On Sept. 26, the Charles Village Civic Association held elections for top positions in the organization. The CVCA coordinates between legislators and residents in the community surrounding Hopkins.
Dana Moore, John Spurrier and John Fink were elected to the offices of the president, vice president and treasurer, respectively. Brendan Coyne was voted in as the new membership secretary, replacing Anne Raines. Diane Brunetti was voted in as the new administrative secretary, a position formerly held by Shaun Carrick, who was elected as the recording secretary. Carrick will be replacing Sheila Rees.
The Charles Village Civic Association functions in Charles Village by coordinating activities between local government and citizens, creating a better environment for both to function in.
Recently the CVCA has been working on initiatives to decrease crime and help protect local citizens. On July 19, the CVCA helped hold a CVCBD Safety Seminar, where local government and law enforcement officials spoke on ways to help protect yourself from criminals. A letter from CVCA president Dana Moore was also published in the fall 2007 issue of The Charles Villager, a newsletter from the CVCA. It advised residents to get a Crime Watch number (a phone number with which to make anonymous reports to the police) and help create a neighborhood watch organization, urging residents not to be intimidated. "Charles Village is not a perfect place, and loving it takes resilience," wrote Moore. "It's again time for us resilient Charles Village folks to get back in gear and step up efforts to stop crime and make Charles Village better."
The CVCA worked to establish and manage the Baltimore City Residential Permit Parking (RPP) Advisory Board. The RRP program provides decals to residents, allowing them to park in certain spaces.
In the next few weeks the CVCA plans to put out a new Charles Village cookbook, the first in 25 years.
Even though it does have elections for its members, it has bypassed the divisions of politics for the interests of the community. "It's not a political office," said Sandy Sparks, chair of the 2007 Nominating Committee and a CVCA director. "It's a neighborhood association."
