According to WRIC 8 news “Nearly a dozen Richmond Police Officers were called to the school to break up a fight that authorities say broke out between 5 male students.” According to an adult eyewitness, who for reasons of self-concern refused to identify himself, stated “There were no more than three or four cars at the back of the school and front, which is closer to a half-dozen than a dozen.”Let’s think about this rationally for a moment. There are about 1,000 students enrolled in George Wythe High school. God forbid a riot should break out there, but just how many police officers do you think would be necessary? If it was your child at risk, how many would you want to see there? In fact WRIC 8 quoted, “”To come here and see all these police cars and then they won’t let anyone in or out I think this is just a bit ridiculous,” says Wendy Whitaker, one student’s aunt.” But ma’am, did you just want them to let anyone off the street into a dangerous situation or worse yet, what if some of these so-called dangerous students were to get away and do more harm to another student? I’d like to know what else any reasonable person thinks should happen when a police emergency takes place.

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Looking for an excuse to get on your bicycle?  Are you a cyclist who is new to Richmond or a former cyclist who hasn’t ridden in a while? Join the Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA) for their New Rider Rides.  This is a great opportunity to meet other folks who want to get on their bikes and have some fun.
We will ride from Laurel Park Shopping Center (Woodman and Hungary Roads) to Ashland where we’ll take a short break and return to Laurel Park.  20 miles total.
All levels of cyclists welcome.  Helmets and basic cycling skills required.  Minors must be accompanied by parent or guardian.
The event is held the first Saturday of the month, April – August.

Departure time is 8:30 sharp.

For more info visit www.raba.org

Richmond and other area schools began spring break on Friday, the third. I came home from work and opened the news and read that a neighbor, unknown to me,  had been killed. Spring break ends today the same way it began; this morning, just near my place of work, someone had been killed.

In case you are into fact checking, as you should be, here is a list of violent events that took place during spring break on the Southside with links to the news reports (of course violent crime is far from being centered on the Southside, other shootings have happened elsewhere in the Richmond metro area during this time):

April 3, there was the murder and burglary, possibly drug related, that happened within a ten minute walk from my home.

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Concerned about Richmond’s Public Works? Here’s an opportunity to get involved:

“In conjunction with National Public Works Week, May 13-23, the City of Richmond Department of Public Works cordially invites you to participate in a citizen Focus Group. We want to know your ideas and opinions on our operations and the services we provide. Your input and suggestions are crucial to helping us further shape and maintain the level of service that City residents expect.”

WHAT: Department of Public Works Focus Group
WHEN: Thursday, May 21, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: City Hall—7th Floor Large Conference Room (DPW Main Office)
RSVP DEADLINE: April 30, 2009 (Space limited to the first 20 respondents)
RSVP TO: Sharon R. North Public Information Manager Sharon.North@Richmondgov.com or 646-5607
Jemila Woodson Public Information Assistant
Jemila.Woodson@Richmondgov.com or 646-5665
Light refreshments will be served

Please, drive carefully. Here is a report from the Richmond Police department.

Richmond Police Crash Team is investigating a fatal single vehicle accident that occurred this morning at the intersection of Cowardin and Semmes Avenue.

At Approximately 12:59 a.m., a female operating a Jeep Cherokee was traveling southbound on Cowardin Avenue when she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle traveled up an embankment went airborne and struck a bill-board sign. The vehicle came to rest beneath the sign in a grassy area at the intersection of Cowardin and Semmes Avenue. Speed was a factor in this fatal crash.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. A female passenger was taken to VCU Medical Center with life threatening injuries.

The identity of the driver will be released after proper family notification has been made.

This crash investigation is ongoing and no traffic detours or delays are expected in the area of the crash during this morning’s rush hour.

The Richmond Police Department remind motorist to obey posted speed limits and to drive safely when operating your motor vehicle.

According to a news article in RTD, Richmond Commonwealth Deputy Attorney Learned Barry said, “at least 10 of this year’s 15 killings — or about 67 percent — appear to be drug-related.” So, one is led to believe, to some degree, that murder in Richmond is a byproduct of drug use. Let’s back up a moment though. Sure, buying drugs is clearly dangerous, if not stupid, but why do people use illicit drugs? No one started using drugs without some knowledge of the effects and outcomes.

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Some of our readers may recall that Altria spent 40,000 dollars this school year on improving George Wythe High. Some may be aware of many other private partnerships that have benefited our school district in various ways. The opportunity to thank those private organisations will be available on April 29, at the Hilton Garden Hotel at 501 East Broad Street from 4:30 – 6:00.

Though it is doubtful that anyone will be turned away at the door, an RSVP is required and the event is free of charge. Valet parking is available for $6.00. You can find out more about the event, including who is attending, by going to the RPS website.

Sponsors of the event include: Richmond Education Foundation, Communities in Schools, Venture Richmond , Virginia Mentoring Partnership, and Genworth Financial.

Today was a day that began with a shooting and ended in death and whispers.

This morning I read about the shooting, which took place at 2:27 a.m. on Broad St. Coincidentally, I happened to be heading to that very area for work.

Late this afternoon, an hour before I arrived for another work related event, another shooting had taken place in Church Hill.

No, I didn’t witness either shooting, but I saw the effect. I witnessed our community being ripped apart. Not by the shooters, but by the community. This sounds very odd, but since you couldn’t see what I did, here it is:

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The 33rd annual Greek Festival is near. On May 28-31, at 30 Malvern Avenue, there will be much Spanakopita, Souvlaki, Pastichhio, Moussaka, and other delicious dishes for very reasonable prices. Don’t have time to stick around? Try picking up a drive-through meal.

In addition, there will be dancing and music, tours of the cathedral, and various items for purchase.

Please see this video from WRIC 8 and contact Crime Stoppers if you recognize the perpetrator of this awful crime.

While reading through CBS 6 news reports, I came across this article about a 9 year old boy who was abducted during the theft of a car. Many years ago, I lost a car when I ran into a pizzeria and grabbed a pie that was waiting for me. I was in the shop for less than five minutes and no more than fifty feet from my car, but because I left the car running, and someone felt they needed the car more than I did, it was gone when I stepped outside. Fortunately, the car was recovered. Unfortunately, the car had been destroyed and stuff left in the vehicle made it obvious the vehicle had been used to steal from other vehicles.

Although it is wonderful that no one was hurt and the boy was found quickly, it only takes a second to lose something or someone. When you leave your vehicle take your keys, children, pets, and lock it.

If you ride the bus, drive downtown, or generally care about mass transit, then meet with the Southside’s own 9th District Councilman Doug Conner at Southside Baptist Christian School, 5515 Bryce Lane in Richmond.

The meeting to be held April 28, will begin at 5:00 and continue until 7:00.

This is a great opportunity for citizens to chat with their representative regarding the GRTC Main Street Transfer Station and other issues.

No other news reports were available for this story, so here is the word from our friends at the Richmond Police Department:

The pedestrian struck in the accident yesterday evening that occurred in the 5200 block of Hull Street around 6:20 p.m., died last night.

The pedestrian, Charles John Cook, 49, of the 5300 block of Hull Street, suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident.

No charges related to the accident are expected against the driver of the striking vehicle.

9th district Councilman Doug Conner hosted a small, but active group of citizens who came to listen, watch, and question Greater Richmond Transit Company representatives tonight about the proposed Main Street Transfer Station. Questions from the audience included concerns about traffic impact, location impact, environmental issues, and future plans of GRTC.

To get a better idea of what was seen at the meeting, readers should go here.

Perhaps the most immediate improvement riders can expect is bus stop signs with more route information. Some of the future improvements include a rapid transit system, articulated buses (think tandem bus), improved use of GPS systems in order to create real time bus information, current bus information, such as tracking, by cell phone among other possibilities.

The vision of GRTC seems on target for the direction Richmond’s transit issues are heading. However, according to one official, the development process is only at 30% at this time. Of course, this makes for an excellent opportunity to have more community input! Hope to see you at the next GRTC speaking engagement.

9th District Councilman Doug Conner has passed along the following letter from the city assessor’s office to better inform the public about the upcoming assessment process.

Click the read more link to continue!

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