Near West End

Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is offering beginning and intermediate belly dancing classes weekly at its Humphrey Calder Community Center starting March 4.

The beginning level class will meet from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and include instruction in the basic moves, isolations, techniques and posture, as well as practice of traveling steps and an introduction to finger cymbals and veils.

The intermediate class will meet Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include more advanced movements based on the fundamentals taught in the beginning class. Students in this class will review and refine the basics and learn “layering” to incorporate multiple moves.

Both classes are for all ages and will run for six weeks. The cost is $35 for city residents and $55 for non-city residents.

Students should wear comfortable exercise clothes and bring a scarf to wrap around their hips.

The Humphrey Calder Community Center is located at 414 N. Thompson St. For more information, call 646-1780.

City residents can register their children to play spring soccer at the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Faculties’ Humphrey Calder Community Center between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. March 3 through April 4.

• Registration for non-city residents will be held at the same times beginning on March 10.
• Teams will be formed for boys and girls ages 6 through 15 on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Registration is $25 for city residents and $45 for non-city residents, and a birth certificate is required for registration. A $20 uniform fee is also required.
• Teams practice on week nights and games are played on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.
• The Humphrey Calder Community Center is located at 414 N. Thompson Street beside the fire station at the corner of Patterson Avenue. For more information, call 646-1780.

Owners of gravesites in city-owned cemeteries are reminded that by City Code all flowers, decorations and non-approved vases must be removed from lots and gravesites by March 1. As part of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ annual cleanup of the city’s cemeteries, any items not removed will be collected and disposed of by the cemetery staff. New flower arrangements may be placed on gravesites beginning March 20.

For questions, call 646-1401 or 646-1402.

Thank goodness that Henrico County Public Schools see the importance of its instructional aides to the school system functioning well. Having high quality instructional support is vital to our children having a good school experience. And for special education children or for kids with Individualized Education Plans, the instructional aide is sometimes the thing that either makes it or breaks it for a child to have a positive experience at school.

The National Center for Paraprofessionals reported this week that Henrico will prioritize a two-step increase for full-time aides in the 2008-2009 budget.

More than 40 instructional aides from schools across Henrico County attended last night’s public hearing on the district’s proposed 2008-09 budget.

Their message was clear: Instructional aides should make at least half the salary of teachers.

One parent from the school district understands the importance of paraprofessionals:

Caroline Nelson, a Henrico parent, called these workers “the silent cog . . . that keeps the educational system moving forward.”

Fortunately, the School Board was able to understand the importance of paraprofessionals as well:

(The School Boards) identified a two-step increase for full-time aides as a priority in the budget.

That increase would give the county’s 363 full-time instructional aides, almost all of whom work in exceptional education, a nearly 9 percent pay raise.

Squash player, world ranked #2 Egyptian Ramy Ashour, takes on Canadian qualifier David Philips in straight games at the University of Richmond. photo by Patricia Lyons

Squash has taken over this city. Pro squash players are in the Near West End for the 2008 Davenport Professional Squash Championship being held at the high visibility glass-walled court at the University of Richmond now through Saturday. Too bad the rest of the matches are sold out. The tournament is the largest in North America.

Locally, bloggers and Style Weekly have been covering the squash mania.
And hey, I learned something new. Not only is March 15th the Ides of March, but also
it is World Squash Day.

Kudos to the University of Richmond women’s swim team, who won first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference - despite having fewer swimmers and no divers competing.

The Richmond Spiders swimming team finished off their seventh-consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference title Saturday night in Buffalo, N.Y., winning by 202.5 points over second-place Xavier.

Freshman Nicole LePere set an A-10 record in the 200 back, becoming the only swimmer to break an individual record in the meet.

Senior Jessica Witt was named the Most Outstanding Performer for the second time in her career (2006), while third-year head coach Matt Barany earned his third-straight Coach of the Year honor.

The Spiders’ 690.5 points is their fewest during this record-setting run over the last seven seasons, while their margin of victory is the narrowest since beating St. Bonaventure by 167.5 points in 2002 to win their first title.

Richmond entered the meet with just 13 swimming and no divers, while most teams brought 18 or 19 swimmers to Buffalo.

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The University of Richmond’s online student magazine, 21st Century Student Voice, just published an article about how the “Freshman 15″ doesn’t really apply at U of R, because the students there are perfectionists.

I know, shocking! I’m not sure that this is something to brag about, but apparently the Dean thinks it is. Even more shocking is that the Dean relates the UR atmostphere to a 2003 Duke University report that describes the social atmosphere as “effortless perfection.” Here’s the quote:

Perfectionism drives a number of students at the University of Richmond to lose weight instead of gaining the “freshman 15,” Westhampton College Dean Juliette Landphair said in an interview last week at the Deanery.

…….

Weight loss is a bigger issue than weight gain at Richmond because many students are driven by perfectionism, Landphair said. “Like Duke and more selective institutions, students here tend to be more perfectionistic,” she said.

In a 2003 Duke University report, undergraduates said their social atmosphere was characterized by “effortless perfection,” Landphair said. Students felt there was an expectation to be “smart, accomplished, fit, beautiful and popular, and that all this would happen without visible effort,” she said.

I am really surprised that quote came out of the mouth of the Dean of UR’s Westhampton College. Does she really think that will make people want to go there?

Meanwhile, Seventeen Magazine, is promoting their Body Peace Treaty, and is keeping it real for the rest of us.

The University of Richmond Spiders are tied for second place in the Atlantic 10 conference after yesterdays overtime win from behind over Charlotte. The final score was Richmond 79, Charlotte 76. The Spiders are 14-10 overall, and won four of the last five games.

Geez, I really want to say something here, but I’m afraid I’ll get myself in trouble….so….Here’s the the story, just plain straight from WRIC.

A Henrico County mother is facing several charges after allegedly driving drunk with her four children in her vehicle.

According to police, 37-year-old Robin Barron drove to The Playing Field on West Broad Street Monday night. Barron allegedly left her four children, ages nine months to nine years old, inside her car while she was in the establishment.

After Barron left the bar, she allegedly drove, intoxicated, with her children in the car until she crashed on West End Drive. No one was hurt in the crash.

Barron is facing one count of drunk driving and four counts of felony child endangerment.

Security upgrades are being considered at Tuckahoe Middle School, and Tucker High School (as well as plenty of other middle and high schools in other parts of the county) after the recent shooting at a college campus.

School Board members have discussed placing an additional school-security officer at Tuckahoe, Brookland and Fairfield middle schools and possibly a second armed school-resource officer at Henrico, Varina and J.R. Tucker high schools; all feature campus-style architecture.

“We would have somebody outside the buildings constantly surveying the land,” Bagby said.

A security officer also could help monitor bathrooms and breezeways, he said.

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The Near West End’s Mary Munford Elementary School is hosting an auction to raise funds for its student foreign language program on March 1st at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center.
Highlights of the even include MC and auctioning performed by juggler Jonathan Austin, paintings by Ed Trask, and Laura Loe, framed and signed one-of-a-kind print from Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker singer David Lowery, a twilight flight, event tickets and vacation home rentals.
The cost is $10 and includes food and drink from Andrea Huntjens of the Flying Chef and cakes by Caroline Pascual the Bake Cakery.

The Sports Backers announced today that The University of Richmond will host the 2008 Davenport Professional Squash Championship February 25th to March 1st.

The Championship will attract professional and elite players from around the world. The competition will be held in a high visibility glass-walled court at the UR’s Millhiser Gym February 25th to March 1st. Qualifying matches will be held February 23rd and 24th at the Country Club of Virginia.

“This draw is will be the strongest draw anywhere in the U.S. this year and probably one of the top six strongest draws anywhere in the world in 2008,” says tournament director Gus Cook, who is also the head squash pro at the Country Club of Virginia.

“With $80,000 in prize money, we have achieved super series status,” adds fundraising chairman David Hetherington. “It’s a strong statement to the global squash community that Richmond is on the map with London, Hong Kong and New York City.”

Squash, the racquet sport played indoors on hardwood courts with elongated racquets and rubber balls that are softer than racquet balls (hence they “squash” when hit,) has a burgeoning presence in Richmond.
The top 12 world ranked players that have committed to play are: Ramy Ashour Egypt, world #2; Greg Gaultier, France, world # 3; David Palmer, Australia, world #4; James Wilstrop, England, world #6; Thierry Lincou, France, world #7; Karim Darwish, Egypt, world #8; John White, Scotland, world #9; Wael El Hindi, Egypt, world #10 and others.

Tickets are available for squash matches set for Monday, February 25th to Wednesday, February 27th. Matches for Thursday, February 28, 2008 to Saturday, March 1st are sold out. There will be free parking for spectators in the Special Events Lot at the University of Richmond.

The Virginia Squash Racquets Association has the complete schedule.

Henrico County Economic Development Authority announced yesterday, that Trader Joe’s will open in the Short Pump area, adjacent to the new Whole Foods Market in early Fall. This is the most specific opening date that has been reported.

Trader Joe’s, a privately held grocery store company founded in 1958, will be opening a store in Henrico County’s Short Pump Station shopping center by the early fall of 2008. It currently has over 280 locations in 23 states. While it carries standard items, it is primarily an organic grocer offering both private label and store brand organic products which translates to lower prices for the consumer. Trader Joe’s will be located near a current Ukrops, Kroger and the future Whole Foods Market which will be opening at the West Broad Village across from the Tom Leonard’s Farmer’s Market. “It’s not surprising that Trader Joe’s found their way to Henrico County, said Toney Hall, marketing director for the Henrico Economic Development Authority. A grocer of this nature adds another element of variety to our mixed use, community-oriented living environment.”

The news that nearly two dozen underage University of Richmond students who were caught drinking, will serve 50 hours of community service each, along with driving restrictions is not really strange. The strange part is the a Roanoke television station, the NBC affiliate, WSLS, Channel 10, chose to report on the sentencing and wrote, the students will “pay their debt to society by helping revitalize Henrico County.” How strange to hear that Henrico County needs revitaizing. The neighborhood where the students were caught (Short Pump) is one of the most affluent in the area.

The story goes on to state, “The students will work on projects that range from picking up trash to helping the elderly with lawn care.”

The Times-Dispatch covered the same story in a more straight forward manner.

Summer Classics, an outdoor furniture retailer, just opened their first store in the state at 7905 W. Broad Street in the Near West End. The 12,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse carries wrought aluminum, cast aluminum, weatherproof wicker, wrought iron and teak.

A J.R. Tucker High School Student was tackled by police after bringing a loaded gun to school on Thursday.

A police officer assigned to a suburban Richmond high school tackled a 15-year-old student who was carrying a loaded semiautomatic pistol in his pocket.

…..

The student, whose name has not been released, is charged with possession of a weapon while on school property.

Police say a student told a teacher that the suspect might have a gun. The teacher contacted the school resource officer, who confronted the student in a classroom just before the end of the school day.

Police say the officer and administrators got into a “violent struggle” with the boy and the officer found the loaded gun in his front pocket.

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The University of Richmond’s ensemble-in-residence, eighth blackbird, is up for three Grammy nominations for its album “strange imaginary animals.”

The album — the group’s fourth for Chicago-based Cedille Records — is nominated for: Best Chamber Music Performance; Best Classical Contemporary Composition for “Zaka,” the album’s first track, written by Jennifer Higdon; and Best Producer of the Year, Classical, for Judith Sherman, the album’s producer.

Albert plays violin and viola for the sextet. The group’s other members are: Tim Munro, flute; Michael J. Maccaferri, clarinet; Nicholas Photinos, cello; Matthew Duvall, percussion; and Lisa Kaplan, piano.

In a telephone interview from Chicago, where he lives, Albert said the Grammy nominations were “a huge, huge surprise. We’re thrilled and honored.”

Kudos to The Winchester Star who not only picked up the story, but also provided links at the end of the story to the eighth blackbird website, and a link on where to get Grammy results when they are announced. Exactly what our local news should be doing when they publish an online article.

Near West End resident, Michael C. Ingram, 36, has been charged with first-degree murder after police discoved his wife’s body at their home just off of Skipwith Road, in the 8000 block of Dobbin Road.

Ingram, who has a history of mental problems according to police, is believed to have talked to a friend who called police at 6:41 this morning. According to the friend, Ingram expressed regret for something that had happened, but did not provide details.

Police said a subsequent search of the home in the 8000 block of Dobbin Road turned up the body of Ingram’s wife, Jamey Elizabeth Ingram, 31. She had suffered traumatic injuries but police declined to elaborate, pending an autopsy.

Twin girls who attend Skipwith Elementary School and who live at the home had spent the night Tuesday with a relative. The girls are the daughters of Jamey Elizabeth Ingram’s deceased sister, according to police.

The victim had worked since 1997 for CarMax Inc. in the company’s corporate office in Henrico County.

Michael Ingram has worked in the restaurant business but neighbors did not know where he has most recently been employed.

Henrico County will follow Richmond and Chesterfield in sending out assesment notices early next week. Increases in value should be modest this year.

Preliminary data indicates the value of reassessed homes will increase by less than 3 percent, officials said. Overall, the value of all properties, including reassessed homes, new construction and commercial sites, will increase by about 5 percent.

Last year’s overall increase was 12 percent.

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Property owners who want to contest their assessments will have until April 1 to file an appeal to the Board of Real Estate Review and Equalization.

Two of my Near West End neighbors, Rachel Kim and Ellen Featherstone, were featured in Style Magazine this week. Baby clothing they designed was featured on Friday Night Lights.

“We kept hearing from friends that we had to get our stuff out there to the celebrity market,” says Featherstone, who was close friends with Britton at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg. So she was happily shameless to use her Hollywood connection to promote Scrappywares, the boutique children’s fashion line she started last year with Kim.