MANY OF us have childhood memories of baking at our mother's knee. The memory of those warm, fragrant cakes and breads from childhood can last a lifetime - and longer - when we pass the recipes from generation to generation.
This month, at Long Reach High School, baking created a link between young and old when the school's Intergenerational Connections Club held a cooking demonstration for students and senior citizens. Home economics teacher Debbie Belote made "apple pizza" - a variation on apple pie - and included a lesson on pie-crust fluting techniques.
"There are so many things we take for granted that the kids don't know anything about," said Margaret Flowers, 87, from Florence Bain Senior Center. "Our grandparents cooked like this. For the kids, this is all new. Everything comes prepared these days."
Flowers enjoyed her time with the students: "They are alert, intelligent and on the ball."
Some senior citizens and students formed friendships based on common cultural experiences or a common language. Susan Wong, 72, of Long Reach, said she enjoys speaking her native Chinese with students she has met through the program.
"I have met two Chinese and two Korean students, and I have showed them my pictures from China," Wong said. "One student has only been here from China for two years. We can help the kids understand history, and we can learn a lot of the American culture from them." Wong has been in the United States for 13 years.
The students said they enjoyed their time with the senior citizens, too.
"It gives us a chance to talk about the past," said Gwen Duong, 17. "It helps us deal with things that are happening now. They have lived through World War II and Pearl Harbor. After those events, things worked out. They can explain how they felt during those experiences and what they learned. That's not something you can read.
"We went through 9/11 and the sniper attacks. It's good to see how they made it through the events of their times," she said.
Al Manasseri, 89, from the Bain center, takes pleasure in his friendship with Gwen. "She remembers me whenever she sees me," he said, smiling.
Long Reach High School has established a partnership with the Howard County Department of Citizen Services' Office on Aging. This is the school's first year as a partner - and the first time that the Office on Aging has paired with a high school, although it has formed many partnerships with middle schools.
The relationship began when Katie Chesler, a Gifted and Talented program resource teacher at Long Reach, contacted Judi Bard, program specialist for the Office on Aging. "She had a one-time meeting in mind," Bard said.
But in response to a suggestion by Dorothy Boisen, a senior citizen who attends the Bain center, Bard said she decided the meetings should be monthly.
The idea blossomed, and the group obtained a grant from the Maryland Intergenerational Coalition and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
"The objective for the sessions is to bring students and seniors together to break down cultural and age barriers," Chesler said. Drama teacher Cate Barry is a faculty adviser for the club.
The club held a photography session last month, and will meet monthly through May. An art-related event and dancing are among the activities planned.
A neighbor gone
The passing of Lt. Col. William S. Pachura, U.S. Air Force, retired, was marked by a funeral service filled to standing room only at Witzke Funeral Home in Oakland Mills on Friday. Known as Bill to his family and friends, Lieutenant Colonel Pachura, 69, was described as a modest, quiet man. He served in the Air Force for almost 26 years.
He did not talk much about the danger he was in or the risks he took almost daily for nine months in 1968, flying over Vietnam's Red River into enemy territory in Hanoi, said Clark Wiens, his brother-in-law, in an earlier interview.
Lieutenant Colonel Pachura flew 129 combat missions in Vietnam. His medals include two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 15 Air Medals and an Air Force Commendation Medal.
In May, he and 10 family members took a trip to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where Lieutenant Colonel Pachura was reunited with the plane he flew in Vietnam. An honor guard saluted him, and a drill team performed.
He received a plaque of appreciation for his service. The plane was rededicated, with Lieutenant Colonel Pachura's name and "Red River Queen," the name he used for the plane. The story of that trip appeared in this column June 25.
In the spring, the plane will be moved from Lackland Air Force Base to Lieutenant Colonel Pachura's hometown of Centralia, Ill., where it will be displayed in a park alongside another plane he flew during his military service, said his wife, Jody.
In his eulogy for the retired serviceman, the Rev. Michael O'Brien noted that Lieutenant Colonel Pachura, after facing death so many times, had learned what is important in life. He always put his family first, the clergyman said. And what Lieutenant Colonel Pachura sometimes did not have words for, he communicated through his actions.
"Bill was a big family man," Jody Pachura said. "His family was very important to him. He got to climb his mountain by flying his planes."
Lieutenant Colonel Pachura died of cancer Nov. 8 in his Long Reach home, surrounded by his family.
Bill and Jody Pachura lived in Long Reach for 24 years. They have four children - Paul Pachura of Owen Brown, Martha Hull of Long Reach, Mary Vaerewyck of Pittsburgh and David Pachura of Lexington Park - and eight grandchildren.
Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 10.