Looking Forward To Tito’s Taqueria and La Fe Cafe

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Oregon Hill residents are excited to hear about two ‘sibling’ restaurants opening in the building that used to be Mojo’s at the southeastern corner of W. Cary and S. Laurel.
Richmond Magazine has a nice story that describes past and future plans of the family affair.

Splitting the 6,700-square-foot building into separate ventures, Tito’s Taqueria will occupy the larger side of the space, while La Fe Cafe will take the other. Estefay says her parents are excited for them, and that a solo venture of her own has been a long time coming.
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“I dream a lot of the place being busy, so I think it’s going to be good, my dreams have been telling me,” Tito says, noting that he was drawn to the property because of its walkable neighborhood in close proximity to VCU campus and businesses such as the Altria Theater.

Tito says there will be 15-20 different types of tacos on the menu at the taqueria, a combination of traditional varieties, more Americanized versions and vegetarian options. Offerings will also include sopes, “tornado fries” and playful riffs such as birria pizza. He also hopes to make happy hour a fun two- to three-hour period with mariachi or other music and plenty of frozen margaritas on tap.

At La Fe Cafe, Estefay plans to start the day a little earlier than her older brother, focusing on breakfast, lunch and coffee. Drawing influences from her travels and her background, she says, “I decided to do something different, like a breakfast cafe but a little bit international. I’ve been traveling a lot, and I love food … and experiencing different places and different cultures.”

Estefay says her vision for brunch includes elaborate pancakes and waffles — the latter served both solo and in sandwich form — along with chilaquiles, Honduran baleadas and pupusas, which draw on her mother’s Salvadoran roots.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

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This Wednesday is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.

Please go over what can be recycled. Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night.

If it seems like pickup did not happen, use this online form:
https://cvwma.com/programs/residential-recycling/recycling-service-request-form/

If you have not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for your Recycling Perks.
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

In recycling news, last week a panel of scientists testified during a Senate meeting of the Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight. It was the first in a series of six meetings Sen. Jeff Merkley, D- Ore., said are necessary to get lawmakers on the same page about how to handle urgent plastic pollution issues affecting air, water and human health.

“The fossil fuel industry is envisioning a massive increase in the production of plastics, but that will only amplify the problems,” Merkley said. By the end of the hearings series, Merkley said, the committee hopes to have “strategies that we can take to a national level.”

Neighborhood Association To Be Replaced With AI

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The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) has announced that it is going to be turning over much of its functions to an AI (artificial intelligence) program by the end of the calendar year.

After collaborating with University of Richmond student researchers, OHNA officers concluded that many of their volunteer duties could be better completed using a new AI/chatbot interface called VULCAN.

This new project is the result of a collaboration with University of Richmond faculty and students. They are are part of a larger push to explore and develop AI as community outreach. The Oregon Hill initiative started with a few individual interviews and group retreats with OHNA officers at the end of 2022 and has taken on a life of its own, so to speak. So much so that the OHNA AI project gained its own name, VULCAN. The project was presented at a lunch symposium at the University of Richmond a little over a week ago.

“The name VULCAN was decided upon after reading the 1856 quote that described the residents of the neighborhood of Oregon Hill: “…so called, probably, from its remote inaccessible, though beautiful situation, and is inhabited chiefly by a hardy and industrious race, disciples of Vulcan.”, shared UR researcher Rebecca Croon.

The project took on significance in November of 2022 when Open AI’s ChatGPT was released. ChatGPT is a conversational generative AI model that can create human-like responses based on patterns learned from large data sets. ChatGPT is a game changer compared to previous AI technology like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. These less advanced virtual assistant AI systems can only perform a specific task. However, ChatGPT is a text-based AI that can answer advanced questions, hold conversations with the user, write a custom letter (with citations), and many more custom-prompted tasks.

By running ‘quiet polling’ on social media and email, found that AI could account for 99% of the engagement with residents between their moving in to the neighborhood and attending their first OHNA meetings.

“Volunteer officers simply did not have the capacity able to provide the amount of individualized support and orientation that VULCAN’s chatbot could,” says Ms. Croon.

Furthermore, programmers can customize VULCAN so that is can easily simulate officers’ profiles, their personalities, and efficiently run the neighborhood association’s Zoom virtual meetings on its own.

Patrick Turing, a student member of the UR Spider Community AI team, (URSCAI), that is helping with implementing VULCAN, described how OHNA President’s facial movements can be mimicked with ‘Deep Fake’ video technology, even adding his children’s playful hijinks in the background.

“We can totally humanize this process, and soon we can capture voting tabulations on Zoom as well without even having to count- VULCAN will simply read the vocal queues and emotional loads on attendees’ faces to know which way they are voting. No more painful waiting for Boomers to find their ‘Hands Up’ button on the screen.”

For their part, OHNA officers have been impressed and are looking forward to VULCAN’s help.
One officer, speaking anonymously, said she was hopeful that VULCAN can keep on top of member lists and physical/email addresses, bylaws updates, letters to government officials, etc.

“What’s great is that institutional experience will hopefully be fully ingrained into the program so that we don’t lose the recall that we previously had to rely on from previous officers and neighbors. We already find ourselves asking VULCAN for advice based on its AI capabilities.”

Vulcan’s results are truly impressive. The URSCAI team expects OHNA officers to gradually withdraw as VULCAN learns to take over their roles and interact more with the community.

Asked what he will do with time saved by VULCAN, one OHNA officer quipped that he “may have to spend more time on FaceBook with grumpy neighbors complaining about OHNA.”

Oregon Hill residents who would like to learn more and contribute to the VULCAN project are encourage to contact the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association via email, ohnarva@gmail.com

As ChatGPT gains media attention for things like passing law school exams, researchers believe that in its next steps, it will be taking the helm of many organizations, including some government.

Inflatable VCU Logo To Be Floated Over Monroe Park

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The Richmond Times Dispatch recently reported that Virginia Commonwealth University is planning to increase its visibility with larger signs around its campus.

“Beginning this fall, the university will install more of the large VCU letter signs that dot its campus. They are metal, bright yellow and roughly 7 feet tall. They let visitors know when they are about to enter campus, which is why VCU calls them “front doors” to the university.”

In a followup phone interview yesterday evening, VCU officials confirmed that there will be an additional element unveiled later in the year- an inflated medallion dirigible sign that will be floated hundreds of feet above Monroe Park.

“Having secured permission from the Mayor’s office, President Rao wants this to be a shining beacon that can be seen from 64 and 95, and both sides of the river” gushed a member of VCU’s publicity department.

While many college and universities have produced inflatables, VCU plans to super-size theirs.The giant inflated medallion will have internal LED lights around the VCU logo so that it will glow brightly at night. It will be anchored with large steel cable that can be reeled in during times of inclement weather. It will be located at the northeast corner of Monroe Park, which has changed greatly over the last decade with many mature trees destroyed.

Further questions about costs were deferred to later, as were questions about a $415 million capital project for its planned VCU Dentistry Center, a new United Campus Workers committee focused on issues of campus-wide health and safety, a change in basketball coaches, and a new proposed tuition increase “because of inflation”. But then, VCU administration did state back in December that it needed to ‘raise’ $51 million in order to maintain standards.

Riverfront Amphitheater Plan Augmented With New Temple

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In the latest news on riverfront development, CoStar, soon to be Richmond’s largest employer, is joining the New Market Corporation to bring an Asian-themed temple to the downtown scene.

The large structure will be constructed along the now destroyed footprint of the canal, next to the planned amphitheater.

The planned temple is being added shortly after local website Richmond Biz-Sense sponsored a March 22nd ticketed event entitled “The Future of the Riverfront”.

That event celebrated a whole “business campus” concept that has been embraced by City planners and administration, Venture Richmond, high-end multi-family housing developers and may others in Richmond’s ‘business community’. It is being driven by CoStar’s giant new high rise building (currently under construction) and their vision – thousands of young and talented workers who will be in the new building and mostly live in the Manchester apartments and condos that have sprouted up across the river. Ideally, no cars will be necessary- workers will walk across the Potterfield bridge to work and/or take a clean shuttle. The business complex will have room for 5 or 6 restaurants/ establishments.

A CoStar employee, who wished to remain anonymous, related that, after the event, “higher-ups became concerned that were neglecting the ‘spiritual development’ of their ‘shachiku‘, so they add temple. They are hoping it will instill more loyalty.”

Whatever the inspiration, the proposed temple is sure to win praise for its beautiful, classical design, and many hope it will offer a quiet retreat from urban life, with a reverence similar to the Virginia War Memorial. Cameras and security patrols will help keep the homeless out and enforce a meditative atmosphere.

Oregon Hill Households Continue to Benefit From Robo-Call Fines

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When we last checked in on Pine Street neighbor Will and his family three years ago, they were breathing a sigh of relief due to their new source of income- fines placed on robo-calling telemarketers and junk mailers.

Interviewing Will today, he admits not only that the fines helped him get through a rough time economically, perhaps even allowing them to stay in their small Oregon Hill house, but that he has seen some positive changes in their whole relationship with the economy.

“Before the local government enacted this legislation, I was personally feeling preyed upon. Here I was, struggling to keep the roof above our heads, and food on the table, and yet we were bombarded by postcards, letters, texts, and phone calls, trying to sell us insurance we could not afford, or offering to buy our house out from under us. And so many outright scammers too. It was depressing and stressful.

But since the legislation went in, we may still be dealing with rising taxes and costs, but we feel less hassled, less pressured and more in control of our lives. It may not seem like much to some people, but I finally feel like there is balance restored. We still sometimes get postcards and calls, but we just log them and report ’em, and eventually we get those small public settlement checks that help us considerably with managing day-to-day expenses. I have also noticed less fraud and scam calls.”

Again, these checks come from a public fund set up by the Consumer Protection Act, a law that addresses robocalling, Do Not Call Registry, email spam, and solicitation violations. With the 2018 addendum that includes fines for unsolicited direct marketing mailings, the fund as well as its payments have grown considerably.

“Again, I urge neighbors and Richmond residents to call and email their local representatives and get help joining the program, or, if they already are enrolled, thank their local representatives for the program and remind them how important it is, especially for low income folks like ourselves. Everyone who is aggravated by robo-calls and all of the automated solicitations should see the big picture.”

Unfortunately, the industry and corporations are not taking this lying down. They are increasing their political campaign donations, often relying on ‘dark money’ channels to force their agendas on courts and governments. They claim that these fines and regulations are violating their corporate ‘personhood’ rights to ‘free speech’.

That’s why, in addition to signing up for the robo-call settlement program, citizens should contact their City, state, and federal representatives and demand resolutions and laws for both the state and national constitutions that make it explicit that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

As Will says, we need to know our Councilperson, Mayor, General Assembly, and Congresspeople put citizens over corporations.

OHNA Meeting Tonight

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From email announcement:

Monthly Meeting Agenda
Tuesday 28 March 2023
7:00PM
This meeting will be held by Zoom, at the link below.

Topic: OHNA Monthly Meeting – March
Time: Mar 28, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

(Editor’s note Remote log-in/Zoom link information redacted. Email ohnarva@gmail.com and request it.)

Welcome
• Treasurer’s Report

Community Updates:

1. Lt. Brian Robinson, City of Richmond Police Section Lt, 4th Precinct
2. Officer Luke Schrader, Police Liaison, VCU
3. Ms. Verenda Cobbs, VCU
4. Ms. Stephanie Lynch, 5th District Councilperson
5. Ms. Colette McEachin, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney (Nathan Hiddle)

Updates:

1. Amphitheater planned for Tredegar Green.
· It is slated to seat 5,000 people and accommodate and additional 5,000 standing, as per our meeting with the developer’s representative. No additional parking is planned.
· When the previous amphitheater plan was proposed, the neighborhood raised questions about hours of operation, noise levels, and parking, none of which were ever answered.
o The applicant has informed us that they will start meeting with interested neighbors, including OHNA.

2. An SUP application has been filed with the City of Richmond for the demolition of 708 China Street, and its replacement with a building.
· The Zoning Committee met with the applicant and asked them to reconsider demolition and incorporate the historic building into their new construction.
· The applicant has declined to make revisions, and wishes to proceed with demolition and replacement. This is the application before us this evening.

3. A vote is requested on the following resolution: “Resolved: that OHNA, as a matter of policy, opposes the demolitions of neighborhood buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, both those individually listed and those listed as contributing resources to the Oregon Hill Historic District.”

Continued Business

4. Traffic issues along Idlewood at Cherry and Pine Streets
· There have been several recent accidents at these two locations.
· These two intersections suffer from poor visibility and the high speed of cars exiting 195 east onto Idlewood.

New Business

5. Any items?

Bryan Clark Green, President
Harrison Moenich, Co-Vice-President
Jennifer Hancock, Co-Vice-President
Mike Matthews, Secretary
John Bolecek, Treasurer