Let’s block off a street and have a party! All Westover Hills neighbors are invited to attend the annual Westover Hills Neighborhood Picnic on Saturday, May 18, from 4:30 p.m. to dark. The picnic will be on the 1900 block of Prince Arthur Road, between Evelyn Byrd and New Kent. This is a great event for everyone to meet their neighbors. We will have fun activities for the kids like clown face painting, balloon twisting, bubble wands, and kid games. Kids and adults will enjoy the music of local band the Misty Centrals and the best of O’Toole’s picnic food. Soft drinks, wine, and keg beer will be provided along with grilled burgers, hot dogs, barbequed beans, desserts, and all the fixings.

Children attend free. Adults pay $10 if they are WHNA neighborhood members or $15 each if not a member. You can join the neighborhood association at the picnic.

The weather will probably be wonderful, but if the picnic must be cancelled due to rain we will try again on Sunday, May 19.

The picnic is hosted by the Westover Hills Neighborhood Association. For information or to volunteer, contact Cass Meagher. [via WHNA website]

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Hi everyone! We’re a couple from Newport News planning to move to Richmond permanently and we’re looking for a house to rent. We have friends in the area and love the neighborhood and would love to live in the area! First choice would be Forest Hill, second is Westover Hills, and third choice would be Woodland Heights.  Below is what we’re looking for so if you have a house to rent or know of someone who does, please let us know via e-mail (rmfuschillo@gmail.com and/or grahamctodd@hotmail.com) . Thanks to all for your help!

Move-in Date: August 1, 2013
Price Range: $950.00-$1250.00
Bedrooms: 2+
Bathrooms: 1.5+ (2 full preferable)
Lease terms: 2+ years

Must Haves:

• Washer/Dryer
• Central A/C
• Driveway and/or quiet street for easy street parking
• Cat accepted
• Dog accepted (we plan to adopt a pup once we’re moved in)

Preferred:

• Fenced in yard
• Open floor plan
• Dine in kitchen and/or ample counter space

Thanks so much for everyone help! We’re looking forward to being neighbors in the future!

Original article http://gd.is/e2BqFS

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The Forest Hill-Bliley Road Neighborhood Association, Inc., is sponsoring a neighborhood yard sale this Saturday, May 18, 8:00 AM until noon. Weather looks like it will be perfect for a yard sale day!

A number of homes in the neighborhoods off Bliley Road, on Cedarhurst Drive, Lansing Avenue, and Old Willow Court between Forest Hill Avenue and Cedarhurst Drive will be holding yard or garage sales for this first-ever event. A balloon at the mailbox will mark participating sales. Sale items listed so far include: household items, books, clothing, furniture, office supplies, holiday decorations, jewelry, purses and totes, Avon products, Home Interior products, and tools.

Also, as a fund-raiser for the Association, donated items and baked goods will be available for sale at the multi-family yard sale at the corner of Bliley Road and Forest Hill Avenue.

Original article http://gd.is/8dHqzO

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Sunday, May 19 Noon – 6pm
Featuring: Honky Tonk Experience, The Hullabaloos, The Taters, Blue Line Highway, The Janet Martin Band, Cardinal Compass, The Dreamers, The Sommervillians with Solomon Miles & more!

Admission: $5 donation Stratford Hills Shopping Center (outside the Cafe)  Proceeds benefit the work of Positive Vibe Cafe.

Original article http://gd.is/CyaR7Y

Come to run, stay for fun!
Flamingo Fest and 5K 2013

Run! J.B. Fisher Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) will host its annual carnival and 5K for students, parents and the entire Fisher community to support our “Leader in Me” initiative. The event will kick off at 9am with our “Far from Flat” Flamingo 5K and will roll right into a Fun Run around Fisher’s track at 9:30. Register for the 5K online.

Fun! In addition, there will be a variety of carnival games with prizes, FIVE super fun inflatables, Limbo Contests, Plinko Game, cake walks, a dunk tank, face painting, hair spray, pet rock station, and a HUGE raffle (items up for grabs include tickets to Disney & King’s Dominion, an American Girl Doll, a family membership to the Children’s Museum, and MUCH more!)

There will be performances by the Crossroads Irish Dance troupe, our own Minds in Motion dancers, our music theater group (Star Reachers), the jump roping troupe “The Swingers”, and an African dancer.

We won’t let you go hungry! Food will be provided by Genghis Grill, Benny’s BBQ, Chupacabra, & La Sabrosita Bakery. We will also have popcorn and cotton candy to snack on. (please bring cash for food)

“All you can play” wristbands will be sold for $5 per person.

New this year is our “Kid’s Craft Fair!” Fisher students and alumni are invited to sell their wares!

Attn: Fisher Alumni!!

Homecoming at High Noon: Come on out at 12pm and see your Fisher friends! Prizes for the first ones there!
Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers. Please sign up online.

Keep up with everything going on Facebook.

Who: Open to the public

When: Saturday, May 18
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (rain or shine)

Where: J.B. Fisher Elementary
3701 Garden Rd.
Richmond, VA 23235

Original article http://gd.is/EJUXeX

I was clued in by someone in the know that this is a must see show and judging from the song above I tend to agree. This trio has shared the stage with Taj Mahal, Ricky Scaggs, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. So swing by Crossroads on Thursday, show starts at 8 pm.

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You can buy this awesome watercolor print from Summit Ridge on Etsy. Unrelated did you know that in some cultures it’s completely acceptable to send local news bloggers gifts?

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Monday was a busy night for the school board but nothing definitive was decided.

There is a proposal to re-zone the Woodland Heights area. In the new rezoning (seen above in red) parents in Woodland Heights would send their young ones to Westover Hills Elementary. Nothing is finalized yet and you can see the full map here.

In a reversal of a previous reversal, the Richmond School Board agreed to begin a process the prevailing side hopes will lead to the closure of Clark Springs Elementary School, the Adult Career Development Center and the old Norrell Elementary building, which currently houses a preschool center. The vote was close, 5-4 and our two local reps Kristen Larson of the 4th and Mamie Taylor of the 5th found themselves on either side of the vote. On Facebook they both explained their reasoning.

Kristen Larson 4th District Facebook- Last night (Monday) I supported a plan that moves us forward with school closures and rezoning for the upcoming school year. Although I had originally had some reservations about the short timeframe for the closures, the board came up with a plan to allocate resources for a comprehensive outreach plan so that parents are adequately informed about the changes. We also agreed to re-open our open enrollment process for students that will be impacted by the rezoning process with preference given to children who may be moved to a different school in upper grades. This plan addressed some of my earlier concerns and will allow us to close the $1 budget million gap. I am also confident that moving forward on this plan will make our system more efficient, which ultimately translates into more resources at the classroom level. A public hearing will be held on these school closures and rezoning. I hope to have that date for you in the next day or two.

Mamie Taylor 5th District Facebook - Tonight (Monday) a motion was made by Glen Sturtevant to add school closure and rezoning to the agenda. Following that motion, a follow-up motion was made by Kristen Larsen to resend the motion to not close schools. A final motion was made by Mr. Sturtevant to open the re-enrollment process (only to those directly impacted by school closure), to close Clarke Springs – ACDC, and Norrell Elementary, and to move forward with notifying the public through print media about said decision. This PR proposal could cost around $20 to $30 thousand dollars. All three motions received a majority vote and were passed. Now what does this mean? It means that there will have to be a massive layoff that will impact the classroom and jobs in upwards of $1,000,000.00 (principals, assistant principals, counselors, librarians, custodians, and teachers). We were supposed to leave the classroom harmless. This will also bring unnecessary stress to teachers as they prepare their students for SOL’s. With all that said, we still don’t know definitively what the actual saving will be, if any, from closing schools. So far, it’s just been arbitrary guesses, and the money that will be saved will possibly go down the drain with advertising costs. How is it fair to come to a meeting (after a private Mother’s Day meeting amongst a select few) and present a motion to close three schools that haven’t been decided and voted on by the Board?

Now what comes next? Show Richmond Public Schools and its students that their fate impacts us all, that an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere, and that if it can happen to them, it can certainly happen to you. Show up to every school board meeting and fight. Fight so that decisions made by an elected board are based on facts, sound data and in the best interest of students and those who impact them most; teachers and support staff. Fight for Closing Schools the Right Way!

Your humble servant who’s tired of politics as usual. Mamie Taylor

Original article http://gd.is/PH4ev3