A Lead Pipe Service Experience, the Fur Ball, and Gaga at Recess
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly cloudy with a high of 68 and a low of 53. Expect warmer temperatures in the coming days.
the juice:
Last Friday’s newsletter featured an article about lead pipe questionnaires going out to 85k Richmonders, as well as a map of the known and unknown piping material in the city.
Michael Phillips from the Richmonder reported his experiences in dealing with the issue:
I got my turn to experience the City of Richmond's public-facing services this week. After a story last week, we tested our water line, and discovered we had a lead pipe.
A call to the Department of Public Utilities involved time spent on hold, then the person answering said she was only doing so because DPU's phone systems weren't working. She took my number.
The next day I got a call back, with a different number to call. Calling that number, I was told the city has run out of funds for the lead pipe replacement program for the year, and to call back early next year. I asked about a waitlist, but was told they're not keeping one.
Phillips goes on to note that the next mayor will have many challenges ahead and wishes the winner the best of luck.
the pulp:
A man was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound in a home on Nelson St. in Fulton Saturday evening, via the RTD. There have been 49 homicides in Richmond so far this year, as compared to 60 during the same period in 2023.
The 26th annual Richmond SPCA Fur Ball raised $824k for life-saving veterinary care, from channel 6. The agency is expected to care for more than 4,000 animals next year.
the dive:
Short Pump Middle has begun offering recess to students multiple times a week, making it the only middle school in the county to offer the “brain break” to students, according to the Henrico Citizen.
Each grade level at the school gets a 25-minute recess either before or after the 25-minute lunch period two or three times per week, depending on the block scheduling.
The school implemented the program last year after receiving a $10k grant from the nonprofit Henrico Education Foundation, which funds both curricular and extra-curricular activities for students.
The school has recently setup a nine-hole frisbee golf course, but the most popular activity is gaga ball, or simply gaga, a variant of dodgeball played in an octagonal pit.
Recess at Short Pump is phone-free, with no phones allowed from bell to bell.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
A recent thread on reddit asked what is the best neon sign in Richmond.
Have a glowing day RVA!
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