Early this morning Cherry and Holly street residents awoke to a clanking and odd spinning sound. A Gravitron carnival ride had somehow been installed in Holly Street Playground. While some citizens were delighted with new entertainment, others were horrified that the park had once again been made unfriendly for toddlers. Rumors quickly flew about where the machine had come from. Some said it was a centerpiece for upcoming Slaughterama festivities, while others said it was procured by Councilperson Marty Jewell’s office as part of a new economic stimulus/tourism/youth package. Others were convinced some weird mix-up had been made with Holly Street Playground in Richmond, British Columbia. Parks and Rec personnel did not know anything about it, but immediately began cost analyzing disposable biodegradable vomit bags. Some brave Open High teenagers and homeless people started the ride up in order to enjoy weightlessness. Laurel Street resident Tommy Birchett quickly discovered and climbed into the ride’s DJ booth so he could play some music for a growing crowd.

With mountaintop removal and new nuclear and coal burning plants under a lot of environmental scrutiny, Dominion Power has decided to turn to a more ‘renewable’ resource’, namely, the James River.

Today the company leadership said that the State Corporation Commission has given its permission for an emergency contingency plan to dam the river just above the falls and install hydro-electric turbines near Dominion’s corporate headquarters and trading floor on Tredegar Street. While Dominion has hydroelectric plants in other parts of the country, this James River plan is expected to create huge controversy.

This development comes at a crucial time for Dominion Power. It has already asked the SCC for a residential rate increase. At the same time, it is trying to retool with smart grid technology.

Locally, the City of Richmond’s James River Park manager exploded upon hearing the news about the proposed dam. No comment, just exploded. Local environmental activists tried to explain what this meant for the James River eco-system, but most, like the park manager, were just stunned speechless.

When a Dominion Power official was asked about a possible conflict with the City’s new James RIver Park Easement, he reportedly echoed former President G.W. Bush, by muttering through his clenched teeth that “its just a goddamned piece of paper”. He then recovered his composure to say,

“People need to understand, more and more energy is being used by Virginians and we need to find new ways to meet that need”.

In a surprising move, Virginia Commonwealth University administration announced that its real estate foundation has signed an agreement to purchase the Hollywood Cemetery Company and all of its holdings. Hollywood Cemetery has been an operating since 1849 and covers roughly 145 acres. If this breaking news proves true, this new addition would put an exclamation point on what has been an incredible expansionary period for the university under its outgoing President, Eugene Trani. At press time, neither Hollywood Cemetery officials or VCU President’s Office was willing to answer too many questions about the startling development, although VCU did release a short statement saying that it was the culmination of a long term campaign “to give VCU a riverfront campus without impeding upon any ‘living’ neighborhoods or pre-existing agreements and create a world-class atmosphere for our university”. A purchase figure was not given.

Although VCU officials were less than forthcoming with plans for the acquisition, immediate speculation was that VCU would increase its residential presence with high rise dormitories while using at least some of the riverfront acreage for a football stadium. One VCU athletic official let slip that there was hope that some of the larger crypts could be ‘repurposed’ for squash courts.

When asked about the historical assets of Hollywood Cemetery, including the graves of Presidents Monroe and Tyler, a spokesperson shared that VCU had contracted with an outside firm to appropriately commemorate and memorialize the rich history of the gothic landmark. In addition, some local preservationists believe that VCU may try to move the Confederate White House from the MCV campus to a new historic museum portion of the Hollywood Cemetery location. A Virginia Department of Historic Resources employee, who refused to be identified, only remarked, “Well, Trani is still a very powerful man.”

Although many had still not heard the news, the VCU students who had were already excited about the expansion of facilities. “Hopefully, we are going to get some free parking”, said one. Another said that this move will bring more safety to a relatively unpopulated part of the City. A student government leader said that he had already been contacted by a campus environmental group that wanted to make sure some of the older growth trees in the cemetery were incorporated into any planning.

Please keep reading oregonhill.net as more details on this major development become available.

This morning a neighbor on China Street announced immediate plans for an extraordinary journey. As a long-time resident of ‘the Hill’, Larry is affectionally known as an Oregon Hill ‘old-timer’, who has regaled many people with his stories of growing up in the neighborhood. But it’s his latest adventure that is creating excitement.

After repairing the front porch on his small, Victorian, Italianate railroad cottage, Larry realized that it would take only so many helium balloons to raise the entire structure off its anchors and fly into the air. For the last few years he has been buying balloons and helium and secretly storing them at his brother’s house around the corner. Well, today is the day according to Larry. He plans the lift-off later this very afternoon. By doing so, Larry hopes to sail his aloft house across America and rediscover the world, while at the same time bringing a little bit of Oregon Hill to the world.

In many ways, this is nothing new for the bespectacled, elderly man, who has always had something of a free spirit. Larry remembers hunting rabbit with a .22 on Belle Island as a boy, back when Richmond’s James River was largely abandoned either as an industrial wasteland or a relatively remote Land of the Lost. Larry also enjoyed playing volley ball and baseball as a youth in what he refers to as a simpler time for the City. Today, he looks forward to more travel.

While not being too specific on his inspiration for the scheduled launching of his one hundred year old house by balloon, Larry does mention previous famed aviators like Walters and Couch. As for a certain upcoming summer children’s movie by a certain cartoon mouse company, Larry says he will contact lawyers after he is back on the ground. But that might be a while since he has no planned ETA, or destination for that matter.

Update: Larry has postponed lift-off due to the rainy weather.

VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY APRIL 4th 10 am at 224 S. Cherry St, Richmond, VA 23229 (804)643-2717

As a non-profit organization, The Byrd House Market relies on volunteers to do many things from putting up tents to data gathering, to marketing, to educational activities, to community outreach. You can volunteer for an hour, a day, or all summer! We can work with you to find something that fits your time availability and interests. Come to our open house and learn how you can help.

From the Times Dispatch:

Punjab Festival

The event is free.

If you’re interested in taking a deeper look at a large portion of India, try Saturday’s “Festival of Punjabi People & Culture” from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Richmond’s Landmark Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. .

Apna Virsa Apna Punjab is presenting its seventh such festival, which will include entertainment, food, a marketplace and more to celebrate the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.

—

Bhangra dance competition

The festival also will feature a Bhangra dance competition at 7 p.m., for which tickets can be obtained through http://www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the dance competition cost $11 to $16.

Originating in the Punjab region as a form of music and dance, Bhangra was performed as a folk dance by farmers to celebrate the coming of spring. Today, it survives through pop music, film soundtracks and competitions.

Bhangra contests have become popular in the past decade, with many colleges and universities forming Bhangra dance teams and competing all over the world.

This is AVAP’s third Bhangra dance competition. During its tenure, teams from as far away as Southern California and British Columbia have participated.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Massey Cancer Center.

For details, call (804) 828-1451.

Flyer on 100 block of S.Cherry St. says that “Mike Moses donkey punched my mom”. And then, “StopMikeMoses.com”

Hopefully there will be more coverage of the City’s budget process soon, but from what I heard at this morning’s meeting at the Main Street Library, the City’s new stormwater utility fee will cost Richmond homeowners about $45 each more every year, while VCU, as state property, will be exempt. Hopefully, I am wrong about this, but I am afraid that is what is coming down the pike. Keep in mind that under the current system, VCU already pays a much smaller rate for water use than Richmond citizens, who pay what is possibly the highest minimum water rate in the country. There are still a lot of questions as to what commercial property owners will be charge for stormwater vs. residential, and what developer property vs. undeveloped means.

As I have said before, I am not against a stormwater utility fee, as long as it is fairly applied and it goes towards actually preventing stormwater runoff problems in the City. The Public Utility is at least starting to dress the new entity more green, and they deserve some credit for that.

To find out more about the situation, citizens may want to attend City Council’s Finance Standing Committee Budget Work Session, Wednesday, April 8, from 2 to 5 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall.

There is a lot more going on with the City budget as more economic devastation comes to bear and I urge citizens to get involved.

As critical as I am of VCU, Oregon Hill does appreciate and enjoy many of the cultural benefits that being next to a large university allows.

One of these happens tomorrow, as it does annually- the VCU Student Intercultural Festival takes place in Monroe Park.

“Come and enjoy the cultural performances, food, activities, petting zoo, fashion show, and more!”

Don’t forget to move those cars!