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Issue #95: December 19, 2008

Dear Friends:

Watch the WBAL TV11 Report: Program Builds Trust Between Teens, Police

I want to tell you about something really cool happening in Leakin Park. We may have just “cracked the code” on one of the more challenging questions we face as a city. What can we do to build trust and positive relationships between neighborhood kids and police? The answer, it turns out, is pretty simple. Outward Bound.

On Wednesday, I joined Deputy Police Commissioner Deborah Owens and Outward Bound officials to launch a new partnership between the Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City Public Schools. At the Outward Bound Center in Leakin Park, 40 police officers and 40 middle school students participated in a one-day program to build trust and lines of communication. Police officers and students worked together in challenging team activities to overcome obstacles while learning about teamwork and leadership as part of the police department's Diamond Training initiative.

It was a great day that I will never forget, because it was so amazing to see how quickly positive relationships develop as part of the structured Outward Bound curriculum. Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center has a rich and proud history as the first urban Outward Bound center in the United States. The outdoor program provides leadership-building and teamwork experiences that last a lifetime.

I'm very excited about this new youth initiative and Police Commissioner Bealefeld's efforts to strengthen relationships between our police officers, public school students and neighborhoods. Through this new partnership, all Baltimore City Police officers will participate alongside a city youth in an Outward Bound program, shift by shift, district by district.

With this approach, our police department is demonstrating a renewed commitment to doing everything possible to protect and serve Baltimore's youth. After seeing this new Outward Bound program in action, I am sure that it will have a significant and positive impact on the lives of so many of our city's young people going forward.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
President, Baltimore City Council

Poly Student Shoots for the Stars in Science Program Geared to Aspiring Scientists

17-year-old Ariel Bowers of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute is juggling class work and homework while preparing for a career in science. Several hours each week, she attends the Space Telescope Science Institute here in Baltimore. Ariel studies areas of the cosmos that have only recently been photographed with modern telescopes. Other achievements for this rising science star include helping to write two successful proposals for time on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Ariel’s preparation for work at the Space Telescope Science Institute was helped by her participation in the highly-recognized Ingenuity Project. Since 1993, this program has been on a mission to prepare highly capable and motivated Baltimore students to achieve at nationally competitive levels in math, science, research and related fields with the expectation that Ingenuity students will graduate from high school, attend college, and ultimately be prepared to become leaders in their chosen professions.

Pigtown Power Kids Program Teaches Students About Eating Healthy and Being Active

Submitted by University of Maryland School of Nursing Students

University of Maryland School of Nursing students provided the Pigtown Power Kids Program for 50 participating students last month at George Washington Elementary School. The young students had the opportunity to learn about their health status and how healthy eating and physical activity are important parts of their day.

At four stations in the Art Room, each child’s height, weight, body mass index and blood pressure was measured, using approved forms from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This information was recorded on a special handout the children took home to review with their parents. They were also provided with a special tool to help them guide their food choices at home, called "Eat a Rainbow and A Cloud." This tool encourages families to eat foods each day from all the colors of the rainbow as well as enough milk and other dairy products (the cloud) to help them remain healthy and to have the energy for all the day’s activities. It is part of an overall effort to reduce childhood overweight and obesity in Pigtown.

Over the past two years, University of Maryland nurses have conducted screenings of children ranging from pre-school to middle school. Studies revealed that more than 40% of Pigtown children are overweight or obese, putting them at great risk for heart disease, diabetes, and many other conditions that have very negative effects on children’s health and can shorten their lifespan. We want healthy kids to have long lives, so the Pigtown Power Kids Program will be provided each year at George Washington Elementary.

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

Baltimore City Fire Department Reminds Everyone to be Aware of "The Silent Killer": Carbon Monoxide

The Baltimore City Fire Department would like to remind everyone to have your home heating appliances serviced by a licensed professional to protect your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Click the link below to learn about carbon monoxide, the danger signs, how to protect your family and other helpful information.

Dangers of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

MTA Offering Special Rail and Bus Services for Presidential Inauguration

The MTA will offer special MARC Train and Commuter Bus services for events surrounding the Martin Luther King Holiday on January 19, 2009 and the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Although it is a federal holiday, on January 19, 2009, the MTA will offer regular MARC Train service on the Penn Line and limited "S" service on the Brunswick and Camden Lines. Commuter Bus shuttle service will be offered from designated park-and-ride locations to Metrorail stations.

On January 20, 2009, all MARC service will operate as reserved trains on special schedules, and tickets must be purchased in advance. Information on the purchase of special Inauguration tickets will follow soon. MARC Train service will operate starting at 5:00am until 9:00 am and will resume service from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm on all three lines (Penn, Camden and Brunswick). Penn Line service will not operate north of Baltimore’s Penn Station. MARC Trains will board passengers from selected stops along all the lines to and from Washington’s Union Station.

On January 20, 2009, Commuter Bus Service will operate shuttles from selected locations between 4:00am until 9:00am and will resume service from 4:00pm until 9:00pm to and from Metrorail stations. For reserved Inauguration Day MARC trains, tickets will go on sale in late December. The MTA advises customers to expect extremely crowded conditions on Inauguration Day, and they should expect to see even tighter conditions as the events conclude. Visit www.mtamaryland.com or call (410) 539-5000 or (866) RIDE-MTA. TTY 410-539-3497.

City Council This Week

No meetings or hearings scheduled.

Community Events

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

December 19-21

The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
 Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. The Moscow Ballet brings one of Tchaikovsky's most famous works to life with dozens of dancers and larger-than-life staging. Tickets $22.50 to $82.50. 410-547-7328 www.lyricoperahouse.com

Saturday, December 20

Casting call for the documentary, "101 Things Every Boy of Color Needs to Know"
Bluford Drew Jemison Academy, 1130 N. Caroline St., 9am-1pm. 100 men of color, 25 and older, with unique and dynamic stories are needed to share their advice on various issues and concerns. Produced by the PRAISE Academy for Boys info@whatblackmenthink.com.

Saturdays With Santa
2pm-4pm, Santa travels the 1500-1800 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue on a fire engine.

Santa Visits Hampden
Dec. 20-21, 11am-5pm, Santa hangs out on the Avenue and Falls Road.

Sunday, December 21

Small Packages: Last Minute Maul
 School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light St., 10am-5pm, Browse sewn and vintage pieces, natural body care products and more made by over 20 local crafters and artists. www.school33.org

Winter Solstice Celebration
First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, Charles and Franklin Streets, 7pm. A seeasonal ritual of songs, poetry, and drama. Food and fellowship will follow. Signed for the hearing impaired. 410-685-2330 or office@firstunitarian.net.

Kwanzaa Family Day at the BMA
Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive, 1pm-5pm, with drumming, storytelling and dances. 443-573-1700. www.artbma.org

Monday, December 22

CHAI Annual Community-Wide Chanukah
 Temple Oheb Shalom front lawn, 7310 Park Heights Ave., 7pm-9pm. Kids fun corner, entertainment, food and more. 410-466-1990.

Free Microsoft Excel Workshop for unemployed persons who want to upgrade their job skills, Maryland New Directions, 611 Park Ave., 10am-3pm. 410-230-0630. Free.

Upcoming/Ongoing

A Kwanzaa Celebration, Dec. 27, The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St., 10 am to 5 pm. The museum celebrates self-determination with live performances, cultural films, and art during its commemoration of Kujichagulia, Kwanzaa's second day of festivities. Admission is $1. 443-263-1800. www.africanamericanculture.org

Baltimore City’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular presented by Ports America, Dec. 31, 9pm-12:30am, Inner Harbor, fireworks, performances and more.

Pet Adoption Fees Reduction, Baltimore Animal & Rescue Shelter (BARCS), through Dec. 31, 301 Stockholm St. Call 410-396-4695 or www.baltimoreanimalshelter.org.

Ethiopian New Year Celebration, Jan. 2, 5pm-8 pm., The Walters Art Museum,
600 N. Charles St., world music, dance performances and the special exhibition, “Portraits Re/Examined: A Dawoud Bey Project.” 410-547-9000.

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.