Crime Alert: The Guide has received calls from residents who have been approached by individuals claiming to be city workers, contractors and others. These people are saying that they need to get into a person’s home in order to check water pipes, repair or update phone lines, read meters, etc. There have also been reports of individuals knocking on doors and asking to come inside to speak to elderly residents about their Medicare Part D coverage.
An elderly woman

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

There are plenty of venues that everyone associates with Juneteenth, the celebration of African-American freedom. Now here’s a new one: Fort McHenry.
Well, maybe it’s not that new, according to Vince Vaise, chief ranger at the fort. Fort McHenry’s Fourth Annual Juneteenth celebration will be held on June 16 at 2 p.m. outside the Visitor Center. And according to Vaise, it fits right in with the fort and its mission.
“What better

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Nothing quite says summer like a festival, and the first of the season rolls out this weekend. The Historic Federal Hill Jazz and Blues Festival takes place on Sunday, June 10, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. in the 1000 and 1100 blocks of S. Charles Street.

There is no admission charge which means, according to organizers, there’s no excuse for not hearing some really good music.

Note: The Class of 2007 is an annual feature in which local high schools nominate students whom they feel have been particularly outstanding, for recognition.
by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

To paraphrase Shakespeare: “Two students, both alike in dignity, in fair Digital Harbor where we lay our scene…”

Kaitlyn Stalnaker and Denis Magallan couldn’t be more different—or more alike. Stalnaker grew up in the Brooklyn area of the city, has been valedictorian of her class all four years,

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

There’s progress — or rather process — on Pratt Street. Just don’t expect to see traffic cones any time soon.

Ayers Saint Gross and Olin Partnership of Philadelphia, the design team for the 16-block redesign, “is in the process of negotiating a contract” with the Baltimore Development Corp, for the scope of work to be done on the project, said Joann Logan, public information officer for BDC.

There is no word, she added, on

The Southern District Police Community Relations Council recognized its most recent Officer of the month, Officer Imtiaz Alli.

Alli has been a member of the department since September of 2004. He is assigned to the Southern District Cherry Hill Crime Reduction Team. Additionally, he and his unit are deployed to locations in the district experiencing spikes in violent crime.

During the time frame from April 19-May 17, Alli worked a total of 16 days and during that time, made six

by Jacqueline Watts
editor@baltimoreguide.com

Camden Yards from the right fielder’s point of view is a gorgeous place, sunny and green, the grass like velvet stretching toward the far foul pole.

It is vividly, perfectly green, the color of green that suburbanites can only aspire to.

It is shortly after 11 a.m. and Nick Markakis, the Orioles’ right fielder, is not at work yet. Nicole Sherry is, however, with a crew of seven and three visiting interns, grooming Markakis’ office,

Go Greyhound: Greyhound Pets of America-Maryland, Inc. holds its 17th Annual Greyhound Reunion Picnic at Oregon Ridge Park in Hunt Valley on Sunday, June 3, (rain or shine), 10 a.m.–3 p.m., $2 donation per family helps pay for the park. Statewide celebration of retired racing greyhounds to which people and their hounds (or even people wishing for hounds) are invited. Info: 410-744-4542.
Feats Of Clay: June 1-3 is ClayFest 2007 at ClayWorks, 5707 Smith Avenue.Enjoy a Seconds Sale Preview,

Memorial Day: Memorial Day is Monday, May 28. There will be no trash or recyclables pickup, and city offices and schools are closed. Parking meters still need to be fed. The offices of the Baltimore Guide will be closed for Memorial Day as well.
African Children’s Choir: The African Children’s Choir will perform Wednesday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 306 E. 23rd St. The 21 children in the choir come from Uganda and Rwanda, and

by Jenny Wierschem

Okay, Peninsula folks, here’s a chance to go on the road to root for the home team. Nope, the games isn’t the Orioles, and it’s not Ravens season. This away game is just a mere ball throw outside of city lines. The rangers at Fort McHenry, aka the Locust Point Lamplighters, and the rangers from Hampton, the Towsontown Toughs, are going to play an early version of baseball against one another—while wearing Victorian garb.

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Got plans for Memorial Day? “It’s important for people to know that the holiday is more than cookouts and car sales,” said Vince Vaise, chief ranger at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. And as might be expected, the fort—the home of all things patriotic in Baltimore—has a day-long schedule of activities planned to help re-educate the public about what Memorial Day really means.

Throughout the day on Monday, May 28, visitors to

by Jenny Wierschem
Art is going outside of gallery walls and into the outdoors for a new Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts event at the Inner Harbor. Each Sunday in June, artists will set up tents at the harbor’s West Shore Park on Light Street between the Visitor Center and the Maryland Science Center. Throughout the day, artists and craftspeople will display and sell artwork and demonstrate how their craft is done.

“The whole idea was to

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

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If the early bird gets the worm, what does the night owl get?

Good deals from local merchants, according to Federal Hill Main Streets. The organization is hosting its Spring Fever event on Friday, May 18. Stores will stay open from 8 p.m.-midnight.

The event mirrors some aspects of the Moonlight Madness program, held around the holidays, according to Anna Farr, an assistant

Roar and Snore: Ready for a wild sleepover? Join the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for its Roar and Snore from 5 p.m. Friday, May 18-11 a.m. Saturday, May 19. Pack up the family and the camping gear for a night of flashlight adventures, pizza and a huge campfire complete with s’mores and songs. The next morning, enjoy a truly wild outdoor breakfast with the animals. Prices vary; call for info. Reservations required; call 443-552-5276, extension 8062, www.marylandzoo.org.

Bird’s Eye View: