PublisherCouncilman Nick J. Mosby

Editor-in-ChiefCandance L. Greene

Guest ContributorAlexandria Hemphill

Special ContributorsEli Pousson, Baltimore Heritage

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

Brian Rayford, M5signs.com

PhotographyCarde Cornish

Copy EditorHarbinger Communications

Alexandria Hemphill

Art DirectionChris Thomas, PeculiarGFX.com

The SEVENth District Magazine is a Baltimore City 7th District quarterly

publication. To receive a copy of SEVEN, request writers guidelines, or to

send letters to the Editor,Send emails to

Candance.Greene@baltimorecity.gov Or send mail to:

The SEVENth District MagazineOffice of Councilman Nick J. Mosby

Baltimore City Council, District 7100 N. Holliday Street, Room 513

Baltimore, MD 21202

© 2013 All rights reserved.All articles, except those identified as having

their own authors, are property of The SEVENth District Magazine and cannot be reproduced

without written permission.

7th District Family,It is impossible to ignore the violence that has erupted in our city, specifically in our District. We can continue to push our leaders, as well as the Police Department, to develop creative tactics and operational procedures to help curtail violence. It is also a call to action for every citizen, community association, church and community stakeholder to understand that collectively we can create change on our corners, our streets and in our neighborhoods.

Since April, we have partnered with the Baltimore City Police Department, community members and clergy throughout the District for the Enough Is Enough Peace Rally (page 10). Every Friday night, we target “hot zones” in West Baltimore that have seen a heightened level of crime, murder and violence, to show our presence and to say enough is enough. I encourage you to join me every Friday evening from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. in various locations throughout West Baltimore. The work we do now will help to sustain Baltimore for the future, creating a stable place for our youth to grow and thrive.

In the Summer Issue of The SEVENth District Magazine, we take a moment to go behind the camera with Carde Cornish, a photographer from West Baltimore with a creative and innovative photographic vision (page 9). His works is extraordinary, and I know his future in photography is bright.

We also take a moment to feature what I believe is the gem of Baltimore—Druid Hill Park (page 5). The park is a place for recreation, an oasis for nature enthusiasts, and a hub for social change. So much rich history surrounds Druid Hill Park, including the Howard P. Rawlings Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest conservatories in the country; the beautiful Druid Park and boat lakes; and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, which is the third oldest zoo in the country. More than that, Druid Hill Park is the bridge between the diverse neighborhoods in the 7th District, the link to community development and the elimination of blight. Druid Hill Park is the hub of Baltimore.

I ask that you enjoy this particular issue, and that you continue to follow us in the office. My staff and I honored to work hard for you.

Sincerely,

Nick J. MosbyCouncilman, District No. 7

@councilmanmosby

Councilman Nick J. Mosby

Councilman Nick J. Mosby

www.issuu.com/SEVENthmag

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LEGAL PROBLEMS & SERVICESConsumer Protection Legal Aid for Elderly Better Business Bureau 410.528.8662 410.396.1322 410.347.3990

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Department Parking Ticketsof Transportation 410.545.6942410.396.6802

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Public Assistance Emergency 443.423.6300

M a p s &Resources

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Table of ContentsI s s u e 5 • S u m m e r 2 0 1 3

PAGE 5Druid Hill Park: A Walk Through History Guest Contributor, Alexandria Hemphill, takes us on a journey through “Baltimore’s gem” Druid Hill Park

PAGE 9Behind the LensSpotlight on up-and-coming photographer Carde Cornish

PAGE 127th District RoundupCouncilman Mosby shares what he has accomplished for you this fiscal year

PAGE 10Walking for Change

An initiative created to walk and pray for peace, the Enough Is Enough Peace Rally continues to

bring hope to Baltimore communites

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If the fields could talk, they would share stories about the things and people they have seen. Aside from its obvious beauty, the land of the park whispers untold legends that didn’t quite make it into the pages of Baltimore’s history. Every step of the way there’s a new story to be told.

Let’s go back to the year 1720. Before the land actually became a park, it was a vast estate known as Rogers Plantation that belonged to an English immigrant named Nicholas Rogers II. On this land, he raised a family and left a legacy of descendants that would grow to shape the land.

After Nicholas Rogers II’s death, his son, Nicholas Rogers III, managed the plantation. He became a successful businessman while his sister, Eleanor Rogers, married a young Scottish doctor named George Buchanan. George’s marriage to Eleanor entitled him to her very large inheritance: an additional 200 acres of land. With that, the Buchanan and Rogers families were united under the estate.

With Baltimore springing up around them, the Buchanans helped the city take shape while also expanding their own property which became known as Auchentorlie. Sound familiar? Today part of Reservoir Hill is known as Achentoroly Terrace. This is an area that faces the park and literally has its own history in its own backyard.

Let’s fast forward to the mid-1800’s. Rogers Plantation, now a fully functional residence, was maintained by slaves that lived on the property. Strict orders mandated that the slaves were never to be sold, however, the owner of the estate, a descendant and namesake of Nicholas Rogers, freed them some 50 years before the Civil War began.

It wasn’t until 1860 that Rogers Plantation was established as Druid Hill Park. The land was purchased by a man named

If the Fields could talk...

Thomas Swann, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and the Mayor of Baltimore at the time. With that, the land that comprises Baltimore’s own “Central Park” officially became property of Baltimore City.

Sixty years later, Druid Hill Park opens its first public pools, however, over the next 30 years, a great debate about Pools No. 1 and 2 ensues. Pool No. 1 is an example of the separation of society as it is a pool that excludes blacks. Areas such as Roland Park and Meadowbrook have established pools that require memberships. But their signs that read “Members Only” serve as euphemisms for “Whites Only”. As the fight for equality rages on, however, Druid Hill Park finally opens a second pool, the historic “Pool No. 2” or “Colored Pool” that became a reminder of the racial strife of the times.

By now the Park has seen one civil war, two world wars, and the Vietnam War is currently underway.It’s 1969 and the recent Civil Rights Movement is currently driving a heightened racial awareness among Americans. Baltimore’s newspapers are careful to record the goings on of both the black and white communities. In 1969 a mysterious story about a woman named Shirley Parker appeared in the Baltimore Sun, recounting her mysterious death when she was found on top of the reservoir. Indeed there have been plenty of stories about the Park that we may not know but every event has made its imprint on the omnipresent grounds of the Park. Although time has a way of blurring history, Druid Hill Park offers visitors a 20/20 view of the past, the good, the bad, and even the sad, as it chronicles Baltimore’s history.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

Photo courtesy of Carde Cornish Photography

Photo courtesy of Carde Cornish Photography

Photo courtesy of Carde Cornish Photography

Photo co Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

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Today the land still holds the history of the past in its bosom. The Mansion House still stands, the Reservoir continues to attract visitors from around the city to its side and there is a stained glass picture next to the Conservatory that commemorates African American Baltimoreans’ fight for Pool No. 2.

The two major cemeteries of Druid Hill Park mark the resting places of the Buchanan-Rogers legacy, and these cemeteries have become a point of interest for historians throughout the city. Along with the cemetery, the entire park must not be forgotten and we must make our own mark on the park’s history. How can this generation add to the Druid Hill Park’s great history? The answer is simple: we are its visitors, its protectors, and its maintainers. We become its history and we are its legacy.

Carde Cornish is one of the best photographers in Baltimore. If you took one look at his portfolio and you would think he’s been practicing photography for years, but that’s not the case. He “picked up photography” one day about three years ago after meeting a photojournalist at an event and has never looked back. This 22-year-old West Baltimore native is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, and was trained in their Recording Arts, Media and Production (R.A.M.P.) Program. Headed by, Dr. Lynn Patterson, the program has earned a reputation for creating some of the most talented and creative students in Baltimore. “I learned all of the basics of photography in the program,” says Cornish.

Walk around Baltimore and you will learn that most people already know Carde’s name. Kids at the skatepark in Hampden, roller derby players at the Charm City Roller Girls rink and even business owners on Pennsylvania Avenue are familiar with not only his photography, but also his work ethic. But he wasn’t always on the straight and narrow path. Like too many West Baltimore youth, Cornish dabbled on the other side of the tracks before he made a conscious decision to do something with his life. “I had no excuses for what I was choosing to do,” says Cornish. “One day, I looked around at my friends, and wondered why we were all content to waste our lives.” From that moment on, Cornish decided to steer his life a different direction.

Last summer, Carde caught the eye of Councilman Mosby who brought him on board as the 7th District Office’s photographer. “He has a vision that is extraordinary,” says Councilman Mosby. “But it’s his personality, his way with people makes them comfortable being in front of his camera.” Carde, now photographer and Social Media Content Specialist for Druid Heights Community Development Corporation and avid biker and skateboarder, can be found everywhere: taking pictures on rooftops, hopping on parade floats, at state dinners in Annapolis and even photographing the President of the United States. This young photographer has a very bright future ahead of him.

Photo Courtesy of Brian Rayford, M5signs.com

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Friday, June 29th. A crowd of over 200 descended upon the neighborhood of “Chocolate City”. Located in deep in West Baltimore, it is a neighborhood notorious for violent activity. That night, residents of Chocolate City were surprised when 200 strangers stopped in their cul-de-sac to sing, offer words of encouragement and to pray with them. This is a glimpse into the Enough Is Enough Peace Rally.

In March, a spike in violence in West Baltimore sparked fear in its residents. “For the first time since taking

office, seniors, mothers and concerned citizens began to call my office to say they were afraid to go outside,” says Mosby. In response to that fear, Councilman Mosby and Marilyn Mosby, Esq. partnered with Lt. Col. Melvin Russell and the Baltimore City Police Department, 7th District clergy and community leaders to begin walking in areas that had experienced major instances of crime.

“The first Enough Is Enough Peace Rally was on Friday, April 12th,” says Councilman Mosby. “About 50 people met us on the corner of North and Fulton Avenues and walked in torrential rain because they believed in what we were doing.” Since then, the Mosbys have walked in West Baltimore and Cherry Hill with over 200 clergy and community stakeholders each week, and lives—from small children that stop playing street ball to join the walk, to adults that get up from their stoops to join in—have been impacted.

Since the beginning of summer, the crime spree in Baltimore has exploded. People, ordinary citizens, organized groups and community associations, members of clergy and even the Mayor have either begun or are participating in neighborhood walks. When citizens in Boston experienced a spike in crime, their elected representative, Councillor Tito Jackson, contacted Councilman Mosby’s office to learn more about the initiative. He led his first Enough Is Enough Boston Peace Rally in Roxbury in mid-July.

Though many believe walking does nothing to solve the problem, others disagree. Come to one of the Enough Is Enough Peace Rally walks and you will see why we continue to do this,” says Councilman Mosby. “Our presence is necessary and is needed. Individually we can do great things, but collectively, we can create change!”

The Enough Is Enough Peace Rally meets every Friday from 7-8pm for the Enough Is Enough Peace Rally. Locations vary from week to week. Contact Candance.Greene@Baltimorecity.gov or call 410.396.4810 for more information.

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The past fiscal year has been eventful for the 7th District. From his work to bring City Year to Baltimore, to the expansion of the One Piece Campaign, Councilman Mosby is working hard to make our District better.

State Support for the Liquor OrdinanceThe Liquor Ordinance prohibits youth under the age of 21 from entering liquor stores without a parent to purchase food and merchandise. This Ordinance officially became law in June 2012. In February, Councilman Mosby testified before the Economic Matters Committee in Annapolis about the importance of the Liquor Ordinance.

One PieceThis past year, One Piece expanded to South Baltimore, Greek Town, the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch of the Enoch Pratt Library and youth groups throughout West Baltimore. One Piece also partnered with Zero Litter, another anti-litter campaign, to host a “trash mob”/Harlem Shake in West Baltimore, appeared on WJZ-13 Morning Edition’s “Manic Monday” with Marty Bass and sparked a partnership with Mosiac Makers to help beautify parts of the 7th District.

Re-Opening Recreational Centers:Councilman Mosby re-open two recreational centers in the 7th District that were closed by the city. The Councilman was able to win a$375,000 grant, distributed annually, to re-open the Parkview Recreational Center to house Safe Streets West Baltimore, an organization that moved to the westside to help combat crime. In January, the Omega Baltimore Foundation re-opened the Easterwood Recreational

Center for the Easterwood Center. “These types of community partnerships will help us renew and grow strong and sustainable communities for the future,” says Councilman Mosby. Over the summer, basketball courts at the Easterwood Recreational Center were refurbished by the NBA and Under Armour.

City YearCity Year is a nonprofit organization that encourages students to get excited about learning and to stay on the track to graduation and success. It has created a process to help identify students at risk of dropping out, and then to encourage them to remain in school. This spring, Councilman Mosby took a delegation of principals to New York City to see City Year in action.

MentoringCouncilman Mosby spent a large amount of time connecting with Baltimore’s youth. In October, he took over 800 elementary school kids to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, many of which had never visited the zoo. Throughout the year, he could be found speaking at various schools and youth organizations in the District, as well as conducting monthly mentoring sessions at A.C.C.E., Baltimore Civitas High School, Coppin Academy and the Juvenile Justice Center.

Anti-Bullying ConferenceIn 2012, the Councilman Mosby teamed up with Empowering Minds of Maryland’s Youth (EMMY) to co-host the 3rd Annual Bullying Conference. Hosted at Coppin State University, the 3rd Annual Bullying Conference promoted awareness of bullying in school and via social media, as well as provided strategies for youth and adults to participate in bullying prevention. “This is one of the most important topics for today’s youth that must be addressed by the entire community,” says Councilman Mosby. “I am happy to partner with Empowering Minds of Maryland’s Youth and Coppin State University to bring more awareness to the topic, and to work with community members and youth to find creative ways to combat it.”

Historical Landmark Status for Frederick Douglass High School The two locations of Frederick Douglass High School (the original location on Calhoun and Baker Streets, and the current location on Gwynns Falls) have become historical landmarks in Baltimore. 2013 marks the 130th Anniversary for that was the first high school for African Americans in Baltimore. Since its inception, Frederick Douglass been canonized as not only a hallmark of Baltimorean education, but also a location of historical excellence.

Urban Farming in West BaltimoreStrength to Love Farm is Sandtown-Winchester’s crown jewel. Spearheaded in 2011 by Elder C.W. Harris, pastor of Newborn Community of Faith Church, the farm was created as a means to combat violence and promote healthy living. Managed by Will Long and a team of urban farmers, Strength to Love Farm has already begun to distribute produce to area restaurants and stores with the goal of a weekly market stand from which produce will be sold on Lorman Street.

Bon Secours Hospital/West Baltimore Primary Care Access Collaborative Health Empowerment ZoneCouncilman Mosby was part of a collaborative that was able to secure a Health Enterprize Zone grant for the West Baltmore Primary Care Access Collaborative. The grant will address care coordination, education and outreach, and primary care capacity for patients in West Baltimore.

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All over the country, kids are encouraged to get up, get out and get active. First Lady Michelle Obama has been instrumental in her efforts to get kids excited about fitness. With her Let’s Move! Campaign, she has made childhood fitness her number one priority. When the Let’s Move! Campaign first started, it was only limited to certain areas, so she decided to implement a plan to extend the program across the country. That plan is called Let’s Move! Cities,

Towns and Counties.Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) allows governmental leaders to be part of the campaign. Councilman Nick Mosby joined LMCTC with the goal of providing youth more opportunities to engage in physical activity. He represents Baltimore as one of 330 cities, towns and counties representatives that are taking part in this movement. Within the 7th District, the Councilman has facilitated several events that have weekly physical activities at elementary schools throughout the 7th District. With his involvement in this project, Councilman Mosby is keeping the adults of tomorrow in mind as he works for their benefit today.

On July 10, 2013, Councilman Mosby was invited to attend the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties Anniversary celebration at the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama. Governmental officials from around the country attended the event. “It’s about people all across the country coming together to take action to support the health of our kids,” says First Lady Obama. “You are all at the forefront of this work, and we need you to continue to lead the way as we work to end our country’s epidemic of childhood obesity. If we continue to make progress on this issue and we keep working together, I know we will be able to give our kids the bright and health futures they deserve.” For more information about Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties, visit http://www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org

Photographed from l to r: Leon Andrews, Program Director of Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties

Sam Kass, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and Senior Policy Advisor on Nutrition at the White House

Councilman Mosby

Clarence Anthony, Executive Director, National League of Cities

Councilman Mosby Joins the Let’s Move!

Initiative

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