Please join us for an update on the Roland Water Tower Park project and learn what’s in store at your park. Community meeting will be held at the tower. See attached flyer for more details.

Saturday June 25 9 am to 1 pm

Come to a Summer Fling flea market at the tower! More details in the attached flyer.

Peregrine falcon babies, that is.
Chicks or eyases, as they are called.

As some of you may remember, one of the concerns with repairing the Tower, was that it could disrupt the nesting schedule of the falcons who were living in the roof.  The Roland Park Community Foundation decided to take on this project out of concern that the City might not be able to work around their schedule. The City brought in Craig Koppie to advise us.  He is a raptor specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.  The roof was repaired in construction but Craig thought we could build a box for them in the belvedere, closed to the inside of the Tower but open to the outside. Because the Tower is a historic structure, we could not attach anything to it.  Craig found a way to build a nesting box, or scrape, as they are called in the birding world. It sits in the Tower but is not attached. Craig built the box and we waited.

The falcons left when the scaffolding went up and came back for occasional visits to check on the progress.  Once the scaffolding came down, they arrived back.  

The father was first banded by Craig Koppie at a lighthouse near Hart Miller Island and the mother was banded when she was 3 weeks old on the Brooklyn Tower of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge,  so the neighbors have affectionally named them Brooklyn and Hart Miller, or Hart or Miller, depending on the person.  Peregrine Falcons mate for life.  What a Baltimore love story.  

We crossed our fingers that this crazy experiment of taking away their home in the roof to establishing a new box in the belvedere would work.  Sure enough, we have TWO BABIES.  Craig took this photo a few days ago and thinks they were born around May 15th.  He says they will hop to the ledge in 28-30 days.  The Tower is an octagon.  If you are facing the doors of the Tower, the box is  one panel to the right, up in the belvedere.

Learning about the falcons is also learning about the circle of life.  Craig found remnants of Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Purple Gackles, Flickers and other miscellaneous feathers in the scrape. It looks like they are being well fed.  

A huge thank you to Craig Koppie for his wisdom and support. 

Have questions or thoughts, email rolandwatertower@rolandpark.org and we will try to answer them in our next bulletin.  

The Friends of Roland Water Tower meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings are on Zoom from 7 pm to 8 pm. All are welcome to attend! Each meeting provides a recap by the group’s committees, including events and fundraising. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84489617547 Meeting ID: 844 8961 7547

Come enjoy live music at the tower on May 3, 2022 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Bring your own chair/blanket and food/drink. Hope to see you there!

The Friends of Roland Water Tower meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings are on Zoom from 7 pm to 8 pm. All are welcome to attend! Each meeting provides a recap by the group’s committees, including events and fundraising.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84489617547

Meeting ID: 844 8961 7547

Please join us at 3 pm for the ribbon cutting at the Roland Water Tower.
Light refreshments will be served.

Here are all of the fun things to do at the Tower that day-

8 am- 3 pm Chalk artist Michael Kirby will be creating a chalk wonder at the Tower.  Come watch the magic unfold and then create your own design on the roads around the Tower.

1-2 pm Baltimore Hoop Love will be supplying lots of hula hoops for you to play with and celebrate the day with a twist.

3 pm Ribbon Cutting-the big event, we have waited 10 years for this one!!

4-6 pm Bring a chair and listen to the Powell Brothers unique blend of R&B and Soul.  “Purveyors of Hot Buttered Soul for nearly a decade”.

Questions?  Email rolandwatertower@rolandpark.org. 

Friends of the Water Tower–
Spread the word — jazz at the water tower!
 
Tuesday, November 24:00-6:00pm

Roland Water Tower (4210 Roland Ave.)

Organized by Friends of the Roland Water Tower
Read more about the Baltimore Pop-Up Jazz Jam here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-fe-baltimore-pop-up-jazz-jam-20210727-7qibwgvdevbivia6nt6tz6ptaa-story.html?outputType=amp

Hope to see you there!
Emily

Hi, neighbors–
You’re invited!Social at the Water Tower
Saturday, October 233:00 – 5:00pm
Come meet your neighbors at the Roland Water Tower!
Bring your own drink/food/chair. Feel free to bring an outdoor game to share!
Organized by the Friends of the Roland Water Tower (https://rolandwatertower.org). If you’d like to get involved with planning future events, let me know!
Emily Roland Ave. 

Please see the attached letter and FAQ for the latest news about the tower construction, park planning progress, and a convenient summary of frequently asked questions. Thanks to all the great volunteers from the neighborhood for putting these together!