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This 'Pumpkin House' in West Virginia is decorated with 3,000 jack-o'-lanterns

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 05:32:00 +0000

What's the most jack-o'-lanterns you've seen at one house? Well, there's one in West Virginia decorated with 3,000 of them.

How to listen to Baltimore Ravens play-by-play on WBAL

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 05:21:00 +0000

All Baltimore Ravens preseason, regular season and playoff games can be heard on WBAL NewsRadio.

Why are people stealing catalytic converters, airbags?

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 17:01:00 +0000

Why are people stealing catalytic converters, airbags?

BARCS trying new foster program to ease burden on overcrowded shelter

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 14:24:00 +0000

BARCS trying new foster program to ease burden on overcrowded shelter

Police: 16-year-old girl among victims of triple shooting in south Baltimore

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 14:19:00 +0000

A 16-year-old girl and two 18-year-old men were found shot Friday afternoon in Baltimore's Brooklyn neighborhood.

BPD arrest suspect in deadly assault

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 11:33:00 +0000

Baltimore County Police homicide detectives have arrested 55-year-old Gregory Hare in the alleged murder of 63-year-old Keith Yeager that occurred on Monday, Oct. 16.

Football jacket that belonged to 'Radio' found in ashes of home returned to high school

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 10:41:00 +0000

Football jacket that belonged to 'Radio' found in ashes of home returned to high school

Three Keys in Three Minutes With Val and Tony

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 09:43:00 +0000

Baltimore is coming off of an overseas win against Tennessee last week, and while they made many improvements, they will need to be as prepared as ever with the Lions standing in their way.

Work Zone Safety Work Group survey: Many drivers in favor of stricter rules

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 09:37:00 +0000

The Work Zone Safety Work Group, chaired by Lt.. Gov. Aruna Miller, released results of its survey about how to improve safety in work zones.

Maryland judge presided over case of man identified as suspect in killing

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 09:31:00 +0000

A judge who was shot to death at home was “targeted” by a suspect in a divorce case, authorities in Maryland said Friday.

No public posts available.

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 21:52:18 +0000

Robin on Design does not share any public posts. Visit the Google+-Page

Parkville Plumbers 410-983-6900

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 16:07:35 +0000

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Mon, 23 Oct 2017 22:23:30 +0000

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Towson Plumber | 410-983-6900 - Baltimore Plumbing

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 21:26:11 +0000

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Owings Mills Plumber | 410-983-6900 - Baltimore Plumbing

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 19:29:25 +0000

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What’s the Matter With Downtown Baltimore?

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 15:39:15 +0000

Waiting for the Great Leap Forward.

via baltimorechop.com

Talk Shop: Yoga and Yoncé, Baltimore Floatilla, and Global Wellness Day

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 20:58:01 +0000

Style, shopping, and wellness events in Baltimore

via Baltimore Magazine

Style File: Wire and Honey

Wed, 25 May 2016 12:56:40 +0000

Get to know Sarah Adams of Wire and Honey .

via Baltimore Magazine

The Chop Leaves the City

Tue, 24 May 2016 12:08:08 +0000

It’s Time.

via baltimorechop.com

Preakness Style Guide

Fri, 13 May 2016 16:49:32 +0000

Whether you're in the grandstand or infield, be horse-race ready with these versatile Preakness looks.

via Baltimore Magazine

A Charm City Public Defender vs. The Status Quo

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:42:33 +0000

I first met Todd Oppenheim on a brisk Saturday morning last December while my friend and I were perusing the sparse Waverly market. A lanky man approached, clad in bright winter running apparel, offering handouts with the words “VOTE TODD” printed across them in bold caps.

My initial reaction was one of aversion. I don’t like being handed fliers. But the tall, thin man—who turned out to be Mr. Oppenheim—seemed to sense this and offered a smile. “I’m a Baltimore City public defender running for judge,” he said serenely, as if to mitigate my obvious repulsion to handouts (which worked). “Please vote for me.”

This piqued my curiosity. Vote for you? I thought. Do people actually vote for judges?

Turns out that, yes, they do.

Now I know I speak for more than just myself when I admit that I’ve never equated judges with politicians. It’s weird to think about because I know I’ve seen judges’ names come up at the ballot box.

But did I care?

Um, no.

Should I?

Most definitely. Because, as I was about to learn, there’s a lot at stake, especially here in Charm City.

The Maryland Judicial Process

When vacancies in Maryland’s Circuit Court first occur, judges are appointed by the governor. However, state constitution mandates that they run a 15-year term in the first general election that takes place at least one year after their gubernatorial appointment. And thusly, in the meantime, they become politicians.

Now, it’s rare for a lawyer to challenge the sitting judges in such electoral interims, but it does happen. And sometimes these lawyers manage to knock a sitting judge off her bench.

Illustration by Genevieve Yaeger

This election, those looking to unseat the Sitting Six are the lawyer I encountered in December, Todd Oppenheim, and City Councilman James Kraft; they both are vying to replace two of the six sitting judges, who have presented themselves this election year as a united front.

Who are “The Sitting Six Judges”?

The “Sitting Six” judges are:

Shannon E. Avery
Audrey J.S. Carrion
Michael A. DiPietro
Karen Chaya Friedman
Wanda Keyes Heard
Cynthia H. Jones

They are running together on a single ticket. On the Baltimore City Sitting Judges Facebook page photos of the judges wearing yellow t-shirts that read “Vote Top 6: A through J” (a reference to the sitting judges position on the ballot—Kraft and Oppenheim are in the seventh and eighth spot respectively) are plastered about. The sitting six share one campaign coffer, host campaign events together, and tout their experience as an important element of their appeal.

According to a Feb. 14 Baltimore Sun expose on all of the contenders, “The sitting judges are bound by ethical standards that limit how deeply they can wade into politics, but [the Sitting Six] had $183,000 available for the campaign, according to finance records filed [in January]. Kraft reported $122,000 on hand, much of it from his previous runs for council. Oppenheim had $2,100.”

After meeting Todd at the Waverly market (who, as you might’ve guessed, is the underdog in the race), I spent an afternoon reading various op-eds he’d published in myriad news outlets—including The New York Times and The Washington Post. To my surprise, my research left me feeling impassioned about his four-point plan to upend the “Sitting Six.”

So I emailed him to learn more about his campaign and what he sees is plaguing our current system.

A Broken System

First of all, Todd adamantly contends that the current “Sitting Six” judges are far too comfortable with the status quo. And I suppose if my annual review got pushed off for, say 15 years, I could see how it might be easy to settle in and do enough to get by. Heaven knows I wouldn’t want to upend an apple cart full of such juicy, delicious fruit. But it is this very tendency that Oppenheim railed against in a recent phone interview.

“Judges have the power to effect change,” he said, “ but too often they don’t want to make headlines, they just want to keep their job.”

Oppenheim decided to run because he sees injustices carried out in his daily work as a public defender. He concedes that one judge cannot fix an entire broken system, but he believes that much of it could be improved if the following four issues were addressed head-on, by any judge:

Reform Baltimore’s Bail System:

Last summer Oppenheim wrote an op-ed in City Paper about one specific case on which he’d worked—that of Dominick Torrence—who’d been arrested in the wake of the Freddie Gray protests.

Torrence had been held for a month in jail on a $250,000 bond after going outside of his cousin’s house on North Avenue during the unrest to hail a ride. Street forces swept him up, though he had literally nothing to do with the protests taking place around him.

Oppenheim represented Torrence at his bail review on April 30 in District Court. A judge reviewed his bail of $75,000 set by a commissioner upon Torrence’s arrest. Oppenheim pointed out that the state’s allegations against Torrence—that he had been “rioting” and participating in “disorderly conduct”—and attempted to explain what had actually happened, but to no avail. The state’s attorney who did bail reviews requested that Torrence be held without bail. “These were misdemeanor charges and they wanted no bail,” Oppenheim wrote.

Eventually, Torrence’s bail was set at $250,000.

“He should have never been arrested,” Todd wrote. “He should have never been held in jail on an exorbitant bail amount that he could never afford. He should have never had to wait a month to get his life back. His sad tale is emblematic of what occurs nearly every day in the Baltimore City criminal justice system.”

At a speaking engagement on March 12 of this year, Oppenheim expanded on his issues with the money bail system, stating point-blank that they disproportionately affect black people and poor people in Baltimore. “You see that every day. And it should stop,” he said. “As a judge you have the right to set bail in whatever way you see fit. You can consider bail recommendations by the commissioner and by the attorneys arguing in front of you. But judges often get wrapped up in the name of the charges.”

They’re trying to set precedent, you see. While it’s impossible to say exactly what the precedent the judge was trying to set in Torrence’s case, the irony of his detainment was not lost on those following his arrest. The city judicial system itself was exemplifying the same prejudicial force upon an innocent citizen that the arresting officers had displayed with Freddie Gray.

“Judges oftentimes only consider one version of events being reported—the state’s version,” Oppenheim wrote. “Judges actually believe that the state’s allegations (usually from a police report) should be taken as true, when there is no legal basis behind this theory. To the contrary, The Maryland Code and Court Rules allow a judge to consider the nature and circumstance of an arrest along with any defenses. The Judge set Torrence’s bail at $250,000, an insurmountable level for him and for most of my clients.”

Torrence was eventually released, but only after sitting in jail on an unrelated traffic offense. Meanwhile, his girlfriend had had to drop out of school while he was detained, unable to afford tuition with no one around to help with their children. She struggled to make ends meet so much that the power was cut off from their home.

Restore Fourth Amendment Rights to Baltimore

For the sake of a basic refresher, The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable search and seizure.

Recently Oppenheim gave a “Know Your Rights/Fourth Amendment” workshop at Joe Squared where he went into great detail about “street stops”—when police stop citizens on the street—as they are particularly precarious situations that all-too-often result in fourth amendment rights violations.

“The first question should be when approaching someone stopped by the police,” Oppenheim explained during the forum, “is ‘Are they seized’? Or is this just a ‘friendly conversation?’”

Innocuous encounters with the police do happen.

Oppenheim then explained that if a person isn’t “free to go” then he or she is, indeed, “seized.”

And once that’s the case, their fourth amendment rights come immediately into play. From there, the authorities need to have what’s called “articulable suspicion” to investigate.

“This is where judges need foresight,” Oppenheim stated. “Because the state is, of course, going to argue the authorities’ point of view. But it’s important for a judge to consider both sides to make a thorough analysis.”

Then Oppenheim posited: Who’s to know if the cops aren’t just guessing? And what is their basis to stop someone? Do they truly believe something illicit or criminal is, in fact, going on?

He offered up a police report as evidence of how muddy the “articulable suspicion” clause can get.

Oppenheim asked attendees of the workshop to point out what they believed would later be presented in court as “articulable suspicion” from the above “probable cause” statement.

Attendees pointed out:

– The suspects had been “looking over their shoulders.”
– There was a “pungent” smell of marijuana (to which Oppenheim countered, “But was any marijuana recovered?”)
– There had been recent shootings in the immediate vicinity.

The subjectivity and bias in the above statement is apparent. Yet these are the types of narratives that judges are presented with daily. It’s what they use to determine their rulings.

Oppenheim explained that, in this particular case—which had been a colleague’s—the judge actually praised the arresting officer for getting another handgun off the street without questioning the legitimacy of his “articulable suspicions.”

This kind of praise, unfortunately, could easily perpetuate the continuance of fourth-amendment-rights-violating behavior on the authorities’ part.

End Baltimore’s War on Drugs

The War on Drugs has been raging since the 1980s. The number of people incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses increased from 50,000 in 1980 to 400,000 by 1997. Today that number is closer to 500,000. A disproportionate percentage of that jaw-dropping number are people of color.

Oppenheim favors treatment over incarceration and, when asked, he expounded on the numerous ways that a drug conviction can impact a person’s life by making it difficult to get a job or loans for school. “These convictions can act as a scarlet letter. A judge must understand the impact of a conviction,” he wrote, explaining that in most cases these convictions stay on one’s record for life, but a judge could opt to sentence someone to probation before judgement (PBJ)—meaning probation up front upon admission to an offense. PBJ’s are expungeable 3 years after the completion of probation, or sooner with a court’s retroactive application of sentencing. In simpler terms, the offender would not have to carry a drug conviction on their record for the rest of their life.

Maryland did recently pass the Justice Reinvestment Act, which among other provisions, loosens probation requirements and removes mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders. Oppenheim contends that this is a step in the right direction because the bill has the potential to give judges more leeway in sentencing, but he maintains that it is too early to determine the impact. He also cautions that the language in the bill might be too vague to effect any real change, which is why it remains crucial to vote for a judge who sees the War on Drugs for what it is: a policy that has led to mass incarceration that disproportionately impacts the poor as well as African Americans.

Make Civil Equality a Basic Right

Oppenheim believes that those involved in civil cases should have the same rights to an attorney that those involved in criminal cases do.

As the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel states on it website:

“Having a lawyer can make the difference between keeping a home or losing it, obtaining protection from domestic violence or risking injury, having sufficient food or going hungry, or even keeping a family together versus having it split apart.”

Most low-income individuals facing serious civil legal problems in the U.S. cannot afford legal representation. “And the legal aid programs are chronically understaffed and can meet only a small percentage of the need; about 80% of the legal needs go unmet,” states NCCRC.

To Oppenheim, this is a travesty. “No one should have an advantage, rich or poor, in the eyes of the law,” he says. “As judge, I will push for more appointed attorneys for poor people in civil cases.”

In Summary

I asked Oppenheim the other day to tell me something he feels the public should know about his campaign but doesn’t think they, as of yet do.

“I am totally against being aligned with big money for any political race,” he said. “We’ll see how I do, but I’m really hoping to be an example of a grassroots, hard-working campaign that took no big donations, but still got a message across—and got votes. I want to be proof that judicial campaigns can be real and substantive and that all campaigns can be honest and sincere—and still win!”

There you have it, folks.

I rest my case.

via whatweekly.com

Weekend Plans April 21-24

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 22:25:04 +0000

THURSDAY 21

Film: Everybody Wants Some!!

For a trip down memory lane catch screenings of the film “Everybody Wants Some!!” all weekend long. Set in 1980s Texas, the sports comedy by “Boyhood” director Richard Linklater follows a college freshman as he joins the baseball team and meets his wild and rowdy new teammates. Expect disco. Tickets, $9.25. 6:40 and 9:25 p.m. at the Senator.

FRIDAY 22

Dining: The Gathering Kick Off

The food truck event that brings out the best in mobile dining is back for another season. You’re in store for food trucks, adult beverages, live music and local art. The Gathering donates part of the event’s proceeds to a local nonprofit, in this case the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Tickets, $4-$43. 5 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

SATURDAY 23

Book: D. Watkins

Spend an evening with the Baltimore-based bestselling author D. Watkins. To celebrate his sensational essay collection “Beast Side,” and in anticipation of the upcoming “Cook Up” Red Emma’s will be giving away 500 free copies of the limited-edition essay collection “Baltimore’s Son.” RSVP recommended. 7:30 p.m. at Red Emma’s.

Festival: Arts in the Park

It may be Earth Day weekend, but that doesn’t mean wanting to spend time outside has to include stomping around in nature (unless you want to!). The third annual Arts in the Park is happening Saturday afternoon at the Chesapeake Arts Center. Take advantage of the family-friendly festival with music, dance, activities and food. Free. 11 a.m. at Chesapeake Arts Center.

SUNDAY 24

Festival: Federal Hill Spring Block Party 2016

Hang out on Cross Street this Sunday for Federal Hill’s annual Spring Block Party. The street fair includes food, drinks, live music and you can shop from Baltimore-based artisans. Tickets: $5. 12 p.m. at Federal Hill Main Street.

via Baltimore Style

Lyft: Making the Shared Economy Work for You

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 18:13:39 +0000

Whatever your opinion on the ‘sharing’ economy is, there is no debating that it allows flexibility in changing jobs, starting your business, or just adding some cash to your hustle. We spoke with Lyft driver Lynn Erickson about her experience as a driver and how the app and flexibility of the app has helped her reconnect with the world.

Lynn is an artist working out of her home studio. Her work sells out every year. She is able to focus on her artwork and continue to get out into the world through driving with Lyft. In addition to being an artist, she also suffers from a rare connective tissue syndrome called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome that makes it virtually impossible to work a desk job. Essentially the glue that holds her bones in place doesn’t function correctly. Driving is the only thing that really doesn’t cause any pain. Lynn started driving on New Year’s Eve, she “ threw herself into the fire” while her husband was away for a few weeks. “I had so much fun,” she recalls of her first night driving.

The biggest perk of driving with Lyft is that you decide when to drive, so she’s able to get back into the studio whenever inspiration hits. You can actually turn the app on and off to indicate if you’re available for rides or not. This means, you call the shots, you decide when you’re working and it’s up to you when you’re not. If you’re working freelance or need to make some additional money for the new studio space, whatever it may be, this kind of flexibility is rare in today’s workforce.

As a woman, many people warn Lynn against driving or tell her to only drive during the day. “If you know where you’re going and you know the city, you’ll be fine,” she says about those warnings. One night she had a young woman explain how Lyft actually makes her feel safer going out at night; rather than having to park a few blocks away from the bar she can get picked up or dropped off right in front without having to worry—not to mention not drinking and driving.

Lyft differs from other ride-share apps because the drivers are your neighbors, the barista in your coffee shop or even your friends. Most often they’re not professional drivers. You never know who will you meet. Lynn said the most memorable ride was during the blizzard this winter. She had to pick up a woman and take her to her car. The woman got in the car and said that she had to tell Lynn something—she felt as she got near the car that she knew that she had to tell Lynn that she has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. The woman had no idea that Lynn also suffered from the disease. Prior to driving with Lyft, Lynn had been active in the Ehlers Danlos Syndrome community and helped many people overcome the heartbreak and suffering that comes with the disease. This woman had literally come to an expert through Lyft.

Whatever your reason to drive with Lyft, whether it’s extra money, a way to get out and meet people or to conquer the isolation of health disorders, you never know who you’ll encounter and what connections you can make.

—

Interested in making a bit of money, but don’t want to take too much time away from the studio? Driving with Lyft gives you the flexibility you need to make freelancing reliable.

via whatweekly.com

D Watkins The Cook Up: A Love Story to Growing Up

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 17:41:52 +0000

D. Watkins wants to make Baltimore the city that reads—again. He muses about the city benches that were constructed in response to then-Mayor Kurt Schmoke’s campaign to promote literacy in Baltimore City, as if city benches could create a complete shift in priority. With two published books, numerous online and print articles, and a teaching gig at two major Baltimore universities, it seems that Watkins is in the place to actually make this happen. Watkins is regularly visible at local elementary schools, in bookstores, in the neighborhood he grew up in, and at community events.

In his upcoming memoir, The Cook Up, which Watkins describes as “a love story to growing up,” he narrates his childhood in West Baltimore in an authentic and thoughtful way. Watkins traumatically lost his beloved older brother, Bip, who was shot in the street because of a drug-related conflict. After his death, Bip left Watkins a 200-pound safe filled with about $70,000 and a couple bricks of pure cocaine and heroin, among other prized possessions. Watkins, filled with grief, anger, and hopelessness, then took to using his bestowment: selling drugs, spending money, and eventually cooking heroin in his own kitchen.

D. Watkins

Upon first glance, the reader may see Watkins’ experience selling drugs as dollar signs in the form of new cars, shoes, and clothes. Watkins actively fights against romanticizing the drug trade in his writing, though, because most kids—including a young Watkins—“think that you can buy love but you just can’t, and [The Cook Up] shows people that drugs aren’t really what you think.” He doesn’t leave out the horrors that he has seen, and writes them in a stark and vivid style. The opening chapter begins, “I saw bullets rip through the faces of adolescents.” Watkins works to ensure that the reader knows that living in Baltimore, working the drug trade in Baltimore, being Black in Baltimore is not glamorous, and it is not easy.

Drugs and money weren’t all Bip left behind for Watkins. He also instilled a sense of work ethic and the importance of choosing knowledge over the drug trade. Bip would regularly give Watkins a new list of books to read, and test his knowledge of important Black figures, like Frederick Douglass. Now, Watkins finds himself in the position to lead others in the search for knowledge, both in academia and outside of it. While Watkins had to learn for himself why selling wasn’t for him, he wants to help young Baltimoreans figure it out before they enter the dangerous life of selling, using, police brutality, and getting killed.

Watkins has been building a name for himself in Baltimore and beyond for the past few years and he “wasn’t expecting” the amount of fame that he would earn in such a short time. He began writing to a wider audience right around the time that Freddie Gray was killed in Baltimore Police custody. The city—and the nation—needed answers, needed comfort, and needed to truly take a deeper look at police brutality. This helped launched Watkins’ writing career. What Watkins does with this new fame, though, is really important to him. Once he was pushed into the spotlight, he decided to use that privilege to bring other artists into the spotlight with him, to start “birthing brand new writers.” He has helped his friends—Tariq Toure, Kwame Rose, Aaron Maybin, to name a few—break out into the writing and publishing world. This is entirely genuine, as Watkins continually and consistently promotes artists and art that he believes in. “They’re going to be so much better than I was. They’re getting things—opportunities—that I didn’t get from writers that I worked under.”

The Cook Up

This is all to help make Baltimore the city that reads again. Watkins regularly attends local poetry and literary readings in the city, and finds himself attending community book club meetings (including the successful Cool Conscious Book Club meeting last month at City of Gods) to “engage in a higher level and promote literacy.” While immersing himself in the Baltimore literary scene, he started to notice that a lot of people would go to free readings in the city, but weren’t able to buy the books. In response, Watkins is partnering with Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse to give away 500 free copies of his limited-edition essay collection, Baltimore’s Son, on April 23, 2016. “I work for the people I write for,” Watkins states, matter-of-factly. However it happens, Watkins wants you—and the rest of Baltimore—to pick up a book.

When asked who The Cook Up was written for, Watkins responds that it’s for “high school kids who never ever ever see themselves in a book.” Representation is important to Watkins, who believes that people of color “need to see [themselves] represented.” The more that our society dismisses diverse voices, the more “that the whiteness you’re selling is going to be the definition of culture, the definition of religion, the definition of beauty and the definitive rule” for children of color. “When I see Tariq [Toure] screaming on the microphone, and I’m reading poems about neighborhoods that are like my neighborhood, and I’m seeing someone who is proud to look like me, instead of trying to bleach their skin—you need that shit.”

—

D. Watkins’ memoir, The Cook Up is published by Grand Central Publishing and is on sale on May 3, 2016. His debut collection of essays, The Beast Side, is published by Skyhorse Publishing Company and is on sale now. You can find his work at Salon, Baltimore City Paper, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, and more.

via whatweekly.com

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Gets STYLE-ish

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 15:25:06 +0000

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, along with STYLE, hosted a happy hour and preview of its most recent show, “Macbeth.” The show, also known as “The Scottish Play” for the superstitious types, will run through May 15.

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