A father’s harrowing memoir
Columbia resident Morey Kogul’s recently published book is about an immigrant who illegally makes a border crossing to escape almost-certain death, and who then, after incredible hardships and adventures, is able to settle in a free country and raise a loving family. But while the story seems pulled from today’s headlines, the protagonist of this hair-raising non-fiction story is... READ MORE
She defies her bipolar diagnosis
Charita Cole Brown remembers being “weepy and clingy” as a child, but she didn’t experience her first significant bout of depression until high school. She rebounded from that and went on to college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where she majored in English. But during her first semester, she suffered another round of depression and withdrew from school for a ... READ MORE
Dancers discover a new passion in life
After having played competitive volleyball for nearly 30 years, Pam Bishop, 59, was ready for a change. She still enjoyed playing, but had torn her rotator cuff and had trouble with her knees. “They sounded like Rice Krispies whenever I went up the stairs,” Bishop said. At six feet tall, she has also suffered from scoliosis. When she quit volleyball and discovered ballroom ... READ MORE
Making peace through mediation
Older adults and their grown children confront a multitude of thorny issues when making decisions that affect the whole family — from how to divide up an estate among competitive siblings, to when it’s time to accept help at home, stop driving or move to assisted living. Some of these matters fester and never get resolved, others drag on for years (perhaps even through the court... READ MORE
First women lead police & fire
In November, Howard County voters chose Calvin Ball as County Executive, electing the first African American to fill that position. And now, he continues to make history (some might say “herstory”) with the recent appointments of Lisa Myers to be the county’s first female chief of the Howard County Police Department, and Christine Uhlhorn as the first female chief of the Howard... READ MORE
When a DNA test surprises you
“I always felt like I didn’t fit in with my family,” said Steve Gordon, who sometimes wondered why he didn’t look like his sister. But after all, not all siblings look alike, so he didn’t dwell on it. But when his sister took a DNA test last year to find out where their ancestors had come from, she was intrigued to find out that it showed only a 50 percent European Jewish... READ MORE
Northam prioritizes childhood education
The beehive installed on Capitol Square in 2016 to support Virginia’s honeybee production is an apt metaphor for First Lady Pamela Northam’s office, especially between Thanksgiving and the new year when activities crank up a notch. Take the November day I interviewed her, when she joined her husband, Governor Ralph Northam, as Virginia Native Americans from the Mattaponi and Pamunkey ... READ MORE
With age comes Wizdom, hip-hop
In her early 20s, back in 1977, she took to the basketball court at half-time as part of the first cheerleading-dance team for the Washington Bullets. For the next four years, she was a Bullette, wearing high-cut red hot pants and red wedge shoes to shimmy across the court. Some years later, the Bullets rebranded as the Wizards, and the Bullettes became the Wizard Girls. When that dance... READ MORE
Life’s a dance for ex-Rockette
Howard County resident Anne Berk, who happens to be the world’s oldest Rockette, figuratively kicked up her heels the other day in Columbia while moving and grooving with the help of a walker for a special celebration: her 100th birthday. “Don’t complain, and keep a good sense of humor,” was the advice Berk offered to those in attendance. The party was held at Winter Growth... READ MORE
Transforming steel into art
It has been 12 years since the metal sculptor David Aaron Friedheim returned to Baltimore from San Francisco with his wife, ceramic artist Trisha Kyner, and on this day he is in a reflective mood. “I wake up not knowing whether I’ve been an incredible success or an abject failure,” said the 59-year-old New York native and alumnus of Maryland Institute College of Art. “How could I ... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
