Category Archives: community

Byrd Market Officially Opens Tomorrow

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From press release:

Join us at Byrd House Market this Tuesday, May 4th, our 2010 OPENING DAY, 3:30 – 7:00 pm, to EAT GOOD and jumpstart your GROWing season with GREATness!

That’s our theme this year: “EAT GOOD GROW GREAT” and it applies to so many aspects of the market experience and the WBCH mission to transform the lives of Richmond’s families.

Admire and buy some of the freshest locally grown and produced foods our Central Virginia area has to offer. Fresh and local means the nutritional quality is at its highest and the costs are often lower (especially if eating better means you don’t have to eat as much!!). Eating fresh, local and delicious foods means your body is getting what it wants and needs, which allows your body to grow and maintain what makes it great. Can you imagine eating food that doesn’t interfere with your health and well-being? Pretty nice!

As a Market with a Mission, BHM is really pleased to show off the new Byrd House Farmlet – a small production farm that has been cultivated to provide each of our Early Childhood Summer Program families with a sackful of farmlet fresh produce every week for eight weeks. The Grace Arents Community Garden taps into a hundred-year history of learning by doing and our community will be learning so much from the Kid’s Pizza Garden, Keyhole Garden, Three Sisters Garden (coming soon) and Straw Bale Container Garden (also coming soon).
LIVE MUSIC
Lyle from Indiana (3:30-5 pm) Richmond Original Harry Gore (5:00-7 pm)

Visit: byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com for Happenings, Vendor Lists, Photos and more

May Day Parade Controversy Plus Workshop Schedule

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This Saturday’s May Day Parade is experiencing some controversy. Although the parade is not going through Oregon Hill, it was endorsed by the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association at the March meeting, and there are related workshops scheduled for this Friday at the William Byrd Community House on Cherry Street (see workshop schedule after press release).

Press release:

A coalition of local activist groups plans to hold a parade in Richmond this Saturday, May 1, to commemorate May Day. On March 16, 2010, Fellow Worker
Kenneth Yates, one of the event organizers, submitted a parade permit
application to Sgt. Selander of the RPD Special Events Division. According
to the relevant city ordinance (Chapter 102, Article X of the City Code,
pertaining to Assemblies, Demonstrations, and Parades), the police should
have responded within five days. Instead, nearly a month went. On April 14,
Sgt. Selander informed Mr. Yates that, in order to receive a parade permit,
his group would have to pay for two off-duty police officers. According to
Attorney Rebecca K. Glenberg of the Virginia ACLU, who has been in touch
with both Mr. Yates and Sgt. Selander on this matter, the city code does not
include any authority for the police to impose such a requirement.

*PLEASE NOTE: * whether things work out or not, the rally and parade will
still happen. It will just have to happen on the sidewalks and not the
streets. We do have a permit for both the rally and the sidewalks.

Sign the letter here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/free_speech_for_richmonds_may_day

Dear Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood:

I am writing to protest the fact that the Richmond Police Department is
attempting to deny a parade permit to organizers of a Richmond May Day
Parade planned for this coming Saturday, first by failing to respond to the
organizers‚ permit application within the time limit imposed by city law,
and second by demanding that the organizers first agree to hire two off-duty
police officers, a requirement not included in the relevant city ordinance.
I urge the City of Richmond to do the right thing, respect the First
Amendment right to peacefully assemble and immediately grant the parade
permit.

Sincerely,

Cc:

The New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Richmond Free Press,
Richmond Voice The Virginia Defender, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Style Weekly,
WRIR, Richmond-area Clear Channel radio stations, WTVR Channel 6, WRIC
Channel 8, NBC Channel 12, May Day 2010 Richmond Organizing Committee

Here is the workshop schedule for this Friday (to get more details on individual workshops, click here):

5:30pm – 6:00pm “STOP MEANS STOP!” | The Active Hand Ministry
6:00pm – 7:00pm “VCU Students For Social Action” | VCU Students for Social Action
6:00pm – 7:00pm “Restoration of Voting Rights” | Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged
7:00pm – 9:00pm “Conflict Resolution for Activists” | Richmond Peace & Education Center
7:00pm – 9:00pm “Reproductive Justice & Prison Abolition” | Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project
9:00pm – 10:00pm “One City, One Community.” | RePHRAME

Byrd House Market This Tuesday

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From Richmond Food Collective blog post:

Ana sent out an e-mail listing all of the vendors that will be at the Byrd House Market this Tuesday April 20th. It looks good enough for a full season listing! Hope you can make it out.

Amy’s Garden: Asparagus, Salad, Asparagus, Chard and Eggs
Bread for the People: Baguettes, Foccacia (feta, herbs, olives…), Brioche, Wheat loaves, Rolls and other good breads -breadman@netscape.net
Deer Run Farm: Tender Young Greens, Sweet Potatoes, Eggs and more
Empress Farms: Whole Turkey, Ground Turkey Turkey cutlets, Turkey eggs, Rabbit, canned apple goods (Apple-Maple Jam, Spicy Pickled Tomatoes…) rabbits.for.you@gmail..com and sometimes
Faith Farm Food: Grass Fed Beef, Pastured Poultry & Pork, Amish Roll Butter, Farm Fresh Eggs, Noodles, Jams, Honey, Amhurst Mill 3-grain Pancake Mix, Grits, Buckwheat, Self-rising cornmeal; Organic raw meat Dog food and treats – faithfarmfoods.blogspot.com
Perennial Pleasures Plant Pharm: Blossoming branches and cut flowers – See examples at perennialpleasures.blogspot.com
Rural Virginia: Asparagus, Mushrooms, Herbed Butters, Spinach and Preserves … ruralvirginiamarket.com
Thistledowne Farm: Beautiful sacs of early spring salad greens and kale, flats of lettuce and pansies plants, Jams (Peach-Rosemary, Blueberry-Basil…), Pizelles, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie and handmade Soaps … thistledownefarm.gmail.com
Sub Rosa Bread: Offers exclusive monthly subscriptions to a naturally leavened, rustic, wood fired bread every week for the period of that month – subrosabread.blogspot.com

I am not sure why the phrase “and sometimes” is left hanging above Faith Farm. If you are planning on going just for them you may want to check in with them or with Ana at the Byrd House.

The Future of Richmond’s Past- Tomorrow

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Meant to post this earlier…free history this Saturday!

From the website:

Come see your history in action! More than 15 museums and historical sites in partnership with The Future of Richmond’s Past will offer a full day of free activities for the public at Civil War & Emancipation Day: the 150th Anniversaries. With the dual 150th commemorations of the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 and the end of slavery in 1865, 2011-2015 will remind residents and visitors that these pivotal historic events continue to have a lasting impact on our lives today.

Don’t miss this remarkable opportunity to experience the history that Richmond has to offer.

(go to website link above for the following links)
Schedule of Activities
Other Free Attractions
Parking and Shuttle Service
Press Release

Exhibitors Include:

2nd Rhode Island Infantry, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Virginia Union University, Dabbs House Historic Site, Museum of the Confederacy, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, Violet Bank, Virginia Commonwealth University Department of History, Virginia Aviation Museum, and Museum on Civil War Medicine, Virginia Historical Society, The College of William & Mary Sharpe Community Scholars, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, Valentine Richmond History Center, University of Virginia Department of History of Art and Architecture, James River Squadron, University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab …….and more!

Participating Institutions:

University of Richmond, Virginia Union University, Virginia Commonwealth University, American Civil War Center, Library of Virginia, Valentine Richmond History Center, The Museum of the Confederacy, Black History Museum and Cultural Center, National Park Service/Richmond National Battlefield Park and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, Elegba Folklore Society, Slave Trail Commission, Sacred Ground Reclamation Project, Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Venture Richmond, and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce

Sponsors:

Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Venture Richmond, Verizon Foundation, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, NXL, Shockoe Company, Old Dominion Electrical Supply, and Odell

Supporters:

Johnson Marketing

VCU Bike Round Up Tomorrow

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10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Commons Plaza

From webpage:

Ride your bike to campus on April 14 for a tune-up and registration, and talk shop with other VCU riders. All bike riders – serious, silly and sensible, alike – are welcome.

This program is for the every-day, casual bike rider. Competitive and serious cyclists are welcome but will likely have knowledge and assistance beyond what the Great Bike Round-Up offers. VCU Police will be here to help get students’ bikes registered. Mechanics from local bike shops will be here giving free tune-ups and are here to answer any questions you may have about your bike. Food will be provided while supplies last!

Celebrate Earth Day early by getting your bike set up and ready to ride! We thank you for choosing alternative transportation!