Category Archives: community

CITY OLD & HISTORIC DISTRICT PUBLIC CONVERSATION

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The press release:

A CITY OLD & HISTORIC DISTRICT PUBLIC CONVERSATION

Wednesday, June 24th
6:30 – 8:30 pm
The Firehouse Theatre
1609 W. Broad Street [MAP]
(Free parking across the street at Lowe’s)

Richmond’s Commission of Architectural Review
and City Staff want to hear from YOU!
Why do we have Old & Historic Districts?
Why do we choose to live in them?
Why do we think they are important?
What does the public want from them?
How can the Commission of Architectural Review (CAR), the City, and residents be better custodians of Old & Historic Districts?
How can we strengthen the alliance between CAR, the City and residents?
This meeting is free and open to all residents and interested parties of Old & Historic Districts.
Please attend. Your input is crucial.

For more information, contact James Hill at james.hill@richmondgov.com
or city staff at (804) 646-6313.

Some insight:

Oregon Hill has National and State Historic Designation, but by choice not City O&H, though it may happen in the future. While I am personally favorable towards O&H for Oregon Hill, many of my neighbors have objected to government involvement and any possible economic hardship from maintaining O&H standards, and I try to respect that. I often try to broach this topic at neighborhood association meetings. If nothing else, I try to keep a sense of humor about it.

We have also watched how the City and State government has not exactly been uniform in its approach to historic preservation. Keep in mind that VCU is exempt from City code and continues to encroach and destroy our neighborhood. The debate about Union Hill’s O&H needs to be heard.

Oregon Hill has the distinction of holding the most individual historic easements in the City. There was actually a DHR meeting at the Jacob House about that not too long ago.

To get on my soapbox a bit, those individual easements are important because while Oregon Hill may lack grand mansions, we are very historic for the overall collection of working class small houses and business fronts. Its not just rich neighborhoods and government buildings that are historic and deserve to be preserved.

Thanks,
Scott

Governor Kaine To Visit Byrd Market on Tuesday

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Virginia’s Governor Tim Kaine will visit William Byrd Community House Byrd House Market and Grace Arents Community Garden on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Gov. Kaine has a long history of supporting Early Childhood Education and accepted William Byrd’s invitation when he learned how the organization used its farmers’ market and community garden as teaching tools for its numerous children’s programs.

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Trying to Keep Up With The Neighbors…

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It should come as no surprise that its hard to keep up with what everyone is doing, even in a small neighborhood like Oregon Hill. Whether its Joe Pyrek driving an ice cream truck to Mongolia, Lynne Ivy bravely coming in and trying to bring financial order to the disgraceful mess known as the Broad Street CDA, or the Mama Zu soccer team getting into its its league’s final games, everyone is busy. Feel free to leave some more news in the comments section…

Share your expertise-mentor local young workers this summer

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From press release:

William Byrd Community House (WBCH) seeks partner work sites for our
youth employment program. Youth range in age from 14-24, and will work
from July 13-August 28, four days per week. WBCH will provide work
readiness training, ongoing support, and stipends to youth for time
spent at your organization. You provide a structured, on the job
learning environment and monitor your youth’s progress in areas such as
responsibility, quality of work, cooperation, communication, and problem
solving. Work site supervisors must also attend a training facilitated
by the VA Mentoring Partnership, to be held June 30.

WBCH guides youth toward self-sufficiency by helping them to develop the
tools they need to be productive, socially responsible adults. One of
the opportunities to build skills for our youth is through summer
employment, the bridge to our comprehensive, year-round career readiness
program. If you would like to participate as a partner work site for
youth this summer, please send an email as soon as possible to:
laaron@wbch.org, or call us with your questions at 804-643-2717.

Lynda R. Aaron
Director of Programs
William Byrd Community House
224 South Cherry St.
Richmond, VA 23220

SynerGeo Potluck Dinner on Monday

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From Katie:

Hi Everyone,
Hope you are having a lovely Sunday in the sun! Tomorrow night at 6pm SynerGeo is having its Potluck community dinner for the month of June. It is the second Monday of the month because the usual 3rd monday of the month we will all be in Comer,GA on a volunteer trip. So we hope you join us tomorrow night(Monday June 8th) at 6pm to enjoy some dinner nad conversation! We will be available to talk about our summer camps we have this summer if you or anyone you know is interested!! And you never know, maybe some 4 square will pick up again outside our building.

If you aren’t aware of SynerGeo, it is on the corner of S. Laurel and Albemarle street! It’s a small non profit that reaches out to the community in different ways such as after school art and music programs for kids and these community dinners! www.synergeo.org for a lot more info.

Hope to see you tomorrow,
Katie Cowles and the rest of the SynerGeo staff

New Chipolte Holds Byrd Market Fundraiser on Wednesday

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“In celebration of being our new neighbor the Chipotle on Laurel and Grace is having a $5 Burrito night for the Byrd House market and Grace Arents Community Garden. Show up at the new Chipotle at Grace and Laurel and for $5 you get a great burrito, chips and a fountain drink and all the money will go to the fabulous market and garden programs at William Byrd Community House.”

I am particularly interested in seeing how the new Chipolte lives us to the chain’s promise to use more locally grown produce.

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