‘Top 100 woman’ works nonstop
Felícita Solá-Carter, who was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in Howard County for the past 30 of her 70 years, is a wonder woman of sorts. The former federal official, businesswoman, wife, mother of two and nonstop volunteer was recently chosen as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women 2021. Solá-Carter currently chairs the Board of Trustees of Howard Community College, where she... READ MORE
Shop knits community together
What do Olympic diver Tom Daley, actors David Arquette and Ryan Reynolds and author Michelle Obama have in common? Here’s a hint: It has a connection to World War II espionage, botany, veterinary medicine, and the way a medieval shepherd might score the odd groat. Still wondering? Let’s toss in the Crimean War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Tour de France and a few... READ MORE
Doulas support end-of-life transitions
As an intensive care nurse at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond for 22 years, Shelby Kirillin saw people at their most vulnerable time. “I felt that a lot was missing in the way we treated patients that were dying and their families. Death was handled as a medical experience … with no emotional or spiritual support,” Kirillin said. “Death must be acknowledged. In a... READ MORE
The secret life of beekeepers
Few people venture up to the roof of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but John Ferree, 59, does. He has managed four beehives there since 2017. Ferree also has nine hives at Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, five at the Bush Hill Presbyterian Church and six in his Springfield back yard. To pay the bills, Ferree analyzes car dealership financials for NCM... READ MORE
Made in Baltimore with love
A few years ago, Teresa Stephens was working in a community garden in West Baltimore when a disheveled man stumbled in from a nearby alley, alcohol on his breath. The man, who told her he had grown up on a North Carolina farm, seemed interested in her work. Stephens, now 52, offered him a plot of his own. “I provided everything: a shovel, a hoe, the seeds he said he wanted,” she... READ MORE
Mentors help students grow
Two decades ago, pediatric social worker Chaya Kaplan met an 8-year-old boy who became a lifelong friend. “T.B.” was a student she tutored through a program for disadvantaged children run by the Howard County Public School System and the Department of Social Services. He was one of eight children being raised by his grandmother. “I tutored/mentored T.B. weekly for about five years, ... READ MORE
When caregivers face abuse, there’s hope
When Pam M.’s husband, Keith, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the Richmonder felt confident she could care for him. “I thought, ‘Keith and I can handle this. We love each other.’ But you don’t realize the extent it changes your entire life. I was prepared for him not knowing me, but not for the anger towards me,” she said. One day, that anger, a common symptom of... READ MORE
Kojo Nnamdi takes a step back
He may be semi-retired, but radio personality Kojo Nnamdi is still on the go — hosting “The Politics Hour” Fridays on Washington’s NPR station WAMU, getting set to write a memoir of his 76 years, and planning trips to South Africa, India, Nepal, the Himalayas, and other not-yet-visited parts of the world. “You could say that I’m semi-retired, since I no longer have my daily... READ MORE
They put out fires of all kinds
Supporting an older relative can be challenging, particularly from a distance. Cindy Carr has experienced that struggle firsthand. Carr’s uncle, who is 77 and lives in Colonial Landing in Elkridge, fell four times last year. Each time, he had to call 911 for help. “He’s got lots of health issues, and I live out of state,” Carr explained. Last August, she was surprised to... READ MORE
Catching up with Donna Hamilton
If you are from Baltimore, chances are you know Donna Hamilton. A graduate of the University of Alabama Birmingham, where she studied sociology and English, Hamilton arrived in Baltimore in 1981 and soon became a favorite of local viewers as host of WJZ-TV13’s “Evening Magazine,” which was on the air until 1990. Eventually, Hamilton would find her way to the anchor desk at... READ MORE
