Paths to community service
After 9/11, Tufail Ahmad felt that Muslim Americans like himself needed to become more involved in political and charitable endeavors in the larger community. As a result, he helped found the Montgomery County Muslim Council, which provides food to thousands of homeless and low-income residents, among other charitable acts. Ahmad and Ruby Rubens, a Silver Spring fair housing and... READ MORE
Lifetime of passion for music
Ed Polochick considers himself one of the luckiest guys in the world. “I get to do what I love,” said the soon-to-be 60-year-old conductor of Concert Artists of Baltimore. “No one can be more passionate about their profession than I am.”It’s that passion that inspired Polochick to found the Baltimore Symphony Chamber Singers in 1981 in order to give area... READ MORE
Not retired, rewired for service
“From early in my life, the family motto has been, to quote my mother, ‘Se servicial — Be of service’,” said Felicia (Feli) Solá-Carter.So after a career in the Social Security Administration (SSA), Solá-Carter is spending her so-called retirement years training federal employees to excel in their jobs, advocating for Howard County’s growing number... READ MORE
Keep fit and happy with sports
Players in the Palm Springs Senior Softball Association gather at DeMuth Park on Tuesday, Thursday and weekend mornings. The nearly 200 members are divided into two leagues, based on skill and fitness levels. Camaraderie among the teammates is high and most return every season.Photo by: Connie GeorgeAmong the Coachella Valley’s many appeals are its plentiful sunshine and beautiful... READ MORE
Providing kids good counsel
When Joseph Monte began his counseling career at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Md., John F. Kennedy was president, Latin was a requirement for graduation, and nearly every student lived in a household seemingly straight out of “Leave it to Beaver.”Flash forward 50 years, and Einstein’s students now hail from 45 countries, computerized records have long since... READ MORE
Father and son get a TV show
You probably won’t be seeing the “Real Housewives of Baltimore” on your television anytime soon, but ABC is betting that reality-obsessed viewers will make room in their hearts for “Ball Boys,” a new series featuring Robbie Davis, Sr., and his son, Robbie, Jr., owners of Robbie’s 1st Base in Timonium.Premiering on ABC-TV on Saturday, March 24, from 3 to 4 ... READ MORE
A space for artists to flourish
Nearly every day at her studio at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City, Mary Jo Tydlacka works on her vivid canvases and charcoal drawings, some of which depict outdoor performances of Shakespeare. She is one of 14 artists who rent space at the center. More than half of them are over 50. “I do what I love,” said the 67-year-old Woodstock resident. “Art can be ... READ MORE
Following the road of dreams
VJ Hume thought she would spend her whole life on the road, working as an entertainer from coast to coast across Canada and the U.S.“I was uniquely suited to it because I hate housework and can’t cook, so this instantly solved those two problems,” she said of the lifestyle that began in 1973. “I loved the adventure of driving into a new town and getting to know... READ MORE
Wise women reflect on aging
During a spring drive through the countryside a couple of years ago, Dorothy Bailey’s 4-year-old grandson asked her if she was 100 years old.“I thought I would die!” she recalled, laughing. But the question did prompt her to realize that she was nearing 70. “I started thinking, ‘Where did the years go? What happened? And what does it mean to be... READ MORE
Appraiser brings history to life
Talk to Ross Kelbaugh for even a few minutes and you’ll see why he was a successful history teacher for 30 years. Kelbaugh’s passion for bringing the past to life is contagious, a fact that did not escape the producers of the MPT-produced television program “Chesapeake Collectibles,” a local version of the internationally popular series, “Antiques Roadshow.” For the... READ MORE
