OHNA News

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The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) recently emailed this newsletter:

OHNA NEWS_____________

OHNA MONTHLY MEETING
APRIL 28, 7pm on Zoom. Agenda to follow

COMMUNITY GARDEN HANG
Linear Park, 614 Holly Street, 9-11am

OREGON HILL TREE PLANTING PROJECT
The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is working on a project to plant new trees in over 50 empty tree wells in our neighborhood.
We have received grants, funding, and other commitments to accomplish this. Volunteers are needed!
Learn more and volunteer:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JcKqPbzon9CpeBbGIH51FwdUZ8Nq0iC_tcaTjaLzRag/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawRVvF9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyclpJMXZLbDJpbzhMQWsyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhNrGEyocf-NtxOTSt9jTA5zuEeB77BxJl8RlnxQrkQAWjT9TiPBs_9kgTm6_aem_YEbm9iJBXmJObgOm2tJ3zw&edit_requested=true

OTHER NEWS___________

Public Comment: RVA consolidated plan
Monday, April 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at 1500 E. Main Street on the 1st floor of Main Street Station in “The Square.”
Share feedback on RVA’s Program Year 2026 Annual Action Plan and draft plans for the city’s 2026 – 2030 Consolidated Plan
City Council will host a final public hearing on Monday, May 11 in City Council Chambers (900 E. Broad St., Second Floor).

RVA Annual Neighborhood Clean-Up Program
Saturday, May 9⋅8:00 – noon
Free Bulk Item Disposal
[PUT OUT ITEMS FRIDAY NIGHT]
DPW crews will visit each of the 15 neighborhood zones offering residents an opportunity to safely dispose bulk items at no cost.
This program is in addition to the city’s biweekly bulk and brush program.

—
Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association
Valerie L’Herrou, President
John Bolecek, Treasurer
Amanda Bradley, Co-Vice-President
Bryan Clark Green, Co-Vice President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice President
Susan Hill, Co-Vice President
Phaedra Hise, Co-Vice President
Scott Racette, Secretary

JOIN OHNA: https://forms.gle/joCpHqcPrShu8qf86
For events and more: https://ohnarva.org/

Oregon Home Improvement Council Announces Meeting, Membership Registration

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Oregon Hill residents may have received or seen this flyer:

OHHIC annual meeting 2026 flyer draft 4 8.5 x14

From the flyer:

The Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council, Inc. (OHHIC) is a neighborhood non-
profit organization founded in 1976 [not to be confused with the neighborhood civic
association, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association, OHNA]. OHHIC has renovated
over 20 historic houses in Oregon Hill, selling them to first-time homeowners and
placing preservation easements on the homes. Also, OHHIC sensitively built 17 quality
new homes on vacant lots that are compatible with the Oregon Hill Historic District.
OHHIC owns the historic Jacob House at 619 West Cary St. that was built in 1817.
All neighborhood residents (18 years of age or older) who have resided in Oregon Hill
for at least a year are eligible and encouraged to be members of OHHIC and to vote to
elect the OHHIC Board. Nominations for Board members will be taken from the floor.
A meeting will be held May 31, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Pine St.
Baptist Church, 400 South Pine Street, for the OHHIC Board
election. You must register by May 20 th to vote in this election.
To become an OHHIC member and to vote in the election for Board members on
Sunday, May 31, 2026, neighborhood residents (at least 18 years of age) must register
no later than May 20, 2026 by filling out the form below and mailing it to the OHHIC
office at the Jacob House, 619 West Cary Street, Richmond VA 23220 or register by
sending the required information by e-mail to: info@ohhic.org
A list of the registered OHHIC members will be posted at the Jacob House at 619 West
Cary Street, Richmond VA for inspection after May 20, 2026.Thank you!

Mia Zabelka + ELKA BONG At Richmond Public Library Saturday At 2 pm

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Violinist, sound artist, and composer Mia Zabelka is visiting from Austria:

Saturday, April 18 starting at 2pm:
– Downtown Richmond Public Library: Performing with Elka Bong and CillaVee at 2:00 PM as part of their 2026 Spring Tour.
doors 1:30p music 2:00p
2:00p Mia Zabelka, CillaVee
2:20p Al Margolis, Walter Wright
2:40p Mia Zabelka, Al Margolis, Walter Wright, Cilla Vee

From announcement:

Mia Zabelka will be joined by duo ELKA BONG for an immersive afternoon of experimental sound art!

Saturday’s show is led by Austrian violinist, vocalist, and composer Mia Zabelka, whose radically open practice operates at the intersection of improvisation, composition, performance, and electroacoustic sound art. For this special tour date, Zabelka is joined by the U.S.-based experimental sound art duo ELKA BONG (Al Margolis and Walter Wright), whose deep listening-based approach complements and expands her gestural, embodied sonic language.

Working with acoustic and electric violin, voice, electronics, found objects, and noise-based materials, Zabelka’s method of automatic playing bypasses conscious control, allowing sound to emerge from reflex, memory, and physical impulse. In dialogue with ELKA BONG’s attention to texture, space, silence, and sonic micro-events, the performance unfolds as a constantly shifting environment in which composed structures and open-ended improvisation coexist.

Sundown Picnic Scheduled At Oregon Hill Community Garden

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The Friends of Oregon Hill Parks group has announced a new event to look forward to.
From the FaceBook event page:

Please join us on May 16th at 6pm in Linear Park at the new Community Garden for a sundown picnic to celebrate our 3rd Annual Open Garden Day in Oregon Hill. We’ll provide lemonade and cookies, bring your own food for yourself, or to share if you’re feeling inspired! Hope to see you there.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow Morning

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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…some experts say that rising oil prices create an opportunity for recycled plastic.

From OHNA News Email…

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From Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) email:

ADVISORIES:
Street Cleaning happening this week. Check the signs, move your car! Even disabled vehicles must be moved. If your car is towed: Siebert’s Towing, 642 W. Southside Plaza. (804) 233-5757; seibertcos.com

Parking Violations: Due to the increase in pedestrian traffic casualties, the city is cracking down on parking violations, in an effort to ensure drivers and pedestrians have sufficient safe sightlines at intersections. Your car may be ticketed if parked (some examples): Within an intersection; Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; On a crosswalk; Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection; In front of a ramp leading to the crosswalk at an intersection or located at any other point along a curb, constructed for use of persons with disabilities; In a public alley in such a manner as to leave less than ten feet of the width of the alley available for the free movement of vehicular traffic. More: City Code here:
https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH27TRVE_ARTVISTSTPA

OHNA Monthly Meeting
The next meeting of the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association will be Tuesday, April 28th, 7pm, on Zoom.

NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS
Third Annual OH Open Garden Day: May 16. Sign up to have your garden included at Foohp@GoogleGroups.com.

FOOHP Meeting: April 11, 9am, Pleasants Park
Pleasants Park Workday: April 11, at 10 am. Bring your gloves!

Community Garden News
Tarps needed! any size. Bring to the Community Garden Shed
CG Hangs: Every Saturday, 9-11 am, at the Oregon Hill Community Garden in Linear Park (between China St and Holly St). Visit the garden, help with tasks!

OTHER NEWS & EVENTS
VCU Pedestrian Safety Fair: Weds April 8, 11-1. VCU Compass, 199 N Linden St

5th District Townhall: Thursday, April 16, 6pm. First Unitarian Universalist Church (1000 Blanton). Hear from: Andy Boenau, Richmond Director of Transportation (RDOT); Police Chief Rick Edwards; Office of Immigrant & Refugee Engagement – Karla Almendarez-Ramos

RVA Circuit Court Deed Alerts: Due to fraud concerns, the Circuit Court has joined a program to enable property owners in the city to sign up for alerts if a document with specified name or Tax Map/Parcel ID# is filed in the clerk’s office. Learn more: https://risweb.vacourts.gov/VADeedAlert/#/login

And: THANK YOU! to the VCU “Big Event” volunteers and Stephenie Harrington!
Projects included cleanup around Open High and the Apiary, and filling up Community Garden beds with Soil. Great work!!

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association
Valerie L’Herrou, President
John Bolecek, Treasurer
Amanda Bradley, Co-Vice-President
Bryan Clark Green, Co-Vice President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice President
Susan Hill, Co-Vice President
Phaedra Hise, Co-Vice President
Scott Racette, Secretary

JOIN OHNA: https://forms.gle/joCpHqcPrShu8qf86
For events and more: https://ohnarva.org/

King Plans Commemorative Medallion

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Example of a medallion. Photo by Maria Kovalets on Unsplash

The King Of Oregon Hill announced plans today for the striking of a royal commemorative medallion that celebrates the Oregon Hill neighborhood and the establishment of the inner micronation of Burgeria. It will hopefully be released later in the year.

The final designs have not yet been completed. The materials, composition, and the exact number of copies to be produced has not yet been decided. But the round medallion will be something to collect and behold, and will eventually go on sale online as a collector’s piece on the OregonHill.net website.

That said, the King is adamant that this release will NOT constitute currency or money. Nor will it include his signature, in order to avoid any confusion or ire from the United States government. The primary difference between a coin and a medallion is that coins are government-issued legal tender with a specific face value, whereas medallions are privately produced, non-monetary items used to honor, commemorate, or decorate.

Under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Congress holds the exclusive power to “coin Money” and “regulate the Value thereof”. While Congress authorizes the creation of money and sets its value, it has delegated the operational responsibility for regulating the money supply to the Federal Reserve, established under the U.S. Federal Reserve Act of 1913.

The King went on to say, “At this time of growing war and turmoil from the United States, I have no interest in challenging or contesting with the U.S. government over this authority, despite watching how its own elected President, a disgusting conman, wantonly abuses this same authority and ultimately risks insolvency.”