gazette seniors 012815

2 Gazette SENIORS | January 2015 Gazette.Net

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Gazette.Net January 2015 | Gazette SENIORS 3

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Tiffany Arnold

Lorraine Walker, Anna Joyce

Karen Finucan ClarksonEllen R. CohenScott HarrisKate McDermott

Dennis Wilston

Anna Joyce

Celeste Polster

Ellen Pankake

Ashby Rice

GAZETTE

SENIORS

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SIGN ME UP

BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

F our frames into what could have become a perfect game,JeromeWest leaves a pin standing. Fellow bowlers commiser-ate, shaking their heads. But afterWest takes down the re-maining pin, earning a spare, there are high fives all around.

“All the people here are so nice,” said the 52-year-old Gaithersburgresident. “You can’t find a more supportive group.”

EachMonday,West and about 20other older adults gather atBowlAmerica in Gaithersburg for an afternoon of fun and camaraderie.Known as Senior Pin Busters, the weekly program is in its sixth year.“We’re not here for averages but to get some exercise and socialize,”said PamTruxal, recreation program supervisor for the City of Gaith-ersburg Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.Although ad-ministered by the city, Senior Pin Busters is open to anyone 50 orolder.The $8.60 fee covers three games and includes ball usage, shoerental and light snacks.

On a coldMonday in November,West is hot.He bowls a 231, 200and 219—a perfect game is 300—all better than his 190 average. Butasmuch as he enjoys bowlingwell,West said he likes helping others im-prove their game.“It was great when my buddy Ed finally got his 200game,” saidWest, calling 200 a milestone. “He’s tried different things,and they finally came together.”

Ed Forrest, 70, has been bowling for about 18 months. He bowlsfor fun and appreciates the support of his fellowPinBusters.“Everyonecheers for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have a bad game.This isn’ta competition,” said theGaithersburg resident.

Some older adults do bowl competitively, including Jerome L. Jack-son, who has won medals at the NorthernVirginia Senior OlympicsandVirginia Senior Games.The 66-year-old Fairfax,Va., resident beganbowling in 1973,but after joining themilitary,games became fewand farbetween. “There were so many things going on in my work life that Ididn’t get an opportunity to do the fun stuff,”he said.“I started to bowlmore regularly in 2011, after I retired… I wanted to fill the time withsomething that’s happy and good for you.”While his highest score, a269,came in the1970s,Jacksonhasbowleda236 sincehis return to thesport four years ago.“I carry an average of about 165.”

STRIKE!STRIKE!OLDERADULTSTAKE TO

THE LANES

PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK


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“If I weren’t bowling, I’d probably bewatching the boob tube,” saidAudrey Huth-waite, a 65-year-old resident fromSpringfield,Va.“It getsmeoff the couch and allowsme tocatch up with friends andmeet new people.”Huthwaite,who began bowling with her par-ents as a child, has played in an Annandale,Va., leaguewith co-workers from theDefenseInformationSystemsAgencyfor fourdecades.“It amazes me when I think back and realizehow manyTuesday nights that is.” A goldmedalist in the2014NorthernVirginiaSeniorOlympics, Huthwaite carries a 160 average.“Bowling is very humbling and somewhatchallenging.You can bowl a 150 game andthen, in the next game,you can’t hit 100.”

That doesn’t mean it’s difficult tolearn, even later in life. Kathy Kelley hadbowled just once before her husband con-vinced her to join Pin Busters. “There al-ways are people willing to give you tips andadvice,” said the 68-year-oldGermantownresident. “I’m not very coordinated, so ittook me a while to get the hang of it. Eventoday I’m not great. But, I like the sportand there’s such wonderful camaraderie.”

Jim Kelley, Kathy’s husband, is the onlyoriginal Pin Buster still bowling.He’s some-one others turn to for advice.“When I start-ed bowling, I worried about my score.Now,I worry about everyone else’s,” said 71-year-old Jim Kelley, whose high game is a 242.“We all support each other and encourageeach other to do their best.”

While there are books, websites, onlinevideos and instructors to help novice bowl-ers, many older adults learn the game fromtheir peers, said Jackson. “Having someonewho knows how to bowl and give you point-ers is golden,” he said. Bowling basics are

easy to pick up. “There are arrows and dotson the lane. If you are consistent and swingthe ball the same way across the same spotandwatchwhere theball goes,you’ll begin tofigure things out.”

“Bowling is not overly physically de-manding or high impact,” Huthwaite said,which makes it a great game for seniors.“Youcan stand at the line and throw theballif you can’t do an approach.” Balls come ina variety of weights and holes can be drilledto accommodate swollen fingers. “Mostwomen use balls in the 12-14 pound rangewhile most men do the max, 16 pounds.But I do have some male friends who havegone down to 15.”

Those new to the sport may rent shoesand use balls provided by the bowling alley.Those who stick with the game often buytheir own. A basic pair of shoes will runabout $30, a cost easily recouped in a cou-ple of months for those who bowl weekly,noted Huthwaite. A ball, with holes drilledto match one’s grip, can be had for less than$100.Then there is the cost to play. “Thesenior leagues I know of average $10 pernight. But in leagues like the ones I’m in,fees run between $20 and $25.”That, saidHuthwaite, is because there is prizemoney.

Bowling also is a great intergenerationalgame, saidWest, who has five grandchil-dren. “I like to bring them bowling. Myoldest granddaughter, who is 14, is prettygood,” he said.

“What I love about bowling is that youdon’t have to be perfect,” said Ruth Sentelle,a 76-year-oldGaithersburg resident.“Sure, ittakes some practice and it can be frustratinga times.But it’s such fun and I’vemade somegreat friends.That’s really why I bowl.”

KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

Jim Kelley (left) of Germantown and Jerome West (right) of Gaithersburg,flash their Bowl America rewards cards, which give them discounts

at the Gaithersburg bowling alley.


SIGN ME UP

BY KAREN FINUCANCLARKSON

T he numbers kept dwin-dling each timeThe Ca-reer Gateway! class ofSeptember 2014 met for

coffee. And that’s a good thingbecause it meant people werefinding jobs.The program, whichhas served more than 270 olderadults since its inception in 2010,provides job seekers and careerchangers with the knowledge,tools and support needed to findemployment in today’s jobmarket.“While the basics of a job

search have not changed—there’sthe process of gaining self-aware-ness, creating a resume, network-ing, interviewing, and receivingand negotiating an offer—themanner of doing a search has,”said Gordon Silcox, a Fairfax,Va.-based job-search and careerdecision-making consultant whocraftedThe Career Gateway! curriculum,as well as an accompanying manual forthe Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA) inRockville. “The program provides a betterperspective on how to go about a job searchin this digital age.”That,agreemembersof theSeptember

class, is one of the program’s greateststrengths. “I didn’t realize howmuch socialmedia plays into the job search these days,”said Virginia Jones ofWashington Grove,who is now marketing herself and her jobqualifications online.The power of digital and in-person net-

working was a revelation to Greg Hardin ofSilver Spring.“As soon as I started contact-ing friends and colleagues, things startedhappening and my confidence began tobuild,”he said.Offered five times a year,The Career

Gateway! is a comprehensive and intensiveprogram that provides individualized atten-

tion. It covers virtually every aspectof the job search, according to EllenGreenberg, director of the JCA’sCenter for Information & Educa-tion, delving into specific areas ofconcern to older adults.Benefits of senior-only par-

ticipation are the frank discussions.“There is more openness and con-versation about age discrimination,which usually is the No. 1 concernof the people who come to theclass,” said Silcox.“It’s probably al-ways been there, but nowwe knowhow to better address it legally …and help job seekers understandwhat their rights are.” Tips are pro-vided to help participants createresumes, cover letters and onlineprofiles that draw attention to theirqualifications rather than their age.The 30-hour class—open to

anyone 50 or older, regardlessof faith or residency—is partiallyfunded through a MontgomeryCounty program for seniors,The

Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundationand the JCA. “It’s the best $75 I have everspent,” said Jones, noting that the class pro-vided her with direction and focus.Members of the September class were,

in many ways, a typical representation ofthose who turn to The Career Gateway!for assistance. They hailed from PrinceGeorge’s, Montgomery and Fairfax coun-ties.Several had lost or quit their jobs, somehad left the workforce recently to care forailing parents or decades ago to raise chil-dren, and a few were employed but look-ing to try their hand at something different.It was somewhat comforting to Jones andseveral of her classmates to discover theyweren’t alone. “I liked knowing that thereare other individuals in the same situationas I am—unemployed,” she said.

Silcox said it wasn’t unusual for peo-ple to come to the class with shaken self-esteem. “But as I watch people from the

A PATH TO EMPLOYMENTTHE CAREER GATEWAY! SERVES AS A SENIOR JOB PORTAL

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CAREER GATEWAY!

The Career Gateway! program has served nearly 300 older adultssince its inception in 2010.


The Career Gateway! is a 30-hour class open to anyone 50 or older,regardless of faith or residency.


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first day of class to the fifth day, there’s asignificant, palpable change in their un-derstanding and appreciation of what theyhave to offer an employer.” Identifyingthose assets requires introspection, whichis accomplished through personal reflec-tion. The skills and abilities unearthedduring that exercise inform the develop-ment of a resume, LinkedIn profile, two-minute networking speech and responsesto potential interview questions.

The Career Gateway! draws on volun-teers from the local business community toreview participants’ resumes and conduct amock interview,which is videotaped and cri-tiquedbyclassmates.Ahuman relationspro-fessional and LinkedIn specialist also sharetheir expertise with the group.

When the fifth and final day of class rollsaround, participants have an enhanced un-derstanding of what the job search requiresand the basic tools to forge ahead.What theygenerallydon’t have is a job.That’swhere JobClub comes in.Within a month of graduat-ing fromThe Career Gateway! class, partici-pants gather twice as a group.“The end goalis to have students develop a specific, action-able game plan for their career search andto motivate them and hold them to it,” saidMargo L. Smith, who facilitates Job Club.“We work on tweaking job-seeking skills,perfecting an elevator speech and enhancingnetworking skills.”

The real strength of JobClub is the sup-port network “People begin to feel connect-ed to each other and develop professionalfriendships,” said Smith. “The feedbackthey get from each other is meaningful.”

So is the feedback they get from theirmentors. Once Job Club concludes, eachparticipant is matched with a volunteermentor. “We don’t just leave them hang-ing,” said Smith. “We want everyone whogoes through this program to get a job.”Thementor serves as a sounding board for thejob seeker, providing advice and encourage-ment.The relationship lasts until thementeefinds a job, though somepersist beyond that.

Members of the September class of TheCareerGateway! havemade steady progress.By early December, three of the 11 partici-pants had found jobs, and three others wereawaiting callbacks from interviews. A fewwere still researching potential careers andthe two that were self-employed were try-ing to find time to kick their search into highgear. “Some people think that just by takingthe course something magical will happenand a job will fall into their lap,” said Smith.“But a job search iswork.It’s the peoplewhostay thecourse andwork the systemthat theylearnedwho eventually get a job.”

The Career Gateway! holds classesfive times a year, from September throughMarch, in Rockville. Each session consists of

five six-hour classes over two weeks.The cost is $75. The next session runsFeb. 23–March 4. To learn more, visit

accessjca.org/programs/senior-employment,or call 301-255-4200 or 703-425-0999.


Frank discussions are among the benefits of senior-only participationat The Career Gateway!.


LIVING

AGE DISCRIMINATION

BY SCOTT HARRIS

N ot unlike bias based on race,ethnicity, gender or sexual ori-entation, age discrimination canfoster a toxic workplace, keep

its victims from advancing as quickly as theiryounger colleagues and, in those extremecases, lead to being passed over for a promo-tion or evenbeingunlawfully terminated.

Local jurisdictions are nomore immuneto the problem than any other area of thecountry.According to data from the federal

Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020, work-ers 55 andolderwill comprise 25percent oftheAmerican workforce, up from about 20percent in 2010.

The causes for that increase are numer-ous, interconnected andnot at all unfamiliar.

“There is increasing participation ofpeople 55 years old and older,” said Ken-neth Saunders, director of FairfaxCounty’sOffice of Human Rights and Equity Pro-grams. “Fifty-five is the new 40 in a lot ofworkplaces, and these folks have not exitedthe workforce. Life expectancy is longer

and people are working longer.You haveservice and technology-based jobs that arenot as physically demanding. Labor is nolonger as much of a barrier.”

The nation’s economic downturn in2008 also lengthened many careers, as re-tirement accounts and earnings shrunk.With more older Americans in the work-force, discrimination incidents are also inthe rise.

“Complaints have definitely beentrending upward over the last five years,”said Loretta Garcia, a labor attorney and

manager of enforcement programs for theMontgomery County Office of HumanRights. “Age discrimination complaints areincreasing as the population ages. Morepeople are coming in and saying they arevictims of discrimination, andweren’t hiredor [were] discharged because of their age.”

Age discrimination complaints—whichcan also be filed by younger workers—havecome into Montgomery County’s humanrights office from employees as old as 80,Garcia said.

Successful employee discrimination

CREATAS/THINKSTOCK

u How to identify it in the workplace and contest it


complaints are often based on incrementalcomments or actions that build a broaderpicture of discrimination.

“It’s the stereotypes,” Saunders said.“Things like saying that older employees arecostly to employ, less competent and lessmotivated. Can you imagine saying thosethings about any other group? Discrimina-tion can come from comments you hearin the workplace. ‘When are you going toretire?When will you get out of here?Youdon’t have the energy to do this.’”

One of the more prominent stories atthe national level involves a worker namedDavidNelsonwho,withmore than 25 yearsof service with the RadioShack electronicschain, had a flawless track record. Never-theless, not six months after someone newcame in to supervise him, Nelson was outof a job.

That was 2007. Nelson, then 55 yearsold, worked in RadioShack’s Denver, Co.,

regional office. His new manager, who was43 at the time, placed him on two perfor-mance improvement plans within fourmonths. But it got worse: Just days after hefiled a complaint with the office’s humanresources department regarding his treat-ment,Nelson was fired.

Nelson believed he had been a victimof age discrimination. He took his case tothe federal Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission (EEOC), which filed suitagainst RadioShack and ultimately won$187,000 in back pay for Nelson.

While Nelson’s is an extreme case, thatsituation is emblematic of the growing issueof age discrimination, and local counties areno exception.

Though the EEOC requires workers toreport incidents within sixmonths of the in-cident date,Fairfax andMontgomery coun-ties provide a full year. In order for an em-ployee to file a complaint at the county level,the employermust be headquartered in that

county. Case workers collect all the basicinformation on possible incidents. If thereare solid indications that age discriminationmay have occurred, the case is investigated,with employers receiving an opportunity torespond.Mediation between employee andemployer or even a lawsuit can ultimatelyresult, with financial compensation, reas-signment or other options being possible.

The threshold of evidence for provingage discrimination, however, is higher thanthat required for racism, sexism and otherforms of bias, Saunders said.That makesit critically important for employees whothink they may be victims of age discrimi-nation to collect and provide as much hardevidence as possible.

“Oneof the hardest things for us iswhenthere’s no evidence,”Garcia said.

Even basic documents like pay stubs ora job application can be helpful. Further-more, all comments, internal emails and

other documents should be recorded byemployees, with as much detail as possible.This is particularly the case if a promotion isdenied or termination has occurred.

“Start documenting things,” Saunderssaid.“If there are comments,chronicle themand include the date and time.Make a noteof any witnesses to the comments. Save anyemails that might be discriminatory.Thor-oughly document promotional pass overs.”

Ultimately, even things that seem innoc-uous can constitute discrimination and canhamper a worker’s ability to get a fair shakein the workplace.

“It does not always mean being treatedbadly, necessarily, but treated differentlycompared to those who are younger thanyou,” Saunders said. “Are you getting thesame opportunities? Are they not sendingyou to a certain training session becausethey don’t think you’ll be here?Those arethe kinds of things that can happen and thatworkers have to notice and chronicle.”

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“AGE DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS AREINCREASING AS THE POPULATION AGES.

More people are coming in and saying they are victimsof discrimination, and weren’t hired or [were] discharged

because of their age.”

– Loretta Garcia,a labor attorney and manager of enforcement programsfor the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights


W hile some older adults likethe concept of real estateownership, they might notlike the cost and the main-

tenance that comes with it. Residents atMaplewood Park Place in Bethesda mayhave the best of both worlds. The full-service retirement community offers realestate ownership, as well as tax advantag-es and equity that passes to heirs whenthe apartment is sold. Meanwhile, resi-dents retain their independent lifestyles,free from home upkeep and ownershipchores. All services and amenities are inone building.

“Maplewood is a true community,”said Zelda Segal, 88. “People here reachout to others and Maplewood seeks op-portunities to bring people together. Forpeople who have lived on their own beforemoving here, it’s especially wonderful.”Aformer psychologist andwriter,Segal oftencollaborated on writing projects with herhusband, the late Dr. Julius Segal. Wid-owed for 22 years, Segal said she enjoyedgoing tomuseums, theater and concerts.“I

feel comfortable, secure and looked after atMaplewood,”Segal said.

Resident owned and governed, Ma-plewood opened in 1996 and is man-aged by Sunrise Senior Living. Thereare 207 independent living residencesand 21 assisted living suites, accord-ing to sales coordinator Sophy Neumer.The retirement community—locatednear Old Georgetown Road at Interstate495—consists of one building with twotowers that are connected by the lobby.The community is close to several medi-cal centers, a walking and biking path,and twoMetro stations, according to thecommunity’s website.

To live at Maplewood, residents mustbe 62, although a spouse may be young-er. Neumer said there were a coupleof residents who were older than 100.Most of the people who live at Maple-wood were single—only 35 percent ofthe residents were couples, accordingto Neumer. “Most residents come fromChevy Chase, Potomac and Bethesda,”said Neumer, “but many from out-of-state came to be close to family.”

BobWallace, 82, moved toMaplewoodabout a year ago with his wife, Al-theaWallace, 78. “My wife and I werebrought up in the area,” Bob Wallacesaid. “Maplewood was close to our twodaughters.”

Twice widowed, Adele Leff, 90, haslived at Maplewood just over four years.“I looked at other retirement places inGeorgia and California, where my chil-dren live, but decided to live here, whereI am familiar with the area,” she said.Leff retired from grants management atthe National Institutes of Health Nation-

LIVING

MAPLEWOOD PARK PLACE

Retirementcommunity

offers real estateownership,

independence

PHOTOS BY HILARY SCHWAB PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY OF MAPLEWOOD PARK PLACE

Maplewood Park Place in Bethesdaboasts the best of both worlds—independence and support.

“IT’SEXHILARATINGTO LIVE HERE.”

– Adele Leff,Maplewood Park Place resident

- BY ELLEN R. COHEN -


al Cancer Institute after 22 years. She’soriginally from NewYork and moved tothe area in 1949. Leff is chairwoman ofMaplewood’s budget committee, mak-ing use of her financial background.“Thepeople here are people I enjoy beingwith,” she said. “Many come from intel-lectual and professional backgrounds. It’sexhilarating to live here.”

Priscilla Tapley, 87, came to Maple-wood with her husband in March 1996.Widowed in 2008,Tapley said she par-ticularly liked the library and the eve-ning programs.Tapley worked for ChevyChase library for a number of years andtraveled with her husband during their re-tirement. “We had a flat in England thatI sold about three years ago,”Tapley said.

Maplewood has 19 floor plans forindependent living apartments. Thesmallest, a one-bedroom, is 730 squarefeet; the largest unit, at 1740 square feet,is a two-bedroom unit with a den. Othercombinations include smaller one- andtwo-bedroom units with dens, and two-and three-bedrooms units. Apartmentfeatures include bay windows, enclosedbalconies or sunrooms, in addition tofully equipped kitchens, individuallycontrolled heating and air-conditioning,cable television, and weekly housekeep-ing. Apartments come with all utilitiesexcept telephone and Internet.

The meal plan for independent livingapartments includes 27 meals per month.Lunch and dinner are served every dayexcept Sunday, when brunch is offered.Meals are served in the attractive diningroom, but private parties may be hostedin a smaller dining room.

Maplewood also offers conciergemedi-cal services fromDr.GaryWilks, as well asassisted-living and skilled-nursing services.

Many residents subscribe toMaplewood’sLifecare Plan,which offers savings and taxdeductions for health care services.

Roderick French, 83, is president ofthe Maplewood Services Board. He saidthe services board was responsible forhealth care, assisted living, skilled nursing,clinic, dining room and transportation.An-other board was responsible for the co-opapartments.“I know thatMaplewood’s self-government is real and it works,” he said.

French—former vice president ofacademic affairs at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity—and his wife Sally French,80, have lived at Maplewood for aboutfour years. Their 7-year-old miniaturepoodle, Serkin, named for a classical pia-nist, gets a lot of attention from residents.They said they likedMaplewood’s lectureand concert programs, and enjoyed theirneighbors.

Residents praised Maplewood’s com-munity amenities.Artists enjoy the creativearts center’s space for painting, ceram-ics and classes.The clubroom is used forcards, games and receptions. There is apiano lounge and a library with Mac andPC computers, as well as wireless Internetaccess.There’s also a game room and a fit-ness centerwith exercise equipment,heatedpool and whirlpool.

Residents also said they appreciated theconvenience of Maplewood’s full-servicebank, barber and beauty shop, as well asthe general store and café. Scheduled localtransportation is available for doctors’ ap-pointments, religious services, shoppingand cultural events.

HowardMonderer, NBC’s former vice-president of law inWashington, D.C., saidhe liked the “culture and friendliness” atMaplewood. “We go to concerts, lectures,

current events programs, and I work outevery other day at the fitness center,” saidMonderer, 87. Monderer and his wifeClaire Monderer, 83, have lived at Maple-wood just over three years.

Originally from Leonardtown, Md.,Eleanor Storck, 87, lived in Bethesda since1956 and worked for 28 years at BethesdaCommunity School. She moved to Ma-plewood in December 2012, when herhusband required skilled nursing. Now a

widow, Storck said she couldn’t praise theskilled nursing facility enough. She de-scribed the staff as “compassionate, patientand caring.”

Maplewood Park Place9707 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda 20814301-530-0500

maplewoodparkplace.com

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The game room, a favorite for poolplayers, is one of many amenitiesavailable in the community.

Maplewood Park Place has 207independent living residences and21 assisted living suites.


GOOD EATSGazette Seniors asked people to share their fondest culinary memories. Here’s what they had to say:

AS TOLD TO KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON / PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUBJECTS

LIVING

STEVE FOX, 67BethesdaI joined the Peace Corps in March 1971 and went to

a middle and high school in a provincial capital in North-eastThailand in June. I celebratedThanksgiving that yearat the home of a married couple that I had gone throughtraining with. Somehow we managed an American-styledinner.We got the turkeys from a nearby farm run by aU.N. food and agriculture organization.One person, whoworked at an agriculture school, had access to a weldingmachine, so he made a barbecue spit. We spit-roastedthe turkeys, taking turns hand cranking them over char-coal and bricks, for five or six hours. A good bit of beerwas flowing.We found vegetables and potatoes—what’sThanksgiving without mashed potatoes—and ate our-selves silly.A couple of young officers came down from amilitary base and brought M&M’S, which were like gold,and copies of National Lampoon.We sat and read themout loud and laughed till we cried. It was a chance for usto beAmericans, andwe bonded.After I came back to theU.S., I got a law degree and joined the Foreign Service,moving around a lot. Ever sinceThailand,Thanksgivinghas been spent with my friends of the moment, whethercelebrated in a home or a mess hall in Iraq or Northeast-ern China.

JOYCE SMYTHE, 59Leisure WorldMy first food memory is of dinner at my grand-

mother’s house across the street from mine inWeirton,WestVirginia. Every Sunday, she would cook a big fam-ily dinner. My favorite was chicken. First my grand-mother would take the chicken and cook it to make abroth.Then she’d roll the chicken in flour and fry it up.She would hand-cut noodles on Saturday—I remem-ber seeing them laying out to dry—and cook them onSunday. She’d also mash potatoes and make a giantpotato lake, then fill it with noodles and broth. It waslike a version of a pierogi. Along with the fried chicken,there also would be homemade biscuits and coleslaw.My dad passed away frommesothelioma.Near the end,this was the only meal he could eat.And, as my motheraged, she would frequently ask for the meal. It was suchcomfort food. If I was going to have one last meal, thatis what I would pick.

LESLIE SHEDLIN, 59BethesdaI have a great recipe for chicken soup. It goes back

to when my grandmother was in a nursing home and Iwas in law school.My aunt and I were making food for

Rosh Hashana.We put the chicken soup on the stovebefore going to visit my grandmother and then stoppingat Loehmann’s. By the time we got back an hour later,we discovered all the chicken soup had boiled out. So,with relatives on their way, what did we do?We openeda bottle of wine.To this day, whenever we hand out therecipe for chicken soup, the first step is always open abottle of wine. And, whenever I’m making soup, I callmy aunt and tell her I’m opening a bottle of wine andwe laugh.

JEANNE INMAN, 84BethesdaAs a child growing up in Northeastern Vermont,

not far from the Canadian border, I helped my familytend the garden.My father was a country preacher anddidn’t make much, so he fed us from the garden, whichwas about a half acre, and the chicken house.We alwayshad lots of carrots. But one year, when I was about 10,we had an exceptional harvest.That year, my young-er brother and I dug 15 bushels of carrots out of theground.We had a cellar, not a basement, with woodenbarrels.And that’s where we stored the carrots.My par-ents would put sand around the carrots to help themstay moist. So, when you wanted a carrot, you’d have

Joyce SmytheSteve Fox Leslie Shedlin


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to put your hand in the barrel, dig through the sand andpull one out.Mymomwas a good cook and could do justabout anything in the kitchen.And that was a good thingwith such a large quantity of carrots. I don’t rememberthe specific recipes, but we had carrot soup, and mashedcarrots and carrots cooked with other dishes.We didn’tlet anything go to waste. It was a long winter, but I dobelieve the carrots got us through.

JUDY JONAS, 71Bethesda

Have you ever made lollipops? It’s not difficult. Allyou need is Karo syrup, sugar and food coloring.When Iwas about 10 or 11, old enough to be in the house alone,my friendGloria and I decided tomake blue lollipops.Wegreased up some cookie sheets so the lollipops wouldn’t

stick and, whenwe ran out of thecookie sheets, putCrisco all overmymother’s coun-ters. When mymother camehome , s h efound blueall over herkitchen. Shewas tiredfrom a day

at work andnot happy, but I don’t remem-

ber her being furious. She insisted we clean upimmediately, which we did. In November, when I wasvisiting Gloria in New Jersey and telling her grandchil-dren about our lollipop escapade, she added that after weused all of my mother’s countertops, we put Crisco ona section of the kitchen floor and made more lollipops.Needless to say I have no memory of that, but she sworein front of her grandchildren that it was true. I’m alwaysreminded of our lollipop adventure when I look at thequilt my kids put together for my 30th wedding anni-versary and the square Gloria made commemorating thetwo blue lollipop devils.

Jeanne Inman Judy Jonas


PROFILE

BY KATE MCDERMOTT

A s a young child in pre-parti-tion India during the 1940s,Nilimma Devi discoveredthat the mystical world of

ancient Indian dance forms could takeher far away from the harsh realities ofher daily life as a refugee.Living with hermother and sister at her grandmother’shome in Delhi, she waited and hopedthat her father, who had sent them tosafety from their home in Peshawar(which was eventually given to the newnation of Pakistan when India was parti-tioned in 1947), would someday be ableto join them.Amid the political upheavaland violence of newly independentIndia, dance provided a make believeworld and a way to escape reality, shesaid. “It was therapy for me. It took meto a world that was beautiful.”

Although her life’s journey wouldeventually take her from India to Mary-land, her love of themystic Indian dancesshe grew up with never left her. It waswhat compelled her in 1988 to open theSutradhar Institute of Dance & RelatedArts (SIDRA) in Silver Spring. She es-pecially wanted to share with Americanstudents and audiences the traditionalIndian dance known as Kuchipudi.

Kuchipudi uses yoga, creative writing,music and dance to weave a story togeth-er. But what makes the ancient art formso powerful, Devi said, is its invitation todancers and audiences to transcend theirlanguage and cultural boundaries to ex-perience a world beyond the physicalspace they occupy and ultimately reachan aesthetic joy or bliss known as rasa.“Nobody has equated dance to the spiri-tual connection to the degree that Indiahas done,” she added.

Artists from the Sutradhar Institutehave performed at numerous regionalvenues, including the Smithsonian’sDiscovery Theater and Sackler Gal-lery, Strathmore Arts Center, Artscapein Baltimore, the National Museum of

Women in theArts, theKennedyCenter’sMillennium Stage and others.

In 2013,Devi was awarded theMont-gomery County Executive’s LifetimeAchievement Award for Excellence in theArts & Humanities for her decades-longcommitment to expanding the culturalhorizons ofMontgomeryCounty citizens.

AN UNLIKELY BEGINNINGDuring the years she spent at her

maternal grandmother’s home in Delhi,Devi’s aunt shared with her young niecethe worldly experiences of finishingschool.“Shewould show us dancemove-ments,” Devi recalled. Her aunt’s “per-formances” captivated Devi and sparkedher imagination in a way nothing everhad before.Although hermother’s familysupported her desire to dance, she couldnever share her passion with her pater-nal grandfather. “He was so opposed todance that he would not stay in a roomin which the word was mentioned,”Devisaid. “It was a taboo subject, almost akinto prostitution.”

And what about her father, who waseventually able to rejoin his family afternarrowly escaping death in Peshawar?“Henever said I shouldn’t dance.He said,‘Just don’t make it your profession,’” sherecalled with a laugh.

For more than a quarter century, Nilimma Devi has sharedher love of ancient Indian dance with local audiences

A PASSION AND A PROFESSION

PHOTOS BY TOM FEDOR/POST COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Nilimma Devi of the Sutradhar Institute of Dance and Related Arts (SIDRA)and dancers (clockwise, from left) Maya Brennig, 12 of Springfield, Va.,Josephine Lichten, 18, of Takoma Park, Mrinalini Pillai, 19, of Bethesda,

Laura Smith, 24 of Aspen Hill and Lily Henry-Austin, 12, of Silver Spring,pose at SIDRA's studio in Silver Spring.

Nilimma Devi of the SutradharInstitute of Dance and Related Arts(SIDRA) says her love for dancebegan when she was a childgrowing up in India.


But that is exactly what Devi has done.After earning her bachelor’s degree in his-tory, she worked with gurus who helpedher learn as much as she could about theancient Indian dances, studying and danc-ing with them five or six days a week.Andsoon thereafter, she discovered somethingbesides dance she could love. She met anAmerican who was studying in India at thetime. “My father was so against it (our re-lationship) that he would bring me booksabout American divorces,” she laughed.“But what did I do? I became a bride.”

The newlyweds traded the swelter-ing heat of India for the frozen tundra ofMadison,Wis., home of the University ofWisconsin. Despite the temperature—andculture—shock, Devi was determined tomake the most of her new life in America.She began teaching classes in ancient In-dian dance for the university’s dance de-partment. Still young and at the top of herperforming career, she also danced andlectured for the school’s Southeast AsianStudies program.

BACK IN THE U.S.A.Eventually the couple returned to India,

but nearly 20 years later, her life’s journey

brought her back to the U.S., specificallyto the D.C. area. Soon after, Devi’s talentsearned her a spot as an artist-in-residenceat the University of Maryland, and before

long, as of her talents spread, she was askedto teach at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity.

Although excited by the opportunityto share her knowledge, Devi hoped formore. “I knew I could do more than justtalk and teach basic technique,” she said.She recalled her days back in India, wherewhile tending to her ailing father, shefound herself again escaping into the ther-apy of dance. “When I would play nurseto my father, I used to close my eyes andsee the rows of beautiful costumes I wouldhave if I could open my own little school,”she recalled.

Her dream was to introduce people tothe classical dance form of Kuchipudi—and not just people of Indian descent.Thatdream has now become a reality.A quartercentury later, Devi has shared her passionwith nearly 1,000 students,many of whom,she said, are not of Indian descent.Todaynearly half of her students at the Instituteand in the school’s annual summer campsare multicultural. Regardless of their back-grounds, the best students “don’t want tojust learn the movements, they want toknow why, the concepts,” Devi said.Manyof these students have gone into the artsand “have taken these seeds with them.”

Josie Lichten is one of those students.She attended her first performance atSIDRA when she was 6 or 7 and fell inlove with the art form. She credits Deviwith being like her grandma. “She is nota teacher as much as she is guru, and Idon’t think a lot ofWesterners understandthat relationship,” Lichten said. Currentlystudying dance at the prestigious BarnardCollege in NewYork, she hopes somedayto dance in India.

But another student of Devi’s, Mrin-alini Pillai, has different aspirations.She’s asophomore at the University of Pittsburghstudying political science and philosophyand is in the pre-med track. Although hercareer path will take her away from thedancing she has done since she was amere5 years old, Devi, or “Auntie” as so manyof her students call her, will always occupya special place in her life. “What she hasgiven me is the gift of dance, and I willnever be able to repay her for that,” Pillaisaid.Through SIDRA shewas able to con-nect with other families of Indian descent,but more than that, Pillai said she was ableto “share a beautiful form of dance thatbrings me a lot of happiness with otherpeople.And that is what’s really amazing.”

1909761

Sutradhar Institute of Dance andRelated Arts (SIDRA) dancers

Maya Brennig, 12 of Springfield,Va., (left) and Lily Henry-Austin,12, of Silver Spring, dance atSIDRA studio in Silver Spring.


TRAVEL

JAPAN:A fascinating blend

of ancient culture and modern society

BY ELLEN R. COHEN

W hen my husband HarveyCohen and I were sta-tioned in Italy and Ger-many with the U.S. Army

in the 1960s, we had many opportunitiesto travel in Europe. However, our travelexperiences in Asia have been minimal.Deciding it was time to see a new part ofthe world,we left our home in Rockville forJapan Oct. 7. Joining a group of Americanand Canadian travelers, we enjoyed a two-week view of this fascinating island nation.Our trip, called “Essence of Japan,” com-bined ancient, modern, traditional, histori-cal and cultural attractions, enabling us todevelop a deeper understanding of thisbeautiful but faraway country.

Located in the North Pacific off thecoasts of Russia and the Korean peninsu-la, Japan is an archipelago slightly smallerthan California.We were impressed by thehordes of people in Japan, especially inTokyo. Japan’s population is dense, at 349people per square kilometer—comparedwith 35 people per square kilometer in theU.S., according toWorld Bank data.

Our visit to Hiroshima, where the firstatomic bomb was dropped Aug. 6, 1945,was especially poignant. Hiroshima PeaceMemorial Park is at ground zero, in thecenter of the city, where monuments, mu-seumsandmemorials arededicated to thosewho lost their lives in this catastrophic event.Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, es-tablished in August 1955, shows in words,pictures and heart-wrenching artifacts theeventsof thathorrificday.Themuseum’s ex-hibits display victims’ clothing and personaleffects, showhow thebomb’s heat destroyedbuilding materials and flesh, and discuss

the health issues suffered by those who sur-vived.What is left of theA-BombDome—ablackened,twisted structure,abuildingonceknown as the Industrial Promotion Hall—still stands inmemoryof thosewhoperishedand was designated as a UNESCOWorldHeritage Site.

We were impressed by the cleanlinessof Japanese streets and public areas. Re-strooms, too, are extremely clean, and weencountered only one homeless person onthe street—in two weeks of walking aroundin several cities. Everyone who has been toJapan comments about theTOTO toiletsfound everywhere.Their bidet-like featuremakes it possible to use a built-in spongebath or shower function that augmentsstandard toilet cleanliness. Some modelshave heated seats. Others have a faucetabove the tank that refills water in the tankafter the flushing handle is depressed, sothat one can wash one’s hands while thetank is refilling.

As animal lovers, we enjoyed the catcafés in Osaka and Kyoto. Customers areinvited to select a cat to pet—chosen fromphotos of the cats that are “working” thatday. People are encouraged to come in andrelax for a while, paying for time with thesesoft, friendly animals.We heard that therewere similar “rabbit cafés,” but we did notencounter them in our travels.

We toured many Shinto and Buddhistshrines and temples. Shintoism and Bud-dhism are Japan's two major religions andJapanese people often subscribe to bothdenominations concurrently.We went toNara to see theTodai-jiTemple, the larg-est wooden building in the world and thesite of the world’s largest bronze statue ofBuddha, which stands more than 50 feettall. After being appropriately impressed

PHOTOS BY HARVEY M. COHEN

Harvey and Ellen Cohen, dressed in yukata, had dinnerat a ryokan, a Japanese-style inn.


with this statue’s immense size, we en-tered Nara Park and were impressedagain, this time with the vast numberof sika deer that roamed the park. Onceconsidered sacred or divine, sika deerwere reclassified as national treasuresafter WorldWar ll and are protected assuch.Visitors may purchase special crack-ers to offer the deer.Though, if you hadno crackers, they would try to eat what-ever you might be holding in your hand.

Japanese foods enjoyed by visitors fromall over the world include sushi, sashimiand tempura.We tried everything and alsoenjoyed a sushi-making class just beforelunch.We sampled the many varieties ofmeat, fish and vegetables cooked on a hiba-chi grill, as well as udon and soba noodlesavailable in noodle houses.

A totally different highlight of thetrip was our “Japanese experience” ata ryokan, a Japanese-style inn oftenfound in hot spring resorts. They havetatami straw floor mats (shoesare removed before standing onthese mats), futon beds placedon the floor, Japanese-stylebaths and appropriate clothingto wear during one’s stay. Onthe day we checked into ourryokan, we were each given ayukata, which is like a kimonobut more casual and lighter.Yukata sets come with an obi(belt), a yukata jacket and socks.These are worn to the bath, todinner and breakfast, and evento bed as sleepwear. During ourtime here, we wore our yukatasto dinner, dined at low Japanesetables (having first removed our shoes)and slept on futons, which were surpris-ingly comfortable.

The public bath, or onsen, was an un-expected concept for us. Our guide gaveus the proper onsen etiquette and invitedus to try it.There are separate onsens formen and women and photography is pro-hibited.There are also rules about howto wash before entering the onsen andhow to behave. No soap or shampoo isallowed in the onsen and, as our guide ex-plained, “The dress code is simple: Onewears nothing.”The women in our groupagreed it was different, but had no inter-est in trying it. My husband and at leastone of the other men in the group triedthe onsen and proclaimed that it was aworthwhile experience.

Our visit to Shirakawago village in themountains was a chance to see rural life inJapan.This old resort town is famous for

traditional farmhouses with steep, thatchedroofs. Made without nails, the roofs onceprovided a large attic space and shelteredlarge families involved in the cultivation ofmulberry trees and raising silkworms.Thesilkworm industry has died out in recentyears,but visitors still come to Shirakawagoto enjoy the area’s rustic ambience.

In recent years,my husband and I haveenjoyed a variety of tours to places that ap-pear on many people’s “bucket lists.” Butthere ismuch to see in Japan.After our trip,we came home with a renewed apprecia-tion for this beautiful island nation and itspeople, their courtly manners, their foodand their history.

The A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima is one many places Ellen Cohen (picturedhere) visited in Japan with her husband Harvey Cohen.

This is a traditional farmhouse with a thatched roof inShirakawago Village in the mountains of Japan.

This Shinto shrine on the islandof Itsukushima—popularly knownas Miyajima—is best known forits "floating" torii gate. It is in thecity of Hatsukaichi in HiroshimaPrefecture in Japan.


HEALTH

BY KATE MCDERMOTT

A s a 55-year-old mother of fourwho will celebrate her 31st wed-ding anniversary this year,LindaDouglas of Silver Spring, is

hardly a poster child for high-risk behavior.Coming of age in the 1980s, she never in-jected drugs, snorted cocaine or engaged inunprotected sex withmultiple partners.

So imagine her surprise when she foundout she had hepatitis C.

“I tried to give blood back in 1988 andI was told I had what they called then ‘nonA-nonB’hepatitis,”she recalled.In theyearssince, as additional viruses that cause hepa-titis have been identified, they have earnedtheir own labels, including hepatitis C.

TheAmericanLiver Foundation reportsthat more than 30 million people in theUnited States have some form of liver dis-ease, including hepatitis C.Of the estimated3.2millionAmericans diagnosedwith hepa-titis C, an estimated 75 percent to 80 per-cent are in the baby boomer population.

That is why the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention (CDC) recom-mends that everyone born in 1945 through1965 (baby boomers) be tested for thevirus.Diagnosing hepatitis C before it doesirreversible damage to the liver is critical.Left untreated, the virus is a leading causeof liver cancer and the primary reason forliver transplants. The CDC reports that15,000 people die from hepatitis C-relatedliver disease annually.

Yet thanks to new treatment therapies,liver specialists report that nearly 95 percentof those diagnosed and treated for hepatitisC are cured. Itmarks incredible progress fora disease that was not even identified until26 years ago.

SILENT BUT DEADLYWhat makes hepatitis C so dangerous is

the fact that patients usually have no symp-

toms and can live for decades without feel-ing ill. Douglas can attest to that. “I neveronce remember feeling sick,” she said. Sure,shewas tired.“What workingmother isn’t?”she recalled thinking.

Kirti Shetty,M.D., associate professor ofmedicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine anddirector of hepatology at Sibley MemorialHospital inWashington,D.C., said hepatitisC causes symptoms such as fatigue, jointpain and depression—things that couldeasily be attributed to other conditions.“Three out of four patients affected do notknow they have it until their liver disease isadvanced,” she said. But at that point, theliver may be so scarred (a condition knownas cirrhosis) that the patient is at risk of liverfailure or liver cancer.

In addition, the virus can also contrib-ute to other conditions, such as diabetes

and vasculitis, which leads to restrictedblood flow to other body organs and tis-sues, said Zobair M. Younossi, M.D.,chairman of the Department of Medicineand vice president for research at InovaHealth System in Fairfax,Va.

Given that hepatitis C is now curable,the biggest obstacle that liver specialistssuch as Shetty and Younossi face is spread-ing the word about its testing and treat-ment. HuynhTrungTruc of Annandale,Va., said he was grateful that his primarycare physician was aware of the CDC’srecommendations. She ordered a fullblood profile and discovered that Huynhwas infected with hepatitis C. “Based onall the test results, it is easy to say that I hadbeen affected by chronic hepatitis C for atleast 30 years without my knowledge,” hesaid.LikeDouglas,Huynhwas not certain

how he contracted the virus, although hesuspected he got it during his nine years asa prisoner of war inVietnam’s communist“re-education camps,” where he said “theliving conditions were horrendous.”

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’“We now have a simple screening blood

test that requires only a few drops of blood,and we can have a rapid diagnosis within afew hours,”Younossi said. Horror storiesabout treatment with interferon injectionsthat produce unpleasant and lingering sideeffects are becoming a thing of the past.

Douglas said she watched a co-workerwho also had hepatitis C struggle with inter-feron treatments. “My biopsies were goodand I didn’t feel bad, so I decided to sit itout [treatment with interferon] and watch

SPREAD THE WORD,NOT THE DISEASE

Baby boomers are at greatest risk for infection with hepatitis C

DIGITAL VISION/THINKSTOCK

Although some cases of hepatitis Cin the baby boomer population maybe attributable to the age of freelove and psychopharmaceuticals,

some might also be due atainted blood transfusion orunsterile body piercings.


1909578

Bethesda, MDWildwood Medical Center10401 Old Georgetown Rd,

Suite 102

Silver Spring, MDConnecticut Belair

Medical Park3915 Ferrara Drive

Frederick, MDGuilford Professional Ctr

5950 Frederick Crossing Ln.Suite 100

Gaithersburg, MDSears Hearing Center by Beltone

Lakeforest Mall701 Russell Ave

September 30, 2015

Service Benefit Plan

for a while,” she said. By the time she didseek treatment, she simply took a prescribedregime of oral medications for eight weeks.“I was told that my numbers started drop-ping immediately,”she said.Today,she is hasbeen declared cured of hepatitis C.

Huynh endured some unpleasant sideeffects during his 24 weeks of a trial treat-mentwithoralmedications, includingnight-time sleep disruption and body rashes. Butwith weekly blood tests showing that themedications were significantly reducing hishepatitis C infection, he remained commit-ted to the regime.“I am very happy to learnthat the FDA approved the trial medicationI took,”he said.“I also learned that, in somecases, the treatment period may be reducedto only 12weeks.”

Younossi said new treatment optionscontinue to evolve rapidly.These new thera-pies do not create many of the unpleasantside effects of their predecessors, and hestressed that they could lead to an immedi-ate improvement in quality of life, especiallyas related to the fatigue that many hepatitisC patients report.

Shetty acknowledged that these newantiviral medications were not cheap(some treatment plans can easily exceed$100,000),but she said they only need to be

given for a short period of time, anywherefrom eight to 12 weeks, as Huynh discov-ered.And asYounossi points out, “The costof thedrugs is small in comparison to cost oftreating the disease. It’s whatwe call the costof the cure.”

Private insurers may require documen-tation of the severity of the disease throughliver biopsies or a new scanning test that canassess the level of scarring in the liver—whilesparing patients the pain of a traditional liverbiopsy—prior to approving treatment. ButYounossi said thatMedicare is beginning toease some of its restrictions on covering thenew anti-virals used for treatment of hepati-tis C and he is seeing increased coverage byprivate insurers, as well.

REVERSING THE STIGMATheAmericanLiver Foundation has de-

veloped a list of risk factors for hepatitis Cthat for many baby boomers, like Douglas,may represent nothing more than the na-ivety of youth.“Theonly thing I can think ofthatmight have causedme to get hepatitisCwas that I got a tattoo at a festival in 1982,”she recalled.Whether it was a tainted needleor ink, she can’t be sure.But she is comfort-ed that neither her husbandnor her childrencontracted the disease before she was cured.

Douglas is not ashamed of her diagno-sis and is doing her part to spread the wordamong her peers about the importanceof being screened.That is key, Shetty andYounossi said, because many primary carephysicians stillmaynot be ordering thebasicscreening test. “They may be aware of theCDC’s recommendations but not havestrategies for implementing them,”Younossisaid. It may be up to patients to ask theirphysicians to do the blood test.

But for thosepatientswhoarediagnosed,Shetty said it is important to be linked tospecialized care such as an infectious diseasespecialist or hematologist.Younossi also en-couraged lifestyle modifications such as ab-staining from raw seafood and alcohol (evenin moderation) and getting vaccinated forhepatitisA andB.

But for those with the virus, the progno-sis is excellent.“I feel so great now!”Huynhsaid, noting that he feels more energeticthan he did prior to his diagnosis.His bloodtests reveal he has been cured of hepati-tis C. “Hepatitis C has gone from being alife-threatening, end-stage disease to beingsomethingwe can cure,”saidShetty.“It’s re-ally remarkable.”

YOU MAY BE AT RISK OFHEPATITIS C IF YOU:• Shared needles to inject drugs or

straws to inhale them.• Had tattoos or body piercings in an

unclean environment using unsterileequipment.

• Worked in a place where you camein contact with infected blood orneedles, (e.g., health care workers).

• Received a blood transfusion ororgan transplant prior to July 1992.

• Received a blood product for clottingproblems made prior to 1987.

• Needed to have your blood filteredby a machine (hemodialysis) for along period of time because yourkidneys weren’t working.

• Were born to a mother withhepatitis C.

• Had unprotected sex with multiplepartners.

• Have or had a sexually transmitteddisease.

• Have HIV.Source: American Liver Foundation


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