Lakeside’s Feathernesters invites the public to an evening Vintage Halloween workshop from 6:30 until 9:00pm on Tuesday, October 7. Participants will use vintage paper graphics to make trick-or-treat pails and a framed print. Reservations can be made starting Thursday, September 4, by phone only — call 262-7305 to sign up. The $38 workshop fee includes all materials, plus a light seasonal supper of stew, bread, dessert and beverage.

A “Meet the Candidates” event has been scheduled by the North Central Civic Association for Saturday, September 13, at First United Presbyterian Church at 3401 North Avenue. The event starts at 1:30pm.

This event is for all Mayoral, City Council and School Board candidates. Each candidate will be allotted 10 minutes, followed by a short Q & A period.

The Times-Dispatch reports on a new initiative by the Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services to improve communications between the community and the department:

The program, called Building Bridges, “seeks to enhance our relationship with the community so that we can promote a greater degree of safety for our citizens and firefighters,” said Richmond Fire Chief Robert Creecy.

Building Bridges will undertake a culturally relevant approach involving key stakeholders in the community and fire department. This will enable joint community-department ownership of an action plan that will provide short and long-term recommendations designed to reinforce existing best practices, as well as create a framework for new policies and practices.

The meet-and-greet reception with mayoral candidate Dwight Jones, organized by several Northside residents, is being rescheduled due to the anticipated arrival of Tropical Storm Hanna. Details will be posted as soon as they are available.

There’s an open poll gauging which of the five candidates running for mayor of Richmond has the best chance of landing in City Hall this January — check it out at Buttermilk & Molasses.

Here’s some exciting news from our friends at Tastebuds American Bistro:

We have opened our doors in our new location, 4019 MacArthur Avenue, and look forward to seeing you in our new space! Our seating capacity has expanded and we’ve added a small bar where we’ll be serving beer and wine. Of course, our dinners are also available for take-out! The menu below is our seasonal menu and will remain the same for several weeks before changing. We’ve made a few minor changes to last week’s menu (we’ve added a chicken dish and changed the vegetarian pasta dish), although not everyone received last week’s menu due to some problems with our e-mail program. As a reminder, the current menu can always be viewed on our website: www.tastebudsamericanbistro.com. Thank you very much for your continued support!

Andrew and Valentina

The Concert Ballet of Virginia (not to be confused with the Richmond Ballet) has announced three audition dates to fill roles in its 33rd annual production of “The Nutcracker” –

…Nicknamed “DO the NUT” these sessions are set for 3 weekends in September – Saturday 13, Sunday 21 and Saturday 27 - .and will provide adults and children interested in appearing the “the Nutcracker” with special opportunities to meet with current members of the company, learn and see clips from Virginia’s longest running version of the world famous ballet, and to participate in some rehearsal time for both dancing and acting roles in “The Nutcracker”

And there’s room for everyone in this world famous ballet – dancers, actors, adults, children .guys and gals! Age 6 to adult!! There’s room for lyrical jazz (Arabian), gymnastics,( Clowns & Trepak), Character (Spanish) and for the guy’s there’s fathers, Grandpa, Drosselmeyer, Arabian, Spanish, trepak and Chinese. Even the youngest dancer can do the cooks, Arabian, Chinese and mice!! Rehearsals are half-days on the weekends – Saturday or Sunday – depending on the part you’re learning -So don’t put it off another year!! Don’t miss the excitement and fun, gain self-confidence and self-assurance – learn and accomplish more than you ever thought possible – and you can do it all in “the NUT”

North Richmond residents Betty Jolly and Matt Mansell have organized a meet-and-greet reception with State Delegate Dwight Jones, who is running as a candidate in Richmond’s mayoral race. The reception will happen this Sunday, September 14, from 4:00 until 5:30pm at 3809 Fauquier Avenue, and is free; refreshments will be served. Jolly and Mansell request that those planning to attend RSVP using the following contact information: Matt Mansell fgybottom@hotmail.com or Betty Jolly bettyjolly@comcast.net

It seems like there hasn’t been a week this summer where on publication or another hasn’t pointed the spotlight at one of Richmond’s burgeoning farmers’ markets. This time it’s the September issue of North of the James magazine, which hit the newstands and doorsteps of Richmond’s Northside community last week. Sam Redd profiles the new Lakeside Farmers’ Market in North of the James:

From the fresh produce, to baked goods, freshly mixed teas, and herb-infused cooking oils, the new Lakeside Farmers’ Market offers many of the foods commonly found in most grocery stores, as well as a variety of farm products you won’t find in any grocery store, anywhere…

“You have some people who claim to be a farmers’ market…but they’re just commercial growers. They bring their food in from all over the world,” says Peter Francisco, owner and operator of the new farmers’ market on Lakeside Avenue. Together with his wife Sharon, Peter worked for three years and spent upwards of $80,000, to open this produce center. Sitting under the shade of a small wooden gazebo beside the entrance to the market, the Franciscos watch the customers come and go…

“From the time we bought the property, we felt like it was kind of a goal to be able to have a farmers’ market,” Peter says, mopping his forehead with the short sleeve of his blue work shirt. But the organization of the market took time, as well as cooperation from many different people. And then there was the lengthy licensing process. “The reason it took so long was that the county (Henrico) didn’t have any other farmers’ markets,” says Peter.”

Check out the whole article in the September issue of North of the James magazine (not available online, but available free at many Northside businesses).

The Lakeside Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays (8:00am until 12:00 noon, and 3:00 until 7:00pm) and Saturdays (8:00am until 12:00 noon) through November.

The evening of stargazing planned for Bryan Park — first during the summer and then for October 9 — has been postponed. Keep an eye on North Richmond News for updates on a rescheduled date for the event.

On Saturday, September 20, from 1:00 until 4:00pm, women’s massage therapist Rebecca Hord and reflexologist Talia Moser will be on hand at 4025 Yoga (at 4025 MacArthur Avenue) to share information on the benefits of massage and reflexology during pregnancy. Complimentary mini treatments will be given.

Parents of students at Linwood Holton Elementary School are invited to attend the school’s Back To School Night at 6:30pm on Tuesday, September 23.

Members of the Ginter Park Residents’ Association are invited to attend a Candidates Forum and Dinner at 6:30pm on Thursday, September 25, at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. All candidates for School Board and City Council for the 2nd and 3rd Districts have been invited. Child care will be provided.

The Ginter Park Residents’ Association neighborhood clean-up will be held from 8:00am until 12:00 noon on Saturday, September 27. The association needs at least 20 volunteers to help drive and load the trucks, as the community joins together to clear the neighborhood of trash, and discarded furniture or appliances. (Check out the September newsletter for details on how you can volunteer.)

The clean-up is not intended for yard waste and brush.

The Bellevue Area has officially “graduated” from the Richmond Department of Economic Development’s Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (CARE) program. The CARE program is designed to revitalize older neighborhood commercial districts — like the strip of shops at Bellevue and Brook, and those along MacArthur Avenue:

As a measure of success, the program tracks vacant commercial spaces in its areas of focus, with an end goal of filling as many of those spaces as possible with viable businesses. When the number of vacancies falls below a certain threshold, the area is graduated in order to free up resources for others.

The Bellevue Care Area marks the most recent success in these efforts, and was graduated from the program just this summer after vacancy rates fell below the threshold level. During the life of the program in the Bellevue area, Program Administrator Denise Lawus estimates that the majority of the businesses in the focus area received benefits from the CARE program.

Two of the most recent successes of the program on Bellevue are the Northside Grille and Nicola Flora, both of which recently celebrated their first anniversaries.

City Council candidates for the 2nd and 3rd districts have submitted their responses to the first in a series of weekly questions put to them by RVANews. The question: List five initiatives that you believe are more important than finding a new baseball team for the City of Richmond.

Here are the answers from all four candidates:

Tyron Bey, District 2 candidate

There are a couple of things that are more important than replacing the baseball team.

First of all, we need stronger support for our schools. I shared with the REA how one of my closest female friends have left RPS to teach in DC because she fills that she will receive more support as an Art Teacher. She feels that the political climate in Richmond has stifled the potential of strong academic programs. We need cooperation where our school system can work in concert with academic programs in some of our surrounding sister jurisdictions. We also need a sincere effort between the 5 four year institutions in our region to help all of the school districts in our region to create thematic centers which focus on certain areas of academics. This will enhance the education experience all of our youth. I am thankful for the endorsement of the REA. I shared this vision with them. And with me on council, we will begin to see that support.

Second, we need to have a regional approach to mass transit, and we need to repair our desperate roads.

Third, we need to encourage more small business opportunities in Richmond. Small businesses help create more jobs. Not only do we need to make the city easier for small businesses to succeed, we also need to lure some more major companies to the city. This all helps us to create more jobs, which allows us to spend our dollars in our communities several times before it leaves our community. This ultimately helps support any new schools, teams, roads, and any other infrastructure initiatives which makes Richmond great.

Fourth, we need to make Richmond a place where ALL can live. As we move toward helping the homeless find decent housing, we still create a community that Bill Gates can call home. In other words, we need to create housing options that invites the middle class and does not displace the poor. In my district exist one of the larger public housing communities. There isn’t a secret that RRHA will tear it down. We need to assist those who are there so that they are guaranteed housing there if they wish. By having a diverse choice of housing styles, with the new development, we help to create a more inviting community where we can get as close to one for one replacement as possible. This community will be a stronger community and not a repeat as to what happened in Blackwell.

Fifth, we need to not set a new team up for failure. We need to create a world class sports complex which will make Richmond a contender for more national sporting chains and events. This is not to be done totally on the city’s dime, but a regional approach which shows that a new Richmond Region has emerged where we work together. All of these things help us to get closer to A GREATER RICHMOND!!!

Charles Samuels, District 2 candidate

Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions. I believe the following five initiatives are more important than finding a new baseball team for the City of Richmond:

1. Redevelopment of public housing within the city and housing opportunities for those displaced by redevelopment;

2. Improvement of Richmond Public Schools – both in scores and in the perception of the schools;

3. While violent crime has dropped, we need a similar reduction of non-violent crime. I recommend we use the success of sector policing to work to reduce non-violent crime as well;

4. Ensuring services from city meet the investment citizens make in the city – residents of the city pay taxes, spend time working within their neighborhoods and communities to improve them, and donate their time to attend city meetings to ensure the will of the people is known. The residents should expect quality services from the city for all they do for the city; and

5. Cooperation between city council and mayor, and city and counties is essential to ensure the city remains an attractive place to live, work and play.

While I will personally miss the Braves as my wife and I enjoyed walking to the Diamond to see them play, I believe the Boulevard corridor can still become an incredible asset to the city. Soon we will have a new movie theater on the Boulevard and more development is on the way. We should use common sense to enhance what we have in this area to make it a destination spot for residents of the greater Richmond area.

Jonathan Davis, District 3 candidate

1. Building a Strong, First Class School System.
Good schools are at the heart of a healthy city. As an RPS parent and a member of two PTA’s, I know how frustrated and concerned many parents are about the future of Richmond’s public schools. Our schools must be held to a higher standard. The district needs to=2 0put more emphasis on reading in the elementary schools through programs=2 0such as the Accelerated Reader Program. We need to attract and retain the best and most committed teachers and, to accomplish that, we need to make sure that salaries are competitive for the region. I will make sure that the City of the Future plan is implemented and that new schools are built and old ones are modernized. We must make certain all of our schools are accessible for all children, that is, ADA compliant. I want to see Richmond schools setting the standard for education and I will work with both the School Board and the mayor’s office to ensure our schools are top-notch. We need to explore partnerships in the private sector with the business community, faith community, colleges, and neighborhoods.

2. Reducing High Taxes and High City Spending
In these precarious economic times, Richmonders need to keep their hard-earned dollars in their pockets, not in taxes to the City. We need to deliver services in the most expedient, low cost manner and eliminate waste and inefficiency. Homeowners are being priced out of their homes. Let’s not pretend that a reduction in the real estate rate has not been more than overrun by the spiraling assessments. Richmond’s retirees need tax relief and ways to make sure they can remain in their homes. When I am on City Council, we will initiate a comprehensive analysis of the mayor’s office, City Council and the City administration to ensure that there is no waste at any level of government. We will also undertake a thorough review of city spending, and city services with the goal of providing tax relief and better services to our citizens. We owe them that.

3. Economic Development
Putting people to work puts money in citizens’ hands which they can then spend, augmenting the e conomy for all of us and providing revenue for the City. My vision is to see Richmond as the number one city for emerging economic development on the East Coast. We must aggressively recruit new business to Richmond, positioning our city as the locale for business development. City Hall needs to be actively involved in economic development, assisting all start up businesses, whether it is a Fortune 500 company or a neighborhood coffee shop. Small businesses and large, both play a role in creating jobs, producing goods and services and paying taxes to the city. Economic development along with community revitalization are imperative because they will help alleviate other problems that exist in the city. As a City Council member, I will make certain that we create and foster a business friendly environment.


4. Public Safety
We must establish a good support network with the new Police Chief to make sure that the progress made over the last four years continues. I will work to ensure that neighborhood policing is continued and expanded. While we have had some drop in the crime rate here in Richmond, we must be vigilant to ensure it continues to decrease. Churches, businesses, organizations, and city government can work together to create outreach and reentry programs that assist incarcerated youth, adults, and prostitutes transitioning back into society. Too often these persons reenter the community without the tools in place to help them succeed; therefore, they enter into the life of crime or convenience that is familiar to them, increasing the crime rate and putting our community at risk. We must have the tools and resources in place to reduce the recidivism rate.



5. Youth and Senior Services
We have a responsibility to meet the needs of our children and our seniors. Community centers for youth and seniors, Boys and Girls Clubs, schools that provide services to the community after school hours and during the summer months; these are the types of facilities that need to be built, renovated, expanded and researched. Centers should offer recreational facilities, job training services, tutoring, and whatever activities the surrounding community desires. It is imperative that we take care of our seniors and our children. Organizations, businesses, citizens, and government bodies can and must work together to make positive changes in the community. It simply takes vision and commitment which I will bring to City Council.

Chris Hilbert, District 3 candidate

Continuing to Reduce Crime (Community Policing)
Improving our School System (Through improving our middle schools)
Blight Reduction (Getting legislation through General Assembly to hold property owners accountable)
Economic Development of our Neighborhoods (Increase CARE money)
Adequately fund our infrastruture improvements (Establish a storm water utility)

I could name 15 others. The replacement of the team is low on my priority list.

Ginter Park United Methodist Church will hold a Neighborhood Meeting from 7:00 until 9:00pm on Wednesday, October 1, to discuss the future use of the Smithdeal House at the corner of Chamberlayne and Laburnum avenues. The meeting will be held at the church at 1010 West Laburnum Avenue.

Over the years this house has been used for a variety of mission and education work.

As our community changes, so do the needs of the people we serve. GPUMC seeks insight from civic, religious and neighborhood leaders on how best to utilize this property in service to our diverse community. We need YOUR help to identify these needs and define priorities that YOU think are important in our neighborhood. Please join us with your ideas and help create a stronger community for us all!

For more information join us or call 262.8651.

Over at je ne sais pas, John Murden posts a few photos from his meanderings through the eastern wing of Northside Richmond. Murden has 67 photos in his set of Northside images at flickr.

Anne Jones wasted little time, checking out the new Tastebuds American Bistro on MacArthur Avenue immediately after the popular takeout expanded to a full-sized and full-service restaurant. Color the restaurant critic for North of the James magazine pleased with the new space, and the expanded menu:

…other than a wobbly table leg, there were no glitches, no kinks to be ironed out. At least none that affected us. The new surroundings were immediately pleasing — clean, warm and very bistro-esque — with tables comfortably far apart, ceiling fans on low, and after a needed adjustment, the lighting tone down just right. Most importantly, the food is still absolutely superb.

Check out the full review in the September issue of North of the James magazine (not available online, but available for free at a number of Northside businesses). And check out Tastebuds’ website for full details on their dine-in and takeout offerings.

Read, Drink and Be Merry takes another look at post-flooding progress in the Battery Park neighborhood, and revises the city’s restoration grade to an “I” for “incomplete”. Here’s the skinny:

Recently I gave Wilder and the city an ugly grade of D+ for the reconstruction of Battery Park. I’m thinking I may have been wrong in giving out that grade. You see, giving a grade or an evaluation implies that the project is complete and can now be assessed. In reality the project is not complete, the park is not open, empty lots abound with no sign of progress or even real clues as to what to expect. The bi-weekly newsletter the city promised to send after the floods to keep us informed of the project and it’s progress? We received two hard copies a couple of years ago (the same exact information with only the dates changed) before it went online. I’m not sure what bi-weekly means to the city of Richmond but it looks like 4 issues in over two years. The last one released claims it’s now a monthly, published in June…

I should have given them an ‘I’, for incomplete.

Four years after the floods started and two years after the collapse of the storm drains and the destruction of the park and $47 million dollars later where should we be? Frankly, a lot further along than we are.

Read on for specific observations of progress stalled.