Celebrate City of Baltimore Day in Annapolis on Tuesday

The office of Mayor Sheila Dixon is extending an invitation to Baltimore residents to attend the City of Baltimore Day in Annapolis Reception on Tuesday, April 3. 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The event will be held in Conference Room West I of the Miller Senate Building in downtown Annapolis

Buses will be provided for people interested in attending. The buses will leave promptly at 5:00 p.m. from the Baltimore Poly/Western H.S. parking lot on Falls Rd. and Coldspring Ln. and will depart Annapolis for Baltimore at 8:15 p.m.

For further information, or to confirm attendance, please call Emily Ellickson-Brown at (410) 269-0207.

Water Taxi Commuter Service Begins Monday

Starting Monday, April 2, Ed Kane's Water Taxi will run weekday commuter service along the Inner Harbor route (between Fells Point, Tide Point, Harbor East, the Rusty Scupper, and Harbor Place). The commuter service will run through Wednesday, October 31.

Canton residents should note that, unlike last year, the commuter service will not extend to the Canton Waterfront Park. Service to that station will begin at 10:00, when the Water Taxi switches to regular operations. The closest dock for the commuter service will be the Fells Point dock by City Pier.

Show your Frequent Floater Pass plus an additional $3.00 fee when boarding. Schedules and additional information are available at www.thewatertaxi.com or by calling (410) 563-3901.

DPW Warns of Public Works Impostors

A robbery in Canton yesterday has police and the Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) warning residents to beware of burglars posing as DPW employees.

According to DPW, the impostors wear “official looking” clothing and ask to enter your home to check the water pressure as part of maintenance work being conducted nearby. Yesterday's incident took place on South Belnord Avenue when two men used this explanation to gain entrance to a man's home, which they then proceeded to rob.

DPW Director George L. Winfield today issued a press release asking citizens to remember that DPW employees only come to your home when you request assistance and make an appointment. Furthermore, DPW employees are never authorized to enter your home without your permission. Winfield further advised residents to:

• Never allow a stranger to enter your home.
• Always insist that the person show you a Baltimore City employee identification card which includes a photograph (and keep in mind that the criminals may be using fake IDs).
• Immediately report any and all suspicious activity to the Baltimore City Police Department by calling 911.
  

The Canton Connection Online encourages readers to always exercise caution when responding to unexpected visitors, no matter who they say they are.

New Map, Old Challenges

Over at Baltimore InnerSpace, Gerald Neily takes a look at the new MTA transit map and makes a thorough argument for stitching together Baltimore's patchwork multi-modal transit system:

"The key is to establish a truly comprehensive transit hub in the midst of the confusion around Lexington Market - a safe and secure place where order could be maintained instead of the chaos of the streets. A place where one could go and be confident that you could get on a bus or rail line that would take you almost anywhere the MTA goes, with real MTA employees on duty at all times to make sure everything worked and to answer questions. A place where you could transfer between routes in full confidence."

Read the rest of "Connecting the Transit System: Lexington Market is the Key" here.

Winter 2007 Canton Connection Available Online

By now, most Canton residents have received their copies of the latest edition of the Canton Connection in their mailbox. And now, the issue is also available as a PDF download (1.2 mb) from the CCA website's newsletter page. Just click on the link in the "Print Issue Archives" on the left of the page.

The issue includes:

• The latest news on the controversial Icon project
• An in-depth look at the 21224 Zoning Task Force
• Details on the agreement for the St. Patrick's Day celebration on O'Donnell Square
• The findings of the Boston-Lakewood study group
• Timely and useful advice from our regular columnists
• . . . and much more!

The quarterly Canton Connection is mailed to Canton residents and businesses as a public service of your neighborhood association. Please thank the many fine local businesses that advertise in the Connection by patronizing them. And if you aren't already a member, why not take this opportunity to check out our website and find out more about what the Canton Community Association is doing to make Canton a better place to live, work, and play?

Police Investigating Fraudulent Curfew Notice

The Baltimore City Police Department is investigating the fake curfew flyer that was posted throughout the commercial business area of lower Fells Point late last week.

The flyer, which was printed on the letterhead of Mayor Shelia Dixon, purported to give notice of the Mayor's "intent to initiate a standardized curfew for the Southeast District of Baltimore City" and to also impose travel restrictions.

A statement issued by the Mayor's office said "Mayor Dixon is dismayed by this bizarre harassment of city residents."

The police are asking Baltimore citizens with any information about the source(s) of the flyer to contact P/A Maggie Duffy at the Southeast District Neighborhood Services Unit at margaret.duffy@baltimorepolice.org.