The HCSA is pleased to present our monthly "E-News" with information on news and upcoming events taking place in the Charles Street district. December 2009 Charles Street makes Headlines!  The Washington Post recently had a great travel feature article on the Charles Street Byway.  Please go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111703648.html  New York Times Travel Magazine  You can check out the mention in the November 22 issue listing some of HCSA's members including An die Musik Live, The Brewers Art, Hotel Monaco, The Helmand, The George Peabody Library, The Peabody Institute and The Walters Art Museum.  Please go to: http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/11/22/style/t/index.html#pagewanted=1&pageName=22baltimoree         This Month on Charles Street 38th Annual Lighting of the Washington Monument! December 3 5:30pm to 7:30pm Enjoy holiday entertainment and a fireworks finale.  Stop at our fine restaurants, retailers and local attractions while you're in the area!  For more information on this event, please go to http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/. Beadazzled, 501 N. Charles Street Through December  10:30am to 6pm  Beadazzled 'Where Beads & Inspiration Meet' celebrates 20 years! Holiday gift giving made easy as designer Dotsie S. Mack "tempts the fate of style" with her gorgeous ever so popular jewelry.  Open seven days a week!  For more information, visit http://www.beadazzled.net/  Grand Cafe, 225 N. Charles Street December 3  Stop by and enjoy hot chocolate, hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies at the Grand Café on your way up to the Washington Monument lighting!  For more information, please contact Jenny Fordham at jenny@tremonts.com or call 410-727-2222.  MV Fitness, 1016 N. Charles Street Through December Special Offer for HCSA Members!  To those HCSA members who would like to join in December, MV Fitness will offer them no initiation and December free with signing of any type of agreement.  Rates range from $39 to $159 per month, all options listed under 'membership' on http://www.mvfit.com/. Stop by anytime for a look around.  No appointment necessary!  Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, corner of Charles and Saratoga Streets December 20  5pm  Classic Christmas Carols Concert!  Under the direction of Dr. Jeremy Filsell, the Choirs of Men, Boys and Girls will present a Classic Christmas Carols Concert. The event is free and all are invited. Free parking is available at the Paul's Place Garage behind the church building. For more information, please call 410-685-3404, or go to http://www.osp1692.org/ The First Unitarian Church, corner of Franklin and Charles Streets  December 21 7pm  WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION.  Free and Open to the Public: Celebrate with a seasonal ritual including songs, poetry, and drama.  Turn the Wheel of the Year, light the New Year fire, celebrate the return of the sun, bless the newborn babes, taste the sweetness of life.  Children and infants are warmly welcome.  Food and fellowship will follow. Additional information: First Unitarian Church, 410-685-2330, Pat Montley 410-252-6074, or office@firstunitarian.net  The Helmand, 806 N. Charles Through December The Helmand is celebrating its 20 year anniversary! A special $20.00 Pre fixe menu as well as $20.00 bottles of wine are being offered. For more information, please visit http://www.helmand.com/. The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School December 15 7:30 to 9am Leaders+Legends Speaker Series features Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former Chairman of RAND Corporation and former US Secretary of Labor.  Breakfast served.  Legg Mason Tower at Harbor East.  $35.  To register, click here http://carey.jhu.edu/landing_pages/leadersandlegends/index.html The Maryland Bible Society, 9 E. Franklin Street December 2 10am to 3pm   Annual Christmas Open House with a special 20% discount on all study Bibles and other books. Cookies and punch will be available with Christmas music.  1/2 price on all books of Christmas Cards (box of 12 cards Regularly $4.80 will be $2.40)  For more information call 410-685-4040 or mdbibles@marylandbible.org, or visit our website at http://www.marylandbible.org/     The Prime Rib, 1101 N. Calvert Street Every Sunday  Special "1/2 Price Wine List"; Every Thursday  "Thursday Nite Lite " menu, all items are $20 or less along with "10 Wines under $30"; Every Friday we always have a wonderful live jazz trio that usually features Brad Collins on Sax, Charlie Etzel on piano and George Hyde on bass. By request  Restaurant Week still continues... (3) courses $30.09... please ask your server. For more information, please contact 410-539-1804, prime1101@aol.com, or visit http://www.theprimerib.com/  The Wedding Library and Cafe, 518 N. Charles Street December 31 9pm to 1am  New Year's Eave Blast!  $50/person, $95/couple til December 12 to reserve.  After December 12, $65/person.   Lite Fare/Hors'deuvres, Cocktails, Wine, Party Favors and Champagne Toast at Midnight.  Jazz and DJ.  Free Parking.  Book early to get overnight stay at nearby hotels.  To reserve, contact us at 410-837-2450 or info@theweddinglibraryandcafe.com, or visit our website http://www.theweddinglibraryandcafe.com/ for more information. Tug's Bar & Grille, 225 St. Paul at The Tremont Hotel December 4 and 18 7 to 10pm  The Rodney Kelley Experience; December 11 7 to 10pm  The Jazz Caravan. $5 cover; December 31  10pm to 1am  Enjoy a special New Year's Eve at Tug's Bar & Grille!  December 31 10pm to 1am If you haven't already made New Year's Eve plans yet come and enjoy our jazz celebration with $15 cover includes complimentary light fare, glass of champagne, party favors and live jazz entertainment from the Rodney Kelley Experience! For more information, contact Jenny Fordham at jenny@tremonts.com or call 410-727-2222.  You can also visit http://www.tremonts.com for more information. A Review of November Events Let's Eat! Charles Street  As described by The MultiCultural Cooking Network, "A neighborhood festival in Baltimore City showcasing the diverse culture that makes its home in Charm City", this HCSA event  (November 7 on Read between Charles and Cathedral) was a success thanks to the restaurants, vendors and volunteers who participated.  Special thanks to Brewers Art Restaurant http://www.thebrewersart.com/  for donating the best beer available, and MV Fitness http://www.mvfit.com/ for donating and distributing the fashionista tees!  Spirits of Mt. Vernon http://www.spiritsofmtvernon.com/ served special wines for the occasion. Some of the restaurants captured on YouTube by The MultiCultural Cooking Network included            El Guapito http://www.elguapitomexicanrestaurant.com/, Cazbar http://www.cazbarbaltimore.com/;     The Helmand http://www.helmand.com/;   Howard's of Mount Vernon http://www.myhowards.net/,    Mick O'Sheas http://mickosheas.com/,  Marie Louise Bistro http://www.marielouisecatering.com/, Sascha's http://www.saschas.com/,  and  Lumbini Restaurant http://www.lumbinirestaurant.com/.  We’d like your feedback on the event! Please call 410-332-4144 or contact michele@charlesstreet.net. The HCSA Annual Members Breakfast took place last month on November 20 at the Tremont Grand.  We wish to thank our group of presenters who enlightened our members and guests on various development projects in the area:  Councilman Bill Cole of The Baltimore City Council 11th District; John Voneiff of ARCWheeler; Steve Cassard of University of Baltimore; Toby Bozzuto of The Bozzuto Development Company and Joe McNeely of Central Baltimore Partnership.  Katie Callahan Durcan of the National Heritage Area also highlighted the special designation of Charles Street as a National Scenic Byway.  Special thanks go to the following individuals for helping us make the event successful:  Katie Browne of The Buccini/Pollin Group, Danny Jones of David Ashton Design, Gina Davis of Flowers by Gina D. and all the folks at Baltimore's Tremonts, especially Michael Haynie! About HCSA The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization 501 (c) (3), whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor.  HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.  Resources  Who to call? Broken Glass on the street or sidewalk: From Pratt Street to Centre Street - contact LaToya Staten at the Downtown Partnership (DPOB) at 410-244-1030, or lstaten@dpob.org. Above Centre Street - contact the Midtown Community Benefits District at 410-528-1512 City Services - 311 is Baltimore's number to call for all city services. All calls to 311 go through a One Call Center, a 75-agent in-bound call and dispatch center manned 24 hours a day every day of the year. Exterior Building Signs or Banners - to begin the approval process for any exterior building sign or banner, a permit application needs to be filed at the permit counter, 417 E. Fayette Street, room 100. For more information call 410-396-3360 Facade Improvement Program - contact LaToya Staten (DPOB) at 410-244-1030 or lstaten@dpob.org Liquor Licenses - for assistance with all liquor license issues contact Bob Dengler (DPOB) at 410-605-0451 Malfunctioning Easy Park Meters - contact Michele Coiron (HCSA) at 410-332-4144 Safety Escorts - anyone wishing to receive an escort while walking to their car or bus, or waiting for a taxi after dark should contact 410-244-8778 during business hours or 410-802.9631 after hours. Downtown Partnerships Public Safety Guides are available within the DMA District from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM seven days a week. Safety and Security Issues - for non-emergency situations in the Charles Street district, contact Deputy Major Avon Mackel at 410-396-2410 or email avon.mackel@baltimorepolice.org The Homeless - for assistance with all issues regarding the homeless from Pratt Street to Centre Street contact Tom Yeager or Bertina Silver (DPOB) at 410-244-1030. Above Centre Street - contact the Midtown Community Benefits District at 410-528-1512 We wish to acknowledge and thank the following Masquerade on Charles 2009 Sponsors: Platinum Mask Sponsor: Baltimore's Tremonts Historic Venue and All-Suite Hotel Gold Mask Sponsor: Southern Management Corporation Bronze Mask Sponsor: Heath Design Group Please visit http://www.masqueradeoncharles.com/.