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August 2007
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. We are now leading into the fall elections for mayor and city council. We have a good opportunity this month to meet and discuss issues with the people who are seeking your support. The primary elections are on September 11th, 2007 and the general election is on November 6th, 2007. Many candidates have contacted me about coming to our meeting this month. I have tried to invite as many as possible. So far Sheila Dixon (mayor), Michael Sarbanes (president of city council) and Jim Kraft (city council) will be attending. There may be others. I am very pleased with the overall enthusiastic response that I received about the trash articles last month. Let’s keep up the momentum. For those who have requested trash information in Spanish please send an email to bhamember@gmail.com to have a flier dropped off to your neighbors who need them. I hope everyone is enjoying the free summer concerts near the Pagoda. It is a treasure that few neighborhoods have. See the schedule on page 4. —Richard Hackett REGISTER TO VOTE DEADLINE: AUGUST 21 The last day to register to vote for the 2007 Baltimore City Primary Election is Tuesday, August 21, 2007. The Primary Election is on Tuesday, September 11, 2007. http://www.elections.state.md.us/ * ROW HOUSE DECK MANNERS * Keep your neighbors in mind!
GARDEN MAINTENANCE TIPS
Content provided by the National Gardening Association ( www.garden.org ) SET OUT YARD WASTE ON SECOND COLLECTION DAY Many citizens dispose of grass, leaves, and branches by putting these out with their regular trash immediately following the weekend. The result of this is that on the first trash collection day of the week, city crews collect considerably more material than they pick up on the second collection day. This is inefficient and slows down the collection times. To better serve our citizens and allow for the more efficient collection of both trash and yard waste, Baltimore City Public Works Director George L. Winfield asked that yard waste be placed out with your regular trash on your 2nd trash collection day of the week (Thursday or Friday for Butchers Hill). Citizens are reminded that no more than four 30-gallon containers of trash should be set out each time. For addition information consult the DPW calendar or call 311. FOR DPW PRESS RELEASES: www.BaltimoreCity.gov BHA COMMITTEES AND MONTHLY MEETINGS
§ AUGUST BUTCHERS HILL GENERAL MEETING, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1ST § REMEMBERING GUS
Everyone who knew him would agree that Walter "Gus" Hansen, who passed away suddenly on July 1st, was one of a kind—an ever-welcoming figure who often seemed larger than life. Gus counted neighborhood old-timers and newcomers alike as his friends. He was a truly a bridge between the past and the present—he had rubbed shoulders with the movers-and-shakers of the Baltimore of a bygone era, while making more recent neighbors feel equally at home (and boy, could he cook!). If Gus was in his backyard, you couldn't get down Duncan Street without stopping in to see the delightful garden which he cultivated in the same spot as his grandmother's garden from years past. He especially liked to point out the dianthus "Helen" alongside a white peony "Charlie," planted in honor of his mother and father. Gus, born on Broadway, lived much of his life in the house on Collington Avenue that had belonged to his grandmother since 1934. According to an article on Gus written for an earlier issue of this newsletter, "His mother, Helen, was a seamstress who volunteered many hours at Baltimore’s hospitals . . .. Charles, his father, was a seaman who played a major role in organizing the nation’s shipyards in the labor movement. Gus recalled how in 1934-35, the National Maritime Union “sprung into action” in his kitchen. His family welcomed seamen who came to Baltimore’s port, renting them a room and playing games of cards in the basement. They also opened the house for elections back when houses were used for voting." "When the U.S. joined the war in 1941, patriotism was strong in the neighborhood. Gus remembered kids collecting scrap metal and piling as high as a second floor window at the corner of Duncan and Lombard. As a teenager in the 1940s, Gus lived for dances at the Catholic Youth Organization. In 1950 he was drafted into the Army Signal Corps. Four years later he returned to Baltimore and began learning the ropes as a tile setter in the shipyard. He worked for various tile works until he won an award from the Building Congress of Baltimore for his work on Towson Town Mall. After that, his phone rang off the hook with offers for several years and he formed his own company, Hansen Tile and Marble." "Gus eventually returned to the family home on Collington Avenue to care for his mother, Helen. He took care of her for ten years, until her passing. His home is a celebration of the Hansen Family. A photo wall traces the family history. Another wall honors the union organizing work of Charles and the volunteerism of Helen. Still another wall showcases the work of Hansen Tile and Marble (tile work in the kitchen and bathrooms demonstrates the talent of this award-winning tile setter). On the wall in the dining room hangs a portrait of Pope John Paul II, who Gus admired for all he did to promote peace in the world. Quoting Gus, ‘The last thing in my prayer every day is for peace, for once and for all.’” Gus is buried at the Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church Cemetery on German Hill Road. —Steve Young, with edited excerpts from an article written for the August 2001 issue of this newsletter by David and Kelly LaFlamme. A tribute to Gus by Michael Olesker can be found at: www.examiner.com/printa-812714~The_beat_of_a_huge_heart_sadly_silenced.html. COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD Flea Market Committee Report Education Committee: There are new principals at both the Charter School and School 27 within the last week. Members of the committee will be meeting each of them shortly to determine the best way to support their endeavors. Our thank you breakfast for the teachers and Butchers Hill members who support them is tentatively set for Friday, August 24th. The next committee meeting is Tuesday, August 7 at 7 pm at Tori Simms, 232 So. Patterson Park Ave. 410-675-4948. CURB YOUR DOG! In an urban area the curb/gutter is the appropriate place to guide your dog when "nature calls". Public urination is illegal because mammal urine (human, dog, rat) breeds disease and causes lingering odors as well as killing plant life. Owners are responsible for any damage their pets cause as a result of urination and are expected to slosh water over areas to prevent disease/odor. Children play and families socialize on the sidewalks adjacent to their homes. Help make our community a place decent people want to live by being a caring, considerate neighbor - curb and 'clean after' your pet, they can't do it themselves. POWER OVER MOSQUITOES 1) At least once or twice a week, empty all standing water from flowerpots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, pools, bottles, buckets, barrels, cans, clogged rain gutters and old tires. As little as a bottle cap of water can produce mosquitoes. 2) Use Bacillus larvicide in water every two weeks. Quick Kill Mosquito Bits or donut shaped Dunks for ponds may be applied to areas used by humans, fish, pets, wildlife. Available at Myer Seed on Fleet Street and other garden shops. ~ AUGUST IN PATTERSON PARK~ The PAGODA is open to the public every Sunday 12-6pm, and during special events. www.pattersonpark.com Free Mercy Music in Patterson Park Concert Series
August 11-12 Nigerian festival www.nyamaryland.org GOOD/BAD NEWS, THANKS AND LESSONS LEARNED The good news is that many folks read the Newsletter and recycle paper! The bad news is the same. The July Newsletter was in error, publishing the wrong dates for paper recycling pickup. Volunteers: Sandy and Steve, distributed notices and picked up paper put out Friday and Saturday, and took six loads to the recycling centers. THANKS TO ALL WHO TOOK THEIR PAPER BACK IN TO BE PUT OUT ON THE CORRECT DATES!! We do truly have great neighbors. The editor apologizes, and will be much more careful about such dates in the future. The lessons learned were many, including STUFF THAT SHOULDN’T BE MIXED WITH PAPER: NO PLASTIC (bags, magazine envelopes, bubble wrap, paper envelopes lines with plastic), no bags/boxes lined with aluminum (pet food bags), NO STYROFOAM (no matter how thin), NO WOOD (usually with Styrofoam as protection), NO PIZZA BOXES (the food & grease cause havoc in the recycling process), NO METAL, and lastly, BOXES SHOULD BE FLATTENED TO 4’ SIZE – so it can fit in the rear of a trash truck. Thanks also to all that called with their concerns and suggestions – that is the kind of input that makes a community association effective! NEIGHBORS NIGHT OUT Zach Sowers was mugged and savagely beaten 10 feet from his house on the other side of Patterson Park -- and is still in a coma. His wife, Anna, has been in the news lately, speaking out against neighborhood violence. In response, friends of Zach and Anna are planning a benefit "Neighbors Night Out," Sunday August 5th, 2 - 8pm. As of this writing, 16 bars and eateries in Canton, Fells Point, and Federal Hill are donating a share of their profits to help defray the cost of Zach's lengthy recovery. For more information, including a list of the participating restaurants, see below: About Zach: http://www.zachsowers.com About Neighbor's Night Out and the participating restaurants: http://www.zachsowers.com/neighbors-night-out.php The League of Women Voters Candidates’ Forum for City Council District 1 will be held at the new Highlandtown Library on Eastern Avenue and Conkling Streets, on Thursday, August 16 from 6:15pm to 7:45 pm. Come meet your candidates and see the new library! ~LITTLE ITALY OPEN-AIR FILM FESTIVAL~ 9pm Friday evenings at the intersection of High and Stiles Street. Screenings are free. Bring family and lawn chairs.
August 3 “FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION” RESTAURANT WEEK 2007
80 restaurants 3-course dinner for $30.07. For more information www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com COMMUNITY DUMPSTER, Thursday, Aug. 16th, 100 block No. Collington For neighborhood residents only. No building materials, refrigerators, water heaters, washers, dryers, stoves, batteries, wet paint, automotive parts (including tires and rims), or hazardous materials. The dumpster generally arrives around 10 AM and leaves around 2 PM. Please fill from the back.
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AUGUST OF WIND PLEASE....
