Self Preservation: Kathleen Kotarba survives apparent CHAP coup, Baltimore City Paper, August 29, 2012
New workshop on weatherization & historic tax credits in Federal Hill
Join Baltimore Heritage and Retrofit Baltimore for our latest joint workshop on how to improve your home’s energy efficiency while saving money with city and state historic tax credits. If you are a home-owners in a historic district like Federal Hill, Riverside, Fell’s Point, or Canton, many weatherization improvements, such as replacement HVAC systems, insulation, and wood window restoration may also qualify for the city and state historic tax credit programs. Find out how to check if you are in a historic district with our resource page on historic tax credits.
Join us at the Federal Hill Main Street offices on Wednesday, September 5 for a quick one-hour workshop that offers an introduction to weatherization, energy audits, incentives for energy efficiency, and historic tax credits. RSVP today!
Weatherization & Historic Tax Credits Workshop
Wednesday, September 5, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Federal Hill Main Street, 42 East Cross Street Baltimore, MD 21230
Questions? Contact Eli Pousson, Baltimore Heritage at pousson@baltimoreheritage.org or Evie Schwartz, Retrofit Baltimore at eschwartz@retrofitbaltimore.
Launching the Baltimore Jewish Landmarks Photo Competition with a Photo Walk & Tour
We’re excited to announce the 2012 Jewish Landmarks Photo Competition – a new partnership between Baltimore Heritage and the Jewish Museum of Maryland to celebrate Baltimore’s rich history of Jewish residents, neighborhoods and buildings from Lloyd Street to Park Heights Avenue. Join us next Thursday evening as we kick off the competition with free admission to the Jewish Museum of Maryland and a free photo walk and tour for Late Night on Lloyd Street. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
Local celebrity judges, prizes, and information on how to submit a photo will be announced next week. Late Night on Lloyd Street takes place on the first Thursday of every month and are casual and drop-in evenings. Stop by on your way home from work, bring a friend or come to meet new people.
Late Night on Lloyd Street
Thursday, September 6, 6:00pm to 9:00 pm
Jewish Museum of Maryland, 15 Lloyd Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Parking and transit details on the JMM website.
RSVP for a free photo walk & tour of the historic Jonestown neighborhood starting 6:30pm. Light refreshments will be provided.
News: Meeting is called to dismiss head of CHAP preservation agency
Meeting is called to dismiss head of CHAP preservation agency, Baltimore Brew, August 23, 2012
Support preservation leadership in Baltimore! Tell CHAP to keep their director
Today we have an update with some distressing news regarding historic preservation in Baltimore. We just learned that Baltimore’s local historic preservation commission- the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) – is holding a special “closed door” meeting on Monday, August 27 with the purpose of firing CHAP’s Executive Director, Ms. Kathleen Kotarba. While we are reluctant to get involved in a personnel matter at CHAP, we are confident that the effort to fire Ms. Kotarba is directly related to her professional work with CHAP staff and commissioners and fear that it involves recent controversial historic preservation issues – the preservation of Read’s Drug Store, the Mechanic Theater, and the Edgar Allan Poe House. As you know, preservation issues are at the forefront of many city-shaping decisions today and we fear that the effort to fire Ms. Kotarba is an attempt to reduce the influence of historic preservation in Baltimore.
I wanted to let you know that this controversy is unfolding and also to ask for your help. We do not know the full story behind Monday’s meeting, but we do know that Ms. Kotarba has served the city with distinction for nearly 35 years. Firing her behind closed doors is unfair and makes no sense. If there are administrative issues or issues involving the direction of CHAP, we strongly believe that the director should be involved in the solution. Therefore, I ask that you join us in voicing our concern by contacting CHAP Commissioners. In thinking about this, I want to point out that the executive director of CHAP is an unusual position within city government: the director works for the CHAP Commission. I think the position was created this way on purpose knowing that the director might encounter tough issues that ruffle feathers. It is only with a strong and professional preservation staff and commission that checks and balances within city government are possible.We need you to let the CHAP Commissioners know that you care about preservation leadership in Baltimore. Click here to start composing an e-mail addressed to the full commission or find a list of individual commissioners below. Please also join us in demonstrating your concern by attending Monday’s CHAP meeting. We expect there may be no opportunity for us to speak but we can help show the importance of preservation in Baltimore just by being there.
Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation – Special Session
Reeves Conference Room, Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday Street, 4th floor
Monday, August 27, 1:00 pm.
Thank you, again, for your help in ensuring that we have a fair and respectful city process for historic preservation in Baltimore.