Appraisals added to annual 50+ Expos
Who will be the lucky winner of a 10-day vacation for two to China? Two lucky registrants at the 2017 Beacon 50+Expos, that’s who! For the 18th year in a row, the Beacon Newspapers expects to attract thousands of attendees to its two expos — free, annual events featuring health screenings, informative resources, an expert speaker, flu shots and entertainment for older adults and... READ MORE
Libraries branch out with ukulele lessons
The Howard County Library is offering its card-carrying members a chance to pluck along with what appears to be a comeback for the ukulele.Since July 1, the county’s four full-time operating libraries have made learn-it-yourself ukulele kits available for three-week loans. The libraries now taking part in the program include Miller in Ellicott City, Central in Columbia, Savage in... READ MORE
Launching a bartering network for artists
Bruce McKaig first became interested in cashless, or barter, economies when he was living in a small village in Guatemala. He noticed that the residents there fared better by trading with each other to meet their needs.Not only that, but he observed that the community thrived because, as he put it, “Bartering fosters personal interaction and strives to find a common ground where all... READ MORE
Electric and eclectic Joseph now at Toby’s
From Elvis-inspired rock and roll, to Calypso music, to the Charleston dance of the 1920s, there is something for just about everyone in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, now playing at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Md. The classic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice has been entertaining audiences for nearly 50 years.Joseph began as a short... READ MORE
Country music is his passion
Mark Brine found his professional calling early on. Today, the 68-year-old writer and singer continues his long career in country music, saying simply (as country singers are apt to), “It’s my life.”Though Brine may not be a household name among casual listeners, country music aficionados know his longstanding reputation in the industry.For example, Pete Smith of Country ... READ MORE
Round-up of summertime theatre options
I think we can safely say that a robust July theater schedule has solidified into a Washington tradition. Sort of a solstice festival. This time of year used to be characterized by mostly empty stages — with lovers of the art waiting for “the season” to get underway in the fall. But now, though some theater companies do take a break, those still in action present an interesting... READ MORE
Exhibit displays 50 years of memorabilia
What do a vinyl recording of Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty,” a five-foot model for a towering fiberglass and gold leaf tree, and a photo showing then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey with heiress-businesswoman-philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post and real estate developer Jim Rouse have in common?That’s right: They are among artifacts related to the... READ MORE
Russian Revolution memoirs
While Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly playing down the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Ellicott City resident Vladimir Marinich is marking the occasion with the publication of his grandparents’ memoirs of that historic event. Marinich, who is 80 and a retired Howard Community College history professor, has spent the last 10 years translating the... READ MORE
Wedding stories from Jewish Maryland
The year was 1964. Elsbeth Levy was set to marry Bert Bothe in an outdoor wedding in the backyard of a friend’s rowhouse. She had changed into her wedding gown, her guests were waiting, and as she was about to be escorted to the ceremony through the house and out the backdoor, she discovered she couldn’t get into the house — the door was locked.What’s a bride to do? ... READ MORE
A peek at what’s on stage this summer
Area theaters are showcasing a variety of plays this summer — from a play about an unconventional grandmother, to two of the Bard’s most celebrated works.Bowie Community TheatreThe Bowie Community Theatre is bringing folks an eccentric comedy all the way from Los Angeles. Nana’s Naughty Knickers is written by L.A.-based Katherine DiSavino and directed by Jennifer L.... READ MORE
Arts 2024
#Theatre #Books #Bob Levey #Artist #Independent Living #Art #Americana #Diner #Wheaton #Baltimore #Bibliophile
