BMORENEWS.com

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon

Message from Baltimore Mayor Dixon

(BALTIMORE - November 26, 2008) - Dear Citizens:

Nationwide, we are currently experiencing our toughest economic times since the Great Depression.  Unemployment rates are rising and our budgets are strained as the prices of commodities increase.  Baltimore is not immune to this crisis; in fact, many of us are facing the challenges of our lives.  As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to reflect on the meaning of giving thanks and how critical this basic spiritual truth is to enabling us to weather our current economic storm.  It is from my weakest moments that I draw strength; in these moments I have learned the true meaning of thanksgiving. 

True thanksgiving is a power that each of us has to experience gratitude in the face of adversity. Giving thanks is not dependent on our situation.  It should not be disregarded when things we have been thankful for in our lives are taken away. It should not be seen as pointless because our situations appear hopeless. When we consistently give thanks despite our situation, we rise above the tide because we refuse to be moved by its turbulence. Our ability to conquer any situation is endless because out of our perseverance a foundation of character and faith is built to give us strength.  Faith brings with it a hope that propels us forward out of our situation into our destiny.

As Mayor I face new challenges everyday but what sustains me each day is the same foundation of giving thanks that I began to build as a young child. When I was in the second-grade I had a teacher who told me that I would never amount to anything.  At the time her words were devastating; however, in time I learned to be thankful for them.  It is the cruelty of my teacher’s words that inspired my own vision to become a school teacher-one that spoke life into children’s lives-and gave me the resolve to run for public office, where I would be able to have the maximum affect on the lives of our young people.  I use this example to demonstrate how out of tribulation, visions are birthed and strength is renewed; our duty is to begin the process by giving thanks both despite and because of our situation.

I also use this example to demonstrate how this process develops another important piece of thanksgiving: compassion.  I have a passion for our youth not just because the gifts that God has blessed me with in my daughter Jasmine and my son Joshua, but also because I know how it feels to have someone attempt to crush my hopes and dreams at a young age. No matter how far life takes me away from that time as a second-grader or the pain of that experience, I will never forget how it felt.  That is why I take every opportunity, whether as a teacher, a City official or a parent, to tell our children that there is no barrier or trial they cannot overcome to achieve their dreams.  What should remain with us long after our trials have subsided and the pain has dissolved is compassion.  This drives us to give to those that are suffering not because we are thankful they are not us, but because either we have been them or we are humble enough to know that we could be them.

As Mayor, I am extremely thankful for my family and for you, the residents, for giving me the opportunity to serve during this season.  Our City is on the rise.  Crime is at the lowest level it has been in decades, enrollment in our schools is increasing, and our population is growing as more and more people discover the jewels of our City.  I am also thankful for the challenges that lie ahead because I have faith that out of these challenges our City will rise even higher.  During these trying times, we are all affected by the challenges of the present economic downturn.  Going forward, we must individually, and collectively as a nation, draw from the spirit of thanksgiving to give us the faith to march toward a brighter future and the compassion to help those who will be most severely affected.  It is out of this spirit of thanksgiving that our vision for ourselves, our City and our nation will be realized.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Sheila Dixon

Mayor, Baltimore

Santa will be taking the train from the North Pole to Baltimore and arriving at the B&O Railroad Museum on November 28th at 10:30 a.m. to kick off this year’s Holiday Festival of Trains and will greet visitors throughout the day. The Festival will include a traditional celebration of toy and model railroads along with live entertainment. Visitors also have the chance to see the Museum’s permanent HO model train layout in the C&O #725 passenger car and outdoor G-scale model train garden. This year, however, the B&O has some new goodies in the works, including a train ride with Santa! On weekends starting Saturday, November 29th through Sunday, December 21st, Santa will hop onboard the Museum’s train rides to ride the rails with visitors! Also, “Santa’s Secret Shop” will be hidden within the museum where, once discovered, children will have the opportunity to purchase their very own gifts for family and friends. There will also be holiday stories and videos, a craft area for children to decorate a train themed ornament, and the opportunity to have your photo taken at the new Dr. Coupler’s B&O Railroad Photorium!

Location: B&O Railroad Museum
Brought To You By: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum
Event Website: Click here
Cost: $8.00 - $14.00
Dates & Times: 11 :: 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM/28/2008 - 12/30/2008

Re-discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Originally conceived by the three time Tony® Award winning Director Jack O’Brien, the whimsical world of Whoville is beautifully realized by an A-list creative team in this delightful musical production.

Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas,” The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heartwarming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small”, decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday loving Whos. Don’t miss this record-breaking Broadway hit this holiday season.

Location: Hippodrome Theatre at The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
Brought To You By: Hippodrome Foundation, Inc.
Phone: 410-727-7787
Event Website: Click here
Cost: $85.00 - $290.00

Dates & Times: Now-11/23/2008 :: 08:00 PM

A Wintry Mix dance concert is an eclectic mix of dance featuring works by visiting guest artist Rungiao Du, of the Washington Ballet. Additional works by Towson faculty Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Keith Thomas, Susan Mass and Betsy Romer. Tickets: $20 general admission; $10 seniors and students; Free 12 and under.

Location: Towson University, Stephens Hall Theatre
Brought To You By: Towson University
Phone: 410.704.2787
Cost: $0 - $20
Dates & Times: Now-12/07/2008 :: 08:00 PM

Rosa Parks became an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement by courageously refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama commuter bus on December 1, 1955. Join the Maryland Humanities Council for a public celebration at the World Famous Lexington Market Arcade! Watch... actress Gwen Briley Strand will perform a selection from her one-woman show about Rosa Parks. Tour... a 1950s bus, similar to the one that Rosa Parks rode in Montgomery, Alabama, that will be parked outside of the World Famous Lexington Market. View... an exhibition about Rosa Parks’ life and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, drawn from the archives of the AFRO American Newspaper, and hear a 1956 radio interview with Rosa Parks. Additional exhibition tour later that day from 1:30-3:30pm in parking lot of Orleans Street Branch of the Pratt Library, 1303 Orleans Street, Baltimore. Ride MTA buses throughout downtown Baltimore; each bus will display a timeline of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and reserve the front seat of each bus for Rosa Parks! "Sitting Down to Take a Stand—Remembering Rosa Parks" is a four-month long, multi-faceted celebration centering on Rosa Parks' courageous act, and is part of the Maryland Humanities Council's special initiative, "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Remembrance and Reconciliation."

Location: Lexington Market
Brought To You By: Maryland Humanities Council
Phone: 410-685-0095
Event Website: Click here
Cost: FREE!
Dates & Times: 12 :: 10:30 AM - 10:00 AM/01/2008

Mayor Sheila Dixon and members of Baltimore’s cultural community recently announced the details of Nevermore 2009, a yearlong celebration honoring the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. This cooperative citywide festival will officially kick off in January 2009 with a variety of events to celebrate Poe’s birthday. If you would like to participate by hosting a Poe-related event at your organization, please contact Nancy Haragan with the Baltimore Cultural Alliance at nharagan@baltimoreculture.org. You can check out a list of events already planned, watch video of the press conference and learn more about Edgar Allan Poe’s connections to Baltimore at www.Nevermore2009.com.

Veteran painter M.K.Dilli’s rarely-seen ink portraits on mylar are dappled and streaked with water to create subtle effects and unlikely impressions. Typically drawn from magazines or her own snapshots, she claims they’re “just an excuse for painting lips, teeth, and eyelids, etc.,” yet manages to reference and expand upon a vocabulary of ink drawing that extends across centuries.

Location: Creative Alliance at The Patterson
Brought To You By: Creative Alliance
Phone: 410-276-1651
Event Website: Tags: Baltimore, family, Politics