Nearby Protest March Saturday

There is a planned protest in Richmond by Service Employees International Union on Saturday, August 13 (click for Washington Post article).

From Richmond police:

The following locations will be closed for the event planned Saturday between the hours of 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
W. Franklin Street between Belvidere and N. Lombardy St.
Monument Ave between N. Lombardy and S. Meadow Street.
All side streets at these location wil also be closed.
No Parking will be enforced on Franklin St and Monument Ave. N. Allen Ave will also be enforced as well as the 1600-1800 Blk of W.Broad St & 1000 Blk. W. Grace St. Between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please pay close attention to the No Parking Signs during this day. We are trying to prevent vehicles/personal property from possibly be damaged.

Past and Present Monroe Park Edifices

Ok, I might be stretching the term ‘edifice’, but neighbor Todd Woodson and Richard Lee Bland have been sharing some research on the fountain in Monroe Park on the FaceBook group Fans of Monroe Park.

Todd cited this passage:

“In 1872, Colonel Albert Ordway, Provost Marshal for Virginia (who lived close to the park) donated the park’s first fountain, built of stone, but city council rejected a petition from the “citizens near Monroe Park” for $2,500 in additional improvements. The requested improvements included a brick wall about two feet high around the park to prevent the embankment from washing on the pavement, granite post and chain to enclose the fountain, twenty iron seats, granite steps at the gates and for putting up the fountain donated by Colonel Ordway”.
From The Ghosts and Glories of Monroe Park- a Sesquicentennial History by David M. Clinger 1998.

Now quoting and paraphrasing Richard Lee Bland:

The history of (a later) fountain is very sketchy. Mary Wingfield Scott fixed the date of its appearance in the park in 1908. This stone pyramid precede but no dates to confirm.. In 1896 the original memorial to Jefferson Davis was intended to be at the park, a large colossal temple. The cornerstone was laid, but the project was abandoned. The 1970 article at the collapse states, “the fountain’s original upper tiers, which broke off many years ago, were replaced by new ones during a 1961 renovation.” Memories are both short and imperfect. I will comment the 1908 date is interesting due a four tier fountain once stood in Gamble’s Hill Park, overlooking the James River, now owned by Ethel Corporation.

The theory is that the Gamble’s Hill fountain was moved to Monroe Park in 1908 and that is the one there now. Here is a 1962 News Leader newspaper clipping where Mary Winfield Scott made that observation:

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An old photo of the fountain at Gamble’s Hill near Pratt’s Castle.
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Here is an old painting of the fountain in Monroe Park that is in the Special Collections at the VCU library:
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So, in terms of present edifices, an old and persistent hoarder has started to create a pile in Monroe Park. This woman is infamous for having done the same sort of thing in the Fan and Oregon Hill previously.
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This adds on to the current perception that the City and Monroe Park Conservancy are not being adequate stewards to historic Monroe Park. Still, young people continue to flock to Monroe Park to play Pokemon.

Robbery In Monroe Park Raises Concerns

From VCU Alert:

On July 19th, at 01:52 hours, a robbery was reported to the Richmond and VCU Police Departments as having occurred in Monroe Park.

Brief description of how the crime took place: The victim was in Monroe Park playing “Pokemon Go” with a friend when approached by two men. A brief conversation ensued which ended in one of the men grabbing the cell phone from the victim and fleeing eastbound on Main Street. The Richmond Police Department is classifying the crime as a Grand Larceny.

Suspects:

Suspect #1: Dark-skinned male, approximately 6’ tall, wearing a blue shirt, blue pants and a white bandana with a stripe on it.

Suspect #2: Dark-skinned male, approximately 6’ tall, wearing a dark-colored shirt.

Cherry Street neighbor Todd Woodson fired more questions towards City leadership and the Monroe Park Conservancy about broken lighting, police presence, and overall liability for the park. He again asked for an update from the Conservancy on the state of their fundraising for renovation.

In addition, requests have been made from this community news site to 2nd District City Council candidates for statements about their thoughts on Monroe Park and what they would do if elected to Council.

Fireworks’ Future

Oregon Hill residents have had a real love/hate relationship with the annual fireworks displays surrounding the Fourth of July. And if asked, I am sure it would mostly be ‘love’.

That said, this year the RVA Fireworks on The James (usually on July 3rd) is not happening. Before everyone complains and accuses certain Oregon Hill residents of being NIMBY party poopers, it should be recognized that the reason that they are not happening is that major sponsors decided not to support the event this year.

So, fireworks fans can certainly attend other fireworks displays throughout the area, including the free one sponsored by the City at the Dogwood Dell on the 4th. What happens in future years is anyone’s guess, but one way to adjust is to change the nature of the fireworks displays themselves by making them more respectful of nature.

The New York Times has a wonderful recent article on the increasing popularity of ‘quiet fireworks’:

In parts of Europe, quiet fireworks displays have grown increasingly common. In Britain, venues close to residents, wildlife or livestock often permit only quiet fireworks. One town in Italy, Collecchio, passed a law in 2015 that all fireworks displays must be quiet.

By relying on rich color effects and tight visual choreography, designers of quiet fireworks programs can forgo the big explosions and still deliver a stunning show. The hope is that softer celebrations mean less stress for noise-sensitive children, veterans, older people, pets and wildlife.

“We’ve seen more competitors in the last decade or so,” said Rino Sampieri, a senior display manager at Fantastic Fireworks, a company based in England that started selling a quiet fireworks package 30 years ago. “Today, quiet fireworks are part of everybody’s inventory.”

Quiet fireworks are not a new invention. In fact, they are used routinely in classic firework shows as visual effects to accompany the loud bangs. Think of the “comet tail,” which shoots into the sky with a trail of sparkles before quietly fizzling out. Or the “flying fish,” which features tiny tadpole embers scattering away from a silent burst.

What is new is the emergence of a genre of low-key, quiet fireworks displays for audiences that want the fanfare of fireworks without the auditory disturbance.

In addition, there is more development being done on ‘green fireworks’ that do not dump as much heavy metal residue as regular ones. Still, there are a lot of compelling reasons to just not do fireworks altogether. Perhaps the City leaders can take more responsibility and promote better alternatives. Laser light shows, for example, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and crowd pleasing.

Belle Island River Rescue

WTVR reports on yet another James River rescue from this afternoon:

Virginia State Police and the Richmond Fire Department rescued a woman and two girls from the rocks near Belle Isle in Richmond Saturday afternoon.

The group made it out onto the rocks, but was unable to get back due to high water.

Thankfully no one was hurt.

Reminder- when the river level is high like it is now, everyone must wear a life jacket by law.