Baltimore Blogging

For this 100th post on the Canton Connection Online, it's fitting that we take a look at some of our (other) favorite blogs covering Baltimore. I've found these sites to be interesting, engaging, and informative; I hope you will too.

• Baltimore Interview: Roughly once a month, writer Joseph Young and photographer Michael Cantor profile arts people in the Baltimore area. You will meet all kinds of creative people -- photographers, sculptors, painters, performance artists -- who brighten Baltimore's thriving art scene.
• Blog Baltimore: Motto: "I Promise I Won't Say 'Hon.'" Mary Beth Eastman maintains this blogring (a collection of blogs loosely linked by a common theme) dedicated to "the charming residents of the greater Baltimore metropolitan area." People add their blogs -- which range from random philosophical musings to favorite recipes -- to the blogroll because they all have Baltimore in common.
  
• BaltiBlogs: Part of the TerraBlogs network, which is developing citywide blogs in major metropolitan areas around the country, BaltiBlogs lets readers browse entries that range from news about the City Council to reviews of the latest Battlestar Galactica episode. And everything in between.
• Baltimore InnerSpace: Baltimorean Gerald Neily takes readers on long, wonderful excursions through the neighborhoods, parks, and overlooked corners of Baltimore. In words and pictures, Neily profiles places that you've driven through but never knew had names -- or, for that matter, such rich backstories, dynamic presents, or challenging futures. Back in September, Baltimore InnerSpace featured a thoughtful story on Canton.
• The Inner Harbor Network: Not actually a blog, but certainly a terrific resource and therefore eligible. Rosalind Heid maintains a calendar of upcoming events that are within walking distance of the Scarlett Place Condominiums on President Street by the Inner Harbor. School hall dinners, church concerts, club meetings, lectures -- who knew there was so much going on? Plus, Rosalind will help you set up your own events calendar to share what's within walking distance of your residence.
  

Know of any other great blogs covering Canton and the surrounding neighborhoods? Write in and share them!

Image courtesy iBand.com

Baltimore Community Foundation Announces Grant Workshop

The Baltimore Community Foundation is offering a grant application workshop for Baltimore City and Baltimore County organizations interested in applying for BCF grants to improve their neighborhoods.

The BCF Neighborhood Grants Program offers two types of grants:

• Mobilization Grants of up to $5,000 for "projects that mobilize residents to complete a community project," awarded to organizations (nonprofit or otherwise) that agree to use the funds for charitable purposes
  
• Leadership Grants of up to $10,000 for "projects that build new leadership or strengthen existing leadership within neighborhoods," awarded to charitable nonprofit organizations

BCF requires applicants to attend an application workshop prior to applying for one of their grants. Workshops are held in the Levi Conference Room on the 8th floor of BCF's headquarters at 2 East Read Street in Baltimore. The workshop will be held twice:

• Wednesday, January 31, 2007, from 4-6pm
• Friday, February 2, 2007, from 12-2pm
  

To register, request a grant application, or ask questions, contact Dion Cartwright at (410) 332-4172, x144, or dcartwright@bcf.org. Applications are available at BCF's website.

Residents who attended the Fall 2006 workshop are not required to attend in order to apply for a neighborhood grant in 2007.

CCA Board Members for 2007!

At the CCA's Public Meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd, the following individuals were elected to a two-year term as CCA Board Members:

Tracy Bumba (returning)

Marisa Capone (returning)

Laura Mooney

Jackie Moyer

Anne Norton

Patrick Paulus

Victoria Stewart

Jack Stout

The CCA is made up of a 15 member Board, 8 slots of said Board are up for election in January of every odd year and 7 slots are up for election in January of every even year. At the first meeting of the new Board in February, the new Board elects its Officers for the year. The next CCA Board Meeting is set for Tuesday, February 6th at 7pm at the Broom Factory Building (corner of S. Baylis and Boston Street, suite 235). The meeting is open to all CCA members!

So What Was That Smell?

The editorial desk of the Canton Connection Online has been looking into the mysterious foul odor that has been plaguing the Canton/Highlandtown area since late last year. Canton resident Manjit Goldberg writes:

Every once in a while a horrible odor drifts into my neighborhood on South Glover and Fait. It is organic (not chemical) and reminds me of a meat rendering plant or burning bones. On Saturday Dec. 30, it was so strong I almost gagged - literally. What is it and how can we get rid of it? Anybody know?

The Baltimore Guide recently ran an article reporting on its own investigation into the smell -- and found that it was most likely coming from the sewage pelletizer plant at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. A source in the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed that a n unusual change in the weather pattern called an inversion contributed to the lingering effects of the odor by preventing it from rising and dissipating harmlessly into the air.

That's all we've been able to learn at this point. With the onset of colder weather, the odor appears to have disappeared -- or at least, new reports from residents have. The Canton Connection Online will continue to report on this malodorous mystery should there be further developments.

Have you noticed the smell recently? Have any other theories about the source? Click on the "Comment" link below and let us know.

Lost Dog Alert

A lost dog has been taken in by a resident near the corner of Highland and Fait Avenues. The dog is black with brown markings, and looks like a mix between a Lab and a Doberman. The dog has tags, but they are expired and have no contact information.

If this sounds like your dog, or if you think you might know whose dog it is, please contact the Friends of Canton Dog Park by e-mail or call the CCA's 24-hour message line at (410) 342-0900. You can also leave a comment on this article or e-mail the Canton Connection Online, and we'll make sure it gets to the right person.

Image courtesy iBand.com

BCDRP to Double Baltimore's Tree Canopy

The Forestry Division of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks has launched an initiative to double the city's urban tree canopy, and Baltimore residents are invited to get involved.

The program, called TreeBaltimore, seeks to develop a management plan for the city's trees and forests. The goals are to:

• improve air and water quality
• make a dent in atmospheric greenhouse gas
• reduce energy consumption
• improve Baltimore's economic stability
  

Residents are invited to participate in two public meetings to network with other interested citizens and learn how they can help make Baltimore a greener city, in every sense. The meetings will be held on Thursday, January 18 in the "Peach Room" of BCDRP's headquarters and on Saturday, January 27 at the Clarence "Du" Burns Soccer Arena. Details can be found on the CCA's Events Calendar.

For more information about the TreeBaltimore program, please call Myra Brosius of BCDRP at (410) 396-6109.

Southeast District Gets New Commander

Last week, Major Roger Bergeron became the new Police Commander of the Southeast District of the Baltimore Police Department. Maj. Bergeron replaces Major Michael Kundrat, who served as District Commander for two years. Prior to his appointment, Maj. Bergeron served as Maj. Kundrat's deputy. Both officers have been regular participants in CCA-sponsored community meetings discussing community safety issues.

Maj. Bergeron was sworn in on January 10th, 2007. The CCA joins with other community organizations in congratulating him on his new position.

The CCA further expresses its thanks to Maj. Kundrat for his years of service to the residents of the Southeast District. In his 27 years with BPD, Maj. Kundrat served in the Northeastern, Northwestern, Western, Southeast, and Northern Districts and also worked in BPD's Tactical and Criminal Intelligence Sections. His commendations include the Silver Star and Unit Citations.

Residents are invited to meet Maj. Bergeron at the SEDP-CRC meeting on February 5th, 7-9 pm, at the Southeastern District Police Station, 5710 Eastern Avenue.

Announcement: Bookkeeper Needed

The Canton Community Association is seeking a bookkeeper to help with accounting associated with the CCA's print newsletter, The Canton Connection.

If you have bookkeeping experience and are interested in helping your neighborhood association, please contact Vince Geppi, the CCA's marketing director. You can call him at (410) 547-1511 or e-mail him here.

Invitation to Inaugural Ceremony for Mayor Dixon, Thursday, January 18, 2007!

Click here (PDF) for a printable invitation!

Lighthouse Point/Icon Project update

The recommendations of the Boston Lakewood Area Study are in -- the study group did NOT approve the recommendations in the Department of Planning effort. The final report should include language to make this perfectly clear.

We agree with:

Improving Open Space Areas

Improving Pedestrian conditions particularly crossing Boston Street

We want:

Improvements to traffic congestion

We do not support:

Large buildings on the surface parking lots of Lighthouse Point and Tindeco

Increasing the height limit above the existing 72 foot legal maximum

Unless significant changes are made, we recommend this study be disapproved by the 21224 Zoning Task Force (click and then scroll down to the yellow box).

While the Boston Lakewood study relies in part on a 1988 waterfront study to support more building density and new buildings on the surface parking lots, it fails to take into account other very large developments that have already been approved since then. Some of these were not envisioned and some were cautioned against in the 1988 study. Our congestion will only become worse when all that has been approved for Canton Crossing ( Boston and Clinton), Brewers Hill, not to mention already approved developments at Harbor Point ( the old Allied Chemical site off Caroline Street) and the rest of Inner Harbor East come on board.

This statement is approved by the following Community Representatives to the Boston Lakewood Study Group :

Anchorage Tower
Anchorage Townhomes
Canton Community Association
Canton Cove
Canton Highlandtown Community Association
Canton Square Homeowners Association
Waterfront Coalition

You can download the final report (PDF, 588kb) here.

Canton residents are invited to participate in the discussion at an open house on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at Hampstead Hill Academy at Linwood and Eastern Avenue beginning at 6pm. The plan will be presented twice, at 6pm and again at 7pm. Comments will be accepted in writing.

It's Your Connection

This morning CCA member Manjit Goldberg asked me a great question: "How can people contact the Canton Connection Online for something other than commenting on a story?"

The answer to Manjit's question -- a question that other readers have probably wanted to ask too -- can be found to the right. Now you can e-mail the Canton Connection Online with your suggestions for news stories, to ask questions about how and why we do what we do, to report newsblog problems like broken links, and anything else.

Of course, you will receive credit here on the newsblog if we use your story ideas and suggestions.

And as always, you can comment directly on any story featured on the newsblog just by clicking on the "comment" link at the end of each story.

The Canton Connection Online is your forum -- please use it! And thanks, Manjit, for making it even better.