Calling All Rams…Churches Sponsor Welcome Back Students Picnic On Sunday
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Water Utility Reform and Local Elections
Although multiple media outlets covered the City Democratic Committee mayoral forum at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School this past Tuesday, the Times Dispatch newspaper captured this exchange:
Morrissey also chided Berry, a former assistant city manager in Richmond and county manager in Hanover County, on his response to a council candidate’s concerns about high city water rates that are inflated by an annual payment to the general budget in lieu of taxes.
Berry had warned that eliminating the payment from the public utility enterprise fund would hurt the city’s general budget. “The problem is if you take that away, it’s money that goes away from the general fund.”
Morrissey responded, “Just because you need the money doesn’t mean you can add a phony, faux tax to the water bill.”
Councilperson Baliles, who could not attend that forum, released this video:
On top of that, there was this announcement:
On today’s packed edition of Open Source RVA, we talk with city council candidate Charlie Diradour about his campaign to represent the second district. We discuss Richmond’s water rates, transparency in city government, what’s happening with Monroe Park and a host of other topics
…
We also welcome back to the program Farid Alan Schintzius, who talks about his legal efforts to appeal the decision by the city’s electoral board that disqualified him from the mayoral ballot. Too much show? You decide. Listen in at 2PM on WRIR 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org.
That’s today (Friday, Sept. 9 at 2pm).
So…The ongoing citizen campaign to reform City of Richmond’s water utility has become part of the local election landscape. Oregon Hill neighbors and others who have worked over time to bring water utility reform forward are excited to hear what the candidates have to say going forward.
It continues to be outrageous that small volume residential citizens can pay as much as 78% of their water/sewer bill for service charges, while some above average volume users can pay as little as 11%.
Will the candidate support removing the federal income tax surcharge on the water rates?
Will the candidate support lowering the base service charge that all customers must pay before receiving the first drop of water?
Will the candidates support discontinuing the use of the water utility as a cash cow for the city’s general fund?
Oops. Oh, VCU.
Throwback Thursday with ‘The Lady in the Lavender Hat’
It is Thursday, right? Holiday sometimes throws people off.
Anyway, Beth Stanford Tubb has graciously agreed to share stories of her grandmother and her early life on Oregon Hill (born and lived at 811 W. Cary Street). She has put many of these on her blog, Eliza Jane.
Here’s a sample:
The Lady in the Lavender Hat
Claryce, my “Granny”, was born at home and grew up in an old Richmond neighborhood called Oregon Hill. It was 1923. For a variety of reasons (each their own short story, to be posted later), she left St. Andrew’s School after the eighth grade in order to get a job and help her family financially.
Each day Claryce would ride to work on the trolley. She enjoyed the views, watching the city go by, usually with the same group of people. One morning, a woman got on the trolley who caught Granny’s attention: The woman had beautiful auburn hair, pulled back in a low bun, crowned by a lavender hat.
Each morning my grandmother, still a teenager, would secretly wait for the woman with the auburn hair and lavender hat to board the trolley. Granny marveled at her beautiful skin, her kind eyes, her auburn hair, and the way it looked so lovely against the lavender.
Once in a while Granny was free from helping around the house and caring for her three siblings, one of whom had Cerebral Palsy. She would meet her friends at the ice cream shop and hang out much the way we do in coffee shops today. At this point, she was around eighteen years old. There was a boy also hanging around the ice cream shop who was particularly handsome. He reminded Granny of Humphrey Bogart. She got up the nerve to talk to him and, having no money that day, asked if she could have a lick of his ice cream. His name was Herbert.
Herb and Claryce began dating and would ride around town on the trolleys for ten cents, holding hands. “Just people watchin’” she’d say. Eventually Herb (my grandfather) took Claryce home to meet his mother. As they opened the front door and entered the parlor, Granny could not believe her good fortune: There, smiling and holding out her hand, stood Lois Ann, the woman from the trolley, the lady with the auburn hair and lavender hat.
‘The Jungle Book’ On Friday
From email announcement:
Community Movie Night
Friday, September 9 at dusk
Pleasants Park behind Pine Street Baptist Church
As always, refreshments served
This Morning
Photo courtesy of Pine Street neighbor Cristina Dominguez Ramirez.
VCU Siren Test Today At Noon
From VCU Police site:
At noon on Wednesday, September 7th, VCU will conduct a full test of the emergency communications and alerting systems. This test is conducted to validate the readiness of these systems and to educate the VCU community to campus emergency preparedness activities.
New Construction Behind Fine Foods
I suspect this will be a new building for the food cart support business there.
Back to School!
Accident at Pine and Spring
The Labor Day quiet was disturbed this afternoon by an accident at S. Pine and Spring. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Just received this timely reminder from the Richmond Police Department:
Drive Safely, Back to School Begins Tomorrow
September 5, 2016
Motorists are urged to use extra caution on the roads as students head back to class on Tuesday for the start of a new school year.
School buses will roll through city streets, picking up students from bus stops and ferrying them to schools across the city. Children will also be walking to school along city sidewalks.
“School safety is always a priority,” said Chief Alfred Durham. “As school begins, we will have officers driving by schools and bus stops as well as visiting school buildings to make their presence know, interact with the youth and help facilitate a safe learning environment for the students.”
Police ask motorists to drive safely at all times, especially in school zones, and to be aware of students at bus stops. Drivers are reminded that passing a stopped school bus with its lights flashing is a traffic violation that could result in a significant fine.