The View from Bolton Street

Memorial Episcopal Church 7/28/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 7/28/21

Redevelopment

by the Rev. Natalie Conway

A former parishioner called me recently incensed by an article in the Baltimore Sun. The article was about the Poppleton community in West Baltimore and how homeowners were being forced out of their neighborhood. He wondered why there wasn’t an outcry to this city eviction. I don’t subscribe to the Baltimore Sun but I told him I would check it out.

The article was on the front page of the Friday, July 23rd edition. The first thing that struck me was a quote: “You’re not doing that in Federal Hill.” You might as well have said: “You’re not dong that in Bolton Hill” or any other predominately White communities in West Baltimore. The second thing that struck me was the City of Baltimore was using eminent domain—how the government takes private property for public use and it’s legal. The third thing that struck me was eminent domain—such as bad as redlining.

“In an aging city with several ongoing redevelopment projects, such property seizure is commonplace. But some argue its use is uneven, typically resulting in the displacement of low-income and working-class people in communities of color.”

“The Poppleton community houses Black churches, landmarks, and schools, and the Edgar Allen Poe house, and the first public housing complex, Poe Homes, which will be overhauled with federal dollars.”

Poppleton community is probably not the first displacement of individuals of color and it won’t be the last. Poppleton like other predominately Black communities has been neglected for decades. Take a ride down Druid Hill Avenue and up McCulloch Street and look at the boarded up houses. Where is the cry for injustice when one is forced out of their home using eminent domain and where is one to go? Redevelopment in these areas could allow people to stay in neighborhoods where they grew up, started families, and maintained a sense of pride in their neighborhoods. A great example of this is the Fulton Avenue redevelopment.

Charm City is not Charm City when the redevelopment line is on one side of Eutaw Place but not the other. What can we do—Memorial? We have a new Justice Missioner, an advisory board, and money to invest. Take a few moments and read the article in the Baltimore Sun. Maybe it will stir up something within you to write to your council member about the injustices in the redevelopment of Baltimore neighborhoods.

Peace and Blessings,

Deacon Natalie

Memorial Episcopal Church 7/23/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 7/23/21

E-Faith@8, 7/25

The Faith@8 group is continuing to meet during this time of social distancing. Join us for an informal, community led service with more questions than answers and an open spot for whoever appears. Just follow the Zoom link below!

Memorial Faith@8

Time: Sundays at 8:00AM Eastern

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Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789

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Memorial Episcopal Church 7/23/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 7/23/21

Outside Church 9:30am, 7/25

The 9:30 service will be at Liberty Pavilion in Druid Hill Park. There will be no Zoom for the in-person, outdoor 9:30 Service.

Faith@8 will remain an online-only Zoom service through the summer: Faith@8 Click Here

Meet us in the Liberty Pavilion of Druid Hill Park

There is parking on Greenspring and also at the zoo, but the walk from the zoo parking is up a steep hill.
Water, lemonade, and pastries will be provided; please do not bring food to share as we do not yet have permission for that.

Memorial Episcopal Church 7/14/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 7/14/21

E-Church 9:30am, 7/18

Open Live Zoom Worship

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To join us online, all you need to do is click on the link below. We will have the order of service up on the screen to follow along. We recognize that all of us have different levels of comfort with technology - we will do our best to help everyone do what they need to feel comfortable and participate!

Two tips for Zoom worship:

1) Let us see your face! If at all possible, please start a video feed so we can see each other face to face, even across distance.

2) Please mute yourself unless you have a speaking role in the service. And if you find you are muted, please don’t unmute yourself unless asked. However - even when you are muted, please do respond to the prayers and readings, as we are all worshipping together.

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Memorial Episcopal Church 7/14/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 7/14/21

E-Faith@8, 7/18

Memorial Faith@8

Time: Sundays at 8:00AM Eastern

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83309554789?pwd=czZUbWt6Yk1WVmgvNlAwNExQUWc5QT09

Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789

Passcode: 214106

Dial by your location

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789

Passcode: 214106

Open Zoom link here

Memorial Episcopal Church 6/25/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 6/25/21

E-Faith@8, 6/27

Memorial Faith@8

Time: Sundays at 8:00AM Eastern

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83309554789?pwd=czZUbWt6Yk1WVmgvNlAwNExQUWc5QT09

Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789

Passcode: 214106

Dial by your location

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 833 0955 4789

Passcode: 214106

Open Zoom link here

Memorial Episcopal Church 6/25/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 6/25/21

Outside Church 9:30am, 6/27

The 9:30 service will be at Liberty Pavilion in Druid Hill Park. There will be no Zoom for the in-person, outdoor 9:30 Service.

Faith@8 will remain an online-only Zoom service through the summer: Faith@8 Click Here

Meet us in the Liberty Pavilion of Druid Hill Park

There is parking on Greenspring and also at the zoo, but the walk from the zoo parking is up a steep hill.
Water, lemonade, and pastries will be provided; please do not bring food to share as we do not yet have permission for that.

Memorial Episcopal Church 6/16/21 Memorial Episcopal Church 6/16/21

Celebrating One of Our Own

This Friday, John McIntyre retires after 34 years at the Baltimore Sun.

by Christina Tkacik of the Baltimore Sun

John E. McIntyre retires from The Baltimore Sun this week after 34 years of faithful service.

In his years on The Sun's copy desk, he battled grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and journalistic cliches. No iteration of the word "iconic" was safe on McIntyre's watch.

Says colleague Fred Rasmussen: "He was the guy who had the flashlight who led us out of the forest when we were so lost at times and had written ourselves into unfathomable corners."

"He did his work with grace, style and a sense of humor that defies description and was boundless, and no one, and I mean no one, knows more arcana than Mac. Who do you know who can recite the population of Mesopotamia in the 12th century, for instance, or the depth of the Mariana Trench?"

He embraced evolution in language and usage: Many a stickler came to John seeking affirmation but left disappointed. "Language is always on the move," he told them.

A natural teacher, he hired and mentored generations of editors and reporters, many of whom went on to careers at news outlets across the U.S.

In recent years, he donned his green eyeshade to host a series of web-based videos as “The Old Editor.” In them, he decried “copspeak” and defended "singular they." Some of the videos went viral and led to McIntyre being recognized in public, much to his delight.

In addition to his videos, he wrote a popular blog for The Sun as well as two books: The Old Editor Says: Maxims for Writing and Editing and Bad Advice: The Most Unreliable Counsel Available on Grammar, Usage, and Writing.

We would be remiss not to mention that he was also one of the best-dressed editors in Baltimore Sun history.

Most of his coworkers will miss him terribly. We wish him a happy retirement and plenty of time with his wife, Kathleen, two children, J.P. and Alice, and grandson Julian.

+ + +

John and I became friends while filming a video series for The Sun in which he answered questions about language.

The Sun newsroom can be a really intimidating place for an early career journalist. But befriending him while we filmed those videos made me feel like I actually belonged. And of course I learned so much about writing from him. To this day I resist using the “not alone” construction in copy because of one of his videos.

The video series was a complete hit for The Sun, and some of the videos even went viral, getting written up in Buzzfeed and The Columbia Journalism Review. It’s a testament to just what a witty and brilliant guy John is.

While I think most people think of John for his sense of his deadpan sense of humor and impeccable style -- does the man even own a pair of sweatpants? -- what I most recall is his kindness. A few years ago I was grieving a death in the family, and he came over to ask how I was doing. I could tell from the tone in his voice that he wasn’t just being polite, he actually cared. Of course I began bawling immediately. His compassion helped me so much during a very difficult time, and I know of several other people who say that talks with him helped them get through career crises.

Perhaps it came from dealing with his own crisis. John was laid off from The Sun around 12 years ago during a round of budget cuts, and was re-hired a year later. It gave me a lot of hope to see him living out his second act at the paper. The news business can make you crazy, but by showing up each day John gave us all a lesson in how to persevere with your dignity intact.

Now he’s exiting after 34 years at The Sun, and no one deserves a break more. Congratulations, John. We will miss you!