november 2011 dc beacon edition

By Charles DowneyIn years past, before the Internet or

even television, people used to play musi-cal instruments at home to entertain them-selves and their friends. Today, few play chamber music togeth-

er as a family, and even the piano that usedto have a place of honor in the salon or liv-ing room of most homes has largely disap-peared — perhaps replaced by an elec-tronic keyboard or Guitar Hero.But there are still outlets for amateurs

who love to play a grand piano — andthose who love to listen. Among them isthe Piano Society of Greater Washington,whose members provide a link to livepiano music for area residents. The group sponsors five recitals a year,

featuring members and guest performersat a church in Silver Spring, Md. All per-formances are free, and the all-volunteerorganization relies on donations from sup-porters and members to survive.

Making time for musicDr. Robert C. Snyder, who recently re-

tired as chairman of pathology at HolyCross Hospital in Silver Spring, is a PianoSociety member. He has played the pianosince second grade and also studied pianoprivately as a college student. He now treks regularly to Philadelphia

to have lessons with Susan Starr, a famousconcert pianist who won the Silver Medalat the International Tchaikovsky Competi-tion as a youth. “I guess people always make time for

what they really love, no matter how busythey are,” Snyder said. “Music has alwaysbeen and always will be one of the mostimportant things in my life. “Susan Starr has been my greatest mu-

sical influence, and I’m grateful to havehad the opportunity to observe her, workwith her, and learn from her since 1968when I first met her.” Snyder said he generally practiced a

couple of hours each day after work duringhis medical career. “Hopefully, now that Iam retired I will be able to spend moretime practicing.”Alice Stark-Garofano, a substitute

teacher at Calvary Lutheran Church andSchool in Silver Spring, founded the Piano

Society of Greater Washington in 2003,hosting the first meeting in her house. Since Stark-Garofano’s death in 2008,

Ellen Tenenbaum, who lives in Derwood,Md., became the lead organizer for the so-ciety, but all of the members are active inkeeping the organization going and decid-ing what pieces are performed. “Works to be performed bubble up, as

each member is working on a wide rangeof repertoire and at some point is confi-dent that certain works are performance-ready,” Tenenbaum said of the process. “About six weeks before each concert,

we try to meet and perform pieces foreach other, and decide by consensus what

will be a solid, interesting program. “Often one of the members brings in a

guest artist or group to play a four-handwork or chamber work involving thepiano, and these works add a lovely varietyto the program.” In fact, members are not always ama-

teurs, as some have careers in music, ei-ther as teachers or performers.

Connecting with the audienceShirley Bieri, who describes herself as a

“very senior senior,” attended the society’sSeptember concert, her second.

The F R E E

VOL.23, NO.11

I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0More than 200,000 readers throughout Greater Washington NOVEMBER 2011

Amateur pianist Ellen Tenenbaum returned to the instrument after many years away,and now volunteers for the Piano Society of Greater Washington, which offers localpianists the opportunity to perform. She believes people can play music they love,and do so musically, regardless of age. The Society’s next concert is on Dec. 13.

See CONCERTS, page 47

I N S I D E …

FITNESS & HEALTH 4k Newer drugs not always betterk Potency after prostate cancer

LAW & MONEY 24k Reasons to invest in Asiak Online used car scams

VOLUNTEERS & CAREERS 35k Profile of Mother of the Year

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING 38k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

Concerts give amateurs an outlet

PH

OTO

BY

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IN

A R T S & S T Y L ENew approach enlivens Othelloat Folger Theatre; plus, BobLevey takes on a conniving carsalesman

page 46

L E I S U R E & T R A V E LAlabama’s Civil War and civilrights sites; plus, a visit to Pittsburgh with a side trip toFrank Lloyd Wright highlights,and our new gardening column

page 40

Social Security is no longer the ‘thirdrail” of American politics. Legislators don’ttouch it and die. At least notinstantaneously.

But this isn’t the first timeCongress has seriously un-dertaken to change the termsof our social contract with So-cial Security. Over its history,changes have been made onseveral occasions to keep theprogram financially solvent.

I wasn’t plugged into thedebate when the last big setof changes were made in1983. I was 26 then, andfrankly, it just wasn’t on my radar.

So I can’t say whether older adults wereup in arms about the modest adjustments,or whether advocacy organizations weresending out screaming mailings (as theyare today) urging members to write or calltheir legislators to complain.

If they were, it didn’t stop Congressfrom changing the date I would become el-igible for full Social Security from my 65thbirthday until I turn 66-and-a-half.

But you know, even if I had been awareof the debate back then — and of the effectit would eventually have on my retirementincome 40 years later — I still don’t think itwould have energized me to call Congress.

In fact, I doubt I would have seen the 18-

month delay in my Social Security eligibilityto be particularly unfair or unreasonable.

After all, my life expectancy atbirth was more than 13 yearslonger than the life expectan-cy at birth of people receivingSocial Security in 1983.

I bring this up becausemany of the proposals nowbeing made to extend SocialSecurity’s solvency and ad-dress its looming shortfall areof the same nature — theyspare all current retirees —and even those within 10years of retirement — from

any ill effects, and focus most changes ontoday’s youth and middle-aged workforce.

Speaking of which, surveys of youngpeople today typically find that they havevery low expectations of receiving much ofanything from Social Security when theyreach retirement age anyway.

That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t still beglad to get benefits. But it does suggestthey understand that the government safe-ty net will not make for a comfortable land-ing if they don’t also save diligently fortheir own retirement. And that’s a goodthing. (FYI: babies being born this yearare likely to live 10 years longer than I.)

So my question is: why are the mostvocal critics of today’s proposals for adjust-

ing Social Security the older adults whowill not be directly affected by them?

Many of them say it’s because they careabout the future for their grandchildren.But what about the fact that economistsbelieve it’s those very grandchildren (ortheir children) who will suffer the most ifwe can’t agree to make even relativelymodest changes to Social Security now?

The most serious financial shortfallsthat are looming won’t come to pass formany decades. If we truly care about ourprogeny, that should be an incentive to act;not to fight action.

Just after this issue of the Beacon goesto press, Dr. Charles Blahous, a trustee ofSocial Security and Medicare, will be thekeynote speaker at our 50+Expos in Vir-ginia and Maryland. He will lay out thechallenges facing Social Security, discuss a

variety of proposed solutions, and explaintheir likely effects — on today’s seniors aswell as future generations.

I hope many of you will be there to hearhim. If you cannot, I would suggest youlook at his recent book on the subject, So-cial Security: The Unfinished Work.

And then I would urge you to contactyour congresspersons, and any senior or-ganizations to which you belong, and letthem know you support one or more of themodest adjustments proposed for SocialSecurity to keep it sufficiently funded forthe foreseeable future.

Enough of the stonewalling and de-mands to keep “hands off” Social Security.It’s time to be hands on.

Who’s afraid of reform?

FROM THEPUBLISHERBy Stuart P. Rosenthal

2 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 — WA SH I NG TON B E A CON

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedi cated to in-form, serve, and en ter tain residents of the greater Wash-ington D.C. and Greater Baltimore areas, and is pri vate lyowned. Read er ship exceeds 300,000.Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or

third-class mail ($12), pre paid with order. D.C. residents:add 5.75 percent for sales tax; MD residents: add 6 percentfor sales tax. Send sub scrip tion order to the office listedbelow.

Publication of advertising contained herein doesnot necessarily con sti tute en dorse ment. Signedcol umns represent the opinions of the writers, andnot necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal• Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal• Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei• Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben• Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory• Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King• Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, ........................Dan Kelly, Ron Manno, Cheryl Watts

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

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

Dear Editor:Come Friday, Nov. 11, Americans every-

where will give pause on Veterans Day tohonor our men and women of the armedforces who have demonstrated ourstrength and resolve to preserve our free-dom through their willingness to serveand sacrifice.

Let’s hang our flags this Veterans Day,but let’s also honor our nation’s veteransby proactively welcoming home the newlyreturned from deployment.

You can also tell veterans who may not beenrolled for VA healthcare to drop by theirlocal VA medical center or outpatient clinic, tocall the VA Maryland Health Care System’sEnrollment Center at 1-800-463-6295, ext.7324, or to visit our website at www.mary-land.va.gov to enroll for VA healthcare.

In addition, you can visit hospitalizedveterans, mail them cards and notes, orcommit to volunteering at a nearby VAhealthcare facility by calling 1-800-949-1003, ext. 1136.

Finally, you can teach your grandchildrento honor veterans by using resources thatare available on the VA’s Veterans Day web-site at www.va.gov/opa/vetsday.

Dennis H. SmithDirector, VA Maryland

Health Care SystemDear Editor:

Thank you for writing about your expe-rience downsizing and moving your folks(September and October columns).

We thought we would try to downsize theaccumulation of three households (our par-ents’ and our own). What we found was thatour possessions (art work, jewelry, furni-ture or anything else) sold through an auc-tion house or a consignment shop would notget anything close to what it would cost tobuy the same product in a store.

We wanted to save our children fromthe problem of getting rid of these posses-sions after we are gone, but I guess it’s notgoing to happen. We don’t mind gettingless than market value, but we don’t wantpeople to make excessive profit on ourpossessions.

We thought going through an auctionhouse would bring success, only to findthat they start at a low price, and the bid-ders (most seemed to be retailers) get bar-gains. We’re the losers. Consignmentstores are somewhat similar.

We have found that retailers, such asjewelry stores, offer about 25 percent ofthe price you would pay for the same prod-uct in a store.

I remember many years ago my mothersold all her broken stuff to a junk man andcouldn’t believe he gave her money for thestuff. Today you pay the junk people totake your stuff away, and they makemoney on top of that.

Name withheld on requestRockville, MD

Dear Editor:Regarding the publisher’s column

(“Moving the folks,” October), yes, it’s anincredible challenge to help parents movefrom their homes of many decades. Youdefinitely need to have an extraordinaryamount of time and patience!

After my father died, I spent 18 monthsmoving my mother from the house theyhad lived in for over 50 years to a condo.The generation that grew up during theDepression saved everything! We foundcountless photos, memorabilia, etc. shedid not remember.

Laurie EnglandWashington, D.C.

See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 52

WASH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com 3

White Flint MallN. Bethesda, MD

Sunday, November 6 • Noon – 4 p.m.

BRONZE SPONSORSGOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS

To exhibit, sponsor, volunteer, or for more information, call The Beacon at 301-949-9766.

FREE SPECIAL PROGRAM:

What will become of Social Security andMedicare?Featuring:

Charles P. BlahousPublic Trustee of Social Security and Medicare

Informative Exhibits • Expert Speakers Flu Shots • Health Screenings Entertainment • Giveaways

By Lauran NeergaardThe doctor doesn’t think your sore

throat is bad enough yet to order a streptest — unaware that a dozen people acrosstown were diagnosed with strep throat justlast week.

Doctors rarely know what bugs arebrewing in the neighborhood until theirown waiting rooms start to fill. HarvardUniversity researchers report that gettingthem real-time information on nearby in-fections could improve patient care.

For strep throat alone, it could potential-ly help tens of thousands avoid either a de-layed diagnosis or getting antibiotics theydon’t need.

“The risk you have is based on whereyou live and what the people around youhave,” explained Dr. Kenneth Mandl ofChildren’s Hospital Boston, affiliated withHarvard. His analysis of 82,000 patient vis-its found that knowing how much strepthroat is circulating can help improve the

accuracy of the next patient’s diagnosis.

Getting the bigger pictureToday, hundreds of hospitals, clinics

and health departments automatically re-port certain symptoms and diagnoses tothe government.

That practice has a wonky name — bio-surveillance — but it’s how officials trackthe spread of flu, detect the latest whoop-ing cough outbreak, and watch for weirdsymptoms that might signal a brand-newdisease or even bioterrorism.

But until there’s an outbreak, that infor-mation is a one-way street. There’s no easyway for doctors to learn what their col-leagues nearby are diagnosing.

Instead, doctors often call the health de-partment to ask if anyone’s heard of a caseof this or that disease as they puzzle over apatient’s symptoms, said Dr. Alfred De-Maria of the Massachusetts Departmentof Public Health.

Giving doctors a fast, ongoing snapshotof disease “would be very helpful,” saidDeMaria, who wasn’t involved in Mandl’sresearch but praises the approach. “Thekey is to make the system entirely auto-mated and real-time.”

Work is beginning on technology to dojust that, trying to link local biosurveil-lance to electronic health records, maybeeven mobile apps.

First, the question is whether suchtracking could make a real difference. SoMandl and his colleague Dr. Andrew Fine,an emergency medicine physician, exam-ined strep throat, an infection frequentlymisdiagnosed in adults.

Because strep throat is more commonin young children, those with red, sorethroats are given either a while-you-waitrapid test or, because that test sometimesmisses the bug, a throat culture that cantake a day or two for results.

For anyone 15 or older, guidelines say

doctors shouldn’t order a test or prescribeantibiotics unless sore-throat sufferersrise to a certain level of suspicion becauseof other symptoms: fever, enlarged lymphnodes, tonsils with swelling or pus, and alack of coughing.

People with none or just one of thosesymptoms probably have a virus and aresupposed to be sent home. A patient with alot of those symptoms often are given an-tibiotics automatically, and those in be-tween get tested.

Information directs diagnosis Mandl and Fine turned to records from

CVS MinuteClinics in six states where allsore-throat patients are tested and symp-toms are recorded. What the government-funded study found: Knowing how preva-lent strep is in a particular area is a strongenough predictor to count as an extra


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 adultsfinds 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 thebenefit 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 drugwhen 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 onlyafter they’ve been used by millions of peo-ple and long after FDA approval. For in-

stance, Merck & Co. withdrew the FDA-approved arthritis pill Vioxx after reportsof heart risks surfaced over a period of fiveyears.

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 researchersdreamed 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 thebetter 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 heartburndrugs, 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 olderdrug when given a warning about thenewer one. The caution said: “As with allnew 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 theolder — 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 acommentary 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 of

drug advertising and labeling. He and co-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 ofdrug fact boxes, similar to the nutritionfact boxes on packaged foods. The factboxes, written in plain English, would tellconsumers how well a drug works com-pared to other drugs, and would describeside 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 consumersand doctors, Steinman said. He added thatpatients should question their doctorsabout prescriptions.

He suggested these questions forstarters: “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

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

POST-CANCER POTENCY Study shows how prostate cancer treatments affect sexual function

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

HealthFitness &

Newly approved drugs not always better

Tracking diseases may improve diagnoses

See BETTER DIAGNOSES, page 5

symptom in the test-or-treat decision. In other words, if little strep throat is cir-

culating, the chances that someone withseveral strep symptoms really has it dropsenough that it’s worth testing them beforeprescribing antibiotics.

Considering there are 10.5 million annu-al healthcare visits for suspected strepthroat, that change could prevent unneces-sary antibiotics for more than 166,000 pa-tients, the researchers reported.

On the flip side, someone with just a sorethroat and fever usually wouldn’t get tested.But if the strep germ is prevalent in theircommunity, testing could spot 62,000 previ-ously missed patients nationally, the re-searchers calculated. Their study appearsin the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Strep isn’t the only example. In smallerstudies, Mandl and Fine have found thatknowing how much whooping cough andbacterial meningitis are spreading locallycan improve diagnosis of those diseases,too.

The challenge is how to disseminatesuch information fast enough for doctorsto use. MinuteClinic, for example, said itdoesn’t record test results in real time yet,but may be able to share that kind of datain the future.

Broadening the concept, federal healthofficials are working to create an easy-to-use Web tool that would let doctors searchfor local surveillance information. Theyalso are testing how to automatically sendalerts about disease outbreaks to the elec-tronic health records of patients with simi-lar symptoms.

— AP

WASH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 5

Better diagnosesFrom page 4

ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS

Zumba combines Latin rhythms with cardiovascular exercise to

create a fun, easy-to-follow aerobic workout. Learn the basics at this Holy Cross

Senior Source class from Friday, Nov. 11 through Dec. 16. Classes are held week-

ly from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The series costs $22.50 and will be held at 8580 2nd

Ave., Silver Spring, Md. For more information or to register, call (301) 754-8800

or visit www.holycrosshealth.org.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 11+

ATTENTION SENIORSA cane is a weapon...

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When: Saturday, November 19th from 10:30 am – 2:30 pm

Where: e Gwendolyn Coffield Community Center, 2450 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Who: Jane McKenna, a 1st Degree Black Belt in Cane Fu and Tae Kwon Do Karate and Certified Personal Trainer

Attend this seminar on Cane Fu Fighting for Seniors profiled by AARP, USA Today, CNN and the Steven

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Special Guest – Grand Master, Mark Shuey Founder of Cane Masters International and Cane Fu

Registration: $50 Seniors – $75 Others.Your registration includes a Cane Master cane & exercise band (value $45).

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Washington D.C.�Friendship Terrace (See ad on page 28)

Maryland�Brooke Grove (See ad on page 9)

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�Covenant Village (See ad on page 37)

�Emerson House (See ad on page 37)

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�Mrs. Philippines Home (See ad on page 37)

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�Renaissance Gardens Riderwood (See ad on page 22)

�Revitz House (See ad on page 20)

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Virginia

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�Olley Glen Retirement Community (See ad on page 28)

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Name___________________________________________________ _____________

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E-mail_________________________________________________________________

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

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

Or fax to (301) 949-8966.

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FREEHOUSINGINFORMATION

�FREEHOUSINGINFORMATION





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Learnmore aboutthe area’s

housing optionsCheck the boxes of communities from whom you would like to receive information and mail or fax this form.

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 incommon: they generate double strands ofRNA longer than 30 base pairs. Healthy

mammalian cells do not produce such longdouble-stranded RNA, offering a way toidentify virus-infected cells.

The immune system already includes anenzyme — 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 thevirus 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 thetreatment of bacterial infections, this proj-ect has a lot of potential to treat a range ofillnesses,” said Rider.

“This is a very clever approach,” saidTimothy 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 SinaiSchool 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 Physician

Compare 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 andlast name blank. The search will result in alist of physicians in the area who acceptMedicare.

But this resource isn’t foolproof. “Wehave found doctors on the Medicare.govlist who have retired,” said Elaine WongEakin, executive director of CaliforniaHealth Advocates.

She recommends starting with four orfive 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 doctoryou 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.

6 Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 — WA SH I NG TON B E A CON

Health Shorts

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)*#+,#+-+./0-),,),1#+**)*23/#4)5),1#.3*)/3,63#78.#938943#-)2:#;3;8.<#48**=#

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MACULAR DEGENERATION TREATMENTSThe Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washingtonwill sponsor a program called “Understanding Current Treatments

for Macular Degeneration” with guest speaker Dr. Reshma Katira, a maculardegeneration specialist. The event on Tuesday, Nov. 15 includes tea and discus-sion and will be held at the Charles E. Beatley Regional Library, 5005 Duke St.,Alexandria, Va. For more information, call (202) 234-1010.

MOVING FORWARD AFTER CANCERThe completion of cancer treatment is often accompanied by newconcerns, including nutrition, exercise and fears of recurrence.

This free four-week course on Mondays, Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 8 p.m. isdesigned to provide support and guidance for individuals with cancer up to 24months post treatment. It will be held at Hope Connections for Cancer Support,5430 Grosvenor Ln., Suite 100, Bethesda, Md. To register, call (301) 493-5002.

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Drug improvesmemory

in older monkeysA decline in brain activity linked to

memory loss in aged monkeys has beenreversed, resulting in activity akin to that

of 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.

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

The team connected electrodes to over300 individual neurons in the PFCs ofyoung, middle-aged and old monkeys, andmeasured their activity while the monkeystook part in a memory-based task. Neuron

firing related to working memory de-creased significantly with age.

In the old-age group, neuron activitycould be restored to that of a young mon-key by administering a drug that tem-porarily prevented potassium channels in

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The study was published in the journalNature.

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OSTOMY SUPPORTAn official from the Transportation Security Administration will dis-cuss airport flight security regulations at the Sunday, Nov. 6 meet-

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HEART HEALTH FOR THE HOLIDAYSA nurse from Suburban Hospital’s HeartWell program providesstrategies to keep your heart healthy, including tips for cooking,entertaining and managing holiday stress, on Thursday, Nov. 10

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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 sharemany 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 punchto our digestive systems. First, it causesthe release of cortisol and adrenaline, hor-mones that not only divert energy to yourmuscles (so you can fight — or flee!) butalso slow down digestion.

For momentary bouts of stress, that’s agood thing: You want to use your energy toescape the bear, not digest your lunch. But

when stress is chronic, those same hor-mones can make your digestive systemsluggish, leading to constipation.

In addition, chronic stress can alter therelease 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 studyindicates 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 anddistinct 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 (eicosapentaenoicacid) 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.


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By Carla K. JohnsonA new study addresses one of the most

worrying questions faced by men withprostate cancer: What are my chances oflosing sexual function after treatment?

The answers vary greatly by age, sexualpotency before treatment, PSA levels andwhether a man has surgery, standard radi-ation or radioactive seeds, the study found.

Using the findings, men can get a roughidea of their personal odds by answeringquestions that also include weight and

race, experts said. Not surprisingly, oldermen whose sexual function is already lowhave the worst chances of good sexualfunction after treatment.

Researchers studied factors affecting po-tency in men and developed a questionnaireto help measure it. They evaluated its useful-ness among 1,027 prostate cancer patientsages 38 to 84 and validated its accuracy in aseparate group of more than 1,900 men.

It correctly predicted the chances ofpost-treatment potency in 77 percent of the

men who had surgery and 90 percent ofthe men who had radiation.

“This will make it possible for patients tohave a more realistic view of what to expectfor themselves, rather than trying to guesswhere they fit in overall compared to the av-erage guy with prostate cancer,” said studyco-author Dr. Martin Sanda of Beth IsraelDeaconess Medical Center in Boston.

The federally funded study, appearing inthe Journal of the American Medical Associ-ation, included only men with early-stagecancers, and it didn’t address cure ratesfor different treatments.

Side effects are big concernMost patients treated for early-stage

prostate cancer survive, so the commonside effects of treatment — incontinenceand sexual problems — have become moreimportant for patients making choices.

In the real world, some patients havelimited treatment choices. For instance,only men with early-stage, slow-growingcancers can choose radioactive pellets.

That means the findings may be mostuseful in giving a realistic picture of thesexual side effects of a treatment that’s al-ready chosen, rather than helping menpick a treatment.

The study found great variation in men’sodds of having firm erections after treatment.

For surgery, the prospects for maintain-ing top sexual function for a 50-year-old mancould range from 21 percent to 70 percent,depending on his PSA level and whether anerve-sparing technique was used.

For standard radiation, the study found,the odds for a man keeping top sexualfunction ranged from 53 percent to 92 per-cent depending on PSA level and whetherhormones were used along with radiation.The researchers couldn’t find an age-relat-

ed difference for standard radiation. For radiation pellets, a 60-year-old man’s

chances of keeping top sexual functionranged from 58 percent to 98 percent de-pending on race and body mass index.African-Americans and trimmer men hadbetter chances.

Some caveatsThe study has some deficiencies, ex-

perts said. It didn’t include men who chose what’s

called “active surveillance” — where adoctor keeps track of a tumor through reg-ular tests and treats it only if the cancermarkedly worsens.

Many prostate cancer patients withslow-growing tumors can live their wholelives without symptoms or treatment, saidDr. Durado Brooks, prostate cancer direc-tor for the American Cancer Society. Theydie of something else before the cancerkills them.

“There are a lot of prostate cancers thatare not likely to benefit from treatment,”Brooks said. Including an active surveil-lance group would have shown how muchsexual function changes because of factorsother than treatment, such as age and gen-eral health, he said.

Jerry Hardy, 57, had nerve-sparing sur-gery for prostate cancer in 2000 and lostsexual function. It took three years of try-ing different pills and injections before hedecided on a penile implant, which hasworked for him and his wife.

“The most important thing was to curethe cancer. Then we would deal with theside effects later,” Hardy said. “If you’re notalive, you don’t have to worry about sex.”

Jonathon Alsop, 54, was diagnosed with


Predicting potency after prostate cancer

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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 take

part in the Conventional Versus Automat-ed Measurement of Blood Pressure in theOffice (CAMBO) trial.

Half of the physicians measured theirpatients’ 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 amachine. 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 bythe doctors were higher than those madeby the blood pressure monitor alone. Inaddition, the automated readings weremore in line with the 24-hour recording(BMJ).

In a related study in the Netherlands, 84men and women whose doctors suggestedthey have 24-hour blood pressure monitor-ing first had their pressure checked by amachine, not by a doctor or other clinician.Each volunteer sat alone in a quiet roomwhile his or her blood pressure was auto-matically measured eight times in 30 min-utes.

The readings yielded an average thatwas 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 who

begin treatment for it, may actually have

WA SH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 11

Machines measure blood pressure better

Tips for patientsNo matter who — or what — is

measuring your blood pressure,here’s what you need to do to getthe most accurate reading:

1. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholicbeverages, and don’t smoke, duringthe 30 minutes before the test.

2. Sit quietly for five minutes withyour back supported and your feeton the floor.

3. Support your arm so the elbowis at heart level.

4. Wrap the cuff over bare skin,not over a shirt.

5. Don’t talk during a measure-ment or between measurements.

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Free electronic hearing tests will be given from Monday, November 14 through Friday, November 18at select locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are losing their hearing. Such personsgenerally say they can hear but cannot understandwords. Testing with the latest computerized equipmentwill indicate if you can be helped.

Everyone, especially adults over 55, should havean electronic hearing test at least once a year. If there isa hearing problem, hearing tests may reveal that newly developed methods of correction will help, even forthose who have been told in the past that a hearing aidwould not help them.

If you suspect you have hearing loss, call for a freehearing test appointment. Our licensed specialists aretrained in the latest auditory testing methods and willbe the first ones to tell you if you don’t need a hearingaid. If you do have a hearing loss, we will explain yourresults and provide you with a list of options.

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normal blood pressure everywhere but inthe doctor’s office.

Why some people have white-coat hy-pertension isn’t clear. It could be the rushof getting to an appointment, the anxietyand stress associated with seeing a doctor,or poor technique by the person who istaking the measurement.

The effect of white-coat hypertension onlong-term health is still a bit hazy. Onelarge study showed that people with white-coat hypertension are more likely thanthose 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 pressure

monitoring — 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 inflateevery 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 Jour-nal of Medicine, Dr. Donald G. Vidt (amember of the panel that set the currentstandards for measuring and treating highblood pressure) and his colleagues at theCleveland Clinic pose an interesting ques-tion: Is taking blood pressure too impor-tant to trust to humans? It looks like theanswer 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.

prostate cancer last year. His surgeon, studyco-author Sanda, used early data from thestudy to tell Alsop there was a 70 percentchance he would keep his good sexual func-tion after nerve-sparing surgery.

That number was reassuring, Alsopsaid, and he was convinced surgery wasthe best choice for him for medical rea-sons. Now, nine months after treatment,

his sexual function is returning, but isn’tyet back to where it was.

The researchers followed the men fortwo years after treatment.

In the men who were potent beforetreatment, 52 percent reported problemswith erections two years after treatment.That included 60 percent of the men whohad their prostates removed, 42 percentwho had regular radiation, and 37 percentof the men who had radioactive seeds, alsocalled brachytherapy.

Brooks of the American Cancer Societycautioned that sexual problems can showup later for men who have either type of ra-diation therapy. A two-year follow-up maynot have been long enough, he said.

The study was done from 2003 through2006, a time when laparoscopic surgery,with small incisions and often performed ro-botically, was less common than it is today.

Dr. Michael Barry of MassachusettsGeneral Hospital in Boston and presidentof the Foundation for Informed Medical

Decision Making said it’s not clear yetwhether the newer surgical technique isbetter or worse for sexual function.

“This paper gives us one piece of thepuzzle,” said Barry, who wrote an accom-panying editorial. “It doesn’t address whatare my chances with problems of inconti-nence? Or what are my chances of dying ofprostate cancer for these different treat-ments? A patient would want to synthesizeall that information to figure out what todo.” — AP


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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 smallerdoses — 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 ofClinical Nutrition suggests that taking sucha 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 than

kids 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 citrusfruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats —helps fight inflammation, said lead authorChristina Sherry of the University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor.

Insoluble fiber — found in wheat, wholegrains, nuts and green leafy vegetables —is still important for overall health, but itdoesn’t seem to have the same impact onimmunity.

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 whocut their daily calorie intake by nearly athird saw a 50 percent boost in immunity,according to a six-month study out of TuftsUniversity, Medford, Mass. (Those whocut calories by 10 percent had smaller im-provements.)

Restricting calories may reduce levels ofcompounds 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 onquantity, 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.


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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. Hereare 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 balancethrough exercise is one of the best ways toprevent falls. Strength training, stretching,yoga, and tai chi are all great for building

better 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 theNational 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: Becauseabout half of all falls happen around thehome, some simple modifications can go along way towards making your living areasafer.

Start by picking up items on the floorthat 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 rubbermat or self-stick strips on the floor of thetub or shower, and have a carpenter installgrab bars inside the tub and next to the toi-let.

Also, make sure the lighting throughoutthe 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 awalker (www.mayoclinic.com/health/walker/HA00060).

Another possible hazard is pets. If youhave a dog or cat, you need to be aware

that, 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. Available through companies likewww.lifelinesys.com and www.lifealert.com,these systems cost around $1 per day.

Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributorto the NBC Today show and author of “TheSavvy Senior” book.


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By Barbara RubenIf a genetic test could reveal your

chances of developing Alzheimer’s dis-ease, would you want to take it? Howmight you change your life if you found outyou were likely to be diagnosed with thedisease?

These are some of the questions doc-tors at Howard University are looking at ina study called REVEAL IV. The clinical

trial is recruiting people with mild cogni-tive impairment — an early-stage memorydisorder that in some people progresses toAlzheimer’s — and studying the psycho-logical and behavioral impact of learninggenetic risk.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is one genethat can provide information about a per-son’s chances of developing Alzheimer’sdisease. Some people with a form of this

gene called APOE4 are likelier to be diag-nosed with Alzheimer’s.

About 25 to 30 percent of the populationhas this form of the gene, and it is presentin about 40 percent of all people who de-velop Alzheimer’s after age 60, accordingto the National Institute on Aging. Scien-tists do not yet know why having theAPOE4 gene increases risk.

“It used to be that we couldn’t diagnoseAlzheimer’s disease until autopsy. Now re-searchers can see changes in cognitionand see if there are genetic markers. Hav-ing this information can help people planfor the future better,” said Dr. Tolu Fafowo-ra, a clinical research associate at HowardUniversity and the study coordinator.

Who can take part?To qualify for the study, participants

must be between 55 and 90 years old, havemild cognitive impairment, and have astudy partner who can attend each studyvisit with the participant and also completesurveys and interviews.

“Having a study partner is important,”Fafowora said. “People who learn this sortof information find it helpful to have some-one to talk to. Sometimes it helps to sharethe burden.”

Those who already have a diagnosis ofdementia or Alzheimer’s disease cannottake part in the study. In addition, thosewith untreated anxiety or depression donot qualify because finding out they havethe gene might be especially difficult forthem to handle, Fafowora said.

While participants of all races may enterthe study, Fafowora said she particularly

encourages African Americans to take partbecause they are underrepresented in clin-ical trials and because they are more likelyto develop Alzheimer’s than other popula-tions.

All will get risk assessmentsParticipants in the year-long study will be

randomly divided into two groups. One willreceive an assessment of their chances with-in three years of developing Alzheimer’sbased only on their age and their mild cog-nitive impairment. The other will receive anassessment based on this information to-gether with genetic test results. Only the lat-ter group will be given their personal test re-sults as part of the study.

During the first study visit, participantswill have an education session to learnabout Alzheimer’s disease and genes.They will also fill out surveys about theirknowledge of memory impairment, as wellas tests to assess memory and thinkingskills. This visit will take approximatelytwo to three hours.

At the second visit, all participants willhave their blood drawn for genetic testing.At the third visit, participants will get theirrisk assessment.

Six weeks later, participants will visitHoward University Hospital again to talkabout how the information has impactedtheir lives. During each visit, they will fillout surveys about how they are feeling.

They will also receive a phone call at sixand 12 months to see how they’re doing.

Those who were in the group that did


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Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Many African American Families

To learn more about your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), join the

REVEAL Study(Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease)

In the REVEAL Study, you will receive:• Education about the genetics of AD• A personalized AD risk assessment

For more information, contact Howard University Hospitalcall: 202-865-1905 or 202-865-3776

not find out their genetic status earlier inthe trial will have the opportunity to getthe results at the end of the study.

No compensation for the study is of-

fered, but parking or Metro costs will becovered.

For more information, or to volunteerfor the study, call (202) 865-1905 or (202)865-3776. Howard University Hospital islocated at 2041 Georgia Ave., Washington,D.C.

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 houseto 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 anopportunity 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, thosenumbers 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 haveturned out at public meetings since earlyAugust, and at a “telephone town meeting”organized by the Alzheimer’s Associationthat drew 32,000 people, pleading for a na-tional Alzheimer’s strategy to bringchanges.

They want primary care doctors trainedto diagnose dementia earlier, describinghow years of missed symptoms cost themprecious time to make plans or seek treat-ment.

They demand to know why the NationalInstitutes of Health spends about six timesmore on AIDS research than on Alzheimer’s,when there are good drugs to battle back the

HIV virus but nothing comparable for de-mentia.

Overwhelmingly, they ask for resourcesto 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 him

WA SH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Fitness & Health 17

U.S. tackles national plan for Alzheimer’s

See ALZHEIMER’S PLAN, page 18

Health studyFrom page 16

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASENEUROIMAGING INITIATIVE

This study looks to help predict and monitor the onset and progressionof Alzheimer’s disease using:FDG-PET imaging scansMRI scansAmyloid PET imaging scansBiomarkers from the collection and testing of blood and cerebrospinal fluid

NO STUDY DRUG IS USED IN THIS RESEARCHThe study needs volunteers who:• Are between 55 and 90 years of age• Are fluent in English or Spanish• Either have a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease, MCI, or are cognitively normal

• Are in good general health• Are willing and able to undergo in-clinic assessments, memory testing and other test procedures

• Have a study partner - a friend or relative who can accompany the volunteer to all clinic visits

Participants cannot be involved in other clinical trials while in this study. Participant’s health will be closely monitored by a team of

doctors and nurses. Participants will receive compensation for their time and costs incurred for travel, parking and meals.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:Saba Wolday, M. Sc., Howard University [email protected]: (202) 865-7895 • Fax: (202)865-4923General Infomation: (202) 865-3777

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This is the first trial in humans where this drug is injected into the spinal fluid.• Studies in animals have shown pain relief after the spinal administration of this treatment.• The study involves up to eight visits to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda,

Maryland. There will be one inpatient visit that will last two to three days; the rest will be outpatientvisits lasting four to six hours. There will be a screening visit, a treatment visit, and four follow-up visits,which occur beginning seven days after treatment. The participant will also be followed by telephone for approximately seven months after the treatment visit.

There is no charge for study-related tests.Travel costs may be reimbursed.Or go online, clinicaltrials.gov Refer to study # 09-D-0039

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to 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 with

Alzheimer’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 muddle

through, but we don’t know how long wecan,” Rexrode said.

And while Medicare will pay for doctorbills and medications, even getting to the doc-tor can be a hurdle. When her 89-year-oldmother with advanced Alzheimer’s devel-oped a urinary tract infection, Susan Lynchcould not find a doctor willing to come to herparents’ home in Fall River, Mass.

Lynch flew there from her home inGaithersburg, 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 afirst draft of the national plan by Decem-ber, say they are getting the message.

“Folks desperately, desperately want tobe 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 than at-home care, but many families can affordthem only through Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor — jointly paid forby the federal government and the states.

Another key, Moulds said, is better carecoordination 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 with enoughdollars and other incentives attached tospur true change. “That’s a concern, a veryreal one,” said Mayo’s Petersen.

The law that requires a nationalAlzheimer’s plan did not provide funding, andMoulds is silent about the possible price tag.

Almost complete is an inventory of allAlzheimer’s-related research and care re-imbursement paid for by the U.S. govern-ment, to look for gaps that need filling andpossible savings to help pay for them.

Other countries including England andAustralia — and 25 U.S. states, by Moulds’count — have developed their ownAlzheimer’s plans. A Virginia state com-mission is currently crafting a plan (seewww.vda.virginia.gov/alzcommission.asp),but there aren’t similar plans in Marylandor the District of Columbia.

The United States is taking a speciallook at France, where President NicolasSarkozy in 2008 pledged to invest 1.6 bil-lion euros over five years for better diagno-sis, research and caregiver support andtraining.

Sarkozy told an international Alzheimer’sAssociation meeting in July that he wants toguarantee “that no French family is left with-out support.”

Moulds said it is too early to know whatis working in France, but U.S. families aretelling him that any Alzheimer’s plan mustbring better understanding of a disease toooften suffered in isolation.

For more information about servicesavailable 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


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

A: “White whole wheat” does sound con-fusing, but it is indeed a whole grain, be-cause it includes the bran, germ and en-dosperm of the grain.

Most bread products are made from redwheat; white wheat is a different variety ofwheat. The bran of white wheat is lighter incolor and milder in flavor, so for childrenand adults accustomed to traditional whitebread and other refined grains, this lighterwhole wheat may be more readily accepted.

Fiber, vitamin and mineral content ofwhite whole wheat is similar to red wholewheat, because it still has the healthful

bran 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, called phenols. Re-search so far shows this white whole-wheat flour lower in antioxidants than tra-ditional whole wheat, and there could beadditional health differences due to itslower phenol content.

We also don’t know yet whether the finegrind typically used for white whole-wheatflour affects the benefits obtained from itsfiber concerning bowel function and re-ducing constipation.

Is white whole wheat better for you thantraditional refined white bread? Certainly.For optimal health, current ev-idence suggests using it as atransition to become morecomfortable with traditionalwhole wheat, or as just onepart of overall whole grainconsumption.

Q: I know exercise helpsreduce risk of breast can-cer. What about breast can-cer survivors?

A: We now have severalstudies following women diag-nosed with early stage breastcancer (stages 1 through III)that link getting some physicalactivity each week with 35 to nearly 50 per-cent lower risk of recurrence or death overthe average five to ten years that womenwere followed after diagnosis.

Protection is seen regardless of type ofcancer, 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 morethan an hour or so of moderate to vigorousexercise daily provides any additional benefit.

Physical activity could act in several differ-

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Finally, although physicalactivity generally doesn’t burnenough calories to producemuch weight loss on its own,

studies consistently find it a crucial part oflong-term weight maintenance, which playsan important 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.


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By Dana Jacobi Lemon chicken is legitimately Chinese.

When making it for family and friends,Chinese cooks coat bite-size pieces ofchicken breast with egg white and corn-starch, a tenderizing process called vel-veting, quickly cook the chicken in oil,then drain it very well. The lemon sauce iscooked separately and poured over themoist chicken.

For Americans, chefs batter and deep-fry the chicken, then top it with a gooey,tart-sweet sauce. Frequently this is servedon a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce,added more for eye appeal thanfor health benefits.

Looking to cut caloriesfrom fat and to add a col-orful, healthful amount ofvegetables to this well-loved dish, I star ted byreaching for coconut oil. A littleof this tropical oil goes a long way,while it also infuses a dish with the flavorof fresh coconut.

Just one tablespoon gives a pan of re-fried beans or a pot of collard greens awhole new accent. Add a dab of Thaicurry paste or a jolt of Indian curry pow-der and you have alluring side dishes. Itenlivens bland chicken breast, too,which explains why I chose it for this re-make.

Although coconut oil is high in saturat-ed fat, this recipe uses a small amount tokeep the saturated fat lower. The highsmoke point of this oil makes it a goodchoice when stir-frying, too.

Stir-frying the chicken, then cookingthe broccoli in a very gingery lemon saucekeeps this a one-pot dish. For best results,take time to cut the chicken and broccoliinto even-sized, smallish pieces.

Lemon chicken with broccoli andginger

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chick-en broth

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. ground white or black pepper 1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, divided 1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken

breast, cut into bite-size pieces 1 Tbsp. grated or finely chopped ginger,

plus 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup sliced leek, white andpale green parts

1/2 cup thinly sliced redonion, in crescents

3 cups broccoli florets,cut to bite-size 1/4 cup chopped scal-

lions, green and white parts In measuring cup, combine

broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Setaside.

Heat a wok (or frying pan) over highheat. When wok is hot, drizzle half of theoil around sides, then lift and swirl wok tocoat it. Add chicken, and stir-fry until nopink color shows, 2 minutes. Scoop outchicken and place on plate.

Drizzle remaining oil into wok and swirlto coat. Add fresh ginger, ground gingerand garlic and stir fry until fragrant, 30 sec-onds. Add leek, onion and broccoli, andstir fry for 1 minute.

Pour in broth mixture, cover wok andcook for 2 minutes until broccoli looksbright green. Return chicken to wok andstir fry until pieces are white in the center,1 to 2 minutes.

Turn contents of wok out onto servingplatter. Sprinkle on scallions and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 193 calo-

ries, 5 g. fat (3 g. sat. fat), 8 g. carbohydrates,29 g. protein 1 g. fiber, 452 mg. sodium.

Dana Jacobi is author of 12 Best FoodsCookbook and contributor to AICR’s New

American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for aHealthy Weight and a Healthy Life.

Courtesy American Institute for CancerResearch.


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Dear Pharmacist:I have borderline high blood pres-

sure, but I don’t have prescriptiondrug insurance so I’m not willing tostart medication yet. If you had to pickonly one vitamin or supplement to rec-ommend, what would you suggest?

— M.G.Dear M.G.:

If I’m pinned to just one, I pick potassi-um chloride. It’s inexpensive, sold over-the-counter at pharmacies nationwide, andis well-documented to help regulate bloodpressure. There are even extended-releaseversions available by prescription, such asMicro-K and Klor-Con.

Potassium lives in all of our cells, andyou need it to move your muscles and

make your heart beat in perfect rhythm.Without enough potassium on board, yourmuscles will cramp (and remember, yourheart is a muscle). Potassium also seemsto protect the brain from ischemic injury(like a stroke).

The scary part to me is that there aredozens 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 ofrestoring nutrients that get depleted bymedications, for this is your side effect so-lution!

Most physicians are aware of the needto reestablish potassium levels after order-ing a diuretic drug, so patientsare commonly told to replacepotassium with a banana.

FYI, one cup of papaya orFrench-style green beans havemuch higher amounts of natu-ral potassium compared to onebanana, a fruit that is high insugar and prone to fungal dis-ease at the plantation.

Potassium can also be de-pleted from the body by in-tense workouts (think hotyoga), any kind of dehydra-tion, vomiting, chronic or se-vere diarrhea and alcoholism. If you wantto know your blood levels, physicians offera blood test to evaluate your level of potas-sium and other electrolytes.

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, andthis 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 bloodpressure. Research hasshown that adults (and ani-mals) with high blood pres-sure who are given supple-mental potassium often showa drop in systolic and/or di-astolic pressure by up to 12mm Hg (sometimes more,depending on the study).

Animals prone to strokealso showed benefit frompotassium in at least onestudy. Only two percent of therats who were potassium-sup-

plemented suffered a stroke, compared to83 percent of the untreated group.

When supplementing with potassiumtablets, 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.


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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 pulledback by all these other feelings. Whatdo you think?

— HarryDear Harry:

You have a golden opportunity for a gilt-edged trip, depending on how you spellthe word. Gilt? Guilt?

Let’s try being rational. 1. It’s sad that your wife didn’t have the

opportunity to go. However, since you bothpostponed the trip, the first thing you haveto do — unless you murdered her — is togive up responsibility for her missed trip.You can feel bad and cry over it, but whenyou finish, ask yourself, “If I don’t go now,will that give her back the lost opportunity?”

2. If you like the woman who wants to gowith you, think of her as a friend or a com-panion, not a date. Whether you take sepa-rate rooms or not is entirely up to the twoof you, and is nobody else’s business.

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’t

leave him alone. She keeps callinghim. Every time he tries to break off

with her, she’s right backagain. How can I get thiswoman out of my grand-son’s life?

— BelleDear Belle:

Evidently, you want to bethe only “older woman” in hislife, since you are trying tocontrol him, her and thewhole situation. She may be older, but so is

he. Twenty-five is no baby.He’s an adult and will have towork out his own problems.

Insist that your grandson at least get hisown phone to monitor his own calls, andthen you let go.Dear Solutions:

If you’re in a marriage where noth-ing terrible is happening (no alco-holism, adultery or abuse, for exam-ple), but the person doesn’t make youhappy, is it better to leave or to juststick it out?

Some people I know who left their

marriages haven’t found anything better.Especially now that they’re older, someare sorry they left. What do you think?

— UnsureDear Unsure:

It depends on what you mean by “happy.”If you depend on another person to makeyou happy, then you’re not going to behappy no matter what marriage you’re in.

Happiness is a sometime thing — anhour or so at a time or maybe a little moreif you work at it and have a positive atti-tude. Working at it means developingthings in yourself that make you feel goodabout yourself and your accomplishments.

It means finding friends who can enrichyour life in addition to your marriage. (No

I’m not talking about adultery.) If you candevelop enough outside pleasures and in-side self esteem, perhaps you can then ap-preciate the person you’re married to forhelping to provide a stable life.

Stability is not what you have whenyou’re running around on the eternalsearch for someone better. Maybe some ofmy readers can write in and express theiropinion about this interesting question. I’dlike to hear from you about this.

© 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 [email protected]. To inquire aboutreprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.


Enjoy life more by getting past the guilt

SOLUTIONSBy Helen Oxenberg,MSW, ACSW

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Law &

By Mark JewellEurope is struggling with a debt crisis.

As investors worry that it could spread tothe U.S., recession fears mount on bothsides of the Atlantic. That’s plenty incen-tive to look elsewhere for opportunities toput your money to work.

Taizo Ishida says he’s fortunate that hefocuses on investing in Asia — home to 60percent of the globe’s population andmany of its fastest-growing economies.The Japanese native manages theMatthews Asia Growth and MatthewsJapan mutual funds, whose strong recordshave each earned a 4-star rating on Morn-ingstar’s 5-star scale.

Ishida sees solid long-term prospects inAsia. For example, China’s economy isgrowing at an annual rate of 9 percent,about 10 times faster than the lumberingU.S. economy. China is expanding at thatrapid clip despite recent moves by its gov-

ernment to curb inflation and moderategrowth.

Still, Asian economies are hardly shel-tered. Stocks in many Asian markets havefallen more than twice as much as thisyear’s 8 percent decline in the Standard &Poor’s 500 index.

Matthews Asia Growth (MPACX) andthe Japan fund (MJFOX) are down 13 per-cent and 5 percent this year. Those de-clines reflect fears that potential reces-sions in the U.S. and Europe will crimp de-mand for exports from Asia. Investors alsoworry about slower growth within Asia.

Need a long-term viewIshida takes a long-term view. Once he

finds a stock he likes, he tends to keep itfor years. It’s an approach that’s helpedAsia Growth outperform all other funds inits Asia and Pacific stock category, with anaverage annualized return of 4.5 percent

over the past 5-year period.Ishida discussed the prospects and pit-

falls of Asian investing in a recent inter-view. Here are excerpts: Q: Investors around the world were

spooked after a report from China indicat-ed a slowdown in manufacturing there.What did the resulting decline in the mar-kets say about the China’s role in the glob-al economy? A: That data simply showed that China’s

growth is slowing a bit. But it should havebeen expected, because the governmenthas tried to slow the economy.

Everyone is paying too much attentionto China. They think China will be a super-hero that saves the world economy, whichis completely overblown. China is notgoing to save the world. China is a verykeen to save themselves. Q: How strong are prospects for growth

in Asia compared with the U.S.?

A: Asia is still growing solidly. Asiangovernments are in good fiscal shape, andAsian consumers in general have low lev-els of debt. That’s not the case with U.S.and European consumers. Q: Then why have Asian stocks fallen

more sharply than U.S. stocks lately? A: It’s unfair. But it’s a reality that

emerging markets are more volatile —when stocks in developed markets decline,many Asian stocks fall further. Everythingis linked globally, especially market senti-ment.

Consider Thailand, for example. Unem-ployment is only 1 percent there. Theeconomy is growing at around 4 percent ayear. A recent election has stabilized thepolitical situation. But Thailand’s stockindex is down 15 percent the past threemonths.

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OVERSEAS STOCK PICKSInvesting in foreign companies requiresresearch, but can have big payoffs

MoneyBy Mark Jewell

There’s plenty to like about utilitiescompanies. Investors looking for stabilitywill find their stock returns aren’t as chop-py as the broader market, and they’re asource of reliable dividend income.

Those traits are an outgrowth of the typ-ically stable demand for electricity and nat-ural gas. Homeowners and businesseskeep the lights on, and the heat or air-con-ditioning running, in good economic timesand bad.

Government deregulation of utilitieshas shaken things up, but it’s still a stableindustry compared with most. The relativepredictability of utility profits meansstocks tend to follow a steady path of mod-est returns, with few of the surprises thatcan make stocks in other industrieszigzag.

In this year’s market decline, it’s utilitiesthat have topped the charts for growth.Stock mutual funds that specialize in utili-ties are the top-performing stock mutualfund category, with an average 4.2 percentreturn, according to Morningstar.

Nearly all other fund categories aredown, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 stockindex has lost 3.4 percent, including divi-dends.

Utility stocks posted unusually stronggains as the broader market tumbled inAugust. Shares of Consolidated Edison, aNew York energy utility, jumped 6.9 per-cent, while electric utilities American Elec-tric Power and Southern Co. were up near-ly 5 percent.

Investors have recently bid up utilitystocks because they’re seen as a safe in-vestment when the rest of the market isdeclining, Morningstar analyst DavidKathman said.

High dividends, tooAnother plus? Their dividend yields

look especially appealing now. The aver-age dividend yield of the 33 utility stockswithin the S&P 500 is 4.4 percent. That’stwice the average yield of the index. Bycomparison, the 10-year Treasury bond of-fers only around 2 percent.

“Lots of people are looking for yield, and

they’re wary of bonds now, so utilities lookattractive,” Kathman said.

The dividends for utilities have been ris-ing since the market’s initial downturn inSeptember 2008. Dividends paid by utili-ties rose nearly 21 percent versus a nearly7 percent decline in dividends paid by S&P500 stocks as a whole, according to NedDavis Research.

But, in typical fashion, utility stockshaven’t participated in as much of the mar-ket’s rebound since March 2009. They’reup about 50 percent since the market bot-tomed out, yet that lags the 80 percentgain for the S&P 500 through the end ofAugust.

Despite utility stocks’ recent strong per-formance, there’s reason to believe it maynot last. That’s because Wall Street ana-lysts are less optimistic about their earn-ings prospects than they are for other in-dustries.

On average, analysts expect utility earn-ings to decline 2 percent next year comparedwith this year. Earnings across the S&P 500are forecast to rise an average 14 percent.

Before you investHere are three things investors need to

consider about utility stocks and the fundsthat invest in them: 1. How much should you invest?

Utilities make up about 3.7 percent of themarket value of the S&P 500 index. If youinvest in a fund that tracks that index, youhave a built-in stake in utilities. Many di-versified funds also invest in utilities.

If you want to check your total expo-sure, Morningstar’s website offers a toolcalled Instant X-Ray to provide a snapshotof holdings across your portfolio. Seewww.morningstar.com.

A utilities investment a few percentagepoints above 3 or 4 percent of a stock port-folio may be appropriate if an investor is inor near retirement and wishes to empha-size stocks offering dividend income, andlow volatility. 2. What are your investment op-

tions? Investors looking to invest in utili-ties can buy individual stocks or invest in

Utilities funds deliver in declining marketBut will they continue to grow in 2012?

Reasons to consider investing in AsiaSee UTILITIES FUNDS, page 25

See INVESTING IN ASIA, page 25

Law &

It’s strange, given the strength of theThai economy. Stocks are down becauseglobal investors’ appetite for risk has de-clined. People are just taking money out ofstocks in general. It doesn’t matterwhether it’s in Asia, the U.S. or Europe.

Vast potential for growthQ: What are the key factors that will

drive Asian stock performance in comingyears? A: Asia has been an export story for the

last 20 years. But now it’s a consumptionstory. Growth at Asian companies depends

on demand for goods and services withinAsia.

Consumption is rising because the mid-dle class has become a huge portion of thepopulation. About 600 million people arenow considered middle class in the Asiancountries I invest in (a region that stretch-es from Japan to Pakistan to Indonesia).That’s twice the total U.S. population, and itrepresents a huge investment opportunity. Q: Both your funds invest primarily in

growth stocks of large companies. In theU.S., investors think of such large-capgrowth names as Apple and Google.Where do you find such stocks in Asia? A: There are plenty of growth stocks in

industries that American investors would-

n’t associate with rapid earnings and rev-enue growth.

Take food and beverage companies. Inthe U.S., people think of these companiesas slow-growing, consumer staples compa-nies. But in frontier markets where manypeople are still poor, these companies can

be growth stocks. The Asia Growth fund invests in a com-

pany called Vietnam Dairy Products. It’sgot about a 30 percent market share inVietnam, with revenue growth averagingnearly 40 percent the past five years.

— AP

nearly two dozen mutual funds that spe-cialize in utilities. Some are low-cost indexfunds that passively track an index of utili-ties stocks.

One such offering is Vanguard’s Utili-ties Index Fund (VUIAX), which chargesan expense ratio of just 0.24 percent. Oth-ers are actively managed and pricier, be-cause they rely on the expertise of invest-ment-picking pros. Morningstar’s currentfavorite is Franklin Utilities (FKUTX).

Some funds limit their investments tostocks of U.S. utilities, while others ven-ture overseas, buying foreign utilities.

Some add telecommunications stocks intothe mix, such as BlackRock Utilities andTelecom (MDGUX).

More than a dozen exchange-traded funds(ETFs) specialize in utilities, and charge lowexpenses because they track indexes.

S&P’s fund research team currentlygives top marks to Utilities Select SectorSPDR Fund (XLU) and WisdomTree Glob-al Ex-US Utilities Fund (DBU). S&P’s rat-ings are based on factors such as a fund’sexpenses as well as S&P’s analysis of thequality of the stocks in a fund’s portfolio. 3. Are there regulatory risks? Utili-

ties remain one of the more heavily regu-lated industries, despite the deregulationtrend of the past few decades. That means

utilities stocks could depart from theirgenerally stable trajectory if there are sig-nificant regulatory changes.

Many utilities are trying to meet gov-ernment mandates to go green. They’relooking for ways to decrease reliance onnon-renewable sources of energy such ascoal and oil, and expand use of renewablesources such as solar and wind power.

Regulators also have imposed require-ments that utilities improve the reliabilityof the electricity grid.

John Kohli, manager of Franklin Utili-ties Fund, said such requirements presentgrowth opportunities for many utilities. Al-though the utilities must increase spend-ing to meet the mandates, they typically

can recover the higher costs through rateincreases passed on to customers, he said.

However, regulators could become lessinclined to approve such rate increases ifthe economy slips back into a recession,Kohli said. If that happens, regulators maywant to protect consumers from ratehikes, given the other economic stresses.

But on the whole, Kohli sees opportuni-ty for utilities to become more profitable,as they invest more to make their opera-tions more environmentally sensitive, reli-able and efficient.

“Fundamentally, the sector is in goodshape,” he said, “and we expect decentgrowth for the next decade at least.”

— AP

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Law & Money 25

Utilities fundsFrom page 24

Investing in AsiaFrom page 24

BUDGET DEBATEJoin in a Prince George’s County Town Hall meeting on federal andlocal government budgets on Monday, Nov. 7, from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Panelists include Congresswoman Donna Edwards, State Senator Paul Pinsky,County Executive Rushern Baker, as well as presenters from the Institute for Poli-cy Studies and Fund Our Communities. The free event will be held at PrinceGeorge’s Community College, Marlboro Hall lecture room #1097, 301 Largo Rd.,Largo, Md. For more information, call Lucy Duff at (301) 577-2350.

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Tune in

Sundays 10

a.m.

WOL 14

50 AM

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 shop-

pers to watch out for deals that offer carsat very low prices, then direct unwittingbuyers to phony websites designed to sep-arate victims from their money. Theagency says more than $44.5 million wasstolen through such scams from 2008 to2010.

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 price

is 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 place

to 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 shop-pers should watch out for deals with ultra-low prices, sellers who want to switch web-sites, claims that buyer protection is avail-able from a website not involved in thetransaction, and sellers who won’t meet inperson to allow the buyer to see the carahead 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 virtually

100 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

26 Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Scams target used car shoppers online

WHEN TO START SOCIAL SECURITY?Learn the history of Social Security, the current landscape, who iseligible, and how to decide when to start taking benefits at this

free program on Monday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. at Langston-Brown Senior Center,2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-6300 to register.

INFO ON RETIREMENT HOUSING CONTRACTSThere are three basic types of contracts associated with living ina continuing care retirement community (CCRC). Meredith Mac-

Kay from Legal Services of Northern Virginia will explain the differences on Mon-day, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. at Lee Senior Center, 5722 Lee Hwy., Arlington, Va. Call(703) 228-0555 to register.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 28

Nov. 14

Top 1% of Agents NationwideTop 10 Agents Weichert Montgomery County, Jan - June 2011

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Did you know?You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic

telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents.

Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans:

Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced

rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of

installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers

at no charge.

Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services

are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also,

customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II

customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced

rate of $1.00 per month.

• Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal

and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia.

Rates as stated here are effective as of September 1, 2011. But, the rates and other terms are

subject to change in the future.

Link-Up AmericaLink-Up America Link-Up America is for District residents who are eligible for social service

assistance. New customers or customers who move to a new address may qualify for a

50 percent reduction in service connection charges.

Contact DDOE at 311 to applyTo learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org.


OUR PROGRESS CONTINUESWe’re working to improve reliability every day. Between September

2010 and October 2011, we’ve made a great deal of progress.

» 2601 MILES OF TREES TRIMMED to improve reliability

» 82 LINE UPGRADES COMPLETED to improve service in areas that have experienced more frequent outages

» 47 GROWTH PROJECTS COMPLETED to accommodate customers’ increased energy use

» 233 MILES OF UNDERGROUND LINES UPGRADED to enhance our infrastructure

Learn more about our progress at pepco.com

IMPROVING RELIABILITY with new technology

PROGRESS REPORT October 2011

Our crew pictured here is installing an automatic

switch that will help us reroute power in the event

of an outage, restoring service to most customers

in minutes. It’s one of hundreds we’re installing

across our service area. Together with smart meters

that help pinpoint outages, and real-time damage

reporting for quicker response, it’s one more way

we’re working to improve reliability.

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-care

credit 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 can

set 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 daycare 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.


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for life for you or someone you love.

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Regency Taxi now offers free cab rides of 10 miles or less for

Montgomery County residents age 70 or older. Rides can be reserved up to 24

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BEACON BITS

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Regardless of how well educated youare, it’s unlikely that you can plan yourfamily’s financial future with-out some professional advice.

Much of what you need todo to manage, protect andpass on your wealth — thingslike investing, buying insur-ance and drawing up a will —can be done cheaply and in astraightforward manner.

But you’ll be much betteroff if you seek guidancewhere your competency islimited, especially when yourneeds are complex.

Do-it-yourself investingConsider the example of investing. If you

have the time, and are willing to put in theeffort, you can be your own financial plan-ner. As a basic guide, I recommend Makingthe Most of Your Money Now by Jane BryantQuinn (Simon and Shuster, 2009).

To stay up-to-date, I recommend read-ing the Wall Street Journal, Money Maga-zine, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance maga-zine and Barron’s newspaper.

There are many excellent blogs andwebsites, too, including those run by in-vestment firms, such as Pimco.com andwww.Vanguard.com. Vanguard has videosand articles that discuss the issues sur-rounding all the major investment options.

Finding a professionalOf course, if you have no interest in

being your own financial planner, you canhire one. However, it is important to checkreferences and to use one who has theproper credentials, because anyone canclaim to be a “financial planner.”

A certified financial planner (CFP) has

passed a comprehensive examination andmust stay up-to-date in several subject

areas. Some CFPs sell finan-cial products on commission,so their efforts may be some-what biased.

Others are fee-only plan-ners. They sell no productsand generally charge you foran initial plan, and bill hourlyafter that. Such planners aremore likely to recommendproducts such as no-load fundsand low-load insurance thatwill be cost-effective for you.

If you have a significantportfolio, you will find that

many of the major no-load funds will pro-vide you with planners at low (or no) cost.

For life insuranceAs with investments, there are ways to

reduce commissions when buying certainkinds of life insurance. So-called “low-load”policies are available for universal, variableuniversal, and second-to-die insurance.

Low-load policies provide you with larg-er cash values in the early years of the pol-icy. Accordingly, investment values anddeath benefits accrue much faster, andthese policies have low (or no) surrendercharges.

Life insurance is a complex subject, andyou really need to educate yourself beforeyou shop for a policy. Here again I recom-mend Jane Bryant Quinn’s book.

You will also find a great deal of informa-tion on the Internet, including at the web-sites of the Insurance Information Institute(www.iii.org/individuals/lifeinsurance)and the LIFE Foundation (www.lifehap-pens.org/life-insurance). The latter sitehas a great calculator for helping you de-

termine the ideal amount of coverage. James Hunt, an actuary, former insur-

ance commissioner and noted consumeradvocate, offers a great service at a nomi-nal fee evaluating prospective policies forconsumers (visit his site at evaluatelifein-surance.org).

After you decide what type of policy youwant, comparison shop via phone or the In-ternet. Using the same parameters, youcan determine which policy is best by com-paring the cash value after specific timeframes.

Some highly rated companies offeringlow-load policies directly are Ameritas Ad-visers (ameritasdirect.com), TIAA-CREF(tiaa-cref.org) and (if you or certain familymembers have a military background)USAA Life Insurance Co. (usaa.com).

If your life insurance needs are com-plex, consider using a chartered life under-writer, who is more qualified than the aver-age agent.

For health or LTC insuranceIf you require health, disability or long-

term care insurance, you’re best off contact-ing a health insurance agent or your localSenior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

SHIP offices are part of a nationwidenetwork supported by the Older Ameri-cans Act, and offer one-on-one advice fromwell-educated volunteers.

For an appointment with your localSHIP office, call the appropriate number:

District of Columbia: (202) 739-0668Alexandria: (703) 746-5999Arlington: (703) 228-1700Fairfax: (703) 324-5411Montgomery: (301) 590-2819Prince George’s: (301) 265-8471

Estate planning adviceAs for wills, if your estate plans are

straightforward, you can use any compe-


Good financial advice is readily available

THE SAVINGSGAMEBy Elliot Raphaelson

See FINANCIAL ADVICE, page 31

Rita S. [email protected]/giftplanning

Make your gift tax-free!Contact us today.

Tax benefit expiresDecember 31st! Make your tax-free gift now!The IRA Charitable Rollover is for you if• You’re age 70½ or older and• You have an IRA account and• You want to support excellent pediatric health care.

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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

How to keep or obtain free checking

Free checking accounts are increasing-ly coming with a little asterisk.

A recent study released by Bankrate.comfound that the vast majority of banks stilloffer free checking accounts. But more ofthem require customers to meet certainconditions to have monthly fees waived.

For example, customers may have tomaintain a certain balance or set up directdeposit, in which a paycheck or govern-ment benefit is automatically depositedinto their account on a recurring basis.

Otherwise, the study found that only 45percent of checking accounts are free withno strings attached. That’s down sharplyfrom 65 percent last year and 76 percent

just two years ago.Even if customers find a free account,

the other fees they run into may be some-what higher.

The average total cost for using an out-of-network ATM rose slightly to $3.81,from $3.74, the year before, the studyfound. That’s including the fees chargedby the customer’s own bank and the ATMoperator. The average overdraft fee alsorose slightly to $30.83, from $30.47.

The findings were based on a study ofbanks in the country’s biggest markets inAugust.

The higher costs come as banks revamptheir terms and conditions to adjust to newregulations.

Starting in October, the fees banks cancollect from merchants whenever cus-tomers swipe their debit cards wascapped. These fees generated an estimat-ed $19 billion in revenue for banks in 2009,according to the Nilson Report, whichtracks the payments industry. Severallarge banks have cited the regulation in

ending or scaling back their debit rewardsprogram in the past year.

Banks are also experimenting with newways to increase revenue. Chase and WellsFargo, for instance, are testing a $3 month-ly fee for customers who want debit cardswith their checking accounts.

Another regulation that went into effectlast summer requires banks to obtain acustomer’s consent before enrolling themin overdraft programs, which often chargeas much as $35 per violation.

Previously, it was a common industrypractice to automatically sign up cus-tomers without giving them a way to optout. Consumer advocates said that was

misleading because most people assumethey can’t spend more than they have intheir account.

— AP

Get some benefitfrom old

electronicsOld electronics, or “e-waste,” consti-

tutes the fastest-growing source of con-sumer trash. But don’t dump your old com-

tent attorney. A straightforward will is one in which

you leave all of your assets to your spouse,and vice versa. If your spouse predeceasesyou, all assets when you die go to yourchildren. You also want to make sure yourspouse’s name is specified on all benefici-ary forms for your retirement plans.

If your estate plans are more complex,use an attorney who specializes in estateplanning. Some examples: You are beingmarried for the second time, and both part-ners have children from previous mar-riages; you wish to set up a trust for a fami-ly member who is handicapped; you are

leaving assets to minors, and you want toselect a trustee to allocate funds to them; oryou believe your spouse needs assistancehandling money, and you prefer a trustee toinvest the proceeds from your estate and al-locate the funds to your beneficiary.

Before hiring a professional in any ofthese fields, remember: Always check ref-erences. Don’t hesitate to ask friends forrecommendations.

You should have a face-to-face meetingwith any professional you consider using,and he or she should be willing to meetwith you initially without charging a fee.

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

© 2011 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed byTribune Media Services, Inc.


5:15 pm. Rush Hour5:15 pm. Rush Hour

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Call or visit us online for more information about our LifeCare retirement community.

There are 365 days in a year.Spend them wisely.

Money Shorts

Financial adviceFrom page 29

See MONEY SHORTS, page 33

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Exceeding Your ExpectationsExceeding Your Expectations

By Jeffrey R. Kosnett Despite the turmoil in stock markets

around 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 dividends19 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 of

its 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 andLatin 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 and


Investing overseas for dividends, income

See INVEST OVERSEAS, page 33

Your Search Is Over!For a Premier Independent Living Community

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options suiting your lifestyle needs with month to month rentals.

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Monday, November 148:00 am Registration Opens

8:30 am to Noon: Program, Exhibits & Networking

The Kellogg Conference CenterGallaudet University

800 Florida Avenue, NE • Washington, DC 20002

Our two keynote presenters will address the significant changes occurring in caring for our elderly, what the future will look like, and the

emerging technologies that can improve the aging experience, with a focus on aging in place.

Registration fee $15 per person in advance until November 1,$20 thereafter and on-site.

A full, hot breakfast buffet is included in the registration fee.Complimentary Parking

Register at: www.dcsrg.com

George Taler, MDDirector, Long-Term Care,Washington Hospital Center and Co-Director of the Medical House Call Program

Larry MinnixPresident and CEO of Leading Age

The 7th Annual Big Event

“Shaping Aging Services:The Future is Now!”

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 outlet inGaithersburg, Md., said he sells most of theelectronics he gets on eBay, but he tends toplace new or nearly new items on Amazon,where they usually fetch a higher price.ISold It franchises usually take about a thirdof the sale price in commission.

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 offersa gift card in exchange for reusable Applecomputers (go to www.apple.com/recy-cling/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-offlocation, 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


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Money shortsFrom page 31

other 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,personal products and food. Well-knownbrands include Dove soap, Hellmann’smayonnaise, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream andVaseline.

This is an odd duck. You can buyBritish ADRs (symbol UL) or Dutch ADRs(UN). Their prices may vary by a fewhairs because of different exchange-ratetrends among the dollar, pound and euro.Either way, Unilever has paid dividendssince 1937 and is your basic tried-and-true, low-risk, growth-and-income stock.• Vodafone (VOD; $26), based in Eng-

land, provides cellphone services in Eu-rope, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Italso owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless(the rest is owned by Verizon Communica-tions), which represents a major part ofVodafone’s fortunes.

After not paying a dividend to its Voda-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 closelytracks that of Telefonica, but you ought toown shares of both if you’re interested inglobal telecommunications.

Jeffrey R. Kosnett is a senior editor atKiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.Send your questions and comments to [email protected]. And for more onthis and similar money topics, visitwww.Kiplinger.com.

© Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Invest overseasFrom page 32

HOW TO BE AN EXECUTOR

Laurie Siegel, a CPA, will describe what is expected of the execu-

tor of a will and what should be considered when appointing one in a free program

on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 S.

18th St., Arlington, Va. Call (703) 228-5722 to register.

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By Emily HattonWinning the National Mother of the

Year award shouldn’t have been a com-plete a surprise to Ernestine Allen. Afterall, she has 17 siblings, three children andsix grandchildren.Not only that, one of her younger broth-

ers started calling her Mom because shespent so much time with him in childhood.And even her students and fellow churchmembers refer to her as Mom as well.Allen, 62, won the award from American

Mothers, a 75-year-old national nonprofitbased in Washington, D.C. that promotespreservation of families. The group also callsitself the “official sponsor of Mother’s Day.”Allen said she was in disbelief when

they called her name at the organization’sconvention in May. “I mean I had a speech. I pulled one out

of my bosom, but I had no idea I would beselected as the National Mother,” shesaid.

And what’s her role for the organizationfor the coming year? “My job is to reach asmany moms as possible, to let them knowthe importance of motherhood,” saidAllen, who lives in Washington, D.C.

Making a difference for childrenAs the tenth of 18 children, Allen said

she learned to nurture early on. “There were so many of us, and a lot of

my younger siblings, really needed thattype of nurturing. And I guess I just hadthis sense to give it to them. I was able tolisten, I was able to hug and kiss, so thatjust grew up in me,” said Allen. She carried that mindset with her as she

moved from her hometown of Louisburg,N.C. to Washington, D.C. to live with abrother in 1968. Allen has been active inthe community ever since. She taught for 11 years at Calvary Chris-

tian Academy, the school affiliated withher church, Greater Mount Calvary Holy

Church. She then startedworking with D.C. publicschools. “I wanted to go where I

could really make a differ-ence in the lives of the chil-dren, I mean a really vastdifference,” said Allen, whotaught in D.C. publicschools for seven years. She now works with the

Center for EmpowermentEmployment Training, aprogram that helps low-in-come and disadvantagedadults earn their GED cer-tificate. “I had some really rough

boys and girls [there], be-cause you know once youdrop out of school, wheredo you go except thestreets?” said Allen. Allen continues to work

closely with her church as ateam leader and an Elder onthe Ministerial Alliance.She and her husband,Ronald Robert Allen, Sr.,are also premarital and mar-ital counselors, and help of-ficiate at weddings and fu-nerals.

“We do all of that,” she said, “we marry,we bury.”It was through her church that she

found two other volunteer opportunities,working as an HIV counselor and tester fora year, and now helping at Fairview, ahalfway house for women in the city. Allen also donates to Fairview when she

can. Recently, she dropped off clothesafter cleaning out her closet. “The person who received it said to me,

‘When these ladies come to us, they comein orange jump suits. And that’s all theyhave,’” said Allen.While staying busy in the community,

Allen also stays close with her family. Shelost the youngest of her three sons tohomicide in 2006, and stays involved in thelives of her six grandchildren. “I tell my husband, we have to see our

grandchildren as often as we can so thatwe can put all of us into them. And that’swhat we do, we just pour ourselves intotheir lives, and it’s just beautiful,” she said.She and her husband founded a be-

reaved parents’ support group in 2010.“Our motto is ‘you’re not alone.’ Thosewho come to the group are all in the same

boat, we all have lost a child, and we all canidentify with each other.”

Helping young mothersAs National Mother of the Year, Allen

wants to use her position to reach out toyoung mothers and impart the signifi-cance of their role upon them. “I think that me being in the middle of

the group [growing up], I sort of saw as-pects of both sides. I saw the strugglesthat my mom had with this many children,and then I saw how important motherhoodreally was,” said Allen.Allen said when she sees women walking

with their toddlers and babies in the streetslate at night as she comes home, she findsherself wondering why the children are upso late. She plans on visiting group homesto reach out to single and young mothers. “I really want to reach out to the single

moms and the young mothers. I want totalk to them, I want to get in venues whereI can really talk to them and go into theirlives and ask them to be better moms.”To learn more about National Mothers,

see www.americanmothers.org or call 1-877-242-4264.

Does your organization use senior volunteers

or do you employ a number of seniors?If so and you’d like to be

considered for a story in ourVolunteers & Careers section, please send an email to

[email protected].

CareersVolunteers &

National Mother of the Year hails from DC

Chosen as National Mother of the Year, ErnestineAllen, of Washington, D.C., reaches out to young moth-ers about the importance of nurturing their children.She got her first child-rearing experience helping carefor her 17 brothers and sisters.

PH

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The jobless rate for older workers isn’tas high as it is for the overall U.S. work-force. But older workers who do lose theirjobs tend to remain jobless much longerthan their younger counterparts — ifthey’re able to find work at all.Many have been forced to take part-

time jobs, and their retirement plans aretaking severe blows due to unplannedwithdrawals and stock market upheaval. For those too young to qualify for

Medicare, the loss of employer-providedhealth insurance has been a devastatingblow. Finally, those who do find new workmost often accept jobs with lower pay andless valuable benefits.So, to state the obvious: The best strate-

gy for job security after age 50 is to keep

the job you have, if at all possible.OK, you can stop laughing at me now. I

know it’s one thing to advise keeping yourjob, and another thing to do it in this mis-erable economy. But is job loss solely amatter of the luck of the draw? Alan Sklover doesn’t think so. An attor-

ney who’s represented or coached hun-dreds of older workers in employmentcases over his 30-year career, Sklover —who also coaches older workers facing fir-ings, downsizings or layoffs — believesthere are things you can do to boost yourodds of keeping your job.

Eight employment tipsSklover caught my eye with a recent

video he created that outlines eight ways

older workers can remain employed andemployable. (You can view the video here:http://bit.ly/qFASnI.)I spoke with Sklover recent-

ly, and started by asking forhis views on workplace agediscrimination. The answer,coming from an employmentlawyer who represents work-ers, surprised me.He acknowledged that age

discrimination is “rampant” inthe workplace. But he also saidit is “natural and normal,” eventhough it’s illegal, adding that,“We all make judgments based on age, nomatter what anyone says.”That means it’s that much more impor-

tant for older workers to “find ways to en-hance job security by making yourself in-dispensable,” he said. “We’re all wired tobe sensitive to our own self-interest, andan employer’s self-interest is to ask, ‘Is thisperson helpful to me? Can they help me besuccessful?’ That is always where itstarts.”Here are some of the tips for enhancing

job security that Sklover said have workedwell over the years for his older clients.Oh, and if he sounds a bit prejudicedagainst older workers, it’s worth mention-ing that Sklover himself is over 60.

1. Be vigilant about appearance.“Sometimes we get a little grayer, gain a lit-tle weight, don’t stand up as straight,” hesaid. “Nature may have these effects onyou, but that doesn’t mean you have to co-operate in the process.

“You can walk a little extra, or take upyoga. Get a little extra sun and sleep —

even drink more water. Dowhat you can — within rea-son — to maintain a percep-tion of vitality.”

2. Stay tech savvy. If youdon’t know the latest soft-ware and other technologies,such as social media, it cre-ates the perception thatyou’re over the hill. “Youmight need to hire a 15-year-old to be your tutor,” he said.What matters is that you

learn.3. Seek situations where you can

have greater proximity to revenue. Ifthere are things going on in your organiza-tion that involve revenue production, getinvolved if you can, because you’re lesslikely to lose your job. “And if you do loseyour job,” he added, “you’ll be a more at-tractive candidate for the next job youapply for.”

4. Build and maintain relationships.This is important within your organizationand outside of it. Be active in trade organi-zations, stay in touch with old customers.“Relationships are critical to organiza-tions,” Sklover said. “Don’t allow them tofall by the wayside.”

5. Involve yourself in critical long-term projects and programs. If your or-ganization is working on a project that willtake three to five years to complete, do

36 Volunteers & Careers | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 — WA SH I NG TON B E A CON

How to hang onto your job in tough times

RETIRE SMARTBy Mark Miller

HELP CHEER UP YOUNG PATIENTSThe Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health is a private,

nonprofit family-centered residence for pediatric patients at NIH

and for their families. Each child staying at the inn has a mailbox and is presented

with a special “treasure” each day, such as a card or small homemade gift. Volun-

teers are needed to complete these projects, which can be made in your own

home and dropped off at 7 West Dr., Bethesda, Md. For more information, contact

Cait Cutter at (301) 594-5354 or email [email protected].

SPANISH SPEAKER NEEDEDThe Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission is

looking for a Spanish translator to volunteer three to five hours per

week, Monday through Friday, to assist with Spanish speaking clients. Hours are

flexible. If interested, contact Sandy Tuttle at (301) 589-3601 or email sandy.tut-

[email protected]. You can also contact Stephanie Semones at (301) 355-7399 or

email [email protected].

HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES A Wider Circle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping chil-

dren and adults lift themselves out of poverty. Volunteers bring

families healthy non-perishables, cleaning supplies and toiletries. They also con-

nect families to needed resources like job training and education. Volunteers com-

mit to flexible weekly, bi-weekly or monthly visits for one year. For more informa-

tion, contact Anne Thompson at (301) 608-3504 or email annethompson@awider-

circle.org.

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what you can to get involved because thatprobably will keep you on the job for thatlength of time, Sklover said.

6. Be a reputation-enhancer. “Writean article and submit it to a trade journal,”he said. “Do an appearance on television.In some way, help your organization polishup its perception in the marketplace.”

7. Play your strong card, which is ex-perience. Would you rather hire someonefor a job who has 40 years of experience, orfour? “Don’t be afraid to market your expe-

rience and knowledge. But at the sametime, don’t allow yourself to be perceived assomeone who always is looking backward.”

8. Look beyond the horizon to thefuture. Be someone who thinks about andacts on what might be the next big wave inyour field.

Mark Miller is the author of The HardTimes Guide to Retirement Security. Hepublishes http://retirementrevised.com, re-cently named the best retirement planningsite on the web by Money Magazine. Contacthim with questions and comments [email protected].

© 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

WASH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Volunteers & Careers 37

Job tipsFrom page 36

HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDThe Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) provides nonsectariansocial services throughout the metro area. Specialized training for

prospective volunteers for its Hospice and Transitions programs will take placeNov. 13, 14 and 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 6123 Montrose Rd., Rockville, Md.Russian speakers and volunteers with massage therapy skills are especially need-ed. Apply by Nov. 8; interviews are required. For more information or to apply, con-tact Amy Kaufman Goott at (301) 816-2650, [email protected].

FEED YOUR SOIL, FEED YOURSELF Learn how to compost your yard and kitchen wastes to increasethe yield from your garden, make your plants and vegetables moredisease resistant, and improve the water retaining-capacity of the

soil. This free class by the Virginia Cooperative Extension will be held at the Fair-lington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington, Va., on Wednesday,Nov. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information or to pre-register, email [email protected] or call (703) 228-6414.

BAUBLES AND BEADSThe Bead Society of Greater Washington presents its annual BeadBazaar on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday,

Nov. 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Explore an eclectic collection of ancient, antique,tribal and contemporary beads, as well as designer jewelry, and see demonstrationsof bead-making techniques. The event will be held at Bohrer Park Activity Center,506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. Tickets are $7. For more information, goto www.bsgw.org and click on bazaar or call (202) 624-4500.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 8+

Nov. 9

Nov. 12+

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.

Visit our website:www.theBeaconNewspapers.com

Also –

www.facebook.com/BeaconNewspaper

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VOLUME XXVI, ISSUE 11 A newsletter for D.C. Seniors November 2011

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE ON AGING

Spotlight On Aging

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGEBy Dr. John M. Thompson

During the month of October, which is nationally celebrated asResidents’ Rights Month, I had the pleasure of participating in anevent to commemorate the observance. To honor National Residents’Rights Month, the District of Columbia Long-Term Care Ombuds-man Program co-hosted a luncheon at Carroll Manor Nursing andRehabilitation Center.

The program also sponsored an arts and crafts contest for long-term care residents, and the winners were announced at the luncheon.This year’s theme: “Welcome Home: Creating Connections BetweenResidents and the Community.” Congratulations to first place winner:The Residences at Thomas Circle, second place: Deanwood Rehabili-tation and Wellness Center, and third place: The Methodist Home.

What I take away from this event is the need to ensure that the res-idents continue to be connected to the community through a buddysystem or with The Girlfriends, a group that works out of CarrollManor and the Washington Center for Aging Services. This grouppairs residents who do not have many visitors and who desire to inter-act with someone from outside the facility. The Girlfriends and similargroups play an integral role in the lives of vulnerable residents.

I would like to encourage each of you who can to visit persons innursing homes, whether through a structured group or on your own.The time that you spend with them may be the only time that they re-ceive company. As the holiday season approaches, visiting those resid-ing in nursing homes or those who are homebound is very important.Let’s show the holiday spirit in reaching out to our seniors and per-sons with disabilities!

Informal caregivers November is the time of year that family caregivers are acknowl-

edged across the country. National Family Caregivers Month is des-ignated as a time to thank, support, educate and celebrate more than50 million family caregivers nationally who provide an estimated $306billion in unpaid caregiving services. According to the Family Care-giver Alliance, the District has nearly 60,000 informal caregivers whoprovide $640 million worth of informal care.

This observance is in honor of the many formal and informal care-givers who help seniors remain in their homes. Caregivers allow thefrail elderly to continue living in their homes, delaying costly institu-tionalization, which drains family income, as well as city budgetsthrough Medicaid reimbursement.

Informal caregivers provide dedicated service to senior citizens, chil-dren and persons with disabilities each day. The typical caregiver in theUnited States is a 46-year-old-female who has some college education,works, and spends more than 20 hours per week providing unpaid care toher mother. On a daily basis, caregivers deal with stress, the impact thatcaregiving has on family and leisure activities, constraints on their ca-reer/work, financial hardship, and unmet needs for help.

The Office on Aging and its Senior Service Network provide a vari-ety of services to assist caregivers with their responsibilities. Theaward-winning D.C. Caregivers’ Institute is also available to providecaregiver support, financial assistance and respite. To find out more,look inside this month’s issue of “Spotlight” for more information.

Members of the 2011 Queen’s Court include, left to right:Ms. California Norma Morein, 3rd runner-up; Ms. ColoradoKaren Taylor, 1st runner-up; Ms. Texas Debbie Carroll-Boyce, winner; Ms. Pennsylvania Nannette Swanson, 2ndrunner-up; and Ms Georgia Cherilynn Parisv, 4th runner-up.

Ms. Senior D.C. Emma Ward poseswith Ms. Senior America Pageantwinner Debbie Carroll-Boyce aftershe was crowned Ms. Senior Ameri-ca at the annual contest. Boyce andWard were among 34 ladies fromacross the country who competed forthe title. Ms. Senior America per-formed a ballet piece and sang BetteMidler’s “Stuff Like That There.”

The D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA)and the Aging and Disability Re-source Center (ADRC) have relocat-ed to 500 K St., N.E. Located on thecorner of 5th and K Streets in theformer Hayes School, the new DCOAHeadquarters is a few blocks fromthe New York Avenue and Union Sta-tion Metro Stations on the Red Line.For more information or to accessservices and resources for persons18 and older with a disability and allDistrict residents age 60 and older,call 202-724-5626. District resi-dents age 55 and older may also call202-724-3662 for assistance withemployment and training.

Dr. John Thompson, executive di-rector of the D.C. Office on Aging,observed National Residents’Rights Month at Carroll Manorwith nursing home residents fromfacilities across the city. Theluncheon also announced the win-ners of an arts and crafts contestthat depicted the theme “Wel-come Home: Creating Connec-tions Between Residents and theCommunity.”

Ms. Senior America Pageant

D.C. Office on Aging Relocates

National Residents’ Rights Month

Those who wish to testify at the communi-ty hearings for Pepco’s Formal Case No. 1087should contact the Commission Secretary at202-626-5100 by close of business three busi-ness days prior to the date of the hearing.

Representatives of organizations will bepermitted a maximum of five minutes fororal presentations. Individuals will be per-mitted a maximum of three minutes fororal presentations.

If an organization or an individual is unableto offer comments at the community hear-ings, written statements may be submitted to:

Public Service Commission of the Dis-trict of Columbia

1333 H St., N.W., Suite 200, West TowerWashington, DC 20005For more information, contact 202-727-

3071.Community hearings will take place as

follows:

Ward 1Columbia Heights Recreation Center1480 Girard St., N.W.Monday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m.

Ward 2D.C. Public Service Commission, Hear-

ing Room1333 H Street, N.W., 7th Floor East TowerWednesday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.

Ward 3Chevy Chase Recreation Center5601 Connecticut Ave, NWFriday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m.

Ward 4Emery Recreation Center5801 Georgia Ave., N.W.Wednesday, Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Ward 5Bethesda Baptist Church

1808 Capitol Ave., N.E.Monday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m.

Ward 6King Greenleaf Recreation Center201 N St., S.WTuesday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m.

Ward 7Deanwood Recreation Center1350 49th St., N.E.Saturday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m.

Ward 8Thurgood Marshall Public Charter

School2427 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E.Tuesday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m.

D.C. OFFICE ON AGING NEWSLETTER

Community CalendarNovember events4th, 11th, 18th • 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m.Paralegal Ebonee Avery with AARP

Legal Counsel for the Elderly’s SelfHelp Office is available by appointmentat Iona Senior Services every Friday toassist seniors with answers to legalquestions, complete a claims report,write a consumer complaint letter,check for benefits and more. Call Ionaat 202-895-9448 for more information.Iona is located at 4125 Albemarle St.,N.W.

10th • 11:30 a.m.Seabury Resources for Aging will

hold a salute to veterans at Ward 5Senior Nutrition Centers. For a loca-tion near you, call Vivian Grayton at202-529-8701.

10th • 6 to 9 p.m.The D.C. Caregivers’ Institute

will hold a National Family Care-givers Month celebration receptionat Vermont Ave. Baptist Church,1630 Vermont Ave., N.W. The eventincludes a comedy show, massages,dinner and caregiver of the yearaward announcement. The event isfree, but you must RSVP by calling202-464-1513. Space is limited, socall today.

16th • 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Travel to Harrington Casino in

Delaware with the KEEN SeniorsProgram. The trip costs $30, but youwill receive $15 in rebates. Light re-freshments will be served in route.Call Robin Gantt at 202-534-4880, ext.110 for more information.

27th • 3 p.m.The Choraleers of the ERFSC/

Washington Senior Wellness Centerwill present their fall musical concert atSt. John’s CME Church, 2801 StantonRd., S.E. A freewill offering is appreci-ated. For more information, call 202-581-9355.

Early December events7th • 11:30 a.m.Attend a lunch-and-learn session

about diabetes at Ward 5 Senior Nu-trition Centers. For a location nearyou, call Vivian Grayton at 202-529-8701.

9th • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Join in a Ward 4 holiday celebra-

tion at Barney Neighborhood House.The event will take place at the 19thStreet Baptist Church, 4606 16th St.,N.W. Call James Thompson at 202-939-9031 for more information.

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Infor-mation Office of the D.C. Office on Aging forD.C. senior residents. Advertising contained inthe Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Officeon Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002

202-724-5622 • www.dcoa.dc.govDr. John M. Thompson, Executive Director

Darlene Nowlin, EditorAdrian R. Reed, Photographer

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminateagainst anyone based on actual or perceived: race,

color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital sta-tus, personal appearance, sexual orientation, famil-ial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, po-litical affiliation, disability, source of income, andplace of residence or business.Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimina-

tion which is prohibited by the Act. In addition,harassment based on any of the above protectedcategories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimina-tion in violation of the Act will not be tolerated.Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia

Recycling Program.

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING


The District of Columbia Caregivers’ In-stitute (DCCI) is a resource funded by theDistrict of Columbia Office on Aging. Thepurpose of the Caregivers’ Institute is to sup-port unpaid caregivers residing in the Dis-trict of Columbia who have primary respon-sibility for older, vulnerable D.C. residents.

The District of Columbia Caregivers’ In-stitute strives to be a one-stop, centralizedresource to help caregivers make criticaldecisions, develop and implement a Care-giving Support Plan, advocate for them-selves and the older person, and partici-pate in activities designed for personal re-juvenation.

With support, training and assistance,many caregivers are better able to care forthemselves as well as the older person thatthey help.

Program Eligibility CriteriaTo enroll in the District of Columbia

Caregivers’ Institute, you MUST meet thefollowing program requirements:

You must be a D.C. resident providinguncompensated care for an elder (60 andolder) who is also a D.C. resident. Caregiv-ing must create a financial burden for you.In addition, you must meet two of five eli-gibility criteria as a caregiver:

1. You care for an elder who needs helpbecause of physical or mental limitations.

2. The elder you care for has low tomoderate income.

3. You are experiencing stress related tocaregiving.

4. You need support to assist with care-giving.

5. To avoid moving into a nursing home orassisted living facility, the elder needs you.

If you meet at least two of the above re-quirements, call 202-464-1513 to be placedon the waiting list.

Practical TipsDepending upon your elder’s care

needs, it may be difficult to find time foryourself, but here are some tips fromDCCI to consider:

• Don’t feel guilty about taking a break. • Get help. Use services like adult day

care or home health. • Send others to the doctor with the

elder after the initial meeting. • Sleep when the elder sleeps. • Schedule “me” time and mark it on

your calendar. • Start taking respite (breaks) in short

intervals and gradually build up the timeaway. Realize that respite is not an option;it’s a necessity.

• Although it may be preferable to havesomeone stay with the elder at all times, itmay not be realistic. Make sure elders aresafe and comfortable if you have to leavethem alone for short periods.

• Tell a trusted neighbor that your elderis alone so you can be contacted in case ofan emergency.

• Train other family members, neigh-bors or friends to take care of the elder.

• Recognize that you can’t do it alone.

District of Columbia Caregivers’ Institute

D.C. Public Service Commission Will Convene Public Hearingsfor Pepco’s Request for a $42.1 Million Rate Increase

A new online tool allows caregivers to search for services based on theirneeds. The Lifespan Respite Programs is happy to announce that D.C. respiteproviders are now listed on the National Respite Locator Service,http://archrespite.org/respitelocator. Respite providers interested in being listedthrough the National Respite Locator Service should enter their information. Dis-trict caregivers can find services that are available to them.

Online Caregiver Respite Tool

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 Montgomery

Area 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 last

March, 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 is

an 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’s

history. 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 reminders

of 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 White

House 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 era

at 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 the

basement 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 the

homey, 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 blasted

by 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 pushed

as 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 civil

rights 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 more

typically 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 “go

southern” 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 state

archives, 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-


TravelLeisure &

Plant bulbs now for colorful bloomsnext spring. See gardening column onpage 44.

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 42

Alabama’s Civil War and civil rights sites

By Carol SorgenYes, Pittsburgh. Tell people you’re

going to Steeler Nation — other than for afootball game — and you get one of two re-actions. “Why?!” Or, “I love Pittsburgh!” I fall into the second of those camps, hav-

ing first discovered this lovable city almost20 years ago when visiting a friend wholived there. I’ve made several trips back,and every time, I find more to like about it.So, come along on my most recent week-end visit, and share some of the highlights.My first two stops weren’t technically in

Pittsburgh, but are noteworthy — andclose — enough to warrant being includedin your visit. As an architecture buff, I’vealways wanted to visit the Frank LloydWright-designed homes of Fallingwaterand Kentuck Knob, and this proved to bejust the weekend to do so with no otherpressing engagements.Actually located in Pennsylvania’s Lau-

rel Highlands — well worth a visit on theirown for their magnificent scenery andwealth of outdoor activities — theseWright-designed homes draw millions ofvisitors every year from around the world.

Fallingwater and Kentuck KnobFallingwater is about 200 miles from

downtown Washington and 60 miles southof Pittsburgh.Fallingwater (www.fallingwater.org) was

built as a weekend home for the Kaufmannfamily, owner of Kaufmann’s, the family’supscale Pittsburgh department store. De-signed in 1935, construction began in 1936,and now in its 75th year, the house is con-sidered “one of the 12 landmarks that willchange the way you see the world,” accord-ing to Travel+Leisure magazine.As the name might suggest, the home is

set over a waterfall, which was the focalpoint of the Kaufmann family’s weekendactivities from 1937 until 1963, whenEdgar Kaufmann, Jr., the son of the origi-nal owner, gave the house, its contents andgrounds to the Western Pennsylvania Con-servancy.Informative guides take visitors on a

tour of the house and the grounds, withplenty of time for exterior photos (no pho-tos allowed inside the house). On a crystalline summer day, there

couldn’t have been a more ideal time tovisit this iconic landmark — except per-haps, as the guide pointed out, in the au-tumn when the house sits in stark contrastto the blazing leaves around it.While Fallingwater was used as a week-

end retreat — and was designed and fur-nished in such a way as to draw the familyand its guests outdoors, rather than tohave them cocoon inside the home —down the road is another Wright-designedhouse that was intended and used as a full-time family home.Kentuck Knob (www.kentuckknob.com)

was the residence of Bernardine and I.N.Hagan, friends of the Kaufmanns who hadfallen in love with Fallingwater. They got in

touch with Wright and asked if he woulddesign a house for them as well. Kentuck Knob was one of the last

homes completed by Wright and is repre-sentative of the distinct style Wright calledUsonian architecture. Usonian homes like Kentuck Knob were

typically small, one-story houses that did-n’t have garages or, indeed, much storagespace. (Even then, Wright thought we allhad too much stuff!) Interesting note:Wright coined the word carport to de-scribe an overhang for a vehicle to parkunder, and Kentuck Knob has a large one. The homes themselves are usually L-

shaped, and incorporate native materials,flat roofs, large cantilevered overhangs forpassive solar heating and natural cooling,natural lighting with clerestory windows,and radiant-floor heating. As with Falling-water, Wright maintained a strong visualconnection between the interior and exte-rior spaces.

Pittsburgh attractionsHaving completed my mission to finally

see these landmark homes, it was on toPittsburgh itself. First stop was the StripDistrict (www.neighborsinthestrip.com), aone-half square mile northeast of down-town Pittsburgh. Commonly called “the Strip,” this neigh-

borhood of reclaimed warehouses and in-dustrial spaces is now home to shops, restau-rants, nightspots and a weekend flea market. Among my favorite shops in the district

is Penzeys Spices. Whether you need aspice or didn’t even know you needed aspice, this is the place for you. (Smaller lo-cations of the store can be found inRockville, Md., and Falls Church, Va.)On the other end of the taste bud spec-

trum is another favorite: Mon Aimee

Chocolate, a veritableworldwide tour of choco-lates in one adorableshop. The fact that it was90 degrees outside andwe were nowhere near arefrigerator is the onlything that kept me fromoverindulging. I think areturn visit in wintermight be in order.Not far from the Strip is

the neighborhood ofLawrenceville, home tonumerous antique shopsand home design bou-tiques. It’s also home toPiccolo Forno, a casualItalian eatery that westumbled upon, and grate-fully so. I had a spring peaand grilled shrimp risottothat was out of this world.Unfortunately, we weretoo stuffed for whatlooked like equally deli-cious desserts.A Pittsburgh local told

us not to miss the Al-legheny Cemetery, so

WA SH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel 41

Travel with Louise, Ltd.3 0 1 - 5 9 8 - 0 7 5 7t r a v e l w i t h l o u i s e . c o m

Call us for more information on these and our other trips.

Christmas Trips“Winter Wonderland” Christmas Show

American Music TheatreJoin us on a trip to Pennsylvania Dutch country for this warm and wonderful holiday show featuring favorite carols and songs, breathtaking music and dance, and a visit from Santa. Before the show enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at Miller’s Smorgasbord Restaurant. Sunday, December 4 $129 per person

Christmas in NashvilleGaylord Opryland Resort

The Gaylord Opryland Resort pulls out all the stops for Christmas to create their dazzling winter wonderland. This trip includes a Country Christmas Dinner and Show with Louise Mandrell; the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the famous Rockettes;the Gaslight Theatre ice sculptures, and so much more. Make this a Christmas season to remember. Price includes round-trip airfare from BWI to Nashville.December 11-13 $995 per person, dbl. occ.

Additional upcoming trips:“Me and My Girl” Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

Saturday, November 12 $129 per personColonial Williamsburg, VA Sunday-Tuesday, April 29-May 1, 2012

$499 per person, double occupancy

The restored cable cars of the Duquesne Incline offerpanoramic views of Pittsburgh to commuters as well astourists.

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A visit to Pittsburgh, side order of Wright

See PITTSBURGH, page 43

Where else in the heart of Arlington can you live in a

community nestled on five acres ofbeautiful, perennial gardens with

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down town. But probing deeper, you’ll findsomething very significant about the place. During the Civil War, the town’s arsenal

and foundry next to the Alabama Riverwere Union targets. But Selma is bestknown for the 1965 voting rights march. When police shot 26-year-old Jimmie

Lee 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 PettusBridge, 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 in

March, 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 boy

he 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 Museum

has artifacts from both the Civil War andvoting rights eras.The National Park Service’s Lowndes

County 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 1899

home 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 Museum

highlights 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 Airmen

National Historic Site at Moton Field,where legendary black airmen defiedracial stereotypes and set the stage for de-segregating the military.At the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee I

attended in March, one of the women ac-tive in the 1960s Student Nonviolent Coor-dinating Committee said, “We should not

bury the past, but we should build on whathappened here.” Alabama is doing it.

If you goThe least expensive roundtrip flights to

Montgomery start at $318 on US Airwaysand $327 on Delta in mid-November 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, visit

http://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 grits

with 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. James

Hotel (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.

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www.carefirstcommitment.comAn independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

AlabamaFrom page 40

CRUISE TO AND AROUND ALASKATake a Fun and Fitness cruise from Seattle to Alaska from Aug.

31 to Sept. 7, 2012. The Royal Caribbean cruise stops in Tracy Arm

Fjord/Sawyer Glacier, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska, as well as Victoria, British

Columbia. Inside cabins start at $879 double occupancy. The cruise includes fit-

ness activities. For more information, call 1-800-955-9942.

LONGWOOD GARDENS HOLIDAY LIGHTSTake a trip to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., to view

decorated trees and poinsettias in indoor gardens, and after dark

view 420,000 lights strung on 40 miles of wire. The Wednesday, Nov. 30 trip with

Montgomery County’s SOAR (Senior Outdoor Adventures in Recreation) group

includes lunch. It leaves at 10:30 a.m. and returns at 8:30 p.m. For more infor-

mation, call (240) 777-6870.

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL See the famous Rockettes in their timeless performance of their

Christmas Spectacular in New York on a trip sponsored by the

Fairfax Dept. of Parks. The daytrip will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19, Sunday, Dec.

4 and Sunday, Dec. 17, departing from three Fairfax County locations. The earli-

est departure is 5:30 a.m. and the latest return is 1 a.m., depending on drop-off

point. The Nov. 19 trip costs $180, and the Dec. 4 and 17 trips cost $218. For

more information or to register, call (703) 222-4664.

BEACON BITS

Aug. 2012

Nov. 30

Nov. 19+

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off we went for an hour of grave viewing.While cemeteries aren’t usually on my site-seeing list, we weren’t steered wrong. In the Lawrenceville neighborhood, Al-

legheny Cemetery is one of the city’slargest, oldest and most picturesque ceme-teries. More than 125,000 are interred onthe grounds of the 300-acre rural gardencemetery. Notables lying at rest here in-clude composer Stephen Foster, actressLillian Russell Moore, Civil War veteranGeneral Alexander Hays, Thomas Mellonand 22 Pittsburgh mayors.From the cemetery, we did a whirlwind

arts run, stopping at the Society for Con-temporary Craft (www.contempo-rarycraft.org), an exhibition space andgallery, and the Mattress Factory, an in-stallation space featuring artists fromaround the world. The latter has a greatgift shop and attractive snack bar as well. Then it was on to catch a bit of the 10-

day Three Rivers Arts Festival at PointState Park, which features music, theatre,film, dance and an artists’ market. (Nextyear, it runs from June 1-10.) While the Festival is an annual event,

the 36-acre park — which commemoratesand preserves the historic heritage of thearea during the French and Indian War(1754-1763) — is worth a visit on its ownfor its paved riverfront promenades, beau-tiful views, 150-foot fountain, and largegrassy area (ideal for a spot of relaxing inthe middle of the city).After a quick dinner on the run, it was

off to the Duquesne Incline (www.duques-neincline.org) for a quintessentially Pitts-burghian activity. Along the wooded slopesof Mt. Washington are restored cable carsthat have transported commuters since1877. Ascend the incline for a panoramic view

of the city — an ideal time is when duskturns into nightfall and the city skylinelights up. Take a few minutes before goingback down to look at the pictorial history

of Pittsburgh. There aren’t many inclineslike this left in the country, so take advan-tage when you can.And for our final treat of the visit, a “night-

cap” at the Milk Shake Factory, founded in1914 and still family run. With more than 50flavors of ice cream and shakes to choosefrom, you can be there a while. Samples areencouraged. After a few (quite a few, in fact),the winner of the evening was a scoop of redvelvet ice cream.There is a lot more to do in Pittsburgh

— from the Andy Warhol Museum, to theCarnegie Science Center, to the PhippsConservatory and Botanical Garden, aswell as neighborhood walking tours, boatrides and, of course, tickets to any of thissports-mad city’s professional teams. But those can wait for the next visit.

This couldn’t have been a more perfecttrip just the way it was.

If you goPittsburgh is a 4 1/2-hour drive from

Washington. For more information, see

www.visitpittsburgh.com.We stayed at the new Cambria Suites

hotel, located in downtown Pittsburghnext to the CONSOL Energy Center eventcenter. Hang out in the comfortable lobbylong enough and you may see visiting ath-letes or performers. The troupe of Cirquedu Soleil was staying at the hotel at thesame time we were. (Unfortunately, no tra-peze acts in the lobby.)The hotel has a shuttle bus available to

take you to many of Pittsburgh’s sites,but during busy times, there may be await. Rates start at $203 a night. Seewww.cambriasuites.com or call (412) 381-6687.My meal at Habitat, in the new Fairmont

Pittsburgh a few blocks away, was the culi-nary highlight of the trip. Executive chefAndrew Morrison focuses on locallysourced ingredients such as eggs fromlocal heritage chickens and grass-fed beeffrom nearby Burns Angus Farm.

Carol Sorgen is the Beacon’s contributingeditor in Baltimore.

WASH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Leisure & Travel 43

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SEE A CHRISTMAS CAROLTake a trip with the Clara Barton Community Center SeniorProgram for lunch at B. Smiths followed by a tour of Ford’s

Theatre and a performance of A Christmas Carol. Cost: $39 plus the cost oflunch. The trip leaves at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23 from the center, which islocated at 7425 MacArthur Blvd., Cabin John, Md. Call (301) 229-0010 for tick-ets or more information.

HISTORIC DISTRICT TOURJoin the last walking tour of the season through Silver Spring,Md.’s National Park Seminary Historic District, much of whichbegan as an architecturally unique girls school in the late 19th

century. The tour begins on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. from 2755 Cassedy St.,Silver Spring. Reservations are not required. The cost is $5. The tour involvesmoderate walking outdoors and some interiors with stairs are included. For moreinformation and driving directions, go to at www.saveourseminary.org, or callSave Our Seminary at (301) 589-1715.

WAR OF 1812 IN BALTIMOREAfter withdrawing from Washington in the War of 1812, theBritish attacked Baltimore and Ft. McHenry. Take a tour of keysites, including the USS Constellation, Federal Point and Ft.

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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 represented

by 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 easiest

flowers 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 with

purchasing 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 when

there 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 coming

out of the ground during a warm spell inDecember or January, just cover them upwith some shredded leaf mulch. If you have purchased so many bulbs

that 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 cookie

jars 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 spot

in summer will be sunny in the early spring. There is nothing more lovely than some

early 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 youmight 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 youwill have plenty of garlic and shallots to eatand share. Don’t fuss too much. The truth is bulbs

are little powerhouses of life. Inside eachbulb are the nutrients that the flowerneeds to bloom in spring. So, be patient. If the flowers can make it

through the winter only dreaming ofblooming, so can you.

Falls Church, Va., gardener Ruth Kling blogsat ruthsgarden.blogspot.com. Send her garden-ing questions at [email protected].

44 Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 — WA SH I NG TON B E A CON

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possibilities. Greens, cones and forms are provided. Bring pruners and gloves. Theclass will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $30. Theclass will be held at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria,Va. Register by Nov. 18 by calling (703) 642-5173.

ALL ABOUT EBOOKSLearn more about eBooks and eReaders, including how to down-load library books onto these devices, at a free program at the

Woodrow Wilson Library on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. The library is located at6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church, Va. For more information, call (703) 820-8774

VETERANS DAY PROGRAMThe City of Gaithersburg will recognize veterans and military per-sonnel in an observance of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11 at 11

a.m. at the City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave. in Gaithersburg, Md.Remakrs will be deliverd by Gen. Henry J Hatch, who completed a 35-year careerin the United States Army and was the Chief of Engineers and the Commander ofthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information, call (301) 258-6350 orvisit the city’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

LOGAN CIRCLE HOLIDAY HOUSE TOURThe Logan Circle Community Association is sponsoring its annualtour of contemporary and traditional homes. The tour will take

place on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets will be sold for $25 in advanceat www.LoganCircle.org or $30 the day of the event at the Studio Theatre, 14th& P Sts., N.W. The tour includes a wassail reception hosted at the Studio Theatrefrom 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

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By Michael ToscanoIt is always a joy to find something new

and unexpected about an old favorite, es-pecially something that’s been around aslong as Shakespeare’s Othello. And sothere’s great fun at Folger Theatre onCapitol Hill, where director Robert Rich-mond is giving us a fresh take on Othello.

With this tragedy, Shakespeare focusesnot on great events, the clash of kingdomsor mighty political manipulations. No, thebattlefield here is in and around the bed-chamber, and the manipulation takes placeon an intimate, human scale.

Because the title character is an accom-plished African general, a Christian Moorwho has wed the daughter of a senator ofVenice, it is race that usually colors all thatoccurs. That’s still here, of course, butRichmond finds new shades of intrigue inthis visually striking and fast-paced pro-duction.

Religious, not racial, dividesRichmond has moved Othello to the

Christian Crusades of the 13th century,where, as Richmond writes, “Venetians,Cypriots, Turks and Moors might co-exist

— a time when…racial divides were de-fined by religion.”

Thus, as the characters move fromearly scenes in Venice to the island ofCyprus, religion replaces race as the es-sential element. The Venetians becomethe Knights Templar, out to conquer theMuslim Turks on Cyprus, a place theChristians deem barbaric.

With this change in emphasis, Rich-mond finds ironic tones, even comedy, notusually in evidence. Yet, Shakespeare’sthemes of treachery and jealousy remainhighlighted in vivid relief.

Othello (Owiso Odera, in his Folgerdebut) is still a Moor, still the classic out-sider in a “white” world. But there is moreto explore now, as we see religion as theorganizing force in this time and place.

An unexpected benefit of the change inemphasis is that it takes some of our atten-tion off Othello, lucky in this case becauseOdera turns in an off-kilter performance.Othello is a general, a leader of men and avirile lover who has captured the heart ofbeautiful Desdemona (Janie Brookshire,also new to Folger).

But Odera never displays a command-

ing presence. He does not stride with con-fidence. His movement is rapid and deli-cate, more politician than soldier.

A good general must be both, of course,but Odera never lets us see what qualitiesthis man possesses that have propelledhim to such heights in a foreign society, orwhy a lusty young woman would be at-tracted to him. There are no sparks be-tween Othello and Desdemona to be foundhere, despite a captivatingly sensual turnfrom Brookshire.

As the story unfolds, Othello is driven tothe brink of madness by trickery-inducedjealousy. But Odera’s performance is sobrittle that the deterioration into histrion-ics doesn’t have its usual shocking effect.

Different take on a villainFortunately, we have Folger veteran Ian

Merrill Peakes on hand as the greatShakespearean villain, Iago, the most vile

New approach enlivens Othello at Folger

See OTHELLO, page 48

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Desdemona, played by Janie Brookshire, and Othello, played by Owiso Odera, share akiss in the Folger Theatre’s fast-paced and creative production of Othello.

Arts & StyleBob Levey shares advice on buying anew car. See his column on page 50.

“The group plays at a venue easy todrive to and at a time early enough so [Idon’t have to] drive in the dark,” said Bieri,who lives in Silver Spring. “It is intimate infeeling and thoroughly appreciated. Theparticipants are giving us a gift!”

At that concert, member ViscountThurston played two selections, Mozart’sB-flat sonata (K. 333) and excerpts fromSchumann’s op. 12 “Fantasiestücke.”

Vike, as he is known, was performing inhonor of his wife, Vickie, who is preparing aproject in Guatemala for Habitat for Human-ity. The free-will donation at the Septemberconcert was directed toward Vickie’s proj-ect, which will begin this December.

Roger Coleman played three Chopin noc-turnes, and Gala Gurinovich played threetranscriptions of Polish songs by Chopin. Itwas the latter’s farewell performance forthe society, before she moves to Europe.

Stephen E. McLaughlin attends the so-ciety’s concerts regularly with his wife,Sophia. The Silver Spring couple admiresthe way that the performers speak to theaudience about what they are going toplay, shedding light on the composer’s life,history of the composition, or technical as-pects of the work, as well as providingtheir own personal insights.

They also enjoy the receptions aftereach concert, which offer the chance tospeak further with the performers over re-freshments.

“There is no feeling of aloofness, due tothe fact that though many of the pianists arecapable of performing professionally, theyare all amateurs who have other careersand pursuits that audience members canclosely identify with,” McLaughlin said.

These events are also excellent opportu-nities to build friendships beyond the recitalhall. “My wife and I often go out to dinner

after recitals along with our Piano Societyfriends, exploring additional shared inter-ests and getting to know their families.”

Sue LaRoche, who is now retired from acareer at the National Institutes of Health,said that the society’s concerts have takenthe place of the lunchtime chamber musicconcerts she used to attend at NIH.

She said that she is “much impressed bythe professionalism of the pianists andtheir detailed introductions to each piecethey play. It is such a relaxing way to spenda Sunday afternoon, and I feel very fortu-nate to have this opportunity right in myown neighborhood.”

LaRoche, who lives in Silver Spring, wasso inspired, in fact, that she credits the so-ciety’s concerts for leading her to startpiano lessons herself. She also sings in achoir for older adults sponsored by EncoreCreativity for Older Adults.

The allure of live musicIn addition to the main society concerts,

Tenenbaum estimates that she performsabout 50 concerts each year in retirementcommunities, independent and assisted livingfacilities, and for adult education and lifelonglearning programs, often to try out pieces sheplans to play for the society’s concerts.

“There is no substitute for the live per-formance of music, experienced up close, aswe are able to do in these settings,” she said.

“The human connection is a deep andpowerful presence in these concerts,” sheadded. “I like to speak to people about themusic I am going to play, and I answer ques-tions about the music or the composers.

“When the concert is over, people invari-ably come and take my hands. Occasional-ly, I will see tears in their eyes. I stay and sitdown a while, and listen, for some listenershave vivid memories of their careers as mu-sicians or music teachers, and they may re-count unforgettable concerts in Vienna,Budapest, London and New York.”

Tenenbaum, who went back to studyingthe piano 10 years ago after being awayfrom it, emphasizes that music is some-thing that should be available to anyonewith an interest in it.

“You are not too old or too slow,” she in-sisted. “Your hands are fine. With the rightteacher and the selections that are rightfor you, you can play the pieces you loveand play them musically.”

She suggests that good places to startare the adult music program at the LevineSchool of Music (www.levineschool.org,(202) 686-8000) and the Adult Music Stu-dent Forum (www.amsfperform.org,[email protected]), a supportivegroup of about 140 amateur musicians.

Both are based in Washington and offerlessons, in addition to performance oppor-tunities

“The piano literature is vast and filled

with masterpieces that are accessible,” shesaid. “The challenge of every piece — inparticular those pieces you’d think are‘easy’ — is to play the piece with deep mu-sicality. This you can do.”

The next concert by the Piano Society ofGreater Washington is scheduled for Dec.11 at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church,9545 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, justsouth of the Beltway. Works by Mozart,Tchaikovsky, Martinu and Leroy Ander-son will be performed.

There is no fee, and a reception followsfor all to enjoy. A freewill offering is appre-ciated. For more information, call (301)793-1863 or see www.pianosocietyof-greaterwashington.org.

Charles Downey is a freelance writer inWashington, D.C. Parts of this story first ap-peared in a blog post he wrote for Washing-tonian magazine.

WASH I NG TON B E A CON — NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com | Arts & Style 47

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and evil of them all, many say. Iago seems to have conflicting explana-

tions for his hatred of Othello and why heschemes to undermine the Moor’s mar-riage and resort to murder to achieve hisrelatively insignificant ends.

Is it sufficient that he’s angry the gener-al has passed him over for promotion?Does he really suspect Othello has beddedhis own wife, Emilia? (By the way, Emilia isplayed by Peakes’ real-life wife, KarenPeakes.) Or perhaps Iago has his own ro-mantic feelings for Othello?

The ambiguity in motivation leads mostactors to conclude that Iago’s just evil, andthey play him that way. There’s plenty ofmaterial there for an actor to revel in, butPeakes has found another, quite intriguing

way: Iago is just bored. He’s a world-weary cynic who seeks re-

lief from ennui and self-absorption by plot-ting against the leading figure in his world.He doesn’t care what it may cost him; he’swilling to go down causing grief.

This fuels his comic scenes with Roderi-go (Louis Butelli), a foolish man with hisown designs on Desdemona. Butelli es-chews his character’s dark side (he’s will-ing to murder, after all) and plays him as ahuman Irish Setter, happy, friendly, andnot very bright.

Dynamic sound and setsRichmond moves us through the story

at a rapid pace. Energy never lags andthere’s always something happening onthe stage, in the aisle, or in the balconies.The production values are sumptuous andunusually effective in propelling action

and in creating and sustaining mood. Composer Anthony Cochrane has craft-

ed a soundtrack that punctuates and un-derscores the action, sometimes in star-tling fashion. Andrew F. Griffin’s dynamiclighting moves us from dawn to darknesswith an ever-changing tapestry of radi-ance.

It’s all played out on Tony Cisek’s cleverset, which makes perhaps the best use ofthe Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre’s limitedspace you may see.

At the start, in Venice, the whole worldseems to be a bed, a self-contained andcosseted space of massive draped cloths.But with some impressive timing and skill-ful movement (aided by crashing soundand eye-dazzling lighting), the oversizedbedchamber becomes the scene of a vio-lent ocean crossing, which then morphsinto an opulent Arabian court on Cyprus.

More surprises follow, all handledsmoothly and contributing to a potently ex-otic ambiance. It’s exhilarating.

So even if the Moor is less here, this isan Othello you’ll enjoy for its energy, ironyand fresh nuance.

Show detailsOthello continues through Dec. 4 at Fol-

ger Theatre, located at the Folger Shake-speare Library, 201 E. Capitol St., S.E.,Washington, DC. There is limited on-street parking in the neighborhood aroundthe Folger Shakespeare Library, as well aswheelchair-accessible parking space avail-able in front of the Folger building.

The theater is four blocks from the Capi-tol South Metro station on the Orange andBlue lines, and seven blocks from theUnion Station stop on the Red Line.

There will be a post-show discussionwith the cast following the 7:30 p.m. per-formance on Thursday, Nov. 10. The pro-duction will feature open captioning onSunday, November 20 at 2 p.m. In opencaptioning, a caption board sits at the frontof the stage, scrolling the entire text of theproduction.

Ticket prices range from $39 to $47 forTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sun-day evening performances; $47 to $60 forFriday evening and Saturday and Sundayafternoon performances; and $47 to $65for Saturday evening performances.There is a $10 discount for those 65 andolder.

Tickets may be purchased at the Folgerbox office, by calling (202) 544-7077, or byvisiting www.folger.edu/theatre.

48 Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com NOVEMBER 2 0 1 1 — WA SH I NG TON B E A CON

OthelloFrom page 46

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TheBy Charles DowneyIn years past, before the Internet oreven television, people used to play musi-cal instruments at home to entertain them-selves and their friends. Today, few play chamber music togeth-er as a family, and even the piano that usedto have a place of honor in the salon or liv-ing room of most homes has largely disap-peared — perhaps replaced by an elec-tronic keyboard or guitar hero.But there are still outlets for amateurswho love to play a grand piano — andthose who love to listen. Among them isthe Piano Society of Greater Washington,whose members provide a link to livepiano music for area residents. The group sponsors five recitals a year,featuring members and guest performersat a church in Silver Spring, Md. All per-formances are free, and the all-volunteerorganization relies on donations from sup-porters and members to survive.

Making time for musicDr. Robert C. Snyder, who recently re-tired as chairman of pathology at HolyCross Hospital in Silver Spring, is a PianoSociety member. He has played the pianosince second grade and also studied pianoprivately as a college student. He now treks regularly to Philadelphiato have lessons with Susan Starr, a famousconcert pianist who won the Silver Medalat the International Tchaikovsky Competi-tion as a youth. “I guess people always make time forwhat they really love, no matter how busythey are,” Snyder said. “Music has alwaysbeen and always will be one of the mostimportant things in my life. “Susan Starr has been my greatest mu-sical influence, and I’m grateful to havehad the opportunity to observe her, workwith her, and learn from her since 1968when I first met her.” Snyder said he generally practiced acouple of hours each day after work duringhis medical career. “Hopefully, now that Iam retired I will be able to spend moretime practicing.”Alice Stark-Garofano, a substituteteacher at Calvary Lutheran Church andSchool in Silver Spring, founded the Piano

Society of Greater Washington in 2003,hosting the first meeting in her house. Since Stark-Garofano’s death in 2008,Ellen Tenenbaum, who lives in Derwood,Md., became the lead organizer for the so-ciety, but all of the members are active inkeeping the organization going and decid-ing what pieces are performed. “Works to be performed bubble up, aseach member is working on a wide rangeof repertoire and at some point is confi-dent that certain works are performance-ready,” Tenenbaum said of the process. “About six weeks before each concert,we try to meet and perform pieces foreach other, and decide by consensus what

will be a solid, interesting program. “Often one of the members brings in aguest artist or group to play a four-handwork or chamber work involving thepiano, and these works add a lovely varietyto the program.” In fact, members are not always ama-teurs, as some have careers in music, ei-ther as teachers or performers.

Connecting with the audienceShirley Bieri, who describes herself as a“very senior senior,” attended the society’sSeptember concert, her second.

The F R E E

VOL.23, NO.11I N F O C U S F O R P E O P L E O V E R 5 0More than 200,000 readers throughout Greater Washington NOVEMBER 2011

Amateur pianist Ellen Tenenbaum returned to the instrument after many years away,and now volunteers for the Piano Society of Greater Washington, which offers localpianists the opportunity to perform. She believes people can play music they love,and do so musically, regardless of age. The Society’s next concert is on Dec. 13.

See CONCERTS, page 47

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A R T S & S T Y L ENew approach enlivens Othelloat Folger Theatre; plus, BobLevey takes on a conniving carsalesman

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Ann Hampton Callawayand Liz CallawayBoom! and BroadwaySUNDAY NOVEMBER 13, 7PMThese Tony-nominated singing sisters have wowed audiences on Broadway, in cabarets, and in concert. This beguiling show combines their popular revue Boom! (songs of the ‘60s and ‘70s) and their favorite Broadway melodies. Tickets $25–$55 (Stars Price $22.50–$49.50)Sponsored by Shugoll Research

Masters of Illusion Live!SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 8PMSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2PMWitness dazzling displays of magic featuring exotic animals, beautiful dancers, escapologists, comedy, quick-change artists, sleight of hand must-see entertainment!!Tickets $25–$65 (Stars Price $22.50–$58.50)

A Skaggs Family Christmas featuring the White FamilyTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 8PMFourteen-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs makes this holiday season a family affair, with song after song warmed by the pure mountain sound of bluegrass, you’ll rediscover such holiday favorites as “Little Drummer Boy,” “What Child is This?,” “The Christmas Guest,” and many more.Tickets $28–$68 (Stars Price $25.20–$61.20)

5 Browns Holiday ShowFRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 8PMDubbed the “Fab Five” by People magazine, this talented group of piano-playing siblings performs beautiful holiday music from Tchaikovsky, Liszt and Mozart to Richard Rodgers and Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi.Tickets $21–$58 (Stars Price $18.90–$52.20)

Jim Brickman A Christmas CelebrationWEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 8PM

You’ll hear dazzling solo piano, vibrant vocals plus plenty of warmth and humor as Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Jim Brickman and his special guests weave new and old holiday favorites, plus all his hits in this unforgettable night.Tickets $35–$55 (Stars Price $31.50–$49.50)

Ramsey Lewis: Sun Goddess TourFRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 8PMThe jazzman extraordinaire, winner of three Grammys and seven gold records, revisits his classic ‘70s album The Sun Goddess (and a few other funky favorites) with his electric band— guitarist Henry Johnson, keyboard player Michael Logan, drummer Charles Heath and bassist Joshua Ramos.Tickets $28–$68 (Stars Price $25.20–$61.20)

Strathmore Family Sings: Christmas Music with Betty ScottSUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 4–5PMMUSIC CENTER, ROOM 402Tickets $7 (Stars Price $6.30)

ARTS ADVENTURESCreate your own art (wearable and otherwise!) in these creative hands-

on workshops in the Mansion.

Polymer Clay EarringsFRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 9AM–4PM

Tuition $90 (Stars Price $81), plus $25 materials fee

Silk Painting: Scarves and Wall HangingsMONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 10AM–4PMTickets $95 (Stars Price $85.50), plus $25 materials fee

Handmade Glass: Glass DishesTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 10AM–12PMOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1:30–3:30PMTuition $50 (Stars Price $45) plus $40 materials/firing fee

Felting: Winter Hat or HandwarmersSATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 9AM-4PMTuition $90 (Stars Price $81), plus $25 materials fee

Metal Jewelry: Silver BraceletsMONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 10AM–4PMTuition $100 (Stars Price $90), plus $35 materials fee

FINE ART ART EXHIBTIONS

From Forge to Form: Modern IronworkNOVEMBER 19–DECEMBER 30Explore an ancient art for modern times in this stunning display of works by iron artists, including master blacksmiths Nol Putnam and Fred Crist.Free

78th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in MiniatureNOVEMBER 19–DECEMBER 30Free

Museum Shop AroundNOVEMBER 10–13MANSIONBrowse the treasures of the area’s best museum gift shops, for unique and handmade gifts—inspired holiday shopping.Admission $9 (Stars Price $8), no strollersBRING IN THIS AD FOR $1 OFF ADMISSION!

Ann Hampton Callaway Liz Callaway

Browse the treasures of the area’s best museum gift shops, for unique and

BRING IN THIS AD FOR $1 OFF ADMISSION!

No

l Put

nam

My friend is 88 years old. He has all hismarbles and a lifetime of experience in theconsumer world.

But that doesn’t mean hecan’t be a victim. He just was.

One day in late summer, hemarched into a local car deal-ership to “just have a look” atthe new 2012 models. Sales-people dream of such cus-tomers, especially those whocan pay cash. And this sales-man didn’t have to wait long.

My friend test-drove abrand-spanking-new V-8 andlater left the lot in it. But he also droveaway with less of a discount than he hadbeen promised. He was essentially connedout of $1,500.

It’s a tale of incredible carelessness onmy guy’s part — but also incredible unfair-

ness on the dealership’s part. I still can’t decide how to apportion the

blame exactly. But the more Ithink about it, the more thesalesman’s share creepsabove 50 percent. And themore I think about it, themore I think the salesmantried his luck on my friend be-cause he’s up in years.

Here’s how it played out:As soon as my friend said he

wanted to look at the new2012s, the salesman said oh-gosh-oh-gee, it’s your lucky day,

sir. Since it’s the end of the month, we are of-fering $5,000 off the sticker price on all 2012s.

The salesman did not write down thisoffer, and my friend did not ask him to do so.

They walked through the usual steps —make, color, horsepower, accessories.

When my guy had given a piece of hisheart to a shiny champagne gold sedan,the salesman wrote up a bill of sale.

Very soon, they were in an office on theother side of the dealership, where a fi-nance fellow was finalizing the sale. A fewstrokes of the adding machine, a few hand-shakes, and it was all done.

The next morning, my friend happenedto read the bill of sale.

Yes, he should have done this in the fi-nance fellow’s office before forking over anymoney. No, he hadn’t done so. Yes, he knowsthat he is the last line of defense against flim-flams and filches. After all, he is 88, and hehas been buying cars for 65 years.

And yes, alas, they had shafted him. Thepromised $5,000 discount was $3,500.

So he went back to the finance man thenext day. Oh-gosh-oh-gee, said this man. Myfriend must have misunderstood. They offer

a discount of only $3,500 to people with Gen-eral Motors credit cards, since such card-holders already get $1,500 off new cars.

Wait a second, my friend said. The GMcredit card gives me an additional discountof $1,500 on a new GM model. It doesn’tdecrease my discount by $1,500.

The finance man hemmed and hawedand jawed and juked. I wasn’t there, so Idon’t know exactly what he said. But the re-sult was that he wore down an 88-year-oldman, who finally got tired and confused.

He tucked his tail between his legs andleft without the $1,500 he had been prom-ised — bewitched, bothered and bewil-dered.

The $1,500 isn’t all that important to myfriend. He will not miss any meals becauseof it. And he readily admits that he shopsfor new cars because it’s a form of recre-ation for him. Better to be out $1,500 andstill have a new car to show for it than toblow $1,500 at a casino and have nothingto show for it.

But he knows he was “played” by thedealership, and he doesn’t like it.

Neither do I. I can only imagine what happened that

night when the salesman walked in thefront door of his home. “Did you have anice day at work, dear?” his spouse mighthave asked him.

“Boy, did I!” this wonderful personmight have replied. “I conned an 88-year-old man out of $1,500! I think I’ll have amartini to celebrate!”

Drink up, my good man. But in betweensips, consider this: There’s a way to smackback against the kind of treatment myfriend got. It’s called a buddy system.

What if a squadron of volunteers agreedto accompany up-in-years car shopperswhen they visit dealerships?

What if those volunteers — younger andtougher — sat in during those final min-utes in the finance office?

What if they acted as attorneys-without-a-diploma — reading over the paperworkand asking the buyer (in the presence ofthe finance guy) whether he’s sure he’sgetting what he wants?

I have a feeling that a salesman’s end-of-the-day martini might not taste quite sogood.

I hereby volunteer to help any up-in-years car shopper who thinks he or shemight need a “wing man.” If anyone at thedealership objects, I’ll say: “See that door?We can walk out through it just as easily aswe walked in through it.” The smart oneswill get the message.

So will the smart ones on the consum-ing side of the ledger.

It is very easy to get confused at the endof a car purchase — regardless of age. Abuddy will help you stay grounded, andwill help put that full promised discountwhere it belongs.

In your pocket.Bob Levey is a national award-winning

columnist.


“Public television‘s most ambitious series in years” — The Hollywood Reporter

pbs.org/arts

Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore ....................10/14Pearl Jam Twenty...................10/21Miami City Ballet....................10/28Give Me The Banjo..................11/4Bill T. Jones: A Good Man .......11/11

Women Who Rock.................11/18Il Postino from LA Opera .....11/25Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park .................12/2The Little Mermaid................12/16

National funding for the PBS Arts Fall Festival is provided by a generous grant from the Anne Ray Charitable Trust. PBS Arts Fall Festival on MPT is sponsored in part by

The Washington Ballet and Strathmore Performing Arts Center.

Fridays 9:30pm

When a consumer is taken advantage of

HOW I SEE ITBy Bob Levey


The Kennedy Center welcomes patrons with disabilities.

BETROTHAL.BETRAYAL.BLOODSHED.

Tickets at the Kennedy Center Box Office or charge by phone (202) 467-4600Order online at kennedy-center.org/wno

TTY (202) 416-8524 Groups (202) 416-8400A production of the Clarice Smith Opera Series.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.Generous support for WNO Italian opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

November 10–19, 2011 Opera House

In Donizetti’s dark drama, young Lucia is caught in the middle of a feud between her family and the man she loves. Forced by her brother to forsake her love and marry for money, she loses more than her happiness—she loses her mind. After she kills her bridegroom, Lucia plunges headlong into madness to Donizetti’s magnificent score in one of opera’s most famous, horrifying, and musically gorgeous scenes.

Sarah Coburn Lucia

(Nov 10, 13m, 15, 18)

Lyubov Petrova Lucia

(Nov 12, 14, 16, 19)

Production from English National Opera. Photo by Robert Workman for English National Opera

SUNDAY MATINEE!

November 13 at 2 p.m.


ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

Return form with check made payable to The Bea con, to:The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227

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BEACON BITSRUSSIAN COMPOSERSThe U.S. Army Band

“Pershing’s Own” Chamber MusicSeries presents a concert called“The Devil Went Down to Russia”with chamber music by Russian com-posers Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and a special presentationof Stravinsky’s “Soldier’s Tale.” Thefree concert will be held on Tuesday,Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Brucker Hallin Ft. Myer, Va. For more informationon the concert and directions forpublic access to the concert, seewww.usarmyband.com or call (703)696-3399.

HOLIDAY CONCERTAND SING-ALONGJoin the GeorgetownUniversity Department

of Performing Arts for its annual freeprogram of holiday music, including asing-along. The program will takeplace Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:15 p.m. inMcNeir Hall, on Georgetown’s maincampus at 3700 O St., N.W.,Washington, D.C. For more information,see http://performingarts.george-town.edu or call (202) 687-2787.

GUITAR CONCERTRenowned guitaristJohn Doyle, whoserves as guitarist

and musical director for Joan Baez,will give a CD release concert onWednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Theconcert will be held by the Institutefor Musical Traditions, Takoma ParkCommunity Center Auditorium, 7500Maple, Ave., Takoma Park, Md.Tickets are $20 in advance and $25at the door. For more information,call (301) 754-3611 or visitwww.imtfolk.org.

Dear Editor:Thank you for publishing “Moving the

Folks” (October). I’m an avid Beacon read-er in my 50s, and it appears both your pub-lisher and I are native Texans.

I thank Stuart for standing up for themany good, kind, helpful people that havecome out of Texas (including LBJ, whosigned many of the pro-senior statutessome might take for granted) or still re-main there.

Texas, nearby New Mexico and theSouthwest have become popular regionsfor relocating seniors, with often lower liv-ing costs than the Northeast and evenFlorida.

I agree with Stuart’s assessment that,when his dad said, “It’s too cold here in theEast,” he meant more than the weather.My point: Washington region seniors needto get away and see/meet/check out therest of the 50 states they may yet to experi-ence/explore.

They might meet warm and friendly

Americans they cannot adequately find lo-cally, while getting a positive, emotional at-titude adjustment in the process.

Steve SpacekMontgomery County, MD

Dear Editor:Having at one time taken both the bus

and the train to New York (See “Bus linesoffer affordability, convenience,” Octo-ber), the major advantages that are of-fered by the train are an indoor waitingarea, more comfortable seating, and in-door plumbing.

On the other hand, I have found it rarethat trains, whether Acela or NortheastRegional, arrive at the stated time on theschedule.

The question of economics, if dominant,is a no-win for trains, which have outra-geous prices if reservations are not madeat least two weeks in advance.

Travel is not simple or necessarilycheap, but for the young, buses are theway to go. For the elderly, conveniencemay trump cost.

Nelson MaransSilver Spring, MD

Letters to editorFrom page 2

Nov. 15

Dec. 2

Nov. 16


PART-TIME JOB OPENING in the PG/Mont-gomery County area. Major retail locations.Great Opportunity for retirees. Job require-ments similar to Home Show. Call 240-418-2948.

MAKE MONEY SELLING YOUR VALU-ABLE GOODS ON eBAY. Susie’s Online Con-signments does all the work for you. We photo-graph the items, list and launch the auctions,collect the money and ship the goods. We sell an-tiques, collectibles, designer handbags, shoes,dolls, small electronics, jewelry, watches, andmore. Call 703-752-6247.

INSIDE SUBSCRIPTION SALES for 50-year-old business news service near SilverSpring Metro. Mature staff. Part-time week-days. $10/hour + commission to 35%. 301-588-6380 x 281 or [email protected].

$100,000 INCOME OPPORTUNITY workwith a Billion Dollar Pharmacy Benefit Manag-er Call 1-877-308-7959 EXT234 today.

2011 POSTAL POSITIONS $13.00-$36.50+/hr.,Federal hire/full benefits. Call Today! 1-866-477-4953 Ext. 150.

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EARN $1000’S WEEKLY Receive $12 everyenvelope Stuffed with sales materials. 24-hr. In-formation 1-866-297-7616 code 14.

MYSTERY SHOPPERS! Earn up to $150daily. Get paid to shop pt/ft. Call now 800-690-1272.

SENIORS! SELL YOUR UNWANTED LIFEINSURANCE! State licensed. Call Toll Free:877-282-4360 or visit www.AtAge60.com for aFREE evaluation.

CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE – reliable cer-tified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity,loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes.MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChCh-Homecare.com.

CAREGIVER AVAILABLE Live-in/out days/nights or weekend, car, cook, experienced & reli-able, excellent references. MD/DC/Northern VA.703-408-1347.

LOVING HOME CARE “Care you can trustand afford.” Companionship, hygiene care,meal preparation, housekeeping, errands,shopping, doctor’s appointments. Loving, de-pendable caregivers for FT/PT or Live-Incare. Call: 301-490-1146. www.lovinghome-care.org.

NEED HELP AT HOME? Beulah Home Serv-ices, Inc. can provide quality care for you 24/7.Choose you hours. Services include: personalcare, meal preparation, assistance with house-hold chores, medication reminder/monitoring,ADL’s, mobility, and accompanying patients todoctor visits. We have dependable, dedicated,compassionate staff. You will receive free consul-tation/initial RN assessment, plus 25% discountoff your first month. (Licensed/bonded) Tele-phone # 301-502-6011.

HERE AND NOW HOME CARE offers manyservices in companion, home making and per-sonal care. We offer responsible affordable care24 hours a day 7 days a week! 2- to 24-hourshifts, homes, hospitals and nursing homes. Callus at 240-507-7120. http://www.hereand-nowhomecare.com/services.

UCARE AGENCY A licensed home health careagency providing certified and qualified care-givers. Home health aid, homemakers, compan-ions, escorts, personal care attendant (PCA). 4 to24 hour shifts. For your aging loved ones. Pleasecall today and get 10% discount. telephone: 240-632-9420 or 240-476-1180.

POTTER CARE SERVICES provides pri-vate Non-Medical Home Care in the comfort ofour clients’ homes within Washington, DC,Maryland and Virginia area. Services include– companionship, elder care, recuperationcare, respite care, and care for expectant andnew mothers. For more information, call 410-564-9667, fax request to 443-542-9195 oremail [email protected]. You Love, WeCare.

FAMILY HOME CARE SERVICES providesprofessional personal care and companionshipservices for senior citizens. We also providecustomized care and help with daily livingtasks for disabled and injured individuals ofany age. Our experienced caregivers provideup to 24-hour service 7 days a week in thecomfort of your own home. We accept Medicaidand private pay. Call family home care servic-es at 703-933-2223 or email us at [email protected].

HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES Homestaffing 23 hours a day for skilled nursing, as-sisted living, companionship, light housekeep-ing, errands and shopping. Quality care. Li-censed & insured. Satebi Health Care, INC.(SHC) 301-879-4484.

VERY RELIABLE, compassionate, aide, 20years experience, available now. Mon-SunFT/PT, Live I/O. CNA, GNA, MedTech licensed.Very punctual and caring. Please call 240-550-2584.

POSITION WANTED Certified aide with 20years experience. Seeks position to care for sickor elderly, Monday through Friday days, nights,or weekends. References available call 301-442-9324. own car.

COMPUTER LESSONS – Personal Computertraining at your home. Email, Internet, generalcomputer use, and more. Learn at your own pacewith gentle and patient tutor. We also fix com-puters, set up your new computer and trou-bleshoot. Working with Seniors since 1996. Askabout your Senior discount. Call David, 301-762-2570, COMPUTERTUTOR.

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NET-WORK? Computer Systems Engineer will cometo you with help. HOME. BUSINESS. Call: D.Guisset at 301-642-4526.

GEEZER TECH SQUAD – For Seniors BySeniors. Computers fixed and explained. Helpwith other electronic equipment such as HD tel-evision and digital cameras. Introductory ses-sion $40 an hour, less than 50% of otherproviders. 301-802-6633.

GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT BOOK & GREET-ING CARDS! “Moon Over Vaudeville” charm-ing morsel of 1930s entertainment history.Much of story set in DC. Many vintage photo-graphs. Buy at www.MoonOverVaudeville.com –use discount code: ZLA8J4MM. By mail: PO Box757, Bellingham, WA 98227. Enclose name, ad-dress, city & zip code plus a check for $22.90($17.95 + $4.95 shipping). 360-255-3790. Set of 4bookmark greeting cards are $12.00.

PUT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE BACK INYOUR LIFE! Enjoy live jazz and swing on thefirst Friday of the month at Hollywood EastCafé, Westfield Wheaton Shopping Mall, 7 to 10p.m. Listen to the Night & Day Combo performthe classic standard songs of the 30’s, 40’s and50’s, from Cole Porter, Gershwin, et al. Greatmusic, great food, no cover charge! http://nigh-tanddaymusic.com/clubpage.html.

CREDIT REPAIR SPECIALIST Have a 720score? You can! Free Consultation, 888-316-2786ext 102 www.raisemycreditasap.com.

ROOMS FOR RENT in private home, sharedfacilities, only non-smoking female, fully fur-nished, no pets $495 per month plus utilities.301-233-4722.

LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll takeyou on a tour of the community, show you floorplans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how tobest coordinate your move. I will preview units& contact you with a match. I also offer excep-tional service selling your home. I’m a SeniorsSpecialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Na-tionwide, and a Leisure World resident! You cansee my current listings on page 26. Contact me:301-580-5556, [email protected], www.Sue-Heyman.com, Weichert, Realtors.

LEISURE WORLD® - $269,000. 2BR+ Den.2FB “G” in Turnberry Courts. Freshly painted,golf course view. Shows like a model. 1446sq ft.Stan Moffson, Weichert Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $49,900. 2BR 1FB “Car-lyle” model. Top floor with spacious dining roomand open balcony. Lots of closets. 1035 sq ft,Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $96,900. 2BR 2FB “E”in the “Fairways”. Close to the elevator, greatviews from enclosed balcony, Berber carpet,fresh paint, table space kitchen. 980 sq ft. StanMoffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $199,000. 2BR + den,2FB “R” model in “Fairways”. Ceramic tile en-closed balcony, table space kitchen, garage park-ing, new carpet. 1420 sq ft. Stan Moffson, We-ichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $299,000. 2BR + den,2FB, “K” in “Greens” with garage space and stor-age room. One of a kind renovation, 1st floorwith enclosed balcony outside terrace open togolf course. 1520 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert,Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $319,900. 3BR 2-1/2BA“M” in “Fairways”. Upgraded kitchen with Coriancounters and extra pantry, separate dining room.Enclosed balcony, garage parking. 1530 sq ft.Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $275,000. 3BR 2FBmodified “Cabot” with 1 car garage. All NewKitchen conversion, expanded dining and livingroom, 1530 sq. ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Real-tors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $99,000. 2BR 2FB “Riv-iera” model. 2nd floor apt with updated kitchen,enclosed balcony and covered carport. 1412 sq ft.Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $159,000. 3BR 2FB“Capri” villa. Updated kitchen, open balcony, hugespace. 1415 sq. ft. Stan Moffson, 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $89,000. 2BR 2FB “E”model in the “Greens”. Convenient to the eleva-tor, fresh paint and carpet. Enclosed balconywith good view. 990 sq ft. Stan Moffson, We-ichert, Realtors 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $349,000. 3BR 2FB “L”in “Vantage Point”. Corner unit with 3 expo-sures, table space kitchen with window, enclosedbalcony. One of the largest models in LW. 1720sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $375,000. 3BR 2FB“Barstow” model patio home with 2 car garage, sepa-rate dining room and table space kitchen, Sunroomaddition. 1320 sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $83,900. 2BR 2FB“Warfield” model. Table space kitchen with win-dow, 1st floor, patio, separate laundry room,1116 sq. ft. Reserved parking. 1116 sq. ft. StanMoffson 301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $204,900. 2BR 2FB.RARE “Q” model in “Turnberry Courts. Golf courseviews from table space kitchen and enclosed bal-cony, close to elevator, garage parking + golf cartspace. 1111 sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

CLASSIFIEDS

The Beacon prints classified advertisingunder the fol low ing headings: Business &Employment Opportunities; Caregivers;Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale;For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health;Home/Handy man Services; Miscellaneous;Personals; Per son al Services; Va ca tion Oppor-tunities; and Want ed. For sub mis sion guide -lines and dead lines, see the box below.

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

ob scene, of fen sive, harmful, or fraudulentadvertising. How ev er, we do not in ves ti -gate any ad ver tis ers or their prod ucts andcan not ac cept re spon si bil i ty for the in teg -ri ty of either. Re spon dents to clas si fied ad -ver tis ing should al ways use cau tion andtheir best judg ment.

Business & Employment Opportunities

Caregivers

Computer Services

Entertainment

Financial Services

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

For Sale/Rent: Real EstateCaregivers

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATESDeadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month.Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’sissue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached inthe event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nordo we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, offer a personal service, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

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

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

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Classifieds cont. on p. 55.

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

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

From page 54.

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE


Puzzle Page

Scrabble answers on p. 53.

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 53.

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


LEISURE WORLD® - $279,000. 3BR 2-1/2BA“M” in the “Greens” Close to elevator, tablespace kitchen, mirrored closet doors, garageparking, extra storage. 1530 sq ft. Stan Moffson301-928-3463.

LEISURE WORLD® - $109,000. 2BR. 2FB“Warfield” on 1st floor. Updated kitchen andbaths, enclosed patio. ALSO FOR RENT $1300.1116 sq ft. Stan Moffson 301-928-3463.

NW UPPER LIVING ROOM BEDROOM. Inprivate home. Share kitchen and bath. Near busand train station. References and security re-quired. 202-829-6358.

***FREE FORECLOSURE LISTINGS***OVER 400,000 properties nationwide. Lowdown payment. Call now 800-250-2043.

AVAILABLE NOW!!! 2-4 Bedroom homes TakeOver Payments No Money Down/No CreditCheck Call 1-888-269-9192.

STOP RENTING Lease option to buy Rent toown No money down No credit check 1-877-395-0321.

NATURAL HERBAL TYPE VIAGRA -As SeenOn TV No Side Effects - Improve Performance -WEBSITE ONLY FREE Trial Offer + S&H - OneMonth Supply www.pro4maxoffer.com (800) 781-1975.

MICHAELS HAULING Clean-outs, scrap &debris removal yard waste, etc. Mulch, dirt &stone delivery, lite dump truck, 20’ trailer &bobcat. Fully insured. 240-388-1898.

CLEANING Weekly, biweekly, monthly. Move-ins. Move-outs. Insured. Senior discounts. 20years experience. Call Betti for more informa-tion, 301-744-2572, 240-486-0087.

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home.Medical, Business, Paralegal, Accounting, Crim-inal Justice. Job placement assistance. Comput-er available. Financial aid if qualified. Call 800-494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com.

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FROM HOME, 6-8 Weeks. ACCREDITED. Get a diploma. Get ajob! 1-800-264-8330, www.diplomafromhome.com.

PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOP-TION? You choose from families nationwide.LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Abby’s One TrueGift Adoptions. 866-413-6292, 24/7 Void/Illi-nois.

MOTHER WILL DRIVE YOU to your ap-pointments, do your shopping, clean your house,cooking, personal assistant. Do you need to planan event? Also does Elder Care. Honest, reason-able rate, and references provided. 240-595-7467.

EASY BUSINESS RÉSUMÉS. Short résumés,cover letters, typed references. 16 years experi-ence. Competitive pricing, convenient locations.Good quality. Marty – [email protected], 703-768-5254, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

WILL TYPE YOUR MEMOIRS, manuscripts,etc. For info and rates, call 703-671-1854.

GARDEN ANGEL LAWN and fall cleanups,window washing, garage and attic cleaning,hauling. We do all we can for you. Seniors wel-come. MD-DC. Call 240-477-2158.

WOW! GREAT HAIRCUT at a great price!Professional family hair salon conveniently lo-cated in Bethesda, MD. State board certified.Call 240-432-7211.

FOR ALL OF YOUR MEDICAL APPOINT-MENTS. Dialysis Center, Non-EmergencyHospital Trips, Hospital Discharge, Doctor Ap-pointments, Rehabilitation & More. We have4x4 SUVs for Winter Trips. Med Choice Trans-portation. 703-839-9999. www.MedChoice-Transportation.com.

PARALEGAL: Experienced in trusts, estatesand will preparation and other letters and pa-perwork. Call 301-565-2917.

OMEGA TRANSPORTATION Hospital visits,clinics, lab appointments! Drop off, pick-up, orround trip services available! Wheelchair accessi-ble! We are a transportation company devoted tohelping you whenever you need it. You can counton Omega Transportation to drive you there safe-ly. Call us anytime. You won’t be disappointed!301-685-6710. [email protected]. Serv-ing all Washington Metropolitan Area. MedicaidProvider.

SEEKING 55+ GENTLEMAN: industrious,kind, fun-loving with integrity who would enjoymeeting like-minded attractive woman wholights up a room with her smile. Barbarajoyart.301-938-6235.

ATTRACTIVE ASIAN WIDOW seeks tall wid-ower for companionship, travel. Please call: 301-942-8457.

BEST AIRFARE TO ASIA.We are China Tour Spe-cialists. Serving the Washington D.C. Metro Area;Phone 703-992-8990; email [email protected];Website www.chinawidetravel.com.

WE PAY CASH for antique furniture, qualityused furniture, early American art, pottery, sil-ver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to en-tire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-332-4697.

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeksto purchase military uniforms; flight jackets,patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the CivilWar through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S.Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and Ger-man/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSOBUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys,Lighters. Call Dan (202) 841-3062.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUAL-ITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by aserious capable buyer. I am very well educated[law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years inthe antique business] and have the finances andwherewithal to handle virtually any situation.If you have a special item, collection or impor-tant estate I would like to hear from you. I paygreat prices for great things in all categoriesfrom Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rareclocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classiccars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. Nophony promises or messy consignments. Refer-ences gladly furnished. Please call Jake Leni-han 301-279-8834. Thank you.

STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHSpurchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers,paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty –highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-6637. [email protected].

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from the 20sthrough 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm& Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or78s, Larger collections preferred. Please callJohn, 301-596-6201.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUES,ESTATES. FREE evaluations and house calls.We pay the most for your valuable treasures be-cause we get the most money on eBay – theworldwide Internet. Serving entire metro area –Maryland, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia.Buying the following items – furniture, art,paintings, silver, gold, old coins, jewelry, vintagewristwatches, military items, including guns, ri-fles, swords, daggers, knives, musical instru-ments, guitars, violins, banjos, old toys, dolls,trains, old golf clubs, baseball, football, tennisequipment and memorabilia, old fishing, tools,books, photographs, comic books. I am a resi-dent of Silver Spring. 20 years experience.Please call Tom 240-476-3441. Thank you.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, dia-monds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins,flatware, etc. We make house calls. Ask for Tomor Katherine. Call anytime 301-654-8678.

CASH FOR RECORDS & CDs. BEST PRICEGUARANTEED. Free appraisals. All types ofmusic, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301-646-5403. Will make House Calls.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUESAND COLLECTIBLES. Compare my price be-fore you sell! Serving entire metro area. Call fora free consultation, and professional service. Iwill purchase one piece or your entire estate. In-cluding Furniture, Artwork, Glassware, Jewelry,Rugs, Costume, Gold and Silver, Watches, Ster-ling Items, Flatware, Lladro & Hummel Fig-urines, All Military Items, Guns, Swords, Hel-mets, Bayonets, Medals, Scout Items, Clocks,Music Boxes, Toys, Baseball Memorabilia,Trains, All String Instruments, Including Gui-tars, Banjos, Mandolins, Fishing Rods and Reels,Lures, Historical Items, American tools, Posters,Outside Iron Furniture. I am a very reputabledealer with two locations in Silver Spring andBowie, MD. Please call Christopher Keller 301-408-4751 or 301-262-1299. Thank you.

HIGHEST CASH PAID FOR ANTIQUESAND COLLECTIBLES Call me first! Furni-ture, China, Hummels, Sports, Glass, Paintings,Gold, Silver Flatware, Costume & High-endJewelry, Music Instruments, Hunting, FishingItems, Military Items, Guns, Swords, Helmets,Wind-up Watches, Art, Clocks, Dolls, MusicBoxes, Old Toys, Bronzes, Lamps, ETC. Pleasecall Mike Keller 301-731-0982 or 301-742-5031

ESTATE BUY-OUTS / CLEAN-OUTS FROMBASEMENT-GARAGE-ATTIC-STORAGEUNITS. ELECTRONICS, RECORD COLLEC-TIONS, TUBES, HI-FI SPEAKERS, ACCUMULA-TIONS. CASH PAYMENT, PROMPT REMOVAL.PLEASE CALL 410-740-5222 OR 240-478-1100.

COLLECTOR BUYING MODERN FURNI-TURE, lighting, art & accessories form the1940’s – 1970’s. Danish/Scan, Knoll, HermanMiller, Dunbar, Paul Evans, Thayer Coggin,Harvey Probber, Vladimir Kagan, Nakashima,etc. Also buying abstract modern art, ceramics,glass and records. Please call 202-213-9768.

WANTED: ELECTRONICS, radio tubes, hamradios, huge old loud speakers, tube HiFi, stereoamps, earliest computers ever made, vinylrecords, professional musical instruments, sci-entific curiosities, early electronic books, maga-zines, engineers, physicists, scientist, accumula-tions. 202-527-9501, [email protected].

ESTATE BUY-OUTS, ESTATE CLEAN-OUTS – one item, or whole estate. Jewelry, ster-ling silver items, watches, coins, furniture, rugs,tribal, ancient, orientalia, etc. Any collection. Li-censed, Bonded, Insured. CASH 301-520-0755.

COINS BOUGHT. Both U.S. and foreign (espe-cially gold). Also postcards, antique cars, autorelated, militaria, stamps. Lifelong private col-lector. Best after 7 p.m. Kenny Holloway 703-369-0520.

WANTED: LARGE THREE WHEELERmotor scooter in good condition. Call 301-230-3149, Rockville.

CASH MONEY PAID FOR CARDS. Baseballand non-sport cards before 1973. Includes:Topps, Bowman, Fleer, Goudeys, Play Ball,Caramels, Tobacco Cards, ETC. Non-sport cardsinclude: Elvis, 3 Stooges, Davy Crockett, Casper,Horrors of War, Mars Attack, Lone Ranger, Gul-ligan’s Island, Hogan’s Heroes, Superman, Bat-man, ETC… We don’t cherry pick the best andleave the rest. We buy it all!!! Anything & every-thing. Any condition. Please call Jim with confi-dence 202-258-1109.

CASH FOR CARS, Any Make or Model! FreeTowing. Sell it TODAY. Instant offer: 1-800-864-5784.

CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETICTEST STRIPS - up to $17/Box! Shipping pre-paid. Kim 1-888-883-8835. www.cash4diabetic-supplies.com.

SELL YOUR CAR, TRUCK or SUV TODAY!All 50 states, fast pick-up and payment. Anycondition, make or model. Call now 1-877-818-8848 www.MyCarforCash.net.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Run-ning or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800-454-6951.

WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS Anykind/brand. Unexpired up to $18.00. ShippingPaid Hablamos espanol 1-800-266-0702www.selldiabeticstrips.com.

WANTED JAPANESE MOTORCYCLESKAWASAKI 1970-1980 Z1-900, KZ900, KZ1000, H2-750, H1-500, S1-250, S2-250, S2-350,S3-400 CASH. 1-800-772-1142, [email protected].

WANTED: YEARBOOKS - $15 each for anyhigh school 1940-1988 not in our [email protected] 1-972-768-1338.

Wanted WantedPersonal Services

Personals

Vacation Opportunities

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

Health

Home/Handyman Services

Miscellaneous

Personal Services

A HOT CONCERTCristina Muir, Sue Trainor and Jennie Avila blend their stylisticallydiverse musical talents to cook up Hot Soup, a spicy vocal trio.

Accompanied by guitar, banjo and lap dulcimer, they serve up a harmonious mix offolk and novelty songs, swing tunes, nostalgia and topical ballads. The concertwill be held Sunday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Resurrection, 2280 N.Beauregard St., Alexandria, Va. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.To order tickets or for more information, go to www.focusmusic.org or call (703)501-6061.

FREE PHILHARMONIC CONCERTA free Arlington Philharmonic concert will be held on Sunday,November 6 at 3 p.m. featuring selections from Gustav Holst’s“Brook Green Suite,” Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and

other American and British gems. Admission is free, but donations are appreciat-ed. It will be held in the Washington-Lee Auditorium at 1301 N. Stafford St.,Arlington, Va., between the Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations on theOrange Line. For more information, see www.arlingtonphilharmonic.org.

UNBUILT WASHINGTONThe National Building Museum’s exhibit “Unbuilt Washington”explores the many serious — and sometimes not-so-serious — pro-posals that would have dramatically altered the architectural char-

acter of Washington, D.C. Included in the exhibition are rare original drawings byAmerica’s most influential early architects, including Benjamin Henry Latrobe,Robert Mills and Thomas Jefferson. The exhibit opens on Saturday, Nov. 19 andruns through May 28, 2012 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St., N.W.,Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for those 65 andolder. For more information, call (202) 272-2448.

BEACON BITS

Nov. 20

Nov. 6

Nov. 19

Wanted

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