Support Group

Meeting Tuesday on pathway plan The Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning will hold a public meeting at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday to acquaint residents with a proposed pathway project that is expected to begin construction in the fall of next year. The project involves the installation of an 8-foot-wide pathway for hiking and biking along Broken Land Parkway, from Cradlerock Way to Snowden River Parkway. The pathway, which is being funded through a Transportation Enhancement Grant awarded to the county by the State Highway Administration, is designed to connect office parks, retail buildings and residential neighborhoods, Lake Elkhorn and the County Spinal Pathway, a network of paths that are to extend from Savage to Broken Land Parkway, and through Columbia to Centennial Park.

Parents of children who died get help Upper Chesapeake Health will hold two eight-week support groups for parents and family caregivers of children who have died suddenly or traumatically. A group for parents of deceased children ages 1 to 13 will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays from Sept. 13 to Nov. 1. A group for parents of deceased children ages 14 to 25 will be held at 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 29. Both will be held at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Registration is required at 800-515-0044.

St. Patrick's Day for kids - at library The Kiwanis Club of Columbia will hold a St. Patrick's Day celebration for children and youth from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the central library, 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. The program will include stories and an explanation of the holiday's history, the history of Irish immigration, a chance to make greeting cards for nursing home residents, as well as other activities. A live shamrock plant will be on display. Information: 410-730-8584.

Forum to address personality disorders The Howard County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will sponsor an educational forum, "Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder," at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia. Dr. Joseph Schwartz, clinical director of psychiatry at Howard County General Hospital, will lead the forum. Doors open at 7 p.m. for light refreshments. Admission is free. Everyone is welcome. The chapter sponsors support groups for those affected by mental illness and their friends and families.

It was a match made in heaven -- or at least someplace other than Earth.Stan Triplett had had a near-death experience at age 15 and believed he communed with spirits. Shelly Shafer believed she was developing the ability to talk to people after they had died.She was a regular at the Near Death Experience Support Group in Columbia. He was coming for the first time, two Augusts ago, wanting to meet others like himself -- and secretly hoping to meet the love of his life.The group, one of some 50 around the country, felt like a spiritual home to him, where people could discuss intimately, without fear of ridicule, the mostly uncharted territory between life and death.

FRIENDSHIP CHURCH of the Brethren is sponsoring a series of Lenten seminars on grief starting today at the church, 217 Mansion Road.The sessions, from 7 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m., are designed to help people cope with losses in their lives, such as the death of a loved one. They include videotapes and discussions led by David Leiter, pastor of the church.The topic for today is "The Five Tasks of Grief." The rest of the schedule is: "Healing Guilt" on Feb. 28, "Fear and Anger" on March 7, "Growth from Divorce" on March 14, "Infections of the Grief Wound" on March 21 and "Saying Goodbye to Our Losses" on March 28.Information: 410-789-2422.

Alarmed by the number of Carroll County teen-agers who have died in the past year, a group of residents will hold a memorial service and youth rally in Westminster on Saturday.More than 1,000 teens are expected to attend the event, which is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at City Park, 11 Longwell St.The brainchild of Patti Robinson and Janai Bassler, the event is designed to encourage teens who have lost loved ones to reach out to each another and begin the healing process."After my niece was killed, Janai and I realized how much pain the kids were feeling and decided that we had to do something to bring them together," said Robinson, whose niece Jessica R. Bassler, 16, was killed in a car crash in April.

TRANSPLANTED New Yorker Stuart Singer is an attorney by trade, but an inventor at heart.When he moved to Severna Park, he brought along an idea born of necessity in his previous life in Manhattan."

AS STUDENTS at North Glen Elementary School in Ferndale returned to their classrooms, they were greeted by some new faces.Principal Barbara Bowens said these teachers and staff members are new to the school:Melissa Nocho, secretary; Jennifer Henkel and Susan Vickers, first grade; Michelle Wooten, second grade; Toni Sakalas, reading; Susan Smith, adjunct teacher; William Campbell Jr., fourth and fifth grades; Katrin Duke, health assistant; Charles Blume, media...

HOUSTON -- Like other black women who have battled breast cancer, Karen Jackson found the odds stacked against her when she learned the fearsome diagnosis three years ago.While black women are slightly less likely to develop breast cancer, their mortality rate is 5 percent higher than for white women, in part because many black women do not seek treatment until the cancer is more advanced.Then, when Jackson went to a support group, she found herself isolated and ignored. The group, which was mostly white, did not think about ordering wigs suitable for black women, she said.

Calendar 50+EXPO : The Howard County Department on Aging will sponsor a 50+ EXPO from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia. The expo features more than 140 exhibitors, workshops, a health fair, food, entertainment and free shuttle service from The Mall in Columbia. A live benefit auction will start at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. For information, go to the Office on Aging Web site at howardcountyaging.org or call 410-313-6410 or TTY: 410-313-5927.

* Patients First will host a town hall on patients rights at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Timonium Holiday Inn, 9615 Deereco Road, Timonium. The free forum will focus on health care reform with a lineup of speakers including Dr. Michael Gloth of Johns Hopkins. * Anne Arundel County will hold an H1N1 Influenza Forum at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Anne Arundel Community College, Cade Building, Room 219. Speakers include County Executive John R. Leopold and speakers representing the department of health, emergency operations and schools.

* The Howard County Young Widows and Widowers will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Jilly's in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center, 10300 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City. The social and support group meets the first Tuesday of each month. All are welcome; information is available from 410-740-5858. * Laurel Regional Hospital will hold its Senior Dining and Lecture from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Louis A. Nistler, executive director and chief executive officer of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, will speak on the foundation's programs and services.

Tai Sophia herb walk Tai Sophia Institute in North Laurel will offer an open house for students interested in any of the institute's programs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Information will be presented on graduate degree programs in acupuncture, herbal medicine and applied healing arts. Information on the herbal medicine program will be presented at the herb walk, where participants can join in a group discussion with members of the faculty. Those who attend will have an opportunity to participate in panel discussions with faculty, students and alumni, and tour the institute's library, wellness clinic and campus.

Upper Chesapeake Cardiology is formed Upper Chesapeake Health System has joined with nine cardiologists from Mid-Atlantic Cardiovascular Associates to create Upper Chesapeake Cardiology, effective Thursday. The cardiologists from the Ambulatory Care Center at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and the Havre de Grace site near Harford Memorial Hospital will be employed by Upper Chesapeake Health, with practices remaining at both medical facilities. Upper Chesapeake Cardiology will be part of Upper Chesapeake Health's Cardiovascular Institute and provide advanced technology and accredited diagnostic services.

The Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, will sponsor "Stroke Survivors' Connection," a free support group for stroke survivors who want to live life fully, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The group will watch the DVD STARS - Steps Against Recurrent Stroke. A Stroke Survivors' "Reading for Life" group will meet at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 5 and on the first Wednesday of each month. The group will discuss The Other Boleyn Girl. Discussion will be facilitated by speech pathologist Jennifer Triandafilou.

Diabetes support group to meet Upper Chesapeake Health will offer a Parish Nurse Diabetes Support Group at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Aberdeen Senior Center. For information and to register, call 410-273-5666. 'Dining with Docs' to hold series of discussions Upper Chesapeake Health will hold "Dining with Docs" dinner, lecture and discussion programs at 5:30 p.m. in Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's Chesapeake Conference Center. Terrence Fullum, board certified in bariatric surgery, will discuss "New Course for Life Weight Loss Surgery" on Tuesday.

They have shared countless cups of coffee, picnics in the park and rambunctious holiday parties. They have comforted each other through illness and the deaths of spouses. And together they have walked around the mall tens of thousands of times. On Thursday, the Marley Station Milers celebrated 20 years of striding through the mall hallways before the shops open. They watched a slide show of memorable moments - who could forget the time a member dressed as a bunch of grapes or a can of soup on Halloween?

'Look Good' program planned The American Cancer Society is sponsoring a "Look Good, Feel Better" program for cancer patients at 5 p.m. tomorrow at the Oncology Center at Riverside. To register, call 410-272-9224. The program also will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The program provides make-up and hair techniques to combat the effects of treatment. Information: 800-515-0044. Lupus support group tomorrow Lupus Mid-Atlantic will hold a support group meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. Meetings are open to the public and are facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker.

Health workshop planned Thursday New Life Christian Center Ministries will sponsor a health workshop, "What You Don't Know Can Kill You," at 2 p.m. Thursday at Ramada Conference Center, 1700 Van Bibber Road, Edgewood. Dr. John C. Williams Jr., founder of Capital University of Integrative Medicine, will discuss health care for the whole person. He operates three clinics that treat people who have chronic, degenerative, stressful and life-threatening illnesses with integrative and alternative methods.