VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY APRIL 4th 10 am at 224 S. Cherry St, Richmond, VA 23229 (804)643-2717
As a non-profit organization, The Byrd House Market relies on volunteers to do many things from putting up tents to data gathering, to marketing, to educational activities, to community outreach. You can volunteer for an hour, a day, or all summer! We can work with you to find something that fits your time availability and interests. Come to our open house and learn how you can help.
This morning a neighbor on China Street announced immediate plans for an extraordinary journey. As a long-time resident of ‘the Hill’, Larry is affectionally known as an Oregon Hill ‘old-timer’, who has regaled many people with his stories of growing up in the neighborhood. But it’s his latest adventure that is creating excitement.
After repairing the front porch on his small, Victorian, Italianate railroad cottage, Larry realized that it would take only so many helium balloons to raise the entire structure off its anchors and fly into the air. For the last few years he has been buying balloons and helium and secretly storing them at his brother’s house around the corner. Well, today is the day according to Larry. He plans the lift-off later this very afternoon. By doing so, Larry hopes to sail his aloft house across America and rediscover the world, while at the same time bringing a little bit of Oregon Hill to the world.
In many ways, this is nothing new for the bespectacled, elderly man, who has always had something of a free spirit. Larry remembers hunting rabbit with a .22 on Belle Island as a boy, back when Richmond’s James River was largely abandoned either as an industrial wasteland or a relatively remote Land of the Lost. Larry also enjoyed playing volley ball and baseball as a youth in what he refers to as a simpler time for the City. Today, he looks forward to more travel.
While not being too specific on his inspiration for the scheduled launching of his one hundred year old house by balloon, Larry does mention previous famed aviators like Walters and Couch. As for a certain upcoming summer children’s movie by a certain cartoon mouse company, Larry says he will contact lawyers after he is back on the ground. But that might be a while since he has no planned ETA, or destination for that matter.
Update: Larry has postponed lift-off due to the rainy weather.
In a surprising move, Virginia Commonwealth University administration announced that its real estate foundation has signed an agreement to purchase the Hollywood Cemetery Company and all of its holdings. Hollywood Cemetery has been an operating since 1849 and covers roughly 145 acres. If this breaking news proves true, this new addition would put an exclamation point on what has been an incredible expansionary period for the university under its outgoing President, Eugene Trani. At press time, neither Hollywood Cemetery officials or VCU President’s Office was willing to answer too many questions about the startling development, although VCU did release a short statement saying that it was the culmination of a long term campaign “to give VCU a riverfront campus without impeding upon any ‘living’ neighborhoods or pre-existing agreements and create a world-class atmosphere for our university”. A purchase figure was not given.
Although VCU officials were less than forthcoming with plans for the acquisition, immediate speculation was that VCU would increase its residential presence with high rise dormitories while using at least some of the riverfront acreage for a football stadium. One VCU athletic official let slip that there was hope that some of the larger crypts could be ‘repurposed’ for squash courts.
When asked about the historical assets of Hollywood Cemetery, including the graves of Presidents Monroe and Tyler, a spokesperson shared that VCU had contracted with an outside firm to appropriately commemorate and memorialize the rich history of the gothic landmark. In addition, some local preservationists believe that VCU may try to move the Confederate White House from the MCV campus to a new historic museum portion of the Hollywood Cemetery location. A Virginia Department of Historic Resources employee, who refused to be identified, only remarked, “Well, Trani is still a very powerful man.”
Although many had still not heard the news, the VCU students who had were already excited about the expansion of facilities. “Hopefully, we are going to get some free parking”, said one. Another said that this move will bring more safety to a relatively unpopulated part of the City. A student government leader said that he had already been contacted by a campus environmental group that wanted to make sure some of the older growth trees in the cemetery were incorporated into any planning.
Please keep reading oregonhill.net as more details on this major development become available.
With mountaintop removal and new nuclear and coal burning plants under a lot of environmental scrutiny, Dominion Power has decided to turn to a more ‘renewable’ resource’, namely, the James River.
Today the company leadership said that the State Corporation Commission has given its permission for an emergency contingency plan to dam the river just above the falls and install hydro-electric turbines near Dominion’s corporate headquarters and trading floor on Tredegar Street. While Dominion has hydroelectric plants in other parts of the country, this James River plan is expected to create huge controversy.
This development comes at a crucial time for Dominion Power. It has already asked the SCC for a residential rate increase. At the same time, it is trying to retool with smart grid technology.
Locally, the City of Richmond’s James River Park manager exploded upon hearing the news about the proposed dam. No comment, just exploded. Local environmental activists tried to explain what this meant for the James River eco-system, but most, like the park manager, were just stunned speechless.
When a Dominion Power official was asked about a possible conflict with the City’s new James RIver Park Easement, he reportedly echoed former President G.W. Bush, by muttering through his clenched teeth that “its just a goddamned piece of paper”. He then recovered his composure to say,
“People need to understand, more and more energy is being used by Virginians and we need to find new ways to meet that need”.
Early this morning Cherry and Holly street residents awoke to a clanking and odd spinning sound. A Gravitron carnival ride had somehow been installed in Holly Street Playground. While some citizens were delighted with new entertainment, others were horrified that the park had once again been made unfriendly for toddlers. Rumors quickly flew about where the machine had come from. Some said it was a centerpiece for upcoming Slaughterama festivities, while others said it was procured by Councilperson Marty Jewell’s office as part of a new economic stimulus/tourism/youth package. Others were convinced some weird mix-up had been made with Holly Street Playground in Richmond, British Columbia. Parks and Rec personnel did not know anything about it, but immediately began cost analyzing disposable biodegradable vomit bags. Some brave Open High teenagers and homeless people started the ride up in order to enjoy weightlessness. Laurel Street resident Tommy Birchett quickly discovered and climbed into the ride’s DJ booth so he could play some music for a growing crowd.
And I can do anything…
Before you question how much these solar panels cost (a lot, but I am hoping to get tax rebate), or how long it will take to recoup that cost (less long, given recent news), I would like to pose some questions of my own:
-When will Open High, with its beautiful large windows and great roof go solar?
-Will Dominion Power finally put solar panels on its Enron-style trading floor (the building was designed with sloping roof for panels) on the riverfront?
-Will we eventually see third-party solar financing in Virginia?
Certainly not everyone has the roof exposure or resources to harness the world’s greatest power source, but everyone can make efforts to conserve more energy, and as King, I am ready to ask for more effort from my subjects. This past year I have ordered more food self-sustainability and clotheslines. I will not allow Oregon Hill to fall behind Ireland, Israel, Germany, Spain, Hawaii, and other places in terms of energy efficiency and independence.
From the Times Dispatch:
A member of Richmond School Board is the first to declare for the House of Delegates seat of retiring Democrat Franklin P. Hall.
Betsy Carr, a school trustee since 2006, is outreach director of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, a parish located just outside Capitol Square.
Hall announced Friday that he is quitting the House after 34 years to become one of three commissioners who oversee the state’s liquor monopoly.
The 69th House District has a black majority and is anchored in South Richmond.
Note: Oregon Hill is in the 71st District, represented by Jennifer McClellan.
Did you know that during its period of “historic significance” in 1904, Monroe Park boasted 362 trees of 26 species? Today, the Park has only 155 trees of 23 species- less than half of what they had back then. The Monroe Park Masterplan calls for replanting treestock to replace many trees both on the sidewalk perimeter (which will become brick sidewalk) as well as the Park’s interior. Trees benefit us all by shading us from the heat, filtering pollutants from the air and decreasing stormwater runoff by absorbing rainwater. It has been said that “the best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago”. While documents are being prepared for the infrastructure needs of the Park, the replanting of new trees in construction safe areas should begin NOW. The cost TO THE CITY is relatively low and the sooner we plant, the sooner we can enjoy the benefits. We need to get the message out that TREE REPLANTING AND MAINTENANCE is of major importance to the lovers of Monroe Park. SO I ASK THIS FAVOR! Please take a minute now and email your SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS ON REPLANTING and MAINTAINING TREES in MONROE PARK to:
information@monroepark.com
and CC it to:
Rachel.Flynn@richmondgov.com
We have another month to plant this season and we can get a lot done next season but these people need to know how important an issue this is to you. It will take many years to recover the historic canopy IF WE START NOW. so thanks for showing your TREE love. Please pass it on and thanks again.
Todd Woodson.
From Craigslist:
LOST chocolate lab named Jake. He went missing between 7 and 11 pm Sunday night. He has a gold name tag and newport news city tags on an orange collar. Please please please call 201 259 9934 immediately if found. We are so worried!
100 block of S. Cherry
Nope, it’s not just water.
From the Times Dispatch:
With tens of millions of dollars likely at stake, the rate case has large implications for the company’s financial well-being, Virginia’s energy security and customers’ pocketbooks.
Rate cases establish the regulated utility’s allowable profit and are different from the annual adjustments for fuel costs, such as the 18 percent increase last summer.
The electric utility company will seek a “modest” rate increase, according to Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion Resource Inc.’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Perhaps we will see more people partake in EarthHour next year.
Keep in mind, Oregon Hill desires better service already. Right now we have problems with under voltage on our lines. We better get what we pay for in the future.
One former Oregon Hill resident, Chris Maxwell, has made energy a recent topic on his WRIR radio show, Homespun C-Span.