April 24, 2008
anticipating the election
7th District School Board Rep. Keith West will not be running again and School Board Chair and 4th District Rep. George Braxton has announced that he will not seek re-election either. Council VP & 7th District Representative Delores McQuinn hasn’t said one way or the other; the slowdown from her knee replacement surgery is feeding rumors that she might not run though no one else has announced an interest in her office.
51 Responses to “anticipating the election”
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Look who is running for board in Braxton’s place:
http://jamesrivermaven.blogspot.com/
Who do we have running for the 7th?
I move that someone offer up a name of someone they think would be a good candidate! Often times people think they would like to engage in civic duty, but are embarassed to put themselves forward or are unsure whether they would have any support. The people who participate on this web are vocal and passionate, surly someone could benefit the community by being encouraged to take action. Who is it?
B:
“surly someone” indeed. Best Typo Ever!
ha!
I’ve suggested Carletta on a previous post, however, I’m not if she is in the 7th district.
Missing the word “sure” in the above comment.
How about Lisa Taranto, founder of Tricycle Gardens, for City Council? She has the education, energy, progressive ideas, hard work ethic, intelligence, and an appreciation and understanding of the old and the new to represent our district well. She is an architect, artist, world traveler, and a grassroots community activist. She has accomplished more from scratch than anyone I know. And she is honest. No one is further from cronyism and self interest than Lisa Taranto.
Well Delores is running and I’m voting for her. Delores has represented this district well. I never heard of Lisa.
Here is one of her great projects:
http://www.tricyclegardens.org/blog/
Cool. Delores has many projects.
eric, do you know McQuinn’s take on the closing of Bellevue? This is a very important issue for the families attending Bellevue. We need to plan for our children’s educational future. What can we do to keep the school open? Does McQuinn have any suggestions? And if the school closes, what are the plans for the building? Does McQuinn support the closing?
The school will be converted into very sought-after and high-end condos.
Who gets the money from the developer? The City or the School Board? Who decides what is done with the money? Who benefits? Who gets the historic tax credits?
Ha! I just spit out my coffee.
But I do think it’s a good and relevent question.
Is this definite? Do we need more condos in Church Hill? And where will the Bellevue kids go? And the hope of having a good public elementary school in Church Hill?
Wow. I thought hillkid was making a joke.
ps – I guess I’m not getting that listing.
The condos will happen.
Let’s hope the school board votes yes to the Patrick Henry Charter because the families at Bellevue won’t be using the other eastend schools. I liked Art’s(?) idea of a public Montessori in the eastend….
Lisa Taranto has the energy, intelligence and stamina to take on City Council. She would make an excellent candidate for the council or the school board. Quite honestly, both of those bodies need to get rid of some of the fluff-heads and get some thinking folk in there. Lisa Taranto is dedicated to her neighborhood and to Richmond. We should try her.
I think I’ll go for McQuinn. She knows how to stand up for all people.
Sez who, Hillkid? McQuinn? And, why is Shannon spitting coffee all over the place?
Hmmm more high end condos…no body even wants to buy the condos that have already been converted on Church Hill.
I’d like to hear more about Taranto before I make a decision one way or the other…Is she even interested?
1. basic lack of coordination.
2. projectile laughing at the idea of more condos in Church Hill, particularly to the potential detriment of the neighborhood children.
I laughed so hard because I thought that it was a joke.
o’girl, she has expressed interest and I thought I would throw it out there. I hope more people, like you, will inquire and gather information before making a decision. It is scary that some will make up their minds before even meeting or getting to know other candidates, or in this case, potential candidate. Inquiry, questions, and adventure signal growth, a mind made up before doing so is a sign of decline.
gmboys, thanks.
Like Gray said, it is vital to the community that Belleville remain open as a elementary school. I will support the candidate that will make keeping Bellevue open his or her mission. It is failure on our past representative’s part that this school is slated to be closed, even though the issue to keep it open was brought before him many times.
Missed you Tiny. Good to see you online.
I am so glad that finally there are people who are addressing the Bellevue issue! I have spoken to nearly every school board member about it and to other members of RPS, as well as advocating every chance I get for the school. Maybe there’s a chance now, because massive community support is capable of rocking the boat a little.
Thank you, Gray.
If Bellevue closes are you willing to send your kids to Chimborazo Elementary? If not, why?
Many of the kids that go to Bellevue don’t live in Church Hill, but for the ones that do, I would think that Chimbo is an acceptable alternative.
If you are willing to support the RPS, then I would think that you need to support all schools in our district and send your children to them.
Sending your kids to Fox, Mumford, etc is kind of a double standard. That’s “sort of” supporting the RPS. The RPS is O.K. when you can get your kids into the “right” schools.
“Sending your kids to Fox, Mumford, etc is kind of a double standard. That’s “sort of†supporting the RPS. The RPS is O.K. when you can get your kids into the “right†schools.”
That’s one of the things that grinds my gears. I live near the proposed charter school, and I’ve heard at least one person say that they prefer to “support the public schools,” as if PHCS wouldn’t. Naturally their kid is going to Mumford and not Clarke Springs.
hillkid, that is a whole other discussion, which we have already had!!! And you do not even have to face these types of agonizing decisions because you do not have children.
How do you know I don’t have kids? What difference does it make?
Why don’t you want to answer the question? What’s agonizing about it? You can choose to live where you like (and don’t use the “I can’t afford to live anywhere else line”). You’ve chosen to live in the city, but city dwellers DO have a double standard when choosing the schools they send their kids to. Apparently, you do to.
I’m affected by the school system because I live near them, whether my kids attend them or not. You are not supporting your community if you send your kids elsewhere within the RPS.
You can’t have it both ways, and you will not get much sympathy or support from me, or many other folks.
Especially when many of you, in the “West Calls for New School Board” thread, defended the RPS and the parents of kids attending the RPS schools.
It seems there is a double standard there also. You say that the parents do “give a shit” and that the kids are “delightful.” If that is so, then why not send your kids to Chimbo? Oh, because “those” kids and “those” parents are different.
Unless I am mistaken, hillkid, you told us you do not have children.
You let them have it hillkid!!! :-)
I’ll stick with McQuinn… she is accessable at home and has helped me in the past. That is good enough for me!
Eric
I think Chimbo is a good school, but we need Bellevue, too. Both Chimbo and Bellevue are at or above 85% enrollment capacity.
hillkid, it is great when a community supports its neighborhood school. Why are against this? I love my school – that is why I want it to stay open. Not because I don’t like Chimbo.
Do you have any experience with RPS? What is your beef anyway? You are way off on the last two comments.
hillkid, Bellevue is my district school and it is the best elementary school in the eastend and has the potential, especially with neighborhood support, of becoming great like Munford and Fox. Think of what this could do for the Church Hill community. Think of what this will do to the communtiy if it closes.
This brings me to the conversation on “demolition imminent on Cedar St†thread: to attract more young buyers interested in restoring and preserving historic properties, we need a good neighborhood public school, otherwise, such huge projects will mostly attract the wealthy, the empty nesters, or the childless adults. Many young folk cannot afford to “authentically†restore old houses and pay for private school. Yes there are a few and I know who many of them are. Over all the years I’ve lived and worked in Church Hill, more families have packed up and left. I’ve watched the Fan explode and build rapidly while Church Hill lagged behind. Why? Because of schooling. Our priority should be Belleview and at the same time give Church Hillers school choice by supporting the Patrick Henry Charter and by erasing the megazone lines that keep us from entering the school lotteries for schools like Fox, Munford, or Albert Hill. Think of the Fan and West End –they have good district schools and school choice. Why can’t we?
hillkid, like Tiny said, read the previous threads on schooling.
Eric, the neighbor you talked about on the “Cedar” thread is a very good friend of ours and his house is a gem. Give it time, it will sell. But why do you suppose, with his love of old architecture, he has chosen to not live in our neighborhood? I believe I answered that in the above post.
And finally, hillkid and Eric, why such nasty tongues?
Apparently the elementary school systems have changed since I attended some 40 years ago and not in Church Hill. But what is wrong with “…will mostly attract the wealthy, the empty nesters, or the childless adults”? Most affluent communities consists of this. Not being a child person, I can live without them but at the same time can appreciate the schools. Yet, Church Hill has a LONG way becoming kid friendly or safe. It isn’t even safe for adults in certain parts!
Eric
Getting defensive aren’t we?
I did not tell you whether or not I have kids, that’s your assumption. And, again what difference does it make?
You’re not special because you have kids and you don’t have a higher authority on the RPS because you have kids either.
You still have not addressed my questions, but choose to personally attack me, which, Tiny, you have said many times on this site, that you dislike. I guess that’s the double standard thing happening again.
I’m so “off base” because I don’t sympathize with you? Bellevue will close because it is in horrible disrepair and the RPS needs to consolidate and reorganize, not fund an albatross building where it’s attendees don’t even live in the neighborhood for the most part.
Go to Chimbo. Make that school as “great” as Bellevue.
Gray… not nasty tongue. I haven’t cussed anyone out. Believe me you will know if I would!
Which Cedar neighbor are you talking about – the Dan Harrington house? If so keep in mind we bought our house from him and Elinor – it was their own private house while living in Church Hill and we helped them out buying it while they had local “issues” before having to move on.
Eric
Why can’t we have both schools?
And, I am not attacking you. I feel insulted, that’s why my language got a little rougher.
You have a thin-skin for someone who is so vocal and self-righteous on this site.
You better learn to present your arguments better if you want to keep Bellevue open. The folks that make the decisions won’t listen otherwise.
Gray… sorry, I think I know who you are now and actually speaking of Spencer’s house? Why he isn’t living there? Ask his wife. She doesn’t like the old house, doesn’t like the neighborhood, and doesn’t feel safe raising a child there. He would LOVE to move in and has tried many times to get her to sell and move there without success. We would love to have him as a neighbor!
Eric
And, by the way it is not in horrible disrepair at all. It does need some repairs, primarily ADA compliant issues.
I think I do present my arguments well, although I guess you do not agree with them.
For those who think that Bellevue going condo is a bad idea in a glutted market, think again.
Bellevue is in a prime location with a fantastic view and a lot of room for parking. They would also have a lovely courtyard/garden facing out toward the river. I can’t imagine any of those units not selling. Shoot, I might be interested.
It’s not like the Nolde where they have units that look out onto a dumpster on Marshall. Location, location, location. Even the St. Patrick’s condos aren’t in as good of a location.
Well my family is moving out of the city specifically due to the schools issue. I think it is in the best interest of my children to ensure that they never enter into the RPS system.
Okay, I have wasted a whole work day on this blog! Anyway, I have given some thought to the recent discussion and would like to make another comment:
Yes, I support RPS and I feel it has greatly maligned by the current administration. I do not think my support for Bellevue in anyway contradicts my feelings that there has been progress made in the system and there are many successes (as well as challenges) that need to be recognized. One of these successes is Bellevue, which is a gem of a school right here in our neighborhood.
While I do want wasteful spending and administrative costs to be reduced, I don’t want it at the expense of this excellent school. My complaints is that the criteria for closing this school does not recognize its performance and is only an attempt to avoid ADA repair costs. I feel I have been consistent on that point as well.
We are a growing community and we need this school, as well Chimborazo, to meet current and future needs of our children. I fell in love with this school, not because I “want to have it both waysâ€, but because my children are students there and I feel it would be tragic to take it away. It is great to have a school within a few blocks of our house, where it can be a central point of the neighborhood. My kid’s friend also live in the neighborhood and attend school there. I like that, too, because they can play with the school mate that lives next door instead of making a ‘play date†in the Fan.
I do think that those of us with children should have a say in the closing of schools. I thought hillkid directly stated he did not have children, but I guess I was wrong. Regardless, many of us parents are afraid this school will be closed for cost-savings reasons without considering the impact and long-term costs of the decision. Let’s hope that those who are charged with that decision include those of us with children.
Re: #47 – Cool. Maybe they can move the school to Nolde.
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