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2 Fairfax County Times SENIORS | July 2014 FairfaxTimes.com

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Fairfax County Times

SENIORSEditors

Graphic Designer

Contributing Writers

Advertising Manager

Prepress Manager

Tiffany Arnold, Anna Joyce

Lorraine Walker, Anna Joyce

Karen Finucan ClarksonEllen R. CohenKatherine HeerbrandtJim Mahaffie

Marta Wallace

John Schmitz

PUBLISHED BY THE FAIRFAX COUNTY TIMES/POST COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC1920 ASSOCIATION DRIVE, SUITE 500, RESTON, VA 20191

Fairfax County Times Seniors is produced by Post Community Media’s SpecialSections and Advertising departments. It does not involve the company’s newsrooms.

COVER PHOTOS: COUPLE: GEORGE DOYLE/STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCKINSET PHOTO: BERNIE STAMM, COURTESY OF NORTHERN VIGINIA SENIOR OLYMPICS

Do you know someone in Fairfax County 50 or older with aninteresting story to tell? Do you know of an organization that provides

entertainment, travel or arts opportunities for older adults?We want to know about it! Email us at [email protected].

FairfaxTimes.com July 2014 | FairfaxCountyTimes SENIORS 3

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SIGN ME UP

BY KATHERINE HEERBRANDT

It’s all fun and games at the NorthernVirginiaSenior Olympics (NVSO). Now in its 32ndyear, the 2014 event planned for Sept. 13–24 isco-sponsored by eight cities and counties. Sinceits inception in 1982, with Fairfax County as

one of the founding sponsors, the number of seniorsparticipating has increased from 70 tomore than 800.

The co-coordinator of the 10-day competition,JudyMassabny,has been involved for 13 years. Mass-abny, the communications director for the Office ofSenior Adult Programs in Arlington County’s parksand recreation department, said the No. 1 reason theevent is increasingly popular is that more people areinterested in keeping fit.

“To use our slogan, they believe in ‘living healthylonger,’”Massabny said.“There’s a lot of emphasis nowon nutrition and just general well-being.More peopleare out there running, cycling, walking, swimming,playing tennis—anything to keep themselves active.”

The Senior Olympics committee wants everyoneto be able to join in, so for those who are into moresedate competitions there are games like American-style mah-jongg, bunko and the ever-popular bridge.It’s all about staying active physically or mentally,Massabny said.

“NVSO offers events from track and field to ten-nis and handball to Scrabble and dominoes,” saidNVSO chairman David Jerome of Burke in a pressrelease. “Gold, silver and bronze medals are awardedafter each event.”

Spread over 19 venues in the cities of Alexandria,Fairfax and Falls Church and the counties of Arling-ton, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and PrinceWilliam,the 2014 NVSO offers more than 50 events. Mah-jongg and a 5K road race were added this year.

New venues in 2014 are the Northern VirginiaBadmintonClub inAshburn;OldHickoryGolf ClubinWoodbridge; South Lakes High School in Reston,for the 5K race; and Stone Bridge High School inAshburn for field events.

THE THRILL OF

u Seniors Prepare for Local Olympics

TOP LEFT: Helen White of Arlington

ABOVE: The Virginia Creepers 75+in Cleveland last year

RIGHT: The Virginia Creepers 75+basketball team participated in the

National Senior Games last sum-mer. L-R: Del Wilson, Bob Stroud,

renowned recording artist and teammember Pat Boone, Jim Martin and

Del Moon, publicity directorfor the games

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEL WILSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF NVSO

VICTORY


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“All of our jurisdictions who co-spon-sor lend us their facilities, and by doingso, give people who participate an op-portunity to see the facilities available intheir counties that they might not knowabout,”Massabny said.

The NVSO is open to people who willbe 50 or older by Dec. 31, 2014, and wholive in one of the sponsoring locations.A registration fee of $12 covers multipleevents. Beginning July 1, register onlineat nvso.us or by mail.

As thegameshavegrownandchanged,interest in various events has waned. “Asthings drop off, we add something new,”said DelWilson, a longtime member ofthe NVSO committee and enthusiasticcompetitor. “We used to have checkers;nobody plays that anymore.We had Fris-bee throwing, and that kind of went bythe wayside, too.”

Casting and fly fishing is another eventwhose popularity ebbed, as did yo-yocompetitions. But people still want to seeexperts present yo-yo demonstrations justfor the “fantastic show,”Wilson said.

Wii bowling is popular, and a num-ber of people with disabilities engage in

that competition, according to Wilson.One competitor who uses a wheelchaircompetes in the javelin throwing contestby standing up, throwing the javelin andsitting back in his chair. Although theNVSO does not have specific accommo-dations for those with disabilities, most ofits venues are accessible.

Such a big event calls for a lot ofvolunteers in addition to the 30-memberNVSO committee, Massabny said.Trackand field events require between 60 to 75volunteers, while swimming competitionsrequire about 20. Between one and threehelpers are needed for each event.

“It’s a massive undertaking,” Mass-abny said.

The only other regional Senior Olym-pics in Virginia is in theTidewater area.The NVSO is not a qualifying event fortheVirginia state or national senior games,but many participants, including the bas-ketball and pickleball teams, as well as thetrack and cycling competitors, go on tostate and national competitions. Pickle-ball is a modified tennis game played ona badminton court. Older people who

loved tennis may migrate to pickleball,Wilson said.

Wilson, 78, a retired school admin-istrator, has been involved in the NVSOfor more than 20 years and has served invarious capacities, including chairman.It’s been so long, he said, he can’t recallexactly when he joined. An athlete in

high school and college,Wilson said theNVSO was a natural match for someonewho wanted to compete and stay active.

“It’s a great place for those who liketo compete and for the camaraderie thatcomes out of it.The friendships and con-

PHOTO COURTESY OF NVSO

Bernie Stamm of Ashburn does the long jump in prior senior games.

See OLYMPICS, 17


BY ELLEN R. COHEN

After retiring from jobs or ca-reers, many seniors look formeaningful activities. For ex-ample, my husband Harvey

Cohen and I, both enthusiastic cooks,have taken many cooking classes.We lovewatching demonstrations and creatinggourmet dishes from take-home recipes.Several years ago, we discovered the rec-reational cooking program at L’Academiede Cuisine (LADC) in Bethesda, Md.,known as a place where “good cooks be-come great.”While the professional branch of the

school trains chefs in Gaithersburg, Md.,the recreational branch in Bethesda at-tracts people like us who enjoy homecooking.When our grown children begangiving us LADC gift certificates for birth-days and anniversaries, Harvey and I hap-pily enrolled in nine classes between 2000and 2013.There was a note on the recipepacket from the last class: “Would you liketo be a volunteer?”I did, and a new world opened to me.

Since March 2013, I have volunteeredabout twice a month at LADC, enjoy-ing my new knowledge. “Volunteers comefrom Montgomery and Fairfax counties,”said EmilyWorth, volunteer coordinator.Each class lasts three hours and has threeassistants who arrive an hour early and stayan hour late.We prep before class, measur-ing the ingredients students will need fortheir dishes.We assist during demonstra-tions, answer questions and help studentswith equipment and supplies.After class,wedryandputawayutensils,

wipe counters, sweep floors andprepare theclass area for the next group.Assistants earnpoints used for discounts on future classesand are often invited to enjoy lunch or des-

sert “final exams”made by the professionalschool students.There is a large array of volunteer ac-

tivities available to those who are interest-ed. Sometimes a group seeks volunteerswho would benefit from learning newskills and are willing to work for free—which benefits the group.

“I have always been fascinated by lan-guage and appalled by statistics of howmuch illiteracy there is in affluent Mont-gomery County,” said Martin Shargel,a retired physician. Board-certified ininternal and geriatric medicine, Shargelhas been involved with the LiteraryCouncil of Montgomery County for the

past year. He works with a student onceor twice a week, meeting at public placessuch as libraries, and working to perfecthis student’s reading and writing skills.“She works hard,” said Shargel about hiscurrent student, a woman from Ethiopiawho has recently achieved citizenshipand wants to improve her competency in

FINDING NEW SATISFACTION IN

VOLUNTEERING

SIGN ME UP

PHOTO BY ROBIN BURKETT, COURTESY OF FAIRFAX PETS ON WHEELS

Ruth Benker of Fairfax Pets on Wheels Inc. and her dog Teddy visit long-term carefacilities and health centers in Fairfax County.


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English. “This is rewarding work,” saidShargel, “and I feel good doing it.”

For seniors in FairfaxCounty, the LiteracyCouncil of NorthernVirginia, a sister or-ganization (www.lcnv.org), has the samemission: “To teach adults the basic skillsof reading, writing, speaking and under-standing English in order to empowerthem to participate more fully and confi-dently in their communities.”Carolyn Shargel, who is Martin

Shargel’s wife, volunteers at a totally dif-ferent venue: theWhite House Office ofPresidential Correspondence (OPC).Nowin her fourth year with OPC, CarolynShargel reads emails sent to the presidentand forwards them for appropriate atten-tion. If someone needs help with an issue,the response includes a link to a website,or perhaps a letter will then be written by astaff person to address the issue.“I have known about this office for

years and always wanted to work here,”saidCarolyn Shargel,who volunteers oncea week for four to six hours.In existence since the early 1900s, the

OPC originally dealt with letters addressed

to theWhiteHouse.Nowemails are includ-ed, as are other types of communications tothe president, such as gifts to the first fam-ily and calls coming into theWhite House.Volunteers may also handle requests formilestone birthdays to be acknowledged.About 480 volunteers from Maryland,Virginia and the District work in OPCdepartments. “This is totally differentfrom every other part of my life and I loveit,” Carolyn Shargel said.

Elihu Leifer, a retired attorney, has beena volunteer with Food & Friends forabout five years.This nonprofit organiza-tion, founded in 1988, distributes mealsto people with HIV and AIDS, cancerand other serious illnesses. Approximate-ly once a month, Leifer and a colleaguepick up food at designated locations and

deliver food to addresses provided byFood & Friends, which is based inWash-ington, D.C. The organization deliversas far north as Hagerstown, Md., andas far south as Fredericksburg,Va., for atotal delivery area of nearly 5,300 squaremiles, according to the nonprofit’s web-site, foodandfriends.org.There is no eco-nomic qualification for recipients. “Thesepeople depend on us, and I enjoy chattingwith them,” said Leifer.

People who love animals can volunteerwith them to bring joy to the lives of thosewho are unable to take care of pets.“Some us who have lovable pets enjoy

sharing them with people living in nurs-ing homes and assisted living facilities,”said Ruth Benker, director of communi-cations and boardmember of Fairfax PetsonWheels Inc., which has been in exis-tence since 1987.Volunteers involved inthis program donate more than 8,000 petvisitation hours annually, according to theorganization’s website, FPOW.org. Ani-mal visitors are mostly dogs, but there are

HOW TO GET INVOLVED•Inova Fairfax Medical Campus3300 Gallows Road, Falls [email protected]

•Fairfax Pets on [email protected]

•Food & Friends219 Riggs Road, NE, Washington, D.C.Main number: [email protected] services: [email protected]

•L’Academie de Cuisine5021 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, Md.301-986-9490, ext. 303Emily Worth, volunteer [email protected]@lacademie.com

•Literacy Council ofNorthern Virginia2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church703-237-0866www.lcnv.orgSee VOLUNTEER, 17

"THIS IS REWARDINGWORK, AND I FEELGOOD DOING IT.”

- Martin Shargel, retired physician


SIGN ME UP

BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

F orget sitting on the sidelines. “Watching isn’t forme. I want to participate and create experiences.Table tennis lets me do that,” said Ernie Byles.As the 53-year-old Rockville resident prepares

to defend his table tennis titles at the Maryland SeniorOlympics in Pikesville this September and the NationalSenior Games inMinnesota in 2015, he pays homage toa sport that helped give him the courage and stamina tofight cancer and bring balance back to his life.Byles’ prostate cancer diagnosis five years ago forced

him to reevaluate his priorities.“When I found out aboutthe diagnosis, I decided I wanted to survive,” said the fa-ther of two, “and the key to survival is preparation … Iknew my immune system would be compromised andchallenged by the cancer and surgery, so I started think-ing about what would increase the probability of my sur-viving and recovering.”Table tennis, a vegetarian diet andstress reduction topped the list.Having watched older adults play at the Potomac

Community Recreation Center, Byles knew pingpongwas a lifelong sport. “They are 60, 70, 80 and still ableto compete.They may walk up to the table with somedifficulty but, once there, they are in control of the ball,”he said.“As you get older, yes, you can’tmove aswell, butyou can place the ball more; yes, you don’t have as muchpower, but you can change up the strategy. So at any age,you can play table tennis.”

And that holds true even for people who havenever played the game, according to Tom Norwood,president of the NorthernVirginia Table Tennis Club(NVTTC).“One of my favorite opponents started whenhe was around 55,” said theMcLean resident.Norwood, who played through college, returned to

the sport in 2003 when his sons gave him a pingpongtable for his birthday. “It rejuvenated my interest,” hesaid.And it helps him stay in shape.“If you play serious-ly,not just batting the ball in the basement, you put out alot of sweat and exercise a whole lot of muscles.And it’sgood for those of us who are aging, as there aren’t issues,like with weightlifting, with strains and such.”While anyone can join NVTTC, the membership is

predominantly made up of older adults.The club spon-sors five weekly drop-in practice sessions—Monday

TOP,PADDLES: JUPITERIMAGES/LIQUIDLIBRARY/THINKSTOCK. ABOVE: COURTESY OF ERNIE BYLES

A SPORT FOR A LIFETIMEu Seniors Reap the

Benefits of Pingpong

Table tennis champion Ernie Byles stands on stage during a medal parade at the 2013 National SeniorGames in Cleveland. Byles earned gold in men’s singles and mixed doubles and

earned a silver medal in the men’s doubles.


throughThursday from 5 to 8:45 p.m.; and Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arlington’s Madison Com-munity Center & Park—and newcomers are welcome.“We don’t have formal coaching, but we have somemembers who enjoy helping people learn the game,”Norwood said.Each weekday at 9 a.m., a group of men gathers at

the James Lee Senior Center in Falls Church,Va., to playpingpong. “There are various ages and skill levels, butthey make it work. And it gives them an opportunity tosocialize.That’s one of the biggest draws—the ability tosocialize,” said GregWilliams, the center’s director. AsFairfax County’s representative on the NorthernVirginiaSenior Olympics Committee,Williams encourages theplayers at his center to join the competition. “Last yearwe had five guys sign up, and they came back amazed,saying, ‘Wow, we really can compete.’”This year’s tabletennis competition is Sept. 18 at the Charles HoustonRecreation Center inAlexandria,Va.

The Maryland Senior Olympics came to Byles’attention a year after his cancer diagnosis.“It’s really hardto maintain the discipline of exercising unless you havesomething you’re working toward. I thought the gameswouldbe something cool to aim for and train for,”he said.

1883378

See PINGPONG, 18COURTESY OF ERNIE BYLES

Byles and his wife Woan-Yi Byles


TRAVEL

BY JIM MAHAFFIE

The problem is, in order to eat real Mainelobster and wild blueberry pie on therocky shores of Kennebunkport, BarHarbor and Nova Scotia, there are alot of hassles to go through to get there:

airports, parking, security, waiting at the gate, flying toMaine, rental cars, hotel reservations … not to mentionnavigating to the lobster pound.“It’s just so much trouble to travel these days,” said

Marian Cromley, 86, of Lake Barcroft. She recently re-turned from a trip to her home state of Oklahoma, andshe said all the waiting, red tape, delays and security“have taken a lot of the joy out of traveling.”Comfortable senior travel with no airports, no driv-

ing and no hotels is the idea behind the Easy BreezyLake BarcroftVillageTravel Group.InOctober 2013,Cromley joined17 residents,neigh-

bors and friends from Lake Barcroft on Easy Breezy’sfirst trip, an eight-day cruise on the Royal Caribbean’sGrandeur of the Seas from Port of Baltimore to Canadaand back.True to their mission, the travelers took a largevan from their homes to and from Baltimore.The shipwas their transportation and living quarters, and it tookthemup the coast to Portland,Maine,where they touredthe beautiful little seaside village of Kennebunkport. InBar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, the group wentashore in smaller boats and touredAcadia National Parkand then ascended Cadillac Mountain.

EASYBREEZYTRAVEL

No Airports, No Driving,No Hotels, No Hassle

ABOVE: LucieSeward joined theRoyal Caribbean’s

Grandeur of theSeas cruise from

Port of Baltimore toCanada and back.Behind Seward isthe rugged, rockycoastline of Mount

Desert Island inMaine.

RIGHT: Seward andher husband Ted

Seward, who waswith her on the

cruise, spotted thislighthouse.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUCIE AND TED SEWARD


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8.24.14

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUCIE AND TED SEWARD

Lucie and Ted Seward each posed with a sizable souvenirfrom a gift shop in Maine.

In Canada, the ship stopped at the cityof Saint John in New Brunswick on theBay of Fundy. It also docked in Halifax,an historic cultural center and the capitalof Nova Scotia.There the group toured apublic garden that dates to 1866, and sometravelers visited the Fairview Lawn Cem-etery, where more than 100 victims of theTitanic’s 1912 sinking are buried.

Easy Breezy’s Travel Agent RichardMeyer arranged for a block of eight ocean-view staterooms on the ship.The price was

$832 per person, and some people up-graded to balcony rooms.With the price ofshore trips, the bar bill and van transportadded in, the total cost was about $1,142per person. “That’s pretty cheap for aneight-day cruise,” said Cromley.

The cruising itself was fun, too, saidCromley, with beautiful fall weather anda huge, well-equipped ship to enjoy.TheGrandeur of the Seas accommodates up

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN CROMLEY

The Grandeur of the Seas is the cruise ship that took the Easy Breezycrew to Nova Scotia and back in October 2013.

See TRAVEL, 19


LIVING

BY ELLEN R. COHEN

Seniors who live at Tysons Towersenjoy comfortable, attractive apart-ments in a convenient location justoff Interstate 495 and Leesburg Pike

inVienna. Close toTysons Corner shopping,dining and entertainment, the building hasexcellent access to major roads and publictransportation.

“We have a good group of tenants here,”said general manager Rosslyn Long.

Tenants returned the compliment whentalking about the management. “I am verylucky to be here,” said Shirley Brown, whohas lived atTysonsTowers almost three years.

TysonsTowers is a federally subsidized se-nior community owned by Fairfax EducationAssociationRetirementHousingCorporationand managed by Polinger Shannon & LuchsCompany. The 37-year-old communitywas established “to offer a source of quality,

affordable housing for retired Fairfax Countyeducators and others eligible to reside at thecommunity.” Long said residents don’t haveto have been teachers. Eligibility includespeople with disabilities and those who are 62years or older, Long said.

The rent atTysonsTowers is based on ten-ants’ incomes. “What they pay is based on 30percent of their gross income,” said Long.

TheTysonsTowers building has six floors,with elevators at each end of the hall.Thereare 274 rental apartments: efficiencies (550square feet); one-bedroom units (602 squarefeet); and two-bedroom units (783 to 866square feet).

‘I AM JUST HAPPY TO LIVE HERE’Residents offer different reasons for mov-

ing toTysonsTowers. Some were attracted bythe location, some appreciated being close tofamily,while others liked the affordable rent.

Brown said she wanted a peaceful, quietplace when she downsized from herViennatownhouse. She lovedVienna, which was herhome for 17 years, and did not want to leavethe area. She has children in New Jersey andNorth Carolina. “I’m right between them,”Brown said.

She spoke highly of Tysons Towers’cleanliness and well-kept grounds. She saidshe also appreciated the railings in the hall-ways. Brown said she’s looking forward totaking computer courses andmaking an ap-pointment with the building’s hairdresser.She said she feels very safe atTysonsTowers.

Ruth Fortman moved to Tysons fromMichigan 14 years ago in order to be closerto family. She said the office help was “abso-lutely great. People would love it here.”

Lyudmila Naritsina, who lives atTysonsTowers with her husband Boris Naritsin,has been a tenant representative for threeyears, working with building directors andhelping to resolve tenant issues.

TYSONS TOWERS

INDEPENDENT

LIVINGin a Comfortable, Quiet Setting

PHOTOS BY BOB NAROD, COURTESY OF TYSONS TOWERS

Tysons Towers is a 37-year-old affordable housing communityfor seniors that boasts 274 units. Located in Vienna, it is

managed by Polinger, Shannon & Luchs Company.


1907987

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A Community Built Around You

14400 Woodmere Court Centreville, VA 20120

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Enjoy All That Life Has To OfferAt Forest Glen we combine the comfortsof home with the retirement lifestyle

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Naritsina came to the U.S. from Rus-sia 19 years ago in order to be closer toher children and grandchildren. She saidshe liked Tysons Towers’ fitness equip-ment and the computer room, which hasfive computers. She also spoke well of thebuilding’s management.

“We are just surprised by how muchthey do for us here,” Naritsina said. “It’shard to work with older people whodon’t speak English well. Rosslyn is verypatient with us. I am just happy to livehere,” she said.

Valdorise Ellis moved toTysonsTow-ers from Alexandria in May 2011. “Thecommunity was selected by my daugh-ter who lives in Annandale,” Ellis said. Awidow, she retired from the government,where she worked as a program assistantfor 30 years.

She said she likes the cleanliness of thebuilding, the friendliness of the residentsand the many available activities. An earlyriser, Ellis said she enjoyed the 9 a.m. exer-cise classes and the exercise room’s fitnessmachines. She said she particularly likedthe monthly residents’ birthday parties, theThanksgiving and Christmas dinners, thecrochet classes and bingo games.

INDEPENDENT LIVINGIn general, there are only a few couples

at TysonsTowers: 90 percent of the resi-dents are single. Long said the oldest resi-dent was 99.

ManQrngTong came to theU.S. fromChina and has been aTysonsTowers resi-dent for almost seven years, attracted byVirginia’s weather. She has a son in Con-necticut and a daughter in Ohio, but saidthose places were too cold.Tong lives at

Tysons Towers alone. She said that sheenjoys her independence.

“I help volunteer with party decora-tions and kitchen things. I enjoy Englishclasses here and at church,” said Tong,who also likes to sing opera. “I am verybusy and very happy.”

Long saidTysonsTowers staff can helpresidents in need of special services findhelp.The community has a full-time servicecoordinator who aids tenants with fuel as-sistance applications, Medicare issues andother services.

The apartments have fully equipped,all-electric kitchens—there is no meal planatTysonsTowers.Meals onWheels serviceis available for tenants who require it.

Transportation to the grocery store andother destinations is provided by FairfaxCounty’s Fastran service, Long said.Thereis also a public bus stop on the property.

Tysons Towers8500 Tyspring St., Vienna

703-281-2080tysonstowers.net

Apartments at Tysons Towerscome with fully equipped,

all-electric kitchens.


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HEALTH

M ore men over 55 and womenof all ages are getting melano-ma, the deadliest form of skin

cancer, according to the AARP. Thereare many ways to be physically activeoutdoors—swimming, gardening, walk-ing, dancing or playing tennis. No matterwhich activity you choose, be sure to playit safe in the sun. Go4Life has the follow-ing tips to keep your skin healthy:l Limit your time in the sun.Try to stay

out of it between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.when its rays are most potent. Don’tbe fooled by cloudy skies; the sun’srays pass right through them.You alsocan get sunburned if you’re in thewater, so be careful when in a pool,lake or the ocean.

l Under all circumstances, use sun-screen. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes be-fore you go outside. Use a sunscreenwith an SPF (sun protective factor) of15 or higher. It’s best to choose sun-

screens with “broad spectrum” on thelabel. “Water resistant” sunscreen stayson your skin even if you get wet orsweat a lot, but it isn’t waterproof.

l Reapply sunscreen about every twohours.You need to apply it even morefrequently if you’re swimming, sweat-ing or rubbing your skin with a towel.During application, pay special atten-tion to your face, nose, ears and shoul-ders. Your lips can burn as well, soapply lip balm with sunscreen.

l Wear protective clothing. A hat with awide brim can shade your neck, ears,eyes and head. Plus, look for sunglassesthat block 99 to 100 percent of thesun’s rays. If you have to be in the sun,wear a lightweight, long-sleeved shirtand long pants.

l Drink plenty of liquids, especially if it’shot outside.Water and fruit juices aregood options.Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

-National Institute on Aging

STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK

SUN SAFETYWhy It’s Critical for Older Adults


FINANCES

BY MALCOLM BERKO

Dear Mr. Berko: The grandmoth-ers and great-grandmothers at our bridgeclub were trying to select the most usefulbirthday gifts for our youngsters.We allagree that it’s a waste of money to buytoys,which aremostly plastic, or clothing,which is soon outgrown and often notmade in the U.S.We want to give a last-ing gift that could grow in value. None ofus have much money, but we’re thinkingabout buying a few shares of a good stockand reinvesting the dividends, which wehope would enable us to buy a few moreshares for other important events duringthe year.What stocks would you recom-mend, and how should we do this?

- EE,Syracuse,N.Y.

Dear EE: I earnestly applaud thiswonderful idea. Frankly, I believe thatour younger generation would be consid-erably better off if more folks would thinklike you gals. So many gifts are a stupidwaste of time, money and intentions—and are thoughtless, too.Common stocksare gifts that last a lifetime and also pro-vide a wonderful learning opportunity forthose youngsters who are lucky to havethoughtful, thinking grandfolks like youand your bridge club ladies.

Meanwhile, I’ve sent you a list ofstocks that I think your kids might enjoyowning. Each pays a decent dividend,and each company is an American iconthat the youngsters will readily recog-nize. Coca-Cola, General Electric, Pfizer,AT&T,McDonald’s,Microsoft Corpora-tion, Revlon, Mattel and Dow ChemicalCompany are a few classy issues that shouldcontinue to increase their revenues, earningsand dividends, and their well-known branded productsare easily identifiable.These stocks, each of which tradeson the NewYork Stock Exchange, will make great starterissues for your grandkids.They can easily follow the dailychanges in stock prices and read about economic eventsin the news that affect their companies. Best of all, they

can actually become owners of American industry.Thedividends can be reinvested quarterly, and each quarter,these companies will send the youngsters reports on howwell the stocks are doing. Once a year, the companieswill send the grandkids colorful annual reports discuss-ing their customers, their products and new products

being developed while summarizing theimportant company events of the pastyear.The presidents of these companieswill invite the juniors to their companies’annual meetings. It can be a fascinatingexperience to watch corporate autocracyat work. And many of those meetings areheld in NewYork City.

Now, none of the large brokeragefirms—such as Merrill Lynch, UBS,Morgan Stanley and Prudential—havethe slightest interest in helping you estab-lish a small account for grandkids.Theywill discourage this business and don’tcare to be bothered because this is anunprofitable transaction. Even if you doprevail at Merrill, UBS or any of the wirehouses, they’ll apply annual account feesbetween $50 and $100 a year, and com-mission costs that will exceed your sharepurchases. So, I suggest that you ringCharlie Schwab or Fidelity Investmentsor Vanguard to open an account underthe Uniform Gift to Minors Act.You’llthe grandkids’ Social Security numbers,and you’ll have to sign a boatload ofpapers (always paperwork), which maydrive you bonkers.Then you’re ready topurchase popular yet non-blue chip com-panies, such as Brinker International,Abercrombie & Fitch and Foot Locker.And if you enter the order personally onthe brokerage’s platform (without using arepresentative), the commission costs willbe only about $9. If you’re not computer-savvy, you can use the firm’s help desk,which can give you clear instructions.Use the children’s addresses so all themail will go to them.

Few companies still issue stock certifi-cates, so the brokerage will mail quarterly state-ments to the kids, showing the current share po-

sition plus the new fractional share positions acquired bythe quarterly dividend payments.

Malcolm Berko’s column,“Taking Stock,” can be foundat creators.com.

- Creators.com

COMMON STOCKS

MARILI FORASTIERI/GETTY IMAGES/THINKSTOCK

Giving grandkids the gift of


FINANCES

BY KRISTEN CASTILLO

If you’re terminally ill and need cash, you might con-sider a viatical settlement, which is selling your lifeinsurance policy to a third-party investor.“The life policy owner receives cash today in return

for transferring the face amount of the policy due on hisdeath to the investor,” said Ed Grebeck, CEO ofTempusAdvisors. “The cash settlement today is the face amount ofthe life policy,discounted over the years of the policyholder’sexpected death.”

The buyer becomes the beneficiary and has to pay thepremiums or else loses some of the investment. After theoriginal policy owner dies, the buyer collects the face valueof the policy.

“A viatical settlement typically means the client has lessthan one year to live, and the value of their policy increasesdramatically, sometimes as high as 80 percent of the faceamount,” explained Barry Waxler of Universal FinancialConsultants.

SETTLEMENT HISTORYViatical settlements rose to popularity during the 1980s,

when the AIDS epidemic surged. Many AIDS patients,who didn’t have traditional beneficiaries such as wives andchildren, had short life expectancies and wanted to cash inon their life insurance policies.

“In principle, policyholder sellers and investors are inconflict,” said Grebeck. “As life expectancies of AIDS andother terminally ill patients increased due to advances inmedicine, viatical settlement investor returns declined.”

PROS AND CONSThe good thing about viatical settlements is the tax-free

cash, whatWaxler said is considered an advance or a loanagainst the ultimate death benefit. “They can use that cashfor anything they want or need,with no restrictions,”he said.

The downside? Sellers and investors pay commissionson the transactions. Plus, when you opt for a viatical, you’reselling your policy at a deep discount.

“Many firms that buy viaticals prey on the terminally ill,and as such, see a desperate need for cash,” saidWaxler.

He suggested holding out for the death benefit, if pos-sible, or asking friends or family to loan you money, usingthe policy as collateral.

“This is done by using the carrier’s collateral assignmentforms, and the loan is paid at death at far more reasonableterms than the viatical institution will pay for them,”he said.

ALTERNATIVESViatical settlements can be risky deals and are not neces-

sarily the only option.One of Waxler’s clients recently contacted him about

selling her life insurance policy and using the money to payfor medical care not covered by her health insurance.Whenhe reviewed the policy,Waxler found an “accelerated deathbenefit” rider, which entitled the client to “an advance onthe death benefit of 25 percent of the face amount.”

The client was able to get $250,000 of tax-free benefitsto use right away, while she was still alive.

“Most people sell their policies while in a terminal statebecause of financial hardship,”saidWaxler.“If you check theaccelerated benefits riders that most policies come with, youmay find a better solution.”

BLESSING OR CURSE?Viatical settlements may seem morbid, but they’re often

a viable option for seniors in need of cash.

“All in all, a viatical can be a blessing to a family inneed, or it can be a curse, hinged on what the client needstoday,” saidWaxler. “A terminally ill patient, or their fam-ily, should always consult a financial planner to see all ofthe options available.”

The FederalTrade Commission offers consumers thefollowing advice:l Contact several viatical companies to make sure you’re

getting the best value.l Don’t be lured by high-pressure sales tactics.l Check with your state’s insurance regulators to make

sure your viatical company meets state licensing re-quirements.

l Confirm your viatical company isn’t planning to sellyour policy to a third party.

l Make sure the company will protect your privacy.l Consult with your attorney about probate and estate

implications.-Creators.com

TOP LEFT: HEMERA TECHNOLOGIES/ABLESTOCK.COM/THINKSTOCK; ABOVE: COMSTOCK/STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK

VIATICAL SETTLEMENTSSHOULD YOU SELL YOUR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY?

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tacts you make in the process [are] a verybig part of senior athletics and competi-tion,” he said.

When Wilson first joined the NVSOcommittee, the group had few resources.“We didn’t have the money behind it topurchase equipment like pingpong tables.We were using rickety tables and the verygood pingpong players didn’t want to playunder those conditions,” he said.

Things changed when Massabny cameon board,Wilson said. A tireless worker,she’s been the key to getting more spon-sors, and as a result, more funding.

In addition to helping organize thegames, Wilson, who recently broke histhumb playing softball, is the event direc-tor for basketball and pickleball. His bas-ketball team, the Virginia Creepers 75+,has competed in the Maryland, Virginiaand Delaware state Senior Olympics, aswell as the national games.The Creepers

boasts a fellow septuagenarian and well-known crooner: Pat Boone. AlthoughBoone lives in Beverly Hills, he travels toplay with the team for the annual nationalsenior games.

Boone is a friend of Creepers’ teammember Jim Martin. He’s also the nation-al spokesman for Martin’s 60 Plus Asso-ciation, a conservative lobbying group forolder adults. When he’s in town visitingpal Martin, Boone will play some pickupball with the team.

In the end, though, it’s not all aboutwinning, according to Massabny. “It’sabout getting out there and trying anddoing your best and having fun,” she said.

Competitors make it a family affair,bringing their spouses, children and grand-children along to cheer them on.

For more information, call 703-228-4721 or email [email protected]. Re-sults and photos from last year can be seenon the website at nvso.us.

OLYMPICS, continued from 5

“a few extraordinary cats and some verysoft bunnies,” said Benker, who goes onvisits with her dogTeddy, a Cavalier KingCharles spaniel.

Most Fairfax Pets on Wheels volun-teers are from Fairfax County. Many areseniors who typically go to long-term carefacilities and other care centers for adults.Volunteers are encouraged to visit once aweek, but at least once a month. “Evenresidents with memory issues rememberthe pets and look forward to the visit andthe joy that animals bring,” said Benker.

Hospitals have a big need for volunteersto help with a variety of programs andtasks. A volunteer frees up a professionalfor more specialized work.

“Inova Fairfax Medical Campus has avery active volunteer program,” said AnneCoffey, director of volunteer services. “Ourprogram is over 50 years old.We have 20to 25 different assignments for volunteers,who will number about 1,100 by the endof the summer.” Assignments include er-rands around the hospital, hands-on workand clerical work, such as filing patient lit-erature prior to an initial appointment for aprocedure. “Volunteers in the cardiovascu-lar operating room pre-op area help patientsget ready for surgery and provide supportto patients who have completed surgery,”said Coffey.“These volunteers have had thistype of surgery, so their insights and experi-ences are valuable.”

Other volunteers work in the newbornnursery doing non-medical tasks such asfeeding and holding babies, and changingtheir diapers.Volunteers in the pediatric unitease children’s anxieties, helping to distractand settle fearful little patients. “We alsohave three thrift shops in the communityand three gift shops on campus,” said Cof-fey. “Those volunteers make an enormouscontribution by working to raise funds forthe hospital.”

Sandi Goldman started a crafts programfor high-risk pregnant patients at Inovaabout three-and-a-half years ago.Her groupnow has a number of seniors who teachwomen on bed rest how to quilt, knit, cro-chet and scrapbook. “This program lendsitself to all ages,” said Goldman, who alsoteaches quilting at theWorkhouseArts Cen-ter in Lorton. She volunteers four to fivehours a week, seeing two to eight patientseach day. “Numbers vary from week toweek,” said Goldman, noting that some ofthe women can be at the hospital for fourmonths or longer.

Esther Mensh said she has been “doinga little bit of everything” as a volunteer atInova for 28 years. Active in patient sup-port services, she performs hospital errands,transports items between departments,pushespeople inwheelchairs,escorts peopleto tests and carries flowers. “No two daysare ever alike,”said Mensh,who works four-hour shifts twice a week.She said she enjoysgiving back: Her husband was a patient atInova. “I look forward to my Mondays andmyWednesdays,” she said.

VOLUNTEER, continued from 7


As he trained, however, Byles realized thathis vision presented a problem. Due toeye surgery in his youth, it now took sev-eral hours after awakening for his sight tostabilize.While competing at the NationalSenior Games,Byles would wake at 4 a.m.so that his vision would be stable enoughto play by 9 a.m. “What I realized is thatyou have to acknowledge your limitationsbut not accept that you are limited bythem … So I began to listen to the bounceof the ball instead of focusing on just see-ing the ball.That helped my timing.”

Pingpong has been a game changerthroughout Byles’ life. He and his threebrothers began playing as kids at theYMCA in Kingston, Jamaica. “Mymom wanted to keep us busy and off the

streets,” he said. By 1973, when pingpongdiplomacy found its way to the Caribbeanisland, Byles had honed his skills to thepoint that he was one of 20 selected forthe national team.The work was hard—hetrained four hours a day for four years—but it paid dividends. “In Jamaica, it wasdifficult to go from one social class to an-other,” Byles said. “One of the ways wasthrough sports. Representing your coun-try in table tennis enabled you to have op-portunities you wouldn’t otherwise have.”

After immigrating to the U.S. withhis family in 1979, Byles continued totrain and play in world-class tournamentswhile working and going to college.Thatchanged when he married. “At 32, I de-cided to focus all of my energies and thediscipline I had gained from table tennison this new phase in my life—being a fa-

ther and husband,” he said. Still, he didn’tabandon the sport. “Someone told me ifyou love something, don’t give it up com-pletely,” he said.“So, for 19 years I playedevery Sunday night for two hours.”

Then came his cancer diagnosis. And,if that wasn’t enough, Byles’ NationalSenior Games travel partner, his dad, de-veloped a brain tumor. In the course oftreating that tumor, which was benign,doctors uncovered a lump in his father’slung, which was cancerous.

“The bad news was that he couldn’tgo with me to Ohio.The good news wasthat he was able to survive,” said Byles.“Sometimes bad things happen that turnout to be good. Even with my own can-cer, the long-term effect might be good ifI can tell my story and, as a result, peoplemake different choices.”

Pingpong:

PLACES TO PLAYMany community and senior centersthroughout Fairfax and Montgom-ery counties offer recreational ping-pong programs. In addition, severalprivate groups (listed below) offerpractice sessions or instruction.

FAIRFAX COUNTYl NORTHERN VIRGINIA TABLETENNIS CENTER4264-C Entre Court, Chantilly571-354-5667novattc.com

l NORTHERN VIRGINIA TABLETENNIS CLUBPlays at the MadisonCommunity Center & Park3829 N. Stafford St., Arlingtonnvttc.org

MONTGOMERY COUNTYl CLUB JOOLA ROCKVILLE4931 Wyaconda Road,Rockville, Md.301-881-3401clubjoola.com

l MARYLAND TABLE TENNISCENTER18761 N. Frederick Ave.,Gaithersburg, Md.301-519-8580mdttc.com

l POTOMAC COUNTRY TABLETENNIS CLUBPlays in two locations:- Clara Barton NeighborhoodRecreation Center7425 MacArthur Blvd.,Cabin John, Md.- Potomac CommunityRecreation Center11315 Falls Road, Potomac, Md.pcttc.net

PINGPONG, continued from 9

Ernest Byles with his mother, Pat Byles, and father, Ernest Byles Sr. Byles said his father was his travel partnerand one of his biggest table tennis supporters. But a bout with cancer prevented Ernest Byles Sr.

from joining his son at the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland.

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to 2,000 travelers with a crew of more than700.The luxury ocean liner offers a theater,bars, restaurants, entertainment, swimmingpools, a hot tub, a casino and more.Thecruise made traveling, well, easy breezy.

“Some of our people need help trav-eling,” said Cromley. “None of us reallywant to drive to destinations either or dealwith airports and hotels.This way, it’s somuch easier.”

For Cromley, though, the high point ofthe trip was a sunrise. “I fulfilled a lifelongdream,” she said. “I saw not one, but two,emerald green flashes at a dawn sunriseover the north Atlantic.”

Cromley has lived in Lake Barcroft formore than 50 years. She said she didn’t ac-tually create the group,but she is the brainsof the outfit, stirring up interest with flyersand recruiting Meyer to handle bookings.“It all started because I had been on pre-vious cruises as a couple, and we enviedthe happy, laughing groups of friends,” shesaid. “So I decided to try to put together

a ‘table for eight.’We ended up with twotables for eight.” “Easy Breezy” came fromher son’s beach house of the same name inCape Hatteras off North Carolina.

This September, she plans to get LakeBarcroft residents and others together fora trip on the Potomac River on the Odys-sey, a large riverboat that sails from theGangplank Marina on the Washington,D.C., waterfront and offers scenic views ofmonuments, as well as brunch, lunch, din-ner and dancing and live music. In January2015, Easy Breezy is headed out of Port ofBaltimore to Bermuda on another cruise.

Lake BarcroftVillage is a nonprofit or-ganization established to allow senior resi-dents of the community to age in place witha variety of support services and programs.The concept of“Neighbors Helping Neigh-bors” is a national movement, and the vil-lage helps members with errands, transpor-tation, household maintenance and otherservices. As part of the social, cultural andeducational aspect of Lake Barcroft, Crom-ley said her travel group is an important partof the village’s mission.

TRAVEL, continued from 11

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCIE AND TED SEWARD

ABOVE: LakeBarcroft is hometo many membersof the Easy Breezytravel group.

LEFT: Lucie Sewardin Bar Harbor,Maine

PHOTO BY J. LARRY GOLFER PHOTOGRAPHY


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iscover why many people like you have come to call the Hermitage home—thechance to experience a new lifestyle with an array of services and amenities.Just ask resident John Mutchler, who appreciates the freedom from home

maintenance and the opportunity to participate in clubs and social activities. Ourresidents also rave about our superb dining service, our courteous and helpful staff, andan overall feeling of caring and security that comes with living at the Hermitage.

You’ll also gain peace of mind knowing that health care and supportive services areavailable right here, if you ever need them.

For more information, call 703-797-3814.

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