Author Archives: Scott

This week at Byrd House Market: June 5

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From announcement:

First Tuesday at the Market!
Artist/Caricaturist Stan Rayfield is BACK! Robin Raver Will Massage the Kinks from your BACK! New Vendors in the house: Limeades & More (ice cold beverages), Petal Palate (flower laced divinities), Shakambhari Garden (medicinal herbs) alternating with Growing More (perennial flowers). St. Andrew’s returns in July, Pizza Tonight has had to leave us. Don’t forget to get your ready to eats with Almadina (Mediterranean), Phal Wong (Spring rolls, noodles, tofu), Sustenance (Local ingredient wraps & PBJs, rose hips tea)

Thank You!
for adjusting to the new flow and redefined entrances to the market. Thanks to local artist Chris Milk, chrismilkhulburt.com, we have some very fun new signs – his style is a little Klimt, a little Chagall, even a little of the artists responsible for Samurai Jack. Two that look like unfurling ribbons on pikes that simply announce, “enter”, and two others that provide an impressionistic market map to indicate where the entrances, BHM Info tent and parking areas are. A more judicious use of shockingly orange market tape should help the rest of those inclined to seek old paths to follow new ones!

After the Market: Vanishing of the Bees Screens at BHM
SEE ATTACHED FLIER and join us after the market for a leisurely evening of food and film: “This award-winning documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth.” Marking the debut of the 2012 outdoor film/discussion series with seasonal salad pot luck. Program: 7:30pm – meal and socializing, 8pm welcome and movie, followed by discussion moderated by local beekeepers David Stover, Nina Zinn and Cy Bearer. Co-sponsored by William Byrd Community House, Shalom Farms and Victory Farm. Bring your own beverages, blankets, and (fine FINE) behaviors!


Winning Rafflers!!
Pictured above is our 5th week winner – she looks pretty happy! Support your Byrd House Market. Our weekly raffle is generously sponsored by Byrd Farm & Rural Virginia Market. $1 ticket gets you a chance at a week’s share of goodies from Byrd Farm – value $33.83. Win this week, pick up your share next week. And we get to see your pretty face and you take your loot home in a shiny new Virginia Grown re-usable sack. Not too shabby!

Under the Mulberry Tree
Caroline returns to tell stories. For your caregivers, the kids, your inner kid? Enjoy a relaxing afternoon under the Mulberry Tree. Identify what’s growing in the community gardens (look, don’t step!) ……………….Are you a secret face painter? Want to share your talent? Want to be trained? Reply or call 643-2717 x306.

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June’s Hollywood Cemetery and Civil War Tours

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From the Valentine Richmond History Center:

June 10 Hollywood Cemetery (2-4pm) WALKING TOUR
An extension of the daily “Highlights” tour, this version covers in more detail the cemetery’s unique history, landscape design, architecture, symbols and residents. Meet at the cemetery entrance at Cherry and Albemarle streets.

June 23 NEW! Hollywood Cemetery: The Civil War (2-4pm) WALKING TOUR
From the Pyramid to the gravesite of Jefferson Davis, high above the James River, Hollywood Cemetery is the final resting place for thousands of Confederates. Come visit the graves of such notables as J. E. B. Stuart, George Pickett, Fitzhugh Lee, Jefferson Davis and many others whose stories continue to capture our imagination 150 years after the Civil War began. Meet at the cemetery entrance at Cherry and Albemarle streets.

Charlies’ Letters

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Neighbor Charles Pool’s letter got printed in the Times Dispatch today:

Proposed water and sewer hikes are outrageous

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

While commuters are protesting the proposed $1 monthly service charge for the E-ZPass, there is little notice as the city of Richmond quietly hikes the minimum monthly service charge for water and sewer to $49.40 per month.

How many cars would use the toll roads if those monthly service charges were raised to $49.40 a month? Unlike the toll roads, water service is a necessity and the city knows that no one will be digging a well in his backyard to avoid the rate hike.

We don’t have the option of turning off the water, but we can vote. Every candidate for city office in this election cycle should be challenged to explain why Richmond’s outrageous, minimum water and sewer bill is the highest in the country.

Charles Pool.

Richmond.

At least one other Charlie and City Council candidate is speaking up:

Let’s Reward Conservation of Our Resources
An opinion piece appeared in the Times Dispatch on May 24, 2012 addressing what we are charged for water and sewer in Richmond. After reading Scott Burger’s piece over many times, I tried to write a blog post in reference to the minimum fee method of charging us for the water we do or do not use. As I tried over and over, I realized that the only fair thing to do was to share the opinion piece with you, my supporters and potential supporters, in its original form.
It is simply unfair for a person who uses 1 CCF of water per month to pay an amount equal to or slightly less than the person who uses 10 CCF per month. People should be rewarded for their conservation, not punished for it.

Editor’s note: This does not constitute an endorsement of Diradour (…But what are other candidates saying?)

Concern Grows About Ord. 2012-74

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C. Wayne Taylor has more City government news to share:

Ordinance 2012-74 is scheduled to go before Richmond City Council on June 11th. The ordinance would give the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) additional authority to grant exceptions to the city’s zoning regulations.

The ordinance was discussed at the Council’s informal meeting held on May 29th. Councilor Samuels stated that he was getting many phone calls about the ordinance. The administration was pushing very hard for Council to adopt the ordinance without delay.

The administration kept the preparation of the ordinance a secret and did not tell the Planning Commission about it until the Commission was asked to initiate a code amendment. One commissioner is recorded in the minutes as surprised by the request.

The administration gave the Planning Commission false and misleading information. For instance, the Commission was told that it takes 4 to 6 months to get a Special Use Permit approved by City Council. The actual time is closer to 2 months. Another example: the Commission was told that the BZA cannot grant a variance under the existing standard except under very extraordinary circumstances. Actually, about 20% of the BZA approvals are for variances.

The administration repeated the “4 to 6 month” claim to City Council on May 29th. The administration also told Council that the ordinance does nothing more than expand on existing provisions. In fact, it adds several totally new subsections.

The administration repeatedly told Council that the changes are no big deal. New sub-section 17 in the proposed ordinance gives the BZA control over building heights. The BZA would be given authority to allow a building of any height in all but a few districts. Given that the BZA approved 90% of the requests it considered it 2011, one should expect most requests for additional building height will be approved. (City Council approved a 160′ tall building at the Dominion Resources site along the riverfront. The BZA would certainly refer to that.)

The Council agreed to Mr. Samuels request for a delay. Mr. Samuels wants the administration to attend a neighborhood association meeting to address citizens’ concerns.

A brief summary of the May 29th meeting can be seen by clicking here.