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Category Archives: community
OHHIC Gets POD For New Houses On Laurel Street, Including Affordables
Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council received City approval for its Plan of Development for the 600 block of S. Laurel Street. Two affordable and one market rate house are planned for what is currently a large blank lot.
Because these are modular houses developed by ‘Golden Hammer’ winner Allen Townsend, they will hopefully be in place relatively soon and OHHIC is looking for buyers. If interested, please contact Todd Woodson at 804 644 3812 or candylandmusic@earthlink.net
More details forthcoming…
It’s Not The First Time That VCU Disregarded Slave History
Sadly, the recent repaving of the parking lot at 15th Street is not the first time that Virginia Commonwealth University has disregarded important African American slave history.
Back in the 1990’s, Richmond activists warned President Trani that it was wrong to tear down the Jacob House in order to make room for the VCU Engineering School. So, to mute protests, he decided to have it moved across the street. There were still concerns that this would ruin the historical integrity of the site since it was considered a probable Underground Railroad site. One man, Alan Schintzius, actually got arrested when he laid in front of the bulldozer. Sure enough, a hidden basement room was discovered after the house was moved. Its gone now, filled in and buried by VCU.
You have to wonder what other Richmond history has been buried.
At least the moved Jacob House survives, for now, at the corner of Cary and Pine.
Byrd Market Trashed (Again)
Would this be allowed to happen in Windsor Farms? In the Fan? On the VCU campus? In another City Councilperson’s District?
Again, this trash situation is something that myself and others have brought up time and time again.
Student Rental Trash
The end of July means moving for many people. Unfortunately, for far too many renters and landlords that means pile up your trash on the sidewalk and leave town, and let others deal with their trash. Although I posted before about the problem on Idlewood and Cherry, here is what will greet the Byrd Market attendees this afternoon:
Again, in the Idlewood situation, an easy solution would be to create a trash containment area along the alley which goes north behind the residences just a few yards away, and make sure residents use it. City trash trucks are supposed to be picking up from the back alleys in the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, this is not the only place where this happening, as the following pictures will attest. In every single case, it involves VCU student renters of absentee landlords. All of these places are repeat offenders. While not every Oregon Hill residence has a back alley access due to the way the lots are laid out, all of these places in the pictures have back alley access. There are other trash problems in the neighborhood, but I find these particularly egregious because they block front sidewalks. Personally, I suggest the City increase fines against the landlords, who are easier to identify and locate. I would be in favor of landlord licenses, not unlike what other university towns have implemented.
In the meantime, I will go out this morning since I have the day off from work and try to at least tidy the sidewalk trash on my block. Maybe this will stop the City from fining me for not mowing along my back alley while I was away on vacation.
614, 616 S. Laurel St.
500 block of S. Laurel Street
100 block of S. Cherry Street
800 block of Holly Street
Ambulance on Laurel
A fire truck, ambulance, and multiple police were parked at mid-block on the 300 block of S. Laurel Street this morning. Although I have not seen a police report, rumor is that a young woman would not wake up.
About 7:45 this morning
National Night Out: The Race Is On
Tuesday, 8:30 pm
Pleasants Park
Refreshments served: hotdogs, snowcones, and more
Byrd Market & Nate’s Taco Truck Updates
http://twitter.com/natestacotruck/status/3103125886
Message from Nate’s Taco Truck
the taco truck will be closed today for mass amounts of cooking food
for tomorrow at vcu and tomorrow night at byrd house market.
Byrd House Market
They’ll be pie for sale at the market this week and plenty of other
slices of life to enjoy. Meet the folks from Art on Wheels helping make a
difference in their communities.
We appreciate our customers’ loyal support in helping us ensure local
providers earn a better-than-living wage. Remember the market opens at 3:30 p.m.
Activities this week include: Make Art Prints with the non-profit
organization Art on Wheels 3:30 to 7 p.m. Story telling from 4 to 5 pm, Face
painting from 5 to 7pm.
—
Byrd House Market
William Byrd Community House
224 South Cherry Street
Richmond, VA 23220
ByrdHouseMarket@gmail.com
(804) 643-2717
Calling Verizon
Previously, I have posted on new residential solar power as well as problems with Dominion Power’s service in the neighborhood. One of the benefits of putting grid-tied solar into place, (besides redundant power, besides lower power bills, besides tax credits, besides being able to sell state renewable energy credits (SRECs), not to mention cleaner energy in general), is that it does illuminate grid problems. For example, since taking inverter readings, and contacting the State Corporation Commission (SCC), Dominion Power has put new poles in, added transformers, and increased voltage to proper levels. In other words, if neighborhoods want better energy service, then get solar and create your own energy.
But that leaves the old utility poles in place, and brings me to my next topic- Verizon actually owns many of the old poles in the neighborhood. Dominion Power has just rented space on them in the past, while it is the City of Richmond that actually does the planning and managing of the right-of-ways. So, getting Verizon to do its part in upgrading service will encourage the City and Dominion Power to do more.
With that in mind, I call on Verizon to bring FiOS to Oregon Hill. For one thing, I have heard that FiOS is already offered north of Cumberland Street. The neighborhood has the residential density. The City has a contract with Verizon for services to its residents. I already have DSL, and Verizon sends me offers for DirecTV every week- why not save the ad money and use it instead to bring FiOS to the neighborhood? The neighborhood is right next to downtown and close to Verizon’s Virginia headquarters. While many residents already have Comcast, many of them would be willing to make the switch to FiOS. Covad and wireless beckon if Verizon cannot keep up with technological advances in the neighborhood.
The newly Council approved Downtown Master Plan recognizes Oregon Hill as a historic neighborhood that deserves Old & Historic status- to the point of offering incentives to residents for the designation. Certainly, getting rid of old utility poles and lines by bringing in buried fiber optic cable with new services would go a long way. After all, Verizon already buries line and offers these services for VCU campus.
Again, these are the sort of services that citizens expect our elected representatives to push for, especially when the service contracts come back up for vote.
Positions Available At William Byrd Community House
Early Childhood Lead Teacher (1): To direct and promote a
developmentally appropriate group experience for children 3-5 that
promotes their cognitive, social emotional and physical growth.
BS in Early Childhood required – plus three years experience working
with 3-5 year old children and their families; must possess VA driver’s
license and experience driving a passenger van or mini bus
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher (1): Assist Lead Teacher in providing
a developmentally appropriate early childhood group experience to 3-5
year olds and their families.
CDA with 3rd or 4th year college currently enrolled in BA or BS early
childhood education degree program; Must possess VA drivers license and
experience driving passenger van or mini bus.
Early Childhood Teacher Extended Day (1): To implement and provide a
developmentally appropriate preschool group experience to 3-5 year olds.
CDA or AA in Early Childhood with 3rd or 4th year college currently
enrolled in BA or BS early childhood education degree program; Must
possess VA drivers license and experience driving passenger van or min
bus
After school Child Care Worker (2): To implement and provide appropriate
after school care to 5 – 12 year olds.
Associates degree required in child development, elementary education,
social sciences or recreation and 3 years experience working with groups
of elementary children; must possess VA driver’s license/ CDL preferred
and experience driving a bus or passenger van.
After school Child Care Worker (1): To implement and provide appropriate
after school care to 5 – 12 year olds.
Associates degree required in child development, elementary education,
social sciences or recreation and 3 years experience working with groups
of elementary children.
After school Child Care Worker/ Coordinator (1): To implement and
provide appropriate after school care to 5 – 12 year olds.
Associates degree required in child development, elementary education,
social sciences or recreation and 3 years experience working with groups
of elementary children; must possess VA driver’s license/ CDL preferred
and experience driving a bus or passenger van
To apply for these positions please e-mail your cover letter and resume
to Shelia Givens by 5:00 pm August 10, 2009 sgivens@wbch.org