Baltimore's "Book Thing" destroyed in fire

[Recursion]

This is heartbreaking for this former Baltimorean.

http://www.citypaper.com/blogs/the-news-hole/bcpnews-fire-closes-the-book-thing-20160302-story.html

The Baltimore City Fire Department was called to free book outlet The Book Thing at about 5 a.m. for a report of a fire. The fire in the Abell warehouse was under control shortly after arrival, owner Russell Wattenberg said as he stood in smoke-scented water and literature in the warehouse's back room, but he is still puzzled by the cause.

"They're investigating," he said. "We're devastated. We're not even sure what the insurance will cover as all the books were free."

Outside, neighbors milled around the piles of scorched magazines and books whose odor wafted through the morning air.

"It's horrible," said Anna, an Abell Avenue resident who did not give her last name. "I hope they can reopen."

This was an amazing and effective non-commercial activity (supported, at the risk of starting primaries shit, by Governor O'Malley). I'm so sad to hear about this.

[KamaAina]

1. Reopen, hell! They need to make it a chain!

Ex-Bawlmerian here as well.

There is a movement in suburban neighborhoods such as mine in San Jose to install "little free libraries" in people's front yards.

http://littlefreelibrary.org/

[Recursion]

2. Love the idea!

Where were you back in town? I lived and worked at Fell's Point. Those were the days back then...

[KamaAina]

3. Hamilton Ridge Apts. near the Jones Falls as a small child.

Then on to Towson, Cockeysville, and ultimately Connecticut.

I have a friend in Hawai'i who once worked as a barmaid in Fells Point. You'd probably remember her.

[Recursion]

4. No doubt :)

I will leave my romantic escapades aside, madame

I know the apartments and the area. I guess my larger point is that people really have a kind of fucked up idea of what Baltimore actually is, yeah?

[KamaAina]

5. Indeed they do. Largely thanks to "The Wire", "Homicide", etc.

I have been back several times as an adult and love what they've done with the place! I distinctly remember taking my traveling companion to a pub in Mt. Vernon up the street from our hotel. This was during baseball season. The Yankees were in town. Even though this was before the O's recent semi-renaissance, everyone was glued to the set. After the Yankees won a close one, all sorts of grumbling like "We almost had that one!" could be heard.

Oh, and I'm a messieur, s'il vous plait. kama'aina means "local person" (lit. "child of the land" in 'olelo Hawai'i. I was in Mt. Vernon on behalf of the Hawai'i State Developmental Disabilities Council; the national organization of DD councils had wisely chosen to hold its national conference in Charm City.

[Recursion]

6. So sorry, Messieur!

I should have checked; it's also a masculine termination in Hindi. I'll do better next time.

Please do accept this apology.

[KamaAina]

7. As a feminist, I consider that a compliment.

[Recursion]

8. Agreed