Category Archives: community

Part of Grace Arents’ Legacy- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

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Every Richmonder worth a salt should know who Grace Arents is.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Arents&GSfn=Grace&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=7014698&

http://www.rbc.edu/library/SpecialCollections/Women_history_resources/vfwposter2004.pdf

http://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/richmond/OregonHillHD.html

One of the most important groups of buildings is the St. Andrews’s complex at South Laurel Street and Idlewood Avenue. Richmond philanthropist and social reformer Miss Grace Arents funded and supervised construction of the St. Andrew’s Church Complex (243 South Laurel) of 1901-1903, to the designs of the Indiana architect A. H. Ellwood. The complex also includes a parochial school from 1901 and St. Andrew’s Hall at 711 Idlewood Avenue from 1904.

Miss Arents’ work extended throughout the neighborhood well beyond the Episcopal buildings. In 1904, she built the brick Colonial Revival style St. Andrew’s Houses at 912-914 Cumberland Street and 200 and 202 South Linden Street, which constitute one of the earliest examples of subsidized housing in Virginia. She also built a complex of buildings for the Instructive Visiting Nurses Association, dating from 1904 and 1923 at 213 and 219 South Cherry Street, the Noland and Baskervill designed Grace Arents Free Library at 224 South Cherry from 1908, and the 1911 Grace Arents Public School at 600 South Pine Street. Miss Arents also donated the Holly Street Playground on Holly west of Laurel Street, one of the oldest public playgrounds in the City of Richmond.

http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/indexnew/sub/history/arents.cfm

So on that note…

An update from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden:

* There are still a few seats available for next week’s No Child
Left Inside: Restoring Nature to Early Childhood symposium (April 29th,
8a.m.-4 p.m.) We are excited to announce that Virginia’s First Lady,
Anne Holton, will provide opening remarks at the event. In addition,
you’ll see we’ve added Chip & Ashley Donahue, founders of Kids in the
Valley, Adventuring to the line-up. And, Tracy Kane, noted author and
illustrator of The Fairy Houses
Series(tm), will read from her
books and help families build fairy houses in the Children’s Garden
during our Homespun Fun for Families event.

* We’ve just opened a few remaining slots for the FREE Dinner in
the Garden for Teachers. If you are an educator interested in attending
please see directions below.

* If your organization would like to provide an educational
display at the No Child Left Inside: Restoring Nature to Early Childhood
symposium, please contact Adele MacLean for more details. Call Adele
MacLean at 262-9887 ext. 222 or email her at adelem@lewisginter.org.

Anniversary Year Symposium: No Child Left Inside: Restoring Nature to
Early Childhood
Wednesday, April 29, 8a.m.-4p.m.

For a PDF of the agenda (subject to change), click here.

Join the national dialogue about the critical relationship between
direct exposure to nature and healthy childhood development. Learn about
the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and creative assets that
young children gain through outdoor experiences, and how direct,
authentic experiences in nature can be created for children wherever
they live, play, and learn.

This symposium is for everyone concerned about the healthy development
of today’s children, including early childhood professionals, teachers
and administrators, recreation leaders, pediatric healthcare providers,
parents and caregivers, urban planners, environmental educators,
architects, landscape architects and designers.

Featuring presentations by:
Jane Kirkland, author of the award-winning children’s nature series,
Take a Walk books
Robin Moore, Director of the Natural Learning Initiative and Professor
of Landscape Architecture, North Carolina State University

Plus Chip & Ashley Donahue, founders of Kids in the Valley, Adventuring
(KIVA)
$25 includes lunch; advance registration required; earns 5 training
hours.
Related Events:
Teacher Workshop: Dinner in the Garden for Teachers
Tuesday, April 28, 5-8:30 p.m.
Presented in cooperation with the Center for Life Sciences Education,
Virginia Commonwealth University Homespun Fun for Families
This symposium is the second in a four-part series marking the Garden’s
25th anniversary. These events are made possible with generous support
from the Robins Foundation.

Call for Art + Fish Festival/Earth Day

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From City press releases:

Call for National Arts Program Entries

Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities announces the call for entries in its 11th annual National Arts Program® at Richmond, which will award more than $3,000 in prize money to artists of all ages and levels of experience.

The program is free to enter, and all artwork submitted according to the rules will be exhibited in one of two shows that will hang from late June through mid-August.

Youth ages 5-17 are invited to submit their works of art to compete for awards in the Youth and Teen Showcase, which will be exhibited at the Science Museum of Virginia from June 24 to Aug. 14. Adults may submit their artwork to compete in Creative Reflections, which will be shown at the department’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center from June 24 to July 17.

The National Arts Program® is known as one of the most innovative grassroots arts projects in the country and has achieved widespread recognition for successfully nurturing creativity and fostering self-confidence among artists. It is sponsored by the National Arts Program Foundation of Malvern, PA, and in Richmond by the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ art program. Additional sponsorship is provided by the Science Museum of Virginia, and the James River Art League.

Anyone who wants to submit their artwork must register to enter by June 5. Registration brochures providing details on how to enter are available at Pine Camp, which is located at 4901 Old Brook Road, or by calling 804-646-3674. For more information, call 804-646-3675 or visit the department’s website at www.RichmondGov.com/parks.

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Celebrate Fish on Earth Day

Come celebrate Richmond’s fish on Earth Day as the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities holds its annual James River Fish Festival on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in conjunction with Earth Day Richmond 2009.

The department’s Fish Festival commemorates the annual return of spawning fish to the James River in Richmond with music, art, dance, biology, food, and of course, fishing. The Fish Festival is held adjacent to the south end of the 14th Street Bridge, marking the beginning of Earth Day Richmond 2009, which expands approximately six blocks along Hull Street from the river to ArtWorks.

Activities at the Fish Festival include make and take fish arts and crafts for children, fly fishing demonstrations, a shad fishing school for children, fishing from a canoe, and a variety of programs and exhibits on water quality and water quality testing, including one that will teach you how to test water quality and become a volunteer water quality monitor. In addition, an interpretive dance of the spawning James River shad will be presented by the department’s award-winning City Dance Theatre at 1 p.m., and free tours of the Bosher’s Dam Fish Ladder will depart at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Other Earth Day activities include tree planting demonstrations, organized bike rides, art activities, plant sales, yoga sessions, canal cruises, and farmers’ markets. In addition, a variety of guided walks and workshops will be held. Just some of the topics include the health of the river, the tree canopy and green infrastructure, a future master plan for the river, Victory Gardens, planting seeds, composting, and building recycling boxes.

Live music will be performed throughout the day on four stages.

For more information, the complete schedule, and to see a video of Earth Day Richmond 2008, visit www.earthdayrichmond.org.

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Homeless Man’s Belongings Burned

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wr-1

There was a fire on Laurel Street on the south end of the 195 overpass. A homeless guy that has been camping near there for the last month or so was storing some of his belongings on the bridge railing. He is wheel chair bound and possibly unable to speak. He did not know who set his stuff on fire. It looks like someone set fire to his bundles on Monday night. Has anyone heard anything?

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More of Neighborhood Demolished

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From Greg:

I was just driving up Laurel Street into the neighborhood when I looked over to see that 809 and 811 West Cary Street were being demolished. These two long abandoned brick houses were in deplorable condition to be sure. But it’s always heartbreaking to see any homes in the neighborhood go, especially ones that are on our most prominent block and face of the neighborhood. Anyone have any details or information regarding this and or what may be in the works for this fairly sizable lot.

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Albemarle Street Fire Sale

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Because of the recent fire, lots are coming up for sale on Albemarle Street.

I hope whoever does build on these lots is sensitive to the neighborhood. Even if there is not legal requirement, there is a moral one.

From Craigslist:

3 Buildable Lots for Sale in the the Oregon Hill/VCU area. A Builder has the opportunity to build three single family attached homes. Each home will have its own legal lot. Rare lots are available due to fire damage of original building to be demolished. Have letter from City of Richmond new homes can be built without any need for approval of non-conforming attributes. Can fax letter from City as well as exisiting survey. New homes must be built so that no new non-conforming attributes are added, therefore exisiting footprint or smaller footprint must be used. Each home could be approximately 1,350 square feet. Close to VCU, Downtown! Great Opportunity

Property addresses are 712-708 Albemarle Street in Oregon Hill. Between Laurel and Pine.

All lots must be purchased by same builder.

$150,000 or best offer.

Call Mike for more info #804-405-9965 or e-mail mawasch@yahoo.com

If Richmond Region Is Failing Clean-Air Tests, Then What Does That Mean For Oregon Hill

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The Times Dispatch is reporting that the Richmond region’s ozone levels are too high to pass Environmental Protection Agency standards, according the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

This comes as no surprise to Oregon Hill residents.
And it should not come as any surprise to state and federal officials. Local government’s emphasis on development, even infill development, without consideration for transportation effects has already been proven to result in adverse effects on air quality.

Upcoming Presentation: Raed Jarrar and Iraq

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From RPEC news release:

Iraqi political analyst Raed Jarrar will present a talk entitled “Is the
Occupation Really Ending?” on Wednesday, April 15, at 7pm, at the Pace
Center for Campus Ministries, 700 W. Franklin Street. Jarrar will discuss
the Obama administration’s planned troop withdrawal and the future of
Iraq. This community forum is free and open to the public.

Raed Jarrar is an Iraqi architect, blogger, and political analyst. He
moved to the United States in 2005, and is currently working as a
consultant to the American Friends Service Committee’s Iraq program in
Washington, D.C. After the U.S.-led invasion, Jarrar established Emaar,
(meaning “reconstruction” in Arabic), a grassroots organization that
provided humanitarian and political aid to Iraqi internally displaced
persons. In a victory for constitutional rights, in early 2009 two
Transportation
Security Authority (TSA) officials and JetBlue Airways paid Raed Jarrar
$240,000 to settle charges that they illegally discriminated against the
U.S. resident based on his ethnicity and the Arabic writing on his
t-shirt.

Jarrar will examine President Obama’s plan for troop withdrawal, and
discuss the impact of the U.S. occupation on Iraq’s future. He will
describe Iraq’s internal politics and struggles. He will also discuss the
importance of continued advocacy by the U.S. peace movement over the next
few years.

Co-sponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center, Midlothian Friends
Meeting, Richmond Friends Meeting.

Raed Jarrar is available to speak with members of the press.

For more information, contact the Richmond Peace Education Center at
232-1002 or rpec@rpec.org. Or visit the website, www.rpec.org.

Praise for Fire and Police Departments

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Last month, the neighborhood suffered great injury due to a sudden afternoon fire. Although three houses were were burned, greater tragedy was avoided partly due to a heroic and quick response by Richmond’s Fire Department. Oregon Hill residents have always had great love and esteem for firefighters and some even remember the fire station that used to be on Laurel Street before the Expressway took it. Although many of us grouse about rising City taxes and fees, it is hard to find anyone who will begrudge the budget for Richmond’s fire department. On that evening when many of us walked over to Pleasants Park to see what was left of the century and a half-old row houses, it was a great comfort to see Fire Chief Creecy and his compatriots at work, making sure that the fire was controlled and victims were taken care of. Last month the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association voted unanimously to recognize the Fire Department for their great efforts.

In the same vein, the Richmond Police Department deserves our appreciation as well. As this past weekend approached, many residents were concerned about a repeat of unpleasantries associated with previous ‘Slaughterama’ weekends. The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association was particularly concerned about sending the right, strong message- that we were not against fun or bicycles, but would not stand for litter, excessive noise, or vandalism. I am pleased to report that I have not heard of any problems from this past weekend- it was a nice quiet weekend with neighbors and visitors enjoying beautiful weather and outside activities. Slaughterama 6 was a success as well and people watched as well as took part in the games and stunts on Belle Island. While congratulating the police, parks officials, public, and Slaughterama organizers, special thanks goes to the sector police lieutenant Lisa Drew, who did a marvelous job of mustering resources and briefing her fellow officers. She spent many hours carefully planning deployment. She deserves to be commended for a job well done.