Agriculture and suburbia find common ground

Lyndsay Luff, 6, of Pittsburgh, tosses a green pepper into the crate as she and her brother Brandon Luff, 12, pick vegetables at the Common Ground farm in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, on July 31. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/MCT)PITTSBURGH ― Lyndsay Luff, 7, held out two salsa peppers as long as her hand. She smiled coyly and didn’t say a word, her eyes cast down at the first chilies she had ever picked. They sat loosely on her palms like miniature rolling pins.A slim, bright-eyed woman stood besi

Aug. 27, 2014

Turning trash into beauty and a sparkling career

When Tiffany Threadgould moved into her Philadelphia apartment in 2012, the first thing she did was trash the place.For Threadgould, 40, that didn’t mean making a mess. On the contrary, it’s all about discovering beauty ― or at least function ― in objects that might otherwise be destined for the landfill. In her hands, CD jewel cases formed pendant lamps, paint cans became planters (and paint stirrers labels for a windowsill herb garden), and old sweaters made a cozy throw for her sofa.Has been

Aug. 27, 2014

Valor Games help disabled veterans heal

CHICAGO ― A roadside bomb in Afghanistan left Israel Del Toro Jr. with third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He underwent 130 surgeries to reconstruct his body and face. After the grueling rehabilitation, he made peace with the fact that there were many things he would never do again.But at a Chicago athletic competition for disabled veterans in 2011, a coach urged him to try powerlifting. Del Toro balked at first. The explosion had taken the fingers on his left hand, and most of the f

Aug. 27, 2014

Calendar

Classical musicLim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyek recital: Brother pianists Lim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyek will hold their first joint recital in nine years to present the complete Chopin concertos at Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 4. The older brother Dong-min will play the first concerto, while Dong-hyek will take on the composer’s second concerto both with Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductor Sung Shi-yeon. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 120,000 won. For more information, call 1577-5266 or v

Aug. 22, 2014

Researchers come across trove of Buddhist artifacts

South Korean researchers said Thursday they have uncovered dozens of artifacts used in Buddhist ceremonies nearly a millennium ago, as they begin to unravel the mystery behind an ancient shrine where they were discovered.The 77 artifacts include a vajra, a type of club with ribbed spherical heads, bells and censers thought to be from the Joseon era (1392-1910), or possibly even earlier.Researchers at the Seoul Institute of Cultural Heritage were wrapping up an archaeological field survey on Dobo

Aug. 21, 2014

Kennel at homeless facility keeps pets, families together

AKRON, Ohio ― When people tried to pet her, the cat snuggled closer to owner Susan McIntosh. The cat is the first pet to be housed at the new home of Family Promise, a 10-year-old nonprofit organization that provides services to homeless families. Recently, it opened a kennel so that the families could keep their pets with them.Most homeless shelters do not take pets, forcing owners to find someone to watch a pet, or to give it away. Some would rather live on the streets than give up an animal.“

Aug. 20, 2014

After 74 years, burn victim and nurse remain friends

BALTIMORE ― Charlotte Rollenhagen still remembers the first time she saw Dorothy Hutchins at Johns Hopkins Hospital.It was 1940, and the 10-year-old girl had been badly burned when her dress caught fire on the kitchen stove in her family’s Baltimore home. Her entire back was burned, as well as part of her left leg and her left arm, which she flapped in vain to put the flames out.“The picture of this little girl is indelibly placed in my mind,” said Rollenhagen, who at the time was a rookie 21-ye

Aug. 20, 2014

In this place, powerful politician is just another quilter

LOS ANGELES ― Women filed into a classroom at an East Los Angeles community center. Some came alone, some in groups of two and three. Most were Latina and edging past middle age. They hauled tote bags full of fabric and rolled suitcases holding sewing machines.One of them was Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, toting her own bundles of material.As one of the “five kings and queens” who run a sprawling county government, Molina is among the most powerful women in Los Angeles. She wrestl

Aug. 20, 2014

[Herald Interview] Ivy finds her place in ‘Chicago’

Three hours before show time, the lobby of the D-Cube Art Center is dark, with hardly any sign of human presence. But this is when the backstage area comes to life. One by one, cast members arrive for the night’s show ― “Chicago,” a timeless Broadway hit now on its 10th run in Korea. Ivy, who plays the show’s lead character Roxie Hart, is one of the first to arrive. With a friendly and cheerful hello, she greets everyone she meets, even the cleaning ladies. “It almost feels like I have become an

Aug. 19, 2014

Last stop on the Kimchi Bus

SAO PAULO ― Traveling around a foreign continent for 100 days is challenging enough. Throw in a tight schedule, a rickety old minibus and a fridge full of fermented cabbage, and you have yourself a Kimchi Bus tour. After two road trips through more than 140 cities in Europe, Russia, North America, Japan and Korea since 2011, the little red bus is on its third and final adventure ― to Latin America, where its team is seeking out the origins of the chili pepper that gives kimchi its spicy zing. Th

Aug. 17, 2014

Pope Francis to arrive in Korea Thursday

A symbol of peace, love and new understanding, Pope Francis will arrive in Korea on Thursday for a five-day official visit to a nation still gripped by Cold War geopolitics. A chartered flight carrying the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and his entourage from the Vatican is expected to land at Seoul Air Base, just south of Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. President Park Geun-hye will welcome him at the airport, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. “(The president) will treat (the pope) with t

Aug. 13, 2014

[Graphic News] Pope’s itinerary in Korea

Aug. 13, 2014

[Newsmaker] Francis: ‘People’s pope’ and SNS star

As afternoon turned into evening on March 13, 2013, in Vatican City, white smoke rose from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a new pope had been elected. About an hour later, the identity of the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church was unveiled: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. He would be named Pope Francis, it was announced. Since that moment, Pope Francis never stopped surprising the world ― Catholics and non-Catholics alike. As the first pope born outside of

Aug. 13, 2014

Trip signals Vatican’s shifting geographic focus

When Pope Francis arrives here Thursday morning, he will find a small, but dynamic Catholic Church that he hopes will “arise and shine” on the continent and the rest of the world, where Catholicism faces grave challenges. “The Korean Church is dynamic. Only about 10 percent of Koreans are Catholic, but it churns out many missionaries who are now planting the seeds of faith in so many countries in the world, such as Mongolia,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said during a press briefing in th

Aug. 13, 2014

(Photo News) Comics Festival

Animation majors from Korea’s Bucheon University and Japan Animation and Manga College hold up their caricatures at the 17th Bucheon International Comics Festival, which opened at the Korea Manhwa Museum on Wednesday. The festival runs until Aug. 17. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

Aug. 13, 2014

Catholic singers to spice up papal Masses

As Pope Francis prepares to make his way to Korea for his first papal visit, several renowned Korean singers will lend a hand in welcoming the pontiff by performing at major events during his five-day stay from Aug. 14-18.Internationally acclaimed soprano Jo Su-mi and veteran singer Insooni, both devout Catholics, will stage special performances during the Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, to be held at the World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Aug. 15.Jo is scheduled to perform a numbe

Aug. 12, 2014

Manuscript of ancient map reveals cartographer’s endeavor

A newly discovered manuscript offers a new glimpse into the endeavors behind a famous ancient map of Korea which is regarded as the greatest cartographic achievement before the modern period. The manuscript, unveiled by the National Library of Korea on Monday, is believed to be one of several early drafts drawn by 19th century cartographer Kim Jeong-ho before he carved the “Daedongyeojido” on woodblocks in 1861.  Part of the manuscript for “Daedongyeojido (The Detailed Map of the Great East).” (

Aug. 12, 2014

[Papal Visit] A frenzy to study pope, Catholic history

From gracing TV screens and bookshelves to museums, Pope Francis is the hottest star in Korea now. With his much-anticipated arrival here just two days away, various programs and events vie for the attention of a public curious about the leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide as well as the religion’s small, but strong branch here. For Korea’s 5.4 million-strong Catholic community, which is roughly 11 percent of the population, it is a festival of faith that will culminate in the Aug. 1

Aug. 11, 2014