Cleaner, Greener, Healthier & Safer

Baltimore, MD (July 23, 2008) – Mayor Sheila Dixon joined elected officials, city employees and community leaders to the launch of the City’s anti-litter campaign focused on changing negative litter behaviors of city residents. The campaign’s slogan, “Don’t make excuses, make a difference” will be displayed on city vehicles and trash receptacles.

“I want people to take pride in where they live, and make their home, yard, alley and street litter-free,” said Mayor Dixon. “A cleaner and greener city is a healthier and safer city.”

The new campaign will be featured prominently on the sides of over 130 Department of Public Works (DPW) vehicles, and 200 trash receptacles located in retail corridors and city gateways. In the coming months, messaging will be placed on hundreds of waste receptacles and other agency city vehicles. Planit Advertising oversees the planned two-year campaign which will include multi-media advertising.

Mayor Dixon has made improving the cleanliness of the city a major priority for her administration, and it was important that the city lead by example. Beginning early last year, city departments and agencies were asked to clean and maintain the streets and sidewalks around their facilities. In addition, citywide clean-up days engaged both community members and city employees to focus efforts on improving gateways leading into the city.

The Mayor’s commitment to a cleaner and greener Baltimore has resulted in a number of improvements in the city’s operations. DPW has added more than 750 public trash cans throughout the city, and is sweeping more than 1,500 miles of streets every week. The newly implemented single stream recycling, which began in January, increased collected tonnage of recyclable material 20% over this time last year. Last year, Mayor Dixon ordered Housing Code Enforcement, Health Code Enforcement and the Bureau of Solid Waste to coordinate operations to bring heavily littered areas into compliance with sanitation and health codes

“Personal responsibility does not stop at the door of your home, your office, your place of worship, or your car window,” added Mayor Dixon.

Baltimore, MD (July 11, 2008) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company today announced that it will contribute $500,000 through the Constellation Energy Foundation, over the next five years to Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity for the purpose of renovating and rehabilitating 100 homes in the Monument-McElderry-Fayette community of east Baltimore. The contribution will come from the Constellation Energy Foundation which is funded by shareholders, not customers. The utility’s support also includes a commitment to help limited income customers manage rising energy costs through education, conservation and energy efficiency.

“BG&E is once again taking responsibility and getting involved to help some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Mayor Dixon. “This is a great demonstration of leadership and care for the community, and you have set an example for other companies to follow.”

Today’s announcement is an extension of BGE’s ongoing community outreach efforts including energy assistance contributions which will total more than $7 million and reach more than 20,000 customers in 2008. This total also includes BGE customer-funded bill credits through the Fuel Fund.

Baltimore, MD (July 11, 2008) –Mayor Sheila Dixon today joined the birthday party for ESPN Zone Baltimore, which opened in the Inner Harbor 10 years ago this month.

ESPN selected Baltimore City for its first restaurant location in the country, opening its doors in July 1998. Ever since, ESPN Zone Baltimore — complete with more than 100 HD television screens, an outdoor dining pier, and a sports arena full of interactive sports-themed attractions — has served as a major downtown attraction for tourists and locals alike.

“I’m extremely pleased to have the opportunity to publicly thank ESPN for choosing Baltimore 10 years ago and to congratulate the entire ESPN family for a decade of great success here,” Mayor Dixon said.

The relationship between ESPN Zone and Baltimore has been mutually beneficial. It is in Baltimore that ESPN pioneered and mastered an entirely new business line. The company now has eight restaurants in cities across the country.

By attracting thousands of visitors to Baltimore and by paving the way for other national chains to move in, ESPN Zone Baltimore has directly and indirectly generated millions of dollars for area businesses and city government.

“As ESPN shows us daily through its television programs, good teamwork is essential to success,” Mayor Dixon said. “Baltimore and the Zone have demonstrated the same thing during the last 10 years, and I’m sure another 10 years of prosperity await us.”

Baltimore, MD (June 25, 2008) – Mayor Sheila Dixon was joined by State Delegate Curtis Anderson, Councilman Robert Curran and executives from Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) to announce that the company is undertaking energy saving measures in Baltimore, including the introduction of 10 hybrid-electric trucks to their distribution center. Currently, the Baltimore sales center has 65 trucks servicing 6,000 customers in the Baltimore region, delivering more than 14 million cases of product annually. The hybrid-electric trucks use 37 percent less fuel than standard trucks and use technology to reduce emissions when they’re idling or in traffic.

“We are one of the first cities in the country to benefit from Coca-Cola’s hybrid delivery vehicles,” said Mayor Dixon. “The vehicles use roughly one-third less fuel than average delivery trucks, and they reduce emissions when idling or when stopped in traffic. That is a great contribution to the health of our city and citizens.”

“Baltimore Coca-Cola has long been responsive to the needs of our local communities and customers, and the expansion of our hybrid-electric fleet here in Baltimore demonstrates our commitment to Mayor Dixon's call for local businesses to be proactive in the campaign for a cleaner and greener Baltimore,” said Mike Vogel, Baltimore Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager.

Coca-Cola employs more than 450 people in the Baltimore region.

The International 4300 truck, with Eaton Hybrid Technology, meets Baltimore City and Maryland State weight restrictions for use in town and on bridges. By the end of 2008, CCE will have more than 140 12-bay hybrid trucks on the road throughout North America. A motor/generator, working with the transmission and a 340-volt battery, allows the truck to source electrical power instead of gas when traveling at speeds below 30 MPH, reducing emissions in slow traffic.

In 2008, CCE's hybrid fleet will be the largest hybrid-electric delivery fleet in North America with more than 140 hybrid trucks on the road. These trucks are the largest on the road. The model 32000 trucks (12-bay -- currently in use) and the model 55000 trucks (14-bay -- currently in development/testing) are unique to CCE. The model 55000 trucks are up to three times larger than the hybrid trucks used by other delivery companies, including FedEx and UPS.


Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world’s largest marketer, distributor, and producer of bottled and canned liquid nonalcoholic refreshment. CCE sells approximately 80% of The Coca-Cola Company’s North American volume, and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Monaco.

Mayor Dixon is committed to improving the environment through her Cleaner and Greener initiatives. Since April 2007, The City of Baltimore has initiated a number of projects and programs that are already improving the quality of life for residents. The City planted and distributed 5,683 trees in 2007 and also launched two key programs that will continue this progress. First, the City unveiled the Urban Forestry Management Plan: TreeBaltimore, which will double the city’s tree canopy within the next 30 years. More recently, the City launched the 2008 Growing Home Campaign, encouraging homeowners to plant a tree in their front or back yard and providing a $10 coupon to purchase trees from local nurseries.

The City has also worked to enhance Baltimore’s medians and gateways and completed construction on a new 2.75 mile extension to the Jones Falls Trail, running from Druid Hill Park to Clipper Mill. Administratively, Mayor Dixon created the Sustainability Office to ensure the long-term environmental stability of the city and also developed the Environmental Sub-Cabinet to prioritize environmentally friendly practices in all city agencies.

In April 2008, another corporate partner in the Mayor’s initiatives, Yellow Cab, unveiled its first ever Hybrid taxi cab. Mayor Dixon was the first passenger to ride in the hybrid version of this familiar vehicle, which features an interactive touch screen display installed in the rear of the vehicles that will allow passengers to learn about various locations in Baltimore and even make dinner reservations or print movie tickets.


For more information on the Mayor’s Cleaner and Greener initiatives, please visit www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.org.

Baltimore, MD (June 18, 2007) - Mayor Sheila Dixon joined festival organizers and city leaders to announce events and activities at the annual African American Heritage Festival in Baltimore. The festival will take place June 27-29, 2008, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Mayor was joined by City Council President Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Festival Chairman LaRian Finney, and representatives from event sponsors McDonalds, State Farm, E-Mortgage, and the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association.

"The African American Heritage Festival is a must-see event that entertains, enlightens, and inspires visitors of all ages year after year," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "Even better, the festival promotes health by offering on-sight screenings and fitness programming."

The African American Heritage Festival will feature educational and cultural exhibits, ethnic foods, and interactive children's activities. Nationally renowned entertainers are slated to perform. Headliners this year include: Fantasia, Mario, Chuck Brown, Fertile Ground, Kindred, and Bilal.

A returning component to the Festival this year will be the Health Village, which offers screenings for prostate cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, as well as immunizations, weight consultations, and health and fitness training.

The new Empowerment Village offers information about financial planning, identity theft, mortgages, home ownership, home improvement, re-entry into the workforce, and obtaining small business resources.

The Arts, History and Education Pavilion showcases African American history through energetic exhibitions, performing arts and activities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to trace their family origins through genetic testing.

Admission to the festival is free of charge, but attendees will be asked to help the Heritage Foundation to "Keep the Festival Alive" by making a donation at the entrances.

Baltimore, MD (June 13, 2008) – Mayor Sheila Dixon joined the Baltimore City Health Department’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention to announce the City’s first Safe Streets Weekend. The goal is to inform the city about public health efforts to reduce gun violence.

Safe Streets is based on the effective CeaseFire Chicago model developed at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. Safe Streets works with community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce and prevent violence, particularly shootings and killings. The model relies on outreach workers, faith leaders, and other community leaders to intervene in conflicts, or potential conflicts, to and promote alternatives to violence.

Safe Streets is currently being implemented by the Living Classrooms Foundation in the McElderry Park and Ellwood Park communities of East Baltimore, and by Communities Organized to Improve Live (C.O.I.L.) in the Union Square community of Southwest Baltimore. Coordinators are active in these communities, bringing mediation, educational and employment services to at-risk individuals. In the past year, over 50 outreach events have taken place, and as a result, the number of shootings and homicides has dropped.

“Safe Streets is a public health effort to reduce shootings and killings,” said Mayor Dixon. “This effort demonstrates that everyone has a role to play in making Baltimore safer.”

With help of NASA, public school students create technologies of the future.

Baltimore, MD (June 6, 2008) – Mayor Sheila Dixon thanked and congratulated the students and institutions for their successful work in the Baltimore City Public Schools’ Science, Technology, and Engineering Initiative for Robotics.

“As we all know, math and science skills are critical to the future of our city, our economy, and our young people,” said Mayor Dixon. “The skills students have developed in this program will translate not only into great careers, but also into great technological advances for our country and world.”

The participating high schools are: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Carver Vocational, Digital Harbor, Dunbar/Patterson, Mervo, Walbrook, WEB DuBois, and Western.

While the initiative is led by NASA, a number of area companies and institutions participated, including: The Sylvan Foundation, Morgan State University, Johns Hopkins University, RMF Engineering, Northrop Grumman, The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Sigma Space Corporation, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Ciena, EA Engineering, and DATTA Consultants.

“Not only have you produced tremendous results,” Mayor Dixon said. “You have also become roles models, demonstrating for others to see that anything is possible if you’re willing to work hard and with focus.”

For more information, call Todd Martin, the NASA Liaison for BCPSS, at 443-744-7017.

Baltimore, MD (May 27, 2008) – Summer jobs are everyone’s business is the theme for Mayor Dixon’s YouthWorks campaign. Employers, community organizations, foundations, state and city agencies, and individual citizens are being asked to invest in Baltimore’s teens by supporting YouthWorks and connecting them to meaningful summer activities. Mayor Dixon is asking everyone to become involved in order to identify enough job opportunities and allocate sufficient funds so that every Baltimore City youth who wants a summer job will have that opportunity. It costs $1,250 to support one youth in the six-week summer program, and the benefits are priceless.


How to Make a Tax-deductible Donation

Please make checks payable to Baltimore City Foundation / YouthWorks and mail to:
Baltimore City Foundation/YouthWorks
c/o Mayor's Office of Employment Development
101 W. 24th Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

Contact the YouthWorks office at 410-396-5627 or visit the website below.
Youth Works Website

Photos by Jerome Fisher

Mr. Clack has been the Chief of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fire
Department for nearly three years. Prior to being named Chief, he
served as Deputy Chief of Administration and Assistant Chief of
Training. He has spent his entire 22-year career in the Minneapolis
Fire Department.

“I believe that Chief Clack is the best
person for this very important job,” said Mayor Dixon. “He is a proven
leader with significant command experience.”

In 2007, Chief
Clack was commander of the rescue effort after the Interstate-35 bridge
collapse. For the first 26 hours after the collapse, he served as the
Unified Incident Commander. His team was credited with rescuing all
accident survivors from the rubble.