That is why there is a resolution before us on second reader tonight – because this project
is urgent and we cannot let a small group of narrow special interests derail all the work
we’ve done over the past five years. That is why we changed our legal strategy and instead
of opposing the stay brought by the ‘anonymous’ complainant we have asked the court to
expedite the legal review - because we know the merits of this case and this project will
speak for themselves.
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In February we will celebrate Black History Month – another chance to showcase history
and stories that have not always been acknowledged. As we have each year, we will fly the
flags of the African Diaspora on Main Street and we will host our weekly series ‘State of
Black Annapolis’ in partnership with the Michael E. Busch Public Library.
The speaker series, organized by the Mayor’s Office African-American Outreach Team,
will feature local experts and historians on topics related to African-American culture and
life, and the enduring contribution of African-American residents, past and present. The
content is suitable for all ages and, each week, a free dinner will be provided by
Black-owned catering companies from the Annapolis area. Each event is free and open to
the public. Please go to our website annapolis.gov to learn more.
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Another event we are excited to host in February is the “Crown Affair” – a key to the City
Award Ceremony to honor our own home grown, celebrity hair stylist Kendall Dorsey, for
his success working in the entertainment and fashion industry with some of today’s top
music and fashion celebrities.
Kendall Dorsey was born and raised in Annapolis, graduated from Annapolis public
schools, including Annapolis Middle and High schools. His talent has led him to work
professionally in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and abroad, and he has been featured in
New York fashion week, Good Morning America, Vogue Magazine, Essence Magazine, and
more. Kendall is truly a hometown hero, and a force to be reckoned with in the professional
hair and beauty industry. We look forward to honoring him with a Key to the City on
February 16th and again, you will find all the details on our website.
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This week, we will reach an important milestone in our planning for the Carr’s/Elktonia
Heritage park. Our Recreation and Parks Department, in conjunction with the Resilience
Authority, will host a series of community listening sessions to hear directly from you:
What do you want to see in the new park?
These sessions will be held from Thursday and Friday, at 5pm and 6.30pm, and on Saturday
at 9am. Also on Saturday, starting at 10.30am, there will be special youth workshops to
hear directly from young residents about what they would like to see in our new park. All
sessions will be at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center. Again, you can find details on our
website and social pages.
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Finally I want to say thank you to our Rec & Parks and OEM staff for standing up the
Stanton Center warming shelter for our most vulnerable residents, and making
arrangements for a daytime location last week so that folks could get in from the extreme
cold.
I also want to commend our staff, the City Council, and all our partners, including our state
elected officials and the Housing Authority of Annapolis for their effort to ensure power
was restored promptly after a power outage affected Robinwood residents last Saturday.
