Clay Street has a funny side, not that people being addicted to drugs and spiraling out of control in life is funny, but sometimes people do a little too much and they do some very funny things. Last night was just such a case.

Around 1030pm, I was laying in bed with the laptop checking up on the world when I started to hear a loud yelling, moaning, howling, combination. It didn’t sound distressful, instead it sounded almost like when a dog is whining to come back into the house. However, it is the humane thing to do to explore and be sure no help was needed. The last thing you want is a situation that there is someone in need and everyone ignores their pleas and they suffer outside your doorstep.

So, I slid over to the window and took a look. At first, I didn’t see anything. Then all of the sudden this large blondish, brownish haired “Pat” came prancing into view. If you have ever watched Saturday Night Live they have a skit in which there is a person who, named Pat, you can’t quite tell if they are male or female. So, there was a Clay Street version of “Pat” popping up and down waving his or her arms in the air, flapping them around, dancing wildly, stumbling a few times, and attempting to sing. That whining dog noise was actually Pat taking a very passionate shot at Rihanna’s “Umbrella”. At least that’s what I think I was hearing, “MMYYYY AAAAAUUUUMMMBBBBRELLLAA”, howled Pat. He or she slid inbetween cars, up and down the sidewalk, all along moving very awkwardly until Annapolis finest showed up to escort Pat off of his or her stage.

Just another night on Clay Street.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Listening to a lot of Immortal Technique lately…

I have been quite busy the last few days, but focused on the mission. Over the course of the last few weeks I have gotten to be a little more popular around town, not always in the most positive sense (those that qualify for the aformentioned company insert negating comment here). With popularity comes a certain side of detraction that is natural. No problem, we will use energy on both sides of the polarity scope, divert it how we need, and help our cause.

Let me make this abundantly clear though, I am not on some G Dub control politics, say what you want, I can respect a good idea no matter how aggressive its delivered. I do not care if you question me, toss angry comments my way, call me names, make threats, or basically disagree with me on any point or idea that bring forth but, I draw the line at kids. For example, I put up a post about a young lady from Clay Street, Tymeisha (check Clay Repping UK), and she was stepped on a bit by a few people for some of her quotes that appeared in the Capital. I won’t allow that to happen. The only reason I did not delete the posts was because I wanted to make an example. That’s all I have to say about that. Run Forrest Run.

On the subject of deleting posts, I accidently deleted an entire post I made last night reference to some of the artist interviews I had done as host of “The Breakdown” on ItsHipHop.tv. I was in the process of deleting some ignorant comments made by some ignorant white people. How do I know they were white? Well, I could tell, how’s that for an answer? Won’t tolerate racism either by the way. Honesty is one thing, racism is another, if you don’t know the difference well then keep your mouth shut until you do. Not going to take it from either side of the fence mind you. These are my rules. Don’t like it? Comment elsewhere, we don’t want you here with that kind of attitude. We will log your energy though and apply it to good use at a point when we think of quitting.

All that aside. Here are some updates. As I mentioned I have been taking some meetings trying to figure the best method to get the Clay Street Social Club up and running. The only drama that I have been dealing with in order to move forward with a few things is the fact that we are heavy in vacation season. Bottom line is it seems that every single dotted line signer has elected now is the best time to hit the Outer Banks or Ocean City or is just not picking up the phone. Any of those reasons are fine, we will be pushing it along like A Tribe Called Quest (golden era, socially conscious, rap group from NYC). I expect that by next Friday the 7th, things will be structured enough that I’ll be able to firm things up about a meeting. So, Lisa, Angela, Pamela, and Renee, I’ll let you know asap when to come around the way.

The website is growing closer and closer to completion. Jen Puzio, a high school friend of mine from the Sussex County days, is the genius behind the coming design and work, she lives up in Frederick now, so upon completion if ya dig, holla, and I will get you linked up. The final touches are being stalled as we are waiting on some photos. Apparently much of the city’s collection is trademarked and we would have some infringement issues. I know, I know this is web 2.0 and there should be a widget or something that allows us to use them and still give the photographer props that are deserved. Lastly though, also waiting on the word on a scanner. Yes, no scanner here and the Stanton Center in all its technological glory does not have one either. That means working on Plan C. Soon come.

There is a rumor floating about that piece of property next door, you know the one we were all bouncing ideas on how to utilize and create jobs for the neighborhood? Well, the rumor starts with an A, ends with an S, and is the chief reason why the Baltimore Orioles suck.

On to another matter, punch up the data, blastmaster. Talk to you soon.

Popularity: 5% [?]

from the Capital

Clay Street ‘ambassador’ returns from Great Britain

Tymiesha Barnes

By WENDI WINTERS, For The Capital
Published August 27, 2007

In her 14 years, Tymiesha Barnes had rarely been more than a few miles from Annapolis. On July 12, the teen not only took her first airplane ride, she left the country for 20 days abroad as a People To People ambassador in the British Isles.
A teacher nominated Tymiesha for the program, thinking it would do her good before starting the new school year as a freshman at Annapolis High School. The teenager was attacked on Clay Street in January 2006 and beaten so badly she couldn’t attend Bates Middle School for several weeks.

When Tymiesha was well enough, school administrators fearing for her safety, wouldn’t let her return. Her grandmother enrolled her in Annapolis Middle School and found the money for her to commute there daily on public buses.

The People to People nomination was a wonderful gesture, but the cost for the trip was $5,679, excluding souvenirs.

Tymiesha didn’t have that kind of money, nor did her family. She lives with her 46-year-old grandmother, Wanda Blake, in a tidy apartment on College Creek Terrace in the Clay Street area.

Ms. Blake spotted community activist and then-county official Carl Snowden walking in the neighborhood one day, showing the run-down housing projects in the area to John Wilson, the new executive director of R.E.S.P.E.C.T., Inc., a coalition of area African-American organizations. She ran outside and asked for their assistance in finding a way for Tymiesha to participate in the program.

Mr. Wilson spearheaded community efforts to fund the trip. He worked with several groups, including Box of Rain and Dick Franyo at Eastport Boatyard Bar & Grill, to raise money. Mr. Wilson put his own money into the project, as did members of Tymiesha’s church, Second Baptist on Poplar Avenue.

There was enough raised for the trip and then some. “I want to set up an educational scholarship fund for Tymiesha, should she decide to continue on to higher education after high school,” Mr. Wilson said. “If she does not, it would go to someone else. The money, when she needs it, will be paid to that institution directly.”

Tymiesha describes her trip to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in a rush of imagery. There were so many new experiences, sights, sounds and smells. Along with about 40 other kids, she was up and out by 8 a.m. every day until dinner time.

“The plane ride was a bit like a roller coaster,” she recalled. “We went up, up, up. When we landed, it was like falling out of the sky.”

She had the grand tour of London, including a ride on the new London Eye. It’s a giant Ferris wheel that takes 45 minutes to complete one revolution. Thirty people ride in a huge glass walled compartment the size of a boxcar. The young girl also saw her first musical on the London stage.

She rode horses, visited Stonehenge and toured deep inside a mine wearing a safety harness and a lighted helmet. The teen and her mates climbed high inside a dusty old castle tower and then repelled down its outside walls.

Tymiesha watched the changing of the Queens Guard at Buckingham Palace, and gazed upon the glistening jewels in the Tower of London. Like most American tourists, she was surprised Piccadilly Circus didn’t have a circus. The House of Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey all were on her schedule.

“I went to Windsor Palace, too. The Queen has all these houses because she has money,” she said. “I’d be scared to have a castle.”

She discovered the Queen owns all the swans in London. They wear tags identifying them as royal property. “They were mean, too!” Tymiesha said.

Cars driving on the wrong side of the street never ceased to amaze her, as did the ever-present herds of sheep in the countryside. The rich diversity of London - traffic signs in several languages, people in African, Middle Eastern and Spanish dress - was astounding.

The group rode a ferry to Ireland. The boat featured a large shopping mall and a casino. In Ireland, she stayed with Linda and Tom Black, whose own kids were off at college. The couple took her to a performance of Irish Clog Dancers.

Sipping her tea with lemon, a taste she picked up overseas, the teen commented, “I have a lot more respect for other people’s cultures. I like that everyone there had manners. Everyone was really friendly.

“I got a different perspective how other people live,” she said. “They do everyday things we do.”

She looked over notes she’d written before her trip: “The role of a student ambassador, to me, is to represent our country. It is to be honest and friendly. We should reflect the positives of our country and respect the customs of the places we are going to visit … I would much rather share information about our country with people who are attentive than to people fooling around, and I am sure that they feel the same way.”

“I can’t wait until school starts,” she said. “I’m taking cosmetology courses at CAT South and I want to take cooking classes and work on the yearbook. I wan to become a biologist or heart surgeon when I grow up.”

But first things first.

“My grandmother and I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible. It has meant so much to both of us,” she said softly.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Whats good?

Okay, I been working on the new website, to be www.IliveonClayStreet.com, and we are coming to the point now that we need to populate the site with pictures, thoughts, and some of the history of the neighborhood. So, again let me thank everyone for getting on and adding their two cents to the goings on in the local area. Now, I am looking to see if we can take this participation thing another step forward. Since this is being designed as a site for the community by the community, I am asking those that have stories to share, pictures, videos, or historical facts to please add the images or your contact information to the comment list below this entry. If you have pictures that need to be scanned, we can meet over at the Stanton Center or maybe the computer learning center. I am pretty sure that one of them have a scanner we can use.

In addition to the site itself being complete with a history of the neighborhood, there will be a few other features. In my mind, the most important will be a message board that will give us all a place to create our own posts, to find out about community happenings, job opportunities, and updates on progress in the neighborhood. We will probably also have a place for the Clay Street Social Club. (more on that in coming entries).

By the way, I was at a meeting the other day in the Stanton Center and I saw the layout of the new “Old 4th Ward” dedication that is going to be erected at the intersection of Washington and West Street. It is really attractive, about 10 feet in height and full of amazing facts and photos from years past spelling out that Clay Street is the “Harlem of Annapolis”.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Okay…in the words of Slick Rick “heeerrreee we go!”

Now, I have been taking meetings and exploring the possibilities of mobilizing some sort of outdoor concert idea in time for September and my spidey sense is telling me bad idea. Here’s why. First, the hoops we are going to have to hop to get it done are going to create a time lag and time is what we need. Plus, in my experience as a concert promoter it is not advisable to kick off something on a weekly basis and hope that you can kick up enough steam from week to week in order to see things to success. Now add the fact that I am looking at a lot of the responsiblity falling on my shoulders and the time that it will take to implement this event successfully and safely I think the timing is poor.

BUT, if the door is closed you use the window right? Okay, so follow me on this I am today introducing to the world the CLAY STREET SOCIAL CLUB. This is going to be a group of people, volunteers needed from either side of West Street, and we will get together and appropriately plan and hold events on a regular basis in and around the Clay Street area. Now I have a meeting that I have to get to by 630pm and it is 626pm so, let me get back with all the details tonight but, I wanted to make sure I updated everyone as soon as possible.

Peace and respect once again to everyone who has been logging on, leaving comments, putting forward ideas, and basically just making this a community.

Popularity: 8% [?]