Thrill and camaraderie in the air
Jumping out of a moving airplane is a white-knuckle thrill. In three to four seconds, your parachute opens, and you start floating down. In two minutes, you’ve dropped 1,500 feet and landed on solid ground. “When the parachute opens, there’s peace and quiet. There’s no one in the air but you, and the whirr of the airplane is gone,” said Keith Kettell, a U.S. Army veteran who... READ MORE
Howard cyclist gives bikes to kids
Ted Cochran of Columbia loves cycling — he’s biked 90 percent of all the rideable roads and trails in Howard County, by his estimation. He also helps thousands of Howard County children discover the joy of cycling. The organization he founded seven years ago, Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K) Maryland, annually refurbishes thousands of bicycles, gifting them in early December to low-income... READ MORE
Author finds humor everywhere
Since author Peggy Rowe turned 80, she has published three New York Times bestselling books, proving that it’s never too late to start something new. “Don’t sit back and say, ‘I’ve had my time; I’m going to sit back and watch other people now.’ Because it really isn’t too late,” Rowe said in an interview with the Beacon. Her most recent book, Oh No, Not ‘The... READ MORE
Someone to watch over you
When Alexandria, Virginia, resident Donna Marie’s father was suddenly hospitalized, she visited him, prayed with him, hugged him and said she’d talk to him in the morning. But he died hours later, alone in a sterile hospital room. “During a long period of grief, I experienced a lot of guilt because I left my dad alone in the hospital,” Marie said. “He kept asking me to stay,... READ MORE
Oriole Advocates change lives
On a sunny spring day, an orange-clad crowd flows through the iron gates of Camden Yards. Every now and then, someone joins the line dressed as a cow. It’s baseball season in Baltimore, and Birdland is ready for some fun. Most folks know the drill. As they approach a cheerful volunteer at the gate, fans reach out for the day’s freebie. Today, it’s bobbleheads. “Kids love the... READ MORE
Collectors are crazy about cars
Gil Dickens lives, sleeps and dreams Corvettes. The retired Air Force engineer owns and maintains five of them, chairs the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Corvette Restorers Society and edits their newsletter. He’s the master of Corvette minutiae: He can identify spark plugs by year, explain which model had a triple deuce carburetor, and sing the praises of the father of the... READ MORE
Dolly Parton’s books for kids
Every month, when Eris Doweary’s 4-year-old daughter sees a book arrive in the mail, she “gets excited,” her mother said. “She’ll yell at me, ‘Mommy, I got a new book!’” said the D.C. resident. “It’s a treat for her when the books come into the house.” Doweary’s daughter, who has been receiving free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since she was... READ MORE
News man covers the county
In a world of disappearing small-town newspapers, a new source of news has emerged in Howard County. The Howard Courier is an independent, web-based news platform that endeavors to report on local happenings with integrity and without bias. Founded by Ricardo Whitaker, the Courier is less than a year old and has already provided Howard County and surrounding areas with information on... READ MORE
Football pro turns college coach
Football fans may be familiar with the name Jimmy Johnson, the former coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Now another Jimmie Johnson (no relation), a famous name in the NFL ranks, has come to Baltimore. Last year, the athletic department at Morgan State University hired Johnson as an assistant football coach. “I started playing football in Augusta, Georgia at age six. At 58, I’m still a... READ MORE
Gail Kohn makes connections
Capitol Hill resident Gail Kohn has always been somewhat of a matchmaker. Throughout her 40-year career in the aging field, she’s found ways to connect people — with a neighbor, plumber, mayor and even a future spouse. “I make a lot of connections,” said Kohn, who recently named her new limited liability corporation Linking Partners LLC as a nod to her superpower. “I know lots... READ MORE
