Honoring a woman of purpose
When Ify Nwabukwu came to the U.S. from Nigeria at age 25, her dream was to become a physician. She studied at several colleges, finally graduating with a degree in nursing from Howard University in Washington, D.C. But her real career developed as the founder and leader of an organization that has boosted the health of thousands of African women new to this country. In fact, the impact... READ MORE
Longtime conductor moves on
Although Jason Love, 52, will be stepping down after 24 years as music director of the Columbia Orchestra, he intends to keep his music career moving in several directions, including more cello recitals, further composing and exploring ways to film musical events. “Columbia has been my dream job,” Love said in a recent interview with the Beacon. “I loved being with the orchestra.... READ MORE
Playwright opens eyes, not ears
If you like Charlie Chaplin films, you’ll enjoy an upcoming production from The Performing Arts at Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville. Although Goya: en la Quinta del Sordo (Spanish for “in the house of the deaf man”) doesn’t have any words, it has a little bit of comedy, music and food for thought. It’s a play about the works of Francisco de Goya (1746-1828)... READ MORE
We all can give voice to history
Oral history can bring the past to life in ways history books can’t — from a first-person account of seeing a plane smash into the Pentagon on 9/11, to more pleasant recollections of Hot Shoppes restaurants, where waiters sprinted to cars with trays of milkshakes and burgers. And in the Washington area, opportunities abound for people to both share their stories and read or listen to ... READ MORE
Reenacting historical battles
White-walled A-frame tents dot the field where Union soldiers dressed in their blues march nearby in formation, muskets propped up straight against their shoulders. The sun catches serious faces under their distinct forage caps; these soldiers are marching to battle. Soon, a cloud of smoke hovers over the field as a line of soldiers fires a volley at the enemy, stars and stripes on the... READ MORE
Don’t retire; reinvent yourself
After Paula Coupe retired from her 30-year government career, she spent her first six weeks organizing recipes. Once rested, the Alexandria resident set about finding a new life. Now she’s making jewelry, pottery and lamps, even entering juried shows. “I became a new person,” Coupe said. Another Northern Virginia retiree, Arina van Breda, who practiced medicine in Northern... READ MORE
Unsung hero of chamber music
Harry Glass, 84, has been called a “true impresario” as well as the “chief cook and bottle-washer” who, for the past 22 years, has made possible the highly regarded Sundays at Three chamber music concerts in Columbia. The concerts have featured many of the region’s top musicians — including members of the Baltimore Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestras, faculty from... READ MORE
Meet Baltimore’s firetruck buffs
Once a month, Jim Melia drives his gleaming red 1961 American LaFrance firetruck to a grocery store in Cockeysville to pick up some milk. Hampsted retiree Malden Miller drives one of his five antique firetrucks to Walmart now and then. While onlookers might be baffled at the sight of an antique firetruck rumbling into the parking lot without sirens blaring, Melia and Miller regularly... READ MORE
Author made history as a baby
When more than 250,000 Americans gathered to hear Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963, a family of three was quietly making history in Baltimore. Baltimore native Sharon Langley was only 11 months old when her parents, Charles and Marian Langley, brought her to Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. Like many ... READ MORE
Vets pivot to serving community
It took three days and a lot of sweat, but last September, 15 volunteers hauled 12,000 tires out of a wooded area in a National Park site in Washington, D.C. They also pulled out sinks, toilets, rusty pipes and other debris that had been illegally dumped in the city’s Fort Dupont community gardens. In addition, they’ve spread compost, prepared garden beds and cleaned chicken coops.... READ MORE
