The Show That Never Happened
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Governor Northam Signs The Bill – Put Schools First
From the Times Dispatch:
Gov. Ralph Northam has signed Senate Bill 750 from Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Richmond, which requires Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to present a fully funded school facilities modernization plan to City Council by Jan. 1, 2019, or say it can’t be done.
The bill — structured as a change to the city’s charter — passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates without a single vote in opposition.
Like other pieces of signed legislation, the charter change takes effect July 1. That gives Stoney six months to present a plan. If the mayor presents a plan, City Council would have 90 days to take action on the plan.
This is a welcome result for the 85 percent of Richmonders who voted for the referendum this past November.
Oregon Hill’s State Senator Sturtevant deserves credit for bring the bill forward and nursing it through the General Assembly.
Friends Of RPL Book Sale On April 6-7
‘Survivor Game’ Both Entertains and ‘Weirds Out’ Laurel Street Neighbors
A residence on Laurel Street has been using toy super hero figurines to act out an imaginary game of ‘Survivor’ in their small front yard. No real violence has been involved, though some of the figures are left in what looks like obvious distress.
While some of the children who live across the street are enthralled and look every day to see the latest happenings in the yard, their parents are still making up their own minds about what these games represent.
“Some of these figures look just so lost and forlorn,” said one parent named Teresa.
Indeed, this one, was evidently ‘voted off the island’ and did not even make it:
“If this is how the college kids want to entertain themselves these days, and they don’t hurt anyone else, I am ok with it,” stated a neighbor named Becky (ed. note: neighbors declined to give last names for this post).
No Easter eggs have been seen with the toy figures… yet.
North Trail Rabbit Sightings Raise Rabies Concerns
While many people have been enjoying animal wildlife sightings in Hollywood Cemetery and along the Richmond riverfront, other neighbors have been expressing mounting alarm at a warren of rabbits living beneath the Robert Lee Bridge along the North Bank Trail. While no one has witnessed an actual attack, the rabbits have been seen acting strangely and somewhat threatening towards pedestrians and their pets walking along the park trail. Many neighbors remember the attack a few years ago by a rabid red fox in the same area.
VCU Professor Ann Wright urges residents not to panic, that although this rabbit behavior is somewhat novel, it should not necessarily be seen as dangerous. “These urbanized, European rabbits may just be protecting their eggs,” she explained. She further noted that in older times, people would try to steal the multi-colored eggs as quasi-religious icons, which may have lead to this species’ response. “The sad reality is that we may see many animal behaviors change as they desperately try to adapt to a diminishing natural environment. One in five species on Earth now faces extinction, and that will rise to 50% by the end of the century unless urgent action is taken to stabilize their environment.”
That said, James River Park management and VCU Life Sciences are moving their night vision cameras to see if they can observe these rabbits first-hand and will be looking for more signs of rabies in park animals.
Rumors of Russian Collusion Rock City Democratic Party
While international news has been filled lately with diplomats being expelled from various countries, a new crisis is emerging locally in Richmond City Democratic Committee.
It’s worth noting that Richmond has already made the news nationally in regard to ‘Russiagate’ with the arrest of Former Trump campaign aide and West End resident Rick Gates.
Late last month, in a surprising move, the committee was temporarily shut down and its current officers removed after an arm of the state Democratic Party nullified the recent election of officers. While exact connections are unclear, suspicions have now emerged surrounding gift-giving and election influence.
No one has called McCabe or Comey yet (ed. note: and I still have not collected on my bet), but now wild tales are circulating about influence peddling involving everything from illegal James River sturgeon caviar to RVA Magazine online ads, from kegs of various area microbrewery beer to Richmond Kickers tickets.
There is even speculation about Councilperson Parker Agelasto’s previous Cossack beard, including whether it will make a return this coming Fall as a sign of his international socialist brotherhood allegiance.
Some residents are wondering about stories about Russian officials’ attendance at last year’s meetings between Agelasto, Libertarian restaurateur Jay Crocker, and Green Party candidate Montigue Magruder, but many people are dismissing those as more dishonest attempts to smear third party leaders. Magruder, hearing about these outrageous claims, dismissed them wholeheartedly, saying that he wished the Kremlin, FBI, CIA, or NSA would just go ahead and pay his mobile phone bill.
Russian rumors swirl around all sorts of local matters, including the successful Put Schools First campaign, the debates around meal and cigarette taxes, Virginia Medicaid plans, the Chesterfield “mega-site”, and Joe Morrissey’s law license. If that was not enough, Democratic activist and former state chair Paul Goldman reportedly offered to negotiate a call between Russian president Vladimir Putin, former Governor Douglas Wilder, and former VCU president emeritus and professor Eugene Trani in order to ‘fact-check’.
Notably, as the media continues to hype this and other controversies, Washington D.C.’s local government just passed a significant Fair Elections Bill. And Trump just declared April National Sexual Assault Awareness Month while both sides of the corporate duopoly largely ignore the allegations against him.
Overnight Solar Leak Prompts Neighborhood Evacuation
A solar leak in Richmond’s Oregon Hill prompted the voluntary evacuation of nearly 100 homes near the intersection of Laurel Street and Spring Street. The leak was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday. Most neighbors were allowed to return to their homes around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Richmond Fire Department and Police Department responded to the area just after 11:00 p.m, along with Dominion Energy technicians. United Solar Neighbors’ representative Aaron Sutch was also on hand to comfort neighbors.
Laurel Street neighbor Tommy Birchett reported a strong odor in the area and saw solar streaks in the sky above his street, though a Holly Street neighbor who had recently installed solar in her residence says she did not see anything. A Dominion spokesperson said solar is still an experimental fuel, which is why it is must be kept under the utility’s control.
Crews closed Laurel Street between Albemarle and Holly in order to repair the leak.
This alarming event is somewhat similar to a gas line leak evacuation that took place this past Thursday in a West End neighborhood in Henrico. The main difference being that Henrico gas event was real.
Cherry Street
Taken yesterday afternoon. (Clouds will likely return tomorrow.)
Moonshots Over Pine Street
From last night…
Milkman On Pine
Carol Butler Gentry shared these photos and this description.
Came across these photos taken in 500 block S. Pine St. note the milkman’s truck that used to deliver milk on our front porch. The building in upper right side is now Mamma Zu’s.
