• Smoking is prohibited in most restaurants and bars in Virginia. The law goes into effect today but won’t be implemented until December 1, to allow businesses to prepare for it. So enjoy that cigarette with your beer now because come December it will be a thing of the past.
• $1.4 billion in stimulus money went to balance the budget because of the massive shortage.
• Put those cell phones and PDAs away. Texting and emailing while driving is banned. It can carry up to a $50 dollar fine. The good news is you can only be ticketed for it if you’re being pulled over for something else. “No officer it wasn’t the texting that made me swerve while speeding, you can check my last outgoing message time (which I just deleted as you were walking to my car.)”
• Drunk driving – they might as well strap a monitor around your ankle. Any person charged with TWO (2) DUIs within a 10 year period will be required to use ignition interlock devices, electronic devices installed in motor vehicles connecting a breathalyzer to a vehicle’s ignition system. The devices prevent the starting of a motor vehicle if alcohol is detected on the operator’s breath.
• Voting – You mean I can wear a shirt showing my support for a candidate now? Voters will be allowed to go to the polls wearing clothing such as T-shirts or buttons that back a candidate. Before the presidential election last year, the State Board of Elections — interpreting a state law that forbids electioneering within 40 feet of the polls — said voters should not wear such clothing to the polls. After the General Assembly approved the new legislation, three free-speech organizations dropped a lawsuit against the elections board.
• Novelty cigarette lighters – Wait I thought you had to be 18 to buy a lighter anyways? What difference does it make if it is a “novelty cigarette lighter?” Stores will not be allowed to sell novelty cigarette lighters to juveniles. Such lighters must be kept out of reach to the public, and any clerk who sells one to a minor will face up to a $100 fine.
• School Absences – Stay in school kids or no cruising around in dad’s sports car. A court may suspend a minor’s driver’s license if the student misses 10 consecutive days of school.
• Payday Loans – Lenders will be required to choose between offering payday loans, whose fees are fixed, and open-ended loans, which can carry sky’s-the-limit interest rates. Lenders getting out of the payday business would lose their licenses to offer such loans in Virginia for a decade.

Richmond police are reminding residents and businesses in the city that officers will keep an eye on their property while they are away on vacation.
Through the House and Business Watch Program, people can fill out a watch request form and submit it to their neighborhood precinct before vacation. Each request covers up to a three-week period, during which police will periodically check the perimeter of the property.

Watch request forms are available at the department’s Web site, http://www.richmondgov.com/police, where users can click on the “Vacation Watch Request Form” link. If users are unsure which precinct they are in, they can call the department’s customer service line at (804) 646-6842.

Run to the River Training Walk: Saturday, June 27th

Join the Run to the River crew for our third training walk this Saturday morning, June 27th.

We’ll meet at the NRC at 1519 Williamsburg Road at 7:15 a.m. and leave at 7:30 a.m. The training will run rain or shine. Bring your own water bottle and sunscreen. Depending on the desire of the group, we will walk the 10K or the 5K route. Once back at the Center, we will have coffee, juice, and Country Style donuts in the NRC garden.

These walks/runs will be conducted throughout the summer leading up to race day on October 17. Training days are free and open to anyone who wants to join us. They are set up as an opportunity to discover the beauty and variety of the routes, enjoy healthy exercise, build community, and to see firsthand the NRC facility and the good work it conducts.
If you have questions call the Center at 864-5797 or email zeb@runtotheriver.org. No need to reserve a spot–just show up!

Register Now!

It’s not too early to sign up now for one of the most unique and challenging races in Richmond! The Run to the River is a challenging 10K run presented by Rocketts Landing. Runners will tackle three hills as they dash over cobblestone streets, through historic neighborhoods, and along the banks of the James River. A 5K Walk and 1K Fun Run will take place simultaneously. Runners will be treated to free massages, T-shirts and lots of delicious foods at the Finishing Line Party.

Edgar C. Brown, 43, of the 900 block of East Marshall Street, has been charged with petit larceny. Brown was charged after officers spotted him going into unlocked cars and stealing items. Ervette L. Williams, 34, of the 3200 block of Delaware Avenue, has been charged with grand larceny. Both were arrested in the 700 block of Duval Street.

These operations will continue through out the city. The Richmond Police Department would like to remind everyone to secure their vehicles and remove any items of value.

Hello everyone,

The families of sixteen preschool children, join NRC staff and board members in thanking everyone who took time to email, write, or call their City Council representative and/or the Mayor to advocate for the restoration of city funds to the NRC’s preschool. 7th District City Councilwoman Betty Squire did a wonderful job convincing her peers to fully fund the NRC’s sliding-scale Montessori Preschool. We extend our sincere thanks to each and every member of Council and to Mayor Jones for acknowledging and honoring community support for the preschool. City funds represent one fourth of the total preschool budget. Preschool parents understood the math. They left work early and overcame their fear of media. One after another, preschool parents lined up to tell TV reporters about the difference “that little school” is making in their child’s life. We are proud of them and grateful for a city government that listens and acts on behalf of its constituency.

Yours in community,

Mary Lou Decossaux
Annette Cousins
Co-Directors

Neighborhood Resource Center
1519 Williamsburg Road
Richmond, VA 23231
804 864-5797
nrccafe.org

~We are all connected~

The NRC (a grassroots educational and cultural center) is seeking a part-time Café Manager/Chef to oversee its non-profit, whole foods teaching kitchen/café. Please email marylou@nrccafe.org for a full job description.

In accordance with Richmond City Ordinance 2009-60, property owners of developed property within the city shall pay a stormwater utility fee based upon the stormwater class and the amount of impervious surface area. An impervious surface is one that prevents precipitation from rain or snow from soaking into the ground. Impervious surfaces include, but are not limited to rooftops, streets, parking areas, and any concrete, asphalt or compacted gravel surface.

To learn more about this go to The City of Richmond’s Stormwater Utility site. There you can find an FAQ section, information on how to build a rain barrel and the Stormwater Fee Appeals form.