The secret life of beekeepers
Few people venture up to the roof of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but John Ferree, 59, does. He has managed four beehives there since 2017. Ferree also has nine hives at Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, five at the Bush Hill Presbyterian Church and six in his Springfield back yard. To pay the bills, Ferree analyzes car dealership financials for NCM... READ MORE
Made in Baltimore with love
A few years ago, Teresa Stephens was working in a community garden in West Baltimore when a disheveled man stumbled in from a nearby alley, alcohol on his breath. The man, who told her he had grown up on a North Carolina farm, seemed interested in her work. Stephens, now 52, offered him a plot of his own. “I provided everything: a shovel, a hoe, the seeds he said he wanted,” she... READ MORE
Mentors help students grow
Two decades ago, pediatric social worker Chaya Kaplan met an 8-year-old boy who became a lifelong friend. “T.B.” was a student she tutored through a program for disadvantaged children run by the Howard County Public School System and the Department of Social Services. He was one of eight children being raised by his grandmother. “I tutored/mentored T.B. weekly for about five years, ... READ MORE
When caregivers face abuse, there’s hope
When Pam M.’s husband, Keith, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the Richmonder felt confident she could care for him. “I thought, ‘Keith and I can handle this. We love each other.’ But you don’t realize the extent it changes your entire life. I was prepared for him not knowing me, but not for the anger towards me,” she said. One day, that anger, a common symptom of... READ MORE
Kojo Nnamdi takes a step back
He may be semi-retired, but radio personality Kojo Nnamdi is still on the go — hosting “The Politics Hour” Fridays on Washington’s NPR station WAMU, getting set to write a memoir of his 76 years, and planning trips to South Africa, India, Nepal, the Himalayas, and other not-yet-visited parts of the world. “You could say that I’m semi-retired, since I no longer have my daily... READ MORE
They put out fires of all kinds
Supporting an older relative can be challenging, particularly from a distance. Cindy Carr has experienced that struggle firsthand. Carr’s uncle, who is 77 and lives in Colonial Landing in Elkridge, fell four times last year. Each time, he had to call 911 for help. “He’s got lots of health issues, and I live out of state,” Carr explained. Last August, she was surprised to... READ MORE
Catching up with Donna Hamilton
If you are from Baltimore, chances are you know Donna Hamilton. A graduate of the University of Alabama Birmingham, where she studied sociology and English, Hamilton arrived in Baltimore in 1981 and soon became a favorite of local viewers as host of WJZ-TV13’s “Evening Magazine,” which was on the air until 1990. Eventually, Hamilton would find her way to the anchor desk at... READ MORE
Richmonders restore city’s tree canopy
Richmond is getting greener, thanks to Richmonders who are getting involved in a number of tree-planting projects around town. One of them, led by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, involves a coalition of 12 organizations in the Greening Southside Richmond Project, who are working to convert asphalt into green spaces. Participants are planting 250 trees on municipal properties and giving ... READ MORE
Speak out to make a difference
In the 1990s, Sarah Harris was raising three children in Fairfax County when her husband was diagnosed (at age 53) with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In the five years he lived with Alzheimer’s, he lost the ability to hold conversations or complete small tasks, like turning off the television. Harris’ experience inspired her to take action. Today, she is an Alzheimer’s... READ MORE
Appreciating Maryland’s heritage
How has nature nurtured you during the pandemic? That’s the question Patapsco Heritage Greenway Inc. — the conservation group that oversees the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area — is asking Marylanders to respond to this month in the form of poems, essays, drawings or even songs. Based in Ellicott City, the nonprofit Patapsco Heritage Greenway (PHG) works to preserve and protect the ... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
