Going solar in Howard County
Howard County resident Ari Silver-Isenstadt has spent the last decade trying to reduce his carbon footprint to protect the environment, including switching to renewable energy. He and his wife first got their feet wet with renewable energy more than 10 years ago, when they installed solar thermal panels that used the heat of the sun to warm their hot water tank. After that initial... READ MORE
Ballplayer now autism activist
When baseball great B.J. Surhoff’s son Mason was a year old, B.J. and his wife, Polly, started to notice that something was off. Mason didn’t seem to hear well and wasn’t as engaged as his brothers. “He was developing just as quickly, if not quicker. And then he wasn’t,” B.J., now 57, remembered. So he took his son to a neurologist, who diagnosed Mason with “classic... READ MORE
Why some Richmonders are going solar
Studying a computer screen on a warm, sunny day with temperatures in the low 70s, Richmond resident Michael Testerman announced, “I have a nice bell curve.” At the 6 a.m. sunrise, his home’s solar-powered system started generating electricity, according to the monitor. Around noon, production was highest, and then in the afternoon, the line started declining: a perfect bell... READ MORE
Athletes of all ages score gold
Dave Wiecking and his buddies used to go to Grateful Dead concerts together when they were in their 20s. Now, four decades later, they play serious games of shuffleboard. “I don’t know if it’s cutthroat, but it’s definitely competitive,” said Wiecking, 64, a retired U.S. patent examiner in Bethesda. In September, Wiecking and his friends will participate in the Maryland... READ MORE
Stay happy by staying connected
As the saying goes, no one is an island. We all need the counsel, support and friendship of other people to lead happy, healthy and productive lives. As we age, it’s especially important to avoid loneliness and isolation. That’s because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “social isolation [is] associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia and other... READ MORE
State’s archaeologist digs Virginia’s past
It could be an 18th-century shipwreck half-buried in James River muck, a stone flake, a bone fragment, charred soil, a bead or a chunk of brick. Every artifact unearthed by archaeologists, along with its setting and the soil where it is found, tells a story or part of a story. Dr. Elizabeth Moore, the state archaeologist since 2019, leads efforts to document Virginia’s past — much of ... READ MORE
Double Dutch is twice the fun
Have you seen the D.C. Retro Jumpers at the Cherry Blossom Festival or another local street fair? The group of six women, all over age 50, twirl two ropes in opposite directions, and people of all ages line up to jump Double Dutch. Sometimes they stop traffic. One driver spotted them, slammed on her brakes and ran over to jump, pumping her arms in the air and grinning. “Just to see... READ MORE
‘Top 100 woman’ works nonstop
Felícita Solá-Carter, who was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in Howard County for the past 30 of her 70 years, is a wonder woman of sorts. The former federal official, businesswoman, wife, mother of two and nonstop volunteer was recently chosen as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women 2021. Solá-Carter currently chairs the Board of Trustees of Howard Community College, where she... READ MORE
Shop knits community together
What do Olympic diver Tom Daley, actors David Arquette and Ryan Reynolds and author Michelle Obama have in common? Here’s a hint: It has a connection to World War II espionage, botany, veterinary medicine, and the way a medieval shepherd might score the odd groat. Still wondering? Let’s toss in the Crimean War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Tour de France and a few... READ MORE
Doulas support end-of-life transitions
As an intensive care nurse at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond for 22 years, Shelby Kirillin saw people at their most vulnerable time. “I felt that a lot was missing in the way we treated patients that were dying and their families. Death was handled as a medical experience … with no emotional or spiritual support,” Kirillin said. “Death must be acknowledged. In a... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
