Author Archives: Scott

Home Invasion Suspect Caught

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So, after I sent the message below last night, I received the welcome news from a neighbor that one of the suspects was caught. Marty and Mark spotted a person who matched one of Kenneth’s descriptions and ran him down to Cherry St. Along with another Cherry St. homeowner, they were were able to keep him cornered long enough until the police could arrive. He was picked up in the cemetery (he had gone through a hole in the cemetery fence). He apparently pulled a knife on Marty.

This is not the first time that Marty has confronted dangerous criminals in the neighborhood (the dude is like Batman in a pickup truck).

Still have heard nada from the police.

Thanks,
Scott

On Jul 24, 2008, at 10:49 PM, Scott Burger wrote:

I spoke with Kenneth this morning and was glad he seemed ok. It was definitely more than “theft from residence”. I have left messages for police I spoke to yesterday, but no response.

Kenneth said it was two or three white men who came into his house. There is some talk that they are from one of the western hobo encampments on the riverfront.

If the event does not upgraded to a robbery, I will be doing more to get media involved.

Thanks,
Scott

On Jul 23, 2008, at 11:26 PM, Scott Burger wrote:

I am still following up on this. The police classified the incident as ‘theft from residence’ and I shared my concerns that they were downplaying the crime. I am hoping to hear more soon.

Thanks,
Scott

On Jul 23, 2008, at 7:54 AM, Scott Burger wrote:

I heard second hand about a robbery/home invasion on the 600 block of
S. Pine St that took place Sunday night.

I am trying to get the details of the case from the victim or the
police but have been unsuccessful so far.

This is a pretty serious matter and I am more than concerned that we
have not heard anything in the news or from the police about this.

Please feel free to call me if you know something. If I don’t hear
back from the police soon I will be contacting the media.
I am wondering if our fears of possible under-reporting of crime by
the police is something that bears more investigation.

Thanks,
Scott

Rezoning Meeting/Green Drinks at Built Gallery

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This past Thursday I went to Green Drinks at Built Gallery. I forgot about a Cary Street rezoning meeting held at the William Byrd Community House, but then as King I have already made the neighborhood’s position clear– we STILL support urban business rezoning for Cary and Belvidere streets and its ridiculous that it has not been rezoned yet. Thankfully, other citizens were there at the meeting to re-emphasize their convictions. Yet what is the response? The City had plenty of representation at the meeting and I heard they got an earful but were still reluctant (the quote I heard was “weird”) to answer the basic question of why rezoning has not moved forward. Something smells and frankly Oregon Hill is tired of the stink. I was glad to hear that City Council candidate Mark Brandon attended the meeting so he could experience the situation first hand.

More on Green Drinks at Built Gallery here, and here.

Earthlings and Food Security on Oregon Hill

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Just as the Flying Brick household is making changes, so is the Circle School/Earthlings Organic Food Coop. The truck from United Natural Foods used to make a stop in the eastern cul de sac of China St., but is now instead dropping Earthlings orders at Paradise Fruit in Glen Allen.

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This concerned me greatly because I joined the coop in part to have food delivered within walking distance. But today, while I picked up fresh produce from the South of the James Market, Ken Lyle from growingcommunity.net and the new principle of the Earthlings coop, told to me to spread the word that he will make sure that the growingcommunity.net CSA and Earthlings offerings will be present at the Byrd House Market. So with any luck, I will be able to pick up my CSA and coop food at the same place and time, as well as coordinate purchases with other vendors who are there. This gives me more food security, and I urge others to take part in closing the circle as well by considering joining local coops and/or CSAs.

P.S. Keep practicing the 2nd Edict. My personal shelf beds are failures but my raised ground beds are doing ok.
P.P.S. I heard a rumor that Mojo’s will soon change up their menu to reflect increasing prices.
P.P.P.S. while I see interior deconstruction and some renovation going on, no word yet on when the new eatery at the former Chuck Wagon/Hollywood Grill will open.
P.P.P.P.S. More news on 611 China Street is forthcoming.

Re-zoning, and the Disappointing Marty Jewell

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This past Tuesday night at its monthly meeting, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association once again voted and re-, re-, and re-affirmed its support for Urban Business District zoning for W.Cary St. and 100 block of Belvidere (we have been voting on this since at least 2002). We want to save the small businesses and houses we have left and encourage more mixed use in the future.

The following email exchange is related to this issue and is posted with permission. I will note that I have not heard from Councilperson Jewell since I approached him at the end of the Richmond Crusade for Voters meeting.

From: candylandmusic@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [OregonHill] Jewell, rezoning, alley
Date: June 18, 2008 8:40:11 AM EDT
To: OregonHill@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: OregonHill@yahoogroups.com

Many many hours of hard work have gone into coming up with this UB2 proposal. The City’s Department of Community Development are to be applauded for holding the numerous meetings among stake holders and proposing a unique zoning designation that can help the Oregon Hill Cary Street Corridor become a positive pedestrian oriented business/residential area and stave off inappropriate development. Jewell’s disengagement from his constituents needs is made more disgusting by his list of donors to his campaign (google “VPAP E. Martin Jewell” to see the list of developers that are “banking” on Jewell). Im just so disgusted with this guy and his shenanigans. Every time the neighborhood has needed his support, he votes against us or ignores us, to include smashing our newly gained R7 zoning in the rest of the neighborhood to allow a parking lot for his ol’ pal Salomonsky against the neighborhoods wishes. No new street trees this year, VERY little needed infrastructural repairs accomplished and supporting higher real estate tax rates are a few of his “accomplishments” as Councilman. Please vote for Mark Brandon in November for 5th district Councilperson. We desperately need a change.

On Jun 17, 2008, at 11:51 PM, Scott Burger wrote:

Saw our Councilperson, Marty Jewell, at the Crusade for Voters
meeting tonight. Once again, he claimed to have trouble reaching me
for some reason. He also says he wants to sit down and talk to me
about the Cary Street rezoning. I told him he could talk to me right
there. He said he did not know about the proposed rezoning. I told
him that OHNA had voted and revoted to support urban business
district zoning since 2002. He said that the Community Development
Dept. had not kept him abreast of recent proposal. I told him that’s
not true, because I had email where he was cc’ed. he said that was
not good enough notification. I repeated the neighborhood’s support
for rezoning. He said he did not blame us, he blames Community
Development. I repeated the neighborhood’s support for rezoning to
ub. He said certain property owners on Cary did not want the
rezoning. I asked him for names. He would not name them. I repeated
OHNA’s longtime support for rezoning to ub. He said he would talk
with me later.

Before he could brush me off, I repeated my concerns for the alley
behind the 600 block of Cherry. He acted surprised and said that Gary
Duvall in Public Works was supposed to have fixed it. I repeated that
the alley had not been fixed for some time now, and improper drainage
was threatening the historic John Miller House and other houses. He
called his assistant’s voice mail and left a reminder for her to
remind him.

Thanks,
Scott