Category Archives: News

Liz Canfield Recognized By Style Magazine

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I meant to post this earlier-

Style Magazine recognized Pine Street neighbor Liz Canfield as part of their “Top 40 Under 40” list.

A great excerpt from the printed profile:

Canfield is vigorously committed to bettering the community she loves. When she isn’t teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, she’s involved with a number of campus programs, including the Equity and Diversity Committee and Safe Zone workshops designed to combat homophobia and heterosexism by training faculty and staff.

Canfield also volunteers with the Richmond Peace Education Center, Art 180 and Girls Rock RVA, among others. For the past five years, she’s leveraged her creative genius to organize the Richmond ’Zine Fest and curate the Von Gribley Reading Series at Chop Suey Books.

“I see the struggle for social justice as intersectional,” Canfield says. “I try to make my work reflect that. I also see art, activism, and the pursuit of knowledge as thoroughly integrated, so my classes and community work often show that integration.”

Canfield says she believes in the power of incremental change and encourages communities to take care of each other. “It is the small scale change that keeps folks going,” she says. “I think many folks don’t try because they think they can’t do it, but they can. We gotta start with ourselves, our own neighborhoods and communities.”

Congratulations, Liz!

VCU Library Booksale

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From announcement:

The VCU Friends of the Library invite you to the annual book sale at James Branch Cabell Library from October 24 through 28, 2011. There are hundreds of books , most for $2 or less. All proceeds from the sale help to fund VCU Libraries’ programs, collections, and lectures.

VCU Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale
October 24-28, 2011

James Branch Cabell Library
Basement, Room B 7
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA.

2011 Sale Hours:
Monday, October 24: Noon – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, October 25: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 26: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday, October 27: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. **Special ½ price sale
Friday, October 28: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.**Special ½ price sale

Preview Sale for Friends of the Library Donors:
Monday, October 24: 9 am – Noon
(Please present your Friends donor card for admission to the preview sale.)

For more information about the Friends of the Library Book Sale, please contact Antonia FD Vassar at (804)-827-1165 or Gregory Kimbrell at (804) 828-0593.,

Please see http://www.library.vcu.edu/giving/booksale.html for book sale policies and updates about the sale.

the enemy of life is the won, 1864

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From The Daily Dispatch: October 17, 1864:

At the residence of his grandmother, on Oregon Hill, Charles T. Barnum, of wounds received near Petersburg; aged twenty-one years and eighteen days.

Fourt this , when life shall cease to thrill this heart of mine;

But not like then can I forget one look or tone of thine;

Oh no at mingles with the sound of everything I hear.

Forget this a bitter word; I would it were un

Forgetfulness is not with life, but the silent dead.

I may cease to think of thee as earthly morning

But, oh ! I’d meet my brother in heaven with heart unchanged and true.

Things we prize are first to vanish; hearts we love to pass away;

But my brother, thus slain in battle, grieves my from day to-day.

The noble crew, but mangled form, lies silent in the

His form now fills a christian soldier’s grave, in battle’s hour bespoke the true and

The bright, no longer fettered by earth’s in seven dwells — the glory of the father sleeps his last long sleep beneath Virginia in death’s cold grasp unnerved he rests every toll. Around him numbers lie, company in the strife, which chilled his manly heart away his life. He’s gone! The bright should guide the heart’s the falling tear. Life’s weary march to own his reward begun; the enemy of life is the won.

His will take place at the Methodist in Hill, Monday, the 17th, at four o’clock friends of the family are respectfully

Baltimore and Philadelphia papers please copy.

Twenty-five Dollars reward, 1862

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From The Daily Dispatch: October 13, 1862:

Twenty-five Dollars reward.

–Strayed from my residence, on Oregon Hill, a young white Cow, with brown ears and nose, the front part of her fore legs brown below the knees. I bought her from Mr. Patrick Grace near Rocketts, and I think probably she is down that way, if she has not been taken up and sold. I will give the above reward if she is delivered to me, or for any information that will enable me to get her.

oc 10–3t* Wm. W. Timberlake.

More on 2nd Street Connector Proposal

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Blogger extraordinaire C. Wayne Taylor has post up now on City Hall Review that evidently quotes a city official.

“I don’t have any documentation on emergency access conditions in the area of the proposed Second Street Connector. I checked with Lory Markham and she doesn’t either.”
James Hill, Principal Planner
Division of Planning & Preservation
Department of Planning and Development Review

This raises more questions about the motivation, need, and the rush to create this new street, which would intersect or go over the canal.

2nd Street Connector Draws More Citizen Scrutiny- What Does It Mean For ‘Riverfront Planning’?

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While OHNA urges support of the City’s interest in protecting the historic resources in the canal basin, citizens continue to question plans for the proposed 2nd Street connector street.

C. Wayne Taylor provides a great graphic with details on his City Hall Review site.

One Oregon Hill resident sent this to me on September 30:

I have many comments and questions about traffic.

Bike Lanes
I’d be more likely to bike on this new road vs drive. If it must be built then bike lanes are a must.

Roundabout
We’ve been waiting for a long time for the Idlewood roundabout. I’d like to see that finished before we build a 2nd Street connector. After the last OHNA meeting I noticed there was a traffic accident at the 3 road merge exactly where the roundabout would be located (Grayland + Idlewood + RMA ramp). We need sidewalk improvements here and we should add bike lanes as well. The Byrdhouse Market would benefit from these improvements as well.

Pedestrian Bridge
We’ve been waiting for a long time for the Pedestrian Bridge. I’d like to see that finished before we build a new 2nd Street Connector.

Area Traffic
Will we see more traffic coming from the Idlewood RMA ramp? Will people shortcut through the neighborhood down Idlewood and or S Laurel? I commute down Spring St out of Oregon Hill and turn left onto 2nd Street to get downtown for work. Will the morning southbound traffic on 2nd hinder that left turn during rush hour? Will there be any traffic lights added? Will there be a traffic study?

I should say that Oregon Hill residents do understand that many people would like more public routes to the riverfront and understand the pubic desire in the proposed 2nd Street connection road, however there are real concerns about HOW this project is done. At the moment it seems to be proposed in a manner that benefits the corporate interests of New Market and Dominion more so than any public interests. That New Market seems determined to rush it does not give folks any confidence that their concerns will be considered.

Perhaps we will hear more about this at the next Riverfront Planning meeting on October 18th. Hopefully citizen involvement will be meaningful.

OHNA Sends Letter In Support Of City To Protect Canal

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Yesterday, Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association president released a letter that she had sent to City officials-

At its September meeting, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) adopted a resolution to support the City of Richmond’s effort to protect and preserve the historic James River and Kanawha Canal, Penitentiary basin, and green space in any development, including the proposed road connecting Second Street with Tredegar Street and the proposed amphitheater.

The canal, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is of great historical significance to the City of Richmond. It was first chartered in 1785 as the James River Navigation Company with George Washington serving as its first President. Reorganized in 1831 as the James River and Kanawha Canal Company, the canal played an integral role in the industrial and mercantile development of the city.

There are important historical connections between the canal and the Oregon Hill neighborhood. Samuel Pleasants Parsons, whose home (built in 1819) survives at 601 Spring Street, was the Superintendent of the Canal in 1840 when the Canal was expanded westward to Lynchburg.

From about 1850 to 1875, Oregon Hill resident John Messler ran a canal boat building enterprise in the Penitentiary Basin. Messler had a short walk from his home the Jacob House (which survives at 619 W. Cary Street) to the canal basin below Oregon Hill.

The two attachments to this e-mail show the Canal and Penitentiary Basin below Oregon Hill in both the 1876 Beers Atlas and in a panoramic photograph assembled from three 1865 photographs. John Messler’s canal boat building business in the Penitentiary Basin can be seen in the middle of the panoramic view.

Because the James River and Kanawha Canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, OHNA strongly recommends that the City consult closely with the Va. Department of Historic Resources early in the process of designing the proposed bridge over the canal.

Please forward this resolution to all members of the Richmond Planning Commission.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hancock
President, OHNA

Recycling Notes

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Regular CVWMA curbside pickup and regular City trash pickup tomorrow morning.

Electronic Recycling Day for City Residents happens Saturday, October 15.

WHO: Richmond Clean City Commission, Richmond Department of Public Works, and Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.

WHAT: Drop off for all household electronic items, such as computers, monitors, radios, fax machines, microwaves, camcorders, etc. Fluorescent light bulbs and large appliances cannot be accepted.

WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: 3101 N. Boulevard (corner of Boulevard and Robin Hood Road)

BACKGROUND: The City of Richmond’s E-Cycle Day offers City residents an efficient and green option to recycle unwanted electronic products. There is a $7 recycling fee for televisions. All other household electronic items will be recycled free of charge. For more information on E-Cycle Day, visit www.RichmondGov.com http://www.richmondgov.com/.

Lastly, and most pleasantly, I am happy to announce that VCU Goes Green will be sponsoring the Green Team volunteer recycling at the Richmond Folk Festival.