Category Archives: government

New Sector Lt.

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Effective this past Saturday, May 16th, I was reassigned within 4th Precinct to the Executive Officer’s position. Lieutenant Yvonne Baltz will be taking over Sector 413.

I wanted to take a minute to thank each one of you for your assistance and continued support over the past couple of years. I have very much enjoyed working with all of you to fight crime in Sector 413! Lt. Baltz has over 25 years of experience and has worked in 4th Precinct before so she is well aware of the issues we face. She will do a great job! She can be contacted at Yvonne.Baltz@richmond.gov or at 646-4105.

Thanks again for all that you do!

Lisa Drew

Jewell Bemoans Budget Woes for Parks & Rec

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In a recent Times Dispatch article on the City budget negotiations, 5th District Councilperson Marty Jewell expressed concern about cut funding for the City’s Parks & Recreation Department.

Councilman E. Martin Jewell said he’s frustrated that the council didn’t do more to support parks and recreation. Jones’ proposed budget calls for eliminating 29 vacant full-time positions, and Jewell said most are assigned to recreation programs.

“At a time when we’re approaching summer, we’re cutting . . . positions. Give me a break,” he said.

Bi-Annual Inspection – Robert E. Lee Bridge

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For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2009
For more information, contact:
Sharon North – (804) 646-5607
Jemila Woodson – (804) 646-5665

Bi-Annual Inspection – Robert E. Lee Bridge

WHO: City of Richmond Department of Public Works

WHAT: Bi-annual inspection

WHEN: Monday, May 11 until late May

WHERE: Robert E. Lee Bridge, northbound lanes

BACKGROUND: Motorists may experience additional delays, as the inspection will require occasional lane closures. Once the northbound lane inspection is complete, crews will perform an inspection on the southbound lanes. The public will be notified when this transition takes place.

From refuse collection to pothole reports, Customer Care Center representatives are available at 3-1-1 to assist citizens with all of their Public Works needs. For more information on the City of Richmond, visit www.RichmondGov.com .

Late Notice: USAT Duathlon Road Closures

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Copied from Hills and Heights:

Half of this falls under better late than never. Sorry dear readers but I didn’t catch that there was a USAT Duathlon going on this weekend and will shut down some roads.

Road Closures for Sunday, April 26th
2nd Street from Byrd Street to Lee Bridge closed – Until 1:00 p.m.
Byrd Street between 2nd Street and 3rd Streets closed – Until 1:00 p.m.
The curb lane of the Lee Bridge closed in both directions — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Riverside Drive closed from Lee Bridge access ramps to 42nd Street — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
42nd Street from Riverside Drive to Springhill Avenue partially closed, police present to monitor and control — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Parking on both sides of 42nd Street prohibited — 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Dream of High Speed Rail

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Ever since I started living here I have had the dream- that one day, I could walk out my door with a small backpack, and hike or grab a ride down to Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom, and catch a high speed train to the airport, to D.C., to Norfolk, to anywhere in the world. I am certainly not the only one. Virginians for High Speed Rail have been making the case for years (though they do it very drily).

When I first arrived here many years ago, I mentioned in a conversation how excited I was about the day that high speed rail to and from D.C. became reality in Richmond and how it would really change things. The person I was talking with gave a sympathetic chuckle and said, “You are new here, aren’t you? You will see…”

And I have seen. I have listened to the excuses and the reasons for the delays. I have heard the naysayers and distractions. I have learned about the Acca train yard and CSX obstacles. I have grown to understand and appreciate Richmond’s other tremendous needs for educational and institutional reform.

But that day is getting closer, and as citizens of Richmond, we should hunger for it, prepare for it, and even demand it. High speed rail and mass transit are too important for the future of this City to just wait idly by. And it should be part of other important conversations.

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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