Spring is here. The flowers are coming up (or need to be planted), and the trees are blossoming. It's time to clean the car and turn off the heat. As far as RAG goes, however, it's time to get re-connected to the community we haven't seen in 5 months. No, your next door neighbor hasn't moved (surprised to see them after all this time?). This spring we should all aspire to keep our areas clean (can you say weekend street cleanup?!) and to say a kind word to those that surround us. It's the people that make our area so special. Have a fun spring!

The website (http://www.riversideactiongroup.org) is starting to get more and more hits. If you like searching the web, then try typing in "riverside action group Baltimore" using your favorite search engine. If you can't wait for the paper version of the newsletter then check the site 'round about 3rd weekend of the month for a sneak preview of the articles. You should also check the site for details about current events like the upcoming Baltimore Kinetic Races, the Sobo Snowman, or the arson attack in the park. The website isn't just about publishing the same information in newsletter we also want you to help build the site. If you have something to say about a story or additional information to add, then click on the "post a comment" link and let us know. If you have a story about our neighborhood you think other people would like to read, then go to the website and choose the link at the top of the page that says "Get Published". Type in the title and the story, hit "preview", check for typos, then hit "submit". The same is true if you have links to other websites you would like added. Maybe you have a calendar event for the community you would like to share. If you want your name to appear on the website then you will need to create an account first then submit your story or comment. If you need any help or think you have a good photo opportunity for the site then send an email to rag@iwasdot.com.

As I have mentioned, Jeff and I are on a community task force with the city to develop a vision for Key Highway with immediate focus on the Fire Repair Facility, which the city will be putting up for sale in the coming weeks. At our next meeting I will be updating everyone on the final results of the Task Force Study, which will include the feedback from the community wide meeting held at Digital Harbor High on April 12th. The other large development projects in the neighborhood are progressing as expected. I will continue to give updates at each association meeting as all of these projects move along. Refer to http://www.baltimorehousing.org for all permit/renovation questions. Please contact me with any questions. See you at the meeting.

What is best for the City's future as a whole vs. what is best for a City's specific neighborhood. That is the contentious debate regarding the ongoing increase in development of the City's hot neighborhoods. The City reaps benefits from development including creating a larger tax base; increased national identity to lure more people and businesses to Baltimore to in turn perpetuate development; provide opportunity for more retail and entertainment choices for the citizens of Baltimore including us. However, with this increase in development comes an increase in density and population which brings burdens to the neighborhoods including increased traffic; loss of parking; rising property assessments resulting in increased tax bills; changes in native architecture; and a general change in the face of a neighborhood that people who have lived here for decades love and don't want to see disappear. The question we need to ask ourselves is "Are the sacrifices made by RAG worth making for the benefit of the City as a whole?" Will we see an increase in services (road improvements, increased police presence, etc.) provided by the Government as a result of the increase in tax revenue or will most of this money be spent in other parts of the City? Since we have a liberal City government with a big heart, I would venture to guess no and that it will be spent in parts of the City where poverty is widespread. However, I believe that in a perfect world what benefits the whole City will benefit RAG in the form of a trickle down improvements that may take decades to reach us and only if that revenue is spent wisely in the form of properly improving our employment base and schools: two of the key ingredients needed to foster a community where homes are filled with people with good paying jobs and families who care about their children's futures. I want to believe that the future is bright and we will reap the benefits of this increased development, but I am a naïve idealist and my mindset does not lend to the dealing of the real world all the time. Hopefully this impending development will be done with the City making real efforts at mitigating the harms it will cause RAG in the short term to help us bridge the gap between now and the time when we will all reap the benefits of the bright future I dream of. In the mean time, RAG will continue to work hard to make sure the City develops smartly and is sensitive to our needs and concerns.

Did you know that Baltimore City's Southern District, which RAG is a part of, is home to approximately 80,000 residents? And all 80,000 of us share the same resource - the Southern District police. So when you join many of the district-wide Citizen's on Patrol (COP) walks you make 80,000 of us safer by preventing crimes of opportunity. And since the weather is getting warmer now is the perfect time to attend one of these upcoming walks: Thursday, April 28th at 7pm - OTTERBEIN - Meet at the Otterbein swim club parking lot / Monday, May 2nd at 7pm - CURTIS BAY - Meet at the Curtis Bay Recreation Center / Monday, May 9th at 7pm - CHERRY HILL - Meet at Cherry Dale complex / Wednesday, May 11th at 7pm - SOUTH BALTIMORE - Meet at the corner of Charles St. and Fort Ave. / Monday, May 16th at 7pm - CHERRY HILL - Meet at the Cherry Hill Shopping Center on Cherry Hill Road / Friday, May 20th at 7pm - RIVERSIDE - Meet at the Riverside Park gazebo, 300 blk of Randall Street. Remember these walks also give you a great opportunity to speak with the police about specific concerns so please take advantage of this time.

A Special Plea to Dog Owners: Spring is finally here, and FORP is working on some exciting warm-weather activities. We are planning 4 summer concerts, and we're working closely with the Department of Recreation and Parks to have a successful season with the pool staff and patrons. The concerts will take place in front of the pool house, with seating on the hill around the gazebo. Also, the Riverside Ave and & Heath Street paths is main entrances to the pool during the day. We need your help! FORP asks all dog owners to start using the spacious fields south and east of the pool house; not the lowest fields used for softball and soccer, but the ones between there and the pool and along Covington. If the dogs move to other fields, we will accomplish many things: give the northern hills time to sprout grass for the lawn concerts, give families and kids quiet access to the pool, keep the police and dog control from getting complaints. So, please, pack a bottle of water with the ball or Frisbee, and move on south for "doggie play time." Our park has become incredibly popular, and there is room for everyone, but not everyone loves dogs. Let's make sure the ball players, the playground kids, and the pool patrons can get to their destinations without going through an obstacle course of dogs. Thank you for your help; it's going to be a great summer.

If you weren't able to attend the Key Highway proposal meeting last week we have have a copy of the presentation online
This is a large file at almost 5 megs so it make take some time to download. Please feel free to pass your comments on to Jeff at Ragsobo@yahoo.com or to add your comments to this post below.

Dear RAG Members,

We are about to face a critical juncture in our neighborhood. The face of Key Highway along the waterfront is about to change dramatically. Ann and I have been meeting at regular planning sessions with Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), The Planning Department, Federal Hill South, Key Highway Community Association, Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, General Ship Repair, Little Havana and local developers who are interested in buying the Fire Maintenance Shop from the City through BDC.

The Planning Department will present new recommendations for future development for Key Highway on Tuesday April 12th at the Digital Harbor High from 7:00PM to 9:00 pm.

Google has just added Satellite images to its google maps. This is a link the the corner or Randall and Belt where we have our meetings. Try zooming in, then click on the map and move the mouse.

This years Kinetic Races are fast aproaching. This is a really fun event to follow. This year the race will be on April 30th. The race travels through the heart of our neighourhood. It starts at the American Visionary Art Museum, then up to Federal Hill Park. They then work their way round to the Canton Waterfront for a quick dip in the water. Then up to Paterson Park for the obstacle Course, back to Key Highway to the Museum of Industry for an other dip in the water. Then finally back to the American Visionary Art Museum. The Full SpectatorsGuide is at http://www.kineticbaltimore.com/KSR/SpectatorsGuide.asp

If you have a bike then I would recommend using that to follow the race.

Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art. Each May, Kinetic Sculptures from the eastern United States convene at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) on Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the East Coast Championship race. A few weeks later, the World Championships are held in Arcata, California. Folks have been racing in California since 1969, when a Ferndale artist named Hobart Brown made a few "artistic improvements" to his son's tricycle, and a friendly wager led to a race among weird sculptures, and the concept has been spreading ever since. In 1999, the first Kinetic Sculpture Race (KSR) was held in Baltimore, sponsored by AVAM.

If you would like to volunteer please attend both meetings, Wednesday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 6:30pm at the AVAM. To see some photos from last years event have a look at at Projectphotos.com