Some People Who Live in the Vicinity of Central Park in Petersburg VA

Petersburg city attorney, Robert Dawson, resigns

2008-10-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

City attorney resigns
By Markus Schmidt
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:52 AM EDT
PETERSBURG — City Attorney Robert Dawson, a central figure in trying to reform Petersburg’s government, has resigned.

Dawson’s resignation will be effective Nov. 21, roughly 27 months after he started the job.

After calling a number of city officials yesterday to inform them of his decision personally, he sent a formal resignation letter by e-mail to all council members, City Manager B. David Canada, the Clerk of Council and other officials.

Dawson’s letter of resignation did not disclose any reason for his resignation and he didn’t want to add much over the phone.

"There was no specific reason for my decision," he said. "I thank the people of Petersburg for this opportunity."

Dawson has been a key official in getting an efficiency review for the city, which exposed many flaws in the operations of the local government. He is also the author of a memo that questioned the city’s ownership with the Petersburg Generals. In the October 2007 memo to the council, Dawson expressed his concern over the legality of such ownership and demanded an internal investigation. After this was made public, Commonwealth’s Attorney Cassandra Burns launched a criminal probe into the matter.

Dawson lost the support of some council members after the Generals issue became a public issue. Many council members and city officials privately blamed Dawson for revealing an issue that most would have liked to remain disclosed.

But the city’s efficiency report by Berkshire Advisors Inc. praised Dawson’s performance.

"The City of Petersburg is fortunate to have a capable city attorney with the background and experience needed to support effective city operations," the report said. "Indeed, during his tenure with the city, the city attorney has achieved some significant accomplishments."

However, the report foreshadowed problems between the city attorney and others in city government. The report noted that some city officials didn’t understand the role of city attorney and others preferred to make decisions without the input of legal counsel. The report concluded that "the city does not always make effective use of the city attorney to protect the city’s legal interests."

Councilman Ken Pritchett said he was first impressed with Dawson, until he started to look into matters "that were in the past and couldn’t be changed." Pritchett also said the city needs to react quickly and advertise the open position immediately. "It would not be a good idea to spend more money on outside lawyers when we can have one on salary," he said.

Vice Mayor Horace Webb said he wouldn’t comment on the recent controversy around Dawson, but said he thinks highly of him. "Mr. Dawson has demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable when it comes to city government. I really enjoyed working with him and I wish him all the luck," he said.

Other council members declined to comment or could not be reached.

In spite of the controversy around him, Dawson remained diplomatic in yesterday’s confidential memo. "I sincerely appreciate the opportunity that the city gave me to serve as the City’s Chief Legal Adviser," he wrote.

Dawson declined to say if he had already a new job and if he was going to leave the city.

Leading by example?

2008-08-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

You know that old saying about fiddling while Rome burned?
This was taken from the City's homepage.

This was taken yesterday 8-29-08.

Just makes you wonder how is the City going to encourage its residents to be responsible stewards of our resources when the City feels they do not need to be.

So glad that golf course greens are exempt, cause everyone knows clean drinking water comes second to perfect greens, not to mention all the gas that is used to cut those greens because they are watered so much- which causes more of a demand for the commodity which makes our current gas prices so volatile... Sorry don't get me started, this is about water.

I enjoy the beauty and the sound of the fountain immensely and have called Public Works many times when it has malfunctioned, but the time has come for us to be responsible. If the City is expecting us to tighten our belts in order to prevent a larger crisis, we should be expecting the same from the City.

Poplar Lawn Makes the News

2008-07-13T06:16:00.001-07:00

We were in the Progress-Index this past Thursday, and on Petersburg Peoples News too, because of the Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood SaluteSM prize.

Who's with me on trying to get some other positive news out about our fair neighborhood?

Below are several links to award nomination forms for neighborhoods, neighbors, even urban gardens. Please consider our neighborhood, its sites and your neighbors for awards. And please post in the comments your nomination submissions, so that we all know about them!

http://www.vsnconf.org/awards.htm

http://www.usaonwatch.org/AboutUs/AwardsProgram.php

http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/ao_survey.form?x_gm_id=1499&x_section_id=5108&x_quiz_survey_id=2266

http://www.apva.org/awards/

http://www.metroblooms.org/nominate.php

A Goodbye to Christine and Christopher Shorr

2008-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our neighbors Christine and Christopher Shorr left for new adventures North of the Mason Dixon line. As a friend, I will miss their overwhelming sense of generosity and kindness, their creativity, and their incomprable entertaining. As a member of this fair city, I feel their loss in the myriad projects they have put into place, the connections they have made between people, and the organizations they have served, even founded.

When I first came to Petersburg five years ago, Christine, the president of the Historic Poplar Lawn Association at that time, was one of the first people that I met. She welcomed my overwhelmed self, a complete stranger whose husband had not yet moved to join me in our monstrosity-project of a house, into her home to show me photos of their house when they started working on it. She encouraged me. She made me an instant friend.

That house, where I have spent countless wonderful hours eating amazing food, imbibing, dancing, playing board games or Guitar Hero, and laughing---always laughing---with a good portion of Petersburg's residents, was condemned when they purchased it. Every beautiful detail was lovingly restored by them, eclectically decorated. It became a house full of life and love. I cannot believe that today it stands empty.

That house was where Sycamore Rouge started, people brought together by Christopher before there was ever a building or funding. It started with his idea. Sycamore Rouge was a passion: it was exciting to watch the entire entity grow from nothing, to be a part of it, to have new people move to Petersburg and get involved because they were brought together by these kinetic people, their home, their projects.

Even in their departure, Christopher and Christine were bringing people together: they made sure that the woman purchasing their home met many of their neighbors on their way out of town. Ladonna is lovely. She will make a great addition to our community, and she promises to keep up the great parties in a house that just seems to be built for entertaining.

And so, I wish our friends well---with a sad heart for myself and my community, but with a joyful one for them and their newest adventures---and thank them for helping our neighborhood and city on its way. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where they are headed is so very, very fortunate.

edit, added 07/09/08: Petersburg Peoples News
edit, added 07/24/08: Progress Index

Historic Poplar Lawn Winner of Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute

2008-06-19T03:36:00.000-07:00

You may remember way back in April, the HPLA board at that time had been looking for ways to promote our lovely neighborhood, particularly the positive, friendly and active aspects of it.

We had requested that Poplar Lawn neighbors enter our neighborhood into some contests, and guess what? Historic Poplar Lawn is a grand prize winner of Edy's Slow Churned Neighborhood SaluteSM, a national contest.

Edy’s Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute^SM has been bringing ice cream block parties to cities all across America for four years, and our block is next!

The winning entry:

Nestled in the middle of downtown historic Petersburg, Virginia, Poplar Lawn boasts a lovely historic park, gorgeous old homes, and some of the friendliest fun-loving neighbors you’ll ever meet.

The neighbors in Poplar Lawn, a nationally registered historic neighborhood, are not only friendly but also community-minded. In addition to Neighborhood Watch and a very active neighborhood association, Poplar Lawn works to keep neighbors in contact through phone calls, flyers and an email distribution list as well as with a blog.

Lively conversation and wit on the blog and in neighborhood meetings is often inspired by local government, community projects and the trials and joys of being a part of a redeveloping urban community. Everyone’s opinion is welcome to be expressed, and at the end of the day, regardless of opposing opinions, the neighbors are always friendly to one another.

The neighborhood is a lovely walking community, and people visit on the porches in the warm months, often offering a glass of sweet tea or lemonade. Several neighbors throw themed parties, encouraging everyone to dress up. The neighborhood association has even hosted an Oktoberfest and a holiday party that featured belly dancers.

The neighborhood also works to serve its community by restoring and preserving historic spaces, maintaining and patrolling a centrally located park and participating in civic activities like a city-wide food drive, planting gardens in public spaces and participating in local clean-up days.

Since nearly everyone in the neighborhood is restoring historic homes, neighbors always chip in to help each other out when something goes awry during construction, or when neighbors need encouragement. We celebrate community successes and joys and mourn community losses, a built-in support system during times of both birth and passing. The neighbors are all very generous and work to welcome new members as well as check-in with long-time residents with friendly conversation and baked treats or some tomatoes from the garden.

Historic Poplar Lawn in Petersburg, Virginia is beautiful and historic, yes, but its charm and life come from its neighbors.

Stay posted for more information about our upcoming block party from Edy's!

Your fifteen minutes of fame: a living art project

2008-05-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

You may remember the recent appearance of some artwork in Central Park created by Noah Scalin of the Webby Award-winning blog, skulladay.com.

Skull #328, Rock 'N' Skull is still a temporary feature in the park, in fact Public Works weed-whacked around it the last time they mowed, which is pretty cool for it to be recognized that way.

Well, now you too can be a part of web-project-art history. On June 1 at 9:00 am on Belle Isle in Richmond, VA, you too can be a part of a giant, living skull.

How cool is that?

Current Events

2008-05-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

When the Intelligent, fearing interaction with the Ignorant, choose silence over contribution. Thus begins the censorship of intelligence.

Resist contributing to this, the worst kind of censorship!
Derek Jones

Time for a Prostitution Free Zone

2008-05-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

For over 1 year now, many of us have been advocating Poplar Lawn Park be designated a "Prostitution Free Zone" only to be brushed off by the city, saying that we do not have an issue with prostitution in the area.

The recommendation for a Prostitution Free Zone was made by the police, to make their job easier, the idea being that they know regular prostitutes on sight and can arrest those who have previous prostitution records for being in that designated area because anyone with a prostitution record is not allowed in the zone. (We had also asked for a "Drug Free Zone" in the same area for the same reasons.)

I (or should I say our Dogs) routinely find used condoms around the park. While I commend those that are doing this for practicing safe sex-(*Petersburg in #1 in the state for STD cases) there is probably a number that do not.

On Friday(May 2, 2008), in preparation for an event in the Park on Saturday the Public Works crews mowed all the grass in the Park, so I know that sometime Friday Night/Saturday Morning there was quite a bit of action happening in the park.

What I find disturbing is the number of items left behind, indicating the amount of activity, the close proximity to the residences in our neighborhood, and that these items once used are considered "bio-hazards" because they can spread blood-borne pathogens (ie: Hepatitis, HIV). This is no different than if a local Doctor's office was dumping medical trash in the park.

This is the tree where it happened. Notice how close it is to the fountain and the street.

How many more pictures do we need before we can make the park a Prostitution Free Zone?

Wrapper 1 Wrapper 2 & 3
Wrapper 4 Fake Nail & Wrapper 5

The 5 used condoms to match the wrappers. Any amateur Detectives want to gather DNA Evidence? Two are still in good shape, other three were not as careful.

Finally possible evidence for payment. There was a distinct rough impression in the wrapper, that would suggest it contained a crack rock.

"Restoring Historic Windows" an excellent resource

2008-05-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday's "Restoring Historic Windows" with presenter David Gibney of Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc. was excellent! Thanks to the city for providing such a good quality and comprehensive workshop.

For those of you who could not make it but would like the information about Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc. as a resource, here it is:
Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc.
David Gibney
PO Box 266
Smithsburg, MD 21783
301-824-2800
301-739-0996
d.gibney(at)myactv(dot)net

David Gibney has been a practicing restoration craftsman and technician for the past twenty-five years. His areas of expertise include carpentry masonry, decorative plaster, timber and log structure restoration. As founder and president of Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc., David's work focuses on the design, history, and preservation of high-end early American homes. He also teaches restoration at Hartford Community College, Belair, MD

Happy May Day, Poplar Lawn!

2008-05-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

May Day celebrates springtime with community gatherings, oftentimes featuring a Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons. Poplar Lawn is having a Spring Fling celebration (sans Maypole) on May 17th from 5:00-9:00 in yards adjoining the park to celebrate spring and our community.

On May Day, May Baskets are left as a surprise at neighbors' doorsteps. Traditionally, the person receiving the basket would try to catch the person who left the May Basket. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged. Hear that, Tammy?! ;)

May 1 is also International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day. (See GuerrillaGardening.org for more information on using gardening to reclaim blighted areas.)

Please take some time today to spread some goodwill surprises to your neighbors and perhaps some wildflower seeds throughout some of our vacant spaces!

~Mady

Historic Poplar Lawn on Skull-A-Day!

2008-04-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Check out this really cool site, both online and in person: the artwork is in our very own park.

skulladay.com

(Skull #328, Rock 'N' Skull)

Garden Week in Poplar Lawn

2008-04-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

It may be raining for this Garden Week, but Poplar Lawn is spiffy and gorgeous anyway. Check out how lovely everything was looking before it started pouring:

East Marshall Street
Iris on East Marshall Street
Jeff and Bev's lovely yard
More at Jeff and Bev's

Amos and Joyce participated in the Garden Week tour
Amos and Joyce
The traffic circle is blooming
Irises on Sycamore, Kay and Jay's house
Kay and Tommy's garden
Liberty Street looks great after the clean up
The dogwoods blooming on Sycamore Street
Mady and Phil's irises
Mady and Phil's daffodils
DOGZILLA!

posted by Mady

Poplar Lawn Community Cleanup Day a Success!

2008-04-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Community Cleanup Day could not have been more beautiful: sunny with a breeze and friendly people dressed in safety orange vests.

We had some hard-working neighbors out there today. A group even worked crime prevention when they found a dumped pile of office garbage that had been stolen from a law office in Hopewell and dumped off of Jefferson Street. We started out with some coffee and donuts on Sycamore Street, and then everyone raked and shoveled and clipped plants and picked up trash and filled many bags with garbage and debris. Ralph rode his tractor and mowed several empty lots. Phil and Dave picked up all the neon orange trash bags and piles of brush in Dave's pickup, so it would all be gone for Garden Week.

Many, many thanks to Dave Alexander, Angie and Ralph (ROB!) Baldwin, Phil "Batman" Cheney, Tony Cooper, Judith Gruca, Kevin Johns, Suzette Kearns, Ralston Mims, Pam Roberts, Debra and Victor Robles, Amy Rizzo, and the guy cutting the grass with scissors on Marshall Street.

Ralph racing from vacant lot to vacant lot
Super Angie to the rescue!
Victor cleans up the neighborhood.
Debra is so fashionable, she always matches her safety vest to her trash bags.
Our new neighbor Judith joins in.
A team effort to clean up Jefferson Street.
Pam blows us all away with her power tools.
Suzette comes all the way from Richmond to help us clean up the neighborhood.

Dave and Phil cut back overgrown shrubs on Harrison Street.
Even the dogs help out in Poplar Lawn!

Ralston rakes up Marshall Street.

Tony 's set of wheel.Bright orange bags o' trash.

Pick up service is here...transporters of trash bags.

Nominate Poplar Lawn, your neighbors, their gardens, etc.

2008-04-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Below are several links to award nomination forms for neighborhoods, neighbors, even urban gardens. Please consider nominating Poplar Lawn, its sites and your neighbors for awards. Afterward, please email your nomination submissions to PoplarLawn-at-gmail, so that I may share them with the neighborhood and post them to the blog.

http://www.vsnconf.org/awards.htm

http://www.usaonwatch.org/AboutUs/AwardsProgram.php

http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/ao_survey.form?x_gm_id=1499&x_section_id=5108&x_quiz_survey_id=2266

http://www.apva.org/awards/

http://www.metroblooms.org/nominate.php

posted by Mady

Check out/post photos of P'burg

2008-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, beautiful pics showing the gorgeousness of our city and its people.

Go here to see them.

Posted by Mady

Spring Cleaning on Tulip Alley!!

2008-04-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

A swarm of police cars were a long-awaited vision as they headed down Tulip Alley on Thursday, April 10, to clean out the rat's nests that thrive there. About four "residents" emerged in handcuffs, including "Phlegmish girl", the foul-mouthed young woman who walks around our neighborhood screaming expletives all night long, and her apparent, verbally abusive boyfriend, aka "Fly", "Small Fly" and "Spanish Fly" , as well as at least two other drunken, drugged-out denizens. If the landlord keeps the place clean henceforth, our real estate values will soar. He is the blame for this mess more than anyone and should be fined or prosecuted for continually aiding and abetting drug dealers. Plegmish girl seems to be sad case and I do hope this serves as a wake-up call that prompts her to find help. But tonight we expect to see the regular crackheads driving by in new cars, walking by, or riding their bikes, only to be disappointed that the drug store is, for the time being, closed. Thanks to the police and the chief for a job well done..

—JA

Promoting Poplar Lawn Neighborhood

2008-04-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

The board has been looking for ways to promote our lovely neighborhood, particulary the positive, friendly and active aspects of it. This includes entering our neighborhood into some contests, so you will be hearing more about that soon.

Nestled in the middle of downtown historic Petersburg, Virginia, Poplar Lawn boasts a lovely historic park, gorgeous old homes, and some of the friendliest fun-loving neighbors you’ll ever meet.

The neighbors in Poplar Lawn, a nationally registered historic neighborhood, are not only friendly but also community-minded. In addition to Neighborhood Watch and a very active neighborhood association, Poplar Lawn works to keep neighbors in contact through phone calls, flyers and an email distribution list as well as with a blog.

Lively conversation and wit on the blog and in neighborhood meetings is often inspired by local government, community projects and the trials and joys of being a part of a redeveloping urban community. Everyone’s opinion is welcome to be expressed, and at the end of the day, regardless of opposing opinions, the neighbors are always friendly to one another.

The neighborhood is a lovely walking community, and people visit on the porches in the warm months, often offering a glass of sweet tea or lemonade. Several neighbors throw themed parties, encouraging everyone to dress up. The neighborhood association has even hosted an Oktoberfest and a holiday party that featured belly dancers.

The neighborhood also works to serve its community by restoring and preserving historic spaces, maintaining and patrolling a centrally located park and participating in civic activities like a city-wide food drive, planting gardens in public spaces and participating in local clean-up days.

Since nearly everyone in the neighborhood is restoring historic homes, neighbors always chip in to help each other out when something goes awry during construction, or when neighbors need encouragement. We celebrate community successes and joys and mourn community losses, a built-in support system during times of both birth and passing. The neighbors are all very generous and work to welcome new members as well as check-in with long-time residents with friendly conversation and baked treats or some tomatoes from the garden.

Historic Poplar Lawn in Petersburg, Virginia is beautiful and historic, yes, but its charm and life come from its neighbors.

posted by Mady

Petersburg Preservation Workshops: Updated 04/08/08

2008-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 4, 2:00 to 5:30 pm
"What It Means To Be In A Historic District"
Historic Petersburg Foundation headquarters, 420 Grove Avenue
Presented by APVA Preservation Virginia & the Virginia Department of Historic Resources
The registration cost for the workshop is $30 per person ($25 for members of APVA Preservation Virginia.)
This workshop qualifies as a continuing education & post license education course through the Virginia Real Estate Board.

Thursday, April 10, 7:00 pm
Historic Paint Colors
Free!
Union Station,103 River Street
Presentation by John Crosby Freeman "The Color Doctor"
Mr. Freeman has over 25 years experience selecting, naming and arranging palettes of historic paint colors, and has authored over 100 books, articles, essays, introductions, and bibliographies on historic visual arts.
One-on-one consultations are available with Mr. Freeman. Please call ahead to schedule.

Friday, April 11, 12:00 pm
"Translating Color Into Dollars"
Free!
Old Town Catering Company, 9 West Old Street
Light lunch provided, limited seats available. Please rsvp at (804) 733-2308
Presentation by John Crosby Freeman "The Color Doctor"
Mr. Freeman has over 25 years experience selecting, naming and arranging palettes of historic paint colors, and has authored over 100 books, articles, essays, introductions, and bibliographies on historic visual arts.
One-on-one consultations are available with Mr. Freeman. Please call ahead to schedule.

Saturday, April 12, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
"Classic Colors for Buildings: Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow"
Free!
Petersburg Regional Arts Center, 132 North Sycamore Street
Presentation by John Crosby Freeman "The Color Doctor"
Mr. Freeman has over 25 years experience selecting, naming and arranging palettes of historic paint colors, and has authored over 100 books, articles, essays, introductions, and bibliographies on historic visual arts.
One-on-one consultations are available with Mr. Freeman. Please call ahead to schedule.

Saturday, May 3, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
(Rescheduled from April 5!)
Restoring Historic Windows
Free!
Farmers Market, 9 East Old Street
Presenter- David Gibney, Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc.
David Gibney has been a practicing restoration craftsman and technician for the past twenty-five years. His areas of expertise include carpentry, masonry, decorative plaster, timber and log structure restoration. As founder and president of Historic Restoration Specialists, Inc., David's work focuses on the design, history, and preservation of high-end early American homes. He also teaches restoration at Harford Community College, Belair, MD.

For more information contact: Victoria A. Hauser, 733-2308, vahauser(at)petersburg-va(dot)org

Sponsored by the City of Petersburg, Department of Planning, in partnership with a generous grant from the Certified Local Government program.

The activity that is the subject of this flyer has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior.

posted by Mady 03/17/08, updated 03/21/08 and 04/08/08

City Assessor information---April 15 deadline for reviews

2008-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

A reminder, if you feel the assessed value of your property does not represent the fair market value, or that the assessment is not equitable with comparable properties, or is otherwise erroneous, and wish to have the City Assessor's Office review the assessment, you need to submit your application for review before April 15.

Here is a link to the forms to have your assessment reviewed:
http://www.petersburg-va.org/assessor/review.htm

Here is a link to the records:
http://www.petersburg-va.org/assessor/records.asp

Mady

HPLA: Mortuary appealing zoning denial for 530 Sycamore Street

2008-03-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Brought to my attention yesterday by a neighbor and verified by Joe Hatch today by phone:

Shirley P Johnson Funeral Home, which was formerly on Halifax Street across from the Tabernacle Church before a fire damaged the building in January, is hoping to reopen at 530 Sycamore Street, which is on the corner of Sycamore Street at Walnut. The building has been empty, and was previously a doctor's office.

The service is small, about 3 to 4 funerals a month, according to the owners. They were denied use of this building, which would initially be a leased property, and are appealing the zoning decision this Thursday, March 27 at 2:00 pm on the third floor of City Hall.

If you have an opinion and cannot make it to the meeting on Thursday, you may submit a letter to
Joseph Hatch, Zoning Administrator
135 N. Union Street
Petersburg, Virginia 23803

For questions, please call Mr. Hatch at 804-733-2309.

posted by Mady

Ward 4 meeting on April 3 at 6:30pm

2008-03-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Ward 4 meeting will be on April 3 starting at 6:30pm at St Mark's Methodist Church. (Address and link to map below.) A rep from the Assessor's office will be attending, as will reps to discuss the new library project and South Side Train Station. The Old Towne Merchant's Association will be doing the reception. Councilman Moore will not be distributing fliers this time, but he will send out a telephone message.

St Mark's Methodist Church
225 Claremont St
Petersburg, VA 23805
(804) 733-4487

posted by Mady

HPF notification of 503 W. Washington Street approval by ARB

2008-03-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

HPLA was sent a notification from Historic Petersburg Foundation of a recent decision by the Architectural Review Board to approve a commercial trailer as a temporary structure for the Islamic Temple at 503 W. Washington Street in the Folly Castle Historic District.

The concern is that the trailer was approved for a year's use, and it is believed by HPF that the approved commercial trailer will linger past its approved time period. HPF would like the ARB to work with the house of worship to find a more appropriate structure for their use.

HPF has filed an appeal with the ARB and requested that the issue be listed as a City Council agenda item.

HPF asked me to share this information with you and requests that write a letter to Isaac Ward, Chair of the ARB, expressing opposition to the the March 12 decision approving the temporary structure.

The ARB information follows:
Architectural Review Board
Department of Planning & Community Development
City Hall, Room 304, Petersburg, Virginia 23803
Telephone#804-733-2308

If you have any questions, please contact David Primeaux, president of Historic Petersburg Foundation, at the below address:
Historic Petersburg Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 691
Petersburg, Virginia 23804
Telephone: 804-732-2096 Fax: 804-733-0867
420 Grove Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23804

posted by
Mady

Police and Community Together, a problem-solving workshop

2008-03-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Petersburg Bureau Of Police Presents
Police and Community Together
Tabernacle Community Life Center
444 Halifax Street
April 12, 2008
9 AM TO 4 PM
The Petersburg Bureau of Police invite you and your neighbors to attend a neighborhood problem solving workshop. Together we will focus our efforts on solving the problems you live with everyday. With the help of schools, churches, city agencies and service providers, we will make a difference in our neighborhoods and our city.
You must RSVP by March 28, 2008—Please Call 863-2726
Neighborhoods Including the West End, the Heights, Pocahontas Island and Old Towne
Wards 7– Webb, 6-Coleman, 5- Mickens and 4- Moore
Breakfast and lunch will be served compliments of Motorola.

posted by Mady

Become an HPLA blogger!

2008-03-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you are a Poplar Lawn resident and want to post on our blog, please sign up for a blogger account and email the neighborhood (PoplarLawn-at-gmail) for an invitation. All opinions are welcome. We do not censor, and we allow everyone to comment.

posted by Mady

Answers to HPLA Questions received in emails and through blog

2008-03-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone:

There have been some questions and concerns sent to me, and I will do my best to address them here.

Question: "When did Mady take over from Phil as President? Who are the board members?"

Answer: In name, I have been president this past year, but Phil and I have been working as co-presidents so the position would be filled.

Currently, the HPLA board is made up almost entirely of emeriti because we have not had parties interested in running for board membership. Despite requests for board members, many of these requests made personally to people in our community, there has just not been a resource for board members. That is understandable, as people in our neighborhood are just too busy helping our city and neighborhood in other ways. However, the board is now made up of the same people who have been doing this for years, and who are all stretched a bit thin. Hopefully, with the influx of new neighbors, we will have lots of new board members this year.

The board members are as follows:
Amy Rizzo, Mady Dersch, Kathy Fields and Phil Cheney are all emeriti who are staying on the board to try to help keep it going. Christine Shorr (past president) agreed to be on the board as an emeritus member as well. Jeff Abugel is in his last year in his term, but we don't ever want to lose him because he keeps his eye out for crime, always shows up when needed, and writes hilarious blog entries. Susette Kearns (who is one of our most dependable association members ever and shows up to everything but who does not reside in her home here in Poplar Lawn) was our only new member this year. Amy agreed to stay on in the VP position, and Mady stepped up to the President position for the year, with Phil's help.

--

Question: "Why didn't HPLA support High Street's Holiday Party last year?"

Answer: There have been several accusations that we did not promote last year's All Neighborhoods Party. While this accusation in and of itself seems sort of ludicrous, (Why would there be an organized attempt to systemically thwart a social event?) the HPLA board commits its support to the 2006 Holiday Party hosted by High Street.

On the contrary, the neighborhood was emailed last year with notification of the High Street-sponsored party. Mady also personally delivered to residents the hard copies that were given to us by High Street and did the usual call tree calls for the 2006 party at the same time that she called residents to inform them of the HPLA 2006 party. (not a lot of people came to the HPLA party in 2006 either).

The short answer: HPLA announced the 2006 Holiday Party hosted by High Street. The party was advertised by High Street and by HPLA. Not a lot of people went. A resonable guess is that people were busy with all the other parties and commitments during the holidays, which brings me to our next concern ...

--

Question: "Why didn't we have a Christmas Party this year?"

Answer: Everyone in our neighborhood was too busy: we all have careers and commitments and old houses that need fixing and families, etc. All of those things are priorities and should be. The holidays are a busy time. People are over-extended, and we all have a difficult time making it to all of the potential engagements.

Much discussion went around the board trying to justify a party that may not even be well attended: our last several have been a waste of money and really poorly attended. Ideas were thrown around to instead do something community-minded and improve the city with something other than a party that gets lost amidst all the other celebrating of the season or have a party at another time of the year.

We had very little budget to work with because we had not collected everyone's dues. We could not afford to rent a location, and no one wanted to offer a space. The usual players who balance the majority of the neighborhood association's workload were all stretched thin with work, moving, job searches, family commitments and illness, and travel.

--

Question: "Are we having a party to make up for the one we didn't have"?

Answer: A subcommittee has been formed by the fabulous Debra Robles to work on planning a social event. They are meeting and we will get back to everuone on the decision that is made about a social engagement for the combined neighborhood associations.

--

Question: "Why did we ask those outside of Poplar Lawn to bring anything to the party, back when we originally were scheduled to have a holiday party? I have never heard of guests from other Neighborhood Associations bringing anything."

Answer: In the past, we have been asked to bring things to parties outside of our neighborhood. Additionally, outsiders have brought things to our parties before. When the newbies on the board (the lot of us) came here, that was how we were told it was done, and how we'd been doing it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have shlepped all those ham biscuits to othe neighborhoods' parties. (And the invitation to our last all-neighborhoods holiday party, the one at At The Globe, had the same request on the invitation. No one set us straight that time.) We've learned our lesson now.

--

Question: "Why aren't we meeting regularly? Why don't we meet in peoples houses like we used to?"

Answer: Our bylaws say every other month. If we have a meeting with city officials made available to the neighborhood, we count that as a meeting. We actually have met a fair amount, but sometimes those meetings are poorly attended. if you would like to host a meeting, let us know.

--

Question: "To whom do I pay my dues? Are my dues paid for this year? Why are our dues due in June instead of Janurary?"

Answer: Pay dues to our treasurer, Kathy Fields. Our fiscal year starts in the summer per our bylaws.

--

Question: "...where is HPLA? Is the association on hiatus, or has it just died altogether?"

Answer: It's still around, with a few people doing a few things when they can. We need your help, though. If you like what we do, help us. If you hate our guts and everything we do, please, please throw a coup and take it over.

posted by Mady

Car break-in

2008-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Please read this account of an incident in Poplar Lawn that occurred February 27.

I was home early (3:00 PM) and unloading groceries from my car. I had made one quick trip into house, let the dog in the back yard and followed him to the driveway. He immediately started barking and when I got to my car, I saw a man walking down my driveway toward the street. I quickly looked in my car (which was unlocked - I know, I'm
stupid!) and saw that it had been gone through and items all about.

I called for him to stop, which he did, and asked him what he was doing in my yard. He said that he had stopped for a break and was walking down the street. I asked him what he had done with the things he had taken form my car ( I wasn't sure at this point what had been taken) and he said that he didn't take anything, but that Dave Harrison might have.

At this point I pulled out my cell phone and said I was going to call the police and let them get it straight. He then reached in his coat pocket and pulled out my XM radio receiver and another cell phone I own. He gave them to me and walked quickly across Fillmore to the park. In the middle of the park, another guy (the lookout?) called "Mike" to him and went over to see him. They both headed north on Sycamore. Later, after going through my car more thoroughly, I found that about $3.00 in change had been taken. I then called the police to
make a report. They sent an officer out and he walked the property with me.

Please let our neighbors know not to be as foolish (that's mild) as me. I honestly was gone from my car a total of five minutes in the middle of the day! I will never leave my car unlocked again, unless I can see it. By the way, the police officer encouraged me to report any and all
suspicious behavior, no matter how odd it may seem.

Booty Call Night at the Library?

2008-03-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

We're all familiar with Friday for the Arts, but last Wednesday evening seemed to initiate a new event with which we were not familiar. Coming home with a friend around 6:30 or so we noticed a large group of young people hanging around the library, as well as the mysterious buildings next door. It seems more likely that they were attending some kind of function at one of those buildings since my friend, who lives on Adams, and I both noticed a couple making out heavily against a fence. A half hour later, my friend came by and told me he had called the police because the couple in question had advanced to having sex on the ground just beyond his backyard. The police didn't come. A few minutes later I observed a gold van parked on Adams between Marshall and Tulip Alley. As I approached it I found a couple engaged in oral sex in the front seat, while it was still daylight. Unwisely, I yelled something sarcastic and read out their license plate, which, by the way, was JEM 1518. It didn't phase them and so they continued. I called the police, who this time, were more responsive.

The man was not impressive, by the way. But had he been a true man, like Gov. Spitzer, he would have at least gotten a room, even if the local going rate is closer to $5 or a hit of crack.

I can't wait until next Wednesday!
-jeff A

Time for the Historic Districts to Unite

2008-03-12T18:23:00.001-07:00

As discussed at a recent HPLA meeting, it is high time for all the Historic Districts of Petersburg to unite as one. This unification is long overdue, for obvious reasons.

Each historic district shares the same concerns. They include, but are certainly not limited to:

The preservation of and proper restoration of historic buildings;
The eradication of group homes, drug houses, halfway houses, and any and all establishments that denigrate or detract from historic neighborhoods;
The proper attention to maintenance of streets, control of traffic flow and pedestrian safety;
Accountability, and attention to aesthetics by city crews, utility companies etc. toward any and all public work done within historic districts;
Proper maintenance, rule enforcement, and patrols of all city parks within historic districts;
Rerouting of traffic which currently destroys delicate buildings; the most obvious example of this benign neglect is the use of Old Street as a primary artery for 18-wheel trucks and worse!

The list goes on and on. Each neighborhood association can ask for these things separately and be ignored, or they can join forces as one and demand action through a show of strength.

The fact is, most people within the historic districts are here for that very reason. Some of us are here for no other reason. We are not here for the quality of life, the great schools or the proximity to the beach, or access to the freeway. We are here for the history of the place, the homes in which we have sunk tons of money and for which we now pay increased taxes. A pleasant side benefit has been the many wonderful neighbors we have met all of whom share many of the same interests. These friendships cross neighborhood lines and add strength to the argument for one overriding association. All of us are appalled at the degree to which the state, city officials, absentee landlords, and even many residents have allowed Petersburg to decay and deteriorate to sub-third-world standards in the last thirty years. It is intolerable. A forceful, unified group of taxpayers living within historic districts should now execute the power it deserves to hold.

Keep posted as this new and powerful organization takes root.
—jeff a

Tulip Alley Worse Than Ever

2008-03-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Despite the two apparent arrests mentioned earlier, the residents of Tulip Alley have re-emerged with a vengeance. Like cockroaches, two go away one day, and ten show up the next. The houses on Tulip Alley are overcrowded firetraps with successful, ongoing, entrenched drug businesses thriving within and without, all hours of the night and day. Sometimes, vagrants wander down there and walk away cursing loudly because, for the moment, the store is closed. When they return a few hours later, the store is open for business again. There are either 20 people living in the easternmost shack, or there is simply an ongoing, nonstop trade. Last I heard, the Alley was not zoned for commercial use, but then again, the laws here only exist for those who follow them. I am quite certain now that nothing will ever be done about this nuisance. We, who have invested heavily in the neighborhood, will continue to see our taxes raised and be subjected to nonstop traffic up and down the alley. The slumlord who owns these shacks should at least get a business license. Oh, i forgot, he is a preacher, and so doesn't pay taxes.
Despite all the newspaper hype about downtown Petersburg, which is merely hype and little more, Poplar Lawn is getting worse. Drug traffic has increased, loud, wandering gangs of kids have appeared, and with all this has come the noise pollution of loud mouthed-transients whose three-word vocabulary centers on using the F-word as often and as loudly as possible. The Public Defender's Office, which has no business in a residential neighborhood, invites true or would-be criminals to our nicest street daily—simply because of the landlord's greed.
So where are all the neighborhood activists? Where are the building inspectors? Where are the police who still fail to show up after being called at 2 AM? And, perhaps most important, where is HPLA? Is the association on hiatus or has it just died altogether? Together, perhaps we can fight these things. So the real question is: Has the malaise and indifference that has long been a Petersburg tradition now infected our neighborhood association as well?

—Jeff a

Tulip Alley Pair Busted!

2008-01-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Fresh on the heels of a constructive and encouraging meeting between a handful of neighbors and the new police chief, and others, a neighbor reports witnessing a pair of noodnicks being hauled away from one of the Tulip Alley residences in handcuffs on Thursday. We are trying to find out more details, but the Alley has been quiet ever since. So far so good!

More Headaches: This Time from Within

2007-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

Apparently inspired by the glorious traffic circle at Marshall and Adams, William Tally has not only ignored our sensitivity about the presence of the Public Defender's Office, but now rubs our collective faces in it. The Public Defender's Office, housed in Mr. Tally's Building on the Northeast side of Marshall and Adams, has been a sore spot with all of us in the neighboring area for some time. Whatever good this office does is irrelevant. It should not be here, period. This new sign, however, seems to make their presence a moot point. As a mere technicality, why was this sign approved, without a public hearing? Can I put one in my yard for some other kind of business?

Channel 12 Not On Our Side

2007-12-16T15:39:00.001-08:00

The little message below has been sent to Channel 12 and a few zillion other people. It concerns a minor event, and while it bears no specific relation to Poplar Lawn, it does say something about how our city is treated by the media. If we who contribute to this blog, or others, want to kick and scream, bitch and moan to each other about life in Petersburg, that's OUR business. Deep down inside, we are all motivated by a single goal—to make this, our town, our house, better in some way. But when outsiders, especially media outsiders, say something bad about us, either directly, or by implication, then I really get pissed.
Like all Small Market media, Channel 12 is big on self-promotion, general hype, and sensationalizing the most meaningless trivialities. They also manage to make Henrico look like the 7th level of hell, and Petersburg not far behind, not necessarily through facts, but through the way they present the facts. Anyway, what's done is done. But maybe the next time you see their little van parked somewhere, ask them what they're doing in our house, and point them back to that dysfunctional hick town from which they came, where whatever bad they find here can be found a hundred times over.

"Dear Channel 12
Your report last week about purse snatchings and the dangers of holiday shopping was disturbing. Not because of the seasonal crime that always accompanies the holidays, but because you chose to report on the Petersburg incidents from the heart of Old Town, at the height of the Christmas shopping season.

If a robbery is committed in Church Hill, do you go to Stony Point to tell about it? Is an Henrico theft reported from Short Pump? I think not, even though they are all part of Richmond. So why then, when reporting on thefts in the furthest ends of Petersburg do you allow your cameras to scan the safest, most upscale business section of the city? Why interview the police about crime on Old Street, which is far removed from where said crimes were committed. You could have accessed the actual crime scenes just as easily, and the police station is only a block away. Why didn’t you go there?

One has to wonder what channel 12 has against Petersburg. When negative events occur, your crews are quickly on the scene, while the dozens of positive events now occurring regularly are all but ignored.

In this instance your actions reflect either sloppy, insensitive journalism, or an intentional attempt to further denigrate a city that has benefited from, and seen considerable investment and hard work from individual entrepreneurs—not from the government nor from corporations. These private business owners now bring the most to Old Town Petersburg, yet they are the ones to whom you have done the most harm. Your report, which used some of these businesses as the background, at the height of the shopping season, implied that all of Petersburg might be high-risk for shoppers.

Whether this all happened out of long-held prejudices against our city, or simply thoughtless, unprofessional journalism is something you alone can answer. In this instance, you have failed at your fundamental responsibility to present the news without bias. This report left viewers with an impression of Old Town that is completely false.

This has not gone unnoticed by the local business community and we will become ever vigilant and ready to defend ourselves in the face of lies, or negative innuendo, however subtle.

Petersburg is changing. New businesses and real estate sales are booming compared to elsewhere in the region—even as For Rent signs appear in block after block of a once-thriving Cary Street.

Many of us, newcomers from New York, California, Chicago, DC and elsewhere, do not take media condescension lightly. So the next time you do a report in Petersburg, please show a little respect, a little common courtesy. Next time we’ll see you coming."

Jeff Abugel

How to get people's attention in Petersburg

2007-12-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that we've done what visits to city council, meetings with city officials and letters to the newspaper cannot do: we've gotten everyone's attention and are the talk of the town.

More people are contacting me about Poplar Lawn's canceled holiday party than the traffic circle, trash cans and last year's armed robbery combined.

Here's the scoop that everyone wants: what happened with the party? The answer: the party did not happen for several reasons. A few of those reasons follow.

*We have very little budget to work with because we have not collected everyone's dues. We could not afford to rent a location, and no one wanted to offer a space.

*The usual players who balance the majority of the neighborhood association's workload were all stretched thin with work, moving, job searches, family commitments and illness, and travel.

*The neighborhood was asked for help, and everyone else was too busy as well. Everyone in our neighborhood is busy: we all have careers and commitments and old houses that need fixing and families, etc. All of those things are priorities and should be.

*Finally, much discussion went around the board trying to justify a party that may not even be well attended: our last several have been a waste of money and really poorly attended. Ideas were thrown around to instead do something community-minded and improve the city with something other than a party that gets lost amidst all the other celebrating of the season or have a party at another time of the year.

I think that a lot of this conversation around the parties highlights that the holidays are a busy time, that people are over-extended, and that we all have a difficult time making it to all of the potential engagements. That this is scandalous or a failure on the part of the neighborhood, our association or our board is overreaction.

If anyone would like to host a party in January or February, as has been suggested by several people, please let us know. I will address everyone's individual inquiries in time. Thank you for your patience. I have been traveling and have returned to a lot of deliverables, so I have been and will be somewhat out of pocket.

In closing, since there has been more than one accusation that we did not promote last year's All Neighborhoods Party, I am attaching the below email that was sent out last year as notification of that party. I also personally delivered to residents the hard copies given to us by High Street and did the usual call tree calls for that party last year.

Please do contact me about whatever concerns you have, but please be patient with my slow response time.

Thanks,
Mady

Tulip Alley Worse Than Ever

2007-12-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

Poplar Lawn and its many problems continue to suffer the neglect and indifference of the city. Aside from the issues addressed below, and the fact that most of Petersburg has other hotspots of drugs, group homes, slumlords, and calculated indifference, Tulip Alley is in our district, our neighborhood, and continues to be a sore on the face of all surrounding streets. Tons of money have gone into the restorations of Marshall Street and Jefferson Street, with tons of increased taxes going into the city's ungrateful coffers. So why do we have to endure the nonstop drug trafficking, late night drug pickups, drunks and lowlife that frequent the alley? Perhaps the owner of the Tulip Alley firetraps, who lives at Tulip and Jefferson could tell us? When was the last time these rat holes were inspected? How many people "live" there, and why do they have company all hours of the night and day? Must we resort to vigilantism in order to get anything done about this?
—J.A.

Priorities?

2007-12-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

"Y'know, a town with money is like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it!"
-Lyle Lanley

Well here it is- A week's worth of re-wiring around the fountain so that the circuit doesn't trip when it rains and another week of putting the lights together. Figure there was about 3 people working each day on average (some days 8/some days 1) that's about 240 hours of labor for something that is just going to be taken down again in a few weeks to the cost of another 100+ hours of labor. Let's not even consider the cost of energy that those lights take.

Here are 3 suggestions of what that same 340 labor hours could have accomplished in the park on a more permanent scale followed by ~~why I haven't done it myself:

1) Used 55 gal. barrel of cooking oil sitting next to a tree since May 20, 2007.
** Numerous calls to both sanitation and the health department. Health department did give the city an October 1, 2007 deadline to remove it- follow up calls to health department unanswered.
~~Barrel weighs about 500 lbs. Even if I could lift it into my truck the barrel is not sealed, and this is considered Household Hazardous Waste and as a private citizen I am limited to disposing 5 gallons.
UPDATE:REMOVED FEBRUARY 2008

2) Balustrade hit by car in January 2006.
** Filed Police report the day it happened. Follow up calls & emails to city departments asking for it to be fixed. City vehicles just drive over it as if it was meant to be like that causing more damage.
~~ Do not have access to the key to unlock the chain. Do not have access to power auger. Do not have ability to replace broken parts.

3) Railing on bridge broken Christmas Morning 2006.
** Filed Police report that morning. Picked up broken pieces to prevent them from being stolen by metal scavengers. Arranged a safe place for them to be stored. Called and emailed city departments about where the pieces are being stored. Pieces still sitting where they were put Christmas morning.
~~ Do not have access to the type of welder needed to make this repair. Also since this railing is over an 8 foot drop, there are probably building codes that need to be followed, and I am not going to put myself in a position to be liable in case someone gets hurt. Good Samaritan laws probably don't cover welding railing in public spaces.
UPDATE: FIXED MARCH 2009

There is so much that needs to be done, but unfortunately that would start to cost actual money to repair so I will need to write to (insert allegorical holiday figure here) about that and believe in magical park elves to fix it.

As you drive by, enjoy the lights- but remember those projects less fortunate this holiday season.

Happy Holidays Folks.

Steps Foward.... But Two Back

2007-11-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Just as sure as the Marshall & Adams traffic circle is up and flourishing, and people actually seem to have learned how to negotiate it, Poplar Lawn now deals with a couple of negatives as well. The lesser of these is the fact that post-drug raid Tulip Alley is seeing more traffic, more day and night activity than before. The cops say they are monitoring this, so we'll see what goes down. In times past, Charlotte the Crack Whore, and the late, less-familiar Santa Claus, were annoyances, but familiar to most of us. The new crowd is younger, more thuggish, and at times particularly loud and obnoxious. Keep an eye out and keep hounding the police.
On a sad note, our neighbor Christopher Shore and wife Christine, seem destined to leave the neighborhood, now that Christopher and Sycamore Rouge have parted ways more or less. The exact circumstances remain cloudy, but I think most of us would agree that a theater like Sycamore Rouge benefits greatly from a persona strongly identified with it—an impresario, master of ceremonies as such. In this regard, Christopher excelled and it is hard to imagine the place without him. We wish him luck and hope to see him often, as we wish Beth the best of fortune in taking the reins to carry on.

HPLA:Stuff Update

2007-11-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hi, all:

I apologize about being lax with the HPLA matters lately. Things had picked up for me (and the other board members too, of course) and time has just slipped by.

I also have to admit to a bit of general apathy alternating with malaise regarding the neighborhood and Petersburg in general. Yes, I went there. I (this is Mady personally, not the board) am frustrated by the wheels spinning and nothing happening.

We've had some bright spots (the lovely traffic circle planting by our neighbors on Marshall Street, the temporary trash cans, a few busts on crime called in by neighbors) but it is frustrating to live in a place where everyone seems to be working so hard only to be ignored by our city government and police. (Again, that's all me talking there.)

The whole thing where we followed the suggestions of the police regarding the park only to be ignored and there-thered by the City Council and City Attorney? That was a real downer. (The afore is my opinion only, again.)

So, I have my grievances. And I know that you all do too. So, what can we do about them? I propose that we all go as a neighborhood to a City Council meeting with an agenda and let them know that we are still here. Instead of all showng up at our own meeting and complaining, let's go to the source. Please send your suggestions to me, and I will circulate for consensus. We can speak as a group, and we can each go up and say our own piece too.

As a neighborhood, we have to get our mojo back. Any suggestions how?

Mady

The Natives Are Restless

2007-10-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been living under Pocahantas' rock, you know about the recent assaults on numerous drug houses, and the arrests of various schnooks all over town. For this we applaud the feds and the police. One small side effect, however, has been an increase in the number of lowlifes walking around Tulip Alley. Even Charlotte the Crack Whore has resurfaced, apparently having abandoned her Presidential Exploration Committee. We suspect that this new lot of crud floating to the surface of Tulip Alley is a sampling of those who used to frequent other drug houses around town. With those shut down, they are now wandering around the alley looking befuddled and scratching their chins, wondering where all the dealers went. The good news is that a fleet of cop cars visited the Alley itself a few days ago, and hopefully made a lasting dent in the crackhouse trade. The bad news is a man in a red T-shirt carrying a knife was scene walking the area Wednesday morning. He looks angry and desperate, so keep an eye out.

Posted by Jeff A——————

Circle Survives, One Stop Sign Down

2007-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to report that after a month or so the flourishing traffic roundabout at Marshall and Adams has yet to be run over, nor has it been abused in any way. The stop signs have not fared as well, however. Perhaps overtaken by the beauty of the circle itself, or more likely, overcome by Thunderbird or Ripple, someone managed to run down the stop sign on the northeast corner of the intersection. This apparently happened Friday night or early Saturday morning and the crippled sign is still laying there in pieces as of Sunday evening. The police were called by numerous residents, but despite this new safety hazard, it will apparently not be attended to until city workers actually go to work, maybe sometime Monday. Maybe. In the meantime, this new danger has renewed some fevered betting—this time as to who will obey the broken, sideways sign laying on the curb, and who will ignore it and hit someone stopping or not stopping for the three others.

———Posted by Jeff A

The Circle is Completed

2007-09-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

With funds from a handful of neighborhood residents, another handful congregated on Labor Day and completed the planting of the Marshall and Adams Traffic Circle in about 3 hours time. Thanks to those who kicked in cash for the plants, soil and mulch, as the steadfast few who got up at the crack of down to finish it up.

——Jeff A.

Circle to Be Planted Soon

2007-08-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

In a meeting of locals (preceeded by an email announcing it to all on the HPLA mailing list) the trees and plants to go in the Marshall/Adams Traffic Circle has been decided. A nice combination of a few evergreens of varied height and color will anchor the center, surrounded by hardy knockout roses, a border of Liriope, and some blue accents from another plant source. Despite the stormy weather, the people attending contributed their ideas and dollars and we have come very close to the total needed to fill the circle. Still, anyone who did not attend who would like to contribute a few dollars, please drop or mail your donation to Jeff and Bev at 104 Marshall by Aug 30. Make checks out to Beverly Rivers, the trustworthy one. Any amount that exceeds what's needed for the plants, mulch, and a little decent top soil will be keep in a modest maintenance fund to keep the circle in top shape henceforward. While different traffic deterrents were discussed (things such as boulders, spikes, land mines and trap doors) we are hoping that the sturdy little trees (which must by edict be no taller than 3 feet) and the sheer beauty of the thing will deter evil doers from wreaking havoc. And, my new video surveillance system will be able to identify them if the worst should happen. The circle will be planted Labor Day Weekend— specific day and time to be announced.

Jeff A
Boardmember

Another Blow for the Big Pee

2007-08-21T14:58:00.001-07:00

The daytime speed trap on Washington is apparently the city’s latest means to drive tourists, and business, away.

It seems now that all the drug houses on Tulip Alley are closed, the crack heads cleaned out of Halifax St., and the whores and pimps and assorted thieves and murderers are all behind bars, the police have plenty of time on their hands. So what better way to spend it than by harassing unwary tourists and visitors by nailing them the moment they are stupid enough to get off the freeway and venture into our glorious shopping and entertainment venue?

Petersburg does all it can to discourage new business—anyone who has started a business here quickly knows that. You jump through hoops, get a dozen or so signatures, have your signs approved and you might be ready to go. (In other, more enlightened places you send in a check and get a business license.) “Really?” some locals ask. Duh… yes, some towns actually ENCOURAGE business. “Hmmm, why on earth would anyone want to do that when you can get free money from the state for doing nothing?” Good question.

The new Washington Street Speed Trap puts that issue to rest, however. I lost one of my best customers today, allegedly because she was doing 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. Of course the obscenely slow speed limit is hard for anyone to obey, let alone see posted. Throughout the day, 18-wheelers, Ghetto blasters on wheels playing dated, offensive and misogynistic “music”, along with clowns in drug-financed Mercedes fly through at twice that speed, with immunity. So one could make a case that this lady was easy pickins’--- attractive, petite, and driving a new, but not very expensive compact. She looked out of her element. Perfect prey for a predator cop. When the officer saw that she was visiting from Newport Beach specifically to patronize Petersburg, (something she had only recently begun doing), he might have had the courtesy to let her off with a warning. But no, we are TOUGH on crime in the Big P, and we punish ALL transgressors. No biases here. Yeah, right. It’s a lot easier to fill a monthly quota with easy prey than actually bust a real criminal. Once again, the path of least resistance is the P burg way.

So, the lady in question next went downtown, not to eat and shop, as planned, but to pay her ticket at the courthouse. There, in the belly of the beast, the hot, depressing bureaucratic Temple of the People, she waited in line amidst the utility-cut-off and overdue-fine people to atone for her crime. (It seems that doing this is necessary to eliminate excessive additional charges incurred at a court date in the future.)

Needless to say, her day in Petersburg was not exactly material for the Petersburg Regional Tourism commercials.

I will pay this lady what she had to lay out for her ticket, and apologize for the cop laying in wait who either managed to, or was assigned to avoid the drug deals, domestic abuse, theft, larceny, and more relevant speeding (i.e. Marshall, Adams and Jefferson) all around him in order to nail this obvious middle class felon. Typically, I personally am staunchly pro police, and always support Petersburg’s force. I do not support speeding. But I believe in an empowered, forceful, even aggressive anti-crime and property-protection police force. Not this Barney Fife bullshit. Not this double standard that reinforces the worst of what we already suspect about small towns off the freeway.

Speeders, stop sign and light-jumpers all over town continue to be ignored. The new circle has been run over many times and you never, ever see a cop anywhere in the vicinity.

Having lived all over the country, and visited all over the world, I have never encountered a place with such an inherent and enigmatic compulsion to reward the wicked and discourage the good, to its own detriment.
“So get out!” one local once told me. If things continue as they are, most assuredly, I will. Until then, I will keep trying to change the chronically soiled diaper that the city seems to wear with inexplicable pride. If enough new people keep trying, maybe P-burg can be trained to stop peeing on the good people, and itself.

Thoroughly fed up
Roquentin

Another stop on my Path to Despair

2007-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: December 2007- Yep just another round of empty promises. So much for hope of actual change. The only change this time around was a new player in this saga in that the Commonwealth Attorney also made promises she never planned on doing anything about.

Post Original Title: The Email Heard Around the City

Apparently the email I sent out on Saturday has been causing quite a stir among the leadership in the city this week. In case you missed it here it is.

In light of the number of incidents this week around the neighborhood, please help me keep pressure on the city leadership so that we can move towards actual solutions and away from the past empty promises to discuss it next time. Keep your eyes open and a phone nearby! (For thoose who don't have it memorized Police Non-Emergency 732-4222 / Emergency is 911.)

Phil

"The time has come for us to stop turning a blind eye to the activities around Poplar Lawn Park.

This morning I discovered a shower cap full of tobacco on my front porch, evidence that a cigar was being filled with marijuana. It is evident that drug activity was taking place on my property, and there is the possibility that this activity was deliberately acted on my front porch by individuals who may be upset with my efforts to disrupt their "safe haven" in the park for such activities.

I called to have a report taken by the police and the officer left my property without documenting anything. No questions asked about possible suspects, no notes taken about background to this incident.

This is not the first time this week in which a harassing gesture has been directed at me because of my efforts to disrupt illegal activity in Poplar Lawn Park. Previous to last night, verbal threats have been made to me in the park, but last night's activity was a case of trespassing on private property and evidence of illegal drug use both of which should be documented for crime statistics.

As a graduate of Petersburg's Citizen Police Academy I have the utmost respect for the Police Department, but frankly the officer's lack of interest was rather disturbing. This just demonstrates the perception that the police force is over-extended and does not have the energy to deal with non-emergency issues.

Unfortunately, what may be perceived as a non-emergency issue today may escalate if left unchecked. I want it documented that this incident happened, and that possible suspects are notated in case of a future escalation.

Back in April, in a meeting with Councilman Moore, and City Attorney Dawson, I was told that Poplar Lawn Park couldn't be made a drug free zone because there were not enough calls for service to justify it. Recently, I saw a copy of the crime statistics, and I am sad to report that those numbers are for some reason grossly under-reported.

Perhaps it is to protect property values or maybe to protect the city's position on the national crime statistics list, but in walking the park on a regular basis one finds evidence of drug use:piles of tobacco removed from cigars, make shift crack stems, pieces of chore boys, and plastic bags so small it could have only included drugs.

With the incident this morning I ask once again that Poplar Lawn Park and the area around it be designated a drug free zone under Sec 74-462(a)(4). Since the statistics are flawed you must rely on the reliable information from the residents of the area that our health or safety is endangered by drugs and designate this area a drug free zone.

I by no means believe that the drug free zone is going to be the ultimate solution, however I do believe it being a step in responding to the larger crime problem. Solving that larger crime issue is going to take effort from many parties in the city.

First from the City Council/Manager/Attorney in writing new ordinances or increasing penalties to discourage illegal activities in and around public parks.

It is going to take the citizens to be aware of any current and new ordinances and follow them or call for service when there is a violation.

We need the effort from the police in responding to calls in a timely manner, and citing violations when they take place no matter how insignificant they may appear.

Finally, we need the support of the Commonwealth Attorney and the courts to prosecute violations that the police issue and identify maximum penalties for habitual offenders.

Albert Einstein was once quoted as saying "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it" This issue I raised is just the beginning of many that face us.

Crime is not just affecting one block or one neighborhood, drugs and other crime issues are affecting the city as a whole. The time has come for us to stand up and take a step towards solutions to these issues.

Everyday, I have the courage to make a phone call for service when illegal activities are taking place. Please have the courage to hear those calls and make a stand against these activities with me.

Phil Cheney
Historic Poplar Lawn Association"

Time for Willie to Go Nite Nite

2007-08-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

By now, most of you will have seen the panhandler who hangs out at Wythe and Adams—the bearded Willie Nelson wannabe who wears a hat and aggressively begs for money at every red light. Since the light there is unbearably long, he has plenty of time to harass residents and visitors alike. (Ironic that he is the first thing people encounter as they enter Poplar Lawn, instead of the yet-unplanted traffic circle.) This mamaluke is the kind of jerk that continues to give Petersburg a bad name. Until recently, Willie was extremely aggressive and often got into fights with motorists. Unlike Charlotte the Crack Whore who holds forth her hands in a pathetic gesture of need, Willie is egotistic, arrogant and nasty. A few weeks ago, after he provoked a few altercations with motorists, and after DOZENS of phone calls to the police he did a little time. But now he is back, with an illegible cardboard sign, and he seems to be a little less belligerent. But last night, with hundreds of people passing through for Friday for the Arts, he urinated behind a car waiting for the light. The police were called and never came. They were called again, and still never came. No doubt they were too busy guarding Alzeena's. Willie will now be a permanent fixture, it seems. But I will reason with him personally this week. He will understand, I am sure.

—Roquentin

Let's Fill That Thing— Before It's Too Late!

2007-07-30T13:47:00.001-07:00

The circle seems to be done, with signs, double yellow- and white lines worthy of Times Square. But twice already people have completely RUN OVER the circle. Some clip it, some evade it, but some, indeed, have run right through it! There won't be anything left of it before long if these yokels keep it up. The latest deep ruts have the look of sheer maliciousness rather than stupidity, but the only real test will come when the circle is filled with trees, plants or solid rock. So let's get on it...

Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

2007-07-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the Marshall and Adams roundabout appears to be completed and in fine working order, except for some landscaping. Overall, it seems to be serving its purpose. But of course, we are in Petersburg, or, in a broader sense, southern Virginia, so when you figure in factors such as being at the low end of the gene pool, there are still plenty of morons not knowing what to do. Many people still cut across in the wrong direction rather than navigate a full circle, despite yellow lines and cobblestone pointers. One guy in a white van not only ignored the circle but went down a few yards onto Marshall, maneuvered back and forth a few times and happily completed what he thought was a U-turn, when all he had to do was follow the circle to beging with!
Still, we thank the people involved for completing the job as promised and supplying the added perk of nonstop entertainment around the non-stop signs. The concept is good, the circle is good, and the signs are a long overdue necessity. Hopefully this first step toward further gentrification of this neighborhood will drive some of the worst mamalukes out of our historic city into places like Richmond where they can be easily absorbed into the existing pool of deadbeats, addicts and welfare cheats. Virginia has dumped them here long enough. Besides, if they stay here, they're likely to just keep going in circles.

—Roquentin

Marshall Street Circle Day 32

2007-07-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day 32-

Petersburg- The Circle has landed. Make that one small step for the neighborhood and one giant leap for Marshall Street.

All that is left to do is remove the cones- clean up- paint the lines- put up signs telling people what to do- install a fountain/statue/golf hole/planting///////////

You get the idea.

Marshall Street Circle Day 31

2007-07-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Day 31-

Well the traffic elves have been busy I can not believe how much has happened in the last few days. The Circle is done- the pointers are done- no more holes in street- Perhaps they have exceeded the 30 day window and now they are on "Contractor Time".

Welcome to Mt. Marshall elevation 5 feet. Now that's what I call a visual impediment!

On a sad note, allegedly in retaliation of having the cops called on them every night the drunks in the park have pulled down the stop sign marking Neighborhood Watch Headquarters on South Adams.

Marshall Street Circle Day 27

2007-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Day 27-

Well finally there are cobblestones on Marshall street. I hope to see this from the air when they are finished. It is starting to look like a compass. Still hoping for the directional signs.

Watch Those Vacant Houses

2007-07-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

There's a new hot spot in the neighborhood for late-night clandestine trysts— Realtor Debbie Dentler's permanently-for-sale house on Adams between Marshall St. and the Park. On a number of occasions in the past, I've called the police about people either using the side or back of the house as a bathroom, in broad daylight. But late last night, a local hooker and her young John were seen emerging from the property, apparently having concluded their transaction. I am going to contact Debbie about putting up some lights, and a no-trespassing sign on this overpriced turkey in the hopes that it will drive away lowlife, even as it languishes in the multiple listings for eternity. Other houses nearby, particularly those owned by the notorious Bayou Properties and "the man who wanted to save Petersburg" by buying up houses and playing mix and match with their interior fittings, may well now be unofficial houses of ill repute. Keep your eyes open, your flashlights fresh and your video cameras ready to roll!

——ja

Marshall Street Circle Day 26

2007-07-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Day 26-

Today's update digging out the holes. Oh this is going to be good

Cat Run Down on Adams Street

2007-07-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

One of the cats seen roaming the neighborhood regularly was found dead on Adams Street Saturday night. There have been a number of stray animals roaming the area lately but this one looked to have belonged to a nearby resident. Animals should be kept close to home, of course, and while cats are prone to roam, it usually takes a little intent to actually hit one. Unlike squirrels, who tend to dart in and of any moving thing, cats can usually be spotted and avoided. Of course, the asshole flying down Adams amidst the other assholes who always fly down Adams just went ahead and hit the animal and kept going. This, of course is illegal. But so are 80% of the other activities that go on in Petersburg without any hint of prosecution. The new circle does two things. It slows down traffic because of the stop signs, and confuses most of the local idiots because they don't know how to go around it. Perhaps that will change, even here amidst the low end of the gene pool. But until Adams becomes a one-way street going north, which remains the ONLY solution to this traffic problem, keep your eyes out for the hot-wheeled morons flying down Adams, Today it was someone's cat; tomorrow it may be you or your child. And don't think they will stop for you either.

---Roquentin

Marshall Street Circle Day 20

2007-07-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

Day 20-

It's starting to look like a giant peg game.
" Leave two pegs: You're Purty Smart."

Well today we got new caution tape, and cut marks in the pavement for the peg games- oh! not sure why but the hole also got bigger and turned into a skull shape perhaps the contractors have been reading Skull-A-Day and were inspired.

Also the trash reported from Day 14& 17 has been cleaned up. Not sure if it had to do with an Owl- a crying Native American- or good old fashioned public shaming. I like to think it was from our public shaming. But don't put away those scarlet letters yet folks- because there is a certain fountain in the park to talk about. On second thought put away your scarlet ones and bring out the "Beach Club Blue" ones.

Marshall Street Circle Day 17

2007-07-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Day 17-

In order to increase safety in the neighborhood we have included a missile silo into this traffic plan. Key leaders of Poplar Lawn Neighborhood Watch have been issued launch codes. UN inspectors have been on scene but their results are inconclusive.

First Look at the concrete circle. That isn't just any concrete curbing that is concrete aggregate.

Also to report the contractors have switched from Newports to Kool. We are unsure of what is means at this time, but we are watching the situation very carefully.

Our experts are still conducting their investigation, but at this time they believe that this mysterious symbol means that some device is going to be installed to help direct drivers in to the proper use of the circle. (Or they are installing a giant peg game courtesy of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store- our experts are evenly split on this.)

Marshall Street Circle Day 14

2007-07-06T14:47:00.001-07:00

Day 14-

The cement for the circle was poured today. We are making progress. Can not wait for the uncovering. I got word that the statue idea was just a hoax. The circle is going to be finished with grass and a flag with the number 19 on it. Mind if I play through?

Start getting your best clothes ready cause once this is finished we are going to have a ribbon cutting ceremony complete with over sized novelty scissors.

Looks like the work crew left a time capsule for 2057.

Newports-Mountain Dew-Snack Cakes
A well balanced sample of America's Addiction Pyramid!

Marshall Street Circle Day 11

2007-07-03T19:17:00.001-07:00

Day 11-

No Progress on the circle but it must have been quick drying cement for the sign footings. The 4 new stop signs are up. Also added was a sign marking the location of the Marshall Street Neighborhood Watch Headquarters. Look out lawbreakers on Marshall, Adams, and Tulip we have our eye on you.

Marshall Street Circle Day 10

2007-07-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Still no work on the circle... but look they put in footings for the new stop signs to be added later.

(hint: they are under the cone)

Marshall Street Circle Day 7

2007-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Day 7 It has been a quiet week.
Not much progress here.
Rumor has it that work has stopped while they decide on who the statue is going to be of. General Billy Mahone is leading the votes followed closely by Joesph Cotton and Nora Fontaine Maury Davidson.

Did the ARB approve the orange cones?

Remember Safety during the 4th next week

2007-06-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

I read a book about the culture of postwar southern shopkeepers. What I found surprising is that since the oppression of the South by the Northern Aggressors it was customary not to celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks in the postwar south. Instead fireworks held a place of honor for Christmas and were sold in December not in July. We all know that nothing makes a new born baby happy like a fireworks display.

Sorry I digress. Anyway as most of you know the 4th in Petersburg is celebrated with a mix of gunfire (most likely in the air and not at another) and fireworks. Just wanted to remind you all to keep safety in mind this year. While a tin roof protects your house from sparks it doesn't stand up to that 9mm bullet that needs to obey the law of gravity.

Phil

Two New Suspicious Characters

2007-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Please keep an eye out for two mysterious characters who have surfaced around Tulip Alley and the park in recent days. One, a black male, about 6 ft tall, walks around with what looks like a cell phone, peaking into house windows, roaming up and down Adams Street in a bright blue shirt, at the last siting. The other, a tall, think black teenager with a large Afro, and a cap that he wears backwards, roams back and forth between Tulip Alley and elsewhere several times a day, and has done so for several days. Familiar suspicious characters like Charlotte the Crack Whore, Cowboy (aka Gaucho Pants Man) and others still roam around regularly, but they are known adversaries. These two new characters just have those furtive glances and that demeanor of being up to no good that all but the most naieve among us can recognize. Be aware.

The New Crater Has Arrived

2007-06-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

Our friend Roquentin has decided to go back underground. As such, he has returned the use of this blog to HPLA Boardmembers such as myself.
If you've driven by Marshall and Adams lately, that hole in the ground is not an attempt to mimic the little crater out at the battlefield. It is, in fact, the emergence of our new traffic roundabout, designed not only to beautify the neighborhood but to slow down traffic and hopefully keep some people from using Adams as a cut-through to Sycamore. A four-way stop sign will also slow things down a bit. A special thanks to Ron Reekes for putting it all into motion.
So far, the impact of the impasse has been amusing. About half the people ignore the stop signs completely, while about a third actually stop and proceed in the correct direction. The remainder either go in circles nonstop or travel the circle in reverse order.
Any suggestions as to what should be IN the circle? So far we've heard things like a toll booth, a statue of some local notable, to a ten commandments-like table carved in stone saying either "Residents Only" or "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.." We are still open to suggestions.
–--Jeff A

Marshall Street Circle Day 1

2007-06-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

A year in the making... Day 1

Despite what you may wish for there is not cobblestones nor yellow bricks under Marshall Street.

I guess we are still in Kansas after all.

Rash of Marshall Street Robberies

2007-06-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

On June 4, 5 and 6 there have apparently been a series of break-ins and attempted break-ins of cars and homes on Marshall Street. One house was successfully entered on Sunday while the homeowners were in church. Valuable papers and other items were taken. There have also been attempts to break into vehicles virtually every evening. Be vigilant! Call the police. And, since were are after all in the rather bizarre state of Virginia.....LOCK AND LOAD.

Your local vigilante
ROQUENTIN

This Website Has Been Hijacked

2007-05-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, do not worry. Since this blog has been dead as a doornail in recent months I have decided to Hijack it and post the truth, some news, and maybe some gossip. Mon ami, monsieur Jeff removed all of his excellent comments in disgust some time ago. (Despite what anyone might think, HPLA did not remove them, HE did), and because i can be a little more diplomatic than he can at times, I have decided to post my own items of interest until sometime either shoots me in the park, or stops me online.

Now, to the business at hand, despite the look of a slight gentrification, despite susbstantial financial investment by relatively new residents, despite endless meetings of committees and concerned citizens, and despite garbage cans in the park, Poplar Lawn is not getting better, it is getting worse. Prostitution, albeit of the skankiest variety (Charlotte the Crack Whore aside—she falls into a class of her own) has dramatically increased. More important, crime, robbery, noise pollutiion, and obvious drug trafficking has increased as well. The media in Richmond and elsewhere periodically points to a Renaissance of sorts occurring in Petersburg, but they are really only talking about downtown where a few risk-takers are opening new businesses. The rest of PB is still going to hell in a hand basket and Poplar Lawn, unfortunately, rides at the forefront.

So, if any of you care to join me, let's start naming names and showing a little guts. Mon Dieu! I will begin with my own pet peeve— Tulip Alley—that Twilight Zone that rests behind the nice houses of Marshall Street. Just as in the animal kingdom, every city must have an asshole. For Petersburg, it is Tulip Alley. Aside from being the listed address of a registered sex offender, (who also happens to work for one of our local "contractors") the Alley has been the regular center of drugs, prostitution, and all that goes with it, for years. So who owns these rat's nests? The guy at the end of the block, a so-called preacher named Alfred Woodard. Does he get a cut of the action? Who knows, but he's paying for those fancy cars behind his house somehow and certainly from more than passing around the offering plate.

And, while on the subject of slumlords, what's the deal with Bayou Properties? You know them, they own a ton of ramshackle houses around town, including the beat-to-hell green Victorian near the end of Marshall Street. They are also reputedly drug dealers in Richmond. Can anyone of you say otherwise? Then do so.

Wake up Poplar Lawn. Apply pressure, bug the cops, email the city council, make noise. Afterall, all the bad guys do, Maybe the only way to get rid of them is to drown them out.

I'm back and I'm pissed. Now let's see what happens next.

ROQUENTIN

Irons in the Fire: Petersburg Shouldn't Stick Taxpayers With This Sand Trap

2007-02-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

A. BARTON HINKLE
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

Feb 27, 2007

Petersburg has got more problems than Reese's has pieces. The school system, for instance, is in such bad shape -- only one of the city's nine schools has full accreditation; the system spends less on teaching and more on administration than most of its peers -- that Virginia's Superintendent of Public Instruction recently sent an emissary to run things for a while.

Nearly half the residents of Petersburg rent their dwellings. The city has one of the lowest life expectancies in the state, and one of the highest illiteracy rates. Crime is rampant. Taxes are among the highest in the state. People have been fleeing for years.

But fear not -- the City Council has a plan.

It's going to open a golf course.

Last week the council voted 5-1 in favor of a proposal to borrow almost $4 million to reopen the Lee Park Golf Course, which has been shut since 2003. Talk about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

To make matters worse, City Manager David Canada says the golf course would lose money for the first few years, requiring infusions of cash from the city's general fund.

Golf. An idea this crazy makes Charles Manson look almost as judicious as Charles Schwab.

MUNICIPAL golf courses are dubious affairs in the best of circumstances. If there is sufficient demand for golf to support a course, then the operation of it ought to be left to private enterprise, or to private clubs. Taxpayers shouldn't subsidize what private parties can pay for. And if there is not sufficient demand to support a course, then the taxpayers definitely should not subsidize one.

This has nothing to do with golf per se, which is no doubt a fine game. The same principle would apply to a public pistol range or a public bowling alley or a public swimming pool. Government doesn't ex- ist to provide recreation; that is not its purpose.

Nor is this meant to deny there are any arguments for having a golf course in Petersburg. There are a few. The high school and Virginia State University would benefit from a golf course. So would some of the 200 kids who allegedly showed some interest in golf by showing up for some lessons at the Lee Park softball field last year. But for $4 million, Petersburg could give each one of those kids a full set of clubs, lessons, and two tickets to the Masters at Augusta National -- and still come out ahead. (What's more, there would be no general-fund obligation in future years.)

There are arguments for rearranging deck chairs, too: They look better when grouped by color and placed in parallel rows, passengers can reach unoccupied chairs easier when they're placed two-by-two, etc. Still -- is that the most urgent issue aboard?

This isn't a question of any complexity, like what to do about Iraq or how to solve the nation's long-term health-care crisis. As Petersburg resident and former White House aide Linas Kojelis noted, news about the cost of reconstructing the golf course preceded by one day the headline in The Progress-Index, "Little Progress Seen in Scores: Finding, and Keeping, Qualified Teachers Is a Major Problem." As Kojelis also observed in a statement prepared a few weeks ago: "My golfing friends say that municipal courses are proverbial 'cash cows.' If this is so, why haven't private firms been clamoring to own or operate this course? Why couldn't the city issue a [Request for Proposals], inviting qualified private firms to buy and manage this course?"

FOUR MILLION bucks would pay for a lot of teachers and classroom computers. Or a lot of firemen. Petersburg could stand to raise its pay for firemen, who start out at $27,362 a year -- less than in surrounding localities (and less than they deserve). Or cops. Or building inspectors.

Would a golf course be nice? Sure. But spending that much city money on one also would be absurd, irresponsible, and stupid. As Petersburg resident Jeffrey Fleming told the city council: "I've always wanted a Corvette. I can afford one right now, but if I bought one, other things would suffer, like rent and utilities."

Just so. City leaders shouldn't stick the voters with this frivolous sand trap.

Ward Four meeting

2007-02-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Ward Four meeting will be on March 22, from 6:30 until 8:30 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel.

Agenda to follow.

~Mady and the HPLA Board

Recreation VS. Infrastructure

2007-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

VS.

MARCH 6, 2007 7:30PM Union Train Station BE THERE

Reconstructing golf course will cost $4 million

2007-02-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

BY F.M. WIGGINS
PROGRESS-INDEX STAFF WRITER
02/07/2007

PETERSBURG — Duffers may not be able to hit the links at Lee Park Golf Course quite yet, but if they want to ensure that it does open they may want to practice a short speech.

Council will hold a public hearing two weeks from now to hear about an appropriation of $4 million to reconstruct the golf course.

The golf course has been closed since 2003. Previously, the course was 6,037 yards; the newly redesigned course will be 663 yards longer.

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Assistant City Manager Eric Campbell said that the redesign makes the 18-hole course completely new. He added that the course will be completely irrigated once it is constructed.

“The old course didn’t have irrigation which really may have helped in its deterioration,” Campbell said.

Other features Campbell mentioned during the meeting include a fee structure of between $20 and $30 with specials and discount rates for Petersburg residents.

“This will also provide another positive activity for the youth of the city,” Campbell said.

During the meeting’s public information period portion, 11-year-old Ian Christian asked council for more activities for children his age.

“We need more things to keep young people like me off the streets,” Christian said. Specifically, Ian asked for a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, skating rink and movie theater.

Linwood Christian, Ian’s father and a frequent speaker at public meetings, said that his son had decided to address council on Sunday.

“We were coming back from New York and he said that he thought he would speak to council because he doesn’t think there’s very much for children his age to do in Petersburg,” Christian said.

Christian and Ian left before Campbell could describe some of the aspects of the course that might draw children Ian’s age, including a U.S. Golf Association programs and possibly the popular and well known First Tee program. According to its Web site, First Tee works to impact the lives of young people through educational programs that promote character development and life enhancing values through the game of golf.

Campbell added that the golf course, which is owned by the city, will eventually operate as an enterprise fund and be self sustaining, but that for the first few years it will need to have some funding from the general fund.

Jeff Fleishman, president of Golf Business Advisors, said that in July 2006 when the city held a work session on the development of the golf course he had estimated that it might take $2.9 million to $3.9 million to develop the course.

“Since that time we went out to bid and arrived at a plan that puts the course reconstruction at $2.8 million,” Fleishman said.

But he added that there would be a significant number of other items and associated costs before the first golfer could tee off.

City Assistant Director of Public Works Ron Reekes said some of those 44 items include tee boxes, a golf cart contract, ball washers and paving of the parking lot area.

The total estimated cost to open the course for use to the public is $4 million.

Several residents spoke at the meeting regarding the prospects of opening the course again.

Linus Kojelis said that while golf courses are a hallmark of successful cities, he isn’t convinced the city should spend the money on the golf course.

“My understanding is that municipal golf courses are cash cows,” Kojelis said.

Downtown business owner Patricia Dillard said that while golf isn’t her cup of tea, she believes that with Fort Lee having a golf course, there wouldn’t be a need for the Lee Park Golf Course.

“We also have a harbor that needs to be developed that could draw people to the downtown,” Dillard said.

Others, however, said they were excited by the prospect of the reopening of the course.

“This is one thing that can’t be put downtown,” Charles Dubois said. “But it will improve the quality of life.”

John Hart said that he was starting to get excited about the idea of going for a round of golf at Lee Park.

“I’m ready to buy a membership,” Hart said.

Council will hold a public hearing during its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Union Station to receive further public comment on the appropriation of $4 million for the construction of the golf course.

• F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254 or fwiggins@progress-index.com.

Archaeologist, historians present Pocahontas Island’s hidden treasures

2007-02-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Progress-Index
02/11/2007

PETERSBURG — With Pocahontas Island visible through several tall windows, a presentation on the island was given Saturday morning.

In the Western Room of Union Station, two historians and an archaeologist presented some of the information and artifacts that helped grant Pocahontas Island a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historians Ashley Neville and John Salmon found and recorded much history about the island.

Pocahontas Island, which originally was connected to Chesterfield County by swampy ground, was planned in a grid format in the 1750s that was retained to this day.

Over the course of about 70 years, the island grew in population slowly but became filled with high-density homes. The island also became home of the highest concentration of freed blacks in the South.

Many of the historic buildings on Pocahontas Island were destroyed after a tornado hit in August 1993 but two antebellum homes remain.

The Jarratt House, on Logan Street, is the only brick home on the island to survive the Civil War. Artifacts and documents date the house to about the 1820s.

Not far away from the Jarratt House is a home on Witten Street that is traditionally known as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Although there was no written history of this building being a stop, for practical reasons, it seems likely due to the island being a hub of transportation and commerce.

Before the Civil War, Pocahontas was the terminus of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad and shipping traffic also ended in the area, as the area is the farthest point a ship could travel up the Appomattox River.

Dr. Matthew Laird of the James River Institute for Archaeology presented a sample of over 30,000 artifacts found on the island during a series of test digs from December 2005 to April 2006.

For the last 6,000 to 8,000 years humans occupied the region at least on a temporary basis.

The artifacts will be housed in the Virginia State Preservation Office in Richmond.

This project was funded by grants from the Cameron Foundation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

(Posted by Mady)

Not just in Petersburg

2007-02-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

Gaping Reminders of Aging and Crumbling Pipes
from The New York Times

A sinkhole caused by a broken water main in Brooklyn last year swallowed an S.U.V. Nationally, such incidents have become more frequent.
By WILLIAM YARDLEY
Published: February 8, 2007

PORTLAND, Ore. — After a sinkhole swallowed a sewer-repair truck here on the day after Christmas, the truck’s crew crawled to safety, muddy and mystified.

Last summer in Irving, Tex., a 2-year-old boy disappeared near a sinkhole. One theory was that he was kidnapped. Another was that he was lost in the sewer system that had broken open and caused the collapse.

In December, firefighters in Brooklyn rescued a grandmother carrying groceries who fell into a hole that opened beneath her on a sidewalk. And in Hershey, Pa., a damaged storm drain caused a six-foot-deep sinkhole in Chocolate Town Park, nearly sinking the town’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

Local and state officials across the country say thousands of miles of century-old underground water and sewer lines are springing leaks, eroding and — in extreme cases — causing the ground above them to collapse. Though there is no master tally of sinkholes, there is consensus among civil engineers and water experts that things are getting worse.

The Environmental Protection Agency has projected that unless cities invest more to repair and replace their water and sewer systems, nearly half of the water system pipes in the United States will be in poor, very poor or “life elapsed” status by 2020.

“I’m not exaggerating,” said Stephen P. Allbee, a project director in the agency’s water division who helped make the projections. “It’s a really, really big public issue, and it’s going to be with us for a long time.”

Local geology or underground hazards are blamed for many sinkholes: weak limestone in Florida, old mineshafts in Pennsylvania. But increasingly, the authorities say, as America’s cities grow older and basic repairs are put off, when the ground gives way the problem is bad pipes.

In its 2005 “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” the American Society of Civil Engineers gave water and wastewater infrastructure across the country a D-minus and suggested it would take an investment of $390 billion to bring wastewater infrastructure alone up to par.

Estimates vary on what the costs could be, but nervous water utilities and environmental groups have been campaigning to educate the public and local elected officials to get more money for repairs. But they face an uphill battle, persuading people to pay higher water and sewer rates, and politicians to approve those rates instead of building new schools, parks, libraries and roads.

“You can’t easily go to a ribbon-cutting or have your picture taken in front of a new sewer line,” said Dean Marriott, director of the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, which oversees sewer maintenance in the city. “Everyone simply counts on them working. Most people don’t know how they work or even where the system is.”

Still, Mr. Allbee, the E.P.A. official, said age and neglect could prove as fatal to a system as a catastrophic natural event or a terrorist attack.

“You can lose that system all at once because of terrorism,” Mr. Allbee said, “but you can lose it over time by just not taking care of it.”

The American Water Works Association, whose members include more than 4,700 utilities, has begun an advertising campaign “to raise this conversation about buried water infrastructure above ground,” said Greg Kail, a spokesman for the association.

One advertisement, placed in spots from bus shelters in Miami to newspapers in Anchorage, features a picture of a faucet with the words, “Do you know how often you turn me on?” Another ad in the works will focus directly on problems with water mains, and include the phrase, “Don’t let me break down in front of you.”

“The concept is to personify the infrastructure,” Mr. Kail said. “We’re not trying to scare people. We’re trying to make them aware that this is a real concern that deserves our attention to keep it from being a crisis in the future.”

The bulk of the water and sewer lines beneath American streets were installed in three phases: at the end of the 19th century, in the 1920s, and just after World War II, echoing periods of population growth in cities and expansion into suburbs.

A burst of environmentalism in the 1970s, including passage of the Clean Water Act, led to improvements in water and sewage treatment facilities and increased federal scrutiny of the water supply. But the condition of underground water and sewage pipes, many of which were built to last only 50 to 75 years, has not always received the same attention. At the same time, demand has increased.

“The pipes age, and the population increases,” said James W. Rush, editor of Underground Infrastructure Management, a trade magazine for public utility administrators. “Those are the two factors that are always at work.”

Portland has had a boom in downtown development, adding demand to its water and sewer systems.

The city is in the 16th year of a 20-year, $1.4 billion, federally mandated project to reduce sewage overflows into the Willamette River from about 100 days a year to 4 days or less. Signs in the city promote two enormous sewer and storm water lines being dug as part of the project, one on the west bank of the Willamette that is 14 feet in diameter and another on the east side that is 22 feet in diameter.

“I’ve walked them,” said Mr. Marriott, the Portland official. “You could roll a marble from one length to the next — beautiful, beautiful work. What goes in them is stuff that used to go in the river.”

Overflows are a problem in many cities, and fixing them is not cheap; Portland has some of the highest water and sewer rates in the country. Mr. Marriott said the average residential sewer bill in Portland has risen to about $45 a month from about $14 in the early 1990s, when the city began the mandated improvements.

Once the project is completed, he said, rates will probably stay high so that the city can fix other problems, like the sewer pipe decay that officials believe most likely helped cause the sinkhole in December, the one that swallowed the sewer truck.

Mack McEachern was there on that chilly morning. First the water in his apartment on Southeast Oak Street stopped running. Then the boiler in the basement began to fade. Water-utility workers came to check an exterior main. The city inspected a clogged sewer line. Something was wrong with the system, but what?

Mr. McEachern recalled how he stood outside and watched the big sewer truck start to pull away, supposedly without having pinpointed the problem.

Then, he said, “The ground shook.”

Concert series returns to Petersburg Sycamore Rouge to host performances

2007-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

From the Progress-Index

PETERSBURG — A five-piece tango band, a Celtic bluegrass quartet and a swinging jazz vocalist are among the acts that will help revive a local concert series that has been on hiatus for a few years.

“We didn’t ever disband,” said Ron Moring, president of the Southside Virginia Community Concert Association. “We have just regrouped and reformed to accommodate our new environment.”

The SVCCA has partnered with the Southside Virginia Council of the Arts, the Petersburg Jamestown 2007 Committee and Sycamore Rouge — a unique performing-arts venue in Old Towne — to bring back its once popular concerts.

The series kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday with jazz singer Stephanie Nakasian on the Sycamore Rouge stage.

“Those who haven’t experienced this will be reinforced,” Moring said of the concert series.

The nonprofit SVCCA began bringing musicians to the community in the late 1970s. There were performers for all ages and musical tastes. As many as 1,400 people would pack the Petersburg High School auditorium to hear the diverse acts.

But in 2005, faced with a shrinking audience base and competition for sponsorship dollars, the association was forced to halt its concerts.

Two years later, though, things are different. The Petersburg arts scene has exploded, providing the perfect backdrop to bring the series back to a new audience.

“As fate would have it, the time was right with downtown blossoming,” Moring said.

Sycamore Rouge — which has a seating capacity of 100 to 200 people — will host the acts this time.

Christopher Shorr, the venue’s artistic director, said the partnership is ideal for all the organizations involved.

“This is a great opportunity for us to keep doing what we’re doing but with more resources,” he said.

“All organizations in this area have limited resources with the economy of our community. It’s essential for growth and progress to join forces so we have the resources to enable bigger projects.”

SVCCA board members hope the association will grow through corporate sponsorship and community support, according to Moring. They hope to attract audiences from across the region.

Future events could include performances by the Virginia Opera and the Latin Ballet of Virginia.

“We’ve opened up so many doors already,” Moring said.

• Julie Buchanan may be reached at 722-5155 or jbuchanan@progress-index.com.
Southside Virginia Community Concert Association schedule

• Stephanie Nakasian, jazz vocalist. Saturday. $12

• Celtibillies, mix of Appalachian and Celtic music. March 17. $12

• Dick Morgan, jazz pianist and Petersburg native. April 6 and 7. $25

* A special concert co-sponsored with Virginia State University

• QuinTango, tango music with violins, cello, bass and piano. May 19. $12.

All concerts are at 8 p.m. at Sycamore Rouge, 21 W. Old St., Petersburg. Call 957-5707 for tickets.

For more information on becoming a donor or benefactor of the SVCCA, call 712-0370 or e-mail concerts4u@verizon.net.

State of the Lawn Address

2007-02-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

Good evening Mayor Mickens, Members of City Council, Mr. Canada and Mr. Dawson:

I am here tonight as a representative of the Historic Poplar Lawn Association, of which I am on the Board of Governors. Last week, the Historic Poplar Lawn Association had its first meeting of 2007. We were pleased and honored to have in attendance one of our Historic District’s City Council Representatives, Mr. Brian Moore; our City Manager, Mr. David Canada; the Assistant Director of Public Works, Mr. Ronald Reekes; a representative from our Sheriff’s Department, Sergeant Gray; and several representatives from our police department, including Captain Seidel, Corporal Hall and Corporal Richardson, who is training our neighborhood in the Neighborhood Watch program. I wish to publicly thank them for their involvement in helping us to improve our community.

Over the past year, we have had some setbacks and difficulties in our neighborhood, most recently, of course, we had the tragedy of the fire on Harrison Street. We also had an armed robbery in one of our neighbors’ homes, break-ins, muggings, issues with prostitution and drugs. I do not need to rehash the details of these problems right now, because our neighborhood has constant interaction with the police, our city representatives, the city manager and city employees. Our neighborhood is undoubtedly persistent, and tonight I would like to acknowledge the results.

In the past year, we have had significant improvements in Central Park. The city, at times working with some of our neighbors alongside them, has made our park safer though significant brush and debris removal, uncovering areas where unsavory acts had been taking place.

After nearly three years following its falling, the destroyed bandstand was finally removed from Central Park this year. That rubble pile was more than an eyesore, it was a place for people to hide, sleep and conduct illegal business, and we are grateful for its removal.

After six years of HPLA board members’ work pestering the city, we had the old, useless and unattractive remnants of trashcans in our park removed and new trashcans installed. These are temporary trashcans as we work with the city’s budget constraints to gradually have these receptacles replaced with historically appropriate trashcans.

With Council’s actions, our historic district expanded this year, and our neighborhood has been reaching out to our neighbors in our newly expanded district. We have been having new faces in our meetings and our plans and initiatives are growing beyond the area around the park to locations such as Harrison Street, where, frankly, it is desperately needed.

With the help of the Public Works department, HPLA has repainted the fire hydrants in our district. This initiative is more than aesthetic. It has made our active presence known in the neighborhood. We have found that this small action has allowed for us to detect and monitor locations that have apparent problems, so we were better able to report problem locations to our city council representative and the police. The program has also created dialogue between neighbors, particularly in our district’s newest areas.

With the help of the police department, we have revitalized our Neighborhood Watch program.

This year, our neighborhood initiated Nuts for Petersburg, a peanut butter drive that we did in partnership with Central Virginia Foodbank, the food bank that supplies many programs in Petersburg. Our goal was 3509 jars of peanut butter, one jar to represent each child in Petersburg who lives below the poverty line. Many local businesses and organizations participated in Nuts for Petersburg, and we created new, strong bonds with organizations like Beta Sigma Phi sorority and Petersburg Vibe. In the end, we not only collected more than 1500 jars of peanut butter, we also, according to Central Virginia Foodbank, got the word out about hunger in our city. Central Virginia Foodbank has had several companies in Petersburg register for food drives that had never done so before.

Yes, there is a lot to do, and these successes may seem small, but they should be celebrated and those who have made them happen should be thanked:

Mr. Moore, I thank you for always taking our calls, listening to us, helping us along the way, and always showing up at our functions with your beautiful family. You are a part of our neighborhood.

Council, I thank you for voting to expand our historic neighborhood boundaries.

Mr. Canada, I thank you for the meetings, for listening to us complain, for giving us city resources to make things happen, and the promise to continue to do so.

Mr. Reekes, our thanks are probably not enough: we call you so frequently I do not think we need to look up your number anymore to make those calls. Mr. Reekes is extremely patient, gets us results and explains things to us, for which we are immensely appreciative.

I am also thankful for the help we receive regularly from the city’s Preservation Planner, Ms. Victoria Hauser. She guides our plans, fields questions, and is always available to us.

I also thank the HPLA president, Mr. Philip Cheney, Jr., who spends a lot of time doing hands-on work and research and is very passionate about the city.

We have had progress, yes, but we are just getting started, and we consider the bar to now be raised. We ask the city to continue its support of our initiatives.

We are working toward installing the approved traffic circle on Marshall and Adams Streets, improvements in lighting throughout the neighborhood, repaving of Harrison Street, repairs to sink holes and damaged infrastructure on Fillmore Street, crackdown on drug and prostitution activity, addressing abandoned and poorly maintained houses, continued replacement of street signs, gradual replacement of trashcans, and a full restoration of Central Park.

Please know that the neighbors of Poplar Lawn will be working right there beside you and reminding the city of its promises.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a parable. This story is repeated in many cultures throughout the world, and each telling is a little different, but here is my version:

There was a young man deeply involved in spirituality and looking for life’s answers. One day while meditating on the afterlife he prayed to be shown both heaven and hell. Deep in meditation, he was shown the way to two doors. He opened the first and saw a beautiful paradise with all the finest of everything he could imagine, but the people sitting around this utopia were starving, babies howled and the people fought and complained.

The people suffered and were taunted by the bounty before them because they had large tubes over their arms, which prevented them from doing anything. They could not feed themselves, comfort their own children, even scratch that nagging itch. It was horrible, this vision of hell, and the man quickly ran from it to the other door, which he thought must be heaven.

When the man opened the second door, he was shocked by what he saw. There was the same scene with the people with the tubes on their arms. But heaven, you see, was different. In heaven, the people had learned to feed each other, comfort each other, and work together.

~Mady

Found in Park... and it's not a crack vial

2007-02-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Fatal fire has areas considering safety

2007-01-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

Inspections on rental properties supported, but the law is limiting

BY DAVID RESS AND MEREDITH BONNY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Jan 28, 2007

Few places in Virginia require rented homes and apartments be inspected to make sure they're safe.

But it's an idea that some are talking about after a fire in a rundown Petersburg neighborhood claimed the lives of three children.

Petersburg officials say they already had been thinking about joining the small group of cities that require inspections of rented houses and apartments -- a group that includes Hopewell and soon will include Colonial Heights. No other central Virginia municipality requires inspections.

"I'm surprised," said Barbara Garber, 77, a renter for 11 years before being burned out of her Chesterfield apartment Jan. 22. She was happy with her apartment but feels it makes sense to have building code experts regularly examine rented homes.

"They should have inspections. If I would go rent a home, naturally I would want it to be protected. It should be."

But the state law that allows localities to inspect rented houses and apartments limits their power to do so, under a compromise with real estate interests. For instance, cities may inspect only the rental dwellings in a predesignated area, instead of citywide. The law says inspections should be done once a year but that property owners should get a four-year exemption if an inspection finds no problems.

Petersburg City Manager B. David Canada said those rules mean a city has to decide how it wants to use the authority: either to prevent blight, which is the approach most building officials see as the point of the rental inspections, or to try to force repairs on decrepit properties. That's because state law forces cities to pick target neighborhoods for rental inspection.

In Hopewell, the rental-inspection program focuses on the City Point area and is intended to ensure a neighborhood with lots of rental housing doesn't become blighted, said Fire Chief John Tunstall, who oversees building code inspections there.

In Colonial Heights, George W. Schanzenbacher, planning and community development director, hopes to begin inspecting 20 units a week this winter. There, the aim is to prevent blight in the southern part of the city, where many older homes are rented.

But in Williamsburg, which has run a rental inspection program for four years, building official John Catlett says the program has a big focus on safety. One clear sign: his inspectors find a lot more working smoke detectors.

"Now, landlords are going in and checking before we come," said Catlett, Williamsburg's codes compliance administrator. "They're putting batteries in and testing. . . . They don't want a violation."

. . .

Like all building inspections, officials looking at rental units check for scores of items from the state building code, ranging from how securely handrails are installed to whether plaster on the walls is cracked to wiring, plumbing and the state of beams, columns and joists.

Like the standard inspections, officials can issue orders requiring repairs. If property owners refuse, inspectors can take them to court, which in Williamsburg could mean civil fines of up to $3,000. State law gives cities the option of filing misdemeanor charges, which can mean fines of up to $2,500 and up to 12 months in jail. Officials also have the power to order residents to leave an unsafe building.

Unlike most code enforcement, rental inspection programs such as Williamsburg's and Hopewell's allow inspectors to go inside a property without being invited.

Generally in other kinds of inspections, officials can issue citations based only on what they see from outside or if they are invited inside by a tenant or the property owner.

Responding to complaints is the basic approach the area's largest localities take.

Richmond has started street patrols by building inspectors looking for signs of blight, said city spokesman Linwood Norman. The city, which still has several open positions for inspectors, has started a patrol effort in Church Hill, Jackson Ward and along Hull Street, with plans to expand it citywide.

William D. Dupler, Chesterfield's director of building inspections, said officials have canvassed particular areas on occasion -- including the Jefferson Davis Highway corridor and apartment complexes in Ettrick -- but don't regularly inspect rental units.

Henrico Fire Lt. Gary Hutchison said tenants should feel free to ask to have their homes checked for compliance with fire safety standards. A tenants' invitation is enough to let fire or building officials in, he said.

. . .

In Petersburg, where nearly half of the city's residences are rented, residents are calling for tougher inspections after the Jan. 12 fire on Harrison Street that claimed three children of sisters Hope and Diamond Hazer: John, 16, Na'Tyah, 11, and Mark, 6.

Petersburg fire officials are still investigating that fire but say it appears the smoke detectors didn't work. Family members say the windows in the back bedroom, which was shared by two of the children who died in the fire, had been painted shut. The electricity had been cut off for nonpayment, and the family relied on space heaters to keep the old frame house warm.

Under the state building code, windows must open, smoke detectors must be functioning and space heaters may not be the sole source of heat.

The family's landlord has said he was unaware the power had been cut and that the house met building code standards with no violation notices issued.

City records show he corrected a 2002 electrical hazard violation and a 2001 order to fix the roof, in response to tenant complaints. Complaints of no heat and water in 1998 and 1996 were found to be the fault of the tenants at the time. A 1992 inspection found more than a dozen violations, some of which records show were fixed with the others not noted in inspection reports from the later complaints.

The city decided to take no action on a 2005 neighbors' complaint that a tenant was operating an illegal boarding house in violation of zoning rules rather than the building code.

Residents at a City Council meeting just days after the Harrison Street fire called for a crackdown on building code enforcement, and some have suggested a rental housing inspection program.

"I am very supportive of the idea," said council member Brian A. Moore, referring to rental inspections.

Council member Horace P. Webb said the aging stock of houses that are rented in Petersburg makes the idea worth considering.

But many localities, including Henrico County, feel rental housing is generally new enough and well-maintained, so an inspection program isn't necessary, Henrico building official Greg Revels said.

Others, including Chesterfield County Fire Marshall Robbie Dawson, said inspections are seen as a violation of privacy because "if we go in without your consent, it's an illegal search."

"We feel like we have a handle on these neighborhoods," said Norfolk Building Official Ralston McInnis.

But sometimes, inspectors find real shockers, said Williamsburg's Catlett, remembering one dark basement furnace room in particular.

A pass of a flashlight revealed a badly corroded temperature and pressure valve, the safety device that is supposed to flick open to let out pressure before it builds up enough to make a boiler explode.

"I swung my flashlight up," Catlett said. "Kept going and saw three bricks sitting on top, holding it down."

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.
Contact staff writer Meredith Bonny at mbonny @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6452.

Hundreds mourn three fire victims

2007-01-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

Pain of loss grips family and friends of Petersburg children

BY DAVID RESS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Jan 28, 2007

PETERSBURG -- Halfway through the funeral service for his sister, brother and cousin, 6-month-old Damon Hazer started crying.

But the infant was quickly quieted when his older sister, Yorel, who had rescued him from the flames that claimed the lives of three other children, took him in her arms.

Family, friends and hundreds of neighbors gathered yesterday to mourn the deaths of John Quinton Hazer, 16, Na'Tyah Hazer, 11, and Mark Banks Jr., 6. They died when a fire swept through the aging frame home shared by their mothers, Hope and Diamond Hazer, shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 12.

Two dozen wreaths in bright colors stretched across the front of the sanctuary at Good Shepherd Baptist Church -- purple letters on a pink ribbon for "Marky-Mark," pink roses framing a photo of a smiling Na'Tyah, and a crimson-and-gold Petersburg High School wrestling team shirt for John, who had won his first tournament victory just days be- fore his death.

"Let not your heart be troubled," read Talaya Rogers, from the Book of John. "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

The choir, often swaying and at times clapping, sang of grace and belief in God. Church members, family and friends talked of the pain of loss and the struggle to understand.

John's grandmother, Gloria Allen, spoke of her pride in Yorel and cousin Michael, who escaped the fire. John was not so lucky.

"God has assured me that he is OK," Allen said.

Good Shepherd's pastor, the Rev. Jeffrey L. Reaves Sr., also sought to comfort family and friends by reminding them of Jesus' words that the kingdom of God belongs to them. He turned to the story about King David's fasting while his child was ailing and his acceptance of God's will after the child's death, and his knowledge that they would be reunited someday.

"The Bible tells that a little child shall lead us. But three children have led us," Reaves said. "They have led us to a place of sobriety, because we realize that life is a serious business. . . . The life and the deaths of these three precious children count for something. The real question is not why has he taken them; the real question is, 'Lord, why did you leave me?'"

Then, Reaves said perhaps God's purpose was to reach someone who had not heard his voice before. The pastor called for any such people to step forward and surrender their lives to God.

About a dozen people came forward, among them a woman in her 30s -- eyes glistening, pink burn scars on her face, both arms wrapped thickly in bandages above her elbows.

She was Diamond Hazer.

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.

Agencies in the Tri-Cities available to assist with energy bills

2007-01-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

BY JULIE BUCHANAN
STAFF WRITER, The Progress-Index
01/22/2007

Although the cause of the fire that killed three members of the Hazer family in Petersburg is still under investigation, the tragedy raises questions about the dangers of living in a house without electricity.

Fire officials have said the rental house at 454 Harrison St. had no electric service at the time of the fire. The electric meter had been removed from the house, according to Petersburg Bureau of Fire Division Chief T.C. Hairston.

The Hazers had been lighting their home with candles and heating it with kerosene heaters, Fire Marshal Charlie Moore said.

Throughout Virginia and in the Tri-Cities, there are a number of energy-assistance programs that can help customers on a limited income pay their electric bills.

It is estimated that 30 million families across the country qualify for federal energy assistance, according to the National Fuel Funds Network. But in Fiscal Year 2006, only 5.7 million received heating assistance, and about 485,000 received cooling assistance.

The hardship of paying for electricity has worsened in recent years, said George Coling, executive director of the NFFN.

“Demand [for energy] is going up and poverty is going up, or, at best, remaining the same,” he said. “And energy prices have gone up.”

The government, the Salvation Army and Dominion Virginia Power are just a few entities that can provide aid. Local churches and nonprofit organizations also have funds to help.

“We get a lot of calls [for energy assistance],” said Kim Robertson, health and safety coordinator for the Southside Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, headquartered in Petersburg. “It’s constant. To me, it seems like a continuing thing.”

The Red Cross typically refers callers to the United Way or the 2-1-1 VIRGINIA human services hotline, Robertson said. Many are also seeking assistance with other utility bills or rent.

“We need more programs as far as community-based programs that can help these people,” she said “... Even though we wish we could help them, we just don’t have the funding.”

The Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Alliance for Social Ministry helps residents in the two localities with unexpected financial emergencies.

CCHASM receives about 300 requests each month for assistance, executive director Cathy Stevens said. Needs range from help with utility bills and rent payments to money for medication.

The alliance also operates a food pantry that can offset a client’s expenses so they can pay utilities or rent.

However, CCHASM is not designed to help people who are in chronic financial need, Stevens said. Clients must first be screened to determine if they qualify for CCHASM services.

The screening process can take up to two days.

“People will call us today with a cut-off [notice] for tomorrow,” she said. “We can’t work that fast.”

“It would be wonderful if we could work with our heart all the time, but we don’t have the resources.”

The reason why the electric meter was removed from the Hazers’ home has not been made public.

Dominion Virginia Power spokesman David Botkins refused to comment Friday on the circumstances that led to meter removal by the power company. He declined to discuss the Harrison Street fire specifically.

“Dominion has a long history of commitment in working with its customers when it comes to bill payment,” Botkins said. “Customers are provided opportunities for payment amounts of all sorts and are directed to various avenues of financial assistance when necessary.

“Disconnection of service is a complete and total last resort.”

• Julie Buchanan may be reached at 722-5155 or at jbuchanan@progress-index.com.

©The Progress-Index 2007

Teen recalls fatal fire

2007-01-19T03:53:00.000-08:00

Three family members died in Petersburg house fire

BY DAVID RESS

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

PETERSBURG Choking smoke, thicker than fog, filled the darkness. An aunt screamed that she felt flames beneath her feet.

Two children stopped at the window of the old frame house on Petersburg's rundown Harrison Street, the flames behind them.

"I was scared to jump. I didn't want to jump. Then my mom gave me my baby brother. . . . she gave me my brother for a reason . . . so I jumped," said Yorel Hazer, 13, recalling the predawn fire Friday that took the lives of her brother Mark, 6, sister Na'Tyah, 11, and cousin John Hazer, 16.

Hoping to protect her 6-month-old brother, Damon, Yorel twisted as she fell, and her shoulder took the impact of leaping two stories to the ground. "He was crying. I was crying."

Yorel shared her harrowing experience yesterday for the first time with the public at the Red Cross of Petersburg. She was joined by her cousin Michael Hazer, 14.

Behind Yorel, her mother, Diamond Hazer, had turned back toward the flames, trying to fight her way to the other children. Also behind her, Michael hoped the hammering of his fists on his brother John's door would awaken him. He said he was scared because he hadn't seen his younger cousins.

"I couldn't see anything," Michael said yesterday. "I feel like if I saw Mark, I could have picked him up. He was very light."

The six children of sisters Diamond and Hope Hazer made a close-knit extended family in the old frame house at 454 Harrison St. They lived there for more than a year.

Mark was always hanging out with Michael's big brother John. Mark looked up to John, a wrestler and member of the Petersburg High School band, who had dreams of college and a better life.

Na'Tyah loved Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Her favorite color was pink. She and her sister talked about all kinds of things, and Yorel liked helping her with homework.

"It might not have been the best house. But we had good times in it," Yorel said.

Diamond and Hope Hazer tried -- not always successfully -- to make two small paychecks from a local linen and uniform-rental company stretch to cover $600-a-month rent and all the other bills that children and parents rack up. In the weeks before the fire, their electricity had been cut off. They tried to keep the place warm with kerosene heaters. They lit the house with candles.

Mark and Na'Tyah shared a back room where family members say the windows were painted shut. The family said they tried to open them soon after moving into the house in the summer of 2005 but couldn't. They didn't think about it much; there were plenty of other repairs needed, relatives say.

"Our rent man never fixed it up. . . . We had to do everything to try to fix it up," Michael recalled.

Landlord Donatus Amaram did not return three phone calls from The Times-Dispatch yesterday for comment.

Last year, Amaram sued twice to evict the family. In court filings, he said the Hazer sisters hadn't paid the full rent owed for April, May, July and August. He has said he called off a request to the Petersburg Sheriff's Office to evict them after an upset Diamond Hazer told him she had a new baby and nowhere to go.

In interviews over the weekend, Amaram said he didn't know the electricity had been cut off, adding that paying the electric bill was the tenants' responsibility. He also said he installed at least four smoke detectors in the home. A housing inspector, investigating a 2005 complaint that the landlord's former tenant had operated an illegal boarding house in the building, said he recalled seeing detectors.

Petersburg fire officials, who are still investigating the fire, said the alarms apparently didn't work. They don't know why.

Now, out-of-town relatives are trying to help the Hazer sisters get back on their feet. There are three funerals to arrange, and clothes to buy for the children.

Diamond Hazer is still at VCU Medical Center with severe burns to her face and arms. Family members say she had her first skin graft Tuesday. The baby, Damon, is still being treated for smoke inhalation and is doing well.

The family doesn't know what will happen next.

"They didn't have much before. They have nothing now," said Talaya Rogers, a cousin who grew up with Hope and Diamond Hazer in Washington.

The family has set up an account, called the Hazer Fund, at Bank of America, for anyone who wants to help. Financial donations are accepted at any branch. Donations of clothing and other items can be made at the First Baptist Church at 236 Harrison St. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

Her shoulder still in a sling, Yorel said she's grateful for the support that has already poured from the community. She brushed off talk that she is a hero. "I just feel like that's what a big sister would do."

Still, with all her clothing, shoes and even her favorite Tweety-Bird toys gone, Yorel said she knows what she wants most:

"For me, a home."

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.

Recognize many of those people are in that picture?

2007-01-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

A lot of our Poplar Lawn neighbors were showing their concern Tuesday night.

~Mady

Progress Index, Jan. 17 2007

2007-01-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Progress Index, Jan. 17 2007, cont.

2007-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Petersburg residents call for action to avoid repeat of deadly house fire

2007-01-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

BY DAVID RESS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Jan 17, 2007

PETERSBURG -- They were saddened by the deaths of three children in a house fire. Angered. Afraid it could happen again.

About 110 Petersburg residents came out to last night's City Council meeting to ask for action.

They suggested tougher enforcement of housing codes. They also asked the city to step in when utilities are cut off, as was the case in the 400 block of South Harrison Street, where a house burned last Friday morning, killing three children and displacing seven family members.

"We drive down the streets, and we see these properties and we think this is somebody else's problem," said resident Phil Cheney.

"There are hundreds of places like Harrison Street in this city," said resident Lloyd Hines.

Mayor Annie M. Mickens promised that the city would do everything it could, saying specifically that it would work with electric, gas and water utilities companies to deal with cutoffs.

The fire early Friday morning killed Na'Tyah Hazer, 11, and her brother Mark Banks Jr., 6, as well as their cousin, John Harper Jr., 16.

Six-month-old Damian Hazer, rescued from the flames by his 13-year-old sister Yorel, remains in the hospital, as does their mother, Diamond Hazer, who suffered severe burns while trying to fight her way through the flames to save the children.

The five other members of the extended family who shared the house have been released from the hospital. Relatives from out of town are trying to help them get back on their feet and have set up a bank account, the Hazer Fund, at Bank of America for anyone who wants to help.

Petersburg fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, but they say none of the smoke detectors in the house appears to have worked. Fire Marshal Charles L. Moore Jr. said he is not sure why the smoke detectors failed. A relative of the family who lived in the house said the family had put batteries in the alarms within the past few months.

The landlord, Donatus Amaram, said he installed at least four smoke detectors before Diamond Hazer and her sister, Hope Hazer, moved in last year.

Petersburg housing inspector A.R. Moore Sr. said yesterday that he remembered seeing smoke detectors in April 2005 while investigating a complaint that the property was being operated as an illegal boarding house. At the time, a neighbor had complained that eight people were living there, two to a room, while inspectors found the bedrooms were padlocked, a sign of an illegal boarding house.

The official log sheet of the inspection found that the woman who leased the house from Amaram was charging residents $100 a week per room. City zoning officials decided to take no action. The woman is not one of the Hazer sisters.

A 2002 notice from the city, meanwhile, noted that a repairman was working on the ceiling after a tenant complained that a ceiling fan couldn't be fixed because of a roof problem, while a 2001 letter from the city ordered the roof be repaired.

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.

City Council Meeting

2007-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Mayor Mickens, members of City Council, Mr. Canada, family and friends of the Hazers and members of our community:

Historic Poplar Lawn wishes to express our collective grief for the loss of members of our neighborhood last Friday as well as comfort and hope for the Hazer family members, their relatives, friends and neighbors and for our city.

Like of of Petersburg, we are feeling so many motions: loss for members of our community, anger that this tragedy has occurred, fear that it will occur again.

Today we come as a community to you, our city leaders, for guidance. How can we work with the city to stop this from ever occurring again? At a time when we are all quick with speculation and accusations, what can we do to actually make a difference?

We are all responsible for the loss of three young lives in our community; every member of our city is responsible for what happens in our community. Our community is only as strong as our meekest member.

As neighbors to the Hazer family and other members of our community who are living under the same life-threatening conditions, we are responsible for what goes on next door to us.

We ask that Council and the City Manager work with the police, with inspectors, social services, landlords and anyone it takes, and with us, neighborhood organizations and neighbors willing to improve this city and our community, to improve our city and prevent tragedies like the one from which our city is currently suffering.

One house, one block, one neighborhood at a time, the residents of Petersburg are willing to make a difference.

Thank you.

~Mady

Please Attend City Council Meeting Tonight

2007-01-16T04:01:00.000-08:00

Please attend the city council meeting on January 16 at 7:30 pm at the Union Train Station at 103 River Street.

I will be addressing City Council to express our grief for our city and our neighbors and asking for guidance as to how our neighborhood association can best act now and going forward to work with the city to help this from reoccuring.

I would appreciate your supporting me and HPLA by attending the meeting. We are keeping our statement apolitical and friendly, but I feel it is important that we are seen as the sizable and influential body of concerned citizens that we are. Please be there to show our concern for the Hazer family, our neighborhood and our city.

Thank you,
Mady

Vigil for children killed in house fire

2007-01-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Mourners remember three youths lost in Petersburg as joyful, well-mannered

BY DAVID RESS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Jan 14, 2007

PETERSBURG -- As neighbors began reciting the 23rd Psalm, sobs shattered the calm of a prayer vigil for three children who died in a fire Friday morning
Click to learn more...

Dozens of people sought comfort yesterday in words about God the shepherd and the hope he watched over the children as they walked through the valley of the shadow of death. They remembered the children as joyful, well-mannered youngsters -- the ones who died and the ones who survived.

Just regular kids.

One of them, 13-year-old Yorel Hazer, broke her shoulder leaping from the flames at 454 Harrison St., protecting her tiny 6-month-old brother Damian from harm as she saved his life, relatives and neighbors said.

The girl had taken the baby from her mother, Diamond Hazer, who returned to the flames to try to save two of her children, 11-year-old Na'Tyah Hazer and her 6-year-old brother Mark Banks Jr.

Diamond Hazer was not successful. She is now in critical condition at VCU Medical Center with burns to her face, arms and legs that may require skin grafts, family members said.

The children's cousin, John Harper Jr., 16, also died in the fire that consumed the home his mother and aunt shared.

Petersburg fire officials, who initially said three boys died, have not released victims' names, pending formal identification by the state medical examiner. Initially some family members gave the family's last name as Hazel.

Seven members of Diamond and Hope Hazer's families survived.

"They were happy-go-lucky kids," said grandfather Johnny Wilson, reminding his wife, Donna Hazer, about how the children would climb over her to greet them as they made one of their regular visits from Washington, where Diamond Hazer and her sister Hope grew up.

"Whenever they saw us, they're out the door running to us."

Yana Denysenko, an exchange student from Ukraine, remembered her deceased Petersburg High School classmate John Harper as a patient friend who would always take time to help her learn about the new country where she now studies.

"He explained really much," she said, eyes tearing.

The fire left the sisters' families with nothing, said Talaya Rogers, a cousin who grew up with the sisters in Washington.

"They need everything. . . . They don't even have a place to go," she said. The family has set up an account, called the Hazer Fund, at Bank of America for anyone who wants to help.

Family members said the sisters have not made funeral arrangements yet and are still unsure of what will happen next. VCU reported that two family members are in critical condition, one is in serious condition and three are in stable condition. A seventh survivor is not in the hospital.

Fire officials believe the fire burned about an hour before the alarm came in.

The owner of the house said he installed at least four smoke detectors before the sisters' families moved in, questioning an early report by the fire marshal that no smoke detector had alerted the family as the fire spread.

Landlord Donatus Amaram said he had no idea that there were 10 people living in the 1,600-square-foot house or that the electricity and gas had been cut off, despite monthly visits to collect rent. He said the sisters were supposed to tell him everyone who lived there, under the terms of their lease.

Amaram said the sisters were behind in rent but that he had canceled a request to the Petersburg sheriff's office to evict them in November, after Diamond Hazer said she had a new baby and didn't know where she would find a place to live.

He said the house had a gas-forced air system and electric baseboards, but he added that if the tenants weren't paying their electricity and gas bills, those systems wouldn't have worked. Amaram said the detectors he had installed were battery-powered and should not have been affected by the electricity cut-off. He said he had received no notices of code violations at the home.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. But no one on Harrison Street can shake the memory of how quickly the fire raged.

Neighbor Charles Cheatham still remembers the long moment of silence when Yorel Hazer jumped free from the fire with her baby brother, and then the sound of the baby's crying.

"If you've got kids," he told the vigil yesterday, "everyday, put your hand on them. . . . Please y'all, stick with your kids. Kiss them."

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.

A sad day for our neighborhood

2007-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Times Dispatch Article

ETERSBURG --As she jumped from the second-floor porch just before the flames engulfed it, the 13-year-old girl called back to three boys to follow her.

They didn't.

The boys -- 15, 11 and 6 -- perished in yesterday's early-morning fire in a rundown Petersburg neighborhood. The other seven members of the extended family were treated at VCU Medical Center for burns and smoke inhalation, which they suffered in the 2 a.m. fire that turned the city's sky orange.

Fire safety tips

Fatal fires
T he house had no smoke detectors and no electrical service, Petersburg Fire Marshal Charles L. Moore Jr. said.

Fire officials would not release the victims' names, pending formal identification by the state medical examiner, but friends and family members said they were among the seven children of Hope and Diamond Hazel, sisters who had rented the old frame house on South Harrison Street for the past year.

If the husband of one of the two women hadn't happened to awaken sometime shortly after 2 a.m., the tragedy could have been even worse, Moore said.

"The room was already pretty well charred by then," he said.

The husband's shouts roused the family, Moore said. One sister escaped the flames with her 6-month-old baby in her arms. The other woman followed.

A 14-year-old boy, after trying to fight his way through a ball of fire upstairs to reach the three younger boys, jumped from the second-floor porch. The 13-year-old girl followed, breaking her arm as she fell.

She was the last to escape.

"They were such nice little children," said neighbor Mattie Glass, whose great-grandchildren Alyicia Ward and Christopher Latimer knew the victims.

Glass dabbed two trails of tears running down 11-year-old Alyicia's cheeks. "I've never seen so much fire," Glass said. "It didn't just burn. It was engulfed."

Two doors down, a stone-faced Samy Artis, 13, slumped in a porch chair. "They was my friends," he said. "We used to ride bikes."

Neighbors called 911 at about 2:20 a.m. after seeing the front porch in flames.

"I saw them when they were jumping," said neighbor Charles Cheatham, who was almost too distraught to speak. "I was shocked."

Moore, the fire marshal, said he believes the fire -- which started in a first-floor front room that the family used as a bedroom had been burning for about an hour at that point.

"I saw the porch burning and called 911," said neighbor Theophilus Bland. "By the time I got back to the front, the whole top was burning. . . . It was so quick. Just up in flames, all the way up to the sky."

When firefighters from the nearby Market Street station swung open the garage doors to respond, they say the flames filled the sky, Battalion Chief Doug Ford said.

Emergency medical technicians immediately sent the two sisters and the 6-month-old baby to VCU Medical Center. The 13- and 14-year-olds and husband went to Southside Regional Medical Center, just a few blocks away, but were quickly helicoptered to VCU's trauma center because of the extent of their injuries. The seventh survivor was an adult male who left the scene but later checked himself in at VCU Medical Center. They were treated for smoke inhalation and burns, with some still in critical condition hours after the blaze was put out.

Firefighters scrambled to the duplex next door, waking residents and leading them to safety.

"It could have been me, fast as it was burning," said next-door neighbor Larry Cole, one of six people evacuated from the duplex.

By the time firefighters put out the fire in the Hazel sisters' home, about 45 minutes after responding to the alarm, it had burned one side wall of the duplex across a six-foot driveway and sent flames shooting through the length of that building's attic.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of the Hazel sisters' home was gone. All that remained of the house by late morning was some blackened lumber and a leaning front chimney, with twisted bedsprings and bicycles scattered about.

Donatus Amaram, a Virginia State University marketing and management professor, has owned the house since 1991, one of a dozen rental houses he owns in Petersburg. He said he was unaware of how many people were living in the house and that it had no electricity.

It was the second fatal fire in that block of Harrison Street in less than two years. In June 2005, a fire killed one of seven residents who shared an aging frame home. In November, another fatal fire claimed a life in the Battersea area.

"As many of these as I've been to, you never get used to it," Moore said.

Contact staff writer David Ress at dress @timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6051.
Times-Dispatch staff writer Paige Mudd and rewrite editor Mary Goodwyn contributed to this report.

This Weekend: 40th Anniversary of Kwanzaa

2006-12-29T05:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 30 1-9 pm at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, exhibit hall B
$6 General Admission, $5 Students, children under 12 are free

As you all know, I cannot say enough good things about the Elegba Folklore Society and its founder and director, Janine Bell. (I swear, if they could bottle that woman's aura, there'd be no need for mood elevators or caffeine. She is inspiration and energy personified.) Well, Elegba is at it again, with the East Coast’s largest Kwanzaa festival, this Saturday. There will be a market and performances and a chance for fun learning. If nothing else, go for the Elegba dancers and drummers. They are AMAZING! ~Mady

Central Park Trashcans

2006-12-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Good day, Messrs Reekes and Canada:

In this season of giving, please consider our park: we understand that there is no budget for and a production stall in the creation of the superior ARB-approved trash cans. We know that we cannot have them at this time. We are willing to continue waiting. All we are asking for are a number of oil drums and black paint. Our neighbors are willing to supply the time and effort to paint them to make them look park-worthy.

Per your promise that we would have trashcans by August of 2006, please consider giving us the requested number of trashcans for Central Park in the year 2007. If not just for the improved sanitation of the park, please do it for us, the Poplar Lawn board members. At this point, we cannot look our neighbors in the eye, such is the humiliation of our task going unfulfilled.

May you have a prosperous new year filled with the riches deserving the generous of spirit and community recreation area sanitation devices.

All the best,
The Historic Poplar Lawn Board representing the increasingly savage and trashcan-hungry neighborhood of Poplar Lawn

Nuts for Petersburg update

2006-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, a special thank you goes out to Charlie Rizzo who helped save our backs last night by showing up to help us unload nearly EIGHT HUNDRED JARS OF PEANUT BUTTER into our house. I don't usually do the "all caps" thing, but nearly 800 JARS, people! NEARLY EIGHT HUNDRED JARS!!!

Let me just tell you how we got all that peanut butter ... Beta Sigma Phi sorority, the most amazing group of women in just about the whole world, was led in this project by Becky Joyner to collect "some" peanut butter for Nuts for Petersburg. They collected 725 jars between their various chapters. Then one of the kind ladies got her daughter's girl scout troop involved, collecting an additional 65 jars of peanut butter. Can you believe it? Seriously, I nearly fainted at the site of all that peanut butter, all topped with a giant gold bow!

I cannot thank the ladies of Beta Sigma Phi enough, especially Becky. We will be sending them thank you notes, of course, and thanking them publicly, but you just have no idea how giving this group is. At their meeting last night, I heard about all the wonderful things they do for our community. It really showed the power of community groups, and how much we can do to better our community.

This morning, I came into work to find another twenty jars on my desk from one of my coworkers. I've collected sixty jars at work to date, and the boxes at our donation sites are filling up!!! Hopefully, we'll get a bunch at the party on Sunday too. We've also heard from several other organizations that they are collecting. We can make this goal yet!

Remember, our goal is 3,509. (Each jar represents a child who lives below the poverty level here in Petersburg.) Please spread the word about Nuts for Petersburg! We'll see you all at the party on Sunday night, and please bring peanut butter, friends, and friends with peanut butter! ~Mady

Tree lighting Friday: Carolers needed!!!

2006-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

We need carolers on Friday evening for the tree lighting ceremony. Interested parties should bring festively dressed selves, family members and friends to ... At the Globe at 5:30 pm, where you will be served refreshments. Then we will be marching on down Sycamore Street to the fountain, where we will sing with High Street.

Please make it, if you can. (We simply can't be shown up by High Street. C'mon, people!) We will supply song books. Any type of percussion instruments or novelties, like dogs or children dressed as reindeer, etc, are also welcome.

Also, if anyone has a peanut butter jar costume or is willing to make one, Amy Rizzo has volunteered to jazz-dance to Christmas Carols (complete with sparkly tights and spirit hands) to get out the word about Nuts for Petersburg.

That right there is worth the price of admission, folks, which is free. So, really, you can't lose.

Armed Robbery Suspect At Large

2006-11-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday evening, a Poplar Lawn resident was robbed at gunpoint in his own house near the park. The intruder apparently walked into the home around 9 PM. The lock on the door might not have caught properly, making this possible. The suspect was described as a 6 ft 200 lb black male in a grey sweatshirt with a bandana used to cover his mouth. So be extra careful entering your home, lock your doors once you're in, set your alarms when you go or stay in. Hound the city about street lighting and some effective police action!

Posted by Jeff A—

The 2007 APVA Preservation Awards---Nominate Petersburg

2006-11-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Petersburg has so much progress in preservation, so please consider nominating one of your favorite projects for the 2007 APVA Preservation Awards.

There are three categories in which you may nominate a project: The Frederick Doveton Nichols Award for best domestic architectural restoration, The Gabriella Page Historic Preservation Awards for outstanding preservation efforts on the part of businesses or civic organizations, individuals, or governmental agencies, and The Mary Mason Anderson Williams Award for an outstanding preservation effort on the part of a public or private preservation or civic group or individual.

The application is available online. (go to www.apva.org) The deadline for appications is December 8, 2006.

~posted by Mady

Update: Nuts for Petersburg

2006-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

As of last Friday, 11/03/06, we have collected 103 jars, or 184 pounds, of peanut butter. This is great, but I know in this season of giving, we can do better.

Please get out the word about our donation locations, or do a collection at work or church. Remember, our goal is 3,509 jars of peanut butter. ONE FOR EVERY CHILD WHO LIVES BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL IN PETERSBURG.

C'mon guys, it's for the hungry children!

~posted by Mady

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) meeting 10/25/2006

2006-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Share your Vision for rebuilding the neighborhoods of Petersburg

Petersburg High School Cafeteria

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Dinner 5:30
Meeting 6:30-8:30
Childcare provided

See the LISC Web site for more information about this organization

~Mady

Community Forum On Black Entrepreneurship: The Roads Ahead

2006-10-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 26, at 7 p.m. the Sycamore Rouge Performing Arts Center (21 West Old Street) will host its monthly Community Forum with a focus on Black entrepreneurship. BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP – THE ROADS AHEAD is the second in this series, and will focus on programs, opportunities and ideas to stimulate black-owned business creation and growth in Petersburg and the Tri-Cities. All interested Petersburg and Tri-Cities residents are invited to attend. There is no charge. For more information, please contact Larry "Akin" Smith at 804 605 6031 or at akintwo@aol.com.

~Posted by Mady for HPLA Board

Opinionated?

2006-10-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

I know you guys have opinions. I mean, I've been to the neighborhood meetings. We've all got opinions in Poplar Lawn.

Air them. Use the comments button on the lower right, there. You don't even have to be a member of blogger. Anyone can opine on our blog. We're cool like that.

Better yet, go to Petersburg Vibe's Message Boards. There's a whole lot o' opinionatin' going on over there.

Roquentin should get a user name.

~Mady

Celebrity in our midst

2006-10-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how many people in our neighborhood have written/approached/called me to announce to the neighborhood that Poplar Lawn's own Mr. Christopher Shorr of Sycamore Rouge was named one of the "Forty Under Forty" by Richmond's Style Weekly. It seems that Richmond is picking up on what Petersburg already knows: that Petersburg is a hotbed of creativity and growth. Congratulations, Christopher!

And thank you, everyone, for continuing to keep me abreast of everything, even if I am a little behind on updating.

~Mady

Update: Nuts for Petersburg

2006-10-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on our peanut butter drive: Beta Sigma Phi sorority has made it a mission to help us with the drive. Mady went and spoke at the local chapter's meeting last week, and the sorority is working to help us in several ways. They will be working to collect peanut butter through members of their sorority as well as through members' businesses. We really appreciate their support. Mady was also asked to speak at Beta Sigma Phi's upcoming "town council" meeting that will expose the project to the leaders of their regional chapters.

Here is where we need your help: we need members to put up posters and to encourage people to donate. Letters to papers and Web postings would also be great. Collections at work, through churches and through other civic organizations would be greatly appreciated. If you would like a PDF of the poster, please e-mail us. We'll send you a high-resolution, color PDF suitable for printing.

Remember, our goal is 3,509 jars of peanut butter, one for each of the 3,509 children who live below the poverty level in Petersburg. It's a huge goal, and that's why we need your help.

Why peanut butter? Peanut butter is one of the most popular and needed supplies at food banks. It is high in protein and fiber, filling, and easy to prepare. Children and seniors love it. Plus, it's easy to remember. The next time you are picking up a jar for yourself, please pick one up for Nuts for Petersburg too.

Where can you donate? Several area businesses have risen to the challenge of helping to feed our city's hungry. You can donate at the following locations: Ukrops, 3330 South Crater Road; YMCA, 120 N. Madison Street; City Hall, 135 N. Union St.; Sycamore Rouge, 21 W. Old St.; M&M Ice Cream Parlor,105 W. Bank St.; Penniston's Alley, 102 W. Old St.; Purple Passion, 29 W. Bank St.; Kimberly Ann's, 246 N. Sycamore St.; and Sycamore Rouge, 21 W. Old St.

Additionally, many businesses in the area have donated prizes to Nuts for Petersburg. For every four jars you donate, you will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes from businesses like Abraham Isaac, 22 Bolling Brook St.; Art from the Heart, 13 E Washington St; At the Globe, 201 N Sycamore St.; Kimberly Ann's, 246 N Sycamore St.; M&M Ice Cream Parlor, 105 W. Bank St.; Purple Passion, 29 W. Bank Street; Sycamore Rouge, 21 W. Old St.; and Therapeutic Massage and Boutique, 27 Bolling Brook St.

Thanks for any help you can give us, and please continue to donate peanut butter!

~Mady and the HPLA board

Fire Hydrants

2006-10-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who painted hydrants last weekend, both as a group on Saturday and on their own. Your time is truly appreciated. They all look great. It makes such an impact. In addition to looking great, it really helps the neighborhood to have concerned neighbors seen taking pride in doing work around the neighborhood.

We have plenty of paint left, as well as drop cloths, paint brushes, rags and wire brushes. If you would like to pick a hydrant and paint it on your own time, please give us a call at 863-2666 or e-mail us.

Traffic Circle Progress!

2006-10-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the people who showed up at the Traffic meeting last night. We had ten members in attendance at the meeting last night, which seemed to do the trick. Our Sub-committee chair, Jeff Abugel, did a great job of summing up the process that his HPLA sub-committee went through to make this proposed plan happen. He has really worked tirelessly, and I think everyone really agrees that he has done a bang-up job. (Thanks, Jeff!) Amos also spoke eloquently at the meeting, as did your president, Phil. We also had the great planning and support of Ron Reekes who has made this plan work.

The result of the meeting is this: the commission voted to give the neighborhood the requested traffic circle with the caveat that it is tested first with nailed-down cones in the area where the traffic circle will be. This is a safety measure that will assure that all the sizes and shapes of the emergency vehicles necessary to keep the neighborhood safe can make it through the newly narrowed intersection.

Traffic Commission Meeting TONIGHT

2006-10-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

The traffic commission will meet tonight to consider the 4-way stop and traffic circle proposed at Marshall and S. Adams street. The meeting is at 7:30 in City Hall third floor council chambers. In order to get this traffic circle, it is imperative that the members of our neighborhood come out to the meeting. Please bring your neighbors.

Monday October 16th
7:30
City Hall, third floor

~posted by Mady