July 10 Newsletter: Arthur Ashe monument turns 30
Weather: Scattered afternoon showers continue, high of 91.
On this date in 1961, City Council votes to require guides at Civil War sites in Richmond be licensed by the city.
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Arthur Ashe's statue turns 30 on Friday. It wasn't an easy road to Monument Avenue
The monument was initially envisioned as part of a proposed museum to Black sports legends. Local sculptor Paul DiPasquale, Ashe biographer Raymond Arsenault and others remember the days leading up to the July 10, 1996 unveiling.
“He was much more than a tennis player,” Arsenault said. “He was just a role model for so many people. When I lecture on Ashe, people will come up to me with tears in their eyes.” Read more here.
No easy answers in sight for Richmond Public Schools’ $8.9M budget hole
School leaders have asked Mayor Danny Avula and the City Council for more money to help address the shortfall. But after an initial conversation at City Hall Thursday, it’s unclear where the city might find that money and how it could be allocated to RPS in time to avoid cuts or disruption.
Also Thursday, Council gave an initial greenlight to a proposal to have Richmond voters weigh in on whether the city should enact a new sales tax of up to 1% to fund school construction and major school renovations. Read more here.
Crime continues downward trend in Richmond; Fan passes Shockoe for car gun thefts
Violent crime maintains an overall downward trend, according to data shown by police at Thursday’s mid-year crime briefing.
- But, "accidental" shootings are up signficantly.
- “Many people we see have guns in their waistband, guns in their pockets,” the police chief said. “The gun moves, they reach for it, grab it, and shoot themselves.”
Police also said more guns are now stolen from cars in the Fan than in Shockoe Bottom, which they attributed in part to increased patrolling in Shockoe after a February shooting. Read more here.
Traditional or modern? Housing authority asks residents to weigh in on new Gilpin Court's first phase
Gilpin residents can cast a ballot in one of four ways for either a “traditional” architectural design that offers additional ornamentation and features like columns and decorative cornices or a “modern” design that is more angular and stripped down.
Officials will use the input to decide on the look of two buildings housing 56 units that will be constructed before any demolition occurs. Read more here.
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In other news
- Benny's giant pizza lands in Scott's Addition (Axios)
- Like Benny Ventano's in the Fan, the new restaurant serves 28-inch pies.
- Lucy Dacus’ new music video is a love letter to Richmond (RVA Mag)
- The video moves through some of the city’s most recognizable places, including Dogwood Dell, Hollywood Cemetery, and Pony Pasture.
- Through 'growing pains,' Flying Squirrels see CarMax Park light, says Lou DiBella (Times-Dispatch)
- "We had 27 employees, many of whom did seven different things about a year-and-a-half ago, and now we have 80 employees."
The editor's desk
A new article in The Atlantic about the decline of reading says more adults place a bet each year than read a book cover to cover. We're not getting into the novel business, but we're grateful for our readers who embrace the printed word, even digitally.
Michael Phillips, founder
mphillips@richmonder.org
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