Sit down a spell. That can wait.

I'd like to invite anyone who's interested to join me in forming the Professional Porch Sitters Union Local 1924.

From their own description:

Professional Porch Sitters (PPS) is an informal organization with a large and growing grassroots membership. To become a member you simply need to say you are a member and agree to sit around with friends and neighbors shooting the breeze as often as possible or practical. Preferably on a porch but that's not critical. There are no dues, no membership requirements, no mailings, no agenda, no committees, no worries. PPS believes that the radical act of sitting around sharing stories with no specific agenda is critical to building sustainable communities.

Television and air-conditioning have moved far too many people off their porches and into their homes where they quickly become isolated from their communities. We believe that sometimes the most effective course of action is to sit down and relax while sipping lemonade and sharing stories.

PPS only has one rule but it's more like a suggestion. “Sit down a spell. That can wait.”

Starting your own chapter of PPS is simple. You simply declare yourself a local chapter, pick a number to represent your Local Chapter identity and then sit back with friends and neighbors to celebrate with an interesting story or two. Meetings can be called at any time by any member and attendance is optional. You are invited to communicate with PPS Headquarters but that is voluntary since no records are kept. PPS was founded on a porch in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999 but many additional chapters have been founded since then. Perhaps your chapter will be next.

We would love to hear from you if you start up a chapter, but don't sweat it if you don't.

Primary results: Same 'ol, same 'ol

I know a lot of people are simply disillusioned by the current state of politics in Baltimore, but come on people! A 28% voter turnout?! This is not only shameful, but also counterproductive. In the end we have the status quo: Dixon, Rawlings, and Curran.

When I went to our polling place (the Firehouse) at 6 p.m. there was only one other person voting. I asked how the turnout had been: about 215 people all day. This when I hear from fellow citizens how awful they think Dixon is, or how we need an activist like Sarbanes to stand up to her and the O'Malley machine. How did you think anything would change if you didn't bother to go vote?

But rather than become disillusioned by these results, I'm looking at the opportunity to give Curran a run for his money and throw my full support behind the Green Party candidate, Bill Barry. His chances for actually beating Curran in the election? yeah, pretty much nil. But my goal is to give Bobby the message that there are plenty of us out here who are unhappy with him, and that he needs to start serving the entire community. Let's send him the message that we in Westfield need him to respond to our concerns and help us revitalize our neighborhood.

If you're concerned about gangs, prostitutes, empty storefronts, and traffic, please join me in my effort to make Councilman Curran give Westfield a little more attention.

A PATH FOR PEACE

Would anyone from this neighborhood be interested in participating in the Women in Black - Baltimore project sponsoring the sixth annual Peace Path 911 on Tuesday. Everyone who would like to join in and create this Peace Path from the Inner Harbor through Baltimore to the Beltway would be welcome. Since I go home in this direction, I figure an area right there at Kenilworth and Charles. This was originally created to mourn the losses of Sept. 11, to respond to increased U.S. military presence in the Middle East and to confront city violence, WIBB also aims to create a visible path to support its goal -- a world without violence and bloodshed.

The path begins @ 4 p.m. to 6 pm Tuesday, September 11th. For information call 410.467.9114 or e-mail peacepath911@yahoo.com

Come on out, I'll be standing at 83 and Charles Street (near Kenilworth) PEACE & LOVE

Gang activity: What can we do to stop it in our neighborhood?

There's been a lot of discussion in our neighborhood lately about an increase in gang graffiti. I'm not sure if I would know the difference between generic graffiti and gang grafitti if I saw it. Can anyone tell me what gang graffitti has been spotted?

I found some general information about gangs that might be useful at this University of Maryland site. The sites says:

Report non-emergency information about gangs to the Baltimore City Intelligence Watch Center at 1-888-223-0033.

This would be absolutely horrible if gangs see our neighborhood as an easy place to claim as their territory. But if we don't react to their initial sitings (or markings) I'm sure that's just what they'll do.

Don't forget ...

There's a neighborhood association meeting on Tuesday September 4th at 7:30 pm.

If you want change, you have to be a part of it ....

Wandering the Wilds of Westfield

I was so pleased to see a fox in my backyard early this morning. I used to see one, and in fact I think there was a fox family, before the developer got his crazy idea last year of tearing up the vacant lot on Eunice Avenue. I'm sure when his crew was marking the lot and tramping around they scared off the foxes.

Foxes are skittish, and are afraid of humans, and this one ran as soon as I opened my back door. Although my dog was incensed at the intruder (ran around the yard with his nose to the ground), I am happy to have a fox around. They keep down the rat population, for one thing. Also, it means we have enough foliage to support wildlife. I have also seen a hawk many times, and a blue heron sometimes cruises overhead. (He's probably eyeing the fish and frogs in my pond!)

So if you see the fox, just pause for a moment and observe the beauty and grace of one of God's creatures. And be happy that we live in a neighborhood that is not just concrete and asphalt, but also a little bit of nature.

AUGUST IN WESTFIELD

As hot and humid as it is today, there is something about an early evening thunderstorm in August that draws me outside. There is something about the light in August, something special about the constant chirping sounds of the crickets and the meandering sound of the fading summer locusts. It is such a blanket of peace - an orgy of sound in nature stereo. All of this from our small, screened in back porch looking out on the gracefulness of our grown up trees. This truly is a beautiful evening in the Village of Westfield off The Harford Road, Hon. :)

Street renovations north and south: Why not Westfield?

Although it's been a headache during construction, the new Harford Road sidewalks and median strips from Argonne to Echodale will be quite a facelift for that area. And if you've traveled north on Harford Road, you know that Parkville is also getting the same treatment. There's a story about that plan in the North East Reporter, which states this will be a 2 year project.

All this makes me wonder why we got the short end of the stick here. Did we miss an opportunity somewhere to get a facelift? Was this something WNIA should have been more involved in? The number one neighborhood concern in our blog poll was empty storefronts, and until we upgrade our neighborhood, we're going to have a tough time appealing to new businesses.

Please comment.

If it's dinnertime in Westfield, where can I go?

When it's been a long day and you don't feel like making dinner, where do you like to go? I've become a big fan of Koco's cheeseburgers, and on payday we'll sometimes splurge for the crabcake (which is as big as a softball!).

But we have a lot taverns tucked away along Harford Road, and I wonder if I could get a good cheeseburger even closer to home? After a long commute home, it would be great to walk somewhere for dinner.

We have pizza joints, Thai and Mexican food, and barbecue. What's your favorite? Please leave a comment to share with your neighbors!

Campaign 2008: The 3rd District

The Baltimore City Paper recently ran an interesting piece on the upcoming City Council elections, specifically focusing on the 3rd District and Councilman Curran:

Curran isn't just a three-term councilman who now serves as council vice president. He won the seat vacated by his brother, Martin E. “Mike” Curran, who was appointed after their father, J. Joseph Curran Sr., died in 1977. Curran men have been serving the 3rd District — the northeasternmost district in the city, bordered by York Road, Harford Road, and Sinclair Lane — since 1958.

Yikes! If you're like me, a relative newcomer to Hamilton, the Curran dynasty in our district might be news to you, too. There are actually other candidates running for this seat. And I think even if Curran is heavily favored to be reelected, it's important that he not take our votes for granted.

So take a serious look at the other candidate for the Democratic primary, Michael Hamilton, “a former banker and independent businessman who now teaches special education on a contract with the Baltimore City Public School System. For six years, he served as the president of the Baltimore City Council of Parent-Teacher Associations.”

And also look at Green Party candidate (and Lauraville resident) Bill Barry, who will be running against the winner of the Sept. 11 Democratic primary winner.

I have not heard of any Republican candidates. If you know of one, let us know so we can give them equal press here.

Update: Gallery financing falls through

We've just received word that the gentleman who was going to purchase "Hell Bent for Leather" and put in an art galley and tattoo parlor has not been able to secure financing. That's unfortunate, because it seemed like he had the support of most the community. I know I was hoping that might be a good draw for other creative businesses to take a look at Hamilton.

What do you think?

Great resource for home renovations

A lot of folks in our neighborhood are renovating their homes, knowing that where we live is a real estate bargain. I mean, where else in this area can you find a single family home with a nice sized yard — that you can afford?

But it can get expensive, so you should know about a fantastic local resource for building materials of all kinds. The Loading Dock is a Baltimore nonprofit whose mission is to: increase the supply and use of affordable building materials for housing and community improvement by redirecting landfill-bound, reusable materials into productive use.

For an annual fee of only $10 you'll have access to their warehouse. A sample of what they have in their warehouse includes:

Banisters, Bathtubs, Bi-fold doors, Carpet, Caulk, Ceramic Tile, Cinder blocks, Counter tops, Doors, Door sweeps, Electric lights, Floor covering, Gas stoves, Hardware, Insulation, Kitchen cabinets, Lumber, Marble, Paint, Plumbing fixtures, Roof shingles, Shelving, Sinks, Stairs, Toilets, Vinyl flooring, Wallpaper, Windows.

Have your measurements, bring a measuring tape, and a way to haul away your materials. You'll be amazed at what's available at a fraction of the cost of the big box home improvement stores.

The Loading Dock

2 North Kresson Street

Baltimore, MD 21224

(410) 588-3625

A blast from the past

What the cable companies don't want you to know

It's a little-known fact, but FCC rules require cable companies everywhere to offer a “limited basic” package that includes all the local channels, government access, and educational channels. Here in Baltimore, that includes about 20 channels. It costs only $9.65 per month!

You won't see it advertised anywhere, but I just called Comcast at (410) 649-9000 and asked for the “Limited Basic” package. Of course, they tried to offer me more packages, more channels, but I just said nope, just want it for the reception. And they signed me right up.

So, if you're like me (don't really watch much television, but do like having the ability to when I want to), call Comcast and request “Limited Basic” service.

It's Comcastic ...

Art Gallery coming to our neighborhood?

The discussion at last night's neighborhood association meeting was all about a potential art gallery and tattoo parlor coming to the space at 6425 Harford Road. That address been occupied for many years by Hell Bent for Leather. The owners are selling this property, and have a potential buyer with the gallery/tattoo parlor idea.

Personally, I think it's a great idea. It could bring a funky artistic element to our neighborhood, that is, let's face it, not here now. And if this gallery succeeds, it could entice other artists to move in. Struggling artists are finding it hard to afford the now trendy Hampden and Patterson Park. Could Hamilton be the new Hampden?!

What do you think?