $17), said curbappeal is key. “Use lace tablecloths, twin-kling lights, balloons and scented can-dles,” said Izsak, a professional organizerin Austin, Tex.I had a large, hand-carved, wood fire-

place mantel with its original receipt frontand center. I displayed decorative potteryand embroidery on the furniture I was sell-ing. And I played upbeat nostalgic musicfrom the various eras represented at thesale.

Look out for pros and thievesWatch out for antiques professionals,

who will try to lowball you and then sellyour items at much higher amounts.They’ll look on the bottom of items formarkings, and they may come with a mag-nifying glass or a jeweler’s loupe.When some pros who read my ad came

by my house days before the sale, I toldthem to return during the sale.Also be aware of thieves. Belli suggests

keeping small valuable items in a lockeddisplay case and larger valuable itemsclose to you. Recruit friends and familymembers to watch your stuff.Often fraudsters will collect a bunch of

items and hide an expensive item in themiddle of the pile. Look over what peoplewant to buy. Check furniture drawers forunpaid merchandise.“Just be vigilant, and have fun,” Belli

said.My garage sale was a blast — and my

wallet was $4,000 thicker.— Kiplinger Retirement Report

B-8 Housing Options J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

MORE…MORE…Affordable • Locations • ServicesAffordable • Locations • Services

BEBESSTTVVAALLUEUE

Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.comThe Shelter Group is committed to Equal Housing Opportunities for people of all races, religions, ethnic groups, and disabilities and all other groups protected by federal, state, or local law.

Call 410-246-7499 or Email SeniorLiving@sheltergrp.com to inquire abouteligibility requirements and to arrange a private tour.

Anne Arundel County• Park View at Furnace Branch: 410-761-4150• Park View at Severna Park: Coming SoonBaltimore City• Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440• Park View at Coldspring: 410-542-4400Baltimore County• Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464• Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483• Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665• Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375• Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673• Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886• Timothy House (Towson): 410-828-7185• Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363• Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

Eastern Shore• Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070Harford County• Park View at Box Hill: 410-515-6115• Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064Howard County• Park View at Colonial Landing: 410-796-4399• Park View at Columbia: 410-381-1118• Park View at Snowden River: 410-290-0384• Park View at Ellicott City: 410-203-9501• Park View at Ellicott City II: 410-203-2096• Park View at Emerson: 301-483-3322Prince Georges County* Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785• Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526• Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

NOW!*55 or

Better

Independent Living For Those 62 or Better� �

How to make the most of your garage sale

Pull Out & Save This Section

(called “guts”) that offer panoramic viewsof the scenery, which consists primarily oftidal marshes and mud flats.

They also provide opportunities for, andclose encounters with, wildlife includingheron, pelicans, bald eagles and manyother resident and migratory species.

I understand angling for striped bass(rockfish), sea trout, flounder and othergamefish is excellent.

Back on land, each village is builtaround a Methodist Church which actsboth as a kind of unofficial governmentand center of community life.

Since 1887, a week-long camp meetingheld at the church in Ewell each summerhas combined services and children’sBible classes with homecoming and re-union festivities, and is a high point of eachyear’s social activities.

While some residents of Ewell andRhodes Point own a vehicle, I learned thatthere are only three pick-up trucks in Tyler-ton and one car, which doesn’t run. Not sur-prisingly, as one local explained to me in hisdrawl, “Traffic signals are not re-quared.”

Neither, in fact, is any kind of vehicle forvisitors. Tylerton — population about 70 atlatest count and only two by four blocks insize — hardly calls for any mode of trans-portation other than feet.

A five-minute boat ride brings you to

Ewell (223 residents), which is connectedto Rhodes Point (home to 90) by a strip ofbumpy asphalt about 1.5 miles long whichlocals euphemistically call “the highway.”

The closest thing to a formal tourist attrac-tion is a small Visitors Center and CulturalMuseum in Ewell, where exhibits and an ex-cellent film depict the history, economy andtraditions of the island.

Boat models, including a half-scale crab-bing vessel, old newspaper clippings andother displays augment facts and figureswith touches of the character and color thatcombine to make Smith Island such an in-triguing destination, though its residentsconstitute a unique part of the appeal.

Another “must” for visitors is to throwdiet to the wind and sample Smith IslandCake. It is a towering delicacy of usuallyeight or nine thin layers that recently wasdesignated as the official dessert of Mary-land. Most common is yellow cake withchocolate icing, but flavors like coconut,fig and orange are also common.

In sum, this is a place of simple pleas-ures. In how many other places would aproud resident concede that life is hard,many young people are leaving, and noone can predict what the future will hold,then add — as Sharon Bruce did — “Butit’s still home to us, and we love it here.”

If you goSmith Island is 12 miles from Crisfield,

Md., which is about a three-hour drive from

Baltimore, unless you hit a traffic jam.Three small passenger ferries and one larg-er cruise boat offer service to the island,about a 45-minute ride on calm days.

Warm weather is favored by mosquitoesand other small varmints, so take some bugspray.

For accommodations, there’s a choice ofseveral inviting B&B’s. It didn’t take melong to understand where the Inn of SilentMusic, where I stayed, got its name. Builtby a boat captain circa 1916, it’s nestled ona quiet point at one end of Tylerton, andthe property has three appealing bed-rooms, each with a water view.

It offers bicycles, canoes and a two-per-son kayak for its guests’ use. Owners Roband Linda Kellogg are happy to helparrange sightseeing, fishing and other ac-tivities. Rates, in the $110 to $130 range, in-

clude a true gourmet breakfast.The inn remains open until mid-Novem-

ber. For more information, call (410) 425-3541 or log onto www.innofsilentmusic.com.

Lunch is available at several other eateries,including tinymarkets. Themenu at the Bay-side Restaurant in Ewell serves Marylandcrab soup ($2.75 to $3.75), soft crab sand-wiches ($10.99) andmore elaborate platters.

At the Drum Point Market on Tylerton Ienjoyed the best crab cake I found on SmithIsland ($7.50). It’s a gathering place wherewatermen often hang out, and lunch “isserved with a side order of island news andcolor.”

For more information about Smith Is-land, call 1-800-521-9189 or log ontowww.visitsomerset.com.

Victor Block is a Washington, D.C.-basedtravel writer.

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Leisure & Travel 15

Smith IslandFrom page 13

• Heel &Arch Pain• Fungus Nails• Surgical Failures• Corns & Calluses• Morton’s Neuroma• “Growing Pains”

Dr. Stuart M. Goldman, PodiatristFellow,American College of Foot &Ankle Surgeons

Board Certified in Foot &Ankle Surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery

Marquis Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in the World

Special focus on conservative (non surgical) treatment of foot & legpain.

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• Sleep Interference fromLeg Pains

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• Bunions• Hammertoes• Flat Foot• Burning Feet• Leg Cramps• Ingrown Nails

• Peripheral Neuropathy• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome• Warts & other Skin Growths• Arthritis and Tendinitis of the

Foot &Ankle• Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Dr. Goldman, who has been included inMarquisWho’sWho inAmerica,

has published many articles (1997-2008) on

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Approximately 60% of diabetics and 40% of nondiabetics receive relief of neuropathy symptoms, within

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• Diabetic Foot Management including “Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Exam”

Cruise on the WWII Liberty Ship SS JOHN W BROWN2010 Cruises

August 28 & October 16 Baltimore, MDSeptember 25 in Providence, RI

Tickets are $140 each Group rates available

This exciting six hour cruise features: continental breakfast, lunchbuffet, music of the 40’s, & flybys of wartime aircraft (conditionspermitting) and much more. The ship is open for tours including theengine room. Ticket Orders: (410) 558-0164

Order forms available online at: www.liberty-ship.comProject Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25846, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-0546

Last day to order tickets is 14 days before the cruise.Conditions and penalties apply to cancellations.

Project Liberty Ship is a Baltimore based, all volunteer, nonprofit organization.

By Carol SorgenFestival fever has hit the region.

Whether you’re interested in visual or per-forming arts, or simply want to enjoy abeautiful summer’s day, opportunitiesabound throughout the season. Here’s asampling:

Columbia Festival of the ArtsNow in its 24th year, the Columbia Festi-

val of the Arts has grown into a celebrationof arts and artists ranging from emergingartists to those of international fame.

The festival runs through June 26, cul-minating in a performance by folk singerArlo Guthrie on Saturday, June 26, at 8p.m. at the Rouse Theater. Guthrie, the sonof singer/songwriter/philosopher WoodyGuthrie, came to prominence in 1967 withhis song “Alice’s Restaurant.”

Leading up to Guthrie’s performanceare a variety of other events, several ofwhich are free including a literary readingthat will pay tribute to the late poet LucilleClifton on Sunday, June 20, from 2 to 4p.m., at Oliver’s Carriage House.

Free screenings of films submitted byaspiring filmmakers to the Cinema Colum-

bia Project will be held on Monday, June21, at 7 p.m. at the Horowitz Center ofHoward Community College.

And on Wednesday, June 23, from 5:30to 7:30 p.m., “Picturing America 1930-1960,” a traveling exhibit on loan from theBaltimore Museum of Art, will be on view.This free exhibit features images capturedby the great American photographers ofthe mid-20th Century, including BerniceAbbott, Margaret Bourke White, HarryCallahan, Walker Evans, Robert Frank,Dorothea Lange, Ralph Eugene Meatyard,Gordon Parks and Edward Weston. Cura-tor Rena Hoisington will give a gallery talkat 6:15 p.m.

On Tuesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. atHoward Community College, novelistSheila Kohler will read and talk about hernew work, Becoming Jane Eyre. It opens ina dark room, where Charlotte Brontë sitsbeside her ill father, gathering the rage towrite Jane Eyre, and follows the writerthrough her memories to pen her master-piece.

A movie based on another of Kohler’sseven novels, Cracks, opens in U.S. the-aters this year after debuting at the Toron-

to Film Festival. Tickets for Kohler’s ap-pearance include a wine and cheese recep-tion with the author.

On Thursday, June 24, at 7 p.m. at theBelmont Conference Center, the musicaltrio Beatlegras will perform songs from,no surprise, the Beatles. But the familiartunes will take on a new twist, infused withbluegrass, jazz and the classics.

Dance fans will enjoy the performanceof Parsons Dance on Friday, June 25, at 8p.m., at Rouse Theatre. Parsons Dance has

been critically acclaimed for its “virtuosity,energy and sexiness.”

For more details on these events and topurchase tickets, visit www.columbiafesti-val.com.

ArtscapeArtscape is Baltimore’s annual free cele-

bration of the arts. This year it will takeplace July 16 through 18 in the areas bor-

16 J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

Arts &Style The group Beatlegras performs Beatlesfavorites with a twist.

Each year, thousands of people attend Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival.This year, the event will take place from July 16 to 18.

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See FESTIVALS, page 19

BRITISH AUTHOR SPEAKS ABOUT LATEST BOOK

British mystery writer Patricia Finney will talk about her latest

mystery, A Murder of Crows, on Wednesday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the

Southeast Anchor Library, 3601 Eastern Ave. For more information on this free

event, visit www.prattlibrary.org or call (410) 396-1580.

SENIOR BOX OFFICE OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

Senior Box Office provides complimentary or reduced rate tickets

to members for events in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Enrollment is open to Baltimore County residents 60 or older. Annual fee is $25.

Open membership enrollment runs from July 1 to Aug. 15 for the upcoming sea-

son. Call (410) 887-5399 for an application or visit www.seniorboxoffice.org.

BEACON BITS

June 23

July 1+

By Carol SorgenCarolyn Collins has never had profession-

al dance training, but that doesn’t stop herfrom being an enthusiastic member of theWaxter Center High Steppers, a troupe of 10to 15 line dancers who appear at events andcelebrations throughout the state.

The company of amateur — “but veryagile” — dancers ranging in age from 59 to83 was recently recognized at the ThirdAnnual Governor’s Leadership in AgingAwards ceremony held in May at theCatonsville Senior Center.

The High Steppers won an award in theperforming arts category. The Governor’sLeadership in Aging Awards is a celebra-tion of those who have made outstandingcontributions to the field of aging and thequality of life for seniors in Maryland.

“We got to meet the governor and wewere elated,” said Collins, 69, president ofthe High Steppers.

From exercisers to performersThe company first started as a jazzer-

cise class about 17 years ago, but quicklyevolved into a performing troupe that spe-

cializes in line dancing. Line dancing is achoreographed sequence of steps per-formed by a group of people in one or twolines.

Teacher Leon Britain choreographs rou-tines for the troupe, using familiar musicfrom a variety of genres — “Anythingthat’s not too fast and won’t kill us,”laughed Collins.

The dancers rehearse at the WaxterCenter twice a week, and usually performup to several times a week throughout theyear. They have appeared at the FlowerMart, the Senior Miss Maryland Pageant,the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, the SocialSecurity Administration, and various sen-ior centers, among other venues.

A lifelong activityLike Collins, a retired personnel admin-

istrator for the state of Maryland, the com-pany members learned dancing “on thestreet” as kids.

“It’s just something we loved, and it’slike riding a bike,” said Collins. “You don’tforget how to do it.”

Collins said she and the dancers enjoy the health benefits of dancing. In fact, ac-cording to a study published in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine in 2003,“Dancing was the only physical activity as-sociated with a lower risk of dementia.”

But even more than that, they enjoy

making people happy.“It’s fun to surprise people — especially

younger folks — with what we can do,”said Collins. “And it makes us happy to up-lift others who need some joy in theirlives.”

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Arts & Style 17

MPT invites you to join mavenof culture Rhea Feikin on the

cultural and educational tour of alifetime. You’ll see many historic,Biblical and scenic sites, plusmarkets, museums and more atstops that include Tel Aviv, Galilee,Jerusalem, the Western Wall, theNegev, Arava and Eilat.

This trip is in partnership with Jewish National

Fund Travel and Tours. Proceeds benefit MPT.

Info & reservations: mpt.org/travel,(410) 581-4361.

Incomparable Israel withInimitable Rhea

October 3-13, 2010

Incomparable Israel withInimitable Rhea

October 3-13, 2010

Dancing their way to a statewide award

Members of the Waxter Center High Steppers, a line dance group, surround KenyaCousin, the director of the center. The group recently won a Governor’s Leadership inAging Award for excellence in the arts.

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18 Arts & Style J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

07658RXM08

If you or your family are taking prescription medications,you may want to try generics. Generics are safe and effective,FDA approved, and work the same way that name brandsdo, but cost up to 80% less. Speak to your CVS Pharmacistto learn more.

Donndra Kee-Pearce, CVS Pharmacist

You’ll start feeling better theminute you see how much yousave on generic prescriptions.

dered by Mount Royal Avenue and Cathe-dral Street/Charles Street, the Bolton Hillneighborhood, and the Station North Artsand Entertainment District.

This Charm City tradition is the coun-try’s largest free arts festival, featuringmore than 150 artists, fashion designersand craftspeople. There are visual art ex-hibits on and off site, such as outdoorsculpture, art cars, photography and theJanet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize.

The event also includes live concerts onthree outdoor stages; a full schedule of per-forming arts including dance, opera, the-ater, fashion, film, experimental music andperformances by the Baltimore SymphonyOrchestra; family events such as hands-onprojects, demonstrations, jazz vocal andcombo competitions, children’s entertain-ers and multiple street theater locations;and an international menu of food and bev-erages available throughout the site.

Artscape will welcome Martha GrahamDance Company’s troupe Graham II onSunday, July 17 at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Mey-erhoff Symphony Hall.

For more details about the festival, visit

www.artscape.org or call 1-877-BALTI-MORE.

Ethnic festivalsBaltimore’s ethnic diversity is one of its

charms, and the annual Showcase of Na-tions Ethnic Festivals is a great way to ex-perience that. The festivals run throughOct. 17 and are held throughout the city.

The African American Heritage Festival,a celebration of African-American ancestry,with nationally known entertainment andeducational exhibits, will take place Friday,June 18 from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday, June 19noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday, June 20 fromnoon to 9 p.m. at Oriole Park at CamdenYards. For more information, call (410)235-2227 ext. 211, www.aahf.net. The festi-val is free before 4 p.m. and $5 after that.

LatinoFest, a lively weekend of Hispanicarts and culture featuring live musical per-formances, dances, food and more, will beheld Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June27 noon to 9 p.m. at Patterson Park at Lin-wood and Eastern Avenues, (410) 563-3160, www.latinofest.org. Admission is $5.

The Caribbean Carnival Festival atDruid Hill Park, with a traditional islandcostumed parade; soca, reggae, and steeldrum bands; live international entertain-

ment, elaborate costumes, and authenticCaribbean cuisine takes place Friday, July9 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 10and Sunday, July 11 from noon to 9 p.m.For more information, call (410) 230-2969.Admission is $10.

International Festival, a celebration ofBaltimore’s cultural diversity with music,dancing and a variety of ethnic foods, willbe held on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday,August 8 from noon to 9 p.m. atPoly/Western High School near FallsRoad and West Coldspring Lane. For moreinformation, call (410) 396-3141. The festi-val is free.

FestAfrica 2010 is an African festival withtraditional music, crafts and art, dances andfood. It takes place Saturday, August 14 andSunday, August 15, from noon to 8 p.m., atPatterson Park, located at Linwood and

Eastern Avenues. For info, call (410) 608-0420, www.festafricausa.com. Admission is$5 for those over 10.

The following month at Patterson Parkis the Ukrainian Festival, a celebration fea-turing four dance groups, Ukrainian East-er Eggs demonstrations, musicians, tradi-tional crafts, a Ukrainian beer garden andchildren’s activities. The event is Saturday,Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 12 from noon to9 p.m. For more information, call (410)687-3465, www.ukrainianfestival.net. Ad-mission is free.

Russian Festival, a celebration of theRussian community, runs Friday, Oct. 15to Sunday, Oct. 17 at Holy Trinity RussianOrthodox Church at 1723 E. FairmountAve. Call (410) 276-6171 or seewww.holytrinityorthodox.com/festival formore information. Admission is $2.

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Arts & Style 19

FestivalsFrom page 16

HUNT VALLEY SUMMER CONCERT SERIESThe annual Summer Concert Series returns to Hunt Valley TownCentre with free concerts every Friday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. For

more information, visit www.shophuntvalley.com.

THURSDAYS AT THE LEWISEnjoy live entertainment and light fare on at the Reginald F. LewisMuseum, 830 E. Pratt St. Admission is $5 after 5 p.m. everyThursday. For more information, call (443) 263-1800 or visit

www.africanamericanculture.org.

VOLUNTEER AT BALTIMORE WOMEN’S CLASSICYou can run, walk or volunteer at the annual New Balance BaltimoreWomen’s Classic 5K on Sunday, June 27. The BWC is the second-longest, consecutively running all-women’s event in the country. The

race begins and ends at Rash Field, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, at 8 a.m. For moreinformation, call (410) 308-1870 or visit www.baltimorewomensclassic.com.

HELP EDUCATE ABOUT ASTHMAThe Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America needs volunteersto assist in the office and staff tables at health fairs. Volunteernurses and health educators are also needed to provide instruc-

tion in asthma/allergy protocols. Call (410) 484-2054 to learn more.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Radio Flea Market

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

Heard every Sunday,6:30-8 a.m. on 680 WCBM

Have You Had Your Yearly Eye Exam?

We provide eye exams & eyeglass

services in your own home or facility.

443-926-4435 or info@mobileopticalinc.com

Contact us for more information or to schedule your appointment:

www.mobileopticalinc.com

HELP SENIORS REMAIN INDEPENDENT

Partners In Care is an all-volunteer local nonprofit helping older

adults remain independent in their homes. Drivers, receptionists, handymen, ride

dispatchers, Life Line emergency response installers, and boutique workers are

all needed. Volunteer orientations will be held on July 13 at 2 and 5 p.m.

Applications and reservations are required. Call (410) 544-4800.

BEACON BITS

July 13

June 27

Ongoing

20 Arts & Style J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

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When we fill your prescription, our LifeCheckcomputer system lets our pharmacists triplecheck your prescriptions.*

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

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

Rite AdviceWith every prescription, you will receive written information on the dosage, sideeffects and potential drug interaction.

Vitamin ProgramOnly Rite Aid pharmacists are speciallytrained to know vitamins. Ask your Rite Aid pharmacist for a personal vitamin profile.

“Being injured on the job is hard enough. Your Rite Aid Pharmacist is here to personally help youalong your road to recovery.” Ask us about ourWorkers’ Compensation Prescription Program.There are no hassles, no delays and no out-of-pocket expenses.

Flavor RxWe make children’s medicines a lot lessyucky. Ask the pharmacist to add any ofour 20 great flavors to any of your liquidmedications.

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tions, side effects, drug interactions...even vitamins. We give you more thanyour medications; we’ll give you theadvice you need.

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though,” said Fletcher, whose mother hadbeen a domestic worker. But Fletchermanaged to begin his college studies atnight at then-Morgan State College and,with the aid of a scholarship, was able tocontinue his education, graduating in1956.

A varied career followed, includingstints as a teacher, a broadcaster and ahuman services specialist. Along the way,Fletcher also received a Master of Educa-tion degree in Guidance and Counselingfrom Harvard University.

Fletcher retired in 2000 but found that“sitting around and doing nothing” was notto his liking. Though he loves learning, headmits to needing some external motiva-tion to get him going.

“I was stagnating intellectually,” he said.“I needed another challenge.”

The challenge came at Loyola, where heenrolled in 2008, taking 12 courses in a va-riety of areas over the following two years— from history to literature to philosophy.

“I did it for fun,” said Fletcher, who re-ceived financial aid for his studies.

Fletcher said being a later-in-life studentwas “stimulating and enlightening.” Hefound that talking with his much-youngerclassmates gave him a good idea of howthe world has changed.

Not concerned with grades, Fletchernevertheless approached his studies dili-gently — and passionately. As a formerEnglish instructor, he found it a pleasurereading the many textbooks and writingterm papers.

In fact, Fletcher may be joining Buchananat Morgan— he plans to pursue a degree in

English there this fall.“I’m always looking for another chal-

lenge,” he said. “After Morgan…well, thenI’ll find another mountain to climb.”

Mom graduates with daughterWhen Sophia Cohen graduated in May

with her undergraduate degree in socialwork from the University of Maryland Bal-timore County (UMBC), the 50-year-oldCatonsville resident shared the special oc-casion with her family.

That celebration certainly included her22-year-old daughter, Leah, who graduatedfrom UMBC the same day with a degree inhistory and early childhood education.

“That made the day extra special,” saidCohen, who graduated from high school in1977 but then found herself working insales for a number of years — “the last

thing I ever expected or wanted to do,” shesaid. “But there were bills to pay and lifewas happening.”

At 40, Cohen, then a stay-at-home momand caregiver for her parents, decided itwas time to finally get that college degree.She started slowly, pursuing an Associateof Arts degree in human services from theCommunity College of Baltimore County(CCBC), and then moved on to UMBC.

A career in social work has been a life-long dream for her, and she is looking for-ward to finding a job in that field.

“I’ve heard from so many women whohave been motivated by my story,” saidCohen, “that I’m thinking that that mightbe an area for me to pursue. I think I’d liketo help other women and inspire them tofollow their dream. Anyone can do whatI’ve done.”

B A L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 Arts & Style 21

M E C C A E L E C T I K EA T L A S R O S A S V E XT R U T H O R D A R E O N ES E E N U S E U P C R O C

A N T A W A YP A P E R O R P L A S T I C

S I C T A B O O S T O V EP E R U N E C K S S W A NA T O N E S C E N T E N TM Y P L A C E O R Y O U R S

H I T A D O NS H O T P L A T E F E T AL O B S O U P O R S A L A DA L I A N G E R A I S L ET E A D E E R E T R E E S

ANSWERS TOCROSSWORD

From page 22.

GraduatesFrom page 1

HELP WITH AMERICA’S LARGEST FREE ARTS FESTIVALThe Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts is seeking volunteers

to help support the 29th annual Artscape on July 16, 17 and 18. The festivalrelies on more than 300 volunteers for assistance for a variety of activities, includ-ing helping children with arts and craft projects, greeting festival goers at gal-leries and much more. To register to volunteer, visit www.myvolunteerpage.com.Online applications should be submitted by Friday, July 2, 5 p.m. For more infor-mation on Artscape or volunteer opportunities, call (410) 752-8632 or visitwww.artscape.org.

VOLUNTEER WITH BALTIMORE COUNTYThe Volunteer Office of the Baltimore County Department ofSocial Services offers numerous volunteer opportunities, including

maintaining clothing and housewares closets, special projects, and clerical sup-port. For more information, call (410) 853-3021 or visit www.baltimorecoun-tymd.gov/agencies/socserv/volunteers.

MODEL TRAIN SHOWIf you’re a model train enthusiast, you’ll want to attend the GreatScale Model Train Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in

Timonium on Saturday and Sunday, June 26 to 27. Admire the crafted-to-scalemodel trains and layouts and browse the offerings of more than 450 vendors sell-ing miniature trains, scenery, books and more. Admission is $9. For more infor-mation, call (410) 730-1036 or visit http://gsmts.com.

FARMERS’ MARKET AND BAZAAREnjoy homegrown and homemade produce, delicacies and craftsat the Baltimore Farmers’ Market and Bazaar, held every Sunday

through Dec. 19 under the Falls Road Expressway.

BEACON BITS

July 16+

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Return this form with your check, made payable to

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great gift!

June 26+

Baltimore City Health DepartmentSenior Community

Service Employment Program

For more information, call410-545-7290 or 410-545-7291

• Employment training for seniors• Be placed in non-profit or government agencies to train for a new job• Earn $7.25/hour while training• Required to train a minimum of 20 hours per week• Must be 55 or older, unemployed and a resident of Baltimore City

22 J U LY 2 0 1 0 — BA L T IMORE BE ACON

CrosswordPuzzle Page

Answers on page 21.

Magic Maze answers on p. 21.

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

2. Raison d’ ___ (reason for being)3. Game with a conservatory4. Quick snooze5. Output of Marlboro or Mount St. Helens6. Drops the ball7. Prospector’s quest8. Jacob’s twin brother9. ___ tunnel syndrome10. Half of a dangerous fly11. Academic ideal12. Numbers game13. Head honcho18. Got to the ribbon quicker22. Play groups24. Profit after expenses26. I ___ a Teenage Werewolf27. Devoutness28. Bad trait for a window washer29. Bigger than big30. Golfer Mediate, runner-up at the 2008U.S. Open31. Omaha Hi Lo, for example32. Athletes Lendl and Rodriguez33. It is now only 2.5% copper34.Monty Python delicacy38. Dark40. Pretzel mogul43. Enjoy some jambalaya45. “Can I come ___?”48. Alcatraz prisoner number 8549. Biased52. Plank53. Golfer’s target55.Winter Olympics vehicle56. Rich Little, for example57. Removed the wrapping59. Otherwise60. “Two Cities” story61. Fruit drinks63. Gloomy64. Rightmost calendar column

Decisions, Decisions by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Islamic destination6. Opt for11. The last pres. born in the 19th century14. ___ Shrugged15. Parks namesakes16. Confound17. Slumber party highlight19. Point value of a free throw20. Spotted21. Deplete22. Gator’s cousin23. Colonist25. Home foe27. Environmentalist’s dilemma34. Editor’s denial of responsibility35. Socially unacceptable36. Kitchen appliance37. Pacific coast nation39. Bottle tops41. A waterfowl42.Make amends44. Flower’s greeting46. Tonsillectomy doc.47. A proposition50. ___ grand slam (score four)51.Mafia boss52. H1N1 preventer54. Placesetting center58. Greek salad topper62. Sharapova shot63. Lunch special65. Clay, converted66. Rage67. Safeway pathway68. ___ for Two69. Plow inventor70. Oxygen producers

Down1.Welcomers

Jagoe’s Brain Joggers answsers

1. In 1955, who were the two men who were the topmoney-earning act in show business? Their popularcomedy team costarred in 17 movies between 1949and 1956.

2. We collected them. We licked them. We got freemerchandise with them. What were they?

3. In the 1950s, who was the woman who wrote onsocial etiquette?

4. What was the name of the well-known aviator inWill Roger’s 1935 plane crashed in Alaska?

5. During both the Kennedy and Johnsonadministration, whowas the Secretary of State?

1.DeanMartinandJerryLewis2.S&HGreenStamps3.EmilyPost4.WileyPost5.DeanRusk

Jagoe’s Brain Joggersby Armiger Jagoe

BA L T IMORE BE ACON — JU LY 2 0 1 0 23

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CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

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

CAVEAT EMPTOR!The Beacon does not knowingly accept

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

EMPLOYMENT&REAL ESTATEADS:Wewill not knowingly or intentionally accept

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

Business & EmploymentOpportunities

Financial Services

For Rent/Sale Real Estate

Miscellaneous

Personal Services

WantedFor Rent/Sale Real Estate

For Sale

Miscellaneous

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATESDeadlinesandPayments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of eachmonth.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’sissue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached inthe event of a question. Payment is due with ad.We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nordo we accept credit cards.

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

Commercial Party Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing commercial business enter-prise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one commercial ad.

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

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

Thanks forreading!

PETS ON PARADEThe American Visionary Art Museum’s annual Visionary Pets on

Parade will take place on Sunday, July 4, at 10 a.m. (9:30 a.m.

registration for pets). Enter your furry friend for a chance to win in such categories

as Most Patriotic, Best Costume, Most Visionary Pet or Least Likely to Succeed

as a Pet. Call (410) 244-1900 or visit www.avam.org for more details.

BEACON BITS

July 4

Personals

Wanted

Bravo Health offers a variety of Medicare Advantage plansthat help members take charge of their health care, manage theirconditions, and get on with living life.

Now, Bravo Health is pleased to introduce Bravo Achieve(HMO) — a plan designed to provide specialized benefits and helpindividuals with diabetes lower their risks of serious health complications.

www.myb ravohea l t h . com

Bravo Health plans are offered by subsidiaries of Bravo Health, Inc., Medicare Advantage Organizations with Medicare contracts. The benefit informationprovided herein is a brief summary, but not a comprehensive description of available benefits. Additional information about benefits is available to assist youin making a decision about your coverage. Special eligibility requirements may apply. To enroll, you must be diagnosed with diabetes. Enrollment is open yearround. This is an advertisement; for more information contact the plan. Y0015_10_0016

Call 1-800-831-6271 to speak to a Sales Representative.

(TTY 1-800-964-2561 for the hearing impaired.)

Schedule a one-on-one in-home appointment today and learn more about Bravo Achieve.

Learn how Bravo Health can help youbetter manage your diabetes today.

I have diabetes, but I alsohave Bravo Achieve. Andthat’s what matters.

Here are just a few of Bravo Achieve’s benefits:

$0 monthly plan premium

$0 diabetic drugs

$0 diabetic supplies

SilverSneakers® gym membership

Nutrition counseling

Predictable costs and low copays

For more than a decade, Bravo Health has been serving the needs of Medicare beneficiarieslike you. Call today to find out if you are eligible to join Bravo Achieve.

24 J U L Y 2 0 1 0 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N