Baltimore City Zoning Board has officially adopted the guidelines for renovations of homes. The zoning board will be using these guidelines at the hearings for variances. The Association encourages all homeowners to design their plans based on these guidelines. They are available for review from the city. As of our print deadline, I did not have my copy, so I will post them in next month’s newsletter. Refer to http://www.baltimorehousing.org for all permit/renovation questions. Please contact me with any questions. See you at the meeting.

While RAG has voted angled parking in on the association level, its implementation will be put on hold due to a present lack of people willing to get the signatures. Angled parking will not happen in 2005. As it becomes a more pressing issue, as I'm sure it will be, then RAG will re-visit this.

On a personal note I want to state my feelings about the process and what has transpired. I was sad to see that a few individuals were rude and even intimidating to those volunteers working for RAG to support this program. I firmly believe that angled parking will contribute to increase safety in two ways: (1) By slowing down the driving speed of the cars on the reconfigured streets and (2) By providing more spaces that may decrease the chance that people coming home late at night will have to take a long solo walk on nighttime (i.e. more dangerous) City streets. I also firmly disagree that angled parking hurts the look of the streets as evident by Covington Street. Being rude and intimidating to neighbors that have opposite views of yours isn't neighborly. The process was set by City guidelines and a simple yes or no vote should have been appropriate. That is your right as a homeowner, one vote. I look forward to the day when we can discuss such contentious issues in a more civil and constructive manner.

I love this neighborhood. I can walk down to Captain Larry’s and leave a stack of zoning requests from the City with the bartender at 6:00 PM knowing that he will give them to Ann to have for her development meeting at 6:30 at the bar. My neighbor owns a tile store and he brings me home samples to look at in my house. My next door neighbor has a key to my house and comes over at lunch time to let our dog out to go to the bathroom. I can show up at Riverside Park on any given Saturday at 3:00 PM and I know I can play soccer. I can buy a milkshake and get my haircut in the same place. I can do all of this because I live here. I didn’t grow up in the 1950’s, but I heard the stories: “People knew their neighbors back then.” “You could count on each other back then.” “Life was simpler back then.” Maybe so, but back then sure sounds a lot like what I get to enjoy now 95% of the time.

Despite the pending changes that will result from more redevelopment of industrial properties, more 3rd story additions and more gentrification. I also see more families deciding to stay in the City. I see more children going to the local schools. I see more parents getting involved in the PTA and in their children’s education. I see a bright future for our neighborhood. Keep up your diligence and know that the flavor and spice that is good and safe City living is and will always be exponentially better than the plastic, safe of the surrounding suburbs. It’s a joy we all know that only City living can give us and its worth fighting for. Jeff

Despite the rain, snow, and cold, frosty wind that 2005 has brought, the Friends of Riverside Park have been very busy. In January we installed 5 dog-bag boxes. Grateful thanks for the generous contributions of various neighbors and Anne Millman's ingenious idea. The containers are black metal mailboxes attached to light posts through-out the park. Please feel free to use the bags in them and, especially, contribute bags to them. If you don't go into the park, but you save newspaper, grocery or any plastic bags, bring them to the RAG meeting. We'll stuff them in the dog-bag boxes and make sure they get used to keep the park clean.

Another activity keeping us busy is applying for many grants for a variety of projects. If we are successful, the park will continue to receive new landscaped gardens and trees around the perimeter. Keep your fingers crossed! See you in the park.

Also, Friends of Riverside Park is now accepting donations to rebuild the playground! Crime & vandalism will not rule our neighborhood! Checks may be made out to “Friends of Riverside Park” and dropped off at Captain Larry’s (601 E. Fort Ave) as well as Little Havana (1325 Key Hwy). Any donation, be it large or small will help! Please help us make a difference & contribute what you can! This park is a gem and we are lucky to have it at our disposal! HELP REBUILD THE PLAYGROUND – DONATE TODAY!

Dear Community,



On February 11, 2005 at approximately 2:00 the Riverside Park Playground was set on
fire and has been significantly damaged. The police say it is difficult to prosecute
for arson unless they come up with an eye witness. The Major, Dept. Major and Sgt.
Proctor have already been notified.



The playground is more than just plastic and steel, it’s a place where children play
and memories are made. It’s a magnet of youth and vitality. Maybe I am being a bit
melodramatic, but nothing is lower and more despicable than hurting our children
either directly or indirectly which is what this person did by ruining our
playground.



Who ever did this is going to brag about it to someone. Be it a classmate if they
are in school, a buddy, a bartender, a family member so on and so forth. If you
hear ANYTHING at all you have a civil duty to call the police. If you want to be
anonymous, use your crime watch number. If you actually saw the crime being
committed, then we need you to step forward and do the right thing. I am beside
myself with anger right now hearing the message that this cretin has said to each
and every one of you good, honest, law abiding people. This needs to stop. It was
not done out of need such as stealing money or goods to support a drug habit for
example, but rather out of hate and spite. Hate and spite don’t belong here.



Please spread the word to neighborhood leaders, parents, teachers, business owners
and children. We need to find this person and send a message to the people who want
to hurt us that we are no longer going to stand for this behavior.



If you needed a reason to attending tonight’s crime walk, its starts of all places
at Riverside Park. Come out in force to show everyone that we are not going to take
this standing down. 7:00 PM. This is why we do this.



Jeff Ratnow

President

Riverside Action Group

Major Bealefeld will be at the January RAG meeting to give us a “State of the District” address. He will discuss in detail 2004 crime stats, trouble spots (theft from auto!) and his 2005 goals for our area in terms of crime reduction and citizen involvement. This is going to be a very informative presentation and we are encouraged to ask questions so please attend the January meeting.

As mentioned above, theft from auto continues to be our number one reported crime. Criminals come to our area because we have made it a target rich environment. On every COP walk we notice car after car filled with items (portable CD players, golf clubs, clothes, laptops, etc.). Since thieves know we are still leaving things in our cars, they will continue to come and break into them. So please remove all items from your car! Another concern is the safety of people leaving the Cross Street area at night.

Several recent events have been a sober reminder that we need to walk together at night and to be aware of our surroundings. Myself and other peninsula crime chairmen plan to meet with several of the bars in the Cross Street area to see how we can work together in order to make that area safe for bar patrons and neighbors. Lastly, COP walks are still going on strong in large part due to you. Members of our neighborhood have attended every single walk, walks that even occurred in Curtis Bay and on weekend nights. The dedication shown by our community sends a very strong message of support to the police and other neighborhoods in the district. So thank you for making the Southern District Citizen’s on Patrol a success. For information on the next scheduled walk please email me at sullivansox at yahoo.com so I can send you crime notes and upcoming COP walk updates

Noise measurements were initiated the weekend of December 18-19, but were aborted mid-day Sunday when rain was experienced followed by high winds in the evening.

Final measurement location selection consisted of: Covington and Belt (two positions) and Jackson (two positions). Measurements at the end of Webster St. were considered impractical since ongoing residential construction is likely to interfere with daytime measurements and will prevent access for nighttime measurements.

An automated weather station was set up on the CSX property and recorded conditions throughout the testing. An untended noise monitor was installed in the Belt St. residential area. The monitor continuously recorded sound levels from 1 PM Saturday through about 12 M Sunday.

Two sets of attended, roving measurements were obtained at the five locations between about 1:15-5:00 PM on Saturday. No MARC locomotive movements were observed during the Saturday survey. Locomotive placement also appeared unchanged on Sunday.

Inspection of the yard on Sunday found five operating MARC locomotives and one CSX unit in the vicinity of the community. Their positions were located via GPS survey. Resumed testing is tentatively scheduled for 15 January 2005.

Did you know that Baltimore City has a fantastic website?

Index choices include information about neighborhoods, city services, government, and the Mayor’s Office, just to name a few.

You can download property tax information, find out what your day of the week is for trash pick up & recycling (& bulk pick up too!).

You can read about Inaugural remarks made by Mayor Martin O’Malley, learn the Department of Public Works recommendations for cold weather, find schedules and locations for flu shots and also learn about Baltimore’s population.

There is also a 24/7 contractor and homeowner’s resource page, holiday calendars, rat rub out information and much more! Log on today at http://www.baltimorecity.gov

Needed: Co-Chair! I will be traveling a lot over the next 4-5 months, and I'm soliciting the association for a co- chairperson to help run the meetings while I'm traveling. If you have any interest, see Jeff at the RAG meeting or call me (Farid) at 301-490-4007 x113!

The momentum on the angled parking program has slowed down, as connecting to the last 40% of homeowners on the targeted streets is taking longer than expected. One way to get this moved more quickly is with increased help! If you'd be kind enough to spend a few hours helping out, let me know (number is listed above).

The committee will be meeting before the January RAG meeting, so we'll have a parking initiative update for everyone then.