‘Neighborhood Batteries’

New technology is coming. How soon can Oregon Hill take advantage of it?

From article:

Solar City shareholders meet today in the Bay Area to vote on a proposed merger with Elon Musk’s Tesla. The merger will likely supercharge a growing trend of big battery facilities that can store enough electricity to power a neighborhood, small town, university or even an island like Kauai.

Grid storage is making people’s lives easier (and cheaper) by allowing communities to unhook themselves from the utility power grid. In some cases, it’s also providing an incentive for switching to renewable energy sources, which tend to dry up either at night (solar) or during the day (wind).

Volunteers Needed This Saturday For More Alley Work

This past August volunteers were recruited to help spread donated gravel on some alley ways. Now there is more gravel coming our way. From announcement:

Volunteers are needed Saturday morning from 9am to ~10:30am to help spread some gravel in 2-3 of the worst alleys. This is a bandaid not a fix. We will be meeting in the Fine Food Market parking lot at 9am. Shovels, rakes, and gloves will be provided. If you have a wheelbarrow, that would be great!

St. Andrew’s Church To Host Labyrinth Walk in Pleasants Park On Wednesday

From email announcement:

On Wednesday evening, November 2, St. Andrew’s will host an All Souls’ Labyrinth Walk in Pleasants Park (editor’s note: corner of Laurel and Albemarle). Please feel free to stop by any time between 5 pm and 7 pm. It is an invitation to walk in quiet remembrance of and thanksgiving for the ancestors who have gone before us to light the way.

Walking a labyrinth is one of the oldest contemplative practices for prayer and pilgrimage found in faith traditions around the world. Labyrinths may have been in existence as early as 3,500 to 4,500 BCE.

The labyrinth will be set up from 5 to 7pm for those who would like to walk it, and we will have hot chocolate and cookies for those who join us.

Reverend Abbott Bailey

Halloween Parade Video

When I first met David Martin, I was not sure what to think. But over time he has devoted many, many hours photographing, video-ing, and documenting stuff around RVA, probably more so than even Silver Persinger. He has done a lot of it for free, including many events for the local Sierra Club. Anyway, he did his best to capture the Halloween parade last night, so I am giving him a plug here. Contact David for a paying gig- he does wedding photography also.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Special thanks to St. Andrew’s for sponsoring the Jack O’ Lantern contest and to All The Saints Theater for yet another great parade!

It’s Halloween- Jack O’ Lantern Contest Winners, Celebrations, and Parade!

Without much prompting, Oregon Hill has become one of the best neighborhoods to celebrate Halloween in. Lots of stuff happening in addition to the regular trick or treating.

Tonight is the 11th Annual Halloween Parade presented by All The Saints Theater Company.
The theme:

A Funeral March for Demons of the Day: the Goddesses and Elements are here to wash them away!

It starts at 7 pm sharp in Monroe Park.

St. Andrew’s Church is holding a celebration on its front steps, including hot chocolate and ghostly historic tours of the church. It starts at 6 pm and goes to 8:30 pm.

Pine Street Baptist will also be celebrating in Pleasants Park at the corner of Albemarle and Laurel with grilled hot dogs and music.

This is a good time to welcome people to the neighborhood, but also keep a look-out for each other. We will hopefully have lots of kids before and during the parade, so please be careful.

Lastly, its time to announce the winners of the First Annual St. Andrew’s Church/OregonHill.net Jack O’ Lantern Contest. Everyone is reminded that they are welcome to bring their Jack O’ Lanterns up to to St. Andrew’s Church celebration also.

So the runner up prize ($25) goes to Pine Street neighbor Stephenie Harrington for her imaginative “Disco Is Not Dead” entry.

image114572969_10154601389174882_29169687035624672_n

Cherry Street neighbor Todd Woodson is the grand prize winner for his scary entry, complete with wildlife.

fullsizerender

It was not an easy choice, while Harrington’s may have been more original, Woodson indicated that he will be adding his remains to his compost pile, and that, according to the rules, was 20% of the judging. Congratulations and appreciation to our winners! Next year let’s see more entries!