Fishing, of a sort

The outstanding local news source Baltimore Fishbowl reports that those big bug-eyed water wheels that scoop everyone's trash that they were too lazy to throw in the trash cans raked in over a million pounds of drink containers, empty chicken boxes, and various other detritus last year. 

And the amazing thing is, they say the amount of trash in the water is actually going down!

The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore proudly operates four trash wheels because people are too lazy. The litter-getters even have names: Mr. Trash Wheel, Professor Trash Wheel, Captain Trash Wheel, and Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West!  

Mr Trash Wheel 

The Partnership explains that even though last year's garbage harvest was up, that's only because they have a greater capacity for collection of it.

And, more good news: since the city banned plastic bags and foam containers, the amount of those objects thoughtless tossed into the streets and waterways is down 72% and 90% respectively.

Among the list of Colorful Baltimoreans of the past was a man named Theodore "Balls" Maggio, who would go to the point where the mighty Jones Falls stream empties into the Inner Harbor every time there was a significant rain. With a system of nets and sieves, Maggio would come up with toys for local kids - baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, whatever.

Maggio learned his trade as a boy by going down to where the banana boats used to dock, ensnaring bunches that fell overboard while being loaded on trucks, and selling them by the hand to local merchants.

If you don't love Baltimore, I really need to know why.