Category Archives: government

Open High Earns Federal Blue Ribbon Honors

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Lets work to keep it Open in Oregon Hill.

Thanks,
Scott

For Immediate Release Contact: Charles Pyle
September 10, 2008 Director of Communications
(804) 371-2420
Julie C. Grimes
Communications Manager
(804) 225-2775

Virginia Schools Earn Federal Blue Ribbon Honors

The U.S. Department of Education has designated seven Virginia public schools and three parochial schools as 2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

The public schools receiving federal Blue Ribbon School status are as follows:

Edgemont Primary in Covington
Graham Road Elementary in Fairfax County
Ocean View Elementary in Norfolk
Open High in Richmond
Springwoods Elementary in Prince William County
Temperance Elementary in Amherst County
Virginia L. Murray Elementary in Albemarle County

“These schools share a commitment to instruction and accountability that is grounded in the belief that all children can succeed,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Billy K. Cannaday Jr., who nominated the schools for federal recognition.

All of the public 2008 NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools earned awards earlier this year through the Virginia Index of Performance program that recognizes schools and divisions that exceed state and federal accountability standards. Virginia L. Murray Elementary in Albemarle County earned the Governor’s Award for Education Excellence while the others received the Board of Education’s VIP Excellence Award.

Three schools in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Holy Spirit School in Annandale, St. John Academy in McLean and Nativity School in Burke, were also recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools. The Council for American Private Education nominates private and parochial schools for Blue Ribbon awards each year.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established in 1982 to spotlight the country’s most successful schools. The program, which allows both elementary and secondary schools to be recognized in the same year, was renamed and modified last year to emphasize the goals of NCLB.

The U.S. Department of Education will honor Virginia’s Blue Ribbon Schools during an awards ceremony in October. Two people from each school, the principal and a teacher, will be invited to the ceremony where the schools will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their Blue Ribbon Status. Since 1982, more than 100 Virginia public and private schools have received federal Blue Ribbon designations.

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“Survivor Day” Training Offered to Richmond Residents on Saturday, September 13

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WHO: Richmond residents can register to receive free training in basic survival skills during an emergency

WHAT: “Survivor Day,” sponsored by the City’s Office of Emergency Management, is a four-hour, free training session in fire safety, first-aid, and terrorism and weather response measures

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, September 13, 2008

WHERE: Landmark Theater, 6 North Laurel Street

This training is designed to prepare citizens with information and planning tools in the event of a widespread disruption of public services, commerce and transportation due to a local emergency.

Training is free and open to all City residents. Citizens can register by calling 311 or visiting www.RichmondGov.com .

A free Survival Kit, with supplies including flashlight, gloves, batteries, toilet paper and a blanket, will be provided upon completion of the training (limit one per household).

Pools of Water (part 2 or 3?)

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But how much premium will VCU pay?

Thanks,
Scott

Begin forwarded message:

From: DPU – Communications
Date: August 18, 2008 3:27:19 PM EDT
To: DPU – Communications
Subject: News release: New water rates underscore conservation effort

New Rate Underscores Conservation Message

RICHMOND, VA—In an effort to encourage water customers to conserve water when supply is scarce, the City of Richmond instituted a water conservation rate, effective July 1, 2008. During designated periods of either voluntary or mandatory conservation, customers who make the decision to use more than 140 percent of their normal winter water usage (water consumed during December, January, and February) will pay a higher commodity rate on their excess usage.

“Rates are set to drive customer behavior,” said Acting Chief Administrative Officer and Public Utilities Director Chris Beschler. “The behavior that we want to promote is to protect one of our most precious natural resources so that we all are doing our part to help the environment. This water conservation rate provides a financial incentive for water customers to do just that,”

Under this water conservation rate, DPU water customers will pay a 50 percent premium on water used over and above 140 percent of their normal winter water usage during voluntary conservation measures, and a 100 percent premium during mandatory water conservation measures.

The following is an example of what an average customer would pay using more than the normal l winter water usage during voluntary or mandatory water conservation measures:

For an average water customer whose winter monthly consumption = 8 Ccf
Conservation charge threshold (8 Ccf X 140%) = 11 Ccf
Actual monthly consumption during conservation period = 20 Ccf
Consumption subject to conservation rate (20 Ccf – 11 Ccf) = 9 Ccf

Voluntary conservation measures were implemented August 11, 2008 in the City of Richmond and surrounding counties when water levels in the James River dropped below the 1,200 cfs trigger level. For more information on conservation measures during either voluntary or mandatory water conservation periods, visit DPU’s website at www.RichmondGov.com/DPU; click on “Water Utility;” and then click on “Water Utility Page” in the drop down menu, or contact DPU’s Customer Care Center at 644-3000.
Contact: Angela Fountain, DPU Communications, 646-7323

Hard copy attached

City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities
Communications Division
730 E. Broad Street, 6th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
(O) 804.646.5224, (Fax) 804.646.4858
Email: DPUC@richmondgov.com

Richmond.com takes detailed look at District 5

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Richmond.com takes a comprehensive overview of Richmond’s 5th District — looking at both the boundaries and key landmarks of this diverse district, as well as a solid snapshot of the candidates and issues behind the upcoming School Board and City Council elections:

Located smack in the middle of the city, the Central District is in the center of the city and is one of two districts that crisscross the James River. It covers a diverse swath of the city, from Oregon Hill near Virginia Commonwealth University south across the river to Hull Street.

It includes the communities of Woodland Heights, Springhill, Reedy Creek, Carytown, Oregon Hill, parts of the Fan and Swansboro. Maymont and Byrd parks are also in the 5th District.

Continue reading →

Rezoning Meeting/Green Drinks at Built Gallery

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This past Thursday I went to Green Drinks at Built Gallery. I forgot about a Cary Street rezoning meeting held at the William Byrd Community House, but then as King I have already made the neighborhood’s position clear– we STILL support urban business rezoning for Cary and Belvidere streets and its ridiculous that it has not been rezoned yet. Thankfully, other citizens were there at the meeting to re-emphasize their convictions. Yet what is the response? The City had plenty of representation at the meeting and I heard they got an earful but were still reluctant (the quote I heard was “weird”) to answer the basic question of why rezoning has not moved forward. Something smells and frankly Oregon Hill is tired of the stink. I was glad to hear that City Council candidate Mark Brandon attended the meeting so he could experience the situation first hand.

More on Green Drinks at Built Gallery here, and here.

Re-zoning, and the Disappointing Marty Jewell

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This past Tuesday night at its monthly meeting, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association once again voted and re-, re-, and re-affirmed its support for Urban Business District zoning for W.Cary St. and 100 block of Belvidere (we have been voting on this since at least 2002). We want to save the small businesses and houses we have left and encourage more mixed use in the future.

The following email exchange is related to this issue and is posted with permission. I will note that I have not heard from Councilperson Jewell since I approached him at the end of the Richmond Crusade for Voters meeting.

From: candylandmusic@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [OregonHill] Jewell, rezoning, alley
Date: June 18, 2008 8:40:11 AM EDT
To: OregonHill@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: OregonHill@yahoogroups.com

Many many hours of hard work have gone into coming up with this UB2 proposal. The City’s Department of Community Development are to be applauded for holding the numerous meetings among stake holders and proposing a unique zoning designation that can help the Oregon Hill Cary Street Corridor become a positive pedestrian oriented business/residential area and stave off inappropriate development. Jewell’s disengagement from his constituents needs is made more disgusting by his list of donors to his campaign (google “VPAP E. Martin Jewell” to see the list of developers that are “banking” on Jewell). Im just so disgusted with this guy and his shenanigans. Every time the neighborhood has needed his support, he votes against us or ignores us, to include smashing our newly gained R7 zoning in the rest of the neighborhood to allow a parking lot for his ol’ pal Salomonsky against the neighborhoods wishes. No new street trees this year, VERY little needed infrastructural repairs accomplished and supporting higher real estate tax rates are a few of his “accomplishments” as Councilman. Please vote for Mark Brandon in November for 5th district Councilperson. We desperately need a change.

On Jun 17, 2008, at 11:51 PM, Scott Burger wrote:

Saw our Councilperson, Marty Jewell, at the Crusade for Voters
meeting tonight. Once again, he claimed to have trouble reaching me
for some reason. He also says he wants to sit down and talk to me
about the Cary Street rezoning. I told him he could talk to me right
there. He said he did not know about the proposed rezoning. I told
him that OHNA had voted and revoted to support urban business
district zoning since 2002. He said that the Community Development
Dept. had not kept him abreast of recent proposal. I told him that’s
not true, because I had email where he was cc’ed. he said that was
not good enough notification. I repeated the neighborhood’s support
for rezoning. He said he did not blame us, he blames Community
Development. I repeated the neighborhood’s support for rezoning to
ub. He said certain property owners on Cary did not want the
rezoning. I asked him for names. He would not name them. I repeated
OHNA’s longtime support for rezoning to ub. He said he would talk
with me later.

Before he could brush me off, I repeated my concerns for the alley
behind the 600 block of Cherry. He acted surprised and said that Gary
Duvall in Public Works was supposed to have fixed it. I repeated that
the alley had not been fixed for some time now, and improper drainage
was threatening the historic John Miller House and other houses. He
called his assistant’s voice mail and left a reminder for her to
remind him.

Thanks,
Scott

See It While You Can- City Auditorium

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One of the few good things about the VCU rec center project is that VCU will finally properly renovate the historic City Auditorium building. Right now you can really see and appreciate this magnificent architecture of the original structure, though sans its supporting stables. It was the ‘white elephant’ arts center project of its day, and went through a couple of uses, including a farmer’s market as well as concert hall. It hosted a number of famous speakers, including Presidents.

See it while you can, because it is supposed to be enveloped by the construction of the massive, 100,000 sq. ft. rec center.

Open High Mentioned in Article on ADA for RPS

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Richmond Schools Step Up

An addition should be added to Open High for an elevator.
Along with solar panels.

Money should not be that big of an issue.

That building is a beautiful part of Grace Arents‘ legacy to Oregon Hill and Richmond education. It should not be closed. Open High, as a small school, is one of RPS’ greatest success stories.

Congratulations to Beatty and Wolf! They have worked tirelessly on behalf of Richmond children.