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Watchdog archive

Is there something in your neighborhood that's not getting fixed? Tell us where the problem is and how long its been there.

July 5, 2009

Watchdog

A case where greener isn't necessarily better

THE PROBLEM: Overgrown bushes and weeds block pedestrians' path on a sidewalk in Northeast Baltimore.

June 28, 2009

Watchdog

City park is fenced in

THE PROBLEM A fence around a Fells Point playground needed repair.

June 14, 2009

Watchdog

Sniffing out the leak

THE PROBLEM A sewer pipe leaks in a Lauraville alley.

June 7, 2009

Watchdog

A call for restrooms

THE PROBLEM Lake Montebello lacks restroom facilities.

May 24, 2009

Watchdog

3 problems fixed

Wondering what's been happening with some of the problems recently highlighted in Watchdog?

May 17, 2009

Watchdog

Leaking water main frustrating residents

The problem: A water main leak on Millers Island persists despite repeated calls for help.

May 10, 2009

Watchdog

When signs didn't work, Canton store manager painted curb yellow

THE PROBLEM: Had a Canton curb been painted illegally?

May 3, 2009

Watchdog

Worn-away crosswalk

THE PROBLEM A crosswalk across a busy Howard Street intersection is nearly worn away.

April 26, 2009

Watchdog

Promenade, Linkwood work continues

This week, Watchdog brings you updates on some lingering problems.

April 19, 2009

Watchdog

Traffic light gives mixed signals

THE PROBLEM A broken traffic light was sending mixed signals to some North Avenue drivers.

April 12, 2009

Watchdog

No free parking on Stoneleigh lot

THE PROBLEM A Stoneleigh parking space lacked a meter, yet drivers were still ticketed for parking there.

April 5, 2009

Watchdog

Roots of city tree damage sidewalk

THE PROBLEM The roots of a city-planted tree have damaged the sidewalk in front of a resident's house.

March 29, 2009

Watchdog

Untangling Federal Hill parking

UPDATE With the Orioles' Opening Day approaching, Watchdog is revisiting an issue we looked into a year ago: the stadium event restricted parking areas in Federal Hill.

March 15, 2009

Watchdog

Wonky sewer grate is put in its place

THE PROBLEM The grate over a Southeast Baltimore storm inlet was broken and ajar.

March 8, 2009

Watchdog

Handicap-only parking space not needed

THE PROBLEM A reserved handicapped parking space in Highlandtown remained in place for weeks after it was no longer needed.

February 22, 2009

Watchdog

Missing street sign in Essex confuses visitors

THE PROBLEM A missing street sign in Essex caused residents to miss deliveries and visitors.

February 15, 2009

Watchdog

City property owners keep getting tax bills

THE PROBLEM Baltimore property owners paid their tax bills, but the payments weren't properly processed.

February 8, 2009

Watchdog

Fire hydrant not working

THE PROBLEM The sole hydrant on a street has been out of service for more than six months.

February 1, 2009

Watchdog

Streetlights remain unlit

THE PROBLEM Lights at a Northwest Baltimore shopping plaza have been dark for months.

January 25, 2009

Watchdog

Goucher tree leans over power lines

THE PROBLEM A tree has been leaning over power lines in Towson for years.

January 18, 2009

Watchdog

Homeowner's request for hearing goes unanswered

THE PROBLEM A homeowner's environmental citation fine continues to accrue even though he had applied for a hearing.

January 11, 2009

Watchdog

Comcast cables installed in gutter

The problem A Comcast cable was routed through a Hanover gutter.

January 4, 2009

Watchdog

Fells Point in the dark

THE PROBLEM Streetlamps along the Harbor Promenade in Fells Point have been unlit since 2006.

December 28, 2008

Watchdog

Signals unnecessarily hinder night traffic on U.S. 40

THE PROBLEM A traffic signal at a development stops drivers even when construction has stopped.

December 21, 2008

Watchdog

'Road closed' ignored

THE PROBLEM The northbound lanes of Aisquith Street are closed, so motorists drive the wrong way up a one-way street.

December 14, 2008

Watchdog

Clean up after the police

THE PROBLEM A West Baltimore storm drain is clogged.

December 7, 2008

Watchdog

Dead tree sticks around

THE PROBLEM A tree marked last spring for removal still towered over Christmas shoppers.

November 30, 2008

Watchdog

No sign, no stop for bus

The problem Bus drivers didn't stop at an unmarked Canton bus stop.

November 23, 2008

Watchdog

Faded stripes add to risk

The problem A downtown crosswalk is poorly marked, leaving pedestrians at risk.

November 16, 2008

Watchdog

Trees await good home

The problem Unplanted trees appear to be dying in a Recreation and Parks lot.

November 9, 2008

Watchdog

Harbor access too easy

THE PROBLEM The roadway behind the Power Plant lacks barriers along the Inner Harbor.

November 2, 2008

Watchdog

Backup in parking lot

The problem A traffic signal in Waverly is too brief to let farmers' market patrons leave a clogged parking lot.

October 19, 2008

Watchdog

A streetlight goes dark

The problem A streetlight near Coppin State University stayed lit only intermittently.

October 12, 2008

Watchdog

SUV does have an owner

This week Watchdog brings you the epilogue to several problems reported previously:

October 5, 2008

Watchdog

SUV dented, abandoned

The problem An abandoned Ford Explorer has sat on a Park Circle median for at least two months.

September 28, 2008

Watchdog

Disruptive sewer project

The problem A Tuscany- Canterbury sewer project has stretched more than two months past its originally posted completion date.

September 21, 2008

Watchdog

A lesson in incivility

THE PROBLEM A sign in a Federal Hill school parking lot has been vandalized so that it includes obscene language but has remained in place for more than two years.

September 14, 2008

Watchdog

Low bridge, no warning

THE PROBLEM Tree branches obscure a maximum-vehicle-height sign at a bridge in a Baltimore park.

September 7, 2008

Watchdog

Demolition overdone

THE PROBLEM While demolishing an East Baltimore rowhouse, contractors damaged an adjacent building, according to the neighboring building's owner.

August 31, 2008

Watchdog

MVA message lost in translation

THE PROBLEM The Spanish translation of "no trespassing" signs at the Maryland MVA offices in Baltimore and Glen Burnie are so riddled with errors that even non-Spanish speakers can detect mistakes.

August 24, 2008

Watchdog

A dangerous crossing

THE PROBLEM Sections of a guard rail are missing from a Locust Point bridge.

August 19, 2008

Watchdog

Tripping hazard at corner is no more

THE PROBLEM // Bus passengers were tripping over studs from a missing pedestrian signal pole.

August 5, 2008

Watchdog

No water as cars crunch temporary pipes

THE PROBLEM Temporary above-ground pipes bringing water to Federal Hill homes during a water-main rehabilitation project are damaged by parking cars, leaving residents without water.

July 29, 2008

Watchdog

Drivers figure everyone goes their way

THE PROBLEMDrivers whiz out of a Perry Hall community and turn onto a main road without yielding to other motorists.

July 22, 2008

Watchdog

Steel drum of grease leaking in city alley

THE PROBLEM A barrel of old kitchen grease has been sitting behind an abandoned fast-food restaurant for months.

July 15, 2008

Watchdog

Cement slab at bus stop gives no shelter

THE PROBLEM A Northeast Baltimore bus shelter that was damaged in an accident has not been replaced.

July 8, 2008

Watchdog

Accidental river floods city park path

THE PROBLEM // A broken pipe in Robert E. Lee Park caused water to pour down a path for more than a week.

June 10, 2008

Watchdog

Bus stop benches unsuitable for sitting

The problem A wooden bench at a Towson bus stop has been broken for more than a year.

May 20, 2008

Watchdog

Cable power box hanging by a thread

THE PROBLEM // A utility pole damaged in a car accident remained in place with a cable power box dangling from it for more than a year, even though a utility company had installed a new pole nearby.

May 13, 2008

Watchdog

Drivers of city's vehicles stop where they please

THE PROBLEM // Some Baltimore parking enforcement vehicles routinely park in a "no-stopping" area.

March 25, 2008

Watchdog

In stadium event area, sign of confusion leads to ticket

THE PROBLEM // Parking rules around Baltimore's stadiums are so confusing that even parking enforcement agents sometimes interpret them incorrectly.

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