Thanks to a neighbor’s persistence, the City is planning to clean the west side of S. Pine Street this coming Monday after missing in their regular schedule.
Neighbors should make sure to remove their cars from the west side of S. Pine Street (even street numbers) before MONDAY at 8:00am so the street can be cleaned!
From meeting announcement:
The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, has scheduled the following meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District.
Thursday, February 28, 2019; 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
William Byrd Park – Round House
600 Swan Lake Drive/621 Westover Road; Richmond, Virginia
(Located within William Byrd Park near the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and Westover Road, south of Fountain Lake)Agenda for Thursday night:
Richmond Real Estate Tax Exemptions for Seniors and People with Disabilities Asia Spratley, Revenue Manager
Richmond Department of Finance
RVA311 Department Overview Peter Breil, Director
Richmond Department of Citizen Service and Response
Richmond Government Budget: Open Discussion
District Updates and Announcements
Questions & Answers
From announcement:
Hey everyone! Please don’t forget that our next Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting will be Tuesday, February 26th at 7pm inside St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Below is the agenda sent by OHNA President Todd Woodson. Hope to see you all there!!!
“First, for those of you that have cats or small dogs that go outside, there is a grave danger to them existing within and adjacent to the neighborhood. 16 months ago, I was “adopted” by two mated feral cats. The male I could eventually pet while the female always ran at the sight of humans. They were not coming inside so I built an insulated house on my porch with an outdoor heating pad and fed and watered them. They went under the house during bitter cold. The female went missing 1 1/2 weeks ago, then yesterday at 5am, my indoor cat woke me up screaming but not wanting to go out. I checked the porch and my other outdoor cat was gone. A night watchman at Hollywood Cemetery confirmed last night that there are at least 7 coyotes in the cemetery that they have seen and are aware of. Right now is mating/gestation season so there will be even more coyotes coming. There was a confirmed sighting some months ago a couple alleys east of me of a coyote with a cat in its mouth. Coyotes will establish a “prey profile” of the easiest, most available food source available which they will seek with keen senses of sight, sound and smell. After research on the internet, I determined loss of cats to coyotes as well as attacks on small dogs is at an epidemic rate in the city and being near the river and an open space like Hollywood compounds the problem. Coyotes are classified as nuisance animals by the Va Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and can be killed at any time (with the exception being with a weapon on Sundays). They are not native to Virginia but populations have exploded since they have moved here. PLEASE take all measures available to safeguard your pets! I am shocked and saddened by my horrible loss and don’t want to see it spread.
Our meeting will start at 7pm with the usual updates from Police and VCU. I will then introduce Dr. Ghazala Hamshi who will speak regarding her candidacy for Virginia Senate in our district, a position currently held by Senator Glen Sturtevant. Dr. Hamshi is a lifelong democrat and she has worked as a college professor and administrator as her career calling.
I would then like to discuss the 2000 Riverfront apartment building’s Special Use Permit Application for an illuminated “2000” sign on their building. This is the apartments next to the river directly across the Lee Bridge from us. Concerns have been noted in the past on light pollution, especially near the river, and the need for such illuminated signage.
We will also have updates from Councilperson Agelasto’s office.
Take care and I look forward to seeing you Tuesday.”
From American Civil War Museum’s website:
The American Civil War Museum’s Board of Directors, Christy Coleman, CEO and Waite Rawls, President of the ACWM Foundation, and the ACWM’s Opening Ceremonies Committee invite you to the first opening event in the new museum –
Scenes from Matthew Aucoin’s opera, Crossing
Baritone, Rod Gilfry as Walt Whitman
Bass-Bariton, Kenneth Kellogg, as Freddie Sowers
Tenor, Mackenzie Gotcher, as John WormleyAccompanied by composer and conductor, Matthew Aucoin
The 1:30 matinee performance will be followed by a discussion and q+a session. Tickets are $75 and seating is limited.
The 7:30 evening performance will be followed by a discussion, q+a session and a reception. Tickets are $150 and seating is limited.
Program Date:
Thursday, February 28, 2019 – 1:30pm
Editor’s note: To purchase tickets, please go through the museum’s website.
From the Virginia War Memorial event page:
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 – 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Free Event
Patriotic Events
Did you know the United States Colored Troops (USCTs) played a decisive role in the Union’s victory in the Civil War? These soldiers became known for their bravery and honor in the face of adversity from all sides.This February, as part of our celebration of Black History Month, the Virginia War Memorial has invited the Civil War Museum to co-host a special event that delves into some of the lesser known personal histories of the USCTs. Please join us on Tuesday, Feburary 26 at 6:30 p.m. and discover the history and accomplishments of Virginian USCTs. Guest speakers dig into the stories of the African-American soldiers who fought for the Union, and for their own freedom.
From RVA Clean Sweep:
Arbor Earth is partnering with RVA Clean Sweep and Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB)! They will be hosting an Oregon Hill Cleanup on the same day as Shiver in the River.
More information about Arbor Earth: https://www.arborearth.org/
Please join them on the corner of Idlewood & Laurel (at 10 am) for however long you can. All supplies will be provided.
Looks like several groups, including Protect Our Water, are marching from Monroe Park on Monday.
Learn to appropriately critique a story in this interactive workshop. Participants are encouraged to submit their writing in advance, and YA author Christina June will critique the first 250 words at the workshop. Works will be critiqued anonymously and with respect, so young writers can feel safe in submitting their stories. Attendees will leave the workshop knowing how to appropriately and respectfully critique their peer’s work. Any pieces that are not critiqued during the session, due to time, will be returned with feedback to the author.
Teen writing samples of 250 words should be submitted to Jennifer.Deuell@richmondgov.com no later than February 14th, 2019.
From Virginia War Memorial event page:
Monday, February 11, 2019 – 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Adult Programs
Free Event
The Virginia War Memorial will host two free screenings of the award-winning documentary Thank You For Your Service by Tom Donohue. The film takes aim at the failed mental health policies within the U.S. military and their tragic consequences.” Donahue combines the stories of four struggling Iraq War veterans with candid interviews with top military and civilian leaders to examine the U.S. military’s mental health crisis.Former U.S. Army Sergeant William Rodriguez, MSW, one four veterans featured in the film, will be at both screenings to participate in panel discussions following the presentation.
Admission is FREE, but due to limited seating, pre-registration for free tickets is required. Click here for registration.Partners with the Virginia War Memorial in presenting this film and discussion are the Office of the Mayor of the City of Richmond and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Richmond Vet Center. The goal of the presentations is to raise awareness of the issue of suicide among veterans, their spouses and families as part of the Mayor’s Challenge and Governor’s Challenge to prevent these suicides.
For more information, email Dr. Brian Meyer, Interim Associate Chief, Mental Health Services/Supervisor Psychologist at McGuire VA Medical Center at brian.meyer@va.gov.
Welcome & Introductory Presentation: 6:00 p.m.
Film Screening: 6:45 p.m.
Panel Discussion at 8:15 p.m.
There is a meeting this Thursday to discuss a future master plan for the James River Park, sponsored by Friends of The James River and City Council representatives Parker Agelasto (Oregon Hill’s Council rep) and Kristen Larson. It’s being held at 6 pm at the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (3411 Semmes Avenue, across the river).
From the meeting notice:
We want to hear from you! Attend this community meeting to share your input on the future of the James River Park. Registration is not required.
The James River Park is a crown jewel of the region, providing a unique natural wilderness for park users. As the number of visitors to the park increases each year, a Master Plan is needed to preserve, protect, and properly maintain the park for years to come. The plan will influence the future of the park within the overall framework of the park’s conservation easement.
Your input is valuable. If you can’t attend a community meeting, please take the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JamesRiverParkMasterPlan
As Oregon Hill pretty much borders the James River Park and is a popular conduit to it, neighbors will hopefully have a lot of input that will be taken seriously.
As a bit of editorial, citizens should take a broad view of things, including protection of wildlife (and corridors for it), threats of light pollution (such as proposed signage at the high-rise at 2000 Riverside Drive across the river), and commercialization of this heavily-used park system. Nothing against the new superintendent of James River Park, Bryce Wilk, but it seems like more citizens should have been involved earlier in the hiring process. Having these master plan sessions after the hiring allows the suspicion that an agenda is already in place with a new Superintendent. That’s not necessarily the case, but…. What happened with Monroe Park should be a warning to all Richmonders.