Category Archives: community

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association Meeting Tonight

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From email announcement:

Dear Neighbors

Tonight’s OHNA meeting at 7pm at 236 S Laurel will be kept pretty simple and short. Apologies to anyone that didnt get the message on our rezoning resolution’s delay until May 14. The postponement was a good thing. The meeting was still going on at 11. Kudos to Parker for his cigarette tax proposal. He fought hard for a good cause against a very complacent and snoozy City Council and we are very proud of him for that. There will be important updates tonight as well as our guest Lynne Lancaster from DPW/parking division. We can clear up any permit questions as well as discuss our options for accommodating Open High (and any other institution) that may have special parking needs. Also, we are extending the turn in deadline until the May meeting but please bring any completed petitions! I will also have a few packets of Butterfly Milkweed seeds which I encourage you to plant to help Monarch butterflies on their journey north. Hope to see you at 7!

Meeting Agenda 4/24/2018

7PM Meeting called to order

7:05 RPD Update

7:10 VCU Police Update- Officer Greg Felton

7:15 VCU Update Mr Tito Luna

7:20 Parking Permit discussion with our guest Lynne Lancaster from DPW Parking Division

7:40 Updates on 800 block W Cary

7:50 Updates on Holly Street Playground “Secret Grottoes” reclamation effort.

7:55 Update from Amy Robins, Councilman Agelasto’s office

8:05 New business

8:-) 10 Adjournment.

Times are all approximate

“Little Soldier Saturday” At The Va. War Memorial

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The Virginia War Memorial is holding an event Saturday called “Little Soldier Saturday”. It is aimed at children aged 3 to 8.

From the event page:

Spark your child’s love of history at our “Little Soldier Saturday.” This FREE program is tailored to meet the needs of young learners, encourage an appreciation of the past, and inspire creativity. Activities feature songs, stories, crafts, and movement, based around a theme or historic time period.

Parents/caregivers must remain with children at all times.

Free to attend but registration is required.

For questions, please call our education department at 804 786 9700.

Solar Patriotism At VCU This Friday

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This community news site has run many editorials and posts in favor of more solar energy.

This Friday there will be a talk and book signing by Erik Curren, author of The Solar Patriot: A Citizen’s Guide to Helping America Win Clean Energy Independence.

From book description:

In the spirit of 1776, The Solar Patriot aims to recruit ordinary citizens as champions for homegrown, all-American clean energy. If you think that solar power should become America’s top energy source, and you’d like to help make it happen, then this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Even if you don’t have solar panels on your own roof, The Solar Patriot will give you ideas to join the revolution to free America from the tyranny of fossil fuels and make our nation cleaner, safer and more prosperous.

After Erik’s talk, he will join panelists Katharine Bond of Dominion Energy and Aaron Sutch of Solar United Neighbors of Virginia for a discussion of what it will take to get more solar power in Virginia.

The event will take place at 3 pm in the VCU Commons Theater (907 Floyd Ave) and it is free and open to the public.

Utility Area Cleanup

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This morning a group of volunteers worked to clean invasive plants, brush, debris, and litter from a ‘utility area’ behind Holly Street Playground.

The group consisted of neighbors Stephenie Harrington, Jimmy Blackford, Chris Milk, and some VCU students organized by coordinator Nicole Patterson.

Afterwords, they enjoyed a delicious lunch from Peddler on Pine.

They found hundreds of bottles and cans going back 20 years+ by the labels. They also found a Viewfinder, toy trucks, school chair seats, and a tire.

‘Survivor Game’ Both Entertains and ‘Weirds Out’ Laurel Street Neighbors

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A residence on Laurel Street has been using toy super hero figurines to act out an imaginary game of ‘Survivor’ in their small front yard. No real violence has been involved, though some of the figures are left in what looks like obvious distress.

While some of the children who live across the street are enthralled and look every day to see the latest happenings in the yard, their parents are still making up their own minds about what these games represent.

“Some of these figures look just so lost and forlorn,” said one parent named Teresa.

Indeed, this one, was evidently ‘voted off the island’ and did not even make it:

“If this is how the college kids want to entertain themselves these days, and they don’t hurt anyone else, I am ok with it,” stated a neighbor named Becky (ed. note: neighbors declined to give last names for this post).

No Easter eggs have been seen with the toy figures… yet.

North Trail Rabbit Sightings Raise Rabies Concerns

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While many people have been enjoying animal wildlife sightings in Hollywood Cemetery and along the Richmond riverfront, other neighbors have been expressing mounting alarm at a warren of rabbits living beneath the Robert Lee Bridge along the North Bank Trail. While no one has witnessed an actual attack, the rabbits have been seen acting strangely and somewhat threatening towards pedestrians and their pets walking along the park trail. Many neighbors remember the attack a few years ago by a rabid red fox in the same area.

VCU Professor Ann Wright urges residents not to panic, that although this rabbit behavior is somewhat novel, it should not necessarily be seen as dangerous. “These urbanized, European rabbits may just be protecting their eggs,” she explained. She further noted that in older times, people would try to steal the multi-colored eggs as quasi-religious icons, which may have lead to this species’ response. “The sad reality is that we may see many animal behaviors change as they desperately try to adapt to a diminishing natural environment. One in five species on Earth now faces extinction, and that will rise to 50% by the end of the century unless urgent action is taken to stabilize their environment.”

That said, James River Park management and VCU Life Sciences are moving their night vision cameras to see if they can observe these rabbits first-hand and will be looking for more signs of rabies in park animals.

Overnight Solar Leak Prompts Neighborhood Evacuation

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A solar leak in Richmond’s Oregon Hill prompted the voluntary evacuation of nearly 100 homes near the intersection of Laurel Street and Spring Street. The leak was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday. Most neighbors were allowed to return to their homes around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Richmond Fire Department and Police Department responded to the area just after 11:00 p.m, along with Dominion Energy technicians. United Solar Neighbors’ representative Aaron Sutch was also on hand to comfort neighbors.

Laurel Street neighbor Tommy Birchett reported a strong odor in the area and saw solar streaks in the sky above his street, though a Holly Street neighbor who had recently installed solar in her residence says she did not see anything. A Dominion spokesperson said solar is still an experimental fuel, which is why it is must be kept under the utility’s control.

Crews closed Laurel Street between Albemarle and Holly in order to repair the leak.

This alarming event is somewhat similar to a gas line leak evacuation that took place this past Thursday in a West End neighborhood in Henrico. The main difference being that Henrico gas event was real.