Category Archives: schools

VA Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority Meets Tomorrow

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According to Randy Marcus, Senior Advisor for Policy
Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, the VNECA (VA Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority) Board has rescheduled their Board meeting for Tuesday, March 24 at 10am.
The meeting will be held close by at the VCU East Engineering Hall, 401 West Main Street, Room E3218 (Collaborative Learning Center on Third Floor). This is the same building and room used for recent meetings.

Nuclear opponents are watching carefully and plan to attend this meeting. However, it is unlikely there will be an outside protest like there was on Tredegar Street earlier this month.

Projects & Repairs

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As winter ends, City, VCU, and neighborhood leaders are identifying neighborhood needs and priorities.

The City is working to keep up with pothole repairs on Cumberland and Idlewood. The City’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and Department of Public Works (DPW) are also trying to keep with water line and street repairs like the persistent leak on the 300 block of Cherry Street. Note that water mains have priority over services and meters when there are multiple issues being worked.

There are also gravel alleys that once again need attention. Check out this lake on the south end of the 600 block Laurel/Pine alley:
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Or the potholes on the 200 and 300 block Laurel/Cherry alleys:
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Of course, this situation, so close to the river, continues to call out desperately for “green alleys”.

Thanks again to St. Andrew’s Church and RVA Clean Sweep for their recent storm drain marking and cleanup work:
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RVA Clean Sweep will be back in Oregon Hill later this month on March 28th with VCU’s Green Unity in order to concentrate on the litter around Cumberland.

Unfortunately, despite previous efforts, the entire neighborhood is suffering from two distinct and pervasive forms of litter, cigarette butts and dog feces.
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The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association has budgeted money for repairing and replacing dog stations, while RVA Clean Sweep may be doing more on cigarettes.

Some other possible projects/repairs that City/VCU/neighborhood resources may tackle include more public trash/recycling receptacles, repainting and renovating the historic gazebo, graffiti abatement, repairing or replacing street signs.
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There has also been some consideration for beautification of the vacant lot at Belvidere & Idlewood. While it has been confirmed that the City owns the lot, and VCU can help establishing plantings or even a garden, one stumbling block is finding volunteers who can commit to maintaining any plantings. This is where student neighbors might be able to plug into the work that OHNA and VCU Community Engagement are doing.

VCU Community Engagement Celebrated

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Today VCU’s Division of Community Engagement hosted a lecture this afternoon by Dr. Barbara Holland, an expert on organizational change in higher education, with a focus on the institutionalization of community engagement.
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Part of the impetus for the event was also celebrating VCU having received Carnegie Foundation’s designation as a “Community Engaged Campus”. Former First Lady of Virginia and education advocate Anne Holton attended and spoke also. IMG_4072
The only question that time allowed from the audience was in regard to adjunct professors’ pay and declining state support for education. IMG_4073
While it may be easy for Oregon Hill residents to question VCU’s local commitment given past difficulties and controversies (not that this event attempted to address specific neighborhood concerns), the declining financial investments on the part of corporations and government in research make it clear that VCU’s challenges for community engagement will be very real. Hopefully Dr. Holland’s lecture will spur more open discussion and action.

Separate from this keynote event, on an even more positive note, residents may want to mark on their calendars the upcoming opening of the RVA Toolbank (on March 19th), with support from VCU.

Richmond Had Rails: a kind of time travel

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From Richmond Had Rails FaceBook page:

VCU Libraries today announced the launch of an interactive version of a Richmond map atlas from 1889, allowing for a kind of time travel, because through the use of overlays, viewers may compare the cityscape of then with that of today (courtesy an integration with Google Maps). The application features photos and illustrations due to linkage with VCU Libraries’ extensive collections of antique images.
Of interest to those following the progress of “Richmond Had Rails” is that the Baist Atlas Map received publication just a year after the trolleys started rolling in Richmond. On Panel 16, which surveys Church Hill, you can see the site of the shops where Julian Sprague and his team originated the first ever city-wide electric powered streetcar. The technology utilized then is, with some improvements, still what powers transit throughout the world, when Richmond had rails.

Here’s the interactive Baist Atlas: http://labs.library.vcu.edu/baist-atlas/
And a link to a VCU news story: https://news.vcu.edu/article/Interactive_map_from_1889_reveals_Richmonds_rich_architectural

Operation Move Elkhardt

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From FaceBook announcement:

We’ve heard of the crumbling infrastructure in our city schools and the latest incident of this collapse was with Elkhardt Middle School having to suddenly close due to mold.
To show the children of our community that we care, I’d like you to join in helping Elkhardt administration and staff with their move to Clark Springs Elementary.
The last day of classes for the nearly 500 students at Elkhardt will be next Thursday, Feb. 12th. Students will report to Clark Springs Elementary on Wednesday, Feb. 18th. This gives us Friday, Feb. 13th, a teacher work day where they will be packing THE ENTIRE SCHOOL into boxes, Monday, Feb. 14th, a holiday – President’s Day – to prepare the school for Tuesday, Feb. 17th, where they will be unpacking THE ENTIRE SCHOOL and prepping classrooms for students to return.
Garet Prior reached out to Principal Eric Jones and he would be delighted to have help. Go to the link below to sign up and help out.
Thank you for your time and let’s show these students that we, Richmond, care.

http://www.123contactform.com/form-1291941/Elkhardt-Emergency-Move

VCU Alarm Siren Today At Noon/Hollywood Cannon Fire Saturday

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From VCU announcement:

Virginia Commonwealth University will conduct a full test of its emergency communication systems, including 10 sirens throughout the Monroe Park and MCV campuses, at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

The full test will include the sirens along with text messages, Alertus boxes, mass email, digital signs, social media and VCU website information – all part of a multichannel system for communicating emergency information to VCU students, faculty, staff, visitors and the community.

VCU remains committed to supporting a wide variety of emergency alert technologies to distribute emergency information in a timely and effective manner. These various technologies help inform the VCU community of the necessary and prudent protective actions in a comprehensive manner.

The following list contains more information about each of these alerting technologies:

Outdoor sirens: In a real emergency, the 10 sirens on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses will sound for four minutes to signal that an immediate, life-threatening emergency has occurred or may be imminent. The purpose of the siren is to alert people outside of campus buildings to immediately seek secure shelter and to receive additional information. No all-clear siren is utilized during tests, but one would sound in an actual emergency.

Text Messages: These messages are short, protective action statements that will contain a link to http://alert.vcu.edu/, where additional information is located. Parents and community members may sign up for VCU’s text message alert system at http://alert.vcu.edu/signup/ to receive information about campus emergencies and cancellations.

Alertus: These small yellow devices are strategically installed in classrooms, residence halls and other high traffic areas throughout campus. They are designed to provide an auditory and visual alert when a threat has occurred or is imminent. Much like text messages, a protective action statement will scroll on the screen during the threatening event.

Mass Email: All VCU email account holders will receive an email containing the safety recommendations related to the event.

Social Media: Alerting information will be posted to the @VCUNews Twitter account and the VCU Facebook page.

Digital Signage: Digital displays are located throughout campus with a particular focus in high traffic areas. These signs will display the emergency alert and reference information that is posted to Alertus boxes and text messaging.

After the semester test, monthly checks of the siren system are conducted at noon on the first Wednesday of each month consisting of a one-minute steady wail that also recharges the siren batteries.
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From Hollywood Cemetery:

I wanted to let you know that there will be a ceremony this Saturday, 2/7 at 10:00 am until about 11:30 am with cannon fire sometime close to the end. Thanks for letting the folks know there will be boom booms.

Take care and stay warm.

Mabel

5th District SCHOOL Meeting Tomorrow

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Sorry for the late notice, but a reminder that there is a 5th District meeting about schools tomorrow morning-

5th District School Board Member Mamie Taylor is hosting a meeting tomorrow, Saturday January 31st from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at 2nd Baptist Church, 1400 Idlewood Avenue. Mrs. Taylor plans to discuss the proposed Richmond Public Schools Budget, the proposed bell schedule and the Superintendent’s proposed Academic Enhancement Plan. Light Breakfast will be served.

VCU Arts Cinematheque Releases Spring 2015 Schedule

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Not in Oregon Hill, but nearby-

from RVA Magazine article:

VCU’s Grace Street Theater is a great venue to catch unique and touring movies, and VCU’s Cinematheque program has a wealth of great flicks coming in the next few months.

A brand new state-of-the-art 35mm projector with lenses to project in many different aspect ratios, HD digital projectors, a new screen, and Dolby Surround Digital Audio make the spot great for a good screening–not to mention all the screenings are free and open to the public!

Click here for link to program schedule.

Also, on Feb. 5, the films A River Runs Through It and Gringo Trails will be playing at the VCU Grace Street Theater as part of the RVA Environmental Film Festival.