The Times-Dispatch reports on the death of Dermon Lee “Trey” Brown, a 17-year-old student and member of the John Marshall High School basketball team. Brown was fatally wounded by another 17-year-old at a party in Henrico County; the suspect lives in Richmond’s East End.

The Richmond Public Library’s Connections newsletter spotlighted the North Avenue branch in its winter issue:

The Richmond Public Library Foundation recently announced that more than $51,000 was raised during its campaign last year. Some of those funds will go to projects at the Ginter Park and North Avenue branches.

The book, An Illustrated History of Joseph Bryan Park, may be the perfect gift for the Richmonder who has everything. From the overview at the Friends of Bryan Park website:

The book should be available at the following area locations: The Library of Virginia, Valentine Richmond History Center, Virginia Historical Society, Book People, Mayfair House, The Fountain Bookstore, Very Richmond, Ex Libris Bookshop, Trashique, The Art of Richmond at the Short Pump Town Center, Carytown Books, Westminster-Canterbury’s Galleria Shop, The Museum of the Confederacy, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and the Imperial Plaza Drug Store.

The 3rd Annual Christmas on MacArthur will take place this Saturday, December 8, from 12 noon until 4:00 pm on the 4000 block of MacArthur Avenue in North Richmond.

Christmas on MacArthur is a fun, family orientated holiday street festival sponsored jointly by the Bellevue Merchants Association, the Samis Grotto, North of the James magazine, and the Bellevue Civic Association.

This year’s event will feature Santa Claus for the kids, live music, and quality art and crafts. The Marine Corps Reserve will be on hand collecting Toys for Tots. Kids of all ages are encouraged bring a toy to donate that will enter them to win a brand new bike.

There will be kid’s activities, giveaways, Star Wars characters, police and fire vehicle displays, and much more. The event will also take collections to send care packages to our troops serving overseas.

Christmas on MacArthur will kick off with a street illumination event on Friday evening Dec 7th held between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. Activities on Friday will include caroling and cider, with the holiday lights illuminated at 7:30 pm.

On Friday, December 7 — the night before the annual Christmas on MacArthur festivities — the street will be filled with carolers and crafters. Christmas on MacArthur will kick off with a street illumination event held between 7:00 and 8:00 pm with caroling and cider. The holiday lights illuminated at 7:30 pm.

That evening, the Richmond Craft Mafia will hold their Handmade Holiday Sale at 4025 Yoga & Wellness Center on MacArthur Avenue in North Richmond.

Fourteen businesses from the Richmond Craft Mafia will be selling their handmade items in the beautiful 4025 Yoga studios. Shop for jewelry, purses, children’s clothes and accessories, paintings, pottery, home decor and more.

The next Canine Cafe Happy Hour will happen this Thursday, December 6, from 6:00 until 9:00 pm at the Robins-Starr Humane Center at 2519 Hermitage Road in North Richmond (behind the Diamond).

The Richmond SPCA website has all the details.

The Richmond SPCA and the Virginia CRAFT-N-ISTAS will hold the Third Annual “Home for the Holidays” Shopping Event this Friday, December 7, from 5:00 until 8:00 pm at the Robins-Starr Humane Center at 2519 Hermitage Road in North Richmond (behind the Diamond).

It’s a big weekend for holiday spirit in North Richmond, and the Rosedale community (west of Hermitage along Laburnum) will be holding their first Grand Illumination at 1732 Wilmington Avenue at 6:00 pm.

Between Saturday and December 18, you can take a guess of how many lights are on the tree and make a contribution to the Central Virginia Food Bank in the process. Put your guess in an envelope (with your name, address, phone and a dollar per guess) and pop it in the mail slot at 1732 Wilmington Avenue before December 18th. The winner will have all of the money raised donated in their name to the Food Bank.

Ginter Park Baptist Church will present four events to celebrate this Advent season.

The church is located at 1201 Wilmington Avenue (the corner of Brook Road and Laburnum Avenue).

We went to town tonight updating the North Richmond News Calendar — and we probably forgot, or didn’t know about, your events! Help us keep North Richmond up-to-date with the latest events and activities by emailing us your news and information at north.richmond.news [at] gmail.com.

For the 17th year, the City of Richmond will be holding a Candlelight Memorial Program to commemorate those lost to violence in the city. The program will be held in the lobby of City Hall at 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 13. Police Chief Rodney Monroe will be the guest speaker.

The monthly round of bulk trash collection is approaching. Furniture, large amounts of yard debris and other large items should be placed beside your Supercan, away from the road. You must call 646-0999 to schedule a pick-up. Zip code 23220 is scheduled for pick-up the week of December 10. Neighborhoods in zip codes 23222 and 23227 are slated for pick-up the week of December 17.

The Brook Road post office has been the main mail hub for Richmond for years now, but it looks like that will be changing in the near future as the U.S. Postal Service prepares to relocate its Richmond distribution center to eastern Henrico County. The Times-Dispatch has some details:

The Richmond School Board advanced a plan late last week that would close or renovate eight schools in the city. The plans also call for a new elementary school in North Richmond. The plan was passed after much debate, and advances to City Council for approval. The Times-Dispatch has more on the plan and the debate. In addition, the TD offers a summary of the plan’s recommendations:
Close or evaluate for closing: Bellevue Elementary School; Summer Hill Elementary School; Summer Hill’s Annex on Ruffin Road; Thompson Middle School; Oak Grove-Bellemeade Annex.

Replace with a new school on the same site: George Mason Elementary School; Broad Rock Elementary School; Elkhardt Middle School.

Replace with a new building on a different site or a site to be determined: Capital City Program in the Katherine Johnson Building on Baker Street; Oak Grove Elementary.

Make major renovations or additions: Greene Elementary School; Martin Luther King Middle School; Amelia Street School.

Start the design work: A new Huguenot High School.

Perform site studies: An elementary school in the Fulton area and on North Side.

More than a year after the collapse of a major sewer line running near North Richmond’s Battery Park community, a new line has been constructed. The Times-Dispatch has more:

The paper also reported that the Battery Park Civic Association has plans for a dramatic renovation of the park itself.

The City of Richmond’s hazardous materials collection at the Diamond earlier this year was such a success that plans are in the works to create a permanent site for city residents to dispose of hazardous waste, according to the Times-Dispatch:

Richmond is preparing to launch year-round disposal of hazardous wastes instead of making city residents wait for a once-a-year collection.

City public works officials expect to open the facility to collect hazardous waste in March at the East Richmond Road Landfill & Convenience Center, 3800 E. Richmond Road.

“The staff and outside personnel are already on site,” Rosemary Green, interim director of public works, told a City Council committee this month. “We just had to set aside an area for it.”

The event gave city residents an opportunity to dispose of hazardous wastes that can’t be safely sent to the landfill or the sewage treatment system.

The kinds of waste accepted include solvents, such as paints and fuel; car fluids and batteries; household cleaners and drain openers; herbicides and pesticides; and thermometers and other devices containing mercury.

It’s been a few weeks since the camera crew from the Food Network swung through town to film a spot on North Richmond’s favorite institution for its “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” program. Style Weekly has a few details:

Jimmy Tsamouras, who bought the North Side hangout Dot’s Back Inn not quite a year ago, got his first, fleeting shot at stardom last week when the Food Network came calling. “They shot 10 hours for six minutes of airtime,” he says, “which means I still have nine minutes of fame left.” The program, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” enters its third season in January, and the local episode airs in a couple of months. Spiky-haired host Guy Fieri charmed the diner’s regulars, who camped it up for the cameras. “Everybody he talked to loved him and had a great time — they didn’t want him to leave,” Tsamouras says. He counts himself among those new fans: “Our chemistry was great, we cooked well together, and this makes me want to have my own show.” And while The Village Cafe in the Fan was also featured, word is that Millie’s Diner declined to be involved.

And the Times-Dispatch’s Melissa Ruggieri provides even more background in this piece from the News Virginian (originally appeared in the TD):

On Thursday, December 20, a 60-year-old homeless man was found dead in a wooded area near the intersection of Chamberlayne and Laburnum avenues. The Times-Dispatch reports that:

The body of Jimmie Allen Arthur, 60, was found by a friend, Richmond police Lt. Sybil El-Amin said.

The cause of Arthur’s death will be determined by the state medical examiner’s office, El-Amin said. She added there was no evidence of foul play.

NBC12 News reports that a fire this past weekend at an apartment complex on Westminster Avenue has displaced 10 people, several with special needs.

Flames broke out around 8 a.m. yesterday on Westminster Avenue and though the residents made it out safely, they say the blaze comes as a hard blow at Christmas.

“I woke up this morning with someone pounding on my door talking about there’s a fire upstairs,” said Cheryl Ridley, one of the victims displaced by the flames. She said the fires cost her Christmas dinner.

“I have 400 dollars worth of food in my fridge, and it just don’t make sense,” Ridley said.

Ridley also said says she’s been through this before.

“This is not my first fire, my other one was in the beginning of August, end of July in another part of the building,” Ridley said …

… Fire officials say they are still trying to figure out what sparked the blaze, but they say the fire was contained to one apartment. However, it was subsequent damage that left the entire building unlivable.

“The rest of them got water damage, which got down into the electrical circuits, which got down into the panel boxes,” said Richmond Fire Capt. Ross Anderson, “and that’s why we have to move everybody out - because they won’t have any electrical services.”

Richmond Behavioral Health Services is helping the five special-needs tenants who were displaced by the fire. The Red Cross is helping the other residents with food, clothing, and lodging.

Anyone wishing to help can make a donation to the Greater Richmond Red Cross by calling 780-2250.