Lobs & Lessons Tennis Auction

From announcement:

Lobs & Lessons, out of the Mary and Frances Youth Center, is hosting its
first on-line auction! Although there are only seven items, they are sure
to interest tennis and basketball enthusiasts, along with the most
spirited of VCU Ram fans. Two coveted items include two tickets for the
sold out Davis Cup in Austin, TX July 8-10 and a white VCU basketball
signed by Shaka Smart and all 14 members of the 2010-2011 men?s basketball
team. Other signed basketball items are available. Items can be
previewed now at
http://www.vcuyouthcenter.org/lobs-lessons/serving-aces-slam-dunking-great-cause/
as bidding will close on June 10th. There is a minimum bid set for each
item, and items can either be shipped or picked up. All proceeds will
directly benefit Lobs & Lessons participants and programming.

Lobs & Lessons is an afterschool and summer enrichment program for at-risk
elementary and middle school age youth that focuses on character
development, a path to higher education and the sport of tennis.

Tina Carter
Director
Mary and Frances Youth Center
120 S. Linden Street
804-827-0802

Rising VCU Student Fees

The Times Dispatch has another article about rising VCU student fees.

Some excerpts:

The board of visitors on Friday approved a $50 increase in the university fee, bringing the charge to $1,637 for full-time students.
….
The university fee, which is assessed on all students but is prorated for those attending part time, supports intercollegiate athletics, recreational sports, the Student Commons and other programs.

The fee will bring VCU $41.5 million in total revenue for the 2011-12 academic year. Nearly $11 million will go to athletics.


It also will cover the $10,000 needed for increased fees for game officials, $100,000 for athletic facility maintenance, and $50,000 for the higher cost of inflation and deflation of VCU’s new tennis bubble.

Also covered by the fee increase is $45,000 in higher costs for the GRTC pass program that allows full-time students to ride city buses at no charge. About $158,000 will be used for Cary Street Recreation Center operations, and $80,000 will go to student disability programs.

The board of visitors adopted the increase in setting tuition and mandatory fee rates that will cost in-state students 7.9 percent, or $700, more. The university fee was not increased when tuition charges jumped 24 percent for the current year.

Adele McClure, this year’s student government president, said she did not hear from students who were upset by either the tuition or university fee increase. Nor did she hear complaints after Smart’s $1.2 million contract was announced.

Hollywood Cemetery Tour On Sunday, Virginia War Memorial Service on Monday

There is a special Memorial Day walking tour scheduled for Hollywood Cemetery for Sunday at 2pm.

Join local historian Jim DuPriest for a unique walking tour of Hollywood Cemetery and learn about the origins of Memorial Day. Begun in 1866, the Ladies’ Hollywood Memorial Association formed to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead buried at Hollywood. Learn about the Confederate soldier’s section, the dead from Gettysburg, Lee’s Lieutenants, and the huge stone pyramid. Please meet inside the front gate, wear comfortable walking shoes and stay hydrated.

Also, this Monday the Virginia War Memorial will have a special ceremony, starting at 10 am.

This ceremony is held to honor all veterans and to remind citizens that we must remain vigilant to protect our freedoms. The 11th District American Legion is a co-host. The guest speaker will be the Commander, Department of Virginia’s American Legion. The ceremony will be held outdoors, and seating will be provided. The event is free, with free parking for our guests.

Oregon Hill Speaks Up In Favor Of Passenger Rail

At last night’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, residents voted in favor of sending a letter to the Commonwealth Transportation Board asking them to support funding for Virginia’s passenger trains.

Here is some background on the issue from Virginians For High Speed Rail:

Dear Supporters,

We have launched our latest web-form to ask the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board to support the funding currently in their draft six-year transportation plan to maintain our current Amtrak Northeast Regional Service and future expansion to Norfolk.

This funding is vital to the continued operation of the regional trains that serve Alexandria, Manassas, Burke, Woodbridge, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Ashland, Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Lynchburg, with future stops in Norfolk and eventually Roanoke.

Please help us encourage the CTB to fully fund passenger rail over the next six years!

To view and sign the message go to www.vhsr.com/action/sixyearplan

Sincerely,

Danny Plaugher

Follow us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VAHSR
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/VHSR
Make a tax-deductible contribution at www.VHSR.com/donate

Its worth noting that OHNA’s support and this current issue are about maintaining and improving our current passenger rail, not necessarily more expensive high speed rail.

The Trend is Over! Moped Rally and Friday Cheers On Friday

From the FaceBook event page:

The Trend is Over!

Parties! Swimming! Cookouts! Fire Pits! Scavenger Hunt! DJs! Bowling! Cuddles! Our Movie!

Meet up spot will be at Oregon Hill Linear Park all Friday afternoon for people arriving from parts beyond and on Saturday around noon-ish for the big ride. Details for events will be in your rally pack that you can pick up at Linear park on both days.

Also, this Friday Cheers is RVA Music Night, featuring Three Sheets to the Wind, NO BS! Brass Band and Long Arms.

Click here for more info on that nearby event.

More stuff for your calendar….

Byrd House Market tomorrow from 3:30 pm to 7 pm.

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meets tonight at 7 pm at the William Byrd Community House.

Recycling and trash pickup this Wednesday morning.

In addition to the Byrd House Bash, the 4th Precinct MPACT meeting is on Thursday. From announcement:

The 4th Precinct MPACT meeting will be this Thursday, May 26th at 6:30PM at the 4th Police Precinct Headquarters (2219 Chamberlayne Avenue). We hope that you will attend to learn more about neighborhood issues and connect with city administration regarding your concerns. Roslyn Johnson, Deputy Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, will present an overview of the summer recreation activities planned in the 4th Precinct and across the city.

This will be the last meeting of the MPACT team on the 4th Thursdays. Starting on Thursday, June 16th the MPACT team will combine meeting days and locations with the 4th Precinct CAPS team at Linwood Holton Elementary in the media center. In June, the CAPS meeting will be 6-7PM and the MPACT meeting will be 7-8PM. Citizens and residents are welcome to attend both meetings. CAPS focuses on cross-departmental issues to enforce property maintenance and public safety, while MPACT focuses on the high priority areas for MPACT (potholes, illegal dumping, street lights and more), sharing information between residents and city agencies and general concerns.

For more information about CAPS, please visit: http://www.richmondgov.com/CommunityAssistedPublicSafety/index.aspx

For more information about MPACT, please visit: www.richmondgov.com/mpac

Also,

Just in time for the start of Hurricane Season, Virginia’s Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday runs May 25-31st, 2011. During this time, purchases of items designated by the Department of Taxation as hurricane preparedness equipment, including batteries, flashlights, bottled water of all types and sizes, cell phone batteries, coolers, portable generators and many other useful items can be purchased with no sales tax added during the week. Portable generators must be priced at $1,000 or less, and other eligible items must be priced at $60 or less for each item. Many retailers will post signs listing all the allowable items so that Virginians can get ready for hurricane season.
For details, including guidelines, frequently asked questions, and a list of eligible purchases, click here.

Remember, Hurricane Seasons starts June 1st, so be prepared! While we do not live on the coast, flooding often hits Central Virginia during this time. To learn more about getting ready for hurricanes and floods, visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov.