Friday, August 21st

Summer Sounds @ Belvedere Square
6pm-9pm Featuring The Remainders (classic rock) Enjoy gourmet food and drinks from the restaurants and market at Belvedere Square all while listening to the sounds of summer from some of Baltimore’s hottest bands!

* Due to rainouts this season, Summer Sounds at the Square has been extended to Friday, September 18th.

Note: New Summer Retail Hours through September 5, 2009 Participating retail stores are open until 8:00 pm on Thursdays and Saturdays!

A Tribute to Michael Jackson (Continued)
Held Over By Popular Demand through Thursday, August 27th

From the very second Michael Jackson "ejects" on to stage, there is a sense of awe when this spectacular live concert is experienced on the big screen at The Senator accompanied by cranked up state of the art sound. What follows is an absolutely staggering performance of live song and dance like no other artist. The energy Michael generates within his dance moves is electric throughout the two hour concert. Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience "The King of Pop" in his prime in 1992, Live From Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour. It's unforgettable!

Showtime Information: Nightly through Thursday, August 20th at 7:15pm. On Friday and Saturday evenings we also offer a 9:30pm late show. Admission: $5

Saturday, August 22nd

Huber Memorial’s Annual Church Picnic: 11am-4pm
Located at the site of the former Ramblewood Apartments…the “future home of the Huber Memorial Church”

Tuesday, August 25th

Organizing Community Events: 6:30pm @ Greater Homewood Community Corporation, 3503 N. Charles Street
Ever wonder how to throw a great community event? Want to be more involved in your neighborhood? Hesitant, to plan an event fearing that no one will attend? If these are questions you think about, then this is the workshop for you! Many community events are always in the minds of Baltimore city neighborhoods! Join us to discuss the planning, organizing, and launch of community events! Presented by Olga Maltseva- Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Leslie Wietscher- Evesham Park Neighborhood Association and Regina Boyce - Waverly Improvement Association.

Pajama Jam Story Time at the Pratt: 4pm
Govans Branch - Pratt Library, 5714 Bellona Avenue
Come to the library to jam in your pajamas with stories, dancing and crafts!

Wednesday, August 26th

Kid Time at the Pratt: 11am-12noon Govans Branch - Pratt Library, 5714 Bellona Avenue

Mother Goose on the Loose @ 11 am An interactive nursery rhyme program with music and movement for children up to age three and their caregiver.

Preschool Storytime @ 11:30 am Stories, songs and fun for preschoolers The Pratt @ Govans offers Kid Time every Wednesday morning

Chapter by Chapter - Cover to Cover
4pm Northwood Branch - Pratt Library, 4420 Loch Raven Boulevard
Listen to great books or take a turn reading aloud to the crowd.

The Pratt @ Govans offers Kid Time every Wednesday morning

 

Thursday, August 20th

Kid Time at the Pratt
10:30am-12:30pm Northwood Branch - Pratt Library, 4420 Loch Raven Boulevard

Mother Goose on the Loose @ 10:30am An interactive nursery rhyme program with music and movement for children up to age three and their caregiver.

Preschool Storytime @ 11:30 am Stories, songs and fun for preschoolers The Pratt @ Northwood offers Kid Time every Thursday morning

Tuesday, August 25th

Pajama Jam Story Time at the Pratt
4pm Govans Branch - Pratt Library, 5714 Bellona Avenue

Come to the library to jam in your pajamas with stories, dancing and crafts!

Wednesday, August 26th

AFYA Charter School Presentation for St. Mary’s, Govans
7:30pm The organizers of the existing AFYA public charter school in Belair-Edison are interested in opening a second school in the former St. Mary’s parish school on York Road. Please come to St. Mary’s Church Hall (5502 York Road - entrance behind the church off of Tunbridge) on Wednesday the 26th at 7:30pm for a community-wide presentation by the organizers, hosted by the York Road Partnership. For more information, email my office at bill.henry@baltimorecity.gov or call us at 410-396-4830. This proposal cannot move forward without community support!

Thursday, August 27th

AFYA Charter School Presentation for St. Mary’s, Govans
7:30pm The organizers of the existing AFYA public charter school in Belair-Edison are interested in opening a second school in the former St. Mary’s parish school on York Road. Please come to St. Mary’s Church Hall (5502 York Road - entrance behind the church off of Tunbridge) on Wednesday th

Kid Time at the Pratt: 10:30am-12:30pm
Northwood Branch - Pratt Library, 4420 Loch Raven Boulevard
Mother Goose on the Loose @ 10:30am
An interactive nursery rhyme program with music and movement for children up to age three and their caregiver.
Preschool Storytime @ 11:30 am
Stories, songs and fun for preschoolers
The Pratt @ Northwood offers Kid Time every Thursday morning

Mark your calendars now for next month...

SEPT 1: Renaissance Institute Open House: 9:30am to 11:30am College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Fourier Hall Renaissance Institute will hold an open house for prospective members on Tuesday, September 1. Renaissance Institute is a peer-taught program for those who have reached the age of 50. The institute offers two 13-week semesters of noncredit courses on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The classes, with at least 55 or more offerings each semester, are designed and led by members. Recent class topics include literature, public affairs, writing, history, philosophy, music, art, languages, film, science, computers and acting. To register to attend the open house, call 410-532-5351.

SEPT 2: The York Road Partnership: 7:15pm “Serving the Communities along the York Road Corridor” St Mary’s Church Hall, 5502 York Road (entrance behind the church) The YRP meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:15 pm

SEPT 19: Chinquapin Park Improvement Association's Community Fair
5900 Northwood Drive, from 10am to 6pm Register NOW to reserve your table or booth! Please call Carolyn Matthews @ 410 323-9172 or Shirley Goodman @ 410 435-3585 Watch for more details in upcoming calendars

SEPT 20: Govans Presbyterian Church’s International Day of Peace 5828 York Road “We have some music and an artist and some organizations are setting up tables -- love to have any neighborhood groups join us.” ---Hannah Pickworth (peacestudycenter@comcast.net)

SEPT 26: Kenilworth Park Neighborhood Association Annual Flea Market:
9am-2pm Located on the corner of The Alameda & Springfield Avenue. $15 per space-bring your own table. Raindate: Oct 3. For more information please call: Mrs. White @ 410 323-8794 or Mrs. Garrett @ 410 323-6285.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Speed Cameras

At our August 10th meeting, the City Council passed legislation authorizing the Department of Transportation to erect and operate speed cameras within half-a-mile of schools and work zones. If your neighborhood has speeding problems and you have been unsuccessful in your applications for speed bumps or other physical traffic calming options, please contact our office and we will submit your location as a possible site for speed cameras. The cameras will begin operation on October 1, 2009.

Bellona Traffic Calming

There was a Bellona Avenue traffic calming meeting on the evening of July 23rd at the Govans Library with Randall Scott of the Department of Transportation and several dozen members of the local community. All of the adjacent community associations were notified by email and homes immediately along Bellona were flyered. [Note: This meeting was focused on the traffic calming device at Taplow and Bellona which consisted of a center island and four immediately adjacent bump outs.] At that meeting, the several dozen members of community provided the City with some clear direction on how traffic calming on this stretch of Bellona should be handled going forward:

First, the existing island and bump outs were to be removed. This was the unanimous request of the residents in attendance, knowing that the earliest speed cameras could be installed would be October 1st. Those in attendance made it clear that they wanted the island and bump-outs removed ASAP and the folks at Transportation made it happen.

Second, Transportation will do a speed study to see what the prevailing speed now is, without any physical traffic calming in place.

Third, we may re-convene in September to review other physical calming alternatives, but if Bellona’s traffic volume disqualifies the possibilities discussed that night – such as speed humps or speed tables – we will probably just end up installing speed cameras in October. [Note: My understanding is that a few years back, Transportation rejected speed bumps for Bellona due to the volume of traffic and came up with the island/bump-out combination as a compromise that appears to have made more people unhappy than happy…]

Post-installation of the cameras, Transportation will check back in six to nine months with another speed study to see if the cameras have had enough of an effect. If not, then we’ll have to figure out how to change the rules to allow some other physical traffic calming.

Finally, while there were many people in attendance that evening who also strongly advocated for the removal of the bump outs that function as gateways to that stretch of Bellona - the two at Lortz Lane on the south and the two at Brackenridge on the north - there was nowhere near the clear consensus there had been for the removal of the island. Please contact my office at bill.henry@baltimorecity.gov to let me know what you think about these bump outs.

Live entertainment

Many neighbors have written to me or spoken to me in the last several weeks, worried about Council President Rawlings-Blake’s legislation expanding the zoning districts within which live entertainment would be possible. I share many of their concerns.

The Council President’s bill as originally drafted created a licensing overlay – not dissimilar from the way liquor establishments are regulated – that would have tied the permissions for live entertainment to the operator, not the property. The original bill, which I co-sponsored, also provided for gradations that would distinguish between various levels of live entertainment, allowing communities greater ability to distinguish between proposed live entertainment requests.

Unfortunately, the Council amended the bill at the Council’s meeting on July 13th to remove the licensing provisions, and instead replaced them with additional zoning districts within which bar and restaurant owners could request live entertainment. In our district, most of the York Road corridor would qualify for such requests, as would the Alameda shopping center, the Belvedere Gardens shopping center on Hillen Road, and the Loch Raven shopping center on Northern Parkway.

Mayor Dixon Announces City-Wide Initiative to Remove Abandoned Vehicles Now (RAVN)

Baltimore, MD (August 17, 2009) – Mayor Dixon was joined by Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Al Foxx , Department of Housing and Community Development Commissioner Paul Graziano, and Vehicles for Change President Martin Schwartz to announce an aggressive campaign to remove derelict and abandoned vehicles from the city. “Removal of Abandoned Vehicles Now” (RAVN) is a city wide operation designed to expedite the removal and disposal of abandoned and derelict vehicles.

“Starting today, the city will aggressively look for and remove vehicles abandoned on public or private property,” said Mayor Dixon. “Left in alleys, empty lots and on our streets by irresponsible car-owners, these vehicles are unsightly and hazardous. Removing these hazards and eyesores will make Baltimore’s communities safer and cleaner for the residents.”

Most commonly, an abandoned vehicle is an unlicensed vehicle on public or private property. Citizens are encouraged to call 3-1-1 to report abandoned vehicles in their community.

On a weekly basis code enforcement officers will identify abandoned vehicles. DOT has coordinated with the Baltimore City Police Department to identify areas where vehicles are most frequently abandoned. They will work in traditionally problematic neighborhoods and with the help of tips from citizens. For vehicles on public property, the City will complete the legal process and tow the vehicle within five days. For vehicles on private property, it will take up to 15 days to complete the process and tow the derelict vehicle.

The City is partnering with Vehicles for Change to provide City residents an opportunity to dispose of an unwanted vehicle free of charge. To donate a car to Vehicles for Change, residents can call 1-800-835-3821. Vehicles for Change is a local non-profit whose mission is to help low-income families achieve financial and personal independence by making it possible for them to own a vehicle. More information on Vehicles for Change can be found on their website, www.vehiclesforchange.org

District Office

As many of you already know, I am maintaining a district office up here in North Baltimore. The office is located at 5225 York Road - on the southeast corner of York and Glenwood - in the same building as the Northern District Community Action Center, the People's Health Clinic, and the Northern District Housing Inspections office.

Leslie Wietscher, my community and constituent liaison, works out of the district office, as do my two amazingly-dedicated volunteers: Bill Henry ("senior") and Ron Bailey. The district office is generally open from 10am to 6pm, Monday through Friday, or by appointment on evenings and weekends. You can reach us by phone at 410-396-4830.

And yes...we are still selling recycling bins of both sizes, as well as lids for the large size bins! Large bins are $12, small bins are $5, and lids are $3. Please bring exact change or, preferably, a check :) Sorry…we are currently sold out of the $3 lids.