May 2026 | DC Beacon

The Baseball fans unite at Nationals Park

Bashing into joy

Willie Mays has always been my favorite baseball player. He could hit for average and power, steal bases, catch every ball that came his way in centerfield, and throw like no one else. He loved playing baseball, and he played with the childhood joy that was forever captured in his immortal nickname, the “Say Hey Kid.”

In fact, it was said of Mays that the only thing he could not do on a baseball diamond was stay young forever. Mays played too long after his skills had declined, and the joy was harder to find. Those last years were not kind.

When one has to make a decision to let go of a workplace, there can be a big difference between understanding what’s necessary intellectually and owning that choice through emotional acceptance. Retirement is the classic head/hear t decision.

But owning and even embracing the realization that our time here is limited, unpredictable and sacred can help us live well.

By David J. Brown

“The paradoxical reward for accepting reality’s constraints,” Oliver Burkeman notes, “is that they no longer feel so constraining.”

The sooner we accept that fact, the sooner we can live the only life we have more fully.

year to follow Dad’s example. It was a scary decision and involved letting go not just of the perception of control but of dreams. So I hedged my bets, described the step as “not quite” retirement, and took what I called a gap year.

During that time, I wrote, consulted for nonprofits and led heritage tours. My first trip in this new role was to Japan, an endlessly fascinating part of the world.

I found I enjoyed researching and crafting stories that fellow travelers would find of interest. I started reading outside my comfort zone, discovering indigenous writers, fungal networks, immigrant perspectives, beavers, liberation theology and so much more. I began reading with curiosity and wonder. With a sense of awe. “The beginning of awe is wonder,” wrote Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “and the beginning of wisdom is awe.”

decades I was a busy nonprofit executive. Now I read, travel, have conversations, write essays and give lectures, all of which have led to a new appreciation for the diversity and wonder around me.

Unwrapping and sharing those discoveries with others brought me joy. Some never lose their childhood curiosity. I’m reclaiming mine.

No longer semi-retired, I have a new life description: I am bashing into joy. I’m discovering new worlds while diving deeper into things I love. The sum of traditions, memories, myths and associations connecting people and place over time — history’s soul — remains utterly fascinating. I find joy in sharing these personal and collective explorations in essays and lectures.

We’re all the young Willie Mays early in life, believing we can chase down fly balls forever.

Yet dropping an identity without a real sense of where the new path may lead is seriously scary stuff. After all, leaving a career takes certain hopes and dreams out of our lives, probably forever.

When it came to retirement, my father taught us not to be defined by our jobs.

He was proud of his career as an engineer, yet he retired in his early 60s and easily moved on. Tom Brown enjoyed life. Every day was a new day.

After more than four decades in the nonprofit world, I decided 2019 was my

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Mary Oliver’s recommendation to writers — “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” — had become my North Star.

Yet I still self-described myself as “semi-retired.” Being employed somehow remained at the core of my existence. It can take months or years after we’ve crossed the intellectual threshold to finally accept those decisions emotionally. When I’ve made a choice but haven’t fully owned it, life seems out-of-whack.

Ironically it was only at someone else’s retirement party that I took the plunge, finally telling friends my life consisted of exploring the world I’d missed during the

Letting go, whether it’s the loss of a career, relationship or long-held expectation, can bring a sense of transience and fragility. But there are other ways to look at letting go. We can lose to find, give away to gain. We may be making room for something more wonderful.

But letting go is hard. “Disappearance,” Kathryn Schulz writes, “reminds us to notice, transience to cherish, fragility to defend. We are here to keep watch, not to keep.”

Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. And when we let go, we find there truly is more to come.

To read more of David J. Brown’s writing, visit moretocome.net.

Letters to the editor

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Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, 3720 Farragut Ave., Suite 501, Kensington, MD 20895, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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Dear Editor:

Elliot Raphaelson in “The Savings Game” column of the April 2026 Beacon listed the options to address the potential huge deficit facing Social Security and Medicare as follows:

“Reduce benefits, or increase age of receiving benefits, or reduce the annual inflation adjustment.” Then, almost as an afterthought, Raphaelson wrote, “Finally, Congress could alter the cap on FICA taxes.”

Raphaelson has this backward. He should have stated, “First, Congress could (and most assuredly should) alter the cap on paying FICA taxes.”

Billionaires only have to pay FICA taxes on only the first $184,500 of earned income. Is this fair?

Dale Barnhard

Silver Spring, MD

Dear Editor:

I was flipping through the Beacon and saw “Try these free (or cheap) online classes” (April 2026). First of all, great list — truly! But have you not met OPAL?

OPAL (Online Programs for Adult Learning) is Baltimore County Department of Aging’s virtual senior center, and we’ve been hosting free online classes — fitness, art, lifelong learning, virtual field trips — for older adults since 2020.

Best of all, one does NOT need to be a Baltimore County resident to join OPAL. Heck, one doesn’t even need to live in the state of Maryland to join. Plus, the minimum age to join OPAL is 50, which also means adult children can jump in, learn alongside, and better support their parents or loved ones as they age in place. We serve a growing population of older adults, especially those who are homebound, caregiving or simply choosing connection from the comfort of home. In other words, our classes are for the folks your article is championing, which is why our absence felt a bit like leaving crab cakes off a Baltimore menu.

Chasity L. Weiner Director, The Opal Senior Center Baltimore County Department of Aging

Health

TICK SEASON

New Lyme disease vaccine candidate shows 73% effectiveness

TRY THIS AT HOME

Build leg strength and stability with lunges. Start with small movements

DENTIST’S ADVICE

If you eat dried fruits, crackers, citrus or yogurt, brush your teeth afterwards FOOD AND MOOD

Probiotics may help improve sleep and symptoms of depression

Digital replica guides real heart surgery

By Lauran Neergaard

Scientists created virtual replicas of patients’ diseased hearts so precise that blocking a dangerous irregular heartbeat in these digital “twins” showed doctors how to better treat the real thing.

One of the first clinical trials of these custom models suggests it might improve care for ventricular tachycardia, a notoriously difficult-to-treat arrhythmia that is a major cause of sudden cardiac arrest, blamed for about 300,000 U.S. deaths a year.

The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, was a small first step. The Food and Drug Administration allowed the digital twin technology to guide treatment for just 10 patients, and much larger studies will be needed.

But the results reported last month in the New England Journal of Medicine come as doctors increasingly are exploring how a technology long used in aerospace and other industries might be harnessed for better health, too.

Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, a heart specialist at the University of Miami who wasn’t involved with the study, experimented with more rudimentary iterations 15

years ago and praised the new findings.

“This is what we envisioned,” he said.

A new type of model

Doctors have long used 3D models, both physical and computer-generated ones, to simulate disease and practice techniques. But Hopkins biomedical engineer Natalia Trayanova said true digital twins predict how a real organ can react to different treatments. Her lab is pioneering colorful interactive models developed with an advanced MRI scan and other data from each patient.

“We treat the twin before we treat the patient,” Trayanova said. “Did it work? And if it did, are there new things that arise” that will require more or different care?

The heart’s electrical system powers our heartbeat. Ventricular tachycardia is a super-fast heartbeat triggered when an electrical wave short-circuits in the organ’s bottom chambers, the ventricles, and prevents them from pumping blood out to the body.

“You see this heart that is basically quivering,” Trayanova said.

Medication can help, but the main treatment is ablation, when doctors

thread catheters to the heart to burn misfiring tissue. But it’s a bit trial-and-error, as patients spend hours under anesthesia while doctors determine where to aim. Repeat ablations are common, and many patients have an implanted defibrillator as backup.

Enter Trayanova’s digital twins of patients’ ventricles. Colors swirl on a computer screen — blue, green, yellow and orange — showing how the heart’s electrical wave moves across the chamber’s healthy areas before getting stuck on damaged tissue. It’s trapped in a circular motion that she compares to the swirl of a hurricane.

“It allows me to recreate the functioning of the patient’s organ and then predict what is the best way to ablate,” she said.

The technology locates a dysfunctional region where the electrical wave repeatedly hits. Virtually ablating it will show if that solves the problem or if another arrhythmia forms that also will need zapping. “Then we poke it again,” she explained.

Trayanova’s team created customized ablation targets for each of the 10 study

participants. Cardiologists transferred them to a mapping system they use as a guide and aimed just at those targets instead of hunting their own.

Shorter, safer procedures

More than a year later, eight patients had no arrhythmias, while two experienced only a single brief episode while they were healing — better than the treatment’s typical 60% success rate, said Dr. Jonathan Chrispin, a Hopkins cardiologist and the study’s lead author. All but two also stopped their anti-arrhythmia medicine.

More importantly, cardiologists may burn away less tissue by targeting “specifically the areas that we think are critically important,” Chrispin said. “We could potentially make these procedures shorter, safer, more effective.”

The Hopkins team hopes to study the digital twin approach in a larger study with other hospitals, and has begun a trial using it to treat a more common type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. Other researchers are studying digital twins for cancer care. —AP

Some foods could make your allergies worse

By Jessica Levinson

For many allergy sufferers, spring can bring more than just a shift in the weather — it can trigger a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including sneezing, coughing, congestion and more.

While pollen in the air is a common culprit, certain foods can also worsen allergic reactions, due to their inflammatory properties, histamine levels or immune responses. Knowing which foods to avoid can help you navigate the season with fewer allergy flare-ups.

1. Nuts: Tree nut allergies are common, but did you know that seasonal allergies to tree pollen could make you more sensitive to certain nuts?

For example, people with birch tree pollen allergies are more likely to have allergic reactions to hazelnuts and almonds. This is because the proteins in these nuts are similar to those found in birch tree pollen, causing cross-reactivity.

2. Chamomile: Chamomile is widely

used for its calming properties, but it can also trigger allergic reactions in people with a history of severe pollen allergies.

According to registered dietitian BidLose Francisque, MPH, RD, LDN, “Chamomile contains proteins that may cross-react with birch pollen, leading to allergic reactions such as skin rashes, respiratory issues or, in rare cases, anaphylaxis.”

If you’re prone to allergies, it’s best to consult with a healthcare professional before using chamomile tea, supplements or essential oils.

3. Certain fruits and vegetables: If you’re allergic to birch tree pollen, ragweed or grass pollen, certain fruits and vegetables may trigger allergic reactions. This is due to a condition known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), or pollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS), where the immune system mistakes proteins in raw fruits and vegetables for similar proteins in pollen.

Depending on which pollen you’re al-

lergic to, here’s what to avoid:

Ragweed pollen: Bananas, cucumbers, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe and zucchini

Grass pollen: Tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew and oranges

Birch tree pollen: Peaches, pears, apples, plums, carrots, celery, kiwi, apricots and cherries

4. Spicy foods: While spicy foods can help clear your sinuses temporarily, they can also irritate your body and worsen allergy symptoms, says registered dietitian Lindsay Fencl, RD, CD. Spicy peppers, such as jalapeños, habaneros and chili peppers, contain capsaicin, a compound that stimulates the production of histamines.

If you’re sensitive to histamines, consider cutting back on spicy foods during allergy season to avoid additional irritation.

5. Alcohol: Many alcoholic beverages, including beer, red wine, sparkling wine and fermented and aged alcohols, con-

tain high levels of histamines, which can trigger inflammation and allergic reactions.

If you’re sensitive to histamines, opt for lower-histamine alcoholic drinks, such as white wine or clear spirits, and avoid beverages with sulfites.

6. Dairy products: The relationship between dairy products and allergy symptoms is complex.

“Traditional observational studies may show a higher risk of hay fever in individuals who drink milk, but genetic testing indicates the opposite,” according to registered dietitian Alexandria Hardy, RDN, LDN, of Pennsylvania Nutrition Services.

“There is plenty of anecdotal evidence surrounding dairy consumption and allergy symptoms — mucus production and sneezing being the top offenders — but more research is needed to determine if dairy foods are protective or See ALLERGIES, page 5

What you can do to reduce snoring

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: What happens during sleep that makes you snore?

A: When you sleep, the small muscles that keep the pharynx (the back of your throat) open relax. This allows tissue to flop into the airway, essentially narrowing the opening.

When the airway narrows too much, it disrupts the airflow, making it turbulent. This causes the surrounding tissue to vibrate, producing the noise we know as snoring.

If you have excessive daytime sleepiness along with loud snoring, your snoring may be more than a nuisance. The problem may be sleep apnea, or some other type of sleep-disordered breathing.

Allergies

From page 4

harmful for seasonal allergy sufferers.”

Some dairy-rich foods like yogurt and aged cheese may contain histamines, which can trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals.

If dairy worsens your allergy symp-

In sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked or breathing muscles stop moving. Breathing temporarily stops or becomes shallower hundreds of times each night. The clues that you may have sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring four or more times per week

• Someone telling you that you periodically stop breathing or gasp during sleep

• Daytime drowsiness, such as dozing off during the day when you are not busy or active, or when you are driving or stopped at a light

• Morning headaches

• A large neck (collar size): 16 inches

, page 6

toms, consider opting for dairy alternatives, such as oat milk, coconut yogurt or other plant-based options, during allergy season.

Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. © 2026 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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GLP-1 medications could fight addiction

By Jonel Aleccia

The blockbuster GLP-1 drugs that have reshaped the treatment of diabetes and obesity may help prevent multiple substance use disorders — and reduce the tragic outcomes they cause, a large new study finds.

An analysis published in March in a medical journal looked at electronic health records from more than 600,000 U.S. Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes.

It found that those treated with medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro were less likely to develop addictions to alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, opioids and other substances than those treated with a different class of drugs.

In those already addicted, the GLP-1 drugs were linked to lower risks of hospitalization, overdose and death, according to the study.

Snoring

or more in women, 17 inches or more in

If you suspect that you may have sleep apnea, talk with your doctor. The usual first test to confirm the diagnosis is a special sleep study, which can be taken at home or in a sleep lab.

The new results suggest — but don’t prove — that the weight-loss medications may be able to target the underlying source of cravings that affect the more than 48 million Americans with substance use disorders.

“They’re actually working against the root cause of all these different addictions,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the study’s lead author and a chief researcher at the VA St. Louis Health Care System.

How the study was designed

Previous studies have suggested that the drugs known as GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, could reduce addictions by targeting the brain’s reward pathways. But those studies have been small and often limited to one substance.

For this study, one of the largest to date, Al-Aly and his colleagues analyzed

For sleep apnea, lifestyle changes — especially weight loss — can lead to significant improvement. Wearing a nighttime mask that delivers continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) remains the most commonly prescribed go-to therapy.

In addition, the GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide (Zepbound) is approved to treat sleep apnea in people that are sig-

data from the electronic records of more than 600,000 Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes over three years. They compared people who received GLP-1 drugs with those treated with medications that lower blood sugar.

The patients were divided into seven parallel trials that analyzed the risk of developing addictions to multiple substances including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine and opioids. Another trial looked at the risk of specific harms among people with existing addictions when they took the different types of medication.

What the researchers found

Al-Aly and his colleagues found that people starting the GLP-1 drugs had lower risks of developing addiction to multiple substances.

Compared with the other medications,

nificantly overweight or obese.

For some people, snoring may be temporary. For example, a cold or allergies can swell the nasal passages. Being exposed to smoke and other fumes can cause some people to snore.

Other causes of snoring include:

• A particularly large uvula (the coneshaped tissue that hangs down the back of your throat)

• A deviated septum

• Enlarged tonsils, adenoids (tissue near the tonsils) or tongue

people taking the GLP-1 drugs had a reduced risk of addiction: 18% for alcohol, 14% for cannabis, 20% for both cocaine and nicotine and 25% for opioids.

In patients who already had substance use disorders, starting the GLP-1s was linked with a 31% lower risk of emergency department visits, 26% lower risk of hospitalizations, 25% lower risk of suicidal thoughts or attempts, 39% lower risk of overdose — and 50% lower risk of death.

Overall, the study found that using GLP-1 drugs likely prevented about seven cases of substance use disorder and 12 incidents involving serious harm for every 1,000 users over three years, AlAly said.

try to dial down the decibels:

• If you sleep on your back, switch to your side. You might try sewing a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas to keep you from rolling onto your back.

• Limit alcohol. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant, including the muscles around your throat. Sleeping pills sometimes have the same effect.

• Another option is a consultation with your dentist to discuss whether a type of mouth guard that repositions the jaw and the tongue might stop the snoring.

• An elongated soft palate (this is the roof of your mouth)

• A small jaw

• Poor muscle tone in the tissues around the upper airway

Ways to reduce snoring

Here are some simple things you can

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, please visit health.harvard.edu.

© 2026 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Lyme disease vaccine has a 73% success rate

By Beacon staff

A new vaccine for Lyme disease has proven to be more than 73% effective, according to Pfizer and Valneva, a French biotech company

In addition, the new vaccine had no safety concerns, according to findings from a phase-three study called Vaccine Against Lyme for Outdoor Recreationists (VALOR).

After Pfizer released results of the study in March, the company announced plans to seek FDA approval for the vaccine

The limits of the study

While the data is promising, the study had its limitations. It was conducted within the VA health system, which serves a population that is mostly older, white and male, although Al-Aly said the results were consistent in more than 35,000 women. It also includes data only from people with diabetes, not the general population.

As an observational study, the new analysis showed that the GLP-1s are as-

According to the CDC, about 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated each year. People aged 51 to 60 make up about a quarter of those affected by Lyme disease.

“Lyme disease can cause potentially serious consequences — where individuals and families face symptoms that can disrupt daily life, work and long-term health — and there is currently no vaccine available,” Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., Pfizer’s senior vice president and chief vaccines officer, said in a statement.

sociated with reduced risk of substance use disorders and harms, not that the drugs themselves caused the reduction.

‘New tool in our toolbox’

The new findings are striking, said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a National Institute on Drug Abuse clinical director who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Even though we don’t fully understand the mechanism, somehow the GLP-1 system is tackling addiction biology and the foundational system that underlies all these disorders,” he said.

Diabetes and weight-loss trials have

“These results bring us a step closer to our goal of delivering a much-needed vaccine to help protect against Lyme disease,” added Thomas Lingelbach, CEO and board member of Valneva, which partnered with Pfizer to develop the vaccine.

The randomized study of 9,400 people in the U.S., Canada and Europe compared the effects of four doses of the trial vaccine to a placebo.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, fatigue, headache, stiff neck

shown that the GLP-1 drugs target hormones in the gut and the brain that control appetite and feelings of fullness, cutting down on what’s described as “food noise,” or intrusive thoughts of food.

In the same way, this study indicates the drugs may tamp down “alcohol or drug noise,” Leggio said.

Growing evidence that GLP-1s might prevent substance use disorders is exciting, said Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford University addiction medicine specialist.

“We haven’t really had a new tool in our toolbox from a pharmacotherapy perspective to treat addiction in a long time,” said Lembke, noting that some addiction specialists are already prescribing GLP-1s off-label, especially when

and muscle and joint pain — but not always the telltale bullseye rash. Left untreated, it can progress to arthritis, heart problems and neurological symptoms.

The first and only FDA-approved Lyme disease vaccine was only on the market for a few years. Its manufacturer, the company now known as GlaxoSmithKline, discontinued the vaccine in 2002, citing lack of consumer demand.

So far, antibiotics are the only effective treatment for the disease.

other treatments have failed.

More trials pending

The new findings don’t justify prescribing GLP-1 drugs to prevent or treat substance use disorders, Al-Aly said. That evidence would need to come from randomized controlled clinical trials that directly compare the use of the drugs against a placebo, or dummy medication. Several such trials are pending, Leggio noted.

The goal is finding a new way to treat addictions, which are a leading cause of sickness and death around the world.

“The consequence in terms of chronic disease of these addictive drugs is actually gigantic in our society,” Leggio said. —AP

A new study from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is exploring this link. We’re

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Lunges are a safe exercise for older adults

By Lynne Christensen

If you don’t feel as strong as you once did, it’s not surprising. Everyone loses muscle mass with age. Muscle weakness in the legs can make it difficult to get up from a chair, walk or climb stairs. And it increases the risk of falling.

But muscle weakness is not inevitable. You can build leg strength and stability with a targeted exercise routine. One recommended exercise is the lunge.

“A lot of my patients roll their eyes when I show them the lunge,” said Christina Ruggeri, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation. “But this is an excellent exercise, especially for older adults.”

What are lunges?

A lunge is a lower-body exercise that resembles a modified single-leg squat. For the basic forward lunge exercise, start with your legs together. Step forward so you are in a split stance, with one foot in front and the other behind. Bend your knees to lower your body, and return to a standing position.

“Your back knee is going to essentially kiss the floor,” Ruggeri said.

Other variations include the reverse lunge, walking lunge and side lunge. The muscles worked during lunges are the

quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh) and gluteal muscles (buttocks). This exercise also engages the hips, core and back muscles.

Lunges are great for older adults because they help improve strength, flexibility, coordination and balance.

“You need these to do the lunge, and you also use them for basic daily activities like walking, negotiating stairs, or even getting up from the floor,” Ruggeri said.

If you’re sitting on the floor playing with your grandchildren or you happen to fall and have trouble getting up, the way to push yourself back up is to work through the lunge position.

Start slowly

Lunges are generally safe for everyone, including older adults. But there are exceptions.

“You must have the leg strength to do it correctly to prevent injury,” Ruggeri said. “You shouldn’t strain when doing a lunge.”

Straining can lead to muscle or tendon injuries that can take weeks to heal. People with significant knee, hip or back problems should check with their doctor, a physical therapist or personal trainer before starting an exercise program that includes lunges.

If you don’t have sufficient leg strength, don’t think that’s a reason to avoid the lunge. Instead, work to build up the strength to do it. Start light, go slow and progress when you feel strong enough.

Best lunge variations for seniors

“If someone attempts to do a lunge and they are struggling, I suggest starting with simple modifications,” Ruggeri said. For example:

• Instead of lowering your back knee

all the way toward the floor, go only halfway down or even less. Gradually increase the depth of the lunges.

• If you have balance issues, brace yourself next to a wall and then gently lower yourself down partway. You can also hold on to a railing or a cane for balance. If your right foot is forward, hold the support with your left hand for stability.

• Place your front foot on a low step or

Your health, your goals, your team. We help seniors stay safe and independent, all while receiving medical and social support services at our wellness center. We partner with you for care that’s as personal as it is complete. Contact us to learn if you or a loved one qualifies. Call 240-690-3434 or visit thpace-moco.org.

These foods are as bad for teeth as sugar

By Ria Bhagwat

When we snack on delicious foods like candy and popcorn, they begin negatively affecting our health, specifically, our teeth.

“Food plays a major role in oral health, often more than most people realize,” said dentist Sandip Sachar, DDS.

“While genetics can influence tooth enamel strength, salivary flow and gum susceptibility to periodontitis, diet is a

controllable factor that has a daily impact on cavity risk, gum disease, enamel wear and oral microbiome balance.”

While we typically associate enamelharming foods with sugary nutritional profiles, there are other sneaky snacks that do the same — if not more — damage as sugar.

Dried fruits

Too much dried fruit consumption can

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do more harm than good.

Dried fruit is “a highly concentrated source of sugar and extremely sticky,” Sachar said. “They cling to the teeth for prolonged periods of time [and] can feed cavities, causing bacteria, and prolong exposure time to acid — acid is the main source of tooth enamel erosion.”

Eating acidic foods can be less harmful when you pair them with healthy meals, which stimulate saliva production and dislodge sugary particles in the teeth more easily.

Crackers and chips

Saltine crackers and chips are an easy, go-to snack — but not without some harmful tendencies.

“The starch contained in these breaks down into simple sugars and becomes pasty when chewed,” Sachar said.

“This allows them to easily stick to and get lodged between the teeth. Many people do not associate them with cavities, but they can be just as harmful as candy.”

Citrus fruits (in excess)

Fruits offer some sort of nutritional value, which means they shouldn’t be wiped clean from your diet. However, excessive consumption of citrus fruits

can be slightly damaging to your dental health.

“Lemons, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits are highly acidic and can erode tooth enamel over time,” Sachar said.

After eating citrus fruits, wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth to remove surface-level sugars while protecting softened enamel.

Flavored yogurts

Yogurt is a crowd favorite when it comes to probiotics, but read the nutritional label before buying flavored yogurt to ensure it’s not too heavy on the sugar. Plain yogurt is best.

Granola and energy bars

Another seemingly healthy food that can sneakily cause damage? Granola bars.

“These are often marketed as healthy foods and snacks; however, they often combine sticky textures with high sugar content, especially when they include honey and dried fruit,” Sachar said.

Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at realsimple.com.

© 2026 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Food affects mood, and probiotics may help

By Densie Webb

Anyone who’s ever been anxious or stressed out and developed diarrhea, stomach pain or nausea is instinctively aware of the connection between the brain and the gut.

But while that connection was suggested as early as the 1800s and has its roots in ancient medicine, it has only recently been dubbed the “gut-brain axis.”

Recent research is focusing on the link between gut health and mental health.

It turns out that the gut, specifically the teeming bacteria that live in your large intestine, regularly communicate with your brain in a variety of ways, and your brain talks back, contributing to or lessening anxiety and depression.

In fact, the connection is so important that the gut is sometimes referred to as the “second brain.”

Lunges

From page 9

box to reduce the range of motion. Ruggeri suggests starting with two sets of 10 lunges, going a quarter of the way down, for several weeks. Once you feel strong enough, do one set going halfway and one set going a quarter of the way. Keep increasing every few weeks.

If you’re having difficulty with the forward lunge, try a reverse lunge by starting with your legs together and stepping backward into the lunge position. This

If the bacteria in the gut is out of balance, the communication between the brain and the gut is disrupted, and can result in a host of physical and psychological conditions.

The gut microbiome

The large intestine is home to trillions of bacteria, some good and some bad, that release a variety of molecules into the bloodstream and determine to a large extent how hormones, neurotransmitters, and immune cells affect your mental health.

While everyone’s microbiome is different, depending in part on genetics, diet as well as prebiotics and probiotics can shift the balance, potentially having a positive effect on mental health.

Probiotics are live microorganisms found in foods like yogurt, kimchi, kefir

Once you can do lunges easily, you can increase the difficulty by adding weights. Start by holding 5 pounds or less, and gradually increase the weight.

Alternatives to lunges

If you don’t yet have the strength to do a lunge, you can start with the modifications described above or try a basic squat or sit-to-stand. For a sit-to-stand, stand in front of a chair and move as though you were sitting down, but instead, just tap the seat with your buttocks, and then stand up again.

and miso, and in some supplements that, if consumed regularly, can improve the bacterial balance in the gut.

Prebiotics are complex carbohydrates and fiber that provide nourishment to the “good” bacteria in the gut and help to shift the microbiome in the right direction.

Probiotics may alleviate depression

While most studies have been done in animals, the findings from a small human study from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, suggested that adding specific strains of probiotic bacteria to the diet may significantly improve symptoms of depression.

Another study, out of Poland, found

that adding probiotics to standard medications for depression may be able to reduce the severity of depression symptoms and improve cognitive function. In fact, a number of studies have highlighted the relationship between a stressed gut and a stressed brain.

Negative changes in the gut microbiome after infection with Covid-19 has been suggested as a possible contributor to the “brain fog” that is sometimes a symptom of long Covid.

How probiotics improve sleep

There is also growing interest in the effect of probiotics on post-traumatic stress

ALS cases may rise in next four years

By Laura Ungar

The fatal nervous system disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is rare but devastating.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2022, there were nearly 33,000 estimated cases, say researchers, who project that cases will rise to more than 36,000 by 2030.

The disease is slightly more common in men than in women and tends to strike in midlife, between the ages of 40 and 60. Here’s what to know.

What is ALS?

It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle con-

trol and getting worse over time.

ALS causes nerve cells in the upper and lower parts of the body to stop working and die. Nerves no longer trigger specific muscles, eventually leading to paralysis. People with ALS may develop problems with mobility, speaking, swallowing and breathing.

The exact cause of the disease is unknown, and Mayo Clinic experts said a small number of cases are inherited.

It’s called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame New York Yankees player. Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 on his 36th birthday, died in 1941 and was the face of ALS for decades.

What are some signs of ALS?

Experts say the first symptoms are often

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subtle. The disease may begin with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg.

Over time, muscles stop acting and reacting correctly, said experts at University of California San Francisco Health (UCSF). People may lose strength and coordination in their arms and legs; feet and ankles may become weak; and muscles in the arms, shoulders and tongue may cramp or twitch. Swallowing and speaking may become difficult and fatigue may set in.

The ability to think, see, hear, smell, taste and touch are usually not affected, UCSF experts said.

Eventually, muscles used for breathing may become paralyzed. Patients may be unable to swallow and inhale food or saliva. Most people with ALS die of respiratory failure.

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One much-debated drug, Relyvrio, was pulled from the U.S. market by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals in 2024. Its development had been financed, in part, by the ALS Association, the major beneficiary of the 2014 “ice bucket challenge” viral phenomenon.

Other medications are sometimes prescribed to help control symptoms.

Choking is common as ALS progresses, so patients may need feeding tubes. People may also use braces, wheelchairs, speech synthesizers or computerbased communication systems.

After the onset of the disease, experts say patients may survive from two years to a decade. Most people live from two to five years after symptoms develop, and about a fifth live more than five years after they are diagnosed. —AP

KENSINGTON BREAKFAST WALK

Join the Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club for their Kensington, Maryland, Breakfast Walk on Sat., June 6. The walk begins between 8 and 11 a.m. and ends by 2 p.m. The start/finish point is the Kensington Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, MD. Choose between a 10k or 5k walk, including hills, on mostly sidewalks and asphalt. Participation fee is $4; walkers under 12 are free. For more information, contact Darla Fera at (301) 651-1875.

Probiotics

From page 11

disorder and sleep disturbances, but research in those areas is in the early stages.

A UK study of 89 adults with sleep impairments found that, compared to a placebo, sleep quality improved over the short term with daily intake of Bifidobacterium longum. Mental fatigue was reduced and energy was increased after eight weeks, versus placebo.

In a small study out of Ireland, 20 male students reported significantly improved overall sleep quality and duration of sleep during university exams while taking Bifidobacterium longum, although there was no improvement in self-reported stress.

The type of probiotics given in both animal and human studies has varied, but a recent research review article suggested that probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium seem to have the most impact on improving mental health symptoms.

But because neither strain of bacteria is able to take up permanent residence in the gut, they have to be taken regularly to have a long-lasting effect.

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How it might work

The exact mechanisms for how changes in the gut microbiome either positively or negatively affect mental health, especially depression and anxiety, aren’t completely understood, but researchers have some understanding of the connection.

Signals from the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the large intestine on both sides of the body and is a major component of the immune system, are carried from the brain, to the heart, to the digestive system and back again.

It’s a constant two-way communication that can impact mental health. Stressinduced changes in the gut may not only affect mental health; these changes may also increase susceptibility to gastrointestinal disorders and infection.

Bottom line

As researchers gain a better understanding of how the gut microbiome affects brain function, it could pave the way for better therapies and approaches to prevention of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Those could include probiotics and dietary changes, such as increasing intake of fer-

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mented foods and fiber.

However, because of the limited number of studies, experts are unable to currently provide recommendations for the type of probiotics that would be most effective and what the optimal dose should be.

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Low levels of B12 can mimic dementia

Have you ever been told your blood work is “normal,” yet you still feel exhausted, foggy or just not like yourself?

I see this all the time. As a pharmacist, one of the most overlooked nutrient issues I encounter is vitamin B12 defi ciency, especially in people whose lab results technically fall within the “normal” range.

The problem is that labo ratory reference ranges are wide. What’s considered nor mal on paper may not be op timal for your brain, nerves or energy levels. In other words, you can be “low-normal” and still

feel pretty terrible.

Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation, nerve health, DNA synthesis and even mood regulation. When levels dip, your body often whispers before the deficiency shows up definitively on your labs.

Early symptoms of deficiency

DEAR PHARMACIST

By Suzy Cohen

One of the most common clues is fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest. This isn’t just being tired; it’s that dragging, heavy exhaustion that makes even simple tasks feel harder. Be-

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cause B12 helps carry oxygen through your bloodstream, low levels can leave your tissues under-fueled.

Then there’s brain fog. I once had a friend call me about his wife, who had been placed in a nursing facility with suspected early dementia. I suggested checking her B12. She was deficient.

After replenishment, her mind became clear again, and she went home! That case has stayed with me because it’s a reminder: Sometimes what looks like a neurological disease is simply a nutrient deficiency.

Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet is another classic sign that occurs early on (before your labs prove a deficiency). That’s because B12 supports the protective coating around your nerves called the myelin. When that’s compromised, signals don’t travel properly. Some people describe it as pins and needles or even a burning sensation.

Mood changes can also show up quietly. B12 plays a role in the biochemical pathways that regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. When levels drop, you might feel more anxious, irritable or just “flat.” It’s subtle but very real.

Even your appearance can shift. B12 deficiency can lead to a pale complexion, sometimes with a faint yellowish tone.

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And then there’s digestion. B12 absorption depends on stomach acid and a protein called intrinsic factor. Your ability to absorb B12 can decline if you take certain medications — what I call drug muggers. Metformin is just one of many meds that deplete B12.

Take a B complex

Here’s something else people don’t realize: Taking B12 alone isn’t always the best solution. The B vitamins work as a team. When you take one in isolation long-term, you can create imbalances. That’s why a well-formulated B complex is often a smarter approach.

Sometimes the body whispers before it shouts. And when it comes to B12, those whispers are worth listening to.

If this sounds like you, don’t stop here. I cover testing, medications that deplete B12 and smart supplement strategies on my website. Head to suzycohen.com and sign up for my free newsletter for practical tips you can use right away.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.   Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of  The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe

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Why water workouts work wonders

By Kimberly Olsen

Dear Mayo Clinic: We have a new fitness facility nearby. The pool schedule shows a number of water fitness classes. I’d like to try one to add variety to my regular fitness routine, but can I really get a good workout in water?

A: Regular exercise provides a wide range of benefits, including weight management, improved cardiovascular health and sleep quality.

But for many people, common forms of exercise, such as walking, running and weight training, are a struggle due to pain, weakness, mobility issues or fear of falling.

Aquatic exercise is an excellent way to focus on fitness in a gravity-reduced environment. Here’s why:

Buoyancy. When standing waist-deep

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in water, buoyancy reduces your body weight by half, making this form of exercise very low-impact. This significantly reduces the stress on your weightbearing joints and bones.

Support. Water provides support for people with balance problems. The constant movement of water during a workout also challenges a person’s balance.

Resistance. Water’s viscosity slows movement and provides resistance, making aquatic exercise a great resistancetraining workout. With less joint stress, people find they can work out longer and do more repetitions.

All these benefits make water exercise a good, overall workout that improves strength, cardio and flexibility. As with any exercise, check with your healthcare team before starting a new routine.

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ASIAN FESTIVAL ON MAIN

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What to know before jumping into the pool

1. Aquatic exercise is versatile. Aquatic exercise offers a variety of options and techniques for almost all levels of physical ability. These range from basic, such as walking in the water, to more high-level aerobic activities, such as deep-water running or swimming.

Standing exercises often are performed in water that’s waist to chest deep, and they typically focus on improving range of motion/flexibility, balance and strength.

Resistance training can be amplified by simply increasing the speed and range of movement or adding equipment that increases drag, such as webbed mitts, paddles, noodles or bands.

2. You don’t need to know how to swim

Having a basic knowledge of swimming or water safety is a good idea for anyone who’s around water, but aquatic exercise doesn’t necessarily involve swimming. For many of the movements, you only need to be able to stand in the water.

3. Water temperature is important.

Aquatic exercise in lower water temperatures (82° F) is generally best for higher-level intensity exercise or people who are prone to overheating, such as those who are pregnant, obese or have multiple sclerosis.

Warmer temperatures (84° to 92° F) are better for people with arthritis, fibromyalgia or pain, as well as those who are frail.

4. Be aware of your abilities

With the increased ease of exercise in water, people often can tolerate longer exercise sessions. You may be more fatigued than expected after an aquatic exercise session.

5. Consider group exercises to mix

it up

Group aquatic exercise classes are a great way to socialize, build connections, find support, increase accountability and stay motivated. Classes often are led by instructors who have special training in exercising in an aquatic environment.

Beyond the basics

Amping up your water workout on your own or in a class may include resistance equipment such as:

Foam dumbbells : Lightweight on land, they provide resistance underwater through flotation.

Water weights: Strap-on ankle or wrist weights increase resistance during arm and leg exercises.

Hand paddles and resistance gloves: They enhance strength training.

Buoyancy belt: Helps keep your head above water in the deep end while leaving your hands free. You can run, lift weights and do other workouts using your hands without having to tread water.

People often enjoy working out more in water than on land. When they’re not in pain or afraid of falling and are having fun, it encourages them to exercise more consistently. You can even get in a good workout without getting your hair wet.

—Kimberly Olsen, Physical Therapy, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, Minnesota

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. This Mayo Clinic Q&A represents inquiries this healthcare expert has received from patients. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org.

© 2026 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Yes, men also can develop osteoporosis

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can men get osteoporosis or is it mostly a problem for women? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter, the ER doctor told me I might have osteoporosis, but I never followed up. What can you tell me?

—Almost 70

Dear Almost,

A lot of people think osteoporosis is only a women’s issue, but men can get it too — especially as they get older. And like women, men often don’t realize they have it until a bone breaks.

One of the biggest problems is that men are less likely to be tested. Even after a fracture like yours, many never get a bone density scan. Doctors sometimes overlook it in men, and men themselves may not realize they’re at risk. The bones most often affected are the hip, spine and wrist, and hip fractures in particular can lead to serious complications and long recoveries.

By Jim Miller

Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because it weakens bones over time, making them thin, brittle and more likely to break, usually without any warning signs. While women are about four times more likely to develop it, men aren’t immune. About 2 million American men have osteoporosis, and another 12 million have low bone density, known as osteopenia, which can eventually progress to the disease.

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Who is at risk

In women, menopause speeds up bone loss. In men, it usually happens more gradually, but age is still a major factor. Your risk rises if you are over 70, thin or underweight, smoke, drink heavily, have a parent with osteoporosis or have already broken a bone, as you have.

Certain medical conditions can also increase your risk. These include rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, low testosterone, overactive thyroid, COPD and kidney or liver disease. Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or a past stroke can raise

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the risk because they affect balance and mobility.

Long-term use of corticosteroids, some prostate cancer treatments, acid reflux drugs, antidepressants and antiseizure medications can weaken bones too.

Testing

A smart next step is a bone density test, or DEXA scan. All men 70 and older should talk to their doctor about being screened. Men over 50 who’ve had a fracture or have other risk factors should get tested too.

The scan is simple, painless and takes only a few minutes. Medicare and most private insurance plans usually cover it.

Prevention

When it comes to protecting your bones, the basics really matter. Get enough calcium from foods like low fat milk, yogurt and cheese, leafy green vegetables, beans, almonds and canned salmon or sardines. Men under 70 need about 1,000 milligrams a day. Those 71 and older need 1,200 milligrams.

Vitamin D is just as important because

it helps your body absorb calcium. Most adults over 50 need 800 to 1,000 international units daily, through sunlight, food or a supplement if needed.

Regular weight-bearing exercise such as walking, along with strength training two or three times a week, helps build and maintain bone. It also improves balance, which can prevent falls. You should also avoid smoking, and limit alcohol and caffeine.

Treatment

If testing shows significant bone loss, your doctor may prescribe medications such as Fosamax, Actonel, Reclast, Prolia, Forteo or Tymlos. Your doctor can explain the benefits and possible side effects of each to help you decide what is appropriate.

Since you have already had a fracture, this is not something to ignore. A simple test and a plan now could help you stay strong and avoid a more serious break down the road.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

Learn About the Keys to Aging Well

Aging well involves more than just managing medical conditions. Research shows that strong social connections are essential to reducing loneliness and helping older adults live healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives. While medical advances can extend life expectancy, the quality of those extra years often depends on relationships with family, friends, neighbors and community.

Staying connected is the focus of a free Public Forum hosted by the Montgomery County Commission on Aging on May 28 at the Silver Spring Civic Center.

Social connections can bolster both physical and cognitive health. Older adults who stay socially engaged tend to have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and cognitive decline. Walking with friends, attending events, volunteering or joining group discussions can help keep both body and mind active. Social interaction also encourages people to stay on top of medical care and healthy habits.

Today’s technology is expanding opportunities to stay connected. Video calls, online classes and social media platforms help maintain relationships even when mobility is limited. Communities and families

also play a key role by encouraging participation and creating opportunities for engagement.

The 2026 Forum, “Social Connections for Older Adults: A Key to Aging Well,” will take place on Thursday, May 28, from 9 a.m. (8:30 a.m. registration) to 3 p.m.

Get ready to hear nationally recognized speakers, participate in workshops, listen to panel discussions, and collaborate with local leaders and innovators to develop real-world solutions to

strengthen social connections in Montgomery County.

Walk away energized, informed and equipped with actionable strategies to help connect, stay active and age not just longer — but better. Your ideas will help shape a community where everyone can flourish and live to 100 with health, purpose and joy!

To register, visit COAPublicForum2026.eventbrite. com . Email Tremayne.Jones@ MontgomeryCountyMD.gov with any questions.

Sneak green vegetables into rice dish

By Diane Rossen Worthington

This is a standby recipe in my culinary rotation. Celery leaves, spinach, parsley and mild green chiles lend a fresh and slightly spicy touch to white rice. Longgrain rice stays fluffy after it is cooked and doesn’t clump together.

You can use this as a template and add cilantro and a touch of tomatillo sauce for additional punch to this recipe.

Or increase the spiciness of this dish by replacing simple Anaheim green chiles with poblano, serrano or jalapeño peppers. If you are short on time, use canned, roasted mild chiles.

Start with this recipe and then improvise. Sometimes I change it up with different flavor profiles. How about different spices for Italian, Indian, Persian, Asian or Middle Eastern flavor variations? It’s fun to try different cultural tastes. Any of these rices make delicious side dishes. Or add white beans to make it a main course.

Green Vegetable Rice

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh California chiles, Anaheim (Note: Wear rubber gloves when working with chiles, and wash the cutting surface and knife immediately afterward.)

¼ cup chopped celery leaves

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup spinach leaves, stems removed

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions

1. In a medium skillet or saute pan, heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and saute over low heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2. Stir in chiles, celery leaves, and garlic. Pour in stock and add salt. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer over low heat 15 minutes.

3. Thoroughly rinse spinach leaves and chop them. Using a two-pronged

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fork, carefully stir spinach into rice. Cover and continue to simmer about 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.

4. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and parsley and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.

Advance preparation: This dish may be kept up to two hours at room temperature. Reheat carefully in the top part of a double boiler above hot water over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including Seriously Simple Parties, and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. Contact her at seriouslysimple.com.

© 2026 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Dear Seniors,

DIRECTORS MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

Happy Older Americans Month! As the seasons begin to shift and we welcome both the rain and the sunshine, I hope the showers of last month bring blossoming flowers into your life. May is always a special time of year; one we look forward to as we celebrate Older Americans Month.

The 2026 theme, Champion Your Health, highlights prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility as key pillars of healthy aging. It encourages each of us to take an active role in managing our health, whether that means scheduling preventive care, staying informed, or making daily choices that support our overall well-being.

As we recognize this important theme, I want to remind both seniors and caregivers that prioritizing your health is essential. This year, as a caregiver myself, I was reminded just how important it is to care for ourselves, too. I made a commitment to begin championing my own health by incorporating regular exercise and making small, intentional changes to my diet. These adjustments allowed me to regain control over areas of my life that I had not fully prioritized before. More importantly, it has helped me show up as my best self, not only for me, but for those who depend on and care about me.

I encourage each of you to join me in this commitment. Whether it is taking advantage of the many health and wellness resources offered through DACL’s senior wellness centers, participating in an exercise class, or simply enjoying a daily walk as the weather warms up, every step counts. Small changes can lead to meaningful, lasting impact.

Throughout this month, we are proud to offer a variety of opportunities to help you champion your health, including resource fairs, fitness classes, and wellness activities across the District. I encourage you to explore our Older Americans Month calendar to find events happening near you.

I am also excited to invite you to one of our most anticipated events of the season, Mayor Bowser’s “Senior Fest!” In partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), we will host this annual celebration on Wednesday, May 20,

2026, from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the Gateway Pavilion (2700 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE). To register, please visit: seniorfest26.splashthat.com.

As we celebrate this month together, I hope you feel empowered to take charge of your health, stay connected to your community, and continue

thriving. Your well-being matters, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

In Service, Charon P.W. Hines Director, Department of Aging and Community Living

DC Emancipation Day Recap

DACL joined civic leaders, advocates, and community members at the DC Emancipation Day “DC 250: Full Democracy” Luncheon.

This powerful gathering honored the legacy of emancipation while recognizing DC250, connecting our local history to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Together, we reflected on the progress made and reaffirmed our shared commitment to equity, representation, and full democracy for all District residents.

Director Charon P.W. Hines

Editor Amanda Washington

Photographer Estefani Legge

Money Law &

Avoid the ‘tax avalanche’ in retirement

By Brian O. Butler

Most people think their tax burden will shrink in retirement. But for many, the opposite is true.

Like a snowball rolling down a mountain, taxes that start small can grow larger and eventually threaten to bury your income, your retirement quality and your legacy.

Even though the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) preserved much of today’s lower-rate environment, that doesn’t mean retirees are in the clear.

The U.S. still faces record debt levels, growing entitlement obligations and a complex web of hidden taxes that quietly chip away at retirement income. The avalanche risk hasn’t disappeared; it’s just less obvious.

Where the avalanche starts

The “tax avalanche” doesn’t begin with a sudden policy change. It begins with success: A career of disciplined saving in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs. Every dollar that grows in

those accounts is a future tax liability.

Once you begin required minimum distributions (RMDs), those withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, and that can push you into higher brackets just when you thought life would slow down.

It’s not just income taxes that take a bite. RMDs can cause up to 85% of your Social Security benefits to become taxable and can trigger higher Medicare premiums through income-related monthly adjusted amount (IRMAA) surcharges. Those extra costs can quietly add thousands to your annual tax bill.

Then comes spousal tax risk, a tax hazard few couples anticipate.

When one spouse passes away, the surviving partner’s filing status changes from “married, filing jointly” to “single,” effectively cutting the standard deduction in half and accelerating bracket creep.

The widow’s penalty can raise taxes just as household income drops.

Why the danger is growing

Even without the looming “sunset”

that once defined tax headlines, rates are unlikely to stay this low forever. The government’s long-term obligations, such as Social Security, Medicare and rising interest on the national debt, will eventually demand higher revenue.

Future tax increases might not come from higher brackets alone; they can emerge through stealthier channels such as deduction limits, surtaxes or benefit phaseouts.

Meanwhile, demographic shifts mean more retirees are drawing income from the same tax-deferred sources. The system itself is built to collect more as people live longer and rely more heavily on retirement accounts.

That’s why proactive planning remains just as crucial today as it was before the bill.

How to slow (or stop) the slide

You can’t stop snow from falling, but you can build barriers that keep it from becoming destructive. Here are practical ways to control the slope before small is-

sues turn into a tax avalanche.

Diversify your tax buckets. Balance savings among taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free accounts. This flexibility lets you draw from the most efficient source each year to manage your tax bracket and control how much income appears on your return.

Use strategic Roth conversions With today’s rates still historically low, small, controlled Roth conversions can move money from taxable territory to taxfree growth. Spreading conversions over several years helps you manage brackets and avoid Medicare or Social Security taxation surprises.

Monitor RMD exposure. Project future RMDs early (ideally before you turn 73) and look for opportunities to reduce account balances through partial withdrawals, Roth conversions or qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). A little foresight can prevent forced distributions later. Plan for the surviving spouse

Switch to a low-cost smartphone plan

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the absolute lowest-cost smartphone plans for seniors who mainly talk and text but need a little cellular data for email and occasional use? I’m currently paying $40 a month and hoping to cut that down.

Dear Looking,

—Looking to Save

You’re asking a smart question. Many seniors pay far more for smartphone service than they actually use. If most of your phone activity is calls, texts, email and light web browsing, there’s usually no need to spend $40 or more a month. The good news: plenty of low-cost carriers now cater to light users who want reliable service without the extra cost.

The cheapest plans today mostly come from mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), smaller carriers that lease coverage from major networks like T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.

Because they don’t run their own towers, MVNOs can offer basic service for a fraction of the cost of major carriers,

while still providing nationwide coverage. Here are some of the best options available now.

Cheapest wireless plans

According to Consumer Reports, Mint Mobile is a top value among low-cost smartphone plans. For $15 per month, you get unlimited talk and text plus 5 gigabytes (GB) of data. The catch: you pay for a full year upfront ($180 plus taxes), but for seniors comfortable paying annually, it’s a smart way to lock in savings. Mint runs on T-Mobile’s network and works with most unlocked phones. If you want a similar plan without the upfront commitment, T-Mobile Connect is worth a look. For about $15 per month, you get the same 5 GB of data and unlimited talk and text, with no contract and the flexibility to switch plans month to month. It’s an easy, low-commitment option on the same reliable T-Mobile network.

For people who barely use their phone, Ultra Mobile’s PayGo plan is the abso-

lute cheapest option right now. At just $3 per month plus fees, it includes 100 minutes, 100 text and 100 MB of data, with extra usage costing only a few cents per minute, text or MB. It’s ideal for anyone who mainly needs a phone for emergencies, and it also runs on T-Mobile’s reliable network.

Tello is another flexible option, with plans starting at $8 per month for 300 minutes, unlimited text and 2 GB of data. You can easily add more minutes or data in small, inexpensive increments, making it ideal for seniors who want control over their costs.

Finally, US Mobile offers a plan starting at $10 per month (paid annually) for unlimited talk and text plus 4 GB of data. Simple, affordable, and straightforward, it’s a solid choice for seniors who want coverage without extra bells and whistles.

Lifeline Assistance Program

If your budget is especially tight, be sure to check into the federal Lifeline Assistance Program. Lifeline provides

a $9.25 monthly discount on phone or internet service.

You may qualify if you receive benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), public housing assistance or Veterans Pension. You may also qualify based on income alone if your household income is below 135% of the federal poverty level — currently $21,546 for one person or $29,214 for two.

To learn more or apply, visit lifelinesupport.org. If approved, you can choose from participating providers in your area, and in some cases even apply the discount to service you already have, if your provider participates.

Before switching plans, make sure your phone is unlocked and compatible with the new carrier’s network. A quick compatibility check on the provider’s website can help ensure a smooth transition and keep your savings on track.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

With the right mindset, we can adapt to tech

By Julia Hammid

“What’s wrong with me? I feel so stupid!”

My client Joan (not her real name) and I were looking at her iPad together. Joan retired from a long career as a social worker. She raised three children and manages all her own affairs. At 83 she’s still elegant, articulate and active in her social circle.

Still, she was humbled by this tablet. “Why does this iPad make me feel like a bumbling kindergartener?” she asked.

Although Joan didn’t really want an iPad (or a smartphone, for that matter), her children surprised her with one for her birthday. They promised it would open the magical world of the internet for her and make life much more convenient.

In reality, it only made her feel inept, frustrated and ashamed. When her son set it up for her, his fingers flew across the screen as he showed her all kinds of “apps” and websites. Once he was gone, she said, everything he said was just a blur.

But she was embarrassed to keep calling her son for help. Whenever she did, he would tell her to “tap” this or “scroll” that or enter a “login,” which sounded like a foreign language.

The truth is that learning to use technology is like learning a new language. It can also feel like finding yourself in an unfamiliar city with no map, where you

can’t read the signs.

Being at ease with technology doesn’t have to do with being smart. It’s just a result of how your brain works as well as having had opportunities to learn bit by bit.

We live in a time when having an aptitude for technology and being young enough to have grown up with it is an advantage.

It’s sad and unfair that people who are older and/or don’t have enough of that aptitude can end up feeling left out, frustrated and foolish.

Explaining this to Joan helped relieve some of her anxiety and gave her hope that she could learn to use her iPad and smartphone.

Repetition helps

Learning to use these gadgets is like learning to drive or becoming better at a sport. It takes repetition, attention to detail and focusing on only a few things at a time.

As I got to know Joan, I found ways to explain things in ways that made sense to her. Little by little, she became comfortable checking her email and eventually looking at her medical records, shopping for things and even searching for information online.

I told Joan to call me if she got stuck, and most often I could just remind her of

some small detail so she could get going again. Now she no longer feels lost and helpless when faced with a screen.

Often, people who are comfortable using technology are not necessarily good at explaining it or teaching it to others. Trying to get help from relatives or friends who whiz around their phones or tablets can often be frustrating and even end up causing tension in the relationship when you don’t “get it” as quickly as they think you should.

I first started helping people learn to use computers more than 20 years ago. Back then my first “lesson” was to reassure them that they did not have to learn to use these strange new machines.

But today, computers are only one of the wide range of digital devices that

have invaded every corner of our lives: mobile phones, smart TVs, tablets, Alexas, video doorbells, etc. Something new comes out almost every month, and with updates or newer versions, you may have to learn to use them all over again! These days it’s almost impossible to shop for essential items, much less manage your bank account or get medical care, without having an email address or cell phone number. Even when you go to a store, restaurant or office in person you may be forced to use an app or be confronted with a screen to sign in or place your order.

Best ways to learn

There are plenty of books, YouTube

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Tax avalanche

From page 22

Model what your taxes would look like if one spouse passes away. Consider converting more while both spouses are alive, reviewing beneficiary designations and maintaining enough liquid assets for flexibility during life transitions.

Manage your income thresholds Watch the breakpoints for Social Security taxation and IRMAA brackets. Staying below those levels can reduce your total tax drag without changing your lifestyle.

Review annually. Tax rules, healthcare costs and personal circumstances shift constantly. An annual review with your financial professional helps you stay nimble and ahead of potential changes.

Avoid the ‘do nothing’ trap

Many retirees assume that because the OBBB extended the current tax framework, they have time to relax. But procrastination can quietly narrow your options.

Once RMDs start or a spouse dies, it’s harder to melt the snowball. Taxes can compound just as investments do, only in reverse.

Think of each dollar you move strategically as a shovel of snow cleared from the

Tech classes

From page 23

videos and classes promising to teach you about computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.

Books are outdated before they’re even published. Classes try to be everything to everybody (though they can be helpful in some cases).

I’ve found that the best way to learn is one-on-one. That’s because each person learns and thinks differently. Each of us has our own strengths and challenges,

slope. It might not seem like much now, but over time, it can mean the difference between staying above the surface and being buried by unintended consequences.

The bottom line

A tax avalanche isn’t triggered by one bad decision; it’s caused by inertia. The risk comes from doing nothing and assuming that today’s lower rates will last forever.

Even in a post-OBBB world, retirees face growing hidden liabilities: RMDs, spousal penalties and income-based surcharges that add complexity to every withdrawal.

The goal isn’t to avoid taxes altogether, but to pay them smartly, over time, in ways that protect your income and your family’s future.

Don’t wait. With proactive planning, diversification and steady guidance, you can keep the avalanche in check and enjoy a retirement that feels stable, predictable and secure.

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA. © 2026 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

not to mention different devices and different things we need to do with them. With just a little patience and time, and perhaps the right coach, almost everyone can become confident and proficient with their devices.

Remember, it’s not you who’s dumb; it’s technology! There are much more important things in life, but if you want to learn to use technology, you can.

Check your local library or senior center for free technology classes. For more information about Julia Hammid’s classes, see the classified ad on page 38.

Because They’re More Than Just Parents

TO MOVE or NOT TO MOVE... WHERE, WHEN and HOW are the questions.

A THOUGHTFUL BEGINNING TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

For many older adults—and for the families who care for them—deciding whether to move is not simply a real estate decision. It is a personal one, shaped by lifestyle, finances, health considerations, and the emotional weight of leaving a home filled with memories.

Whether you are planning ahead as a couple, navigating the future on your own, adjusting after the loss of a spouse, or helping parents sort through complex choices, the process can feel overwhelming. Even knowing where to begin can be difficult.

The encouraging reality is that older adults today have more attractive and thoughtfully designed options than ever before. From independent living and age restricted communities to assisted living and continuing care, there are exceptional choices throughout the Washington region and beyond.

Still, more options can bring more questions.

How do you know when the time is right? What setting is the best fit? And before making any major decision, do you know the current value of the home that may help define what comes next?

That is often one of the most important places to begin.

To help individuals and families move forward with greater clarity, I offer a complimentary Rightsizing Guide along with a free market evaluation. The guide outlines the seven types of senior living, the five options for what to do with the things you own, and practical solutions for many of the downsizing dilemmas families face. A market evaluation provides a clearer understanding of your home’s value, helping you consider your next steps with greater confidence.

To receive your complimentary guide or schedule a free market evaluation, visit EricStewartGroup.com or call 1-800-900-9104.

Romania’s thrills include ‘Dracula’s castle’

By Sandi Barrett

At the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe is the surprisingly beautiful, sophisticated and affordable country of Romania. The picturesque Carpathian Mountains dominate the landscape, cutting through Romania’s center and most famous region, Transylvania.

My husband, Chris, and I love exploring new-to-us countries, so we were excited to sail the lower Danube River with Avalon Waterways. The tour scheduled several days to explore Romania, and Bran Castle, the inspiration for Dracula’s castle, was a must-see on this trip.

Growing up in a Western democracy, I found it fascinating to learn about the communist history of Eastern Europe. In 1989, the Romanian Revolution lifted the Iron Curtain, and Romania made its global debut as a democracy. That year Nicolae Ceaușescu, the president of communist Romania, was executed for crimes against his people.

Romania’s people are charming and resilient after living under an oppressive regime for 40 years. Its diverse population comes from its shifting borders, with people from Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldova.

Modern Bucharest

Dubbed “Little Paris,” the capital city, Bucharest, is pleasantly modern with a hip, cosmopolitan vibe. The city has a hodgepodge of communist-era concrete

apartment blocks, glass and steel skyscrapers, as well as charming 18thcentury architecture in Old Town.

Its main thoroughfare, Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue), is dotted with trendy shops, inviting cafés, historic churches and beautiful homes, adding a cultured ambiance to this centuries-old city.

In the center of Bucharest, the Royal Palace was the official residence of Romanian kings and queens until 1947, when the country became a republic. It’s now the National Museum of Art of Romania, which holds the country’s art collection. Occasionally the Romanian royal family hosts diplomatic meetings and events in the former Royal Palace.

We gaped at a few other architectural wonders in Bucharest, including the Romanian Athenaeum, an ornate concert hall; the historic, five-star InterContinental Athénée Palace Hotel; and the massive Palace of Parliament — the second-largest administrative building in size globally, just behind the Pentagon.

Bibliophiles will love the fairytale-like atmosphere at the iconic Cărturești Carusel. Bucharest’s famous Old Town bookstore offers six floors of books, winding staircases and a bistro to sip a strong brew while enjoying a good read.

Dracula’s castle

Three hours north of Bucharest is Brașov, world-renowned for Bran Castle. Traversing the Romanian countryside on

the way there transports you back to a pre-industrial farming era. Villages surrounded by hectares of corn, wheat, barley, oats, beets and potatoes stretch across a wide plateau, giving way to foothills and the towering Carpathian Mountains.

Perched on a prominent outcrop, Bran Castle is a stunning medieval fortress built in 1377. One famous visitor, Vlad the Impaler, was considered the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula It was later home to Queen Marie of Romania, granddaughter of the United Kingdom’s Queen Victoria.

On the night of our visit, the moon cast a hazy glow across the grounds and the steep, rocky path to the castle. It was perfectly creepy for our Dracula adventure.

As part of our Avalon Waterways excursion, we were treated to a private showing and traditional dinner in the castle. Not having to wait in a long line and jockey for better views allowed us time to explore at a leisurely pace. We were served a traditional Romanian brandy and several local dishes, including a delicious mushroom stew.

Another spot to visit in Brașov is the Black Church. Situated in the heart of Bra ș ov’s Old Town, the 14 th-century church was built by German Saxons. In 1689, a devastating citywide fire left behind smoke-blackened walls, giving the church its moniker. The Black Church houses one of the largest pipe

organs in Eastern Europe, and we were treated to a delightful mini concert.

Peleș Castle

The centerpiece of the charming town of Sinaia is a stunning architectural masterpiece in the German neo-Renaissance style: Peleș Castle. The former summer residence of the Romanian royal family, it dominates the city’s landscape.

Wandering through some of the 160 rooms, I couldn’t imagine living in such luxury. Walls adorned with exquisite art, crystal chandeliers made from Italian Murano glass, a massive library with a secret passage to the king’s rooms and expensive antiquities capture your eye at every turn. The castle was the first in Europe to have electricity. The late 19th-century marvel was built with hot and cold running water, central heating, a telephone and an elevator.

King Carol I, who lived in Peleș Castle until his death in 1914, amassed a collection of 4,500 armory artifacts. The weaponry display, including a fully outfitted knight on his armored horse, is one of the finest collections of 15th- through 19thcentury pieces.

If you go

Round-trip airfare to Bucharest starts

Check out Greensboro’s history and hospitality

By Cherrie Woods

If I didn’t know better, I might think Greensboro, North Carolina, was named for its abundance of trees and parks, one of the reasons I’ve visited four times and plan to return again.

Nature lovers will feel right at home here. With beautiful parks, gardens and trails, outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to keep them active and engaged.

In reality, however, Greensboro, founded in 1808, was named after Revolutionary War figure Nathanael Greene. He was commander of the American forces in the 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse nearby.

Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the city for more than its natural beauty. Greensboro’s deep civil rights history, food, events, affordable hotels and a growing list of places I still hope to visit keep drawing me back.

Sit-ins began here

One of the most powerful places in Greensboro is the International Civil Rights Center & Museum at 134 S. Elm Street, on the main thoroughfare.

Opened in 2010 in the National Historic Landmark F.W. Woolworth Building, the museum was the site of the country’s first sit-in, on February 1, 1960. Four Black students from North Carolina A&T State University took seats at Woolworth’s whites-only lunch counter and refused to leave. Their quiet act of protest helped reignite the Civil Rights Movement nationwide.

Visitors can see the restored lunch counter, and 13 galleries document the struggle for justice and equality in America through artifacts, photographs and interactive displays.

On my last visit, Sage Chioma, a museum guide, gave an outstanding tour. Her commentary in the Hall of Shame exhibit was both poignant and compelling as she pointed out the graphic imagery and language — including scenes of physical violence, lynchings and burnings — that African Americans have endured in the United States.

Less than a mile away is the Historic Magnolia House at 442 Gorrell Street, another Black history site. Purchased by the Gist family in 1949, the Magnolia House was the first hotel of prominence in Greensboro to welcome people of color.

African Americans traveling through the South during the Jim Crow era found the hotel listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book . Many legendary figures passed through its doors, including James Brown, Ray Charles, James Bald win, Jackie Robinson and Sam Cooke.

Today, Magnolia House is one of the few former Green Book sites still open to guests.

Affordable restaurants

After a long day of sightseeing, I enjoy visiting Greensboro’s many excellent restaurants and casual eateries. One of my favorite stops is Yum Yum Better Ice Cream (1219 Spring Garden St.). for homemade ice cream and hot dogs, it’s popular with locals and students. The lines can get long, but they move quickly. The peach ice cream is a must-have.

I also like Stamey’s Barbecue (two lo cations) for hot dogs and peach cobbler. The cobbler alone is worth the visit.

For excellent soul food I enjoy lunch at the upscale Luxe Soulfood & Cocktails (403 N. Elm St.). The warm, intimate

Romania

From page 26

at $680. Traveling by river cruise offers the convenience of unpacking only once while you visit multiple destinations. We thoroughly enjoyed our lower Danube River cruise on the Avalon Passion , which can accommodate 164 pas -

sengers (avalonwaterways.com).

Bucharest is a thriving city with a vibrant, contemporary feel. One of the finest hotels in Bucharest is the InterContinental Athénée Palace, located near high-end shops and classic European cafés.

In the center of Old Town Bucharest is a historic restaurant perfect for resting

and refueling after a day of exploration. With stained glass and a Gothic interior, Caru’ cu bere offers hearty and delicious local cuisine; I enjoyed the highly recommended bean soup in a bread bowl.

If you prefer an upscale, modern dining experience, CAJU by Joseph Hadad is a wonderful option. The casually elegant atmosphere sets the stage for an ex-

citing, cuisine-focused repast. In Brașov we stayed at the Kronwell Hotel (kronwell.com), a modern respite for the explorers of Romania. When I’m traveling, I love to find traditional restaurants that serve classic local dishes. La Ceaun in Brașov is a casual spot for just such dining; their dishes are hearty Romanian fare at its best.

festival blends live music, food and art into a dynamic cultural experience.

Drawing more than 135,000 attendees each year, the festival brings together artists from North Carolina and around the world.

Past performers have included jazzpop band Sammy Rae & The Friends, hip

hop group Arrested Development, bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers and blues guitarist Lightnin’ Wells, reflecting the event’s wide musical range.

On another visit in early December, a friend drove us through the Sunset Hills neighborhood for the Christmas balls displays. Residents decorate their trees with glowing balls made from chicken wire and string lights. The annual display, started in 1996, runs from Thanks-

giving through mid-January, and a festive 5K run and walk happens on the evening of December 12 this year.

Even after four visits, there’s still more I want to do. On my wish list is having afternoon tea and listening to live jazz at the O. Henry Hotel (624 Green Valley Rd.) and trying the authentic Southern food at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen (1421 Westover Terr.).

For me, Greensboro offers something special: a blend of history, culture, hospitality and greenery that makes every

BEACON BITS May

visit refreshing — and keeps me looking forward to the next one.

If you go

Greensboro is about a five-hour drive from the D.C. area. My favorite place to stay is the Hampton Inn & Suites Greensboro Downtown (222 W. McGee St.). The hotel is reasonably priced and includes a complimentary hot breakfast buffet. Within walking distance of Elm Street, it’s close to shops, restaurants and cultural attractions.

ENJOY MUSIC?

Detroit reflects America’s changes

By Martha Steger

If you visit Detroit, don’t be surprised to hear the names Henry Ford and Motown in the same sentence. After all, the city is famous for both cars and music.

A trip to Michigan’s largest city reveals how much these influences have changed American life in little more than a century.

A good place to start a tour of the area is the Henry Ford Museum, located in Dearborn, 20 minutes outside Detroit.

The museum is part of Greenfield Village, an 80-acre living history site where costumed interpreters share stories about life in different eras.

Allow a full day to immerse yourself in the village, which is populated with replicas of 100 historic buildings such as Thomas Edison’s laboratory and the Wright brothers’ workshop. You can catch a ride on historic vehicles such as steam trains or Model Ts. I found the exhibit of U.S. presidents’ cars, along with historic farm equipment, particularly interesting. (Greenfield Village is open from April through November.)

Architectural wonders

Though cars and music get the biggest share of tourists’ attention in Detroit, the city’s stunning architecture deserves a long look. For instance, the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, where I stayed to enjoy the indoor pool and hot tub, is a prime example of Renaissance Revival style. The grand, 33-story hotel, enhanced with Venetian ornamentation, opened in 1924 but was abandoned by the 1980s. After a $200 million restoration, it reopened in 2008.

I enjoyed a brisk 30-minute walk from the hotel to the Detroit River, which forms part of the border between the U.S. and the Canadian province of Ontario. While I didn’t cross over, a lot of residents as well as passport-toting travelers capitalize on Canada being just a bridge away.

Interestingly, the river was the most active emigration point on the border for fugitive U.S. slaves in the 19th century; its location was less risky than fleeing to Mexico, which involved passing through slaveholding states. To find out more, visit Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which is staging ongoing special events this year to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Museums and eats

A visit to Detroit wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts, which displays more than 65,000 works of art from ancient to modern times, including works by Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Diego Rivera.

Very good — though pricey — restaurants are close by. I opted for less expensive spots to sample “The Detroiter,” a classic Coney Island-style slider, which includes a simple patty, caramelized onions,

pickles, ketchup and mustard on a steamed bun with the cheese at the bot tom.

The Motown Museum’s 50,000-square-foot expan sion is expected to open in spring 2027. Al though construction was still underway at the site of “Hits ville,” the nickname of the original recording studio for Motown Records, it didn’t hinder me from enjoying the sound of Motown’s legendary musi cians as soon as I entered the building: The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Won der, all of whom lived in the city.

Road trip north of Detroit

Not wanting to leave Michigan without a visit to Frankenmuth, the German-style town that claims “the world’s largest Christmas store,” I headed there next. After checking out Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland and some of the heritage area’s other 40 shops, I took a boat tour on Frankenmuth’s peaceful Cass River via FunShips, which serves wine and choco-

Next, I traveled 90 miles northwest to Mount Pleasant to see the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture. The Midwest’s premier American Indian

museum presents the history, culture and traditions of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. A cup of corn soup made by the Saginaw Chippewa owner at the nearby Cup of Joy restaurant was the perfect antidote for a chilly day. Mount Pleasant is also home to the Soaring Eagle Casino and adjacent waterpark and hotel.

Homestyle restaurants throughout the area serve family-style meals, such as the thin, crispy-crusted fried chicken at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant in Frankenmuth. But since German comfort food is an area staple, I saved my appetite for schnitzel, sauerbraten and bratwurst.

Heading back to the airport in Detroit, I felt as though I were leaving a different country to return home.

For more information, see VisitDetroit. com and MeetMtPleasant.com.

Affordable Senior Apartments

Anne Arundel County

The Greens at Hammonds Lane - 410-421-7223

Park View at Furnace Brance - 227-240-6288

Park View at Severna Park - 443-940-6735

Baltimore City

Ednor Apartments 1 - 443-903-2847

Ednor Apartments 2 - 443-407-8882

The Greens at Irvington Mews 1 - 227-240-8179

The Greens at Irvington Mews 2 - 240-209-4809

Park Heights Place - 410-210-4889

Park View at Ashland Terrace - 443-233-0366

Park View at Coldspring - 443-238-0106

Baltimore County

Cove Point Apartments 1 - 227-240-8710

Cove Point Apartments 2 - 240-981-5172

Evergreen Senior Apartments - 443-232-0241

The Greens at English Consul - 443-241-7976

The Greens at Liberty Road - 443-241-5393

The Greens at Logan Field - 844-431-2949

The Greens at Rolling Road - 443-280-9913

Park View at Catonsville - 240-303-8481

Park View at Dundalk* - 443-296-5284

Park View at Fullerton - 240-732-1542

Park View at Miramar Landing - 443-278-2376

Park

Park

- 443-648-9714

At 92, Robert Friedman is still writing

By Hannah Collins

Former Beacon writer Robert Friedman, 92, has traveled the world, interviewed celebrities and published seven books.

His latest title, Wolf on the Trail, published last fall, revisits a familiar character from his previous novels, a detective and Auschwitz survivor

Friedman started writing almost seven decades ago. In 1953, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in preparation to join the American forces in the Korean War. Luckily, the war ended shortly after he completed basic training.

students from every English-speaking country in the world. There, he spent a year studying Swedish literature.

He briefly lived in Paris and then Greece, where he worked for a newspaper called The Athens, followed by a stint at the military publication Stars and Stripes while living in Germany.

Puerto Rico years

In the 1980s, Friedman landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he lived for almost 30 years. He worked as reporter, editor and columnist for The San Juan Star, interviewing the likes of Jackie Ken-

He met his wife, Virginia, in Puerto Rico, and they raised two daughters there. When the girls approached their teenage years, the family decided to move back to the States.

“It was just time to move on,” Friedman said. “I wanted my daughters to see what the United States was like. Although Puerto Rico is part of the United States, the culture is different.”

He became the Washington, D.C. correspondent for The San Juan Star, lead-

ing to his move to Silver Spring, Maryland. Friedman then began writing profiles and theater reviews for the Beacon for more than a dozen years.

Life as a transplant

Last year Friedman moved to a retirement home near his daughter in Maplewood, New Jersey, less than an hour from his childhood home in the Bronx. Friedman calls himself a “journalist turned novelist.” Initially, as a full-time

See WRITER, page 33

Old habits on the road just might keep us safe

On a recent car trip, I did it again.

The dumbo in front of me stopped short, so I slammed on the brakes. As I stomped with my right foot, I reached into the passenger seat space with my right arm and held it firm to keep my wife from lurching forward.

Of course, seat belts make that move unnecessary. So do air bags.

But as a child of the 1940s, I’m only trotting out long-es tablished habits. Any time you stop suddenly, that right arm must go out, to protect the occupant of the shotgun seat.

By Bob Levey

I saw my parents do it. I saw my grandparents do it. So I do it. And I suspect I always will.

If you want to make your grandchildren shake their heads in disbelief, try this straight-arm reflex some time.

These babies, steeped in technology, will be quick to point out that a) my arm isn’t as strong as the seat belt mechanism, and b) that I really, really should devote two arms to the steering wheel at all times.

I have tried to explain habit and instinct to them. They simply roll their eyes.

They do more of the same whenever I lower the driver’s side window and signal a left turn by pointing.

Don’t I know that the directional signal will do this, and more effectively? Yes, kiddos, I do.

But when I got my first driver’s license, you had to demonstrate this skill in order to pass.

You also had to trot out its sister — the

right-turn signal. That one involved sticking your left arm out the window, then forming it into an upward-reaching capital L.

This was the law, and it made sense, given that some older cars did not have automatic directional signals.

Yes, you had to do this during snowstorms. Yes, it was risky and clumsy. And yes, I still occasionally do it.

But the one that really tickles my grandchildren is my backing-up habits.

In most of today’s cars, a video screen is mounted on the dashboard, midway between the driver and the shotgun seat.

I have never taken the trouble to learn everything that this screen does. Maybe it would shine my shoes or balance my checkbook. Wouldn’t surprise me.

But the one thing it always does is to help you back up while avoiding trees, walls and other cars.

Do I trust its beeps, or the weird red and yellow outlines that somehow portray danger? Do I even use the video display while backing up?

Heck no. I do what I’ve always done. I turn slightly to my right and look back over my right shoulder.

Go ahead, sue me, make me stand in the corner without my lunch. I’ve done it this way for the 64 years I’ve held a driver’s license. Not changing now.

As for the rest of the fancy-dan possibilities in today’s cars, I’m the same disbeliever.

You say the windshield is foggy on a frosty winter’s morning? You say that the space-age climate system will clean it up

lickety-split?

Not for this guy. I whip out my handkerchief and start wiping off the fog.

But nothing makes me feel older and out of step quite like the question of a spare tire.

These days, there isn’t one.

What you get for your too-many thousands of dollars is a kit that might (or might not) patch a flat. How this helps you at the side of the road is beyond me, especially since the instructions are written in geek-speak.

Was anything ever wrong with a nice, fat, fully inflated spare tire? Yes, it took up cargo space. But it was also a breeze to use. Pull over. Get out the jack (happy to explain what that is, kids). Raise the car.

Loosen the lug nuts. Remove the flat tire. Install the spare. Tighten nuts. Lower car. Stow jack. Done.

Total elapsed time: Maybe 10 minutes. Feeling of mastery over the unexpected: large. Need to call emergency road service guy: zero.

I do like being able to lock all four windows with one button and changing radio stations by flicking a button on the steering wheel. So I’m not entirely hopeless (am I?).

But the next time I have to stop short, this old leopard isn’t changing his spots. Out will go the right arm. Isn’t it still 1964? It isn’t?

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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Washington baseball’s oldest fans unite in May

By Margaret Foster

Let us leave our close rooms … The game of ball is glorious. —Walt Whitman

Every spring, when baseball superfan Iris Henley returns to Nationals Park for opening day, she greets fellow fans with “Happy New Year!”

Henley has attended almost every Washington Nationals home game and has “made lifelong friends” through baseball, the Maryland retiree said.

“It doesn’t matter who you are; everybody talks to everybody else because your commonality is baseball. It’s wonderful.”

1961. Ten years later, it hosted its last Major League Baseball game, to the dismay of fans and players.

As Bucky Harris, former Senators second baseman and manager, said before the final game, “I never thought I’d see the day when they would leave Washington without a franchise.”

Bereft, a generation of local fans had to turn to other teams.

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.

—Yogi Berra

Henley, 82, and her husband, Biff, 89, have had season tickets to Nationals Park since it opened in 2008.

“We decided that because they were bringing baseball back to Washington, we would be supportive, so we got season tickets. We would share it with the kids and the grandkids, and we got hooked,” she said.

On May 21, for the first time, Nationals Park is hosting a special celebration in honor of Older Americans Month. Hundreds of older fans can sit in a special section reserved just for them.

The ballpark may look new, with its jumbotron and dozens of vendors selling everything from crab cakes to tacos, but the game itself remains just about the same as it has been for generations.

“When I was a kid, the Orioles and the [Alexandria] Dukes was about all there was,” said Scott Surovell, 54.

When D.C. finally secured a hometown baseball team in 2005, Scott Surovell became a season ticketholder and attends games with his four children and father, Rob.

“Baseball is my therapy. It’s an escape — it’s a way to get away,” he said. “Getting baseball games on my sched lets me focus on something I love other than work.”

A new Nationals Park

RFK Stadium hosted the Nats’ first few seasons (it closed in 2019 and was demolished this year).

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

—Babe Ruth

Childhood memories of baseball

Of course, for decades DMV baseball fans had no home team. The Washington Senators left town in the early 1970s. Henley was a child when she saw them play.

“I vaguely remember going to Senators games at Griffith Stadium and the smell of Wonder bread,” she said.

Retired attorney Rob Surovell of Mount Vernon, Virginia, also remembers the sights and sounds of Griffith Stadium, home of the Senators since 1911.

“When I was about 7 years old, my mother took me to Griffith Stadium. We sat in the left-centerfield bleachers, and I probably got a hot dog,” he recalled.

Nationals Park, built in just two years in the Navy Yard neighborhood, opened in 2008. With a capacity of more than 40,000 people, it was the first Major League Baseball stadium to earn LEED silver certification, meaning it adhered to environmentally beneficial practices, reducing landfill waste and promising to use 15% less energy than other ballparks.

Baseball fans were thrilled when the Nats won the World Series in 2019. Since then, the team hasn’t quite hit that high, but that doesn’t matter to some fans.

In fact, Tenleytown baseball devotee Jane Whitaker, 86, roots for either the Orioles or the Nats, depending on the time of day.

“Whenever the Nationals play late at night, I still watch the Orioles. I switch between the two,” she said. “As a senior, it’s still nice when you can find day games.”

It is a haunted game, in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before.

—Ken Burns

Surovell also attended “many, many games” at RFK stadium, which opened in

game, Whitaker had only attended one Senators game and one Orioles game before the Northwest Neighbors Village began organizing trips to Nationals Park several years ago. Going to the new stadium was a revelation, she said.

“It’s fun to be there early to see how they set the field up and see the players work out before the game,” Whitaker said. “I like seeing all the action. You miss a lot on TV. You don’t realize you miss it until you go to a game.”

New generation of fans

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

“I have wonderful memories of being with family and learning about the game and the excitement of the fans,” she said. When she was a child, she remembers she and her family cheering at the top of their lungs. “Now you can scream as an adult too.”

—Tim Robbins in Bull Durham

Like Surovell, Henley brings her grandchildren to Nationals Stadium so they can root, root, root for the home team. After all, baseball runs in the family.

“The first song I taught my grandchildren was ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’” she said.

As a kid in West Virginia, she said, “I played baseball with a bunch of the boys a lot.” She joined the softball team in college and once broke her foot sliding into third base, she said.

But despite being a lifelong fan of the

As for Henley, she has attended hundreds of games during her lifetime. She grew up going to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, where her family had box seats. She and her husband love the camaraderie and energy they find in the stadium, no matter what the scoreboard says.

Baseball, despite our wishes, changes all the time.

—Roger Angell

For tickets to the special celebration for Older Americans Month on Thurs., May 21, visit gofevo.com/event/Celebrateolder2. The game begins at 4 p.m., but pre-game networking starts at 2:45 p.m. For more information, email Gabbi.Leggett@nationals.com or call (202) 640-7697.

From page 30

journalist, he would work on his novels in the evenings. When The San Juan Star folded in 2008, Friedman began writing novels full-time.

“After a while, my novels became more important,” he said. “My novels became something that I loved writing.”

While he is a believer that authors “write what [they] know,” he says they also write about what they’ve read. Some of his favorite authors include Philip Roth, Norman Mailer, William Kennedy, Ralph Ellison, James Joyce and Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Friedman’s published novels include The Odyssey of Pablo Camino, The Defin-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

ing Sea and Ulysses in San Juan, which were published as The Puerto Rico Trilogy, as well as Caribbean Dreams, Under a Dark Sun, and Island Wildlife: Exiles, Expats and Exotic Others.

The Puerto Rico Trilogy features the character D.I. Wolf, a Polish-Jewish concentration camp survivor who has come to Puerto Rico to rebuild his life.

“Wolf is a conglomeration of several people I met — Jewish refugees who lived in Puerto Rico in the ‘70s and the ‘80s,” Friedman said.

Wolf reappears in Friedman’s newest novel, Wolf on the Trail, which follows Wolf’s quest to find the disappeared wife of a real estate mogul.

Friedman’s passion for Puerto Rico has led him to want to share his experi-

SUBMIT WORK FOR ART EXHIBIT

Are you an artist based in Montgomery County, Maryland?

If so, Montgomery History invites you to submit your work to its inaugural art exhibit, “MoCo at 250: Then and Now.” The exhibit celebrates the new Montgomery History Center and the County’s 250th anniversary. Submissions are accepted through Sun., Aug. 2. For more information, including exhibit guidelines and to submit your work, visit bit.ly/MoCo250Exhibit.

ences there with readers and to bring attention to the island’s political situation. He notes that Puerto Rico, despite technically being a commonwealth, is “like a high-class colony of the United States, which would be the last thing [Puerto Ricans] would admit.”

When asked if he had plans for future novels, Friedman replied, “Well, I’d like to write one more book, and I think in my 92nd year, I’m almost capable,” he joked. “I’m almost ready to do it.”

Striking out in the online dating world

Q: I am 66 and have been divorced since 2019. I’m a semi-retired IT consultant and financially secure. I work out seriously almost every day.

I’ve tried Match, Bumble, Tinder and Facebook Dating — and I’m coming across a lot of fake profiles. This is exhausting. If I do meet ladies, I try to please them by buying them meals. But not anymore. Now I’m just sticking with coffee and keeping it simple.

your efforts haven’t yielded a long-term relationship.

By

I try to be nice in any way I can because I want a long-term relationship that will last the rest of my life. But I really think these women would rather be alone with their cats and dogs. Or there’s something going on that’s preventing them from wanting to commit to any possible relationship.

So my suggestion to these women is to relax and trust men. Your thoughts? —Ray, Maryland

A : I appreciate you sharing what clearly has been a frustrating romance journey. You’re financially secure, you take care of yourself with exercise, you’ve tried multiple dating sites, and yet

Does it help to know you’re not the only one? According to a Pew Research Center study, 46% of all Americans who’ve used a dating site or app report having somewhat negative or very negative experiences.

Moreover, you’re encountering fake profiles. It surely is exhausting and, unfortunately, common. Older daters, especially those with significant retirement savings, may be primary fraud targets, according to a report by the National Council on Aging. It cited FBI statistics showing that in 2023, daters over 60 years old lost a whopping $367 million in these so-called “sweetheart scams.” It sounds like you have your radar up for potential scammers, which is a good practice.

Another positive? Ditching dinner dates for coffee meetups. I get the impression you’ve changed course because expensive wining and dining wasn’t getting you anywhere.

But there are many good reasons to choose a lower-stakes date situation aside from cost. Personally, I find it diffi-

cult to have a satisfying conversation in a restaurant, especially when we wind up shouting to be heard above the ambient noise. (Fact: On a recent first date, I had to lean in so far to hear my companion describe his Christmastime cruise with his daughter that I wound up with tomato sauce on the front of my blouse.)

Also, inactivity such as sitting at a table and eating isn’t necessarily conducive to catching feelings. Have you thought about grabbing a coffee together and then going for a walk in a nearby park, or meeting up at a museum or art gallery for the latest exhibit and then talking about it afterward?

You say you’re “trying to be nice” in any way you can, Ray, and here’s where some red flags start to pop up for me. Is it possible that you’re not being yourself?

Not that your true self isn’t nice — but your efforts might be coming across as insincere or stilted.

Or maybe you’re giving off vibes that you’re narrowly focused on finding “the one” when first dates are simply chances to make an interpersonal connection.

In the Dating While Gray podcast episode “Chatting Up Strangers,” marketing entrepreneur Fred Joyal described his winning conversation strategy: Offer a sincere compliment or observation, ask a question, listen to the answer, “and then say the three magic words: ‘Tell me more.’”

“That’s your driving motivation,” Fred explained. “Tell me more — not, ‘I want to tell you about me.’ They will [become] interested in you because you’re so interested in them.”

As for your comment about women preferring their cats and dogs over you … well, perhaps they do. Numerous studies have shown that pets have a positive impact on their owners’ mental health by helping reduce stress and anxiety and offering companionship, among other factors.

But love for their pets doesn’t mean they need to “relax and trust men.” It means, to quote a catchphrase, they’re just not that into you.

I’m sorry, Ray. Sometimes two people simply don’t click, and there’s no point in attempting to analyze why. It’s better to simply move on.

I understand how disappointing and anxiety-provoking it is when the line of people who just aren’t that into us grows longer and longer. But the sooner we let go of the notion we can “fix” these people, the sooner we’ll have more opportunities for connection while, in the meantime, living full and satisfying solo lives.

Laura Stassi is host of the podcast Dating While Gray: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Love, Sex, and Relationships and author of Romance Redux: Finding Love in Your Later Years. Send your questions to Laura at newloveafter50@gmail.com.

Kara Swisher debuts docuseries on longevity

By Mark Kennedy

Journalist Kara Swisher begins her new, six-part CNN series about longevity and health in an interesting location — a cemetery.

It’s the final resting place of her father, who died in 1968 at just 34. Swisher was only 5, and his sudden death had a deep effect on her career and view of life.

“My father’s death has created an awareness of death that is very profound,” she said in an interview. “I’m very aware of my death, and I don’t mean I’m going to die tomorrow. I just know the time is limited.”

Swisher wades into the intersection of how health and tech can lengthen life for the series “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” exploring everything from wellness influencers like Gwyneth Paltrow to AI-powered robotic companions for the elderly. It premiered April 11.

“I come to it pretty neutral and willing to listen to some stuff and willing to blow up other stuff,” said Swisher, who has become synonymous with Silicon Valley since she began covering the tech industry in the 1990s.

“All these health influencers always are going for a magic bullet. And I’m sorry to tell you there isn’t one.”

Red light and collagen supplements

In the name of science, Swisher takes the powerful anesthetic Ketamine, undergoes sound therapy and steps into a hyperbaric chamber, which treats wounds and infections. She checks out concierge medicine for the rich and gets in a full-body red-light therapy pod. (“I feel like I’m in an air fryer,” she said.)

herself repeatedly for home blood tests that promise a look at her cellular health. (“I bleed for you, CNN,” she jokes.)

Fads like collagen supplements and vibration plates don’t impress Swisher, who chats with Amy Larocca, author of How to Be Well, an exposé of the wellness industry.

Too often, they conclude, the hard science isn’t there and charismatic peddlers are just getting rich on our gullibility. Swisher argues that they exploit the gap that opens when the American healthcare system kicks in only after an often-bankrupting illness begins.

“We live in a sick care society, not a healthcare society,” she told the AP. “What

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE

Jumbles:

Answer:

Celebrate Older Americans

Month

at Nationals Park!

Armed with her self-described “adorably surly” approach, Swisher talks to billionaire tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson about his quest to extend human lifespan by undergoing blood plasma transfusion and injections of stem cells. She pricks

Celebrate Older Americans Month at Nationals Park!

Celebrate Older Americans Month at Nationals Park!

Celebrate Older Americans Month at Nationals Park!

Thursday, May 21 • Mets vs. Nationals

Celebrate Older Americans Month at Nationals Park!

2:45 p.m. – Pregame Networking Event • 4:05 p.m. – First Pitch

Thurs., May 21 - Mets vs Nationals

Join us for a special celebration of Older Americans Month at Nationals Park! By purchasing a ticket, you’re getting a special discount and access to connect with others and explore valuable resources in our conference rooms reserved just for this date!

2:45 PM - Pregame Networking Event 4:05 PM Opening Pitch

Thurs., May 21 - Mets vs Nationals

Thurs., May 21 - Mets vs Nationals

Thurs., May 21 - Mets vs Nationals

Thurs., May 21 - Mets vs Nationals

2:45 PM - Pregame Networking Event

Step Up to the Plate for an Unforgettable Celebration honoring Our Seniors at the Iconic National Park.

Bring your friends, neighbors or residents from senior living communities and make this a memorable day together!

4:05 PM Opening Pitch

2:45 PM - Pregame Networking Event 4:05 PM Opening Pitch

Step Up to the Plate for an Unforgettable Celebration honoring Our Seniors at the Iconic National Park. 2:45 PM - Pregame Networking Event 4:05 PM Opening Pitch

Step Up to the Plate for an Unforgettable Celebration honoring Our Seniors at the Iconic National Park. 2:45 PM - Pregame Networking Event 4:05 PM Opening Pitch

Step Up to the Plate for an Unforgettable Celebration honoring Our Seniors at the Iconic National Park.

Step Up to the Plate for an Unforgettable Celebration honoring Our Seniors at the Iconic National Park.

Visit TheBeaconNewspapers.com/nationals for details.

Crossword Puzzle

A Walk Down the Isle By Stephen Sherr

By Stephen Sherr

Scrabble answers on p. 35

Across

1. Navajo neighbors

5. Madagascan mammal

10. Fancy-schmancy

14. Direction from the University of Southern California to the University of South Carolina

15. Place to see monster trucks

16. Brand purchased by BP Amoco in 2000

17. “The one who died by house, or the one who died by water?”

19. Start to -graph or -site

20. California and maki rolls

21. Animal hiding in FREELANCE

22. Pepper picker, Piper

23. Word in the New Year’s Eve song

25. Crimson Glory, followed by Angel Face, and then Iceberg

27. 1974 Sportsman of the Year

29. Electronically surveil

31. Main product sold at 16

32. Type of bread or whiskey

33. Bewilder

35. Tuxedo requirement

37. Subway operator in NYC or Balt.

39. Six couples in this puzzle who walked down the isle

45. Devotee

46. Fondue feature

47. Jamboree

48. Legally required ingredient in mayonnaise

51. Read-a-thon organizer

53. “Pick a number from one to ___”

55. Little devil

56. The first one in heaven, for a while

59. Raggedy Ann or Andy

61. Baked potato topping

62. Kung ___ chicken

64. Cattle rustler avengers

67. Used a hoverboard

68. Group removed from the lineup

70. Mysterious warning sign

71. Gives a point to a post

72. University that is an acronym for LONE

73. Direction from George Washington University to Washington University

74. Coldplay concert meet-up, maybe

75. “___ timer for 30 minutes”

Down

1. Chops up

2. Island older than Maui

3. 60-point font on fraternity rush posters, perhaps

4. In need of hydrocortisone

5. Thermodynamic principle

6. Pennsylvania’s fourth largest city

7. “The ___ is still running”

8. Make the toilet work again

9. “Go, team go!”

10. Defeater of rock

11. Graduation speaker

12. Off-kilter

13. Raspy-voiced

18. “This word is four letters and starts with H,” for example

22. Green sauce

24. Erode

26. Had a taste, at Costco

27. Too many results from Google searches

28. Once around the racetrack

30. Bowler’s target

34. Character in Ernest Saves Christmas

36. Sense of self

38. Month for National S’mores Day

40. Suffer a grave ___ in judgement

41. Prepare to hear bad news

42. Good deal at the marine supply store

43. Cabinet-maker’s wood

44. Deplete

48. Holding account

49. “Get out of here”

50. Moves between figure skating jumps

52. Nanny from abroad

54. They take you to the big house in The Big Easy

57. “However, in the unlikely ___ ...”

58. Ungracefully tall

60. Brain parts

63. Half of all binary digits

65. Disrespectful brat

66. Bart’s teacher at Springfield Elementary

68. Deli order

69. Good abbr. for a good guess

we should be investing in is to make all of us healthier for a longer period of time rather than participate in what is a sick care industry here in this country.”

Swisher finds brighter spots in medical-tech advances like gene editing, GLP-1s, VO2 max training, AI screening for cancer and the combination of AI and mechanics that promises to help revolutionize mobility with exoskeletons.

She speaks to Sam Altman of OpenAI and Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna. At Stanford University, she finds tiny soft robots called millibots that are injected into a patient’s neck and can break up blood clots with minimal invasiveness.

Lessons from South Korea

Swisher’s quest takes her to South Korea, which has one of the world’s highest life expectancies. She finds good nutrition starts early there with fermented and whole foods.

Universal healthcare doesn’t hurt either, with each citizen getting 16 visits to the doctor a year, which leads to preventative testing for things like obesity and high blood pressure. Dolls with AI help with elder loneliness.

Swisher, who daily takes fish oil and the vitamins K and D as supplements, says the series is informed by her father’s death and a 2005 commencement address to Stanford students by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who argued that impending death was a critical motor of innovation.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose,” Jobs told graduates. “You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” —AP

May 17

ONE BIG HAPPY

By Rick Detorie

FREE CHORUS CONCERT

Rockville Chorus, composed of more than 70 volunteers, invites you to its spring concert on Sun., May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville, MD. The free concert features a variety of music, from a “My Fair Lady Medley” by Lerner & Loewe to “Make Our Garden Grow” by Leonard Bernstein. Parking is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit rockvillechorus.org.

FREE WOLF TRAP CONCERT

May 24

Visit Wolf Trap to hear the United States Marine Band perform a program of band favorites. A fireworks display will follow this free concert on Sun., May 24 at 8 p.m. at the Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, VA. No tickets are required. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit wolftrap.org or call (703) 255-1868.

FREE PIANO RECITAL

May 31

Hear local pianists perform works from the Classical and Romantic periods at a free concert on Sun., May 31 at 3 p.m. at the Jordan Kitts Fairfax Showroom Auditorium, 8500 Lee Hwy., Fairfax, VA. No RSVP required. Presented by the Adult Music Student Forum. For more information about this and other free events, visit amsfperform.org.

May 31

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY CONCERT

Join the Fairfax Symphony for its final concert of the season, featuring Claire Huangci on piano performing selections by Prokofiev. The event takes place on Sun., May 31 at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, VA. Tickets start at $54 and can be purchased at bit.ly/ProkofievinFairfax.

JAZZ IN THE PARKS

June 6

Join your neighbors at this year’s first Jazz in The Parks performance on Sat., June 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic while listening to Mark Meadows, with a children’s performer opener Baba Ras D, on the Great Lawn at Walter Reed, 1010 Butternut St. NW, Washington, DC. For more information, visit theparksdc. com/event/jazz-in-the-parks.

FREE GOSPEL CONCERT

June 13

The City of Gaithersburg presents the 20th Annual Jubilation Day Gospel Concert on Sat., June 13 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Concert Pavilion, 31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg, MD. In addition to gospel and Christian music, the free event features on-site food and craft vendors, giveaways and lawn seating. Registration isn’t required. For more information, call (301) 258-6350.

CLASSIFIEDS

The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Obituaries; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 39.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS:

We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers

ELDERLY CARE - Female Care ProviderI cook, clean, help with ADLs and take to all appointments. I’m experienced in taking care of people with Alzheimer’s, COPD, cancer and other health issues. Excellent References 301275­7283.

A HOME HEALTHCARE - Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part­time or live­in care. 15 years’ experience. 240­533­6599.

I’M A LICENSED NURSING ASSISTANT with 10 years experience. Seeking full time private duty job providing health care services, companionship, light housing keeping, grooming, meal prep and errands. Call Bola at 301996­5180.

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Hair Stylist. Women and Men’s Services ­ All Hair Types. Cuts, Styles, Roller Sets, Color, Perms, Men’s Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. Call 301­338­8251.

Computer Services

COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS, CELL PHONE Help For Seniors. We offer patient and thorough help for seniors with all matter of technology. We come to your home. We service MD, VA and DC. Call Senior Tech Pro at 301­337­0028. Available 24/7 Ask for Philip. PATIENT, PRACTICAL, PERSONAL & IN-PERSON, 20+ years’ experience. Don’t let tech frustrate you. Get comfortable & confident with smartphones, tablets, laptops, TV, Alexa & more. Learn how to avoid scams. Julia: 443­436­2612, tech.coach4all@gmail.com.

Entertainment

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT BY MARK HANAK! I provide 60­minute shows based on music from the 1930s thru the 1970s. Also performances featuring Broadway, Hollywood, Swing and Patriotic music. All my events are fun, lively and encourage audience participation. I can also provide elegant piano music for your next event. Call 301­667­5899 or email MarkHanakMusic@yahoo.com.

Events

SHOP • MINGLE • EAT. Visit Vendor Members Group’s exclusive events: the Markets of CRAFTS GALORE! held 1st Saturdays of Apr, May, (June ­ Location TBD), Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 9:30AM – 2:30PM at Timonium UMC 2300 Pot Spring Rd Timonium, MD 21093. A juried showcase of artistic talent offering affordable, one­of­a­kind handmade treasures for all ages (art, cozy textiles, personal goods, jewelry, whimsical decor, gourmet treats, and more!). Bring the family. Savor tasty bites. Discover something extraordinary while supporting local brands. Free Admission. VendorMembersGroup.com #CraftsGalore!

MOST REQUESTED SENIOR CREATIVE

Development Artist ­ seeks Pianist, Backup Vocals, For Gospel Soul Music Tributes to Seniors & Several Community Inspiration Organizations...Events. Some Volunteers & Some Events For Hire! Donations Welcome in Advance. A Must Be Supportive of Recorded Multi Use Videos. 202­539­1955 (Singer/ Song Writer) Contact Portia Reid Smith.

Financial

TAX PREPARATION. Licensed CPA 35+ years, reasonable rates; will travel within 20 miles. Located in Gaithersburg MD near Rte 270/370. DIANE CHRISTEN CPA; dianechristen@aol.com; 240­355­1135 cell.

UP TO $15,000.00 OF GUARANTEED

LIFE INSURANCE! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company ­ 866­212­1092 or visit www. Life55plus.info/beacon

For Sale

NEW WINDOWS FROM WINDOW NATION. Special money saving offer zero down, zero payments, zero interest for TWO years AND buy 2 windows and get 2 FREE! Offer is valid for select models. Labor not included. Other restrictions apply. Call Window Nation today! 855­909­2278.

Health

I COME TO YOU for all of your Personal Training, Medical Exercise and Rehab needs. I have over 17 years of successful experience getting great results. Please call Anthony at 410­739­3318 to set up a free evaluation.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. At Mindcraft Hypnotherapy you can create the changes you want to live a life you love. Phobias ­ Grief ­ Habits ­ PainLimiting beliefs. Silver Spring, MD 20902. 240426­2401 mindcrafthypnotherapy.com

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long­lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855­851­0949.

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance ­ NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1­844­366­1003 www.dental50plus. com/320 #6258

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1­240­650­9189.

Home/Handyman Services

SLOWING DOWN AFTER 45 YEARS OF CONTRACTING. Small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial work. Will work all over the entire DC area. $45.00 from arrival on job. Andy 703­906­5429.

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer ­ $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1­855­653­0087.

Home/Handyman Services

SETTLING AN ESTATE? Downsizing Specialists, LLC can help with the overwhelm. Our proven process helps you thoughtfully decide what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard with compassion and clarity at every step. Services include estate liquidation, downsizing, estate sales, storage unit clean­outs, junk removal. We buy estates, vehicles, & houses. Free estimates. Local. Family Owned. Licensed. Insured. Better Business Bureau A+ Certified Call/Text Philip 301­219­3600 DownsizingSpecialists.com

NO MORE CLEANING OUT GUTTERS. Guaranteed! LeafFilter is the most advanced gutter protection for your home, backed by a no­clog guarantee and lifetime transferable warranty. Call today 1­855­977­6078 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Plus get 20% off! Seniors and military save an additional 10%. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details. DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1­866­365­5170.

Legal Services

VIRGINIA NOTARY PUBLIC. Serving Northern Virginia. Mobile notary service at your location. Available 24/7. Fair rates. Call Michael at 703­980­7560 or email michaelcaho@gmail.com.

ESTATE PLANNING - FREE CONSULTATION! Understand your options and achieve your goals! Get recommendations for fully customized legal documents choose estate managers, beneficiaries to inherit assets and guardians for minor children; avoid probate, family disputes and guardianships; protect assets and preserve public benefits with trusts; make provisions for pets and charities; understand estate tax and inheritance tax implications. Proposal includes asset protection and tax evaluation. Trustee & Beneficiary Representation | Probate | Trust Litigation. Justin M. Ginsburg, Esq., LL.M. | Elville and Associates ­ Rockville/Columbia/Annapolis | justin@ elvilleassociates.com | (443) 393­7696 | Maryland/DC/US Tax Court. Interpreters available.

Miscellaneous

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing­Trusted by Authors Since 1920. Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Call for Your Free Author’s Guide 1­833­992­0110 or visit dorranceinfo.com/beacon CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long­term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1­833­742­1303.

TV/Cable

DIRECTV - All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1­888­572­4953.

Wanted

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older acoustic string instruments. Jack (240) 731­5353, leave message & phone number.

CASH FOR ESTATES; moving, downsizing, single item, or whole estate. I buy a wide range of items. Gary Roman, TheAtticLLC.com. 301520­0755.

I BUY GUNS: Military/Civilian & MILITARY MEMORABILIA. I am a licensed Firearms Dealer and can legally purchase from you. I also buy medals, uniforms & insignia. Tim Frank 301­201­0241. historian1975@gmail.com. www.midatlanticmilitaryantiques.com

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654­8678 (Reg. 883).

LADY LOVES PRETTY AND INTERESTING THINGS: art, bric­a­brac, dishes, figurines, jewelry, pottery and silver. One item or entire estate. Personal favorites include Herend, Royal Copenhagen, Scandinavian pottery and glass and vintage Christmas and Halloween. Call Susan (301) 785­1129. MD PML 2753.

WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240­464­0958) or email (david.obal63@ gmail.com).

WE PURCHASE ESTATES — Large or small. House calls made seven days a week. Buying furniture, art, glassware, pottery, decorative arts, jewelry, silver, coins, etc. High­end vintage preferred. Call Tom, anytime, day or night. All calls returned. 301­654­8678. BUYING ANTIQUES, ESTATES. Cash paid for jewelry, gold, silver, old coins, wristwatches, costume jewelry, antique asian items, old toys, baseball cards, older sports memorabilia, comics, military items, firearms, knives, old books, christmas and halloween decorations. Call Tom 240­476­3441.

ALWAYS BUYING Comic Books (1930’s to 1990’s), costume jewelry (pre­1980’s), old coins & paper money....U.S. & Foreign and stamp collections.....hey.... almost anything before 1980 I can hold in my arms... Call or Text Me Now: Alex at 571­426­5363.

PAYING TOP CASH FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES. Housecalls made with prompt, courteous service seven days a week and 25 years of experience! Buying toys, trains, militaria, glassware, advertising merchandise, paper items and much more! Contact Mason or Megan at: 443­306­8816.

RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

SO WHAT ELSE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

So What Else volunteer service offers opportunities to help improve the lives of children, adults and seniors. Volunteers help fill gaps in services, provide assistance to vulnerable populations and support community organizations and nonprofits. To find out more and volunteer, call (240) 705-4345 or email info@sowhatelse.org.

BASEBALL GAMES VOLUNTEER

Bethesda Big Train baseball (bigtrain.org) is recruiting volunteers for its Bullpen Club to serve as greeters and ushers at Big Train summer collegiate baseball games at Shirley Povich Field in Cabin John Regional Park. The games are held in June and July. If you are interested, contact Bruce Adams at bruce@greaterwash.org.

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month for Baltimore and Howard County editions; by the 20th for Washington edition. Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad:

• $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500 • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

• Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

DIFFERENT

MAINTENANCE-FREE LIVING NEVER LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL

Tuesday, May 19 · 11 A.M.–2 P.M.

Optional information sessions at 11:15 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

WESTBROOKE CLUBHOUSE • 18310 SLADE SCHOOL ROAD · SANDY SPRING, MD 20860

DISCOVER the casual elegance and comfort of our independent living cottages.

TOUR a cottage and MEET current residents.

EXPLORE Westbrooke Clubhouse, its restaurant and fitness center.

ENJOY our 220-acre campus of lush pastures and hardwood forest.

Learn how to become a no-obligation priority list member, examine financial options and review the long-term benefits of a secure lifestyle.

18310 Slade School Road

Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-388-7209 · www.bgf.org

REGISTER BY MAY 18

11:15 A.M. Session : bit.ly/OpenhouseBG

12:15 P.M. Session : bit.ly/BGOpenhouse

For more information, contact Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org