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October 2004 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE It is October, and as always, that means it is time for the annual "artists and fun" BHA general meeting. This year the theme is "the art of streetscape." Renowned sculptor Bill Duffy has assembled a group of artists and professionals to show us examples of how art in public spaces can beautify a neighborhood and enrich our lives. Following the presentations, we will be able to socialize with the artists over snacks and beverages. Great fun! We are still working on the neighborhood standards guidelines for Butchers Hill. I am hoping to hear from more people about what they think should be encouraged and what should be discouraged in development here. Anyone with any input can contact me (dave@viacapital.net) or Virgil Bartram (vbartram@mindspring.com). Any help would be appreciated. COMMUNITY DUMPSTER, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23RD On Friday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 23rd, there will be a community Dumpster in the unit block of South Chester Street. No electronics, hazardous materials, batteries, paint, or appliances. The city usually delivers the dumpster about noon on Friday, and then removes it between 10 and 11 on Saturday. The Butchers Hill Silver Anniversary This will be a great time to see the "Best of Butchers Hill"-houses chosen from past House Tours plus some bright new renovations. For a quarter century, our House Tour has been one of Baltimore's premier opportunities to go "behind the facades" of our row houses. Houses featured on past House Tours have received extensive local and even national publicity, and the 2004 selections would grace any city in America. The Pagoda will also be open during the House Tour, completing a wonderful opportunity to show off the glories of "Baltimore's Friendliest Neighborhood" to your guests from Baltimore or out of town. Tickets will be available at the Butchers Hill meeting for the pre-tour price of $12 (non-refundable). Or get them from the Friends of Patterson Park at the White House, Coldwell Banker at 808 South Broadway, or Long & Foster at 701 South Broadway. On the day of the tour, tickets will be $15 at the White House. You can volunteer for house sitting and other "day-of-event" duties by calling Sue Noonan at 410-522-6773. Black Knights Need Your Help! "Coach Mike" Ferreira is soliciting donations to fund this year's Butchers Hill Black Knights youth football team. Donations are used to fund league expenses as well as provide individual personalized jerseys for each player on the team. The jerseys are adorned with the Butchers Hill logo to recognize our continued sponsorship. Coach Mike is asking for individual donations of $20, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. We really need your help right now: please send donations to Banner Neighborhoods, 2412 East Fairmount Ave., Baltimore, MD 21224, attn: Black Knights Football. Donors will be sent a receipt for tax purposes. HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP-OFF (paints, solvents, batteries, etc.): Poly-Western parking lot. Saturday, Oct. 30, 9-3 and Sunday, Oct. 31, 11-4. BHA Committees and Monthly Meetings Block Rep/Crime Prevention: Wednesday, October 20th, 7 p.m., 2105 E. Baltimore St. We hope to have one of our patrol officers join us for the October meeting. The committee meets monthly to share information from our 20 block representatives and to coordinate action. Contact Carolyn at 410-522-4991 or e-mail c.boitnott@verizon.net. Graffiti Alert. We are experiencing an increase in graffiti on occupied personal property as well as vacant property and public buildings. If the graffiti is on your personal property, please remove or paint over it as soon as possible. Parents, please talk to your children-graffiti is vandalism and parents can be fined for their children's thoughtlessness. Butchers Hill Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) Butchers Hill Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) has been regularly patrolling the neighborhood for over three years, and conducts its walk-arounds on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. We meet at 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Patterson Park Avenue and Lombard Street. All are welcome. For more information, please contact Evan Helfrich at 410-342-2148 or via e-mail, ubik14@netscape.net. Community Representative, School 27 School Improvement Team: Carolyn Boitnott, 410-522-4991. Education Committee: Thursday, October 28th, 7:00 PM, 124 S. Patterson Park Avenue. Contact: Martha DelPizzo 410-522-6046, e-mail mdelpizzo@comcast.net. See education piece on facing page. Land Use: Wednesday, October 20th, 7 PM. Please call for location. The Land Use Committee reminds homeowners in the 2100 and 2200 blocks of E. Baltimore Street and the 2200 block of E. Pratt Street that you live in a City historic district. All exterior work and painting must be submitted to CHAP and Butchers Hill. We are always happy to help with any questions you may have. Contact Virgil Bartram: 410-327-4964. CHAP's number is 410-396-4866. Marketing/House Tour Committee: No formal meeting in October. We still need helpers for the House Tour, especially one or two folks to do "balloon duty" on Sunday morning, October 17. Contact Rick Gilmour (410-342-7061), gilmour@qis.net. Trash Committee: Contact Sue Whitson, 443-527-1103, e-mail sbwhitson@hotmail.com (e-mail preferred). Parking Committee:. William White, 410-563-7941, e-mail: willilicious@hotmail.com. BHA Executive Committee: Tuesday, October 19th at 7 PM, Simon's of Butchers Hill, 2031 E. Fairmount Ave. Contact: Dave Dyer (410-342-7655), or dave@viacapital.net. Newsletter: The deadline for the NOVEMBER issue is Friday, October 22nd. Contact Steve Young: young@umbc.edu. NO BLUE BAG PICKUP ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 11th: COLUMBUS DAY OBSERVED (CITY HOLIDAY) OCTOBER BUTCHERS HILL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA: Annual "Artists and Fun" meeting: The Art of Streetscape, followed by wine and cheese reception. Thanks to all of the Butchers Hill neighbors who adopted teachers from Commodore John Rogers School. The teachers were appreciative to the point of being almost speechless. At the breakfast for the teachers at the fountain in the Park, they presented us with a clock made by Leo Klaus, the Physical Education Teacher, that says Butchers Hill, Baltimore's Friendliest Neighborhood. At the concert, Mr. Klaus presented Nancy Supik with a framed picture of the Pagoda with coins dated around the time the Pagoda was built. We would like to calculate the dollar value of the donations to the school. If those families who gave supplies would email or call me with the amount they spent, that would be great. Every teacher on the list was adopted and a group of one of our neighbor's friends came together and donated the $500 needed to buy the climbing net that was requested. School 27 is having a fund raiser and I will distribute information for that at the October meeting. The Carson Resource Center is up and running at School 27 and Mrs. Shirey plans an orientation meeting for all volunteers. If anyone would like to volunteer, I have forms; just call me and I will drop one to you. The orientation for volunteers is Oct. 19th, 3:00 to 4:00 PM. More on School 27: The fencing replacement is almost complete; $10,000 toward the cost was donated from the Empowerment Zone's East Harbor Village Center, and the rest by Struever Brothers. The 9/11 James Rouse Community Service day was a wonderful coming together of the school's custodial, administrative and teaching staff, along with volunteers from Struever Brothers, Capital Development, the Julie Center, and Butchers Hill residents, both youth and adult. There were over 25 people there all involved in landscaping, cleaning and applying paint to the Commodore John Rodgers mural, designed by Martha Simons. Ralph J Young Recreation Center News. Lawrence Allmond is our new director. He is interested in hearing from adults and children about new program ideas-is there interest in a chess club, etc.? He can be reached after 3 pm at 410-396-9197. Currently the center is offering an After-School Program from 2:30 to 6 for children 5-12 ($25 per month). Classes are now being formed for Sewing for Teens and Adults on Monday and Thursday from 7 to 8:30 ($5 registration fee and $2 class fee). The center is also opened free of charge from 7 to 9 PM for 15-year-olds to adults for games, weight training and indoor basketball. COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD NEIGHBORS LAUNCH LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT PETITION DRIVE Kathleen Kotarba, the Executive Director of the Baltimore City Commission on Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), came to the August general meeting to explain the benefits of local historic district designation, the designation process and respond to questions. Following that meeting, neighbors began the petition process to expand the local Butchers Hill Historic District to match the boundary of the National Register Butchers Hill Historic District which currently includes the entire Butchers Hill neighborhood. Currently, only the 2100 and 2200 Blocks of East Baltimore Street, and the 2200 block of East Pratt Street are in a local historic district. The benefits of local historic designation include:
Neighbors are currently going door to door circulating the required petitions that will be submitted to CHAP. Owners of vacant or renter-occupied properties will be contacted by mail. Collecting signatures is only one step in a process that will include public hearings and the adoption of an ordinance designating the entire Butchers Hill neighborhood as a Baltimore City local historic district, deserving of preservation and protection. For additional information, or if you can help collect signatures, contact John Papagni, (410) 563-2661. For more information about CHAP, Baltimore City's History and Historic Districts, please visit www.baltimorecity.gov/government/historic. LOCAL KIDS PITCH IN: On Sunday, September 12th, a number of neighborhood children helped clean the 100 block of N. Madeira St., the 2200 block of Lamley, and the Fayette Street alley (odd side). About 20 bags of trash and 20 bags of weeds were collected. The children-Kelly Summerville (13), Marlon Copeland (11), Corey Nash (12), Kordell Smalls (8), Antoinette Johnson (6), Antwon Johnson (5), Darius White (10), Raheim Gray (10), Brandon Earl (11), Keshawn Dunn (8), Coniesha Hamilton (10), NaeNae Johnson (3), Barney Lyde (1), and Tonneka Griffin (12)-all had a great time and are already asking about the next clean-up. The adults (Linda Proctor, Maxine Taylor, Jim, Wesley, Crystal, Ann, and Jeanette Roberts) provided drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Brenda Carter, who owns the grass cutting business on Madeira Street, disposed of the 20 bags of weeds for us. FALL FLEA MARKET SUCCESS !!! Perfect weather helped everyone enjoy shopping at the 65+ booths, eating grilled goodies by the fountain and mellowing out to the jazz of the Paul Snyder Trio Including the Marketing Committee, Butchers Hill has many neighbors and friends to thank. Bev Wall for being point person for all the vendors. Bill Novakowski and his crew: Adam, Ashley, Beth, Rob and Teresa started with 7 am coffee and muffins and grilled great dogs and burgers till 3 pm. Butch Mount and Carol Richman orchestrated vendor placement. Carolyn and Ann moved many donations with the help of John, Sue, Trevor and Lauren at the Butchers Hill flea market booth to benefit the Education Committee. John Murphy made and put up those large signs at Pratt St. and Eastern Ave. The parks department crew Bob Wall, Doug Goldman and Gerald Gilliam along with the Friends of Patterson Park folks Nancy Supik and Tim Almaguer provided canopies, cut grass, strung up the banner and provided a base of action that made use of the park possible. Finally, the following businesses provided prominent poster space to advertise the event: Santoni's, DiPasquale's, D.J.Liquidators, the Highlandtown Market, Nelson and Lili Adlin Phoenix Realty, Broadway Market Management, Shockets, Long & Foster Realtors, Whole Foods, and Safeway. Please patronize these community-conscious businesses. We are looking for someone to run the Butchers Hill Flea Market Booth at the next June Flea Market. We also need a volunteer to run the food concession. If you can help with either of these please contact Sandy, 410-558-0149. Receipts for donations made to the Butchers Hill Flea Market Booth will be available at the October meeting. 1670 |