When will the people of Dundalk wake up and stop voting for the jokers who are supposed to be leaders? Leaders communicate. These corrupt arrogant selfish electeds do not. Time for Johnny ZerO to go.

How is it appropriate to have a homeless shelter in the same place as rec programs for kids? It's not which is why they didnt bother to tell anyone.

Their homeless not pedophiles.

These people complaining about this are cold hearted (no pun intended)

Did ZerO know or not know this time? Nobody said don;t help the homeless they said they want to be informed when things have an impact in their community

Are you sure Steve? Don't open your mouth and insert foot.

We have a homeless problem in Dundalk. When they lived in tent communities in the woods residence wanted them moved. When the churches offer to help the residences want to stop that. Now they are using the government center and again the people who have a roof over their head want to stop that. If all those who live in a house with heat could spend a few hours sitting in the cold maybe you would understand. All these people want is to get out of the cold for the night. Most of these people are down on luck. They are not going to hurt you. Take a moment and talk to them. Baltimore city offers a 24 hour shelter year round. Dundalk churches run this 3 months a year and all we hear is how awful it is. Homeless people need to be warm too.

nobody said don't help the homeless. They said they want to be informed when things happen in their community.

More bad leadership from the gaggle of fools Dundalk keep voting for. Dundalk is a joke in towson and a joke in Annapolis becasue of the jokers we keep electing. Dundalk is capital of homeless and sex deviants because the corrupt electeds have ignored the decline for years and done nothing about it.

Rec centers in Towson don't get turned into homeless shelters. Rec centers in Annapolis dont either.

A homeless shelter should NOT be opened in a recreation area. Baltimore County
DSS knew this when they moved into the building. They hoped the program would
go unnoticed. Only in Dundalk-

Wow!! People are unbelieveable!! How is this hurting the fortunate?? I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot there would be no heartless comments left! We as Americans should be greatful that there is still people left in this world who do have a heart to help the misfortutante!! I'm sure that the rec center is all cleaned up and cleared out before kids enter.. I'm sure half of these people didn't plan on losing everything they had in life and I'm sure they are greatful for the ones who actually give a damn about them with out even knowing them. God bless these people who have a heart and help those in need!

Stephanie obviously you have never been to the place or know what goes on there. Kids are there until late at night because we have only one other place to play soccer.

Only in Dundalk would you put a homeless shelter there when it could be in any number of other places. But dundalk is the only place where a methadone clinic a childrens bus stop and a strip club could all be on the same corner. Thank your ZerO for that. I wonder how much he got paid to get that through?

Stop giving these people a break. Other places in Baltimore county don't have homelessness because there elected leaders worked to keep the areas nice. So stop your bleeding heart crap. Dundalk gets the brunt of it once again.

So the community was notified via twitter and didn't find out. How did the homeless people the shelter is serving find out where to go?

Hey derek, why don't u take your head out of your ads before u speak to someone like that who u don't even know. I unfortunately grew up in Dundalk and it is nothing like it is now when I was growing up. How about this.... How about the people that are doing all the bitching about how bad it is in there area get off there lazy asses and do something about it other then bitch! Maybe if these people cared so much about there children they should keep a better eye on them and not let them stay at a rec center so late at night. I don't know who u think u are to tell someone not to say how they feel but I guess u must be one of those lazy people that like to run there mouth instead of helping the community u just want to complain about it! This is how I feel so deal with it. It's called freedom of speech! Thank u, have a great night! ;)

And if it's in door practice and games with parents there I don't understand what the problem is.. There being supervised so what's the problem?'v

Stephanie you are definitely pure Dundalk. You accept what your fed. This would NOT take place anywhere else. The owner of the shopping center across the street is supposedly trying to sign new businesses to leases. What new business wants to locate across the street from a homeless shelter? By accepting this you are saying you like Dundalk as a ghetto. I think it might be you who needs to remove head from ass.

Open your eyes! Don't you see what is happening?

Why would they put a homeless shelter in a place where all kind of activities take place. There is a HUGE empty building sitting right over the Back River Bridge that would be great for that use. It could serve multiple purposes.

would you rather them sleep in the park?...or on ur doorstep?...95% of homeless arent homeless..they're addicts..they need treatment...i was in code blue on guilford in 09 when they shanked ppl...now i have a sweet place and a large bank account..ppl just need help...not ignorance

Most are homeless because of addiction/mental health issues and as a result have a myriad assortment of health issues as well. Some are very sad cases and others are 100% self inflicted and live like parasites on society. They come from ALL walks of life and you'd be shocked at the education/work experience that some had. Some will spit in your face if you offer them help/food...not money for dope/alcohol. Others will be grateful and actually try and accept needed help. Allowing them to congregate at a childrens recreation center is absurd...given the backgrounds/criminal/drug etc of some. Why are they not sheltered at social service center...they can get help there too!

Thank u Derek I'll take that as a complement!! U are a dumb ass or just didn't read one thing I wrote!! The community needs to get off there lazy asses Derek and clean up there streets! Not have business owners try to do it for them.. If the community is so worried about how there neighbor hood is then why haven't they gotten together as a community and fight for what they bitch about?!?!? Yet again goes to show how lazy and how judgemental people really are..

So sad to see all of this negativity, as a resident of the Dundalk community, I would be proud to say our community takes care of people in time of need. I had the pleasure to work as a volunteer many years feeding the homeless at churches in Baltimore City and they were always kind, humble people. I'm just curious if the community was notified by a newspaper ad, flyers, radio, tv, what would you have did different? Would you honestly have said no, don't help these people, leave them in the cold.

You get what you give. People with little minds have to hole-up in their homes and pretend the world around them doesn't exist. And if they just ignore, it will go away and leave them alone. Well that just doens't work. Get involved and stop wasting your valuable time here on earth carping about what you don't like. You can be the very force that changes everything. Your mind is a lot larger than you ever thought. Thank goodness you were comfortable last night in your home and thank goodness those who were not so fortunate had a place to sleep while you were enjoying your home. It should make you rest more comfortably knowing that. Not the other way around.

How Can Anyone Be So Heartless & Cruel As To Not Want Any Human Being To Seek Shelter From The Freezing Cold? How Would You Like To Be In Their Shoes? Do You Want Them To Freeze To Death At your Front Door? Would That Give You A Really Warm Fuzzy Feeling Inside? Where Would You Like To See Shelter Located ? Let's Hear Your Brigjt Ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU Have A Better Answer, Let's Hear It !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So let me get this straight. Its freezing cold outside and a church group wants to shelter the homeless in a public building, and they are suppose to alert the community theater? What sense does that make? Quick its freezing out, lets help these people out but we better ask "Skys the Limit" first. Give me a break.

There are those of us who live here in Dundalk that are active in our attempts to clean it up. We volunteer to walk the waterways and pull out trash and at times, large equipment dumped by those unwilling to simply take it to the landfill.

Sadly, not all of the local businesses are as enthusiastic about the community. They take no responsibility in the overflowing trash bins on their property, shopping carts in the streets and streams, and they do as little as possible or as legally necessary as to not be cited.

At the same time many of the residents are also unwilling to assume any responsibility, much of the cleanup ends up on the banks of the streams residing on private property. I cannot tell you how often home owners have come out stating that it is about time someone picked up trash on the bank of the stream.... of their yard.

Now, we can all go back and forth saying it's Johnny O's fault, or the Liberal's fault, or the Conservative's fault. It appears that people are all too willing to cast blame as long as it does not land in their lap.

The government building and community center is a place of law and community organization for the residents of Dundalk; A place where the youth of our community can learn the importance of teamwork in sports, youth government, or the arts.

Using this location for a shelter should be debated, but it can only be debated if we, the residents of Dundalk, know it is planned.

cary, nice comment. Well written.

The only issue I would have is that the councilman should have notified the community of the plans, after all, that is his job.

Baltimore County government has a responsibility to inform the community.
So far, they haven't offered any information other than the tweet on 1/5.
The Government Center belongs to the people, and how it's used is our
business. The problem isn't about providing a warm place for the homeless,
it's about hiding the truth from the community. Parents and rec leaders can't
protect kids from possible danger when they don't know it exists. The shelter
will be open for several months, if not longer. It's not just for code blue nights.

"Using this location for a shelter should be debated, but it can only be debated if we, the residents of Dundalk, know it is planned."

That's ridiculous. There's no time to debate when peoples lives are potentially on the line.

I think it's fairly safe to assume that no one with an ounce of compassion wants another to freeze for want of shelter. That said, there are several reasons that homeless shelters are typically not located in the middle of a residential community, ranging from not wanting a residential area to become a landing ground for the homeless to the myriad of issues (severe mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and the accompanying unpredictable behavior) that are statistically associated with most of those who are transient.

Absolutely, there should be adequate treatment for those who are afflicted with mental illness, but with no guidance, how can one convince another with abnormal and/or bizarre thinking to seek psychiatric care. This brings about the huge issue of civil commitments, the psychiatric patients' rights, etc.,which is too large a topic for this forum.

Bottom line, I'd love to know what those in charge were thinking. City centers in the vicinity of county hospitals are typical locations for homeless shelters, not suburban neighborhoods, and certainly not in a community center.

Then you house them! Give me your address and I'll distribute it in front of the Government Center tonight! I'll even give them printed directions so they do not get lost. It will only be temporary until your elected leaders find an alternative solution that does not put children in harms way.

It's Dundalk's homeless. It's Dundalk's problem. I don't hear any other community whining so much.

I read this Homeless guys blog. It gives a different perspective of the problems homeless people face.

http://citypaper.com/news/columns/good-cop-bad-cop-1.1433186#.UP9cvTTZhOw.blogger

Why are people surprised? This is what you get when you vote for democrats. What has gotten better in Dundalk in the last 20 years? What will get better in Dundalk in the next 20 years? Nothing if you keep voting for democrats. Ruppersberger doesn't even campaign yet he wins every election. People only vote for the D and not the results that have come because of the people they vote for. It will never change because democrats are the dumbest life form we have on earth.

This is all quite interesting.

"A proposal by the Dundalk United Methodist Church to put a Streets of Hope homeless shelter at its vacant parsonage in Old Dundalk met with considerable opposition in 2011." If this program did not fit well in Old Dundalk, then why
would anyone think Eastfield, next to an elementary school, would be a better location. It sounds like the homeless are being "helped" out of Old Dundalk and
St. Helena.

"A proposal by the Dundalk United Methodist Church to put a Streets of Hope homeless shelter at its vacant parsonage in Old Dundalk met with considerable opposition in 2011." If this program did not fit well in Old Dundalk, then why
would anyone think Eastfield, next to an elementary school, would be a better location. It sounds like the homeless are being "helped" out of Old Dundalk and
St. Helena.

Look KK has a deal in place he is going to make that place as bad as he can then he'll come to rescue. It's dundalk who cares. They kicked out Lou Depazzo because he told the truth which began the O dynasty.O Screwed over Bartenfelder to get KK elected. Air conditioned schools. You fell for it now either change it in 2014 anybody but O all of the O clan and Don't accept anyone from that Demo Club that destroyed Depazzo.If you don't learn from history shut up and take KK shopping/condo.

Dundalk residents need to speak up now, and in 2014!
Let your voice be heard.

Joe, there are a lot of people listening right now.