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Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ Senior Living Spring 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ Senior Living Spring 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Little Theatre of Alexandria600 Wolfe Street • 703-683-0496

www.thelittletheatre.com

APRIL 22 - MAY 13, 2017 JUNE 3-24, 2017

By Eden Brown

The Connection

Mike Oliver says he re-tired in 2000; he andhis wife, Linda, spend

364 days a year doing good things.They work with ALIVE(ALexandrians Involved Ecumeni-cally) and St. Clement’s Church,and in November and December,Mike takes advantage of his natu-rally twinkly eyes to bring joy tochildren in the area embodyingSanta Claus. But on the 365th day,he says, they do something reallyamazing: they save lives. Theyspend six hours filling small sand-wich baggies with rehydrationsalts and sugars at the Temple BethEl Synagogue, along with othervolunteers, many of them over 55.

Bobbi Gershman, who overseesthe project, says she got less of aturnout this year than last. Theywill only be able to package about15,000 sachets of rehydrationsalts. She likes it better when theroom is overflowing and she getsnumbers like 20,000 sachets; butevery little bit helps, she says. ForGershman, it’s almost a full timejob to run the event, and everyyear when she starts out, she feelsit is too much work for her. Butwithin weeks she is energized bythe thought of what a differencethey are making somewhere in theworld, and by the time the daycomes, and she puts in a reallylong day from about 7 a.m. to 6p.m., she is motivated to do itagain another year.

Flo Broussard, 88, who lived inArlington from 1960 until fouryears ago when she moved toGoodwin House, said she is a life-long volunteer. She has volun-teered for WETA, The WhiteHouse, Alexandria Hospital, andseveral other organizations beforeshe “retired” to Goodwin House,where she volunteers, both doingplantings and making crafts forsale to benefit local charities, butalso doing things like this rehydra-tion project.

Gershman said she hopes shegets more volunteers next year:she will have to return a lot of salt.Sponsors for the event were BethEl Brotherhoods, Beth El ReligiousSchool Children, ImmanuelChurch on the Hill, Rabbi’s GoodDeed Fund, and Harris Teeter.

To volunteer next April, checkthe Temple Beth El ALexandriawebsite, or join ALIVE,www.ALIVE.org.

How toSave aLife

Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ Senior Living Spring 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Senior Living

See Hollin Hills, Page 5

By John Byrd

Two years ago, Jeff and JennyHerre, both retired, were livingin a five-level townhouse in OldTown Alexandria with a view of

the river. Long-term residents, they weresatisfied with all the house had to offer.They collected art and fine furniture andtheir periodic renovations over several yearshad extended all the way to the attic.

As they approached their 70s, however,they questioned how much effort theywanted to expend getting from room toroom.

“We were wondering aloud whether we’dstill want to be climbing five flights of stairsin 10 years,” Jeff Herre said. “That’s whenwe began thinking about downsizing, andways we might concentrate our primary liv-ing needs on one level.”

As the research got under way, Jeff Herresaw that cost would inevitably play a rolein their choices. One-level structures in andaround Old Town were appreciably beyondthe family budget. Looking further out oftown, the options boiled down to: a) pur-chase a ready-to-occupy home which wouldcome at a higher price; or b) find an olderhome with renovation potential that couldbe shaped into a place brimming with per-sonal style.

The latter course would entail finding a

creative design/build team with whom onecould collaborate closely.

After assessing available northern Virginiaproperties for several months, a Realtor in-troduced the Herres to a home in HollinHills, a community of some 450 houses inHybla Valley. Hollin Hills is renowned inarchitectural circles — even listed in thehistoric record as one of the first communi-ties in the U.S. to feature modern architec-ture exclusively, mid-century modern inparticular.

“In the 1950s, most progressive modernhomes were owner-commissioned,” saidRoger Lataille, a design consultant at SunDesign Remodeling. “But Hollin Hills wasan entire development focused on the ad-vanced architectural concepts that emergedafter World War II.”

Part of the enduring appeal was that ar-chitect Charles Goodman and landscapearchitect Dan Kiley had sited each HollinHills residence to maximize privacy. Eventhough lots are seldom more than one acre,it’s difficult for your neighbor to see youfrom their house, and vice versa.

“We loved the wooded setting right away,”said Jeff Herre. “The problem was, thehouse itself didn’t look like anything we’d

want to live in.”For starters, there were the obstructed

sight lines starting from the front entrance.Walking in, one looked left at interior dry-wall that defined the parameters of a 10-foot-by-10-foot galley kitchen. To the im-mediate right, a floor-to-ceiling exposedbrick hearth with a masonry niche designedfor firewood. To the left, a floor-to-ceilingbookcase and an odd chandelier. Straightahead, an open stairwell descending toground level.

Further back, a door leading to the mas-ter suite, which included the original 70-square-foot tile-clad bathroom. Two closetsless than two feet deep provided the onlywardrobe accommodation.

While floor-to-ceiling windows dominat-ing the eastern and western wall elevationsboasted a dramatic view of surroundingwoodland, the Herres also soon learned thatmuch of the glazing was single pane.

Herre’s question for Lataille from the startwas right to the point: “Can you make thechanges we want within our budget?”

Topping Herre’s wish-list: an open planwith places for art display that will workwell for entertaining; design that allows the

In 1950s, Hollin Hills was a mecca for cutting-edge housing design; 60 years later,mid-century modern is a resurgent style ripe for nuanced improvements.

Mid-Century Classic for Artful One-level Living

The cooktop island

and diningcounter of

the newopen

kitchenplan. Light

mapleShaker-

stylecabinets

combinedwith

quartzCaesar-

stonecountersurfaces

reinforcethe ambi-ance of a

roomsur-

roundedby

windows.

At slightly over 900 square feet, the primary living area the Herre’sremodeled home in Hollin Hills is comparatively small. But designerJon Benson’s wall elevations employ texture and color that make thespace feel expansive.

Photos by Greg Hadley


TUESDAY/APRIL 11Garden Experts Answer Questions. 11 a.m.-

noon in Simpson Park Demonstration Gardens,420 E. Monroe St. Stop by and chat with the VCEMaster Gardeners who maintain the SimpsonPark Demonstration Gardens and see what isspringing to life. Visit mgnv.org for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 15Country-Western Dance. 6-9:30 p.m. at the at

Lincolnia Senior Center, 4710 North ChamblissSt. A DJ provides music. Couples and singleswelcome. $10; non-members $12. Visitwww.nvcwda.org or call 703-860-4941 for more.

TUESDAY/APRIL 18Lions Club. 6:30 p.m. at Pema’s restaurant, 8430

Richmond Highway. The Mount Vernon EveningLions dinner meeting speaker will give tips onusing Uber. Call Andrea Corsillo 703-960-4973

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 19Antiques Club. 7 p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center,

1500 Shenandoah Road. Free, public invited. TheAlexandria/Mount Vernon Antiques Club willfeature Mary B. Gallagher, the author of “My Lifewith Jackie Kennedy,” for whom she worked asher secretary for a number of years. Call 703-360-4979 for more.

FRI, APRIL 21Third Friday Dance. 7:30–9:30 p.m., Room 112

at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 ShenandoahRoad. The performers are with the MountVernon Swing Band under the leadership ofOwen Hammett. $4. Visitwww.hollinhallseniorcenter.org or call 703-765-4645 for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 22Garden Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at at the

Alexandria Visitors Center, 221 King St. Themembers of the Garden Club of Alexandria andThe Hunting Creek Garden Club are sponsoringa tour of five homes in Old Town. $45 inadvance, $55 day of tour. Visitwww.vagardenweek.org for more.

SUNDAY/APRIL 30Ballet Performance: “Cinderella.” Three

seatings: noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. GeorgeWashington Masonic National Memorial, 101Callahan Drive. $12. Visitmetropolitanarts.org/ for more.

Photo contributed

This garden at 607 Cameron Street is one stop on Old Town’s GardenTour, starting April 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at at the Alexandria Visitors Cen-ter, 221 King St. The members of the Garden Club of Alexandria and TheHunting Creek Garden Club are sponsoring tour of five homes in OldTown. $45 in advance, $55 day of tour. Visit www.vagardenweek.org formore.

Senior Living


couple to mainly live on one level; a mas-ter bath with a walk-in shower and a newpowder room; additional storage; a visu-ally compelling interior design; replacementof single pane windows with insulateddouble-ply thermal glass.

“There have been significant develop-ments in open floor plan design in recentyears,” Lataille said. “Part of this is drivenby demand: more people want spaces thatallow for both privacy and easy interaction.Part are options made possible by improv-ing technologies. For instance, a reversedowndraft vent incorporated into a cook topworks well for homeowners who want tokeep the kitchen open, unobstructed by ahood hanging from the ceiling.”

This is one factor that has made a kitchen-centric floorplan a popular option for ahome’s primary living space, and offered apractical solution for amateur chef JennyHerre, who enjoys regaling guests with heroriginal dishes while otherwise fully engag-ing in the party all around her.

“We thought an open kitchen would re-ally work in this house,” Jeff Herre said, “butwe needed to see well-developed ideas be-fore moving forward with the purchase.”

Enter Jon Benson, Sun Design’s lead de-signer, and a master craftsman with severalpublished books on woodworking to hiscredit.

“When you’re removing kitchen walls, thegoal is to develop a space plan that meetsall functional requirements, yet really sup-ports the room aesthetically,” Benson said.“That’s why it’s important to design eleva-tions that present an appropriate combina-tion of color, texture and tone. When this isdone correctly, walls tends to be less neces-sary — and an open plan can work well.”

On this score, Benson designed a cook topisland and dining counter perfectly posi-tioned between the dining room and theseating area around the fireplace.

Light maple Shaker-style cabinet facingscombined with quartz Caesarstone countersurfaces present clean lines and reinforcethe light, accessible ambiance of a roomsurrounded by windows.

Nearby, Benson’s re-designed hearth fea-tures America Palisades ceramic tile. Dark

gray, the floor-to-ceiling vertical claddingpresents an offsetting visual anchor in acomposition otherwise comprised of lightpastels.

The dining room table, in easy reach ofthe new island, is a stylized mid-centurydesign.

To complement the play of light through-out the house, frosted glass doors are em-ployed throughout the first level, includingto the entrance to the lower level which isnow enclosed.

A larger walk-in shower and double-van-ity have replaced the existing former bathand there are walk-in closets adjoining thebedroom.

Collectibles from India, Lebanon and Bra-zil are now on view in Benson-designed dis-play spaces.

“This really feels like our home now,” saidJeff Herre. “We’ve made the transition wewanted, and are pleased with it.”

From Page 3

Senior LivingHollin Hills

“We were wonderingaloud whether we’dstill want to beclimbing five flights ofstairs in 10 years.That’s when we beganthinking about …ways we mightconcentrate ourprimary living needson one level.”

— Jeff Herre

Sun Design Remodeling frequently sponsorsdesign and remodeling seminars as well as toursof recently remodeled homes. Sun Design willbe sponsoring an open house in a recently re-modeled home on April 29 and 30 from 11a.m.to 5 p.m. daily. For more information:www.SunDesignInc.com

John Byrd has been writing about homeimprovement for 30 years.

([email protected])

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Gazette PacketAlexandria


whereseniors ages62 and better

enjoyrewardinglifestyles inthe heart

of Alexandria

THE CREMATION GARDENS AT IVY HILL CEMETERYFour new gardens set in 22 acres

of natural beauty for paying tribute to a loved one.

www.ivyhillcemetery.net

703.549.74132823 King St. Alexandria, VA 22302

Keeping Alexandria’s heritage since 1856Ground burial sites also available

[email protected]

Senior Living

By Shirley Ruhe

The Connection

Dark clouds and heavy raindidn’t deter the 9 1/2tables of duplicate bridge

players from showing up at Madi-son Senior Center in Arlington onFriday, March 31. Complete si-lence envelops the room as fur-rowed brows concentrate on thecards in their hands. An occasional“both of the kings are off” or “Iknew I should have stayed home”penetrates the silence.

Mike Zane, coordinator of thegroup and an American ContractBridge League (ACBL) certified di-rector said, “we’ve been going ...well, it’s got to be at least 10years.” Zane said that bridge wasbig in the 1930s-60s. “If you watchany old film, even a war film, you’dsee a bridge game. Even IanFleming played the Earl of Sand-wich in a James Bond film. But,”

Bridge Sharpens Skills

Duplicate bridge players concentrate on their next moveat the regular ACBL-sanctioned games held Friday morn-ings at Madison Senior Center.

he continued, “it’s lost its flavor.”Zane said it used to be that in

the military academies the two re-quired extracurricular classes wereballroom dancing and bridge, twoimportant social skills.

Zane looks around the room andpulls out a long computer sheet ofnames. He explains each playerhas 13 cards and you play with apartner against the other two play-ers at your table. The highest cardwins. Each table will rotate andplay the same set of cards. The ob-ject is 24 hands or 24 problems tosolve. “It’s the easiest game in theworld.” Zane says he started play-ing bridge because his mother, fa-ther, and sister played. “Bridgetakes four people.”

Zane said European high schoolsrequire every student to takebridge. “I am interested in gettingbridge into schools in America.That’s the only way it will survive.”


Senior Living

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

At 7 a.m. each weekday, a groupof Del Ray seniors meet atStarbucks to embark on a brisk,45-minute walk. The women re-

turn to their starting point for coffee andconversation. Their goal is to stay active andsocially engaged

“Even those of us who’ve never exercisedand aren’t necessarily fit enjoy our walks,”said Joyce Herrington, one of the groupmembers. “It’s mostly social and we enjoyit. The fact that we’re getting some exer-cise is a bonus.”

Late last month, representatives fromGo4Life, a program created by the NationalInstitute on Aging (NIA), held a pilot work-shop in Potomac, Md., that was designedto test methods for motivating older adultsto increase their physical activity. Workshopparticipants were from Potomac Commu-nity Village, one of several Go4Life partnerorganizations of seniors who are helping todesign strategies to engage seniors in exer-cise programs.

Sheila Moldover, Potomac CommunityVillage Communications Chair believes thatlocal seniors can benefit from Go4Life.

“We’re going to include some easy andsimple flexibility, balance and strength ex-ercises at each of our Potomac CommunityVillage meetings, and distribute Go4Lifematerials to our members, including tothose who are already exercising,” she said.“We want to encourage everyone to pay at-tention to their balance, flexibility andstrength as well as to endurance. We seethat as enabling us to age in place, to thrivein place, and be healthy and active.”

Go4Life, an exercise and physical activ-ity campaign from the National Institute onAging (NIA) at the National Institutes ofHealth (NIH), is designed to help those whoare over 50 incorporate exercise and physi-cal activity into their daily lives.

“We want people to know that it’s nevertoo late to start an exercise program, andwe focus on four types of exercise: strength,endurance balance and flexibility,” said

“Cardiovascular exercises should be donemost days of the week for a minimum of20-30 minutes,” she said. “Walking, swim-ming, cycling, dancing, hiking and any ac-tivity that uses your large muscles in a con-tinuous movement will increase your heartrate and improve circulation.”

Stretching and moving your jointsthrough their range of motion will keep thejoints lubricated and less stiff. “Stretchingwill also help decrease pain and stiffness inthe back, neck, hip and feet,” said Thomp-son. “For the sportsman it will increase yourpower and ability to improve your followthrough motion. For the hiker, it will let youlift your arms and legs higher. You canstretch daily. Yoga and dance are activitieswhich focus on stretching.”

Improved muscular strength and endur-ance will allow you to do everyday taskswith less energy with less chance of injury,advises Thompson. “Leg strength will en-able you to walk faster, get up and downfrom chairs with more ease,” she said. “Forresistance, [you can use] hand weights, re-sistance bands, weight machines, waterwalking and exercise or your own bodyweight. Resistance training should be donetwo-three times a week working the majormuscles.

Stephanie Dailey of the Go4Life programat the NIA. “It’s important that they’re do-ing all four components. Older adults cangain a lot from exercising. In fact, peoplehave a lot more to lose by not exercisingthan by starting exercising.”

WHEN BEGINNING an exercise program,Dailey recommends guidelines establishedby the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention.

“About 150 minutes per week of moder-ate activity is recommended for adults,” shesaid. “If you are going to start a fitness pro-gram, see your doctor first.”

For older adults exercise is important formaintaining function, physical strength andfitness, managing and preventing diseases,improving your mood and giving you moreenergy.

In spite of a popular misconception, olderadults can gain strength and improve their

muscles with these exercises, says personaltrainer Christian Elliot, CEO, Founder TRUEHealth and Wholeness in Arlington, Va. “Iwork with people who are in their 60s, 70s,80s and 90s and I’ve never met a personwho couldn’t improve their fitness,” he said.“We’re not going to stop aging, but you cancertainly slow it.”

Elliot recalls a client who was in her late50s who didn’t have a history of physicalfitness, but wanted to get in shape. “Shehas hit some of the most phenomenal mile-stones, like being able to hold a 12-minuteplank, do 50 push-ups and five push-upson one arm,” he said.

For those who are new to fitness, there isgood news. “There’s a lot of evidence thatmiddle age is a great time to get fit,” saidJulie Ries, Ph.D, professor of physicaltherapy at Marymount University. “Youwant to be active and healthy in your middleage so that will keep dementia at bay in

Exercises for strength, endurance,balance and aerobics are key.Fit for the Golden Years

Members of a CommunityVillage attend a workshopon the Go4Life program,which was designed to helpthose who are over 50incorporate exercise andphysical activity into theirdaily lives.

Photo by Sheila Moldover

“The most important thing is to find an exerciseor activity that you enjoy. If you enjoy what youare doing, you will be more likely to continue.”

— Susan P Thompson, Ph.D., Northern Virginia Community College.

For More Learn more about Go4Life at go4life.nia.nih.gov.

By Eden Brown

The Connection

More than a half-dozen localwomen recently answeredthe question: What can yousay about retirement? Jamie

Usrey, who was a teacher in the ArlingtonCounty Public School system for 20 years,is hardly letting a lot of grass grow underher feet.

She said, “I feel a little embarrassed whenI say I am retired when I look at people whoare still working hard … like Hillary Clinton.I am enjoying being able to be outside more— biking, playing tennis, working in theyard, going for walks with friends and tak-

ing more trips to see national parks wherewe can hike through the beauty of nature. Ihave more time to exercise … love thosezumba classes … and read. ... I do want tofind a way to be more helpful in makingour government work better ... next week.”

Jan Heininger says she is “happier thanever with even more travel, near daily longbike rides, daily mile swims in the summer,and far more time for reading ... I also getto spend far more time at our beach housewhere I can more easily avoid politics.”

Ruth Neikirk said: “Retire? I never didretire. I stay busy. It’s good to stay busy.”

Karen Smagala said: “I’m busier than Iever have been since retirement, and I’menjoying life so much more. My blood pres-

Women in Retirement? Busier than Eversure went down when I stopped working. Ido the Master Gardener program and I workat the library in the tool shed.”

Sheridan Collins said: “Busier than ever!Docenting at the Textile Museum providescontinuing education for the brain, tennisand gym keep me fit, and this year moretime on politicking helps maintain a healthyattitude. And then there’s grandmotheringrequiring lots of travel. All good!”

Mary Lanaras said: “Retirement is like:everyday is a snow day!” Lanaras workedto home school her children until middleschool and helped her husband, Charles,with his real estate business.

Joanna Cameron said: “Retirement is justa word signifying that your priorities have

shifted to ones that are all about enjoyingwhat you love, getting outside more andrelishing the things that make you happy.Staying in motion above all.”

And then there are people like FloBroussard, 88, an Arlington resident from1960 until she moved to Goodwin House afew years ago: she responded by saying:“Retirement? I’m a lifelong volunteer. I havevolunteered for WETA, The White House,Alexandria Hospital, and several other or-ganizations. Then when I ‘retired’ toGoodwin House, I still volunteer, doingplantings and making crafts for sale to ben-efit local charities.”

And there she was on April 2 at the Rehy-dration Salts project at Temple Beth El.

your old age. Exercise is not onlyfor your physical health, but alsoyour cognitive health.”

A well-rounded exercise pro-gram should include exercises thatfocus on aerobic exercise, flexibil-ity, muscular strength and muscu-lar endurance, and balance, saysSusan P Thompson, Ph.D., assis-tant dean, Health Physical Educa-tion at Northern Virginia Commu-nity College.

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