Department to Host Community Yard Sale

The department will host a community yard sale on Saturday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Blackwell Community Center, located at 300 East 15^th Street.  The public is invited to participate both as a vendor and as a shopper.

      If you want to get rid of all the items you no longer use that are cluttering up your life, for just $5 you can reserve your space and rent a table or bring your own. Call 646-8630 or 646-8927 to make your reservations today. Set up will begin at 7:30 a.m. on May 4.

      If you’re a shopper, whether you are looking for that “Road Show” item or you’re only looking for some children’s clothes, you just might find it here.

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Celebrate 2013 Earth Day at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market

The Richmond Earth Day Festival kicks-off on Saturday, April 20, from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 17^th Street Farmers’ Market in the city’s historic Shockoe Bottom. Admission to the festival is free.

      The Richmond Earth Day Festival will entertain and educate attendees about local resources that make the world a better place, as well as featuring great live music and local food, beer and wine vendors. As one of the oldest Farmers’ Markets in the country, the 17^th Street Farmers’ Market is the perfect location for attendees to explore the interactive areas of the festival that will include:

·         Eco-Home presented by Earth Craft Virginia

-         Energy efficient home supplies

-         Contractors/builders

-         Eco-friendly clothes/fabrics

-         Eco-friendly home services

·         Eco-Outdoors

-         Eco-friendly lawn care

-         Eco-friendly outdoor supplies

-         Eco-friendly lumber/play sets

·         Eco-Kids - An array of hands-on activities for kids of all ages provided by Backyard Farmer and Virginia Center for Latin American Art

-         Hands-on gardening activities

-         Games made out of repurposed materials

-         Eco-friendly art projects

·         Eco-On-the-Go

-         Eco-friendly cars

-         Eco-friendly modes of transportation

-         Coordinated group rides to and from the festival, a bike plaza as well as bike experts on-hand from Carytown Bikes, Bysolar, Ride Richmond and RA-MORE

·         Eco-Marketplace

-         Environmentally friendly arts & crafts vendors

-         Local food producers & farms

-         Local wineries

·         Eco-Adventure Interactive

-         Rock climbing

-         Segway rides – presented by River City Segs

-         Sign up for exclusive Virginia Capital Trail walks/Richmond Slave Trail walks

-         Biking adventures

-         Interactive art demonstrations

 

       Live music will take place throughout the day on two stages, and include performances by Susan Greenbaum, Bio Ritmo, Andy Vaughan and the Driveline and Sons of Zebedee. Festival guests can also enjoy an eco-friendly art court, where local artists will be on-site creating amazing large-scale sculptures with recycled materials. The Mayor’s Youth Academy Future Leaders Council will be on-site selling small recyclable tote bags to raise funds to provide a book scholarship for students attending college in the fall.

       The Richmond Earth Day Festival is produced by the City of Richmond in partnership with Enrichmond, a foundation serving Richmond’s people, parks and public spaces. The event is supported by Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, University of Richmond, Sierra Club, James River Park, Richmond Public Library Foundation, and many more. Event sponsors include Earth Craft Virginia, Brown Distributing, River City Recycling, NBC12, Cox Radio, and Dominion/Honeywell.

      For more information on the Richmond Earth Day Festival visit www.earthdayrichmond.org.

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City, Comcast Partner to Beautify Byrd Park

Hundreds of Volunteers Expected on Comcast Cares Day, Comcast’s Annual Nationwide Day of Service

 

WHAT:           Local volunteers, including City of Richmond and Comcast employees and their families and friends; the Mayor’s Participation, Action, and Communication Team (MPACT); Friends of Byrd Park, Clean City Commission, and Sierra Club – Fall of James chapter; and students from Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University, will beautify Byrd Park during Comcast’s 12^th annual Comcast Cares Day. Volunteer activities will include planting and landscaping, cleaning and repairing the Ha’Penny Stage, clearing debris along the historic bridal path, cleaning alleys and sidewalks.

WHO:             City of Richmond and Comcast employees, their families and friends; other members of the local community.

WHEN:          Saturday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

                       

WHERE:        Byrd Park (600 S. Boulevard)

About Comcast Cares Day: 

April 27, 2013 will mark the 12^th annual Comcast Cares Day, which has grown to be the largest single-day corporate volunteer effort in the country. Over the past 11 Comcast Cares Days, more than 437,000 Comcast employees and their families and friends have contributed more than 2.6 million hours of service at approximately 4,200 project sites across the nation. The Comcast Foundation also has given out more than $12 million in Comcast Cares Day grants over that period. This year, Comcast expects more than 70,000 volunteers to participate in more than 600 projects across the United States and, for the first time, in the United Kingdom. Comcast also anticipates reaching three million hours of service and more than 500,000 volunteers since the first Comcast Cares Day in 2001.

Local residents/groups interested in volunteering on Comcast Cares Day at Byrd Park can visit www.friendsofwilliambyrdpark.com or email friendsofwmbyrdpark@gmail.com.

Comcast has been committed to serving local communities since its founding 50 years ago. For more information on Comcast’s volunteer and community investment initiatives, visit www.comcast.com/community.

  

About Byrd Park:

Byrd Park is a 287-acre park in Richmond and is one of the city’s most popular parks. Spread along both sides of The Boulevard and Blanton Avenue starting at the Columbus Statue you will find Fountain Lake, a self-lighted tennis complex for anytime play, and two softball fields. Sunbathing and pedal boat rides at Fountain Lake are popular in the summer, and a full-service concession building at the lakes offers snacks, lunch, restrooms and free Wi-Fi during the summer season. 

     Further south to the east of Blanton Avenue are Swan Lake, Sheilds Lake, the Round House, which can be used for small meetings, and the Vitacourse, an exercise trail popular year-round. At the southern end of Blanton Avenue are the park's historic World War I Carillon, the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater and Ha'Penny Stage, additional picnic shelters, a children's playground, and the popular Barker Field Dog Park.

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Register Now for Youth Soccer, Baseball

Registration for youth soccer and baseball is currently underway at all City Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ community centers.

     Children must be between ages 4 and 15 to register to play co-ed soccer. To play co-ed baseball, girls must be between the ages of 5 and 11 and boys must be between the ages of 5 and 15. Girls, ages 12 to 16, can register to play girls’ softball.

     Registration is $25 for children who live in the city. Those who register to play both sports will receive a discount and pay only $35. Non-city residents must pay an additional fee of $20 to register.

     The deadline to register is April 12, and a $5 late fee will be charged thereafter.

     Registration requires proof of age, proof of residency, and a signed parental or guardian consent form.  

     Following is a list of community center locations. For more information, call the community center nearest you or 646-1175.

• Ann Hardy Plaza                     3300 First Ave.                       646-4824
• Battery Park                           2803 Dupont Circle                 646-0944
• Bellemeade                             Register at T.B. Smith              646-8490
• Blackwell                                300 E. 15th Street                   646-8630
• Broad Rock                            Register at Hickory Hill            646-8663                    
• Calhoun                                  436 Calhoun Street                  646-4083                       
• Chimborazo/Bill Robinson        721 N. 35^th St.                       646-1175                    
• Creighton                                201 Creighton Road                 646-4511
• Fisher                                      3701 Garden Road                  646-5609
• Hickory Hill                            3000 E. Belt Blvd                     646-8663
• Hillside                                    Register at T.B. Smith              646-8490
• Hotchkiss                                701 E. Brookland Park Blvd.   646-4466
• Humphrey Calder                    414 N. Thompson St.              646-1780
• Pine Camp                               4901 Old Brook Road            646-3672                      
• Powhatan                                 5051 Northampton St.            646-0973
• Randolph                                 1415 Grayland Ave.                646-1080
• Reid                                         1301 Whitehead Rd.               646-0152
• T. B. Smith                               2015 Ruffin Road                   646-8490
• Thompson                                7825 Forest Hill Av.               646-1209
• Westover                                 1301 Jahnke Road                  646-8995
• Whitcomb                                2302 Carmine Street               646-2988                                          

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Department Offers Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor Training

 The department will offer a Lifeguard Training course starting April 1. Participants who complete this course will receive an American Red Cross Certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED that is good for two years.

     To take this training, you must be at least 15 years old and pass a prerequisite swimming test that includes being able to swim continuously for 300 yards, tread water for two minutes using only the legs, and successfully complete a timed event. The Prerequisite Swim Test will be held April 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the department’s Swansboro Pool, located at 3160 Midlothian Turnpike.

     The Lifeguard Training course will begin that afternoon, April 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and continue April 2 through April 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. All sessions will be held at the Swansboro Pool. Successful completion of the course requires participation in all sessions, demonstration of competency in all required skills, and passing a written test.

      The department is also offering Water Safety Instructor Training. This course prepares students to become American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors. Participants must be at least 16 years old and successfully demonstrate the following abilities:                         

• Tread water for 1 minute
• Back float for 1 minute
• Front crawl for 25 yards
• Back crawl for 25 yards
• Breaststroke for 25 yards
• Backstroke for 25 yards
• Sidestroke for 25 yards
• Butterfly for 15 yards

      The skill demonstration test will be held April 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the course will be held April 2 through April 5 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and April 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. These classes will also be held at the Swansboro Pool.

     For more information, call 646-1174.

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Do You Want to Be a Lifeguard?

Are you 18 years old or older, and would you like to work as a lifeguard for the City of Richmond? The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities operates eight public swimming pools in Richmond and currently is seeking qualified candidates to hire as lifeguards and pool managers.

     Safety is the highest priority at City pools, and all lifeguard candidates must be certified lifeguards and pass a pre-employment evaluation to demonstrate their competency and professionalism in rescue, First Aid, and CPR/AED knowledge and skills, before they can be hired. To demonstrate their competency, candidates must attend one of the evaluations that will take place at the Swansboro Pool, located at 3160 Midlothian Turnpike, on April 9, April 11, and April 12 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

     During these evaluations, candidates must show that they are able to swim 300 yards in less than 10 minutes and recover a 10 pound object in 8 feet of water in less than one minute 40 seconds during a passive victim rescue, an active victim rescue, and a submerged victim rescue.

     Candidates also will be given a Lifeguarding/First Aid & CPR written exam at the evaluations that they must pass.

     For more information, call 646-1174.

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Department Offers Developmental Lacrosse Program for Girls

The department will host a Developmental Lacrosse Program for girls ages 8 to 14 on Sunday, March 24.

     The program will be held at the Blackwell Playground, located at 15^th and Maury streets, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by Nick Costas and the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, and is free to attend.

      For more information, please call 804-232-1982 or e-mail Wyatt.Kingston@RichmondGov.com.