Charlestown

CHARLESTOWN, South Africa -- These days, there seems to be little that can take the smile from Matthew Sangwene's face.Although he sits in front of a tin shack next to where his two-story house used to be and looks out over empty fields where a community once thrived, he smiles because he has come home.A victim of apartheid policies, he has made a journey back that many others hope to make in the new South Africa.For now, it is a journey made by a precious few, those blacks who actually had title to land, something that was illegal for most.

After living in the same home for 43 years, John and Pat Kasuda found that downsizing was a cinch. "The downsizing was actually getting rid of all the things we no longer needed and realizing that all of it was just stuff," said Pat Kasuda. But when they moved to the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, they did not have to sacrifice a lot of room for their stuff. Hardly a cracker box, the spacious 2,000-square-foot unit was especially designed and constructed for the couple by combining two smaller apartments into one large dream home.

A bunch of guys loaded the contents of William Donald Schaefer's Pasadena townhouse into a truck the other day while he lunched, unsuspecting, at Petit Louis in Roland Park. The former mayor, governor and comptroller was moving, only he didn't know it. A longtime aide with power of attorney had been pushing for him to move to Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville for a long time. And the famously cantankerous politician had been pushing right back. "I wasn't ready to move," Schaefer, 86, said yesterday, recalling how the aide initially sent movers to his house three weeks ago, not long after a fall at home required a trip to the emergency room and stitches.

Thank you for the excellent article about Bill Stromberg and the artists at Charlestown retirement community ("One-man art exhibition features many sides of life," Catonsville Times, July 6). The exhibit of 13 of his works is stunning. Due in part to the fine article by Lauren Fulbright, there was a large crowd at the opening reception on Sunday. Those of us who live at Charlestown are fortunate to have three art studios to work and create in a community of other artists.

Despite strong community opposition, the Baltimore County Planning Board voted to let the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville change the location of a planned $6 million wing to its existing medical building without having to repeat the development-review process.By a vote of 9 to 5 Thursday, and after much debate, the board granted Charlestown the waiver.Charlestown, which opened in 1983, is located on a 110-acre campus at Wilkins Avenue and Maiden Choice Lane. It is the largest full-service retirement community in the country.

The way Louise Wetzel sees it, they're just good kids. Wetzel is one of hundreds of residents at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville who make an annual cash donation to help pay the college tuition of young employees such as dining service workers. Since the program began 12 years ago, Charlestown officials say the seniors have contributed more than $1 million to help 494 students through college. "We always hear about the bad kids, you never hear about the good ones," said Wetzel, 80, who has donated "hundreds" to the cause.

Joanne Romatowski exemplified the courage of her husband, a retired Navy captain and submariner, yesterday morning when she reacted to Wall Street's pelting of the day before by fattening her portfolio."

When Teresa Reymann, the hyperenthusiastic wellness manager at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, says "take a seat," don't count on getting much rest. Reymann conducts a chair aerobics class every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at the upscale senior-citizen complex. In her mind, a chair isn't really a chair. It's an underutilized fitness prop. "If we do some side kicks," Reymann announces at the start of a recent session, "make sure you have enough room between the person next to you."

In 1993, Forrest and Elaine Calhoun placed their names and a $1,000 check on a "futures list." Their action was a deposit on a dream lifestyle that they would pursue sometime down the line. While the Calhouns were not entirely sure of the exact home they'd call their own, they knew the retirement community of Charlestown in Catonsville would one day be their stomping ground. This 110-acre campus would provide everything they need. Two years ago, they decided the time was right to claim their condominium and begin living their dream.

In Baltimore's immediate suburban environs, there is no lack of interesting, historic, one-of-a-kind neighborhoods. A certain restricted one on the southwestern edge of the city line is, indeed, worth a close look. The only requirement for living in this particular "little town" is age. Charlestown, established in 1983 on the site of the former St. Charles Seminary, is a planned retirement community situated on a 110-acre wooded campus in Catonsville, minutes from the Inner Harbor and the Baltimore Beltway.

William T. Christopher, a retired manufacturer's representative and diehard Colts fan, died Aug. 3 at the Charlestown retirement community of complications after heart surgery. He was 85. Mr. Christopher, the son of a Kresge's accountant and a homemaker, was born in Baltimore and raised in Woodbrook. After graduating in 1942 from Loyola High School, he began his studies at Loyola College, which were interrupted when he enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he returned to Loyola, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1948.

For David and Nancy Wehr, the abundant woods and walking paths along a winding creek are highlights of the 120-acre campus of the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville, where the couple enjoys immersing themselves in nature and admiring the view. "We grew up in New England," said Nancy Wehr, a 76-year-old former music teacher and a professional singer. "Coming back to the seasons has been such an exciting experience." Empty-nesters, the Wehrs moved to Charlestown, an Erickson retirement community from Houston in December 2008 after a long search for the perfect home and environment in which to spend their retirement.

Helen D. Shepherd, a registered nurse and homemaker, died in her sleep Friday at the Charlestown retirement community. She was 93. Helen Deputy was born on a family farm near Chestertown and later moved with her family to what is now Charles Village. After graduating from Eastern High School, Mrs. Shepherd earned her nursing degree from the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing. While working at the old Hospital for the Women of Maryland on Bolton Hill, Mrs. Shepherd met her future husband, Robert Gordon Shepherd Sr., whom she married in 1938.

On August 11, 2009, IRVIN T. THOMPSON of Catonsville, MD, age 85; beloved husband of the late Alma E. Thompson; devoted father of John W. Thompson of Fairfax, VA; loving companion of Margaret E. Smith of Catonsville, MD. Also survived by an extended family and many friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009, at 10 A.M at Our Lady of the Angel Chapel, Charlestown Retirement Community, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Gideons International, Baltimore South Camp, P.O.Box 7483, Baltimore, MD, 21227 or the Charlestown United Protestant Church, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD, 21228.

On June 12, 2009, . Loving wife of the late Charles J. Wilson; devoted mother of Patricia Ann and husband David Hatch, William James Wilson and wife Ethel Himmel; caring grandmother of Ian (Melinda) Wilson, Bonnie (Stan) Toney, Eric Hatch and Heather Wilson; loving step-grandmother of Karen Ohlfest and Erich Himmel; devoted great-grandmother of Joshua Toney, Arianna Toney and Sophia Wilson; caring step-great grandmother of Grace Ohlfest. The family will receive visitors at the Chapel at Charlestown Retirement Community on Saturday, July 25th from 11:00 to 11:30 A.M. A memorial service will be held immediately following at 11:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers, donations are recommended to the Charlestown Protestant Congregation, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD 21228 or to World Vision, PO Box 9716 Dept.

Grabbing a copy of the new Outdoor Life and flipping to the story about the top 200 places in the United States for sportsmen and women to hang their hats, I couldn't wait to see which of Maryland's communities made the magazine's list. The possibilities seemed endless: Deale as jumping-off point for fishing on the Chesapeake Bay; McHenry and nearby Savage River State Forest for deer, turkey and bear hunting and Deep Creek Lake for monster bluegills; Easton as base camp for goose and turkey hunting or white perch fishing in the Miles River; Ocean City for coastal bay and deep sea fishing; Monkton and the Gunpowder River for trout fishing and bow hunting in the surrounding watersheds.

The cloud of gnats, chain of festering trash bins and acrid scent of oil eclipse Charlestown's breathtaking view of the North East River at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. At Conestoga Street, the waterfront road just behind the town center, Tropical Storm Isabel marked its westward path. The storm swept up a 275-gallon oil tank and tore fuel tanks from their mountings, staining the field behind the town playground and saturating the adjacent houses' floors. Restoration for the field alone will cost more than $30,000, town commissioners estimate - a staggering fee for a working-class enclave that brings in about $140,000 in revenue each year.

On Thursday, January 8, 2009, GARNETT M., husband of the late Christine C. Brubaker; beloved father of G. Mark Jr., and Edwin Brubaker; grandfather of Michael Brubaker and Lisa Oursler and three great grandchildren. Memorial service to be held Monday 10 A.M. at Our Lady of Angels (Charlestown) Interment Maryland Veteran Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Charlestown Benevolence Fund, 715 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD 21228.

On December 21, 2008, FRANK JOSEPH WOJCICKI, of Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville. Beloved husband of the late Johanna A. Wojcicki; devoted father of the late Fran Bauer and Frank M. Wojcicki; dear brother of Helen Kulnis and the late Walter Wojcicki and Veronica Vachitis. Also survived by Liz Wojcicki and Dr. Valentine Bauer and three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 27, from 9 to 10 A.M. at Charlestown Community Our Lady of the Angel Chapel in Catonsville.