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Nov. 11 Newsletter: Back to business for Council, School Board

Weather: Rain leaves this morning, last gasp of warmth this afternoon

On this date in 1925, the American Institute of Steel Construction convention opened with a prediction that in the year 2000, there will be 100-story skyscrapers and roads will be two or three levels high to relieve traffic congestion.

Correction: In Friday’s edition, the date of the Imperial Airlines crash was listed incorrectly. It happened in 1961.

Today's newsletter sponsor is The Richmond Forum: Every year, the world’s most powerful voices come to The Richmond Forum to share their ideas, stories, and perspectives regarding today’s important issues and to answer your hard-hitting questions. The 2024-2025 season features Coach K, Martha Stewart, and more.

Fate of historic 137-year-old school in Carver to be discussed Monday by School Board

Moore Street School is attached to the back of Carver Elementary, and is the city's oldest surviving school intentionally built for Black children.

Now, a group is offering to purchase it from the Richmond School Board for $1, and put in the $6 million in repairs it estimates are needed to make it usable again.

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“If no one takes into consideration and tries to preserve those landmarks, there’s going to be very few records of us being here except what’s in the history books,” Moore Street School Foundation President Jerome Legions said.

The school board will take up the issue when it meets tonight. VCU was on the verge of buying the building in 2020 and turning it into a child care center but later backed out, citing a "more challenging process than anticipated."

Read more about the school's history, and potential future, from Sarah Vogelsong here.

With election season over, City Council returns with packed agenda

City Council will meet tomorrow night, because of Veteran's Day, but has a number of important issues to discuss. Graham Moomaw provides the rundown:

  • Setting a real estate tax rate, with a potential 4-cent reduction on the table
  • Allocating $2 million for a new animal adoption center
  • Purchasing the former casino site
  • Designating Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground a cemetery, to assist negotiations involving an advertising billboard on the site.

Read more about these items here.

At 'King of the James,' the triathlon gets a Richmond twist

A uniquely Richmond outdoor event took place in and around the James River yesterday, as competitors vied to be the King or Queen of the James.

  • Instead of a traditional triathlon, the swimming was replaced with kayaking.

Ten years in, organizer Joey Parent reflected on the event's growth and future.

He’d like to see some new leaders step up, take over, and maybe even take it in a new direction. “It’s a community event,” he said. “I want to make sure the community stays involved – that includes running it.”

Read more about this year's edition from David Lefkowitz here.

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In other news...

The editor's desk

The best way to spend some post-election downtime? At the roller skating rink, of course. I took my daughter to a birthday party at Midlothian's Skate-A-Way, where the only thing that has modernized is the playlist.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org

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