The Richmond Voice, going out into the neighborhood, has found black business owners in the Jackson Ward area are generally supportive of the Downtown Plan so far. The article quotes one anonymous business owner saying that he did not find anything controversial in the plan and that is the reason for him not attending the meetings, another says “it will be great”, and a third says “it’s well deserved and I hope that all taxpayers in the city will be able to take advantage of it”.

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Tuesday Verses; An Aquatic Branch of the Underground Railroad: The James River and the Keziah Affair of 1858; Bend Your Ear; MORE…

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Style Weekly’s John G. Haddad gets to The Black Sheep and has good things to say:

It’s comfort food with flair, all reasonably priced. Roberts and Hess made a conscious decision to price their meals moderately to attract the wide range of clientele that the Carver neighborhood draws. So far it’s working for the diverse distribution of neighborhood, student and foodie guests.

The City of Richmond Planning Commission will hold what may be the last public hearing on the June 2008 Revised Draft Downtown Master Plan TONIGHT, July 7 @6:30PM on the 5th floor conference room in city hall. John Sarvay over at Buttermilk&Molasses has a timely update and recap on the Richmond Downtown Master Plan.

The Richmond Parcel Mapper is a map of the city of Richmond that “permits querying and display of real estate Parcels”, and can also be used as an interactive map of the various Council Districts.

Where is there free wi-fi in the Carver or Jackson Ward areas? (&props to wotbn for the good question)

From the May 20 minutes of the HJWA association:

Several members were quite vocal about the presence of a new enterprise located at First and Clay Streets called the “Golden Goat.” Other than the proprietors not coming before HJWA to introduce its business for feedback; the membership felt it unsightly and against the image that the community is trying to create for itself. Most members felt it looked like a pawn shop that is in no way representative of the type of business that would maintain the community’s integrity. There was also a great deal of concern that it could attract crime.

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Are you interested in starting a community garden in your neighborhood? Tricycle Gardens is hosting 4 identical workshops on how to jump start a community garden. Covered will be the nuts and bolts of what it takes to get a garden off the ground, and sustain it. Wednesday June 25th, Wednesday July 9th, Wednesday July 30th, and Wednesday August 13th. All workshops are free, and are from 6:30-9pm, at the Tricycle Gardens office: 211 W. 7th St in old Manchester. More information is available by emailing lisa@tricyclegardens.org or phone 231-7767

Style Weekly’s Short Order has the word on the opening of the cafe Ambiance @ 415 North First Street, describing it as “contemporary fare in a lovely, rustic setting (formerly Anniebell’s), with an emphasis on freshness and affordability — oxtail, pork chops, full breakfasts, Southern side dishes and desserts. Open daily. 608-0998.”

richmond.com’s Art Library shines the light on Gallery5’s move to open a community library, resource center and meeting space:

“We are going to have a ton of books for people to read, comfy furniture to sit on, art to look at, free coffee and maybe even some community instruments for people to play,” said Gallery5’s assistant director Kevin Orlosky.

“Our ultimate goal is to have the space used by community members to hang out, educate themselves and meet new people, without the tension of a corporate atmosphere,” Orlosky said. “It will be open to artist groups, activist groups or even local business organizations to conduct meetings. We really want it to feel like you’re sitting down in your own living room.”

Following up on the protest last Tuesday of the repaving of what “may be the site of the largest slave burial ground in the nation”, organizers are working towards a follow-up rally to marshall momentum. An organizing meeting will be held @ Gallery 5 on Wednesday the 11th at 7:00PM.

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The RTD is saying that “no injuries were reported this morning in a fire in the kitchen [...] in the first block of East Leigh Street, near the St. James Street intersection” at about 8:30AM today.