F R E E

VOL.1, NO.9

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0DECEMBER 2011More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County

I N S I D E …

FITNESS & HEALTH 4k Foods that boost immunityk Ways to prevent falls

THE SENIOR CONNECTION 16k Howard County Office on Aging Newsletter

LAW & MONEY 18k Reasons to invest in Asiak Beware used car scams

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACONBITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

A R T S & S T Y L EFrom Handel’s Messiah toDavid Sedaris’ darkly humorous Holidays on Ice,there’s a holiday show inHoward County for every taste

page 27

The Howard County

LEISURE & TRAVELAlabama’s Civil War and civilrights sites; plus, time to thinkspring when it comes to thegarden

page 23

By Robert FriedmanToby Orenstein — owner, founder, di-

rector and producer at the two dinner the-aters that bear her name — is well awareof the stigma attached to the term “dinnertheater.” As she puts it, some people be-lieve that it’s “bad theater, with chickenbreasts and rice.”Yet, she proudly aligns her name with

the genre. The main ingredient in goodtheater, she said, “is innovative, passionatepeople who want to communicate — andthat can be done in a barn or a bathroom.”Not only do her theaters provide much

more comfortable surroundings than that(together with more-than-you-can-eat buf-fets), her productions vie with the best the-aters in the region for top theatrical honors.Over the past 27 years, Toby’s

actor/singers, choreographers and herown work as a director have been nominat-ed for 57 Helen Hayes awards — the Wash-ington-area equivalent of Broadway’sTonys — and have won a number of them.Now 74, Orenstein got her start in the

theater, you might say, back in the Bronxwhen she was a schoolgirl, putting ongreat American musicals with her class-mates and coaxing her mother to accom-pany them on the piano.Her life has not all been about show biz,

however. Orenstein sees teaching as hermain calling, and she has managed to com-bine the two professions into something ofa mission. Her work in both fields hasearned her, among other honors, a placein the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame.

A teacher from the startHer path started to take shape in the

late 1950s, shortly after Orenstein graduat-ed from Columbia University, where shehad majored in theater and minored in ed-ucation. She was chosen as one of a dozen teach-

ers to take part in a federal education proj-ect in Harlem, overseen by Eleanor Roo-sevelt. There she worked with childrenwho didn’t show that they wanted to learnanything. “They hated life and they hatedme,” Orenstein said.Then came the play-acting. “I was teach-

ing social studies, and I brought in cos-tume hats for the kids,” she recalled. “And

we had sand and they became miners, pan-ning and digging for gold and telling howthey felt. And the California Gold Rush be-came alive for them,” she said.Theater became the spark that ignited a

desire in these kids to learn about theworld. The same spark ignites in autisticchildren and those with Asperger’s syn-drome when they take to theater, Oren-stein has observed. “Imagine parents in the audience,

whose children wouldn’t say one word orwouldn’t look anyone in the eye, now see-ing their kids on stage, speaking and look-ing at that other kid!”Orenstein felt that rush personally

when she saw her grandson, who has As-perger’s, perform. “He participates in thearts, and it has helped him enormously,teaching him to work with other kids, tohandle real-life situations,” she said.

Moving into dramaOrenstein moved to Maryland in 1959 and

began teaching drama classes and directingat Cynthia Warner’s School in Takoma Park.She also directed shows and children’sdrama at the Burn Brae Dinner Theatre. She was a visiting professor in theater at

Catholic University from 1974 to1980. But

Toby Orenstein, owner of Toby’s Dinner Theatres in Columbia and Baltimore, not onlyhas directed hundreds of musical productions, but is also the founder of the Colum-bia Center for Theatrical Arts, which introduces children to acting.

See TOBY, page 28

Toby brings it all together

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

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

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

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

Our Baltimore contributing editor,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tooting our horn

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

2 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y 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

• 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

• Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory

• Advertising Representatives ............Ron Manno,

............................................Doug Hallock, Steve Levin

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915(410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.comSubmissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial and advertising isthe 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details.Please mail or email all submissions.

© Copyright 2011 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc.

2010 Outstanding Publication Award

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedi cated to inform, serve, and en ter tain the citi zens of HowardCounty, and is pri vate ly owned. Other editions serveGreater Baltimore and Greater Washington.

Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12),pre paid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent forsales tax. Send sub scrip tion order to the office listedbelow.

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.

Letters to the editor

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

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

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

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

Social Security did not contribute one

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

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

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

Laura FeldmanVia email

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

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 3

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

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

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

UNRAVELING THE BEST DNAResearchers seek to unlock the secretsof healthy longevity

HealthFitness &

By Emily Sohn You already know you need to eat well

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

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

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

Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay healthy with three immune boosters

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

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

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

People get higher readingsIn Canada, researchers asked 88 pri-

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

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

machine. These doctors fit a blood pres-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

normal blood pressureeverywhere but in thedoctor’s office.

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

and stress asso-ciated with seeing a

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

urement.The effect of white-coat hypertension on

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Machines measure blood pressure better

New antiviraldrug: A cure forthe common cold?Viruses might soon meet their kryp-

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

cific to one virus, or even one strain. Whena virus mutates, researchers must retoolour medicines.But nearly all viruses have one thing in

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

enzyme — protein kinase R (PKR) — thatbinds to long double-stranded RNA mole-cules and blocks production of viral pro-teins, but many viruses can evade it.So Todd Rider at the Massachusetts In-

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

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

— which causes some forms of the com-mon cold — from spreading throughhuman and mouse cells in Petri dishes. Itperformed just as well against 14 otherviruses, including the one responsible fordengue fever. DRACO also boosted sur-

vival rates in mice given a normally lethaldose of the H1N1 flu virus (PLoS One).“Just as antibiotics revolutionized the

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

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

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

— New Scientist

How to find doctors who acceptMedicare

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

tor you’re looking for. Specify that youwant to see providers who accept theMedicare-approved amount as payment infull. You can leave the doctor’s gender and

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

have found doctors on the Medicare.govlist who have retired,” said Elaine WongEakin, executive director of CaliforniaHealth Advocates. She recommends starting with four or

five doctors on the list, or asking friends orrelatives in the area for recommendations.

Then contact those doctors to see whetherthey are accepting new Medicare patients.If you still have trouble finding a doctor

you like who accepts Medicare, you maywant to consider switching to a MedicareAdvantage plan for 2012 during open-en-rollment season this year, which runs onlythrough Dec. 7 — earlier than in pastyears.These private plans, which offer med-

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

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

— Kiplinger’s

Drug improvesmemory

in older monkeysA decline in brain activity linked to

memory loss in aged monkeys has beenreversed, resulting in activity akin to thatof a youngster. It may provide vital clues topreventing memory problems in humans.To better understand memory loss,

Mark Laubach and colleagues at Yale Uni-versity studied neuron degradation in theprefrontal cortex (PFC) of monkeys, thepart of the brain responsible for workingmemory — critical to everyday tasks in-cluding planning ahead and learning.

Health Shorts

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 5

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or Symphony of Lights. Congratulations to last month’s ticket winners,

Rosele Stanton of Glenelg and Esther Ghazi of Columbia.

By Karen AnselAre your tummy troubles all in your

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

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

that eventually separate into the brain,spinal cord and nerves of the intestine allhave the same beginnings and remain in-terconnected.Mental stress delivers a one-two punch

to our digestive systems. First, it causesthe release of cortisol and adrenaline, hor-mones that not only divert energy to your

muscles (so you can fight — or flee!) butalso slow down digestion.For momentary bouts of stress, that’s a

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

release of neurotransmitters like sero-tonin, which promotes relaxation. And be-cause 80 percent of your body’s serotoninis located in your gut, it’s no wonder thatwhen too much is released it can keep yourunning to the bathroom, while too littlecan make you irregular.

Try these foodsLuckily, science suggests that, when

stress strikes, reaching for certain foodscan soothe your psyche and your “stom-

ach.” Here are three to get things back ontrack:

1. Oatmeal: This comforting grain ispacked with fiber, which helps regulate di-gestion — slowing things down whenthey’re moving too fast and speedingthings up when they’re sluggish. The fiberin oatmeal also guards against dips inblood glucose that can leave you crankyand lethargic.

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

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

meaning that each strain has unique and

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

cific strains (that aren’t currently availableto consumers in foods), it provides encour-aging evidence that probiotics may have abeneficial impact on the mind-gut connec-tion.”

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

acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) —two omega-3 fats found most commonly inoily fish, such as salmon, herring and sar-dines — can help relieve inflammationlinked to tummy troubles, according to a2005 Scandinavian Journal of Nutritionstudy.

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

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

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

In both monkeys and humans, working-memory function declines with age, lead-ing to problems such as forgetfulness.The team connected electrodes to over

300 individual neurons in the PFCs ofyoung, middle-aged and old monkeys, andmeasured their activity while the monkeystook part in a memory-based task. Neuronfiring related to working memory de-creased significantly with age.In the old-age group, neuron activity

could be restored to that of a young mon-key by administering a drug that tem-porarily prevented potassium channels inthe neurons from opening, demonstratingthat the reduced firing was not due to per-manent structural changes in the brain.The study was published in the journal

Nature.— New Scientist

Health shortsFrom page 5

HERBAL APPROACHES TO HEALTHY HAIR

The Tai Sophia Institute will offer afree lecture and discussion on theapproaches of different cultures tocommon disorders of the hair andscalp, including hair loss, thinningand graying. The program will beheld at noon on Thursday, Dec. 8,at the Tai Sophia Institute, 7750Montpelier Rd., Laurel. For furtherinformation and to register, visitthe website www.tai.edu or call(410) 888-9048 ext. 6616.

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By Jim MillerFalls are a big concern for millions of

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

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

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

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

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

Start exercising: Improving balance

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

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

National Institute on Aging at 1-800-222-2225 and order their free exercise DVDand free exercise book. You can also see itonline at www.go4life.niapublications.org.

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

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

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

the house is good. Purchase some inex-pensive plug-in nightlights for the bath-rooms and hallways and, if you have stairs,

consider putting handrails on both sides.In the kitchen, organize your cabinets sothe things you use most often are withineasy reach without using a step stool. For more tips, call the Eldercare Lo-

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

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

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

walker (www.mayoclinic.com/health/walker/HA00060). Another possible hazard is pets. If you

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

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

Savvy Tip: If falls are a worry, considergetting a home monitoring system or per-sonal emergency response system — asmall pendent- or wristwatch-style “SOS but-ton” that can allow you to call for help if youfall. Systems cost around $1 per day.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org.

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

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If you’re not sure whether you need hearingaids, the first step is to make an appointmentwith an audiologist for a comprehensive

hearing evaluation. If hearing loss is present, thenyour audiologist will help determine the best hearinginstrument for your hearing loss, lifestyle and budget.

Hearing loss has been called an “invisible” healthcondition as there are no outward physical signs associated with it. It usually occurs gradually,and may be noticed by your close friendsand family members before you notice it.

At first, you may only have problemswith the phone, TV or only in background noise. You may have theperception that you’re hearing fine, if other people would just stop mumbling.

Hearing loss tends to gradually getworse over time. As with most healthconditions, earlier diagnosis and treatmentof hearing loss usually leads to most successfuloutcomes. Since the negative effects of untreated hearing loss are well documented,the benefits of seeking treatment are proven,and hearing aids not only help you hear betterbut also greatly improve your quality of life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A growing toll An estimated 5.4 million Americans

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

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

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

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

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

Institutes of Health spends about six timesmore on AIDS research than onAlzheimer’s, when there are good drugs tobattle back the HIV virus but nothing com-parable for dementia. Overwhelmingly, they ask for resources

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

an hour for care at home, or you send himto a facility. We’re in the middle of theroad,” said Shirley Rexrode of suburbanSan Francisco, whose 85-year-old father,Hsien-Wen Li, was diagnosed withAlzheimer’s nearly three years ago. Adult day care did not work out. Even at

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

bills and medications, even getting to thedoctor can be a hurdle. When her 89-year-old mother with advanced Alzheimer’s de-veloped a urinary tract infection, SusanLynch could not find a doctor willing tocome to her parents’ home in Fall River,Mass. Lynch flew there from her home in

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

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

be able to provide the care themselves,”said Donald Moulds, a deputy assistantsecretary at the Department of Health andHuman Services who oversees the project.“It’s very, very hard work. Figuring outbetter mechanisms for supporting peoplewho are trying to do that work is the rightthing to do.” It also may be cheaper for taxpayers.

Nursing homes not only are pricier thanat-home care, but many families can affordthem only through Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor — jointly paidfor by the federal government and thestates.Another key, Moulds said, is better care

coordination as Alzheimer’s complicatesthe many other health problems of aging.

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

sis, the big question is whether any anti-Alzheimer’s strategy can come withenough dollars and other incentives at-tached to spur true change. “That’s a con-cern, a very real one,” said Mayo’s Pe-tersen. The law that requires a national

Alzheimer’s plan did not provide funding,and Moulds is silent about the possibleprice tag. Almost complete is an inventory of all

Alzheimer’s-related research and care re-imbursement paid for by the U.S. govern-ment, to look for gaps that need fillingand possible savings to help pay forthem.For more information about services

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

— AP

8 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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From left: Debby Lazas Miller, Au.D., Cheryl Krissoff, M.S., CCC-A, Ron Kaplan, Au.D., and

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By Carla K. JohnsonMany consumers mistakenly believe

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

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

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

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

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

Warnings can help consumers The new survey, appearing in the

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

dreamed up two fictional drugs for heartdisease and two for heartburn. The surveyposed a question: Which drug would youchoose? Participants were told both heart dis-

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

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

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

drug when given a warning about thenewer one. The caution said: “As with all

new drugs, rare but serious side effectsmay emerge after the drug is on the mar-ket — when larger numbers of peoplehave used the drug.” Fewer people, 34 percent, chose the

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

scribe newer, expensive drugs is there’s awidespread perception that newer is bet-ter,” said Dr. Michael Steinman of SanFrancisco VA Medical Center, who wrote a

commentary about the study in the jour-nal. “That’s sometimes true, but manytimes it’s not true. So much of what doc-tors learn about new drugs is somehow af-fected by drug company marketing.”

Clearer information needed Woloshin said simple cautions would

help doctors, too, and should be part ofdrug advertising and labeling. He and co-

Newly approved drugs not always betterHOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 9

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

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

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

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

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

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

back by all these otherfeelings. What do youthink?

— HarryDear Harry: You have a golden opportu-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy life more by getting past the guilt

SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

LEARN CPR IN ONE NIGHTHoward County General Hospital is offering a one-evening programon CPR leading to an American Heart Association completion

card. The course is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. andwill be repeated on Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the HowardCounty General Hospital Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Suite 100,Columbia. The fee is $55. To register, visit www.hcgh.org. For more information,call (410) 740-7601.

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Nov. 30+ GOING TO THE DOGSApproximately 1,500 to 2,400 dogs representing 150 differentbreeds will be showing off their pedigrees and obedience skills in

this four-day show that also features 50 vendors selling dog-related products. Theshow will be held Friday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Nov. 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.each day at the Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd., WestFriendship. For further information, call (410) 442-1022.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 25+

author Dr. Lisa Schwartz have been work-ing with the FDA to improve its guidanceto drug makers on writing labels, he said.They also are promoting the idea of drug

fact boxes, similar to the nutrition fact boxeson packaged foods. The fact boxes, writtenin plain English, would tell consumers howwell a drug works compared to other drugs,and would describe side effects. Last year’s national health care law re-

quired the Department of Health andHuman Services to report to Congress onthe evidence for drug fact boxes. The de-

partment’s report said it needed at leastthree more years to study the idea. Drug fact boxes could help consumers

and doctors, Steinman said. He added thatpatients should question their doctorsabout prescriptions. He suggested these questions for

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

— AP

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

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

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

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

White wheat’s lighter color and sweeterflavor are due to its lower content of natu-

ral plant compounds, calledphenols. Research so farshows this white whole-wheatflour lower in antioxidantsthan traditional whole wheat,and there could be additionalhealth differences due to itslower phenol content. We also don’t know yet

whether the fine grind typi-cally used for white whole-wheat flour affects the bene-fits obtained from its fiberconcerning bowel functionand reducing constipation. Is white whole wheat better

for you than traditional refined whitebread? Certainly. For optimal health, cur-rent evidence suggests using it as a transi-tion to become more comfortable with tra-ditional whole wheat, or as just one part ofoverall whole grain consumption.

Q: I know exercise helps reducerisk of breast cancer. What about

breast cancer survivors?A: We now have several studies follow-

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

cancer, menopause status or weight. Evenan hour of walking throughout the week isbetter than nothing, and up to an hour a dayof moderate to vigorous exercise is linked toeven better odds of remaining cancer-free. We have no evidence, however, that more

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

ent ways to reduce breast cancer recurrence,just as it reduces risk of an initial cancer: ittends to decrease levels of insulin and growthfactors that can promote development of

breast (and other) cancers, and it changes re-productive hormones, too. In addition, a new study suggests physi-

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

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

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

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

NUTRITIONWISEBy Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDM

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

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

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

genes but also other DNA that’s responsi-ble for regulating genes. It’s “the fullmonty,” showing DNA elements that arekey for illness and health, said Dr. Eric

Topol, the study’s principal investigator. “We all carry genes that make us sus-

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

Participate by mailWhile the study will be based in South-

ern California, participants can enrollthroughout the country. Those in Califor-nia will come in to Scripps to give bloodsamples or have a nurse visit their house.

Participants elsewhere will submit a salivasample by mail after completing an inter-view by phone.Scripps will mail a packet that contains

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

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

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

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

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

and not have a history of any of the flowingconditions: cancer (except for some skincancers), heart disease, stroke, deep veinthrombosis, pulmonary embolism, chron-

ic kidney disease, an autoimmune condi-tion (such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’sor lupus), diabetes, or an aneurysm.People with the following conditions can

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

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

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

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

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

12 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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

Looking for particularly healthy seniors

POWER OVER PAINA new group has been formed through the Howard County Officeof Aging for anyone living with chronic pain. Sessions will discuss

ways to develop and sustain a positive attitude, offer information, and presentopportunities to talk to others living with chronic pain. Meetings are held everyWednesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the North Laurel 50+ Center, 9411 WhiskeyBottom Rd., Laurel. Call Karen Hull at (410) 313-7466 for more information andto register.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 30+

If so, contact us to learn about

a clinical study specifically for

your condition.

410.964.8512

Do you have Osteoarthritisof the Knee?

By Malcolm RitterGeorge Eberhardt turned 107 in October,

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

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

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

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

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

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

centenarian project is just a first step in re-vealing the genetic secrets of a long andhealthy life. “We need 10,000 genomes, not 100, to

start to understand the link between ge-netics, disease and wellness,” said Venter,who is co-chairing the X Prize contest.

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

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

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

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

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

Utah, who is seeking longevity genes byother means, said it may turn up genetic fea-tures that protect against multiple diseasesor that slow the process of aging in general.

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

can even overcome less-than-ideal lifestyles,said Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Albert EinsteinCollege of Medicine in New York. His ownstudy of how centenarians live found that “asa group, they haven’t done the right things.” Many in the group he studied were

obese or overweight. Many were smokers,and few exercised or followed a vegetariandiet. His oldest participant, who died thismonth just short of her 110th birthday,

smoked for 95 years. “She had genes that protected her against

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

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

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

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 13

Researchers seek secrets of longevity

Learn how to makeLearn how to make

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

Even though you may be able to carry on a conversation

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

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

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

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14 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

You’re on top of your medications.But we make a good back up.You know it’s important to stay on your medications exactly as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, want a lower-cost alternative, or experience any side effects, we can answer any questions. Speak to your local CVS Pharmacist to learn more.

Find a store near you at www.cvs.com

014331RXX11

Dear Pharmacist:I have borderline high blood pres-

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

— M.G.Dear M.G.:

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

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

dozens of drug muggers of potassium —that is, other medications that rob thebody of needed potassium. These includecertain types of diuretics, heartburn med-ications, laxatives, insulin therapy and cor-ticosteroid drugs. More classes of medica-tions are listed in my book, Drug Muggers. I cannot overestimate the importance

of restoring nutrients that get depleted bymedications, for this is your side effect

solution!Most physicians are aware

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

French-style green beanshave much higher amounts ofnatural potassium comparedto one banana, a fruit that ishigh in sugar and prone to fun-gal disease at the plantation.Potassium can also be de-

pleted from the body by intense workouts(think hot yoga), any kind of dehydration,vomiting, chronic or severe diarrhea andalcoholism. If you want to know your blood

levels, physicians offer a blood test to eval-uate your level of potassium and otherelectrolytes. Potassium works with its brother, sodi-

um, and the two together help control yourbody’s water balance, which in turn regu-lates blood pressure. Potassium has a cumulative effect, and

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

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

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

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

benefit from potassium in at least onestudy. Only two percent of the rats whowere potassium-supplemented suffered astroke, compared to 83 percent of the un-treated group. When supplementing with potassium

tablets, drink plenty of water and eat asnack because this helps ease the mineralinto your body gently, while minimizing GIdiscomfort.

This information is opinion only. It is notintended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-dition. Consult with your doctor before usingany new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacistand the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacistand Real Solutions from Head to Toe. Tocontact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com.

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 15

Drop your blood pressure with potassium

DEAR PHARMACISTBy Suzy Cohen

A JOYFUL START TO THE WEEKEvery Monday morn-

ing, the Bain Center offers “AnotherWay to See It,” a club to lift enthusi-asm, morale and motivation, improv-ing relationships. The group meetsMondays, starting Nov. 28, from 9 to9:40 a.m. at the Bain Center, 5470Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. A $2fee is collected at each meeting. Forfurther information, call the center at(410) 313-7213.

COPING WITH GRIEF AT THE HOLIDAYS

A free workshop for people who needextra support in preparing for andcoping with the holidays this year willbe offered by Gilchrist Hospice Care.The workshop will be held onThursday, Dec. 15 from 6:30 to 8p.m. at Gilchrist Hospice Care, 5537Twin Knolls Rd., Suite 433, Columbia.For more information and reserva-tions call (443) 539-4086 or emailGHC_bereavement@gilchristhospice.org.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28+

Dec. 15

VOLUME 1, NO. 9 • DECEMBER 2011

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

To contact us, or to join our email subscriber list, email seniorconnection@howardcountymd.gov with ‘subscribe’ in the subject box. The Senior Connection from Howard County Office on Aging

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046410-313-6410 | www.howardcountyaging.org

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

By Bill Salganik, Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)Time is running out to make sure

you are in the right Medicare prescrip-tion plan for next year. Open enroll-ment is earlier this year, and Dec. 7 isthe deadline to sign up for 2012 plans.But if you are reading this after

Dec. 7, you’re not necessarily stuck.People who are enrolled in state orfederal programs to help with pre-scription costs get to switch outsidethe enrollment period. If your an-nual income is below $32,670 foran individual or $44,130 for a cou-ple, you can join one of these pro-grams any time. If you are reading this before Dec.

7, move quickly to make sure yourplan will be right for you in 2012.Plans can change their premiums,co-pays and lists of covered drugs.Here’s a quick look at some of thechanges for 2012:

Dropping out are Advantage Starby RxAmerica, CIGNA Medicare RxPlan 2, Envision RxPlus Gold, and

Sterling Rx. You will either beswitched to a different plan, whichmay not meet your needs, or you willbe left without prescription coveragealtogether. If you’re in one of theseplans, be sure to call us.

Premium increases can have par-ticular impact on people who are re-ceiving help paying premiums. Forexample, the popular AARP Medicar-eRx Preferred plan is raising premiumsfrom $32.40 a month to $37.50. Peo-ple receiving federal Extra Help orstate prescription assistance can remainin AARP Preferred, but will be billedfor a few dollars a month. SHIP offers regular office hours at

the Bain Center (410-313-7213), theEllicott City Senior Center (410-313-1400) and the Glenwood 50+ Center(410-313-5440). In addition, SHIP will hold special

enrollment events, including some onevenings and Saturdays. Call 410-313-7392 for an appointment or visitwww.howardcountyaging.org for theschedule.

Review YourMedicare Drug PlanBefore It’s Too Late

Medicare Part D Review & Enrollment EventsBring your Medicare card and a

list of your prescription drugs. Ap-pointments are preferred. For ap-pointments, call 410-313-7392. • Thursday, Dec. 1, 5 to 8 p.m.,

The Bain Center, 5470 Ruth KeetonWay, Columbia • Friday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401Frederick Rd., Ellicott City

• Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 3p.m., The Bain Center, 5470 RuthKeeton Way, Columbia

Long-Term Living: Covering the CostExplore your long-term care in-

surance options. Discussions are ledby SHIP representatives. To pre-register, call 410-313-7391. • Wed., Dec. 7, 11 a.m., Kiwanis

Wallas Recreation Center, 10481Frederick Rd., Ellicott City

Thousands of area residents descended on Wilde Lake High School in Columbia on October 21 for the 13th annual 50+EXPO, pictured above. Early registration discounts for the 50+EXPO on October 19, 2012 are in effect through Dec. 16 (applies to for-profit vendors and exhibitors only). Vendor and exhibitor early registration forms are available online atwww.howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo.

Lois Mikkila, left, Director of the Department of Citizen Services, has announced the appointment of Dayna Brown as the new administrator of theOffice on Aging. “I am thrilled to have someone with Dayna’s experience andtalent taking on the role of Administrator in the Office on Aging," said Mikkila.“I am confident she will provide the direction needed to effectively address the needs of the county’s older adult population.” Ms. Brown was appointed to her new role last month by County Executive Ken Ulman, whosaid, "Dayna brings a wealth of experience to Howard County, and I believeshe is the right person to lead the Office on Aging as we work to meet the current and future needs of our growing aging population.”

Crowds Throng 50+EXPO

Welcome, Dayna Brown

16 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Holiday EventsThursday, December 1, 9 a.m. to noon – Holiday Preview &Sale, The Bain CenterBain Center members will display their artwork and crafts in the lobby; some itemswill be for sale. Free refreshments; call 410-313-7213 for information.

Thursday, December 8, 11 a.m. –50+ Players Holiday Show, Ellicott City Senior CenterJoin us for a free performance by the Fabulous50+ Players, a musical theatre group founded by the Howard County Arts Council. Call 410-313-1400 for information.

Thursday, December 8, 2 to 4 p.m. – Make a Holiday Bracelet,Ellicott City Senior CenterAdd sparkle to your holidays with a beautifulSwarovski Crystal Bracelet. Class fee is $12,plus a supply fee of $15 for each bracelet and$5 for earrings. To register, call 410-313-1400.

Friday, December 9, 10 a.m. to12:30 p.m. – Annual HolidayParty, The Bain CenterBring a friend to enjoy food, games and liveentertainment, and a non-perishable food itemfor the Howard County Food Bank. Call 410-313-7213 to reserve your seat and lunch.

Friday, December 9, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – BSO Holiday Show & Lunch, Elkridge Senior CenterDon’t miss the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s holiday show, featuring musicand dancing. Tickets are $70, and includetransportation and lunch at the Inner Harbor. Call 410-313-5192 for reservations.

Friday, December 9, 11 a.m. –Bushy Park Elementary SchoolChorus, Ellicott City Senior CenterEnjoy a very special holiday concert by theBushy Park Elementary School Chorus,under the direction of Lisa Boss. For information, call 410-313-1400.

Monday, December 12, 9:30 a.m. –Balance Assessments, East Columbia 50+ CenterTouchstone Physical Therapy & Wellnesswill offer free balance assessments, beginningat 9:30 a.m. For appointments, call 410-313-7680.

Tuesday, December 13, 10:30 a.m. to noon – Hanukkah Party, The Bain CenterEnjoy great entertainment with vocalistRobyn Helzner, and holiday refreshments.Call 410-313-7213 to reserve your seat andlunch. Bring a non-perishable food item forthe Howard County Food Bank.

Tuesday, December 13, 6:30 p.m. – Lyric Opera Holiday Concert, East Columbia50+ CenterSpend a magical evening with the LyricOpera, featuring a welcome reception andholiday music. Free; please bring a donationfor Project Holiday! For reservations, call410-313-7680.

Wednesday, December 14, noon – Holidaze Happening,Glenwood 50+ CenterKick off the holiday season and enjoy a festive, catered meal and beautiful pianomusic. Cost is $8 and pre registration is required. To register, call 410-313-5440.

Wednesday, December 14, 1 to 2 p.m. – Make the Most of Your Food Dollar, Longwood Senior CenterJoin dietitian Rona Martiyan, MS, RD,LDN as she shares grocery shopping tips and ways to maintain a nutritious diet on a budget. Free. Call 410-313-7217.

Friday, December 16, 11 a.m. –The Mighty Keltones HolidayConcert, Glenwood 50+CenterThe Keltones are back with the sounds of the holiday season, accompanied by aharpist. Free, but registration is required.Call 410-313-5440 to register or orderlunch.

Thursday, December 15, 1 to 2 p.m. – “Holiday Spirit” Concert, Longwood Senior CenterTalented musicians from Lyric Opera Baltimore will warm our hearts with holiday music. Refreshments provided; donations are welcome. Call 410-313-7217for reservations.

Wednesday, December 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – ARL Computer Class Trip, Longwood Senior Center Students from the PC Systems Academy willoffer one-on-one assistance to help you setup, use and maintain your personal computer. Transportation is available. For more information, call 410-313-7217.

Friday, December 23, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Gingerbread House Making,Elkridge Senior CenterJoin the fun as children from the culinaryarts school help us make gingerbread houses.Lunch will be served afterward. Free, but do-nations are appreciated. Call 410-313-5192 for more information.

Howard County Senior Centers

THE BAIN CENTER 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia / 410-313-7213

EAST COLUMBIA 50+ CENTER 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia / 410-313-7680

ELKRIDGE SENIOR CENTER 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge / 410-313-5192

ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1400

GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5440 LONGWOOD SENIOR CENTER

6150 Foreland Garth, Columbia / 410-313-7217 NORTH LAUREL 50+ CENTER

9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel / 410-313-0380 ELLICOTT CITY SENIOR CENTER PLUS9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City / 410-313-1425GLENWOOD SENIOR CENTER PLUS2400 Route 97, Cooksville / 410-313-5442

NORTH LAUREL SENIOR CENTER PLUS9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel / 410-313-7218

Holidayproject:

Socks, Lotion, Body Wash, Soap, Deodorant, Shampoo/Conditioner, Powder, Toothpaste,

Tooth Brushes, Undershirts

The is collecting donated items for low-income seniors who have little or no family and reside in nursing homes, assisted living facilities,

and in the community.

Sweaters, Nightgowns, Pajamas, Puzzle Books, Stamps, Stationery

Drop off your donations by December 16 at any Howard County Senior Center

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, Md.

As part of its “Warming Hearts for the Holidays” project, the Ellicott City Senior Center is collecting newclothing to benefit the Karis Home, a division of the Baltimore Rescue Mission, which provides emergencyshort-term help to homeless men, women and children.

Requested items include T-shirts, undergarments,socks, gloves, scarves, hats and diapers. All items mustbe new and unwrapped. Drop off your donations at the center, located at 9401 Frederick Rd. in EllicottCity, anytime during regular hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.weekdays) from now through Dec. 31. For more

information, call 410-313-1400.

Warm Hearts this Holiday Season

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 17

The Senior Connection

18 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

MoneyMoneyLaw &MoneyBy Jeffrey R. Kosnett

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

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

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

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

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

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

That contrasts with U.S. utilities, whichbuild little nowadays, instead relying onobsolete facilities and trying to grow main-ly by merging.

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

third-largest pharmaceutical company. It iswell diversified, with a broad portfolio ofprescription drugs, over-the-counter medi-cines and eye-care products.

Returns on Novartis’s shares havetrounced those of U.S. and other Europeandrug giants over the past five years. Thecompany has been able to raise dividends

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

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

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

price, $19) provides phone and Internetservices in Europe and Latin America andoffers an unusually high 8.6-percent yield.

Part of that is because of the perceivedrisk of being headquartered in Madrid.But Telefonica is far from a pure invest-ment in Spain. The rest of Europe and

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

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

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

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

This is an odd duck. You can buy British

Investing overseas for dividends, income

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

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

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

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

The email also includes a request tomove the transaction to another website

“for security reasons,” yet at the same timeoffers (fake) buyer protection through an-other company, often identified as eBay Inc.

The seller may also pose as a represen-tative of a legitimate company in a live on-line chat, and will send a real-looking in-voice that purports to be from eBay or an-other major site.

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

Red flagsThe FBI lists a series of warning signs

that the sale is a scam on its website,www.fbi.gov .

To summarize the red flags: car shoppersshould watch out for deals with ultra-lowprices, sellers who want to switch websites,

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

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

Craigslist and eBay scams A bluntly worded warning posted on the

“Cars & Trucks” page on Craigslist warnsconsumers against having a vehicleshipped to them.

“Offers to ship a vehicle are virtually100 percent fraudulent,” the site states,and adds that customers should “neveruse Western Union or a wire transfer topay for goods — only a scammer will askfor this, and any funds sent will be lost.”

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

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

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

— AP

Scams target used car shoppers onlineSee INVEST OVERSEAS, page 20

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

Medicare drug co-pays

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

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

Copays for preferred brand-name drugswill increase by 40 percent on average, andnon-preferred brands will average nearly30 percent more, according to the study byAvalere Health. Copays are the portion ofthe cost of each prescription that the cus-tomer pays the pharmacy directly.

Medicare announced this summer thatpremiums for most prescription planswould remain unchanged next year, an av-erage of about $30 a month. But the gov-ernment’s numbers didn’t delve into detailon copays.

The Avalere study shows that the planwith the lowest monthly premium may notalways be the best deal when all costs areconsidered.

“Everyone’s drug needs are going to beindividual,” said Medicare deputy adminis-trator Jon Blum. “You can’t make a generalconclusion until you look at the particularplan they are in and the particular drugsthey are taking.”

In fact, since the study’s figures are av-erages for the entire program, actual costscould vary markedly by medication, planand region of the country.

The changing scene underscores howimportant it is for seniors to check and seewhat changes are being made in their cur-rent plans — and look for other plans thatmay be cheaper — before the Part D openenrollment period ends Dec. 7. In the past,

the enrollment period extended later inthe year, but has been moving earlier toallow companies more time for processingnew members.

— AP

Get some benefitfrom old electronics

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

are always looking for deals. You can sellyour used items yourself, or go through acompany like iSold It, which sells productsonline for consumers.

Mike Hadad, owner of an iSold It outletin Gaithersburg, Md., said he sells most ofthe electronics he gets on eBay, but hetends to place new or nearly new items onAmazon, where they usually fetch a higherprice. ISold It franchises usually takeabout a third of the sale price in commis-sion.

Anyone can become a seller on eBay orAmazon. If you don’t want the hassle oflisting and shipping your items yourself,find an online trading assistant athttp://ebaytradingassistant.com.

Capstone Wireless (www.capstonewire-lessllc.com) buys back all varieties of cell-phones, as long as they power up and have agood LCD display. Gazelle.com buys morethan 20 categories of electronics. Apple of-fers a gift card in exchange for reusableApple computers (go to www.apple.com/re-cycling/computer).• Donate it. ReCellular resells phones

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

To establish the value of donated itemsfor a tax deduction, use ItsDeductible (freeat www.turbotax.com; look under “Tax Cal-culators and Tools”). • Recycle it. Some retailers and many

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

Call2Recycle picks up cellphones andrechargeable batteries from many loca-tions, including Radio Shack and HomeDepot stores (to find the nearest drop-off

location, visit www.call2recycle.org).For manufacturers’ take-back programs,

visit the website of the Electronics TakeBackCoalition (www.electronicstakeback.org).Dell partners with Staples and Goodwill tocollect Dell products in their stores(http://reconnectpartnership.com).

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

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

— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 19

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The Beacon wishes you Happy Holidays!

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman re-cently warned residents to be alert for tele-phone calls and emails from people falselyclaiming that the residents’ grandchildrenare in trouble and need money for assistance.

“The ‘grandparent scam’ has been crop-ping up across the country, and sadly ourOffice of Consumer Affairs is also hearingfrom Howard County residents who havebeen targeted,” said Ulman.

“If something seems out of the ordinary,it probably is, but you can protect your-selves and others by becoming moreaware of these con artists’ tactics andploys.”

Recent victimsRecently, a county resident was contact-

ed by a person claiming to be a Canadianpolice official. This person said the resi-dent’s grandson was being held in jail andwould be released once the resident post-ed $2,950 for bail through a money wiretransfer.

The resident was ultimately convincedto wire the money to the Dominican Re-public, where she was told it would betransferred through the U.S. Embassyback to Canada.

Another county resident received a sim-ilar call from someone posing as hergrandson, who said he had been arrestedfor a traffic violation in Niagara Falls, On-tario. In both situations, the residents re-ported the incidents to county officials.

“This scam takes advantage of seniors

who are quick to act when asked by theirgrandchildren for help,” said RebeccaBowman, consumer affairs administratorfor the county.

“In these scenarios, more sophisticatedcon artists may have the name and otherinformation about the grandchild obtainedfrom obituaries, social networking sites orby hacking into unprotected computeremail contact lists. Recovering the lostmoney is very difficult.”

Is it really your grandchild?To avoid becoming the victim of such

scams, the Office of Consumer Affairsurges residents who get calls or emails ask-ing for help on behalf of family members orfriends to take the following actions:

• Confirm the legitimacy of the situa-tion before sending any money.

• Ask the caller questions that would behard for an imposter to answer correctly— for example, their pet’s name or an im-portant date that most other people would-n’t know.

• If you still think the call may be legiti-mate, contact a relative or friend of the per-son to verify the story.

• Do not send any money until you aresure that it is really your relative or friendwho has requested your financial help.

• Report all suspicious calls and/or e-mails to the Office of Consumer Affairs at(410) 313-6420.

• If you have been a victim of a scam, re-port it to police by calling (410) 313-2200.

20 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

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

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

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

Invest overseasFrom page 18

Growing scam targets local grandparents

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Are you online? So are we!

You’ll find topical articles, as well as blogs, recipes, useful links, games, puzzles and event listings.Add your event to our calendar.

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

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

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

To qualify for the tax credit, your moth-er must be physically or mentally unable tocare for herself. The rules for claiming thedependent-care tax credit are less strin-gent than those for claiming a parent as adependent.

That means even if your mother’s grossincome exceeds $3,700 (the personal-ex-emption amount for 2011), you could stillclaim the dependent-care credit as long asyou provide more than half of her support.

For most taxpayers, the dependent-carecredit is worth 20 percent of the cost ofcare, up to $3,000 for one dependent($6,000 for two or more). But your mothermust live with you more than half of theyear to qualify for the tax credit.

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

Flexible spending accountsYour employer may offer a flexible

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

If you are eligible for an FSA, askwhether you can make a midyear electionto designate up to $5,000 to a dependent-

care account for this year. If not, you canset up an FSA for 2012 during this year’sopen-enrollment season.

The rules for dependent-care FSAs canvary by employer, but generally yourmother would be eligible if she is physical-ly or mentally incapable of caring for her-self, she lives with you for more than halfthe year, and you provide more than half ofher support.

“A practical example of an eligible ex-pense might be the fees for a senior day

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

You must choose between the FSA andthe tax credit; you can’t claim both for thesame expense.© 2011 Kiplinger. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.

How to qualify for elder care tax breaksH O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 21

COVERING THE COSTS OF LONG-TERM CAREA free seminar exploring long-term care insurance options and in-home care costs will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. Ad-

vance registration is required, and participants must be 55 or older. The programwill be held at the Kiwanis-Wallas Hall, 3300 Norberts Way in Ellicott City. For fur-ther information, call (410) 313-7391.

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HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 23

TravelLeisure &TravelLeisure &

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

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

Morgan Berney, with the MontgomeryArea Chamber of Commerce Conventionand Visitor Bureau, told me: “You shouldcome here to learn the history of the im-portant things that happened here.” So Iset out to do just that.

And it’s true: Here in the heart of Dixie,visitors can explore well-preserved build-ings and homes and even reenact historicevents in a part of the country where somestill even debate what to call the 1861-1865conflict — the Civil War, the War of South-ern Independence or the War of NorthernAggression?

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

Indeed, a trip across central Alabama isan expedition through the state’s schizo-phrenic past and a candid look at Alaba-ma’s beauty marks and blemishes. Thesesquicentennial commemoration of the

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

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

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

Murals under the dome trace the state’shistory. The old Senate Chamber, restoredto the way it appeared in 1861, is wheredelegates from seceding southern statesformed the Confederate States of America.

A refreshing break from the remindersof strife is the sweet statue of Helen Kelleras a child at her family’s water pump themoment she first understood language.

Nearby is the fully-restored first WhiteHouse of the Confederacy, JeffersonDavis’s home, as it looked mid-19th centu-ry, showcasing personal items, like thefamily Bible.

Fast forward to the 1960s civil rights eraat the red brick Dexter Avenue King Me-morial Baptist Church, just down the blockfrom the capitol, where Rev. Martin LutherKing, Jr. preached self-empowerment andcivil disobedience.

The words of Rev. Vernon Johns in thebasement museum’s video are a chilling

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

The Dexter Parsonage Museum is thehomey, seven-room, white frame housewith the Kings’ starched doilies, rotarytelephone and chenille bedspreads, depict-ing how the King family lived from 1954 to1960. The Southern Christian LeadershipConference was founded in the diningroom.

The front porch bears a crater blastedby a stick of dynamite that blew whileCoretta Scott King and her baby werehome. Sitting in the home’s kitchen, I feltlike MLK could walk in any minute.

Another must-see is the Rosa Parks Li-brary and Museum, commemorating “theevent that changed the world” — the 1955Montgomery bus boycott. There’s a videore-enactment of seamstress Rosa Parks’srefusal to move to the back of the bus.

She later explained, “I had been pushedas far as I could stand to be pushed.” Themuseum has a replica of the bus and a filmtelling the story of the 381-day boycott.

These excellent museums tell the civilrights story and show how activists bravedcursing and spitting crowds, courageouschildren integrated public schools, and po-lice unleashed tear gas and billy clubs onmarchers.

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

Of course, visitors can also enjoy moretypically tourist attractions here as well, in-cluding the Hank Williams Museum (thelargest collection of Williams memorabiliaworldwide), a cruise on the Harriett II river-boat, or a night out with the Biscuits — anAA baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

And between museums, you can “gosouthern” and savor fried green tomatoes,homestyle grits and banana pudding. Resi-dents will greet you with friendly “hi y’alls”and warm southern hospitality.

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

Still marching in SelmaSelma, 45 miles west of Montgomery and

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

Plant bulbs now for colorful bloomsnext spring. See gardening column onpage 25.

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

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

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See ALABAMA, page 24

Alabama’s Civil War and civil rights sites

down town. But probing deeper, you’ll findsomething very significant about the place.

During the Civil War, the town’s arsenaland foundry next to the Alabama Riverwere Union targets. But Selma is bestknown for the 1965 voting rights march.

When police shot 26-year-old JimmieLee Jackson in Marion, Ala., people wereinspired to march to Montgomery andpresent their demands to Gov. Wallace.Led by Rev. King and others, as 600 peoplecrossed Selma’s arched Edmund Pettus

Bridge, the sheriff ’s mounted deputiesand a “sea of blue” state troopers sent byWallace attacked the marchers with night-sticks and tear gas.

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

I was welcomed to a two-hour service,led by Dr. Frederick Douglas Reece, whoinvited Rev. King to Selma in 1965 and wasconfronted by the police multiple times.

He recounted that as a young black boyhe had one pair of pants and took a sweetpotato to his all-black school for lunch. Hecommented that today in Selma, “All peo-ple are recognized of the same rank.”

While in Selma, be sure to visit the mod-est but informative National Voting RightsMuseum, spotlighting the movement’s he-roes and heroines. One exhibit quotes ac-tivist Wendell Paris, who said, “Selma wasa real hellhole” and called the 1960s “ab-solute apartheid.” The Old Depot Museumhas artifacts from both the Civil War andvoting rights eras.

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

Proud TuskegeeTuskegee, about 85 miles east of Selma,

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

The Oaks is Washington’s elegant 1899home built by students. The TuskegeeHuman and Civil Rights Multicultural Cen-ter has exhibits on the civil rights struggleover two centuries and on the infamousTuskegee syphilis study.

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

Worth a visit is the Tuskegee AirmenNational Historic Site at Moton Field,where legendary black airmen defied

racial stereotypes and set the stage for de-segregating the military.

At the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Iattended in March, one of the women ac-tive in the 1960s Student Nonviolent Coor-dinating Committee said, “We should notbury the past, but we should build on whathappened here.”

Alabama is doing it.

If you goThe least expensive roundtrip flights to

Montgomery start at $306 on US Airwaysand $310 on Delta in early December fromBWI Marshall Airport.

The state tourism agency at www.Alaba-ma.travel provides information on attrac-tions and itineraries like the Civil RightsTrail and history tours.

To get started in Montgomery, visithttp://visitingmontgomery.com, call (334)261-1100 or stop in the visitors’ center at300 Water Street.

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

The House Restaurant touts “local gritswith shrimp” and fried green tomatoes.

In Selma, check with the Welcome Center,132 Broad St., (www.selmaalabama.com) forinformation.

For lodging, the historic 1838 St. JamesHotel (www.historic-hotels-lodges.com/saint-james-hotel.htm, (334) 872-3234) isthe only downtown choice and a good one,perched atop the Alabama River in the his-toric district, exuding antebellum charm.Rates start at $110 per night. Try shrimphush puppies and seafood gumbo in thehotel restaurant.

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

24 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

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By Ruth KlingIt has been difficult to get excited about

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

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

Bulbs are really some of the easiestflowers to grow and perhaps the most re-warding. They only need sun, well drain-ing soil and water if it becomes very dry.

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

When to plantIn our climate, we can plant bulbs up

through early December in some years ifthe ground doesn’t freeze, which happensat about 20 to 24 degrees.

However, it is best to plant them whenthere will still be some time for them to de-velop a root system before they go com-pletely dormant for the winter. Plant themtoo early, and the heat will cause them tobloom and they’ll be damaged in the com-ing cold periods.

But if you see little tips of bulbs comingout of the ground during a warm spell inDecember or January, just cover them upwith some shredded leaf mulch.

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

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

depth of three times the height of the bulb.This depth will help them weather temper-ature fluctuations and (supposedly) foilsquirrels.

However, I never underestimate a squir-rel’s ability to dig up something it wants,and squirrels love tulips. I try to preservethe tulips by rolling each bulb in chili pow-der as a repellent. (Beware: even thoughchili powder is not toxic to humans, you donot want to inhale it or get some in youreyes!).

Bulbs in pots are practically like cookiejars for squirrels, so cover containers plant-ed with tulips with a bit of chicken wire. Thewire keeps the squirrels from digging thebulbs out, but lets the plant emerge.

Remember that many bulbs emerge be-fore trees have their leaves, so a shady spotin summer will be sunny in the early spring.

There is nothing more lovely than someearly crocus and grape hyacinth peakingup around the base of a tree. Some bulbs,such as daffodils, spread and only need tobe divided every few years.

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

in our rather acidic local soil that you

might need to add some lime. (Amend thesoil before planting the bulbs, not at thesame time).

I do not recommend blood meal as a fer-tilizer because it attracts rodents. For fer-tilizer, I prefer to dig in some compostwhen planting, or organic bulb fertilizer.

Don’t forget the culinary bulbs, like gar-lic and shallots. Divide a head of garlic orshallots into cloves and plant each one tipup. After the green shoots emerge, mulchwith shredded leaves. Next summer you

will have plenty of garlic and shallots to eatand share.

Don’t fuss too much. The truth is bulbsare little powerhouses of life. Inside eachbulb are the nutrients that the flowerneeds to bloom in spring.

So, be patient. If the flowers can make itthrough the winter only dreaming ofblooming, so can you. Falls Church, Va., gardener Ruth Kling blogs

at ruthsgarden.blogspot.com. Send her garden-ing questions at gardenruth@gmail.com.

Plant bulbs now for your spring gardenHOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel 25

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Looking to take a trip where you canenjoy luxury on the cheap? Recently, twogroups took a close look at rel-ative “values” in typical touristdestinations.

TripAdvisor, which bills it-self as “the world’s largest on-line travel community,” com-putes a “Best Value Index” forcities around the world, basedon the combined cost of onenight in a four-star hotel, apizza, one dry martini and a five-mile taxi trip, as deter-mined through extensiveinput from travelers.

In the United States, Las Vegas is proba-bly no surprise as the value leader. Interna-tionally, Bangkok seems to be the winner.

Las Vegas tops the domestic destinationlist, which is no surprise. The TripAdvisor

index for Vegas comes to $164. And I knowyou can often enjoy five-star luxury hotel

accommodations midweekfor less than $150 a night —accommodations that wouldcost at least three times thatin most other big U.S. cities.

Next best, but at significant-ly higher index numbers (from$210 to $215), are Dallas, NewOrleans and Atlanta. The topend of the scale is no surprise,either: New York City, at $367,with Boston and Washington,D.C. fairly close behind.

Bangkok is the worldwidewinner, at $112. Others in the top 10offer a surprising range of visitor optionsand experiences, from Sofia, Warsaw,and Budapest in Europe, to Beijing,Sharm-el-Sheikh, Kuala Lumpur, Auckland,

Marrakech and Dubai, all for $154 or less. Again, the top end is what you’d expect,

with Paris at $429 and Zurich, London andTokyo all higher than New York.

To me, the most encouraging findinghere is how diverse the best-value citiesare, especially in the international group.You can choose anything from steamy, ex-otic Bangkok, to crisp and friendly Auck-land, to architecturally stunning Dubai, tobeach resort Sharm-el-Sheikh, to historicBudapest and Warsaw. If you can’t findsomething you like in one of these cities,you should stay home.

The hamburger indexThe Economist, that highly respected

business publication, just updated itsunique “Big Mac Index.” Very simply, it’sthe U.S. dollar equivalent of the local priceof a Big Mac in each country.

The theory is that because the Big Macis probably the world’s most widely avail-able but totally standardized consumer pur-chase, relative Big Mac prices are a goodguide to some combination of local curren-cy valuation and local purchasing power.

Although this concept seems simplistic,big time economists accept it as valid, andwho am I to argue with big time economists?

Thus, relative prices for a Big Mac aresupposed to reflect overall relative costs,compared to the U.S. base. Surprisingly,Big Macs cost a lot less in several foreigncountries than the average $4.01 they costhere in the U.S.

Prices are below $2.50 in China, Egypt,Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan andThailand. They’re less than $3 in Indone-sia, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, SaudiArabia, South Africa and Taiwan.

The world’s most expensive Big Macsare in Norway ($8.31), Switzerland ($8.06),and Sweden ($7.64); I know from experi-ence that Finland, not covered in the sur-vey, is also near the top.

Prices in the most popular overseas des-tinations for Americans are $3.89 in Britainand $5 in Canada. For some reason, theEconomist didn’t include France, Ger-many or Italy in the survey.

I’m not surprised that Bangkok/Thailandcomes out best in both systems or thatZurich/Switzerland scores close to the mostexpensive. Those findings correspond withmy own observations.

I’ve often noted that if you really wantedto vacation at rock-bottom cost, you’d prob-ably head for a small city, town or state parkrelatively close to where you live. But that’snot very helpful in the real world.

What I do find helpful is the finding, fromboth reports, that some very interestingand rewarding destinations also qualify asgood values. Sure, if you’re in love withNew York or Paris, you‘ll have to pay ac-cordingly (though even there, going downmarket can cut your costs substantially).

But if you want to combine good valuewith at least relative luxury, you’ll find thatin Bangkok, Vegas, and lots of other places.S e n d ema i l t o E d P e r k i n s a t

eperkins@mind.net. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Which destinations offer the best value?

TRAVEL TIPSBy Ed Perkins

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

HOLIDAY TRIP TO THE BIG APPLEVisit the tree inRockefeller Center,

take in a Broadway show, shop, dine— it’s your choice. The HowardCounty Recreation & Parks SeniorAdult Trips will bus you to the heart ofNew York City, and you’re on your ownto pick the activities for the day. Costis $88 per person, and children sixyears or age or older may join you.The bus leaves Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6a.m. and returns at midnight. Formore information or to register, call(410) 313-7279 or (410) 313-7275.

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By Robert FriedmanHoliday offerings by Howard County

performing arts groups range from the sa-cred to the secular, including a perform-ance by the Columbia Pro Cantare of Han-del’s Messiah and a staging of Holidays onIce, David Sedaris’ caustic comic essays onthe season.

The season’s perennial, The Nutcracker,will be performed around the county. Onegroup — the Kinetics Dance Theater —will do it with a difference in a perform-ance entitled The Cracked Nut.

Also on tap is White Christmas, a theateradaptation of the movie that highlightedthe song of the same name.

Sedaris’ skewed celebrationRep Stage’s artistic director Michael

Stebbins will stage a one-man reading ofDavid Sedaris’ off-center holiday viewsfrom the popular humorist’s book, Holi-days on Ice.

The three Sedaris essays that Stebbinswill read and act out are “Seasons Greet-ings to Our Friends and Family,” in whichan annoying relative writes an annoyingrecap of the family’s nasty yearly doings;“Based Upon a True Story,” about a TVexec who brings his New York attitudesand opinions to a holiday visit of a Pente-costal Church in the deep South; and“Front Row Center,” which deals with alocal theater critic who lambastes an ele-mentary school production of the birth ofthe baby Jesus.

Stebbins, who has directed and readother Sedaris holiday essays in theaterperformances, believes this has become aRep Stage season ritual.

“We’ve done a full-scale Santaland Di-aries (Sedaris’ best-known, hilarious pieceabout his job as a holiday elf at Macy’s),and now people are showing up for theshows decked out in outlandish outfits.We will be giving out door prizes this yearand having an audience vote for the crazi-est costume.

“As you see, I have a little different per-spective on the holiday season. I likethings a little askew,” said Stebbins.

Holidays on Ice will take place Dec. 16-19 at the Horowitz Visual and PerformingArts Center on the Howard CommunityCollege campus in Columbia. Shows are at8 p.m. on Dec. 16 and 17, at 2 p.m. on Dec.18, and at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19. There is alsoa 2 p.m. matinee on Dec. 17. All tickets are$15.

For more information and tickets, seewww.repstage.org or call (410) 518-1500.

Choral musicIn keeping with a religious focus, Pro

Cantare will give two classical concerts tocelebrate the season. The Messiah will beperformed by the 100-plus chorale on Dec.4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jim Rouse Theater inColumbia. There will be a free pre-concertlecture on the 18th century composition at6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $23 ($20 forseniors and students); $2 more at the door.

Also, their 28-voice chamber singergroup will present A Christmas Noel onDec. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Christ EpiscopalChurch in Columbia. Advance tickets are$15 ($13 for seniors and students); $2extra at the door. The holiday music willfeature songs from the Renaissance to the

present. The singers will perform a cappel-la pieces as well as numbers accompaniedby piano and organ.

Pro Cantare has not forgotten auld langsyne, with a New Year’s Eve Celebration

Enjoy a varied selection of holiday shows

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The Pro Contare Chorus will performHandel’s Messiah on Dec. 4.

The musical White Christmas runsthrough Jan. 8 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

Rep Stage hosts a one-man reading ofDavid Sedaris’ off-kilter holiday viewsin Holidays on Ice.

Arts & StyleHOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 27

See HOLIDAY SHOWS, page 29

Columbia Pro Cantare35TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

FRANCES MOTYCA DAWSON, CONDUCTORSUNDAY, DEC. 4, 2011, 7:30 PM - HANDEL: MESSIAH

JIM ROUSE THEATRE, 5460 TRUMPETER RD, COLUMBIA 21044AMY VAN ROEKEL, Soprano; MARYANN MCCORMICK, Mezzo

CHARLES REID, Tenor; LESTER LYNCH, BaritoneTICKETS: Adults - $23 Advance; Seniors/Students $20 Advance,

$2 more At Door Group rates available

SUNDAY, DEC. 11, 2011, 3:00 PM - “A CHRISTMAS NOËL”With the CPC CHAMBER SINGERS

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 6800 OAKLAND MILLS RD, COLUMBIA 21045TICKETS: Adults $15 Advance; Seniors/Students $13 Advance, $2 more At Door

NEW YEAR’S EVE SOIRÉE - JARED DENHARD & SPECIAL GUESTSPRIVATE HOME IN DUNLOGGIN, ELLICOTT CITY, Tickets $30 eachFOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ORDER TICKETS: 410-799-9321

www.procantare.org

Sponsored by:

she believes her most important teachingcredential comes from her founding of theColumbia School for Theatrical Arts (nowknown as the Columbia Center for Theatri-cal Arts, or CCTA).

That was in 1972, in response to a requestfrom the late Jim Rouse, a close friend andthe planner-developer who designed andbuilt the town of Columbia in 1967.

“Jim wanted to build an ideal city, re-gardless of peoples’ race and socio-eco-nomic conditions,” said Orenstein. “He be-lieved all good things should be availableto all people.” She said that vision includeda school that taught children the complete

performing arts process. Orenstein is especially proud of one of

the first projects that came out of theCCTA. It was a touring group called theYoung Columbians, who performed a mu-sical version of American history, from“Yankee Doodle Dandy” to “The Age ofAquarius.” Three CCTA companies touredthe country for five years.

Besides appearing at mall openings,nursing homes and corporate affairs fromMaryland to Kansas, the group played thenation’s number one stage: the WhiteHouse. The occasion was a 1977 state din-ner whose audience included PresidentJimmy Carter, Canadian Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau and Harry Belafonte.

Thousands of students and their parents

have been influenced by the center, saidOrenstein. It continues to operate, offeringafter-school and Saturday classes, campsand around-town theater productions.

Orenstein remains involved as well. Sheis currently putting together anothergroup of Young Colombians, 50 youngmen and women, ages 10 to 21, who willupdate U.S. history through song.

The musical theater attractionSeven years after starting CCTA, Oren-

stein took another major step, again withthe support of Rouse. She took over theColumbia Theatre, renaming it Toby’s.

Since then, “Toby’s has played a majorrole in Washington area regional theater,”said Linda Levy Grossman, president ofthe newly renamed theatre Washington,the organization behind the Helen HayesAwards.

Orenstein “has built theater audiencesin a way that few theaters can do,” Gross-man said, making her productions “acces-sible and affordable.”

At the same time, her teaching andactor-training skills have influenced theAmerican theater scene in general, accord-ing to Jayne Blanchard, former chief the-ater critic for the Washington Times and acurrent reviewer for the DC TheatreScene website. Toby’s productions haveserved “as entrée into regional and nation-al theater for generations of actors,” Blan-chard said.

In 2006, at the behest of the Best West-ern in Baltimore, she picked up where aprevious theater owner flopped andopened a second Toby’s in the hotel.

The Baltimore theater, located outsidethe downtown area, has not been a re-sounding success. The Columbia theateris drawing about three times as many peo-ple as the Baltimore location, according toToby’s recent reservation figures.

Still, together they constitute a signifi-cant force in the area. About 100,000 the-atergoers have been attracted yearly toproductions at the two theaters.

People appreciate musicals especially inhard times, Orenstein said. For about $50,audiences at her theaters get professionalproductions in a theater-in-the-round inColumbia (on a proscenium stage in Balti-more), along with hearty and healthy din-ner or brunch fare.

She acknowledged that the current tougheconomic times have somewhat affected thebox office. Audiences had been declining inthe past year or two at both venues, untilvery recently, when Chicago in Columbiaand Dreamgirls in Baltimore started packingthem into the 300-seat theaters again. Bothshows opened in September.

Performances at the Columbia locationrun throughout the week, except for Mon-days, while the Baltimore theater stagesshows from Thursdays to Sundays.

TobyFrom page 1

28 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

See TOBY, page 29

PACIFICA QUARTET CONCERT

The Pacifica Quartet, 2009 Grammy Award winner for Best

Chamber Music Performance and recently appointed quartet-in-residence at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art, will perform a program of Dvorak, Shostakovich and

Beethoven under the sponsorship of Candlelight Concerts. The concert will be

held Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Smith Theatre of the Horowitz Performing

Arts Center at Howard County Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy.,

Columbia. Tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors. For further information,

email info@candlelightconcerts.org or call (410) 997-2324.

BEACON BITS

Dec. 3

Drive �rough the Light Displays

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21-SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2012. Open 7 days a week from 6 pm - 10 pm; closed December 31.

Group Walk �roughsNOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 21

Mondays & Wednesdays ONLY, 4:30 - 5:45 p.m. Registration Required! Please call 410-740-7840 for reservations.

Blinkin’ BinkiesA family “stroll” through the lights

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Tail LightsA dog friendly walk through the lights.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

Midnight at 7A family fun New Year’s Eve celebration with fireworks at 7pm.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

To learn more about the festivities, visit www.hcgh.org/symphonyoflights or call 410-740-7840.

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Monthly Membership MeetingWednesday, December 14, 2011 • 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Location: Vantage House Retirement Community5400 Vantage Point Rd, Columbia, MD 21044

Special Event: Holiday NetworkingCOGS is an organization of senior care professionals working to improve the lives

of seniors in our community. If you are a professional senior care provider and would like membership information, please email us at info@cogsmd.org

For more information email COGS Administrator at info@cogsmd.org or visit our website at www.cogsmd.org

Coalition of Geriatric Services, Inc., P. O. Box 2131, Ellicott City, MD 21041

Platinum SponsorHoward County GeneralHospital – A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine

Gold SponsorsBeing There Senior CareHoward County Office onAgingVisiting Angels

Silver SponsorsBayada NursesCarney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, LLP

Dr. Dan StorchDeborah Herman, CPAEllicott City Health & Rehab – A Communicare Health Facility

Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park

The Beacon

Bronze SponsorsFelinton Elder Law and Estate

Planning CentersGentiva Health ServicesHomewatch CaregiversMedOptionsMorningside House of

Ellicott CityProfessional Healthcare

Resources/PHRSomerford PlaceTransitions HealthcareVantage House Retirement Community

Earl Wilkinson, M.D., ENT.

Patron MembersAlzheimer’s Association of

Central MDBest Care Home Health

ServicesBrooke Grove Retirement VillageElizabeth Cooney Care NetworkGenesis Select CareHome With YouIvy Manor Normandy, Inc.Lutheran Village at Miller’sGrantMeals on Wheels of Central MDNew York Life Insurance

CompanyOwings Home ServicesWinter GrowthWood Collaborative Builders

COGS SponsorsIt is with great pride and pleasure that we recognize the following organizations and individuals for

their commitment and support of the Coalition of Geriatric Services:

that will feature five of its musicians usher-ing in 2012 with Jazz Age music. This willinclude New Orleans classics, swing, bal-lads, novelty tunes and Poulenc’s Sonatafor Trumpet, Horn and Trombone.

The 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. affair will beheld at a private home in Dunloggin, Elli-cott City. The $30 tickets will include food,drink and a raffle. Further informationwill be available once you make reserva-tions online at www.procantare.org. Youcan also call (410) 730-8549.

Nutcrackers galoreIf it’s Christmastime, it’s got to be The

Nutcracker, and a bevy of local dancegroups will be en pointe for performances.

Highlights from the Tchaikovsky classicwill be presented by the Columbia Cham-ber Ballet on Dec. 3 at 7 30 p.m. in theHoward County Center for the Arts in Elli-cott City; Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in the Stone-house Long Reach Community Center inColumbia; at the Vantage House Retire-ment Community in Columbia on Dec. 18at 4 p.m., and at the Historic Savage Mill inSavage on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 to the Howard Countyand Savage Mill recitals. The VantageHouse and Stonehouse performances arefree, but you should call ahead for reserva-tions. For more information on any of theperformances, call Ballet with CindeeVelle at (410) 465-7674.

Meanwhile, the modern Kinetics Dance

Theater will offer a different take on theChristmas Eve tale at the Howard CountyArts Center in Ellicott City on Dec. 10 and11, with two matinee performances eachday at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. The group adver-tises its interpretation as “a bit of ballet, asprinkling of swing, a splash of synchro-nized swimming and a big helping ofhumor.” Tickets are $5. For tickets, call(410) 480-1686 or see www.kinetics-dance.org.

Toby’s Dinner Theater in Columbia willmark the season with a stage adaptation ofWhite Christmas — the 1954 movie thatstarred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye andRosemary Clooney and featured the songsof Irving Berlin (including the song thefilm was named for, of course).

The show opens Nov. 10 and will runthrough Jan. 8. There will be no perform-ances on Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christ-mas Day and New Year’s Day. Eveningperformances are Tuesday through Satur-day at 7:30 p.m., with the doors opening

for dinner at 6 p.m. On Sundays, when theshow starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m.There are also Wednesday and Saturdaymatinees at 12:30 p.m., with food servicebeginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets range from$34.50 (for kids) to $53, depending on per-formance.

Toby’s will also offer a New Year’s EveSpecial consisting of a double buffet, theshow, an after-show cabaret, a DJ, dancing,a champagne toast and noisemakers. Theprice for the evening is $110.

For tickets, see http://tobysdinnerthe-atre.com or call (410) 730-8311.

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style 29

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Holiday showsFrom page 27

Looking for a successorIt may all be a labor of love, but it’s still

labor. Orenstein rises at 4 in the morning to

work on the myriad of tasks in her portfo-lio. She’s out and about very early and, aswitnessed by this writer on a recent visitduring auditions, is constantly approachedby others for advice or consent on variousdecisions.

But she insists she is cutting down, a lit-tle, on the theater front, training co-direc-tors to work with her on the dinner theaterproductions.

And, for the future, there’s the dream.While the CCTA currently works out of

different classrooms and performs inchurches and other sites around town, shedreams of the school and theater beingbrought together under one roof.

”I’m looking for help in building a [per-manent] children’s school and theater fa-cility in Howard County, and I need to findsomeone as passionate as me to carry onafter I’m no longer able to teach children.

“There’s nothing like the theater to helpchildren mature, think, feel, empathizewith others, to instill in them confidenceand to teach them to interact with theircommunity,” said the woman who keepsseeing it happen.

TobyFrom page 28

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

From page 30.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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

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

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

30 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com DECEMBER 2 0 1 1 — HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON

Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

JUMBLE ANSWERS

Jumbles: PENCE QUASH UPSHOT FEWEST

Answer: When the doorman was arrested, the

detective had an - OPEN AND SHUT CASECrossword Puzzle

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

Click on Puzzles Plus

Answers on page 29.

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

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43

44 45 46 47

48 49 50 51 52

53 54 55 56 57 58

59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67

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

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

and cook57. Commies58. ___ pattern

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

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

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

Next Year67. Dermatologist’s concern

Puzzle of the Month by Stephen Sherr

HOWARD COUNT Y B E A CON — D E C EMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 31

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Words of the monthThe curious origins of our words and rituals

December and JanuaryThe names of the last and first months of the year are Latin in origin.December takes its name from decem,the number 10, going back to a timewhen the calendar had only 10 months.January derives from the Roman godJanus (shown here). He was a two- headed deity, — the keeper of gates anddoors, able to look both front and back — even as January looksboth behind and ahead to the old and new year.

Auld Lang SyneThis traditional New Year's Eve song was firstpublished by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in1796. But it was bandleader Guy Lombardo whopopularized the song and turned it into a tradition.Lombardo first played the song at midnight at aNew Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel inNew York City in 1929. After that, Lombardo's version of the song was played every year at theWaldorf Astoria until 1976. Auld Lang Syne literally translates to"old long since" and means "times gone by." The song askswhether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises toremember people of the past with fondness.

Prepared by Wizard Communications© All rights reserved.To submit a word or phrase to be researched, contact

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HOCO12/11

Brooke Grove RetirementVillage’s (BGRV) 2011 Walk toEnd Alzheimer’s™ team raisedmore than $31,000 to benefit theAlzheimer’s Association, NationalCapital Area. This year’s totalsignificantly surpassed the team’sgoal of $20,000 and represents thehighest amount ever raised byBGRV, a long-time supporter ofthe cause!

Hundreds of enthusiasticparticipants joined emcees BobMadigan (WTOP) and PamelaBrown (WJLA) on the NationalMall in Washington, D.C., for theNovember 5 Walk to EndAlzheimer’s™. The throng ofpeople “On the Move” to endAlzheimer’s included 64 BGRVemployees, volunteers, residentfamily members and friends. Nearly100 BGRV team members alsojoined forces prior to the event toraise awareness of the disease andto raise funds.

BGRV assisted living residents,including many diagnosed withAlzheimer’s, showed their supportof the organization’s team and thefight against the disease byparticipating in a group walk oncampus held the day prior to theWalk to End Alzheimer’s™.

The Alzheimer’s Association isthe world leader in Alzheimer’sresearch, care and support, and it isdedicated to finding not just thecure, but preventative methods andtreatment. “We share theassociation’s passion for caring forthose with Alzheimer’s, and weconsider it a privilege to support theWalk as a corporate sponsor eachyear,” remarked BGRV Director ofMarketing Toni Davis.

BGRV began this year’sfundraising efforts with aConcert and Dance to EndAlzheimer’s on May 1. Producedby James Hubert Blake HighSchool Senior Ashley Larkin inpartnership with BGRV, the eventraised more than $10,000. BGRValso hosted the Washington-areaWalk to End Alzheimer’s KickoffParty in August and conducted araffle and yard sale. Localbusinesses, BGRV residents andfamily members supported thecampaign with generousdonations in response to a directmail campaign.

“The enthusiasm of our teamincreases each year and so does ourfundraising total!” noted Team

Captain Janet Wright, BGRV’sdirector of admissions. “It’sexciting to be part of such acommitted, growing effort that can‘touch people’s lives’ in such ameaningful way.”

Top BGRV fundraisers for thecampaign include former residentfamily member Suzanne Carbone

($3,010), Brooke GroveFoundation President Keith Gibb($1,979) and Janet Wright($1,270). “I am so grateful to eachmember of our team and to allthose who supported us byparticipating in the walk ormaking a donation,” concludedMs. Wright.

Brooke Grove’s Walk to EndAlzheimer’s™ Team Raises $31,000

Brooke Grove team members "On the Move" at the Walk to End Alzheimer's™

For more information about Brooke Grove, call today!

301-358-0721www.bgf.org

18100 Slade School Road • Sandy Spring, MD 20860

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