Caretaker protects the past
It’s often said that Amercians fear death: We rarely talk about it, and sometimes, we even abandon family burial sites, leaving them untended and unprotected. David Zinner, 75, of Columbia, is fighting that trend — and succeeding. He wants people to know that, as he put it in a recent interview with the Beacon, “talking about death won’t kill ya.” This fall, Maryland’s... READ MORE
Six-minute dates for older singles
If you keep telling yourself, “I’ve got to put myself out there if I’m going to meet someone,” speed dating may be for you. This unique dating format offers the chance to meet multiple singles in your age range in a single evening. Each event is held at a different bar, hotel or restaurant, typically in a private area. A host welcomes everyone and gives them a nametag — and... READ MORE
Gary Bartz’s Charm City roots
Music is the fountain of youth, according to Gary Bartz, one of Baltimore’s most famous jazz saxophonists. “Music does keep you young,” Bartz, 84, said in an interview with the Beacon. “Music is more powerful than anyone realizes.” Bartz has won two Grammy Awards and released 45 solo albums during his six-decade music career. Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts... READ MORE
Back to school with the Bard
It’s that time of year again, when one’s memories turn to school days — and perhaps to that singular teacher or professor who seemed to live and breathe their subject, passing on their enthusiasm to students. Howard County resident Lynne Johnson is such a teacher. Johnson leads a Shakespeare reading group at the East Columbia 50+ Center, one of several free classes and clubs... READ MORE
Elders of DC JazzFest pass it on
Jazz singer Vanessa Rubin, 68, learned her craft from icons like Sarah Vaughn. Although she couldn’t afford a ticket to every show, she would watch through the window of the club. “Sometimes they would let you in because they knew you were trying to learn,” she said. “I’d go to gigs and sit down with pencil and paper. I’d study them; study what they do in the... READ MORE
Chef Cindy Wolf cooks with heart
“To know how to eat is to know how to live.” — Georges Auguste Escoffier There are those who cook and those who understand the art of cooking. Not merely the alchemy of heat and ingredients, the delicate balance of salt and fat, but the unspoken language of hunger itself — the yearning for comfort, for memory, for a communion that transcends the mere act of eating. Chef Cindy... READ MORE
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
