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Monthly Publicationof the Fell’s PointCitizens on Patrol
12 April 2008Volume 10 Number 4
Happenings
Splashy Privateer Day,With Sea Battle: April 19
Fell’s Point’s fourth annualPrivateer Day on Saturday, April19, will be multi-masted, with sailsbillowing. Brown’s Wharf will hostschooners Farewell and EdlinRose. The Pride of Baltimore alongwith the Martha Lewis and Wood-wind will be docked at the Broad-way Pier, and at Ann Street Wharfwill be the Spanish galleon Lion-ess. Alongside will be a new pi-rate ship for youngsters, whosename will be announced to climaxa contest by the owners, three lo-cal mothers (visit www.Pirate-Quest.us).
Some ships are offeringcruises while others will hostboarders and provide free enter-tainment—until about 5:30PM,when a sea skirmish breaks outoff Broadway Pier. It may be riggedfor the pirates to win, because theirinvasion is set for 6. Last year,nearly 300 came ashore.
Near the Bond Street Wharf,at Thames Street, will be a livinghistory encampment with cannondemonstrations between 1 and4PM. In Broadway Square, towncrier P.J. Trautwein and CaptainFlint will be telling youngsters talesbefore and after a treasure hunt.
From 6 to 11PM, adults canparticipate in a Pirate Pub Crawlwith discount special drinks andfood at participating bars and res-taurants. Party-goers will need pi-rate buttons, for sale at the spon-soring Development Corp.’s booth.Call 410.675.8900 or visitwww.fellspointdevelopment.com.
Two Preservation BenefitsThe Preservation Society’s 37th annual
Historic House Tour will be from 11AM to5PM on May 11, Mothers’ Day, and will bepreceded this year by a fund-raiser on Satur-day, May 3. Eight houses plus The Captain’sHotel, a renovation project at 1631 AliceannaSt., will be on the tour. Screen painter andwood grainer Frank Bittner will be workinghis trades there. The Lion, a scaled-downschooner, will be on display at the Visitor Cen-ter, 1724 Thames St. Tour tickets, $15 in ad-vance, $18 on the day, are available at the Visi-tor Center, sponsor Long & Foster, 701 S.Broadway, and Eclectic Elements, 723 S.Broadway, host of the fund-raiser.
Ten percent of purchases at Eclectic Ele-ments on May 3, 7AM to 10PM, will be do-nated to The Preservation Society. The daystarts with a French breakfast. (Crepes servedall day.) At 10, designer Marianne Fishman ofRow House Interiors will offer design tips forsmall spaces. Children’s arts and crafts are 12-4. French wine tasting, 6-10PM, with horsd’oeuvres.
Readers Give Black EyeTo Junkyard JournalismTwo items in the March ‘Pointer drew
angry responses from two interested parties,which from the editor’s perspective wereslightly preferable to the usual lack of anywritten reader reaction:
•In an e-mail, phone call and letter, JohnRaccuglia of 1733 Eastern Ave. denounced thenewsletter’s failure to consult him before run-ning photos of his adjacent property and sug-gesting it looked like junk yard. “To say thatyou have been trying to get hold of me pre-sents a picture that is not true, and that it wasprinted is libelous,” he said.
The ‘Pointer did attempt to reach theowner but assumed he was available throughSigars Furniture at 1733, which chronicallywas closed. Raccuglia, who lives above thestore, explained that he has evicted Sigars.Raccuglia also said, “NO ONE has contactedme about . . . my yard.”
Residents nearby did complain to The‘Pointer. Although he initially threatened tosue, in the phone call Raccuglia lightened histone, adding that he planned to clean up theyard.
•“I feel it incumbent upon me, LeonardSchleider, owner and operator of the uniqueand pristine paddlewheel Riverboat replica,The Black-Eyed Susan, to address the letterfrom Elizabeth Foard you published . . . . Itwould be ridiculous for me to attempt to in-fluence the thinking of such a dedicated resi-dent . . . however, I believe it to be appropri-ate for me to indicate our appreciation andefforts in support of this historical commu-nity.”
Scheider then detailed the boat’s attrac-tion of tourists and their spending here andhis active role in the Development Corp. Heconcluded, “we remain dismayed and disap-pointed by the narrow thinking and short-sightedness of too many residents. TheComptroller’s office, which seems to be cop-ied on everything, possibly supports their sen-timent. I just do not understand why.”
The boat’s lease on city-owned BroadwayPier is up for renewal.
Added attraction on house tour is a restorationproject at 1631 Aliceanna St, the long-shutteredCaptain’s Hotel and bar. From left, restorersAndre Plattner, ‘Point historian Bob Eney,Dominik Eckenstein and Mike Burdenski.
Photo by Dan Magus www.magus.photo.com
4-Bay on AliceannaRemains Standing
After a month of frantic maneuver, thePreservation Society came away with the four-bay historic house at 1733 Aliceanna St. notonly still standing but with its designation asa historic site by the city’s Commission onHistoric and Architectural Preservationseemingly assured. Most of the structures oneither side of it are coming down, however—a demolition long suspended by a court case.The vacant St. Stanislaus Kostka churchbuilding was never in jeopardy but now hasno buyer.
The church complex is being sold by theFranciscan Brothers. A deal whereby theadjacent Mother Seton School would move intothe ex-church, and townhouses would fill mostof the block, fell through. The school forunderprivileged youngsters is expected nowto expand elsewhere. Preservationists focusedon the much-altered 18th century “mansion.”When a wrecking crew showed up on March27, Councilman Jim Kraft was waiting toinspect permits and assure the four-bay wouldnot come down.
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The death at 92 of Edward Stone-wall Tochterman on March 9brought an ebb tide to the tackleshop with the famous sign at 1925Eastern Ave. He was born at 244S. Ann St. and his father startedthe family business on Eastern in1916, He and his brother came upwith the sign. The Sun obituarylisted among the store’s notablecustomers Ted Williams, BoogPowell and William DonaldSchaefer.
Walking Tours ResumeWalking tours led by Town CrierP.J. Trautwein depart Visitor Cen-ter, 1724 Thames St., Saturdaysat 10AM, $12 for Adults, children$8. For more information, call410.675.6750, Ext. 12 or e-mail:[email protected].
interest in all thingsmaritime. He brings thatto his performances anddemonstrations and thetours he conducts for us.Who else do you knowwho can teach rigging,eat fire, play a meanfiddle, make repairs on a schooner, and directand play the lead in “Our American Cousin?”
Lampredi grew up in Chicago with an ap-preciation of theater, magic, and puppets fos-tered by his mother taking him to perfor-mances. In college he studied music, acting anddirecting. “When I started busking in Fell’sPoint,” he recalled, “I was already freelancingas a musician and as a puppeteer at numerouslocations around Maryland, and had buskedin the nation’s capitol. On the Broadway PierI played the accordion for tips.”
”Hearing Frank Manley sing sea chanteysinspired me to learn more of the huge reper-toire of sea songs,” said Lampredi, “and Ijoined the Chanteymen,” sponsored by Ship’sCompany, which is a living history organiza-tion and owner of the Lion.
The Fell’s Pointer is pub-lished monthly by volunteersof Fell’s Point Citizens on Pa-trol, Inc. Questions, input andparticipation in patrols andthis newsletter are welcome.E-mail [email protected] www.fpcop.com.Write P.O. Box 6137, Balti-more, MD 21231.
thanks!Printing expenses for this
month’s newsletter were donatedby John Steven Ltd., 1800Thames St., 410.327.5561, andHenderson’s Wharf, 1000 FellStreet, 410.522.7777. Design andlayout contributed by Tina Flemingof Warren Communications,[email protected].
Only in Fell’s Point-VIII:As Busker-Boatsman Fiddles, the ‘Point Learns
Fell’s Point Antique Dealers’ Asso-ciation: Call 410.675.4776.
Fell’s Point Community Organiza-tion meets at Lemko House, 603S. Ann St., on second Mondays at7PM, 443.791.1717.
The Fell’s Point DevelopmentCorp: Board meets first Tuesdayof month at 8AM, FPDC office,1730 Bank St. 410.675.8900.
Fell’s Point Residents’ Association:First Wednesdays, 7PM, Bertha’s2nd Floor.
Greenspace Action Partnership:Second Tuesdays, 6PM, VisitorCenter 410.732.8232.
Society for the Preservation ofFell’s Point and Federal Hill: Call410.675.6750.
Neighborhood Meetings
Douglass Place: Third Wednesdayof every other month at the PolishNational Alliance, 1637 EasternAvenue, 410.563.1297.
TrashPlace trash, in cans only, forpickup after 6AM on Mondaysand Thursdays.
RecyclingPlace all recyclables - bottles,cans, plastic (#1-7), paper andcardboard - in bins or boxes, notbags, on second and fourthFridays only.
Schedules
By Mark WalkerFor a busker, the streets are a stage. And
for 15 years Steven Lampredi has strut thestreets and piers of Fell’s Point, playing theconcertina, fiddling, portraying a ghostlysailor home from the War of 1812. His moreformal venues for interpreting history includethe Admiral Fell Inn, the Constellation, the FlagHouse, and the Preservation Society’s gardentheater. At 6 foot 2, he commands a presenceon the bricks.
Lampredi is also a boatsman. He is takingpart in an effort to re-float the Lion, a one-quar-ter-scale model of a topsail schooner made fa-mous here 200 years ago. This prototype ofthe Pride of Baltimore toured the state in the1970s to solicit donations for building the Pride.Lampredi is to display the fully rigged Lion atthe Visitor’s Center for Privateers’ Day onApril 19 and the Preservation Society HouseTour on May 11—again prepping on schoo-ners and privateers for the War of 1812 bicen-tennial, and collecting funds to make her againwatertight for dockage along Thames Street.
Ellen von Karajan, director of the Preser-vation Society, said: “Lampredi has . . . an avid
Jazz at Douglass-MeyersA Be Mo Jazz series will be-
gin on April 16 at the FrederickDouglass-Isaac Myers MaritimePark and Museum, Thames andCaroline Sts., and will continueeach Wednesday in April, 6 to9PM. Food will be served. Admis-sion $7, students/seniors $5. Formore information, 410.685.0295or www.douglassmyers.org.
“Woolgatherer” at The Corner“The Woolgatherer” written by
William Mastrosimone and di-rected by Erin Billings, TowsonUniversity’s theater program gradand a teacher at the Corner lastyear, opens April 18 and runsthrough May 4 at the Corner The-ater, 251 S. Ann St., 8PM Fridaysand Saturdays, Sundays at 2PM(dark April 26). $17, students/se-niors $15. Call 410.276.7837.
Steven Lampredi
Discovering Wolfe Street AcademyBy Colleen Doering
To be brutally honest, I never consideredthe city’s public schools an option when myson was a baby. So as he grew older, I wasrelieved to hear good things about a few ofthe city’s charter schools. Patterson Park Pub-lic Charter School was the first to catch myear and then Hampstead Hills. Eventually,most of my peers were divided into two cat-egories: those whose children attended oneof those two charters, and those who optedfor private schools. I knew of Wolfe StreetAcademy. It was the nearby elementaryschool where I vote. But as a tiny, primarilyHispanic school, I didn’t give it much con-sideration. Fast forward a few years and myopinion of it has definitely evolved.
We hastily enrolled our son Leo at WolfeStreet last September without the luxury ofbeing able to consider any other schools. Isimply hadn’t planned on pre-k for Leo, feel-ing he wasn’t ready for a full-time curricu-lum. But he had some developmental delays,and this program was the recommendationfrom the experts. So I took an anxious leapof faith because I believed it was what heneeded to catch up. As the inevitability ofthe long week sunk in, I expected mammothmeltdowns and a miserable little boy. In-stead, he took to school quite quickly and
adjusted well. A huge relief! But that’s notto say there haven’t been bumps in the road.
The first major “bump” happenedaround Thanksgiving, Leo began acting ag-gressively and defiantly over some extenu-ating circumstances that took us a while toidentify. Other administrations might havequickly lost patience with his troubled be-havior, but the team at Wolfe Street neverdid. Ever focused and kind, and leaving nooption off the table, their goal—to identifythe problem and to get Leo to like schoolagain—was quickly reached. He was againa happy and (mostly) compliant little boy.Other problems with his behavior still occurfrom time to time, but he is always handledwith patience and caring.
I suppose it’s an easy school to miss ifyou are not a close neighbor, but the buzzabout this new charter school is catching on.With rising test scores (more than rivalingthe other nearby charters) and a low student/teacher ratio attracting attention, I predict amore diverse student body next year. Sev-eral of my peers plan to enroll their childrennext fall. I remain most grateful that we en-rolled our boy in the pre-k program and verypleased with how things are going. OurWolfe Street “discovery” has definitely beena happy accident.
Gifts of Learning - - One Book at a TimeBy Mark GaitherPrincipal, Wolfe Street Academy
The ability to read and write is an essen-tial part of becoming a successful learner andproductive member of society. Each day stu-dents come to Wolfe Street Academy fornearly seven hours of instruction. This leaves17 hours that our students are in their com-munity and at home. Those 17 hours shouldbe rich with learning opportunity. To createa rich literary environment wherever our stu-dents are, we have started the Wolfe StreetAcademy Home Literacy Project.
Every student, pre-kindergarten throughthe fifth grade, will receive a new free bookon the first Monday of every month, to takehome and keep. This will provide a studentwho moves through Wolfe a home library of
70 books—fiction and non-fiction appropri-ate to grade level. This Home Literacy librarywill give every student the opportunity athome to support their in-school academicsand a lifetime of learning.
The project is funded through tax-de-ductible donations: $200 purchases a bookfor every child—167 at present—for onemonth, $2,000 enough for all for a schoolyear. At these levels the name of the donatoris written in each book. Although these arekey levels of support, any donation desig-nated for the Wolfe Street Academy HomeLiteracy Project is appreciated.
For mor information, call 410.396.9140,e-mail [email protected] or mailcheck to the school at 245 S. Wolfe St., Balti-more, MD 21231.
