“VCU Broad Street Mile” This Saturday

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From the website:

The VCU Broad Street Mile combines a street festival with a 5K Run and series of one-mile fun runs on the city’s major thoroughfare, Broad Street. In addition to providing a fun, festive event, the VCU Broad Street Mile provides a turnkey fundraising opportunity for local community organizations. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better with a 5K route through the VCU Campus and performances from local community organizations in the festival area.

The FREE festival will feature live music, food trucks, local vendors, kids activities and more. People are encouraged to come enjoy the festival even if you are not participating in one of the run/walks.

DATE: Saturday, September 24, 2016
TIME: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Broad Street between Belvidere Street and Hermitage Road
FESTIVAL: FREE & open to the public
RUN/WALK: 5K & One-Mile Fun Runs (Choose between the No Limits Mile, Kids Mile, Doggy Dash and Spirit of Giving Mile)

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Throwback Thursday: Hotel X

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Bad photo of most of the cover of Hotel X’s Residential Suite album, recorded in 1993 and released in 1994 on SST Records

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Before it was the name of the still-morphing local avant-garde jazz/rock band, it was the nickname of this Oregon Hill house on Idlewood that used to often offer lodging for touring musicians.

And tomorrow night:

Kokanko SATA + Assaba DRAMÉ + Lamine SOUMANO
Malian String Trio adds RVA to U.S. tour, reveals the Mande touch in Jazz and the Blues

HOTEL X
Richmond’s Afrodelic Funk experience.
8-piece band playing original African-inspired groove music

Friday, 23rd September 2016
At the Neighborhood Resource Center of Fulton Hill
1519 Williamsburg Road, Richmond, VA 23231
www.nrccafe.org

This concert in honor of Mali’s National Independence Day will benefit the Segou-Richmond House. Kokanko’s fantastic trio is lending their gifts to help VFOM raise funds for this joint project between our two sister cities: The Segou-Richmond House will be a community center to support removing barriers to girls education and social empowerment through sports, the arts and IT. On 6 acres of land near the Niger River, donated by local Cheick Mansour Haidara Foundation, the Virginia Friend of Mali and Segou’s Sister City Committee has begun construction of the site’s water source – a 10 meter deep well – that will facilitate the making of bricks, the playing fields and next phases of building.
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Monroe Park Conservancy Announces That Funds Are Secured

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Richmond Magazine reports:

“The Monroe Park Conservancy announced today that it has raised $3 million for the project, half of the $6 million facelift planned for the city’s oldest public park in the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus. The city will cover the other half.”

Oregon Hill used to border Monroe Park and neighbors still regard it as an important part of our public life.

No mention of donors other than the City.

“The conservancy has raised $1.3 million toward the goal since this past spring, but Massie declined to name specific organizations or donors to the project.

In spring 2014, Richmond City Council approved leasing the 8-acre public park to the conservancy for 30 years. The nonprofit planned to raise funds to cover its half of the bargain over the next year and begin construction in fall 2015, after the UCI Road World Championships wrapped up. Raising the money proved more difficult than expected and set the project back, Massie said this past spring.

The project’s designs have already been approved, but council must vote to accept the private funds before construction can begin. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for November. Afterward, the park will be closed for 12 to 18 months while construction is completed.”

There are a lot of rumors about how the renovation plans are changing…

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Reminders: City Council Forum Tonight/Tackle Sidewalks Thursday

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It’s a busy time of year in Richmond, and there are more events to keep track of than you have ever heard of.

So just count this as a quick reminder.

City Council candidate forum tonight at 6 pm at Diversity Thrift. I know Oregon Hill’s councilperson, Parker Agelasto, is looking forward to it. (Open Source RVA and WRIR will be taping on Tuesday and broadcasting the forum on Friday Sept. 23rd at 9 am. WRIR is also a co sponsor of this forum and the subsequent Tuesday candidate forums to be held at Diversity Richmond. So if you can’t make it, be sure to tune in.)

On Thursday, please volunteer to help take care of Oregon Hill sidewalks. Pine Street neighbor Stephenie Harrington is hoping to get a good group. There is also a second day of sidewalk cleaning planned on Saturday, 9/24, 9:00am.

“Let Gary (and Jill) Debate”

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This morning Libertarians gathered in Monroe Park to rally for their Presidential candidate, Gary Johnson. Part of the reason for it was to also protest his exclusion from the upcoming Presidential debates. As the rally gained steam, some of them marched around the perimeter of the park holding signs and passing out campaign literature.
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At one point a group met up with a wedding party near the churches.
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There was also what I think was a “Spirit Walk” by VCU students, complete with VCU police escort.
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Assault Near VCU Student Rec Center

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The Times Dispatch is reporting an aggravated assault that took place late last night on the 100 block of S. Cherry Street.

Police said in an alert to students sent at 1:05 a.m. that the man saw two unknown men allegedly trespassing on private property and approached them when he was punched in the eye by one of the men, then struck in the face by the other. The two assailants left the scene in an unknown direction.

Richmond In Civil War’s End Photos Tour On Saturday

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From National Park Service press release:

RICHMOND, Va. – This fall, park rangers from Richmond National Battlefield Park invite the public to enjoy a heaping helping of history while being active outdoors. Through the park’s Half-Day Hikes series, visitors can explore a variety of historical topics at the dates and locations listed below – all while enjoying the great outdoors! All programs are free and do not require registration.

September 17 – Richmond in Photographs (3-4 hours). Over 300 photographs were taken in Richmond in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. This walking tour will focus exclusively on these images of a vanished landscape, providing participants a unique “then and now” opportunity to view the city. Ranger Mike Gorman is an expert in Richmond’s Civil War photographs and will lead the tour. Expect extensive uphill and downhill walking; visitors are advised to wear comfortable footwear, wear sunscreen, and bring water. Tour begins at Tredegar Visitor Center (470 Tredegar Street, Richmond) at 12:30 p.m.

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