Protest Against ICE in Monroe Park Tomorrow

From announcement:

Emergency Rally! Today we keep our eyes out for ICE! Tomorrow, no matter what, we demand ICE Out of Virginia!

Following a noticeable increase in reports of ICE activity in the Greater Richmond area, we received a tip from a trusted source that 180 federal immigration agents have been sent to the city by the federal government, as of Jan. 16th.

In response to this violent and unwarranted escalation, Virginia Immigrants for Life, Liberation, Autonomy and Solidarity (VILLAS) and The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality will be holding a rally this Sunday, Jan 18 at 2PM at Monroe Park in Richmond, VA.

Join us in demanding that ICE get out of our state and that local and state officials take concrete measures to protect our communities against ICE aggression!

Let’s demonstrate our love and care for our neighbors by coming together in power and solidarity to say that we are NOT afraid and will NOT allow ICE to terrorize us. ICE is already here, it is up to us to meet the moment.

We keep us safe! In that spirit, please assess your own risk before joining.

To contrast the emptiness and coldness of white supremacy, let’s make this rally colorful and bright. See you there!

OHNA Tree Replacement Campaign

(Probably won’t be palm trees along a warm beach, but we can dream in January- more trees will be great, regardless)

Paraphrasing from announcement:

The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is working with the Richmond Tree Stewards (https://www.richmondtreestewards.org) on an effort to plant new street trees in approximately 50 empty tree wells (depending on funding) in our neighborhood. We plan to apply for multiple grants to accomplish this. Planting would likely occur in Fall 2026. This project is subject to DPW’s Urban Forestry Division’s approval. This project will need a lot of volunteers, especially for the planting days. We will be collecting feedback on this project. The City’s Neighborhood Climate Resilience Grant application’s are due 1/23 before our next OHNA meeting.

Keep in mind- The tree sizing and species selection will be heavily informed by Richmond Tree Stewards based on the conditions at each site, including trees already on the block, whether there are overhead wires and the size of the tree well. The planting plan will also have to be approved by the City’s urban forestry officials. This document shows recommended trees by size in city Right of way.
https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/Recommended%20Tree%20Species%20%28By%20Size%29.pdf

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow Morning

Tomorrow is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.

Please go over what can be recycled.

NOTE: CVWMA (Central Virginia Waste Management Authority) has announced that all curbside recycling must now be INSIDE the CVWMA containers with lid closed. Items beside the container or on top of it will not be collected. In fact, incorrect setouts may not be collected at all. This is new as of July 1 for all our curbside recyclers, with the exception of townhomes/condos still using small bins. (And yes, this also applies to flattened cardboard boxes.)

Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night. More CVWMA information can be found at this link:
https://cvwma.com/cvwma-locations/richmond/

In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

In recycling news…

Virginia is attempting to update state solid waste plan for first time in 46 years. The draft plan aims to modernize the state’s waste strategy with an emphasis on better data collection, diversion and economic growth efforts.
Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality will finalize the plan sometime this year after approval from the state Waste Management Board.

Open Garden Day Scheduled

From announcement:

Save the Date:
Saturday, May 16
3rd Annual Oregon Hill
“Open Garden Day”
How it works:
Neighbors open their garden gates for an informal, self-guided tour around Oregon Hill. Visitors & neighbors will stop by to get peek how-your-garden-grows and share ideas how to best use our urban garden spaces.
Past participants…we hope you will join us again this year!
Neighbors…we hope even MORE of you will participate this year!
We appreciate all who share your gardens, landscapes, water & energy management solutions, hardscapes, outdoor seating & entertainment ideas.
More details to come