Buttermilk & Molasses

Buttermilk Break

The baby arrived unexpectedly last Friday, so updates here will be a bit less frequent. Plug Buttermilk & Molasses' address into your RSS feed or loiter at RVA Blogs so you don't miss out on the latest posts (which will appear just below this one for a while).

Tuesday Night: See Me Read Poetry, Break Leg

On Tuesday, May 13, I'll join a half-dozen other [read: better] poets for "Sound & Sense: Poets Teaching Poets," a reading organized by the Hand Workshop Visual Arts Center of Richmond and the Library of Virginia. The event is free, includes a reception following the readings, and features poet Josh Poteat -- along with three instructors from the Visual Arts Center and a handful of their students.

I plan to read three pieces -- Misr, Grandfather and Elegy for September 10. The deal goes down at 6:00 p.m.

Award-wining poet Joshua Poteat (left) and several other poets present Sound & Sense: Poets Teaching Poets on May 13 at the Library of Virginia. In addition to Poteat, Visual Arts Center writing instructors Catherine MacDonald, Darren Morris and Leslie Shiel will read from their work and introduce student readers. Deirdra McAfee, instructor and award-winning writer, will moderate the evening of poetry readings beginning at 6 PM. The event, cosponsored by the Library and the Visual Arts Center, is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

... Visual Arts Center student readers are Allen Chamberlain, Alexandra Iwashyna, Kathleen Markowitz, John Sarvay and Lorraine Waltz. The Library of Virginia is located at 800 E. Broad St. Free parking is available in the library's underground deck, with entrances located on 8th and 9th Streets just south of Marshall Street in the block between Marshall and Broad Streets.

Award-wining poet Joshua Poteat (left) and several other poets present Sound & Sense: Poets Teaching Poets on May 13 at the Library of Virginia. In addition to Poteat, Visual Arts Center writing instructors Catherine MacDonald, Darren Morris and Leslie Shiel will read from their work and introduce student readers. Deirdra McAfee, instructor and award-winning writer, will moderate the evening of poetry readings beginning at 6 PM. The event, cosponsored by the Library and the Visual Arts Center, is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

... Visual Arts Center student readers are Allen Chamberlain, Alexandra Iwashyna, Kathleen Markowitz, John Sarvay and Lorraine Waltz. The Library of Virginia is located at 800 E. Broad St. Free parking is available in the library's underground deck, with entrances located on 8th and 9th Streets just south of Marshall Street in the block between Marshall and Broad Streets.

New Partnership, Same Conversation? Let's Hope Not.

It's nice to see Don Harrison pull his head out of whatever he does for a living long enough to post on some recent developments at Save Richmond. His posts usually set me to thinking about the incredibly dysfunctional power relationships in the Richmond region -- between the private and public sectors, between politicians and the communities they represent, between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Most of the dysfunction is rooted in the past, rooted in habit and not easily changed. But the disconnect in these relationships is high on the list of those things that are not only holding us back as a region, but is also what continues to eat away at what passes for civic health -- not only in the greater Richmond region, but within our neighborhood communities.

At the heart of all of these relationships is the nature of citizenship -- what it means for individuals and organizations within a community to actively hold, believe or support something larger (even slightly larger) than their own interests. This is something that sat at the center of a workshop I attended last fall with community advocate Peter Block.

True accountability hinges on the choice to care for the whole thing, Block said. I've sat in plenty of private meetings with regional players -- politicians, business people and residents -- where there was an active desire to care for the whole thing, and to speak passionately about the city, the region, the school system, the James River, the issue of affordable housing, you name it.

But something happens when people move from private conversation into the public space. And Block spoke to that, as well -- What kills the future isn't opposition, it's lip service.

All of this leads me to an emerging organization in the region called the Capital Region Collaborative, which I spoke to the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce's Jim Dunn about back in April. In recent weeks, more information has been revealed about the collaborative, and Don Harrison at Save Richmond recently asked some relevant questions and concerns about the new regional group.

Save Richmond sees shades of Mayor Wilder's Performing Arts Committee in the creation of this new group, especially since attorney Robert Grey will be leading the new collaborative -- and chaired the mayor's incredibly secretive arts committee. But Harrison's key point is how he ends his post -- whether or not the Capital Region Collaborative will lead the region down a new path.

Lacking details, it's a tough call. Certainly, I believe the intentions of the key players behind the CRC and have discussed the new organization with a few of them. Unlike some on the sidelines, I don't see the politics and power struggles in the region as being a matter of good versus evil -- in most cases, people are driven by what they know and what they want.

What I do see is that even the good intentions behind the CRC run the risk of being co-opted by old habits. In its efforts to avoid "jumping off the cliff," as Dunn puts it, the organizers behind the CRC are setting an early tone for the organization of a top-down, consensus-driven body. Lots of preliminary planning meetings coupled with dog-and-pony shows to invite regional leaders to get on board with the new organization builds on one of the worst habits exhibited by Richmond's leaders over the years -- the sense that buy-in trumps vision, transparency and discussion.

If I were masterminding an organization like the CRC, one of the first things I would do would be to issue an invitation to area businesses, community and civic groups, non-profits and elected officials to a series of conversations about creating a shared future. Again, I turn to Block -- The only ethical use of power is the leader as a host, a convener, one who invites others ... knowing that your job as a leader is to help bring the gifts of those on the margins to the center.

For too long, regional conversations have limited the gifts of those on the margins. That the reason for this is primarily that those leading the conversations don't believe that those on the margins have an interest in being engaged goes a long way toward explaining why our progress as a community remains fragmented.

The Cost of Transportation Will Eventually Change Our Policies

When Virginia's political leaders convene in June to discuss transportation funding, it's pretty likely that they'll be addressing a very real crisis with a limited palette of solutions. That's because the planning will largely be rooted in auto-centric policies that treat cars as the most efficient and reasonable way for individuals to go about the business of living.

With a barrel of oil at a record $125 -- up 30% since just January -- and the likelihood of $200 oil in our near future, reality is about to outstrip political planning. Which is a shame, since good policymaking and planning are among the few mechanisms in place currently that can change the dynamic.

There are at least two important changes that are likely to take place in America in the coming decades. One revolves around how individuals get what they need. The second will be changing what individuals believe they need.

Others have blogged recently about the new Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, which unfortunately does not include the Richmond metro region in its mapping logic. It does, however, do a great job of showing how residents of two of Virginia's more populous regions -- the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News area and greater Washington/Baltimore -- pay through the nose to live where they live and then get where they need to go.

In the maps below, residents in the blue shaded areas pay at least half of their income on housing and transportation. The light yellow areas represent sections where residents pay less than 48% of their income on housing and transportation.

It would be interesting to overlay DC's Metro system over the Washington area map.

In the Richmond region, it would be interesting to look at the costs of housing and transportation for all of those new residents of western Chesterfield, Powhatan, New Kent and Culpeper counties who drive to work alone adds roughly $400 to their cost of living where they live (at 4 gallons a day, five days a week for two drivers) -- not to mention the added costs of shuttling to and from the regional big box stores.

It would be even more interesting to begin seriously looking at land use and transportation solutions that could fundamentally change this increasingly untenable dynamic. I'm the furthest thing you're likely to get from an expert on this subject, but at some point common sense (and financial need) will drag everyone into this issue.

The Downtown Plan: Public Square Tackles the River

While it's new format -- a slate of panelists discussing an issue, followed by public comments -- may have limited the number of people who could speak, last week's Pubic Square appears to have provided a stronger narrative than most of the Times-Dispatch's previous 19 or so events.

That's a good thing.

The great benefit of the TD's attempts to open the public conversation on all issues great and small (affordable housing, development along the James River, pop culture) is that it creates a space for community dialogue -- rather than the host of lecture series that seem to have materialized around the region. That the paper can then leverage the Public Square events means that tens of thousands of Richmonders who did not attend a session can get a broader perspective on the issues addressed.

But over time, the Public Square events have started to feel a bit like City Council meetings with the usual suspects showing up time and time again to share their opinions on everything under the sun. And the sessions have tended to attract those with a stake in a particular game -- advocates for affordable housing, for instance -- more than they have attracted citizens interested in learning more about the issues facing the region.

Last week's Public Square attracted about 200 people to hear from six panelists with opinions on and expertise around the James River. Their moderated discussion was followed by a dozen or so residents who shared their perspectives on the topic. Here's a snapshot, focused on the panelist's vision for the James River:

White: My vision would be to ensure the sustainability of the resources. Everybody wants a piece of the river -- whether it's development, water withdrawal, whatever. And I think it's going to require a lot of innovative thinking, cooperation, and communications in the future. And I would like to just mention one thing to [Secretary Bryant] that I am extremely proud of: the program DEQ put together last year on water treating for nutrients in the river. That's out-of-the-box thinking. It was one of the first in the nation.

Bryant: My immediate goal is kind of a boring, technical one. And that is in terms of wastewater treatment plants. A decade ago the commonwealth set certain goals in conjunction with Pennsylvania and Maryland and D.C. to meet certain pollution reduction goals in terms of phosphorous and nitrogen going into the bay. We are on track right now to meet our 2010 goals for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Two years ago, three years ago, we never would have thought we were going to get there.

Silvestri: I bet you have a broader vision.

Bryant: Access points. We want a sustainable river -- not just for the fisheries, but for those of us who like to enjoy them. I think between Richmond and Williamsburg, what have we got, two? I think we've got two real good accessible public access points between this very historic part of the river, Richmond to Williamsburg.

Ross: I see from the end of the present Canal Walk a promenade and a linear walkway, Capital Trail and Canal Walk, and park, all the way down to the city limits at Rocketts Landing. And I think that it is possible to have sustainable structures and commercial enterprises that produce taxable income and help pay for all the wonderful things that we all like to have and want to have.

Flynn: Our vision is Central Park, a flowing central park to really celebrate the river. And the downtown plans in the past, the river was always on the edge. Now it's in the center. And we really want to make it the focal point of Richmond, the surrounding area, and indeed, the state, given that this is everyone's capital. How can we turn the flood wall from an eyesore and something that blocks access and views into something attractive? If you look at Europe and you see these high walls, they're always beautiful, and they have attractive buildings behind and above them. How can we build stairways and landscaping along it so it's not just a liability but an asset?

How can we use native species and bring back the original species that were all along the river, which would better protect it, which would provide nourishment for the fish in there, and get back to nature? How can we build that continuous promenade and river walk that George [Ross] talks about. People really have this desire to be able to walk from one end all the way down to the other. We hear it time and time again on both sides of the river. And finally, how can we create entertainment venues and retail that can complement the recreational and other aspects of the river so that it's a one-stop shop, if you will? And we've just started, but we need to make those links even better.

Powell: Ditto to everything Rachel [Flynn] just said. And I really think Scenic Virginia's broader vision is this: A promenade where you can walk your dog, you can bike, you can rollerblade, you can push a stroller, you can fish.

It will be interesting to see if the Public Square events continue to evolve. Somewhere along the lines, perhaps, they will morph into large discussion sessions that mix experts and laypeople together around tables to share perspectives, generate ideas, build relationships and create something new. It's worked in other places.

Leaders Create Conversations, Not Solutions

With a new baby in the house, it makes a lot of sense that I would start reading Peter Block's new book, Community: The Structure of Belonging -- I'm managing to get through about three paragraphs before collapsing into a brief bout of sleep. The more time I spend pondering Block's work as it relates to civic engagement and community building, the more convinced I am that his main premises -- that the conversation is the change; that the questions are more important than the answers; that the role of leaders is to convene, to listen and to give voice to others -- are spot on.

And as various organizations and individuals in the Richmond region continue to grapple with the appropriate way to lead change, I can't help but go back to a recent interview I read with Block:

Well first of all, we pay too much attention to leaders and CEO’s so I would not worry so much about changing their minds. I would just leave them alone because they’re very busy. Plus if you want to create an alternative future, leaders are not in a good position to do this. They are often helpless to really bring about change. Everybody thinks that leaders are essential and the way we construct leadership is too small a version of what they are; the leader’s main job is as a convener of new conversations and to bring peers together, it’s not to be role models. It’s not to be the answer...

... community is created by citizens through the conversations they have with each other and the conversation of what we want to create together is the heart of creating a future distinct from the past. And all we have to do to create the future is to change the nature of our conversations and go from blame to ownership, and from bargaining to commitment, and from problem solving to possibility.

Block's new book should be a must read for everyone involved in trying to recreate the Richmond region.

Trask at Schindler

You have four more days to swing by the Eric Schindler Gallery in Church Hill to see an excellent new collection of work by Richmond artist/muralist Ed Trask. "Flowers & Bones" closes on May 13.

The Downtown Plan: One More Hearing

What might be the final hearing before the Planning Commission for Richmond's proposed Downtown Plan is slated to take place during the woefully inconvenient afternoon hours of Monday, May 19. If all goes well, the revised document will get a cheerful stamp of approval from the Planning Commission and head to Richmond's City Council for a more aggressive game of political football.

The draft plan -- created during the latter part of 2007 with a great deal of community involvement -- has been moving through a series of discussions and hearings since it landed on the desks of the appointed members of the city's Planning Commission in January. To its credit, the commission held another series of public discussions on the plan in January and February, which allowed another swath of stakeholders from the community to weigh in on the proposed plan.

A public hearing on the plan will be held in front of the City Planning Commission on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 1:30pm in the conference room on the 5th floor of City Hall. The City Planning Commission will consider adoption of the plan and recommendation for approval to City Council.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting to share thoughts on the plan with the City Planning Commission.

For more information contact Brooke Hardin City of Richmond at (804) 646-6310 or Brooke.Hardin@RichmondGov.com.

The Planning Commission requested a number of changes to the plan. The changes are available for review by the public in text-only PDF documents with changes highlighted in red.

Citizen Journalism Is So Hot, It Beats Traditional Journalism to the Punch

Back in April, a number of local webloggers pointed the web savvy community to a report issued by the Project for Excellence in Journalism that tapped Richmond at the top of 15 large, medium and small cities for the number of and quality of news and community focused weblogs. (The Fan District Hub has the original source email.)

Richmond.com just tackled the subject in a bit of a content lite piece (part one of two) on the matter, though to call the folks behind community weblogs "citizen journalists" feels like a stretch to me. A force for good, yes. Powerful beyond the ken of any man, certainly. But not journalists.

Still, the points stands -- Richmond has got far more community weblog activity than your average bear.

The Nominee

After weeks of hammering Barack Obama for failing to "close the deal," Hillary Clinton has been unable to close it herself. Not only was she hammered in North Carolina, as expected, but Clinton barely pulled out a narrow win in Indiana -- one of the blue-collar states she was expected to win handily.

I think the deal has been closed. The only question is whether Clinton will throw her support behind Barack Obama for President this week and regain some credibility and influence, or wait until the convention and put the final nail in her political career.