This Wednesday evening, 7 pm at the Science Museum of Virginia, the Sierra Club Falls of the James will be holding one of its regular monthly meetings. Its free and open to the public. This month’s meeting features a presentation called “My Journey of Discovery on the James River”, by Kaleigh Remaldo, an Open High student.

From the SCFOJ newsletter:

Kaleigh Remaldo, a student at Open High in Richmond, along with 20 other high schoolers in 2011, won a $50,000 Dominion Power grant to take a 28 day canoe trip from Covington to the Ches Bay, her “Journey of Discovery on the James River”. On their trip, they were to measure and map the relationship between land uses and water quality, keep journals, and record their experiences. This should be a unique presentation. Also, Glen Besa, our Virginia State Chapter Director, will provide our annual briefing on the General Assembly. Learn about the good, bad, and ugly legislation in the 2012 General Assembly.

After a fight that attracted the attention of six police cars on Jan. 20 in the IHOP Express at Laurel and Grace Place, Dining Services’ recent decision to check student IDs might make more sense to students.
In last Tuesday’s TelegRAM, VCU announced that the IHOP Express will be increasing security on Friday, Saturday and Sunday after 1 a.m, when they stop taking swipes.
VCU students will be asked to show their ID in order to access the dining facility. They are allowed to have a maximum of three guests.

The eatery was opened this past year as part of new Grace Street parking deck construction.

In more positive news, students can use the Cabell library more as open hours have increased, and there is a student petition that asks the VCU administration to focus more on student needs and less on construction and expansion of the Monroe campus. (ed.- No surprise here).

The Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
(VASFAA) will host the 10th annual Super Saturday at 65 sites across the
Commonwealth of Virginia on three consecutive Saturdays – January 28,
February 4 and February 11. Ten (10) of those sites are in the Metro
Richmond Area.

Super Saturday provides an opportunity for college-bound students and
returning college students to get free, professional, one-on-one
assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) on-line. Financial aid professionals are on hand to assist
students and parents in completing the FAFSA. Also, financial aid
presentations are also provided to explain the federal and state
financial aid process to students and parents.

Once the student leaves this event, he/she will have initiated the
financial aid process for any college they are interested in attending
and will have met the priority filing date for most Virginia colleges.
VASFAA understands that the financial aid process can be daunting. We
hope that by offering this opportunity to students and parents, we can
help ease this process for hundreds of Virginia residents.

As an incentive for attending Super Saturday, students will have chance
to win a $100 Book Scholarship. A Book Scholarship will be awarded to
one student at each Super Saturday site to be used at the winner’s
college of choice during the 2012-13 academic year.

In the Richmond area, Super Saturday will be held at:

January 28 South University, 2152 Old Brick Road, Glen
Allen, VA

February 4 John Tyler Comm. College, 13101 Jefferson Davis
Hwy, Chester, VA
Glen Allen High School, 10700 Staples Mill Road,
Glen Allen, VA
Henrico High School, 302 Azalea Avenue, Henrico,
VA
Virginia College, 7200 Midlothian Turnpike,
Richmond, VA

February 11 Charles City High School, 10039 Courthouse Road,
Charles City, VA
Hopewell High School, 400 South Mesa Drive,
Hopewell, VA
Virginia State Univ., 1 Hayden Dr., Engineering
Bldg, Petersburg, VA
John Marshall High School, 4225 Old Brook Road,
Richmond, VA
Meadowbrook High School, 4901 Cogbill Road,
Richmond, VA

Super Saturday is open to the public. For more information about Super
Saturday 2012, please visit www.VASFAA.org.

Please join us on Tuesday, January 24 at noon for “Computers and the Eyes”
presented by Dr. Juan Orellana, Associate Professor, VCU Dept. of
Ophthalmology. This program will cover how to work comfortably with
computers, and address other causes of eyestrain and headaches. Space is
limited and registration is required. Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information or to register, please contact Sarah or Dana at
828-2432, or email seamick@vcu.edu.

The Community Health Education Center is located in the VCU Medical Center
Gateway Building, Ground Floor, 1200 East Marshall Street, Richmond, VA
23298.
For more information about CHEC and our programs, please visit our website
at http://www.vcuhealth.org/chec/ and our Connect Richmond profile at
http://www.connectrichmond.org/default.aspx?tabid=130&orgid=3297.
We also have a facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VCU-Health-System-Community-Health-Education-Center/148511228543952

Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, (PHSSA), the State’s first elementary charter school and a Richmond Public School, is accepting new kindergarten and first grade applications for mid-year enrollment as it moves into its permanent location at 3411 Semmes Avenue, Richmond, VA.
PHSSA has an academically challenging integrated curriculum based on a SOL framework that demonstrates an environmental science focus that integrates the Arts, Language, Math, and Social Studies. The students tested 94% in English and 97% in math on the spring, 2011 SOL assessments. The new location of the school provides additional square footage that allows PHSSA to open up more spots for enrollment.
The school currently has 185 students and is proud of its very involved and diverse community. One parent offered up some thoughts on their experience with PHSSA.
“We have lived in Richmond for eight years, and we made the decision to enroll our child in PHSSA mainly because of the integrated curriculum and the focus on science, art, and environmental studies,” said PHSSA kindergarten parent, Matthew Warner. “I witness this as I talk to my child about what he has learned, and I look at the work that he has done at the school. In addition, my kindergartner can apply these things in his daily life. The ideas that he expresses, while we are on our family activities are a direct result of the lessons and the curriculum from PHSSA.”
Interested families can visit the PHSSA website at www.patrickhenrycharter.org to download an application or can pick up an application at any of the Richmond City Branch Libraries. Families will need to complete the application and mail it to P.O. Box 2459, Richmond, VA, 23218.
Applications must be postmarked by Monday, January 9th to be considered for enrollment. No preference will be given to families who get their applications in early. If applications exceed space, a lottery will be performed. Families will be notified of enrollment by January 17, 2012.
Patrick Henry School is the first elementary charter school in Virginia. The school’s charter was approved in October 2008. The school started its second year of school on August 10, 2011.

In other news, Open High School won a 2012 Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award.

From the announcement:

The Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award was earned by 171 schools (ed. across the state) that met all state and federal benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and made progress toward the goals of the governor and the board.

Congratulations Open High!

The VCU Horn Choir will be performing during
Pine Street‘s 11:00 worship service on Sunday,
December 11th.

The ultimate frisbee club of VCU is having a yard sale to raise money for upcoming tournaments! We have clothes, shoes, bike parts, electronics, toys, games, and much more!! We will be set up in Monroe park, near VCU from 12-4 all weekend!

Hello Everyone,

Of interest to fellow Oregon Hill residents might be our newly uploaded digital collection of an Architectural Survey. This collection includes both Jackson Ward and Oregon Hill. From the home page, “This collection contains data sheets that identify and evaluate over 600 structures located in Richmond’s Jackson Ward and Oregon Hill neighborhoods. The surveys were compiled by the City of Richmond’s Department of Planning and Community Development in the mid-1970s. The evaluations were intended to be used in preservation plans and for city planning as a whole. These data sheets predate the standard survey forms used in Virginia used since the 1980s”. To access the collection, visit the URL below, and click on the blue button, Browse Collection. Then you can choose to select Oregon Hill which has 277 images from photographs and survey forms. Have fun viewing the history of our neighborhood!

http://dig.library.vcu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/ras

Hi all-

I attended a meeting for community members wednesday afternoon to give initial concerns toward the new VCU masterplan getting ready to be shaped. Other community members from the Fan, Monroe Ward and MCV community were there as well.

There was an OVERWHELMING consensus among all the neighborhoods represented that past VCU administration had not kept their word on previous masterplans nor on individual agreements they had made with them.

I said that Oregon Hill REQUIRES a legally binding agreement to establish a boundary of Cary Street which VCU cannot cross. The moderators told the group that the current enrollment had leveled off and that they were concentrating on improving what they have, maybe adding up to 500 faculty members in the next 6 to 9 years.

Other concerns I brought forth were the need for the roundabout and 2 way traffic on Idlewood between Cherry and Harrison so VCU cars getting off the Downtown Expressway can turn to go toward the Harrison street parking deck without going through Oregon Hill causing congestion. In addition I stressed accountability for all of their facilities including the parking problems which were exacerbated by the building of the new rec center.

We desperately need support from our Councilperson on meeting these goals for improving quality of life issues in Oregon Hill regarding VCU’s presence.

Your neighborhood association meets every 4th Tuesday of the month at William Byrd Community House at 7PM. Please come out and get involved to make Oregon Hill a better place to live!

Thanks.

VCU’s Dining Services has introduced a new composting program to reduce waste output out of Market-810 as part of VCU’s larger green initiative.
At the end of September, VCU had diverted 11,365 pounds of waste from going to a landfill by sending its organic waste to a compost pile in Waverly, Va. through a company called Natural Organic Process Enterprises (NOPE).
“(Five tons is) the size of (a) construction dumpster,” said Tamara Highsmith, VCU’s Dining Sales and Services manager.

What are other local schools and restaurants doing to compost?

The VCU Friends of the Library invite you to the annual book sale at James Branch Cabell Library from October 24 through 28, 2011. There are hundreds of books , most for $2 or less. All proceeds from the sale help to fund VCU Libraries’ programs, collections, and lectures.

VCU Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale
October 24-28, 2011

James Branch Cabell Library
Basement, Room B 7
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA.

2011 Sale Hours:
Monday, October 24: Noon – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, October 25: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 26: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday, October 27: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. **Special ½ price sale
Friday, October 28: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.**Special ½ price sale

Preview Sale for Friends of the Library Donors:
Monday, October 24: 9 am – Noon
(Please present your Friends donor card for admission to the preview sale.)

For more information about the Friends of the Library Book Sale, please contact Antonia FD Vassar at (804)-827-1165 or Gregory Kimbrell at (804) 828-0593.,

Please see http://www.library.vcu.edu/giving/booksale.html for book sale policies and updates about the sale.

Special thanks to Tree Stewards and VCU students who volunteered.

VCU TO HOST OCTOBER 1 FORUM ON MERIT PAY AND TEACHER EVALUATION

There is a heated debate raging across the country about reforms to change the way teachers are paid. Some reformers have argued that the key to keeping the best teachers in the profession is to reward them for their excellence with merit pay. Critics argue that merit pay relies too strongly on standardized tests results that do not validly indicate who is a better teacher than others. The Virginia Department of Education is currently partnering with a small number of districts around the state to test out different merit pay systems.

A forum will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, noon-2 p.m., in the Virginia Commonwealth University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms C and D, 907 Floyd Ave., in Richmond, to bring together a number of speakers who represent diverse opinions regarding this reform. The goal of the forum is to provide a democratic space where these views can be shared, and where the public can join the dialogue.

Panelists will include:

· Kitty Boitnott, Virginia Education Association President
· Gabriel Reich, VCU School of Education Assistant Professor
· Tichi Pinkney Eppes, Greater Richmond Education Reform Alliance
· Stephanie Hooks, Richmond Public Schools
· Mary Tedrow, National Board Certified Teacher
· Martin Reardon, VCU School of Education Associate Professor

The forum is sponsored by Richmond Teachers for Social Justice, South Atlantic Philosophy of Education Society, VCU School of Education and the Student Virginia Education Association.

###

RICHMOND, VA, September 19, 2011 – Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, a Richmond Public School, will be reopening second, fourth and fifth grades for additional enrollment spots.

Interested families can visit the PHSSA website at www.patrickhenrycharter.org to download an application or can stop by the school at Woodland Heights Baptist Church – Education Center, 611 West 31st Street, Richmond, to pick up an applications. Families will need to complete the application and mail it or drop it off at the school during the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Applications must by postmarked by Friday, September 23rd to be considered for enrollment. No preference will be given to families who get their applications in early. If applications exceed space a lottery will be performed. Families will be notified of enrollment by September 28th.

Patrick Henry School is the first elementary charter school in Virginia. The school’s charter was approved in October 2008. The school started its second year of school on August 10, 2011.

# # # #

Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school based on meaningful parent, educator, and community involvement. The school will provide the children of our diverse community with an academically rigorous science- and arts-based curriculum that emphasizes environmental awareness and social responsibility. See more at www.patrickhenrycharter.org.

From Times Dispatch article:

For Richmond residents, the most apparent sign of the testing will involve 10 sirens sounding at noon throughout the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

The sirens will sound a speedy up-and-down wail for three minutes. Then, after a one-minute pause, the sirens will sound a steady wail for one-minute to signal “all clear” and conclude the test.

The inaugural Lobs & Lessons Family Open will serve up to 256 participants from the greater Richmond area on Saturday, September 17th, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. It will be hosted by the Mary and Frances Youth Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The event marks the continual partnership between the Lobs & Lessons program and the Richmond Tennis Association to develop QuickStart Tennis (QST) in the greater Richmond area. QST is a teaching format that allows more children the opportunity to experience the game, as the courts and equipment are smaller so they can feel confident. The tournament will ultimately promote QuickStart Tennis for Everyone, giving families the opportunity to play side by side and encourage the reluctant player, whether it is an adult or child.

The Lobs & Lessons Family Open is a QST event held to promote healthy lifestyles and demonstrate that QST is fun at any age, while providing a low-cost tournament opportunity for the greater Richmond area. In addition to promoting the growth of the game, the event will serve as an annual fundraiser for Lobs & Lessons. Doubles teams will have two registration options, one of which is a low-cost entry fee. A second option, “Team Challenge,” will encourage participants to raise money to support Lobs & Lessons. The event is presented by Lobs & Lessons and the Richmond Tennis Association. To register, please visit www.vcuyouthcenter.org.

…

The Lobs & Lessons Family Open will be held at the Mary and Frances Youth Center, using the Thalhimer Tennis Center and Cary St. Field, on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The Center is located at 120 South Linden Street, just off of West Cary Street, between Cary Street Field and the Cary Street Gym.

The school will be providing nutricious hot lunches for students Monday through Thursday this year and a cook is needed to plan and prepare those meals. Also, an afternoon receptionist is needed in the school office Monday through Thursday from 3:30-6:00pm. A pianist is needed for a half-hour school chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30am. Jane Page Watson, Assistant Head for the school, is the contact for all of these positions: 648-4545 or jpwatson@st-andrews-school.org.

There were fundraising events: songs were played, poetry was slammed, and the camp grew in the minds of its makers. The desire to create far-reaching varied impacts in the lives of area girls grew as well — not only would the camp focus on music, but it would include workshops on things like self defense, mural painting, zinemaking, healthy foods, and creative writing.

Each school receiving a waiver will remain fully accredited for three years. The schools qualified for the flexibility by achieving pass rates of 95 percent or higher in all four tested Standards of Learning (SOL) content areas for two consecutive years.

“The waivers provide an opportunity for high-achieving schools to try new approaches in covering the SOL content without worrying about a potential short-term impact on test scores and accreditation ratings,” Wright said. “I encourage superintendents and principals to empower teachers in these schools to move away from excessive review and practice and focus instead on providing rich and varied instruction that exceeds the standards.”

The 4 Richmond schools given waivers are Bellevue Elementary, Mary Munford Elementary, Open High and Richmond Community High.

The problems with that are numerous:

Oregon Hill residents in particular have no reason to trust VCU’s Master Plan process, simply because VCU now has a history of abruptly changing it’s Master Plan at any point to serve its own purposes. Add VCU’s assumed powers and history of encroachment on top of that, and there is even more reason for nearby neighborhoods to feel threatened. There’s no “community partnership” in that!

Another reason to look askance at the VCU Master Plan process is that Richmond in general has always discounted any citizen input into planning, including it’s own Downtown Master Plan. This city has a bad history of patrician rule that is not above playing racial politics with whole neighborhoods. It’s again worth noting that the initial draft of the City’s Downtown Master Plan asks for more protection of Richmond’s historic neighborhoods.

One thing that I conveyed to President Rao was how the administration’s willingness to disregard community concerns about VCU encroachment in turn fosters a disrespectful attitude from some VCU students and boosters. And it’s not just Oregon Hill that bears the brunt of this arrogance, especially in discussions over possible football stadium locations.

In the end, the VCU Public Relations Department can keep acquiring awards, but until the VCU administration takes the positive step of making a lasting, reliable border agreement with its neighbors who have been asking for one for years, then there can be no true “community partnership”. The thirty+ year siege of Oregon Hill continues.

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts today announced the introduction this fall of VCUarts Cinematheque, a new series of 10 world and independent art films to be screened at the Grace Street Theater.

Feature films will be projected in 35mm with VCUarts’ brand-new, state-of-the-art projecting system. The system includes a new theatrical screen, Dolby Stereo Surround Audio System and a German Kinoton FP 30D projector. The Grace Street Theater, which is located at 934 W. Grace St., seats 250 people in a stadium-seating layout.

The inaugural Cinematheque season will hold Tuesday screenings that start promptly at 7 p.m. The screenings will be free and open to the public on a first-come basis.

“We are excited that there will be an alternative theatrical film venue in Richmond to present art and world cinema in 35mm in a state-of-the-art movie theater,” said Rob Tregenza, director and professor in the VCUarts Department of Cinema and the programmer for the Cinematheque. “This series will provide a new opportunity for the VCU and Richmond community to experience great films in a setting and format that honors the work.”

Tregenza selected and programmed feature films in the series from current theatrical art house releases, world cinema and classic art cinema with input from the School of the Arts, the School of World Studies and cinephiles from the community.

The feature films for the fall are:

“The Island (Ostrov)” by Pavel Lungin – Sept. 6
Area: World Cinema/Russia

“The Window (La Ventana)” by Carlos Sorín – Sept. 13
Area: World Cinema/ Argentina

“Sita Sings the Blues” by Nina Paley – Sept. 20
Area: Animation

“White Material” by Claire Denis – Sept. 27
Area: The Masters

“Nostalgia for the Light” by Patricio Guzmán – Oct. 18
Area: The Masters/Documentary

“Hukkle (Hiccup)” by Gyorgy Palfi – Oct. 25
Area: Open Vault/Art Cinema

“Certified Copy” by Abbas Kiarostami – Nov. 8
Area: The Masters/World Cinema

“Le Quattro Volte” by Michelangelo Frammartino – Nov. 22
Area: World Cinema

“Mother and Son” by Aleksandr Sokurov – Nov. 29
Area: Open Vault/ Art Cinema

“A Screaming Man” by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun – Dec. 6
Area: World Cinema

1. Signed, binding agreement that VCU will not encroach into Oregon Hill any further. Note: OHNA has voted for this.

2. Extend urban business district zoning on W.Cary to Belvidere. Note: OHNA has voted for this. Community Development has worked on this.

3. Keep R7 zoning except where urban business (old storefronts) makes sense.

4. Where is the new canal bridge? Note: OHNA raised almost half a million in grant money for greenway.

5. Traffic circle/roundabout on Idlewood off of 195 exit that allows commuters coming off 195 to go west in addition to east on Idlewood, also adding an egress from Oregon Hill to the west on Idlewood (making the street two way again). Note: OHNA has voted for this. VCU said they would support, with financial help. Randolph and other groups attended planning meetings.

6. Noise ordinance needed.

7. Brick sidewalk repairs (Notice how this area, which is in Oregon Hill, is marked as VCU!)

8. Empty tree wells need filling

9. public trash/recycling cans needed on corners- the Fan has them, why not Oregon Hill?

10. Look at 4 way stop signs for some intersections to slow down commuters speeding on Laurel, trying to beat Belvidere lights.

Again, this list is not exhaustive. There are other issues that compete for the top slots. You will notice that I did not mention some of the more controversial ideas of parking permits/tags or going for City Historic District status (Oregon Hill already has federal/state recognition).

You will also note that none of my priorities target any particular residence or deal with property code violations. Although I understand the fear that my lobbying here brings in the CIty inspectors, I refute any insinuation that it is my intention, and I share the concern that officious action may be in retribution for publicizing issues). Please feel free to list some of your ideas in the comments below.

In the next few weeks I will be focusing on each of these issues more and hopefully have news of progress. THE top issue, a permanent land use written accord with VCU, may get an update as soon as this next week since VCU President Michael Rao has asked for neighborhood leaders to come to a “Monroe Park Campus Advisory Council” (not to be confused with MPAC, Monroe Park Advisory Council) meeting this Tuesday. I know OHNA leaders plan to attend.