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Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun publisher: Congratulations to the 2025 Hall of Fame class
Now in its 10th year, The Baltimore Sun's Business and Civic Hall of Fame continues to recognize individuals who have made meaningful, long-term contributions to Baltimore and Maryland. The 2025 class has 13 new honorees, bringing the number of recipients to 122 since the award's inception. Their work spans business, public service, education, philanthropy and other areas that help to improve and shape this region. The Baltimore Sun has served this region since 1837, committed to holding public figures and powerful institutions accountable. Readers rely on The Sun's role as a watchdog — one that our news organization views as essential to identifying solutions for the region's most pressing challenges. Part of The Sun's mission also includes celebrating the people here, their unique stories and the progress they make to improve Baltimore and Maryland. The Hall of Fame is one way The Sun highlights those achievements. Other special recognitions throughout the year include Baltimore's Best (July), Women to Watch (October), Top Workplaces (December) and Black Marylanders to Watch (February). We always are looking for new ways to showcase what's special about our region, so please reach out with any suggestions. Members of our first nine Hall of Fame classes include the late Peter G. Angelos, attorney, philanthropist and once owner of the Baltimore Orioles (2016); Nancy S. Grasmick, former Maryland state schools superintendent ('16); philanthropists Eddie and Sylvia Brown ('16); former U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski ('17); Harbor Bank of Maryland co-founder Joseph Haskins Jr. ('18); former Baltimore Mayor and current University of Baltimore President Kurt Schmoke ('19); former UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski III ('20); the Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr. ('21); former journalist and museum director Wanda Q. Draper ('22); Sherrilyn Ifill, president emerita and director counsel emerita of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund ('23); and William H. 'Billy' Murphy Jr., a former judge and a civil rights lawyer who fights for the underprivileged ('24). This year's class is made up of: Sandra and Malcolm Berman, philanthropists who have supported regional health care organizations and cultural institutions; Maria Broom, a dancer and actress known for her roles on 'The Wire' and 'The Corner'; George L. Bunting Jr., whose decades of philanthropy have benefited several Baltimore institutions; Scott Dorsey, chairman and CEO of Merritt Companies, who has promoted regional economic development and serves on nonprofit boards; Rhea Feikin, a fixture on Maryland television who became famous for the pledge drives she hosted for Maryland Public Television; William J. 'Bill' McCarthy Jr., retiring executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, who serves on a host of nonprofit boards; Diana Gribbon Motz, retired U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals judge; Alan Rifkin, a lawyer whose work has touched state government and focused on the development of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, redeveloping Maryland's racetracks and establishing the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network; George A. Roche, retired chairman and CEO of T. Rowe Price; Thomas M. Scalea, physician in chief of the University of Maryland Medical Center's Shock Trauma Center; Stuart O. 'Stu' Simms, former chief counsel for Maryland Legal Aid, a former Baltimore City state's attorney, and secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and Walter Scott Thomas Sr., who stepped down last year as pastor of New Psalmist Baptist Church after half a century of leadership. The selection process for this year's honorees began with a public call for nominations. A committee of past honorees, alongside members of The Sun's editorial board, reviewed submissions. Nominees were evaluated on their leadership, professional accomplishments and efforts to strengthen their communities. Final decisions were made by The Sun's leadership team. As in previous years, a portion of the proceeds from this publication will go to charity. This year's partner is The Baltimore Station, which offers programs and services to meet the needs of veterans. Local businesses and nonprofit organizations sponsor the Hall of Fame each year, and their advertisements can be found throughout this section and at Profiles of this year's honorees appear in the pages of this magazine. Their names will also be added to the permanent Hall of Fame display at The Center Club in downtown Baltimore, which I hope you can visit sometime soon. During the past decade, The Sun has recognized the individuals who are shaping the future of Baltimore and Maryland. Their work offers a glimpse of what's possible through leadership, vision and sustained community engagement. As a Baltimore native and someone who has attended each of our Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, I am pleased to see how this special recognition has blossomed across the region. It's a testament to the strength of The Sun's brand and to our loyal readers and advertisers who consistently have supported us during the past 188 years. Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Trif Alatzas
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
More Mainers are taking the stage to tell their own tales
May 28—Although he was simultaneously fascinated and terrified by the idea of telling a personal story in public, Greg Tulonen found himself on stage talking about his father. Tulonen, a pharmacy operations manager from Auburn, has been a fan of The Moth Radio hour on public radio for years. But he recently decided he wanted to be a storyteller instead of just a listener. He signed up for Stories Told Live, a monthly storytelling night at Blue in Portland. He talked for twelve minutes, about the time his father sped down the road chasing someone who had just thrown a Burger King bag out the window, about a father-son kite flying adventure involving 10,000 feet of string, and about his father's struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's, among other things. "It was a challenge to myself, because I knew it was the kind of thing that freaked me out," said Tulonen, 55, about his public storytelling debut on May 1. "I'm very happy to have done it, though. It felt really good. It was so satisfying to get immediate audience reaction." Storytelling has been growing and changing in Maine in recent years, with new events starting up and organizations using it to get their message out or make community connections. Stories Told Live at Blue, a nonprofit music and performance venue in Portland, is in its third year. The nonprofit group Community Plate in Gray, started in 2023, organizes regular potluck and story-sharing suppers around the state. The improv group Yes & Co. invites people to tell their stories at monthly shows at the Portland Media Center, then improvises sketches based on them. There's also a monthly story night called The Corner at L/A Arts in Lewiston that's been run by various volunteers for about a decade. The University of New England in Biddeford held its third Health Care Story Slam, focused on stories of empathy from students and community members, on April 16. Suitcase Stories, created by Maine native Cheryl Hamilton, organized two sessions of stories by Portland-area immigrants at the Portland Museum of Art on May 8. The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition held a Patchwork of Parenthood storytelling event on May 17 in Brunswick. Though Maine has a long tradition of storytelling, featuring dry wit and Down East humor, the new popularity of storytelling seems to be fueled by people's desire to connect personally with each other, especially since the pandemic. Storytellers and event organizers say that live storytelling appeals to people because they can share their challenges, failures or traumas and get reassuring head nods and applause instead of the mocking replies often elicited by personal social media posts. "I think social media has disrupted the fabric of how we communicate, of how we engage with one another, and people want to have a feeling of community and engaging again," said Nate Eldridge, 51, one of the organizers of Stories Told Live at Blue and executive director of the nonprofit Portland Media Center, which operates two community TV stations. "I think we are so alienated and lonely and distanced. But when you get 60 people together to hear one person tell a story about their divorce or how they lost their husband or some funny anecdote, it helps us connect to another human being. It makes you realize we're all living this shared experience." TAKING THE STAGE Many of the people who are volunteering to tell their stories at live events around Maine say they are fans of storytelling on podcasts or radio, including TED Talks and The Moth Radio Hour. The Moth began as a nonprofit storytelling organization in 1997 and its live show — Moth Mainstage — is coming to Portland's State Theatre on June 6. Tickets for the live, unscripted show sold out in about a day. The Stories Told Live series at Blue was started by two people with backgrounds in various kinds of storytelling who were looking for a new project, and noticed there wasn't a regular storytelling series in Portland. Eldridge had worked as a producer at Maine TV stations, including for the popular News Center Maine TV magazine show "207." The co-founder of the series, Tim Ferrell, runs stand-up comedy workshops in the Portland area and coaches speakers. Some of the people who tell stories at Blue are solicited by the organizers, and maybe have a passion or background in writing or performing. Sometimes people come to watch a story session and end up asking to get a spot on stage, which is what Tulonen did. SallyAnn Gray, 45, of Portland, has been drawn to various types of storytelling for years. She works as a marketing strategist, but she also writes, sings in a band, and does a podcast with some of her friends. On May 1, she told her first story on stage to an audience, at Blue. On Ferrell's recommendation, she recorded a draft of her story, then it sent to him, listened to his feedback, and then practiced enough to do it live on stage. (Ferrell and Eldridge coach the storytellers, for free.) Gray's story includes an exchange with her 13-year-old daughter, upset at the requirement that she eat dinner with her family every evening, calling the dinners "so boring" and telling Gray that she and the other members of the family are "all so cringe." It continues with Gray consulting ChatGPT about how to handle the family dinner dilemma, and a realization of why family meals mean so much to her now — because she almost never had them as a child herself. "That was my first opportunity to dig into the dark a little, because I often feel like I need to entertain people," said Gray. "People love to laugh, and I do too. But I was really excited about this opportunity to share something that meant a lot to me." NEW WAYS TO CONNECT Lewiston native Cheryl Hamilton started a series called Suitcase Stories in 2017, after years of working in jobs that provided help to immigrants. The idea was to create public storytelling events where immigrants could talk about their own experiences, as a way to "counter the negative rhetoric" about immigrants that became prevalent during President Trump's first run for office. The series, based at the International Institute of New England, has hosted events featuring more than 500 people from 80 countries, including the one at the Portland Museum of Art on May 8. Hamilton has also started Stellar Story Company, which works with businesses and organizations to "develop a culture of storytelling." That includes better communication within the organization, and using storytelling to make the organization's mission or message easier for people to relate to. She says there are many jobs in most businesses that require storytelling skills, from raising money, to getting staff to buy into a concept to public speaking. The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition uses a storytelling event, called Patchwork of Parenthood. It does raise money for the group, but the event is more about "friend raising," said Kara Kaikini, the coalition's executive director. The event features parents telling stories about a huge range of joys and struggles, and helps attract new volunteers and allies, Kaikini said. The University of New England in Biddeford used its Health Care Story Slam in April as way to foster empathy in the field of public health, said Isabel Ryan, a UNE student who coordinated the event. One of the storytellers was Grace Stults, director of Health and Wellness for Special Olympics Maine. Stults, who has also worked as a special education teacher, thought that telling stories would be a good way to help other people see Special Athletes "as whole people" and understand how important good medical care is to them. "I think often people with intellectual and and developmental disabilities are painted with a very thin brush," said Stults. "So these kind of speaking opportunities help raise awareness and paint a more full picture of their lives." Karl Schatz and his wife, Margaret Hathaway, launched Community Plate in 2023 as a way to build community and combat loneliness statewide, but it also fits into the couple's interest in food and story telling. They run Ten Apple Farm in Gray, where they raise goats and hold cheesemaking workshops. They also both have worked in story-based mediums, Schatz as a photo journalist and Hathaway as a writer. They have collaborated on several books on food and farming. They've run more than 30 free pot-luck suppers with stories all over the state, so far. The most recent scheduled supper was this month at the Fairview Grange in the Central Maine town of Smithfield. Schatz said as many as 100 people have attended a single supper. People are encouraged to bring a dish that has a story behind it, and are given prompts to help them share stories with other guests, things like "Share a story about a food that reminds you of a specific person or place," Schatz said. Besides the stories told at the table, a few other storytellers — seasoned ones and first timers — are invited to get up and share their stories with the larger gathering. Gail Gross, a interior designer from Brunswick, said she was excited when she heard about Community Plate because she was looking for something creative to do in her spare time, and she loved the idea of combining food with meeting and talk to new people. So she decided to tell a story about the "circuitous route" she took to really loving food — cooking and eating. Her parents had been killed in a car crash when she was 19, and she didn't enjoy eating or much of anything for a while. At some point, she found the last jar of tomatoes her mother had ever canned, and used them to make her mom's chili recipe. "My mom was not a good cook. She wasn't even allowed to become one, in a way, because my father was so meat and potatoes. And so I made her chili out of her last jar of tomato sauce, just hamburger, a can of beans, Minute Rice and her tomato sauce," said Gross, 64. "It's so simple and so basic, and was always a comfort food for me. But it wasn't until that moment that it became more, because it was the last bit of her." Copy the Story Link
Fashion Network
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Nordstrom opens New Balance pop-up in NYC
Nordstrom has opened a limited-time New Balance pop-up shop at its NYC Flagship store. Now open through August 3 in Nordstrom's dedicated pop-up space known as The Corner, the three-month experience brings New Balance's storied legacy to life through rotating activations, exclusive products, and experiential events. The shop opens with 'Grey Days,' a month-long tribute to New Balance's iconic colorway, featuring a curated mix of new and classic products. In May, customers can participate in a series of activations aimed at fostering connection and creativity including pottery classes and Movement classes, such as boxing and yoga. "We're excited to connect our customers to the rich heritage of New Balance, while showcasing the vibrant culture of New York City through New Balance @ The Corner NYC," said Olivia Kim, SVP of creative at Nordstrom. "The collaboration celebrates craftsmanship and innovation through an experiential space for customers to explore exciting product and immersive experiences.' Looking ahead, in June and July, the shop will evolve into 'Found In New York,' a two-part series celebrating the sights, sounds, and culture that make an unforgettable New York summer. June's 'In Bloom' features an experience with artist CJ Hendry and Brooklyn Grange Farm, while July's 'Subway Series' celebrates the interconnectedness of the five boroughs through curated New Balance drops that reflect city-inspired style. Throughout the summer, the pop-up will offer exclusive monthly product releases, limited-edition collaborations, and customization opportunities across men's, women's, and kids' categories. "As one of our longtime retailers, we're honored to work alongside Nordstrom to bring an immersive pop-up to life at their NYC Flagship, The Corner," said Tracy Knauer, vice president of North America marketing and DTC at New Balance. "The Corner will allow us to connect to our consumer authentically, bringing to life our unwavering commitment to quality and craft. We look forward to inviting consumers to The Corner to experience products and experiences that demonstrate New Balance at the intersection of sports and culture."
Fashion Network
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Nordstrom opens New Balance pop-up in NYC
Nordstrom has opened a limited-time New Balance pop-up shop at its NYC Flagship store. Now open through August 3 in Nordstrom's dedicated pop-up space known as The Corner, the three-month experience brings New Balance's storied legacy to life through rotating activations, exclusive products, and experiential events. The shop opens with 'Grey Days,' a month-long tribute to New Balance's iconic colorway, featuring a curated mix of new and classic products. In May, customers can participate in a series of activations aimed at fostering connection and creativity including pottery classes and Movement classes, such as boxing and yoga. "We're excited to connect our customers to the rich heritage of New Balance, while showcasing the vibrant culture of New York City through New Balance @ The Corner NYC," said Olivia Kim, SVP of creative at Nordstrom. "The collaboration celebrates craftsmanship and innovation through an experiential space for customers to explore exciting product and immersive experiences.' Looking ahead, in June and July, the shop will evolve into 'Found In New York,' a two-part series celebrating the sights, sounds, and culture that make an unforgettable New York summer. June's 'In Bloom' features an experience with artist CJ Hendry and Brooklyn Grange Farm, while July's 'Subway Series' celebrates the interconnectedness of the five boroughs through curated New Balance drops that reflect city-inspired style. Throughout the summer, the pop-up will offer exclusive monthly product releases, limited-edition collaborations, and customization opportunities across men's, women's, and kids' categories. "As one of our longtime retailers, we're honored to work alongside Nordstrom to bring an immersive pop-up to life at their NYC Flagship, The Corner," said Tracy Knauer, vice president of North America marketing and DTC at New Balance. "The Corner will allow us to connect to our consumer authentically, bringing to life our unwavering commitment to quality and craft. We look forward to inviting consumers to The Corner to experience products and experiences that demonstrate New Balance at the intersection of sports and culture."
Fashion Network
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Nordstrom opens New Balance pop-up in NYC
Nordstrom has opened a limited-time New Balance pop-up shop at its NYC Flagship store. Now open through August 3 in Nordstrom's dedicated pop-up space known as The Corner, the three-month experience brings New Balance's storied legacy to life through rotating activations, exclusive products, and experiential events. The shop opens with 'Grey Days,' a month-long tribute to New Balance's iconic colorway, featuring a curated mix of new and classic products. In May, customers can participate in a series of activations aimed at fostering connection and creativity including pottery classes and Movement classes, such as boxing and yoga. "We're excited to connect our customers to the rich heritage of New Balance, while showcasing the vibrant culture of New York City through New Balance @ The Corner NYC," said Olivia Kim, SVP of creative at Nordstrom. "The collaboration celebrates craftsmanship and innovation through an experiential space for customers to explore exciting product and immersive experiences.' Looking ahead, in June and July, the shop will evolve into 'Found In New York,' a two-part series celebrating the sights, sounds, and culture that make an unforgettable New York summer. June's 'In Bloom' features an experience with artist CJ Hendry and Brooklyn Grange Farm, while July's 'Subway Series' celebrates the interconnectedness of the five boroughs through curated New Balance drops that reflect city-inspired style. Throughout the summer, the pop-up will offer exclusive monthly product releases, limited-edition collaborations, and customization opportunities across men's, women's, and kids' categories. "As one of our longtime retailers, we're honored to work alongside Nordstrom to bring an immersive pop-up to life at their NYC Flagship, The Corner," said Tracy Knauer, vice president of North America marketing and DTC at New Balance. "The Corner will allow us to connect to our consumer authentically, bringing to life our unwavering commitment to quality and craft. We look forward to inviting consumers to The Corner to experience products and experiences that demonstrate New Balance at the intersection of sports and culture."
