Committee Work

(Very) Tentative Event Outline 

This is pretty much meant to be a starting point for planning the schedule of the actual event. 
December 1,2012 1:00-5:00 PM

1:00-Doors open:Two students will be stationed at table by the front door to sell tickets, distribute wristbands (if we have them) and programs.
1:15 -Open Slot: Guest can find seats, converse, get drinks look over program
1:30- Opening Remarks (King and Bradley?): Time to welcome everyone in attendance, give background/details on event, various projects, and the work of both classes. Describe what's happening on the 1st floor and 2nd floor.
1:45-Opening Continues 
2:00- Let the Festivities Begin: Invite guests to stay seated for the presentation of student projects on Baybrook, to walk around/ see exhibits, to meet the businesses, (and any other activities we plan) 
2:00-2:05- Student Presentation 
2:05-2:10-Student Presentation 
2:15-2:20- Student Presentation 
2:20-2:25- Student Presentation
2:25-2:30- Student Presentation (This can go on depending on how many students want to present?)   
2:30- Food is Served: While people are grabbing their food the entertainment (whatever we have can begin set up.
2:45- Food and Entertainment  Hopefully the round tables will be in a position that allows guest to eat while viewing our entertainment. (If more set up time is needed I'm sure we could figure that out)
3:00- Food and Entertainment continues
3:15- Entertainment wrap up 
3:30- Premier of Mapping Baybrook the Website: King and Bradley can present the website.
3:45- Premier of Mapping Baybrook continues
4:00: Mapping Baybrook website Q&A? 
4:15: Open Slot: Invite guest to continue to explore the event, and check out our event reflection options.
4:30: Open Slot: Invite guest to continue to explore the event, and check out our event reflection options.
4:45: Event Wrap Up: Thank everyone for their help, involvement, participation etc. Special thanks to the Polish Home Hall for letting us use their space.
5:00: The End (Good work team!) 
5:00-6:00: Clean Up

While all of this is going on the children's activity will be taking place, somewhere between the food tables and the rest of the exhibits.
 

This week I was tasked with scouring the 1950's Baltimore Sun Archives in search of past businesses for our "Main Street" project. For Curtis Bay I searched for information on both Curtis Avenue and Pennington Avenue. My search on Curtis Bay lead me to thousands of classified adds that were mostly helpful. The amount of results was a tad overwhelming and the print was a little difficult to read at times but I was able to pull out a few addresses.

So far for 1950's Pennington & Curtis I Found
1529 Filbert Street & Pennington Ave: Bus Office “suitable for doctor or dentist, in the heart of town on main hawy”
4629 Pennington Ave: Confectionary & Shelp Grocery
4913 Pennington Avenue: Pennington Theatre “Rental Includes projectors, air conditioning, screen, 600 seats etc. Complete and ready to operate. Splendid opportunity for good management.”

5300 Pennington Ave: site of public auction

5619 Pennington Ave: Restaurant

3716 Curtis Avenue: Pool Room

For 1950's Patapsco Ave: 

1 South Patapsco Ave: Lasting Paint Store

120 Patapsco Ave: American Legion Auxiliary

237 Patapsco Ave & 130 Fort Ave: Funeral Home McCullg…

425 Patapsco Ave: James O. Pumphrey, Jr. Rug & Linoleum  

731 Patapsco Ave: Dwelling (Display Ad)

1701 Patapsco Ave: Fairfield Chemical Division Food Machinery & Chemical Corp.

Experienced Salesman wanted at Patapsco Ave & 2^nd Ave

For My Project: 

In addition to the Bmore Sun research that I was doing I also had time to think about where I wanted to go with my project and how I could incorporate it into the class project. While I want the focus of my project to be the history of the garden. I would like explore its connection to the history of food in Brooklyn/Curtis Bay and more specifically food that was available on our main streets. In my Sun searches I did see some classifieds for grocery stores so in the next week I'd like to zero in on food service establishments. 

Revised & Revisited

Feasibility Study & Proposal

Logo ideas:

Two street signs stacked like how you would see two street signs at an intersection. The one on top would be a vintage looking (main street type) sign that says “MAPPING", and the bottom sign would look like the modern green and white street signs with “BAYBROOK” on it. The subtitle "From Main Street to the Harbor"  is below the street signs 

Mission Statement:

Our goal is to chronicle the various accounts of a community’s shared history, in order to foster understanding, growth, and continuity while bridging the gaps between generations. 

More detailed event ideas:

Downstairs:

(Up front) Performances: We could reach out to the local middle, high school, or elementary school band, if they have one. (This could potentially bring in more community members)

(Near booths) Kids Programming “Design Your Own Business”: Starting with a blank store front template, the children will be able to decorate and plan a future main street business. The activity will loosely guide the children through the steps of building a business.

-Choosing a good or service to provide (they can consult a premade list if needed)

- Naming their shop

-Decorating the shop front

- Kids are invited to add a short shop bio if they’d like

(A student would have to be present to help supervise)

Supplies: Crayons (from the dollar store), 8’x11’’ white paper with shop front template, Construction Paper? Child Proof scissors? 

Upstairs:

The Storytelling Booth: Guest will be able to share their reflections via video by answering the prompt “Tell Us Your Main Street Story”. Guests that wish to have their stories released can see them featured on the Mapping Baybrook website.  (Releases for the guest would have to be prepared)

Committee you would like to serve:

Promotions and Outreach

Other Ideas:

I think it would be a nice idea to have a community garden corner as a part of the event. This would consist of garden facts and updates that would also emphasize the presence of the pizza from the garden.   

Research project ideas: (your specific research project)

When I first drafted my project proposal I had the loose idea of focusing on the history of green spaces in Baybrook and what changes have been made to them. The two areas that I wanted to zero in on were Farring-Baybrook Park and the Filbert Street Community Garden. After hearing what Jason Reed had to say about his work in the garden, I think that focusing mainly on the history of the community garden and the changes and challenges that it has undergone would be a good research topic that would better align with my interest and the theme of the class/class project. Through my research I would like to get a sense of how the garden’s history in the community could shape its future sustainability plans, and the garden’s place in the Baltimore Green Space Movement. I'm also interested in producing something that could help the community connect with the garden, maybe a mini booklet on its history and information that highlights the gardens uses and benefits.   

Mapping Baybrook: Uncovering the Links between the Past and the Present

Feasibility Study


Title: Mapping Baybrook: Uncovering the Links between the Past and the Present

Logo: A raised map of the Baybrook area with accentuated green spaces.The logo would have the words “Mapping Baybroook” above the map with the subtitle “Uncovering the Links between the Past and the Present” below it. The map would be centered between the two headings with a slight tilt.

Mission Statement: Chronicling the various accounts of a community’s shared history, in order to foster understanding, growth, and continuity while bridging the gaps between generations.

Committee Structure: There are so few of us, I think 3 basic committees would be a good idea. Programming Committee: We need a committee to that can oversee/direct the schedule of events on December 1st to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Fundraising Committee: Will work with the person who is handling the budget to devise ways to raise money as well as reaching out to possible sponsors.
Public Relations Committee: This committee would work on letting the community know about what we have been doing.
I imagine that once committees are formed and tasks are divided subcommittees would emerge.

Revenue Producing Products: The student prices of 1.25 inch buttons at Commonvision are below:
100 Buttons: $40B/W, $45Color -If we ask for $1.00 Donations in exchange for complementary buttons (w/logo) we’d make $100 that’s a little over half back minimum.
200 Buttons: $70B/W, $80Color -With donations of $1 equals $200 dollars minimum back.
Fundraising events: 

Establishment sponsored dinner nights- Food establishments in the surrounding areas are usually willing to host nights and they donate a percentage to our cause. 

Research Proposal  

For my project I want to research the history and growth of community gardening/green spaces in this post in this industrial city. My two starting places of interest are Farring-Baybrook Park and the Community garden in Curtis Bay/Brooklyn. The landscape of  Baltimore City has gone through many changes within short periods of time, and many of its green spaces have been lost to industrial growth. Exploring how urban gardening is being used to restore green space and enrich communities have been growing interests of mine, especially in this area that grapples with so many environmental issues. I want to document the history of Baltimore green space to highlight practices or ideas that may or may not work for the future development and sustainability. Putting together a mini booklet on the history of the garden/ways to get involved is also something that I'd like to explore. 
Citations:
"Value of Baltimore's Trees." Department of Recreation and Parks. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/ProgramsandInitiatives/TreeBaltimore/ValueofBaltimoresTrees.aspx>.

"Masonville Cove." Environmental Education Center: An Urban Wilderness Conservation Area. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.masonvillecove.org/pages/community_programs/resources.html>.

"Farring Baybrook Park Master Plan Baltimore City." Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/Portals/Parks/documents/master%20plans/Farring%20Baybrook%20Master%20Plan.pdf>.

Thoughts on Week 2

The presentation from Linda Shopes gave me a greater sense of the variations between oral histories and regular interviews. I found Shopes’ elaboration on what made good questions when conducting oral histories to be very helpful. While Linda Shopes was speaking I kept envisioning oral historians as special ops history detectives. The readings on Baltimore ‘68 helped solidify my understanding of using oral histories to piece together the past. For my project I think that collecting oral histories on a green space or a local environmental event would be interesting, and could lead to a community positive project with a green theme.  For my research project finding a way to share whatever oral histories are collected with the area youth/ incorporating them in some way would be ideal.  

I feel that one of the best ways to preserve something is to educate the younger generations.  So maybe for the subtitle we could do something along the lines of  "Connecting the Past to the Present”?

The First Days of AMST422: Preserving Places, Making Spaces in Baltimore

I really appreciate that the theme of this project is to assist the community in expressing their own history and identity. This is a motif that resonates with me and I feel like this would be a great introduction into community development.  

While I’m eager to dive in and begin to craft our ideas into something tangible I am also feeling great a deal of hesitation, because outside of what I have recently read I can’t say that I know enough about this area yet.  

Personally I think it would be interesting to do some research on how the “green spaces” of Baybrook- from farm land, to community gardens- have changed over the years. In class turning trash into art was brought up a couple of times and that idea stuck with me, especially with the possible construction of that incinerator looming ahead. Project wise I would love to work with the youth of the community on some kind of “trash into art” community garden project.

Other than that I don’t really know where I want to start but I’m looking forward to going out there to talk to people and see what we can offer them.  

Overall I have to say that course tops my list of classes that I am excited to be a part of, and I can’t wait to see our project get off the ground.