It was a family reunion of black sheep, flocks of them.
[And there was dental floss in the trees . . .]
Every clan, it seems, has at least one Frank Zappa fan in the fold. Sometimes it’s that guy you call “uncle” who really isn’t a relative, sometimes it’s dear old dad and sometimes it’s YOU!
This past Sunday some 3,000 Zappa fans — from as far away as Montreal and as near as Baylis Street — made it to Highlandtown to keep the memory of their late hero alive. They showed up outside of the Pratt library at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Conkling Street to celebrate Zappa’s life and music during the unveiling of a bust of the guitarist, composer and Baltimore native.
The 3700 block of Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown on "Frank Zappa Day" in Baltimore (Photo by Dave Pugh)
It’s the rare day in Baltimore when you’ll see more people wearing Frank Zappa t-shirts than Ravens jerseys and that day was Sunday. Zappa threads on view were both homemade and vintage — from the “Pipco” cover of “Lumpy Gravy” to the pants-around-his-ankles toilet portrait — and included bootlegs and those officially sanctioned by the aggressively litigious Zappa Family Trust.
The great musician’s son — guitarist Dweezil Zappa, age 41 — wore a plain brown V-neck and his heart on his sleeve. Every member of Frank’s immediate family but daughter Moon was present at the dedication — widow Gail, 65; son Ahmet, 36; and daughter Diva, 31 — but Dweezil was the most visibly emotional throughout the long day of accolades.
Asked during a morning Q&A at the Patterson Theater about the difficulty in learning to play his old man’s music, Dweezil took a deep breath, welled-up with tears and spoke of the father he called “Frank,” a workaholic family man who died in 1993.
“The hardest part was the mental approach, especially for the improvisation,” said Dweezil, who was 24 when he lost his father to prostate cancer and in 2006 named his first child, a girl, Zola Frank Zappa.
“Frank described his guitar playing as ‘air sculpture.’ He thought of [the notes] as shapes. He spontaneously composed when he played guitar, standing on stage reacting to the situation. Frank could play [a solo] for ten minutes and never repeat himself. That’s the intellectual side of it and it’s a challenge.”
It takes a lot of courage and twice as much talent to stand in front of legions of hard-core Zappa fans, people obsessed with Frank and his music to the point of being insufferable. There’s very little that is casual about the typical Frank Zappa freak and today — some 70 years after his birth at Baltimore Mercy’s Hospital — that ranges from teenagers to senior citizens. These people simply will not accept a product inferior to the original. And Dweezil, a guitarist since childhood who took two years off to re-learn the instrument in order to play his father’s work, satisfied them all.
“I was very impressed,” said Joe Paplauskus, a longtime Zappa aficionado. “He brought a talented crew of multi-instrumentalists with him. Dweezil did a real nice job.”
Zappa fan and Highlandtown native Joe Paplauskus with Baltimore author Rafael Alvarez before 'Zappa Plays Zappa' concert. Of the show, Paplauskus said, "I really liked how Dweezil transitioned from "Peaches en Regalia" to "Echinda's Arf (For You)." (Photo by Cindy Deken)
During a nearly three-hour show, Dweezil’s “Zappa Plays Zappa” combo rocked the neighborhood with “Blessed Relief,” “Apostrophe,” “Florentine Pogen,” “Broken Hearts Are For Assholes,” the 17-minute jazz jewel “Big Swifty” from 1972’s “Waka/Jawaka” album, “Bamboozled by Love,” “I’m the Slime,” the 1970 instrumental “Peaches en Regalia” (a composition both whimsical and pastoral used in wedding ceremonies when the bride is especially hip) and for the hometown crowd, “What’s New in Baltimore?”
In the original “What’s New” — released in 1985 on the “Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention” album documenting Frank’s fight to keep the government from labeling and potentially censoring music — the answer to the question was, “I don’t know . . .”
On the Conkling Street stage Sunday, the answer to “What’s New in Baltimore” rose 15 feet above the crowd on a stainless steel pillar, Frank’s dead-serious bronze visage higher than the large “dental floss” ornaments — made by local fan Dave Paremske — hanging in the trees.
“I walk my dog by the Highlandtown library everyday,” said Stacy Spaulding, a Towson State University journalism professor from the 700 block of Baylis Street. “The day the workmen placed the statue on the pole, I went out and bought ‘Hot Rats,’ my first Zappa album. I’m so happy to welcome the statue to my neighborhood. It’s opened a whole new world to me.”
Herman Meyer bought his first Frank Zappa album when Frank released his very first album: “Freak Out” in 1966 on the Verve label. Meyer brought the double-LP to the pre-concert Q&A and Dweezil signed it for him.
Herman Meyer with his original copy of "Freak Out," circa 1966 (Photo by Macon Street Books)
“I bought it at the Hecht Company in Reisterstown,” said Meyer, a 59-year-old guitar teacher. “I tried to get my friends to listen to it, but they weren’t interested. All they said back then was, ‘Sure Herman. Right.’ And then I read a Hit Parader [magazine] interview with Frank and he said his goal was to destroy Top 40 radio because it was ugly. That inspired me.”
A militant defender of the rights of the individual — a well-known aspect of Zappa lauded by Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake when she declared September 19, 2010 “Frank Zappa Day” in Crabtown — Frank would become something of a spiritual as well as musical hero to the adolescent Meyer.
“I took a lot of flack from authority figures when I was younger — all these people telling me to straighten up and change my attitude,” he said. “When I started listening to Frank it made me realize that they were wrong. It was the beginning of my real education.”
For every one of these reasons — along with an enduring musical legacy in which there may be more unreleased material coming out of the Zappa family vaults than the 60 or so albums already in print — thousands of people converged on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Conkling Street on a bright autumn afternoon to honor a man whose likes will not be seen again.
”We’ve talked to the Zappa family and the Pratt library about doing this again next year,” said Chris Ryer, president of the Southeast Development Corporation which co-sponsored the festival.
“Now we know we can count on Zappa fans in Baltimore to help us pull it off and make this an annual event.”
For most of the day, Diva Zappa subtly consoled her still-grieving brother Dweezil with big smiles and a rub of the shoulders. But when it was Diva’s turn to address the crowd just seconds before the veil fell from the statue, she too was overcome.
Sobbing, she said: “I just want to thank all of you for loving my father . . .”
Zappa Gallery:
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Landwarnet, an Army Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, has been hit by tropical storms 4 out of the last 5 years
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Someone is expressing their wishful thinking by editing former Baltimore mayor Martin O’Malley’s bench upgrades.
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Reaction in Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Library, as Obama takes the oath of office.
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New I-95 Spaghetti
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Fine for Stuart Little, but what about the rest of us?
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Rafael Alvarez
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Tom Waldron
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Deborah Rudacille
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Jennifer Bishop
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Jada Fletcher
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Fern Shen
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Gerald Neily
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The Wine Market
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Chili Man rocks.
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Dean Bartoli Smith
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From a utility pole in north Baltimore.
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Sam Sawyer (in center) and his board members of the Sweet Prospect Church, on the spot where their church use to be.
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Sam Sawyer flanked by board members of the Sweet Prospect Church, in the spot where the church use to be.
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Charlotte Johnson sits in front of her former home that is slated for demolition.
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Charlotte Johnson sits in front of her former home that is slated for demolition.
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Review of sediment sampling suggests toxics worsening.
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Map of sediment testing near Sparrows Point
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Click to enlarge….
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(click to enlarge….)
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Foreclosure left a mess next door to Russo’s house.
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Scott & Francie
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The Baltimore Sun was at Artscape, offering free umbrellas, oil change and movie coupons to those who subscribed.
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The Baltimore Sun had folks at Artscape offering oil change and movie coupons to those who signed up for home delivery.
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Tom Kiefaber and David Arquette in a plexiglass box in Times Square
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To Reuben Crosland, the Red Line is all about moving suburbanites closer to their downtown jobs: “we won’t be able to afford to live here.”
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The Red Line is not good transit and not good for the communities it crosses, says Warren Smith.
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Jean Allen, who lives below Edmondson Avenue in Edgewood, thinks the Red Line will hurt more than help.
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Estelle Kent, of Lower Edmondson Village, believes the Red Line will uplift the area.
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Bart vandalized the Jebediah Springfield statue……but felt remorse and tried to undo the deed.
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Toni Clark deviling eggs in her kitchen. (Photo by Bill Driscoll)
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Toni Clark, deviling. (Photo by Bill Driscoll)
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Educator Gloria Rosen talks to students at Great Kids Farm. (photo by Kristine Buls.)
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Shakaiha Murphy at Baltimore’s Great Kids Farm. (Photo by Kristine Buls.)
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Tony Geraci is on a mission to bring fresh food to Baltimore city school students. Photo by Kristine Buls.
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Green School students explore Baltimore’s Great Kids Farm
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Stephen McAllister in the Curtis Bay ditch where he protested pollution, back in the day. Photo by Fern Shen.
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Sparrows Point outfall 021, where benzene was found in groundwater at 158,000 times greater than federal drinking water standards.
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How groundwater can seep into Baltimore harbor. (URS Corp. report)
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Shoreline slag and metal near Sparrows Point coke plant. Photo by Mark Reutter
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Severstal report by URS Corp.
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1945 game program, courtesy of Loyola High School
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1945 game program courtesy Loyal High School
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Andrew Goldbeck in 2001 run. From Calvert Hall website.
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First Turkey Bowl, 1920, photo courtesy Loyola High School.
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Calvert Hall Coach Augie Miceli. Courtesy of Calvert Hall website
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Loyola kicks off in Turkey Bowl. Courtesy Loyola High School website.
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Gingko fruit in the pan. Photo by Marta Hanson/////.
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Developers proposing a Lowes in Remington lead community walking tour on Saturday. Photo by John Dean.
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Developers lead a walking tour of proposed Lowes development in Remington. Photo by John Dean. CLICK TO ENLARGE.
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25th and Howard St. redevelopment” (Lowe’s project) Source: WV Urban Developments LLC
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Suggestions for Anderson Automotive project. Developer’s plan, marked up by Neily.
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This red brick building is at the corner of Park and Fayette.
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Superblock building on Howard Street….
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Hebrew Orphan Asylum (Photo courtesy Baltimore Heritage)
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(Photo Courtesy Baltimore Heritage)
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Hebrew Orphan Asylum, floorboard damage. (Photo courtesy Baltimore Heritage.)
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Carving detail, Hebrew Orphan Asylum. (Photo Courtesy Baltimore Heritage.)
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(Photo courtesy Baltimore Heritage.)
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1937 Federal government map redlining much of downtown Baltimore (which was mostly African American or Jewish.) Source: “Not in My Neighborhood.”
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EPA report. (Click to enlarge)
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More seagulls than customers at Port Covington Wal-Mart? (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Sundresses, in Baltimore’s Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Tee shirts, Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Port Covington Wal-Mart. (by Fern Shen)
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Trashy fenced-off retention pond next to Port Covington Wal-Mart. (photo by Fern Shen)
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Trashy retention pond on the side of the Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Trashy retention pond next to Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Gregory Krauss)
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Trashy retention pond on the side of the Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Gregory Krauss)
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Trashy retention pond beside the Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Fern Shen
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In the Port Covington Wal-Mart. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Port Covington Wal-Mart, Saturday morning. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Developer’s rendering, 25th Street Station
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The Maritime Park Harbor Connector station in Fells Point (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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The Harbor Connector pulls up to the dock at Maritime Park (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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Captain James Guess (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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Water taxi passengers Phil Woolf and Mike Barizer return to work in Tide Point, after a trip to H&S in Fells Point (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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Captain James Guess (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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Captain James Guess. (Photo by Dave Dalton)
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(Photo by Fern Shen)
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Ducks at Hopkins Spring Festival (Photo by Elizabeth Suman)
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Evergreen Book Exchange in Roland Park
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Jim Rouse Time magazine cover story, 1981
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1976 Saul Steinberg New Yorker cover
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NBC Sports
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Sunny Jenkins and Lesa Bain of Curbside Catering sold beaucoup burritos Thursday in Hampden.
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Brew editors
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Fern Shen
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A Druid Hill jogger runs around the reservoir (Photo by Fern Shen)
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The bike/jogging path at the Druid Hill reservoir (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Stony Run trail (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Creek at Stony Run (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Paul Schiraldi/HBO
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Scott A. Sell
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Lutherville Timonium Patch screenshot.
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Lutherville-Timonium Patch
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Lutherville-Timonium Patch
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William Hughes
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home.comcast.net/~clydessportshop/
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politico.com
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Toasting gingkos (Photo by Marta Hanson)
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Marta Hanson
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Fallen gingkos (Photo by Min Suh Son)
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Gingko in hand (Photo by Min Suh Son)
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Oliver Hulland
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Oliver Hulland
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View from above (not sure how Oliver Hulland got this) showing firefighters working to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Oliver Hulland.)
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New York Times
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From 12/16/10 Baltimore Sun homepage.
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YouTube by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake following Ravens loss.
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Fern Shen
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Ron Cassie, of Dundalk Patch
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Fern Shen
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Gregory Krauss
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Incentives Document. Page two.
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Contract memo, page 3.
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Contract memo, page 2.
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Contract memo, page 1.
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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MySpace
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xxx
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Fern Shen
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advocate.com
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Nico Hines (Twitpic)
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Fern Shen
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Nico Hines (Twitpic)
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Fern Shen
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An old computer, and even older TV, furniture, ripped up flooring and other trash have been over flowing at the Poly Western High School parking lot for days. This shot was take on Sunday 6/19/11. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Screen grab from Baltimore Sun video shot by Erica Green
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Protesters picket the Cafe Hon. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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The Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel received generous city tax breaks, as did other buildings at the city’s high-end Harbor East development. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Fern Shen
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Katherine Meredith
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The Barclay Recreation Center, behind the adjacent elementary school playground. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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The Barclay Recreation Center door was locked on Saturday afternoon. A hand-lettered sign said to ring the bell. No one answered.(Photo by Fern Shen)
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Sign at the entrance to Barclay Recreation Center. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Barclay Recreation Center, visible behind the adjacent elementary school’s playground. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Daily Record video
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Mark Reutter
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Mark Reutter
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Fern Shen
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Louie Krauss
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Fern Shen
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Francine Halvorsen
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Louie Krauss
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Sir John Tenniel
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Laurence Lanahan
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Gregory Krauss
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Mark Reutter
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Mickey Rice shows an example of the ramshackle rowhouses on the 2300 block of Annapolis Rd. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
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Funds for Westport affordable houses were set to be transferred to this center in East Baltimore operated by Living Classrooms. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
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heidikrauss.com
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Bess Keller
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Helen Cruz reads in English with her son Joseph, 7, a student at Holabird Academy in southeast Baltimore.
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Louie Krauss
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Mark Reutter
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Fern Shen
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Gov. Martin O’Malley with RG Steel CEO John Goodwin announcing reopening of Sparrows Point last January after a cash infusion by Cerberus Capital Management. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
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Fern Shen
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marinetraffic.com
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Brew sources
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Mark Reutter
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Laura Flynn
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Assembling scaffolds and handling construction materials are part of the program co-sponsored by the Laborers’ Union and Baltimore Churches Community United. (Photo by Laura Flynn)
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flickr
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Laura Flynn
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Fern Shen
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Fern Shen
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Mark Reutter
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Fern Shen
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Mark Reutter
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New York Times
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New York Times
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Maryland Transit Administration
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Proposed route of the Red Line between downtown and the Bayview campus. Broken line indicates tunneled portions. (baltimoreheritage.org)
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Courtesy Baltimore City Council President’s Office
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Louie Krauss
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Fern Shen
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(Source: rowman.com)
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Fern Shen
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Mark Reutter
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Mark Reutter
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Mark Reutter
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The city needs to increase rates to prevent such events as last November’s water main break that send a torrent of water down Charles Street at North Avenue. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
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Fern Shen
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Teresa Duggan
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Teresa Duggan
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Fern Shen
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The old Allied Chemical site, aka Harbor Point, viewed from the Legg Mason building in Feb. 2012. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Sir John Tenniel
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womeninblack.org
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Fern Shen
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Screenshot
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(l-r) Saiyda Stone (Strongheart), Keith Gravazza, Fern Shen and Polly Riddims at a recent Fusion event. (Photo by Joe Tropea)
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The Baltimore Liquor Board YouTube channel features this photo of Chairman Stephan Fogleman, and fellow commissioners Elizabeth Smith and Harvey Jones.
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Mark Reutter, October 2009
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mystery
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@joemacleod666
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Urban Institute
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Melody Simmons
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Sharon Guida recorded a donation to the displaced families made by Stephan Lieske and Laura Sinche, who live near the site of the wall collapse. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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nationalaquarium.wordpress.com
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Fern Shen
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Entrance to Fox Valley development. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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MacKenzie’s Tom Fidler (left) with Lynne and Victor Brick. From Kevin Litten’s Twitter.
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Fern Shen
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Google Streetview
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Illustration from NextCity piece on Baltimore Brew and other promising new online local journalism sites.
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Police in Ferguson force protestors from the business district into nearby neighborhoods on Monday, August 11.. (Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Fern Shen
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courtesy Rafael Alvarez
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Attorney Kon Kim, left, with Robert Hunt, Mabel Gordon, Dewey Barksdale and Marvin “Doc” Cheatham after Liquor Board vote. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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The Eutaw Street office of the Democratic Party in Baltimore. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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WJZ-TV
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Post Typography
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Danielle Sweeney
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Map of the four Circulator routes. (Baltimore DOT)
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Circulator chart…
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Route map, from appendix to Department of Finance report on Charm City Circulator.
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Danielle Sweeney
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Fern Shen
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Danielle Sweeney
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bluewater.org
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To some, perhaps a source of interesting ads and recipes. To others an un-killable zombie trash phenomenon. (Photo by Carol Ott)
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Fern Shen
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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From left, lawyer Melvin Kodenski, Favorites licensee Jeffrey Evans and Liquor Board deputy executive secretary Thomas Akras at a 2015 Liquor Board hearing. (Danielle Sweeney)
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Google Maps
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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baltimorecityschools.org
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Fern Shen
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Brew photo files
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Fells Prospect Community Association
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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YouTube, trailer for “12 O’Clock Boys”
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MSNBC
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Danielle Sweeney
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Justice Department report confirms what many in Baltimore say they’ve known firsthand. Protest last year after the death of Freddie Gray. (Danielle Sweeney)
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Danielle Sweeney
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Edward Gunts
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Fern Shen
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danielle sweeney
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test byline
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Jennifer Bishop
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This is an angel, with hair, that caught Jennifer’s eye. (Photo by Jennifer Bishop)
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Residents offered their ideas for what a Sandtown-Winchester community organization should focus on. (Photo by fern Shen)
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Sign posted near the Gwynns Falls at Carroll Park. (Photo by: Danielle Sweeney)
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Michaelangelo
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Gene Ryan’s blog post and press release yesterday. (FOP Twitter)
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Danielle Sweeney
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R
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Cheryl Casciani’ and Martha-James Hassan at the Baltimore City School Board’s recent operations committee meeting.
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Louis Krauss
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Scott Kashnow
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Fern Shen
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Reporters wait for the mayor’s announcment that she won’t seek re-election. (Photo by Fern Shen)
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Colleen Martin-lauer facebok photo
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Brew photo file
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cityview.baltmorecity.gov
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Summary Guide Maryland Candidacy & Campaign Finance Laws. (Maryland Board of Elections)
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View from the water of planned Under Armour headquarters at Port Covington. (Photo credit: Under Armour)
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A rendering of Under Armour’s proposed headquarters in South Baltimore.
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City Council President Jack Young is concerned about the school system’s approach to tackling declining school enrollment. (Fern Shen)
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test
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Fern Shen
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A developer is asking for a record-setting subsidy package to transform a low-key South Baltimore waterfront landscape into a mixed-use residential/retail development with parks, hotels and more. (Fern Shen)
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Developer Patrick Turner, with his lawyer, after testifying in the trial of Sheila Dixon. (Fern Shen)
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City Council president candidates Connor Meek, Sharon Black, Shannon Wright and Kim Trueheart at a forum last night in Baltimore. (Fern Shen)
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Sheila Dixon alludes to her own political resurrection in her Internet message to followers today. (Sheila Dixon for Mayor)
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Sheila Dixon’s good word to supporters last Friday. (Sheila Dixon for Mayor)
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Final paragraphs of Dixon’s message on Resurrection Sunday. (Sheila Dixon for Mayor)
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Final paragraphs of Dixon’s message on Resurrection Sunday. (Sheila Dixon for Mayor)
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An emotional Sheila Dixon in 2010 announcing her resignation. (Fern Shen)
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Dixon thronged by well-wishers and job-seekers at Penn-North in July. (Fern Shen)
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Sheila Dixon at Penn-North in July. (Fern Shen)
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Paterakis fundraiser for Sheila Dixon. (Screengrab from Real News Network.)
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Sheila Dixon speaking with Real News Network outside fundraiser.
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Comptroller candidate Mike King, at a forum last night in Baltimore. (Fern Shen)
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The family of Tyrone West says new evidence means prosecutors should reopen the case. From left, Emma Anderson, Tawanda Jones and (with microphone) Diane Butler. (Louie Krauss)
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The family of Tyrone West says new evidence means prosecutors should reopen the case. From left, Emma Anderson (with microphone), Tawanda Jones and Diane Butler. (Louie Krauss)
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Tawanda Jones, Tyrone West’s sister, weeps as his aunt, Diane Butler, addresses the media. (Louie Krauss)
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Cartoon by John Auchter, with permission
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Home Paramount Pest Control CEO Walter Tilley Jr. (left) and his wife Nancy (second from right) with their son Walter “Butch” Tilley (center), in a family photo. (Facebook)
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Then candidate-Catherine Pugh, in a campaign photo tweeted on April 26, 2016, the day she won the Democratic primary. (@PughForMayor)
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Page 2 of a Baltimore Department of Housing “Fact Sheet.”
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In Baltimore, a vigil to remember the 49 people cut down by a gunnman at a gay night club in Orlando. (Fern Shen)
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Thurgood Marshall/Baltimore Washington International Airport concessions workers, in 2013, demanding better pay and conditions. (Fern Shen)
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Michael Middleton, with BUILD’s Douglas Miles, Glenna Huber and Andrew Foster Connors, at announcement of BUILD’s agreement with the Port Covington developer. (Fern Shen)
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A N.Y. auction houses is selling off the Tiffany and other vintage glassware collected by the late former Congresswoman Helen Bentley. (politico.com)
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Some area residents complain that vehicles are driving in the new lane intended for cyclists. (Fern Shen)
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Councilman Nick Mosby blasts fellow councilmembers for voting down his amendment that would have added strict new zoning requirements for establishments selling liquor. (Fern Shen)
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The Penn-North CVS, a year after it was destroyed by rioters. (Jennifer Bishop)
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A mural at the Penn-North intersection. (Jennifer Bishop)
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Police guarding the Penn North intersection the day after the riots. (Fern Shen)
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Busy site on Cold Spring Lane on the last day of early voting site. (Fern Shen)
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Sen. Bernie Sanders addresses an estimated 2,000 people at Johns Hopkins University’s Shriver Hall.
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The letter Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh gave to President-elect Donald Trump focused on infrastructure. (Office of the Mayor)
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Homepage for SRB & Associates, former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s new firm. (srbandassociates.com/#home)
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People sleeping, on a frigid winter night, on “the porch” outside the Healthcare for the Homeless building. (Fern Shen)
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The Baltimore RESCO plant. (e2shi.jhu.edu)
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The new Baltimore Greyhound Station on Haines Street still under construction last summer. (southbmore.com)
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The new Baltimore Greyhound Station on Haines Street. (communityarchitect.blogspot.com)
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One of several fenced-off construction zones at Baltimore’s Greyhound Terminal. (Fern Shen)
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Several parts of the Greyhound Terminal parking lot are closed off due to on-going construction. (Fern Shen)
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Exhibit E, Cross Street Market management agreement.
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The Hilton remains the preferred hotel for convention-goers, says Mayor Catherine Pugh, who also shutters at the thought of another city-owned hotel. (Fern Shen)
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Pugh aide Gary Brown. (Facebook)
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City’s proposed reconfiguration of Potomac Street bike lane between Eastern and Fait streets. (Mayor’s Office)
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City’s proposed reconfiguration of Potomac Street bike lane between Fait and Boston streets. (Mayor’s Office)
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How Potomac Street looked yesterday, with partially completed bike lane, near the Fleet Street intersection. (Fern Shen)
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In the wake of litigation over the Potomac Street bike lane and other controversies, funding for bike lanes in Baltimore disappeared. (Fern Shen)
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Samirah Franklin from the Baltimore Youth Organizing Project addresses city council members at the start of Wednesday’s hearing. (Louis Krauss)
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Participants in a hearing at the War Memorial organized to protest cuts in funding for youth programs discovered the funding is to be restored. (Louie Krauss)
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Councilmembers applaud Council President Jack Young, as budget deal is announced. (Louie Krauss)
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Paddling, and relaxing, for a good cause. (Fern Shen)
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overtime as recruitment for baltimore police
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overtime as recruitment for baltimore police
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In its latest recruitment flyer, Baltimore Police advertise “numerous opportunities to work paid overtime” as an incentive to join the force. (baltimorepolice.org)
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In its latest recruitment flyer, Baltimore Police advertise “numerous opportunities to work paid overtime” as an incentive to join the force. (baltimorepolice.org)
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James Piper Bond, president and CEO of Living Classrooms Foundation. (YouTube)
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James Piper Bond discusses an upcoming Living Classrooms fundraiser at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park. (YouTube)
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Sewage gushes from a manhole cover in the 1700 block of East Chase Street in an August 12, 2014 video. (Blue Water Baltimore)
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Workers lower the Confederate Women of Maryland Monument onto a truck. (nbcnews.com)
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Mayor Pugh’s advice to other mayors considering moving their Confederate monuments: “Do it quietly and quickly.” (Fern Shen)
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White nationalists carry torches on the grounds of the University of Virginia, on the eve of a Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Reuters)
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Aprli Ryan on the job at a White House press conference. (nbcnews.com)
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Del. Corey McCray yesterday announcing his 45th district Senate candidacy. (Fern Shen)
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Closed-circuit video today of high-pressure hoses dissolving the Lanvale Street fatburger. (Mark Reutter)
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Logan Etzler, of TFE Resources, monitors the progress of the fatburger breakup. An estimated that 85% of the 24-inch pipe was blocked. (Mark Reutter)
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The scene at today’s fatburger removal on Lanvale and Morton streets in Penn North. (Mark Reutter)
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A large crowd gathered at the Pimlico Community Development Authority meeting to protest the patrol car gift to the Shomrim watch group. (Mark Reutter)
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Steve Sibel, a partner of hard-charging Caves Valley Partners, is also Mayor Pugh’s campaign finance chairman and co-host of Tuesday’s fundraiser. (CVP)
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Caves Valley Golf Club (cavesvalley.net)
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Steve Fader
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Tuesday’s soiree will be held in the restored 1800’s clubhouse at the Caves Valley Golf Course, located about 15 miles north of City Hall. (penzabailey.com)
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Discussion about a $21 million appropriation for Baltimore police overtime had one odd feature: the money had already been spent. (Fern Shen)
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Baltimore’s last two inspector generals, David McClintock (left) and Robert Pearre, butted heads with the mayor’s office. McClintock left for a better job, while Pearre was forced to resign. (Mark Reutter)
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Clark’s Lane Meyerberg Center
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Jim Dilts
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Air quality in the moderate range elevates the risk of premature death, asthma attacks and other adverse health impacts. (environmentamerica.org)
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Nationally, cars, trucks and other vehicles make up 60% of smog-generating nitrogen oxide. (ucsusa.org)
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From “Trouble in the Air,” a report by Environment Maryland Research & Policy Center.
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Drinking water is getting more precious – and more costly – by the year. (Mark Reutter)
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Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler. (gbc.org)
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Don Mohler, sworn in as Baltimore County Executive on May 29. (Baltimore County Government Facebook)
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After hearing a speech today by President Donald Trump, Baltimore’s interim police chief and others will enjoy a banquet dinner and unlimited access to rides at Universal Studio’s theme park. (Universal Studios Florida)
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Larry Hogan poses with members of Shomrim patrol group in northwest Baltimore on November 4, and (below) with former City Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, a registered Democrat. (Larry Hogan Facebook)
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Voters make their selections today
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The ACLU’s challenge of Baltimore’s use of non-disclosure agreements in police abuse cases moves to the Fourth circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. (wunc.org)
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Pipeline construction near Eagle Drive in Leakin Park. (Mark Reutter)
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Baltimore’s University of Maryland Medical Center became a “non-profit” in 1984 and is now the flagship of a 14-hospital network. (Wikipedia)
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Yitzy Schleifer at a hearing in the City Council chambers. (Mark Reutter)
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Michael Braverman at a meeting in 2019. (Mark Reutter)
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Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Carter Memorial Church of Baltimore posted nov 3 (@stephanierawlingsblake)
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A picture of Stephanie Rawlings praying at Carter Memorial Church on November 3 was posted on her Instagram. (@stephanierawlingsblake)
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Stephanie Rawlings-Blake recently sent out on Instagram this photo of her at a prayer circle at her church. (@stephanierawlingsblake)
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Cecilia Calloway says it is not true that her family does not support the renovation of her father’s childhood home. (Ed Gunts)
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cheryl g
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There are about 99,000 people living in Maryland’s 225 certified nursing homes, with 57% over the age of 75. The racial breakdown is 59% white and 32% black in the state. (Maryland Health Care Commission)
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More than two out of three nursing homes in Maryland are “for profit” and 59% are affiliated with chains such as FutureCare, Genesis and CommuniCare.(Maryland Health Care Commission)
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Report urges states to go-slow in reopening their economies. (nga.org)
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Jack Young greets well-wishers before he declares his candidacy last October. (Mark Reutter)
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robert hur, us attorney announces Pugh (indictment?) (Fern Shen)
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Participants in a mayoral candidates’ debate sponsored by the Baltimore NAACP and the AFRO newspaper. From top left, moderator Ashiah Parker, candidates T.J. Smith, Jack Young, Brandon Scott, Thiru Vignarajah, Mary Miller and Sheila Dixon and moderator Farajii Muhammad. (Facebook)
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Artist rendering of the “grassy lot” that Johns Hopkins proposes in place of the rowhouses. (xxx)
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Sunny Schnitzer
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Daniel Ramos is one of the few high-level Hispanics in the Scott administration. (LinkedIn)
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Jim Shea and Brandon Scott in downtown Baltimore. They campaigned in all 24 Maryland jurisdictions in a losing bid to win the 2018 Democratic primary for governor and lieutenant governor. (@sheaformd)
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The Abel Wolman Building on Holliday Street, where Baltimore’s Department of Public Works is headquartered. (Mark Reutter)
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Jack Young speaks about the use of the Sun building by Baltimore Police. Standing with him is Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. (YouTube)
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An officer crosses Calvert Street toward the lobby of the former Sun building, now partly leased as the Central District Station. (Mark Reutter)
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Edward Gorwell’s personal website. (egorwell.freeservers.com)
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(Source: oig.baltimorecity.gov)
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(Source: oig.baltimorecity.gov)
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Posted in 2018, Edward T Gorwell II stands beside Maryland Governor Larry Hogan outside the White Marsh Fire Station. (facebook.com/edward.gorwell)
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(Source: oig.baltimorecity.gov)
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Photo from MDE’s 5/6/21 inspection at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant shows that city employees have to manually remove fats, oil and grease (FOG) because the machinery doesn’t work.
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Data from Blue Water Baltimore’s water quality monitoring program showing unusually high bacteria levels at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant from April – July 2021. ( BaltimoreWaterWatch.org)
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Baltimore Police Headquarters on East Fayette Street. (Mark Reutter)
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One of the take-home vehicles used by the Fire Marshall’s office parked across the street from City Hall. (Mark Reutter)
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Edmondson Avenue Bridge
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Settlements stemming from the illegal activities of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force unit continue to mount. (Mark Reutter)
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brandon scott space city hall
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Proponents of a pending state bill say it is needed to clarify the power of the civilian panel set up to hold Baltimore police accountable for misconduct. (Mark Reutter)
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xxxx
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(Mark Reutter)
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(CharmTV)
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(YouTube)
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The north side of the bridge has a corrugated metal roof to protect pedestrians from falling debris. The south side of the bridge(BELOW) has open gaps throughout its length. (Mark Reutter)
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Central Avenue, looking north from Eastern Avenue, has been under reconstruction since 2016. (Mark Reutter)
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DOT sign notes the completion date as Winter 2020. (Mark Reutter)
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City-owned vacant houses on Druid Hill Avenue in West Baltimore. (Mark Reutter)
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News that Church Militant was bringing Steve Bannon and others to speak at the Inner Harbor in November sparked alarm among some in July.
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Tom Liebel, chair of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, challenges the developer whose project in Mt. Vernon damaged an adjacent historic building.
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august 2017
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Ted Carter was one of the first deputy mayors hired by incoming Mayor Brandon Scott in 2021.
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xxx
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Bob Cenname
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Mayor Brandon Scott listens as Inspector General Cumming release report on water billing errors last December. (Brew file photo)
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Shelonda Stokes replaced Kirby Fowler as Downtown Partnership’s president and CEO last year. (DPOB)
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Outgoing mayoral aide Tisha Edwards speaks today at a City Council luncheon. (WebEx)
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(baltimorecitycouncil.com)
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Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski participates at an event at Tiki Lee’s, a potential beneficiary of the Bevins bill, in September 2019. (Facebook)
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Nick Mosby. (Office of City Council President)
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Deborah Moore Carter, labor commissioner
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Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford testifying before the Baltimore City Council last year. (CharmTV)
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Ed Norris and Darryl DeSousa, two former Baltimore police commissioners criminally charged with tax fraud. (Wikipedia/Baltimore Brew)
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cropped version
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Desiree Greaves points out the black bubbles on the water surface as we approach the discharge pier. (Mark Reutter)
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Desiree Greaves and Chris Kvech wave aside the midges to take photos of the effluent coming from the treatment plant. (Mark Reutter)
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The long pier that covers the pipe that discharges the treated wastewater into Back River. (Mark Reutter)
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Bubbles rising from the water as we neared the sewage plant [pier. (Mark Reutter)
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How Nick Mosby portrays himself on the City Council website.
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Kevin Plank stands in front of his vision of a completed Port Covington in 2016.
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A parking lot that faces the new construction on East Cromwell Street. (Mark Reutter)
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Black strollers depicted at Triangle Park
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xxx
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Larry Hogan with Howard Perlow and Terry Anne Hearn (Instagram)
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Maryland Party Perlow, Hearn and actors
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cropped for lede pic
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Greenwood Towing removing a car from a lot on . (xxxx)
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Baltimore Recreation and Parks Director Reginald Moore. (YouTube)
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La Cité’s Center/West apartments on Schroeder Street. (Mark Reutter)
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The Harford Road bridge was opened last October after four years of costly construction. (Mark Reutter)
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October 25 letter from 20 Poppleton community members and supporters to Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy.
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Sonia Eaddy (in black) with Mayor Brandon Scott to her left at July 18 press event in Poppleton. Also pictured, La Cité developers Ian Arias and Dan Bythewood, as well as Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy. (Fern Shen)
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Reinstated Baltimore Police Officers Leon P. Riley and Thomas J. Kirby. (bpdwatch.org)
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A worker keeps the public well away from the site of a sinkhole near the Montebello Water Filtration filtration Plant. (Fern Shen)
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Sinkhole is at the spot where the map shows the Lake Montebello Disc Golf Course. (GoogleMaps)
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Members of the Blue Ribbon Commission at an earlier virtual meeting.
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The March 30, 2021 swearing-in of City Administrator Christopher Shorter by Mayor Brandon Scott. (CharmTV)
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MAG Partners’ pr chief Tweets out the rebranding of the Port Covington project.
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City Council President Nick Mosby with Jason Murphy and Robyn Murphy at the 2022 Preakness. (Facebook)
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Baltimore School for the Arts sophomores Elliott Bullock and Jay Manalansan, organizers of
an event for Asian students to showcase their cultures for AAPI Heritage Month. (Fern Shen)
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Hana Pugh
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Corren Johnson sworn in as new director of DOT.
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D’Andrea Walker, Patrick Murray and Melissa Hyatt.
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Acting Public Works Director D’Andrea Walker, Olszewski Chief of Staff Pat Murray and Chief of Police Melissa Hyatt pressed forward with the investigation of Beichler after stories appeared in The Brew and Baltimore Sun. (Courtesy: Baltimore County)
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Acting Public Works Director D’Andrea Walker, Olszewski Chief of Staff Pat Murray and Chief of Police Melissa Hyatt pressed forward with the investigation of Beichler after stories appeared in The Brew and Baltimore Sun. (Courtesy: Baltimore County)
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Pride CEO Cleo Manago addresses the Baltimore Board of Estimates after city seeks to cancel the group’s ARPA grant. (Charm TV)
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PRIDE CEO Cleo Manago addresses the Baltimore Board of Estimates after city seeks to cancel the group’s ARPA grant. (Charm TV)
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Nutrient pollution creates algae blooms that block sunlight from underwater grasses and rob the water of oxygen as they decompose, creating “dead zones.” (Dave Harp Bay Journal)
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Margo Bruner-Settles is congratulated by mayor after winning the 2024 “Supervisor of the Year” award. (LinkedIn)
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EBDI welcomes former Brandon Scott campaign treasurer Calvin Young to serve as chairman of the board.
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Former EBDI Vice President Andy Freeman testifies before the City Council. To his left and right are mayoral aide Ty’lor Schnella and EBDI President Cheryl Washington. (Mark Reutter)
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Calvin Young’s profile pic on X.
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Crowd gathered at Anderson Automotive Saturday to hear about proposed Lowes
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Originally built as the Art Deco Brager-Gutman discount department store in 1929, the building was considered a “high rise” at the time and was eventually re-appropriated as Epstein’s Department Store. Located on the Southwest corner of Park and Lexington, Epstein’s went on to become the oldest family-owned department store chain in Maryland This is one of the few historic properties on the Superblock that the developers propose to preserve.
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Bike route sign at Hanover/Frankfurst (and truck blocking lane chicane) (Photo by Gerald Neily)
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Jon M. Laria, an attorney working with the developer, talks to the community.
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Nature trail under construction (Photo by Gerald Neily)
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The Schulte United Five and Dime Store, with an intricate terra cotta facing and gold eagles below the roof line, was one of the most well known discount stores on the department store-laden area in the 1900s. Though it is eligible for status as a local historic landmark, the Lexington Square Partners are proposing to demolish it.
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Nature remediation site with Locust Point in background (Photo by Gerald Neily)
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Audience listens to Mortimer.
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Gerald Neily
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Community walks east on 25th St. to look at site of Lowe’s project
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Formerly Woolworth’s, and later a Valu-Plus discount store, this building was not considered historic until a modern metal façade was removed to reveal a handsome brick building with Grecian designs. The developers are proposing to demolish it.
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Visitor center (Photo by Gerald Neily)
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25th and Maryland from the northwest corner of the street
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The Art Deo McCrory’s Building, inlaid with intricate yellow and blue geometric tile designs and lettering with the original McCrory name is one of the most beautiful and unusual buildings on the block. It reflects an architectural style that was beginning to gain popularity among retail buildings in the 1920s. Though the building is eligible for local historic landmark status, the developers plan to demolish it.
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Church remaining in Old Fairfield (Photo by Gerald Neily)
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Another view of 25th and Maryland proposed site
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2980 Falls Road: Picker building (Photo by Pat Gavin)
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Developer Rick Walker speaks to community at 25th and Maryland
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View of mill buildings from Jones Fall (Photo by Pat Gavin)
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Presentation of proposed Lowes site, at 24th and Sisson Streets
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View of main building from Jones Falls (Photo by Pat Gavin)
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Masonville
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At the southeast corner of Howard and Lexington, the Read’s drugstore built its flagship building, designed by Smith and Mary Architects in 1934. It is an example of some of Baltimore’s best Art Deco architecture. A ship’s mast adorns the corner that overlooks the Howard and Lexington corner. Due to mold and water damage inside, the developers plan to demolish it.
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View of mill and loading dock (Photo by Pat Gavin)
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Masonville Education Center
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On the fourth floor façade are terra cotta sailing ship panels built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Maryland’s founding settlers, which coincides with the year the drugstore was built. A ship’s mast adorns the corner that overlooks the Howard and Lexington corner. Due to mold and water damage inside, the developers plan to demolish it.
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The Cast-Iron McCrory’s Building, one of the last 20 cast iron buildings left standing in Baltimore, was originally used as three individual shops before being purchased by the McCrory’s Company and incorporated into one large department store. The northern building was built in 1875, and the most southern building dates to 1908. The developers propose saving only the facades.
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The little theater on Howard, originally designed as the New Pickwick Theater by Philadelphia architect Franz C. Koenig in 1908, this tiny box-shaped theater is the last Nickelodeon theater still standing in Baltimore. The theater was sold in 1917 and reincarnated as the Howard Theater in 1924. Architect Oliver B. Wright remodeled the building in 1920, which included adding a brick and terra-cotta exterior. The theater closed in 1985. It would be demolished under the developer’s plan.
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Depicted here in its prime, the original exterior of the New Pickwick Theater was illuminated by 800 lights and crowned with a sunburst-adorned face. Photo compliments of Baltimore Heritage and WestsideRenaissance.
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The four-story building is an early example of steel framing. The extra support eliminated the need for large pillars, which in turn allowed for the use of more glass; hence the large bay windows. The developers would preserve this building.
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The two rowhouse buildings are examples of early rowhouse buildings that would be demolished under the developers’ plans.
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In recent years this and the other small buildings depicted in the following slides were used as jewelry store, bar and lounge, clothing store and hair salon. They include examples of Pre-Civil War buildings that the city and state deem a preservation priority. All would be demolished by the developer.
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One of the largest buildings on the block, the former Greyhound bus terminal was constructed in 1960, has no historic merits and would be demolished.
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