Category Archives: community

Two Years Later, Still Waiting For Positive Step By VCU

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VCU sent out an email earlier this month about VCU’s Strategic Plan and their new website for it: http://www.future.vcu.edu/

In terms of VCU’s community outreach, I will just remind the VCU community of a two-year old request from its neighbor for a permanent commitment.

We need a lasting compact that includes NOT building new facilities or purchasing additional property south of Cary by the University OR its private real estate foundation,” says Burger. He suggests that this positive step would perhaps allow a normalization of relations with VCU from its current state of distrust. He also notes the original Downtown Master Plan draft, which suggest that Richmond’s historic downtown neighborhoods receive more protection

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Fuits of Fall – October Days – Byrd House Market & You

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From: Ana Edwards
Date: October 4, 2010 2:02:45 AM EDT
To: Byrd House Market Subscribers
Subject: Fuits of Fall – October Days – Byrd House Market & You
Reply-To: byrd-house-market@googlegroups.com

Greetings all – October is here and the end of the 2010 market season is approaching fast! The fall growing season has been refreshed and re-invigorated by several inches of rainfall last week and the weather this week will be bright and cool on occasion. Pefect!! Fall blooms and produce alike are vibrant and ready for the pickin. We look forward to seeing you at Byrd House Market this week. Apples, Apple cider, Apple preserves, chutneys, relishes, butters, jellies. Start thinking about those warm autumn soups and stews. I encourage you to go to the Vendor Product/Update link at byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com and select a few vendor websites to visit. It’s a nice way to plan your shopping and see what our folks are up to between market days.

This week Chef MaMusu is not only recovering from this year’s 2nd Street Festival in Historic Jackosn Ward, but she’s madly and wonderfully preparing to be one of the lucky vendors at this year’s Richmond Folk Festival. So, plan to get your Mixed Greens fix at the festival this weekend because she won’t be at the market.

So, we reached into the Way Back Machine and brought back former market manager Laura Morand Bailey in the guise of Ettamae’s – the new restaurant she, her brother and her mother have opened up in Historic where??? Jackson Ward, right o 2nd Street near Leigh. So look for Ettamae’s just inside the garden where MaMusu has been stationed.

Byrd House Market seems to be developing a spa-type environment – rest and contemplation under the Mulberry Tree for you mind, leisurely strolls through the market to get the freshest most healthful foods for your body, reinvigoration and stress relieved with a few minutes of upper body massage – people come to our market and spend time along with their dollars and sometimes even when they don’t have any. Byrd House Market is just a great place to hang out.

I like my job.

See you at the market.

—
Byrd House Market
William Byrd Community House
224 South Cherry St. Richmond, VA 23220
ByrdHouseMarket@gmail.com
(804) 643-2717
byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

Music, food, local artisans and stuff at BHM Sunday

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It’s going to be sunny (finally) on Sunday so come on out for some good local music, food, local arts & crafts at the annual Harvest on the Hill St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Community Fair; Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010; 12:30-3:30 p.m.; at Byrd House Market site.

Music: The Scottish Highland Dancers; John Moossa.
Food: Charlie White’s Earth-Friendly Grill (Burgers; Dogs; Beans; Chips — no really, earth friendly.)
Fun: Petting Zoo; Face Painting; Crafts Table; Fire Trucks.
Booths, Vendors & Local Artisans: Books on Wheels (free books, bike parts & repair); Circle of Peace School (Uganda); Harrison Higgins Inc. woodworking
studio; Pop Culture Rehab (formerly Lark Studio, handmade sketch pads, journals & greeting cards); Megan’s Hand-Knit Rugs (made from repurposed materials); Monkey Dog Studio (ceramics & art fom recycled material; Richmond Stuff (art and reuse supplies); handmade jewelry by Christine Baur; Rostov’s Coffee; Pine St. Baptist Sno Cones; Free blood pressure screenings; and The Best Bake Sale Ever featuring “Preserve the Parish” hand-canned goods. You can even bring your pets — fuzzy, furry, feathered and scaly — for a special blessing at the unique St. Francis Day Blessing of the Animals booth. Admission is free.

Appalachia Rising At Flying Brick

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The Flying Brick Library will be hosting an event on Sept. 30 at 6 pm with Tricia Shapiro, author and Mountain Justice campaigner.

Here’s some background:

Mountaintop removal (MTR) does exactly what it says: A mountaintop is stripped of trees, blown to bits with explosives, then pushed aside by giant equipment?all to expose a layer of coal to be mined. In recent years, local people fighting against MTR’s destruction of their homes in West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia have invited volunteers from outside Appalachia’s coalfields to help them bring national attention to this shameful practice, and abolish it. Since the Mountain Justice campaign began in 2005, dozens of local coalfield residents, students, Earth Firsters, and others have been arrested in nonviolent protest actions against MTR.

Tricia was there for some of it. Tricia is coming to us at the Flying Brick to offer her perspectives and experiences as an on-the-ground, inside reporter with the Mountain Justice Campaign. Her book, published by AK Press, is being released just as Mountain Justice and other environmental groups plan to converge on Washington DC for Appalachia Rising, the largest convergence against MTR in history. Please join us during open hours at the Flying Brick Library for a casual and educational talk on the struggle against Mountain Top Removal.

Brought to you by The Flying Brick Library, AK Press, and James River Earth First!

Tuesday Night- OHNA, 5th District, 4th District MPACC meetings

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This Tuesday night the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is scheduled to meet.

Also, 5th District Councilperson Marty Jewell is holding a meeting in Randolph.

And, finally, received this nice note from Emily Griffey-

I hope that you will consider posting this event to the Oregon Hill News website. Unfortunately the event does conflict with the Oregon Hill Association meeting but it would be great if some community members could attend this event as well. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
~Emily

Dear North Richmond Community :

As you are aware, the Mayor is dedicated to collaboration, communication and cooperation between Richmond’s citizens and his administration. Mayor Jones knows that citizens expect and deserve a responsive government.

Many of you may know about the old “neighborhood teams” process. In an effort to improve upon service delivery and include residents and business owners in the decisions that affect them, Mayor Jones has created the Mayor’s Participation and Communication Corps (MPACC). MPACC is an integral enhancement to the sharing of information and increased community involvement.

MPACC has two major components:

1) Proactive, service driven initiatives including but not limited to matters relating to land use, public safety, parks and recreation, all of which will strive to improve services and conditions; and

2) Rapid, courteous responses to your requests for services such as fixing potholes, removing abandoned cars, addressing blighted properties, and cleaning up illegal dump sites.

To make sure services are close to you, MPACC has been organized around the four Richmond Police Department Precinct structure. Each sector within a precinct will have a MPACC Sector Team. Mayor Jones is selecting co-chairs from each sector to lead these MPACC Sector teams.

The MPACC groups will allow for more accountability not only from the City but also the residents. The Mayor will be holding the MPACC Sector Team launch in the 4th precinct on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

This meeting will be held at Holton Elementary School ● 1600 West Laburnum Ave. ● Richmond, VA 23227 from 6:30 PM to 8PM. At this meeting Mayor Jones will introduce his co-chairs for the 4th Precinct and outline his vision for the MPACC Program. We hope you will attend and we urge you to invite your civic association’s active members to this meeting.

If you have any questions about this initiative or the meeting on Tuesday, please feel free to contact me as I serve as the Coordinator for the 4th Precinct.

We look forward to your participation and dedication to your community and the City of Richmond!

Sincerely,
Emily

Emily E. Griffey
MPACC Coordinator
City of Richmond
phone- (804) 646-7527
cell- (804) 229-0393
emily.griffey@richmondgov.com