The Beacon Newspapers

Baja, Mexico: where gray whales end their yearly migration and coastal city La Paz offers fresh seafood and other adventures on the water. Have you ever been whale watching?

Whale watching up close is big in Baja | Beacon The large gray whale drew close to our boat. Crusty barnacles on its skin stood out like dense clusters of thread woven into an abstract tapestry. Several people scrambled to the side to lean over…

Do you have unused items taking up space? Read about the many charity organizations you can donate them to. Know any other groups you’d recommend donating to? Let us know!

Donate your castoffs to a good cause | Beacon A fire-engine-red taffeta flapper dress hung in my closet for decades, a snazzy frock that my mother stitched for my middle-school play. Because she made it, I hated to part with it. My solution? I…

Hear from our new associate publisher and founder of Positive Aging, Steve Gurney! We are thrilled to have him join the team and look forward to better serving you all with our partnership!

Joining a dream team | Beacon My name is Steve Gurney, founder of Positive Aging, and I am honored to now serve as associate publisher of the Beacon Newspapers following the recent merger of our organizations. Over the years, I…

Read about Lavenia Nesmith, a local jazz singer! Her quarterly concert series celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Who’s your favorite jazz artist? Let us know!

Singer celebrates 20 years of Jazz in the Mills | Beacon For Columbia jazz singer and concert promoter Lavenia Nesmith, life has been a series of happy accidents. Take for instance, her start as a singer. When Nesmith (pronounced nee-smith) was eight years…

Read about Baltimore’s oldest natural grocery, OK Natural. The store is still going strong thanks to its longtime staff and customers. What’s your go-to place to shop?

Mount Vernon’s natural food store still thrives | Beacon John Waters films feature some of Baltimore’s famous landmarks, like the Charles and Senator theaters, Bengies Drive-In Theatre and The Avenue in Hampden. Only slightly less famous, a brick rowhouse…

A Howard County poetry reading group celebrates its 10th year this June! It’s a great community for local poets. Feel free to share your favorite poem with us below!

Local poetry reading series marks 10 years | Beacon Poets, it’s said, are solitary people, but not in Howard County. On a given Tuesday evening in Columbia, you may stumble upon a gathering of poets reading their work aloud in a bookstore. That’s…

Read about Minas Konsolas, a Baltimore artist who paints murals around the city and whose work is influenced by Greek philosophy. How do you like to express your creativity?

Artist illuminates Baltimore’s changes | Beacon For half a century, painter, gallery owner, muralist and mentor Minas Konsolas has helped both shape and reflect Baltimore’s creative spirit. The youngest of six children, he grew up on the Greek…

Hear from our new publisher, Gordon Hasenei! He shares his vision for the Beacon going forward, including our merger with Positive Aging. We want to hear your thoughts—what do you want to see? https://www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/following-a-legacy

Following a legacy | Beacon For those who regularly read this column, you know that our founder, Stuart Rosenthal, recently retired. As the new publisher, I’d like to introduce myself and share my vision for the future of the…

After emigrating to the U.S. more than 50 years ago, a Howard County couple is enjoying success and giving back to the community. When you can, who do you give back to? Let us know!

Couple gives back in a big way | Beacon Inventor Thomas Clement and his wife, the artist Wonsook Kim, have reached that stage in life where one thinks about giving back to honor the people and organizations that made their lives so…