Category Archives: calendar

Call for Art + Fish Festival/Earth Day

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From City press releases:

Call for National Arts Program Entries

Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities announces the call for entries in its 11th annual National Arts Program® at Richmond, which will award more than $3,000 in prize money to artists of all ages and levels of experience.

The program is free to enter, and all artwork submitted according to the rules will be exhibited in one of two shows that will hang from late June through mid-August.

Youth ages 5-17 are invited to submit their works of art to compete for awards in the Youth and Teen Showcase, which will be exhibited at the Science Museum of Virginia from June 24 to Aug. 14. Adults may submit their artwork to compete in Creative Reflections, which will be shown at the department’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center from June 24 to July 17.

The National Arts Program® is known as one of the most innovative grassroots arts projects in the country and has achieved widespread recognition for successfully nurturing creativity and fostering self-confidence among artists. It is sponsored by the National Arts Program Foundation of Malvern, PA, and in Richmond by the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ art program. Additional sponsorship is provided by the Science Museum of Virginia, and the James River Art League.

Anyone who wants to submit their artwork must register to enter by June 5. Registration brochures providing details on how to enter are available at Pine Camp, which is located at 4901 Old Brook Road, or by calling 804-646-3674. For more information, call 804-646-3675 or visit the department’s website at www.RichmondGov.com/parks.

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Celebrate Fish on Earth Day

Come celebrate Richmond’s fish on Earth Day as the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities holds its annual James River Fish Festival on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in conjunction with Earth Day Richmond 2009.

The department’s Fish Festival commemorates the annual return of spawning fish to the James River in Richmond with music, art, dance, biology, food, and of course, fishing. The Fish Festival is held adjacent to the south end of the 14th Street Bridge, marking the beginning of Earth Day Richmond 2009, which expands approximately six blocks along Hull Street from the river to ArtWorks.

Activities at the Fish Festival include make and take fish arts and crafts for children, fly fishing demonstrations, a shad fishing school for children, fishing from a canoe, and a variety of programs and exhibits on water quality and water quality testing, including one that will teach you how to test water quality and become a volunteer water quality monitor. In addition, an interpretive dance of the spawning James River shad will be presented by the department’s award-winning City Dance Theatre at 1 p.m., and free tours of the Bosher’s Dam Fish Ladder will depart at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Other Earth Day activities include tree planting demonstrations, organized bike rides, art activities, plant sales, yoga sessions, canal cruises, and farmers’ markets. In addition, a variety of guided walks and workshops will be held. Just some of the topics include the health of the river, the tree canopy and green infrastructure, a future master plan for the river, Victory Gardens, planting seeds, composting, and building recycling boxes.

Live music will be performed throughout the day on four stages.

For more information, the complete schedule, and to see a video of Earth Day Richmond 2008, visit www.earthdayrichmond.org.

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Upcoming Presentation: Raed Jarrar and Iraq

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From RPEC news release:

Iraqi political analyst Raed Jarrar will present a talk entitled “Is the
Occupation Really Ending?” on Wednesday, April 15, at 7pm, at the Pace
Center for Campus Ministries, 700 W. Franklin Street. Jarrar will discuss
the Obama administration’s planned troop withdrawal and the future of
Iraq. This community forum is free and open to the public.

Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi architect, blogger, and political analyst. He
moved to the United States in 2005, and is currently working as a
consultant to the American Friends Service Committee’s Iraq program in
Washington, D.C. After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar established Emaar,
(meaning “reconstruction” in Arabic), a grassroots organization that
provided humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced
persons. In a victory for constitutional rights, in early 2009 two
Transportation
Security Authority (TSA) officials and JetBlue Airways paid Raed Jarrar
$240,000 to settle charges that they illegally discriminated against the
U.S. resident based on his ethnicity and the Arabic writing on his
t-shirt.

Jarrar will examine President Obama’s plan for troop withdrawal, and
discuss the impact of the U.S. occupation on Iraq’s future. He will
describe Iraq’s internal politics and struggles. He will also discuss the
importance of continued advocacy by the U.S. peace movement over the next
few years.

Co-sponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center, Midlothian Friends
Meeting, Richmond Friends Meeting.

Raed Jarrar is available to speak with members of the press.

For more information, contact the Richmond Peace Education Center at
232-1002 or rpec@rpec.org. Or visit the website, www.rpec.org.

VCU Holds Take Back the Night Annual Rally Tonight

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Calendar says April 17 but I think it is tonight…

From VCU Calendar of Events:

Date and Time Thursday, April 17, 2008
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Location Univ Student Commons – Ballrooms, Monroe Park Campus

Sponsor(s) VCU Registered Organizations
VCU Registered Organizations:

Speaker Susan Greenbaum & others

Audience All ( Open to the public )

Description Take Back the Night is an opportunity for survivors to have their voices heard & find empowerment through the stories of others. The event will be a combination of educational/professional presenters, survivor speak outs, a musical performance by Susan Greenbaum and a march around Monroe Park. For more information contact saves@vcu.edu or the faculty adviser, Tammy McKeown, VCU’s Coordinator of Sexual Assault Services at 828-2085.

VCU ICF Festival in Monroe Park Tomorrow

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As critical as I am of VCU, Oregon Hill does appreciate and enjoy many of the cultural benefits that being next to a large university allows.

One of these happens tomorrow, as it does annually- the VCU Student Intercultural Festival takes place in Monroe Park.

“Come and enjoy the cultural performances, food, activities, petting zoo, fashion show, and more!”

Richmond Citizens $45, VCU Nothing?

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Hopefully there will be more coverage of the City’s budget process soon, but from what I heard at this morning’s meeting at the Main Street Library, the City’s new stormwater utility fee will cost Richmond homeowners about $45 each more every year, while VCU, as state property, will be exempt. Hopefully, I am wrong about this, but I am afraid that is what is coming down the pike. Keep in mind that under the current system, VCU already pays a much smaller rate for water use than Richmond citizens, who pay what is possibly the highest minimum water rate in the country. There are still a lot of questions as to what commercial property owners will be charge for stormwater vs. residential, and what developer property vs. undeveloped means.

As I have said before, I am not against a stormwater utility fee, as long as it is fairly applied and it goes towards actually preventing stormwater runoff problems in the City. The Public Utility is at least starting to dress the new entity more green, and they deserve some credit for that.

To find out more about the situation, citizens may want to attend City Council’s Finance Standing Committee Budget Work Session, Wednesday, April 8, from 2 to 5 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall.

There is a lot more going on with the City budget as more economic devastation comes to bear and I urge citizens to get involved.

Byrd House Market Volunteer Open House Saturday April 4th

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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.

Hot Tamales at WBCH!

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Learn how to make this famous Latin dish and learn some Spanish at the same time with Honduran native at the William Byrd Community House
Elicet Vonderlippe
Choose from any of these Saturdays
March 28, April 25, or May 23
Classes cost $10 which includes your tamales lunch.
Limited spaces available per class so
RSVP now by emailing librarian@wbch.org or calling (804) 643-2717.
Classes are taught in Spanish but non-Spanish speakers are very welcome!

Traffic Pattern Changes, Street Closings
for Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K

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From Richmond Police Department Press Release:

The Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The 10K events begin 8 a.m. Saturday, March 28, with the First Market Mile Kids Run. The first wave of the 10K steps off 8:30 a.m. near Broad and Harrison streets. The 10K’s finish line is on Franklin Street next to Monroe Park.

Logistics of the 10K will require numerous street closings and traffic pattern changes throughout the city. Following are the Richmond Police closings and changes scheduled from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday:

Broad Street from Belvidere Street to Lombardy Street will be closed from 5 a.m. to noon. The recommended detour for westbound traffic on Broad is right on Belvidere, left on Leigh Street and left on Allen Avenue. The recommended detour for eastbound traffic on Broad is left on Allen, right on Leigh and right on Belividere.
Laurel Street will be closed from Main to Grace streets from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Franklin Street will be closed from Shafer to Belvidere streets from 5 a.m. to 
2 p.m. and from Lombardy to Shafer from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
Lombardy Street will be closed from Broad to Park Avenue from 7:30 to 11 a.m.
Grace Street will be closed from Belvidere to Allen from 7:45 to 11 a.m.
Monument Avenue and Franklin Street will be closed from Staples Mill Road to Stuart Circle (Lombardy Street) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The recommended detour for eastbound traffic is left on Staples Mill, right on Broad, left on Allen, right on Leigh and right on Belvidere. The recommended detour for westbound traffic is right on Belvidere, left on Leigh, left on Allen and right on Broad.
The Boulevard will be closed at Monument Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The recommended detour for northbound traffic is left on Park Avenue, right on Thompson Street to I-195. The recommended detour for southbound traffic is right on Grace Street, right on Thompson Street, left on Broad Street, left on Hamilton Street to I-195.
Park Avenue will be close from Cherry Street to Lombardy from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.

There will be many street closings for all north and south streets intersecting Monument Avenue and Franklin Street from Staples Mill Road to Belvidere Street. Motorists are strongly encouraged to use I-95 and I-195 to travel around the city.

In addition to the street closings, parking will be prohibited prior to and during the 10K on the following streets:

3 p.m. Friday, March 27, to noon Saturday
Both sides of Broad Street from Belvidere to Lombardy
Both sides of Franklin Street from Belvidere to Shafer
Both sides of Laurel Street from Grace to Cathedral

5 a.m. to noon Saturday
Both sides of Monument Avenue from Stuart Circle to Staples Mill
Both sides of Franklin Street from Stuart Circle to Shafer
Both sides of Laurel Street from Cathedral to Main
Both sides of Park Avenue from Harrison to Linden
Both sides of Lombardy from Park to Monument

5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
Both sides of Chantilly Street from Monument to Monumental
Both sides of Kent Street from Wythe to Monument

In addition, parking will be prohibited on both sides of Lombardy from Broad to Stuart Circle from 5 to 10 a.m. Saturday and both sides of Grace from Belvidere to Allen from 5 to 10:30 a.m.

Richmond Police reminds all 10K event participants and attendees to take advantage of parking in the decks near the start and finish lines and to not leave any items that may tempt would-be thieves in plain view in your vehicle, regardless of where you park.