Category Archives: community

Food-Coop Holds Community Forum At WBCH On Monday

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From email announcement:

The Richmond Food Co-op will be holding its monthly Community Forum on Monday, March 18th at the William Byrd House from 6:00pm -7:00pm (224 S Cherry St Richmond, VA 23220). Prospective members are welcome to come learn about the Richmond Food Co-op’s structure and vision.

The Richmond Food Co-op will be a member-owned full service grocery store providing affordable, local, sustainable and healthy food options.
The Co-op is expected to open in the fall of 2013, following a vigorous membership drive. The membership base is the foundation of the business, and all members of the Co-op will have an equal ownership.

The Co-op is grounded on four key principles:
Provide healthy and delicious food from local suppliers that use environmentally and socially responsible practices.
Improve access to organic and local crops by offering often lower prices for equal or better quality products than those available in local markets.
Employ a democratic process structured around community decision-making and benefits.
Drive community education on nutrition and healthy eating.

The membership investment is $125 per adult member of a household; a $25 non-refundable joining fee per household also applies. People on government assistance will pay a discounted rate for membership:a $10 investment plus a $5 joining fee.

More information on the Richmond Food Co-op and membership is available at www.richmondfoodcoop.com.

VCUramnation Forum Reveals Continued Falsehoods and Arrogance

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Fighting them off forever, and believe me, I have no desire to keep rehashing this controversy. It’s unfortunate that a few VCU boosters and sports fans continue to put their school in such a bad light.

From VCUramnation.com :

VRam said: ↑
Whatever happened to those abandoned barns that were falling down? Did they relocate them?

(vcu2008hsep replied:)

If I remember correctly, the stables were dated back to the late 1800s. There was no historical significance to them and were essentially derelict and used for storage. When the Cary St was expanded, those old buildings were torn down….

vcu2008hsep, Feb 26, 2013

All I can do to counter the lies and misinformation is keep posting the truth:

https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/03/antrim-photo/

https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/04/more-stable-history/

https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/12/1994-dhr-letter/

https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/09/23/vcus-parking-lots-alternative-sites/

https://www.oregonhill.net/2009/01/13/no-alternatives/

There were other posts too, but not all of them have survived over time. Thanks to misconceptions spread in the local media, many people have no idea that one of the livery stables, before it was taken by VCU, was completely renovated and occupied as a living space. It was even admired in an article that appeared on the front page of the Times Dispatch’s real estate section (of course the link to that story is long gone).

I would not care so much about responding to this VCUramnation drivel, but in addition to the revisionist history-making, there seems to be constant scheming about how to destroy more of our historic neighborhood. Again from VCUramnation:

“And, this is a contemporary thought – since Williams Mullen built thir skraper on top of the RMA parking deck that was built over the Expressway. Not sure why in our latest athletics complex plan (which seemingly mapped out all of the possibilities in the world) did not include one like this. Parkwood is already pretty much a dead street pass Harrison. Cumberland can be re-routed as a tunnel underneath the new athletics complex. Do the same for Grayland, with impressive entrance/exits to the Expressway.

The new complex, Ram Village, would be bordered by Cary to the north, Harrison to the west, Linden to the east, and Idlewood to the south.”

I am perfectly happy to allow VCU to bask in its continued success and improvement, and I have nothing against good-natured school spirit, but the intellectual dishonesty and continued threats of encroachment are dishonorable and unfitting for an institution of higher learning.

In the end, its up to the VCU administration to set the tone for their community relations, and yet they refuse to recognize it, again and again.

5 CAT Meeting Friday

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According to FaceBook page:

(‎5th District Community Action Team) 5 CAT will hold it’s regular monthly meeting on Friday 3/8/13, 7:00p.m. at the Randolph Community Center.

One of the agenda items will be holding a Jane’s Walk to allow residents to get to know other parts of the district, and invite residents to increase their awareness of their physical surroundings.
More information on Jane’s Walk can be found by clicking here.

Renegade Market Tomorrow

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From email announcement:

Menu by Renegade …
Billy bread (toasted and not toasted, gone in one day) with slabs of Amish butter (melted and not melted). (Byrd Farm and Faith Farm)
Burgers seared in butter and olive oil dashed with sea salt and black pepper and a squirt of teriyaki sauce. (Byrd Farm and Faith Farm)
Hunks of dried gizzard and salmon for Shadow and Blackie, dog and cat (Mugsy’s DogTown Lounge)
A yearning for Old Church Creamery’s cheddar, yogurt, greek-style yogurt and Kefir… (we look forward to seeing them again soon!)
This week I plan to get out early so I don’t miss those greens and roasting birds…

How to Budget with No Money!

WBCH Grace Arents Library Presents the first of our 2013 Enrichment Classes. Dana Wiggins, a specialist in predatory lending with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, will host a small group discussion on what to do when you have no money and feel trapped. Fear makes even the smartest people make bad decisions, especially about money. Learn what resources there are and strategies can be used to help you deal with financial crisis. Since this is a discussion group the number of participants is limited to between 5 and 10. Two sessions will be held: Mar. 14 and Apr. 11. Call 643-2717 ext. 306, stop by, or email byrdhousemarket at gmail.com to reserve a seat at the table for either session.

Farmers Income Tax Tips

Received from VDACS this morning: “We thought you might be interested in a new tip sheet we’ve developed concerning income-tax issues farmers, particularly beginning farmers, ought to be aware of. The tip sheet “Tips About Farmer Income Tax” is part of a series we’ve developed in conjunction with USDA NIFA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) program. This tip sheet and others are available at the ATTRA website www.attra.ncat.org.”
key words:

byrd , house & bash …

at wbch.org

Ana Edwards, Library Programs Manager
_____________________

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

More Traffic Concerns About Harrison Street Intersection

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More accidents at Harrison and Grayland have raised the call for more attention to the immediate area and its traffic concerns. From 8 News:

RICHMOND, VA—Changes are coming to a busy Richmond intersection after the 8News Street Squad took your concerns to the Department of Public Works.

Accidents are not uncommon at the intersection of Grayland Avenue and Harrison Street.

There were 14 crashes at the intersection from February 1, 2009 to February 1, 2013, according to the Richmond Department of Public Works.

After recognizing a pattern of “angle” type crashes at the intersection, the department said it will install “intersection ahead” signs on Harrison Street in both approaches.

Additionally, the following maintenance will be performed on the following traffic control devices:

-Replace two vandalized “no parking” signs on the west side of the bridge from Harrison Street southbound approaching Grayland Avenue.
-Replace a vandalized STOP sign on the south side of Grayland Ave.
-Install a stop bar on Grayland Ave.

Stay with 8News for updates.

This was also brought up at last night’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting during a presentation by the City’s traffic engineering department. To that end, residents expressed solidarity with the Randolph neighborhood’s concerns.

Issue #5 comes to mind and the City traffic engineering has put the Idlewood roundabout concept forward in a proposed list of projects.


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Really Really Free Market/Spaghetti Dinner with Bread and Circus Saturday

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This Saturday from noon to 3 pm in Monroe Park is the Really Really Free Market.

The RVA Really Really Free Markets provide people with a chance to share the excess that they possess, to prevent the landfills from filling with stuff that will never decompose and is nowhere near the end of its usefulness, and to offer the community a chance to come together for a day of free fun in the sun!

There are a wide variety of things that can be shared. There have been workshops led by community members and musical performances. Community members have brought games to play with each other at the market. Vegan cookies have also been known to make an appearance.

So the last Saturday of every month, dig through your closets, take the extra from your work, ask your parents and friends and neighbors to come to bring stuff and come to get stuff. Bring clothes, furniture, food, tapes, cds, office supplies, kitchen stuff, knick knacks & paddy whacks! Bring your music, your skills, your stuff, your food, and your friends and family, and help us prove that there is enough stuff in the world for everybody!

***PLEASE bring any and all warm weather clothing that you’re not using this year! We especially have a need for X-Large and up sizes!!***

And, Saturday evening…

All the Saints Theater Company, the folks who organize Oregon Hill’s Halloween Parade, are holding a spaghetti dinner at a Westover Hills church. Special guests are the famous Bread and Puppet Theater from Vermont, on tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They will be performing the Circus of the Possiblitarians:

The Circus of the Possibilitarians is a satirical horse and butterfly circus, addressing pertinent national and international issues in a clownish fashion, including rotten ideas, a wild dancing horse and some mellow lions, a solemn salute to the world’s casualties and much more! The Dire Circumstance Jubilation Ensemble provides a little bit of brass and a lot of noise. Please take note that if some of the circus acts are politically puzzling to adults, accompanying children can usually explain them.

Dinner starts at 7, show at 8. More details on the FaceBook event page.

Also, don’t forget the Main Street Library’s Knitting Sale Extravaganza on Saturday.

4th Precinct CAPS Meeting Tonight

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From email announcement:

This is just a friendly reminder to all that the monthly CAPS meeting for the 4th precinct is swiftly approaching. It will be held next Thursday, February 21st, at the usual time and place: 6 pm at 1600 West Laburnam Avenue, in the library of Linwood Holton Elementary School. Come on out and speak with CAPS and RPD representatives about concerns in your neighborhoods!

Hope to see you there!
Matthew Toner
4th Precinct MPACT Coordinator
City of Richmond
(804) 646-1062
matthew.toner at richmondgov.com

Byrd House Market News

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From the email announcement:

“Pleasant, savory taste”
Some of you fabulous foodies might already know this, but the hazy, soft sound of “umami” just came clear for me with an issue of Martin’s Healthy Ideas magazine (page 37). Umami is a Japanese word that means (yes) “pleasant, savory taste” and represents the 5th essential taste (which apparently emerged with the foodie movement in the 1980s?) our human tongues recognize. The original four are sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I, 4 one, am pleased that SAVORY has been recognized because as opposed to some, I have a SAVORY TOOTH, but try explaining that to people who only seem to recognize sweet or salt. That’s my beef – lack of a peer group!! or so I thought. Do any of you recall that back in the 80s you could buy an herb called “Savory”; it came in Winter and Sweet varieties. Wonderful with beef stew… When I couldn’t find it anymore I started using Juniper berries and peanut butter… yummy. byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

It is so good to know our vendors are there for us!
Drop by, shop a little or a lot. Soups and stews awaiting those grass-fed meats and free-range eggs. Quick stir-fry or slow saute those winter greens that pump anti-oxidants and all manner of superfood goodness into our cold, wet souls…

Upcoming
March 4: ALL vendors applications due for 2013 Byrd House Market season
March 19: 2013 Market Vendor Orientation, 1-2 pm
April 27: Byrd House Bash – William Byrd Community House’s 90th Birthday Party!!

YES! WBCH is 90 This Year!
Stay tuned for stories, activities, celebrations, pledges for the next 90 years, reflections… The first installment of our story is on our website. The big event, of course, is the Byrd House Bash! April 27…details coming soon!

What’s the oldest story YOU have about William Byrd Community House?
Post it on our Facebook page! We would love to help you share your history (or that of someone you know) as part of the first Nurse’s Settlement House, serving all of Richmond’s populations.

Peace and Good Food to You All.

_____________________

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