Author Archives: Scott

Last Chance To Give Voters A Voice On VCU/Farrell Coliseum Scheme

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If Richmond citizens want to be able to vote on the VCU/Farrell/Stoney coliseum scheme, their last chance to do so may be decided in the next few days. Over 13,000 Richmond citizens have signed the petition for the “Choose Children over a Costly Coliseum“ Referendum, drafted by Paul Goldman, supported by the Sierra Club Falls of the James and others. Many of these signatures were done on Election Day last year, but the deadline to file the petition is coming up quickly (like in the next few days!), and more signatures are needed to ensure it getting on the ballot. If it does not make it on the ballot, citizens may be forced to live with and pay up for whatever the Mayor and City Council do with the $1.4. billion scheme, and it could effect City budgets for a decade to come. So, what’s it going to be? Schools or corporate welfare?

In the interest of informing the public, I am going to post the petition/referendum here. However, please ask yourself, why has local media not done so- again, over 13,000 Richmond citizens have already signed it. So why have Times Dispatch, Style, RVA Magazine, etc. mostly ignored this heroic grassroots effort? If you have been following along, including the latest FOIA struggle, things may be more clear. The Richmond Free Press and oregonhill.net have offered the most coverage on it.

The first Put Schools First referendum was fairly straight forward in demanding that Richmond leaders, especially the Mayor, come up with plan to modernize the schools first in the City’s budget planning. This second referendum, perhaps due to opposing nature, is a bit more convoluted, so here’s a quick explanation: it first states that citizens want schools to come before a new coliseum. It then includes a poison pill provision against using a TIFF (Tax Incremental Financing Fund) to finance the scheme by stating that a majority of the funding raised would have to go to schools first. It then ends with a measure to keep the schemers from going back to the meals tax for money.

If you are a resident of the City of Richmond and a registered voter, please take the time to sign this petition, even if you ultimately decide to not vote for it once it is on the ballot. 13,000 of your neighbors have already done so, don’t let them down! Give people a voice!

New Stop Signs In Consideration

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Oregon Hill is once again looking at possibly changing traffic patters as a new proposal is being weighed at City Council’s Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee.

Ordinance 2019-147 reads:
To erect all-way stop signs at the intersections of Spring Street and South Pine Street, Spring Street and South Laurel Street, Albemarle Street and South Laurel Street, and Albemarle Street and South Cherry Street, with a painted stop line at each intersection.

This follows neighbors’ discussion with City Councilperson Parker Agelasto’s office in regard to continued concerns about traffic safety. To quickly recap, neighbors originally requested all-way stop signs at Spring and Laurel and Spring and Pine, but agreed to try changing more intersections’ stop sign direction, now that concerns have continued, all-stops are being reconsidered.

Buskey at Tredegar or “Cider by the River” On Saturday

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Local company Buskey Cider will be doing pop-up at historic Tredegar this Saturday.

Information from the FaceBook event page:

They’ll be pouring ciders at Historic Tredegar on the front patio of the American Civil War Museum overlooking the river and parts of Brown’s Island from 12-5pm on Sat, 7/13. Boka Tako Truck will be joining for quick eats while everyone enjoys the awesome environment at Historic Tredegar in front of the museum. A portion of proceeds from the event will go to the ACWM.

Favorite ciders from Buskey will be available, such as RVA Cider, and their popular summer seasonal, Watermelon Rosemary, and will all be sold by the pour.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

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This Wednesday is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup. Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night.

If you have not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for your Recycling Perks.
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

Richmond’s Style Magazine recently had a feature on how many localities are struggling with their recycling programs.

This is a good time to remind neighbors who are moving that there a number of thrift stores in the area that will take used items for resale, which is a much better option that throwing them in trash/recycling bins. In addition, there are some neighbors who have expressed interest in holding a neighborhood-wide yard sale later this month. More details on that should be forthcoming.

GWAR Announces Brockie Memorial For Hollywood Cemetery

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Richmond’s outer space metal monster band GWAR has announced that there will be an unveiling of a memorial monument to its late lead singer Dave Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus in Hollywood Cemetery at 2 pm on Friday, August 30, which is Brockie’s 56th birthday. A least a few of GWAR’s band members, including Brockie, lived at different points in Oregon Hill.

Pita Pit Chain Coming To Oregon Hill

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Richmond Bizsense is reporting that a chain restaurant will be part of the new development at S.Laurel and W.Cary Streets.

Pita Pit signed a lease in recent weeks to take about 900 square feet in the 805W project – a four-story, 100-unit apartment development with about 8,000 square feet of ground floor space – that’s under construction at 805 W. Cary St.