Watchdog

Vandalized parking lot sign at Digital Harbor High School has called for inappropriate anatomical display for 2 years

By Liz F. Kay

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.

THE BACKSTORY Thanks to a prank more common to The Simpsons' Springfield than Baltimore, you might imagine that the parking rules were different for Baltimore's public school staff.

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Most drivers confirm their parking privileges in private lots by placing some sort of identification on their car - a decal, perhaps, or a tag hanging from a rearview mirror.

But according to a sign at Digital Harbor High School in Federal Hill, school staff were supposed to display a hoofed mammal in their windshields instead.

A Watchdog spy reports that the sign was vandalized two years ago, from saying "pass" to spelling a vulgarity.

"That's a little bit surprising for me. I'm a little bit shocked about that," said Kevin Seawright, deputy chief operating officer for city public schools.

The building is now home to two schools, Digital Harbor and the National Academies Foundation High School. A city school system facilities official inspected the site Wednesday and made a temporary repair, replacing missing letters with stickers.

He also ordered a permanent replacement that should deter vandalism because it will be printed rather than made with stickers that could be peeled off.

At Watchdog's suggestion, the sign might be reworded so that it could not be rendered offensive by removing or obscuring letters.

Seawright said that graffiti could be reported to the city's 311 system, but residents can also call the city schools' operations center to report problems.

WHO CAN FIX THIS Blaine Lipski, executive director of facilities for Baltimore City public schools, 410-396-8721.

update

Last week's Watchdog was about tree branches that hid a sign warning truckers about the clearance height of the railroad bridge that crosses St. Lo Drive in Lake Clifton Park. Reader Albert Blakeney, who reported the problem, pointed out something else: Southbound drivers need an earlier warning. Truckers who first learn of the danger at that sign would have to make a broken U-turn to avoid the obstacle.

"They need to have a sign 200, 300 yards north of that bridge, right near the entrance of Lake Clifton," he said.

Frank Murphy, deputy chief of the traffic division for the city's Department of Transportation, said two warning signs were missing: one on St. Lo Drive near the Lake Clifton High School complex for southbound drivers, and another at the bridge for northbound truckers.

The signs are to be installed next week.