Thanks to RVA News for sharing this 30 second video of the Greek Festival. If you couldn’t make it to the festival, this definitely will not substitute. It’s still fun to watch though.

33rd Annual Greek Festival from RVA News on Vimeo.

NBA all-star Ben Wallace, who formerly played basketball for Virginia Union is building a private gym in Henrico County off of Westwood Avenue, near 195.
According to the Times-Dispatch, the concrete has been poured and walls are starting to go up for a reception and locker area.

Representatives said the gym will be a private court for Wallace, a four-time NBA defensive player of the year. He adopted Richmond as his hometown after becoming an All-American basketball player during his two years at Virginia Union University.

Local musicians rock. These guys also happen to have many other talents, poet, artist, teacher, and who know what else. Why not show up to support them and listen to their brilliant work?

ALL STAR JAM
featuring in order of good looks….. Jackie Frost, Brad Tucker, Craig Evans Stephen Lecky, Jim Wark, Tim Stanton & BJ Kocen
Sunday 6-8 pm
Barksdale Theatre in Willow Lawn
10 dollar cover charge

Note: This story was updated on June 22, 2009.

Mary Munford’s 2nd grade, and my daughter’s good friend Charlotte,  were featured in today’s Times-Dispatch.  One of Munford’s many brilliant teachers, Erin Flanagan, borrowed the idea to teach kids about historic figures by creating a “wax museum” where the children choose a person from history, and recite some basic facts about their life when someone presses their button — a large circle with a red center, and their name.

My played daughter played sharpshooter Annie Oakley — America’s first female superstar, whose parents, interestingly enough were Quaker — or as my daughter typed “quackers.”

Not only did she get to dress up as a cowgirl, but she got to research Annie Oakley on the internet  and learned about all her friends historic figures as well. Plus the Kindergarden got to go “button pressing” and learn about historic figures as well.

For the third straight year, the school’s second-graders put on the historical showcase as a fun way to cap their year of Standards of Learning-based lessons. Dressed in costume, the students represented famous people from Cleopatra to Napoleon to President Barack Obama, with a healthy dose of writers, musicians and sports stars sprinkled in.

Each student wore a round sticker with a character name and a big red button. Push the button, and the character would offer details about his or her life.

“It’s great,” said teacher Paula Katz. “Everybody gets to be someone. They all get speaking parts.”

She said the idea came up a few years ago as she and other teachers were looking for ways to get students excited about historical figures beyond the usual stars such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

How did I get so lucky? I am surrounded by talented, savvy women who know how to live on the cheap, appreciate what they have, spread kindness to the world, live a waste-less life, see the world through the lens of  sassy-ness (or is it bitchy-ness?) and relish in the glory of sisterhood. AND I’m not even mentioning the three blogs that I write.

OK, it is not just me who is lucky. It is you too! If you live in the Near West End, you should know that you are living among talented mommy bloggers –who just might write about you.

Here is the round-up if you have one to add, send it on:

Allison Brown, aka Thriftymom, runs Richmond Bargains Blog and recently started an RVAdeals column for my buddies over at RVAnews.

Jennifer McCluskey, aka The Wasteless Mom, aka the room mom for my daughter’s class, “offers practical advice and motivation on how to stop wasting time, money, resources, and opportunities in order to live a more joyful, meaningful life.”

Patience Salgado, aka Kindness Girl, another mom of a classmate of my daughter, runs this inspiring blog, dedicated to leading a kinder, awesomer life. Patience has a way with words:

I didn’t find this fortune in a cookie after sweet and sour chicken or wonton soup, it was laying in the grass at the strawberry patch. I find most of my soul there so it made perfect sense. You might say that this is the fortune of my life, that maybe the entire universe might be a friend even just for a moment, nothing makes me happier.

Patience also is one of 3 sister’s staring in PBS Parent’s SuperSisters: “Three real-life sisters sharing their kids’ antics, milestones and adventures through this crazy journey called motherhood.”

The Checkout Girl, aka I know who she is but won’t tell, is exceptionally funny (when you aren’t the butt of her jokes or one of her customers) and admits that she might even be mean.

…. I work at an upscale market selling expensive foods to people who can afford them. I also like to tell stories. I am a saucy tomato, and I know what you buy, so watch yourselves.

Becky Suder, aka the woman at my kid’s school with with the camoflage hat,  and author of one of Richmond.com’s better blogs:  Can I Tell You Something? Writes some great and funny posts about keeping your identity  as an individual (while you are a mom — something I’ve always struggled with), appreciating what you have, and the challenges of raising a teenager and a Kindergardener at the same time. 

Now, if I can just find the time to read them all!

Temple Basham, a Near West End mom, just started a business to help local moms find great clothes,  save money and recycle.

Fancy Pants Richmond is a semi-annual sale featuring high-end, traditional, pre-owned children’s clothing at affordable prices.

Fancy Pants pays up front for outgrown children’s clothing (newborn to size 6) and will even pick it up from your house and then sort, launder and press it so that it can be resold. Unwanted items are donated to local family charities or returned to sellers based on their preference.

Schools, churches, and other local organizations can partner with Fancy Pants for fundraising. Participating families get paid while the organization gets $1 for every item accepted.

The first-ever Fancy Pants Richmond sale will be held at Bashams’s house on Bromley Lane, in the Near West End, September 10-13. Basham is currently collecting clothes for that sale now.

Interested? Join the mailing list online or check out thier Facebook page.

A funny thing happened today. I was out and about and I saw a blog post from All Things Richmond printed, and posted on a bulletin board. How cool is that? Well, cool and kind of ironic. Me and my friend mused at how Ben Franklin would have loved weblogging. The ultimate self-published newspaper. Anyway, it made me think perhaps I should print the Dogwood Dell Schedule on the Near West End too, in case anyone is looking for some great free entertainment. Thanks again, to All Things Richmond!

Also, before you check out the schedule, keep in mind the City of Richmond is looking for volunteers to help run the Dogwood Dell outdoor concert series. No experience or specific time commitment is necessary.  An introductory meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheatre.  For more information, call Taylor Williams at 646-1437.

June

19th Central VA Jazz Orchestra 8 pm

20th The English Channel
British pop 8 pm

21st David Esleck – Jazz 7 pm

26th The Concert Balletof Virginia 8:30 pm

27th Plunky and Oneness –
Funk, Jazz 8 pm

28th Memories of Motown–
R & B, Soul 8:30 pm

July
4th of July Spectacular
Bak N Da Day–R & B Harmonies 5 pm
Carillon Bell Concert 6:30 pm
Richmond Concert Band – Patriotic and popular music 7 pm
Fireworks at dusk to the 1812 Overture

9th through the 11th
“Caught in the Net”
Comedy by Ray Cooney 8:30 pm

12th Cora Harvey Armstrong and
Full Deliverance Gospel 7 pm

17th Latin Ballet
Latino dance 8:30 pm

18th Page Wilson and
Reckless Abandon
Folk, Americana 8 pm

19th James Gates Group
Jazz 7 pm

24th City Dance Theatre 8:30 pm

25th Words and Music
Concert Band and Storytelling Festival
1 – 9 pm

26th God’s Image
Hip Hop Gospel 7 pm

31st
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Musical 8:30 pm

August
1st, 2nd, 7th and 8th
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Musical 8:30 pm

William Scott Baker, 46, of the 3000 block of Dunwick Road, near Staples Mill and I-64, in the Near West End, was charged with attempted abduction of a 4-year-old girl, The Times-Dispatch reports.

Police said the incident shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday at the Innsbrook Shoppes apparently began when a man attempted to abduct the child as she was getting into a car with two adults.

Police said there is no known relationship between Baker and the child.