The Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville, Inc.

Greater Lauraville Gazette

January 2008

Director's Message

The Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville are coming into their own in many ways. As 2008 begins there are no less than seven new businesses slated to open in the Lauraville and Hamilton Business Districts. Neighbors are changing their lives to be on the cutting edge of sustainable living. Herring Run Park is about to undergo a Master Planning Process. Healthy Neighborhoods is finally set to launch the recoverable grant program offering up to $10,000 in matching funds to qualifying homeowners seeking to rehab their homes. The Harford Road median project is complete. And Hamilton Hills will soon have their Healthy Neighborhoods target blocks designated.

To capture this positive momentum, the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville will seek to become a Baltimore Main Street during the current expansion process. For more information on the program, please visit:http://www.baltimoremainstreets.com. If designated we will finally have dedicated staff to assist local merchants and commercial property owners in actualizing their vision of a walkable, safe, and vibrant Lauraville Business District.

We will also work cooperatively with the Friends of Herring Run Park to enhance community outreach to ensure maximum resident participation in the pending Master Planning process. Many residents of Greater Lauraville will remember participating in the charrette that created the image for a revitalized Harford Road. This Master Planning process will provide the same opportunity for Herring Run Park.

We will continue serving our member neighborhoods through the resources of Healthy Neighborhoods: organizing target block projects, promoting the loan products, marketing the area, and helping families who find themselves caught in the current foreclosure crisis.

We are also changing our newsletter's format and content. Each month you will receive an update of commercial activities on Harford Road, neighborhood activities, and other relevant information such as safety initiatives, events, access to resources, cleaning and greening and other news promoting and strengthening northeast Baltimore. As always, I invite readers to become contributors, send a note to me at lorrie@greaterlauraville.com.

Happy New Year!

Lorrie

Commercial Update

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CAMEO

With or without the mysteriously missing CAMEO stainless steel letters, the historic building that used to go by name of Cameo Bar and Lounge is making tremendous progress. The estimated impact of the project is nothing short of complete transformation of the general appearance and mood of the Harford Road commercial district.

Click here for the history of the old Cameo property.

The owners of the 4709-11 Harford Road property, Luis Hernandez and Walter D. Maya with The Roseclair Group, are both residents in the Greater Lauraville area. They are excited about the business and the challenges they see all over the Lauraville Business District. Many business owners in the Lauraville claim that there is great incentive to do business on Harford Road and point out that Luis Hernandez and Walter D. Maya are highly suitable for this particular property. Hernandez and Maya recognize the potential of this investment and are aware of the sensitivity that surrounds the property. Because of the long history of problems generated by the operation of the Cameo Club, The Roseclair Group has been listening to the community and responding to their needs. There seems to be an understanding of the fragile situation and The Roseclair Group have been consistant from the beginning to involve the residents and community organizations in their planning for the property. They are taking their time finding the businesses to ensure the right fit for the community. And best of all, The Roseclair Group has a unuiqe approach that works to invest in businesses for a social cause not just an economic cause. They are not looking only at the monetary profits as business owners but at their social responsibility in the community. They are working hard at creating a positive impact on Harford Road, one that will positively affect the entire community. This seems to mesh nicely with the mentality in the Greater Lauraville community.

The Great Soul Wellness Studio has rented the second floor of the old Cameo space located at 4711 Harford Rd, Baltimore, MD 21214 can be contacted at: 410-254-2786. Two residents of the Greater Lauraville area, Stacy Hernandez and Wendy Childs are renovating the 1500 square-foot space. They will open their doors February 4, 2008 starting with yoga classes. But the Open House will be held on the weekend of February 8-9, complete with food, drinks, and music. An announcement will be sent out soon with the exact details. Feel free to visit them at: www.greatsoulwellness.com for a schedule of classes and list of prices.

The Great Soul Wellness Center will serve as a neighborhood wellness center for people providing a gathering place for members of the community to meet, learn together and be in healing relationships with each other. They plan on providing a family-friendly environment that caters to the needs of parents and children. They will have room to expand to meet the growing needs of the community. They also are an environmentally conscious establishment that include green practices like low-voc paint, alternative energy sources, green yoga equipment, and organic linens and cleaning supplies for the treatment rooms.

The set-up of the Great Soul Wellness Studio will include a yoga studio space to accommodate movement-based classes such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, African Dance and Drumming, Salsa, Martial Arts, and much more. Also, they offer a variety of wellness services including Acupuncture, Massage, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Reiki, Yoga Therapy, and more.

Spaces are still available at the 4709 Harford Road property including assembly and office space on the lower level and a 5000 square foot space with commercial kitchen on the ground floor. To inquire information on these spaces contact Luis Hernandez at: Luis@roseclair.com

Andrea Brown

Resident's Making a Difference
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Tired of high prices at the gas pump? Want to be a bit more green when behind the wheel of your car? All you need is a diesel vehicle and waste veggie oil (wvo). That's right, the used oil from the french fryer at your favorite restaurant can be used as fuel in a (modified) diesel vehicle. I am modifying an old Mercedes Benz to run on wvo using a kit I purchased online. When finished, the car can run on diesel or on wvo. It's a hybrid, just a different kind of hybrid. Please start saving your used veggie oil for me. See my greasecar web page Click Here. For more info, email kevingregg@comcast.net

Kevin on Overland Ave

Residential Update

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Santa's visit to Greater Lauraville was festive and exciting. It seems we were all good in 2007 because the party wouldn't end and Santa not only noted the Holiday wishes of friends and neighbors, but took photos with them as well. Thanks to Will Colhouer (Will's Barber Shop, 5121 Harford Road) and Cindy Fields (Soft Touch Photography, 5123 Harford Road) for getting on Santa's busy Holiday schedule!

Look out Hamden, you've got competition!

Proving that nothing succeeds like excess, 3320 Rueckert Avenue in Waltherson owned by the Phillips family won the prize for Best Decorated House in Greater Lauraville this Christmas season. For their display of lights and figurines, including a life size manger scene, a Mickey Mouse snow globe, and a two-story, illuminated candy cane, Joe and Amy Phillips received the first prize of a $100 gift certificate from Home Depot.

Although this was the first year NOGLI (Neighborhoods Of Greater Lauraville, Inc.) has sponsored the contest, Joe Phillips has been dressing up his home for the holidays for about 25 years. "He just enjoys doing it," says his wife, Amy, "It was a tradition he and his father started." Even though the Phillips family estimates that the extensive display may cost them an additional $50 a month on their electric bill, they consider the expense their contribution to the community.

The public shows its appreciation by driving and walking by the Phillips' house all during the Christmas season. When illuminated, the house is visible from Walther Boulevard attracting a lot of visitors to the neighborhood. "Sometimes people even knock at the door and want to know why we haven't put up our Christmas display yet," says Amy. "We start getting those questions the day after Thanksgiving."

But don't think that Christmas is the only season of light for the Phillips. Visitors to 3320 Rueckert Avenue are likely to find an inflated turkey on their front lawn at Thanksgiving, orange lights and spooky statues on Halloween, and an ambitious spring display at Easter. "We just want to share our enjoyment of the seasons with our neighbors." Thank you, Amy and Joe. Your holiday spirit is a joy to behold.

Photo is on Website. Click here to view.

Recoverable Grant Program

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Healthy Neighborhoods Recoverable Grant Program: HNI will soon launch its recoverable grant program - a $10,000 matching grant for qualifying homeowners seeking to renovate their homes. The recoverable grant has income limits. Call Lorrie for the HNI Term Sheet: Recoverable Grants, 410-444-9188.

Also, the refi/rehab loans, and acquisition/rehab loans are always one percent below the Fannie Mae 60-day rate, currently at 5.65%. Call or e-mail Lorrie to discuss terms and be pre-qualified for the appropriate loan product. Current target block listings can be found here: House Listings

Click here to see if you are on a target block. If you are on a target block and interested in doing a block project, call Lorrie to get a block project started.

Cleaning and Greening Baltimore

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Recycling is good for you, good for Baltimore and good for the environment!

Thank you all for your enthusiasm for the new recycling program. After, for some of us, a frustrating start, the easier single stream recycling program began Tuesday January 8^th, 2008.

The shortage of bins December 15^th has been restocked and can be picked up at Baltimore City's Kane Street Yard, 111 Kane Street across from Patterson High School. I was just there last Thursday morning and it appears that there are plenty of bins to go around. The bins can be purchased between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

· 18 gallon bins are $5.00

· 25 gallon bins are normally $12.00, but will be discounted to $6.00 through the end of January 2008.

Acceptable Payment - Cash, Money Order or Check (addressed to City of Baltimore Director of Finance).

If you haven't yet picked up the new Single Stream Recycle bins and
are having difficulty finding time Monday through Friday between 9
a.m.and 2 p.m. to drive to 111 Kane Street, stop by The Neighborhoods
of Greater Lauraville, Inc. office at 3009 Montebello Terrace, located
on the south side of Safeway. We will have you fill out an order form
and collect your money. We will pick up the pre-ordered bins
from Kane Street. Depending on the number of orders that come in, I
plan on picking up bins Wednesday, January 23, 2008.

If your interested please stop by the office before Tuesday, the
22nd or send me an email. andrea@greaterlauraville.com

Those who order bins will be able to pick them up anytime after
Wednesday afternoon.

The neighborhoods in Greater Lauraville are in Zone 3 which means your recycling will be picked up on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month.

Acceptable Recycling Material:

· Metal: aluminum, tin and steel food and beverage containers (Ex. soup, pet food, empty aerosol cans, vegetable cans, tuna cans)

· Plastic: bottles and jars with the symbols 1 - 7 on the bottom
(e.g. soda bottle, detergent/bleech bottle, water bottle, milk jug, juice bottle)

· Glass: bottles and jars - brown, clear, or green

· Mixed Paper: all colors, mail, books, newsprint, folders, magazines, cardboard, cereal boxes, office and school paper.

Please place all recycling materials (Plastic and glass bottles and jars, paper and cans) in recycle bins, cardboard boxes, paper bags or a clearly marked container and they will be collected citywide on your regularly scheduled recycling day.

Set out recycling items by 7 a.m. for collection.

If your collection day falls on a holiday, please hold your recycling items until the next scheduled collection day.

Now that the single stream recycling program is running, there will be no Blue bag Monday's. In fact no plastic bags of any color will be accepted. They can be recycled at your local grocery store.

For additional information, please dial 311.

Andrea Brown

The Buy Local Baltimore Directory is out and can be purchased through NOGLI

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Local Merchant Discounts Include:

· Discounts on fabric selections.

DDDiscounts on Haircuts, colors and Perms from Will's Barbershop.

· Discounts on oil changes at the Put Stop.

FreFree 8X10 with photo package at Soft Touch Photography by Cynthia Fields.

More details can be found at the merchant listing on www.buylocalbaltimore.com.

The directory has listings of local merchants by neighborhood and by merchant category, as well as discount coupons for some of your favorite shops in Lauraville and beyond! Great to help with Holiday Shopping or as a Holiday Gift.

The directories are being sold for $10, but the first 30 are available for $8 - this offer is only good through the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville.

Call (410-444-9188) or