We’re halfway through Public Natural Gas Week here in the City of Richmond, and there’s a party going on downtown.

Actually, there’s no party. There is a public gas display at City Hall for the public to view, and an opportunity to register for a Department of Public Utilities prize pack. (We can’t even begin to imagine what the public utilities prize pack looks like!) The names of two winners will be drawn on Monday, October 15, and you can register at the public gas display through this Friday, October 12. Some facts for all of you gas-lovers out there:

One of Lakeside’s more eclectic retailers, Feathernesters, is inviting you to indulge in an autumnal feast to support breast cancer research. On Saturday, October 20, from 8:00 am until 11:00 am, join Feathernesters for an all-you-can-eat Pumpkin Pancake Day at the store’s cafe. For $8 per person, you can enjoy all the cinnamon-spiced, pumpkin pancakes (along with butter, warm syrup and sausage) you can devour with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Reservations are accepted but not necessary. Find out more at www.feathernesters.com or by calling 262-7305. Feathernesters is at 6118 Lakeside Avenue (1 block south of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden).

The City of Richmond will host a free weatherization kit giveaway for area seniors at Pleasants Hardware at 2024 W. Broad Street next Friday, October 19, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.

Representatives from the Department of Public Utilities will be in the store with representatives from the Department of Social Services to assist senior citizens with winterization needs and applications for fuel assistance. To qualify, you must be 65 or older, and a Richmond resident. Each kit includes storm window kits, switch and outlet sealers, a fluorescent light bulb, and weather stripping. For more information, call 646-3937.

Know a senior who would benefit? Give them a ride to Pleasants and help them weatherize before cold weather arrives!

Have large items — furniture or large quantities of yard debris — that need to be hauled away? The City of Richmond picks bulk items up on a four-week, rotating schedule based on zip code. Simply make sure your bulk items are beside your Supercan and out of the roadway, and call 646-0999 to schedule a pick-up during your assigned week.

The item needs to be put out at the start of the week and may not be picked up until the end of the week since there is no precise day when the collection truck is due to service any given block. Follow this link to view a map of collection zones.

Collection weeks:

Fall leaf collection schedule for the City of Richmond is as follows:

The Leaf Hotline is 646-5323 if you have questions.

It’s time for elections at the Bellevue Civic Association! The association will hold its next general meeting this Tuesday, October 16, at Holton Elementary School. Food will be served at 6:30 pm with the meeting beginning a 7:00. The focus of the meeting will be the annual election of officers for the Bellevue Civic Association.

Roy Reynolds, Janet Brown and Joellen Davis have agreed to stand for re-election in their same positions for next year. Actually, in Janet’s case, her term is two years. However, if there is anyone who would like to be considered for officer positions, they are welcome to “make their intentions known” to the Nominating Committee (email vicepresident@bellevueweb.org).

Also, the floor will be open at the General Meeting in October so that anyone who would like to be considered (i.e. voted on) for any of the positions may state so at that time. The only person who will not stand for re-election is Joy Payne. So the Nominating Committee is looking for candidates willing to be the secretary for next year for the BCA.

Visit the Bellevue Civic Association’s website for more info on the organization.

Reporter Sean Muserallo provides a first-hand update on work in Battery Park on the WWBT-12 website:

It’s been more than a year since Battery Park flooded, leaving homes under water and many people looking for another place to live. But after months of work, the city says it’s ahead of schedule, and things are looking up for the Richmond community.

The area still turns into a fishbowl anytime there’s a good rain in Battery Park, but the city has been working on a permanent solution. On Tuesday, Mayor Doug Wilder and reporters got a look at what that solution will be.

We were taken 80 feet below the surface, where the new sewer line is being built. This hole in the wall is actually a long tunnel that makes up the new line. It will be lined with piping to eventually carry tons of household waste and rainwater out of North Richmond.

Back on the ground, the mayor got a firsthand look at what causes the flooding in Battery Park. A giant sinkhole marks where the earth caved in and collapsed onto the original sewer line.

It blocks the original sewer line during rainstorms. It’s also the site of an old city landfill that contains biohazardous waste.

The city convinced federal officials to build around this site to protect residents from future health risks.

After the tour ended, the mayor said he was pleased with what he saw.

“This is a win-win,” he said. “This is not a patchwork situation. There is a permanent solution associated with these improvements.”

Wilder says North Richmond residents stand to gain better sanitary service from the city, as well as better flood protection. The new sewer line is built to prevent what we saw during Tropical Storm Ernesto.

City officials say Battery Park will be free and clear of water and debris, which they hope improves the quality of life for those residents who’ve lived through what they hope is the worst.

The Times-Dispatch reports on efforts by Henrico County to make Brook Road near Parham Road safer for the disabled residents of St. Joseph’s Villa:

The $1.7 million project, partly funded by the state, will add a third southbound lane to Brook Road, from Parham Road to Villa Park Drive. The project also will bring a sidewalk and drainage improvements to the western side of Brook Road, adjacent to Hollybrook.

Officials with Henrico and the Virginia Department of Transportation could not say late last week how many pedestrian accidents have occurred in the area in recent years. But Montgomery said a resident of Hollybrook died in 1993 after being struck by a car as he attempted to cross Brook Road.

Pedestrian access and safety have been improved through a series of projects over the years, including the construction of a sidewalk on the eastern side of Brook Road and the installation of crosswalks. For about two years, county and state officials have been discussing the latest plan for improvements but only recently were able to secure sufficient funding.

“It’s been a sort of one-step-at-a-time thing,” said Todd Eure of Henrico’s department of public works.

To coincide with the Brook Road improvements, the county is looking to install street lights in the area.

If you’ve been following the news, you already know about the high-profile shooting involving a Richmond Public Schools bus in September. Today’s Times-Dispatch reports on a recent spate of gun violence across the city:

In other recent violence in Richmond:

• On Monday morning, Aarin A. Lambert, 17, was shot dead in the 900 block of West Ladies Mile Road.
• On Sunday, four blocks away from yesterday’s shooting, ice-cream vendor Dan Teodorescu, 31, of Romania was wounded at a parking lot on E.S.H. Greene Elementary School. A gunshot to his shoulder passed through his neck and vocal chords. He was listed in serious condition yesterday after surgery Sunday.
• On Friday, Devon Dionté Whiters, a 17-year-old George Wythe High School student, was shot outside an apartment in the Mosby Court public-housing complex. Rasin said he was in critical condition last night.
• On Sept. 23, two people were killed, including a bystander, after shots were fired at a car on Tifton Court.

  Ikia Goodman, 25, was fatally shot outside her apartment in the 1600 block of Tifton Court, where she lived with her mother and sister.

  Tyeron Vondell Massenburg, 22, an occupant of the car that was being fired upon, was found wounded a few blocks away in the car in the 4100 block of Hull Street. He died later at VCU Medical Center.

  Police have made an arrest in the Goodman and Massenburg slayings.

• On Sept. 17, a city school bus carrying elementary students was struck by a bullet when it was caught in a gunfight near East Ladies Mile Road and Hazelhurst Avenue.

“This is an unfortunate spike in crime that is not in line with the significant reduction in crime that we already have seen this year,” Richmond Police Chief Rodney D. Monroe said in a statement released last night.

Residents of North Court apartments on Chamberlayne near Laburnum have been displaced after their building was condemned. From Channel 8 News:

The North Court apartment building’s tenants were only given hours notice before being evicted at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

City officials say eight inches of sewage had built up on the floor of the building’s basement, forcing them to condemn the building. Officials expect the clean-up to take days.

The news was given to the building’s 30 residents at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The City is paying for tenants to stay in hotels while the sewage is cleaned. Officials say the displaced residents can move back in after clean-up is complete.

Many residents told 8News that if they can find alternate housing, they will not be moving back into their condemned building.

The Richmond Police Department’s Sector 412 includes the communities of Carver, Newtowne West, Scott’s Addition, Museum, Northern Barton Heights, Brookland Park, Edgewood, Ginter Park, Washington Park, John Marshall, Sherwood Park, Bellevue, Laburnum Park, Rosedale, Chamberlayne Industrial Center and Virginia Union (click for a map). Each month, the sector releases a community newsletter with details on significant arrests and criminal activity. For the month of September, the report noted:

• Officers Kaneka McQueen and Amira Sleem of Midnight Shift, while investigating a traffic offense in the 2900 block of Chamberlayne Avenue, spotted drugs and a handgun inside the stopped vehicle, resulting in narcotics and weapons arrests.
• Officer Ben Toderico of Midnight Shift was able to follow up on information provided by area residents on possible drug activity at 1603 Claremont Avenue. His investigation led to marijuana, cocaine and weapons arrests at that address.
• Officer Matt McHugh of Day Shift keeps a close tab on prostitution activity in the Chamberlayne Avenue corridor. His knowledge and alertness paid off and resulted in the arrest of Tiacia D. Chapman-Veney for violation of the City’s Target Enforcement Zone ordinance.
• Officers Ken Payne and Jason Leslie of Midnight Shift responded to a citizen’s call about a man carrying a gun in the area of Chamberlayne Avenue and Brookland Park Boulevard. Because of the citizen’s good description, the officers were able to quickly locate the subject. After a brief foot pursuit, they arrested the individual and recovered the weapon.

The report also noted that auto thefts were down:

Several emails are circulating in the North Richmond community about an increase in the theft of copper and aluminum (downspouts, drains, valves, etc.) from businesses and residences. The Walgreens at Azalea and Brook, as well as a dentist office and bank on the 5000 block of Brook, reported that their sprinkler and water systems were hit.

Richmond police ask that residents report any suspicious activity.

The Times-Dispatch reports that the city has signed a national development firm to make plans for the 60 acres of city-owned land surrounding the Diamond:

Richmond.com has plenty of details about this weekend’s rendition of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church’s Oystoberfest, a fundraiser for cancer research and a full day of entertainment:

Richmond.com’s Michele Stuchell has a review of Lakeside Avenue’s Zed Cafe, and finds an energy she likes.

From the Times Dispatch:

Richmond police responding to 911 calls of a man down shortly before midnight Thursday found an apparently homeless man who had been fatally stabbed near a North Side intersection.

The man was non-responsive when officers arrived at the corner of North Avenue and Essex Street, about a block south of Brookland Park Boulevard, police spokeswoman Cynthia Price said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Price described the victim only as a black male, apparently homeless. Anyone with information about the stabbing should call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.

From today’s Times-Dispatch:

Firefighters rescued a man during an overnight apartment fire in Richmond.

A fire broke out in the kitchen area of one unit at an apartment complex in the 3900 block of Chamberlayne Avenue around 2 a.m. today.

Firefighters had to walk through the flames to get the resident out. He was reportedly disoriented and was taken to VCU Medical Center for examination.

No other apartments were affected by the fire and the cause is under investigation.

WWBT-12 has details on a meeting between city officials and residents of the Providence Park community (located east of Chamberlayne and Laburnum in Highland Park). Police report that there are some 650 members of 50 different gangs in Richmond, and some of those gangs may have played a role in at least two violent incidents that made headlines recently. From the news report:

Today’s showers did nothing to raise the water table in the area, and the City of Richmond has announced mandatory water restrictions. From the Times-Dispatch:

Richmond today imposed mandatory water restrictions.

The city’s action affects water use in the city, and Mayor L. Douglas Wilder said Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield counties, which buy much of their water from the city, will also have to impose restrictions.

“This is a critical time for everyone to do their part to conserve water,” Wilder said.

The city’s website has specific details on the restrictions:

Mandatory conservation measures include:

Established landscaping and gardens: No watering on Mondays.

Odd property addresses: Water only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Even property addresses: Water only on Wednesday, Friday and Sun.

(Odd/even designation is determined by the last digit of address number.)

Bucket watering (five gallons maximum) is permitted at all times.

New landscaping: Unrestricted watering allowed for the first 10 days after planting, then limited to the “Established Landscaping and Gardens” measures.

Vegetable gardens: Watering is limited to any two days per week and between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. on any day. Bucket watering is unrestricted.

Washing paved areas, such as streets, driveways, patios, walkways, etc.: Washing is limited to two days per week. Unrestricted washing is allowed for immediate health and safety concerns.

Vehicle washing (commercial businesses are exempt): Vehicle washing is limited to two days per week.

Councilman Chris Hilbert will hold his monthly Northside 3rd District meeting this Wednesday, October 24, from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm at the Richmond Police Academy, 1202 W. Graham Road, room 245 (1 Block west of Brook Road – Near Virginia Union University).

All members of the Third District are invited and encouraged to attend. Key topics for this District meeting will include:

For more information, please call 804.646.5400.