A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore mothers highlighted at Obama’s town hall
"The two Baltimore-area mothers have watched from different vantages the divide between police and black communities. But the mothers of a Baltimore policeman and a teenage boy had a shared plea Thursday for President Barack Obama:
"How to keep their sons safe.
"Teri George, a Northeast Baltimore mother, told Obama at a televised town hall meeting that she worries about her son who is a Baltimore City police officer.
"During the Freddie gray rioting, she said, 'he had water bottles thrown at him, he had rocks, he had a brick thrown through his window, he had glass in his eyes, but he's still out there. What's he supposed to do? What's he supposed to do to protect himself?'
"Obama said reactions like Baltimore's unrest are 'tearing the very communities that actually need to be built up.'
"He said the community has to stand up for good officers who take the time to get to know them and recognize they are partners.
"He added that creating healthy communities will help make things easier for police.
"He closed by saying the country needs to support good police officers like George's son. 'I hope that your son knows how much we appreciate the good work he's done.'
"Also at the town hall was Toya Graham, who became a celebrity after a video of disciplining her son during the riot went viral. She also wanted to know how to keep her son safe.
"'I'm a single mom. I have one son and five girls,' she said. 'It is so hard trying to keep them out of harm's way when your trying to keep a job and do right. ... I'm 44 years old and I've seen a lot. ... As a single mother, what can I do?'
"Obama told Graham that single mothers like her need more support such as after-school programs.
"'Parents have to parent,' he said. 'What you learn in the home is ultimately is going to be more important than anything, but they've got to have reinforcement.'
"The town hall meeting about tensions between African Americans and police was recorded to be broadcast in prime time. Obama cautiously offered suggestions, but no surefire solutions.
"The good news, Obama said, is at least people are finally talking about the problems. Calling for 'open hearts,' he urged Americans not to cloister themselves in separate corners
"'Because of the history of this country and the legacy of race, and all the complications that are involved with that, working through these issues so that things can continue to get better will take some time,' Obama said."
From the Baltimore Sun: Port Covington developers announce multimillion-dollar deal with six nearby neighborhoods
"As they seek the largest-ever special tax deal from Baltimore's government, the developers of the proposed Port Covington project have agreed to pump millions of dollars into nearby neighborhoods in a deal with community leaders.
"The agreement — which could bring an estimated $39 million into six South Baltimore neighborhoods over the next 30 years — would create a new entity composed of developers and community members from Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Curtis Bay, Lakeland, Mount Winans and Westport to spend the money. Potential projects include a community center, athletic fields, a business incubator, a library and a swimming pool, the community groups said.
"Representatives of the neighborhoods and of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's Sagamore Development Co. announced the deal Thursday at a news conference at Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle School.
"'It's a partnership rather than any type of grant or gift,' said Tom Geddes, CEO of Sagamore's parent company, Plank Industries, which plans a $5.5 billion redevelopment in Port Covington. 'We wanted to have a robust agreement with the South Baltimore communities.'
"Sagamore has proposed a mixed-use waterfront development that would include a new headquarters for Under Armour, restaurants, shops, housing and a manufacturing plant, among other features. The company has asked the city to float $660 million in bonds to build infrastructure for the project. The developer would have to pay back the bonds through future taxes.
"Under the community agreement, if the bond deal is approved, the developers would provide $10 million to the new entity over the first five years — $5 million in direct payments and $5 million that it would raise from outside organizations.
"The developers and community members pledge to then raise another $10 million over the next five years. The developers also would create a funding stream for the new entity every time a property at Port Covington was sold. That stream is expected to generate $19 million over 20 years.
"Michael Middleton, chairman of the Cherry Hill Community Coalition, described the deal as 'damn good.'
"He said negotiations came about after he invited the developers to a community meeting in Cherry Hill. After that, Cherry Hill teamed up with five other neighborhoods and had meetings with the developers for months to come up with the agreement.
"'We have gotten the most and the best resources we could,' he said.
"The deal comes just days after a group of local religious leaders urged Plank to agree to an array of community benefits in exchange for any city subsidies awarded to Port Covington. Clergy members with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, or BUILD, attempted to hand-deliver a letter to Plank on Tuesday asking for a meeting to discuss profit-sharing, local hiring requirements and other guarantees as part of the project.
"Geddes said BUILD was not a part of the negotiations for the community agreement with the six neighborhoods. He said some of BUILD's wants were unreasonable."
"Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represents the six community groups, called their deal with Sagamore 'historic' and said it represents 'economic justice.'
"According to the deal, one-third of the money would be spent on citywide uses, while two-thirds would be used inside the six neighborhoods. The composition of the entity that would decide how the money would be distributed has not been determined."
From the Washington Post: Untreated Maryland groundwater carries ‘very high’ risk of lead contamination, USGS finds
"Untreated groundwater in Maryland and almost a dozen other states carries a 'very high' risk of being so corrosive that it could contaminate drinking water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
"Officials warn that the groundwater being pumped to homes through wells could leach lead from pipes. About 1 million people in Maryland rely on wells for their water — about one in six state residents.
"While water that flows through county or municipal treatment plants or pipes is subject to lead testing, water from wells is not.
"The review is the first nationwide examination of the corrosivity of groundwater, prompted by the lead contamination of drinking water in Flint, Mich., the study’s lead author said.
"The study found the highest risk of corrosive water along the Atlantic coastal plain, said Kenneth Belitz, chief of groundwater assessment for the geological survey’s National Water Quality Assessment Program. That plain includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore and parts of the western shore that are close to the Chesapeake Bay, to the south and east of Interstate 95.
"In addition to Maryland, researchers found the highest risks of corrosive groundwater in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
"Corrosive water could cause lead to leach into water from lead pipes or fittings used in homes built before 1930, lead solder used as recently as the late 1980s, and some brass and steel plumbing components, according to the study.
"Maryland Department of the Environment officials declined to comment on the findings Wednesday, saying they had not yet had time to thoroughly review the report.
"Surveys indicate that many Americans who drink from wells aren’t aware the water should be tested. About 44 million people across the country get their water from wells.
"Researchers emphasized that there are many other factors that affect tap-water quality, but urged residents to check for lead."