Author Archives: Scott

Phil Updates Bike Questions

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With the help of Bunny Hop bicycle shop’s new location, Oregon Hill is becoming more well known as a bike neighborhood.

In a recent “Why Richmond, Why?!?” Richmond.com column, Phil Riggan supplied the goods on “dead bikes” and more.

Some informative excerpts:

I bike often and consider myself a cyclist, so I feel qualified to say that the cycling community is it’s own harshest critic. Many of the questions I get about cycling issues and traffic violations come from cyclists. Usually, the conversations will lead to a need to have drivers and pedestrians improve their knowledge of the rules of road for bikes. Questions like “can bikes ride on sidewalks (yes),” “can bikes ride against traffic in roadway lanes and on one-way streets (no),” “can bikes ride through stop signs and red lights (no),” and more. Check VDOT for more biking tips and regulations.

It seems like a majority of the complaints about bike violations centers around the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, a place flooded with students who — surprise! — bike, walk, run and even skateboard all over the place.

As for traffic violations, RPD shared figures on citations were issued to cyclists:
In 2012: 47 citations issued to cyclists. Of those 21 were for code section 46.2-1015, which is not having lights and/or reflectors on the bike.
In 2013: As of this past Friday, 83 citations issued to cyclists. Of those, 20 of them were for code section 46.2-1015, which is not having lights and/or reflectors, and 21 were for code section 46.2-833, which is for a Signal Light Violation.
That is a big jump in violations and I hope this is satisfactory for anyone who doubts that cyclists are held responsible for their behavior on the roads. I’d like to think that there has been a correlating increase in the number of cyclists in accounting for the rise in citations, but no way to know for certain as we currently don’t have a bike census.
One more thing for you James River Park System trail riders (and anyone else who uses the trails): The system to utilize the flexible brown trail emergency locator markers (pictured at left) are not yet operational. You may have noticed the markers, they have ID marks for locations that 911 operators could use to dispatch responders for injured users.
“Regarding the trail marker signs, they are not yet fully operational. We are currently working with the James River Park System, the Richmond Fire Department and the Richmond Ambulance Authority to make sure everything is all set up and working properly,” according to Dionne Waugh of the Richmond Police Department.

Pine Street Baptist Church Helps The Homeless

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The Religious Herald newspaper has an article on the 160-year old Pine Street Baptist Church’s efforts to help the homeless.

Excerpts:

Home is where your mailbox is and for some homeless residents in Richmond’s historic Oregon Hill neighborhood, that’s now Pine Street Baptist Church.
The recent addition of 50 lockers and 25 mailboxes is about more than a safe place for the homeless to keep belongings and a mailbox with their name on it, said Jennifer Turner, director of the Oregon Hill Baptist Center. It may be the first step in transitioning to a more stable lifestyle.

…

“Over the past couple of years, Pine Street Baptist Church entered a ‘Pursuing Missional Faithfulness’ process to help the church identify who we are in light of where we are, and the theme of hospitality continued to rise up in our gatherings,” said pastor Philip Turner, Jennifer’s husband.

“The homeless population around our church has increased — along with the number of students attending Virginia Commonwealth University,” he said. “The church felt that a ministry of hospitality to both the students and homeless needed to be part of our mission.”

Folk Festival and Not Just the Folk Festival

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RVANews.com and Richmond.com have good previews of some of the artists who will be at this weekend’s Richmond’s Folk Festival.

Speaking of which, one of the most disturbing things about the Venture Richmond theater proposal is how Jack Berry and others have been suggesting that its just about the Folk Festival. What’s even more exasperating how local media has gone along with this suggestion (The original title for this linked article was “Explainer: Amphitheater Project Will Decide The Folk Festival’s Fate”). As with VCU in the past, sometimes all I can do is post the truth.

The transcript of Silver’s recording of Berry’s presentation to OHNA has some important quotes:

“Thought about using the War Memorial Amphitheater …”

[Good idea. Why not??]

“We’re going to have a tented, new tented venue very large tent over on Tredegar on top of the steps..”

[Great. Why not put the large dance tented venue that needs to be on a level surface now on Brown’s Island in the new very large tent on Tredegar on top of the steps?? This would open up Brown’s Island for the large stage.]

“We don’t have any plans to add parking resources …”

[Parking requirements required by the current M-1 zoning are not met for the Venture Richmond property. Why not put the large stage on Brown’s Island where parking is not a problem??]

“I think we would probably be open to the idea of renting it.”

[This is not the same story that was told to the Planning Commission. This is not about the Folk Festival. It seems like this is more about Venture Richmond making money from renting this venue than anything else.]

As the Folk Festival (and Venture Richmond’s propaganda push) gets closer, expect more information and history to be shared on oregonhill.net. Why not use Brown’s Island and two smaller stages instead? It’s important to recognize that Oregon Hill is not against the Folk Festival, but the neighborhood association is strongly against the current ‘Tredegar Green’ plan that Venture Richmond is wrongly insisting on and arrogantly pushing upon our historic neighborhood.

Grace-On-The-Hill

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St. Andrew’s has a fairly new program called Grace-On-The-Hill, “a partnership between St. Andrew’s Church and the Diocese of Virginia that invites young adults to live in community while engaging deeply in the social, relational, economic and ecological regeneration of the Oregon Hill neighborhood and the wider community of Richmond, VA.”

They have a website for it and a blog. Here’s a blog post from last month:

The first couple of weeks of Grace-on-the-Hill, living in Richmond/Oregon Hill, and my work site have been wonderful. Everything is still new, exciting, and just a tiny bit overwhelming. I’m glad that I’m feeling a little more settled. Each day I’m adjusting more and more to my new surroundings.

The spirituality, service, community, and social justice embedded within the Grace-on-the-Hill program are intriguing. I was especially drawn to this program when I learned more about Oregon Hill/Richmond and the work sites. I am so happy to be here! I am excited to be somewhere new, yet not very far away from where I grew up in Maryland. I really like where I live. I appreciate the small town and close-knit feel of Oregon Hill while still being able to walk, bike, or take a bus to most places. I love being able to walk to church and my work site. There are many exciting places to go in Richmond. On Labor Day, Vincent, a friend of his, and I went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I adore the arts, especially visual arts, and truly enjoyed my visit. We stayed mostly in the abstract art section of the museum. The museum offers much to see and I look forward to going back and exploring different parts of the gallery.

My work site at William Byrd Community House is very rewarding. I yearn to work in social justice and health and am eager to work in areas related to these topics. I have a particular interest in food and nutrition. I often read about such topics for pure enjoyment and recreation. I love how the overarching theme of WBCH is building self-sufficiency. I believe this is the ultimate way of helping and serving people. This agency addresses immediate basic needs and then helps people progress and become self-sufficient. One of these most basic needs reflects my particular area of interest in food and food justice. I consider myself a big advocate for local food for a variety of health, environmental, and social/ community related reasons. I’m excited about being a part of the library/ education-community garden-farmlet-farmer’s market area of the agency. WBCH’s programs connect harmoniously. For example, the onsite farmlet contributes to the agency’s food pantry. I look forward to help further connect more programs of WBCH. The area of WBCH in which I work supports access to fresh, healthy, local food to communities that face barriers to such food. One of our goals is to further connect with communities and address these challenges. So far I have been oriented, attended meetings, collected and organized information, and have helped out at the farmer’s market. Did I mention how excited I am to be working here?! I see my whole experience in Richmond, Grace-on-the-Hill, and William Byrd Community House as a true blessing. I am so grateful to be part of such a supportive community and to be working in areas of my most profound interests.

Theater Controversies Continue: Venture Richmond Main Stage Comparisons

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This weekend Venture Richmond employees and volunteers will be putting together stages for the upcoming Folk Festival. Still looming in the background is the controversy over Venture Richmond’s ‘Tredegar Green’ theater plan. It seems like a good time to present this information from concerned citizen C. Wayne Taylor:

I have an aerial photo that show the Newmarket venue after a festival. People trampled the grass except where it was protected by structures. The stage, control tent, cable runs, and concession tents locations are clearly visible as green areas. I marked the areas that the audience occupied; excluding space for foot traffic.

Then I laid the area over the Venture Richmond (ed.- proposed ‘Tredegar Green’) site. It’s interesting that none of the Newmarket footprint reaches the “upper lawn” of the VR site. Spectators in the upper lawn would be further away from the stage than anyone at the Newmarket venue.

Sq Ft Percent
Newmarket 86,234 100%

Venture Richmond

Lower 34,567 40%

Upper 16,419 19%

TOTAL 50,986 59%

Reduction 35,248 41%

The canal, street, etc. on the Venture Richmond site eliminate 60% of the Newmarket footprint. The upper lawn adds back 19%. That is a net reduction of 41%.

The Venture Richmond venue is very poor and cannot accommodate the crowds experienced on the Newmarket site. I think a main reason Berry (ed.- Jack Berry of Venture Richmond) wants to modify the canal is to increase the lower lawn square footage.

It appears to me that it really does make sense to consider moving the main stage to Brown’s Island and move the two stages on Brown’s Island to the lower lawn and upper lawn. The sizes of the venues would more closely match the sizes of the audiences. The regrading expense would be less. I don’t understand why Berry has rejected that alternative.

3 2012 venture richmond venue2 2012 newmarket venue 21 2012 newmarket venue

As the Folk Festival (Venture Richmond’s propaganda push) gets closer, expect more information and history to be shared on oregonhill.net. It’s important to recognize that Oregon Hill is not against the Folk Festival, but the neighborhood association is strongly against the current ‘Tredegar Green’ plan that Venture Richmond is wrongly insisting on and arrogantly pushing upon our historic neighborhood.

Correspondent of the Day: Renovate Monroe Park carefully

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Oregon Hill neighbor had the Letter of the Day in the Times Dispatch this morning:

Renovate Monroe Park carefully

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Monroe Park is Richmond’s first and most historic municipal park. Once the site of an agricultural fairground, the city’s first baseball games and concerts by Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Lee Lewis, the city’s upcoming $6.2 million historically sensitive renovation is cause for jubilation as the park has fallen into deep disrepair.

As we improve the physical aspects of Monroe Park, let’s not forget its essence which should also be preserved and celebrated. As a forum for free speech over the years, the grounds have echoed with voices supporting civil rights, reasonable gun control, anti-war sentiment and other just causes.

Its beautiful old-growth trees have shaded generations of Richmonders and deserve protection, care and augmentation to re-establish the lush greenery of its historic era circa 1900. A conservation easement such as the one placed on James River Park is strongly advised to define that protection.

The park also needs a zero impact policy with enforcement regarding bringing large amounts of trash in for feedings, etc. Too often groups come in and leave huge amounts of garbage on the ground, which eventually gets blown by the wind into surrounding neighborhoods. It should be a group’s responsibility to remove what it brings into the park. The city must step up, enforce these rules and provide requisite supervision. Richmond Parks Division simply can’t cover this job.

What the park doesn’t need is to be transferred via lease to a third party, establishing VCU as the operating agency. This could destroy its essence as a free gathering space and homogenize it into something very different. Monroe Park is not Maymont; it is a 7.5-acre green space well within the city’s capacity to manage.

The renovated Monroe Park should welcome all residents, students and visitors with open arms. It can truly be Richmond’s gem.

C. Todd Woodson. Richmond.

(ed. note: This letter comes after VCU recently placed a metal billboard sign up in Monroe Park but then removed it after the City declared it illegal. There is another controversial VCU sign at the corner of Belvidere and Cumberland that has not been acted on yet.)

Book and Fish Notes

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Two upcoming events at the main branch of the Richmond Public Library–

On Oct. 4:

First Friday@ Main
6:30-9pm
Join us for an opening reception for exhibiting artists. The Richmond Writers Series with Howard Owen THE PHILADELPHIA QUARRY at 7pm. Multi-media poetry with John McLaughlin at 8:15.

Howard Owen is also the author of “Oregon Hill”.

On Oct. 5:

fisherofjames520

Gellman Room Concerts- Richard L. Rose
2pm
“Fisher of the James” song cycle for baritone and piano by composer Richard L. Rose.

City Water Rate Reform Work Continues

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Yesterday’s email message:

Hey everybody,

I hope you all had a great summer.

We will be ramping up the Richmond, VA water rate reform campaign again this October.

For one thing today (Sept. 30) is the day that the City utility should be presenting some options to City Council. Also, the new format for utility bills should be rolling out. You may have seen that DPU is also working on their efforts with a “Citizens’ Academy”.

Here is the “311” on that:

“The city of Richmond Department of Public Utilities introduces a four- session course to give participants a working knowledge of their public utilities provider. Each course consists of a classroom portion and ends with a tour of the utility functions discussed. Participants are encouraged to register for all four courses. Class size is limited to 20 students. Each class is scheduled on a Tuesday afternoon from 4–6 p.m. in October at various locations throughout the utility.

“Our goal is to create a better understanding of how the utility manages the important resources entrusted to us and provide our customers with an educational, interesting and engaging experience,” said Utilities Director Bob Steidel.

· SESSION 1: Oct. 1, 2013 – DPU Operations Center Atrium
400 Jefferson Davis Highway, Richmond, VA 23224
· SESSION 2: Oct. 8, 2013 – Wastewater Treatment Plant
1400 Brander Street, Richmond, VA 23224
· SESSION 3: Oct. 15, 2013 – Water Treatment Plant
3920 Douglasdale Road, Richmond, VA 23221
· SESSION 4: Oct. 22, 2013 – DPU Operations Center Atrium
400 Jefferson Davis Highway, Richmond, VA 23224
All sessions take place from 4-6 p.m.

For questions or to register, call or email DPU Public Relations and Marketing specialist Rhonda Johnson at (804) 646-5463 or rhonda.johnson@richmondgov.com.”

If you recall, the water rate reform campaign refocused on what’s called the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) portion of the bill after Mayor Jones did address PART of the minimum payment. Over the summer, I saw an opinion by the CIty Attorney that seemed to suggest the PILOT for federal taxes was legal, going along with what the utility has said. However, I have not heard back yet about an opinion from the State Attorney’s office. State Sen. Watkins was good enough to ask for that on our behalf back in May. So, for now, we are still zero’ing on the federal taxes portion of the PILOT in the City’s water bills.

Why are Richmond customers still forced to make a monthly payment lieu of Federal income taxes on their city water bill?

The message right now:

The Sierra Club Falls of the James group helped bring to the city’s attention last year the injustice of charging every household about $60 annually for a payment in lieu of Federal income taxes. This payment, of questionable legality, is a regressive means of taxing a basic necessity to finance the city’s general fund. The city can legally charge the customer for taxes that would be paid to the city if the water works was privately owned, but no private company pays Federal income tax to the city.

The city’s base service charge is still not shown on the bill, so most customers are not aware that they must pay $26.40 each month just to be connected to the water supply. Other localities charge a far lower service charge. The monthly service charge in Norfolk is only $1.

Richmond’s STILL high service charge does not promote conservation, and it is unfair to low and moderate income residents. It is as though the city has pegged the service charge to the poverty rate. With 26% of Richmond’s residents living below the poverty level, it is unconscionable to charge $26 to be connected to the water supply.

Stay tuned, and again, thank you so much for your support.

Scott Burger

P.S. I invite you all again to join the Sierra Club Falls of the James (http://virginia.sierraclub.org/foj/) as well as Better Government- Richmond (http://bg-us.org). These groups are working hard to improve our lives.

This message was sent by Scott Burger using the Change.org system. You received this email because you signed a petition started by Scott Burger on Change.org: “Reform Richmond’s Water Rates!.” Change.org does not endorse contents of this message.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

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This Wednesday is a red Wednesday, which means trash and recycling pickup. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night. They do not belong on the sidewalk after tomorrow night.

Speaking of picking things up, don’t forget about the Sierra Club Falls of the James’ second annual Recycling Breakthrough! contest. Last year, George Mason Elementary School won first prize ($1,000). For more information, email recyclingbreakthroughcontest@gmail.com.

Also, for all you budding film students, there is the first annual RVA Environmental Film Festival Local Documentary Contest (again, more money prizes!)

http://rvaenvironmentalfilmfestival.com/contest/