Better Schools, Safer Streets, Stronger Neighborhoods
Issue #100: January 23, 2009

Dear Friends:

This past week has been a wonderful historic time for our nation and for our great city. Old barriers have been torn down. Change was ushered in. The promise of hope was restored. Baltimore, especially, was blessed to be a significant part of the celebration of the inauguration of our first African American president.

Sun photo- Monica Lopossay

On Saturday, just days before his inauguration, President Barack Obama reminded us of the resilience and determination of the people of our great city. Before a crowd of tens of thousands of Baltimoreans at the War Memorial he delivered this eloquent account: "The White House was in flames, and the British were advancing on Baltimore. That's when the fate of our nation fell to the troops at Fort McHenry. They were a varied lot, these troops: sailors, militiamen, and even a runaway slave. But on one long and rainy night, they beat back the greatest navy that the world has ever known. And when that night was over, they raised a flag in triumph..."

Throughout history, the character of our city has helped us navigate through tough times. Today is no different. Despite the difficult challenges our city faces, we continue working to make progress on the tough issues. I was also inspired by a part of President Obama's inaugural address regarding political discourse, the role of government in our lives, and the sacred duty of public officials.

UPI Photo-Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo/U.S. Air Force

He said, "What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."

Together, we have a shared vision for our city: better schools, safer streets and stronger neighborhoods. For Baltimore, we must continue to evaluate what is working to achieve our shared vision, hold ourselves accountable and measure our progress. I would like to thank the citizens of Baltimore for giving our new president such a warm welcome on Saturday. And, I would like to especially thank all those who joined Monday's parade celebrating the Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. This has truly been a whirlwind week of unforgettable moments that we will cherish for years to come.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council

New Grants Awarded to City Charter Schools

A new security system, plumbing upgrades and a new playground are some of the improvements in store for several Baltimore City Charter Schools. Mayor Sheila Dixon recently announced that nine charter schools have received grants from The Baltimore City Charter School Facility Improvement Grant Program. Mayor Dixon established the fund to help provide financial help for charter schools in the city.

"Our schoolchildren deserve to have everything they need to achieve academic success, even in the toughest economic times," said Mayor Dixon. "Charter schools give parents and teachers greater control over important program offerings, student support and class size."

While 15 City Charter Schools were eligible for grants, 10 applied for funding. Nine grants were awarded. A review panel representing the City and City Schools evaluated the applications and conducted site visits to all 10 schools. This panel made its award recommendations to the Mayor’s Office for approval late last year.

Grant winners:

  • Rosemont Elementary School, $78,019, replace all exterior doors and to install a closed-circuit TV security system
  • The KIPP Ujima Academy, $63,000, replace ceiling tiles, window glass and its main entrance doors.
  • The MATHS School, $65,000, for ceiling tiles, door hardware and other improvements.
  • The Independence School, $64,950, replace lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles and for plumbing upgrades.
  • The Empowerment Academy, $101,000, build a new playground for PK/K students and to upgrade its electrical system to allow installation of air conditioning units.
  • The Bluford Drew Jemison School, $85,000, support renovations to its kitchen and dining areas.
  • Montessori Public Charter School, $110,000, towards a major roof replacement project.
  • The Hampstead Hill Academy, $100,000, towards a major $2.8M renovation project to create a new early learning wing for the school.
  • The Baltimore Freedom Academy, $32,720, for improvements to the gym and auditorium and for new ornamental fencing of the outdoor courtyard.

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, Mayor Dixon has committed $700,000 of City funds to support facility improvements for charter schools located in buildings owned by BCPSS or the City of Baltimore. The grant award limit for any individual school is $200,000. Key application evaluation criteria are need, benefit, leveraging of grant funds with other sources and quality of application.

Send us the good news about your Baltimore City public school!

Do you have an exciting news item on achievements in Baltimore City Public Schools?
Let us know so that we can feature them in the President's SchoolSpot. Call Council President Rawlings-Blake's office at 410-396-4804 or send an e-mail to Marva Williams at marva.williams@baltimorecity.gov

City Council This Week

Monday, January 26

City Council Meeting
5:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
The Council meeting will be broadcast live on TV25.
Draft agenda

Tuesday, January 27

Hearing: Judiciary And Legislative Investigations Committee, James B. Kraft – Chair
10:00 AM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0181 Environmental and Civil Citations - Building Code Notices - Service

10:15 AM
08-0214 Illegal Dumping - Penalties - Enforcement
RESCHEDULED FROM JANUARY 6, 2009

10:30 AM
08-0070R Informational Hearing - Vector Control

Hearing: Budget And Appropriations Committee, Bernard C. “Jack” Young – Chair
4:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
09-0264 Motor Vehicle Fund Capital Appropriation Transfer - Department of Public Works (Account #9958-526-994) to Department of Recreation and Parks (Account #9936-475-755) - $500,000

Voting Session: Budget And Appropriations Committee, Bernard C. “Jack” Young – Chair
4:05 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0078R Fiscal Forecast - Informational Hearing
08-0080R Budget Reconciliation Measures - Out-of-Town Travel for City Employees

Wednesday, January 28

Hearing: Land Use And Transportation Committee, Edward Reisinger – Chair
2:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0223 Zoning - Conditional Use - Amending Ordinance 02-355

2:30 PM
08-0165 Planned Unit Development - Amendment - 1950 East Fayette Street, 1951 East Fayette Street, and 1921-1939 Orleans Street

3:00 PM
08-0215 Planned Unit Development - Westport Waterfront (Corrective)

Hearing: Education Committee, Mary Pat Clarke – Chair
5:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0062R Informational Hearing - Baltimore City Public School System - Anonymous Call Hotline
RESCHEDULED FROM JANUARY 14, 2009
This hearing will be broadcast live on TV25.

5:30 PM
08-0068R Baltimore City Public School Teachers - Gang Related Violence Training
RESCHEDULED FROM JANUARY 14, 2009
This hearing will be broadcast live on TV25.

Thursday, January 29

Hearing: Urban Affairs And Aging Committee, Agnes Welch – Chair
5:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0137 Baltimore City Landmark List - Raffel Building

5:05 PM
08-0170 Baltimore City Landmark List - Four Bay House

5:10 PM
08-0171 Baltimore City Landmark List - Dr. Giering House

5:15 PM
08-0175 Baltimore City Landmark List - Melvin Cade Armory

5:20 PM
08-0177 Baltimore City Landmark List - Harford Commons (William Fuld Company)

Community Events

For a comprehensive listing of events in Baltimore, check the City Council's online events calendar.

Friday, January 23

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week: January 23-February 1, 2009
Enjoy a variety of three-course dinners, in just about any cuisine that strikes your fancy, for only $30.09. Or try three-course lunches at over 85 restaurants for just $20.09. Also this winter, many restaurants will also offer special culinary experiences, such as wine pairings, cooking classes, tasting menus and more. Plus, the savings don't have to stop after dinner. Visit www.Baltimore.org to find loads of deals and discounts good at area attractions, shops, hotels, and, yes, even more restaurants. Visit www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com to view menus and make reservations.

Saturday, January 24

Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial Convention
Westminster Hall, 529 W. Fayette St., 6pm. John Astin pays tribute to Poe. Free. 410-706-2072.

Friends of the Waverly Branch Winter Book Sale
Pratt Library Waverly Branch, 400 E. 33rd St., 10:30am-2pm. 410-396-6053

Free Movie Screening of 4 Little Girls
Enoch Pratt’s Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., 2pm. Featured as part of the Rosa Parks Film Series, to help better understand the impact of this incident on the civil rights movement. 410-396-5430. Free.

Middle School Choice Fair
Dr. Roland N. Patterson Sr. Academy, 4701 Greenspring Ave., 9am-12pm. Learn about and sign up for lotteries for City Schools’ middle schools.

Monday, January 26

There Oughta Be A Law
Enoch Pratt Library/Herring Run Branch-3801 Erdman Ave., 3:30 pm. For ages 6-12. Pass judgment on historical court cases and see if you agree with the judge. Hear silly laws that are still on the books.

Herring Run Park and Watershed Master Plan Community Meeting and Planning Charrette
Archbishop Curley High School - 3701 Sinclair Lane, 6:30pm. The Department of Recreation and Parks, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation, Office of Sustainability, Friends of Herring Run Parks, and Morgan State University, is continuing the master plan process for the Herring Run Park Watershed. We invite you to this meeting to continue to share input and to help guide the future of this important park and its associated watershed. Info: 410-396-0690.
Details on agenda and more info

Tuesday, January 27

What’s Brewing At the Library!
6pm, celebrate National Tea Month by sampling various types and flavors of tea, plus tea trivia, stories, games, and crafts. Registration required. Call 410-396-0996.

Upcoming/Ongoing

RecycleMORE BaltiMORE!

Effective January 2009, Baltimore City residents will be able to recycle more items. New items to be included in curbside single stream recycling: wide-mouth plastic containers used for margarine, yogurt, cottage cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream; empty prescription bottles (lids and caps do not need to be removed); plastic drinking cups; aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans; clean milk and juice cartons.

New items to be taken to the citizen drop-off center and placed in container marked "rigid plastics:" rigid plastics which include milk/soda crates, buckets, laundry baskets, lawn furniture, totes, plastic drums, coolers, flower pots, water bottles, pallets, pet carriers, shelving, closet organizers, empty garbage/recycling bins. Info: 410-396-4511 or
www.baltimorecity.gov/government/dpw/recycle/

Christmas Tree Collection - More Mulching Opportunities This Season

DPW will provide Christmas Tree mulching every Saturday during the month of January 2009 at the Citizen Drop-off Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue from 9am until 4pm.
Please bring your own bags or containers if you would like to scoop up some mulch to take back home and use in your yard or garden. While supplies last, community groups are encouraged to come by during this time to also bag up free mulch for neighborhood gardens.

For residents who cannot bring their trees for mulching, DPW will offer curbside tree
collection. From Friday, January 2, 2009 through Saturday, January 31, 2009, trees should be set out on your second trash collection day, which is Thursday, Friday or Saturday. They should be placed in the same location as your trash and put out no later then 7 am on collection day. Remember to remove all tinsel and ornaments from the trees before they are set out for curbside collection or mulching. Only trees brought to Reedbird Avenue will be mulched. For additional information, please call 311.

Cold Weather Tips: Protect Your Pipes

Pipes and utility meters can freeze when the temperature remains below 25 degrees for extended periods of time. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works offers the following tips to help protect water lines during periods of cold weather:

  • Let a thin stream of cold water run from a basement faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow, about the thickness of a pencil. This water can be caught in a bucket or pail to be recycled later as laundry or dish water.
  • If your pipe is frozen, gently warm it with hot air from a blow dryer at the point where it enters your house.
  • Be sure you know the location of the water shutoff valve in your home. Check it periodically to ensure itworks properly.
  • Periodically monitor your sump pump. A frozen drain pipe could result in a flooded basement.
  • Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your house. Be especially alert if you have had frozen pipes in the past.
  • Keep bottled water on hand.

The Department of Public Works maintains outdoor water lines up to and including the meter. Water lines running from the meter to the house, as well as internal plumbing, are the responsibility of the property owner. For water emergencies in Baltimore City, please call 311. If you are outside the City, but in our service area, please call 410-396-5352.

Discussion on Sustainable Urban Development hosted by Urban Land Institute-Baltimore District Council, Jan. 30, 7:30am-10am, Johns Hopkins Downtown Center, 10 N. Charles St., Mayor Dixon and Edward McMahon, a national expert on sustainability are speaking. Register at 1-800-321-5011.

"The Civil Rights Century: The NAACP at 100," Feb. 6-7, Johns Hopkins University, a 2-day event with a keynote by Kweisi Mfume on Feb. 6, 7pm, Shriver Auditorium; on Feb. 7, 9am-5pm, Charles Commons, an address by historian David Levering Lewis. Info: 410-516-6385. Free.

Free Tax Prep Clinics hosted by The Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service through March 7. 12pm-5pm Wednesdays; 9am-2pm Saturdays. Various city locations. For wage earners making $26,000 or less. Call for an appointment 410-234-8008.

Vendors, volunteers and non-profit organizations are needed for the University of Baltimore’s 2nd Annual Black Heritage Festival, Feb. 14. Information booths, art, music, dance and more are encouraged. Stacie Harris at 443-831-3841

Applications now being accepted for the PNC Bank Neighborhood Grant Program. It provides $220-$1000 in financial aid to qualified neighborhood associations and community based non-profit groups for producing special events that strengthen neighborhoods and engage its residents. Deadline is Feb. 2. 410-752-8632.

Free Day & Evening Adult Basic Education and Literacy Classes, starts Jan. 6, Church of the Redeemed of The Lord Community Outreach Center, 4200 York Rd., 410-433-8878.

Free Job Seeker Classes offered by Enoch Pratt Library’s Herring Run Branch, 3801 Erdman Ave. Classes on job searching, networking, resume writing and interviewing. Begins Jan. 5 and runs throughout January, 6-8 pm. Must pre-register at 410-396-5317.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore’s Foreclosure Prevention Program offers emergency bridge loans to victims of predatory or exotic lending, or homeowners hit with emergencies such as illness or unemployment. Eligible low- to moderate-income homeowners can receive up to $5,000 in deferred loans. 410-327-1200.

Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN), sponsored by Parks and People Foundation, is accepting new members. The CGRN is an annual membership program to support community gardens throughout Baltimore City. It provides community-based groups access to material resources (tool, seeds, plants, mulch, and compost) training opportunities (green space planning, organization, and fundraising), and networking opportunities for sharing skills and experience among community greeners. Sarah Krones 410-448-5663.

Registration is underway for Adult Literacy and ESOL Program Classes offered by the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, 3501 N. Charles St., 410-261-3518.

New Conversations/Conversaciones Nuevas, Enoch Pratt’s Southeast Anchor Library, 3601 Eastern Ave., Tuesdays at 11am. Practice casual conversation for beginning English and Spanish speakers, 410-396-1580.

Food Assistance provided by Project 100, an initiative of the Baltimore City Housing Community Action Partnership and New Psalmist Baptist Church, to help families with food security for 30 days in order to pay down other bills. It’s for residents of 21217, 21216, 21201, 21223, or 21229 who have children and do not receive food stamps or a utility subsidy from Section 8. 410-396-0893

Baltimore City Community College Launches Accelerated Associates Degree Program for Spring 2009. Baltimore City Community College has a new accelerated program for African American males to earn an Associate of Arts degree in one year. The program is entitled the "Quest." Info: 410-462-7745

Open Minds is Creative Alliance's free book-based after school program. New visual and performing arts courses, including mural painting, photography, music production and breakdancing are beginning at Wolfe Street Academy, Hampstead Hill, Collington Square and with EBLO-Mi Segunda Casa at John Ruhrah. Call Karen Summerville at 410-276-1651.

Conserve energy, save money and protect the environment with BGE’s PeakRewards program. If you have central air conditioning or an electric heat pump, you could save up to 15% year round in energy costs. www.bgesmartenergy.com/peakrewards

Power of Parents and Partners in School (P.O.P.S. Program) is a new program to encourage and address the needs of students who are expecting or parenting teens who have dropped out and want to return to school. Developed by the Laurence G. Paquin School. 410-396-9398/9399.

Baltimore Speaks Out! Program, a great opportunity for children ages 11-15 to learn about video/film production. Offered at Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Herring Run branch, 3810 Erdman Ave. 410-338-0947. Free.