City Council This Week
Monday, March 23
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, March 24
Hearing: Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee, James B. Kraft – Chair
10:00 AM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0042 Residential Property - Required Disclosures on Sale or Lease
WORK SESSION
10:45 AM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
09-0289 Foreclosure Chattels - Notice of Dispossession
Hearing: Budget and Appropriations Committee, Bernard C. “Jack” Young – Chair
4:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
09-0096R Legislative Oversight - Departments of City Government
The following agencies are scheduled to attend: Dept. of Housing and Community Development; Police Department; Mayor's Office of Employment Development, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.
Wednesday, March 25
Hearing: Land Use and Transportation Committee, Edward Reisinger – Chair
2:00 PM Du Burns Council Chamber, 4th floor, City Hall
08-0194 Parking for Disabled Persons and Helpers - Temporary Disabilities
Community Events
For a comprehensive listing of events in Baltimore,
check the City Council's online events calendar.
Form-Based Zoning Codes: Educational Workshops
As part of the ongoing public outreach for TransForm Baltimore: The Zoning Code Rewrite, the Department of Planning is hosting a series of educational workshops this week to discuss form-based coding in the City's Zoning Code Rewrite. For more information please email laurie.feinberg@baltimorecity.gov, call 410-396-PLAN. or visit the website www.baltimorecity.gov/government/planning
All meetings will have the same content, so please attend whichever date and location is most convenient.
Southwest - March 23rd
6:30-8:00pm
Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church,
4640 Edmondson Avenue
Northeast – March 24th
6:00-7:45 pm
Enoch Pratt Library – Herring Run,
3801 Erdman Avenue
Northwest - March 26th
6:30-8:00pm
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute,
Cold Spring Lane and Falls Road
Enter on Cold Spring Lane
Downtown – March 27th
12 noon-1:30pm
417 East Fayette Street, 8th Floor
Southeast - March 31st
6:30-8:00pm
Hampstead Hill School,
500 South Linwood Avenue
Saturday, March 21
Free Health Symposium
Flex-Ability Pilates Studio, 1 Village Square #159, 10am-2pm. Chat one-on-one with professionals about preventative health, 410-323-3539. Free.
Empowering Leadership Breakfast with Congresswoman Maxine Waters
The Forum, 4210 Primrose Ave., 9-11am. Benefits The Links’ Scholarship Program. $30. Charlene Cooper Boston 410-465-6652.
Harbor Ball 2009
Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Museum, 1417 Thames St., 7pm-midnight. Benefits the Society for the Preservation of Fell's Point and Federal Hill. Enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, a silent auction, live music and more. $75-$85 www.harborball.com
Charm City Community Festival Foundation Fundraiser
Maryland Institute of Art Brown Center Atrium, 9pm-1:30am. Contact Rashidi Scott cccbf@yahoo.com
Sunday, March 22
Free gospel concert by Stellar Award winner Justin Savage
Faith Baptist Church, 833 N. Bond Street, 3pm. Admission is free.
Monday, March 23
Book Signing & Discussion with author Laura Lippman
Barnes & Noble in White Marsh, 7pm. Discussing "Life Sentences."
Tuesday, March 24
Justice for Breakfast: "Leveraging Systemic Reform Through Creative Partnerships"
Brown, Goldstein and Levy, 120 E. Baltimore St., Suite 1700, 8:15am. Reservations requested at 410-625-9409 or peltonj@publicjustice.org
Thursday, March 26
Pro Bono Downs
Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, 6pm-9pm. An annual event to benefit Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Features food, friends, great fun and a model horse racing game. $75 advanced tickets. 443-451-4065. www.mvlslaw.org/races
Upcoming/Ongoing
A Slice of Historic Black Baltimore Exhibition, through March 22 at the Top of the World Observation Level, 401 E. Pratt Street, 27th floor of Baltimore’s World Trade Center.
Play for Praise Celebrity Basketball Tournament, March 28, The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center, 1100 E. Fayette St., 12pm-5pm. Appearance by the Baltimore Ravens, proceeds benefit the Praise Academy. www.paulrobesonacademy.org
Scrabble Fundraiser for Literacy, March 28, The Calvert School, 4300 N. Charles St., 5pm. Proceeds benefit the Adult Literacy and ESOL program at the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC). Games offered at both competitive and social levels. Pre-registration $20-$30. 410-261-3520.
The International Bridal Expo, March 29, Pier V Hotel, 711 Eastern Avenue, 11am-5pm. Free, but you must pre-register. www.internationalbridalexpo.com
2009 Job Fair presented by Congressman Elijah Cummings, March 30, Fifth Regiment Armory, 19 Division Street. 9am-3pm, 410-685-9199.
City Living Rental Tour, April 4. Explore Baltimore’s rental community first hand with local city residents and experts as your tour guide and participants can be eligible for special discounts on their rent if they sign with a featured property. Free, but pre-register at www.livebaltimore.com/events/citylivingrentaltour for more information.
City of Baltimore Procurement and Outreach Fair, April 6, 8:00 am–12:00 noon, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 1400 W. Cold Spring Lane. The fair is an opportunity for businesses to network with City, State and Federal quasi-public government agencies and corporate companies to increase procurement opportunities with the City of Baltimore. Information: 410-396-3818.
Baltimore Franchise Opportunities Seminar for Women and Minorities: How to Be in Business for Yourself, But not By Yourself, April 18, 9:00 am–1:00 pm, War Memorial Building, Memorial Hall, 101 N. Gay Street. The seminar will promote minority-owned and women-owned business opportunities in franchising, attract attention to the need for franchisees in the minority business community and provide information to those who wish to become franchisees. More information here. Space is limited, so call 443-451-7160 or register online at www.sbrcbaltimore.com
Nominations are underway for the Sustainers' Service Award, presented by the Junior League of Baltimore. The award is a $1000 scholarship to be given annually to a female graduating senior who has performed outstanding volunteer service during her public high school years. For details, contact Any Mia Walsh, 410-427-4821 or brianandmia1@comcast.net. Deadline is April 15, 2009.
Get a Free Orioles Ticket for your birthday. Any fan can get a free ticket to a game during the month of his or her birthday--unless the Orioles are playing the Yankees or Red Sox. Register online at www.orioles.com/birthdays and receive a voucher for a free birthday ticket.
MD HOPE (Home Owners Preserving Equity) State Hotline 1-877-462-7555. For assessment and possible referral to a housing counseling agency or a volunteer attorney for assistance in your foreclosure matter. www.mdhope.org
Artwork is needed for the ARTcetra fundraiser for Coppin State University’s Helen Fuld School of Nursing. Artists are asked to submit 1-2 pieces, including original works, prints, limited editions (w/certificates), photography, sculpture, quilts, handcrafted jewelry & wearable art.
Submit by March 27. Fundraiser is April 25. 410-466-8733 or poncho62@verizon.net.
Volunteers Needed to Help Rebuild the Playground at Stadium Place. The project will take place May 5-10. Also need help with office work, publicity, recruiting volunteers, etc. Contact the Greater Homewood Community Corporation at 443-756-6198 or friendsofourplayground@gmail.com.
Survivors Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) is offering a $1000 scholarship to a graduating Baltimore City public high school senior who has lost an immediate family member to homicide. Deadline is April 3. For details, contact Robin Singletary Haskins at 410-361-9301.
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, 2201 Argonne Drive, Room 124. 410-444-4872.
Registration is underway for Spring 2009 Forest Park Neighborhood Football League for youth players ages 5-15. Call Coach Quinton at 443-744-6346 or Coach Curtis at 443-506-9985. fplittleleaguer@aol.com
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.
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.
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.
That is why this week I introduced a City Council Resolution urging Police Commissioner Bealefeld to 
Last weekend was a winning weekend in basketball for Baltimore City Public Schools. Several schools took to the hoops in championship games and brought home five state championship titles between them. Glowing with 2009 State Titles are Baltimore City College, Digital Harbor High School, Doris M. Johnson High School, Heritage High School and National Academy Foundation.
The winning continued with Digital Harbor/National Academy Foundation High School Rams’ boys and girls teams, who played in their first state tournaments ever on Saturday. They won both the Class 1A boys state championship and the Class 1A girls state title. The boy Rams beat Pocomoke, 75-60, while the Lady Rams beat Surratsville, 50-41. Congratulations to all the coaches and players!