Buttermilk & Molasses

The Downtown Plan: The River Gets Squared

On Monday, May 5, the Times-Dispatch will turn on the microphone and turn the attention of its well-attended Public Square series to the James River. In a slightly different twist from some of its past free-for-all forums, the James River Public Square conversation will begin with comments from a slate of river and development experts:

• Leighton Powell, Executive Director of Scenic Virginia
• Bill Street, Executive Director of the James River Association
• George Ross, R3 Development/Echo Harbor
• L. Preston Bryant, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resoures
• Rachel Flynn, Director of Community Development, City of Richmond
• Jud White, Ph.D., Environmental Policy Manager-Water, Dominion Virginia Power

The focus on the James River is timely for a number of reasons, but particularly because the river is the centerpiece to the City of Richmond's proposed Downtown Plan.

The James River was picked for discussion because it's something that binds the region, said Thomas A. Silvestri, the newspaper's publisher.

"It connects us, challenges us and will have a tremendous impact on the region's future growth and development. We are all, in some way, stakeholders in the river. It's downtown, in the counties and along rural central Virginia."

The Public Square will be held from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. at the newspaper's offices downtown.

Gouging My Eyes out with an RSS Feed

The next time I go stork chasing for 11 days and neglect to peruse my RVABlogs RSS Feed, please just take my MacBook and smash it into the nearest brick wall. I returned to more than 1,000 posts from local Richmonders. I did not read them, because I was too excited to hear Chris Bopst's new online radio show.

Market Mania in Richmond

Remember the days when the 17th Street Farmer's Market had the monopoly on local produce -- except for those Hanover truck farms that supplied the Ukrop's stores with more squash and zucchini than you could shake a cucumber at?

Those days are over, friends. As Central Virginia finally moves into its spring growing season, local markets are cropping up almost as fast as community weblogs. There are a half-dozen markets serving the Richmond area -- and grocers like Ellwood-Thompson's and Ukrop's have bolstered their local offerings. And it's not just markets. Community gardens are sprouting like weeds, too.

It's a great time to be a vegetable lover in Richmond. Here are a few details on the markets:

South of the James Market: This new market kicks off this Saturday, May 3, at the end of New Kent Avenue and 42nd Street (Forest Hill Park's Shelter 2). The South of the James Market will be open from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. It will be managed by the same folks who made the Byrd House Market in Oregon Hill such a roaring success. More than a dozen vendors will sell their vegetables and handcrafted goods, including Amy Hicks of Amy's Garden. Victory Farms will sell at the market, and use the market as a drop-off for their CSA members in the area.

Byrd House Market: The Byrd House Market officially kicks off its second season in Oregon Hill this Tuesday, May 6. The BHM will operate through the spring and summer behind the William Byrd Community Center (corner of Idlewood Avenue and Cherry Street) every Tuesday from 3:30 until 7:00 p.m. The market will have plants; fresh cut flowers from Perennial Pleasures Pharm; vegetables from Amy's Garden and Victory Farms (selling and CSA pick-up); eggs and chicken from CCL; meats from Faith Farms; and Bread for the People -- among others.

Lakeside Market: There aren't too many details out there on this new market, which will be located on Lakeside Avenue just south of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Their season starts this Saturday, May 3, and the market says it will sell local and Virginia made vegetables and goods. Discover Lakeside and North Richmond News are good resources when updates are available.

17th Street Farmer's Market: The grandfather of local markets has transitioned from being a truck market to being a genuine destination with a variety of events each week. Thursdays and Saturdays are the big market days.

Goochland Farmer's Market: Every Saturday from May 3 through October 25, Goochland area residents can head to this market (now in its fourth year) at Grace Episcopal Church on River Road West in Goochland (Route 6).

Who's Planning for a Future Different from the Present?

John Robb is one of the more interesting strategic military thinkers on the Internet, and one of his recent posts about creating resiliency at a local or community level made me think about the Richmond region's utter inability to look more than three days forward when it comes to planning.

Robb's point essentially is that there are many so-called black swan scenarios [large-impact, difficult to predict events] that could have dire consequences for local communities -- he points toward peak oil and global warming as examples.

What if, for instance, oil doesn't peak below $200 a barrel (read this piece in Energy Bulletin for that scenario) -- or essentially $10 a gallon for gas? The impact on the region's commuter-driven transportation network would be huge. Along with increased fuel costs for motorists, there are increased costs for asphalt (which has more than tripled in price in recent years) and for heating and cooling the large corporate campuses scattered around the region.

What would an ambitious, forward-looking strategy for regional transportation look like if it waltzed past all of the present-day navel gazing and looked ahead 20 years -- is it likely that the region will begin to develop commercial and residential hubs built around specific employers, products or services?

What would be different about Richmond, as an example, if VCU and VCU Health Systems began partnering with Oregon Hill and Carver and Jackson Ward to create affordable housing and shopping for their employees -- and part of that partnership involved efforts to maintain the architectural and social integrity of those communities?

What could the West Creek development in eastern Goochland look like if Capital One's campus grew from simply offices to a genuine 24-hour community for their employees and spouses?

One of the problems with regional planning is that much of it is done around present-state assumptions. What is there was more planning taking place in the region that educated residents on possible future scenarios that may impact our lives dramatically, and then involved them in crafting strategies to address them? How do you invite a million people into a meaningful conversation?

Rock Steady, Plan 9

Last week, the Times-Dispatch reported that Plan 9 Music will be closing its Charlottesville store; this week, the paper lets readers now that the venerable flagship store in Carytown is still going strong:

The Plan 9 store in Carytown is not affected by the closing, said general manager Jay Leavitt.

"The Richmond store is doing fine, actually," Leavitt said. "It's doing really well. We're hanging in there strong."

While acknowledging that CD sales have been flat or in decline since the iPod revolution, Leavitt said the Carytown store sells a diverse selection of products, including used CDs, new and used DVDs, posters, T-shirts and especially used vinyl records.

"You can't download vinyl. Kids have really gotten into it, and new records are being released every day," he said.

Nationwide, CDs still account for the bulk of music sold, but one study says downloaded music will pass CD sales by 2012. A report released in February showed that nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs in 2007, accelerating the music industry's transition from CDs to digital downloads.

Reserve Your Table Today

The date's been set and the tab remains predictable -- this year's Richmond Restaurant Week, a benefit for the Central Virginia Food Bank, will be held October 22 through October 28. The Times-Dispatch has more, including a complete list of participating restaurants.

Poetry in Motion

National Poetry Month wraps up this week, but the Library of Virginia and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (nee The Hand Workshop) are teaming up on May 13 to recognize poets who teach. Sound & Sense: Poets Teaching Poets will feature award-winning poet Joshua Poteat and three instructors from the Visual Arts Center -- including one of my favorite instructors, Leslie Shiel.

Apparently, the feeling is mutual, as Leslie has asked me to read several of my pieces during the evening event. I'm planning to read three pieces (though I might get trimmed down to two) -- Misr, Grandfather and Elegy for September 10. Sordid details on the event:

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.

Richmond's Mayoral Race: Will There Be Canned Ham?

With the filing deadline fast approaching, one candidate withdrawing before the race has even begun and the most viable candidate refusing to show his cards, the campaign for Richmond's second elected mayor is just now beginning to get interesting.

Enter Dirt Woman.

Yes, there's a new candidate in the race and he/she is certain to add a splash of life to what might otherwise be a campaign focused entirely on serious issues facing the city. After all, Dirt Woman (aka Donnie Corker) has been an infamous part of Richmond's urban fabric for more than two decades -- from his/her days of raising cash outside of the Lee Art Theater on Grace Street to peeling garlic at the back door of Mama Zu's in Oregon Hill, from his/her diaper-clad wrestling match with Dave Brockie of GWAR to his/her annual canned ham fundraising holiday event, Dirt Woman's experiences in Richmond may be second only to Richmond lifer L. Douglas Wilder.

But according to a press release issued by Parker of RVA Magazine, Dirt Woman's candidacy will be rooted on real issues (though the campaign poster suggests that it will be rooted with a certain panache):

Local celebrity, icon, and activist, Donnie “Dirtwoman” Corker, officially announces his/her candidacy for the office of Mayor for the City of Richmond. Running on the platform of ending gridlock in City Hall, reducing crime, improving our school systems, and creating regional unity with clear, effective communication and a proactive approach. Donnie Corker is ready to bring the voice of common sense to downtown. “It’s time to stop fighting each other and get the job done” says Dirtwoman. “You've gotta get out here and work with the people...not doing all this mudslinging...people don't want that, people want to know what you're gonna do for the city.”

RVA Magazine has officially endorsed the candidacy of Corker. Parker, Cofounder and Managing Editor of RVA, has taken the role of Corker’s Campaign Manager. In a statement made this morning, Parker says of Corker:

“Donnie is completely dedicated to doing whatever it takes to make Richmond the best city it can be. For too long Richmond has been a city seen as committing cultural, governmental, and financial suicide because of our “leaders” that seem to be more concerned with their own pockets and self-serving schemes than with the hard working and caring citizens that reside here. Donnie’s vision of Richmond is a city that is not only representative of its citizens’ wants and needs but also a city that can be a shining example for other areas across the region, state, and nation.  Mr./Ms. Corker is fed up with our money being squandered, childish fighting within our governmental infrastructure, and making unintelligent “behind closed doors” decisions. It’s time for someone that truly loves Richmond and it’s people.  Dirtwoman feels it’s time to stand up for the city’s future by acting in the “now”. It’s time we had a representative in office that could reverse the damage our city government has caused and propel Richmond in the right direction. Donnie “Dirtwoman” Corker is that representative.

There is no word on whether Corker will challenge current mayor, Doug Wilder, to a Jell-O wrestling match.