Dara

WHEN OLUDARA was a young boy in Natchez, Miss., a drifter walked in to his life. His name was Lavender Kinds, and he arrived with a couple of trunks full of books and no clothes. Dara's godparents put Kinds up in a vacant church on a lot they owned. "It turns out he was a published poet, and the man could speak seven or eight languages and he played all instruments," Dara recalls.Supported by the community, Kinds became a mentor to Dara and other neighborhood children, teaching them tap dancing, painting, typing and music.

Out-sprinted by swimmers born after she won her first gold medal in 1984, Dara Torres failed in her quest for a sixth Olympic Games Monday night. Torres, 45, of Parkland, Fl., churned down the 50-meter pool in 24.82 seconds, coming in fourth. That was 32/100ths of a second behind first-place finisher, Jessica Hardy, and a mere 9/100th of a second after Kara Lynn Joyce. Hardy, 25, and Joyce, 26, go on to compete in the 50-meter freestyle race in London. Coming in third was Christine Magnuson, also 26. A chagrined but still smiling Torres said it was an emotional and rewarding experience to attempt another Olympics.

On Tuesday, April 3, 2007, MONA MAXINE BAYER, 77, formerly of Baltimore. She is survived by four sisters; daughters, Patricia Benton, Shelly Bloodsworth; grandchildren Deborah Howard, Michelle Garcia, Dara Cozzi and David Cozzi and two great grandchildren. She will be laid to rest with husband John J. Bayer and daughter Cheryl L. Howard who preceded her in death, at Holy Redeemer cemetery.

All Other Nights By Dara Horn W.W. Norton & Co. / 384 pages / $24.95 A ll Other Nights is such an apparent departure from Dara Horn's previous work that when I learned what Horn was writing, I thought she might not be able to bring it off. I should have known better. Unlike Horn's excellent first novel, In the Image, and her jaw-dropping The World to Come, All Other Nights starts in the territory of historical thrillers. Jacob Rappaport, the son of a German-Jewish New York merchant, escapes marriage to a business partner's mentally handicapped daughter by joining the Union Army, which ropes him into cloak-and-dagger work.

On May 9, 2005, ELVA MAE, formerly of Mc Kean Avenue. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Lynn Hayden, two grandchildren Dara Hayden of Dallas, TX, Aisa Turman of Greensboro, NC, two great grandchildren, one brother William Gross, one sister Geraldine Randall, son-in-law Ludwick Hayden and host of other relatives and friends. Family will receive friends Saturday 11:30 A.M. at the Union Baptist Church, 1219 Druid Hill Avenue. Memorial service 12 noon. In lieu of flowers send contributions to Union Baptist Church, Head Start Program.

On May 7, 2005, WILLIE FOULKS, of Jessup, MD, husband of Lillian Street Agustus, father of Kelly Roberts, stepfather of Dara Agustus, grandfather of Anthony Roberts. Friends are invited to attend a memorial service which will be held on Friday May 20, 2005 at 6:30 P.M. at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7146 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mr. Foulks' name may be directed to the American Lung Association, 14435 Cherry Tree Lane, Suite 410, Laurel, MD 20707.

On May 14, 2008, CHARLES FREDERICK BRANDT, SR.; beloved husband of the late Anne Molloy Brandt; father of Charles F. Brandt, Jr.; and Robert C. Brandt; grandfather of Taryn and Dara Brandt; devoted brother in-law of M. Patricia Maguire; dear uncle of Mairi Pat Maguire and Thomas Edward Maguire and Anne M. Cronin; brother in-law of Linda M. Tanton; uncle of Pamela, Deirdre and Lindsay Tanton. A due notice of memorial service. Arrangements by the Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home Inc., 6500 York Road.

On February 5, 2004, C. WILLIAM "BILL" DYE, beloved husband of Mary Margaret Dye (nee Duck); devoted father of Laura Zavodny and her husband Jerry, Lynne Gryctz, William Dye and his wife Michelle, and Cheryl Marston; loving stepfather of Donald V. White, III, Richard White and his wife Dana, and Deborah Pettis and her husband Rob; loving brother of Pat Cobb, Irene Smith, and the late Doreen Waterman; dear grandfather of Danica and Dara Zavodny, Erica and...

On January 24, 2004, FRANCES WEINER (nee Copeland), beloved wife of Morton Weiner; loving mother of Sheldon Weiner, Fred Weiner, Dennis Weiner, Barbara Block and Caron Wollman, all of Baltimore; loving mother-in-law of Narene Weiner, Vivien Weiner, Rona Weiner, and Arnold Wollman; adored grandmother of Bret Weiner, Marni Gorman, Michael Weiner, Wendi Weiner, Allyson Gerson, Ryan Weiner, Jared Block, Blake Wollman, and Whitney Wollman; great grandmother of...

BEIJING - Dara Torres was born on April 15, 1967, two weeks before a blessed event was held in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel, the wedding of singer Elvis Presley and his bride, Priscilla. Dara's father, Eddie Torres, bought the Aladdin (in a partnership with Wayne Newton) 13 years later. By then, his daughter the swim prodigy was a fixture in the expensive pools of Beverly Hills, including the one in the Torres family's sprawling 10-bath home there. He meant a great deal to Dara way back then.

On May 14, 2008, CHARLES FREDERICK BRANDT, SR.; beloved husband of the late Anne Molloy Brandt; father of Charles F. Brandt, Jr.; and Robert C. Brandt; grandfather of Taryn and Dara Brandt; devoted brother in-law of M. Patricia Maguire; dear uncle of Mairi Pat Maguire and Thomas Edward Maguire and Anne M. Cronin; brother in-law of Linda M. Tanton; uncle of Pamela, Deirdre and Lindsay Tanton. A due notice of memorial service. Arrangements by the Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home Inc., 6500 York Road.

They watched the building going up, and then the shelves filling up with books. But it wasn't until yesterday that Dara Davis was able to answer her book-loving son's question -- "Are you taking us to the library today?" -- with a long awaited, "Yes." The newest branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library opened at noon yesterday on Orleans Street, and not a moment too soon for 7-year-old Khalil Davis. He's been known to go to a library, check out five books and return later in the day because he's already finished them.

On Tuesday, April 3, 2007, MONA MAXINE BAYER, 77, formerly of Baltimore. She is survived by four sisters; daughters, Patricia Benton, Shelly Bloodsworth; grandchildren Deborah Howard, Michelle Garcia, Dara Cozzi and David Cozzi and two great grandchildren. She will be laid to rest with husband John J. Bayer and daughter Cheryl L. Howard who preceded her in death, at Holy Redeemer cemetery.

On May 7, 2005, WILLIE FOULKS, of Jessup, MD, husband of Lillian Street Agustus, father of Kelly Roberts, stepfather of Dara Agustus, grandfather of Anthony Roberts. Friends are invited to attend a memorial service which will be held on Friday May 20, 2005 at 6:30 P.M. at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7146 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mr. Foulks' name may be directed to the American Lung Association, 14435 Cherry Tree Lane, Suite 410, Laurel, MD 20707.

On May 9, 2005, ELVA MAE, formerly of Mc Kean Avenue. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Lynn Hayden, two grandchildren Dara Hayden of Dallas, TX, Aisa Turman of Greensboro, NC, two great grandchildren, one brother William Gross, one sister Geraldine Randall, son-in-law Ludwick Hayden and host of other relatives and friends. Family will receive friends Saturday 11:30 A.M. at the Union Baptist Church, 1219 Druid Hill Avenue. Memorial service 12 noon. In lieu of flowers send contributions to Union Baptist Church, Head Start Program.

On February 5, 2004, C. WILLIAM "BILL" DYE, beloved husband of Mary Margaret Dye (nee Duck); devoted father of Laura Zavodny and her husband Jerry, Lynne Gryctz, William Dye and his wife Michelle, and Cheryl Marston; loving stepfather of Donald V. White, III, Richard White and his wife Dana, and Deborah Pettis and her husband Rob; loving brother of Pat Cobb, Irene Smith, and the late Doreen Waterman; dear grandfather of Danica and Dara Zavodny, Erica and...