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Artistry is at the heart of pumpkin Blaze

A field of cornstalks made from artfully carved pumpkins is one of the many sights at The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze at the Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-the-Hudson, N.Y. Photo by Bryan Haeffele.
What happens when you throw 5,000 pumpkins, 15 artists and 1,000 volunteers in a caldron around Halloween? You get a can’t-believe-your-eyes event called Blaze. Actually it’s called The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. Located in Croton-on-the-Hudso...

Steel plant makes artful renaissance in Pennsylvania

The gigantic blast furnaces are left from the old Bethlehem Steel plant, where 30,000 workers were once employed. Now they are the iconic symbol of the area’s revitalization as a major arts revenue, ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Photo by Gale Horton Gay
A rusted and decaying steel plant casts a stark contrast against a blue cloudless sky. Such a massive and deteriorating structure, once home to thousands of steel workers, might be perceived as a painful symbol of what was. However in Bethlehem, Pa.,...

Nautical town has much to entice visitors

Weekly sailboat races in the Chesapeake Bay draw crowds.
Annapolis is well known as the place where politics culminates in Maryland; the state’s capital. Maryland lawmakers and other movers and shakers flock there to make laws and shape policy. For the rest of us, however, there’s an abundance of non-p...

Still plenty outdoor events left to enjoy

Yellow Daisy Festival
Before you get depressed that Labor Day marked the end of summer fun, take heart. There’s still plenty to enjoy as summer slips away and fall makes its debut. And the best part is that one doesn’t have to go far. We’ve rounded up a list of “m...

Online fundraising gains momentum

Maria Riggs, owner of Revolution Doughnuts in Decatur, prepares fresh doughnuts for glazing. The store recently raised more than $12,000 through Kickstarter.com.
Individuals turning to cyberspace to fund personal projects Sometimes a good idea just needs an explosive kick to get it started. Thousands of creative types are turning to an innovative cyber fundraising method to get their projects off the ground. ...

Behind the velvet rope: New program bestows celebrity treatment on unsung heros

Steve Parrett of Nissan/Infiniti, left, presents the keys to a 2012 Infiniti to Deborah Broom-Cooley while Dale McDaniel, general manager of Loews Atlanta Hotel, shares in the moment. In the back row are Cooley’s husband, Henry, and author Ronda Racha Penrice. Photo provided
DeKalb County educator Deborah Broom-Cooley now knows what it feels like to be treated like a celebrity. In mid-July Cooley and her husband Henry Cooley Jr. spent a whirlwind weekend getting the royal treatment: a hotel stay, lunch with a local telev...

Going, going, gone –Auction brings in dollars, clears space

Auctioneer Amy Martin gets the action going while potential bidders and auctioneer and FODAC board member Scott Schwartz, second from left, look on. Photo by Gale Horton Gay
One came seeking merchandise for an online business. Another was in search of an anniversary gift. And several others were hoping to walk away with true bargains. These were just some of the attendees at the July 18 auction at Friends of Disabled Adu...

New hotel, casino, shopping mall make for fun getaway

Maryland Live! Casino features 3,200 electronic slots and table games.
What a nice surprise it is when a hotel that’s unassuming on the outside is a splendor of style and comfort inside. That was my experience recently while staying at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Md., a suburb of Baltimore. Enter the lob...

Cruising the Potomac River is a luxe way to tour D.C.

So much to see in Washington, D.C., and so little time. That’s likely the lament of many visitors to the nation’s capital with its rich mix of monuments and historic sites. There are a dizzying array of ways to tour D.C.—walking, driving, doubl...

Learning the ABC’s of using a smart phone

They file into the small classroom, fiddling with their pens and pads of paper, and clutching their shiny new handheld devices. Some appear eager, others wary and somewhat perplexed. However, these aren’t your average classroom students. Most are a...