September 2007
Envisioning a future Annapolis
This and other issues...
| A message from Sam |
| Envisioning Annapolis |
| Volunteer at the park |
| Triathlon this Sunday |
| Eco touring history |
| Report that pothole |
| Now here's a thought! |
| Contact |
Can you see the future?
Not many of us are going to have a lot of accuracy when predicting the future, but with a bit of thought, and a lot of work, we can choose to make our futures become what we wish.
The other day, I got news of some incredible seminars that will be coming to Annapolis. These lectures and discussions will be brought to you for the next 12 months by the Annapolis 300 Commission, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, St. John's College, Maryland Hall, the University of Maryland and other organzations. These public meetings are free. A few of the subjects to be covered are listed below in the article entitled "Awakening--envisioning Annapolis!"
Remember all the dire predictions of the past that were publicly disseminated as real and frightening? When I was a youngster I remember the ominous foretelling of bombs dropping, a nuclear holocaust, wars and disease. Most recently there was the Y2K scare.
Mark Twain reportedly said, "I'm a very old man, and I've had a lot of problems in my life, most of which never came about."
Consider this statement, uttered by a U.S. Commerce Department official, some
15 years ago: "The future belongs to those who reach for it."
We can envision a blessed and prosperous future for our families and descendents--one in which we have families with less debt, an environment less polluted, neighborhoods with less crime and improved public safety. It is within our hands to create that future, but we must act now to do just that.I want to encourage you to join me in attending this series of meetings beginning Sunday, September 16th.
Yours for a better Annapolis,
Upcoming City Council Meetings:
September 10th, 7:30 p.m., City Council Legislative Meeting
September 24th, 7:00 p.m., City Council Public Hearing
(The Thursday prior to each meeting agendas will be posted on the City of Annapolis website.)
Awakening--envisioning Annapolis!
exploring alternative futures...
A series of public forums by the National Center for Smart Growth, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and several consulting professionals.
3:00 PM, Sunday, 16 September, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, reCreating Annapolis: Urban Innovation in the 21st Century
"The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators" Charles Landry, Urban Consultant, Comedia, U.K. British urban futurist Charles Landry, author of The Creative City and The Art of City Making, will explore the role of citizens and culture in creating dynamic, self-sustaining 21st-centuries cities.
7:00 PM, Tuesday, 23 October, Conversation Room, St. John's College, Pressures, Progress, and Choice: Development and Quality of Life in Annapolis
"Relevant Lessons and Insights from the Reality Check Process" John Frece, Associate Director of the National Center for Smart Growth, UMD "Metropolitan Design and why it is so critical for 21st Century Realities" William Morrish, the Elwood R. Quesada Professor of Architecture, UVA Cities that grow by suburban sprawl strangle on traffic congestion and air pollution, eroding the quality of life that should be a major asset of cities. John Frece looks at population and density projections in the greater Annapolis area while William Morrish explores how great urban design can contribute to livable cities.
7:00 p.m. Tuesday, 27 November, 2007, Conversation Room, St. John's College, Cars vs. People: Transportation in Annapolis' Future
"A New Paradigm for Getting People Where They Want to Go in a Livable City" Speaker TBD. For the past half century, cities have focused on getting more cars with more people to more places in our urban environment. The result has been traffic congestion, ever longer commute times, and a deterioration of the urban environment. This speaker will address 21st-century options for getting people where they need to go while improving the urban experience for residents and visitors.
(Other lectures and seminars will take place during winter and fall months). Get additional information by clicking here!
Back Creek Nature Park Needs You!
Saturdays, September 22 and 29, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Help Friends of Back Creek Nature Park plant 3,000 plants at the park.
Friends of Back Creek Nature Park needs volunteers on two Saturdays in September to prepare, plant and landscape the west end of the park off Edgewood Road in Annapolis. (Turn left after the Giant grocery store on Bay Ridge and go about 1 mile, just past the entrance to Bert Jabin's Marina).
We will be planting native plants to restore the tidal water buffer, replace Phragmites, and create a rain garden.
Here's what we'll be doing:September 22: site preparation, tree trimming, and planting of bioretention area, wildlife refuge planting, outflow stream bed/bank plantings, and bank erosion control planting.
September 29: finish tidal water buffer planning and wetlands restoration planting
For more information & directions call: 410-353-2262 or your can contact Friends of Back Creek Nature Park at friendsofbackcreek@comcast.net.
The Friends of Back Creek Nature Park is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 to assist the City of Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department with the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the park.
Annapolis Triathlon
Sunday, Begins at 6:45 AM
Annapolis will be hosting an international Triathlon on Sunday, September 9th, 2007.
The Start Time is 6:45 AM. 1,500 participants are expected, along with perhaps as many spectators. Participants will run, bike and swim over a designated course.
Portions of the land routes go through downtown Annapolis and the area of the Navy Marine Corp Stadium. It is not anticipated that any roads or egresses will at any time be shut down completely, but there may be brief delays and re-directions of traffic as participants pass by certain points. Traffic is expected to be heavy due to the Triatholon, along with normal weekend visitor traffic.
There will be some special parking provisions in effect that will be enforced by towing if necessary: Parking will be PROHIBITED on the City Dock from the Harbor Master's to the Susan Campbell Memorial Park beginning on Saturday, the 8th at 5:00 AM. Beginning at 5:00 AM on SUNDAY, the 9th, Parking on Prince George's Street from the waterfront to Randall Street will be RESTRICTED to RESIDENTS ONLY. Parking will be PROHIBITED on Frances Street, and also PROHIBITED on State Circle between Frances and School Street, Market Space, and on the right hand side of Main Street from Market Space to Frances St.
Additional description of the event route: Swim starts and finishes at Annapolis City Dock; Bike starts at City Dock, through Annapolis onto county roads, ends at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium; run starts at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium into downtown Annapolis, across Severn River Bridge utilizing part of A-10 Mile Run course, ends at 50-yard-line inside Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium."
Before, during and after the event, some lanes may be closed on the following
roads: Randall Street, Main Street, Francis Street, State Circle, School Street, Church Circle, College Avenue, Bladen Street/Rowe Boulevard, Bestgate Road, Generals Highway, Herald Harbor Road, Old Herald Harbor Road, Sunrise Beach Road, Farragut Road,Cedar Park Road, Taylor Avenue, Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard
May the best man or woman win!
For additional information click here!
Annapolis Eco Tour
Friday, September 28th
The fourth Annapolis Eco Tourwill take place as part of the greater Chesapeake Eco Tourwhich will involve bicyclists coming through Annapolis all the way from New York en route to Virginia Beach.
Multiple Annapolis city staff from Planning & Zoning, Public Works, Recreation & Parks, Transportation, and the Department of Neighborhoods & Environmental Programs will be participating in the ride around historic Annapolis. We will also be joined by several local environmental activists.
The Annapolis contingent will begin in front of City Hall (160 Duke of Gloucester) at 10:00 AM on Friday, September 28. The tour will end about 4:00 PM at City Hall.
The 14-mile Annapolis ride is tailored for people of varying abilities, with stops about every five minutes, so riders can catch their breath. Participants should, however, have some recent experience riding a bicycle in an urban setting. Helmets will be required.
Bicycle repair specialist Parker Jones from Capital Cycle will participate in the ride, and he will be available for any needed repairs along the way. Mr. Jones can also rent bikes & helmets to those who do not own their own bikes, or have no way to transport their bike to Annapolis. Contact the tour leader if you need to rent any equipment.
The beauty of this ride is that it allows one to see virtually every type of environmental project under the sun in one fun day of cycling around Annapolis. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the technical and funding aspects of each project. And for those of you who like history, the tour will be chock full of interesting cultural and historical tidbits about Annapolis, as you ride leisurely along the Colonial Annapolis Maritime Trail. This is an officially designated segment of the East Coast Greenway Trail, running from Maine to Florida.
Trip highlights will include: (1) A large mixed-use development of the old hospital property in the heart of the Historic District. (2) A volunteer-run Bayscapes garden at a county school facility on College Creek. (3) A unique partnership at the Navy stadium where walking trails, removal of impervious surfaces, rain gardens, and extensive reforestation have recently taken root. (4) A cooperative tree planting demonstration project with BGE along the Poplar Trail. (5) A large green roof built atop one of the city's new landmark buildings at Westgate Circle. (6) A sensory garden at a county-run facility for the disabled. (7) Public & private rain gardens galore. (8) Volunteer projects at several community street end parks where rain gardens & living shorelines have been installed. (9) Public art along the Spa Creek Trail; (10) Living walls and compost piles at Truxtun Park, the City's largest recreational facility; (11) A one-of-a-kind stormwater demonstration project with MDE at the region's first "urban" living classroom at Back Creek Nature Park. (12) Invasive's removal of phragmites and other non-native vegetation. (13) An urban conservation easement obtained by the Annapolis Conservancy Board. (14) The Chesapeake Gateway to local waterways and Thomas Point Lighthouse at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. (15) A wide range of community GreenScape projects. (16) Rockfish, a certified "green restaurant" in Eastport. (17) The Alex Haley/Kunta Kinte Memorial and the historic City Dock area.
A lunch stop will occur at the Beaux Art Café at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts about midway through the trip. The café serves great meals and beverages at reasonable prices. Riders should bring water with them and there will be many places along the way to refill your water bottles or purchase drinks or use restrooms.
To register, contact your trip host Steve Carr at 410-757-7916 or via email at stevecarr@toad.net. Optional Rain Day will be Friday, October 5th!
Want to report a pothole or a street light that's out?
The Annapolis Department of Public Works is led by a very qualified staff. You can get information about how to report potholes. You can learn about the City's mosquito management program, get recycling hints, or find out about the many other services offered by the department by clicking here!
Now here's a thought!
"It will do us little good to wire the world if we short circut our souls. There is no delete button for racism, poverty, or sectarian violence. No key stroke can ever clean the air, save a river, preserve a forest. This transformational new technology must be an extension of our hearts as well as of our minds." ~ Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News
Quick Links...
Register to Vote!
Alderman Sam Website
Annapolis City Council
Back Creek Nature Park
Annapolis Maritime Museum
Bay Theatre
Arc of Central Maryland
