July 5, 2008
Meet the 2nd District in Richmond.com
In terms of our loose coverage area, North Richmond News’ readers cross four political jurisdictions — Henrico’s Brookland and Fairfield districts, and Richmond’s 2nd and 3rd districts. Richmond.com has been profiling Richmond’s political districts as a lead-up to this fall’s School Board and City Council elections. This week: meet the 2nd District, which includes portions of North Richmond’s Rosedale and Sherwood Park communities:
On the School Board, four-year incumbent Lisa Dawson, a 50-year-old homemaker, is facing competition from newcomer Kimberly Gray, who could not be reached for comment…
…As for City Council representation, the district will have a new person come November. Seven-year incumbent and current council president Bill Pantele will give up his seat as he campaigns for mayor.
Three men are vying for the job — Patrick Kjellberg, Tyron Bey and Charles Samuels — and all three agreed that the issues facing the second district were the same as those facing the city as a whole.
July 3, 2008
New fresh fruit CSA launches at Lakeside Farmer’s Market
SPROUT, one of Richmond’s first Community Support Agriculture (CSA) organizations, has announced a new berry CSA serving the Richmond area. CSA essentially allows individuals and families to purchase “shares” of a harvest — for a set fee, members of a CSA receive regular deliveries of a farmer’s harvest.
SPROUT’s berry CSA will deliver weekly shares of berries and fruits every Wednesday evening at the Lakeside Farmer’s Market. Here are the details from Chris Humes at SPROUT:
WHO: Fruit and berry fans can now get in on enjoying an array of sun ripened, just picked, local berries and fruits delivered nearby!
WHAT: A weekly share consisting of a 5 lb+ tray of up to 6 pints, which includes - always blackberries, blueberries and/or peaches, plums or nectarines, and if available- raspberries. Although not certified organically grown, all products are grown with sustainable farm production practices.
WHEN: Starts Wednesday July 9th thru early September 2008 for weekly delivery! 9 weeks total.
WHERE: CSA share trays will be delivered and available for pickup every Wednesday evening from 5-7pm at the Lakeside Farmers Market at the Lakeside Town Center, 6116 Lakeside Ave. Richmond, VA 23228.
COST: $28 per week. Three scheduled payments of $84 OR pay in full to receive DISCOUNT of 10%. Space is limited- act fast!
HOW: Email chrish@threemiles.com and request your interest in joining. We will send you additional information and tell you when you can start enjoying fresh, local sweetness.
ABOUT: Agriberry LLC- 25 years ago Anne Geyer established and began directing the marketing program at Westmoreland Berry Farm near Oak Grove, VA with her husband, farm co-founder, and current farm manager Charles Geyer. With this vast expertise in dozens of summer berry varieties- Anne is eager to share with a wider consumer base. Anne is applying her range of experiences and her passion to establish other small acreage summer Agriberry sites in rural/urban counties across Virginia; starting in Hanover County in 2009. Anne is also an active board member on the National Berry Crop Initiative; a member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Specialty Crop Committee; a District 17 representative for the Virginia Extension Leadership Council; and a Hanover County Master Gardener Volunteer.
June 30, 2008
Hints of a market in Northside’s future
I’ve been waiting to hear back from the powers-that-be about a possible additional market in Northside — this one across the Henrico-Richmond line from the Lakeside Farmer’s Market. But there was a hint of the future in a recent Richmond.com article quoting Karen Atkinson, manager of the incredibly popular South of the James market:
“What we’re looking at doing is starting the same type of market on a Tuesday night in the Bellvue and Ginter Park area, maybe in Bryan Park,” Atkinson said.
June 29, 2008
All-American 4th at Lewis Ginter
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden will celebrate the Fourth of July with an All-American Celebration on Friday July 4, from 1:00 until 4:00pm.
In addition to an informal parade — bring your wagons and strollers — the garden will feature a DJ spinning summertime favorites in the Children’s Garden. There will be activities for the kids, and the WaterPlay area will be open. Regular Garden admission; free for members.
June 29, 2008
What’s happening in North Richmond this week?
The calendar is stacked with plenty of new events and activities for the entire month of July! Email us with your calendar submissions at north.richmond.news@gmail.com or use the contact link at the top of the page to submit news and information to North Richmond News. In the meantime, here are a few choice events taking place around North Richmond this week:
June 29, 2008
Community music event to be held Saturday at Union-PSCE
From the folks at Union Theological Seminary on Brook Road:
Singer-songwriter David LaMotte will present a community concert on Saturday, July 5 at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education. The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. outside on the quad at 3401 Brook Rd.
LaMotte, a folk-pop artist, has released ten recordings and performed concerts throughout the world. His engaging performances and songs offer reflections on social justice, peacemaking, and promoting intercultural understanding through music. His latest CD is “Change.”
The concert is sponsored by Project Burning Bush. A youth ministry initiative of Union-PSCE, Project Burning Bush is a program of theological vocation and Christian leadership for high school students.
Bringing lawn chairs or blankets for seating is suggested. For more information, call 804-278-4319.
June 29, 2008
Third Family Fun Day scheduled for August
The Partnership for Families Northside had such success with their second Family Fun Day in June — attracting more than 400 families — that they’ve already scheduled a third event on August 21st. The third Family Fun Day will be held from 5:00 until 7:30pm on the grounds of Ginter Park Elementary School on Chamberlayne Avenue.
Presenting together will be all of the Partners, along many other community service providers, including Richmond Public Schools’ (RPS) Virginia Pre-School Initiative, (VPI) and Head Start pre-school programs along with R.P.S.’s Family Literacy and Nutrition Departments. The Partnership’s Partners: CHIP of Greater Richmond, Family Lifeline, Goodwill of Central Virginia, Father Focus, Commonwealth Parenting, Success By 6, Reach Out and Read, Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, Friends Association for Children and the North Richmond Reading Foundation (NoRF) will all be there to share the offerings of the Partnership, provide the children with child centered activities and to help families get registered for pre-K programs in either VPI or Head Start and kindergarten information. So come out, have a hot dog, chips, fruit juice, register to win neat door prizes, join in the fun and reap the benefits and help us get kids ready for school!
The Partnership was created to help Northside parents of young children ensure that their children are healthy, enrolled and attending school on time and are truly ready to learn. The Partnership is a non-profit formed to provide parental advocacy, information and holistic services is available to all Northside Families with children, more specifically, the Partnership serves parents and their children infants to five years of age.
June 29, 2008
CarMax Foundations funds summer basketball league in North Richmond
The CarMax Foundation has awarded up to $60,000 to the Richmond Recreation and Parks Foundation for the second season of the CarMax Summer Basketball League. The league kicked-off this past week on the basketball courts at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, located at 4901 Old Brook Road:
The grant was given for a continuing partnership with Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities that will provide approximately 330 children the opportunity to play basketball this summer. Last year, CarMax, Inc. and The CarMax Foundation provided about $100,000 to start the league and completely renovate two public basketball courts at Pine Camp.
This year’s grant from The CarMax Foundation will fund additional bleachers at the courts, as well as the league’s operational expenses. The league will kick-off with approximately 30 teams of children ranging in age from 10 to 17 and continue through mid-August. The season will once again conclude with championship play-off games and trophies.
“CarMax is proud to partner with Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities for a second season of the Summer Basketball League in our hometown,” said Tom Folliard, CarMax president and CEO. “This league gives young people in Richmond the chance to play organized basketball, build relationships through teamwork, and have fun.”
“The City of Richmond is very fortunate to receive this continued support from CarMax,” said J. R. Pope, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “With their grant, we can reach more kids and have a positive impact on their lives and on the city’s future.”
The Pine Camp courts are free and open for the public to use except during league play. League games are played Monday through Thursday from 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.
June 29, 2008
Celebrate the Fourth of July on the 5th with Rosedale
Join the Rosedale Civic Association in the DeTech parking lot (NW corner of Hermitage and Westwood) on Saturday, July 5, for Rosedale’s annual Fireworks Picnic:
Come watch the fireworks over the Diamond, for what could be the last time! Don’t cook this time…Just put $2 in your pocket and come enjoy the food, fun & fellowship with your neighbors.
Instead of everyone cooking and bringing a dish, just bring $2. That will get you a freshly grilled hotdog (reg & veg), chips, beverage & dessert! No dishes to clean and no utensils to lose!
The neighborhood’s area will be sectioned off on the Hermitage Rd. side of DeTech. Bring your own blankets/lawn chairs, and be prepared to relax and enjoy visiting with your friends and neighbors!
June 29, 2008
Kids Poetry Club at North Avenue library
The North Avenue branch of the Richmond Public Library invites children in grades 1 through 5 to explore the world of poetry Wednesdays from 4:00 until 5:00pm. Young writers will read, write, share and enjoy food for thought (refreshments). The library is at 2901 North Avenue. Call 646-6675 for details.
June 29, 2008
New young adult book discussion group starts
The Ginter Park branch of the Richmond Public Library has started a new young adult book discussion group, which meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The focus of the group will be urban fiction. The next sessions will be Wednesday, July 9, and Wednesday, July 23, from 6:00 until 7:00pm. For details, call the Ginter Park library at 646-1236.
June 29, 2008
Development coming to North Avenue and Graham Street?
Richmond real estate developer Shor Real Estate has plans to develop a corner parcel at the intersections of North Avenue and Graham Street near Battery Park. Plans call for retail with outdoor dining, and upstairs residential.
June 29, 2008
Weekly finds much to like about Kitchen 64
Longtime Richmond writer Lisa Antonelli Bacon reviews Northside’s Kitchen 64 in the latest issue of Brock Weekly. Her positive review is more focused on the story of Kitchen 64 and its owners, the Giavos family:
Kitchen 64 is a departure in a way, spreading the Giavos empire beyond the Fan. “Years ago, when Johnny and I started having kids, we started looking for a bigger home,” she recalls. “All our friends with kids were moving to Northside.” Katrina fell in love with the area. But with three restaurants in the Fan, moving miles outside it didn’t make sense. Although they never moved from their Fan home, Northside remained appealing.
They approached the venture with some trepidation. “We thought no one would come here,” says Katrina, who spends her time managing Kitchen 64 while Johnny is perpetually making rounds at all the others.
They couldn’t have been more wrong. Katrina has found that the location is accessible to many more areas. Sitting at the crossroads of Westwood Avenue and Robin Hood Road, right where the Boulevard becomes Hermitage Road, Kitchen 64 has cultivated loyal customers from all over the metro area. More importantly, 64 has quickly become a highlight for its neighbors. “We really feel like part of this community,” says Katrina.
June 28, 2008
Obama campaign strategy seen at Northside retiree club
We posted some information about one of North Richmond’s best kept secrets, the Military Retiree Club on Chamberlayne Avenue, several months ago. The club held one of some 4,000 “Unite for Change” meetings organized at the neighborhood level by the Barack Obama campaign, reports the Times-Dispatch:
About 15 people turned out at the Military Retiree’s Club in North Side for what was billed as an “Old Fashioned Back Yard Fence Chat” about the 2008 presidential elections.
The intentionally small gathering is part of about 4,000 “unite for change” meetings across the country organized by the Obama campaign, according to the Obama Web site.
Richmond School Board member Evette Wilson of Richmond said she viewed Obama as a catalyst for change.
Also on hand was Richmond City Councilman E. Martin Jewell. “This is the most phenomenal campaign I have seen in my whole life,” Jewell said.
June 28, 2008
Motorcyclist dies on Chamberlayne Avenue
From the Times-Dispatch online:
A man who died in a motorcycle wreck last night on the 4300 block of Chamberlayne Avenue in Richmond had been seen doing “wheelies” before he lost control, went into a median and crashed into a tree, police said.
Ronald Donnell Love, Jr., 38, of the 700 block of Akron Street was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said today that alcohol was a factor in the wreck that took place about 11 p.m.
June 27, 2008
share your Northside photos!
Down on the right side of every page, we’ve hooked up a display of photos from the Northside Richmond flickr group. This is an open group which anyone can join (for free!) and share the their photos of “people, places, and landscapes in the North Side of the city of Richmond [including] photos from Highland Park, Ginter Park, Barton Heights, Battery Park, and Bellevue.” Check out the photos and then add your own!
June 25, 2008
Tonight’s 3rd District meeting focuses on farmer’s market
While Northside has easy access to the Lakeside Farmer’s Market in Henrico County and there are close to a dozen weekly markets in the region, Richmond’s 3rd District City Council representative will be discussing the possibility of a new farmer’s market tonight.
At tonight’s monthly meeting, Chris Hilbert welcomes Karen Atkinson of the new Forest Hill Park farmer’s market in Southside to discuss opening a new market in North Richmond in July. The meeting will start at 6:00pm (Wednesday, June 25) at the Richmond Police Training Academy at 1202 West Graham Road (behind Virginia Union University).
June 22, 2008
Lewis Ginter launches more environmental approach to pests
The Times-Dispatch Gardening Blog, which is written by staff at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, recently posted information about a new environmentally conscious pest control approach being taken by the popular North Richmond destination:
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has implemented Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in our ongoing effort to be environmentally conscious.
IPM is an effective, environmentally friendly approach to pest management that relies on a combination of commonsense practices.
The goal of IPM is see a reduction of pests to acceptable numbers with the least environmental impact. Our goal is not the total elimination but rather the successful management of pests at levels that are acceptable and promote plant/public health.
Details on the specifics of Integrated Pest Management are covered in the full post.
June 22, 2008
Weblog looks at Veggiefest in Bryan Park
Local weblog Karmic-Dragonfly visited the Vegetarian Festival held in Bryan Park this past weekend nd posted thoughts and photos on the annual event.
June 22, 2008
Wolf will decide by Wednesday about write-in campaign; seeks public input
In a comment on North Richmond News, 3rd District school board representative Carol A. O. Wolf writes that she will decide by Wednesday whether to launch a write-in bid to represent the North Richmond community; Wolf failed to submit enough qualified signatures to get on the ballot, and Norma Murdoch-Kitt is currently the only candidate running in the 3rd District.
From Wolf’s comment:
I need to decide by this coming Wednesday whether to mount a write-in campaign or to sit this one out and allow Norma Murdoch-Kitt to have a “walk-on” to serve as Northside’s School Board member for the next four years.
I have already heard from so many of you who have called, dropped by or sent e-mails urging me to battle on for a multitude of reasons. Many of you have offered to help.
Serving on School Board involves far more than simply representing one’s district, therefore I am asking to hear from citizens throughout the city. I would appreciate it if you could let me know what district you live in when you post a comment.
In addition to asking for your help with this decision, I would most appreciate hearing from citizens across the city concerning their thoughts are on what the SB’s priorities should be during the next few months leading up to election.
Please weigh in with what you think of the Richmond School Board and what you would like to see happen to improve the quality of education in the City of Richmond.
Respectfully,
Carol A.O. Wolf
Third District Member
Co-Chair Student Disciplinary Committee
Member, Finance Committee
Member, Legal, Legislative, Policy and Communications CommitteePersonal e-mail: Wolfies@aol.com
