Ready, set, sweep
by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com
The city greets the warmer season (or what is hoped will soon become the warmer season) with brooms, dustpans and garbage bags. Those who are participating in Saturday’s Super Spring Sweep Thing have numerous options.
The following community organizations have noted that they are participating in the citywide clean-up program:
The Baltimore American Indian Center’s Vera Shank Daycare will be cleaning up the playground area. Volunteers are to meet at 1633 E. Lombard Street a 10 a.m. Info: Hotdogchik@aol.com or call Kim Michael at 410-327-3795.
The Baltimore Highland Community Association will be participating in the clean up. Volunteers are asked to meet in the 3400 block of Noble Street at 7:45 a.m. to get supplies and team assignments. Contact person is Kim Kramer-Zamenski, 410-563-9183, e-mail kgretchenk@comcast.net.
The Butchers Hill Association will have volunteers working from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Butchers Hill Association Streetscape Committee will participate as well. Block leaders will meet at School 27, corner of Fairmount Avenue and Chester Street (and new block leader volunteers are always welcome).
Corners are North/South: Washington, Chester, Collington, Patterson Park; East/West: Fayette, Fairmount, Baltimore, Lombard, Pratt. Tools, gloves, bags and more will be distributed. Residents are also encouraged to sweep and clean their own property and alleys.
Return all tools to the meeting place before 2 p.m. After sweeping and cleaning, celebrate at a special Happy Hour for Butchers Hill participants hosted by The Life of Reilly Irish Pub & Restaurant at 2031 Fairmount Avenue from noon-4 p.m. Info: Sandy Sales 410-558-0149 or sandysales@earthlink.net.
Citizens for Washington Hill will hold their annual Spring Sweep, meeting at the Broadway median, at the intersection of N. Broadway and E. Baltimore starting at 9 a.m. A limited number of rakes and shovels will be available. Residents are encouraged to bring gloves and rakes. Refreshments will be provided. Info: Jim Fitzsimmons 410-563-2333.
Fells Point Community Organization (FPCO) is seeking volunteers to help clean the 700 block of S. Regester Street. Volunteers should check in with coordinators Nancy Caudill and Joanne Masopust, in front of Latte’da (1704 Aliceanna Street) at 10 a.m. Coffee and tea will be provided. Volunteers will be asked to put in an hour, if possible. Info: Joanne Masopust at peacefuldolphin@hotmail.com.
The Fells Point Homeowners Association will be concentrating on trash removal in the Fells Point Square, the Broadway Pier and the Thames Street promenade. Volunteers can meet at the foot of Broadway & Thames in the square at 9 a.m. Info: Danielle Dutreix 410-675-1286.
The Friends of Patterson Park hold their Clean Sweep Day on Saturday. Volunteers can meet at Ellwood Avenue and Gough Street at 8:30 a.m. to clean up Patterson Park East (the new name that has been given to the area formerly known as the ‘extension’).
Note that there is a special focus on this area of the park because of its grand opening celebration the following weekend. Volunteers will be preparing two gardens for the charter school to plant. They will care for the trees, pick up trash and do other chores. Interested? Contact Lesley lesley@pattersonpark.com or call the Friends of Patterson Park office at 410-276-3676. (“Tell them the squirrels sent you,” says Lesley).
Greater Greektown Neighborhood Alliance will have a dumpster on the 700 block of Quail Street and volunteers will be meeting at Fleet and Oldham, Umbra and Foster, Rappolla and Foster, Lehigh and Foster, Hudson and Ponca, and Oldham and Gough Streets. All equipment and light refreshments will be provided. Info: Todd 410-206-8292.
Greektown Community Development Corp. meets at Bank and Lehigh streets at 9 a.m. on April 21. Info: John Gavrilis 410-327-3306.
The Helping Up Mission will be doing clean-up work. Approximately 100 men will meet in the Helping Up Chapel at 8 a.m. The city will provide all materials and tools. Volunteers will be cleaning the area from President Street to Central Avenue, and from Lombard to Fayette streets.Info: Frank Longwell 410-675-7500, ext. 144.
The Highlandtown Community Association is asking volunteers to meet at Our Lady of Pompei Church on Conkling Street at Claremont Street at 9 a.m. Volunteers will work until about 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served to the volunteers. Info: Agnes Arnold 410 882-3320.
Patterson Park Neighborhood Association is encouraging residents to participate in the Super Spring Sweep Thing from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Residents can meet at one of the following three locations to clean up the neighborhood: NW Sector at the 100 block of N. Belnord Avenue; NE Sector at the 100 block of N. Ellwood Avenue; SE Sector at the Unit block of S. Potomac Street. Block parties will follow the cleanup effort at all three locations. Volunteers can either meet at the location for their sector at 9 a.m. or can e-mail sanitation@pattersonparkneighbors.org for more information.
Upper Fells Point Improvement Association and Fells Prospect members will meet at the community garden, 1827 East Pratt Street at 9 a.m. Work will wrap up by noon. Info: Kurt 410-675-0158.
And for those who don’t believe that good deeds get rewarded, Brett Bixler of High Grounds has noted that his shop will support the Spring Clean Up with half-off regular cups of coffee for all volunteers who come in on the day of the event between 7 am.-9 a.m. and say they saw it in the Guide.
