Volunteers inducted into Maryland hall of fame

By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Annually since 1989, the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame has recognized those people who have exhibited exemplary service by listing them in the Maryland Blue Book. This year, Erickson communities Charlestown and Oak Crest provided the lion’s share of inductees, with seven of the total inductees.

Six people from Charlestown in Catonsville will join the hall of fame at a ceremony on October 25 in Glen Burnie. The nature of their lifelong volunteer service ranges from education to politics to music.

Charlestown charity
“Charlestown is so happy and proud of them all. It’s fantastic that they are being honored,” Executive Director Garret Falcone says. “They have worked so very hard and are so very dedicated.

“We are equally proud of the hundreds of other people who live here and share their gifts to create a community like Charlestown by volunteering in one of the 150 clubs that we have or in many other ways,” he adds.

Oak Crest for others
Oak Crest, in Parkville, has nominated one or two candidates for the past ten years. This year, Jim Wetzel becomes the 19th inductee from Oak Crest to join the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

His Oak Crest neighbor Tom Foster nominated Wetzel for his ten years of service singing and acting in the community’s plays and other volunteer performances.

“Jim’s service amounts to more than 150 volunteer appearances and 580 hours of preparation and presentation. He is much loved by his fellow retirees for his generous use of his talents and his perpetual good nature,” Foster says.

Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Inductees 2007

All inductees offered their time voluntarily