Category Archives: community

Real Estate Rush

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With the federal tax credit winding down, there seems to be a lot more houses coming up for sale in the neighborhood.

Don’t forget Affordable Housing Awareness Week.

Speaking of affordable housing, the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council is excited to be building three new modular houses on the 600 block of South Laurel St. The lots have been vacant for more than a decade. These houses will be in the Italianate/Victorian style, complementing the style of the neighborhood, and two of the three will be the first “affordable” modular homes in the Richmond area.

These will be 2-3 bedroom homes in the $165’s and up, only a block and a half from the river. These historically sensitive houses are being developed by Alan Townsend, an Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods 2007 Golden Hammer award winner.

If interested, please contact Todd Woodson at 804-783-8829 or candylandmusic at earthlink.net.

Party Report

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A longtime Oregon Hill resident reports:

12:30AM April 10, 2010

8 RPD patrol cars (2 were unmarked) were in the rear and
front of the houses on 200 block S Cherry where an out of control VCU
party was taking place. I would estimate that between the people
outdoors in the back yards and the people spilling into the street
out front there were 300-400 students or more that dont live in the
neighborhood. The noise was amazing with the screaming sounding like
a huge sporting event and music through some kind of PA. One kid had
a bullhorn he was screaming through. Most of the kids looked
underage and carried cases or 12 packs of beer or open containers-
many 40 oz bottles.
As I sat on my porch, a student came within 10 feet of me and
started urinating in my yard until I screamed for him to get the h*ll
out of there.
It took the officers well over an hour to disperse the crowd
and they circled the block for another hour or so as hangers on tried
to start the party back up at other houses on the 200 block. This
was a huge endeavor and use of resources for the City Police who have
their hands full elsewhere.
Oddly enough, a VCU student escort bus delivered 6 or so
party goers to the location that disembarked before they realized the
cops were shutting down the party. They sure looked bewildered. I,
for one, dont appreciate VCU using this shuttle to transport party
goers into Oregon Hill after midnight. It compounds the problem and
it has happened before.
These houses are owned by Hugh Edmunds (some by he and his
brother) and are the site of chronic out of control VCU parties. His
only interest seems to be keeping them full of VCU students.

History Hounds This Saturday

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Announcement:

Valentine Richmond History Center’s annual History Hounds walking tour of Oregon Hill occurs Saturday, April 10th, 10am-12pm. It’s only $10 a person (dogs are free!), but reservations are required. Call 649-0711 x301

Dogs must have current shots, mix well with others and remain on a leash. Owners are responsible for water and cleaning up after their dogs. Meet at Cherry and Idlewood streets..

P.S. Form a team for the 2010 Stride Through Time 10K on June 5th and raise funds for the History Center and Historic Richmond Foundation.

Spring Has Sprung At Byrd Market

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Announcement:

Byrd House RENEGADE Market (Playing Now thru April 27)

ONGOING thru 5.1.10: Eat Good Grow Great Challenge Grant!
Give now and your contribution counts twice! WE NEED YOU!

4.17.10: Crop Mob (Part 2) VCU Social Networking Project “CROP MOB” (Part 2)
will add rows and plant crops to Byrd House Farmlet.

4.24.10: Next Cooking as a 2nd Language class: Bangledeshi Cuisine

5.4.10: Byrd House Market 2010 Season Opening Day – SAVE THE DATE!

Details on these happenings and more on our Blog
www.byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

Learn more about William Byrd Community House and why Byrd House Market is a Market with a Mission!

Become a Fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gracearents

OHNA Endorses May Day Parade

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At last week’s meeting, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association voted to endorse this year’s May Day Parade.

More from OHNA Interim President Jennifer Hancock’s recent announcement:

OHNA has voted and agreed to endorse May Day 2010. The May Day organization is offering the neighborhood a couple of different ways to participate if you are interested.

a). Attend a parade.

From the website http://maydayrva.org/

“a rally and parade through Jackson Ward (a historically black neighborhood struggling with gentrification) and Broad St (a business district laden with art galleries and restaurants, who contribute to said gentrification of Jackson Ward) led by All The Saints Theater Company (a local socially conscious collective of puppeteers)”.

b). Have an idea for a lecture? Connected to an organization with a mission for social justice and no name recognition? Now is your chance. May Day 2010 is looking for proposals for workshops.

Again, from the May Day website

“In an effort to facilitate dialog and provide an opportunity for the community to network, share information and become involved with the various existing movements in Virginia, May Day 2010 will play host to a series of workshops, discussions, and lectures on Friday April 30th and Saturday May 1, 2010”

To make a proposal, May Day 2010 has a form on its website that you can fill out. It can be found at
http://maydayrva.org/propose_workshop.php

c). Attend a workshop for puppet making. Lily Lamberta, of the All the Saints Theater Company will be running a general puppet making workshop at Plant Zero. Details to follow.

d). May Day 2010 is hosting a workshop for kids, as a part of Slaughterama, on Belle Island, Saturday at 2 PM. The kids will be making wings that they can wear in the parade, if they so wish.

Lost Cat on Laurel Street

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From Craigslist ad:

An indoor cat got out on Thursday in the 400 block of Laurel St. in Oregon Hill. Black with white spots on chest and stomach. Red collar (may be gone) with tag with name “Oscar.” He has not come back and we have not found him. The sooner the cat is located and returned the more substantial the reward. If they have found this cat. Call me at 703-431-7778 or 202-450-7863.

RPEC Sponsors Anti-War Film and Discussion At VCU

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From press release:

Discussion of War as Entertainment and the Militarization of Culture

Next Wednesday, March 31, join us for a forum on War as Entertainment and
the Militarization of Culture at 7p.m. in the Commons Forum Room, in the
VCU Student Commons building (907 Floyd Ave.). The showing and discussion
is free and open to the public.

The forum will include excerpts from the film Militainment, Inc., from the
Media Education Foundation, which offers a thought-provoking and timely
glimpse into the militarization of American popular culture. It examines
how U.S. news coverage has come to resemble Hollywood film, video games,
and “reality” television in its glamorization of war.

The film will be introduced by Dr. Paul Achter, Associate Professor of
Rhetoric, University of Richmond. Following the showing, audience members
will be invited to discuss the presentation with an informal panel
including Adria Scharf, director of the Peace Center, VCU professor Mark
Wood, and Jonny Cecka of the Network of Spiritual Progressives at VCU.

This event is co-sponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center, the
Network of Spiritual Progressives at VCU, Bon Air Presbyterian Church
Peace Study/Action Group, and the VCU Religious Studies Program. For
more information, contact RPEC at 232-1002 or rpec at rpec.org,
or NSP-VCU at nspvcu at gmail.com.

WBCH Hosts Crop Mob on Sunday

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flyerdraft1

RICHMOND, VA—Richmond Crop Mob will hold its first “mob” event Sunday, March 28, at the William Byrd Community House’s (WBCH) new urban Farmlet. The event will begin at 12pm and continue all afternoon, followed by a casual dinner hosted by WBCH and Crop Mob coordinators.
Richmond Crop Mob is an initiative of Richmond Ground Up, a network established by VCU graduate students to utilize social media in addressing community needs. Through media such as Facebook and Twitter, Richmond Crop Mob will alert all of its participants and followers to urban gardening volunteering opportunities, including dates, times and locations. Followers can choose to attend these “mob” events, spend time working outdoors, learn tips and tricks from other urban farmers, and help build a sustainable urban agriculture movement here in Richmond. The Richmond Crop Mob is based on the original Crop Mob initiative based in the Triangle region of North Carolina.
Richmond Crop Mob’s first “mob” will take place March 28 at WBCH’s Byrd House Farmlet. The Byrd House Farmlet is an urban farm intended both to feed the WBCH community and to educate youth enrolled in WBCH’s Early Childhood and After School Programs about “the cycle from seed to plant to market to plate by gardening and growing their own food and selling it at the Byrd House Market.” Please visit www.wbch.org for more information. Participants, called “mobbers,” at this event can anticipate planting, building a hoop house, spreading wood chips, clearing brush and building compost bins.
Those who wish to join the Richmond Crop Mob initiative should email richmondgroundup at gmail.com, or visit our website richmondgroundup.blogspot.com.