Talk of Takoma

by Kevin Adler

Organizers of the 33rd annual Takoma Park Folk Festival are finalizing performer and crafter selections, and they say that this year's event will present one of the most diverse and exciting lineups ever. The festival will be held on Sunday, September 12, at Takoma Park Middle School on Piney Branch Road.
As always, it's free and family-friendly.

Out of courtesy to the performers, the Folk Festival does not release the program until all invitations have been accepted, and that had not been accomplished by the time the Takoma Voice went to print. But festival Program Chair Catherine Chapman said that the festival will again celebrate folk music and dance from around the world. "For example, we expect to have a number of African-influenced bands this year, from traditional drummers to very contemporary African music and Afropop," she said. "But then we'll also go in entirely different directions, such as sea chanties and old-time American music from the Civil War and Appalachia."

by Katie Gallagher

The Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op is not your average grocery store. Along with the expected milk, eggs, produce and meats, the co-op also supports a wide variety of complementary and alternative medicines.

When entering this section of the co-op, which was founded in 1985, it is evident that the store has a loyal following of customers who truly believe in the healing powers of herbs and some foods.

Complementary and alternative medicines are various types of healing methods, not considered to be mainstream medicine. Unlike modern medicine which aims to attack and kill foreign bacteria or ailments of the body, complementary medicines take a more holistic approach to healthcare, according to the co-op's website.

A unique staycatin activity in our backyard

by Stella Donovan
photos by Julie Wiatt

In a season marked by beach vacations, warm nights, and a brief hiatus from textbooks, the National Museum of Health and Medicine might seem like a dubious destination. Located on the campus of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, there are over 25 million objects in the museum, and nearly all of them are related to sickness, injury, death, and dying. Certain things featured in the museum are not for those with weak stomachs, though several examples of those can be found amongst the anatomical specimens. So why pass a summer day there that could be spent on the sand? The National Museum of Health and Medicine tells stories, both modern and historical, of our country, our wars, and the architecture of our human body.

June 13, 2010

See more photos online:
www.takoma.com

photos by David Phillipich

Mark Cohen
Looking back at 14 years hosting the Coffeehouse

by Howard Kohn
photos by Diana Kohn

On June 7, a reunion cast gathered in Rockville at the Cable Channel 21 studio to tape Episode Number 150 of The Coffee House, an hour-long, cutting-edge, high-brow variety show of public affairs, books, poetry and music that debuted in Takoma Park in 1996.

It was also the final episode.  Mark Cohen, the show's founder, inspiring force, producer, political-page host and jack-of-all-trades, had decided to call it quits. 
From humble beginnings in a back room of the old Takoma Park municipal building, where the set was so makeshift that it collapsed once during a live airing, the show gained an audience that spanned the country and a couple of oceans.  For the past year the Coffee House was seen on cable channels from Alaska to Georgia and from Mississippi to Minnesota, and nationwide via satellite, and worldwide via the Web.

Mark Cohen, founder, producer, and host of The Coffeehouse, a local cable show that has aired around the United States and the world.

by Julie Wiatt

On June 22, 2010, according to police reports, two Beltsville teens, 16 and 17, sped through Takoma Park in a stolen vehicle, running two red lights to get away from police. They lost control of the car, bouncing off curbs on Carroll Avenue, hitting bushes, trees, and a light pole, collided with two cars parked at Victory Towers, and ended up on top of a third parked vehicle.

The passenger sustained life-threatening injuries. The driver fled. After a chase by local police groups including two K9 units, and a helicopter, the driver was arrested.

Takoma Park Police Chief Ricucci thanked all involved in the apprehension, including city residents who called in as the suspect ran by their houses and through their yards. 

photo by Emily Van Loon

Photo by David Phillipich

Chilling with crushed ice at the Takoma Park Jazzfest

by Katie Gallagher
Photos by Julie Wiatt

Gina Schafer never had any background in the hardware industry, but when opportunity knocked, she answered and never looked back.
"It's a big joke in our family," Schafer said, "but I always wanted to own my business."

Since opening her first store in 2003, Schafer now owns seven stores with the addition of the Old Takoma location this June. The 6,500 square foot space will hold about 20,000 items, Schafer said.

ACE Hardware is a national Co-op that Schafer says she and her husband and business partner decided to choose because they liked the ACE program and enjoyed that the co-op was adding many more stores.

Gina and Mark Schafer pose in front of their newest hardware store.

Each year an alum of Bay City Central, a Michigan high school with 90 years of history, is selected to the school's hall of fame, and this year Voice columnist Howard Kohn, Class of 1965, was the winner.  Howard was inducted on June 6 in the school gym where he learned how to do Marine pushups. Since graduation he has traveled the country as a journalist, primarily with Rolling Stone, and authored three books, one of which was a Pulitzer runnerup.

photo by Diana Kohn

Two Takoma Park goalkeepers, who started out in the local soccer league, were stars for their teams in championship matches of the Maryland Cup in June. 

Sam Howard (right) was perfect in goal for his team, the Cougars, who won the U17 finals, 2-0, advancing to the regionals in West Virginia. 

photo by Jeff Macmillan