Please join Bolton-Park Neighbors and Historic Mt. Royal Terrace for their annual “Historic Reservoir Hill Home & Garden Tour” this Saturday 6/2 and Sunday 6/3 from 11am-4pm. This year’s tour will feature 20 houses and gardens. Tickets are $10 at the corner of Park Ave. and Reservoir St., and they are good for either or both days.
As you might recall from last summer, Reservoir Hill youth already gave you a sneak preview of some of the things you’ll see on the tour:
Neighbors offer feedback on the final site plan presentation at the May RHIC community meeting (5/1/12)
When we last checked on the South Whitelock park project, we were filling in the tree wells with flowers and still confirming the final site plan. Since then, we’ve put together more detailed sketches of the future park space, met a few times to go over final tweaks, presented a final site design at the May RHIC community meeting, and nearly completed removing the perimeter fence along the back alley. Next up: grading and leveling the site!
Residents on the Design Team discuss the site plan (4/10/12)
One of the questions we’ve discussed the most is how we should design the park entrances to make sure that they are not only welcoming, but also consistent with the naturally occurring walking paths that people already use inside the site. At the same time, we want to create a water catching system so that the natural flow of storm water running down Whitelock St. can be easily absorbed.
Sketch showing the east side of the park running along Brookfield Ave:
Sketch showing proposed paths for people and water:
The only way to really test out the design is to walk the site itself. Residents working on the design team recently met on Whitelock St. to stake out some of the proposed features, including a central overflow rainwater-fountain, to see how they would look. We also checked whether the proposed pathways to were wide enough for easy passage. Finally, we removed the remaining fence along the south and west sides of the site so that we can start grading the entire site.
Design Team meeting at the Farm (4/19/12)
Residents measure the distance of a proposed walkway linking the bus stop to the corner (4/19/12)
Residents remove the fence along the southern edge of the site (5/5/12)
It has now been approximately 12 months since we started our community design process, and we are excited to share the most up-to-date site plan. We have incorporated as many specific suggestions and requests by residents as possible, including an over-flow rain water fountain, seating areas featuring fruit trees, a more convenient and beautiful bus stop waiting area/shelter, a sculpture installation site, and much more.
Most recent site plan:
April interviews Paula, JEH crossing guard, about her food buying preferences (4/24/12)
RHIC and Whitelock Community Farm are working with Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future on a neighborhood food assessment to better understand how residents determine what food they buy and how they eat it. Over the course of spring/summer 2012, neighborhood survey collectors will interview approximately 125 residents to answer questions such as:
1. Where do you buy most of the food that you make at home?
2. How much money do you spend in a typical week at a corner store/grocery store/public market?
3. How would you rate the availability of fresh food options in Reservoir Hill?
4. How many times a week do you make food from scratch?
5. Please describe what a healthy meal is for you?
Ruthie interviews her neighbor at the May RHIC community meeting/picnic (5/1/12)
At the same time that we learn about how residents currently purchase and prepare food, we are trying to gather information about how Whitelock Community Farm can better serve residents in the future. Survey questions ask residents about their specific preferences for Farm products and services:
1. Would you be interested in getting a weekly vegetable box (CSA share) delivered to a site in the neighborhood?
2. Would you buy produce from a mobile bike trailer that would drive through the neighborhood?
3. Which of the following produce offerings would you be interested in buying: Lettuce? Spinach? Kale? Collards? Okra? Fruit? Carrots? Potatoes? Tomatoes? Beets? Herbs? Vegetables you haven’t tried before?
4. Would you be interested in volunteering at the Farm in exchange for produce grown there?
5. Have you ever eaten produce from Whitelock Community Farm?
C.J. interviews a resident at the Whitelock St. #5 MTA bus stop (5/5/12)
James finds a suitable writing surface on Whitelock St. to interview a family (5/5/12)
MICA students painting the mural in front of JEH Recreation Center (5/8/12) Photo credit: Howard Fink
We had to wait a week because our original painting day last Tuesday was rained out, and we’ll have to wait another week or so to finish what we started this Tuesday before the rain stopped us again, but there are now bright colors painted on the pavement in front of John Eager Howard Recreation Center. The street mural project represents the final product of a semester-long collaboration between Maryland Institute College of Art students and Reservoir Hill residents to design public art installations that link the neighborhood with its local waterways
We hope that on 5/21/12, the sun will stay out, the JEH Recreation Center students will join us, and there will be crabs and fish circling the intersection of Lennox St. and Brookfield Avenue!
10:40 AM:
Measuring out the distances for the concentric circles of color (5/8/12) Photo credit: Howard Fink
11:00 AM:
Painting the first colors on the pavement (5/8/12) Photo credit: Howard Fink
11:54 AM:
Completing the first layers of paint inside the inner circles (5/8/12)
12:30 PM:
Mixing the paints together to make green (5/8/12) Photo credit: Howard Fink
1:30 PM:
Rushing to finish the outer green layer before the rain (5/8/12) Photo credit: Howard Fink
1:52 PM:
A light drizzle suspends the day’s painting (5/8/12)
2:08 PM:
A rain downpour prompts more complete coverage of the mural (5/8/12)
JEH students plant along the raised wall near the Linden Ave. entrance (5/4/12)
Building on the success of last year’s Tree Planting Day at John Eager Howard Elementary School, the 2012 Green Thumb Day offered every JEH teacher and student the chance to help make their school grounds a little cleaner and their school uniforms a lot dirtier. Students tended to their adopted trees around the school grounds, planted flowers along the Linden Ave. entrance, and continued to grow the school’s outdoor classroom. Thanks to Howard for the great pictures!
At the end of a long day digging in the dirt and handling garden snakes, one student said, “Today was the fun day of my life!”
Flyer handed out to residents living near the future mural site at JEH Recreation Center(4/30/12)
Over the past few months, students in Maryland Institute College of Art’s “Design for Change” class have been working with Reservoir Hill residents of all ages to design public art projects related to our local waterways.
So how exactly do college students and neighbors figure out how to express the importance of storm water runoff in a creative, engaging way?
Meet with adults to discuss the street mural design:
MICA students present their designs at RHIC’s April community meeting (4/3/12)
Meet with younger folks to go over stencil designs and messages:
Students at John Eager Howard Recreation Center after-school program give feedback (4/11/12)
Make sure the younger folks are excited:
Students at John Eager Howard Recreation Center prepare for the upcoming mural painting (4/19/12)
Design storm water stencils inspired by the community’s suggestions:
MICA students’ final stencil design presentation (4/18/12)
Bring the designs to the sidewalk!
MICA students paint storm water drains at Whitelock Community Farm (4/24/12)
Opening Day at Whitelock Community Farm’s market stand (4/21/12)
It’s been a busy April at the Farm as neighbors prepare for the spring/summer season. In just the last few weeks, the Farm has constructed a shed, hosted the John Eager Howard Green Keepers after school environmental science club, and sponsored a seasoning opening celebration for the neighborhood.
The Farm’s market stand will be open every Saturday from 10am-1pm all the way through November! Also remember that the Farm is now able to accept EBT and credit cards!
Shed construction:
Digging the foundation for the shed (4/4/12)
Building the shed frame (4/21/12)
Installing the roof (4/24/12)
JEH Green Keepers club visits the Farm:
JEH Green Keepers students learn about composting at the Farm (4/16/12)
Farm Season Opening Celebration:
Neighbors gather at the Farm (4/21/12)
Neighbors enjoying the potluck offerings (4/21/12)
Students with “Chucky,” their adopted tree in the back courtyard at JEH (4/24/12)
Last April, RHIC sponsored a school-wide tree planting day at John Eager Howard Elementary School in which students planted over 20 trees around the school grounds. As part of the 2012 Week of the Young Child, JEH classes spent some quality time with their adopted trees. In addition to learning more about their respective trees, students are maintaining, decorating, and even naming the trees.
What do you call your favorite tree?
These young arborists chose “Lenny Oak:”
Students with “Lenny Oak” at the JEH entrance near Linden Ave. and Lennox St.
Preparing the Reservoir Hill Community Garden for the spring planting season (4/21/12)
This past Saturday 4/21/12, more than 45 Reservoir Hill residents came out to clean up their streets, sidewalks, alleys, gardens, park, and anywhere else that could be improved with some sweat/chalk/flowers. Thanks to Andrea and Howard for their great pictures!
Who knew that cleaning could be so much fun?
