Fx seniors 042415

2 Fairfax County Times SENIORS | April 2015 FairfaxTimes.com

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FairfaxTimes.com April 2015 | FairfaxCountyTimes SENIORS 3

Fairfax County Times

SENIORSEditor

Graphic Designers

Contributing Writers

Tiffany Arnold

Lorraine Walker, Anna Joyce

Karen Finucan ClarksonEllen R. Cohen

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, Advertising and Creative Services departments. It does not involve the

company’s newsrooms.

ON THE COVER:WOMAN: PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK; CHESS: BANANASTOCK/THINKSTOCK

Do you know someone in Fairfax County who is 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].

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Corporate Advertising DirectorAdvertising DirectorCreative Director

Creative Services Director

Dennis WilstonMarta WallaceAnna JoyceEllen Pankake

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SIGN ME UP

BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

T hey are shareholders. But their returnon investment is far more nourish-ing and flavorful than what one mightexpect from Nasdaq or the NewYork

Stock Exchange. “With community supportedagriculture (CSA), you pay money up front sothat the farmer has the resources to buy seed,prepare the land and hire staff. In exchange,you get a share of whatever comes up duringthe growing season. But, you also accept somerisk,” said Jean Hochran, a Rockville residentwho serves on the board of RedWiggler Com-munity Farm, a CSA in Germantown, Mary-land. “If it's a bad year for cucumbers, youdon't get many. If it's a good year for tomatoes,you share in the bounty and good fortune.”Hana Newcomb likens CSA membership

to being a magazine subscriber. “You purchasea subscription not knowing what someone isgoing to write about but feeling confident thatwhat you end up reading will satisfy you,” saidNewcomb. She and her 80-year-old motherHiu Newcomb run PotomacVegetable FarmsinTysons Corner.Each Tuesday afternoon, June through

October, Margie Orrick stops by a neigh-bor's house in the Carderock Springs sectionof Bethesda, Maryland to retrieve her weeklyshare of produce from Fresh and Local CSA.“The food is harvested Tuesday mornings inShepherdstown,West Virginia and deliveredthat afternoon, soTuesday dinner is incrediblyfresh,” she said. “The quality is amazing.Whoknew that carrots can literally burst with flavorin your mouth?”While freshness and flavor are top reasons

people join CSAs, nutrition is another, accord-ing to Eris Norman, co-owner of Norman'sFarm Market. “We're so used to grocery storeproduce that has been picked two weeks beforeand refrigerated,” she said.With vegetables likeeggplant, that can kill the flavor … .When youare getting produce from local farmers, they

are able to allow the fruit to ripen on the vine.The longer it's on the vine, the more nutrientsand flavor it has.”Sarah Cahill's Cabin John home is a host

location for Spiritual Food for the New Mil-lennium CSA. “Belonging to a CSA changesyour relationship with food,” Cahill said.“Youlearn to eat seasonally. In other words, you areeating the food you're supposed to be eating atthe time of year you should be eating it.”That means eating produce such as greens,

garlic scapes, spring onions, strawberries andasparagus in the spring, according toNorman,whose Howard County, Maryland farm hasseveral CSA pickup locations in MontgomeryCounty, Maryland. Because spring's harvestmay not be as plentiful as summer's, Normansupplements with items such as granola orjam,even plants.Summer features blueberries,blackberries, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, zuc-chini, beans and peas, among others. Comefall, squash, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,pears and sweet potatoes are being harvested.While the variety of produce, farming

methods and pricing may differ from oneCSA to another, they all share a commitmentto building a more local and equitable agricul-tural system, according to the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture website.The first CSAs inthe U.S. began operating nearly three decadesago. By 2012, 12,617 farms reported market-ing products through a CSA, according tothe USDA. Because some CSAs tap multiplefarms for their produce, the actual numberof CSAs is lower, though no official numbersexist.The website LocalHarvest reports hav-ing more than 4,000 CSAs in its grassrootsdatabase at localharvest.org/csa.Farming methods locally include organic,

certified organic and biodynamic. Fresh andLocal CSA is biodynamic, as is Spiritual FoodCSA, which has an office in Bethesda andfarms in Pennsylvania. “Biodynamic takes or-ganic and adds soul to it,” said Cahill. “Thepremise is that the farm is a living being, so

COMMUNITY SUPPORTEDAGRICULTURE DIGS UP FRESHNESS

RED WIGGLER COMMUNITY FARM

David Ruch, a grower at Red Wiggler Community Farm inGermantown, Maryland, shows off carrots he harvested.

FROM FARM TO FORK


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farmers do things like nourish the soil andattract bees.They treat the farm as an or-ganism with pieces and parts that must allwork together.”Working together is at the heart of

RedWiggler Community Farm's mission,which includes providing meaningful em-ployment for adults with developmentaldisabilities.“It is the inclusion—theoppor-tunity for me to be friends with and learnfrom those with disabilities, who really arethe experts on the farm—that makes RedWiggler special,” said Hochran.The CSA,which began operations in 1996, claims tobe the longest continually runningCSA inMontgomery County. It has grown from12 shareholders to 120.And, even thoughits summer session is sold out, spring andfall remain available.While someCSAs have a limited num-

ber of shares, others enroll new membersthroughout the season, prorating theprice. “Anyone can jump into our seasonin the middle of it,” said Norman. “Be-cause we operate both stands and a CSAand work with other farmers, we can beflexible that way.”

Collaborating with other farmers hasan added benefit, according to Newcomb.It diminishes the risk due to poor weather,disease or insects.“Just because my tomatoseason may be a flop doesn't mean theirswill be,” she said. “We have two farms withsome duplication and that provides a goodsafety net.”Local CSAs tend to offer shares in sev-

eral sizes, which generally equate to small,medium and large. “A lot depends on howmuch you like to cook and howmuch pro-duce you like to eat. For a couple, a smallshare is a great place to start,” saidNorman.“You can always upgrade during the seasonbut not downgrade.”With Spiritual Food CSA, families may

sign up for biweekly pickups while othersmay choose to share, according toCahill.“They'll take a box home and split it.”

Sharing helps eliminate waste. “I may notlike turnips, but perhaps you do,” she said.

And, if one family is on vacation, the otherfamily can take the entire share for theweek.“A full share is $40 a week. I split my shareand find it's a very economical way to gethealthy food.”The distribution of produce differs from

one CSA to another.While Orrick walksdown the block to pick upher box,Hochrandrives to RedWiggler farm each week toretrieve her produce. “Some years we haveshared with another family and would taketurns visiting the farm.The truth is we trea-sure being there and treasure the food,” saidHochran, who always brings along a basketand clippers. “There are large pick-your-own flower and pick-your-own herb gar-dens. If you need cilantro this week, you canhelp yourself.”At Norman's FarmMarket, sharehold-

ers select their own produce at the pickupsite. “We are not just giving them a box.They are choosing things they know they'll

use,” said Norman.“We break it into steps.They go from table to table, and we letthem know that a small share means twoand a large is three.”For some, such as Cahill, it's fun to try

something new. “I eat stuff I've never hadbefore, such as rutabaga and winter rad-ishes. I've learned to cook a wide variety ofvegetables and become a real soupmaker."“When you are in aCSA,you eatwhat's

in season.Somewhoarenewmaynotknowwhat to dowith things like a Jerusalem arti-choke. So we try to ease them into it,” saidNewcomb. “We send out recipes and linksto websites.There's usually a weekly theme,such as cold soups or roasting.”A CSA membership can be an adjust-

ment, according to Hochran. “I didn't eatgreens before joining RedWiggler. Theyweren't inmy family's diet growing up.NowI'mmore inclined to explore new vegetables,like kohlrabi,” she said.And, she's learned topreserve.“Imakepasta saucewith the toma-toes and herbs that I get over the summerand put it in the freezer. Come January, Ihave this wonderful taste of summer.”A re-minderofwhatwasandwhat is yet to come.

"THEY TREAT THE FARM AS AN ORGANISM WITH PIECESAND PARTS THAT MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER.”

– Sarah Cahill


STORY AND PHOTOS BYKAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

M ore than an hour passes be-fore the word “check,” spo-ken in a hushed tone, breaksthe silence. Only two of the

10 men gathered in Clubhouse II at Lei-sureWorld seem to hear it.The rest focusintently on the pawns, rooks, knights, bish-ops,queens and kings in front of them,con-templating their next move.With skill levels ranging from novice

to advanced, the members of this SilverSpring, Maryland, chess club come to-gether Monday,Wednesday and Fridayafternoons for camaraderie, conversationand a friendly game of chess. “We all havesomething in common—an interest inchess—and become friends automatically,”saidBernieAscher, the club's president.“Asa result, I've been invited to 50th weddinganniversaries and 90th birthday parties.And, just chatting before and after games,I've gotten to know people's interests andproblems, who has relatives in the area,where the best places are to eat or find thecheapestTVs, and how to solve issues withcell phones.”While Leisure World's chess club is

open to all residents, there currently are nowomen members. Over the past 27 years,since residentHalKern helped reinvigoratethe defunct club, a woman would make anoccasional appearance.“The few ladies thatstopped by didn't play with us very long,”he said,“though I'm not sure why.”The group gathered forMacon Shibut's

Monday morning chess presentation at theMadison Community Center in Arlingtonis allmale,although there arewomenmem-bers. “Women are still a distinct minority,not only at this club but throughout chess,”he said.Shibut is a three-time Virginia state

chess champion and author of two chess-related books. He revisits a game betweentwo world-champion players, Garry Kasp-

arov andVeselinTopalov.As Shibut moveschess pieces on a large display board, hespeaks to the players' intent and exploresoptions that were passed up. “Every moveopens certain doors and closes certain oth-ers,” he said. His audience of eight followsclosely, asking occasional questions and re-sponding to his prompts.It is Shibut's presentation that brings

David Novak back week after week.TheVienna resident, who learned to play 55years ago, has belonged to other chessclubs but, he noted, none had this type ofeducational component. “It is a wonder-ful feature,” said Novak, who said he ap-

SIGN ME UP

Channeling the spirit of friendship through chessCHECK

Bob Bragdon of Arlington enjoys a game of chess at the Madison Community Center in Arlington, where the games are timed.

Chess clubmembers saythey play forthe camara-derie and forthe fun of thegame.

"ONCE YOU START

PLAYING, YOU FORGET

ALL YOUR WORRIES."

– Bernie Ascher


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preciates Shibut's skills. “Not all lecturersare excellent players, but Macon is. And,not all players are excellent lecturers, butMacon is.”Following the presentation, Novak

andThomasYerg, an Annandale resident,set up a chess board. “Chess is very ab-sorbing,” said Novak. “While you're play-ing, it's as if nothing else is going on.Thechess board becomes your entire focus.”Yerg, who has played with other groups,

enjoys the informalityof the seniors club.Hebegan playing the game in 1967 as a PeaceCorps volunteer in Bolivia. “It was a smalltown of less than 1,000 people and thelights went out at 9 p.m.,” saidYerg. “Wewould play by candlelight and the gamewas over when the candle burned out.”At a table across the room, Marcel

Monfort of Fairfax and Bob Bragdonof Arlington make their opening moves.Montfort is one of the club's longest ten-ured members, having joined in 1999 atage 48. “When I was working on CapitolHill, my boss would let me play hooky oneMonday out of four and this is where I'dcome,” he said.While both the Arlington and Silver

Spring chess clubs provide boards andpieces, somemembers choose to bring theirown.The biggest difference in the two clubsis timers. Players at the Madison Commu-nityCenter use clockswhile those atLeisureWorld generally do not.A chess clock mea-sures and allocates the time available to eachplayer. So, for example, if players agree to aone-hour game, each must complete all ofhis moves in 30 minutes or less. Should a

player use more than 30minutes before thegame is decided, he loses on time.While most of the members in the two

chess clubs have previous experience, theywelcome thosenew to thegame.“Anyoneofus will sit with someone new,” saidAscher.Kern, who likes to play three times a

week, supplements his play with reading.“It takes work to play decently.You haveto study, at least you should if want to playwell,” he said.“We have a large collection ofa magazine called Chess Life, which I liketo look at.”One of several chess club mem-bers in their 90s,Kern credits the gamewithkeeping himmentally sharp.Ascher agrees. “I think of chess as men-

tal exercise. It's good for people who areworried about their memory,” he said. “It'srelaxing, too. Once you start playing, youforget all your worries. And, there's the so-cial element. It gets you out of the houseand allows you to meet new people. One ofthe gentlemen I played, a newcomer to thegroup,has a different style,which forcedmeto really focus and think about the game.”As president of the chess club, Ascher

works to attract new players. His regularcolumns in the community's bimonthlyLei-sureWorld News take topics seemingly un-related to chess, such as patriotism or whatit means to be a NewYorker, and creativelyconnects them to the game. Each columnincludes a chess puzzle that invites readersto consider the best next move. In Ascher'sopinion, the best next move is a visit toMeeting Room 2 in Clubhouse II at 1 p.m.any Monday,Wednesday or Friday of theweek for a friendly game of chess.

Not only is chess a good mental exercise, but the game can also bea relaxing way to forget about your worries.


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Q&A

BY DOUG MAYBERRYCREATORS.COM

Q:I am an el-derly widowand live alone

in a large house. I'm fearful that my surroundingsare not as secure as they should be. I often wakeup when I hear a strange noise.What might helpcalm me down?

A:I understand, and here are some sug-gestions that might prove helpful. In-stall a security system, and make cer-

tain you stake a highly visible security company'swarning sign. Secure sliding glass doors andwindows with wooden dowels in the moving slotsthat will only allow a couple of inches to open.Make sure all entrances are well lit.

Advice for Seniors:Ensuring your home is safe, plus gifts kids can give grandparents

STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK


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Motion-sensing lights are importantadditions. Keep bushes, shrubs andtrees trimmed to make your home morevisible.When you use valet parking orhave your car repaired, separate the onekey needed by the service person fromyour ring and keep the other keys. Makesure your house number is prominentlydisplayed, in case you need to call 911.Know and stay in contact with your

neighbors, tell them about your activi-ties and vacation plans, and ask themto pick up unwanted fliers and trashthrown on your driveway if you're outof town. Offer to do the same for them.Share your family's phone numbers

in case there's a fire, a natural disaster, astranger scouting the neighborhood or aparked car sitting at your curb that doesnot seem to be appropriate.There is no way to ensure that thieves

will not try to gain access to your home.Being aware of that, be especially watch-ful and alert during the holiday months,when they are in greater need.Recently, l forgot to lock my car

while grocery shopping, and a thief gotmy cellphone. Activating security pre-cautions is worth your time and effort.

LUCKY GRANDPARENTS

Q:We are the parents of twodaughters, whose ages are 3and 6. All four grandparents

are alive.We struggle to find appropri-ate holiday gifts for our parents.They allhave their “stuff” and do not really needmore things.What can we do?

A:Homemade and creative giftsare what all grandparents loveand are most wanted. One

idea is to purchase an empty pillbox andfill it with jelly beans. White ceramiccoffee cups are available at the dollarstores; assist the kids in drawing picturesor writing love notes for the grandpar-ents using ceramic paint.You can also create a gift by using

white paper plates and crayons. Howabout gifting a greeting card that in-cludes a come-along meal at a restaurantor an invitation to visit a zoo or park. Intoday's world, most photos are shot withdigital cameras, but very few are actuallyprinted out. This means grandparents'“bragging” photo albums have becomebig-time winning gifts. I hope thosethoughts prove to serve your purposes. STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK


STORY AND PHOTOS BYKAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

W hat he lacks in furniture, Gil Southworthmakes up for in guitars.While most of hiscollection—about 100 in his Bethesda,Maryland, condo and 300 in his Vienna

home—are carefully labeled and neatly stowed, severaldozen are casually displayed, a testament to this man'snearly life-long passion.From his sparsely furnished corner condo, Southworth

can see the building—right next to the Dryclean Club indowntownBethesda—inwhich he operated a vintage guitarstore for 15 years. “When I closed the shop in 2007, it wasjust dumb luck. I didn't see it coming,” said the 59-year-old guitar aficionado about the financial crisis that wouldimpact dealers nationwide. “Many were forced to close uptheir brick and mortar shops.”By moving his guitar shop to the Internet, Southworth

was uniquely poised to weather the economic storm. “Myexpenses were just over $20,000 per month in that storeand yet almost all my business was mail order,” he said.So, he got himself a website (southworthguitars.com) andsaved close to a quarter-million dollars a year.A good thing,as he ended up selling upwards of 100 guitars at a loss—anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dol-lars—when the economy went south.

SOUTHWORTH WAS IN ELEMENTARY school whenThe Beatlesignited his passion for electric guitars. “I can remember lying

PROFILE

Vintage collector and dealerGil Southworth opens up abouthis love for the electric guitar

Vintage guitar collector Gil Southworth, 59, says hislove for the electric guitar began when he was in

elementary school.

GUITARCHRON I C L E S


on the floor watching Ed Sullivan in 1964and seeing people in the audience going nutsover them,” he said. “That's when I first be-came aware of electric guitars.”By his 13th birthday, he was desperate

for a guitar of his own.His parents pushedacoustic but Southworth wanted electric.With $30 in his pocket, most of it birth-day cash, Southworth convinced his fatherto drive him to a store in District Heights,where he bought a two pickup, solidbody Kimberly electric guitar for $29.95.The date of purchase is ingrained in hismemory—March 8, 1969.While he took a few lessons, South-

worth quickly determined that theyweren'tessential. “For the kind of stuff we wereplaying, you didn't need to read music. I,like plenty of others, am self taught,” hesaid. Southworth hasn't been in a bandsince the year after he graduated from highschool but he does still play from timeto time. He frequents Union Jack's—aBritish-inspired alehouse across the streetfrom his condo—mostly to listen. “One ofthe bands was terrifyingly great.You won-der, what are these guys doing in (a) jointin Bethesda?”

A BETHESDA NATIVE, Southworth starteddealing guitars as a student atWaltWhit-man High School. “I'd read theWashing-ton Star's teen-to-teen swap and sell,” hesaid. “It came out on Saturday only.Thetruck would drop off the newspaper around 1:15 or 1:30in the afternoon at the People's Drug Store on Sanga-more (Road) and I would be waiting for it.”The first guitar he flipped—a 1963 Gibson ES 330—

was listed in the swap column for $100. “But, I knew ittraded for $150 or $175,” he said. “It took me a while toget $100 together in 1971. I had some of my ownmoney,and the rest I borrowed from friends. Once I bought it, Iput an ad back in the Star and sold the guitar for $135.”That's when Southworth put away his lawn mower andsnow shovel, up until then his tools of choice for earningmoney, and began buying and selling guitars.Not inclined to pursue an undergraduate degree—

“I spent one year flunking out of Montgomery College,all the time thinking why bother?” he said—Southworthtook up guitar trading full time. For the first year or so,his inventory generally consisted of a single guitar. By themid 1970s, he could afford to carry several vintage gui-tars at a time.Business began picking up in 1976 when Southworth

borrowed $1,600 from his mother—“She got a loan fromthe credit union to help me out,” he said—and headed toBoston to buy a 1958GibsonLes Paul Sunburst guitar.On

the return trip, Southworth stopped in NewYork City.“I had heard thatWest 48th Street was a mecca for rareguitar dealing.” And it was true. Southworth discoveredthat his guitars would command a higher asking price inManhattan than they would locally.Gradually, Southworth grew his inventory. “When

I built up to 70 guitars, which I kept in a hippie houseon Nebraska Avenue—what a great set up that was—Iopened my first store on MacArthur Boulevard by theMacArthurTheater in D.C.,” he said.That was 1983.

TODAY, SOUTHWORTH CONSIDERS himself not just a dealerbut a collector.That collection, however, ebbs and flows.“I've sold countless guitars over the years that I swore I'dnever (sell). Some I'd held for over a quarter of a cen-tury,” he said. “But, when the money gets too tight, I set'em free. It does half kill me sometimes.…When I birth atruly cherished one, I just take the money and, you know,take the money.”The most highly valued guitar, at least in terms of

price, in Southworth's personal collection is a 1960 Gib-son Les Paul Standard in original cherry sunburst with arepaired and refinishedneck.He appraised it at $100,000.

“I have about 20 guitars in the $2,500 to $25,000 rangethat I like better and prefer to play,” he said.It is another guitar—a 1959 Sunburst Les Paul Stan-

dard, which appeared on the cover of “American Guitars:An Illustrated History” byTomWheeler—that qualifies asthe most highly valued guitar Southworth ever has traded.He put that instrument's value at $850,000.When it comes to pure profit, Southworth once

made $150,000 flipping a 1958 Gibson FlyingV that hebought from a member of AprilWine, a Canadian band.After paying $52,500 for the guitar and $22,500 for aperiod-original case, Southworth sold them three yearslater for $225,000.While income is a necessity, Southworth finds it in-

creasingly difficult to part with his guitars, though he'snot certain why. His website currently lists only about 20percent of what he has to sell. “I'm my own worst em-ployee,” he said, noting that his best clients understandthat, “Gil does things on Gil time.”For those looking to buy or sell a vintage guitar,

Southworth Guitars is still considered by many to be oneof the premiere dealers, he said.Just be patient.


BY ELLEN R. COHEN

AT Goodwin House Bailey’sCrossroads, residents havethe security of knowing that

no matter how their health may change,they will receive appropriate care with-out having to relocate. “The care andease of living is important for people ourage” said Hank Lewis, 80, who came toGoodwin House in 2010 with his wifeJoan Lewis, 75, because they wanted tocontinue living near their children.Goodwin House, a senior community

located in Bailey’s Crossroads, encom-passes “residential living, assisted living,memory support and nursing care,” ac-cording to Colleen Ryan Mallon, vicepresident of marketing.The Fairfax County community of-

fers a wide range of units and amenities.“We have a total of 328 residential livingapartments,” said Mallon. Apartment

configurations range from studio to oneor two bedrooms, with or without a den.While all residences include a full-size re-frigerator and oven, stove and microwaveoven, residents said they liked the flex-ible dining program that enables them toenjoy meals in formal, casual or outdoorsettings, including takeout, if they wish.“Generally, it works out to one dining

dinner per night,”Mallon said.Other amenities include a new Health

and Wellness Center with a swimmingpool and an expanded health care center,which offers private rooms.Having researched many continu-

ing care retirement communities, FrankHart, 82, said he gets a great deal of com-fort knowing that his wife, Betty Hart, 74,is being taken care of as well as she couldbe. Betty Hart has lived in the memorysupport unit for a few months. AWestPoint graduate, Frank Hart served inthe Army for 27 years and had a second

career in sales and information serviceswithGeneral Electric Co.He praised “theterrific job the staff does in running thememory support unit.”AtGoodwinHouse, theminimumage

for residents is 65, although spouses maybe younger if their partners meet the agerequirement.“We have a couple of peopleover 100,” said Mallon, “with one cur-rently 102.” Mallon said more than halfof the residents were single.The vast ma-jority, about 90 percent according toMal-lon, come from a 5-mile radius. GoodwinHouse is pet friendly. Dogs cannot weigh

over 50 pounds. Residents may have twocats, or one cat and one dog.

RESIDENTS DON’T OWN their apartments,Mallon said. “But it is not a rental situa-tion. It’s a sort of hybrid,” she said.Theyare charged an entrance fee that goes to-ward future health care services, and theyalso pay a monthly fee. “As their needschange, their monthly fee does not goup,” Mallon said.Tax benefits can be ap-plied toward the fees.Residents’ monthly fees cover the use

of the swimming pool and 24-hour health

LIVING

ON THE GOAT GOODWIN HOUSECommunity in Bailey’s Crossroads has broad appeal

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BAILEY'S CROSSROADS

Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads resident Jane McKeel participates inone of the exercise classes offered at the health club.

Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads offers a wide range ofresidential living apartments.

TOP: Residents and guests enjoy the art gallery. Exhibits change every six toeight weeks and feature the work of various artists, some of whom are local to

the greater Washington, D.C. area.


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club, an art center with professional artinstruction, a certified fitness instructor,a wellness center with licensed and regis-tered nurses 24/7, a rehabilitation center,and a variety of support groups, work-shops and counseling.Barbara Morris, 83, began studying

watercolors when she moved to GoodwinHouse with her husband Ward Morris,77, about five years ago. She has sold afew paintings and has pieces hanging inthe arts center. “I love the arts center,”said Barbara Morris, a writer who haswritten several books and articles.WardMorris retired from the Navy.In 2003, Jane McKeel, 77, moved

to Goodwin House with her husband,Wayne McKeel.They liked the idea of acommunity with spiritual characteristics.Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Unitarian,Jewish and several interdenominationalservices are held on-site. “There is a spiri-tual flavor here despite being non-sectar-ian,” Jane McKeel said.Wayne McKeelhad Alzheimer’s disease and passed awayin 2007. Jane McKeel was his caregiver.A former writer and teacher, McKeel

is a founder and chairwoman of the GreenTeam, a group that addresses recyclingand environmental issues. “While I am stillable-bodied, I want to give back,” McK-eel said. McKeel has produced the annualSpring Fling talent show for several years.“There’s always so much going on,” shesaid. “You can’t do it all.”Fitness enthusiasts enjoy the well-

equipped health club and heated indoorswimming pool.A fitness instructor makessure residents exercise safely while enjoy-ing fitness classes, water aerobics and tai

chi.The professionally landscaped walkingpaths are popular. Others enjoy the wood-working shop, game room, library, busi-ness center and living room, with its grandpiano and fireplace.

RETIRED AFTER 20 YEARS in the Army andafter a second 28-year career in manage-ment consulting,Hank Lewis said he likedthe “wonderful staff people who work hardto fulfill requests.”He plays the guitar, andserves on themarketing committee and theGreenTeam.Residents take advantage of cultural

venues nearby.They go to performancesat the Rachel M. Schlesinger ConcertHall and Arts Center at NorthernVirginiaCommunity College, the John F.KennedyCenter for the Performing Arts and otherconcert and theater stages.There are semi-nars at Smithsonian Institution museums,book discussion groups and lectures.Manyresidents enjoy the performing arts andparticipate in theater or chorus workshops.An educator and professor, Nancy

Randolph, 81, who has a doctoral degree,has taught at Harvard, Smith College andHoward. Randolph has lived at GoodwinHouse for five and a half years. She serveson the board of trustees and is chairwom-an of the marketing committee. She saidGoodwin House was “a comforting, af-firming place to live.”

Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads3440 S. Jefferson St.

Falls Church (Bailey’s Crossroads) 22041703-824-1000

goodwinhouse.org/goodwin-house-baileys-crossroads

Beverly Palmer reads a magazine in the comfort of her apartment home.


LIVING

BY FRANK A. AUKOFERMOTOR MATTERS

Small crossover utility vehicles, or CUVs, arethe hottest vehicles on the market. At theintroduction of the 2015 Mercedes-BenzGLA250, a Mercedes official noted that

sales of compact CUVs had passed those of mid-size sedans for the first time. Increasing numbers ofconsumers appear to be willing to pay higher pricesfor luxury models.The Acura RDX, MINI Country-man, Buick Encore and Lincoln MKC are examplesof newer luxury CUVs.Crossovers are car-based, with unit-body construc-

tion, usually with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Essentially, they are tall hatchbacksor station wagons. That describesthe new Mercedes GLA250, a lux-ury CUV that is reasonably pricedgiven its level of content and per-formance. As usual, Mercedes likesto add a halo to most of its cars byturning them over to its hot roddivision, AMG. Sure enough,there's also the GLA45 AMG, with a 355-horse-power, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engineand all-wheel drive.

More of the attention will be focused on theGLA250, which starts out with the Mercedes 4MaticAWD system. A lower priced four-wheel drive arrives

soon.The 4Matic version tested for this review had abase price of $34,225 and, with options that includeda navigation system, rear-view camera, power liftgate,AMG 19-inch wheels and body cladding, blind spotassist, dual-zone climate control and SiriusXM satel-lite radio, checked in at $44,220.

Mercedes-Benz GLA:Mercedes-Benz GLA:Hot Trend of SUVsHot Trend of SUVs

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MERCEDES-BENZ

The 2015 GLA-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz SUV with the all-wheel-drive system4MATIC, which features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates

208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque.


1953983

It's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylin-der engine delivers 208 horsepower and258 lb.-ft. of torque to all four wheelsthrough a seven-speed dual clutch auto-mated manual transmission.The combi-nation is enough,Mercedes specificationsassert, to accelerate to 60 mph in 7.1 sec-onds, with a top speed of 130 mph andcity/highway/combined fuel economy of24/32/27 mpg.The engine and transmission combi-

nations in both the GLA250 and GLA45AMG are identical to the new entry-levelMercedes CLA sedan.Though the CLAhas its own charm, the GLA would be abetter choice for almost anyone. It seatsfour comfortably, with plenty of head andknee room in the back seat.The fifth pas-senger in the center rear suffers with ahard cushion, restricted head room andlarge floor hump.The interior is practical and func-

tional, with wood grain trim, easy-to-read

instruments and, on the test car, a 7-inchcolor screen to display navigation andother functions. Like other German carsof late, the upholstery is an artificial mate-rial called MB-Tex, which is high qualitybut not breathable. Real leather costs anadditional $1,500.There's 22 cubic feet of space behind the

rear seat for cargo and the seatbacks fold flatto increase the volume to 42 cubic feet.Thetailgate is conveniently motorized.On the road, the GLA250 feels tight

and composed, and it exhibits flat corner-ing around curves as well as a supple sus-pension system that absorbs road irregu-larities. The ride is comfortable despitethe run-flat tires that eliminate the sparewheel. Electric power steering has goodfeedback and tracks true in a straight line.On price, practicality, performance,

convenience and comfort, the newGLA250 gets multiple thumbs up.


HEALTH

BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON

T hey are known to be painful and to interfere with themovement of a joint. But bone spurs—common in olderadults—often are benign. If you are over 60, chances aregood that you have a bone spur, though you may not yet

realize it, according to local orthopedic surgeons.A bone spur—the creation of extra bone—is the result of in-

flammation, stress, pressure or damage.“It's caused by tractionof ligament—imagine a piece of taffy pulling—on bone,” saidDr.Mark P.Madden, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoVirginiain Reston with privileges at Reston Hospital Center.When theligaments pull, they become inflamed and the body reacts byputting down more bone in that area, he said.“It's the body's response to wear and tear on the joints,”

said Dr. Loiy Mustafa, an orthopedic surgeon at Capital Or-thopaedic Specialists, P.A. with privileges at Doctors Commu-nity Hospital in Lanham, Maryland. Bone spurs are found injoints as well as in places where tendons and ligaments attachto bone. In seniors, a bone spur most often occurs when thereis degeneration of a joint due to osteoarthritis,Mustafa said.“What happens is that over time the cartilage breaks down

in a joint, and the body deals with that by growing bone in orderto provide more stability and surface area,” said Dr. SridharM.Durbhakula, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoBethesda and co-medical director of the Joint Center at Adventist HealthCareShady Grove Medical Center.Osteoarthritis may account for the greatest number of bone

spurs, but there are other factors that contribute to their cre-

This natural responsecomes with someunintended consequences

BATTLINGBONE SPURS

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ation. A build up of bone on the under-side of the heel—the most common placein the body for a bone spur, according toMadden—often is associated with plantarfasciitis. The plantar fascia, the fibrousband of tissue that connects the heel withthe ball of the foot, is designed to absorbstress and strain. But, on occasion, thatpressure damages or tears the tissue. In-flammation of the plantar fascia may leadthe body to create more bone.While heelspurs affect about 10 percent of the popu-lation, only about 5 percent of those witha heel spur experience foot pain, accord-ing to the American Academy of Ortho-paedic Surgeons.Bone spurs are found elsewhere in

the body—in the knees, hips, spine, neck,shoulder and hands, said Durbhakula.The extra bone can be painful and inter-fere with the movement of the joint. “Theknee is where bone spurs commonlybreak off and become loose bodies,” hesaid.As loose bodies float in the knee, theycan cause intermittent locking or a sensa-tion that something is preventing the jointfrom moving properly.The growth of extra bone is an uncon-

trollable natural response that can haveunintended consequences. In the shoul-der, for example, bone spurs can pinchrotator cuff tendons. Pain, stiffness andreduced range of motion can occur.Thepersistent impingement of rotator cufftendons can lead to tears, exacerbatingthe condition, said Mustafa.The lower back is the second most

common place for bone spurs to occur,according to Madden, followed by theneck.When bone spurs pinch the spinalcord or its nerve roots, pain can travel tothe extremities and weakness or numb-ness in the arms and legs can result.An X-ray is most commonly used to

diagnose a bone spur, according to Mad-den.Treatment may vary by the locationof the bone spur, although there are someapproaches that are generally applicable.Staying hydrated, taking over-the-

counter anti-inflammatory medication,

and doing stretching exercises are effec-tive in treating 95 percent of bone spurcases, according to Madden, who putan emphasis on stretching. “Our tissuesbecome less compliant as we gain lifeexperience. We become less flexible. Ithappens naturally. Unfortunately, peopleare disinclined to participate in a stretch-ing program. If they would spend just 10minutes a day stretching, they'd see a realbenefit,” he said, noting that theAmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' web-site, orthoinfo.aaos.org, offers a variety ofstretching exercises for specific parts ofthe body.If pain or diminished range of motion

persists, a visit to an orthopedic surgeon isin order, said Madden. Stronger anti-in-flammatory medication, a cortisone shotor physical therapy could be prescribed.According to Durbhakula, other non-

surgical treatments include a supplementknown as TripleFlex, which contributesto joint comfort, mobility and flexibility,and Synvisc injections, which supplementfluid in the knee and help lubricate andcushion the joint.“Synvisc gives the knee more 'hy-

draulic suspension' so that bones are notrubbing against each other as much,” hesaid. Lifestyle changes, including weightloss and stress reduction, also can be ben-eficial, relieving pressure and tension onjoints and muscles.“When conservative measures are not

successful and a patient's quality of life isadversely affected, then surgical interven-tion may be indicated,” said Mustafa. “Inthe hip and knee, we can do joint replace-ment surgery. In the spine,we can decom-press the pinched nerve. It all depends onthe location of the bone spur.”Early diagnosis of a bone spur is critical

to prevent additional damage to a joint andmaintaining or regaining one's quality oflife, the orthopedic surgeons said.“The besttreatment takes into account many factorsand is the one that the physician and patientcome up with together,” saidMustafa.

In seniors, a bone spur most oftenoccurs when there is

DEGENERATION OF A JOINTdue to osteoarthritis.


HEALTH

W hen you face surgery, youmight have many concerns.One common worry isabout going under anesthe-

sia.Will you lose consciousness? How willyou feel afterward? Is it safe?Every day about 60,000 people nation-

wide have surgery under general anesthe-sia. It's a combination of drugs that's madesurgery more bearable for patients anddoctors alike.General anesthesia dampenspain, knocks you unconscious and keepsyou from moving during the operation.“Prior to general anesthesia, the best

ideas for killing pain during surgery werebiting on a stick or taking a swig of whis-key,” said Dr. Emery Brown, an anesthesi-ologist at Massachusetts General Hospitalin Boston. Things improved more than150 years ago, when a dentist in Massa-chusetts publicly demonstrated that theanesthetic drug ether could block painduring surgery.Within just a few months,anesthesia was being used in Australia, inEurope and then around the world.“General anesthesia changed medi-

cine practically overnight,” said Brown.Life-saving procedures such as open-heartsurgery, brain surgery or organ transplan-tation would be impossible without gen-eral anesthesia.General anesthesia affects your en-

tire body. Other types of anesthesia affectspecific regions. Local anesthesia—suchas a shot of novocaine from the dentist—numbs only a small part of your body fora short period of time.Regional anesthesianumbs a larger area—such as everythingbelow the waist—for a few hours. Mostpeople are awake during operations withlocal or regional anesthesia. But generalanesthesia is used for major surgery andwhen it's important that you be unconscious during aprocedure.General anesthesia has three main stages: going

under (induction), staying under (maintenance) and re-covery (emergence).The drugs that help you go under are either breathed

in as a gas or delivered directly into your bloodstream.Most of these drugs act quickly and disappear rapidlyfrom your system, so they need to be given throughout

the surgery. A specially trained anesthesiologist or nurseanesthetist gives you the proper doses and continuouslymonitors your vital signs—such as heart rate, body tem-perature, blood pressure and breathing.“When patients are going under, they experience a

series of deficits,” said Dr. Howard Nash, a scientist atthe National Institute of Mental Health. “The first is aninability to remember things.A patient may be able to re-peat words you say, but can't recall them after waking up.”

Next, patients lose the ability to re-spond. “They won't squeeze your fingersor give their name when asked,” Nashsaid. “Finally, they go into deep sedation.”Although doctors often say that you'll

be asleep during surgery, research hasshown that going under anesthesia is noth-ing like sleep. “Even in the deepest stagesof sleep, with prodding and poking we canwake you up,” said Brown. “But that's notthe case with general anesthesia. Generalanesthesia looks more like a coma—a re-versible coma.”You lose awareness andthe ability to feel pain, formmemories andmove.Once you've become unconscious, the

anesthesiologist uses monitors and medi-cations to keep you that way. In rare cases,though, something can go wrong. Aboutonce in every 1,000 to 2,000 surgeries,patients may gain some awareness whenthey should be unconscious. They mayhear the doctors talking and remember itafterward.Worse yet, they may feel painbut be unable to move or tell the doctors.“It's a real problem, although it's quite

rare,” said Dr.Alex Evers, an anesthesiolo-gist atWashington University in St. Louis.After surgery, when anesthesia wears

off, you may feel some pain and discom-fort. How quickly you recover will dependon the medications you received and otherfactors like your age. About 40 percentof elderly patients have lingering confu-sion and thinking problems for severaldays after surgery and anesthesia. Rightnow, the best cure for these side effects istime. Brown and his colleagues are work-ing to develop drugs to help patients morequickly emerge and recover from generalanesthesia.

Anesthesia is generally considered quite safe for mostpatients. “Anesthetics have gotten much safer over theyears in terms of the things we're most worried about,like the patient dying or having dangerously low bloodpressure,” Evers said. By some estimates, the death ratefrom general anesthesia is about 1 in 250,000 patients.Side effects have become less common and are usuallynot as serious as they once were.

–NIH News in Health

WAKING UP TO ANESTHESIA

PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK


1953944


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