The Italian Festival takes over 25th and Broad Street this Saturday and Sunday. Promoters plan attendance upwards of 10,000 this weekend, rain or shine. Hours are Saturday, October 4th from 11AM to 9PM and Sunday, October 5th from 11AM to 6PM.

The RTD is reporting calls to the emergency line between 7:30 and 8AM this morning from the 1800 block of North 22nd Street, Accommodation and Gay Streets, 21st and Phaup streets, and the 1600 block of Gay reporting a strong smell of natural gas. Utility crews are following up.

Friends of Libby Park and The Planters Society invite all interested in Libby Park to a review of the proposal for improvements in the Park and to celebrate a successful summer of the water brigade, responsible for keeping the new trees alive through the long, dry summer. Refreshments will be served. October 25th, 9-11AM.

The Richmond Neuter Project has 33 appointments available for Oct.28-30. The Project is still first come, first serve and they are looking for pit bulls and pit mixes in area north of R Street. Download the flier for more info!

Alli Alligood has a message about snakes: I saw a large non-venomous black snake at the intersection of Grace and 29th Streets yesterday. It had been killed, and it made me sad, so I thought it might be a good idea to remind everyone why we should not kill our reptilian friends under normal circumstances.

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There will be a neighborhood picnic and get out the vote drive on Saturday Oct.4th from 1-5 PM at 35th and East Marshall Streets. Come and meet your neighbors! Bring a dish or drink to share (if you can), register to vote (if you need to), and learn how you can Help Obama Bring About Real Change in Washington!

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Lt.Martin Harrison’s Sector 113 Community Report for September 2008 (PDF) is now available. Includes a Top 5 Wanted, information on an arrest for burglaries in Fairfield and Whitcomb Courts, a list of recent prostitution arrests and locations, and a mention of the officers that volunteered to sponsor George Mason Elementary School for Holloween Gift bags and officers that volunteer as coaches for youth athletics at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (1701 N 22nd St).

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The City of Richmond has published the schedule for free leaf collection and will be in the Church Hill and Fulton areas between 11/10-11/14 and 1/5-1/9. Citizens will only need to rake their leaves to the curb, and the City will take them away. 

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Make sure to stop by Bellevue Elementary School’s booth at the Nolde Bakery Building at this weekend’s Italian Festival and enter their raffle. Tickets are only $1 each! Area restaurants and businesses such as Bookbinders, Patrick Henry Pub and Grille, Sette, Poe’s Pub, Relish, It Must Be Heaven, The Hill Cafe, Hard Shell, the Eric Schindler Gallery/artists Lisa Taranto and Nicholas Cossitt, St. Gertrude’s House Tour, Red A Salon, Heather O’Sullivan of Cavalier Realty, Church Hill Animal Hospital, LaDifference, and Church Hill Herbs have donated gift certificates, services, and items for you to win!

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Mayoral candidate Paul Goldman, 7th district school board candidate Torey Edmonds, and Antione M. Green (president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters) made a joint appearance yesterday to show support for the Patrick Henry Initiative. From the RTD:

Edmonds, who is black, said parents in her community are looking for something better than they are getting from the city’s public schools. “On the one hand, you can’t be unhappy with the school system and on the other hand shut the door to opportunities,” Edmonds said after the news conference in front of the former Patrick Henry Elementary School.

The 6th Annual Commemoration of Gabriel’s Rebellion and the Burial Ground for Negroes has been announced for Friday, October 10, at Asbury United Methodist Church (324 N. 29th Street). Hosted by the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, The Defenders for Freedom Justice & Equality and the United Negro Improvement Association-African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) Prosser-Truth Division #456. [via]

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Chihuahua name Inki lost on Clay Street today. Blackish dark blue color with white spot on neck and white underneath. Approx 7 lbs, is 1 yr old. Please call 869-6690. /// From Craig’s List: “Lost purebred long haired Russian Blue name Beau. He got out of my apartment and ran away. I know he is still in the area but cannot find him. He is probably hungry and huddled somewhere terrified but not able to find his way home. I am getting ready to move and do not want to leave without him as he is a part of my family. Please call Hannah at 804-551-5419 or Jess at 804-549-2187 if sighted.” Clay&24th Streets.

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Armstrong (0-2, 2-4) had a total of -18 yards of offense last night in a 49-0 loss to Hanover. Ouch. [via]

Fall/Winter Hours for the Church Hill Dog Park include staying open until 7PM on Tuesday and Thursday once it gets dark enough for this to apply. There are also a lot of guardians of little dogs who come to the park daily from 6-7PM more often than not. Oliver Stinkerson is one of them and sometimes Chloe, Charlie, Murphy, Dixie and Duncan make an appearance, too. Volunteers are still being sought for the Chimbo work day on October 18th. And — congrats to the CHDP on their photo and write-up in the October issue of Richmond Magazine.

BayScapes are environmentally-friendly landscapes that create wildlife habitat, utilize native plants, conserve water, and prevent pollution; all for the benefit and restoration of the James River and the rest of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This workshop and tour will feature speakers that will talk about various aspects of BayScaping – from wildlife habitat to native plants to rain barrels. The Richmond BayScapes Workshop & Tour will be Oct.25, 8AM-4PM. [via]

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The October issue of Richmond Magazine has an in-depth and balanced look at development in the area, including the what’s up on Oakwood Heights, Beckstoffers, The Pillars at Oakmont, Echo Harbor, and Chimborazo Playground.

Lt. James Laino’s Sector 111 Report for September is now available (PDF):

During the month of August the neighborhoods of Chimborazo, Oakwood and Church Hill had over forty reports of vandalism to vehicles and vacant homes. Detective Calvin Layne was able to identify three juveniles who were responsible for a majority of the crimes and put an end to their crime spree.

During this reporting period Sector 111 officers answered 1740 radio calls, compiled 176 reports and investigated 13 vehicle accidents. They also made 139 misdemeanor arrests, 24 felony arrests, executed 66 warrants, issued 73 traffic summons, conducted 97 field interviews and seized 4 guns.

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Italian Festival; Beginning Computer Classes for Adults; Robert Grey townhall meeting at Peter Paul; open mic @ Poe’s Pub; Unity Civic League; 2nd annual Long Walk to Freedom; Union Hill clean-up; MORE…

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A townhall meeting with mayoral candidate Robert Grey will be held on Tuesday Oct.7 from approximately 6:15–8PM at the Peter Paul Development Center (1719 North 22nd Street). The plan is for Mr.Grey to make some introductory remarks and then open up the floor to questions from the audience.

North Richmond News has the skinny on a piece of legislation proposed by the Urban Forestry Division of the City of Richmond that is heading to the city’s planning commission on Monday, Oct.20, at 1:30PM. The ordinance states that:

1. No tree shall be planted at least 25 feet from street intersections and at least 10 feet from alleys.
2. No tree shall be planted closer than 10 feet to a utility pole.

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