The city’s leaf collection will begin in November, with our neighborhoods up as soon as Nov. 19

Full collection map and schedule (PDF download) and further details on the City Public Works site.

A shooting at St. John’s Wood apartments has left a woman dead. Both the T-D and NBC12 are reporting that the shooting is likely domestic in nature. Channel 12 quotes a police spokesperson as saying “This sector is normally a very quiet neighborhood…We do get reports for various types of crime, but it is a relatively quiet neighborhood,” but I seem to recall a similar shooting either at St John’s Wood or the adjoining complex within the last year or so.

Word has trickled out that a Richmond grand jury decided against indicting David Fielding for his actions. The Stratford Hills business community is said to be delighted with the decision.

Now, if the Baskin Robbins owner would just do something about the boarded up window and the ripped awning…

Crosland Development has submitted a plan of development for a parcel of land on the south end of the Lee Bridge (roughly defined as everything north of Stonewall Ave between 19th St and Cowardin). At 4 stories, it’s a much smaller development than the tower once known as “Manchester on the James” that was originally intended for this site.

RichmondCityWatch has a rendering, and there is reportedly a meeting today at the offices of Williams & Mullen (no idea of a time, though) for community discussion.

This coming weekend sees the return of the Richmond Marathon. Once again, the CVS parking lot will host a “Party Zone” with musical entertainment by Worn Glory. Other musical spots include the intersection of Scottview & Longview in Stratford Hills, the entrance to Willow Oaks Country Club, Forest Hill Ave. & Leicester, Forest Hill Park, Forest Hill & Semmes, Semmes & 22nd and the south end of the Lee Bridge.

Traffic changes abound too:

• Riverside Dr. closed b/w Huguenot Bridge & Scottview Drive 6AM-Noon
• Forest Hill Ave. westbound closed b/w Roanoke St. & W. 47th 8AM-11:30 AM
• Huguenot Bridge closed to northbound traffic 8 AM-11 AM
• The southbound exit ramp from the Powhite Parkway to Forest Hill and the northbound entrance ramp from westbound Forest Hill onto the Powhite closed 8 AM-11 AM.

The Richmond Waldorf School will be holding its Holiday Bazaar on Saturday November 17, 10am-3 pm. Featured will be arts & craft vendors, children’s activities, and perhaps the best-sounding lunch menu I’ve ever seen for such an event.

For those of you who’ve never noticed the Waldorf School before, it’s tucked in behind Westover Baptist Church in that little bend of WH Blvd, where 49th St splits off.

Or, more specifically, news from the 42nd Street Lot.

Today’s T-D profiles the Westover Hills branch of the Richmond Public Library. As one of the components of the “City of the Future” plan, the library should see such improvements as “more computers and digitized catalogs to meet rising demand, and new electrical systems to handle them [...] new, energy-efficient windows and doors, better-equipped work spaces and public meeting rooms, fresh carpeting and paint, signs and shelving.”

It’s been painfully obvious that the library system has been neglected for a long time (the Main branch downtown is, frankly, embarrassing for a “flagship” building), so this is indeed welcome news.

Swansboro Pool lifeguard Alethea Tyler is the recipient of a Richmond Fire Department’s Civilian Lifesaving Award. Happening upon a car accident before paramedics, Tyler helped administer life-saving CPR to one of the accident victims.

The entirety of the Press Release is below.

Read more >

The monthly 4th District meetings have been rescheduled to 2 sessions this week: Wednesday, 6:30 pm at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church (coinciding w/ the FHNA regular meeting) and Thursday, 7:00 pm at St. Luke Lutheran Church. Director of Public Utilities Chris Beschler will talk about proposals to redesign the water and sewer rate structure and to create a stormwater utility.

A couple weeks ago, a brief discussion about the Forest Hill Park sign came up in the comments to another post. Today’s Style Weekly takes a look at the ongoing saga involving Friends of Forest Hill Park, the Forest Hill Neighborhood Association and Custom Ornamental Iron.

Between his engineering and production work at Sound of Music and his live performances with the likes of The Broken Hips, Bryan Hoffa is one of Richmond’s best-known musical forces. Bryan’s suffering from a particularly nasty illness, so some of his musical brethren have set up a benefit show to help offset some of the medical bills.

Bryan Hoffa Benefit Show, Saturday night, Nov. 17
The Expansion Joint, 211 West 7th Street.
Featuring:
Spokane
Tulsa Drone
Marionette
Mammy

A reader just alerted us to yet another Forest Hill/Jahnke Rd wreck, and that it “looks really bad” and “someone has to be hurt.”

Sigh.

This year’s Woodland Heights Holiday House Tour will take place on December 9, 1-6PM, starting at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, and will benefit the Patrick Henry School Initiative. Tickets are $12 in advance, $10 each for a block of 10 or more or $15.00 day of the tour. Tickets are available starting this weekend from all Private Stock stores, Seven Hills Market, Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream (both locations), Once Upon A Vine (both locations*), Wild Orchids Antiques, Williams and Sherrill, Greenhouse II, Strawberry Street Vineyard, Carytown Wine & Beer, Salon 23.

*Stratford Hills still doesn’t appear to be open.

…to the old McCrory Dollar building. Demolition permits are in, and the sucker’s coming down. With the Shoppes at Forest Hill project dead and no other plans for development submitted to the city, it appears as if we’re in for a lovely vacant lot.

Is that better or worse than a years-empty building?

Today at noon, the city will unveil the first draft of the new downtown master plan. Though the focus won’t directly impact the Forest Hill corridor, it’s still an important exercise for the city as a whole. The plan will be available for review on the City Website, all Richmond Public Libraries locations, Community Centers, and City Hall rooms 110 and 510.

The holidays and general in-over-our-head-edness has caused a couple of events to sneak up on us without the proper mention, so:

Justin from Westover Baptist Church alerted us to a newly-formed group of area ministers, tentatively calling themselves the Hills & Heights Minister’s Association (the notion that other groups would incorporate H&H into their names is quite flattering!). They will be meeting today, 1:00 PM at Forest Hill Presbyterian, and have invited ministers from all over the general area to attend.

Switching gears, the Woodland Heights Artists in Residence Holiday Show takes place Friday Dec. 7th, 6-9 PM and Saturday Dec. 8th, 10 AM – 3 PM at the Stone House in Forest Hill Park. Friday night sees a neighborhood celebration with local artists & musicians, refreshments and lots of holiday cheer. Saturday is open for shopping to the general public. From 1-3pm there will be children’s crafts and face painting by Fluffy the clown and a visit from Santa and his Elf. The event is intended to showcase our local talent, bring neighboring residents together and raise funds for the Woodland Heights Community Association.