Category Archives: schools

VCU “Lobs & Lights” On Saturday

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From press release:

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Lobs & Lessons program is holding a nighttime glow-in-the-dark tennis event as part of its 10th anniversary celebration.

“Lobs & Lights” will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8 p.m. until midnight at VCU’s Mary and Frances Youth Center, 120 S. Linden St., Richmond. The cost is $18 for adults, $14 for college students and $8 for those 17 and younger, who must be accompanied by an adult. The cost for adults and college students increases by $5 if tickets are purchased at the door. In the event of rain, the event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1.

“Lobs & Lights” will begin with a “Youth Glow Zone” from 8 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., with fluorescent face painting and glow chalk, QuickStart Tennis, table tennis and carnival games.

“Adult Neon Tennis” will be held from 9:30 p.m. until midnight and features cardio tennis, group tennis games, a one-point singles tournament and a serve and target contest.

Glow bowling, corn hole, arts and crafts and music with DJ Rodney S will take place during the event, which is sponsored by the USTA/Mid-Atlantic, Perkins Law, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Sports Vision, Alpha Graphics, Richmond Raiders, Courtside West, Volley Futbol and Escape Creative.

Visit https://www.support.vcu.edu/event/lobsandlights to register for the event or contact Rachel Rhoney at rhoneyrb@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9276 for more information.

Noise Issues Continue To Be A Problem

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In less pleasant news, noise issues continue to be a problem.

Neighbors complained of multiple fireworks going off at different intervals last night.

While this morning, neighbors were woken up by loud Top 40 music from a sound system at the VCU athletic fields over on Linden and W. Cary that could be heard as far south as the 600 blocks of S.Cherry and Laurel.

From one neighbor:

Sunday morning at 8:15 am, I was awakened by loud music blaring through my closed window. I finally went to the vcu athletic field at 9 and they were blaring loud as crap hip hop music. A Sunday morning! This has to stop.
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The music is still blaring. It’s two hours straight now. Called vcu twice, met with vcu police once and an officer called me back and apologized for the noise. He said they brought their own sound system and that he has had multiple complaints every time this lacrosse group uses the field.

Environmental Events At VCU This Week

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The Partnership For Smarter Growth is sponsoring an author talk on Monday, October 6:

Please join PSG and the VCU Urban and Regional Planning Student Association (URPSA) as we welcome Benjamin Ross, author of

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Dead End: Suburban Sprawl and the Rebirth of American Urbanism

Monday, October 6
7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
VCU Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballroom A

Benjamin headed Maryland’s Action Committee for Transit during much of its long fight to build a light rail line outside Washington, D.C. After a 25-year battle, the Purple Line will begin construction next year.
In Dead End he traces how the ideal of a safe, green, orderly retreat where hardworking members of the middle class could raise their children away from the city mutated into the McMansion- and strip mall-ridden suburbs of today. He finds that sprawl is much more than bad architecture and sloppy planning. Its roots are historical, sociological and economic.

It is free, but please register by clicking here and signing up for a ticket.

Then, on Friday, James River Association & Green Unity VCU are co-hosting the award-winning film Damnation at 8 pm, also at the VCU Student Commons.

Some call it a movement, others call it a generational shift in values. DamNation documents both – and the undeniable momentum behind river restoration that has begun to take hold in our country.

VCU, You did not build the city of Richmond

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I was glad to see this editorial in VCU’s student newspaper, the Commonwealth Times, in response to some t-shirt sloganeering.

Excerpt:

Although it might be frustrating and difficult to accept, you didn’t build that. Aside from the inhuman toil that created this country’s structural foundation, a myriad of factors built this city, including but not limited to taxpayer money, honest labor, legislation, committees, grassroots organizations and petitions.

It would behoove certain members of our community to educate themselves on the history of Richmond before asserting VCU’s dominance in the role of the construction of the city, whether the comment is meant metaphorically or otherwise. The city is a separate entity from VCU, and without Richmond, there would be no VCU. The fraudulent claim that “we built this city” downplays the city as a municipality and implies that Richmond is lucky to have us, when, indeed, it is we who are fortunate to have Richmond, a city underpinned by a shameful history, but working toward righting past wrongs and progressing itself into a thriving, truly diverse community.

VCU Students Arrive (Note Traffic Restrictions)

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From VCU press release:

RICHMOND, Va. (Aug. 13, 2014) – Virginia Commonwealth University’s incoming freshman class will begin to arrive on campus this weekend and move into student residence halls as the university launches its annual Welcome Week schedule of activities.

Reuban Rodriguez, Ed.D., associate vice provost and dean of student affairs at VCU, will be available for media interviews about move-in days and the opening of the academic year from 10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, in front of Brandt Hall, at the corner of Laurel and Franklin streets.

VCU will enroll an estimated 31,000 students this fall. This year’s freshman class is expected to be approximately 3,600 students.

About 88 percent of VCU’s freshman class is from Virginia, including 23 percent from Northern Virginia, 20 percent from the Richmond Metro area, 20 percent from north central Virginia and 20 percent from the Tidewater area.

Minority students represent 47 percent of the freshman class, with another 2 percent of the class being international students.

VCU will enroll about 2,200 transfer students, which includes about 1,400 students from the Virginia Community College System.

Freshmen will move in on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day. Traffic congestion is expected in the areas near VCU’s student residence halls on both Saturday and Sunday and nearby street parking will be blocked.

In order to ensure safety and order as students move into residence halls, the following streets will have travel restrictions or will be closed:

· Franklin Street: Traffic will be reduced to one travel lane between Harrison and Belvidere streets
· Main Street: Traffic will be reduced to one travel lane between Belvidere and Laurel streets
· Laurel Street: The street will be closed to through traffic between W. Franklin and W. Grace streets
· Pine Street: The street will be closed to through traffic between W. Cary and W. Main streets

Traffic restrictions and closures will be in effect on Friday, Aug. 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 17 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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VCU Police to Unveil New Noise Suppression Unit

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From VCU press release:

RICHMOND, Virginia (Aug.13, 2014) – The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department is unveiling a new tool to help control noise levels from parties and other events hosted by students living near VCU’s Monroe Park Campus.

This afternoon, VCU Police Chief John Venuti will give local media the first look at the department’s new noise suppression unit. Throughout the academic year, the unit will be used in the neighborhoods surrounding VCU as both a noise deterrent and noise monitor.

The new unit is the department’s way of adding another step in the routine process of handling noise complaints. During the most recent academic year, VCU Police visited 186 residences after receiving complaints about loud parties. VCU Police has a dedicated external relations officer who verifies complaints, educates students on their responsibilities as renters, notifies landlords of ongoing issues and, in some cases, assists landlords with evictions.

“The quality of life for our neighbors has been a high priority for VCU administrators,” Venuti said. “The noise suppression unit shows the community that we are taking every possible step to ensure our students are following laws and the university’s code of conduct.”

An unveiling is scheduled for 2 p.m. today, Aug. 13, at the Compass Plaza on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. The plaza is located between Shafer Court Dining Center (801 Cathedral Place) and James Branch Cabell Library (901 Park Ave).

Additional details about this initiative will not be released until the media event this afternoon. Reporters interested in attending should email byersc@vcu.edu.

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VCU Welcome Week Events (August 18-23)

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From VCU officials:

dearneighbor-FINAL
To: Neighborhood Association Presidents, VCU Liaisons

Greetings,

Please find attached a flier to VCU’s neighbors from the VCU’s Student Commons and Activities. I appreciate your sharing this information with residents.

As you will see, the Monday event at the Cary Street Field (Student Playfair) is from 8-10:30. I inquired about specifics and was told that the event is a huge icebreaker for incoming freshmen to meet other students. It will likely be over closer to 9:30. There will be someone on a microphone and music will be played intermittently. I have been told that any sound associated with all three events will be directed away from residential areas.

If you have any questions leading up to the events, there is an email address and contact number on the flier. VCU Police will be on hand. As a reminder, their non-emergency number is 828-1196.

Finally, we look forward to the community joining VCU on Saturday, August 23 for First Ram Saturday: Food Truck A Palooza!

Thank you.

Jimmy Takes The Lead For This Saturday’s Neighborhood Cleanup

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From email:

lots of furniture is getting tossed into our alleys, so………….
THIS SAT. 8AM-NOON: OREGON HILL CLEAN-UP (part II)

All volunteers will meet at 8am Saturday Aug. 2nd at Pleasants Park, the little park at the corner of S. Laurel St & Albemarle St. There will be enough free on-street parking spots for those who drive there. The clean-up is listed as lasting until 11am or 12 noon. But for whoever wants to keep working even later than that, there will be more clean-up tasks available.
We’ll be going thru the alleys of Oregon Hill with a City dump truck tossing in abandoned furniture & the like. Also, down the sidewalks to toss in recently pruned tree limbs. Sweeping off the bridges over 195. Brick sidewalk upkeep: pulling out the weeds.
If you can help out Saturday, please send me a msg. via Facebook letting me know.
Volunteers can put in a partial shift. Even if you cannot stay the whole time, please come & work with us for as long as you can – even 30 minutes!! If you simply cannot be there at 8am, we still need you. Late arrivals can call me at 804-335-5808 to find our location.
Volunteers should wear work clothes that can get dirty. Hats are useful. I’ll bring bottled water, trash bags, & litter grabbers.
Saturday’s forecast: Humid w/ a high of 87 with possible showers.
Also on on Aug 1 & 2, there will be a Goodwill truck at Morris & Floyd in The Fan collecting household donations-clothes, electronics, computers & whatever.
Affiliated with VCU’s Clean & Green Move.
NEXT CLEAN-UP; SAT. AUG 23rd
Yours,
Jimmy Blackford