Watchdog brings you several updates this week on previously reported issues.
Update: The dogs aren't around anymore, and Randall Martin is happy.
The Sandtown-Winchester resident contacted Watchdog when dogs started living in the vacant house next to his home. He had contacted 311 for help with the hole in the house, to no avail.
But after Watchdog got on the case in March, housing crews fixed the hole in the empty building, preventing the dogs from taking shelter there. Animal control also promised to set a dog trap without requiring the usual $25 deposit.
"They patched that up" within days of Watchdog's calls, Martin said.
Since then, he has seen only one of the dogs in the neighborhood, but none next door.
Update: The streets are not as slimy in Baltimore's Riverside neighborhood, reports Dawn Dulaney.
She contacted Watchdog after noticing green slime growing on the sidewalk on Stevenson Street behind a vacant industrial building that fronts on Woodall Street.
City environmental health inspectors determined last month that the growth was algae and issued a warning to the building owner to clean it up by May 21 or face a $100 citation.
As of last week, the algae was gone. "It appears that they did clean up that mess," Dulaney said Thursday.
Update: Watchdog reported May 30 about a turn arrow on eastbound Orleans Street whose duration was too short to let traffic make the left onto northbound Broadway. We learned that the city installs signals where needed at the request of residents and commuters.
Afterward, reader Pat Reed asked how to submit a request for a turn arrow using the online 311 system at https://baltimore.customerservicerequest.org. Adrienne Barnes, a spokeswoman for Baltimore's Department of Transportation, said such requests can be filed under the "miscellaneous" or "other" categories in the drop-down menu.
Update: Hopefully, there will not be as many false alarms at a railroad crossing on O'Donnell Street at Oldham Street.
Spencer Simpson Jr. of Hamilton called Watchdog because the signals at that crossing would often blink red, even when no train could be seen — especially in inclement weather.
The signals for the tracks, used by Canton Railroad Co., would malfunction in wet weather because of nearby clogged storm drains, company officials said at the time.
City public works crews had already scheduled clearing work for those drains, and they completed the job at the fourth and final one Monday.
Need help?
Is there something in your neighborhood that's not getting fixed? Tell us where the problem is and how long it's been there by e-mailing watchdog@baltsun.com or calling 410-332-6735.