VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY APRIL 4th 10 am at 224 S. Cherry St, Richmond, VA 23229 (804)643-2717
As a non-profit organization, The Byrd House Market relies on volunteers to do many things from putting up tents to data gathering, to marketing, to educational activities, to community outreach. You can volunteer for an hour, a day, or all summer! We can work with you to find something that fits your time availability and interests. Come to our open house and learn how you can help.
In a surprising move, Virginia Commonwealth University administration announced that its real estate foundation has signed an agreement to purchase the Hollywood Cemetery Company and all of its holdings. Hollywood Cemetery has been an operating since 1849 and covers roughly 145 acres. If this breaking news proves true, this new addition would put an exclamation point on what has been an incredible expansionary period for the university under its outgoing President, Eugene Trani. At press time, neither Hollywood Cemetery officials or VCU President’s Office was willing to answer too many questions about the startling development, although VCU did release a short statement saying that it was the culmination of a long term campaign “to give VCU a riverfront campus without impeding upon any ‘living’ neighborhoods or pre-existing agreements and create a world-class atmosphere for our university”. A purchase figure was not given.
Although VCU officials were less than forthcoming with plans for the acquisition, immediate speculation was that VCU would increase its residential presence with high rise dormitories while using at least some of the riverfront acreage for a football stadium. One VCU athletic official let slip that there was hope that some of the larger crypts could be ‘repurposed’ for squash courts.
When asked about the historical assets of Hollywood Cemetery, including the graves of Presidents Monroe and Tyler, a spokesperson shared that VCU had contracted with an outside firm to appropriately commemorate and memorialize the rich history of the gothic landmark. In addition, some local preservationists believe that VCU may try to move the Confederate White House from the MCV campus to a new historic museum portion of the Hollywood Cemetery location. A Virginia Department of Historic Resources employee, who refused to be identified, only remarked, “Well, Trani is still a very powerful man.”
Although many had still not heard the news, the VCU students who had were already excited about the expansion of facilities. “Hopefully, we are going to get some free parking”, said one. Another said that this move will bring more safety to a relatively unpopulated part of the City. A student government leader said that he had already been contacted by a campus environmental group that wanted to make sure some of the older growth trees in the cemetery were incorporated into any planning.
Please keep reading oregonhill.net as more details on this major development become available.
With mountaintop removal and new nuclear and coal burning plants under a lot of environmental scrutiny, Dominion Power has decided to turn to a more ‘renewable’ resource’, namely, the James River.
Today the company leadership said that the State Corporation Commission has given its permission for an emergency contingency plan to dam the river just above the falls and install hydro-electric turbines near Dominion’s corporate headquarters and trading floor on Tredegar Street. While Dominion has hydroelectric plants in other parts of the country, this James River plan is expected to create huge controversy.
This development comes at a crucial time for Dominion Power. It has already asked the SCC for a residential rate increase. At the same time, it is trying to retool with smart grid technology.
Locally, the City of Richmond’s James River Park manager exploded upon hearing the news about the proposed dam. No comment, just exploded. Local environmental activists tried to explain what this meant for the James River eco-system, but most, like the park manager, were just stunned speechless.
When a Dominion Power official was asked about a possible conflict with the City’s new James RIver Park Easement, he reportedly echoed former President G.W. Bush, by muttering through his clenched teeth that “its just a goddamned piece of paper”. He then recovered his composure to say,
“People need to understand, more and more energy is being used by Virginians and we need to find new ways to meet that need”.
From Craigslist:
LOST chocolate lab named Jake. He went missing between 7 and 11 pm Sunday night. He has a gold name tag and newport news city tags on an orange collar. Please please please call 201 259 9934 immediately if found. We are so worried!
100 block of S. Cherry
Nope, it’s not just water.
From the Times Dispatch:
With tens of millions of dollars likely at stake, the rate case has large implications for the company’s financial well-being, Virginia’s energy security and customers’ pocketbooks.
Rate cases establish the regulated utility’s allowable profit and are different from the annual adjustments for fuel costs, such as the 18 percent increase last summer.
The electric utility company will seek a “modest” rate increase, according to Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion Resource Inc.’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Perhaps we will see more people partake in EarthHour next year.
Keep in mind, Oregon Hill desires better service already. Right now we have problems with under voltage on our lines. We better get what we pay for in the future.
One former Oregon Hill resident, Chris Maxwell, has made energy a recent topic on his WRIR radio show, Homespun C-Span.
I hope to have an update on this story soon.
From the Times Dispatch:
A woman used pepper spray late last night to fend off an attacker in Richmond’s Oregon Hill area.
Richmond police Capt. Dave Martin said the 18-year-old victim “was a little scraped up but she refused medical treatment.”
The woman told police the attack occurred at 11:50 p.m. in the 300 block of South Cherry Street, just south of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus, when an older male approached her and tried to forcibly take her backpack.
This comes right after a neighborhood association meeting last night where residents were told by police that the biggest crime in the area was theft from vehicles and crime was down in Oregon Hill 75%.
As King, at tonight’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, I will be commanding my subjects to take part in Earth Hour 2009.
I also demand, yet again, that Dominion Power completely turn off the lights in its trading floor at the foot of Oregon Hill so that neighbors can enjoy more of the night view of the river and sky.
Of course, I also ask VCU, the City of Richmond, and other entities to also take part.
The Valentine Richmond History Center’s Highlights of Hollywood walking tour will be April 1 from 10-11:30AM:
Learn about the cemetery’s history, artwork and symbolism, as well as the famous personalities buried there, including two U.S. Presidents, writer Ellen Glasgow, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals George Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart.
Meet your guide at the rear of the stone structure on the left at the cemetery entrance at Cherry and Albemarle Streets. $10 (Pay your guide on the day of the tour. ) Members: $5
What next?
