Good news for the community, children and adults alike

Thanks to the efforts of the Recreation and Parks Department our neighborhood has a new outdoor basketball court; the only one in Charles Village.  This is a culmination of our working with the City to clean and get the 26th Street Playground back to what it should be for the children and adults that utilize it in this community.  This improves that area of St. Paul Street and makes a welcoming attaction for those who may be considering going to Margaret Brent.  It was heartening to see the look of pride on the faces of children who are just waiting on the side lines to enjoy this new facility and we are happy to be a part in getting this accomplished.  Walk by and see how nice it looks, you will be pleased.

Charles Villager - Fall 2012

This morning I received my copy of the "Charles Villager" which announced "New Wyman Park Dell Playground Embraces Nature".  I was pleased to read of the proposed changes and benefits the residents of our communities could receive from this plan.  From that article I learned that "The new and expanded playground will include an initial phase which should be under construction before the end of 2012, and future phases, which requires a Friends fundraising campaign."  Since the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks (the same people that so quickly came to restore the 26^th Street Playground Basketball Court this past weeks) are involved this initial phase this should be completed without much delay.  However, the words “future phases” and “requires a Friends fundraising campaign” bother me.  The first two words remind me of what happened to the “Reading Garden” project that quickly fizzled and died and the suggestions made by some readers that maybe that project was to continue in future stages.  Several years ago a similar article in the Charles Villager boasted grand plans for the Dell including kiosks at street level and a variety of other plans that appeared to be imminently forthcoming but nothing happened. 

The last part of the above quoted sentence got my interest in that several years ago I questioned the fact that the Spaghetti Discos, at that time, were supposed to have raised more than $30,000.for playground renovations.   When we saw no renovations in the neighborhood taking place I asked about those funds, where and when were they to be used.  This seemed to cause quite a to-do and an angry response from a member of the Charles Village Community Foundation which we were told was the group holding the funds.  I never understood the concern caused by the question and never really got a response to my inquiry.  It would appear that the funds are needed now so that the new Playground area can continue to move forward on one of the future proposed phases.  So now may be a great time to use these funds to ensure the continuation of the proposed phases.

I also read that the new playground would include "a portable ping pong table". This seems odd to me in that the children in this community would really want the project to have a basketball court in the Dell to service the children north of 29th Street.  Having a "portable ping pong table" outside just doesn't seem to be a logical thing in that it will have to suffer the outdoor elements which may be why it is to be “portable”.  And, portability also means it could easily be removed (as in stolen) if not locked up when not in use but who then will oversee control of this.  The article boasted the "Ping Pong in the Park, [as] an informal programming activity” and again, who would control the activities on a regular basis?  Who will be allowed to participate in those activities?

A compelling notice at the end of one of the paragraphs in the Charles Villager article included the following quote:  "At the February workshop families and children offered important input, such as the desire that a portion of the playground and plateau area include opportunities for nature-based play."  We have sat in on any number of “plans”, “projects” and other “design your own perfect place” programs.  We saw the promoters of such projects encouraging children, and adults alike, handing out paper and crayons and cut-outs to imagine and play-build their own personal Eden, like some kindergarten class.  Was this the same kind of workshop offering “important input” for “nature-based play” similarly lead?  Some of the outcomes of earlier workshops in our neighborhood touted possible “butterfly gardens”, “humming bird sanctuaries” and the like.  But often the people putting together such workshops already know what they want to do and, unfortunately for the participants, the “feel-good” workshop can result in nothing other than a way to show “community support” even if the community is not fully aware of the end result, if there actually is any result.

One must hope that the plans in the article meet fruition so that the community has another site for its children to enjoy and that truly benefits the people in Charles Village.

Let's help Margaret Brent Elementary & Middle School

Another member of St. John's advised us of the following way to help Margaret Brent.  Let's make this a real success.


Subject: [St. John's] Vote for Margaret Brent Elem. School

Target is doing a giveaway through FaceBook.  Every 25 votes gets a $25 gift card for the school of your choice.  I became aware of this through an affluent parent who is rallying her friends to vote for a very rich school in the 'burbs.  Since St. John's is already helping Margaret Brent through weekend food, school supplies, winter coats, etc., why don't we help them in this way as well?  The rich schools are going to win big because of parental involvement and networking, so schools like Margaret Brent really need our votes.  Thanks! 

Saturday night breakins along North Charles Street

Last Sunday when going for our morning walk we noted that the offices located at 2524 North Charles Street were broken into and reported same to 911 where the Police reported shortly thereafter.  After staying with the Police Department while they went inside the building and giving them the information that we noted, we left.  Shortly thereafter and continuing currently we noted that the plate glass window was replaced with plywood.

This morning while returning from Safeway we noted that 2517 North Charles Street was broken into next to the Baltimore Times.  In this case we noted that the steel door was apparently pulled out and the glass on the front door was smashed.  We again reported the incident to the Police Department but as we were home we did not return to the site.

On the corner of 26th Street, east side of North Charles Street the little building now occupied by a single practioner was hit by a tremendous amount of grafitti.  This was after Parks and Recreations Department had their crew in and cleaned up the area to make it presentable for the residents of Charles Village.  For some reason this area appears to be signaled out for crime and needs the CVCBD to employ the Off-duty police who might have just prevented these crimes.  As you know there has been considerable publicity in Midtown over the recent shootings in that area and now with the additional policing there, criminals are targeting our community. 

PRAY AND WORK FOR PEACE

St. John's United Methodist Church of Baltimore City invites you to attend the next monthly Baltimore Interfaith Peace Partners gathersing to take place Wednesday, August 22nd at 7:30 p.m., in their Sunday Room located on the side entrance of East 27th Street between St. Paul Street and Lovegrove Street.

This monthly interfaith gathering is open to all people interested in promoting peace in the world.  Plans for Wednesday's gathering include a discussion by attendees and fellowship. 

The Interfaith Peace Partners is a U. S. - wide initiative.  The Rev. Charles Cloughen, Jr., is the Coordinator for the Baltimore area. 

Please attend and join us to pray for worldwide peace. 

26th Street Playground gets a clean up

Thanks for the assistance of Mr. Ronald Rudisill, Sarah Hope and Eric of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks in cleaning the 26th Street Playground, a neighborhood staple for many years.  Some in the community insist on incorrectly calling it the Margaret Brent Playground due to its proximity to that school.  We have been talking mostly with Sarah Hope who is a wonderful person who has helped us move this cleanup so that the children will be able to enjoy the playground now and when the school is opened.  Eric is working to get the lights at the basketball court fixed as it has to be put out to the market for repairs and the playground is looking much improved.  The fencing of the basketball will be fixed shortly so the old basketball can continue to be a much used court for the children and adults of this community.  Thank you all for your good work in making Charles Village a better place to live. 

CVCBD's contract with CSX - A failure or a success you decide!

We are attaching two photographs of the property owned by CSX.  According to Mr. David Hill, the E.D. of the CVCBD, the CVCBD negotiated with CSX to clean up these properties.  This is work accomplished by the CVCBD on a fee paid basis of approximately $1500. annually, for work that CSX were paying another firm $1500. per month.  A review of the photographs will show that instead of cleaning the growth off the fences which has caused them to partially collapse as is evidenced in the second photograph, the CVCBD have apparently elected to spray the foilage with some chemical and when they do cut some of the growth they leave it on the street to rot.  I do not consider this a successful operation for two reasons; the damages done to the growth by introducing chemicals at the site and also the fact that the area still continues to be an eye sore.  What do you think?  This property is located accross 26th Street in Baltimore City.




 

The new Reading Garden, complements of the CVCBD

This is the heralded new Reading Garden on Vineyard Lane that Mr. David Hill, E.D. of the Benefits District recently boasted about in the Charles Villager.  We understand that after placing the trees there, which were donated by Ace Hardware, the CVCBD just left them in their containers at the spot to die and never be planted.   So to all Charles Villages, why not pack a little luncheon meal and head over to the site and look at the improvement offered to the community by the CVCBD?  This is what over $750,000. gets you as a resident of Charles Village.  Isn't it wonderful?