Category Archives: News

Street Closure – South 7th Street

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From City Press release:

For Immediate Release
January 19, 2011
For more information, contact:
Sharon North – (804) 646-5607

Street Closure – South 7th Street

WHO: City of Richmond Department of Public Works

WHAT: Street Closure

WHEN: Saturday, January 22, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE: South 7th Street between Bragg Street and Tredegar Street

BACKGROUND: The street will be closed during set up of a crane that will install a mechanical room structure at 501 W. 5th St.

Press Release: Local Group to Hold Benefit at Gallery 5 to help in Campaign to Keep Park Open

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From Monroe Campaign press release:

Richmond, VA—On Saturday, January 22, starting at 8 p.m., the Monroe Park Campaign will be screening the film Dark Days as well as a short documentary about Monroe Park at Gallery 5. Tickets will be $3 and can be purchased at the door.

Since its inception four months ago, The Monroe Park Campaign has steadily grown; businesses, organizations and news sources are finally getting interested and involved in the fate of Richmond’s oldest park. However, like all independently-run initiatives, the Campaign has accrued its fair share of expenses. To help raise funds, they’ve decided to throw a benefit at Gallery 5. The Campaign will screen the touching film, Dark Days, as well as a documentary about Monroe Park and the forthcoming renovations that are threatening the welfare of Richmond’s homeless population.

Dark Days was made by British filmmaker, Marc Singer. The film follows a group of homeless people living in an abandoned section of the New York City underground railway system. Hailed as an “an eye-opening experience that shatters the myths of homelessness”, Dark Days is a film you will not likely soon forget. DD has received numerous film-festival nominations and awards, including: Best Documentary/Non-fiction Film at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and the Cinematography Award and the Audience Best Documentary Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

The Monroe Park Campaign is a coalition of churches, feeding groups, radical organizations, as well as concerned citizens that have come together upon hearing about the Monroe Park Advisory Council’s plans to shut down Monroe Park during renovations. For a period of 9-18 months, the council plans on fencing off all 8 acres of the park making it inaccessible for students, homeless people currently living and socializing there, weekly feeding programs as well as anyone else who may use the park. The Campaign is working to keep at least 25-50% of the park open during the entire duration of construction and to prevent the hiring of any private security task force to police the park after renovations, especially when the master plan calls for reducing the “apparently homeless population” as one of its goals. Ultimately, the Campaign hopes to influence the type of renovations that are being planned for the park, in the hopes of making it a friendlier place for everyone.

Gallery 5 is a community-oriented, socially-motivated art gallery and performing art center in Richmond’s Historic Jackson Ward.

DATE & TIME: Saturday, January 22 • 8 – 10 p.m.

LOCATION: Gallery 5
200 W. Marshall Street
Richmond, VA 23220

Note: I have received a request that an official clarification be included in this post that states that there are known discrepancies in the information presented as “factual”. “This is important because they are soliciting money for their cause in the press release”.

I am not interested in being buried by legal ‘ese’. I am also not interested in having comments with profanity and ad hominem attacks on this post.

Homeward’s Solution Providers Training

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From announcement:

Friday, February 4th, 2011
8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Homeward offers this quarterly training to familiarize new human and homeless services employees, agency and nonprofit staff, board members, volunteers and other interested individuals to the housing and community services of Greater Richmond.

Included in the day’s agenda is a Service Provider Bus Tour, an effective tool for introducing people to our community’s range of temporary housing programs, a journey often followed by people on their way through a housing crisis. From emergency shelter to transitional and permanent, supportive housing, participants see agencies in action and become connected to people working toward recovery and stability.

Next training is scheduled for: Friday, February 4, 2011

We will provide training attendees with morning refreshments and snacks throughout the bus tour.
(Please note, this is a change from previous Solution Providers Training sessions.)

Please register to attend the training HERE http://www.virginia.gov/conference/cgi-bin/conference.cgi?confer_id=584

Visit Homeward’s website for more information – http://www.homewardva.org/solutionproviders

The training will begin at Homeward’s Office – 1125 Commerce Rd., Richmond, VA 23224 Free parking is available.

Follow Homeward on:
Facebook & Twitter

Robberies of Captain D.’s and Orphans, 1864

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From The Daily Dispatch: January 18, 1864:

Robberies.
–On Fridaynight last, about 7 o’clock, the passage of the residence of Mr. Daniel Ratcliffe, on Marshall street, between 8th and 9th, was entered and robbed of his overcoat, shawl, and a scotch cap. This is the second or third time Mr. R ‘s premises have been trespassed upon and articles of value taken therefrom.

For some time back robberies of a fight character have been perpetrated upon the premises of Captain Wm. J. Dabney, commanding a Light Artillery battery from this city, but on Saturdaynight last the thieves, finding that they had a clear field and no one to interfere with them, cleaned the house entirely of its contents, taking furniture, clothing, and some few groceries away with them Mrs. Dabney having been absent from the city for some weeks, and the Captain’s duties calling him away most of the time, it was therefore known that no one was at home and the thieves thus went to work with very little apprehension of being detected. Captain D.’s residence is on Oregon Hill.

On Saturday night the Orphan Asylum near Duval street, was entered and robbed of eight or ten pairs of shoes, which had just been made for some of the children residing therein.

On Saturday some thief entered the back way of the “Gem Saloon,” and took from the drawer about $40 in money, besides three or four bottles of very choice Scotch whiskey.

An attempt was made on Fridaynight to rob the store of Blakey & Carter, on Franklin, between 17th and 18th streets. The thieves succeeded in forcing two locks, and were about removing the last obstruction to their entrance, as they were discovered by some market man and driven off.

The lumber house of Mr. Richard Reina, on the basin, between 9th and 10th streets, was entered by false keys, on Saturdaynight, and twelve pieces of bacon were carried off Mr. R. had in the same room a large lot of flour, corn, and other articles of provisions, but the thieves were either satisfied with what they had taken or became alarmed lest they would be detected.

Walter “Sonny” Waller

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From the Times Dispatch (click here for full obituary):

WALLER, Walter S. “Sonny,” age 72, of Mechanicsville, and originally of Oregon Hill, passed away Friday, January 14, 2011….
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 17, at Bliley’s – Central, 3801 Augusta Ave., and where a chapel service will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 18. Interment will follow in Hollywood Cemetery.

Times Dispatch Reviews the 821 Cafe

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The Richmond Times Dispatch ran a review of the 821 Bakery Cafe today. Here’s a portion:

821 Café’s menu boasts casual fare but plenty of flavor — wraps, croissant sandwiches, subs, burgers, pasta and breakfast (served until 5 p.m.).

We tried 821’s signature fried artichoke sub ($7.25), a pork loin sandwich ($6.75) and Fetabello ($10), angel hair pasta topped with portabellas and feta.

The big crusty sub roll held perfectly fried pieces of artichoke, spinach, spicy mustard and plenty of provolone. If you’re tired of most menus’ bland vegetarian options, this simple sub packs plenty of pungency.

Thick-cut slices of roasted pork were gussied up with a boatload of caramelized onions, melted Swiss and a jolt of tangy honey mustard. The flavors were in perfect balance; however, the spongy bun was not. I wouldn’t recommend it if finger-licking good isn’t your style.

The pasta was tasty stuff. Fresh basil, crumbly feta and tons of garlic enhanced the simple toppings: spinach, Parmesan, portabellas and tomatoes. Accompanying garlic bread was so-so, but it did its duty in soaking up the white wine sauce.

821 has long catered to its immediate audience — college kids happy to exist on sandwiches and pasta. But its menu has enough diversity and pizzazz that those not toting textbooks are loyal fans as well, no matter what the address.

Click here for the full review.
Got this from the restaurant’s Facebook page:

…cooking roasted corn and chicken chili w/ fried tortillas. meatball sub w/ roasted garlic and bacon mayo topped with field greens and fried bourbon onions. BBQ Tofu. Tis thirsty thursday yall! check our review in todays Times dispatch and prepare for Fridays tapping of Bells hopslam @ 5 pm!!!