Fencing Slashes Through RVA

Photos by: John Garcia

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“Tucked away” is one way to describe the few outlets for sport Fencing in Richmond. But if you look hard enough you’re liable to stumble across a unique, challenging, and rewarding activity accessible to almost everyone.

Located at 3411 Carlton Street, in the industrial section of town between former Ice bars, strip clubs, thrift stores, and machine shops lies a beautifully kept training facility for the 1500 year old sport.

The Richmond Fencing Club leased the warehouse space in October 2005 and they immediately went to work. Scott O’Neal, a coach at the club, details the project.

Scott O'Neal

“The very first thing we did, in a weekend, a very long weekend, was construct the floor, it’s based on a dance floor. The entire thing is mounted on rubber cushions, there are about 4000 of them under the floor. If you bounce on it, it gives it kind of a spring as opposed to the concrete underneath.”

O’Neal fenced in college at Purdue, moving to Richmond in 2003. He’s seen the Richmond Fencing club move from rec-centers to dance studios, and finally to their impressive current location. He said this is often the path for the uncommon sport.

“Fencing clubs start wherever they can find a place, it depends on the means to get involved. RFC for a long time was associated with VCU and operated out of the rec-centers there, before going their own way. I know several clubs that started out meeting in churches or renting gym space. There are still plenty of clubs that rent space where ever they can find a place.”

Steeped in tradition, fencing, like any sport, has rules and procedures, but it is mainly broken into three different weapon styles; Foil, Epee, and Saber. O’Neal explains their differences.

“So the first one, and what we usually teach beginner fencers is Foil. Foil has a limited target area. You can only hit the torso, it can be the front or the back, but the arms, legs, and head are off target. Foil also has a rule called “right of way” which basically says the person who’s attacking has the right to make an attack and you are required to defend yourself. IT comes from the fact that , in its early days, Foil was a training weapon. And so you were being taught that if someone’s attacking you, you first stop their attack or make them miss before you make a move of your own.

Epee is a little more like dueling. The entire body is a valid target area. You can be hit on the foot or the hand or the torso, it doesn’t matter, it’s all the same. And it doesn’t matter who’s defending or who’s attacking, all the matters is who hits first.

Saber is a little different than the other two. The target area is everything from the waist up. Unlike the other 2 weapons, with saber you can hit with any part of the blade, with foil and Epee, you can only score by hitting with the tip of the blade; with saber, you can actually hit with slashing motions.”

Anna Marie Wood, a mother from Montpelier, got involved in fencing last fall after her kids showed interest in sword play. She did some research, and soon all three Wood family members were enrolled in an eight-week course. She says fencing brought out new talents she never knew she had.

“It was awesome, it was great fun. For me, it was coming out of my comfort zone. When you have someone coming at you, they are being aggressive and coming at you, everything you learned comes out and I surprised even myself”

Danny Anderson Senior got into fencing in a similar fashion, after Danny Jr. showed interest. Danny said Junior’s other athletic investment, football, shared similar fundamental skills.

“You wondering the weirdness between football and fencing. It’s footwork. He has to run, he has to keep his balance; he has to keep his feet. It helps him a ton when he’s on the field playing, his footwork is faster than most of the free safeties, and he’s a lineman”

He also said the financial investment of fencing isn’t as drastic as football.

“To start –it’s really an inexpensive sport. Football in this area, you’re gonna have to supply the helmet and the shoulder pads, you’re gonna lay down $300; for tournament fencing for my son and daughter, it costs me about $250 apiece. But that’s complete.

The difference is, I’ve had to replace his helmet, twice; he outgrows them. Shoulder pads, twice. Versus this were; the jacket - you can buy them a little bit bigger, they don’t have to be fitted - but moneywise of the two sports, fencing is actually a little bit cheaper … you got the cleats too.”

Take a drive out Route 360 east for about 20 minutes and you’ll find 4032 Mechanicsville Turnpike, another fencing academy in between farm fields. The unlikely location was a garden center for 30 years and when it was time to sell the lot, the neighbors wanted to see another local business take over. That’s where Bobby and Donna Robinson come in. They are the owners and coaches at Mechanicsville Fencing Academy.

The Robinsons started their academy in 2003 with humble beginnings, but before long, it was a house of Olympic level athleticism.

Donna Robinson

“My husband Fenced in college, and when we moved back here to Virginia and when the kids got old enough, he liked the idea of getting the kids involved in the sport. So he actually start started out with only or six] students. We had three kids go to junior Olympics within 2 years, so we just sort of expanded after that.”

Bobby Robinson’s enthusiasm is contagious. Watching a class being taught, you could see the excitement and drive in both the kids’ and Bobby’s eyes. He describes fencing as much more than two people dueling.

“It’s as much a mental game as a physical game. I’ve seen a 77-year-old man beat 20-year-old kids like butter. He knew exactly what to do, he wasn’t fast. I saw him and said “this is gonna be fast” cause he was fencing a young kid like you. The kid looked really good too. The little kid goes ‘AHHHH!’ guy goes back, touches him on the wrist ‘bam!’ There was 180 people in that tournament, dude ended up 7^th out of pools.”

Bobby says fencing compares to a significantly lower-key board game.

“Probably the best description of fencing is ‘physical chess.’ Where you actually maneuver positions and lay lines. You have to be able to think that stuff out and then actively do it.”

Ken Boyd, a two-year veteran of the Richmond Fencing club, said fencing compares to a a significantly lower-key board game, adding the physical workout didn’t hurt his heart either

“Chess has moves; there’s offence/defense, there’s a setup. We call ‘em feints,where I come at you and make you wanna come this way, then I’ll come under you and touch you, kind of make you silly for one minute, then you figure it out and make me look silly. It’s good exercise, I push it towards cardiovascular, it’s great for me. I’m in my 50’s, so if I can do it, other people can do it too.”

Back in Mechanicsville, 11-year-old Matthew Ridder has spent the past nine months honing his fencing skills. He played soccer before, but now only fences. He says he liked the intellectual strain as well as the physical.

“Well, it challenges your mind too, and not just your body”

Jenna Robinson, daughter of Donna and Bobby, has spent the better part of her young life in fencing gear. After seven years of intense training, she now helps her parents with coaching at the Mechanicsville academy. She said she had fallen in love with the kids and wanted to stress that anyone who was interested should not be afraid to don a lame and enter the strip.

“Some people who can’t do a lot of other sports, one of my students can’t use his right arm or left leg, but he can still do this. Anyone can come and do it, so come give it a try.”

Jenna Robinson, Han Tam, and Shane Robinson

For Richmond Independent Radio News, I’m Brad Kutner

Grassroots Organization Hits Local Bars to Raise Funds

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Instead of going to your typical haunt Thursday night , the Latin American Community Art Project or LACAP is hoping you'll head to Cous Cous June 24^th. DJ Baby Pants, Support Hoes, R. Dazzle and Eesehak LaRoc will be spinning classic hip hop, funk, soul, 70’s Motown and afro beat. The night is part of a slew of events put on in Richmond this year to support the inter-cultural awareness project.

Sandra Cornejo of LACAP

A recent benefit at Cafe Gutenberg

photo credit: John Garcia

LACAP started as a group of New York artist who have been traveling to southeast El Salvador since 2004 to give workshops to community members ages 7 to 40. Everything from embroidery to painting to guitar to English is offered. In the rural village of Provo, the artists are provided with housing and studio space. This year 11 artists, three of them from Richmond, are making the trip. They will spend two to six weeks interacting with Salvadorians and sharing their chosen art form.

Sandra Cornejo, recent VCU painting and printmaking graduate who’s brother is LACAP’s director, has traveled to El Salvador three times to be part of the artist residency. She said:

"Basically it just started off as a group of artists who wanted to use their talents to engage with people directly. So we decided to go out there and share our talents with the people from my mom’s home village since she was kind enough to donate a house to the cause.”

Cornejo said the workshops are a place for villagers to express their ideas and concerns about immigration, economic distress and the civil war that began in the early 80’s and ended in 1992. While at a hospital being treated for Dengue Fever, she began talking to a woman in the bed next to hers. She said:

“As soon as I bring up the war, she completely freezes and shuts me out completely. And that reminds me that what I’m doing here, providing a space for adults from that generation to talk about these things through images. It’s something, I don’t know, it’s really important, to move on, to address it.”

LACAP artists used to rely on selling their art and getting sponsors to raise money for the program. But this year Cornejo said:

“People I’ve recruited have been helping out a lot. They’ve really had the incentive to go out, help out. Spread the love. Raise the funds.”

Isaac Ramsey, a rap performer whose moniker is Swordplay, is one of those that enlisted. He was working with the Art 180, a project that pairs artists with Richmond youth, with Talia Miller. Miller is organizing LACAP benefits but can’t make it to El Salvador this year. Ramsey also met Cornejo and said it was natural for him to become a part of LACAP.

“Just kind of heard about it, then talked about it, then decided to actually go and participate," Ramsey said. "And we’re basically going to be making musical instruments out of recycled materials and goards. With the hopes of creating some sort of performance with those. And maybe some storytelling and live dancing, that kind of thing.”

Ramsey decided to organize an event at Cous Cous to raise funds for bigger supplies he needs for his workshops like microphones and smaller stuff like beads and bells for shakers. He decided to assemble some friends who don’t normally DJ to join him in support of LACAP. The event is free but Ramsey said:

“Well if everyone comes out and drinks quite a bit, Cous Cous has offered to make a generous donation to LACAP.”

Cornejo said she has lost count of how many events have been put on Richmond to help LACAP function in El Salvador. The cause has enticed local bands like Gull and Antlers to play shows. Cornejo said she hopes her involvement in the community expands even further.

“The musicians from the community have been very willing, engaging and inspired by it and I’m really stoked just about engaging the community with this grassroots organization and hopefully creating a satellite organization here where I could work with the community in the future,” Cornejo said.

And the benefit events will keep coming into July. NY Deli will host a raffle and DJ’s with drink specials on Sunday, June 27th.^.And Talia Miller, Marshe Wyche of Rumours Boutique and Matt Seymour of Pedals on Our Pirateships are organizing a Rock Lotto to fundraise for LACAP .

The Rock Lotto is a Richmond tradition where volunteers put their names into a hat and groups of four or five are pulled out to create a band. Anyone that wants to participate can go to the drawing at Rumours at 8pm Friday July 2. While you are throwing your name in the ring, you can support LACAP with a purchase. Ramsey, who’s spinning from 4-7pm on the 2nd, said:

^{“Twenty percent of the sales will go to LACAP, so it’s a good time to do your shopping.”}

The newly formed Rock Lotto bands will play the next Friday at Gallery 5 at 7:30pm. Miller said:

“You have a week to practice together and write songs and then everyone performs on the 9th. And you end up with crazy, crazy things and super unconventional bands you know with like four drummers and a singer!”

Cornejo will be in El Salvador getting ready for the six weeks of workshops before the Rock Lotto bands come to fruition but she said she has plans for LACAP when she makes it back up north.

“We’re not non-profit profit yet but we hope to be soon. But we’re babies, we’re still growing. And definitely expanding,” Cornejo said.

Canny 4th Graders Beat the Pros

Munford Principal Greg Muzik with Stock Market Game winners Grace Barron, Luke Hawkins, Brian Stamper and Sarah Carr.

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We have a winner! This year’s Stock Market Game, sponsored by the Virginia Council of Economic Education and VCU, is 28 weeks of imaginary trading in real securities by students. The elementary school title was won by a team from Mary Munford.

Finding a Place in Richmond to "Go Skateboarding"

Photo Credit: Nick Ghobashi

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For Richmond – and the rest of the northern hemisphere – June 21st marked the summer solstice. For some, the summer solstice is the true kick off event for the summer. Richmonders plan bar-b-ques, parties and any number of other events to celebrate – and for good reason: the solstice gives us a whopping 15 hours of sunlight to work with. But for the more than 300 people that turned out to Chimborazo Park yesterday, the solstice meant one thing and one thing only: going skateboarding.

“Go Skateboarding Day” is a loosely tied together group of events and contests held by skate shops all over the globe, with the intention of unifying everyone to drop everything and go skateboarding. The events take place every year on the summer solstice and occur in virtually every corner of the globe, from San Diego to Sydney. Locally, “Go Skateboarding Day” was put on by Dominion Skateboards in conjunction with Born Ugly Magazine, a publication that covers skateboarding and skate culture.

Kim Blankenship, owner of Dominion Skateboards and one of the lead organizers of “Go Skateboarding Day” in Richmond, says the communal aspect of the event is one of its main draws.

“Today is 'Go Skateboarding Day, June 21st, so we're doing an event, we’re doing a best trick contest, we're giving away some food, giving away some product and just getting people together to skate. We try to keep people involved, because if you don't then they kinda just get bored and just, I don't know if they just stop skating or whatever, but the more you keep them involved the more you keep them together they get to know other skateboarders it just builds the whole scene up more and more.”

“Building up the scene” was a recurring theme among both organizers and skateboarders at “Go Skateboarding Day,” because Richmond has a currently fragmented skating scene: the number of skateboarders is flourishing – and any trip around Richmond is proof of that – but that number is juxtaposed against the number of publicly funded skate parks in Richmond, which remains at zero.

Because of this, local skateboarders and organizers took to true skate-culture DIY ethos and built their own. Home built skate ramps were trucked in to add to the meager assortment that exist at Chimborazo Park already.



Tom Gillis is a Richmond local who was skateboarding at the event and helped build some of the ramps at Chimborazo Park.

“I'm just out here having fun with everyone, longest day of the year, enjoying it with some skateboarding, just build some crazy things for everybody to ride and came out here and everybody's riding them, it's great.”

Gillis says that the city's lack of initiative in getting a public skate park built in Richmond not only hurts skateboarders, who are consistently herded away from some of the last spots they have to skate, such as public streets and neighborhoods, but is detrimental to Richmond as a community.

“Richmond has no public parks that are skateable or that they built intending to skate. I mean there's a YMCA and lots of independent projects, but most of the time the city's trying to shut those down and not grow and prosper. It's just a way for people to express themselves and it can just help you turn a bad day in to a great day and things that can do that, whether it's a job or a hobby or a past time for people, that's a good thing to have. Communities that embrace it generally get things back just by everyone being in a better state of mind.”

The park at Chimborazo is in sort of a grey area when it comes to defining a skate park. The ramps were built and brought in by local skateboarders and exist solely because no one has removed them. The park is not publicly designated as a skate park and local skateboarders constantly fear abrupt removal of the ramps, as happened at Hippoland Skate Park, formerly located in the Azalea neighborhood. One of the theories of why Hippoland shut down is that the property managers, who are located in Atlanta, heard of large amounts of trash and debris being left at the site, a perception that Jim Callahan of Born Ugly Magazine says they are trying to avoid with “Go Skateboarding Day.”

“We're trying to do things like this just to give neighborhoods an idea that if events like this can happen then there can be things set up for kids to skate and it doesn't have to be a dump, it doesn't have to be ratty and trashed and people can take care of the stuff and respect neighborhoods and respect parks. Having a public park like that has lots of benefits: for the people skating, it gives them a place where they're not bothering anyone else, they're not wrecking any other sort of public or private locations that they're not getting damaged or annoying people.”

Mickael Broth, the other co-founder of Born Ugly Magazine says “Go Skateboard Day” is a prime example of community involvement in action and is one of the best ways to tout the merits of a skate park to the city.

“We were talking to a friend of ours earlier, that we should have probably thought this through and contacted somebody from city council or something like that to see the hundreds of kids who are out here skateboarding who would really benefit from having a place where they could actually do this. I know there's a push for getting a public park built in Richmond and I think it really needs to happen.”

The push for a public skate park will no doubt continue in to the future, with more involvement from organizations like the “Friends of Chimborazo Playground”, who hope to work together to construct a plan that works for the city and the skateboarders alike.
However, others like Richmond local and skateboarder Andy Newsome who was at the event for the duration, stay out of the politics of getting a skate park constructed and simply skate.

“I'm skateboarding, living life, chillin' with my homies and my dogs. It's about hittin’ up the streets with your homedogs and tearin' the world up.”

/Brad Fulton

Recent Local Headlines!

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Now on Richmond Independent Radio News, these are your local headlines.

A nuclear reactor in Louisa county shut down yesterday due to an “automatic reactor trip that appeared to have been linked to a thunderstorm that moved through the area shortly after 7 p.m” The Times Dispatch reported that a spokesman for Dominion Virginia Power, who owns the reactor said that the reactor “operated as a result of lightning in the area and caused the unit to shut down.” This is the third time the reactor has shut down this year.

The Virginia Film Festival is calling for submissions for the festival that takes place in November. The festival is accepting submissions of features, documentaries and short films. Filmmakers in Virginia have all submission fees to the festival waived, while fees apply for other entrants. Submissions are only accepted through the festivals website at www.withoutabox.com The deadline is September 8th. The festival is in its 23rd year and takes place in Charlottesville November 4ththrough the 7th.

A 21-year-old Richmond man was critically injured after he fell from the top of a three-story apartment building early Wednesday morning. The Times-Dispatch reports the police say the fall occurred due to an “alcohol fueled stunt”. The man and two of his friends used a ladder to climb to the top of the apartment at 9 N. Boulevard. The man then jumped to the neighboring building and when trying to jump back, fell three stories, the Times Dispatch reports. The man was then taken to MCV with life threatening injuries.

Haiyang Zhu, the Virginia Tech student who plead guilty to decapitating a fellow classmate at the university in January of last year was denied a reduced sentence Tuesday. The Associated Press reports Zhu's attorneys asked the judge to reconsider the sentence, because of his lack of a criminal record and no history of violence. The judge denied the claim after prosecutors argued that keeping him in prison is the only way to protect the public. The murder occurred on the Virginia Tech campus in January. Zhu decapitated classmate Xin Yang alledgedly due to her “rejecting his romantic advances.”

CRT/Tanaka, local Richmond marketing and public relations firm was hired by Del Monte Produce in a marketing contract that will run through November. The Times-Dispatch reports that the company was hired to “handle social and mobile media campaigns for the company as well as developing in-store displays” to “promote the nutritional and dietary benefits” of bananas, one of Del Monte's largest products CRT/Tanaka was founded in 1996 in Richmond and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Washington and Norfolk. The firm has 75 employees, with 35 in Richmond.

Local police were called to the FBI office in western Henrico yesterday due to a perceived bomb threat. WWBT 12 reports that someone parked a car outside of the building and walked away. The FBI called local police and its own bomb technician as a precautionary measure. Bomb technicians revealed no threat and an all clear was given at 8 yesterday evening. POlice have not commented on what happened to the driver of the vehicle.

Local officials debated the location of the City of Richmond's new jail last night, after one council member spoke out about keeping it out of her district. WWBT 12 reports that councilwoman Reva Trammell “challenged the mayor to detail the other proposed sites” after two of the proposed sites, one in the Bellemeade Community and one at an old Phillip Morris building were leaked. The mayor said that revealing the sites would “hurt the process.” The remaining proposals could take up to 6 months.

The United States Post Office will stop accepting and shipping packages containing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco beginning June 29th. Officials say that the measure is being taken to prevent kids from having easy access to cigarettes. The ban will also prevent the illegal trafficking of cigarettes meant to evade taxes. The ban applies to all forms of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and loose tobacco, but does not apply to cigars.

A federal spending plan is pouring $3 billion in to Virginia’s economy. The Times Dispatch reports that the stimulus, which has been underway since February of 2009, is part of President Barack Obama’s effort to jump start the economy. According to a report released this morning by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, the stimulus has “helped almost every household in Virginia.” Among the recipients of the stimulus, nearly $2 billion will go to tax credits for families and individuals, while the rest is divided among such things as unemployment and social security.

/Brad Fulton

GayRVA One Year Anniversary

Richmonders came out to celebrate LGBTQ community website GayRVA.com's first year up and running. GayRVA devotes it's coverage to gay news, entertainment and nightlife and their celebration of the website's first anniversary benefited the Fan Free Clinic. Members of the all-girl DJ collective Cherry Bomb were spinning all night while young men in their skivvies handed out cupcakes and burlesque dancers titillated the packed bar. Kevin Clay, founder and editor of GayRVA, kicked off the night and introduced Patrice Wallace of Senator Mark Warner's office who congratulated the website on a year of service to the LGBTQ community. A major feature of the event was giving out the Out.Spoken Richmonder of the Year Award who's recipient was chosen by the website's advisory council. Four moms accepted the award. They raised 14,000 dollars for Jewish and LGBTQ groups targeted by members of Westboro Baptist Church, who visited Richmond in March of this year. The group now runs a website aiming to instruct others on how to respond to negativity by fund raising.

Gay RVA Founder Kevin Clay

A Message from Senator Mark Warner
The Recipients of the Out.Spoken Richmonder of the Year Award-Pennies in Protest

Photos by John Garcia.

Recent Local Headlines!

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Richmond police were alerted to a suspicious package yesterday at the intersection of 6th and Main around 11am. Initially, streets around the area were closed. According to NBC 12, the package was checked and cleared just before 2pm. It turned out the suspect package was clothing.

Cooling shelters opened yesterday at 8am as morning temperatures rose to the lower 90's. Water will be provided to visitors but not food and pets are not allowed in the building. The three shelters, in Southside on Hull Street, near N. 9th Street and Marshall and in Churchill at N. 25th and M St. were opened in preparation for hot summer days where the heat index can reach 100. The shelters are open until 5pm. Richmond residents can call (804) 646-7046 for more information.

Yesterday, Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones' administration announced two out of six groups trying to secure a contract with the city to design and build a new jail were disqualified. In Jones' update on the 137 million dollar project, his administration also said a letter had been sent to the four groups still in contention for the project advising them not to contact city council or city officials involved in the decision-making process. Names of the disqualified groups or the reasons for their proposals being dismissed were not announced.

Around 10:45pm Friday, a sedan driving down 12th Street ran into a VCU Medical Center Building just south on Clay Street. The driver lost control on a hard left turn that is a loop for ambulances, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. The building was only cosmetically damaged according to a Richmond building inspector but the car was "visibly crumbled" the Times Dispatch reported. The driver of the vehicle was taken to the nearby emergency room.

Governor Bob McDonnell signed bills giving tax credits to television, film and documentary projects filmed in Virginia yesterday at St. John's Church. The bill will extend $2.5 million dollars to filmmakers between January 2011 and January 2012. Actor Tim Reid who appeared on WKRP in Cincinnati and That 70's Show, who also runs New Millennium Studios in Petersburg with his wife actress Daphne Maxwell Reid were on hand for the signing. He said the bill has the potential to pump money into Virginia's economy, but the state must "demonstrate its commitment to attract these high-paying jobs," according to the Times Dispatch.

A new study was formally launched yesterday to look at the future of Richmond's Coliseum. In a closed meeting at Main Street Station, a group of private corporations and public administrators assembled to determine what to do with the 39-year-old arena which has racked up millions of dollars in repairs already. Four regional Fortune 500 corporations are putting 150,000 dollars into the study, according to the Times Dispatch, to determine whether to renovate the Coliseum or build a new arena and to determine what kind of arena could thrive in Richmond.

You can pay your respects to Jimmy Dean, country star and sausage maker, this Sunday and Monday during eight hours of visitation and an open funeral in Henrico. Dean died at his home in Varina Sunday and he will be buried there, overlooking the James River. The epitaph on his $350,000 piano-shaped tombstone will be inspired by his 1961 Number 1 hit "Big Bad John". The visitation viewing will start Sunday at noon at Nelsen Funeral Home and Funeral services will be at Grove Avenue Baptist Church the next day.

-Caroline Jackson

For Local Businesses, the Future of Richmond is Green

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Nearly 30 local businesses and organizations banded together last weekend, featuring everything from local cafes to companies offering free estimates to retrofit your house with solar panels, the one thing they all had in common was obvious: sustainability. They were participating in the city's “Sustainable Richmond” event, held at Gallery 5, where local businesses with a knack for going green gathered to not only demonstrate their wears, but discuss the environmentally conscious and sustainable future of Richmond.

The City of Richmond made a progressive move towards sustainability in March of this year, when Mayor Dwight Jones appointed Alicia Zatcoff as the city’s sustainability manager. The position is the first of its kind for the City of Richmond and was created in part by a grant from the federal government.

“Well I think, you know over all the purpose of having this position is to focus on developing initiatives that support the sustainability priorities for Richmond, which are to help improve the quality of life for our residents and to create a healthy environment and to enhance the economic development and job creation opportunities. So we’re taking a holistic approach to the word, the term ‘sustainability’.”

One of these initiatives was the release of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. Zatcoff said that the report found and compiled data for the City of Richmond and assessed the amount of greenhouse gases the city is releasing. This report card of sustainability can be used to grade future sustainability efforts.

“For the City of Richmond we’re emitting close to 3 million metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide. So now that we have our baseline we want to figure out, well how do we reduce that?”


Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key for the future of an overall sustainable city. Spach Trahan works for the Partnership for Smarter Growth, who participated in “Sustainable Richmond” and is a local non-profit that advocates for the smart growth of cities. Trahan says that while Richmond has the potential to dramatically reduce its emissions via public transit, limited access to outlying counties has proven to be a disconnect between the metro and suburban areas.

“A lot of times it’s like, well it’s either not cost effective for them to buy a bus pass, just because they might need to drive to the next stop, so what’s the point, or there just aren’t any available and that’s what we’re seeing a lot is that it’s just not reaching far enough to meet the needs of the region.”
Sustainability also means denser cities and metro areas with less sprawl and outward movement of towns. Trahan notes that while GRTC is mostly efficient and reliable within the city limits, already established outlying counties are being forgotten and forced to remain auto-centric.

“Well we realized that, you know after decades and decades of people moving out of cities that now people are moving back in and so cities are growing and we want to make sure that they’re growing smartly. We don’t want to just be sprawling out and building like we have tons of land and options out there, because we realize that the way we’ve been building in the past hasn’t quite worked out the way we wanted it to.”


For Richmond, these building practices of the past can’t support a sustainable future. Megan Miller, executive director for the James River Green Building Council agrees that reutilizing what has already been established is one of the best ways to spark life in to a city, but remain sustainable by not letting anything go to waste.

“If you look at Old Manchester and what’s happened in that area and Church Hill and what’s happened in that area, it’s slow, but I think that if more parties continue to reinvest in those areas rather than continue to build out and create more sprawl, it’s definitely going to be better for the city in the long run and for the residents.”

The James River Green Building Council works with local design firms and architects to draw plans for the future of the city. Their goal is to help grow the city in a sustainably sound way. For new developments and revitalization of old structures, they employ the L.E.E.D. system, which is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. L.E.E.D. works by use of a point system to signify whether a structure is sustainable or not.

Due to the large amount of historic and antiquated structures in Richmond, Miller says that following the L.E.E.D. system in revitalizing old buildings provides more challenges than simply building a new structure to L.E.E.D. standards.

“It’s kind of an interesting conundrum, because the ‘most green’ building is the one that’s already been built. There’s always the argument of, if you have a totally inefficient building, is it greener to just knock it down and build a whole new one, or is it greener to try and retrofit that building, and there’s no easy answer to that question.”

But building a new structure in a historic city is no easy feat. The James River Green Building Council agrees that keeping the aesthetic of Richmond and whichever city you are in is integral in keeping the public onboard with sustainability and revitalization.

/Brad Fulton

"Veterans First" Volunteers Serve Those Who Have Served Us All

(Photo courtesy of Veterans First)

In a typical project, last year Veterans First helped out a disabled vet who relies on a wheelchair. The floors in his home needed repairs to correct safety hazards, so VF members did the job using plywood, vinyl and carpeting donated by our business community. For more info on projects and programs, visit their website at http://veteransfirstinc.org/.

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“The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” That is the motto and creed of Richmond’s own Veterans First, Inc., founded two years ago by Ms. Hank Mitchell and her significant other. Mitchell serves as the chapter’s treasurer and was willing to act as spokesperson when WRIR’s news department caught up with her on Memorial Day, just before the ceremony at Virginia’s War Memorial.

/Mark Dorroh

Tiffany Glass comes to the VMFA

Photo Credit: John Garcia

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For its first international exhibit, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts welcomed Tiffany: Color and Light into its newly renovated halls this past weekend. The collection showcases the talents of Louis Comfort Tiffany, a 20^th century glass master known for his stained glass and decorative lamps. Richmond is the final stop for the touring collection, which originated in Montreal, Canada.

Alex Nyerges Director of the VMFA, said Richmond already contained a vast collection of Tiffany glass and it seemed fitting to bring the “Light and Color” show here.

“Richmond is one of the great repositories for Tiffany treasures, thanks to Sydney and Frances Lewis. We at the VMFA have one of the greatest collections in the world.”

The exhibit was initiated by the Montreal museum of Fine Arts after they acquired a near by church. Natalie Bondiel, director of the Montreal Museum told the rest of the story at the gallery opening.

“In this church, there were some windows, a very important collection of 18 windows, by Tiffany. And this treasury stayed unknown until we bought the church. We decided to initiate this exhibition to study the windows and restore them ect. And for us it was a great discovery. For us, this exhibition means a lot because it is a testimony, a legacy, we are giving back to the community.”

In Montreal, The exhibit saw over 120,000 visitors, and was as successful on in Paris, France. Its final stop is here in Richmond.

Wile the works themselves are incredible, the VMFA has worked hard with the Montreal Museum to create an interactive experience for patrons to fully experience the priceless works.

Part of that effort is in the form of an audio tour included in the admission ticket. You have a choice between spoken information about individual pieces, or music of the era. Janet Starkley came in from Henrico county to see the VMFA for the first time since its reopening. She found special interest in the audio tour.

“You walk around with this audio tape and you can either hear about the work of art or hear music that they decided corresponds with what you are looking at, and I have to say I didn’t expect that. And if you really listen, you can feel the art through the music they have selected.”

Nygeres says the musical section helps bring the museum visitor into the world of Tiffany.

“To be able to listen to the music of the era of Lewis Tiffany, it’s just so wonderful because it ads a new demotion beyond the visual and pure historical. It’s a wonderful way to blend the art.”

Susan Gregory, a Henrico County resident, had seen Tiffany works before, but never so nicely put together and organized. She had been waiting to see the newly remodeled VMFA and wile down town she decided to stop by.

“It was quite stunning, quite wonderful. I liked that there was just enough, it wasn’t overwhelming. The stained glass windows from Montreal were incredible. And the large pieces of stained glass were great, and I had not seen a lot of the large pieces before. There was lots of pottery a lot of smaller pieces of glass work, so it was nice to see those.”

Jim Starkley also made his first visit to the museum since its reopening. He restored stained glass 30 years ago so he had a special appreciation for the work of the master.

“I love stained glass, its one of those organic art forms that really speaks to me, you can see the craftsmanship that’s in it. Its readily accessible through all the buildings in the area. I did a lot of work restoring stained glass through out New York State, and so its good to see it again, especially the good stuff. A lot of the stuff you see in shops, trying to compare it to Tiffany work well, its kind of unfair.”

This is not the first Tiffany glass to appear in Richmond. The VMFA has a sizable collection of the master’s works in its permanent collection. A particular piece, titled ‘Punch Bowl,’ stands out in the room dedicated to Tiffany works located on the 3^rd floor. This organic, multi-hued piece is in fact a punch bowl, lined with ladle and cups.

Nyerges explains the piece’s relevance.

“It’s a typical example of great Art Nouveau work. It was shown in the Paris exhibition in 1900, it was the star of the show. It made Tiffany a star. It is probably the most unique of his creations, and that’s saying a lot considering the master of glass that he was.”

"Tiffany Glass: Color and Light” is running now through August 15^th at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard. Tickets can be purchased online at $15 for general admission, and $12 for groups, seniors, students, and youths 7 to 17. Learn more at vmfa.state.va.us. To see pictures of some of the pieces, check out our website WRIRNews.blogspot.com

For Richmond Independent Radio News, I’m Brad Kutner

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The Memorial Holiday weekend began with two Richmond shootings on Friday. The first was at 4:30pm near Battery Park where two people were injured but expected to recover, according to NBC 12 News . Next, shots rang out near the 14^th Street Bridge just after 6pm which is near a homeless encampment. Reports say the victim was shot in the leg.

On Saturday, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported nearby island dweller Joseph “J.D.” Osborne had been picked up from his camp at 8am as a suspect in the shooting. He was acquaintances with the victim and police say Osborne accosted the man after they squabbled. The Times-Dispatch spoke with Rob Sabatini, a local who often takes photos in the area near the shooting and saw the injured victim after he was attacked. He said he was familiar with Osborne who he described as a “pretty nice guy.” Sabatini said the victim, who he identified as William Smith, said he argued with the suspect over aluminum cans and Smith told him there was trouble brewing among the two men.

Violence continued on Memorial Day with a shooting overnight on Chamberlayne Avenue. Two men were shot by men in a SUV but were expected to survive.

A photo show of inner city Richmond kids’ work will open next Thursday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1719 North 22nd Street. Lloyd Young of the Peter Paul Development Center, a non-profit community outreach program, is the curator of the glimpse into youth lives in the projects. The photo show is the product of the Literacy Through Photography project Young started. RVA Magazine spoke with Young who said the goal is to provide students with the “necessary tools to photograph their environments” and to “capture how their communities are.” More information is available at peterpauldevcenter.org.

Richmond leaders hope a new loan program will make it easier for entrepreneurs to get up and running in the city. Starting in July, the “revolving loan program” will allow the city to lend small business owners seed money to open their doors. As the businesses pay the loans back, funds will be funneled back into the system for others to apply for. According to the Times Dispatch, the city has set aside one million dollars to be loaned out with interest rates of 2 to 9 percent, for the first leg of the program. These initial loans are for women and minorities but the program will expand to 2 million dollars in it’s second phase and will be open to any entrepreneur.

Richmond will play host to two popular local festivals thia weekend. The 34^th Annual Greek Festival begins tomorrow at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church just past Carytown on Malvern St. The event ,that often pulls 25 to 35 thousand patrons, will continue until Sunday with Greek food, dancing, music and vendors.

The newer Broad Appetit food festival will also try to entice Richmond crowds this Sunday. 58 local restaurants have signed up to sell their samples for three dollars a pop and the money you spend goes to Meals on Wheels and The Central Virginia Foodbank . The festival will also feature local music and demos from local chefs.

The new owner of the infamous Club Velvet in Shockoe Bottom has applied for a liquor license. William A. Pyliaris who also owns adult entertainment venue Pure Pleasure applied for the license only two weeks after it had been revoked from the previous owner Samuel J.T. Moore III. An ABC Department spokesperson told the Times Dispatch last week that the application is under review but state law says requests can be denied if a location has had its license revoked in the last year. The new owner may also run into problems after recent late night shootings in the Bottom have made residents and the area Neighborhood Association eager to impose restrictions on nightclubs.

-Caroline Jackson