Measuring progress and impact with City Councilwoman Odette Ramos

Councilwoman Odette Ramos joins Nestor from her beloved 14th District inside Gertrude’s at the Baltimore Museum of Art to discuss Baltimore’s progress and challenges on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour presented by The Maryland Lottery, Window Nation and Jiffy Lube Multicare.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

district, people, baltimore, city, john, neighborhood, fried oysters, talking, dan, harbor, stadium, crab cake, years, tour, oysters, vacant properties, drove, holidays, maryland, bramble

SPEAKERS

Nestor J. Aparicio, Odette Ramos

Nestor J. Aparicio  00:00

Welcome back to W and S t test Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively out on the road doing the Maryland crabcake tour. I’ve been promising that Roz from the Maryland lottery would bring me the new holiday scratch offs. The gingerbreads really do. Oh snap, they smell like gingerbread. So I’ve been given these out here at gertrudes. We’re at the BMA celebrating Dan Rodricks and Baltimore you have no idea next week, also celebrating the crab cake and there’s multiple crab cakes here. They have vegan crab cake. Yeah, they have fried crab cake, and they have

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Odette Ramos  00:32

Senator Barb’s crab cake, and then they have they have dessert fruits. Yeah.

Nestor J. Aparicio  00:39

Oh, det. Ramos is here. She’s Councilwoman, I am in over where we are.

Odette Ramos  00:42

Where are we what district we are in the 14th district, right? Pretty much in the middle of the district here at gertrudes, which is inside the BMA very proud to be able to represent this area.

Nestor J. Aparicio  00:53

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Well, I tell you what, this is a thing to be proud of. I mean, I think the Hopkins campus in the area that you’re involved with, I’ve been in groceries many times for events and functions. I’m going to have John shields on. So you want to Baltimore story was real Baltimore story to Baltimore stories. First things first, I’ve known your husband for 30 years. Yeah. And I found out that he was away and I’m thinking who’s guarding the cookie dough. And it turns out that you are in charge usually comes with a little Puerto Rican flag on the flag today. He stopped by your house, you know, right in the neighborhood here and since the season so John, I have received thank you for this out to listen to for two yesterday. I was at Coco’s. And I was doing literally doing this segment. And I didn’t even realize I had the bar manager on and and they’re so magnanimous over there. Marcy sits down, Rob and they put this big vat of eggnog down. And I’m like, What’s your dad? He’s like all bourbon whiskey rum and uh, and I’m like, Oh, I’m getting go keto. And I have now a quart of eggnog spiked eggnog. docos right. And I have some cookie. What? What could be around the corner for me? What can be waiting tomorrow?

Odette Ramos  02:01

I know right? You got you got a lot of good luck there. Absolutely. You’re

Nestor J. Aparicio  02:05

returning champion here I’ve known. You have been the reason for this vegan crabcake thing here. You’re the one you got to get over to gertrudes Meet John shields. And Phil at the bar here that literally just gave it lottery ticket to said, Hey, I met you at best to Baltimore last year Baltimore magazine. You said you were gonna wind up doing the crabcakes where you know, like, I’ve been wanting to do it. So all this happened. A year ago. Last week, I came to the BMA I saw Dan Roderick show Baltimore you have no idea. I had Dan Dennett, fade these where you’ve been before. And Dan’s a mentor to me. I’ve known Dan for two years. I love Dan. I said the show was so good. He’s like, that means a lot from you. Because you’re critical guy and I’m like, no, no, no, the show was amazing. I said next year, I wanted to come out and and and be a part of it and bring people bring loved ones people like you. You Oh my invite list Believe it or not. Have you seen the show yet?

Odette Ramos  02:57

I have not seen the show yet. So I do need to

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Nestor J. Aparicio  02:59

hear because I’m not gonna let you see without him because he’s Mr. Baltimore. Oh, yeah, he’s

Odette Ramos  03:03

back in a couple of weeks. So you know,

Nestor J. Aparicio  03:05

so well. Sold out.

Odette Ramos  03:09

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Well, I’m hoping Dan will leave some room for me. So I’m gonna

Nestor J. Aparicio  03:12

give you a whole Small tour thing. I’ve been a gertrudes dozen times. I’ve been to the BMA more than that. I was here a year ago this week. I did not come to gertrudes I came in. We did 34th Street. We did which they have the motif behind you here that is lame anchor churches. 34th Street so come on by. We did Ecobuild my favorite broccoli, and we froze our butts off parking around the corner here. And we came in and went right up to Dan show I had to pee ran in and we’re like late, saw the show show was amazing. We left I didn’t come back saw you and Mako. Earlier in the year. You did a show when the governor came by he lives in the district, by the way, right. And he’s coming on my show allegedly. And soon. And John shields his name came up and it came up last year and he’s a Facebook friend which I didn’t realize he is proprietor here. He lives in the area. He lives in the air. You know him Dan says Oh, you gotta get with John do the crabcake tour. gertrudes and like all that. I said, Well Dan, I want to promote your show and come with me for the show today. And then I told you have vegan crab cake. Let’s do it. So John and I had a conversation a month ago putting this together. Nice 15 minute you know getting to know you right? Yesterday I put up that I make gertrudes so what is what it relation to me my son’s wife’s mother. What is that to? My son and his wife? My son’s wife’s mother. Are we in law in laws? Yeah. What

Odette Ramos  04:36

are we I think so. We’re in laws. Is

Nestor J. Aparicio  04:38

that what an in law is? Yeah, you’re in Aries and other kid their parents and you stand on the in laws. So Cindy is that person? I don’t know what the color Cindy’s my I feel she feels like my stepdaughter, my daughter in law’s mother. Okay, okay. And the father played little league on my dad’s baseball team. Long story. So my kid wants I’m marrying a kid who played on my dad’s Little League teams daughter, okay. And they’ve been married seven years, whatever. They’re in Amsterdam, but flying back, put up on my Facebook page. I’m going to gertrudes Cindy puts up. John shields is my cousin. I love him. Tell him I said hello. And I’m like,

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05:17

How come? He didn’t tell me? Right, right. Right. Does that mean I’m related to John shield? Right, right. Or I think I am.

Odette Ramos  05:24

By by marriage. Yeah. Right.

Nestor J. Aparicio  05:27

Small to more. No. Trying to get me to disjoint forever.

Odette Ramos  05:30

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I know for the last couple of years. Absolutely. Why are

Nestor J. Aparicio  05:33

you here? What makes your district create? I mean, I’ll start with that. And obviously there’s a lot of diversity, a lot of different income levels, a lot of different poverty. There’s all you talk about urban blight and trying to fix housing and all that all that exists in every every big city, right? Like literally every big city. We don’t say that enough. Crime exists. But you know, not every big city has one of these, you know, not every small city has one of these. I’ve been in little places like Greenville, South Korea, nice places, but they don’t have a modern museum of art here. That’s like this. Gertrude has been packed today. They were

Odette Ramos  06:13

always pack this places. And they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. So this isn’t new beat the they have been here doing this and being a part of the community for 25 years. And you can see John shields at 7am at the Waverley market every Saturday, getting all the things that he needs from local growers to be able to feed people here. Correct. So

Nestor J. Aparicio  06:36

you’re telling me that delicious salad that I had with those blackberries? All local? Yes. The other thing that I had and Rodricks so I get here you know I want I’m doing the crab cake tour we’re gonna have a V crab giggled. Some people say that’s not a grab bag, right? But nonetheless, I really wanted to do an oyster tour this year, and it was inspired by by oysters here to Damien Faye Lee’s brought me when I was doing the show with someone like you she’s fried oysters and dropped them because she likes doing that to me. She did that with the deviled eggs didn’t go well. That’s doesn’t do deviled eggs. Right. I don’t do that. So we did a whole segment on that. But she brought fried oysters and I had one on the show. And I’m like, I don’t know that I’ve ever really dug in, or like ordered one or been in a restaurant or whatever. So I still in my life. I have never ordered a fried oyster in a restaurant and had them brought to me. I’ve maybe grabbed them on an appetizer tray or something when I’ve been somewhere and said Oh, that’s a fried oyster. I’ll eat that. But not like I’ll have the fried oyster over the shrimp, the crab the fish that steak whatever I eat right salads. Oops. Today I came in and the hostess says get the fried oysters. The Internet said try the fried oyster. Right? Both of my servers. I’ve had two servers here today Ronnie and and Alexa both said, try the fried oysters. I got the fried oysters. So I got them. I got a soup and the bread was delicious. And then the fried oysters came. And I looked at them and and Ronnie’s like the Rimula the remnant and I’m like, okay, so Rodricks walks over to me, I had one bite. And Rodricks was doing the thing with a lady about his show. And I had one bite and I grabbed my phone and I started to tweet about how awesome it was. I said I think this is the beginning of the oyster tour. Right there you go. And just as I hit Send Rogers comes over me he’s like, Oh, you got the oysters get a you gotta get the oysters. They were so this is a fabulous place.

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Odette Ramos  08:35

Oh, yeah. Now gertrudes is is the best it really is. And you know, the customer service is amazing. John, again is you know, here and the area and they do a lot of they support a lot of organizations. So it’s really great. So I’m very proud to represent John and represent gertrudes and the BMA and I asked you that, well, my district is great for a lot of reasons. But one one big one, frankly is, you know, the, it’s yes, there’s the diverse neighborhoods, but it’s actually every single person who lives in this air in the city and in my district are, you know, care about the city want to be a part of the solution. Very passionate about their neighborhoods, very protective of their neighborhoods. I love it. I absolutely love it. And one of the other great things now that we’re talking about, you know, we’ve got the holidays coming up, you know, I represent most of Hamden. And so we’ve got the Christmas the mayor’s Christmas parade. It is the 50th year of the parade, and Morgan State University’s marching band is going to be in there. too amazing. And then also we’ve got you know, the 34th street lights so you know, this is the place to be for the holidays. And of course, every all of the local restaurants celebrate the holidays in different ways. All the shops, so 34 streets

Nestor J. Aparicio  09:58

in your district, of course. That’s so we we have visitors from now through Cray Randy You know, I’ve been over 20 years my marriage people come to town with relatives friends, people stopped or whatever. For Street. Yeah. And you say their their national news comes every year because there’s not a 34th street in every city now that’s

Odette Ramos  10:20

right in most areas special especially since it’s it’s organized by the residents and the the family that’s been there for a very, very long time over 75 years being able to you know, doing this. So this is a really big deal. If

Nestor J. Aparicio  10:33

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you’ve never been I can’t believe that everybody’s gotta go that had never been everybody’s

Odette Ramos  10:37

gotta go. You know,

Nestor J. Aparicio  10:39

I think when you go there the first

Odette Ramos  10:40

day, tomorrow and you’re in Baltimore County, Harford County calm and experience how amazing this is anything on here. Yeah, that’s the other thing is that there’s, you know, it’s in a neighborhood where there’s a lot of restaurants and you know, there’s definitely ways to hang out in the city and then injured and today at the lights it’s it’s really

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Nestor J. Aparicio  10:59

jammed in all the time. Because if we’re a farms headquarters is there I’m rough. I’m sponsored. I love Ecobuild everybody knows that. I love the avenue in general Rodney overt series it Dangerously Delicious pie, buddy. So you know I for me living in the city are now living in the towel scenario, the 83 artery to jump off I did it today. I gassed up at the Royal farms on 41st. I want to try the new steak joint over there. medium medium, it’s

Odette Ramos  11:27

over in the rotunda. Check that out too. Yep, yep. And then on the other side of my district where I have Lake Montebello, where you know, there’s some construction going on now. But I mean, not quite to cocoa stop. Right. I know. And I’m quite to Coco’s those are yesterday. That’s good. But it’s already run out, I

Nestor J. Aparicio  11:44

think. Yeah. So he should?

Odette Ramos  11:46

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Yeah, it’s an interesting guy. It’ll be a good conversation. Well, so I mean, we have lots of different things that people can explore all over the district. housing stock is totally different in different neighborhoods, the districts really amazing. So and then I have, we just finished redistricting. So starting in December, I have a new section of my district over, including Peabody heights. So it’s, uh, you know, that that piece, all of our districts are changing slightly, while two of them are not, but most of the districts are changing slightly. And you have to do that every 10 years because of the census. So that we all have an equal amount, or almost roughly equal amount of people that we’re representing.

Nestor J. Aparicio  12:25

Pretend somebody out here doesn’t watch the news, whether it’s Fox 45, and everything’s awful, or whether it’s just down the middle or whatever the crime or the politics would be. The things that get to me through the cracks of me following the news and subscribing the banners and sons and doing all that stuff. The city council last week, and the thoughts about the harbor, the harbor is a hot button in a lot of ways. Everybody, I talked to you talking about it in some way or another Dan Rodricks. And I went out and and then I’ve been Mr. Stadium guy, you know, and I didn’t know the stadium would be this sexy. I said to Dan, to Dan, and I said to Luke earlier this week, my most clicked on stuff this month hasn’t been ravens at nine and three, or even Oreos offseason or it has literally been what’s happening with his $1.2 billion, and how’s it benefiting our people? And what are we doing? What is happening to the core, core core core of the city and not your council? Or not your district, excuse me, but part of the artery that’s going to power all this and whatever decisions get made. As I look at that empty palette of 1972, I shared this aerial picture and thought all right, well, the next 50 years, right, you are the decision makers, we are the voters, we’re the ones that are gonna say, gonna power that engine as the state and what’s more for the for the stadium, and quite frankly, for what they’re asking for it at the harbor to say what is going to make all of us go back the way we’ve gone the last 50 years. Yeah,

Odette Ramos  13:49

I think that it’s going to be an interesting project. I don’t know all of the details. I’m getting briefed in the next couple of weeks. I know it definitely sparked a lot of conversation. I have a lot of emails from people positive and negative. There’s Detroit with the bramble project. Bramah project. Yep, yep. And then of course, with the stadium, and you know, the article that came out, like you said about the $1.32 billion, sorry, 100 million. It’s a lot and but I do think about the fact that you know, what I have been saying from the very beginning, since I’ve been on the council even before that is I need 200 million on the street every day. I mean, every year to be able to address vacant, abandoned properties. We can what’s fine to do the stuff in the core, but we cannot forget the rest of the city. And that’s what I’m afraid of. We have to make sure that we’re addressing the rest of the city. People want to move to Baltimore and not just to move into apartments. They want houses. We know that so we have a lot of houses here. Yes, but we get we do have a lot of houses here. We’ve got really good inventory, but we also have a lot we could have more inventory if we’re rehabbing the vacant houses. And the vacant houses are where you get your violent crime. The neighborhood’s you know, young people walking to school next to a vacant property is going to make sure you know there aren’t going to be ready to learn that to me. I mean,

Nestor J. Aparicio  15:04

if the people have the option to move into a neighborhood where there’s a lot of vacant properties or not, but

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Odette Ramos  15:08

that’s why you can’t do one at a time, right? That’s why you can’t do one at a time. You have to get Yeah, you have to get a block by block solution similar to what they’re doing in Johnson square and other neighborhoods to be able to make that work. So I am glad that we’re thinking about the vision for the city. I’m glad that you know, I mean, I used to have Memorial Stadium in my district. So of course, it’s a little sensitive for residents when you know, Memorial Stadium moved and you know, is now downtown. A great

Nestor J. Aparicio  15:37

picture of ice rink on the Memorial Stadium. On the third base side in the 70s. Yeah. And I had Ron casting on yesterday over coke as we’re talking about winter wonder. Plus, you get ice skates like that. What is total stories and I’m like, Man, the way we’ve used space in this city in my lifetime, that I’ve seen that I’ve driven by and said, Oh, look at how they’re using that or Oh, god, they’re not using that or God. Look at what happened to that, you know, somewhere along the line. When you’ve driven past everywhere I unexperienced today. I think I told you before we went on the air, I drove through the, you know, pretty challenged part of West Baltimore. And I drove all through the city when I was thinking about trying to do what you crazy folks have done to help people run and good citizens. And I have so much respect for all of you and doing what you did. But I feel like there’s some improvement from the last time I drove through. And that’s how I judge 55. You know, I got my ears up. I got my eyes open. I know there’s carjackings crimes murders gang, I know about I don’t, but when I’m driving through them, like, is it getting better? Or is it getting worse? And I don’t know, I feel like I left the city a year and a half ago, I drive through it three days a week, I drove in an area I hadn’t been in, in maybe a year. And it got better, a little bit. I mean, visually,

Odette Ramos  16:47

you know, change is slow, but I think it’s happening. And

Nestor J. Aparicio  16:52

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so you’re going What are your vital signs? You know,

Odette Ramos  16:56

for me, it’s just how how people are feeling, you know, I mean, I can see it in the buildings like today, I was in one of my neighborhoods, finishing up an inventory of vacant properties that I do across the district. And I had noticed, you know, when I was door knocking, for years, well, three or four years ago, that that block, there was a lot more vacant, and now it’s getting so much better. There’s a lot of rehab happening in the area. So, you know, to me, that’s also a good sign that there’s a lot of activity, people are feeling confident in the city and they’re willing to invest. That’s huge, and we still have a lot of work to do. That’s, that’s a big deal. But you know, I think that’s getting better. But I also, you know, think when people come to events, when I’m talking with them, and people feeling a little bit better than that’s a that’s great. There’s still, you know, some things that people are dealing with, like, you know,

Nestor J. Aparicio  17:49

really, yeah. Employment worried locked down all of that.

Odette Ramos  17:53

Yeah, a lot of elders who are aging and find something normal again, the last, yeah, 18 months. But I think that, in general, if people are feeling better than then that’s a good thing. So but we still have a lot more work to do. So, but yeah, those are two my signs is seeing if there’s activity happening in the areas that I’ve been working on. And also if, you know, people are feeling better. So we’ll see. I mean, you know, there’s also ebbs and flows. But the statistics are also showing it, you know, violent crime is down, which is super significant, right? Obviously, people are upset about the Well, that’s a judgment,

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18:29

to judgment, you know, all of that. So,

Odette Ramos  18:31

but for me if we’re seeing progress in terms of rehabs, because that’s an issue that I work on, it’s a really big deal. So and we’ve, we’ve been doing a lot of work around making sure that there’s, you know, more affordable housing as well, housing has just been really, really critical. So, you know, we’re gonna

Nestor J. Aparicio  18:47

do your background lends to that. And I don’t know that every council person would sit with me, everybody’s got an issue or something, you can talk

Odette Ramos  18:56

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about that. I mean, everyone, every single one of us came in with an interest that we wanted to work on every single one. And every single one is doing that. Right. Everybody’s got their interest, and they’re working on their interest. I mean, you know, we’ve got just, you know, introduced the other day, the local control of the police department so that we can have local control. That’s something that Councilman Conway has been working on for a long time. You know, Councilwoman Porter has been working on you know, public health issues. So we we each came in with something that we were interested in doing and supporting each other. It’s pretty amazing to get the support for of our colleagues in

Nestor J. Aparicio  19:31

regard to the harbor and getting together and having counsel me Yeah, I don’t I’m not sure the citizens even understand what happens other than it’s a headline. It’s two minutes on the news. Maybe, you know, maybe you read something online about or you see a headline on social media and you know, it’s so involved. I had Jeffrey rat now who’s a local developer, but also a community association person in Federal Hill talking about transportation, and just trying to grasp for you, Joe Budget, right? And that’s where I was with Dan. And I’ve had a dozen conversations in the last month about it with significant citizens in different ways. But I want to talk to David Bramble, I want to ask, I lived in that neighborhood for 19 years and left that neighborhood I own didn’t rent in that neighborhood. And I saw the abandonment by a corporate entity of that space, right? Like just, you know, Cheesecake Factory in the band. And they were in business trying to work hard, you know, but there, but there wasn’t enough of that going on in my neighborhood at the time. And I think all right, so what’s the plan? And I always think the plan can’t be described. That’s what I love about my show. Kit told me the whole plan, I’d have Tom Kelsall with Maryland savior, I’m not getting the whole plan in 18 minutes. I’m long form, and I’m poking and prodding and challenging, right? Which is pretty much what you’re doing when they’re bringing you’re putting your reading glasses on. And you’re sitting there in the council saying is this poppycock? Do I believe in this? Do I not believe this? And what am I going to say to the media, when they come into my constituents? Yeah, when I go back to my home, and the other part of the city say, we’re building here and not there. Yeah,

Odette Ramos  21:07

one of the things that the I know the premise around the way that the Inner Harbor was working before, but there were a lot of people who didn’t think that the Inner Harbor was for us, neighbors, residents of the city. And that is a feeling that I’ve shared with the development community with them with the developers, because that area has to feel like it’s for us. And not just outsiders, and not just tourists. Now, yes, the tourists dollar is really important. We want to show off our city. But I want people who are from other places to also see all the rest of the city because it’s really amazing, you know, like up here. So I don’t want the harbor to be the only place that visitors come to, but I also want it to be a place where resident of the city feel comfortable feel like it’s for us. That is when I’m going to be more of my barometers of the entire project is our resident feeling like this is for us. And so we’ll see the there are three bills, two, one is a charter amendment, and the other two are zoning bills. So right now we’re not dealing with money, we’re just dealing with giving them the opportunity and the permission to be able to build what they want to build do one allows for more height in that area. Another one allows for right now, only commercial can be put in that area so that we have to add residential. So it’s gonna be very interesting to see how this plays out. Again, my biggest barometer is do residents of Baltimore feel like the Inner Harbor is for us? What

Nestor J. Aparicio  22:37

shared that picture and maybe you’re familiar with it, it’s southbound viewing from what would be like 100, East Pratt, of 19. Seven. Yeah, that picture. Yeah, it’s all dirt, all dirt, the McCormick building. You can see the news American building a little off to the side, you can see the church you can see Federal Hill, but there’s nothing else standing there that exists to this day. That if you took that picture and say everything that happened there was part of a greater vision, whether it was the high end attached to the harbor attached to this convention center attached to the science center, then attached to the aquarium that leads to Harbor East in the Petraeus land that led to the west the camp and none of that existed in 1972. And I look at it very much like those Walt Disney Pictures of you know what, Kissimmee, Florida and lino Lake Buena Vista was gonna look like before you came in and built the castle. And this is where I’m with John angelos, who’s trying to you know hoodwink our citizens and taking money without a plan, at least with Bramble with Bramble, there’s a plan and in my mind, I keep asking the same question of Tom Kelso of everyone. That stadium has been there. 30 years they both have been there, the franchises have been there. one’s been really successful. The other ones kicked it around and been an awful community partner forever. From the beginning of time, they’ve been awful. They continue to be awful because we don’t have a lease, right, even though they’re good on the field. And I think to myself, that warehouse has been there, that space has been there, their stadiums have been there. They played 80 games a year, they played 10 games a year football, they’ve had concerts. What’s the idea that’s above and beyond? Right? It’s handling the ball and catching the ball and hitting a ball that already brings people down? They’re gonna start the games at 630. So forget going to dinner ahead of time, right? I mean, there’s a whole play here to say is this about the community? Or is this about using the community as an ATM for a private business that acts off of public money? Well,

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Odette Ramos  24:32

it’s interesting because the Orioles in particular just have so much history here. Right. I mean, you’ve talked to John and you know, all of his experience with, you know, walking into Memorial Stadium. And you see, right, so, so there’s a lot of history there. And of course, the wonder and beauty of that particular Stadium and the fact that it was designed by a woman which is pretty awesome. So a woman

24:54

whips right around the corner. Yes, absolutely. You’re right. My favorite

Odette Ramos  24:57

though. I think that the so that, you know, we want to keep them here for sure. You know, just at some point, somebody saw an idea of how in some other city that it was like super developed with all this commercial stuff around that stadium in order to also then have people come and spend money there and then also go to the game. And I don’t know. I mean, I think that ultimately, you know, people go to the games to enjoy the games have entertainment, sometimes they’re not watching the game they’re talking to Oh, whatever it is. It’s a sport sport, you know. And, but but the Orioles themselves. There’s just so much tradition here, that I can’t imagine them not here. I

Nestor J. Aparicio  25:38

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think, well, that’s not my concern. I mean, that’s, that’s a false concern.

Odette Ramos  25:43

It’s a false choice. That’s exactly right. They’re, they’re setting us up by saying, Well, you can’t have this if we don’t have leverage, just like, that’s crazy. They’re not going to leave. That’s insane. So yeah, I know, it’s, it’s, uh, it’s crazy. You know,

Nestor J. Aparicio  25:56

no one disputes the importance of them. I dispute who’s leading it and what the idea is based on our tax dollars, based on 30 years of history of seeing the way it’s been run, to say, if I gave you $5 billion, besides pocketing it, what would be the idea that you bring 1000s

Odette Ramos  26:13

up money without a plan? You can’t? And they’re just saying, you know, you can’t, there’s no reason to do that. So I’m glad

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Nestor J. Aparicio  26:20

elected official, you feel that way. And I hope that every elected official, including one that lives in your district, feels that way, because and I’m going to challenge them on that. And he knows this, because I’m coming and I’m coming hard because I’ve witnessed this. Yeah, I’m a journalist banned from that facility. I understand them, that’s a whole different level, for no reason other than asking for asking for accountability for everything, not just for money that for their own actions on the field. And you know, as we sit here, the football team is doing great. And I am waiting on the baseball team to do something. Make news for something other than the lease, like,

Odette Ramos  26:58

literally, yeah, that was a totally unfortunate, too, because they were doing so well. And everybody’s cheering them on. And then you got this lease issue and boy hanging over their heads. You know, Toby,

Nestor J. Aparicio  27:07

your background as you because I’m Venezuelan, you know, you have a background of a place where they play a lot of baseball, right? You know,

Odette Ramos  27:14

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they play a lot of baseball, they play a lot of soccer from Puerto Rico. They play a lot of basketball, important baseball, Puerto Rico,

Nestor J. Aparicio  27:19

like super important. How important is that to your the foundational part of the little girl in Yeah, well,

Odette Ramos  27:25

I mean, I played softball, so when I was a kid and played soccer, and I played you know, basketball, but you know, my dad was very much into baseball and a lot of other sports as well. And so yeah, you know, I remember him coming he had a bat that was at his house when we would go visit my grandmother and she still kept that bat that he used when he was playing. So that was important you know as well so yeah, it’s a big deal. Sports are a big deal there as well.

Nestor J. Aparicio  27:58

Oh, no may ask me the reason I’m in this country is because of baseball right? You know, my cousin came here in 1966 play for the Orioles brought my father you know like I love baseball. But there is a point where like, what’s the plan? You know that that that’s the plan what’s the plan that would be my Ramos is here she is our Councilwoman here. We’re over at the the PMA we’re gertrudes she’s the one that made me come and I find out that the guy that runs the place is related to my daughter in law that just multimorbid he’s related to my daughter in laws he related to me, I really I got my marriage. Yes. You have to say by marriage, and that’s how you do it. Yeah. So it’s in law. Is there some gentility line for that? That’s not in Baltimore.

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Odette Ramos  28:38

It actually doesn’t matter. Because everybody’s a cousin. So it’s fine. You know? Well, we’re all together. I feel like cousins. I mean, I You

Nestor J. Aparicio  28:46

my friend I knew before you knew him, right? Sure. That’s true. You know what every thanks for the cookie dough. Yummy. Puerto Rican flag John. I appreciate that. I owe her and oh snappy. These really do dates they’re sent it to smell a gingerbread. Sure the peppermint. Do I have to? Is it like a John Waters movie? That I have to scratch it to the snow because I wasted if I do that top price $30,000 It’s the holidays we have Maryland lottery tickets giveaway our friends winter nation 866 90 nation if I weren’t with such a dignified civil servant here and elected official I would wear this isn’t good baseball hat and my winter nation at 866 90 nation. Give him a call by to get to free we got a holiday offers Well, our friends at Jiffy Lube multi care and I have this gavel reminds me of Richard share on square. It’s it’s Rascon global it is it’s a beer opener. Beer opener and a patented guy should be a billionaire here. Now

Odette Ramos  29:43

I know it’s also a crab thing. All right. We’re back for more

Nestor J. Aparicio  29:46

from gertrudes we’re gonna stay with the council woman. I don’t know we’re gonna talk about next but I’m sure it’s gonna be fun to talk about we always do. Yeah worries fixing things around here, canceling their debt rollos back from gertrudes and Maryland crabcake tour. Stay with us.