Category Archives: schools

Lobs & Lessons Center Hosts Tournament on Sept. 17

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From press release:

The inaugural Lobs & Lessons Family Open will serve up to 256 participants from the greater Richmond area on Saturday, September 17th, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. It will be hosted by the Mary and Frances Youth Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The event marks the continual partnership between the Lobs & Lessons program and the Richmond Tennis Association to develop QuickStart Tennis (QST) in the greater Richmond area. QST is a teaching format that allows more children the opportunity to experience the game, as the courts and equipment are smaller so they can feel confident. The tournament will ultimately promote QuickStart Tennis for Everyone, giving families the opportunity to play side by side and encourage the reluctant player, whether it is an adult or child.

The Lobs & Lessons Family Open is a QST event held to promote healthy lifestyles and demonstrate that QST is fun at any age, while providing a low-cost tournament opportunity for the greater Richmond area. In addition to promoting the growth of the game, the event will serve as an annual fundraiser for Lobs & Lessons. Doubles teams will have two registration options, one of which is a low-cost entry fee. A second option, “Team Challenge,” will encourage participants to raise money to support Lobs & Lessons. The event is presented by Lobs & Lessons and the Richmond Tennis Association. To register, please visit www.vcuyouthcenter.org.

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The Lobs & Lessons Family Open will be held at the Mary and Frances Youth Center, using the Thalhimer Tennis Center and Cary St. Field, on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The Center is located at 120 South Linden Street, just off of West Cary Street, between Cary Street Field and the Cary Street Gym.

St. Andrew’s School Job Postings

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From St. Andrew’s School announcement:

The school will be providing nutricious hot lunches for students Monday through Thursday this year and a cook is needed to plan and prepare those meals. Also, an afternoon receptionist is needed in the school office Monday through Thursday from 3:30-6:00pm. A pianist is needed for a half-hour school chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30am. Jane Page Watson, Assistant Head for the school, is the contact for all of these positions: 648-4545 or jpwatson@st-andrews-school.org.

Girls Rock! at St. Andrew’s

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RVANews.com posted a story today about a recent “Girls Rock! RVA Rock Camp held at St. Andrew’s School. An excerpt:

There were fundraising events: songs were played, poetry was slammed, and the camp grew in the minds of its makers. The desire to create far-reaching varied impacts in the lives of area girls grew as well — not only would the camp focus on music, but it would include workshops on things like self defense, mural painting, zinemaking, healthy foods, and creative writing.

Open High one of 4 city schools given waivers for high achievement

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Oregon Hill’s Open High School was one of only 4 city schools (among 54 state-wide) awarded waivers from annual accreditation:

Each school receiving a waiver will remain fully accredited for three years. The schools qualified for the flexibility by achieving pass rates of 95 percent or higher in all four tested Standards of Learning (SOL) content areas for two consecutive years.

“The waivers provide an opportunity for high-achieving schools to try new approaches in covering the SOL content without worrying about a potential short-term impact on test scores and accreditation ratings,” Wright said. “I encourage superintendents and principals to empower teachers in these schools to move away from excessive review and practice and focus instead on providing rich and varied instruction that exceeds the standards.”

The 4 Richmond schools given waivers are Bellevue Elementary, Mary Munford Elementary, Open High and Richmond Community High.

(Issue #1) Still No Positive Step From VCU

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In regard to Issue #1, at a meeting last week between the Virginia Commonwealth University administration and Monroe Park campus community and neighborhood leaders, VCU President Michael Rao dismissed calls for lasting compacts for the university’s physical expansion and instead suggested that input be given in the next VCU Master Plan process.

The problems with that are numerous:

Oregon Hill residents in particular have no reason to trust VCU’s Master Plan process, simply because VCU now has a history of abruptly changing it’s Master Plan at any point to serve its own purposes. Add VCU’s assumed powers and history of encroachment on top of that, and there is even more reason for nearby neighborhoods to feel threatened. There’s no “community partnership” in that!

Another reason to look askance at the VCU Master Plan process is that Richmond in general has always discounted any citizen input into planning, including it’s own Downtown Master Plan. This city has a bad history of patrician rule that is not above playing racial politics with whole neighborhoods. It’s again worth noting that the initial draft of the City’s Downtown Master Plan asks for more protection of Richmond’s historic neighborhoods.

One thing that I conveyed to President Rao was how the administration’s willingness to disregard community concerns about VCU encroachment in turn fosters a disrespectful attitude from some VCU students and boosters. And it’s not just Oregon Hill that bears the brunt of this arrogance, especially in discussions over possible football stadium locations.

In the end, the VCU Public Relations Department can keep acquiring awards, but until the VCU administration takes the positive step of making a lasting, reliable border agreement with its neighbors who have been asking for one for years, then there can be no true “community partnership”. The thirty+ year siege of Oregon Hill continues.

VCUarts Launches Cinematheque Series

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From press release:

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts today announced the introduction this fall of VCUarts Cinematheque, a new series of 10 world and independent art films to be screened at the Grace Street Theater.

Feature films will be projected in 35mm with VCUarts’ brand-new, state-of-the-art projecting system. The system includes a new theatrical screen, Dolby Stereo Surround Audio System and a German Kinoton FP 30D projector. The Grace Street Theater, which is located at 934 W. Grace St., seats 250 people in a stadium-seating layout.

The inaugural Cinematheque season will hold Tuesday screenings that start promptly at 7 p.m. The screenings will be free and open to the public on a first-come basis.

“We are excited that there will be an alternative theatrical film venue in Richmond to present art and world cinema in 35mm in a state-of-the-art movie theater,” said Rob Tregenza, director and professor in the VCUarts Department of Cinema and the programmer for the Cinematheque. “This series will provide a new opportunity for the VCU and Richmond community to experience great films in a setting and format that honors the work.”

Tregenza selected and programmed feature films in the series from current theatrical art house releases, world cinema and classic art cinema with input from the School of the Arts, the School of World Studies and cinephiles from the community.
Continue reading →

Top Ten Issues For The Neighborhood

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Its been a little over two months since the “Mayor’s Walkthrough”. During that event, I handed each member of City staff and the Mayor a sheet of paper with a list of what I considered the top ten issues for Oregon Hill, in order of priority and importance. I should emphasize that this list represents my personal opinion, though I did present and discuss it at last month’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting.

1. Signed, binding agreement that VCU will not encroach into Oregon Hill any further. Note: OHNA has voted for this.

2. Extend urban business district zoning on W.Cary to Belvidere. Note: OHNA has voted for this. Community Development has worked on this.

3. Keep R7 zoning except where urban business (old storefronts) makes sense.

4. Where is the new canal bridge? Note: OHNA raised almost half a million in grant money for greenway.

5. Traffic circle/roundabout on Idlewood off of 195 exit that allows commuters coming off 195 to go west in addition to east on Idlewood, also adding an egress from Oregon Hill to the west on Idlewood (making the street two way again). Note: OHNA has voted for this. VCU said they would support, with financial help. Randolph and other groups attended planning meetings.

6. Noise ordinance needed.

7. Brick sidewalk repairs (Notice how this area, which is in Oregon Hill, is marked as VCU!)

8. Empty tree wells need filling

9. public trash/recycling cans needed on corners- the Fan has them, why not Oregon Hill?

10. Look at 4 way stop signs for some intersections to slow down commuters speeding on Laurel, trying to beat Belvidere lights.

Again, this list is not exhaustive. There are other issues that compete for the top slots. You will notice that I did not mention some of the more controversial ideas of parking permits/tags or going for City Historic District status (Oregon Hill already has federal/state recognition).

You will also note that none of my priorities target any particular residence or deal with property code violations. Although I understand the fear that my lobbying here brings in the CIty inspectors, I refute any insinuation that it is my intention, and I share the concern that officious action may be in retribution for publicizing issues). Please feel free to list some of your ideas in the comments below.

In the next few weeks I will be focusing on each of these issues more and hopefully have news of progress. THE top issue, a permanent land use written accord with VCU, may get an update as soon as this next week since VCU President Michael Rao has asked for neighborhood leaders to come to a “Monroe Park Campus Advisory Council” (not to be confused with MPAC, Monroe Park Advisory Council) meeting this Tuesday. I know OHNA leaders plan to attend.

Lobs & Lessons Tennis Auction

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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

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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.

U of R *and* VCU Yard Sales This Weekend

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This Saturday, is the BIG YARD SALE at the University of Richmond, which is a way for the local Sierra Club to raise funds and recycle student cast-offs at the same time.

It is great to see a similar effort at VCU get launched. On Sunday…

What: VCU Graduate Students Community Yard Sale
When: Sunday, May 15th 8 am – 2 pm Rain or Shine
Where: 103 S. Jefferson
Conveniently located on campus at VCU’s Brandcenter Main Parking Lot across from Fire Station #6

100 grad students are graduating in a week and moving to all corners of the country – come get their stuff for a steal!
Clothes, furniture, electronics, sports gear, school supplies, etc…

Also, today, I guess: