Summer Firecracker Show

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Intro

[upbeat music plays]

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Greetings from Columbia, Maryland, where we are recording Razzle Dazzle Radio, our summer firecracker show brought to you by Howard Community College. I'm Carolyn Kelemen and I'm here with my co-host, Judy Templeton. And what an exciting time of year it is, Judy, with Pride Month upon us and the 4th of July celebrating 250 years of America's history. Let's take it away and let's start celebrating.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

All right. I am in, Carolyn. Hot down summer in the city, as we like to say. And our first Razzle Dazzle guest is none other than Chris Hefty, a.k.a. Belladonna, and here to commemorate and celebrate and talk about gay pride, because it is June, after all. So, Chris, what you been up to? So good to see you.

CHRIS HEFTY:

Hi. Thank you for having me. For LGBTQ Pride month, we are inclusive of every identity and background. We're celebrating human diversity, and love, and gender expression, and anything else that just makes us unique in a way that can be used under that umbrella term of queer. There are so many things taking place throughout the country and even the world because it's Pride Month, so many places you can go.

It's great to explore all of the different places you can go. More locally right now we're going to have Capital Pride on this weekend, so you can head out to DC and you can go and have some fun there. And then there's other smaller prides and more diverse prides all throughout the DMV area. They have Alexandria Pride. There's Frederick Pride at some point too. I forget the date for that.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Typically, we celebrate Pride in October for some reason here in Howard County, and we have that wonderful festival at Merriweather. And I know that you have a big part in that. So will we be having that again? And what can we expect?

CHRIS HEFTY:

Oh, yes. Absolutely. So we have to solidify a date 90 days out according to the policy of the park that we operate out of. But we always have an October. That happened after COVID shut things down and slowed things down. We shifted gears from June to October, partially for convenience and a desire to get back into it, because we hadn't had a festival for the year at the time, and we really liked the weather. We didn't have heat stroke or any problems with our volunteers.

And October is LGBTQIA+ history month, so it's still a fitting time to have a Pride Festival. There's almost never a bad time for Pride because we carry our pride with us 365 days of the year, as you know. But then we also have been helping in support and collaboratively working with Old Ellicott City pride, which is done in June. So that happened on the 6th. It was a very well attended and well loved, and beautiful event that we're going to continue to have every year as well. So you'll be able to experience the June pride and the October pride along with us.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

I love that, and that is a great reason. And I didn't know that about the history, so that's totally apropos that it would be celebrated then as well. What I love at that festival is-- and I'm talking about our Howard County Pride Festival-- is that it is just purely full of love. It's for families. It's for everybody. And I do have to tell you that I love the drag shows and the aerial work they even did last year. So aren't you in charge of some of that as well?

CHRIS HEFTY:

Yeah, so I am one of the emcees on the main stage when I am in my alter ego as Bella Naughty or Miss Bella. You can call me Queen Bella. I've been going by various titles these days. So I'm happy to be called anyway. But yeah, so I emcee there, and then of course, I'm the CFO of Howard County pride, as well. So I'm working on the internal financial end and fundraising, and then I work on the front end, being one of the faces of the stage.

We have incredible performers. We always bring in really great drag acts, and then, like you mentioned, the aerialist acts that we bring in. And we love to have Kelly Partel coming in every year. That's been a yearly tradition for a few years and we really love it. We have bands and we have choirs, like our LGBT choir, local choir here. So it's filled with light. It's filled with so much creativity and fun. And then you have tons of vendors, and different activities, and giveaways, and things to support LGBT artists and their creative works with, so you can shop and support queer art. From every angle, it's such a wonderful thing.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

It is. And I am so grateful for all of your devotion to all this as you continue to recreate. And I just love, like you said, every day should be pride. And you live that, and you walk your walk and talk your walk on that. And so also, if you want to meet Chris, a.k.a.-- and I apologize. I said Bella Donna and it's Bella Naughty. If you want to meet either of them, you can head on up to the second floor at the Columbia Mall.

And go ahead. Let's do a little shout out and promote your store real quick while you're here, since that's another piece of you.

CHRIS HEFTY:

Yes, I'm right upstairs near Nordstrom, next to Yankee Candle. It's called Eastern Coral. It's a beautiful little jewelry shop with every kind of jewelry you can imagine, from unique costume finds, and gemstone creations, and wire wrappings to fine jewelry. I do everything. It's a great little place to stop by. It's a place that you can explore your identity in, I'd say, because people from all walks of life with different gender identities, and just places in life where they're perhaps exploring.

This is a place where they can come in and just explore and work with somebody who knows about jewelry and cares about their community in every aspect, including what they wear. It's still an extension of what I do here in the community, I like to think.

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Hey, I just want to add to Chris. Thank him publicly because he took my beautiful necklace that was tangled in a zillion different places-- you know, when it lumps up all together impossible-- and somehow magically got it straightened out. So thanks, Chris, for that and for all the help you've given me. Thanks.

CHRIS HEFTY:

Oh, it's always a pleasure.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

He has many talents, and I just adore you. Thanks for just being you, living your truth, spreading the word, and spreading love all over. Don't quit now, OK? [LAUGHS]

CHRIS HEFTY:

That's for sure.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Well, Chris, thanks so much for coming on. So everybody, Happy Pride. Get out and support any of these pride events and run on upstairs at the Columbia Mall and see Chris. And if you have a tangled up necklace or bracelet, it sounds like you can get it untangled. But you're going to want to buy some--

CHRIS HEFTY:

Buy her a pair. Yes.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

He does repairs too. Oh, happy summer. Thank you so much for joining us.

CHRIS HEFTY:

My pleasure.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

So, Carolyn, I know that you have another special guest. I want you to talk about Tico and tell us what's happening here.

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Well, I love you, Tico. You know that, right?

TICO WELLS:

I love you, too.

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Yeah, OK. And what's really wonderful about Tico's coming on is that he comes to us from California. So we have expanded razzle dazzle all across the country. And as I was waiting, he doesn't like to hear this, but as I was waiting to come on air, I was listening to the five heartbeats, the film he made years ago, and he was choir boy. And I could hear his voice way up in that high range on the CD. So I recommend people just going and renting or checking out Five Heartbeats and see Tico Wells in his glory years.

But meanwhile, he's doing wonderful things, again, on film and live in person. His mentor has developed and founded a program called First Generation College. And it gives the opportunities to those who would never have the chance to go to secondary education. And he has a wonderful, wonderful film, which I saw and enjoyed, about the roots of this organization and the tribute to his mentor, Joe Fisher. Tico, let me take it over to you and you can introduce him.

TICO WELLS:

1. First of all, thank you and Judy for having me back on third or fourth time. I don't know. First Generation College Bound is the organization that Joe Fisher started. And Joe Fisher is my good friend. I've known him since I was in 10th grade, when he was teaching and coaching in Columbia at Harper's Choice Middle School.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Best stuff happens here.

TICO WELLS:

So this is my buddy Joe Fisher right here.

JOE FISHER: Hello, hello, Judy. Glad to see you.

TICO WELLS:

Yeah, Carolyn, thank you so much, by the way. Glad you came to see the screening.

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Yeah, really good. Thanks.

TICO WELLS:

Yeah, so we did a movie. We started with Air.

[laughing]

We ended with Air in terms of funding, but we use what we had to do our best. We did the best we could with what we had. And this is a documentary called First Generation College Bound, 33 years and counting. First Generation College Bound is the organization started by Joe Fisher in 1990. We wanted to document this great organization, and so we made a movie on June 25th.

We're going to be screening it again at my alma mater, Laurel High School in Laurel, Maryland, which I still have trouble saying. Laurel, Maryland. Sounds like I'm from the sticks somewhere. Where are you from? Laurel, Maryland.

[laughing]

So at 6:00 o'clock, June 25th, we're going to screen First Generation College Bound, 33 years and counting. And we're excited. Joe, if you want to tell them a little bit about the organization and what you guys do.

JOE FISHER:

We inspire kids from low income families to go to college and graduate with little to no debt. And we've been doing it for 36 years, making them aware of the resources to go.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

I want to how did you, Tico, get together with Joe. And how did that all happen?

TICO WELLS:

So I lived in Laurel in my high school years, and Joe was my next door neighbor. So we were neighbors and friends, and we just stayed in touch over the years. Somehow, miraculously, he went off to teach and he started coaching women's cross country track at Catholic University. I even ran track at Laurel for a brief period of time, and he would come and give us some pointers and stuff a couple times in my short stint as a track runner.

We just appreciate each other, and when he was in Columbia teaching at middle school level, he would invite me down from New York and talk to his classes and stuff like that. And then in 1990, he started the organization. And I started doing little commercials for them, and then we did a little video, and then we did other videos. And then I became one of the filmmakers for the organization. And then this year, we've done our first feature length documentary film on the organization.

And so we work hand in hand. I help him promote First Generation College Bound, and he has given me an opportunity to grow as a director, as a film and video director.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

I love that. I think every time that you've come on our show, I've always been just filled with pride and gratitude of how many things start here in Columbia. And I know that you have always expressed gratitude for your beginnings with Carolyn and with Toby. And now you're telling me you knew Joe. And who knew all these years ago we'd be talking about a movie that you directed? I just think it's so wonderful, because one conversation can change your life.

TICO WELLS:

Yeah. And in college, I was a drama major, and I knew that at some point in my life, I wanted to direct as well. I went to Bowie State College-- university now. Excuse me. Back in the old days, it was college. And I directed a lot of theater while I was in college, so I got some training there. Then I went to New York University and eventually became a professional actor. And I've always been developing my directing quietly on the side, and I look forward to doing a dramatic movie one day, too.

Joe has given me a great opportunity to work my directing muscles.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

What I love about your film, on top of your ability to direct and that now you're becoming a student of directing, amongst all of your other talents, is that it has such a philanthropic topic. And this is a timely topic too, for how this is all going down. So you're spreading, you're educating and enlightening as you go. So I am anxious to see it as well and hope that I can come down on June 25th fifth to Laurel, Maryland, as you call it.

TICO WELLS:

Laurel, Maryland.

[laughing]

Yes. Laurel High School. We're going to be filming it. We're going to be showing it at Laurel High School. 6:00 PM, the door is open. Hopefully, we'll get started by 6:30, so it'll be a little mingle. Everybody can come out and bring the whole family. And it's a feel-good story. There's so many negative stories out there about people doing negative things. And politically, we hate the presidents, and we hate the politicians, and we hate the this, and we hate the crime, and we hate the war, and inflation.

This is a story about someone who is dedicated to doing something where he's giving back. And that's one of the things that made me stay with Joe because of the work that he's doing.

JOE FISHER:

I just want you to know, Judy, that we're really proud because we talk about Howard County. I'll never forget Dantre Scott. He was in seventh grade, and I saw a young man growing up in poverty with so much potential. And he couldn't get into the GT program. And I told him, stick with me. And when he graduated from Warlick, he did. He's Dr. Dantre Scott today.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Yep. Oh, I'm sure you have lots of those stories too. Yeah, absolutely. And that's the thing, and I agree with you, Tico, is that right now, I think all of our job in media is to promote positive and to try to just rise up with that promotion of positive, just rising above some of the negative that just is really pervasive and is pulling everybody down. So I think it's our mission to do that.

This is such a timely, like I say, topic when you think about all the cost of colleges and everything going on right now too.

TICO WELLS:

Yeah.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

And you have your own story too, Tico, right? Your own powerful story of you finding what you loved, and doing what you love and loving what you do, right?

TICO WELLS:

Yeah, yeah. And it's still evolving. I was just in Vegas shooting a new series called Cart 2, playing a very dark character. And Joe and I, we have conversations sometimes where I get a little leery, especially after the Five Heartbeats, where I played such a kind of sweet character. I get a little scary about playing dark characters like, what are people going to think? He played choirboy and now he's playing this killer. I'm learning how to just go back to being an actor.

When I met Carolyn, I was still just getting out of high school, and I would play a tree. I would play a mountain if I had to. I just wanted to act. I'd do anything. And of course, Carolyn and I met in a great play called Pippin, which Ben Vereen made famous on Broadway. She and I have been friends ever since, and that was back in 1979. She was a choreographer and she took it easy on me on the dance steps, and I did my best to--

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Good memories. Good memories.

TICO WELLS:

--do my Ben Vereen stuff.

[laughing]

Also, the world is complex, and there are parts of us that are dark, parts of our own memories that are dark, our experiences. It's not all bright. And even in this movie, Joe talks a lot about growing up in Southeast Washington with a family of 10, eight kids, and how he had to maneuver the death traps of poverty and find the light. It's a constant challenge for all of us, the negative thoughts that we have, and overcoming those negative thoughts.

Oh, we're getting older. Oh my God. No, you got to-- you got to keep doing your best to stay bright, stay alive, stay alert. Joe.

CAROLYN KELEMEN:

Do you have a website, Tico? Or does Joe?

TICO WELLS:

Joe does. It's firstgenerationcollegebound.org, or fgcb.org. It's a beautiful website.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Actually, we're getting ready to run out of time. So what I want to, Joe, is, what do you want everybody to just remember about this? Or we can make sure everybody tries to get there on June 25th. So give us an impact statement or why we should come see this beautiful documentary.

JOE FISHER:

I want you to come see this movie because I confirm that there is no excuse for any kid of poverty not to be able to afford to go to college.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

I love it. Yep.

JOE FISHER:

That's even what's going on today, and it's anti-intellect climate. There is no excuse because somebody's striving to put you in darkness.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Wow. All right. And I assume, Tico, that you made that absolutely clear in your direction here.

TICO WELLS:

I did my best with what I had.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Let me just give a huge thank you to you, Joe, and to you, Tico. Just keep going. Keep doing what you're doing. That's what we all want to do. And make sure on June 25th, if you're anywhere near Laurel, Maryland, you get on down to Laurel High School to see this amazing documentary.

TICO WELLS:

That's right. June 25th, First Generation College Bound, 33 years and counting. And it's going to be at Laurel High School, 6:00 PM in Laurel, Maryland. Laurel, Maryland.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

There it is.

TICO WELLS:

And it's free. Thank you. First of all, I want to give you ladies your flowers because back in the day, we had to try to get on Johnny Carson, or Arsenio Hall's show, or the local news channel. And today, with people like Caroline and Judy, you are giving not just local-- I guess, am I still local? I don't know. I'm in Los Angeles, California. But you're giving people a voice who normally wouldn't have a voice, the Joe Fishers of the world, the Tico Wellses of the world.

And I really appreciate you guys. And I want to give you your flowers for the work that you guys do. So thank you.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

Great. Well, back at you. We appreciate the work you do so that we can promote it. So you know we're all one big family here that way. And we're sending flowers back to both you and Joe. And so don't forget, everyone here in Columbia, Maryland. We have lots going on. Now, the 4th of July is coming up, and we have the annual 4th of July fireworks down at the lake, not to be missed.

And on Friday nights under the peepal tree, you can dance at 7:00 o'clock every Friday night, and then bring your chair and sit right there and look at the new stage that we have built and watch a movie. So always plenty to do here if you come back. If you ever come back to your hometown, Tico, we'll definitely take you out for the night. Joe, it's been an honor and pleasure to meet you.

TICO WELLS:

I'll be back next week. I'll be back on the 25th of June for the screening. I'll be right there. I'll be right there. So come on out, y'all. I'd love to see you guys.

JUDY TEMPLETON:

All right be there or be square. Thank you so much. And until next time, it's Carolyn and Judy of Razzle Dazzle Radio.

[music playing]

Outro

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PODCAST PRODUCER:

That's it for this episode. We here at Dragon Podcasts appreciate you taking the time to listen. If you like what you heard, there is a plethora of podcasts for you to discover from Dragon Podcasts. Just search Dragon Podcasts on whatever platform you get your podcasts. Thank you and see you next time.

 

 

Summer Firecracker Show