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Baltimore, 3rd Dirtiest City - Travel and Leisure

No. 3 Baltimore

Does this Maryland city need an army of cats? County officials have been reportedly getting more complaints about rats this year, which may be one reason the city creeped up from last year’s No. 6. But plenty of voters still see Charm City’s lovable side, ranking it well for its classical music and quirky locals.

<a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-dirtiest-cities/4">http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-dirtiest-cities/4</a>;
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Corner BYOB in Hampden holds benefit for employee injured in bicycle crash

[B' Spokes: I ran across this bit late for the fundraiser but we wish Michael Cassidy a speedy recovery.]
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By Larry Perl, Baltimore Sun

Riding his bike home from work at the Hampden restaurant Corner BYOB, Michael Cassidy took more than a nasty spill.

A wheel of Cassidy's bike hit a manhole or metal plate on lower Falls Road south of Woodberry Aug. 24, according to restaurant owner Cecille Fenix.

&quot;He basically fell off his bike. He hit his head,&quot; Fenix said. &quot;The doctors are trying to tell him to stay as motionless as possible,&quot; she said, until his injuries heal.

The 31-year-old waiter and head of the dining room staff, who has been on staff since last winter, fractured the occipital condyle bone at the lower back of his skull, millimeters from his spine, and also tore an artery that supplies oxygen to the brain.
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<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/publications/baltimore-messenger/ph-ms-fundraiser-0920-20120915,0,5228933.story">http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/publications/baltimore-messenger/ph-ms-fundraiser-0920-20120915,0,5228933.story</a>;
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Hiking or Biking the Gwynns Falls Trail? We’ve Got an App for That!

 
Now available at the iTunes store.
 
The Parks & People Foundation teamed up with International Mapping to create this interactive navigation application now available from itunes. We surrounded a detailed trail map database with a variety of navigational tools and personal customization features to help make your next visit along the trail more enjoyable, memorable and fun.
 
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30 miles of protected cycle lanes this year -vs- our 42 miles of bike lanes in 6 years

You can read about Chicago's effort here: <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21562252">http://www.economist.com/node/21562252</a>;

And what Baltimore has done here: <a href="http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation/Planning/BikeBaltimore.aspx">http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Transportation/Planning/BikeBaltimore.aspx</a>;
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In Canton, a spontaneous wake for Scunny

by Louie Krauss, Baltimore Brew

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Along with McCusker’s friends and customers, several bicycle advocates showed up to pay their respects to a fellow cyclist and to promote safer driving and the construction of more bike-friendly roads.

Chris Merriam, of BikeMore, spoke about the problems that streets solely intended for cars pose for bike riders and pedestrians.

“I know that road he was on,” Merriam. “It’s designed to be almost like an interstate. The lights are timed so cars can easily get to 60 mph.”

Elswyth Strassberger, another Baltimore cycling advocate, said the many pedestrian deaths on the Coastal Highway are evidence of how dangerous it is.

This year a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl died in vehicle-pedestrian accidents.

Merriam called on government planners to do more to safeguard cyclists and pedestrians.

“There’s a connection between this man dying and the design of the roads,” he said.

“It’s not just, ‘Oh, we wish cars were more respectful of bicyclists.’ There is something we can do about it.”
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<a href="http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2012/08/26/in-canton-a-spontaneous-wake-for-scunny/">http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2012/08/26/in-canton-a-spontaneous-wake-for-scunny/</a>;
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A Baltimore cyclist in the news

By Maria Wiering, Catholic Review


The best investment for a good retirement?

Your health, says Dr. Errol Rushovich, an endocrinologist and internist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

A cyclist who regularly commutes by bike between downtown Baltimore and his Pikesville home, Rushovich hopes his first cross-country ride inspires patients and colleagues to add regular exercise to their portfolios.

On Sept. 15, he and 13 riders, including his wife Berenice, will begin a 3,160-mile trek between San Diego and St. Augustine, Fla. Their route is taking them through America’s southern states, many of which will be new to Rushovich, the medical director of Mercy’s Center for Bone Health and Division of Endocrinology.

Rushovich views the cross-country trip as a way to model good behavior to his patients. Exercise is crucial in combatting some types of diabetes and osteoporosis, two diseases Rushovich addresses at Mercy, he said.

“Over the years, I’ve strongly believed in exercise in being essential to your good health,” he said before the ride.

Organized by the Missoula, Mont.-based Adventure Cycling Association, the ride is self-supported and self-contained; riders carry their own gear, camp most nights and take turns cooking for the group without a support vehicle’s aid. Rushovich expects beans and rice to comprise many dinners, he said.

Rushovich biked a lot as a kid growing up in South Africa, he said. He got serious about cycling as an adult about 20 years ago, and has completed several 500-mile rides, including one on a tandem bicycle. He regularly trains with his wife on long rides around Maryland, he said.

“We love the outdoors, we enjoy exercise, we enjoy traveling and (cycling) is a combination of those three things,” he said.

The cross-country trip is scheduled to take 65 days, including nine orientation and rest days, with an average of 56.4 miles per cycling day.

The point? “The joy of cycling,” Rushovich said.

It is a joy he experiences two to three days per week as a bike commuter, which “is great way of being physically active,” Rushovich said. “(Exercise) gets built into your day . . . and it feels less like a chore.”

Riding also increases his awareness of the city, he said.

By bicycle, “I find that the city feels very different at different times of the day,” he said, contrasting a Sunday morning to a weekday evening.

For their long ride, the Rushoviches invested in custom-made bicycles from Bilenky Cycle Works in Philadelphia. They cost about $4,000 each, but riding them is the cycling equivalent of driving a Cadillac, Rushovich said – a luxury he hopes will ease full days of cycling.

After nine years at Mercy, it is difficult to step away from his medical practice for two months, he said, but the hospital’s administration, colleagues and his patients have been supportive and are excited to hear about the ride.

“It’s just an adventure,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge.”


Follow Dr. Rushovich’s journey on his blog, <a href="http://cyclecoasttocoast.blogspot.com">http://cyclecoasttocoast.blogspot.com</a>;.

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Robert T. Brown, Veterans Administration executive R.I.P.

By Jacques Kelly, The Baltimore Sun

Robert T. Brown, a retired Veterans Administration executive, died Aug. 25 at the Edenwald Retirement Community in Towson after suffering a fall earlier in the summer. He was 96.
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Mr. Brown and his wife were members of the Baltimore Bicycling Club and the Monocacy Canoe Club and other nature and wildlife organizations. They belonged to the National Organization for Women and the League of Women Voters. The couple enjoyed riding their tandem bicycle on the Northern Central Trail in northern Baltimore County.
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<a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-09-11/news/bs-md-ob-robert-brown-20120911_1_north-baltimore-baltimore-county-service">http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-09-11/news/bs-md-ob-robert-brown-20120911_1_north-baltimore-baltimore-county-service</a>;
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Baltimore as Mayberry?

[B' Spokes: A very cute story and covers some people and bike shops that are good to know or at least have an interesting story.]
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By Laura Flynn, Baltimore Brew

Biking, it seems, is the Brew thing-to-do. My first article I wrote for them as a new intern was about a bike trip and movie screening hosted by the American Visionary Arts Museum, three cycling groups and a bike shop.

Brew reporter Mark Reutter, my go-to guy for insight about Baltimore, strongly advised me to get a bike. It’s a much easier way to get around and get to know the city, said Mark, who spots many of his best stories over his handlebars. Brew business development director Meredith Mitchell not only uses a bike as her main method of transportation, but co-owns Baltimore Bicycle Works with her husband Josh Keogh. And Brew editor Fern Shen is an avid biker who rides a vintage 80s Trek to cover stories, hit the gym and take weekend rides with her family.

To properly inaugurate myself as a Brewer, it was clear I needed a bike. The last time I rode was probably ten years ago on a bike with a bell and flower stickers. But, I wanted to immerse myself into the website and the city, so off I went to EBay where I found just the bike for me: a Huffy Beach Cruiser.
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<a href="http://blog.baltimorebrew.com/2012/09/11/baltimore-as-mayberry/">http://blog.baltimorebrew.com/2012/09/11/baltimore-as-mayberry/</a>;
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