School 33 Art Center announces a volunteer opportunity for our neighbors in South Baltimore. As active participants in this year’s Artscape, School 33 is organizing art workshops for the 2000+ children expected to attend the July 22-24th event. Help with preparation for the July event is needed to cut construction paper and cardboard. The Artscape preparation will take place at School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light Street on Friday May 6th from 6pm-8pm, Saturday June 4th from 10am-noon and Saturday July 16th from 10am-noon. Please call 410-396-4641 or email jkauffman@promotionandarts.com if interested in volunteering or for more information.

I have bad news for you all. Yes, I know we hate hearing bad news, but it is my duty to inform you of such grave and terrible occurrences. Brace yourself...We have been discovered. The Baltimore Sun has done a full story on Riverside Community. Whether it has been published by the time you read this newsletter is unknown, so if not, please be forewarned. The cat will be out of the bag revealing to the Sun readership what we already know. We live in the best neighborhood in the City. I hope you enjoy the article; I take great pride in showing off to everyone what we have and loved being able to brag about Riverside to the entire Baltimore Area. That being said, we have a wave of development heading our way and will be keeping an eye on things as they progress. Times are changing and we will be the ones to manage the change in a way that makes our community stronger, even if it begins to look a little different than what we are used to.

Anyone make a better snowman than me? Post links to the site or email the photos to me and I will put them online.
Remember to clean the snow from the front of you house and help any neighbours who might not be able to do it on their own.

You may have noticed that the last few editions of the newsletter have been missing the “summary from our last meeting” introduction. This is because our esteemed secretary, Farid Salloum, who does a great job, has been traveling on business. We are in need of a “back up secretary”. This could be someone who co-ordinates with Farid on which meetings he can or can not make and then takes notes in his absence. Many of the topics are covered by our various sub-committees such as “Development”, “Crime”, and “Friends of Riverside Park”. We really just need someone to fill in any gaps. If you are interested, please approach us at the next RAG meeting & let us know. We’d be more than happy to have your help!

Pipes and utility meters can freeze when the temperature remains below 25 degrees for extended periods of time. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works offers the following tips to help protect water lines during periods of cold weather:
• Let a thin stream of cold water run from a basement faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow, about the thickness of a pencil. This water can be caught in a bucket or pail to be recycled later as laundry or dish water.
• If your pipe is frozen, gently warm it with hot air from a blow dryer at the point where it enters your house.
Be sure you know the location of the water shutoff valve in your home. Check it periodically to ensure it works properly.
• Periodically monitor your sump pump. A frozen drain pipe could result in a flooded basement.
• Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your house. Be especially alert if you have had frozen pipes in the past.
• Keep bottled water on hand.
ADDITIONAL COLD WEATHER TIPS CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR DPW CALENDAR, The Department of Public Works maintains outdoor water lines up to and including the meter. Water lines running from the meter to the house, as well as internal plumbing, are the responsibility of the property owner. For water emergencies in Baltimore City, please call 311. If you are outside the City, but in our service area, please call 410-396-5352.

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

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

The Friends of Baltimore Animal Shelter (fobas) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization working to improving the lives of the city's unwanted, abused & stray animals.

Nearly 20,000 homeless animals are received each year at the Baltimore animal shelter (near the RAVENS stadium).

Because the city's resources are limited, fobas volunteers provide the shelter with financial support, much needed supplies, facility improvements, outreach programs & education to help care for these animals & find them new homes.

In order to raise money to support the shelter, fobas has published a beautiful, full color wall calendar for 2005 featuring the Baltimore RAVENS & their dogs!!!!!!!!

Cost of the calendar is $21 on line, 100% of which goes to fobas and the shelter.

The calendar makes a fantastic Holiday gift for that special RAVEN fan!!!!

It’s the perfect present – with your purchase of a calendar you’re helping support the shelter, providing a better, healthier, happier environment for the animals AND you get a full year of the RAVENS!!!

You can order through the website at http://www.fobas.org or call 1-866-862-3030 for more information

To continue the trend of being a source of information to help you take care of your neighborhood, we are happy to announce the creation of our very own website (http://rag.iwasdot.com/index.php).

A million thanks to Ian Macdonald for setting this up for us. The site has just been born, so please take the time to visit it and provide us with as much feedback as to what you like, and don't like about it. It was created for you and will evolve as we learn what works andwhat doesn't.

We will post updates on projects that our committee heads are working one, schedule meeting dates and events on the schedule page, post "breaking news", provide links and important phone numbers, just to name a few items that will be part of the site.

We hope to move this site to a new hosting server so we don't burden Ian's personal account. To raise funds for this effort, we are going to solicit advertising from our local business owners. All the local business owners who are reading this newsletter, if you are not already advertising with RAG, this is your chance to jump on board. There are a lot of people who live in our boundaries who want to patronize your business and use your services. They just don't know what you have to offer, and now you have the tool. Rates are very affordable and the payoff could be huge. Also, you will be helping us while helping yourself, the perfect symbiotic relationship.