the seventh district magazine winter '12

@councilmanmosby

Councilman Nick J. Mosby


City Services: 3116 a.m.-10 p.m. Every DayAbandoned vehicles, alley repairs, footway repairs, animal control, rats, BGE emergency, Board of Elections, bulk trash, forestry (tree trimming), street lights, potholes, housing complaints, transportation, graffiti removal, snow removal, recycling, storm drain problems, and other city services.

Social Services: 211 Emergency: 911 Sexual Assault/DomesticFirst Call for Help Violence Hotline: www.211md.org 443.279.0379

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

Legal Aid Community Law Center State’s Attorney Office410.539.5340 410.366.0922 410.396.4001

EMPLOYMENTCity Employment Mayor’s Office of Unemployment410.396.3879 or Employment Development 410.767.2116 410.396.3860 410.396.1910

TAXES & BILLSProperty Tax Bills Income Tax, State Income Tax, Federal410.396.3987 410.260.2980 1.800.543.9809

BGE Water Bills410.685.0123 410.396.5398

Youth & Children Women, Infants Child Support EnforcementYouth Works & Children 410.951.8000410.545.1820 410.396.9427

SENIORSCommission on Aging Senior Assisted Housing Eating Together ProgramAnd Retirement 410.396.4932 410.664.0700 410.396.4932

HEALTHHealth Department AIDS Hotline Medical Assistance410.396.4398 1.800.232.4636 1.800.456.8900 410.396.4448

Adolescent Pregnancy Medicare Poison Control Program 1.800.456.8900 1.800.222.1222 410.767.4160

HOUSINGLandlord/Tenant Relations Complaints (inspection) Housing Authority410.243.6007 410.396.4170 410.396.3237

Homeless Services 410.396.3757

COURTSDistrict Courts Juvenile Court Clerk Rent Court (Rent Escrow)410.878.8000 410.263.6310 410.878.8640

Housing Court 410.878.8940

ADDICTIONS, ALCOHOL & DRUGSBaltimore Substance Alcoholics Anonymous Drug Abuse CounselingAbuse System 410.663.1922 410.637.1900 410.637.1900 Alcohol Treatment 410.637.1900

LICENSES & PERMITSBirth and Death Certificates Permit Office Right of Way Permits410.764.3038 410.396.3360 410.396.4508

Marriage License 410.333.3780

TRANSPORTATIONMTA Parking Authority (Garages) Traffic Ticket Information1.800.543.9809 443.573.2800 1.800.492.2656

Department Parking Ticketsof Transportation 410.545.6942410.396.6802

BENEFITSSocial Security Veterans Energy Assistance Program1.800.772.1213 1.800.827.1000 1.800.352.1446

Public Assistance Emergency 443.423.6300

M a p s &Resources

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PublisherCouncilman Nick J. Mosby

Editor-in-ChiefCandance L. Greene

ContributorsEli Lopatin

PhotographyCarde Cornish

Eli Lopatin

Copy EditorHarbinger Communications

Art DirectionChris Thomas, PeculiarGFX.com

The SEVENth District Magazine is a Baltimore City 7th

District quarterly publication. To receive a copy of the SEVENth

District Magazine, request writers guidelines,

or to send letters to the Editor, Email:

[email protected] 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

© 2012 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.

Dear 7th District Family,

I want to take the opportunity to express what an honor and pleasure it has been to do something I’ve always wanted to do: be a public servant in the City of Baltimore. I represent a wonderful District with community members, educators and merchants that are civically engaged, excited about the neighborhoods in which they live, and want to do their part to help the 7th District, and Baltimore as a whole, exceed its potential. I honestly believe the 7th District is a microcosm of the City of Baltimore, and I am blessed to represent such an eclectic range of neighborhoods, organizations, schools and institutions that are such a rich part of the history of Baltimore.

The Winter Issue of The SEVENth District Magazine aims to showcase some of the diverse voices in our District. We share the history of Pennsylvania Avenue and merchants that are working to revitalize the legendary street (page 6); take you for a savory ride into Woodberry Kitchen and let you know why the nation is salivating over this 7th District restaurant (page 9); and learn more about what the 7th District office did to help children in our District (page 11).

As I reflect on my first year, I would be remiss if I did not thank my supportive family, specifically my wife who is always there to support me and to pick up the slack while I am at community meetings and events. She has always been and will always be my rock. I also want to thank my wonderful staff that truly understands that our purpose is to do the work of the people.

This has been a very exciting and challenging year. I have learned a lot, and will move into 2013 with just as much enthusiasm as I had when I took my oath on December 8, 2011. Your 7th District team looks forward to providing you with even better service, and working together to make our District the best in the city of Baltimore.

Sincerely,

Councilman Nick J. Mosby, 7th District

@councilmanmosby



www.issuu.com/SEVENthmag

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FEATURES

06 Pennsylvania Avene: Rediscovered History

09 From the Hearth at Woodberry Kitchen

10 Matthew A. Henson Community: The Voice of Activism

IN EVERY ISSUE

02 7th District Resources

03 The Councilman’s Corner

COVER STORY

05 We Are the 7th

11 7th District Fall Review

Table of ContentsI s s u e 3 • W i n t e r 2 0 1 2

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Like Lenox Avenue in Harlem, Pennsylvania Avenue was the hub of Black Baltimore. It was the place where people came from all over the city to shop, eat, socialize and worship. On this street were specialty stores, dance halls, social clubs, theaters, cabarets, and taverns. Places, like the members-only Sphinx Club, Ike Dixon’s Comedy Club, Alhambra Grill, and The Avenue Bar where celebrities rubbed elbows with regular folk. It was also the home of some of Baltimore’s

most prominent African American doctors, lawyers, educators and merchants.

Pennsylvania Avenue was also one of the major entertainment districts on the East Coast. Throngs of people of all colors waited in long lines for entry into its Royal and Regent Theaters. The Royal Theater, first named the Douglas Theatre, renamed and reopened in 1926, and welcomed the likes of Ethel Waters, Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, Chick Webb, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Louis Jordan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and many others, and quickly became a major stop along the “Chitlin Circuit”. The Regent Theater, after being rebuilt in 1920, was the largest venue on Pennsylvania Avenue, seating over 2,000 patrons who came to see the latest films and performances starring African American actors, featuring stories about African American life.

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Pennsylvania Avenue was not just the place to be entertained. This corridor was the bosom of Baltimore’s Civil Rights Movement where national leaders such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who worked on Pennsylvania Avenue as a child, walked the blocks and spoke in churches.

Though “The Avenue” was a mecca for Black Baltimore, it was not the place where they were empowered to be more than patrons, as many of the stores, shops and clubs, including The Royal Theater, were not black owned. In fact, many of those store owners refused to hire the African American patrons that frequented their establishments. In response, Pennsylvania Avenue patrons and residents took part in the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work Campaign”, a national boycott against white store owners that refused to hire African Americans, as well as other boycotts, sit-ins and marches around the city and state to champion equal rights for

people of color.

In 1968, after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., looters destroyed houses and buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue. This began the corridor’s decline. Desegregation opened doors for more affluent residents to move to other parts of the city, leaving the once-herald corridor in shambles. By the early 1970’s, most of Pennsylvania Avenue’s entertainment and social clubs, including the Regent and Royal Theaters, had either closed, or were demolished.

In 2000, Alvin K. Bruson founded the Center for Cultural Education to educate people about Baltimore’s African American history and culture. As an extension of the organization, he also established the Pennsylvania Avenue Heritage Trail, a walking tour down Pennsylvania and the neighborhoods that made up Old West Baltimore. That same year, Pennsylvania Avenue was designated part of the Baltimore Main Street Program. Citizens then created the

Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Collaborative (PARC) with the goal of revitalizing and “restoring the image” of Pennsylvania Avenue. In 2004, PARC, the Pennsylvania Avenue Committee, the Upton Planning Committee, the Mayor’s Office, and 14 community groups collaborated to erect The Royal Theater Marquis Monument.

Since the erection of Marquis, merchants like James Hamlin of The Avenue Bakery and Eddie Lewis of Hardware Plus, Inc., anchors like the Enoch Pratt Library on the corner of Pennsylvania and North, (read more on page 8), and community members are working together to bring business and pride back to Pennsylvania Avenue.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Avenue Heritage Walking Tour, visit www.pennsylvaniaavenuebaltimore.com.

Photos courtesy of The Maryland Historical Society Henderson Collection, Theater Talks, and Carde Cornish Photography

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In November 2012, the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library hosted a reopening ceremony featuring a variety of guests, all of whom were excited to see what new features had been added to the remodeled location. What was revealed at that grand reopening was a new children’s literacy center, a job and career center, an updated computer lab, new furniture, modern paint job, a beautiful mural of Pennsylvania Avenue and gorgeous artwork. However, what caught the eye of every person in attendance was the touchscreen eReader.

The Enoch Pratt Library has been providing eBooks, nooks and digital audio books for library patrons since 2004, however, with this new eReader, anyone with a library card, smartphone or Sony eReader (which they can borrow from the library), can login to the eLibrary collection and choose what eBooks they

want to download and read at their leisure. The process is simple. You can either visit the library and flip through the virtual collection via the eReader touchscreen console (which you must do just for the experience alone), or download the Overdrive Media Console App from your ITunes App Store or Android Market, find a local library near you, log in your library card number and pin, and then check out any book you’d like.

Librarians at the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch are available for tutorials on how to use both the eReader console and Sony eReader, as well as how to download books on your smartphone. Call 410.396.0399 to schedule an appointment.

Retooling Pennsylvania AvenueHardware Plus, Inc. is a tool man’s dream. Doorknobs, master locks, pipe snakes, duct tape, putty, paint, keys, hammers, lumber, screwdrivers, pliers, nuts, bolts and hundreds of carpenter's nails compartmentalized by size greet you when you walk through the front door.

Owner Eddie Lewis purchased Hardware Plus, Inc. in the mid-1990’s with the idea of selling hardware supplies to neighborhood landlords exclusively. As time passed, he noticed more community members than landlords coming in to purchase items, so he made the wise decision to open to the general public.

In addition to supplying tools for his customers, he also provides opportunities for youth in the community, offering them a job, apprenticeship for any who want to learn, and, more importantly, mentorship for kids needing guidance. “I just want to keep the neighborhood going, give them a little uplift and inspiration to keep them in line.”

Visit Hardware Plus, Inc. at 2211 Pennsylvania Avenue, or call 410.728.4400 to see what items they sell.

You smell it when you walk into the Avenue Bakery, the heavenly scent of mini sweet potato pies, apple walnut raisin muffins, sticky cinnamon buns layered with gooey white glaze, and, of course, Poppay’s white and wheat rolls baking in their large ovens. It is not uncommon to see lines of people waiting for their turn to order, talking about the last time they sank their teeth into the sweet treats. As heavenly as they smell and taste, it is the sense of history, Pennsylvania Avenue history, displayed on the Avenue Bakery’s walls and playing on their television screen, that embrace you the moment you walk in the door.

This bakery can’t help but to be successful because it is owned by James Hamlin, master baker and entrepreneur who opened the bakery after retiring from his 9 to 5 as the District Community Relations Manager for UPS. Part of what brought Hamlin to Pennsylvania Avenue was his desire to help revitalize the corridor, specifically the Royal Theater. So, he formed the Royal Theater Community Heritage Corporation (RTCHC), and was asked to chair and preside as President of the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Collaborative where he and community members formulated a strategy for the revitalization of The Avenue that would bring diverse businesses to Pennsylvania Avenue, including a bakery. Hamlin, who had been baking for years, and had, “developed a following of family and friends,” put together a business plan and opened the bakery on property he’d purchashed in 2004.

Since opening in 2011, The Avenue Bakery has become a staple on “The Avenue”. It can’t help but to be....Poppay’s rolls are just too good to ignore.

Take a look at their menu online at www.TheAvenueBakery.com, follow them on Twitter @TheAvenueBakery, and visit Mr. Hamlin and his wonderful staff at 2229 Pennsylvania Avenue. And have one of Poppay’s famous rolls!

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Spike Gjerde is passionate. He is passionate about food, where it comes from, how it is grown and how it impacts the dining room experience. He is also passionate about creating a food community that will sustain food “growers”, as he calls them, and his customers. Five years ago, he and his wife Amy decided to open a restaurant that specifically aligned with their passion about food, and named it Woodberry Kitchen.

Gjerde’s philosophy about the food he serves at his multiple award-winning restaurant is simple: keep it local. “Participating in a food system is the most gratifying way to work,” says Gjerde. “Knowing where the food we serve comes from and how it got to us is very important.” He works with 60-70 local growers, ranging from urban farms like 7th District’s own Whitelock Farm in Reservoir Hill, to larger farms in Baltimore County and Pennsylvania, many of which have been supplying Gjerde with fresh produce for years. From these growers come interesting produce like fish peppers. Indigenous to the Chesapeake region, these peppers are very similar to cayenne peppers, but take on a mellow flavor when cooked. Gjerde first heard about fish peppers from food historians. Intrigued, he contacted Denzel Mitchell, owner of 5 Seeds Farm & Apiary, who grew the peppers for him. Now, fish peppers enjoy a prominent place at Woodberry Kitchen, in hot sauces, ground into chili powder and pickled then stored in large glass jars and placed on shelves.

But it is not only reclaiming seemingly lost agricultural produce that appeals to Gjerde. He is committed to establishing a connection between growers and potential customers, reintroducing all who visit his restaurant to a more traditional way of life when people depended on the land, not a lab, to produce food. “A community is stronger and better when it’s diverse,” says Gjerde. “And the role we play in this major food system, what we mean to our guests in our ability to connect them with great local farmers, and the role we play with our growers with regard to economics is huge. If we can’t connect what we’re doing, what we put on the plate or in the cup back to agriculture in some way, then we just don’t do it.”

It is this circle of life that makes Woodberry Kitchen so unique, their food so nourishing, and the experience there so warm. Just like a good meal from the kitchen.

For more information about Woodberry Kitchen, visit them at WoodberyKitchen.com. Visit the restaurant at 2010 Clipper Park Road. Follow them on Facebook at Woodberry Kitchen and Twitter @WKrestaurant.

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In 2011, the Baltimore City Health Department released a study stating that the presence of a liquor store in a neighborhood contributes significantly to crime and community violence. In the Easterwood community in West Baltimore, seven liquor stores are currently in operation. So, when the owner of a local food store requested a hearing to add a license to sell liquor from its store, the community stood up and said, “No”, and then they galvanized.

Easterwood community members, the Matthew Henson Community Association, and Marvin “Doc” Cheatham created flyers, held meetings to inform the public, and created petitions to garner more support for their opposition against the owners request.

Then, on October 6, 2012, they, along with Councilman Nick J. Mosby, rallied in front of the store letting the owners know how serious they were about not having another liquor store in their community. After the rally, Cheatham and members of the Matthew Henson Community Association spoke with

the owner at the store, asking him to reconsider his bid. Two days before the Liquor Board hearing, the Matthew Henson Community Association received a phone call from the owner stating that he and his partners has withdrawn their liquor license request. “This proves,” states the Matthew Henson Community Association via their Change.org petition Victory notice, “that community mobilization is still an effective way to create change in our neighborhoods!”

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Fall 2012 was an exciting time from the 7th District. We kicked off the 2012 school year with our first back-to-school block party, then we partnered with Empowering Minds of Maryland’s

Youth and Coppin State University to co-host a bullying conference, and finally, we took nearly 1,000 Baltimore City Public School youth for a day at the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore.

Flip the page to find out more!

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Did you know that bullying affects millions of students across the United States? It’s also the leading cause of violent behavior, depression and suicide. During National Bullying Month, the 7th District Office partnered with Empowering Minds of Maryland’s Youth (EMMY) and Coppin State

University to host a Bullying Conference specifically to address bullying issues. The conference included a bullying panel, breakout session and performances by Tray “Poot” Chaney from HBO’s The Wire and Baltimore youth performer Lil Key.

Labor Day weekend in the 7th Dis-trict started with a bang when our of-

fice host-ed our first Back to School block party. Parents and kids from the District joined us at Easterwood Park where they were

had the opportunity to participate in exercise demonstrations from Monte Sanders, personal trainer for Ray Lewis, peruse exciting animal artifacts with the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore, have fun with friends in the moonbounce, receive immunizations and dental exams, dance and eat great food prepared by Grateful

Labor Day weekend in the 7th District started with a bang when our office hosted our first Back to School block party. Parents and kids from the District joined us at Easterwood Park where they were had the opportunity to participate in an array of activities

before receiving backpacks filled with school supplies.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Baltimore City Department of Health, MECU, Comcast, Medbank of Maryland, The Maryland Zoo

of Baltimore, Grateful Deli, Pi Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., The Matthew Henson Community Association, and all of our community members that volunteer their time and donated school supplies to help us make the day special for our kids.

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In October, the District Office wanted to do something special for youth in the District. So, we sent an invitation to elementary schools in our District to have them join us for a day at the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore. Eight schools accepted and brought with them close to 1,000 students and over 100 chaperones.

Throughout the day, youth had an opportunity to see tortoise, rhinoceros and giraffe in the African Journey, farmyard animals and the giant tree slide in the Maryland Wilderness, and polar bears before heading back to their schools for a pizza party sponsored by Pizza Boli’s.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Pizza Boli’s and City Wide Bus Company, for making our day at the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore such a success.

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Earlier this year Councilman Mosby launched the “One Piece” litter campaign in partnership with Blue Water Baltimore. The campaign asks 7th District residents to pledge to pick up one piece of trash a day. The goal of this is two-fold – clean trash from the streets of our neighborhoods, and in so doing prevent it from travelling through storm drains to eventually wind up in the Chesapeake Bay.To date Close to 300 individuals and businesses have taken the pledge to do their part and pick up one piece of trash every day. That means at least 9,000 pieces of trash that might otherwise wound up in the Inner Harbor and on to the Chesapeake Bay have been removed from the streets of the 7th District. With the current One Piece Nation, more than 108,000 pieces of trash will be removed from our streets each year. With only a few more members, that could theoretically equate to more than 150,000 pieces a year. That’s a significant number!

Our partner Blue Water Baltimore seeks to “restore the quality of Baltimore’s streams and harbor.” Their work includes a broad number of efforts on land and in the water to further that mission. Just this year, Blue Water Baltimore-led cleanups have collected 42,500 pounds of trash! They have also stenciled 153 storm drains to remind residents that storm drains are not trash depositories, and have helped to plant more than 1800 trees that will help absorb toxic runoff that would otherwise travel through our waterways. Lauren Poor, of Blue Water Baltimore, has been a great help in the One Piece campaign. “Litter attracts more litter. Taking a moment out of your day to pick up one piece of trash and put it in the proper place starts to set a clean standard for the neighborhood” says Poor on the importance of residents helping out in the effort. “Together we can make a big impact on the streets and streams of Baltimore.”

With your help, the 7th District Office, and Blue Water Baltimore’s efforts will one day lead to a Baltimore that is free of trash in our streets and waterways. When those who litter see more of their neighbors making the effort to clean up trash, they will be less likely to throw their trash in the streets.For more information, or to sign the One Piece Pledge, contact me at [email protected], or call our office at 410-396-4810. We can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onepiecebmore, Twitter @onepiecebmore, and on Instagram.com/onepiecebmore. More information on Blue Water Baltimore can be found at www.bluewaterbaltimore.org. Stay tuned for information on upcoming One Piece events!

Greetings From

Eli Lopatin is Council Assistant to Councilman Mosby and One Piece Coordinator. He has a Bachelor of Journalism degree in photojournal-ism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is currently pursuing his Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland Baltimore.

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Be sure to remain involved and informed about what’s happening in the 7th District by following our social media pages:


@CouncilmanMosby

CouncilmanMosby

One Piece Bmore

@OnePieceBmore

OnePieceBmore

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the seventh district magazine winter '12

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