Keeping up with Neal Gillen
Potomac attorney, open-water swimmer doesn’t slow down.
The fog was thick in San Francisco as waves crashed against the rocks in the Pacific Ocean. It was a cold morning and 73-year-old Neal Gillen found himself fighting against the current, gulps of salt water burning his mouth. Far from his Potomac home, he was heading for Alcatraz.
Seniors Rush to Yoga
Yoga teachers, research point to health benefits for seniors.
Shortly after 10 a.m. on any given Tuesday or Thursday morning, 84-year-old Lola Wulchin can be found slowly stretching into a downward facing dog pose or lunging into a warrior one posture. The Vienna resident has been a yoga devotee at East Meets West Yoga Center in Vienna for slightly more than two years. In fact, she credits twice-weekly, gentle yoga practice with boosting her health and improving her quality of life. "I had been bothered by a lot of neck pain from arthritis," said Wulchin. "I had seen a pain management doctor who gave me shots, I had physical therapy, but I still had neck pain and very little range of motion."
Commentary: Focusing on Children with Autism
We recognize this Wednesday, April 2, as World Autism Day, taking a moment to raise awareness around the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. Autism incidence in the U.S., and in Northern Virginia in particular, is reaching astounding levels.
How to Age in Place Safely
Local experts suggest techniques and programs that can help seniors stay in their homes longer.
The AARP reports that nearly 80 percent of adults age 65 and older want to remain in their current homes as long as possible. That population is growing. According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging, the population 65 years or older numbered 39.6 million in 2009. By 2030, that number will grow to about 72.1 million. While people are living longer and healthier lives, there are still barriers to aging in place, including medication management, self-care, socialization and transportation. But there are innovative strategies and initiatives to help combat these roadblocks.
2014 Generation-to-Generation Gala
Senior Services of Alexandria hosted their annual Generation-to-Generation Gala last Saturday evening at the Mark Hilton in Alexandria. The 2014 honorees were Patty Moran and her daughter Kate along with Lonnie Rich and Marcia Call and their daughter Sara Rich.
Accessibility on a Different Level
New lower-level in-law suite becomes primary living space.
How can you tell when in an-law suite is outperforming the usual requirements? Well, for starters, when the owners themselves decide to occupy the new accommodation as their primary living space.
‘Camp David’ at Arena Stage
World premiere explores 13-day peace process orchestrated by President Jimmy Carter.
Arena Stage is presenting the world premiere historical drama “Camp David,” the story of how President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat came together to forge a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Fairfax County Senior Centers
Senior Centers for Active Adults offer opportunities to make friends, stay on the move, and learn new things. Fairfax County residents age 55 and older may join any of the 13 senior centers sponsored by the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. Senior centers offer classes, health and wellness programs, computer and internet access, trips and tours, and opportunities to socialize with others and stay connected with your community. There is an annual membership fee of $48 for attending the senior centers. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs/srctrs.htm for more.
Boomers Find Answer to Fitness at Senior Centers
Business is booming at Arlington’s six senior centers as more and more 55+ residents register with the Office of Senior Adult Programs and find a wide array of fitness programs available. Several community centers also offer strength training and weight rooms for 55+ only and sports such as pickleball, volleyball and women’s basketball. Ice skating, table tennis, tennis, golf, cycling and line dancing are also offered.
Register with Arlington’s OSAP ASAP
Arlington County’s Office of Senior Adult Programs (OSAP), a unit of the Deptartment of Parks and Recreation, coordinates activities and programs at the County’s six senior centers and several community centers. It also administers a popular 55+ Travel Program. Arlington residents 55 years of age and older can register for a 55+ Pass with the Office of Senior Adult Programs which gives them access to programs at all of the centers plus free access to exercise facilities from 6:25 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Community Center and Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center. They will also receive a bi-monthly, 36-page magazine (55+ Guide) and be eligible to participate in the travel program. The cost is $20 annually.
Thanks, Coach…
…my Certified Holistic Health Coach, Rebecca Nenner, that is. (Visit www.healthcoachdiva.com for information leading to a healthier lifestyle.) More than a coach, Rebecca is my friend – and has been for many years. A former co-worker at the Connection Newspapers, Rebecca is as passionate about health and fitness as I am about the Boston Red Sox. She has been my guiding hand now for over five years, most especially when I was first diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer back in February, 2009. Although there are no whistles involved in her coaching, there are phone calls, e-mails, YouTube videos, Webinars and miscellaneous other advisories regularly landing in my in box. To say Rebecca has saved my life might be an overstatement, given that I am being treated by an oncologist; however, she has given me an alternate perspective on what I can do to help my body survive my treatment and live like I have a present and a future, a gift if ever there was one.
Spring in the Offing
Power tool retailer celebrates season.
On the day before spring arrived this year, a stubborn bank of snow signaled the “pre-season” event held at Virginia Outdoor Power Equipment Co.
Classified Advertising March 26, 2014
Read the latest ads here!
ArtStream Performances Return
Inclusive Theater Companies debut original musicals.
This spring, two original theatrical productions are hitting the stage of Gunston Theater One in Arlington. Brought to audiences by the non-profit organization, ArtStream, the productions have casts of talented adults with a range of disabilities.
McAuliffe Talks Medicaid Expansion
Patients share stories at Medicaid expansion roundtable.
Just a few days before the Virginia General Assembly convened in a special session in Richmond to decide on the budget and the possibility of Medicaid expansion, Gov. Terry McAuliffe met with patients of Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services in Arlington, as they shared with him how Medicaid expansion would change their lives for the better.
Chefs Discuss Spring Vegetables
When Dara Yaffe Lyubinsky was growing up in Potomac she always enjoyed cooking, whether it was with her family and friends, or for her synagogue. Today, she’s passionate about cooking fresh, seasonal meals. Lyubinsky, like many chefs and culinary enthusiasts, is looking forward to strolling through farmers markets and creating fanciful spring dishes with the season’s freshest bounty, especially as she prepares to return to D.C. from New York. However, she and other chefs are making the most of the available spring produce even if warm weather seems a like a distant dream. “Since it’s still so chilly outside, and the forecast is still calling for snow, we’re incorporating some of spring’s newest produce into some heartier, cold weather dishes,” said Lyubinsky, a professional personal chef and the owner of Tastes Like More Personal Chef Service (www.tasteslikemoreDC.com), a boutique culinary service. She’s also a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and the University of Maryland, as well as a 2001 graduate of Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville.
Bishop O’Connell Softball Suffers Rare Defeat
After losing two all-Americans, Knights fall to Lake Braddock.
The Bishop O'Connell softball team recently suffered its third loss in three years.
Arlington Lifestyle Blooms in the Spring
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are on the rise, and Arlington residents are ready to finally enjoy the benefits of their urban neighborhoods. After what felt like an exceptionally long winter, people throughout Arlington have paid their dues and are planning their recreational activities for the upcoming months. Longtime locals and newer transplants to the area agree that a world of opportunities opens up in Arlington as springtime weather approaches. Whether in search of an endorphin rush, or somewhere to mingle with other Arlingtonians, places to go are aplenty and the area has more luster after the snow banks melt and the air loses its bite.
Editorial: Challenging Budgets
Local Government should be able to access income taxes to give relief on real estate taxes.
Northern Virginia governments are facing shortfalls in the classic budget sense: projected revenues are less than last year’s expenditures plus increases in costs.
Another Milestone
March 30, 2014. My age 59 and a half (9/30/54 is my date of birth). The age at which money deposited into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be withdrawn without incurring a 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Not that I’m retiring. I am remembering though when this cancer-centric life of mine began.