A message from Katie Cowles from the neighborhood nonprofit SynerGeo:

My name is Katie and I’m the volunteer coordinator for SynerGeo. For those of you who are unfamiliar with us, we are a small non-profit at the corner of Albemarle St. and S.Laurel Street here in Oregon Hill. We run Free afterschool art and homework help programs for grades K-5th.

One of our programs, Kids on The Hill, runs on Tuesdays from 3:30- 5:30 and is held at Pine St. Baptist Church. It includes homework help time, bible study, recreation time, special interest groups and dinner. We are looking for volunteers who can spend at least one hour, if not all three with the children. We also still have more room for children to sign up for the program!!!

The special interest groups are a chance for someone to spend time with the chilren teaching them something new like Origami, juggling, drawing techniques, etc. If you have a talent or hobbie that you’d like to share, please feel free to let me know. And if you or anyone you know would like to volunteer at this program, please email me at cowleskatie@yahoo.com and I’ll reply right back with further info. Our program begins THIS TUESDAY @ 3:30.

Please spread the word as I would really like to see some more neighborhood involvement with this!

Katie Cowles
cowleskatie@yahoo.com
www.synergeo.org

Just drove by and saw the remnants of the two brick buildings on the lot immediately to the north of the 7-11. I’m guessing this signifies an impending development. Also, it’s sad as there is now only a single remaining Oregon Hill home on Belvidere, the one brick home on that same block.

This picture was taken back in the day when it actually used to rain….

The Sector Report for September (PDF) from Lt.Lisa Drew is out. Highlights include info on arrests for drug violations, info about an initiative to reduce theft from automobiles, and a funny narrative about a man getting caught for stealing beer from Mojo’s 3 different times.

The University of Richmond is hosting a free e-waste recycling event on Oct 11-13.

The National Folk Festival will be happening close by on October 12-14.

The 2007 McDonald’s Duathlon Long Course World Championships Event happens on Sunday, October 21st. There will be some local road closings because of this.

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Many of us had the pleasure of working with Miss Judy at St. Andrews School. What a warm, friendly and remarkably helpful person! She will be greatly missed. There was a good tribute to her in the T-D.

The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (A.C.O.R.N.) paid tribute to the individuals that are “in the trenches” renovating and revitalizing Richmond’s historic neighborhoods at its annual Golden Hammer Awards last night. The winners were announced in the categories of Best Residential Renovation, Best Commercial Renovation and Best Infill Construction, with the award for Best Infill Construction going to Allen Townsend (Whippoorwill River, LLC) for his work at 610 Idlewood Avenue (Allen Townsend, designer; Victorian Homebuilders, LLC, contractor).

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Local blogger Karmic-Dragonfly put up a great set of photos of Hollywood Cemetery from this afternoon.

A look at the impact and demographics of the now 3-year-old Overlook Townhouses by Baylen Forcier…

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The Byrd House Market is open from 3:30-7PM. Musical entertainment this week will be the mellow sounds of Mike Bogil.

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Donnie Corker (aka Dirtwoman), one of Oregon Hill’s most notorious residents, has announced his candidacy for mayor in next year’s election…

This is not why gazebo is historic.

This past Friday, City Parks & Rec officials cracked open the historic gazebo at the Oregon Hill overlook. Its been a while since anyone has been inside. The top portion was not much to look at — an empty space that had been boarded up and covered on the inside with graffiti. Some of graffiti was more entertaining than others. I had to go towork before the bottom portion was opened but there is supposed to be some old bathrooms and a small park attendent’s office in there.

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While Oregon Hill resident Charles Pool and the local Green Party press for water utility reform (with some but not enough success), and the local Sierra Club calls for more conservation, VCU continues to work on its new natatorium designs, not to be confused with old ones.

The Virginia Film Office has a location library of shots with panoramas from around the neighborhood from what appears to be the early 1990s.

Vicente Fox (President of Mexico 2000-2006) will speak on November 3
at 8:00 PM at the Richmond Forum at the Landmark Theater.

City Councilperson Bruce Tyler (1st District) has an ordinance before council next Monday that addresses the panhandling problem at city intersections.

This ordinance makes it illegal to solicit funds from city intersections without a permit. The permit will cost $25 and must be obtained from the police department. Anyone interested in acquiring one of these permits should call 646-6566 and ask for Detective Caldwell once/if the ordinance is passed.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this. I want to see the more obnoxious panhandling stopped, but I also do not want to curtail freedom of speech.
I will defend panhandling for food (but not beer). I will defend Food Not Bombs’ right to serve food to the homeless.

I think Tyler’s permitting idea is an honest attempt at a compromised solution, but I am not sure about all the ramifications. I am undecided right now about the specific resolution.

I would be interested in hearing neighbors’ views.

I would like to annouce and add to the calendar our Oregon Hill Community dinner that will be on Monday,October 29th at 6pm. It will be at SynerGeo, corner of Albemarle and S.Laurel. We are asking eveyone to please join us and bring a dish or dessert to share with everyone!!! Come meet our staff and find out more about our non-profit or just come socialize with neighbors!!! Contact me with any questions!

Name: Katie Cowles
Email: cowleskatie@yahoo.com
Phone: 603 781 1667

The Byrd House Market is open from 3:30-7PM. Only 2 markets left in the season!

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Ethyl may have changed its name, but it still has a knack for ticking off its neighbors. An Oregon Hill resident took these pictures of Afton Chemical watering their campus despite the City’s mandatory, emergency water restrictions. This happened during 2002 drought also until enough citizens complained.

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Bread & Puppet Theater will present The Divine Reality Comedy Circus in Monroe Park at 3pm on Sunday, October 28th! THE DIVINE REALITY COMEDY CIRCUS features famous rats leaving a sinking ship, the triumph of the small farmer, smart advice on where to get your water, a celebratory ballet by a flock of roosters, the Rotten Idea Theater Company’s distillation of political issues and much more, all accompanied by the Bread & Puppet Circus Band.

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