Sam Novey was a young kid living on Keswick Road when he first got interested in politics. As a high school senior, the Roland Park native attended a local candidate’s meet-and-greet, then ended up volunteering for their campaign.

Canvasing his surrounding neighborhood, he learned about the political process from the inside out. And one key takeaway was the way in which some residents are strategically targeted for their vote, while others are left out.

On a given block, “We wouldn’t knock on every door, and it just always felt wrong that we wouldn’t include everyone,” says Novey, 36, pictured center, above. “I’ve spent my career trying to do something about that…And slowly but surely, we are making some real progress.”

In 2017, Novey co-founded Baltimore Votes, a non-partisan coalition of community organizations that aims to increase voter participation in local elections citywide.

Instead of focusing on parties or politicians, the collective shares resources and collaborates on a variety of get-out-the-vote initiatives, from coordinating registration drives to distributing Globe Press-printed yard signs to hosting “Parties at the Polls” on Election Day. A colorful new “Baltimore Votes” mural now graces the Pratt Street bridge to Harborplace.

Meanwhile, their website serves as a hub of essential information, from mail-in ballot and early voting deadlines to polling location details.

“We are committed to making sure that every voter in every precinct in Baltimore City feels welcomed at the polls and is able to cast their vote confidently and be counted in our democracy,” says Novey, who also works as a political science professor at University of Maryland College Park and serves as secretary on the Baltimore City Board of Elections.

“AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANT—FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.”

Funded by donations and grants, Baltimore Votes is led by a five-person advisory board, featuring members of partner organizations like Black Girls Votes, Center for Civic Design, League of Women Voters, and No Boundaries Coalition, their fiscal sponsor. Together, they hope that their collective capacity, as well as their diversity of experience and expertise, can reach a wide spectrum of demographics across districts.

“None of us can do it alone, but all of these groups are coming together over that common goal, and I think everyone can find themselves in the work,” says Ashiah Parker, pictured right, executive director of No Boundaries Coalition, a community nonprofit based in Central West Baltimore. “And that’s what we want—for everyone to have a seat at the table.”

Parker’s nonprofit ramped up its civic engagement after the death of Freddie Gray. At the time, neighborhood residents expressed apathy over whether their vote could make a difference. Now, No Boundaries hosts quarterly town-hall forums with elected officials, monthly Civic Saturday Sessions for voter education, and election-time phone-banking, door-knocking, and poll-site transportation. In Sandtown-Winchester, voter turnout grew from 609 in 2012 to 1,098 in 2020.

“We call our work ‘civic culture,’” says Parker. “Because we believe that civic engagement is not just for election cycles—it’s year-round, it’s all the time.”

Of course, there’s extra energy around this year’s election, taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, an historic moment between presidential nominees Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, senate nominees Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan, and an expected second-term of Mayor Brandon Scott. But it’s a long game for Baltimore Votes.

“Elections are not just about which candidates win and lose—they’re about which communities turn out, which communities will be heard,” says Novey. “If we want to make every election a win for Baltimore, we’ve got to show up, not just once, but over and over again.”

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Also pictured above, left: Nykidra Robinson, founder of Black Girls Vote.

COMING SOON

Maximón: As its name suggests, the Atlas Restaurant Group has a passion for exploring global cuisine. The team has already graced us with Harbor East hotspots such as Greek-focused Ouzo Bay, Italian-influenced Tagliata, and Japanese fine-dining den Azumi. And this summer, it’s conquering Latin America with a new concept opening in the former home of Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore—which also houses Atlas’ Loch Bar, Azumi, and Bygone. Named after a Mayan deity who was a protector of his people, Maximón will draw inspiration from the diversity and romance of Latin American culture. The theme will permeate into the cuisine, cocktails, private tequila tasting room, and 175-seat interior designed by Baltimore’s own Patrick Sutton.

Highlighting stone architecture, wood and marble furniture, and plenty of lush greenery, the 8,000-square-foot dining room will boast a large bar and a stage for Latin American performances. French doors will open up to the 125-seat exterior featuring a Spanish-style courtyard, fountains, and an outdoor bar. Construction on the new restaurant is expected to begin this month, with a slated grand opening date of late summer. 200 International Drive

El Salto: When Glen Burnie residents are in need of a filling tamale or strong margarita, they typically flock to this Ritchie Highway staple that has been around since 1995. Soon after, El Salto opened a second location in Parkville, and now, it’s spreading the Tex-Mex love even further to Perry Hall. Expected to open in time for Cinco de Mayo this spring, the cantina will occupy a 5,000-square-foot space in the Perry Hall Shopping Center off of Ebenezer Road, which has sat vacant since 2006. Diners can expect to sample all of the restaurant’s specialties at the new spot, including its mix-and-match combo platters featuring burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, and chile relleno. 4313 Ebenezer Rd., Perry Hall

CH-CH CHANGES

101 Baltimore: Since opening as 101 Deli Bar in 2017, this Federal Hill hangout has taken the time to find its own identity in a neighborhood full of sports bars and late-night party spots. Last year, 101 dropped the “Deli Bar” from its name in an effort to focus more on its sophisticated snacks, approachable wines, and next-level cocktail program. And now, an interior refresh and new roster of eats and drinks have solidified its reputation as an inclusive spot for neighbors of all ages and backgrounds.

“We listened to the neighborhood and analyzed what was working and what wasn’t,” co-owner Sean White said in a statement. “We just weren’t capturing the full spectrum of the market here, so we wanted to shift the atmosphere and cuisine to meet everyone’s expectations.” A recent interior revamp evokes a more inviting feel with a brick wall behind the bar, more high-top tables, and darker walls to replace the previously stark aesthetic. To go along with the design changes, the bar is also debuting a new menu of playful twists on American classics, including a sunken French bread pizza, tuna burger, and hoagie-inspired salad topped with cold cuts. Though some new bar options have been added, regulars will be happy to hear that the hibiscus mules, 40-oz. rosé bottles, and two-for-one Chambongs will remain staples. 1118 S. Charles St. 443-683-9480

EPICUREAN EVENTS

ONGOING: Broadway Market Pop-Ups Continue

Ahead of the debut of the renovated Broadway Market this spring, vendors are getting to know the neighborhood by popping up at surrounding Fells Point restaurants. You might have noticed Vikki’s Fells Point Deli operating out of Kooper’s Chowhound on Broadway Square last month, and now, a host of other vendors are stopping by The Red Star on Wednesday nights from 5-10 p.m. The Verandah and Thai Street served up their specialties earlier this month, and the next eatery popping up at the restaurant will be Connie’s Chicken & Waffles on Wednesday, February 20. Mark your calendar for the last Wednesday of the month, when Old Boy—a new Korean concept from Dooby’s owner Phil Han—will be giving diners a taste of what’s to come at its new stall inside Broadway Market. 906 S. Wolfe St. 410-675-0212

2/20: Sip & Saute

Local chefs Catina Smith, Heather Smith, and Denzel Mitchell (also of Strength to Love II Farms) are teaming up with the No Boundaries Coalition to host this intimate cooking class at the historic Avenue Market on Pennsylvania Avenue. Throw on an apron and cook three courses with wine pairings provided by Off the Rox, a new shop on Eastern Avenue. The inaugural class will celebrate the three-year anniversary of Fresh at the Avenue, a weekly community-powered produce market that provides fresh food access to residents of the Sandtown community. Proceeds will help to fund Fresh’s SNAP match programs, expand its inventory, and make improvements that will decrease checkout times. 1700 Pennsylvania Ave. 5:30-9 p.m. $75

Water Works

Plainfield Road, Dundalk
April 2, 2016

It’s raining, but not enough to dissuade the volunteers, now pulling on ponchos along with hip waders. About 150 friends, neighbors, and students are gathering in John Long’s yard for the annual spring cleanup of historic Bread & Cheese Creek, which this morning means trying to avoid getting wet from above as well as below.

“Amazing turnout, isn’t it?” laughs the good-natured Long, loading metal signposts dug from the creek into a recycling cart. He launched the nonprofit Clean Bread & Cheese Creek in 2009 after purchasing his father-in-law’s bungalow-style house, which sits alongside the stream.

According to local lore, Bread & Cheese takes its name from the War of 1812’s Battle of North Point, when it served as a popular spot for soldiers to rest and eat their rations—although the true story behind the name isn’t clear. Not in dispute, however, is that the creek, adjacent to Merritt Boulevard shopping centers, had been a mess for decades.

Over the past seven years, Long’s army has pulled some 112 tons of trash from the 3.7-mile waterway, including 328 shopping carts, 429 tires, 92 bicycles, three bathtubs, a pool table, a seesaw, and an unopened bottle of Pepsi from 1986. Minnows, frogs, and even small snakes have since returned, notes volunteer George Fischer, whose school-age sons lend a hand during a final walk-through in the creek’s shallow waters.

For many of the youngest volunteers, however, the environmental aspect of the cleanup takes second place to the chance to muck and scavenge around in the creek.

“I found a BB gun, that was pretty cool,” says one local girl, drying her socks. “Last year, I found a car engine.”

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Sweet Memories

Harford Road
April 9, 2016

In the small waiting room inside the Wockenfuss Candies factory, visitors pull on hair nets as a video on a flat-screen TV explains how cocoa beans are extracted from football-shaped pods, which can grow close to a foot in length in Central America. “I can’t believe how big it is,” a middle-school boy says in admiration as he picks up one of the rough, leathery cocoa pods on hand. Ultimately, of course, the chocolate made from the beans inside those pods finds its way to Northeast Baltimore, arriving on 1,800-pound pallets in the form of 10-pound bars.

Today marks Wockenfuss’s fourth annual factory tour, drawing close to 2,000 chocolate lovers for a behind-the-scenes look at how liquid caramel gets drizzled over cashews and then broken into bite-size patties, for example.

Launched 101 years ago by Herman Wockenfuss, a Prussian immigrant, the company has expanded to nine retail locations between Baltimore and Ocean City, while also growing its shipping service. But it’s still a family-operated, locally owned enterprise, notes treasurer Janice Wockenfuss Motter, a fourth-generation staffer.

To her point, most people on the tour appear to either know one of the employees working this morning or recall when the factory was still located in nearby row houses.

“I ate Wockenfuss candy as a child, too,” says Gail DeNicolis as two women hand-dip marshmallows into a creamy vat of chocolate behind her. DeNicolis has worked here for nine years after a career in special education. “When I was 4 or 5, my aunt walked me to the original storefront on Belair Road at Easter. During the holidays, we get requests from all over the country from people who grew up in the area and want to send Wockenfuss chocolate and candy to their family. I know why: The taste reminds them of their childhood. Same as me.”

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Not Sitting Still

Pennsylvania Avenue
April 16, 2016

At Triangle Park, the narrow, grassy oasis between Pennsylvania and North Freemont avenues, the ninth annual No Boundaries Coalition block party is in full swing. Among other performers, two raucous local marching bands, New Twilighters and Baltimore Christian Warriors, are attracting appreciative crowds to the stage area. There’s also mosaic-making and face-painting for kids, as well as produce from the new community stand—Fresh at the Avenue—for sale.

Originally founded as the Boundary Block Party—named to highlight the geographical, racial, and economic divide between largely white, upscale Bolton Hill and Central West Baltimore—those early efforts eventually gave birth to the No Boundaries Coalition, which is also shuttling residents to the polls today for early primary voting.

To that end, just a little farther down Pennsylvania Avenue, pastor C.W. Harris is climbing onto the fire escape ladder alongside the Jubilee Arts building. The 66-year-old lifelong Sandtown resident isn’t climbing down, however, but up—to the top, where he promises to remain until 500 of his neighbors cast a ballot.

The roof of the three-story Jubilee Arts center—Harris founded the nonprofit—has been equipped with a tent and portable toilet, but little in terms of creature comforts.

“After what happened last year, a bunch of us [community activists] met right there,” Harris says, pointing across the way to St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. “Everybody said politicians don’t listen to the community because no one votes, but no one knew how to inspire more people to vote. Finally, I said, ‘Look, I’ll go up on the roof until people vote.’ I was willing to do anything. So, here I am.”

Postscript: After Harris’s five days on the roof, Sandtown turnout more than tripled from the previous election.