An Alert System Update, Carytown, and the First Day of School
Cheers RVA!
Today will be partly sunny with a high of 84 and a low of 67, with a slight chance of a stray thunderstorm. The week ahead looks mostly sunny with highs in the upper 80’s, with higher temperatures expected as we approach the weekend.
the juice:
The City of Richmond now has Wireless Emergency Access to convey critical information to all phones in a particular geographical region, according to the Richmonder.
These updates (which use the same technology as Amber Alerts) will be in addition the current Richmond Ready alerts messaging system that residents need to sign up for.
During the second water crisis in May the critical information was only conveyed via Richmond Ready alerts, but the policy for emergency communications (such as a boil water advisory) has since been updated.
the pulp:
Today is the first day of school for Richmond’s four elementary schools participating in the RPS 200 program, which adds 20 days of school to the standard 180-day schedule. Superintendent Jason Kamras is quoted by WRIC saying:
“Time is one of the many variables in education, but it`s just that a variable. By giving teachers and students the gift of more time, our 200-Day schools are leading the way for RPS’ rise.”
RVAMag has shared photos of the Good Trouble protests from last Thursday: “a peaceful action (that) stretched from Lombardy Street to Willow Lawn Drive, forming a three-mile human chain of protest and remembrance.”
the dive:
Ian Stewart from Richmond Magazine dives into the new normal of Carytown, including a history of the area that was once “Richmond’s first shopping center”.
The Byrd Theatre was opened on Christmas Eve in 1928, and the shopping center known was Cary Court was opened soon thereafter.
Stewart notes the constant flux of the neighborhood:
Change is a constant in Carytown, along with complaints about parking, grumbling about chain stores and talk of closing Cary Street to cars. While some see turnover among the strip’s retail and restaurant businesses as problematic, others say the area has rebounded from a spate of recent closures and is planning for the future with a new proposal to create a business district. Last year, the retail corridor literally hung up a welcome sign, so we went to ask merchants and residents about the current vibe in Carytown.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a pleasant day RVA!
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