Sharing black theater’s legacy
Ronald “Smokey” Stevens tap danced onto Broadway in 1976 at the age of 25, when he got a role in Bubbling Brown Sugar — a musical revue featuring the music of African American performers of the early 20th century, from Duke Ellington to Fats Waller.Not only did the Washington native get his first big break that year, he met the man who would inspire him for decades to... READ MORE
MEET OUR NEW COLUMNIST: She’s 12 years old!
Older and younger generations combine naturally within families. But what about outside of families?Think about it. Kids don’t typically want to hang out with older folks who may have never laid eyes on a smartphone before. And seniors most likely aren’t daydreaming of spending time with a twelve-year-old like me.And that is exactly what I want to... READ MORE
Branching out your family tree
Dennis Ayers learned that an eighth generation great-grandaunt on his father’s side was one of the victims of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, hung as a witch in 1692. Dottie Alshire found out that her grandparents were arrested for selling whiskey during Prohibition in the 1920s. And Ann Herron recently discovered a host of relatives on her father’s side of the family in... READ MORE
Ups and downs of caregiving
It has been a long and increasingly difficult 20-year journey, but Patty Kelly knows she is coming to the end of her caregiving responsibilities for her elderly mother.The 56-year-old Westminster resident has been providing an evolving array of caregiving functions since her mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1994. Now 90 and in a residential facility in Virginia, ... READ MORE
An armful of Emmy awards
Harry Kooperstein’s personalized license plate is: EMYMN17. In other words, Emmy Man 17.That’s how many Emmys Kooperstein has won. From 1987 through 1999, the now Sun City Palm Desert resident collected eight Emmys as producer and director of Live From The Hollywood Bowl, an annual TV special that featured the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl orchestras, and an array... READ MORE
Farmer reaps fruitful fantasy
The past, the present and the future co-mingle gracefully in the pastoral Howard County setting of Clark’s Elioak Farm.It’s a place where fairy tale figures and fanciful settings from the pages of children’s books greet visitors on ground once trod by colonial farmers and still tilled by their descendants.Grandparents and middle-aged tourists enjoy a nostalgic visit,... READ MORE
Making a move to a new lifestyle
Anyone who has ever packed up a house won’t argue with the fact that moving is considered to be one of life’s leading stressors.But what happens when you’re not just changing residences, but changing your lifestyle as well? For some Baltimoreans, the stress is just one part of a great adventure.Jon and Sherry Hyman went from owning a five-bedroom home on three acres in... READ MORE
Photographer tells (almost) all
White House news photographers are a unique clan. They crawl around on the White House floor, dart into the Oval Office for a quick shot, perch on stepladders, wait in the Rose Garden, and travel on Air Force One and press planes to memorialize presidents, posed and unposed, for all time.Former White House photographer Dennis Brack, 74, has brought this privileged workforce into focus in... READ MORE
Honoring a top volunteer COP
“For completing 6,408 hours of volunteer service, I had received a very nice certificate from the Rancho Mirage Citizens on Patrol Services. And when I received the Senior Inspiration Award, it was like icing on the cake,” said Jack Schleicher.Each year, the County of Riverside and the Coachella Valley’s nine cities select a senior 70 years of age and older who has been... READ MORE
Howard’s top cop recalls career
“It’s not a bad time to leave, when you are still excited about your job and not burnt out,” said 51-year-old William McMahon, who retires on June 30 after 28 years on the police force and eight years as the police chief of Howard County.“I’m blessed. I still love what I’m doing day after day,” McMahon said, as he was interviewed just before taking... READ MORE