the grudge match

Have you heard we're having a face-off against Highlandtown? No, silly, we're not really mad at each other! We're having a PPNA v HT Basketball game! For anyone who attended the AWESOME inter-neighborhood softball bonanza double header last summer, you know it'll be a blast. For those of you who didn't, well get caught up!

The game will be on next Saturday, Feb 13th at 5 o'clock at Breath of God Lutheran Church (Pratt and Clinton).

Since it's been written up in the recent Baltimore Guide, why don't you just mosey over there to read the article then come back and let me know if you're going to be there...GO PATTERSON PARK!

love k

return to homepage

trains, planes and automobiles

Last week, seven of us patterson parkers headed to Milwaukee for the annual NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute conference, paid for by Banner Neighborhoods (thanks Eric!). Four of us took the train to Chicago - a 17 hour trip in and of itself - to take in the countryside and remind ourselves just how darn HUGE and varied our country is.

The conference was fantastic, with workshops, fieldtrips, lectures and action planning. All in all, it taught us all new skills for community organizing and development as well as presented us with different viewpoints and challenges that communities across the nation are facing. It was so inspiring to hear about all the fantastic efforts by volunteers and individuals in hundreds of neighborhoods in America. Take Enderis Park, a neighborhood of 1200 households, that raised over $50,000 in a few years to help revitalize their park, with home tours and other simple endeavors.

Having completed the CLI's conference, our team is now able to earn a grant of $2,000 to help our neighborhood's ongoing efforts to continue growing in a positive direction. As of now, we will be applying for the funds to help us positively market our neighborhood, build a snazzy website, and enhance our home tour (the Enderis Park home tour brought in over $15,000 in three years! Wow!).

Of course we had some fun, too, with a train ride, a day in chicago, 4 days in Milwaukee:

 

 

Aaand I had to include the Victoria's Secret Runway wings portraits..

Funny how I'm making the same face in all three of these...I was just that excited!

 

The most important thing I took away from the conference was that we each do make a differece, that it is the accumulation of minor acts that bring us together in relationships of respect, reciprocity and trust. We can never see any act of kindness as too small, or any gesture of empathy as insignificant.

It all adds up to make our community, our neighborhood, our nation and our world a better place to live.

love k

a picture postcard for a post

Today I am having a hard time concentrating because:

a. It's beautiful outside. But I am inside...lame

b. I am leaving for Chicago/Milwaukee tomorrow for the NeighborWorks conference with 8 other Patterson Park residents. I have not packed, or even thought about packing. Or done the laundry that needs to be done so I can think about packing.

c. We switched email platforms so life is in chaos at work. Ugh.

Luckily, I can share all the information I need to with two pictures of fliers from last night's PPNA monthly meeting:

I haven't gone a week without mentioning this coming up, but in case you need a visual to comprehend why I'm so obsessed, now you'll have one. As well as a schedule of events and lantern workshops! Hurrah!

Next up, there's going to be a Blessing Of The Animals in the park coming up! Also, take note of the weekly pick-up basketball that has been having a nice turn out:

Sooo, there's my lazy post for the day :) If I can scoot out of work early, do my laundry and organize my life I'm going to go take some fall foliage photos in the park so stay tuned!

love k

up and at 'em!

I know I spoke about this at length just the other day, but here's a lil' reminder that tomorrow is the Baltimore Marathon. Even if you aren't going to be running, you can still have a day fit for a champion, like this guy:

1. Park appropriate, unless an entire day trying to locate your car sounds like a FUN activity

2. Get yourself up and out of bed and come to the Marathon Party! Starting at 9 a.m. you'll find all the cool kids on the corner of Linwood and Baltimore with food and drinks and joy in our hearts and oranges in our palms.

3. Give up on driving anywhere in the city until mid afternoon - treat it like mandatory neighborhood bonding time. Oh, you don't know what to do? Well conveniently I made you a list just yesterday!

Hope I see all your smiling cheering faces bright and early, and good luck all you runners! love k

going the distance

This Saturday, Baltimore is going to be completely overrun (ha!) by runners competing in the Baltimore Running Festival. Despite the city being thrown in to traffic mayhem due to street closures, marathon day is loads of fun, and we in Patterson Park know how to throw a party.

The course goes right through the heart of our neighborhood, heading north on Linwood from O'Donnell up to Madison. The intersection of Linwood and Baltimore is mid-way between mile 16 and 17 - right around the time runners really have to dig in and some start pulling well in to the lead.

For those who attended last year, you know what a great vibe we had going on the corner, with refreshments for runners and cheerers alike! This year, the neighborhood association received a generous grant to help fund our marathon party and make it even more rockin', so it is just not to be missed.

We have quite a few runners in our neighborhood who will be running the full- or half-marathon, so cheering is a must - last year our neighborhood racers said it gave them a big boost to see their friends and neighbors out on the sidewalk cheering and encouraging them as they slogged through their 17th mile. I mean, look what they've already been through when they get to us...and what they still have to face:


While I personally find the idea of RUNNING 26 miles a strange form of voluntary torture, it's a total blast to eat, drink and be merry while others do it. Picture drinking a mimosa and munching on snacks while jumping around with a noisemaker and slinging orange slices to runners...what's not to love about that? Good luck to all the runners out there, and keep your eyes peeled for Patterson Parkers cheering you on from the NW corner of Linwood and Baltimore. All you non-runners make sure you come out for the fun, starting at 9 a.m.

Oh, and make sure you move your car if you're on Linwood... I learned THAT the hard way my first year here, but that is a story for another day!

love k