The Maryland Curiosity Bureau

What’s Happening With Community Schools in Maryland?

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

What exactly are community schools? How are they funded? How are they different? And how well do they work? Maryland is spending almost 4 billion dollars a year to convert public schools to the community school model, and Baltimore Banner reporters Hallie Miller and Kristen Griffith join Aaron to visit some community schools and see how it’s going for students and their families.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

Cheryl Brooks, Principal at Berkshire Elementary School

Malik Sollas, Community School Liaison at Berkshire Elementary School

Heather Chapman, Vice President of Neighborhood Zones, United Way of Central Maryland

Kelly Oglesbee, Community Schools Program Manager, United Way of Central Maryland

Michelle Gross, Family Center Director at Benjamin Franklin High School

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remembering Theo Hill

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Theo Hill hosted a series of intimate and honest conversations with people battling addiction on his WYPR podcast, One Day at a Time. His producer, Aaron Henkin, takes some time this week to remember Theo, who died recently due to complications from a stroke. Mr. Hill was 22 years substance-free at the time of his death.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Is There An Abandoned Streetcar In The Woods?

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

It’s down in a gully near Bunker Hill Road in Hereford. Peer through the trees and you’ll see it, a vintage Baltimore streetcar, forgotten and rusting away in the forest. Hiker (and WYPR host) Ashley Sterner discovered the derelict streetcar a few years ago and has been obsessed with the mystery ever since: How did it end up there? And why? This episode, we pay a visit to The Baltimore Streetcar Museum and find answers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Don’t Baltimore City Schools Have School Buses?

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Ask MTA administrators and transit activists, and you’ll get the same answer: No idea. It’s just been that way forever. This episode, we find a fifty-year-old archival newspaper article that reveals some clues, and we hear from present-day student commuters about how well the system is working out for them today.

This episode, we hear from:

MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold

Student bus commuters Isabelle, Imani, and Na’im

Ruth Farfel and Kwane Wyatt of The Fund for Educational Excellence

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Is Baltimore’s Bus System Such A Mess?

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

When Charlie moved to Baltimore, her goal was to commute to work on a bus. It seemed like a reasonable plan. But it’s turned into a logistical nightmare. For Charlie, the bus system has proven to be unreliable, convoluted, and bewildering. Other cities can run a dependable bus service, so why can’t Baltimore? WYPR’s Aaron Henkin and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller ride along with Charlie this episode and try to figure out what’s gone wrong, and why.

In this episode, we hear from:

Bus rider Charlie Amiot

Brian O’Malley and Danielle Sweeney of Central Maryland Transportation Alliance

Jed Weeks of Bikemore

Bakari Height, Transit Equity Organizer with The Labor Network for Sustainability

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are Speed Cameras Actually Calming Traffic On The JFX?

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Six months ago, Baltimore installed speed cameras on The Jones Falls Expressway, on a stretch of the highway where unsafe driving and traffic accidents have been a problem for years. So, are the cameras having their intended effect? Aaron and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller get some answers from the Baltimore City DOT.

In this episode, we hear from:

Corren Johnson, Interim Director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Do I Get Called For Jury Duty So Often?

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

It’s a civic duty. It’s a triumph of democracy. And if you live in Baltimore, it can feel like a hassle. Locals say they get summons letters from the city courthouse almost every year. Is that normal? Is it like that everywhere, or just in Baltimore? Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller teams up with Aaron to figure out how jury service works (and how it doesn’t).

Who you'll hear from this episode:

Brian Bornstein, research psychologist at Duke University Law School and co-author of the book The Jury Under Fire: Myth, Controversy, and Reform

Nancy Marder, professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and author of the book, The Power of the Jury: Transforming Citizens into Jurors

Baltimore jurors Uhmar Alston, Diana Farmer, Tamar Sarnoff, Ramsey Mihavitz, and Babloo Pilli

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s With Those “Greatest City In America” Benches?

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

The paint is worn thin, but the message is still there, a puzzling declaration from a foggy past. At some point in history, someone decided to emblazon the city’s public benches with the hyperbolically proud slogan: Baltimore – The Greatest City in America. Where’d this over-the-top motto come from? And how’d it end up on all those benches? Baltimore Banner reporter Clara Longo de Freitas teams up with Aaron Henkin to find the answers.

In this episode, we hear from:

Martin O’Malley, Mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007

Steve Kearney, Director of Policy and Communications during O’Malley’s Mayoral Administration

Kurt Schmoke, Mayor of Baltimore from to 1987 to 1999

Sandy Hillman, Former Head of Mayor William Donald Schaefer’s Office of Promotion and Tourism

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Is Lacrosse Such A Big Deal In Maryland?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In the world of competitive lacrosse, Maryland is a powerhouse. It’s home to NCAA championship teams, national tournaments, the USA Lacrosse headquarters, and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum. But why? How did the sport originate, and what made it such a phenomenon in Maryland?

This episode, we meet:

Emma, Maya, and Carla Stromberg, Coppermine Lacrosse Club players

Matt Stromberg, Coppermine Lacrosse Club coach

Joe Finn, Archivist at USA Lacrosse

John and James Simermeyer, Native American Lacrosse Club coaches

Carol Samuels, former US Women’s Lacrosse Team player and retired coach

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Will Play My Piano?

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

The neighborhood post reads like the opening lines of a short story. “Although I love music, I don’t play, and my Steinway is silent. If by chance anyone knows of a good pianist who would like to come over to practice or play, or even do a nice soiree with guests, please let me know. I am only interested in classical music. No jazz, no pop, no ragtime, God forbid.” Dr. Robert Fiscella owns an antique Steinway that belonged to a renowned European pianist, his late friend, Agi Jambor. This episode, we find an answer to Dr. Fiscella’s question, and we learn the story of Agi Jambor, with the help of Baltimore Banner reporter Tim Prudente.

In this episode we hear from:

Dr. Robert Fiscella

Baltimore Banner reporter Tim Prudente

Agi Jambor's nephew in Budapest, Robert Schiller

Agi Jambor's great niece in London, Frances Pinter, who published Jambor's memoir, Escaping Extermination

Concert pianist Sarah Cahill

Concert pianist and composer Wendel Patrick

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Removes The Graffiti In Baltimore?

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

They’re a tiny team. But they’re undaunted by the magnitude of the task at hand. Eric Ford and Tony Clark have been working together for more than twenty years on Baltimore’s graffiti removal unit, remediating the city’s graffiti problem, one service request at a time, free of charge. Aaron Henkin and Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller spend a day on the job with the guys, and they ask: What’s it like to do a job you know is going to get undone, over and over again?

In this episode, we meet:

Eric Ford, Tony Clark, and Yolanda Cason of Baltimore’s Graffiti Removal Unit

Mixed Media Artist Kristin Fuller

Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's The History Of Rheb's Candies?

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

A ton of sugar a week. That's what it takes to fuel this longtime Baltimore family business. Rheb's Candies has been crafting homemade chocolates for four generations. During the holidays, there's a line of customers out the door and down the block. This episode, we get a golden ticket to visit the rowhouse-basement factory where the magic happens.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Was Myrtle Hazard, And Why Is There A Ship Named After Her?

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

This episode takes on a question from a far-from-home listener. Robert Cusworth is from Maryland, he’s in the US Coast Guard, and he’s currently stationed in Guam. He noticed that one of the ships in the fleet out there is named USCG Cutter Myrtle Hazard. (Cool name, right?) Well, he heard the ship’s namesake was originally from Baltimore. So, who is Myrtle Hazard? And why is there a Coast Guard ship in Guam named after her?

In this episode, we hear from:

Robert Cusworth, USCG Petty Officer stationed in Guam

US Coast Guard Historian William Thiesen

Lieutenant Jalle Merritt, Commanding Officer of the USCG Cutter Myrtle Hazard

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s The Controversy With The Roland Water Tower In Hoes Heights?

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Have you seen that Rapunzel-looking brick tower next to the Hoes Heights neighborhood in North Baltimore? It just got restored, and everyone agrees it looks beautiful. That’s pretty much where the good feelings end. Now there’s a bitter argument over what’s going to happen to the little plot of land around the tower. Some folks want a park. Others want access roads. Baltimore Banner reporter Jasmine Vaughn-Hall joins the podcast to unpack how a seemingly innocent planning project has reaggravated some long-standing racial wounds in a historically Black neighborhood.

In this episode, we hear from:

Baltimore Banner reporter Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

Baltimore Brew reporter Fern Shen

Claire Agre of Unknown Studio

Hoes Heights Action Committee members Joanne Kent, Eleanor Matthews, Teri Logan, Hana Morford, and Kitsy Lee

Friends of the Roland Water Tower member Michael Falk

Baltimore City Council Members Odette Ramos and James Torrence

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Are The Marching Ravens?

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500

It’s a not-so-secret weapon that gives The Ravens their home field advantage: Baltimore’s Marching Ravens are a massive musical hype machine that brings hometown crowds to their feet with the Ravens Fight Song. They’re more than a hundred members strong. Their halftime show is a spectacle of uniform precision. And their musicianship is awe-inspiring. But who are these people? How did this band come to be? And is it true that they helped save football in Baltimore?

This episode, we meet:

Band President John Ziemann

Music Director Dan Fake

Band members Nathan Beans, Gigi Kwik Gronvall, Kim Smith, and Brooke Coleman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Are There So Many Deer Everywhere?

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500

They’re wandering through yards, snacking on gardens. They’re hanging out in neighborhood parks. They’re strolling down the middle of the streets. Deer are everywhere. Or at least it feels that way if you live up and down the Baltimore DC corridor. Is this normal? Banner reporters Hallie Miller and Liz Bowie have been reporting on the state’s deer population, and they join us this episode to answer the question: Why are the deer surrounding us, and what we should do about it?

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

Baltimore Banner reporter Hallie Miller

Baltimore Banner reporter Liz Bowie

Carrie Engel, Greenhouse Manager at Valley View Farms

George Timko, Deer Project Co-Leader at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s With The Abandoned Coffin Of Mathilda Lorenz?

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500

It just appeared one day, inexplicably. An empty coffin, nestled in the woods on the bank of Stony Run Creek in Wyman Park. An engraved nameplate read, “Mathilda Lorenz, died July 26, 1882, aged 18 years, 2 months, and 1 day.” The neighbors were baffled. And then, a few weeks later, just as strangely, the coffin disappeared. Baltimore Banner reporter Julie Scharper became obsessed with this stubborn local mystery, she followed a winding trail of breadcrumbs, and she joins us this episode to reveal what she’s discovered.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s The Story With Fort Armistead Park?

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 11:42:02 -0400

It’s covered in graffiti, overgrown by the forest, and neglected by the city, but Fort Armistead was once a state-of-the-art coastal defense installation. Why was this place built? Whatever happened to it? What’s going on there now? Is it true that you can find tunnels into it? And what’ll you discover if you venture inside?

By the way, check out Baltimore Heritage's Five Minute Histories video about Fort Armistead Park!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Did Jousting Become Maryland’s Official State Sport?

Tue, 24 May 2022 14:06:21 -0400

Our quest takes us to a ring-jousting event hosted by the Maryland Jousting Tournament Association. Then we venture into a forest to find the ruins of a Gothic mansion where the state’s first official joust was held.

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What's The Deal With Pit Beef?

Mon, 16 May 2022 13:01:47 -0400

This week’s listener grew up in Maryland, and he always just assumed there were roadside pit beef stands across the whole country. Not so! Pit beef is a hyper-regional food tradition rooted in Baltimore’s industrial past, and we head out to explore the origins and permutations of this local delicacy.

In this episode, we hear from:

Simone Phillips of the food blog, Charm City Table

Allison Robicelli, who wrote the Washington Post article, Here are 11 of the best places to enjoy pit beef – Maryland’s answer to barbecue

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Baltimore City & County Ever Unite?

Mon, 09 May 2022 13:20:04 -0400

Listener Kate Jakuta asks, “Why isn’t Baltimore City part of Baltimore County? And could the city and the county ever join in the future?” It’s a mystery that hopscotches us through time to the founding of Baltimore Town in 1729, the rewriting of the State Constitution in 1851, and a sly ballot referendum in 1948, which adds up to an unfortunate result for the city. While other US cities continue to grow by annexing land from surrounding counties, Baltimore’s city/county line has been frozen in place for more than 70 years. Is there a way to unbind the city? And is there a political will to make it happen?

This episode we hear from:

The Villena family, whose house is bisected by the city/county line

Matthew Crensen, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, and author of Baltimore: A Political History

Ron Cassie, Senior Editor and Political Reporter at Baltimore Magazine. Check out Ron’s article, How To Fix Baltimore

Don Hutchinson, former County Executive of Baltimore County

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s With That Random Simon Bolivar Statue?

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:46:27 -0400

There’s a tiny park in Baltimore’s Guilford neighborhood that’s home to an improbable monument. It’s a bronze bust of Simon Bolivar, who liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish colonial rule. Questions abound: Who made this thing? Was it a gift? Who was it from? How and why is it here? And what message should we take from it? Get ready for a trip down a historical rabbit hole that spans centuries, from the Colonial Era to the Cold War.

In this episode, we hear from:

Public historian Aimee Pohl, who's written an article about the statue and produced a video feature on the subject for Baltimore Heritage.

Christy Thornton, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities?

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 12:14:39 -0400

Listener Stacy Gilbert wandered into a shop called Protean Books & Records, and she found a weird little room in the back. A sign read, Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities. She pulled aside the curtain, and when she stepped inside, she was fascinated by the otherworldly oddities on display. This week, we introduce Stacy to the crypt’s proprietor, we remember Baltimore’s now-shuttered American Dime Museum, and we head up to Havre de Grace to check out a mysterious soon-to-open spot called, First Call Paranormal and Oddities Museum.

In this episode, we hear from:

Chris LaMartina of Dr. Gloom’s Crypt of Curiosities

Dick Horne of The American Dime Museum

James Taylor of the forthcoming First Call Paranormal and Oddities Museum

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where is Baltimore’s Gayborhood?

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 10:07:04 -0400

Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood has been the epicenter of the city’s gay community for decades, but clubs and bars there have been closing while a new scene has emerged in the neighborhoods of Old Goucher and Station North. This episode, we talk with Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials about the past and present of gay life in Baltimore.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s Baltimore’s Negro Leagues baseball history?

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 11:29:40 -0400

Listener Andrew Cosentino wanted to know more about Baltimore’s chapter of Negro Leagues baseball history, so we caught up with Ray Banks of the Hubert V Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball, to learn about the Baltimore Elite Giants and The Baltimore Black Sox. And sportswriter Charlie Vascellaro helps us track down a historic ballfield in Druid Hill Park where some of the earliest games were played.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the story behind Old Bay?

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 10:54:50 -0400

Listener Joanna Reed wanted to know how the crab seasoning, Old Bay, got started and how it became such a Maryland icon. So, food writer Jen Wheeler joins us this episode to tell the story of how a German Jewish immigrant made his way to Baltimore and ended up creating the best thing to ever happen to shellfish. We pay a visit to the inventor’s original spice grinder. And we try to get the McCormick spice company to reveal what’s actually in the secret mix.

In this episode, we hear from:

Food writer Jen Wheeler

Baltimore Museum of Industry Executive Director Anita Kassoff

McCormick Chief Marketing Officer Jill Pratt

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baltimore’s Sister Cities: Where are they? And why them?

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:15:14 -0400

Listener Josh Dix’s question about sister cities takes us down a historical rabbit hole to a moment in Cold War history when President Eisenhower announced a new ‘citizen diplomacy’ initiative to build relationships with cities abroad. Sister Cities International has been operating ever since, and today, Baltimore has nine sister cities around the globe. Take your seats for a very cosmopolitan episode.

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Who’s behind those wire sculptures dangling on traffic lights?

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 11:27:51 -0400

Is it graffiti? Sort of. Is it illegal? Pretty much. Does it make people smile? Almost always. If you’re stopped at a traffic light in Baltimore, look up and you might see one of his wire sculptures hanging from the cable across the intersection, backlit by the sky. Street Artist Reed Bmore has been putting up these little artistic winks for a decade now, and this episode, we talk with him at his home studio about how & why he does what he does.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are The Nighthawks?

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:16:55 -0500

It turns out The Ravens aren’t the only pro football team in town. For 15 years now, the Baltimore Nighthawks have been repping the city in a hard-hitting national league where the teams compete in high-level, full contact, tackle football: The Women’s Football Alliance. This episode, we meet the Nighthawks players and coaches who are blazing a trail for women in America’s last ‘men’s only’ sport.

Who you’ll hear from:

Breona Brewer, Nighthawks Wide Receiver, Free Safety, Kick/Punt Returner

Alisha Owensford, Nighthawks Linebacker & Running Back

Amanda Eich, Nighthawks Wide Receiver, Defensive End, and Long Snapper

Tanya Bryan, Nighthawks owner (and Strength & Conditioning / Special Teams Coach)

Keith Kahan, Nighthawks Head Coach

Lisa King, Commissioner of the Women’s Football Alliance

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s with the rat bumper sticker?

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:24:44 -0500

How did the rat become Baltimore’s unofficial mascot? Who’s behind this ubiquitous image? Why is it so popular? And what exactly is it supposed to mean as a symbol?

This episode, we meet:

Matt Fouse, rat hunter and founder of Ratczar

Toya Sykes-Coates, Chief of Property Management and the Baltimore Department of Public Works and previous head of Baltimore’s Rat Rubout Program

Dawn Biehler, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at UMBC and author of Pests in the City: Flies, Bedbugs, Cockroaches, and Rats

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baltimore's sister: Odesa, Ukraine

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 15:23:00 -0500

Baltimore's sister-city, Odesa, is experiencing the tumult of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and we got on the line today with Karina Mandell, chairwoman of the Baltimore Odesa Sister City Committee, to hear about her efforts to contact friends and family back home.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are the Odd Fellows?

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 15:20:37 -0500

Have you seen those mysterious "Odd Fellows" signs on buildings across Maryland? Who meets there? What do they do? And where did that name come from? This episode, we get invited behind the curtain of a secretive, centuries-old fraternal organization with deep Baltimore roots.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Baltimore accent happen?

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 11:16:48 -0500

Whether it’s ‘Bawlmer’ or ‘Baldamor,’ the city’s accent is a phonological puzzle. This episode, we invite locals to share their versions of the Baltimore accent, and we bring in linguistics scholars and historians to help make sense of what we’re hearing. We even answer the question, ‘Is there such a thing as a Spanish Baltimore accent?’

This episode, we hear from:

Baltimore natives EZE Jackson and Tommy Sinbazo

Linguistics professors Christine Mallinson and Inte'a DeShields

Baltimore writer D Watkins

Aida Medina, Director of Cross Cultural Competency at Gallery Church Patterson Park

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What exactly is Lake Trout?

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:45:00 -0500

Baltimore has had a longtime love affair with the breaded, deep-fried carryout dish known as Lake Trout, but what is it, exactly? Is it trout? What lake does it come from? How did it get so popular? And how did it get its name? We talk with a Baltimore food blogger, a Maryland fisheries expert, and a celebrity chef to try to get to the bottom of this culinary mystery.

This episode, we hear from:

Simone Phillips, food blogger at Charm City Table

Erik Zlokovitz, Recreational Fisheries Coordinator at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

John Shields, Chef at Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen and head of Our Common Table

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How will sea level rise impact Baltimore?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 11:58:50 -0500

Markers show that the water level in Baltimore’s harbor is a foot higher than it was a century ago. Projections indicate that it’ll rise at least that much more in the next hundred years. What’ll that mean for waterfront neighborhoods and businesses? How will it impact water pipes and roads? And what are we doing to cope with it?

This episode, we hear from:

Lisa McNeilly, Director of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability

Benjamin Grumbles, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment

Brad Rogers, Executive Director at South Baltimore Gateway Partnership

Meleny Thomas, Executive Director at South Baltimore Community Land Trust

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The complex ills of water bills

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:03:32 -0500

It sounds like a word-problem with a simple solution: “A city resident and a county resident get their water from the same source. They both use the same amount of water. How will their bills compare?” The answer, it turns out, is tangled up in a century-old municipal labyrinth with more twists and turns than the meandering Gunpowder River.

In this episode, we hear from:

Matthew Garbark, Deputy Director of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works

Rianna Eckel, affordable drinking water advocate with Food and Water Watch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to Baltimore’s recycling?

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:52:30 -0500

After you set that recycling on your curb, it’s got a long and winding road ahead. This episode, we follow the trail and learn some surprising facts along the way, like: What percent of Baltimoreans actually recycle? How much of what we throw in the bins is in fact recyclable? What do oil prices and geopolitics have to do with the price of recyclables? And can you recycle a bowling ball?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did that giant Male/Female sculpture happen?

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:18:01 -0500

When it comes to the 51-foot-tall Male/Female sculpture outside of Baltimore’s Penn Station, opinions abound. Questions, too: How did it end up there? What is it supposed to mean? And what might become of it in the future? This episode, we hear from someone who’s kept his thoughts to himself, until now – the artist, Jonathan Borofsky.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A stone-cold mystery

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 16:59:13 -0500

Baltimore’s rowhouses are renowned for their white marble front steps, but where did all that marble come from? This episode, we track down the origins of the mystery marble, and it turns out the answer is closer than you might expect.

In this episode, we hear from:

Community artist Megan Hildbrandt

Historian Phillip Lord

Thomas Doyle, President of Hilgartner Natural Stone Company

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why can’t Baltimore synchronize its traffic lights?

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 14:52:41 -0500

This week, a listener asks why Baltimore’s traffic-light network seems so poorly organized, so we talk with the engineering masterminds behind the system. And Aaron does an experiment to calculate how much time we spend waiting at red lights.

This episode, we hear from:

William Haynes, Chief of the Traffic Division at Baltimore’s Department of Transportation

Frank Murphy, Senior Advisor with Baltimore’s Department of Transportation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When will we be able to swim in the Inner Harbor?

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 10:44:43 -0500

Some are tempted by the idea. Some are repelled. Will it ever be safe to take a dip in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor? How long will it take? And what needs to happen? Goals have been set. Deadlines have been missed. But recent studies show there is reason to hope.

In this episode, we hear from:

Adam Lindquist, Director of Baltimore Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative

Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper at Blue Water Baltimore

And here’s where you can find Blue Water Baltimore’s regularly updated data on region's water quality

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the story of Jewish migration & segregation in Baltimore?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:02:28 -0500

Starting in the early 1800s, waves of Jewish immigrants started to settle in downtown Baltimore. Since then, the population has slowly but steadily moved northwest to neighborhoods like Pikesville and Owings Mills. How & why did that happen?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scrapple, why?

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:18:12 -0500

It’s on local breakfast menus next to the bacon & sausage, but what in the world is it? Where did it come from? And why do some folks love it while others fear it? This episode, a skeptical listener asks, “Scrapple, why?” So, we take a deep dive into the cultural (and anatomical) origins of Maryland’s favorite mystery meat.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who is the BDC, and why do they have so much power?

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:20:32 -0400

Is the Baltimore Development Corporation a branch of city government, an independent company, or somehow both? What’s their agenda? Who are they accountable to? Who’s benefitting from their support? And what’s their vision for Baltimore’s future? We head downtown to 36 Charles Center and try to get some answers from BDC President & CEO Colin Tarbert.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you fall in love in a city park?

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Hayley Nelson’s grandparents met and fell in love in Patterson Park back in the 1930s. She wants to know if this might be where she’s destined to meet her own Mr. Right. So, we head to the park with Hayley and try to help her meet some guys.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whatever happened to Baltimore's Dollar House program?

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:35:28 -0400

Back in the 70s and 80s, you could buy a vacant house for a dollar if you promised to fix it up and live there. What happened to that deal? Why did it end? Can the city bring it back? And by the way, are any of those original homesteaders still around?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where are Baltimore's hidden streams?

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 11:41:11 -0400

Someone told Ashley that there are a bunch of hidden streams flowing underground below our feet in Baltimore. She asked us about it, so we set out to discover where they are and why they're down there.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trailer

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 12:26:00 -0400

What's The Maryland Curiosity Bureau all about? Host Aaron Henkin introduces the show and invites you to put him to work with a question of your own.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.