Kids will get a chance to sit with Santa and share their Christmas wishes at The Black History Museum’s holiday program with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 8, from noon to 4PM. For more information, contact the museum at (804) 780-9093. [via]

Music, refreshments and holiday decorations will be part of the free Christmas Open House at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 2-4PM. Cider and cookies will be served during the holiday program in the visitor center, 600 N. Second St. For information or to make group reservations for 10 or more people, call (804) 771-2017, ext. 24. [via]

The Richmond Free Press’ “Overflow shelter for homeless at Sixth Mount Zion” profiles Sixth Mount Zion’s transformation on nights when forecasts call for temperatures below 35 degrees. The church on Duvall Street was selected for the city-financed program because of the church’s central location and active in community outreach programs.

The first public hearing on the recently released updated Downtown Master Plan will be Monday, Dec.3rd at 6:30PM at the City Planning Commission meeting in the 5th floor conference room in City Hall. Backers of this vision of Richmond’s future are urging citizens to turn out to show their support for the plan.

Read more >

John Sarvay’s coverage of last night’s Richmond Planning Commission’s public hearing for the proposed Downtown Plan says that it was a resident of Gilpin Court who received the loudest applause from the crowd:

“The City of Richmond and Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority must commit to the responsible redevelopment of Gilpin Court,” said Cora Mays. Mays cited a recent study that reported that there are fewer than 7,000 affordable rental properties in the city for more than 18,000 “extremely low-income residents.” She called for the city and RRHA to commit to a one-to-one replacement of housing units, an open and transparent timeline and input from residents impacted by the proposed redevelopment of one of Richmond’s largest housing projects.

The November 2007 reports for Sector 412 (PDF) and Sector 413 (PDF) are out. From Sector 412:

Officers Simons and Picard of Evening Shift were following up on complaint of persons using drugs in the laundry room of an apartment complex when they walked in on two persons in the process of smoking crack cocaine. Two arrests were made. The spin cycle was interrupted.

The minutes from the 11/07 HJWA meeting are online, as well as photos from the Historic Jackson Ward and City Lights Christmas Party.

It’s that time again…

Amanda Marie @ TRANSMISSION

Read more >

Modern Ethiopian art, food, and music today from 6PM until ? @ The Propaganda Gallery and Studio. Sponsored by Nile Ethiopian restaurant and featuring the art of Ezra Wube. Free!

The winter issue of The Ward (PDF), the Historic Jackson Ward Association’s newsletter, is now on the way to residents. This issue includes a message from Councilman Pantele that is a kind of update on the non-action on the Jackson Place project, a list of neighborhood businesses (shop locally!), profiles of Aller & Company Jewelers and Moizelles Cleaners, and more.

The Maggie Walker Governor’s School finished second in the nation in the recent Knowledge Master Open, a computer-based competition of 748 high schools from 49 states and 6 foreign countries. Out of 2,000 possible points, Maggie Walker’s team finished only 2 points behind the first place team, Bergen County Academies of New Jersey. The Maggie Walker team of 22 students was first for its size division (501-1000). Maggie Walker’s team members who are in the 9th grade competed in the Junior High Division of the KMO competition and finished first in the nation with a score of 1733 (in a field of 136 teams from 31 states and 3 foreign countries). [via]

The calendar on the left side of each page has been updated. Instead of showing a week from Sunday to Saturday, it now displays a rolling week from one day back to six days out.