Wednesday, December 5, 2012

 Stony Run area of Remington suffered another loss this weekend with the passing of Mr. A. Mouse.  Mr. Mouse, a long time resident at the trash can on the corner of Wyman Park Drive & Remington, leaves behind thousands of relatives.  He was cremated by the Johns Hopkins Auto Repair and Funeral Shop.  He will be greatly missed by many of the neighborhood cats.
 Remington doesn't have the notoriety of  34th Street yet, but it is definitely lighting up for the holidays.  Huntington Avenue is the place to wander for a spectacular display of Christmas decoration.  The lighting is so bright, my camera had a epileptic fit, so if anyone out there can provide me with photos of their holiday cheer, please forward them. 

Seawall Development is beginning its trademark window treatment on the 2800 block of Remington Avenue.  The gaping mouths at the top of the houses are a bit eerie, but light seems to be the requirement in today's real estate market.  These houses have been the property of the City for decades and have gone through a series of renovations.  In the 1970s, Tom Culotta of the Community School, collided with City officials when the Department of Housing made plans to renovate the houses without properly notifying the tenants.



In 1984, the Neighborhood Progress Administration, a super-agency under the Department of Housing and the Mayor's Office of Manpower Resources, had plans to rehabilitate the houses using local unskilled labor. The NPA stated it would provide "job training" for low-income residents of Remington to learn construction. They would be paid a $30 per week stipend during a six-week training course and eventually earn $3.50 per hour. A training program never materialized and the NPA stated they were unable to locate any residents who would qualify for such a program and would look outside the neighborhood for trainees. Tom was outraged, stating he would provide eligible workers if the City would "create a bona fide training program." Once again, I advocate that the vacant buildings on 29th and Remington be allocated for a vocational training school that would allow Remington children to be taught a viable and very lucrative trade. The poor kids are now being bussed off to MERVO, which did have a great history at one time, but it's not Remington. I hope my neighbors will join me in an effort to create an education venue that will not only provide opportunity to our area's youth, but will once again prove that Remington is part of the foundation of Baltimore City. Remember, Remington Rocks!