Riverfest 2007 is tomorrow. Riverside Drive will be closed in the vicinity of Pony Pasture between roughly 8am-2pm.

Among the events taking place along Riverside are the 3rd Annual 5K race (8:30), tree climbing, live music, rickshaw rides, bird watching with Mary Arginteanu, bike parade, Rivercritters with Ralph White, face painting, and kayak demonstrations. Some refreshments will be available for purchase.

More info here.

Riverside Outfitters, based just off Forest Hill in the Stratford Hills area, is picking up where Richmond Raft Co. left off. Their operation will be smaller than that of Richmond Raft, but they’ll also offer guided kayak & canoe trips.

If you use the railroad crossing on Jahnke Rd, you may have noticed that it’s currently closed for repair. It likely won’t be reopened ’til Saturday evening, but there’s a fairly painless detour nearby.

Kathy Graziano has set aside $2500 in discretionary funds towards a conservation easement for James River Parks.

Currently, there is no absolute protection from development for the Park. The easement will prohibit any type of commercial, industrial or residential development in James River Park, while allowing the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities to continue to manage the Park as a wildlife and nature preserve.

The James River Advisory Council is sponsoring a river cleanup day this Saturday, 9am-1pm. Many sites from Appomattox through Chesterfield will participate, including 2 in our area at Reedy Creek and Pony Pasture.

More information is available at 717-6688.

Sounds like the folks off Bliley Rd had an interesting afternoon…

The Woodland Heights Civic Association and the Patrick Henry School Initiative are teaming up to present the Patrick Henry Festival on June 16, celebrating 85 years of school at the AV Norrell/Patrick Henry Building.

More details below the fold…

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The monthly Music in the Park series starts up again this weekend in Forest Hill Park.

Times-Dispatch editor Barton Hinkle throws some kind words our way.

A reader asks:

I am a resident of Woodland Heights living on 29th next to Carter Jones Park.
I am attempting to repair soffit on my house and need a handyman that does that kind of thing.
So far Bulifant & Sons and Carytown Construction have not returned my calls.
Can you provide any information that may point me in the right direction?

If anyone has suggestions, shoot them my way and I’ll pass it along.

Our 20th homicide of the year occurred last night off Jahnke Rd, near Redd Elementary.

The Times-Dispatch reviews VibeFest, held yesterday at Positive Vibe Cafe.

The804.com takes a look at 5-year home value appreciation. Two southside neighborhoods get mentions: Westover Hills slots in at 4th lowest in the city at 68%, while Forest View (that little triangle tucked in between Westover Hills Blvd, Forest Hill, and the railroad tracks, which also happens to be your author’s neighborhood) was 4th highest in the city (and apparently 6th in the general metro area) at 125%.

You can decide on your own whether that’s good or bad.

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An event being called Day of Mirth is tomorrow, June 16th, at the Granite Pool. Live music from noon-9:30pm from 5 bands. $5 admission, proceeds to benefit the Harvey Endowment for Arts and Humanities.

Courtesy of Jeremy Gaudreau:

The last month and a half have been a tough time for home sales around the nation, but the Richmond Market is still stable. The Southside’s Market Absorption Rate increased from a previous 1.93 month level in April to 4.4 by mid-June. The problem hasn’t been with a decrease in buyers, but an increase in inventory. April saw 87 properties put on the market, and the number jumped to 123 in May. As of the middle of June we have already seen 86 properties listed. This is common in a spring market, but usually the amount of buyers increases also. However with the recent sub-prime fallout and a dramatic rise in the amount of foreclosures, many First-Time homebuyers have been hesitant to purchase that new home. These numbers still look good for the Southside area as the Greater Richmond area is seeing an increase from 2.13 to 5.54 months of inventory.

Read more >

North Richmond News went live this week with John & Nikole Sarvay at the helm.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board gave the official go-ahead to a package of projects, including a new Huguenot Bridge.

The T-D profiled Woodland Heights resident Patrick Farley and his solar panel-equipped home.

The Mo’Book Mo’Bike Mobile stops by the Westover Hills branch library tomorrow, 12-3PM. Ward & Co. have done a lot for Richmond over the years, so stop by and support ‘em.

Registration for RPS’ Early Head Start, Head Start and Virginia Preschool Initiative programs begins today and continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays through July 26. You must provide:

• Proof of residence
• Child’s birth certificate and Social Security card
• Current immunization record and record of a physical examination performed within the past 12 months
• child’s medical and dental insurance card.
• Documentation of household income

Registration is also being held at Blackwell Annex (238 E. 14th St), Bellevue Elementary (2301 E. Grace St) and the VCU Head Start office (730 E. Broad St). More information can be gathered by calling 254-6181 (English) or 646-0145 (Spanish).

Style Weekly takes a look at Cafe Cuba, which recently opened in Stratford Hills.

As was recently mentioned in a comment, an effort is underway to revive & rebuild the Reedy Creek neighborhood association. The neighborhood consists roughly of the area bounded by Forest Hill, 30th St, 41st St and Midlothian Turnpike. Visit their Yahoo group and contact Karri Peifer with questions.