Category Archives: Entertainment

Let There Be Flowers

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The next astronomical spring begins tomorrow, though local weather calls for rain. Many neighbors are planning their gardens, and hopefully there is more interest in establishing some community plantings in tree wells, alleys, and lots, perhaps in preparation for the Richmond2015 UCI bicycle races.

Don’t forget Hollywood Cemetery’s Volunteer Rose Pruning And Maintenance Day on Saturday.

This spring you may also want to consider attending the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ new exhibit, “Van Gogh, Manet, and Matisse: The Art of the Flower”.
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“Helicopter Ben” Appearing At Altria Theater Saturday

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On Saturday evening, the Richmond Forum will host a speech and Q&A by Ben Bernanke at the Altria Theater.

From the Altria Theater web page:

In 2013, Forbes called Ben S. Bernanke one of the ten most powerful people in the world. Bernanke served two terms as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 2006 to 2014 under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. At The Richmond Forum, the former Fed Chief will discuss the critical role of the central bank of the United States, the events and policies of his tenure, and the domestic and global economies.
Mr. Bernanke’s presentation will be followed by an audience Q&A.

In a sense this is a victory lap for “Helicopter Ben”, having seen his policies seemingly stabilize the economy, even after going into “quantitative easing”. Some even credit Bernanke with holding off a second, deflationary “Great Depression”.

However, there are still critics. “Many argue that QE has not reduced unemployment, but has diminished the Fed’s independence and credibility, offsetting the effects of adopting a numerical inflation target. Now, only a year after the latest round of QE began, the Fed is struggling with how to unwind it, just as many had warned” – John B. Taylor.
Others are even more bearish about the future of the economy in the longterm response to these policies, adding to a “wall of worry” for investors.

I wonder if Chris Dorsey will try to attend?

Regardless, with Wall Street coming out of a “Fed watch”, it should be an interesting q&a for anyone interested in macroeconomics.

CenterStage, Altria Theater Exempted From Real Estate Tax

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From Style article:

Richmond CenterStage and its parent group ignited a minor furor in October when they revealed they owed $1.75 million in back real estate taxes and wanted the city to cover the tab.

Following a heated public hearing, City Council eventually consented to pay the bill. What was left unclear was whether the performing arts organization — which operates the Altria and Carpenter theaters — would begin covering its own real estate taxes.

As it turns out, that won’t be an issue because Richmond-area state lawmakers have CenterStage’s back. Both houses of the General Assembly passed legislation specifically tailored to exempt CenterStage from any real estate tax obligations.
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VCU Arts Cinematheque Releases Spring 2015 Schedule

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Not in Oregon Hill, but nearby-

from RVA Magazine article:

VCU’s Grace Street Theater is a great venue to catch unique and touring movies, and VCU’s Cinematheque program has a wealth of great flicks coming in the next few months.

A brand new state-of-the-art 35mm projector with lenses to project in many different aspect ratios, HD digital projectors, a new screen, and Dolby Surround Digital Audio make the spot great for a good screening–not to mention all the screenings are free and open to the public!

Click here for link to program schedule.

Also, on Feb. 5, the films A River Runs Through It and Gringo Trails will be playing at the VCU Grace Street Theater as part of the RVA Environmental Film Festival.

Promises Documentary At Main Street Library Wednesday

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From announcement:

This Wednesday, December 10th, at 6pm, at Main Library (101 East Franklin Street, Richmond VA), Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine, the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Richmond Friends Meeting, and the Richmond Peace Education Center are screening the award-winning documentary Promises. The film is a portrait of seven Palestinian and Israeli children.
A discussion will follow and refreshments will be served. Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
For questions on the film series, which is ongoing, contact Jim Metz at jdjmetz@yahoo.com or 804-232-1002.

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Theater Foundation Asks For Bailout

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From Times Dispatch article:

The organization that oversees Richmond CenterStage and the Altria Theater is asking the city of Richmond for $1.75 million to a pay a tax bill it never expected.
Richmond Performing Arts Center, the public-private partnership behind both renovation projects, created a for-profit company called RPAC Inc. in order to take advantage of historic tax credits for the renovation work.
But the organization and the city apparently overlooked or misinterpreted a law that requires for-profit companies to pay real estate taxes on leasehold interests in publicly owned properties that would otherwise be exempt from taxation.

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“What I can’t understand is how one might think that they wouldn’t be required to pay real estate taxes from a private, for-profit entity,” said Agelasto, 5th District. “It seems to me that somebody got advice that didn’t quite mirror to what the federal law was.”

See earlier posts on this subject here, here, and here.