Home for the Holidays ~ "The Night Before"

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities is proud to present Home for the Holidays ~ “The Night Before” which is a dance adaptation of the famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” on Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Altria Theater. The show will begin at 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, so it is suggested to arrive early.

The show will feature participants enrolled in the department’s dance classes, as well as the City Dance Theatre.

“Guaranteed to be a fun filled afternoon, Home for the Holidays ~ “The Night Before” is a great showcase of talent that will appeal to all ages,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, Director of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities.

For more information, please call (804) 646-3677.

Youth Tackle Football Championship Set

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host its tackle and flag football championship games on Saturday, Nov. 21 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at City Stadium, 3201 Maplewood Avenue. 

“These players have played a great season and I am looking forward to seeing them play their last game of the season. I hope the entire community comes out to support all of the teams,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities.  “Our coaches, both site staff and volunteers, have taken the time all season to ensure that these players understand the basics of the game and how to work together as a team.”

9:30 a.m.	Southside vs. Whitcomb (Junior)
11 a.m.	Battery Park vs. Hillside (Midget)
12:30 p.m.	Battery Park vs. Hotchkiss (Pee Wee)
2 p.m.	Powhatan vs. Hotchkiss (JV Pee Wee)
3:30 p.m.	Southside vs. Battery Park (Flag)

 

The Hotchkiss Eagles will be making their second championship appearance in the JV Pee Wee division. The Eagles won the 2014 championship 6 to 0 against the Battery Park Vikings. This is the first championship appearance for the Southside Ducks and the Hillside Hawks.

City Youth Tackle Football Playoffs Begin November 7

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’  youth tackle football playoffs will kick off Saturday, November 7 at 9:30 a.m. Games will be hosted at community center sites as well as at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center, 2401 West Leigh Street. The department’s cheerleaders, who will be competing in their own championship event on Thursday, November 5 at the Richmond Coliseum at 6 p.m., will also be in attendance to engage the crowd.

TB Smith Seahawks vs. Battery Park Vikings
2014

“These players have played a great season and I am looking forward to seeing them play for the championship in their respective divisions. We should all be proud at this moment,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.“Our coaches, both site staff and volunteers, have taken the time all season to ensure that these players understood the basics of the game and how to work together as a team.”

The game schedule can be found on the department’s Facebook page Richmond VA Parks and Recreation as well as the department’s webpage. The public is invited to attend the games at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center, but please note that no smoking, personal food, or drinks are allowed at the facility; however vendors will be onsite selling food, sodas and water in the concession area. Parking is available on West Leigh Street, and spectators will need to bring their own seating.

Spotlight Gallery to Host Hispanic Heritage Art Exhibit

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “La Vida” in celebration of Hispanic Heritage month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, October 9 with a public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Friday, November 20, 2015.

Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Women in Arts organization, the exhibit will celebrate and feature the talents of several artists of Hispanic descent. “La Vida”, which means “life”, encompasses the artistic expression and showcases the broad contribution of Hispanic culture to North America.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule a tour please call Shaunn Casselle at 646-6722.

 

Swansboro Indoor Swimming Pool Closing for Yearly Maintenance

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will close the Swansboro Indoor Swimming Pool, 3160 Midlothian Turnpike, at normal closing hours on Thursday, September 3, 2015. The maintenance will begin on Friday, September 4, 2015 and the facility is expected to reopen at the end of the month.

Work will include the painting of the building, repairing the pool liner, and general maintenance work.

Swansboro aquatic programs will be transferred to the Bellemeade Indoor Swimming Pool, 1800 Lynhaven Avenue, with the exception of the Richmond Racers Swim Team.

For more information, please call (804) 646-5733.

Kanawha Pedestrian Bridge to be Removed This Weekend

Demolition crews will begin removing the pedestrian bridge connecting Kanawha Plaza to Dominion

Plaza starting at 6 p.m. tonight. That’s when Canal Street will be closed between 7^th and 8^th Streets, and removal of the bridge will begin between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Drivers on 8^th Street will still be able to turn left onto the Manchester Bridge. Removal is expected to be completed by late Sunday.

Prior to removing the bridge, preparatory work will include installing protective measures to prevent pedestrian access during demolition. Once the road is closed, crews will mobilize equipment, install shoring to support the bridge, and place protection on the road and sidewalks beneath it.

The first step is for a crane to break the north end of the bridge free, where the bridge ties into Dominion Plaza. Then the rest of the bridge will be removed using a CAT excavator. All debris will be hauled away and disposed of at the Cox Recycling Center. After the bridge is down, all materials will be removed and the road will be cleaned in time for Monday morning traffic.

The removal comes one week after Mayor Dwight C. Jones kicked off renovation of the 2.8 acre urban park located downtown on two city blocks surrounded by office towers. Over the past week, demolition crews have removed exterior walls that hampered sight lines across the park, have graded the site, and have preserved personalized bricks for reuse in the renovated park.

A public/private partnership allows for the restoration of this under-utilized downtown jewel and equally important to the long-term success of the park is improving access from neighboring streets. The renovation includes the retention and repair of the plaza’s fountain, large green space and landscaping improvements, canopies and a food truck area.

 

Youth Summer League Basketball Championship Games to be Held at VCU Siegel Center

 

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will hold its 9^th Annual CarMax Summer Basketball League championship games on Tuesday, July 28, at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 West Broad Street.

The league, funded with a $85,000 grant from the CarMax Foundation this year, gives hundreds of city children from ages 10 to 17 the opportunity to play organized basketball throughout the summer.

The final championship games at the Siegel Center will be free to the public and events will tip off at 6 p.m. with a basketball skills challenge for league players only. U-10, U-12, U-14, U-17 division games will begin shortly thereafter.

A brief ceremony will be held before the start of the games to recognize the CarMax Foundation and media sponsor 106.5 The Beat. Lane Casadonte, sports anchor with WTVR Ch. 6, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the program, and Tom Folliard, President/CEO of CarMax will provide remarks.

Since 2007, the CarMax Foundation has given more than $840,000 to restore and expand the department’s basketball courts at Pine Camp, renovate a building on the site for use as a concession facility, and expand league play to include more youth and a wheelchair league.

Spotlight Gallery to Host Salvador Gonzalez Escalona

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Two Seas Merging” featuring the work of world renowned Cuban artist Salvador González Escalona at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Thursday, July 2 with a public reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Friday, July 31, 2015. González Escalona is visiting the Central Virginia region at the invitation of Norfolk State University Office of International Studies.

Mural by Salvador González Escalona on
Callejón de Hamel in Havanna, Cuba

A self taught mixed medium master artist, González Escalona, with the help of campers enrolled in the Great Summer Escape camp at Pine Camp, just completed painting a mural titled “Two Seas Merging”, which symbolizes the cultural diversity of the Afro-Cuban connection. González Escalona will also paint another mural “Together We Stand”, which brings together teen and adult men from the Highland Park and Hotchkiss communities at the Hotchkiss Community Center, 701 East Brookland Park Boulevard, beginning at 5 p.m on Monday, June 29. This project strives to cultivate a stronger community connection between the Ann Hardy and Hotchkiss community centers. Once completed, the final project will be hung at the Ann Hardy Community Center.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule a tour please call Shaunn Casselle at 646-6722. For more information about these projects, please call 646-3677.

 

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USDA Summer Meals Begins June 15!

                                                                                                                  

The USDA Summer Meals for Kids program hosted by the City Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities will begin serving summer meals on Monday, June 15 at more than 100 sites. The Summer Meals for Kids program provides children and teens (through the age of 18) nutritious breakfasts and lunches at selected sites during the summer months. These free meals are available by visiting any participating site at meal time. No registration is required.



Mayor Dwight C. Jones, First Lady of Virginia Dorothy McAuliffe,
and Councilmember Chris Hilbert of the 3rd Voter District.

The Summer Meals for Kids program was established by the United States Department of Agriculture to ensure that children had access to healthy meals during the summer months. In the Richmond metro area, the program operates Monday through Friday, June 15 through August 28. 

“The goal of the USDA Summer Meals for Kids program is to ensure that no young person will be hungry this summer as many children may only obtain healthy meals during the school year,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities.

 

For more information, please call (804) 646-5698. A complete list of participating sites can be found at http://www.richmondgov.com/parks/documents/SMFK_Locations.pdf .

 

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Parks and Recreation Starts Summer Off With a Splash!

Looking for something to do this summer? The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is sure to have an event or program to kick start your summer along with great activities for everyone in your family!

The department will start the 59^th Annual Festival Arts on Sunday, June 7 with a Renaissance Fair at 4 p.m. at Dogwood Dell. The party atmosphere includes magicians, stilt walkers, and jugglers, and this is a fair for all ages.  At 8 p.m., the Henley Street Theatre will present “Romeo and Juliet” on the Dogwood Dell stage.

Beginning on Saturday, June 13, all City pools will be open for City residents. Week day hours are 1 to 8 p.m. with free swim available from 1 to 4:30 p.m., family time from 5 to 7 p.m. and adult swim from 7 to 8 p.m. Weekend hours for the outdoor pools are noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

On Monday, June 15, the USDA Summer Meals for Kids begins serving at more than 100 sites across the City of Richmond. The Summer Meals for Kids Program provides children and teens (through the age of 18) nutritious breakfasts and lunches during the summer months.

On Friday, June 19, residents are invited to join the department for the start of the 2015 Movies in the Park Series. The first movie in the series will be shown at Byrd Park at 8 p.m. A full schedule of the movie series is available at http://richmondvirginiaparks.blogspot.com/2015/05/movies-in-park-2015.html.

On Sunday, June 21, the Adventure Recreation division will host the “Summer Solstice Float” in starting from the Huguenot Flatwater in James River Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their bathing suits and preferred means of transportation by water such as a canoe, raft, or kayak.

Monday, June 22 marks the beginning of the department’s youth summer camps and the CarMax Summer League. Both the “All Aboard” summer camp, for ages 6 to 12, and “Generation Z” teen camp, for ages 13 to 15, are full day camps that operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are also specialty camps such as soccer, tennis, computer coding, and Lego that are available as half day camps. The CarMax Summer Basketball league games will be held at the Pine Camp Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road, with games being played Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.

For more information on these events and department sites and programs, please call (804) 646-5733 or visit www.richmondgov.com/parks.

Movies in the Park 2015

Join the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities our 2015 Movies in the Park series!

Our first movie of the year will begin on Friday, June 19 at Byrd Park, 600 S. Boulevard, 23221.

For more information or updates, please visit our Facebook page.

Annual Commemoration of Memorial Day with Free Music in the Park

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host its annual Memorial Day Concert on Monday, May 25 at Byrd Park. Beginning at 4 p.m. at the World War I Memorial Carillon, the city carillonneur Larry Robinson will pay tribute to our nation’s veterans through the ringing of the Carillon Bells, followed by a concert from The Virginians Barbershop Chorus. Mr. Robinson is a dedicated musician who has made the Carillon bells his vocation for more than 50 years.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Dogwood Dell office at (804) 646-1031.

Help Send Richmond’s Children to Summer Camp!

On Thursday, May 14, residents of Central Virginia can help send a child from the city of Richmond to summer camp, as well as hear some of your favorite music by contributing to the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities 8^th annual Send a Kid to Camp radiothon.

Through the City’s partnership with Enrichmond and Radio One, residents can call (804) 521-8400 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 14 to donate. For a donation of $25 or more, the caller can have their favorite song played on KISS 99.3/105.7 FM or iPower 92.1 FM. Donations can also be accepted online at www.enrichmond.org/send-a-kid-to-camp.

All donations are tax deductible and will help pay for city children to attend one of the 12 summer camps across the city.

This year’s summer camp theme of “All Aboard” will bring campers an exciting and educational summer experience that will feature activities such as swim lessons, participation in the STEM summer program in partnership with the 4H Virginia Cooperative Extension, and how music has influenced our culture. 

“These funds help us reach children in the city who often have few constructive options for summer activities,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director for Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities. “By making a donation during the Send a Kid to Camp radiothon, you are helping with the city’s efforts to shape the future of our children.”

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities summer camp programs offers nine weeks of structured activities for children ages 6 to 12, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The summer camp session begins on June 22 and ends on August 21, 2015. For city residents, the cost to send one child to camp is $250; however, the donations from the radiothon are used to provide scholarships for those who need them.

For more information about the Send a Kid to Camp radiothon or summer camp offerings, please call (804) 646-5733 or visit our website at www.richmondgov.com/parks .

Spotlight Gallery to Host Art and Poetry Exhibition

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Narratives: Telling Your Story,” a community visual and poetic exhibition at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, May 15 with a public reception and a sampling of spoken word poets performing in the theater from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until June 19, 2015.

"Celso" by Jackie Carrera

This mixed media show will feature artists from various backgrounds who choose to express their views with visual art or through spoken word. The spoken word component of “Narratives: Telling Your Story” will continue on Thursday, June 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pine Camp. In addition to the exhibit in the Spotlight Gallery, artist Bukuru Nyandwi will have his art featured on the Community Art Wall. 

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Before and After School Program Hosts Extravaganza Talent Showcase

The City Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Before and After School Program will host its annual Extravaganza Talent Showcase program on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson High School located at 4100 West Grace Street.

This year’s program theme, Recycle Mania will showcase how we can use recyclable and/or reusable items to create some fun, crazy, and usable things. This activity will hopefully teach students how to preserve and protect our environment, think outside the box, and be creative. The program will give each of the ten participating program sites an opportunity to showcase student talents and skills developed during the school year. Students will exhibit keyboarding, dance, art, theatre, and percussion skills to name a few.

Each site will also design, create, and assemble a table display for public viewing at City Hall. This display will showcase what students enrolled in the Before and After School Program have done during their time in the program. The displays can be viewed from May 4-8, 2015.               

For more information, please contact Deidre Davis at 646-5094.

Summer Positions with PRCF!

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities is now accepting applications for the following summer positions:

• Maintenance Work 1 (Cemeteries and Parks)
• Life Guards (Community Pools)
• Recreation Instructor 1 (Community Centers)
• Recreation Aides (Federal Foods Summer Program)
• Event Production Workers (Dogwood Dell)

Applications can be downloaded and returned to Melody McCormick via email at Melody.McCormick@richmondgov.com or mail to 1209 Admiral Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

 

Celebrate Spring!!

The Depatment of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities will celebrate the arrival of spring with community based festivals on Wednesday, April 8, 2014. Festivals will include events such as an egg hunt, face painting (at some locations), arts and crafts, and much more!

All festivals are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the individual community center.

City Offices Closed April 3 for Spring Holiday/Good Friday

City government offices, including City Hall, will be closed on Friday, April 3, 2015 for Spring Holiday/Good Friday. City offices will open at normal business hours on Monday, April 6, 2015.

This closure includes all City community centers and all branches of the Richmond Public Libraries. All City community centers will open on Saturday for any previously scheduled events. All branches of the Richmond Public Libraries will open at their regular operating hours on Saturday, April 4. Broad Rock Library which is normally open on Sundays will be closed on Sunday, April 5 in observance of the Easter holiday.

The East Richmond Road Convenience Center and Hopkins Road Transfer Stations are closed on April 3. Each facility will resume its normal schedule on April 4.

Residential trash collection will not be impacted by this closure.

Richmond Animal Care and Control, 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue, will also be closed to the public Friday, April 3 through Sunday, April 5. However, the shelter is celebrating the holiday early with reduced fee adoptions on Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2. Visit www.Richmondgov.com for more details.

For more information on City services and schedules, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.

Spring Learn to Swim Program

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Aquatics Divison will hold registration for the April Learn to Swim classes on Monday, March 30 beginning at 5 p.m. at Bellemeade Community Center Pool located at 1800 Lynhaven Avenue.

The program will operate from April 7 through April 30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pre-School and Level 1 classes will be held 6 - 6:30 p.m. and Level 2 and 3 classes will be held from 6:45 - 7:45 p.m. The cost for the session is $45 for city residents and $65 for non city residents.

For more information, please contact Jerrod Booker at jerrod.booker@richmondgov.com.

Swansboro Indoor Pool Reopens

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is pleased to reopen the Swansboro Indoor Swimming Pool, located at 3160 Midlothian Turnpike. The pool will reopen on Monday, March 30 at 8 a.m. The indoor aquatic facility was closed in August of 2014 for comprehensive improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning units.

“These upgrades were necessary for the continued use of the facility by the general public, Richmond Public Schools, and the departments swim teams,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities.

Program offerings include: Open Swim for All Ages (Monday through Friday 3-4 p.m. and 7:45 – 8:30 p.m.), Aquacise for Seniors (Monday through Thursday 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.), and Adult Aerobics (Monday and Wednesday 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

For more information, please call (804) 646-5733 or (804) 646-8088.

New Summer Camp Options Added

Just added to the 2015 summer camp roster is the Eureka Workshop in partnership with CodeVA. The three week long, half day sessions will teach youth about computer science through a variety of creative activities. They will learn animation, crafty computing, and basic electrical circuitry. The price for this camp is $150 for city residents and $170 for non city residents. Camp will take place at Linwood Holton Elementary School.

In addition to the co-ed Lego Engineering Summer Camps operating this summer, there will be a “girls only” section that will operate from August 10 through 13 at Linwood Holton Elementary School. This section of the camp will be taught by women engineers and scientists and provide an environment for girls to apply real world concepts in physics, engineering, and architecture. The price for all of the Lego camps are $160 for city residents and $180 for non residents.

Also added to the summer camp options is a five week video production boot camp at Hickory Hill beginning on June 29. This full day camp has been designed for teens 12 to 15 years that are interested in learning all aspects of video production from creating a story board, writing the script, editing, and how to build sets. The Teen Video Production Boot Camp registration fee is $260 for city residents and $280 for non city residents.

Registration for all camps can be done online today using the link to WebTrac found here or by stopping by any of our community centers.

 

 

 

Spotlight Gallery to Host Hispanic Women in Arts Exhibit for Women’s History Month

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Mujeres!” in celebration of Women’s History Month at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center located at 4901 Old Brook Road. The exhibit will open on Friday, March 20 with a public reception and gallery talk from 6 – 8 p.m. “Mujeres!” will be on display until May 1, 2015.

Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Women in the Arts organization, the exhibition will celebrate the talents and strength of several female artists of Hispanic descent living in the Richmond area. This show will include paintings, textiles, sculpture, and other works on display. There will also be a special performance from the Eight-Oh-Four Brass, a brass group comprised of music students from Virginia Commonwealth University during the opening reception.

"Oscuros" by Patricia Silva-Santisteban

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

City Offices Closed Monday, February 16 In Observance Of Washington’s Birthday

City of Richmond government offices, including City Hall, will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2015, in observance of Washington’s Birthday. City offices will reopen at regular business hours on Tuesday, February 17.

As a result of the observance, all branches of the Richmond Public Libraries and all City community centers will also be closed on Monday and reopen on Tuesday.

No refuse collection will be performed on Monday, as the city’s Solid Waste Management Division will also be closed. Refuse collection will resume on Tuesday and continue through Friday, February 20.

The East Richmond Road Convenience Center and Hopkins Road Transfer Stations also will also be closed on Monday, February 16. Each facility will resume its normal schedule on Tuesday.

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City to Host Black History Month Art Exhibition

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host a group art exhibit featuring more than 20 prominent African-American artists at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road. The art exhibit titled “Isn’t She Lovely” blends a variety of contemporary artists in one space. The show will open on Friday, February 13 with a public reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spotlight Gallery exhibit will be on display until March 13, 2015.



"Ribbons of Life" by Larry Poncho Brown

The multimedia exhibition will focus on themes of African-American female beauty that include pieces of photography, paintings, quilts, sculpture, masks, and more. Artists from Richmond, Baltimore, and the Washington, DC areas will be featured in this exhibit. This show will also feature the work of Nia Campbell, an upcoming high school artist, showing her piece “Rapunzel”.

Spotlight Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information or to schedule tours please contact Shaunn Casselle at (804) 646-6722.

Urban Agriculture Series

The 2015 Urban Agriculture Series is set to return on Saturday, February 14, 2015. This six week free event will be held at Blanton House, 700 Blanton Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You can RSVP to richmondgrowsgardens@richmondgov.com

 

Schedule of speakers include:

February 14:
Duron Chavis, Project Director of Virginia State University Indoor Farm
Sean Shepard, Co-Owner Backyard Farmers.

Topic: Economic opportunities and entrepreneurship in sustainable urban agriculture.

February 21:
Victoria Campbell, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Community Garden Coordinator
Kelly Deegan, Blue Bee Cider Horticulturist

Topic: How to grow vegetables and fruit organically.

February 28:
Ellen Shepard, Linwood Holton Elementary School School Garden
Kristi Orcutt, Bright Hope Farm

Topic: How to develop school gardens. How to raise goats and chickens in an urban environment.

March 7:
David Stover, Urban Apiary and Beekeeping
Arthur Kay, Environmental Scientist at Carverponics

Topic: The art of beekeeping. How to grow fish and hydroponic food to eat.

March 14:
Bruno Welsh, Founder of CompostRVA
Dennis Williams, Tricycle Gardens

Topic: Composting and growing worms.

March 21:
Cheryl Crawford, Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
Ana Edwards, Market Coordinator for Byrd House Farmers' Market

Topic: How to preserve foods and cooking what you grow.

City Offices Closed January 19 in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

In observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, city government offices, including City Hall, will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2015. City offices will reopen at regular business hours on Tuesday, January 20.

Monday’s closing includes all branches of the Richmond Public Libraries and all city community centers, both of which will reopen on Tuesday.

Refuse collection will not be performed on Monday as the city’s Solid Waste Management Division will also be closed. This closure will result in a one day delay of refuse collection for the remainder of the week, as the collection schedule will begin on Tuesday and continue through Friday.

The East Richmond Road Convenience Center and Hopkins Road Transfer Stations are also closed on Monday, January 19. Each facility will resume its normal schedule on Tuesday.

 For more information on city services and schedules, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.

 

"Murals in Richmond" Artist Talk

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host “Murals in Richmond” artist talk on Wednesday, January 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 24 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road.

A panel discussion will be held on both days with four of the city’s famed muralists; Ed Trask, Hamilton Glass, Sir James Thornhill, and Matt Lively; where they will explain the inspiration behind their work, their passion for art, and their artistic vision for Richmond.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 646-3674.