Fitness programs for everyone
Stuart Engle raises his fists, encased in bright red boxing gloves, and slugs a punching bag. Once, twice, a third time, then rocks back on his heels. His sweat-soaked T-shirt reads “Never underestimate an old man with boxing gloves.” But here in this gym in Gaithersburg, Md., he and the 15 others present aren’t fighting each other. Rather, they say, they are fighting Parkinson’s ... READ MORE
A touching new profession
Annie Hopson of Ellicott City worked as a certified massage therapist for over 20 years. But she noticed that some clients seemed to yearn for something more. “In my massage practice, I encountered people who were touch hungry,” she said. “They would have been better served by being held rather than kneaded” — but in a platonic way. And then Hopson discovered the growing... READ MORE
How do seniors take to Alexa?
Shirley Crowder lives by herself in Weinberg Place, a part of the CHAI (Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.) community in Northwest Baltimore. Though her son and daughter live nearby and she sees them frequently, it’s not the same as having someone in the apartment with her. Welcome home, Alexa! Alexa is Amazon’s voice-activated digital “know it all.” Thanks to a pilot... READ MORE
On the James River, glimpsing bald eagles
Mike Ostrander pilots his six-person pontoon boat down a five-mile stretch of the James River, known as Jefferson’s Reach. Passengers first see osprey, and soon after Captain Mike points to eagle chicks’ heads peering over the edge of a nest. “There are two great blue heron rookeries at one spot near Jones Neck. One I can see, and one not, as it’s on an island hidden by trees,” ... READ MORE
D.C. insider turned film writer
As Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, K.C. Bailey never imagined she’d one day be writing and producing a feature film. She spent her days working on nuclear weapons nonproliferation policy during the waning days of the Cold War, wrote books on arms control, disarmament and UN weapons inspections, and regularly testified before Congress. “Every week, I’d brief Senate and House ... READ MORE
Reducing opioids’ heavy toll
Ellicott City resident Barbara Allen — who lost a son, a brother and a niece to drug addiction — has become a key player in Howard County’s battle to stem the growing opioid crisis among its citizens, which includes many victims 50 and older. She has been appointed chair of the newly formed Opioid Crisis Community Council, intended to help the county rev up its fight against the... READ MORE
First lady of public television
If you’ve watched television in Baltimore during the past five decades or so, you have undoubtedly watched Rhea Feikin. “I’ve been around a long time!” the native Baltimorean laughed. Often dubbed the “First Lady” of Maryland Public Television (MPT), Feikin is currently familiar to viewers as host of the station’s on-air membership drives; anchor of MPT’s weekly... READ MORE
Restoring Richmond’s black American history
Ana Edwards is tackling one of Richmond’s ironies. In the heart of Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom, under the clattering, elevated lanes of Interstate-95 and two railroad tracks, is a desolate, nine-acre parcel of parking lots and an empty field. Buried under layers of asphalt, road construction detritus and the miscellany of 200-plus years of history are the unmarked graves of enslaved... READ MORE
Making sense of the world
Publisher’s note: Sometimes life sends us groping for answers. That’s generally true, for example, during our teenage years. But it’s also the case after the loss of a loved one or a personal setback. We may also search for words when we’re moved by intense feelings for natural beauty. For example, see our travel story on the tiny paradise nation of Andorra. But even in... READ MORE
Expressing our inner essence
Iambic pentameter, free verse, quatrains and a haiku or two will resound around Howard Community College on April 26, as students, local writers and prize-winning poets Marilyn Chin and Joseph Ross gather on the Columbia campus for the 10th annual Blackbird Poetry Festival. The all-day event, co-sponsored by HCC and HoCoPoLitSo (the Howard County Poetry and Literary Society), will be... READ MORE
