Laurel Street neighbor Charles Pool took these photos of a robot cutting the grass on the steep hill in Oregon Hill Park. The helpful staff said that this was the first hill on which they have tried out the robot.
It looks like the City is doing street cleaning in the neighborhood this week. According to the signs, they will be starting with the west side of S. Laurel Street tomorrow. Don’t forget to move cars the night before.
Cherry Street neighbor Jimmy Blackford is organizing some sidewalk cleaning to go along with the street cleaning.
Oregon Hill Street Cleaning/Leaf Collection Finally Happens Next Week. (Mon. 1/28-Thurs 1/31). Who can join me on Mon. and/or Tues. Morning to get our pretty brick sidewalks extra free of leaves? I’ll start the raking at 10am on Monday morning. (Maybe earlier depending on how much sleep I get the night before). I’ll concentrate on the intersections and heavily leaf-strewn areas of the sidewalks. Pushbrooms, especially extra wide ones, are a huge help. I only have 2 rakes, so…
Richmond’s alternative media keeps evolving as the Richmond Public Library is taking over the City’s public access cable tv station.
The Richmond Free Press newspaper reports:
Library Director Scott Firestine told the Free Press that the cameras and production equipment soon will be moved to the Main Library in Downtown from the public access studio Comcast has operated for nearly 30 years in its Richmond office, 918 N. Boulevard.
On Nov. 16, Comcast ended the live shows that local residents created and presented during the 6 to 10 p.m. time slot Tuesdays through Fridays on cable Channel 95 and switched to pre-recorded programming as part of the transition.
“This is something we have been working on since May,” Mr. Firestine stated about the library’s takeover of the public access operation. “It is an exciting opportunity for the library to provide a platform for citizens to have a voice and a classroom to learn how to use the technology,” he stated.
He expects the library to receive the equipment before Christmas, and indicated that the community programming would resume as quickly as possible, but on Channel 99.
For a little more history and background, check out a 2012 story on the cable access station in Style by clicking here.
Laurel Street neighbor, Charles Pool, on behalf of the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council, made a presentation to the City of Richmond Planning Commission at their meeting this afternoon. Above are slides from his presentation. They support and reiterate previous statements from Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council and the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association.
The Commission was considering both VCU’s master plan and an important ordinance, #2018-276, from Councilperson Agelasto that would require better public notification of rulings by the Zoning Administrator.
Well, this one has been bubbling for a while…but the Coliseum vs. Schools debate is about to rise to a new level. What? You say you don’t know what I am writing about? Click here for a quick refresher course.
Yesterday’s headlines made it pretty clear that Tom Farrell and VCU are going to play hard ball to make sure that their coliseum scheme comes first-
VCU Cancels University-wide Spring Commencement Ceremony
I was going to write a whole bit explaining this, but let’s allow Paul Goldman to do it:
Earth to RVA citizens: Why do think VCU is being denied use of the current Coliseum in May/2019 despite having used it for commencements since 1970’s? HINT: The Stoney/Farrell plan to use $500 million in PUBLIC RVA CITY money to build and finance a new Coliseum that will NOT be to owned by the city calls for demolishing the current Coliseum in March/2019! FACT: Farrell’s team is going around Richmond promising no-bid contracts to politically connected individuals if they will lobby the Council to ram thru this fiscally irresponsible Coliseum without giving RVA taxpayers a fair chance to weigh in. That’s why my citizen group is circulating the “Choose Children over Costly Coliseum” petition so you can sign it and put to Special Election vote as called for in the City Charter. Sign the petition! It’s your only way to truly be heard.
In other words, this is the ol’ fait accompli thing -“citizens can’t stop this new plan, it’s already been decided and in the works“…………. WRONG!
We can still make sure that the City of Richmond PUTS SCHOOLS FIRST! Before the coliseum. Before any other giant corporate welfare project.
What Goldman is referring to is his new City referendum effort to establish by law that the City has to put money from certain types of financing towards SCHOOLS FIRST. It will not be on the ballot this Election Day, but referendum supporters will be collecting signatures for a petition to get the new referendum on the ballot in 2019. It’s going to be interesting to see if a good coalition of grassroots can come together like the last time. Goldman is looking for more poll volunteers and donations for this new campaign.
And by the way, speaking of last time, that original PUT SCHOOLS FIRST referendum became law this year. Tick tock, Mayor Stoney, City Council, School Board. Citizens want to see a real school modernization plan come together before the end of the year- if the Education Compact can’t do it, then figure it on your own. Relying on increasing state funding only goes so far, when there is plenty of corporate welfare that should be cut anyway. Don’t be scared this Halloween, it’s time to lead and PUT SCHOOLS FIRST.