It's been six years since that awful fire that destroyed a rowhouse at 1401 E. Preston St., claimed seven lives of the Dawson family and thrust the issue of witness retaliation into the national spotlight. Drug dealers set the fire to send a message to family members not to cooperate with police.

The rebuilt house is now the Dawson Safe Haven Center, a place for kids to retreat from the violence and drugs that still has a lock on East Baltimore neighborhoods. Yesterday, Mayor Sheila Dixon, housing officials and others joined children on a stage in the street and remembered and mourned the fire and the family.

Dixon reminded reporters of the "tragic deaths" and that "we're making strides every day in this community." New homes are replacing vacant rowhouses, a garden now grows on one corner and more is planned. Some residents, including a woman lives in the rowhouse her father was born in back in 1928, complained that the improvements hadn't made their way to her block, and that vacant rowhouses, trash and drugs remain a threat.

Then Dixon took the stage, and it appeared she broke from her planned remarks. While sitting on the stage awaiting the event to begin, she hears some comments from residents that made her angry. She wasn't afraid to share them with her audience:

"I heard a couple comments while sitting on the stage about someone wanting to bust somebody’s head, and what we want to do, we can’t make those kind of comments in front of children. We need to begin to bring peace to their lives. So as adults, we have to watch what we say around our children. We have to show them there are other routes to resolving conflicts. I’m only saying that because I saw a little angel, probably a little frustrated, but we want to make sure we spread peace to our kids. They see enough violence. They hear enough cursing. They see enough negative things. We have to say to them in the morning, 'Good morning, have a good day in school and do your best,' and before they go to bed, tell them to say their prayers. Don’t give them our drama. We all have it. Don’t say shut up. I heard someobody over here tell a little child, 'Shut up.' Remove that."

"The Dawsons are smiling over us because we have a bigger mission to carry out."