Art In The Park Sunday

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From event page on FaceBook:

Every Second Sunday
5:30PM-Dark for the months of Aug/Sept/Oct
Free and open to the public
Visual artists come to plein air!
Performers come improv!

Second Sundays Twilight Zone is an event to encourage collaboration/experimentation or just to have some company and chat while producing art in the park.

No registration required. Just show up and have fun!
We encourage spontaneous collaboration and experimentation

Note: Given the ongoing controversy and conflict over Monroe Park’s “renovation”, its not surprising that this newly-announced event series has lead to some interesting debate over the role of art.

Sonic Coming To Oregon Hill

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According to an article in Richmond Bizsense, in addition to a Pita Pit, the 805 W. Cary development will include a non-drive-through Sonic fast food restaurant.

Sonic has signed a lease to take over about 1,500 square feet in the 805W project – a four-story, 100-unit apartment development with about 8,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space that’s under construction at 805 W. Cary St.

Sonic will join Pita Pit as one of the the first commercial tenants of the 805W mixed-use development near VCU.

While it’s known nationally for its traditional drive-in and drive-thru window service, Sonic will forgo its typical store model for the 805W spot in favor of a dine-in concept – the chain’s first in the state.

VCU Ram Camp This Coming Monday – Focus On Graffiti Removal

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VCU RAM CAMP 2019 is approaching August 12-15, 2019. As part of it, there will be a neighborhood clean up and graffiti removal on Monday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Volunteer Sarah Gaskin will be meeting student volunteers at the Altria Theater and leading them into the neighborhood. If neighbors would like graffiti cleaned off their private property, please turn in liability waivers to City Councilperson Parker Agelasto’s liaison, Amy Robins.

Bike Thefts Prompt Police Message

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From Richmond Police Department’s Sector 413 Lieutenant James Roberts:

During the past 30 days there have been five reported bicycle thefts in the Oregon Hill neighborhood. All of the bicycles appear to have been left unsecured. Two were stolen from porches and three from rear yards or unlocked sheds. If possible, please store your bicycle inside your residence, as this is by far the safest place for it. If you must leave your bicycle outdoors, always use a U-Lock to secure your bicycle to a sturdy fixed object that cannot easily be cut. Sheds and garages can provide a false sense of security and actually provide little defense against a determined thief. In fact, they provide concealment for thieves to operate undetected. If you do store property in your shed or garage, ensure that the structure is secured with sturdy locks and that items such as bicycles are affixed to solid, immovable objects inside the structure. Also, be certain to capture your wheels through the U-Lock or an additional cable lock to prevent them from simply being removed and to make your bicycle a less likely target. As always, please report suspicious activity to police at (804) 646-5100 or call 911 for emergencies.

Chalk the Walk Tuesday

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“India – Kolam chalk art – welcome”by McKay Savage is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Announcement-

Greetings dear neighbors, we’d love to invite you to join us on Tuesday between 5:30 – 6:30 to create chalk welcome messages for the students of St. Andrew’s School, who will be back to school this Wednesday, August 7! Let’s greet and encourage them! We will have chalk, just show up and share a drawing or greeting. Meet in front of the school at the corner of Idlewood and Cherry. See about it! — with Chris Milk.

Click here for FaceBook event page.

Mayor Stoney Dismisses 15,000 Richmond Citizens

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Remember what’s been written previously about “Richmond leadership that has been hostile to public demands”.

Yesterday, at his press conference on his proposed 1.5 (was previously 1.4) billion dollar coliseum scheme, Mayor Stoney was asked by a reporter about the ‘Put Children Before Costly Coliseum’ referendum, which over 15,000 City of Richmond voters have signed. His response was curt and dismissive:
“The project’s moving forward either way. I don’t have time to worry about political stunts.”

Its very clear that the Mayor and other leaders who ran and were elected on ‘Education’ platforms now champion the Tom Farrell/VCU coliseum plan IN SPITE OF the Put Schools First movement. They don’t care what citizens think. They don’t care about public ownership. They certainly don’t care about public schools. They just want their coliseum, period. And they are willing to skirt the law and use ‘fait accompli’ tricks to do it. This is straight from former VCU President Trani’s playbook.

Richmond’s citizens should be asking themselves and others how much public money and attention have already been wasted on just ‘the planning’ around the coliseum scheme? How many times have Richmond leaders broken promises surrounding these giant projects? Richmond citizens have heard the same sales pitch for years and years on project after project- they have all resulted over and over again in deferred maintenance for PUBLIC schools and parks while PRIVATE corporate welfare projects abscond with the taxpayers’ money. We now have the Put Schools First movement, which says enough is enough, invest in schools first, yet Richmond leaders dismiss it and continue to jam the same sales pitch down our throats.

This is the ugly, top-down, oppressive, corporatist culture of Richmond politics. It is anathema to true progress. Many Richmond residents keep hoping that new arrivals from other locales will recognize it and work to change it, instead of being indifferent and then eventually leaving. Citizens should unite in condemning this Mayor’s statement and actions.