BHCA’s June meeting is last until September
The next BHCA board meeting, which is open to everyone, will take place in-person at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, at Memorial Episcopal Church, 1407 Bolton Street, unless announced otherwise. The board takes the summer off and won’t assemble again until Tuesday, Sept. 6.
After a two-year COVID shutdown, more than 60 neighbors came together for the BHCA annual membership meeting in May. Amy Sheridan was elected to lead the organization in 2022-23 as well as a slate of new officers and directors. Outgoing BHCA President David Nyweide highlighted appreciations for great work by residents around Bolton Hill over the past year:
Remembrance Award: David Hart and Debbie Healy for leading the fundraising the Lanvale Memorial Garden iron fence memorializing Joe Costa in Lanvale Triangle Park
Revitalize Award: Jean Lee Cole for all her organizing work to renovate and bring greater awareness to Contee-Parago Park
Arts Breaking Boundaries Award: Lee Tawney for organizing Arts in the Parks for the first time in 2021
Vision Award: Alex Aaron for envisioning and seeing to completion the Unity Murals at Park and North Avenues
Festivalween Award: Grey Maggiano and Jessica Wyatt for keeping Festival on the Hill going, along with a Halloween parade
Color Me Goodd Award: Maurice Corbett, Abby Jackson, Peter Jackson, Chris Kingsley, Erin Penniston, Cindy Wilczak with support from Amy Sheridan for organizing last summer’s arts-in-the-right-of-way traffic calming event
Event Planner Award: Chris Kingsley for organizing a series of listening sessions to find out how Bolton Hill residents would like to see BHCA focus its financial and volunteer commitments to events in 2022
Tree-mendous Award: John Leith-Tetrault and Paul Pitman for fundraising and organizing tree well expansion in the southeast corner of Bolton Hill
Restoration Award: Gareth Morgan and Steven Skerritt-Davis for leading the restoration of the Linden Gazebo funded by the City
Shutterbug Award: Zhee Chatmon for all her photos of Bolton Hill and Arts in the Parks and launching the BHCA Instagram account
Currency Exchange Award: Chris Kingsley for all his efforts in transferring the BHCA financial books to Quickbooks
Garden Club awards $5,000 for Bolton Hill projects
The Bolton Hill Garden Club announced its largest-ever grant award budget and most significant individual project grants to seven greening projects in Bolton Hill. Greening and Beautification Grants are awarded annually to help create and improve publicly accessible green spaces to beautify the Bolton Hill Community.
The largest grant, $1,360, went to Jean Lee Cole to purchase and plant native plants in the newly restored Contee-Parago Park. Another $1,345 went for the Sumpter Park plant bed revitalization, overseen by Lisa Johnson. $800 went to plant six Princeton Elm trees and modify tree wells in the 100 block of Lanvale at John Street, led by John Leith-Tetrault. Claudia Sennett received $445 for grass and tree work in Rutter’s Mill Park; Chris Mirkovich, $500 for restoration work at Anna Maria’s Garden on Mosher Street; and Christian Roth, $300 to plant Liriope and day lilies in 3 large urns in the 1900 block of Eutaw Place, and $250, Susan Van Buren for pollinator garden maintenance at Zippy’s Garden, at Mosher and Mason streets.
Need a COVID booster shot? It’s just a short walk or ride
Still haven’t had your COVID vaccinations or booster shots? You can get them for free on most days without straying far from home. Some of these locations also do on-site testing for COVID infections. Bring a photo ID, your vaccine card and your insurance certificate, if you have them. The US government is providing the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to all age-eligible people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.
State Center, 300 W. Preston St. The UM Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine are operating a tented COVID testing and vaccine (Pfizer only) location on the state employees’ parking lot. Also, free home kits and masks are available. Hours vary. Appointments at 410-649-6200. More information here.
Walgreens Pharmacy, 238 McMechen Street. The pharmacy is open M-F from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (with a lunch break from 1 :30 to 2). It’s impossible to get through to the pharmacy by phone (410 523-4704), but they say they are accepting walk-ins. It’s closed weekends.
Park Avenue Pharmacy, 1535 Park Ave. This tiny shop is not offering shots or tests. It will sell you COVID home tests.
Rite-Aid Pharmacy, 250 W. Chase St. You can book an appointment online at https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler. Or take your chances by walking in without one. The pharmacy is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Safeway Charles Village, 2401 N. Charles St. Walk-in shots are available 10-3 Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Appointments can be had by calling 410-261-6110.
CVS Charles Village, 2504 N. Charles St. 410 662-7594. CVS offers free COVID testing, COVID shots, home COVID test kids and treatments for COVID symptoms, although treatment may require payment or insurance. Schedule appointments at https://www.cvs.com/content/coronavirus?icid=cvs-home-s1-l3-covid-resources. The pharmacy is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
All are welcome at John Street Spring Soiree
After a COVID hiatus, residents and friends of the John Street Association, which maintains the small park and gardens on the closed-off street, are reviving their annual Spring Soiree Saturday, May 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. They’ll be honoring their volunteers and donors.
“This year we’re opening to all and publicizing more widely to help us celebrate these remarkable folks. It takes a village to tend the park year-round, keeping it well maintained, watered, weeded, and welcoming to all,” said coordinator Christine Lambert Pentino. “We’re excited that 1) the BGE gas line project was completed with minimal damage to the park and 2) we raised the money and completed replacement of the bluestone patio surrounding the fountain.”
Robert Bunch suffers injuries in motorcycle crash
BHCA board member Robert Bunch, a mechanical engineer and old house restorer, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in mid-April. Fortunately, most of his injuries are fixable; however, he has many months of recovery ahead of him. Robert and Anne Marie are very grateful for the kindness and support of their friends in Bolton Hill.
Former Bolton Hill preservationist, MRIA leader Romaine Somerville, 91, dies
Romaine Stet Somerville died on April 19. She was a president of the old Mt Royal Improvement Association (now BHCA) and was a leader in historic preservation throughout the city. She and her husband, retired Baltimore Sun reporter Frank Somerville, lived for a long time at 118 W. Lafayette Ave. The Sun ran an extensive review of her life.
No Boundaries Coalition Block Party moving to Eutaw Place June 18
The No Boundaries Coalition‘s 15th annual Boundary Block Party will take place on Saturday, June 18 from 12 to 4 p.m., returning to the site of the first boundary block party on Eutaw Place by what is now Unity Hall, where its office will move. Volunteer for the event by signing up here. You can make a donation toward the event here. Interested in being a vendor? Register here to have a booth, or just show up to have fun. Unity Hall is at 1501 Eutaw Place.
More Laurens Street traffic calming sought
Residents Laurens Street between Park Avenue and Eutaw Place are organizing to create a safer and more attractive streetscape that will encourage drivers to slow down and observe their recently installed stop sign at Laurens and Park. Their hope is to make pedestrian crossings more accessible for all, increase visibility for drivers and slow the overall speed of vehicles through the intersection to make our streets safer. More information at http://bit.ly/ParkLaurens.
Baltimore Banner editor wants community input
The new online Baltimore Banner news outlet, which plans to fully kick off in the fall, asked BHCA and a dozen other community associations to weigh in recently at a Zoom conference. The Banner’s managing editor, Andrea McDaniel, promised more consistent and attentive coverage of city hall and the city council, and ongoing interest and an open inbox for tips and complaints from local neighborhoods. They have a five-year plan to compete aggressively with the Baltimore Sun, initially covering only Baltimore City and the County before spreading to other parts of the state. A non-profit, it aspires to economic self-sufficiency based on equal parts subscribers, advertisers and philanthropy. It begins with a $65 million philanthropic grant. Get the free Baltimore Banner newsletter: https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/.
Nearby Avenue Market to get $9.6 million renovation
The decrepit Avenue Market on Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks west of Bolton Hill, will get a nearly $10 million makeover starting next year, with completion scheduled for 2024.
Funds for the renovation of the market in Upton, which dates back to 1871, include a $2 million congressional earmark by Maryland’s two US senators and Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Baltimore). The rest of the money will come from a mix of state, city and federal funds as well as philanthropic support.
Many of the market’s 30 stalls are currently empty and the place is dark and damp. The market will stay open during the overhaul, which will begin in the rear section, now vacant. The No Boundaries Coalition operates a vegetable market and food coop at the market two days a week.
About The Bulletin. . .
The Bolton Hill Bulletin is published by volunteers 10 times a year. We relax during July and August. Your contributions and feedback are encouraged; send them to Send them to bulletin@boltonhillmd.org . Laura McConnell is our designer. Marci Yankelov and Maurice Corbett are business managers. Contributors to this month’s production include Greg Baranoski, Doug Kelso, Paula Jackson, Bonnie Legro, David Nyweide, Lynn Pellaton, Lee Tawney, Marci Yankelov, and Peter Van Buren. The errors and omissions likely are mine.
– Bill Hamilton
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