This photo of a tiger lilly was taken by Kenny Hamilton, who frequently bicycles through the neighborhood. In his youth, he often came to Oregon Hill as a ‘skate rat’.
Oregon Hill Flower
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Category Archives: community
James River Hikers Going Strong
The James River Hikers group is going strong and have several planned events near Oregon Hill and around Richmond:
June 8, 9 am – Guided tour and video at Virginia War Memorial.
Consults Over Coffee: What Happened to Monroe Park?
Grace Arents’ Housing Legacy Up For Sale
https://commonwealthcommercial.com/property/200-202-s-linden-street-912-924-cumberland-street/
These houses were the first public housing in the city of Richmond, and part of Grace Arents’ legacy
Grace Evelyn Arents Marker
The Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council had reached out to the owner, the St. Andrew’s Association foundation, about putting historic easements on the properties, but never received an answer.
Sadly, these properties have been left vacant for over a year.
OHNA Meeting Tomorrow Night
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting is on Tuesday, April 27th at 7pm.
Please check your registered email address for an agenda with a Zoom link.
Jean Elizabeth Carter
Jean Elizabeth Carter, 98, passed away on April 21, 2021. The Carter family made wonderful contributions to Oregon Hill. Many Oregon Hill neighbors remember Carter’s Store that was opened by Jean Carter’s father on Idlewood behind their home at 300 S. Pine Street.
Tree Planting Scheduled For Wednesday
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association invites neighbors to join together this Wednesday, from 4pm-6pm in Pleasants Park in order to give it a facelift. It will involve planting new trees, and cleaning up some brush. Tools, mulch, and trees provided!
COVID-19 Is No Joke
So for the second year in a row, there will be no April Fool’s posts. Sadly, the COVID-19 still presents a viable risk and threat for neighbors while life during the pandemic remains unsettled and difficult for many people in general. It’s too bad, because I did have some good ones planned- ‘City Launches ‘R-VAlue’ (Social credit system which would reward residents who promote casino possibilities while punishing those who brought up controversies like Monroe Park), ‘VCU’s New Robot Avatars Attempt To Replace Adjuncts‘, ‘Reclusive Neighbor Did Not Know Pandemic Was Happening’, ‘Oregon Hill Marijuana Gardening Club‘, etc. But the reality is that we need to focus on the current reality.
Instead, let’s use this time before Easter to think about and pray for those who are battling the virus (including our Councilperson, Stephanie Lynch, who publicly announced her infection on Tuesday) and think positive thoughts about vaccines and better times ahead. Don’t be an April Fool, keep wearing your mask outside of your home.
“The Builder”
Excerpt from Virginia Living magazine article:
A documentary about Richmond’s thriving art scene was the winner in the Best Special Interest Film category at the 2020 Art is Alive Film Festival. The Builder is a story about friendship and the powerful way the interconnectivity of people living and moving throughout a city can help to build culture, with a focus on Oregon Hill native and contractor Don Childress, curator of an incredible contemporary art collection, including work from Francesco Clemente, Ron Johnson, Heidi Trepaneir, and Bill Fisher.
The film was produced by Shockoe Artspace, a community supported, artist-run, large-scale, nonprofit gallery founded in 2011 in Richmond. “It really is an honor to win this award in a field of such fantastic films as the ones we saw at the festival,” says Ryan Lauterio, the director of Shockoe Artspace and one of the co-directors of the film, alongside Nicholas Seitz. “We thought we had a great story to tell, and this award is an affirmation of all of the people, relationships, and hard work that made this possible.”
Trailer:
The Builder from Shockoe Artspace on Vimeo.
Click here for film website.
Time To End Some Leases And Protect What Is Public
Todd Woodson, past OHNA president, past Sierra Club Falls of the James ‘Green Giant’ award winner, and past member of City Council’s Monroe Park Advisory Council, released this post this morning:
NO CITY MONEY FOR THE MONROE PARK CONSERVANCY!
Friends- the writing is on the wall! As Historic Monroe Park falls deeper into dereliction only two years after an $8 million dollar renovation, it has become obvious that even though 2020 set a record for charitable giving, the Monroe Park Conservancy – the group responsible for the Park’s sad condition, is broke and can’t honor their agreement with the City. Alice Massie and treasurer Matthew Stanley have defied federal regulations by refusing to allow their form 990’s to be reviewed by the public. Having exhausted all sources of charitable giving, it is inevitable that this “conservancy” will or have asked the City for a bail out, using tax payer money. It will take millions to repair the damage they and they alone have caused to our most historic park. The answer should be a resounding NO! It is time to terminate the lease and put the historic park back in the hands of the community under our capable Parks Department’s management. Giving Massie and Matthew Stanley (who is also Outreach Director for Richmond Public Schools) more money would be an egregious waste of our hard earned dollars. Reach out to your representatives and ask that they terminate the lease immediately and fix the park with public restrooms, usable pathways and a RESTORED TREE CANOPY!
At this past OHNA (Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association) meeting, Councilperson Stephanie Lynch was asked if there was any news on Monroe Park. She replied that there was none other than rumors of financial difficulty on the part of the Monroe Park Conservancy and she did not know of any City Council requests to rescind the lease (something that OHNA has previously requested).
Given some of the same issues of park use and attempts at privatization, it is noteworthy that near the riverfront side of Oregon Hill, during or shortly after the recent ‘zombie show filming’, a sign went up in the Belle Island (part of the James River Park system) for “private parking”. The city’s lease with Venture Richmond stated that they would retain free parking in the Belle Isle parking lot i.e. public parking.
After citizens made inquiries, Venture Richmond quickly said more recently that the new signs would come down and blamed the towing company for misunderstanding. Many citizens remain skeptical and believe this was yet another attempt to sneak in privatization. Oregon Hill residents, including Todd Woodson, remain vigilant in trying to watch over Venture Richmond and other ‘public-private partnerships’.
And on that score, one other thing- Oregon Hill residents have heard that Dominion is planning to move ahead with its proposed solar array on top of its riverfront parking garage (which, btw, is not shared with the public for parking). While many Oregon Hill residents are very much in favor of renewable energy, this is in violation of the hard won height agreement there (which OHNA, the Sierra Club Falls of the James, and other community and environmental groups are part of). What does this mean if Dominion is not going to be held accountable for its own agreements that are there to protect a public view?
When you look at all that has recently been proposed around the neighborhood, including Richmond300 shenanigans to ‘affordable housing’ initiatives, it is time is to send some universal messages- BACK OFF! AND STOP TRYING TO TAKE FROM THE PUBLIC! Return Monroe Park to the public!
P.S. Please do click through the links in this editorial and appreciate the time and energy that Oregon Hill residents have sacrificed to protect this neighborhood and what belongs to the City and public in whole. The local corporate media often does not give the complete picture in these matters and we need everyone to recognize how corporate hegemony, be it from institutions like VCU, be it from private companies like Dominion, be it from ‘public-private partnerships’ like Venture Richmond, be it from our own compromised City government, is acting against us. (Coming soon to this community news site, more on how we can fight back on the local, city, state, and national level…)