Category Archives: community

What Does New Riverfront Development Mean For Oregon Hill?

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More information is emerging about new proposals for the Richmond riverfront after last week’s public riverfront planning meeting. In particular, some items have been announced that concern the Kanawha Canal and the area just east of the Lee Bridge. An amphitheater and possibly a new road that would connect from 2nd Street to Tredegar Street have been mentioned already in the media. Click here for a James River News Hub story and click here for one in the Times Dispatch. Most if not all this land is currently owned by New Market Corporation. Hopefully more facts and discussion will be forthcoming.

In the meantime, I know Oregon Hill neighbors who are concerned about what will eventually happen with riverfront planning. One wrote to me wondering if Dominion Power might try to get an even taller high-rise on the riverfront after all.

This Tuesday’s Byrd House Market

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From announcement:

WELCOME BACK FOOD CARTS!
Missed your Soul Ice? Nate’s Tacos? Tropical Safari?? Pizza Tonight?? Your Goatacado Juices??? (me, too)

SEMI-MONTHLY VENDORS
St. Andrew’s Church canned goods (2nd & 4th Tuesdays)
Mimi’s Whole Wheat – full time from now on

FILL-IN VENDORS
Breeze Hill Farm (quail eggs, all natural wool dryer balls and other wool products from goats and sheep)
Bonnyclabber Cheese Farm (goat cheeses)
Thinking of You Creations (granola, cookies, cakes)
Tiny Glaciers (gourmet fruit pops)

4pm DEMO
Elli Sparks will discuss the benefits of raw milk and demonstrate how keifer is made – at Faith Farm Tent

COOKING CLASSES
Cooking as a 2nd Language, Sep. 17, 9:30-12noon, register at EatGoodGrowGreat.blogspot.com
Vegan 101 with Jen Hurst, semi-monthly class begins Sep. 21, 6:00 pm, register at EatGoodGrowGreat.blogspot.com
NOTES FROM WBCH
WBCH’s After-School program Now Enrolling and Serving Elementary/Middle School Children ages 4-12 Years; Pick-Ups @ Clark Springs, Carver, John B. Cary, Fox, Maymont, Mary Mumford, St. Andrew’s, Patrick Henry, Binford and Hill. Details at www.WBCH.org or call 643-2717.
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 7-9 Pm – WBCH Presents the 2011 Hans S. Falck Lecture on Social Responsibility – SUBJECT: Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Across The Life-Course
byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

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Greta Brinkman, “Bass Goddess”, In Belle Magazine

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Belle Magazine‘s main feature this September issue is “Women In The Arts” and one of the profiles is Laurel Street’s own Greta Brinkman.

The article describes Brinkman’s gigs in various rock bands since the 80’s from Unseen Force to the Debbie Harry Band to L7 to Moby, and right up to White Cross and Druglord.

Besides rock bands, Brinkman has also volunteered with the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council and WRIR. She can often be heard on 97.3’s Saturday local music show.

Suffice it to say, many neighbors are happy that Greta has traded her former New York digs and craziness for her Oregon Hill house and craziness.

9/11 Volunteer Opportunities In Our Area

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This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Join millions of volunteers across the country in remembrance of the victims and heroes of 9/11. From NASCAR to the Richmond Fire Department, there are a variety of tribute projects to choose from. See below for a list of projects in your area. Visit www.handsonRVA.org for more details and to register.

– Farmlet Fun (William Byrd Community House) at 224 South Cherry Street
– James River Park Cleanup (Belle Isle) at 500 Tredegar Street

4th Precinct MPACT Next Thursday

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From announcement:

4th Precinct MPACT Partners-

I wanted to share some announcements with you about our upcoming MPACT meetings.

I hope your calendars are marked for our next MPACT meeting, Thursday, September 15th 6:00 PM at Linwood Holton Elementary School (1600 W. Laburnum Ave.). Representatives from city agencies will be on hand to discuss the impact of Hurricane Irene and storm cleanup efforts. Please share the word neighbors and plan to attend.

Additionally, the city is participating in several service projects to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday, September 11th. I wanted to highlight 2 projects located in the 4th Precinct that are looking for volunteers. If you would like more information please click on the links below or feel free to contact me.

Commemoration Event & Kick Off- 8:30- 9:30 AM at the Carillon in Byrd Park
http://www.richmondgov.com/NeighborToNeighbor/911ServiceWeek.aspx

Cannon Creek Ravine Clean Up 10:00- 2:00 PM
http://www.handsonrva.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?startURL=HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page%3FId=a0CA000000CJnTrMALA@A&id=a0CA000000CJnTrMAL

William Byrd Farmlet 10:00- 2:00 PM
http://www.handsonrva.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?startURL=HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page%3FId=a0CA000000CJnjoMADA@A&id=a0CA000000CJnjoMAD

Many thanks for your involvement with the city and your neighborhood efforts. I hope to see you at the Sept. 15th meeting or a volunteer event.
~Emily

Emily E. Griffey
MPACT Coordinator
City of Richmond
phone- (804) 646-7527
emily.griffey@richmondgov.com

Lobs & Lessons Center Hosts Tournament on Sept. 17

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From press release:

The inaugural Lobs & Lessons Family Open will serve up to 256 participants from the greater Richmond area on Saturday, September 17th, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. It will be hosted by the Mary and Frances Youth Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The event marks the continual partnership between the Lobs & Lessons program and the Richmond Tennis Association to develop QuickStart Tennis (QST) in the greater Richmond area. QST is a teaching format that allows more children the opportunity to experience the game, as the courts and equipment are smaller so they can feel confident. The tournament will ultimately promote QuickStart Tennis for Everyone, giving families the opportunity to play side by side and encourage the reluctant player, whether it is an adult or child.

The Lobs & Lessons Family Open is a QST event held to promote healthy lifestyles and demonstrate that QST is fun at any age, while providing a low-cost tournament opportunity for the greater Richmond area. In addition to promoting the growth of the game, the event will serve as an annual fundraiser for Lobs & Lessons. Doubles teams will have two registration options, one of which is a low-cost entry fee. A second option, “Team Challenge,” will encourage participants to raise money to support Lobs & Lessons. The event is presented by Lobs & Lessons and the Richmond Tennis Association. To register, please visit www.vcuyouthcenter.org.

…

The Lobs & Lessons Family Open will be held at the Mary and Frances Youth Center, using the Thalhimer Tennis Center and Cary St. Field, on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The Center is located at 120 South Linden Street, just off of West Cary Street, between Cary Street Field and the Cary Street Gym.

Market Parking Woes

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Yesterday before the market opened, Ana Edwards, Byrd House Market Manager, sent this email:

Greetings Shoppers and Friends –

It seems our Tuesday No Parking Signs may have blown away. Couple that with VCU classes beginning this week and Idlewood Avenue is loaded with parked cars. This may improve some as the day goes on, but it does mean that street parking will be limited. So, because we have no childrens’ programs running this week, we can open the playground and soccer field areas for market parking.
Thank you for your patience.

A neighbor had this to say:

Parking has been a huge problem today for the neighborhood. The shoppers are taking all of the spaces on cherry street and residents have nowhere to park….
It would be sad if Byrd Market was the catalyst that causes the neighborhood to succumb to permit parking. Please review your options for accommodating the overload of cars currently brought in by the market.

Hopefully this can be resolved for next week’s market day. Its pretty clear that this part of the neighborhood sees a lot of activity on market days and the issue does deserve attention.

St. Andrew’s School Fundraiser with Shaka Smart Wednesday

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From announcement:

Shaka Smart, VCU men’s basketball coach will be making an appearance as a “celebrity bartender” on behalf of St. Andrew’s School at Mosaic Café on Wednesday, August 31 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

From 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. that evening, Mosaic Café, will donate 13% of food sales made from those who mention they are there to support St. Andrew’s School and 100% of tips made by the “celebrity bartender.”

Please come by and bring family and friends to celebrate the beginning of the new school year with us and Shaka Smart!
This event is up on our facebook page so please check it out, let us know if you will be attending, share it or pass on this e-mail.

The Byrd House Farmers’ Market Wins

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From Byrd House Market announcement:

Byrd House Market will be open
for business Tuesday, August 30, 2011
3:30-7:00 pm

REGARDING IMPACTS FROM HURRICANE IRENE:
Visit the www.Richmondgov.com for announcements about city services.
If you need help with food, utilities or shelter, call the Red Cross, 804-780-2250
Stay in touch with friends, loved ones and neighbors who may be in need.
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Congratulations to our WBCH Shutter Bug kids for taking and submitting the most photos for a single market in the Va Grown photo contest! Not only were they prolific, the kids’ photos were beautiful! The links to the 83 photos from all over the state, including the 10 from our market alone, is below. Enjoy!

August 25, 2011
WINNERS IN THE VIRGINIA FARMERS’ MARKETS WEEK PHOTO CONTEST REPRESENT NORTHERN VIRGINIA, THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND THE MIDDLE PENINSULA
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686

For Virginia Farmers’ Market Week August 7 – 13, 2011, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) sponsored a photo contest. VDACS invited individuals to submit photos that showcased the beauty and abundance of Virginia agricultural products found in the state’s farmers’ markets. There were separate categories for children 12 and under, youth 13 to 18 and adults 20 and over, and the market receiving the most entries received a special prize, as well. [see these 3 winning photos]
Judges for the contest included Mark Fagerburg, Manager, Photo and Digital Imaging Services, Library of Virginia, Richmond; Stephen Katz, Staff Photographer, The Virginian Pilot, Norfolk; Sonda Anderson Pappan, Art Director, Virginia Living Magazine, Richmond; and Charles Green, Director of VDACS’ Division of Marketing.

The individual winners each will receive a Virginia Grown/Virginia’s Finest gift basket filled with locally-grown and produced items. The Byrd House Farmers’ Market of William Byrd Community House in Richmond won for the most entries for a single market with ten photos submitted.

All entries are posted on a Flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/vdacs/sets/72157627108997493/.

“These photos capture the vibrancy, diversity and appeal of Virginia’s farmers’ markets,” said Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner. “I hope they inspire consumers all over the state to visit their community farmers’ market to find local, Virginia grown farm products.” Lohr noted that the season doesn’t end at Labor Day, but in most parts of the state continues into October or even November or December, and many markets are open all year long. He added that Virginia is home to nearly 200 farmers’ markets, and he encourages consumer to go to www.virginiagrown.com to locate a nearby market.

http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/releases-b/082511photocontest.shtml

Oregon Hill Recovers From Irene

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For the most part, it looks like the neighborhood survived Irene intact, perhaps better than previous hurricane Isabel.

Canal/Cumberland Street at the 7-11 was blocked by a big tree this morning, but that should be cleared pretty quickly if it has not been already.

From what I can tell, there is only one or two blocks or so that are without power, 800 block of Riverside Parkway and the 600 block of S. Cherry/Laurel, and they are expected to be repaired this evening.

It was great to see neighbors out and about, checking on things and cleaning their sidewalks.

Please feel free to send more pictures and tales of survival to info@oregonhill.net