Plan for Paint the Town Green This Saturday

This Saturday from 8:30 am to 1 pm is VCU’s Paint the Town Green event. More information from Richmond.com calendar listing:

We will meet up at Monroe Park at 8:30AM on 10/13/12 for a free breakfast. This event will satisfy any community service hours needed as long as you sign in. We will group up and head to the pick up sites at 9AM and should finish at 1PM where we will return to Monroe park for a party.

We plan to clean up Jackson Ward, The Fan, Oregon Hill, Randolph, Carver, and maybe Mosby Court

Please wear a green shirt. Children are welcome if they are accompanied by a parent.

Contact:

Paintthetowngreenvcu at gmail.com

This is something that Oregon Hill neighbors have joined in the past and will do so again for the benefit of the whole neighborhood. Please consider doing this and then, perhaps, enjoying the Richmond Folk Festival.

Hollywood Cemetery, Oregon Hill, and Civil War Tours

From the Valentine Richmond History Center:

Oct. 14 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.

Oct. 21 Oregon Hill (2-4pm) WALKING TOUR
Settled by Irish and Welsh ironworkers in the 1840’s, Oregon Hill is one of the oldest intact neighborhoods in Richmond and continues to thrive as a tight-knit, working class neighborhood. Includes a visit to St. Andrew’s Church and School. Meet at Laurel and Idlewood streets.

Oct. 27 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.

Reminder: Harvest On The Hill Sunday with Blessing of the Animals

From email:

For this year’s Harvest on the Hill, we are bringing back the Blessing of the Animals Booth! Bring your beloved pets for a special blessing and treats anytime between 3:30 to 4:30 pm at the Vigil table (ask any of the volunteers to point you in the right direction).

Take care,
Abbott

WEATHER UPDATE: Join us at Harvest on the Hill rain or shine! The leadership team is making arrangements to make us comfortable in the event of inclement weather with extra tents and umbrellas. Please dress warmly and bring an umbrella for intermittent showers should they blow through. When’s the last time you played in the rain? It’s fun! :-) Of course, we are still counting on a beautiful fall day!

“Is the U.S. preparing to attack Syria & Iran?”

Is the U.S. preparing to attack Syria & Iran? This is one of the questions that will be brought up at an upcoming forum at the William Byrd Community House.

From the Facebook event page:

Is the U.S. preparing to attack Syria & Iran?
Is it preparing to intervene in the West African country of Mali?
Can we stand by as the lives of millions more people are put at risk?
If there’s no money for a public jobs program, how is there money for more wars?
What’s really behind the developing crisis, and what can we do about it?

On the 11th ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. WAR ON AFGHANISTAN, you are invited to a PUBLIC FORUM:

“U.S. HANDS OFF SYRIA, IRAN & MALI! We need JOBS not WAR!”

6:30 pm – SUNDAY – OCT. 7
William Byrd Community House, Richmond, Virginia
224 So. Cherry St. (2 ½ blocks south of West Cary & 3 blocks west of So. Belvidere)

FREE – CHILDREN WELCOME – LIGHT REFRESHMENTS – DONATIONS APPRECIATED

PROGRAM:

BEHIND THE HEADLINES: THE TRUTH ABOUT U.S. DESIGNS ON SYRIA & IRAN
An analysis of the developing crisis by:
PHIL WILAYTO – Editor, The Virginia Defender
Board Member, Campaign Against Sanctions & Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)
Author, “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation’s Journey through the Islamic Republic”
Coordinating Committee Member, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

WHAT’S BEHIND THE UNREST IN MALI?
An analysis of the recent coup, civil war and the threat of U.S.-backed military intervention by:
ANA EDWARDS – Host, DefendersLIVE! weekly radio program
President, Virginia Friends of Mali
Chair, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project
Coordinating Committee Member, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

& A SPECIAL REPORT on a meeting of U.S. peace & social justice activists in New York City with
IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, by a meeting participant

PLUS: A SHOWING OF THE AWARD-WINNING FILM
“BAM 6.6”

This acclaimed documentary explores the humanity of the Iranian people through the prism of the devastating 2003 earthquake that struck the ancient town of Bam in southeastern Iran. Through the experiences of two young American tourists, one of whom is a Jewish woman, viewers witness how a natural disaster can overcome religious and political barriers, dispel stereotypes and unite disparate members of the human family.

Continue reading

Harvest on the Hill This Sunday

From St. Andrew Church’s website:

Harvest on the Hill
brought to you by Gather Together
Description:
Harvest on the Hill is St. Andrew’s annual community fair held at the Grace Arents Garden behind William Byrd Community House.

Date(s):
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Time(s):
12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location:
Grace Arents Garden
Link(s):
Gather Together
Contact Information:
Ashley Raggi
ashley.raggi at gmail.com

Byrd House Market This Tuesday

From email announcement:

Newly-Wed and the Newly-Named
will make their debut this week at Byrd House Market.
Congratulations to Alistar & Rebecca, and Origins Farm! Many Happy Returns of the Day for the rest of your Life!

A rainy Tuesday afternoon
70% chance anyway – but hopefully nothing like 2 weeks ago. Looking forward to your smiling faces and all the bounty that autumn has to offer a farmers market in our “fare” city. Don’t Forget the Hans S. Falck Lecture this Thursday evening at St. Andrew’s School auditorium. Details at wbch.org or hanssfalcklectures.blogspot.com.

Vendors this week: (not all are on the map, so here is the whole list!)
Agriberry – seasonal fruits (berries, peaches, apples…CSA
Foraged – palm readings and lovely things from nature found and assembled for your enjoyment
Ettamae’s Oven – breads, rolls, pies, pie slices (Stall #5 on the map)
Bill’s Produce / Heath Farm – seasonal produce, sustainably grown, lovely company
Nanas Homemades – jams, jellies, chutneys, peanut brittle, tea cakes, cookies, dainties…a keen observer and practitioner of the tasty
Cafe 2100 – spring rolls, sauteed tofu, rice and wheat noodles with pickled and steamed fresh vegetables…ready with
Limeades and More – limeades, lemonades fresh squeezed, bubble teas and fresh brewed coffee, made before your eyes
Faith Farm Foods – cow shares, eggs, Amish butter and produce, grass fed meats and poultry, goat cheese, honey, preserves, egg noodles, etc …CSA
Chocolate Cravings – dark and milk chocoloate bars, barks of assorted flavors, brownies…
Byrd Farm / Rural Va Market – seasonal produce, Byrd Farm honey, Billy Bread, peaches, goat cheese, mushrooms, eggs, chickens …CSA
amy’s garden – certified organic seasonal produce, cut flowers, …CSA
Epic Gardens – seasonal produce, edamame, cut flowers, eggs, plants …CSA
Tomten Farm – seasonal heirloom produce, including okra …CSA
Deer Run Farm – seasonal produce, melons, chickens, eggs …CSA
Caromont Farm – Cow cheese, spreadable, peasant,
Sub Rosa Bread – Evrim’s back with limited supplies of his famous bread (individual loafs and by the pound hunks) and even more limited supply of his soon to be famous croissants…CSA
Salt Pork – (retail of Sausage Craft) variety of locally grown pork sausages – Herbed, Italian, Bratwurst, Andouie and more
Becka’s Aloe Vera Juice – Va grown aloe juice in assorted fresh locally grown fruit and veggie flavors
Steve Haas Mushrooms – locally grown and harvested mushroom varieties
Tuckahoe Lamb and Cattle Co. – grass fed cattle and lamb, lamb’s wool, eggs, soup bones, ground meat, chops, sausages…
Robin Raver, CMT – chair massage (Stall #27 on the map)
Soul-Ice – naturally flavored fruit sorbet-style ices (accompanied by soul, R&B…)
Wild Heaven – wonderfully varied offering of fragrance and form – goat soaps, cremes, etc.
Shakhambari Garden – Indian Ayurvedic and native Appalachian medicinal and culinary herbs. We make natural, Ayurvedic herbal teas, powders, jams, and body oils for health and mental peace
Petal Palate – divinities and popsicles(!) flavored with fragrant herbs and flowers
Origins Farm – certified naturally grown seasonal produce and fruit …CSA

This is why you come, no?
SNAP / Credit and Debit Cards accepted
_____________________

Ana Edwards, Manager
Byrd House Market & Library Programs
Grace Arents Library & Education Center
William Byrd Community House
www.wbch.org / 804.643.2717 ext.306

Week Long Protest Against Dominion Starts Monday

From CCAN’s public sign-up page:

Even though Dominion Power hasn’t invested in a single wind or solar power facility in Virginia, the company is receiving $76 million in extra profit for its supposed renewable energy investments.

Monday, October 1, through Friday, October 5, join us for a sustained week of action outside of Dominion’s Richmond office to protest this huge rip-off and call for wind and solar power in Virginia. We’ll also send in a representative each day, asking for a personal response from Dominion’s CEO, Tom Farrell.

And every day we’ll highlight a specific way that Dominion’s actions are harming Virginians, from increased extreme weather from climate change, to mountaintop removal coal mining and fracking for natural gas, to health impacts of the company’s pollution. Then we’ll cap off the week with a rally on Saturday, October 6.

Still Time to Volunteer for the Upcoming Folk Festival

This past Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the Virginia War Memorial hosted volunteer orientations for the upcoming Richmond Folk Festival. An Oregon Hill neighbor, Jamie Thomas, is serving as the volunteer coordinator for the festival. There is still time to sign up to volunteer. As the festival website states,

Last year, more than 200,000 people visited downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance traditional crafts, storytelling and food. The Richmond Folk Festival has become one of Virginia’s largest and most-loved events of the year and has been voted as the best musical festival in Richmond, 2 years running. The 2012 Festival will bring a new and similarly amazing list of performers, artists and exhibitors.

In particular, I know the Green Team, which handles recycling, is in need of able-bodied volunteers. The nice thing about the Green Team is that, while there is hard work involved, you do get the chance to hear a lot of the music and interact with the crowd. Please do consider signing up today by clicking here.