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Published by The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. JUNE 2019 • FREE 2 www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com JUNE 2019 — FIFTY PLUS identifying them in a crowd, creating a new police, from using facial recognition soft- threat possibly more dangerous than iden- ware to help identity individuals — but not Saving faces tity theft: namely, loss of anonymity and pri- restricting businesses from using it. We’re all told to be careful with our IDs uses, facial recognition software now allows vacy. In my view, the pros and cons of facial because of the burgeoning crime of iden- travelers to bypass security lines, enables Of course, this ability has many positive recognition and AI technology mirror tity theft. residents to enter their apart- uses. It has proven useful for finding lost chil- those of every advance humans have For example, we shouldn’t ment buildings hands-free, dren and tracking down terrorists and crimi- made from the Stone Age forward. share our Social Security and grants kids entrée to nals, as when it quickly identified the shooter Since our distant ancestors invented numbers with businesses or their home even if they lose who murdered five employees at the Capital the arrowhead and crude stone knives, we publicize our birth date on so- the key. Gazette in Annapolis last year. For this reason, have had weapons with which to protect cial media because facts such One article in this issue, the technology has proven popular with po- ourselves from enemies and, alas, to kill as these can help thieves ac- “Walmart is using AI to lice forces throughout the U.S. anyone we don’t like or who has some- cess our bank accounts, watch the store,” describes But it is also being utilized by police thing we want. falsely claim our tax refunds how commercial entities are states thro ughout the globe. It’s not the technology, it’s the character or apply for credit cards in our testing ways to make practi- Recent articles in the press have made of the people who use it that matters — names. cal use of artificial intelli- us aware how China is using facial recog- and the self-regulation we impose. But there’s one aspect of FROM THE gence to improve the nition technology to keep tabs on billions Is our society prepared to make judg- our identity each of us car- PUBLISHER shopping experience and re- of its citizens, not only catching criminals ments about the acceptable use of facial ries at all times that nobody By Stuart P. Rosenthal duce costs. in the process, but also protesters and recognition technology by individuals, can steal: our face. So, not Is there a spill on aisle 11? other “undesirables,” such as Uyghur businesses and governments? And are we surprisingly, it was only a Are the lines getting too long Muslims, who have been rounded up and capable of enforcing any limits we impose? matter of time before technology compa- at the cash registers? Walmart store man- placed in internment camps for “re-educa- We have arguably succeeded in doing nies developed a software that would uti- agers can use AI to keep tabs on these and tion.” that for some technologies (nuclear lize precise facial recognition to improve thousands of other details throughout the So where does that leave us? There is power) and arguably failed with others security. store. great value in the technology, but the po- (automatic weapons). The software, a type of artificial intelli- Walmart says it is not currently using tential for abuse is high. Where will we draw the line when it gence (AI), uses algorithms to precisely the technology to identify individual shop- Congress is currently considering a bi- comes to technology that can potentially compute many of the physical characteristics pers or in sensitive spots like the phar- partisan bill that “would ban companies follow us from cradle to grave, wherever that define each individual face, which it rap- macy or restrooms. But it could. (but not governments) from collecting fa- we go, whatever we do? idly compares with data from other faces Ironically, the very singularity of our cial-recognition data without consent,” ac- I’d like to know what you think. Please housed in whatever database it is using. faces, coupled with our ubiquitous security cording to the Washington Post. share your thoughts on this topic, or any Developed by technology companies cameras, makes this technology capable of But maybe it’s government use of the other, by sending us a letter to the editor. like Amazon for commercial and personal tracking an individual’s movements and technology that should be more feared. That’s the sentiment behind San Fran- cisco’s recently passed city ordinance pro- hibiting public agencies, including local Letters to the editor a publication of The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter Editorial Mission: Fifty Plus is dedicated to providing readers with accurate addressed in Fifty Plus as well as on political and social issues of the information, professional guidance, and useful resources. Our publication is day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to Fifty Plus, P.O. Box 2227, Silver intended to both reflect and enhance fifty-plus lifestyles, and to encourage reader dialogue and input. Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to [email protected]. Please Fifty Plus is published monthly and distributed free of charge. The advertising include your name, address and telephone number for verification. deadline is the 20th of each month for the upcoming issue. The entire contents of Fifty Plus are ©2019, The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be re- Dear Editor: cure dementia.” produced in whole or in part by any means without the express written consent I just read your piece about distracted It would be wiser to invest these funds of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by writers and columnists driving in a parking lot (“From the Pub- in basic research. We really don’t under- do not necessarily represent those of Fifty Plus or its staff. lisher,” May 2019). There is one possible ex- stand the cause of dementia, and without planation your story did not address: it is this basic information it would seems a highly likely, with all the technology, that waste of money to give it to drug compa- Publisher/Editor — Stuart Rosenthal people have become so dependent on it they nies unless they are associated with a re- Vice President, Operations — Gordon Hasenei cannot think about their actions anymore. search center or university. They have so many “smart” things We need an all-out effort to solve this Vice President, Sales and Marketing — Alan Spiegel around them that they do not become problem, which is not only costs us bil- Managing Editor — Margaret Foster smarter at all; they become stupid and do lions of dollars each year in caring for selfish and moronic things. All you need those afflicted (Medicaid, etc.) but causes Art Director — Kyle Gregory to prove my theory is to drive on the high- endless suffering to the millions of af- Director of Operations — Roger King ways during rush hour. fected individuals and their families. Adam Ritter I suggest that NIH and AARP set up new Associate Editor — PJ Feinstein Via email divisions to study the causes of dementia. Dear Editor: To convince every American to donate $1 Fifty Plus Richmond • PO Box 2227 • Silver Spring, MD 20915 I recently learned that AARP has $75 for research, they could use the slogan “Re- PH: 804-673-5203 • [email protected] million to invest in their Dementia Discov- member me. Don’t forget to give $1.” ery Fund, which provides “financial capi- Hedy Peyser, MSW, ACSW © Copyright 2019 The Beacon Newspapers, Inc. tal to companies working on drugs to Via email FIFTY PLUS — JUNE 2019 www.FiftyPlusRichmond.com 3 Feature Story Making mayo and more for 132 years By Glenda C. Booth Company origins PHOTO BY GLENDA BOOTH When you stroll by the C.F. Sauer plant In 1917, Eugenia Thomas Duke, a Geor- at 2000 West Broad Street — or even wait gia native, moved to Greenville, South Car- at the stoplight with the car windows olina. When the United States joined World down — your nose tingles. A pungent War I and troops started training at nearby whiff of pepper or sweet scent of vanilla Camp Sevier, she started a business selling might waft by. sandwiches to hungry soldiers at 10 cents “The aroma emanating from the building each, slathered in a mayonnaise she had varies depending on what is being produced created in her kitchen. that day,” said C.F. Sauer’s marketing direc- After the war, she expanded her prod- tor, Erin Hatcher. ucts and markets. Her top salesman in Since 1887, the C.F. Sauer Company 1923 convinced her that her mayonnaise has been a presence in Richmond. Today was truly distinctive, so she started sell- it makes condiments, spices, herbs, ex- ing it as a separate product. tracts and rubs in several plants around In 1929, C.F. Sauer bought Duke’s the country. The West Broad Street plant Products and Duke’s mayonnaise became bottles vanilla and makes spices and Sauer’s flagship product. herbs; hence, the olfactory tease. The company has responded to the times The fourth generation of the Sauer fam- over the years, moving from glass to plastic ily helms the privately-held company. “Our jars, for instance. But Eugenia Duke’s The local manufacturing plant of the C.F. Sauer Company on West Broad family is honored to be part of Richmond’s recipe remains unchanged.

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