Appraisals added to annual 50+ Expos
Who will be the lucky winner of a 10-day vacation for two to China? Two lucky registrants at the 2017 Beacon 50+Expos, that’s who! For the 18th year in a row, the Beacon Newspapers expects to attract thousands of attendees to its two expos — free, annual events featuring health screenings, informative resources, an expert speaker, flu shots and entertainment for older adults and... READ MORE
Climbers reach for new heights
On Leslie Hulse’s 61st birthday, a couple of years ago, her niece took her rock climbing. As she scrabbled over the neon-colored toe and finger holds toward the top of the wall, Hulse had one thought: “‘Oh my gosh, I’m having so much fun!”Today, the Capitol Hill resident regularly scales the walls at Earth Treks indoor climbing gym in Crystal City, Va.“I... READ MORE
Praising volunteers of all ages
Janice and George Vanisko were “sort of embarrassed” to be heralded a few months ago by the County Council and the Volunteer Center of Howard County with the Dynamic Duo Award, one of several awards honoring county volunteers. After all, they say, shouldn’t we all spend hours each week helping those in need? Janice, a 76-year-old retired nurse, and her husband George, 82, a retired ... READ MORE
Country music is his passion
Mark Brine found his professional calling early on. Today, the 68-year-old writer and singer continues his long career in country music, saying simply (as country singers are apt to), “It’s my life.”Though Brine may not be a household name among casual listeners, country music aficionados know his longstanding reputation in the industry.For example, Pete Smith of Country ... READ MORE
Startups focus on better aging
Can you imagine a pair of glasses that can brighten and enlarge whatever you happen to be reading or looking at, responding to your voice commands? Or can you imagine a phone app that summons a trained driver in a wheelchair-accessible van to take you to a doctor’s appointment? Or can you visualize the difference it would make to an Alzheimer’s patient if his caregivers had instant... READ MORE
Russian Revolution memoirs
While Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly playing down the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Ellicott City resident Vladimir Marinich is marking the occasion with the publication of his grandparents’ memoirs of that historic event. Marinich, who is 80 and a retired Howard Community College history professor, has spent the last 10 years translating the... READ MORE
Doing good helps body and soul
Ever experienced a “helper’s high?”The term was coined by psychologist Allan Luks, who discovered that the act of helping others releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals in our brain) the same way that vigorous exercise or meditation does.Also, as with exercise and medication, Luks concluded that this biochemical reaction from volunteering results in stress relief, which... READ MORE
Shades of gray keeps it rockin’
Ken Hunter got hooked on playing guitar back in the fourth grade, when he and a classmate went on their first “tour” — to other classrooms to play and sing in Everly Brothers-type harmony. By age 10, they played on Falls Church-based WFAX radio. And even though as a kid Hunter was rejected from “Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour,” the Woodbridge, Va. resident is still playing... READ MORE
His job is preventing dementia
“We have to start in our 40s, at least, if we want to have any hope of lowering the overall personal risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.”That is the advice of Dr. William Mansbach, a geriatric neuropsychologist who lives and works in Columbia. Mansbach has a national reputation in the fight against the disease, and is a member of the Governor’s... READ MORE
They are hardly the retiring types
“I don’t feel like someone who shouldn’t be working.” said Mike Gimbel, a 65-year-old resident of Timonium. “Retirement hasn’t even been a thought.” Gimbel is a substance abuse consultant. He says, “Work keeps me going, physically and emotionally. I like being active, as well as being a contributing member of society. There will always be people [for me] to... READ MORE
