Hot Days. Cool Foods.

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Scott

From email announcement:

Hot Days. Cool Foods.
Get it all at Byrd House Market.

Today’s Nonprofits:
Richmond Tree Stewards
Think fresh air and shade and all life as we know it!
Richmond Animal League
In honor of their visit, Mugsy’s Dogtown Lounge offers the following infographic:

Get a Free Tote Bag!
Bring in the Back to the Market post-it note from home delivered issues of the Richmond Times Dispatch and get a free Back to the Market tote bag! Learn more about the Capital Area Farmers Market Managers Association.

SNAP EBT $1 for $1 Byrd House Market Match
Double your spending power at the Market! Swipe your EBT card for $1 and get $1, swipe for $5 and get $5, $10 will get you $10 (the max). Breastfeeding WIC Moms and Seniors on Medicaid also qualify. (Offer good while funds last.) Thanks to the Carillon Civic Association and Healthy Community Action Team for making this incentive possible! Make a donation to help us continue this benefit, and get a free tote bag!

College ID $10 Deal
Attend or work for a university or college? Show your current ID card to a participating vendor and get a great deal on great, fresh foods!

For the Kids!
Storytelling, Face Painting & Making Bees in the Garden!

If you need help finding things:
Find directions, parking and more info at ByrdHouseMarket.org
Click Market Map to see the market’s layout of this season’s vendors.
Click Product Search to find vendors that sell what you’re after.
Restrooms: Portable toilet on the Soccer Field; and indoor facility in the WBCH building.
Hand-washing: There will be a hand washing station at the Market Info tent

Thanks to everyone who came out for Brews for Byrd House!!
Including the good folks at Triple Crossing Brewing!
Thursday, May 7, Triple Crossing Brewery, 113 S Foushee St., RVA, 23220
www.WBCH.org
Byrd House Market is a Neighborhood Nutrition Outreach program of William Byrd Community House.
Now enrolling for Summer Camp!
Cal 643-2717 to get your child enrolled.

Downtown RVA Bike Lanes meeting – This Monday

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Scott

Community Movie Night TOMORROW

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Scott

The summer long movie series known as Oregon Hill Community Movie Night will begin TOMORROW, May 8, at Dusk in Pleasants Park. The first movie of the season will not be Scarface. Instead it will be Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

The series operates every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, May thru October (though rainy weather can mess with that). Free refreshments served: hot dogs, chip, and beverage.

Riggan’s Canal-Blueway Plan

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Scott

Phil Riggan, who now writes the “Why Richmond, Why?” column for the Richmond Times Dispatch, earlier this week presented his final project for his VCU studies, a plan for making the Kanawha Canal between Oregon Hill and Bosher’s Dam into a recreational ‘blueway” for the James River Park system.

Click here for a copy of his presentation. A full written report/plan should be available in the near future after Riggan makes some final edits.

A couple of points about the plan- It was made with the help of the Friends of James River Park and the James River Outdoor Coalition. Nathan Burrell, the Director of James River Park, afterwards remarked that he thought it was actionable and doable now, as long as there was permission of stakeholders (CSX, Department of Public Utilities (DPU), and others) and available financial resources. It has already received letters of support from the James River Association and the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Committee.

Riggan knows about the 1988 canal restoration plan (the one that Venture Richmond ignored) and says he has included it in his final report. It is noteworthy that his plan starts with “Mile 1” at the start of the North Bank Trail near the S. Cherry cul-de-sac, and not “Mile 0” near the Lee Bridge. Riggan’s plan recognizes that DPU needs to complete engineering in order to get the water level right for recreational traffic (elevation verified at 83 feet). Some Oregon Hill neighbors are suspicious that perhaps that was the real goal of the Tredegar Green amphitheater, to damage the historic Kanawha Canal to the point where now the terminus of the “rewatered” canal is at “Mile 1”. That said, Riggan’s plan comes from a recreational paddling sport perspective and if it is successful, it may increase pressure for FULLY renovating, re-watering, and re-connecting Richmond’s historic canals.

This Tree

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Scott

This tree on the 300 block of S. Laurel is scheduled for removal, according to the sign.

1980’s mishap at the Overlook…

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Scott

Another great photo courtesy of William Pickett.

Byrd House Market Welcomes You Back!

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Scott

From email announcement:

It’s Opening Day!
Welcome and Welcome Back!
Byrd House Market launches its 9th season with the very best in locally grown and finely crafted foods, great weather, friendly faces and a few new things. Stop by the Market Info tent to learn what’s new this season (Brunswick Stew, Kombucha, Microgreens, and more!!) and what’s definitely coming back (The College ID $10 Deal, SNAP EBT, the Farm Fresh Pledge)!

Get a Free Tote Bag!
Bring in the Back to the Market post-it note from home delivered issues of the Richmond Times Dispatch and get a free Back to the Market tote bag! Learn more about the Capital Area Farmers Market Managers Association.

SNAP EBT $1 for $1 Byrd House Market Match
Double your spending power at the Market! Swipe your EBT card for $1 and get $1, swipe for $5 and get $5, $10 will get you $10 (the max). Breastfeeding WIC Moms and Seniors on Medicaid also qualify. (Offer good while funds last.) Thanks to the Carillon Civic Association and Healthy Community Action Team for making this incentive possible!

College ID $10 Deal
Attend or work for a university or college? Show your current ID card to a participating vendor and get a great deal on great, fresh foods!

For the Kids!
Storytelling, Face Painting & Making Bees in the Garden!

Nonprofits:
Richmond Co-Housing (spot #2)
Richmond Public Library (spot #11)
Virginia League for Planned Parenthood (spot #22)

If you need help finding things:
Find directions, parking and more info at ByrdHouseMarket.org
Click Market Map to see the market’s layout of this season’s vendors.
Click Product Search to find vendors that sell what you’re after.
Restrooms: Portable toilet on the Soccer Field; and indoor facility in the WBCH building.
Hand-washing: There will be a hand washing station at the Market Info tent.

Brews for Byrd House
Fundraiser at Triple Crossing Brewing
Thursday, May 7, starting at 4 pm
Triple Crossing Brewery, 113 S Foushee St., RVA, 23220
Be one of the first 50 people to arrive, and you’ll get a beer on the house (the Byrd House, that is)! Hosted by the Byrd House Board, the event will feature food trucks and lots of raffle items donated by Richmond restaurants, shops and other local businesses. 5% of the evening’s sales and all raffle ticket sales will go directly toward funding William Byrd Community House’s valuable programs.
A Byrd House Board Event!

www.WBCH.org
Byrd House Market is a Neighborhood Nutrition Outreach program of William Byrd Community House.

Bought & Moved

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Scott

A old photo (courtesy of William Pickett) of James Bradford, Joe Seipel, and Addison with the old house they bought.

The Jacob House, built in 1817 with labor by freed black men for a Quaker owner. An historic icon displaced from its original location by VCU. Thankfully, these folks saved it from destruction. Currently owned and well maintained by the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council. The current tenant is civil engineer George Nyfeller and his company.

Monroe Park Woes

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Scott

The state of Monroe Park continues to create consternation.

From neighbor and Monroe Park defender Todd Woodson:

Last Monday evening, I spoke during citizen comment period at city council regarding the fact that the city currently has over 3/4 of a million dollars and hundreds of hours of planning in the Monroe Park Master Plan and that the plan has been approved by both the planning commission and city council and is prominently displayed on the richmondgov.com website and that they were currently replacing the entire north side of the park (600 and 700 blocks w Franklin) with new concrete sidewalks which do not comply with the specified brick with planting strip sidewalks in the master plan. I emailed the interim director at DPW before any concrete was poured and he responded that he would consult his engineers and get back to me. He never did. I subsequently requested the budget for the project under the freedom of information act but haven’t received it yet. They have now completed the northern perimeter and have started on the eastern side (Belvidere). It is now apparent that the city is going to complete the entire perimeter with inappropriate material in anticipation of the UCI races. This unfortunate waste of funds could reach up to 200 to 300 thousand dollars by my estimate. Should the master plan be implemented, all this concrete will need to be demolished, transported to a landfill, the site re-prepared and correct brick sidewalks installed.
I request that you do anything you can to bring this to the attention of the public. If they stopped and began the right plan, much money could still be saved.
This blatant and willful waste of taxpayer dollars and stress to the environment through all of the landfill waste is appalling and unconscionable. The administration of our city is out of control.

These Monroe Park sidewalks has been reported on before on this website.

Some Richmonders have also been wondering about this plaque, now without a corresponding tree:

Perhaps we will learn more at this upcoming Monday (May 4, 5pm)’s City Council Organizational Development Standing Committee Meeting being held in the Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall. Alice Massie, the President of the Monroe Park Conservancy, is scheduled to give an update. She has missed previous meetings. Also, Lucy Meade of Venture Richmond is scheduled to speak on “City Beautification Projects”. This standing committee meeting often has little public participation, despite the important matters that are discussed there.