From email announcement:
Community Movie Nights Return
Friday, May 12
at dusk
in Pleasants ParkRefreshments served: Grilled hot dogs, sides, dessert and beverages
Free to all
Community Movie Night This Friday
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Category Archives: parks
Interview With Beth Marschak, Richmond Earth Day Founder
Style magazine has a nice interview with Beth Marschak, one of the founders of the Richmond Earth Day celebration (and a former Oregon Hill resident).
Here’s an excerpt:
Beth Marschak, now an HIV prevention specialist, was 20 when she helped organize the city’s inaugural Earth Day at Monroe Park in 1971.
In a nod to Saturday’s yearly acknowledgement of the planet, Style spoke with Marschak about some of the progress made — and to worry about the future.
Style: Why did you want to bring Earth Day to Richmond?
Marschak: I was in a student group at Westhampton-University of Richmond called S.H.A.M.E – Studying and Halting the Assault on Man and Environment. That was back when people liked names like that.
Most of the people in our group were science majors. I was a chemistry major at that time. People had a fairly sophisticated view of the problems affecting the environment and ecology from a scientific standpoint.
And, of course, if you looked at the James River back then, it was terrible. Sewage was going directly into the river. You would not want to get into it. Now people tube down it and swim in it and fish. You could not do that then. You wouldn’t put a toe in it.
So it was really one of those things where, right here in this area, you could see some major impacts from not having policies protecting clean water, clean air.
She also recently wrote a letter to the Planning Commission, asking that they spare remaining mature trees in Monroe Park. However the Planning Commission voted in favor of removing the trees.
More Monroe Park Trees Threatened
The City’s Planning Commission yesterday ignored the recommendation of the Urban Design Committee and the staff of the planning department to consider alternatives to cutting down the magnolia and maple trees in Monroe Park for temporary tents.
On Sunday, at the Monument Avenue Easter Parade, the Sierra Club Falls of the James collected many petition signatures in favor of saving the the trees.
It will be really awful if the City continues to ignore PUBLIC concern for trees on PUBLIC property.
The photo below of the maple tree was previously published in the Times Dispatch:
‘Banktown’
Paraphrased from Richard Lee Bland:
This april 1926 Times Dispatch article documents the Old Fairgrounds when the fair occupied a much wider area along Belvidere street…notice the reference to Banktown, situated where Jefferson Davis’ circle is in Hollywood Cemetery.
Riverside Park View From 80’s
Photo courtesy of William Pickett
World War I Historical Reenactment In Monroe Park This Thursday
After prolonged discussion between local history groups, the City government, and the Monroe Park Conservancy, plans are reportedly coming together for the staging of a historic reenactment of World War I trench warfare in Monroe Park this coming Thursday. This event will correspond with other World War I centennial commemoration events happening throughout the Commonwealth.
As one third-party observer put it:
After so much controversy regarding the taking down of trees and beginning of serious renovations for Monroe Park, I guess they thought they should make lemonade out of lemons and invite hobbyists and re-enactors to make use of the current state of the park by demonstrating the World War One innovation of trench warfare. They want to increase and diversify uses of the park going forward and in their ongoing conversations with the City, this was suggested as an educational opportunity for Richmond.
A local design firm has been engaged to set up barbwire and pillbox forts around perimeters, but they are still waiting for decisions on the use of replica tanks and inert mustard gas.
There will be some corporately-sponsored V.I.P. tents set up and rented during the event, which should help make Monroe Park a profit center and encourage the privatization of other public City parks.
The announcement of the reenactment event has already brought different responses. A gaggle of Oregon Hill residents have vowed to bring an old-style protest along Main Street, while some elderly Prestwould Condominium residents, a few of whom still have personal recollections of WWI, look forward to their bird’s eye view of the spectacle. ‘White helmets’ are organizing to protect nearby homeless.
Interestingly enough, the City’s Urban Design Committee is scheduled to meet this same Thursday, and while trench warfare is not on the agenda, some new Monroe Park plans are.
Growing Opposition To Proposed “Laurel Street Venue” for Historic Monroe Park
This past Tuesday at the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Organization meeting there was a design presentation on a proposal for Monroe Park. The response has not been favorable and neighbors are urging concerned citizens to send comments in to Urban Design Committee about this proposal. An opposition letter from OHNA is forthcoming.
From one neighbor:
URGENT!! This Thursday morning, April 6th, the Urban Design Committee will decide on an application to replace a children’s resource center in Monroe Park with a corporate event center call “Laurel Street Venue”. They also want to destroy two more healthy mature trees in the process. Please email the UDC secretary Joshua.Son@richmondgov.com to register your objection. There is a sample letter below you are welcome to copy. Please act NOW!!!
Police Investigation On North Bank Trail, Riverside Park
This morning Richmond police converged and roped off an area on the North Bank Trail, beneath where S. Laurel ends in Riverside Park.
No information was given, but it looked like it might have been a death scene given the ambulance and numbers of investigators.
Will update as more info becomes available.
Update: Unofficial reports are that it is a death investigation but foul play is not suspected.
The Status of The Fountain Fence
As the Monroe Park Conservancy continues to tighten its corporate control of Monroe Park, Oregon Hill residents are becoming increasingly discouraged and alarmed by how it is gradually stripping away its authentic, historic features. In addition to questionably removing healthy, old-growth trees, the fountain fence is no longer there. Supposedly, the 1920’s fencing is being stored offsite during park renovations and will be returned.
Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool has used the Freedom of Information Act to gather more information. According to the Monroe Park drawings that he received, the fencing is being replaced and only the posts restored. This seems to conflict with specs provided where the decorative metal railings were to be repaired. It is doubtful that the City’s Urban Design Committee gave permission to replace this historic fencing. At 125 feet long, the fencing is substantial and curved to match the perimeter of the fountain.
Undoubtedly, low-grade hollow-core, easily damaged, pickets probably will replace the existing solid substantial fencing that could last hundreds of years if properly repaired and kept painted. The fencing is an important part of the historic fabric of Monroe Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Monroe Park fountain fencing pickets were dumped in outside storage at DPW storage at 810 Forest Lawn Drive. Photos from Charles Pool show that the pickets are all in excellent condition with practically no evidence of rust. (Many neighbors remember what happened to the stone balustrade that was removed at the Oregon Hill overlook- we were told that it was in “storage” but the stone later found a decade later in a heap behind the Carillon.)
It is important for the public to know that the authentic fencing is slated to be replaced without approval from the UDC.
It is the opinion of this community news site that the authentic, solid Monroe Park fencing should be fully restored, not replaced.
RPD: Suspect Sought in Belle Isle Sexual Assault
From Richmond Police:
Richmond Police detectives need the public’s help to identify the suspects involved in a sexual assault which occurred last week in Belle Isle.
At approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, police received a report of a sexual assault which occurred between 2 and 4 p.m. at a heavily frequented area of Belle Isle. Police were told the victim was approached by three males, one of whom with a dog. The incident occurred near the Hollywood Rapids by the Porta-Johns on the north side of the island.
Police are seeking two suspects and one person of interest:
Suspect 1: Black male with a light complexion, possibly Hispanic. He is in his late-teens to early-20s, 6’0 in height, average build with short, dark hair. At the time, he was wearing a gray, long-sleeve crew neck shirt (i.e., moisture wicking, performance) and white tennis shoes.
Suspect 2: Black male with a light complexion, possibly Hispanic, with short, dark hair. He is in his late-teens to early-20s, approximately 5’7 in height, 200 pounds in weight. At the time he was wearing a red shirt and a gold watch.
Person of Interest: Black male with a medium complexion, possibly Hispanic, with short dreadlocks or braids, and some facial hair. He is in his late-teens to early-20s, approximately 6’0” in height with an average build. At the time, he was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants. He was last seen with a 6-week old grey and white pit bull puppy.Detectives ask anyone with any information about this incident to call Major Crimes Detective P. Mansfield at (804) 646-6996 or contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000, online at www.7801000.com or by texting Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the keyword “ITip” followed by your tip.