Maryland Business

By: jackie.sauter

A little while back, while reporting on job growth in East Baltimore, I drove past the sign pictured above, outside the shop of A&B Flooring at 5401 Erdman Avenue.

Nosy reporter that I am, I stopped to take a photo, and made a few notes about the name of the business, the location, etc, when suddenly, a guy with shades pulled up in a Nismo 380Z, stepped out of his car and asked me what the heck I was doing.

It turned out to be Ed Ward, owner of A&B Flooring, and after convincing him that I wasn’t casing his place for a burglary or worse, we had a nice chat.

Turns out Ward put up the “Mayor Dixon ‘Please’ Fix & Repave Erdman Avenue” sign about nine months ago, and about two months ago, a representative from the mayor’s office showed up at A&B, dropped off a business card and promised to put in a good word with the mayor’s office. He said he was tired of potholes, especially because he drives a “really nice car.”

Since, the mayor has launched a highly-touted infrastructure improvement campaign called “Sidewalk Sam,” to go with her ongoing road repaving program, “Operation Orange Cone,” and hard-hat crews have begun repaving Erdman Avenue. I saw them at work when I was out there.

Seems a little complaining goes along way.

ROBBIE WHELAN, Business Writer