Free Popcorn and…

…a reminder that the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is holding its Annual Block Party in conjunction with Open High’s Fall Festival this Saturday!

From announcement:

Thanks so much to our friends at Pine St. Baptist for supplying popcorn and snow cones! Later in the evening they will also be screening our annual Block Party sunset movie! This year is CASPER, and they’ll be providing hot dogs, sides, and drinks! Free!!

Precinct Voting Location Changed Due To Mold Concerns At School

Ned Oliver wrote about the change for Axios Richmond:

The local electoral board took emergency steps to move two voter precincts out of city school buildings.

What’s happening: The decision follows complaints by teachers and staff that the facilities in question are infested with mold.

What they’re saying: “The move was decided due to the presence of unhealthy air quality conditions,” the General Registrar’s office said in a statement Monday.

Details: A precinct at Clark Spring Elementary in the Randolph/Maymont neighborhoods is moving to VCU University Student Commons.

And a South Richmond precinct at Boushall Middle is moving to Hickory Hill Community Center.
Of note: The move avoids a single day of potential exposure for voters and election workers, but RPS staff and students are continuing to use the facilities on a permanent basis.

One neighbor had this to say on the matter:

I’m confused. I personally helped volunteer and pack up textbooks and art supplies and such over 10 years ago because of the mold (other neighbors were there)
I thought the mold was gone
I’ve heard they are doing tests….what’s going on?

Voters can’t breath the air for 15 minutes but kids and faculty have to go 5 days a week
What the hell

Another neighbor:

As i mentioned when I voted in the primary this summer, The VCU commons is a terrible location for us. There’s only paid parking (if it’s not paid due to holiday they need signs this year saying that)
There’s no info on whether to enter on main or Floyd. For the primary this summer, I parked on main st and there were zero voter signs (this where everyone from the 505 would walk or drive bc the entire precinct is south of main st). There were signs saying no parking on the north side of the street. There were no signs signifying a polling location when I walked in either. It was on the 2nd floor with no elevator readily available that I could find. I suspect they want to combine forces for the poll workers at the colocated 207 location. I’m signing up for mail only now.

The mold issue is particularly galling given that school building maintenance has been an ongoing city issue for decades.

It also feeds into longstanding suspicions that the Clark Spring Elementary is suffering a gradual ‘demolition by negligence’ so that the City can eventually sell off the land to developers or VCU.

Regardless, bad news for the public.

Save The Date- Oregon Hill Fall Festival on October 21st

Folks who attended the OHNA meeting Zoom call got to hear about planning for this year’s Oregon Hill Fall Festival, scheduled for October 21.

Paraphrasing…
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) is cosponsoring the festival with Open High this year, so it will be on China St. There will still be a movie in the evening over in Pleasants Park (vs the parking lot) with Pine St Baptist.
There will be a few raffles going on.
Money raised will go towards Open High scholarships for students for international educational trips.
There are 3 costume contests at the festival: kids, YA, and adult. There is also a best decorated Halloween house contest. Judging for the house contest takes place before the festival and the winner is announced at the festival. Costume contests are judged at the Festival and winners announced shortly after the judging.

VCU Green Action! Demonstration Friday

From VCU Green Action! invitation:

Hello All,

My student organization, Green Action!, is hosting a peaceful demonstration on Friday the 21st from 12-1, starting at the Compass and walking to President Rao’s office, where we will demand that the university begin to take climate change seriously, and I’m humbly asking you to attend.

VCU has a responsibility to its students, the greater Richmond area, and as an institution of higher learning wielding power in our society, to look out for our futures. Last semester, when faculty met with Rao’s administration about declaring a climate emergency, they said they didn’t want to get political. Our future isn’t political.

Please consider setting aside just an hour of your time. All you need to do is show up – the more people there are, the harder it will be for the administration to ignore us.

Thank you, first of all, for signing the petition to encourage President Rao to declare a climate emergency. Every signature matters, and we expect to reach our goal of 2,000 before earth Day! If you want to review the petition in detail, you can read it here. It includes nine action items that accompany the emergency declaration for VCU to accomplish.

Secondly, thank you for opening and reading this email. You’re a trooper for that.

I hope to see you on Friday the 21st at 12:00 in the Compass. You can follow @greeanactionrva on Instagram for reminders on when and where the protest will take place in the following week.

Let’s show Rao and his administration that student voices can’t, and won’t, be ignored.

Carolyn Hindle

Inflatable VCU Logo To Be Floated Over Monroe Park

The Richmond Times Dispatch recently reported that Virginia Commonwealth University is planning to increase its visibility with larger signs around its campus.

“Beginning this fall, the university will install more of the large VCU letter signs that dot its campus. They are metal, bright yellow and roughly 7 feet tall. They let visitors know when they are about to enter campus, which is why VCU calls them “front doors” to the university.”

In a followup phone interview yesterday evening, VCU officials confirmed that there will be an additional element unveiled later in the year- an inflated medallion dirigible sign that will be floated hundreds of feet above Monroe Park.

“Having secured permission from the Mayor’s office, President Rao wants this to be a shining beacon that can be seen from 64 and 95, and both sides of the river” gushed a member of VCU’s publicity department.

While many college and universities have produced inflatables, VCU plans to super-size theirs.The giant inflated medallion will have internal LED lights around the VCU logo so that it will glow brightly at night. It will be anchored with large steel cable that can be reeled in during times of inclement weather. It will be located at the northeast corner of Monroe Park, which has changed greatly over the last decade with many mature trees destroyed.

Further questions about costs were deferred to later, as were questions about a $415 million capital project for its planned VCU Dentistry Center, a new United Campus Workers committee focused on issues of campus-wide health and safety, a change in basketball coaches, and a new proposed tuition increase “because of inflation”. But then, VCU administration did state back in December that it needed to ‘raise’ $51 million in order to maintain standards.

$1,000 RCV Prize for a Richmond University

I am not a wealthy man. That said, sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is.

While I don’t think money should equal speech (I support www.MoveToAmend.org), in this case, I am willing to make an exception.

Given the FAILURE of Richmond City Council to fully consider and debate ranked choice voting earlier this Fall season, I am upping the ante for local political reform.

I, Scott Burger, pledge to reward whichever Richmond university student government is the first among Richmond university student governments to conduct a campus wide election of student government officers using ranked choice voting and incorporate ranked choice voting into its constitution/bylaws with a $1,000 prize.

So, a couple of notes on this-

No stipulation on how the prize money, once awarded, is spent. Although one suggestion- maybe a giant pizza party, free for all students, with toppings decided by ranked choice voting (see https://www.rcv123.org)

This contest is eligible for Richmond university student governments, meaning University of Richmond SGA, Virginia Commonwealth University SGA, or Virginia Union University SGA.

Although I am a Green Party member and board member of Fair Vote Virginia, this contest is not in any way affiliated with those groups. I alone am responsible for holding this contest and rewarding the prize money.

And since it is my hard-earned money, I reserve the sole right to judge who qualifies first for the prize. I will also decide on the time and method of payment (despite the post photo, most likely a personal check). If I detect insincerity and/or lack of commitment, I also reserve the right to withhold the prize money.

Talk it over during the Thanksgiving holiday break. Remember, this city, state, and country need young people to lead.

Open High Art Expo Auction!

From Open High’s newsletter:

Please support our Fine Arts Department by visiting our online Art Expo Auction! Just scan the QR code above or visit: https://m.charityauctionstoday.com/m/auctions/31000. This year’s goal is to raise $5,000 to purchase art supplies for all art classes in school year 2022-23. See below for images of the annual AP Art & Design Show held on Friday. Under the guidance of art teacher Brigette Newberry, these amazing artists develop substantive portfolios that showcase their ideas and skills with different materials and processes.

Fox Elementary Fire

On Friday night, Fox Elementary School suffered a great fire. While not in the neighborhood, this public school is where many Oregon Hill children are zoned and many have attended in the past. Fox students will have Monday and Tuesday off with the rest of the week virtual while plans are being worked out to house the students for the remainder of the school year. This tragedy comes after years of disruption and hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to 5th District communication from Councilperson Lynch’s office, neighbors have reached out asking how they can help support and show love to the Fox Elementary family. The superintendent is encouraging community members to give their support to the RPS Foundation’s special fund for Fox Elementary. Please make sure to select “Fox Elementary Fire Response” in the pull-down menu (see screenshot below). One hundred percent of funds will go directly to teachers and students at Fox.

YWCA’s Sprout School To Have Oregon Hill “Outpost”

RichmondBizSense.com reports on the YWCA’s plans for expanding its childcare program.

The nonprofit’s Sprout School, a full-day and year-round early childhood education program, is expected to open a downtown Richmond location in spring 2022 and an Oregon Hill location in winter 2023.

The Oregon Hill outpost will be located at St. Andrew’s School at 227 S. Cherry St. The school and nonprofit have already signed an agreement to open the location, Tissiere said.