Big Easy jazz group plays March 19 at Corpus Christi
Music at Corpus Christi – a cool-weather complement to BHCA’s Arts in the Parks summer outdoor concert series – kicks off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 with a New Orleans-style jazz concert. BHCA is co-hosting, with the Basilica Oratory, at Corpus Christi Church, located at Mt. Royal and Lafayette Avenues.
The “Charles Street Winding Boys” is a group of friends steeped in the traditions of early music from the 1930s and ’40s from around the world. They are led by Zach Serlét, who splits his time between Baltimore and New Orleans. He will be coming to town fresh out of Mardi Gras to present his collection of songs and tales from the depths of the gutters on Royal Street to the dance halls of the Bywater neighborhood of the Big Easy.
Joining Zach will be Django jazz virtuoso Sami Arefin on guitar and everyone’s favorite Bulgarian superstar Tomas Drgon on bass.
A second show at Corpus Christi at 6 p.m. on April 9 will feature Bolton Hill resident James Harp, the artistic director for Maryland Opera, singing popular opera arias and melodies. Both concerts are free.
New bylaws mean smaller BHCA board, but opportunities abound for members
BHCA’s adoption of new bylaws on March 4 has led to a dilemma for the standing nominations committee, which is charged with filling vacancies and assembling a slate for the board of directors’ election at the annual full membership meeting on May 6. The new bylaws will shrink the number of board members from 30, plus five officers, to 20 plus the officers. Currently there are 29 filled positions.
So, the nominating committee is charged with gradually reducing the number of board nominees. Instead, the committee is urging interested members to volunteer and become active on these standing or ad hoc committees: Nominating, Membership, Finance, Architectural Review Committee, Safety, Communications, and the Gray Panthers. Volunteers also are needed to help with the summer Art in the Parks concert series and the fall Festival on the Hill.
If you want to play a greater role in BHCA activities, email the BHCA president.
The new BHCA bylaws can be found on the BHCA website here.
City promises more parking tickets, 24/7
After years of light enforcement, DOT announced in March that parking monitoring on a 24-hour basis is now in effect citywide. City Administrator Faith Leach said DOT began an enforcement blitz in December after cleaning up its human resource problems, hiring more officers and resuming expired tag enforcement.
What that means for Bolton Hill is unclear, but it should serve as a warning to residents who park on the streets and frequently fail to move their vehicles on street-sweeping days. Transportation officers wrote more citations in December 2024 than in the same month for 2023, but still fewer than in 2022 or 2021, data shows.
Enforcement in 2025 is eclipsing 2024 figures for the same time period, but only barely. Enforcement still lags behind recent high-water marks in 2022, according to the Baltimore Banner. DOT officers wrote 32,993 citations through Feb. 27 of this year. They wrote 30,428 in the first two months of 2024, publicly available data shows.
Job fairs for federal workers, others scheduled March 20 and 31
Baltimore Unity Hall on Eutaw Place is hosting a job and wellness fair on Monday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s designed to connect government employees impacted by recent job cuts and local residents seeking new employment opportunities from our partners.
This event will provide a space for job seekers to explore career options, access resources, and network with potential employers and service providers. To register to attend as a job seeker, visit the Unity Hall website.
Another hiring and networking event for federal workers who have lost their jobs or face an uncertain future, will be hosted by the city on Thursday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New Psalmist Baptist Church, 6020 Marian Drive in northwest Baltimore. Register at bit.ly/fedtofuture.
Planting time draws near for city farmers
Baltimore City Farms is a Recreation and Parks Department program offering garden beds for rent to city residents. Here the city farmers grow their own vegetables, herbs and flowers in the beauty and safety of city parks. Several Bolton Hill residents have plots in Druid Hill Park’s fenced city farm.
Each gardener pays a one-time nonrefundable application fee of $10, signs a City Farms contract, and pays a nominal rental fee, depending upon the location and size of the plot. The individual standard 10’ x 15’ garden bed rents for $35 per season. The city provides water, fertilizer and wood chips.
To register go to https://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/special-programs/farms. More information at 410-396-4850.
About The Bulletin….
The Bolton Hill Bulletin is published monthly, except for July and August. It is designed by Elizabeth Peters. Paula Jackson is our proofreader. We invite others to help with writing, editing, or to provide photos or work on the business side. Contributors this month were, among others, Kevin Cross, Sam Getchell, John Loggins, Francine Marchese, Liz Miller, Joyce Oliner, Bobbi Schilling and Susan Van Buren. Errors, omissions and comments should be reported to the editor, Bill Hamilton, at bulletin@boltonhillmd.org.
Download PDF