september 2013 baltimore beacon edition

VOL.10, NO.9

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

I N S I D E …

Our 10th Year!

FITNESS & HEALTH 4k Growing custom-made organsk Losing height? What to do about it

LAW & MONEY 20k Mid-year review of mutual fundsk React quickly to bank errors

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS 26k Helping homeless men

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

ARTS & STYLENone-too sophisticated humorin Nunsense at Toby’s DinnerTheater; plus, the RawlingsConservatory celebrates its125th anniversary

page 34

By Lauran NeergaardAlberta Hough struggles to feed herself a

snack, her arms shaking badly from Parkin-son’s disease. Days earlier, the 84-year-oldfell while eating, sliding off her kitchen chair.

The rest of Hough’s day isn’t much easi-er to navigate. She wobbles into a bathtubwith no grab bar. Her feet catch on dam-aged floor tiles.

Part of the banister she needs to steadyherself on the stairs has pulled out of thewall. At the back door, a rickety woodenramp no longer supports the scooter thathelps her get around.

The environment in which you live can beas disabling as a disease, and too often, olderAmericans wind up in a nursing home notbecause they’re super-sick but because theycan’t get through their days safely at home.

Now a major research project will bringhandymen, occupational therapists andnurses into the homes of 800 low-incomeseniors in Baltimore to test if some inex-pensive fix-ups and strategies for daily liv-ing can keep them independent longer,and save millions in taxpayer dollars spenton nursing home care.

“Very small changes can make a big dif-ference,” said Sarah Szanton, a Johns Hop-kins University associate nursing professorwho leads the project. “We’re not saying,‘What’s your blood pressure?’ We’re focus-ing on function: What do they want to do?”

Losing independence is a leading fear aspeople age. But a recent poll shows that toofew comprehend the changes in lifestyleneeded to offset the chronic illnesses andgradual slowdown that hit just about every-one in their 70s, 80s and beyond.

Asked about their choice of living situa-tion when they’re older, Americans 40 andover say their top priorities are a one-levelhome with no stairs, that’s close to theirchildren and medical care, according tothe poll by the AP-NORC Center for PublicAffairs Research.

Chances are, that won’t be enough. For Hough, No. 1 is feeding herself

without everything tumbling off the fork.“I’m shaking all the time,” she quietly toldHopkins occupational therapist AllysonEvelyn-Gustave.

Hough’s other priority is not falling, andstairs are only one of her home’s hazards.

Promoting independenceTo Hopkins’ Szanton, bridging the gap

between what older adults are able to doand what their homes allow them to do iskey to maintaining independence.

The Capable study aims to prove how.During 10 home visits over four months,the Hopkins team is tailoring interven-tions — including about $1,100 in home re-pairs or modifications provided for free —to help low-income seniors who are havingtrouble caring for themselves.

Drills buzzed in Hough’s house as carpen-ters installed a new banister and added grabbars and a raised toilet seat in the bathroom.They replaced patches of flooring to preventtrips, and prepared to tackle the ramp.

As for eating, Evelyn-Gustave recom-mended a little-known tool: utensils andcups that are specially weighted to counterHough’s tremors. “It’ll be easier for you tohold,” she promised.

The set of utensils costs only about $20,one of the affordable tips the study is gen-erating. Hough’s daughter had thoughtthe only solution was an aide to feed hermother, which the older woman hates.

“I always said I wouldn’t let my mom goto a nursing home,” said Hough’s daugh-ter Gloria J. Hawks, 66, who is determinedto care for her mother in the house the twoshare.

With the help of a Johns Hopkins University study, Hattie Watties is able to continueliving in her Baltimore home of 36 years. The Capable study provides home modifications and repairs, along with nurse visits, to help determine how best to help frail, low-income seniors age in place.

See CAPABLE STUDY, page 27

Staying capable at home with age

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LEISURE & TRAVELMyrtle Beach, S.C., a pearl onthe Grand Strand; plus, Victorian charm without carson a Michigan island, and whatto check off your list beforeyou leave on vacation

page 29

In a few weeks, our two children, Jere-my and Tova, will be off to school. For thepast 15 years, my wife, Judy,and I have rather looked for-ward to the fall, when wecould send our kids back toschool for most of the dayafter a busy summer spentjuggling their schedules andours. Things started to change

when Jeremy graduated fromhigh school three years ago.That fall he left the countryto spend his “gap year” livingand studying in Israel fornine months. Tova more than filled the resulting gap

in our lives, as she relished the opportuni-

ty to be an “only child” for the first time inher life. I feel we have come to know her

much better these past fewyears, as she’s grown into ayoung lady and shared somuch with us about herthoughts and concerns whileprogressing through highschool.But this fall will be differ-

ent for us, as she, too, goesoff to her gap year experi-ence, and Jeremy returns tocollege.Judy and I have been antic-

ipating this moment for sometime, of course. First, our

friends who’ve already reached this stagehave enthusiastically anointed us “empty-

nesters” ever since word of Tova’s impend-ing graduation reached them. We’ve also had a weekend here and

there when Tova was away with friends,and we got a glimpse of life in our homewithout children.I think it’s fair to say we saw the upside

on those occasions, even as we very muchnoticed the unusual quiet that descendedon the house. Among other subtle changes were the

unusual feeling of being able to carry on aconversation until its conclusion (or untilone of our phones rang), and the ability toeat dinner whenever we felt like it, ratherthan at a pre-set family time. In fact, theability to be spontaneous in just about any-thing was starting to dawn on us as anoth-er benefit.We realized, however, that this meant

we also would need to refamiliarize our-selves with the mode of our early mar-riage, where it was “just us.” We would not be exactly the same peo-

ple we had been 21 years ago, if only dueto the many shared experiences we nowhad to drawn on. But there would likely be another hon-

eymoon of sorts — in several senses of theterm: Not only a carefree opportunity toenjoy our newfound privacy, but also aslightly uncomfortable period of getting(re)acquainted and learning about each

other (and how we might have changedover the years). In short, it presents us with an opportu-

nity and a challenge, like so much in life. No doubt, many of our readers have

faced the empty nest situation, or will doso eventually. If you have any words of advice for us,

or stories you’d like to tell us and your fel-low Beacon readers, please send us a noteor email. We’d like to hear what you haveto say.

Save the dateThe Beacon’s annual 50+Expo will take

place this year at a new location: in down-town Silver Spring at the Silver SpringCivic Center. In addition to the change in venue, we

will also be adding an Arts & Crafts Fair totake place on Veteran’s Plaza, just outsidethe Civic Center, during the Expo.Mark your calendar for Sunday, Oct. 13

from noon to 4 p.m. and prepare for a freeand enjoyable afternoon of speakers, exer-cise demonstrations, informative exhibits,health screenings, flu shots, giveawaysand door prizes. More details to come nextmonth.

Facing an empty nest

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

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

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

name, address and telephone number for verification.

Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:In July’s “From the Publisher” column,

“What’s private anymore?” publisher Stu-art Rosenthal said that people “voluntarily”use store loyalty cards. I would dare you togo into any chain store that has a “loyaltycard” program and try to purchase anyitem at the advertised sale price withoutusing said card. You will quickly and some-times quite rudely learn how “voluntary”these cards are.Personally, I find this corporate snoop-

ing much more disturbing than the gov-ernment surveillance. The government istrying to keep us safe from terrorists. Thecorporate surveillance is meant to get in-side our heads and deeper into our wallets. As you state in your article, they “...

track every purchase we make... keepingclose tabs on our every movement –where we drive and when, what we readand listen to, where we shop and what wespend.” Each one of these data-points is like a

pixel on a television screen. By them-selves they don’t mean much, but whendatabases are exchanged between corpo-rations and all of this data is put together,

it paints a picture of our habits such that“The Man” knows your habits better thanyou do. Such intimate knowledge allows big

business to manipulate and control peo-ple’s behavior without most of the peopleever realizing that they are being manipu-lated and controlled.I take great offense to store “loyalty”

cards and, wherever possible, refuse toshop in stores that have them. Fortunate-ly, there are still a few grocery stores lo-cally where I can pay cash for my food andnot be subjected to this data mining. The website www.nocards.org is an ex-

cellent source of information regardingstore “loyalty” data-mining schemes andwhy they don’t really save anyone money. Iwould encourage anyone interested in pri-vacy issues to visit this website.

Phillip CouslinGlen Burnie

Dear Editor:I saw your editorial “What’s private any-

more?” in the July issue and read with con-siderable interest.

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

BeaconThe

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

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915(410) 248-9101 • Email: [email protected]: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of themonth preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the monthof publication. See page 39 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2013 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedi cated to inform, serve, and en ter tain the citi zens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is pri vate ly owned. Other editionsserve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington DC andGreater Palm Springs, Calif.Subscriptions are available via third-class mail for $12 or

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

Publication of advertising contained herein doesnot necessarily con sti tute en dorse ment. Signed col -umns represent the opinions of the writers, and notnecessarily the opinion of the publisher.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal• Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal• Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei• Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel• Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben• Contributing Editor..........................Carol Sorgen• Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory• Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin, ........................................................................Jill Joseph

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

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 39

REMINISCE ABOUT ORIOLES HISTORYJoin the staff at New Life Healthy Living for its gala open housefeaturing guest speaker Bill Stetka, director of Orioles alumni, on

Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. Stetka will be speaking on the topic “TheOrioles: Then & Now.” He will highlight Orioles history, share memorabilia, and leada Q&A session about the team. Dinner, music and door prizes will be offered forour guests at this free event, which will be held at 7600 Clays Ln. RSVP to AudreyTurner (410) 944-1002.

BEACON BITS

Sept. 18

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 3

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HealthFitness &ROBOTS REBUKEDA popular surgical robot is underscrutiny for safety and cost concerns

NO GYM NEEDEDMany exercises use only your bodyweight to help build up strength

STOP SHRINKINGTake some simple steps to minimizelosing height as you age

A WHIFF OF A CURETaste and smell disorders are usuallyconnected, and are often treatable


By Malcolm RitterBy the time 10-year-old Sarah Mur-

naghan finally got a lung transplant inJune, she’d been waiting for months, andher parents had sued to give her a bettershot at surgery.

Her cystic fibrosis was threatening herlife, and her case spurred a debate on howto allocate donor organs. Lungs and otherorgans for transplant are scarce.

But what if there were another way?What if you could grow a custom-madeorgan in a lab?

It sounds incredible. But just a three-hourdrive from the Philadelphia hospital whereSarah got her transplant, another little girl isbenefiting from just that sort of technology.

Two years ago, Angela Irizarry of Lewis-burg, Pa., needed a crucial blood vessel. So,over 12 hours one day, doctors took bonemarrow from Angela and extracted certain

cells, seeded them onto a 5-inch-longbiodegradable tube, incubated them fortwo hours, and then implanted the graftinto Angela to grow into a blood vessel.

Today the 5-year-old sings, dances anddreams of becoming a firefighter — and adoctor.

Custom-made organsGrowing lungs and other complex or-

gans for transplant is still in the future, butscientists are working toward that goal.

In North Carolina, a 3-D printer buildsprototype kidneys. Instead of depositingink, the printer puts down a gel-likebiodegradable scaffold plus a mixture ofcells to build a kidney layer by layer.

In several labs, scientists study how tobuild on the internal scaffolding of hearts,lungs, livers and kidneys of people andpigs to make custom-made implants.

Here’s the dream scenario: A patient do-nates cells, either from a biopsy or maybejust a blood draw. A lab uses them, or cellsmade from them, to seed onto a scaffoldthat’s shaped like the organ he needs.Then, said Dr. Harald Ott of Massachu-setts General Hospital, “we can regeneratean organ that will not be rejected (and canbe) grown on demand and transplantedsurgically, similar to a donor organ.”

That won’t happen anytime soon for solidorgans like lungs or livers. But as AngelaIrizarry’s case shows, simpler body parts arealready being put into patients as researchersexplore the possibilities of the field.

This summer, a girl in Peoria, Ill., got anexperimental windpipe that used a synthet-ic scaffold covered in stem cells from herown bone marrow. More than a dozen pa-tients have had similar operations.

Dozens of people are thriving with exper-

imental bladders made from their own cells,as are more than a dozen who have urethrasmade from their own bladder tissue.

A Swedish girl who got a vein made withher marrow cells to bypass a liver veinblockage in 2011 is still doing well, her sur-geon said.

In some cases the idea has even becomestandard practice. Surgeons can use a pa-tient’s own cells, processed in a lab, to re-pair cartilage in the knee. Burn victims aretreated with lab-grown skin.

Researchers have also shown that cellsgrown on a biodegradeable scaffoldingcan act as beacons that summon cells fromthe recipient’s body, said William Wagner,director of the McGowan Institute for Re-generative Medicine at the University ofPittsburgh.

Lab-grown organs may solve shortages

See BUILDING ORGANS, page 5

Dear Savvy Senior:What are the best websites for find-

ing reliable health information on theInternet? I usually do a Google searchon a symptom, drug or health condi-tion when I want to research some-thing, but with so much informationout there, I’m not sure what I cantrust. — Untrusting SeniorDear Untrusting:

You’re wise not to believe everythingyou read, especially when it comes tohealth and medical information on theweb. To help you sort through the onlineclutter and locate reliable, trustworthymedical information, here are a few tips tofollow, along with some top-rated sites youcan always turn to with confidence.

How to verifyAs a general rule, health and medical in-

formation websites sponsored by the U.S.government, not-for-profit health or med-ical organizations, and university medicalcenters are the most reliable resources onthe Internet.

Sites supported by drug or insurance com-panies, who may be trying to sell you theirproducts, are usually not your best option.

To find out who’s sponsoring a site andwhere the information came from, click on

the “About Us” tab on the site’s home page. Look for the red and blue “HONcode”

seal at the bottom of eachpage, which means the sitehas credible information andis certified by the Health Onthe Net Foundation. Beaware, however, that govern-ment-sponsored health sitesdon’t have the seal.

Also, check the date theinformation was publishedto make sure it’s current:good health and medical in-formation changes all the time.

And if you’re doing research online be-fore going to see a doctor, print your find-ings out on paper, including the address ofthe site you got your information from, soyou can review it together.

Top health sitesWhile there are dozens of great web-

sites that provide reliable, trustworthy, un-biased health and medical information,here are two of the best all-purpose sitesthat are easy to use. Medlineplus.gov: Sponsored by the

National Institutes of Health and managedby the U.S. National Library of Medicine,MedlinePlus provides information on

more than 900 diseases and conditions intheir “Health Topics” section, as well as

links to other trusted re-sources.

It also provides a directo-ry of hospitals, clinics andhealthcare providers, amedical encyclopedia andmedical dictionary, tutorialson common conditions,tests and treatments, exten-sive information on pre-scription drugs, supple-ments and herbs, and links

to thousands of clinical trials. It even offersa senior specific health site (www.nihse-niorhealth.gov) that makes age-relatedhealth information easier to get. MayoClinic.com: Owned by the Mayo

Foundation for Medical Education and Re-search, this site is produced by more than3,300 physicians, scientists and researchersfrom Mayo Clinic, and provides in-depth,easy-to-understand information on hun-dreds of diseases and conditions, drugs andsupplements, tests and procedures.

It also offers a nifty “Symptom Checker”tool and “First-Aid Guide” for fast answersto all types of health conditions, along withmedical blogs, expert answers, videos andlinks to additional resources.

Disease-specific sitesThere are also dozens of other sites dedi-

cated to specific diseases and conditions.Here are some top-rated sites as listed by theMedical Library Association on cancer, heartdisease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Cancer: American Cancer Society

(cancer.org), National Cancer Institute(www.cancer.gov), Association of CancerOnline Resources (www.acor.org) andCancer Care (cancercare.org).Heart disease: American Heart Associ-

ation (www.americanheart.org), NationalHear t , Lung and Blood Ins t i tu te(www.nhlbi.nih.gov) and Congenital HeartInformation Network (www.tchin.org).Diabetes: American Diabetes Associa-

tion (www.diabetes.org), National DiabetesEducation Program (www.ndep.nih.gov),Joslin Diabetes Center (www.joslin.har vard.edu), and Diabetes Monitor(www.diabetesmonitor.com).Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s As-

sociation (www.alz.org), Fisher Center forAlzheimer ’s Research Foundat ion(www.alzinfo.org), and Alzheimers.gov.Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.

Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributorto the NBC Today show and author of TheSavvy Senior book.

Where to find reliable medical info online

Sometimes that works out fine, but othertimes it can lead to scarring or inflamma-tion instead, he said. Controlling what hap-pens when an engineered implant interactswith the body is a key challenge, he said.

3-D “printing” of body partsSo far, the lab-grown parts implanted in

people have involved fairly simple struc-tures — basically sheets, tubes and hollowcontainers, noted Anthony Atala of WakeForest University, whose lab also hasmade scaffolds for noses and ears. Solidinternal organs like livers, hearts and kid-neys are far more complex to make.

His pioneering lab at Wake Forest isusing a 3-D printer to make miniature pro-totype kidneys, some as small as a half dol-lar, and other structures for research. Atalaexpects it will take many years before print-ed organs find their way into patients.

Another organ-building strategy usedby Atala and maybe half a dozen other labsstarts with an organ, washes its cells offthe inert scaffolding that holds cells to-gether, and then plants that scaffoldingwith new cells.

“It’s almost like taking an apartmentbuilding, moving everybody out ... andthen really trying to repopulate that apart-ment building with different cells,” saidDr. John LaMattina of the University ofMaryland School of Medicine. He’s usingthe approach to build livers. It’s the repop-ulating part that’s the most challenging,he adds.

One goal of that process is humanizingpig organs for transplant, by replacingtheir cells with human ones.

“I believe the future is ... a pig matrixcovered with your own cells,” said DorisTaylor of the Texas Heart Institute inHouston. She reported creating a rudi-

mentary beating rat heart in 2008 with thecell-replacement technique and is now ap-plying it to a variety of organs.

Cell replacement has also worked forkidneys. Ott recently reported that lab-made kidneys in rats didn’t perform aswell as regular kidneys. But, he said, just a“good enough organ” could get somebodyoff dialysis. He has just started testing theapproach with transplants in pigs.

Ott is also working to grow human cellson human and pig heart scaffolds forstudy in the laboratory.

Finding cells that workThere are plenty of challenges with this

organ-building approach. One is gettingthe right cells to build the organ. Cellsfrom the patient’s own organ might not beavailable or usable.

So Laura Niklason of Yale and othersare exploring genetic reprogramming sothat, say, blood or skin cells could beturned into appropriate cells for organ-growing. Others look to stem cells frombone marrow or body fat that could benudged into becoming the right kinds ofcells for particular organs.

In the near term, organs might insteadbe built with donor cells stored in a lab,and the organ recipient would still needanti-rejection drugs.

How long until doctors start testingsolid organs in people? Ott hopes to seehuman studies on some lab-grown organin five to 10 years. Wagner calls that veryoptimistic and thinks 15 to 20 years ismore realistic. Niklason also forecasts twodecades for the first human study of a lungthat will work long-term.

But LaMattina figures five to 10 yearsmight be about right for human studies ofhis specialty, the liver.

“I’m an optimist,” he added. “You haveto be an optimist in this job.”

— AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 5

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Building organsFrom page 4

Lung Cancer

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More information for you and your doctor is available online at: www.BloodTestForLungCancer.com

Call (240) 453-6342 To receive an info packet by mail

ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THIS NEW TEST TODAY!

· For persons age 50 and over that smoked for at least 20 years. · Can Identify Lung Cancer at earliest stages when most treatable. · Covered by most insurances and Medicare.

Sunscreen slowsaging of skin

New research provides some of thestrongest evidence to date that near-daily sun-screen use can slow the aging of your skin.

Skin stretches and recoils thanks toelastic fibers supporting it. UV rays dam-age that elasticity, something scientistspreviously have measured using biopsiesof the tissue just under the skin’s top layer.

With enough damage, the skin on topstarts to sag and wrinkle.

Ultraviolet rays that spur wrinkles andother signs of aging can quietly build updamage pretty much anytime you’re in thesun — a lunchtime stroll, school recess,walking the dog — and they even pene-trate car windows.

Researchers in sunny Australia foundthat even if you’re already middle-aged, it’snot too late to start rubbing some sun-screen on — and not just at the beach orpool. The study of 900 people under 55compared those randomly assigned to usesunscreen daily to those who used it whenthey deemed it necessary.

Daily sunscreen use was tough — par-ticipants did cheat a little. But after 4½years, those who used sunscreen regularlyhad younger-looking hands, with 24 per-cent less skin aging than those who usedsunscreen only some of the time.

Both young adults and the middle-agedexperienced skin-saving effects, conclud-ed the study, financed by Australia’s gov-ernment and published in the journal An-nals of Internal Medicine.

More importantly, less sun-causedaging decreases the risk of skin cancer inthe long term.

The news comes just as tougher Food andDrug Administration rules for U.S. sun-screens are taking effect. For the first time,they ensure that sunscreens labeled “broad-spectrum” protect against both the ultraviolet-B rays that cause sunburn and those deeper-penetrating ultraviolet-A rays that are linkedto premature wrinkles and skin cancers.

New Medicaremail order programMedicare instituted a major change in

July that could save diabetics money andtime when they buy crucial supplies to testtheir blood sugar — but it also may causesome confusion as patients figure out thenew system.

On July 1, Medicare opened a national

mail-order program that dramaticallydrops the prices the government pays forthose products, but patients will have touse one of 18 designated suppliers. Thegoal is to save taxpayers money, but sen-iors should see their copays drop, too.

Don’t care about the convenience ofmail delivery? Beneficiaries also can getthe new lower price at drugstores enrolledin the Medicare program.

It’s the biggest expansion yet of a larger,and somewhat controversial, initiativethat’s predicted to save taxpayers nearly$26 billion over the next decade by crack-ing down on waste and fraud in the med-ical equipment industry.

Diabetics aren’t the only Medicare pa-tients affected. Patients who rent homeoxygen gear and hospital beds, or whoneed power wheelchairs, walkers and cer-tain other equipment, will also seechanges in their suppliers and lower pricesas a pilot test of this so-called competitivebidding program expanded from ninemetro areas to a total of 100 on July 1.

The Washington and Baltimore areasare part of that expansion. Medicare issupposed to apply the lower pricing nation-ally by 2016. (The change doesn’t apply toMedicare Advantage patients.)

To find a valid supplier, check the list atwww.medicare.gov/supplier or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Some companies operateunder multiple names. — AP

Health Shorts

6 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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Every day, you may go through a ritual —swallowing one or more drugs to lower yourblood pressure, strengthen your bones, pre-vent a heart attack or stroke, relieve pain orslow the progression of other health condi-tions. Many older adults take five or moredifferent prescription drugs a day.

Drugs are intended to treat medical condi-tions and help you feel better, but they canalso have side effects and interactions. An es-timated 100,000 Americans ages 65 and olderare hospitalized each year for adverse drugreactions, according to a 2011 study in theNew England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

A more recent study in PLoS One foundthat about one out of every five drugs pre-scribed to seniors is inappropriate. It’s pre-scribed even though it is likely to causeside effects, and another drug is potential-ly just as effective or more effective.

“So it’s important for people to beaware,” said Dr. Suzanne Salamon, an in-structor in medicine at Harvard MedicalSchool and associate chief for clinical geri-atrics at Beth Israel Deaconess MedicalCenter, Boston, Mass.

Dangerous drugsAny drug can have side effects or interact

with other medications you’re taking — evenover-the-counter drugs and supplements.For example, aspirin and other nonsteroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can slowthe rate at which your body removes im-mune-suppressing drugs like cyclosporineand heart medicines such as digoxin.

Mixing vitamin E with warfarin cancause excess bleeding. The risk of interac-tions is compounded when you go to sev-eral specialists, and each one prescribes adifferent drug (or drugs), without know-ing what else you’re taking.

In addition, as we age, our bodies metabo-lize medications at a slower rate. “The drughangs around in your body longer. It accu-mulates in your body,” Salamon explained.So the effects from your first pill can stay withyou even after you’ve taken the next dose.

Several drugs require particular carewhen used in older adults. In the NEJMstudy, these were the drugs most likely tocause hospitalization:

1. Digoxin, a drug used to treat heartfailure

2. Blood sugar-lowering drugs and in-sulin for diabetes

3. Opioid pain relievers4. Warfarin (Coumadin), a blood thinner.

Preventing harmful effectsHow can you avoid drug interactions

and side effects when you’re taking somany different pills?

First, make sure your primary care doc-

tor knows exactly what you’re taking, Dr.Salamon said. “My advice is to put yourpills in a bag and bring them into the doc-tor’s office,” she noted. Let your providerreview all the drugs you’re taking, includ-ing over-the-counter medicines, supple-ments, and medicines that were pre-scribed by other doctors.

Your doctor might find that some of thedrugs you’ve been taking for years are po-tentially harmful, could interact with oneanother, or are entirely unnecessary.

“People will stay on pills for years andyears because they were started for a par-ticular condition and no one told them toget off,” according to Dr. Salamon.

Here are 10 other ways to prevent medi-cine mishaps:

1. Every time you get a new prescription,ask your doctor what side effects it cancause and what to do if you experience thoseside effects. Don’t rely solely on package in-

How to avoid dangerous drug interactionsBA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 7

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serts, which are often difficult to understand.2. Ask how any newly prescribed drug

might interact with your other prescriptiondrugs, over-the-counter medicines, supple-

ments and foods.3. Have your doctor write down the di-

rections for any new or updated prescrip-tions. Keep those instructions at home as areference.

4. Ask your doctor to start you on a newmedication at the lowest possible effective

dose, to minimize the potential for side ef-fects. If the drug doesn’t work, your doctorcan slowly increase the dose.

5. Keep a list of your medicines anddoses with you. Make a new list each timea medicine is started or stopped or thedose changes.

6. Make sure you know how and whento take your pills. Should you take them inthe morning or at night? Do you have totake them at mealtimes or without food?Should your medicines be taken togetheror separately?

7. If you have a complicated medicine reg-imen, ask your doctor to help you simplify it.

8. To keep your medicines organized, use

a pillbox. Some electronic pill dispenserswill remind you of when to take your pills.

9. Return to your doctor’s office periodi-cally for medicine checks, especially ifyou’re taking drugs prone to causing sideeffects, such as warfarin. And if you do de-velop side effects, call your doctor for ad-vice before stopping the drug.

10. To find out whether any of the medi-cines you’re taking can interact, visithttp://referencemedscape.com/drug-in-teractionchecker. — Harvard Women’s Health Watch© 2013 President and fellows of Harvard

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


Thank you, ManorCare.“Everything was excellent at ManorCare Health Services, especially the rehab. �e nursing sta� and aides were really good too. I’ve been to other rehab centers and this is the only one I have been to where the physical therapy and occupational therapy work so closely together. I was very weak when I came here but I am doing so much better now. If I do need therapy again, ManorCare will be my �rst choice.” – Vincent

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Drug interactionsFrom page 7

HELP DEVELOP BREAST CANCER QUESTIONNAIREBreast cancer patients and survivors are being sought by theHealth of Women (HOW) Study to email suggestions regarding

side effects from their surgical, radiation, hormonal and/or chemotherapy and tar-geted therapy. Although physicians and researchers have developed questionnairesin the past, there has never been a questionnaire developed by those who experi-ence the problems. Researchers are interested to learn about any symptoms orside effects you have experienced related to your treatment. Email your sugges-tions, in the form of a question (e.g., “Is it normal to keep forgetting things thatwere so easy to remember before my breast cancer?”) to [email protected].

BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENSBreast and cervical cancer screenings for Baltimore City womenages 40 to 64 who meet income requirements are offered free ofcharge at Harbor Hospital. Call (410) 350-21 for an appointment

or more information.

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As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, I havealways focused on non-surgical treatment of foot andleg pain. I find that most people with foot or legsymptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, cramping ordifficulty walking) , even those who have had othertreatments, including surgery of the foot (or back), can be helped, usually in 1or 2 visits.— Dr. Stuart Goldman

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By Dr. Howard LeWineQ: I’m 68 years old. I used to be 5-

foot-6-inches tall. I just visited mydoctor, and my height was just over 5-foot-4. Will I continue to shrink? Whatcan I do to help stop it?A: Starting at about age 40, people typi-

cally lose about half an inch each decade.And the decline usually speeds up after the70th birthday. So now is a good time foryou to be asking this question.

The two main causes of height loss areosteoporosis and bad posture.

As we get older, our bones become lessdense and more brittle, and they’re morelikely to fracture because of osteoporosis.

Compression fractures one culpritWhen a hip or wrist bone weakened by

osteoporosis breaks, it’s usually the kindof crack we have in mind when we picturea broken bone.

But fractures of the bones that make upour spine (vertebrae) are different. Osteo-porotic vertebrae get easily crushed. It’slike a cardboard box that has had toomuch weight put on it.

These compression fractures oftenoccur without any known trauma or injury.And usually there are no symptoms. Some-times there can be a more sudden verte-bral collapse. This can be very painful.

All types of vertebral compression frac-tures result in loss of height. You can de-crease the risk of losing more height thesame way you prevent or treat osteoporo-sis. Eat a calcium rich diet and be sure toget enough vitamin D. I recommend 1,000IU of vitamin D3 daily.

Healthy bones require daily exercise,such as walking and/or weight training.Putting “pressure” stimulates new bonegrowth and prevents bone loss.

If you haven’t had a bone density testyet, it’s time to get one. You may needdrug therapy for osteoporosis.

Stand up straightBad posture may be even more of a fac-

tor in height loss associated with age. Backmuscles, like all muscles, get weaker withage. Ligaments get stretched and musclesget trained to be in a bent-over position.Flabby abdominal muscles don’t help.

Some simple “core” exercises can helpyou stand up straighter. For example, lieon your stomach, and then lift your headand shoulders for several seconds. Youcan either keep your arms by your side orstretch them out like “Superman.” Letyour head down, and then repeat the lift.

Tighter “abs” can help your posture bycounteracting tired back muscles. Modifiedsit-ups (crunches) are a good way to start. Lie

flat on your back with knees bent. Supportyour head with your fingers and raise yourhead six inches off the floor, concentrating onpushing your lower spine down and tighten-

ing the abdominal muscles. Hold and repeat.© 2013 President and fellows of Harvard

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

Take steps now to prevent losing height BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health 9

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

And, The Maples is simply the best.

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

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!Have high blood pressure or diabetes? !Hear out of one ear better than the other? !Turn the television/radio volume up higher than those around you? !Get annoyed because those around you are mumbling? !Find that the voices of women and children are harder to understand than men? !Work or have worked in noisy environments? !Make inappropriate responses because you have misunderstood what others are saying? ! !"#$%&"'#()%('*#!#*#+&%,+'(-&+%."-%/(!+%$#01'-)*.% hearing in crowded rooms (like restaurants)?

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By Lindsey TannerThe biggest thing in operating rooms

these days is a million-dollar, multi-armedrobot named da Vinci. It was used in nearly400,000 surgeries in America last year —three times as many as four years earlier.

But now the high-tech helper is underscrutiny over reports of problems, includ-ing several deaths that may be linked withit, and its high cost of use.

There also have been a few disturbing,freak incidents: a robotic hand that would-

n’t let go of tissue grasped during surgery,and a robotic arm hitting a patient in theface as she lay on the operating table.

Is it time to curb the robot enthusiasm? Some doctors say yes, concerned that

the “wow” factor and heavy marketing arebehind the boost in use. They argue thatthere is not enough research showing thatrobotic surgery is at least as good as, orbetter than, conventional surgeries.

Many U.S. hospitals promote roboticsurgery in patient brochures, online andeven on highway billboards. Their aim ispartly to attract business that helps pay forthe costly robot.

Commonly used for prostatesurgery

The da Vinci is used for operations thatinclude removing prostates, gallbladdersand wombs, repairing heart valves, shrink-

ing stomachs and transplanting organs. The most common robotic operations

include prostate removal — about 85 per-cent of these in the U.S. are done with therobot. Da Vinci is often used for hysterec-tomies, too. [See box below.]

Its use has grown worldwide, but the sys-tem is most popular in the United States.

“We are at the tip of the iceberg. Whatwe thought was impossible 10 years ago isnow commonplace,” said Dr. MichaelStifelman, robotic surgery chief at NewYork University’s Langone Medical Center.

For surgeons, who control the robotwhile sitting at a computer screen, theseoperations can be less tiring. Plus robothands don’t shake.

Advocates say patients sometimes haveless bleeding and often are sent homesooner than with conventional laparoscop-ic surgeries and operations involving largeincisions.

But the U.S. Food and Drug Administra-tion is looking into a spike in reportedproblems. Earlier this year, the FDA begansurveying surgeons using the robotic sys-tem. The agency conducts such surveys ofdevice use routinely, but FDA spokes-woman Synim Rivers said the reason for itnow “is the increase in number of reportsreceived” about da Vinci.

A look at the problemReports filed since early last year in-

clude at least five deaths. Whether there truly are more problems

lately is uncertain. Rivers said she couldn’tquantify the increase, and that it may sim-ply reflect more awareness among doctorsand hospitals. Doctors aren’t required toreport such things; device makers andhospitals are.

It could also reflect wider use. Last yearthere were 367,000 robot-assisted surger-ies versus 114,000 in 2008, according to daVinci’s maker, Intuitive Surgical Inc. ofSunnyvale, Calif.

Da Vinci is the company’s only product,and it’s the only robotic system cleared forsoft-tissue surgery by the FDA. Other robot-ic devices are approved for neurosurgeryand orthopedics, among other things.

A search for the company’s name in anFDA medical device database of reportedproblems brings up 500 events since Jan.1, 2012. Many of those came from IntuitiveSurgical.

The reports include incidents that hap-pened several years ago, and some are du-plicates. There’s also no proof that any ofthe problems were caused by the robot,and many didn’t injure patients. Reportsfiled this year include:

— A woman who died during a 2012 hys-terectomy when the surgeon-controlledrobot accidentally nicked a blood vessel.

— A New York man whose colon was al-legedly perforated during prostate surgery.

— A robotic arm that wouldn’t let go oftissue grasped during colorectal surgery

Popular surgical robot raises concerns10 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

I’m here for you.I’m here for you.

7 2 5 M O U N T W I L S O N L A N E P I K E S V I L L E , MA RYL A N D 2 1 2 0 8 ( 4 1 0 ) 4 8 6 - 9 0 9 0

Vi s i t o u r we b s i te at www.Nor thOaksLCS.com

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

enjoy a close connection with staff members whose

work and wishes are to connect you to the best in life.

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

“Your roadmap to the right health care is me.”

Diane Witles, R.N., health care navigator, has been helping residents of North Oaks live independently for as long as they can since she started here 22 years ago. Like other staff, she knows everyone by name – and most of their family members as well. If someone needs medication reminders, immunizations or consultation with a physician, they turn to her. Diane is often the fi rst to pick up on a resident’s changing health needs. Perhaps you should be living at the address where she works.

See ROBOTIC SURGERY, page 12

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Medicare coverage has changed.We can help.We accept Medicare for diabetes testing supplies and have all the major brands for the same cost as mail order.

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has changed.We can help.We accept Medicare for diabetes testing supplies and have all the major brands for the same cost as mail order.

on Jan. 14. Complications can occur with any type of

surgery, and so far it’s unclear if they aremore common in robotic operations. That’spart of what the FDA is trying to find out.

Intuitive Surgical disputes there’s beena true increase in problems and said therise reflects a change it made last year inthe way it reports incidents.

The da Vinci system “has an excellent

safety record with over 1.5 million surger-ies performed globally, and total adverseevent rates have remained low and in linewith historical trends,” said companyspokeswoman Angela Wonson.

But an upcoming research paper sug-gests that problems linked with roboticsurgery are underreported. They includecases with “catastrophic complications,”said Dr. Martin Makary, a Johns Hopkinssurgeon who co-authored the paper.

“The rapid adoption of robotic surgery... has been done by and large without the

proper evaluation,” Makary said. The da Vinci system, on the market since

2000, includes a three- or four-armed robotthat surgeons operate with hand controls ata computer system several feet from the pa-tient. They see inside the patient’s bodythrough a tiny video camera attached to oneof the long robot arms. The other arms aretipped with tiny surgical instruments.

Robotic operations are similar to con-ventional laparoscopy, or “keyhole” sur-gery, which involves small incisions andcamera-tipped instruments controlled bythe surgeon’s hands, not a robot.

Almost 1,400 U.S. hospitals — nearly 1out of 4 — have at least one da Vinci sys-tem. Each one costs about $1.45 million,plus $100,000 or more a year in serviceagreements.

Makary said there’s no justification forthe big growth in robotic surgery, whichhe attributes to aggressive advertising bythe manufacturer and hospitals seekingmore patients.

He led a study published in 2011 thatfound 4 in 10 hospitals promoted roboticsurgery on their websites, often using word-ing from the manufacturer. Some of theclaims exaggerated the benefits or had mis-leading, unproven claims, the study said.

For a few select procedures that requireoperating in small, hard-to-reach areas, ro-botic surgery may offer advantages, Makarysaid. Those procedures include head andneck cancer surgery and rectal surgery.

Some surgeons say the robotic methodalso has advantages for weight-loss surgeryon extremely obese patients, whose girthcan make hands-on surgery challenging.

Too little training?Lawsuits in cases that didn’t turn out so

well often cite inadequate surgeon trainingwith the robot. These include a malprac-tice case that ended last year with a $7.5million jury award for the family of JuanFernandez, a Chicago man who died in2007 after robotic spleen surgery. The law-suit claimed Fernandez’s surgeons acci-dentally punctured part of his intestines,leading to a fatal infection.

The surgeons argued that Fernandezhad a health condition that caused the in-testinal damage, but it was the first robotoperation for one of the doctors, and usingthe device was overkill for an ordinarilystraightforward surgery, said Fernandez’sattorney, Ted McNabola.

McNabola said an expert witness toldhim it was like “using an 18-wheeler to gothe market to get a quart of milk.”

Company spokesman Geoff Curtis saidIntuitive Surgical has physician-educatorsand other trainers who teach surgeonshow to use the robot. But they don’t trainthem how to do specific procedures robot-ically, he said, and it’s up to hospitals andsurgeons to decide “if and when a surgeonis ready to perform robotic cases.”

— AP


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Have you been diagnosed with cardiovascular or peripheral vascular disease, or have had a stroke?

MedStar Health Research Institute is conducting a research study of a new investigational drug to see if it can help in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of future heart problems.

The institute is located throughout Baltimore City and County. To learn how you can participate in this study, call 443-777-2368.

MedStarResearch.org

Robotic surgeryFrom page 10

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By Mick O’HareMany people suffer from taste and smell

disorders, but too often they’re sent awaywithout treatment. With the first clinic in theUnited Kingdom dedicated to these condi-tions, Carl Philpott aims to change that.

Philpott is an ear, nose and throat sur-geon and director of the Smell and TasteClinic at James Paget University Hospitalin Norfolk, England. He’s a supporter ofFifth Sense, the resource organization forpeople with taste and smell disorders.Q: How many people are affected by

taste and smell disorders?A: It’s tough to put a precise figure on it,

but the best estimate is around 1 in 20. Inthe UK alone, this adds up to more than 3million people. As a comparison, 1 in 30people in the UK have some form of sightloss, and 1 in 6 have a hearing disorder.Q: Why are these senses so impor-

tant?A: They are a huge part of everyday life.

Eating is essential for our survival, and enjoy-ment of food and drink ensures this processis maintained. These senses also serve as ahazard warning system to help us avoid dan-gers such as gas leaks and spoiled food.

Smell ensures we maintain our personalhygiene, and offers us an essential interac-tion with the world around us, giving pleas-ure from simple things such as flowers.

For many people smell also helps to recre-ate memories.Q: Given how disruptive it can be to

lose your sense of taste or smell, whyaren’t more people clamoring fortreatment?A: Many are unaware that they can be

treated, and others underestimate theirsmell loss. For example, chronic sinusitis,which is treatable, will affect 11 percent ofpeople at some point in their lives. Since ourclinic opened, we have been overwhelmedby referrals and requests for treatment. Wehave unleashed a torrent of people whohave been waiting for an outlet; many havebeen suffering in silence for years.Q: What are the consequences for

people with olfactory disorders?A: The tongue only detects the basic

tastes of salt, sweet, bitter, sour and umami,which is a savory, hearty taste. It’s the nosethat provides you with the flavor of food.Loss of smell, and with it any experience offood flavor, is quite devastating. Coming toterms with the loss of an entire sense oreven two often leads to other difficulties, in-cluding depression and thoughts of suicide.Q: With the severe impact these

conditions can have, why aren’t theremore dedicated clinics like yours?A: There is a sense of apathy due to the

relative lack of understanding of these

senses. The impact of their loss is under-rated, and there is a perception that noth-ing can be done.

In addition, a lack of interest in clinicalpractice means the teaching of this subjectin medical schools is poor. Most medicalschools allocate only a small percentage oftime in their courses to the ear, nose andthroat discipline.Q: And yet there are many estab-

lishments dedicated to loss of sightand hearing. Why is that?

A: The ear dominates the ear, nose andthroat discipline, and although specialistsshould be open to treating olfaction and gus-tation disorders, the nose is often consid-ered a poor and uninteresting relative. Anos-mia, or the loss of the sense of smell, is notoften regarded as a major treatment priority.Q: Is that because taste and smell

are viewed as less essential senses?A: Yes, they are often seen that way.

Taste and smell disorders often treatable

See SENSORY DISORDERS, page 15


The National Institutes of Health is look-ing for volunteers to take part in a study tocompare the long-term benefits and risks offour widely used diabetes drugs in combina-tion with metformin, the most common first-line medication for treating type 2 diabetes.

The project is called the Glycemia Reduc-tion Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative

Effectiveness Study, or GRADE for short.If metformin is not enough to help manage

type 2 diabetes, a patient’s doctor may addone of several other drugs to lower glucose(blood sugar). But while short-term studieshave shown the efficacy of different drugswhen used with metformin, there have beenno long-term studies of which combination

works best and has fewer side effects.“Type 2 diabetes progresses slowly, over

a long period of time,” said Dr. Barbara Lin-der, the GRADE project officer at the NIH’sNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestiveand Kidney Diseases. “This study will helpus understand how different combinationsof medications affect the disease over time,and ultimately help physicians make betterchoices for their patients’ long-term care.”

Long-term studyThe study will compare drug effects on

glucose levels, adverse effects, diabetescomplications and quality of life over an av-erage of nearly five years.

GRADE aims to enroll about 5,000 pa-tients nationwide. It is being conducted attwo locations in Baltimore: the Universityof Maryland Baltimore and the BaltimoreVA Medical Center.

Investigators are seeking people diag-nosed with type 2 diabetes within the lastfive years. They may be on metformin, butnot on any other diabetes medication.

During the study, all participants willtake metformin, along with a second med-ication randomly assigned from among

four classes of medications, all approvedfor use with metformin by the U.S. Foodand Drug Administration.

Three of the classes of medications in-crease insulin levels. They are: sulfony-lurea, which increases insulin levels di-rectly; DPP-4 inhibitor, which indirectly in-creases insulin levels by increasing the ef-fect of a naturally occurring intestinal hor-mone; and GLP-1 agonist, which increasesthe amount of insulin released in responseto nutrients. The fourth type of medicationis a long-acting insulin.

No patients will be assigned a placebo, apill without active ingredients.

Participants will have their diabetes med-ications managed free of charge throughthe study, including at least four medicalvisits per year, but will receive other health-care through their own providers.

“What differentiates GRADE from previ-ous studies is that it will perform a head-to-head comprehensive comparison of themost commonly used drugs over a longperiod of time,” said Dr. David M. Nathan,of Massachusetts General Hospital.


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

Study compares popular diabetes drugs

See DIABETES STUDY, page 15

“In addition to determining which med-ications control blood glucose levels mosteffectively over time, we hope to examineindividual factors that are associated withbetter or worse response to the differentmedications,” Nathan said. “This should

provide understanding of how to personal-ize the treatment of diabetes.”

For more information on the study atboth the University of Maryland Balti-more and the Baltimore VA Medical Cen-ter, contact Camille Paul at (410) 706-1724or [email protected] yland.edu.Learn more about the study athttps://grade.bsc.gwu.edu.

People with such disorders look “normal”and can function with less obvious disabili-ty than people without sight or hearing. Asa result they are most often advised to goaway and try to live with the condition,leaving many struggling to cope.

It is often as important to treat the asso-ciated depression, which can affect morethan half of people with taste and smell dis-orders, as it is to combat the olfactory orgustatory loss.Q: What causes most taste and

smell disorders?A: There are four most common causes,

including chronic rhinosinusitis, or per-sistent inflammation of the sinuses andnasal passages, which blocks up the noseand creates pressure and facial pain.

Then there is head injury, when thebrain may get bruised and the olfactorynerves injured, and the common coldvirus, which can damage the cells of the ol-factory epithelium, the specialized tissuethat lines the inside of the nasal cavity. Fi-nally, some cases are idiopathic, meaningthey have no obvious cause.Q: How many of these can be treat-

ed or cured?A: None can be cured as such, but

chronic rhinosinusitis is very treatable:more than 90 percent of patients in this cat-egory can regain their sense of smell aftersteroid treatment to reduce inflammation.

In the other cases, there are medica-tions we can use. Oral corticosteroids arealways tried first, to make sure the under-lying condition is not caused by inflamma-tion from allergies, for example.

Distortions of smell, or parosmias, cansometimes be treated with small doses ofanti-epileptics. That’s because these distor-tions can be caused by the brain misinter-preting signals it receives, leading peopleto experience a range of things, fromeveryday foods tasting strange to detect-ing foul smells all the time. These can bevery distressing and cause severe eatingdisorders, ruining individuals’ lives.Q: Given the lack of attention to ol-

factory illness, have there been manyrecent medical advances in treatment?A: There’s a lot of ongoing research, but

unfortunately not much is translating intonew treatments. Essentially that is why theclinic exists — to explore these. At the mo-ment, I am completing a study to evaluate aspray containing sodium citrate that maytemporarily reverse poor sense of smell. Iam also applying for funding for furtherdrug trials. As always, though, it’s a slowprocess.Q: What coping strategies do you

propose for those who will never re-gain the sense of smell or taste?A: We advise people about issues of do-

mestic safety, using a gas detector, for ex-ample; and personal hygiene, to be sureyou wash a lot. And we talk to people aboutsmell training, to heighten what little olfac-

tion they may still possess.Q: How can people improve their

sense of smell through training?A: It is about making the most of what you

have. We provide suggestions for enhancingfood — altering spiciness or texture, for ex-ample — to make it more enjoyable. If youcan still slightly taste spices, make your foodhotter using chillies. Or alter the texture:make it more creamy or crunchy.Q: What are the hardest parts of life

without the sense of taste or smell?A: Anosmia sufferers really miss the en-

joyment of food. Some find mealtimes to bethe most dreadful moments of their lives.

They know they have to eat to live, but allthe pleasure has gone. Many will avoidrestaurants and will find social situationsthat involve food and drink very difficult todeal with. They feel disconnected fromtheir environment in a way that non-anos-mics do not appreciate. It’s like being invit-ed to a concert when you can’t hear themusic.

Philpott’s work developing a device tomeasure sense of smell launched a careertreating anosmia.© 2013. New Scientist Magazine. Reed

Business Information Ltd. All rights reserved.Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Sensory disordersFrom page 13

Diabetes studyFrom page 14

Participate in MRI Studies of MemoryThe Neuroscience of Memory in Aging and Dementia Lab is seeking healthyadults for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research studies of memoryand cognition.

•Must be between the ages of 60-89•2 sessions each lasting 1-2 hours•Compensation for time and travel expenses•Located at the Kennedy Krieger Institute at the JohnsHopkins Medical Campus•Located on the JHU Homewood Campus.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael YassaProtocol: NA_00046839

For more information, contact Liz Murray at (410) 516-3813 or email [email protected]

Q: What is this “bodyweight strengthtraining” I am hearing about?A:Bodyweight strength training is exer-

cise that uses your own body weight for re-sistance to work your muscles, instead ofweights or resistance bands. For example,you can strengthen your arms with exercis-es like push-ups (standing and pushingagainst the wall, or regular or bent-knee onthe floor) and chair dips.

You can strengthen leg muscles by get-ting up and down from a sitting or squat-

ting position, depending on your currentlevel of fitness and balance. Other leg-strengthening exercises that use onlybody weight include leg raises, wall-sitsand lunges.

You can strengthen your abdominalmuscles with sit-ups, which can be done inmany different variations to focus on dif-ferent areas of your “abs,” as well as exer-cises such as “planks” and “bridges.” Bychanging how far you work against yourbody weight and how long you hold the re-

sistance, variations of these exercises canbe used by people who have been seden-tary and have little strength,as well as by people who al-ready have developed goodmuscle strength from regularexercise.

You can find examples ofthese bodyweight strengthtraining exercises and instruc-tions from several trustworthywebsites, such as the AmericanCouncil on Exercise’s workoutguide in three phases (www.ac-efitness.org/article/3159) andthe Senior Health section of theNIH website (http://nihse-niorhealth.gov/exerciseforold-eradults). You might also find it helpful toget personal instruction on how to dothese exercises and adapt them as yougrow stronger by meeting for even a fewsessions with a qualified trainer at a YMCAor other fitness center in your community.Q: I’ve heard that strawberries have

a lot of natural antioxidant com-pounds, but also that people can’t re-ally absorb them. What’s the story?A: Strawberries do contain multiple

phytochemicals (natural plant com-pounds), including flavonoids such as an-thocyanins (which provide the red color),catechins and quercetin, as well as ellagi-tannins and ellagic acid.

Research suggests that our blood ab-sorbs from the digestive tract only a smallproportion of certain strawberry phyto-chemicals, including anthocyanins and el-lagic acid.

However, bacteria in our digestive tractmay convert these compounds to others

that our bodies do absorb.For example, ellagitanninsand ellagic acid are convert-ed to urolithins, which can beabsorbed and do seem tooffer antioxidant, anti-inflam-matory and direct anti-cancereffects. Further research isunderway.

Meanwhile, strawberriesare an excellent source of vi-tamin C. One cup providesenough to meet current rec-ommendations for a wholeday — and we know that eat-ing strawberries increases

blood levels of vitamin C and total antioxi-dants.

Besides, strawberries are a good sourceof dietary fiber and allow us to eat ahunger-satisfying portion of somethingsweet with few calories. They definitelyhave a place as part of eating habits to pro-mote good health.The American Institute for Cancter Re-

search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800-843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. This free service allows youto ask questions about diet, nutrition andcancer. A registered dietitian will returnyour call, usually within three businessdays.Courtesy of the American Institute for

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

NUTRITIONWISEBy Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM


Get stronger: no gym equipment needed

To subscribe, see page 39.

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Dear Pharmacist:I take ibuprofen and hydrocodone

for the pain of osteoarthri-tis. Glucosamine helps, buteven after six months, I’mstill stiff and riddled withpain. What else can I do?

— D.Y.Dear D.Y.:

You’re not alone, 27 millionAmericans live with os-teoarthritis (OA), and the af-fliction worsens over time. Leftuntreated, it can completelydisable you, so it’s good thatyou are doing something.

I like glucosamine. I prefer“glucosamine sulfate” over other forms,because it provides sulfur to the body...sulfur, not to be confused with sulfa, adrug that many people are allergic to.

OA always involves pro-inflammatory cy-tokines; you’ve heard me mention those be-fore. Cytokines are pain-causing chemicals.

Cytokines aren’t bad until your bodypumps them out in excess, and that’s ex-actly what happens with OA. It’s also whatyou need to reduce to control pain and im-prove range of motion.

Ibuprofen reduces the cytokines calledprostaglandins and IL-1B. You want that.Glucosamine is a precursor for gly-cosaminoglycans, and that is a componentof joint cartilage.

Also consider these:

MSM: This is a sulfur-based compoundthat is actually a by-product of DMSO

(DMSO is applied topically tojoints, but it’s intended for vetpurposes. The FDA doesn’tlike humans using it, eventhough many of you do.) Any-way, MSM, an oral supple-ment, is sold at health foodstores and does wonders forjoint pain.Bromelain: This pineap-

ple extract gets mixed re-views. One study found it tobe as effective as diclofenac, aprescription anti-inflammato-ry. I personally like this and

frequently recommend it. Devil’s claw: Slightly more exotic, devil’s

claw is so named because of its hooked fruit.A 2011 study from Phytotherapy Researchconcluded that the herb could block the re-lease of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In another study, devil’s claw performedas well as the prescription drug Vioxx (it’snow off the market; Celebrex, which issafer, does remain). The point is that devil’sclaw is strong; it interacts with other medi-cines, so ask your doctor if it’s right for you. Boswellia: A resin from a tree. A 2013

study from the Journal of Head and NeckPain studied the biological active ingredi-ents in boswellia (pentacyclic triterpeneacids) for their potent anti-inflammatoryand analgesic properties. Boswellic acid is

another major active ingredient. This is (inmy mind) Mother Nature’s ibuprofen.

This may sound obvious but take pres-sure off your joints. Extra weight does nofavor to your painful knees and hip joints.You may have to start gently with yoga, ortai chi, but keep those joints moving.

And, finally, consider ramping up your im-munity. Some forms of arthritis are due toinfections, either fungal, viral or bacterial.

Compounds in green tea reduce the cy-tokine called TNF alpha, often high in

those with arthritic conditions. One cup ofgreen (or matcha) tea could beat up germsand improve immunity. The L-theanine itcontains is relaxing, too. Drink it daily.This information is opinion only. It is not

intended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-dition. Consult with your doctor before usingany new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist

and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacistand Real Solutions from Head to Toe. Tocontact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.


Ways to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis

DEAR PHARMACISTBy Suzy Cohen

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Dear Solutions: My husband is a very touchy-feely

guy. If anyone has a sadthing to tell him, he instinc-tively puts his arm on thatperson’s shoulder, etc. There’s this single woman

who always manages to getnext to him to start tellinghim her woes. We meet so-cially with her and othersvery often, and each time,his arm goes on her shoul-der while she talks just tohim. I know her confiding in

him is her way of flirting withhim, and he’s flattered. But I’m annoyedand embarrassed. I’d like to say something to her with-

out being completely nasty, but what?— H

Dear H: How about “Would you please take your

shoulder off of my husband’s arm!” No?Right. That might embarrass you evenmore, and embarrass him too.

Never mind her. Tell him how it makesyou feel when he spends the whole timewith his arm around her.

Of course, he is an independent adultand can decide how he acts. But for the

sake of his marriage, he’d better recognizethat you’re very touchy about his feely.

Dear Solutions: My husband is still work-

ing. I am recently retired.When we both worked, wedidn’t have a lot of time tocommunicate much, butnow I look forward to himcoming home and sharingthe day’s information overdinner. Instead, as soon as he sits

down, he grabs the newspa-per and reads it while heeats. If I try to start a conver-sation, he gives a short an-

swer and goes right back to the paper. It’s true, as he says, that he leaves

very early before we get the paper, butI’m writing to you for some suggestionbefore I...whatever. — AngryDear Angry:

Sit down with him at another quiet time,and don’t accuse him of anything. Just tellhim sincerely how his behavior makes youfeel abandoned, hurt and ignored.

Say how you looked forward to havingthis special time — dinner time — to be to-gether and share the meal and the daywith him since you retired. Assure himthat if he wants to go to a comfortable

chair and read after dinner, you will re-spect that and not disturb him.

Please let me know how it works out.© Helen Oxenberg, 2013. Send questions to

be considered to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227,Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also emailthe author at [email protected]. To inquireabout reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.


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Too attentive and non-attentive husbands

SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

When investors look back at the spring of2013, they may say it was the moment whenthe bond market finally shiftedand a new trend of higher inter-est rates emerged. It appearsthat the long-awaited reversalof the bond market has begun.

In early May, the yield of the10-year Treasury hovered atjust above 1.6 percent. Whilethat wasn’t the all-time low(which was 1.379 percent inJuly 2012), it was pretty close.

We have all known thatbond yields would have torise, eventually. We’ve known that at somepoint the fear of the financial crisis wouldrecede, the economic recovery would be-come self-sustaining, and the Fed wouldstop purchasing bonds.

Whenever that occurred, the 30-year bullmarket in bonds would come to an end,pushing down prices and increasing yields.

Many bond market moves look benignin the rear-view mirror, but they can feelpretty dramatic in real time. The rise in 10-year yields, from 1.62 percent at the begin-ning of May to a two-year high of 2.74 per-cent in Aug. 1, might not seem like a big

deal — just over a 1 percent, right? But it’simportant to realize that it’s a 60 percent

move in just nine weeks!

Bonds are losing valueWhat does that kind of

move mean for your portfolio?It means that many of yourbond positions have lost value,because as interest rates rise,the price of bonds drops. Themagnitude of your hit is par-tially tied to the duration of theholding. Duration risk meas-ures the sensitivity of a bond’s

price to a one percent change in interestrates.

The higher a bond’s (or a bond fund’s) du-ration, the greater its sensitivity to interestrate changes. This means that fluctuations inprice, whether positive or negative, will bemore pronounced.

Short-term bonds generally have shorterdurations and are less sensitive to move-ments in interest rates than longer-termbonds. The reason is that bonds with longermaturities are locked in at a lower rate for alonger period of time.

For those of you who own individual

bonds, the price fluctuations that occur be-fore your bonds reach maturity may be un-nerving, but if you hold them to maturi-ty, you can expect to receive the facevalue of the bond.

If you own a bond fund, it may be scaryto see the net asset value (NAV) of thefund drop when rates increase. To sootheyou a bit, remember that when NAV falls,the bonds within the fund should continueto make the stated interest payments.

As the bonds within the fund mature orare sold, they can be replaced with high-er-yielding bonds, which could createmore income for you in the future. Addi-tionally, if you are reinvesting interest anddividends back into the fund, you maybenefit from purchasing shares at lowerprices.

Best bond movesTo help protect your portfolio against

the eventual rise in interest rates, you maybe tempted to sell all of your bonds. But ofcourse that would be market timing, andyou are not going to fall for that, are you?

Here are some alternatives to a wholesaledismissal of the fixed income asset class:

Lower your duration: This can be as

easy as moving from a longer-term bondinto a shorter one. Of course, when you goshorter, you will give up yield. It may beworth it for you to make a little less cur-rent income in exchange for diminishedvolatility in your portfolio.

Use corporate bonds: Corporate bondsare less sensitive to interest-rate risk thangovernment bonds. This does not mean thatcorporate bonds will avoid losses in a risinginterest rate environment, but the declinesare usually less than those for Treasuries.

Explore floating-rate notes: Floating-rate loan funds invest in non-investment-grade bank loans whose coupons “float”based on the prevailing interest rate market,which allows them to reduce duration risk.

Keep extra cash on hand: Cash, theultimate fixed asset, can provide you with aunique opportunity in a rising interest ratemarket: the ability to purchase higheryielding securities on your own timetable.

So even if this truly is the turnaround inthe bond market that we’ve all been wait-ing for, there’s no reason to be afraid. Justpay closer attention to your bond holdings,and know how to protect yourself from ris-ing rates!

© 2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.


SAY NO TO PENSION “ADVANCES”Military and federal retirees are being targeted for pricey pension advances thatare really illegal loans

PAYING DOWN DEBTPut your low-yield savings accounts tobetter use by paying off high-interestcredit bills

DON’T IGNORE BANK ERRORSCheck your bank statements regularly for mistakes and take prompt action toprotect your savings

MoneyMoneyLaw &

By Stan ChoeIf you have money in a bond mutual fund,

you’ve probably felt some pain when youopened your mid-year account statement.

After years of steady returns, manybond mutual funds have suffered lossesthis year. Some of the sharpest drops arein funds that buy Treasury bonds, and itcould be a rude awakening for investorslulled into thinking Treasurys wereamong the safest investments.

A look at how other mutual-fund cate-gories performed during the first half of2013 shows other clear losers, as well aswinners. Mid-year is often a time when in-vestors check on their portfolios, but it’simportant to only make adjustments thatare in line with your investment goals.

“While performance can give you a guideas to how a fund or ETF has done, it’s notgospel,” said Todd Rosenbluth, director ofETF and mutual fund research at S&P Cap-

ital IQ. “You should not chase performance.You should use it as one of the tools to helpyou sort through the investment universe.”

Long-term bonds sinkAmong the biggest losers of the first

half of 2013: mutual funds that own long-term government bonds, such as 30-yearTreasurys. They lost an average of 11.9percent through Aug. 8, according to Bankof America’s Merrill Lynch indexes. Thatfollows returns for the category of 3.9 per-cent in 2012, 32.9 percent in 2011 and 11.7percent in 2010.

Demand for bonds has declined becauseof concerns that the Federal Reserve mayease up on its bond-buying economic stimu-lus program. Chairman Ben Bernanke saidthat the central bank may slow its purchas-es later this year and halt them altogetherby mid-2014, if circumstances warrant.

The drop in demand has forced prices

down for bonds. The price decline has beenmore than enough to wipe out the regularinterest payments that bonds make.

When a bond’s price falls, its yield rises,and a 30-year Treasury bond yielded 3.67percent on Aug. 12. That’s up from a low of2.83 percent on May 1.

“You don’t need a big move in bonds toeliminate a whole year’s worth of income,”said Mark Spellman, manager for the ValueLine Income and Growth fund, which has afour-star rating from Morningstar.

Long-term bond funds are hurt even moreby interest rate increases than short- or inter-mediate-term bond funds. That’s because 30-year bonds are locked into the lower rates forlonger periods, making them less attractive.

Intermediate-term government bond mu-tual funds have lost 3.1 percent so far thisyear, and short-term government bond fundshave lost 1.1 percent, fractions of the lossesfor long-term government bond funds.

Here’s a look at other winners and los-ers among mutual-fund categories in thefirst half of 2013:

Stock fund winnersHealthcare stock funds. This group

returned 20.9 percent, more than any othercategory. Hospital stocks have risen on ex-pectations that the healthcare overhaul willmean more patients have insurance cover-age, leading to bigger profits. Biotechnolo-gy stocks, meanwhile, have surged on ex-citement about drugs in development.

Diversified U.S. stock funds. The U.S.economy looks to be in better shape thanothers in Europe and the developing world.Home prices are rising, the consumer confi-dence index hit its highest level in Junesince January 2008, and employers addedan average of 189,000 jobs monthly through

Mid-year fund review: winners and losers

See FUND REVIEW, page 21

Protecting bonds when interest rates rise

RETIRE SMARTBy Jill Schlesinger

the year’s first five months. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index of big

U.S. stocks hit a record high on May 21, be-fore giving up some of its gains on worriesthat the Federal Reserve will trim its stimu-lus. As an example, the average U.S. large-capvalue mutual fund returned 14.4 percent, ver-sus a 2.1 percent return for funds that investin similar stocks outside the United States.

Japanese stock funds. Investors arehopeful that the latest attempt at stimulusby the Bank of Japan will jolt the world’sthird-largest economy. The stimulus hascaused the value of the yen to fall 11.3 per-cent against the dollar so far this year. Thathelps Japanese exporters by making theircars and electronics more affordable tocustomers buying in other currencies.

Japanese stock mutual funds returnedan average of 14.8 percent, although theirgains have come down over the last monthon concerns about whether the stimulus isaggressive enough.

Fund category losers Emerging-market funds. Funds that

invest in stocks or bonds from China, In-donesia and other developing economies

have been hit hard by worries about a pull-back by the Federal Reserve.

For years, investors took advantage ofthe low interest rates promoted by theFed’s stimulus to borrow dollars and plowthem into higher-yielding investmentsfrom emerging markets, said Alec Young,global equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ.But now that expectations for stimulus arewaning, so is demand for emerging-mar-ket stocks and bonds.

Emerging-market funds have also beenhurt by worries about slowing economicgrowth in China. Emerging-market stockmutual funds lost 10.2 percent in 2013through July, while emerging-market bondfunds fell 8.5 percent.

Precious-metals funds. The price ofgold has tumbled through 2013, with loss-es accelerating in the second quarter. Goldin July hit its lowest settlement price sinceAugust 2010, and that has hurt mutualfunds that hold the metal or shares of min-ing companies. Precious-metals funds lostan average of 49.9 percent.

Investors buy gold when they’re wor-ried about inflation, and some investors ex-pected the Federal Reserve’s stimulus tocause a spike in prices. But inflation hasremained modest, which has dulled the ap-peal for gold. —AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money 21

Fund reviewFrom page 20

FREE WEEKEND WELLNESS CLASSES

Water Front Partnership offers free wellness classes, including

yoga, boot camp, CrossFit and Zumba, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on most Saturdays

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local professionals in the wellness industry. Boot camp will be held at 8:30 a.m. on

Saturdays, followed by Zumba at 9:30 a.m. Yoga will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Sun-

days, followed by CrossFit at 9:30 a.m. Classes are held at West Shore Park in the

Inner Harbor. For more information, visit www.waterfrontpartnership.org.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

NOTICE TO SENIORS, VETERANS AND THE DISABLED

What would you say if we told you – you don’t have to pay your creditcard or medical bills? Most of our clients say, “ank you.”Living on Social Security, disability payments, pensions or veteran’s bene-fits? Federal law states that your income cannot be taken to repay debts,even some student loans. Don’t endure frustrating calls and letters fromcollection agents. You can live worry-free as thousands of our clients do.

Stop creditors from breaking the law by collecting debts you can’t pay.ere is an affordable alternative to bankruptcy. For as little as $20 permonth you can employ a DCSD Attorney to deal with your debts.

Call Debt Counsel for Seniors and the DisabledFor a Free Consultation

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The Meadows of Reistertown offers the maintenance-free, independent lifestyle you’ve been

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410-969-2000

By Elliot RaphaelsonShut out by conventional lenders, peo-

ple with low incomes or bad credit havelong been targeted by high-cost operatorsoffering payday loans, car title loans andthe like. In the past few years, a new andinsidious player has come into this field of-fering pension “advances.”

Also known as pension loans — al-though they are not usually advertised asloans — these advances are marketed toindividuals who have rights to a lifetime

pension but who need immediate cash. The sellers of this product offer immedi-

ate cash, in return for which the pensionholder must give up his or her rights to someor all of the pension, generally for a certainnumber of years. Such agreements usuallyresult in extremely high interest payments,in some cases over 100 percent per year.

Military and federal retireesThis product is being marketed to all re-

tirees, but prime targets include ex-military

personnel and federal employees. It is illegalfor the holder of a federal pension to assignor sell it, but this has not stopped the sellersof this product from marketing it. It’s whythey term it an “advance” and not a loan.

One of the major problems for the gen-eral public is that no federal regulator hasyet taken the steps to prevent the market-ing of this product. Hopefully, steps will betaken in the future. However, until thishappens, it is important for the public tounderstand this product — and avoid itlike the plague.

I contacted the Consumer Financial Pro-tection Bureau (CFPB) to determinewhether it had any immediate plans to pre-vent such loans.

The bureau responded with a priorstatement from Richard Cordray, its direc-tor: “We are concerned about military pen-sion buyout schemes. Military retirees areoffered lump-sum cash payments in returnfor surrendering their rights to their pen-sion payouts. These schemes are usuallyvery bad deals for the retirees. We want tocollect information on all these kinds of fi-nancial practices.”

Although Cordray’s statement singledout military pensions, the danger appliesto all pensions.

The National Consumer Law Center(NCLC), a nonprofit advocacy group, has

played an active role going after the or-ganizations offering this onerous product.NCLC has sued these companies, arguingthat the transactions associated with theseproducts were illegal for two reasons: (1)their exorbitant interest rates and (2) theillegality of assigning a military pension.

NCLC has prevailed in court againstpension lenders, but, unfortunately, win-ning a judgment does not necessarilymean that a plaintiff will be able to collecton it. The unscrupulous companies wholost in court have chosen bankruptcy as away to avoid paying compensation.

Just say noWhat does this mean for you? If you own

a pension, do not enter into any agreementwith an organization offering this product.If you have a short-term cash flow prob-lem, pursue other alternatives.

If you must borrow money, borrow itfrom a financial organization that is regu-lated by either state or federal authorities.State and federal regulators offer con-sumers protection and limits on the inter-est rates they can be charged on loans.

What if you have already entered into anagreement and have signed over your pen-sion rights in exchange for immediate

22 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

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Avoid offers of pension loans, advances

See PENSION LOANS, page 25

A large part of the mail I receive is relat-ed to poor returns from the safest invest-ments. Returns from Treas-ury bills, money-market in-struments and short-termsavings accounts are lowerthan 1 percent.

Investors want to knowhow to earn higher incomewithout risking capital. Youcan’t obtain high income with-out some risk. However, thereare ways to get a better returnon low-earning assets.

Many people have out-standing liabilities with high-er interest rates than thosenow being earned on conservative invest-ments. One obvious example is a creditcard. More than 40 percent of consumersdo not pay their balance in full at month’send on at least one credit card.

If you are paying 18 percent on an annu-al basis on a credit card, you should nothave a significant amount of savings in anyinvestment earning less than 1 percent. Ifyou were to use that investment capital in-stead to reduce the outstanding balance ona card, you would effectively “earn” 18 per-cent rather than 1 percent.

When you make a new purchase using acredit card that already carries a balance,

you are taking a new loan outat the prevailing interest rateof the card. If you are unableto pay the outstanding bal-ance on a credit card, youshould use a different card forwhich you can pay the balancein full. This way you will notbe paying interest on new pur-chases.

Look at liabilities andassets

I taught courses in personalfinancial planning at the col-

lege level for almost 20 years to studentswith diverse backgrounds. As the first as-signment, I asked the students to preparea personal balance sheet listing all their as-sets and liabilities, and to indicate the an-nual return on each asset and the interestrate for each liability.

The students found it to be a worthwhileexercise. You also may find it useful. The ex-ercise will identify any outstanding liabilitiesthat you should be paying off because the in-terest rates are greater than the income youare earning on some of your assets.

Some examples of such liabilities in ad-dition to credit cards are: mortgages,home equity loans, student loans and loanson whole life insurance policies. Reviewany transactions you have entered intothat will become liabilities in the future.

No-interest debt isn’t always bestFor example, many individuals facing

large healthcare bills select a plan that al-lows them to repay them interest-free overone to two years.

Similar offers are made for large expendi-tures for furniture and electronic equipment.

These offers are worthwhile if the billsare paid in full by the end of the interest-free period. Unfortunately, after that time,interest rates on an unpaid balance can beas high as 29 percent (computed from thestart of the loan).

My advice to anybody entering intosuch agreements is to make every effortto allocate your income so that you can pay

the balance in full by the deadline andavoid interest charges.

Even when interest rates on your liabili-ties aren’t so staggering, it makes sense toshift investment funds to debt service. Forexample, assume you are paying 6 percenton your mortgage and that you have sub-stantial investments earning less than 1 per-cent interest.

If there is no penalty for doing so, whynot pre-pay some of your mortgage? Effec-tively, you will be earning 6 percent in-stead of 1 percent.

I am not recommending that you channelall available funds to debt service. You shouldmaintain a reserve fund for emergencies.

However, unless you’re one of the fewAmericans who is debt free, you probablyhave some high-interest liabilities you canpay down early. It may be your best invest-ment.

© 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.

Use low-yield savings to pay down debt

THE SAVINGSGAMEBy Elliot Raphaelson


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BENEFIT TO END PROSTATE CANCERWheels for Prostate Cancer, to benefit ZERO-The End of ProstateCancer, takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Timonium Fair-

grounds, 22 York Rd. Funds raised during this event are used to fund prostate can-cer research and awareness. Admission to view vehicles and wheels is free; $15registration to put wheels on display. The organization was founded by survivors ofprostate cancer, who are committed to raising funds for prostate cancer researchto help find a cure for this deadly disease. For more information about Wheels forProstate Cancer, log onto www.wfpcr.org

BEACON BITS

Sept. 7

By Anya KamenetzHave you ever been the victim of a bank

error? They can be annoying to fix, andthey can get you in financial or even legaltrouble if not spotted quickly.

A reader writes: “One day last week, oneof my granddaughters deposited fourchecks in an ATM. One of those checkswas one I had written her. She noticed im-mediately that something was wrong.

“The receipt for each check was correct,but the total deposited in her account was

several thousand dollars more than itshould have been. She called the bank im-mediately. They said they would take careof it that night. They did not do that.

“A couple of days later when I checkedonline to see if a different check had clearedthe bank I was startled, mystified, absolute-ly dumbfounded to see minus balances andoverdraft charges. (My granddaughter’sbank) had withdrawn an additional severalthousand dollars from my account.

“It’s been a royal headache. I went to a

credit union where I have long had a sav-ings account and withdrew money to coverthe damage to my checking account. Thebank said they will eventually (why notnow?!) restore the money withdrawn frommy account. They will also cover overdraftfees my bank charged to cover checks pre-sented during this time.

“Might you perhaps be willing to ad-dress this subject of errors by banks andhow one can protect oneself? Such errorsdon’t happen often, but when they do, itcan be devastating.”

I am happy to oblige. It’s hard to say exact-ly how common errors of this type are. It’sclear, however, that as paperless bank state-ments become more common, we review ourbalances less often, which may make it hard-er to spot errors when they occur.

How to protect yourselfThe real question is what to do about

them, and how to protect yourself underthe law from the consequences of thesemistakes. Here are some principles to re-member:

Finders aren’t keepers. This shouldgo without saying, but if a bank error is inyour favor, you don’t get to keep the moneyand could be prosecuted for doing so.Speak up.

Put it in writing. The Electronic FundsTransfer Act (EFTA) covers transactionsinvolving ATMs, debit cards or point-of-sale, while the Fair Credit Billing Act(FCBA) covers anything with credit cardsor charge cards. In order to be protected

Take prompt action to resolve bank errors

24 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

See BANK ERRORS, page 25

ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR

Pessin Katz Law attorney Helen M. Smith will host an estate plan-

ning and long-term care seminar at the firm’s Towson office, 901 Dulaney Valley

Rd., Suite 4, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. Smith will discuss trusts vs. wills,

who needs a will, estate tax issues and other estate planning questions. This sem-

inar is free, but registration is required. To register, contact Rhonda King at (410)

938-8800 or at [email protected].

BEACON BITS

Sept. 24

under both laws, you can’t just pick up thephone and call the bank; you must alsoput your complaint in writing.

The letter must include your name andaccount number, the type of error, dateand the amount of money involved, andthe reason you think an error has oc-curred. Be sure to include any backup doc-umentation.

In the example above, if the grand-daughter had been able to submit a copy ofher grandmother’s original check, backand front, the complaint might have beenresolved more quickly.

The clock is ticking. This is why it paysto check your statements regularly: the

FCBA and ETFA generally cover you onlyfor 60 days after an error (there may be ex-ceptions, such as when a check is fraudu-lently altered after you write it). After thattime period, resolution of the error is up tothe bank. Once you do send in a letter, thebank has 10 days to respond. It could comeup with a final decision at that point, or itcould simply credit the money to your ac-count within those 10 days and spend an-other 45 days to investigate.

Have a backup account. As with thereader’s example, it may be a good idea tokeep an account with a different bank incase of an error that causes your funds tobe frozen or otherwise inaccessible, or totemporarily cover your costs before theycan be reimbursed.

Know when to hire a lawyer. A con-

sumer rights lawyer can help with a bank-ing or billing dispute that goes beyond thesimple formalities outlined above.

Discovering errors early and actingpromptly increase the chances a dispute

will be resolved to your satisfaction.Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions

at [email protected].© 2013 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by

Tribune Media Services, Inc.

cash? According to NCLC, most of theseagreements can be successfully chal-lenged in court. You should definitely ob-tain legal advice. You may be able to getlow-cost (or even free) legal advice fromattorneys in your area.

Contact your local bar association to de-termine whether there are elder care at-torneys or legal aid attorneys who can as-sist you either free or at nominal cost. Youmay be able to get assistance from your

state attorney general. In addition, youshould provide information to or file com-plaints with the CFPB.

In short, do not enter into any agreementwith any organization offering you upfrontcash in exchange for your pension rights. Ifyou have already made the mistake of en-tering into such an agreement, seek legalcounsel to determine how to proceed.

There is a high probability the contractis not valid. Don’t assume you have no op-tions.

© 2013 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.


Alzheimer’s care is more than meets the eye.

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Meat Kosher Dining Services Dairy Kosher Dining Services

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Pension loansFrom page 22

Bank errorsFrom page 24

BALT. CITY BREAST CANCER SCREENSUniversityCare at Edmondson Village and UniversityCare at Wax-ter Center, part of the Baltimore City’s early-detection effort for

uninsured, low-income city residents, offers free clinical breast exams and mam-mograms, Mondays to Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make an appointment, cityresidents should call (410) 328-4673.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

By Carol SorgenBaltimore’s Helping Up Mission pro-

vides both help and hope to the city’s poorand homeless through programs designedto meet their individual physical, psycho-logical, social and spiritual needs.

The average homeless man served bythe mission has survived two decades ofsubstance abuse and years on the streets,and comes to the Mission addicted, desti-tute and dysfunctional — with no realisticcapacity to recover on his own.

Anthony Curtis was one of those men.At 47, Curtis admitted that he had spentyears engaged in actions and behaviorsthat were “tearing me down.”

That has changed now, thanks to the ef-forts of the mission’s staff members, vol-unteers, Curtis himself, and one man inparticular — Dr. Anthony J. Kameen,founder and medical director of KameenEye Associates.

For the past 14 years, Kameen has do-nated his medical services and expertiseto the men of the Helping Up Mission, per-forming free eye examinations and provid-ing complimentary vision services forhundreds of homeless individuals.

During one of his clinic days about ayear ago, Kameen noticed something trou-bling about Curtis’ behavior. “He seemedblind,” Kameen recalled, basing his obser-vation on the fact that Curtis was navigat-ing his way around the room by placinghis hands on the walls of the room as hewalked.

But a comprehensive eye examinationrevealed that Curtis, in fact, simply suf-fered from severe nearsightedness, a con-dition that he had been forced to managewithout any type of vision correction.

Seeing the world anewKameen provided Curtis with free eye-

glasses, but they were thick, heavy and dif-ficult to wear. Kameen offered to performLASIK (vision correction) surgery on Cur-tis, but the mission —whose philosophyteaches men the importance of helpingthemselves — would not agree to the sur-gery, at least not right away.

“My training and professional credo asa physician emphasizes healing and help-ing people,” said Kameen. “But in this in-stance, it was important to take into con-sideration the bigger picture of requiring

Anthony to first graduate from the Spiritu-al Recovery Program, which is designedto provide a lifetime of benefits, much likesuccessful LASIK surgery. Yet I wasamazed how he was able to survive all thistime without the ability to see.”

On Feb. 8, Curtis passed his first crucialstep toward independence — and theeventual surgery — by successfully gradu-ating from a year-long, 12-step therapeuticprogram, created specifically to turnaround the lives of homeless men with se-

vere drug and alcohol-related addiction is-sues.

In that year, Curtis also completed hisGeneral Education Development (GED)certification and quit smoking at the sametime. By fulfilling his Helping Up Missionobligation, Curtis was then in line to re-ceive the life-changing benefit of better vi-sion.

“Anthony proved to me and everyone at


CareersVolunteers &

Mission helps homeless help themselves

Anthony Curtis (left), who was legally blind, prepares for the LASIK surgery that re-stored his extremely poor vision to 20/20. The surgery was performed by Dr. Antho-ny J. Kameen, a volunteer with the Helping Up Mission, which provides assistance tohomeless men in Baltimore.

PH

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See HOMELESS MEN, page 28

Does your organization use senior volunteers

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

please send an email [email protected].

The Capable project — it stands forCommunity Aging in Place, Advancing Bet-ter Living for Elders — is being closelywatched by Medicaid officials in otherstates as a way to coordinate care and im-prove the functional problems that lead topricey, and sometimes preventable, nurs-ing home admissions. Today, it’s difficultfor Medicaid patients to get these services.

Assessing and addressing needsWith more than $8 million in research

money from the National Institutes ofHealth and the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services, the project goes be-yond home repair for health. It starts witha full-scale assessment of each partici-pant’s needs.

In one home, a Hopkins nurse discov-ered that an 82-year-old woman was takingall of her 26 daily medications at once in-stead of staggered throughout the day,leaving her disoriented and sedentaryuntil she became too weak to get out ofbed without help.

First the nurse fixed the medicationschedule. Then the occupational therapisttaught the woman leg-strengthening exer-cises, and installed $30 steel risers to makeit easier for her to get in and out of bed.Add new banisters, and soon she was mov-ing around on her own.

Whether it is the cost or emotional ties,many people grow old in the same homewhere they spent their younger, moreagile years. An AARP survey in 2010 foundnearly 90 percent of seniors wanted to re-main in their current home for as long aspossible.

Yet government figures show nearly 1 in5 seniors living in the community havetrouble with at least one activity of daily liv-ing, such as walking or bathing.

Those physical limitations becomemore difficult with doorways too narrowfor walkers, toilets that are lower thanchairs, and kitchen counters too tall to sitwhile cooking.

Plus, nearly one-third of older adults ex-perience a fall every year, and most whoare injured fall inside the home, accordingto the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention.

Simple technologies can help“You don’t think about that stuff,” said

Hattie Watties, who can’t imagine leavingher Baltimore home of 36 years, which isnear children and grandchildren. “You justdo what you have to.”

For Watties, 74, that meant climbingonto kitchen counters to reach too-highcabinets. Steep, dark stairs to the base-ment laundry only had a partial railing, soshe threw clothes down and inched herway after them.

No more: Carpenter Tyrone White low-ered Watties’ cabinets to a comfortablereach, installed railings, and showed howan energy-saving compact fluorescentlight bulb provided more light than a regu-

lar bulb in the dim stairway. In homes where it’s even darker, White

sticks motion-sensing lights by each stepto show where to aim your foot. They’reless than $15 for a two-pack and run onbatteries, so no rewiring is needed.

The work that perhaps has the biggestimpact seen so far is a double railing forstairs that lets people rest their weight onboth sides.

The handymen, employed by the urbanservice corps Civic Works, also insist oninstalling carbon monoxide monitors,which have detected leaking gas stoves insome homes.

Do these solutions really save money? The four-month intervention costs

about $4,000 per participant, including thehome modifications and specialists’salaries. The average cost for nursinghome care in the U.S. is $6,700 a month, soeven a modest delay could add up fast.

Szanton will track participants longterm and, based on results from an earlier

pilot test of 40 high-risk seniors, hopes todelay nursing home entry by up to a yearin this frail population.

For families, perhaps the bigger ques-tion is how long the solutions will last. Eve-lyn-Gustave teaches families to brainstorm

options as new challenges crop up. “We can’t be there forever. They need

the skill to carry on,” she said. For more information, see http://nurs-

ing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/research/projects/capable. — AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Volunteers & Careers 27

Capable studyFrom page 1

ALL ABOARD THE COUNTY’S SHIPJoin the Medicare Volunteer Corps. Volunteers are needed tomake Medicare understandable for the community by filling a vari-

ety of roles within the Baltimore County Senior Health Assistance Program (SHIP).Currently volunteers are needed to conduct online research for Medicare Prescrip-tion Part D and assist individuals in reviewing and locating the right prescriptionplan at the best price. For more information, email [email protected] or contact the SHIP office at (410) 887-2059.

VOLUNTEER AT RONALD McDONALD HOUSERonald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore provides a homeaway from home for seriously ill children and their families, andhelps to fund programs in the local area that directly improve the

wellbeing of children. Numerous volunteer opportunities exist. For more informa-tion, contact Amber Rose at [email protected].

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Helping Up Mission that he was seriousand motivated about improving his life,”Kameen said. “It was critical to allow theMission to guide us through this process,

so feelings of jealousy or anger were notprecipitated from other men at the Mis-sion. It was the correct course of action.”

On Feb. 21, Kameen performed suc-cessful LASIK surgery on Curtis at nocharge, and indications show that he is onthe path to achieving uncorrected 20/20

vision. Curtis has begun arranging for job in-

terviews with the hope of achieving mean-ingful and long-term employment.

“Since suffering an accident when I was7 years old, I have been legally blind formore than 40 years,” Curtis said. “Togeth-er with earning my GED and now beingable to see, I feel that there is nothing thatI cannot accomplish.

“I have a new mission in life – to get agreat job and, someday, open up my ownbusiness. I woke up the other day andcould not believe how well I was seeing. Ithas still not sunk in.

“The turning point in my life was watch-ing graduation last year,” Curtis contin-ued. “It was a moving experience that mo-tivated me. I have tried to graduate fromHelping Up Mission before, but failed.

“This time, I took a hard look at my-self…and realized that it was not all aboutdrugs and alcohol. It was little things. Mylife is now turned around. I am on cloud 9.

I cannot let myself or the people aroundme — like Kameen — down, who haveworked so hard to help me accomplish myfirst set of goals.”

“After two years of extremely hardwork, the future seems bright for Antho-ny,” Kameen said. “He was the model stu-dent for Helping Up Mission and the tem-plate for what is possible.”

Many ways to volunteerNot everyone can provide free medical

services as Kameen does, but for thosewho want to help the homeless and addict-ed men of Helping Up Mission — whetherindividuals, families, church groups,schools or corporate groups — there aremany opportunities available.

These include serving meals, tutoring,mentoring and discipleship, professionalservices (medical, legal, financial, counsel-ing, etc.), and working at holiday banquetsand other special events.

Other ways to help the Mission and itsguests include taking or hosting a tour forfriends, family and coworkers, buildingawareness of the Mission in your sphereof influence — work, church or anywhereelse — and fundraising through charityruns, dinner events, office collections, etc.

The Helping Up Mission is located at1029 E. Baltimore St. To get involved,call (410) 675-HELP (4357) or [email protected].

28 Volunteers & Careers | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

Homeless menFrom page 26

VOLUNTEER AT SEVEN OAKSVolunteer opportunities abound at Seven Oaks Senior Center, lo-cated at 9210 Seven Courts Dr. Volunteer positions include: re-

ception, travel, office support, nutrition program, class instructors, cooks, activitychairpersons, fitness monitors and board members. Local students can earn com-munity service hours at Seven Oaks Senior Center. A partnership with Seven OaksElementary School provides opportunities to volunteer with young studentsthrough the Reading Buddies program. For more information, call (410) 887-5192or email [email protected].

NORTHWEST HOSPITAL STEP AEROBICSStep it up with these step aerobics classes at Northwest Hospitalin Randallstown, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. or7:15 p.m. Fee is $50 for 20 classes. Pre-registration required. Call

(410) 521-5968 for registration form.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

HELP ORGANIZE VOLUNTEERSBaltimore County De-

partment of Aging is looking for anorganized, energetic, computer savvyindividual with good written and oralcommunication skills to serve as aVolunteer Maryland Coordinator(VMC). The VMC will develop stan-dardized policies and procedures forvolunteer recruitment and training,and lead training sessions on cus-tomer service and facility supervisionfor the volunteers who work in the 20senior centers in Baltimore County.To apply, fill out the Volunteer Mary-land application at www.volunteer-maryland.org and send it to Jill Hallat [email protected], orcall (410) 887-3424.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS MEETUPS

The Baltimore Health & Wellness(H&W) Meetup is open to anyonewho has an interest in taking care oftheir health, learning “how to,” orhelping others achieve their true po-tential. Its mission is to share infor-mation about health and wellness ina comfortable, caring and light-heart-ed environment. The next meetup willbe held Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7p.m. To join the group, visitwww.meetup.com/Integrative-Nutri-tion-Meetup-Baltimore-MD.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Sept. 18+

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 29

TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

By Victor BlockWhen I told a friend I was going to Myr-

tle Beach, S.C., he asked if I was takinggolf clubs because of the 100-plus coursesthere. After I reminded him that I don’tplay golf, he inquired, “So you’re goingthere to relax on the beach, right?” Wrong!

Most of the 15 million or so people whovisit the Myrtle Beach area each year do goto golf and soak up the sun. The destination isbest known for its excellent golf courses and60-mile stretch of inviting soft sand beaches.

It didn’t take long for me to discover thatit also has history-rich towns, reminders ofsouthern plantation life, and intriguing cul-tural tidbits, any of which alone would bereason enough to go there.

Myrtle Beach sits near the middle of the“Grand Strand,” a name that was coined by anewspaper columnist to describe a dozentowns strung out along South Carolina’s At-lantic coastline. Each community has its ownappealing features and unique story to tell.

Myrtle Beach is at the heart of the action,with the greatest concentration of hotels,restaurants, shopping and nightlife. The ac-tivity is centered along the 1.2-mile ocean-front boardwalk, much of which is lined byshops, fast food eateries and arcades.

Overlooking the scene is the SkyWheel,a giant-sized Ferris wheel that soars 187feet into the air, with glass-enclosed gondo-la cars that provide a bird’s-eye view overthe surroundings.

Quiet havens with historySome towns along the Grand Strand re-

semble Myrtle Beach in miniature, while oth-ers attract visitors who prefer quieter havens.

Georgetown, at the southern end of theStrand, already was a major sea port forthe colonies when it was officially foundedin 1729. Behind today’s commercial and in-dustrial façade is a residential area of oaktree-canopied streets and gracious homes,a number of them pre-Revolutionary.

Georgetown also is home to the Rice Mu-seum, whose exhibits relate the story of therice culture that evolved in South Carolinaand brought extreme wealth to manyplanters. I found particularly interesting acollection of hand-written bookkeepingledgers from the time when rice was king.

Pawley’s Island, several miles furthernorth, became a pre-Civil War summer re-treat for wealthy planters. Some of theirhomes are identified by markers that tracetheir history. The setting retains vestigesof the laid-back atmosphere that present-day residents prefer — and which theyrefer to as “arrogantly shabby.”

In sharp contrast to Pawley’s Island isMurrell’s Inlet, which earns its reputationas the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina.”Fresh fish, crabs, oysters and clams arepulled from the surrounding waters, andfishing boats and pleasure craft keep the1,400-foot-long boardwalk bustling.

Aptly called the Marsh Walk, it overlooks

salt water wetlands and provides glimpsesof an outdoor aviary of pelicans, egrets andother migratory and resident birds.

Life of another kind frequents the restau-rants that line the walkway and vie for at-tention with colorful names like DrunkenJack’s, Dead Dog Saloon and Creek Ratz.

African-American historyPerched near the northern end of the

Strand, Atlantic Beach has close ties to oneof the more intriguing historical stories ofthe region.

In the early 1930s, Atlantic Beach be-came a vacation destination for African-American families, and was called the“Black Pearl.” Many residents of that com-munity, like those in other parts of theGrand Strand, are descendants of the Gul-lah-Geechee people who retain theirunique and fascinating culture.

When early plantation owners realizedthat the area’s climate and “lowcountry”tidal rivers are perfect for growing rice, theyinstigated an influx of slaves from westAfrican countries, which were collectivelyknown as “the rice coast,” where the crophad been grown for centuries. The Africans’knowledge of rice cultivation was largely re-sponsible for the success of planters incoastal regions of the southeastern states.

Isolated at plantations and rural sea is-land communities that sprung up aroundthem, the slaves developed a unique lan-

guage and clung to their African culturaltraditions. That included their rituals, reli-gious beliefs, arts and crafts, food andother facets of their lifestyle.

Many descendants of those slaves stilllive near where their ancestors did, in anarrow band stretching from the coastlineof North Carolina to Florida, and about 30miles inland. For reasons unknown, peoplein the northern section of this area areknown as Gullah, while those furthersouth are called Geechee.

In 2006, Congress passed a law estab-lishing the Gullah Geechee Cultural Her-itage Corridor, to recognize the importantcontributions to our country’s history andtraditions of those people.

Visitors to the Grand Strand are sur-rounded by reminders of this fascinatingstory, some of which are encountered insurprising ways and places. For example, agreen on the golf course at the BarefootResort is nestled against the recreatedruins of a plantation home, and the Willow-brook course is laid out on land that oncecomprised two rice plantations.

Visiting gardens and plantationsBrookgreen Gardens, a designated Na-

tional Historic Landmark, also has a closeconnection with Gullah history. It encom-passes four former rice-growing estates in-

Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the Grand Strand

An aerial view of Myrtle Beach, S.C., shows a small portion of the area’s 60-mile-long sandy beach visited by more than 15 million people a year.

The plantation home at Hopsewee rice plantation in Georgetown, S.C., is one of theoldest in the nation open to visitors. The home, on the banks of the N. Santee River,has been owned by only five families since it was built in the 1730s, including a sign-er of the Declaration of Independence.

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See MYRTLE BEACH, page 30

Picture-perfect Mackinac Island,Mich., doesn’t allow motor vehicles.See story on page 31.

cluding Brookgreen Plantation, which wasbuilt by slaves in the 18th century. Today,the expansive lawns serve as a showcase ofgardens, nature and art, including one of thelargest and most outstanding collections ofAmerican figurative sculpture in the world.

The Lowcountry Trail, one of severalthat meander about the sprawling com-plex, leads past a restored rice field andthe remains of several plantation build-ings. Occasional programs are held to in-troduce visitors to various aspects of theGullah-Geechee history and culture.

While not as grand as the setting atBrookgreen Gardens, the rice plantationnamed Hopsewee (pronounced HOP-suh-wee) has other claims to fame. Built be-tween 1735 and 1740, the graceful home is

among the oldest preservations in thecountry open to the public.

Preservation is the correct word becausethe house has not been added to or re-stored, only maintained. The originalowner, Thomas Lynch, Sr., was an earlyleader in the American Revolution, and hisson was a signer of the Declaration of Inde-pendence. In the shadow of the house standtwo original cabins that served as home toslaves who worked in the rice fields.

Another chapter in the history of slaveryis recounted at Freewoods Farm, whichwas the center of a community establishedby freed slaves at the end of the Civil War.The 40-acre spread is the only living histo-ry museum in the country that recreateslife on farms owned by African-Americansduring their first decades of freedom.

Observing farm workers busy at theirchores, it’s easy to imagine yourself trans-

ported back in time. The land is tilledusing mules pulling plows, crops are har-vested by hand, and syrup and soap aremade the time-consuming way they wereover a century ago.

The sight of subsistence farmers toiling infields provides a stark contrast to the statelyplantation homes surrounded by lovelylawns and Spanish moss-draped oak trees.

So, now you have an idea of what awaitsvisitors to Myrtle Beach and the GrandStrand: Occasional touches of honky-tonktourist attractions co-existing with a casu-al, laid-back island lifestyle to which tradi-tionalists cling with a kind of stubbornpride. Throw in a dose of fascinating, little-known history and, oh yes, those stretchesof broad sandy beaches and some 100 golfcourses, and you’ve got something foreveryone.

If you goMyrtle Beacon is 480 miles south of

downtown Baltimore. Spirit Airlines offersflights for $133 roundtrip from BWI Airportin mid-September. While the airline hasvery low prices, watch out for fees. Passen-gers even have to pay for carry-on bags.

U.S. Airlines has non-stop flights start-ing at $404 from BWI.

Visitors to the Grand Strand face a wel-come, if challenging, choice of both places tostay and eat. Accommodations range frommore than 425 hotels and elegant golf resortsto mom-and-pop motels and rustic cottages.

I found the all-suite Island Vista,perched at the ocean’s edge in a quiet resi-dential neighborhood, to combine a num-ber of attractions. It fronts one of the moredesirable stretches of beach in the areaand also offers both indoor and outdoor

swimming pools and Jacuzzis, a lazy riverand even a waterfall. Fully equippedkitchens provide a budget-stretching alter-native to restaurant meals.

Rates fall to $124 after Aug. 24. For moreinformation, log onto islandvista.com orcall (855) 732-6250.

At many of the 1,000-plus full-servicerestaurants in the area, seafood is the mainattraction, augmented by Carolina coastalcuisine and southern touches like bar-beque. Many hungry locals and visitorsalike get their seafood fix at Mr. Fish,which “has been wheeling and dealingseafood on the Grand Strand for over 30years.”

And with good reason! Prices are rea-sonable, and many entrees are largeenough to share. A huge bowl of crabsoup, almost a meal itself, costs $7, andlocal clams go for $10 a dozen. Fish plat-ters with two side dishes are a steal at $9.Diners with room for dessert have achoice of coconut grit and pecan grit piefor $6. For more information, log onto mr-fish.com or call (843) 839-3474.

At Murrell’s Inlet, I headed for therestaurant from which the most noise andlaugher were emanating and joined the funand food at Drunken Jack’s. The view ofwetlands, fishing boats and resident birdlife, the jovial waitstaff and good food wereworth the menu prices.

Best sellers are platters that includeshrimp, flounder, chicken or another entree,plus salad bar and one side, which begin at$17.95. For more information, log ontodrunkenjacks.com or call (843) 651-2044.

For more information about MyrtleBeach, log onto www.visitmyrtlebeach.comor call 1-800-356-3016.

30 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

We Live Here.We Race Here.We Save Lives Here.

Sunday, October 20, 2013Hunt Valley, Maryland

Register Today!www.komenmd.org/2013

Myrtle BeachFrom page 29

FREE LEGAL DECISIONS SEMINAROn Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., attend afree seminar and workshop, “Seniors & Important Legal

Decisions,” presented by the Baltimore City Health Department and Office ofAging. Topics will include: “Should I get a reverse mortgage?”, “Wills and finan-cial powers of attorney,” “Consumer protection and credit collection” and“Advance medical directives.” The seminar will take place at the Waxter SeniorCenter, 1000 Cathedral St., in Baltimore. Lunch will be provided. To RSVP, call(410) 396-4932.

GRANDPARENTS DAY TEATreat your grandparents (or grandchildren) to an afternoon teaand tour at Mount Clare Museum House. Tour the Mount Clare

mansion at 2 p.m., and then sit down for afternoon tea at 3 p.m. at Mount ClareStable. Tickets are $15 per person. Pre-paid reservations are required by calling(410) 837-3262, ext. 105. Mount Clare Museum House is located at 15Washington Blvd., in Carroll Park.

RACING RETURNS TO CHARM CITYThe third running of the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore will beanother spectacular three-day “Celebration of Acceleration” in

downtown Baltimore. From Aug. 30 through Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend) thestreets of Baltimore will come alive with the sights and sounds of high-speedautomotive racing. With a modified racing circuit and an even better fan experi-ence, this year’s Grand Prix will continue to establish Baltimore as the Mid-Atlantic’s premier motorsport destination. Purchase your tickets now atwww.grandprixofbaltimore.com.

BEACON BITS

Sept. 11

Sept. 8

Aug. 30+

By Anick JesdanunProducers of the 1980 movie Somewhere

in Time didn’t need to build elaborate setsto depict the tale of a playwright who trav-els back to 1912 to find romance. Theysimply filmed on Mackinac (pronounced:Mackinaw) Island, a Great Lakes enclavethat retains its Victorian-era charm thanksto its ban on motor vehicles.

Motor vehicles have been banned onthe island since the start of the 20th centu-ry, after an automobile frightened some ofthe horses. These days, people still travelby horse-drawn carriage, as well as by bikeand on foot.

Mackinac Island, located off the Straitsof Mackinac separating Michigan’s Upperand Lower Peninsulas, about 300 milesnorth of Detroit, was an important outpostin the region’s fur trade, but that gave wayto fishing and eventually tourism.

Among the main attractions: the GrandHotel, a 385-room luxury hotel that played

a central role in Somewhere in Time. Infact, fans of the movie, many in period cos-tumes, descend on the island and the hotelevery fall for a weekend of reenactmentsand a screening.

You get reminders of a bygone era be-fore even leaving the mainland by ferry.Crews cart overnight luggage onto theferry, the way full-service porters used toat train stations and hotels.

The Grand Hotel stands out as yourferry approaches the island. Closer to thedock, you pass a pair of quaint lighthouses,including one featured in the movie.

Once you’re on the island, you have plen-ty of options. Head to the Mackinac IslandState Park Visitor’s Center for an orienta-tion. About 80 percent of the island is con-trolled by the state park, but staff there canalso point you to other things to do, too.

Stroll through historyNative Americans were the first settlers

on the island. Europeans missionaries cameto the area in the 1670s, followed by fur traders. The British moved operationsfrom the mainland to the island in 1780 asprotection from Americans in revolt.

So important was the outpost that theBritish didn’t cede the island until 1796, wellafter Americans won the Revolutionary War.The British got Mackinac Island backbriefly after a surprise attack at the start ofthe War of 1812.

Through those years, the island’s mili-

tary center was Fort Mackinac, built ontop of a hill a short walk from the main vil-lage.

For $11, visitors can stroll through FortMackinac. You can witness demonstra-tions of old-style guns and a cannon — besure to heed the demonstrators’ advice tocover your ears. You can also see some ofthe buildings once used for distributingsupplies, housing soldiers and more.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 31

Victorian charm (without cars) in Michigan

See MACKINAC ISLAND, page 33

MEDITATION AT ST. JOSEPH HOSPITALMeditation can be used as a tool for improved health and vitality,whatever your physical condition. Take part in this free medita-

tion class the first Thursday of every month at St. Joseph Hospital, 2nd floor, St.Clare Building, in Towson. Call (410) 337-1479 for more information.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

32 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

During the summer months, the admis-sion also gets you into historic buildings inthe main village, including a blacksmithshop and the former site of American FurCo.

Getting around sans carDespite the lack of motor vehicles,

Mackinac Island has a state highway run-ning some eight miles around the island.You can walk or run it — consider theMackinac Island Eight-Mile Road Race inSeptember. You can also rent bikes.

If eight miles is too much, there areshorter hikes you can take, including onesto natural stone formations such as ArchRock and Sugar Loaf. There are more than60 miles of trails to choose from through-out the 1,800-acre state park.

In fact, Mackinac was the second na-tional park created after Yellowstone. Butwith the closure of Fort Mackinac, thepark didn’t have caretakers in the form ofU.S. soldiers. The state took it over in1895.

The Grand Hotel is such a draw amongtourists that non-guests must pay a $10 ad-mission fee. That allows you to shop, dineor browse an art gallery inside and letsyou walk through the flower gardens infront of the hotel.

Check out the Cupola Bar on the topfloor for a wonderful view of the Straits ofMackinac. There’s a dress code in theevening, so plan accordingly.

It’s free to walk along the streets down-town, where you’ll find shops, churches,museums and other buildings. You’ll alsosee lots of horses and carriages in lieu ofcars.

If you want to ride one, several compa-nies offer tours and “taxi” service. Tourscost $24.50 and last nearly two hours. You

can get off and get on as many times asyou like, so you can use it as a bus serviceto get around. Expect to pay $100 or morean hour for private horse-drawn taxi serv-ice. You can also rent horses to ride your-self.

Planning your visit For more information on Mackinac Is-

land, see http://mackinacisland.org. State park information is available atwww.mackinacparks.com. Brush up onSomewhere in Time at www.somewherein-time.tv.

Interstate 75 will get you to the Straits ofMackinac in about 4 1/2 hours after leav-ing Detroit. Ferries leave several times aday from Mackinaw City in the LowerPeninsula and St. Ignace in the UpperPeninsula. Tickets cost about $25, thoughyou can save money by buying online orfinding a coupon at your hotel.

You can also fly there. Delta offers serviceto Pellston, Mich., from Detroit, whileLakeshore Express flies from both Detroitand Chicago. The cheapest Delta roundtripflight is $446 in early September from BWI.

From Pellston, you can take a cab orshuttle to the ferry, or take a charter flightto a smaller airport on the island.

As for accommodations, you can splurgefor a room at the Grand Hotel. Rates start at$264 per person, per night, including fullbreakfast and five-course dinner. Seewww.grandhotel.com.

You can also find several cheaper op-tions on the island. The mainland has farmore economical lodging, not far from theferry terminals.

Whether you’re at Mackinac Island forjust the day or with an overnight stay,be sure to stop by one of the many shopsselling fudge — the island’s specialty cui-sine.

Just leave your diet on the mainland. —AP

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel 33

Picturesque Mackinac Island, located between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsu-las, allows no motorized vehicles, but horse-drawn carriages are readily available, asare bikes and horses for rent.

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By Dan CollinsIf you like puns, particularly those that

come at the expense of the CatholicChurch and the Sisters religious, Nun-sense, now playing at Toby’s of Baltimore,is the musical for you. Nunsense has its roots in a 1980s line

of greeting cards that featured nunsmaking sharp, sarcastic comments. Thecards became so popular that creatorDan Goggin decided to carry the ideainto a cabaret, and later, a full-blown off-Broadway musical that ran for nearly3,700 performances.You certainly don’t have to be Catholic

to appreciate the humor of Nunsense, but ifyou are, you’re sure to find something thatwill especially resonate. As the ReverendMother Sister Mary Regina, for example,Kristen Jepperson gets her Sisters’ atten-tion by snapping a metal clicker. “Bringsback memories, doesn’t it?” she asks. Sure does, as many audience members

would know. (At Catholic schools, sisterswould use such clickers as a warning sig-nal: one click might mean “put your booksaway”; two clicks, “a test is about to begin,”etc.)

A Maryland-centric renderingThe plot of Nunsense is all stuff and non-

sense, some of it rather macabre. Thepremise of the play involves the death of51 nuns of the Little Sisters of Dundalkafter the convent cook, the never-seen Sis-ter Julia (“Child of God,” cast crossesselves), accidentally poisons most of theorder with tainted fish soup. Thanks to monies the Sisters had raised

through a line of greeting cards (wink,wink), they had sufficient funds to bury allthe Sisters…except four, since the MotherSuperior decided to splurge on a Blue-Rayplayer. (This item was updated for modernaudiences. In the original version, it was aVCR.)Now they’ve got four dead Sisters in Sr.

Julia’s freezer, and the Maryland health in-spector is breathing down their necks;where will they find the funds to send theircompatriots to their final reward?Why, by puttin’ on a show! The stage is

set…not for Nunsense, but for the Mt. St.Helen’s School student production ofGrease (or Lubricant as Sister Reginasays). Putting the Little Sisters in a high

school allows for a comic moment whenhigh-top-tennis-shoe-wearing SisterRobert Anne (Marcia Franklin) presentsMother Superior with a “bag she found ina student’s locker.” Soon the good Sisterdiscovers the high of “Rush” (“Hmm, mustbe for someone in a hurry!”) and is “huff-ing” away. In her “altered” (or should that be,

“altared,” state), she begins spoutingevery “nun-oriented” pun imaginable, in-cluding a nod to ‘80s movies like Flash-dance (Flashnun anyone?). It’s an example everyone in the cast fol-

lows, with bad jokes like, “How do you

make holy water? You boil the hell out ofit,” an obligatory penguin allusion, and asalute to “nuns in film” with clips from StarWars, Psycho, and even the Bo Derek film,10, with the nuns making cameos inrather…interesting ways.Between all the mayhem, there’s

music and song. You know you’re in fora “pun” evening as the first act kicks offwith the cast performance of “Nunsenseis Habit Forming.” (Sisters wear a habit,get it?)


Arts & Style Flowers bloom both outside and insidethe Rawlings Conservatory. See storyon page 35.

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

NOW PLAYING!

Do You Hear The People Sing?

Dinner & Sho w

TobysDinnerTheatre.comRESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY!

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

A MUST SEE in-the-round!

“ ....you may never see another productionof this epic show

that is quite so perfect. Do not miss

this production!”Amanda Gunther

- DCMetroTheaterArts

Nunsense a none-too-sophisticated show

In Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s production of the pun-filled Nunsense, Sister Amnesia,played by Elizabeth Rayca Haas, shares a moment with puppet Sister Mary Annette(think “marionette”), whose name is one of the show’s many plays on words.

See NUNSENSE, page 36

Radio Flea Market

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

Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

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By Carol SorgenIn years past, Baltimore was home to

five conservatories where the public couldenjoy the greenery not always foundamidst an urban environment. Today thereremains only one — the Howard PetersRawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gar-dens. Established in 1888 as the Druid Hill

Conservatory, the conservatory — thesecond-oldest steel framed-and-glassbuilding still in use in the United States —has grown from the original Palm Houseand Orchid Room, and now includes threegreenhouses, two display pavilions andoutdoor gardens.The Conservatory was open to the pub-

lic continuously from 1888 to 2002, when it

closed for a major renovation. When it re-opened two years later, joining the PalmHouse and Orchid Room were a Mediter-ranean House, Tropical House and DesertHouse. The name was also changed to honor

Howard Peters Rawlings, the former Ap-propriations Committee chair in the Mary-land House, who spearheaded a bill thatpaid for $4.8 million in major renovations.Rawlings was also the father of BaltimoreMayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

More repairs neededNow 125 years old, the conservatory is

badly in need of additional repairs and im-provements, said Kate Blom, conservatorysupervisor. The landmark cupola has al-

ready been repaired, and the exterior ofthe Palm House is currently being painted. But still needed are new lighting, doors,

flooring, fencing, regraded gardens, andperhaps most important, a larger staff,which has been decimated by ongoingbudget cuts. (The Conservatory is ownedby Baltimore City and operates under theDepartment of Recreation and Parks.)The magic number in Blom’s mind to

accomplish these goals is — perhaps notcoincidentally — $125,000. “And we’re notfar off,” she said, thanks to several sub-stantial donations and a series of specialfundraising events that are being heldthroughout the year, the largest of whichis the Palm House Gala on Saturday, Oct.5, from 7 to 11 p.m.

Along with the needed repairs, Blom isalso on a mission to increase the public’sawareness of the conservatory. “The ques-tion I hear most often,” she said, “is, ‘howlong have you been here?’” “Once they know about us,” Blom

added, “they come back again and again.”

A global gardenThat’s not surprising as there’s a lot to

see at the conservatory, which featuresdistinct environments that allow the dis-play of plants from all over the world. Thebuildings create an appropriate environ-ment for plants from tropical, desert andMediterranean environments.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 35

Garden oasis celebrates 125th anniversary

The Howard Peter Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens houses plants of alltypes from around the world. It opened in 1888 as the Druid Hill Conservatory and,though it was renovated and expanded a decade ago, is once again in need of repairsas it celebrates its 125th year.

See CONSERVATORY, page 37

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High-energy performancesKudos in particular to Franklin, who

demonstrates skills a la a balloon animalsartist, only using her wimple. When she fi-nally gets her moment to shine (“I JustWant to Be a Star”), she proves to havequite a nice voice.For pure power, though, you can’t beat

Elizabeth Rayca as Sister Mary Amnesia(who lost her memory due to a crucifixdropped on her head) whom, I expect, ifshe gave full volume at her highest rangewould have shattered every glass in thehouse. Performing with a nun puppet called

Sister Mary Annette (marionette, get it?),Sister Amnesia finally regains her memo-ry with, “I Could’ve Gone to Nashville,” re-calling her aspirations to be, of all things, acountry Western star.Sister Amnesia was not alone; seems

that most of her fellow nuns had yearnedto be something else before they tooktheir vows: Mother Superior puts on theshow-stopping number, “Turn Up theSpotlight,” complete with giant red featherfans, recalling her circus days with herhigh-wire-act parents; Sister Mary Leo(Maria Rizzo) had visions of being a balle-rina (“Soup’s On, The Dying Nun Ballet”),and Sister Hubert (Melissa Fortson)wouldn’t mind a new name from the Bish-

op and the title of Mother Superior, whenshe isn’t making bad puns. That soup that killed her fellow Sisters?

“It was kinda like the Last Supper! That’s alittle convent humor.”

Nunsense at Toby’s is a two-act produc-tion that runs, with intermission, abouttwo hours, and features 19 songs and a va-riety of dance moves, including the expect-ed nuns-kicking-like-Rockettes chorusline. Director Mark Minnick does an excel-

lent job with choreography as these nunsspin, jump, slide and sail across the stage,all while wearing sensible black leathershoes (except for the be-sneakered SisterRobert Anne, but she’s from the toughstreets of Brooklyn).Lighting and sound were adequate,

though there were a few times when thecast’s volume seemed to be too muchfor their headset microphones to bear.The result was that less-than-delightfulelectronic squeal that makes it feel likea nun just boxed your ears for chewinggum. Fortunately, this occurred only acouple times in the first act and wasquickly rectified.

Nunsense runs through Aug. 25 atToby’s of Baltimore, 5625 O’DonnellStreet. Tickets range from $51.50 to$53.50, including dinner. For reserva-tions and more information, visitwww.tobysdinnertheatre.com or call(410) 649-1660.

36 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 — B A L T IMORE B E A CON

WHAT’S YOURREASON TO WALK?

Greater Baltimore Oregon Ridge Park

Saturday, October 12, 2013

.

alz.org.walk

I WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

NunsenseFrom page 34 FREE LUNCHTIME YOGA

Enjoy free yoga in Preston Gardens, located at the corner of

Saratoga and St. Paul Streets on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. through Sept.

26. An instructor from Merritt Athletic Club will lead the yoga classes. Class will

be held in the grass.

TRIBUTE TO THE STARS RETURNS

Premier’s “Tribute to the Stars” returns to the Parkville American

Legion Post 183, 2301 Putty Hill Ave., on Saturday, Sept. 14. The

show will pay tribute to Hank Williams, Sr., Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, Neil

Diamond and Elvis circa 1956. Doors open at 5 p.m., show time is from 6 to 9

p.m. Tickets are on sale now in advance for $20; $25 at the door. Cash bar and

dinner are available at an additional cost. Ticket information is available at the

Legion bar or at (410) 299-2187.

MANLY ARTS DAY AT HAMPTON MANSION

Come to Hampton National Historic Site in Towson on Sunday,

Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the 10th annual Manly Arts

Day, “Privateers and Patriots, The Ridgleys at Sea and at War.” Visitors will par-

ticipate in authentic drills and exercises, and learn about the weapons and tac-

tics required for capturing or defending a sailing ship at sea. The schooner Lion, a

25 ft. long ¼ scale version of a Baltimore privateer from the War of 1812, will

also be on display and will be manned by Ship’s Company, one of the premier nau-

tical living history groups in the country. Admission is free. The mansion is locat-

ed at 535 Hampton Ln., Towson. For more information, call (410) 823-1309.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Sept. 14

Sept. 8

Tropical plants require a climate around72 degrees, with 80 percent humidity andfrequent rain. Desert plants require 90-plus degrees, 20-30 percent humidity, andlittle rainfall. Blom explained that these cli-mates differ greatly from that of Maryland,with its cold winters, hot summers and 42inches of annual rainfall. “The conservatory provides a tour of

the world’s flora — from China to Africa,from the South American rainforests to theworld’s deserts — where visitors of anyage and any level of horticultural interestand expertise may study the plants in theirnatural environments,” said Blom. “This isthe only place in Baltimore where we canenjoy this incredible collection of plants.”Visitors to the conservatory are as di-

verse as the plants themselves, said Blom,and range from school-age children whomay be getting their first look at how foodlike bananas and coffee grow, to artists,photographers, retirees and others crav-ing a respite from the “urban jungle.”“We want to show visitors the value of

plants to our lives, as well as the impor-tance of caring for our environment,” saidBlom, adding that she hopes the momen-tum of the 125th anniversary year willlaunch the conservatory into the next 125years.Tickets for the gala are $125 per person

and can be ordered online at www.rawl-ingsconservatory.org. Additional anniversary events include a

lecture and book-signing by author AmyStewart, who will discuss her newest best-seller, The Drunken Botanist: The Plantsthat Create the World’s Great Drinks, fol-

lowed by a cocktail and food reception, onOct. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; a Palm House125th Family Birthday Party (“with thelargest birthday cake we can afford!” saidBlom); and a Fundraising Sneak PeekParty to preview the annual holiday show,featuring thousands of spectacular poinset-tias on display throughout the Conservato-ry, on Dec. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.A complete list of conservatory events

can be found on its website. The Conserva-tory is located in Druid Hill Park, near theintersection of McCulloh Street andGwynns Falls Parkway, and is open fromWednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. (unless closed for a wedding). Thereis no admission charge, but a $5 per per-son donation is encouraged. For more information, call (410) 396-0008

or see www.rawlingsconservatory.org.

B A L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style 37

S T A B A S S N O R C AT E L L S P I T E R E A LA R L O C A C A O S I L LF R O G P A R K I N G O N L YF A T A N T O N O N S

H I S L E O T E AB A C O N R E E D F A L LA L L O T H E R S W I L L B ET O A D O D E S R E L A XH E S P E P M I X

S C I L O S E S S O WJ U M P S T A R T T H E C A RO P A L S N A R E V A S EE T T U P E T E R I R I SD O E S S T E W L E S T

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 38

Call 855-807-1085 | bayada.com

Compassion. Excellence. Reliability.

BAYADA Home Health Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our thoroughly screened health care professionals provide:

and errands

BAYADA Home Health Aide Vida Okine with client Virginia S.

Trusted care in the comfort of home

ConservatoryFrom page 35

ALL IN THE TIMING Fells Point Corner Theater presents All in the Timing, directed by

Anne Shoemaker, through Sunday, Sept. 1, at Fells Point Corner

Theater, 251 South Ann St. This critically acclaimed, award-winning play consists

of six one-act comedies, combining wit, intellect, satire and just plain fun.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There

will be two Thursday performances on Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. Admission

is $15. For tickets, go to www.fpct.org.

BALTIMORE PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL The Baltimore Playwrights Festival is currently producing its 32nd

season. Over the last three decades the festival has presented

more than 282 productions by 173 playwrights at 27 different theaters.

Upcoming performances include When the Letter Writers Have All Died, through

Sunday, Aug. 25 at Le Clerc Hall, College of Notre Dame, 4701 N. Charles St.,

and Countdown to the Happy Day, performed at Sojourner Douglass College

Theater, 2 N. Central Ave., (theater entrance is from the Aisquith St. parking lot)

through Sept. 1. Further information can be found at www.baltplayfest.org.

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHTS LOCAL CHURCHESHistorian and photographer Denny Lynch will give a slide presen-

tation and lecture of Baltimore City and Southwest Baltimore

County churches on Friday, Sept. 20, at 12:45 p.m., at the Arbutus Senior

Center, 855 A Sulphur Spring Road. Admission is free, but RSVP by Sept. 16 to

(410) 887-1410.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Ongoing

Sept. 20


Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 37.

Crossword PuzzleDaily crosswords can be found on our website:

www.TheBeaconNewspapers.comClick on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 37.

Down1. Moses’ group of assistants2. ___ firma3. Distribute4. 21st century diary5. Like long distance lovers6. Pervert7. Rust-resistant8. It puts the “no” in “no vacancy”9. First name of the Third Man10. Address a software problem11. Match a bet12. Team up with14. Copies, digitally20. Redden the town21. Comment from a baby, maybe25. Engine cover27. One of eight Eng. kings29. Napoleon’s home for 300 days30. “Jeopardy!” host Trebek31. After Bed, but before Beyond32. Solarcaine ingredient33. Yearbook signer34. Mars35. Homophone of “heir”36. Show one’s muscles38. Garden tool39. Mutton stuff, with 65 Across44. Brothers, on CBS’s Simon & Simon45. About 39 inches47. Slightly better than average49. Address the congress50. Scatter51. House of Horrors goal52. Sanctuary53. Seize control from54. The Yankee Clipper (with name slightly clipped)

55. ___ no good56. Medicinal qtys.57. Worse than bad

Swamp Sign by Stephen Sherr

Across1. Use a Clue weapon5. Part of the NBA9. Horror flick released two years after Jaws13. Follower of show or kiss14. Maliciousness15. Like some TV housewives16. Woodstock costar with Jimi and Janis17. Mole sauce source18. Plant holder holder19. Start of a sign at the swamp’s edge22. ___ chance23. Writer Chekhov24. Turn-___ (centerfold info)25. The beginning of recorded HISTORY26. Shortest Papal name28. A drink with jam and bread31. Ingredient in Fettuccine Carbonara34. Standard for thinness36. Mums’ time to shine37. More of the swamp sign40. End of the swamp sign41. Praiseful poems42. Chill out in the hot sun43. Drones and drakes44. Enthusiasm45. Create a group of nuts46. Biol. or chem.48. Spells HORSE first51. She sent the Three Little Pigs out into the world

54. Prepare to leave the swamp58. Stone of some scorpios59. Tempo-setter for a marching band60. Common add-on for 1-800-FLOWERS61. Caesar’s complaint62. Pumpkin enthusiast63. State flower of Tennessee64. “What ___ he want from me?”65. See 39 Down66. “___ we forget...”

Jumbles: LOWLY SHOWY JABBER UNLOAD

Answer: The cowboys said the gunslinger was an artist be-cause he knew -- HOW TO "DRAW"

BA L T IMORE B E A CON — S E P T EMBE R 2 0 1 3 Say you saw it in the Beacon 39

DULANEY VALLEY MEMORIAL GARDENS– Double crypt inside the Cloister Mausoleum.Crypt: 186, Row: A-A. Asking $13,500.00. Rarelyavailable, great deal! Contact (443) 794-4945.

PRIDE JAZZY SELECT 6 Ultra PowerWheelchair with charger unit. Power elevatingpan seat with synergy cushion. Like new –never used. $1,000 or best offer. 410-465-5647.

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

TWO SIDE BY SIDE CRYPTS in Cloisters Mau-soleum at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Re-tail Value: $15,000. Sell For: $8,000. 410-870-1442.

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

MIKE RUPARD – A FULL SERVICE PAINT-ING contractor. Interior. Exterior. “No job is toosmall.” 30 years experience. Free estimates.Fully-licensed and insured. 301-674-1393.

BASEMENT OR FOUNDATION PROB-LEMS? LEVELIFT SYSTEMS, INC. offershonest, professional, no-pressure inspection, con-sultation & repair quotes for owner-occupiedhomes with settling, cracking & buckling base-ment walls. Our 23-year-old Jessup, Maryland-based firm has a spotless record with Angie’sList, Better Business Bureau and MarylandState Home Improvement Commission. Ask forPaul. Office: 301-369-3400. Cell: [email protected]. MHIC #45110.

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

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

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

ESTATE SALES – STRESS FREE. We pro-vide services needed for Downsizing and EstateSales. Let’s meet to discuss and schedule youron-site sale. For information, call Denise, 410-236-8704 or Dan, 410-602-2430.

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

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

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

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

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

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

LADIES 25-75 WHO LOVE TO SING. Joinus in a cappella harmony. www.dundalksweet-ads.com for details.

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

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

MILITARY ITEMS Collector seeks: helmets,weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, webgear,uniforms, inert ordnance, ETC. From 1875 to1960, US, German, Britain, Japan, France,Russian. Please call Fred 301-910-0783, Thankyou. Also Lionel Trains.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUAL-ITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by aserious capable buyer. I am very well educated[law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in theantique business] and have the finances andwherewithal to handle virtually any situation. Ifyou have a special item, collection or importantestate I would like to hear from you. I pay greatprices for great things in all categories from ori-ental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks tofirearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If itis wonderful I am interested. No phony promisesor messy consignments. References gladly fur-nished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834.Thank you.

$$$$$ WE PAY CASH FOR ITEMS $$$$$We buy the following items and more: Toys,Collectable Glassware, Dolls (Barbies, Ceram-ic), Automotive and Motorcycle Parts and Re-lated Items, Electronics, Musical Instruments,Trains, Items of Any Kind – Just Ask – Vin-tage or Current Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles,RV’s and More. Call Dave @ [email protected].

CLASSIFIEDSThe Beacon prints classified advertising

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

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

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

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cept ad ver tis ing in violation of federal,state, and local laws pro hib it ing dis crim i -na tion based on race, color, national origin,sex, fa mil ial sta tus or handicap in connec-tion with employment or the sale or rentalof real estate.

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Personal ServicesFor Sale

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIEDDeadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’sissue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reachedin the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone orfax, nor do we accept credit cards.

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BB

9/13

I had just read a rather technical discus-sion about the use of data by the NSA thathad appeared on the Washington Post op-ed page. The author, a man with legaltraining and senior legal and political re-sponsibilities, made very similar argu-ments to those which you stated so clearlyand elegantly.I have parallel and related discussions

with my small set of friends. There are sev-eral important points: (1) We have aban-doned privacy in fact, if not in theory, withthe rise and sophistication of technology.

(2) We are facing a struggle that is asym-metric warfare. The concepts of warfarethat have applied from time immemorialare no longer applicable. (3) We are facingvery dangerous enemies that are few innumber, but can only be fought with tech-nology and sophisticated analysis method-ologies.You have done an outstanding job of ex-

plaining to your large number of readers thecharacteristics of the modern world and theinteractions with modern technology.It was a pleasure to read your piece, and

I look forward to more.Louis P. Solomon

via email

Letters to editorFrom page 2 Makes a

great gift!

THE WALTERS SHOWCASES SCOTTISH COLOURISTSWho were the Scottish Colourists and what was their contributionto European art in the first three decades of the 20th century?

The Walters Art Museum’s exhibition highlights approximately 30 paintings ofFrancis Campbell Boileau Cadell, John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunterand Samuel John Peploe. Their vivid works were inspired by Whistler, Manet,Matisse and Cézanne, as well as artistic traditions closer to their Scottish home-land. They sought out subjects that pulsated with light and color. The exhibitcloses Sunday, Sept. 8. The Walters is located at 6 N. Charles St. General admis-sion is free. For more information, visit www.thewalters.org.

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