Author Archives: Scott

Councilman Agelasto to hold meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District

Posted on by
Reply

From City press release:

All Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents invited and encouraged to attend

WHAT Richmond, Virginia – The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District. The planned program/agenda for this meeting includes the following:

· Virginia General Assembly Legislative Update

The Honorable Jennifer McClellan, Virginia State Senator
Senate of Virginia – 9th Voter District

The Honorable Betsy Carr, Virginia State Delegate
Virginia House of Delegates – 69th Voter District

· Richmond 300 City Master Plan Updates

· Richmond Central 5th Voter District Updates

· Questions and Comments

WHEN Thursday, August 16, 2018
6:45-8:00 p.m.

WHERE Richmond Public Schools – Binford Middle School
1701 Floyd Avenue; Richmond, Virginia

CONTACT For more information, please contact: Amy Robins, Liaison for The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, at 804.646.5724 (tel), or amy.robins@richmondgov.com (email).

Background
Councilman Agelasto typically holds individual meetings throughout the year that include information on his goals and accomplishments; a topical agenda; and, special guests. All Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents are invited and encouraged to attend.

Councilman Agelasto’s upcoming individually scheduled meetings and community clean-ups:

COUNCILMAN AGELASTO’S MEETINGS

Thursday, October 25, 2018; 6:45-8:00 p.m.
Patrick Henry School of Science & Arts
3411 Semmes Avenue; Richmond, Virginia

Thursday, December 13, 2018; 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Woodland Heights Baptist Church
611 West 31st Street; Richmond, Virginia

COMMUNITY CLEAN-UPS
The following community clean-up meet-up locations will be announced through the civic associations, through Councilman Agelasto’s e-newsletter, and on his Facebook page.

Saturday, September 15, 2018; 9:00 a.m. – Noon
Reedy Creek and Swansboro West Neighborhoods
Morning meet-up location to be determined

Saturday, October 20, 2018; 9:00 a.m. – Noon
Swansboro and Woodland Heights Neighborhoods
Morning meet-up location to be determined

– E N D –

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

Posted on by
Reply

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. Remember that the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority needs our help.

In recycling news, the country’s recycling and composting rate remains stuck at just over 34 percent, according to the U.S. EPA.

Big Garage Sale On Holly Street Tomorrow

Posted on by
2

From Craigslist ad:

Refrigerator,yard equipment/tools,armoire,outdoor furniture,dresser,children’s bike,coffee table, end tables,recliner, twin mattress set with frame,home decor,wall art,picture frames,desk with matching lateral file, 2 rolling office chairs,clothing,bags,purses,music,movies,children’s books,kitchen tools,plates, bowls,utensils and much more!
Sale location at detached garage around the corner on Riverside Park Rd to the left of Holly St Park in Oregon Hill neighborhood!

Litter Cleanup Monday with RVA Clean Sweep and VCU’s Ram Camp

Posted on by
Reply

The 5th District and RVA Clean Sweep are partnering with RAM CAMP again this year to pick up litter throughout the city! RAM CAMP is VCU’s welcome week for new freshmen students. They all know there is a community service component to the week. RAM CAMP volunteers will be in the neighborhood this coming Monday, August 13 from ~8:45 am-noon. They will be meeting at the Peddler On Pine Street restaurant. Wonderful neighbors will be helping lead this effort along with a RVA Clean Sweep volunteer lead. The focus will be litter pick up on Idlewood & Cumberland along with graffiti removal from public property. All are welcome to join in!

For more information, visit the MeetUp page by clicking here.

The Women of Hollywood Cemetery Walking Tour

Posted on by
Reply

This Saturday, August 11, from 2 to 4 p.m-Explore the role that women’s groups played in Hollywood Cemetery’s history from the Civil War to the present. Visit grave sites of women who were educators, authors, preservationists, suffragists and humanitarians.

Price: $15 Adult, $5 Child, $5 Valentine members
Length: 2 hours
Parking: On Street
Meeting place: Enter at Cherry and Albemarle streets, meet at the rear of the stone structure to the left.

Tour Notes

Advanced tickets are strongly encouraged. Space is limited.
Valentine walking tours are typically between 1-2 miles in length. We recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water.
Accessibility- People of all abilities are encouraged to join us for tours. If you have accessibility challenges or need accommodation, please let us know in advance.
Tours are held rain or shine. However, in extreme weather a tour may be cancelled. Call 804-649-0711 x 301 to verify the tour will take place.
Admission includes a $5 donation to the Friends of Hollywood Cemetery for ongoing restoration. Tours are made possible through a generous partnership with Hollywood Cemetery.

VCU’s ‘Free Ride’

Posted on by
2

This past week Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) announced that it had signed an agreement with the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) that will give their students and employees unlimited access to the new $65 million Pulse system and all other GRTC bus routes. In other words, as much local media trumpeted, VCU students and workers will get to ride ‘for free’.

Of course, this is welcome news. If nothing else, it may alleviate parking pressures and reduce carbon emissions. However, Richmond citizens should look past the headlines and consider the big picture of VCU’s ‘free ride’.

The conversation about the need to grow GRTC and mass transit in general has increased measurably as VCU has grown in both population and physical plant. All along, this community news site has advocated for more commitment from counties and universities to GRTC and mass transit. This call has only increased as ‘The Pulse’ BRT project has spent federal and state funds for implementation.

The problem is that with federal and state monies now spent, more and more of the cost burden will be shifted back to City taxpayers. And VCU, despite the announcement this week, is still falling very short in its commitment. $1.2 million is a drop in the bucket. Heck, VCU probably spent close to $1.2 million on all of the PR for their new ICA building. One year is not that long. Consider that VCU has made more of a commitment to its basketball coach than Richmond’s mass transit.

So what, the neoliberals say, college basketball brings in more money and GRTC can’t even support itself. VCU spends so much on transportation per student, university administrators say (if I was a student, I would be looking at where that money is going exactly). Yet, despite supposed sports profits and rising tuition, more poor and longterm Richmond residents are getting forced out of the City with rising tax bills. The City of Richmond continues to pay the overwhelming majority of GRTC’s budget and now it has increased its operational costs. Remember when ‘The Pulse’ backers said that it was designed to help Richmond’s poor? Now the largest entity by far on ‘The Pulse’ route is hedging its bets and waiting to see how the chips fall.

The local media and elected officials should be questioning this ‘deal’ more, but the majority of them won’t for fear of falling out of VCU’s favor (and advertising budget). If VCU alumni want to arrogantly claim that ‘they built this city’, they should be required to put their money where their mouth is. Other urban universities do more than brag.