Remove Flowers and Vases for Cemetery Cleanup

Owners of lots and gravesites in City-owned and operated cemeteries are reminded that according to City Code all flowers, decorations and vases placed on the ground must be removed by March.1. This is to allow the Cemeteries Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to conduct its annual spring cleanup.
City-owned cemeteries include Shockoe Hill, Oakwood, St. John’s Church, Riverview, Maury and Mount Olivet; however only Oakwood, Riverview, Maury and Mount Olivet are active.
As authorized by the City Code, any items left on the ground will be collected and disposed of by cemetery staff beginning Monday, March 7. Floral arrangements on monuments or memorials, or in vases that are on monuments or memorials, do not need to be removed for the cleanup.
New flower arrangements may be placed on gravesites and lots beginning Tuesday, March 21.
Owners of lots and gravesites who have questions about the spring cleanup can call (804) 646-1401 or (804) 646-1402, Mondays through Fridays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Department to Host Panel Discussion on Race

The department will present a panel discussion for Black History Month called, “Outside the Lines: Race in the 21st Century.” It will be held on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the department’s Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Boulevard.
Serving on the panel will be the president of the Virginia Chapter of the NAACP, Rev. Dr. J. Rayfield Vines Jr.; pastor of Garland Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Clifford B. Chambliss; iPower 92.1 FM radio personality, TT Torrez; Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Michael Martz; Patrick Henry Charter School board member Antione Green; and Boaz and Ruth AmeriCorps Director Megan Rollins.
The discussion will be moderated by “Miss Community” Clovia Lawrence of Radio One. The program is open to the public and free to attend.

Learn to Lead Formal Meetings

Does your board or organization need to know the ins and outs of how to run a formal business meeting? If so, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, in partnership with the M. Stanley Ryan Unit of Parliamentarians and the Parliamentary Law Club of Richmond, is offering a one-day workshop on March 5 to teach parliamentary procedures to both adults and youth.

The workshop will be held at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center located at 4901 Old Brook Rd. It will begin with a joint session at 8:30 a.m. and then divide into two sessions, one for adults and one for youth ages11 through 17. Each group will learn the duties of officers and how to preside at meetings, followed by mock meetings. The two groups will join for a session during lunch, and the workshop will conclude at 2:30 p.m. after a graduation ceremony.
Registration is $8 for youth and $20 for adults until Feb. 25. After Feb. 25 a $2 late registration fee will be required.
For a registration form or more information, call 804-646-3677 or 804-646-3679.

Take a Valentine's Date to see Richmond's Heron Rookery

The department invites you to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a tour of the Heron Rookery in the James River Park.
“The courtship behavior of the Great Blue Herons can be eerily similar to that of humans,” says Ralph White, the park’s manager.
The guided tour will take place Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants are advised to dress for the weather, and although some spotting scopes will be available, bring binoculars if they have them. Cameras can also be used.
The cost of the tour is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and younger. Special parking for this event is available in the Whitewater Boater’s Lot next to the Floodwall on the northeast side of the 14th Street Bridge where the group will meet. It is a short walk to the Heron Rookery and you will need to be able to climb a ladder to get there.
This tour is co-sponsored by Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and the Richmond Audubon Society. For more information, call 804-646-8911.
This tour will be offered again on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the same time.

City offers Slave Trail Walk to Commemorate Black History Month

The department is offering two opportunities this month to take an interpretive walk on Richmond’s Slave Trail in recognition of Black History Month.
These programs offer the opportunity to walk along the same route through what is now the James River Park System that so many enslaved Americans were forced to take in the first half of the 19th century before being placed on the auction block. You will also see the many signs of slave labor that are still visible in Richmond today.
The walks are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, and Saturday, Feb. 26, and last until approximately 5 p.m. The fee is $5 per person. No pre-registration is necessary.
Walk participants should meet their guide at Ancarrow’s Landing Park, located at the end of Maury Street. The walk is approximately 2 miles one way, but can be shortened if the group prefers to drive part of the way.
These programs are co-sponsored by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and the Friends of the James River Park. For more information, call 804-646-8911.

Seniors Got Talent?

Are you a senior citizen with talent? If so, then join the Senior Talent Showcase sponsored by the department at its Westover Community Center on March 25. The center is located at 1301 Jahnke Rd., and the fun will begin at 11 a.m.
You must have talent and be at least 55 years old to compete in the Showcase competition. Prizes will be awarded along with the opportunity to add “Talent Star” to your resume.
For more information, call (804) 646-8995.