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"Investing Where Baltimore Lives" |
July 27, 2007 |
Dear Friends:
People often ask me what I mean by "Investing Where Baltimore Lives." This week provided two perfect examples.
 I was very pleased to join Mayor Dixon on Wednesday as we announced Pennrose Properties as the developer for the long-awaited Uplands Apartments site. This project area in West Baltimore also includes the site of the old Gundry Glass factory, New Psalmist Baptist Church’s site, and a portion of Old Frederick Road known as the "Triangle." The total project area will be over 100 acres, one of the City’s largest in years, and will include more than 1100 newly constructed for-sale and rental units. More details
Bringing this project to fruition has been a lengthy, arduous process, and a labor of love for many of us who serve the citizens of Baltimore. For too long, members of the Uplands community have had to tolerate the blight created by these vacant buildings. This development is great news for them—and great news for the City. With the Uplands developer in place, we are now poised to take advantage of the opportunities of the recent military base realignment, as this investment in quality market-rate housing is an ideal location to attract the anticipated influx of these workers.
Mayor Dixon and I also announced the expansion of Healthy Neighborhoods, Inc. into seven additional Baltimore neighborhoods: Brooklyn/Curtis Bay; Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello; Coppin Heights; Greater Homewood; Cylburn/Levindale; Glen Neighborhood Improvement Association and CHAI, and Edmondson Village.
As I reported to you in my first Roll Call newsletter in March, expanding the Healthy Neighborhoods program was one of my key goals as Council President. The program’s goal is to help strong but undervalued neighborhoods increase home values, market their communities, create high standards for property improvements, and forge strong connections among neighbors. Healthy Neighborhoods is already operating in ten neighborhoods throughout Baltimore, using different investment strategies to improve the local real estate market. In those neighborhoods, housing values have increased, and homes are selling more quickly. By educating potential homeowners prior to a home purchase, they have also succeeded in reducing foreclosures in the partner neighborhoods. Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods, and Healthy Neighborhoods ensures that these communities receive the resources necessary to thrive. By supporting strong but undervalued communities, the City is investing in our future and allowing neighbors to once again feel good about where they live.
The Uplands development and the expansion of the Healthy Neighborhoods initiative are hopeful signs of progress that should give us all reason to believe that a healthier, more prosperous Baltimore is in our future. Together with the help of many conscientious citizens, we are moving our City forward by investing where Baltimore lives.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council
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President's CitySpot
Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter Steps Up Adoption Efforts
The number of animals collected by the Baltimore City Bureau of Animal Control and the number of animals sent out for adoption have both greatly increased in the last two years. Increased animal adoptions are the work of the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. better known as BARCS. BARCS is a non-profit organization created in 2005 to work in conjunction with the Bureau of Animal Control. Together their mission is to protect animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation, to advocate for animal interests and welfare, and to inspire awareness and compassion for all living things.
Animals picked up by the Bureau of Animal Control are taken to the BARCS shelter at 301 Stockholm St. The staff and volunteers work to return lost animals to their owners and to find new homes for animals that have no home. Animals too sick to be placed for adoption and animals that are unwanted are euthanized. Robert Anderson, supervisor of the Bureau of Animal Control, estimates that there are 375,000 cats and dogs in the city of Baltimore, and he would like to see fewer animals euthanized. Anderson says the number of unwanted animals would be greatly reduced if most cats and dogs were spayed or neutered. The cost of spaying and neutering cats and dogs ranges from $20 to $40.
To learn more on how you can help BARCS and to see more pets available for adoption, call 410-396-4695 or visit their website at www.baltimoreanimalshelter.org.
President's CitySpot
Have an interesting news item on achievements
in Baltimore's neighborhoods?
Let us know so that we can feature them in the President's CitySpot. Call Council President Rawlings-Blake's office at 410-396-4804 or send an e-mail to Marva Williams at mwilliams@baltimorecitycouncil.com.
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Community Events
Friday, July 27
Summer Sounds at the Square
Belvedere Square, 6-9 pm
Free outdoor concerts every Friday
Featuring: The Voodudes
Details at www.belvederesquare.com
Little Italy Friday Night Outdoor Movies
High and Stiles Streets, 9:00pm
Featuring: American Graffiti PG 110 min
Saturday, July 28
Station North Flea Market
12pm – 5pm
Station North Arts and Entertainment District
Charles St. and North Ave.
Details at www.stationnorth.org
SalsaPolkaPalooza
Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave.
11am-4pm
Creative Alliance’s big block party shows off the great music, dance, and art of Highlandtown’s immigrant cultures. Take a dance lesson. Listen to top-notch live salsa, polka and Caribbean music, trying your steps out on a real dance floor - outside! Kids create beautiful arts projects - lining the street with a filigree of cut paper, learning "arte en estambre," the yarn art of the Mexican Huichol culture. Inside the theater presents folk dance performances.
Details at www.creativealliance.org
A Taste of Charm City: Wine, Food, Art and Jazz Benefit For The Baltimore City Cancer Program
Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute & Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St.
8pm
Tickets $35 443-831-5824
July 28-29
Baltimore International Festival
noon-9 p.m. daily
Poly/Western High School parking lot, Falls Road and W. Cold Spring Lane
Celebrate Baltimore's cultural diversity with music, dancing and a variety of ethnic foods, and a two-day international soccer competition. Info: 410-396-3141
Fluid Movement Presents the 6th Annual Synchronized Swimming Extravaganza -
WAR AND FLEAS!
Saturday and Sunday shows at 5 and 7 pm
Patterson Park pool, 148 S. Linwood Ave.
See Tolstoy's classic novel presented in a glorious water ballet spectacle of Canine Courage and Squirrelly Subterfuge! Behold the Politics of the Dog Park as you've never seen it before!
For ticket information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/17212
Baltimore Restaurant Week: July 30-August 5, 2007
The most delicious week of the summer. Enjoy a great three-course dinner from special Restaurant Week menus for just 30.07. Take advantage of discounted $3 parking rates at Baltimore City garages too. For an up-to-date list of participating restaurants and menus, visit www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com
Monday, July 30
Baltimore City Recreation and Parks
Summer Concert Series
7 pm - 8:30 pm,
Cherry Hill Shopping Center
Performing - Corinthia Cromwell & the Evolution Band
Tuesday, July 31
Pepsi Jazz in Center Court
Mondawmin Mall, 2401 Liberty Heights Avenue, 6-8 pm
Featuring - Lafayette Gilchrist - Jazz
The Year of The Woman Luncheon
hosted by Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce
Engineers Club of Baltimore, 11 W. Mount Vernon Place
11 am - 2 pm
Details at www.baltimorecitychamber.org
Wednesday, August 1
Baltimore City Recreation and Parks
Summer Concert Series
7 pm - 8:30 pm,
600 W. Conway St.
Performing- Baltimore's Big Band
Thursday, August 2
Flicks from the Hill: Outdoor Film Series
Hughes Family Outdoor Movie Theater:
American Visionary Arts Museum
800 Key Highway,9pm Info: 410-244-1900
Featuring: The Freshman, PG, 102 min
Upcoming
Virgin Festival
August 4-5, Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Avenue
Colossal 2-day rock concert featuring over 30 bands including The Police, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Bad Brains, Velvet Revolver, Modest Mouse, Ben Harper, Wu Tang Clan, Amy Winehouse, Matisyahu and more.
Details at www.virginfestival.com
Baltimore Paetec Jazz Festival
August 9-11
20 Free concerts for the Baltimore Paetec Jazz Festival to be held at Bond Street Wharf Landing (Thames & Bond Sts.), Harbor Pointe (900 S. Caroline St.) and Power Plant Live! Details at www.paetecjazz.com
Art in the Park
Sponsored by the Mill Valley Cultural Arts Umbrella
August 11 Roosevelt Park, Falls Road and 36th Street
9 am - 2pm
Naija Fest Nigerian Festival
August 11-12, Patterson Park
Details at www.nyamaryland.org 443-570-6947
Art on the Gwynns Falls Trail Photo Safari Contest and Picnic
August 12, Winans Meadow, Leakin Park
sponsored by GreenCityBaltimore/Gwynns Falls Trail Council
Details at www.gwynnsfallstrail.org/calendar.htm
Hot August Blues Festival
August 18, Oregon Ridge Park, Cockeysville, MD
Details at www.hotaugustblues.com
Pow-Wow Native American Festival
August 24-26, Patterson Park
Details at www.baic.org 410-675-3535
Ukrainian Festival
September 8-9, Patterson Park
410-687-3465
Korean American Festival
September 22, War Memorial Plaza 410-625-2442
Russian Festival
October 19-21, Holy
Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, 1723 E. Fairmount
Ave.
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