http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.comCleaner Greener Baltimore News, Events and AnnouncementsWed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00-0500Copyright 2009 cleanergreenerbaltimore.com All rights reserved.en-usCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=80http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=80Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMTCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=79http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=79Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=78http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=78Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=77http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=77Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTAn inspirational and educational summit about making Baltimore a great place to bike!http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=24http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=24Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=76http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=76Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTThe Department of Public Works and the Initiative for a Cleaner Greener Baltimore have announced a citywide neighborhood recycling contest called RecycleMORE. The goals are to increase community partnerships that promote a cleaner, greener City, increase household recycling through neighborhood-driven outreach and educational efforts, and increase Baltimore?s overall recycling tonnage. Communities must register from December 9 to December 28, 2009! The contest will track recycling tonnage from participating communities from January 1 through March 10, 2010. The neighborhood that recycles the most will win an appreciation day block party. The winner will be announced at the Mayor?s Spring Cleanup Kickoff, April 17, 2010. Print and fill out the Contest Registration form and fax or email it to Ms. Tonya Simmons at 410-545-6117 or tonya.simmons@baltimorecity.gov. The Mayor?s Initiative for a Cleaner Greener Baltimore will also offer communities an opportunity to compete for RecycleMORE 1+1 Program Partner Grants. These grants are limited and subject to eligibility criteria. Communities are encouraged to apply promptly. For information on RecycleMORE 1+1 Program Partner Grants, residents should contact Ms. Hope Williams, Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, at 443-984-3961 or email hope.williams@baltimorecity.gov."http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=71http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=71Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTCommission on Sustainability Meetings begin at 4pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month and are open to the public.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=75http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=75Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTCelebrate the Vernal Equinox with Baltimore Green Works! 7 to 11 pm Cost $75/$40 with current student IDhttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=73http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/eventDetail.aspx?id=73Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTIf you're looking for information you can share to make your neighborhood cleaner and greener, check out our Print Materials under the MEDIA CENTER tab.  If you need something and you don't find it on the site or in Print Materials, let us know.  http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=145&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=145&cat=1Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT DPW reminds citizens to clear snow from fire hydrants and storm drains in your neighborhood (melting snow and thawing ice need clear channels to storm drains). Keeping storm drains clear prevents flooding of intersections and basements and lets water flow freely away. As well as: Let a thin stream of cold water run from a basement faucet. The stream should be a continuous flow, about the thickness of a pencil. This water can be caught in a bucket or pail to be recycled later as laundry or dish water. If your pipe is frozen, gently warm it with hot air from a blow dryer at the point where it enters your house. Be sure you know the location of the water shutoff valve in your home. Check it periodically to ensure it works properly. Periodically monitor your sump pump. A frozen drain pipe could result in a flooded basement. Insulate pipes in unheated parts of your house. Be especially alert if you have had frozen pipes in the past. Keep bottled water on hand. ADDITIONAL COLD WEATHER TIPS CAN BE FOUND ON THE DPW WEBSITE. The Department of Public Works maintains outdoor water lines up to and including the meter. Water lines running from the meter to the house, as well as internal plumbing, are the responsibility of the property owner. For water emergencies in Baltimore City, please call 311. If you are outside the City, but in our service area, please call 410-396-5352.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=132&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=132&cat=1Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTDPW will provide Christmas tree mulching every Saturday during the month of January 2010, at the Citizen Drop-off Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Residents should bring their own bags or containers if they want to bring back mulch for their own use. While supplies last, community groups are encouraged to come by during this time to also bag up free mulch for neighborhood gardens. For residents who cannot bring their trees for mulching, the Bureau of Solid Waste will offer curbside tree collection from Tuesday, January 5, 2010 through Friday, January 29, 2010. Residents should set out trees on their trash collection day at the location where their trash is picked up. All tinsel and ornaments should be removed from the trees before they are set out for curbside collection or mulching. For additional information, please call 311.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=133&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=133&cat=1Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOn November 7, 2009, The Mayor was joined by Ken DeFontes, President of Baltimore Gas and Electric, Councilwoman Councilman Bill Henry, Dr. Dwayne "Doc" Thomas, Acting Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks, and community members for the kick-off of the TreeBaltimore and Constellation Energy partnership to help grow Baltimore?s tree canopy. Constellation Energy has committed $300,000 over the next three years to increase the canopy through tree planting and maintenance of existing trees in neighborhoods and on school grounds. "TreeBaltimore is a key component of the city?s sustainability plan, and is aimed at preserving and increasing our tree cover to create a greener, healthier and more vibrant city," said Mayor Dixon. "We believe that Baltimore has a green future, and it is our responsibility to work with each other to care for this city we love so much. Constellation?s support gives us a head-start on making Baltimore a greener city now and in the future." At the morning event, which took place in DeWees Park, free trees were available for residents. The city offered residents a wide variety of native trees, including Red Oak, Red Bud, Red Maple or Willow Oak trees to plant on their property. Bike Baltimore helped with the delivery of trees to residents who had requested them, and also helped with the planting. Alongside community volunteers, Constellation Energy and BGE volunteers planted 60 trees in the park. "At Recreation and Parks, part of our mission is to create and maintain urban green spaces. Baltimore?s trees are essential to healthy, vibrant communities," said Dr. Dwayne Thomas, Recreation and Parks? Interim Director. "TreeBaltimore is excited to work with Constellation Energy and hopes their commitment will inspire others to get involved with the greening of Baltimore." Constellation Energy?s contribution will support the planting of 1,000 trees in the city. Other organizations involved in the TreeBaltimore initiative include the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Herring Run and Jones Falls Watershed Associations and the Parks and People Foundation. "We are pleased to partner with the city of Baltimore to support its Tree Baltimore initiative," said Mayo A. Shattuck III, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Constellation Energy. "This initiative aligns squarely with our overall support of Baltimore?s Cleaner Greener Initiative and our company?s commitment to being a responsible environmental steward.  By planting trees to help enrich Baltimore?s urban tree canopy, we will all benefit from improved air and water quality, as well as increased shade that helps to reduce energy usage." About TreeBaltimore: TreeBaltimore is part of the Mayor?s Cleaner, Greener Baltimore Initiative. Our goal is to significantly grow Baltimore?s tree canopy by the year 2037. Many cities in the United States have seen a major reduction in trees and forest cover over the past several decades. TreeBaltimore is an investment in the City?s future. Trees planted in the right place save on energy costs, clean our air and water, provide shade in the summer and help lessen the impacts of global warming.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=123&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=123&cat=2Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT  This is the time that ?Fall? really lives up to its name!  Leaves have finally come down with a vengeance and DPW?s Bureau of Solid Waste will collect them with your yard waste on your trash collection day.   Please put leaves in clear or labeled bags so our crews can readily identify them.  Bagged leaf pick up is limited to 10 per collection day and please don?t put them in the public right-of-way since violators can be cited.  The bagged leaves we collect are delivered to the Wheelabrator waste-to-energy facility. You can always drop off your hefty collection of bagged leaves to the nearest Bureau of Solid Waste drop-off center, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Eastern Sanitation Yard-6101 Bowleys Lane Northwest Sanitation Yard-2840 Sisson Street Northwest Transfer Station-5030 Reisterstown Road Quarantine Road Landfill-6100 Quarantine Road Western Sanitation Yard-701 Reedbird Avenue For more information, call 311.    http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=127&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=127&cat=1Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT        When we started One PLUS ONE, we also changed the mixed refuse and recycling schedule. We knew you were tired of Monday holidays and we eliminated that with our Tuesday through Friday schedule. What we also did was give you a make up day when a holiday falls during the week like this past Veterans Day did. Anytime there is a holiday that falls during the regular collection week (Tuesday through Friday) the following Saturday becomes the automatic make up day. If a holiday caused you to miss your trash pick up or your recycling pick up, set it out the following Saturday for collection. Also, remember that on regular City holidays, we do not collect bulk and drop-off centers are closed. On mandatory City furlough days, even though City offices are closed, we will continue to collect trash and recycling on those days. However, like a regular City holiday, we do not collect bulk and drop-off centers are closed on mandatory furlough days. Listed below are some upcoming holidays: November 26-Thanksgiving: There will be NO curbside waste collection (trash AND recycling). Make up collection will be provided on Saturday, November 28. November 27 -City Furlough Day: Trash and recycling will be picked up even though it is a City Furlough Day. December 24-City Furlough Day: Trash and recycling will be picked up even though it is a City Furlough Day. December 25- City Holiday: There will be NO curbside waste collection (trash AND recycling). Make up collection will be provided on Saturday, December 26. January 1-City Holiday: There will be NO curbside waste collection (trash AND recycling). Make up collection will be provided on Saturday, January 2, 2010. January 15-City Furlough Day: Trash and recycling will be picked up even though it is a City Furlough Day.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=128&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=128&cat=2Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT  2009 LEAF VACUUMING PROGRAM   The City of Baltimore will conduct leaf vacuuming this year in 13 heavily-wooded neighborhoods. Residents will be notified by postcard before vacuuming begins and signs will be posted throughout the community prior to the scheduled week for specific areas.  Residents who wish to continue to bag their leaves may do so. Bagged leaves will be collected on your trash collection day.  Communities receiving leaf vacuuming this year include: November: Guilford, Roland Park, Homeland December: Mt. Washington, Howard Park, Hunting Ridge, Westgate, West Hills January: Ten Hills, Beverly Hills, Original Northwood February: Arcadia, Morgan Park Service will run Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rake leaves along the street curb before Monday morning. Please don?t rake leaves into the street after we have vacuumed. After a street is vacuumed, only bagged leaves will be collected. In order to make our operation more efficient, residents are asked to move cars off of the street during hours of operation. Please note, this information may be updated and adjusted depending on leaf accumulations. Call 311 for the latest news. NOTE: You can enter your address on the City?s iMap to find out if you have leaf vacuuming this year and when we will be coming to your community. Go to www.baltimorecity.gov and click on Interactive Maps. http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=122&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=122&cat=1Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTMEDIA ADVISORY WHAT:   Dedication of Mural and Lot Beautification Project     Nationwide Insurance to Launch National Model for "Giving Back"       WHERE:   Historic Sharp Leadenhall Community     112 Hamburg Street and 100 W. Cross and Race Streets       WHEN:   Saturday, September 13 ? 1:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.       WHO:   Deputy Mayor Andrew Frank, City of Baltimore Matt Riebel, President, Nationwide Retirement Solutions Betty Bland-Thomas, Sharp-Leadenhall Association President Charles Lawrence, Mural Artist Shawn James, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts Hope Williams, Cleaner Greener Baltimore David Scott, Director of Public Works Hugo Lam, Recreation and Parks 50 Nationwide Insurance Employee Volunteers 40 Community Resident Volunteers       SIGNIFICANCE:  Nationwide Retirement Solutions serves public sector employees across the Country ? managing voluntary retirement savings plans. As part of their commitment to these communities, Nationwide Insurance looks for ways to give back -- serving in community centered and oriented projects.  Matt Riebel, President of Nationwide Retirement Solutions asked his employees to give back to their conference host city this year.  A volunteer greening and public arts project was developed in partnership with the Initiative for a Cleaner Greener Baltimore and the community of historic Sharp Leadenhall.  Nationwide intends to use this project as a model for future conference volunteerism.  Nationwide is in Baltimore for the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA), Nationwide recruited volunteers during registration. PHOTO OPPS: Excellent opportunities for visuals of new mural with artist; and community residents working alongside Nationwide employees digging and planting. Beautiful existing gardens along with a vacant lot ready to be tilled ? potential for ?before and after?.   http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=86&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=86&cat=2Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT   Pat Warren BALTIMORE (WJZ) Slowing the burn. Baltimore City and Constellation Energy set a goal to reduce the city's energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 15% before 2015. Political reporter Pat Warren explains how they're trying to get city residents on board. Inez Robb of Sandtown and Sheila Dixon of City Hall share a podium and a purpose: reducing household energy use. "I don't know about you, but I've already started doing that, particularly with changing my lightbulbs," Dixon said. "It's helping." Robb is walking that walk. With the help of Civic Works home energy experts, she's first to take the pledge in Baltimore's new neighborhood energy challenge. "I've had installed the CFL bulbs and also an aerator for my sink," Robb said. The aerator and CFL--compact flourescent light bulbs--are some of the changes participants in nine city neighborhoods can make for free, courtesy of a group of sponsors, including Constellation Energy. "I've gotten the BGE programmable thermostat installed," Robb said. "These are the type of tools we can put into people's hands to make them understand that running a dishwasher at midnight is better at running it at 3 in the afternoon," said Mayo Shattuck. Leaders in nine areas will sign up their neighbors and get everybody talking about ways to save energy. "Buying energy-efficient products now--all of these things are helping," Dixon said. Targeted neighborhoods include Park Heights, Reservoir Hill, Ten Hills, Mt. Washington and Roland Park. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=94&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=94&cat=2Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTA few blocks south of The Mondawmin Mall is a wonderful neighborhood called Whittier-Monroe. Flowers burst from flower boxes in the summer and spacious and well-kept porches show off graceful row homes. The residents are a vibrant group of older and younger homeowners, many of whom grew up in the area. The 150 homes are located within Gwinn?s Falls Parkway to the North, Reisterstown Road to the East, Pulaski Street to the West and Windsor Avenue to the South. Though the community association was started in 1981, as time passed, the community association was in name only.   Until 2005 when Pat Briscoe took the association reigns and off to the track they went.   Pat realized that if the residents didn?t re-group and re-energize, changes may take place that could tarnish the community?s charm. Pat Briscoe, the current association president, states their mission best, ?This neighborhood is our pride and joy and we work together to maintain a clean, safe and healthy community.?    Each year the association applies for neighborhood beautification grants and buys flowers for every association homeowner to plant in their large cement flower boxes; the boxes are built into the porch structures.   In support of Mayor Dixon?s Cleaner & Greener effort the association purchased yellow recycling bins for neighbors to buy and recycling has increased. The association partners with the City to keep alleys and streets clean. Every fall and spring, the association takes part in the City?s clean-up and over 150 neighbors work to keep the neighborhood tidy. A quarterly newsletter, edited by Pat?s daughter, keeps all neighbors abreast of important news and programs in their neighborhood. Don?t forget to buy your raffle ticket for the big ?crab feast? fundraiser the association holds each year!     By working together with neighbors, churches, businesses and government, the residents of Whittier-Monroe have brought attention, resources and support to their neighborhood.   Contact: Pat Briscoe patbriscoe@verizon.net 410-428-7335http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=79&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=79&cat=1Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTLET'S BEAUTIFY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH FLOWERS! Come to the Flower Mart, sponsored by the Robert W. Coleman Community Organization. Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the "Quiet Place" in the square behind the 2200 block of Walbrook. Free flower seedling plants while they last! Door prizes! Come, see, listen, learn, and have fun! Gardening tips from Parks & People and Maryland Master Gardeners. Surprise visit from the Baltimore Zoomobile! George Washington Carver Exhibit Face painting, Crafts, Gameshttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=76&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=76&cat=1Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTPublic Works Director David E. Scott, P.E., announced today a sale of the ever-popular yellow recycling bins on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Parking Lot, Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane and at M&T Bank Stadium, Lot B, Hamburg and Russell Streets. In anticipation of the switch over to One PLUS ONE waste collection, citizens will have an opportunity to purchase 18- or 25-gallon bins. Lids for the 25-gallon bins will also be available.   DPW will sell 10,000 25-gallon bins, 5,000 18-gallon bins and 6,000 lids on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment must be in CASH ONLY. Receipts and rain checks will not be provided. The 25-gallon bins will sell for $12, 18-gallon bins for $5 and lids for the 25-gallon bins will cost $3 each.   Citizens should be reminded that yellow recycling bins are NOT needed to recycle. Citizens can use a cardboard box, a container of choice that is clearly marked as recycling material, paper bags or paper tied together with string. Yellow bins are for recycling only! Regular trash and debris will not be picked up from them.   To find out what you can recycle go to www.baltimorecity.gov or CleanerGreenerBaltimore.org. Beginning June 17th, visit these websites to learn your new days of collection, which take effect Monday, July 13, 2009. Beginning June 19th, citizens can call 311 for their new days of collection.    http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=78&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=78&cat=1Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTPublic Works Director David E. Scott, P.E., announced today a sale of the ever-popular yellow recycling bins on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Parking Lot, Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane and at M&T Bank Stadium, Lot B, Hamburg and Russell Streets. In anticipation of the switch over to One PLUS ONE waste collection, citizens will have an opportunity to purchase 18- or 25-gallon bins. Lids for the 25-gallon bins will also be available.   DPW will sell 10,000 25-gallon bins, 5,000 18-gallon bins and 6,000 lids on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment must be in CASH ONLY. Receipts and rain checks will not be provided. The 25-gallon bins will sell for $12, 18-gallon bins for $5 and lids for the 25-gallon bins will cost $3 each.   Citizens should be reminded that yellow recycling bins are NOT needed to recycle. Citizens can use a cardboard box, a container of choice that is clearly marked as recycling material, paper bags or paper tied together with string. Yellow bins are for recycling only! Regular trash and debris will not be picked up from them.   To find out what you can recycle go to www.baltimorecity.gov or CleanerGreenerBaltimore.org. Beginning June 17th, visit these websites to learn your new days of collection, which take effect Monday, July 13, 2009. Beginning June 19th, citizens can call 311 for their new days of collection.     Contact: Celeste Amato Telephone: 410-545-6541 email: Celeste.Amato@baltimorecity.gov   Robert Murrow Telephone: 410-545-6189 email: Robert.Murrow@baltimorecity.gov http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=77&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=77&cat=2Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   For media inquiries only April 20, 2009                                                 contact: Tracy Baskerville   Dionne McConkey   410-752-8632     Visit artists? studios and purchase original artwork at Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower Open Studio Day on May 7 FROM 5-9PM   Join talented local artists as they showcase their artwork at Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower Open Studio Day.  On Thursday, May 7 from 5-9pm, enjoy original paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and more.  During this monthly event, guests can visit artists? studios, purchase pieces of art and take a tour of the historic tower.  Bromo?s Open Studio Days will take place on First Thursdays for the summer and early fall seasons.  Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, located at 21 S. Eutaw Street is a facility managed by Mayor Sheila Dixon and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.   Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower has graced the skylines of Baltimore for 98 years.  Today, it houses visual and literary artists.&amphttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=68&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=68&cat=2Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 GMTBGE?s thermostats prove popular DANIELLE ULMAN Daily Record Business Writer May 5, 2009 8:12 PM Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. customers looking to join the company?s energy saving program could find themselves waiting until July for a new programmable thermostat. The popularity of BGE?s PeakRewards program has slowed down installation of the company?s devices, which will save participating customers money by allowing BGE to temporarily cut down their use of air conditioning during times of high energy demand over the summer. BGE has signed up 77,000 customers for the program, but 11,000 are still without a programmable thermostat or a smart switch, a box mounted near an air conditioning unit that receives radio signals from the company, said Ruth Kiselewich, director of demand side management programs at BGE. Those who request the thermostats generally have a longer waiting period because they require entry into the home, while the smart switches are placed outside the home. Customers who want switches installed during the middle of the week get the fastest appointments, she said. ?On average it?s taking us between four and six weeks to schedule customers, which is not unusual when you think about getting work done in a house,? Kiselewich said. ?If a customer wants an appointment on a Saturday, some are being scheduled out through July.? But even those with the smart switches have been left hanging for weeks at a time. Dave Sandler, a Reisterstown resident and the traffic reporter known as ?Detour Dave? on WBAL Radio and 98 Rock, said when he signed up for the program the company told him they would come out to install the switch within days, but it actually took weeks. ?I was kind of surprised that there was a delay,? he said. ?They said they would be out two days later, and it was more than a month.? Customers who get their installations completed before the program?s rebates start in June seem not to mind the delay. ?I didn?t really care,? Sandler said. ?I just thought maybe they forgot about me.? All customers who sign up for the program receive a signing bonus of up to $100 and a monthly credit of up to $25 from June through September. Both credits vary depending on the level of ?cycling? the customer allows. Customers can choose to let BGE cut off cycling, or air flow, to their homes for 100 percent, 75 percent or 50 percent of an hour during high demand periods to avoid using more power than the company has in supply. BGE can also reduce cycling when the cost of wholesale electricity is very high, and all customers would have air flow cut down to 50 percent of the hour. Even those customers who do not get their thermostats or switches installed until the middle of the summer will still get their full signing bonuses, Kiselewich said. The thermostats are more attractive to customers because they offer added opportunities for savings. BGE estimates that customers who use programmable thermostats compared to regular thermostats save about 15 percent off their energy bills each year. On average, BGE is putting in about five thermostats a day per installer, and the company has about 100 installers. Rebecca Miers, who works for the Peter & John Ministries, a nonprofit Christian evangelical organization in Arbutus, said in an e-mail that she signed up for the program online and communication with BGE was lacking. It took nearly a month for the installation of the thermostat in her Baltimore County home, although the company said it would happen sooner. ?I am glad it was able to work out before the credits would be applied to our bill,? she said. ?One thing that probably made it more challenging: They did not leave phone messages when they called. I only knew this because they told my husband that after he attempted calling them several times.? The company is working on keeping up with customer demand for the programmable thermostats, Kiselewich said. ?We are adding contractors, we?re increasing overtime, we?re adding subcontractors,? she said. ?We?re adding appointments on Sundays. It?s important that a customer has the opportunity to get the equipment.?  http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=74&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=74&cat=1Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMTAs a city with industrial roots, Baltimore has recently changed its focus from smoke-stacks to sustainability. The city, led by Mayor Sheila Dixon, has been working to promote "A Cleaner, Greener Baltimore," which includes the addition of more bicycle trails around the city. The Baltimore Bike Blast took place on Saturday, April 25 in Druid Hill Park, and was held in order to increase biking awareness among children, families and others who do not consider themselves cyclists. Since Dixon started Baltimore's Sustainability Plan this past fall, many city-wide programs have sought to promote environmental awareness. The Bike Blast was one of the many biking programs and events that the city has held since. The event kicked off at nine in the morning with a biking tour around the park reservoir, led by Dixon. Afterwards, a number of bike vendors set up stands to educate people about the benefits of biking. In addition, many non-profit organizations, such as the Velocipede Bike Project of Baltimore attended the event and offered a "build your own bike" program, as well as general information about street biking safety and preparing for a biking trip. In addition, the Bike Blast had a truck filled with bicycles set up at the event, so that people who had not brought their own bikes could borrow a bike for the day for free and join in on the fun. At Hopkins, Sustainability Initiative has also been running a series of biking workshops to increase awareness about biking on the Homewood campus. The program has run workshops on bike repair and bike commuting. In addition, the program has also been looking to increase biking safety on campus. Davis Bookhart, manager of energy management and environmental stewardship, said that they have surveyed all the campus storm grates to make sure that they are safe for bikers, and that they have also tried to set up more bike racks in more convenient places for students. Bookhart also mentioned the addition of Baltimore's first bike "parking lot" on Charles Street in front of Eddie's Market. The city removed one parking space that used to be for a car, and replaced it with a bike rack. Bookhart felt that in addition to this being a practical move for the city, it was also symbolic. "It's very symbolic: It shows that bikes are part of the road too, and that they shouldn't have to be locked up way on the sidewalk. They deserve to be parked on the street, just like a car would," he said. According to Bookhart, more graduate students bike around Homewood than undergraduates, due to their proximity to the Homewood campus. However, he said the promotion of biking on campus is something that is important to Baltimore, and the program is considering creating a free rent-a-bike program for Hopkins students in the future. Bike Blast volunteer David Shapiro said that he thought that promoting biking in Baltimore was a very important step in making Baltimore a more environmentally friendly place. "It's better for the environment, and it's also just a much more pleasant way to get somewhere besides a car," he said. Beginning in June of this year, Baltimore will be putting in a free bike rental program that will set up in Druid Hill Park every Wednesday at 6 p.m. to further promote biking. People will be able to take out a bike for free and ride it around the reservoir. About 350 people attended the Baltimore Bike Blast throughout the day, and Rosita Rennick, one of the public relations officials for the Department of Transportation, felt that it was a fairly successful first-time event. Nate Evans, the bike pedestrian planner for Baltimore, agreed that it was fairly successful, but that the event might have suffered slightly because of its lack of publicity. "Hopefully we can get some more advocate groups out to support the event for next year. Since we were limited in our budget this year, we weren't really able to make the outreach that we could have," he said. Rennick felt that the promotion of biking was important in promoting sustainability in Baltimore. "Not only will it help prevent traffic congestion and pollution, but it will also make the population healthier," she said. Rennick also said that the city had been making large efforts to spread bicycle awareness through its many events. She mentioned the many people who attended the events initially said that they hadn't ridden a bike in many years, only to find that it was very easy to begin to ride again. "People had mentioned to us, 'I thought I was too old to ride, but now I feel confident I can do this.' Changing the mindset of the citizens was a really daunting task, but now that the city is doing things, people are changing their minds and we're seeing a lot people saying, 'Hey I can do this,'" Rennick said. Chief Spokesperson of Public Relations for the Department of Transportation, Adrienne Barnes, hopes that in the future, biking will become more widespread. "I'd like to see families becoming more engaged in outdoor activities, and we really want people to get out of their cars," Barnes said. Baltimore will be hosting its next biking event, Tour Dem Parks, on June 14. The event will be a tour through a few of Baltimore's parks that have newly established biking trails. "I hope that in the future, people will take advantage of all the wonderful scenery around Baltimore through biking on our bike trails," Barnes said.  http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=73&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=73&cat=1Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTwww.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Recycling-For-The-Inner-Harbor/l71S-Qzb_kG21Gt_weF8FQ.cspxhttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=71&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=71&cat=2Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTIf you've noticed almost any new bike-friendly improvement around the city recently, from new bike lanes to bike racks, Nate Evans is likely behind it. Almost exactly a year ago, Evans, a former transportation engineer for Timonium's Constellation Design Group, started work as the City of Baltimore's Bike and Pedestrian Planner. Last week, he sat down in his City Hall-adjacent office, adorned with hopeful maps of Baltimore's cycling-friendly future, boxes of cycling promotional brochures, and, yes, two bicycles, to talk about what Baltimore City is doing to become a more friendly place for bikes. City Paper: I have a number of friends who say they are absolutely terrified of riding bikes in Baltimore. I wonder what you would tell them to reassure them. Nate Evans: I guess I would have to ask what they're afraid of. CP: It's everything, from bad streets to angry drivers to being accosted in neighborhoods, having rocks thrown at them. NE: First of all, I don't blame them for being afraid. Baltimore can be a very tough place to ride a bike. As far as if you're being run off the road or afraid of motorists, it happens. I can't tell you how many times I've been riding my bike around town and people tell me to get on the sidewalk. Well, it's illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk. I think the best thing to do is to have some common sense about the way you're riding. Yeah, people are going to get upset and yell at you, but you have to keep a cool head. You might be able to out-maneuver a car, but you're probably not going to be able to outrun it. As far as being accosted by people that are out to steal your bike or whatever, I've been tracking some stats on that, and we had maybe a dozen or so bikes stolen that way [in 2008]. There's a couple of [bad] sections in the West Side and just north of Johns Hopkins [Homewood campus]. This happens, but for the most part you can usually ride your bike faster than someone that's running after you. And if you feel like your safety is being jeopardized by stopping at a stoplight, I'm not going to tell you to stop if you can safely go. We are trying to address these issues. We put out a [public service announcement] about sharing the road, and it's gotten some good publicity and also our web site has share the road tips, and we have [share the road signage] on backs of buses. One thing that we try and do is designate routes for people. If they feel like they want to ride their bike, if they tell us where they want to ride their bike to, and where they're coming from, we'll offer suggestions on an easy, safe route to take. We're not just going to leave 'em hanging out there. We'll help them. CP: Someone could just, like, call you? NE: Yeah, they could e-mail me [nate.evans@baltimorecity.gov] or call. If I don't know the answer, there are a ton of cyclists in the city that can give you a decent route no matter what part of town you're coming from.   CP: When I'm biking in the city, I get the feeling that no one has my back, particularly the Police Department. I'll be riding my bike, legally, and I'll get honked at by cops to get out of the way. I'm wondering what kind of interface there is between Transportation and the Police Department. It almost seems like there should be a kind of "back of the buses" PSA for cops. NE: We've got a couple things going on as far as that goes. I've got contacts at the police department where I can voice my concerns, and they're almost always addressed. We recently had a problem with people parking their cars in the trolley lanes, the bike lanes over behind Harborplace. I let the Police Department know this, and I got a response the next day. They beefed up enforcement, started giving out tickets. That kind of thing is a good start. Coming up [on May 1] we're going to have a bike summit, bringing in all of the different groups around the city that do or could affect cycling in Baltimore, and the biggest group I reached out to was the Police Department. It's imperative that we have their input, because we don't want to just be like "How come you're not helping us?" It's more like, "How can we help each other?" Yeah, cyclists do belong on the roads, and we need to properly educate cyclists, motorists, and the police on how to properly [follow and] enforce the law. I hear it a lot, your concern. We definitely want to get it so the police, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and City Hall, we're all on the same page. We want cyclists to know that if you have problems, you can rely on the police for that. We're working together to work that curriculum into the Police Academy guide, to have a better [police] bike presence around town, and to develop some kind of program for the officers that are out there on the street to get them information that they need to respect the rights of cyclists.   CP: How does the cycling fatality rate in Baltimore compare to other big cities? NE: We are actually very low. From 2002 to 2008, we had maybe four fatalities. I think the last one we had was two years ago. The Police Department and DOT share their crash statistics, so we can kind of track where that's happening. Even New York City, which has a very high number of cyclists, has a very high percentage of bike deaths compared to us.   CP: Do you commute by bike? NE: I take the bus. But, whenever I have a meeting, I'm on bike. I've never used a city vehicle. I gotta practice what I preach. If the bike planner of a city can't ride a bike somewhere, I don't expect anyone else to.   CP: Can you explain "sharrows," the not-really-a-bike lanes/arrows on the outside of some driving lanes, or the logic behind them? Among the bikers I talk to, they're looked at as kind of a joke. NE: I can understand that. Sharrows are a concept where we put them on a wide outside of a lane to kind of enforce the presence of bikes. Where there's areas around town where we could do a bike connection between a couple of points, sometimes we don't have enough room for a [bike lane]. So we do a sharrow. We put the sharrow in to, hopefully, remind motorists that there could be bikes in the area. Where sharrows are put in, there should be room enough for a motorist to pass a cyclist without crossing the center line.   CP: Are there any different laws that apply to sharrows? Different passing laws, distance laws . . . NE: Not in Maryland. We can't even get a 3-foot passing law to pass.   CP: That's really a shame. NE: Yep.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=65&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=65&cat=2Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTThe City of Baltimore's official Bike Blast takes over Druid Hill Park this Saturday, April 25, with a day's worth of activities and information aimed at advocating cycling in the city. The event is the latest in an ongoing, and ever-so-slightly increasing, number of city efforts to make Baltimore a more bike-friendly urban environment, an effort that feels to have begun in earnest when the Bicycle Master Plan was developed by the Department of Planning in 2006. These efforts have been visible--the emergence of designated bike routes, sharrows, signed routes, and floating bike lanes; the addition of bike racks on all city buses; the production of safe-cycling PSAs; and the addition of Nate Evans as the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner. Promoting cycling appears to be an element of the city's sustainability planning. And, just looking around, it looks like the number of Baltimoreans cycling is increasing. "I think the city's doing a pretty good job of trying to promote biking, not just as a recreational activity but also as a transportation alternative," says Boson Au, a 31-year-cyclist and member of the Velocipede Bike Project, a collective-run, nonprofit bike shop-qua-cycling advocacy effort. Au is joined by six of his fellow collective members inside the Project's Station North Arts District workshop area on a refreshingly pleasant April Friday afternoon, sitting in metal folding chairs with the space's doors open. Almost everybody here pedaled in from some part of the city. "Biking fits well with the city's green efforts, and to get people out of their houses and exercise," 28-year-old Gabby Vigo notes, alluding to the city's Fit Baltimore campaign. "You see what's happening in the city because of this push," Au continues. "And a lot of different cities are doing the same thing, talking about transportation issues--I mean, cities are trying to break into the 'Top Biking Cities in the Country' lists. So I think the general national consensus is trying to get something besides cars on the road, and it's trickling down to Baltimore." It's a sentiment shared by the group gathered, as are the many reasons they spout off when asked about what makes Baltimore a good city for cycling: its compact size, that its few hills aren't intimidating, that for the most part you can do it year round, that it's more expedient for a large part of distances around the city, that, well, the present public transportation system can be frustrating and tedious. But very quickly this conversation starts to run into the many facets of Baltimore that make it less user-friendly, aspects well known to anybody who uses a bike as his or her primary mode of transportation. And it's these aspects, both macro and micro urban issues as a whole, that need to be addressed and discussed to help get more people biking in the city and push Baltimore into a more progressively moving urban environment. For one, right now it feels like all the city's current bike routes are geared toward the recreational rider. Paths run through the Gwynns Falls park to the Inner Harbor and around it, through and around Druid Hill Park and down the Jones Falls trail, and through Roland Park down Roland Avenue and across University Parkway to 33rd Street, funneling riders toward Lake Montebello and the lanes around Herring Run Park. "I would say it's not so much for the recreational rider as much as it for the privileged rider," 29-year-old Anna Ricklin says. "Because I'm willing to say there are a fair number of people who commute from Roland Park by bike, but they're not necessarily doing it to save money. They're sporty, they enjoy riding. They're not necessarily having to bike. It's a choice, versus a lot of us, who can't necessarily afford cars or want to support buying gasoline." That very observation directly addresses a major element that needs to be addressed in the city's cycling advocacy future: that biking is not solely a great form of exercise for the recreational rider, but that it is a favored and sometimes sole transportation alternative for a significant portion of the city's population. That socioeconomic component that must be considered with any urban planning comes into play with cycling, too. Vigo and Lars Peterson spotlight West Baltimore and East Baltimore as entire sectors of the city where the basic conditions of the roads and established traffic patterns need to be addressed to make riding safer for its inhabitants. "Most of the diagonal streets, like Belair Road, Sinclair [Lane]--which isn't really a diagonal--Harford [Road], it would help if they had a little more room for bikes on the side and if they didn't dump the [bike] lanes onto side roads quite so much," Peterson points out. "Because you have to pick a careful route around them because of those roads, and there are some neighborhoods that are isolated because of that." Such neighborhood isolation doesn't merely influence the routes from which a biker must choose; it can also influence his very demeanor in parts of town. The seemingly erratic functioning of city street lights at night can often make a winter or evening commute--when it gets dark around 5 p.m.--feel like a dodgy adventure. And as in any city, bike theft remains a problem here--please install more safe, durable bike racks throughout the city--but as David Matthews noted in his 2007 memoir Ace of Spades, in Baltimore sometimes people try to steal your bike while you're riding it. All of which speaks to a major change in road thinking that needs to happen in general: raising motorist awareness that cyclists have a right to the road. Every urban cyclist has that story of being doored, of being trapped between a bus and a car, of unsuccessfully contending with a city street's age--such as water drainage gates whose bars run parallel to traffic flow, the perfect size for a bike tire to fall into (ditto the exposed old trolley tracks)--and, most infuriating, being completely ignored by car drivers. If you think car drivers talking or texting on their cell phones is infuriating when you're driving a car, you should try being a cyclist trying to avoid being hit by an incessant chatterer who can't be bothered to notice how his or her vehicle is creeping into the next lane. Of course, if you do what any sane cyclist would do--rap quickly on the auto's window or say "Hey" really loudly to get the driver's attention to avoid running you into a never-ending line of parallel parked cars--you're the asshole. Simply bringing up these issues starts an active discussion among the Velocipede members about how to go about making biking safer. "Do you think the city could encourage biking better by enforcing current traffic laws to respect bicycles or create more bike lanes?" Peterson asks. "Because, personally, I think bike lanes are a huge waste for the kind of cycling that I do. To me, to make biking better in the city, more bike lanes is not the solution. It's more important to be safe on the roads as they are." Peterson's notion speaks to the sort of empathetic relationship that ideally exists between motorists and cyclists: Drivers should respect cyclists' right to be on the roads, and cyclists shouldn't abuse that access. "Another thing that might be holding back the whole coexistence between drivers and cyclists is that some cyclists don't know the laws or rules or whatever of biking in traffic," 25-year-old Kristen Rigney says. "So as much as we need to make drivers more aware of cyclihttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=66&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=66&cat=2Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTBaltimore, MD (April 22, 2009) ? To celebrate Earth Day, The Mayor and Department of Public Works Director David Scott announced the kick-off of the Inner Harbor Streetscape Recycling Pilot program.  The 10 new recycling bins have been specially designed for use in public spaces, and if the program is successful, the effort will be duplicated in public spaces throughout the city.  ?These new recycling bins will give residents the opportunity to recycle while enjoying our historic Inner Harbor,? said The Mayor.  ?If we can increase the amount of recycling we do, we will save money, landfill space and leave our world a better place for our children.?  The bins are specifically built for outdoor recycling.  They are prominent in yellow, which is the same color as Baltimore?s Single Stream Recycling bins offered to city residents.  ?Our main efforts have always focused on urging our residents to recycle,? added Director Scott.  ?However, we know that many visitors to the Inner Harbor want to recycle as well.  Now, we are giving them a way to do just that.?  The Bureau of Solid Waste?s Office of Recycling has implemented full scale recycling to all municipal buildings, and some small business and schools.  Through this and the Single-Stream Recycling initiative, the collection of recyclable material has increased over 30 percent in 2008 from 2007.   If this pilot program is successful, the Bureau of Solid Waste plans to install the same bins on a larger scale.  A second pilot project will target Baltimore?s park system ? specifically Patterson Park.  The success of the pilot will be gauged by the weekly tonnage rates. http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=67&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=67&cat=2Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTwww.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.cleanup19apr19,0,4679576.storyhttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=69&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=69&cat=2Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTwww.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/bal-ed.le.letters18a0apr18,0,4315329.storyhttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=70&cat=2http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=70&cat=2Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTPlease join Baltimore City Public Works and your Burueau of Solid Waste for a presentation of planned and proposed changes to household waste collection services.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=61&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=61&cat=1Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMTThe Baltimore Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce that the Draft Sustainability Plan is now available for public comment.     The Draft Plan can be accessed through either of the following links: www.transformbaltimore.net or www.baltimorecity.gov/sustainability   To comment on the online document, you must first register and login.  This online tool will allow you to leave comments about specific sections or goals within the document.  This site is shared with another document ?Transform Baltimore?.  To access the Sustainability Plan, scroll to the bottom and click on the ?Sustainability Plan- draft?. Please note that this is a draft, and the layout of the final version will include graphics, tables, and photographs, etc.   The Draft will be available at this site for public comment until January 30, 2009 The Planning Commission Hearing will be February 5, 2009   Many thanks to all those who contributed to the creation of this document.   http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=55&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=55&cat=1Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMTYour community can now register for a community clean up through 311.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=49&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=49&cat=1Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=43&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=43&cat=1Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMTKaren Goldberg Goff (Contact) Colorful two- and three-story murals complete the landscape in more than 100 locations around Baltimore, adding color, vibrancy and a sense of community. This year, the Baltimore Mural Program, which has been beautifying the city for more than 30 years, is teaming with the office of Mayor Sheila Dixon for CityPaint 2008, a push to get more than 20 murals painted or restored on row-house walls and other surfaces - about five times the number of murals painted in a typical year. "The mural program is a wonderful way to transform blighted communities and vacant lots," said Hope Williams, coordinator with the Mayor's Initiative for Cleaner Greener Baltimore, which also is involved in this year's goal of more murals. Ms. Williams was among the city officials and community volunteers who turned out Saturday to dedicate the city's newest artwork, at 11 W. Hamburg St. in the Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood. Baltimore artist Charles Lawrance's mural depicts members of the community planting trees and other greenery among the row houses. At the dedication, many of the real-life residents worked together to plant rows of shrubs in front of the mural. "This is a good example of people taking pride in where they live," Ms. Williams said as volunteers worked a bucket brigade to get soil in the beds. Mr. Lawrance has completed about a dozen murals around town over the past few years. The Sharp-Leadenhall mural took about 2 1/2 weeks to finish because of a number of rain delays. His favorite mural is the giant sea turtle he painted at Belair Road and Erdman Avenue. "It is a great from of expression," Mr. Lawrence says. Shawn James is community arts coordinator for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, which oversees the mural program. He says the program helps raise property values and cut down on graffiti. It also helps employ local artists. A typical commission for a mural is about $10,000, he says. Money for the projects comes from a mixture of grants, budget allocations and public and private donations. About 200 mostly local artists are in the mural program's database. Ideas often come from community members, who locate an appropriate mural site (highly visible to traffic and unblocked by trees, for example) and develop a theme based on historic figures, symbolic events, urban scenes and other relevant topics. Mr. James, an artist, has worked on several Baltimore murals. His favorites are the ones that tell a story, such as the mural of Baltimore steelworkers in the Patterson Park neighborhood or the sepia-toned "Running of the Pigs" mural at 834 Washington Blvd. "The steelworkers mural shows the steelworkers strike and the integration of women and people of color into the union," Mr. James says. "The Pigtown mural tells the story of how in the 19th and early 20th century, pigs [were herded] through the streets on the way to the slaughterhouse. "Every mural tells a story," Mr. James says. "We try to show something that reflects the community." The Pigtown mural, completed in 2004, is based on a historical photograph. Mr. James worked on that mural with another artist, Tony Shore, as well as more than a dozen teenagers from the neighborhood. The steelworkers mural, completed in 1997, is one of the largest, reaching across an old supermarket wall that stretches nearly a city block. Baltimore City Paper in 2003 named the steelworkers mural the best in the city, calling its scale "epic" and the final product "powerful." On a smaller scale, the Baltimore Farmers' Market on Gay Street is the site of 25 columns painted with murals, which tell stories in a more compact form. Some are just for visual interest, such as the van-Gogh-like sky over the row-house neighborhood. Others tell the story of the location, such as the ones that depict farmers and their wares.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=75&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=75&cat=1Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMTHousehold recycling is an important component in creating a cleaner and greener City. The Mayor and the Department of Public Works (DPW) want to double household recycling participation over the next four years. We need your help to achieve this goal. The DPW Recycling Coordination Office, is seeking block captains in communities across the City to communicate and motivate 100% household recycling - block by block. Please contact us at 410-396-4511 for more information. Or join us! by completing the attached form.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=23&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=23&cat=1Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTSingle Stream Recycling Facility Tours If you are interested in scheduling a tour at one of the Waste Management Recycle America Single Stream facilities, please contact: Waste Management Recycle America (WMRA) 7175 Kit Kat Road Elkridge, MD 21075 443-755-9416 (Must be at least 18 years of age to tour this facility) Waste Management Recycle America (WMRA) 1000 Ritchie Road Capital Heights, MD 20743 301-499-1707 (All ages are accepted ? This site is more kid friendly) *Baltimore?s single stream material is processed at the 7175 Kit Kat Road facility.http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=24&cat=1http://www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.com/media/mediaDetail.aspx?id=24&cat=1Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT