Come Hear About the Proposed Divine Monument at Tyson and Read Street
“A group of Divine fans are looking to put a monument to the late actor, drag queen, singer and counterculture figure near the Tyson Street site where his most notorious movie scene – the one at the end of John Waters’ 1972 “Pink Flamingos” – was filmed.”
“The proposed marble and concrete monument, roughly eight feet tall and three feet wide, would consist of an arch perched atop two classically Baltimore marble steps. A photo of Divine in full drag-queen makeup would stare out from the space under the arch, with a small bronze representation of the doggie doo he scooped up and ate at the end of “Pink Flamingos” resting on the top step. Waters’ reminiscence on the days he and his cast and crew were shooting the infamous scene – “It was a magic day in our happy young lives” – would be inscribed under Divine’s photo.”
The group proposing the monument will be coming to our General Membership meeting on Tuesday the 15th to discuss their plans with the community.
Candidates Running for the 12th City Council District
Candidates running for the open City Council seat for the 12th district have been invited to come speak to the community at our General Membership meeting this Tuesday the 15th. Each candidate will be welcome to make brief remarks and take questions from the group as a whole, after which they will be asked to stick around to speak with individuals who would like to speak with them one-on-one. In addition, candidate for Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge, Todd Oppenheim, has asked for an opportunity to speak to the community and will be present as well.
*Note: Candidates for the City Council seat for the 11th district will be asked to come speak to the community at our April general membership meeting. Any other candidates for public office that would like to speak to the community are welcome to do so, and will be allowed to come speak upon advanced request.
Mount Vernon Dog Park
The opening of our new Dog Park has been delayed, but we have been told it will be ready to open sometime in mid-April. Stay tuned, as we will keep you informed as to when the grand opening ceremony will take place. Please consider volunteering to help with the upkeep of the park. We have waited a long time for this in Mount Vernon and volunteers are greatly needed to ensure the park remains clean and that fresh water, pickup bags etc., are always available. The dog park is located at 310 W. Center Street, and please contact Samantha Braun or Geoffrey Hart at dogpark@mvba.org if you have any time to help keep this new green space clean and safe for our furry friends.
Block Captain Initiative
As mentioned previously, additional information on the Block Captain Initiative will be forthcoming at our upcoming MVBA meeting on March 15th . If you are interested in becoming a block captain, please reach out to Michele Richter at vicepresident@mvba.org. Thanks in advance for considering it. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends as well as a great contribution to the community.
Clean & Beautiful Committee
As mentioned previously, the Clean & Beautiful Committee is the newly named committee combining the Sanitation & Property Stewardship Committees. In case some folks have not heard, there is a new municipal waste can effort that is soon making its way to Mount Vernon.
As stated on the Baltimore City Public Works website, “Baltimore City is providing one free 65-gallon trash can to every residential address that currently receives trash collection service by the City. Using these cans will help keep our neighborhoods and waterways clean, reduce the rodent population, reduce strain on our workers, and make trash collection more efficient. Property owners who own a row home that is part of a continuous block-long group and have front collection have the option to call 311 by April 20, 2016, to request a smaller 35-gallon can. Distribution of the cans will begin in early 2016. Hang tags will be posted at each property in the weeks prior to delivery. A neighborhood delivery schedule will be posted at publicworks.baltimorecity.gov and updated regularly. Please begin using your can as soon as it arrives. Your collection day and pickup location will remain the same.”
More information about this effort as well as an informational video is available at publicworks.baltimorecity.gov. If you have any questions regarding this effort, please feel free to send a message to Michele Richter at vicepresident@mvba.org.
And just a reminder about trash pickup Hours:
Recycling: Tuesdays, 10am to noon.
Trash, in a covered can: Fridays, 10am to noon.
If you do have a sanitation issue, please report it to 311 via phone, online or by using the 311 app. You can do this anonymously, and can copy the report number with the address to vicepresident@mvba.org. If we do not call, the city will never know there is a problem!
Safety Committee Safety Committee
The Safety Committee meets the first Monday of the month at 6:00 pm at Hotel Indigo. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.
“Pizza with the Police” was held at Spirits of Mount Vernon last month and was a huge success. Residents were able to meet with officers that actually work Central District/Mount Vernon to develop more one on one communications with one another. Residents and officers praised the event!
Mark your calendar for the next event: “Coffee with the Cops” which will be held at the Hotel Indigo on March 25th. There will be two opportunities to have coffee with our officers on that day — 7:30 am or 7:30 pm. These times coincide with officers shifts. Please try to attend, it’s important we know the men and women who are trying to keep us safe in our neighborhood.
Spring Cleaning: Mount Vernon Children’s Park Needs Volunteers
It’s time for some Spring cleaning! Please join us on Saturday, March 19th from 9 am – 12 pm at the Mt. Vernon Children’s Park on the corner of Calvert and Madison St. to meet some neighbors and pitch in to get the park ready for the upcoming Spring and Summer months. We’ll be clearing the park of debris and preparing the green space for our Spring planting day at the park, which will be on April 16th. We’ll provide the tools and materials, but we need some helping hands (bring your own gloves!). We hope to see you there!
Mount Vernon Easter Egg Hunt
On Easter, join your neighbors for a Community Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt in the park! Enjoy a potluck brunch, egg hunt for the kids, and a chance to spend some time with others in the community. The event is hosted by Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, along with the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy and Mount Vernon Belvedere Association. Please bring a dish to share if you are able, or just come as you are!
Date: Sunday, March 27, 2016
Time: 11:30am
Location: Mt. Vernon Square, East Park
What to Bring: A brunch dish to share, if you are able
Rain Plan: Inside Mt Vernon Place United Methodist Church
For More Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1725572337680641/
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church also invites you to their Easter Sunday service prior to the brunch, starting at 10:30 am.
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Trees
Thank you to all that came out to our pruning event last month. The turnout was great and we appreciate all the volunteers. And thanks to Milk & Honey and to Brewhouse No. 16 for their generous support before and after the winter tree pruning event!
Also, our recent tree fundraiser at Spirits of Mount Vernon was a great success! Many friends and neighbors showed up to show their support for all the tree planting & pruning efforts that the Tree Committee thankfully takes on. In addition, we all had a fantastic time socializing and catching up with one another. Thank you again Spirits for being such a gracious host. Stay tuned for updates for the next fundraiser.
Save the date: April 23rd, 2016
for a spring tree planting event. Details will be coming soon.
Zipcar Discount for MVBA Members
Each Zipcar in Baltimore takes more privately owned vehicles off the road and reduces the demand for parking spots. Zipcar is running a promotion available to anyone who is a member of MVBA — it’s just $35 for the first year’s membership and no application fee ($70 value off retail price). Use the link below for more information and to sign up.
Join a Committee, Meet Your Neighbors and Improve Our Neighborhood!
The Community Service and Engagement Committee meets every other Sunday at 218 E. Preston Street. Please call Matt for entry and for more information at (914) 602-8584.
The Membership Committee meets at Spirits of Mount Vernon on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm. Contact Julie Canard for more information at membership@mvba.org.
The Development Committee meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:00 pm. Contact Lance Decker at development@mvba.org.
For the Clean & Beautiful Committee please contact Michele Richter at vicepresident@mvba.org.
For the Green Committee/Trees contact Andy Smith at trees@mvba.org.
For the Dog Park Committee contact Samantha Braun or Geoffrey Hart at dogpark@mvba.org.
The Safety Committee meets on the 1st Monday of every month at 6:00 pm at the Hotel Indigo. Contact Jason Curtis at safety@mvba.org for more information.
Things to do:
Discussion of Baltimore’s Irish & the Building of America’s First Railroad:
In 1827 Baltimore was America’s third largest city and had enjoyed dominating the East Coast’s shipping and transportation for decades. But the city domination was slipping — what was city leadership to do? Build the nation’s first railroad! Why were the Irish the right workforce to make this crazy plan work in a city dominated by African American labor? Learn more about the start of the B&O Railroad in this lively presentation, followed by a Q&A session. Discussion will be held at City Hall, 100 Holiday Street from 12:00 to 1:00 pm on March 18.
Light City Baltimore:
The inaugural Light City Baltimore features the 1.5 mile BGE Light Art Walk with 50 attractions including illuminated visual artworks, street theater, musical performances and concerts. The original artworks are by local, regional, national and international artists selected by a jury through a call of entry held in the spring of 2015. Daytime programming features
Light City U, four ticketed innovation conferences dedicated to powering social change. In addition, food and beverage offerings will feature a lot of local flavor. The festival is FREE and open to the public and takes place in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor from March 28th through April 3rd.
Free Yoga:
Parks & People hosts a free weekly yoga class every Thursday at 6:30 pm at their new campus located at 2100 Liberty Heights Avenue — just minutes away from the Mount Vernon Belvedere area. It’s an all-levels vinyasa yoga class taught by LA Finfinger of Free Baltimore Yoga freebaltimoreyoga.com
Have You Visited the Recently Restored Washington Monument?
Since the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy restored and reopened the centerpiece of our neighborhood over 13,000 visitors from around the country and world have visited!
The Conservancy’s beautiful and careful restoration is winning award after award! Our hats are off to them for this accomplishment.
The Monument’s gallery is free, but to climb to the top is $6.35. You can book your climb in advance on the Conservancy’s website www.mvpconservancy.org, or buy your ticket onsite (credit card sales only). Slots fill up quickly on the weekends. (Hours: Wed-Fri 2-5; Sat-Sun 10-1, 2-5)
The Conservancy has launched a Monumental Memories campaign to capture new and old memories about the Monument for inclusion in a Bicentennial time capsule. Enter your memory online on the Conservancy’s website. Those online are both fun and at many turns inspiring: (mvpconservancy.org/enter-your-memory.
Featured Mount Vernon Neighbor
Tom Sabia is celebrating his 20th year as a resident and homeowner in Mount Vernon. He has a magnificent home on Chase Street that has been meticulously restored over the past 20 years. Not only has he invested his resources here to maintain his beautiful home, he has invested himself — his time, talent and kindness — to create a life here. He is friend to many and this neighborhood would not be the same without him. Thanks Tom, and here’s to another 20 years!
Elections schedule
2016 Primary Presidential / Mayoral Election
Deadline for Voter Registration: April 5, 2016 at 9:00 PM
Early Voting Dates: April 14 – April 21, 2016
Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Primary Election Day: April 26, 2016
Hours: 7:00 AM- 8:00 PM
2016 General Presidential / Mayoral Election
Deadline for Voter Registration: October 18, 2016 at 9:00 PM
Early Voting Dates: October 27-November 3, 2016
Hours: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
General Election Day: November 8, 2016
Hours: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
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