Better Schools, Safer Streets, Stronger Neighborhoods
Issue #101: January 30, 2009

Dear Friends:

Are you tired of seeing this? This week, I continued pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of Baltimore City's illegal dumping ordinance. The bill is part of a package of measures intended to improve quality-of-life and strengthen Baltimore's neighborhoods. The legislation provides for stiffer penalties for illegal dumping and creates an illegal dumping hotline with potential cash rewards for citizens who report violations. We need new innovative ideas to get citizens engaged in the fight to end this destructive criminal behavior.

The legislation, as proposed, forces criminal violators to be subject to community service penalties in addition to fines or jail time. The Baltimore Sun's Jean Marbella noted yesterday that the community service provision of the bill could potentially require "convicted slobs to put in some hours cleaning up the streets." That is correct: up to 200 hours to be exact. The measure also mandates that all city contracts contain an illegal dumping clause, where, if violated, a contractor doing business with the city will be considered to be in breach of contract. Contractors who dump debris in our neighborhoods should never be rewarded by continuing to get the City’s business, period.

Of course, the illegal dumping bill is in the early stages of the legislative process. I look forward to working with colleagues and city agency heads to move forward with the actions outlined in the legislation, namely:

  • Engaging our citizens in the fight to stop illegal dumping,
  • Adding new tough penalties for violators, and;
  • Requiring zero tolerance for city contractors that dump illegally.

During the illegal dumping hearing, some additional details emerged regarding Mayor Dixon's proposal to create a "One Plus One" service for mixed refuse and recycling collection. Currently, mixed refuse collection occurs twice weekly and recycling collection occurs twice monthly per address. Under the new proposal, mixed refuse and recycling collection would each occur once weekly per address, hence, "One Plus One." The Department of Public Works has provided an informal briefing on the proposal to members of the City Council and to the media, but the proposal has not yet been formally introduced to the City Council for consideration.

Rest assured that when the proposal is formally introduced, members of the City Council will ask questions and make independent determinations about whether or not this program is right for Baltimore. Most importantly, I want to do everything that I can to make sure that your questions are answered as part of the legislative process. If you have questions, comments, or concerns about Mayor Dixon's proposal, please submit them to me via e-mail at CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov. I very much rely on your input to make sure that city government is responsive to the citizens of Baltimore. Once the refuse and recycling collection bill is introduced to the City Council, it will be assigned to a committee for a public hearing. Please visit www.baltimorecitycouncil.com or contact my office directly to check for updates on the status of the legislation.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council

It’s All About Business for City Schools’ Future Entrepreneurs

Submitted by Katie Schroeder, NFTE Baltimore Program Assistant & Business Development Associate

The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) recently announced the winners of Baltimore’s City-Wide Business Plan Competition for high school students. The competition was held last week at the University of Baltimore’s Thumel Business Center. NFTE’s mission is to provide entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities.

NFTE Top Winners

1st Place ($1,000)
Keenen Geter, KWG Web Design
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
KWG Web Design is a web design business that will satisfy small businesses in need of a website to reach out to their consumers, as well as people who want a website for their own personal use.

2nd Place ($500)
Diamond Powell, Taste Cafe Snack Bar
Forest Park High School
Taste Café Snack Bar is a snack bar that serves healthy lunches and snacks. Diamond also knows that many of her customers will want to finish their healthy meal with a treat so she will make sure to serve the right amount of treats to satisfy the sweet tooth.

3rd Place ($250)
Brittney Strickland, Academic Kid
Institute of Business & Entrepreneurship
Academic Kid is a language arts tutoring service for children in elementary school. Brittney believes that by working with teachers to design her own tutoring service and using programs and software that schools use, she will be able to maximize students learning potential.

NFTE Stars included ($100):

Koreah Smith & T.J. Hammond, KC Lotion
Southside Academy
KC is a lotion company. This partnership makes their products from natural ingredients and they come in many different sizes and offer the possibility of gift sets.

Joyce Whitfield, Bears of Many Talents Babysitting
Reginald F. Lewis High School
Joyce runs a babysitting business that caters to working parents or guardians of children with special needs. Since Joyce has experience with children who have special needs, she is taking babysitting to a new level and branching out to parents who have children that fall under this population, along with anyone else looking for her services.

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

Tuesday, February 3

Hearing: Judiciary And Legislative Investigations Committee, James B. Kraft – Chair
10:00 AM
08-0222 City Streets - Naming an Unnamed Alley Gascony Lane

10:15 AM
08-0217 City Property - Renaming 2 Schools - Woodbourne Center #372 and Central Career Center at Briscoe #451 to New Hope Academy #345

10:30 AM
08-0232 Charge Cards - Protection of Account Number

Wednesday, February 4

Hearing: Executive Appointments Committee, Robert Curran – Chair
10:30 AM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
EA09-0158 Wilhelmina Burford, Member - Mayor's Commission on Disabilities - 8th District
EA09-0159 Mark Huslage, Member - Mayor's Commission on Disabilities - 4th District
EA09-0160 Pierce Flanigan, IV, Member - Parking Authority Board - 10th District

Hearing: Land Use And Transportation Committee, Edward Reisinger – Chair
2:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0188 Zoning - Conditional Use Banquet Hall - 1702 West Pratt Street

2:15 PM
08-0206 Planned Unit Development - Designation - Sinai Hospital-Levindale

Hearing: Labor Subcommittee, Robert Curran – Chair
5:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0083R In Support of B-More United
This hearing will be broadcast live on TV25.

Thursday, February 5

Hearing: Taxation, Finance And Economic Development Committee, William Cole – Acting Chair
10:00 AM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0219 Waterfront Management District - Supplemental Tax

10:30 AM
08-0071R Parking Authority of Baltimore City - Advertising Revenue

11:00 AM
08-0199 Sale of Property - Portion of the Former Bed of Callendar Street

11:15 AM
08-0201 Sale of Property - Portion of the Former Bed of Baltimore Street

4:00 PM
Hearing: Education Committee, Mary Pat Clarke – Chair
LO09-0028 Roundtable Discussion - Breakfast in Baltimore Schools

Community Events

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

Friday, January 30

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

Last weekend of Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week
Through February 1st. 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. Visit www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com to view menus and make reservations.

January 31 - February 1

African Film Festival National Traveling Series
Baltimore Museum of Art, Charles & 31st St., 1pm-5:30pm. Films including Heartlines (South Africa), Awaiting for Men (Senegal), Le Clandestin (Zaire) and Meteni (Ethiopia). Free. 443-573-1700 www.artbma.org

Saturday, January 31

Voices Against Violence Rally
War Memorial Plaza, 12pm-1pm. Join the NAACP Baltimore City Branch, the African American Democratic Club, elected officials and all concerned people at this rally. 410-669-8683. pbsdsc124@verizon.net

Homebuyer Workshop hosted by Sandtown-Winchester Resident Action Committee
Enoch Pratt Library/Pennsylvania Avenue Branch, 1531 W. North Ave., 2-4pm. Pre-register at 410-685-0004.

Chinese New Year Celebration
Johns Hopkins University, Shriver Hall on the Homewood Campus, 7:30 pm. Comedy, original dances by Hopkins Chinese students, and traditional performances. Free. www.hopkinscssa.org.

Monday, February 2

Special Screening & Dessert Reception of "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story"
Johns Hopkins Medical Campus Turner Auditorium, 6:30pm. Benefits the Carson Scholars Fund, $ www.carsonscholars.org 410-828-1005.

PNC Bank Neighborhood Grant Program Application deadline February 2nd. 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. 410-752-8632.

Black History Month Celebration at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Feb. 6, 5-9pm, featuring an art exhibit from Heritage High School students; Lesole’s Dance Project from South African Culture, oratorical performances from Urban Leadership Institute students and more. Special pricing. 410-659-4200.

Mayor Sheila Dixon’s 2nd Annual Black History Month Celebration, Feb. 7, 2pm-6pm, War Memorial Building, 101 N. Gay St. Keynote speech by Bill Cosby, student talent show, step show, vendors, Kinderman, Sankofa Dance Theatre and more. Free and reduced parking at Baltimore Street garage.

Enoch Pratt’s Booklovers’ Breakfast, Feb. 7, 8:30am-noon, featuring Poet Nikki Giovanni and musician-author James McBride, Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna St. 410-396-5494. $40.

The Pulse of Africa, Feb.7, 2pm, The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. it’s a celebration featuring West African music, dance and folklore with musicians playing traditional instruments and dancers performing in masquerade and on stilts. 410-547-9000. www.thewalters.org

Family Day-African-American History Month, Feb. 8, 1pm-5pm, BMA, N. Charles & 31st St., a celebration of Art with storytelling, art masking and hip-hop and Afrofusion dance and music. Free. 443-573-1700 artbma.org

Author Lecture with political observer and culture critic Jabari Asim, who discusses his new book, What Obama Means, Feb. 9, 6:30pm, Enoch Pratt Central Library, Poe Room.

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/

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.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2009, Feb. 6, 3-7pm, Mondawmin Mall. Free health screenings, health and wellness info, giveaways and more. 410-728-6642.

"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.

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.

Winterfest 2009-"A Celebration of Diversity," Feb. 15, 2-5pm Northwestern Senior High School, 6900 Park Heights Ave., a family event with music, arts and crafts, sports, home classes and more. Free. 410-365-3792.

Registration is underway for 2009 Northwood Baseball League. Every Wednesday 6:30-8:30pm & every Saturday 11:30am-2:30pm, Morgan State University’s Montebello Complex, Room 124, 2201 Argonne Dr. 410-444-4872.

Registration is underway for Spring 2009 Forest Park Neighborhood Football League, for youth players, 5-15, Call Coach Quinton at 443-744-6346 or Coach Curtis at 443-506-9985. fplittleleaguer@aol.com

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.

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.

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.