From ‘The Avenue Of Champions’

The air blowing into the open window was warm enough to warn of the heat to come but not yet unpleasant. The wipers smeared their way back and forth across the greasy windshield, trying to erase the light drizzle that had begun to fall. The homeless were already busy making their way through the late summer fog, eyes wild and blazing. A group of three staggered like the undead toward the Belvedere 7-Eleven that was behind my old house on Pine. It was almost six o’clock — when they started selling booze again. We rolled our small convoy urgently past them and got it on further downtown, supercans rattling around in the steel cage that formed the bed of the stake body truck, the bags inside the cans whipping recklessly in the wind.

So begins a new novel by Clay Blancett, entitled The Avenue of Champions. You can read the rest of the first chapter on his blog, fig.1-Worm Drive.

The whole thing just became available on Amazon. Here’s the summary from there:

A recently divorced single father struggles to maintain his identity and integrity working for the City of Richmond’s Solid Waste pick up. The protagonist negotiates the environments of manual labor and family life while trying to avoid the costs of his alcoholism on his family, his past, and his sense of himself. Nearly brought to suicide, the protagonist survives by discovering the basic beauty of the humanity he shares with the people he works with.

I have posted before about authors before who include Oregon Hill in their stories. Of course I have followed Howard Owen, with his detective thriller, Oregon Hill, but don’t forget the post-plague Harbor On The Hill. I would love to post more.

ATTENTION: New Traffic Patterns In Neighborhood

Today the City implemented a proposed stop sign change plan in the neighborhood, thus changing a few traffic patterns.

Stop sign locations have been ‘switched’ or ‘flipped’ at China and Laurel, Albemarle and Laurel, China and Pine, Albemarle and Cherry.

Please alert neighbors and other drivers. As one neighbor put it:

Everybody go slow and safe for a week or so. Expect a few bumpers to be bumped but please watch out for bikes as always.

Sept. 23 Shredding, Pesticide, Oil-based Paint Collection Event MOVED!

From email announcement:

EVENT MOVED TO 1710 ROBIN HOOD RD

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017
RVA Clean City Commission
RVA Department of Public Utilities – Stormwater Utility

Shredding, Pesticides, Herbicides and
Oil-based Paints and Stains Collection Event!

WHO: Richmond residential collection and disposal only. This event is NOT for commercial or business disposal.
WHEN: Saturday, September 23, 2017 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

WHERE: 1710 Robin Hood Rd, Richmond, VA 23220-1012
WHAT:
Shredding up to 5 boxes or 5 paper bags of PERSONAL documents including:
Taxes, bank statements, cancelled checks, credit card statements and receipts, financial accounts, medical records, and insurance documents.
We cannot accept: COMMERCIAL BUSINESS documents, X Rays, cardboard, plastic bags, metal, batteries, CDs, notebooks, binders, or bags of previously shredded papers.

Pesticides, Herbicides and Oil-based Paints
Keep these hazardous waste materials out of our waterways and our waste stream. Bring your pesticides, herbicides and OIL-based paints and OIL-based stains for proper disposal.
(Latex and water-based paints can be left in opened cans until they have dried out and then put in with regular curbside trash pick-up.)

Biodegradable Bags Give-away
City Residents will be given up to 10 bags for leaf disposal (while supply lasts).

Small Recycle Tubs
Clean up and drop off your old curbside recycling bins for reuse in the schools.

HELP spread the word by sending this notice or sharing this link to members in your organization, civic association, friends, neighbors, relatives, and any Richmond resident who might benefit from the information. Share link

Electronics recycling will NOT be collected at this event.

This free event is only available to City of Richmond residents – proof of residency is required.

Questions about shredding and small tubs to
Darlene.Mallory@richmondgov.com or 804-646-8325.
Questions about pesticides, herbicides and oil-based paints to Gay.Stokes@richmondgov.com or 804-646-0177.

Richmond Zine Fest Coming Up

Coming up at the Main branch of the Richmond Public Library (Oregon Hill’s branch, 101 E. Franklin St.):

Richmond Zine Fest! Featuring over 100 zine makers.

September 29th: Workshops
September 30th: Tabling

FRIDAY THE 29TH: WORKSHOP LINE UP
11 am – 11:45 – Homie to Homie: dismantling strangers, documenting kinship, resisting through community
12 pm – 12:45 – Organizing Zine Fest: Trials, Errors & Lessons
1 pm – 1:45 – a very long mixtape
2:30 pm – 3:00 – Zines in the classroom
3:15 pm – 4:30 – Supporting All Choices: Full-Spectrum Doula Care for Pregnant People
4:45 pm – 5:30 – Quick Zines + Comics as Icebreakers
MORE DETAILS: https://richmondzinefest.org/friday-programs/

SATURDAY THE 30TH: TABLING! 130ISH TABLERS! WOW!
Come and buy zines directly from their makers! Bring cash and small bills and enjoy!
MORE DETAILS ON EACH TABLER HERE: https://richmondzinefest.org/saturday-exhibitors/

https://richmondzinefest.org/