Springfield

John R. Holman, a retired career Air Force officer and mechanical engineer, died of heart failure Tuesday at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. The Glen Burnie resident was 72. Mr. Holman was born in Independence, Mo., and raised on his family's farm in Alba, Mo. In 1955, he joined the Air Force and was a navigator aboard hurricane hunters for seven years while stationed at Travis and McClellan air force bases in California. During the Vietnam War, he was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay and later spent four years at the Pentagon in Washington, and negotiated air base rights in Spain.

MYRTLE M. SCHNEIDER, of Springfield, VA on Thursday, June 29, 2006. Loving wife of the late Charles "Buck" Schneider; devoted mother of Dale Stringer. Also survived by grandson Andrew Stinger; great-grandchildren Brittany and Brandon; sister, Betty Haver; niece Carol Dawson and nephew Richard Haver. Family will receive friends on Wednesday July 5 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at DEMAINE SPRINGFIELD-ANNANDALE FUNERAL CHAPEL, Backlick and Edsall Rds., Springfield, VA. Interment Thursday, July 6, 11 a.m. at Parkwood Cemetery, Baltimore, MD.

On May 19, 2006, ELIZABETH TALBOT NICKLES (age 83) of Springfield, VA. Beloved wife of the late Charles M. Nickles. Pre-deceased in death by son John Francis Nickles. Loving mother of Charles William Nickles (Patricia M.), Robert Talbot Nickles, Elizabeth Ann Nickles, Nancy J. Nickles-Dawson (James W.) Kevin A. Nickles and Brian Nickles (Kathleen L.). Also survived by 11 grandchildren, Joanne, Samuel, Erin, Bryan, Kyle, Brian, Shawn, Michael, Matthew, Jack and the late Janet, two greatgrandchildren, Cordelia and Miranda.

Navy concert -- The U.S. Navy Band (above) and specialty groups will hold a concert series this month. The Navy Band, the 2006 Concerto Competition award winner, will be featured at 7:30 p.m. Friday at West Springfield High School, 6100 Rolling Road, Springfield, Va. Admission is free and open to the public. 202-433-2525 or www.navy band.navy.mil.

We think we understand what it's like to be a celebrity now that we all know someone famous: "I dated that American Idol reject in high school!" "That guy walked up to me on the street and wouldn't stop talking about how much he loves his fiance, Katie Holmes!" But to see what it's really like, I decided to travel to the white-hot center of fame. Unfortunately, the closest I could get was last Friday's Daytime Emmys. I convinced rock star and General Hospital actor Rick Springfield to let me walk down the red carpet with him in front of Los Angeles' Kodak Theater, where he was opening the award show with a medley.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Susan Joel lives in Springfield's most affluent neighborhood, yet some mornings she finds condoms on her block, discarded the previous night by prostitutes and their johns. The public school her 7-year-old daughter attends, not far from City Hall, is down the street from partially boarded-up buildings and a community center that closed its top floor because it was "infested with pigeon droppings," Joel said. Friends in a middle-class neighborhood of Victorian homes had pellets from a gun pierce their front door.

On July 17, 2005 HEINO EDERMA; husband of the late Hedwig Ederma. He is survived by his brother Vello Ederma and his wife Marie of Springfield, VA. Also surviving are nieces and nephews John Ederma, Eva Adams and her husband Kevin of Springfield, VA, Susanne Ridenour and her husband Ray, Julie Maennik, Victor Maennik and his wife Margaret, all of Baltimore, MD. A Memorial Service will be held at the National Lutheran Home Chapel, 9701 Veirs Dr., Rockville,...

On Friday, April 29, 2005 at Burke Healthcare Center, MINNIE ELIZABETH FLEMING, of Springfield, VA. Beloved wife of the late Herbert Fleming; beloved mother of Ronald (Barbara) Fleming of Bedford, PA and Pam (Thomas) Mac Kenzie of Springfield, VA. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Friends may call on Sunday, May 1 from 2 to 4 P.M., where services will be held at 4 P.M. at the Demaine Springfield/Annandale Chapel, Backlick and Edsall Road, Springfield, VA. Interment private.

Nearly a decade ago, the state organized a tour of a dozen abandoned buildings at Springfield Hospital Center, hoping to generate interest in restoring the property. About 50 developers participated, but none had the vision, the money or the will to create anything from the cluster of stately brick buildings. It took a small Carroll County town to accomplish that feat. After years of planning and working to find funds, Sykesville is about to launch a business and technology park in the former hospital wards known as the Warfield Complex.

Who will come out of the closet on the Feb. 20 episode of "The Simpsons"? Here are the odds for five of the show's characters, from the Internet betting site PaddyPower.com. James Dobson has his work cut out for him. Last week, the conservative flame-thrower denounced SpongeBob SquarePants - the harmless cartoon sponge who holds hands with his friends and lives in an underwater pineapple - for appearing in a "pro-homosexual video." Next month, a regular character on The Simpsons will come out and be married in a same-sex wedding.