Monthly Archives: May 2009

Free CPR/AED classes

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From press release:

The American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter is offering free
CPR/AED classes to the unemployed in the Greater Richmond area.
Interested people can register by calling 343-2088 during the week of
June 1-7, National CPR/AED Awareness Week. The training can be conducted
on-line followed by a one-on-one two hour session with a Red Cross
instructor.

“The Red Cross helps during all types of crisis and being unemployed is
definitely a crisis,” stated Reggie Gordon, Chapter CEO. “Becoming Red
Cross certified can make people more qualified when searching for jobs,
especially in the fields of construction and healthcare. For example,
OSHA requires construction workers to be trained in CPR and First Aid.
If one is already trained, they will be more marketable. Being
unemployed can take its toll emotionally and completing a Red Cross
class can help give one a sense of accomplishment.”

Learning CPR and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) may
mean the difference between life and death. “We’d like to see every
household, place of work or worship, have at least one person certified
in CPR/AED and to have more AED in locations throughout our area,”
continued Gordon. “By learning basic skills one will go from being a
helpless bystander to trained, empowered and prepared to take action
during an emergency.”

“Imagine two jumbo jets crashing and killing all on board. That’s about
how many people nationwide that die every day from sudden cardiac
arrest. Now, imagine a safe and simple device about the size of a
lunchbox and price of a laptop that may have saved many of those lives.
That’s the power of the AED,” according to Gordon.

During CPR/AED Awareness Week the chapter is also launching an on-line
training program for businesses or individuals. Red Cross Online
Training offers lifesaving training from the convenience of a computer
then enhanced by hands-on skills review and certification testing with a
Red Cross instructor.

For more information about the classes, go to
www.greaterrichmond.redcross.org

Richmond Street Soccer Project In Monroe Park Saturday

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The Richmond Street Soccer project will be having an event this Saturday,
May 30th from 12 – 2 p.m. in Monroe Park. If you are interested in
participating or learning more about the project, this is the perfect time
to learn more.

The street soccer team is a project of the Daily Planet and is also
sponsored by the Richmond Kickers. The purpose of the team is to create a
fun and healthy atmosphere for Richmond’s homeless and potentially homeless
individuals, where for a few hours a week, they can forget about their
problems and experience achievement through sports. Outreach services will
be offered to players to assist them on a personal level.

Saturday’s event will be a culmination of our recruiting efforts – we will
mainly be giving more information to interested players and playing a bit of
soccer. Practices start June 1 and last through the end of July, with a
national tournament in Washington D.C. sponsored by the national
organization, Street Soccer USA. If you are interested in being a part of
this project and would like to learn more about how you can help or get
plugged in, we’ll have more information for you this Saturday.

You may also visit our blog:
http://richmondstreetsoccer.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/10-ways-you-can-help-the-richmond-street-soccer-project/
or contact us: richmondstreetsoccer@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Liana Kleeman

Volunteer Organizer
liana.kleeman@gmail.com
(804) 873-4828

Valentine Exhibit Review

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In Disciples of Vulcan, the Valentine Richmond History Center attempts to illustrate the long history of Oregon Hill in pictures and words. For residents of neighborhood, the beautiful old photographs on display are certain to leave an impression as some combination of recognition, pride, and loss washes over you. Black-and-white images tell the story of the Hill’s growth from its beginnings as a hardworking immigrant enclave to the diverse community that it is now, protecting is roots defiantly in the face of big changes.

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Visitors to the exhibit have a chance to see several long-gone but often-referenced places, such as the penitentiary and the older section of Oregon Hill on the other side of Belvidere. Placards trace the general history of the neighborhood from its start in the early 1800s to the present day, referencing everything from its original demographics to recent conflicts with VCU. A collection of ephemera includes advertisements for neighborhood businesses, a menu from the Chuck Wagon, and flyers for community events.

Although the exhibit is small and can be seen in about half an hour, everyone but the most seasoned neighborhood historians is sure to learn some new facts about Oregon Hill. Disciples of Vulcan could go from great to amazing if more in-depth information were to be added, such as more details about why the neighborhood remained relatively unchanged for as long as it did, race relations, boy gangs, bread riots, and personal stories about life in the area. As it is, the exhibit it a must-see for all Oregon Hill residents and enthusiasts, and will be invaluable in establishing a sense of identity as newer transplants become members of this longstanding community.

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The Valentine Richmond History Center is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, and Sunday 12pm – 5pm. Admission is normally $8, but Sundays are Pay What You Can Day. The museum is located at 1015 E. Clay Street.

tess m. dixon

* alwaysmidnight.etsy.com
* parasolparty.wordpress.com
* midnightsocietyrva.com

City To Resurface Idlewood

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From press release:

WHO: City of Richmond Department of Public Works

WHAT: Street resurfacing project

WHEN: Tuesday, May 26 through Wednesday, June 24

WHERE:
Grove Avenue between Three Chopt Road and the Downtown Expressway
Leigh Street between DMV Drive and Belvidere Street
Leigh Street between Jefferson Avenue and Chimborazo Boulevard
Idlewood Avenue between Boulevard and Robinson Street
Idlewood Avenue between Harrison Street and Belvidere Street
Thompson Street between Cary Street and Monument Avenue

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this project is to improve and maintain the City of Richmond’s transportation system. Crews will construct wheelchair ramps and mill and pave various areas throughout the City. Proper street maintenance not only provides safe roadways for citizens, but it also helps to avoid greater reconstruction costs in the future. Traffic will be maintained while these projects are in progress.

From refuse collection to pothole reports, Customer Care Center representatives are available at 3-1-1 to assist citizens with all of their Public Works needs. For more information on the City of Richmond, visit www.RichmondGov.com .

Once An Oregon Hill Resident: Ida Mae Thompson

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I have mentioned Oregon Hill’s activist history before, but then I was tipped off about this online entry:

Ida Mae Thompson (1866–1947)

Ida Mae Thompson was an important figure in Virginia’s woman suffrage movement, not for her political work but for her recordkeeping. First as a member of the Equal Suffrage League, the organization that led the effort to win women the right to vote, and then as a member of the League of Women Voters, Thompson collected and preserved the movement’s history.

……

Thompson and her English-born mother moved to Richmond in 1886 to live with Thompson’s brother, Otis, a telegraph operator. The family lived in a rented frame house in the working-class neighborhood of Oregon Hill, on South Cherry Street near Hollywood Cemetery, just down the street from the first free circulating library in Richmond.

…..
(Go to top link for full entry)

Assault on Tredegar Street

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I have a report of an aggravated assault on the 400 block of Tredegar Street that took place about 6:30 yesterday. One male attacking another. No other info yet. Technically this did not happen in Oregon Hill, but close by, below the Virignia War Memorial.

Hopefully, crime reporting will be a topic of conversation when the new sector police leader, Lt. Baltz, meets with the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association this coming Tuesday night.