November 2005

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

A great big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this year's House Tour a success. And what a success. The weather was perfect, the houses were beautiful, and the neighborhood looked great.

The November meeting is an important one. The Zoning Task Force that we've been talking about all year is calling for a vote on two important issues that affect Butchers Hill. First, do we want to participate in an, as yet undefined, abbreviated CHAP process that does not require petitions? Second, do we support the comprehensive rezoning? These two topics will be discussed and voted on.

The November BHA meeting will be at 7 PM on Wednesday, November 2nd, at School 27, Commodore John Rodgers Elementary, 100 North Chester Street. (Note change of location.) I hope to see everyone there.

--Dave Dyer.

Another reminder to dog owners: please clean up after you dog and deposit the poop in the trash containers in the Park or at home; someone is leaving bags of dog poop randomly on the sidewalk in front of other people's houses.

ANOTHER GREAT TOUR!

What a spectacular tour! The weather was perfect, the homeowners were all smiling, and "They Came." Congratulations to Butchers Hill, all of us: the 12 generous homeowners; Larcia Premo, our keynote masterpiece painter; the house tour committee (Liz Elliott, Dee Lundelius, Sue Noonan, Carol Richman, Sandy Sales, and Ann Wolfe); Liz, our publicity rep; Stephane Stanton-Brand, who did the program; Howie Ehrenfeld, our photographer of Larcia's painting and all 12 houses; Barry Glassman, Dee and Sue selling ads; Sandy distributor of posters.

The day of the tour started early with Theresa Lease patrolling for trash on the tour route (Steve Young and Sandy transporting her collection); Carla Beckwith delivered plants with her 12 markers; Bill Cassidy, our balloon man, Abby Cooley, Bob Dewey and Lynn assisting Bill and delivering balloons; Dave Dyer troubleshooting; Sandy, Sue, Lynn, and Ann manning the sales table; the gracious ladies at St. Andrew's with their tasty refreshments; and 37 faithful house-sitter volunteers. All this followed by a perfect ending: the party hosted by Barry and Dee in their wonderful garden. Incidentally the raffle winner of the fabulous painting was our own Bill Miltenberger.

Most of all thanks to all of you who came, cleaned up around your house, and supported this event. I hope everyone enjoyed it. With good attendance and pre-tour ticket sales, I believe this is our most successful fund raiser ever.

--Sue Noonan.

Please patronize the following businesses that provide prominent poster space to advertise our events: Larson's, High Grounds Coffee & Book Shop, Whole Foods, Petticoat Tearoom, Santoni's, DiPasquale's, D.J. Liquidators, Broadway Liquors, Broadway Market, Admiral Fell Inn, Long & Foster Realtors, Coldwell Banker Realty, Safeway.

COMMUNITY DUMPSTER, Tuesday, November 29th, Unit block S. Collington Ave.

For neighborhood residents only. No building materials, refrigerators, water heaters, washers, dryers, stoves, batteries, wet paint, automotive parts (including tires and rims), hazardous materials. (Electronic devices now permitted). The dumpster arrives by 10 AM and leaves around 2 PM. Please fill from the back. The next dumpster will be Tuesday, December 20th, 100 block S. Collington Ave.

WHAT TO DO WITH:

• Large appliances: Call Bulk Trash at 311 three of more working days before the scheduled date (second Wednesday of the month);
• Building materials: Take to Quarantine Road Sanitary Landfill;
• Wet Paint and Batteries: Wait for Household Hazardous Waste days, two per year, location announced in Newsletter;
• Tires (without rims): Take to Eastern Sanitation Yard, 6101 Bowleys Lane (entrance at Moravia Park Drive, just west of intersection with Moravia Road). Up to four tires (without rims) may be put out for bulk trash (call ahead: 311; see above);
• Automobile parts: Take to a commercial junkyard.

Remember that the city's sanitation yards are open from 9 to 5, Monday through Saturday and are free to city residents bringing materials for disposal in their personal vehicle, including unmodified pickup trucks rated 3/4 ton or less. For more information, go to:

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/government/dpw/waste.html#dump.

BHA Committees and Monthly Meetings

• Crime Prevention/Block Representatives: Wednesday, November 16th, 7 p.m., 2105 E. Baltimore St. The committee meets monthly to share information from our block representatives and to coordinate action. New block representatives wanted; if interested e-mail or call Carolyn: c.boitnott@verizon.net, 410-522-4991.

  Call Carolyn if you notice new graffiti. She will report to the police - they are tracking the associated gang activity.

  New Crime: there have been three recent tire thefts, the most recent was interrupted when a neighbor approached a man in the process of removing a tire.

• Butchers Hill Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.): Butchers Hill Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) has been regularly patrolling the neighborhood for over six 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, November 17th, 7 P.M., 124 S. Patterson Park Avenue. Contact: Martha DelPizzo 410-522-6046, e-mail mdelpizzo@comcast.net. Education Committee report later in newsletter.

• Land Use: Meeting date and location to be announced. 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.

• Events Committee (replaces Marketing Committee): Monday, November 7th, 7:00 PM, 2029 E. Pratt St. Contact Sue Noonan 410-522-6773, e-mail Tbolita@erols.com. Talent to spare? Please consider joining!

• Parking Committee: William White, 410-563-7941, e-mail: willilicious@hotmail.com.

• BHA Executive Committee: Tuesday, November 22nd at 7 PM, the White House, 27 South Patterson Park Ave. Contact: Dave Dyer (410-342-7655) or dave@viacapital.net.

• Streetscape Committee: Wednesday, November 16th, 7:30 PM, 30 S. Castle Street. Contact Jeff Gabriel: jgabriel@ubalt.edu. A reminder that we are trying to arrange city tree plantings for what will likely be the Spring. Contact Jeff Gabriel at jgabriel@ubalt.edu or 978-884-5498 to get a tree request form. If you have already requested a tree from the City, please let Jeff know, so the Streetscape tree-planting efforts can be coordinated.

• Newsletter: The deadline for DECEMBER is Saturday, November 26th. Contact Steve Young: young@umbc.edu. Early submissions are appreciated!

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP-OFF (paints, solvents, batteries, etc.): Poly-Western parking lot. Saturday, Oct. 29, 9-3 and Sunday, Oct. 30, 11-3.

NOVEMBER BUTCHERS HILL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, November 2nd. Coffee & cookies, 6:45 p.m. Meeting 7:00 p.m. Commodore John Rodgers School #27, 100 N. Chester Street (NOTE NEW LOCATION!). CONTACT Dave Dyer, 410-342-7655.

AGENDA: DISCUSSION AND VOTE ON NEW CHAP PROCESS AND COMPREHENSIVE REZONING, PRESENTATION OF NOMINATED SLATE OF OFFICERS FOR NEXT YEAR

HIGHLIGHTS, October 5th BHA General Meeting. The complete set of minutes, prepared by BHA recording secretary Beth Needham, can be found at http://www.butchershill.org/association/minutes.shtml.

• General Business: Among proposed changes for the BHA bylaws: make the March general meeting the deadline for that year's budget; change the Marketing Committee to the Events Committee; place sanitation issues under the Streetscape Committee; increase from $100 to $250 the amount that the Executive Committee can spend without a vote at a general meeting. The changes will be discussed and voted on at the November BHA meeting.
• Terri Ehrenfeld led a fascinating program where six local photographers showed their diverse and inspiring work. Highlights included photographs of two members of the Executive Committee: Howard Ehrenfeld and Dean Alexander.

BRIAN GREENAN, COMMUNITY LIAISON, BANNER NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY CORPORATION

Dear residents north, east and west of Patterson Park:

Hello, my name is Brian Greenan, and I am the new Community Liaison for Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation. I began my position on September 12th, and I have attended association meetings for virtually every neighborhood in the area since then. I have had the pleasure to meet many of you at meetings, at social gatherings in and around Patterson Park, and at civic activities sponsored by your respective organizations.

First, allow me to provide you with a little background information. I moved to Baltimore in July 2003 to begin graduate school at the University of Maryland. I am originally from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, a family resort town not unlike Ocean City. I earned my Master's Degree in Intercultural Communication and Intensive Spanish in May 2005 from the University of Maryland. I first gained experience in community revitalization while living in Mexico, where I worked from 1997-1998. Then I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa from 2000 - 2002, where I specialized in water well construction projects, as well as infant and maternal vaccination campaigns. The cross-cultural challenges that I faced while working overseas taught me the importance of developing strong listening and interpersonal skills when working with individuals who want to stabilize their neighborhoods.

I now live in southwest Baltimore, near St. Agnes Hospital, and I am engaged to Lourdes Montes, who works as a Latino Financial Literacy Consultant for the East Harbor Village Center.

I realize that many residents cannot or choose not to attend neighborhood association meetings, and one of my primary duties is to build trust and encourage folks to somehow participate, or at least considering being more active on their blocks. I am happy to visit people in their homes, or in neutral locations where they feel comfortable discussing their concerns. It is possible to address problems on your block, whether they deal with vermin, trashed alleys, poorly lit alleys and streets, inconsiderate neighbors, etc. It is possible to go beyond venting about such problems and to actually reach a conclusion. Half the battle is believing it is possible and realizing that Banner Neighborhoods has resources to help you reach a mutually beneficial solution.

My primary responsibility is to strengthen existing community associations and to provide logistical support to residents that want to address quality of life problems on their blocks. Please contact me to learn more about our Small Grants Program, which is designed to financially assist residents in coordinating projects on their blocks. The objective of the Small Grants Program is to minimize the hassle of paperwork. The process for receiving a Small Grant, under $1000, is very easy. It is designed so that an applicant can submit a proposal and receive their check within days. Keep in mind that all proposals require approval from their community associations first. Projects that will take place on a particular block require 50% of the residents' approval. Please contact me about Banner's street lighting projects, and feel free to propose new ideas that might also benefit your community.

My phone number is: (410) 276-8373 and my e-mail is: brian.banner@verizon.net. My work hours vary, but I am typically available between 11 and 8, Monday through Friday. If these hours do not accommodate you, do not hesitate to suggest an alternative meeting time. Feel free to visit me at Banner's office, located at 2412 East Fairmount Avenue. Likewise, do not hesitate to introduce yourself at a community association meeting or any other social function.

--Brian Greenan.

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

Mark your calendar for December 2^nd--Don't miss "Home for the Holidays," a spirited, affordable holiday gift show in a Gallery dressed as a home. Gallery 1448 has invited 25 artists to participate, including your neighbors Martha Simons, Megin Diamond Renaud, and Kini Collins. Please join us at the Opening Party and Sale, Friday, December 2, 6 to 9 PM. Gallery 1448 is in the Artists' Housing block at 1448 E. Baltimore St. For more info visit www.1448.org.

THE ART WALL
AT SIMON'S OF BUTCHERS HILL
2031 EAST FAIRMOUNT AVE.
410-534-7100
http://www.simonsofbutchershill.com

CHARLES WINKLER

Charles Winkler, a former millwright from Bethlehem Steel and graduate of MICA, will be gracing our walls with two exhibits from October through November. Wink, by the way, is the artist behind the wonderful crabs placed around the city. Currently on display is Wink's watercolor exhibit. On November 5th, there will be a opening for his metal sculptures exhibit. Treat yourself and join us, from 4 to 6 PM. Light appetizers and happy hour prices offered.

Simon's will be celebrating it's Second Anniversary on November 19th. Starting November 3rd, treat yourself to dinner at 7, with live Jazz & Blues every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8. Also new: open Mondays for Indoor Tailgating Buffet & $1 Nattie Bo's.

Strategic Preservation: Old Buildings and New Communities

Saturday Nov. 5th 10:30 AM, Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument Street (Free Parking)

How does Baltimore keep its character and revitalize its communities? Join us for a presentation by Martin Moeller, Senior Vice President for Special Projects, National Building Museum, followed by informal discussion and light refreshments. Open to the public. Free admission.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Baltimore City.

St. Andrew's Orthodox Church, corner of Chester and Lombard, will be having our annual Fall Flea Market on Friday, November 4th, and Saturday, November 5th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Clothing, white elephant items, kitchen appliances, jewelry, books, toys, furniture, and other items will be available for purchase. A bake sale will also be held, and refreshments will be available for a nominal charge. All of our neighbors are welcome!

Following implementation of new MTA bus routes on October 23rd, the number 20 bus is now running along Fayette Street, rather than Baltimore Street, between Central Avenue and Highland Avenue.

Education Committee report:

• The BHA received a thank-you card from all of the adopted teachers at Commodore John Rodgers elementary school. Among the comments: We are blessed to have such wonderful support from the Butchers Hill "Family"; Thanks for making teaching easier; Thank you for the new locks, clock fixes, and adopt-a-teacher!; Thank you for all of the wonderful things you do for our school.
• Enrollment at the school is down to 240 students--half of capacity, with over 30 mostly Hispanic students transferring to General Wolfe, and almost the same number to the new charter school. The school currently lacks a vice principal, but due to the enrollment it probably will not get one.
• The Family Fun night was a HUGE success with over 100 people (one-third adults) attending, and a good time was had by all! >Volunteers are needed at the school during the day for help with math and reading skills.
• Claudia Towles from Patterson Park Public Charter School gave a presentation to the Education Committee about the school and the many programs and facilities in place for the families whose children attend the Charter school. The PPPCS has a large classroom set aside for parents to go read parenting literature, watch DVDs and videos that discuss parenting techniques and nutrition information, and to talk with other parents who have children in the school. The BHA agreed to donate $1000 for literature racks and book cases for this room.
• There is a structure and set of guidelines for all who enter the school--this is one organized group! Volunteers are fingerprinted and participate in an orientation program. The founders of this school have done AMAZING work, the commitment displayed by this group of parents is reflected in the fact that they have the school up and running with a full complement of students. Parents of children in the school have a required number of volunteer hours each year. Listening to Claudia, I could not help but be excited about the programs in place and about having the charter school in our neighborhood. We are truly blessed to have two alternatives for our children, both with dedicated staffs, as part of our community!

--Martha DelPizzo, Education Committee.

November 12th - Annual Fall Tree Planting Day in Patterson Park. We'll be planting 30 to 50 trees and need all the help we can get! Meet at the White House at 9 AM. For more information or to join a team call or email Lesley: lesley@pattersonpark.com, 410-276-3676.